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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
October 16, 2009
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Anniversaries:
Million Man March in Washington, DC (1995).
--Famous Last Words for today in history: "Pardonnez-moi, monsieur." Marie Antoinette, after accidentally stepping on the foot of her executioner on the way to the guillotine, October 16, 1793.
Top talkables of the day:
A six-year-old boy is just fine after a dramatic scene in the skies over Colorado that went from mystery to scary to happy ending.
A homemade balloon aircraft floated away from a Colorado home with a six-year-old FALCON HEENE thought to be inside. A bizarre hot air chase ensued over two counties north of Denver. The FAA began to track it, the Denver airport cleared air space and helicopters followed it from the air while police cruisers trailed from the ground below.
Some 90 minutes later the balloon softly touched down southeast of Fort Collins and the boy was nowhere to be found. The fear, of course, was that he fell out. The basket attached to the balloon was gone when the craft landed.
As the search progressed, some were hoping that perhaps the boy never got into the basket.
That's exactly what happened. He was always at home, always safe, found hiding in a box in a garage attic of the family's Fort Collins home.
The balloon wasn't tethered properly and it launched unpredictably.
The question, at least for some: How do you punish the boy? Or do you punish him at all?
Editor's note: I'm think he oughtta start his own business: Balloon Rides Over the Rockies. (Maiman)
PS: The HEENE FAMILY of three young boys appeared twice on ABC's "Wife Swap." The "storm-chasing family," as ABC described them on the network's website was so popular, they became part of the 100th episode, where they swapped with a psychic, performing arts-loving family from Florida.
The Denver Post published a 2007 feature on RICHARD HEENE, describing him as an "amateur scientist" and a storm chaser who works with a former television meteorologist for something called "The Science Detectives." (Maiman)
Looking at Logos:
Those squeaky clean folks at Disney are all hot under the collar over an ad campaign for an Australian beer called Jamieson's Raspberry Ale.
The online ad features an adults-only take on Snow White: seven semi-naked dwarves tucked under the covers with Snow White who's holding a lit cigarette and blowing smoke rings.
The dwarves have names like Filthy, Smarmy and Randy instead of Sleepy, Doc and Happy.
"The ad's creators said it was designed to convince Australian drinkers the fruit-flavoured beer was 'anything but sweet'."
Trash talk and satellite dish:
ELIZABETH TAYLOR may not be the picture of health she's been portraying on "Twitter." Although the living legend sent out a "tweet" that her heart surgery went off "perfectly" last week, the Globe reports she's sounding the death rattle. Word is the much-married actress has been saying goodbye to friends, preparing her nearest and dearest that her time is up and is so weak that one more setback could be her last. (Lee)
Good news for KEANU REEVES --he is not the father of four grown children. The actor had been slapped with a paternity suit by a woman named KAREN SALA who was seeking a mere $150,000-per-month in child support retroactive to 1988, TMZ.com reports DNA testing has proven he is not her baby daddy. For the record, she sounds like a nut --Keanu has always denied even knowing the "Mother of the Year." (Lee)
Tube Talk:
--TAYLOR SWIFT hosts and is the musical guest for "SNL" Nov 07.
--LYNYRD SKYNYRD performs live on "Fox and Friends" Monday Morning.
--This Sunday's "Cold Case" features The Sound of Philadelphia.
--Next Tuesday night's "Dancing With The Stars" will feature a tribute to MICHAEL JACKSON.
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