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Sept. 2004 - January 2005 [Some Source Links May Unexpectedly Drop] Return to TabloidColumn.com Return to Tabloid Archives Sitemap

Monday, January 31, 2005

· Sen. Clinton Collapses During Appearance.  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton collapsed Monday during a speech on Social Security, a radio station reported.  Colleen DiPirro, president of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce, told WBEN-AM radio that Clinton told the crowd she was feeling weak and had had a stomach virus. Clinton started to speak then collapsed, DiPirro told the radio station. 

· Letterman Pays Special Tribute to Carson.  David Letterman paid tribute to Johnny Carson on Monday by telling his jokes. On his first "Late Show" since Carson's death on Jan. 23, Letterman's opening monologue was comprised entirely of jokes that Carson had quietly sent to him over the past few months from retirement in California. 

· U.S. students say press freedoms go too far.  One in three U.S. high school students say the press ought to be more restricted, and even more say the government should approve newspaper stories before readers see them, according to a survey being released today. 

· Teacher Accused Of Biting Student.  It was a biting fight between a Taylor County teacher and her special education student. Now the state attorney's office has to decide who to charge. 

· Carson's Hometown Turns Out for Memorial.  Johnny Carson didn't want a public memorial in Los Angeles, but people from the Nebraska town where the comedian was raised gathered Sunday at the high school auditorium that bears his name for a last chance to say goodbye. 

· Rodney Dangerfield still gets no respect.  EVEN in death, Rodney Dangerfield gets no respect. The late comedy legend's longtime publicist, Kevin Sasaki, got a call from a booker at CNN last week asking him if "Rodney would be available to share his comments on the passing and legacy of Johnny Carson." Sasaki replied that unless CNN had a new way of linking up to the afterlife via satellite, that would be impossible. 

· Ford introduces ugliest SUV yet.  In a lame intro, Ford is "Vaulting into the urban future" with a new concept SUV that looks like a cross between an armored car - and a brick on wheels. 

· They're Baaaaaack.  What do the Easter Bunny and a buck-naked Dennis Rodman have in common? They're both stars in this year's Super Bowl ads. 

· 'If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits.'  A 25-year-old waitress who turned down a job providing "sexual services" at a brothel in Berlin faces possible cuts to her unemployment benefit under laws introduced this year. 

· Louisiana Community Finally Gets Telephone Service.  There's a fish-fry Monday in this hamlet of 15 households to celebrate big news: phone service. Gov. Kathleen Blanco plans to call 83-year-old Mink resident Alma Louise Bolton from Baton Rouge to mark the occasion, which finally connects one of the nation's last rural areas without access to regular phone service. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pedantic [pe·dan·tic] adj.  1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules: "A pedantic attention to details." 

· Newspaper claims tsunami was retribution for area's sex trade.  A controversy erupted in Morocco yesterday after an Islamic newspaper said the tsunami that devastated southern Asia was a result of divine retribution against the region. 

· Utilities Issue Warning Over 'Fear Factor' Episode.  An episode of NBC's show "Fear Factor" in which couples stand next to an electric substation and allow themselves to be shocked has prompted a warning from the Kissimmee Utility Authority and other utilities in the United States. 

· SBC to buy AT&T for $16 billion.  SBC Communications Inc. said it will buy AT&T Corp. for about $16B, aiming to bolster its services for large corporations and end "Ma Bell's" independence. 

Sunday, January 30, 2005

· Apple, Al Jazeera among top global brands  Arabic media channel Al Jazeera has been voted the world’s fifth-most influential brand in a poll of branding professionals that gave the top slot to the iPod and its manufacturer, computer icon Apple. 

· Piazza Weds Former Playboy Playmate.  Mets catcher Mike Piazza married former Playboy Playmate and "Baywatch" star Alicia Rickter in a candlelight church ceremony. With baseball superstars including former Mets pitcher Al Leiter and Detroit Tigers catcher Ivan Rodriguez in attendance, Piazza and Rickter took their vows at St. Jude's Catholic Church on Saturday before boarding a yacht to a lavish reception on nearby Fisher Island. 

· 'Hide and Seek' finds No. 1 at box office.  Robert De Niro returned to the No. 1 slot at the North American box office on Sunday with the thriller "Hide and Seek," six weeks after his comedy "Meet the Fockers" began a three-week reign. 

· Iraqis Brave Attacks; Voter Turnout High.  Iraqis defied violence and calls for a boycott to cast ballots in Iraq's first free election in a half-century Sunday.  Civilians and policemen danced with joy at one of the five polling stations where photographers were allowed, and some streets were packed with voters walking shoulder-to-shoulder to vote.  Officials said turnout among the 14 million eligible voters appeared higher than the 57 percent that had been predicted. 

      » BBC: Iraq election declared 'success.'  The first multi-party election in Iraq for 50 years has been declared a success at the end of polling. 

· Update: Volkswagen files criminal charges over spoof Internet ad.  Volkswagen AG has filed criminal charges over a spoof advertisement for its Polo small car that has been circulating on the Internet, Europe's biggest carmaker said today. 

· Auction house taking bids on Klan robes.  Gary Gray said he felt more like a teacher than auctioneer Saturday, as visitors looked over the Ku Klux Klan robes he was putting up for bids in a sale that had attracted more interest than he'd seen before. 

· Jackson plea on eve of abuse case.  Michael Jackson has made an impassioned plea for a fair hearing on the eve of his trial for child abuse. The pop icon said he would be "acquitted and vindicated when the truth is told", in a statement made on his website. 

· Class Teaches Appalachian Kids How To Lose Accent.  A theater group in eastern Kentucky is teaching middle and high school students how to lose their Appalachian accents.  The class has set off an age-old debate - should mountain natives drop their drawl or hold on to their hillbilly twang. 

· Jackson’s accuser must testify in open court.  Michael Jackson’s young accuser will have to testify against the pop star in open court when he takes the stand in the singer’s child molestation trial. 

· De Niro: No longer brilliant?  Earlier this year, the Independent Film Channel ran a quiz show in which one of the movie-trivia categories was “Robert De Niro Sells Out.” 

· Is lonely Nicole at breaking point?  As prisons go, it's not too bad. It overlooks Sydney Harbour, has a private swimming pool, six bedrooms, state of the art gadgets, and is worth £5million. 

· Eastwood Wins Directors Guild Honor.  Clint Eastwood was declared filmmaker of the year by his peers on Saturday, winning the Directors Guild of America honor for the boxing saga "Million Dollar Baby." 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Assiduous [as·sid·u·ous] adj.  1. Constant in application or attention; diligent: "An assiduous worker who strove for perfection."  2. Unceasing; persistent: "Assiduous cancer research." 

· Fox News host slams CBC documentary.  Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly has lashed out at a CBC documentary featuring guests who were highly critical of his show. 

· Germany proposes hefty fines for spammers.  People sending junk email, or spam, in Germany will face fines of as much as $65,190 according to a draft law agreed by Germany's ruling coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. 

· Lockheed Martin wins presidential helicopter contract.  Lockheed Martin will build the new presidential helicopter fleet, the Navy announced Friday, putting an end to a fierce competition that had both political and international overtones.  The $6.1 billion contract to buy 23 high-tech, high-security aircraft, is relatively small in the military budget. But it is emblematic of two important issues: the outsourcing of American jobs and the question of how open the U.S. military market is to foreign contractors. 

· California gets a coin to flip over.  According to the mint, it costs a nickel to manufacture a quarter. Every state quarter removed from circulation and stuck in a coin album, a jar or a sock drawer represents a profit of 20 cents for the U.S. Treasury. 

· Britney's Kid Sister Gets Own TV Show.  She's been surrounded by celebrity just about all of her life, but Jamie Lynn Spears would have you believe she's just another teenager blown away by the fact she gets to travel to Los Angeles to make TV shows, and they sometimes let her keep the clothes she wears on set. But then Britney Spears' kid sister, still kidlike and disarmingly polite at 13, makes a pretty good case for her innocence when she recounts her reaction to learning she would be starring in her own TV show. 

Saturday, January 29, 2005

· Judge tells moms in custody cases to learn English.  A Tennessee child-court judge has been ordering foreign-born women to learn English for the good of their children — an action that some regard as unconstitutional.  In a case this week, Judge Barry Tatum insisted that an 18-year-old Mexican woman take language classes and consider using birth control. 

· Crash Survivor loves Family and Privacy.  He thought he was going to die.  He was having trouble breathing. As he lay wedged under a train seat and metal debris, with whatever energy he could summon and a heartbreaking economy of words, he scrawled a farewell in blood on the seat. "I love my kids. I love Leslie," he printed. The blood ink seemed to be running out as he got to the second sentence. 

· Despite Complaints, 'Crazy' Bear to Stay on Shelf.  A straightjacketed "Crazy for You" Vermont Teddy Bear has drawn rebukes from the governor, mental health advocates and human rights groups — but it's a hit among shoppers. 

· Book reveals Dean Martin's mob links.  A new biography of Dean Martin has revealed the late singer's links to the mafia, through files collected by the FBI. 

· ‘Missing’ Los Alamos disks never existed.  Two computer disks that supposedly disappeared last summer, prompting a virtual shutdown of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, in fact never existed, according to a report released Friday. 

· Susan Lucci Receives Walk of Fame Star.  The conniving Erica Kane, who has had a dozen careers and nearly as many marriages, made the trip from Pine Valley to Hollywood Boulevard Friday to see her alter ego, actress Susan Lucci, receive a star on the Walk of Fame.  Lucci is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the ABC daytime soap opera "All My Children." 

· Families want college to cancel speaker.  Families of victims of the World Trade Center attacks want an upstate New York college to cancel the speaking appearance of a controversial professor who has compared the victims to Nazis and said they got what they deserved. 

· Billboard Blitz to Blast Hollywood.  The billboards feature the faces of liberal Hollywood icons Michael Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Ben Affleck, Martin Sheen, Chevy Chase, Barbara Streisand, and Sean Penn, and offer thanks to Hollywood for their help in getting President Bush reelected.  Three of the billboards will be near the Kodak Theatre (home of the Academy Awards) for the month of February, which includes Oscar Night, Sunday, February 27. 

· Jackson judge allows 'sexually explicit' evidence.  Dozens of adult-oriented books, magazines and DVDs seized at Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch - one with the fingerprints of Jackson and his accuser - can be used as evidence in the singer's upcoming trial, the judge ruled Friday.  

· View to a killer.  The heartless mugger who gunned down a stunning actress on the lower East Side was caught on tape by a security camera just minutes before the killing, police sources said yesterday. 

· Sharon Stone Raises Money for African Aid.  Stone raised $1 million in five minutes Friday for mosquito nets in Tanzania, turning a panel on African poverty into an impromptu fund-raiser. 

· T-shirt company defends right to 'offend.'  Tshirthell.com boasts the motto, “where all the bad shirts go.”  And few would disagree after a T-shirt with the slogan, “Arrest Black Babies Before They Become Criminals” went on sale on the site. The shirt is emblazoned with the image of a hand-cuffed Black baby sucking on a pacifier. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Precarious [pre·car·i·ous] adj.  1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop."  2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions: "His kingdom was still precarious."  3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises: "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." 

· Woman, 79, left dangling when drawbridge opens beneath her.  A 79-year-old woman received only minor injuries after she was left dangling when a drawbridge opened as she walked across it. 

· Man Accused Of Threatening Super Bowl With 'Big Bang.'  A man accused of leaving voice mail on the City Council president's phone saying "killing 100,000 people would get people's attention," was arrested Thursday, accused of making a bomb threat. 

· Lockheed Wins Marine One Contract.  The Pentagon today chose the Lockheed Martin Corporation and a group of international partners over an American-only team headed by the Sikorsky Aircraft Company to build the next fleet of presidential helicopters, perhaps the most prestigious aircraft contract in the world. 

· Black Actors Gain Record Oscar Esteem.  Six years ago, Chris Rock joked that the Academy Awards looked like the "million white man march" for its traditional under-representation of blacks.  This time, with Rock taking his maiden voyage as host of Hollywood's biggest party, he will preside over a record Oscar night for black actors, who earned five of the 20 nominations. 

· Mechanic Runs Errand, Returns Wrong SUV.  An auto mechanic used a customer's sport utility vehicle to run an errand, left it in a parking lot with the motor running, then mistakenly took another running vehicle and returned to the garage, police said. 

Friday, January 28, 2005

· Internet Hoax Turns Some People Against Starbucks.  An e-mail message making its way through the Internet has prompted many people to pass up their favorite cup of coffee at Starbucks. New York City television station WNBC wondered what it's all about. 

· Lawmakers look to tax facelifts.  Lawmakers trying to plump up the bottom line are considering a "vanity tax" on cosmetic surgery and Botox injections in Washington, Illinois and other states. 

· Gitmo Soldier Details Sexual Tactics.  Female interrogators tried to break Muslim detainees at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay by sexual touching, wearing a miniskirt and thong underwear and in one case smearing a Saudi man's face with fake menstrual blood, according to an insider's written account. 

· Actress shot dead outside New York bar.  An aspiring actress and playwright whose work explored life's darker sides was shot and killed as she confronted an armed robber during an early-morning street holdup. 

· P&G buys Gillette for $57 billion.  Procter & Gamble Co. said Friday it would buy Gillette Co., for about $57 billion in stock, uniting two iconic U.S. producers of household goods ranging from Pampers diapers to Duracell batteries. 

      » Buffett profit no close shave.  Legendary investor Warren Buffett had nothing but praise Friday for Procter & Gamble Co.'s $57 billion deal to buy Gillette, which helped him make about $645 million - in one day.  

· Arnold Palmer Ties the Knot in Hawaii.  At 75, Arnold Palmer feels like a kid again after saying, "I do."  Palmer married fiancee Kathleen Gawthrop in an intimate beachside ceremony on Oahu's North Shore. "I feel like a 25-year-old," he said Thursday. 

· Michael Moore Fails to Make Cut with Writers Guild.  Two days after being snubbed when the Oscar nominations were announced, Michael Moore was left off the list Thursday when the Writers Guild of America unveiled nominees for its first documentary writing award for a feature film. 

· Judge Considers if Jackson Should Testify.  With jury selection set to begin Monday, the judge in Michael Jackson's child-molestation case is still considering whether the entertainer's accuser should testify in public and whether jurors should see a British documentary about the pop star. 

· Man peed way out of avalanche.  A Slovak man trapped in his car under an avalanche freed himself by drinking 60 bottles of beer and urinating on the snow to melt it.  Rescue teams found Richard Kral drunk and staggering along a mountain path four days after his Audi car was buried in the Slovak Tatra mountains. 

· Investigators conclude sexual misconduct against Bill Cosby.  Investigators probing the sexual misconduct allegations made against Bill Cosby by a former Temple University employee have concluded there was sexual contact between the entertainer and the woman, but they are trying to determine whether it was consensual, a source close to the investigation said. 

· California Train Wreck Spawns Possible Copycat Bid.  A suicidal California man could face the death penalty for triggering a rail crash that killed 11 people, authorities said, and they described a possible copycat attempt by another depressed driver. 

· Chris Rock Hip-Hops Into Oscar Gig.  Chris Rock's eyes darted around the room, studying the chattering group of international print journalists. He licked his lips, clasped his hands ... and only dropped one F-bomb as they questioned him in a variety of accents. 

· Daughter of Blake's Slain Wife Testifies.  Robert Blake's first wife and the adult daughter of his slain second wife took the witness stand at the actor's murder trial Thursday, testifying about Blake's troubled relationship with Bonny Lee Bakley. 

· Security fee on plane tickets may double.  A fee charged to airline travelers to help pay for airport security would more than double under President Bush's spending proposal for the Homeland Security Department. 

· Shot by police, Robbins charged with attempted murder.  Former Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins was charged Wednesday with three counts of attempted felony murder, less than a week after being shot during a furious struggle with three police officers investigating a burglary call. 

· Massive cow manure mound burns for third month.  Urban dwellers who enjoy dining on filet mignon at five-star restaurants would probably just as soon not know about David Dickinson's dilemma.  But Dickinson, who makes his living in the cattle business, has an environmental problem on his hands that is vexing state officials: a 2,000-ton pile of burning cow manure. 

· "Fahrenheit 9/11" is already dated, but "The Passion" will endure.  The conventional wisdom concerning Tuesday's Oscar nominations suggests that the entertainment establishment made an appropriately cautious decision to avoid controversy by simultaneously snubbing both polarizing pictures. 

· Students Admit To Sneaking Into Classroom To Have Sex.  Students at a Lorain, Ohio high school are under closer scrutiny after it was discovered that a student couple was having an inappropriate relationship in a classroom. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Acrimonious [ac·ri·mo·ni·ous] adj.  1. Bitter and sharp in language or tone; rancorous: "An acrimonious debate between the two candidates." 

· Officer who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald dies.  Nick McDonald, a former policeman who arrested Lee Harvey Oswald at a Dallas movie theater after President Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, died Thursday. He was 76. 

· Ford Recalls Nearly 800,000 Pickups, SUVs.  Ford Motor Co. is recalling nearly 800,000 pickups and sport utility vehicles because the cruise control switch could short circuit and cause a fire under the hood, the nation's second biggest automaker said Thursday. 

· Beyonce Starts Clothing Line.  The Destiny's Child singer has signed a licensing agreement with the Tarrant Apparel Group to produce a line of apparel for young women. 

· Owner Auctioning Drive-Thru Strip Club.  The owner of what's billed as the world's only drive-thru strip club is selling it on the Internet. Bidding for the Climax Gentleman's Club opened at $299,000 this week on the auction site eBay. 

· Mistake Means 18-Cent Gas in Omaha.  A misplaced decimal point gave drivers a surprisingly good deal on gas, and even inspired some threats of violence at a west Omaha filling station.  

· Wife of 'Brady Bunch' Star Seeks Divorce.  The wife of former "The Brady Bunch" kid Barry Williams has filed for divorce, according to court papers.  Barry, 50, who played Greg Brady on the series, married Ella Mary Matt Williams in 1999. 

· Citizens protest proposed name of town's festival.  Promoting this town's proud history is one thing. Naming this Minn. town's festival Gilbert "Whorehouse Days" is another thing entirely. 

· Man on Morgue Slab Starts Breathing.  A medical examiner studying a body in a morgue was startled when the man took a shallow breath. Emergency medical technicians had declared 29-year-old Larry D. Green dead almost two hours earlier, after he was hit by a car. 

Thursday, January 27, 2005

· Dick Clark Returns Home From Hospital.  "American Bandstand" icon Dick Clark returned to his beachfront home Wednesday, more than seven weeks after what was described as a minor stroke. 

· Travel firm's poor-taste ad yanked.  It's a new low in advertising: An E-mail offering "Special Tsunami Fares" on Singapore Airlines - complete with a tasteless picture of people fleeing a giant wave. 

· Murder Charges for Suspect in Train Crash.  The suicidal man who authorities say caused the chain-reaction train derailment that killed 11 people has been charged with multiple counts of murder and could face the death penalty, the DA said Thursday. 

· Gunman Kills Ohio Jeep Worker, Himself.  An employee of a Jeep production plant who had recently been disciplined shot three co-workers Wednesday, one fatally, before killing himself, police said. 

· Carson Felt Guilty About Smoking.  Soon after Johnny Carson's death last weekend, NBC announced the 79-year-old entertainer had died of emphysema, a respiratory disease that can be attributed to smoking. 

· Turin shroud 'older than thought.'  The Shroud of Turin is much older than suggested by radiocarbon dating carried out in the 1980s, according to a new study in a peer-reviewed journal. A research paper published in Thermochimica Acta suggests the shroud is between 1,300 and 3,000 years old. 

· Films today are 'crap', Dustin Hoffman complains.  Multiple Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman lamented the state of modern filmmaking, using a promotional session for his latest feature to pan a money-hungry marketing-focused industry. 

· Bill Haas says he may kill himself.  St. Louis School Board member Bill Haas, who also is running for mayor, says in a Web log that loneliness, depression and financial problems have led him to consider suicide. 

· Teen Prostitution on Rise in California.  Junior high schools and malls filled with young girls are now prime picking grounds for pimps looking to fill a fast-growing network of underage prostitution rings in San Diego. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Precipitous [pre·cip·i·tous] adj.  Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought.  "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." 

· Blake's Handyman Left Town Before Slaying.  Robert Blake's handyman left town before the actor's wife was slain and had his girlfriend get his possessions out of his apartment afterward because he feared police would seize them, the girlfriend testified Wednesday in Blake's murder trial. 

· Kim Cattrall cooking up a storm with hot young chef.  Actress Kim Cattrall has said that she is nothing like Samantha Jones, the predatory, oversexed alpha-female she played with such delight on six seasons of Sex and the City. But the 48- year-old actress does share one thing in common with her small-screen alter ego: a fondness for younger men. 

· Florida judge duct tapes vociferous murderer's mouth.  A Florida judge reportedly issued his own version of a gag order when he had officers duct tape the mouth of an angry murderer who had been hurling abuse at him. 

· Madam's banking on O.J. lawyer.  The alleged Million-Dollar Madam has hired a celebrity lawyer from Los Angeles who is pushing a defense strategy straight out of Sin City.  After Jenny Paulino and her sister pleaded not guilty to money-laundering and prostitution charges yesterday, lawyer Robert Shapiro chided prosecutors for trifling with the world's oldest profession. 

· Bank Robber Itemizes Cost of Gun.  Crime may not pay in the Netherlands, but it is deductible.  A bank robber in the southern Dutch town of Chaam was able to subtract the cost of his gun from his fine, the Daily Telegraph of London reported. 

Wednesday, January 26, 2005

· Passengers subdue man on Southwest flight.  Passengers aboard a Southwest Airlines flight helped wrestle a fellow passenger to the floor Tuesday night after he tried to force his way into the cockpit, law enforcement officials said. 

· Kidnappers demand $3 million for MLB player's mom.  Kidnappers holding the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugueth Urbina have demanded a $3 million ransom, but have not contacted the family in several weeks, Venezuelan police said Tuesday. 

· 'Deranged' man caused train collision.  A suicidal man parked his vehicle on tracks Wednesday, causing a commuter train collision that killed at least 10 people outside Los Angeles, officials said. 

· California firefighters suspended in sex case.  Four Sacramento, California firefighters who admitted to having sex while on duty have been suspended pending an investigation, says a spokesman for the city's fire department. 

· Ed. Sec'y Slams PBS Show With Lesbians.  The nation's new education secretary denounced PBS on Tuesday for spending public money on a cartoon with lesbian characters, saying many parents would not want children exposed to such lifestyles. 

· Entire staff of NYC radio show pulled over tsunami slur.  The entire staff of the New York radio show "Miss Jones in the Morning" was taken off the air after broadcasting a song that ridiculed victims of the tsunami in South Asia, the radio station said. 

· Nicole Kidman Seeks Restraining Order.  Oscar-winning actress Nicole Kidman has asked a court to issue a restraining order against two Sydney photographers, their lawyer said Wednesday.  Police officers were called to Kidman's home Sunday after an electronic listening device was found near a security vehicle that was monitoring her mansion from the street. 

· Stockard Channing Arrested for DUI.  Emmy-winning actress Stockard Channing was arrested for investigation of drunk driving after she tried to drive around a roadblock on the Hollywood Freeway, authorities said Tuesday. 

· Country store becomes shootout site.  When two men walked into a popular country store outside Atlanta, announced a holdup and fired a shot, owners Bobby and Gloria Doster never hesitated. The pair pulled out their own pistols and opened fire.  The armed suspect and his partner were killed.  "I just started shooting," said Gloria Doster, 56. "I was trying to blow his brains out!" 

· Fallen Porn King Goldstein Rebuilds with Bagels.  He spent a lifetime peddling smut and once had an $11 million fortune, but after losing everything and becoming just another homeless New Yorker, Al Goldstein is now happy pushing bagels instead of porn. 

· Britney's Kabbalah Tattoo.  Britney Spears is taking her Kabbalah lessons seriously - she has had a Hebrew symbol tattooed on the back of her neck. The superstar has dabbled with the mystical offshoot of Judaism after being introduced to it by her friend Madonna. 

· Obesity suit may dog McDonald's.  A federal appeals court Tuesday revived part of the widely-watched obesity suit against McDonald's Corp. that accuses the world's biggest fast-food company of using misleading advertising to lure children into eating fattening, unhealthy foods. 

· Sirius, XM in merger talks?  Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio are holding preliminary talks on a possible merger, according to a published report. 

· Girl Scout cookies often lead to office stress.  "There is pressure, tremendous pressure, on people,'' says Ethan Winning, founder of Winning Associates, a Walnut Creek consulting firm that specializes in writing employee handbooks. "It isn't just Girl Scout cookies, it is any kind of giving campaign. It can become almost like tithing a salary.'' 

· Sens. Kennedy, Dayton vow to oppose Rice confirmation.  A handful of determined Senate Democrats on Tuesday assailed President Bush's decision to invade Iraq and said they would oppose Condoleezza Rice's nomination for secretary of state as a principal architect of a failed policy. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Loquacious [lo·qua·cious] adj.  1. Talkative: tending to talk a great deal.  2. Given to fluent or excessive talk : Garrulous. 

· Original 'Survivor' winner arraigned on tax evasion charges.  Richard Hatch, who rose to fame as the first winner of the "Survivor" TV series, was arraigned on charges of tax evasion Tuesday for not declaring more than $1 million in earnings. 

· Attorney: Bakley Signed Child Custody Pact.  Bonny Lee Bakley signed a prenuptial agreement and a child custody pact forfeiting her legal rights to actor Robert Blake's assets and strictly limiting access to the couple's baby, Bakley's former lawyer testified at the actor's murder trial. 

· Sticker stuck in cop's craw.  A Denver police sergeant is under investigation for allegedly threatening to arrest a woman Monday for displaying on her truck a derogatory bumper sticker about President Bush. 

· Hong Kong police arrest mainland men for stealing 'good luck' trees.  Hong Kong police intercepted and arrested two Chinese men for shipping allegedly stolen "good luck" trees to the mainland, a police spokesman said Tuesday. 

· J.K. Rowling Gives Birth to Girl.  "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling has given birth to a baby girl, a Scottish hospital said. 

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

· Turner Compares Fox's Popularity to Hitler.  Ted Turner called Fox a propaganda tool of the Bush administration and compared Fox News Channel's popularity to Adolf Hitler's popular election to run Germany before World War II.  FOXNEWS response: "Ted is understandably bitter having lost his ratings, his network, and now his mind," said a Fox News spokesperson. "We wish him well." 

· Joke writer tells the inside story on Johnny.  Johnny Carson's eye was always on the ball, no matter what was going on in the bleachers. 

· Prosecutors Interview Cosby Accuser.  Prosecutors say they want to interview Bill Cosby after meeting with a former Temple University employee who alleges the comedian fondled her in his suburban Philadelphia home. 

· VW 'outraged' by viral suicide bomber ad.  Volkswagen is at the center of a global controversy after a disturbing film featuring a Palestinian suicide bomber in a Volkswagon flew around the world on the internet. 

· Man Sells Forehead Ad Space To Company For $37,375.  A Web-page designer who auctioned off the use of his forehead for advertising space is letting it go to his head. Andrew Fischer, 20, of Omaha, who put his forehead for sale on eBay as advertising space, received $37,375 on Friday to advertise the snoring remedy, SnoreStop.  

· Rolling Stone Will Accept Ad for New Bible.  Rolling Stone magazine has reversed itself and agreed to accept an advertisement for a new translation of the Bible, the nation's largest Bible publisher said Tuesday. 

· Deb is back - and bare.  Debbie Gibson, the Britney Spears of the 1980s, is launching her pop comeback by shedding her togs for Playboy. 

· Jury Finds FBI Agents Framed Former Cop.  A former policeman who served 14 years in prison was awarded more than $6.5 million in damages Monday after a federal jury found that two FBI agents had framed him for murder and kidnapping. 

· 'The Aviator' Gets Leading 11 Oscar Nods.  Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator" led the Academy Awards nominations Tuesday with 11 nods, including best picture, acting honors for Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett and Alan Alda and a directing slot for Scorsese.  The boxing saga "Million Dollar Baby" and the J.M. Barrie tale "Finding Neverland" followed with seven nominations each, among best picture and acting nominations for Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, Hilary Swank and Johnny Depp. 

· 'Tonight Show' Pays Tribute to Johnny Carson.  Johnny Carson was remembered Monday on "The Tonight Show" with an affectionate lookback at his nearly 30 years as host, including tributes by comedians and former guests that left many in the audience teary-eyed. 

      » Sidekick Ed McMahon Remembers Carson.  Johnny Carson, so public each night on "The Tonight Show," was intensely private off screen. But former sidekick Ed McMahon knows why Americans still felt close to him. 

      » Carson kin hide final plans.  As visitors flocked to Carson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to pay respects, his family said there will be no memorial service and no release of information about his final resting place. 

· Texas cops undress to catch prostitution.  Some suspects in prostitution investigations are confronting naked justice. A prosecutor says police are now allowed to undress in an effort to persuade suspected prostitutes to negotiate sex acts. 

· Prince soars on public tab.  Reports that Prince Andrew spent hundreds of thousands on air transportation in a year - including taking a helicopter flight to lunch - have sparked a royal flap. Eyebrows were raised over Andrew - the Duke of York - spending $6,800 for a 80-km helicopter flight for lunch in Oxford. The same trip by train would have cost about $225. 

· Snowboarder's change of plans had saved him from tsunami, then dies in avalanche.  Bay Area native Daniel Berk had planned to spend the Christmas holiday in Sri Lanka, getting his scuba certificate, but canceled his plans at the last minute. He missed the deadly tsunami, but on Saturday, he was killed in an avalanche while snowboarding off-trail in the Austrian Alps. 

· Leak forces Michigan nuclear plant shutdown.  A water leak at the Fermi II nuclear power plant outside Monroe, Michigan, forced a shutdown of the facility Monday, but no radioactivity was reported to have escaped and no evacuations have been ordered, authorities said. 

· Google partying, but not quite like it's '99.  The first company to rent out this entire ski resort, arguably Lake Tahoe's most expensive and exclusive, didn't even exist a decade ago. But such is the fame of its name and the magic of its reported wealth that workers here immediately began dreaming of getting their own tiny shares. 

· Authorities Probe Leaks in Jackson Case.  Authorities said Monday they are investigating leaks about the child molestation case against Michael Jackson that appeared in news reports. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Obtuse [ob·tuse] adj.  1. Lacking quickness of perception or intellect.  2. Characterized by a lack of intelligence or sensitivity: "An obtuse remark."  3. Not distinctly felt: "An obtuse pain." 

· Company Fires All Employees Who Smoke.  A Michigan health care company enacted a new policy this month, allowing workers to be fired if they smoke, even if the smoking takes place after-hours, or at home. 

· Gates foundation injects 750 million dollars for infant vaccination.  The foundation run by American computer software multi-billionaire Bill Gates is to donate $750 million over 10 years for worldwide infant vaccination. 

· Man who claims Elvis is father now wants a little less conversation.  Is he the son of Elvis Presley? Five months after he hired an attorney to seek the approval of the Presley estate to undergo a DNA test, former Jackson resident Tim Farrell continues to pursue the answer to that question. 

· Radio station apologizes for tsunami slur.  A New York radio station apologized Monday for repeatedly airing a joke song that ridiculed victims of the recent tsunami in South Asia and used racial slurs, saying the piece was in poor taste. 

· Cops use plane to nab apple-eating driver.  London police called in a spotter plane, helicopter and video-equipped patrol car to help convict a woman who ate an apple while driving to work. 

· Pastor who was pushed from bike in 2002 settles for $650,000.  The pastor who was violently shoved off his bicycle and seriously injured by a carload of laughing teenagers nearly three years ago has settled his civil lawsuit against two of the teens and their parents for $650,000. 

· Google to Branch Into Television.  Google plans to introduce a new video search service Tuesday in an index that will be operated separately from the market-leading search engine offered on its home page. The feature pinpoints content previously aired on a variety of television networks by scanning through the closed caption text that many programmers offer. 

Monday, January 24, 2005

· New Krispy Kreme CEO gets $760/hour.  Struggling doughnut chain operator Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. said Monday it will pay its new chief executive, Stephen Cooper, the standard hourly rate of $760 charged by his financial consulting group. 

· 'Catwoman' leads Razzies for movie litter box.  The fur is still flying over Halle Berry’s action flop “Catwoman.”  The Razzies, which mock the worst in film, gave “Catwoman” a leading seven nominations Monday, among them worst picture, worst actress for Berry and worst supporting players for Sharon Stone and Lambert Wilson. “Catwoman” also was nominated for worst screen couple for Berry with either Stone or co-star Benjamin Bratt. 

· Oprah Winfrey Wants to Return to Acting.  Oprah Winfrey's been bitten by the acting bug again - and you can thank the desperate housewives. Marc Cherry, creator of the hit ABC show, wrote a "Desperate Housewives" skit for Winfrey's daytime talk show. She got to play several of the roles. 

· Spy bug found in Kidman's home.  A sophisticated bug has been found at Nicole Kidman's Darling Point mansion after extensive renovations while she was in the US.  Security footage shows a person planting the listening device.  Noel McMaster, director of an agency that provides security for Kidman, yesterday said: "We have conclusive evidence that it was planted and this has been captured on video." 

· Carson was everyman, with charisma.  The day television died was May 22, 1992, when Johnny Carson hustled out of a Burbank studio, leaving tear-soaked cheeks, 30 years of memories and a void that could never be filled. 

      » Take the Johnny Carson Quiz.   

      » Never the typical 'star.'  You never saw Johnny Carson weep on "Oprah" about being sick, or lonely. Johnny Carson never got accused of fondling somebody. You never saw him on a reality show trying to relive past glory. 

      » Famous Friends Remember Johnny Carson.  Colleagues Remember Him as a Talk-Show Pioneer, Friend and 'One of the Greats of Our Time.' 

      » Carson remembered as master of his craft.  Stars who spent time on Johnny Carson’s “Tonight Show” couch came away with a shared insight: America’s late-night TV buddy was a singular talent and man.  “It’s a sad day for his family and his country,” David Letterman said. “All of us who came after are pretenders. We will not see the likes of him again ... He was the best, a star and a gentleman.” 

· January 24th depressing day.  Today is the most depressing day of the year, says a British psychologist. Cliff Arnall of Cardiff University in Wales is a psychologist of happiness, and his formula covers time since Christmas, debt level, weather and other stresses and picked Jan. 24 as the worst of times. 

· Viagra May Aid Treatment of Enlarged Hearts.  Viagra may aid in the treatment of enlarged hearts that can result from high blood pressure, tests on animals indicate. Plans are under way for a trial to determine if similar results occur in humans given the drug widely used to treat erectile dysfunction. 

· Nixon's secretary, Rose Mary Woods, dies.  Rose Mary Woods, the devoted secretary to President Nixon who said she inadvertently erased part of a crucial Watergate tape, has died. She was 87. 

· Nevada Judge Throws Out Lap-Dance Law.  A Las Vegas law prohibiting strippers from fondling customers during lap dances is unconstitutionally vague, a judge ruled. District Court Judge Sally Loehrer affirmed a lower court ruling that as many as five misdemeanor criminal cases filed against Las Vegas strippers should be dismissed. 

· Dennis Hopper Dissed at Presidential Party.  Hopper, who organized The Creative Coalition's Ball after the Ball Thursday night as part of the activities surrounding President Bush's inauguration, apparently got a surprise phone call from the Presidential Inaugural Committee Wednesday night — telling him not to come to his own party. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pontificate [pon·tif·i·cate] n.  To express opinions or judgments in an authoritative, arrogant way based on unproven principles. 

· Tenn. Senator Says He Keeps Two Families.  State Sen. John Ford testified in a juvenile court hearing that he keeps two homes, living with two different women whose children he fathered.  Ford's testimony was part of his defense in a child support case. The Memphis Democrat heads a Senate committee that guides the state's child welfare policies, and for the past year he's tried to make use of a law he authored that keeps court-ordered support lower when a father is financially responsible for other children. 

· Michigan man learns perils of messing with snow removal.  Recent snowstorms have blown the lid off a little-known prohibition against pushing snow across streets. 

· LeAnn Rimes Back With New Album.  A hit country song and a move to Nashville. Could it be that LeAnn Rimes is finished with her foray into pop and ready to return to her country roots? 

· Google gears up for a free-phone challenge.  Google revolutionised the internet. Now it is hoping to do the same with our phones.  The company behind the popular search engine looks set to launch a free telephone service that links users via a broadband internet connection using a headset and home computer. 

Sunday, January 23, 2005

· Famed TV Entertainer Johnny Carson Dead.  Legendary television entertainer Johnny Carson has died of emphysema at age 79, the NBC television network reported on its Web site on Sunday.  Carson hosted NBC's popular "The Tonight Show" for nearly 30 years, long dominating late-night television with an estimated 12 million viewers each night. He did his final show on Friday, May 22, 1992, seen by 55 million, and was replaced the next Monday by the current host, Jay Leno. 

· Bush runs out of cash.  He may be in charge of the world's richest country - but even George Bush can find himself a little short of cash.  The President was left financially embarrassed while attending Friday's National Prayer Service in Washington DC.  When the collection plate came round, Mr Bush had nothing to put on it.  Vice president Dick Cheney was quick to offer Mr Bush some money. 

· A new deal is in the works for NBC's morning star.  NBC has begun talks to extend the contract of Today show anchor Katie Couric, which would preclude any chance of her jumping to CBS.  NBC president Jeff Zucker said Friday at the Television Critics Association winter press tour that discussions to keep Couric at the network beyond the 18 months left on her contract are under way. The new deal is likely to keep her on the Today show as well. 

· After Ups and Downs, Diana Ross Is Back.  Ross has had her ups and downs in recent times, both personally and professionally. She spent two days in jail last year following a no-contest plea to driving under the influence in Tucson, Ariz. Her ill-advised effort to reunite the Supremes for a 2000 concert tour without co-founder Mary Wilson or veteran Cindy Birdsong was largely a failure. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Divisive [di·vi·sive] adj.  Creating dissension or discord; Causing disagreement or hostility within a group so that it is likely to split.

· Austria Official Chides Schwarzenegger.  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should be stripped of citizenship in his native Austria for approving the execution of a convicted killer, a leading Austrian politician said Saturday. 

· 1892 book of forecasts sold for $2,240.  An 1892 book that predicted bullet trains, driverless golf carts, televisions and digital watches sold for $2,240 at auction on Saturday. 

· Clapton Rocks Tsunami Benefit Concert.  Headline acts including rocker Eric Clapton, pianist Jools Holland and The Manic Street Preachers drew more than 60,000 people to a charity concert raising money for Asian tsunami relief. Paul Sergeant, manager of the Millennium Stadium and organizer of the event, said the concert was on track to raise more than US$1.9 million. 

· You're married! Donald Trump weds.  Property mogul and reality television star Donald Trump married Slovenian model Melania Knauss on Saturday at a lavish social event in the exclusive Florida resort town of Palm Beach.  Trump, star of the NBC television show "The Apprentice" where he pitilessly dismisses contestants with the words "You're fired!" and his bride were married at an evening ceremony at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, set amid waving palm trees and immaculate landscaping. 

· Husband Commits Suicide, Then Wife Wakes from Coma.  An Italian pensioner committed suicide after his wife fell into a coma, but just hours after he killed himself the woman woke up, Italian media reported on Saturday. 

Saturday, January 22, 2005

· Marine held after kidnapping, killing of Wal-Mart cashier.  A Marine who served in Iraq was arrested Friday in connection with the kidnapping and killing of a Wal-Mart cashier snatched from a parking lot in Texas while leaving work. 

· 'Cool Mom' Threw Sex Parties for Boys.  A 40-year-old woman faces charges of sexual assault and contributing to the delinquency of a minor for allegedly supplying drugs and alcohol to high school boys and having sex with some of them. Sylvia Johnson, 40, told police she wanted to be a "cool mom," according to an arrest affidavit. 

· Bears' Terrell handcuffed in Traffic Court.  Chicago Bears wide receiver David Terrell was handcuffed and taken to jail today after missing a morning Traffic Court date and showing up in court in the afternoon. 

· White House cuts Hubble fix-up funds.  The White House has eliminated funding for a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope from its 2006 budget request and directed NASA to focus solely on deorbiting the popular spacecraft at the end of its life, according to government and industry sources. 

· Crash Victim Gets $105 Mln from Concessionaire.  The family of a girl paralyzed in a car crash caused by a drunken football fan won $105 million in damages from the concessionaire that sold him beer, and the girl's father said on Thursday the case should have far-reaching effects. 

· NBC Sticking With 'Joey' As Ratings Slide.  NBC is sticking with "Joey" - and several other new series - despite modest ratings. "We knew we were going to be in for a tough year this year in the post-'Friends' era," Jeff Zucker, NBC Universal Television Group president, said Friday. "It turned out to be tougher than we expected." 

· Virus strikes cruise ship.  Nearly 250 people on a seven-day Caribbean cruise were sickened by a Norwalk-like stomach virus, which officials believe was brought on board by a passenger previously exposed to it, the cruise line said Friday. 

· Cosby Lawyer Asks Why Accuser Took So Long.  The attorney hired to defend comedian Bill Cosby from allegations he fondled a female acquaintance questioned Friday why the woman took a year to come forward. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Supercilious [su·per·cil·i·ous] adj.  1. Full of contempt and arrogance. 2. Behaving as if or showing that a person thinks they are better than other people, and that their opinions, beliefs or ideas are not important, condescending: "He spoke in a haughty, supercilious voice." 

· Paris Hilton allegedly steals own sex video.  Paris Hilton is being investigated for suspicion of petty theft, authorities said.  “There was an incident, and she is alleged to have taken something,” sheriff’s Deputy Steve Suzuki said. 

· Miami woman gets 20 years for poisoning boss to cover theft.  A woman received a 20-year prison sentence Thursday for putting rat poison in her boss' soda to cover up the fact that she was stealing his money. 

· Texas billboards feature Osama, Arafat.  A Texas radio station has sparked some controversy by erecting not-so-flattering billboards featuring al Qaida head Osama bin Laden, former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.  The signs say "Two down, one to go," an apparent reference to Arafat's death and Saddam's toppling by a U.S.-led invasion last year. 

· NBC: Rather's Story Wouldn't Happen Here.  Dan Rather's lack of involvement in the discredited story about President Bush's military service was "shocking," NBC's chief said Friday, promising it would never have happened at his network. 

· Half-ton man drops nearly 500 pounds.  Deuel, 42, was scheduled to leave the hospital as early as Friday, seven months after he checked in in grave condition, at 1,072 pounds. After undergoing stomach-reduction surgery in October, he is down to 610 pounds and is healthier. 

Friday, January 21, 2005

· Lottery winner gets lucky — 10 times.  Archie Herring of Seattle just missed winning this week’s huge $130 million Mega Millions lottery jackpot, correctly guessing five of the six numbers drawn but missing the all-important Mega Ball number.  He is crying all the way to the bank with $1.75 million. 

· Meter officer scalded by coffee in 'parking rage' incident.  A Boston parking meter attendant is recovering from burns after a man angry over a $55 ticket allegedly threw hot coffee at her. 

· Police Nab 'Handshake Man' at Bush Inauguration.  The unidentified man who embarrassed police by sneaking past inauguration security four years ago to get a handshake from President Bush was arrested on Thursday before he had a chance to get another presidential grip. 

· Clemens to play, sets record salary for pitchers.  Roger Clemens is coming back for one more year - and is getting the highest salary for a pitcher in baseball history. The Rocket and the Houston Astros agreed to an $18 million, one-year contract. 

· Trump, king of burgers.  A burger developed by the winning team in the season premiere of the Donald Trump reality show "The Apprentice" went on sale Friday at Burger King restaurants nationwide. 

· Reid Says Wardrobe Malfunction an Accident.  Tara Reid says she had no idea she was flashing the paparazzi when the strap of her dress slipped off her left shoulder as she walked the red carpet at Sean "P. Diddy" Combs' 35th birthday party last year. 

· Powell leaving FCC.  Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell submitted his resignation and will leave in March, the FCC announced Friday. 

· oops!  Professor's Saturn Experiment Forgotten.  David Atkinson spent 18 years designing an experiment for the unmanned space mission to Saturn, but someone forgot to turn on the instrument Atkinson needed to perform his experiment. 

· Dave Matthews Driver Charged With Dumping Human Waste.  The driver of a Dave Matthews Band tour bus was charged Wednesday with dumping 800 pounds of human waste onto a sightseeing boat on the Chicago River last summer. 

· Ex-judge denies bad bench behavior.  A former state judge who allegedly used a sex device called a penis pump in court was charged Thursday with three felony counts of indecent exposure by Oklahoma authorities. 

· Police Bust Brothel Across Street From Station.  Police in Concord, CA have busted four suspected hookers as well as the alleged madam. They were doing business out of a new apartment building near the city's police station. Detective Thomas Parodi said the women are "very, very attractive" and were charging $260 an hour. 

· Woman Accuses Bill Cosby of "inappropriate touching."  A female acquaintance of comedian Bill Cosby has leveled an allegation against him that has prompted a police investigation in Philadelphia, the entertainer's attorney said Thursday. 

· Christians issue gay warning on SpongeBob video.  Conservative Christian groups accuse the makers of a video starring SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and a host of other cartoon characters of promoting homosexuality to children. 

· Ex-Policeman: Blake Wanted to 'Whack' Wife.  A former police detective who worked for Robert Blake as a private investigator testified Thursday that the actor proposed kidnapping Bonny Lee Bakley, forcing her to have an abortion, and if that did not work, "whack her." 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pervasive [per·va·sive] adj.  Having the quality or tendency to pervade or permeate: "the pervasive odor of garlic." 

· Jimmy Carter linked to oil-for-food scam.  Former President Jimmy Carter has been linked with a key figure in the U.N.'s oil-for-food scandal by the group leading the nationwide effort to evict the United Nations from American soil and halt U.S. funding of the U.N.  Move America Forward today will call upon Carter to provide a full accounting of his meetings and conversations with Samir Vincent, who yesterday pleaded guilty to participating in numerous illegal activities as part of the U.N. scandal. 

· Limbaugh Seeks Return of Medical Records.  Rush Limbaugh asked the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday to return his medical records to his doctors and permanently keep them from prosecutors investigating his use of painkillers. 

Thursday, January 20, 2005

· ABC's 'The View' Gets 'Desperate.'  The ladies at "The View" are getting pretty desperate. During the week of Feb. 7, the five stars of "Desperate Housewives" will co-host ABC's "The View" while the show broadcasts from Los Angeles. Teri Hatcher, Eva Longoria, Nicollette Sheridan, Felicity Huffman and Marcia Cross will each join the daytime talk show for a day. 

· U.S. Teens More Sexually Active Than Parents Think.  The survey of 1,000 teenagers aged 13 to 16 showed 27 percent said they had "been with somebody in an intimate or sexual way," while 83 percent of 1,000 parents surveyed said they did not think their teenager had gone beyond kissing. 

· Boy, 5, Strikes Pregnant Teacher in Stomach.  A Wisconsin kindergartener has been suspended from school for attacking his pregnant teacher. 

· Michael Moore's Bodyguard Arrested on Airport Gun Charge.  Filmmaker Michael Moore's bodyguard was arrested for carrying an unlicensed weapon in New York's JFK airport Wednesday night. 

· The book that’s too hot for Rolling Stone?  Rolling Stone magazine declined to run an advertisement for a new translation of the Bible aimed at young people, the nation’s largest Bible publisher said Wednesday. 

· Inside Rudy's mansion.  Take a sneak peek at Rudy and Judi's new home away from home - in the Hamptons. The selling price for the 6,000-plus-square-foot two-story summer home was a cool $3.95 million. 

· Judge: Stan Lee Deserves Cut of Marvel Profits.  Stan Lee, co-creator of "Spider-Man" and "The Hulk," could be about to lay a mighty blow on Marvel Enterprises Inc.'s pocket book. 

· Farrell tops gay film nominations.  Colin Farrell has received two nominations in the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation awards shortlist, for his roles in the films Alexander and A Home at the End of the World. 

· Typo Led To Indy Boil-Water Advisory.  Indianapolis officials said a typo led the city to advise more than 1 million city residents to boil their tap water. 

· Former ambassador: U.N. funds terror.  The former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations says the global body, through several of its agencies, is funding terrorist organizations. 

· New York perv principal jumps bail.  A former Brooklyn principal who had sex with an 8-year-old girl skipped out on $100,000 bail when he failed to show for sentencing yesterday. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Metaphor [met·a·phor] n.  A figure of speech in which a word or phrase that ordinarily designates one thing is used to designate something else. "She was drowning in money." 

· Actor Ben Kingsley Splits From Wife.  Ben Kingsley and his wife, Alexandra, have separated after 15 months of marriage, the actor's publicist said Wednesday. 

· Judge Lets Jackson Respond to Transcripts.  The judge in the Michael Jackson molestation case has allowed the singer to make a statement responding to grand jury transcripts leaked to ABC News, according to media reports Wednesday. 

· Red October to be sold for scrap.  RED October, the Soviet submarine featured in a Tom Clancy book and subsequent movie, is to be decommissioned for good. 

· Cancer now top killer of Americans under 85.  For the first time, cancer has surpassed heart disease as the top killer of Americans under 85, health officials said Wednesday. The good news is that deaths from both are falling, but improvement has been more dramatic for heart disease. 

· Simpson, Lachey Return for 'Newlyweds.'  Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey are putting a strain on the term "newlyweds." The couple, who wed two years ago, will return Jan. 26 for the third season of their MTV reality show, featuring the difficulties of being a (relatively) recently married couple. 

· Lindsay Lohan's Mother Files for Divorce.  The mother of actress-singer Lindsay Lohan has filed for divorce, a spokeswoman confirmed Wednesday. 

· Man steals tour van in Hawaii.  A man stole a tour van left idling at a beach park with four people inside, but eventually let the four go unharmed, police said. 

Wednesday, January 19, 2005

· O.J. Simpson's daughter arrested.  O.J. Simpson's 19-year-old daughter was arrested after she refused to stop yelling at officers who had been summoned because of a fight outside a basketball game involving her old prep school, police said. 

· Boston terror threat probed.  Federal and state authorities are investigating a nuclear terrorist threat against Boston after a man calling from Mexico told California police that he smuggled two Iraqis and four Chinese over the border. 

· 'Everybody Loves Raymond' Ends Run.  Don't look for a supersized, super-stuffed final episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond." Television's most popular sitcom will end its nine-year run on May 16 with - get this - a half-hour show, CBS said Tuesday. 

· CDC Report Was Wrong; Obesity Deaths Not Overtaking Smoking.  Blaming a computer software error, the government says it overstated the nation's weight problem in a widely reported study last year that said obesity was about to overtake smoking as the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. 

· Construction worker changing jobs after nail removed from head.  A construction worker who shot himself in the head with a nail gun - an accident he didn't discover until he went to the dentist with a nagging toothache - said he'll change his line of work.  "I'll make pizzas," Patrick Lawler, 23, said. 

· Online hue & cry to silence Ashlee.  It turns out football fans aren't the only ones fed up with Ashlee Simpson's seemingly omnipresent caterwaul. Ever since the detuned diva shrieked her way through the Orange Bowl halftime show Jan. 4, an army of detractors has been assembling on the Internet. 

· Carson Feeds Jokes To Letterman.  Johnny Carson, the former Tonight Show host who's avoided the public eye since he retired from the show in 1992, still watches late-night television and stays in touch with friends including David Letterman. "Johnny is alright," his friend, Peter Lassally, told reporters Tuesday during a press conference to promote "The Late Late Show" on CBS. 

· Wrong Body Cremated, Ashes Scattered In Ocean.  A dispute is brewing in Jacksonville, Fla. over a mix-up at the Duval County medical examiner's office in which the wrong person was cremated and the ashes scattered in the Atlantic Ocean. 

· Fired police officer awarded $1.6 million.  A former Inglewood police officer who was fired for punching a black teenager and slamming him against a patrol car was awarded $1.6 million Tuesday by the jury in a discrimination lawsuit he and his partner brought against the city. 

· Singer Curses at Inaugural Youth Concert.  Borrowing a word from Motley Crue's Neil, the lead singer of Fuel proclaimed, "Welcome to the greatest ----ing country in the world." Brett Scallions followed with a quick apology of "excuse my language." 

· Burglar Took Daughters To Work.  Police arrested a woman Monday who they said was caught in the act of burglarizing a Van Buren home while accompanied by her two young children. 

· Marla Trumps the Donald With Silence.  With Donald Trump's opulent wedding scheduled to take place in three days, his most recent ex-wife, Marla Maples, is not attending. Despite rumors to the contrary, she wasn't even invited. 

· Attorney meets the 'jury pool from hell.'  The group of prospective jurors was summoned to listen to a case of Tennessee trailer park violence. Right after jury selection began last week, one man got up and left, announcing, "I'm on morphine and I'm higher than a kite." 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Synergism [syn·er·gism] n.  Interaction of discrete agencies or conditions where the total effect is greater than the sum of the individual parts.  "All the stockholders saw considerable synergism in the merger."  [also Synergy]. 

· Surviving WTC restaurant staff starting new eatery.  Workers from the Windows on the World restaurant atop the World Trade Center have signed a lease to create the city's first employee-run restaurant - only a short walk from ground zero. 

· Blake Trial Focuses on Gunshot Residue.  An expert witness at Robert Blake's murder trial said Tuesday he could not be sure whether possible gunshot residue on the actor's hands and clothes came from firing a gun the night his wife was shot to death. 

· Clemens proves he's all about money, not winning games.  If the Astros are forced to pay Roger Clemens $22 million, they won't have enough money to field a winning team around him, writes columnist Mike Celizic. 

· Journalist Fights Request in Jackson Case.  A television journalist has asked a judge to deny a request by prosecutors for him to testify at Michael Jackson's child molestation trial. 

· Personal Computer Shipments Rise 13.7 Pct.  Worldwide shipments of personal computers grew 13.7 percent in the fourth quarter on strong demand from small- and medium-sized businesses and holiday shoppers, IDC reported Tuesday. 

· Stars Auction Clothes for Tsunami Relief.  Actress Teri Hatcher took off her clothes — but not on the set of ABC's "Desperate Housewives." Hatcher, who won a Golden Globe for her role on the nighttime soap opera, shed the silver Donna Karan dress she wore to Sunday's awards ceremony and handed it over to a fund-raising auction for victims of the Dec. 26 tsunami. 

Tuesday, January 18, 2005

· Hatch to Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion.  Richard Hatch, a Newport resident who became a millionaire when he won the first-ever "Survivor" series, has agreed to plead guilty to two counts of tax evasion for failing to report income including the $1.01 million he won on the show.  Federal prosecutors charged that Hatch, 43, filed false 2000 and 2001 tax returns, omitting his income from the CBS show, as well as another $321,000 he was paid by a radio station. 

· Bar Customer Steps On Loaded Gun.  Ann Arbor police arrested a convicted felon after he accidentally left his loaded, unregistered handgun in a hotel bar, then returned and demanded it back. 

· CBS May Use Multi-Anchor Format.  CBS will probably replace Dan Rather on the evening news with a multi-anchor, perhaps multi-city format that changes the "antiquated" way of reporting the day's top stories, CBS chief Leslie Moonves said Tuesday. 

· Deer eating away at forests nationwide.  Nationally, the white-tailed deer population has increased from about 500,000 in the early 1900s to 25 to 30 million today, according to researchers. 

· Man buys nearly 125,000 bottles of wine at auction for $100.  Ken Jacques just bought nearly 125,000 bottles of wine for $100. That's less than a penny a dozen. And this isn't cheap wine, either. It sells for $9 to $15 a bottle at your local store. It all started when the 46-year-old San Luis Obispo wine distributor was sued. That led to a countersuit, which led to a six-figure monetary award for him, which led to a bizarre auction that ultimately found Jacques bidding alone. 

· First X-Rated Reality Show In Works.  You knew this had to happen someday: The world of reality television is getting X-rated. No, don't worry, it's nothing the Federal Communications Commission will have to get all worked up about. It will be on pay-per-view television. 

· Woman falls to death attempting balcony handstand.  A woman fell to her death while trying to do a handstand on the railing of a second-floor hotel balcony, sheriff's officials said.  Just before she fell, she had called out to a friend, "Watch to see what I can still do," a police report said. 

· Scorsese Hasn't Spoken to Dylan About Film.  Martin Scorsese has been working on a film about Bob Dylan for two years and there's one important person he hasn't spoken to about it: Bob Dylan. 

· Take my wife.  Kevin Bacon, who has played every imaginable kind of role in his busy, three-decade movie career, faced a challenge with his new film, "Loverboy": directing his real-life wife, Kyra Sedgwick, in sex scenes with several other actors. 

· CEO of Struggling Krispy Kreme Retires.  Struggling Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. on Tuesday named new top executives, retained a financial adviser and said it is taking other steps to address its current situation. 

· Pets to Earn Frequent Flyer Miles.  Midwest Airlines is focusing on four-footed customers in hopes of wooing more of the two-footed kind. Midwest announced a program Monday that gives pets a free round-trip ticket for every three domestic round-trip flights they take with their owners. 

· Break-up may end in court for Pitt and Aniston.  A bitter court battle looks to be on the cards for former Hollywood golden couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston. Friends say a tug-of-war could develop over their fortune because they never made a pre-nuptial agreement. 

· Virgin wants casino on its A380 jets.  Gyms, beauty parlors, private double beds and an in-flight casino will be featured on Virgin Atlantic's giant Airbus A380 planes when it starts flying them in three years' time, the airline's half-owner Richard Branson said.  "Since you have gaming and you have private double beds maybe there are two ways of getting lucky on a Virgin plane," entrepreneur Branson told reporters in France. 

· Kidnapped archbishop freed in Iraq.  A Catholic archbishop has been released one day after he was kidnapped in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, the Vatican confirmed Tuesday. 

· Virginia Mayo, '40s and '50s Film Actress, Dies.  Virginia Mayo, the stunning blonde actress who brought beauty and romance to films of the 1940s and 1950s with such co-stars as James Cagney, Bob Hope, Gregory Peck, Danny Kaye and Ronald Reagan, died Monday at a nursing home in Thousand Oaks. She was 84. 

· Picture-perfect Mrs. Trump III.  At $100,000, the wedding dress for the future Mrs. Donald Trump takes the cake. Slovenian supermodel Melania Knauss has picked a hand-embroidered frock from Christian Dior that carries a price tag that is pure Trump. With its 13-foot train and even longer veil, Knauss' dress is so heavy, she was advised to eat hearty so she has the strength to make it down the aisle Saturday, Vogue magazine reports. 

· 'All My Children' Star Ruth Warrick Dies.  She played the icy first wife of Orson Welles in "Citizen Kane" and a mysterious housekeeper on "Peyton Place," but one role seemed to resonate the most with Ruth Warrick - that of Phoebe Tyler Wallingford, an inveterate busybody on "All My Children." She was 88. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Prolific [pro·lif·ic] adj.  Productive: Producing abundant works or results: "a prolific artist." 

· Kirstie Alley Developed 'Fat Actress' Idea.  The person who dreamed up a TV series about Kirstie Alley's embarrassing battle with her weight and struggles inside the Hollywood fishbowl might be surprising. 

· Study: Colon cancer test nearly 'worthless.'  A common screening test failed to detect potentially cancerous colon growths 95 percent of the time, falsely reassuring patients and doctors, according to a new study. 

· FCC fears force Fox to pixelate cartoon nudity.  Fox says it covered up the naked rear end of a cartoon character recently because of nervousness over what the Federal Communications Commission will find objectionable. 

· Verizon, Yahoo team up to woo users.  Subscribers to Verizon Communications Inc.’s high-speed Internet services will be able to access customized and premium content from Web giant Yahoo Inc. under a multiyear agreement that combines the companies’ offerings into a single brand. 

Monday, January 17, 2005

· Las Vegas weatherman fired after Martin Luther 'Coon' slur.  A weekend television weatherman was fired after he made an on-air racial slur about Martin Luther King Jr., station officials said.  Rob Blair of KTNV-TV was delivering the extended forecast Saturday morning when he said: "For tomorrow, 60 degrees, Martin Luther Coon King Jr. Day, gonna see some temperatures in the mid-60s." 

· Former firefighter accused of arson.  A former volunteer Salt Lake City area firefighter is accused of working with a juvenile to set a house on fire so he could put it out. 

· Fox Says It Needs to Lay Off on Reality.  The sagging Fox network's chief executive admitted Monday it had leaned too heavily on reality programming this TV season, including the disastrous "Who's Your Daddy?" 

· Women Lack 'Natural Ability' In Some Fields, Harvard President Says.  The president of Harvard University prompted criticism for suggesting that innate differences between the sexes could help explain why fewer women succeed in science and math careers.  Lawrence H. Summers, speaking Friday at an economic conference, also questioned how great a role discrimination plays in keeping female scientists and engineers from advancing at elite universities. 

· Teenager finishes world's largest burger.  Kate Stelnick, a petite college student weighing in at 100 pounds, took the Denny’s Beer Barrel challenge on Wednesday. They almost laughed her out of the restaurant when she placed her order. Turns out she was the one laughing (and burping) on the way out. 

· Jerry Garcia's heirs sue over burrito chain's use of his image.  The heirs of rock legend Jerry Garcia are suing a burrito franchise based in Atlanta for improper use of the singer's image in its restaurants and advertising. 

· Farrah Fawcett Gets Reality TV Show.  Cameras are following Fawcett around as she shops, does her painting, goes to celebrity events and plays at the beach.  She is also spotted on the water's edge with former longtime lover Ryan O'Neal.  "Chasing Farrah" premieres in March on cable's TV Land. 

· U.S. military nixed gay ‘aphrodisiac' weapon.  The U.S. military rejected a 1994 proposal to develop an “aphrodisiac” to spur homosexual activity among enemy troops but is hard at work on other less-than-lethal weapons, defense officials said. 

· Testing the Postal Service.  A team of investigators decided to test the delivery limits of the Postal Service, and the results were surprising. 

· Band 50 Foot Wave copes with some bad timing.  Rock singer Kristin Hersh had something else entirely in mind when she named her new band 50 Foot Wave.  Sometimes there's just not much you can do about bad timing. 

· Former McDonald's CEO dies at age 44.  Charlie Bell, who began his McDonald’s Corp. career as a part-time worker in a suburban Sydney restaurant and later became chief executive of the fast-food icon, died early Monday of colon cancer in his native Australia. 

· Prince Charles Orders Harry to Visit Auschwitz.  Prince Charles "hit the roof" after his son, Prince Harry, showed up at a costume party wearing a swastika armband and ordered him and his brother to visit the Nazi death camp at Auschwitz. 

· Iraq prostitutes 'invade' Syria.  When Saddam Hussein fell from power, the world of prostitution collapsed in Iraq.  Escaping war and the rise of Islamic moralism, thousands of Iraqi prostitutes packed their bags and fled to Syria. 

· Teen accused of leaking Apple secrets.  A Web site that disclosed Apple's top-secret plans to bring out a $499 mini computer and a new bare-bones iPod - prompting a lawsuit from the company - turns out to be the brainchild of a 19-year-old Harvard University student. 

· 'Aviator' soars at Golden Globes.  The Golden Globes celebrated Hollywood's time-tested veterans and its more youthful side for the 62nd annual edition of the awards show Sunday.  "The Aviator," director Martin Scorsese's epic-size biography of Howard Hughes' Hollywood years, landed the prize for best drama. 

