Sunday - February 18, 2007

Who Cares?

Britney Spears Goes Bald
_{(PEOPLE) - SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2007 07:00 AM EST}

Britney Spears checked into a rehab facility and then abruptly checked out, a source confirms to PEOPLE. And then on Friday, she returned to Southern California – and she shaved her head completely bald.

The pop star checked herself into Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Centre in Antigua “two or three days ago” but left after just one day and headed to Florida, the source tells PEOPLE.

TV’s Extra first reported that the singer had entered a treatment facility. TMZ.com later reported that she checked out less than 24 hours later. Spears has been a nightlife fixture ever since filing for divorce from Kevin Federline in November.

On Tuesday, her former personal assistant, Felicia Culotta, wrote in a letter to Hollywood.com’s That Other Blog that Spears’s friends and family were trying to get her help, but were not having much luck.

“There’s just so much you can do to help a person,” Culotta wrote. “I cannot convince her in ANY way to love herself. ... I cannot save her from herself, nor can I commit her to any type of treatment program against her wishes and will. I am throwing my hands up and realizing that I am helpless over another.”

That was not the first sign that those around her were concerned. In January, Rudolph told USA Today that Spears realized her behavior had been harming her image. “She understands what’s going on right now, and she calls it her ‘rocky moment,’ “ he said. “Britney knows exactly what she needs to do.”

Spears herself later wrote in a letter to fans on her Web site, “If I were you I’d be unhappy too if I had to read what I’ve been reading every day. But trust me, I get it. I know I’ve been far from perfect and the media has had a lot of fun exaggerating my every move.”

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/18/2007 at 11:44 PM   
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   Monday - February 12, 2007

Grammy Goofiness

First, a confession - I subscribe to Rolling Stone ... in spite of the Leftist, political slant the mag has taken in recent years. I just like music and there are are at least two or three pages of actual music news in each issue. Why am I telling you this? Because, to the best of my recollection, the Dixie Chicks new album only stayed on the charts for a couple of weeks last year before disappearing and never made it higher than #8.

In addition, they managed to keep pissing off enough people with their Leftist politics that concerts were canceled all across the country. So why did they walk off with all the major Grammy Awards last night? If any of you have any inside information about this, please clue me in. Is this just more of the entertainment industry’s out-of-touch, mutual back-scratching? Don’t these people ever step outside of their insulated little world and actually communicate with us little people ... ?

Dixie Chicks Earn Grammys Triumph
_{(BBC) - Monday, 12 February 2007, 05:13 GMT}

Country trio The Dixie Chicks have made a triumphant comeback by dominating the major honours at the Grammy Awards. The group’s five prizes come four years after they caused uproar among many US country music fans for saying they were “ashamed” of President George Bush.

Their awards included best song, record and album. The Red Hot Chili Peppers won four, while Mary J Blige won three. The ceremony was opened by reformed pop group The Police - but it was a bad night for other Brits like James Blunt.

The UK singer was up for five awards but went home empty-handed. Other British nominees like Corinne Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall and the Arctic Moneys also lost out.

The Dixie Chicks’ victory in the top three categories represents vindication for a group who were banned from many US radio stations and received death threats after making their controversial comments.

At a concert in London on the eve of the Iraq war in 2003, singer Natalie Maines told the crowd she was “ashamed” that Mr Bush came from her home state, Texas.

At the Grammy ceremony on Sunday, their single Not Ready to Make Nice - including lyrics like “I’m not ready to back down, I’m still mad as hell” - was named song of the year and record of the year. It also picked up best country performance by a duo or group.

Their haul was completed by best album as well as best country album for Taking The Long Way. “That’s interesting,” Maines said on accepting one award. “Well, to quote the great Simpsons: ‘Heh-heh.’” Bandmate Emily Robison added: “We wouldn’t have done this album without everything we went through, so we have no regrets.”

Posted by The Skipper     on 02/12/2007 at 01:01 AM   
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   Thursday - December 21, 2006

Cat Fight

The Ugly Lesbian vs. The Obnoxious Toupee. Sounds like something Vince McMahon might dream up for a WWE Smackdown event. Which is what I wish I could do to both of these idiots. Smack them down, that is.

