Mereja

Author: Amanda Crum

  • “Party Princess”: Manslaughter Charge Carries 30-Year Sentence

    The self-proclaimed “Party Princess” of Miami, Karlie Tomica, is now facing a DUI manslaughter charge after a Miami court added her blood-alcohol content to their case on Friday.

    20-year old Tomica allegedly left her job as bartender at the popular bar Nikki Beach nightclub on January 28th with over three times the legal limit of alcohol in her system and sped down Collins Avenue in her vehicle, striking famed local chef Stefano Riccioletti and killing him instantly. He was reportedly thrown more than thirty feet upon impact; in court documents, Tomica was said to have had bits of Riccioletti’s brain matter in her hair. She was so drunk, officials said, that after she was taken into custody she passed out at the police station.

    Tomica was originally charged with leaving the scene of a crime, but the alcohol content of her blood moved the judge to up the charge to DUI manslaughter last week.

    “Stefano is not here, and it doesn’t matter if it is a car or a gun, he was killed. And the persons or person responsible for that need to be held accountable,” said Jose Baez, an attorney for Riccioletti’s family.

    Tomica, whose Twitter profile proclaimed her a “party princess” and detailed her night of celebrating with a fake ID, was visibly upset in court and mentioned that she has finals this week. She has been placed on continued house arrest.

  • Prince Michael Jackson: Job At “ET” To Precede Acting Career?

    Prince Michael Jackson, the 16-year old son of late pop icon Michael Jackson, recently landed a gig with “Entertainment Tonight” as an on-air correspondent.

    The teenager got to sit down with the stars of “Oz The Great And Powerful” for his first job–including director Sam Raimi and actors James Franco and Zach Braff–and got some advice on how to pursue his goals, which he says include becoming a well-rounded screenwriter, producer, actor, and director.

    Franco said, “I always tell people, just go out and try, and stop waiting around or dreaming it’s going to happen. Just go and start doing things on your own.”

    Jackson and his younger sister, Paris, have both expressed an interest in going into the entertainment industry in some way, and Prince Michael seems to have his goals clearly outlined. The teen credits his father for any attributes that are complimented, such as the adult way he handles himself despite his young age.

    “That’s what most people say. That was all thanks to my dad. He raised me right,” he said.

  • Travis Barker Skipping Blink-182 Tour

    Travis Barker has announced that he won’t be able to join his bandmates on their Australian tour this year due to a crippling fear of flying.

    The 37-year old says he can’t bring himself to get back on a plane since surviving a horrific crash five years ago which took the lives of his assistant and security guard as well as both pilots. Travis was seriously injured in the crash and endured terrible burns in the aftermath. His friend, the late DJ Adam Goldstein, was the only other survivor. Goldstein was found dead in 2009 of an apparent drug overdose.

    Barker gave apologies to his fans on his Facebook page, saying he has given the band his permission to hire a stand-in drummer for their tour.

    I’m sorry to announce i won’t be joining Blink-182 on this Australian tour. I still haven’t gotten over the horrific events that took place the last time i flew when my plane crashed and 4 people were killed, two being my best friends. I gave the band my blessing to take another drummer if they still wanted to do the tour without me. I hope to come to Australia again some day perhaps by ship if need be. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a boat that worked with the schedule this time around. Once again I’m sorry to all the fans.

    Image: Facebook

  • California Shooting Spree Leaves Several Dead

    Several people are dead today after a man went on a shooting spree on a California highway.

    Details are still coming in about the rampage, which began shortly after five a.m. this morning in Ladera Ranch. There, the unidentified man shot and killed a woman before taking off in an SUV. From there, he stole a car and shot a bystander, who was treated for non-life threatening injuries. A few minutes later, the suspect committed a carjacking and fatally shot the driver on the 55 freeway before moving on to yet another carjacking, where he shot two people. One of those victims died. As police closed in on the suspect, he shot and killed himself in Orange County.

    So far, the man is only described as being in his 20′s, and police aren’t sure yet as to the motive of the initial shooting.

    The shootings come just days after President Obama gave a speech in Chicago regarding gun violence, after which two teenage girls were fatally shot nearby in two separate incidents.

    We will update you on this story as it develops.

  • J.K. Rowling’s Creation Gets Widespread Participation

    J.K. Rowling probably didn’t know when she wrote the “Harry Potter” series that the game she invented for wizard-play would become so popular with real-life muggles.

