Mereja

Author: Sean Patterson

  • Zoe Saldana Talks Mental Health, Star Trek

    Actress Zoe Saldana was rocketed to fame when she starred in James Cameron’s Avatar, and soon after cemented her place in science fiction history by taking the role of communications officer Nyota Uhura in the 2009 reboot of the Star Trek movie franchise. However, her taking over the ground-breaking Star Trek role that was once played by Nichelle Nichols almost didn’t happen.

    Saldana is appearing this month on the cover of both InStyle Hair and Latina magazine. The actress spoke with Latina about her recent career, and stated that she “was afraid” to take the Star Trek role and felt “overwhelmed.” From the interview:

    “…I thought: ‘Maybe I should just take some time off and focus and just rest?’ But my mom is a Trekkie, and my team was like, ‘Zoe, are you stupid? Don’t let fear immobilize you. This is an amazing opportunity to step into the shoes of an iconic character in an iconic series and it’s in space and you’re a sci-fi buff.’ And I was like, ‘oh my God, who am I kidding? Absolutely. I’ll totally do it.’”

    The star also spoke about the rumors of her “meltdown” after Avatar (she called them “completely blown out of proportion”) and the backlash she endured after being cast in the role of singer Nina Simone in a new biopic.

  • Coma Request: Bob Seger Concert Wish Granted

    A Michigan woman who was in a coma for over five years has had her waking request granted: she has gone to a Bob Seger concert.

    According to a report from CBS news station WNEM, a woman named Evie Branon, who fell into a coma following a stroke, recently awoke and issued an odd request. After the 79-year-old turned the page on the coma chapter of her life, she woke one morning and issued a request: “I want to go to a Bob Seger concert.” The staff at the nursing home where she was staying took the request to heart, and arranged for Branon to take a limousine to Thursday’s Bob Seger concert in Auburn Hills, Michigan.

    Branon told WNEM that she has seen Bob Seger in concert before, but that she was hoping the rock star will grant another of her requests on this occasion.

    “I’m learning how to stand up so I can hug him, and I wanna hug him and give him a great big smooch,” said Branon

    WNEM TV 5

    (Image courtesy Adam Freese – Mitchell, SD/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Kelly Ripa on Regis: “I Haven’t Seen Him”

    After Kelly Ripa took over Kathie Lee Gifford’s seat on the renamed Live! with Regis and Kelly, she spent ten years sitting next to Regis Philbin on the morning talk show. Despite the morning show couple’s memorable farewell in November 2011, it seems that Ripa never got personally close to Philbin.

    Ripa reportedly told The Hollywood Reporter this week that she hasn’t seen her former co-host when asked if she kept in touch with Philbin. The comment was made at the publication’s celebration party for its ’35 Most Powerful People in Media’ issue. Ripa also compared Philbin to her new co-host, former New York Giants NFL star Michael Strahan, joking that “they’re both incredible football players.”

    After Philbin retired, Ripa spent almost one year co-hosting Live! shows with a rotating cast of auditioning co-hosts, including Neil Patrick Harris, Jerry O’Connell, Joel McHale, Jerry Seinfeld, D.L. Hughley, Rob Lowe, and Mario Lopez before Strahan was chosen for the role.

    Ripa attended The Hollywood Reporter’s event with her husband, actor Mark Consuelos. In addition to discussing co-hosts, Ripa and Consuelos bantered about whether former U.S. Congressman Anthony Weiner should make a run for mayor of New York City:

  • Kris Humphries Sued by L.A. Suit Shop

    Brooklyn Nets star Kris Humphries has had a tough year off the court. While dealing with a contentious divorce from reality TV star Kim Kardashian, Humphries also lost out on dating pro skier Lindsey Vonn when she fell in with pro golfer Tiger Woods.

    Now, it seems that even the places at which Humphries shops are making his life difficult.

    TMZ is reporting that Humphries has been sued by a L.A. suit shop over a deal the shop claims Humphries didn’t follow through with. The suit shop owner claims that Humphries received a 30% discount at the store, and in exchange promised to bring the shop to the attention of at least two of his NBA friends. The shop is asking for $52,000 from Humphries for “damages” and unpaid bills.

    Humphries has not responded publicly to the lawsuit, though the NBA star did tweet out a cryptic message late Thursday night:

  • Deadliest Catch Star Missing? Elliot Neese Absent in Season 9 Preview

    For the past two seasons, Elliot Neese has been captaining the Ramblin Rose as the youngest captain on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch. This season, however, Discovery has teased that Neese may have lost his job commanding the Rose.

    A first-look trailer for the ninth season of Deadliest Catch was released this week, and Neese’s absence seems to be a large part of the storyline. His fellow sailors are seen wondering why Neese is missing as they prepare to embark on the treacherous crab fishing season on the Bering Sea.

    Sig Hansen, captain of the Northwestern, doesn’t seem surprised that Neese hadn’t yet shown up, saying, “No owner’s gonna let a guy own a boat and not produce. You’re gonna lose your job.”

    However, as with all things reality TV, what is shown is not necessarily the truth. It seems that the season preview is simply a teaser meant to build tension before Neese’s return.

    According to a report from The Hollywood Reporter, Neese has gone a staggering $1 million into debt to own his own boat, named F/V Saga. Neese has even bragged about his return to the show via his Twitter account:

     
     

  • Octomom: Angelina Photo Shoot Pics Released

    It seems that Nadya Suleman believes she is in danger of being forgotten. The ‘Octomom’, best known for giving birth to octuplets in 2009, is featured this week in new pictures featured in In Touch magazine. The photos depict the single mom in clothing made famous by actress Angelina Jolie.

    Nadya told In Touch that Jolie is her idol, though she states that Jolie, who has six children, has it “easy.” Suleman has fourteen children.

    In January 2013 it was reported that Suleman is on welfare after a rocky 2012. Last summer the ‘Octomom’ starred in a solo porn movie titled Octomom Home Alone, which features Suleman masturbating. Around the same time, Suleman appeared at a strip club in Florida to pay her bills. She was admitted to rehab in October, reportedly for an addiction to prescription Xanax.

    (Image courtesy In Touch)

  • Lindsey Vonn Spotted Cheering Tiger Woods at the Masters

    Lindsey Vonn is currently undergoing intense physical therapy for her right leg, but it evidently isn’t enough to keep her from cheering on her new man.

    Vonn, who is currently dating golf star Tiger Woods, showed up at The Masters Tournament on Thursday to show support. According to a report from the New York Times, the blonde ski pro was wearing a dress that was long enough to cover the leg brace she currently has on her right leg. Vonn told the publication that she would see Woods play the first hole and watch the rest of the tournament from the clubhouse.

    Vonn and Woods officially announced that they were dating back in March, though rumors of their relationship go back as far as January. It was later revealed that Kim Kardashian ex Kris Humphries was also courting the skiing star.

    Vonn’s rehab is the result of a horrific crash she endured at a competition in Austria in February. She later had surgery performed on her right knee. Vonn has set a goal of competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, and is now chronicling her recovery on social media.

    Lindsey Vonn4 days ago

    Rehab is going well! Double leg squats already. Love working hard! #grindinginthegym #rockinakneebrace

    Powered by socialditto  1,000+ likes ·  678 comments

  • Mickey Rose Dies; Woody Allen Collaborator Was 77

    Mickey Rose, a longtime friend of Woody Allen, has died. He was 77 years old.

    According to a Los Angeles Times report, Rose died on Sunday, April 7. His daughter, Jennifer, informed the publication that he had been diagnosed with cancer in January.

    Rose was a childhood friend of famed director Woody Allen. Rose helped Allen write two of his early films, Bananas and Take the Money and Run. Though he did not collaborate with Allen further, Rose went on to write for television. The L.A. Times report states that he was a comedy writer who wrote jokes for Johnny Carson, Sid Caesar, and “other top comedians and show of his era.” He also reportedly wrote for TV shows that include The Smothers Brothers, All in the Family, The Odd Couple, and The Tonight Show.

    Allen has released a statement on Rose’s death through his biographer, stating:

    “Mickey was one of the funniest humans I know, a true original and a total eccentric and a wonderful first baseman. We played a lot of baseball together. Once, when I asked him what death meant to him he said, ‘no more malteds.’”

    (Image courtesy the L.A. Times)

  • Fatal Text Message Released as Warning by Grieving Family

    Though the practice is known to be dangerous, and is now outlawed in much of the U.S., texting while driving is something that many teens and adults do on a regular basis.

    This week, a grieving family, who claim their son’s death was due to text messaging while driving, is issuing a warning to other drivers. Greenly, Colorado police and the family of Alexander Heit, who died last week after becoming distracted by texting, are pleading with the public to avoid Alexander’s fate. To hammer this message home, an image of the text that Alexander was crafting at the time of the accident has been released. It reads: “Sounds good my man, seeya soon, ill tw.”

    Alexander Heit's final text

    “I can’t bear the thought of anyone else having to go through something like this,” said Sharon Heit, Alexander’s mother. “Please, vow to never, NEVER text and drive. In a split second you could ruin your future, injure or kill others, and tear a hole in the heart of everyone who loves you. And in honor of Alex’s memory, please do something kind for a stranger who needs help, as Alex always wished for a world were people were kinder to each other.”

    According to police, 22-year-old Alexander had become distracted by his texting while traveling on a road with a narrow dirt shoulder. He began drifting into oncoming traffic in the opposite lane and then over-corrected, flipping his car over the side of the road. He died at the North Colorado Medical Center some time later.

  • Lindsay Lohan Cries as Letterman Brings Up Rehab

    To put it mildly, Lindsay Lohan has had a rough few years. While dealing with criminal charges, arrests, probation, and rehab, her once fast-moving career has come to a screeching halt.

    There are signs, though, that the ginger actress is improving both her health and acting prospects. Lohan starred as Elizabeth Taylor in last year’s poorly reviewed Lifetime TV movie Liz & Dick, and more recently guest-starred in the Charlie Sheen Network TV show Anger Management.

    This week, Lohan appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman to talk about

    Unfortunately for Lohan, Letterman did not slow-pitch the interview, joking about the star’s past before grilling her about her future. In the end, the interview ended up being a mini-intervention on national television.

    Letterman began by reading a few of the monologue jokes he has made about Lohan in recent years, and moved on to being serious, asking her about her upcoming rehab and her addictions. Lohan will be heading for a long stint in rehab (three months) starting May 2nd.

    “To be honest, I’m the happiest when I’m working and the healthiest,” said Lohan. “I think this is an opportunity for me to, you know, focus on what I love in life, and I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I think it’s a blessing.”

    Lohan tried to steer the interview onto the topic of Scary Movie V, which Lohan was there to promote, but Letterman didn’t let up, pulling out a list of Lohan’s past convictions. Lohan ended the interview tearing up, dabbing at her eyes while Letterman complimented her on her poise and “spine” in showing up for the interview.

    Following the Letterman interview, Lohan tweeted out her thanks to all of the fans who support her:

  • Dave O’Hara Dies; Sports Reporter Was 86

    Longtime Boston sports writer Dave O’Hara has died at the age of 86.

    According to a report from the Associated Press, O’Hara died of cancer at his home in Winter Haven, Florida.

    O’Hara spent 50 years writing for the Associated Press. Much of that career was spent in Boston, where he covered sports, including the Celtics, the Red Sox (including the infamous ‘Buckner’s folly’ incident during the 1986 World Series), Ted Williams, and Larry Bird.

    According to the AP, O’Hara began his career in 1942 as a copy boy in the AP’s Boston bureau. He was 15 at the time. Aside from his time in the Korean War and a short stint covering Milwaukee sports in the early 60s, O’Hara covered Boston sports and became the AP’s New England sports editor in 1965. O’Hara retired in 1992

  • Kate Upton, Diddy Dating Rumors Denied

    Rumors this week surfaced that supermodel Kate Upton and producer Sean “Diddy” Combs could be an item. The New York Daily News reported that the two were spotted at club LIV in Miami Beach, “sucking face.” The pair also reportedly had an “intimate” dinner in New York.

    Now, however, it seems that the mystery girl seen making out with Diddy may have been a Kate Upton look-alike. The model’s representative has told the New York Post that the reports of Upton-Diddy sightings are “laughable.” Upton was, according to her rep, “on vacation with her family” during the times she was reported to be in New York and Miami. Also, the rep added that the pair “don’t know each other at all.

    Both Upton and Diddy have also refuted the rumors on their Twitter accounts. Upton calls the stories “not at all true” while Diddy has stated that he doesn’t “even know Kate Upton personally.”

  • Komodo Dragon Attack Leaves 83-Year-Old Injured

    Despite having “dragon” right in their name, Komodo dragons don’t, as first glance, appear to be extremely dangerous. However, as anyone who has ever played the video game Far Cry 3 could tell you, the large lizards can be quite dangerous and have poisonous, infectious bites.

    This week, AFP is reporting that an 83-year-old woman on the Indonesian island of Rinca was attacked by a Komodo while sitting outside her house. The lizard reportedly bit her right hand and wrist as she was making a broom from a coconut tree. She screamed for help and kicked the Komodo, which then released her.

    According to the AFP, the woman needed 35 stitched to close the wound on her arm. Though her hand was paralyzed after the incident, some movement has returned. Her wish is for the hand to heal so she can continue making brooms.

    This is the latest in a series of recent Komodo dragon attacks that have hit Rinca Island. In February two Komodo National Park officers were hospitalized after a Komodo dragon infiltrated the park office and attacked them. In October 2012, another older woman on Rinca was attacked as she prepared fodder for her livestock.

    (Image courtesy Spencer Weart/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Armstrong Sells Estate in Austin, Texas

    Lance Armstrong has had a rough couple of years. Once the most beloved athlete in the U.S. for his story of overcoming cancer to become a seven-time Tour de France winner, the cyclist has now fallen into disgrace. After years of litigation, the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency last year stripped Armstrong of his titles and banned him from the sport of cycling. Armstrong has lost the support of sponsors and is now facing several lawsuits related to the doping scandal. He recently gave an interview with Oprah Winfrey in which he issued an apology and admitted to doping.

    This week, the Austin American-Statesman is reporting that Armstrong has sold his 1.7-acre estate in Austin, Texas. The report stated that Al Koehler, the founder of Royalty Clearinghouse, has taken out a $3.1 million loan to purchase Armstrong’s estate, which includes a 7,850-square foot house.

    Armstrong bought the estate in 2004 and renovated it, hanging his seven yellow Tour de France victory jersey’s on the walls of the house. The athlete also owns a home on Hawaii’s Big Island.

    Armstrong was recently spotted in Los Angeles and is rumored to be in talks with movie studios over a biopic of his life. If the cyclist is planning a more permanent move to L.A., he could look into buying the infamous Playboy Bunny House, which just went up for sale and is located directly across the street from the Playboy Mansion.

  • Woman Wins $40M, Not $40K From Canadian Lotto

    A Canadian woman this week was overwhelmed this week after learning she had won money in the Ontario lottery.

    According to a report from Chicago’s ABC 7, 51-year-old Maria Carreiro of Toronto had originally thought she had won only $40,000. When her daughter informed her that she had, in fact, won $40,000,000 she “ran down the street like a crazy woman.”

    Though $40,000 is quite a windfall, $40 million is a life-changing amount of money. While accepting her gigantic cardboard check this week, Carreiro danced a jig for the cameras and began singing thanks to her god. The woman related to onlookers that she will be going to Hawaii, as she has never gotten a honeymoon in her 30 years of marriage.

    Carreiro reportedly played the same lottery numbers, based on her children’s birthdays, for 20 years. On this occasion, though, she had taken a “quik-pick” ticket.

  • Sarah Palin, Tesla CEO Trade Social Media Jabs

    Sarah Palin, the political pundit who gave up on governing the state of Alaska, this week issued yet another political rant through her Facebook page. In it, she excoriated President Obama for attempting to “pick ‘winners and losers’ in the free market.” She pointed out that Fisker Automotive, an electric car company that has “received nearly $200 million in taxpayer money” is now laying off around 80% of its U.S. workforce. From the Facebook post:

    This is really just the latest manifestation of the administration’s crony capitalism as their green energy buddies benefit from this atrocious waste of taxpayer money. Americans really need to get outraged by these wasteful ventures. As we’ve seen time and time again, We the People are always stuck subsidizing the left’s “losers.”

    Palin’s criticisms echo other conservative commentators, who have been criticizing the U.S. Department of Energy’s clean energy loan program in recent weeks. She went on to make fun of a popular recent target, electric car company Tesla Motors. She stated that Tesla’s “Obama-subsidized” vehicles brick when the battery completely discharges, costing $40,000 to repair.

    Tesla Motors announced earlier this month that it expects to finally turn a profit in the first quarter of 2013. Tesla co-founder and CEO, Elon Musk, took to Twitter to sarcastically state that he was hurt by Palin’s words, and to point out that the Tesla Model S warranty covers battery bricking:

    Musk is, of course, the type of entrepreneur that many conservatives idolize. In addition to co-founding Tesla and PayPal, Musk is on the forefront of privatizing the space industry as the founder of SpaceX. Taking advantage of a government incentive, whether it’s a tax break or (as is the case with Tesla) a loan, is simply a part of business.

  • Kevin Bacon: Apology Issued For Spoiler Post

    [Author’s Note: This post contains the same spoilers Bacon has apologized for]

    Along with the instant, worldwide capabilities of the web has come the dreaded accidental spoiler. In the past, fans of a TV series would have to actively search for spoilers, but now every Tweet or blog post brings with it the risk of having the latest twists ruined.

    This week, actor Kevin Bacon demonstrated this new reality perfectly, while also demonstrating why localized, staggered release schedules for content will only become more problematic as more of the world becomes connected.

    Bacon currently stars in the Fox network TV show The Following, a drama that follows an ex-FBI agent named Ryan Hardy as he helps his colleagues catch serial killers. In the latest episode, which aired in the U.S. on April 8, it is revealed that Hardy himself may be a killer.

    The twist surprised fans, and Bacon retweeted one fan’s surprise to his Twitter page:

    Unfortunately, fans of the show in some countries that aren’t the U.S. haven’t gotten the chance to watch that episode yet. They immediately let Bacon know he had screwed up, in the polite way that angry people on the internet normally do.

    Bacon has now issued an apology, which in includes a short Vine video in which the actor issues a repeated mea culpa:

    (Image courtesy Genevieve/Wikimedia Commons)

  • Wrestlemania Burns: Dry Ice Was the Culprit, Says Triple H

    Anyone who watched Wrestlemania 29 this past weekend may have wondered what exactly was stuck to Triple H’s torso during his appearance at the event. It turns out that the stuff was dry ice, which burned the wrestler during his ‘No Holds Barred’ match against Brock Lesnar.

    According to a TMZ report, Triple H was hit with dry ice while making his entrance into the MetLife Stadium arena. The special effects that accompanied the wrestler’s bombastic entrance blasted the wrestler with the super-cold carbon dioxide, giving him second-degree burns.

    Being a professional wrestler, however, Triple H worked through the pain. He endured a 24-minute match against Lesnar to, as the storyline held, save himself from forced retirement.

    Triple H took to Twitter this week to show off the aftermath of the burn:

    Triple H also injured his left arm during the Wrestlemania match, leading to a series of X-rays and a bandaged wrist shortly after the fight:

  • Wife Killed Over HIV Fear by Arizona Man

    A man from Goodyear, Arizona has admitted to stabbing and killing both his wife and 27-year-old son.

    According to a report from Phoenix CBS station CBS 5, 62-year-old Eugene ‘Gino’ Maraventano used a 14-inch kitchen knife to stab his wife while she slept. He then knocked on his son’s bedroom door and sliced his son’s throat when he answered the door. He called 911 four days after murdering his family and admitted to the crime.

    Maraventano told police that he had been planning to kill his wife and then commit suicide. He stated that he tried slicing his wrists and taping a plastic bag around his head, but failed in his suicide attempts.

    Maraventano’s wife, Janet, had been sick and tests for cancer had recently come back negative. The man told police he was afraid that he had given his wife a sexually transmitted infection, such as HIV, through his contact with prostitutes.

    As for murdering his son, Maraventano told police that he didn’t think his son, who was unemployed, could get by on his own.

    CBS 5 – KPHO

    (Image courtesy Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office)

  • George Bush: $500 Million Raised For Presidential Library

    George W. Bush‘s presidency will be be felt throughout the world for some decades to come, and now the 43rd president of the United States has also ensured that his presidential library will be the best-funded presidential center in history.

    According to a report from Time magazine, President George W. Bush has raised more than $500 million for the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. Loosed from the constraints of campaign finance laws, Bush was able to raise more money for the center than he raised during either of his presidential campaigns.

    Mark Langdale, the president of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, told Time that half the money will pay for the construction of the building, which is located on the campus of Southern Methodist University (SMU). Other portions of the money will go to SMU and the U.S. government, while the remaining portion will be used to fund the George W. Bush Institute. Landale stated that the institute will contribute to “advancing freedom and the principles that have guided President and Mrs. Bush in their service to their country.”

    The George W. Bush Presidential Center is scheduled to be dedicated during a ceremony on April 25.