About magician David Blaine, who is not dead yet:

Blaine started training in December, with some help from Navy SEALS. He lost 50 pounds so his body would require less oxygen. He has been fed and, uh, relieving himself by tubes.

The affectation "uh," in this context, is supposed to remind you of a broadcaster who, not wanting to say something indelicate over the air, quickly fumbles for a more polite euphemism. For example, an anchor who's about to throw it to the weather guy and hears in his earpiece, "Brooks took off his pants and is pissing on the Doppler Radar - stall!" So he says, "And now let's go to the - uh, we'll get to the weather a little later, since Brooks is busy checking on the Doppler."

Including "uh" in a written story is an attempt to be cutesy about describing excretory functions, even though the reporter obviously had several minutes to prepare his story. This is an AP story, mind you, and not an "oddball" one - there's no other faux-cute tone in the article.

Yes, this is my Monday Morning Grump. If it's a news story, please write it like one. if it's not, don't bother us.