Michael Jackson's Death Linked to Diprivan?

As toxicology results which may reveal what exactly killed Michael Jackson are awaited, the Associated Press has received information from a former nutritionist who was working with Jackson in preparation for his comeback tour, Cherilyn Lee. The information centers around a powerful sedative, Diprivan.

According to Cherilyn Lee, she repeatedly rejected Michael Jackson's requests for Diprivan, which is given intravenously. He reportedly sought the drug to aid in treating his persistent insomnia.

Since Michael Jackson's death on June 25th, persistent rumors have circulated about his use of prescription drugs, including a possible injection of Demerol just prior to his cardiac arrest. Cherilyn Lee, however, says that Jackson was opposed to recreational drug use, but desperate help in sleeping (thus the Diprivan).

Cherilyn Lee told the AP:

"He wasn't looking to get high or feel good and sedated from drugs. This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest."

Originally developed as propofol, Diprivan was re-launched in 1986 by AstraZeneca as an emulsion that only has 1% propofol. An overdose of Diprivan can cause an erratic heartbeat leading to cardiac arrest.

Whether or not Jackson obtained his Diprivan, Cherilyn Lee speaks of a strange phone call she received when in Florida on June 21st from a member of Michael Jackson's staff.

"He called and was very frantic and said, `Michael needs to see you right away.' I said, 'What's wrong?' And I could hear Michael in the background ..., 'One side of my body is hot, it's hot, and one side of my body is cold. It's very cold.'

"I said, `Tell him he needs to go the hospital. I don't know what's going on, but he needs to go to the hospital ... right away."

"At that point, I knew that somebody had given him something that hit the central nervous system. He was in trouble Sunday and he was crying out."

Once again, for the real truth, it seems we will have to wait weeks for toxicology results. Meanwhile, the world grieves and prepares for might be the biggest funeral, ever.

Sanford Details "Other Crossings of the Line" and His Affair

More details about South Carolina governor Mark Sanford and possible other dalliances have emerged, just as additional pictures of his Argentinian love, Maria Belen Chapur have as well.

The Maria Belen Chapur pics above are actually captured from a video report she did when she was a news reporter for the C5n network in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Meanwhile, Mark Sanford gave AP a two day interview, in which he confessed to crossing the line with other women, but not "the ultimate line."

Sanford admitted however, that he still loved Maria Belen Chapur, 43 (pictured again to the left),

Sanford told AP that he would die "knowing that I had met my soul mate." He added:

"There were a handful of instances wherein I crossed the lines I shouldn't have crossed as a married man, but never crossed the ultimate line."

Well, Sanford means he never crossed the ultimate line (sex) except with Maria Belen Chapur, of course.

At the same time, Sanford insisted that his relationship with Chapur was about more than just sex, saying:

"This was a whole lot more than a simple affair, this was a love story. A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day."

To be honest, I believe him. After reading his sappy emails to Maria Belen Chapur, there is no doubt in my mind his was (is?) in love with her.

Mark and Jenny Sanford are parents of four sons, and say they are trying to reconcile their marriage. However, they have not been living in the same house for several weeks. Jenny Sanford found out about the relationship in January when she unocovered a letter the Mark Sanford had written to his Maria Belen Chapur.

Franken Wins Court Fight, Coleman Concedes

Democrat Al Franken won a unanimous ruling from the Minnesota state Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court ruled that Franken should be certified the winner of Minnesota's hotly contested Senate race. Given that, Republican Norm Coleman conceded, ending a nearly eight-month recount and court fight.

Al Franken's seat in the Senate would give the Democrats control of 60 seats. This would be a filibuster-proof majority, if all Democrats vote along party lines.

Norm Coleman gave the following statement upon hearing the ruling:

"The Supreme Court has made its decision and I will abide by the results. Sure I wanted to win. I thought we had a better case. But the court has spoken."

In its 5-0 ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court wrote:

"We affirm the decision of the trial court that Al Franken received the highest number of votes legally cast and is entitled under (Minnesota law) to receive the certificate of election as United States Senator from the State of Minnesota."

President Barack Obama said in a statement:

"I look forward to working with Senator-Elect Franken to build a new foundation for growth and prosperity by lowering health care costs and investing in the kind of clean energy jobs and industries that will help America lead in the 21st century."

Watch a video report:

Duct Tape Prom Attire Contest Enters Ninth Year

Despite what the DHS may want you to believe, duct tape has many other uses besides taping off your windows and doors in the event of a biological attack. In this case, it's Duck brand duct tape's 9th annual Duct Tape Prom Attire (both dress and suit) contest.

At this point, we are down to the top 10 entries. You can vote here at http://www.stuckatprom.com/contests/prom/. However, if you want to vote, vote quickly: the Duct Tape Prom Dress contest voting ends on July 2nd.

Why would anyone want to get into a sticky situation with a Duct Tape Prom Dress and Suit? Well, $3000 scholarships for the winners is a mighty good incentive.

The contestants can be the same gender, don't have to go to the same high school, and don't have to use Duck brand duct tape for their prom dress and suit (but naturally the company recommends their own tape. What no discount?).

The top 10 Duct Tape Prom Dress and Suit finalists are on this page. One of them is pictured above. Vote now!

Can We Stop It? Rick Astley is Not Dead

In the wake of the recent celebrity deaths (Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, Billy Mays) have come a spike in fake death news. Jeff Goldblum, Britney Spears, George Clooney, and Tuesday, Rick Astley. No, none of them are dead.

The latest sick "so-and-so is dead" news was that 80's pop star Rick Astley was dead. It started with a purported AP release going around the Internet. While reportedly quite well "simulated," it didn't actually appear on the Associated Press wire itself.

The story stated that singer-songwriter Rick Astley, most famous for his mega-hit song "Never Gonna Give You Up" in 1987, had been found dead in a Berlin Hotel Room. Much like the "Fake Steve Jobs Heart Attack" story from last year, this also appeared on CNN's iReport, based on that same fake AP release. iReport stories, as you know, is not vetted before posting.

Additionally, a link on the Digg social networking site took visitors to a YouTube video of Astley singing "Never Gonna Give You Up" adding, "You've beeen Rickrolled."

Rickrolling is when you get an end user to click on a link that takes them to Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" video. When a person clicks on the link and is led to the web page, he or she is said to have been "Rickrolled."

Although the culprits reponsible for this "Rick Astley is dead" campaign probably thought it was funny, it was sick and repulsive during a week when several prominent celebrities died. Can we stop this sickness now?

Second Officer Dropped N-bomb on Oscar Grant Prior to Fatal Shooting

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting that in the midst of the court hearing that ended in former BART police Officer Johannes Mehserle being ordered tried for murder in the slaying of Oscar Grant was testimony about another officer's expletive uttered just 30 seconds before Grant was shot.

According to the Chronicle, the officer, Tony Pirone, can be heard on one of the videos made by BART riders at the Fruitvale Station in Oakland early New Year's Day as standing over the prone Grant and yelling, "Bitch-ass n*****." Pirone and his attorney say he was repeating what Grant first yelled at him, but the sound-enhanced tape does not reveal Grant's voice.

On the tape, Pirone can be seen delivering a "shoulder chop" to Grant, bringing him to the ground. Pirone can be heard saying twice, "Bitch-ass n*****, right?"

The East Bay Express, writing about the new information, pointed out that “Pirone has a history of not telling the truth.”

As the Chronicle noted, prosecutors showed the tape in court on the last day of Mehserle's preliminary hearing, but it was overshadowed by the judge's decision to send Mehserle to trial for murder.

Oscar Grant was killed early New Year's Day by a white San Francisco BART police officer. The officer has claimed that he meant to pull his Taser, not his gun.

LA Coroner Disputes Leaked Michael Jackson Autopsy Results

British tabloid The Sun has supposedly received a leaked copy of Michael Jackson’s autopsy results. If in fact these are his results, they are shocking. However, the Los Angeles coroner's office has denied the details reported by The Sun.

Two separate autopsies have been performed on Jackson, one by the LA coroner and one by a private pathologist. According to The Sun reportedly leaked autopsy results, Jackson weighed 112 pounds at the time of his autopsy and was emaciated. This for a 5'10" man. More disturbing details (reminder: the coroner disputes all this):

• His hips, thighs and shoulders were covered in needle wounds


• His stomach was empty aside from partially-dissolved pills he took before the painkiller injection which allegedly stopped his heart


• Most of his hair was missing. He was wearing a wig.


• A scar above his left ear was bald, perhaps the result of the 1984 "Pepsi hair fire"


• Several broken ribs due to CPR attempts


• Plastic surgery scars on his face, with the bridge of his nose having vanished and its right side of his nose partially collapsed

Assistant chief coroner Ed Winter said on Monday that The Sun's report was inaccurate, and any such leaked Michael Jackson autopsy details did not come from either of the two autopsies.

"I don't know where that information came from, or who that information came from. It is not accurate. Some of it is totally false."

TMZ has also reported The Sun's report to be fake.

Michael Jackson Funeral Arrangements Still Unclear

As the world continues to reel over the death of the so-called "King of Pop," Michael Jackson, last Thursday, and questions continue to circulate about the cause of death, funeral arrangements also remain unclear. The only thing for sure: it will be a blockbuster, perhaps the biggest celebrity funeral ever.

The Telegraph indicates that the Jackson family may opt for two funerals, one a private service, and another a public ceremony for fans. According to the Telegraph, Jackson's brother Tito disclosed the option to them. Services are expected to take place later this week.

Meanwhile, the Mirror thinks it will be one ceremony, but with the burial portion private.

The Mirror states:

"Like Princess Diana the family may opt for private burial. There are some who are strongly opposed to the idea of hordes of fans trampling over Michael's grave.

"Like Diana he may be buried somewhere private where only family and close friends can pay their respects. But this would only follow a public funeral which would allow hundreds of thousands of fans to be part of a huge outpouring of grief."

Either way, the family must work closely with the LAPD, to arrange crowd control. There is a potential of an outpouring of the public so great that it would eclipse by far either the funerals of Elvis Presley or Princess Diana. The funeral will likely draw tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of mourners and hundreds of millions of television viewers.

Twitter Roils with Fake "Britney Spears Dead" Tweet

It's been a terrible week for celebrity deaths, with Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson, and Billy Mays all dying. What's this? A tweet about Britney Spears on her feed? She's dead? Say it's not so!

It's not so. Although the original "Britney Spears dead" tweet (since deleted) was retweeted numerous times, spreading virally, it was nothing more than a fake. Still, sites such as TweetMeme still have the tweet archived, showing the evidence.

In fact, some said it smelled like a hack, and it was, though it's unclear exactly how the account was hacked. This Britney Spears story is, unfortunately, reminiscent of the stories that Jeff Goldblum was dead, which circulated on Thursday, the day that Michael Jackson died.

Eerily, when Britney Spears was in her "serious meltdown" phase in 2007 and 2008, stories emerged such as AP already having penned her obituary. It's not unusual for a celebrity, but certainly unusual for one as young as Spears.

A sick website even emerged during that period, one which promised a PS3 to the person who successfully predicted the day that Britney Spears died.

Walter Cronkite Near Death: Report

Some say deaths come in threes, but it seems we are going way overboard in terms of losing celebrities. First Ed McMahon, then Farrah Fawcett, then Michael Jackson, and today Billy Mays. Reports are now emerging that retired CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite is near death and is not expected to recover.

During the 1970s and 1980s, Walter Cronkite was often cited in viewer opinion polls as "the most trusted man in America." On Saturday his family released the following statement:

"In order to dispel false rumors, Walter Cronkite's family want it known that, sadly, he is very ill and is not expected to recuperate; he is resting at home surrounded by family, friends and a wonderful medical team. We thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes."

Walter Cronkite's last day as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" was on March 6, 1981; he was succeeded the following Monday by Dan Rather. Here is the text of his final statement in that chair:

“This is my last broadcast as the anchorman of The CBS Evening News; for me, it’s a moment for which I long have planned, but which, nevertheless, comes with some sadness. For almost two decades, after all, we’ve been meeting like this in the evenings, and I’ll miss that. But those who have made anything of this departure, I’m afraid have made too much. This is but a transition, a passing of the baton. A great broadcaster and gentleman, Doug Edwards, preceded me in this job, and another, Dan Rather, will follow. And anyway, the person who sits here is but the most conspicuous member of a superb team of journalists; writers, reporters, editors, producers, and none of that will change. Furthermore, I’m not even going away! I’ll be back from time to time with special news reports and documentaries, and, beginning in June, every week, with our science program, Universe. Old anchormen, you see, don’t fade away; they just keep coming back for more. And that’s the way it is: Friday, March 6, 1981. I’ll be away on assignment, and Dan Rather will be sitting in here for the next few years. Good night.”

On his last show, you can see, he modified slightly his goodnight to America, which went this way:

“And that’s the way it is. [the date]. This is Walter Cronkite, CBS News; good night.”

Watch one of America's most dignified, and trustworthy journalists, as he reports on the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, in the video.

Filipino Inmates Pay Tribute to Michael Jackson with Viral Video Recreation

The Filipino inmates whose YouTube video of their "Thriller" dance went viral, recreated the event on Saturday in a tribute to their idol, Michael Jackson. The original idea was developed by Byron Garcia, the Cebu provincial security consultant who came up with the idea of adding dancing to poorly attended exercise sessions.

The original video was uploaded in July of 2007, and has been viewed nearly 26 million times, many of them, you can bet, since Thursday.

Upon hearing of his death, the 1,500 inmates at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center decided right then and there to recreate the original event. They practiced for nine hours Friday night and Saturday morning for the show.

Not only has video of the recreation once again been uploaded to YouTube, many fans came to view the hour-long performance, live. The show included more than just Thriller, the video above shows performance to the song, "Ben" and "I'll Be There," both of which Jackson performed when he was still a child.

Watch a CNN report on the new performance, and the original video at the bottom.

Infomercial King Billy Mays Dies

Infomercial king Billy Mays was found dead in his Tampa, FL home this morning, and as details leak, the question arises: was his death similar to Natasha Richardson's, meaning related to trauma to his head? There is much speculation around this, as Billy Mays definitely took a blow to the head, based on his own statements.

While he's definitely not the same stature as Michael Jackson, so his death is not going to be covered by multiple infomercial channels showing marathons of his products, he is still a face (and voice) that many probably will recognize. Billy Mays, who some call the king of the infomercials, has passed away, ironically at the same age as Michael Jackson, 50.

Billy Mays was found at 7:45 AM inside his Tampa, FL home on Sunday by his wife. Police said that foul play is not suspected in his death. Authorities anticipatge that an autopsy should be complete by Monday afternoon.

Billy Mays' wife, Deborah, said in a statement on Sunday:

"Although Billy lived a public life, we don't anticipate making any public statements over the next couple of days. Our family asks that you respect our privacy during these difficult times."

You have probably seen Billy Mays in commercials for such products as Oxi-Clean, Mighty Putty and Orange Glo. He was also featured on the reality TV show "Pitchmen" on the Discovery Channel, which followed Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their jobs. Mays and Sullivan appeared with Conan O'Brien on Tuesday night, in fact.

What has come to light is that on Saturday night, less than 24 hours before his death, Billy Mays was on a US Airways flight that blew out its front tires as it landed at a Tampa airport on Saturday. Billy Mays' actual quote to Fox13:

"All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head."

As said above, the autopsy will not be completed until Monday, so the question of how Billy Mays died will stay open until then. Interestingly, TMZ received the following quote from the FAA, since retracted:

"The passenger needs to wear a seat belt during landing and he didn't."

Watch an Oxi-Clean commercial below:

Fans Crawl the Web for Michael Jackson Death Photos

It's the same sort of morbid interest in a celebrity death that occurred when David Carradine died earlier this year. People are frantically searching for photos that show Michael Jackson dead, according to Google Trends. Perhaps it's simply because people don't believe it, as some still don't believe Elvis is dead.

