IN THE NEWS...

[muthagoose]

Jaxx Unplugged?

The little rock club that could may have a new owner by the end of the year. "It was a slow news day and I thought I’d shake things up," said Jaxx owner Jay Nedry, who recently made the announcement he’s considering selling the heavy metal club he has owned since 1994. But music fans take note: he is not completely sure the sale will go through. With an asking price of $1.2 million for the 7,000 square foot venue on Rolling Road south of Old Keene Mill Road, any prospective buyer has to meet Nedry’s high standards and his conditions. "Anyone who buys this place will have to pay an additional fee to keep me on as a consultant for a year," Nedry said. The reason? "I’ve owned this place longer than anyone," he said. "I’ve worked hard to make this one of the top 10 metal venues in the world. I know how to make this place run without annoying any of our neighbors. I need to find someone who will take this place over and maintain the positive things I’ve worked for."

WHILE NEDRY is considering all offers and has so far received about 20 in the two weeks since he first "floated the idea," Nedry said six serious offers were serious enough to pique his curiosity. A graduate of Lee High School who grew up in a house on the Springfield Country Club golf course behind the club, Nedry said he hopes the future owner, if there is one, will continue the tradition of giving local bands a place to play.

There have been four incarnations of this place, and in all four, my band the RoadDucks have played on opening night," he said. He is retaining the right to walk away from any sale that may involve someone who "just wants to own the club so he has a cool place to hang out." In the more than 10 years he has owned the venue, Nedry said he’s become friends with many of the bands he loved in the 1980s, including Slaughter, Dokken and Poison. "Brett Michaels [lead singer of Poison] is a friend of mine, he usually plays here twice a year," he said.

Maybe the most unlikely memorable show was done by country star Tim McGraw, joined onstage by Kenny Chesney with the Dixie Chicks in the audience. "They were playing a show at RFK Stadium the night before and they stopped by," he said. "At the end of the night, Tim slid the $17,000 we made off T-shirt sales and everything across the bar to me and told me to write out a check to Children’s Hospital. He’s one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met, just real genuine and down to earth." What life after Jaxx may look like is a mystery to its owner. "I might teach school, I might go back to law school and do pro-bono work," Nedry mused. "Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I just wanted to think about doing something different."

[muthagoose]

Sylvester Stallone admits HGH (Human Growth Hormone) use for new film

NEW YORK (AP) -- Sylvester Stallone says he used human growth hormone to get buff for the new "Rambo" movie, and defends its use.

"HGH (human growth hormone) is nothing," the 61-year-old actor tells Time magazine in its February 4 issue.

"Anyone who calls it a steroid is grossly misinformed."

Because it is nearly undetectable, HGH has become a substance of great concern in major league baseball and other sports battling allegations of rampant doping.

"Testosterone to me is so important for a sense of well-being when you get older," Stallone says.

"Everyone over 40 years old would be wise to investigate it because it increases the quality of your life. Mark my words. In 10 years it will be over the counter."

Stallone directed and co-wrote the new "Rambo" movie, which arrived in theaters Friday.

[muthagoose]

Led Zeppelin concert off until at least September

TOKYO (Reuters) - Rock band Led Zeppelin enjoyed jamming together again last year in a charity concert but won't have another session before September at the earliest, lead guitarist Jimmy Page said in Tokyo on Monday.

A successful reunion show in London in December rekindled hopes of a world tour, but Page said that singer Robert Plant's tour with U.S. country singer Alison Krauss is keeping him busy for now.

"I can assure you the amount of work that we put into the O2 (concert), for ourselves rehearsing and the staging of it, was probably what you put into a world tour," Page said.

But, "Robert Plant also had a parallel project running and he's really busy with that project, certainly until September, so I can't give you any news."

Page, in Tokyo to promote a greatest hits release, painted a happy picture of the reunion.

"It was exhilarating, fantastic, every week was a week to look forward to," he said. "We did the show and it was great."

The band, formed in 1968 by Page, Plant, bass guitarist John Paul Jones and drummer John Bonham, became arguably the world's biggest rock group by the early 1970s.

Their fourth album, released in 1971, included their most famous song, "Stairway to Heaven", while the band has sold an estimated 300 million albums worldwide.

The group decided to break up shortly after Bonham died in September 1980, although Page and Plant collaborated at times over the years.

Plant, Page and Jones performed together in London before about 20,000 fans on December 10, with Bonham's son Jason on the drums.

When the concert was announced, the Internet site selling tickets crashed with applications, while the possibility of a new world tour had fans around the globe excited.

Page said after many years the song indeed remained the same.

"That is what was so thrilling really -- to come together after all this time and find that there was so much chemistry and so much electricity involved in these four characters."

[muthagoose]

EMMANUEL JAL, SUDANESE CHILD SOLDIER TURNED RAPPER, TELLS EXTRAORDINARY STORY ON NEW ALBUM, "WARCHILD"
Feature Documentary, Autobiography, In the Works

Los Angeles, CA - Monday, February 4, 2008 -- Musician/songwriter/rapper Emmanuel Jal has one of the most extraordinary life-stories you'll ever hear, and has incorporated his experiences onto "Warchild," his brand new album due out May 13, 2008 (Sonic360/Fontana/Universal). "Warchild," recorded in London between 2006 and 2007, was mixed and additionally produced by Grammy winner Neal Pogue (Outkast, Talib Kweli, Stevie Wonder, TLC), and produced by UK-based writer/producer Roachie who co-wrote most of the 13 songs with Jal.

In addition, a full-length documentary on Jal's life, entitled "War Child," will have its world premiere on February 10 at the Berlin Film Festival, and his autobiography will be published by St. Martin's Press late this year.

Emmanuel Jal was born in war-torn Sudan, and while he doesn't know exactly when, he believes it was in the early 1980s. He was taken from his family home in 1987 when he was six or seven years old, and sent to fight with the rebel army in Sudan's bloody civil war. For nearly five years, he was a "child warrior," put into battle carrying an AK-47 that was taller than he was. By the time he was 13, he was a veteran of two civil wars and had seen hundreds of his fellow child soldiers reduced to taking unspeakable measures as they struggled to survive on the killing fields of Southern Sudan. After a series of harrowing events, he was rescued by a British aid worker who smuggled him into Nairobi to raise him as her own. To help ease the pain of what he had experienced, Emmanuel started singing. In 2005, he released his first album, "Gua" ("peace" in his native Nuer tongue), with the title track broadcast across Africa over the BBC and becoming a number one hit in Kenya. "Gua" also earned him a spot on Bob Geldof's "Live 8" concert in the U.K.

The inspirations for the 13 songs on "Warchild" are rooted in Jal's impossible past. In "Forced to Sin," Jal recounts, "I lived with an AK-47/By my side/Slept with one eye open wide/Run/Duck/Play dead." His love and loyalty for his homeland of Sudan shines in "Stronger" - "I pledge allegiance/To My Motherland/That I'll do everything possible/To make a stand/Yes I can." Jal pleads with rapper 50 Cent on "50 Cent" to be a better role model for his young fans: "You have done enough damage selling crack cocaine/now you got a kill a black man video game/We have lost a whole generation through this lifestyle/now you want to put it in the game for a little child to play..." From the CD's title track, "I'm a war child/I believe I've survived for a reason/to tell my story/to touch lives." And, "Emma," the album's closer, is a heartbreaking tribute to Emma McCune, the "angel" who rescued Emmanuel. McCune, who died in 1993 in a car accident in Nairobi, was the subject of a book, "Emma's War," by Deborah Scroggins, and producer Tony Scott ("The Assassination of Jesse James," "Top Gun") is in pre-production on a film based on the book. "This one goes to Emma McCune/Angel to the rescue one afternoon/I'm here because you rescued me/I'm proud to carry your legacy/Thank you/Bless you R I Peace."

Prior to the recording of "Warchild," Emmanuel's music has been heard alongside Coldplay, Gorillaz, and Radiohead on the fundraising album "Warchild - Help a Day in the Life," on John Lennon's "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur," on the TV series' "ER" "Out of Africa" episodes, and most recently in the feature film "Blood Diamond" that starred Leonardo DiCaprio.

Jal plans to support the release of "Warchild" with a tour of North America; details will be announced shortly. In addition, he frequently speaks on college campus about his experiences in an effort to raise awareness of and halt the inhumane treatment of children in Sudan. "I believe I've survived for a reason," says Jal in "Warchild." "To tell my story, to touch lives."

[muthagoose]

Heath Ledger died of accidental overdose
28-year-old actor had oxycodone, anti-anxiety, sleep aids in his system

NEW YORK - Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication and other prescription drugs, the New York City medical examiner said Wednesday.

The cause of death was “acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine,” spokeswoman Ellen Borakove said in a statement.

The drugs are the generic names for the painkiller OxyContin, the anti-anxiety drugs Valium and Xanax, and the sleep aids Restoril and Unisom. Hydrocodone is a widely used prescription painkiller.

Borakove wouldn’t say what concentrations of each drug were found in Ledger’s blood, or whether one drug played a greater part than another in causing his death.

“What you’re looking at here is the cumulative effects of these medications together,” she said.

The ruling comes two weeks after the 28-year-old Australian-born actor was found dead in the bed of his rented SoHo apartment. Police found bottles of six types of prescription drugs in his bedroom and bathroom.

Ledger’s family returned to the actor’s hometown of Perth, Australia, on Tuesday to prepare for his funeral. Arrangements were private.

In a statement released through Ledger’s publicist, the actor’s father, Kim, said Wednesday: “While no medications were taken in excess, we learned today the combination of doctor-prescribed drugs proved lethal for our boy. Heath’s accidental death serves as a caution to the hidden dangers of combining prescription medication, even at low dosage.”

Heath Ledger was discovered by his masseuse Jan. 22 after she arrived for an appointment that afternoon. She entered his bedroom to set up for the massage and found him unresponsive, and proceeded to call Mary-Kate Olsen three times over the next 9 minutes before dialing 911. Ledger had been dead for some time, and police say no foul play occurred.

Ledger, nominated for an Oscar for his role in “Brokeback Mountain,” had returned to New York from London, where he had been filming a $30 million Terry Gilliam film, days before his death. He said in a November interview that his most recent completed roles in the Batman movie “The Dark Knight” and Bob Dylan biopic “I’m Not There” had taken a toll, saying he couldn’t sleep.

“Last week I probably slept an average of two hours a night,” Ledger told The New York Times. “I couldn’t stop thinking. My body was exhausted, and my mind was still going.” He said he had taken two Ambien pills, which only gave him an hour of sleep.

[muthagoose]

Roy Scheider, Actor in ‘Jaws,’ Dies at 75

Roy Scheider, a stage actor with a background in the classics who became one of the leading figures in the American film renaissance of the 1970s, died on Sunday afternoon in Little Rock, Ark. He was 75 and lived in Sag Harbor, N.Y.

