Britney, K-Fed Are Truly Done

Well, it's finally over. Not that I'd even given it much of a thought actually. But Britney and K-Fed are no more, their two-year marriage dissolving officially Monday. I just hope the kids turn out OK. Who knows, maybe Britney will get herself back into shape and all will be well with the world. This photo of her was during happier days when she announced on David Letterman that she was pregnant with her second child. Ah, memories.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears’ marriage to Kevin Federline officially ended Monday.
“They are divorced,” the pop star’s attorney, Laura Wasser, said after a Superior Court hearing. “Everything is finalized.”
Court Commissioner Scott Gordon signed orders for dissolution of marriage, an alimony agreement and child custody.
The alimony agreement will not be made public unless there is an enforcement issue, Wasser said.
“Most of that tracks the prenup,” the attorney said, without elaborating.
The child custody order was tentatively sealed, pending an Aug. 14 hearing.
“The best interests of the children could be harmed” if the arrangement were not sealed, Gordon said.
Spears married Federline in October 2004, eight months after her first marriage to childhood friend Jason Alexander was annulled.
She cited irreconcilable differences when she filed for divorce from Federline on Nov. 7, 2006.
Wasser said Spears was “OK” with the terms of the settlement but that “she would like to be with her kids more.”
Since February, Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, have shared joint custody of their two sons, 22-month-old Sean Preston and 10-month-old Jayden James.

Letterman's Name Set In Stone

David Letterman, notorious for not wanting attention, will have his name memorialized forever at his alma mater, Ball State University. And from the looks of it, it did require him paying any money or making a huge donation to the school (although from the sounds of it, he's a generous alum). Now if Boston University would get off its ass and do the same or similar for Howard Stern, that would make our day. The Howard Stern Media Center rolls off the tongue just fine.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Ball State University plans to name its new communication building after David Letterman, a 1970 graduate.
Letterman has often mentioned Ball State on his CBS “Late Show” talk show. The school has had a Letterman Scholarship in the Department of Telecommunications since 1985.
Ball State President Jo Ann Gora said the idea to name the facility for Letterman was first mentioned among trustees about a year ago but he was reluctant because he didn’t want the attention.
“It is entirely fitting that the university should respond in kind with this public demonstration of our admiration and respect for such an accomplished and loyal alumnus,” Gora said.
Letterman’s mother, Dorothy Mengering, attended Monday’s announcement by the board of trustees in his hometown of Indianapolis.
“I’m so thrilled that David finally decided to let them do this for him,” said Mengering, 86. “He’s a very special young man, and I’m very proud of him.” Letterman and Mengering, who lives in the city’s northern suburb of Carmel, are expected to attend the building’s Sept. 7 dedication.
“I am proud to have been a student at Ball State, and I’m deeply honored to have this recognition for me and my family,” Letterman, 60, said in a statement.

Gwynn, Ripken: A Class All Their Own

Congratulations to Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, who today were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. I watched their speeches on ESPN Classic and I've got to say these are truly two of the good guys. It's nice to see humble athletes honored for all their hard work and it's good to know nothing has changed them since the end of their playing days. They continue to be honorable, upstanding people who sincerely feel blessed to have been able to do what they did. Below are closer-up views of their plaques.

Jen's Mother Needs A Makeover

What's the old saying? If you want to see what your girlfriend or fiancee will look like in 25 years, just take a look at her mother. Well, if you cruise around here, you know we don't make it a secret of how we like to look at Jen from "Big Brother 8" despite her personality, lack of feelings or emotions (except when it comes to her that is) and how she's completely absorbed with everything "Jen." Did we mention she's vain?

If you watch BB8, you remember when Jen won Head of Household one of the first things she did when she saw how her room was decorated was take down a picture of her and her mother because Jen didn't like the way Jen looked. It was an incredibly egotistical move and even the houseguests , albeit keeping it mostly to themselves, couldn't believe a person could be that shallow as to put away a picture of their mother during a game when you are cut off from the outside world and all your loved ones. The picture was supposed to serve as a comfort to Jen as well as a reward for winning the title of HOH. But now, maybe we know the "real" reason she hid the picture. Jen's mother is below, and guys don't say we didn't warn you.

I'm sure she's a VERY nice lady.

Barry Bonds Crumbling

The Giants are currently beating the Braves, 4-2, in the eighth inning, but it's still been a good day because Barry Bonds didn't homer and now he's on the bench for the duration. Another day with no home runs. The last one came on July 19 at Chicago and he's still two away from tying Hank Aaron. May it stay this way forever. Nothing better than to see Barry fail and then try and pretend as if the pressure's not getting to him and that he doesn't care about what people think or the perception they have of him. Nice try Barry, but we all know you're going home at night, burying your face in your pillow wondering if it was all worth it. Eat it ... a-hole!

And then you got poor lost souls as these kids above. Now, I know sports fans tend to see everything through rose-colored glasses, but I can't imagine being a parent and thinking this would be OK for my kid to do. And no, it's not just because I live in L.A. and HATE the bleedin' Giants. I love the Lakers too, but I don't consider Kobe Bryant to be the best role model for my son when it comes to certain things.

'Big Brother 8's' Daniele Has A Look

I've been watching "Big Brother 8" this season and one of the players is named Daniele. From the very first day she looked familiar to me. Not because I know her, but because I thought she reminded me of someone famous. It's been killing me because I couldn't figure out who the hell she looked like, but I think I'm finally on the right track. For those of you who don't know her, this is Daniele below:


So doesn't she remind you of anyone yet? I finally broke it down and realized she's a combination of Howard Stern's girlfriend, Beth Ostrosky:


A young Jennie Garth from her "Beverly Hills 90210" days:


And adult film star and former girlfriend of Dennis Hof (owner and proprietor of the Moonlite Bunny Ranch), Sunset Thomas:


Am I crazy? OK, that feels to good to finally have that off my chest. Will sleep well tonight.

Jen, Jessica Work Out On 'BB8'

This is video of Jen and Jessica (and others but who really cares?) doing a workout on towels in the BB8 backyard. Some nice shots. Gotta love these cameramen. Good shot of Jen in the last 30 seconds. Most of the shots of the guys have been edited out.

Lindsay Lohan Arrested For DUI, Cocaine

The first part of our summer was taken up by Paris Hilton's arrest and jail saga and now it looks as if we'll have a second young Hollywood starlet to keep our time occupied. After being out of rehab for only two weeks, Lindsay Lohan has relapsed and well... you can read for yourself. Not a very attractive mugshot, but then again who does. There's only one mugshot I can ever remember being any good.

SANTA MONICA (AP) -- The troubled saga of Lindsay Lohan took another dangerous turn early Tuesday when police booked her on suspicion of drunken driving and cocaine possession after a frightened woman dialed 911 to report being chased by Lohan's SUV.
Less than two weeks out of rehab, with another drunken-driving case pending, Lohan had a blood-alcohol level of between 0.12 and 0.13 percent when police found her about 1:30 a.m., Sgt. Shane Talbot said.
Lohan attorney Blair Berk said her client had relapsed and was again receiving medical care.
"Addiction is a terrible and vicious disease," Berk said in a statement Tuesday.
Authorities had received a 911 call from the mother of Lohan's former personal assistant, said Officer Alex Padilla. The assistant had just quit hours before, he said. "The mother was afraid," Padilla said. "She wasn't quite sure what was going on so she called the police saying she wanted to make sure everything was going to be OK."
The woman apparently didn't realize it was Lohan who was behind her, Padilla said. Police said the woman drove her black Cadillac Escalade into the parking lot of Santa Monica's Civic Auditorium, about a block away from the Santa Monica Police Department, followed by Lohan driving a Denali sport utility vehicle.
Authorities arrived and saw Lohan and the woman in "heated debate," Padilla said. Lohan and the woman each had two passengers in their vehicles, Padilla said. After a sobriety test, the 21-year-old movie star was booked on suspicion of two misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and driving on a suspended license and two felony charges of possession of cocaine and transport of a narcotic, authorities said.
During a pre-booking search, police found cocaine in one of Lohan's pants pockets, Talbot said.
Several hours later, Lohan was released on $25,000 bail. Padilla said he didn't know why Lohan was trying to catch the woman, whom he didn't name. Last week, Lohan turned herself in to Beverly Hills police to face charges of driving under the influence in connection with a Memorial Day weekend hit-and-run crash.

Jen's Yellow Bikini On 'Big Brother 8'

Jen's up to her old tricks again, prancing around the "Big Brother 8" backyard in a bikini again. This time it's a yellow one. And like the times before, which you can access here, here and here, she's not afraid to show a little crack. This video even includes a view from above of Jen laying on her stomach as she gets some sun. Oh my:

Tim Donaghy, NBA Game Fixing

So if you've been following the news the last few days, you know the NBA has a little bit of a problem on its hands what with the revelation that the FBI is investigating referee Tim Donaghy and the possibility that he fixed games that he and associates had been betting on. This is a scandal of all scandals and frankly I'm surprised it hasn't received more attention. Perhaps as it develops it will but we shall see. Not surprisingly, this investigation is sure to bring out conspiracy theorists who long have accused the NBA of fixing games and pointing out times when they feel this has happened in the past. It's already started as the videos below claim:
Fixing of Game 3 between the Suns and Spurs?

This one claims that Donaghy from the first call of the game is already shaving points. Watch him at the top of the screen wave off what should have been a shooting foul. But this is the problem. People are going to look at every call the guy ever made and wonder with suspicion.

I'll keep any eye out and post more videos as I discover them and if they seem to be making a good case.

Gwen Stefani In Colombia

Gwen Stefani has long been one of my favorites, solo or No Doubt days. I think she's such a cool chick, and being a SoCal dude myself I'd love to hang out with her sometime (she's from the OC, ya know) if she ever had the inclination. I had to post the photo below because my admiration (love?) for Gwen has grown even more. This is a shot of her performing at Simon Bolivar Park in Bogota today. For Gwen to trek to Colombia says a lot and I appreciate it. I'm Colombian by the way if the hammer didn't already hit you over the head.

David Beckham's Galaxy Debut

Well, it's finally over. Thank goodness. As I soccer fan, I've been waiting for David Beckham to finally find his way onto the pitch for the Galaxy, but I can understand how the hype machine grows tiresome for those who aren't fans of the beautiful game. Nothing happened of note, except for Becks being upended and appearing as if he had injured his already-injured ankle. The crowd gasped but Beckham seemed OK. We'll see how it feels tomorrow though. Julie Foudy had a good line on ESPN, saying Beckham's debut was like a wedding in a way. There's so much anticipation leading up to it, that when it's over you're just glad to get through it. Here's some photos courtesy of the Associated Press and Reuters:

Beckham checks into the game with about 13 minutes left. Look, there's toothy objective ESPN reporter Allen Hopkins in the background.

The injured left ankle holds up well on this kick forward.

