Year: 2008

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Space Tourism in 2009

Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo

Yesterday, January 23, 2008, entrepreneur Richard Branson unveiled a model of the “spaceship” he hopes will take paying passengers on space flights beginning in 2009. His company, Virgin Galactic, is charging $200,000 per two-and-a-half hour flight.

That’s pretty expensive considering the flights won’t actually be going into outer space. Technically, passengers will be taken on a sub-orbital flight 62 miles above sea level. By comparison, the Moon is 240,000 miles above sea level. Passengers will be weightless for about five minutes though. Isn’t five minutes of nausea worth $200,000?

Over 200 people have signed up so far, including actress Victoria Principal and physicist Stephen Hawking. Imagine him in his wheelchair spinning around weightless puking all over everyone.

Also entering the business is Bigelow Aerospace, a company aimed at creating space hotels. Seriously.

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Celebrity Death: Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger
Born: April 4, 1979
Died: January 22, 2008 (age 28)

Actor Heath Ledger, 28 years old, was found dead in his $24,000-a-month Manhattan apartment this afternoon. An initial police report cited by The New York Times states foul play is not suspected and that pills had been found near Ledger’s body. He was found unconscious and unresponsive in one of the apartment’s bedrooms around 3:30 p.m. when a masseuse arrived for a scheduled appointment and the residence’s housekeeper went to inform him of the masseuse’s arrival.

NYPD confirmed, then later retracted that the apartment belongs to Mary-Kate Olsen. Dummies.

Ledger is starring as the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight, which is currently scheduled for release in the U.S. on July 18, 2008.

UPDATE: Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of painkillers, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medication, and other prescription drugs, the New York City medical examiner said Wednesday, February 6, 2008.

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Episode 94: Tuesday, January 22, 2008

The Paunch Stevenson Show episode 094

In this episode:

  • celebrity deaths (The Fabulous Moolah and Evel Knievel, thanks to www.deadoraliveinfo.com),
  • Deck the Halls (2008) starring Danny DeVito and Matthew Broderick,
  • Holiday in Handcuffs (2007) starring Melissa Joan Hart and Mario Lopez,
  • bad new reality shows (Clash of the Choirs and American Gladiators),
  • Pros vs. Joes,
  • Greg’s recent DVD purchases at Costco (The X-Files: The Ultimate Collection, The Karate Kid Collection, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3-Pak, etc.),
  • Platoon (1986) incorrectly listed as Hot Shots! (1991) on the digital cable guide,
  • stupid customer reviews on Amazon.com,
  • The Three Stooges 75th Anniversary Collection DVD reissue,
  • and lame DVD special features.

Download this episode:
32 minute MP3 file – 14.7 MB (right-click to save)

Listen to this episode:

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Michael Bay

Michael Bay The Paunch Stevenson Show Lame Idiot of The Year Award

Michael Bay is the winner of The Paunch Stevenson Show Lame Idiot of 2007 Award.

Michael Bay directed the horrible summer blockbuster Transformers (2007) and destroyed the classic science fiction franchise. He ignored the producers’ suggestions and decided to stick with a broken script and make the Transformers look like metal skeletons instead of robots.

According to Bay, “Tom Desanto proceeded to tell me how much he had problems with the robot designs and script issues. I realized he was worlds apart in my vision. I said thank you very much and then showed him my office door… I never spoke creatively with Don Murphy. I read his notes kind of trashing the script… he knew I was not going to talk creative with him.”

Read more: www.deadlinehollywooddaily.com/michael-bay-wants-to-get-facts-straight/

Michael Bay has directed other masterpieces like Bad Boys (1995), Armageddon (1998), and Pearl Harbor (2001). He is also directing the upcoming Transformers 2 scheduled for release in the U.S. on June 26, 2009. Great.

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Crippled Ninja Robs Bank

LiveLeak.com – Ninja bank robber needs a crutch

On Tuesday, January 15, 2008, a man dressed as a ninja robbed a Bank of Albuquerque in Albuquerque, NM. Unlike most ninjas, this one was hobbling around on a crutch. The FBI has released the bank’s surveillance video and has posted the limping ninja’s picture on electronic billboards along major local roads. Maybe someone will recognize him and turn him in soon.

A $1,000 reward is being offered for information leading to the Crutch Bandit’s arrest. He is described as a thin Asian man, 25 to 35 years old, approximately 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighing 140 pounds, and crippled.