Mr. Scheider had suffered from multiple myeloma for several years, and died of complications from a staph infection, his wife, Brenda Seimer, said.

Mr. Scheider’s rangy figure, gaunt face and emotional openness made him particularly appealing in everyman roles, most famously as the agonized police chief of “Jaws,” Steven Spielberg’s 1975 breakthrough hit, about a New England resort town haunted by the knowledge that a killer shark is preying on the local beaches.

Mr. Scheider conveyed an accelerated metabolism in movies like “Klute” (1971), his first major film role, in which he played a threatening pimp to Jane Fonda’s New York call girl; and in William Friedkin’s “French Connection” (also 1971), as Buddy Russo, the slightly more restrained partner to Gene Hackman’s marauding police detective, Popeye Doyle. That role earned Mr. Scheider the first of two Oscar nominations.

Born in 1932 in Orange, N.J., Mr. Scheider earned his distinctive broken nose in the New Jersey Diamond Gloves Competition. He studied at Rutgers and at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., where he graduated as a history major with the intention of going to law school. He served three years in the United States Air Force, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. When he was discharged, he returned to Franklin and Marshall to star in a production of “Richard III.”



His professional debut was as Mercutio in a 1961 New York Shakespeare Festival production of “Romeo and Juliet.” While continuing to work onstage, he made his movie debut in “The Curse of the Living Corpse” (1964), a low-budget horror film by the prolific schlockmeister Del Tenney. “He had to bend his knees to die into a moat full of quicksand up in Connecticut,” recalled Ms. Seimer, a documentary filmmaker. “He loved to demonstrate that.”

In 1977 Mr. Scheider worked with Mr. Friedkin again in “Sorcerer,” a big-budget remake of Henri-Georges Clouzot’s 1953 French thriller, “The Wages of Fear,” about transporting a dangerous load of nitroglycerine in South America.

Offered a leading role in “The Deer Hunter” (1979), Mr. Scheider had to turn it down in order to fulfill his contract with Universal for a sequel to “Jaws.” (The part went to Robert De Niro.)

“Jaws 2” failed to recapture the appeal of the first film, but Mr. Scheider bounced back, accepting the principal role in Bob Fosse’s autobiographical phantasmagoria of 1979, “All That Jazz.” Equipped with Mr. Fosse’s Mephistophelean beard and manic drive, Mr. Scheider’s character, Joe Gideon, gobbled amphetamines in an attempt to stage a new Broadway show while completing the editing of a film (and pursuing a parade of alluring young women) — a monumental act of self-abuse that leads to open-heart surgery. This won Mr. Scheider an Academy Award nomination in the best actor category. (Dustin Hoffman won that year, for “Kramer vs. Kramer.”)

In 1980, Mr. Scheider returned to his first love, the stage, where his performance in a production of Harold Pinter’s “Betrayal” opposite Blythe Danner and Raul Julia earned him the Drama League of New York award for distinguished performance. Although he continued to be active in films, notably in Robert Benton’s “Still of the Night” (1982) and John Badham’s action spectacular “Blue Thunder” (1983), he moved from leading men to character roles, including an American spy in Fred Schepisi’s “Russia House” (1990) and a calculating Mafia don in “Romeo Is Bleeding” (1993).

One of the most memorable performances of his late career was as the sinister, wisecracking Dr. Benway in David Cronenberg’s adaptation of William S. Burroughs’s “Naked Lunch” (1991).

Living in Sag Harbor, Mr. Scheider continued to appear in films and lend his voice to documentaries, becoming, Ms. Seimer said, increasingly politically active. With the poet Kathy Engle, he helped to found the Hayground School in Bridgehampton, dedicated to creating an innovative, culturally diverse learning environment for local children. At the time of his death, Mr. Scheider was involved in a project to build a film studio in Florence, Italy, for a series about the history of the Renaissance.

Besides his wife, his survivors include three children, Christian Verrier Scheider and Molly Mae Scheider, with Ms. Seimer, and Maximillia Connelly Lord, from an earlier marriage, to Cynthia Bebout; a brother, Glenn Scheider of Summit, N.J.; and two grandchildren.

[muthagoose]

CLEAR CHANNEL Agrees to Pay $22 Million
to GREAT WHITE Nightclub Fire Victims

The Associated Press reports that Clear Channel Broadcasting has agreed to a $22 million settlement with survivors of The Station nightclub fire and relatives of those killed.

Court papers filed Wednesday show that lawyers for company and for the victims have reached a tentative deal. Hundreds of survivors and victims' relatives sued after the February 2003 fire at the club, which occurred when pyrotechnics used by the 1980s rock band GREAT WHITE ignited flammable soundproofing around the stage.

The tentative deal with Clear Channel brings to more than $70 million the settlement money offered to victims' relatives. Clear Channel was sued because one of its radio stations sponsored the GREAT WHITE concert by running on-air advertisements.

[muthagoose]

AEROSMITH To Begin Recording
New Album Next Month

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry was the featured guest on Eddie Trunk's "Friday Night Rocks" radio show on New York's Q104.3 FM last night (Friday, February 15). Some highlights:

* Joe is doing two shows with his sons' band TAB THE BAND. They will play deep AEROSMITH cuts ("Combination"), some JOE PERRY PROJECT stuff, some covers, and more. These special shows take place at the Hard Rock in Boston on February 29 and Hard Rock Café in New York City on March 1. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster.

* AEROSMITH has had many starts and stops on a new CD. They will start very seriously recording a new CD in a month or so. Perry feels the band is better than ever as players and is ready to make a great new CD.

* Joe spoke about the value and chemistry of bands having original lineups. Making the point that AEROSMITH and CHEAP TRICK are the only two from the '70s still intact.

* Perry said he can understand why Eddie Van Halen would want to play with his son, but can not understand how they would not have had Michael Anthony back in VAN HALEN when they were that close to a true reunion and they could bury the axe with David Lee Roth.

[muthagoose]

Something to keep Mason interested...

Pregnant Jamie Lynn Spears' 'Hard-Partying Lifestyle'

Jamie Lynn Spears has a reputation as a bed-hopping, hard-drinker in her hometown, according to a new report.

A U.S. publication claims that Britney’s 16-year-old sister has often cheated on boyfriend Casey Aldridge, who is believed to be the father of her child.

A source from Jamie Lynn’s hometown of Kentwood, Louisiana tells Star: "I know for a fact that Casey was not the first guy she slept with - or the last. There were at least two others. I know that 110 percent."

Another friend tells the magazine that Jamie Lynn partied hard to forget her family troubles: "Some people drink to have a good time. But she drank to get wrecked. She drank to get messed up and forget about her mother, her sister and all of that."

The most shocking revellation comes from the source who claims that, days before announcing her pregnancy, the Zoey 101 star asked a boy for sex at a party with the line, "It's cool, I'm pregnant. I can't get pregnant again!"

The Spears' are one classy family...

[MASON]

Yes they are!!!!

Seriously, can someone get them away from their mother? I hear the father has custody of Britney. I also hear that Britney is supposed to go on "vacation" in the next week with 19 of her closest friends. I also hear that she is paying for it all. Hmmmm...I wonder how long until she runs out of cash? I also hear the father is against it while Britney wants mom to step in because she will approve of this jaunt out of the country.

I posted awhile back under "The Vault" on my thoughts about this family. It appears that downward spiral has begun for poor baby sis.

[muthagoose]

Luther Campbell Rap Reality Show Coming To VH1

Pioneering Hip-Hop mogul Luther Campbell is bringing his unique lifestyle and brand of entertainment to VH1 in the form of a new reality show titled Parental Advisory.

Slated for a July 2008 premiere on the network, the hour-long series follows Campbell as he balances life with his children and fiancée, spends time at the office producing various adult themed content and traveling the country with beautiful women as "Uncle Luke" Campbell.

"Parental Advisory showcases the diversity in my life," Campbell told AllHipHop.com. "One day I am with my kids, the next day I am in the office auditioning ‘Luke Girls’ and the next day I might be out on the road."

Parental Advisory is being produced in conjunction with Campbell’s new company, the Luke Entertainment Group (LEG), which publicly trades on the NASDAQ pink sheets.

Campbell, a longtime veteran of the Hip-Hop industry and founding member of the ground breaking Miami rap group 2 Live Crew, is the Chief Creative Officer and chairman of the company.

LEG also includes a music division and a sports marketing division, which manages the careers of professional athletes.

"They tested Parental Advisory in focus groups and it was one of the most popular shows," Campbell revealed. "It’s similar to the Osbournes, but I think it’s better and more entertaining."

For more information visit www.uncleluke.tv or www.lukeentertainmentgroup.com

[muthagoose]

Brett Favre Set to Retire (Again) After 17 Years

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Brett Favre has decided to retire from the NFL after 17 seasons. FOX Sports first reported Tuesday that the Green Bay Packers quarterback informed the team in the last few days. ESPN.com said that according to Favre's agent the quarterback told coach Mike McCarthy of his decision.

The team did not immediately confirm or deny the report. An assistant to Packers general manager Ted Thompson said he was in meetings all day but would release a statement later Tuesday morning.

The news was a surprise to at least one of Favre's teammates. Most players expected Favre to return after a successful 2007 season.

"I just saw it come across the TV," Packers wide receiver Koren Robinson said, when reached on his cell phone by The Associated Press.

The 38-year-old Favre, a three-time NFL MVP and one of the NFL's grittiest players, has made his annual flirtation with retirement a winter tradition in Wisconsin. He has taken weeks and even months to make his decision after recent seasons, with Cheeseheads hanging on his every word.

But unlike the final game of the 2006 season — when Favre provided a cliffhanger by getting choked up in a television interview as he walked off the field in Chicago, only to return once again — nearly everyone assumed he would be back this time. They were wrong.

Only two years removed from perhaps his worst season, Favre had a resurgence in 2007. He broke several career records. Among them was Dan Marino's career mark for career touchdown passes. He powered the Packers to an NFC North title and a 13-3 regular-season record and earned his ninth Pro Bowl spot.

Surrounded by an underrated group of wide receivers who proved hard to tackle after the catch, Favre had a career-high completion percentage of 66.5. He threw for 4,155 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 15 interceptions.

It was a remarkable turnaround from 2005, Favre's final season under former head coach Mike Sherman, when he threw a career-worst 29 interceptions as the Packers went 4-12.



Given Favre's career resurgence, it was widely assumed that he was leaning toward returning for the 2008 season.

He even said as much just before the Packers' Jan. 12 divisional playoff game against Seattle, telling his hometown newspaper that he wasn't approaching the game as if it would be his last and was more optimistic than in years past about returning.

"For the first time in three years, I haven't thought this could be my last game," Favre told the Biloxi (Miss.) Sun Herald. "I would like to continue longer."

Those comments sent premature shock waves across the state — all the way up to the governor's office, where the political version of a false start was committed.

"Like all Packer fans, I am thrilled that Brett Favre will return to action next year for the green and gold," Gov. Jim Doyle said in a statement. "Brett Favre's tremendous work ethic and willingness to go out and play hard every day represent the true spirit of Wisconsin. I am hopeful that with this announcement behind us, Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers can focus on the task at hand: defeating the Seattle Seahawks."

The governor's office later amended the statement to say Doyle was "excited to hear Brett Favre talking about returning to action next year."

It was another example of the state's fascination with the future of its favorite quarterback.

Favre then finished the season on a sour note, suddenly showing his age in the Packers' 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants in the NFC Championship game.

Favre struggled in subzero temperatures, throwing an interception on the Packers' second play from scrimmage in overtime to set up the Giants' game-winning field goal.

After that game, Favre was noncommittal on his future. McCarthy said he wanted Favre to take a step back from the season before making a decision. But it was widely assumed he would be back.

"I think he's going to come back," Packers receiver Donald Driver said in early January. "I wouldn't be surprised if he comes back. He's having a great year, so it'd be great to see him come back if he decides to."

Retiring Packers chairman Bob Harlan figured Favre would be back, too.

"Yeah, I think he'll be back," Harlan said, on his final official day as the Packers' top executive. "And I felt that way the last couple years, when we've had these long debates about it. I just think he's such a competitor that as long as he feels he can compete, he's going to keep coming back."

Still, in the week leading to the playoff game against Seattle, Favre said his injuries were starting to linger.

"I'm not getting any younger," Favre said. "I wake up some days and think I can't even touch my toes. I think about that. I think, well, next year is not going to be like some refreshing, awakening season where all of a sudden you're going to feel great. That's not going to happen.

"I carry some of these things with me that maybe you wouldn't see. I tend to dwell on them, at least internally, more than I used to. I don't write them off as quickly as I used to."

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Patrick Swayze Battling Cancer

Patrick Swayze is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer but does not have just weeks to live, the actor's reps and doctor said Wednesday.

"Patrick has a very limited amount of disease and he appears to be responding well to treatment so far," Dr. George Fisher, Swayze's personal physician, said in a statement. "All of the reports stating the timeframe of his prognosis and his physical side effects are absolutely untrue."

Fisher's remarks were in rebuttal to the National Enquirer, which broke the news of Swayze's illness on its website and said the Dirty Dancing star had recently dropped 20 pounds and been given only five weeks to live.

"Patrick is continuing his normal schedule during this time," the actor's reps said, "which includes working on upcoming projects."

Speaking to E! News, Swayze's mother, dancer and choreographer Patsy Swayze, echoed the optimism of the star's doctor.

"I don't really want to talk about it, but I know he's sick," Patsy Swayze said. "But he has great doctors and a great prognosis, and that's all I can say."

According to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, pancreatic cancer is the deadliest of the leading cancers.

Swayze, 55, was recently cast as a gay cheerleading instructor in Fired Up, a big-screen comedy that began shooting last month.

As recently as Monday, Swayze was spotted running an errand at a Simi Valley, California, dance studio. An employee there told E! News the actor "looked good" and not at all as if he'd lost a lot of weight.

Producer Bobby Schwartz, who worked with Swayze last summer on the as yet unreleased indie drama Powder Blue, likewise vouched for the star's fitness on that set.

"When we were shooting, the guy looked very young, very healthy, very energetic," Schwartz told E! News.

Swayze is best known for a string of hits in the 1980s and 1990s that included Ghost, Point Break, Road House and the career-changer, Dirty Dancing, in which he played Catskills bad boy Johnny Castle.

[muthagoose]

Tom Morello, Serj Tankian Out For 'Justice' On Tour

Axis of Justice principals Tom Morello and Serj Tankian are taking their show on the road in this election year.

Morello tells Billboard.com that the Justice Tour 2008, which is slated to begin in the spring and continue sporadically through the year, will feature a variety of artists playing in cities around the country to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, and to encourage participation in grass roots and national political and social causes.

The dates, locations and participating artists are still being finalized, but Morello says an announcement could come as early as next week. The first run will likely visit six cities from mid-April to early May. "The idea was to do a short version of it, have it be wonderful and successful and then do different runs throughout the year," explains Morello, who will be performing at the shows as his protest-singing alter ego the Nightwatchman. "It's a big undertaking."

Morello describes the goal of the events as "musicians, fans of music and grass roots activist organizations working together to fight for social justice. We tend to do that and have a great time, too. It'll be a cool variety of musicians going to different places and not only playing shows. It will benefit specific good causes, whether it's supporting anti-war efforts or supporting Iraq Veterans Against the War or repairing destroyed New Orleans."

In addition to the concerts, Morello -- who will also be playing summer festival dates with the reunited Rage Against the Machine -- says that a second day in each city will be devoted to "kind of like an activist workshop for fans and musicians. And the other day we're gonna play a kick-ass show."

Morello, meanwhile, plans on kicking some ass at next week's South by Southwest Music + Media Conference. He'll perform a Nightwatchman showcase on Wednesday and then participate in an all-star concert celebrating the film "Body of War," whose soundtrack features the Nightwatchman track "Battle Hymns."

[muthagoose]

'Gilligan's' Mary Ann caught with dope

DRIGGS, Idaho - Dawn Wells, who played Mary Ann on "Gilligan's Island," is serving six months' unsupervised probation after allegedly being caught with marijuana in her car.

She was sentenced Feb. 29 to five days in jail, fined $410.50 and placed on probation after pleading guilty to one count of reckless driving.

Under a plea agreement, three misdemeanor counts — driving under the influence, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance — were dropped.

On Oct. 18, Teton County sheriff's Deputy Joseph Gutierrez arrested Wells as she was driving home from a surprise birthday party that was held for her. According to the sheriff's office report, Gutierrez pulled Wells over after noticing her swerve and repeatedly speed up and slow down. When Gutierrez asked about a marijuana smell, Wells said she'd just given a ride to three hitchhikers and had dropped them off when they began smoking something. Gutierrez found half-smoked joints and two small cases used to store marijuana.

The 69-year-old Wells, founder of the Idaho Film and Television Institute and organizer of the region's annual family movie festival called the Spud Fest, then failed a sobriety test.

Wells' lawyer, Ron Swafford, said that a friend of Wells' testified that he'd left a small amount of marijuana in the vehicle after using it that day, and that Wells was unaware of it. Swafford also said several witnesses were prepared to testify that Wells had very little to drink at the party and was not intoxicated when she left. He said she was swerving on the road because she was trying to find the heater controls in her new car.

[muthagoose]

Report: 1 in 4 teen girls has at least one STD

CHICAGO - Startling government research on teenage girls and sexually transmitted diseases sends a blunt message to kids who think they’re immune: It’s liable to happen to you or someone you know.

In the first study of its kind, researchers at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found at least one in 4 teenage American girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

The most common one is a virus that can cause cervical cancer, and the second most common can cause infertility. Nearly half the black teens in the study had at least one sexually transmitted infection, versus 20 percent among both whites and Mexican-American teens.

The study, released Tuesday at an STD prevention conference, has adolescent-health specialists pointing to possible reasons and offering potential solutions.

Blame is most often placed on inadequate sex education, from parents and from schools focusing too much on abstinence-only programs. Add to that a young person’s sense of being invulnerable.

“This is pretty shocking,” said Dr. Elizabeth Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital in New York.

“To talk about abstinence is not a bad thing,” but teen girls — and boys too — need to be informed about how to protect themselves if they do have sex, Alderman said.

Only about half of the girls in the study acknowledged having sex. Some teens define sex as only intercourse, yet other types of intimate behavior including oral sex can spread some diseases.

Among those who admitted having sex, the rate was even more disturbing — 40 percent had an STD.

“Those numbers are certainly alarming,” said sex education expert Nora Gelperin, who works with a teen-written Web site called sexetc.org.

“Sexuality is still a very taboo subject in our society,” she said. “Teens tell us that they can’t make decisions in the dark and that adults aren’t properly preparing them to make responsible decisions.”

Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the study shows that “the national policy of promoting abstinence-only programs is a $1.5 billion failure, and teenage girls are paying the real price.”

Similar claims were made last year when the government announced the teen birth rate rose between 2005 and 2006, the first increase in 15 years.

The overall STD rate among the 838 girls in the study was 26 percent, which translates to more than 3 million girls nationwide, the CDC said.

HPV most common
The study by CDC researcher Dr. Sara Forhan is an analysis of nationally representative data on 838 girls aged 14 to 19 who took part in a 2003-04 government health survey. Teens were tested for four infections: human papillomavirus, or HPV, which can cause cervical cancer and affected 18 percent of girls studied; chlamydia, which affected 4 percent; trichomoniasis, 2.5 percent; and genital herpes, 2 percent.

Dr. John Douglas, director of the CDC’s division of STD prevention, said the results are the first to examine the combined national prevalence of common sexually transmitted diseases among adolescent girls. He said the data likely reflect current prevalence rates.

HPV can cause genital warts but often has no symptoms. A vaccine targeting several HPV strains recently became available, but Douglas said it likely has not yet had much impact on HPV prevalence rates in teen girls.

Chlamydia can cause an abnormal discharge and painful urination, but often has no symptoms. Signs of trichomoniasis are similar, and both diseases can be treated with antibiotics. Genital herpes can cause blisters but also is often symptomless. It can’t be cured but medicine can help.

The CDC recommends annual chlamydia screening for all sexually active women under age 25. It also recommends the three-dose HPV vaccine for girls aged 11-12 years, and catch-up shots for females aged 13 to 26.

The CDC’s Dr. Kevin Fenton said that given the potential complications from STDs, “screening, vaccination and other prevention strategies for sexually active women are among our highest public health priorities.”

Douglas said screening tests are underused in part because many teens don’t think they’re at risk, but also, some doctors mistakenly think: “Sexually transmitted diseases don’t happen to the kinds of patients I see.”

Teens need to hear the dual message that STDs can be prevented by abstinence and condoms — and hear them often, said Dr. Ellen Kruger, an obstetrician-gynecologist at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans.

“You’ve got to hammer at them,” with appropriate information at each stage of teen development to make sure it sinks in, she said.

She said there are a lot of myths out there, too — many sexually active teens think the withdrawal method will protect them, or that douching with Coca-Cola will kill STD germs.

Dr. Margaret Blythe, an adolescent medicine specialist at Indiana University School of Medicine, said some doctors hesitate to discuss STDs with teen patients or offer screening because of confidentiality concerns, knowing parents would have to be told of the results.

Blythe, who heads an American Academy of Pediatrics committee on adolescence, noted that the academy supports confidential teen screening.

[Chick-O-Stick]

The interesting thing about that study is that is was done on teen girls. If you look at stats with women from 20 to 34 you will find that the rates go up to 2 in 4. So dudes, when you go to the pub you have a 50/50 in getting something that will make it burn when you pee. Sweet. (Well, that is as long as you aren't looking at the under 20 set, then you only have a 1 in 4 chance)

[MASON]

WHEW!

In all seriousness, the problem is that they are teaching 3rd graders and 4th graders sex ed when their bodies haven't even hit puberty yet. That's just a joke. 7th, 8th grade is when they should learn this. They will be old and mature enough to handle the topic.

It also doesn't help when the parent is having multiple "friends" over as well, or is setting a bad example for thier child(ren).

[muthagoose]

'Jackass' Star Steve-O Hospitalized For Observation After Friends, Family Become Alarmed By His Behavior

On Sunday, the "Jackass" star was planning to execute a stunt where he would take a 25-foot fall onto concrete, a fall he hoped to break with cardboard boxes and trash cans, so long as his friends showed up to provide them. "50 Cent got shot nine times at once and survived, and he is forever a legend," Steve-O (real name: Stephen Glover) wrote to his e-mail list. "I betcha I break more than nine bones if nobody comes with something to catch me, because, mark my words, I will fall!" In separate e-mails, he wrote repeatedly, "I'm ready to f---ing die."

But it wasn't an injury from this stunt that landed him in lockdown at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Sunday, after being taken there by Johnny Knoxville and Dimitry Elyaschevich, according to their mutual friends. Rather, it was concern over his recent behavior that precipitated it. "He's in the hospital now," one of his friends told MTV News. "Not for injury, for observation." His friends estimate that he'll be in the hospital for 14 days.



A week before the stunt, Glover had been arrested for allegedly vandalizing his neighbor's property, and a felony drug charge for possession of cocaine during the incident was added this week, his arraignment for which was scheduled for Thursday. As Glover was not available to enter a plea, an attorney went to court on his behalf to explain the circumstances and ask for a continuance, so the arraignment was pushed back until March 26.

It was Glover's arrest a week ago that precipitated this situation, however. As a result of the vandalism charge and the subsequent media attention, Glover was evicted from his apartment and decided to do the stunt as a last hurrah, to take advantage of the clearing from the loft. In planning that stunt, the references to dying and suicide in his e-mails concerned his friends and family the most, especially coming on the heels of his girlfriend rejecting a marriage proposal, which he also wrote about. "These last e-mails definitely had something to do with it," another friend said, "but he's been headed towards this for a few months."

"My family is convinced that I've got bipolar disorder," Glover wrote in November. "I don't know if I agree, but I've come to terms with the fact that I'm somewhat f---ed in the head. ... I agreed to go to a psychiatrist for a professional evaluation, to try and figure out what specific category of nutjob I fall into. I've decided that I want to make a rad project out of finding what the f--- is wrong with me. I sure hope this psychiatrist is down with me having my evaluation filmed."

No word on whether Cedars-Sinai is allowing Steve-O to document his lockdown, as a rep for the hospital could not confirm his admittance, citing patient confidentiality, but regardless, his friends predict he'll be fine in a few weeks. "Once he dries out in there," one friend said, "he'll be back to happy old funny Steve-O."

[Chick-O-Stick]

mason said:

WHEW!

In all seriousness, the problem is that they are teaching 3rd graders and 4th graders sex ed when their bodies haven't even hit puberty yet. That's just a joke. 7th, 8th grade is when they should learn this. They will be old and mature enough to handle the topic.

It also doesn't help when the parent is having multiple "friends" over as well, or is setting a bad example for thier child(ren).

Where have you been? There are ten year olds having babies now, I don't care if they haven't hit puberty or are mature enough to handle the topic, health in general should start at home very early and continue in 3rd or 4th grade. From there it should go onward until they are in high school.
Where I live the kids take their first health class in 6th grade, from there they progress to sex ed in middle school. My nephew was in 4th when he started going through puberty. By the sixth grade he was almost 6 feet tall and had to start shaving. There were many many girls in his class that I remember seeing at his school carnivals when he was 9-10 that were already developed. There must be something in the water because kids now are hitting puberty very early. Because of that they are making horrible choices. And let's not even get into the numerous cases of young kids getting pregnant by their own fathers or their mother's boyfriends. Run a Google search and you will find a story from Cincinnati last week of a ten year old that had a child fathered by her mom's boyfriend. Some of those kids have no clue what is happening to them because they haven't been taught. They know it's wrong, but they don't know why or how to express it.

[MASON]

The problem is that they are learning HOW to have sex TOO YOUNG (in my humble opinion). As Chef said from "South Park," "Part of being a kid is having an innocence about them." We should not be forcing that innocence away. More on this later...

As for kids hitting puberty, yes they are doing this at an earlier age and it is becuase of the chemicals in our foods. No one wants to beleive me on this one so I will stop now. However, I was on the inside, and can attest that more and more chemicals are given to our animals (and vegetables) which in turn is affecting our society.

As far as teaching sex in schools, I have a theory. Here it is. Brace yourself. If kids don't know what sex is, they are less likely to have it. Around the middle school years, yes teach it. I have no problem with kids learning about it in 6th grade. HOWEVER, let me talk about me personal experience. Sex ed (when I was in school) was nothing more but an anatomy course. They did go over protective "devices" and explained how to use them (in detail I might add; I never forgot!), but the course was basically useless to me. I leaned that unprotected sex could give you a disease, or a baby, or both. THAT I already knew.

In college in Fitness and Wellness, they actually showed pictures of what these diseases would do to the penis and/or to the vagina. Now THAT made you KNOW that you would be as safe as possible! We learned about what AIDS would do to the body as well (Keep in mind, AIDS had not been explored (in the early 90's for me) as it has today in the Health class). Also, if any guy sees a picture of a penis with so many sores on it that it looks like it might fall off, you will defintely think twice before you hook up with someone.

Getting back to the innocence thing again with kids, now it is difficult to shelter them from sex due to the media, news, movies, television, and the internet. You could watch the 6 o'clock news a few years ago and learn all about oral sex from Bill Dlinton. It wasn't that blatant in the 80's or the early 90's. You can find any search engine with movies in under 90 seconds. I once had a college professor who said that he wasn't watching the news anymore with his family. Why? Because (and these are his exact words) "I don't want my 4 year old daughter looking at me and saying 'Daddy, what's a threesome?'" It all goes back to the parents, the culture that the kids are living in, and the society around that. Kids need their innocence or they will no longer function as kids.

[Chick-O-Stick]

Kids don't know what sex is exactly (well some of them), and that is the point of educating them about it at an early age. I hate what your professor said, it's gullible thinking. If he sends his children to school (public or private) or they are involved with sports, play groups, around other kids at any time, then they will be exposed to things. How stupid is it to think just because you don't talk about it then it won't come up? That to me is irrational and unintelligent thinking.

Who better than the parent to start an open dialogue with their child? I feel that if you start these conversations at an early age then it will help the child in the long run. By the time they start sex ed classes they should already know most of the things they are going to be talking about. In 7th grade I remember having Health class, we had a book on the entire gamut of topics. When we got to disease and prevention there were photos of everything. I don't know where you went to school Mason, but around here they show you exactly what they are teaching.

Just because you don't know how to ride a bike doesn't mean you aren't going to make the attempts. And just because kids aren't informed doesn't mean they aren't going to have sex. Actually, I would say that them being uninformed is the problem in the first place. If they knew the reasons they should wait, were informed about disease, pregnancy, and the fact they could die from one interlude then maybe it would make them think before acting. Yes it's true that you have to have a certain maturity and understanding about yourself before it can be expected that you will use good judgment and comprehend what you're being taught. But that is why the open dialogue between children and their parents needs to be established from the get go.

[MASON]

I agree with the parents having the dialogue. I feel that when it comes up it should be addressed at that point. As for your experience in class, I say "Bravo" because they really taught us nothing. I think pictures of consequences etc. will make people think twice. Maybe over here we're more conservative with the teaching aspects as opposed to your neck of the woods, and it sounds like you had much more of an education than me.

I can only base this on my own personal experience in the course. They didn't even teach us EXACTLY what went on during a woman's period. I eventually found out later and that's a funny story in itself! but it sounds like your experience was more informative than mine, and if so, then perhaps education could help at a younger age. It just depends on WHAT is presented and HOW. For me, it was prevention, and that was about it. It sounds like they taught you a lot more and you got more out of the course than I did.

[Chick-O-Stick]

Do you know if they teach and show those things now at an earlier age where you live? What is done in the current middle school? How about grade school?

I know my nieces were all told what would be happening to them years before it did, my nephews were informed of the process (with girls) but it wasn't until most of them were in 5th grade that they fully covered the topic. My nephews were all told about what would happen to them in about the 4th grade. Some of them were not mature enough for this information, but it was told to them in a way that was at their level, then in 6th they had their first formal sex ed class. My family and I are all big on the reality of your choices and we all tell the kids in the family what those realities can be without sugar coating any of it. I've been given free reign on talking to any of my nieces and nephews about topics they might be embarrassed about or things they have questions on. I've always been the "Cool Aunt"! Haha! Anyhow, things like sexual education are of importance to me, just as much as teaching tolerance, ethics, etc... I'm a huge advocate for rights and consider myself liberal but I always study both sides of an issue before I make a choice. I feel that by limiting sex ed in schools only harms kids in the end. I think the stats showing that 1 in 4 girls age 14 to 19 having an STD really back that up. I also think that the stats showing that 2 out of 4 women from the ages of 20 to 34 having an STD shows how stupid and irresponsible people are, and how women still view having sex with a guy as love. I say that because you can't tell me that 2 out of 4 women are that loose or desperate, they have to be thinking that if they sleep around someone will finally love them and provide validation to them. I think when you come from a background of stability and love it helps tremendously, and that is why you won't end up having the dreaded burning when you pee.

[muthagoose]

SIRUS/XM Get the Greenlight on Merger!

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Monday approved the proposed $4.22 billion purchase of XM Satellite Radio by Sirius Satellite Radio after concluding a combined XM-Sirius would not harm consumers.

The deal still needs approval from the Federal Communications Commission, which is expected to follow the Justice Department's lead.

The deal, announced in February 2007, would combine the only two providers of satellite radio in the United States.

"After a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction, the (antitrust) division concluded the evidence does not demonstrate that the proposed merger of XM and Sirius is likely to substantially lessen competition, and that the transaction therefore is not likely to harm consumers," the department said in a statement.

The long-awaited decision sent shares of XM and Sirius sharply higher. Although they later pared their best gains, XM stock was up nearly 14 percent to $13.59, while Sirius shares were up 6 percent to $3.08, both on Nasdaq.

The traditional radio industry, consumer groups and some U.S. lawmakers had criticized the deal as anticompetitive, but the satellite radio companies argued that they faced competition from traditional radio and personal audio players.

Officials from Sirius and XM were not immediately available for comment.