Author: Sean Patterson

Yesterday 21-year-old Shain Gandee, one of the stars of MTV’s new reality show Buckwild, was found dead in Sissonville, West Virginia. His body was reported to have been found in a vehicle with the bodies of two other men, one of which was his uncle, David Gandee.

Today, new details about Gandee’s death have emerged. The Charleston Daily Mail is reporting that Gandee was found in the driver’s seat of a 1984 Ford Bronco, in a mud pit not far from the reality TV star’s house.

The Kanawha Sheriff’s Department told the Daily Mail that the vehicle was “partially submerged in deep mud” and that the muffler was completely submerged. This has led to speculation that carbon monoxide poisoning may have been the cause of the mens’ deaths. A spokesperson for the sheriff’s department has stated that carbon monoxide poisoning is “plausible,” though the cause of death has not yet been confirmed.

Gandee’s Buckwild co-stars have been expressing their condolences, disbelief, and mixed feelings about his death via Twitter:

CBS was broadcasting the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional final between Louisville and Duke on Sunday when Louisville player Kevin Ware suffered one of the most gruesome injuries ever seen in college basketball. As Ware jumped to block a three point shot he landed poorly, snapping his tibia (shin) bone in half.

CBS replayed the event twice in the immediate aftermath, but then placed a ban on showing the footage any further. Sean McManus, chairman of CBS Sports told the Associated Press that the decision not to replay the footage further was an easy one, as the injury can be seen using DVRs or the internet. He went on to say that he has seen how popular the footage is on YouTube, and has “no problem with that.”

With that statement in mind, and to satisfy the morbid curiosity in all of us, the replay of Kevin Ware’s injury is embedded below. The footage is from quite a distance, but the event is still very cringe-worthy:

For those who are still curious, a close-up of Ware’s injury (the un-cropped version of the photo at the top of this story) can be viewed at the following link. Be aware, though, that the injury is quite disturbing, and probably NSFW:

Kevin Ware’s injury

Ware is reported to already be back on his feet, with crutches. Ware has been tweeting his thanks for all the well-wishes he has received and even tweeted a picture of his leg in its current state:

Italian scientists believe they may have found the famed “gate to hell” known as Pluto’s Gate. The site was believed to have been built on top of a cave that emits toxic gas, which was believed by the Greeks and Romans to be the entrance to the underworld, where Pluto, god of the underworld, resided. The temple at the site is thought to have been destroyed by Christians in the 6th century.

According to a Discovery News report, Italian archaeologists at the University of Salento believe they have found the cave in Turkey. After retracing the route of a thermal spring, the scientists found a cave with ruins – including columns bearing inscriptions referring to the gods Pluto and Kore.

Ancient texts place Pluto’s Gate in the city of Hierapolis, now present-day Pamukkale, Turkey, where archaeologists found the ruins.

The scientists told Discovery News that a number of birds died during the excavation process, killed by carbon dioxide fumes that emanate from the cave. Researchers state that worship ceremonies at the site in ancient times involved animal sacrifice, in which animals would be thrown into the cave.

(Image courtesy Francesco D’Andria/University of Salento)

It turns out that Heidi Klum has skills that go beyond hosting and modeling. The 39-year-old host of TV show Project Runway has told US Weekly that she had a hand in saving her family from drowning.

According to the report, Klum was on a beach in Oahu, Hawaii this week when a riptide swept two nannies and her seven-year-old son Henry out into the water. She and her bodyguard, Martin Kirsten (who is also her boyfriend), were able to play Baywatch and save the stranded swimmers. Heidi admits, though, that Henry was able to swim back to shore by himself.

Klum and her family had been vacationing in Hawaii for the Easter holiday. Before the incident occurred, Klum had posted a picture to her Twitter feed depicting Easter eggs sitting on the black volcanic rock of a Hawaiian beach:

Former NFL player and coach Jack Pardee has died at the age of 76.

According to the University of Houston, Pardee died on Monday, April 1, succumbing to gall bladder cancer. A Houston football scholarship has been founded in Pardee’s name, and will be awarded yearly to a Houston football walk-on.