Only one such "Michael Jackson Death Photo" has emerged, and Entertainment Tonight managed to snap it. It's a picture of Jackson on a stretcher with a respirator attached to his face. It's a sad, sad, tableau.

Fortunately, no Michael Jackson death photos from the autopsy itself have emerged. The autopsy, as you have probably heard, was inconclusive, with the coroner saying full results would have to wait for the results of toxicology and other tests.

At the same time, on Saturday Jesse Jackson announced that Michael Jackson's family wants an independent autopsy in at attempt to determine the cause of his death. This would, in fact, be similar to (once again) David Carradine, whose family enlisted forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner for New York City who appears on the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," to perform his own investigation into Carradine's death.

Jesse Jackson told the AP in an interview that Michael Jackson's family told him of its wishes while he spent time with them during the past two days. According to reports, Michael Jackson's body has been released to the family, so we may in fact see such an additional autopsy occur.

Questions have arisen about Jackson's use of painkillers. Theories on his death have centered around the daily injection of Demerol that Jackson received; it has been reported that he went into cardiac arrest once he received the injection on Thursday.

Man Arrested for Attempting Pot, Cocaine Bank Deposit

Banks may need a bailout, but probably not this kind of one. Cameron B. Jefferson, 38, was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine and possession of cannabis (less than 20 grams) after mistakenly depositing not just $200 in cash at the drive-thru teller, but a bag containing a small amount of marijuana and cocaine.

Police say an employee at the Wachovia Bank called police Wednesday after the attempted deposit. Officer Jamie Martinez stopped the only white SUV in the teller line, as the employees had stalled the driver.

Besides the strange deposit, Martinez searched Jefferson's vehicle and found the remnants of three marijuana cigarettes, according to the police report.

Michael Jackson's Autopsy Results Inconclusive

Michael Jackson's autopsy results are in, and as expected, they are inconclusive. The Los Angeles coroner, through spokesperson Craig Harvey, said that full results will require further tests that will take four to six weeks.

At the same time, however, the coroner did note that Michael Jackson's autopsy results show no signs of foul play. That said, it has been said that Jackson's cardiac arrest resulted as a result of his daily Demerol injection, given to him by Dr. Conrad Murray, 51 (pictured), who is being sought by police for questioning in the superstar's death.

Michael Jackson's autopsy results come just a few hours after the 911 tapes and transcript were released. If you listen to the tape, the singer as unconscious and not breathing at the time of the 911 call.

While Michael Jackson's autopsy results appear to not be helpful, it was possible that in fact the autopsy could have found an underlying heart condition. As the focus now shifts to toxicology and other tests, it will take weeks for a full result.

At the same time, condolences and reminiscences continue to flood in. Sir Paul McCartney earlier today said:

"I feel privileged to have hung out and worked with Michael. He was a massively talented boy man with a gentle soul. His music will be remembered forever and my memories of our time together will be happy ones.

"I send my deepest sympathy to his mother and the whole family and to his countless fans all around the world."

Diana Ross, who helped launch his career, said:

“I can’t stop crying. This is too sudden and shocking. I am unable to imagine this. My heart is hurting.”

Finally, Lisa Marie Presley, who was married to Michael Jackson for a short time, tied together the analogous apparently drug-related deaths of both her father and Jackson on her MySpace page:

At some point he paused, he stared at me very intensely and he stated with an almost calm certainty, "I am afraid that I am going to end up like him, the way he did."

I promptly tried to deter him from the idea, at which point he just shrugged his shoulders and nodded almost matter of fact as if to let me know, he knew what he knew and that was kind of that.

Tape, Transcript of Michael Jackson 911 Call Released

At the same time that the LA coroner has begun the autopsy on Michael Jackson, details about his doctor, who is being sought by police, have emerged.

Dr. Conrad Murray, 51, is Michael Jackson's doctor and a Las Vegas cardiologist. The LA Times reports that Murray was administering CPR to Jackson when paramedics arrived.

The Michael Jackson 911 tapes have been also released (below), as well as a transcript, and it offers details, such as the fact that Michael Jackson was not breathing at the time of the 911 call.

Here is the call in full:

Operator: What is the nature of your emergency?

Caller: Yes sir, I need an ambulance as soon as possible, sir.

Operator: OK sir, what's your address?

Caller: Los Angeles, California 90077

Operator: Is it Carolwood?

Caller: Carolwood Drive, yes.

Operator: OK, sir, what's the phone number you're calling from?

Caller: Sir, we have a gentleman here that needs help and he's not breathing. He's not breathing and we're trying to pump him, but he's not ...

Operator: OK, OK. How old is he?

Caller: He's 50 years old, sir.

Operator: 50? Ok. He's unconscious? He's not breathing?

Caller: Yes he's not breathing sir.

Operator: Ok and he's not conscious either.

Caller: No, he's not conscious sir.

Operator: Alright, is he on the floor, where's he at right now?

Caller: He's on the bed, sir, he's on the bed.

Operator: OK let's get him on the floor.

Caller: OK.

Operator: OK let's get him down to the floor. I'm going to help you with CPR right now. We're on our way there, we're on our way but I'm going to do as much as I can to help you over the phone. We're already on our way. Did anybody see him?

Caller: Yes, we have a personal doctor here with him sir.

Operator: Oh you have a doctor there?

Caller: Yes but he's not responding to anything. He's not responding to CPR or anything.

Operator: Ok, well we're on our way there. If your guy's doing CPR as instructed by a doctor, he has a higher authority than me. Did anybody witness what happened?

Caller: No, just the doctor, sir, the doctor's been the only one here.

Operator: OK so the doctor's seen what happened?

Caller: (aside) Doctor, did you see what happened, sir? (To operator) If you can please ...

Operator: We're on our way, I've dispatched these questions on to our paramedics and they're on their way there sir.

Caller: Thank you sir. He's pumping his chest but he's not responding to anything sir, please.

Operator: Ok, we're on our way, we're less than a mile away. We'll be there shortly.

Caller: Thank you sir, thank you.

Operator: OK, sir, call us back if you need any help.

Caller: Yes sir.

Watch a video including the 911 call:

Michael Jackson's Doctor Sought as Possible Demerol Link Emerges

Michael Jackson. Heath Ledger. Anna Nicole Smith. Three distinctly different personalities, whose lives may be linked in their deaths, according to reports. According to British tabloid The Sun, Jackson's death may be linked to an overdose of Demerol.

Heath Ledger died in January of 2008 from an accidental prescription medication overdose. Anna Nicole Smith died in 2007; her death was ruled an accidental drug overdose of the sedative chloral hydrate that became lethal when combined with other prescription drugs in her system.

Here's what The Sun said about Michael Jackson death, and a possible link to Demerol:

Jackson aides told medics he had collapsed after an injection of potent Demerol — similar to morphine.

A Jacko source said: “Shortly after taking the Demerol he started to experience slow shallow breathing.

“His breathing gradually got slower and slower until it stopped.

“His staff started mouth-to-mouth and an ambulance was called which got there in eight minutes “But found he was in full respiratory arrest, no breathing and no pulse. They started full CPR and rushed him to hospital.

“When he arrived they started resuscitation, giving him heart shocks and inserted a breathing tube and other supportive measures to try and save his life.

“He never regained consciousness.The family was told that he had passed.”

At the same time, police are now searching for a doctor who was reportedly at Jackson's side when he collapsed. Coroner’s investigators were seeking to interview the doctor but Los Angeles police spokeswoman Karen Rayner said said she did not know the doctor’s identity.

At this point, the doctor was not under criminal investigation. Rayner said:

“His car was impounded because it may contain medications or other evidence that may assist the coroner in determining the cause of death.”

Uh, huh. If he injected Michael Jackson prior to his death, he's probably going to be under investigation soon. It should be noted that reports indicate this was a daily injection. Here's what Brian Oxman, a former Jackson attorney and a family friend, said Friday on The "Today Show."

“I said one day, we’re going to have this experience. And when Anna Nicole Smith passed away, I said we cannot have this kind of thing with Michael Jackson. The result was, I warned everyone, and lo and behold, here we are. I don’t know what caused his death. But I feared this day, and here we are.”

Oxman made similar statements on MSNBC Thursday night.

Meanwhile, the LA coroner is going to begin an autopsy soon, if not already, but it will likely be weeks before full details, including toxicology reports, are known.

Alleged Pictures of Gov. Sanford's Mistress Emerge

On Wednesday, South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, 49, admitted his affair with an Argentine woman, noting not only that he traveled to Argentina rather than the Appalachian Trail hiking, as his aides thought. Since then, the woman's name has been revealed, Maria Belen Shapur, 43, and now alleged pictures of her have leaked to the web.

The Maria Belen Chapur pictures were first leaked by Bitten & Bound, and reportedly show the 43-year-old object of Mark Sanford's affection (more pics at the link above).

Maria Belen Chapur reportedly lives in an upper middle class area of Buenos Aires. She is divorced and lives with her two sons. Pictures of her apartment complex have also leaked.

While Maria Belen Chapur pictures leaked, Jenny Sanford, the governor's estranged wife, stated the following to reporters as she departed the Sanford's vacation home in Sullivan's Island, South Carolina:

"His career is not a concern of mine. He's going to have to worry about that. I'm worried about my family and the character of my children.

"I have great faith and great friends and great family. We have a good Lord in this world and I know that I'm going to be fine and not only will I survive, I'll thrive.

"I don't know if he'll be with me, but I'm going to do my best to work on my marriage because I believe in marriage. I believe in raising good kids is the most important thing in the world."

It is good to see a long-suffering wife who, rather than steadfastly standing at her politician husband's side while he details an affair, tells it like it is. What Jenny Sanford was partially addressing above was Mark's career; people on both sides of the aisle are calling for him to resign.

Farrah Fawcett Dies, After Long Cancer Battle

After a long battle with cancer, dramatically captured in her own documentary on her struggle, Farrah Fawcett passed away today at the age of 62.

It was only a little more than a month ago, on Friday, May 15th, that NBC News aired Farrah's Story, a two-hour special chronicling actress Farrah Fawcett's battle against anal cancer. It was billed as "an extremely personal look at her battle with cancer," narrated by Fawcett herself.

She arrived on the scene in 1976 as one-third of the crime-fighting trio in TV’s “Charlie’s Angels.” The other two Angels were Kate Jackson and Jacklyn Smith.

She left after a contract dispute in the second season. However, she was always associated with the show and after the dispute was resolved, made a few guest appearances.

In 1973, she married actor Lee Majors. She was billed as Farrah Fawcett-Majors until 1979. She and Majors divorced in 1982.

In 1976, came "the poster."

Pro Arts Inc., pitched the idea of a poster of Fawcett to her agent, and a photo shoot was arranged. The resulting poster, of Farrah in a one-piece red bathing suit, was a best-seller; sales estimates ranged from over 5 million to 8 million to as high as 12 million copies.

In September 2006, underwent two weeks of tests and was told the bad news: she had anal cancer. She eventually went to Germany, as detailed in her documentary, for extensive alternative medical procedures. She was accompanied by Ryan O’Neal, with whom she has had a long on-and-off relationship, and a son.

Her cancer was said to be in remission in early 2007, but recurred in May of 2007.

Farrah Fawcett is survived by her father, James, and her son, Redmond James Fawcett O’Neal, from her relationship with Ryan O'Neal.

Fawcett once said of her celebrity, and of the show "Charlie's Angels", “When the show got to be No. 3, I figured it was our acting. When it got to be No. 1, I decided it could only be because none of us wears a bra.”

Watch a video report:

Steamy E-mails between Gov. Sanford and "Maria" Reveal Depth of Affair

Yesterday South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford, 49, held a press conference in which he admitted to, not just being in Argentina instead of the Appalachian Trail hiking, but that he was in Argentina ending an affair. The newspaper that first uncovered the evidence, The State, later released a series of emails between the two that showed how the deep the emotions ran.

While romantic and steamy, the emails were not overly erotic. The paper redacted the woman's full name and address, but her first name was noted as Maria. Meanwhile, other sites have posted her name: Maria Belen Shapur, who works for Bunge y Born, a multinational agribusiness and grain trading corporation. She is reportedly fluent in English, Portuguese and Chinese.

Additionally, Maria Belen Chapur is 43, lives in an upper middle class area of Buenos Aires (the apartment complex is reportedly pictured above). She is divorced and lives with her sons, local news said.

Here's a portion of one of the steamy love emails, this one from Sanford to Maria:

I have been specializing in staying focused on decisions and actions of the head for a long time now — and you have my heart. You have oh so many attributes that pulls it in this direction. Do you really comprehend how beautiful your smile is? Have you been told lately how warm your eyes are and how they softly glow with the special nature of your soul. I remember Jenny, or someone close to me, once commenting that while my mom was pleasant and warm it was sad she had never accomplished anything of significance. I replied that they were wrong because she had the ultimate of all gifts — and that was the ability to love unconditionally. The rarest of all commodities in this world is love. It is that thing that we all yearn for at some level — to be simply loved unconditionally for nothing more than who we are — not what we can get, give or become. There are but 50 governors in my country and outside of the top spot, this is as high as you can go in the area I have invested the last 15 years of my life — my getting here came as no small measure because I had that foundation of love and support so critical to getting up in the morning and feeling you could give and risk because you already had a full tank of love in the emotional bank account. Since our first meeting there in a wind swept somewhat open air dance spot in Punta del Este, I felt that you had that same rare attribute. Above all else I love that inner beauty about you. That gift of yours is going to make a tremendous difference in (The State deleted sons’ names) life — and in anyone’s life who is blest to be touched by yours — you need to rest very comfortably in that fact. As I mentioned in our last visit, while I did not need love fifteen years ago — as the battle scars of life and aging and politics have worn on this has become a real need of mine. You have a particular grace and calm that I adore. You have a level of sophistication that is so fitting with your beauty. I could digress and say that you have the ability to give magnificently gentle kisses, or that I love your tan lines or that I love the curves of your hips, the erotic beauty of you holding yourself (or two magnificent parts of yourself) in the faded glow of night’s light — but hey, that would be going into the sexual details we spoke of at the steakhouse at dinner — and unlike you I would never do that!

Yesterday, Sanford indicated that his wife, Jenny, has known of the affair for five months, and that two weeks ago she asked him to leave. Mark Sanford said he wants to reconcile, and a statement by his wife said her husband may have earned that chance.

“This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage.”

Some have asked for Sanford to resign; that is still an open question.

Church Criticized Over Gay Exorcism Video

A YouTube video posted by a Connecticut church showing what appeared to be a so-called "gay" exorcism has drawn much criticism. The 20-minute video, though not labeled as such, and since taken down, referred to casting "homosexual demons" from the 16-year-old boy's body.

In the video, you can hear a woman yell:

"Rip it from his throat! Come on, you homosexual demon! You homosexual spirit, we call you out right now! Loose your grip, Lucifer!"

Others shouted the following, as the teenager is showed apparently vomiting into a bag:

"Come out of his belly. It's in the belly — push."

"Get another bag. Make sure you have your gloves."

Later, the teenager is back on the floor, breathing heavily. Then he's coughing and apparently vomiting into a bag.

The church in the video is Manifested Glory Ministries, and the elders have refused to comment on the video itself, with Rev. Patricia McKinney only telling AP:

"We believe a man should be with a woman and a woman should be with a man. We have nothing against homosexuals. I just don't agree with their lifestyle."

Robin McHaelen, executive director of True Colors, an advocacy group for gay youths, said the video appeared abusive and she planned to report the incident to the Connecticut Department of Children and Families. She told AP:

"I think it's horrifying. What saddens me is the people that are doing this think they are doing something in the kid's best interests, when in fact they're murdering his spirit.

"They have this kid in a full nelson. That just seems abusive to me."

GOP Gov. Mark Sanford Admits to Infidelity, Mystery Trip to Argentina

Governor Mark Sanford, 49, of South Carolina, who had reportedly been hiking along the Appalachian Trail, was in fact making a mystery trip to Argentina, as revealed when Sanford told a reporter for The State newspaper he was actually in that country. Why? He was apparently terminating an affair.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Sanford admitted that he'd secretly flown to Argentina to visit a woman with whom he'd been having an affair. He apologized to his wife and four sons; additionally he said he will resign as head of the Republican Governors Association.

The woman lives in Argentina and has been a "dear, dear friend" for about eight years according to Sanford. He added, however, that the relationship didn't become romantic until a little over a year ago. He's seen her three times since then; his wife found out about it five months ago.

Strangely, he began his press conference rambling on about his love of hiking and the Appalachian Trial. Then, a few minutes into the press conference, he spoke of the affair, because the story about hiking was true as he said, but not the whole story. He said:

"I've let down a lot of people, that's the bottom line."

He went on to state that God's law was there to protect you from yourself, and he broke God's law.

Sanford was asked, as he left the lectern, if he would resign as SC governor, but he did not answer.

Watch a video report:

Coach Shot Fatally at Iowa High School

Ed Thomas, a long-time Aplington-Parkersburg High School athletic director and football coach, was shot in the school's weight room this morning. He later died at Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo, IA. The school is in Parkersburg, about 80 miles northeast of Des Moines.

Ed Thomas was shot by an adult male, who was quickly taken into custody. He was airlifted to the hospital. The motive for the shooting is not currently known.

The shooting occured at about 8:00 AM; about 50 students were present at the school when the shooting happened. No students were injured. According to Sue Muller, the Aplington-Parkersburg High School district's board secretary, the suspect is not believed to be a student.

There were some students actually in the weight room at the time of the incident. Superintendent Jon Thompson told KOEL radio:

"No kids were hurt, we're thankful for that. They did witness this and so we
have counselors at the site to talk with the kids."

Ed Thomas compiled a career record of 292-84 in 37 seasons as a head coach, with 34 of them at Aplington-Parkersburg. He was honored as the NFL High School Coach of the Year in 2005, and four of his former players are in the NFL: Green Bay's Aaron Kampman, Jacksonville's Brad Meester, Detroit's Jared DeVries and Denver's Casey Wiegmann.

Jon and Kate to Take a Break, From Each Other, and the Show

TLC certainly hyped Jon and Kate's big announcement enough. And on Monday night's show came the announcement we were expecting: a divorce for the couple.

In an interesting move, the eight children in their brood will stay in the house, the couple said, and Jon and Kate Gosselin will alternatve living there. It's hardly a surprise, however, as both parents have been accused of infidelity.

The show, apparently, must go on. TLC The Gosselins had committed to a full season of 40 episodes and indicated they would continue allowing camera crews access to film the family's life, just not with with both there together.

It will be interesting to see if some of the family life includes the people they have been accused of dallying with.

The two had differing views, naturally. Jon said:

"Kate and I have decided to separate. I was too passive. I just ... went along with everything. Now I finally stood up on my own two feet and I'm proud of myself."

Kate said:

"It's very uncomfortable at this point because Jon has a lot of anger towards me and I would love to discuss it with him but he won't talk to me."

The show scored boffo ratings, though. EW.com reported that Monday night's episode attracted 10.6 million viewers, the largest audience ever for the TLC show.

Next week, a retrospective of the Gosselins' 10 years of marriage will air, followed by a hiatus until Aug. 3. For the show, divorce has been the best thing to happen to the show. Infidelity, addressed (sort of) in the season opener, has been the second best, in terms of ratings.

We'll see what happens as the season drags on.

The Sidekick's Sidekick, Ed McMahon, Dead at Age 86

My back has been out the last few days, explaining the lack of posts here, but I crawled out of bed for this one. Ed McMahon, the most famous sidekick in television history, has died. He was 86.

Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson worked together on the game show "Who Do You Trust?" When Carson was named host of "The Tonight Show" in 1962, McMahon went along for the ride. Little did he know how successful the two would be.

For three decades McMahon introduced Carson nightly with a booming rally "Heeeeere's Johnnnny."

The two remained on the show until Johnny Carson retired in 1992. Ed McMahon has also hosted other shows, such as the talent show "Star Search" and "TV Bloopers and Practical Jokes" with Dick Clark. He is also fairly well known for his commercials for American Family Publishers sweepstakes.

Ed McMahon's "Heeeere's Johnny" intro, used every night before Carson came onstage, became iconic and one of the most imitated in America. I'm sure Stephen King fan's remember Jack Nicholson's character in the 1980 horror film "The Shining" using the catchphrase.

Life of late has not been kind to Ed McMahon, however. He suffered from both health and financial issues. He had a broken neck in 2007, and narrowed escaped foreclosure. He told Larry King on CNN a year ago:

"Well, if you spend more money than you make, you know what happens. And it can happen. You know, a couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that. And, you know, things happen. You want everything to be perfect, but that combination of the economy, I have a little injury, I have a situation. And it all came together."

One can imagine Carson meeting McMahon in heaven and introducing him with "Heeeere's Ed." May he R.I.P.

Swine-Flu Sickened Couple Says "I Do" in Surgical Masks

Nothing was going to stop this wedding. Not a messed-up wedding cake, missing wedding rings, the bride running off with the best man, nothing. Of course, none of those happened. Swine flu, however, did.

In an unlikely set of events, both the bride and the groom in this Chicago wedding had swine flu. Realistically, it probably wasn't all that unlikely, since they were going to be married, and likely shared some intimate time. Ilana Jackson and Jeremy Feirstein, both 26, received the news just 48 hours before their nuptials, from their doctor:

"It's not going to be the wedding you wanted. You tested positive for swine flu. Give me a call if you have any questions."

The couple had joked about it, when they both exhibited vomiting, achy limbs and fever. Jackson said:

"We joked about it. Like, 'Wouldn't it be funny if we had swine flu?'"

Question one to the doctor was if they would put their guests at serious risk, and given the answer was no, the couple decided to move forward with their plans, albeit, with some changes.

• The professional hairstylist and makeup artist Jackson had hired refused to touch her. At the last minute she recruited a friend to help.
  

• The bride and groom stayed 10 feet away from all guests at all times, per doctors instructions.
  

• Jackson and Fierstien walked around the guests instead of walking down the aisle
  

• They couldn't dance.
  

• Throughout the ceremony they wore surgical masks and latex gloves.

Despite this, the wedding took place on June 14th, without a hitch. Well, aside from the swine flu.

Survey: One in Four South African Men Admit to Rape

In what has to be a shocking result, the government-funded Medical Research Council has released the results of a South African survey which shows that one in four male South Africans surveyed admitted to committing rape.

Chief researcher Rachel Jewkes said Friday that the findings were "shocking" but "not unexpected." Not unexpected? I suppose that comes from police statistics, which state that approximately 36,000 women were raped in 2007, nearly 100 per day. Much as in other parts of the world, though, it's likely that not all rapes are reported.

Results of the survey include the following:

Nearly 28 percent of men interviewed said they raped a woman or girl
14 percent said they had raped a former or current girlfriend
12 percent said they had raped someone who was not their partner
10 percent said they had raped both a stranger and a partner
17 percent of the men surveyed admitted to attempted rape
9 percent said they had taken part in gang rapes
42 percent of men surveyed said they had been physically violent to an intimate partner, including 14 percent in the past year

Worse, nearly 20 percent of those who admitted sexual abuse had tge AIDS virus. Of course, in South Africa that's only slightly higher than the 18 percent infection rate among men not involved in rape.

Jewkes told AP:

"Rape is a crime of a sense of entitlement. It comes from a notion of power. I don't think there is a quick fix. If people were concerted about trying to fix it, it would take a generation.

"Our study suggests that the pathway which leads to these ideas and the practices of rape and other forms of violence toward women starts in childhood.

"You can't change behavior practiced by one quarter of the population if the main strategy is through the use of police and courts. The police and courts are important but they are only part of the solution."

Bill Maher: "Democrats are the new Republicans"

Last week Bill Maher pulled no punches in a critique of President Barack Obama, saying "This isn't what I voted for." This week, he continued his lambasting of the left, but reminded the right, who tried to use his New Rules last week to indicate Maher was one with them ... that they sure as heck aren't.

He's your president, not your boyfriend.

Last week in this space, I criticized President Obama for not fighting corporate influence enough, and it made some Liberals very angry. My phone rang off the hook, my email filled up, and Nancy Pelosi got so mad her face moved.

Look, folks, I like Obama too; I'm just saying, let's not make it a religion. As far as you folks on the Right that think that we're now somehow in league --- we're not in league! I was criticizing Obama for not being hard enough on the corporate douche bags you live to defend. I don't wanna be on your team. Pick another kid.

So I stand by my words, but there is another side to the story. And that is, that every time Obama tries to take on a Progressive cause, there's a major political party standing in his way --- the Democrats.

Now, people talk a lot about a third political party in America. We don't need a third party; we need a first party. You go to the polls and your choices are the guy who voted for the first Wall Street bailout, or the guy who voted for the next ten.

This week we're hearing that a public option for health care is unlikedly because it doesn't have the support of enough Democrats. Even Ted Kennedy's plan, Ted Kennedy, yeah, leaves 37 million uninsured.

This is because we don't have a Left and a Right party in this country anymore. We have a center-Right party and a crazy party. And over the last thirty-odd years, Democrats have moved to the Right, and the Right has moved into a mental hospital.

So what we have is one perfectly good party for hedge fund managers, credit card companies, banks, defense contractors, big agriculture and the pharmaceutical lobby --- that's the Democrats.

And they sit across the aisle from a small group of religious lunatics, flat-earthers, and Civil War re-enacters who mostly communicate by AM radio and call themselves the Republicans. And who actually worry that Obama is a Socialist. Socialist? He's not even a Liberal. I know he's not, because he's on TV. And while I see Democrats on television, I don't see actual Liberals. And if occasionally you do get to hear Ralph Nader or Noam Chomsky or Dennis Kucinich, they're treated like buffoons.

OK, these are not 3 of the world's more charismatic men, but then nobody's going to confuse Newt Gingrich with Zach Efron, and I have to look at his fat face on TV more often than that free credit report song.

Shouldn't there be one party that unambiguously supports cutting the military party? A party that is straight up in favor of gun control, gay marriage, higher taxes on the rich, universal healthcare, legalizing pot and steep direct taxing of polluters?

These aren't radical ideas. A majority of Americans are either already for them, or would be if they were properly argued and defended. And what we need is an actual Progressive party to represent the millions of Americans who aren't being served by the Democrats. Because, bottom line, Democrats are the new Republicans.

It's like when some Chinese company buys the name of a great old American brand and slaps it one some cheap crap. You buy it out of reflex and its only later that you think "Wow, I didn't even know Woolworth's made dildos."

Watch the video:

Jib-Jab: Superhero Obama - "He's Come to Save the Day!"

No matter what your political persuasion, this is darned hilarious. The folks at Jib-Jab, who have lampooned just about anything you can think of, including last year's Presidential campaign, premiered its new Barack Obama Superhero video at the Radio and Television Correspondents' Association dinner last night.

Obama was there, of course, to participate in the merriment.

The video starts with the tune "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" in the background:

When arkness had descended all across the land,
A lone voice in the distance uttered "Yes! We can!"
He gave good speeches
Never sweat
He was real good at the Internets
He's Barack Obama!
He's come to save the day!

Watch the whole hilarious video:

McManiac Cop Flashes Gun at McDonald's Drive-Thru

Is there something about McDonald's that brings out the worst in people? Is there something about being a cop that brings out megalomania? A Denver police officer has been suspended after allegedly pulling his gun at a McDonald's restaurant in Aurora when he felt his order was taking too long.

The case, which is now classified as a felony menacing incident, will be the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office Thursday for possible filing of criminal charges.

Sources familiar with the case say two off-duty Denver police officers placed an order from in drive-thru at approximately 3:20 AM on May 21. Once at the drive-thru window, the men became angry at how long their food was taking. Apparently, the men thought they were being ignored. The McDonald's employee said one of the officers flashed his police badge and --- and more, his gun --- through the drive-thru window in a threatening manner, before driving off without paying.

Other reports state the officers paid, not that it really makes a difference.

Both officers are assigned to Denver International Airport although only one has been placed on administrative leave with pay, likely the one who flashed the gun.

"Magic Fingers" Bed Inventor Dies at 92

John Joseph Houghtaling, the inventor of the "Magic Fingers Vibrating Bed," has died at the age of 92. You might remember those beds which gave users 15 minutes of "tingling relaxation and ease" for a quarter in hotel and motel rooms across America in the 1960s and '70s. He died Wednesday at his home in Fort Pierce, FL.

Houghtaling invented the "Magic Fingers" machine in 1958, in the basement of his New Jersey home. He eventually moved the business to Miami in 1968. He served as president of the company until his retirement in the '80s.

Ed Watkins, editor of Lodging Hospitality magazine told the LA Times:

"It was probably the first guest-room amenity after the TV, and almost ubiquitous in motels in the 1960s and into the 1970s."

"Magic Fingers" beds have made their way into pop culture. "Put in a quarter, turn out the light, Magic Fingers makes ya feel all right," sang Jimmy Buffett in "This Hotel Room." And the bed made appearances in CSI (below) and the X-Files, as well.

RIP, John Joseph Houghtaling (pronounced HUFF-tay-ling). Sorry to say, your quarter has run out.

Che Guevara's Granddaughter Stars Semi-Nude in New PETA Ad

It's not the first time that PETA has stripped for animal rights and vegetarianism, but this is a revolutionary step. Yes, the granddaughter of Che Guevara has joined in her revolutionary granddad's footsteps by calling for a "vegetarian revolution." And semi-nude, no less.

In an ad campaign for PETA, Lydia Guevara appears in camouflage pants, a red beret, and bandoliers of baby carrots (and apparently nothing else) while standing with one fist on her hip and the other outstretched.

The campaign will debut in Argentina in October and will be seen internationally. Lydia Guevara told the Spanish news agency Efe:

"PETA's fight for animals was one of the reasons why I went vegetarian. Moreover, this lifestyle has become a true revolution that is attracting more people and is an alternative that is healthier for the planet and for humankind."

As I said, this isn't the first time someone has gone semi-nude or nude for PETA. In fact, catch PETA's State of the Union Undress below. NSFW.

Nestle Recalls Cookie Dough Over E. Coli Fears

On Friday, Nestle voluntarily recalled its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough products. The FDA and CDC are investigating E. coli reports that may be related eating raw cookie dough.

In a press release, the FDA said the following about the Nestle cookie dough recall:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are warning consumers not to eat any varieties of prepackaged Nestle Toll House refrigerated cookie dough due to the risk of contamination with E. coli O157:H7 (a bacterium that causes food borne illness).

The FDA advises that if consumers have any prepackaged, refrigerated Nestle Toll House cookie dough products in their home that they throw them away. Cooking the dough is not recommended because consumers might get the bacteria on their hands and on other cooking surfaces.

Retailers, restaurateurs, and personnel at other food-service operations should not sell or serve any Nestle Toll House prepackaged, refrigerated cookie dough products subject to the recall.

Nestle USA, which manufactures and markets the Toll House cookie dough, is fully cooperating with the ongoing investigation by the FDA and CDC. The warning is based on an ongoing epidemiological study conducted by the CDC and several state and local health departments. Since March 2009 there have been 66 reports of illness across 28 states. Twenty-five persons were hospitalized; 7 with a severe complication called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS). No one has died.

The recall includes refrigerated cookie bar dough, cookie dough tub, cookie dough tubes, limited edition cookie dough items, seasonal cookie dough and Ultimates cookie bar dough. It does not affect any other Toll House products.

