Blocked From White House, Shaq Loses Bet

(NEWSER) - Celebrity oversharing on Twitter has gone from the drama-ridden (Lindsay Lohan) to the inane (Solange Knowles, Ashlee Simpson-Wentz, and Nicole Richie making playdates for their kids). The New York Daily News zeroes in on the most popular celeb Twitterers, starting with Britney Spears, who has Ashton Kutcher on her heels. To read some recent Tweets, see the photo captions at left. More»

O'Neal to graduate with doctoral degree

(NEWSER) - That's Dr. Shaq to you: Shaquille O'Neal graduates Saturday from Barry University with a PhD, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports. The retired NBA star's doctoral degree, earned after 4½ years at the Miami university, is in education—or, if you want to get technical, Organizational Learning and Leadership with a specialization in human resource development. He completed 16 courses, or 54 credit hours, with a 3.813 GPA, and presented his doctoral dissertation, "How Leaders Utilize Humor or Seriousness in Leadership Roles," two weeks ago. More»

Links to Rick Astley feed in official tweet

(NEWSER) - OK, so they may be a year or two (or three) late from the peak of the trend, but the White House Twitter feed got in a little "rickrolling" action today. In response to this tweet from someone complaining that the press briefing was a little dull, the White House responded : "Sorry to hear that. Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here's something more fun." The link led to Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up video. If you need to relive the Astley glory, follow the Huffington Post link for the video. Or click to watch one of the more imaginative rickrolling examples. More»

Drops the news in online video

(NEWSER) - Shaquille O’Neal is ending his Hall of Fame NBA career—not that he’s told the Celtics. The Big Diesel/Shamrock announced his retirement in a brief video posted online today. “We did it. Nineteen years, baby,” he said. “I want to thank you very much, that’s why I’m telling you first, I’m about to retire.” When ESPN asked why he’d announced it that way, he replied, “Once a businessman, always a businessman. I am the emperor of the social media network.” More»

'Marketing giant' heads to sports-mad Boston

(NEWSER) - Shaquille O'Neal will be paid the veteran minimum as a Celtic , but he probably won't have to worry about making ends meet—Boston businesses are already lining up to pitch endorsement deals, reports the Herald . "The minute I heard about him coming, I thought about the idea," says the owner of the serendipitously named Summer Shack restaurants. "It’s a great fit and a great idea." More»