Love It

Phyllis Siegel and Connie Kopelov embrace after getting married. They were the first gay couple to marry at Manhattan's City Clerk's Office.

Well said!

New York Senator Diane Savino:

I know many people are concerned about the destruction of the sanctity of marriage, as well, and they view this as a threat. But let me tell you something, ladies and gentleman, what are we really protecting when you look at the divorce rate in our society? Turn on the television. We have a wedding channel on cable TV devoted to the behavior of people on their way to the altar. They spend billions of dollars, behave in the most appalling way, all in an effort to be princess for a day. You don't have cable television? Put on network TV. We're giving away husbands on a game show. You can watch "The Bachelor," where 30 desperate women will compete to marry a 40-year-old man who has never been able to maintain a decent relationship in his life. We have "The Bachelorette," in reverse. And my favorite show, which thank god only ran one season because it was truly distasteful, was "The Littlest Groom," where 30 desperate women competed to marry a dwarf. That's what we've done to marriage in America, where young women are socialized from the time they're five years old to think of being nothing but a bride. They plan every day what they'll wear, how they'll look, the invitations, the whole bit. They don't spend five minutes thinking about what it means to be a wife. People stand up there before God and man -- even in Senator Diaz's church -- they swear to love, honor, and obey; they don't mean a word of it. So if there's anything wrong, any threat to the sanctity of marriage in America, it comes from those of us who have the privilege and the right, and we have abused it for decades.

Whole speech here:

Good job, New York!

Choose The Right

I'm sure the Mormons are glad to see that they're lumped in at the bottom with atheists and gays!!! Good company, I should say.

More people say* they would vote for a black/Jewish/Hispanic/woman president than a Mormon president. And that's saying a lot.

*Of course, social desirability could be a factor with the survey results. People might just say to the researcher that they would vote for a black person, for instance, because it's seen as socially unacceptable to say you wouldn't. Whereas, it's a little more socially acceptable to say you wouldn't vote for a Mormon.

I Heart Amy Poehler

Amy Poehler made the Time 100 list this year (yes! She is brilliant and funny and smart and totally deserved to be on this list. She's listed alongside the likes of Aung San Suu Kyi, Joseph Stiglitz, Michelle Obama, Geoffrey Canada, Matthew Weiner, Jennifer Egan, the CEO of Netflix...and Justin Bieber?!).

At the Time 100 Gala Amy gave this wonderful speech:

(She was introduced by Time executive editor Jim Frederick; and her speech followed the one given by preacher Rob Bell).

Well, when I met Jim five minutes ago, I told him, "Move over! I'm a righty. And don't let me follow a preacher." Thanks for nothing, Jim. When Seth Meyers from Saturday Night Live and I hosted this awards show in 2008, I remember thinking it would be really nice if we were to make this list together. And tonight, I am happy to say that it is just as sweet making the list without him.
I have so much influence. I am lousy with influence. I am what you call a connector. Bruno Mars is not here, but if he was, he would meet Aziz Ansari tonight, because I would introduce them. Chris Colfer, have you ever met Martha Stewart? Because I can make that happen. Jonathan Franzen and Patti Smith are sitting at the same table. I know that because I'm on the list. If you shook my hand tonight, you might not want to drive home because you might be pulled over for a DUI.
But tonight, I'm genuinely very humbled and honored to be part of this evening, so I would like to take my remaining minute to um...I have thought very hard and long about what has influenced me over the past couple of years. Since I have been at this dinner in 2008, I have given birth to two boys, and I've left Saturday Night Live, and I started my own TV show; and it's been a crazy couple of years. And I thought who besides Madam Secretary Clinton and Lorne Michaels have influenced me? And it was the women who helped me take care of my children. It is Jackie Johnson from Trinidad and it is Dal [couldn't make out last name] from Tibet, who come to my house and help me raise my children. And for you working women who are out there tonight who get to do what you get to do because there are wonderful people who help you at home... I would like to take a moment to thank those people, some of whom are watching their children right now, while you're at this event. Those are people who love your children as much as you do, and who inspire them and influence them. And on behalf of every sister and mother and person who stands in your kitchen and helps you love your child, I say thank you and I celebrate you tonight.