I hate these celebrity catfights like this because I just don’t know who to root for. I really, really wish they both could lose. I guess though, if I were forced to choose, I’d have to go with “The Donald”. Why? Because he’s better looking than The Rosinater.

Rosie’s belligerent attitude has always been a big turn-off for me (plus she is just plain out FUGLY). Sure, Donald is way too full of himself but Rosie? Rosie is full of something else. Take three guesses ....

Rosie Slams Trump, The Donald Fires Back
_{(PEOPLE) - WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 20, 2006 05:25 PM EST}

Rosie O’Donnell had some fiery words for Donald Trump on The View Wednesday morning, calling him a “snake-oil salesman” following his announcement that he would not fire troubled Miss USA Tara Conner.

After hearing about her comments, Trump fired back to PEOPLE, calling her “a woman out of control” and saying he planned to sue O’Donnell over her statements questioning his financial well-being.

“You can’t make false statements,” Trump tells PEOPLE exclusively. “Rosie will rue the words she said. I’ll most likely sue her for making those false statements – and it’ll be fun. Rosie’s a loser. A real loser. I look forward to taking lots of money from my nice fat little Rosie.”

The battle began on Wednesday’s show, when a peeved O’Donnell said: “(He) left the first wife – had an affair. (He) had kids both times, but he’s the moral compass for 20-year-olds in America. Donald, sit and spin, my friend.”

O’Donnell, who impersonated Trump by deepening her voice and flipping her hair to one side, aimed her criticism at his comment from the Tuesday press conference that, “I’ve always been a believer in second chances. Tara is good person. Tara has tried hard. Tara is going to be given a second chance.”

Conner, who just turned 21, will go to rehab but keep her crown, following reports of alleged drug and alcohol abuse. A grateful Conner apologized for her behavior at the press conference, and she thanked Trump for his compassion.

But O’Donnell was not as touched. After repeatedly saying she “didn’t enjoy him,” Rosie discussed Trump’s finances – saying he went bankrupt, which Trump denies – and likened him to the “snake-oil salesman on Little House On The Prairie. This is not a self-made man,” O’Donnell said.

And while O’Donnell and her View co-hosts discussed Conner’s alleged drug and alcohol abuse, Rosie was dismissive, saying, “She went out and she was partying – doing what Paris and Lindsay do.”

She also turned her wrath toward the Miss USA organization itself. “Miss America is the prestige,” she said. “Miss USA is a different thing. It’s basically a model competition. Let’s be realistic.”

Trump’s response? “She talked about the Miss USA contest, which has terrific ratings on NBC. Miss America got thrown off of network television! It’s (on cable), where nobody watches it,” he said, countering her statements. “And my father never gave me tons of money.”

- More ...

- Videos are at Stop The ACLU ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 12/21/2006 at 07:05 AM   
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   Wednesday - November 29, 2006

Have Another Drink

Funny: Danny DeVito. Ridiculous: Danny DeVito drunk. Really tacky: Danny DeVito drunk on TV. Barking Moonbat candidate: Danny DeVito drunk on TV cussing and bashing Bush (with help from Rosie O’Donnell).

Is there a law somewhere that states that all celebrities must stay drunk and be cursing mad at someone. Me, I prefer staying sober while I’m bashing the bejeezus out of someone. I keeps me mouth shut when falling down drunk - something Michael Richards, Mel Gibson, Nick Nolte ... and Danny DeVito need to consider.

Posted by The Skipper     on 11/29/2006 at 02:59 PM   
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   Wednesday - November 22, 2006

Babs Is Finally Happy

OK, show of hands here. How many of you would pay $750 to watch this fugly woman try to sing and drown you with liberal, Democratic Party propaganda at the same time? Of course none of you raised your hands because most of you work hard for a living and need the dough for things that matter. Babs doesn’t matter. Unless you’re a rich Liberal with too much free time and too much money and a desire to be seen with all the “right people”.

