Spears released from hospital

Television's "Dr. Phil" McGraw said Britney Spears was released from a hospital Saturday but is in "dire need" of medical and psychological intervention, "Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" reported. Spears, 26, was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center by paramedics Thursday night after police were called to her home because of a dispute involving the two sons she had with ex-husband Kevin Federline. Spears "was released moments before my arrival and was packing when I entered the [hospital] room. We visited for about an hour before I walked with her to her car. I am very concerned for her," he told the programs. Authorities have given no full explanation of why she was hospitalized.

Honors

Film critics vote

"There Will be Blood," Paul Thomas Anderson's tale of oil, power and greed, was named best picture of 2007 on Saturday by the National Society of Film Critics. The adaptation of Upton Sinclair's "Oil!" also won best director for Anderson, best actor for Daniel Day-Lewis and best cinematography for Robert Elswit. Julie Christie won best actress for her performance as a woman with Alzheimer's in "Away From Her." Casey Affleck took best supporting actor for his role as Jesse James' killer in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Cate Blanchett picked up best supporting actress for her gender-bending role as a Bob Dylan-esque singer in "I'm Not There." Tamara Jenkins won best screenplay for "The Savages." The nonfiction film award went to the Iraq war documentary, "No End in Sight," and the Romanian drama "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" took foreign-film honors.

Word watching

The year's best

American Dialect Society has checked in with its picks for 2007's best words or phrases. Here are the highlights:

Word of the Year: Subprime, an adjective used to describe a risky or less than ideal loan, mortgage or investment.

Most useful: Green, designates environmental concern.

Most creative: Googleganger, person with your name who shows up when you Google yourself.

Most unnecessary: Happy Kwanhanamas, Happy Holidays. Kwanzaa + Hanukkah + Christmas.

Book shelf

He's baaaaack

Former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura puts his vintage rants on display in his upcoming book, "Don't Start the Revolution Without Me!" The former pro wrestler uses the book — part personal memoir, part political rant — to rail against organized religion and the media, detail his brushes with celebrities and suggest he should be viewed as a possible presidential candidate. "The government is supposed to be us, and it's not us anymore. It's been hijacked. Just when is somebody going to do something?"

Today in History

1838: Samuel Morse and Alfred Vail gave the first successful public demonstration of their telegraph, in Morristown, N.J.

1982: Truck driver William Bonin was convicted in Los Angeles of 10 of the "Freeway Killer" slayings of young men and boys. (He was executed in 1996.)

1998: In a new bid to expand health insurance, President Clinton unveiled a proposal to offer Medicare coverage to hundreds of thousands of uninsured Americans between 55 to 64.

Today's Birthdays

Singer Jett Williams, 55. Comedian Rowan Atkinson, 53. TV chef Nigella Lawson, 48. Director John Singleton, 40. Singer Alex Turner, 22.

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