You know things are bad when a reporter informs you that your wife has filed for divorce. That’s exactly what happened to wrestling and reality television star Hulk Hogan. A reporter for the St. Petersburg Time told Hulk Hogan that his wife, Linda Bole had filed papers on Tuesday November 20th in St. Petersburg. They had been married for twenty-four years and star in the reality television show, Hogan Knows Best that airs on VH1.
Hulk Hogan’s real name is Terry Gene Bollea and together, he and Linda have two children, Brooke age nineteen and Nick age seventeen. Recently, the Hogan’s have been in the spotlight for more serious reasons. Nick was involved in a driving accident where he was speeding. The accident left his passenger, John Graziano, needing care for the rest of his life. John Graziano is 22 years old and was an active duty Marine and currently remains in a coma. On August 26th, Nock Bollea crashed the back end of his Toyota Supra into a tree. Newly released 911 phone calls indicate that Nick and John were racing friends who were driving Hulk Hogan’s vehicle.
Nick Bollea has been an active racer in the NOPI Drift series. Drifting is a new motor sport that originated in Japan and is taking the United States by storm. It involves a driving technique whereby the rear slip angle can be made greater than the front. This enables the front wheels to point opposite the way of the turn. As a result, the car drifts. Nick Bollea has placed tenth in recent drifting competitions and is very enthusiastic regarding racing and drifting. In fact, both cars that were involved in Nick Bollea’s accident are cars that are most suited for drifting. These include Nick’s Toyota Supra and Hulk Hogan’s Nissan Silvia.
The accident has fueled the fires as to the Hogan’s family position on street racing and has sparked quite a controversy. The early reports after the incident quoted Linda Bollea, Nick’s mother as saying that she was against street racing. However, this is in contradiction to videos that have circulated the Internet called, “Vehicular Lunatics.” In the video that was filmed in 2005 takes place in Florida cities, such as St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Tampa and there is a special on the documentary titled, “Street Racing with Linda Hogan.” The video shows very incriminating evidence as Linda and her then underage daughter, Brooke as a passenger. Linda and Brooke challenge another car to race and then speed off; however there is no way of determining their exact speed on the video but the point is clear. The Hogan’s definitely were not against street racing and encouraged their children in the practice. In addition to Linda and Brooke, both Hulk Hogan and Nick Bollea are seen in the video.
Currently, Nick Bollea’s license has been suspended for one year, effective on December tenth. He turned himself in to police on November 7th and will be tried as an adult. The charges against Nick include reckless driving involving serous bodily injury, using a motor vehicle in commission of a felony, operating a vehicle under the age of 21 while having a breath-alcohol level of .02 percent or higher, and having illegal window tints.
The Italian word “paparazzi” is the plural form of the word “paparazzo.” Simply put, a paparazzo is a freelance photographer who pursues celebrities in attempts of photographing them. Paparazzi are when a swarm of these photographers circle a celebrity then pounce with camera in hand and are ready to snap the newest and hottest photo.
Many people are obsessed with following celebrities and relish the latest photo. It’s one thing to read an article about your favorite celebrities actions but a photo is worth more than a million words. Photos are tangible, they are visual, and they present the viewers an image of the celebrities’ real life, a glimpse of something that words alone can never truly depict, at least not in vivid color.
It ‘s understandable that people, media, and society as a whole want photos of celebrities. However, what is questionable is the length that paparazzo take to obtain those pictures. In essence, modern day paparazzi use any method necessary and often break the law all in a day’s work. There have been numerous instances of car accidents occurring because a celebrity or other notable figure was being followed, chased, and stalked by members of the paparazzi. One of the most famous cases, though never proved, is Princess Diana. Many believe that it was the actions of the paparazzi that led to their fatal accident. Often, when paparazzi are chasing a target and an accident ensues, the paparazzi are quick to assist. They are first on the scene and verify every aspect of the accident by snapping photos of the cars, victims, and police and emergency crews that arrive. Haven’t you ever wondered how the media and press get all those great “first hand” shots of wrecked vehicles and distraught and panicked celebrities? It’s typically because the paparazzi and their stalking presence contributed to the crashes that they then photograph.
For example, the website TMZ is notorious for stalking celebrities then releasing and airing the photos and videos that document the activities.
George Clooney has recently spoken about the problems celebrities face when the paparazzi break laws to get pictures. He and his girlfriend were recently involved in a motorcycle accident while trying to outrun the paparazzi. He also mentioned Britney Spears as she has repeatedly driven over the feet of paparazzi that were chasing her car. George Clooney was reported as saying that he believes that the paparazzi have the freedom to photograph celebrities but not the freedom to break the law in order to get the next picture.
The trouble rests with current laws and the way public officials and celebrities fit in to those laws. Currently, in the United States, paparazzi (and common citizens) have the right to photograph any public official in a public place. However, it is apparent that current laws need to be addressed and subsequently changed because there are just too many instances of paparazzi endangering the well-being and safety of public officials and getting away with it.
Personally, I believe that the best recourse is for celebrities to sue as soon as their safety, privacy, and well-being becomes threatened. Many states have also enacted stalking laws and I think that it would be beneficial for celebrities to use whatever means necessary to take paparazzi to court to ensure their safety. There are many celebrities and public officials that are very politically minded and vocal. It’s time for celebrities to band together and work on changing these laws that allow paparazzi to endanger the lives of celebrities, public officials, and their families.
On November 8, 2007 Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly proudly announced the birth of their twins, Thomas Boone and Zoe Grace. The twins were born through a surrogate mother and Thomas weighed 6 pounds and 2 ounces and Zoe weighed 5 pounds 9 ounces at birth. You can imagine how ecstatic the Quaids were to have their new additions born in time for the holidays. Well, now a medical mix-up has placed the children in great harm as well as in intensive care, and vast amounts of people are praying for the safe and speedy recovery of these newborn twins.
Twins are susceptible to many conditions. They are often born prematurely and spend some length of time in the prenatal intensive care unit to ensure that they are ready to handle the routines of home life. There is great concern regarding the maturity of newborn twins’ lungs as premature babies are often at an increased risk for developing lung infections. Due to these increased risks, it is important to ensure that babies are physically ready to leave the hospital. However, the one thing no one expects is that newborn twins will spend time in the prenatal intensive care unit due to a mix up on the part of hospital staff. This is what happened to Dennis and Kimberly’s twins when a mix up occurred and Baby Thomas and Grace were inadvertently given 10,000 units of Heparin instead of the recommended 10 units.
Heparin is used to prevent blood clots from forming and is an anticoagulant. The mix up occurred as the drug Heparin was flushed through an IV. The recommended dose was 10 units per milliliter of Intravenous fluid, but instead 10,000 units were administered and reports state that Thomas and Grace Quaid were among those who received the extremely high doses. The children are in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit and our prayers are with the Quaid family at this difficult time.
The Quaids have requested privacy during this time and understandably so. However, what must be addressed is the responsibility that the hospital will take for this mistake. Currently, the hospital spokesperson is not commenting on the situation citing patient’s privacy laws.
This isn’t the first time that children have been harmed by a Heparin overdose. The effect can be devastating as well as fatal. A simple Google search will bring up many stories relating to similar incidents and the heartbreak that ensued after these tragic dosing mistakes. Like the Quaid case, most mix-ups occur when a hospital staff member inadvertently stores an adult dosage in a cabinet designed for babies, infants, and children. Hopefully, the hospital will pay restitution to the Quaids and the other victims and take steps to ensure that this type of mistake never occurs again.
According to the website TMZ as many as thirteen patients received the wrong dose but this hasn’t been established as fact. The twins are reported to be in stable condition however they are still fighting for their lives.
The US ban on online gambling sites, including games of skill such as poker, is once again being called into question. The House Judiciary committee is examining the online gambling laws, and considering the testimony of parties as diverse as professional poker players, philosophers, international law experts, and family research advocates.
In October of 2006, the then Senate majority leader Bill Frist managed to tack on the “unlawful Internet gambling enforcement act” into a bill to heighten US port security. Since that time, American gambling advocates have been outraged by what they see as a clear violation of individual rights under the U. S. Constitution.
Polls indicate that there are some 28 million Americans who identify themselves as regular poker players who would like the opportunity to play online, according to salon.com. And there is even pressure coming from outside the US to abolish the gambling ban. The world trade organization has pointed out that the US ban on Internet gambling violates international law, and counteracts several international treaties which the United States has signed along with its allies.
The WTO has been particularly outraged by the United States’ attempts to prosecute online gambling companies operating outside of American territory. This is in clear violation of international law, and amounts to the United States “thumbing its nose” at its international treaty obligations.
It seems the biggest proponents for the Internet gambling ban are the so-called “family research” lobbies, but it would appear that their position is somewhat tenuous at the moment. The family research Council’s Tom McClusky changed his opinion and definition of gambling several times during the hearings this week.
For example, when pressed to define which type of gaming his organization objected to, McClusky was forced to admit that it is not simply Internet gambling that they would like ban, but all gambling, including state lotteries and Native American casinos. At one point, Congressman Steve Cohen, D- Tennessee, asked McClusky straight out, “is there any fun that you are for?”
This shows clearly that so-called family-oriented lobbies in Washington do not have the power they once did, and they are likely to have a much harder time justifying the ban against online gaming this time. And when combined with international pressures, such as those brought to bare by the world trade organization, it appears less likely than ever that the ban on Internet gambling will stand.
The real question for now is how the democratically controlled Congress will choose to deal with this issue in the run-up to the 2008 presidential election. Experts expect the Congress to do very little until after the new president is in office, so online gamblers may just have to wait a little longer.
You are probably aware that the Writers Guild of America is on strike. If you aren’t aware, you may have been wondering why late night talk shows are in reruns, now you know. The Writers Guild of America has been on strike and they have stopped writing for major networks and many favorite television shows. As of date, there is no sign that the strike is going to end soon and because of this, many shows are soon to stop airing new material and will simply be in reruns.
The first shows to feel these affects were the late night talk shows with the daily talk shows next in line. There has been a great outpouring of support from many actors and actresses, with some of them even taking to the picket lines with the writers. Jay Leno, Sally Field, and Julia Dreyfuss have all been seen showing their support for the writers who’ve made their shows a success. However, there is one television talk show host who is standing behind her series and making new shows in spite of the protests of the Writers Guild, Ellen Degeneres.
First, I should say that this is a very tricky situation. I think that the real issue at hand isn’t the Writers Guild or Ellen’s lack of support in the writers that work for her. I believe the party that has led to Ellen’s actions is none other than Oprah Winfrey. You see, Oprah Winfrey does not hire writers from the Writers Guild; she has her own writers (I think she has her own everything). Anyway, it stands to reason that if Oprah Winfrey’s show is continuing in new material and Ellen Degeneres is on the back burner that it is more than possible that Ellen could literally lose her viewing audience permanently. Oprah and Ellen are on the same time slot and the loss would be a huge victory for Oprah and could pose a possible (yet I believe very minimal) threat to Ellen’s livelihood. Personally, I believe that if Ellen could come back from her Iggy breakdown without missing a beat she is pretty much invincible but who knows, celebrity status is a very delicate thing- take a look at Britney Spears.
I truly feel that Ellen is thinking in the long run and trying to keep her show going because quite frankly, she doesn’t want to lose out to Oprah. I seriously doubt that a woman who cares so deeply for a dog that was ripped away from her hairdresser’s daughters is so cold hearted towards her writers.
When I first heard that Oprah had her own writers and would be virtually unaffected by the writer’s strike I immediately thought, “Oh, no there goes Ellen.” But what also came to my mind, was how I truly believe that Jay Leno, David Letterman, Conan O’Brien and the rest of the late night crew along with Ellen Degeneres have the capability of carrying out their shows without the assistance of writers. I know that I am not part of this industry, but some of the funniest moments that I’ve witnessed on these shows aren’t in their opening monologue sessions, but when they begin talking to their guests one on one, and you can see that their natural humor surfaces. These celebrities have written their own material for years, I would personally find it interesting just to watch their shows and see how they performed without the assistance of a writing team, but of course I support the Writers Guild’s decision. I just feel that many of the talk show hosts have the capability of carrying the show without them and would relish the chance to watch their shows completely unscripted.
We all know that YouTube is not the only video sharing website in the world. There are other websites or services that you might find interesting due to their unique features. Here are some sites you should check out if you love to watch videos. These are personally hand picked because of the quality of videos they post online.
Blip.TV – Still on its beta version as of this writing, Blip.TV features great quality videos that are rarely seen online. If you compare them to YouTube, Blip.tv scorches YouTube when it comes to the great video quality even though it comes in flash. You will be able to expand the screen as you wish and embed the video on other sites. For video creators, Blip shares its revenue based on the number of hits. This revenue and video sharing site gives Blip a good thumbs-up to video creators while a good video quality entertains the visitors.
Brightcove – No, we’ll not be talking about Brightcoves service to MTV but their personal site. This site also shares its revenue with the uploaders 50/50. They also offer a software wherein you can upload a video from the website using Publishpod. But that’s not all, before you publish your video, why not edit it up a little bit with their online editor Aftermix? Those nasty scenes can be cut in no time. Plus you can record videos directly from your webcam and post it online. What more can you ask for a site that gives you money for your content and lets you edit it jut like the professionals?
Stage6 – This one’s my personal favorite. The website was created by the same developers responsible for DivX. Videos posted in this website are HD quality like no other. The videos are not in flash and never will. You have to change them to their own specification. But you don’t need to purchase any software as they will give you one free conversion tool. The full screen mode of Stage6 is second to none. Video creators can even post a full length film as this site supports files up to 2GB.
Veoh – This website has been following a lot of buzz because it posts various options to users. One, they can download a free movie, two they can purchase movies for sale and rent video downloads. 30% of the earnings go to Veoh and 70% goes to the publisher. There are also tons of videos that you can watch for free. Video quality is better than YouTube but not as good as Blip or Stage 6.
Revver – This is also a video/revenue sharing website. Earnings from videos are shared 50/50. You will be able to see your earnings in real time with an optional downloadable tool Revver provides. The video is posted not only in Flash but also in Quicktime. Individual codes to post them in your blog and other sites are available.
The runner ups: Soapbox by Microsoft, Vimeo and Jumpcut. Though good in some way, they could be really generic compared to other sites mentioned above.
We usually think that a priest is someone we can turn to in times of trouble, but lately it seems that there is no one safe to trust. The Catholic church has seen its fair share of scandals in the past ten years and now late night television host and funny man, Conan O’Brien has experienced just how far the Catholic clergy has gone. Conan O’Brien is being stalked by a priest, yes you read the words correctly, a priest.
His name is Father David Ajemian and he is forty-six years old. He is from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and some believe that he may have gone to Harvard with Conan O’Brien. In fact, Father Ajemian claims that he actually began stalking Conan back in their Harvard days, at least twenty-five years ago.
The priest has been sending letters and postcards (some even written on parish stationary equipped with letterheads) and has even tried to access Conan through the NBC studio. When Conan O’Brien was taping his show at the beginning of November, Father Ajemian tried to enter the session. What is very frightening is the fact that Father Ajemian has contacted Conan’s parents.
Father Ajemian has been officially charged with harassment and stalking and on Friday, November 9, 2007, he was found fit to stand trial by a judge. However, on Saturday morning, November 10, 2007 Father Ajemian was reported missing by his father. There is no question that the Father’s mental health is a strong concern in this situation and that he is obviously delusional. But on Saturday evening, Father Ajemian disappeared and his father began to worry about his safety. Even though Father Ajemian had just undergone psychological evaluation, it has been reported that Father Ajemian’s father was able to convince him to check into a hospital. Ajemian voluntarily checked himself in.
It is clearly evident that Father Ajemian is mentally ill and hopefully he will be able to get some treatment or at least medicine. Though reports state that he has been taking medication for the past year, I don’t believe it has been very effective. Maybe they should try adjusting his dosage or switching brands.
It will be interesting to see if the priest receives an official diagnosis that will be released to the public. I am offering my best educated guess when I say that I suspect he has a case of paranoid schizophrenia, but I am not sure. One thing is certain; stalking should never be taken lightly. Since the Father was released on a mere $ 2,500 bond it seems that the law is not taking this as seriously as they should. There has been no mention as to whether or not the Father has any previous arrests or complaints.
The whole situation just sounds so unbelievable, its hard to fathom that it is really true. There is a saying that when one writes fiction that they should make sure that the stories are believable, even if the story is true it may not make a good subject for a fiction novel, simply because it sounds so unbelievable. There is no doubt about it, this is one of those stories.
The Fargo North Dakota Sheriffs Department recently advertised a concert featuring Ozzy Osbourne and sent invitations to more than 30 criminal suspects with outstanding arrest warrants in their jurisdiction. However, there was actually no concert planned, and the advertising was all part of a police sting tactic to round up missing suspects and “Court Dodgers.”
A spokesperson for the Fargo Sheriffs Department admitted that the force had used a “creative” solution to bring suspects to justice, and that the round up had been highly successful.
But not everyone is happy about these “creative” tactics. Ozzy Osbourne has stated that he found the suspect round-up to be “insulting,” and requested that his name not be used in association with any new “creative” crime-fighting strategies.
Using a celebrity to lure in individuals with outstanding criminal warrants is just one of many new methods being employed by police organizations around the country, facing hundreds and sometimes thousands of court dodging suspects. Paul Laney, of the Cass County Sheriff department in North Dakota, stated that police officers had simply used a “creative law enforcement technique to lure individuals who had active criminal warrants to come to us.”
Still, Osbourne was not impressed and issued the following statement according to the BBC News web site:
“Instead of holding a press conference to pat himself on the back, Sheriff Laney should be apologizing to me for using my name in connection with these arrests.”
Neither Osbourne’s record label nor management had any comment when asked if they would pursue legal action on behalf of the singer, but made it clear that Ozzy found the action “insulting,” adding “it shows how lazy this particular sheriff is when it comes to doing his job.”
But the Fargo Sheriff Department is not the first police organization in the US to use this type of “celebrity entrapment.” Celebrity names as diverse as Garth Brooks, Pamela Anderson and Bon Jovi have all been used in similar cases to ensnare missing suspects with outstanding arrest warrants. And by all accounts, the strategy has been a great success, as the recent example using Ozzy Osbourne demonstrates.
But is this in fact a “creative” way for law-enforcement officials to conduct business, or a “lazy” and “insulting” tactic that damages both the name and reputation of the celebrities involved? Legal experts point out that the new strategy has so far not been tested in court, and since it has proven to be somewhat effective, there is a good chance that many law enforcement organizations around the country will continue to use it.
The Canadian progressive rock band, Rush, have been playing together with the same lineup for more than 30 years. The power trio has just released a new “comeback” album (Snakes and Arrows) and has embarked upon a world tour that will take them from Brazil, throughout the continental US, to Germany, the UK, and Scandinavia.
Best known for their late 70s/early 80s classic rock standards like Tom Sawyer, Limelight, Free Will, and Bastille Day, Rush have never been exactly “cool” or trendy, but have always stuck to their guns and played exactly the kind of music they love. After all these years, this rock “purist” attitude has paid off, and the band now has a huge worldwide “cult” following.
But Rush are not just relying on their old hits to keep fans happy. The band has continued to progress and expand their sound, and their new album showcases some of the group’s best writing in their 30-plus year career in music. And so far the response from diehard Rush fans has been astounding. Their North American tour earlier this year is the sixth highest grossing concert tour of the year, and their new album has already been certified Gold.
But with such a long and distinguished career, it’s amazing how little is actually known about Rush. For example, the group is ranked fifth in the entire world for most consecutive gold and platinum albums sold, coming in very closely behind Mega-groups such as the Rolling Stones and the Beatles. And yet, Rush remains somehow a “cult” band, receiving very little media attention.
To give you an idea of just how big Rush is worldwide, their recent “Rush in Rio” concert DVD was filmed during a serious of Rush shows in Brazil where they played to more than 100,000 attendees per concert! Rush songs had been used on several popular Brazilian television shows, and the band’s following is nothing short of fanatical. And the same story can be told over and over again for many different countries. The band has a huge following in the United Kingdom, Spain, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, and of course at home in their native Canada.
But a new documentary aims to rectify rushes “media deficit syndrome.” Canadian filmmaker Scott McFadden is currently producing “Rush: The Documentary,” a $1.5 million feature documentary film about the legendary band that will be produced by McFadden and Sam Dunn.
Having sold more than 40 million records worldwide, it seems strange when average people know so little about them. Perhaps the new Rush documentary will shed some light on the “biggest little band in the world:” Rush.
Just eight months after being fired from both his national television and radio programs, controversial morning radio host Don Imus is now returning to the airwaves. The New York Daily News is reporting that Imus has just signed a multi-year contract to return to morning radio on WABC. Imus’s new morning show will officially begin on December the third, and both his critics and fans are making their opinions known about the new deal.
The Reverend Al Sharpton, a staunch Imus critic, has warned that the broadcaster will have to change the tone of his on-air persona to avoid a new round of protests. Reverend Sharpton was instrumental in organizing the protests that got Imus fired this April from his WFAN morning show. So far, Imus has been silent about Sharpton’s threats, and has refused to comment on the format of his new morning radio show.
However, ABC radio program director Phil Boyce has said, “it should make for very interesting radio… I think his intent is to let it all out during that first show.”
Don Imus is certainly no stranger to controversy. As a morning “shock jock,” Imus has insulted nearly every one, including personally insulting former President Bill Clinton on stage at a Washington press dinner. If the “I man” survived that faux pas, it is likely he will also overcome this latest controversy.
Media analysts are already predicting that Imus will be “bigger than he’s ever been.” This would certainly seem to prove the old show business proverb: “all publicity is good publicity.” It appears that being at the center of a national scandal this April has raised Imus is profile and name recognition significantly.
The only real wild card among media watchers is whether Imus cannot entice A-list celebrities to come on his new show at WABC. After the race-related comments Imus made on air this past April concerning the Rutgers women’s basketball team, many celebrities have sought to distance themselves from the broadcaster.
But in show business, time usually heals all wounds, and I suspect we’ll be seeing in a variety of big-name celebrities on the new Imus morning show before long.
So far both Imus and WABC have declined to comment on how much the broadcaster will be earning from the new morning show. Industry insiders say that Imus’s previous show at WFAN earned up to 20 million a year. Whether the controversial broadcaster can continue to command high ratings and attract A-list celebrity guests remains to be seen. However, it is unlikely Imus will change his controversial style much. He may tone down the race-related remarks, but in the end, you can always count on Imus to just be Imus.
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