THE BRIEFING: Random Stories from the Week

Initially I was going to put these in different posts but decided to include them all as one. It's kind of a stream of thought. It's my week in review of silly news stories.

Enjoy the briefing.

A PUNK('D) BITCH: Ashton Kutcher challenged CNN a few days ago to see who would surpass one million followers on twitter. Great news story (riiiight)! I know you were all on the edge of your seat to find out who would make it first (or not). It was cool for like 30 seconds, but then it became news on every channel. Seriously? Dude is on Larry King Live, talking about it on Oprah, E News running it at as a teaser before a commercial ... "find out what Ashton did the moment he reached one million followers and what he's going to do now." What makes this news worthy? Does anyone even really care? (for like two minutes I felt less about myself for even writing about here) Dude should have matched everyone that followed him by following them (Ashton only follows 80 people on Twitter including P. Diddy who was "locked in" and pushing for Ashton to reach one million first and supported him via phone during the big moment).

I wish the moment he thought he was at one million, someone suddenly jumped out and yelled, "you've been punk'd!" That would have been news worthy.

OH, SHE CAN SANG?!: Susan Boyle, the sudden YouTube sensation, shocked all those that judged a book by it's cover (you know she came out frumpy looking and all) before her singing audition on "Britains' Got Talent". The 47-year-old has quite the voice but really is it news worthy? So, she can sing. Now what?! Guess the mix tape is in the works.

HULK-A-MANIA: Hulk Hogan has apparently gone off the deep end just a bit... He reportedly told Rolling Stone Magazine, "I could have turned everything into a crime scene, like OJ, cutting everybody's throat. You live half a mile from the 20,000-square-foot home you can't go to anymore, you're driving through downtown Clearwater and see a 19-year-old boy driving your Escalade, and you know that a 19-year-old boy is sleeping in your bed, with your wife . . . I totally understand OJ. I get it."

Wait, so OJ did do it? I know OJ is sitting somewhere like, "damn dude keep me out of that. I only kind of wrote a book about if I did it, I didn't really do it... allegedly."

Hulk's wife, Linda Hogan, released the following through her rep, "Hulk’s serial cheating destroyed our marriage, our family and our future. Sadly, his recent comments remind us that his definition of fair is much different than what the law dictates."

Hulk said it was all a misunderstanding. How is this a misunderstanding... "I could have turned everything into a crime scene, like OJ, cutting everybody's throat"? No, I think we got it.

Nice move Hulk.

IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG FLIGHT: So apparently United Airlines figured out another way to make cash on its passengers. But not all passengers, just the overweight ones. They are going to start charging overweight passengers for another seat. Ouch. Their rule of thumb for judging an overweight passenger? "When a person cannot sit in one seat with both armrests down they have to pay for an extra seat." Wooooooow.

Hey, I know folks want to be comfortable on flights and according to United Airlines many of their passengers complain when they have to sit with someone that takes up extra space. But seriously?

United said that folks shouldn't be surprised by the shift since airlines have been charging for extra bags, overweight bags and other services that exceed the basics provided for customers. However critics call the policy of charging overweight folks way more discriminatory.

I mean, this has got to be an awkward conversation... "Um, excuse me sir... we, uh noticed that both of your armrest can't go down... so... uh, will that be cash, check or charge for the extra seat?"

The thing is that the airline isn't denying flight for these folks so they don't see it as discrimination, they're just telling them they have to pay extra and everyone will be more comfortable. Paying for another seat is a lot of money in these tough times, especially with all the extras you already have to pay for air travel.

When will the extra fees stop? Consider this... I'm 6 foot 3 and unless I'm in the exit row I'm pretty much cramped in my seat when I fly. Then when the flight gets going and the person in front of me drops their seat in a gangsta recline, I'm really screwed. But, I know that this comes with the territory. I don't expect that person in front of me to pay extra to adjust the seat. It's the nature of air travel. Things aren't suppose to be comfortable and if they were suppose to be they would have designed the planes that way. Airlines are in the business of selling space and the more folks they can get on a flight the better off they are.

Guess it's why I take the train everywhere.

Texas Governor Rick Perry

YOU AIN'T GONNA DO ISH: No disrespect to the folks that peep our blog in Texas, but what's up ?! Secede? Really? Apparently that Tea Party nonsense got to folks' heads in Texas. Might have been before that however. The Governor of Texas referenced potential secession at one of the Wednesday Tea Party Rallies (if you weren't paying attention folks held these "tea party" rallies all over the Country in protest of government spending, etc.). Even Chuck Norris (yes, that Chuck Norris - the Texas Ranger himself) said "I may run for president of Texas". That need may be a reality sooner than we think. If not me, someone someday may again be running for president of the Lone Star state, if the state of the union continues to turn into the enemy of the state."

President of Texas?

"Anyone who has been around Texas for any length of time knows exactly what we'd do if the going got rough in America," Norris said.

What is this 1860?

They really taking this stuff serious (Click for the Texas Secede website).

However according to an article in Time Magazine "most experts say the notion that Texas can legally secede is mistaken, but the state does have the right to split into five states, offering the prospect of 10 U.S. Senators, math that would send cold shivers down any Democratic back."

Texas, seriously... what's really good?