      » Sexy 'Housewives' Rule Golden Globes.  The stars pulled out their party clothes for the Golden Globes Sunday night, with on-screen boxer Hilary Swank looking like a bronze goddess in a simple-yet-slinky Calvin Klein gown, and all the "Desperate Housewives" in sexy dresses instead of twin sets and jeans. 

      » Controversial Faves Snubbed at Globes.  The powers that be at the Golden Globes aren't "passionate" about Mel Gibson's hugely popular contribution to film this year, nor did the mercury rise over Michael Moore's inflammatory documentary. 

· Airbus to Unveil Largest Passenger Jet.  The A380, a four-aisle, four-engine, double-decker "superjumbo," will roll onto the tarmac Tuesday at Airbus headquarters in southern France, in a lavish ceremony attended by EU leaders and thousands of guests.  In a standard three-class cabin configuration, the A380 will carry 555 passengers — one-third more than the plane it is designed to displace, the Boeing 747. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Specificity [spec·i·fic·i·ty ] n.  1. The condition or state of being specific rather than general.  "his input added a desirable note of specificity to the discussion;" "the specificity of the symptoms of the disease." 

· Hockney 'was wrong' over art copying claims.  Computer analysis of a 17th century painting shows that the artist did not, as has been claimed, use optical devices to project a perfect image of the scene onto his canvas. The researcher behind the analysis believes his findings undermine many aspects of a theory recently put forward by the painter David Hockney. 

· Willie Nelson Marketing Biodiesel.  "On the Road Again" means something new for Willie Nelson these days — a chance for truckers to fill their tanks with clean-burning biodiesel fuel.  Nelson and three business partners recently formed a company called Willie Nelson's Biodiesel that is marketing the fuel to truck stops. The product — called BioWillie — is made from vegetable oils, mainly soybeans, and can be burned without modification to diesel engines. 

· Couric catches CBS eye as Rather replacement.  Besieged CBS executives reportedly have approached "Today" show co-host Katie Couric about replacing outgoing evening news anchor Dan Rather.  Couric, 48, still has 16 months on her NBC contract, but Time magazine says it has confirmed with CBS sources speculation that she's at the top of a short list of candidates for Rather's job when he vacates it in March. 

· How to Get 'Real.'  The people who cast reality TV shows have seen it all - from naked women jumping out of airplanes to old men running around in yellow underwear.  But if you want to get on their shows, they say, you don't need a gimmick - just a personality. 

Sunday, January 16, 2005

· Gibson Loses Bid to List Estate As Farm.  Mel Gibson has lost his bid to have a portion of his Connecticut estate classified as a farm.  The director of "The Passion of the Christ" asked to have 17 of his 75.7 acres in Greenwich taxed as farm land, but town officials rejected the request. 

· Ex-Raider Robbins shot by police in burglary.  Former Oakland Raiders center Barret Robbins was shot and critically wounded during a struggle with a police officer investigating a burglary at a South Beach office building. 

· Amber Alert after parents snatch kids at gunpoint.  Two North Carolina children are missing after being kidnapped at gunpoint by their biological parents Saturday morning, officials said. 

· Tryst turns torrid.  Some early morning hanky-panky nearly proved deadly for a 32-year-old Manhattan woman when a candle ignited a comforter while she and a neighbor were in bed, witnesses said.  The victim was having sex with her neighbor, who identified himself only as Leo, at her first-floor apartment on Broadway on the upper West Side yesterday. 

· Ex-Porn Star Lords in Cosmetics Contract.  Traci Lords is putting her best face forward as the star of Duprey Cosmetics' 2005 advertising campaign.  "Traci has incredible sex appeal," said Duprey co-founder Brian Duprey. "Her look can be ethereal, flirty or downright dangerous. She's the ultimate temptress." 

· Former US Attorney General joins Saddam's defence team.  One of America's most renowned human rights lawyers has astonished even close friends and supporters by taking on Saddam Hussein as a client and describing the former Iraqi dictator as "reserved, quiet, thoughtful and dignified." 

· Stars shine at tsunami benefit.  With Norah Jones singing "we're all in this thing together," movie and music stars contributed their talents for a hastily arranged benefit for tsunami victims televised live on Saturday. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Innocuous [in·noc·u·ous] adj.  1. Having no ill or adverse effect; harmless.  2. Not likely to offend or provoke to strong emotion; insipid. 

· Football keeps money pouring in at Ohio State.  The numbers are staggering - so staggering that it's clear that few institutions in the country can compete with Ohio State University's profits. 

Saturday, January 15, 2005

· Expert: Blake Clothing Didn't Have Blood.  An expert witness said he did not find any blood on the clothing that Robert Blake wore the night his wife was shot to death, but prosecutors said that doesn't eliminate the actor as a suspect. 

· Caught On Tape: Suspect Steals Cruiser.  An Oklahoma sheriff's deputy ended up chasing his own car Thursday after a man he was arresting stole the police cruiser. 

· Va. Court Strikes Down Singles Sex Law.  The Virginia Supreme Court on Friday struck down an archaic and rarely enforced state law prohibiting sex between unmarried people. 

· Anti-Bush Bracelets Say, 'Count Me Blue'.  After spending 10 days in London with friends who were outspoken about their disdain for President Bush's policies, Berns Rothchild came home wishing she had a way to show the world she didn't vote for him. 

· Moore Gets No Love From Old High School.  Oscar on the shelf or not, Michael Moore is not getting much respect at his old high school. Despite his fame and many honors, the filmmaker has been rejected all four times that he has been nominated for Davison High School's Hall of Fame. 

· Ozark deputy fired after wife poses naked next to patrol car.  An Arkansas sheriff's deputy was fired after his wife posed nude next to his patrol car. 

· 'Simple Life' Denies Deer-Poaching Claim.  Paris Hilton's reality show "The Simple Life" is disputing allegations that a deer was illegally killed so that it could be gutted by the socialite and her sidekick, Nicole Richie. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Opine [o·pine] v.tr.  To state as an opinion.  [Latin opinari to have an opinion]. 

· Bump, grind your way to riches, students told.  Students at a Palo Alto, California middle school learned more than school officials ever expected when a recent "career day" speaker extolled the merits of stripping and expounded on the financial benefits of a larger bust. 

· Listerine Drinker Arrested for DUI.  A woman who admitted drinking three glasses of Listerine mouthwash had a blood-alcohol content more than three times the legal limit when she was arrested for drunken driving, police said Friday. 

· FBI Warns of Suspicious Inaugural Activity.  The federal government is receiving reports of "suspicious activity" around buildings where presidential inaugural events and a parade are scheduled to occur Jan. 20 in Washington. 

· Woman who piled up $17,651 in fines is caught in sting and jailed.  For Marcella Adams, getting around town Wednesday wasn't easy.  Adams was pulled over after sailing her EZ Tag-less Mazda 626 through an EZ Tag lane at the toll plaza on the West Sam Houston Parkway North. 

· German design guru 'was murdered.'  Police have begun a murder inquiry after a flamboyant German fashion designer was found apparently strangled to death at his Munich villa. 

· Courtney Love Regains Custody of Daughter.  Singer Courtney Love has regained full custody of her 11-year-old daughter, her attorney said. Love, 40, lost custody of Frances Bean Cobain, her daughter with late Nirvana singer Kurt Cobain, in 2003 after she overdosed on painkillers in front of the girl. 

Friday, January 14, 2005

· Pentagon reveals rejected chemical weapons.  The Pentagon considered developing a host of non-lethal chemical weapons that would disrupt discipline and morale among enemy troops, newly declassified documents reveal.  Most bizarre among the plans was one for the development of an "aphrodisiac" chemical weapon that would make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to each other. 

· Another Pilot arrested in cockpit after screener smells alcohol.  An armed AirTran Airways pilot was charged with operating an aircraft under the influence after a federal screener at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport smelled alcohol, authorities said Thursday. 

· 'Diana would be proud.'  The Duchess of York leapt to the defence of Prince Harry over his Nazi costume blunder yesterday, saying: 'His mother would be proud of him.'  The prince's aunt said he 'deserved a break' and added: 'I am behind him 100 per cent. OK, he wore a fancy dress costume, he got it wrong. I hope the world accepts his apology.'  

· Robert Blake Jurors Tour Shooting Scene.  Bundled in hats and coats against the chilly night air, jurors in Robert Blake's murder trial took a field trip to the murder scene, inspecting the street where shots rang out and even stopping at the restaurant where Blake's wife had her last meal. 

· Yahoo! It's a boy!  A Romanian couple named their son Yahoo as a sign of gratitude for meeting over the Internet, a Bucharest newspaper said Thursday. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Petulant [pet·u·lant] adj.  1. Contemptuous in speech or behavior.  2. Unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered; rude. 

· Serena Williams Unveils New Tennis Apparel.  Just days after being ranked No. 6 on Mr. Blackwell's annual worst-dressed list, Serena Williams unveiled her new line of lime green-and-white Nike tennis apparel. 

· Man Arrested After Ricin Seen in Fla. Home.  A man was arrested after authorities allegedly found the deadly toxin ricin stashed in a cardboard box at his home along with a small cache of weapons, officials said Thursday. 

Thursday, January 13, 2005

· ANOTHER teacher charged with having sex with boy.  A 35-year-old central Florida teacher’s aide is under arrest on charges she had sex with a 15-year-old male student. 

· Man Who Claimed Partner Died In 9/11 Attacks Pleads Guilty.  A man who collected $68,000 by falsely claiming his domestic partner died in the 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center has pleaded guilty to grand theft. 

· Jefferson Airplane Drummer Dies.  Spencer Dryden, the drummer for legendary rock band the Jefferson Airplane, has died of cancer. He was 66. 

· Centerfold Model Acquitted in Assault Case.  A Playboy Playmate accused of karate-kicking the ex-girlfriend of NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia was acquitted Wednesday of a misdemeanor assault charge. 

· Kraft To Curb Some Snack Food Advertising.  Kraft Foods Inc., the nation's biggest food manufacturer, said Wednesday it plans to curb its advertising of Oreo cookies, regular Kool-Aid and other popular snack foods to children under 12 as part of an effort to encourage better eating habits. 

· Beating of Queens Satanist Prompts Hate Crime Charges.  A blue-haired satan worshiper was attacked by two teenagers who have been charged with hate crimes, authorities say. Hate crimes, which carry harsher penalties, are usually leveled when an attack involves a victim's ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation. 

· Outfits Worn by Blake, Wife Shown to Jury.  On the spring night in 2001 that actor Robert Blake's wife was killed, they both wore black to a neighborhood restaurant.  Their outfits, hers with gunshot holes, and his with gunshot residue, were shown to jurors as his murder trial entered its scientific phase on Wednesday. 

· Moore is in the line of Clint's ire.  Clint Eastwood squinted like Dirty Harry Tuesday night as he took aim at Michael Moore.  "Michael Moore and I actually have a lot in common - we both appreciate living in a country where there's free expression," Eastwood told the star-dotted crowd attending the National Board of Review awards dinner at Tavern on the Green, where Eastwood picked up a Special Filmmaking Achievement prize for "Million Dollar Baby."  Then, the Republican-leaning actor/director advised the lefty filmmaker: "But, Michael, if you ever show up at my front door with a camera - I'll kill you." 

· TV's 'Biggest Loser' Crowned.  No fat lady sang when it was over, but "The Biggest Loser" crowned its first-ever weight-loss champion on NBC last night.  The winner started the show six months ago weighing 330 pounds. Last night, he weighed 208 pounds, a loss of 122 pounds. 

· Agreement Reached for Tougher Steroid Laws in MLB.  Baseball players and owners have reached an agreement on a tougher steroid-testing program that will include a penalty for first-time offenders, The Associated Press has learned. 

· Man Found Duct-Taped, Shot Execution Style.  Authorities near Orlando, Florida found a man duct-taped and shot to death execution style in a car Wednesday night. 

· Mother Killed by Hit Man, Kids Get $32.4 million.  A jury has awarded $32.4 million to the children of a woman killed by a hit man their father hired 30 years ago.  Eloise Bonicelli's three children were each awarded $10.8 million for the death of their mother, who was shot by an intruder in her Colorado Springs home in 1975. 

· Restaurant Regulars Testify in Blake Case.  Two regulars at the restaurant where Robert Blake ate his last meal with his wife testified that the actor appeared nervous, agitated and "was messing with his hair a lot" shortly before she was killed. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Ephemeral [e·phem·er·al] adj.  1. Lasting for a markedly brief time: "The ephemeral nature of slang." 2. Living or lasting only for a day, as with certain plants or insects. 

· Michael Jackson's Accuser, In His Own Words.  The boy accusing Michael Jackson of child molestation has given a vivid, detailed account of his alleged sexual encounters with the pop star, according to grand jury testimony — more than 1,900 pages — reviewed by ABC News' "Primetime Live." 

· Nancy Grace Part of New CNN Headline Shows.  A nightly talk show with hard-charging, acerbic legal analyst Nancy Grace and a live program with entertainment news will be part of CNN Headline's revamped prime-time lineup. 

· Martha's early spring?  The Supreme Court tossed out federal sentencing guidelines yesterday, giving hundreds of inmates - including Martha Stewart - a shot at new sentences.  The stunning ruling is expected to unleash a flood of requests by defendants around the nation to be resentenced. 

· Hacker Breaks Into T-Mobile Network.  A hacker broke into a wireless carrier's network over at least seven months and read e-mails and personal computer files of hundreds of customers, including the Secret Service agent investigating the hacker, the government said Wednesday. 

Wednesday, January 13, 2005

· Arabs say America and Israel Caused Tsunami.  The earthquake that caused tidal waves to slam into the coast of Southeast Asia, killing at least 145,000 people, could have been the result of joint American, Israeli and Indian underwater weapons testing, an Egyptian weekly and other Arab media charged. 

· Law enforcement officers escape tickets.  You blow through a stop sign, slam into a car and injure the other driver. Automatic traffic ticket, right?  Maybe not.  Some police agencies, including Tampa and St. Petersburg, exempt their on-duty officers from traffic tickets in crashes not involving alcohol or other criminal offenses. 

· Woman Beats Out 12 Men For 'Sexiest Plumber' Title.  A Massachusetts native has been crowned the nation's new princess of plumbing.  Lori Costa of Fall River defeated 12 men to take the title of "Sexiest Plumber," an honor recognized in New York City. 

· Harry says sorry for Nazi costume.  Prince Harry has apologized for wearing a swastika armband to a friend's fancy dress party. Clarence House issued a statement in response to a photograph published on the front page of the Sun newspaper under the headline, "Harry the Nazi". It read: "Prince Harry has apologized for any offense or embarrassment he has caused. He realizes it was a poor choice of costume." 

· Desperate dig for buried kin.  Jimmie Wallet went out for ice cream and came home to the nightmare of his wife and three daughters buried under tons of mud. Wallet was only a couple of blocks from his La Conchita house when he walked out of a store Monday to see the avalanche of mud headed toward his home. 

· No Kid Rock at Bush concert.  Kid Rock, the vulgar rock-rapper whom inauguration staff initially talked of headlining the youth concert next week as part of the festivities for President Bush's swearing in, will not be appearing after all. 

· Don King Sues ESPN for $2.5 Billion.  Boxing promoter Don King filed a defamation suit Wednesday claiming he was portrayed in a false light in an ESPN "SportsCentury" segment aired last May, and his attorney said King is entitled to damages of more than $2.5 billion.  The lawsuit says the program accused King of being "a snake oil salesman, a shameless huckster and worse," claimed the flamboyant promoter underpaid Muhammad Ali by $1.2 million and claimed King — convicted in a 1967 beating death and acquitted in another killing in 1954 — "killed not once, but twice." 

· Desperate housewife tops worst-dressed list.  Nicollette Sheridan of TV's "Desperate Housewives" is the worst of the worst when it comes to wardrobe, according to Mr. Blackwell's annual list of fashion winners and losers. 

· 'Cocoa the Clown' kills home intruder.  A North Carolina man who allegedly shot and killed a suspected burglar at his house Tuesday morning will not face charges in the shooting death, authorities said.  Gene Watson is known for his work as Cocoa the Clown. 

· Teacher suspended over reported anti-Arab remark.  A middle school teacher has been suspended with pay while officials investigate a report he told his students that Bedouin Arabs used the Quran as toilet paper. 

· Pair arrested after telling lawyer jokes.  The line leading into First District Court in Hempstead Monday morning was long and frustrating, but it was the punch line in a lawyer joke that got two rabble-rousing comedians arrested. "How do you tell when a lawyer is lying?" Harvey Kash, 69, of Bethpage, said to Carl Lanzisera, 65, of Huntington, as the queue wound into the court. "His lips are moving," they said in unison, completing one of what may be thousands of standard lawyer jokes.

But while that rib and several others on barristers got some giggles from the crowd, the attorney standing in line about five people ahead wasn't laughing. " 'Shut up,' the man shouted," Lanzisera said. "'I'm a lawyer.'" The attorney reported Kash and Lanzisera to court personnel, who arrested the men and charged them with engaging in disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. 

· Thatcher 'guilty plea' over coup.  Sir Mark Thatcher is to plead guilty over his part in an alleged coup plot in Equatorial Guinea, reports say.  The son of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is accused of helping to finance an alleged coup. 

· Student Athletes Contract Herpes While Wrestling.  A handful of Oregon high school wrestlers got herpes from practicing their sport.  Concerned parents say they were left in the dark about the risk that their kids were taking. 

· Playmate of the Year on Trial for Assault.  A Playboy Playmate accused of grabbing a dance pole and karate-kicking the ex-girlfriend of NFL quarterback Jeff Garcia went on trial Tuesday on a misdemeanor assault charge. 

· 4 More Bodies Found After Calif. Mudslide.  Rescuers searching with shovels, high-tech cameras and their bare hands found the bodies of three children and an adult before dawn Wednesday, bringing the death toll from a mudslide in this seaside hamlet to 10, an official said. 

· Playboy goes for hard cell.  "Call Girl" is getting a whole new meaning.  Playboy has found a new way to peddle its nudie pictures to gawkers on the go: over their cell phones. 

· 130,000 wishes come true.  When the boy's church asked what he wanted for Christmas, Nick, who cannot talk and was born with no arms, slowly typed his reply with his feet: Lots of Christmas cards. Ten thousand of them.  More than two weeks after Christmas, he has more than 130,000 cards - and they are still coming. 

· Surveillance Video Catches TSA Theft.  Police released new surveillance video of a Spokane TSA Screener convicted of stealing drugs out of passenger's luggage. 

· Warrant issued for New York radio personality's arrest.  An arrest warrant was issued Tuesday for ``Howard Stern Show'' regular Crazy Cabbie after he failed to appear in court for his tax evasion case. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Capricious [ca·pri·cious] adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." 

· Rather: I'll Keep Report's Lessons In Mind.  Dan Rather assured his CBS News colleagues that he had read the independent report on his network's ill-fated story about George W. Bush's military service, "and I shall keep its lessons well in mind." 

· Teacher Gets Probation in Pornography Case.  A suspended Pa. high school teacher accused of assaulting a teenager and of encouraging male students to view online pornography in class was sentenced to three years probation. 

· Store Fires Employee Who Refused Service To Marine.  The owner of a Fort Worth, Texas convenience store says he has fired an employee who mistreated a customer who is also a U.S. Marine. 

· More Reports of Lasers Shot Into Cockpits.  The FBI is investigating several more reports of lasers being beamed into aircraft cockpits following a rash of similar incidents at the end of 2004. 

· Apple to sell $99 iPod, $499 Mac.  Apple Computer Inc. on Tuesday introduced a stripped-down Macintosh computer and cheaper versions of its popular digital music player, iPod. 

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

· Springfield principal files police brutality lawsuit.  A school principal who says he was beaten by at least four city police officers while having a diabetic attack is suing the officers, accusing them of dragging him through his car window and calling him a drug user before getting him medical help. 

· 'Apprentice' Cast Will Sail to Caribbean.  An eight-day cruise themed on the hit NBC show will sail from New York to the Caribbean on Sept. 26, after a bon voyage party in Manhattan with a send-off from Donald Trump. Cast members from the show - including Bill Rancic, the first apprentice, and Stacie J., Jennifer C. and Raj from the second season - will be on board. 

· Floor buffer pulled into MRI machine's magnets.  An expensive MRI machine at Virginia Mason Medical Center sustained at least $200,000 in damage when a metal floor buffer was mistakenly placed nearby and was sucked in by the machine's powerful magnets. 

· Clooney, O'Reilly spar over tsunami telethon.  Three years after they jousted over a celebrity telethon that raised millions for 9/11 victims, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly and actor George Clooney are at it again, this time over what will happen to funds pledged in a telethon for tsunami victims. 

· Beer Losing Ground in Beverage Market.  Wines and distilled spirits continue to gain a bigger share of the alcoholic beverage market, at the expense of the beer industry.  "We believe there is an overall image crisis with beer," Smith Barney Citicorp analyst Bonnie Herzog said. 

· Preacher dies during sermon about heaven.  A Presbyterian minister collapsed and died in mid-sentence of a sermon after saying "And when I go to heaven ...," his colleague said Monday.  The Rev. Jack Arnold, 69, was nearing the end of his sermon Sunday at Covenant Presbyterian Church in this Orlando suburb when he grabbed the podium before falling to the floor. 

· Three Killed, 21 Missing in California Mudslide.  Rain lashed water-logged California again early Tuesday, hampering efforts to find survivors buried under a mud slide in a coastal community and prompting hundreds to flee a mountain town before a rain-engorged lake spills over a dam. 

· Man jailed for putting noose on black teen.  A man accused of draping a noose around the shoulders of a black teen at a fast food restaurant was sentenced Monday to 60 days in jail. 

· 'Simple Life' Will Not Film at N.J. School.  The Fox TV reality series "The Simple Life" will not be using a New Jersey school as the setting for one of its episodes.  The proposed filming had provoked heated opposition from parents who felt it was not appropriate and feared that it would hold their community up to ridicule. 

· $32 million crybaby.  The Big Unit is oficially New York's biggest $32 million crybaby.  Thin-skinned superstar Randy Johnson got into confrontations with a TV cameraman yesterday and a Daily News photographer - a day before he was to appear at Yankee Stadium in his official introduction as a Bronx Bomber. Instead, Yankee fans got a crash-course intro to the star pitcher's prickly personality. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Visceral [vis·cer·al] adj.  1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect.  "A visceral business decision."  2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. 

· Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening Bush.  A man pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to threatening to kill President Bush.  Darrel D. Alford, 56, admitted he threatened on Aug. 4 to fly a bomb-laden model airplane into an arena or stadium where Bush would be speaking. He faces up to five years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine of up to $250,000. 

· Bush picks judge to head homeland security.  President Bush will nominate federal appeals court judge Michael Chertoff, a former federal prosecutor who helped craft the early war on terror strategy, to be the new secretary of Homeland Security, officials told NBC on Tuesday. 

· Housekeeper Slashes 6 at Va. Home.  A housekeeper went on a rampage at a nursing home with a knife, slashing four elderly residents and two other people after a dispute with a supervisor, authorities said. Mustafa Mohamed, 30, was denied bail Monday on charges of malicious wounding. More charges were possible in the attack Sunday, prosecutors said. 

Monday, January 10, 2005

· Court OKs KKK highway cleanup signs.  A Supreme Court ruling means the KKK chapter must be allowed into Missouri's Adopt-A-Highway program, which publicly thanks participants with signs along the highway acknowledging their help. 

· Abe Lincoln slept here . . .was he gay?  The subject of the 16th president's sexuality has been debated among scholars for years. They cite his troubled marriage to Mary Todd and his youthful friendship with Joshua Speed, who shared his bed for four years. Now, in a new book, C.A. Tripp also asserts that Lincoln had a homosexual relationship with the captain of his body- guards, David V. Derickson, who shared the president's bed when Mary Todd Lincoln was away. 

· Detective: Blake Wanted to Prepare Will.  In the hours after his wife was murdered, Robert Blake told his lawyers he wanted to prepare a will because he was worried about their baby, and about in-laws he described as "piranhas" and "crazy people," a detective testified Monday. 

· Woman Who Insulted Pope Fined.  An Austrian woman who shouted insulting remarks about Pope John Paul II outside Vienna's main cathedral was fined $325 after a court convicted her Monday of disturbing the peace.  The 46-year-old Viennese woman, whose name was not released by authorities, repeatedly and loudly denounced the pope and other Roman Catholic leaders as "child molesters" while standing in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral in 2003. 

· CBS Ousts 4 For Bush Guard Story.  Four CBS News employees, including three executives, have been ousted for their role in preparing and reporting a disputed story about President Bush’s National Guard service. 

· ‘Fahrenheit 9/11’ is the People's Choice.  The Michael Moore film “Fahrenheit 9/11,” which took a critical look at President Bush’s actions after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, won the favorite movie award, while Mel Gibson’s explicit “The Passion of the Christ” won in the favorite drama category. 

· Biosphere 2 up for sale.  The company that owns Biosphere 2 Center, 3.1 glass-enclosed acres designed to simulate the Earth's environment, has put the site up for sale. 

· Pitt, Aniston Couldn't Agree on Kids.  Brad Pitt's overwhelming desire to have children sunk his marriage to Jennifer Aniston, after the "Friends" star decided to put motherhood on hold to pursue her acting career, a pal of the power couple said. 

· Hollywood lesbian affair ends with duel on the legal frontier.  Hell hath no fury like a Hollywood lesbian scorned. The former girlfriend of Ellen DeGeneres is considering legal action against both the comedian and her new lover, the Ally McBeal actress Portia de Rossi, in a case that could redraw the boundaries of romantic strife in America. 

· Columbia House plans porn club.  Columbia House, famous for its "12 CDs for a penny" record clubs, will launch its own adult video club with Playboy Entertainment at the end of this month. The service, called Hush, will sell pornography through direct mail and a Web site. 

· County Removes Emblems After Decals Fail To Hide Crosses.  Following a failed $1,800 bid to use decals to cover crosses on two Los Angeles County seals, officials removed the giant Hall of Administration emblems and put them in storage.  The American Civil Liberties Union threatened to sue because of the cross on the county seal. 

· Some Miss. Libraries Ban Jon Stewart Book.  Library officials in two southern Mississippi counties have banned Jon Stewart's best-selling "America (The Book)" over the satirical textbook's nude depictions of the nine U.S. Supreme Court justices. 

· Biggest Movie Mistakes of '04.  Hollywood loves lists, especially in awards season - but there's one list it isn't going to be happy about: the Top 15 Biggest Movie Mistakes of 2004. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Hubris [hu·bris] n.  1. Overbearing pride or presumption; arrogance.  2. A strong belief in a person's own importance: "He was punished for his hubris." 

· Entrepreneurs Bet on 'Exergaming' Future.  Consumer electronics companies commonly cater to couch potatoes by pitching bigger television sets, more mesmerizing video games and remote controls that can even place online orders for pizza. But a small cadre of entrepreneurs at the world's largest technology exposition hope their gizmos make you work up a sweat. 

· Man Dies While Delivering Carbon Dioxide To McDonald's.  A truck driver delivering carbon dioxide to a Central Florida McDonald's restaurant died Saturday after the gas leaked from its container, authorities said. 

· Outlandish Gadgets in Short Supply at Show.  The world's premier consumer electronics show wouldn't be complete without the fanciful and outlandish: A smart oven preserved and cooked meals based on remote commands, while a 102-inch plasma TV - taller than the 8-foot walls in many homes - inspired ooohs and aaahs from couch potatoes. 

· Two Fla. Teens Gunned Down at Birthday Party.  Two gunmen crashed a girl's 15th birthday party early Sunday morning, shooting two teenagers to death and injuring another in a back yard crowded with revelers, police said. One suspect was in custody. 

· 'Red state, blue state' catch phrase of year.  A panel of linguists has deemed “red state, blue state, purple state” the phrase that most colored the nation’s lexicon in 2004. 

· Frank Lloyd Wright Homes a Tough Sell.  Imagine having a dream home in a private, peaceful, bucolic setting - and being unable to sell it because it was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Some owners of one-of-a-kind houses conceived by the iconic architect are discovering it's not easy selling them. 

· 'Fockers' Beats Horror Flick at Box Office.  The horror of meeting the in-laws beat out the fright flick at theaters this weekend. "Meet the Fockers" took in $28.5 million to remain the top movie for the third straight weekend, holding off the horror newcomer "White Noise," which debuted a strong No. 2 with $24 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. 

Sunday, January 9, 2005

· Paul Newman Uninjured in Daytona Car Fire.  Academy Award-winning actor Paul Newman escaped injury Saturday when the race car he was testing caught fire following a spin at Daytona International Speedway. 

· Muscled Austrian Actor Playing Arnold.  He's Austrian, he bears a striking resemblance to his hero and he's got bulging biceps he likes to call "my little Alps." Who better to play Arnold Schwarzenegger in a U.S. made-for-TV movie than local actor Roland Kickinger? 

· Trucker missing; so is cargo of 3.6 million nickels.  A truck driver has disappeared with the 3.6 million nickels he was hauling to the Federal Reserve Bank in New Orleans, police said. 

· Dad made me junkie.  Diminutive funnyman Dudley Moore was a lousy father who his son blames for turning him into a homeless drug addict, according to a British newspaper.  Now living in a Harlem studio apartment, Patrick Moore, 28, told London's The Daily Telegraph he started taking drugs to cope with loneliness. 

· Audit: Texas Improperly Spent Terror Funds.  An audit of the state's spending of nearly $600 million in federal anti-terrorism funds found that some of the money was spent improperly, including to buy a trailer that was used to haul lawn mowers to "lawn mower drag races." 

· Victims Outraged As Judge Seeks Job Back.  A judge's bid to be reinstated after he was convicted of groping five women while drunk at a conference on domestic and sexual violence is sparking outrage among his victims. 

· 'Million Dollar Baby' Tops With Critics.  "Million Dollar Baby," the story of a woman trying to rise above her hard-knock life by training as a boxer, was voted best film and earned awards for actress Hilary Swank and actor-director Clint Eastwood at the National Society of Film Critics awards Saturday. 

· Kathie Lee Begins New Career as a Writer.  In the bowels of a small New York theater in a seedy section of town, Kathie Lee Gifford is being a little naughty.  "So I'm having a little vino," she says sweetly. "So sue me." 

· Angelina Jolie rumors swirl.  A day after they announced their marriage was over, Hollywood heartbreakers Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston shared a plane back to Los Angeles - as rumors swirled that the "Troy" hunk cheated on the "Friends" cutie with man-eating movie star Angelina Jolie.  Pitt, 41, and Aniston, 35, had spent one last week together on the Caribbean island of Anguilla before deciding to pull the plug on their four-year union. 

· Automakers put hydrogen on fast track.  The brakes are controlled by a computer, so the car can stop a full length shorter than most. Each rear wheel has its own motor and can turn by itself, which not only improves traction but also makes parallel parking a snap. And the only thing this car emits is water vapor. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Auspicious [aus·pi·cious] adj.  Marked by success; prosperous.  Suggesting a positive and successful future: "an auspicious time to purchase the stock." 

· Fans Shunning Kobe Bryant's Jersey.  Kobe Bryant is no longer a fashion icon. For the last month, Bryant's No. 8 Lakers jersey — previously one of the best sellers in the world — has fallen out of the top 50, according to point-of-sale data tabulated by a Florida market research firm. 

· Fans celebrate Elvis' 70th birthday.  If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would have turned 70 on Saturday. But old age and the unfortunate problem of being deceased haven't slowed down the King.  "There's no age to him," said Jerry Engelby, one of 800 or so fans gathered on Graceland's front lawn for a cake cutting and "Happy Birthday" sing-along. "He's just Elvis." 

· Doctor aids juror, mistrial declared.  A judge declared a mistrial in a medical negligence case against a physician after the doctor came to the aid of a juror who passed out during opening statements. 

· Jacko's $20 million bet.  Michael Jackson thought his $20 million bought the silence of a boy who accused him of molestation in 1993.  That could turn out to be a very expensive mistake. 