Becks grimaces after colliding with a Chelsea player as the two battled for a loose ball. He soon got up, but it seemed as if he might've aggravated the ankle injury.

Look, there's $490 worth of jerseys and shirts before your eyes. Adidas has said it look orders for 250,000 of the $100 jerseys before Beckham even arrived. I'm no math wizard, but 250,000 jerseys at $100 a pop is a lot of money.

Little Suri Cruise is already playing hard to get as she seemingly dismisses the advances of Brooklyn Beckham while watching the game in her mom Katie Holmes' lap from a luxury suite at the Home Depot Center. Eva Longoria also was in the suite, along with Beckham's wife, Victoria.

And look, someone who was there at the Home Depot Center already posted a video of Beckham coming onto the field:

Family Guy Goes To The Movies

One of my favorite movies of all time is "Amadeus" starring Tom Hulce in the performance of his life. "Family Guy" is one of the favorite TV shows. So obviously one of my favorite clips from FG is when they did a parody of "Amadeus". Below is a clip of the scene from the movie spliced together with the FG parody. "Play Peter Griffin." (so Stewie plays the most cliche piano song of all time "Heart and Soul")Brilliant stuff. I have to credit my son for inspiring me to look for this clip.

Of course, this isn't the only time FG has done a movie parody:


Or how about these:


This last one is a dub of the real scene (the audio I mean) from "Back To The Future" set to the animation of "Family Guy" and it's really well done.

These are hardly the only examples, as there are countless others, but they are some of favorites.

Larry David Getting Divorced

Larry David (the real life Larry David who actually probably isn't too different from the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" Larry David) never seemed like the marrying kind to me. So I found it a bit surprising that his wife, Laurie David, recently filed for divorce from the "Seinfeld" co-creator after 14 years. I never even gave it thought that David was married let alone actually lasted 14 years. Pretty good run there. But I bet the video below on the renewal of vows might have been drawn from a real conversation with his real wife.


LOS ANGELES (AP) — Larry David’s wife has filed for divorce after 14 years of marriage.
Laurie David cites “irreconcilable differences” as the reason for ending their marriage, according to court documents filed July 13 in Los Angeles Superior Court. She’s seeking joint custody of the couple’s two daughters, ages 13 and 11.
Representatives for Larry David, famed co-creator of “Seinfeld” and star of the HBO comedy “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” did not immediately return messages seeking comment.
Laurie David produced “An Inconvenient Truth,” the global-warming movie that won this year’s Oscar for best documentary, and is an environmental activist.
The couple wed in 1993 and separated in June.
At that time, a spokeswoman characterized the split as “amicable.”

Miss Hooters International 2007

Miss Hooters International 2007 was crowned tonight and it's Breanne Ashley from Newnan, Georgia. This picture of her is a few years old, but she looks like a hotter version of swimmer Amanda Beard (pictured below), who recently posed for Playboy.

LAS VEGAS, July 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Breanne Ashley, representing Hooters of Newnan, was selected out of over 125 Hooters Girls from around the world to represent Hooters for the next year, as Miss Hooters International 2007. Among the many prizes and opportunities that accompany the crown, this Hooters Girl from Georgia will take home the first place prize of $50,000 cash as well as be featured in Hooters Magazine, national marketing campaigns and TV commercials.
This year’s Pageant, hosted by Chris Rose, was held at the Planet Hollywood’s Theatre of Performing Arts in Las Vegas. The judges included television personalities Josh Henderson and Tom Arnold; 2005 Playmate of the Year, Tiffany Fallon; Four Time NBA Champion, John Salley; ESPNs star of "Stump the Schwab", Howie Schwab, NFL Hall of Famer, Gale Sayers; Football Great, Warren Moon; and Rob Dibble from Fox Sports Net "Best Damn Sports Show Period". The Pageant also featured an appearance by Michelle Nunes, Miss Hooters International 2006.
The top five winners included: 1st Runner Up, Natalie Pandorf (representing Tampa, FL), 2nd Runner Up Sara Hoots (representing Selma, TX), 3rd Runner Up, Megan Brady (representing San Francisco, CA), and 4th Runner Up, Randi Jackson (representing the Jacksonville, FL). Rounding out the top ten finalists in no particular order are Candace Pittman (representing Long Beach, CA); Nichole Kelly (representing New York State); Nesie Daglis (representing Downtown Atlanta); Amanda Vallee (representing Knoxville, TN) and Erin Mol (representing Memphis, TN).

Michael Vick Is One Sick Puppy

This video is from a simpler time, when the biggest problem in Michael Vick's life was having flipped off the crowd. I won't even comment on the dogfighting news of the last few days because, really, what else can be said. Still, if you listen to this video, Michael Vick "apologizes sincerely" and he wants you to know that's "not what I'm about" and that he "cares a lot about this team and this organization" and that he "apologizes to all the young kids ... it was very inappropriate at the time." Sounds as if he forgot the importance of these character traits.

Another RGX Commercial

Previously, I had written about the RGX commercials and the extremely hot girl who was the star. At the time, I was aware of only three spots, but I just saw another one on TV five minutes ago. The girl, Rachel Specter, is dressed in jeans and boots with her hair back in this one. Definitely a different look from the others but still worth watching. Anyway, here's the spot.

