In the News

Maybe I just don't have a legal mind. The logical thing to me (since the DNA does prove it is one or both twins) that they split child support 50/50.

Sweet, vicious smile. Give these lovely gentlemen a choice. They can, together, pony up the child support money, or they can both get fixed to ensure they never have the opportunity to do this to anybody ever again.

Fixed? I meant CASTRATED.

Does Constantine have a twin? Ahem.

I mean, I agree with you totally and completely Abrahammy. At least sterilize them. It should be 50/50. If they know one of them is the father, isn't that the way to go?

I do hope it goes to the Supreme Court and they make these shmucks pay through the nose.

I find this story utterly unbelievable If someone told me to "medicate my baby" I would have had a fit! This is the same airline that handled "Footgate" so well!

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Mom: Baby's talk got me kicked off plane Thu Jul 12, 8:29 PM ET



ATLANTA - A woman said she and her toddler son were kicked off a plane after she refused a flight attendant's request to medicate her son to get him to quiet down and stop saying "Bye bye, plane."


Kate Penland, of suburban Atlanta, said she and her 19-month-old son, Garren, were flying from Atlanta to Oklahoma last month on a Continental Express flight that made a stop in Houston.

As the plane was taxiing in Houston en route to Oklahoma, "he started saying 'Bye, bye plane,' Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta. The flight attendant objected, she said.

"At the end of her speech, she leaned over the gentleman beside me and said, 'It's not funny anymore. You need to shut your baby up,'" Penland told WSB-TV in Atlanta.

When Penland asked the woman if she was joking, she said the stewardess replied, "You know, it's called baby Benadryl," referring to an allergy medication that can also be used as a sleep aid.

"And I said, 'Well, I'm not going to drug my child so you have a pleasant flight,'" Penland told the TV station.

Penland said other passengers began speaking up on her behalf, and the flight attendant announced they were turning around and that Penland and Garren were going to be taken off the plane.

Penland and her son were let off the plane and did not complete the trip to Oklahoma, said Kristy Nicholas, spokeswoman for Express Jet Airlines, which flies as Continental Express on behalf of Continental Airlines.

Attempts by the Associated Press to reach Penland under a telephone listing that matched her last name were unsuccessful.

"I was crying, I was upset and I was thinking, 'What am I going to do? I don't have anything with me, I don't have any more diapers for the baby, no juice, no milk," Penland told WSB.

Nicholas said, "We received Ms. Penland's letter expressing her concerns and intend to investigate its contents."

That's absurd!!!!!!! The flight attendant's attitude is unbelievable!

Not sure if this belongs in NEWS but I wasn't sure where to put it. I have heard rumblings of this sort of thing before. If singers were appreciated for their vocal artistry instead of being made to feel they aren't a real artist if they don't write their songs, things like this wouldn't be happening. It just further goes to show what a corrupt and dirty business the music industry is.

Quote :

Jul 23, 1:37 PM EDT


Singer-Songwriters, or Just Singers?

By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY
AP Music Writer


NEW YORK (AP) -- Of all the names in music, Chantal Kreviazuk may be the least likely to appear in a headline. Though she recently released her own album, the songwriter usually stays behind the scenes to pen hits with artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani and Avril Lavigne.

But earlier this month, Kreviazuk rocked the pop music world by suggesting that Lavigne was a collaborator in name only. Although she quickly retracted her comments and others defended Lavigne, the flap illuminated a long-standing fraud that has become more prevalent than ever: "singer-songwriters" who do much less songwriting than their publicists would have you believe.

"It's crazy!" exclaimed Grammy-winning songwriter Diane Warren, who has written for artists such as Whitney Houston, Celine Dion and Mary J. Blige. "How can someone look in the mirror and know they didn't do something and their name is on it? For money? For credit? It's a lie."

This being the music industry, money is of course a factor, since the writers of hit songs can earn more than the singer over the long term. But today's singers also press for writing credit because it gives them more of a cache, presenting them as more of a "real artist" in comparison with a star who doesn't write a note.

"It's a practice that's been going on but now it's really prevalent in every situation," says songwriter Adonis Shropshire, who helped pen the hit "My Boo" for Alicia Keys and Usher, and has worked with Chris Brown, Ciara and others.

Shropshire says that many artists will only allow songwriters to work on an album in return for song credit, and "if they do write, they ask for more publishing than they honestly contributed ... it is the way it is."

The practice has been prevalent for decades. Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, maneuvered to give the King songwriting credits on early hits like "Love Me Tender" even though he never wrote a word. James Brown was sued by an associate over song credits. Lauryn Hill settled a lawsuit by a group that claimed she improperly took sole production and writing credit on her Grammy-winning album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." And Diddy seemed to acknowledge claims that he wasn't really writing his raps in the "Bad Boys for Life" song with the brushoff line: "Don't worry if I write rhymes, I write checks!"

The notion that serious artists have to write their own songs seems to have grown over the past two decades. Today, even the fluffiest of pop acts is credited as having written their own material.

"We as an industry ... don't look at someone who has an incredible voice as an artist, whereas having an incredible voice is artistry," says Jody Gerson, an executive vice president of EMI Music Publishing. "I think people place more of a value on an artist if they write their own songs, it gives them credibility."

Indeed, Lavigne's songwriting abilities have been touted since she broke out as a teen with the hit "Complicated." But how much she contributed to her music has long been scrutinized.

On her first album, Lavigne worked with the writing trio The Matrix, but ditched them on her second album when she felt they were taking too much credit for the songs. "I am a writer, and I won't accept people trying to take that away from me, and anyone who does is ignorant and doesn't know what they're talking about," she defiantly told The Associated Press in 2004.

She connected with Kreviazuk for her sophomore album and the two became close friends. Kreviazuk lauded her songwriting ability in an interview with The AP, also in 2004 - which made Kreviazuk's comments to Performing Songwriting Magazine all the more curious.

"I mean, Avril, songwriter? Avril doesn't really sit and write songs by herself or anything. Avril will also cross the ethical line, and no one says anything," Kreviazuk - who was not included on Lavigne's latest album - told the magazine before retracting her statement. The Matrix later came out to defend Lavigne's songwriting integrity.

Grammy-winning songwriter Dallas Austin says he's had a manager rave about a song Austin wrote all by himself, and then tell him, "We wanna know if we can get a piece of the pie on it because (the artist) wants to feel like she has a part ownership on the song.

"And I'll say, 'In all fairness, no. ... If you want to work with me at least sit here and put something into it, instead of coming after I've done everything and try and claim percentages on it.'"

Gerson calls the practice unfair but says it's "pretty prevalent in pop and R&B ... I think the way people now divide publishing splits is who was in the room. 'OK ... I changed the word "the" to "a," and I deserve 10 percent of the publishing.'"

Sean Garrett, who has created smashes for Beyonce, Kelis, Fergie and others, says he gave up credit when he was just starting out, which is common for newcomers. "It bothered me but I knew it was just a price that I had to pay to continue my career and stay focused with the big prize," he says.

Ne-Yo, a true singer-songwriter who co-wrote Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," says early in his career he had to deal with the same thing. He says some artists feel they are doing a novice a favor by recording their song - especially if it becomes a hit - so they deserve a piece of the royalties.

"If you're an unknown songwriter and you are lucky enough to get on a superstar's album and you know that the song is going to be a single," Ne-Yo says, "and it means if it becomes No. 1 everyone is going to know your name because you wrote it, I think it's worth giving up a piece of publishing ... you are going to make your money back."

Shropshire recalls working with an A-list singer, whom he did not want to name, who wrote two words on a song and ended up getting a large piece of the publishing rights. But he couldn't complain when the song became a hit.

"It didn't really bother me that much. The song came out and it did wonderfully well," he says. "That's just the way the industry works."

That shouldn't be the case, says Warren. Although she had credit taken from her early in her career, she quickly put a stop to it. Later, one major superstar demanded some of Warren's royalties for the privilege of said superstar recording her song. But Warren refused.

"It's like, 'OK, you want some publishing? OK then, give me a piece of the money you're making touring for the next five years for the hit I just wrote you."

But now that songwriters like Warren, Garrett and Ne-Yo are established, they rarely find themselves taken advantage of any more.

"I give other people credit where credit is due, like Beyonce really did vocally arrange ('Irreplaceable')," Ne-Yo says. "So for someone to come in and take my credit because they are who they are? That doesn't work for me. I don't care who you are. ... I'm not going to give you something you don't deserve."

Dead people news: Three of the men who really did impact my life died this past week: Ingmar Berman (brilliant writer director of Swedish movies), Tom Snyder (wonderfully interesting/funny/controversial late night talk show host in the 70s who got so brilliantly parodied by Dan Ackroyd (sp?) on Saturday Night Live at the time that it kinda ruined the real Tom Snyder. Pity. And Antonioni...director of things like Zabriskie Point and Blow Up.

Do these names mean anything to any other posters here?

Well, I really liked Tom Snyder. He was very popular with my folks so I remember him being on their TV a lot. LOVE Dan's take on him! I was very sad to hear that he had passed away.

Not being all that big of a movie buff, I can honestly say I don't know much about those two directors. Sorry. I of course had heard a lot about Igmar Bermen, but I actually thought he was already dead, and I never even heard of the other director Still, sad for their familes, frends, and fans. Sorry you are feeling blue Frazz , but from what I have read all 3 sure had full and interesting lives!

I fear I'm in the same boat as FC. Tom Snyder was awesome (one of my favorite Journey appearances is on his show. It's when Jonathan Cain first joined the group and he just looked so happy and goofy like he couldn't believe his luck).

Dan Akroyd's impression of him was HYSTERICAL. Totally classic.

I was surprised when he passed away. He wasn't that old.

We just had an earthquake here in L.A. Not huge (4.5) but I certainly felt it. I bet GE felt it worse, being closer to the epicenter in Chatsworth.

Oh goodness! I just got up and this is the first I've heard about this! I'm glad you are OK Frazz! I hope GE checks in with us soon so we know she is OK too!

Hugs and love to both of you

Off to the news sites to see what I can find out!

This makes me so sad When I was a little girl mom and I watched Merv every single weekday. We loved him. RIP Mr. Girffin.

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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In Memory of Merv Griffin (July 6, 1925 - August 12, 2007)

Merv Griffin on Clay:

"So it's when you come in second, like Clay Aikens is extrordinary. The underdog. But not only that, it's not that he's the underdog, but I have real thoughts about singers and stuff. I always like the idea that you can turn on the radio and say, 'Oh, that's Clay Aikens. Oh, that's Barbra Streisand. Oh, that's Frank Sinatra, Oh, that's Tony Bennett.' They're a star if you can identify them immediately by their sound. That kid has his own sound. He's got energy. He's got soul. He's got it all. That voice pours out of him."

From USA Today: Griffin began as bit player in film and on stage. In 1950, he crooned the No. 1 novelty song, I've Got a Lovely Bunch of Coconuts. During his lifetime, he became a billionaire owner of hotels, casinos, a jet, a yacht, champion racehorses and a television legacy rewarded with numerous Emmys.
<snip>
During his 1962-86 run as host of daytime TV's The Merv Griffin Show, he interviewed four U.S. presidents and routinely booked controversial figures, such as Jane Fonda, Richard Pryor, stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, transsexual pioneer Christine Jorgensen, Spiro Agnew and Muhammad Ali, many of whom had been banned by other shows. "I did a very unusual interview with Martin Luther King Jr.," he told The Miami Herald. "I had Bobby Kennedy on. Rose Kennedy, I don't think anybody else ever sat her down on television, and she came on with me twice."

He told The New York Times that he took pride in never asking boring questions, such as "How did you prepare for the role?" or "Do you have any hobbies?" And cocktails, he admitted, were sometimes employed to get guests like Bette Davis to loosen her lips. "If we knew they were stiffs, we'd get 'em a little stiff," he said.

He was fond of recalling when he got the extremely private Orson Welles, a frequent guest, to finally talk about his past loves — just two hours before the famed director died in 1985.
<snip>
Such self-deprecating humor (he often poked fun at his expanding waistline) and admiration in the Hollywood community helped him quickly bounce back. In 2005, he received the lifetime achievement award at the Daytime Emmys.

Of his many Emmys, Griffin joked to the Los Angeles Times in 2003, "They're everywhere. Some of them are even lamps now."

While he criticized present hits such as Deal or No Deal and The Jerry Springer Show ("Like watching somebody go to the toilet"), he praised David Letterman and Ellen DeGeneres, the latter whom he said was "born for the medium." He was also a huge American Idol fan and took pleasure in crossword puzzles (at least four a day), his dogs (including a beloved Shar-Pei named Charlie Chaplin), a 142-foot yacht (he had three over the years, all named The Griff), a 18th century manor in Ireland, a 57-acre Carmel Valley vineyard, and a 240-acre thoroughbred ranch in La Quinta.

I remember Arthur Treacher was his "Ed McMahon" and he always announced him as "Mer-er-er-vin". I remember there was another regular who used to sing and play the trumpet - I think his name was Jack Shelton.

I remember there was this cute little old lady that was in the audience a lot. I think her name was Mrs. Miller. I guess she was a Mervmate! I think I remember Jack Shelton. I know Charo used to be on a lot

I was on his show once. Ex-hubby and I wrote a book about spy gadgets, so Merv had us on demonstrating the gadgets. I wish I had the clip. It was pretty funny, with Merv making a fart joke about a bomb sniffer.

That is so cool Frazz!! You guys wrote a book about gadgets? That is amazing! So sad that you don't have a clip of it. How fun it would be to look back on it.

That earthquake scared the bejeezus outta me. I was saying this elsewhere. The problem when it starts is that you don't know how big it's going to be or how long it will last. So you kinda hold on and pray.

I'm pretty sure my mom met Merv Griffin. I think she tried out for "Joker's Wild" as well.

Frazz, I'm sure with the internet like it is, there must be a video of that clip floating around somewhere! Man, would I love to see that!

So glad you are OK GE! I bet it is real scary. We have been in a few tornados in our lifetime and man it's frightening You never know where they are going to hit the ground or how bad the damage will be.

Here is a bizarre news item: Perez Hilton reported that Fidel Castro was dead, and the internet went crazy, garnering Perez's site millions of hits.

Turns out Fidel might or might not be dead, but that he has been in the same maybe-dead state for weeks, if not months, and the official word is that he is not dead just yet.

Back in the old days only governments could stage fake news and have people believe it.

I wouldn't give Perez Hilton's site a hit even if he said I was dead!


(that said, I hope the bastard is dead )

LOL, FC.

Castro has been around forever, and whether he is dead or not his brother is now running the country, so I don't suppose the death will make much difference in terms of Cuba's position in the world.

I do wish we had their health care, though.

Quote :

Back in the old days only governments could stage fake news and have people believe it.

What about "War of the Worlds"? I'm still blown away people totally thought there was an alien attack.

Why would Perez post that? You're right. That news has been around a while and from what I understand, his brother is even more ruthless.

Oh yeah, Oson Welles pulled a fast one with War of the Worlds!

I am putting this here, instead of in the Celebs place, because it is too scary.

Owen Wilson, ute, talented, and funny blonde guy, brother of Luke and some other brother,and ex- boyfriend of the lovely Kate Hudson tried to commit suicide (call for help more than real attempt to die, but still serious and scary in my book) ...

This is a link to just an arbitrary version of the story:
http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3529245&page=1

I really want this to have a happy outcome.

Me too. He is so talented and in all the interviews I have seen he has seemed like a really sweet and funny man. I was totally shocked to hear of his attempted suicide. Yes, a call for help indeed. I am sure his brothers will see that he gets it. They seem so close. I do think think this may have something to do with Kate. I mean so soon after their break-up and all the pix of her out with her new man that have emerged in the past week. She is such an absolute doll and appears to be the type of woman a man would fall deeply for. She may not be the only reason, or even the main reason, but I think she factors into it greatly.