The Snotty Police

My weekly Suburban Dad contribution to the City Mom blog at ChicagoNow is posted and ready for your perusal. This week's is called "The Snotty Police".

You can read it here.

Best Marriage Proposal Ever

DO NOT try this at home, kids.

As the Rupert Turns

On this morning's episode, Forbes Magazine media writer Jeff Bercovici points out the reason why Rupert might be hyper-sensitive about the latest Bill O'Reilly scandal.

He writes: "Rupert Murdoch is working hard to contain the fallout from the hacking scandal that has engulfed his U.K. newspapers. His nightmare scenario right now would be the coming to light of anything to suggest that the bad behavior that was so (allegedly) commonplace at the News of the World also happened with any frequency in the U.S. That means not just interception of voicemails but also use of shady private investigators and improper relationships with, or payments to, law enforcement officials. How unfortunate for Bill O’Reilly, then, that new accusations against him involve exactly those things."

Cisco Cotto

Former WLS midday host (and Chicago Radio Spotlight interviewee) Cisco Cotto was in the news again yesterday. It appears he is planning on making a career change (one that he actually hinted he might make when I interviewed him).

He's starting up his own church in Oak Park.

War photographer

How tough do you have to be to be a war photographer?

This one from the New York Times had his legs blown off and continued taking pictures.

Now that's tough.

The Daily Herald's Pay Wall

The Daily Herald announced yesterday that they would start charging $19.95 a month for access to their website. Details are here and here.

Good luck with that.

I have nothing against the Daily Herald. In fact, I subscribe to it and read it every day. But their website is absolutely terrible. Finding a story of interest there is like finding a needle in a haystack. I've even had trouble finding a story I already read in the hard copy (when I wanted to link to it here).

The only thing I'll miss is the on-line obituaries. My mom calls me about once a week to find one for her.

Gawker Delivers

I had a feeling this was going to be juicy, and Gawker has delivered.

The gist of the story is that Bill O'Reilly's wife cheated on him with a cop, so naturally O'Reilly did what anyone would do in that situation. He called the cop's boss and tried to destroy the man's career. There's a lot more to the story, so feel free to read it at the link above.

For me, as a media watchdog/critic, the most interesting thing about this story isn't O'Reilly's bullying, or his wife's indiscretion, it's the way Fox News handled this story.

Fox News knew this story was coming because Gawker called them for comment. Instead of commenting, or simply ignoring the story, or better yet calling the report a "private matter" or "personal attack" once it came out, they did something quite different. They had shows (and their website) report the non-story that Gawker's page views were down before the O'Reilly story became public. The only possible reason for doing that non story (and a highly distorted one at that) was to "pretaliate" against Gawker for reporting a true story about one of their personalities.

That's the very definition of abusing the power of the media.

UPDATE: I looked all over for the other side of this story to see if there was something I was missing (like was the Gawker "traffic down 75%" story actually being reported as a story elsewhere), and it wasn't reported by anyone else I could find until after Fox made a big deal out of it. (And most of that reporting was that Fox didn't quite have the story correct.) Fox News did try to justify themselves to Adweek, so I include "their side" of the story here just to be fair. It doesn't pass the smell test, but at least now you have their talking points.

A female GM?

The sports business writer at Forbes Magazine has an interesting suggestion for the Cubs General Manager opening.

She just happens to be a woman.

I don't see why not.

Ned Williamson

Today's Tale from a Bad Century at JOBC is the story of Ned Williamson. Ned was one of the earliest stars of the franchise and helped transform the team into an 1880s powerhouse.

Read all about him here.

Two New Charlie Sheen “Roast” Promos Arrive and are NOT Normal!

The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen is just around the corner and two more promos have been released.

The first one shows Charlie on a train, probably because that is how he is going to die on the new “Two and a Half Men” season opener, with his Goddesses, a tiger, and a few other strange characters who wonder if the train stops in “Normalville”.

Sheen gets a sneaky smirk on his face and says, “Honey, we left there a long time ago…”

The music in the background is from the Ozzy Osborne’s “Crazy Train”.

