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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Aug 13, 2012
August 13, 2012
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What's the Buzz:
A poll conducted by Harris Interactive finds more than two in five U.S. adults (44 percent) say the economy isn't impacting their summer travel plans, a slight increase from 2009 (40 percent) and a decrease from 2010 (46 percent). (Kaye)
Looking at Logos:
Google is famous for its generosity to employees, even after they die.
If any of Google's 34-thousand or so workers die while employed by the company, their surviving partner will receive half their salary every year for the next decade. All stocks will be vested immediately and children of deceased Googlers will receive a thousand bucks a year until they are 19, or 23 if they are in full-time education.
The death benefits, introduced last year, apply to all Google employees, no matter when they joined the company.
Google can afford to be generous, but what makes the death benefits stand out among the company's many perks is that it will do nothing to increase worker productivity or creativity --unless they start clocking in from the afterlife.
Google's HR chief tells Forbes Magazine, "Obviously there's no benefit to Google, but it turns out that the reason we're doing these things for employees is not because it's important to the business, but simply because it's the right thing to do." (Maiman)Bottom feeding:
Did MILA KUNIS break the girl code when she hooked up with ASHTON KUTCHER? Sources tell PerezHilton.com the "Black Swan" beauty gave the "Two and a Half Men" star a "shoulder to cry on" when he called it quits with DEMI MOORE. She's actually a good friend of his estranged wife and had a unique "insight" into their relationship. Apparently Mila and Ashton have had chemistry since their days on "That 70's Show," but spent years pretending it didn't exist.
Phone starter: Is it EVER okay to date a friend's ex? Especially when they were married and you were welcomed into their home? (Lee)Popped by the cops:
The DUI du jour goes to JOE SIMPSON --the enterprising father of JESSICA and ASHLEE SIMPSON. TMZ.com reports the attention-loving manager got popped at a sobriety checkpoint back on August 4th on Ventura Boulevard in California's San Fernando Valley. Word is his blood alcohol level registered a .12 --much higher than the Golden State's legal level of .08. (Lee)
CHAD JOHNSON (aka CHAD OCHOCINCO) of the Miami Dolphins cooled his heels in the Broward County Jail last Saturday night. TMZ.com reports he was arrested for allegedly head-butting his wife of just one-month, EVELYN LOZADA, after the missus reportedly found a receipt for condoms in her husband's car. The baller was released on $25-hundred dollars bond and his blushing bride was discharged from the hospital yesterday morning. The two won't be reconciling anytime soon --the judge issued a "no contact" order to the "Basketball Wives" stars. (Lee)
Stalker dep't:
SETH ROGEN and his wife, actress LAUREN MILLER, now have a permanent restraining order against YASIN AJANI, who jumped over their fence a couple of weeks ago and was sitting on a sofa in the front yard before the cops arrived and arrested him.
Now, E! News reports a judge has ordered him to stay at least 200 yards away frorm the couple.Grace notes from Vinny Marino:
The London Oympics sold its soul for rock 'n' roll. The closing ceremonies were all about the music that made the nation great, and loud! You may think the SPICE GIRLS were a joke... and they were... but, the ladies were HUGE in their native UK in the early 90's, selling boatloads of singles, albums and merchandise. 80-thousand fans filled the Olympic Stadium last night to see THE WHO, GEORGE MICHAEL, QUEEN's BRIAN MAY, LIAM GALLAGHER's new group BEADY EYE performing the OASIS classic, "Wonderwall," MADNESS, ANNIE LENNOX, PET SHOP BOYS, MONTY PYTHON's ERIC IDLE, ONE DIRECTION, members of PINK FLOYD and GENESIS, and MUSE. And, since Rio will host the 2016 summer games, there was a taste of the samba.
But, OK, who was missing? THE ROLLING STONES, ELTON JOHN and DAVID BOWIE, three of Great Britain's biggest artists, didn't show up. Now, you're probably saying,"I didn't see all of that." You're right. You didn't. NBC did a lot of editing, and saved The Who for after that stupid new sitcom and your local news. NBC.com is supposed to have it all today.
FYI: In case you didn't quite understand the four-hour opening ceremonies, director DANNY BOYLE is putting together a feature-length DVD that he hopes will explain it all. (Marino) -
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