I for one am glad Babs is happy now. I don’t expect her to shut up and quit complaining but the noise may die down a little. Come to think of it, having the Donks in control for the next two years could be a good thing. The rest of us can get a little peace and quiet for a brief time. That would make us the “luckiest people in the whole, wide world.” Enjoy it while you can, folks ....

Streisand Basks In “Happy Days” After Dems Victory
_{LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Tue Nov 21, 2006 4:32pm ET140}

Barbara Streisand ended her latest farewell tour on Monday at a celebrity-studded Los Angeles love-in that included incoming Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi among the thousands of rapt fans.

About 20,000 people, who each paid up to $750 per ticket, packed the Staples Center to welcome the 64-year-old singer back to her adopted hometown, ending a 16-city North American tour that began on October 4 in Philadelphia. The concert was filled with political overtones as Streisand, a longtime liberal activist, introduced Pelosi to a standing ovation.

Taking note of the recent Democratic takeover of both houses of Congress, Streisand said, “My depression is over.” She ended her two-hour-plus performance with a version of the Depression-era Democratic Party anthem “Happy Days Are Here Again.”

Other notables in the audience included singer Barry Manilow, producer Quincy Jones, actors Ben Stiller and Rob Lowe and comedians Cheech Marin and Bill Maher. The sellout tour endured a few hiccups along the way, thanks to a skit in which she mocks her nemesis, President George W. Bush, by bringing out a Bush impersonator.

After a New York fan—evidently unaware of her activism—complained that she was being too political, she told him to “shut the f--- up” and leave. She later apologized. In Florida, a man tossed a drink at her. Some critics said she should have stuck with the music. During Monday’s performance, Streisand actually lauded Bush for his ability to take a joke.

Posted by The Skipper     on 11/22/2006 at 02:31 AM   
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   Wednesday - November 15, 2006

Most Ridiculous Item Of The Day (so far)

If you ask me, this goober is gettin’ closer and closer every day to actually confessing to the murders. Give him time. His conscience will eventually get the better of him ... if he doesn’t go stark, raving mad first. Then again, maybe he is already looney-tunes. I’d put money on it ...

O.J. Simpson To Promote “If I Did It” On Fox
_{LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Tue Nov 14, 2006 11:06pm ET162}

Fox said Tuesday it will air a two-part interview with O.J. Simpson at month’s end in which he describes the 1994 murders of his ex-wife and her friend that he says he didn’t commit.

The interview will be conducted by editor and book publisher Judith Regan. On November 30, her Regan Books is publishing a book Simpson wrote with the working title “If I Did It, Here’s How It Happened.”

Fox said Simpson’s book “hypothetically describes” how he would have committed the murders. The special will air at 9 p.m. November 27 and 29 on Fox.

Fox executives declined comment about the show Tuesday. In a statement released Tuesday, executive vice-president/alternative programming Mike Darnell said: “This is an interview that no one thought would ever happen. It’s the definitive last chapter in the trial of the century.”

Fox is a subsidiary of News Corp., which also owns Regan Books. A spokeswoman for Regan Books didn’t return a phone call or an e-mail seeking comment Tuesday.

Simpson was acquitted in 1995 of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman; he can’t be tried again for those crimes. In 1997, a civil court found him responsible for the slayings and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to the victims’ families.

Posted by The Skipper     on 11/15/2006 at 11:36 AM   
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   Wednesday - October 25, 2006

A Song For you

First, a little history. Beccy Cole is an Australian country music singer. Last Christmas she went to Iraq to entertain Aussie troops, “diggers” as they’re called - kinda like our “grunts”. When she returned to Australia, some fans contacted her to let her know they were taking her poster off their walls and wouldn’t buy any more of her albums - because of her support for “an unjust war”, as they called it.

Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the direct opposite of what happened to Natalie Maines. You could say Beccy is the “anti-Dixie-Chick”. Personally, I think Beccy is a downright pretty young lady with a beautiful voice. Take a look at her official web site and see if you agree.