Funny and heartfelt. I love the last part of her speech -- it's great she acknowledges all the "backstage support" she gets from her hired help, and how important of a role they have in her and her children's lives. I love that Amy Poehler.

Neat Photo

Photo by Narayan Mahon

In Madison, Wisconsin thousands of people (including state workers, teachers, and students) gathered at the Capitol to protest a bill that would cut benefits for public sector workers and reduce their collective bargaining rights. I love this picture of the protesters filling up the Capitol rotunda. (Larger version here)

I also really liked this picture. 

Let's Hear It For The Boy

From The New York Times:

A week from Tuesday, when the Supreme Court returns from its midwinter break and hears arguments in two criminal cases, it will have been five years since Justice Clarence Thomas has spoken during a court argument. If he is true to form, Justice Thomas will spend the arguments as he always does: leaning back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, rubbing his eyes, whispering to Justice Stephen G. Breyer, consulting papers and looking a little irritated and a little bored [let's not forget napping...err, I mean, listening with his eyes closed...]. He will ask no questions. In the past 40 years, no other justice has gone an entire term, much less five, without speaking at least once during arguments, according to Timothy R. Johnson, a professor of political science at the University of Minnesota. 

I love his "I double dare you, motherfucker. Say 'what?' one more goddamn time!" look

(P.S. Alternate 80s song title for this post could have been "His Lips Are Sealed")

Sad.

When I heard the news that AOL was buying The Huffington Post (AOL purchasing a prominent media group, what is this 2000? Deja vu. Yeah, that's an AOL-Time Warner joke...deal with it), I joked to Eagan that they better not try to mail us CDs with 100 hours of free internet time. Archaic AOL jokes aside, it got me thinking about AOL, and what AOL used to be. I read a recent article on AOL in The New Yorker about their new CEO and the changes they're trying to make. I was struck by a fact mentioned in the article: That 80% of AOL's profits are still from subscribers. Wait, what?!? Who is still subscribing to AOL? Apparently old people:

The company still gets eighty per cent of its profits from subscribers, many of whom are older people who have cable or DSL service but don't realize that they need not pay an additional twenty-five dollars a month to get online and check their e-mail. "The dirty little secret," a former AOL executive says, "is that seventy-five per cent of the people who subscribe to AOL's dial-up service don't need it." (My emphasis added)

Well, that breaks your effing heart. Do me a favor, if your grandparents still pay for AOL, tell them they don't need it.

Just say no. 

Great Picture

NPR had a story about how a growing body of research has found that children being exposed to lots of germs early in life can be beneficial. This exposure can result in children being less likely to develop allergies, asthma, and autoimmune disorders as they grow up. As a result of gender roles, young girls are often encouraged more to remain clean and keep a higher standard of cleanliness than boys. This discrepancy can be a possible factor in health differences between the genders -- like that women have a higher rate of asthma, are more likely to have allergies, and that autoimmune disorders affect them three times more often than men.

It was an interesting article, but one thing I really loved about the article was the included picture:

I think this photo by Bill Pugliano is so great! I just love this picture of this carefree 7-year-old having a great time. I was totally that kid that loved playing in the mud.

Wow, That Is Scathing (Xenophobic Edition)

Hosts of a popular car program on BBC TV are in trouble for making offensive comments about Mexicans on their program.  They were discussing the Mexican sports car, the Mastretta, and one host said, "Why would you want a Mexican car? Because cars reflect national characteristics don't they? Mexican cars are just going to be lazy; feckless; flatulent; overweight; leaning against a fence, asleep, looking at a cactus, with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat."

Ooookaaaay. In addition to being offensive, that got strangely specific at the end. How many Mexicans has he actually come across that were sleeping against a fence, wearing a poncho, while looking at a cactus? And how could the Mexican be looking at a cactus if he's asleep?

And flatulent?

The hosts also described Mexican food as "refried sick"...which, it must be said, is actually leaps and bounds above English cuisine, which is "stodgy sick slathered in gravy." (Two can play this game!)

