WORLD'S OLDEST PERSON: Georgia Woman Dies at Age 116

Besse Cooper died yesterday afternoon. The Georgia resident was listed by Guinness as the “World’s Oldest Person”. She was born in 1896, making her 116 years old.

Her son, Sidney Cooper-- who is extremely elderly himself-- announced his mom’s passing. The day before, she felt well enough to visit the hair salon and watch a Christmas movie.

CHARLES SHULZ: Peanuts Creator Admitted Affair in Comic Strip

The love letters of Charles Schulz are going up for auction next week. Notes from the 1970s in which he wrote to a woman half his age. but not his wife. He had a secret mistress.

The late creator of “Peanuts” even acknowledged the affair within the comic strip. Shulz’s wife apparently discovered the affair and the love letters from his mistress. She tried to put a halt to his womanizing. At the same time, Shulz was drawing comics where Charlie Brown warns Snoopy he’s not allowed to go out “to see that girl beagle.” When Snoopy picks up the telephone, Charlie Brown yells, “And stop making those long distance phone calls.”

Art imitates life. Shulz's real drama was seeping into his comics. Sotheby's will be auctioning the love letters a week from Friday, December 17.

LEONARDO DiCAPRIO: Miranda Kerr or Cameron Diaz?

The New York Daily News reports that Leonardo DiCaprio and Miranda Kerr are flirting in public. She is married to Orlando Bloom. So it would be a shocker for her to publicly humiliate her husband.
The Daily News, this morning, details several occasions in recent weeks when Miranda and Leo have been at the same nightspot and partied early into the morning. Most recently, on Friday night, she “had her legs draped over him.” But other sources tell the Daily News, “There is absolutely nothing going on with Leo. They have been very good friends for a very long time. There is nothing to it.”

So perhaps Leo has been baiting Cameron Diaz by flirting with Miranda. The New York Post claims it is Cameron who is trying to dig her claws into Leo. They partied together last weekend. A witness says Leo spent much of the early evening texting until Cameron arrived. Then, “It was obvious they are great friends. He was very excited when she came to meet him, and he got up from his table to guide her to where he was sitting.” They were out together until 3 am.

HONEY BOO BOO: Barbara Walters Is Fascinated

Are you fascinated by Honey Boo Boo? Well, Barbara Walters sure is -- and she's put the love-her-or-hate-her reality tot on her list of the Most Fascinating People of 2012.

Babs, who presents her list every year around the holidays, has included everyone from Michelle Obama to Lady Gaga on past lists, but pint-sized pageant queen Alana Thompson?

Walters tells Us magazine, "Honey Boo Boo is not an obnoxious little girl. She's sweet and loving with her mother and loving with her sisters [Jessica, Lauryn and Anna]. And now Anna has a new baby, and the baby has [three] thumbs -- but so what? It'll make you smile. It's a very sweet, loving story."

For the full list of Most Fascinating People, tune in to Walters' ABC special on December 12th.

WEIRD NEWS: Losing at Cops and Robbers

A wanna-be crook in Cambodia had his get-rich plan fall apart – after the toy gun he was using in his robbery attempt fell to pieces in his hands.

Khem Ra, who had been deported from the United States over pending criminal charges over here, walked into a currency exchange with the phony weapon and pointed at the clerk – who noticed that the plastic was falling apart at the seams. He then struck her with the weapon and fled with cops in hot pursuit.

A police negotiator, who'd followed Ra to his safe house, agreed to allow him to come out without being arrested if he returned the cash – but then cuffed him anyway. (UPI)

WEIRD NEWS: Rudolph the Red Nosed Eel!

The folks who run a Utah aquarium are getting a little bit of help in making Christmas bright – not from a reindeer, but from an electric eel!

The Living Planet Aquarium is using the creature to power the lights on a Christmas tree in its "Journey To South America" gallery, which flick on and off as the eel emits its charge. A rep for the park says that the average eel has the capability of generating about six times the amount of power of a standard wall socket.

Angie Hyde, director of public relations and marketing for the aquarium, says, "Visitors can visually and audibly experience the power of our electric eel and get a real sense of how amazing this creature is. We thought we'd put a festive twist on it for the holidays." (UPI)

WEIRD NEWS: More Fun Than a Bra Full of Monkeys

An animal trainer in China has found a way to milk the last bit of kindness out of his wife – by asking her to breastfeed the monkeys that he supplies to circuses and stage acts.

Jiao Xinzhen bared all about her decision to lend a hand – among other body parts – to her husband's efforts to keep his monkey school afloat. She says that the family even adopted one of the critters as a playmate for their son, leading to a further bond within their ranks.

Jiao says, "Many times, some of the baby monkeys slip onto our bed at night to suckle. I feel they are just like my children." (Orange News U.K.)

WEIRD NEWS: The Breast Laid Plans

A Polish man has a lot to get off his chest about his last relationship – so he's suing his ex for leaving him after he laid out about seven grand for her to get breast implants.

Lukasz Molovik wants Patricia Pajak to return half the dough he implanted in her pocket because he's suffering "loss of use" of the double-D augmentations – and he's angry that "another man can ogle her" now.

Pajak counters by saying she never wanted boob enlargement in the first place, and only agreed to the operation because Molovik was obsessed with the idea. She says, "Because I loved him, I agreed. But he was more in love with my breasts than with me.” (Sun)

FRANKIE MUNIZ: Suffers Mini-Stroke

Malcolm in the Middle star Frankie Muniz suffered a mysterious mini-stroke on Friday.

According to TMZ, he was taken to an Arizona emergency room after pals noticed he was "acting really weird," having trouble speaking and understanding words. The star Tweeted, "I was in the hospital last Friday. I suffered a 'mini-stroke,' which was not fun at all. Have to start taking care of my body! Getting old!" Doctors didn't immediately know what had caused the stroke. 

Frankie, who turns 27 tomorrow, now plays drums for the band Kingsfoil.

HOLLYWOOD SIGN: Gets Makeover in Preparation for 90th Birthday

Like many stars, the iconic Hollywood sign isn't above getting a little work done to make it look younger.

Over the past nine weeks, the sign has undergone its most extensive facelift in 35 years thanks to paint company Sherwin-Williams and The Hollywood Sign Trust. It cost about $175,000.

All nine of the sign's letters had the paint removed before they were painted with 105 gallons of primer and painted again with 255 gallons of high-reflective fresh white paint.

Source: Los Angeles Times

EGYPT: Protesters Swarm the Palace

Tens of thousands of protesters stormed the Presidential Palace in Cairo, Egypt on Tuesday, angered by a perceived power grab by the country's new Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

With the protesters moving in, Morsi reportedly fled the palace for his home in a suburb of Cairo, according to a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood.

The protesters are upset at Morsi's recent ruling that grants him almost unrestricted power. The protest, which continued Wednesday morning, marked the biggest gathering since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted early last year.

Source: The Wall Street Journal

BOY GEORGE: Do You Really Want to Tweet Him?

Boy George is wondering if some Mexican Twitter users really want to hurt him after his well-meaning tweet was incorrectly translated and started a firestorm.

The Culture Club singer reportedly tweeted, "Mexico has a hot new president and I hope he is good for the country!"

The tweet ended up being no good for George when it was misquoted by several Mexican media outlets, which translated it as: "So the Mexican president is a tyrant. Well, if that's true Mexico needs good wishes."

That led to a firestorm of angry tweets from people upset with the misquoted tweet and now George has been forced to block "anyone who annoys me by calling me 'racist' or mentioning 'presidents!'"

Source: TMZ

NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE QUIZ

About one in three women say they always invite this person to parties they throw. Who is it?
ANSWER: Their hair stylist.

