Mereja

Author: Sean Patterson

  • Family Awarded $90 Million Over Bus Stop Death

    A Maryland family this week won their lawsuit against the Prince George’s County Board of Education and were awarded $90 million.

    According to a Washington Post report on the case, 13-year-old Ashley Davis died in 2009 while crossing the street to reach a school bus stop. A car traveling down the road hit her, a minivan, and a 17-year-old boy on Brinkley Road in Temple Hills, Maryland. Davis died from her injuries weeks later.

    The six-member jury handed down the $90 million wrongful-death verdict after determining that the school board did not provide a safe bus stop for Davis. Davis’ family had accused her bus driver of not stopping at his designated stop, forcing Davis and other children to catch another school bus further down the road, where they would have to cross the street. According to the Post report, complaints of late school buses and “unsafe” routes to bus stops are nothing new for parents in the area.

    The school board is expected to appeal the decision.

  • Adam Scott: Girlfriend Confirmed

    As Tiger Woods is well aware, the love life of professional golfers can sometimes be excellent tabloid fodder. Now, Australian golfer Adam Scott is learning that lesson.

    Scott won the 2013 Masters Tournament this week in an exciting sudden-death playoff with Argentine golfer Ángel Cabrera. As part of his victory media tour, the first Australian to win the Masters sat down on CBS this Morning to discuss the win.

    Though the conversation started out about golf, host Gayle King soon shifted the topic to Scott’s good looks, saying, “You are very hot Adam Scott.” The golfer blushed as King went on to ask him about his “availability.”

    An embarrassed Scott revealed on the program that he is “not single at all.” He stated that he is “very much in a relationship and very happy at the moment,” with a girl named Marie.

  • Edward Norton is Now the Father: It’s a Boy

    Having already become an accomplished Hollywood actor, Edward Norton is now becoming a family man.

    The 43-year-old American History X star’s fiancé gave birth to a baby boy, in March, according to a report from US magazine. Citing an anonymous “insider,” the magazine reports that the couple are “thrilled and excited” about their new child.

    Norton and Shauna Robertson, the mother, have been engaged since 2011. Robertson is a producer who has worked on projects such as The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.

    Norton began his career in New York theatre, and in 1996 was cast in the movie Primal Fear. He was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for the performance, and went on to star in American History X, for which he was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar. Norton has gone on to star in movies such as Fight Club, Death to Smoochy, The Italian Job, and The Incredible Hulk. His next movie projects include the Wes Anderson film The Grand Budapest Hotel and the 2014 movie Birdman.

  • Katherine Webb Quits Reality TV Show ‘Splash’

    Reality TV shows have been putting celebrities through their paces for years now, but perhaps no series has asked more of competitors than Splash. The new network show tasks celebrities (not all of whom are fit) with mastering the Olympic sport of high diving.

    As with any Olympic sport, the risk of injury is ever-present, and now one competitor has withdrawn due to doctor’s orders.

    Model and beauty queen Katherine Webb has now withdrawn from Splash. On this week’s show, Webb described her poor landing on last week’s show, and how it caused her pain. She is also shown becaming frustrated during her training. Webb took the stage to say,” I went to the doctor and, unfortunately, he told me that I’m out for the competition.”

    Webb’s withdrawal is not the first of the series. In the show’s third episode, former Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson quit the show over her fear of heights.

    Splash producers used Webb’s departure to introduce some drama, bringing back comedian Louie Anderson, who had been booted from the competition last week.

  • Beaver Actor Dies; Frank Bank Was 71

    Actor Frank Bank, who played Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford on the TV show Leave it to Beaver, has died. He was 71.

    Though the cause of his death has not been reported, Bank died in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 13.

    Bank began his acting career in the 50s, with small roles on TV and a role as the young Will Rogers in The Story of Will Rogers. In 1958 he was cast in the role of Clarence “Lumpy” Rutherford in the classic sitcom Leave it to Beaver. Lumpy is portrayed as a bully with an overbearing father who eventually befriends Wally Cleaver, Beaver’s older brother.

    In the 70s, Bank left acting and began a career as a bond broker in Los Angeles. However, Bank returned to the role of Lumpy in the 80s in The New Leave it to Beaver, a sequel to the original series. In 2007 Bank published an autobiography titled Call Me Lumpy: My Leave it to Beaver Days and Other Wild Hollywood Life.

  • Sharon Osbourne 911 Tape Reevaluated in Light of Ozzy Confession

    On Monday, Ozzy Osbourne took to Facebook to admit he had been drinking and doing drugs for the lat year and a half. He apologized to his family, saying, “I was an asshole to the people I love most.”

    Osbourne’s confession came just as rumors were surfacing that he and his wife, Sharon Osbourne had split and were living in separate locations. Ozzy stated emphatically that he and Sharon are not divorcing and that he has now been sober for 44 days.

    Back in February, TMZ released a 911 call that was placed by Sharon Osbourne. That tape is now being reevaluated in light of the fact that Ozzy may have been in an altered state during the incident.

    The phone call was made in January, when the Osbournes’ home caught on fire. Sharon blamed the fire on a candle that had remained lit while the couple slept. In the tape of the call, Sharon can be heard saying that Ozzy put the fire out, and Ozzy can be heard shouting in the background.

  • Boston Suspect Id’d? Image of Suspect Could Lead to Arrest

    Conflicting reports today are indicating that a suspect may have been arrested in connection with the Boston Marathon bombings earlier this week.

    According to a report from the Boston Globe, a suspect in the attacks has been identified using a photo of someone with a black bag in front of a restaurant on Boylston Street, where the site of the second bombing occurred. The Globe’s source also stated that the police had surveillance footage of the location from Lord & Taylor, a store located directly across the street from the bombing.

    News outlets began reporting on Wednesday afternoon that a suspect in the bombings had been arrested this afternoon, but have since recanted the stories. The Boston Police Department has denied that any arrests have been made in the case:

    The FBI has scheduled a press conference at 5 pm EDT, where police will update the public on the investigation. Sean Kelly, a reporter for Boston’s WCVB news station, reported that federal police, who said a suspect would be arriving a a federal court house in Boston “soon,” were the source of the rumors:

  • Julianne Hough: Mystery Man Spotted Holding Her Hand at Coachella

    Dancer-turned-actress Julianne Hough has had a wild few months in the tabloids. Apart from revealing that she was abused as a child and showing some leg through a torn dress at the Golden Globes, Hough’s love life has been the topic of much speculation. The dancer broke up with longtime boyfriend Ryan Seacrest in March, and since that time has been linked to actor Alex Pettyfer. Now, it seems that Hough has a new romantic interest that she is showing off in public.

    This week, rumors are swirling following the revelation that Hough was spotted at the music festival Coachella holding the hand of an unknown man. According to a report from the New York Post, Hough was spotted with this mystery man at an exclusive Armani Exchange party held at the event. The report cites an anonymous “spy” as saying the man was “a hunky Australian mystery man named Tommy.”

    Hough recently starred in the movie adaptation of the Nicholas Sparks novel Safe Haven. She has also been cast in a Diablo Cody-directed movie titled Paradise.

  • Rachael Ray Show Sued by Fat Teen Featured in Weight Loss Segment

    Sending fat teens to boot camp, or sending troubled teens to “scared straight” prison sessions has been a staple of daytime television for decades. Now, it seems that one of these teens was not happy about her daytime TV experience, and is suing the Rachael Ray show.

    E! News is reporting that Christina Pagliarolo is suing the show for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress during her appearance on the show. Pagliarolo, who weighed over 270 pounds at the time, appeared on the show in a series of segments in which she attempted to lose 70 pounds before going to her high school prom. She was put on a diet and a personal trainer was brought in to help her exercise.

    According to the report, Pagliarolo is claiming that a trainer, who was not the one depicted on the show, verbally abused her and pushed her too hard. She also claims that the trainer increased the speed of a Stairmaster until she fell off.

    As seen in the Rachael Ray show clips below, Pagliarolo’s weight loss began when a trainer woke her before dawn and made her run, toss a medicine ball, and do jumping jacks. The trainer, Jennifer Giamo, is depicted checking to make sure Pagliarolo’s heart rate doesn’t rise too high and providing water breaks. Giamo is not the trainer named in the lawsuit.

    Though Pagliarolo’s training began to make a difference, she soon began canceling her training sessions:

  • Pat Summerall Dies; Sportscaster Was 82

    Sports broadcaster Pat Summerall has died at the age of 82.

    According to an Associated Press report, Summerall died at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center on Tuesday following a heart attack.

    Summerall played in the NFL from 1952 until 1961. After retiring from his playing career, Summerall joined CBS sports as a commentator. He began as a color commentator for NFL games, though he would later cover other sports, such as NBA basketball, US Open tennis, and PGA Tour golf.

    In 1981 Summerall was paired with John Madden to provide NFL commentary. The pair would go on to become the most well-known broadcasting team in NFL history. Their collaboration lasted for 22 seasons, including five Super Bowl games.

    “Pat was my broadcasting partner for a long time, but more than that he was my friend for all of these years,” said Madden in a statement. “We never had one argument, and that was because of Pat. He was a great broadcaster and a great man. He always had a joke. Pat never complained and we never had an unhappy moment. He was something very special. Pat Summerall is the voice of football and always will be.”

    (Image courtesy Riley’s Autographs/Wikimedia Commons)

  • 6.8 Earthquake Hits Papua New Guinea

    A 6.6 magnitude earthquake has hit Papua new Guinea. This is the second large earthquake to hit around the world in as many days.

    The U.S. Geological Survey, (USGS) is reporting that the 6.6 magnitude earthquake was centered 18 km to the Southeast of Aitape, Papua New Guinea. Aitape is a small town on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea with a population of around 8,000.

    The National Weather Service’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has not issued a warning for a Pacific-wide tsunami and doesn’t expect a tsunami to threaten Hawaii.

    This earthquake comes just one day after a massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Iran and Pakistan. Though that quake was centered in a mostly rural area, buildings and houses in the area were still destroyed. Reports have stated as many as 40 Pakistanis may have died.

    The earthquake in Iran caused little damage relative to its 7.8 Richter scale reading due to its depth, which was recorded by the USGS as being 82 km deep. The Papua New Guinea quake was much more shallow, being measured at 13 km deep.

    Australia’s foreign office has stated to AFP that there have been no reports of serious damage or injury.

  • Jada Pinkett Smith: Open Marriage Rumors Addressed

    Rumors have been swirling about Jada Pinkett Smith’s marriage to Will Smith since the actress made cryptic comments in a recent interview. More specifically, fans and gawkers wondered whether the couple have an open marriage.

    Now, Jada has directly responded to the rumors, in a way. The actress may actually have complicated the rumors a bit, since she has still not directly stated that her marriage isn’t open. That was her point, though, as she mused about what a marriage should be, and how trust and knowledge of a person are better than threats and controlling behavior.

    From the Facebook post:

    Open marriage?

    Let me first say this, there are far more important things to talk about in regards to what is happening in the world than whether I have an open marriage or not. I am addressing this issue because a very important subject has been born from discussions about my statement that may be worthy of addressing.

    The statement I made in regard to, “Will can do whatever he wants,” has illuminated the need to discuss the relationship between trust and love and how they co-exist.

    Do we believe loving someone means owning them? Do we believe that ownership is the reason someone should “behave”? Do we believe that all the expectations, conditions, and underlying threats of “you better act right or else” keep one honest and true? Do we believe that we can have meaningful relationships with people who have not defined nor live by the integrity of his or her higher self? What of unconditional love? Or does love look like, feel like, and operate as enslavement? Do we believe that the more control we put on someone the safer we are? What of TRUST and LOVE?

    Should we be married to individuals who can not be responsible for themselves and their families within their freedom? Should we be in relationships with individuals who we can not entrust to their own values, integrity, and LOVE…for us???

    Here is how I will change my statement…Will and I BOTH can do WHATEVER we want, because we TRUST each other to do so. This does NOT mean we have an open relationship…this means we have a GROWN one.

    Siempre,

    J

  • LeAnn Rimes Denies Rumors of Anorexia

    When LeAnn Rimes entered rehab last year, rumors swirled that the actress was suffering from an eating disorder, as pictures of the country singer looking very skinny had surfaced in tabloids. Rimes denied the rumors, stating that the rehab was needed to “develop coping mechanisms” for the bullying the star says she was a victim of.

    Now, Rimes has addressed the eating disorder rumors and much more in an interview with the Daily Mail. The singer stated that she never had a problem with eating, and that her weight loss was stress-related.

    My mind wouldn’t shut off and my heart was breaking,” said Rimes. “Now I’m secure about my body, although I’m like any other woman and have my moments of self-doubt.”

    Rimes’ stress stems from an affair she had with actor Eddie Cibrian in 2009 after the pair met on the set of the TV movie Northern Lights. Rimes at the time was married to her first husband, Dean Sheremet, and Cibrian was married to Brandi Glanville, who is now a reality TV star. Their affair became public, and Rimes endured years of criticism from both tabloids and Glanville.

  • Fox Pulls Family Guy Episode Over Boston Marathon Joke

    The network TV show Family Guy is known for its satirical and sometimes insensitive humor, but when jokes, in hindsight, hit too close to reality, even Fox won’t stand behind its hit show.

    According to a Reuters report, Fox this week has pulled the Family Guy episode “Turban Cowboy” from the Fox website and Hulu due to a joke in the episode that involves murder at the Boston Marathon. The studio also announced that the episode will not be rebroadcast.

    The episode, which aired on March 17, 2013, depicted the show’s main character, Peter Griffin, as he drives a car through Boston Marathon runners. He is then interviewed by sports reporter Bob Costas, who asks him how he “won” the marathon.


    Original Video– More videos at TinyPic

    Later in the same episode, Peter is depicted as accidentally setting off two separate bombs using his phone. These clips were later edited together to make it seem that Family Guy had predicted the bombings at the Boston Marathon this week.

    Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has condemned the clip, calling it “abhorrent.”

  • Star Wars Actor Dies; Richard LeParmentier Was 66

    Richard LeParmentier, the actor most famous for playing Admiral Motti in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, has died at the age of 66.

    The actor, who lived in the U.K., was reportedly visiting relatives in Austin, Texas at the time of his death. The cause of his death has not been released.

    LeParmentier had a long career on screen, appearing in over thirty movies and TV shows. His acting credits include roles in Rollerball, Superman II, Octopussy, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

    LeParmentier’s most well-known role, however, was as Admiral Motti in the first Star Wars movie. In his memorable appearance, Admiral Motti expresses overconfidence in the Death Star, saying, “This station is now the ultimate power in the universe.” He goes on to dismiss Darth Vader‘s musings on the power of the force, and receives the first on-screen instance of a ‘force choke’ in history.

  • ‘Captain Underpants’ Complaints Beat ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ in 2012

    A constant in history since the invention of the printing press is that censorship is always a threat to publishers and authors. In more recent times, the fear of U.S. parents that children might be exposed to written descriptions of or allusions to sex (or, in some parts of the U.S., magic) has caused a predictable stream of complaints and bans on certain books.

    The American Library Association (ALA) tracks such bans, and this week has issued its report on the state of America’s libraries in 2013. Though the sudden popularity of E. L. James’ Fifty Shades of Grey novels might first come to mind when guessing which books have endured the most complaints in the past year, it turns out that parents across the U.S. are more concerned about a kid in his underpants.

    The Adventures of Captain Underpants, the series of books that irreverently follows a superhero in ‘tighty whities’, were the most-challenged books of 2012. The Fifty Shades novels came in fourth place on the list.

    In second and third place on the list were Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian and Jay Asher’s Thirteen Reasons Why. Alexie’s novel is a semi-autobiographical young adult novel about his difficulties growing up poor on a U.S. Indian reservation. The book includes adult topics, such as racism, his father’s alcoholism, and multiple instances of violence. After the book began eliciting complaints from parents, Alexie wrote in the Wall Street Journal why he believes those types of complaints are meaningless when it comes to protecting children:

    Of course, all during my childhood, would-be saviors tried to rescue my fellow tribal members. They wanted to rescue me. But, even then, I could only laugh at their platitudes. In those days, the cultural conservatives thought that KISS and Black Sabbath were going to impede my moral development. They wanted to protect me from sex when I had already been raped. They wanted to protect me from evil though a future serial killer had already abused me. They wanted me to profess my love for God without considering that I was the child and grandchild of men and women who’d been sexually and physically abused by generations of clergy.

    Below are the ALA’s top 10 most-challenged books of 2012:

    1. Captain Underpants (series) by Dav Pilkey
    2. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
    3. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
    4. Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James
    5. And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
    6. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
    7. Looking for Alaska by John Green
    8. Scary Stories (series) by Alvin Schwartz
    9. The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
    10. Beloved by Toni Morrison

  • Kat Von D Wedding to Have Underwater Theme [RUMOR]

    Kat Von D is engaged (again) and the reality TV star is serious this time. The tattoo artist has revealed her plans for her marriage to DJ Deadmau5, which include a very non-traditional ceremony.

    Von D told People magazine this week that her wedding will be underwater-themed and take eldritch inspiration from the stories of horror writer H.P. Lovecraft. The wedding will reportedly feature performers dressed as mermaids and the wedding dress will also match the theme, with “iridescent teals, blues and deep violet ombré gradients.”

    Vond D and Deadmau5 became engaged back in December, when Deadmau5 proposed via Twitter. The couple had only reportedly been dating for a few months before the engagement.

    This is not the first time Von D has been engaged. In addition to a four-year marriage that ended in 2007, Von D also dated and was engaged to Reality TV star Jesse James. The couple ended their on-again, off again relationship in 2011, and earlier this year James married professional drag racer Alexis DeJoria.

  • New N. Korea Threats Issued Following Celebration

    On Monday, the citizens of North Korea celebrated the 101st birthday of Kim Il-Sung, the first leader of the country and the grandfather of its current leader, Kim Jong-un. Today, North Korea has issued more threats, continuing the rhetoric that has been sparking tensions on the Korean peninsula for weeks.

    According to a report from Reuters, the new threats are related to South Korean protests that took place during the North’s celebration. Portraits of North Korean leaders were reportedly burned during the protests, and North Korea is now demanding an apology from South Korea. According to the report, North Korea has threatened “sledge-hammer blows” if it does not receive such an apology.

    North Korea has been releasing inflammatory statements for weeks, criticizing joint U.S/South Korean military exercises near the border between the Koreas. The rhetoric has included the statements that North Korea now considers itself in a state of war and that it has rejected the Korean Armistice Agreement that ended the Korean War in 1953. The country has also cut off all communication with South Korea, including hotlines meant to stave off war. The U.S. has responded by deploying a greater military presence to the region, including F-22 stealth fighter jets.

    In other North Korea news, former NBA star Dennis Rodman has stated that he will be returning to North Korea in August to “hang and have some fun.”

  • Bob Perry Dies; Republican Donor Was 80

    Texas homebuilder and noted political donor Bob Perry has died at the age of 80.

    According to a report from The Dallas Morning News, Perry died in his sleep on Saturday night or Sunday morning at his home in Houston. The cause of the death has not been released

    In the late 1960s, Perry started a homebuilding business in Houston called Perry Homes. The company is now one of the largest home builders in the U.S.

    With the success of Perry Homes, Perry became wealthy, and used his wealth to support conservative political causes. He was a major donor for both George W. Bush and Rick Perry (no relation) during their campaigns for Governor of Texas. Perry was also reportedly donated over $900,000 to the Texas Republican Party in 2002.

    During the 2004 election, Perry was the largest single donor to the 527 group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, donating over $4.4 million to the group. Since that time, Perry has donated millions to organizations dedicated to electing Republican candidates, including 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

  • J.C. Penney: $850 Million Borrowed to Shore Up Inventory

    J.C. Penney today announced that it has borrowed $850 million from a revolving credit fund of $1.85 billion. The company stated that the money will be used to ensure the company’s liquidity and replenish inventory levels.

    “Earlier this year, we increased our revolving credit facility in anticipation of operating, working capital and capital expenditure needs, especially during the first half of the year,” said Ken Hannah, CFO for J.C. Penney. “As we near completion of the home department transformation in over 500 stores, we have been undertaking and will continue to experience a significant inventory build and increase in capital expenditures.”

    J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson stepped down last week after just over one year with the company. Johnson had attempted to move the retail company away from the modern department store strategies of constant sales and coupons. The strategy did not succeed, and J.C. Penney stock and revenue fell while debt rose. The company is now estimated to be more than $3.5 billion in debt.

    “While jcpenney has faced a difficult period, its legacy as a leader in American retailing is an asset that can be built upon and leveraged,” said Mike Ullman, who replaced Johnson as acting CEO. “To that end, my plan is to immediately engage with the Company’s customers, team members, vendors and shareholders, to understand their needs, views and insights. With that knowledge, I will work with the leadership team and the Board to develop and clearly articulate a game plan to establish a foundation for future success.”

    J.C. Penney’s pricing strategy has already begun to shift. The retailer is issuing coupons, and clothing prices are expected to rise in preparation for sales.