“When my father was diagnosed back around Thanksgiving, we were able to have many great conversations about the past and the future,” said Ted Pardee, one of Jack’s five children and a radio commentator for Houston football. “One conversation was around what his lasting legacy would be. He truly loved the time spent at the University of Houston and wanted to find a way to help a deserving, hardworking, dedicated athlete who might not have the means to pay for their own college tuition. He could have offered his name to a lot of different charities or scholarship funds, but this was what my dad wanted to do. I hope you will join our family in support of this worthy fund.”

Jack Pardee began his football career at Texas A&M, where he was one of the famed ‘Junction Boys’. After college, Pardee went on to play linebacker with the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins during the 50s, 60s, and 70s. He then began a career coaching football for over 20 years. Pardee coached teams in the World Football League, U.S. Football League, Canadian Football League, and NFL, including the Houston Oilers. He also coached the University of Houston football team from 1987 to 1989.

“Today, we mourn the passing of a great man who dedicated his life to the game of football and was a true gentleman in every sense of the word,” said Mack Rhoades, vice president for intercollegiate athletics at the University of Houston. “It was not a coincidence that success followed Coach and his teams wherever he worked, and the University of Houston program was blessed to have him lead our football program during some of our most exciting times. I know I speak for all Houston fans and the entire department when I offer our sincere condolences to Phyllis, their children and grandchildren. He will truly be missed by all who had the pleasure to know him.”

21-year-old Jessica Fingers was found dead on Easter Sunday in a Columbia University dorm room.

According to a report from the New York Post, Fingers was found to be unresponsive by her boyfriend and another friend late on the morning of March 31. She was declared dead at the scene by first responders.

Fingers had been a student at Columbia, but was currently on leave. She was reportedly in New York City visiting friends, including her boyfriend. It has been reported that Fingers, who is from Monticello, New York, was a star high school student and an accomplished cross-country runner.

The cause of her death has not yet been officially determined, though foul play is not suspected. Police do suspect that Fingers may have died of a drug overdose.

Kevin Shollenberger, dean of student affairs at Columbia, has released a statement to the student body expressing the university’s regrets and informing students that counselors, advisors, RAs, and the university chaplain are currently available for grieving students. From the statement:

It is with deep sadness and regret that I write to inform you of the untimely loss of one of our students who has been on leave from Columbia but visiting campus at the time of her passing.

Although the local police department has made contact with the family, unfortunately, at this time we have been unable to reach them. Out of respect for the family, we will not release the student’s name until we have done so.

When we lose a member of our community, we are all affected by the loss. During this time, I encourage you to rely on one another and University resources…

(Image courtesy Nowhereman86/Wikimedia Commons)

R&B singer and convicted felon Chris Brown was on the Today Show this morning to promote his new music video for the song “Fine China.” He also used the opportunity to try and revamp his public image.

Brown became one of the most hated and ridiculed music artists in 2009, when he was arrested and convicted of beating fellow R&B singer Rihanna. Since that time, Brown has been the subject of jokes meant to highlight the seemingly light punishment the singer faced for the domestic abuse, as well as the fact that it did not seem to derail his career.

Speaking with Matt Lauer, Brown had a different perspective on the incident. Lauer asked the singer how he has changed since the incident.

“Well, you know, for me I’ve been humbled by the whole experience, you know?” said Brown. “From me losing everything, you know, to me having to regain, you know, public opinion or whatever it is. But most importantly, you know, knowing that what I did was totally wrong, you know, and having to kinda deal with myself and kinda forgive myself in the same breath. And, you know, being able to apologize to, you know, Rihanna, and being able to be that man that can be a man, you know?”

Brown went on to assure Lauer that he put in his time with domestic violence counseling and that and incident like that would “absolutely” never happen again.

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Shain Gandee, one of the stars of MTV’s Buckwild, was found dead this morning in Sissonville, West Virginia.

According to a report from the Charleston Daily Mail, 21-year-old Gandee was found in a vehicle with two other bodies. Gandee was reported missing on Sunday after failing to return from a 4-wheeling trip with his uncle. The other two bodies are reported to be those of Shain’s uncle, David Gandee, and a man named Robert Myers. The cause of their death has not yet been released.

The series Buckwild premiered on MTV this January. The series follows the lives of young adults living in rural West Virginia.

MTV has released a statement expressing its condolences:

“We are shocked and saddened by the terrible news about Shain Gandee, and those involved in this tragic incident. We are waiting for more information but at this time, our main concern is for the Gandee family and their friends. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Shain had a magnetic personality, with a passion for life that touched everyone he met and we will miss him dearly.”

Get More:
BUCKWILD, Full Episodes

E! News is reporting that ER star Mekhi Phifer has married his long-time girlfriend Reshelet Barnes.

The wedding ceremony, which took place in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, is reported to have taken place in front of around 100 family and friends. Phifer wore a white suit for the short wedding, during which the couple held a “sand ceremony.”

Phifer has been married once before, to actress Malinda Williams in 1999. Williams is best known for her role in the movie A Thin Line Between Love and Hate. That marriage lasted until 2003, and the couple share a son, Omikaye, who participated in Phifer’s recent wedding. Phifer also has another son, born in 2007 to his girlfriend at the time.

Phifer is well-known for his roles in movies such as 8 Mile, This Christmas, and the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. On television, he played the role of Dr. Gregory Pratt in the medial drama ER from 2002 until 2008, when the character is killed off in the first episode of the show’s 15th season. Most recently, Phifer has landed roles in the TV shows White Collar and Husbands, as well as the movie The Love Section.

During her appearance on the first season of The Apprentice, Omarosa Manigault made the show a hit with her portrayal as a confrontational, cutthroat contestant. However, her ruthlessness wasn’t enough to guarantee her the win, and she was fired by Donald Trump halfway through the show.

Manigault went on to become known simply as Omarosa, starring in several reality TV shows. She continued to play up to her reputation, making waves wherever she went.

In the current season of Celebrity Apprentice, Omarosa has finally returned to the show that made her a reality TV star. Unfortunately, she has now heard Trump tell her she is fired for a second time.

This week on the show, Omarosa entered the boardroom with Dennis Rodman and Lil Jon. While arguing for her place on the show, Piers Morgan, working on Trump’s side of the desk, told Omarosa that she is “not a celebrity.”

Despite her arguments, Trump narrowed his firing candidates to Omarosa and Rodman. Trump eventually decided that Rodman will be staying on Celebrity Apprentice, if for nothing else than his “redemption story.”

“Omarosa, I adore you,” said Trump, just before firing the reality TV star.

Joan Rivers is known for her acerbic, often insulting, comedy. However, when the subject of Rivers’ ridicule is an easy target like singer Adele‘s weight, the comedy can easily strike sensitive people as outright mean.

On the Late Show With David Letterman Rivers made jokes about Adele’s weight, saying that Adele’s song “Rolling in the Deep” should have “Fried Chicken” tacked onto the end of the title.

It wasn’t the first time Rivers had joked about Adele’s extra pounds. Last October on Twitter, Rivers made fun of the singer just as she gave birth to her first child:

In an interview this week with the Huffington Post, Rivers, true to form, did not back down from her earlier jabs. She went on to make another crack about Adele’s weight, saying that she took out an ad on the singer’s ass and still had room for plenty of other ads.

To defend herself, Rivers appealed to “reality” saying, “Adele is beautiful and successful, has, what, a hundred million dollars? I’m saying she’s fat, let’s face reality – she’s fat.”

Of course, any good will the comedian may have bought with her honesty was quickly washed away by another reference to Adele and fried chicken:

During last night’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional final between Louisville and Duke, Louisville player Kevin Ware jumped to block a three point shot and landed poorly, breaking his leg, including his tibia (shin) bone, in two places. The gruesome injury was caught on live TV and Ware’s teammates can be seen reacting viscerally to the injury, which occurred directly in front of the Louisville bench.

According to an Associated Press report, Ware underwent leg surgery soon after the injury. The bones in his leg have been successfully set, with a metal rod inserted into his tibia.

According to Louisville coach Rick Pitino, Ware could be back on the court as soon as next year. He related to the AP that Ware’s injury is similar to one Louisville football player Michael Bush sustained in 2006. Bush went on to have a successful career playing for the Oakland Raiders and Chicago Bears in the NFL.

The following link provides a clear look at Ware’s injury. It is not safe for either work or life, but does show exactly why Ware’s teammates reacted the way they did: Ware’s injury.

(Image courtesy Reddit)

Last week, American Idol judge Nicki Minaj told three contestants to “get off the stage” after what she considered a lackluster performance of the Four Tops’ “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch).”

At least one of the contestants took offense to Minaj’s remarks. Devin Velez, who was eliminated from the Fox karaoke competition last week, later cracked that Minaj “could have been upset because the night before she was wearing the same colored dress as Mariah,” referring to Mariah Carey, another American Idol judge.

Minaj has now responded to Velez’s remarks with some harsh comments on her Twitter feed:

Burnell, Devin & Lazaro – Can't Help Myself… by IdolxMuzic

Elwin Wilson, a former Ku Klux Klan member who later apologized for his racist actions, has died.

According to an Associated Press report, Wilson died at a South Carolina hospital at the age of 76. Wilson’s wife, Judy, related that he had struggled with hearth and lung problems for years, and recently contracted the flu.

It isn’t often that members of the Ku Klux Klan publicly renounce their views on race, but Wilson made news with a very public apology in 2009. He apologized directly to John Lewis, a U.S. Representative from Georgia. Wilson had reportedly taken part in a beating which included Lewis during a civil rights march in the early 60s.

Wilson admitted to being a Ku Klux Klan member in the past, but stated that he could not reconcile his religious beliefs with his racism. He recalled that he attended cross burnings, hung effigies, and threw fruit at black men during his time with the Klan.

Lewis has stated that Wilson’s apology was meaningful to him as it was the first apology he received for the violence he encountered during his time as a freedom rider in 1961.

As North Korea continues to release inflammatory statements about joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises on its border, tensions between the two Koreas are rising higher than they have in recent years.

North Korea has stated that it is now at war and will now no longer abide by the Korean Armistice Agreement, which ended the Korean war in 1953. The country has gone so far as to cut off communication with South Korea, including hotlines meant to stave off war. Communication with U.S. and U.N. forces have also ceased.

U.S. officials have been playing down Pyongyang’s rhetoric in recent weeks, likening it to the past posturing that North Korea is known for. However, chances are not being taken that the nuclear-armed country is merely bluffing.

According to a Reuters report, the U.S. has now deployed F-22 stealth fighter jets to South Korea. The jets will become a part of ongoing military drills, as well as a show of force to North Korea. The deployment of F-22s follows the deployment of B-2 stealth bombers to the Korean peninsula last week.

U.S. and South Korea have made it clear that any provocation by the North will result in a swift military response.

According to the Reuters report, North Korea this week convened a meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers’ Party of Korea. At the meeting, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is reported to have stated that the country’s nuclear weapons will not be on the table for future negotiations.

Robert Zildjian, the founder of Sabian Cymbals, has died. He was 89.

According to an Associated Press report, Zildjian died at his home in Brunswick, Main on Thursday. Zildjian had reportedly been battling cancer.

Zildjian was born in to a family of Armenian cymbal makers who had passed their cymbal-making secrets down through the generations. In 1979, Zildjian’s father died and left the controlling share of the Avedis Zildjian Company to Zildjian’s brother, Armand. Robert and Armand did not get along, and after a contentious court battle Robert founded Sabian Cymbals in 1981.

Sabian has released a statement regarding Zildjian’s death via its website. The statement, in full:

It is with deep, deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Robert “RZ” Zildjian, our beloved founder and leader. A tireless and dynamic force within the drum industry, he inspired each one of us in the Sabian family to work harder, to reach farther, to make a difference – and he led us by example.

His professional story is well known. Having been dealt a major career setback at an age where most men would have opted for retirement, RZ instead chose to re-invent the cymbal business with his own hand-crafted brand, a brand that would forever change the face and sound of popular music. With his bare hands he shaped the Sabian cymbal brand into his life’s story – and by extension we became his family.

We mourn his passing, and he will be forever in our hearts. But we are better people for having known RZ, and we are richer for having worked alongside him. We draw comfort from the knowledge that his spirit will live on in the music made by drummers the world over.

Rest in peace, RZ.

(Image courtesy Sabian)

Jennifer Lopez is a big draw for any event. So big, that she can demand the staff at events do just about anything to please her. Unfortunately, there comes a point at which demands become too big to fulfill.

The New York Post is reporting that Lopez lost out on a potentially huge gig due to outrageous demands. The singer was reportedly in talks to headline the opening ceremony of India’s Premier League cricket tournament.

The paper’s unnamed sources stated that Lopez was asking for a private plane and hotel rooms for “an army of stylists, assistants, and a personal chef.” The event’s organizers balked at the demands, and Lopez will not be singing at the popular sporting event. The post quotes one source as saying the singer’s demands were “outrageous” and that she “effectively priced herself out of the event.”

Lopez recently appeared as a 2011 host on the Fox karaoke competition American Idol and starred alongside Jason Statham in the movie Parker, which was released in January. The singer is currently working on a new album that is due out this summer.

Poor Matt Lauer. In-between dealing with the fallout from this week’s New York Magazine expose on the troubled firing of Ann Curry from the Today Show and apologizing to former interns over Twitter, the man just can’t seem to get along with his newest female co-host.

Lauer and co-host Savannah Guthrie were out in Times Square doing a segment on vacuum cleaners this morning when Guthrie had a little trouble operating the confusing device. As the segment wrapped up, Lauer cracked that it was “the first time Savannah has ever vacuumed.”

Guthrie took offense to the joke and let fly with a spontaneous one-finger salute in Lauer’s direction.

Guthrie has since claimed via Twitter that she actually raised her index finger, not her middle finger:

However, viewers who saw the live performance are feeling pretty certain that Guthrie’s middle finger was the one raised. Watch the video below and decide for yourself:

Whichever finger that was, the intent behind it was clear, though the gesture certainly seems playful rather than mean-spirited. Either way, I think we can all agree that the vacuum cleaner salesperson needs to work on her pitch.

(Image courtesy @markashby11 via Twitter)

Reality TV actress and amateur porn star Kim Kardashian‘s pregnancy has been the subject of much speculation these past few weeks. In particular, the rumor that the baby’s father, R&B star Kanye West, might name the baby “North” has enthralled the tabloid media.

This week, Kardashian went on The Tonight Show to promote Keeping Up With the Kardashians. She and Jay Leno, of course, spoke about her pregnancy, which Kardashian revealed was a “pleasant surprise” that “wasn’t really planned.”

She goes on to say that she has a list of baby names, and that some of them don’t start with a k. Kardashian then emphatically shot down the “North West” rumor, stating that North is not a name on the couple’s list. However, she followed up by suggesting that another joke name, “Easton,” might actually be suitable.

As Lindsay Lohan strives to piece back together her career while avoiding further legal troubles, the tattoos on her body have become the subject of much internet speculation.

Today, the New York Post is reporting that Lohan’s triangles tattoo has some sort of “spiritual” meaning to the actress. Lohan reportedly received the tattoo last year, getting a tattoo artist to come to her mother’s house for the job. She and “close friend” Liam McMullan are reported to have gotten identical tattoos at the time to symbolize some sort of “deep spiritual bond.” The Post’s unnamed sources told the paper that the tattoos supposedly symbolize the “dangers out there” and “two spiritual energies inside each other.”

The tattoo in question is of two thin red triangles, one inside of the other. Below the triangles is the phrase “What Dreams May Come” – a reference to Shakespeare’s famous Hamlet soliloquy.

Besides having the personal meaning of her tattoo leaked, Lohan has hopped into bed this week with Charlie Sheen on the TV series Anger Management. She also, like many celebrities, tweeted her support for same sex marriage: