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Thursday, January 31, 2008

New Legal Series, Eli Stone, draws criticism regarding claims that vaccinations cause autism

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) - ABC’s new legal drama “Eli Stone” premieres Thursday night, but the American Academy of Pediatrics wants the first episode pulled. That’s because the main character, a-lawyer-turned-reluctant prophet argues in court that a flu vaccine made a child autistic.

Even though the show is fictional, the American Academy of Pediatrics says it feeds into the myth that vaccines can cause autism. Some doctors are worried that parents might use the show as an excuse to not immunize their children.

When George Michael shows up singing in his living room, fictional character Eli Stone realizes his life will never be the same. He's a lawyer who starts to have prophecies and in his do-good new life, Eli Stone takes the case of a mother suing the manufacturer of the vaccine she believes caused her son's autism.
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It is this story-line that has real life doctors worried. “It's an entertainment show it's not a scientific study, it's not a documentary on scientific evidence. It's entertainment and should be taken as entertainment,” states Dr. George Delavan, Division Director of Communications and Family Services in the Utah Department of Health.

Thursday’s episode of “Eli Stone” has caused an explosion of chatter on the internet. Bloggers have written, “Anyone who gets their medical advice from a TV show has mental health issues that immunizations can't even begin to help.” And others demand on line that, “ABC should put a disclaimer at the end of every commercial break.”

The Utah Department of Health, which advocates Immunization by Two, says emphatically vaccines do not cause autism. “The best scientific evidence just does not support that causation that there is a link between vaccines and autism. The best research shows that it is not related. Now we know that a lot of people are still concerned about that and think maybe it is related and that's just something we have to work harder to get the message out,” says Dr. Delavan.

Dr. Delavan adds, “Immunizations are safe. The problems with not getting immunized and being then susceptible to some of those infections are very very serious.”

“Eli Stone premieres Thursday ABC 4 at 9:00. ABC Entertainment issued a statement Thursday that it will put a disclaimer at the top of the show which states, “Eli Stone is a fictional television show. The characters, products, companies and events depicted in the episode are all fictional. The storyline plays on topical issues for dramatic effect, but its purpose is to entertain.” At the show’s conclusion, ABC will link viewers with an autism website and phone number: www.CDC.gov/autism or 1-800-CDC-INFO.

Attorney Corri Fetman will write for and drop her clothes for Playboy

Sex definitely sells, but Chicago attorney Corri Fetman apparently hopes that it also will send couples rushing to divorce court. On Friday, January 11, a press release issued by Playboy Magazine announced Fetman's new "Lawyer of Love" column, which will appear on the magazines online site (www.playboy.com). Ms. Fetman also will star in her own nude online pictorial for the magazine.
Corri Fetman: Promoting Divorce?
In May 2007, Dirk Johnson of the New York Times reported that in a section of Chicago's popular Rush Street that's nicknamed "the Viagra triangle," Fetman erected a billboard containing an attractive female torso on the left side and a buff male chest on the right. The tag line, which appears between the two hot bodies, said "Life's short. Get a divorce."

Though the first billboard was removed due to a legal technicality, Fetman, a partner at Fetman, Garland & Associates, came up with another billboard in June. She also recently released the third ad in an ongoing "Take Control, Get a Divorce" campaign.
Corri Fetman, who describes herself in the article as "happily divorced," seems to be dangling some very attractive bait in front of men and women who currently aren't happy with their marital situations. Wouldn't it be more ethical for her firm to promote better communication between spouses instead of offering an easy out?
Corri Fetman: A Hollywood Spin
Television shows such as "L.A. Law" and "Ally McBeal" have added a sexy element to the legal profession in the past, but Corri Fetman is rewriting the book on sex and Hollywood. She's setting one heck of a legal precedent with her steamy advertising campaign.

Corri Fetman Drops Her Legal Briefs
As a long-time Playboy subscriber who gets the magazine only for the pictures, the proposed "Lawyer of Love" column sounds, on the surface, like the perfect complement to the existing "Playboy Advisor," a monthly column that offers advice on everything from what bottle of wine to serve with dinner to pleasing a significant other in bed.
Fetman's column and its focus on love and the law, if written correctly, could offer solid legal advice to readers, more so than the existing "Advisor." I question Playboy's motives, though, in featuring nude photos of Fetman on their website. Are they truly serious about this column or is this a cheap, publicity stunt, much like the Chicago billboard?
Fetman, to be honest, is easy on the eyes and will no doubt increase subscriptions to the online service, but the long term benefits of her legal advice won't be determined for several months. The "Playboy Advisor," in contrast, has been a popular feature in the magazine for years.
Corri Fetman: The Punch Line
In the latest issue of Playboy, Fetman reveals that she is the partially-clad female in the ads. Despite all the media coverage that she's received over the last year, no one made the connection. I guess we were all, um, distracted.

