Mereja

Author: Amanda Crum

  • Dale Robertson Dies: Western Actor Was 89

    Dale Robertson, who starred in many Westerns for both television and film when the genre was at the height of its popularity, has died after a brief illness. He was 89 years old.

    Robertson began his acting career while he was still on active duty in the Army after an act of serendipity; after having a photo taken for his mother, an employee of the photo shop placed his image in their window, which attracted the attention of movie scouts. Soon enough, he went from being a twice-wounded soldier to acting on the big screen.

    Robertson soon found success in both TV and on film, landing roles in “Tales Of Wells Fargo” and “Iron Horse”, and in films like “Fighting Man Of The Plains” in which he played Jesse James. The handsome actor was soon rubbing elbows with some of the biggest names of the day, such as Marilyn Monroe.

    Later in his career, Robertson found roles on evening soap operas like “Dynasty” and “Dallas”. The Oklahoma native retired in 1993 to a ranch in Yukon before moving to the San Diego area, where he lived out his last months.

    “I remember him as a larger-than-life fellow,” niece Nancy Robertson said. “When he was in town it was always very exciting. It always meant something magical was going to happen.”

    Robertson was awarded the Bronze and Silver Stars and the Purple Heart during his service to the Army, but his family says he would have wanted to be remembered first and foremost as a father, grandfather, and Oklahoman.

  • Debi Austin Dies: Anti-Smoking Advocate Was 62

    Debi Austin, who was a huge proponent for anti-smoking after being diagnosed with cancer of the larynx, died on Friday after a 20-year battle with the disease. She was 62 years old.

    Austin began doing ads which showed the horrifying effects tobacco can have on a person’s body after having a laryngectomy; when her four-year old niece drew a black spot on her own neck to mimic the one left in Austin’s and said she wanted to be like her aunt, Austin realized she needed to do something proactive. The most popular ad became one which is still well-known in California–her home state–despite first being aired in the ’90s.

    “Debi was a pioneer in the fight against tobacco and showed tremendous courage by sharing her story to educate Californians on the dangers of smoking. She was an inspiration for Californians to quit smoking and also influenced countless others not to start,” said Dr. Ron Chapman of the California Department of Public Health.

    Austin said she started smoking when she was just 13 and made several attempts to quit, but never quite succeeded, even after the cancer took her vocal chords. She learned to speak esophageal speech, which she called “burp talk”, and used it in the startling ad that made her a famous symbol in the fight against smoking. Her family released a statement on her passing, saying she was a fighter until the very end.

    “True to Debi’s spirit, she was a fighter to the end and leaves a big hole in our hearts and lives. Debi will be remembered fondly by who those who love her to be caring, courageous, very funny and always there to offer advice or lend a hand.”

  • Kaley Cuoco Under Fire For Dish Tweet

    Kaley Cuoco, one of the stars of “The Big Bang Theory”, has found herself in some hot water recently after tweeting an endorsement for Dish Network. Seems her bosses over at CBS don’t like it when one of their stars helps out a company they’re in litigation with.

    Dish Network has been locked in a battle not just with CBS, but also with ABC, FOX, and NBC over a feature included in their Hopper service which allows users to “Auto Hop” through previously-aired shows while skipping commercials. While Cuoco didn’t mention Auto Hop in her tweet, she did speak highly of the Hopper service, and the post quickly garnered the attention of thousands in a matter of hours. Once that happened, however, the tweet mysteriously disappeared.

    “Clearly, with this kind of response, consumers have a true interest in the types of innovations the DISH Hopper offers,” said Dish president Joe Clayton. “It’s a shame that CBS, despite its legacy, feels it needs to thwart this kind of consumer demand.”

    The networks, on the other hand, feel that the service poses a serious threat to their shows–many of which rely on ad support to keep afloat–and say that the Auto Hop feature should be illegal.

    Cuoco, along with her 1 million followers, is certainly a good get for Dish; they say they look for celebrities with influence who are also likable, and she certainly falls into that category.

    “We’ve reached out to several different celebrities and those with influence for sponsored tweets and so I think she’s one of many folks,” Dish spokesman John Hall said. “Our goal is to introduce our products and services to consumers. We find people that consumers are paying attention to.”

    kaley cuoco tweet

  • Rachel McAdams Split: Actress Is Single Once More

    Rachel McAdams is reportedly single again after splitting from her beau of two years, actor Michael Sheen.

    The couple met while filming the Woody Allen movie “Midnight In Paris” and eventually became close, though McAdams has said that she’s wary of starting a relationship while on-set.

    “Michael and I didn’t get together while we were filming Midnight in Paris, which I feel strongly about not doing when I’m working. We became quite good friends, which I think is a great way to start,” McAdams says. “I felt very blessed to have made a Woody Allen film in Paris together.”

    McAdams has dated her co-stars previously, including Ryan Gosling, whom she was engaged to after they filmed “The Notebook” together. And while no reason has been offered for the breakup, McAdams has said in the past that it is notoriously difficult for celebrities to maintain relationships when they are often called upon to travel for work.

    “Michael and I never spend more than three weeks apart — we rack up a lot of air miles — but you have to be quite adaptable in this business whether you are in a relationship or not. Trying to establish roots somewhere is a bit of a joke,” she said.

  • Dog Shoots Owner, Who Was Shocked Gun Was Loaded

    It may sound like an Onion headline, but judging by all reports, this one is true: a Florida man was astonished when his dog accidentally shot him in the leg as he was driving around.

    Gregory Dale Lanier says the gun was on the floorboard of his truck and the dog kicked it, discharging the weapon and firing a bullet into Lanier’s leg. He says he thought the gun was unloaded.

  • Hannity: “Worst Excuse” For A Journalist

    Sean Hannity cut an interview short with Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison on Tuesday night after an onscreen exchange so tense it could have been cut with a knife.

    The conservative talk show host had invited Ellison on to discuss the upcoming sequester and President Obama’s decision to travel around the country to give various speeches regarding his plans. After calling Obama “President Panic”, Hannity asked Ellison about his opinion on whether he thought Obama was spreading needless fear among Americans, and Ellison immediately made it known that he had no patience for the host’s reporting style. Though he smiled politely when the cameras were trained on him, he quickly got to the core of his issues with the host.

    “Quite frankly, you are the worst excuse for a journalist I’ve ever seen. It’s absurd that you — the worst. What you just displayed was not journalism, it was yellow journalism. It wasn’t anything close to trying to tell the American people what’s really going on and it’s just shocking…every journalistic ethic I have ever heard of was just violated by you,” Ellison said.

    The longer the exchange went on, the angrier Ellison became; he and Hannity were obviously never going to find their way out of an impasse, so Hannity cut the interview short.

    Watch the full, uncomfortable exchange below.

  • Kim Kardashian “Mommy Blog” Gets First Post

    Kim Kardashian is, as we all know, about to become a first-time mom, and has decided to document the pregnancy along the way with a “mommy blog“. The first post was put up on Monday and has been well-received by her fans so far.

    The entry concerns maternity-wear, which is of particular interest to those who are familiar with Kardashian’s style of late. Rather than give up her racy clothes, she’s just sort of found a way to drape them around the baby belly (think leather pants and see-through tops). But she says she’s found a pair of jeans that are perfect for accommodating a growing bump and recommends them to all her readers.

    “So I love sharing my favorite products and beauty and fashion tips with you all and I wanted to do my first mommy blog today to tell you about these new J Brand jeans I received,” she wrote. “They are these super comfy maternity jeans with soft, stretchy side panels in the front and they are absolutely amazing! I feel like I’m back to my old self and I’m so happy! With this being my first pregnancy I’ve been finding it really difficult to find clothes that are comfortable and fit me well, but these are great. Are there any other moms to be out there who have tried these? I’d love to hear you pregnancy tips too!! ”

    So far the blog seems to be a hit with Kardashian’s fans and has received about 45 comments so far.

  • Tina Fey: “No Way” Is She Hosting Next Oscars

    Tina Fey may seem like the perfect choice to host the 2014 Academy Awards after her much-talked about and adored stint at the Golden Globes (with partner in crime Amy Poehler), but she says it’s just not going to happen.

    Whether it’s the pressure of having the eyes of the world judging or the fact that Seth MacFarlane got blasted by just about every major–and minor–media source after his hosting gig this past weekend, Fey isn’t saying. But she has made it clear she doesn’t want the job, no matter what William Shatner thinks.

    “It’s an honor to be ‘Shatnered’, but I just feel like that gig is so hard,” she said. “Especially for, like, a woman — the amount of months that would be spent trying on dresses alone . . . No way.”