One has to wonder, however, if products that include cookie dough, such as cookie dough ice cream, might be affected as well. That is unclear.

This is just the latest e. coli incident, which some say is related to the centralized, rather than local, food distribution and processing plants.

Watch a video report:

Jon and Kate to Make Major Announcement on Monday's Show

Jon and Kate Plus 8, the TLC reality show, may be losing one of them, or perhaps just entering a phase of the show where divorce is the central theme. A major announcement is planned for this Monday's show.

Recently, the couple spent their 10th anniversary apart, and Jon and Kate have both been accused of affairs. Kate was highlighted by the media in some impressive looking bikini shots, but was accompanied on that trip by the kids, a nanny and the object (some say) of her affection, her bodyguard, Steve Neild.

The show is normally 30 minutes. For this Jon and Kate announcement, however, the show has been extended to one hour. In a promo video for the show, Kate Gosselin is heard saying:

"Recently we've made some life-changing decisions. Decisions that will affect every member of our family...ones that we hope will bring each of us some peace."

It sounds like this is it. The Jon and Kate announcement is either a separation or a divorce. At least, all signs point in that direction. You can bet the show will grab ratings higher than those for the season opener, which already had huge numbers.

Watch the promo video for the Jon and Kate announcement video:

Continental Pilot Dies Mid-Flight

The 60-year-old Continental Airlines pilot on a flight from Brussels to Newark died over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday. However, the jet landed safely with the co-pilot and a relief pilot at the controls.

The Continental flight, flight 61, touched down on-time just before 12 noon at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to authorities. The flight was carrying 247 passengers on a Boeing 777.

Passengers weren't told of the pilot's death during the flight, but an announcement was made asking if any doctors were aboard, which had to alarm passengers. A doctor who was on board the plane pronounced the pilot dead during the flight. His body was removed from the cockpit and moved to the crew rest area.

In a statement, Contintental said:

“The captain of Continental flight 61, which was en route from Brussels to New York, died on flight apparently of natural causes. The fight continued safely with two pilots at the controls.”

In January 2007, a Continental flight has a similar issue. The flight, from Texas to a Mexican vacation resort made an emergency landing after the pilot fell ill. The co-pilot safely landed the plane carrying 210 passengers, but the pilot died on the ground.

Watch a video report:

PETA Weighs in on Obama's Fly Affair

When I wrote about PETA possibly being upset with President Barack Obama's treatment of a fly on-air during a CNBC interview, I was kidding. PETA actually has chosen to comment on the fly-killing, however!

Thing is, they're not upset. They're replying because (and they were surprised by this) media outlets actually contacted them about the fly execution. Here's what they said:

In a nutshell, our position is this: He isn't the Buddha, he's a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act.

If all this has you wondering how you can be a bigger person (figuratively, as well as literally) in your dealings with exoskeletal beings, check out our handy-dandy bug catcher—one of which we are sending to President Obama for future insect incidents. I can tell you from personal experience that it sure came in handy the other day, when one of my cats was chasing the World's Largest Palmetto Bug around the house.

Watch the "event" below:

Boredom Leads Lindsay Lohan to Post Topless Photo on Twitter

This is what happens, I suppose, when you are really bored, and when you are still not over your lesbian lover. It seems that LiLo may be headed down the same dark road that Britney Spears went down. She posted a topless picture of herself on Twitter, because she was bored, saying:

OLD PHOTOS. I'm THAT bored

The photo is old, from a Top Fornaria shoot. A little later in Lindsay Lohan's Twitter stream, she says:

I can't sleep @samantharonson its your fault!

Obviously, she's referencing on-again, off-again lover Samantha Ronson.

However, still later, another post:

Haha-the photo of me for FORNARINA in THE TRAILER was sent by my sister as a PRANK. So calm down radaronline.com with FAKE STORIES!

The reference to Radar Online is because they picked on this story pretty early. As far as whether or not it's a joke vs. some sort of semi-meltdown, who knows?

It's interesting, there's a guy in the photo, who according to Radar Online is LiLo's attorney, Mark Heller. Why he would be with her when she's topless is yet another question.

GOP Staffer Who Sent Racist Obama Email Gets Slap on the Wrist (If That)

You'll recall the racist email sent by Sherri Goforth, aide to Tenn. State Sen. Diane Black (R). Despite pressure on Black, she has refused to terminate Goforth.

Today on CNN, former Cheney aide Ron Christie said that “I think the appropriate course of action would be for this staffer to be dismissed.”

However, Black told CNN yesterday that that although the e-mail “does not represent the beliefs or opinions of my office,” she decided to keep Goforth on staff:

When I did find out about the communication that was sent out, I immediately called the H.R. department and through their advice did what they told me needed to be done when there was a violation of an e-mail policy by the state. And so, therefore, as you have already stated, Miss Goforth did get a verbal reprimand as well as a very strongly worded reprimand written and it was put in her file that if this should ever occur again, that she should be immediately terminated.

Strongly worded reprimand? Check out a copy of the letter, which the Tennessee Democratic Party has obtained. You decide if it is all that "strongly worded."

Letter Text:
June 2, 2009

Sherri Goforth
5 LP
Nashville, Tennessee 37243

Dear Sherri,
This is a follow up to confirm our conversation regarding the state email policy. First, as we discussed, email communications are for state use only and should not be used for purposes outside of the guidelines established. Also, as we discussed, no communication that is derogatory regarding any minority should be sent from this office or that employee will be subject to termination of employment with my office. I know you take this policy seriously and I am confident that you will abide by the policy. Your service to my office and the legislature has been commendable with the exception of this incident and I look forward to working together in the future within these guidelines.

Sincerely,
Diane Black

Email Use Policy:

Please remember that our e-mail system is provided to you as a tool to help you perform required legislative business. Sending messages that are improper, create the appearance of an impropriety, or are unprofessional and would embarrass the General Assembly are prohibited. Failure to comply with our e-mail policy could result in disciplinary action or suspension of your privileges in using our e-mail system.

Yes, that was so strongly worded that it made me quake. Goforth originally apologized only for sending the email to the wrong "list," (obviously, she meant to send it to the racist list). She did not apologize for the content of her email until later.

We might want to ask Sarah Palin how she feels about this.

Meanwhile, the Nashville Scene has an interesting quote from Black:

"I spent time in Haiti during the time of Aristide working with people with black skin who needed medical help."

The way she posed that comment shows that, despite her assertions, she's not the Florence Nightingale she makes herself out to be.

I remember a really old TV ad, where a grandfather asked his grandson about a friend. Forgive me if I misremember all the details, but I have the gist. The grandson said he had a black friend. The grandfather (gently) accused the grandson of being racist.

Why? Because he said his friend was his "black" friend, not just his friend.

Top 10 Things Heard at the "Fire David Letterman" Rally

Despite Sarah Palin's acceptance of David Letterman's second apology, people are still up in arms over Letterman's joke about Bristol Palin, which was misinterpreted to be about 14-year-old Willow Palin.

A "crowd" (and I use that term loosely) of 15 protesters held signs and occasionally shouted on Tuesday afternoon as they stood across the street from Letterman's studio. Thing is, there was more media there than protesters, with 35 members of the press there.

It's unclear what the protesters hope to accomplish. CBS is not going to fire Letterman, and to be honest, worse things are said daily about other celebrities (such as Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears).

Watch the protesters and their brainy responses. One continues to believe the joke as about Willow Palin, but thinks that Willow Palin went to a basketball game (it was a Yankees baseball game). Another says he only watches Fox News.

Meanwhile, Letterman made light of the protesters, with a "Top 10 Things Overheard at the 'Fire David Letterman' Rally" Top 10 List. They were.

Number 10: “David who?”
Number 9: “Well, it was nice of CBS to provide the catering”
Number 8: “We should have done this years ago”
Number 7: “What idiot turned Broadway into a pedestrian mall?”
Number 6: “Isn’t there always a crowd demanding Letterman be fired?”
Number 5: “March around the potholes, people”
Number 4: “Can we also get CBS to bring back ‘Gunsmoke’?”
Number 3: “When does Cheney get here with the waterboarding gear?”
Number 2: “He should apologize for that hairpiece”
Number 1: “Thanks for coming, Regis”

Watch the Top 10 List:

Fly in the Ointment? Obama Kills It

In what's bound to cause insect rights activists (or PETA) to call for his head, President Barack Obama, while sitting down for an interview with CNBC's John Harwood, both were annoyed by what Harwood called "the most persistent fly I've ever seen.". Obama showed clear and decisive executive action, killing the fly with a swat of his hand.

Harwood's comment when Obama killed the fly: "Nice," to which Obama replied, "Now, where were we?"

Now, let's not forget that it's not that easy to swat a fly with your bare hand. The reaction to Obama killing a mere fly was swift (but snarky) in the blogosphere.

Of note: the President himself picked up the fly with a napkin, not letting his own staffers do what he himself would not.

Finally, quote of the day, from the video: “I got it. I got the sucker.”

GOP Sen. John Ensign Admits to Affair

Sen. John Ensign, (R-NV), 51, mentioned by some as a potential Presidential candidate in 2012, has acknowledged an extramarital affair with a former campaign staffer. Ensign said the following at a press conference on Tuesday:

"Last year I had an affair. I violated the vows of my marriage. It is the worst thing I have ever done in my life. If there was ever anything in my life that I could take back, this would be it."

The former staffer is married to one of the lawmaker's former legislative aides. Neither has worked for John Ensign since 2008. His wife, Darlene Ensign did not attend the press conference, but issued a statement saying the couple's marriage has become "stronger" after the affair. She also stated, "I love my husband."

A few ironic facts about John Ensign:

In 1998, as a House member running against Sen. Majority Leader Harry Reid, John Ensign called on President Bill Clinton to resign after his affair with Monica Lewinsky was revealed, saying:

“I came to that conclusion recently, and frankly it’s because of what he put his whole Cabinet through and what he has put the country through. He has no credibility left.”

In September 2007, John Ensign called then-Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) a "disgrace" after Craig was arrested in a Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport men's restroom and pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct in a sex sting. He said:

"There's too many people that paint with a broad brush that we're all corrupt, we're all amoral ... And having these kinds of things happen, whether it's a Republican or Democratic senator — we certainly have had plenty of Democratic scandals in the past — we need people who are in office who will hold themselves to a little higher standard."

Browns WR Donte Stallworth to Serve for Drunk-Driving Death

Cleveland Browns WR Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty on Tuesday to manslaughter while driving under the influence of alcohol. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail for the car crash that killed a pedestrian on Miami Beach in March.

In addition, he will follow the jail term will be followed by two years of house arrest and eight years' probation. Stallworth will probably be able to continue to play in the NFL, as people under house arrest are usually permitted to go to work or school. It will be up to the NFL and to his probation officer, however.

Donte Stallworth will have to blow some of his cash on a limo driver, however, his driver's license has been suspended for life. Finally, the judge ordered Stallworth to pay $10,000 in fines and perform 1,000 hours of community service.

Blood tests showed Stallworth had a blood alcohol level of 0.126, well above Florida's legal limit of 0.08, when he hit and killed 59-year-old construction worker Mario Reyes on March 14. HE had been drinking at a club before the accident. Reyes had been walking across the MacArthur Causeway after finishing his shift as a crane operator.

Stallworth, 28, had faced up to 15 years in prison but pleaded guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. In a way, it hardly seems a fair sentence for the death of an innocent person. However, State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Stallworth had no prior traffic violations or criminal convictions, and that Reyes's family had agreed to the terms of his sentence.

FDA Warns Zicam Products May Damage Sense of Smell

On Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned consumers to stop using certain products from Zicam, as use of these products have been linked to anosmia, or loss of the sense of smell.

The products involved are:

• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Gel
• Zicam Cold Remedy Nasal Swabs
• Zicam Cold Remedy Swabs, Kids Size (a discontinued product)

The FDA's press release about the Zicam alert said:

The FDA has received more than 130 reports of loss of sense of smell associated with the use of these three Zicam products. In these reports, many people who experienced a loss of smell said the condition occurred with the first dose; others reported a loss of the sense of smell after multiple uses of the products.

“Loss of sense of smell is a serious risk for people who use these products for relief from cold symptoms,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “We are concerned that consumers may unknowingly use a product that could cause serious harm, and therefore we are advising them not to use these products for any reason.”

People who have experienced a loss of sense of smell or other problems after use of the affected Zicam products should contact their health care professional. The loss of sense of smell can adversely affect a person’s quality of life, and can limit the ability to detect the smell of gas or smoke or other signs of danger in the environment.

The FDA has issued Matrixx Initiatives, maker of these Zicam products, a warning letter telling it that these products cannot be marketed without FDA approval.

Zicam manufacturer Matrixx Initiatives Inc. saw its stock plummet 55.5% to $8.56 before trading was halted. Zicam has responded via a website, zicamlawsuits.com, where they said:

Matrixx Initiatives, Inc., the manufacturer of Zicam Cold Remedy intranasal zinc gluconate gel products, affirms that its intranasal gel products do not cause hyposmia (diminished sense of smell) or anosmia (loss of smell), and allegations to the contrary are scientifically unfounded and misleading. The company’s position is supported by the cumulative science and has been confirmed by a multi-disciplinary panel of scientists and the decisions of 10 separate federal judges evaluating scientific evidence in 10 different cases.

Although plaintiffs and their attorneys hoping for financial gain have sued Matrixx, no plaintiff has ever won a court case, because there is no known causal link between the use of Zicam Cold Remedy nasal gel and impairment of smell. No well-controlled scientific study has demonstrated a potential cause-and-effect relationship between use of Zicam and diminished smell function. No court cases have revealed any reliable evidence of any causal relationship. All scientific research and all controlled scientific studies to date have shown that Zicam is not a likely cause of smell dysfunction, and all of the anecdotal speculation offered in court has been discredited as unrelated, unreliable or deeply flawed.

Sarah Palin (Finally) Accepts Letterman's Apology

It only took two tries, but Sarah Palin has finally accepted David Letterman's apology. You may recall that his first apology was just a little too snarky for Palin, who continued to criticize Letterman. His second one, aired last night on his show, seems to have hit the mark. His second one, aired last night on his show, seems to have hit the mark.

In a statement issued Tuesday, the Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin said:

"Of course, it's accepted on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve.

"Letterman certainly has the right to 'joke' about whatever he wants to, and thankfully we have the right to express our reaction," she went on. "And this is all thanks to our U.S. Military women and men putting their lives on the line for us to secure America's Right to Free Speech - in this case, may that right be used to promote equality and respect."

Waitasec. Evolve? Is this Sarah Palin talking?

At any rate, on Monday's show David Letterman attempted (and apparently succeeded) at putting the issue to rest, saying the following:

"All right, here - I've been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week - it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don't know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There's no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can't be defended.

The next day, people are outraged. They're angry at me because they said, 'How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?' And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the Governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani...And I really should have made the joke about Rudy..." (audience applauds)

"But I didn't, and now people are getting angry and they're saying, 'Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make those horrible jokes about a kid who's completely innocent, minding her own business,' and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she's now at the ball game and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I'm wondering, 'Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?' I've never made jokes like this as long as we've been on the air, 30 long years, and you can't really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself.

"And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer 'Newshour' - this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, 'Oh, boy, now I'm beginning to understand what the problem is here. It's the perception rather than the intent.' It doesn't make any difference what my intent was, it's the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it's not a very good joke. And I'm certainly - " (audience applause) "- thank you.

Well, my responsibility - I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault. That it was misunderstood." (audience applauds) "Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much." (audience applause)

Let's move on to issues now, and not to more 62-year-old comedians who don't vet their writers' jokes well enough, OK?

Fake Miley Cyrus BJ Pics Hit the Web

It's no secret that Miley Cyrus has previously been dating out of her age range (meaning dating 20-year-olds), but apparently she's recently re-connected with someone her age, 16-year-old Nick Jonas. One might think that would shut down some of the more adult-ish gossip around Cyrus, but not really, as a so called BJ pic has hit the web.

Yes, the picture is purportedly of Miley Cyrus giving someone a BJ, oral sex. First of all, even if such a photo existed, it would also definitely be illegal. Secondly, there's no contact with the "recipient." Finally, it looks like the pic is Photoshopped (altered), as shown by The Paparazzis website.

Miley Cyrus isn't the first Disney star to suffer from such indignities; of course, the prior one I'm thinking about is Vanessa Hudgens, and unfortunately hers wasn't a Photoshopped image as appears the case in this BJ image.

So, you can calm down now. It looks like Miley Cyrus BJ flap is all fake, and hopefully die down. Let's let the 16-year-old (who admittedly, is growing up way too fast, and has the potential to become as diva-ish as Lindsay Lohan) get back to her life.

Artist Secrets "F Word" Message on Yearbook Cover

Shades of those old puzzles where you had to find hidden images in a picture. A high school yearbook in Shaker Heights, OH, has been "recalled," sort of, when it was discovered that the student artist who designed the cover secreted the words "F All Y'all."

Of course, you had to turn the yearbook cover upside-down and look carefully. Most likely, I'd guess it was found by a student, rather than a school employee with too much time on their hands.

Shaker Heights High School Principal Michael Griffith wrote in a letter to students and parents that the cover of the yearbook, which featured a gathering of the school's Red Raider mascots, also contained the above "farewell message." In the letter, the offending student apologized, as well.

Cosmetic surgery is being done on the covers to remove the message. One has to wonder if the student or his parents are being billed for this; considering the budget issues of schools today, they should be.

Watch a video report.

After Sending Racist Email About Obama, GOP Staffer Only Sorry She Was Caught

Racism is alive and well, in the United States, as if anyone needed reminding. A legislative staffer forwarded West Tennessee blogger Newscoma a "historical keepsake photo of all the presidents" they had been sent from another staffer. However, there was no real picture of Barack Obama. Instead, there was just a pair of eyes. The implication? A "spook."

Yep, spook is yet another racist term for African-Americans. Click the above image to enlarge. Newscoma was incensed:

Dammit, Tennessee, haven’t we moved past this kind of crap. I’m serious.

Leaders and their staffs need to be just that. LEADERS! And they have done a pretty suspect job this year if you ask me.

We live in a world of uncertainty and a lot of hurt. In Tennessee, it’s more important to pass dog bills than the budget. But, I guess we can find the time to send out junk, racist emails. Jeez.

Racist imagery matters.

Nashville is Talking tracked down the staffer who sent the email. She was sorry. Sorry she was caught. Her name is Sherri Goforth. She has been reprimanded but will keep her job (why????).

“I went on the wrong email and I inadvertently hit the wrong button. I’m very sick about it, and it’s one of those things I can’t change or take back.”

"I'm sorry that I didn't send it to the other racists that I planned to. I'm sorry I got caught. I'm really sick about the fact that people know I'm a racist."

Yep.

Letterman: Joke "Beyond Flawed," Fully Apologizes to Palin

Let's hope this is the end of the David Letterman - Sarah Palin feud. While last week Letterman apologized, it was in a snarky sort of way, and wasn't accepted by Palin.

Of course, this comes from the party that sent emails around saying there wouldn't be a White House Easter Egg hunt because of all the watermelons the Obamas would plant, mailers with Obama shown with fried chicken and watermelons, and compared Michelle Obama to a gorilla. All racist in content, yet the Obamas, it appears, have a thicker skin than Palin.

Certainly I don't approve of the original jokes. However, while it's true that the jokes that Letterman made were hardly acceptable, it can only be hoped that with this statement, we can now move on. Here's what Letterman said during the taping of his show Monday, as released by CBS PR. It should be noted that this was Letterman's idea, not CBS'.

"All right, here - I've been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week - it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don't know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There's no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can't be defended.

The next day, people are outraged. They're angry at me because they said, 'How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?' And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the Governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani...And I really should have made the joke about Rudy..." (audience applauds)

"But I didn't, and now people are getting angry and they're saying, 'Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make those horrible jokes about a kid who's completely innocent, minding her own business,' and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she's now at the ball game and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I'm wondering, 'Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?' I've never made jokes like this as long as we've been on the air, 30 long years, and you can't really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself.

"And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer 'Newshour' - this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, 'Oh, boy, now I'm beginning to understand what the problem is here. It's the perception rather than the intent.' It doesn't make any difference what my intent was, it's the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it's not a very good joke. And I'm certainly - " (audience applause) "- thank you.

Well, my responsibility - I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault. That it was misunderstood." (audience applauds) "Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much." (audience applause)

The Duggars' First Grandchild is a Girl

As I wrote earlier, the Duggar family was expecting its first grandchild, and although the delivery date is still months away, we now know it's a girl.

Joshua Duggar, the eldest of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar's 18 children, along with wife Anna, appeared on the Today Show where the baby's gender was revealed, via cutting through a cake.

The cake provided by the show was pink inside, indicating a Duggar girl is on the way. It doesn't look like Josh is up for a family as large as his parents, however.

"We'd be happy with two or three. I think that children are a blessing though and when you raise them right they're a great blessing."

TLC's reality TV show about the Duggars, "18 Kids and Counting," airs Tuesday nights at 9 PM.

Puppy Survives Being Flushed Down Toilet

A week-old cocker spaniel puppy in Great Britain survived being accidentally flushed down the toilet when he was trying to wash it.

Now named Dyno after the name of the plumbing company that rescued him, the puppy's young owner Daniel Blair, 4, thought the puppy needed washing after a muddy romp in the yard, so he placed in the toilet, and flushed, thinking Dyno would just get a bath. Instead, he was swept into the sewer system.

Firefighters and animal welfare officers could not reach it, so Daniel's mother called Dyno-Rod, who used the type of camera they use to check for sewage pipe problems, and spotted the dog lying upside down in a pipe about 20 meters away from the Blair's house. Dyno-Rod then used a long rod to push the pup to the nearest manhole cover, then retrieved him.

Of course, Daniel promises to never do it again, which means the family will never get him to bathe a dog, no matter how big the dog is. Ah, well.

Watch a video report:

New York City Officials Fooled Into Marrying Same-Sex Couple

The New York Post reports that Hakim Nelson and Jason Stenson became the first same-sex couple to be married in New York State, doing so on May 26. The fact that same-sex marriage isn't legal in New York City didn't apparently faze city officials.

Apparently not paying attention, and fooled by the fact that the "bride" wore a dress, officials not only OK'd the marriage license, but conducted the ceremony. They apparently didn't notice or care that both participants had male names. Or maybe, with the way people name kids nowadays, they figured, "what the heck?"

One thing that undoubtedly helped was that Nelson's ID card has an "F" for female on it, because the official who issued it in April assumed from his appearance that he was a woman.

A source with the city clerk's office said:

"Is our system 100 percent foolproof? What system is? We do the best job we can.

"If someone is trying to willfully sneak through, we try to stop it. But you have instances of females [who] have male names and vice versa.

"You've heard of a boy named Sue, right?"

Of course, as same-sex marriage is not legal in New York, the marriage is not valid. That said, it's still a hiliarious story.

SC GOP Activist Calls Gorilla "Just One of Michelle's Ancestors"

Rusty DePass, a prominent South Carolina GOP activist, is in trouble after describing an escaped gorilla at a South Carolina zoo as an “ancestor” of First Lady Michelle Obama.

The bout of "foot-in-mouth" disease started when Trey Walker, an advisor to S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster, posted a Facebook update about the escape of a Western Lowlands Gorilla from Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo, which occured on Friday.

DePass then replied:

“I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors — probably harmless."

DePass, after facing criticism even from his own party, told WIS-TV:

"I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone. The comment was clearly in jest."

Comparing an African-American to an ape has long been known to be racist. Of course, over and over again, the excuse made for such comments has been either that it was a joke or that the person involved didn't know it was a racist comment.

Unfortunately, since these comments, when they occur, have been highly publicized, it becomes harder and harder to believe the excuse that the commenter simply didn't know.

Columbia, SC Mayor Bob Coble said the following:

"You know, I don't think there's anything funny about that comment. That is the First Lady of the United States. We've had a long tradition of wonderful first ladies, and I don't think any of them deserve that type of comment."

The comment has since been removed from Facebook and DePass' Facebook account has also been deleted.

Maher Blasts Obama: "This Isn't What I Voted For!"

Just because you're a liberal doesn't mean you won't complain about another liberal doing things you don't agree with. In point of fact, that's true "Fair and Balanced Journalism." For example, Sen. Max Baucus (D-Montana) and health care reform, in my mind, don't mix well. On Friday night's Real Time with Bill Maher, Bill picked on someone of note among Democrats: President Barack Obama.

On Friday, Maher said that Obama is on TV too much. He brought up the fact that you can't turn on the TV without seeing Obama. And yes, he was critical about things he felt Obama promised, but isn't doing:

Sorry folks, but this President is not fighting for real health care reform. It's nibbling that leaves insurance companies still running the show. And the banks, the banks that brought us to financial ruin and then got bailout money, are laughing at us about how easy it was to get back to "business as usual." And scientists keep saying that if we want to keep living, you know, on Earth, it's kind of essential we reduce carbon dioxide by 40% in the next ten years. Obama's bill calls for 4%.

This is not getting the job done, and this is not what I voted for.

And this why I don't want my President to be a TV star. Because TV stars are too worried about being popular and too concerned about getting renewed.

Oh, you can relax about that one, Mr. President. The party is doing everything it can to ensure you'll get re-elected ... the Republican party.

Speaking of which, speaking of the Republicans, if you can't shove some real reform down their throats now, then when? Folks, Barack Obama needs to start putting it on the line in fights against the banks, the energy companies and the health care industry.

I never thought I'd say this, but actually what he needs in his personality, is a little George Bush (audience groans). He needs to stop worrying about being loved, and bring out that smug, insufferable swagger that says "Suck on it, America!"

George Bush had horrible ideas --- torture, deregulation, pre-emptive wars, tax cuts for the rich --- but he pushed them through in their full measure. Never mind the Congress or the Constitution ... the Geneva Convention ... Magna Carta ... Hammurabi's Code ... the point is, he didn't care if it made him unpopular with every human on the planet not named Cletus or Fred Barnes. Which it did.

And what we need to do, is to marry the good ideas that Barack Obama has, with a little bit of that Bush attitude, that certitude. I'd love it if Obama came out one day and said "Jesus told me to fix healthcare!"

In conclusion, Bush was bad. But he never cared if he was seen out in a restaurant having a burger with Dick Cheney. If he wanted a burger, he picked up the phone and said "I'm the President, bring me a burger!" And they would say, "Sir, this is NORAD. Would you please stop ordering burgers into the red phone?"

I'm glad Obama is President, but the "Audacity of Hope" part is over. Right now, I'm hoping for a little more audacity.

Watch the video below:

Prejean Emails Show Arrogance; Lack of Professional Conduct

A series of emails between Keith Lewis, Miss California USA director, and former Miss California Carrie Prejean shows a lack of professionalism on her part, as well as arrogance. For some, this can be said to be the reason she was fired, but there is doubt the story is over yet.

Ignoring the controversy over former Miss California Carrie Prejean's opinion on same-sex marriage, or of her undisclosed semi-nude photos, there was one thing that could not be denied: her contract stated that a) she wasn't supposed to make appearances with the Miss California USA's consent, and b) she was supposed to make appearances they scheduled.

Keith Lewis said the following to Geraldo at Large:

"The hardest thing about firing her was that I believe it was exactly what they wanted. This script wouldn't even sell in Hollywood it's so unbelievable. And since I have nothing to gain from firing her, and she has everything to gain ... to say it's her beliefs that got her fired, that's why we're hearing this story," said Lewis.

Lewis agreed that Prejean didn't "miss" any appearances — but also says she didn't agree to any.

Certainly, most runners-up in the Miss USA pageant disappear off the face of the earth. While Lewis said it wasn't her beliefs that got Prejean fired, she of course disagrees, and is planning, according to reports, to write a tell-all book, which will extend her 15 minutes of fame well past what it should be.

Read part of the email exchange between Prejean and Lewis, emphasis mine. Still more can be read here.

From: "Keith Lewis"Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 10:10:25 -0700To: cprejeanxxxx Subject: RE: Messages

Carrie,

Although I do not agree with your directive nor is this letter an indication of our intent to waive our contract rights, we do not want to escalate the situation with you. In good faith, we will simply ask that you provide us all of the details so that we can block it in on our master calendar. We would also want to get the contact information should something come up - like you become missing after the event or you are in an accident before the event and need us to reach out for you. It is for your safety and our responsibility.

Best regards,

Keith Lewis

---

From: cprejeanXXXXSent: Friday, May 29, 2009 7:57 AMTo: Keith LewisSubject: Re: Messages

You do not cooperate with me, and you pick and chose the the things YOU want me to do. That is not happening anymore. Stop speaking for me. I have MY own voice. What are u gonna do fire me for volunteering for the special olympics hahaha ur crazy No I am doing this appearance. You do not need details. Its for the SPECIAL OLYMPICS!!! You just need to know I will be doing it alright

You will not facilitate this appearance

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

---

From: "Keith Lewis"Date: Fri, 29 May 2009 08:01:35 -0700To: cprejeanxxxx Subject: RE: Messages

Carrie,

As we have discussed, there is proper protocol and we have not waived our rights in any way to your contract. I am happy to try and facilitate the request. Please forward over the information along with the proper contact and we will try and confirm the appearance right away.

---

From: cprejeanXXXXSent: Friday, May 29, 2009 7:40 AMTo: Keith LewisSubject: Re: Messages

I expect you to be forwarding me ALL email requests and interview requests to me. I know how you are and its not right if you are selecting things for me. Thanks for your cooperation And fyi I am a presenter of medals at the special olympics in a few weeks for the summer games. So now u know I am doing this and I expect your full support. Also I was asked to fill in for a dj on a local radio show.. Ill be reading from a show biz script monday. I am doing this

Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Jennifer Aniston Takes on Her Love Life, Brad Pitt

At Friday night's Women in Film Awards in Culver City, Calif., host Chelsea Handler presented Jennifer Aniston with the Crystal Award for Excellence in Film. Handler said:

"You have increased the visibility of women in film, and we thank you for that. You've recently decreased the visibility of John Mayer, so we thank you for that."

At the same time, howver, Aniston lamented over her love life, though in a somewhat humorous way, comparing it to her movie career. She said:

"There seems to be this strange parallel between movies I was doing and my life off screen. Going back, it started with, you know, The Good Girl, and, uh, you know, that evolved into Rumor Has It, then that was followed by Derailed.

"Then there was The Breakup, and then on the the lighter side there was Friends With Money, which I felt was a bit on the nose.

"So, if any of you have a project titled Everlasting Love With an Adult Stable Male, just go to my table."

Watch her acceptance speech:

Border Group Leader Arrested In Double Killing In Arizona

Shawna Forde, 41, leader of Minutemen American Defense, a small border watch group, Jason Eugene Bush, 34, its operations director, as well as Albert Robert Gaxiola, 42, have been charged with two counts each of first-degree murder and other charges. Forde was once associated with the better known and larger Minuteman Civil Defense Corps.

Sheriff Clarence Dupnic of Pima County, AZ said that the trio is alleged to have dressed as law enforcement officers and forced their way into a rural Arivaca home on May 30. At that time they wounded a woman and fatally shot her husband Raul Junior Flores, 29, and 9-year-old daughter Brisenia. The name of the wounded woman who survived the attack hasn't been released. Their motive was financial, Dupnic said.

Dupnic said:

"The husband who was murdered has a history of being involved in narcotics and there was an anticipation that there would be a considerable amount of cash at this location as well as the possibility of drugs.

"This was a planned home invasion where the plan was to kill all the people inside this trailer so there would be no witnesses. To just kill a 9-year-old girl because she might be a potential witness to me is just one of the most despicable acts that I have heard of."

It should be noted that there is no affiliation between the two groups, and the larger, nationally known group is fearing a backlash. Forde was indeed a member of the larger group, but was encouraged to leave the group over questions about honesty and her inability to follow orders, according to reports.

Al Garza, vice president of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, said:

“We worked with Ms. Forde briefly before dismissing her in 2005. We conduct a very stringent vetting process before engaging in any long-term association with any person or group.

“Unfortunately we have no control over the use of the Minuteman name."

"Slumdog Millionaire" Child Star Finally Gets New Home

"Slumdog Millionaire" star Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail, 10, who earlier saw his home demolished when authorities demolished parts of the slum his family was living in, has a new home.

Nirja Mattoo, who helps oversee a trust set up by the filmmakers to help Azharuddin and his 9-year-old co-star Rubina Ali, said that the purchase of a 250-square-foot one-bedroom apartment for the family of Ismail was completed Monday.

Mattoo added that the trust is actively looking for a new home for Rubina, as well. Rubina Ali's home was similarly demolished.

Provided that he completes school, ownership of the apartment, which cost about 2.5 million rupees ($50,000) will be transferred from the trust to Azharuddin when he turns 18, provided he completes school. There was no comment as far as what would happen if he did not complete school.

The apartment is located in Santa Cruz West, a suburb of Mumbai just north of the slum where the two children now live.

Final Destination: Woman Misses Fatal Air France Flight, Only to Die in Car Crash Days Later

Johanna Ganthaler, an Italian womand and a pensioner from Bolzano-Bozen province and her husband Kurt were on vacation in Brazil. The couple was supposed to take the doomed Air France Flight 447 back to Paris. However, they missed the plane and took a different one home instead. It was just a brief reprieve, however, as she died in a car crash in Austria a few days later.

Shades of the movie "Final Destination." In that movie, a group of friends misses a flight because one of them has a vision of the plane crashing. The plane indeed crashes, and afterwards, his friends die one by one.

For those not aware, Flight 447 crashed into the Atlantic, apparently killing all 228 passengers. Crews are still struggling to find the black boxes which will be integral to determining the exact cause of the crash.

Johanna and Kurt Ganthalers' car crashed after veering across a road in Kufstein, Austria, according to Italian news agency ANSA. The car swerved into the path an oncoming truck and Johanna Ganthaler was killed. Her husband was seriously injured.

George H. W. Bush Skydives for His 85th Birthday

Happy birthday and happy landings to the 41st president of the U.S., George H. W. Bush. He celebrated his 85th birthday today by parachuting out of an airplane in Kennebunkport, Maine.

It's hardly his first jump; his first one was in WWII, under less favorable circumstances. In fact, this was his 7th jump. George H.W. Bush made a tandem jump with a member of the Army's Golden Knights parachute team. Tandem jumps are a type of skydiving where a student skydiver is connected via a harness to a tandem instructor. The instructor guides the student through the whole jump.

Bush's previous jumps include his first as a Navy pilot when his plane was shot down over the Pacific during World War II. He also made jumps to mark his 75th and 80th birthdays and on two other occasions. His most recent jump was in November 2007 at the reopening of his library at Texas A & M University.

RNC Chairman Steele Asks for a Letterman Boycott

The David Letterman - Sarah Palin dust-up just won't go away. Whether or not he really meant it, some are saying that RNC chairman Michael Steele has just called for a boycott of "Late Night with David Letterman."

However, before we delve further into this faux outrage, can someone explain why a political party that is just fine with "Barack the Magic Negro" songs and comparing the President to a chimp expresses outrage at Sarah Palin being referred to in a way that would be just fine for Britney Spears?

Here's what Steele told the Hill:

"Letterman's joke about Sarah and Todd Palin's daughter was thoughtless and tacky. I saw his explanation for the joke, but sometimes the easiest thing to do is simply say 'I'm sorry.'

"When Letterman starts making tasteless jokes about kids, it's time to turn the channel."

You know what? Get over it. Did anyone apologize for "Barack the Magic Negro?" No, in fact John "Chip" Saltsman, former manager for Mike Huckabee's 2008 presidential campaign and (at the time) a candidate for the chairmanship of the RNC defended it.

Let's call it even and move on.

Independent Forensics Examiner: David Carradine's Death Not a Suicide

Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner for New York City who appears on the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," has released the results of his forensic examination. He had been hired by David Carradine's family to do an independent exam, and he has determined that David Carradine's death was not a suicide. He added, however, that further information was required from Thai investigators to determine an exact cause of death.

Dr. Michael Baden said the following in a statement released to The Associated Press through Carradine's brothers, Keith and Robert Carradine:

"To reach a final determination as to the cause and the manner of death we must wait for further information from Thailand, as to the scene findings and the completion of the crime laboratory and toxicology studies that are still being performed."

David Carradine had been found in his Bangkok hotel room last week by a maid. His body was hanging in the closet of his room. A Thai tabloid, Thai Rath, published a graphic image of the death scene that police have said appears to be a leaked forensics image. Carradine's family was incensed when the photo was released, and promised legal action if it appeared in any U.S.-based media.

Speculation in Carradine's death ranged from suicide to accidental death while engaged in auto-erotic asphyxiation.

David Carradine starred in the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu.” His was a controversial choice, made when network executives felt that the starring role in the series could not be carried by their first choice, Asian actor Bruce Lee.

In the series, David Carradine played Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who travels through the American Old West armed only with his skill in martial arts. Carradine actually had no knowledge of martial arts prior to starring in the series, but developed an interest in it after this experience and became an avid practitioner.

Despite the controversy, the series was pretty successful, at least for a time, and spawned a TV movie and sequels. It also became clear that despite eschewing Bruce Lee as the star, the series was quite provided many acting roles for Asian actors.

David Carradine also had a notable movie career, including, of late, a role in the series of movies, Kill Bill. Of late, he has also done a significant number of voiceovers for animated features.

Watch a clip from the series Kung Fu:

Letterman Responds to Palin's Criticisms

On Wednesday night, David Letterman addressed Sarah Palin's response to Monday night's Top Ten List, the "Top Ten Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip to New York City," seen below in a video. Palin accused Letterman of making "disgusting" and "sexually perverted" jokes about one of her daughters, and also called one of his jokes about her looking like a "slutty flight attendant," "pretty pathetic."

Here's the top ten list that caused the Letterman - Palin controversy:

10. Visited New York landmarks she normally only sees from Alaska
9. Laughed at all the crazy-looking foreigners entering the U.N.
8. Made moose jerky on Rachael Ray
7. Keyed Tina Fey's car
6. After a wink and a nod, ended up with a kilo of crack
5. Made coat out of New York City rat pelts
4. Sat in for Kelly Ripa. Regis couldn't tell the difference.
3. Finally met one of those Jewish people Mel Gibson's always talking about
2. Bought makeup from Bloomingdale's to update her "slutty flight attendant" look
1. Especially enjoyed not appearing on Letterman

Additionally, Letterman made a joke about Yankee star Alex Rodriguez "knocking up" one of Palin's daughters at a Yankees game, and another about Palin having problems keeping Eliot Spitzer away from her daughter. Palin believed, or at least said they believed, that the jokes were directed at 14-year-old daughter Willow, who recently attended a game at New York's Yankee Stadium.

On last night's episode, Letterman tried to clear the air on last night's episode, and invited the Alaska governor onto his show. He announced on-air that his real target was 18-year-old Bristol Palin, who became a single mother earlier this year, and whose pregnancy obviously embarrassed the "family values" Palin camp during last year's Presidential race.

In his response Wednesday night, which, for Letterman, a pretty long segment, of seven minutes, Letterman noted in refernce to Sarah Palin that he had stepped into traffic. As he noted, they're just jokes. He read the response from Sarah and Todd Palin from their own website.

"I'm telling you, I recognize that these are ugly. These are actually ugly. These are borderline ... but again, in an act of desperation to get cheap laughs, which is what I've been doing for the last 30 years. [...]

"These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter. I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl. Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes. Did I suggest that it was OK for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No."

He also asked, "why haven't we heard from Eliot Spitzer and Alex Rodriguez?" Thicker skins, perhaps?

Here is the video David Letterman's response to Sarah Palin.



Top Ten Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip to New York City:

U.K. Girl Allergic to the 21st Century

Molly Harrad, a 10-year-old schoolgirl has been forced to lead a severely restricted lifestyle because, according to doctors, she is effectively allergic to the 21st Century.

We're not talking about being allergic to an era or a timespan, per se, but in the accoutrements of our modern lifestyle. Doctors say that if she lived 100 years ago, she would not be having the allergy problems she does.

Molly is allergic to the following food: pasta, bread, oats, milk, eggs, tomatoes, soya, chocolate, custard and nuts.

She is also allergic to nearly all household cleaning products, soap, shampoo, deodorant, plastic and rubber products, machinery, dust and even magnets.

Other everyday items she is allergic to include coins, pens, pencils and computer keyboards. She cannot wear normal shoes, socks or clothing or even come into contact with carpet.

She is allergic to the more normal things, such as grass and pollen.

Molly's father Derek said:

"There has simply never been a case like hers. We want to free Molly from her terrible pain. If there is anyone out there who may be able to help then we would love to hear from them."

The first signs of her condition emerged as a baby, in terms of a milk allergy. Since then things have progressed to the point they are at now.

You're Fired After All. Carrie Prejean Loses Crown

Miss California Carrie Prejean was given a reprieve by Donald Trump, Miss USA pageant owner, earlier, but apparently wasn't fulfilling parts of the contract that Trump could not ignore.

Earlier Trump had let Carrie Prejean slide in terms of the semi-nude photos that appeared on the Internet. He also let her slide in terms of making appearances without the permission of the Miss California organization. However, he couldn't ignore the fact that she wasn't making the appearances she was supposed to make.

The Miss California Organization said, in a statement to Access Hollywood:

“The Miss California USA Organization, in conjunction with the Miss Universe Organization and with the blessing of its owner, Mr. Donald J. Trump, announced today the termination of Carrie Prejean as Miss California USA 2009, citing continued breach of contract issues."

Trump added the following:

“I told Carrie she needed to get back to work and honor her contract with the Miss California USA Organization and I gave her the opportunity to do so,” Trump said in a statement. “Unfortunately it just doesn’t look like it is going to happen and I offered Keith my full support in making this decision. Carrie is a beautiful young woman and I wish her well as she pursues other interests.”

Miss Malibu Tami Farrell, who was the Miss California first runner-up, is now Miss California.

Prejean’s reign as Miss California created headlines when, at the Miss USA pageant in April, she answered a question from Perez Hilton regarding her stance on same-sex marriage. She said she believed marriage “should be between a man and a woman.” She followed that up with more controversy by attending anti-gay marriage events, and even filming an anti-gay marriage ad.

Police Taser, Shoot 5-Pound Chihuahua-Mix

In what can only be called overkill, similar to the tasering of a 72-year-old great-grandmother in TX, a small Chihuahua-mix dog was tasered, then shot dead by police in Cincinnati, OH.

The dog, Jack, pictured above, had gotten out of the backyard. Two police officers tried to catch him, eventually cornering him on the front porch where he bit one of the officers.

Mother Sharon Bullock said:

"He was cornered on the porch and scared. The officer bent down bare-handed to pick up Jack, and Jack bit him. My five-year-old cried himself to sleep the night before last, wanting his dog. Two grown men that can't gather up a five-pound dog – and they're trained police officers – sounds ridiculous to me."

Admittedly, the dog did bite the officer, but why not call Animal Control, and why would you need to shoot him after already tasering him (which is bad enough, considering the animal's size)?

Now, the officers explained they were folloing "procedure," and the report indicates that one of the officers was bitten on both hands. One hand was bitten 17 times and the other was bitten nine times.

I don't know about that; I'd have to see the hands. I'm wondering if the count of bites is really the count of teeth marks, not the same thing.

Anyway, while it may be "procedure," it still seems like overkill, for a 5-pound-dog.

Mike Tyson and Girlfriend Lahika Spicer Marry in Vegas

Less than two weeks after the tragic death of his 4-year-old daughter Exodus, Mike Tyson, 42, has added some joy to the recent tragic circumstances, by marrying his girlfriend Lakiha Spicer, 32 in Las Vegas over the weekend.

Tyson's daughter Exodus died on May 26 after accidentally hanging herself on a piece of exercise equipment in the home of her mother Sol Xochiti. Xochiti was Tyson's girlfriend before Lakiha Spicer.

Mike Tyson and Lakiha Spicer exchanged vows at La Bella Wedding Chapel at the Las Vegas Hilton Hotel on Saturday night. It was a private affair, with apparently no guests. In fact, E! reports that Tyson requested all photos of the ceremony be kept private, as well.

This is the third marriage for Mike Tyson, so perhaps the third time will be the charm. He was married to Robin Givens for just a year (1988-89) and then to Monica Turner (from 1997 to 2003). He and Lakiha Spicer have known each other for 10 years.

Dashcam Video Released in Great-Grandmother Tasering

I wrote earlier about Kathryn Winkfein, a 72-year-old TX great-grandmother who was allegedly caught speeding 15 MPH over the limit. She was tasered after failing to respond to an order to sign the speeding ticket, using profane language, and becoming “violent,” according to the police.

Winkfein says that wasn't true, and the video below appears to confirm her assertions. However, apparently the police have reviewed the footage, and think things are just fine. You can hear the deputy sreaming: “Get over here now!”

Winkfein replied, “Give [the ticket] to me and I’ll sign it. Oh, you’re going to shove me? You’re going to shove a seventy-two year old woman?”

The deputy then tasers her. Winkfein lies on the ground screaming as he orders, “Now put your hands behind your back. Put your hands behind your back or you’re going to be tasered again.”

Watch the dashcam video:

Pregnant Woman Cut Open, Baby Taken

It's like something out of a horror movie. A 21-year-old woman was found dead in a crawl space of an Oregon home. That's bad enough, but the woman had been pregnant, and her body had been cut open and her baby taken from her womb.

Korena Roberts (pictured), a 27-year-old Beaverton woman, has been charged with murder in Heather Snively's death. Police said she tried to claim the baby as her own.

David Kidd, Snively's stepfather, told the (Portland) Oregonian that Snively met Roberts on Craigslist and went to Roberts' home apparently believing she had baby clothes for sale.

Last Friday, Roberts summoned emergency personnel to her home for a report of an infant in distress. Roberts and the baby were taken to a hospital, but doctors were unable to revive the boy. However, they told police Roberts had not given birth recently. Given that information, police then searched her home and found Snively's body.

Snively's cause of death wasn't immediately known. It also isn't clear if the baby was alive after extraction from the womb, or how it was extracted.

Roberts was to be arraigned Monday on a charge of murder in Snively's death and faces charges in the baby's death.

Eleven-Year-Old Astrophysics Junkie Graduates From College

Well, it now appears that an 11-year-old has raised the bar so high that others entering college can just give up. Yes, I said others entering college, because Moshe Kai Cavalin, 11, has just graduated from East Los Angeles College, with a 4.0 GPA, no less.

His favorite subject: astrophysics. Yep, I pull out astrophysics books every day for casual reading, right? Cavalin is the only child of a Taiwanese mother and an Israeli father.

To embarrass us still further, Cavalin is also an accomplished martial artist, who has won several national martial arts championships. As opposed to sports figures, his idols are Albert Einstein and Bruce Lee (well, OK, a movie star; what can you expect?).

Now that he's graduated, he's going to slack off a little: in the next six months to a year he's going to take up scuba diving, write a book for kids on how to succeed in school, and work on his martial arts skills. But no video games!

"I feel it's a waste of time playing video games because it's not helping humanity in any way," he said.

Sotomayor Suffers a Broken Ankle

Whoops! Let's see if this is used as ammo by the right against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. "She's too clumsy! Her bones are too brittle!" At any rate, Sotomayor broke her ankle Monday morning in an airport stumble.

However, she boarded her flight as scheduled and made the hour-long trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with senators who will vote on her confirmation. She continued on the trip and intended to meet with the senators.

Earlier that morning, former first lady Laura Bush, speaking on ABC's Good Morning America, said she was pleased that President Barack Obama nominated a woman for the Supreme Court.

"I think she sounds like a very interesting and good nominee. As a woman, I'm proud that there might be another woman on the court. I wish her well."

Watch a raw video of Sotomayor on crutches:

Stephen Colbert Has a Close Shave in Iraq

Stephen Colbert is spending this week in Iraq, and he's coming back with a souvenir: a shaved head. Yes, as Colbert, mock GOP pundit that he is, wanted to look like a soldier during his visit, there was only one way, according to the current Commanding General, Ray Odierno, Multi-National Force—Iraq (MNF-I) and President and kibitzer Barack Obama.

The shows are being taped the day before, and following Colbert's entrance onstage wearing a business suit made of Army camouflage, Commander-in-Chief Obama (his appearance was taped) ordered Gen. Odierno to give Colbert a buzz cut.

The show is being taped at a former palace of Saddam Hussein's. Colbert told the New York Times:

“Think of certain reporters who lose themselves in their own self-importance and accidentally give away troop movements and get kicked out of the country.

“The best way I can show gratitude is to do my show the best I can and make them laugh,” he said. “If I tried to tailor my material to people in the Army, there’d be two things. A, that’d be patronizing. And B, I’d be wrong.”

The show is reportedly the first full-length non-news show filmed, edited and broadcast from a combat zone.

Want to see Colbert's crewcut before tonight? Watch his cameo here:

Hillary Clinton: Obama Absolutely Passed "The 3 AM Test"

You may recall a Hillary Clinton campaign ad from last year which, focusing on experience, asked “It’s 3 am, and your children are safe and asleep. Who do you want answering the phone?” Sunday on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopolous Hillary Clinton admitted that despite numerous "3 AM" type issues, like North Korea and more, Barack Obama has passed the 3 AM test.

Stephanopolous asked:

“The Economist magazine said this week that the question you raised in that famous ‘3 a.m. ad’ is right back in the center of American politics. Has the president answered it for you?”

Clinton:

“Absolutely. And the president - in his public actions and demeanor, and certainly in private with me and with the national security team - has been strong, thoughtful, decisive. I think he is doing a terrific job. And it’s an honor to serve with him. [...]

“I never had any dream, let alone inkling, that I would end up in President Obama’s cabinet. When I left the presidential race after getting some sleep and taking some deep breaths, I immediately went to work for him in the general election. I traveled the country. I worked hard on my supporters. I made the case, which I believed in strongly, making sure that we elected him our president. And I was looking forward to going back to the Senate and, frankly, going back to my life and representing New York, which I love. And I had no idea that he had a different plan in mind. [...]

“Ultimately it came down to my feeling that, number one, when your president asks you to do something for your country, you really need a good reason not to do it. Number two, if I had won and I had asked him to please help me serve our country, I would have hoped he would say yes. [...]

“I looked around our world and I thought, we are in just so many deep holes that everybody had better grab a shovel and start digging out.”

Watch the video, from ABC's This Week via Raw Replay, broadcast June 7, 2009.

Bill Moyers on "Single Payer" Health Care (PBS, Video)

This segment was actually broadcast on Bill Moyers Journal a few weeks ago, but only in the last few days has PBS seen fit to upload it to YouTube. Perhaps it was prodded by the Harvard study released this week that showed some sobering facts: not only do 62% of personal bankruptcies result from medical costs, 78% of those who went through the bankruptcy process had health insurance, including 60% who had private coverage, not Medicare or Medicaid. Additionally, the study found that most of these people were solidly middle-class before being hit by unexpected medical bills.

The magic word used by those who are against Universal Health Care (UHC), and Single Payer in particular, is that it is socialism. Here's the real question: why is it all other industrialized countries, including many we would never call socialist (look to the north), embrace UHC, while we do not? Why is it our lifespan is only slightly better than a third-world country's, Cuba (who has UHC)?

And why is it that we allow the bottom line to determine who lives and dies in this country?

As far as those who show examples of long waits, etc. in countries with UHC, no system is perfect. But just look at the Harvard study and you can probably imagine 10, no 100 times as many facing no health care at all, as opposed to a long wait.

Here's what was said on BMJ with regards to the socialism claim, in a separate segment to the one in the video below:

BILL MOYERS: When we did a report on the Journal 12 or 15 months ago on the California nurses and the fight out there for single-payer, we were inundated with mail saying they're socialists and you're a fellow traveler. What do you say to people like that, who read into what you're doing a call for state government-run socialistic medical care?

DONNA SMITH: I laugh a little bit in light of the last six months on how much money we've thrown into Wall Street and how much money we've thrown in keeping financial markets stable in this country. In three days, we were able to come up with three quarters of a trillion dollars to throw into Wall Street. So the argument about socializing things and making things government-run seems a little bit yesterday to me, just intellectually.

But I tell people, you know, look, don't fear this. This is not- you're not turning into a Communist red nation. Please don't be afraid. Even in polling data where the words "socialized medicine" is used, even in that polling data, almost 50 percent of the American public say, "Okay. Do it." And data where we just ask about a national health insurance system, and that's through "The New York Times" and CNN and Yahoo! and a number of polls, 60 percent of the American public say we've got to have a national health program. We just have to do it. It's the only way we fix this mess. It's spun out of control. It's going to bury us financially. It's going to mortgage our children, and it kills people. It just is not working.

Here's how single-payer is defined, and how the current system wastes enough money to pay for single-payer:

BILL MOYERS: But then let's establish what single-payer is. Can you do that succinctly?

DR. DAVID HIMMELSTEIN: It's what we used to call national health insurance. So government collects the money for health care from taxes, you don't pay premiums, instead you pay taxes, and pays all the bills. Hospitals remain privately owned and operated. Doctors remain mostly in private practice. But their bills go to the government insurance program, just as they do today with Medicare, but we'd be able to streamline the payment system if we had only one payer instead of Medicare being one among many.

So a hospital would get paid like a fire department does today. You have one check a month that pays for the entire operation. And that means you can eliminate the huge billing apparatus of the hospitals and the doctors offices where we're employing many people to do our billing. And fighting with insurance companies. You save $400 billion a year that way.

DR. SIDNEY WOLFE: Here's an example of what David's talking about. Over the last 30 plus years there have been maybe two and a half, three times more doctors and nurses. Pretty much in proportion with the growth in population. There are 30 times, 3-0 times more health administrators. These people are not doctors. They're not nurses. They're not pharmacists. They're not providing care. Many of them are being paid to deny care. So, they are fighting with the doctors, with the hospitals to see how few bills can be paid. That's how the insurance industry thrives by denying care, paying as little out as it can, getting the healthiest patients, and yet getting reimbursed as though these patients were sicker than they really are.

So, it's a system that is guaranteed to waste a lot of money. And what we've said is that the amount of money that's just being wasted in one year is enough to pay for more than enough of the premiums for those that are uninsured and the people that are underinsured. So, it's not a matter of bringing more money. I mean, the industry is now saying, "We could save $2 trillion over the next ten years. Let us. Trust us. We will lower our costs and everything." The amount that can be saved over the next ten years by just eliminating the health insurance industry is $4 trillion, in one fell swoop.

With regards to the criticisms of Canada's system:

BILL MOYERS: What do you say to the argument, though, of people who've gone to Canada, and looked at that system. "Well, there are long waiting lines. You can't choose your doctor." In fact, conservative critics say that this will lead to what they dread which is socialized medicine. Would single-payer in fact mean I could not choose my doctor?

DR. DAVID HIMMELSTEIN: Well, in Canada, actually, you can go to any doctor, any hospital in the country.

DR. SIDNEY WOLFE: Much more choice than here.

DR. DAVID HIMMELSTEIN: Yeah, Canadians have better choice than we do. They spend half as much per person on health care as we do. And if you're going to cut our budget by 50 percent, we'd have to have some waiting lines. But if we're willing to keep spending at our current levels, we could cover everybody with first dollar coverage with terrific access to care.

BILL MOYERS: What do you mean first dollar coverage?

DR. DAVID HIMMELSTEIN: No co-payment, no deductible. You go to the doctor. The whole bill is paid. Any doctor, any hospital in the country. That's the model. And that's not just me who says that. The Congressional Budget Office has said that in the past. The Government Accountability Office says we're spending enough to do that. And we're really talking about social insurance, like Medicare is social insurance. But doctors and hospitals remaining privately owned.

Anyone remember what GM said recently? They can't compete with auto companies from countries with UHC, because they have to pay for health insurance themselves. Single-payer would remove the burden from them. In fact, you can bet that most companies, except for the health-care industry, want single-payer.

DR. SIDNEY WOLFE: I mean it's interesting, aside from the obvious health benefits keeping 18 thousand or 20 thousand people from dying every year, because they don't have insurance, they also- it's good for business. Because they are essentially taking some- it's not like a bailout for business, but its money that is going to relieve business of worrying about escalating costs, having to drop workers.

I mean, in this country, the response to these escalating costs is a number of employers say, "We just aren't going to have health insurance anymore." So, Canada has been a very good model. It's been going on for 38 years. Canadians would revolt, literally, if someone said, "We're going to take away your health insurance system."

Oh, and lets address that issue of why everyone else has some sort of UHC, while we do not:

DR. SIDNEY WOLFE: I mean, it isn't as though the United States is right and all the countries that have provided health insurance as a right are wrong. We are wrong.

Watch the whole interview:

Outrage Over David Carradine Death Photo

A Thai tabloid, Thai Rath, has printed a photo of David Carradine as police found him, showing him hanging, but with some of the more explicit details censored. Nevertheless, the photo as published shows the dead actor hanging, and should never have been published, the family says.

Radar Online was told by attorney Mark Geragos, who represents David’s brother Keith Carradine:

“The family is outraged about the release of these photos.”

Geragos added that he will sue for invasion of privacy and emotional distress if the David Carradine death photo is run in a United States publication.

The David Carradine death photo reportedly shows David Carradine with his hands tied in front of him, hanging from the support bar in a closet. He was found by a hotel maid sitting in a wardrobe with a rope around his neck and body on Thursday morning. Speculation by Thai police is that Carradine, 72, died in an auto-erotic asphyxiation accident.

Thai television said the body was flown home to Los Angeles early on Saturday, which Geragos confirmed. The family has reportedly hired forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner for New York City who appears on HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," to examine Carradine's body when it returns to the U.S.

Obama: Health Care Reform is No Longer a Luxury

One day after a report on a Harvard study was released that showed that 62% of personal bankruptcies result from medical costs, even hitting th those with health insurance, President Barack Obama used his weekly radio address to push for health care reform.

Obama has given the Congress months to give him a health-care reform bill, but seen nothing cross his desk yet. Meanwhile, as the Harvard study said, 62% of personal bankruptcies result from medical costs, 78% of those who went through the bankruptcy process had health insurance, including 60% who had private coverage, not Medicare or Medicaid. Additionally, the study found that most of these people were solidly middle-class before being hit by unexpected medical bills.

Additionally, the New York Times reports that Obama is preparing a full-out campaign on the issue, with speeches, town-hall-style meetings and much deeper engagement with lawmakers.

What's unclear, however, is if he, or any in Congress, will get that the majority of Americans want a Medicare-style, single-payer system as our neighbors to the north in Canada have. There, you have no worry about losing your job and therefore your health insurance, no worry about huge premiums because of pre-existing conditions, and no worry about bankruptcy from medical costs.

Watch the video of his address, and read a transcript below:

Over the past few days, I’ve been traveling through the Middle East and Europe working to renew our alliances, enhance our common security, and propose a new partnership between the United States and the Muslim world.

But even as I’m abroad, I’m firmly focused on the other pressing challenges we face – including the urgent need to reform our health care system. Even as we speak, Congress is preparing to introduce and debate health reform legislation that is the product of many months of effort and deliberation. And if you’re like any of the Americans I’ve met across this country who know all too well that the soaring costs of health care make our current course unsustainable, I imagine you’ll be watching their progress closely.

I’m talking about the families I’ve met whose spiraling premiums and out-of-pocket expenses are pushing them into bankruptcy or forcing them to go without the check-ups or prescriptions they need. Business owners who fear they’ll be forced to choose between keeping their doors open or covering their workers. Americans who rightly worry that the ballooning costs of Medicare and Medicaid could lead to fiscal catastrophe down the road.

Simply put, the status quo is broken. We cannot continue this way. If we do nothing, everyone’s health care will be put in jeopardy. Within a decade, we’ll spend one dollar out of every five we earn on health care – and we’ll keep getting less for our money.

That’s why fixing what’s wrong with our health care system is no longer a luxury we hope to achieve – it’s a necessity we cannot postpone any longer.

The growing consensus around that reality has led an unprecedented coalition to come together for change. Unlike past attempts at reforming our health care system, everyone is at the table – patient’s advocates and health insurers; business and labor; Democrats and Republicans alike.

A few weeks ago, some of these improbable allies committed to cut national health care spending by two trillion dollars over the next decade. What makes this so remarkable is that it probably wouldn’t have happened just a few short years ago. But today, at this historic juncture, even old adversaries are united around the same goal: quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

Now, I know that when you bring together disparate groups with differing views, there will be lively debate. And that’s a debate I welcome. But what we can’t welcome is reform that just invests more money in the status quo – reform that throws good money after bad habits.

We must attack the root causes of skyrocketing health care costs. Some of these costs are the result of unwarranted profiteering that has no place in our health care system, and in too many communities, folks are paying higher costs without receiving better care in return. And yet we know, for example, that there are places like the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, and other institutions that offer some of the highest quality of care in the nation at some of the lowest costs in the nation. We should learn from their successes and promote the best practices, not the most expensive ones. That’s how we’ll achieve reform that fixes what doesn’t work, and builds on what does.

This week, I conveyed to Congress my belief that any health care reform must be built around fundamental reforms that lower costs, improve quality and coverage, and also protect consumer choice. That means if you like the plan you have, you can keep it. If you like the doctor you have, you can keep your doctor, too. The only change you’ll see are falling costs as our reforms take hold.

I also made it very clear to Congress that we must develop a plan that doesn’t add to our budget deficit. My budget included an historic down payment on reform, and we’ll work with Congress to fully cover the costs through rigorous spending reductions and appropriate additional revenues. We’ll eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse in our health care system, but we’ll also take on key causes of rising costs – saving billions while providing better care to the American people.

All across America, our families are making hard choices when it comes to health care. Now, it’s time for Washington to make the right ones. It’s time to deliver. And I am absolutely convinced that if we keep working together and living up to our mutual responsibilities; if we place the American people’s interests above the special interests; we will seize this historic opportunity to finally fix what ails our broken health care system, and strengthen our economy and our country now and for decades to come.

Newt Gingrich: Americans are "Surrounded by Paganism"

On Friday, Newt Gingrich, Oliver North, and Mike Huckabee visited Rock Church in Hampton Roads, Virginia to give a three-hour long lecture on “Rediscovering God in America.” During his portion of the lecture, Gingrich said that Americans are surrounded by paganism, and that this is a critical stage in American life.

"I think this is one of the most critical moments in American history. We are living in a period where we are surrounded by paganism."

