Friday, September 26, 2008
DJ AM released from hospital a week after plane crash
After nightmare crash. DJ AM has been released from the hospital, his rep announced Friday.
AM, 35, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, had been recovering from critical burn injuries following a plane crash last Friday night in Columbia, S.C., that took the lives of four others.
RELATED: STARS KILLED IN PLANE CRASHES
The other crash survivor, AM's performing partner and former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, remains at Doctors Hospital in August, Ga., but is expected to make a full recovery.
"While [AM] is deeply saddened by the events he is thankful for all of the love and support he has been receiving from fans and friends world wide," AM's rep said. "We ask that you continue respect his privacy as he rests and heals and mourns the loss of his friends."
Chris Baker and Charles Still, friends of AM and Barker, perished in the crash, along with the plane's pilot and co-pilot.
A blown tire is suspected to be the cause of the crash, which happened during takeoff.
AM, 35, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, had been recovering from critical burn injuries following a plane crash last Friday night in Columbia, S.C., that took the lives of four others.
RELATED: STARS KILLED IN PLANE CRASHES
The other crash survivor, AM's performing partner and former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, remains at Doctors Hospital in August, Ga., but is expected to make a full recovery.
"While [AM] is deeply saddened by the events he is thankful for all of the love and support he has been receiving from fans and friends world wide," AM's rep said. "We ask that you continue respect his privacy as he rests and heals and mourns the loss of his friends."
Chris Baker and Charles Still, friends of AM and Barker, perished in the crash, along with the plane's pilot and co-pilot.
A blown tire is suspected to be the cause of the crash, which happened during takeoff.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
METALLICA's 'Death Magnetic' Reigns On European Album Chart
Metal Yeahh. Paul Sexton of Billboard.biz reports that METALLICA's "Death Magnetic" (Vertigo/Universal) marks its first full week on release by starting a second week atop European Top 100 Albums.
"Magnetic" added a further 59,000 sales to its opening, part-week total of 75,000 in the United Kingdom for a second week at No. 1 there, and continues to hold sway in Portugal, Finland, Denmark, Norway and the Belgian region of Flanders. Impressively, the title makes six more No. 1 debuts, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Holland and Sweden, climbs 3-1 in Ireland and enters at No. 2 in Hungary. It loses only one of its five initial top billings in Europe, dipping 1-2 in France.
"Death Magnetic" sold 337,000 copies in the United States in its first full week of release to hold on to the top spot on The Billboard 200 chart.
METALLICA's No. 1 debut on the Billboard album chart with "Death Magnetic", made history. The No. 1 arrival made METALLICA the only band to have five albums debut in the top spot, breaking a tie at four albums held by THE BEATLES, U2 and the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND. "Death Magnetic" is also METALLICA's fifth consecutive studio effort to enter at No. 1, following 1991's self-titled "black album," 1996's "Load", '97's "Reload" and 2003's "St. Anger". The album sold 490,000 copies in just four days of release, arriving in stores on September 12 instead of the usual Tuesday.
"Magnetic" added a further 59,000 sales to its opening, part-week total of 75,000 in the United Kingdom for a second week at No. 1 there, and continues to hold sway in Portugal, Finland, Denmark, Norway and the Belgian region of Flanders. Impressively, the title makes six more No. 1 debuts, in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Holland and Sweden, climbs 3-1 in Ireland and enters at No. 2 in Hungary. It loses only one of its five initial top billings in Europe, dipping 1-2 in France.
"Death Magnetic" sold 337,000 copies in the United States in its first full week of release to hold on to the top spot on The Billboard 200 chart.
METALLICA's No. 1 debut on the Billboard album chart with "Death Magnetic", made history. The No. 1 arrival made METALLICA the only band to have five albums debut in the top spot, breaking a tie at four albums held by THE BEATLES, U2 and the DAVE MATTHEWS BAND. "Death Magnetic" is also METALLICA's fifth consecutive studio effort to enter at No. 1, following 1991's self-titled "black album," 1996's "Load", '97's "Reload" and 2003's "St. Anger". The album sold 490,000 copies in just four days of release, arriving in stores on September 12 instead of the usual Tuesday.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
David Letterman roasts John McCain for skipping out on 'Late Show'
Baa Daa Boom. CBS "Late Show" comic David Letterman gave John McCain a serious roasting Wednesday night for scrubbing an appearance roughly one hour before the taping.
"This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves," Letterman ranted. "Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."
He mocked McCain's "suspension" of his campaign, asking, "Are we suspending it because there's an economic crisis or because the poll numbers are sliding?"
Letterman said McCain phoned him to cancel because he was rushing back to Washington to deal with the economic crisis. But at the time of the taping, McCain was nearby doing an interview with CBS News' Katie Couric.
Showing a video clip of McCain getting his makeup, Letterman sneered, "He doesn't seem to be racing to the airport, does he?
"It's like we caught him getting a manicure or something," he said.
Bada-boom.
"This just doesn't smell right. This is not the way a tested hero behaves," Letterman ranted. "Somebody's putting something in his Metamucil."
He mocked McCain's "suspension" of his campaign, asking, "Are we suspending it because there's an economic crisis or because the poll numbers are sliding?"
Letterman said McCain phoned him to cancel because he was rushing back to Washington to deal with the economic crisis. But at the time of the taping, McCain was nearby doing an interview with CBS News' Katie Couric.
Showing a video clip of McCain getting his makeup, Letterman sneered, "He doesn't seem to be racing to the airport, does he?
"It's like we caught him getting a manicure or something," he said.
Bada-boom.
Lindsay Lohan, Sam Ronson have been dating "a very long time"
What say you. Lindsay Lohan has confirmed what the world has long surmised.
She's been dating Samantha Ronson "a very long time."
Monday, Lindsay told Loveline, the syndicated radio program, that she’s officially dating the 31-year-old DJ.
Which is news only because although the gal pals have appeared in public kissing and hugging for some time, they’ve been coy about publicly commenting about the nature of their friendship
"You guys, you and Samantha, have been going out for how long now?" DJ Ted Stryker asked. "Like, two years, one year, five months, two months?"
"For a very long time," Lohan said after laughing.
Ronson was initially chatting with Stryker at the TV Guide Emmy after-bash Sunday night. She'd been talking about her friends DJ AM and Travis Barker, who are recovering from severe burns following a plane crash in South Carolina, before she put Lohan on the phone.
Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane-Zelnik, told AP Monday that Lohan is not engaged to be married.
But with these two, you just never know. Months or years from now, we could find out that they've been engaged or married "for a very long time."
She's been dating Samantha Ronson "a very long time."
Monday, Lindsay told Loveline, the syndicated radio program, that she’s officially dating the 31-year-old DJ.
Which is news only because although the gal pals have appeared in public kissing and hugging for some time, they’ve been coy about publicly commenting about the nature of their friendship
"You guys, you and Samantha, have been going out for how long now?" DJ Ted Stryker asked. "Like, two years, one year, five months, two months?"
"For a very long time," Lohan said after laughing.
Ronson was initially chatting with Stryker at the TV Guide Emmy after-bash Sunday night. She'd been talking about her friends DJ AM and Travis Barker, who are recovering from severe burns following a plane crash in South Carolina, before she put Lohan on the phone.
Lohan's publicist, Leslie Sloane-Zelnik, told AP Monday that Lohan is not engaged to be married.
But with these two, you just never know. Months or years from now, we could find out that they've been engaged or married "for a very long time."
It's confirmed: Clay's gay
Ahh another guy boy. Clay Aiken has apparently confirmed that he's gay.
What appears to be the cover of the forthcoming issue of People magazine was posted on the gossip Web site perezhilton.com yesterday. Aiken is posed with his new son, Parker Foster - who was delivered via a surrogate - and a headline proclaiming, "Yes, I'm Gay." The subhead continues: "The 'Idol' star opens up about his emotional decision to come out: 'I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things.'"
A call to Aiken's representative was not returned.
A representative for People magazine neither confirmed nor denied the cover's accuracy, MTV News reports. "We can confirm that Clay Aiken and his son are featured on the next issue of People," the rep said, adding that the complete story will appear today at the magazine's Web site.
Aiken, who was the runner-up on the second season of "American Idol," is currently appearing in "Spamalot" on Broadway.
What appears to be the cover of the forthcoming issue of People magazine was posted on the gossip Web site perezhilton.com yesterday. Aiken is posed with his new son, Parker Foster - who was delivered via a surrogate - and a headline proclaiming, "Yes, I'm Gay." The subhead continues: "The 'Idol' star opens up about his emotional decision to come out: 'I cannot raise a child to lie or to hide things.'"
A call to Aiken's representative was not returned.
A representative for People magazine neither confirmed nor denied the cover's accuracy, MTV News reports. "We can confirm that Clay Aiken and his son are featured on the next issue of People," the rep said, adding that the complete story will appear today at the magazine's Web site.
Aiken, who was the runner-up on the second season of "American Idol," is currently appearing in "Spamalot" on Broadway.
Monday, September 22, 2008
David Blaine hanging tough after begininning 60-hour stunt
This guy is crazy. David Blaine is hanging tough.
The stunt man of stunt men began his 60-hour endurance test at 8:30 a.m. today dangling upside down from a cable over Wollman Rink in Central Park.
The stunt man of stunt men began his 60-hour endurance test at 8:30 a.m. today dangling upside down from a cable over Wollman Rink in Central Park.
"Gossip Girl" mini-cap: No more love in an elevator
Never before. First things first: Yes, Dan, sometimes people are treated differently because of who they are. Pout, shout, get a picket sign and protest, but please, get over it. Just because Serena knows this reality doesn’t make her a snob. It must be hard for Dan to stand up straight with that huge chip on his shoulder.
The latest episode, “The Dark Night,” features insufferable Dan and his bruised ego as the joker. Yet again, we see that Serena doesn’t have a superiority issue but Dan obviously has an inferiority one. Dude’s a drag.
On to more delicious topics like Blair. How cute did she look in all of her outfits? But what’s the deal with Marcus? He better recognize fire when it’s burning next to him. First Chuck can’t tell the girl “I love you,” then Marcus gives her the not-tonight-honey-I-have-a-headache blow off? Are the guys on Gossip Girl nuts?
Nate, the prostitute, acts like he’s nuts because, not only does he find himself stuck with a rich royal bully rather than an empathetic free spirit, but he told the bully the name of the island his father escaped to. I can’t fathom any of the girls being that dumb, not even Jenny.
These are the last days of summer and there’s a heat wave in NYC. On TV, this means a black out. Blair plans another party, and she’s still worried that Marcus isn’t in to her. She tries to get sexually cozy, but he gets all lordly, calls her a flower and says he wants their first time together to be special. Shut up, Marcus.
The latest episode, “The Dark Night,” features insufferable Dan and his bruised ego as the joker. Yet again, we see that Serena doesn’t have a superiority issue but Dan obviously has an inferiority one. Dude’s a drag.
On to more delicious topics like Blair. How cute did she look in all of her outfits? But what’s the deal with Marcus? He better recognize fire when it’s burning next to him. First Chuck can’t tell the girl “I love you,” then Marcus gives her the not-tonight-honey-I-have-a-headache blow off? Are the guys on Gossip Girl nuts?
Nate, the prostitute, acts like he’s nuts because, not only does he find himself stuck with a rich royal bully rather than an empathetic free spirit, but he told the bully the name of the island his father escaped to. I can’t fathom any of the girls being that dumb, not even Jenny.
These are the last days of summer and there’s a heat wave in NYC. On TV, this means a black out. Blair plans another party, and she’s still worried that Marcus isn’t in to her. She tries to get sexually cozy, but he gets all lordly, calls her a flower and says he wants their first time together to be special. Shut up, Marcus.
Lamest Emmys ever?
The show is average. Once you turn 60, you probably figure you've earned the right to be a little long-winded. Clearly this was the thinking behind the 60th Emmy Awards on Sunday night, because the broadcast rambled on and on and on like a drunken grandparent anxious to impart a lifetime of wisdom to a gaggle of disinterested heirs. The tag team of reality show hosts was rambling and insipid, the flashback TV tributes were almost uniformly devoid of entertainment value, and the one substantive political outburst, by "John Adams" scribe Kirk Ellis -- utterly appropriate during this apocalyptic election season -- was cut short by the usual flinchy, controversy-fearing corporate overlords at ABC.
By the time the big awards were passed out at the end of the three-hour-and-eight-minute broadcast, most viewers at home were passed out in front of their TV sets -- if they hadn't tuned out long before. And that's not to mention the absurd injustice of overlooking "The Shield" and "The Wire" completely in favor of a gaggle of mediocre nominees like "Boston Legal" and "Two and a Half Men."
But a night of pageantry this amateurish and underwhelming had to begin with an equally (if not more) weak and dorky pre-Emmy broadcast on ABC. The network started with big celebrities in gowns on the red carpet, and made them look about as glamorous and sophisticated as a gaggle of disheveled home economics students in a junior high school fashion show. Aside from Kathy Griffin's enormous mass of bright orange, tangled-seaweed hair extensions and her nanny-nanny-boo-boo taunting of Ryan Seacrest and his "manscaping," the entire preshow amounted to a string of inane interviews punctuated by promotional bits for ABC's new and returning fall lineup. Like a cross between a bad episode of "The View" and a two-hour-long infomercial on tooth whitening, the red carpet coverage made the whole Emmy thing seem self-indulgent and hopelessly outdated before it even began.
After that travesty, "Jimmy Kimmel's Big Night of Stars" (which aired before the Emmys on the West Coast) offered a mercifully odd "Daily Show"-inspired farce. From introducing Salma Hayek as "not completely Mexican" to asking Michael Phelps which nation peed in the pool the most (the U.S., of course), Kimmel's bizarre sideshow was a refreshing shift away from the Vaseline-covered lenses and tear-jerking of Barbara Walters.
But enough of all that, the Emmys are about to begin! Oprah Winfrey opens the night with a short speech about how great TV is, then the five nominees for outstanding reality host (Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst, Tom Bergeron and Ryan Seacrest) file onto the stage and prove Oprah a liar in a matter of seconds. Their rambling, unplanned opening "skit" ("Really, this is completely unscripted!" they keep reminding us, as if we don't believe them) may qualify as the worst, most painful three or four minutes of self-indulgent, ego-driven delusion ever witnessed on live television. Their babbling winds on, there are no jokes, and it all ends with William Shatner ripping Heidi Klum's clothes off, which Klum responds to with her usual robotic interpretation of "sexy." How did these sad humans come up with this mess? At least psychology professors studying the crappy decision making of groups have another disturbingly palpable example to throw in with the Cuban missile crisis.
Mercifully enough, when Jeremy Piven is awarded the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, he remarks, "What if I just kept talking for 12 minutes, what would happen?" Then he answers his own question: "That was the opening." Finally, the audience roars.
After Zeljko Ivanek (who?) wins outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his excellent performance on FX's "Damages," Ricky Gervais comes out with an extended skit involving getting his Emmy back from a stone-faced Steve Carell. Why isn't Gervais hosting this thing?
Next, Dianne Wiest wins outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role on "In Treatment" (easily one of the best 10 shows on TV right now), "The Colbert Report" wins for outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy program, and Josh Grobin sings a surprisingly accurate but lengthy medley of 30 TV theme songs.
Laura Linney bests the very deserving Susan Sarandon for outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie for her role in HBO's "John Adams," and says the part made her grateful to the "community organizers who helped form our country." Way to turn the screw without alerting the censors, clever Mrs. Adams!
Then, let's see, we've got a tribute to "Laugh In" that's largely laugh-free, but Tina Fey of "30 Rock" wins for outstanding writing for a comedy series. And sweet Lord Jesus, we're only halfway through the broadcast. Let's just split the rest of the statuettes between Tina Fey and Matthew Weiner and call it a night. Somebody mail one to David Simon while we're at it, and justice will be served.
By the time the big awards were passed out at the end of the three-hour-and-eight-minute broadcast, most viewers at home were passed out in front of their TV sets -- if they hadn't tuned out long before. And that's not to mention the absurd injustice of overlooking "The Shield" and "The Wire" completely in favor of a gaggle of mediocre nominees like "Boston Legal" and "Two and a Half Men."
But a night of pageantry this amateurish and underwhelming had to begin with an equally (if not more) weak and dorky pre-Emmy broadcast on ABC. The network started with big celebrities in gowns on the red carpet, and made them look about as glamorous and sophisticated as a gaggle of disheveled home economics students in a junior high school fashion show. Aside from Kathy Griffin's enormous mass of bright orange, tangled-seaweed hair extensions and her nanny-nanny-boo-boo taunting of Ryan Seacrest and his "manscaping," the entire preshow amounted to a string of inane interviews punctuated by promotional bits for ABC's new and returning fall lineup. Like a cross between a bad episode of "The View" and a two-hour-long infomercial on tooth whitening, the red carpet coverage made the whole Emmy thing seem self-indulgent and hopelessly outdated before it even began.
After that travesty, "Jimmy Kimmel's Big Night of Stars" (which aired before the Emmys on the West Coast) offered a mercifully odd "Daily Show"-inspired farce. From introducing Salma Hayek as "not completely Mexican" to asking Michael Phelps which nation peed in the pool the most (the U.S., of course), Kimmel's bizarre sideshow was a refreshing shift away from the Vaseline-covered lenses and tear-jerking of Barbara Walters.
But enough of all that, the Emmys are about to begin! Oprah Winfrey opens the night with a short speech about how great TV is, then the five nominees for outstanding reality host (Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, Jeff Probst, Tom Bergeron and Ryan Seacrest) file onto the stage and prove Oprah a liar in a matter of seconds. Their rambling, unplanned opening "skit" ("Really, this is completely unscripted!" they keep reminding us, as if we don't believe them) may qualify as the worst, most painful three or four minutes of self-indulgent, ego-driven delusion ever witnessed on live television. Their babbling winds on, there are no jokes, and it all ends with William Shatner ripping Heidi Klum's clothes off, which Klum responds to with her usual robotic interpretation of "sexy." How did these sad humans come up with this mess? At least psychology professors studying the crappy decision making of groups have another disturbingly palpable example to throw in with the Cuban missile crisis.
Mercifully enough, when Jeremy Piven is awarded the Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series, he remarks, "What if I just kept talking for 12 minutes, what would happen?" Then he answers his own question: "That was the opening." Finally, the audience roars.
After Zeljko Ivanek (who?) wins outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his excellent performance on FX's "Damages," Ricky Gervais comes out with an extended skit involving getting his Emmy back from a stone-faced Steve Carell. Why isn't Gervais hosting this thing?
Next, Dianne Wiest wins outstanding supporting actress in a drama series for her role on "In Treatment" (easily one of the best 10 shows on TV right now), "The Colbert Report" wins for outstanding writing for a variety, music or comedy program, and Josh Grobin sings a surprisingly accurate but lengthy medley of 30 TV theme songs.
Laura Linney bests the very deserving Susan Sarandon for outstanding lead actress in a miniseries or movie for her role in HBO's "John Adams," and says the part made her grateful to the "community organizers who helped form our country." Way to turn the screw without alerting the censors, clever Mrs. Adams!
Then, let's see, we've got a tribute to "Laugh In" that's largely laugh-free, but Tina Fey of "30 Rock" wins for outstanding writing for a comedy series. And sweet Lord Jesus, we're only halfway through the broadcast. Let's just split the rest of the statuettes between Tina Fey and Matthew Weiner and call it a night. Somebody mail one to David Simon while we're at it, and justice will be served.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Magician's next stunt could leave him blind
Don't do it. The biggest danger for magician David Blaine when he hangs upside down above New York's Central Park for 60 hours next week? Going blind.
That's the analysis of Dr. Massimo Napolitano of the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. He is the chief of vascular surgery and is advising Blaine on the stunt.
Napolitano told the Bergen Record for a story Saturday that hanging upside down for a long time increases blood pressure in the head, especially in the eyes. That could lead to blindness.
The doctor doesn't say how long the blindness could last, but he says there's also a risk of swelling and cramps in internal organs.
Nevertheless, Napolitano says the stunt could yield valuable data for doctors.
That's the analysis of Dr. Massimo Napolitano of the Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. He is the chief of vascular surgery and is advising Blaine on the stunt.
Napolitano told the Bergen Record for a story Saturday that hanging upside down for a long time increases blood pressure in the head, especially in the eyes. That could lead to blindness.
The doctor doesn't say how long the blindness could last, but he says there's also a risk of swelling and cramps in internal organs.
Nevertheless, Napolitano says the stunt could yield valuable data for doctors.
Lilo to Palin: Stop Being Such a Mag Hag
What the Heck Lilo. LiLo ripped Palin apart last night in her blog, asking, "Is our country so divided that the Republicans best hope is a narrow minded, media obsessed homophobe?" She then added the totally non-ironic comment, "Oh, and...Hint Hint Pali Pal- Don't pose for anymore tabloid covers, you're not a celebrity, you're running for office to represent our, your, my COUNTRY!"
George Michael Busted in Another Bathroom
Why again George. George Michael hasn't learned that public toilets are bad for his career. London police arrested Michael in his home away from home (a bathroom) for being in possession of both class A and C drugs. British law states that class A drugs can include crack cocaine.The often troubled pop singer was arrested on Friday in an underground loo in the Hampstead Heath area after cops were tipped off by a suspicious toilet attendant.In 1998, Michael was arrested in a Beverly Hills bathroom for soliciting sex to an undercover police.
The dangers of Googling ‘Brat Pitt’
Beware with the virus. Brad Pitt: movie star, tabloid phenomenon, and now “riskiest celebrity in cyberspace.”
In a recent study of online threats, the computer-security crew at McAfee shows once again that the Internet is an amazing social barometer. Popular search-engine terms, high-ranking news stories – or, in this case, malicious software – provide some of the clearest peeks at America’s pop-culture tastes.
When black-hat programmers want to infect as many computers as possible, they disguise their malware by dressing it up in the latest online fads and Hollywood heartthrobs. Searches for celebrity screensavers can led to hidden spyware, and obscure websites that promise gossip or photos of the rich and famous might be fronts for a phishing scheme.
Once a star’s popularity dims, the hits stop coming and hackers move on.
This year, Paris Hilton is out and Brad Pitt is definitely in.
“Brad Pitt has overtaken Paris Hilton as the most dangerous celebrity to search for in cyberspace,” writes McAfee. “Fans searching for ‘Brad Pitt,’ ‘Brad Pitt downloads,’ and Brad Pitt wallpaper, screen savers and pictures have an 18% chance of having their PCs infected with online threats, such as spyware, spam, phishing, adware, viruses, and other malware.”
The hackers’ top 10 list:
Brad Pitt
Beyoncé
Justin Timberlake
Heidi Montag
Mariah Carey
Jessica Alba
Lindsay Lohan
Cameron Diaz
George Clooney
Rihanna
Brad Pitt
Beyoncé
Justin Timberlake
Heidi Montag
Mariah Carey
Jessica Alba
Lindsay Lohan
Cameron Diaz
George Clooney
Rihanna
Notice that Paris Hilton and Britney Spears (No. 4 last year) aren’t on the list. They didn’t even make the top 15. I guess interest has dried up.
This kind of social engineering is at the heart of black-hat programming – they trick users into downloading your code by wrapping it in what they know you want.
So, how do you avoid the trap?
For one: Don’t click on strangers. Remember, one-in-five “Brad Pitt” search results led to malicious code. So, if a link heads toward a site that you’ve never heard of, don’t bother with it.
A second option: McAfee published this list as a way to hype its SiteAdvisor, which scans “nearly every trafficked site on the Internet” for suspicious software. The free browser add-on works while you surf and has earned fairly positive reviews (CNET and PC Mag).
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