Holy shit, it doesn’t get crazier than this, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama are distant cousins. That’s right folks these two opposites are related to each other.

So says the vice president’s wife, Lynne Cheney, who said she discovered that her husband of 43 years is eighth cousins with the senator from Illinois.

The two men could hardly be more different. Cheney is an advocate for pursuing the war in Iraq to try to stabilize the country, while Obama wants to get U.S. troops out of Iraq.

I wonder if Dick’s going to support his new found cousin for President?

Former President Gerald R. Ford has passed away at the age of 93. Wife Betty Ford release the following statement:

My family joins me in sharing the difficult news that Gerald Ford, our beloved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather has passed away at 93 years of age. His life was filled with love of God, his family and his country.

The state funeral will be announce shortly.

Today marks the 5th anniversary of September 11, the day when terrorist attacked the United States and bought down the Twin Towers.

Clockwise from top left: Robert Stewart, Alain Maboussou, Dung Tran, Eric Zornes, David Gehle, Michael Terpstra, Quang Dao and Chasity Rutjens.

I bet they all retired from working at the ConAgra meat processing plant. It would suck to be the one working there and didn’t join in on the lottery pool.

The Mega Millions lottery is at $145 million for tonight’s drawing. If that’s not enough money for you, you can try your luck in the Powerball lottery.

Powerball

The multi-state lottery Powerball set a new record with a prize of $365 million for the Saturday drawing with a cash option of $177.3 million. So after taxes you are sell looking at over $100 million for the cash option. Powerball is played in 28 states, including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The world’s first partial face transplant took place in France. The total time to perform the surgery was 15 hours, using tissues, muscles, arteries and veins from a woman who has committed suicide.

Isabelle Dinoire had been disfigured by her dog when she was passed out from taking medicines to calm herself down after having an argument with her daughter.

Isabelle Dinoire, 38, smiled and laughed awkwardly in her first appearance before reporters since the operation in November and spoke in slurred and laboured tones.

Despite her trauma, Dinoire said the transplant was now part of her and she did not refer to any identity crisis caused by having part of someone else’s face grafted on to her.

“I can now smile and make faces so I think I have taken over the face,” Dinoire told a packed news conference at Amiens hospital 110 km (70 miles) north of Paris.

[Reuters]

The world richest man Bill Gates along with wife Melinda Gates and rocker Bono are named Time magazine’s “Persons of the Year.” These dynamic trio were chosen base on being the people most effective at finding ways to eliminate eradicate such distresses as HIV and AIDS and poverty that kills more than 8 million people a year.

The rocker’s job is to be raucous, grab our attention. The engineers’ job is to make things work. 2005 is the year they turned the corner, when Bono charmed and bullied and morally blackmailed the leaders of the world’s richest countries into forgiving $40 billion in debt owed by the poorest; now those countries can spend the money on health and schools rather than interest payments—and have no more excuses for not doing so. The Gateses, having built the world’s biggest charity, with a $29 billion endowment, spent the year giving more money away faster than anyone ever has, including nearly half a billion dollars for the Grand Challenges, in which they asked the very best brains in the world how they would solve a huge problem, like inventing a vaccine that needs no needles and no refrigeration, if they had the money to do it.

[Time]

The plea for clemency has been denied by California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Stanley “Tookie” Williams is scheduled to be given a lethal injection shortly after midnight local time at San Quentin State Prison in California.

Stanley was a co-founder of the deadly street gang call Crips and was convicted of murdering four people in two 1979 holdups.

Hopefully there will be no riots in California.

[AP]

After the not guilty verdict was announced the crowd erupted in joyful excitement. Irving shouted “We did it! We did it!” after the verdict. Also present at the trial were hip-hop stars including Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Ja Rule and Ashanti. Both brothers could have faced 20 years in prison if convicted.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Haran said he would respect the jury’s verdict.

The Lorenzos’ attorney Gerald Shargel says:

There’s nothing illegal about knowing a criminal, about socializing with a criminal, even doing business with a criminal, unless you commit a crime.

Even if Supreme McGriff was the biggest drug dealer in the world, and even if ‘Crime Partners’ was the worst film in the history of American entertainment, there is nothing illegal about giving backing to a movie

[AP]

Next up is a whole line of alcoholic Trump drinks and Trump Bar Nuts. Talk about trying to be a household name. Stay tune for the episode where The Apprentice contestant will be force to peddle sell the brand on next season’s The Apprentice. More Detail of this craziness after the jump.

Trump, Super Premium Vodka to Be Launched by Drinks Americas
Plans Underway for Creation and National Rollout of New Trump Product

WILTON, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nov. 29, 2005–

Drinks Americas to Launch Worldwide Search for the Finest Vodka and Premium Packaging Worthy of the Trump Trademark

Drinks Americas Holdings, Ltd. (DKAM) has signed a licensing agreement with The Trump Organization, thereby retaining the rights to the “Trump” name for the marketing and sales of “Trump: The World’s Finest Super Premium Vodka.”

J. Patrick Kenny, CEO of Drinks Americas explains, “In our view, the Trump name is one of the most recognizable and valuable global trademarks in existence today, synonymous with the very best of class. Our agreement is to search the world and work to develop the very best super premium vodka, and then to deliver that product to consumers in packaging and style worthy of the Trump trademark.”

Donald Trump commented, “Trump Super Premium Vodka is a big idea. Drinks Americas’ management team understands our vision for the Trump trademark. The Premium Vodka category is where the very best of fashionable spirits brands compete. That is the place for the Trump brand. By the summer of ‘06, I fully expect the most called for cocktail in America to be the “T&T” or the “Trump and Tonic”. We are very excited that Drinks Americas will be leading this initiative and look for great success.”

Drinks Americas board member Marvin Traub, former Bloomingdales Chairman and CEO said, “Donald Trump is a unique individual with broad appeal as one of the world’s great global brands. ‘Trump, the World’s Finest Super Premium Vodka’ will combine the unrivalled cache that the Trump name enjoys in the public’s collective consciousness with Drinks Americas’ proven marketing and branding expertise. Add finding the best vodka on earth and we believe this new product will rapidly evolve into the unquestioned preference of uncompromising consumers.”

Mr. Kenny further stated, “We have a significant number of distributors asking to submit orders and wanting the brand franchise. We know that the power of the Trump trademark, when wedded to a great product in packaging worthy of the trademark will impact our and our distributors’ overall business. We expect to launch the product in time for Spring of ‘06. As Mr. Trump has indicated, we truly hope the most called for cocktail of the season to be the “T&T” Trump and Tonic surpassed only by the Trump Martini.”

Drinks Americas develops, owns, markets, and nationally distributes alcoholic and non-alcoholic premium beverages that are often associated with renowned icon celebrities. Drinks’ portfolio of premium alcoholic beverages includes Willie Nelson’s Old Whiskey River Bourbon and Bourbon Cream; Roy Yamaguchi’s Y Sake. Drinks non alchoholic brands include the distribution of Paul Newman’s Own Lightly Sparkling Fruit Juice Drinks.

Other products owned and distributed by Drinks include Damiana, the Mexican liqueur, Aguila Tequila; Norman’s Wines from Australia’s oldest winery, Drinks’ award-winning Cohete Rum Guarana from Panama;, 1812 Beer from Sackets Harbor Brewery, Swiss T and Rheingold Beer.

Old Whiskey River, Y Sake, Aguila Tequila and Cohete Rum are Gold and Silver Medal award winners respectively from the International Beverage Tasting Institute and the San Francisco International Wine and Spirits Competition.

For further information, please visit our website at www.drinksamericas.com.

The next morning after the unveiling, the Bruce Lee statue was missing the nunchuk’s chain and one of its handles.

One of the park’s keeper name Veljo Dojcinovic may have witness the incident:

I heard a loud bang but I was alone and I couldn’t stop them. Police should have been more agile. They know that hooligans visit this park regularly.

No reports of this happening in Hong Kong. Maybe this is due to Hong Kong has more respect for Bruce Lee compared to the warring Bosnian city.

[WENN]

[Shanghai Daily and BBC]

The pledges need to materialize soon.

Because from what I’m understanding, there are so many wonderful pledges of money that could come in the next few years but this winter is in the next few weeks, and so many people are in danger of possibly freezing to death.

Jolie is in Pakistan with lover Brad Pitt to bring awareness to the area devastated by the earthquake in Pakistan. Once again our favorite pillow lipped actress is making the world a better place.

No additional news on the addition to the Jolie family yet.

[AP]