Barry Becher, of Ginsu knives fame, dies at 71
Barry Becher, a marketing mastermind and infomercial pioneer best known for bringing Ginsu knives to the American public, has died. He was 71. Becher had been suffering from kidney cancer and died at a hospital of complications from surgery, his stepdaughter Stacy Paradise said. He had lived in Parkland. Though Becher brought many campaigns to the airwaves with his business partner Ed Valenti, they are forever linked with Ginsu, the ubiquitous knives shown slicing through tin cans and chipping a wood block. Millions were sold from the commercial's debut in 1978 into the early 1980s, with audiences mesmerized by images of an exotic-sounding knife that seemed able to cut through anything. The infomercial promised a 50-year guarantee and "much, much more." Becher was running two AAMCO franchises near Warwick, R.I., when he met Valenti, an account executive for a local television station who was handling the auto shops' advertising. They drove the same Datsun 240Z, had wives who were schoolmates, shared a passion for sales and became fast friends. They decided they wanted to find a product they could market through an extended TV commercial, the way some records were sold. Becher found a mohair-bristled paint pad that prevented splatter and cut work times. They were roundly rejected when they pitched the product to Madison Avenue firms and ultimately produced it themselves through a joint company initially run out of Becher's garage. Their first two-minute commercial was on the air, and the Miracle Painter was born. They sold more than a million units and repeated their winning formula with products others created. But the duo rechristened and popularized: Armourcote Cookware, the Miracle Slicer, Lusterware Silverware and Royal DuraSteel mixing bowls. Becher and Valenti eventually shifted their business to become mainly a media buying firm, PriMedia, but their legacy was sealed. They helped popularize the use of credit cards and 800-numbers for over-the-TV sales and their work is seen as a precursor to extended 30-minute infomercials and round-the-clock shopping channels, including Home Shopping Network.

Wade elects for surgery, health over Olympics

Miami guard Dwyane Wade is out of the London Games, and his Olympic career is over. Wade, who battled a left knee problem during the playoffs while helping the Heat to the title, called USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski on Thursday to tell them he would be dropping out of the games due to needing knee surgery. Wade, a 2004 bronze medalist and 2008 gold medalist, had first told FOX Sports Florida last January the London Olympics would be his last. “It wasn’t a surprise,’’ Colangelo said in a phone interview with FOX Sports Florida. “We knew it was 50-50 at best (Wade would play), especially with the circumstances regarding the injury. So it was not a surprise. As I told him, he’s making the right decision. He needs to take care of his career …. He needs to be right (with his knee). He wants to fully recover and be ready for the season.’’ Wade’s agent, Henry Thomas, told FOX Sports Florida his client’s surgery will be July 9 and will be performed by Heat team doctor Harlan Selesnick. Colangelo said Wade told him the recovery process will be four-to-six weeks. Thomas didn't disagree with that, but was told by Selesnick that’s an “optimistic’’ projection, and it’s possible recovery could be longer than six weeks. But Thomas has no doubt Wade would be ready for the start of training camp in late September.

 

Emily Robison Expecting Fourth Child

Emily Robison is expecting her fourth child, a rep for the musician confirms. “She’s excited!” the rep says, adding that the baby is due in early September. This will be the Dixie Chicks and Court Yard Hounds singer’s first child with boyfriend Martin Strayer; Robison, 39, is also mom to twins Juliana Tex and Henry Benjamin, 7, and son Charles Augustus, 9½, with ex-husband Charlie Robison. Bandmates Natalie Maines and Martie Maguire are mothers as well; Maines has two sons while Maguire has three daughters.
 Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi may be pregnant and sober, but she still couldn't stay upright while going for a stroll in platform sandals on the Jersey shore. "She's fine. She slipped. I don't know if it was the shoe that was the issue or something on the sidewalk like a bump or something that she tripped over," a source said. "Sad thing was that the paparazzi all kept snapping their photos and no one went to help her. That's kind of sleazy. If you see any pregnant woman fall you should help them." Maybe just flats from now on? Not anytime soon, adds the source: "She's feeling good and she loves her footwear. Jessica Simpson wore heels almost to the end."


Lamar Odom returns to Clippers after three-team trade
Lamar Odom is headed back to Los Angeles for a second chance with the Clippers and Mo Williams will be reunited with the Utah Jazz. That person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because a three-team deal between the Dallas Mavericks, Clippers and Jazz is contingent on Williams exercising his $8.5 million player option for next season. That person said that was expected to happen by Friday. Williams was drafted by the Jazz in 2003 and played 57 games as a rookie before going to Milwaukee, Cleveland and then the Clippers. The Jazz are in position to absorb Williams' salary without sending a player to Dallas by using a trade exception created last season when they dealt Mehmet Okur to New Jersey. Dallas faced a Friday deadline on a $2.4 million buyout of Odom's $8.2 million option for next season. Now the Mavericks instead will have an $8.2 million trade exception, similar to what they used to acquire Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers last December before the strike-shortened season.  Odom, drafted fourth overall by the Clippers in 1999, is coming off an underwhelming 50-game stint with Dallas that didn't even take him through the entire season. He was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year for the Lakers for the 2010-11 season. The 32-year-old Odom has averaged 14.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in 879 career games.

No charges in leak of Rihanna beating photo, Los Angeles DA says

Two Los Angeles police officers won't face criminal charges alleging they leaked a photo of pop star Rihanna's bruised and beaten face after she was assaulted by singer Chris Brown, the Los Angeles County district attorney's office said. An internal report by prosecutors says that after a three-year investigation, they didn't have enough evidence to show celebrity news website TMZ paid the accused officers for the photo, and that became an obstacle in charging them. Officers Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes may still get fired. They are slated to appear before disciplinary panels in August. Brown, who was Rihanna's boyfriend at the time, was arrested on suspicion of beating the Grammy winner on Feb. 8, 2009, leaving her bloody and bruised. Prosecutors allege the photo was leaked after a stack of photographs of Rihanna's injuries was left lying on a desk at the Wilshire police station and Reyes took a picture of the top photo with her phone. Prosecutors say Reyes later emailed the image from her LAPD email address to her personal email address. Reyes and Lopez were roommates at the time, and phone records showed that they made multiple phone calls to Fox Television and TMZ in February. But despite a search of Reyes' and Lopez's bank accounts, a money trail was not discovered tying the leak to them, prosecutors said.

 Although Depp, 49, and longtime love Vanessa Paradis announced their split June 19 after 14 years and two children together, the Dark Shadows actor has already moved on -- with his sexy Rum Diary costar Heard, 26. After meeting on the set of Rum Diary back in 2009, the duo didn't become romantic until the film's promotional tour in 2011, when Depp and French model-actress Paradis, 39, were already seriously estranged. "They started sleeping together during the press tour," a pal says of the bisexual actress, who recently called it quits with girlfriend Tasya van Ree.


Son Of The South
Rafe Spall ("Prometheus") has scored the lead role in the Spike Lee-produced, Barry Alexander Brown-directed indie drama "Son of the South". The story follows a white author who grew up in Alabama as the son of a minister and grandson of a KKK member, and who later joined the Civil Rights Movement.

Can a Song Save Your Life?
Cee Lo Green has joined the cast of John Carney's new film "Can a Song Save Your Life?" which begins filming on Monday in New York City. Green will play a successful hip hop star named Troublegum. Keira Knightley, Mark Ruffalo, Adam Levine, Hailee Stanfied and Catherine Keener star.

Interns
JoAnna Garcia has joined the cast of Shawn Levy's new comedy "Interns". Garcia plays Vince Vaughn’s girlfriend in the film which shoots this Summer in Atlanta. Owen Wilson and Vaughn as two middle-aged guys who lose their jobs and have to start at the bottom in the new American workforce.

White Bird
Shailene Woodley ("The Descendants") has hopped on board Gregg Araki's "White Bird." The story follows a young woman whose mother disappears, turning her life upside down. Woodley is expected to shoot James Ponsoldt's "The Spectacular Now" first.

 The Castlemartyr Resort in east Cork was one popular spot last weekend. Former President Bill Clinton was staying in the picturesque spot for the annual Irish Funds conference, while Minneapolis couple Kelly Seamans and Patrick Howard were celebrating their wedding. Naturally, a chance meeting made for a great photo opp!