An article in Pharmaceutical Journal claims that "reindeer deliberately seek out the mind-bending fungi to escape the monotony of dreary, long winters." Herdsmen then drink their pee to get a secondary high. Explains all that flying, doesn't it? [Sun, via]

David House, a computer researcher from Boston, is one of few people permitted to visit accused Wikileaker Bradley Manning at a military prison in Quantico, Va. He's relayed a message from Manning: My blankets hurt.

Mayer whispers dirty nothings into a strange female's ear. Jennifer Aniston has a 20-foot no-touch zone. Taylor Momsen is a Parisian style icon. Lindsay Lohan sips Shirley Temples. Thursday gossip is sexual napalm.

A former Guantanamo Bay detainee is accusing the U.S. of using witches and Jews to abuse inmates there. While the Bush Administration's use of Jews in the war on terror is well known, this is the first report of witches.

[A confused and depressed-looking bear eyes a papier mache snowman inside the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, today. Image via Getty]

It's pretty embarrassing when you're trying to show off your bad-ass classic car and the gas pedal gets accidentally stuck. It's even more embarrassing when that causes you to drive onto the lawn of a former president.

[Modern day Druids celebrated the Winter Solstice—the shortest day of the year—at Stonehenge this morning. For some reason the song "Rhiannon" is now stuck in my head. Image via Getty]

For the past two days, Steve Martin has been amusing the masses with Twitter dispatches from jury duty. Didn't Al Roker get in trouble for the same thing last year? Guess Steve gets points for being funny. Sample tweets inside.

Oscar-winning wizard of technique Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Oceans Etc.) is going to call it quits after a few more movies. Says his regular collaborator Matt Damon, "He's kind of exhausted with everything that interested him." He might try painting next.

Bill Clinton's 65th birthday party may be held at LA's 20,000-seat Staples Center, where the likes of Paul McCartney, Mary J. Blige, and Jay-Z could perform. And "every A-lister in town will be scrambling to get an invite," allegedly.

Flooding and mudslides have been reported in San Diego County, while we hear a tornado warning has been issued in LA, as another round of wild storms wallops the area. Hopefully valuable celebrities will be the first to be evacuated.

[Bathers enjoy one of the coldest winters on record from the warmth of Britain's only natural thermal pool in Bath, England, today. Image via Getty]

The Obama administration is likely to "establish indefinite detention as a long-term... policy." On the plus side, now that we've abandoned even the pretense of a commitment to universal civil rights, no one will ever die in a terrorist attack.

[Thousands of people are camped out in European airports like London's Heathrow because of the giant snowstorm that's crippling travel in the region. Image via Getty]

Model agency IMG simultaneously fired Taylor Momsen and hired Dakota Fanning. Recall that Dakota also beat Taylor for the role of Cherie Currie in The Runaways, leaving a a shaggy-haired Momsen no choice but to start her own band.

The 150th anniversary of South Carolina's secession is upon us. Many South Carolinians attended a celebratory, black-tie secession ball last night. It featured "a 45-minute theatrical play re-enacting the signing of the Ordinance of Secession," among other things.

Leonardo DiCaprio made the film industry $1.1 billion dollars this year with his movies, Inception and Shutter Island. According to a list compiled by Forbes, he made Hollywood more money than anyone, but you'll be surprised who came in second.

Senate Republicans love President Obama's nuclear treaty with Russia now! Several stragglers are announcing their support today, and it could get up to 75 votes. What changed? Senators sat through a classified session yesterday, which was presumably scary as shit.

TMZ says a Betty Ford Clinic employee is accusing Lindsay Lohan of battery, and wants her prosecuted. Meanwhile, Radar says a "major blow-up" with an employee drove LiLo to a "secret location." Update: Michael Lohan confirms fight, blames employee.

Ashton Kutcher's maybe-mistress milks her 15 minutes. The Baldwin family Christmas will be argumentative. "Taylor Momsen offends Scottish crowd," but not for the reason you think. Tuesday gossip will soon be naked.