Barry Bonds Still An A-Hole

There's nothing more glorious for a Dodger fan than beating the Giants. It's even better when the Dodgers sweep the Giants in a series. Better yet is when the Dodgers sweep the Giants at AT&T-SBC-Pac-BellUsedToBeCandlestick Park or whatever the hell they're calling it these days. But nothing tops the Dodgers sweeping the Giants on the road when Barry Bonds goes 0 for 12 in the series. That's what happened last weekend in San Francisco and good ol' Barry was his usual media-friendly self afterward (sorry for the quality but it was all I could find):

Gee, it's a wonder why the guy doesn't have many fans outside the Bay Area with a sunny disposition like that.

Evolution Of Jen's Unitard

This is one of the racier clips from "BB8" and it shows Jen turning her full-body unitard into a bikini. Nice work, sweetie. Boy, she just LOVES flauting around, huh? And she's got plenty of watchers:

Jen's Unitard On 'Big Brother 8'

So now it's getting prickly in the "Big Brother 8" house and Jen has been getting on everyone's nerves. The goddess of self-centeredness was "forced" to wear a unitard for the rest of the week after playing in a veto competition. Well, the unitard quickly turned into a bikini, leaving very little to the imagination. She does provide for some interesting conversation and she's definitely fun to "obsereve":

Dopey Dog At Tour De France

Another day, another weird story from the Tour de France. The sidelights seem more exciting than the actual race itself. This time a stray French dog roams out into the road and ... well you can probably figure out what happens next. I was amazed at the damage done to the bicycle though. Either that dog is on the juice or those bikes are as light as feathers.

Borat At The Tour De France

After the doping scandal that has enveloped cycling the last few years, it has basically made the Tour de France a "10" on the irrelevent scale of sporting events that once used to matter even a little bit. OK, we're not sure this guy in the video is actually Borat, but whoever he is, he's no doubt rooting for one of the favorites in the Tour de France,

Brazil Routs Argentina

Any time Argentina loses in soccer, it's a good thing. And when the Argentines lost to Brazil, 3-0, in the Copa America final Sunday, it wasn't only sweet because they lost, but because it came in a game they weren't supposed to lose. Remember, this was not Brazil's first team there in Venezuela. Sure, there were some studs, but no Ronaldihno, no Kaka, no Adriano, etc. Don't get me wrong, I certainly appreciate Argentina's talent and enjoy beautiful goals, but it's nice to see the Argies fall on their faces once in a while.

Lindsay Lohan Leaves Rehab Center

So now that we've had our fill with Paris, news comes that Lindsay Lohan has left a rehab center after six weeks and is ready to move on with her life. We shall see what happens next.

From People.com: LOS ANGELES - Lindsay Lohan has checked out of a Malibu rehab center after a stay of more than six weeks and will wear an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet.
The "Mean Girls" star, who turned 21 on July 2, left Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility on Friday, according to a report on People magazine's Web site Sunday.
She will voluntarily wear the bracelet as part of an intensive outpatient program, said her publicist, Leslie Sloane Zelnik, in a statement.
The alcohol-monitoring bracelet measures vapors from a person's skin for traces of ethanol, which the body makes when digesting alcohol. The results are then sent to a computer modem for data collection.
On Saturday, Lohan was reportedly seen partying at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas with several friends.
"In part she is wearing the bracelet so there are no questions about her sobriety if she chooses to go dancing or dining in a place where alcohol is served," Zelnik said.
Lohan checked into the swank facility after a wild Memorial Day weekend during which she crashed her Mercedes Benz into a curb, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and was photographed slumped in the passenger seat of a friend's car.
Her outpatient program includes going to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, taking daily tests and receiving therapy.
"She's doing great," Zelnik said. "Lindsay is working hard on her sobriety and we are all supporting her."
It was the star's second stint in rehab this year. She said in January she had checked into a rehabilitation center for substance abuse treatment.

Paris Hilton's Perks In Jail

So Paris Hilton might've gotten some preferential treatment while she was in jail last month? Nooooooo!!!! Say it ain't so.

LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Los Angeles sheriffs have launched an internal investigation into allegations that Paris Hilton received preferential treatment during her jail sentence last month, officials said Friday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore confirmed the probe had been launched following complaints that the hotel heiress had been given the red-carpet treatment while serving her 23-day jail term.
The Los Angeles Times reported that deputies had complained Hilton was given access to a cellphone instead of being forced to wait in line to use a payphone with other inmates at the Century Regional Detention Center where she was held.
Hilton also received daily visits from senior staff at the facility, with a captain hand-delivering her fan mail instead of receiving it from inmate trusties, the report said.
Jail officials also were ordered to give Hilton a new jail uniform instead of a recycled one, the report added, citing two sheriff's officials speaking on condition of anonymity.
Michael Gennaco, chief attorney for the Sheriff's Department's Office of Independent Review, told The Times he was monitoring the investigation "to make sure the department looks into these matters in an objective and thorough way."
Hilton was jailed last month for violating parole in an alcohol-related reckless driving case by repeatedly driving with a suspended license.

Michael Moore On Keith Olbermann

After the Michael Moore/CNN/Wolf Blitzer/Dr. Sanjay Gupta brouhaha, the director of "Sicko" went on "Countdown With Keith Olbermann" to further his cause and react to all the debate over his latest documentary. It's about a 10-minute clip:

Portugal Soccer Players Lose It

Soccer is a game of emotions, and in many countries emotions can run high. The video below shows the Portugal Under-20 World Cup team completely lose it on so many levels in a game against Chile that it's not even funny. I don't think I've ever seen players have this kind of meltdown. I mean one of the Portugal players actually snatches the red card from the referee, resulting in, you guessed it, his own expulsion. Smart, smart decision:

Charles Barkley Is A Decent Man

When Charles Barkley played in the NBA, there wasn't a player I reviled more. His act and attitude grew tiresome very quickly, but since he retired I've had a different view of the guy. It's like George Foreman. Many said Foreman was a horrible person during his boxing career, but look at how the guy transformed his image into one of America's and the world's beloved sports figures. I was a little too young to really remember what Foreman was like way back then (though I do, of course, remember playing "Foreman Fights" with my best friend in Kindergarten). Anyway, back to Barkley. He also has a transformation or sorts and his studio commentary on TNT during the NBA season is sometimes priceless. Turns out, he's a pretty good dude.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. (AP) — Charles Barkley planned to take 100 Lake Tahoe-area firefighters out to dinner Saturday night after touring the devastation of a nearby wildfire that destroyed 254 homes last month.
Barkley, the former 11-time NBA star, is playing in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course through Sunday in neighboring Stateline, Nev.
He toured the fire with officials for NBC Sports, which is televising the tournament that runs through Sunday and is running public service announcements with a Web site for contributions to a fire relief fund.
“This is unbelievable,” Barkley said while viewing the charred remains of homes after his first round on Friday. He has pledged $25,000 to the relief fund.
“I really want to let people know that this is really unfortunate. Its going to take years for everybody to rebuild their houses here,” he told the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
The fire displaced 3,500 residents and caused more than $160 million in damages.
“If we stay over there at the golf and casino, were not going to think anything is going on here,” Barkley said. “Thats why I wanted to come here with a camera. When you live in different parts of the country and they show you two houses burned down, you dont get the full effect.”
Barkley did a similar act, visiting New Orleans last February, well after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina.
“That hurricane could have hit last week, thats how bad it was. Houses were all watered out and streets were nothing but mud everywhere, and that was two years later,” said Barkley, who donated $1 million to help New Orleans residents recover.
“We need to do something like this every year we come here ... to show the progress,” he said.
Barkley said he was taking the firefighters to dinner at Cabo Wabo, owned by rock guitarist Sammy Haggar, in Harvey’s hotel-casino.

European Javelin Accident

The javelin would fit in well with George Carlin's take on what real sports are. One of his criteria is that something is a sport if "there's a chance for serious injury." Of course, Carlin's rant is done tounge-in-cheek, but the video below is little unnerving thinking about what if this happened to you. This happened at a meet in Europe on Friday night.

Incidentally, here is the Carlin rant on sports from years ago. There are two videos. In this first one, the sports part begins at the 3:25 mark. Also, remember that Carlin uses some foul language so be careful where you watch this if it matters:

Here is the continuation of the sports rant:

Jen Does Crack On 'Big Brother 8'

I really want to NOT like Jen on "Big Brother 8" because she's such a ditz and mean-spirited person, but then my wife tells me that her favorite movie is "This Is Spinal Tap" and she buys some time with me. Then, she does things like the videos below and suddenly I don't care so much that she's an attention whore:

Goring At Running Of The Bulls

OK, so I had to post this photo below from the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. You hear the stories every year about someone getting injured or gored as they run from these massively powerful animals. Usually it's a stupid American in the crosshairs, and this photo, sure enough, shows a guy from Philadelphia who had to have felt it quite harshly when the bull did this to him. Now, please let me warn you that the image you are about to view is graphic so if you are queasy about such things, it would be better to move on and read another post.


WARNING, DO NOT LOOK AT THE PHOTO BELOW IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH!!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!


I WILL GIVE YOU ONE MORE CHANCE TO TURN BACK BECAUSE WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE IS TOUGH TO LOOK AT...


YOU ASSUME THE RISK FROM THIS POINT FORWARD
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TOLD YOU SO!!!

Amy Polumbo Shows Her Photos

You've no doubt heard about Amy Polumbo, Miss New Jersey, who has been in the midst of controversy because of some old photos on her Facebook account. Someone had sent Amy letters threatening to expose the photos publicly if she didn't drop out of the Miss America pagent. Amy held firm and didn't give in. She then went on the "Today Show" this week to discuss and show the photos herself to clear her name. She was able to keep her crown. I like the second photo personally although there seems to be a whole lotta nothing going on here.

Beckham In Perspective

The column below by Nancy Armour of the Associated Press does a pretty good job of putting the David Beckham arrival into perspective. It's good reading especially after listening to know-nothing radio talk-show hosts all day and their "opinions" about soccer. If you are not a soccer fan but at least have an open mind, then it will make for decent reading. But if you're one those who doesn't like soccer, never have never will, but still have to make it your business to disparage (for what reason, I don't know, other than perhaps feeling threatened by something "foreign" or, god forbid, something horning in on our precious "Uh-mare-EEE-can" sports), don't bother. You'd waste your time and mine.

Beckham worth the fuss
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Columnist

It’s safe to say no athlete, no matter how famous, has ever gotten a welcome quite like David Beckham.
Hundreds of fans at the airport, and thousands more at the stadium — decked out in his brand-new jersey, of course. His every word, smile and wave during his introduction carried live across the globe. A blizzard of confetti. Not just one mayor on hand, but two.
Beckham is worth every bit of this fawning.
Ever since he announced in January he was leaving Europe to come to the Los Angeles Galaxy, the talk about soccer’s most famous face and foot tended to fall into one of two categories: He’s going to be the savior of Major League Soccer, or he’ll make a big splash initially, just as Pele did 30 years ago, but it won’t matter because Americans don’t care about soccer.
Neither is true.
The anti-soccer curmudgeons are loathe to admit it, but the world’s favorite game has established a solid foothold here and it’s only going to get bigger. Go to any park or schoolyard on the weekend, and somebody’s playing soccer. TV ratings for last summer’s World Cup were up — even with the U.S. team going home early — and ABC and ESPN think enough of the game to televise all 31 matches of the 2008 European Championship.
Will adding Beckham to this mix elevate soccer to NFL status? No, and it’s ridiculous to expect that of him.
But with his good looks, ever-changing hairstyles, Spice Girl wife and BFFs who double as Hollywood’s A list, Becks will make sure fans and fringe alike watch. He gives MLS the kind of pop culture cred it was years from getting on its own.
More importantly, he and the other big-name players who joined MLS this season will lift the level of play across the league. That helps narrow the still-considerable gap with Europe’s top leagues and makes for stronger American players. Which eventually means better results at the World Cup. Which eventually generates more interest in the sport.
It’s a work in progress to be sure, this makeover of the United States into a full-fledged soccer nation. That was clear with the tacky displays at Friday’s news conference — and no, that’s not a reference to Posh and her outfit.
The Galaxy trotted out L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who is currently starring in the city’s most popular soap opera after splitting with his wife and announcing his affair with a local TV newscaster. He was, not surprisingly, booed. Galaxy GM Alexi Lalas couldn’t pass on the opportunity to shill team merchandise.
But that is why Beckham is here. His arrival is a shortcut on the road to respectability.
“I think soccer in America has a lot of potential, just maybe something is missing to take it to another level,” he said after his introduction Friday. “And I’m hoping I’m going to be part of that.”
The naysayers love to point to Pele, saying even he couldn’t convert Americans when he played for the New York Cosmos in the heady days of the North American Soccer League.
But that’s not a fair comparison.
Americans were about as into soccer as they were cricket when the NASL began in 1967. Sure, there were some semipro leagues and a few die-hard fans. But there was no base, no real history of the game. The United States hadn’t been to the World Cup since 1950, and an American had as good a chance of playing on the moon as he did in any of Europe’s top leagues.
Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff may have excited fans, but there was nothing to grab onto beyond them.
“Pele sort of started on page 1,” soccer historian Colin Jose said. “And now we’re at page 50.”
MLS is only in its 12th season, but it has already had an impact. Where the best players once hung up their boots in high school or college, they can now make a living playing soccer. Maybe not the $32.5 million Beckham is getting paid, but enough to keep them playing.
U.S. players are no longer novelties in Europe, with three — Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey — at Fulham alone in the English Premier League. And while the Americans didn’t exactly do themselves proud at last summer’s World Cup, they’re not international lightweights anymore.
Soccer’s time in America is coming. Beckham’s arrival brings it that much closer.
———

Nancy Armour is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to her at narmourap.org

David Beckham Hits L.A.

Well, after all the hype, David Beckham has finally arrived in Los Angeles to play for the Galaxy. Although it still will be another week before he plays a game, Beckham held his "presentation" news conference Thursday morning at the Home Depot Center. Here are a few photos from the event (all from the Associated Press)

David Beckham holds up his new Galaxy jersey amid the pomp and circumstance and confetti:


Beckham's arrival turned out an international army of cameramen and media to document the event:


Beckham, with the Galaxy's new logo in the background, pondering the task ahead of him:


Beckham's wife, Victoria (aka Posh Spice), is looking rather posh as she strolls into the Home Depot Center:


Fans shout at Beckham, who is featured in his new uniform on this Galaxy poster:


Beckham sharing a moment with L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, perhaps a discussion about how hot the news anchors in L.A. are:


At least Posh has nice-looking feet:

Messi's Brilliant Goal Vs. Mexico

If you follow soccer you probably know by now that Argentina routed Mexico, 3-0, in the semifinals of the Copa America on Wednesday night. I wanted to post Argentina's second goal by Lionel Messi. It showed tremendous touch and is so difficult to do that it really is worth seeing. He makes it look so easy though and the guy is only 20 freakin' years old. I've posted a few different calls of it since it's kinda fun to see how the goal was called in different languages:
Spanish from Univision:

Another Spanish call:

British commentator

Spanish, I think from Argentina:

Italian, I'm prettty sure:

How Did Jim Morrison Die?

A new book about Jim Morrison claims that the former frontman of the Doors did not die in a hotel bathtub as has long been reported.

PARIS (AP) — The official story goes like this: On the last night of Jim Morrison’s life, the rocker went to a movie in Paris, listened to records, fell ill and died of heart failure in his bathtub at the age of 27.
But rumors have always swirled around the death of The Doors frontman and, 36 years later, a former Paris nightclub manager is telling a different story. In a new book, Sam Bernett says that Morrison died in a toilet stall of his club after what he believes was a heroin overdose.
He writes of his shock on finding Morrison’s body: “The flamboyant singer of ’The Doors,’ the beautiful California boy, had become an inert lump crumpled in the toilet of a nightclub.” Bernett, whose French-language book is called “The End: Jim Morrison,” says he believes two drug dealers brought Morrison’s body back to his apartment.
Bernett, who was in his early 20s when Morrison died in 1971, went on to become a prominent radio personality, rock biographer and a vice president of Disneyland Paris. Though he was pestered for years by reporters investigating Morrison’s death, he kept his story quiet until his wife suggested writing a book last year.
“For me it’s a very bad (memory),” Bernett told The Associated Press.
Rumors have long suggested that Morrison died of an overdose and that he had fallen ill at the nightclub, but witnesses did not come forward.
Patrick Chauvel, a noted war photographer and writer, sometimes helped run the bar at the club. He recalls giving a hand to men who were carrying Morrison in a staircase there.
“I think he was already dead,” said Chauvel, who considered putting the episode in a 2005 book before his publisher cautioned against it. Chauvel said he thought an ambulance would have been called if Morrison were still alive.
“I don’t know,” he said. “It was a long time ago, and we weren’t drinking only water.”

Phyllis Diller Breaks Her Back

The lengths some people will go to, to NOT be on the Jay Leno show. Oh don't get me wrong. I completely understand and don't blame anyone who would try to find a way off this miserably unfunny excuse for a late night talk show. And there's another reason why I knew liked Phyllis Diller (read last paragraph). Maybe she's waiting for Letterman or Conan to call, but then again it might be trouble for a 90-year-old woman to fly back to New York. I guess she HAD to do Leno. Even Craig Ferguson is better. It baffles me that Leno has the best ratings, but this is just one of a thousand things that I don't get about this country.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Comedian Phyllis Diller had to cancel a “Tonight Show” appearance celebrating her 90th birthday because she fractured her back, but she still plans to celebrate, her manager said Wednesday.
Diller “twisted the wrong way” and caused “a minor injury, some kind of a fracture which is extremely painful,” Milt Suchin said.
“The doctors say to rest and let it heal. ... She’s in great spirits. She’s a trooper,” Suchin said. “She’s a phoenix, she rises. She’s gone through a lot worse.”
Diller has been busy. She voices Peter’s mother for the TV animated series “Family Guy,” recently made a guest appearance on the show “Boston Legal,” recently completed voice work on an animated film to be shown at next year’s Olympics and just finished taping five episodes of a new reality TV show, Suchin said.

Moore, Gupta On Larry King

So after that Michael Moore rant on the "Situation Room" the other day and his attacks on Dr. Sanjay Gupta, they both went on "Larry King Live" to debate the issues. Earlier, Gupta admitted to a "mistake" in the report that originally set off Moore. We'll start with that and then move on to the King interview:

Larry King Intro to Moore-Gupta interview, although if you watched the Moore-Blitzer interview and the Gupta report, there's no need to watch this again. It basically catches people up on what happened Monday. The one funny thing is that during the Gupta report, they have Moore's face superimposed during part of it and some of his reactions to what's being said are pretty good:

Larry King Part 1:

Larry King Part 2:

Larry King Part 3:

David Beckham's ESPN Promo

Two more days before David Beckham is officially introduced (or presented as they like to say in soccer) by the L.A. Galaxy and only 10 more days before Beckham's debut in a friendly against Chelsea at the Home Depot Center. ESPN has a Beckham debut promo that is shown below:

Justice: Bruin Sentences Trojan

It's been a while since Cormac Carney was an undersized but extremely effective wide receiver for UCLA. He was one of my favorite players during that era of the early 1980s where he became an academic All-American, but I lost track of him shortly after that. Apparently he went on to play one season in the USFL and used the money he earned to pay his way through Harvard Law School. And now, this (story below). So after last season's 13-9 win in football and a men's basketball sweep in 2006-07, these are (finally) good days to be a Bruin. The story is pretty dispicable though. I can't imagine the violation of trust these victims must have felt:

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) — A former University of Southern California lecturer was sentenced Tuesday to six years in federal prison for running a Ponzi scheme that bilked $1.5 million from investors, including some of his students.
The sentencing was harsher than a nearly four-year prison term prosecutors had recommended in exchange for Barry Landreth’s guilty plea for one count of wire fraud.
His defense attorney asked for leniency, but U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney said Landreth abused his position as an instructor in real estate finance to lure investors and promise them big returns on real estate projects.
Instead, he used investors’ money to buy luxury items, including a Cadillac Escalade and several show horses, prosecutors said.
“That’s what’s so upsetting in this case,” Carney said.
Several unhappy investors told the judge the scheme ruined them financially.
“He went after people who put their trust in him, who put a significant amount of their net worth with him out of complete trust,” Greg Simon, who took Landreth’s class, testified.
Landreth, 38, who currently lives in Fullerton, apologized to his victims.
“I know you guys hate me at this moment,” he said. “I really hope that at some point you will accept my apologies.”
A separate hearing was scheduled to determine how much Landreth must repay victims.

Irish Reporter Gives It A Try

OK, just watch as this Irish reporter tries to ask some tough questions and the responses she gets from the U.S. president (he's not MY president). Don't watch if you want to be more frustrated than you've already been the last seven years.

'Big Brother's' Jen Not Photogenic

I've been an on-and-off watcher of "Big Brother" over the years and I've got to say there have been some pretty pathetic people on the show. But the video below, of the new season that started just last week, might just take the cake as far as frivolity, superficiality and ego-centrism is concerned.

Michael Moore Wants The Truth

Michael Moore's new movie "Sicko" has been generating a lot of talk since its release late last month. Moore was in the "Situation Room" on CNN recently and he went off on the network and the rest of the mainstream media for that matter following a report by CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Wolf Blitzer is on the receiving end of Moore's wrath. It's worth a look although rather long.

The Rev. Tori Spelling

I'm not sure whether to be scared or find comedy in the story below. It's funny because I was just talking to my brother-in-law the other day about getting a license to perform weddings and how easy it is nowadays with the Internet, etc. Still, I think the only way I'd let her perform my wedding is if she could guarantee that Dylan and Brenda would be there. I saw Tori two months ago at a blackjack table at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. She was there with her husband and they seemed like down-to-earth folk.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tori Spelling is now available for weddings.
“Yep, that’s right. ... Reverend Tori Spelling! I did it last week online and my official certificate is in the mail. I’m so proud,” the 34-year-old actress said in a posting Monday on the MySpace.com site she shares with her husband, Dean McDermott.
Spelling officiated at a same-sex union last weekend at Chateau La Rue, the bed-and-breakfast that she and McDermott run in Fallbrook, Calif., on their Oxygen network unscripted series, “Tori & Dean: Inn Love,” her spokeswoman, Meghan Prophet, said Tuesday.
“I was so honored when the couple asked me to officiate. We did it on the front steps of the Chateau as 40 of their friends looked on seated in a loungelike atmosphere,” Spelling wrote.
Spelling and McDermott, who were married in May 2006, will reprise their innkeeper duties for the show’s second season, which premieres Aug. 14.

Avril Lavigne: 'I'm No Copycat'

So did Avril Lavigne rip off The Rubinoos with her song "Girlfriend" that sounds an awful lot like "I Wannt Be Your Boyfiend"? The Canadian singer claims no. And a trial is scheduled for next month. Here's the story on the lawsuit with some video presentation at the end so you can be the judge.

NEW YORK (AP) — Avril Lavigne has denied a claim by a member of a 1970s rock band that her hit “Girlfriend” rips off one of his tunes.
Songwriters Tommy Dunbar and James Gangwer allege in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco that Lavigne and her co-writers lifted their 1979 song, “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.”
The song was performed by The Rubinoos, which included Dunbar, on their 1979 album, “Back to the Drawing Board.”
“We are not so naive as to chalk it up to some sort of cosmic coincidence,” Dunbar said last week. “The lyric, the meter, the rhythm — they’re identical.”
Terry McBride, Lavigne’s manager, said in a statement Monday that “upon the expert opinion of the country’s foremost musicologists, there is no basis” for the allegations. The statement was released in an e-mail from a representative at Sony BMG Music Entertainment, which distributes Lavigne’s music.
Lavigne made her debut at 16 with her first album, 2002’s “Let Go.” It sold millions, as did her follow-up, 2004’s “Under My Skin.” The discs spawned hits such as “Complicated,” “I’m With You” and “My Happy Ending.”
She co-wrote “Girlfriend” with songwriter Lukasz Gottwald. The song was featured on her latest album, “The Best Damn Thing.”
In a statement posted Friday on her Web site, the 22-year-old pop princess said “Girlfriend” and “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” have no musical similarities.
“They claim that a small part of the lyrics are the same and are saying that I took these from them. I had never heard this song in my life.”
“All songs share similar lyrics and emotions,” she said. “Luke and I have done nothing wrong and there is no merit to their claim.”
A court date is scheduled Aug. 28 in Oakland, Calif.

But in a strange twist [:-)] the Rolling Stones are ready to get involved too:

Your All-Time Playoff Moments

This is a pretty cool idea from Major League Baseball, although only 60 available clips seems a bit on the chinzy side. It'll be interesting to see how this works as far as sharing the video, etc. And this is a GREAT excuse to post a photo of the greatest moment in Dodger, if not baseball, World Series history.

NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Baseball’s postseason marketing campaign will include a Web site that allows fans to create their own compilations of past playoff highlights.
MLB will launch the “There’s Only One October” campaign, featuring comedian Dane Cook, during the broadcast of Tuesday’s All-Star game on Fox.
The Web site, actober.com, will give fans access to an expansive archive of MLB footage, including more than 60 clips of historical postseason plays such as Willie Mays’ catch in the 1954 World Series and Kirk Gibson’s 1988 home run.
Actors Kate Mara, William Petersen and Ellen Pompeo have agreed to provide their own compilations of highlights on the site, with other celebrities expected to be added.
Fox and TBS, which will televise playoff games, also will be involved in the marketing campaign.

Another Brick In The Wall

Here's Roger Waters at Live Earth doing a pretty cool version of "Another Brick in the Wall." No Pink Floyd renunion but still pretty cool.

Tarp Goes Haywire At Coors Field

Did you see the tarp incident at Coors Field yesterday? Take a look. I guess a wild wind suddenly hit the field during the middle of the rainstorm sending some of the groundscrew under the tarp and others flying through the air. Many of the Philadelphia Phillies players rushed out of the dugout to help. Most of the Rockies apparently were already in the clubhouse.

A slightly longer version from the Rockies TV broadcast I think:

Mexico Embarrasses Paraguay

Boy, Hugo Sanchez has gone from goat to hero in less than two weeks. Mexican media were calling for his head after a sub-par performance in the Gold Cup at the end of June. Despite Mexico getting to the final (losing to the U.S. once there), the team hadn't performed very well. Now, they are one win away from the Copa America final. Granted, this 6-0 rout of Paraguay in the quarterfinals might have been different had the Paraguayan keeper not been red-carded in the third minute. Here are the highlights from Brazilian TV:

Spinal Tap In The U.K.

Today is the day of all the Live Earth concerts around the world, but the best of the bunch seemed to be at London's Wembley Stadium because of the presence of none other than Spinal Tap. Here are a few photos of the boys in action, looking rather old I might add. Still love the blokes though. Below the photos I have linked to video of the performance. One of the best moments happens right at the beginning of when Spinal Tap comes on stage as Nigel steps up to the mike and says, "Hello Wimbledon!" Classic as always:

Intro of Spinal Tap and first part of set:

Performance of "Big Bottom" with star-studded lineup: