EXCLUSIVE: Sarah Palin as 'Blunder Woman' in MAD Magazine

The new issue of "MAD" magazine, which hits stands on Tuesday the 17th, features the annual "MAD 20," a list of the 20 stupidest people of the year. And while there are some serious contenders in this category -- Joe "You Lie" Wilson, the politician who claimed to be hiking the Appalachian trail when he was hooking up with his Argentinian mistress, and that guy who just attacked a Greek priest with a tire iron thinking he was an Arab terrorist -- I feel confident that if you meditate on the concept of exceptional idiots, one particular face will swim into focus.

Behold, our exclusive preview of attempted Vice President and former Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as "Blunder Woman," where she battles against David Letterman, imaginary death panels, and her desire to quit everything she does.

Taylor Lautner talks Team Taylor panties with Jay Leno

Taylor Lautner stopped by The Jay Leno Show Monday night and brought with him the best Twilight mom story you’ll ever hear and an exclusive (shirtless) clip from The Twilight Saga: New Moon.



Leno asked the 17-year-old actor for his most bizarre fan encounter, and though Lautner admitted it was hard to just choose one, he picked a winner: He recalled a fortysomething mother and her teenage daughter in line at a US autograph signing. The mother skipped up to him, grabbed his wrist and said, “‘Excuse me Taylor…. I’m wearing the Team Taylor panties right now. Is there any way I can take them off for you and just have you sign ‘em quick?’…. And the daughter goes, ‘Mom, come on!’” What happened next? The mother told her daughter, “‘Honey, don’t worry. This is what we do at these things,’” Lautner said. “And security stepped in and said, ‘No ma’am, this is not what we’ll be doing.’”

Leno then covered the basics: Lautner’s ass-kicking skills (by age 11, he was a four-time world champion of extreme martial arts) and how difficult it was to evade fans while shooting New Moon in Vancouver (he opted to hang out at a senior citizen bowling alley), but there was no mention of Taylor Swift. Admitting whether or not they’re a couple would have been a fine way for Lautner to play “Earn Your Plug.” Instead, he had to throw a couple of nice passes to one of his favorite football legends, Jerry Rice, because sitting through a clip of himself wearing Mickey Mouse ears for a sketch on an old Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson variety special wasn’t difficult enough. At least that physical challenge required him to take off his suit jacket. Cue squeals and inappropriate glances at his backside.

The never-bef0re-seen clip — the Dawson’s Creek moment between Bella and bare-chested Jacob after he climbs through her bedroom window — was notable only for how much it makes you miss Lautner’s sweet smile (Jacob is so serious) and how large it makes Lautner’s upper body look (huge). P.S. Did Bella touch his abs to make sure that they were real?

Did you catch the appearance? Have you switched allegiances because of it? There’s still time to vote in our pre-opening weekend Team Edward vs. Team Jacob poll!

London's 'Belle de Jour' Is a Scientist Who Had Sex for Tuition Money

The jig is up. Belle de Jour, the former prostitute behind the popular column "Diary of a London Call Girl" and TV series "Secret Diary of a Call Girl" is really British research scientist Dr. Brooke Magnanti, 34. Dr. Magnanti gave the oldest reason for turning to the oldest profession -- to pay for her PhD.

She came forward now allegedly out of fear that an ex-boyfriend might out her. Not even her literary agent knew who she really was.

"It was time. I've felt so much guardedness and paranoia about remaining anonymous recently," Dr. Magnanti told The Sunday Times. "... I don't want this massive secret over me anymore."

But let's step back a moment -- Dr. Magnanti's story isn't anything we haven't heard before. Melissa Beech (not her real name), a college senior from a swanky suburb outside Philadelphia, has written about how a sugar daddy is paying for her schooling in The Daily Beast. Until last fall, a student alleging to be a call girl detailed her experiences at the blog Confessions of a College Callgirl. In the summer, a Knoxville, Tenn., media outlet interviewed a 19-year-old using escorting to pay for massage therapy school. (Stifle that laugh.)

The number of students having sex for tuition money has exploded in Europe, and experts believe it will continue to rise due to the rising costs of education. British researchers found this unusual trend in sex work has grown by 50 percent over the past seven years. In early 2008, France's education minister vowed to increase financial support after a freshman's diary and a book of interviews with undergrads exposed their experiences with prostitution.

It makes sense. There are few jobs you can work while going to school full-time that can truly help you pay for an education. (Read the claim by "Freakonomics" authors Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner that prostitution can get you the most buck for your bang.)

So since we've heard stories like Dr. Magnanti's before, maybe there's still an outcry because society still can't accept a woman using both her sexuality and her smarts. Why can't a smart cookie give up the cookie as a means to an end? Or maybe it's the fact that Dr. Magnanti went really far in her education that irks us. Commenters are hissing that she's somehow less, her degree somehow not as credible, because she paid for it with carnal currency.

The most shocking part of Dr. Magnanti's story may be that she didn't get exposed before now. With her revelation, maybe stereotypes of exactly what kind of woman engages in the sex industry will start to fall away.

And maybe the next time a highly educated woman admits she did the deed to get a degree, we won't judge her so harshly.

