ON THIS DAY -
On this date in 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected our country's 16th president. As part of the job, he got the White House, a nice office and theater tickets.
In 1861, Jefferson Davis was elected president of the Confederacy. That automatically made him the coach of the South for the annual "North-South" game.
On this date in 1862, the first telegraph was sent from San Francisco to New York.
In 1869, the first college football game was played in New Jersey. I'm sure my great-great grandfather maintained the family tradition and missed that pick, too. Up until that time, guys got things done on Saturday afternoons in the fall.
TODAY IS
Rebecca Romjin turns 37 today... which is ironic, because we were just thinking of her in her birthday suit.
Ethan Hawke turns 39 today. Of course, these days, he's Uma-less.
Maria Shriver celebrates her 54th birthday today... on her cell phone.
Glen Frey hits #61 today. He's a member of the Eagles and occasionally gets down to the V.F.W. hall, too. Some say he's "Already gone," but "I can't tell you why."
Sally Field turns 63 today. She began her acting career years ago in a TV series called, "The Flying Nun." It was a much bigger hit than its rival, "The Cruising Priest."
I Love Nachos Day -- Did you know that the food most craved by pregnant women is nachos?
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
While "New Moon" star Robert Pattinson denies there's anything going on, US magazine reports that he and co-star Kristen Stewart spent the night together at the Chateau Marmont, where they were seen smooching and enjoying bagels for breakfast. One tabloid claims Kristen is claiming she's a lesbian in order to combat the rumor mill.
Sarah Palin is sitting down with Barbara Walters for a five-part interview series.
Kirstie Alley is going to star in a new A&E reality "docu-series" about her life as a single mom and her efforts to lose weight. The show will follow the actress at home with her teenage children, at work and as she launches a new weight-loss program.
Russell Brand says he's cutting his hair, with the hope it'll help him get more movie roles.
That not-so-secret sex tape featuring Colin Farrell and Playboy model Nicole Narain has been sent anonymously to the family of Colin's girlfriend.
Sears held some "Black Friday" sales last weekend, to try and boost sales. This weekend, Wal-Mart is having a go at it.
Rihanna has told Diane Sawyer that she's embarrassed that she was ever in love with Chris Brown.
Mariah Carey says she suffered "mental" and "emotional" abuse during her marriage to music mogul Tommy Mottola in an TV interview with Larry King.
Sandra Bullock and husband Jesse James are in a court battle with Jesse's ex, a porn star. They'd like full custody of Jesse's daughter. The mom smells money.
Fresh out of rehab, a tabloid is reporting that David Hasselhoff was seen drunk at a British Columbia casino last weekend.
WEIRD NEWS
Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Snow... - There's an old postal carrier's motto that says something about neither rain, nor sleet, nor snow, nor hail will prevent the mail from being delivered. Notice it doesn't say anything about being three times the legal limit. In Boynton Beach, Florida, 29-year-old mail carrier Kevin Crocilla was found slumped over the wheel of his mail truck. Someone called police thinking there was a medical problem or perhaps he was dead. No medical problem and no -- not dead. Just very, very drunk. When police asked him to step outside of his truck, he stumbled and had trouble completing a sobriety test because he couldn't keep his eyes open or his head straight. He blew a .264 on the Breathalyzer test -- over three times the legal limit allowed while driving -- and police charged him with driving under the influence. (Sun Sentinel)
Oh No -- Not the Salad Dressing! - In Boise, Idaho, 18-year-old Tiffany M. Wallace was arrested after she allegedly rammed her pickup into another car. But that's not the worst of it. She also -- dare I even say it-- hurled ranch salad dressing at the other vehicle! The driver of the other car told police the encounter began after he was cut off by Wallace. He said she later cut him off again, yelled at him and threw coins and plastic containers of ranch dressing at his car. The victim said Wallace later rammed his car at least three times in a parking lot. Well I at least hope it was "Cool Ranch!" (Idaho Statesman)
Wait A Minute Mr. Robber -- Don't I Know You? - In Erie, Pennsylvania, a man who was robbed of his jacket, cell phone, keys and $300 was left with the strange feeling that one of his two muggers looked awfully familiar. That would be because they went to school together about 15 years ago. Police arrested 30-year-old Anthony Williams after the victim pulled out some old yearbooks and figured out they both attended Central Career and Technical School in the mid-1990s. I guess attending Central Career and Technical School doesn't necessarily guarantee one a lucrative and successful career. (Erie Times-News)
The Teen On the Top of the Van: Final Chapter! - Maybe you remember the story we had a few weeks back about the mother in Albertville, Alabama who was arrested after being seen driving with her 13-year-old daughter sitting in a box on top of her mini-van. 37-year-old Jackie Knott reportedly told police the box wouldn't fit inside the van so her daughter was sitting inside to weigh it down on the roof. The teen was not hurt. And apparently the courts decided not to hurt her mom too much either. While the judge gave her 90-days in jail, she'll only have to serve five of those days since it would be such a hardship on her. She'll also have to complete 40 hours of community service, attend a parenting class and driving school followed by two years probation. (WAFF-TV News)
Hey What Are You Guys Doing Here... At My Funeral? - Those attending the funeral of 59-year-old bricklayer Ademir Jorge Goncalves in Brazil got the shock of their lives when Mr. Goncalves showed up! He had been identified him as the victim of a car crash but relatives had trouble identifying the body because it was badly disfigured. Turns out Mr. Goncalves had actually spent the night drinking with his friends. He didn't get word of his funeral until it was already happening so he ran off to stop it. The body was later correctly identified. (Ananova)
A Wedding Cake Catastrophe! - In Pembrey, England, Tony and Aimee West went all out for their wedding cake. They paid $500 bucks for what was supposed to be a three tier sponge cake decorated with white and dark chocolate icing and flowers. But just four hours before the evening reception was due to start Aimee discovered the cake company had forgotten to bake the cake. Aimee said, "They admitted their mistake and said, 'Don't worry, we'll get you a cake'. They turned up that evening and the cake was put on a table for all to see." All seemed to be well until the couple cut into the cake and took their first bites together. Turns out the "cake" was no cake at all. Just a bunch of Styrofoam covered with icing. Both bride and groom began choking -- an experience Aimee said was terribly embarrassing! So they took Creative Cakes to small claims court and were awarded $600 compensation. Karen Williams, who runs Creative Cakes said, "I explained I would be delivering an artificial cake - they are quite common at weddings these days." Really?? Not at any weddings I've been to! Who orders a fake cake? (Ananova)
Now You Can Rename a Desperate Teen! - Not sure if this is genius or just pathetic. In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 19-year-old Calvin Gosz is unemployed and hard up for money. He's had no luck with the 10 to 15 job applications he's submitted in the last month and a half. So in an effort to raise some cash, he's auctioning off the right to change his legal name in an eBay auction that goes through Sunday. The auction, titled "I will legally change my name to anything," seeks a minimum bid of $5,000. While a handful of people are tracking the page -- so far there have been no bids. Calvin, who moved to Sheboygan from Florida in September said, "I'm hoping that it'll be like some rich guy that like doesn't know what to do with his money and is really bored." (Sheboygan Press)
Wonder What Caused This Accident - More proof that multitasking while driving is never a good idea. A truck driver in Boras, Sweden crashed his 18-wheeler and while fortunately not seriously hurt, he was pinned, immobile, in the wreckage until rescuers could get him out. Nobody knows for sure but police have an idea what caused the accident. When rescuers first saw him, they noted that the trapped driver's genitals were exposed and that his hand was clasped in his genital area. (The Stockholm Local)
TOP FIVE THINGS THE PILGRIMS WOULD SAY AROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR
1. "Goodness! They're still playing baseball in November!"