After that, if you want some real entertainment go visit this blog called ”To Hell With Culture” which is obviously anti-war and anti-Beccy. The blogger’s name is Jules and here is what he thinks of Beccy’s song ... “It’s called poster girl or the other side of the world or something like that. Who gives a fuck really. It may as well be called steaming pile of horse shit mixed with dog’s vomit.” Say hello to Jules while you’re there. You might even want to leave a comment.

But first, play the video below. Then decide for yourself. Personally, I think I’m in love with this “sheila”. I think I will have to go visit Amazon. The album is entitled ”Feel This Free” in case you’re interested ....

Posted by The Skipper     on 10/25/2006 at 11:20 AM   
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   Thursday - October 19, 2006

Wanted: Dead Or Alive

You can run away owing money to your favorite loan shark and possibly get away with it. You can rob The Godfathather, run away and maybe get away with it. Heck, you can probably even steal money from Al-Qaeda and get away with it. But owe the IRS money and dude ... you’re toast.

I oughta know. I made a small “mistake” in my 2000 and 2001 returns and the IRS calmly informed me that I owed them $10,000 in back taxes. This was in a letter I received from them in 2005 that had followed me as I worked six different contracts in five different states. Oh, yes. They found me and I wound up paying over $15,000 before it was over with due to penalties.

Death just waits patiently for you to come to him. The IRS isn’t that nice. They ain’t waitin’ fer squat. They will hunt you down and skin you alive. Trust me. Wesly Snipes is in deep kimchi. Almost as deep as Willie Nelson got into with the “revenooers” recently.

With millions of dollars at stake, the feds and their new lackeys (third-party collection agencies) will pursue Snipes to the ends of the Earth and beyond. Even now they are probably commandeering military satellites to quarantine Earth to keep Snipes from escaping to Mars. You think I’m kidding? Guess again.

So say hello to Wesly Snipes, the new “Running Man”. All we need is Richard Dawson on TV calling the play-by-play as the IRS closes in on their prey with blasters drawn and subpoenas extended. RUN, Running Man! RUN!

Feds Indict Actor Wesley Snipes for Tax Fraud
_{WASHINGTON (LA TIMES) - 12:34 PM PDT, October 17, 2006}

Wesley Snipes, whose flash and dash style of acting carried him from the streets of the South Bronx to movie stardom, has been indicted on charges of conspiracy and tax fraud, federal officials announced today.

Snipes, 44, was also charged with six counts of failing to file income tax returns. If convicted of all of the charges, he could be sentenced to as much as 16 years in prison. Snipes’ whereabouts could not be determined, said Steve Cole, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Middle District of Florida.

“We made an attempt to contact him through his attorneys and now with the news conference,” Cole said in a telephone interview. “Maybe he’ll find out from the media and turn himself in.” The indictment is the latest reversal for the star whose diverse career starring in action, comedic and dramatic roles dazzled fans for more than 20 years.

From his success in the 1986 football film “Wildcats” to a drug lord in “New Jack City” to a sports hustler in “White Men Can’t Jump” to his superhero turn in the “Blade” movies, Snipes has been a stellar fixture on the screen.

But Snipes’ off-screen personal and financial difficulties have mounted in recent years. His Florida mansion was in foreclosure, his former agency sued to collect an overdue debt and an admitted former crack addict took him to court in a paternity case that the star eventually won after reams of bad publicity.

Today’s indictment accuses Snipes, formerly of Windermere, Fla., Eddie Ray Kahn, of Sorrento, Fla., and Douglas P. Rosile, of Venice, Fla., with conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and presenting a fraudulent claim for payment to the IRS.

According to the indictment released by the Justice Department, Kahn was the founder and leader of American Rights Litigators and its successor, Guiding Light of God Ministries. The businesses sold fraudulent tax schemes, authorities said in a statement.

Rosile was identified as a former accountant who continued to work after his CPA licenses were revoked in Ohio and Florida. He allegedly prepared fraudulent tax returns for American Rights Litigators, which charged its members a fee, half of which it allegedly paid to Rosile. In addition, ARL would collect 20% of any refund and half of that went to Rosile.

Snipes, Kahn and Rosile are accused of making it appear that Snipes had no liability for federal income taxes. According to authorities, the claim is known as an “861 argument,” which asserts that U.S. citizens and residents can be taxed only on income derived from certain foreign-based activities and not on income earned within the United States — a position that has been rejected by the courts.

The defendants filed two amended federal income tax returns for Snipes, claiming almost $12 million in refunds from 1996 and 1997 income taxes. The indictment also accuses Snipes of failing to file his 1999 through 2004 federal income tax returns.

“Our system of government depends on citizens paying their fair share of taxes,” U.S. Atty. Paul I. Perez of the Middle District of Florida, said in a statement. “Those who intentionally and unlawfully harass the IRS through deceit, trickery and fraud undermine the collection of revenue that is vital to every aspect of the operation of our government.”

According to spokesman Cole, the indictments were handed up last week. Authorities contacted Snipes’ lawyers on Friday and asked that the actor surrender for arraignment today. The lawyers said that they no longer represented Snipes, Cole said. Rosile surrendered today, but Kahn was believed to be in Panama, Cole said..

Posted by The Skipper     on 10/19/2006 at 11:30 AM   
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   Saturday - October 14, 2006

Barking Moonbat Of The Week

I’m sorry. I just don’t get it. Why uproot a child from his home country and take him away from his father, even if the country he lives in is dirt poor? Why not build the father and son a nice house, help him get started in a business of some kind, make sure the kid gets all his shots and pay for his education? Then the kid has a full-time natural father to learn his culture from, grows up healthy and well-educated and when he grows up he will be an asset to help his country climb out of poverty.

To me that would make more sense than dragging the kid out to a completely alien environment and left in the care of a nanny while his adoptive parents jet-set around the world on tour. Not to mention the fact that to the rest of the world it looks like a rich Westerner is buying a modern version of a black slave.

It’s all wrong on too many levels to enumerate. Coupled with Madonna’s ridiculous behavior in the past, we have no choice but to finger her with The Award this week. She is overdue for selection. Let’s hope and pray the kid’s first words don’t include “Massuh” ....

Madonna Leaves Malawi With
Adoption Order But Without Toddler
_{BLANTYRE (AFP) - Friday October 13, 08:09 PM}

“Queen of Pop” Madonna jetted out of Malawi, leaving behind the 13-month-old boy she plans to mother and a storm of protest from local rights groups over the fast-track adoption process.

The US diva left the administrative capital Lilongwe on a private plane after a judge granted her an 18-month interim order on Thursday allowing her to take David Banda, the son of an illiterate farmer, out of the country.

However the youngster will have to be reunited with the 48-year-old singer at a later date as vital paperwork was still to be sorted out. “She left Malawi without David because there was very little time to sort out passport and visa issues,” said Penston Kilembe, director of child welfare services in the ministry of gender, children and community services.

Kilembe said David would later join Madonna, who left addresses in London and Los Angeles, where government officials can reach her and monitor the boy’s progress in foster care for 18 months in line with the conditions in the order. The London-based Madonna, who already has two children of her own, must return at a later stage for the adoption to be given final approval.

The order will allow Malawi to hammer out a new law, due to be passed by parliament next year, to ease adoptions by foreign nationals. Under current laws, expatriates adopting a Malawian child have to live in the country for 18 months and are monitored by social workers before they get full adoption rights.

The swift granting of the interim order has angered some rights groups which called Friday upon the Malawian government to put the order on hold in the interests of the child’s future. “We have the opinion that the speedy process of adoption will not work for the best interests of the child David,” a petition signed by 13 rights groups said.

It urged the government “to put on hold or delay the implementation of the interim order granted to Madonna,” adding: “It’s not like selling property, it is about safeguarding the future of a human being who because of age cannot express an opinion.”

Tom Ligowe, senior assistant registrar at Lilongwe high court where a judge granted Madonna the order, said officials would track the child’s welfare and could revoke it if he was not well cared.

But children’s rights activist Maxwell Matewere, a spokesman of the group which petitioned the government on Friday, said orphans were at “high risk” of being alienated from their blood family and being mistreated by their adoptive one. Matewere, director of Eye of the Child charity, said David should be able to “enjoy full rights on adoption and not interim protection...he should be able to contact his father.”