Michael Devlin moved to new prison

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A former pizza shop manager who kidnapped two boys was moved to a prison in northwest Missouri Wednesday to begin serving his 74 life sentences in solitary confinement.

Michael Devlin, 42, had been under evaluation at a prison intake center in St. Joseph since October, when he pleaded guilty in three counties and in federal court in the 2002 abduction of then-11-year-old Shawn Hornbeck and the January 2007 abduction of 13-year-old Ben Ownby.

Both boys, from different parts of rural eastern Missouri, were found four days after Ben's abduction at Devlin's apartment in the St. Louis County town of Kirkwood.

Since his arrest on Jan. 12, 2007, Devlin has been segregated from other inmates, first at county jails in Franklin and St. Louis counties, and in St. Joseph since his guilty pleas. Now that he's moved to the maximum-security prison in Cameron, about 50 miles north of Kansas City, he will almost always be alone.

Devlin is housed in "administrative segregation." He's confined to his cell almost all the time, Corrections Department spokesman Brian Hauswirth said. He can have one magazine and one newspaper, and some sacred readings, but no hardback books. He has no TV, no radio, and no computer.

Devlin eats alone, though he gets the same meal as other inmates. He gets one hour of recreation — by himself — three times a week. He can shower every third day. He can receive visitors, but must meet with them through glass. He has no contact with other inmates.

Loyd Bailie, Ben's uncle and a spokesman for the family, said he was disappointed that Devlin was protected from the other prisoners.

"He should be in the general population," Bailie said. "Why should he be subject to anything different than other sexual predators? Why should they make stipulations for him?"

Devlin's lawyer said his clients would prefer living among other inmates, even if his notoriety and the heinous nature of his crimes could endanger his life.

"He's split on that, but I think he's demonstrated more of a desire to be out in the general population," attorney Ethan Corlija said. "He's commented to me that if something happens to him in the general population, so be it. It's better than being in solitary."

Devlin's segregation is partly for his own protection, but also for the good of the institution, Hauswirth said.

In addition to his multiple life terms, Devlin was sentenced to 170 years in federal prison.

Courtney Oliver - 10 year old Veterinarian

OK, this is kinda cute.

Courtney Oliver maybe only 10-years-old but that hasn’t stopped her from living her dream. Oliver says she has always wanted to be a veterinarian, so she decided to get her veterinary certification.

After 8 months, Oliver had completed an on-line college course and is now working at the South Bay Veterinary Hospital in Olympia.

“I have a dog Maggie and two hamsters and I just though: ‘Well, if I have so many animals why don’t I just work with them?” she say. As for being a vet at 10, Oliver says, “Might as get it done early as get it done late.”

“The first day it kind of made me nervous. But I’m like, ‘When can I do that?’ It doesn’t really scare me because we have blood. Why be scared of it?” she added.

Oliver’s mentor, Dr. Michelle Shoemaker, says the elementary schooler is “amazing. Always been so bright, very, very smart actually. We quiz her quite often here,”

Crime Reports.com - a new tool in law enforcement

There's a new website on the block. Crimereports.com is a website which links law enforcement agencies across the United States. I checked the site out and it is really quite spiffy. Basically the home page is a coverage map, at that point you can enter a location or click on the map and poof, up pops a google map with crime hotspots.

Now here is the interesting part, this website could have many effects here are some initial ponderings.

Will Crimereports.com help educate the people thus empowering them to help keep themselves safe by purchasing a security alarm system ?

Will Crimereports.com help law enforcement officials concentrate their efforts in attempts to catch the stinking crackheads?

Will Crimereports.com provide criminals with ow crime rate area's where there may not be as much of a risk?

Will Crimereports.com simply become an advertising portal for those companies who wish to prey on the fears of the greater public. (ie gun sellers, ADT, Alarmforce etc)?

Will Crimereports.com generate a generation of people living in fear because their neighbourhood popped up on the screen?

Will Crimereports.com generate teams of vigilante hoodlums?

Tough call, personally I think anything which educates the average person and provides an avenue for crime prevention is a good thing.

Heath Ledger Drug Video - What's the big deal?

Further examination indicates this video was taken back in 2006. People seem to be making such a big deal about this, so the guy snorted blow in his early days. Toxicology has ruled drugs out of his death so why bring up the past now when it has no relivance. So what do you think? any comments on this whole fiasco? Should people be shown this video or should Heath be left to rest in piece?

At least Entertainment tonight had the good graces to edit the footage out of respect for the family.

Britney Spears in Cedars-Sinai on 5150 Hold

Source: Britney Spears Blog

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears was taken from her home by ambulance early Thursday and escorted to the hospital by more than a dozen police officers in cars, on motorcycles and in helicopters.

A Los Angeles police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the matter, said the 26-year-old pop star was being taken to the hospital to "get help." The Los Angeles Times cited unidentified authorities who said Spears was being placed on a "mental evaluation hold."

Spears was taken to UCLA Medical Center, where her mother, Lynne, was seen leaving its psychiatric hospital at about 5:30 a.m.

A security guard and a photographer stand outside of the ambulance entrance to the at the UCLA Medical Center emergency room in Los Angeles on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008. Britney Spears was taken from her home by ambulance early Thursday and escorted to the hospital by more than a dozen police officers.

When asked by a throng of paparazzi and reporters whether Britney was doing all right, Lynne Spears replied, "Yeah," before leaving in a Range Rover.

Hours earlier, shortly after 1 a.m., the motorcade that pulled away from Spears' residence was nearly the length of a football field. Along with the ambulance, it included police on nearly a dozen motorcycles and in two cruisers. Two police helicopters followed overhead.

The scene was more controlled than the one earlier this month when Spears also was taken away from her home in an ambulance.

On Jan. 3, police were called to her home when she refused to return her two young sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, to ex-husband Kevin Federline, who has custody.

Officers had paramedics haul Spears to a hospital for undisclosed reasons. She was released after a day and a half in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Police also went to Spears' hilltop residence off Mulholland Drive on Monday night after someone reported a swarm of paparazzi trespassing in the singer's gated community. When officers arrived, they didn't see anyone trespassing, police said, but citations were issued for several illegally parked cars.

Spears has been in a highly public downward spiral since filing for divorce from Federline in November 2006.

Her bizarre antics include shaving her head bald, attacking a car with an umbrella and bringing along a paparazzo pal on trips to a courthouse in her child custody case.

Spears' child custody case has become a public spectacle, with her skipping depositions and twice this month arriving at the courthouse but not attending the hearing.

The most recent incident was last week, when Spears showed up at the downtown civil courts building for a chance to persuade a Superior Court commissioner to change his order and allow her to see her sons.

Dressed as if arriving for a cocktail party — wearing bright pink lipstick, sunglasses, shiny gold platform shoes and a very short black dress with a ruffled hem — Spears was driven into an underground garage and then entered the courthouse.

A court spokesman said she got through a security metal detector, then announced, "I want to leave," and returned to her car.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Rebecca Dawn Bogard - 27 Year old Teacher keeps 15 year old student after class.

I wish I was that lucky when I was 15.

Cops: Mississippi woman had sex with boy, 15, in her white Jaguar

A Mississippi teacher admitted to cops that she had sex with a 15-year-old male student to whom she sent explicit text messages and trysted with in her Jaguar, which bore the license plate "GRRRRR." Those are just some of the sleazy details in a Biloxi Police Department report detailing Rebecca Dawn Bogard's alleged sexual assault of the boy, who the 27-year-old educator taught at the Biloxi Alternative School (which is described in the January 18 report, which you'll find below, as a school for troubled teens). According to the document, Bogard referred to the teenager as "her little 'sex fiend'" in one text message. Investigators were contacted by the boy's mother after she discovered raunchy messages on the boy's phone, including one from a "Dawn" who wrote, "I love you, yeah it was the best, which night was the best 4 you, I'm sensitive but not sore, you were good..." Bogard, pictured in the mug shot at right, is facing felony sexual battery charges. She has been suspended with pay and is free on $50,000 bail.

Jason Biggs and Jenny Mollen

American Pie actor Jason Biggs reportedly popped the question to his girlfriend, actress Jenny Mollen.

“It happened recently,” Biggs, 29, said Tuesday night at the Hollywood premiere of his new comedy Over Her Dead Body.

“He asked me over and over again ever since we met!” Mollen, 28, joked.

Said Biggs: “I asked her the first night we met.”

The two began dating this summer shortly before shooting their upcoming comedy My Best Friend’s Girl.