The second spot also shows Sheen on his “Crazy Train” and mocks Comedy Central for attempting to roast him saying that’s like trying to reason with a volcano, or duct tape the wind to the ground.

The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen gets underway Monday September 19th.

Current roast attendees scheduled to skewer the troubled actor are TMZ's Harvey Levin, Jackass Star Steve-O, Anthony Jeselnik, Mike Tyson, and Jeffrey Ross.

The Roast Master will be none other than “Family Guy” and “American Dad” animator, writer, producer, actor, singer, voice actor and director Seth MacFarlane, who says,

"Charlie is a true icon with a talent that is strong and pure and concentrated into small crystals which can be smoked or eaten."

In an odd irony, Sheen’s roast will air the same night as Ashton Kutcher and company kick of the new Sheenless season of “Two and a Half Men”.

Bring it Warlocks!

Follow @InfoStar on Twitter – No crazy train here…

Dancing With The Stars Announces New Seasons Dancers! Wow, Shockers...

It’s finally here!

The season 13 new cast members for ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” have been announced and there are some shockers.

There have been a bunch of rumors over the last few weeks that can now be laid to rest

These people are NOT include in the season 13 cast - Snooki, Anthony Weiner, Casey Anthony, Rob Kardashian, Dina or Lindsay Lohan, Nick Jonas, Charlie Sheen, Donald Trump, and Regis Philbin – not gonna happen.

ABC has officially announced the new lineup and they are:

• Chaz Bono (New transgendered male)


• Elisabetta Canalis (Nickname: The Italian beauty)


• Hope Solo (The Soccer hot shot celebrity)


• J.R. Martinez (Soap opera star)


• Nancy Grace (Courtroom and hosting disgrace)


• Ron Kardashian (Reality show looser)


• Ron Artest (NBA superstar and champion)


• Ricki Lake (Washed up daytime talk show host)


• Kristin Cavallari (Television bit player and reality star)


• David Arquette (Scream star and rehab expert)


• Chynna Phillips (Pop singer and actress)


• Carson Kressley (Queer Eye star and fashion guru)

Oh brother, I’m thinking this is going to be a hard season to settle into.



If we had to pick a winner we would think Carson Kressley might have a shot because he ‘sings’ and ‘dances’ and is ‘fabulous’.

Chaz Bono and Ricki Lake will probably struggle. David Arquette might have a chance if he can stay out of rehab. Nancy Grace will fall and break her leg and then sue somebody, thus disqualifying her.

Ron Artest is quick on his feet and probably has a chance.

The others? It’s anybody’s guess.

Season 13 starts on September 19th on the ABC network and is sure to be a blowout for the first few shows.

Queue the music, dancers, and the hype machine!

Follow @InfoStar on Twitter – We can’t dance either…

Holy Rocker

This one makes me laugh more and more every time I look at it. Thanks to "SM" for sending it to me...

MTV Punk’d Returning with Justin Bieber? Kind of... Here’s The Deal...

Okay Justin Bieber fans – calm down.

Here is the latest scoop on the whole MTV Punk’d, Ashton Kutcher, and JB rumor.

As you know, several months ago MTV started talking to Ashton Kutcher about bringing back his popular Punk’d television show.

Rumor was that he was going to turn over the crown to young Bieber who would become the new host.

Well, things have changed.

In light of Kutcher’s new role on “Two and a Half Men” and Bieb’s South American Tour fast approaching there was no way that Bieber would have been able to participate in an entire season of the show.

Related: Justin Bieber announced South American Tour dates

At the end of the day producers decided to revamp the concept of the show and move forward with a new season.

It is TRUE that Bieber is involved with the project but ONLY as the first guest host prankster.

The new season will have a DIFFERENT host each week that will pull a prank on somebody and fill in as that week’s guest host.

Get it? There will be a new guest host and prankster each week.

Bieber was selected as the FIRST shows host and he decided to prank Taylor Swift.

They were both in town for the VMA’s and the plan was put into motion last week when it all went down.

We don’t know exactly what the prank was but we know it was filmed last week and is already in the can.

We don’t know yet when the premier episode will air but we do know that Kutcher will act as one of the Executive Producers for the season and will probably not be seen much on any of the shows.

So, there you have it.

Punk’d is returning and Justin Bieber will guest host the FIRST show only. After that there will be a different host each week.

“Producers wanted to leverage Justin’s popularity to help kick off the new season. So far things are going well and we can’t say anything about future shows yet. In fact, the Bieber thing leaked out – nobody was supposed to know anything about his guest spot or the new season until we were farther along.”

Okay, now we get it.

We always loved the show and were bummed when it was yanked from the schedule. We like the new concept and are sure it will be a hit and can’t wait to see who shows up each week.

Thanks MTV!

Follow @InfoStar on Twitter – We won’t prank you

As the Rupert Turns

On this morning's episode, Rupert and James Murdoch find out that they'll have to answer questions about the phone hacking scandal under oath in a court of law. Uh oh. Time to trot out the "doddering old man that doesn't really follow the news" routine.

We also discover that News Corp is now "officially reviewing the journalistic practices of all it's U.K. newspapers."

Would you care to wager what this internal review will report? I'm not a betting man, but this is as close to a sure bet as it gets.

The Dancing with the Stars lineup

In years past I've heard of as few as three or four of the "stars", but this year I know seven. The list is as follows: Ron Artest, David Arquette, Chaz Bono, Elisabetta Canalis, Kristin Cavallari, Nancy Grace, Rob Kardashian, Carson Kressley, Ricki Lake, J.R. Martinez, Chynna Phillips and Hope Solo.

I've heard of Artest (basketball), Arquette (buffoonery), Bono (through her/his parents), Grace (meanie), Lake (Hairspray), Phillips (from 20 years ago), and Solo (soccer goalie).

The others? No idea. I can guess on the Kardashian, but I honestly didn't even know they had a brother.

I'll say it again. They really should change the name of the show to "Dancing with the D-List".

How to Hack Voicemail

Reuters enlisted the help of a famous computer hacker to show how easy it is to hack into voicemails.

Slightly terrifying.

Watch the video.

Gawker vs. Fox News

I don't know if you've been following this inside-the-media hissy-off, but it's been entertaining. Fox News is conducting a pretaliation (new word) against Gawker, saying that Gawker's online traffic is down 75%. Gawker claims that isn't true at all (they say it's about flat), and claims the real reason the full force of the entire network is attacking them is that Gawker has an explosive story about a Fox News anchor ready to go.

Hard to pick a side here because both are so sleazy, but my money's on Gawker this time.

Think about this: Lets say Gawker's numbers really are down, as Fox News is claiming. Why would Fox News even report that as a news story on one show, let alone a whole host of shows? Is that even a news story?

Now I'm really looking forward to the explosive story next week and the inevitable Fox News dismissal of it with "they're just trying to drive traffic because their numbers are down so much."

Love 'em or hate 'em, you have to give Fox News credit. Debate the ethics of it all you want (and really, let's face it, it's not much of a debate), but it's incredibly difficult to go up against an entire network that actually plans and executes coordinated pre-attacks. Even brothers in shamelessness (like Gawker) have very little chance of success against that.

I hope this story is as good as Fox News seems to think it is.

Mayor Emanuel & Adele

From this morning's RAMP Newsletter. I missed this interview, but it sounds interesting...

A grateful Emanuel appeared on the mighty WXRT/Chicago yesterday morning with Terri Hemmert, where he revealed that he regularly uses Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" as musical motivation during his rigorous triathlon-training regimen. During the pre-dawn hours on Sunday, while on his way to the event, Emanuel experienced a musical epiphany, which he described to Hemmert. "At 4:40am, 'XRT is playing Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep,' and we do what my security and I call 'the blowup' -- the windows and sunroof go open, we crank it up, and we sing along with Adele. It was a moment of fate for me," Emanuel said to Hemmert, who retorted, "I would have paid money to see that." Fueled by the awesome power of Adele, Emanuel finished the sprint distance of the race in one hour and 36 minutes, coming in ninth out of 80 competitors in his age group. "Would you have made it in the top 10 if it hadn't been for 'XRT playing Adele?" Hemmert asked the mayor. "No, I would have been in the bottom 10," Emanuel replied.

If you haven't heard the song, here it is...

Rube

Tuesday is Great Nicknames day at JOBC, and this week we feature a man called Rube.

Read all about him here.

Steve Jobs

TMZ has a current picture of the former Apple CEO.

It appears there's a very good reason he's stepping down.

Playboy Club Returning to Chicago

According to Crain's Chicago Business.

I'm sure this is timed to coincide with the debut of the Playboy Club network television show.

The location is going to be just a block or two away from the old Playboy mansion, and right down the street from my old condo on Dearborn.

As the Rupert Turns

On this morning's episode, Rupert discovers that this scandal is now officially taking a toll on his pocketbook. His company just lost a $27 million contract.

Oh, and here's the update from one of last week's episodes. The private detective that actually did the hacking has turned over the names of the people that ordered it...at least in one particular case involving a British comedian. The names haven't been released to the public yet.

Hurricane Irene Update

This comes via e-mail from my friend "BP" in Providence...

"Day two of power outage. State says they are restoring the 300,000 customers with power out based on public safety. I haven't showered since Saturday. If that isn't a public safety issue, I don't know what is."

Amy Landecker

I've met Amy many times over the decade I was producing her dad's show (and a few times since then too). The New York Post's Page 6 Gossip column has her as the lede today.

Just remember something when you read it. Consider the source: This is the New York Post.

Joe McCarthy

This week's Cubs Hall of Famer is Joe McCarthy, the second best manager in Cubs history. Read all about him and watch him in action at Just One Bad Century.

Photo - Jonah Hill Massive Weight Loss Apparent at MTV VMA Awards – Before and After

Everyday funnyman Jonah Hill impressed viewers tonight at the MTV Video Music Awards.

The star of Get Him to the Greek, How to Train Your Dragon, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Strange Wilderness, Superbad, and Knocked Up appeared on stage to present an award but was obviously missing something.

About 100 pounds.

Seems Jonah has dropped a considerable amount of weight and is looking quite dapper these days – and he still has the funny!

Just check out the photo below to see the difference a year can make.

Jonah Hill Weight Loss - Before and After

Okay kids. What more inspiration do you need?

What are YOU waiting for?

Follow @InfoStar on Twitter – we’re skinny too!

Video - Justin Bieber Caught Using Auto-Tune on Drake “Trust Issues” Remix?

Pop sensation Justin Bieber surprised his Twitter followers today by sending out a tweet saying he had completed a remix of the Drake song “Trust Issues”.

The song will NOT be on Bieber’s new album “Believe”, and it appears the remix was just Justin and Drake playing around in the studio with the drum machine and auto tune.

Justin Bieber uses auto-tune?

Well, not normally. But in this remix it is clear that he is using it and you can clearly hear it – especially on the low notes.

This is also the deepest we have ever heard his voice - ever.



Not only does Drake bang out a couple verses but he also uses a few words, that … well, have never been uttered in a JB song before.

Nigga?

Okay. Justin, if this is the direction you’re going with your new album then it’s a mistake. Stick to the mostly clean cut stuff and don’t go all rap wigger on us.

Related: Rude Justin Bieber slaps camera away from fan - Video

But we still can’t wait to hear your new album.

Follow @InfoStar on Twitter – We follow back.

Father Knows Nothing

I just posted my latest Father Knows Nothing at NWI Parent, and this week's is called "Brotherly Virtue."

You can read it here.

Tattoo Designs Hearts

Tattoo Designs Hearts
Heart tattoo design has many different meanings and for those of us who choose to wear one the personal meaning is as varied as the personality of the individual who makes it their choice for a tattoo.

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Tree of Life Tattoo Designs For Women

Tree of Life Tattoo Designs For Women
Tree tattoo patters and designs are among the most versatile there are out there, as the variety of trees and their diverse shapes, colors and sizes offer up endless material to work from, and the opportunity to blend and mix them with other themes and figures to make up some great tattoo images.

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