Meredith Vieira and Matt Lauer share more than a studio at Rockefeller Center—they're both celebrating their birthdays today, too. (She's turning 56; he's 52.) Embattled nightlife entrepreneur Amy Sacco is 42. Fox News' Sean Hannity is turning 48. LeBron James is 25. Allen Grubman, the mega entertainment lawyer and father of Lizzie, turns 67 today. Patti Smith is 63. Comedian Tracey Ullman is 50. WCBS reporter Marcia Kramer is turning 61. Movie director Bennett Miller is 43. Norman Goodman, the city's county clerk and the man responsible for sending you those jury summonses on a regular basis, is 86. Actress Eliza Dushku is turning 29. R&B singer Tyrese is 31. Former madam Heidi Fleiss is turning 44. And a golfer by the name of Tiger Woods is celebrating his 34th birthday today.

A strange case has come to light in Texas. Howard Goldman was sent into an exotic animal dealership to document cruelty. Now attorneys for the dealership accuse him of deliberately mistreating snakes in his care so he could report mistreatment.

A tipster tells us an interesting Scientology rule — members of the church who appear in movies must always do so in pairs. Which, if true, raises a fun holiday game called 'who's the other Scientologist in...'

If you want your show to hit number one, we suggest you (allegedly) threaten your wife with a knife on Christmas day like Charlie Sheen. Apparently this made many more people want to watch Two and a Half Men. [NYP]

Remember the British guy who won the "Best Job in the World" as caretaker of a tropical Australian island, and now blogs about it? Nearly killed by poisonous jellyfish.

Before three people died in his sweat lodge of horror, James Arthur Ray told them to "surrender to death to survive it." The police report is out, and it's thirty-three pages of insanity, chronicling Ray's sordid career and stanky retreat.

CNN Exec.1: Since our usual audience of crotchety senior citizens will be asleep, how will we attract viewers for the NYE countdown? CNN Exec.2: I know, let's get Anderson to call some of his cool gay friends, for a party.

The showbiz news cycle has ground to a halt. But you'll be glad you stuck with it, because two stories in today's trades reveal very conclusively that sex does not sell but Indians dancing do. Use this knowledge wisely.

When opening the first outlet of your chain of ice cream stores in India here is a hint: Do not use a catch-phrase in advertisements which specifically bars Indians from entering the store. Haagen-Dazs did, and they are in trouble.

The Huffington Post has currently given its front page over to a "MOVE YOUR MONEY" campaign. There is a Youtube video and an op-ed by Arianna and everything! What the heck is going on?

Nick Thune is one of the better stand up musicians working today. In this clip he takes us through his experience posting a "missed connection" entry on Craigslist.


[viaYouTube

A missive from Mayor Bloomberg relating to New Amsterdam's upcoming year-end revelry: "If you see anything, they'll be plenty of police to talk to. Walk up and say, 'Hey, I may be wrong, but that guy looks nefarious.'" [Fox5]

It was a miserable, terrible year full of death and loss. Here are a few of the things we will miss, and the things that we wish had died in their place. Please offer your own suggestions in comments.

Lord it's slow today. Let's see if you were any better at finding stuff on the internet. Today on the #tips page: Giant testicles, tiny penises, and International Herald Tribune staffers willing to do anything to save their jobs.

What are you watching tonight? Let us know in the comments.

Foreign Policy has finally just ranked the years of our decade from hell.

Important AP news analysis: is Barack Obama sleepy? He gets three hours less sleep a night than Bush and he stayed up until 1 a.m. one night!

[December 29. Photo: Flickr/chrisinphilly5448]

If Lady Gaga can sample a Boney M disco classic to staggering chart-topping success with Poker Face (that's not her "ma-ma-ma"-ing), who says a random South Indian cover band can't do the same thing?

African terrorists are poised to strike America knowing that their Kenyan brother will prevent real Americans from fighting back. Outrageous conservative outrage is our only hope. Today's outrage-off contest of strenuously asserted puzzling sentiments: Mary Matalin vs. Jo-Ann Armao.