Seriously? OMG! WTF?

Dear Readers:
We have been getting many requests asking for an update on Roger’s health, and so here it is. First of all he THANKS YOU! so very much for continuing to visit the website, watching Ebert & Roeper, and for sending so many messages with get-well wishes and messages about continuing thoughts and prayers for him. That means so much to him and to us.

Roger was making good progress and was ready to go to his next phase of treatment, which would have been physical therapy to regain his strength. Well last night Roger had minor surgery, so today, as you can imagine, he feels a bit less cheerful. The doctors remain optimistic about his recovery, however, and say that the physical therapy will be delayed for only a few days.

As I said before, the most frustrating aspect is that his progress is not always linear. But the doctors told us right from the start to expect this non-linear recovery. They said that there will bumps in the road along the way that seem like setbacks, and then he will reach a point where he will make a rapid recovery. Darn that surgery! Please excuse me if I don’t sound like my usual cheerleader self, but if you had seen him last week, even yesterday, when he was doing so well. We were secretly back to using his computer. He wanted to surprise everyone with messages.

He has been so interested in the outside world, including the war and global warming; his various tv, newspaper and internet enterprises, and his new book, "Awake In The Dark," which will be published this fall by the University of Chicago Press. The doctors and nurses have been absolutely charmed by his witty personality. And he continues to entertain them with the eclectic music he downloaded on his iPod.

To concentrate on the positives, however, I am encouraged by his vital signs which are all stable. (Again that word that I have come to love so much.) And so I know that we still have much to be grateful for. They say that Roger is very strong and has weathered this all very well. (I say its times for a little less weather and more sun.) As Mother Theresa has said: ""God never gives us more than we can handle. But sometimes I wish he didn’t trust us so much."

Please keep sending healing thoughts Roger’s way and your best prayers for a speedy recovery. And I know it sounds corny to some, but please keep visualizing him enveloped by warm, bright, healing light! That, along with Roger’s medical dream team, should ensure his full recovery.

Many thanks,
Chaz Ebert

Barry Manilow will take a break from his regular gig at the Las Vegas Hilton to undergo surgery to repair torn cartilage in both hips, his publicist said. The 60-year-old singer, who has a four-year contract with the hotel, suffers from labrum tears in his hips – a painful condition exacerbated by his high-energy performances, publicist Carol Marshall said in a statement Sunday. Manilow will continue performing through his appearance at the Emmy Awards on Aug. 27 and will then have outpatient arthroscopic surgery at a Southern California hospital, Marshall said. Recovery and rehabilitation time is expected to be about eight weeks. Manilow will miss about 20 concerts at the Hilton, all of which will be rescheduled for the 2007 season.

Las Vegas Sun 

All the bands on THE FAMILY VALUES TOUR offer their sincerest condolences and prayers to the family of 30-year-old Andy Richardson.  Richardson, who attended Sunday’s show at Atlanta’s Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater, was beaten by two men at the concert and subsequently was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday, August 1.  The incident occurred during the Deftones set, before tour headliners KORN took the stage.  KORN are appalled at the actions of these men and are imploring anyone who witnessed this senseless act or has any information about the attack to please immediately come forward by contacting local authorities.

TMZ has learned that Marie Osmond spent two days in a Utah hospital last week following a bad reaction to prescription drugs, but her rep denied a National Enquirer report that the incident was related to a suicide attempt."She had an adverse reaction to some medication she was taking," said Amy Hawkes, a spokeswoman for Osmond. Hawkes confirmed that Osmond spent two days in Timpanogos Regional Hospital, but disputed a report in the Aug. 14 issue of the Enquirer that Osmond, depressed over family problems, intentionally swallowed two bottles of pills and scribbled a suicide note with lipstick on her bathroom counter.The tabloid said the drugs involved were Adderall, used for Attention Deficit Disorder, and Klonopin, an anti-anxiety drug. Hawkes declined to confirm that those were the drugs involved.

TMZ

She has had problems before with depression, so maybe she dud try to committ suicide

A Korn fan is fighting for his life after a brawl broke out at a concert in America. Andy Richardson is in a critical condition following the fight which happened at the band’s Atlanta show at the HiFi Buys Amphitheatre, reports mtv.com. The 30-year-old was allegedly attacked by two unidentified men after he asked them to be careful not to hurt his pregnant girlfiend and a mentally ill child with him.According to his friend Edgar Arellano, the men left the area before they returned and assaulted Richardson. Arellano added: "We were all enjoying the concert, we were having a good time, until these two guys came around. He was unconscious. He had blood all over his face when I picked him up." Richardson’s mother Gloria, who claims that her son is brain dead and is not expected to live, has urged the men to turn themselves into the police.She added: "Can you imagine your child goes to a concert and be killed for it, because of people out there fighting to have a quote unquote good time? I’m very angry. Why were the police not there to stop them?".

NME

This story broke my heart. I hope the cops catch these bastards soon.

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