Definitely bags used for holding fluids for a vaginal cleanse

Another host said they won't get any complaints about their comments because the Mexican ambassador is too lazy to complain. He said, "At the Mexican embassy the ambassador's going to be sitting there with a remote control like this....", as he slumped down in his chair, pretending to snore.

The ambassador, of course, did complain.

And what I don't understand is where this negativity is coming from? How much experience do these hosts actually have with Mexicans -- let alone, lazy ones? The Mexican population in London is not terribly big, and I'm guessing the largest percentage of Mexican-born people in London are students. And if they're not students, and they've traveled all the way to London to work,  they're probably working their asses off. And if the hosts are just generally talking about all Mexicans in Mexico, well, then they're obviously completely unaware of that population of people, too. The hosts are obviously just falling back on xenophobic stereotypes. Sad.

Tunisia Censorship

In case you haven't been following it in the news, Tunisia is going through a lot of changes right now. After tens of thousands of people took to the streets in protest, the country's corrupt 23-year dictator, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, fled the country. As a result, the county and the government is starting to open up. NPR has a great article about the rapid changes to censorship in the country. The internet filter has come down, the Information Ministry was abolished, and newspapers and TV stations are now able to report what they want. 

I can't even imagine the excitement of, literally overnight, being able to see things you couldn't previously see. Tunisian state television initially did not dare to show footage of the protests and the violence committed against the protesters by the police, but then once Ben Ali left the country, the station took on-air calls from Tunisians for the first time and allowed them to express their opinions and anger. Tunisians are now able to watch an uncensored news broadcast for the first time. Newspapers are now able to print negative stories about Ben Ali. A Tunis bookstore is able to stock books that were previously banned -- Tunisians are so excited that a crowd gathered around the front shop window to gawk at the display of previously banned books. The owner says, "We have all the books that were forbidden. It's books about the families of Ben Ali, and all the books about freedom and liberty of thinking." 

Radio stations are now able to play the music they want. Previously, disc jockeys were required to play certain songs. For instances, one disc jockey explains how he was required to play songs by Latifa Arfaoui, who was a friend of Ben Ali's. The disc jockey says he has now deleted all her songs and is playing what he wants, including music from a rap artist that was recently released from prison and has songs that are not very favorable to Ben Ali. 

This isn't the end of it though. There's still a lot of changes going on in the country and in the government, and there's still a lot of turmoil. There are still some lingering problems of censorship. It will be interesting to see what ends up happening in Tunisia in the near future. But, for the time being, I found these overnight changes in censorship to be very exciting and encouraging.  

Well-Said

Christopher Hitchens wrote a great op-ed piece about Glenn Beck's rally this past weekend and how this group of people are afraid that this country "will be submerged by an influx from beyond the borders and that it will be challenged in its traditional ways and faiths by an alien and largely Third World religion." He brings up the examples (all from just this summer) of the Arizona immigration law, the calls for amending the 14th Amendment (so that children born in this country to non-citizen immigrant parents cannot receive automatic U.S. citizenship -- we don't want "terror babies"! ), the fight over the "Ground Zero" mosque, and now Glenn Beck's rally this past weekend that called for a (Christian) religious revival.

I loved this part:

In a rather curious and confused way, some white people are starting to almost think like a minority, even like a persecuted one. What does it take to believe that Christianity is an endangered religion in America or that the name of Jesus is insufficiently spoken or appreciated? Who wakes up believing that there is no appreciation for our veterans and our armed forced and that without a noisy speech from Sarah Palin, their sacrifice would be scorned? It's not unfair to say that such grievances are purely and simply imaginary, which in turn leads one to ask what the real ones can be. The clue, surely, is furnished by the remainder of the speeches, which deny racial feeling so monotonously and vehemently as to draw attention.

I also loved how he said that Glenn Beck's rally this weekend was "large, vague, moist, and undirected: the Waterworld of white self-pity."

I don't really get what the message/point of his shirt is. Is it that if there happens to be black people around the world that own/owned slaves, that it's ok that white people do/did, too? Also, who could forget that wonderful country Mauitania?! I don't know if he just happened to forget to put in the "r", or if he thinks that's actually what the country is called.