Mollen admitted she was “skeptical” when she first met the actor - famous for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie franchise.

“I had never dated an actor before, so I’d kind of hoped to steer clear,” she told Us Weekly magazine. “I was sort of on the fence, and he sort of won me over.”

And on the date of the big day, Biggs Joked, ” I think we’re going to elope. We don’t want to deal with all of the drama of dealing with my family.”

Tom Brady Marriage proposal

The media day for Super Bowl XLII was Tuesday, Jan. 29, and the lead story was an entertainment reporter for Mexico-based TV Azteca, Ines Gomez Mont, and her marriage proposal to New England's Tom Brady. "Would you marry me, Tom?" she asked. Of course, Tom Brady declined the offer with a comment about being a "one-woman" man. That's news to Brady ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynihan, maybe.

No sooner was word out last spring that Moynihan was pregnant with Tom Brady's baby when Gisele Bundchen was introduced as Brady's new squeeze. Anyhow, Ms. Gomez Mont was attired in a skimpy white wedding gown that has been described as looking like something that came from the Britney Spears collection. After Tom Brady's rejection, Gomez Mont made the rounds, starting with Giant QB Eli Manning. She told Eli Manning she was in love with him. Upon Eli's brushoff, Gomez Mont basically made a pass at virtually all the players for both teams. Just another Super Bowl media day.

It reeks of a publicity stunt, but there have been many moments at the Super Bowl in which a reporter asked such a spectacularly stupid question that they became part of the news. Among the more famous stupid questions in Super Bowl media day history:

1981. The Super Bowl that year was played on the day Iran finally released a group of American hostages who had been held at the American Embassy in Teheran for 2 or 3 months. On media day before Super Bowl XV between the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland QB Jim Plunkett, who grew up in poverty in San Jose, CA, was asked a question that lives in infamy. Plunkett probably didn't know whether to be offended or laugh at the query. "Let me get this straight, Jim. Your mother is blind and your father is dead.Or is it the other way around?"

In 1988, most of the media focus was on Denver 's John Elway. Washington's Doug Williams, the first African-American to start at football's most glamorous position, was asked probably the dumbest question of all by a foreign reporter: "How long have you been a black Quarterback?" Williams went on to have the game of his life with 340 yards passing and 4 touchdown passes, most in the second quarter. Washington scored 35 of their 42 points in one quarter. After the media had been obsessing over darling John Elway all week.

As the Jan. 1997 matchup between the Green bay Packers and the New England Patriots neared, rumors then Patriot coach Bill Parcells was leaving to coach the New York Jets (rumors that turned out to be true) swirled. Parcells was asked by one New York reporter if it was true the Jets had offered to rename the Meadowlands complex where both the Giants and Jets currently play "Parcellsland". "Is LSD makin' a comeback?" Parcells replied, one of the greatest comebacks I've ever heard from a coach in any sport. You see, the stadium in question is Giants Stadium, the Jets couldn't have renamed it if they wanted to. The Giants played there long before their counterparts.

One of the problems with Super Bowls is the fact that there are many reporters present who don't normally cover the NFL or football. Players' careers can be ruined with a bad day on Super Sunday, just ask Scott Norwood of Buffalo who missed the game-winning field goal in 1991. Others have reaped the rewards of big contracts due to having a big day. Larry Brown of the Cowboys and Desmond Howard of Green Bay both got millions from Al Davis of the Raiders after winning the Super Bowl MVP award. Both flopped.

It is not known if the reporters who asked these questions gained or lost professionally as a result of dumb queries. They did, however, take their place in Super Bowl lore for being a part of the circus known as media day. Now they must make room for Ines Gomez Mont for making an unsuccessful marriage proposal to Tom Brady.

Lost - Season Premiere sneak peak

If you fell out of the "Lost" habit during the just-chugging-along-in-the-fog episodes of early last season, believe me I understand. But the ABC show got back on the rails last spring. And now it's time to get back on the train. Thursday's 9 p.m. season premiere - and especially next week's episode - are game-changers that will inspire a gasp or two from devoted fans.

These two episodes suggest that the writers actually have a destination in mind. Whether arriving will make the long journey worthwhile, I can't say. But the next few legs of the trip are highly entertaining, I promise. And not just because Sawyer calls Locke "Colonel Kurtz."

In last spring's explosive finale, we saw Charlie warn the castaways with his last breath (?) that the rescue ship is not what it seems. We also flashed forward to find an emotionally lost Jack in L.A., post-rescue, talking darkly about going back to the island. Both storylines get new chapters on Thursday, and blow up big time next week.