2. "Savages! That's the name for our new band: the Savages!"
3. (in your best John Wayne) "Hey there, pilgrim!"
4. "Wouldst thou also give us Friday off, too?"
5. "Here turkey, turkey, turkey"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Alicia Keys now has her own jewelry line. Ironically, Jewel is now selling her own line of designer keys.
I'm a little confused with this whole Josh Duhamel thing. Is Fergie's husband being accused of cheating with a stripper or stripping with a cheater? Same thing? O.K., just checking.
Layoffs at Microsoft this week. When you get laid off at Microsoft, it's a little different. At Microsoft, instead of the door, they show you the Windows.
Yep, tough week to be a Democrat who's also a Phillies fans.
There is nothing so beautiful as watching the wind and rain knock the leaves off my trees and seeing them land in my neighbor's yard.
TOP FIVE SIGNS IT'S ALMOST THANKSGIVING
1. Several neighbors have their Christmas lights up
2. You've seen several turkeys taking out life insurance
3. It starts getting dark outside at lunch
4. You're just about done sneaking the leaves from your hard into your neighbor's yard
5. Jack O'Lanterns on your porch have so much mold, it looks like they need to shave
On to ROCK NEWS –
BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP … In either the most ill-advised or ballsiest moves in recent music litigation history, the company being sued by EMI Records for illegally selling Beatles MP3's claims the tracks are actually NOT the copyright of the label. BlueBeat, the company selling the tracks illegally for 25 cents, actually stated that they hold the copyrights to the songs due to a process called "psycho-acoustic simulation." A Los Angeles federal judge set aside the laughable arguments by Hank Risan, the owner of BlueBeat whose defense was that "he -- and not EMI or the Beatles' Apple Corps. -- owns these sound recordings, because he re-recorded new versions of the songs using what he termed 'psycho-acoustic simulation.'"
Upon listening to BlueBeat's version of the Beatles' "Sun King," it's obvious that it's the same exact version as featured on the group's Abbey Road album.
A Los Angeles federal judge will now rule on whether BlueBeat actually owns new copyrights to the Beatles' sound recordings. A decision is expected in the near future.
Scott Mackenzie, a Dallas copyright attorney said, "They're hosed. That just doesn't make any sense. I don't even see the basis of their theory." (wired.com)
Paul McCartney was happy with the way his October 26th New York City tribute to composer Frank Loesser to benefit the Actor's Fund turned out. He posted a message on his official site (paulmccartney.com) talking about his performance of "On A Slow Boat To China" at the Minskoff Theatre, saying, "Normally I've got a guitar or a piano to help me out, but this time all I had was a hand mic but I had a great time all the same. The event raised more money than had been expected and will benefit members of the acting profession who have fallen on hard times. It was something completely different for me, but I knew the song from family sing-songs when I was a kid and I admire Frank Loesser's writing."
James McCartney, the 32-year-old son and youngest child of Paul and Linda McCartney, issued a press release talking about his recently launched musical career. James will be making his American debut with his band Light on November 14th in Fairfield, Iowa in connection with the David Lynch Foundation and the local Maharishi University of Management. James explained, "I have been playing music since I was nine and writing along the way. I met my band about a year ago. Producer David Kahne introduced us -- and my dad, Paul, helped... The music was inspired by the Beatles, Nirvana, the Cure, PJ Harvey, Radiohead -- and all good music. It is basically rock 'n 'roll, clean sounding, and vocal."
He shed some light on his musical development, saying, "My dad taught me guitar when I was nine. I play a Fender Stratocaster, which Carl Perkins gave me from the seventies, and a Gibson Les Paul that my dad gave me (which is) heart red."
James wrote about his still-unreleased debut album with his band -- which features some Liverpool musicians -- saying, "The words on the album refer to spirituality, love, family, trying to sort out one's own life, and many other things. I have written the songs over a ten-year period."
No release date is set for James McCartney's debut album.
JOHN FOGERTY TO PLAY PBS 'LIVE BY REQUEST' TOMORROW NIGHT…John Fogerty says that he's on pins-and-needles about tomorrow night's (November 7th) performance on PBS' Live By Request. Fogerty will be interacting with fans who'll be requesting songs and asking questions via Facebook, Twitter, and other social outlets. Fogerty admitted to Billboard, "It's pretty nerve-wracking, especially in this modern world. Way back in the old days, when the red light was on everything was live, and you really had to have it all together... That's what this show is going to be like. And then you add the thing that you're gonna be surprised by a request and I've got to turn around to the band and say, 'OK, here we go...'"
Still, Fogerty is ready to rise to the occasion and play some good old fashioned rock and roll for the masses: "It's gonna be fun, though. I did it one time before, and I remember getting very keyed up for it. Certainly that's what's going to happen this time. And once it's over there's something very satisfying about interacting with the fans."
