Opec wants American's to pay more for gas. Again. They just bled the cow dry. Our economy collapsed due to sustained high gas prices. People paid for gas on credit cards for over two years and every American that isn't in the top 2% is broke. Unless you are Madonna (and even she is a miser I hear) or Tom Cruise, or someone loaded with money, you are hurting. You may have been fired or live in fear of your job. No one in your family except the children are getting Christmas gifts. Have I nailed this?
Price fixing is illegal in the US. Anyone that thinks we can forget about an electric car or any other alternative form of propelling our automobiles simply because gas has come down for a short time is an idiot.
Yes, I said it. Idiot. We Americans on mass need to wake the hell up. Just because a problem doesn't show it self in front of our faces, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Gas is down. Does this mean we should forget the hell we just went through?
Tesla, get us a regular passenger version car done soon please? And our own big three, dumb asses. Figure it out will ya! We need a car that doesn't run on petro gas!
OPEC = Greed.
And hey America... Remember when you pump gas in your car. You are sending your paycheck to an Arab Nation that has no interest in our economy. Are you even aware that over 1.6 Trillion dollars in construction is going on in the Gulf which is more than a 1/3 increase since 2007 alone. Where is the money coming from? YOU and ME. Every drop of gas is money leaving our country and making another one rich. To date, our money has built the Burj Al Arab Hotel, perhaps the most luxurious hotel in the world. Then there is Hydropolis which would NEVER be possible if it were not for a ludicrous amount of disposable income by the OPEC nations. Then there is the Palm Jumeirha which you can see from space! This isn't just a landmark, it's entire body of land built up out of the sea by American's.
But hey we are decadant American's with loads of extra cash that we don't need. $80.00 for a barrel of oil. No problem.
The last person to pass a counterfeit is the person stuck with it. No one wants to be the last one holding an ersatz bill (sourdough). Neither banks or merchants receiving one are obligated to reimburse or compensate the party passing the bill. (U.S. Code Title 18, Section 471). Knowingly passing funny money is criminal. Meanwhile new bills such as the new $5.00 bill are on the streets now. You don't need to be a numismatist to keep yourself out out trouble.
How do you tell if the money in your pocket is real? The United States Secret Service has tips on detecting funny money. You can buy a special marker that when applied to real currency it leaves a yellow mark that fades. If it is a fraud, a dark or black ink stroke will remain on the bill. It appears the U S Reserve has a web site dedicated to keeping citizens updated on our currency. It's called the MoneyFactory.gov. Here you can read up or download materials on how to steer clear of phony bills.
There are in fact many security features built into modern bills. I've been to the Federal Reserve in Philadelphia and there you can learn more about it. Of course you can take an instructional course on identifying counterfeit money elsewhere.
Real currency has small metal particles in it. A trick you can do at home is using a household magnet and by folding an American Dollar bill in half then leaving some ballast on the lower half of the bent open bill, hold the magnet near the paper and it will attract the paper towards the magnet.
The $20.00 is the most counterfeited bill. The new $20.00 bill has a clear polyester (plastic) security thread running down left side of Jackson's portrait. Flip it over and it is still visible at the far right. The number 20 at the front right bottom is color shifting. It changes from copper to green as you change the viewing angle. The front and back side has a portrait watermark.
Similar to the $20.00 bill above, the $5.00 bill got a makeover this past March (March 13, 2008 was it's release date). Similar but not exactly like the $20.00 the security thread on the $5.00 bill is to the right of Lincoln's portrait. Micro printing abounds. It's watermarks are of the number 5.
The $5.00 bill has multiple color additions. From the staggerd fine print yellow 05's printed to the left of Lincoln's portrait to the purple number 5 for visually impaired which blends to gray at the edges. The large purple 5 glares at you on the back right bottom. Download a $5.00 bill video podcast for a visual instructional on the new $5.00 bill security features implemented March of 2008.
Whether it is a five, ten, twenty or fifty dollar bill, you can enjoy one security feature if for nor more than a good parlor trick... hold it up to an ultraviolet light. Under UV light security features will show themselves. You won't need special light to view the color shifting of optically variable ink.
With my birthday coming up (it's tomorrow, and I turn 31...JOY), I took some time to reflect on my long and (admittedly) well-lived life.
And I realize there are a few things from the 80's (a decade of which I was a child in, when TVs came with dials and only a rare few had cable -- my family was one of them, which brought our channel total to 36! -- and we played round things called records when we wanted to listen to music...), to wit, the show above...THE GREAT SPACE COASTER.
The astute amongst you will notice that there's a Dora the Explorer tag in this post. We'll get to why in a minute.
The show is about three young singers (Francine, Danny, and Roy) who are brought to a habitable asteroid in space by a puppet clown character named Baxter who pilots the "space coaster", a rollercoaster-like spaceship. The asteroid is populated by strange-looking, wise-cracking puppet characters like Goriddle Gorilla, Knock-Knock the bird, Edison the Elephant and Gary Gnu, who hosts the "The Gary Gnu Show". Baxter is forever on the run from M.T. Promises, a nefarious circus owner (played by a large, top-hatted puppet) who plans to re-capture Baxter and return him to the circus he worked at before he escaped. Each episode ends with a different life lesson, and various celebrity guest stars (such as Mark Hamill -- imagine me, at four years old, watching Star Wars AND The Great Space Coaster all in one. Hello, Heaven! -- and Marvin Hamlisch) occasionally dropped by.
In each episode, Roy shows a short film on his portable, fold-up TV, often featuring segments from La Linea, an Italian animated series about a little man who is drawn (using a single line) at the beginning of the segment and then springs to life, communicating with his animator through high-pitched Italian mixed with gibberish. Francine, Roy, and Danny sing a song together in each episode (sometimes originals like "Wacky Talk", sometimes older songs like "Be a Clown" or covers of '60s and '70s hits), and the various puppet characters often sing songs as well. A few years into the show's run the MTV-like "Rockin' with Rory" segment began, where a DJ puppet would introduce "Danny and the Spacecoasters" performing cover tunes. While the action was mostly videotaped on the space set, it wasn't unusual for the characters to venture down to Earth for filmed musical numbers.
The Great Space Coaster was fairly popular in its day, and was merchandised with Goriddle Gorilla and Gary Gnu plush dolls, among other toys. But ratings began to slip a few years in, and the producers tried to correct this by bringing in new characters like the Huggles and Rory. The show is no longer seen in reruns and isn't available on DVD (some episodes were released on VHS -- yes, kids, VHS! -- although these are becoming increasingly rare), giving it a somewhat legendary status among those who grew up in the '80s. The show was quite innovative for its time, and is still occasionally referenced in pop culture today, as in the 2006 episode of Family Guy, "I Take Thee Quagmire", which included a parody of the the show's wild opening title sequence.