· Legal scholar in midst of check probe.  When the Nigerian government e-mailed University of Miami law professor Enrique Fernandez-Barros for help, he said he felt flattered.  He said a purported Nigerian official promised in late 2003 to pay him for legal services if he would help the government and a well-connected Nigerian businessman recoup $1.68 million from a U.S. truck-leasing company. His incentive: $200,000 in fees for his work. 

· The Doors Manager Danny Sugerman Dies.  Danny Sugerman (search), who went from an adolescent Doors groupie to manager of the rock group, has died of lung cancer at age 50. 

Saturday, January 8, 2005

· Toyota drops "Tsunami" name for sports car model.  Toyota is abandoning plans to name one of its most popular models of sports cars in this country, the "Celica Tsunami."  The automaker confirmed that it was immediately changing the name of the car - and pulling all advertising and marketing containing the tsunami name. 

· Gunman kills 3 in Chicago nightclub.  A gunman opened fire inside a Chicago nightclub early Saturday, killing three people and injuring at least five others. 

· Boys detail lurid acts of alleged sexual abuse in sealed court, police, grand jury records.  The Smoking Gun has compiled an authoritative, behind-the-scenes account of the prosecution's case against the King of Pop, who was indicted last April on ten felony counts for the alleged sexual abuse of a Los Angeles boy in early 2003. This story (and the ones linked at right) are based on a review of confidential law enforcement and government reports, grand jury testimony, and sealed court records. 

· Woman claiming to be KISS rocker Simmons' ex-girlfriend sues him.  A woman who says she is a former girlfriend of KISS rocker Gene Simmons is suing him for slander, saying the bass guitarist made her sound like a ``sex-addicted nymphomaniac'' during a ``rockumentary'' on VH-1 television. 

· U.S. nuclear sub runs aground in Pacific.  U.S. Coast Guard and military aircraft Saturday are en route to the western Pacific, where a nuclear attack submarine ran aground, injuring at least 20 crew members - one critically, U.S. Navy sources said.  

· Butt out: Fox nixes Super Bowl backside ad.  A year after Janet Jackson's breast brought a crackdown on indecency, Fox has rejected an ad for the Super Bowl offering a rare view of another celeb: Mickey Rooney's backside. 

· Cat Stevens Still Not Allowed In. U.S.  Yusuf Islam is still barred from entering the United States because of intelligence that identifies him as a security threat. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said the intelligence is the same and the reasons the U.S. rejected Yusuf Islam several months ago still exist. 

· U.N. accuses force of sex abuse.  U.N. peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo exchanged eggs, bread and a few dollars for sex with girls they were meant to protect, the United Nations watchdog agency has said. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Dogmatic [dog·mat·ic] adj.  1. Expressing rigid opinions; Prone to expressing strongly held beliefs and opinions. 2. Asserting opinions in a doctrinaire or arrogant manner; opinionated. 

· Hijack hoax grounds plane.  Passengers returning from the Orange Bowl got grounded for three hours following a drunken woman’s claim the plane they were on was being hijacked. 

· Rosemary Kennedy dies at 86.  Rosemary Kennedy, the oldest sister of President John F. Kennedy and the inspiration for the Special Olympics, died Friday. She was 86. 

Friday, January 7, 2005

· Pitt, Aniston Announce Separation.  Hollywood glamour couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston have split, his publicist confirmed Friday.  "For those who follow these sorts of things, we would like to explain that our separation is not the result of any speculation reported by the tabloid media," the actors said. 

· Spector Said He Accidentally Shot Actress.  Rock music producer Phil Spector initially told police he accidentally shot actress Lana Clarkson, then later said she committed suicide, according to newly released grand jury transcripts. 

· Hillary Clinton's Campaign Finance Director Indicted.  Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's former finance director has been indicted on charges of causing false campaign finance reports to be filed with the Federal Election Commission, the Justice Department said. 

· CBS to Develop Movie Based on Frey Book.  CBS has bought the rights to make a television movie based on Amber Frey's book, released this week.  The Fresno massage therapist's book, "Witness For the Prosecution of Scott Peterson," chronicles her relationship with Peterson, who was convicted on Nov. 12 of murdering his wife, Laci, and her fetus. 

· 3 in 10 in U.S. Give Tsunami Aid.  Almost three in 10 Americans say they have donated to victims of the tsunami in Southeast Asia, according to an Associated Press poll taken as the private total begins to approach the amount given by the government. 

· Monsanto fined $1.5m for bribery.  The US agrochemical giant Monsanto has agreed to pay a $1.5 million fine for bribing an Indonesian official. 

· Julia Roberts buys land from Rumsfeld.  Actress Julia Roberts has purchased about 37 acres of land in Taos County, New Mexico, from Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, the Taos County clerk's office said Friday. 

· 'Growing Pains' Actress Pleads Guilty.  Former "Growing Pains" child star Tracey Gold pleaded guilty to driving drunk when her sport utility vehicle overturned, hurting her husband and two of her three children. 

· Spacey to be Superman baddie.  Double Oscar winner Kevin Spacey has been signed up to play the villainous Lex Luther in the new Warner Bros version of "Superman."  "The Usual Suspects" and "American Beauty" star will play opposite Brandon Routh, the newcomer chosen in October as Superman in the role once played by the late Christopher Reeve. 

· Judge: Listerine not same as flossing.  An advertising campaign that says the mouthwash Listerine is as effective as floss at fighting tooth and gum decay is false and misleading and poses a public health risk, a judge has ruled. 

· Latest Martha Stewart Show Needs Fixing.  The latest cooking show from Martha Stewart's company should have been a good thing. But it isn't, and fixing it should be at the top of the domestic diva's post-prison to-do list. 

· Singer James Brown Sued for Rape.  A woman has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that famed rhythm and blues singer James Brown is to blame for her suffering from Graves' disease because he raped her at gunpoint in South Carolina in 1988. 

· Drink-driver, 13, did 70mph in stolen car going the wrong way.  A 13-year-old who became one of the youngest drink-drivers in the UK was given a four month custodial sentence yesterday after driving a stolen car at 70mph without lights in a 30mph residential area. 

· Rap Kid Rock inaugural pick.  Conservative Christians are flabbergasted about reports that raunchy rock-rapper Kid Rock will perform at a youth concert at the presidential inauguration. 

· Hooker Turns In John After Seeing Child Porn At His Home.  A hooker turned in a customer after seeing child pornography, including a video of an apparent toddler rape, on the man's home computer, police said Thursday. 

· Parents serve detention with tardy student.  Susan and Steven Manis say it was their fault their daughter was late for school so they shared her punishment - spending an hour with her in detention. 

· The Dark Secrets of Highway Numbering.  Major interstate routes have a one or two digit number associated with them. North-south routes have odd numbers (I-5) while east-west roads have even numbers (I-10). 

· Work Release Prisoner Shoots Man in Bed With Wife.  State police say a Westmoreland County work release prisoner shot another man he found in bed with his estranged wife. 

· Britney's Kid Sister to Star in TV.  She's been surrounded by celebrity just about all of her life, but Jamie Lynn Spears would have you believe she's just another Louisiana teenager blown away by the fact she gets to travel to Los Angeles from time to time to make TV shows, where they sometimes let her keep the clothes she wears on set. 

· Reputed Ku Klux Klansman charged in 1964 slayings.  A reputed Ku Klux Klansman was arrested late Thursday on murder charges in the 1964 slaying of three voter-registration volunteers, one of the last unsolved mysteries from the civil rights era, officials said. 

· Beloved Manhattan doorman held in burglaries.  An East Side doorman with a charming smile and the heart of a thief was charged yesterday with sneaking into co-op apartments and stealing a fortune in jewels and cash, authorities said.  Investigators believe that between May and November, he stole a quarter-million dollars worth of treasures - and they are still linking him to other thefts. 

· Betting the farm on low-carb potatoes.  The smaller carb count may be good for marketing, but this particular tater was born out of Florida farmers’ hunt for a premium potato they could sell at higher prices to picky shoppers. 

· Charges dropped in FBI 'spy case.'  A federal judge Thursday dismissed all charges against a Chinese-American woman accused of using a sexual affair with an FBI agent to gain unauthorized access to classified documents. 

· Docs: Spector Told Cops He Shot Actress.  Rock music producer Phil Spector initially told police he mistakenly shot actress Lana Clarkson, though he has since changed his story to suggest she committed suicide, according to newly released grand jury transcripts. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Gregarious [gre·gar·i·ous] adj.  1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." 

· Dick Clark Remains Hospitalized.  The "American Bandstand" icon watched Regis Philbin host "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2005" from his hospital bed and said "he enjoyed the show and thought Regis did a wonderfully professional job," Clark publicist Paul Shefrin said Wednesday.  As promised, Clark kissed his wife, Kari, at midnight, the spokesman added. 

· Jacko's sleazy secrets.  The case against Michael Jackson is built on the memories of two young brothers who have detailed for prosecutors everything from the combination of Jacko's bedroom door to the location of one of his many stashes of pornography. 

· The Odds of Dying.  When major catastrophes strike, like the recent Asian earthquake and tsunami, the mass deaths can lead one to think that natural disasters are the most likely way people can die. Not by a long shot. You are more likely to commit suicide or fall to your death than be killed by a tsunami or any natural disaster, the statistics show. 

· Detective: Blake's Cry Seemed Insincere.  The police detective who told actor Robert Blake his wife was dead testified Thursday that Blake responded with a cry, but the officer said "it didn't seem to me to be a sincere cry." 

· Driver Arrested Moments After Judge Orders Him Not To Drive.  A man in Melbourne, Fla., faces several charges Thursday after he crashed his car minutes after a judge ordered him not to drive again. 

· Brian Wilson Musician Missing in Thailand.  Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson is asking for help in finding a Swedish cellist swept away in the South Asian tsunami. 

Thursday, January 6, 2005

· Texas Mom's Murder Convictions Overturned.  Andrea Yates walked into the warden's office Thursday at the psychiatric prison where she's serving a life sentence for drowning her children in the family bathtub and learned the murder convictions had been overturned. 

· Couple Who Locked Boy In Trunk Avoid Prison.  A judge in a downtown courtroom sentenced a couple to probation Wednesday for locking the woman's son in the trunk of their car while they celebrated her birthday in a bar. 

· Man divorces wife before claiming lotto prize.  It took Robert G. Swofford Jr. more than a month to come forward and claim his $60 million Lotto prize, but he had to take care of some unfinished business - divorcing his wife. 

· Ashlee Simpson Booed at Orange Bowl.  Ashlee Simpson's Orange Bowl halftime performance was a lemon, according to the 72,000-plus Miami crowd. The 20-year-old singer was soured by a discernible chorus of boos from the audience following a performance of her song "La La." 

· Seattle fittest, Houston fattest.  Seattle has been named the fittest city in the United States in the February issue of Men's Fitness magazine, leaping past the buff competition from Honolulu, Colorado Springs, San Francisco and Denver. 

· Couple Mail Obits To Papers, Kill Selves.  Authorities say a prominent Cheyenne couple who committed suicide over the New Year's weekend apparently died from carbon monoxide poisoning. The bodies of Ethan and Helen Levine were found Tuesday at their Cheyenne home after authorities and at least two media outlets received obituaries for the couple in the mail. The couple had written their obituaries themselves. 

· Stiffer Sentence For Cheese Sandwiches.  A man serving a life sentence for murder was sentenced to three additional years in prison for passing out cheese sandwiches while in jail. 

· Update: City of Anaheim seeks restraining order to block 'Los Angeles' Angels.  The city of Anaheim asked a judge to block the Angels from adding Los Angeles to their name.  Anaheim officials claim the name violates a stadium lease agreement that has provided nearly $30 million in public subsidies. 

· CNN Lets 'Crossfire' Host Carlson Go.  CNN said goodbye to pundit Tucker Carlson on Wednesday, and with him likely the "Crossfire" program that has been the granddaddy of high-volume political debate shows on cable television. 

· Toilet brush wins wacky bowl.  A toilet brush with a tag that says "Do not use for personal hygiene" has taken top prize for the wackiest consumer warning label of the year, according to an anti-lawsuit group. 

· Fast food restaurants serving up sweat.  KFC and Pizza Hut fast-food outlets in America are offering their customers free gym memberships to help sweat off the calories served up by their kitchens. 

· Oprah Hires Troops for Sri Lanka Search.  Oprah Winfrey has hired a group of ex-Marines to search for "Oprah" regular Nate Berkus' friend, Fernando Bengoechea, who was swept away in the Dec. 26 tsunami.  The team of former Marines will travel to the resort town of Arugam Bay, Sri Lanka, where Berkus and Bengoechea were vacationing when the tsunami hit. 

· Boston Tea Party chest going home.  A small wooden tea chest has returned to Boston more than 230 years after rebellious colonists dumped it overboard during a famous protest that helped set the scene for the American War of Independence.  Or at least that's what the new owners would like you to believe. 

· Teacher Accused Of Having Sex With Two 13-Year-Old Students.  A middle school teacher was arrested for investigation of having sex with two former students.  Sarah Bench-Salorio, 28, was arrested Tuesday after investigators questioned her about having sexual contact with 13-year-old boys in "numerous" locations. 

· Apple sues popular Mac Web site.  Apple Computer has sued a popular Macintosh rumour Web site for allegedly distributing trade secrets, the latest in a string of lawsuits the company has filed to stop Internet leaks of details of upcoming products. 

· Blake Defense Attacks Handling of Evidence.  A detective assigned to collect Robert Blake's clothes the morning after the actor's wife was shot to death testified Wednesday that he left the evidence in an uncovered box for two days in the trunk of his police car before it was turned in for testing. 

· Accused deserter a no-show after leave.  A U.S. Marine corporal already charged with desertion in his disappearance from Iraq last year has failed to return from leave and may have fled to Lebanon, Pentagon officials said Wednesday. 

· Jude Law Engaged to Actress Sienna Miller.  Film star Jude Law will marry his actress girlfriend Sienna Miller, who accepted his Christmas Day proposal, a spokeswoman for the couple said Wednesday. 

· New York FBI employee accused of soliciting sex from a minor.  An FBI employee has been charged with trying to have sex with someone he thought was a minor but was actually an undercover police officer operating in an Internet sting, authorities said Wednesday. 

· Internet aids tsunami recovery.  The Internet has played an unprecedented role supplying aid, money and information in the aftermath of the Indian Ocean tsunamis. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Quixotic [quix·ot·ic] adj.  1. Idealistic without regard to practicality; impractical. 2. Impulsive: tending to act on whims or impulses. 

· Going for the throat.  An investment adviser that Carl Bernstein accused of following the honey is now following the money - seeking $13 million from the Watergate sleuth and his ex-model wife.  Jeffrey Silver was arrested last year and accused of stalking the journalist and his wife, Christine Kuehbeck, who is Silver's ex-girlfriend, but the charges were dropped.  Now Silver wants to bring down the man who helped bring down President Richard Nixon. 

· Man Shot With Nail Gun Arrested at ER.  A man who drove himself to the emergency room after being shot in the calf with a nail gun was arrested at the hospital for not stopping when ordered. 

· Nicollette Sheridan to Wed Swedish Actor.  "Desperate Housewives" star Nicollette Sheridan will become a wife herself after accepting a marriage proposal. 

· Man Impersonating Cop Pulls Over Real Police Officer.  An Ohio man is facing charges after he impersonated a police officer, and was caught by a real police officer he tried to pull over. 

· Boston gang linked to al-Qaeda.  A burgeoning East Boston-based street gang made up of alleged rapists and machete-wielding robbers has been linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, prompting Boston police to ``turn up the heat'' on its members. 

· Witness: Jacko Defense Harassing Me.  A comedy club owner who is a witness in the Michael Jackson molestation case held a news conference Wednesday to accuse the singer's defense team of harassing him.  As soon as he wrapped up his remarks, he was served with a fresh defense subpoena. 

Wednesday, January 5, 2005

· Judge tosses suit against Kennedy Smith.  A judge Tuesday threw out a civil lawsuit filed against William Kennedy Smith by a former personal assistant who alleged he sexually assaulted her.  Smith, the nephew of Sen. Edward Kennedy, has repeatedly denied he assaulted Audra Soulias.  "(The lawsuit) had no merit from the beginning, it was frivolous," said Dan Webb, Smith's attorney. "Of course she was trying to cash in ... this case has been about money from the beginning." 

· Knievel loses 'pimp' appeal.  An ESPN caption under a photo of motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel and two women, declaring that "you're never too old to be a pimp,'' was a lighthearted use of teen slang, not a potentially libelous criminal charge, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.  Knievel, 66, and his wife, Krystal, one of the women in the photo, sued ESPN for libel after the photo appeared on the sports network's Web site. But in a 2-1 ruling, the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal judge's dismissal of the suit. 

· Klum Seals Seal Engagement.  Last summer, Heidi Klum said she didn't want to rush into another marriage. So she waited about four months.  The German-born supermodel is engaged to English-born singer Seal, her reps announced Tuesday.  The New York Daily News supplied the juiciest engagement tidbit, describing Klum's new finger accessory as a "honking canary diamond ring."  The marriage will be the second for Klum, 31; the first for Seal, 41. 

· Man Charged Under Patriot Act for Laser Incident.  Federal authorities Tuesday used the Patriot Act to charge a man with pointing a laser beam at an airplane overhead and temporarily blinding the pilot and co-pilot.  The FBI acknowledged the incident had no connection to terrorism but called David Banach's actions "foolhardy and negligent." 

· Space Station's Main Oxygen Generator Fails.  The International Space Station's main oxygen generator has failed, forcing astronauts to use an emergency back-up air supply. 

· Kobe, T-Mac to donate $1,000 per point.  Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O’Neal and four other NBA players have promised to donate $1,000 for every point they score in a game later this week to help victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. 

· Tsunami survivor saved after 8 days on tree.  An Indonesian has been rescued by a passing ship after surviving for eight days afloat on an uprooted tree in the Indian Ocean, Malaysian officials said on Wednesday. 

· Mansion for a knockdown price.  Billionaire co-founder of the computer giant Apple Steve Jobs is offering one of his homes for free to anyone who can afford to dismantle the 35-room mansion and remove it from his San Francisco estate. 

· Reinventing the Wheel (and the Tire, Too).  After decades spent persuading the world to ride on air, Michelin has begun work on an innovation that could render the pneumatic tire obsolete. Engineers at Michelin's American technology center here envision a future in which vehicles would ride on what they call the Tweel, a combined tire and wheel that could never go flat because it contains no air. 

· Stern off four more stations.  Broadcasting Corp. yanked Howard Stern from four stations this week due to tensions over the controversial radio host's tendency to tout his upcoming move to satellite radio. 

· Richard Gere Speaks 'For Entire World' To Palestinians.  In a transcript obtained by The Associated Press, he said: "Hi, I'm Richard Gere, and I'm speaking for the entire world. We're with you during this election time. It's really important: Get out and vote." 

· Willie Nelson to Headline Charity Show.  Country singer Willie Nelson will headline a benefit concert to help the relief effort for victims of the tsunamis in southern Asia and eastern Africa. 

· Sheriff posts snipers after firings.  On his first day on the job, the new sheriff called 27 employees into his office, stripped them of their badges, fired them, and had rooftop snipers stand guard as they were escorted out the door. 

· Prosecutors Focus on Blake's Demeanor.  Prosecutors in Robert Blake's murder trial focused on the actor's demeanor after his wife was found dying of gunshot wounds to suggest that Blake was putting on an act. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Venality [ve·nal·i·ty] n.  1. The condition of being susceptible to bribery or corruption. 2. The use of a position of trust for dishonest gain: "The venality of a corrupt court." 

· Tech Gadget Show Features Hottest Products.  With billions of dollars in sales at stake, telecommunications companies are joining the intensifying battle already begun by computing stalwarts and consumer electronics giants to push digital music, photos and television deeper into homes in 2005. 

· Nine-Year-Old Boy Fascinated by Toilets.  Nine-year-old Joey Sinay is so interested in how toilets work that he wrote a letter to a toilet maker asking if they would produce a clear commode.  A clear toilet wasn't doable. But officials at Kohler wrote back twice. "We were so impressed by the fact that he took the time to write us a letter," Bashaw said.  In December, the little plumber from Massillon got a present from Kohler — a state-of-the-art bulk flush toilet. 

· Instant credit means instant identity theft.  Today, consumers can walk into a Circuit City electronics store with nothing in their wallets, and walk out with a $3,000 plasma television in about 15 minutes. This is the "miracle of instant credit," described by the Federal Trade Commission's Howard Beale.  But it's also a miracle for identity thieves.  Just as consumers can drive off a car lot in an hour with a brand new $30,000 car, so can their imposters. 

· Great-grandmother admits pregnancy hoax.  A 59-year-old great-grandmother who claimed in an Associated Press story last year that she was pregnant with twins admitted Tuesday that she is not. 

· Women Targeting Shoppers' Purses In Florida Cities.  Authorities are searching for three women who are accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of credit cards, bank cards and checks from purses in several Florida cities. 

Tuesday, January 4, 2005

· Laser man charged with pointing at aircraft.  A man who initially claimed his daughter aimed a laser at a helicopter was charged after he told federal agents that he pointed the light beam at two aircraft, authorities said Tuesday. 

· Robert Blake Murder Trial Resumes.  Actor Robert Blake's murder trial resumed Tuesday after a holiday recess with a woman recounting how she and her boyfriend hid by a tree and avoided intervening when they heard Blake yelling for help for his bleeding wife. 

· Texas Thinking Big on Transportation.  A new $175-billion project will be a transportation behemoth of mind-boggling proportions: 4,000 miles of mostly toll lanes perhaps a quarter-mile wide, capable of carrying cars, trucks, and high-speed freight and commuter trains. 

· Officials Fear Child Traffickers May Prey On Tsunami Survivors.  The case of a Swedish boy feared kidnapped in Thailand after the tsunami has raised fears in South Asia that child-trafficking gangs will exploit the disaster.  The boy's father fears his 12-year-old son was taken by pedophiles. 

· Pervert priest abuse nets $100 million deal.  A judge unsealed the details yesterday of a record $100-million US settlement with a Southern California diocese over sex abuse allegations against clergy. Alleged victims sobbed as they spoke publicly about a deal that was nearly two years in the making. 

· Update: Megabucks winner loses in court.  Louise Outing's luck ran out Thursday when a judge denied the 94-year-old woman's request to force the state Lottery Commission to pay her entire $5.6 million winnings up front.  Now, she must receive the payments over 20 years. 

· Aid Flight Delayed in Indonesia After Plane Hits Cows.  A Boeing 737 carrying aid for Tsunami victims hit a herd of cows as it landed early Tuesday in Indonesia's devastated Aceh province, forcing the airport to close and delaying relief flights. 

· Rocker Drops F-Bomb on 'Tonight Show.'  NBC hasn't received any calls about the F-word that Mötley Crüe rocker Vince Neil dropped during the live New Year's Eve broadcast of "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." 

· Painkillers Damage Intestine, U.S. Expert Says.  More than 70 percent of patients who took painkillers such as ibuprofen for more than three months suffered damage to their small intestines, U.S. researchers reported on Monday. 

· Bullock, DiCaprio, NBC to Aid Tsunami Victims.  Hollywood opened its wallet on Monday to survivors of the tsunami disaster as movie stars Sandra Bullock and Leonardo DiCaprio donated big sums to relief agencies and NBC planned a celebrity benefit. 

· Tribe shoots arrows at aid flight.  There were fears that endangered tribal groups had been wiped out when massive waves struck their islands.  But helicopters have been attacked by tribesmen using bows and arrows - giving authorities a strong signal that they have survived. 

· Krispy Kreme busted.  Plaintiffs claim Krispy Kreme knew its rapid expansion was saturating markets. Indeed, former company and franchise employees told plaintiff's lawyers that Krispy Kreme by mid-2003 was double-shipping wholesale orders to some grocers at the end of quarterly reporting periods in order to boost sales and earnings results temporarily, even though executives knew many of the doughnuts would be returned for credit later. 

      » Krispy Kreme to Restate '04 Results.  Krispy Kreme Doughnuts Inc. on Tuesday said it would restate financial statements for its 2004 fiscal year due to errors in how it accounted for the repurchase of franchises, which could reduce earnings more than the company had previously forecast. 

· Giant Mystery Buoy Washes Ashore In Central Fla.  A giant mystery buoy that washed ashore in Cocoa Beach, Fla., Monday continues to stump U.S. Coast Guard officials. 

· Mistress says Scott still on her mind.  Scott Peterson's ex-mistress Amber Frey confesses in her book that she "still thinks about Scott from time to time" — and "I sometimes wonder if he thinks about me." 

· Latest Jackson ruling shields evidence.  Less than a month before Michael Jackson's child-molestation trial is scheduled to begin, the court continued a pattern of shielding all evidence from public view Monday, releasing rulings with blacked-out pages. 

· Baghdad governor assassinated.  Baghdad Governor Ali Al-Haidri was assassinated Tuesday morning in Baghdad, according to an Iraq Interior Ministry official.  One of the governor's bodyguards was killed and two wounded in the road ambush, officials said. 

· Mom defends 'wave rat.'  A Canadian student dubbed a "wave rat" for offering the domain name "tsunamirelief.com" for $50,000 on eBay was only trying to raise money for relief efforts, his mother said today 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Plethora [pleth·o·ra] n.  A superabundance; an excessive amount or number: Upon returning from the trip, she had a plethora of calls to make. 

· Proof of diet claims slim, review finds.  A review of 10 of the nation's most popular weight-loss programs found that except for Weight Watchers, none of them offer proof that they actually work at helping people shed pounds and keep them off. 

· Tsunami Hero Jailed for Theft in Australia.  An Australian hailed as a hero for allegedly rescuing more than a dozen tsunami victims in Thailand was arrested Monday as he returned home by police who recognized him as a suspected burglar. 

· Bank Robber Does Nearly Everything Wrong.  How many mistakes can one bank robber make?  Let us count the ways the man who held up the Enterprise Bank in Salley, S.C., on Christmas Eve got things wrong. 

· Box Office Receipts Soar to Record in '04.  Box office receipts soared to a new record in 2004, although the actual number of moviegoers declined for a second year in a row. 

· Dan Rather to Continue Column.  Dan Rather will continue to write his weekly newspaper column after he steps down as CBS News achor in March. 

Monday, January 3, 2005

· Starbucks hitches cab ride.  Starbucks Coffee is not only popping up on every street corner, it's springing from the roofs of Boston's taxicabs as well.  A holiday advertising gimmick placed atop cabs in recent weeks has been fooling Hub motorists who continually mistake the ad for a Starbucks cup left on the roof. 

· Kathie Lee calls Regis show "tabloid hell."  Kathie Lee Gifford, the irrepressible, effervescent, distaff half of the popular "Live With Regis and Kathie Lee" daytime talk show, shared her hopes, her dreams and her nightmares with morning television audiences for 15 years. But after several episodes of what she called "tabloid hell," she pulled up stakes four years ago, claiming she wanted to spend more time with her family. 

· Did Jackson Accuser's Mom Falsely Solicit Aid for Son's Treaments?  In 2000, when Jackson first met his accuser, an article appeared about the boy and his family in Mid Valley News, a community newspaper in the town of El Monte, just outside of Los Angeles. The story was an emotional appeal, detailing the boy's illness and asking for readers' financial charity. "Our car has been repossessed" the mother was quoted as saying. "One chemotherapy injection costs more than $12,000."  Now, Connie Keenan, the editor of Mid Valley News, has characterized the accuser's mother in a most uncharitable manner. "My gut level: she's a shark. She was after money," Keenan said. "My readers were used. It's sickening." 

· Expert tried to warn of tsunami.  A Thai expert says he tried to warn the government a deadly tsunami might be sweeping towards tourist-packed beaches, but couldn't find anyone to take his calls.  Samith Dhammasaroj said Monday he was sure a tsunami was coming as soon as he heard about the massive Dec. 26 earthquake off Indonesia's Sumatra island that measured magnitude 9.0 - the world's biggest in 40 years. 

· Bullock Donates $1M for Tsunami Relief.  Actress Sandra Bullock has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross to help relief efforts in countries affected by the deadly earthquake and tsunamis in southern Asia and eastern Africa. 

· Bill Murray Scoffs at 'Difficult' Label.  Bill Murray gets defensive when told he has a reputation for being difficult. "If it keeps obnoxious people away, that's fine," he tells Time magazine in its editions on sale Monday. "It makes me think of that line you catch more flies with honey than vinegar. People say this to you with a straight face, and I always say, 'Who. Wants. Flies?'" 

· Queen tumbles at Christmas feast.  A zealous young courtier moved aside the chair as Britain's Queen Elizabeth II arose at Christmas dinner — then looked on in horror as she promptly sat down again, ending up on the floor. 

· 'Most beautiful woman' ponders kiss.  Aishwarya Rai, one of the top stars of India's prim film industry, said in a television interview she won't rule out kissing in films when she moves from "Bollywood" to Hollywood - although she says it is certain to create a minor scandal among her fans.  She is virtually unknown in the United States even though fans have created more than 17,000 Web sites devoted to her and her beauty compared to Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Elizabeth Taylor. 

· Man Eating Breakfast Notices Car Hanging From Wire.  Police said a car hydroplaned on a wet road and ran into and up a guy wire Sunday morning in Ohio. 

· Angels add Los Angeles to name.  Baseball's Angels have a new name, and it's a mouthful: The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  The switch will "strengthen the Angels' long-term economic health by enhancing the marketability through this metropolitan area and beyond," the team said Monday. 

· Fox Affiliate Dumps 'Who's Your Daddy.'  At least one Fox Broadcasting Co. affiliate has balked at airing Monday night's 90-minute special "Who's Your Daddy," which has raised the ire of adoption advocacy groups for a premise that revolves around an adopted woman trying to pick her biological father from a group of eight candidates. 

· Renaming road snares mayor in legal tussle.  When Paul Patton was governor, he named - without incident - nearly every bridge on U.S. 23 in Pike County for a car dealer, a radio station operator, and an ex-wife. 

· Amber Frey set for primetime interview, book to hit stores Tuesday.  Oops. The book wasn't supposed to be read just yet. But copies of Amber Frey's book somehow made it to the shelves in Modesto. It happens to be the home town of her ex-boyfriend, and now San Quentin death row resident, Scott Peterson. 

      » Scott Peterson News.  Latest news coverage on the Scott Peterson trial of murdered wife Laci Peterson and son Connor. 

· Date today is oddest in century.  Today's date - 1/03/05, the first three odd numbers - is a digital fluke that happens, well, only once a century.  "Haley's Comet happens more frequently than this does," said Ron Gordon, a teacher from Redwood City, Calif., who has declared today an official holiday for fellow oddballs. 

· California Catholic school angers some parents and parishioners by admitting gay couple's sons.  Some parents and parishioners have accused the Roman Catholic diocese in Orange County of violating church doctrine by allowing a gay couple to enroll their children in a church school. 

· New Year: Time for a New Start?  Whether it's Jan. 1 or March 24, Troiani said change starts with self-scrutiny.  "You have to ask yourself heartfelt questions. Imagine a picture of what you want most in your life. Imagine two to five years go by and you haven’t made that change already. This will help you create a vision for your life, a mission statement," psychologist Maryann Troiani said.  Then: make two to four little goals, with a specific start and finish time. 

· Tigers, Tigger Among Weirdest 2004 Florida Stories.  Only in Florida could tigers and Tigger rank among the strangest news stories.  Tigger was on trial for groping a Disney World visitor and two tigers made the news 

· US Airways execs serve passengers.  More than 100 US Airways executives and other employees volunteered to serve coffee and snacks, sort and move bags and help passengers find their way Sunday at Philadelphia International Airport to try to avoid a repeat of the bankrupt carrier's Christmas weekend debacle. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Specious [spe·cious] adj.  1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious: a specious argument.  2. Deceptively attractive. 

· Mad Magazine Illustrator Freas Dies at 82.  Kelly Freas, an influential illustrator who produced sleek, stirring images for science fiction and fantasy books and helped shape the image of Mad Magazine mascot Alfred E. Newman, has died. 

