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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Jan 17, 2012
January 17, 2012
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Checking the Food Chain:
We're not sure if this is an honor or not, but BRYAN LESSARD, an Australian researcher, has named a horsefly after BEYONCé because it has a fabulous rear end. No, seriously. It has golden hair on its butt --or, in insect terms, the abdomen.
The full name of the insect is Scaptia (Plinthina) beyonceae, though in lay terms, they're calling it the "gold bum fly." Bryan says it's important that all species of horsefly have to be named and studied because they are vital pollinators of plants all over the world.
Aside from fabulous rear ends, the insect and the singer share an important date. The fly was discovered the same year Beyoncé was born --1981. (Maiman/Marino)Look what I found:
An Ohio bank just discovered a personal check written by ABRAHAM LINCOLN the day before he was assassinated.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports 70 different antique checks were found in a vault at the headquarters of Huntington Bank. The find includes checks signed by GEORGE WASHINGTON, MARK TWAIN, CHARLES DICKENS and THOMAS EDISON. The Lincoln check was made out to "self" for 800-bucks.
The bank says the checks will be put on display for the public to see. (Still)Grace notes:
Soul and funk master JIMMY CASTOR is dead. He had cancer and died yesterday at age 64. Jimmy was best known for a handful of goofy but funky as heck singles in the 1970's like "Troglodyte (Cave Man)," "The Bertha Butt Boogie," and his first hit, 1967's "Hey Leroy, Your Mama's Callin' You." Jimmy's beats and riffs have been sampled by dozens of rappers, and his tune "It's Just Begun" was featured in a breakdance scene in the movie, "Flashdance." (Marino)
Stars and their movies:
STACY KIEBLER ain't just your average wrassler any more. Of course, she appeared on "Dancing with the Stars," but the Hollywood Reporter notes that after doing guest shots on "Chuck," "How I Met Your Mother," and a couple of other sitcoms, she's signed with William Morris Endeavor to rep her, and is looking for more work as an actress. Of course, it also doesn't hurt her visibility that she's been dating GEORGE CLOONEY, either.
Face time with the judge:
LINDSAY LOHAN is getting set for another big day in court. TMZ.com reports the trouble-making starlet will face Judge STEPHANIE SAUTNER again today and barely got her "homework" done in time. Her honor sentenced Lilo to complete 12 morgue visits and four psychotherapy sessions back in November, but Lindsay didn't finish her duties at the Coroner's Office until Saturday. The Playboy centerfold isn't out of the clear just yet --she's got two more hearings, 29 more days on morgue duty and 10 counseling sessions to complete by March 29th. (Lee)
Political Racket /Dirty Tricks:
No real surprise that this past year was the most futile on record for getting anything done in Congress. The Washington Times reports that Congress ended its least-productive year in modern history after passing just 80 bills, a mark lower than any other session since year-end records began being kept in 1947.
An analysis by the Times shows that the Senate's record was its weakest ever by a huge margin, and the House had its 10th-worst session on record. And of the bills that were passed, the majority of them were "housekeeping" measures, like naming post office buildings or extending existing laws. (Pacelli) -
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