Swedish Wrestler Refuses Medal

You have to figure that most athletes who go to an Olympic Games have trained for it much of their life. Many put anything else in life on hold to train, train, and train. So I understand that emotions run high, whether you win or lose. Roman wrestler Ara Abrahamian won a medal this week, something most people dream about, but he was none to happy about it. It seems the 33 year old Swede was none too happy with the judges in the 84k Greco-roman competition. Abrahamian won a silver medal in Athens in 2004 and I suppose the … Continue reading →

Pop Culture Potporrui: Beckham’s Big Bash and Annie’s Big Project

A Big Bash For The Beckham’s In less than 24 hours the newest members of Hollywood royalty will be welcomed into the inner circle. David and Victoria Beckham’s BFFs Tom and Katie Holmes and Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith will be hosting a lavish, private party for the British imports tomorrow night. The official invites were reportedly printed in gold lettering and asked guests to “Please welcome David and Victoria Beckham to Los Angeles.” The invitations also implore guests: “No cameras please.” The big shindig is being held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Los Angeles. Reported A-listers … Continue reading →

All Is Not Well In Tinseltown

At least for some stars… TV legend Merv Griffin has been hospitalized for a recurrence of prostate cancer. According to his rep, Griffin is being treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for cancer discovered during a routine examination a few weeks ago. In a statement released earlier today the 82-year-old game show producer said: “I’d rather play Jeopardy! than live it. I was ready for a vacation; however, this wasn’t the destination I had in mind.” It’s nice to see Griffin’s sense of humor remains intact. Meanwhile, singer Jon Bon Jovi is lashing out at the owners of an energy drink. … Continue reading →

Pop Culture Potpourri: A Dying Boy’s Last Wish, “The Simpsons” Rap, and More

A DYING BOY’S LAST WISH It was a dream come true for 7-year-old Ronald Sterling when thousands gathered at Shea Stadium last week for a special surprise. The crowd of more than 15,000 children and Bob McGrath from “Sesame Street” weren’t there for a New York Mets game. Rather, the group was there to sing a song for the little boy who suffers from a rare immune system disorder called Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. The performance was held at the stadium because Ronald loves baseball but is too sick to attend a game, and according to news reports, the children were at … Continue reading →

Celebrity Activists Go “Red” and “Green”

While Oprah and Bono paint the town red with their “Product Red” initiative to raise money to fight AIDS in Africa, hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons announced he’s going green to raise green for the development and empowerment of Africans. Simmons unveiled his “Green Initiative” jewelry to reporters at a news conference yesterday. According to the 49-year-old musician-turned-entrepreneur, 25% of proceeds from sales will go toward the Diamond Empowerment Fund, which “will support institutions, like schools and colleges, in South Africa and Botswana and help boost economic development.” So why is Simmons who is well known for his popular … Continue reading →

Yoko Ono’s Plea For Peace

Good Morning! Have you had a chance to look at today’s New York Times yet? Just a few pages in there’s a full-page advertisement from Yoko Ono. Did you see it? At first glance I thought it was an ad about Yoko Ono, but upon further inspection I saw that it was in fact a message from the former Beatle’s widow to readers worldwide pleading for peace. More specifically Ono is calling for the anniversary of the death of her husband, John Lennon, to become a day of worldwide healing. In the very large ad, Ono urges readers to mark … Continue reading →

Rock Band Raises Green For Green

The popular Seattle-based rock band, Pearl Jam is making a hefty donation to aid those working to preserve the environment. “Our Carbon Portfolio Strategy is the newest component of our ongoing efforts to advance clean renewable energy and carbon mitigation,” the Seattle-based band said in a statement Tuesday. Interestingly, the band designed the strategy to aid in the clean up of the pollutants they have released into the environment. The band has promised to give $100,000 to several groups that focus on “climate change, renewable energy and other environmental causes as part of an effort to offset carbon emissions” the … Continue reading →

Sheryl Crow Says She Still Loves Lance Armstrong

I have always thought Lance Armstrong was handsome. Even before he won his record breaking seven-straight Tour de France titles. Even before he divorced his wife Kristin. Even before he started dating Sheryl Crow. Actually, it wasn’t until he decided to break off his engagement with Crow that I began to think my argument that his stunning good looks overshadowed his actions was not going to stand up to my friend’s (a die hard Crow fan) rants that Armstrong was a cad. I don’t think he is a cad. But, I did question why he and Crow had decided to … Continue reading →