Sunday, July 05, 2009
Dollar Doldrums
“Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value...zero.”- Voltaire
Emerging nations are expected to discuss the replacement of the US Dollar with a new global reserve currency at next week's G8 meeting, representing what may become the most radical fallout of the current economic crisis.
China and Russia have been most vocal about a move away from the greenback, calling for a more ‘diversified' international currency system to facilitate global trade.
As the world's top holder of foreign exchange reserves, China renewed its call last Friday for the creation of a super-sovereign reserve currency to reduce the dollar's global domination, which it said had worsened the financial crisis.
more HERE and HERE
Related:
Dollar Down, Metal Up
Madonna Pays Tribute to MJ
Madonna paid tribute to Michael Jackson on Saturday night in the same arena where he was to stage his comeback, dancing along with an impersonator doing Jackson's distinctive moves.
more HERE
Related:
Sheryl Crow, Michael Jackson's former backing singer, pays tribute
Labels: madonna, michael jackson, sheryl crow
R.I.P.: Allen Klein
Music entrepreneur Allen Klein, blamed by many for contributing to the demise of The Beatles, has died in New York at 77 after suffering from Alzheimer's.In a career spanning five decades, Klein earned a reputation as a ruthless operator, extracting lucrative deals from labels for his clients.
In the mid-1960s, he managed The Rolling Stones for five years.
Later managing The Beatles, he tried and failed to secure control of copyrights on their behalf.
BBC report HERE
more HERE
Labels: allen klien, john lennon, the beatles, the rolling stones, yoko ono
Joey Chestnut Wins Again
Sixty-eight hot dogs. Ten minutes. Zero vomit. Another hot dog eating world record was broken this Fourth of July by the world's leading gurgitator, Joey Chestnut. The three-time Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating champion hunched away from the competition with an engorged stomach, a green face, $20,000 and the coveted Mustard Yellow Belt in hand. Apparently hot dog glory really is worth extreme gastric agony.
more HERE
Labels: joey chestnut, nathan's famous hot dogs
Saturday, July 04, 2009
The Jackson Lottery
A spokesman for the Jackson family revealed that after only seven hours, over 500,000 people had entered the lottery for memorial tickets. Okay, time for some quick math: that means that roughly 71,500 people per hour have signed up. And if you extend that rate for the remaining 25 hours (especially since the lottery has been opened up to the entire world), you get a total number of around 2.3 million.Only 8,750 of those people will get tickets to the memorial (two tickets per person), and some of those people will get only get passes to the "satellite event" in the Nokia Theatre across the street.
The basic mathematical bottom line: a 0.4% chance of getting a ticket.
source
Labels: michael jackson
NFL Star Steve McNair Found Dead
Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair and an unidentified woman have been found dead by Nashville police.Police said they were called to a home in Nashville's downtown area where the former Tennessee Titans and Baltimore Ravens quarterback and the woman were involved in a double shooting.
Police said McNair was found on the couch in the home and suffered several gunshot wounds. The woman had a single gunshot wound and had the gun nearby her.
Officials said they don't have a motive for the shooting.
Titans owner K.S. "Bud" Adams Jr. released this statement: "We are saddened and shocked to hear the news of Steve McNair's passing today. He was one of the finest players to play for our organization and one of the most beloved players by our fans. He played with unquestioned heart and leadership and led us to places that we had never reached, including our only Super Bowl. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they deal with his untimely passing."
more HERE
Labels: Steve McNair
J5 Classic
Originally released by Funkadelic, 'I'll Bet You' was featured on the Jackson 5 album ABC. Michael takes the lead on this George Clinton penned slice of Motown acid pop. Huge sound, huge vocals from the youngster.Labels: funkadelic, george clinton, i'll bet you, jackson 5, michael jackson, motown
Death of a Salesman : Billy Mays' Funeral
MCKEES ROCKS, Pennsylvania—References to television pitchman Bill Mays' trademark image were everywhere at his funeral Friday near Pittsburgh.Most mourners wore stickers showing a cartoon image of his distinctive bearded face. The six pallbearers eschewed suits and instead wore bright blue button-down shirts like the ones Mays wore on TV. At the conclusion of the ceremony, they gave a "thumbs up," just as Mays did at the end of one of his commercials.
Boston Globe report HERE
Labels: Billy Mays
Classic Chainsaw Cinema
This movie has everything any red-blooded American male B-movie buff could ever ask for. Beautiful women. Killing. Beautiful women. Comedy. Beautiful women. A wiseacre detective a la Mike Hammer on Valium. And all of it on the cheap. If you're one of those PC Nazis, you'll hate it, but if you can take low-brow comedy with a grain of salt it'll be a fabulous movie-going experience.DVD available HERE
Labels: hollywood chainsaw hookers
Obamatronic
He looks like President Barack Obama, speaks like him, and even gestures like him, but he is not exactly the president of the United States.This president is an audio-animatronic Obama surrounded by the 42 other U.S. presidents at Walt Disney World's newly revamped Hall of Presidents in Orlando, Florida.
CNN report w/video HERE
Labels: barack obama, cnn, disney
Palin's Perplexing Political Pull Out
It's not even safe to go to a July 4th weekend barbecue without a big news story breaking, in this case the surprising, some might even say bizarre news that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin has up and quit her job in Alaska with a year and a half left in her term.From her rambling remarks, Palin seemed to be saying she decided she wouldn't stand for re-election and when she decided that, she figured she might as well quit now so she wouldn't be a lame duck.
She said, "Many just accept that lame duck status, and they hit that road. They draw a paycheck. They kind of milk it. And I'm not going to put Alaskans through that."
HUH?
NPR report w/CNN video HERE
Related:
Alaska's governor Sarah Palin to resign, dooming her presidential pipe dream
Palin: shades of Nixon's 'this is my last press conference' speech
Columnists name Palin 'Sitting Duck'
Labels: alaska, cnn, npr, richard nixon, sarah palin
Independence Day 2009
Independence Day honors the birthday of the United States of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. It's a day of picnics and patriotic parades, a night of concerts and fireworks, and a reason to fly the American flag.more HERE
Friday, July 03, 2009
Ferlin Husky Hospitalized
A spokesman for country star Ferlin Husky says the singer has been hospitalized in Tennessee.
Husky was country music's top entertainer in the early 1960s with hits like "Wings of a Dove" and "Gone." His latest album, released in 2007, is called "The Way It Was."
more HERE
Labels: ferlin husky
THE PUNCHLINE
-- Craig Ferguson
Labels: craig ferguson, jesse ventura
Brace Yourselves
Jeb Bush (above left) may be testing the waters for a 2012 presidential bid.Recent robocalls to Iowa asked potential voters which of the following they'd most likely vote for: Huckabee, Palin, Gingrich, Jindal, or Jeb Bush. As if two previous Bushes weren't enough already.
Labels: george w. bush, jeb bush, mike huckabee, newt gingrich, sarah palin
Megan's Mouth Makes a Mistake
"Transformers" director Michael Bay is shrugging off Megan Fox's latest, failed attempt at promoting the new sequel. Fox, who really should just stick to making red carpet appearances wearing the equivalent of brightly-colored streamers, told the "Early Show" earlier this week that watching "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" in IMAX could give someone a brain aneurysm."I'm in the movie, and I read the script, and I watched the movie, and I still didn't know what was happening," she says. "So I think if you haven't read the script and you go and you see it and you understand it, I think you might be a genius." She has also said that she doesn't so much act in the film as run screaming toward the camera.
Bay says, "Well, that's Megan Fox for you. She says some very ridiculous things because she's 23 years old and she still has a lot of growing to do."
more HERE
Earl Show interview video and transcript HERE
Labels: megan fox, michael bay, the early show, transformers 2
'Asteroids'...the Movie?
Apparently, there was some kind of insane Hollywood bidding war to get the rights to make a movie based on the classic Asteroids videogame. You remember, the one barely rendered in straight lines that had the player trying to survive an onslaught by stellar debris? For what it was, Asteroids could be a tense game -- but a movie?more HERE
Katie 'Hoofer' Holmes
It’s official! Katie Holmes will perform on So You Think You Can Dance in celebration of the FOX show’s 100th episode, airing July 23, in a song and dance tribute to Judy Garland.While buzz about her appearance began when photos of Holmes clad in dance gear at the CBS studios in L.A. hit the web last month, it wasn’t her first visit to the show. Holmes and her daughter Suri, 3, have been visiting the show’s dress rehearsals for a couple of years now.
more HERE
Labels: judy garland, katie holmes, suri cruise
14 Karat Casket for King of Pop
Michael Jackson will be buried in a $25,000 gold casket.His coffin, a rare design called the Promethean, is made of solid bronze but is 14-karat gold-plated with a hand-polished mirror finish and lined with velvet.
It was ordered last night from Batesville Casket Company and is identical to the coffin used to bury James Brown in 2006.
more HERE
Labels: james brown, michael jackson
Phantom Kylie


It seems Kylie Minogue is leaving no stone unturned in her search for costume inspiration.
The singer took to the stage last night resembling the Phantom of the Opera as she performed at an MTV event in Madrid, Spain.
The mask she wore - a suitably Kylie touch - was a cutaway, diamante affair making it suitably glitzy for the pop princess.
She completed the look with a Jean Paul Gautier-designed black jumpsuit with a plunging neckline, fishnet stockings, thigh-high black boots and lashings of red lipstick.
more HERE
Labels: kylie minogue, mtv
Michael's Last Dance
The rehearsals ended on a high note that night.
Michael Jackson was energetic and excited. He popped his signature moonwalk and dance spins that gave chills to some of those watching.
As he walked to his car, he put his arm around concert promoter Randy Phillips and -- as Phillips later recounted -- in his soft voice, whispered: "Thank you, I know we're going to get it there together. I know I can do this."
That was late Wednesday night, June 24. A few hours later, Jackson was rushed to a hospital and pronounced dead.
more HERE
Related:
Jackson concert promoter AEG may still make money
Neverland New Graceland?
Labels: michael jackson, randy phillips
Declared Rare
An original first print of the American Declaration of Independence has been discovered gathering dust in Britain.The document that changed history was approved on July 4, 1776, and this is one of only 26 copies known to have survived out of 200 printed that night.
The poster size proclamation is in perfect condition and is said to be worth £5million.
more HERE
Thursday, July 02, 2009
A Jonas Engagement
Kevin Jonas has announced that he is engaged to his girlfriend Danielle Deleasa!People says that Kevin proposed to Danielle this morning at her house in New Jersey. Kevin said, "It was tough performing last night, knowing that I was going to ask the biggest question in my life to the most amazing girl in the world. She said yes, yes, yes like 500 times super fast in a row."
21-year-old Kevin and 22-year-old Danielle met two years ago in the Bahamas.
Labels: danielle deleasa, kevin jonas, the jonas brothers
$25 Charge to Attend Michael Jackson Memorial?
Fans who wish to attend Michael Jackson's star-studded memorial service at Staples Center will have to shell out $25 to sit in the stands for the Tuesday, July 7th Staples service.more HERE
Labels: michael jackson
Salinger Successfully Subdues 'Spinoff'
more HERE
Labels: jd salinger, the catcher in the rye
Mickey Mouse Mask
The United States Army Chemical Museum has a very special gas mask. It looks like Mickey Mouse!! This mask was produced early in 1942 to protect children in case of a chemical attack on the United States.more HERE
Labels: disney, mickey mouse











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