My Quickies (v.5.31.10)

- Super Bacon: And you thought the KFC Double Down was bad. Check out this bacon-stuffed, bacon-wrapped Italian sausage covered in BBQ sauce that you can get shipped to your door for $30. Barf. (Uncrate)

- Little Hung: Just when I thought MTV programming was starting to get redeeming, they managed to disgust me yet again by launching a fictional series about a well endowed teenage nerd whose popularity skyrockets after someone in his high school took a peek in locker room. (NYMag)

- 5,001 Of Your Closest Friends: Apparently some Facebook users claim the 5,000 friends limit per account is not enough. Maybe I'm just not that popular, but I'm not even sure I know 5,000 people... (NYT)

- Facebooking Your Kidnapped Daughter: More Facebook news- A Florida man is charged with kidnapping his children over 14 years ago and moving cross country after the birth mom discovered her now 17-year old daughter on Facebook and tracked her down from California. Strangest part, the daughter wants nothing to do with mom. (FOX)

- Evan Schlongoria: Before making it big in the big leagues, Tampa Bay Ray superstar Evan Longoria liked sending pictures of his penis to woman as a pickup technique. Of course, the then-minor leaguer didn't think twice about it and like 99% of the nude pictures ever taken, it shows up the internet. (Barstool)

- Celebrate Tonight: MVP candidate Kendry Morales of the LA Angels fractured his ankle during a celebration with his teammates at home plate following a walk-off grand slam. The earliest doctors says he'll be back to play is in September. Are there Darwin Awards for this stuff? (ESPN)

- Hobbits Panic!: After word of Guillermo Del Toro dropping out of directing 'The Hobbit' films, the scramble is on for fans who can't wait to see Bilbo Baggins and Gollum before all the Frodo took center stage. Is it me or this project cursed? (EW)

- Taking Crazy On The Road: As expected, Alice Ripley will depart 'Next To Normal' later this summer to gear up for the national tour reprising her Tony Award winning role as Diana. Between this and the recently departed Bobby Spencer, it'd appear the roadshow might be better than the open-ended production sitting on Broadway. (Playbill)

My Quickies (v.5.7.10)

- Full Eyes, Clear Hearts, Can't Lose: While the fourth season of Friday Night Lights has already aired on DirecTV last winter, the network broadcast premiere on NBC begins tonight. Get ready for the show's best season since its freshman effort. (NBC)

- The "Bieber": Similar to "The Rachel" haircut of the 90s, Justin Bieber's haircut became very popular with the tween boys community- except they're too embarrassed to ask "The Bieber" at their local barbershops. (NYT)

- Same Ol' Love Story: Believing firmly of the "Don't fix what's not broken" philsophy, Taylor Swift tells MTV that her third album will be about "boys and love". (MTV)

- Twilight Yo' Babies: The US Department of Social Security released the most popular baby names from last year and surprised... Isabella and Jacob are on the top of the list. Take that, Team Edward! (SSA)

- Hey Stella!: Rachel Weisz is rumored to be part of the latest Broadway revival of A Streetcar Named Desire next season playing Blanche DuBois. She seems more like a Stella to me, so why not cast her there and get Cate Blanchett back as the feisty psycho diva? (Playbill)

- More Euphemisms: Hearing about opponents of gay marriage caught in gay sex scandals no longer surprise me. The latest being George Alan Rekers who hired an escort off Rentboy.com for his European trip because he "can't lift luggage", whatever that means. The escort said Rekers paid for plenty of nude massages including "The long stroke", whatever that means as well. (NYDN)

- Canadian Football: Major League Soccer just announced Montreal is join their league in the 2012 season after Portland and Vancouver start their inaugural campaigns next season. With Toronto in the mix already since 2007, there are now more professional soccer teams in Canada than basketball and baseball. (ESPN)

- No Sexting Zone: I'm not sure how research is done, but a recent study claims that 1 in 10 people under the age of 25 says it's okay to text during sex. The mental image is frightening. (Advertising Age)

My Quickies (v.4.28.10)

- Casual Friday Everyday: Details Magazine gave ten suggestions to folks who don't want to wear pants to work, though there's a creepiness factor about being nude inside a Barney Dinosaur costume while surrounded by kids. (Details)

- CSI: Apple: Jason Chen, editor of Gizmodo- the site that leaked information about the upcoming iPhone, came home to find detectives has ransacked his place and seized his computers, hard drives and digital cameras. Now why can't the police be this adamant about other, more tragic investigations? (NYDN)

- Girl Scout Cookie Spokesperson: Following his television debut during last week's SNL Weekend Update, fans suddenly became obsessed with getting John Mulaney more camera time. Honestly, I thought he was a bit dull, this New York magazine interview just confirms it.

- Trumpin' Races: It's no secret I'm a huge fan of 'The Amazing Race', and now it's no secret Donald Trump is jealous of the globetrotting show winning seven straights Emmys for Outstanding Reality Competition Program calling it "undeserving". Mr. Trump, your show had Sinbad on... Sinbad! You don't win Emmys with Sinbad! (EW)

- US Soccer Glory?: ESPN debates rather we'll see United States winning the World Cup in my lifetime. It's intriguing and filled with both optimism and a defeatist attitude. Also, the latest FIFA Rankings show the Yanks jumped two spots and is now ranked #14 in the world. (ESPN)

- Golden Host: Ricky Gervais has been invited back to host the Golden Globes again next year. I think this is an excellent decision and hopefully will become a tradition like Bob Hope and the Oscars. Mel Gibson, you've been warned. (Zap2It)

- High Art: A Georgia man is arrested about selling fake vintage horror posters to collectors, swindling over $1 million in the process. (NYT)

- All About The Green: 'American Idiot', the Green Day musical, is deemed a bonafide hit after grossing close to $780K last week on The Great White Way. The sad part of this is that 'The Addams Family', a show that was critically panned made close to twice that amount, coming in at $1.4 million. (EW)

My Quickies (v.4.20.10)

- Knapp-ed Out: Christian music singer Jennifer Knapp reveals she's a lesbian. Ready for a backlash, Knapp prepares herself to get back into the biz after a seven year absence- only doing it with more secular material. So it confirms my gaydar's effectiveness at one of her shows (with Bebo!) ten years ago. (Washington Post)

- Best iPad Sponsor Ever: Norway Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was seen stranded at JFK airport and told the press he's running his country from new brand new iPad while the ash clouds over Europe clear out. Another sign that the technology showcased in 'Minority Report' was closer to reality than most anticipated. (NYDN)

- Olympic-Size Debt: It appears it's not just the host cities/countries that the Olympics send into huge debts. NBC announced broadcasting this year's Winter Games set them back $223 million dollars. (AP)

- Baywatch-ed Return: Though I'm sure I'm using the term "bigger star" loosely, what's with the deal of "bigger stars" going back to soap operas? David Hasselhoff agrees to return to 'The Young & The Restless' for a one-day storyarc. (EW)

- Proud Vlogger: Check out British vlogger Johnny Durham's poignant and funny video response to questions he's been asked regarding his sexuality.

- Cracker Jacks & Upchuck: Proving Philadelphia Phillies fans are the grossest cheerers is sports, a man was arrested after he vomited on an 11-year old girl in the stands last week at a game during a fight. (ESPN)

- Apple Release: Someone at Apple is getting fired this morning. An actual iPhone 4.0 model was found and the tech site Gizmondo dissected and analyzed it for all the geeks out there (myself included). Best feature? Video camera on both sides of the phone! (Engadget)

- More Pulitzer Drama: Ben Brantley and his defeatist attitude continues the ongoing backlash against 'Next To Normal' winning this year's Pulitzer Prize for Drama. I haven't seen this much awards bashing for the stage since Julie Andrews' tirade back in her 'Victor/Victoria' days. (NYT)

My Quickies (v.4.12.10)

- Where's Charlie?: The NY Daily News did a 'Where Are They Now?' featuring the original cast of the classic film 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory'. Something about the guy who played Augustus being an accountant makes perfect sense. (NYDN)

- Defending Tiger: Jim Carrey manages to blame Elin Nordegren for Tiger Wood's affairs since she "had to be a willing participant". And the douchbag of the day is... (E!)

- 'FNL' Fresh Meat: 'Friday Night Lights' continues to be realistic and rotate its high school cast by adding a hipster character who fell into football. Though a hipster in Smalltown Texas might stretch that realistic thing a bit. (EW)

- Fake Prom: At what lengths will the town of Itawamba, Mississippi go to to not allowing lesbian teenager Constance McMillen to bring her girlfriend her high school prom? Staging a fake prom (that including disabled kids) while holding a secret prom for all the 'normal' kids. Like I've always said, sometimes you just have to wait for all the ignorant people to die off before the world can be a better place. (Huffington Post)

- As The Pyramid Turns: CBS is mulling over the idea of replacing their cancelled soap 'As The World Turns' with the classic gameshow, Pyramid. Judging from the poor ratings of 'Let's Make A Deal', they might as well filed this under "Things That Are Obviously Timeslot Fillers'. (EW)

- Hookers Or Us: An Ohio man was arrested after he reported to the police he had $50 stolen from him at a White Castle bathroom... only it turns out to be false complaint when it was discovered the man was unsatisfied what $50 got him from his hooker. (Smoking Gun)

- Facebook Lawsuit: The strange lawsuit of the day goes to a teen in Arkansas who's suing his mother for changing the password to his Facebook account after she slandered him on the online community network. (KTLA)

- Conan and George: TBS certainly got a big boost today signing Conan O'Brien to host a late night show starting November. Somewhere, FOX executives can be heard cursing Ted Turner. (EW)

My Quickies (v.4.5.10)

- High School Fantasy: Two teachers were caught naked together in the classroom while their students were in general assembly. Males students of James Madison High School were suddenly in favor of surveillance cameras in classrooms for their "protection". (NYD)

- Champion For A Day: Andy Roddick won the Sony Ericson Open in Florida this weekend in a tournament that included Federer and Nadal. I highly doubt he can carry this over to the clay courts next month, but good for him. (Yahoo)

- Kumar v. Obama: Kal Penn resigned his post as an aid to the Obama administration to reprise his role as Kumar in the 'Harold and Kumar' franchise. Wow. Is the economy that bad? (EW)

- Last Minute Replacement: Since Megan Mullally debunked 'Lips Together' from its premiere, the Roundabout Theatre called on to its off-Broadway success, 'Everyday Rapture', to take its place at the American Airlines Theatre. (Playbill)

- Heart Attack: KFC manages to invent a new way to induced cardiac arrest with their Double Down Sandwich. Yes, fried chicken filet instead of buns.... Sure, that has to be to good for me. (KFC)

- Blame The Gays, Not The Pedos: The newest defense of the Catholic Church in regards to priest molesting blind deaf boys is that since they were post-pubescent, it's no longer pedophilia- it's the homosexual tendencies, so blame the gays. I guess the best defense is a pathetic offense. (Gawker)

- Palin Inc.: Since moving on from Alaskan governor, Sarah Palin has slowly turned herself into a profitable brand in the political world. Great, another political opportunist in America. Yippee. (NYT)

- Brothers Broadcasting: I hope Aaron Boone learned from his brother's disastrous attempt as a baseball commentator in 2003 when ESPN signed him on to be part of the 'Baseball Tonight' team. (ESPN)

My Quickies (v.3.30.10)

- 'Upwards' Indeed: Zoe Lister-Jones couldn't be any sweeter when we worked together on a feature a few years ago and I'm happy that her $15,000(!!!!) budget film is getting high praise. (NYT)

- Leading Killer: Does it really surprise anyone that China led the world last year in executions? It also shouldn't surprise anyone that Texas the United States led the field in the Americas. (NYT)

- Confusing Ad: It's reported that a 30-second commercial spot during the series finale of 'Lost' will cost $900,000. No word if there's a criteria for the ads to be frustratingly confusing. (EW)

- Completely 'Normal': Upon hearing it recoup its initial $4 million investment, 'Next To Normal' is launching a nationwide tour later this year. I'll hound everyone about it when more details are released. (Playbill)

- LOL @ MTA: The Working Family group is planning to unleash a series of ads parodying Subway notices to get mayor Michael Bloomberg's attention to act on his campaign promise to fix the MTA. The MTA is not amused, but the millions of daily commuters sure are. (NYD)

- Oklahoma Fail: In an attempt to pass a bill stripping hate crimes against gays and lesbians, Oklahoma lawmakers cited the wrong section of the US code. So they'll no longer prosecute anyone who acts violently because of someone's "race, color, religion or national origin." MEGA FAIL, Oklahoma! (ThinkProgress)

- Livin' La Vida Loca: Speaking of gay, Ricky Martin is out. As if we haven't known for ten years. (People)

- Mean Girls: An Irish immigrant teenager in a small town in Massachusetts committed suicide after months of heckling and bullying from her classmates. A truly sad story, the tight-knit community is demanding answers who school officials failed to intercept the well-known bullying acts. (NYD)

My Quickies (v.3.28.10)

- Xtina Gaga: The cover art for Christina Augilera's much anticipated 'Bionic' album was released this week. I guess when Gaga's hot, everyone should try to cash in on it.

- 'Bulls Hit: The gorgeous New York Red Bulls Arena officially opened its doors last night in Harrison, NJ. The aesthetics of the riverfront soccer stadium rivals most of its European counterparts. (Red Bulls)

- 'Strike' Out: The latest MTA worker strike (this time due to funds being cut) caused many delays Friday morning in Queens, prompting many unhappy customers who at the time certainly don't mind the layoffs. (NYD)

- Party Over in the USA: Miley Cyrus declares after her album drops this summer, she's done with music and will concentrate more on films. So now you have to pay $12 to get your Hannah Montana fix. (E!)

- Hogwarts Comes Alive: The grand opening for the 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' at Universal Studios is set for June 18th. So be prepared to see a lot of muggles dressed as wizards a week in advance. (Official Site)

- The Final Countdown: After eight season, FOX says the current of '24' will be its last. I still remember the days of '24' marathons in college. Gone are the days of Sherry Palmer, Kyle Singer & cougar traps in the woods. (EW)

- Dead Possum Society: A Pennsylvania man was arrested while trying to resuscitate a dead possum. The intoxicated man was said to have mistaken him for Punxsutawney Phil. (NYD)

- Disgruntled Diva: So the reason Megan Mullally quit the Broadway show 2 weeks before previews appears to be that she has her nose up her butt failed to convince the producers of the show to fire her costar, Patton Oswalt. (NYT)

My Quickies (v.3.26.10)

- Tix Goes Up: This is just insane. I will not pay $20 to see a movie. Ever. I guess I won't be training any dragons this weekend. (CBS)

- Angry White Powder: I guess Anthony Weiner (D-NY) got off easy compared to his fellow Democrats. I'll take an envelope of powdered chalk over smashed windows and voicemails telling me to die any day. (TPM)

- Fifth Starter: The drama finally ends for Yankee fans when skipper Joe Girardi named Phil Hughes the squad's fifth starter when the season opens in less than 10 days. Bring on baseball! (ESPN)

- Oddest Protest Of The Day: A group of devoted fans of a popular gay couple on 'One Life To Live' will rally in front of 'Good Morning America' today to protest the soap's firing of the actors who portray the couple last week. (Facebook)

- Jack Sauce: It's great to have an episode of '30 Rock' with Floyd again. It's the only time I like Jason Sudekis. Consider me on team Fliz! (Hulu)

- Awards Season: Not even a month after the Oscars, the AMPAS announced their calendar for next year's kudosfest. Just please don't bring back Shankman & Mechanic, I don't think I can handle that mess again. (Oscars)

- Mercury Poisoning?: Megan Mullally's abrupt exit for a Broadway play two weeks before previews caused the cancellation of the entire production. How Karen of her. (Playbill)

- Helm Rush: California's latest idea to cut the state's deficit is to legalize marijuana and then taxing it. I guess it would be easier to tell people you're taking more money from them when they're stoned. (NYT)