The show ran from 1981 through 1986. The series was directed by Dick Feldman, and distributed by Sunbow Productions.
And as for the Dora the Explorer reference...Chris Gifford, who played Danny on The Great Space Coaster, went on to become a writer and executive producer at Nickelodeon, where he co-created the Peabody award winning children's series "Dora The Explorer" and the successful spin-off "Go Diego Go." My nephews adore both series, and it's kinda cool that we have that strange connection to each other's shows.
Like Superman died and then did not die, like Spider-Man whom was cloned, but not a clone, and the Batman series where his back was broken and he was no longer Batman--Once again the comic book industry has decided to make another over the top decision... Kill Batman.
The question is will he really be dead? After all the perpetrator is his father. But wait! He's dead! Isn't he?
Well, no. Not now. He faked it according to the latest story line. The not really dead or faked death device is really a hackneyed story line.
We readers will read the entire story, waiting and expecting to find out at the end, that this man claiming to be Batman's father isn't, and/or Batman never really died; that he too faked death.
The current writers at DC insist Batman really is dead and that his mantle will be taken over by one of his Protégé’s. "This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman" says Grant Morrison of DC.
Potential replacements are the first Robin, Dick Grayson whom is now Nightwing or the current Robin, Tim Drake. You may recall the second Robin was killed by the Joker. I think he's really still dead. Unless he is actually alive. Some believe he was thrown in the Lazarus Pit (brings you back to life with negative results) and is now the dark character Hush.
If you have ever watched Entourage, you may have noticed that the main character Vincent Chase is one lucky guy. He's an up and coming Hollywood socialite star that for all we can tell as viewers; has no real acting chops.
Now where have I seen that type of story play out before? I had a short list. Tom Cruise. When an actor makes a name for himself with his first film being Endless Love, you know that their future is based on looks and not acting skill. Hey, I loved Vanilla Sky but Tom played Tom again, just like Tom always plays Tom.
Both Tom and Adrian can pass as bad actors playing good actors playing bad actors.
In HBO's Entourage, Adrian Vincent gets to act within his role as an actor and I see that same un-quality. If there is any justice in the show, Drama should become the star, not Vincent. The Daily Beast agrees with me. What do you think?
26-year-old Britney Spears performed her hit song “Womanzier” during the 2008 Bambi Awards on Thursday in Offenburg, Germany. Guess Britney wasn't eating too much turkey yesterday. She made a comeback performance as she ended her performance with a bang atop a metallic spherical cage. She also picked up the award for Best International Pop Star. Brit will release her sixth studio album, Circus, next week. Watch the video below! You be the judge, we're sure you may be in a food coma and don't want to think too hard today, click, watch and comment!
Bat Boy was spotted on a turkey farm celebrating Thanksgiving early. Sam Collins, owner of Collins Turkeys, Inc. farm, was out early this morning getting the feed ready when he heard an odd noise out in the field. “It sounded like some kind of hoopla was going on,” Collins said.
Farmer Sam grabbed his rifle and hurried over, expecting to find a fox harrassing the birds. But he was in for a much bigger surprise.
“A little boy in jean shorts was out in the field all by his lonesome. When he heard me coming, he ran and leaned against a tree, acting real casual like. I might have believed him ‘cept he tried whistling and a bunch of turkey feathers came out of his mouth!”
Not sure who'd want to spend time with this guy, but...
MomLogic reports that Chef Gordon Ramsay is living his own domestic nightmare ever since British tabloids began reporting the news that he's allegedly been having an on-and-off affair for the past seven years. Yesterday, they ran excerpts of an interview they did earlier this year with Ramsay's supposed mistress Sarah Symonds.
Hear what Sarah had to say about sleeping with married men and what advice she gives all wives out there. Is this directed at Tana Ramsay, Gordon's wife of 12 years and mother of his four children??
Symonds says, “I was working in sales, PR and hospitality, so I tended to mix with celebrities and high profile people, who I was always attracted to—that was my type. And they always seem to be willing and able to cheat on their partners. It just went with the territory.” She adds, “Married men who want to lure another woman are very good at it and it’s not hard for them to do. They tend to be charismatic, good-looking. Who wouldn’t say no? Lots of people wouldn’t. I was one that didn’t.”
As for the wives of her lovers finding out about her affairs, she reveals, “I wanted him to tell her about me. In fact, in the end, I picked up the phone and told her about me, personally. It wasn’t the best day in her life, I don’t think. But, as usual she stayed with him, they talked it through. She told me, ‘Even though I know he’s cheated, I don’t want to leave him because he’s the father of my children.’ And he still came back to cheat with me a year later.”
Perhaps referring to her alleged affair with Ramsay, Symonds claims, “I used to travel with my guy all over the world. Every business trip he went on, I would be with him and his wife would often call the hotel room and I would be lying next to him. In his mind, he wasn’t lying to her—she just didn’t know that he wasn’t in bed alone.”
Speaking about ending affairs, she explains, “I was very torn when I wanted to end the relationship with my married man, but we had such chemistry—sexual chemistry and physical chemistry and emotional chemistry—that I stayed in the relationship for way too long. I believed all the lies he was telling me. But I do still miss the sex with him, actually. I hope he’s not watching—I wouldn’t want him to know that.”
MySpace Music is proud to announce that Akon will be performing a free show for his MySpace friends at China Club in New York City on Monday, December 1, 2008 - a show being powered by AT&T. Doors for the 21+ Release show will be at 8 p.m., and admittance will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis with a printout of each person's profile displaying Akon in their top eight.
An internationally recognized, Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum selling artist, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Akon is one of the most influential voices in music today. In addition to having two multi-platinum albums, 21 songs on the Billboard Hot 100, Gold or Platinum status in over 23 countries, and over 145 guest appearances with artists such as Michael Jackson and Gwen Stefani to his credit, Akon is the only artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.
In addition to his accolades, on November 19, 2008 Akon announced that his third album, "Freedom," will be available on "slotMusic™, a new form of DRM-free MP3 music on a microSD card beginning Tuesday, December 2nd - the same date his album will be released digitally and on CD. The new slotMusic card will give fans a chance to enjoy Akon's album in a variety of ways and on a host of devices - from their microSD-enabled mobile phones to their computers and MP3 players. Going beyond the original thirteen songs that are on the CD version of the album, the slotMusic "Freedom" card will carry a mini-documentary video on Akon's life and influences, the new video for "Right Now (Na Na Na)," and exclusive hi-res images and songs including fellow SRC artist Tami Chynn's debut single "Frozen" featuring Akon.
Please visit Akon's MySpace page to preview his new album "Freedom" before it hits stores 12/2 starting this Friday 11/28:http://www.myspace.com/akon
At various times in every school year I read an article about how a group of people are offended, thus changing the dynamic of Holidays, events, recreational activities and more. From the universal banning of dodge-ball to what now is the end of decades old traditions, in this case the Thanksgiving play at Condit Elementary in where else? California.
Some people game our systems to ruin everyone's fun. In this case, some = one. One person has objected and due to her own self-absorbed belief, and her background in education, she has turned a school district on its heels to almost end a children's Thanksgiving celebration. What is her complaint?
Ironically the complaint is over a reenactment of a historically accurate event where two cultures put aside their differences to share thanks. Know what it is? Yes, perhaps the most beloved holiday in the U.S., Thanksgiving. Does this really sink in? An event with a beautiful message of coming together and forgetting differences is challenged as of all things, racist. Michelle Raheja is offended on behalf of her child that any child should have to wear any handmade paper bonnets or head dresses. Why? According to Michelle Raheja, "I'm sure you can appreciate the inappropriateness of asking children to dress up like slaves (and kind slave masters), or Jews (and friendly Nazis), or members of any other racial minority group who has struggled in our nation's history." Earth to Michelle, The story of Thanksgiving is not a racial insult or slur. It's not just historically accurate, it's a celebration of people with differences coming together as one. To compare it to Slavery or Nazi oppression is your own warped perception you have no right to foist on others.
The writers of this LA Times article seem to take a politically correct position (gee what a surprise) using the word 'some' to describe detractors of the event. The reality is that one person (Michelle Raheja) almost ended the event. Thankfully the involved parents in the school rallied together to fight for the children's right to hold the event.
While the one woman in question has the bloodline of the Seneca Indian's, the reality is the Pilgrims came together with the Indians. This celebration is in no way an insult to any Indian.
But the greater question is this? Is this woman even really offended? I mean really? How many of us have ever had an insult thrown at us that we didn't get over.
This one woman, Michelle Raheja (an English Professor), did in fact get two others to rally behind her for support. Both were of course involved as teachers, one at a local university and the other a former professor. This invites a whole other conversation about the narcissistic attitude of so called intellectuals simply because they have a degree.
We are not talking about equal rights for women or blacks or even how to promote free range chickens. It is one person that made a decision to game the system to ruin everyone's fun. At one point a court must set precedent for common sense. In the meantime, I say if you don't agree with a school event, stay home. Take your kid to the mall, a ball game, the park or what have you. And good for the many people that want to stand up to this one person.
After considering every panel and word balloon printed in the comic book form for the past 12 months, Wizard magazine is pleased to announce their selections for their Best of 2008 list. The list, which makes its debut in the all-new Gold collectors’ issue, hitting comic shops November 26th, includes the best that comics had to offer in the previous year. Some of Wizard’s selections are:
Best Writer: Jason Aaron (Scalped, Ghost Rider, Wolverine) Best Artist: Leinil Yu (Secret Invasion) Best Book: Action Comics (DC Comics) Best Event: “Secret Invasion” (Marvel Comics) Best Single Issue: Y: The Last Man #60 (DC/Vertigo) Best Indie of the Year: Kramers Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press) Best Hero: Captain America (Marvel Comics) Best Villain: Norman Osborn (Marvel Comics) Best Revamp: The Incredible Hercules (Marvel Comics) Best All-Ages title: Tiny Titans (DC Comics) Best R-rated book: The Boys (Dynamite Entertainment) Best Horror writer: Joe Hill (Locke & Key) Best Cover Artist: Marko Djurdjevic (Thunderbolts, Daredevil) Best Movie: “Iron Man” (Marvel Studios)
“Wizard’s very excited about presenting our picks for the best in comics of 2008 in this special all-new Gold collectors’ issue,” said Wizard Magazine managing editor Mike Cotton. “We had a lot of fun—and fights—putting together our picks for the best writer, artist, book and movies of 2008, and we can’t wait to see the fans’ reaction.”
For more information on the winners and why they were chosen, pick up Wizard Gold on sale at comic shops everywhere on November 26th. The issue, which hits newsstands on December 9th, also features the best comic book moments of 2008, the best toys, props and statues, and the title named Best New Series among other exciting features.
Have you ever text messaged the wrong person? Ever heard of "textual harassment" or "texting while intoxicated"? If not, read on. You'll get a kick out of this.
I first wanted to write an article only about text messaging the wrong person after learning I am not the only person having text messaged the wrong person. I'll get to that. However this is a topic that goes beyond this one blunder. So let's explore...
ACCIDENTLY CALLING THE WRONG PERSON
For me it all started when I acquired my first PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) phone. These phones have large touch screens and locking software is frankly a pain in most cases. Inevitably the phone would dial back in error anyone I was on the phone with last. This happened from time to time and usually it was my wife. WAS. LOL.
Nooooo! I never spoke to anyone I shouldn't be talking to, don't go assuming too much. The only story there is that I was annoyed by my phone. There is this one time when I was out to lunch with a friend from high-school, and old band buddy. We were catching up at nice sit down restaurant. My phone called my wife while it was on the table! Later she told me, "You idiot, you left a 20 minute voice mail at my office!" You'd think the joke ends there. She went on because she was angry, not pissed, but angry. Yes ladies and gentlemen my wife heard me speak things she should not have heard. And no I didn't speak ill of her. I recall telling my friend that my wife didn't know me. We were talking about how she angrily told me once she didn't want to know about my past life before her and I had to put all my photos of my life before meeting her in a crate and put a padlock on it. I'm not kidding. So at lunch I'm saying..."There is a side of me my wife will never know and I resent that." The fall out at home was hard core. I won't detail it, you can imagine what a woman does when she is angry and decide for yourself what happened.
Couple that incident with the phone calling her back while in my pocket a number of other times and you get annoyed with your phone and yourself.
In the end, I have had to actually remove people from my PDA phone completely to insure my phone doesn't dial them.
ACCIDENTLY TEXT MESSAGING OR REPLYING TO THE WRONG PERSON
Now you know where it all started for me, then it evolved. If you are like me, I now have a love hate relationship with my PDA phone. Because next came text messaging. Have you ever replied to or just simply sent a text message to the wrong person? I have plenty but I've gotten that under control over time. LOL
But what made me write this article today was that while watching Neil Patrick Harris (actor plays Barney - How I met your mother) co host a show he is chatting up about his Iphone and trading stories. Wouldn't you know it, he brings this very subject up. Apparently Mac Iphones make it easy to text the wrong people. Others have their own embarrassing moments to share here.
Bam! I'm exonerated of embarrassment! I'm not the only one! He tells a couple cute stories about how he's both replied to and simply sent text messages to the wrong person.
So how does this happen to completely rational, sane, technically savvy and educated men? (Or women! LOL) ?
Here are a couple discussion boards discussions on the topic:
1. Ex-wife and ex-husband child custody wrangle (ironic but no connection to me) ... oh and solution to anyone a victim of this nonsense... change your phone cell phone number and only allow them to call your home. Duh.
Well, for me it's the fact it's a PDA phone. Not a phone. With a PDA phone you have a call history listed on the touch screen. A quarter or dime, car key etc.. can touch the screen and initiate the call if your phone is in your pocket. Gremlins too, don't forget them. Because something dialed my wife while my phone was lying innocuously on my table that day at lunch! :)
Then there is the user initiated blunder.The dumb mistake you are at fault for an no one else… These happen when you are emotional I suppose, that happens mostly when you are drunk. JThis is called, texting while intoxicated or being Intexticated ( or intexitcated), LOL. I don’t drink so I text messages for general communication only.Otherwise I don’t chat people up in text.
Of course then there is simply just the act of text messaging itself that can be an embarrassment.Just this last week on February 12, 2008 a woman was issued a restraining order for sending and ex boyfriend 10,000 text messages in two months.Frankly, I don’t see a problem with this.Isn’t this the average number of text messages girlfriends send a guy anyway? <grin> I've gone as far as to change my phone number on my PDA to stop an ex from doing the same, I think this guy could have done the same. I got a great phone number out of the deal! LOL
I was even more relieved to find a funny public service video on YouTube.com about safe texting. :)
Only in one case did I find that a guy actually texted the wrong person that he did NOT know and eventually married her.
HOW DOES ACCIDENTAL TEXT MESSAGING HAPPEN?
As you see there are lot of stories of it happening. I think it has to do with the devices mainly. For me, I've found that hitting reply to the last person that text messaged me is easier than typing a full number again. But saving a few steps in the process and being rushed in the car, out on the paintball field, or walking through a store or where ever I may be busy doing something I shouldn't be distracted can lead to embarrassment. On my PDA screen I see a list of recent text messages and have to select the person I want to reply to. I've though I selected the last person, when in fact I selected a nearby sender. I've also simply just hit reply to my last sender thinking that I was text messaging them last, when it was someone else. That one is user error. Guilty here. :)
Here is one more video. It's short and is cute, and actually makes another big point about text messaging mistakes. That is what you write doesn't express your emotions. Just watch it. You'll learn what you already know. :)
No one is immune to text messaging mistakes.We all have embarrassing moments in life and I think text messaging will become a big cause of life’s embarrassing moments as the twenty-first century rolls on.
Brace yourselves, folks. The couple we love to hate eloped in Mexico and are officially hitched. That's right, The Hills' Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt are married!
Spencer shared his gushing wedding vows: “Heidi, from the moment you came into my life, I knew my life would never be the same without you. You are the light in my life like the sun to the earth! Your loving warmth makes me want to be a better person. Being with you, I feel complete. I’m honored to even be able to call you my wife. You are the most amazing, loving and caring woman on this planet. I will love you forever and always.”
And Heidi’s vows: “From the moment I met you, I knew I wanted to marry you. I never knew love existed like this. You have opened my eyes and shown me a new world. Every moment with you is magical and amazing. You are truly my prince charming and dream guy. I love you with all my heart and soul and promise to be the best wife to you every day for the rest of our lives. I can’t wait to see what life brings us. I will always be by your side!”
Oh, geez. Did you have to stop yourself from gagging? Heidi, 22, and Spencer, 25, exclusively sold their wedding pictures to Us Weekly, out on newsstands later this week.
“Grey’s Anatomy” actress Katherine Heigl was spotted with her husband/singer Josh Kelley and some friends enjoying a night out at the Desert Rose restaurant in Los Feliz. Katherine had a 1920s-themed party to commemorate her birthday! How fun!
Looks like Katherine was happy to trn 30, we know some young people dread that age but look how happy she is! Ha!
In other Grey's Anatomy TV news, the show scored its biggest audience since its season premiere this past Thursday, according to overnight data. The 'Ghost of Denny' helped the drama nab 15.7 million viewers! Good for them, we know the show doesn't sparkle like it used to, people were completely obsessed! Glad to see it's still doing well, right?!
Actress Gwyneth Paltrow has been dipping her hand into the cooking world lately. Gwyneth had been traveling around Europe (Spain) sampling the local delicacies with chef Mario Batali. Didn't they write some sort of little book together or something, too? Well, she just started a website called GOOP. She sends out a newsletter via GOOP, and the latest entry is about preparing Thanksgiving dinner. How timely! She writes:
"Thanksgiving is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday. I love when everyone comes together and celebrates the idea of gratitude, something we all mean to do every day, but seem to lose sight of most of the time. I also love the cooking – the days of planning and chopping and basting. This year, I decided to work out three variations on the traditional meal: a big group, a small gathering and a cozy dinner for two." She then includes some recipes, you'll have to check out her new website for more! We agree with her though, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?
What does Thanksgiving mean to you? For me it's a day of over eating and football. But there's a lot more to this day then a turkey and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
As you probably learned in elementary school, the first Thanksgiving took place in the fall of 1621. Only half of the original Mayflower Pilgrims had survived by the fall. Thankful to be alive, they held a three day feast and invited the the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the celebration. The pilgrims had a jovial celebration thanks to the beer they brought with them from England.
Everyone was partied out from that first celebration, so Thanksgiving took big break until George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving Day Proclamation in 1989.
Strangely as it may seem, there wasn't a set day for Thanksgiving until 1863. Up until then the president would issue a proclamation each year detailing what day the holiday would be observed. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the last Thursday of November.
For some reason no one respected Lincoln's proclamation after his death, and the country went back to the old yearly proclamation system until 1939. Franklin D. Roosevelt returned the country to the fourth Thursday in November standard because it would lengthen the Christmas shopping season and hopefully boost the economy. In 1941, congress passed a proclamation officially setting in stone that Thanksgiving would be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.
But that's just us. Canada celebrates Thanksgiving too, but on the second Monday in October.
But what about the traditions?
No one really knows why we eat turkey on Thanksgiving, but since 1621 that has been the tradition. Approximately 91% of people eat turkey adding up to the sale of over 280 million turkeys for Thanksgiving celebrations. That's about 7.3 billion pounds of turkey. What do the other people eat? On the west coast the Dungeness crab is a popular alternative to turkey.
Archeologists have found evidence that turkeys were roaming the United States 10 million years ago. According to the Guinness Book of World Records the largest turkey weighed 86 lbs. It won the Heaviest Turkey competition in London on December 12, 1989.
Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, not the eagle. A wild turkey can run up to 20 mph if spooked. They can also burst into flight approaching speeds between 50-55 mph in a matter of seconds.
Probably the strangest thing you've heard about turkey is that it contains tryptophan, a natural sedative. While it is true that turkey contains tryptophan, it's a myth that you get sleepy from eating it. Unfortunately it's not as simple as that. Here's how it works:
Tryptophan is an amino acid that helps your body produce serotonin, a calming agent in the brain that plays a key role in sleep. So that seems simple enough? Tryptophan produces chemicals that make you sleepy so that is why everyone takes their post-dinner nap on Turkey Day. Wrong.
Pharmaceutical companies, learning that the chemical produced serotonin, started producing medication in the 1980s for insomniacs. In 1990 the FDA banned tryptophan supplements because the chemical lead to severe muscle pain and even death. While tryptophan does produce serotonin it takes a large of the amino acid to produce enough to knock you out. Unfortunately, that amount can cause serious health problems.
Here's why tryptophan in turkey doesn't make you sleepy. Number 1: Tryptophan levels in turkey are minimal, almost unrecognizable. Number 2: Tryptophan only works well on an empty stomach. When you have food in your system tryptophan has to compete with all the other amino acids in your system, so an even less amount makes it to your brain.
Sorry guys but this is just an urban legend. The real reason you get sleepy is simple. You over eat. The average meal contains 3000 calories, most of which are carbohydrates. This means your body is working overtime to digest everything causing that post-meal lethargy.
Alright, but there's more to Thanksgiving than turkey. There's also the Macy's Parade, which has been held annually since 1920. It's so prominent in New York that Thanksgiving is referred to in NYC as Macy's Day. The end of the parade signals the beginning of the Christmas Season, consummated by Black Friday where shoppers officially begin the holiday rush.
The Thanksgiving Classic football game was first organized by the Detroit Lions in 1920 to boost ticket sales. Since then teams traditionally wear throwback jerseys to commemorate their team's history.
The day before Thanksgiving is the largest day in for bar sales in the United States. New Years Eve holds a close second. Around 78% of employees get paid leave Wednesday through Friday of Thanksgiving Week. It is also one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
So here are some little known things about a well known holiday. You can wow you're relatives at the table with your knowledge of the holiday. Just make sure you do some exercise the next day as the average American eats a day and a half worth of calories in one meal. It would be a good idea to join the holiday shopping rush on Black Friday. 10 hours should do it. Shopping burns 300 calories an hour.
What do Tom Cruise, A-Rod, Kobe Bryant, Tony Hawk, Michael Phelps and Heidi Klum have in common? Apparently dancing around in thier underwear! Alex Rodriguez, The Bird Man, Kobe, the gold medal winner and Ms. Klum all play guitar for video game Guitar Hero, mouthing and rocking along to Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll", mimicking the scene that made Tom Cruise in 1983's Risky Business. Other stars in the Guitar Hero commercials include Davids Cook and Archuleta, Slash from Guns N Roses,
BY THE WAY - Here's another (Disney) star rocking for Guitar Hero... Ladies and Gentlemen, Corbin Bleu... Brett Ratner has directed these commercials. Some people love 'em, other people hate them,what do you think?
Win the once in a lifetime opportunity to see Labelle perform live in 2009! To celebrate the release of their first studio album in 32 years, Back to Now, the illustrious ladies just launched the 'Dress Like Labelle' YouTube contest! To enter, contestants should create a video of themselves sporting Labelle's unique style. The video should be set to the full length audio of the single, "Roll Out" (featuring Wyclef Jean). Then, they should upload their video to the 'Dress Like Labelle' YouTube group and submit all basic information to the official Labelle contest page. The contestant who makes the winning video will win a trip to see Labelle live in concert! To read up on the official contest rules, click here.
I do not see how they can be both. In a conical relationship theory you see you and a partner spiraling in a positive or negative direction. Once a relationship begins spiraling in the negative direction that conical path starts off slowly and may be reversed if it is to survive, but if not it heads downward towards the end of the spiral where it comes to a point and vanishes. The same can be said for a positive relationship. This poses another question. Does a positive spiral end? Does it spiral faster and heat up and burn out like a star?
Then there is cyclical relationships. In them you are what you are and you will simply repeat with the next person the pattern or behavior of your last relationship. The old saying a leopard doesn't change its spots comes to mind. The good behaviors you expressed in past relationships will repeat in your next. If you are a liar, a cheat, or infidel, that cycle will repeat.
I often wonder how these two theories play out together? Can they meet and live in a sort of synchronistic existence or are they more of a semaphore?
Rihanna and Chris Brown cleaned up at this year's American Music Awards. Rihanna ended up winning both the Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist. While her boy-toy Chris Brown took the prize in 3 categories- Favorite Pop/Rock Male Artist, Favorite Soul/ R&B Male Artist, and Artist of the Year. Phew, well done!
There were tons of performances during the show last night from Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Beyonce, The Fray, and Ne-Yo! There was also a surprise appearance by Justin Timberlake as he gave the Award of Merit to legend Annie Lenox.
Here's a few of the other results from the show! (not a complete list)
Breakthrough Artist Jonas Brothers Favorite Soul/R&B Album Alicia Keys, As I Am Award of Merit Annie Lennox Favorite Pop/Rock Band/Group/Duo Daughtry Favorite Adult Contemporary Artist Jordin Sparks Artist of the Year Chris Brown
Twilight star Robert Pattinson leaned in for a bite of Tyra Banks neck during a taping of The Tyra Banks Show last week. Don't worry, he's not that weird. She asked him to do it! This silly moment makes for our PCM Picture of The Day!
Meanwhile, the director of Twilight has been given the green light to start work on a sequel as the film breaks box office records this weekend! It has taken $70.6m in its opening weekend in the US. The movie rang up the fourth-highest November opening weekend of all time. Twilight is proving extremely popular with the same teenage audience that enjoyed Harry Potter. Have you seen Twilight? What did you think?
NO DOUBT REUNITED! No Doubt has released a new promo pic on their official website. Rumors that the band has been reunited and writing again were swirling around the media and we hadn't heard anything until now! Keep you fingers crossed, people, it looks like Gwen Stefani and the guys are writing and itching for a tour! We think that will be one hot ticket!
Gwen just had her second baby but looks like that's not stopping her from getting work done! The band is saying it's been too long and look for No Doubt in 2009! Check out the band’s official website at NoDoubt.com.
Have you seen the new reality documentary series Whale Wars on Animal Planet? Captain Paul Watson founded his Sea Shepherd Conservation Society in 1977 because he believed his new organization had to go even further to eradicate whaling, poaching, shark finning and habitat destruction — and to uphold international conservation laws on the high seas — than the Greenpeace group he had co-founded.
Watson's group of staff and volunteers have engaged in a campaign almost every winter to find and stop Japanese ships that hunt whales in the name of research, attempting to stop them by any non-violent means necessary. The eclectic group — labeled activists, heroes and/or eco-pirates — leave port in Melbourne, Australia for a two-month campaign that is dangerous, controversial and has garnered international media attention.
During the 2007-2008 campaign, Animal Planet captured the intensity of Sea Shepherd's mission and the trials and tribulations of the crew in a new seven-part, hour-long weekly series Whale Wars.
It's being reported that The Office's John Krasinski is now dating Emily Blunt, who had dated Michael Buble and went through a public breakup with the singer recently.
Blunt is best known for her role in The Devil Wears Prada. Krasinski has recently been linked to his Office co-star Rashida Jones, who played his onscreen love interest Karen last season. The two were spotted on Nov. 9 at San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, Calif. Hmm.. interesting, interesting. But let's not jump the gun quite yet, they could be pals!
Robert Pattinson isn't the only Twilight star that's getting attention lately. His co-star Kristen Stewart, 18, was out in chilly NYC signing autographs for fans that waited outside of The David Letterman Show. I can't believe she's only 18, she looks so much older!
Stewart, who plays Bella Swan in the book-based film, recently talked about how she thinks her co-star Pattinson is definitely “pretty sexy.” People are freaking out of his good looks, girls are going crazy for this guy everywhere. People have camped out at malls for chances to see the star when they were scheduled to appear at malls all over the U.S. earlier this month.
P.S. In case you're living under a rock, Twilight opened in theaters today and we're curious to see where it will end up on the weekend box office list! Do we smell a number one movie?
A natural looking Jennifer Garner carried her daughter, Violet Affleck, through LAX airport today. The 36-year-old expectant actress will soon delivery baby #2. How exciting! We're sure this baby is going to be JUST as cute as Violet here, she definitely wins our award for cute toddler of the day! She seems to be fairly comfortable around the cameramen snapping her picture. This child is way too good-looking!
Garner recently won a restraining order against a man she claims has been stalking her for years. Phew, that's scary!
What's hubby Ben Affleck been up to these days? He's been flying low on the celebrity radar. Well, he hasn't made a movie lately but that doesn't mean he's not doing some amazing things! Affleck is talking to children and aid officials in refugee camps in war-torn eastern Congo in an effort to raise awareness of the conflict that has displaced nearly 300,000 people. How noble, we're loving it!
My life is awkward, really awkward. Two weeks ago, on a train, this Indian guy let out the largest fart I have ever heard. I had a front row seat to the most incomprehensible loudest B-movie comedy fart in the history of the large intestine. Of course everyone knew who it was, but of course everyone acted like nothing happened. Awkward.
It's not like I seek these things out. They just happen to find me. Is there some giant magnet that attracts awkward situations lodged somewhere in my body? I guess you have to just laugh it off. That's what I did. At least it didn't smell. If it had, I'm sure I would have found myself thinking: "What did that guy eat?" Eating, that's where it all started.
It's funny, eating. You have to eat to live, yet so many people are afraid of others seeing them do it. I never really thought of it as awkward until a few months into our relationship my girlfriend revealed to me that she scared of eating in front of me.
"I used to be hungry all the time," she said. "When we'd go out I would hardly eat anything. As soon as you left I'd go stuff my face."
Is it really that bad? Well, luckily, her fear only lasted a few weeks. Once we were more comfortable with each other, she had no problem stuffing her face in front of me - in the most elegantly feminine fashion of course.
But there are people that truly are afraid of eating. It's called Phagophobia. It's a fear of eating, swallowing or being eaten. There's also a thing called Sitophobia, which is an aversion to food.
But what about those who aren't afraid of eating? Obviously prevalent as obesity has been named as one of the world's biggest health threats. Here's something interesting. There's a biological disorder where you physically will not be full from eating. A person suffering from the disorder is kept under constant surveillance otherwise they will literally eat themselves to death. It's such a strange condition that it was featured on an episode of CSI:.
But what's the worst that can happen when it comes to eating? You put stuff in your mouth and swallow. Pretty simple, right? Wrong. Behold the Chinese buffet.
When I was in high school we used to have competitions to see who could eat the most plates of food. Lucky for us we all still high metabolisms because I'm pretty sure that we would consume a week's worth of calories during one competition.
Perhaps one of the most awkward places you can willingly submit yourself is a buffet. Here common cordiality is thrown to the wind. Even the most timid revert to their animal instincts and engulf themselves in gluttony. Not a good place to go on a first date. Especially if you're like my girlfriend and don't like when people watch you eat. But isn't that what makes the buffet fun?
There's always that mean fat guy in the corner who's been there for who knows how long. Sometimes I start feeling a bit Phagophobic myself. Watch out or you may lose a limb.
If you look at it from his point of view though, he's a genius. Why let the tab stack of at a normal restaurant, when you can pay $10 and eat until you can't anymore. But then I feel bad for the waitress. She has to haul all the crap back and forth for hours. All for what? A dollar tip. Bad show, gluttony, bad show.
What are you supposed to tip in a buffet anyway? It's not like they take your order and present the food as a server would in a normal restaurant. All they do is take away you pile of plates when the stack starts leaning. Not really worth the 15% tip.
According to Dear Abby, you're supposed to give 10%. Not bad considering most of these places are $10 all you can eat. But if you're like me - the new and improved, not eating 10 plates of food me - eating at a buffet is no different than eating at a food court. You don't leave a few bills on the table for the janitor to pick up.
To remove the awkwardness I suggest a sliding scale. Those who stop in for a quick plate of delicious fatty food should leave some change, just because the server brought a drink. Those who eat more pay more. I suggest a tip rate based on the number of plates you consume.
There are other elements though. That family with the annoying kids who are running all over the place yelling and screaming - they should be ejected from the restaurant. Alright, so no one's really gonna kick them out, but they should give a bigger tip. And it wouldn't hurt if they slid a few bucks to all the people who had to listen to their screaming kids too.
Tying up the Chinese buffet I leave you with an awkward thought to ponder. You always eat something that doesn't agree with you at the buffet. So what next? What if it hits you halfway home and you're stuck in traffic? What if you're over at a friends house when it hits you? Or a church? Or a meeting? What are you gonna do?
Emo baby has arrived...and he's gonna wanna crawl right back in when he figures out his name.
NME has reported that Pete Wentz and Ashlee Simpson had a healthy, bouncy baby boy last night...that they proudly named Bronx Mowgli Wentz.
BRONX MOWGLI? He's probably already on his way to his lawyer's office to file for emancipation from his parents.
BRONX MOWGLI? First of all, his initials are BMW! Trust me. That wasn't a coincidence. They just want a free car. Second of all, his short initials are BM. Enough said. A spokesperson told NME, "Ashlee, Pete and baby Bronx are all healthy and happy, and thank everyone for their well wishes!"
Correction: BMW is not happy. Ass and Pete may think he's crying, because he's a little baby, but that's not the case. He's crying because his name is BMW and he already hates life!!! With a name like BMW, he can either be a low-rent neighborhood rapper or a low-rent neighborhood DJ.
Somewhere in the world, Zuma Nesta Rock Rossdale (aww. SMUSH SMUSH SMUSH.) has stopped crying over his name and is finally smiling, because someone has an even fuglier name than him.
Pink's six week run at #1 ends this week as "So What" drops to the runner-up slot. Taking its place is "Hot N Cold," the second #1 single from Katy Perry. Earlier this year "I Kissed A Girl" spent three weeks atop the chart. "I Kissed A Girl" is still hanging around the chart at #42 after 24 weeks. Perry will certainly be one of the top artists of 2008 when our year-end artist chart is published at the end of December. Perry's real name is Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson. She was born in Santa Barbara, California, the daughter of two pastors. In fact, her first CD released in 2001, called "Katy Hudson," was a Christian gospel album. Now her music and her outfits are pretty far removed from gospel... Enjoy the new chart this week!
For sale: One (1) Soho loft. 30 Crosby Street in New York City.
Owned by one Lenny Kravitz, who renovated it 4 years ago.
Price: Just reduced to $2500 per square foot (not including the 3,000 sq. feet. of outdoor space). This is a 20% price drop, from its initial price of $18 million (translation: it's now $15 million). Taxes are nearly $5,000 per month; monthly maintenance is the same price.
Got that extra cash laying around? Visit the listing HERE.
While out with mom Katie Holmes yesterday, Suri responded to celebrity news reporters and photographers bothering her with a one-finger salute. She's learning well for a celebrity baby.
Suri Cruise just recently beat out all her competition and made the top of Forbes' list of Hollywood's Hottest Tots. Take that, everyone!
Perhaps though, being just a toddler, the cameras caught her at a weird moment scratching her noise and we're making something out of nothing! :)
Blink 182 was the very first concert I ever saw with my friends when I was 13! They hold a special place in my heart, ha! Blink 182's Mark Hoppus has revealed that the recent death of Blink producer Jerry Finn and Travis Barker's miraculous survival of a plane crash has brought the trio back together. They broke up in 2005 and haven't spoken to each other since, it was pretty nasty! Tom DeLonge found success with a new band, Angels and Airwaves. Travis Barker did his own side thing and starred in a reality show.
Now, could they be getting back together? You have to admit, they made some catchy songs! Hoppus said on his blog, "We're just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking. It's a good thing. Obviously the first question for a lot of people will be, 'Does this mean a Blink-182 reunion?' The answer is none of us know. We haven't talked about it at all. Right now it's just good for the three of us to see one another, reconnect and let the past be the past."
As we all know, the holiday season is upon us, and leave it to the Japanese to come up with a unique gift for the fat guy who can't afford liposuction.
Behold, The Bro (with apologies to Seinfeld fans)!
I've been staring at this thing for HOURS, and the only witty remarks I can come up with are as follows: (1) The model they picked for the packaging clearly doesn't need the product. I'm thinking someone like Azamat Bogatov would have worked better. (2) Only in Japan, folks. (3) To be a fly on the wall in the airport when the guy wearing this tries to explain "the underwire" to the TSA attendant flailing his wand around... (4) Only in Japan, folks. (5) The translation from Japanese is, approximately, as follows:
"Why aren't there men's bras?" You ask why because there is no need for one? But for people that think they might want one... THEY NEED ONE.
Poor Sarah Ball. The 22-year-old Newsweek reporter was dispatched to Thailand to interview Jean-Claude Van Damme about his new movie, "JCVD," which is about...well...himself.
Next thing she knows, she's face to face with the "Muscles from Brussels" and he got super-creepy, super-quickly. (By the way, Herr Van Damme is on Wifey No. 5. No coincidence, I'm sure.).
Below is the transcript of the interview. There's a monologue in the film about being a washed-up action star. Did you improvise that? I like structure—like driving: go past the school on the street, stay on the right side, no hitting the car, go in right, you'll see a big church, stop and take a left, and you'll have it. By doing this I'm giving a structure of life, a path of light, and showing what happens between me and me, which is something very beautiful.
Beautiful? Why? I really opened myself up in "JCVD." I peeled back the skin of the fruit, cut the pulp and then took that very hard seed. In this film I cut that hard seed, and inside that seed was a kind of liquid cream substance of the man I am, or the woman you are.
OK — It was like being naked—I would love to be naked in front of you.
Well, I — Not being naked being naked. I say such things in Hong Kong and they thought I was being a crazy Frenchman. Being naked of protection.
So you've no regrets at all? Believe me—I've done very good stuff and very crazy stuff, and I don't regret the crazy stuff. So are you in New York?
Yes, I am. And are you 27, or 32?
I'm 22. Oh, f–––. That is very young. Will you come to the premiere?
I don't know. When is it? I don't know. You will wear all black, a black dress and high heels?
Uh — You can come find me, I will be the one with the very broad shoulders, dark hair and a simple suit. We can have some champagne, you and me.
The Daily Mail has reported that Madonna and Guy Ritchie have reached agreement on their divorce - with the British film director refusing to take a penny of the pop star’s cash.
An announcement could come by the end of the month, a source close to the negotiations tells London's Evening Standard.
Another report, in The Times, claimed that notice of a decree nisi (divorce settlement) would be posted in the Registry of the Family Division in London within twenty-four hours.
Madonna will walk away from the eight-year marriage with her fortune, estimated at $600 million, intact.
The only thing Guy asked for is joint-custody of his two boys, Rocco and David. A source said that the two boys will split their time between London and New York. Lourdes will stay in New York with her mother (her father, Carlos Leon, also lives in NYC).
A source said, "It will be all over by the end of the month. The priority for him has always been the children. Ritchie has not wanted her money. He has done exactly what Billie Piper did when she divorced Chris Evans. She walked away without any of his money, much to her credit. Guy Ritchie has done the same."
Guy Ritchie obviously has a heart made of gold and rainbows, because anyone else (**coughHEATHER MILLScough**) would have taken Madonna to the cleaners.
As the victim of cyber-bullying (from a 60-year-old groupie of a no-name bar band, three years ago), it's gratifying to see this case be brought to justice. (For the record, she backed off after I sent the full phalanx after her...let this be a warning to everyone who dares to screw with me that I'm NOT afraid of ANYONE -- male OR female -- and I'll NEVER hesitate to use anything to positively annihilate you if you come after me, my family, or my friends. My personal mantra: Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I have no fear, for I am the meanest motherf***er in the valley. Consider THAT the next time you try something clever...).
The Associated Press reports that a Missouri woman, her teenage daughter and an employee used an elaborate Internet ruse to terrorize a 13-year-old neighbor girl who later committed suicide, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday.
U.S. Attorney Thomas O'Brien told jurors during his opening statement that Lori Drew helped create a false identity on the social networking site MySpace. Posing online as a teenage boy, Drew befriended Megan Meier, he said.
"The evidence will show that Drew opened the MySpace account and "fully intended to hurt and prey on Megan's psyche," O'Brien told jurors. Drew is accused of harassing Megan with cruel messages that ultimately led her to take her life in 2006.
Prosecutors characterize the case as the nation's first cyber-bullying case, and the results from it could set legal precedents regarding online harassment.
Drew has pleaded not guilty to one count of conspiracy and three counts of accessing computers without authorization. Each count carries a potential sentence of five years in prison.
O'Brien said it's the first time the federal statute on accessing protected computers has been used in a social-networking case. It had been used in the past to address computer hacking.
Defense attorney Dean Steward told jurors that Drew did not violate the Computer Use and Fraud Act and reminded them she was not facing charges dealing with the suicide. "This is not a homicide case," Steward said.
Before the trial began, Steward tried to get U.S. District Judge George Wu to forbid mention of the suicide. Wu rejected the request but said he would instruct jurors that the case was about whether Drew violated the terms of service of MySpace, not about whether she caused Meier's suicide.
Prosecutors have said Drew targeted Megan because she thought the girl was spreading malicious rumors on MySpace about her own daughter.
Drew discussed the matter with her daughter and Drew's assistant, Ashley Grills, and the three allegedly plotted to invent "an attractive male teenager" on MySpace to find out what was being said about her daughter.
Megan hanged herself after allegedly receiving a message saying the world would be better off without her. Before the suicide, O'Brien said, Megan sent a response to the message saying, "'You are the kind of boy a girl would kill herself over.'"
Jury selection had ended earlier in the day. Questionnaires completed by prospective jurors led Steward to question whether Drew could receive a fair trial. He said that the forms indicated about 80 percent of the candidates had heard about the case and that half had formed "devastating" opinions about Drew.
The case is being prosecuted in Los Angeles because MySpace's computer servers are in the area.
From Marshall Mathers III's days as an elementary school student mimicking his favorite superheroes, his mother, Debbie Nelson, knew he was going to be a star. "Marshall used to bounce all the time and hum against the wall when he'd get tired, or he would sit on the couch or sit in the car and bounce and hum," Nelson told the BoomBox about the man now known as Eminem. "Everybody would say, 'That kid's retarded.' But nobody could say anything about my son."
She may have stuck up for her son but the tables were turned on Eminem's albums. She fervently supported his career but Nelson fell victim to his vicious rap attacks, most notably on the song 'Cleanin' Out My Closet.' In discussing her book, 'My Son Marshall, My Son Eminem: Setting the Record Straight,' Nelson rationalized Eminem's rants by saying it was easier for him to attack their relationship than his ties to the family of his wife, Kim.
"There's nothing I wouldn't have done for my son," said Nelson, who does not currently have a relationship with the rap star. "When he first went out there, pressing those tapes and stuff with the (1996) 'Infinite' album, I was passing them out to all of my limousine customers. He told me, 'Mom, "positive" is not selling.'
"When he went negative and had to be different and was very creative, he thought, 'I'll just attack mom because if I attack Kim's family they'll go after me and sue me. But if I attack my mother, it'll be different.' We were all surprised on that bill."
However, Eminem's mom did sue her son for $10 million because of his lyrics and comments to the media. She won about $25,000. In the opening words of Chapter 19, Nelson says, "I did not mean to sue my son for defamation. I just wanted to stop my home being repossessed and clear up the financial problems that had been caused." She wrote that her lawyer said suing Eminem would be a "wake-up call" and he would stop demeaning her publicly. Apparently it didn't work, as a year later he released "Cleanin' Out My Closet," a scathing testimony to the way his mother treated him as a child.
The lawsuit came on the heels of what Nelson calls a onetime strong relationship. She allowed him to explore his creativity through his dressing up as Batman, Robin or Spider-Man and went to great lengths to make her son happy. She said she does not worry about her son's reaction to the book.
"If anything, it blows him up," said Nelson, who has not heard leaked versions of Eminem's new material. "It shows I'm a very proud mother."
They say that the way to get to Carnegie Hall is through practice, practice, practice...
The ENTIRE cast of Seth MacFarlane's Emmy Award-winning FAMILY GUY will bring the house down at New York's legendary Carnegie Hall for the World Premiere of a new live show "Family Guy SINGS!".
This freakin' sweet show will feature the superstar cast singing live with a 40-piece orchestra conducted by Family Guy composer Walter Murphy. Join MacFarlane and cast members Alex Borstein, Mila Kunis, Seth Green and Mike Henry for this unique, unpredictable and unforgettable musical experience.
"FAMILY GUY SINGS" will also feature a sneak peak of the eagerly anticipated Family Guy spin-off "The Cleveland Show".
Don't miss this chance to get the tickets first! Tickets are on sale now HERE.