Oh look! He had another wonderful shirt under his Mauitania shirt!

This is What a Harsh Crackdown Looks Like?

It's no secret that Russians love their vodka. The president of Russia doesn't just wander the streets of DC in his underwear for fun -- he did it because he drank too much vodka (I'm speaking of that lovable teddybear Boris Yeltsin, of course). On average, Russians drink a liter and a half of pure alcohol every month (and that's per person).

As Russia's alcohol consumption continues to be a problem (half a million people die a year as a result), President Medvedev announced a war on alcohol last year and he ordered the government to come up with ways to reduce excessive drinking and to cut off black market alcohol. Here's some of the 'get tough' rules the government has come up with: Raising the minimum price of vodka to 89 roubles (about $3 USD...), planning on cutting sales at kiosks, and now city authorities in Moscow have just announced a ban on the sell of liquor (spirits) between 10 PM and 10 AM (though, I think establishments serving food are not affected...). Yevgeny Bryun,the Ministry of Health's chief specialist on alcohol and drug addiction, admitted that people could still drink a ton of vodka in the day and then turn to drinking beer late at night, "but overall, the alcohol burden will be lower." Ha!

The fact that these regulations are considered a crackdown is a pretty good indication of how much they love their vodka. 'Cracking down' means not having alcohol readily available everywhere they go, increasing the cost of vodka so that maybe now only penniless homeless people and small children without an allowance cannot afford it, and not allowing people to buy alcohol in the middle of the night/early in the morning (sorry 3 AM vodka runs). Tough times ahead.

Elvis's Doctor Wants to Amputate Elvis's Sexy Image

Do you think Elvis was hot? I certainly thought he was a looker. I found myself attracted to this man that was born in the 1930s and dead before I was born. Elvis was timeless. Generations of people found him good looking. And his voice and hip-swinging didn't hurt him either.

Well, Elvis's doctor is trying to change the way you look at Elvis.

Elvis's doctor Nick Nichopoulous claims that Elvis actually died of chronic constipation. He said that after Elvis died he wasn't sure of the exact cause of death, but since then he has done some research on it. He said he didn't realize until the autopsy that Elvis's constipation was as bad as it was. Dr. Nick thinks Elvis's severe constipation could have been hereditary or maybe a virus caused paralysis of the nerves in his colon. Apparently the autopsy revealed that Elvis's colon was 5 to 6 inches in diameter (whereas the normal width is 2 to 3 inches) and was 8 to 9 feet long (with the average being 4 to 5 feet). Ew.

And it gets worse. Dr Nick talks about Elvis's constipation, "He would get embarrassed, he'd have accidents onstage. He'd have to change clothes and come back..."

And worser. Dr. Nick also believes that Elvis's weight gain was not a result of a poor diet and overeating. Instead, he believes the weight gain was a result of bloating due to the severe constipation. He said, "It was really a physiological problem. During the last few years we were going back and comparing pictures, some of them were taken just two weeks apart but he looked like he'd gained 20 pounds when the only difference was that he had a good healthy bowel movement and then lost a lost of weight from that." So, let me get this straight, Elvis wasn't actually fat...he just had 20 pounds of shit in him?! Dr. Nick continued with the sweet talk, "Usually you pass it all in two or three days, but at the autopsy we found stool in his colon which had been there for four or five months..." I better not see that stool on ebay in the next couple of days!

So there you have it.

That sexy thang in the back is Dr. Nick. I know they are friends and all...but is it standard medical practice to not wear a shirt while in the presence of your patient?

Aww, The Supreme Court is Like Our Grandparents!

Today at the Supreme Court there were oral arguments for the case City of Ontario v. Quon -- a case which deals with whether police officers have a right to privacy when it comes to personal (sexually explicit) text messages sent on pagers issued to them by the city. But what those arguments, and the subsequent questions asked by the Justices, revealed is that the real issue here is Supreme Court Justices v. Technology. For instance, Chief Justice Roberts (who writes his opinions with pen and paper instead of a computer) asked what the difference was "between e-mail and a pager?" Justice Roberts is 55 year old! My parents are older than that and they know the difference (well, my mom probably does. I can't say for sure about my dad...). Plus, my 87 year old grandma, soon to be 88, types on a computer. She even sends e-mails. No excuse, Roberts!