***SPOILER ALERT: SPOILERS AHEAD (SORTA)***

***STOP READING IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW ANY MORE***

****NOT THAT I CAN TELL YOU MUCH OR ABC WILL SEND A SPECIAL "RESCUE" TEAM TO MY HOUSE***

Between the two episodes, we get flash forwards involving half a dozen characters, old and new, that make very clear the story continues beyond any imminent "rescue," and that surviving the island does not bring peace - anything but.

We also get some very sharp in-the-moment drama on the island as the castaways prepare to greet the people from the ship in very different ways. Jack and his posse still believe in rescue. But Locke and the ever-scheming Ben both express the notion that something wicked this way comes. And when the "freighter" people start landing, things get interesting fast.

Did I mention the vintage Camaro? OK, that's not on the island, but in a flash forward.

The cast is the usual grabbag of acting skills, but Michael Emerson's utter self-possession as Ben (left) continues to amaze, especially since he spends most of these two episodes bound and covered with his own blood.

I'd like to tell you much more, but the letter ABC sent out with the DVD "kindly asks" that reviewers refrain from sharing, well, anything. They don't want any plot details released generally, along with a bunch of things they ask us not to mention in particular (XXX's are mine):

The Oceanic XXX
Any details about XXX's flash forward, or that he even has a flash forward
XXXXX
Who goes with XXXXX and who goes with XXXX
Any details about the four XXXXXXXXXXXX's back stories/flashbacks
As you can see, it's difficult to tell you much. Partly this is a kindness to folks who don't want to know anything before the show airs. And if ABC didn't run any promos giving hints at what's to come, I could almost believe that was the only reason for the Cheney-esque secrecy. But notice that all I can really tell you from the headline on down is: "Lost" is back, and it's good. So all this secrecy helps ABC keep the reviews on-message too. Sigh.

Of course, ABC has really good reason to want to stay on top of "Lost" publicity. After much fan backlash during the weaker passages of last season, the producers re-committed to the task at hand - and the network committed to three additional 16-episode seasons to bring the saga to its logical conclusion. Each of those three seasons was supposed to have an uninterrupted spring run - this year, in 2009 and in 2010. But the writers strike has already chewed up that plan like a polar bear gnawing on a slow-running castaway. Now we get eight episodes this spring and...well, let's hope we get eight more in the fall and then the remaining two seasons as planned.

As part of its launch strategy, ABC is rerunning the two-hour season finale on Wednesday night at 9, in an "enhanced" format which basically means there will be text and perhaps other kinds of information on the bottom half of the screen to help you keep up with the plot twists and turns. And Thursday night at 8, before the premiere, there will be a one-hour catch-up special called "Lost: Past, Present & Future" that even fans of the show will supposedly find "illuminating."

The Other Viewer in my house, burned by the disintegration of the "X-Files" mythology years ago, cheerfully mocks at my willingness to get sucked back into "Lost." But this time I really think they're going to do right by us. No, really!

Heath Ledger Drug Video Bought for 250K

The drug-use rumors surrounding the unexplained death of Australian actor Heath Ledger continue, the latest comes from PerezHilton, who claims that a "Heath Ledger Drug Video" will be released on Wednesday on "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider". Allegedly the video will show Heath Ledger at the Chateau Marmont, during a drug-fueled party and reports claim that during the video Ledger is heard saying "I’m gonna get so much shit from my girlfriend...We have a baby together…Matilda Matilda Rose...I used to smoke five joints a day." The Heath Ledger drug video was taped at the end of January of last year.

Heath Ledger was found death at an apartment in a Manhattan apartment on January 22nd, 2007. According to the police, Ledger was found naked in bed with sleeping pills nearby, but at this point it is unknown if the death was a suicide attempt, incidental overdose or else. The initial autopsy failed to determine the actor's cause of death.

Ian Poulter figured he can beat Tiger Woods

THE outspoken Ian Poulter has claimed he is the only player capable of challenging the supremacy of world No 1 Tiger Woods.

"The trouble is I don't rate anyone else," the 32-year-old Englishman was quoted as saying in the March edition of Golf World magazine. "Don't get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer, but I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

Never mind that Poulter, ranked 22nd in the world, has won just seven events in nine years as a regular on the European Tour or that his best finish in the majors last year was 13th at Augusta.

The Ryder Cup player, has added a welcome touch of pigment in recent years to the often wan fabric of golf by wearing flamboyant clothes and talking a pretty good game. The long-standing suspicion Poulter, 32, was a cheeky chappy who didn't take himself too seriously, however, has been undermined by comments he may live to regret.

Any prospect of him running over the top of Ernie Els, Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh, Adam Scott, his friend Justin Rose and all the rest of golf's leading lights over the coming years to set up a personal rivalry with Tiger on a par with the duels between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus can't be justified by the evidence.

Always a self-assured individual – no one lacking in confidence, after all, would wear Union Jack trousers in a golf tournament – the extent of his bravado has been kept in check, up until now. Speaking before his debut in the Masters a couple of years back, Poulter reflected: "Some people think I'm arrogant, but I've been able to match all the talk out on the course. I'm not going to change for anyone. But if you're going to be outspoken then you'd better go out there and produce some stuff to stop yourself looking a complete plonker."

As far as the Golf World interview is concerned, Poulter claims that he's been misquoted, while the magazine insists they read the article back to him before publication. Either way, there's a fine line between high spirited attention seeking and brash conceit which Poulter seems to have crossed in this latest bout of self-promotion.

Standing naked in front of a golf bag, his claim that he'll win a major this year and become the main challenger to Woods leaves the player open to ridicule.

On the other hand, those who regard him as a welcome breath of fresh air in a stuffy sport think too much fuss is being made over next to nothing. As Zane Scotland remarked: "Everyone knows what he's like. He's more outgoing than most and it's just how he talks."

Having once worked in a professional's shop, turned pro with a handicap of 4 and learned to compete on the Hippo Tour before graduating from the Challenge Tour to the European Tour, there's much to admire about a player who has made his own way in the game.

As yet, though, Poulter's record suggests he's a good golfer, not a great one. Results rather than roister will be needed to change that perception.

POULTER V WOODS

IAN POULTER

Born: 10 Jan 1976
Nationality: English
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 189lb
Turned pro: 1995
World ranking: 22
Career earnings: $4,166,557
Tournament wins: 9
Major wins: 0

TIGER WOODS

Born: 30 Dec 1975
Nationality: American
Height: 6ft 1in
Weight: 185lb
Turned pro: 1996
World ranking: 1
Career earnings: $77,515,376
Tournament wins: 85
Major wins: 13 (4 Masters, 2 US Opens, 3 Opens, 4 USPGAs)

A Family Affair - Bengals sign Carson Palmer's brother, Jordan, to two-year deal

Cincinnati, OH (Sports Network) - The Cincinnati Bengals signed quarterback Jordan Palmer - younger brother of starting signal-caller Carson - to a two- year deal Wednesday.

The younger Palmer was selected by the Redskins in the sixth round of last April's draft out of UTEP, but has been with the Arena League's Arizona Rattlers since November.

The 6-foot-5, 232-pound Jordan passed for more than 11,000 yards in 42 career games in college, setting single-season school records a senior with the Miners by throwing for 3,595 yards and completing 282 passes.

Aside from the Palmer brothers, the Bengals have second-stringer Ryan Fitzpatrick and Jeff Rowe, a fifth-round draft pick from last season, in the mix at the quarterback position.

Muh Achey Breaky Underwear - Miley Cyrus perv pictures pop up on the internet

Is Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus giving internet gossip junkies a new meaning for "the best of both worlds" with adult pictures? That's what the rumor mill would have us believe.

It was reported earlier this week that new pictures of Miley Cyrus in her underwear had surfaced on the web. According to the rumor mill, these new pictures are far worse than the previous "racy" pictures of the Disney Channel teen diva that had surfaced online. These new pictures have been described by some reporters as coming close to "child porn."

Other questionable pictures of Miley Cyrus that began circulating online in recent weeks featured the teenage sensation in a bikini and getting cozy with a female friend. The new pictures at the root of the underwear scandal make those earlier pictures look very Disney-like indeed.

Miley herself responded to the infamous "sleepover" pictures, insisting that they were "nothing bad." No word yet from her camp about whether she sees the alleged underwear shots as equally innocent, or whether she even admits their authenticity.

Considering the current state of Hollywood weirdness, the obvious question becomes: How can we stop this girl from becoming Britney Spears?

Maybe I'm a hopeless romantic, but I think there's still hope for Hannah Montana. Britney Spears, in my opinion, is a very unique case. (That's an understatement if I've ever made one.) Much can be explained by recent reports of a history of mental instability in the Spears family. The last star to "turn into Britney Spears" was Jamie Lynn Spears. I don't think that's a coincidence.
So maybe Miley Cyrus will follow in her family's footsteps instead of Britney's. In that case, she'll release one mediocre but sensationally well-received single and fade into obscurity.

It's always easy to blame the parents. But for some reason I find it almost impossible to blame the "Achy Breaky Heart" guy for anything. I mean come on... he's the "Achy Breaky Heart" guy.

Instead, I say the responsibility falls on the internet community, and on America's celebrity-worship culture. For every "journalist" who makes a big deal about these stories, there are a thousand random citizens scouring Google to find the racy pics. Neither party is helping Miley Cyrus or any other teenage girl by perpetuating this perversity into the American spotlight over and over again. Eventually, sickness becomes glamorous due to the sheer amount of attention devoted to it.

On one internet gossip message board called "SuperiorPics Celebrity Forum", a user started a discussion about Miley's underwear. No big surprise... except that this was in September of 2007 -- many months before the underwear rumors surfaced, and long before there were any rumors about these new pictures even existing.

Another SuperiorPics user replied, "Dunno how old you are, but Miley Cyrus is only 15."

An excellent point.

Britney Spears and the seedy underbelly of the internet aside, the question becomes more simple, more direct: is Miley Cyrus a troubled girl? Or maybe just a stone cold skank? Either one might be a fair label, if the pictures are, in fact, legitimate. But can you blame her for becoming either of those things? Seriously, look at the country she lives in... you can't blame a 15-year-old girl for trying to fit in. So maybe if you start raising your kids right -- maybe if you stop letting your 13-year-old wear hooker makeup and post cleavage shots on her MySpace profile -- maybe then racy Miley Cyrus photos will stop showing up on the internet.

Victim in Tahoe suicide identified

A woman who died Sunday of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest was identified as Chere Rhodes, 30.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office reported Wednesday that Rhodes left a note that she shot herself at the Zephyr Heights home she shared with actor and entrepreneur Max Baer Jr., 70 (Jethro from Beverly Hillbillies).
According to sheriff’s spokesman Sgt. Jim Halsey, Baer called emergency at 1:15 p.m. Jan. 24 when he discovered Rhodes, who was still conscious, in a bedroom.
When questioned, Rhodes told deputies that the incident was an attempted suicide on her part. A handwritten note found at the scene substantiated her statement, Halsey said.

Emergency first aid was administered to Rhodes at the scene, and she was taken by helicopter to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno.
She underwent emergency trauma care, was placed on life-support equipment. Her condition did not improve and she died Sunday after her family requested she be taken off life-support.
Halsey said a semi-automatic handgun was recovered at the scene.
The investigation is continuing, but no foul play is suspected at this time, Halsey said.
Baer is best known for his role as Jethro in the 1960s television show “The Beverly Hillbillies.”
He is developing a casino project in north Douglas County called Jethro Bodine’s Beverly Hillbillies Mansion & Casino.

Ralph Nader to Run again

With the departure of Kookspinach and Silky Pony, there is a void in the ultra far left kook wing of the Democrat party. Ralph Nader sees his chance to once again play the “progressive” spoiler. Republicans should open up their wallets again and support him. He’s just what we need to assure a Huckabee or McCain victory. With wackjob Nader in the race, perhaps even the stomach turning empty suit Mittens Romney might have a chance if he somehow buys the GOP nomination. But admittedly that would be the worst case scenario.

Ralph Nader has formed a presidential exploratory committee, and said in an interview Wednesday that he will launch another presidential bid if he’s convinced he can raise enough money to appear on the vast majority of state ballots this fall.

With both Ralph Nader and Ron Paul siphoning the anti-war and uber-kook vote from the leftist candidate, even our weakest candidate could win.

Nader, who ran as an independent candidate in each of the past three presidential elections, told ABCNews.com that he will run in 2008 if he is convinced over the next month that he would be able to raise $10 million over the course of the campaign — and attract enough lawyers willing to work free of charge to get his name on state ballots.

There’s a website already set up. Perhaps if enough Republicans pledge to donate funds or legal assistance, the old goat will be convinced to run again, ensuring a Republican in the White House in 2008. It just might be worth it.

Nader said he filed papers with the Federal Election Commission and launched a Web site after Dennis Kucinich, a liberal Ohio congressman, announced his decision to withdraw from the presidential race last week.

He was set to announce that he had formed an exploratory committee Wednesday, even before former Sen. John Edwards made it known that he’d be ending his candidacy.

Listen to this kook! Size up his enormous ego! This is awesome:

“When Kucinich threw in the towel, now you have Edwards gone — who’s going to carry the torch of democratic populism against the relentless domination of powerful corporations of our government?”

Why, Ralph Nader, super kook of course! He hasn’t let us down the last two election cycles. Why not help us out for a third?

This might be the best news of the campaign season. Run, Ralph, Run!

Zachary Levi hooks up with Christina Applegate

When celebrities want to make headlines with their love lives, they do things like get matching haircuts (see: Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz) or play games of cat-and-mouse with the press by checking into the Westwood W Hotel as Mr. and Mrs. Smith (see: Brangelina). They do not sneak into a dark dive like Ye Coach & Horses. So Christina Applegate and Zachary Levi (AKA Chuck from “Chuck”) might be bummed out to learn that they were spotted there last night canoodling among a group of friends,

she in a black dress and knee-high boots, he in an army green jacket. The couple may have gone unnoticed had it not been for a drunk dude—he was there celebrating his 21st birthday and had puked in the alley just seconds before the couple’s arrival—trying to covertly take a picture of them. Christina responded by giving him a glass of water and a pat on the back.

Source: Metromix Los Angeles

Orpah choosing author from Vancouver British Columbia as her new Favorite

"Being able to share this material with you is a gift and a part of the fulfillment of my life's purpose," Oprah Winfrey said on Wednesday, January 30, 2008, as she revealed the 61st Oprah's Book Club selection "A New Earth" by Eckhart Tolle. She added, "It was an awakening for me that I want for you, too."

For the first time ever, readers around the world will be able to participate in a free, live interactive classroom discussion, led by Winfrey and Tolle. Each weekly class will correspond to a chapter from "A New Earth," with the discussion focusing on the chapter's themes. The 10 weekly sessions will be webcast every Monday night from March 3 through May 5, at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT. To pre-register for the class, log onto www.oprah.com/anewearth.

Published in 2005, "A New Earth" encourages a collective sense of commitment to changing the way we live for people who want to make a difference. With the knowledge that we live in a time desperate for global change, renowned spiritual teacher Tolle's book answers the question: what can one person do to enact that change? With clarity and in practical terms, he gently leads readers to a new level of consciousness, awakening them to their lives' purpose and inviting them to envision a new earth where peace and fellowship are the norm.

"A New Earth" is published internationally in the English language by Penguin Group, one of the world's premier global consumer trade book publishers. The 10-part interactive worldwide web event is a pioneering venture that will have the potential to reach an unprecedented number of readers in all English-language territories far and wide. With key market positions in the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Australia, Canada, India, China, New Zealand and Ireland, Penguin Group will be able to share this Oprah's Book Club selection with a worldwide audience.

John Makinson, Penguin Group Chairman and CEO, commented, "Penguin is one of the world's few truly global publishers and all of us are honored to be working with Ms. Winfrey on this ground-breaking project. 'A New Earth' is an unforgettable manifesto for a better way of life. Its message reaches across boundaries to illuminate and enrich the human spirit everywhere. Eckhart Tolle teaches us to change the way we view the world and make connections to each other."

Oprah's Book Club works with the American Library Association (ALA) to distribute thousands of free Book Club selections donated by each publisher, to school, public, and community college libraries nationwide. The Chicago- based ALA, www.ala.org, is the oldest and largest library association in the world with more than 64,000 members.

As the biggest book club in the world, Oprah's Book Club has approximately one million online members. Each of its selections have skyrocketed to the top of bestsellers lists. Enrollment is free and provides members with access to benefits such as online discussion groups, reading questions, and Q&A sessions with the author. To join, log onto www.oprah.com.

"The Oprah Winfrey Show" has remained the number one talk show for 21 consecutive seasons, winning every sweep since its debut in 1986.* It is produced in Chicago by Harpo Productions, Inc. and syndicated to 212 domestic markets by CBS Television Distribution Group and to 135 countries by CBS Paramount International Television.

Ethan Hawke and his former Nanny Ryan Shawhughes are Pregnant

Ethan Hawke 37 (Training Day," "Dead Poets Society," "Great Expectations" and "Before Sunset"), and Ryan Shawhughes, 28, are expecting their first child. Ethan met Ryan Shawhughes and allegedly began their romance when she was employed as a nanny for Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurmans' two children, Maya, 9, and Roan, 5. Ethan soon left Uma for the nanny.

Hawke's publicist, Mara Buxbaum, said "I can confirm and they are thrilled. "No further details will be made available,"

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