Tuesday, June 24, 2008

It Could Happen to Hugh. Hefner's Aching Back

Could Hugh Hefner's loose lifestyle have led to health problems?


"I have some aches and pains and I have had lower back problems since the '80s," Hefner told Pop Tarts. "Too much time in bed rustling around with friends," he said with a laugh.
Hef's been healthy since suffering a stroke in 1985. Those were the best years of his life.

[Fox News]

Monday, June 23, 2008

George Carlin Greeted by Alanis Morissette


George Carlin, one of the seminal stand up comedians of all time, has died of heart failure at the age of 71. Carlin was a controversial figure whose routines often pushed the social norms on the issues of religion and, well... pretty much everything. And he pushed hard. Carlin's edgiest routines were at the heart of a 1978 Supreme Court ruling affirming the government's rights to regulate the airwaves.

His oft-quoted "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television"routine may as well have been called "Seven Words All Junior High School Kids Always Say Repeatedly," but the nomenclature wasn't always widespread. Carlin was arrested for disturbing the peace in 1972 when he uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee.

"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," Carlin said. "In the context of that era, it was daring." "It just sounds like a very self-serving kind of word. I don't want to go around describing myself as a 'groundbreaker' or a 'difference-maker' because I'm not and I wasn't," he said. "But I contributed to people who were saying things that weren't supposed to be said."
Carlin was the kind of guy who would make Fox News run the headline "Counterculture Comedian George Carlin Dies at 71," but to the rest of us he was a cultural comedian, and more accurately- cultural commentator.

Carlin hosted the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live, and in the very worth it to own "Live from New York: An Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live" Lorne Michaels shares an anecdote over a battle between himself/Carlin and the NBC network heads over what George Carlin would wear for his hosting duties. In the end, they compromised and Carlin wore a suit - with a t shirt.

That, to me, was Carlin: a t shirt in the age of the suits. Sadly, he'll never say those seven words on television ever again.

[CNN]

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Amy Winehouse's Heart Still in her Music (Barely)

Singer Amy Winehouse has lung damage and irregular heart beat, says her father.

Soul diva Amy Winehouse has damaged her lungs by smoking crack cocaine and cigarettes, her father said in an interview published Sunday.

The Sunday Mirror quoted Mitch Winehouse as saying that Amy has an early stage emphysema and an irregular heartbeat, and has been warned that she will have to wear an oxygen mask unless she stops smoking drugs.

"The doctors have told her if she goes back to smoking drugs, it won't just ruin her voice, it will kill her," Mitch Winehouse was quoted as saying.
Winehouse collapsed this past week. Maybe she shouldn't have said "No" to rehab after all.

[CNN]

Friday, June 20, 2008

Pat Summerall Not Yet Ready to Sign Off

Legendary broadcaster Pat Summerall, 78, was resting comfortably Friday morning in an area hospital after undergoing emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding.

Cheri Summerall said doctors told her a new medicine her husband recently started taking didn't mix well with other medicines and induced the bleeding.

The surgery took place Thursday.

"He has really turned the corner," Mrs. Summerall said. "The doctors are thrilled with Pat's progress. We are expecting a full recovery."
It sounds like Summerall is going to have a good summer after all.

[Dallas Morning News]

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Last Dance on Last Legs for Cyd Charisse

Scoring Update! The points change, death remains the same...

Dancer and actress Cyd Charisse, whose legs were insured for a million dollars in the heyday of the Hollywood musical, died at her home in Los Angeles on Tuesday, her agent said. She was 87. Scott Stander said Charisse, a regular partner of legends Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, suffered a heart attack at her home and "never recovered." She died at 12.15 am (0715 GMT).

"We're all just heartbroken," said Stander, describing Charisse as "one of the classiest ladies you would have ever met."
Congratulations and 24 points awarded to Remains to Be Seen. The Rosters and Standings have been updated.

[AFP]

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Shouldering the Load, Sean Connery Chips Bone

Sean Connery has been injured in a fall while playing golf. He chipped a bone in his shoulder and has his arm in a sling. Connery, 77, took a tumble at an exclusive club in Westchester, New York.

Last night his spokeswoman Nancy Seltzer said: "He tripped while playing golf. He is not in hospital.

"He is fine and enjoying visiting his family."

Connery was rushed to Northern Westchester Hospital in the Big Apple's Mount Kisco and released after treatment.
We assume that Connery's injury is part of a larger plot to save the world from destruction. The man is simply unstoppable

[Sunday Mail]

Friday, June 13, 2008

Stop (Meeting the) Presses - Tim Russert Dies at 58


Sometimes a loss is so sudden, and so fast, and happens to someone so young, vibrant, intelligent, and, yes, important, that all you can do is shake your head and relay the tragic news:

Tim Russert, NBC journalist and political heavyweight host of "Meet the Press," has died after collapsing at NBC's Washington news bureau, a source said. He was 58 years old.

Russert, who rose from the inside world of politics where he was former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo's press secretary and one-time chief of staff to the late Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, was able to successfully cross over to political journalism and rise to become one of its leading lights.

In his role as host of the seminal Sunday morning political program "Meet the Press" - which he took over in 1991 - he became renowned for his hard-nosed interviews where he frequently cornered some of Washington's cagiest political figures with tough questions.

Deepest condolences to the Russert family, NBC, and frankly, all of America.

[NY Post]

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Author Eliot Asinof is the Latest Man Out

Eliot Asinof, an author who invited readers behind the scenes of the sports world with books including "Eight Men Out," died Tuesday at the age of 88. The Ancramdale resident died at a hospital in Hudson of complications from pneumonia, said his son, Martin Asinof. Asinof was best known for "Eight Men Out," his 1963 retelling of the "Black Sox" scandal in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox threw the 1919 World Series. He spent more than three years exhaustively researching the book, his son said.

Asinof was himself a minor-league ballplayer, briefly playing in the Philadelphia Phillies' organization before joining the Army and serving in World War II. Earlier this year, he completed a memoir about his wartime service, his son said.

"He was writing right up to the end," Martin Asinof said of his father.
It took Asinof three years of research to write "Eight Men Out." We can't help but wonder how many men were "called out" during that period of time.

[Canadian Press]

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Barbara Billingsley was an Absent Mom

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in North Hollywood brought together some of Hollywood's older living actors to celebrate and honor them last month. But one mom wasn't feeling her old chipper self.

The TV moms I interviewed on stage included Cloris Leachman ("Lassie." "Phyllis," "The Ellen Show"), Diahann Carroll ("Julia"), Marjorie Lord ("The Danny Thomas Show"), Marion Ross ("Happy Days"), Holland Taylor ("Two and a Half Men"), Tichina Arnold ("Everybody Hates Chris"), Bonnie Franklin ("One Day at a Time"), Catherine Hicks ("7th Heaven") and Meredith Baxter. Barbara Billingsley, age 93, ("Leave it to Beaver") was hospitalized and unable to attend, but was honored in absentia.
We guess in this case for Billingsley it was "Make it or Leave it."

[Yes! Weekly]

CFL Star Tyrone Jones Lands on the DNR

Scoring Update! The points change, death remains the same...

Tyrone Jones, a linebacker who helped the Winnipeg Blue Bombers capture two Grey Cup titles during his eight-year tenure with the CFL club, has died. He was 46. Jones, who starred at Southern University, died in his native Georgia on Tuesday morning. He was diagnosed with brain cancer in August 2005.

"This is a very sad day, however we need to remember and celebrate the person of Tyrone Jones; the player of Tyrone Jones and the human being that was Tyrone Jones," said Bombers president Lyle Bauer, a former teammate of Jones. "He made a huge, huge impact on this football team and this league."
Congratulations and 18 points each awarded to Haaaave You Met Dead? and Dead Place. The Rosters and Standings have been updated.

[ESPN]

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Sherrill Headrick's Doing Two-A-Days with TV Shows

The cancer eating at former TCU, Texans and Chiefs great Sherrill Headrick has spread to his hip.

His wife, Mary Dale, writes that he continues to have coffee with his buddies, watches "his shows" in the afternoons and, come evenings, sits and waits for her on the front porch.
This spread offense might turn out to be too much for Headrick to tackle.

[Dallas Morning News]

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Paul Newman Silence Caused by His Lungs

There have been a growing number of rumors circulating about Paul Newman's health. The latest reports indicate that Newman is suffering from cancer.

Fears were growing for Paul Newman last night following US magazine reports that the Hollywood legend is fighting lung cancer. The double-Oscar winning star is said to have been diagnosed with the disease at New York’s Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre, where he is an outpatient.

Two US publications claim the 83-year-old actor, a former chain-smoker, is under the care of a leading oncologist. One quotes a family member as saying: “It’s so awful. He’s dying.” Last night a source who has known the family for years confirmed: “We have known he is seriously ill for several weeks but his loved ones are being very protective and saying very little.”
He retired from acting last year citing failing memory as the reason. This is one part we are sure he will never forget.

[Sunday Express]

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Yow! Kay Heads Back to Chemo, Doing Well

N.C. State women’s basketball coach Kay Yow is receiving chemotherapy again, she said Wednesday. Yow told WRAL she resumed chemotherapy six weeks ago.

She said she is likely to be on chemotherapy for three to four months and then, if all progresses well, will return to hormonal treatments.

Asked about side effects of chemotherapy, she said, “You always have some, but I certainly have a head start on dealing with some of them.”

Overall, she said, “I’m doing well.”
Yow's original diagnosis came way back in 1987. Her strength and composure should help her defeat this opponent from the inside.

[WRAL]

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

There are Worse Things in Life for Khieu Samphan

Things have taken a turn for the worse for Khieu Samphan.

A lawyer for the Khmer Rouge's former head of state says the 76-year-old is in serious condition at a hospital.

Attorney Say Bory says Khieu Samphan has worsened and that he is now partly paralyzed on the left side of his body. He says his client "can speak but his words are unclear."
We recall that the message of Remember The Titans was "Right Side, Strong Side."

[AP]

Monday, June 2, 2008

Robert Byrd Returns to His Favorite Resting Place

Don't you dare mess with Robert Byrd's State even once. His health state, that you can mess with three times in one half season.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W. Va.) was admitted to the hospital for the third time this year on Monday night, this time for overnight observation after suffering a high fever. Byrd, 90, the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, was taken to a Virginia hospital in the early evening and will stay there overnight after feeling ill throughout the day, spokesman Jesse Jacobs said. Jacobs said Byrd had felt “lethargic and sluggish” throughout the day, but attended the lone Senate vote of the day, at 5:30 p.m.

Shortly thereafter, Byrd went home and reported the same symptoms to his caregiver. The caregiver discovered that Byrd had a fever and consulted the senator’s physician, who recommended a hospital visit, Jacobs said.
Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, we begin to veto predictions that this is the end of the road for the Senator.

[AP]
[Hill]

Eleanor Mondale Pleased to Have Air Again

Eleanor Mondale returned to the air today. She'd been on leave since late February when doctors discovered tumors in her brain. It's Mondale's second fight with brain cancer.

Minutes before Mondale and her colleague Susie Jones were reunited on air, Mondale held up her new t-shirt. The black shirt said simply, "I'm not dead yet."

"From Susie, my co-host, isn't that funny?" explained Mondale. "As long as the ink stays on the t-shirt, I think I'll be healthy."

Monday morning, Mondale thanked listeners for their kind notes during her medical leave. She also talked with her Mayo Clinic oncologist on the air.
We're happy to hear that Mondale is back in the booth. We do find it strange, however, that she'd talk to her doctor while on the air. We hope the doctor screamed "Baba Booey" on air and quickly hung up.

[WCCO]

Bo Diddley Has Been Beat, Faces the Music

Scoring Update! The points change, death remains the same...

A spokeswoman says rock pioneer Bo Diddley has died. He was 79. The spokeswoman says Diddley died of heart failure Monday. He had suffered a heart attack in August 2007, three months after suffering a stroke while touring in Iowa. Doctors said the stroke affected his ability to speak, and he had returned to Florida to continue rehabilitation.

Diddley was known for his homemade square guitar, dark glasses and black hat.

His first single, "Bo Diddley," introduced record buyers in 1955 to his signature rhythm: bomp ba-bomp bomp, bomp bomp, often summarized as "shave and a haircut, two bits." The B side, "I'm a Man," with its slightly humorous take on macho pride, also became a rock standard.
Congratulations and 18 points each awarded to It's Always Sunny in Philadeadphia and Angelos or Bust. The Rosters and Standings have been updated.

[AP]

Abdelaziz Bouteflika Has No Trouble With the Public

Rumors abound about Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika's health. So what's his deal exactly? Just ask his staff.

[He] is healthy and working normally, the interior minister said in remarks published on Monday, responding to comments on a recent reduction in the head of state's public engagements.

"The president of the republic is in perfect health and he is working normally," Liberte daily quoted the minister, Noureddine Yazid Zerhouni, as saying on Sunday in answer to a reporter's question on a visit to the eastern town of Annaba.
Algerian newspapers began to wonder about the President after they noted his absences in recent weeks. Where has he been? The answers are kept in the Algerian Book of Secrets.

[Reuters Africa]

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Yves Saint Laurent's Line Goes Out of Fashion

French fashion icon Yves Saint Laurent, widely hailed as one of the greatest designers of the 20th century, died Sunday in Paris. He was 71. "Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday at 11:10 pm," announced his foundation, the Pierre-Berge-Saint Laurent Foundation. The reclusive French maestro, who had retired from haute couture in 2002 after four decades at the top of his trade, had been ill for some time.

Saint Laurent's longtime business partner Pierre Berge, hailed him as a fashion revolutionary.

"He knew perfectly well that he had revolutionised haute couture, the important place he occupied in the second half of the 20th century," Berge said.

"Yves Saint Laurent knew perfectly well that he had transformed the world and fashion, that all the women of the world owed a debt to him in a certain way."
We don't know much about haute couture, but we do know that what's haute doesn't stay haute for more than a season. Which is a testament to Saint Laurent for staying on top for so long.

[AFP]

President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is Indestructible

Fresh off a new slate of health, Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed is facing a different set of troubles posing risks to his life.

A mortar shell exploded Sunday near Somali President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed's plane as it was preparing to take off from Mogadishu airport, officials and witnesses said. Three shells struck the airport and one exploded near the plane just after the president boarded it and was preparing to take off, an African Union peacekeeper at the airport said on condition of anonymity.

"The president was in the plane to leave when the mortars hit the area," he said. "Fortunately, nobody was hurt."
So, we guess, despite his flair for the dramatics, Ahmed remains a plane, old guy.

[AFP]