However, what he and other speakers were pointing to as examples of paganism were same-sex marriage and abortion. Do any of these people read the dictionary before using terminology? Here's what Wikipedia says:

Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller, rustic") is the blanket term given to describe religions and spiritual practices of pre-Christian Europe, and by extension a term for polytheistic traditions or folk religion worldwide seen from a Western or Christian viewpoint. The term has various different meanings, though, from a Western perspective, it has modern connotations of a faith that has polytheistic, spiritualist, animistic or shamanic practices, such as a folk religion, historical polytheistic or neopagan religion.

Hmmm, I see no mention of abortion or same-sex marriage in their. In fact, paganism revolves around a number of religions, which has nothing, in fact to do with either of those modern issues.

Mike Huckabee said that the U.S. is not one among a number of equal nations around the world. He noted that the U.S. is a blessed" nation, calling American revolutionaries' defeat of the British empire "a miracle from God's hand."

Once again, what about the defeat of the Americans and French in Vietnam? I'd call that a far greater miracle. In reality, it's probably more likely that we won the Revolutionary War because Ben Franklin helped to get the French involved.

Huckabee noted the same sort of miracle led to the passage of Proposition 8 in California, amending the state constitution to make same-sex marriage unconstitutional. Of course, he managed to ignore all the states that have recently legalized gay marriage. Do miracles only happen in California?

Finally, Gingrich added:

"I am not a citizen of the world. I am a citizen of the United States because only in the United States does citizenship start with our creator."

Ooof, I guess that means any Muslims, Buddhists, and the like are not citizens. Its unclear, also, if Gingrich is only letting Christians into the hall of U.S. citizenship; that would let out Jews as well.

Let's note a few examples cited by this excellent Salon.com article about whether or not America is a Christian nation. The Treaty of Tripoli, ratified by the U.S. Senate in 1797. Article 11 states:

"As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquility [sic], of Mussulmen [Muslims]; and, as the said States never have entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries."

And finally, George Washington in a letter to the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island in 1790:

"The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy -- a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support ... May the children of the stock of Abraham who dwell in this land continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants -- while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree and there shall be none to make him afraid."

This is more of the GOP playing to the audience (a church audience), and playing on their fears, much as they do with terrorism issues. As the number of Americans who profess to following to religion continues to increase, if the GOP does not want to continue being the minority party, they need to address these issues and change themselves, not continue down the same path they have strode for so long.

And when, BTW, did the GOP become the sole political party of God?

Suleman: "I Screwed Up My Life; I Screwed Up My Kids' Lives"

In a surprisingly candid video, Octomom Nadya Suleman admits she's made mistakes, and more than that, screwed up both her life and her kids' lives.

The admission came in a video shot for RadarOnline, which has had the privilege, honor, whatever of hosting exclusive interviews and videos of the Octomom, who became infamous when it was revealed that her miraculous octuplet births came as a result of in vitro fertilization, and that she already had six other children, all via the same method. And with the same sperm donor!

In the video, Nadya Suleman noted that the donor, who apparently has a wife and his own kids, didn't know about the additional embryos.

"I went behind his back and used them all. He didn't want me to. I feel so much guilt for that."

She added that the donor would "lose everything he's created in his own life" if his identity was revealed.

Finally, Suleman, in an admission that makes one wonder what her reality show will be like, admitted not just mistakes, but huge ones:

"I screwed myself. I screwed up my life, I screwed up my kids' lives. I have to put on this strong facade and I have to pretend like I don't regret it."

Suleman gave birth to the world's longest-surviving set of octuplets on Jan. 26; the aforementioned reality show has no title or air date yet.

Marine Recruiter Charged with Pimping 14-Year-Old to Entice Recruits

Staff Sgt. Bryan Damone Cunningham, 33, of San Pedro, California has been arrested for an interesting, though morally bankrupt (and illegal) method of enticing recruits to enlist.

He has been charged with felony pimping and kidnapping, and police are looking into whether he used sex with a 14-year-old girl to entice potential recruits. Cunningham pleaded not guilty to seven felonies last Thursday. However, it seems he was pretty much caught with his pants down; police in Orange discovered Cunningham and two other men in a car with the 14-year-old girl.

The two men, ages 18 and 19, were potential Marine recruits, and the girl, since returned to her parents in Hemet, which is E/SE of LA, told police that she met Cunningham online and had sex with all three men.

The question of using the girl to entice recruits is an open one. Hemet police Lt. Joe Nevarez said:

"It's not proven ... but when you look at it, this is a grown man, a Marine staff sergeant. Why would he be taking them out to have sex with a 14-year-old girl?"

Cunningham is being held on $1 million bail and has a court hearing June 18. The two other men are being charged with sex with a minor.

Harvard Research Links Medical Costs and Personal Bankruptcy, Even with Health Insurance

Some look at universal health care as helping only the underprivileged. But a new Harvard study shows some sobering facts: not only do 62% of personal bankruptcies result from medical costs, 78% of those who went through the bankruptcy process had health insurance, including 60% who had private coverage, not Medicare or Medicaid. Additionally, the study found that most of these people were solidly middle-class before being hit by unexpected medical bills.

Those who rail against universal health care should look at these statistics and think "there but for the grace of God go I." Many have felt that way, and once hit by a crisis, realized how mistaken they had been. Here's what Business Week said (emphasis mine):

Medical problems caused 62% of all personal bankruptcies filed in the U.S. in 2007, according to a study by Harvard researchers. And in a finding that surprised even the researchers, 78% of those filers had medical insurance at the start of their illness, including 60.3% who had private coverage, not Medicare or Medicaid.

Medically related bankruptcies have been rising steadily for decades. In 1981, only 8% of families filing for bankruptcy cited a serious medical problem as the reason, while a 2001 study of bankruptcies in five states by the same researchers found that illness or medical bills contributed to 50% of all filings. This newest, nationwide study, conducted before the start of the current recession by Drs. David Himmelstein and Steffie Woolhandler of Harvard Medical School, Elizabeth Warren of Harvard Law School, and Deborah Thorne, a sociology professor at Ohio University, found that the filers were for the most part solidly middle class before medical disaster hit. Two-thirds owned their home and three-fifths had gone to college.

Lead author Himmelstein said:

"For middle-class Americans, health insurance offers little protection. Most of us have policies with so many loopholes, co-payments, and deductibles that illness can put you in the poorhouse. Unless you're Warren Buffett, your family is just one serious illness away from bankruptcy."

The cure for all this is a system that lies across the border to the north of us. Single-payer coverage. It's not perfect, but as Michael Moore once said while addressing the California Nurses Association:

There is no room for the concept of profit when it comes to taking care of people when they re sick. That question of how will this affect our bottom line? How will this affect our profit? That is an immoral question and it should never be asked!

Van Repeatedly Ticketed for Weeks While Body Lay Decomposing Inside

Jennifer Morales is asking why? Why did police repeatedly ticket her father's illegally parked minivan, for weeks, in fact, without noticing his decomposing body inside?

George Morales, 59, was listed by authorities as homeless, but Jennifer said that he lived with her and her two kids in Washington Heights. She said she had last heard from him in early May. She added that she contacted police, but police indicated they had no record of a report.

A city marshal found George Morales on Wednesday morning, while trying to tow the minivan parked on 34th Ave. under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway overpass. The minivan was covered in parking tickets and dust.

Jennifer Morales told the New York Daily News:

"In the autopsy, they said they just found skeletal remains, no organs, only his heart."

Lance Armstrong, Anna Hansen Welcome Baby Max

Lance Armstrong and his girlfriend Anna Hansen welcomed their newborn bay boy, Max Armstrong (serioulsly!) into the world Thursday night, promptly announcing the birth with a photo posted to Twitter.

The tweet linked said "Wassup, world? My name is Max Armstrong and I just arrived. My Mommy is healthy and so am I!" The tweet linked to Max's photo (above) as well. For a photo of Mom, see below. Anna Hansen and Lance Armstrong are sitting together on a tailgate.


Almost miraculously, Max was conceived naturally. As you probably recalled, Lance Armstrong was treated for testicular cancer. He has three children with his ex-wife Kristin, but all were conceived with frozen sperm and through in vitro fertilization because of the chemotherapy treatments for the cancer. Thus, the earlier news of girlfriend Anna Hansen's pregnancy was a definite surprise.

Ironically, according to reports, the break-up of Lance Armstrong and singer Sheryl Crow occurred because her biological clock was ticking but he wasn't ready to be a father again. He began dating Anna Hansen last summer. The couple has settled in Aspen, CO.

Start Eating; It's National Donut Day

In an effort to offset all the good things that National Running Day did to your body on Wednesday, it's National Doughnut (or Donut) Day! It's not as though chains like Dunkin' Donuts have banded together to increase your cholesterol level, but still ...

That said, major chains like Dunkin' Donuts are having "celebrations." Dunkin' Donuts restaurants throughout the country will give every customer a free donut of their choice, with the purchase of any beverage, limit one per customer.

Krispy Kreme is going Dunkin' Donuts one better. They are giving each customer a free donut, but without any purchase requirement (at least, according to their press release). Free donuts! Who can turn that down?

Naturally, you are bound to find National Donut Day celebrations at local shops, and other major national chains as well. Free donuts, with or without purchase, and more. Have at it!

National Donut Day, held the first Friday of June each year, was started by the Chicago Salvation Army more than 70 years ago. It was set up as a fundraiser.

David Carradine's Death Possibly an Auto-Erotic Accident: Police

On Friday, Thai police began investigating the death of actor David Carradine. A maid at the luxury hotel where he was staying in Bangkok found him hanging naked and bound in a closet Thursday morning, they said. He was 72.

Police commander Lieutenant General Worapong Siewpreecha told reporters:

“There was a rope tied around his neck and another rope tied at his sex organ, and the two ropes were tied together and hung in the closet. Under these circumstances we cannot be sure that he committed suicide but he may have died from masturbation."

Whoa, whoa. How can you even be sure it was masturbation? It could, in fact, have been some sort of sex act with another person (anyone remember Lady Heather from CSI?).

On the other hand, there is some evidence pointing to auto-erotic accident; police officer Pirom Janthapirom told AFP that hotel security cameras showed no one leaving or entering David Carradine’s room, which had been locked from the inside.

Meanwhile, a hospital worker who had read the initial autopsy report told AFP on condition of anonymity that Carradine died from lack of oxygen. He added that DNA samples from a rope and the body were being studied to determine if Carradine had tied himself up or not. A full autopsy report was expected within the next day.

David Carradine starred in the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu.” His was a controversial choice, made when network executives felt that the starring role in the series could not be carried by their first choice, Asian actor Bruce Lee. He is pictured in that role in the photo attached to this post.

In the series, David Carradine played Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who travels through the American Old West armed only with his skill in martial arts. Carradine actually had no knowledge of martial arts prior to starring in the series, but developed an interest in it after this experience and became an avid practitioner.

Despite the controversy, the series was pretty successful, at least for a time, and spawned a TV movie and sequels. It also became clear that despite eschewing Bruce Lee as the star, the series was quite provided many acting roles for Asian actors.

David Carradine also had a notable movie career, including, of late, a role in the series of movies, Kill Bill. Of late, he has also done a significant number of voiceovers for animated features.

Watch a clip from the series Kung Fu:

US Airways Employee Helped Roommate Smuggle Gun Onto Plane: FBI

The FBI has arrested two men, one of them a US Airways employee, for alleging working together to get a semiautomatic handgun on a US Airways flight. It just goes to show that humans are always the weak link in these sorts of things.

Customer service agent Roshid Milledge switched black carry-on bags with passenger Damien Young at the gate so Young could board the 7 AM flight from Philadelphia to Phoenix with the 9mm handgun, the FBI said in an affidavit. The gun was unloaded, but so what? What were they thinking?

Although these two were simply brainless and apparently not planning any wrongdoing, it's nice to know that an alert fellow passenger saw the switch and, noticing that Milledge seemed nervous, raised a red flag.

The plane then started to taxi, but was soon called back to the gate and Young removed. Rather than admitting the switch, Milledge told agents he had grabbed the wrong laptop bag from their Philadelphia home that morning and was switching it back. Yeah, right.

The gun is registered to Young, and he had a valid permit to carry it, authorities said. But not on a plane, idiot!

Watch a video report:

Cops Flush Miscarried Fetus Down Toilet

Toilets have long been used to dispose of dead fish or frogs, or the like, but a fetus? That's what happened at a Mesa, AZ Motel 6 on Monday when police responded to a call about a possible miscarriage.

A woman apparently lost a fetus estimated to be 12 to 14 weeks old, and about four inches in length. There was a decided lack of humanity in the matter. Despite the fact that both Mesa fire and police were present in the motel room, somehow — and get this, after contacting police supervisors and fire personnel — a decision was made by an officer or officers to flush the fetus down the toilet.

This was revealed by Mesa Police Chief George Gascon (pictured) in a press conference. Worse, one of the officers involved in that incident, Nicholas Webster, is also under investigation for excessive force, clearly detailed on a booking area camera.

Others involved and placed on administrative leave in the fetus incident are officer Glenn Pearson, the lead officer in the case, officer Kristen Johnson, officer Robert Buquo, and Lt. Lynn Young.

Gascon said:

“We will fully and completely investigate these incidents. Right now, we are going on very little information. I am just finding out about this myself.”

Watch a video report:

David Carradine, 72, Found Dead in Thailand of Apparent Suicide

Actor David Carradine has been found dead in Bangkok, Thailand. He was 72, and a member of a Hollywood acting family that included his father, character actor John Carradine, and half-brothers Keith and Robert Carradine. He was also the uncle of Ever Carradine and Martha Plimpton.

Originally unconfirmed, and first reported by the BBC, David Carradine was found by a hotel maid sitting in a wardrobe with a rope around his neck and body on Thursday morning, in an apparent suicide. Since then, other media, including AP and Reuters have confirmed the information, given by Thai police.

According to his personal manager Chuck Binder, David Carradine was in Thailand filming his latest film Stretch. Binder said the news was "shocking", seemingly discounting the speculation over suicide by adding that "He was full of life, always wanting to work ... a great person."

David Carradine starred in the 1970s TV series “Kung Fu.” His was a controversial choice, made when network executives felt that the starring role in the series could not be carried by their first choice, Asian actor Bruce Lee. He is pictured in that role in the photo attached to this post.

In the series, David Carradine played Kwai Chang Caine, a Shaolin monk who travels through the American Old West armed only with his skill in martial arts. Carradine actually had no knowledge of martial arts prior to starring in the series, but developed an interest in it after this experience and became an avid practitioner.

Despite the controversy, the series was pretty successful, at least for a time, and spawned a TV movie and sequels. It also became clear that despite eschewing Bruce Lee as the star, the series was quite provided many acting roles for Asian actors.

David Carradine also had a notable movie career, including, of late, a role in the series of movies, Kill Bill. Of late, he has also done a significant number of voiceovers for animated features.

Watch a clip from the series Kung Fu:

72-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Tasered at Traffic Stop

All right, explain this one to me? A 72-year-old great-grandmother was tasered and arrested during a traffic stop in TX. Hard to believe she would have been a threat to the police officer, but there are some extenuating circumstances.

First, Kathryn Winkfein definitely was speeding excessively. The speed limit was 45, she was doing 60. She admitted the speeding, in fact, to MyFoxAustin. According to a police spokesperson, however, she didn't want to sign the ticket, but instead asked to be taken to jail.

Constable Richard McCain said:

"He explained to her, sign the ticket stub, it's not an admission of guilt. It's a promise to appear in court. She didn't want to. She said take me to jail.

"She refused to get off the side of the road, he said to her, Ma'am, you're under arrest. She used profanity."

At that point, according to the arresting officer, she became violent, and he tased her. Winkfein says the story is all a lie:

"I wasn't argumentative, I was not combative. This is a lie. All of this is a lie, pulled away from him, I did not."

The report indicates there was dashcam footage available. I'll reserve full judgment, but to be honest, at her age, it's extremely possible she's just misremembering the incident. The dashcam footage will be the decider.

Watch a video report: