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Amy Rolph
Jilted bride sues groom for getting cold feet
There are a few things you'll need when planning an over-the-top wedding. A $30,000 banquet hall is a must-have. An orchestra - well, that's a steal for $10,000. And $11,000 for flowers seems quite reasonable, don't you think?
One Chicago bride thought her big day justified spending that much, but her beloved didn't seem to agree. Or maybe there was another reason he got cold feet and called off the wedding four days before it was scheduled to happen.
Now, he's getting sued.
Former bride-to-be Dominique Buttitta is seeking $95,000 from the man she intended to marry. Her case is gathering a lot of attention, reports MSNBC:
How are Buttitta's chances in court? Not bad at all, according to attorney, feminist and activist Gloria Allred. "Many states would permit her to recoup her out-of-pocket costs for the wedding preparations," Allred said, citing the legal theory of "detrimental reliance."
"She relied on their joint decision regarding the marriage ceremony and party, and spent her own funds on her reliance on his representation," Allred explained. "If he backs out, he should pay her back."
| December 29 2010 at 10:17 AM
Times wedding announcement: We broke up our marriages
One couple is catching some criticism for being a little too honest in the New York Times "Vows" column, which details how soon-to-be-married couples met and fell in love.
Usually, it tells about blind dates, romantic proposals and "I just knew it" moments. In the case of Carol Anne Riddell and John Partilla, the column details how the couple broke up their marriages so they could be together.
Here's how the Times feature starts:
Carol Anne Riddell and John Partilla met in 2006 in a pre-kindergarten classroom. They both had children attending the same Upper West Side school. They also both had spouses.
Part "Brady Bunch" and part "The Scarlet Letter," their story has played out as fodder for neighborhood gossip. But from their perspective, the drama was as unlikely as it was unstoppable.
You can imagine what comes next. The couples, close friends for years, split. Two people got what they wanted. Two people got dumped. And five kids have a somewhat confusing situation on their hands.
Outrage over the startlingly honest love-story has swelled up on the Times' website, with some people asking how the couple could be so obviously proud of what they'd done to their families.
"My kids are going to look at me and know that I am flawed and not perfect, but also deeply in love," Riddell said in the piece. "We're going to have a big, noisy, rich life, with more love and more people in it."
Here's more on the controversy from The Today Show.
| December 21 2010 at 01:33 PM
CNN: Could I catch something from vintage clothes?
Hey secondhand shoppers, you might want to pay attention.
CNN.com reports that scabies, or Sarcoptes scabiei, are the "most common stowaways in secondhand threads." The tiny eight-legged mites dig into your skin and make you itch like crazy. Typically, you'll develop rashes or sores, and the infection doesn't go away without getting a special cream or lotion from your doctor.
CNN offers a few tips, including:
Be picky about your stores. Good vintage and consignment shops (as opposed to the rummage sale in a church basement) are careful about what goods they take, so you're less likely to have a problem.
Bag your buys. Before you wear someone else's cast-offs, starve the mites. Keep all your purchases in a plastic bag and stash them in the garage or basement for two weeks. They'll die of starvation.
- Scott Gutierrez
| December 17 2010 at 06:08 PM
Forever Lazy: Is an adult onesie the new Snuggie?
OK, people. I think we're taking comfort a bit too far here.
First it was the Snuggie, essentially a blanket with sleeves. Lazy? You bet. But not quite as bad as adult-sized onesie pajamas.
Enter Forever Lazy, a company that makes exactly that. The "full-body lazy wear" is quickly becoming one of the most-talked-about items of the holiday season, partly because singer Fergie is apparently getting one for everyone on her shopping list.
Forever Lazy has a TV commercial (just like the Snuggie) that features oh-so-comfortable customers wearing the product at a sporting event (before-game tailgating included), sleeping in front of the TV and reading in easy chairs. "Hands and feet free," the on-screen text says. The commercial points out that the garment has zippers that allow easy access during trips to the bathroom.
This is a slippery slope, comfort lovers. And if it doesn't stop here, these could be the top-sellers for Christmas 2011.
| December 03 2010 at 11:28 AM
Snakes can fly, and here's how
I'm happy to report the world just got a little more terrifying.
Researchers at Virginia Tech recently discovered how the arboreal snakes of Asia to glide through the air from one tree to another, appearing to fly.
I, on the other hand, recently discovered there are flying snakes. It happened about 15 minutes ago, when I saw this video released by Virginia Tech.
The snakes flatten and angel their bodies to gracefully glide through the air.
"Our work contributes to this basic understanding of this really unusual way of gliding flight," researcher Jake Socha told The Scientist. "There's nothing else that does anything close to this - in the engineering world or the biological world."
I guess we can all be grateful for that.
| November 24 2010 at 01:05 PM
Pillow fight breaks out on Continental flight
A flight en route to an airport near Seattle took a turn for the silly last week when passengers busted out their tiny in-flight pillows and started a fight.
The pillow fight was captured by several cameras, but here's the footage that's making the rounds online.
According to several reports, the Continental Airlines flight took off from Phoenix and landed at Paine Field in Everett, Washington.
The troublemakers? Participants in the Star Mega Do 2010, a tour where passengers give airlines feedback in exchange for complimentary services. The video was posted on the organization's website with this comment:
I don't know who started it or why. But someone did, so as we started our descent into Paine Field on Friday a full-fledged pillow fight broke out. Suddenly the cabin was filled with pillows (and a blanket or two) flying back and forth. Quite entertaining to watch and participate in.
"No blankets," seemed to be the only rule I heard tossed about.
| November 10 2010 at 12:26 PM
Woods and Nordegren officially divorced: Who won?
Tiger Woods speaks to his then-wife during opening ceremonies at the AT&T National golf tournament in 2009. (Getty Images)
It's official: Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren are divorced.
Lawyers for the ruined couple say the divorce was finalized Monday, nine months after it was revealed that golfer Woods was cheating big-time on the former Swedish model.
Everyone wants to know who got what, but the terms of the divorce aren't public. (Except that Woods and Nordegren will share custody of their two young children.)
Still, let me get out my calculator and do some quick math to see if I can figure out how Woods came out.
We can assume Nordegren will get a hefty settlement now that her divorce is final.
Divide by two.
Of course, he lost millions when sponsors pulled endorsement deals. And he took a costly five-month hiatus from playing golf as a mountain of bad publicity swelled.
Subtract millions, add public humiliation.
I hear his game isn't so great since he came back to golf, so his future income looks a bit shaky.
Smash calculator with golf clubs in a fit of frustration.
During a public apology, he promised to "get help." Just how much does a good celebrity therapist cost these days?
Subtract millions, add the possibility of restoring athlete-sized ego to a normal size.
Then there's the obvious fact that it couldn't have been cheap to date so many women. (And let's be honest. They looked like they had expensive tastes.)
Divide by expensive publicity-seeking mistresses.
The numbers don't lie. If things keep going this way, there's a good chance Woods will be sleeping in a tent on the third fairway at Pebble Beach before long.
As for Nordegren, I'd advise she do something nice for herself with her share of the Woods fortune. Get a nice car. Take a vacation. Buy Sweden.
| August 23 2010 at 12:48 PM
Celeb doctor was tweeting about dog before fatal crash
Don't tweet and drive, kids. You might end up like Dr. Frank Ryan, a famous Hollywood plastic surgeon who died after driving off a cliff near his Malibu home Monday.
Ryan, known for working with celebrities such as Heidi Montag, was tweeting about his border collie, Jill, just seconds before the crash, the doctor's ex-girlfriend told People Magazine.
Ryan's Twitter page was last updated at 4:10 p.m. Monday with a picture of Jill on a beach. "Border collie jill surveying the view from atop the sand dune," Ryan wrote.
About a half-hour earlier, the doctor tweeted that he'd finally stopped to walk up sand dunes.
"After 25 years of driving by, I finally hiked to the top of the giant sand dune on the pch (sic) west of malibu. Much harder than it looks! Whew!"
Jill was in the car when Ryan crashed, according to People. The dog suffered injuries to the head, eye and paw.
In other news, AAA released a survey Wednesday showing that one in five dog owners drives with pets on their laps. No word on how many tweet about their dogs from the car.
The California Highway Patrol confirmed Ryan was texting on his phone when he crashed. The official cause of the accident isn't yet clear.
| August 18 2010 at 11:45 AM
Gorilla Glass: Next big thing for HDTVs?
Don't fear the Wii remote. Gorilla Glass from Corning will protect against breaks. (Getty Images)
Gorilla Glass, a nearly indestructible glass manufactured by Corning Inc, by has been waiting to make its debut.
Waiting for about 50 years.
The glass was developed in the 1960s, but didn't have a use until now. New York-based Corning is reporting the glass is poised to be a major player in the HGTV and mobile technology market.
Just think: You might be able to play Wii tennis as much as you like without worrying about tossing your remote through your TV screen.
According to The Associated Press: "Gorilla is two to three times stronger than chemically strengthened versions of ordinary soda-lime glass, even when just half as thick, company scientists say. Its strength also means Gorilla can be thinner than a dime, saving on weight and shipping costs."
Corning plans on landing a deal with Asian TV manufacturers. The company thinks its ulta-durable TVs will be on the market in 2011.
| August 02 2010 at 09:34 AM
Want a say in the next 'American Idol' judge? Show us your Shatner
Getty Image"
"American Idol" is cleaning house. Ellen wants out. Kara is history.
Wait. Does anyone actually want to be a judge on that show anymore?
In retrospect, we probably should have seen the departure of Ellen DeGeneres coming. After all, doesn't she have another show? What's it called? Oh, yeah. "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
Kara DioGuardi is also leaving, reportedly fired by executives.
Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler might replace the duo, but are they really the best options?
We don't think so. And in the spirit of democracy, we've assembled a list of other potential judges. View our favorite candidates here, and vote for who you think should be sitting behind the judge's desk.
One little confession: We definitely have a favorite candidate. He's Canadian. He was on Star Trek. And he does Elton John's "Rocketman" like no one else.
If you agree that William Shatner is a natural for the show, help us prove it. We want to see your best impression of Shatner as an "American Idol" judge. Upload your submission here as a video response, and we'll feature the best ones in a future post.
Need a little inspiration? We asked tech-luminary Chris Pirillo to give it his best shot. Here's what he submitted.
Think you can top that? Let's see it.
| July 30 2010 at 08:45 PM
Covering trending news, culture, and entertainment - the stories that are part of the daily conversation (and some we thought fun and just wanted to share).
By Dean Betz, Nicki Britton, Brian Chin, Aubrey Cohen, Nick Eaton, Shannon Fears, Chris Grygiel, Kristi Gustafson, Scott Gutierrez, Bobby Hankinson, Vanessa Ho, Vlae Kershner, Katie Lee, Humberto Martínez, Casey McNerthney, Mike Moffitt, Frankie Ortega, Chris Preovolos, Levi Pulkkinen, Amy Rolph, Sarah Rupp, Tracy Scott, Kate Shellnutt, Dwight Silverman, Gerry Spratt, Sarah Storm, Scott Sunde, Joshua Trujillo, Read Bios
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