    Indeed, no matter how funny or likable a host may be, they do have to abide by Academy rules when it comes to the night’s jokes, something MacFarlane learned this year. And even though they approved his bits, he got quite a bit of backlash for the opening number, “We Saw Your Boobs”, and several sexist comments he made about various females in the audience throughout the night.

    For now, there’s no word on just who will be hosting next year’s show, but let’s hope for Oscar’s sake that it’s someone good, like Will Ferrell. The show certainly could use an injection of energy and silly fun that’s actually funny.

  • Tineesha Lashun Howard: Connection To Vegas Shooting

    Tineesha Lashun Howard, a 22-year old Florida woman, is being sought in connection to the deadly Vegas Strip shooting that left 3 people dead last week.

    Police say Howard was likely in the black Range Rover that suspect Ammar Harris was driving when he fired shots at fellow rapper Kenny Cherry, Jr. and are trying to track her down for questioning. Because Harris has a long criminal record–including robbery, sexual assault, kidnapping and soliciting prostitution, officials say Harris is considered a missing and possibly endangered person.

    Harris has been the subject of a manhunt since the shooting last Thursday, which immediately killed Cherry and caused his Maserati to spin out of control, creating a chain-reaction crash that involved several other vehicles and killed two people in a taxi, including the driver. The cab company has pledged $35,000 to anyone who can help police track down Harris.

    “I’m confident he’s going to be charged and prosecuted for murder and other related offenses,” Las Vegas DA Steve Wolfson said. “Let’s just get him into custody, because this is a dangerous man.”

    Howard is described as being 5-feet 8-inches tall and around 120 pounds, with green eyes and dark hair. She is also known as Yenesis Alfonzo. Harris is described as 26 years, old, about 5-foot-11 and 180 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about Howard or Harris is asked to call Metro’s Homicide Section at (702) 828-3521, or Crime Stoppers at (702) 385-5555.

  • Timberlake, Mumford, And The Coen Brothers

    Justin Timberlake isn’t the first person one thinks of when the Coen brothers are mentioned; the iconic, eclectic directors have a similar thread running through the music that sets the scenes in their films, and it just doesn’t include the likes of “Sexyback”. Nonetheless, Timberlake is preparing some music for the upcoming Coen brothers project, “Inside Llewyn Davis”, and he’s not doing it alone; he’s teaming up with Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons.

    It’s a strange pairing, to say the least. Mumford seems like the perfect choice to create original songs for the brothers; he would have been right at home in any number of their past films, including “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”. But what will come of a union of bluegrass/folk and dance/pop? Even Timberlake realizes how strange it is.

    “We all kind of worked on the music together and I don’t know any other world where we would get the opportunity to collaborate like that, but it was so much fun. So not only will it be a great movie, but the music to it will be fantastic,” Timberlake said.

    The movie, which premieres in December, stars Carey Mulligan (who, coincidentally, is married to Mumford) and John Goodman, as well as Timberlake himself.

  • Bobby Brown Sentenced For DUI Charge

    Bobby Brown was sentenced yesterday to 55 days in jail after pleading no contest to driving under the influence and without a license in October.

    The incident, which occurred late last year, wasn’t the first one Brown had been busted for; in fact, the suspended license was a result of another, previous DUI charge.

    The musician has been in the headlines a few times since the death of his ex-wife, singer Whitney Houston, last February. As part of his sentencing, he’s also required to complete an alcohol program, pay hundreds of dollars in fines, and install a Breathalyzer device in his car which will prohibit him from turning the ignition if he blows past the limit. He will also be on probation for up to four years after he completes his jail time.

    Brown’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, has made headlines of her own lately; after reportedly getting engaged to her “brother”, Nick Gordon–who was raised by Whitney Houston but never officially adopted–and crashing her car in a strange, one-vehicle accident, she was criticized by her grandmother Cissy Houston for her behavior. Houston recently released a book about her daughter’s life which Bobbi-Kristina shunned publicly and denounced on Twitter.

  • Dan Toler Dies: Allman Brothers Guitarist Was 65

    Dan Toler, who played guitar for the Allman Brothers, has died of complications from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was 65 years old.

    Toler played with the Allman Brothers through the ’70s and ’80s, then moved on to play with the Gregg Allman Band, enjoying several years of success with both. But when the disease struck, his ability to play guitar and even speak were compromised. Former bandmate Chaz Trippy remembers visiting Toler at the height of his illness and describes how his friend motioned to his guitar, then to his heart.

    “He was telling me it was breaking his heart that he couldn’t play guitar,” Trippy said. “I didn’t cry in front of him but I sure did when I got back into my car.”

    Toler’s illness was especially bad in the last two years; in 2011, he was confined to a wheelchair but still had use of his hands and could play guitar. Musician Bonnie Bramlett performed at the two-day Dan Toler ALS Support Benefit Concert Festival alongside him and remembers how strong he was through all the struggle.

    “To see how Danny walked tall through that disease and play guitar so beautifully with his blue eyes burning that night. What a hero,” she said. “He really showed people how to live, and how to die. He really made you check yourself. What a great man and a great musician.”

  • C. Everett Koop Dies: Former Surgeon General Was 96

    C. Everett Koop, who served as United States Surgeon General for seven years in the ’80s, has died. He was 96 years old.

    Koop was well-known for his stance on smoking and spoke out against the widespread use of cigarettes in the U.S. in the ’80s, bringing a very controversial topic to the forefront of conversation. He was also very involved in spreading knowledge about HIV/AIDS during his years of service, getting a public mailing out about the epidemic in a brochure which reached over 107 million people. His outspoken views on the dangers of tobacco, however, earned him accolades from those who had been trying to get their voices heard on the subject for years.

    “That was the shot heard around the world, and it began to change public policy everywhere,” said John Seffrin, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society.

    Koop was a pediatric surgeon before taking on the role of Surgeon General and was highly regarded in his field as a man who never backed down from doing what he believed was right.

    “Dr. Koop was not only a pioneering pediatric surgeon, but also one of the most courageous and passionate public health advocates of the past century,” said Dr. Wiley W. Souba, dean of Dartmouth’s medical school. “He did not back down from deeply rooted health challenges or powerful interests that stood in the way of needed change. Instead, he fought, he educated, and he transformed lives for the better.”

    Koop was also the author of over 200 articles and books and even won an Emmy for a series he did on health-care reform.

  • Justin Bieber: X Tattoo Has Fans Curious

    Justin Bieber is a well-known fan of getting inked, and every time he shows up somewhere with a new tattoo, his fans want photos as well as an explanation as to the meaning.

    The 18-year old has a new piece, but so far the meaning isn’t forthcoming. The elegant black “x” on his forearm–just below the owl that was already there–could mean any number of things. As of now, this is his fourth tattoo of 2013, joining a rose on his leg, a Native American portrait on his shoulder, and his mother’s birthday on his collarbone.

    For now, there aren’t any indications on his Twitter page as to the meaning behind the ink, but he does have a birthday coming up this week and is getting quite a bit of love from his fans in anticipation of the event.

    justin bieber x tattoo

    Image: Splash News

  • Lingerie Thief: Tattoo Gave Him Away To Cops

    A man who broke into a lingerie and adult shop in Iowa earlier this month failed to realize that getting naked beneath security cameras isn’t a good idea if you have a very incriminating tattoo.

    Jose Angel Perales made his way to Dr. John’s Lingerie Boutique around four a.m. on February 17th and had himself a little one-man party inside the store, trying on various items of clothing and “playing” with several sex toys. He also pleasured himself anally in the manager’s office.

    Perales spent more than two hours in the store, experimenting with sex toys and trying on clothes. His downfall was getting naked in the office; police, when looking over the surveillance tape, saw the giant tattoo on his back reading “Perales” and quickly linked him to the crime. After tracking him down, officials say Perales confessed to the deeds and gave up the merchandise he’d stolen. Several of the items taken were already used (a.k.a. “could not be resold and were thrown away as they had bodily fluid on them”) when investigators found them, prompting the store to write them off as a loss.

    Perales was charged with third-degree burglary and third-degree theft; he was released on $5,000 bond.

  • Lindsey Vonn Vow: To Be Olympics-Ready

    Lindsey Vonn has vowed that she will be ready for the 2014 Olympics despite sustaining a horrifying injury earlier this month in Austria.

    The 28-year old skier broke her right leg and tore both her ACL and MCL in a crash that required her to be airlifted from the mountain on the first day of the world championships; at first, there was concern that the injuries would keep her out of the Winter Olympics for sure, but Vonn says that even if she has to cram in months worth of training the week before the event, she’ll do it.

    “I have no doubt I will be ready for Sochi,” Vonn said. “Honestly, in a worst-case scenario, if I trained a week before the Games, I’d be fine.”

    Of course, it’s only been two weeks since the injury, so only time will tell how long it will take her to get rehabilitated. The athlete commented on the crash, saying why she thought it ended up being so bad.

    “Basically what happened was I came into that jump going a little bit faster, or I don’t know if I just hit the jump wrong, but I feel like I flew a lot further than the other girls,” Vonn said. “When I landed, the snow was just different. The snow was soft. It was not slick, basically, and my right ski just stopped and my knee buckled. I feel that loose snow was 100% the reason why I crashed. I initially thought it was going to be worse. There was just so much pain that I couldn’t quite tell where exactly it was coming from.”

    Vonn declined to comment on the rumors that she and golf pro Tiger Woods are dating, saying she’s not prepared to talk about her personal life with so much going on in her professional one.

  • Andy Samberg Engaged To Musician

    Andy Samberg, who quickly rose to fame on “Saturday Night Live” with his spot-on impressions (Mark Wahlberg) and hilarious digital shorts (“Dick In A Box” with Justin Timberlake was especially memorable), is engaged to musician Joanna Newsom.

    The couple have been together for five years, and after Newsom was spotted at the Film Independent Spirit Awards this weekend with a lovely diamond on her finger, rumors began to fly. A rep for Samberg confirmed the news yesterday.

    Samberg was reportedly enamored of Newsom right after they first met; a source told Us Weekly that he went to as many shows of hers as he could.

    “He had the biggest crush on her,” the source said.

    No word yet on when the nuptials will be; Samberg currently has four professional projects in the works, including voicing a character in “Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2″ and “Grown-Ups 2″.

    andy samberg engaged

    Image: Jeff Kravitz/Film Magic

  • “Dancing With The Stars” Lineup Announced

    “Dancing With The Stars” has officially announced the lineup of celebrities who’ll be shaking it on the dance floor this season, and, as predicted, “American Idol” star Kellie Pickler is indeed included.

    Among the others are country star Wynonna Judd, Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman, boxer Victor Ortiz, figure skater Dorothy Hamill, comedians D.L. Hughley and Andy Dick, Baltimore Raven Jacoby Jones, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Lisa Vanderpump, Disney star Zandaya Coleman, and “General Hospital” star Ingo Rademacher. Among the newcomers are some new faces in the pro section, as well, including Gleb Savchenko, Sharna Burgess, and Lindsay Arnold. Veteran pros such as Cheryl Burke and Derek Hough will be returning this year, much to the delight of fans.

  • Affleck Shaves Beard After Oscar Win

    Ben Affleck decided to shave off his lucky beard after his film, “Argo” took home the Oscar for Best Picture on Sunday night.

    The actor/director had been keeping the facial hair around as a charm to get him through the rough days leading up to the awards show, but after the night’s big win he decided to get rid of it.

    “He did it to mark the end of a chapter. It had that ceremonial quality to it,” said a source.

    “Argo” was up against some heavy hitters this year, including “Life Of Pi”, “Amour”, “Silver Linings Playbook”, “Lincoln”, “Zero Dark Thirty”, “Les Miserables”, “Beasts Of The Southern Wild”, and “Django Unchained”. Most of those films saw the actors take home individual awards, however, including Jennifer Lawrence for Best Actress.

    Affleck’s next project is “Runner, Runner”, which also stars Justin Timberlake. The film is due out later this year.

  • John Mara Arrested Over New Year’s Brawl

    John Mara–the 22-year old nephew of the Giants owner with the same name–was arrested and formally charged last week after the investigation of a New Year’s Eve brawl in which a man was hit over the head with a bottle and suffered serious injuries.

    Mara was released on Friday on $150,000 bond but is due in court in Westchester County, New York on March 8th, where he is expected to plead not guilty. The victim allegedly required surgery and sustained “life-threatening” injuries after the fight, which occurred at a party near Fairfield University campus.

    “He intends to address the charges in court,” Mara’s attorney, William Dow, said. “We’re confident that a jury will find him not guilty.”

    If, however, Mara is found guilty of a first degree assault charge, he could face up to twenty years in prison. At the very least, he will likely suffer disciplinary action by the school, where he is currently a student.

    “In a situation like this, not only is a student subject to any civil action but there would be an investigation from the standpoint of the school and, pending the outcome, the student would be subject to the disciplinary code of the university,” school spokesperson Martha Milcarek said.