Shop and Save: How Comparison Shopping Can Slash Your Auto Insurance Premiums

Shh! Auto insurance companies have a secret, and not many of us know it: all car insurance is not the same, and comparison-shopping can slash your rates.

Nearly half of consumers aren't aware of all the discounts that can lower your premiums, according to a survey by LowerMyBills.com, a free online service that lets consumers compare rates on monthly bills and lower monthly expenses. The survey found that 79% of consumers feel they're paying too much for car insurance -- yet 45% don't know how to find the best coverage for their coverage and budget needs.

Kevin P. Foley, owner of PFT&K Insurance Brokers in Milltown, New Jersey, says he's not surprised that so many consumers pay too much for car coverage, or that few cash in on discounts. "Failing to shop around is the no. 1 mistake people make when buying insurance," he says, "and that can cost a consumer a lot of money."

Super-Sized Savings

Donna Johnson, once a devoted State Farm customer in Austin, Texas, had never considered shopping around for car insurance. Like most policyholders, Johnson says she didn't realize how much a few calls could save on her bottom line, and that she had no idea she'd save so much money without sacrificing coverage.

But once she did investigate other carriers, Johnson chopped her annual premiums down. "I priced three companies, and in one day, I saved $70 per month -- $840 a year," she says. Johnson says comparison-shopping alerted her to discounts that she hadn't been receiving. "I received a multi-car discount, one for safety features on my cars, and one for being accident- and ticket-free for a certain period of time."

Comparing rates can also give you peace of mind. It gave Gail Berg of Mountain View, California, a pleasant surprise: "I found out that my current carrier was cheapest of them all," she says. "It was nice to know for sure."

The Tricks of the Trade

In addition to double- and triple-checking about discounts, Foley suggests a few other tricks for pricing other carriers. "Some companies quote semi-annual -- not annual -- rates," he says. "Do your homework and get annual pricing, to make sure you're getting the best deal."

When you start comparing prices, Foley cautions against looking at just dollars and cents. "Use your current policy, limits, and deductible -- not your invoice -- to compare quotes."

He says you should also keep "underwriting information handy." That information includes the year, make, and model of each vehicle you want to insure, along with each Vehicle Identification Number; and driver's-license numbers for all drivers in the household.

Also know that there's no point in concealing any flaws in an applicant's driving record. "The accuracy of the quote depends on consumers being honest," Foley says. An agent will have to pull a detailed copy of your driving record before finalizing a policy, so trying to hide speeding tickets or accident claims will only slow down the process.

And bear in mind that a rate quote is only an estimate of what the insurance will cost. If an agent misquotes the premium and understates the rate, you'll still be charged the amount figured by the insurance company. To ensure that your bill will match your quote, ask the agent or carrier representative to submit a non-bound application for you before you commit to a policy. That will indicate the true cost of the proposed coverage.

Where to Look?

Asking family members and friends for recommendations is one way to find carriers to compare, but there are others. "You should also check your state's insurance department, to see if they produce an annual survey of insurance premiums for different scenarios, or to make sure the company is licensed to do business in your state," Foley says.

It's also smart to compare at least three different carriers, Foley says. "That will increase the odds you'll get the lowest rate possible."

Student Braves Controversy, Refuses to Recite Pledge

Will Phillips doesn't believe that describes America for its gay and lesbian citizens. He's a 10-year-old at West Fork Elementary School in Arkansas, about three hours east of Oklahoma City. Given his beliefs, he refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, specifically because that one phrase, "liberty and justice for all," he says, does not truly apply to all.

That did not go over well with the substitute teacher in his fifth-grade classroom.

The Arkansas Times reports that he started refusing to say the pledge Mon., Oct. 5. By Thursday, the substitute was steamed. She told Will she knew his mother and grandmother and they would want him to recite the pledge.

Will told the Times the substitute got more and more upset. She raised her voice. By this point, Will told the newspaper, he started losing his cool too, adding: "After a few minutes, I said, 'With all due respect ma'am, go jump off a bridge.'"




That got him sent to the principal's office. The principal made him look up information about the flag and what it represents. Meanwhile, there was the inevitable call to his mother.

At first, mom Laura Phillips told the Times, the principal talked about Will telling a substitute to jump off a bridge. When pressed, the principal admitted the whole incident was sparked by the boy exercising his constitutional right not to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Phillips suggested an apology was in order -- from the teacher. When the principal said that wasn't necessary, Will's mother started venting to friends via Twitter. Those friends, in turn, told the news media. And what would have been a minor classroom incident has people throughout Arkansas and beyond choosing sides.

As for Will, he continues to exercise his right to remain silent. It can be rough at times, he and his family admit. He has his share of supporters, however, his critics are louder and nastier -- especially because he took his stand to defend gay rights.

"In the lunchroom and in the hallway, they've been making comments and doing pranks, calling me gay," he told the Times. "It's always the same people, walking up and calling me a gaywad."

Nonetheless, Will told the paper, he is sticking to his convictions. A reporter for the paper asked Will -- with all this talk about patriotism and the pledge -- what he thinks it means to be an American.

"Freedom of speech," he responded. "The freedom to disagree. That's what I think pretty much being an American represents."

His mother is proud.

"He's probably more aware of the meaning of the pledge that a lot of adults," Phillips told the Times.