Fogerty says that out of respect for both Creedence Clearwater Revival fans and the songs themselves, he tries to keep the song's live arrangements note-for-note as they were played on the record: "I just feel that because of the fact that touring, and even my career, has been so interrupted for long gaps of time, I think it's up to me to kind of reinforce the reverence that I have for those earlier songs -- and also, I think the way the audience treats them. So that's a way of explaining why when I do 'Bad Moon Rising,' it still sounds like 'Bad Moon Rising.'"
John Fogerty: Live By Request airs at 9 p.m. EST on PBS. Fogerty will perform on NBC's The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on Tuesday (November 10th)
John Fogerty tour dates (subject to change):
November 12 - Hollywood, CA - Kodak Theatre
November 14 - Primm, NV - Star Of The Desert Arena
November 16 - Denver, CO - Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre
November 18 - Minneapolis, MN - The State Theatre
November 19 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theatre
November 21 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
November 22 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
November 24 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
November 25 - Newark, NJ - New Jersey Performing Arts Center
November 27 - Mashantucket, CT - MGM Grand At Foxwoods
November 28 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
November 29 - Boston, MA - Orpheum Theatre
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN WRITING HIS AUTOBIOGRAPHY???...Bruce Springsteen is reportedly writing his memoirs, according to The New York Post. An unnamed source said the project would be unparalleled in the rock world, saying, "It could be the biggest rock music autobiography of all time. He could get $9 million to $10 million for the world rights."
When pressed about the Springsteen-sanctioned trilogy Born To Run: The Bruce Springsteen Story, Glory Days, and Two Hearts: The Definitive Biography, 1972-2003, by rock journalist Dave Marsh, the source stated simply: "Springsteen is a better writer than Marsh."
A bidding war for the book is said to be strong enough to dwarf Keith Richards' $8 million advance from Little Brown for his upcoming autobiography and the $4 million Eric Clapton snagged for his 2008 memoir.
Springsteen, who has kept hundreds of notebooks and journals throughout his life, tested the autobiographical waters with the text to his 1998 book, Songs.
Springsteen has always aimed for his albums and tours to be more than just entertainment, and he hopes that his work will help inspire some type of dialogue among his audience: "People are looking for ways to have a dialogue about these ideas, about these issues. They're looking for ways to try to get a handle and make sense of what's happening, you know, and I think that music and film and art has a service to perform in that fashion. It can be one of its services."
Tomorrow night (November 7th), Springsteen and the E Street Band will kick off their two-night stand at New York City's Madison Square Garden by performing their 1973 album The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle in it's entirety, and on Sunday (November 8th) Springsteen will play his 1980 double album The River from start to finish.
GUNS N' ROSES MTV 'MOON MAN' SELLING FOR $13,500…A 1988 MTV Moon Man award for "Best New Artist In A Video," given to Guns N' Roses for their "Welcome To The Jungle" clip, has been acquired for sale by music memorabilia clearinghouse Rockaway Records.
The statue belonged to former Guns manager Alan Niven, who wrote an accompanying letter in which he says, "In 1988 this 'Moon Man' was presented to me in my capacity as manager of Guns n' Roses...it ought to have really been offered since the video 'concept' was mine -- but then it should have been presented to the talents I stole from -- the makers of the movies Midnight Cowboy, The Man Who Fell to Earth, and Clockwork Orange."
The award is available at the Rockaway site for a mere $13,500.
THE ROLLING STONES TO TOUR IN 2010???...Ron Wood hinted that the Rolling Stones are gearing up for their first road trek in three years, telling BBC 6 Music, "It's all very good. I saw Mick (Jagger) and Charlie (Watts) last week. Everything is great." When asked about the rumored tour, Wood added that he was confident that the Stones will be out on the road in 2010, adding, "Let's hope so, yeah!"
Unconfirmed rumors claim that the Stones are in negotiations to close the UK's Glastonbury Festival in late June.
The Stones' 2005-2007 A Bigger Bang world tour grossed the band over half-a-billion dollars. Keith Richards says that it's not so unthinkable that the Stones will keep performing until they die: "That has always been my point. Ain't nobody that complained that Duke Ellington or Count Basie and said, 'Why are you still doing it?' They did it all their lives. What is it -- because I'm white and I play rock 'n' roll? You know what I mean? Otherwise, I'm just doing what all other guys who I follow -- you know Muddy (Waters), Howlin' Wolf. You do what you do until you drop. You know, you rock 'til you drop."
U2'S BERLIN EVENT STIRS UP SOME CONTROVERSY…U2 performed a short set in Germany yesterday (Thursday, November 5th) to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. According to the Associated Press, the band kicked off show at the Brandenburg Gate with the hit song "One." Frontman Bono thanked the crowd "for coming out in the cold" before wishing Berlin a happy birthday. The 30-minute, six-song set also featured "Beautiful Day," "Vertigo," a cover of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up," as well as a special guest appearance by Jay-Z on "Sunday Bloody Sunday." But the free concert wasn't without controversy for the some 10,000 ticketholders who attended. Concertgoers couldn't see a lot of the show because it was obscured by 6-1/2-foot high metal barrier put up temporarily to prevent non-ticketholders from getting in to the event. Fans were upset that they couldn't get a good view of U2 -- an interesting situation considering the concert was put on to recognize 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Local politician Frank Henkel tells BBC News, "It's a shame that a barrier has been set up. It's stopping many Berliners from hearing the concert."
The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, signaling the end of nearly 30 years of Cold War division between the communist East and the democratic West.
The U2 show was part of the MTV Europe Music Awards, which took place last night.
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!
Jonathan
Friday, November 6, 2009
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Thursday - November 5, 2009 -
ON THIS DAY –
On this date in 1605, the plot by Guy Falkes to blow up the English Parliament failed. With that kind of lack of success rate, he went on to pick the new shows for NBC.
In 1875, Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for trying to vote in a presidential election. To make the penalty even tougher, they made her pay using Susan B. Anthony dollar coins.
Legendary cowboy star Roy Rogers was born way, way back in 1911. He appeared in more than 100 films, starring in 87 of them. He also starred in his own NBC-TV series for six years from 1951 to 1957, with his wife Dale Evans. Here are some Roy Rogers facts and trivia from TVcrazy.net:
He was the only man voted in the Country Music Hall of Fame twice. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Original Sons Of The Pioneers and in 1988 as an individual artist.
The first movie Roy appeared in was "Way up Thar" in 1935.
Through the 40's and 50's Roy Rogers was the number one western star at the box office for 12 straight years.
At one time Roy Rogers was second only to Walt Disney in souvenir sales and licensing. Roy's estate was once valued at over 100 million dollars.
It was while making the 1944 film "The Cowboy and the Senorita" that Roy first met Dale Evans. They would marry three years later, 14 months after the death of Roy's first wife, Arlene.
Roy wasn't allowed to kiss Dale in the movies.
His horse Trigger appeared in all the films and TVv shows Roy Rogers starred in. In 1965 when Trigger died at 33, Roy had him stuffed and put in Roy and Dale's museum.
Roy died at age 86 in 1998, and Dale recently passed on at age 88. Roy and Dale appeared in 35 movies together, plus their TV show and were together for 51 years.
On this date in 1955, the very first stereo broadcast was heard. Suddenly, the number one request on the radio was a recording of "Walking across the room." It was during coverage of a political rally and for the first time, you could actually hear a candidate talking out of both sides of their mouth.
In 1958, El Capitan was climbed by a human being for the first time. True! From the day it enlisted, it had never been climbed once.
TODAY IS –
Thanksgiving is just three weeks from today.
Happy "Cinco de Novembero"!
Tatum O'Neal turns 46 today. She took the long way.
Singer Bryan Adams hits the big 5-0 today. That "Summer of '69" keeps getting farther and farther away.
Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton turns 57 today. He's still dunking, just now, it's donuts.
Peter Noone of "Herman's Hermits" turns 62. Actually, with the time change, he's Peter 11am.
Art Garfunkel turns 68 today. His career had an "American Idol" problem... it just wasn't as good without Simon.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW -
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have agreed to co-host the next Academy Awards show.
Thomas Dekker, the star of the now-defunct "Terminator" TV series "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," has been charged with two DUI's.
Michael Irvin and "Iron Chef America" chairman were sent home this week on "Dancing with the Stars."
Carrie Underwood is pretty nutso over her hockey player boyfriend, Mike Fisher. Even wrote him a really mooshy love note in the pamphlet of her new CD.
Now available: a Snuggy featuring the rock band Weezer. Can life get any better than that?
Eat curry. It may well be the new wonder food. An extract that is found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric actually kills cancer cells, The BBC News reports of a study from the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland.
Kirstie Alley in another reality show based on her weight challenges? A and E have signed her for a 10-episode thing next year.
Supermodel and mommy-to-be Gisele Bundchen (Mrs. Tom Brady) has passed her written test for acquiring her helicopter license.
Sesame Street starts it's 40th season on November 10th.
The coat rack reality star Ryan Jenkins used to hang himself earlier this year... was put on display at a Halloween party, where guests could take their picture with it. A little too macabre, don't you think?
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will debate -- I'm not kidding -- in New York's Radio City Music Hall February 25th of next year. Part of a speakers series being put on there.
Brad Pitt is blaming the paparazzi for his recent motorcycle accident and is currently shopping for a new bike.
An Atlanta stripper claims she had a one-night stand with Fergie's husband, Josh Duhamel. But both Fergie and Josh are denying it. The stripper says she has text messages to back up her claims.
A poll by the financial web site YouGov.com found that nearly 70% of Internet users admit having the habit of "wilfing." What? It's the term that's short for "What Was I Looking For?" For instance, you're reading e-mail when you think about researching vacation spots, which reminds you that you need to check out gym prices, so you surf from one site to another until you forget what you started out looking for. One expert said the Internet is so full of distractions, it's easy to fall into this. Internet users over 55 are three times more likely to be wilfers than those under 25. People over 60 find themselves surfing the Internet when they really came into the room to look for their car keys.
Another survey found that adults waste around two full working days each and every month surfing around on non-work-related web sites. People admitted that they were constantly checking out shopping, news and travel web sites. How much time do you spend on the Internet at work on no work related sites?
A pretty face can land a better salary, a study in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reports. We assume beautiful people are intelligent, friendly, and competent, says study co-author Carl Senior, Ph.D. But if an attractive manager fails to perform, she'll find it harder to climb the career ladder, Senior adds.
A British study of 1000 men found that who had sex at least twice a week had half the death rate of those who indulged less than once a month. According to neuropsychologist David Weeks, who found that men and women reported having sex an average of four times per week looked 10 years younger than they really were.
WEIRD NEWS -
Man Robs Same Bank Four Times? - There's an old adage that says if it ain't broke, don't fix it. In other words, if something's working fine, don't mess with it. That usually doesn't apply to bank robberies but it seems to me the motto of one bank robber in Tamarac, Florida. Investigators are searching for the guy who has now robbed a BankAtlantic branch four times in the last year. It happens so often that on his last robbery one of the tellers was overheard saying, "He's here again." The suspect is described as heavyset and has dreadlocks. He wears different clothes each time. He always orders tellers to fill a plastic bag with cash, then casually walks out. Hey -- after maybe say the first three times, do you think it might have been a good idea to have hired an armed guard to hang around during banking hours? (South Florida Sun Sentinel)
I Stole From a 9-Year-Old! - Shame, shame on 56-year-old Evelyn Border and her 35-year-old daughter Tina Griekspoor. They became willing victims of a modern day stockade after agreeing to stand outside the Bedford, Pennsylvania courthouse holding signs that read: I stole from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday! Don't steal or this could happen to you!" The strange sentence was part of a plea-bargain to keep the mom and daughter duo out of jail. Instead they got probation. They apparently swiped a gift card that a 9-year-old girl set on a shelf while a Wal-Mart employee helped her. The girl's mother planned to drive by the courthouse to teach her daughter the importance of obeying the law. And let's be honest -- probably so they could just laugh and laugh and laugh! I know I would! (AHN News)
No More Shout Outs to Prisoners! - Try not to end up at the Van Buren County Jail in Paw Paw, Michigan. One section of the jail is 100-years-old and has no air-conditioning. As a result, its barred windows are opened during warm weather. As the wing stands only a few feet from the sidewalk, separated by a tall chain-link fence crowned by spirals of razor wire, for years friends and loved ones of inmates have been known to stand outside the jail and shout out to them. Sometimes they hold entire conversations together. Not anymore. A new Paw Paw law (yeah that's fun to say) makes giving your favorite inmate a shout out from the sidewalk illegal. Do it and you could be having lots of conversations with them -- from inside the jail -- for 90 days! (myway.com)