Yohan Banda, the 32-year-old father of the latest addition to Madonna’s brood has told Britain’s The Sun newspaper that he was “very happy” that a celebrity was adopting his son, who would have a better life now.

Posted by The Skipper     on 10/14/2006 at 10:29 AM   
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   Sunday - September 10, 2006

The Decline Of Modern Civilization, Part III

Posted by The Skipper     on 09/10/2006 at 01:33 AM   
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   Wednesday - September 06, 2006

Hoopla

I have a confession to make - I have never watched the Today Show and the last time I watched CBS Evening News I believe Nixon was President. In fact, my viewing of broadcast television over the last three decades has been limited to the Tonight Show and an occasional sitcom like M*A*S*H or Cheers that caught my fancy momentarily.

Cable TV gave broadcast television its first killing blow back in the 1980’s and now the internet is finishing it off. The fact that there is not much other than mindless drivel on the three major networks nowadays also has a lot to do with it. Throw in lunatic newsmen like Dan Rather and it’s obvious why the networks are dying off.

With all that said, did any of you watch CBS Evening News and the much-hyped debut of “perky, loveable” Katie Couric last night? CBS spent a bundle to try to revamp the evening news and I was wondering if it was successful. Let me know what you think. If no one watched it but the media who report on the media, that will be answer enough.

Meanwhile, there are reports that Mary Mapes is rejoining Dan Rather in his new job down in Texas but hold the phone - Mapes denies it all. You may recall it was Mapes who produced the Rathergate report that got both of them “dismissed” from CBS. In the words of Walter Cronkite, “And that’s the way it is for Tuesday, September 5, 2006. Good night.”

Couric Debuts On Evening News
_{NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tue Sep 5, 2006 8:32pm ET}

Television sweetheart Katie Couric debuted on Tuesday as “CBS Evening News” anchor and the first woman to solo host a newscast on one of the country’s three major broadcast networks.

Following in the footsteps of hard newsmen Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, who separately anchored “CBS Evening News” from 1962 to 2005, Couric’s debut followed three months of hype since she left NBC’s “Today” morning show after 15 years.

Wearing a white jacket and black dress, Couric, 49, began her first program after switching from bubbly morning TV co-host to serious news anchor with an exclusive Taliban interview by CBS’ Afghanistan correspondent.

To ensure viewers stayed tuned in for the half hour, she also teased them with the Vanity Fair magazine cover photo of actor Tom Cruise’s baby Suri but didn’t show it until near the end of the newscast. Her performance on the show—which had a brighter, more modern set and sharper graphics than its predecessor—drew mixed reviews from media analysts.

”I couldn’t help feeling we’re watching a great presentation but on the Titanic,” Professor Paul Levinson, chairman of the Fordham University media department, said after Couric’s first broadcast on the evening news show.

“The band is playing well—the micro components are there—but I don’t think we’re seeing something that’s taking off and sailing into some kind of great, glorious future.”

Levinson said that while he liked some of the newscast’s new segments including snapshots from history and a chance for viewers to air their views, he does not believe the more relaxed format works.

- More from Reuters ...

_{Mike Lester - Rome News-Tribune (GA)}

Posted by The Skipper     on 09/06/2006 at 12:36 AM   
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   Monday - September 04, 2006

Crikey!

I have often wondered if Steve Irwin was playing with a full deck. The man seemed absolutely insane to get that close to dangerous animals, from crocodiles to poisonous rattlesnakes. It seemed to me to be a matter of when, not if, he would be killed. The thing is, you just had to love the guy anyway. He always seemed to be having so much fun while playing with dangerous animals. This kind of accident was predictable but I am still saddened regardless.

Like most of his fans, I extend my deepest sympathies to his wife and family. He will be missed. In spite of the crazy antics he seemed to get into at times, Steve seemed to have a good heart and taught us a lot about animals in the wild, carrying on the tradition of Marlin Perkins and others. Yes, the animals he “played with” were dangerous but his infectious humor served to educate us about animals in the wild and make us less fearful of them. That alone was a magnificent achievement.

His death should also remind us that although we should not fear the wild critters, we need to engage them with a healthy dose of respect. Something we humans would do well to practice when dealing with the most dangerous animals of all ... each other.

Rest in peace, Steve.

Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin Killed
_{CAIRNS, Australia (WASHINGTON POST) - Monday, September 4, 2006; 6:14 AM}

Steve Irwin, the hugely popular Australian television personality and conservationist known as the “Crocodile Hunter,” was killed Monday by a stingray while filming off the Great Barrier Reef. He was 44. Irwin was at Batt Reef, off the remote coast of northeastern Queensland state, shooting a segment for a series called “Ocean’s Deadliest” when he swam too close to one of the animals, which have a poisonous bard on their tails, his friend and colleague John Stainton said.

“He came on top of the stingray and the stingray’s barb went up and into his chest and put a hole into his heart,” said Stainton, who was on board Irwin’s boat at the time. Crew members aboard the boat, Croc One, called emergency services in the nearest city, Cairns, and administered CPR as they rushed the boat to nearby Low Isle to meet a rescue helicopter. Medical staff pronounced Irwin dead when they arrived a short time later, Stainton said.

Irwin was famous for his enthusiasm for wildlife and his catchword “Crikey!” in his television program “Crocodile Hunter.” First broadcast in Australia in 1992, the program was picked up by the Discovery network, catapulting Irwin to international celebrity. He rode his image into a feature film, 2002’s “The Crocodile Hunters: Collision Course” and developed the wildlife park that his parents opened, Australia Zoo, into a major tourist attraction.

“The world has lost a great wildlife icon, a passionate conservationist and one of the proudest dads on the planet,” Stainton told reporters in Cairns. “He died doing what he loved best and left this world in a happy and peaceful state of mind. He would have said, ‘Crocs Rule!’” Prime Minister John Howard, who hand-picked Irwin to attend a gala barbecue to honor President Bush when he visited in 2003, said he was “shocked and distressed at Steve Irwin’s sudden, untimely and freakish death.”

“It’s a huge loss to Australia,” Howard told reporters. “He was a wonderful character. He was a passionate environmentalist. He brought joy and entertainment and excitement to millions of people.” Irwin, who made a trademark of hovering dangerously close to untethered crocodiles and leaping on their backs, spoke in rapid-fire bursts with a thick Australian accent and was almost never seen without his uniform of khaki shorts and shirt and heavy boots.

His ebullience was infectious and Australian officials sought him out for photo opportunities and to promote Australia internationally. News of Irwin’s death spread quickly, and tributes flowed from all quarters of society. At Australia Zoo at Beerwah, south Queensland, floral tributes were dropped at the entrance, where a huge fake crocodile gapes. Drivers honked their horns as they passed.

Stainton said Irwin’s American-born wife Terri, from Eugene, Ore., had been informed of his death, and had told their daughter Bindi Sue, 8, and son Bob, who will turn 3 in December. The couple met when she went on vacation in Australia in 1991 and visited Irwin’s Australia Zoo; they were married six months later. Sometimes referred to as the “Crocodile Huntress,” she costarred on her husband’s television show and in his 2002 movie.

Steve’s Web Site: http://www.crocodilehunter.com

Posted by The Skipper     on 09/04/2006 at 06:13 AM   
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   Monday - August 14, 2006

Most Ridiculous Headline Of The Day

There isn’t much I can add to this headline. “Snarlin’ Boy George” takes to the streets today to sweep up the trash? Seems kinda redundant to me. Trash sweeping up trash while trash stands by taking pictures. Too much trash for me to handle. Get out the caterpillar and push all this trash off into the Hudson River ... if the EPA approves ...

Boy George Snarls At Media
During Trash Duty
80’s icon serving 5 days of community service
_{NEW YORK (CNN) - Monday, August 14, 2006 - 10:45 a.m. EDT (14:45 GMT)}

With a city-issued broom in his hand, Boy George started his court-ordered community service early Monday, sweeping leaves and trash off the sidewalks of New York. It took less than an hour for the former Culture Club frontman to get into a spat with the media.

“You think you’re better than me?” he yelled. “Go home. Let me do my community service.” Boy George took to the streets of Manhattan as a Department of Sanitation worker wearing an orange vest, dark capri pants, shoes without socks, and without the wild makeup and androgynous style that made him so recognizable as the ‘80s icon who sang “Karma Chameleon” and “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?”

“This is supposed to be making me humble. Let me do this,” he said. “I just want to do my job.” The singer, born George O’Dowd, was ordered to spend five days working for the Department of Sanitation after pleading guilty in March to falsely reporting a burglary at his lower Manhattan apartment. The officers who responded found cocaine instead.

At 7 a.m. Monday, a sport utility vehicle pulled up at a Lower East Side sanitation depot. The agency planned to issue the singer a shovel, broom, plastic bags and gloves for the job of picking up trash on the city’s streets.

In June, Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Anthony Ferrara issued a warrant for O’Dowd’s arrest after he initially failed to complete the requirements of his plea deal. When O’Dowd appeared in court 10 days later, Ferrara called off the warrant but warned the singer he could not escape his community service commitment.

“It’s up to you whether you make it an exercise in humiliation or in humility,” Ferrara told O’Dowd. O’Dowd, 45, initially envisioned a service project more in line with his status as an ‘80s icon. He petitioned to spend the time helping teenagers make a public service announcement. Among his other proposals to the court: holding a fashion and makeup workshop, serving as a DJ at an HIV/AIDS benefit or doing telephone outreach.

- More on this trashy story at CNN ...

Posted by The Skipper     on 08/14/2006 at 12:21 PM   
Filed Under: • Celebrities • Stoopid-People •  
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   Tuesday - August 08, 2006

Hicks Nix Chicks Ticks

“What’s wrong with those stupid hicks out there in the red states? Are they too stupid to buy our concert tickets?”

I can almost hear her now, saying those very words. Natalie Maines just doesn’t get it. Their new album hit the charts, climbed to about number five then started to disappear. Their fans are disappearing too. Yet Natalie just can’t seem to keep her mouth shut. In a recent “statement” slamming patriotism as something she has no use for, this gal is just digging herself deeper and deeper into a hole and absolutely refuses to stop digging.

I suppose she has a right to her opinions and she has a right to voice her opinions. This is America, after all. However, freedom of speech does not guarantee that her opinions will be either intelligent or accepted by others. That’s where she lost it and continues to lose it. This group will not last much longer if she keeps on spitting in her fans’ faces with these ridiculous rants that are angering her base - what there is left of it. It’s a pity. They used to be a fairly good group of musicians before they became a lousy group of politicians.

Dixie Chicks Cancel 14 Shows on Tour
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Aug 8, 7:11 AM (ET)

Several concerts on the Dixie Chicks’"Accidents & Accusations” tour have been canceled after slow ticket sales, but the group says it has replaced them with other dates. Kansas City, Houston, St. Louis, Memphis and Knoxville are among 14 cities no longer on the original schedule released in May, according to a revised itinerary posted Thursday on the Dixie Chick’s Web site.

Other shows, including Nashville, Los Angeles, Denver and Phoenix, have been pushed back to later dates. The North American leg of the tour kicked off July 21 in Detroit. Billboard magazine and other trade publications have reported lackluster sales in some markets, particularly in the South and Midwest.

Group spokeswoman Kathy Allmand said Monday that the total number of North American dates remains the same, with several Canadian cities added in place of the U.S. shows. The trio released a statement last week attributing the changes to attempts to “accommodate demand” and said more dates might be added next year.

The group also said the adjustments will allow them to promote the documentary “Dixie Chicks: Shut up and Sing,” for the Toronto International Film Festival in September. “We hope that our fans who were looking forward to a stop that is no longer on the tour will be able to join us at a nearby arena this fall, and we are sorry for any confusion or inconvenience these changes have caused,” the Dixie Chicks said.

Posted by The Skipper     on 08/08/2006 at 08:55 AM   
Filed Under: • Celebrities • Stoopid-People •  
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