Tragedy Strikes a 'Dreamgirl'

Until recently, it seemed like this week's column would be filled with usual fodder--a couple of trials, a couple arrests, an awards show or two, some Guns N' Roses rumors, a bit of Madonna gossip, etc. But then, on Friday, tragedy struck.

At 2:44pm Friday afternoon, Jennifer Hudson's brother, Jason Hudson, and her mother, Darnell Donerson, were found dead by shotgun blast in Jennifer's mother's Chicago home. The bodies were discovered by Jennifer's cousin, who lived nearby. Additionally, Darnell's 7-year-old grandson, Julian King, was reportedly abducted from the scene--possibly by the suspect in this tragic double murder.

This news comes at a time when Jennifer should be enjoying the happiest time of her life--she just released her debut album, she's about to hit the silver screen again in the highly anticipated The Secret Life Of Bees, and she just got engaged to her lawyer/reality-star boyfriend, David "Punk" Otunga. But now, just as the dreamgirl is about to have all her dreams come true, she is instead facing this ultimate nightmare. Our deepest condolences to Jennifer and the entire Hudson family at this extremely tragic time.

Moving on to less horrific news of the week, although no one experienced the same kind of major highs and lows that Jennifer Hudson is sadly dealing with right now, Lil' Wayne was certainly on a rollercoaster ride himself this week. He experienced yet another major professional high at the BET Awards, where he was the top nominee and the top winner (he took home four trophies, including ones for MVP, People's Champ, and Lyricist Of The Year). And in his personal life, the "Stuntin' Like My Daddy" rapper happily became a daddy again (a still-anonymous babymama gave birth to his second child--and his first son--christened Dwayne Carter III). We send our congratulations to this People's Champ.

But it wasn't all babies and BETs in Wayne's world, as the People's Champ unfortunately found himself in the People's Court this week. His Manhattan trial on gun charges (stemming from a July incident when NYC police searched his suspiciously cannabis-scented tour bus outside New York's Beacon Theatre) continued--and Wayne's assistant Terry Bourgeois testified that he "occasionally" saw a .40-caliber pistol on the bus and witnessed various members of Wayne's posse passing the dutchie.

However, another eyewitness, security guard Derrick Parker, testified that he didn't smell or see any pot-puffing on or around Wayne's bus. Wayne has pleaded "not guilty" to criminal possession of a weapon (if convicted, he could face up to three and a half years in prison) and his attorney, Stacey Richman, is seeking to have the charges dropped on the grounds that cops falsified the marijuana claim in order to conduct a search of the bus.

So for now, Lil' Wayne remains free on $70,000 bond. Speaking of, um, Guns (how's that for a totally tenuous segueway?), Guns N' Roses announced this week that their Chinese Democracy album is actually slated for a November 23 release date. No, readers, that's not a typo. And no, we don't mean November 23, 2021. We mean this November, people! Yes, Axl Rose and his many interchangeable hired Guns have been working on various versions of the long-shelved, long-presumed-nonexistent Chinese Democracy for 17 ridiculously long years now...but next month the mythical album (GNR's first original studio release since 1991!) will finally be available for sale exclusively at Best Buy. Who'd a thunk?

Apparently, the manufacturers of Dr Pepper soda were among the many doubters who never thought this record would ever, ever come out, because back in March they pledged to give every single American citizen a free soft drink if Chinese Democracy was released any time in 2008. So now the good Dr must make good on its bubbly promise. "We never thought this day would come," Tony Jacobs, vice president of marketing for Dr Pepper, understandably announced in a statement this week.

"But now that it's here all we can say is: The Dr Pepper's on us." So, in what might be the best instance of soda/pop synergy since "I'd Like To Buy The World A Coke"--or at least since Suicidal Tendencies begged for "just a Pepsi" in the punk classic "Institutionalized"--fans of GNR and/or free soft drinks need only log onto http://us.lrd.yahoo.com/_ylt=Agpd_OVd850HKZVoZHB_KTnOwSUv/SIG=10p68uii8/**http://drpepper.com/, starting at 12:01am Eastern Time this November 23, to obtain their free 20-ounce soda coupons. This is, of course, assuming that Chinese Democracy really DOES come out that day...we still don't quite believe it. Aside from Lil' Wayne and Kevin Cogill, a few other music-biz types found themselves dealing with legal issue this week. Former Soul Train host Don Cornelius was arrested on suspicion of domestic violence and released on $50,000 bail; a new jury was selected for the murder retrial of legendary music producer Phil Spector; and, according to various gossip rags, Madonna and Guy Ritchie's split started to get very nasty, indicating that their upcoming divorce-court showdown (spearheaded on the Madonna side by Paul McCartney's superstar attorney, Fiona Shackleton) will be an ugly, bitter battle indeed. Yes, this week the (fingerless black lace) gloves were definitely off between Madonna and her newly estranged hubby, at least according to several incendiary tabloid articles. Us Weekly reported that Guy used to call Madonna "old, fat, ugly, and wrinkled" and "said that she was stupid and couldn't sing"; Us also alleged that Madonna conversely used to taunt, slap, and poke her beleaguered future-ex-husband. OK! magazine reported that Madonna has "instructed her team to start a hate campaign" against Guy. British tabloid News Of The World claimed that Guy once described martial relations with Madge as being like "cuddling up to a piece of gristle." And several other gossip outlets reported that while Madonna is now getting cozy with her new Kabbalah buddy Alex Rodriguez, Guy has already started dating presumably un-gristle-like actress Kelly Reilly, star of his upcoming Sherlock Holmes film. Yikes. Guess Madge knew what she was talking about when she once sang "Love Don't Live Here Anymore." And finally, while it may seem weird that Guns N' Roses are releasing new music again and Madonna's being cruelly compared to a chewy piece of beef, we'll wrap up this week's column with two truly weird stories... Aforementioned Fiona Shackleton star client Paul McCartney, who's certainly dealt with his unfair share of emotional problems lately, literally lost his head this week, when a wax replica of his famous cranium was accidentally left on a London train. The paraffin skull-sculpture, which was molded in the 1960s, was expected to sell for between $10,000 and $20,000 at Carters Entertainment auctioneers before it went missing; its embarrassed owner, Joby Carter, therefore offered a cash reward for the Macca head's safe return. Happily, homeless man Anthony Silva found the head in a trashcan at train station innearby Reading, and after initially mistaking it fora Halloween mask, he returned the head and claimed the $4,000 reward from Joby. "It's just what I need, and I hope my luck has changed for the better," Anthony told the press. And finally, Beyonce may have lost her head in the more figurative sense, when--after years of building up "Beyonce" as an internationally recognized and celebrated brand name--she announced this week that she would now like to be formally known as "Sasha Fierce" instead. "I have someone else that takes over when it's time for me to work and when I'm onstage, this alter-ego that I've created that kind of protects me and who I really am," the Artist Formerly Known As Beyonce explained in a cryptic statement. We just hope this kooky name change doesn't wreak havoc on her new union with Jay-Z...doesn't Sasha realize that Madonna and Guy Ritchie's marriage started to suffer after Madonna announced to the world that she wanted to be addressed by her Kabbalah name, "Esther"? Well, that concludes another weird, wild, and woeful week. We once again send our thoughts and prayers to Jennifer Hudson (feel free to do the same on the message board below), and invite you to come back next Friday for more, hopefully cheerier, music news. (Lyndsey Parker/ Music Blog/ AFP File Photo via Yahoo)

Elderly Woman Accused of Keeping Boy's Ball

BLUE ASH, Ohio – Police in Ohio say an 89-year-old woman was facing a charge of petty theft because neighborhood children accused her of refusing to give back their football. Edna Jester was arrested last week in the Cincinnati suburb of Blue Ash. Police said one child's father complained that Jester kept the youngsters' ball after it landed in her yard. Police Capt. James Schaffer said there has been an ongoing dispute in the neighborhood over kids' balls landing in the woman's yard. Jester said Monday she has received many calls and didn't have time to discuss the matter any more. Jester is to appear in court next month. The maximum penalty for a petty theft conviction in Ohio is six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. (AP via Yahoo)

Father Takes Son to Court for Idleness

LAGOS – A father took his 20-year old son to an Islamic court in northern Nigeria for idleness, asking that he be sent to prison for refusing to engage in productive activities, state news agency NAN said Friday. "He is not listening to words and he is bringing shame to my family. I am tired of his nefarious deeds. Please put this boy in prison so that I can be free," Sama'ila Tahir, a market trader in the northeastern town of Bauchi, was quoted as saying. Tahir told the court that his son had refused to go to school and accused him of belonging to a criminal gang. The court sentenced the son to six months in prison and 30 strokes of the cane -- which were immediately administered on the premises -- for being disobedient to his parents, NAN said. (Reuters via Yahoo)

Drinking Mom Asks Nine-Year-Old Daughter to Drive

TORONTO – An Ontario woman was charged with a traffic violation after having her nine-year-old daughter drive her home following a night of drinking. "The woman was concerned that she was unable to drive having consumed some alcohol at a social function," police said on Thursday. The child was driving the car slowly along country roads in southeastern Ontario on October 12 when police noticed how tiny she was and pulled her over, police said. (Reuters via Yahoo)

Man Sues Strip Club over Dancer's Flying Shoe

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – An angry wife or girlfriend might not be the only thing to worry about when visiting a strip club. A man suing a Pompano Beach club claims a performer's shoe flew off during a pole dance, shattered the mirrored ceiling and caused glass and the shoe to hit him. The lawsuit filed in Broward County by 35-year-old Charles Privette says the Booby Trap breached its duty when its employee failed to perform her routine in a reasonably safe manner. The suit seeks at least $15,000 in damages. Privette's attorney says his client suffered a small cut to his eyebrow, headaches and nose bleeds because of the Jan. 14 pole dance. Booby Trap general manager George Gettinger acknowledges paramedics were called but said injuries were minor. (AP via Yahoo/Illustrated Photo: Hanif Nashrullah)

Woman Obliges after Husband Begs to be Shot

CENTENNIAL, Colo. – Authorities said a woman who shot her husband in the knee won't face charges because he begged her to do it. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's office said a 35-year-old woman accused her husband of being drunk and becoming violent during an argument. She took control of a handgun during the dispute and claimed her husband begged her to shoot him and told her to 'finish it' after she fired a shot. The sheriff's office said the 34-year-old husband was uncooperative with deputies before he was taken into custody and hospitalized. He was now being held at the Arapahoe County jail after his wife accused him of forcing her into the bathroom and holding a gun to her head before the shooting. He faces charges of felony menacing, third-degree assault and false imprisonment. (AP via Yahoo)

Bold Thief Leaves Police Red-Faced

PERTH – Australian police have been left embarrassed after a man stole a large quantity of seized drugs from a police station. More than 2,000 ecstasy pills as well as small amounts of cocaine and amphetamine, with a street value of about A$27,000 (10,700), were stolen from an exhibit room of the Maroochydore police station in the northeastern state of Queensland, police spokesman Ben Tracey said. A small amount of the stolen drugs has since been recovered but most of the drugs are still missing, police said. A 36-year-old tradesman, who was given unsupervised access to the room which contained the drugs, will be charged next week on 10 charges including drug theft. (Reuters via Yahoo)

Police Arrest a Man for Car Wash Vacuum Sex

THOMAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. – Police say a Michigan man has been arrested after "receiving sexual favors from a vacuum" at a car wash. The Saginaw News reports the 29-year-old Swan Creek Township man was arrested Thursday in Saginaw County's Thomas Township, about 90 miles northwest of Detroit. Police Sgt. Gary Breidinger says a resident called to report suspicious activity at the car wash about 6:45 a.m. An officer approached on foot and caught the man in the act. The suspect, whose name wasn't immediately released, is being held in the Saginaw County Jail. (AP via Yahoo)

Iranians Eat Evidence of World Record Sandwich

Iran failed Friday to register what it said would be the world's largest sandwich in the Guinness book of World Records after people rushed forward and began eating it -- before it was measured. Event organisers had planned to stuff the 1,500-metre-long sandwich with 700 kg of ostrich meat and 700 kg of chicken, and display it in a park in the capital Tehran. But as the sandwich was being measured, chaos ensued. The giant snack was gone in minutes, a Reuters witness said, leaving the three Guinness representatives present with a dilemma. One of the event's organisers said video footage of the sandwich would be sent to Guinness officials. "We still think the sandwich will be recorded in the Guinness book because of all the evidence and footage that we will send them," Parvin Shariati said. (Reuters via Yahoo)

How Safe is Your City? Put It to the Bicycle Test

How long will an unchained bicycle last on a city street before someone steals it? Using hidden cameras and cheap bicycles as bait, an Argentine publicist set out to gauge crime in different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. The longer it takes for the bike to be stolen the safer the area, is his hypothesis. "It's not a statistic but in a way it shows that the places where the bicycle gets robbed really quickly perhaps the quality of life is poorer," said Mariano Pasik, 37. Pasik speeds up the videos, sets them to music and puts them on a website (http://www.lapruebadelabicleta.com). He hopes other videographers will join his nonprofit "Bicycle Test" project and create a worldwide insecurity index. It could become an informal crime gauge akin to the "Big Mac Index," which compares the cost of the same McDonald's sandwich in different countries to give an idea of buying power of people in different places, Pasik said. Pasik, who runs his own publicity firm Liebre Amotinada Ideas (Mutinous Hare Ideas), said the project is part art, part reality show, part journalism and part fun. But it is definitely not vigilantism. Pasik blurs the thieves' faces and was shocked at comments on his website where people have called for the death penalty for thieves. "What you see on the videos is that they aren't professional thieves, they aren't people who went out to rob. They are people who ran into temptation and decided to commit a crime, they become thieves at the moment they take the bike," he said. He said he is also trying to show that the media fascination with crime, in places like Buenos Aires where armed robberies are rampant, is part of the problem. "The popular fantasy is that the bike will be stolen in seconds, and it isn't quite like that," Pasik said. In the latest video posted, a bike lasted an hour without being stolen in the unsavory Constitucion neighborhood. But on the upscale shopping street of Santa Fe, a bike lasted a few short minutes before it was stolen. A neighborhood "passes" the bicycle test when an hour passes or when the filmer gets tired or runs out of batteries. Fans of the site have offered Pasik free bicycles and sent in their own tests from Uruguay and Spain. On the videos, the thieves often seem more like opportunists than hardened criminals. "You see the person thinking and thinking and thinking, coming and going. Sometimes they talk by phone. They go away. They come back. It's more about an internal dilemma between good and bad, than about the bicycle itself," Pasik said. Or maybe they are just in shock to see a bicycle alone without a heavy lock, an unusual sight in Buenos Aires, a dense metropolis of more than 13 million people. So far in the Bicycle Test, no woman has stolen a bike. (Text & Photo: Reuters via Yahoo)

Divorce, Cambodian Couple Saw House in Half

A couple in rural Cambodia has terminated their 18-year marriage with a divorce settlement that entailed sawing in two the wooden house they once shared, villagers said Friday. The husband, 42-year-old Moeun Sarim, has taken away with him all the bits and pieces of his half a house, said his 35-year-old wife, Vat Navy.

"Very strange, but this is what my husband wanted," she said by phone from a village about 62 miles east of Cambodia's capital, Phnom Penh. She said they ended their marriage last month. "He brought his relatives and used saws to cut the house in half," she said, adding that she now owns the other half that is still standing. The house is made from wood with a tile roof and propped up on wooden pillars, a typical style for a Cambodian country home. She said her estranged husband and his relatives, after ripping apart half of the house, carried all the debris to his parents' house nearby. She said the divorce was prompted by her husband's jealousy about her alleged relationship with a policeman in the village. She denied having an extramarital affair. "He wanted a divorce, and I said, `Let's divorce,'" she said. The husband could not be reached for comment. Bou Bout, a village chief, said local officials and police were present as witnesses the day the couple split their 20-by-24 1/2 foot house into half. "Local officials tried three times to get them to mend their differences, but the husband would not budge," Bou Bout said by phone. (AP/ AFP Photo/ Phnompenh Post Handout via Yahoo)

Angry about Economy? Smash Some Plates and Move On

All over sunny San Diego, tough economic times have forced people to cut back on their $4 lattes and sushi dinners. But one new business is booming -- and ka-booming -- precisely because of frustration from the worst financial crisis to hit the United States in decades. Welcome to Sarah's Smash Shack, where pent-up patrons can relieve stress by hurling dinnerware and bric-a-brac against a wall, as hard as they can, day and night, seven days a week. San Diego entrepreneur Sarah Lavely charges her clients $10 and up to pulverize plates and glasses during 15-minute intervals. Music blares, clients dress in protective gear and a neon sign urges them to "Break More Stuff." Lavely refuses to discuss her clients' problems in detail, but says that maybe they're "under financial strain, maybe they're stuck in a job they can't leave." Insurance broker Adam DeWitt came with his wife for his birthday and took out their anger about not being able to buy a first home because the banks have frozen lending. "It was the best $50 we've spent in the last two years, better than filling up your tank with gas, better than paying interest on your credit card," said DeWitt, 29. San Diego may boast surf and sunshine year round, but it also has its share of black economic clouds. Its real estate market has been hit hard by the high rate of foreclosures in California, the second highest in the nation, and its unemployment rate has risen to 6.4 percent from 4.8 percent in a year. 'NO REMORSE' The Shack won't let patrons drown in their sorrows -- neither drinks nor food are served. On the "menu" there are delectable glass and ceramic breakables, neatly arranged on shelves, ready to be obliterated in one of several "break rooms" outfitted with checkerboard tiles and slabs of dented steel bolted to a far wall. One of the most popular items, "The Smash Shack House Special," mimics a rowdy Greek supper club, where diners smash plates when they enjoy the entertainment. The Smash Shack version features 15 plates for 15 minutes for $45. The advantage to the plates, Lavely said, is that clients can write nasty little epithets on each one in a thick black marker before hurling. Guests also favor highly breakable frames (3 for $10) into which they slip photos of enemies. The DeWitts plugged in some music by Guns n Roses, scribbled the names of banks and politicians they don't like on plates and smashed away. "Oh boy, we smashed some plates, a couple of TV trays, some cups and mugs. My wife smashed some glass flowers," said DeWitt. "You get mad and do something to your own stuff at home and you think to yourself, 'God, that was stupid.' But there you get a pure rush of picking up something and watching it smash and you have no remorse afterward." (Text & Photo: Reuters via Yahoo)