NFL HEAD INJURIES: Severe Brain Disease in Former Players

New research into the long-term brain health of NFL athletes shows alarming cases of severe damage. Dozens of former pro football players donated their brains to the Boston University School of Medicine. 34 of 35 NFL players showed signs of brain disease before their deaths.

A total of 85 brain donors from football, hockey, boxing, wrestling, and military combat were part of this extensive medical study. The New York Times reports that out of the 85 subjects, 50 people showed evidence of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is linked with traumatic brain injuries, but can also occur in athletes who've suffered sustained and prolonged head injuries that are not as severe as concussions.

IRAN CAPTURES DRONE: Allegedly in Iranian Airspace

If you can believe the state-owned TV network in Iran, the country has captured another drone belonging to the United States.

The so-called “Revolutionary Guard” took control of the unmanned aircraft after it allegedly entered Iranian airspace. The Guard's navy chief announced this morning of the capture without going into details.

This would be the second known US drone caught by the Iranians. Last year, they brought down a spy drone that had stealth technology. Then they placed it on display as proof.

NICK LACHEY: Details Emerge from NFL Game Ejection

More details are emerging from Nick Lachey’s ejection from an NFL game. At Sunday’s match between the Cincinnati Bengals and San Diego Chargers, Lachey was escorted from the stadium. He claimed it was due to an “overzealous Chargers fan”, who poked a finger in his face.

TMZ is reporting this morning that Lachey turned nasty during the trash talking, and called the San Diego Chargers fan’s wife a "f**king b*tch".

Multiple witnesses say there was no love-lost between the two men. At one point, Lachey and his gang poked fun of the Charger’s fan wearing the jersey of player from years gone by. That’s when the guy’s wife shot back at Nick (quote) “Well, he lasted longer than your boy band."

Nick reportedly flipped out and was eventually escorted out of the stadium.

INTERNET FIND

Former NBA giant Dikembe Mutombo saves the world in this truly bizarre online game from Old Spice.

LADY GAGA: Amy's Dad Denies Diss

Amy Winehouse's father is denying reports that he'd rather not have Lady Gaga portray the late singer in the inevitable bio-pic.

Mitch Winehouse tells Britain's Heat magazine, "Lady Gaga is welcome to audition for the part of Amy –- she would be great. She'd be spot-on performing Amy's songs and has got the right look and [assertive] attitude. Ray Winstone will probably end up playing me."

CHER: Forward March!

Cher will spring forward with her long-awaited comeback album in late March.

The godmother of all divas has finally wrapped up work on the still-untitled project. But she's given us a taste of the music already, via the dance-inflected single "Woman's World," which has racked up nearly a half-million listens on YouTube in the past two weeks.

Cher took to Twitter to tell fans to expect something "eclectic. Lots of dance, but none are the same sort of dance. Have big-ass choruses, some heart rippers."

COLBIE CAILLAT, LIFEHOUSE: A Time for Giving

Colbie Caillat and Lifehouse are among the performers who'll appear on the American Giving Awards, which air Saturday night on NBC.

They, along with Natasha Bedingfield and Darius Rucker, will perform on the show, which will honor Glenn Close for her work with organizations supporting people with mental illness, and offer cash awards to charities around the country.

LADY GAGA: Teaming With UNICEF

Lady Gaga already spends plenty of time working with her own charity, but she's found some spare moments to pitch in on behalf of UNICEF this holiday season.

Gaga, who's on the African leg of her Born This Way Ball tour, Tweeted, "I visited Isibindi Safe Park in [South Africa] to speak with the children about youth empowerment on behalf of UNICEF. I will be continuing my work with UN/UNICEF, and a LittleMonsters.com page documenting our progress will up shortly."

MICHAEL BUBLE: Heart Scare Averted

Michael Buble has revealed that he's been having problems with his heart -- and we're not talking about romantic woes.

He tells Britain's Daily Mail that he needed to get his heart "zapped" back into tip-top shape following a scare a couple of weeks back -- which his doctors attributed to a little too much booze.

Buble says, "They call it holiday heart syndrome. I noticed that when I had a few drinks, I could feel my heart race. I was being a hypochondriac, but I was really sensitive to it. If you're partying too much, any kind of stimulant can have an affect on taking your heart out of rhythm. [And] alcohol is the worst stimulant for it."

BATTLE OF THE BULGE: The Average American’s Ideal Weight Is Not So Ideal

According to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as the average American's waistline grows, so does their concept of what the ideal weight for an adult should be.

• Men, on average, weigh 196 pounds, and their ideal weight is 185 pounds – that's 14 pounds heavier than 20 years ago.
   
• Women today weigh, on average, 156 pounds, and their ideal weight is 140 pounds – that's 11 pounds heavier than 20 years ago.

More survey numbers:

• 65 percent of Americans exceeded their ideal weight, 13 percent weighed less than their ideal weight and 16 percent were at their ideal weight.
   
• 54 percent said that they wanted to lose weight – but only 25 percent said that they were taking any real action to shed the pounds. (HuffingtonPost) 

BEYONCE: Trailer for Self-Directed Documentary Released

"I always battle with, 'How much do I reveal about myself?'" Beyonce says in a teaser trailer for her exclusive HBO documentary.

The trailer shows a bunch of different clips of Mrs. Knowles-Carter as a performer, model and expectant mother. Blue Ivy even makes a guest appearance -- as a little baby bump -- around the 17-second mark.

The documentary, which will debut on February 16th on HBO, isBeyonce's directorial debut.

HOLIDAYS: Wii U Is the Hot Family Gift of the Season

According to ToyInsider.com, the hottest family gift of this holiday season is the Wii U System from Nintendo. It’s a game console, DVD player, video chat portal and fancy remote control for your TV.

Kids and man-children everywhere are hoping Santa brings them one this year. The price tag isn’t small, though – you’re looking at a $300 starting price for the base model. (Yahoo Shine)

HOLIDAYS: Great Movies for the Whole Family

Ah, the holiday season. Time to cuddle up with some hot cocoa, your family, and a movie. Here is a list of some great family movies for the holiday season.

1. Elf
2. The Polar Express
3. A Charlie Brown Christmas
4. A Rugrats Chanukah
5. Home Alone
6. A Christmas Story
7. Miracle on 34th Street
8. The Nightmare Before Christmas
9. White Christmas
10. How the Grinch Stole Christmas
11. It's a Wonderful Life (The Stir)

BARBRA STREISAND: Brando Liked Her Flowers

Barbra Streisand says Marlon Brando once made a pass at her.

Babs says she was trying to land Brando for her re-make of A Star Is Born in the '70s -- after a deal with Elvis Presley had fallen through -- and agreed to go on a drive with him "to the desert to see the wildflowers." But apparently Marlon liked her stems, too. Streisand says she turned down his overture to spend the night together, claiming she didn't know him well enough. And, of course, the role went to Kris Kristofferson.

Streisand co-stars with Seth Rogen in The Guilt Trip, opening on December 19th.

Source: New York Post

HOLIDAYS: Many Malls Offering Personal Shoppers

Christmas shopping is a big job and, with increased hype and crowds, seems to get more and more difficult every year.

Luckily, some things are easing the pain when it comes to buying Christmas gifts.

Of course, many gifts can be purchased online – and in a pinch, there are always gift cards.

What people often don’t realize is that many malls offer personal shoppers to help out. These shoppers know what merchandise the stores offer and are able to match that merchandise to people’s gift buying needs.

The amazing thing about personal shoppers these days is that they aren’t just for the super rich. Malls have made them available to “regular” people – often for free. (CNN)

MICHAEL RICHARDS: Lands TV Land Sitcom

Michael Richards is heading back to TV.

The comic-actor who made his mark as the weirdly neurotic Kramer on Seinfeld has a deal with TV Land to join Cheers alumni Kirstie Alley and Rhea Perlman in Giant Baby. It will be his first foray into television since that racist meltdown he had while doing standup in 2006. The plot centers on Alley, who plays a Broadway actress reunited with the son she gave up for adoption after his adopted mother dies. Richards has been cast as Alley's limo driver and Perlman as her long-suffering personal assistant and pal.

No word on when Giant Baby will join the TV Land lineup.

Source: Deadline.com

APOCALYPTIC NEWS: Government Promises World Won’t End on December 21st

In reaction to thousands of letters written to NASA scientists from people scared about the doomsday prediction of the Mayan calendar, the government has publicly promised that the world will not end on December 21st.

Well, that’s one less thing to worry about.

The U.S. government wrote a blog post titled: "Scary Rumors About the World Ending in 2012 Are Just Rumors."

The note may or may not calm down the people who believe a giant comet will strike Earth that day or that we’re destined to collide with another planet. (Yahoo News)

THE SOCIAL NETWORK: People Using Facebook on the Toilet

According to a new study, 32 percent of young adults admit to using social network services while on the toilet.

Which means they’re bringing their smartphones and tablets to the bathroom – and connecting with friends while taking care of business. (France24.com)

EDDIE MURPHY: Most Overpaid Actor

Eddie Murphy tops Forbes magazine's Most Overpaid Actors in Hollywood list.

Forbes estimates that for every $1 the actor was paid for his past three flops -- A Thousand Words, Tower Heist and Imagine That -- they returned an average of $2.30 at the box office.

Katherine Heigl came in second. Her most recent film, One for the Money, made $37 million on an estimated $40 million budget. For every dollar she was paid on her past three movies, they earned an average of $3.40. She was followed by Reese Witherspoon, Sandra Bullock and Jack Black. 

A Los Angeles fire station is under fire after a hot Firehouse Burlesque video turned up on YouTube last week.

The Los Angeles Fire Department is investigating the production, but Delila Santos, the 21-year-old dancer featured in the video, said Tuesday that she did nothing wrong. The dancer who performs under the name "Dizzy Delila" works for Hoopnotica, a Venice, California-based company that promotes physical fitness with hula hoops.

Santos said, "This was totally harmless. We were just having fun hooping." In the clip, she's featured wearing red high heels, jean shorts, a black leotard and a fire helmet, but there's nothing too racy.

However, the fire station where the clip was shot, Station 63 in Venice, has been in trouble for bad behavior in the past. Last year, the LAFD investigated the fire station for allowing one of its engines to be used in porn shoots. This was after a 2008 video featured an actress mounting one of their engines at Venice Beach and taking it all off.

Dizzy Delila, however, says her video is something totally different. "This video is something I've shown to my own mom."

Source: Los Angeles Times

TEEN BANK ROBBER: Arrested After YouTube Confession

A Nebraska bank robbery has been solved after the teenage girl who apparently committed the crime was arrested after bragging about the heist on YouTube.

Hannah Sabata is due in court on December 26th to face theft and robbery charges related to the November 28th stickup of a Cornerstone Bank in Waco, Nebraska. She also was allegedly driving a stolen car.

In the eight-minute video clip, the 19-year-old doesn't speak, but instead holds up handwritten signs that appear backwards in the clip. She also flashes a stack of cash, a pipe and some marijuana and is wearing the same clothes she wore when she robbed the bank, police said. The soundtrack is the Green Day song "Warning."

The clip sports the title of "Chick bank robber," while the description reads, "I just stole a car and robbed a bank. Now I'm rich, I can pay off my college financial aid and tomorrow I'm going for a shopping spree."

Source: New York Daily News

BIRTHDAY SHOUT-OUTS

Celebs with birthdays today: Frankie Muniz, Keri Hilson, Paula Patton, Margaret Cho, Johnny Rzeznik, Jim Messina, Little Richard.