Justice Kennedy also asked what would happen if a text message was sent to an officer at the same time the officer was sending a text to someone. "Does it say: 'Your call is important to us, and we will get back to you?'" he asked. HA! Ha ha! Wouldn't that be hilarious if that's how things worked! Well, Justice Kennedy, if you would have spent more time reading up on technology, and less time being the swing vote that fucks everything up, you would know the answer to this.

Justice Scalia had a hard time grasping the idea of a service provider. "You mean [the text] doesn't go right to me?" he asked. He then asked whether text messages could be printed out. He asked, "Could Quon print these spicy little conversations and send them to his buddies?" Upon hearing "spicy little conversations", Justice Thomas quickly woke up from his nap, shot out of his chair, and actually asked a question (for like the first time in decades*). 'Yeah, can they?! And, if so, they should probably be submitted to the Court...for judicial review, of course!'

If only they were as technologically-savvy as they are good-looking.

*Slight exaggeration. But then again, it doesn't really matter because this is just a made-up scenario with Justice Clarence Thomas.You think he'd actually wake up from his nap?!

One More Thing

Another part of the Bolivia article (see below) that I really liked was this anecdote about Evo Morales. The man who ran one of Morales's presidential campaigns, Walter Chavez, told Lawrence Wright (the author of the article) about an incident that took place shortly before the 2005 election:

"Evo went to Chapare for a meeting of coca growers. The m.c. didn't know how to read, except really slowly, and everyone began to whistle. 'Put somebody up there who knows what he's doing!' they cried. Me, too, I was also whistling. Then Evo stepped up and grabbed the mike and said, 'I'm about to be President because I'm like this guy. When I didn't know how to read, they gave me a chance. If we take out this guy who doesn't know how to read and put in someone who does, then the revolution I thought I was part of has suddenly become something different. Those who don't have the patience to stick it out can leave.'" No one left. "It was clear he was going to give opportunities to people who had never had them," Chavez said.

A Hidden Gem

I read a really interesting feature article by Lawrence Wright on Bolivia that discussed the country's history and culture, the current president Evo Morales (who is a socialist and the first indigenous president of Bolivia), and the country's natural resources (and the country's recent attempt to develop and nationalize their lithium deposits). I know you probably think I'm a nerd for saying that's interesting. Yes, I am a nerd. But, regardless, it is an interesting article.

Anyway, buried deep in the article was this gem:

Bolivia's coastal territories were lost in 1879, when Chile, spurred on by British investors, invaded the country to claim the Atacama Desert's rich deposits of guano (for fertilizer) and saltpeter (for explosives). The resulting War of the Pacific was just one of the five unfortunate wars that Bolivia has fought with its neighbors, which, cumulatively, have reduced its territory by half. The loss to Chile lingers most bitterly in the minds of Bolivia's citizens. There is still a Bolivian Navy, which patrols inland waterways [sad...]. Near the naval headquarters, on Lake Titicaca [definitely my most favorite lake name], is a statue of a fallen hero from the War of the Pacific, inscribed with the hollow boast known to every Bolivian schoolchild: "Surrender? Your grandmother surrenders, Damn it!"

The Aha Moment

In a New York Times article, Tea Party supporters were interviewed about their beliefs. The article pointed out that many supporters said they supported smaller government and wanted government spending to be cut...but at the same time, they didn't want Medicare or Social Security to be cut (the most expensive government programs). This is nothing new. This contradiction has been brought up a bunch of times (and it's still just as sad). What I especially loved about this article was the response from a 62-year-old Tea Party supporter, when she was asked about this contradiction:

"That's a conundrum, isn't it? I don't know what to say. Maybe I don't want smaller government. I guess I want smaller government and my Social Security...I didn't look at it from the perspective of losing things I need. I think I've changed my mind."

This aha moment brought to you by a-ha*

*a-ha is now embarking on their worldwide farewell tour called "Ending on a High Note" -- they're also on a mission to change the worldwide definition of "high note".

Yearbook Pictures

This is the cover of today's Washington Post. Something about these pictures (Obama meeting world leaders for the Nuclear Security Summit) reminds me of senior prom pictures.

What these senior prom pictures are telling me:

(From the top to the bottom, left to right)

Nicolas Sarkozy of France is Obama's best friend. They keep joking around and sharing stories about their dates. In this picture Sarkozy is saying "You will not believe what my date just did in the parking lot..."

Poor Angela Merkel of Germany must have conservative parents and so she and Obama can't get too close when they dance. They have to resort to dancing a traditional Greek dance.

Obama accepts the prom king title from the principal of the school, Hu Jintao from China

"Class of 2010, I introduce to you your new prom king and queen: Obama and Cristina Fernandez of Argentina!!"

Obama points out to the parental chaperon, Ahmed Aboul Gheit of Egypt, the students who spiked the punch.

Here's the awkward foreign exchange student, Silvio Berlusconi from Italy, that doesn't understand social boundaries. Here he is telling Obama, "You know, you're way more tanned than I thought!"

Obama poses for a picture with his favorite teacher, Manmohan Singh of India. Obama really appreciates all the letters of recommendation Mr. Singh wrote for him.

Obama generously offers to dance with the first chair flutist in the school band, Tarja Halonen of Finland, that came stag.

Obama runs into his ex, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil. Obama still very much loves Lula, and it's hard for him to let him go. But Lula has moved on.

Obama shows Viktor Yanukovych of Ukraine the door, after he was kicked out of the prom for spiking the punch.

Finally, Obama has the special last dance with his date, Lee Myung-bak of South Korea. Aww. "Let's never forget each other," they say after one last embrace.

Bart Stupak

Representative Bart Stupak (D-MI) reported that he's retiring after 18 years in Congress. He said he's retiring because he felt his main legislative goal -- a national health care overhaul -- was accomplished. In regards to that health care overhaul he accomplished, you might actually remember him as the abortion guy that was initially responsible for holding up health care reform in the House and made progressive Democrats mad. Then he eventually dropped his ridiculous reservations and sided with the Dems and voted for the reform, making conservatives mad. Pretty much everyone was mad at him at some point.

Heather: He's probably retiring because everyone was mad at him and he's worried they're going to make campaign signs against him that say "Bart Stupak...more like Stu-pid!" BOOM!

Eagan: ...I think we know who has a future as a political strategist.

Heather: I thought so myself!

Here's Stupak serving on the How to Cup and Grope Testicles Subcommittee

Oh I just thought of another great idea to put in my political strategist portfolio: "Bart Stupak: It's not a coincidence that his initials are B.S." I'm way too good at this.

Recent Dispatches

Russia experienced their worst ever performance in the winter Olympics in Vancouver. They ended up in 11th place for the medal count and "only" got three gold medals. President Medvedev said the Russian Olympic officials should resign. He said they "should take the brave decision and submit their resignations. If they cannot do it, we will help them." [Emphasis added]. Yikes. When your country kind of has a reputation for being corrupt and heavy-handed, the last thing you want to do is say something that sounds menacing. Eagan said if the Russian Olympic officials aren't careful, they're going to be "resigned" to the bottom of a river.

Russia's performance in Vancouver and the country's subsequent outburst of anger and disappointment makes me concerned for the the next winter games...that are going to be held in Russia. I don't even want to think about what lengths they're going to go to to make sure they "own the podium" in 2014. After Evan Lysacek won the gold medal in figure skating against Russian skater Evgeni Plushenko, even Putin said Plushenko was robbed. Evan joked in an interview, when asked if he would compete in the 2014 games to defend his gold medal, that he probably won't even be allowed in the country to compete.

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It was reported that approximately 50% of the Canadian population (16.6 million viewers) watched the entire gold medal hockey game on Sunday. And 80% of the Canadian population watched some part of the game. That is one universally loved sport in Canada. The closest equivalent for the U.S. that I could think of is the Superbowl. Not everyone watches the Superbowl in the U.S., but it is a pretty big event and lots of people watch it (and more people watch it than regular football games). This year's Superbowl even had a record breaking number of 106.5 million viewers. While that is more than three times Canada's population, that only translates to about 1/3 of the U.S. population. So even with something big like the Superbowl, only 1/3 of our country watched. So those that were sad that the U.S. lost the gold medal hockey game, just imagine how devastated the Canadian population would have been if they lost. Eighty-percent (plus) of the population would probably be on suicide watch. Whereas, I would speculate 80% of the U.S. population didn't even know there was a hockey game on Sunday.

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Julianne Moore has confirmed that she will make an appearance on the soap opera "As the World Turns." She will have a walk-on appearance. Julianne Moore first got her start on the soap in 1985 and she even earned a daytime Emmy in 1988 for her role. The show is ending in September after being on for 54 years.
First of all, I think it's cute that Julianne Moore is going back to show her appreciation for the show that gave her a start. I'm sure there are actors of her caliber that wouldn't go back because they're "too good" for the show now (Rick Springfield, I'm looking at you) -- even though the show is ending and its a good way to pay their last respects, so to speak. I love Julianne Moore. Second of all, 54 years?!? That blows my mind.

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Gary Coleman suffered a seizure on the set of "The Insider". But what really caught my attention in the article was "...and [Gary] received immediate treatment from Dr. Drew Pinsky, who happened to be on the set as well." Is there anything Dr. Drew doesn't do?! That guy is almost in as many places as Kris Kristofferson.

Plus, I'm glad Gary Coleman didn't have a stroke...because then the puns would be a-flying (but, as is, thank goodness he had something "diff'rent" than a stroke) [I had to].

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The Price is Right is having even more legal problems with their models. Does that show ever learn?! Now a former Price is Right model filed a lawsuit because she was harassed and discriminated against for being pregnant. Producers on the show made rude remarks about her pregnancy, her appearance, her weight, and her eating habits. And she was not allowed to return to work after her pregnancy leave. In the past, the show has been sued by the models for sexual harassment, age discrimination, and weight discrimination.

Eagan said the moral of the story is to always remember to spay and neuter your models.

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Martin Scorsese is the latest to sing the praises of 3-D movies. He said he'd love to do one. He said, "We see in depth, for the most part. We go to the theatre -- it's in depth. Why couldn't a film like 'Precious' be in 3-D? It should be." Yeah, because explicit physical and sexual abuse is something I want to feel is popping out of the screen and right up in my face.

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Apparently a stun gun was delivered recently to the Jackson family estate (where Michael Jackson's kids are living) and child service workers are investigating the incident. But all is well, it turns out it was just Jermaine's 13 year old son that had ordered it (not Jermajesty, but another one. I think it was JerJester...). And why shouldn't a 13 year old be mail-ordering a Taser? Sounds like a typical day in Jacksonville, if you ask me. Oh wait, that's a real city... My apologies to Jacksonville (Florida, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and West Virginia. But I'm not apologizing to Jacksonville, Texas. Did you know Ryan Adams is from Jacksonville, North Carolina? And he frequently references it in his songs. )

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Umm, this is kind of awkward. There has been a 13-year legal battle between OJ Simpson's sports agent and Fred Goldman, the father of Ron Goldman (the man OJ Simpson was accused of murdering, along with his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson). Both of the men claim the right to the suit, shirt, and tie that OJ was wearing when he was acquitted of murder charges. I don't really understand why either of them wanted those clothes in their possession (yeah, I get it, they wanted to make money off of them. But still. I don't get it. ). So a deal was reached with a judge. They decided to donate the outfit to the Smithsonian Institution. The donation would be made in the name of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. Can you imagine how awkward that would be seeing that display in the Smithsonian American History museum, with a little placard next to it with the names of these murder victims? Yikes.

One problem, the Smithsonian rejected them. I think their press release said something like 'Hell no, we're not getting involved with this shit.' Now those involved are looking for another museum or institution of higher learning to give the suit to. Good luck.

If you look close enough, you can see the ten foot pole in the background that the Smithsonian Institution refuses to even touch his suit with.