    Fans of the books will know that Quidditch is the famous sport that Harry plays as seeker for, accomplished on broomsticks on an enormous pitch not unlike those you see in soccer stadiums. In fact, Quidditch even has a World Cup, which is highlighted in the beginning of the fourth book. Now, the game is getting slightly revamped so the rest of us can play, and one town in California is drawing crowds from all over as fans swarm in to watch.

    Residents in Roseville, California say they’ve gotten a nice economy boost from the sudden tourist attraction, which drew folks from as far away as Canada this past weekend. Known as the Western Cup Quidditch Tournament, the game will see the winning team advance to the World Cup in Kissimmee, Florida in April. Eventually, Placer Valley–which is where the Western Cup was held–wants to draw an even bigger crowd.

    “We have our sights set on the world, to do the world event here, where people come from all over the world to play Quidditch,” said David Attaway, Placer Valley Tourism CEO.

    “We can help promote literacy. People see Harry Potter and think ‘oh this is cool. I should read those books,’ ” Game Play Director Kevin Oelze said.

    Image: PlacerTourism.com

  • McCready Shot Dog Before Killing Herself

    Mindy McCready, the country singer who was found dead at her home on Sunday afternoon, apparently shot her boyfriend’s dog before turning the gun on herself. The two were found next to each other on the porch of her home.

    McCready’s boyfriend, David Wilson, allegedly shot and killed himself last month on the same porch. McCready, who has had a history of drug and alcohol problems, wasn’t an official suspect in his death, but police were reportedly looking at the case as one possibly involving foul play. The couple had a ten-month old baby together, and Mindy had a six-year old son from a previous relationship.

    The country star fell onto hard times after breaking into the music industry at the age of 18; after several arrests and stints in rehab, she even appeared on “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” for an addiction to prescription pills. Her music career began to fall off around the time she made headlines for being in trouble with the law, and bouts of depression stole over her. Friends and family say that anyone who knew McCready saw her death coming a long time ago, but that her dependency on drugs made it close to impossible to get close to her.

  • “No Black Nurses” Lawsuit Filed Against Hospital

    A Michigan woman has filed a lawsuit against the hospital she works for after an incident in October which she says was entirely based on discrimination.

    Tonya Battle says she was working in the neonatal intensive care unit last year when she was pulled from her duties as caretaker of an infant at Hurley Medical Center after the baby’s father asked to speak to a supervisor. The man allegedly showed the supervisor a swastika tattoo and asked that a white nurse be assigned to his child, and the hospital complied. Battle says the next day there was a note on the child’s file which read, “No African-American nurse to take care of baby.”

    “I felt like I froze,” Battle said. “I just was really dumbfounded. I couldn’t believe that’s why he was so angry (and) that’s why he was requesting my charge nurse. I think my mouth hit the floor. It was really disbelief.”

    Though Battle says the note was eventually removed from the file once the hospital’s legal team got involved, there were no black nurses allowed to care for the baby for a period of about a month beforehand. She is seeking damages for emotional stress, mental anguish, humiliation and damage to her reputation and says she was shocked at the blatant act of discrimination.

  • Spears’ Grocery List Makes The News

    Britney Spears has made a pretty good comeback in the past year; after several ups and downs that included being given a conservator and a whirlwind relationship with her manager, the singer landed a highly-publicized gig on “The X-Factor”, announced she’ll be quitting after just one season to focus on her music. Rumor has it that a new album and tour are in the works, as well.

    The mother of two seems to be all grown up these days, and maybe that’s why when she made a run to the grocery store recently wearing a turtleneck and sweats, everyone wanted to know what was on her list. TMZ made the report, noting that she was making very adult choices: ginger ale, tomatoes, Lunchables, ham, orange juice, 2% milk, Smart popcorn, bread and chicken.

    Of course, there was bigger news yesterday regarding “The X-Factor”; namely, that Khloe Kardashian is reportedly fired after taking on hosting duties for just one season alongside Mario Lopez. Many fans of the show were turned off by Khloe’s style and felt she didn’t have good chemistry with Lopez, who has been asked back for the next season.

    Image: X17online.com

  • Debbie Ford Dies: Self-Help Author Was 57

    Debbie Ford, who authored several books in the self-help genre, has died of complications from cancer. She was 57 years old.

    Ford began her writing career with “The Dark Side Of The Light Chasers”, which aimed to help heal people confront their “dark side” rather than block it out. From the book’s description on Amazon:

    Debbie Ford believes that we each hold within us a trace of every human characteristic that exists, the capacity for every human emotion. We are born with the ability to express this entire spectrum of characteristics. But, Ford points out, our families and our society send us strong messages about which ones are good and bad. So when certain impulses arise, we deny them instead of confronting them, giving them a healthy voice, then letting them go. It is to these feelings that Ford turns our attention, these parts of our selves that don’t fit the personae we have created for the rest of the world. She shows us the effects of living in the dark, of keeping all our supposedly unsavory impulses under wraps. We find ourselves disproportionately frustrated and angry at the selfishness of friends, the laziness of colleagues, the arrogance of siblings. When we are unable to reconcile similar impulses in ourselves, Ford explains, we waste our own energy judging others instead of empathizing. But most important, we deny ourselves the power and freedom of living authentically. Through the stories and exercises in The Dark Side of the Light Chasers, Debbie Ford shows us not only how to recognize our hidden emotions, but also how to find the gifts they offer us. The very impulses we most fear may be the key to what is lacking in our lives.

    Ford wrote eight more books and was reportedly working on a tenth at the time of her passing, but there has been no word yet on whether it was close to being finished. Because she made it her life’s work to help people, her fans thought it extremely important that she was so open with them about her own past, which included drug abuse and a divorce.

    “From the time she was a little girl, Debbie was one of those people who had a strong mind of her own, and did things on her own terms and that is how she lived,” her sister Arielle said. “And she was always so funny! Even up to the end, she had us laughing. She leaves us with such an impressive body of work. We know that her contributions will live on through the millions of people she has touched with her books and teachings, and the thousands she has trained in her work.”

  • Tony Sheridan Dies: Beatles Mentor Was 72

    Tony Sheridan, who played with The Beatles in the early days and became a mentor for the band, has died of undisclosed causes. He was 72 years old.

    Sheridan met the Fab Four in Hamburg in 1960, when they arrived to find work as a club band. He recorded early tracks with them under the name Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers, such as “My Bonnie,” “The Saints,” “Why (Can’t You Love Me Again),” “Nobody’s Child,” “Take Out Some Insurance On Me, Baby,” “Sweet Georgia Brown”, “Cry For A Shadow”, “Ain’t She Sweet”, and “Swanee River.” Sheridan took the lead on most of those.

    After “My Bonnie” came out, the band quickly shot to stardom and went on to record their mega-successful first album, “Please Please Me”. And while they may have left Sheridan behind as far as performances went, the boys considered him a lifelong friend and referred to him as “The Teacher” after their early days together in Germany. He is often given credit for having propelled the band to stardom.

    Image: Ellen Piel – K & K/Redferns

  • Fergie, Duhamel Expecting Their First Child

    Fergie and husband Josh Duhamel are expecting their first child, despite the singer’s recent adamant denials that the pregnancy rumors weren’t true. As we all know, as soon as a rumor makes it to the gossip mags, it’s got a 99% probability of truth.

    Fergie also confronted rumors of a baby back in September and blamed her tendency to gain weight easily.

    “[People ask if I’m pregnant] every time I fluctuate a few pounds. Like right now, I’m a couple pounds up,” she said. “Sometimes I go a couple pounds down and I wear the clothes that are more fitted, but people kind of look at me because they’re expecting [that] it’s that time. We do hope for children and that will be coming up, but it’s not yet.”

    The Black Eyed Peas singer hasn’t gone into detail about how far along she is yet, but everyone is sure to be on bump watch after her recent tweet.

  • Brothers Blow Up House Celebrating Lottery Win

    Two brothers in Kansas managed to blow up their house on Friday after winning $75,000 in the lottery; officials say the brothers bought weed and meth to celebrate their win, then attempted to use butane torches to light their paraphernalia. The butane leaked out into the air and connected with the pilot light in the furnace of the home, causing an explosion.

    The two men haven’t been identified, but one of them was taken to the hospital with second-degree burns on his arms, neck, and chest. He was reportedly dropped off there by his girlfriend, who left the scene and is being sought by police. The other brother was arrested on drug charges. The injured man is in serious but stable condition.

  • Khloe Kardashian Fired From “X-Factor” Gig

    Khloe Kardashian may be looking for a job soon, as it’s being reported that the suits at “X-Factor” have asked Mario Lopez back to fulfill hosting duties in the next season but not her.

    Kardashian had no prior experience before landing the high-profile gig, and many fans of the show often complained of her awkward, stilted chemistry with Lopez. “I am sure there was a big percentage of Khloe’s fans who followed her to ‘X Factor.’” said Marki Costello, who assists stars with getting camera-ready and coaches them on their onscreen persona. “But at the end of the day, when she doesn’t know what she is doing, are you helping your show or hurting it? It was really hard for me to watch Mario with her. It made me, as a viewer, almost uncomfortable.”

    The show may find itself floundering for viewers this season after judges L.A. Reid and Britney Spears announced they wouldn’t be back; Reid said he wanted to focus more on his job at Epic Records, and Britney will be touring, recording, and making perfumes like it’s the year 2000.

  • Richard Briers Dies: Actor Was 79

    Richard Briers, a British actor famous for his appearances both on stage and television, has died after suffering complications from emphysema. He was 79 years old.

    Briers was perhaps best known for his role on television’s “The Good Life”, but he also did quite a bit of voiceover work and helped bring characters to life on the popular kid’s show “Roobarb And Custard” in the ’70s. His agent, Christopher Farrar, said, “He has a unique and special place in the hearts of so many. He will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and deepest sympathy go to his family at this sad time.”

    Briers spoke of his illness recently, admitting he had battled it for years.

    “It’s totally my fault,” he said. “So, I get very breathless, which is a pain in the backside. Trying to get upstairs… oh God, it’s ridiculous. Of course, when you’re bloody nearly 80 it’s depressing, because you’ve had it anyway.”

    Briers is being remembered today as a consummate professional in the business as his friends and colleagues mourn their loss.

    “You will hear a lot of people saying a lot of marvellous things about Richard, and let me assure you, they are all true,” co-star Penelope Keith said. “He was a gentleman, he was a wonderful actor, very, very generous and one of the charming things about Richard was he was so self-depricating.”

    Image: BBC News

  • Bieber Rips Carney, Carney Becomes Bieber

    Patrick Carney started a veritable shitstorm last week when he made a comment directed at Justin Bieber after the Grammys, but he seems to be taking the backlash well.

    When asked about what he thought regarding Bieber not winning a trophy at the awards show, Carney–who is the drummer for The Black Keys–said, “He’s rich, right? … Grammys are for music, not for money … and he’s making a lot of money.”

    Immediately after that, Carney’s Twitter account blew up with Beliebers throwing around derogatory names and telling Carney to grow up and stop hatin’. Even Justin himself posted about it, saying Carney needed to be “slapped around”. At first, the drummer was content to simply tweet back sarcastic responses, but then he changed his profile name to Justin Bieber, which threw a wrench into the whole works (because the account is verified).

    The account name has since been changed back, but Carney isn’t giving up without a fight.

    bieber rips carney
    Image: Gawker

    Lead image: MorphThing.com, @KylePierce11/Twitter

  • Jerry Buss Dies: Lakers Owner Was 80 Years Old

    Jerry Buss, the self-made millionaire who owned a generous stake in the L.A. Lakers, has died of complications from cancer. He was 80 years old.

    Buss struggled with health problems in recent years and hadn’t made many public appearances after having surgery to repair blood clot damage in his legs in 2011.

    After being born into near-poverty in the ’30s, Buss eventually found his way to college, where he earned a doctorate in chemistry. From there, he moved on to real estate, and bought up several properties over the years which included residential and business buildings. Keeping the overhead low was key to his success, and he and his partner Frank Mariani did many of the repairs and upkeep themselves.

    An opportunity came in 1979 when Buss and his partners had the chance to seize a floundering basketball team. The NBA had begun to fall off by that time after seeing some success in the ’60s and early ’70s, but when Buss looked at the Lakers, he saw a diamond in the rough. Sure enough, the team shot to the forefront of the game and enjoyed success which made big names of its stars, such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant.

    Of the team, Buss said, “I really tried to create a Laker image, a distinct identity. I mean, the Lakers are pretty damn Hollywood.”

    Kobe Bryant had just spoken fondly of Buss in an interview on Friday, saying, “He means everything to me. He took a chance on a 17-year-old kid coming out of Philadelphia when nobody really saw that potential. He believed in me the entire way.”

  • Pistorius Cricket Bat: Rumors Of Bloody Evidence Abound

    Oscar Pistorius is facing some serious charges after the death of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last week, despite initial reports that the Olympics star accidentally shot her thinking she was an intruder.

    Details of that night are sketchy at best because police don’t want to say anything while the case is open, but rumors are flying from those who claim to have police “sources” and say that a cricket bat covered in blood was found at the scene. There have also been reports that Steenkamp was found with her skull crushed, but most reports agree that she was apparently shot through a bathroom door.

    As with any high-profile case, the stories don’t seem to match up just yet. Reports are being printed without aid from the local police, so for now there aren’t many solid facts to go on. Unfortunately for the athlete, it appears that early stories about the shooting being an accident don’t hold up.

    “The sources agreed that the state had a ‘rock-solid’ case against the popular athlete,” South African news source City Press said.

    If Pistorius pleads guilty to the charges of murder brought against him, he could face at least 20 years in prison.

  • Killed Same Day Sister Sat Behind Obama: Teen Girls Shot

    A Chicago woman whose sister sat just behind President Obama as he gave an anti-violence speech was shot and killed later that same day, in a tragic twist of fate.

    Janay McFarlane, an 18-year old mom, was apparently caught in the crossfire during a shootout in North Chicago on Friday night. Police say two people are in custody and are being questioned about the shooting, but no charges have been filed yet.

    McFarlane’s 14-year old sister was the one who attended Obama’s speech at Hyde Park Career Academy, where he spoke about the loss of 15-year old Hadiya Pendleton, the drum majorette who was fatally shot in a case of mistaken identity last month just days after performing at the president’s inauguration. Pendleton’s death closed out January with a whopping 40 shooting fatalities in Chicago, the highest amount for that month in over ten years. Janay McFarlane’s mother, Angela Blakely, spoke about her daughter’s compassion for those who lost their lives.

    ‘‘She always said after Hadiya Pendleton got killed, ‘Momma that’s so sad,’’’ Blakely said. ‘‘She was always touched by any kid that got killed. She was always touched by mothers who couldn’t be there for their babies because they were gone.’’

    The young mom was taken from her own child, a three-month old son.

    A different shooting in the city left another young woman dead on the same day; Frances Colon was killed in crossfire in Humboldt Park, the third shooting victim to be taken from Roberto Clemente High School. Colon’s dreams of becoming a lawyer were cut short, and her parents are mourning the bright girl who had such a strong future ahead of her.

    “She was picking out her class ring, she was excited for her cap and gown, she was going to college,” said Dorothy Payton.

    The shooting occurred just two hours after President Obama’s speech. Tragically, Colon’s father drove right by the crime scene after the shooting and saw her body covered in a sheet, but had no idea it was his daughter.

  • Alabama Shakes Own “Saturday Night Live”

    If you ask a lot of people who still watch “SNL”, the show hasn’t seemed to be able to find its footing in recent years, with the exception of a few talented cast members and an injection of new blood this season. There have been notable appearances by several guests, however, and Christoph Waltz is so adorable it’s hard to find much wrong with his performance in any circumstance. But even he was overshadowed this past weekend when the Alabama Shakes took the stage to perform “Hold On” and “Always Alright”; if you’re anything like me, your Twitter/Facebook feed blew up after they did their thing, with many who had never heard of them declaring a newfound love.

    Check out their bluesy Southern rock performance below:

  • Katy Perry: Ring Sparks Engagement Rumors

    Katy Perry was spotted wearing a heart-shaped rock on her ring finger recently, prompting rumors to fly that she and perpetual heartbreaker John Mayer are engaged.

    Perry’s reps haven’t commented on the situation, and a source told People that it’s not happening, although Mayer did reportedly pick out the ring himself as a Valentine’s Day gift. The couple has been off and on for a while now following her highly-publicized divorce from Russell Brand.

    As for Mayer, he’s had quite a few high-profile relationships with stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Love-Hewitt, and the much-talked about fling with Taylor Swift. But he says it feels different with Perry.

    “I don’t feel like I’m in a celebrity relationship,” he said. “For the first time in my life I don’t feel like I’m in a celebrity relationship. I really don’t. I’m not in a high profile, I know it’s high profile. It’s hard to explain.”

    The couple were spotted out and about in Hollywood on Valentine’s Day, sharing a meal at The Cut before heading to Vista Theater for a movie.

    katy perry ring

    Images: Maciel/X17online.com