Hostage Standoff Gets Status Updates, Who The Web Wants To Replace Regis Philbin, and a Scientology Video Goes Viral

A 16-hour hostage stand-off last week was updated in real time on Facebook by the suspect, authorities say. Jason Valdez, who was wanted on drug possession charges, took a woman hostage in a Utah motel while SWAT units held their positions outside. Throughout the overnight stand-off Valdez posted six Facebook updates about what was going on. His Facebook profile seems to have been removed, but according to the Associated Press his first post appeared at 11:23 p.m. "I'm currently in a standoff ... kinda ugly, but ready for whatever." He continued by saying, "I love u guyz and if I don't make it out of here alive that I'm in a better place and u were all great friends." Many of Valdez's Facebook friends pleaded with him to "do the right thing" and surrender. One friend told Valdez via Facebook that police were hiding in bushes outside the motel, to which Valdez replied, "Thank you homie...Good looking out." In his posts Valdez said his "hostage" was with him willingly and that police were putting her life in danger. Valdez even uploaded pictures of himself with the woman, saying "Got a cute 'Hostage' huh." Early the next morning, SWAT members rushed the room and Valdez shot himself. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition. Police may investigate whether Valdez's friends who gave him police location information on Facebook acted illegally.

After 28 years, Regis Philbin will say goodbye to "Live With Regis and Kelly" in November. The Web is abuzz with replacement rumors. The morning show is pretty chatty on social media (it has more than 300,000 Twitter followers and upward of 150,000 Facebook "likes"), but it's been silent about Philbin's successor. The three rumored contenders are Bravo TV exec Andy Cohen, who hosts "Watch What Happens Live"; "American Idol" Host Ryan Seacrest; and actor Mark Consuelos, who also happens to be Kelly Ripa's husband. Cohen is getting the most attention on Yahoo! Search. Searches for the Bravo star have spiked 11,000 percent in the past week, which is more than Seacrest and Consuelos combined (check out this Yahoo! Clues graph). But if you look at the three's Facebook followings, Seacrest is most popular. Still, TV experts say the job will go to Consuelos. And now that I think about it, Cohen's spike on Yahoo! was probably boosted by hosting the Miss USA pageant this week. I guess we'll just have to "watch what happens."

A new Scientology video has gone viral on YouTube. It seems the video's popular because it looks so notoriously late '80s/early '90s. In the video's comments section, one person wrote, "Things can't get more cheesy than this. The writer of this song should be sued for plagiarism or panned for taking the most common elements of pop music from the '80s at best." This isn't Scientology's first online gaffe. In 2008, an internal video of Tom Cruise praising the religion was leaked on YouTube. A year later, former Scientologist and Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis (of the movies "Crash" and "Closer") wrote an internal memo denouncing the religion. The memo went viral after being leaked.

Do you think social media pose a threat to criminal operations? Who do you want to replace Philbin? My vote is for Consuelos (he's great, and I need Cohen to stay on "Watch What Happens"). And have you ever considered joining the Scientology movement? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter. And get my updates all day by following me on Twitter.