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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Aug 22, 2014
August 22, 2014
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Sucking the life out of the wire services:
The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is getting out of control. Everyone from former PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH to JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, KATE UPTON and DAVE GROHL have taken part. GWYNETH PALTROW just doused a bucket of water over her noggin for charity while nominating CHRIS MARTIN, CAMERON DIAZ and STELLA McCARTNEY to continue the trend.
If you've been living under a rock, people have to dump a bucket of ice and water over their head and donate 10-bucks to an ALS charity within 24 hours of being called out. If you'd like to stay dry, you're encouraged to give at least $100. Although it may seem silly and played out at this point, it's truly working --donations for Lou Gehrig's Disease charities have topped 40-million-dollars.
Editor's note: This is wonderful news, but does anyone know more about ALS than they did before everyone got soaked? It's a brutal disease that attacks nerve cells and eventually leads to total paralysis, although the mind remains sharp. Life expectancy is typically two to five years from the time of diagnosis and there is no known cure or treatment that stops or reverses the disease. (Lee)With all the ALS ice-water challenges taking place, it isn't surprising that rapper 50 CENT decided to issue his own challenge... but did it by insulting boxer FLOYD MAYWEATHER, Jr.
The NY Post's Page Six column reports Fitty posted a video on his Instagram account daring Floyd to prove he could read. "This is a special challenge for you, Floyd," he said. "If you can read one full page of a 'Harry Potter' book.. I'll give $750-thousand dollars to whatever charitable organization you want to."
In the video's description, he added it should be done "Without starting and stopping or (Bleeping) up."
No word on whether Floyd will take him up on the challenge.Fashion Emergency:
CHANNING TATUM face pants exist! An L-A based brand called Clashist has released a pair of stretchy leggings called the Clashist Channing-in-Action Leggings. They'll set you back $70 bucks. But that's a small price to pay when you consider that in exchange, your body will be covered with the Hollywood hottie --including several images from his turn as "Magic Mike." InStyle says beginningboutique.com has the leggings. They also have a t-shirt with the same Channing-rific print, if you want the full, Channing Tatum head-to-toe look.
Editor's rejected leads:
--Channing Tatum's face is now planted on pants!
--If you can't get Channing Tatum in your pants, here's a chance to get him on your pants...
--If you've ever wanted to sit on Channing Tatum's face, here's your chance... (Bartha)Parent(s) of the Day:
Warning: Note disgusting content!
A pageant mom in Florida allegedly forced her daughter to eat tapeworms to lose weight.
When the teen checked into the hospital with stomach pains, nurses thought she must be pregnant. But they didn't find a fetus when they did an ultrasound. What they did notice was an "inexplicable growth" in her intestines. When the girl used the hospital bathroom, the truth came out. It turns out the mom bought a pill full of tapeworm eggs in Mexico, then allegedly forced her daughter to take it to help slim down for an upcoming beauty pageant. It's unclear if the mother was charged with a crime. (Still)Former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman SCOTT WEILAND is *not* in jail. Although TMZ.com reported he got busted last month for stealing razor blades and other items from a Rite-Aid in Beverly Hills and cops found somecrystal meth on him. The guy told the police, "I'm Scott Weiland from Stone Temple Pilots" but it didn't work, and he's been put in jail for the last four weeks on $95-thousand dollars bond.
But this morning's Los Angeles Times reports the real Scott Weiland posted a video shortly after the report came out on TMZ, saying "I've actually been touring, writing and recording my new album."
Part of the problem was that the guy they arrested had the same name and birth date as Scott, but was really 44-year-old JASON MICHAEL HURLEY, who will now have to face additional charges of giving false information to the cops.Dino-mania and other archaeological items:
Apparently, escargot isn't just a French thing. Nor is it new.
In fact, if burnt snail shells found at an archaeological site in Spain are to be believed, humans were chowing down on escargot a good 30-thousand years ago. Though the mollusks were probably not a huge part of paleolithic humans' diets, they most likely provided nutrients and minerals humans couldn't get elsewhere.
While it's possible the snails came to the site naturally and died there, the snail shells discovered were burnt and lying near a fireplace. They were also found with burnt traces of pine and juniper, which may have been early attempts at seasoning.
Editor's note: Snails are sources of vitamins A, B3, B6, and B12, as well as being high in cholesterol. Because let's face it, why else would you eat snails if you didn't need to? (AB) -
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