WebProNews

Author: Lacy Langley

  • Katy Perry Sparks Engagement Rumors. Again.

    Katy Perry has once again sparked rumors that she is engaged to the feral John Mayer, according to E!. The songbird looked phenomenal yesterday at the MTV Europe Music Awards, but it wasn’t her blue Zac Posen dress that caught the attention of the media. It was the sparkly on her special finger that had photogs flashing away and speculating.

    This would be the second marriage for Perry, 29, who began dating Mayer, 36, off and on last year. This would be Mayer’s first marriage, but would make Katy Perry the last in a long and impressive list of girlfriends, which include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson, Taylor Swift, and Jennifer Love Hewitt.

    John Mayer and Katy Perry took their love to the public last year in a media frenzy that billed her as the latest in a long line of girl toys for Mayer, but these two crazy kids just might make it. They have even made music together, with Mayer co-writing the song “Spiritual” off of Katy’s newest album, “Prism”. He’s not the only one lending a helping hand to his love. Perry lent her vocal talents to Mayer’s “Who You Love”, which is on his “Paradise Valley” album.

    In reality, it’s highly unlikely that Mayer is ready to settle down, but “sources” say that it’s only a matter of time for the two famous lovebirds. “Everyone wants them to get engaged.” one of these sources blabbed. “They are so perfect together.” The source added Mayer popping the question is “inevitable,” though most likely not anytime soon.

    Only time will tell if this relationship will turn from speculation-fueled tabloid fodder into the real thing. Then, maybe there will be a few moments of rest for the couple. Until the baby rumors start.

    Image via youtube

  • JFK Assassination: Yep, There’s an App for That, Too

    Are you a tech savvy history buff? Can you not get enough information on the JFK assassination in the midst of all the anniversary frenzy? Well, Apple has you covered. Check out the new Grassy Knoll Report App.

    The app is an interactive tool that uses historical research and analysis with modern photography and GPS-enabled maps, in order to fully explore the conspiracy of all conspiracies that ended in the death of John F. Kennedy in 1963. It was written by Joe Williams, who is an award-winning reporter and film critic for the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

    For 99 cents, you can explore the various conspiracy theories that have been floated over the years involving everyone from the CIA to the Mafia, and virtually stand behind the fence where the kill shot was allegedly fired. You can also visit Parkland Hospital where the famous “magic bullet” was discovered, or follow Lee Harvey Oswald on his journey from Mexico City to Dallas, where his life supposedly ended in murder.

    You can also take a virtual ride out to Oak Cliff where Dallas policeman J.D. Tippit was shot to death by a mystery gunman and shadow Jack Ruby on his infamous crazy weekend that ended in murder, and view the basement where Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald. What a ride.

    This thing includes articles on the assassination conspiracy theory, timelines, and coverage of key locations and people. You can also see how these locations look in the present day, as well as historical photos.

    This app is awesome for those of us that just happen to be obsessed with JFK, Oswald, or conspiracies in general. Even Jimmy Fallon knows a great thing when he sees it, saying, “The Grassy Knoll Report is amazing. Everyone needs to see this.”

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Jimmy Kimmel: Should He Be the One Fired for Remark?

    Jimmy Kimmel: Should He Be the One Fired for Remark?

    There have still been many protests over the weekend because of the ABC network and Jimmy Kimmel situation that occured last month on the show. People are touting signs all over the country that say things like, “Fire Jimmy Kimmel” and “No Fake Apology”. The question is, who should really be fired, if anyone, for the events that transpired? The fallout came from a segment on Kimmel’s show called “Kid’s Table”, where he asks kids about current events in order to garner their adorable opinions.

    When he asked one child how the U.S. should deal with its out-of-control debt problem, the kid said we should kill all the people in China. What happens to be the problem, is that Kimmel didn’t make the remarks, a child did. He also reportedly tried to defuse the situation. What people have a problem with, is why the segment was even aired at all, when there was an obvious risk of backlash, according to Yahoo. Is that Jimmy Kimmel’s fault?

    The trouble doesn’t stop at protests in the streets and signs that Kimmel and his colleagues may never see. ABC has already agreed to no longer air the “Kid Table” segment amidst the outcry, and now the White House has a We the People petition with 103,000 signatures of people who seek a “sincere apology”. Because regulating apologies is a job for Uncle Sam to be concerned with, apparently.

    The other concern is how deep will the scorn reach? ABC is owned by Disney. So, what will happen if people start to protest Disney or if advertising boycotts ensue? In as sensitive a society as we live in today, there is no telling what will happen as this situation unfolds. However, Disney could be in some pretty hot water soon if some serious damage control isn’t ordered soon.

    Image via youtube

  • Sarah Palin: “It’s Time to Stiffen Our Spines”

    Sarah Palin had some pretty harsh words for the Republican party yesterday as she spoke at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition’s annual fall banquet. Her words were geared toward the members of the party who agreed to go ahead and fund Obamacare to end the government shutdown, according to Reuters.

    She was joined in her efforts by Mike Lee, Republican from Utah, and Ted Cruz, Republican from Texas and Tea Party star, both of which were instrumental is the ill-fated attempt to defund Obamacare.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIhj0axRsBA

    Palin told the audience it is time to “stiffen our spines” for the 2014 elections. “I want to encourage you to make your voice heard, to hold politicians accountable,” she said. But that wasn’t all she said about politicians.

    She had some sharp words for those who caved to the pressure in the government shutdown ordeal. “They promised that they would do everything in their power to fight against socialized medicine, against Obamacare, but when it came time to stand and defund it, they waved the white flag of surrender and they threw under the bus the good guys who did stand up and fight for us,” Palin said, speaking of those like Cruz and Lee.

    In his speech on Saturday, Mike Lee had some ideas to think about before the next election season, such as “market-based alternatives” that could replace Obamacare if the Republicans hope to have success at the polls in 2014.

    “Frustration is not a platform. Anger is not an agenda and outrage, as a habit, is not even conservative,” Lee said.

    Cruz made a visit to Iowa last month where the first electoral event in the nominating process is held, making it a key state in election campaigns. Hmmm. I smell hopeful candidates. Would you vote for a Palin/Cruz ticket?

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Miss Universe 2013 Crowned, From Venezuela

    Yesterday, a new Miss Universe was crowned. The new reigning Miss Universe is from Venezuela, making her the 7th winner from the South American country, according to Time. According to People, Venezuela has more winners of beauty competitions than any other country.

    Pageants rank up there with baseball as one of the country’s most followed diversions. There is, in fact, a booming industry built around beauty in Venezuela. The industry is based around beauty salons, plastic surgeons and grooming schools that prepare girls for the thousands of various pageants that take place in Venezuelan schools, army barracks, and sometimes, even their prisons.

    These beauty competitions, along with baseball, break down the usual barriers imposed by social class and politics to bring the country together to stand behind their contestant.

    Last year’s winner, American Olivia Culpo, had the honor of crowning her successor in the over-the-top ceremony. Gabriela Isler, whose full name is Maria Gabriela de Jesus Isler Morales is a Television host in Venezuala on Venevision. She won out of 86 other competitors for the title of Miss Universe.

    This title is a dream come true for these contestants, who work for years to get in the Miss Universe competition. Saturday’s outcome had Isler understandably a little shaken up. “I have a lot of emotions. I can’t describe all the things that I feel at this moment because I’m shaking,” she said.

    Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro congratulated Gabriela Isler on her win, calling it a “triumph” for their country. Isler’s first job as Miss Universe 2013 will be to pose in a custom $1 million dollar swimsuit for photographers.

    Image via youtube

  • Jennifer Lawrence Talks Butt Injury and Timberlake

    Jennifer Lawrence is the latest celebrity to risk the pixie cut, according to Access Hollywood. We knew more were coming, as this seems to be a trend that is destined to hang on for a while. “It grew to an awkward gross length, and I kept putting it back in a bun and I was like ‘I don’t want to do this,’ so I just cut it off.” Understandable. Haircuts happen.

    However, that doesn’t mean Katniss will be sporting the cute blonde pixie as she battles her peers on the new “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” movie. “This isn’t how Katniss is going to look in the next movies – I’m wearing a wig for filming,” she said. Whew! I don’t think Katniss would possess the same fierceness if she was looking so adorable.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keT5CRhhy84

    Speaking of “Hunger Games: Catching Fire”, apparently she was injured on the set during a battle scene with some monkeys. But, not to worry. It was only her butt.

    “We were in the middle of doing this scene with the monkeys, so we’re all fighting these imaginary monkeys and it’s choreographed and all of sudden I was like, ‘Ahhh!’ It was like something just whipped my butt. Everybody was like, ‘Nothing happened – it was probably just a charlie horse,’” she said, but she didn’t buy it.

    “Josh [Hutcherson, who plays Peeta] is telling me it’s the ancient [Hawaiian] spirits, and I’m believing it, and then we slowed down [the tape] and we saw that the end of Sam’s [Claflin, who plays Finnick] trident, when he was spinning, just flew off and whacked me in the butt going like, 100 miles per hour!”

    Ah, it’s a dangerous job being an actress. It’s also a dangerous job being a teenager. Jennifer spoke of her childhood crush, saying she was absolutely in love with “’90’s Justin Timberlake.”

    “I remember buying the *NSYNC CD,” she said. “Remember how CDs had the pullout picture things? I got so overwhelmed with hormones, I almost threw up!”

    She must have a thing for curls?

    “Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is coming soon to a theater near you! November 22nd to be exact. I, for one, can’t wait to see Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss again.

    Image via youtube

  • Bill Cosby: Ready to Clean Up T.V.

    Bill Cosby is working again to bring shows back to TV that you can actually watch with your kids. After the immense success of “The Cosby Show” and “Fat Albert” as clean family shows, he is at it again to provide good entertainment to families who are eager for a change in what is on TV, according to TV Guide.

    “I want to be able to deliver a wonderful show to [a] network,” said Cosby. “Because there is a viewership out there that wants to see comedy, and warmth, and love, and surprise, and cleverness, without going into the party attitude.”

    One of the new shows that is in the works will be about older children and their relationship to their parents. He insists it won’t be a remake of “The Cosby Show”, even though it’s being produced by “Cosby” producer Tom Werner.

    He said this of the wide audience that is waiting for something clean and worthwhile to return to TV, “They would like to see a married couple that acts like they love each other, warts and all, children who respect the parenting, and the comedy of people who make mistakes. Warmth and forgiveness. So I hope to get that opportunity, and I will deliver the best of Cosby, and that will be a series, I assume, that we could get enough people week after week after week to tune in to, to come along with us.”

    He is also working on an animated remake of his “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids” show from the 70’s with writer and producer, Tom Straw. “It’s got to be animated, every bit of it. Maybe except for yours truly saying, ‘I told you this is going to be funny, and if you pay attention, you just might learn something.’”, he said. You’ll recognize, of course, the line he used to introduce the original series.

    I, for one, can’t wait to see what he will come up with. I look forward to, perhaps, a step in a good direction for TV in the coming years.

    Image via youtube

  • Patti LaBelle’s Son Testified in Bodyguard Trial

    Patti LaBelle’s Son Testified in Bodyguard Trial

    Zuri Edwards, Patti LaBelle’s son, testified on Friday in the ongoing assault trial of LaBelle’s bodyguard, Efrem Holmes. Edwards was involved in a confrontation at Bush Continental airport, between Holmes and a drunk instigator, Richard King.

    Holmes’ attorneys say that he was defending his client and her son from the onslaught of King, according to AP.

    Edwards testified that Richard King was “intoxicated, loud, obnoxious”. He was allegedly hurling racial epithets at his mother, Patti LaBelle. Then, he said, “I am instantly struck on my face, on the right side of my face.”

    King, a 23-year-old West Point cadet, had a blood-alcohol level of .28 percent. That is almost 3 ½ times Texas’ legal limit! He has claimed that he does not remember what happened the day of the airport incident, but decided to sue Patti LaBelle and Efrem Holmes anyway, for which they have countersued.

    Well, the courtroom knows what happened. Prosecutors showed a surveillance video which shows Edwards chest-bumping King, taking a punch from King, and then Holmes stepping in and punching King three times in the face. But, it didn’t end there. LaBelle’s hairdresser then got in the middle of it and hit King.

    LaBelle testified Thursday that she and her son, who works as her manager, had just arrived in Houston with Holmes, whom she described as “cuddly, very nice, very gentle”. She said that her son, Zuni Edwards, was loading luggage into an SUV for a trip to a performance at a Louisiana casino. That’s when Richard King staggered up to the limousine in which she sat and jiggled the handle, trying to get in.

    He then began yelling at her and that’s when Edwards intervened. King punched Edwards, and Holmes, the bodyguard, punched King, she said.

    “Nobody was trying to hit that kid,” said LaBelle, 69. “He started everything.”

    Time will tell who comes out on top of this mess, but I can make a guess…

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Scott Disick Has Kourtney’s Help with Mourning

    Bonnie Disick, mother of reality star Scott Disick, died on October 28th, presumably from complications which were the result of a long illness, but the cause of death has yet to be verified. Scott stars in the hit show “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” as Kourtney‘s longtime boyfriend.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZMZVOjOqlo

    He has been noticeably absent from a some of the more recent Kardashian family gatherings, and has missed some pretty big milestones, including Kanye West’s San Francisco proposal to Kim Kardashian on Oct. 21. He also missed Kourtney’s half-sister, Kendall Jenner’s 18th birthday party that was held at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia on Oct. 29. There was also, not that big of a deal, but apparently still important, Kardashian matriarch and manager Kris Jenner’s birthday festivities on Tuesday night, which Scott did not attend.

    He flew with Kourtney from L.A. to New York to attend his mother’s wake on the 30th, which was a small event, attended by a few close family and friends.

    Disick was “devastated” by the loss. According to RadarOnline, he “was very close to his mother.” Disick was an only child. He grew up in Eastport, Long Island, with Bonnie and his father, Jeff Disick.

    His parents appeared in a 2011 episode of “Kourtney & Kim Take New York”. That was the episode where Kourtney took their son Mason to visit his grandparents in the Hamptons following Disick’s public struggle with alcoholism. Scott and Kourtney now have two children together, Mason, who is now 3, and their daughter Penelope, who is 1.

    The couple, who have been together since 2006, took off after the wake to the Dominican Republic for some downtime, and to allow Scott to recuperate from the death of his mother.

    Image via youtube

  • Lara Logan Apologizes for Flawed Report on Benghazi

    Lara Logan made an apology on behalf of CBS for the erroneous report on the Benghazi attacks last year. The report raised questions about the Obama administration’s response to the attacks on the Libya compound, casting doubt on whether the administration sent all possible help to try to save Stevens and his colleagues, according to CNN.

    The story was then cited and used as fodder by congressional Republicans. They then demanded to know why a military rescue was not attempted.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PR8GcBOolQ

    “In this case, we were wrong. We made a mistake,” Logan said. “That’s disappointing for any journalist. It’s very disappointing for me.”

    The horrific attack left four Americans dead, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens. One of the main sources for the “60 Minutes” report, which aired on October 27, 2012, was a security contractor identified as under the fake name, “Morgan Jones”. That source was later known as Dylan Davies, who is now author of a book, detailing his account of the attack, called “Embassy House”.

    Lara Logan said of Davies, “What we know now is, he told the FBI a different story to what he told us. That was the moment for us when we realized that we no longer had confidence in our source and we were wrong to put him on air, and we apologize to our viewers.”

    Davies told CBS back then, that he was able to reach the Benghazi compound on the night of September 11, 2012. His account included him scaling a wall and fighting off a militant. The fallout from this apology has hit Davies hard. Threshold Publications, the publisher of the book, has suspended the sale and publication of the book and now recommends taking the copies of “Embassy House” off shelves and returning them. Since this news broke CBS has, not surprisingly, been unable to get in touch with Davies.

    “We verified him, confirmed who he was, that he was working for the State Department at the time, that he was in Benghazi at the special mission compound the night of the attack,” Logan said. “He showed us — he gave us access to communications he had with U.S. government officials.”

    Davies’ fifteen minutes are officially over in a big way.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Sam Donaldson Acquitted of DUI Charges

    Sam Donaldson Acquitted of DUI Charges

    DUI charges against Sam Donaldson have been dismissed, according to the AP. A Delaware judge has ruled that police lacked cause to arrest him and lacked evidence for the charges brought from that fateful night last December.

    Police say the officer that stopped Donaldson in the town of Lewes for a traffic violation determined that the 79-year-old veteran news anchor had been drinking. She then gave Donaldson a field sobriety test, and Donaldson, a resident of McLean, Virginia, was charged with drunk driving.

    The arresting officer, Katie Couchman, testified that she saw Donaldson’s car driving on the shoulder of the road, weaving from one side of the shoulder to the other. When she pulled him over, he rolled down his driver’s window and spoke to her and she said she immediately smelled alcohol. She also stated that she saw an opened but re-corked wine bottle near the passenger’s seat, according to delmarvanow.com.

    She said Donaldson’s story was that his girlfriend had broken her hip that day when they were riding bikes, and that he was going to visit her at Beebe Medical Center. He said he’d had dinner and was bringing his girlfriend leftovers. He admitted that while at the restaurant, he’d had “a few glasses of wine.” She also testified that he failed verbal, as well as physical sobriety tests.

    Sam Donaldson’s case was aquitted anyway and defense attorney Eric Mooney said he was “extremely satisfied” with the outcome of the case. When the verdict was announced, Donaldson strolled over to Coachman and, in an act of good will, said, “You did your duty as you saw fit. I bear no animus toward you whatsoever.”

    Donaldson’s long and respectable career was marred by this unfortunate incident. His career at ABC News included a run chief White House correspondent and co-host of the show, “PrimeTime Live”. He was also the co-host of the immensely popular “This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts.”

    Image via youtube

  • Michelle Trachtenberg Speaks Russian for Oswald Role

    The 50th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination is coming up with much fanfare. There are specials on just about every news channel that are being billed as the one to watch. However, one that stands out is “Killing Kennedy”, which is not going to air on a news channel, but on the National Geographic channel.

    The cast can’t be beat, with the adorable Rob Lowe playing John F. Kennedy, and Ginnifer Goodwin as Jackie. But the role that stands out in this show is Michelle Trachtenberg as the elusive Marina Oswald, in a character that normally hides in the shadows of this story. Trachtenberg hopes to shed new light on Marina as a wife and mother living in that era, according to E!.

    “She was demonized for being married to at the time the world’s greatest villain, the core of evil and she was just a woman who loved her husband,” she says. “To this day, from everything that I’ve read about Marina, she has always thought that Lee was innocent. So as an actress, I had to go about playing her and thinking, ‘OK, my husband is innocent. I believe this.’”

    Also, surprisingly, she didn’t have to learn Russian to play Marina Oswald. She already knew it! How many actresses can you say that about?

    “I’ve always dreamed of doing a role and speaking Russian. I am fluent in Russian but to change the way that you speak to reflect a housewife in the late ’50s and ’60s is already an adjustment. And then when you’re putting in the Russian, everything is an extra thought,” she says.

    The story is done with the lives of John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald careening toward each other in parallel. The life of JFK will be shown, infidelity and all, accurately with the marital and political struggles he faced leading up to his encounter with Oswald on that fateful day, November 22, 1963.

    Rob Lowe puts it well, “The question is why do we need another Kennedy movie? The answer is because of the brilliant construct of the way this story is told of taking Lee Harvey Oswald and JFK at the same moment in time in 1960… These parallel lives meeting like Titanic meets the iceberg, you know it’s coming.”

    “Killing Kennedy” airs Sunday night on the National Geographic channel.

    Image via youtube

  • Mormon Church in Florida Will Be Largest Land Owner

    The Mormon church in Florida is already one of the states largest landowners, claiming Deseret Ranches, which is a 290,000 acre cattle and citrus operation that covers three counties in central Florida, according to Reuters.

    There are 44,000 head of cattle on that ranch, which is near the route of the All Aboard Florida privately funded train between Orlando and Miami planned for a 2015 launch.

    They have owned this property, which is located 50 miles southeast of Orlando, for over 60 years. Deseret’s website states it is owned by Farmland Reserves which is a non-profit company. Another firm, Deseret Cattle and Citrus, which is a division of AgReserves, is responsible for actual ranch operations.

    Now the Mormon church, in a new deal with St. Joe Company, a Florida real estate firm, will become THE largest private landowner in Florida with the purchase of 400,000 acres in the states panhandle region. The deal, which is expected to be finalized in the first quarter of 2014, by the church’s company, AgReserves, Inc., is in the amount of $565 million.

    It still awaits regulatory and shareholder approvals, but when finalized will make the Mormon church owners of an astounding almost 2% of Florida’s land mass, or exactly 672,834 acres.

    The property is mostly timberland. According to St. Joe Company, the church “intends to maintain timber and agricultural uses of the lands”, except for plans approved by Osceola County for future development of a 19,000-acre section of the Deseret Ranches located 10 miles from Orlando International Airport. Besides that section, virtually all of the church’s holdings remain in rural and agricultural uses.

    St. Joe real estate company was originally created as a paper mill enterprise by a member of the family that founded the chemical company DuPont. They will shrink its holdings big time to 184,000 acres, mostly in Northwest Florida, for proposed future real estate development.

    Image via wikipedia

  • Winona Ryder Was Bullied, Then Homeschooled

    Winona Ryder is known for a lot of things. Being the original pixie cut rebel, the shocking shoplifting incident of 2001, and being a 90’s poster girl for Generation X angst (remember “Reality Bites”? Of course you do.). Now she can add bullying victim to her list.

    Winona Ryder recently opened up about a bulllying incident in Junior High School that actually went on to change her life. She had a short haircut at the time, and a group of boys thought she was a gay boy, according to ABC.

    “I remember the halls were empty and these kids started shouting ‘faggot,’ and I didn’t think they were talking to me,” she said. “Walking home after leaving the nurse’s office — and I’ve never talked about this — I remember pressing on the bandage because I wanted it to look more dramatic. I had this inner monologue going of Humphrey Bogart, like, ‘being roughed up!’ I was pretending I was in some gangster movie. It was oddly my way of dealing with it, because if I didn’t, I probably would have been really scared.”

    After the terrifying incident, Winona was homeschooled, which freed up her time so that she was able to attend classes at the American Conservatory Theater in San Fransisco. While she was there, she was discovered, and the rest is history!

    “Had I not been homeschooled, I would not have been able to go,” she said. “It’s almost weird fate that it happened that way.”

    From there, Ryder went on to receive a Golden Globe in 1993, and currently has three Oscar nominations to brag about. After her arrest for the above-mentioned 2001 shoplifting, her career in movies went down the tubes. But, in 2010, it had a revival with her role in the smash, “Black Swan”. Now she is enjoying a nice comeback in the upcoming releases, “Homefront“, which comes out this month, and “Divergent”, which is slated to be released in March of next year.

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Miranda Lambert Love Floods Twitter

    Miranda Lambert Love Floods Twitter

    MIranda Lambert made a huge splash last night at the CMA’s looking toned and healthy for her big win!

    She won her fourth Female Vocalist of the Year Award, as well as the admiration of many fans when she debuted her new look. Lambert was worried about a milestone coming up that would make now the time to go for it.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29hXrVL-5u8

    “I’m going to be 30 in like four days, so I’m like, ‘I need to get ahead of this thing!’” she said. “They say when you hit 30 it doesn’t get easier.” Whoever “they” are, they are right! Good for her.

    She looks healthy and doesn’t worry about weight, but focuses on her health, according to Today.

    She said, “I don’t care about being stick-thin. I don’t want stuff to jiggle. Really skinny actresses make me hungry.”

    “I see them and think, Honey, you need to eat! I’m lucky I don’t have to live like that,” she added. “I feel my best when I’m a toned, not flabby, size 8. Women come up to me and say, ‘You’re beautiful and confident,’ and that makes me feel I can be, too.”

    Lambert also garnered a ton of attention on the gauge of society that we know as Twitter:

    Image via youtube

  • Satellite Falling to Earth: No Word on Location Yet

    Nobody knows where the fragments of the 2,000-pound European satellite will hit or when they will, but what we do know, is that they will begin re-entry into the atmosphere on Sunday or Monday, according to Rune Floberghagen, mission manager for the Gravity Field and Steady-State Ocean Explorer, better known as GOCE.

    “Quite literally GOCE is now nearly flying like an airplane without an engine,” Floberghagen said,”with the upper layer of the atmosphere providing aerodynamic stabilization.”

    The European Space Agency said on its website that the pieces will most likely fall in unpopulated areas or open water, but will be narrowed down closer to re-entry.

    So what is this satellite? According to CNN, GOCE was launched in 2009 to map variations in the Earth’s gravity in 3D.

    It was also used to provide ocean circulation patterns and make various other measurements. GOCE became the first seismometer in orbit on March of 2011. That’s when it detected sound waves from the earthquake that struck Japan.

    The satellite ran out of fuel on October 21st, which was much later than expected, and due to the lack of fuel, began to slowly fall. On November 4th, the ESA’s website stated that rate of descent will steadily increase in the coming days.

    Should you, as a citizen on the ground, be worried that satellites will suddenly start dropping from the sky? Nope. According to the Christian Science Monitor, the satellite has completed its mission, has run out of fuel like it was supposed to, and is coming to its “natural end”.

    All the money spent on GOCE was worth it, though. “We have obtained the most accurate gravity data ever available to scientists. This alone proves that GOCE was worth the effort – and new scientific results are emerging constantly,” said Volker Liebig, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programs.

    Image via ESA

  • Ruben Studdard Still Plans to Be a Big Loser

    Ruben Studdard was kicked off of the reality show “Biggest Loser” last night. His “Idol” star power and status as the heaviest contestant this season made him a fan favorite, but he was just not up to the challenge of keeping up with his counterparts on the show.

    This week, he had to lose 11 pounds to stay. He only lost 5, according to Reality TV magazine.

    On the show, he said, “This experience is one of the toughest things I’ve been through. I’ve been through two-a-day football practices; I’ve been through the American Idol experience; I’ve been through a lot of mentally and physically challenging experiences in my life. And this, you know, ranks right up there at the top.”

    The main reason he didn’t measure up this week appears to have been a temptation challenge in which Ruben indulged WAY more than is ever wise for a contestant that is in danger of elimination. However, he is not letting it get him down. He did, after all, lose 40 pounds, and that’s a pretty serious start!

    In a blog, he wrote, “I’m glad that I had the courage to come to the ranch and show the world that you’re never too far away to turn and go right.” He continued, “I may not be the Biggest Loser, but I am a champion!”

    His attitude will go a long way in insuring that he will continue on his weight loss plan. “My goal coming to The Biggest Loser ranch was to leave here a changed person,” he said after his elimination. “I think I reached that goal.”

    Good for him! We’re still rooting for you, Ruben!

    Image via youtube

  • Miranda Lambert Debuts New Toned Body

    Miranda Lambert took home her fourth straight Female Vocalist of the Year award at last night’s CMA‘s, but that’s not what have everyone gushing this morning.

    Lambert debuted a new, slimmed-down and toned body in a blue halter dress, then a strapless black lace stunner, both cut short to show off her impressively toned gams.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29hXrVL-5u8

    She hinted at her transformation at Tuesday’s BMI Awards in a form-fitting black dress, but the difference from her appearance at the Grammy’s in February and last night is astounding.

    What does hubby Blake Shelton think of his wife’s transformation?

    Doesn’t get any more clear than that.

    According to Today, she says her secret is working out, drinking juice and “running around”. There is a certain milestone coming up that she admitted had her a little worried. “I’m going to be 30 in like four days, so I’m like, ‘I need to get ahead of this thing!’” she said. “They say when you hit 30 it doesn’t get easier.” Man, that is the truth.

    Lambert says her size isn’t about being stick thin, it’s about being healthy. She is quoted as saying, “I don’t care about being stick-thin. I don’t want stuff to jiggle. Really skinny actresses make me hungry,” she said. “I see them and think, Honey, you need to eat! I’m lucky I don’t have to live like that. I feel my best when I’m a toned, not flabby, size 8. Women come up to me and say, ‘You’re beautiful and confident,’ and that makes me feel I can be, too.”

    She did say that she might have some Cheetos to celebrate last night’s win. I’m sure after her win, someone ran out and picked up a bag just for her.

    Image via youtube

  • Khandi Alexander Begins “Scandal” Run Tonight

    Khandi Alexander, of “Treme”, “CSI:Miami”, and “ER” fame, also known from “NewsRadio”, if you remember that far back, has been tapped to join the cast of the immensely popular show, “Scandal“. She will start today, to play the role of Maya Lewis, who is Olivia Pope’s (Kerry Washington) mother, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

    This will be a unique role, in that it will be in flashback form. It was revealed during last week’s episode that Huck (Guillermo Diaz) and Jake (Scott Foley) discovered that Maya Lewis apparently died on a civilian airliner that was shot down by Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) before he became President.

    Goldwyn had this to say about the plot line, “The audience can imagine what that must be like to find out that your mother was murdered along with hundreds of other people. So the fact that her father was behind it is incomprehensible. It’s going to really complicate [Olivia and Rowan’s relationship] because Rowan remains a very dangerous person. It’s not like everyone can just expose him or take him out. It becomes a very volatile and dangerous situation. You can imagine how devastating it is for Olivia.”

    The choice ended ongoing speculation about who would take on the coveted role, with other guesses including such names as Phylicia Rashad, Lynn Whitfield, and Jenifer Lewis.

    Khandi Alexander is a very highly-respected actress in TV land. She won a Vision Award for Best Actress in a Drama Series for the “Treme” role in 2011, and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series in 2012. Not too shabby.

    Scandal airs tonight and every Thursday at 10pm on ABC.

    Image via youtube

  • Jennifer Aniston Chops Hair, Looks Amazing

    Jennifer Aniston Chops Hair, Looks Amazing

    Jennifer Aniston’s hair is once again making headlines, but this time for a much different reason. We’ve all had that trip to the salon that made us want to crawl in bed afterward, and not come out until it was back to its pre-stylist condition. Well, it seems Aniston had one such trip recently. See? Not even celebs are exempt from beauty shop blunders.

    Apparently, the snafu is the result of some complications from a procedure called a Brazilian blowout, in which “My hair went through a phase, this thing called a Brazilian and my hair did not react really well to it,” she said. Brazilianblowout.com says this about a Brazilian blowout, “Through the use of innovative and breakthrough bonding technologies, these treatments actually improve the health and condition of the hair by creating a protective protein layer around the hair shaft to eliminate frizz and smooth the cuticle.”

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbSuEesSEoU

    However, this little bump in the road is not getting her down, according to Us Weekly. After all, her hair is really, really cute in this new choppy bob style. Time will tell if this thing catches fire like “The Rachel” did. She said, “I’m always one of those girls who does a big old chop just to get it really healthy, to repair all the [damage from] hair coloring and stuff like that. And I just got bored, honestly. It’s fun to change it up once in awhile.”

    As a regular chopper, I can relate to her sentiment. “I don’t know, man. I did it! I feel great. I feel lighter. It’s simple, it’s really simple, that’s for sure,” she said. I wonder, will Jennifer Aniston be the next celeb to jump on the Pixie train?

    Image via youtube

  • Tilda Swinton Honored at MoMA’s Annual Film Benefit

    Tilda Swinton was honored Tuesday night in New York at the Museum of Modern Art’s annual Film Benefit. The tributes highlighted her 20-plus year acting career and her contributions to the world of modern art and fashion, according to the New York Times.

    The guest list at Tuesday night’s event was nothing short of astounding, and included everyone from Mayor Micheal Bloomberg to David Bowie, who was a chairman for the gala and also performed with her in his music video for “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)”.

    Anna Wintour, the editor of Vogue, was there, as well. Vogue featured Tilda Swinton in the early 90’s, and she has been a Vogue favorite ever since. Wintour said of Swinton, “She’s fearless and she’s so diverse in her choices. Many movie stars or celebrities tend to get comfortable in a certain role and a certain type of film, a certain style of dressing. Tilda is very adventurous.”

    Karl Lagerfeld, the photographer for that first Vogue shoot in the 90’s was there, and he said of Swinton, “She’s not one of those girls in the fishtail dresses. No, no, no. She has more style than that. And people think she’s like a chic fashion victim. She’s the most down-to-earth person you will ever meet.”

    Even Michael Bloomberg sang the praises of Tilda Swinton as he attended her tributes, even though some major political election night goings-on were happening. “I’m going to be here for the entire evening enjoying myself,” he said. “And later on, whoever wins, I’m going to call them and congratulate them.”

    Also attending the star-packed evening was director Spike Jonze, who worked with her in “Adaptation”, Tony Gilroy, the “Michael Clayton” director for whom Ms. Swinton played a lawyer, and highly-respected actor, Ralph Fiennes, who was among the gala’s chairmen.

    During the evening, Swinton made her way through reporters as well, expressing her thanks for the kind tributes and words on her behalf. “How lucky I am.” she said.

    Image via wikimedia commons