Hoops Coach Kevin Borseth - Video of Podium-Pounding Postgame Meltdown

Kevin Borseth is the University of Michigan women's basketball coach, and he's VERY passionate about offensive rebounding, as you'll see in this video. His team lost to Wisconsin and as you can guess, did very poorly in offensive rebounding.

"I'm very, very, very, very, frustrated," he says. Yeah, coach, we can tell! He said the team had talked about how important offensive boards were: "It was all about offensive rebounds. We totally, totally, totally, totally, emphasized that." And discussing the physical play needed to get offensive boards, he adds, "Maybe we should put some football pads on them."

He's obviously very unhappy, and pounds the podium to make his point. But hey, at least he doesn't swear! I actually admire his passion for the game, and the fact that he didn't blame any particular players, or the refs.

Michael Myers in "The Love Guru" - Movie Trailer

I've always been a fan of Michael Myers, so I was glad to see that the trailer is out for his new movie, "The Love Guru." Myers stars as an Indian guru (naturally) who counsels a hockey player to reunite with his wife, it seems. It's hard to tell from the trailer how good the movie will be, but I've liked Myers in everything from "So I Married an Axe Murderer" to "Wayne's World" and his SNL work, so I'll probably see it.

"The Love Guru" also stars the lovely Jessica Alba, and features Justin Timberlake (huh?) and Ben Kingsley... the man who played the title character in "Ghandi" many years ago.What's not to like? (Well, a couple of stars do not a good movie make, but I'll give Myers the benefit of the doubt.)

I just wish Myers had gotten his movie of "Sprockets" made. His Dieter character always made me laugh out loud when "Sprockets" was on SNL, with his "Germany's Most Disturbing Home Videos," his oddly spastic dancing, and his "Would you like to touch my monkey?" schtick.

The Freegan Movement: Growing Movement or Fad?

Many people today want to simplify their lives and be less consumer and product driven, but "freegans" are going a few steps beyond all that. The freegan lifestyle has gotten a lot of attention recently, and a freegan couple was even on Oprah today.

As explained in the freegan Web site, "Freeganism is a total boycott of an economic system where the profit motive has eclipsed ethical considerations ..." Sounds fine until you get to the kicker: "Thus, instead of avoiding the purchase of products from one bad company only to support another, we avoid buying anything to the greatest degree we are able." Consider the three words in that last sentence; Avoid. Buying. Anything. Hmmm....

The first photo you see on the freegan Web site is of a young woman reaching into a dumpster, holding a bag of food. For some people, depriving themselves of things they like is a serious drawback of freeganism. A distaste for dumpster diving is another. So I'm out on both counts.

Newsweek had a blog last year called Freegan Girl in which a woman tried to be a freegan for 32 days. She made it to day 31, then gave in to a serious cheeseburger craving.

I'm all for simple living and don't go in for all the conspicuous consumption in society today. I love getting free, used stuff from freecycle. But, I can't see freeganism becoming a widespread movement, it's just too extreme to stick to, especially long term. Some people will probably adopt some of its practices, or call themselves freegan but "cheat" on a regular basis.

Get Your Loafers Ready for "Sweater Day," Tribute to Mr. Rogers

The beloved children's television icon Fred Rogers, who was known as simply Mr. Rogers to several generations of kids, will be given a worthy tribute on what would have been his 80th birthday.

March 20th, 2008 is being called "Sweater Day" in honor of Rogers, who is known for the trademark cardigan sweater that he would put on (along with his loafers) at the beginning of each episode of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Rogers died of cancer five years ago. The idea is to get people everywhere to don their favorite sweater on March 20th.

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood first aired Feb. 19, 1968, 40 years ago last week.

David Newell, who played the deliveryman Mr. McFeely on the TV show, is the public relations director for Family Communications, Inc., the nonprofit company that Fred Rogers founded more than 35 years ago.

Sweater Day will be part of a bigger celebration in Pittsburgh, the hometown of Rogers. The city is celebrating its 250th anniversary and will host the first "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" Days March 15 - 20.

NEWS FLASH: Starbucks Closes; World Keeps Turning

The much-feared (by many people) Starbucks closing has come and gone, and there have been no reports of people jumping out of windows or collapsing from caffeine withdrawal. Yes, the coffee chain that seems to have a shop on every corner closed for three and a half hours to retrain its staff on how to make good coffee and offer good customer service, and the world did not come to an end.

And not only will the sun rise tomorrow, but it promises to be a brighter day for everyone: Coffee! excellence! Improved customer service! Happier baristas! Yes, the sun will come out tomorrow... bet your bottom dollar! Or rather five dollars, since we're talking Starbucks.

Mike Huckabee on SNL Weekend Update

Gov. Mike Huckabee made a cameo appearance on Saturday Night Live last night, appearing on the Weekend Update segment as himself. The Huckabee SNL clip can be seen above. Riffing on the opinion that he is staying in the Republican race even though there is no chance he can win, Huckabee stays at the Weekend Update desk after the interview with him is finished.

Last night's show was the first new Saturday Night LIve show since November, when the writers' strike began.

You gotta give Huckabee credit for going on SNL to poke fun at himself. Though since he's a bass player, I almost expected him to sneak his way into the SNL house band and play a few tunes.

He's Baaaaack! Ralph Nader Announces Run for President

In what for Democrats must seem like an eerie replay of the 2000 election cycle, Ralph Nader once again went on "Meet the Press" to announce that he's running for president. Nader loves poking both political parties in the eye, but his presence in the presidential race always hurts the Democrats more, since Nader is much too liberal for most Republicans to consider.

You can find out a lot more about Nader, his history as a consumer and political activist, and more at his Web site, www.nader.org. You can learn more about his presidential bid and get e-mail updates at www.votenader.org. Don't try to find into at "ralphnader.org;" there doesn't seem to be such a site.

Some Democrats are no doubt still steamed over Nader's run, which got him enough votes in Florida to cause Al Gore to lose that state (and eventually the election). This time around, it seems Nader will have less of an impact. Democrats have said they are pretty satisfied with their choices this year, and both Clinton and Obama supporters say they will support the other Democrat if their candidate doesn't get the nomination.

There's no way in hell most Republicans would even consider the vote Nader option. So how many votes can Nader get, and who will he pull them from? Maybe some ultra-progressive Democrats, but those have already decided to go with Obama.

If Ralph Nader can't get many votes in the U.S. election, maybe he can satisfy his need to force political change in another country. I hear Cuba is looking for a new leader, and they are certainly in need of some serious reform.

Jackassworld.com: The Site for All Things Jackass

The Jackass crew says it has taken over the MTV studios in New York for 24 hours, beginning at noon Saturday, Feb. 23rd. Would this be considered a friendly takeover or a hostile takeover (to use Wall Street lingo, which is appropriate since the NASDAQ studio is across the street from MTV)?

In any case, there's a Web site for the "jackassworld 24 hour takeover", of course. In the words of the Jackassworld.com home page, "Throughout the duration of the on air televised meltdown of the network, we’ll have our own exclusive take on all the events happening on and—more importantly—off screen."

Jackassworld.com also features highlights from Jackass, behind-the-scenes clips of Lance Bangs and others, a "voyeur cam" to catch any racy behavior throughout the studios, and more... including games, contests, and polls.

If you're a Jackass fan, this would seem to be your weekend to throw open your window, stick out your head, and shout, "I am jackass, hear me roar!"

Age Progression Shows "Britney Spears Will Age Horribly"

It's said that you are what you eat (and drink, and smoke, and snort, etc.), and the experts at a firm specializing in "age progression" have painted a rather ugly simulation of what Britney Spears may look like as she gets older.

The firm Age Progression specializes in creating artist renditions of what people will look like as they get older based on their lifestyle and other factors. (One of their specialties is the type of pictures you see for missing children, showing how they might look years after they are kidnapped.) And according to their illustrations, Britney's love of fast food, drink, drugs, and partying do not bode well for her attractiveness in the future.

An article on an Australian news site shows two depictions of Spears based on age progression, one at age 36 and one at age 46. Be forewarned: it's not a pretty sight!

Baby Aaron in a Shocking Plot Twist on "Lost"

If you saw tonight's episode of "Lost," titled "Eggtown," it may have taken a while to lift your jaw off the floor after it dropped upon seeing the show's latest twist. I won't reveal it here, in case you haven't seen the episode, but I'm sure it will have The Fuselage , The Transmission, Jay and Jack, and the other "Lost" podcasts/message boards buzzing.

I'll just mention that it may call into question some of Desmond's fortunetelling abilities, among other things. And like many other reveals on "Lost," it creates more questions than it answers.

I wonder how much of baby Aaron we'll see in future episodes. Also, island time is much slower than real time (no, I'm not talking about Daniel Faraday's anomaly, but the fact that the three-plus seasons of "Lost" represent only 100 days or so in the Losties' lives. So they'll need another baby to play young Aaron, because the real baby we've seen as Aaron will be getting too big. Or maybe, like Walt, he'll just grow unnaturally fast, and Locke and Sawyer can call him Tall Aaron?

Virgin Mary Pretzel for Sale on eBay

Whether you consider this sacred or profane is a matter of opinion, but someone has put on eBay a Rold Gold pretzel said to be the shape of the Virgin Mary. This seems to be the latest in the series of "religious icons in food" series, which included a grilled-cheese sandwich said to have burn marks that looked like the Holy Mother.

An article says the bidding price is up to $2 million, but it's hard to tell how many of the bids are serious. As the article points out, many of the bidders have very similar screen names, leading to the suspicion that one person of a group of people are bidding the price up intentionally as a joke.

Maybe some billionaire can eventually buy up all the holy food items and put them in one collection where they belong. I'm sure some people would pay admission to see them united.

Blockbuster NBA Trade: Cavs Get Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak

The Cleveland Cavaliers have picked up some support for LeBron James in a blockbuster trade before the trading deadline. In a three-way trade involving 11 players from three teams (Cleveland, Chicago, and Seattle), the Cavs got Wallace and Szczerbiak, and dealt away Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, Cedric Simmons, and Shannon Brown.

There are so many players from so many different places going every which way, just thinking about it makes my head hurt. So if you want to know all the details, I will refer you here.

Spy Satellite Shoot-Down: Tonight Or Not?

It sounds like the much-anticipated attempted shoot-down of that errant spy satellite could occur tonight around 10:30 p.m. Eastern time. The missile to shoot down the spy satellite will come from the ship USS Lake Erie, which is stationed west of Hawaii.

The Washington Post notes that this missile-hits-satellite mission will help the military advance its anti-missile and anti-satellite planning and technology.

The missile being fired from the USS Lake Erie will not carry a warhead; rather it's expected that the missile's 22,000 miles-per-hour speed combining with the volatile hydrazine fuel on board the satellite will be enough to blow the satellite into a bunch of nuggets that will burn up harmlessly in the earth's atmosphere.

What, no confetti? No synchronized musical soundtrack playing on the classic rock radio stations? Really, the Pentagon could have done a better job of marketing this event. Maybe even offered some sponsorship opportunities.

But I guess the sensitivity of other nations to the whole "Star Wars" space-based warfare concept meant it would be a good idea to keep the whole affair low key.

I do have to wonder what happens if the missile is fired and it misses the satellite. I guess it would burn up in the atmosphere, and since it has no warhead there's no chance of it blowing up anything.

“Dog the Bounty Hunter” to Howl Again on TV

After being taken off the air for using a racial slur in a conversation with his son, Dog the Bounty Hunter will be returning to a TV near you.

Dog, whose real name is Duane Chapman, used the "n" word in a conversation with one of his sons about the son's girlfriend, who is black. The conversation was videotaped and the son was supposedly paid $15,000 to hand it over to a tabloid magazine.

Dog the Bounty Hunter was pulled off TV by the show's network, A&E. The network says the show will begin production, but it didn't say when the new episodes would begin airing.

"Since the premise of 'Dog the Bounty Hunter' is about second chances - we have decided to give him one," an A&E spokesman said.

Funny, I thought the show was about a 50-something guy with long blonde hair in black leather duds running around Hawaii and kicking people’s butts while handheld cameras capture all the action and make the viewer dizzy…

Juicy Campus Sparks Backlash and Questions

The Web site Juicy Campus (www.juicycampus.com) has gained a lot of notoriety lately, and with good reason: the site lets college students anonymously post gossip about their classmates. It's the modern day digital equivalent of writing nasty things about someone on the wall of a bathroom stall, except it's there on line for everyone to see.

As you can imagine, many people at the campuses Juicy Campus covers are outraged at the crude, mean-spirited stuff people are posting. There are discussions about hook-ups on campus, popular students, "top freshman sluts," who's fat, and a fair helping of homophobia, people have said.

The founders of Juicy Campus say they are just allowing students to exercise their freedom of speech. Students and administrators who are upset with Juicy Campus are now grappling with just that issue: how to deal with the problem without banning the site from campuses, which would go against colleges' long-held dedication to the free expression of ideas.

And keeping students from accessing the site on campus wouldn't be possible anyway. So what to do? Some campus groups are encouraging students to simply ignore Juicy Campus. Since the site is free and is supported through advertising, they hope that the site will go under if its advertising dollars dry up.

Lindsay Lohan Poses as Marilyn Monroe in New York Magazine

Having gone blonde a few years back, it was probably inevitable that Lindsay Lohan would start channeling another blonde movie star from an earlier era, Marilyn Monroe. And now she's gone Marilyn in a big way: recreating a famous series of photographs in which Monroe posed in the buff.

Photographer Bert Stern took the famous photos of Marilyn Monroe in 1962, in a session that came to be known as “The Last Sitting.” Monroe was found dead a month and a half later.

Now Lindsay Lohan has remade that legendary series of photos for New York Magazine's Spring fashion issue. Once again Bert Stern is the photographer, and Lohan is posing in the altogether, just as Marilyn was, in a series of erotic poses: on a bed, with scarves (barely) covering areas that cannot be shown in a general-interest magazine, and more.

You can view some of the Lindsay Lohan as Marilyn Monroe photos at New York Magazine's Web site. I'm guessing you can see lots more in the magazine itself.

Let's hope that Lohan, who has already had a long history of substance abuse and personal problems in her young life, lives a much longer life than Marilyn Monroe.

The New Knight Rider Questions: What's KITT Stand For? and Other Questions

Apparently a lot of people watched the new Knight Rider on NBC tonight. So of course there are many questions about the history and peculiarities of the show with the talking car, KITT. First among these is, What the heck does "KITT" stand for?

The original KITT was the Knight Industries Two Thousand. To keep the same initials, the new model is called the Knight Industries Three Thousand. The Three Thousand is a souped-up Ford Mustang, which fits in nicely with Ford's sponsorship of the movie. What a coincidence!

Who does the voice of KITT? It's actor Val Kilmer, known for his roles in many movies including Batman in Batman Forever, Iceman in Top Gun, and Jim Morrison in The Doors, among others.

What type of fuel does KITT use? From what I've read, it's primarily solar powered, but also can run on gasoline. It's said to get 167 miles per hour... so how come all these lousy SUVs can only get 15 mph?!

The new KITT has all kinds of features, such as a solar hybrid engine, access to the FBI databases and military satellites, and probably fuzzy dice hanging from the rear-view mirror that can survive a nuclear blast.

New Knight Rider: KITT and Kitsch

Knight Rider was a cheesy 1980s TV show about a high-tech, computerized crime-fighting car that would sometimes sass its owner... that's right, it was a talking car called KITT. Well, NBC has pulled KITT out of the junkyard and is airing a new Knight Rider movie on Sunday night, with the possibility of a series to follow. Are the studios really that desperate for show ideas? Maybe they should have kept KITT in the junkyard with Herbie.

The driver of the original KITT was Michael Knight, played by king of kitsch David Hasselhoff. "The Hoff," of course, later went on to become a legend of cheesy TV with "Baywatch," and recently he was seen in a YouTube video, eating a cheeseburger while lying drunk and shirtless on his floor while his daughters begged him to sober up. But I digress...

The new Knight Rider airs at 9 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, and of course this is a new KITT for the 21st century, with all kinds of new gadgetry, including shape-shifting capabilities. I bet it even has side airbags and cup holders. And get this: the new KITT is a Ford! C'mon, how believable is that?

Is Knight Rider really an idea that needed to be revived for the new millennium? The reviews have said that "The Hoff" himself even has a cameo role, reprising his role as Michael Knight. Yes Mr. Knight is older, but is he any wiser? I'm betting we won't see him lying on the floor drunk while chomping on a burger. Imagine the sarcastic comments KITT would make about that!

2008 NBA All-Star Game - Sideline Reports, Real-Time Fantasy, and More

Yes, all the sideshow events are over and it's time for the actual NBA All-Star game itself. The NBA site has full coverage with reports from sidelines analysts, photos from the last pre-game practice, memories of past All-Star games, and apparently even a real-time fantasy game you can play.

So what's the starting time for tonight's game? All the ads and commercials list the starting time as 8 p.m. on TBS, but of course that means that the pre-game hype will start at 8. The actual game will probably tip off at 8:30.

Last year the West stomped the East by 21 points. The NBA is hoping for a closer game tonight. You can find a good article covering the starters and the reserves here.

It's Twin Terps for Maryland Hoops Coach Brenda Frese

Congrats to Brenda Frese, the University of Maryland women's basketball coach, who just gave birth to twins. A very pregnant Coach Frese could be seen on the Maryland sidelines these last couple of months, although she stopped going to away games. And I read that at recent home games she watched from a large, cushioned chair by the bench.

The twin boys are the first children for Brenda Frese, another first for the coach. A couple of years back she coached Maryland to its first national title, which was her first title as a coach. Brenda Frese has been the Terps' head coach for six seasons.

Wonder how long it'll take Frese to teach her new boys how to say "terrapin" ...

Oprah's "Women and Money" Free Download Sets Records

As you might have heard, Oprah Winfrey recently set off another stampede among her followers to get their hands on a book. this time the stampede was really heavy-duty, because the book was FREE.

Actually it was an e-book, a download of financial adviser Suze Orman's "Women and Money." Oprah offered a free download of the book, and more than a million people took advantage of it in the one-and-a-half days the offers was made. (Unfortunately the free offer ended around Feb. 14th, so if you haven't gotten it already you've missed out.)

The free download doesn't seem to have hurt the sales of the physical book. "Women and Money" was published more than a year ago and is currently ranked #4 on the Amazon.com bestseller list.

Hammon Time! Becky Hammon Helps S.A. Win 2008 NBA Shooting Challenge

WNBA star guard Becky Hammon helped her three-person San Antonio team win the "shooting stars" contest at the 2008 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. The shooting stars contest features teams of three ballers from a city's teams battling each other in a timed shooting drill. Each team includes a current NBA player, a veteran NBA player, and a WNBA player.

The San Antonio shooting star team beat the Chicago team, which featured Chris Duhon, B.J. Armstrong, and Candice Dupree.

Becky Hammon, known for her three-point skills and fearless drives to the basket despite being just 5-foot-6, plays for the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA. She was on the team with current Spurs All-Star Tim Duncan and his former teammate, retired center David Robinson.

Becky Hammon played eight seasons for the New York Liberty, where she immediately became a fan favorite for her scoring and hustle, before being traded to San Antonio before last season. You can still see many Liberty fans at Madison Square Garden wearing Hammon's number 25 jersey, and she got a rousing ovation the last time her San Antonio team visited the Garden for a game against the hometown Liberty.

In 2006 Hammon led the Liberty in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per game, and scored in double figures in 15 games. She also a .425 field-goal percentage and had one of the best free-throw shooting percentages at 96%.

David Tarloff, Former Patient, Arrested in Meat Cleaver Murder of Psychologist

New York Police have made an arrest in the brutal knife and meat cleaver slaying of an Upper East Side psychologist in her office. The man arrested, 39-year-old David Tarloff, is a former patient of Kent Shinbach, the psychologist who shared a suite with the murdered therapist, Kathryn Faughey, whose funeral was held today.

Tarloff is a resident of the New York City borough of Queens, and is said to have a history of mental illness. He slashed Faughey 15 times with a meat cleaver and a 9-inch knife, and badly injured Shinbach, who heard the attack and came to help Faughey. Tarloff was identified by a partial palm print at the scene of the crime, which matched Tarloff's from a previous arrest.

Police said that Tarloff stated during questioning that he had gone to the office because Shinbach had him institutionalized in 1991. He said he originally intended to rob Shinbach.

What is the Bowflex Revolution?

I must say I was surprised at seeing all these blog posts and comments talking about something called the Bowflex Revolution. It sounds like some kind of historic battle, like the Battle of the Bulge, the Norman Conquest, or something like that. And "Bowflex" sounds like one of those old Scottish weapons from "Braveheart," doesn't it? I can just picture one of those History Channel re-enacters in his multicolored plaid kilt, stroking his red beard while recounting with a thick Highland brogue, "Yeah, the Claymore Conquest was a big moment for us, but we couldn't really hold our ground until after the Bowflex Revolution was finished."

Fortunately, after viewing too many late-night commercials over the decades, I knew that Bowflex is not a medieval battlefield weapon but a home gym that lets you do dozens of exercises (or hundreds, the company's Web site claims) in a compact unit in the home... like one of those exercise stations in a gym, but with a lot more attachments and options. From what I can tell, the unit looks like the traditional Bowflex unit, with flexible strips creating the resistance, but the Bowflex Revolution seems to have a traditional looking barbell with free-weight plates on the back of it (Brett Favre is using the machine on the Bowflex Revolution home page).

If advertising can be believed, the Bowflex Revolution helped Brett Favre prepare for the latest NFL season, which saw a great comeback by him and his team. Brett is indeed in great physical shape. I'd like to see what he could do with a claymore... maybe that would have helped him beat the Giants in the playoffs.

Octopussy, Holly Goodhead, and Other Bond Babes

Ever since the James Bond movies began in the early 1960s, they've used sexual innuendo for comic relief and to indicate the sexual tension between 007 and his many female colleagues, competitors, and conquests. This is apparent in some of the names chose for Bond's female colleagues and adversaries, going all the way back to the boldly named Pussy Galore (played by Honor Blackman) in Goldfinger... pretty bold for 1964.

It was less shocking by the 1970s and 1980s, when movies such as Octopussy (1983) came out (featuring a character of the same name) and Moonraker (1979), which featured Lois Chiles as Holly Goodhead.

Incidentally, Entertainment Weekly did a survey late last year of the best and worst Bond girls (judging their performances, not their names). The worst? Denise Richards in The World is Not Enough. The best? That would be Ursula Andress, the sexy blonde from the very first Bond movie, Dr. No.

What's the Longest Bone in the Human Body?

The amazing human body has 216 bones, with an incredible range between large structural bones and tiny, delicate bones with specialized functions. So what are the largest (and longest) and smallest bones in the human body?

The largest bone is the thigh bone, the femur. It starts at your pelvis (hip bone), where it connects with a ball-and-socket joint to give your legs the remarkable range of motion, and runs down to your knees, where it connect to the larger of your two lower-leg bones, the tibia.

The smallest bone in the human body is the stirrup bone in your inner ear, which is part of the delicate mechanism that translates sound waves into signals that your brain recognizes as sound.

Jane Fonda Drops the "C Word" Live on the Today Show

Jane Fonda is no stranger to controversy, but many viewers of the Today Show were no doubt surprised Thursday morning when she casually said the "C word" in an interview.

The 70-year-old Fonda was being asked about the place "The Vagina Monologues," which is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and was appearing on the show with the play's author, Eve Ensler. Fonda was talking about how she heard about the show when she let the word "cu*t" slip.

The "F" word gets on the air occasionally, but I bet a lot of people were surprised to hear the "C word" on TV... especially uttered by a woman... while having their morning corn flakes and coffee.

You can see a clip of the controversial part of the interview (with the offending word bleeped out) below.

How did this happen to get on the air? I thought that ever since Janet Jackson's infamous "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl a few years back live programming was on a delay, so that such slips of the tongue, etc. could be edited out of events?

Singles Awareness Day

If you're single on this Valentine's Day, you're probably trying extra hard not to puke from all the sappy candy and jewelry commercials on TV. And while seeing all the love-love-love on the streets on Feb. 14th can be cloying and depressing, just hold how for 24 hours and you'll have your day: Singles Awareness Day (SAD), Feb. 15th.

Sometimes called the "anti-Valentine's Day," SAD is the day when you can revel in your singleness and celebrate with other like-minded, non-coupled people... unless of course you're SO single that you no longer have any friends and just sit around in your house watching TV, surfing the Web, and eating takeout, while your hair and fingernails grow as long as those of Howard Hughes.

Well, that's getting a bit too dark, the idea is to enjoy your singlehood. How about watching a nice, misanthropic movie? Someone at Ohio University has come up with a list of the "Top 5 Anti-Valentine Movies" ... these aren't really anti-Valentine in the sense of being about singleness or being un-coupled, but more about being antisocial. But I had to put this list here because it includes one of my favorite films, "Glengarry Glenn Ross," with an all-star cast of misanthropic salesmen. As the article says, "Every character is manipulative, mean and would cheat his mother for any amount of money, but you can’t tear your eyes away from this movie because the dialogue is so sharp." Kevin Spacey, Jack Lemmon, Ed Harris, Al Pacino, Alan Arkin, Jonathan Price, and even a cameo by Alec Baldwin. Put... the chocolates ... DOWN!

So watch a nice, miserable movie, and have a happy Singles Awareness Day!

Jason Kidd Trade to Mavericks is Near

UPDATE: Not sure what happened, but the trade fell through, after being reported as just about being a done deal. Well, the devil is in the details, it's been said.

All-Star point guard Jason Kidd is on the verge of being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Kidd had requested a trade amidst the New Jersey Nets' current slide this season. The two teams are said to have agreed to the deal in principle Wednesday afternoon and are hammering out the details.

Jason Kidd knows he's not getting any younger and wants to be with a team that will give him a chance of winning that elusive first NBA title. Kidd and the Nets came close, making it two the NBA Finals twice, but both times there were defeated by stronger Western Conference teams: once by the L.A. Lakers, the other time by the San Antonio Spurs.

The Nets will reportedly send Kidd and one other player (said to be Malik Allen) to the Mavericks and get back a few players, some draft picks, and a wad of cash. I haven't yet been able to find out anywhere the specific players and draft picks that are part of the deal, except that Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse are two of the players.

Lennon Murphy vs. Yoko Ono: Musical Smackdown?

The singer Lennon Murphy has been slapped with a lawsuit by Yoko Ono, the widow of murdered Beatle John Lennon. The matter seems to turn on what's in a name, especially when it concerns the music and legacy of a very famous cultural icon.

Lennon Murphy was named after John Lennon, but she didn't seem to attract the ire of Yoko Ono until she recently started calling her band simply Lennon. She says she even received a trademark for the name to use for her band. In a reaction to Ono's lawsuit on her Web site, www.lennononline.com, Murphy claims that Ono didn't complain about the use of the Lennon name until the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit was about to run out.

Lennon Murphy says she is using the name Lennon by itself because Murphy is her father's name, and she implies that she doesn't want to be associated with her father.

Lennon Murphy vs. Yoko Ono is an odd match: a young, bepierced singer who is a member of the Suicide Girls nude photo ensemble, being sued by a 60-something Japanese-born avante-garde singer and artist. Ono's certainly got the financial firepower on her side, but if she comes down too hard on Lennon Murphy she may face a public backlash. Stay tuned to see how this legal and musical wrangling will play out...

Uno the Beagle is Numero Uno! Wins Best in Show at Westminster Dog Show

For the first time ever, a beagle is the top dog. Uno the beagle won the top overall award, Best in Show, at the 2008 Westminster Dog Show at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In the 100 or so years of the Westminster Dog Show, this is the first time that a beagle has taken the top prize.

Uno, a three-year-old beagle, received a standing ovation from the sellout crowd upon being announced as the winner.

And Uno seemed to enjoy the attention, barking up a storm for the crowd. The Snoopy dog beat out two poodles, a top Sealyham terrier, a Weimaraner, an Australian shepherd, and a Akita.

Dolly Parton Blames Her Boobs for Cancellation of Her Tour

Dolly Parton has canceled her upcoming concert tour, and her world-famous boobs are apparently the cause of it all. A news article says that Parton's doctors have advised her to rest for six to eight weeks to help her sore back, and Parton says her large breasts are the cause of the pain.

"Hey, you try wagging these puppies around a while and see if you don't have back problems," Parton said in a statement (no, I'm not kidding!)

It's not the first time Dolly Parton has joked about her well-endowed chest; she's referred to them a number of times throughout her career. In receiving a songwriting award last year, she noted that she's been known for two things throughout her career. "I'm talking about my music and my lyrics," she said.

Dolly's tour was due to begin in Minneapolis in late February, timed to coincide with the release of "Backwoods Barbie," which is to be her first album of mainstream country music in more than a decade. Dolly Parton said she hopes to begin the tour in April when, it is hoped, her boobs and back will all be in touring shape.

Blackberry Outage Causes Havoc

A major outage of the service that runs the Blackberry handheld devices lead to havoc all over North America Monday. Business people who usually maximize every second of productivity out of their days with no allowance for unplanned downtime found themselves totally unplugged.

Without their electronic security blankets, the stranded Blackberry users were forced to engage in unfamiliar activities: making phone calls on an actual phone, talking to human beings face to face, and even looking where they were going when driving and walking across the street!

The maker of the Blackberry, Canadian firm Research in Motion (RIM) had what it described as a "critical severity outage" affecting users in the Americas. A news article said that RIM notified its customers of the Blackberry outage by e-mail... though RIM didn't seem to explain how Blackberry users would get that e-mail if their Blackberry units weren't receiving a signal.

Maybe that Federal Express Super Bowl commercial with the fleet of carrier pigeons is on to something...

How About Chocolate-Covered Insects for Valentine's Day?

If you're looking for a Valentine's Day gift that's out of the ordinary, you might want to consider chocolate-covered worms, ants, or other delicacies. The company Hotlix has made a business out of unusual insect taste treats.

Sweets for your sweet could include chocolate bugs... the site advertises "real insects, hand-dipped in exquisite white or milk chocolate. Each box contains two crickets & two worms," as well as "Wafers of delectable white chocolate, swirled with real ants and milk chocolate. Yum!" (That's their "Yum!," not mine.)

Hotlix has more than just chocolate: you'll find toffee brittle with insects blended right in, as well as clear, flavored candy items with whole critters inside. Such as "Cricket Lick-Its ... flavored lollipops, each with a genuine cricket inside!" And there are "scorpion suckers," kind of like the cricket version but with a scorpion instead. Can't you just taste a banana-flavored sucker with the real taste of a crunchy scorpion? No, I can't either... but if you want one, Hotlix has it.

Actor Roy Scheider Dies at Age 75

Actor Roy Scheider, best known as the police chief in the killer-shark movie "Jaws," died Sunday at age 75 at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas. The hospital didn't release a cause of death, but someone at the hospital said that Scheider had been treated at the hospital for multiple myeloma for the last two years.

The 1975 blockbuster "Jaws," the first movie to earn $100 million at the box office, was an unforgettable role for Schieder. But he was also nominated for the golden statue for his role in 1971's "The French Connection." I'll always remember him for his role in 1979's "All That Jazz," an autobiographical film about dance director Bob Fosse, and I can still picture him getting out of bed in the morning, popping a bunch of pills, looking into the mirror, and saying, "It's showtime!" Scheider was nominated for best actor for that film.

According to an article from the Associated Press, "In 2005, one of Scheider's most famous lines in the movie — "You're gonna need a bigger boat" — was voted No. 35 on the American Film Institute's list of best quotes from U.S. movies."

Like Father, Like Son: Jason Reitman, Son of Ivan Reitman, Nominated for an Oscar

Jason Reitman has been nominated for the Best Director Oscar for the indie comedy "Juno."

The movie business is in his blood: Jason's father Ivan Reitman is the director of iconic comedies including "Stripes," "Meataballs," and "Ghostbusters," as well as "Legal Eagles," "Twins," "Junior," "Kindergarten Cop," and "Father's Day." And Ivan Reitman has been the producer of many more films, such as "Animal House."

CBS Sunday Morning did a story on Jason and Ivan Reitman on Feb. 10th.

Jason is best known so far for the 2005 comedy "Thank You for Smoking." But just being nominated for "Juno" has put him on the map.

Debbie Clemens Said to Get HGH Injections

If you believe Brian McNamee, Roger Clemens wasn't the only member of that famous baseball family getting injections of human growth hormone (HGH) in the butt.

Testifying before U.S. congressional investigators this week, McNamee is said to have told the panel that he injected Debbie Clemens, the wife of Roger Clemens, with HGH in 2002, according to a story in the New York Daily News. McNamee said the Debbie Clemens took the injection as part of getting in shape before she posed in a bikini for a photo with her husband for the 2003 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Debbie Clemens was 39 years old at the time, and was one of several wives of sports stars that appeared in the swimsuit issue.

McNamee testified that he injected HGH into Debbie Clemens at the direction of Roger Clemens, the Daily News quoted a source close to McNamee as saying.

It's getting pretty complicated, with both Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee having multiple lawyers speaking for them. Hmmm, I wonder if Debbie Clemens is going to have a couple of lawyers speaking for her? How about the Clemens kids... do they have lawyers, too?

And what of Brian McNamee hanging for several years to gauze pads and medical debris supposedly containing Roger Clemens's blood and other gook... does McNamee do that for all his clients? Maybe he's got a room in his house that has row after row of bottles containing bloody gauze pads and used syringes for each of his clients...

And who else has Brian McNamee been jabbing in the butt with his 'roid-rage syringes?

Who knows what the next development will be in this legal process and in baseball. Maybe the U.S. chemical industry could do a series of TV commercials talking about its important contribution to America's national pasttime: "Baseball: Better Living Through Chemistry!"
"McNamee discussed his wife's use before the committee," the source told the Daily News. "She was trying to get in shape for the SI cover. He told them the story that Debbie took growth."

Debbie Clemens was 39 at the time of the photographs that appeared in the publication and wowed people with her figure. Now there are questions abound whether or not it was due to performance enhancing drugs that made her that way.

What a "Shod Foot" Is - The Term that Sent Millions Googling

Apparently countless people in the U.S. spent part of their work hours today Googling the term "shod foot," which came about because a University of Massachusetts lacrosse player was arrested in a brawl.

Although the brawl involved the use of lacrosse sticks, baseball bats, and bottles, Christian Haggerty was also charged with "aggravated assault and battery, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (his shod foot) and breaking and entering during the night time," according to Sports Illustrated's Web site. So that sent folks everywhere Googling to see what a "shod foot" was. Well folks, a shod foot is simply a foot that is wearing a shoe. That's it.

"Shod" is defined in one version of the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "Past tense and a past participle of shoe." In other words, a horse that has had horseshoes put on its hooves is a shod horse. Now you don't hear the word "shod" used much regarding people, but hey, the law apparently uses it because, well, I guess because the law was written by lawyers and they like using complex and unusual language when a much simpler usage would be fine.

I'm not sure what made Haggerty's shod foot so deadly... maybe he was wearing steel-toed boots? Or maybe he is also the football team's place kicker? Whatever it is, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has decided his foot-and-shoe combination is a lethal weapon. Of course, if he was a martial arts practitioner, his bare foot could well be considered a deadly weapon.

So that explains all the "shod foot" Googling today. Now I just have to figure out why another one of the top searched-for words of today is "mons pubis" ...

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Taryn Manning, Actress and Singer

Actress Taryn Manning has been in the news recently because she was out on the town in L.A. with a male companion when actor Jesse Metcalfe (John Rowland on "Desperate Housewives") came across them, and a brawl ensued between the two men right there on the sidewalk. Apparently Mannng's male friend got jealous of the attention she got from Metcalfe.

If you don't know Taryn Manning's name, you probably know her face. She played Nola, the blonde prostitute who worked for Terrence Howard in "Hustle and Flow," and was also Eminem's girlfriend in "8 Mile." She's also had roles in various other movies, from the beautiful (Civil War epic "Cold Mountain") to the truly bad (the Britney Spears vehicle "Crossroads"). Other roles have been in films including "Crazy/Beautiful" and "White Oleander," and in episodes of the TV shows "CSI: Miami," "The Practice," and "NYPD Blue."

In addition, Taryn Manning is the singer in a band called The Boomkats, along with her brother Kellin.

And in case you're wondering about her last name, yes, she is an extended member of that Manning family. Her father, who died in 1993, was a brother of Archie Manning, the famous quarterback who is the father of current NFL star quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning.

Shea Stadium Gets Farewell from Billy Joel, But Yankee Stadium Gets the Pope

Last year it was announced that New Yorker Billy Joel would perform at the Mets' Shea Stadium, becoming the last performer to play a concert there before it is retired and torn down. The Mets will begin play in 2009 (I think) at their new ballpark, called CitiField, which is right across from Shea.

The Yankees, not to be outdone, have snagged an even bigger celebrity for a non-sporting appearance: Pope Benedict, formerly Cardinal Ratzinger of Germany. The Pope's appearance (which may or may not be considered a "performance," depending on how you view such things), will come in April during Pope Benedict's tour of the U.S.

So much for the old stadiums, what about the new baseball homes in New York City? Well, the new Yankee Stadium (which will also be nearby the Yanks' current home) will open in 2009 and will cost $1.3 billion, it's been revealed today, up from the original $1 billion estimate. It will include a conference center, a concierge, a martini bar, 51 luxury suites, and eight "party suites." And it will still be called Yankee Stadium.

The Mets' CitiField will also open in 2009, and will be a bargain compared to the new Yankee Stadium: it's still on budget at $800 million.

Super Tuesday Special: What Do Candidates' Songs Really Say About Them?

In this special Super Duper Tuesday edition of Coffee is for Closers we look at some cringe-worthy musical moments from campaign 2008. Those campaign songs that presidential candidates use to fire up supporters can be pretty incongruous with the candidates' persona or themes. And listening to the lyrics can make the story even funnier.

Somehow John McCain seems less of a tough guy to me now that I've found out that he's played an Abba song at his rallies. And the Washington Post did an article delving into the lyrics and themes of a number of candidates' songs. For example, Hillary Clinton sometimes uses Bachman-Turner Overdrive's "Takin' Care of Business," which the article points out is about not doing business... or much of anything, for that matter: "It's the work that we avoid/And we're all self-employed/We love to work at nothing all day."

How about Mitt Romney greeting some folks at a Martin Luther King Day parade with "Who Let the Dogs Out?"

Sing it (or just say it), Mitt!

Bobby Knight Resigns, Abruptly, as Texas Tech Coach

Bobby Knight, the legendary college basketball coach with the legendary temper, abruptly resigned today as coach of Texas Tech, effective immediately. His son Pat Knight, who has been groomed as Knight's heir apparent, will replace him... granted, the son was set to take over, but still you'd think Bobby Knight would at least give more than a day's notice!

But this is just the latest episode from the coach who throughout his career got the most out of his players and insisted they get good grades, but on the other hand was also known for profanity-laced rants, throwing a chair across the court during a game, and even choking a player once.

Knight is a Hall of Fame coach with more than 900 victories, most of them earned at his longtime employer, Indiana University. He even won three national titles at Indiana. But eventually his behavior became too much of an embarrassment for IU to take, and he was fired. He later took the Texas Tech job, and actually lasted 6 or 7 seasons there.

A friend of Knight's said that he just decided this was the time for him to leave, that the 67-year-old coach "had thoughts all along that it’s going to happen, and today is the day.” Yeah, but quitting immediately isn't exactly proper protocol.

I'm guessing Bobby Knight won't take another coaching job. Maybe he'll just retire and sit by a lake and go fishing... or try to catch fish by throwing chairs at them. Or play shuffleboard at a retirement home... or throw chairs across the shuffleboard court. I'll be curious to see what he ends up doing.

Boston Wins! (In the Beanpot Tournament, Anyway)

I'm sure Boston-area sports fans are looking for something to help wash away the bad taste from the Patriots' Super Bowl loss last night, and the Beanpot may be just the thing.

The Beanpot is an annual college hockey tournament in Boston where you can see some of the best collegiate hockey players in the country. The Beanpot tournament begins today, and there are both men's and women's divisions.

And here's the good news for Beantown fans who are feeling blue: a Boston team will win the Beanpot! That's because all four teams in the annual Beanpot tournament are from Boston or its suburbs: Boston College, Boston University, Northeastern University, and Harvard University.

The tournament is held at the TD Banknorth Center, or whatever the arena is called these days, in downtown Boston. The men's first games are this afternoon and tonight; the next games are a week from today. The women start play tomorrow and then play continues a week from tomorrow.

Forget about the Super Bowl, and go bring that Beanpot home for your school!

Mardi Gras 2008 - Parade Schedules and Events

The Super Bowl is over, the Super Tuesday election primaries are Feb. 5th, but there's one other super event taking place this week: Mardi Gras! Yes, Mardi Gras is on Super Tuesday, but in New Orleans people will have their minds on beads, parades, floats, and having a drink (or two, or ten) to celebrate the occasion.

Here's a schedule of parades, routes, and maps in New Orleans and surrounding area. The New Orleans Times-Picayune has wall-to-wall Mardia Gras coverage 24/7, which you can find here. There you'll also find a primer on the basics of Mardi Gras, the history of the parades, Mardi Gras lingo, and much more.

You'll also find photos and videos, and more to come as the festivities rev up and more parades and parties are held.

Happy Mardi Gras!

Boston Newspapers Bemoan the Patriots' Super Bowl Loss

For this post-Stupor Bowl edition of Coffee is for Closers, let's take a look at the post-mortem taking place in Boston newspapers such as the Globe and the Herald The Boston newspapers are trying to come to terms with the home team's shocking upset loss to the Giants in the Super Bowl. Here's a selection of articles on the loss and local reactions.

A Boston Herald article discusses why the Super Bowl outcome wasn't as shocking as it might have seemed.

"History Derailed" is the lead story in the Boston Globe.

Also in the Boston Globe, there's a video story on what went wrong for the Patriots.

And with the Tony Romo/Jessica Simpson matter fresh in fans' minds, the Boston Herald wonders if Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady's supermodel girlfriend, is to blame...

Yeah, right, blame it on the supermodels/singers!

Todd Oldham and Charley Harper: An Unlikely but Fruitful Collaboration

Fashion designer Todd Oldham forged an unexpected collaboration, and friendship, with Charley Harper, an artist from an older generation and a totally different style from Oldham.

CBS Sunday Morning did a story on the unique friendship and collaboration between Oldham and Harper. It turns out that one of Oldham's favorite books from childhood was illustrated by Harper: the Golden Book of Biology. Five years ago Oldham unexpectedly came across Ford Times, a promotional magazine from the car company, and was so intrigued by it that he searched to find the man who designed it (it was Harper).

The two ended up becoming friends, and Oldham says that Harper and his work have had a big influence on the designs he now works on. Harper, unfortunately, has since died at the age of 84.

Todd Oldham and Charley Harper: An Unlikely but Fruitful Collaboration

Fashion designer Todd Oldham forged an unexpected collaboration, and friendship, with Charley Harper, an artist from an older generation and a totally different style from Oldham.

CBS Sunday Morning did a story on the unique friendship and collaboration between Oldham and Harper. It turns out that one of Oldham's favorite books from childhood was illustrated by Harper: the Golden Book of Biology. Five years ago Oldham unexpectedly came across Ford Times, a promotional magazine from the car company, and was so intrigued by it that he searched to find the man who designed it (it was Harper).

The two ended up becoming friends, and Oldham says that Harper and his work have had a big influence on the designs he now works on. Harper, unfortunately, has since died at the age of 84.

The Doomsday Clock: It's Five Minutes to Midnight - What It Means

If you think that a groundhog in Pennsylvania predicting six more weeks of winter is bad news, here are some really sobering tidings: the Doomsday Clock says the world is just inches away from oblivion.

The Doomsday Clock was created decades ago by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists to indicate the threat to the world due to nuclear weapons. The closer to midnight the clock is, the nearer the world was to "catastrophic destruction." As you can imagine, the situation was very bleak during the Cold War years.

The clock was set to five minutes to midnight on January 17, 2007, being advanced two minutes to take into consideration not just the potential for nuclear destruction but environmental problems and potential disaster from emerging technologies such as genetic engineering and nanotechnology.

So, it's good to keep the big picture in mind. Having six more weeks of winter doesn't seem all that bad compared to the end of the world, now does it?

Punxsutawney Phil vs. Staten Island Chuck: Battle of the Groundhog All-Stars

Unless you've been hibernating in a hole with a fat, fuzzy rodent-like mammal, you're aware that today is Groundhog Day 2008. The weather-forecaster-in-chief on this day has traditionally been Punxsutawney Phil, the seemingly ageless groundhog holed up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow this morning, so that means we should be in for six more weeks of winter in 2008, if you believe the critter from the Keystone State. In the wise consumer tradition of seeking a second opinion, though, New Yorkers and other folks in the Northeastern U.S. has been checking the viewpoint of Staten Island Chuck, the marmot who makes his home in New York City's "forgotten borough."

Just for the record, Staten Island Chuck predicted an early Spring. So we have a split decision in this year's competition, which I'm calling the Battle of the Groundhog All-Stars.

In the spirit of this year's election, I'd like to see a round of debates between the nation's leading groundhogs, Phil and Chuck, where they can state their cases and present their positions on Winter vs. Spring, and the accuracy of their predictions over the years.

P.S. Punxsutawney Phil's Web site has a series of amusing videos called "Groundhog Duel." It also has all the information you could want about Phil, Punxsutawney, where the town is, and how the groundhog tradition got started. And of course you can view the 2008 Groundhog Day video at the site.

The German Lederhosen Virtual Museum

The age-old tradition of Lederhosen runs smack into the modern world of the Web with The Virtual Lederhosen Museum. At this site you can see photos of all styles and models of Lederhosen, those famous leather short pants that are traditional garb in Germany, Austria, and parts of Switzerland.

There are some incredibly intricate and detailed Lederhosen on display, and the museum also features displays of suspenders. There are tips on caring for Lederhosen, a store of German and Lederhosen items, and more. The Virtual Lederhosen Museum even has a weekly online chat. Wunderbar!

The Neiman Marcus Juicy Couture Monopoly Game

Neiman Marcus has a special version of the famous Monopoly game on sale: it's a Juicy Couture edition with a pink board, and Juicy Couture themed board and pieces. The player pieces include a crown, a high-heeled shoe, and what appears to be a Scottish terrier standing on its hind legs.

You can find the Neiman Marcus Juicy Couture Monopoly game at the Neiman Marcus Web site for $58, and probably in their stores as well.

There are Monopoly games for every imaginable city and sports team, so why not designer Monopoly boards? Personally, I think I'd get a headache from all the pink...

Britney Spear's Father is Given Conservatorship

A court commissioner in Los Angeles has placed Britney Spears and her estate under a temporary conservatorship today, and named her father to be the conservator.

One day after Britney Spears was whisked to a psychiatric hospital by a police entourage that stretched longer than a football field, a Superior Court commissioner named the father, James Spears, conservator of Britney Spears herself, and a Mr. Spears and a lawyer were named conservators of Britney's estate.

A conservatorship is an arrangement decided up on by court that allows a person and/or his or her property to be subject to the legal control of another person (or persons) or another entity, the conservator. It's the same principle as having a person being appointed as a guardian, though the terminology and exact rights of the conservator or guardian can vary from state to state.

The commissioner making the decision said that Britney Spears would be under conservatorship until another hearing is held on Feb. 4th.

According to the Los Angeles Times, "The conservator will have the power to 'restrict visitors,' have around-the-clock security for Spears, and have access to all medical records."

The Fuselage: The Mother of All "Lost" Forums and Message Boards

By far one of the most popular, informative, and just plain addictive forums and message boards for the TV show "Lost" is The Fuselage.

There's a very good reason that The Fuselage.com is the go-to place for thousands of "Lost" fans: it's the official site of the show's creative team, and it says "Sponsored by J.J. Abrams" right under the title. (If you move your mouse a certain way, that changes to "Sponsored by the Hanso Foundation" ... does that mean that you'll possibly get sucked into the Dharma vortex and end up eating Dharma Initiative Ranch Dressing like Hurley?!)

And yes, J.J. Abrams and some of the other people behind "Lost" pop in to answer questions, tell readers if they're on target with a certain theory or are totally off base, etc.

To be honest I haven't checked out The Fuselage for a while... I got addicted to it for a spell and had to wean myself away from it and from the other "Lost" forums and message boards. With there being so many "Lost" fans and so many forums, discussion groups, etc., it's easy to just wander from one to another because there would always be new messages, content, and replies somewhere out there.