· Radio weatherman airs his final forecast.  As a self-taught, amateur meteorologist, George Trottier did not think much of the regional weather forecasts aired by MA radio station WMNB in the 1960s. 

· Congressman dies of rare disease.  Democratic Rep. Robert Matsui of California has died at age 63 of a rare blood disorder, his office said Sunday. 

· Man creates flap with ads on trucks.  A Jackson man has found a niche selling advertising on truck mud flaps, an idea that sprung from many hours driving Wyoming's highways. 

Sunday, January 2, 2005

· Women Accused Of 'Hot Dog' Prostitution.  Two Long Island women who sold hot dogs and sodas from a truck were arrested on charges that their menu also featured sexual acts in exchange for money. 

· 'Fockers' set two box office records.  "Meet the Fockers" was the most popular movie in North America for a second weekend, and has now earned almost as much as its 2000 predecessor, "Meet the Parents," did in its entire run, according to studio estimates issued on Sunday. 

· Delta to Slash Fares.  Delta Air Lines Inc., the No. 3 U.S. carrier which has been restructuring in efforts to avoid a bankruptcy filing, is expected to slash fares and remove restrictive rules such as Saturday-night stays. 

· Boy, 9, Gets Dying Wish To Meet Football Hero.  A 9-year-old St. Louis boy, diagnosed with brain cancer, has always wanted to meet his favorite Rams Football Player. Today, his wish came true with the help of Dream Factory of Saint Louis. 

· Dave Barry Column May Be Done in Miami.  Popular humorist Dave Barry said Sunday's column for The Miami Herald was his last - maybe. Barry, who has written humor columns for three decades, including 22 years at the Herald, says he's holding out the possibility of a return. 

· Man admits to 'playing' with laser.  The attorney of a Lake Parsippany resident questioned by authorities about his suspected use of a laser light said Saturday her client was in the "wrong place at the wrong time." 

· Astronauts on Candy Diet After Pantry Raided.  The two U.S. and Russian astronauts on the International Space Station had to rely on a candy-laden diet for five weeks because their predecessors raided the pantry. 

· Remains of FBI agent's daughter found in drum.  Police have found the charred remains of a retired FBI agent's daughter who disappeared nearly a month ago, authorities said Saturday. 

· Travolta Almost Unrecognizable in New Role.  John Travolta is almost unrecognizable when he's first on the screen in the drama "A Love Song for Bobby Long."  His hair is white, and his face is drawn and beaten. 

· Magazine Toasts Unabashed Alcoholism.  Modern Drunkard is an irreverent, 50,000-circulation glossy magazine full of pinup girls and macho men alongside articles on drinking, getting drunk and hiding a hangover from "the Man," i.e., the boss. It also includes serious examinations of liquor, biographies of history's great drunks and selected odes to the drinking life. 

· Man Changes Name To Pronoun `They.'  The 44-year-old formerly known as Andrew Wilson (and now known as "They") says the moniker swap started as a family joke because he always wondered, "Who is this `they' when people say `They say this' and `They say that?'" 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Esoteric [es·o·ter·ic] adj.  1. Difficult to understand; abstruse. 2. Not publicly disclosed; confidential. 3. Of rare, special, or unusual interest: Her software success was based on an esoteric programming language. 

· Teen rabies survivor leaves hospital.  A teenager who became the first person known to survive rabies without a vaccination went home Saturday after nearly 11 weeks in the hospital, officials said.  Only five people are known to have survived the rabies virus after the onset of symptoms. 

· Internet Sites Allow Gift Card Exchanges.  The gift card - often viewed as the little, plastic solution for keeping friends and family out of the return lines - doesn't always serve as the ideal present. Responding to consumers who don't want to buy themselves another sweater, or will take a pass on a fancy steak dinner, Internet businesses have sprung up allowing people to sell or swap unwanted gift cards. 

· NASA nurtures forward-looking inventors.  Agency awards grants for projects to produce wonders of the future. 

Saturday, January 1, 2005

· NASA can't wait to smash spacecraft.  The big, grown-up boys on the NASA team can hardly wait. Next Fourth of July, they get to bust up a comet, Hollywood-style. 

· Al Pacino Began Career As Stand-Up Comic.  Al Pacino as a stand-up comic?  That's how he started his career, the Oscar-winning actor says.  "There's a facility I have to fall down. I had a certain physical comedy I did with a partner. And I thought I was going to do that," he recently told reporters, according to AP Radio. "But I didn't want to be funny all the time, only when I felt like it. And that's not a good idea." 

· Gifts stolen, winning ticket eases pain.  Vincent Messina was upset when somebody stole several Christmas gifts from his mother, right off his back porch.  But his mother gave him another gift that made up for the loss - a $100,000 lottery scratch ticket. 

· Joyful start to 2005.  It was out with the cold and in with the new year in Times Square last night, as up to a million party people welcomed 2005 with a glittering crystal ball, a blizzard of confetti and balmy temperatures. 

· Man quizzed about laser incidents.  Law enforcement officers were questioning a Parsippany, New Jersey, man who they say may have pointed a laser beam at an airborne police helicopter Friday night and a Cessna aircraft two nights before, said a spokesman for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. 

· Exits found blocked at gutted nightclub.  Emergency exits at a nightclub packed with teenagers were padlocked or wired shut when a flare ignited the foam ceiling, sparking a blaze that killed 175 people and injured more than 700 in one of Argentina’s worst disasters, survivors and officials said Friday. 

· Punk Band Plays Baghdad on New Year's Eve.  Two years ago, Saddam Hussein could not have imagined in his wildest nightmares that on New Year's Eve 2004 he would be sitting in a jail cell and a punk band known for albums titled "Hitler Bad, Vandals Good" and "Look What I Almost Stepped In" would be playing in the heart of his former empire. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pugnacious [pug·na·cious] adj.  1. Quarrelsome or combative in nature; belligerent. 2. Expressing an argument or opinion very forcefully: Rather than maintaining a calm demeanor, his boss was quite pugnacious. 

· Tsunami Survivors Mob U.S. Aid Copters.  Desperate, homeless villagers on the tsunami-ravaged island of Sumatra mobbed American helicopters carrying aid Saturday as the U.S. military launched its largest operation in the region since the Vietnam War, ferrying food and other emergency relief to survivors. 

· Tips to minimize your New Year's hangover.  In a 2000 paper, Tulane University researcher Dr. Jeff Wiese and other researchers concluded that drinking cost the United States $148 billion in lost productivity each year, most of it from next-day hangovers at work.  Remedies abound. Many are apocryphal, most are more folklore than science. It is not so much possible to neutralize drinking's effects as to minimize the aftermath. 

· Calif. Gay Couples to Get Benefits.  Like many gay couples, Brian Cornell and Alberto Rulloda long ago established a legal framework for their relationship to match their commitment to each other. 

· Anna Nicole's Lawyer Vows to Appeal Ruling.  Anna Nicole Smith's lawyer vowed to ask a federal appeals court to reconsider after it ruled that the former Playboy model turned reality TV star is not entitled to $88.5 million from her late husband, an oil tycoon who married her when he was nearly 90. 

· 1,282 Truckloads Of Sand Fill Massive Sinkhole.  It took 1,282 truckloads of sand, but the 225-foot-wide sinkhole that opened in this bedroom community has been filled. 

Friday, December 31, 2004

· Casino wants to shed Trump brand.  It might be called Trump: You’re fired.  The Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians is seeking an early buy-out of the casino management contract it has with Trump’s bankrupt hotel and casino company to run Trump 29 Casino in Palm Springs. 

· Tourists keep coming.  While volunteers struggled to collect bodies washing up on the once-pristine beaches of an upscale resort isle in Thailand, tourists rolled out their towels yesterday, doffed their bikini tops and vacationed like nothing had happened. 

· Hilton Arrives Late for Fla. Club Opening.  The pink carpet was rolled out, the pink spotlights danced through the crisp night air of downtown Orlando, and everything seemed in place for the opening of Paris Hilton's first nightclub. Notably missing: One pink-loving hotel heiress.  Hilton arrived six hours behind schedule - after many guests had left. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Incongruous [in·con·gru·ous] adj.  1. Lacking in harmony; incompatible.  2. Not in agreement, as with principles; inconsistent: a plan incongruous with reason. 3. Not in keeping with what is correct, proper, or logical; inappropriate: incongruous behavior. 

· Argentina Club Fire Kills at Least 174.  A fire swept through a crowded Buenos Aires nightclub during a rock concert, killing at least 174 people and injuring more than 410 as young concert-goers scrambled for the exits, officials said Friday. 

· Bright light near airport bothers pilot.  Somewhere on O'ahu today, a homeowner is rethinking the number of outdoor lights he turns on at night after the Federal Aviation Administration and Honolulu police told him they bothered a commercial airliner pilot making his approach to Honolulu International Airport. 

· Justice Thomas Reports Wealth of Gifts.  In the last six years he has accepted free items valued at $42,200, the most on the high court. 

Thursday, December 30, 2004

· In money-saving bid, TSA slashes party costs.  The Transportation Security Administration nixed the $1,500 cheese plates and $4-a-cup coffee it had at last year’s ceremony recognizing the accomplishments of its employees, and instead opted for off-brand fruit punch and store-bought cookies for this year’s event. 

· Tsunami Death Toll Rockets to 117,000.  The death toll from last weekend's earthquake-tsunami catastrophe rose to more than 117,000 Thursday as Indonesia uncovered more and more dead from ravaged Sumatra island, where pilots dropped food to remote villages still unreachable by rescue workers. A false alarm that new killer waves were about to hit sparked panic in India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. 

· Anna Nicole Smith denied $88.5 million.  A federal appeals court has vacated a lower court's award of $88.5 million to former Playboy Playmate Anna Nicole Smith. 

· Lasers illuminate airline cockpits on approach.  Six commercial airliners in the past four days have had their cockpits illuminated by laser beams while attempting to land, a government official told CNN Wednesday.  The incidents have happened "all over the place" and in "kind of odd places," the official said without elaborating. 

· Another mad cow case suspected.  A Canadian agency says it has found what may be another case of mad cow disease – just one day after the U.S. announced plans to reopen its border to live young cattle from Canada after a 19-month ban. 

· Lottery winner, 94, sues to get it all now.  Louise Outing is 94 years old, and she knows it would be foolish to expect to live another 20. So the lottery winner wants all of her cash now, not in payments spread out over the next two decades. 

· Champagne or another sparkler? A bubbly 101.  New Year’s Eve is right around the corner, and in the beverage business, the marketers and sellers of champagne and sparkling wine can be heard clinking their glasses from sea to shining sea. 

· Olympic Champ Sentenced For DUI.  Olympic gold medalist swimmer Michael Phelps was sentenced to 18 months probation Wednesday after pleading guilty to drunken driving. 

· Porn unseated in list of 2004 junk email.  Porn ads have slipped down the list of top junk e-mails in 2004, replaced by offers for arthritis drug Vioxx, ID theft scams and stock pick information, America Online says. 

· Kim Cattrall's injures back because of so much time in bed.  Kim Cattrall has injured her back - because she's spent so much time in bed.  The blonde actress, who shot to fame playing man-eater Samantha Jones in hit US sitcom 'Sex and the City', sustained the injury rehearsing for new show 'Whose Life Is It Anyway.' 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Anecdotal [an·ec·dot·al] adj.  Based on casual observations or indications rather than rigorous or scientific analysis: "There is anecdotal evidence that the stock will soon double in price." 

· Jazz giant Artie Shaw dies at age 94.  Bandleader and clarinetist Artie Shaw, famed for his recording of “Begin the Beguine” and one of the giants of the swing era of jazz, died Thursday at age 94, his manager Will Curtis said. 

· World Debates Decency Standards for TV.  When the BBC recently announced it would air "Jerry Springer: The Opera," the West End hit famous for its vulgarity and a cast of characters including transsexuals and a man wearing a diaper, no one batted an eye. In Britain, after all, the biggest-selling daily newspaper carries a photograph of a bare-breasted woman every day. 

· Alleged cop asking girls to strip.  Northern Idaho authorities are investigating reports of someone who claims to be a police officer asking women to undress in front of their windows. 

· Man Said to Use Compressor on DUI Device.  A man is accused of using an air compressor to defeat an ignition interlock device.  Michael Simo, 41, had the device installed in his car after being convicted of multiple drunken driving offenses. Drivers are supposed to exhale into the device, and if it detects enough alcohol on the breath, the car won't start. Police said Simo used an air compressor to make it seem like he was breathing into the device. 

· Minn. Can't Regulate Internet Calls.  A Minnesota agency may not regulate calls through cyberspace as it does calls through traditional phone lines, a federal appeals court ruled.  The Dec. 22 order by the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis upholds a lower-court ruling and is a win for fledgling companies like Vonage Holdings Corp. of Edison, N.J., which provides Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP. 

Wednesday, December 29, 2004

· Death toll reaches 100,000.  The death toll in the tsunami disaster soared past 100,000 today - and is set to climb higher. 

· 'Law & Order' star Jerry Orbach dies.  "Law & Order" star Jerry Orbach has died of prostate cancer at 69, a representative of the show said Wednesday. 

· Dick Clark Remains Hospitalized.  "American Bandstand" icon Dick Clark plans to watch his New Year's Eve show from the hospital bed where he is recovering from a stroke. 

· US Lawyer Helped Spread Terror Message.  A U.S. criminal defense lawyer was part of a plot to help her militant Muslim client smuggle messages out of prison calling for a return to violence in Egypt and the killing of Jews wherever they are, a federal prosecutor said. 

· Attenborough family in shock as granddaughter is killed in tsunami.  LORD Attenborough, the eminent actor and director, who regards the Isle of Bute as his home, is among those grieving after his 14-year-old granddaughter, Lucy, was killed in the Asian tsunami disaster. 

· B of A's CEO to get $16.4 million severance.  Bank of America Corp. Chairman Charles ``Chad'' Gifford will get severance pay of about $16.4 million when he retires next month, as well as incentives for this year valued at about $8 million. 

· 'Jeopardy!' to Hold 'Super Tournament.'  If winning more than $2.5 million wasn't enough, "Jeopardy!" whiz Ken Jennings will have a shot at winning an additional $2 million - but the competition will be tougher this time around. 

· Elvis guitarist Hank Garland dead.  Legendary country, rock and jazz guitarist Hank Garland, who performed with Elvis Presley, the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison, Patsy Cline, Charlie Parker and many others, has died at the age of 74. 

· 'Scary' past of New Jersey Governor's wife.  New Jersey's first lady went public with details of her struggles with depression yesterday, telling a television interviewer that she once thought about putting her "baby in my microwave."  

· Woman, 55, gives birth to own grandchildren.  A 55-year-old woman who gave birth to triplets for a daughter who was unable to conceive said Wednesday she was "a caring incubator" and was awe-struck when she learned she was carrying three children. 

· U.S. Population to Total 295 Million on New Year's Day.  As our nation prepares to ring in the New Year, the U.S. Census Bureau today projected the Jan. 1, 2005, population of the United States will be 295,160,302, up 2,835,602 or 1.0 percent from New Year's Day 2004. 

· Gotti gets out of 'hole.'  Peter Gotti will soon be back rubbing elbows with the mob - in federal prison. A federal judge ordered the convicted Gambino mob boss removed from solitary confinement yesterday. "He basically lives in a concrete tomb and we've managed to change that," said Gotti's lawyer Joseph Bondy. 

· Celebrities Among Victims of Tsunami.  A German statesman, a Czech supermodel and a Swedish Olympic ski champion were among the vacationers whose search for peace and sun in tropical southern Asia was shattered by the tsunamis that spared neither rich nor poor. 

· Where are all the dead animals?  Sri Lankan wildlife officials are stunned - the worst tsunami in memory has killed thousands of people along the Indian Ocean island's coast, but they can't find any dead animals. 

· American diver underwater during catastrophe.  An American woman who was scuba diving with her husband in Thailand as one of Sunday's tsunamis roared overhead said she was oblivious to the disaster until after they surfaced, her mother said Tuesday. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Incredulous [in·cred·u·lous] adj.  1. Skeptical; disbelieving: incredulous of stories about flying saucers.  2. Expressive of disbelief: an incredulous stare. 

· Family Complains About Public Access Porn On Christmas Morn.  A northeast Ohio family hoping to see choirs perform holiday music on Christmas morning instead saw adult programming on the local public access television station. 

· Pennsylvania man receives no Christmas gifts, burns down Mom and Dad's house.  A Pennsylvania man, angry because he received no presents for Christmas, burned down his parents' house early the next morning, police said. 

· Van Damme claims he's a "superhero in bed."  Action star Jean Claude van Damme has described himself as a "superhero in bed" who performs for his wife every night. 

· Broadway's Box Office Up Slightly in 2004.  Broadway's box office inched upward in 2004 and attendance also increased slightly, according to figures released by the League of American Theatres and Producers. 

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

· Ousted Fannie Mae CEO to Get $1.3 Million a Year - For Life.  Franklin Raines, who was forced out as Fannie Mae's chief executive after five years, is due to receive a pension of $1.3 million a year for life, according to an agreement with the mortgage lending giant. 

· Britney, Paris Top List Of Most Annoying People.  It's a tie between Britney Spears and Paris Hilton for Star magazine's title of most annoying person of 2004.  Spears got the nod for doing everything but singing and dancing, including getting married - twice. 

· Author and Activist Susan Sontag Dies.  Susan Sontag, the author, activist and self-defined "zealot of seriousness" whose voracious mind and provocative prose made her a leading intellectual of the past half century, died Tuesday. She was 71. 

· Tsunami Death Toll Hits 30,000 Mark.  Officials now say at least 30,000 people are dead in the weekend quake and tsunamis in south Asia.  Officials say another 3,700 deaths have been confirmed in Sri Lanka. That country reports the greatest number of dead out of the 11 south Asian and African countries reporting fatalities in the disaster. 

· U.N. official slams U.S. as 'stingy' over aid.  The Bush administration yesterday pledged $15 million to Asian nations hit by a tsunami that has killed more than 22,500 people, although the United Nations' humanitarian-aid chief called the donation "stingy," saying there would be more available if taxes were raised.  

· N.Y. supermodel held on for dear life for 8 hours in raging surf.  Jet-setting supermodel Petra Nemcova survived the terrifying Asian tsunami by clinging to the top of a palm tree for eight hours - wincing through the pain of a broken pelvis and haunted by the sight of her boyfriend being swept out to sea. 

· Defense secretary's remark to troops fuels conspiracy theories.  A comment Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld made during a Christmas Eve address to U.S. troops in Baghdad has sparked new conspiracy theories about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.  But in his remarks, Rumsfeld referred to the "the people who attacked the United States in New York, shot down the plane over Pennsylvania." 

· Liza Minnelli hospitalized.  Actress and singer Liza Minnelli was taken to a hospital after falling out of bed and hitting her head in the early hours of Monday morning. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pragmatic [prag·mat·ic] adj.  More concerned with practical results than with theories and principles [the CEO used a pragmatic approach to making his business a success]. 

· Yanks, Angels BoSox to Pay Luxury Tax.  The Boston Red Sox got an extra bill after winning the World Series. Boston and Anaheim must pay baseball's luxury tax along with the New York Yankees, according to final figures compiled by the commissioner's office.  The Yankees are required to pay $25,026,352, according to a Dec. 21 memorandum that was sent to all major league teams. Boston owes $3,155,234 for exceeding the payroll threshold of $120.5 million and Anaheim got a bill for $927,059. 

· How much would make you smile?  Let's cut right to the chase here. How much money is enough? How much would make you happy this holiday season? We mean really happy. 

· Physics Whiz Reveals Age To Classmates After Invite To Strip Club.  Daniel Koo is a star physics student at Cerritos College - and he's only 14.  Koo skipped three high school grades - he scored 1510 out of a possible 1600 on the SAT - and he's taking tough physics courses in hopes of being accepted next year by the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. 

· Study pounds popular diets.  Sorry, diet devotees calorie counters and carb cutters: Scientists say there's no proof that popular weight-loss programs help keep the pounds off. 

· Pot Packages Found Inside Bales of Hay.  A Massachusetts man was arrested the day after a state trooper found 27 packages of marijuana nested in bales of hay inside a horse trailer. 

· AOL Reports Drop in Spam Messages.  The world's largest Internet service provider believes spammers are starting to give up - at least when it comes to sending junk to its subscribers.  The total number of e-mail messages destined for America Online Inc. members averaged 1.6 billion in November a day, down from 2.1 billion daily a year earlier, the company said Monday. The drop was almost entirely in spam, AOL said. 

Monday, December 27, 2004

· George Carlin Entering Drug Rehab Clinic.  Comedian George Carlin is entering a drug rehabilitation facility to shake his dependence on wine and a painkiller.  "I'm going into rehab because I use too much wine and Vicodin," the 67-year-old Carlin said in a statement released Monday by his publicist, Jeff Abraham. "No one told me I needed this. I recognized the problem and took the step myself." 

· Another reason to drop more money in the Catholic basket this Sunday.  Police on foot patrol in one of the world's largest pedestrian islands - St. Peter's Square - got some welcome relief on Friday when new golf-cart style electric vehicles arrived just in time for Christmas.  The four new carts, made by Italy's famed Lamborghini carmaker, will allow Italian police to move more quickly around the vast square in front of Christendom's largest church. 

· Man Says Internet-Controlled Christmas Lights Were Faked.  A Lafayette, Colo., man who claimed his Christmas lights could be controlled by Internet visitors from all over the world admitted Monday that it was all a big hoax. 

· 'Oprah' regular survives tsunami devastation.  A celebrity interior decorator vacationing in Sri Lanka said Monday that all he could see was "utter devastation" in the wake of a deadly tsunami that slammed the island. 

· Asia quake death toll tops 21,000.  The death toll from Sunday's tsunamis climbed to 21,000 by Monday as fears of disease from decaying bodies and contaminated water grew in Indonesia, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. 

· Silver Dollar May Be Worth Millions.  A man in Nebraska said he got just that when he checked out a retirement gift he was given. Larry Svoboda said he thinks he's in possession of an 1804 silver dollar. Only 15 1804 silver dollars were ever made. The first sold for $4.5 million. 

· Year-End Tax Tips Can Save You Money.  During the holiday season, visions of sugar plums are typically dancing in our heads, not Uncle Sam.  Here are 10 things you can do before Dec. 31 to reduce your 2004 tax bill. 

· Shoppers gaga for gift cards.  It was Christmas all over again yesterday for lucky shoppers who received one of this year's hottest holiday presents - gift cards. 

· Amazon.com Tops Record for One-Day Sales.  Amazon.com Inc. on Monday said sales of consumer electronics surpassed book sales for the first time and was its largest sales category over the Thanksgiving weekend, launching the online retailer's busiest holiday selling season in 10 years. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Altruism [al·tru·ism] n.  Unselfish concern for the welfare of others; selflessness.  (also 'Altruistic'). 

· Worker Shortage Snarls U.S. Airways Flights.  Bankrupt US Airways late Saturday blamed more than 300 canceled flights and thousands of pieces of stranded luggage on the aftereffects of a heavy winter storm and large numbers of workers who called in sick during the crucial holiday travel period.  US Airways canceled 176 flights on Friday and 143 flights on Saturday mainly due to "an unusually high number" of flight attendants and other workers calling in sick, said Amy Kudwa, an airline spokeswoman. 

· Man Walks Miles With Bullet Wound In Head.  A Fort Valley, Ga. man walked nearly 2 miles with a bullet hole in his head after being shot in a robbery, determined to die in the presence of loved ones if that was his fate. Larry Taylor, 37, finally made it to his mother's house, but didn't realize she had moved away to a nursing home. 

· Lottery scandal loser hopes to win at boxing.  Ever since she claimed to lose that winning lottery ticket, Elecia Battle's reputation has been on the ropes. 

· Freed Actor Reunited With Family in U.S.  Actor Erik Anthony Aude, who was freed from a Pakistani prison after serving two years on a drug charge, returned home Sunday night to an emotional reunion with family and friends. 

Sunday, December 27, 2004

· ‘Fockers’ sets Christmas Day box-office record.  Millions of Americans went shopping for comedy this weekend, giving the star-studded “Meet the Fockers” the record for the best single Christmas Day box office take.  The sequel, reuniting Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro and adding Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand as Stiller’s parents, earned $44.7 million over the holiday weekend according to studio estimates. 

· Martha loses decor award at Camp Cupcake.  Martha Stewart — the princess of perfection and guru of gracious living — suffered a major Christmas setback at Camp Cupcake.  She and her jail "cottage" mates failed to win the annual Alderson Prison contest for the best decorated cottage door. 

· Drug Firms Issue Memos on Michael Moore.  Some pharmaceutical companies are telling their employees to look out for the scruffy guy in the baseball cap.  The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that at least six drug companies have released internal communications telling employees to be wary of filmmaker Michael Moore. 

· Thousands of travelers cope with holiday headaches.  Tens of thousands of travelers spent Christmas in an airport, as Comair canceled all of its flights and many US Airways passengers waited to be reunited with their luggage. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Copious [co·pi·ous] adj.  Large in quantity; abundant. Abounding in matter, thoughts, or words; wordy. 

· 'Minister of Defense' Reggie White dies at 43.  Reggie White, a fearsome defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers and one of the NFL's greatest players, died Sunday, his wife said. 

Saturday, December 25, 2004

· Man gives $35,000 to Denver homeless.  The man walked into the building, pulled out a thick roll of $100 bills and began passing them out to each of the approximately 300 residents.  When he was finished, he had given out $35,000. 

· Ohio Couple Plunk Down $85 to Have Pew for Christmas Eve.  Joe and Kathy Tricaso weren't taking any chances on not getting a seat for Mass on Christmas Eve.  The couple, who live in the Akron suburb of Green, spent $85 in a church auction last summer to reserve a pew. 

· Letterman Tapes Christmas Eve Show in Iraq.  David Letterman brought his late-night show to Marines serving in Iraq on Friday, loosening up the Camp Taqaddum crowd with the line, "Anybody here from out of town?" 

· Market May Pull Microwaveable Stuffed Animals.  Whole Foods Markets is reconsidering whether to continue selling a line of microwaveable stuffed animals that an educator said could lead children to believe there is nothing wrong with putting their pets in household appliances. 

· Naughty children lose gifts to eBay.  Dad and Mom had warned their sons that the Nintendo DS video system — and the three games that go with it — were headed for the auction block if they didn’t get their act together.  “No kidding. Three undeserving boys have crossed the line. Tonight we sat down and showed them what they WILL NOT get for Christmas this year. I’ll be taking the tree down tomorrow,” the man announced in his eBay posting. 

A Big 'Thank You' to All Our Loyal Readers!

The Tabloid Column staff, and our resident mascot, Bogie, would like to thank you for making us one of the top destinations for breaking news on the Internet!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

· First white Christmas in 86 years for Texas town.  Mother Nature delivered a bone-chilling Christmas to much of the nation Saturday, but holiday travelers made it out in droves despite record snow that shut down highways two days early. 

· Brando Ex-Business Manager Files Lawsuit.  Marlon Brando's former business manager filed a $3.5 million claim against his estate, alleging the Oscar winner sexually harassed her and breached their contract by removing her as a co-executor of his will days before his death. 

· Fast-food worker rescues drive-thru customer.  A McDonald's worker ran to the rescue of an allegedly drunk driver whose car was rolling toward a canal, pulling the man from behind the wheel about 10 feet before the vehicle fell into the water and submerged. 

· Howard Hughes Grave a Popular Tourist Site.  Howard Hughes probably would have liked Friday, his 99th birthday. With temperatures around the freezing mark in normally balmy Houston, the gravesite of the man whose name was invariably prefaced by "reclusive eccentric billionaire" was devoid of visitors. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Ubiquitous [u·biq·ui·tous] adj.  Being or seeming to be everywhere, or in all places, at the same time; omnipresent. 

· ‘Spiderman’ climbs world’s tallest building.  A French urban climber who calls himself Spiderman climbed to the top of the world’s tallest building on Saturday — The 1,679 foot Taipei 101. 

· Samsung to build tallest building.  Workers have already started to clear the ground in Dubai for the 2,625 foot, 160-floor skyscraper and it should be completed by November 2008. 

· 'Motor City Madman' Ted Nugent Turns Texan.  The Motor City Madman is officially turning Texan. Michigan rocker and hunting activist Ted Nugent says he plans to get a Texas driver's license soon. He said in a phone interview Wednesday that he'll officially become a Texas resident in 2005, after moving his family to Crawford, Texas, about 18 months ago. 

· Hackers Aim to Sabotage Holiday Computing.  Hackers, spammers and spies go into overdrive in December and January, when unsuspecting neophytes unwrap new computers, connect to the Internet, and, too often, get hit with viruses, spyware and other nefarious programs. 

Friday, December 24, 2004

· Bible insert in Sunday paper inspires debate in Springs.  When subscribers to the Colorado Springs Gazette picked up their Sunday paper this week, they got more than the typical free sample of detergent. 

· YMCA Chief Fired for Transgender Ball Flap.  A YMCA director has been fired and overnight facility rentals banned after the parents of young children arriving for a morning swim meet clashed with participants in an overnight transgender fashion show and ball. 

· Gym Owner Charged With Videotaping Girls In Bathroom.  Police have arrested the owner of a Florida gymnastics studio on charges he secretly videotaped teenage girls in the bathroom. 

· New 'Late' host: It's not just for laughs.  Craig Ferguson doesn't yet know exactly where he's going to take "The Late Late Show" he'll start in mid-January. But there's one thing the standup comedian knows for certain: It isn't all about the laughs. 

· Has Paige Davis gone into hiding?  The 35-year-old fix-it vixen - who presides over The Learning Channel's house-swapping show, "Trading Spaces," in which neighbors redecorate each others' homes - had been scheduled to go on the "Today" show this morning for an interior-design segment.  But Davis abruptly canceled the appearance after it was reported that she's the object of hot cyberspace rumors concerning an allegedly steamy homemade video. 

· Cold Turkey: No More Paris for Columnist.  Gossip columnist Lloyd Grove is so over Paris Hilton. Grove devoted his full column in Thursday's New York Daily News to Hilton - and why she won't appear there ever again. 

· Boy Claus booted out of N.H. school dance.  A 12-year-old New Hampshire boy who wanted to jolly up his junior high dance by dressing in a Santa suit instead got a lesson in political correctness when his Scroogelike principal turned the student away, fearing he might offend his classmates. 

· Accuser's lawyers to seek Kobe's sexual history.  Attorneys for the woman accusing Kobe Bryant of rape say they should be allowed to ask the Los Angeles Lakers star about his sexual history as part of her civil lawsuit, according to court documents prepared Thursday. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Insipid [in·sip·id] adj.  Lacking flavor or zest; not tasty. Lacking qualities that excite, stimulate, or interest; dull. 

· Radio Stations Face Fine For 'Naked Twister' Game.  Popular Kansas City rock jock Johnny Dare has something in common with Howard Stern and Janet Jackson - all three have been accused of indecency by the Federal Communications Commission. 

· Tower Blast Sends Steel Bolt Into Bedroom.  A Cleveland couple were jarred awake when a three-inch steel bolt crashed through their window and landed on their bed. Walter Currier and Faith Wiley weren't hurt by the bolt but were unnerved by the incident that included a deafening sound. 

Thursday, December 23, 2004

· Camera Phone Criminals Targeting Holiday Shoppers.  Thieves armed with camera cell phones are using the devices to steal credit card numbers, bank account numbers and even ATM numbers from holiday shoppers. 

· Pope defrocks pervert priest shot amid abuse charges.  A priest who was shot and wounded in 2002 by a former altar boy he allegedly molested more than a decade ago has been defrocked by Pope John Paul II. 

· Arafat had stake in NYC bowling alley.  Late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat invested $1.3 million in a company that owns a popular bowling alley in Greenwich Village. 

· Baby Kidnapping Suspect Had Her Tubes Tied, Her Ex-Husband Says.  According to her ex-husband, the woman accused of taking a fetus from a mother-to-be often faked being pregnant to get attention.  And Carl Boman told a local Kansas City TV station that he thinks his former wife needed to come up with a baby to save face.  Boman says Lisa Montgomery had her tubes tied 14 years ago. 

· Gang Can't Spend $42 Million Haul.  $24.5 million of the Northern Ireland haul were new notes bearing Northern Bank's own design and destined for ATMs, which aren't readily accepted in other parts of the United Kingdom or other countries.  Jeffrey Robinson, author of the book "The Money Launderer," said the gang took too much cash, and of too conspicuous a design, to spend or even hide.  "They obviously did not count on there being so much money, and Northern Irish notes," Robinson said. "The money is fundamentally useless. I suspect they know that by now." 

· J-Lo Sued by Ex-Husband.  An ex-husband of Jennifer Lopez sued her for alleged breach of contract, claiming he was wrongly fired as the manager of her restaurant in Pasadena.  

· Rowland pleads guilty to corruption.  Former Gov. John G. Rowland, driven from office by a corruption scandal, pleaded guilty Thursday to a single federal charge that carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. 

· Government Alters Airport Patdown Rules for Women.  In response to numerous complaints from women, the government has ordered airport security personnel to avoid touching female passengers between their breasts when performing patdowns. 

· Airport Screeners Find Blade in Man's Shoe.  A 33-year-old Virginia man was in federal custody after airport screeners found a box-cutter blade glued into the sole of his shoe. 

· Judge Lifts Block on Arizona Immigrant Law.  A federal judge lifted a block on a controversial Arizona law on Wednesday forcing state officials to begin restricting some government benefits to illegal immigrants. 

· Down goes Gotti, guilty of hit plot.  A jury found Peter Gotti guilty yesterday of ordering the failed revenge hit on mob snitch Salvatore (Sammy Bull) Gravano - meaning the Gambino crime boss is likely to spend the rest of his days behind bars. 

· Nevada high court says ‘Son of Sam’ law is unconstitutional.  A state law allowing victims of felonies to collect money from offenders who produce books, magazines or movies related to the crime is an unconstitutional violation of free speech, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled. 

· Ford won't sell cars to Arkansas police.  A dispute with Arkansas' attorney general over claims made about its police cars has led Ford Motor Co. to suspend delivery of its Crown Victoria Police Interceptors to Arkansas agencies. 

· Jury Hears Testimony in Blake Murder Trial.  Dr. Jeffrey Gutstadt said that the absence of soot and "stippling" marks around Bonny Lee Bakley's wounds indicated that the shooter was more than 1 1/2 feet away when the gun was fired. He also said the damage from the shots made it unlikely that paramedics could have saved her life. 

· Martha unwraps wish for jail reform.  Martha Stewart has undergone a Scrooge-like transformation behind bars, sending out a Christmas call for prison reform that would make Charles Dickens proud.  "So many of the women here at Alderson will never have the joy and well-being that you and I experience. Many of them have been here for years, devoid of care, devoid of love, devoid of family," wrote Stewart, who's serving a five-month stint at the federal prison camp in Alderson, W.Va. 

· 'Who's Your Daddy?' TV show sparks fury.  The "Who's Your Daddy?" show, in which a young woman given up for adoption as a child gets a $100,000 prize for picking out her biological father from a line-up, is the latest in America's obsession with reality TV programming. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Voluminous [vo·lu·mi·nous] adj.  Having great volume, fullness, size, or number; ample or lengthy in speech or writing: voluminous paperwork. 

· Stolen Black Sabbath Discs Retrieved.  Stolen gold and silver discs won by Ozzy Osbourne's band Black Sabbath were recovered after thieves dumped them behind trash cans. 

· Feds Seek To Destroy "Ghettopoly."  $2.5 million worth of controversial "Monopoly" knockoff at stake. 

· Britney Named Top Star of 2004.  "Access Hollywood" has named its "Top Ten Stars of 2004," with Britney Spears in the No. 1 spot. 

· Waitress saves Santa's sack of $3,000 in cash.  This is a tale about a forgetful Santa and the honest, hardworking Manhattan waitress who saved Christmas for dozens of little boys and girls in the Bronx. 

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

· Bernard Kerik Resigns From Giuliani's Consulting Firm.  Former police commissioner Bernard Kerik resigned Wednesday from Rudolph Giuliani's consulting firm, less than two weeks after his nomination as U.S. homeland security chief collapsed amid a rash of allegations of personal and professional improprieties. 

· 'Friends' Lawsuit Takes on Tradition.  Writer Janis Hirsch faced a painful ritual at one sitcom: She'd get a tap on the shoulder from one or another male colleague, turn around and find them exposing themselves. 

· Ga. Dentist Indicted for Ex-Girlfriend's Death.  The husband of a Gwinnett County woman found dead in her home was arrested Wednesday after a grand jury returned an indictment in another case — the death of his former girlfriend 14 years ago. 

· Mosul Attack Was a Suicide Bombing.  New evidence shows the bombing of a U.S. military mess tent in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday — which killed 22 people and wounded 69 others — was a suicide attack.  Investigators at the base have found remnants of a torso and a suicide vest that was probably a backpack. 

· Teen Accused Of Shooting Santa With Pellet Gun.  A 17-year-old is accused of firing a pellet gun from a second-story window, hitting a man dressed as Santa Claus on Monday night. Police said the boy confessed.  

· OOPS!  NASA says rocket left satellite in wrong orbit.  NASA officials said Wednesday that a Delta 4 satellite is in the wrong orbit.  The new Boeing Delta 4 Heavy rocket launched from Cape Canaveral Tuesday afternoon.  However, hours after the launch, the rocket stranded a dummy satellite in the wrong orbit. It happened when the booster's first stage shut down 10 seconds early and did not reach the right altitude. 

· Mystery Martian 'Carwash' Helps Space Buggy.  An unexplained phenomenon akin to a space-borne car wash has boosted the performance of one of the two U.S. rovers probing the surface of Mars, New Scientist magazine said on Tuesday. 

· Martha: prison food is lousy.  Martha Stewart, who is nearly halfway done with a five-month prison sentence, delivered a holiday greeting Wednesday from her minimum-security camp in West Virginia. 

· Parachute System Can Save Small Planes.  Company That Makes Parachutes to Save Smaller Planes Working With NASA on a Model for Jetliners. 

· Scared of Santa photo gallery.  Nothing says Happy Holidays like a photo of sweet little toddlers screaming at Santa. The first 25 photos in this gallery are from the Chicago Tribune's "Scared of Santa" contest. 

· U.S. Actor Blake Acted Oddly, Witnesses Say.  Actor Robert Blake kept his distance and offered no aid to his wife as she lay dying of bullet wounds in a parked car, the first three witnesses in his murder trial said on Tuesday. 

· University to Buy Clintons' 1970s Home.  The University of Arkansas has agreed to buy the $249,850 house where Bill and Hillary Rodham Clinton lived when they worked in Fayetteville in the 1970s. 

· Survey Reveals Physicians' Views of Faith, Prayer and Miracles.  A national survey of 1,100 physicians, conducted by HCD Research and the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies of The Jewish Theological Seminary in New York City over the past weekend, found that 74% of doctors believe that miracles have occurred in the past and 73% believe that can occur today. 

· Pregnant victim, suspect were together at dog show, participant says.  Bobbie Jo Stinnett and the woman accused of strangling her and cutting her baby from her womb were photographed together at a dog show months before last week's attack, a woman who attended the show said. 

· Mom sues Wal-Mart over daughter's suicide.  Near the end of her short life, Shayla Stewart, a diagnosed manic-depressive and schizophrenic, assaulted police officers and was arrested for attacking a fellow customer at a Denton Wal-Mart where she had a prescription for anti-psychotic medication. 

· Census: Nevada, Arizona tops in growth.  U.S. population grows another 3 million, reaches nearly 294 million, with Nevada, spurred in large part by the sprawling growth around Las Vegas, grew by 4.1 percent to 2.3 million people, and Arizona had the second-largest growth, up 3 percent to 5.7 million. 

· Death of lotto winner's granddaughter 'not looking like murder.'  An autopsy Tuesday on the 17-year-old granddaughter of the nation's largest lottery winner provided few clues to her death, though investigators are leaning against homicide. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Myopic [my·o·pic] n.  Distant objects appear blurred - Lack of discernment or long-range perspective in thinking or planning. 

· Wrong John Kerry Gets NY Electoral Votes.  Even John Q. Public knows the middle initial of losing presidential candidate John F. Kerry. But New York's 31 electoral college votes are currently on the books for some guy named John L. Kerry.  State officials acknowledged the mistake Tuesday after the official "certificate of vote" appeared on the Web site of the National Archives. 

· Toy maker equips train with condom.  A 145-year-old German maker of toy trains is giving its adult customers a chance to have a one-track mind.  The miniature train company Marklin is packing a condom alongside a blue freight car emblazoned with the name of Blausiegel, a German condom maker. 

· Boeing test-launches mammoth new rocket.  A massive new 17 million horsepower Boeing rocket lumbered from its seaside pad Tuesday on a mission to prove the vehicle is capable of lofting super-sized military satellites into orbit. 

· Man Tries to Stop Wrong Van at Wal-Mart.  A 71-year-old woman heading home from a store was surprised to find a man accusing her of stealing his van.  The kids were screaming something terrible," she said. "I started driving with him still hanging onto the car. He fell off somewhere along (the way)."  The honking got the attention of police Cpl. Susan Lambright, who was working a security shift in the store.  As it turns out, the man did not have permission to be in that van either, but the owner declined to press charges, police said. 

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

· Miami police use taser to subdue man in wheelchair.  Police say they responded to a domestic violence call at a home where the wheelchair-bound man got into an argument with his girlfriend, then allegedly threatened police with a pair of scissors. 

· Remains of Mafia captains identified.  The New York Medical Examiner's Office has identified the skeletons of Philip "Phil Lucky" Giaccone and Dominick "Big Trin" Trinchera, two Mafia figures believed to be the victims of a gangland shooting more than 20 years ago, FBI officials said Tuesday. 

· Clark Hospitalized at Least Through December.  TV personality-producer Dick Clark will spend Christmas, and perhaps New Year's Eve, in a hospital where he's recovering from a mild stroke, his spokesman said Tuesday. 

· 'Fat Actress' Kirstie Alley Chooses Jenny Craig to Lose Weight.  Jenny Craig Inc., one of the nation's leading authorities on weight management, announced today that actress Kirstie Alley is the company's "star" client for 2005. In response to recent statements that she wants to lose the very weight that prompted her new Showtime series, "Fat Actress," Jenny Craig has offered Alley and her closest friends the opportunity to participate in the program. 

· Pilot sought after cocaine found.  Authorities called to the scene of a weekend Piper Aerostar twin-engine plane crash found no people - dead or alive - but they did find $24 million worth of cocaine. 

· Record $39M Robbed From Irish Bank.  Thieves stole more than $39 million from a Belfast bank in the biggest robbery in Northern Ireland history after holding family members of two bank officials hostage for a day in their homes, authorities said Tuesday. 

· Washington Post buys Slate online magazine.  Microsoft Corp. sold its popular Slate online magazine Tuesday to The Washington Post Co., a move that makes Slate's political commentary and quirky feature articles more broadly available across the Internet. 

· Rap Singer Snoop Dogg Sues Woman, Lawyers.  Rap singer Snoop Dogg has sued a woman and her attorneys for extortion, alleging they demanded $5 million to keep silent about an alleged assault against her, according to a lawsuit. 

· 'Urinating' Deputy Resigns.  A uniformed Orange County sheriff's deputy who was caught on a security camera urinating in a building's elevator resigned Monday, the same day a hearing was scheduled on the appeal of his firing. 

· Google/Yahoo Rivalry Moves Into 2005.  Even as they trade counterpunches punctuating their similarities, Internet heavyweights Google Inc. and Yahoo Inc. have strived for different goals - distinctions that may become more apparent as the fierce rivalry moves into 2005. 

· Dead Marine's kin plead for e-mail.  The family of a Marine killed in Iraq is pleading with Internet giant Yahoo! for access to his e-mail account, which the company says is off-limits under its privacy policy. 

· Pregnant-Slay Probe Followed Cyber Trail.  In the end, it wasn't a fingerprint or a blood spatter that led authorities to the woman suspected of strangling a mother-to-be and cutting the baby from her womb. It was an 11-digit computer code. 

      » Suspect's husband recaps meeting baby.  When Kevin Montgomery was presented with a newborn child, he said he believed his wife's story - that the girl was theirs. He had no idea, he said, that an eight-months-pregnant woman had just been strangled in her home, her baby cut from her womb. 

· Jacko Judge Denies Motion for Delay.  A judge Monday denied a motion for a delay in the child molestation case against Michael Jackson, clearing the way for the trial's Jan. 31 start. 

· Aleve Latest Drug to Draw Scrutiny.  An Alzheimer's disease prevention trial was suspended after researchers said there were more heart attacks and strokes among patients taking naproxen, an over-the-counter pain reliever in use for 28 years and commonly known under the brand name Aleve. 

· Prosecutor accused of crime after ethics speech.  Police suspect a French prosecutor of paying a prostitute with a stolen credit card just hours after addressing a conference on ethics, a Justice Ministry source says. 

· Red Bull founder rides wave of success.  Dietrich Mateschitz grabbed the one-billion-cans-a-year energy drink market by the horns when he introduced Red Bull more than a decade ago, and he hasn't let go. 

· Wal-Mart introduces $498 laptop without Micro$oft.  Walmart.com has released the $498 Balance laptop, which runs the Linux-based operating system Linspire. The laptop comes fully equipped with the operating system, Internet suite, and Microsoft-file compatible office suite, and can be used with both dial-up modems and broadband connections. 

· Prosecutor Accuses Blake in Wife's Death.  Robert Blake's prosecutor and defense attorney differed Monday over whether the actor killed wife Bonny Lee Bakley, but agreed that the couple's marriage was not a Hollywood-style love match. 

· Coast Guard Searches for Missing Fishermen.  Five fisherman were missing in rough seas Monday after their scallop boat capsized and sank in cold waters about 45 miles southeast of Nantucket. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Cerebral [cer·e·bral] adj.  Appealing to or requiring the use of the intellect; intellectual rather than emotional: "Her methods were cerebral, analytical, and cautious." 

· Ramseys Say JonBenet's Killer Will Be Found.  John Ramsey said Monday he is confident the killer of his daughter, JonBenet, will be found. 

· Companies Team Up for All-In-One HIV Pill.  Two drug companies announced Monday they will collaborate on developing the first all-in-one, once-a-day pill to treat HIV infection — a long-sought goal that would make it much easier for patients to stick with their medication. 

· Cruise Leaves Big Tip For Accident Victim.  Cruise walked into a Virginia Dairy Queen and saw the jar with a photo of Ashley Flint and her story.  Flint was in a go-cart accident in September. It has left her family with a mountain of hospital bills.  So Cruise left $5,000 in cash in the jar. 

· Wesley Snipes Sues NYC Over Paternity Test.  Action film star Wesley Snipes sued the city, charging that it had no jurisdiction to seek his DNA in a paternity suit filed in Indiana by a woman he said was crack-addicted and mentally ill. 

· Prosecutors, Ex-AOL Engineer Strike Plea.  Federal prosecutors and a former America Online software engineer have negotiated a tentative plea agreement over charges he stole more than 92 million e-mail addresses and sold them to Internet spammers, according to two people familiar with the case. 

· Rowling Completes Sixth Potter Book.  Harry Potter readers, here's an extra special holiday gift: J.K. Rowling announced Monday that she has completed the sixth Potter novel, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." 

Monday, December 20, 2004

· Lottery winner's granddaughter found dead.  The 17-year-old granddaughter of Jack Whittaker, winner of the nation's biggest lottery jackpot ($314.9 million), was found dead today along a country road, more than two weeks after she disappeared.  Whittaker has had several brushes with the law since he won the prize. 

· Low-carb craze over.  A study by NPD Group, an independent marketing information company, found that the percentage of American adults on any low-carb diet in 2004 peaked at 9.1% in February and dropped to 4.9% by early November. 

· Zamboni explodes on ice rink.  Investigators were trying to determine on Monday the cause of the Sunday night explosions that destroyed a local ice arena and injured several broomball players and fans.  People inside the building said they suspected the explosion came from a room containing an ice-grooming machine, which are often known by the brand name Zamboni. 

· DiCaprio, Maguire Sued Over Indie Film.  Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire have been sued by a producer who claims the two actors blocked distribution of a 1995 independent film they starred in. 

· Opening Statements in Blake Trial to Begin.  The wife of former "Baretta" television star Robert Blake was fatally shot more than three years ago outside a restaurant where the couple had dined. 

· UPS driver in need of delivery.  A United Parcel Service driver was on his way to deliver parts to Cheshire Medical Center in New Hampshire when his truck was involved in a serious crash.  The driver was taken to the same hospital by ambulance with a head injury, but the hospital couldn’t run some of the tests he needed because the machine was broken, and the parts to fix it were still on the man's UPS truck. 

· Author suing over Da Vinci bestseller.  A New Zealand author is embroiled in a plagiarism row over Dan Brown's blockbuster hit, the religious thriller The Da Vinci Code, and has launched legal action against the novel's publishers.  

· Campaign of deception used to push patriotic song up charts.  Country singer Chely Wright said yesterday she was dismissing the head of her fan club and shutting down a team of volunteers after it was learned that some of them posed as members of the military or their families to promote her latest song. 

· Jackson's Lawyers Seek Six-Week Delay.  Michael Jackson's lawyers went to court Monday to seek a six-week delay in his child molestation trial, saying they need the extra time to sort through 14,000 pages of evidence filed by prosecutors over the past two months. 

· War hits home for 'Kato' Kaelin.  Aspiring actor and former O.J. Simpson houseguest Brian "Kato" Kaelin says his nephew was killed in the war in Iraq.  Kaelin said he considered canceling his public appearance because of the death of his nephew. 

· Indian eBay CEO jailed over sex tape listing.  Parent company eBay and Indian industry officials have expressed anger and concern over the jailing of the CEO of eBay's Indian subsidiary in connection with the online sale of a sex video. 

· Lane calls cops & hubby's arrested.  Actor Josh Brolin was arrested yesterday in Los Angeles on a charge of spousal battery after an argument with his wife, actress Diane Lane.  The son of actor James Brolin was booked in West Los Angeles after cops responded to a call from Lane at the newlyweds' home, LAPD Officer Grace Brady said. 

· Mick has more children to see than Santa.  If you are daunted by the endless Christmas merry-go-round of family visits, remember there is always someone who has it tougher than you.  And that someone is probably Sir Mick Jagger. The 62-year-old lothario has to pay for his womanising ways every December by juggling his time to keep his girlfriend, ex-girlfriends, ex-wives and seven children happy. 

· Geragos sets up a Scott Peterson website to beg for funds.  Mark Geragos has created a website that is designed "for Scott to get the justice he deserves," and is asking people to pull out their credit cards and send him money for further investigation costs.  Like OJ Simpson, Geragos is apparently hoping to find the real killer. 

· Woman Accused Of Cutting Baby From Womb Due In Court.  The woman accused of killing an expectant mother and cutting the baby from the victim's womb will make her first court appearance Monday in Kansas City, Kan. 

· Grisly killing adds to town's notoriety.  First came the notorious "Skidmore bully," Ken Rex McElroy, whose death made national headlines. He had so terrorized the town that when somebody gunned him down in broad daylight in 1981, nobody would admit to seeing a thing.  Then on Oct. 16, 2000, Wendy Gillenwater was stomped to death by her boyfriend. Locals take comfort in knowing the killer is serving life in prison.  The next year, a 20-year-old resident vanished. Many think he was murdered. 

· 'Lemony Snicket' Fortunate at Box Office.  "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events" brought in $30.2 million of good fortune at the box office to debut in first place. 

· Wall Street's most famous bull for sale.  Sculptor Arturo Di Modica, who created the famous flared-nostril, 7,000-pound bull that sits in the heart of New York's financial district in lower Manhattan, is auctioning his famous piece to the highest bidder. 

· Celebs Go Bust: Entertainment Lows in '04.  It was a year of weddings, stripteases and hype that didn't amount to anything ... here's a look at the entertainment busts of 2004.  Boobs of the Year: Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. 

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 to Arizona." 

· Katie pops up on list to take Dan's chair.  CBS has a new name on top of its list of poten tial replacement for Dan Rather — Katie Couric.  According to Broadcasting & Cable magazine, CBS wants to "land a superstar to take over" for Rather and the "Today" show diva is its top choice. 

· DWI Suspect Killed By Alleged Drunken Driver.  A man who was suspected of drunken driving is dead after an ironic crash.  Authorities in Burlington County, N.J., said an officer pulled over the 34-year-old man early Friday. But while he was being given the roadside sobriety test, a tractor-trailer crashed into the police car, which then hit the man's vehicle. 

· Father of killed Marine apologizes for burning van.  A man has apologized for setting fire to the van driven by a team of Marines who had come to his house to tell him his son was killed in Iraq. 

· Tiger says marriage ‘makes you stronger.’  Woods and his new wife, Elin Nordegren, talk about improving his game, especially after a surprisingly lean year. 

Sunday, December 19, 2004

· George W. Bush is TIME Magazine's Person of The Year.  TIME Magazine's much anticipated 2004 Person of the Year debuted this morning. 

· Small Plane Strikes Radio Tower, Killing 2.  A small plane crashed Sunday morning into the Los Angeles station KFI Radio's tower, killing two people aboard and temporarily knocking the station off the air, officials said. 

· 50 things to eat before you die.  The top 50 things everyone should try a bite of in their lifetime. 

· Schwarzenegger urges GOP left turn.  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger suggested in a newspaper interview published Saturday that the Republican Party should move "a little to the left," a shift that he said would allow it to pick up new voters. 

· Sinkhole swallows 4 lanes of road.  A sinkhole opened beneath a road in central Florida on Saturday, swallowing four lanes of pavement and forcing the evacuation of 20 homes. 

· Kerik's email messages fuel mess.  Former Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik is likely to face fresh questions about his conduct this week when explosive E-mails are turned over to city investigators. 

· A restaurant full of beds? Yep, it's no lie.  What is a bed-filled restaurant? You know - a restaurant filled with about 30 king-size beds, tons of satin pillows and some very awkward-looking waiters bending down to change the sheets between customers.  Don't worry. Those stains are from the artichoke purée. 

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." 

· Strange case of Empire State jumper no one knows.  He chose the city's most famous skyscraper as the place to end his life. But three weeks after a man leaped off the observation deck of the Empire State Building, his absence has gone unnoticed by the world at large and he is still known to police simply as No. 6071. 

· Hijacking Joke Causes Terror Scare.  An Italian tourist aboard a flight from Sydney to Vienna caused an international security alert when he sent a joke text message from his cell phone to his wife claiming his plane had been hijacked by terrorists, the Australian government confirmed Sunday. 

Saturday, December 18, 2004

· ISP Awarded $1 Billion in Anti-Spam Suit.  A federal judge has awarded an Internet service provider more than $1 billion in what is believed to be the largest judgment ever against spammers. 

· Slice Of Diana's Cake Fetches $450.  Would you pay $450 for a piece of cake - from 23 years ago?  Somebody did that today - buying a piece of the wedding cake from the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. 

· Tipster, computer helped find missing infant.  Computer forensics and an anonymous tipster led police to an infant girl who was taken from her dead mother's womb - and to the arrest of a suspect. 

· Liza to bodyguard: Zip it!  Liza Minnelli's lawyers complained to a Manhattan judge this week that leaks about a sexual-harassment lawsuit filed by her former bodyguard are costing her jobs, and they asked the court to tell the bodyguard to zip his lips. 

· B-52's 'Love Shack' Burns To Ground.  The "little old place" believed to be the inspiration for the B-52's hit "Love Shack" has burned to the ground.  A fire has gutted the five-room cabin in Athens, Ga. 

· Three more arrested in Maryland arson case.  Three more people were arrested Saturday in connection with the largest residential arson in Maryland history, a collection of blazes that caused $10 million in damage to new houses in an upscale development near a nature preserve. 

· Police Recover JFK Assassination Artifacts In Drug Raid.  A drug raid on a Dallas apartment unexpectedly turned up a stash of artifacts relating to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.  Among the finds: a police card bearing Jack Ruby's nine fingerprints (he lost a finger in a fight); photos of Ruby shooting alleged assassin Lee Harvey Oswald; what appears to be a drawing of a map containing important assassination-related locations and a photo inventory of Oswald's belongings. 

· Florida county reverses Christmas tree ban.  Christmas tree decorations were being rehung at Pasco County buildings after the reversal of a county attorney's finding that the trees were unacceptable religious symbols. 

· First cash, then claims come out of the wall.  Kevin Skoog was wiring a Stockade basement last year when he took a shortcut and got lucky. Pushing a wire through a newly bored hole, he hit something hard behind the bricks. Maybe it's a body, he thought. A peek into a green trash bag revealed $210,000 in stacks of $100 bills. 

· Conductor Kills Self Inside L.A. Cathedral.  The longtime conductor of the Crystal Cathedral Orchestra - a composer and arranger who worked with Celine Dion and John Tesh - shot himself to death at the soaring glass-and-steel church Friday after a nine-hour standoff that started just before a Christmas pageant was to begin. 

· San Antonio strippers will have to wear permits.  Strippers in this city will soon have to put on something they can't take off -- a business license. The City Council on Friday approved a measure requiring exotic dancers to apply for permits and wear them while performing. 

· Sheen, Richards Expecting Second Child.  Christmas has come early for Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards. The couple are expecting their second child, due in June, People magazine reports. Their first, daughter Sam Sheen, was born in March. 

· Two screeners reassigned over fake bomb incident.  Two baggage screeners have been reassigned pending the outcome of a federal investigation into how a bag containing a simulated bomb made its way aboard a Continental Airlines flight bound for Holland, a Transportation Security Administration official said Friday. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Episodic [ep·i·sod·ic] adj.  Happening at irregular intervals.  "She has Episodic migraines." 

· Saves ex from fire.  Priestly Green was on his way to a deli in Hempstead, L.I., at 2:30a.m. yesterday when he saw flames coming from an ex-girlfriend's home.  Green knew that 22-year-old Shakeba Chambers would be sleeping inside with her two young daughters, so he braved the smoke and fire. 

· U.S. Wireless Use Behind Rest of World.  An estimated 57 percent of the U.S. population chats on wireless phones - not much greater than the percentage of wireless phone users in much poorer Jamaica, where 54 percent of the people have mobile phones, according to the International Telecommunications Union.  By comparison, in Hong Kong there are 105.75 mobile subscribers for every 100 inhabitants. In Taiwan, there are 110. 

· Homeless Man Compacted In Garbage Truck Survives.  No one knows how he did it. A homeless man fell asleep in a Dumpster, woke up inside a garbage truck - and lived to tell about it. 

· Microsoft buy comes with strings attached.  A software company that Microsoft acquired this week to help beef up computer security may come with a bug of its own - a company claiming ownership of the programs. 

Friday, December 17, 2004

· Stolen Fetus Believed Found Alive.  Authorities found a healthy, two-day old baby girl in Kansas that they are hopeful is the same infant taken from her mother's womb Thursday after the woman was killed in Skidmore, Missouri. 

· Eavesdropping Ban Under Fire.  Parents in Washington upset over a state court ruling that prevents parents from listening in on kids' phone calls. 

· George Harrison Guitar Sells for $567,500.  A classic Gibson guitar played by George Harrison on the Beatles'"Revolver" album and by John Lennon during the recording of the "White Album" sold Friday to an anonymous bidder for $567,500, Christie's auction house announced. 

· Norville Signs Off MSNBC.  Deborah Norville, who does double duty hosting an MSNBC show and syndicated magazine Inside Edition, is ending her cable news show in mid-January. She will continue to host Inside Edition. 

· Guard admitted arson role.  The security guard accused of burning down several new homes in a Maryland housing development has admitted being present when the fires were set, and said that he knew of the arson plan, according to court documents released Friday. 

· Sex Industry Funded Campaign Against New Stadium.  The sex industry funded part of a campaign that opposes the construction of a new baseball stadium on the Anacostia waterfront. 

· New York City starts probe of Kerik.  The inquiry - one of two confronting Kerik - will explore numerous ethical lapses.  In a series of investigative stories, The Daily News disclosed that Kerik broke rules on accepting gifts, developed close ties with an allegedly mob-linked city contractor and maintained a secret downtown apartment for simultaneous extramarital liaisons with two women. 

· Schwarzeneggers Sued Over House Sale.  lawyer who recently bought a $7.95 million Pacific Palisades home from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver is suing California's first couple, claiming that they hid damage to the estate's pool and tennis court, as well as a mold problem in the screening room. 

· Ashes Set Condo On Fire.  Firefighters were called to a fire at a townhouse that was caused by some genius that cleaned out the fireplace and placed hot ashes in a plastic can and set them on their wood deck. 

· Trump picks his 'Apprentice.'  One key lesson if you want to be on Donald Trump's payroll: don't let the boss fly off unnoticed.  The Donald chose software executive Kelly Perdew, 37, to join his staff during the season finale of "The Apprentice" on Thursday. He rejected feisty lawyer Jennifer Massey despite her bare-knuckled fight for the job. 

· 'Merry Christmas' - Or No Sale.  In California, a group called the Committee to Save Merry Christmas is boycotting Federated Department Stores, accusing it of replacing "Merry Christmas" signs with ones wishing shoppers "Season's Greetings" or "Happy Holidays." 

· Pfizer Finds Celebrex Heart Attack Risk.  Pfizer says it has found an increased risk of heart attacks with patients taking its top-selling painkiller Celebrex, a drug that is in the same class as Vioxx, which was pulled from the market in September because of safety concerns. 

· 10 tips to buying the meat you really want.  The corner butcher has all but been replaced by the conveniences of the modern supermarket, and a shrinking industry keeps shrinking, with just 6,042 meat markets across the United States in 2001. Just four years earlier, there were more than 7,200. Shoppers lucky enough to frequent a butcher have a rare resource, and one that many of us still appreciate.  "People kind of miss the opportunity to talk to the person behind the counter." 

· An apartment building that revolves.  Out of the drawing boards of a Curitiba based builder comes the unthinkable: Suite Vollard, the first revolving building in the world. The building is made with reinforced concrete and gigantic metal platforms. 

· $1.3 million awarded to fiery bar stunt victim.  A jury has awarded more than $1.3 million in damages to a former University of Iowa student who was burned when a fiery bar stunt flamed out of control. 

· Cheerful Scott Peterson Enjoys Fan Mail.  Scott Peterson remains cheerful despite being sentenced to death just days ago, buoyed in part by the constant flow of fan mail he continues to receive, the San Mateo County sheriff said Thursday. 

· Stars flee London hotel fire.  Hollywood actor Jim Carrey, in London to promote his latest movie "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events," was forced to flee his hotel after a fire broke out. 

· Gunman Opens Fire at Crystal Cathedral.  An employee of the world-famous Crystal Cathedral walked into the complex and opened fire, but no one was hit and children in a church day-care center were rushed to safety, police said. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Deciduous [de·cid·u·ous] adj.  Not permanent or lasting; ephemeral.  "The fire created a deciduous outlook for the company."

· Officials Unveil New Details of WTC Memorial.  The memorial honoring World Trade Center victims will include a forest of oak trees with a clearing for Sept. 11 gatherings and a Memorial Hall between the twin reflecting pools that will mark the footprints of the lost towers, officials announced Thursday. 

· Fla. County Bans Christmas Trees From Public Buildings.  Pasco County officials have banned Christmas trees from public buildings in a move that one constitutional law group said Thursday was "the most extreme example of censorship imaginable." 

· Pranksters Arrested After Staging Fake Murder To Scare Friend.  A couple of guys in Oregon who started drinking early in the morning thought it would be funny to stage a murder scene. 

