news
09/20/2007
OJ Simpson Press Conference Crashed by Jimmy Kimmel's Jake Byrd
You may already know of Jake Byrd. The goofy gatecrasher and Jimmy Kimmel Live regular has been spotted everywhere from Motley Crue's Hollywood Star Ceremony to Paris Hilton's release. But those who didn't already know him got a big dose this week at a press conference by Yale Galanter, OJ Simpson's attorney.
Wearing an "OJ 07" T-Shirt and an "I *Heart* Famous People" hat, Byrd interrupts Gelanter to congratulate him and offer him a high five. He continues to chime in with words of support, stopping only to resort to theatrical facial expressions in the background or -- once -- take a call on his cell phone.
Who is this guy?
Jake Byrd is the alter ego of comedian Anthony Barbieri. He first started fooling fans and major news outlets when he popped up as a "super-fan" during the Michael Jackson trial, managing to convince both the New York Times and Court TV of his legitimacy. His Kimmel segments are titled "Jake Byrd: Celebrity Avenger."
I don't know if all the celebrities Byrd avenges are grateful, but Galanter, at least, seems to appreciate the support. So when's Galanter gonna thank TDR for our High Five?
08/02/2007
35W bridge collapsed into Mississippi River
Just reading the news doesn't quite give you a sense of the scale of the Minnesota bridge filmed here. As rescue workers continue in efforts to locate victims trapped by last night's collapse, all we spectators can do is hope that the body count doesn't climb any higher, and that we don't see any reoccurances of this tragedy.
07/26/2007
Merry Miller "interviews" Holly Hunter
I'm not above the slightly unseemly pleasure of schadenfreude. But sometimes you see something that goes right past "basking in someone else's embarrassment" and into "just darn sad."
In this clip, I feel bad for Merry Miller, and I feel bad for Holly Hunter, and I feel bad for the people who produce "What's the Buzz." I even feel bad for the intern fetching Merry Miller her coffee, who knows that when given the chance to interview an Oscar-winning actress, she wouldn't feel the need to say "we love the show" five times in the space of a four minute interview.
Then again, maybe if that intern had been more on top of the coffee situation, Merry Miller wouldn't have choked so badly. Ah, hindsight.
04/30/2007
Commuter Nightmare: Tanker Explodes in SF Bay Area
Yesterday morning a tanker exploded just south of the Bay Bridge, igniting 8,600 gallons of gasoline into a massive fiery blaze. According to this detailed footage, it appears that the fireball started on the lower deck melted parts of the deck above. With parts of the highway missing and steel melted onto the concrete ramp below, the fire caused severe damage to the I-80, I-880, and the MacAuthur Maze. Though the fire undoubtedly caused immense damage -- forcing hundreds of thousands of commuters to seek alternative travel routes and public transportation -- it’s incredible that no one was fatally injured as a result.