Don't Mess With Me and My Trusty Umbrella - A parking valet in Boston is being heralded a hero thanks to his bravery and his trusty umbrella. Just after he brought 61-year-old Barbara Pero her car, a knife-wielding purse snatcher came out of nowhere and attacked. The guy forced his way into the car and threatened to kill her. Ms. Pero jumped out and screamed. That's when 23-year-old valet Felix Vega sprang into action. He grabbed a wood-handled umbrella from his manager's office and began beating the suspect. The suspect, 48-year-old Richard Morse, fled but was arrested nearby with Ms. Pero's purse. Turns out he had previous convictions for mayhem and armed robbery. Mayhem?? (Boston Globe)
Three Cat Limit! - If you just can't have enough cats in your life, stay clear of Dudley, Massachusetts. Dudley is a small town about 60 miles southwest of Boston and just passed a new ordinance which says it is now illegal to live in Dudley and own more than three cats. That is unless you get a special license. And good luck getting that. Voters at a town meeting made it so in response to a neighborhood feud over the 15 cats owned by Mary Ellen Richards. A neighbor complained that Ms. Richard's cats ruined his yard. Ms. Richards has put her home up for sale and says she plans to move to a "more cat-friendly community." So there! (Telegram & Gazette)
Unfortunately Police Had the Wrong Teletubby! - Maybe the best headline we've seen this year. Halloween took a bizarre turn in London when late Halloween night, a man dressed as a Teletubby robbed a woman at gunpoint. The gun-toting Teletubby confronted the woman just after midnight and demanded cash. She gave him the money and then called police. They indeed stopped a man in the area who fit the description, but then realized they had the wrong Teletubby. The Teletubby who robbed the woman has described as between 6 foot 2 and 6 foot 4, 200 to 240 pounds and a muscular build, short, dark hair and was clean shaven. Apparently Teletubbies are still all the rage on Halloween in London. (Packet and Times)
Ouch! Right in the Wii! - Apparently Judge Marvin Garfinkle of Winnipeg doesn't believe much in being scared straight. He'd rather hit trouble kids where it really hurts -- right in the Wii! He just opted to grant a troublesome 12-year-old boy bail on condition that he surrenders his beloved Nintendo Wii to the court. Judge Garfinkle said, "He is pledging as a security, akin to a cash deposit, his Nintendo Wii. And if he doesn't comply, he loses it." By "comply," the judge means "keeping the peace, appearing for court dates, living with his grandmother and participating in a bail management program." Failure to uphold any of those duties will result in forfeiture of the console. The creative punishment is basically a last ditch effort to curb the boy's bad behavior, which includes smashing windows at his elementary school, punching a classmate in the face, disobeying a court order to stay away from school, hitting another boy with a pool cue and attacking a teacher after a game of dodge ball. (Yahoo News)
But That Cat Is My Mommy! - 46-year-old Peter Keonig is serving five-years for armed robberies in Whirl, Germany. And the Buddhist bank robber has been refused permission for his cat to visit him in jail-- even though he says it's the reincarnation of his mother. Buddhists believe that people come back as other animals after death and Pete went to court to demand the right for his cat Gisela to be allowed to visit him in jail "because she is my dead mom". He added, "I need to see her like other prisoners see their wives and children." But the court said forget it and issued a statement which read: "While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected." The court did say Peter would be allowed to write to the cat. (AHN News)
TOP FIVE SIGNS YOU'RE WAY TOO MUCH INTO HOLIDAYS
1. Are you really putting up a "Pearl Harbor Tree"?
2. You celebrate both Canadian AND U.S. Thanksgivings
3. That all Turkey manger scene you always put up
4. "Cinco de Novembero"? Really?
5. Outside hanging the Veterans' Day lights
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Disney wants to build the first Disneyland inside China. It would be like all of their other parks, except some of the attractions would be different. For example: "It's a small wall after all."
Of course, the most popular Disney character in the new park will be Mickey Mao.
Then there's the guy who got drunk on Halloween and went out as Paula Abdul.
I like referring to myself in the third person. Actually, it's one of the rare activities him & I like to do together.
Kate Gosselin admits she might have been a little hard on Jon. Ha! She said "little hard on." Where are we? 7th grade?
Wow, Christmas is just 7 weeks from Friday. Did I say that out loud?
Quite a bit of buzz about that new show "V," that is about aliens coming to earth and blending in with humans so that they can get government bailout money.
On to ROCK NEWS –
STEVEN TYLER GOING SOLO; NEW SINGER FOR AEROSMITH?...Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler told Classic Rock magazine this week that he intends to work on "Brand Tyler" instead of a new Aerosmith record for the foreseeable future. Following the band's performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, Tyler said about his future plans, "I don't know what I'm doing yet, but it's definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself -- Brand Tyler."
Things have been tense in the Aerosmith camp since early August, when a fall from a stage in South Dakota broke Tyler's shoulder and ended the band's summer tour. In the months since, internal strife has come to the surface, with guitarist Joe Perry saying in interviews that the rest of the band had not heard from Tyler since his injury, that the group was waiting for its singer to "get his act together," and that he and Tyler had not even written a song together in 10 years.
Although the show in Abu Dhabi and two other gigs last month in Hawaii showed the band to be in fine form onstage, Classic Rock reported that at all three dates, the rest of the group did not see Tyler until the opening number and that his dressing room was far away from theirs.
Yet Perry told Classic Rock that the Abu Dhabi gig was "one of the best shows of the year."
Tyler has reportedly refused to commit to getting back in the studio and has now also apparently pulled out of a tentative South American tour, forcing the rest of Aerosmith to consider two options: going on hiatus or getting a new vocalist.
As unthinkable as the latter option might sound to fans, guitarist Brad Whitford said, "I'm not sure how good that would look, it would largely depend on who we could get and who would want to do it. That's big shoes to fill. Nobody could replace Steven or imitate him -- he's one of a kind. But if somebody was willing to do it and the chemistry was right, why not?"
SLASH WANTS PEOPLE TO STOP ASKING IF HE'LL REJOIN GUNS N' ROSES…Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash told the U.K.'s BBC 6 Music that he wishes people would stop asking him if he's ever going to rejoin Guns. Slash explained, "I just feel for people that don't seem to get it. All things considered, it's been a really long time, and everybody's moved on. At the same time, I appreciate that I was part of a band that had such a huge impact and touched so many people, and I feel bad for them that it's not around -- but it is what it is."