· Jail throws book at Berkowitz.  Son of Sam serial killer David Berkowitz is in trouble for breaking a prison rule: He gave a Bible to another inmate. 

· Man bleeds to death after tooth removal.  A man bled to death overnight after having a wisdom tooth removed at the dentist, an inquest has heard.  Robert Braber, 59, was found dead in bed in August, the morning after the extraction, by his wife Jane at their home. 

· New device detects symptoms of heart failure.  A device that automatically detects early symptoms of congestive heart failure has been implanted in patients in the United States this month for the first time. 

Thursday, December 16, 2004

· Bryant says he would like to apologize to Shaq for comments made to police.  During Kobe Bryant's interview with investigators, he said he heard O'Neal had paid up to $1 million to various women to keep quiet about situations like his own. O'Neal, who now plays for the Miami Heat, dismissed those allegations as "ridiculous." There have been no published reports of O'Neal ever being accused of any sex crimes. 

· Man gives charity Social Security check.  A prosperous businessman didn't think he was entitled to his 2004 Social Security payments, so he became an early Santa Claus for the Salvation Army.  Last week, the man dropped a check for $14,845 into a bell ringer's red kettle outside a bookstore in downtown Minneapolis. 

· Fast lifts rise into record books.  Two high-speed lifts at the world's tallest building have been officially recognized as the planet's fastest.  The lifts take only 30 seconds to whisk passengers to the top of the 1667 foot tall TFC 101 Tower in Taipei, Taiwan.  The 56 feet per second top speed of the lifts translates to about 37mph. 

· U.S. Worries Flu Shots May Go to Waste.  Two months after the government recommended that scarce flu shots be reserved for people most at risk, health officials are now worried that tens of thousands of doses could go to waste, and they are considering easing the restrictions.  The demand for flu shots has turned out to be lower than expected because the flu season has been mild. 

· Court Throws Out Prison Sentence In Huge Colorado Wildfire.  An appeals court Thursday threw out a 12-year state prison sentence given to a former forestry worker who started the largest wildfire in Colorado history. 

· Whitney Houston OK After Rear-Ending Bus.  Singer Whitney Houston rear-ended a city bus with her sports car, but no one was hurt, police said.  The accident happened Wednesday afternoon as Houston was making a left turn, said Sgt. Chris Lagerbloom.  The bus sustained minor damage. The bumper of Houston's Porsche was mangled but the singer was not injured. 

· Bush Prepares for Possible GPS Shutdown.  President Bush has ordered plans for temporarily disabling the U.S. network of global positioning satellites during a national crisis to prevent terrorists from using the navigational technology, the White House said. 

· It's the F-Time Show With Chevy Chase.  Even certified Hollywood liberals were reeling after Chevy Chase's potty-mouthed Bush-bashing at the Kennedy Center, where the actor hosted an awards ceremony staged by People for the American Way.  After actors Alec Baldwin and Susan Sarandon delivered speeches accepting their Defender of Democracy awards, Chase took the stage a final time and unleashed a rant against President Bush that stunned the crowd. 

· Giuliani spanks Bernie.  After days of embarrassing revelations, Rudy Giuliani scolded former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik yesterday, saying he has a "fair amount of explaining to do."  "I told him directly, 'There are are some significant mistakes you made here, even granted that only some of this is true,'" Giuliani said. 

· Presley Estate May Get New Management.  Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. has an agreement to sell 85 percent of its assets to businessman Robert F.X. Sillerman, founder of promoter SFX Entertainment, it was announced Thursday. The estate was inherited by Presley's only child, Lisa Marie Presley. 

· FBI to analyze suspected BTK package.  Police in Wichita, Kansas, sent a package found in a park to the FBI laboratory to determine if its contents are linked to the notorious BTK killer. 

· Frey's book deal to be announced.  Amber Frey, the mistress who turned on her creepy married boyfriend, may now be ready to tell the whole story — to an editor who did the same thing.  Publishing sources say that Frey has signed with Judith Regan to write a memoir of her life, her relationship with convicted murderer Scott Peterson, the investigation, trial and its aftermath. 

· Janitor allegedly stole over 100 Olympic medals.  A janitor has been charged with stealing more than 100 Olympic medals and other memorabilia from the International Swimming Hall of Fame, including Hollywood star Johnny Weissmuller’s 1924 medals and an ancient Greek medal. 

· Airport screeners lose fake bomb during training.  Baggage screeners at Newark Liberty International Airport spotted - and then lost - a fake bomb planted in luggage by a supervisor during a training exercise. 

· Iceland approves Bobby Fischer residency.  Iceland has approved a residency permit for former chess champion Bobby Fischer, who is being detained by Japanese immigration authorities, an Iceland embassy official said Thursday. 

· Holidays Mean Hidden Dangers For Pets.  Most people know that chocolate, coffee grounds and antifreeze are dangerous for dogs, but what about raisins, mistletoe, or macadamia nuts? 

· Casino fined for security camera ogling.  Women, beware: Those "eye in the sky" surveillance cameras used by casinos don't just look for card cheats and crooked dealers. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pedantic [pe·dan·tic] adj.  1. Characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules: "A pedantic attention to details." 

· Man snubs $3051 meal for takeaway.  It was the social ticket of the year, a star-studded charity gala where the glitterati ate gourmet food prepared by Britain's top chef. But for one party-goer, the curry house across the road just looked more tempting. 

· $100,000 offer on 'truth' about Sept. 11.  A millionaire activist convinced the Sept. 11 attacks against the U.S. were the result of an "inside job" is putting up cash if anyone can prove him wrong. 

· Motley Crue Singer Accused of Assault.  Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is accused of knocking out an employee of a Dallas nightclub after a disagreement over sound levels during a concert. An arrest warrant for misdemeanor assault was issued Wednesday for Neil in the fight at Gilley's Dallas during an Oct. 30 show. 

· James Brown Undergoes Successful Surgery.  James Brown underwent successful surgery Wednesday to treat his recently diagnosed prostate cancer. 

· Chaplin's cane sold at Christie's auction.  A bamboo cane that Charlie Chaplin used in the classic 1930s spoof Modern Times sold for $91,800 US at a sale of movie memorabilia. 

· Naked Pamela Anderson May Grace Billboards.  A naked Pamela Anderson will beckon from Chinese billboards in a new anti-fur campaign - if the former "Baywatch" star can get past the censors. 

Wednesday, December 15, 2004

· FCC Won't Stifle Satellite Stern.  Howard Stern will be free to be indecent on satellite radio, the Federal Communications Commission effectively said Wednesday - a decision that should also make cable - and satellite-TV providers breathe easier, at least for now. 

· Politician Who Won't Say Pledge Of Allegiance May Be Recalled.  A recall election is now set for an Estes Park, Colo., trustee who refuses to stand up and recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the Town Board meetings. 

· E-mail 'worm' spreads holiday jeers.  Grinch-like virus writers are spreading their version of holiday cheer by embedding a variant of the so-called "Zafi" e-mail worm inside electronic greetings. 

· Lowe's Hardware Hacker Gets Nine Years.  One of three Michigan men who hacked into the national computer system of Lowe's hardware stores and tried to steal customers' credit card information was sentenced Wednesday to nine years in federal prison. 

· Man Charged With Fatally Shooting Friend Through Protective Vest On Dare.  A man has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for fatally shooting his friend through a protective vest on an apparent dare, police said. 

· School cancels Christian rock band.  Rossford, Ohio high school officials were considering letting a Christian rock band play during an anti-drug assembly next week, but decided yesterday to cancel the performance because of concerns over having religious music played in a public school. 

· Prosecutors seek prior claims in Jackson trial.  Prosecutors in the Michael Jackson child molestation case want to include as evidence previous allegations of sex offenses for which police did not charge the singer. 

· Lawyer Stole to Pay for Law School.  A lawyer has been convicted of using a credit card scam to pay his way through law school.  Christian Ehlers, 29, a 2001 graduate of Loyola Law School, was found guilty Tuesday of conspiracy, fraud and other federal offenses in a scam authorities said cost credit card companies $1.2 million. 

· Plants sow seeds of hate.  Gardeners hired by Melbourne City Council intended to arrange the purple and white potted plants into neat geometric shapes.  But they left six 3m garden beds along Swanston St displaying large Nazi symbols. 

· Ex-offenders make a beeline to a honey of a business.  Mayor Daley awarded a $259,367 grant to the North Lawndale Employment Network to help finance three beekeeper programs designed to help ex-offenders readjust to life on the outside. 

· Ohio Company Introduces Sauerkraut Martini.  An Ohio maker of Frank's Kraut has come up with a martini featuring a sauerkraut-filled olive. They call it the "K-Tini." 

· Marion Jones Sues BALCO Founder, Denies Steroid Use.  Olympic track star Marion Jones filed a defamation lawsuit Wednesday against BALCO head Victor Conte, who told a national TV audience that he gave her steroids and watched her inject herself with them. 

· Star Jones In Roof Garden Flap.  Star Jones stiffed a New York City company that helped "beautify" her penthouse garden for an Architectural Digest photo shoot last year, according to a lawsuit filed against the freebie-loving star of ABC's "The View."  Although she offered the company an autographed photo of herself in exchange for payment, the company prefers the $7,189.20 they are owed. 

· School Bus Camera Catches Mom Beating Student.  A Lake County mom convicted of simple assault after a school bus camera caught her beating a student who had gotten into a fight with her daughter didn't show up for her sentencing Tuesday. 

· $2,500 reward offered for missing radioactive rod.  A piece of construction equipment that contains a radioactive steel rod is missing in Colorado.  Health experts said it can be dangerous and there is a $2,500 reward for finding it. 

· Publishing titan calls Kerik 'Insane & Maniacal.'  When publishing titan Judith Regan took up with former top cop Bernard Kerik, she thought she'd met her match. And vice versa.  But the illicit relationship came tumbling down, according to the New York Post, not when she discovered her married lover had another mistress. It ended horribly after Regan learned Kerik's wife was pregnant. 

· 'Dimebag' memorial draws thousands.  Thousands waited in line in near-freezing temperatures Tuesday night to pay tribute at a memorial service for slain rock star "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. 

· Dems to Hollywood: The End.  As dispirited Democrats mull various routes back to relevance, here's a quick and easy first step: Say goodbye to Hollywood.  The attitudes and behavior of the film-industry elite are out of sync with much of the country, and linking the party with the West Coast glitterati makes national Democrats suspect with too many voters. 

· Geragos Stunned by Peterson Loss.  Last winter, Mark Geragos was the king of defense lawyers, a legal superstar who was managing to represent both Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson.  What a difference a year makes. 

· Kournikova reportedly marries Iglesias.  Russian tennis star Anna Kournikova, whose good looks have long eclipsed her court skills, has secretly married her singer boyfriend Enrique Iglesias, Us Weekly magazine reported Tuesday.  The magazine said Kournikova, 23, was spotted wearing a wedding band on her ring finger at a charity tennis event in Florida Sunday. 

· Hospital targets the Big Mac.  The Pizza Hut is shuttered, its neon sign collecting dust on the floor. But knocking down the Golden Arches has proved far more difficult for Toby Cosgrove, the new head of the Cleveland Clinic. 

· Hawk stalkers.  A hawk-hugging protester has been busted for terrifying the two young sons of CNN anchor Paula Zahn and stalking the celebrity mom and her hubby, authorities said yesterday. 

· Schwarzenegger To Cameo In Tom Arnold Film.  When California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says "I'll be back," you know he means it.  Schwarzenegger will return to the big screen next year to make a cameo in a comedy written and produced by friend Tom Arnold. 

· New Kerik puzzler.  How does someone who's flat broke afford a sumptuous renovation of two Riverdale apartments? Ask Bernard Kerik.  In 1999, Kerik had workers convert two first-floor apartments into one large home at the W. 239th St. building - even though he apparently was having trouble making ends meet in a single apartment upstairs. 

· Blockbuster to end late fees in 2005.  Blockbuster announced Tuesday it will continue to set due dates, with one week for games and two days or one week for movies. But the company will give customers a one-week grace period at no additional charge, starting on New Year's Day. 

· "Crack Ho" and "Hoochie" Added To Oxford Dictionary.  Hip hop-based words have entered the vernacular of many English speakers and now they have found their way into a prestigious dictionary. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Precarious [pre·car·i·ous] adj.  1. Dangerously lacking in security or stability: "The precarious life of an undercover cop."  2. Subject to chance or unknown conditions: "His kingdom was still precarious."  3. Based on uncertain, unwarranted, or unproved premises: "A precarious solution to a difficult problem." 

· Media not as fired up about 'Apprentice.'  At this point during the first season of "The Apprentice," Syracuse professor and media observer Robert Thompson had done 50 interviews about the success of the NBC reality show. 

· Spears and Hilton Named Most Annoying Of 2004.  Britney Spears and Paris Hilton have done it again: They've tied for the top slot of The Most Annoying People of 2004 by "Star" magazine. 

· Wife regrets man's huge lottery win.  The wife of the lottery winner who took home the richest undivided jackpot in U.S. history says she regrets his purchase of the $314.9 million ticket that has thrust her family into the public spotlight. 

· Lieberman rejects White House overtures.  Democratic Sen. Joe Lieberman has twice in recent days said "no" when approached about the possibility of a major job in the second Bush administration. 

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

· Police Apologize for Scissors Arrest.  The police chief and the head of the city's schools apologized yesterday to the mother of a 10-year-old girl who was arrested and handcuffed after she brought a pair of scissors to school in her backpack. 

· Peterson execution years away — if it happens.  For Scott Peterson, ultimately there may be little difference between a death sentence and life in prison. In California, the chances are greater that a condemned inmate will die in prison than be executed by lethal injection. 

· Taxi Driver Shoots Man in Bin Laden Mask.  Osama bin Laden take note: You wouldn't be safe in Costa Rica. A startled taxi driver shot and wounded a jokester wearing a plastic mask of the al-Qaida leader, police said Tuesday. 

· Concorde crash blamed on U.S. jet.  A metal strip that fell off a Continental Airlines jet and a design fault in Concorde led to the supersonic jet's crash outside Paris in 2000, which killed 113 people, an official report on Tuesday. 

· Hollywood to Sue Server Operators.  The U.S. film industry is preparing to sue computer server operators in the United States and Europe who help relay digitized movie files across online file-sharing networks, a source familiar with the movie studios' plans said Tuesday. 

· Jurors point to Peterson's lack of emotion.  Jurors who decided that Scott Peterson deserves to die say his lack of emotion played a large role in their decision. 

      » Jurors Speak Out.  All 12 jurors made an appearance at a press conference Monday afternoon. Three stayed on to speak to reporters. "For me, a big part of it was at the end — the verdict — no emotion. No anything. That spoke a thousand words — loud and clear," Richelle Nice said, responding to a reporter's question about whether they wanted to hear a statement from Peterson. "I heard enough from him." 

· Scandal might cancel Bernie Kerik biopic.  Miramax bought the rights to Kerik’s best-selling “The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice” last year; “Aviator” executive producer Rick Schwartz was hired to produce it.  “There are now a lot of question marks." 

      » Bernie cops to trysts.  Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik all but admitted having affairs with two women, as the fallout from his failed bid to become homeland security czar continued to explode yesterday.  The women - publishing tycoon Judith Regan and Correction Officer Jeanette Pinero - were simultaneously involved in extramarital affairs with Kerik, sources told the Daily News. 

· Texas Trooper Suspended For Comment To Gay Couple.  Gays can kiss in Texas -- but that was news to a state trooper.  Department of Public Safety Trooper Michael Carlson got into trouble for telling two gay men who were kissing at the state Capitol that homosexual conduct is illegal in Texas. 

· God Used To Sell Food On Controversial Billboard.  A controversial new billboard where God is apparently used to sell burritos and tacos for a local restaurant is raising eyebrows in Orlando's religious community. 

· Christmas deadliest day for Americans.  Christmas is the deadliest day of the year for Americans with 12.4 percent more deaths than normal, researchers said on Monday.  More Americans die from heart attacks and other natural causes on Christmas, the day after and on New Year's Day than on any other days of the year, the researchers reported. 

· Sharon Stone sues in 'face-lift slur.'  Sharon Stone today sued a plastic surgeon whom she accused of falsely telling reporters he had performed a facelift on her.  Stone, 46, filed suit against Beverly Hills surgeon Doctor Renato Calabria for allegedly telling US Weekly and In Touch Weekly magazines he performed a facelift on her. 

· Jackson Lawyers Move to Dismiss Charges.  Michael Jackson's lawyers have filed a motion to dismiss the child molestation charges against the pop star on grounds of "vindictive prosecution and outrageous government conduct." 

· Was the prophet Muhammad a paedophile?  Columnist Charles Moore was criticised by Muslim organizations yesterday for an article which began by asking if the prophet Muhammad was a paedophile.  He went on to argue that people were entitled to pose the question, because of the story that Muhammad married one of his wives, Aisha, when she was nine. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Mercurial [mer·cu·ri·al] adj.  1. Quick and changeable in temperament; volatile: "A mercurial temperament." 

· Man paid $20,000 in support for nonexistent child.  Steve Barreras’ attorney said he had never seen anything like it.  After Barreras was hauled into court, peppered with threats and demands for money for a child he adamantly denied fathering five years ago and even paid out $20,000 to support, his ex-wife was under a judge’s order to produce the child.  So last week, Viola Trevino picked up a 2-year-old girl and her grandmother off the street, promised them a trip to see Santa Claus and $50 and took the girl to court, alleging it was her daughter. 

· Judge Hears Geico, Google Trademark Case.  Attorneys for auto insurance giant Geico told U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema that Google should not be allowed to sell ads to rival insurance companies that are triggered whenever Geico's name is typed into the Google search box. 

· Google to scan books from major libraries.  Google Inc. is trying to establish an online reading room for five major libraries by scanning stacks of hard-to-find books into its widely used Internet search engine. 

· Gotti crew sicced cops on G-men.  Only in Gotti-land: The mob called the cops on the FBI.  That was the testimony of an FBI agent who took the stand yesterday in Peter Gotti's truth-is-stranger-than-fiction federal racketeering trial. 

· Dances With Bull: Woman Claims Kevin Costner Stole Her Baby.  Romana Medina claims she befriended Costner more than 20 years ago; around the time she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl.  She claims Kevin and Cindy Costner adopted the girl, Annie, and claims that in April, 1984, the couple "had the birth certificate of her child changed into the names of Kevin and Cindy Costner." 

Monday, December 13, 2004

· Philbin Stepping In For Clark To Host New Year's Eve Show.  Regis Philbin said that he's landed "the greatest temp job in the world."  The "Live with Regis and Kelly" co-host announced Monday that he's taking Dick Clark's place hosting the legendary music impresario television special "New Year's Rockin' Eve 2005" from Times Square in New York. 

· Man Evicted From Hut On Chicago Drawbridge.  Anyone who thinks it is impossible to find an affordable place on one of the city's priciest streets - Lake Shore Drive - should talk to Richard Dorsay.  For three years that's where the homeless man lived. Actually, he lived under Lake Shore Drive, inside the beams and girders of the drawbridge that crosses the Chicago River. 

· Jury recommends death for Peterson.  A jury recommended Monday that Scott Peterson, the former fertilizer salesman whose case grabbed national headlines, be sentenced to death for killing his wife. 

      » Scott Peterson News.  Latest news coverage on the Scott Peterson trial of murdered wife Laci Peterson and son Connor. 

· Jurors Convict Pelosi In Killing Of Long Island Millionaire.  Capping an eight-week trial that made headlines with tales of adultery and family betrayal, a Long Island man was convicted Monday in the savage beating death of his lover's estranged husband as he slept in his $10 million East Hampton mansion. 

· Jury Agrees on Sentence for Scott Peterson.  The jurors deciding whether Scott Peterson should be executed or spend life in prison for killing his pregnant wife reached a verdict in the trial's sentencing phase Monday, a court official said. 

· 'Beverly Hillbillies' singer dies at 93.  Jerry Scoggins, who sang The Ballad of Jed Clampett, which introduced the comical clan on The Beverly Hillbillies, has died. 

· Gifts for the Rich, Fantasies for the Rest.  Would your sweetie like a $10 million bra this year, or a private island or a personal bowling alley? 

· USS Arizona Memorial Sinking.  The USS Arizona Memorial's visitors center was designed to accommodate 750,000 people a year when it was built in 1980, but today it's jammed with crowds more than twice that big - and it's literally bursting at the seams.  Portions of the shoreside building and plaza commemorating the Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor have settled as much as 30 inches, and the concrete structure is cracking. 

· Gary Webb, reporter who exposed CIA, dies.  Gary Webb, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter who wrote a controversial series of stories linking the CIA to crack cocaine trafficking in Los Angeles, has died at age 49.  Webb was found Friday morning at his home in Sacramento County, dead of an apparent suicide. Moving-company workers called authorities after discovering a note posted on his front door that read, "Please do not enter. Call 911 and ask for an ambulance." 

· Kerik cheated on wife with Judith Regan and correction officer.  Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik conducted two extramarital affairs simultaneously, using a secret Battery Park City apartment for the passionate liaisons.  The first relationship, spanning nearly a decade, was with city Correction Officer Jeanette Pinero; the second, and more startling, was with famed publishing titan Judith Regan. 

      » Rudy tells W he's sorry for brouhaha.  Rudy Giuliani went to the White House last night and ate crow for dinner.  The former mayor, invited to a Christmas-season celebration, apologized again to President Bush for the messy fallout from Bernard Kerik's nomination for homeland security secretary. 

· Kobe Bryant Says Malone Hit on His Wife.  Another Kobe conflict for the Lakers. Bryant has accused Karl Malone of making a pass at his wife at a game last month. 

· Foxx collects three Globe nominations.  Jamie Foxx scored three Golden Globe nominations Monday, among them lead actor in a musical or comedy as Ray Charles in the film biography “Ray,” as Hollywood entered its award season. 

      » 'Sideways' leads Golden Globes with seven.  The road-trip flick "Sideways" led Golden Globe contenders Monday with seven nominations, including best musical or comedy film, three acting nominations and best director. 

· Police close curtain on nude performance.  Atlanta police shut down a bar that was showing a successful musical revue featuring nudity because the business didn't have an adult entertainment license. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Intrepid [in·trep·id] adj.  1. Resolutely courageous; fearless. Persistent in the pursuit of something.  "A team of intrepid explorers." 

· Highway worker wins ‘Survivor.'  CBS’s “Survivor: Vanuatu — Islands of Fire” came down to two highway workers, but only Chris Daugherty was able to drive home with the $1 million prize and a new car. 

· Celebrity Nativity Scene Damaged in Attack.  A waxwork nativity scene that features soccer star David Beckham and his pop star wife, Victoria, as the parents of Jesus has been damaged in an attack, Madame Tussauds museum said Monday. 

· AOL Creates Its Own Browsing Software.  As part of its reincarnation, America Online Inc. is creating its own software for browsing the Web and playing movies and songs. It's a question of staying relevant in an increasingly broadband world. 

Sunday, December 12, 2004

· 'Twelve' steals top spot at box office.  Ocean's Twelve," the heist caper that George Clooney, Brad Pitt and their A-list pals shot in their spare time while living it up in Europe, stole the No. 1 slot at the North American weekend box office.  According to studio estimates issued Sunday, the Warner Bros. film sold $40.9 million worth of tickets in the three days since opening December 10. 

· Funeral Held for Nightclub Shooting Victim.  Mourners attended a funeral Saturday for one of the four victims of a nightclub shooting, a fan of "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott who a witness said had tried to save the heavy-metal guitarist. 

· Accused bank robber's name on back of holdup note.  'Put all the money in the bag,' the man wrote. Police say his name was found on the other side of the stick-up note. 

· Strippers' Gifts Denied by Housing Project.  A public housing complex in North Carolina wasn’t feeling the holiday spirit last week when the manager turned away what many boys and girls wish for this time of year – Christmas presents.  That’s because in this case, “Santa” takes her clothes off for cash. 

· Fingerprints of Jackson, boy on magazines.  Fingerprints of Michael Jackson and those of his accuser have been found on "pornographic magazines" seized during a raid on the pop singer's Neverland ranch, a source familiar with the case told CNN. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Precipitous [pre·cip·i·tous] adj.  Done rashly: acting too quickly and without sufficient thought.  "Excessive spending caused the precipitous demise of the company." 

· Pizza courier 'targeted' Amsterdam sex zone.  Justice authorities arrested a Moroccan man last month after receiving a tip-off that Islamic extremists were allegedly planning an attack on the Red Light District in Amsterdam. 

· DiCaprio shoots for greatness.  Somewhere between "Titanic" and now, Leonardo DiCaprio grew up. And in Martin Scorsese's "The Aviator," the 30-year-old star demonstrates it onscreen.  

· 'A little overweight,' Bush admits.  President Bush was found in good health and pronounced "fit for duty" after an annual physical Saturday that also showed that the 58-year-old chief executive is now, as he rather sheepishly conceded, "a little overweight." 

Saturday, December 11, 2004

· First Gay Marriage, Now Gay Divorce.  Less than seven months after same-sex couples began tying the knot in Massachusetts, the state is seeing its first gay divorces. 

· NTSB disputes Ebersol jet crash report.  Federal authorities on Friday disputed a newspaper report that included details from the cockpit voice recorder on the private jet that crashed at a Colorado airport, killing the 14-year-old son of NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol and two other people. 

· Gas Mistakenly Put Into Kerosene Pump, Sold To Customers.  Authorities issued a warning Friday night after gasoline was accidentally put into a kerosene pump at a Deland, Fla., gas station and mistakenly sold to customers. 

· Peterson Jurors Break for Weekend.  Jurors mulling whether Peterson deserves the death penalty or life in prison failed to come to a decision Friday. They will resume deliberations Monday. 

· Fla. Weatherman Pleads Guilty in Sex Lure.  A former television weatherman pleaded guilty Friday to going online to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he thought was a 14-year-old boy. 

· Homeland security nominee withdraws.  One week after President Bush's nominated him to be secretary of homeland security, former New York Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik withdrew from consideration Friday night after discovering a former household employee had a questionable immigration status. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Loquacious [lo·qua·cious] adj.  1. Talkative: tending to talk a great deal.  2. Given to fluent or excessive talk : Garrulous. 

· Osbourne devastated after friend shot dead.  Rocker Ozzy Osbourne was left devastated last night after one of best friends was shot dead on stage.  Damageplan guitarist, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbot was killed instantly when crazed gunman Nathan Gale ran onstage and began firing at the band and the fans in the crowd. 

· Mormons who banked on doomsday find the debt collector at the door.  If the 9,000 members of a polygamous Mormon sect in south-west Utah felt comfortable borrowing from their local bank like there was no tomorrow, it was because, in their minds, that was precisely the case. The world, they had been told, was coming to an end. 

· Heavy Metal Gunman 'Off His Rocker'.  The man who shot former Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and three other men to death at a nightclub was obsessed with the popular heavy metal band and made bizarre accusations against it, a onetime friend said in reports published Friday. 

· Ohio Club Shooter Obsessed With Band.  The man who gunned down former Pantera guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott during a concert was an obsessed fan of Abbott's former band and alarmed people with his bizarre behavior, a one-time friend said Friday. 

· Police Investigate Kidnapping of 5-Year-Old.  The FBI has now joined Ohio police in the investigation of the disappearance of 5-year-old Emily Rimel, who vanished from her bed Tuesday morning. 

Friday, December 10, 2004

· Condit ready to reveal sexual history in slander case.  Gary Condit is ready to answer questions about his sexual history so he can pursue his slander case against a magazine writer who suggested the former congressman is hiding information about the death of intern Chandra Levy, his lawyer said. 

· Jurors now to decide life or death.  The witnesses have gone home. The lawyers have argued. Now the rest of Scott Peterson's life lies in the hands of just six men and six women.  The same jurors who judged him a murderer on Nov. 12 began Thursday making one of the most difficult decisions of their lives: whether to sentence the 32-year-old to death for killing his wife, Laci, and unborn child or punish him with life in prison. 

· Concertgoers recall seconds before shootings.  At first, Damageplan's heavy-metal fans thought it was part of the show.  A man in a hooded sweatshirt climbed onto the stage Wednesday night at the Alrosa Villa nightclub and opened fire on guitarist Darrell Lance Abbott, better known as ''Dimebag Darrell," one of the fastest metal guitarists around, famous for his aggressive licks and his hard-partying life.  Abbott's blood was real, though, and the gunman wasn't through. He fired into the crowd, killing three more people, and had someone else in a choke hold before a cop shot him dead. 

      » 'Dimebag' and his music.  The deaths shook the heavy-metal music industry, and fans flooded Web sites to share their shock. Here are some facts about "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. 

      » A hometown celebrity.  Fans in Texas remembered "Dime" as a down-home celebrity, who ate at chain restaurants, remembered neighbors' names and waved "hello" at Target. 

· Mel Gibson buys personal Pacific island.  Australian actor Mel Gibson, flush from the huge success of his religious film The Passion of Christ, has splashed out $15 million on a private Pacific island, a report said.  Gibson flew to Fiji earlier this month where he bought the 2,160 hectare island of Mago from a Japanese hotel chain, People magazine reported.  

· Plane lands on truck, crashes onto highway.  A small plane that had lost power briefly landed atop an 18-wheeler before crashing onto the highway, authorities said. The two people aboard the plane came out unscathed, and the truck driver never heard a thing. 

· Jennifer and Kelly 'Apprentice' Finalists.  Donald Trump is only one more "you're fired" away from hiring his second apprentice. Lawyer Jennifer Massey, 30, and software executive Kelly Perdew, 37, are the last candidates standing in NBC's "The Apprentice." 

· Editor Backs Embed in Rumsfeld Incident, but Criticizes Aftermath.  The editor/publisher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press offered support late Thursday for his embedded reporter who has been criticized for prompting a national guardsman to ask Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld a controversial question during a visit to Kuwait, but added "He is there to write stories, not make news himself." 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Pontificate [pon·tif·i·cate] n.  To express opinions or judgments in an authoritative, arrogant way based on unproven principles. 

· Review: 'Ocean's Twelve' high-spirited fun.  The miracle of "Ocean's Twelve" isn't just that it's a sequel every bit as good as the 2001 production. It's that producer Jerry Weintraub was able to get some of the biggest stars in the industry - and Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh - to clear their schedules for a 77-day shoot in Europe. 

· The Rev. Houdini.  New York's premier political escape artist, the Rev. Al Sharpton, is about to give his pursuers the slip once again.  In the cover story of this week's Village Voice, reporter Wayne Barrett alleges that Sharpton had an affair with a top aide, Marjorie Harris, who runs the National Action Network, Sharpton's nonprofit advocacy organization.  Despite financial troubles at NAN, Harris, according to the Voice, lives in a swanky Trump Place apartment and sports top-drawer toys like a Mercedes, a mink coat and a $7,000 Rolex. 

· Space station crew forced to cut calories.  Food is running so low aboard the international space station that flight controllers have instructed the two crewmen to cut back on calories, at least until a Russian supply ship arrives in a little over two weeks. 

· New York Waits, Upstate Is Fed Security Pork.  Less than 60 percent of federal homeland-security funding sent to New York State this year has ended up in New York City, the scene of the most damaging attack in American history. That left nearly $50 million to spread around the rest of the state. The state government also shaved the maximum allowable share, 20 percent, off grants targeted specifically at urban areas. 

· Government Says Terrorists May Use Lasers.  Terrorists may seek to down aircraft by shining powerful lasers into cockpits to blind pilots during landing approaches, federal officials are warning in a bulletin distributed nationwide. 

Thursday, December 9, 2004

· Marine Once Thought Kidnapped Charged With Desertion.  A Marine who was reported abducted in Iraq and later turned up in his native Jordan was charged Thursday with desertion. 

· Sandwich Pitchman Speaks On Being a 'Real' Character.  Jared Fogle has become one of the ad world's best-known commercial figures in recent years. Unlike Betty Crocker or Toucan Sam, however, Mr. Fogle, 27 years old, is a real person, hailing from Indianapolis. His weight-loss story has fast become the stuff of legend: He weighed 435 pounds, but shed the unwanted heft with exercise and a diet of low-fat Subway sandwiches. 

· Famous Atheist Now Believes in God.  A British philosophy professor who has been a leading champion of atheism for more than a half-century has changed his mind. He now believes in God — more or less — based on scientific evidence, and says so on a video released Thursday. 

· Butane lighters to be banned from airline flights.  As part of the intelligence reform bill passed Wednesday, Congress added the lighters to the long list of items, including scissors and pen knives, that passengers are barred from carrying on to planes. 

· Prosecutor: Peterson a 'monster.'  Calling him "the worst kind of monster," a prosecutor Thursday urged jurors to recommend that Scott Peterson die for killing his pregnant wife, Laci, and unborn son, Conner, nearly two years ago. 

· Jewel-Inlaid Cabinet Fetches $36 Million.  An 18th-century jewel-inlaid cabinet broke its own record as the most expensive piece of furniture sold at an auction, fetching more than $36 million at sale Thursday. 

· Kerik made millions from agency contractor.  Bernard Kerik, President Bush's choice to run the Homeland Security Department, made $6.2 million by exercising stock options he received from a company that sold stun guns to the department — and seeks more business with it. 

· Nightclub Massacre.  A man walked onstage in a crowded nightclub during a rock concert Wednesday night and opened fire, killing at least four people and wounding at least two others before he was shot to death by police, authorities said. 

· Survey: Nurses tops in honesty, car salesmen last.  Nurses get top marks when it comes to honesty and ethics, and car salesmen are the least trusted people, according to Gallup's annual U.S. survey of professions. 

· Update:  TV Icon Dick Clark's Stroke Considered Mild.  "American Bandstand" icon Dick Clark was hospitalized this week after suffering a mild stroke. Clark, who turned 75 on Nov. 30, suffered the stroke this week, publicist Paul Shefrin said Wednesday, declining to give any details. He would only say Clark had been hospitalized in the Los Angeles area. 

· Mike Tyson Arrested After Nightclub Incident.  Former heavyweight boxing champ Mike Tyson, 38, was arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor criminal damage for allegedly jumping on the hood of a car outside of city nightclub, police said Wednesday. 

· Authorities Charge 12 in NBA Brawl.  Five Indiana Pacers players and seven Detroit Pistons fans were charged Wednesday in one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history — the melee last month that broke out on the basketball court and spread to the stands. 

· Sean Hannity inks $25M radio contract.  ABC Radio has locked in its crown jewel. Looking to protect its turf against fast-rising challenger Fox News, radio syndication giant ABC has quietly signed conservative talk show host Sean Hannity to a new contract. 

· Senators condemn mystery spy project.  Congress’ new blueprint for U.S. intelligence spending includes a mysterious and expensive spy program that drew extraordinary criticism from leading Democrats, with one saying the highly classified project is a threat to national security. 

· Shanghai rejects Playboy club.  Authorities in Shanghai said today they had rejected an application to open a Playboy club in China's largest city.  The rejection came only a day after the Chinese joint venture company of the US group had announced plans to open the venue. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Eclectic [e·clec·tic] adj.  1. Composed of elements drawn from various sources 2. Not following any one system, but selecting and using what are considered the best elements of all systems. "An eclectic taste in music; an eclectic approach to managing the business. 

· Denver Cop Who Shot Invalid Not Charged.  Prosecutors declined Wednesday to file charges against a police officer who fatally shot a bedridden man after mistaking his soda can for a weapon, citing a grand jury's decision not to indict the officer. 

· Nat'l Enquirer: Boy's prints on Jacko's porn stash.  Cops found Michael Jackson's fingerprint and a fingerprint from the boy accusing him of sex abuse on the "same page" of a porno mag seized from the pop star's home last year, according to a published report. 

· Homeless hawks.  A Fifth Ave. co-op's decision to demolish the nest of two hawks has ruffled the feathers of bird watchers and left the majestic creatures searching for a new home. 

· U.S. GIs Hit Rumsfeld With Hard Questions.  In a rare public airing of grievances, disgruntled soldiers complained to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld on Wednesday about long deployments and a lack of armored vehicles and other equipment.  "You go to war with the Army you have," Rumsfeld replied, "not the Army you might want or wish to have." 

· FCC Fines First Firm for Recorded Phone Ad.  Federal regulators announced Wednesday the first fine against a company for using a recorded message to solicit business. 

· Ex-worker sentenced for spitting on burger.  A former fast food restaurant worker has earned a 1 1/2-year jail sentence for spitting into a police officer's hamburger. 

· Her girls made how much? Doing what?  'Oh, the pain!' Wails mom, 75, in E. Side madam case.  The sexy sister of an accused millionaire madam pranced out of Manhattan court yesterday as their Bible-thumping mom said she cannot believe her daughters got rich on sins of the flesh. 

· Truck Driver Wins $1 Million at Route 66 Casino.  En route to Arkansas, truck driver Jimmie Dale Palmer and his wife, Laurie, on Tuesday stopped at Albuquerque's Route 66 Casino and made history when he won $1 million. Palmer, 42, is the first million-dollar jackpot winner at Route 66 Casino; he played a penny slot machine. 

· Young men warned of laptop risk.  Teenagers and young men should keep their laptops off their laps because they could damage fertility, an expert said on Thursday. 

· Fed Up With Kids, Parents Go on Strike.  Even though the dishes, garbage and dirty laundry were piling up, homeowners Cat and Harlan Barnard were getting no help from their two children.  After begging and pleading with their 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter to help out around the house, the Barnards decided they were fed up. So they went on strike — and moved out to the front yard. 

Wednesday, December 8, 2004

· Dick Clark hospitalized for stroke.  Longtime "American Bandstand" host and pop music producer Dick Clark has been hospitalized in the Los Angeles area after suffering a stroke, a spokeswoman said on Wednesday. 

· Bush Gives $20 Million Directly to Palestinians.  But the White House imposed restrictions on the $20 million in direct aid approved by Bush: the authority will use it to pay Palestinian utility bills owed to Israeli companies. 

· Florida Police Investigate Death Of Wallet Snatcher.  Daytona Beach police are investigating the death of an alleged wallet snatcher who died after bystanders jumped him.  The victim was thrown to the ground after trying to get the wallet back. A female store clerk then hit McCray over the head with a metal bottle. 

· Peterson's mother: 'My Life Is Hard.'  A frail-looking Jackie Peterson tearfully pleaded with jurors Wednesday to spare her son's life, saying that "if you were to take Scott away from us ... we would lose a whole family." 

· Million-Dollar Madam of Manhattan.  A buxom champagne blond who lives like a queen in Trump Palace has been busted for allegedly sending high-priced hookers to service rich lonely hearts. 

· Martha Stewart Gets Homemaking Show for Fall 2005.  Martha Stewart will host an hour-long, daily syndicated show with a live audience when she gets out of prison, her multimedia and home fashions company said Wednesday. 

· NASA's longest-serving astronaut to retire.  The longest serving astronaut in history, who flew twice to the moon and commanded the first space shuttle mission, has announced his retirement after 42 years at NASA.  John W. Young, 74, was the first human to fly in space six times and the only astronaut to pilot four different spacecraft. He flew in the Gemini, Apollo and space shuttle programs. 

· Free ring circus.  Donald Trump knows the "Art of the Deal" - and he is proving it by getting a $1.5 million wedding ring for free. He will present it to Melania Knauss at their upcoming nuptials. 

· Air Force Academy Blamed for Sex Scandal.  The Pentagon's inspector general says a series of commanders at the Air Force Academy failed to recognize and deal with reports of sexual assaults against female cadets on campus, officials said Tuesday. 

· A case of bad timing.  Royal Jewelers owner Greg Olson knows watches well.  He knows his own $28,000 Rolex even better.  So when a 21-year-old sought appraisal of a custom piece strikingly similar to the one Olson reported stolen three months ago, he called police. 

· Landlord convicted of hiring hit men to beat tenants.  landlord was found guilty of hiring hit men to force two brothers out of a rent-controlled apartment last year.  He allegedly wanted to oust the victims from their three-bedroom, $400-a-month apartment in the Elmhurst section of New York's Queens borough so he could raise the rent to $1,500. 

· Jolie: I'd marry a woman.  Angelina Jolie has rejected the hypothetical opportunity of taking Kate Beckinsale or Carmen Electra as a lesbian lover.  But the Alexander star would not rule out a fling with a woman in the future - or even marrying one. 

· Morgan Freeman Banned From Flying.  Movie star Morgan Freeman's flying dreams have been dealt a severe blow - he has been grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for breaking altitude rules.  The 'Driving Miss Daisy' star was reprimanded when he failed to observe landing regulations at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. 

· She loves him like a (13G) rock.  This martini had more than just an olive in it.  A Westchester County man last night plunked down $13,000 for a marriage martini with a diamond ring at the bottom - and got the right answer from the love of his life. 

· PETA lets fur fly.  Cindy Crawford is really in the doghouse with animal rights activists. The former spokesmodel for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has been named high atop the group’s list of the Worst Dressed of 2004. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Capricious [ca·pri·cious] adj.  Characterized by or subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. "He's such a capricious boss I never know how he'll react." 

· China Computer Maker Acquires IBM PC Biz.  China's biggest computer maker, Lenovo Group, said Wednesday it has acquired a majority stake in International Business Machines Corp.'s personal computer business for $1.75 billion in cash and stock, in one of the biggest Chinese overseas acquisitions ever. 

· Disgruntled Driver Let People Raid Beer Trailer.  Police say they're looking for a former deliveryman accused of allowing people to raid a semitrailer containing nearly $30,000 worth of Miller Lite beer. 

· Handling of Violinist's Estate Questioned.  After the violinist Isaac Stern died, pieces of his legacy, including autographed photographs, a music collection and violins and bows, were auctioned off. 

· Who poisoned Yushchenko?  MEDICAL experts have confirmed that Viktor Yushchenko, Ukraine’s opposition leader, was poisoned in an attempt on his life during election campaigning, the doctor who supervised his treatment at an Austrian clinic said yesterday. 

· Bob Barker's $1M gift to boost study of animal rights law at Duke.  Duke Law School has a new $1 million endowment fund, but it didn't have to guess the price of a dinette set to win the money. 

· Ga. School Suspends 8-Year-Old Girl.  An 8-year-old girl was suspended for nine days for bringing to school what appeared to be about 30 "Jell-O shots" - though it was unclear whether they contained alcohol. 

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

· Woman Found With 35,000 Cut Diamonds On Her Body.  Diamonds may be a girl's best friend - but not when Russian officials find you carrying more than 35 thousand of them.  One Russian women is trying to explain herself after customs officers at a Moscow airport spotted the gems as she was returning from the United Arab Emirates. 

· Millionaire Kerik A Former Deadbeat.  While a recent stock windfall has left Bernard Kerik sitting on $6 million, President Bush's nominee to head the Homeland Security department hasn't always been so flush. In fact, Kerik was once a deadbeat who declared bankruptcy when he couldn't handle his credit card bills, loan repayments, or Sears and J.C. Penney tabs. 

· Ferguson Tapped As 'Late Late Show' Host.  Scottish actor Craig Ferguson, who played the boss for many years on "The Drew Carey Show," will be the new host of CBS'"Late Late Show."  A formal announcement was expected Tuesday, according to two executives close to CBS who spoke on condition of anonymity. 

· Jimmy Carter's grandson facing burglary, drug charges.  A teenage grandson of former President Jimmy Carter has been charged with burglary and possession of marijuana after police said he broke into a house of a former friend and took a video game console. 

· IOC Opens Doping Probe Against Jones.  The IOC opened an investigation Tuesday into doping allegations against Marion Jones, who could eventually be stripped of her five medals from the 2000 Olympics. 

· Bill Clinton Helps Launch Search Engine.  Former president Bill Clinton on Monday helped launch a new Internet search company backed by the Chinese government which says its technology uses artificial intelligence to produce better results than Google. 

· Woman gets threatening letter after hanging up on tele-marketer.  A Detroit-area woman received a threatening letter in the mail after hanging up on a telemarketer calling from Texas. 

· City buys 50 new cop cars but can't afford cops to drive them.  Twenty never-been-driven police cruisers sit in the parking lot of Taylorsville, Utah City Hall.  Thirty more - all 50 are paid for - will be on the way soon.  Now the City Council is unsure if they can afford the officers to drive them. 

· Peter, Paul and Mary singer has leukemia.  Mary Travers, 67, of Peter, Paul and Mary is undergoing chemotherapy for a form of leukemia, but a full remission is expected within a few months, her publicist, Ken Sunshine, said Tuesday. 

· Tipster turns down $40,000 reward for murder arrest.  An anonymous tipster who was eligible to receive a $40,000 reward for providing information that led to an arrest in a murder case has turned the money down, asking that it go instead to a charity established in the victim's name. 

· Pitcher's arrest on sex charge brings a $19 million firing.  Colorado Rockies officials paid a Major League Baseball record 19 million dollars here to fire pitcher Denny Neagle after his arrest last week on charges of soliciting a prostitute. 

· WTC Destruction 2 Events for Insurance Purposes.  A federal jury ruled Monday that the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center was two occurrences for insurance purposes, meaning leaseholder Larry Silverstein stands to collect up to $4.6 billion. 

· Put Kobe's sex life off limits.  NBA star Kobe Bryant's lawyers, who pried into the sexual past of the woman who accused him of raping her, now are asking a judge to stop her lawyers from doing the same to him.  "Plaintiff's counsel has indicated that he intends to depose Mr. Bryant on sexual matters having no possible relevance to the claims and defenses in this action," Bryant's attorneys wrote in court filings. 

      » Kobe Bryant News.  Latest news coverage on the Kobe Bryant alleged sexual assault case. 

· Ghost cane nets $65,000 on eBay.  An online casino offered $65,000 Monday for a metal walking cane that an Indiana woman put up for sale in hopes her son would believe his grandfather’s ghost would leave their house with it.  Buyer is same casino that nabbed 'Virgin Mary' grilled-cheese sandwich. 

· Updated:  World's largest digital photo a staggering 2.5 GigaPixels!  A Netherlands company has produced the largest digital panoramic photo in the world.  It has 500 times the resolution produced by the large 5 megapixel cameras currently on the market.  [Take the 'Tabloid Challenge' and find the girls in the photo]. 

· Last 'Apprentice' challenge: 3-hour finale.  Fans watching the conclusion of "The Apprentice 2" will have to wait nearly three hours to hear Donald Trump utter "You're hired."  NBC confirmed yesterday that the finale of "The Apprentice 2" will air over the course of three hours on Dec. 16. 

· Ritz phone gang can keep $2.5 roulette winnings.  Casinos across Britain were reviewing their security last night after three gamblers who used a mobile phone to win more than a $2 million at the Ritz were allowed to keep their takings.  A device in the phone allegedly enabled them to predict the outcome of every spin of a roulette wheel. But Scotland Yard has decided that there is no ground to prosecute the gamblers and refunded them the “significant” quantity of cash which officers seized after their arrest. 

· End of an era: Hamm's finale Wednesday.  United States women's soccer star Mia Hamm will play her career finale on Wednesday along with teammates Julie Foudy and Joy Fawcett. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Visceral [vis·cer·al] adj.  1. Instinctual: proceeding from instinct rather than from reasoned thinking or intellect.  "A visceral business decision."  2. Emotional: characterized by or showing crude or elemental emotions. 

· Mondo bizzarro ... five hours' gossip a day.  The Italians talk so much and so animatedly that visitors often wonder what on earth they can be discussing. Now a research firm has come up with the answer: each other.  Urban Italians, it claims, spend an average of five hours a day gossiping. 

· Pa. sues school that awarded MBA to cat.  The Pennsylvania attorney general’s office Monday sued an online university for allegedly selling bogus academic degrees — including a $299 MBA awarded to a cat. 

· 80's Metal Band Motley Crue to Reunite.  The original members of 1980s glam metal band Motley Crue, which made hard living and wild sexcapades a centerpiece of their music and their lives, on Monday announced a world reunion tour. 

· Want to lose weight? Don't forget to hit the sack.  For years, weight loss experts have preached the importance of cutting calories and getting more exercise.  Now a growing body of research is pointing to a third possible key to weight control: Get a good night's sleep. 

· Robotic fix for Hubble challenged.  When it comes to fixing up the Hubble Space Telescope, is the best person for a job actually a robot? A report being submitted to NASA this week casts doubt on that proposition, contending a robotic repair mission would be costlier and riskier than the space agency thinks. 

Monday, December 6, 2004

· Amber's Book Deal.  She was the star of the Scott Peterson murder trial and now she'll reportedly tell her story in a book. Amber Frey, whose testimony and taped conversations helped cement Scott Peterson's reputation as a cad, is said to have signed a lucrative deal for a book that will reportedly be published in February.  Sources say Judith Reagan from Harper Collins is the publisher. 

· Groundhog Punxsutawney Phil Recruited to Defend $100,000 in 'Pork' Funding.  Pennsylvania's number-one four-legged weather prognosticator - Punxsutawney Phil - will make a Capitol Hill appearance on December 7, to "defend" a $100,000 grant for the Punxsutawney Weather Discovery Center. The furry weatherman will also "explain the difference between 'pork' and legitimate federal earmarks," according to one congressman's office. 

· Obese passengers break seats on cruise liner.  Overweight American passengers have broken dozens of seats on the Queen Mary II, the world's biggest and most luxurious cruise liner. 

· Greek Lawyers Drop Legal Threat to 'Alexander' Film.  Greek lawyers are dropping efforts to have a new Hollywood film banned and its makers sued for depicting Alexander the Great as a bisexual.  After previewing the movie a day before the movie's Greek premiere, the lawyers panned the flick, and its "gay action hero," adding that any further legal action "is just not worth it." 

· Activists Dominate Content Complaints to FCC.  According to a new FCC estimate obtained by Mediaweek, nearly all indecency complaints in 2003 — 99.8 percent—were filed by the Parents Television Council, an activist group. 

· Officer can be fired for selling sex tapes of himself.  The Supreme Court ruled Monday that San Diego, California, officials were right to fire a policeman who sold sexually explicit videotapes of himself in uniform. 

· Electronic payments surpass paper checks.  For the first time, Americans' use of credit cards, debit cards and other electronic bill paying has eclipsed paper checks.  The number of electronic payment transactions last year totaled 44.5 billion — exceeding the number of checks paid, 36.7 billion — according to Federal Reserve studies released Monday. 

· Woman Charged With Running Down Boys Who Hit SUV With Golf Ball.  A woman ran over two teenage brothers after they accidentally hit her sport utility vehicle with the golf ball they were bouncing in a parking lot, officials said, leaving one of the boys with life-threatening injuries. 

· Opening of Blake Murder Trial Delayed.  Opening statements in actor Robert Blake's murder trial were delayed Monday for two weeks because of the theft of his defense attorney's computer. 

· Baseball not likely to punish Bonds, Giambi.  For all the fuss over reported admissions of steroid use by Barry Bonds, Jason Giambi and Gary Sheffield, major league baseball probably won’t discipline them. 

· Landlord won't ask Rosa Parks to pay rent.  Rosa Parks’ landlord has offered to let her stay in her apartment rent-free, two years after threatening to evict her when the owners said her caretakers missed rental payments. 

· The top 10 worst movie lines.  Leonardo DiCaprio declares "I'm the king of the world!" in Titanic has been chosen as the cheesiest line in movie history. 

· Bob Dylan keeps his tryst with destiny.  Bob Dylan says he has lost the "magic" that drove his early songwriting, but, aged 63, keeps up a gruelling tour schedule because of a pact he once made with destiny. 

· Sex often the price for passage to U.S.  "If you come to my office and lie down with me, you can pass." That was the offer, Ileana Figueroa recalled, that taught her sex was the price of passage to the United States. 

· Andy Griffith presents unique gifts to town's children, residents.  "It's my pleasure to announce that the town of Manteo is about to become the first town in America to provide free unlimited high-speed wireless internet access to every school child who lives in the town," actor Andy Griffith told the crowd gathered along the waterfront Friday night to usher in the holiday season. 

    » The Andy Griffith Show & The Real Mayberry.  Interesting facts about The Andy Griffith Show you probably didn't know. 

· Paris the heiress snubs gift bag.  Paris Hilton, backstage at the VH-1 Big in ’04 Awards, was complaining about the “lame” contents of her goodie bag full of freebies. “That was about the only thing she thought was lame,” though says a source. “Every other thing out of her mouth seemed to be ‘that’s hot’ or ‘do you love it?’ It was really annoying.” 

· Update: Report of Tillman's death describes friendly fire horror.  The last minutes of Pat Tillman's life were a horror of misdirected machine-gun fire and signals to firing colleagues that were misunderstood as hostile acts, according to an account published Sunday of the death of the NFL player-turned-soldier. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Auspicious [aus·pi·cious] adj.  Marked by success; prosperous.  Suggesting a positive and successful future: "an auspicious time to purchase the stock." 

· Scientists Make Phone That Turns Into a Sunflower.  Scientists said on Monday they have come up with a cell phone cover that will grow into a sunflower when thrown away. 

· 'Gilligan' Plays Santa in W.Va.  Gilligan turned into Santa's helper when former television star Bob Denver and his wife joined a car dealership's toy campaign.  "I think it's all been fantastic. It has only been 45 minutes and we've already done really well," Denver said during Saturday's event, which transformed Ramey Chrysler's lot into an island of toys. 

· Robert Blake Faces Uphill Defense Challenge.  On the surface, it appears Robert Blake's defense is hamstrung in his murder trial for the slaying of his wife.  Opening statements are expected to begin today in Blake's trial in the May 2001 shooting death of his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. Blake, 71, is charged with murder and solicitation to commit murder as prosecutors contend that he tried to hire others to kill his wife. 

· More trouble for Gest show.  David Gest says he was "unable to work for a year and a half due to a closed-hand concussion to the head," courtesy of a beating by ex-wife Liza Minnelli. 

Sunday, December 5, 2004

· 'Hacking' Removed From Lori's Gravestone.  The family name "Hacking" has been removed from the gravestone of a woman whose husband has been charged with killing her and dumping her body in a trash bin. 

· Trump Wants $500M From Investors.  Donald Trump got fired. Now he's asking for $500 million. The real estate mogul and television star is offering to drop his breach of contract lawsuit against the Eastern Pequot tribe and the casino investors who replaced him in exchange for a half a billion dollars. 

· Dealers Report Stolen Marijuana To Authorities.  A Panhandle couple is under arrest after notifying police Thursday that their quarter-pound stash of marijuana was stolen and that they needed the weed back, because they were going to later sell it.  "They're America's dumbest criminals," said Lt. Ricky Ramie, head of the Bay County Sheriff's Office narcotics task force. 

· Blake Trial Falls Out of Spotlight.  In the 3 1/2 years since Robert Blake's wife was slain, the case has faded from the public spotlight so much that prospective jurors had trouble remembering what it was all about.  "I think there was something about a glove being found," said one prospect, confusing it with the O.J. Simpson murder case. 

· Marion will sue Conte for defamation.  U.S. gold medal-winning sprinter Marion Jones has announced she will take legal action after being accused of taking illegal performance-enhancing drugs. 

· 11 Arrested After Being Directed to Wrong Courtroom.  Eleven people directed to the wrong courtroom in the Seminole County, Florida courthouse were arrested and jailed when they didn't appear before the proper judge, who was in an adjoining courtroom less than 100 feet away. 

· Canadian transport minister to investigate missing airport uniforms.  More than 1,000 airport security uniforms and parts of uniforms were lost or stolen, and nearly 100 security badges went missing over a nine-month period. 

· 'Treasure' Retains Box-Office Booty.  The Founding Fathers keep earning interest on their loot. Nicolas Cage's "National Treasure," about a race to find a fortune hidden by the signers of the Declaration of Independence, was the top movie for a third straight weekend with $17.1 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday. 

· Bush Downplays Thompson's Terror Worries.  President Bush played down on Saturday a stark warning from his resigning health chief that the nation's food supply is largely unprotected from terror attack. 

· Teacher's Ex-Husband Appalled by Tapes.  A day after tapes of phone conversations between a Florida teacher and a 14-year-old student she allegedly had sex with were released, Debra Lafave's estranged husband said he was appalled.

"This isn't the woman I married and not what I signed up for in life when I married her," Owen Lafave told ABC News' "Good Morning America" today. 

· From beyond the grave, Prince finally admits taking $1m bribe.  Prince Bernhard, father of the Queen of the Netherlands, admitted in a posthumous confession that he pocketed more than a million dollars from Lockheed aircraft in one of the biggest corruption scandals of the 1970s. 

· Tommy Lee's porn set sex wrecked Locklear marriage.  Rocker Tommy Lee wrecked his seven-year marriage to actress Heather Locklear by sleeping with an adult film star on the set of a porn film. 

· La. Man Dies After Deputies Use Stun Gun.  A man sheriff's deputies had shot twice with a stun gun died Saturday, a day after he was pulled over for driving erratically, officials said. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Extemporaneous [ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous] adj.  1. Unrehearsed. Done or said without advance preparation or thought; impromptu: "An extemporaneous lecture." 2. Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: "An extemporaneous speech." 

· 'e-Junk' Recycling Still in Its Infancy.  When Office Depot, Inc. stores ran an electronics recycling drive last summer that accepted everything from cell phones to televisions, some stores were overwhelmed by the amount of e-trash they received. 

· Anna forced off stage again.  Anna Nicole Smith had to be forced off stage after trying to show her breasts at an awards ceremony. The Daily Star reckons she was trying to recreate Janet Jackson’s infamous Nipplegate stunt. 

· Mormon Choir Cancels Overseas Trips.  The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has canceled its planned tour of northern Europe next year because of concerns about terrorism, and the choir will instead tour the Northwest. 

· Woman Arrested in Bizarre Flu Shot Case.  A woman who gave what she said were flu shots to more than two dozen people, then fled when asked for information about her credentials, was arrested Friday, police said.  State health officials said they didn't know what was in the shots given to at least 28 people, but no one had reported any ill effects as of Friday. 

· Diet pills increase chance of lesbian child.  Taking pills for diet and thyroid problems during pregnancy may increase the possibility of bearing lesbian daughters, a study has revealed. 

· Teen Says Zoloft Led to Slayings.  Authorities say three years ago, Christopher Pittman, then 12, shot his grandparents as they slept because they had scolded him for fighting. But Christopher's father, Joe Pittman, thinks his son killed because his sense of right and wrong was clouded by the anti-depressant Zoloft. 

Saturday, December 4, 2004

· Jet Searched in L.A. for Missing Explosives.  Police at Paris' top airport lost track of a passenger's bag in which plastic explosives were placed to train bomb-sniffing dogs, police said Saturday. Warned that the bag may have gotten on any of nearly 90 flights from Charles de Gaulle, authorities searched planes upon arrival in Los Angeles and New York.  

· Sen. McCain threatens major league baseball.  As Major League Baseball's steroid scandal widened to include the sport's most prolific active home run hitter, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said yesterday that he will introduce legislation imposing drug-testing standards on professional athletes if baseball players and owners do not adopt a stringent crackdown on steroids by January. 

· Teacher, Alleged Sex Victim Did Witchcraft.  A teacher and a 14-year-old former female student whom she is accused of sexually assaulting participated in witchcraft together and even "wed" in a pagan ritual, police said. 

· Driving Instructor Allegedly Drove Drunk To Lesson.  A New Hampshire driving instructor is reportedly out of a job after being arrested on suspicion of driving drunk while on his way to pick up his students last month.  State police say the man hit a reflector pole on the side of a turnpike and continued driving with two flat tires until he had to pull over. 

· No buyer for 'Night before Christmas.'  A rare autographed copy of the poem known as "'Twas the night before Christmas," which was estimated to fetch at least $200,000, failed to find a buyer at an auction on Friday, Sotheby's said. 

· Kevin Kline Gets Hollywood Star.  "The Big Chill" star Kevin Kline got a warm reception on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday as he received a star on the walk of fame to mark the DVD release of his Cole Porter biography "De-Lovely." 

· Supermodel Klum Dishes Pearls of Wisdom, Saucy Pix.  When supermodel Heidi Klum decided to write a book, she didn't want it to be just a picture book. She wanted to offer some words of wisdom.  Of course the book, "Heidi Klum's body of knowledge," does have pictures - 400 of them to be precise, including a number of nude shots and plenty of the German temptress clad in the underwear brand that launched her on the way to super-stardom. 

· 'Red' wine under hammer.  Legendary wines from the cellars of 19th-century Russian tsars and Joseph Stalin has gone under the hammer - but less than half were sold. The wines had been expected to be snapped up for more than $1,000,000. 

· Napster founder goes legit.  Shawn Fanning, founder of Napster and former scourge of the music industry, has set up his own firm in an attempt to legitimise online file-sharing. Mr Fanning, 24, was demonised by the industry while a teenager when Napster became hugely popular in the late 1990s. 

Word of The Day by WordThink

Gregarious [gre·gar·i·ous] adj.  1. Seeking and enjoying the company of others; sociable. "She is a gregarious, outgoing person." 

· Actress Laura Dern Has Baby.  It's a girl for actress Laura Dern and musician Ben Harper.  The daughter of actors Bruce Dern and Diane Ladd, Laura Dern's film credits include "Jurassic Park," "I Am Sam," "Mask," "October Sky" and most recently, "We Don't Live Here Anymore." 

· Bruce Lee lifted new security chief out of gutter.  Bernard Kerik was 11 years old and the survivor of a miserable childhood when he saw something that set him on the path to his nomination yesterday as homeland security czar.  It was a television show called "The Green Hornet." 

· Record settlement in Calif. church abuse case.  A record-breaking, $100-million clergy sex abuse settlement between the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and 87 plaintiffs brought some measure of relief to long-suffering families Friday, but legal experts differed over whether the blockbuster deal would help resolve a huge backlog of cases in California. 

Friday, December 3, 2004

· Saint James describes Colorado plane crash.  The charter jet carrying NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol and two of his sons lifted briefly during takeoff, then tipped back and forth before crashing and burning, Ebersol's actress wife said in an interview Friday. 

· Thompson resigns with hint for terrorists.  Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson resigned Friday, saying "For the life of me, I cannot understand why the terrorists have not attacked our food supply because it is so easy to do," he said. 

· Ashlee Simpson to Perform "Live" for AOL.  Ashlee Simpson is getting behind the mic again - only this time, she's promising it will be live.  Simpson, whose lip-synch-gone-awry on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" in October made her an instant punch line, will headline a concert for AOL Monday in Los Angeles. 

· Passenger Slaps Airport Security Guard With Boarding Pass.  A woman who objected to being frisked may be charged with assault for slapping an airport security guard's face with her boarding pass, police said. 

· Denver mayor allows 'Merry Christmas' display.  Seeking to avoid an emotionally charged battle, the mayor reversed a decision to remove the lights spelling out "Merry Christmas" from a city holiday display. 

· Authorities Serve Another Search Warrant At Michael Jackson's Ranch.  Authorities say they're again searching Michael Jackson's sprawling California estate.  A spokesman said the Santa Barbara County sheriff's department served a search warrant Friday at the pop star's Neverland ranch.  The spokesman would not release further details about the search. 

· CNBC to end John McEnroe's show.  The viewer numbers for the show, which had its debut in July, were so low at times that they failed to qualify for Nielsen's ratings reports. It was drawing an average audiences of 75,000 a night, CNBC said. 

· Police Follow Doughnut Trail, Solve Crime.  Police followed a trail of doughnuts to find a stolen Krispy Kreme delivery truck. "It has a happy ending," Swatara Sgt. Robert Simmonds said. 

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· Florida Kerry supporters meet for group therapy.  Twenty John Kerry supporters met for their first group therapy session in South Florida Thursday, screaming epithets at President Bush as they shared their emotions with licensed mental health counselors.