Fake Celebrity Obituary: Death of Jesse James

American television personality and CEO of West Coast Choppers Jesse James, 41, of Los Angeles, died Friday of a drug overdose.

            Ex-wife Sandra Bullock found James unconscious in his home in L.A.  The police say he consumed a heavy amount of the painkiller Valium minutes after calling Bullock to discuss their marital problems.

“She wouldn’t talk about the incident for days, but she’s come to terms with it now,” a close friend of Bullock told reporters.   “She has been such a strong support system for his daughter (Sunny).  After all the humiliation he put her through she is still an angel to him.”

In an attempt to turn his life around after the affair with Michelle “Bombshell” McGee went public, James attended a rehab facility in Arizona specializing in drug, alcohol, and sex addictions.  He had been home for one week.

“I talked to him a few times during that week and I really thought he had changed,” said a friend of James’.  “He told me he wanted to make things right with Sandra.  He also told me he knew he had lost the best thing that ever happened to him.”

James was introduced to television in 2000 when the Discovery Channel issued the documentary Motorcycle Mania.  He even had his own stunt show called Jesse James is a Dead Man, which premiered on Spike TV in 2009.  His celebrity status, however, is accredited to Monster Garage, a show that required James and his group of mechanics to fix vehicles within a given time period.

Monster Garage allowed James to meet Bullock when she requested him to be her ten-year-old godson’s Christmas present.  The pair married in 2005. 

In 2010, however, rumors involving James’ infidelity surfaced.  Apparently he had been having an affair with McGee while Bullock was filming The Blind Side.   Bullock filed for divorce on April 28, 2010.  She took care of Sunny while James entered rehab.

Bullock has taken full custody of Sunny and they now live in Austin, Texas.

The date for James’ service has not been publicized but it will take place in L.A.

Elite Circle Grill

It might be personal, but I always value a restaurant's history over its appearance or menu.  Whether the history is displayed through pictures on the walls or an excerpt of information on the menu, the restaurant has a story and it wants to share this story with its diners.

One such restaurant is Waco's Elite Circle Grill located on 2132 S Valley Mills Dr.  Not only does Elite have an excellent variety of dining options, but it also has a credible history.  It was originally opened in 1919 and stood as a source of substinence to all people living in the area.  Even idols such as Elvis Presley, who was stationed at Fort Hood in the '50s, used to eat peanut butter and banana sandwiches at this exact place.  That explains the shirts the waitors wear that say, "Eat with a legend."

Although it has been remodeled since the time of Elvis, Elite still represents a place with delicious food and incredible history.  So next time you're in the mood for a grilled meal and a great story, stop in at Elite Circle Grill.  Chances are you won't be disappointed.

Word of the Week: Hypermedia

Many readers are probably wondering what the term "hypermedia" even means.  Hypermedia refers to the combined use of graphics, audio, video, plain text and hyperlinks to convey information. One basic example of this is the World Wide Web.  It uses plain text, video clips, and audio excerpts to convey information that it deems important.  All of these sources work together to display news in a way that we the readers find interesting and engaging.

AP Style Changes and New Media: "Click-throughs"

A click-through is the process of clicking on a web advertisement and going to the advertiser's website. It is also called an ad click or a request. Click-throughs measure the number of times the ads are clicked on instead of how many views they receive.

Many click-throughs occur via Facebook.  Facebook does an excellent job of incorporating advertisements related to the user's interests and activities.  Every time the user's profile is refreshed new ads are displayed.  Many people go to the advertiser's website because the ads are so frequently applicable to their lives.  This constant display of advertisements greatly increases the number of click-throughs of many websites.

AP Style Changes and New Media: "Smart Phones"

This decade has been one to value the ideas of progress, improvement, and new technology.  Today iPhones and Wii Consoles are all the rage.  The problem, however, is that the public gets lost among these technological upgrades.

In order to understand how one can access multiple applications from one single mobile device, one must become familiar with the term "smart phone."

A smart phone is an advanced cell phone that allows the owner to view emails, browse the web, and download applications. Smart phones offer a wider range of connectivity and computing ability than basic mobile phones.
 
Examples include the iPhone and the BlackBerry.