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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
October 5, 2009
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. Sample content intended for show prep.
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Spending with less money on hand:
According to the American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, about a quarter of consumers questioned said their top priority expenses one year ago were vacations (25%) and dining out (24%). Today, only 7% named vacations as a high priority and dining was named as a high priority for only 8%.
Taking care of one's wheels was named by 42% as a high priority today, but only 5% said that automobile maintenance and care was a high priority one year ago.
But grooming rose 28 percentage points in priority: 46% said salon hairstyling and grooming was a high priority today; only 18% of adults said that it was a high priority one year ago. (Kaye)
Whistleblowing:
Talk about a freaky story...
Before becoming a whistleblower in 2003, LARRY JOHNSON was chief operating officer at Arizona cryogenics lab Alcor Life Extension Foundation for eight months. Now Johnson reveals gruesome details about Alcor in a tell-all book, Frozen, and an appearance this week on ABC's "Frontline."
Among the more gruesome stories is how employees treated the body of TED WILLIAMS. When the baseball legend died in 2002, his body was sent to Alcor to be frozen in liquid nitrogen. But technicians there severed his head, which (according to the NY Daily News) one employee used for "batting practice" with a monkey wrench. (Maiman)
Iran:
Could Iranian president MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD --the same guy who's denied there ever was a Holocaust-- actually be Jewish himself?
Over the weekend, the London Daily Telegraph said Ahmadinejad's family apparently changed their name from Sabourjian, a Jewish name meaning "cloth weaver," when it converted to Islam after his birth.
The tabloid picked up the discrepancy when it looked into a photograph of Ahmadinejad holding up his identity card in March --in the process revealing a scrawled note suggesting the name change.
The British paper claims the Sabourjians traditionally hail from Ahmadinejad's hometown of Aradan. The paper also says the name is even on the list of reserved names for Iranian Jews compiled by Iran's Ministry of the Interior.
An expert claims "By making anti-Israeli statements, he is trying to shed any suspicions about his Jewish connections."
Sucking the life out of the wire services:
Congrats to PRESIDENT and Mrs OBAMA on their 17th wedding anniversary Saturday. They celebrated the event --their first since moving to DC-- with a quiet dinner out at Washington's Blue Duck Tavern, about two miles from the White House.
Trash talk and satellite dish:
More trash in the ongoing marital problems between JON and KATE GOSSELIN.
This time Kate's attorney, MARTY SINGER, tells People magazine that Jon looted their joint bank account of $200-thousand last week. Singer says during their court hearing over their separation, the judge told them they were not to take significant amounts from joint accounts without the other's approval. Singer says he e-mailed Jon's attorney about the matter on Friday but he hasn't heard back, then slammed them by noting, "I'm sure he will respond by going on another TV show."
London tabloids:
Things are getting hot and heavy between RUSSELL BRAND and KATY PERRY. One insider tells the British tabloid the London Sun the comic wrote her a poem after the MTV Video Music Awards last month and requested one in return. Instead of pouring her heart out on paper, she simply took a picture of her (ahem) girls, wrote "poem" across the top and sent it back. Since then the two have been inseparable and even slipped away for a vacation to Thailand! Word is the pop tart finds the comic hilarious and incredibly sexy despite his womanizing reputation. (Lee)
Grace notes:
There's a new Presley in town. The UK's Telegraph newspaper says BEN PRESLEY, grandson of ELVIS just signed a record deal with Universal Music. Ben is 17 and son of The King's only child, LISA MARIE. He reportedly got 5-million dollars to make up to five albums. But, the singer warns that his music is nothing like his grandfather's. (Marino)
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