The guitarist is gearing up for the early 2010 release of his new solo album, tentatively titled Slash & Friends, and said he's deliberately kept a lid on the guest singers appearing on the record: "I've been very low key on this, because I was waiting for all the releases for all the different singers, but some of the cats are out of the bag. There's a lot of people on the record."
Confirmed singers on the disc include Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Fergie and M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold.
Other musicians contributing to the album include ex-Guns drummer Steven Adler, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, former Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese and more.
Slash added to the BBC, "It's just nice to be in charge of my own destiny, even if it's just for one record. Just not to be in a group situation, and at the mercy of what everybody as a whole feels, but being responsible for my own decisions and having the final say . . . I needed to get it out of my system."
Velvet Revolver has yet to find a new lead singer, despite dismissing frontman Scott Weiland more than 18 months ago.
Guns N' Roses released its long-delayed Chinese Democracy album last November, with singer Axl Rose as the sole original member, but it failed commercially. The band is prepping a Canadian tour.
AC/DC TOPS AUSTRALIAN RICH LIST…AC/DC have topped Australian business magazine BRW's list of that country's wealthiest entertainers for 2009.
The band earned $105 million in Australian dollars, or $95 million U.S., nine times the amount they earned the previous year.
BRW reporter Jane Lindhe said, "They've always been steady on the list but have come from $12 million last year to $105 million this year, blowing everyone out of the water."
The band's increased income was no doubt due to their world tour, which was one of the biggest of the year.
CHICKENFOOT NAMED BEST NEW BAND OF 2009…Chickenfoot was named as the best new band of 2009 at the annual Classic Rock Magazine Awards, held this week at the Park Lane Hotel in London.
The band, which features ex-Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, was not at the event but taped a video acceptance speech.
Other stars at the awards show included members of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Queen, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden and more.
ROGER DALTREY'S VOICE GIVES OUT DURING CLEVELAND GIG…Roger Daltrey lost his voice towards the end of Tuesday night's (November 3rd) show at Cleveland's House of Blues. Although Daltrey has had slight problems throughout the tour -- and has juggled some of the song's placings in the setlist for when he's properly warmed up for each tune -- the Cleveland gig saw him at his rawest.
Cleveland.com reported that Daltrey apologized to the crowd towards the end of his set, saying, "I sound terrible. I had a very bad night's sleep last night. This is what I woke up with." Daltrey struggled through his customary Johnny Cash medley and the Who's "Blue, Red & Grey" before abandoning both songs entirely. He mustered his strength for a rousing closing cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born On The Bayou."
Daltrey says that he's learned to properly pace himself within his live performances: "We can only play for two hours. You know it gets to be, for me personally and my voice, two hours is enough singing the way I sing. It's not an easy number these songs. They're very, very challenging. They demand the kind of energy that the voice needs to give it."
Roger Daltrey performs tonight (November 5th) in Orilla, Ontario at the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre.
JON BON JOVI DIDN'T EXPECT TO RELEASE A NEW ALBUM THIS SOON…Bon Jovi's new album, The Circle, comes out next Tuesday (November 10th), but if you ask the guys in the band, it wasn't supposed to happen this soon. There were plans to release a greatest hits album this year, but once Jon Bon Jovi got to writing some new material, he got on a roll and had enough material for an entire studio set -- and then some. He tells us how he went about telling record exec L.A. Reid the album news: "You start writing more and more and more come January-February I went into L.A.'s office and I played him a half a dozen or more songs, and I said, 'I got good and bad news. I think we got a studio record here, but it's going to get in the way of the documentary. So much for you greatest hits.' And he said, 'My experience is if an artist really has something to say, and you let it pass, then it really wouldn't be as timely.'"
A greatest hits album with three new songs will be released next year.
The Circle features the single, "We Weren't Born To Follow."
The new Bon Jovi documentary, called When We Were Beautiful, recently aired on Showtime. A book of the same name came out this week featuring exclusive photographs, along with stories about the band.
Bon Jovi kicks off a tour in early 2010.
The New Jersey rockers will perform on NBC's Today show on November 11th.
Bon Jovi's most recent set, Lost Highway, came out in 2007.
SURVEY SHOWS BEATLES SONGS MORE MEMORABLE THAN THOSE BY ELVIS PRESLEY OR MICHAEL JACKSON….A new survey revealed that the Beatles' songs are "more memorable" than those by Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, according to digitalspy.com. A Europe-wide poll was conducted by the Digital broadcaster Music Choice which asked 4,136 people to recite the words to several legendary songs.
The results found that 89 percent of people could recite the opening lines to the "Fab Four's" 1964 chart-topper "A Hard Day's Night," yet only 23 percent were able to repeat the first lyrics of Jackson's 1982 hit "Thriller" and Elvis' 1956 rock standard "Blue Suede Shoes."
Interestingly, the poll also showed that women were "twice as capable at remembering Jackson's words than men."
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
On this date in 1605, the plot by Guy Falkes to blow up the English Parliament failed. With that kind of lack of success rate, he went on to pick the new shows for NBC.
In 1875, Susan B. Anthony was fined $100 for trying to vote in a presidential election. To make the penalty even tougher, they made her pay using Susan B. Anthony dollar coins.
Legendary cowboy star Roy Rogers was born way, way back in 1911. He appeared in more than 100 films, starring in 87 of them. He also starred in his own NBC-TV series for six years from 1951 to 1957, with his wife Dale Evans. Here are some Roy Rogers facts and trivia from TVcrazy.net:
He was the only man voted in the Country Music Hall of Fame twice. He was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1980 as a member of the Original Sons Of The Pioneers and in 1988 as an individual artist.
The first movie Roy appeared in was "Way up Thar" in 1935.
Through the 40's and 50's Roy Rogers was the number one western star at the box office for 12 straight years.
At one time Roy Rogers was second only to Walt Disney in souvenir sales and licensing. Roy's estate was once valued at over 100 million dollars.
It was while making the 1944 film "The Cowboy and the Senorita" that Roy first met Dale Evans. They would marry three years later, 14 months after the death of Roy's first wife, Arlene.
Roy wasn't allowed to kiss Dale in the movies.
His horse Trigger appeared in all the films and TVv shows Roy Rogers starred in. In 1965 when Trigger died at 33, Roy had him stuffed and put in Roy and Dale's museum.
Roy died at age 86 in 1998, and Dale recently passed on at age 88. Roy and Dale appeared in 35 movies together, plus their TV show and were together for 51 years.
On this date in 1955, the very first stereo broadcast was heard. Suddenly, the number one request on the radio was a recording of "Walking across the room." It was during coverage of a political rally and for the first time, you could actually hear a candidate talking out of both sides of their mouth.
In 1958, El Capitan was climbed by a human being for the first time. True! From the day it enlisted, it had never been climbed once.
TODAY IS –
Thanksgiving is just three weeks from today.
Happy "Cinco de Novembero"!
Tatum O'Neal turns 46 today. She took the long way.
Singer Bryan Adams hits the big 5-0 today. That "Summer of '69" keeps getting farther and farther away.
Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton turns 57 today. He's still dunking, just now, it's donuts.
Peter Noone of "Herman's Hermits" turns 62. Actually, with the time change, he's Peter 11am.
Art Garfunkel turns 68 today. His career had an "American Idol" problem... it just wasn't as good without Simon.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW -
Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin have agreed to co-host the next Academy Awards show.
Thomas Dekker, the star of the now-defunct "Terminator" TV series "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," has been charged with two DUI's.
Michael Irvin and "Iron Chef America" chairman were sent home this week on "Dancing with the Stars."
Carrie Underwood is pretty nutso over her hockey player boyfriend, Mike Fisher. Even wrote him a really mooshy love note in the pamphlet of her new CD.
Now available: a Snuggy featuring the rock band Weezer. Can life get any better than that?
Eat curry. It may well be the new wonder food. An extract that is found in the bright yellow curry spice turmeric actually kills cancer cells, The BBC News reports of a study from the Cork Cancer Research Centre in Ireland.
Kirstie Alley in another reality show based on her weight challenges? A and E have signed her for a 10-episode thing next year.
Supermodel and mommy-to-be Gisele Bundchen (Mrs. Tom Brady) has passed her written test for acquiring her helicopter license.
Sesame Street starts it's 40th season on November 10th.
The coat rack reality star Ryan Jenkins used to hang himself earlier this year... was put on display at a Halloween party, where guests could take their picture with it. A little too macabre, don't you think?
Bill Clinton and George W. Bush will debate -- I'm not kidding -- in New York's Radio City Music Hall February 25th of next year. Part of a speakers series being put on there.
Brad Pitt is blaming the paparazzi for his recent motorcycle accident and is currently shopping for a new bike.
An Atlanta stripper claims she had a one-night stand with Fergie's husband, Josh Duhamel. But both Fergie and Josh are denying it. The stripper says she has text messages to back up her claims.
A poll by the financial web site YouGov.com found that nearly 70% of Internet users admit having the habit of "wilfing." What? It's the term that's short for "What Was I Looking For?" For instance, you're reading e-mail when you think about researching vacation spots, which reminds you that you need to check out gym prices, so you surf from one site to another until you forget what you started out looking for. One expert said the Internet is so full of distractions, it's easy to fall into this. Internet users over 55 are three times more likely to be wilfers than those under 25. People over 60 find themselves surfing the Internet when they really came into the room to look for their car keys.
Another survey found that adults waste around two full working days each and every month surfing around on non-work-related web sites. People admitted that they were constantly checking out shopping, news and travel web sites. How much time do you spend on the Internet at work on no work related sites?
A pretty face can land a better salary, a study in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences reports. We assume beautiful people are intelligent, friendly, and competent, says study co-author Carl Senior, Ph.D. But if an attractive manager fails to perform, she'll find it harder to climb the career ladder, Senior adds.
A British study of 1000 men found that who had sex at least twice a week had half the death rate of those who indulged less than once a month. According to neuropsychologist David Weeks, who found that men and women reported having sex an average of four times per week looked 10 years younger than they really were.
WEIRD NEWS -
Man Robs Same Bank Four Times? - There's an old adage that says if it ain't broke, don't fix it. In other words, if something's working fine, don't mess with it. That usually doesn't apply to bank robberies but it seems to me the motto of one bank robber in Tamarac, Florida. Investigators are searching for the guy who has now robbed a BankAtlantic branch four times in the last year. It happens so often that on his last robbery one of the tellers was overheard saying, "He's here again." The suspect is described as heavyset and has dreadlocks. He wears different clothes each time. He always orders tellers to fill a plastic bag with cash, then casually walks out. Hey -- after maybe say the first three times, do you think it might have been a good idea to have hired an armed guard to hang around during banking hours? (South Florida Sun Sentinel)
I Stole From a 9-Year-Old! - Shame, shame on 56-year-old Evelyn Border and her 35-year-old daughter Tina Griekspoor. They became willing victims of a modern day stockade after agreeing to stand outside the Bedford, Pennsylvania courthouse holding signs that read: I stole from a 9-year-old girl on her birthday! Don't steal or this could happen to you!" The strange sentence was part of a plea-bargain to keep the mom and daughter duo out of jail. Instead they got probation. They apparently swiped a gift card that a 9-year-old girl set on a shelf while a Wal-Mart employee helped her. The girl's mother planned to drive by the courthouse to teach her daughter the importance of obeying the law. And let's be honest -- probably so they could just laugh and laugh and laugh! I know I would! (AHN News)
No More Shout Outs to Prisoners! - Try not to end up at the Van Buren County Jail in Paw Paw, Michigan. One section of the jail is 100-years-old and has no air-conditioning. As a result, its barred windows are opened during warm weather. As the wing stands only a few feet from the sidewalk, separated by a tall chain-link fence crowned by spirals of razor wire, for years friends and loved ones of inmates have been known to stand outside the jail and shout out to them. Sometimes they hold entire conversations together. Not anymore. A new Paw Paw law (yeah that's fun to say) makes giving your favorite inmate a shout out from the sidewalk illegal. Do it and you could be having lots of conversations with them -- from inside the jail -- for 90 days! (myway.com)
Don't Mess With Me and My Trusty Umbrella - A parking valet in Boston is being heralded a hero thanks to his bravery and his trusty umbrella. Just after he brought 61-year-old Barbara Pero her car, a knife-wielding purse snatcher came out of nowhere and attacked. The guy forced his way into the car and threatened to kill her. Ms. Pero jumped out and screamed. That's when 23-year-old valet Felix Vega sprang into action. He grabbed a wood-handled umbrella from his manager's office and began beating the suspect. The suspect, 48-year-old Richard Morse, fled but was arrested nearby with Ms. Pero's purse. Turns out he had previous convictions for mayhem and armed robbery. Mayhem?? (Boston Globe)
Three Cat Limit! - If you just can't have enough cats in your life, stay clear of Dudley, Massachusetts. Dudley is a small town about 60 miles southwest of Boston and just passed a new ordinance which says it is now illegal to live in Dudley and own more than three cats. That is unless you get a special license. And good luck getting that. Voters at a town meeting made it so in response to a neighborhood feud over the 15 cats owned by Mary Ellen Richards. A neighbor complained that Ms. Richard's cats ruined his yard. Ms. Richards has put her home up for sale and says she plans to move to a "more cat-friendly community." So there! (Telegram & Gazette)
Unfortunately Police Had the Wrong Teletubby! - Maybe the best headline we've seen this year. Halloween took a bizarre turn in London when late Halloween night, a man dressed as a Teletubby robbed a woman at gunpoint. The gun-toting Teletubby confronted the woman just after midnight and demanded cash. She gave him the money and then called police. They indeed stopped a man in the area who fit the description, but then realized they had the wrong Teletubby. The Teletubby who robbed the woman has described as between 6 foot 2 and 6 foot 4, 200 to 240 pounds and a muscular build, short, dark hair and was clean shaven. Apparently Teletubbies are still all the rage on Halloween in London. (Packet and Times)
Ouch! Right in the Wii! - Apparently Judge Marvin Garfinkle of Winnipeg doesn't believe much in being scared straight. He'd rather hit trouble kids where it really hurts -- right in the Wii! He just opted to grant a troublesome 12-year-old boy bail on condition that he surrenders his beloved Nintendo Wii to the court. Judge Garfinkle said, "He is pledging as a security, akin to a cash deposit, his Nintendo Wii. And if he doesn't comply, he loses it." By "comply," the judge means "keeping the peace, appearing for court dates, living with his grandmother and participating in a bail management program." Failure to uphold any of those duties will result in forfeiture of the console. The creative punishment is basically a last ditch effort to curb the boy's bad behavior, which includes smashing windows at his elementary school, punching a classmate in the face, disobeying a court order to stay away from school, hitting another boy with a pool cue and attacking a teacher after a game of dodge ball. (Yahoo News)
But That Cat Is My Mommy! - 46-year-old Peter Keonig is serving five-years for armed robberies in Whirl, Germany. And the Buddhist bank robber has been refused permission for his cat to visit him in jail-- even though he says it's the reincarnation of his mother. Buddhists believe that people come back as other animals after death and Pete went to court to demand the right for his cat Gisela to be allowed to visit him in jail "because she is my dead mom". He added, "I need to see her like other prisoners see their wives and children." But the court said forget it and issued a statement which read: "While we respect the religious freedom of individuals, the accused has not been able to furnish proof that his deceased mother has been reborn in a cat. Therefore, the request for visiting rights for the feline is rejected." The court did say Peter would be allowed to write to the cat. (AHN News)
TOP FIVE SIGNS YOU'RE WAY TOO MUCH INTO HOLIDAYS
1. Are you really putting up a "Pearl Harbor Tree"?
2. You celebrate both Canadian AND U.S. Thanksgivings
3. That all Turkey manger scene you always put up
4. "Cinco de Novembero"? Really?
5. Outside hanging the Veterans' Day lights
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Disney wants to build the first Disneyland inside China. It would be like all of their other parks, except some of the attractions would be different. For example: "It's a small wall after all."
Of course, the most popular Disney character in the new park will be Mickey Mao.
Then there's the guy who got drunk on Halloween and went out as Paula Abdul.
I like referring to myself in the third person. Actually, it's one of the rare activities him & I like to do together.
Kate Gosselin admits she might have been a little hard on Jon. Ha! She said "little hard on." Where are we? 7th grade?
Wow, Christmas is just 7 weeks from Friday. Did I say that out loud?
Quite a bit of buzz about that new show "V," that is about aliens coming to earth and blending in with humans so that they can get government bailout money.
On to ROCK NEWS –
STEVEN TYLER GOING SOLO; NEW SINGER FOR AEROSMITH?...Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler told Classic Rock magazine this week that he intends to work on "Brand Tyler" instead of a new Aerosmith record for the foreseeable future. Following the band's performance at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in the United Arab Emirates over the weekend, Tyler said about his future plans, "I don't know what I'm doing yet, but it's definitely going to be something Steven Tyler: working on the brand of myself -- Brand Tyler."
Things have been tense in the Aerosmith camp since early August, when a fall from a stage in South Dakota broke Tyler's shoulder and ended the band's summer tour. In the months since, internal strife has come to the surface, with guitarist Joe Perry saying in interviews that the rest of the band had not heard from Tyler since his injury, that the group was waiting for its singer to "get his act together," and that he and Tyler had not even written a song together in 10 years.
Although the show in Abu Dhabi and two other gigs last month in Hawaii showed the band to be in fine form onstage, Classic Rock reported that at all three dates, the rest of the group did not see Tyler until the opening number and that his dressing room was far away from theirs.
Yet Perry told Classic Rock that the Abu Dhabi gig was "one of the best shows of the year."
Tyler has reportedly refused to commit to getting back in the studio and has now also apparently pulled out of a tentative South American tour, forcing the rest of Aerosmith to consider two options: going on hiatus or getting a new vocalist.
As unthinkable as the latter option might sound to fans, guitarist Brad Whitford said, "I'm not sure how good that would look, it would largely depend on who we could get and who would want to do it. That's big shoes to fill. Nobody could replace Steven or imitate him -- he's one of a kind. But if somebody was willing to do it and the chemistry was right, why not?"
SLASH WANTS PEOPLE TO STOP ASKING IF HE'LL REJOIN GUNS N' ROSES…Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash told the U.K.'s BBC 6 Music that he wishes people would stop asking him if he's ever going to rejoin Guns. Slash explained, "I just feel for people that don't seem to get it. All things considered, it's been a really long time, and everybody's moved on. At the same time, I appreciate that I was part of a band that had such a huge impact and touched so many people, and I feel bad for them that it's not around -- but it is what it is."
The guitarist is gearing up for the early 2010 release of his new solo album, tentatively titled Slash & Friends, and said he's deliberately kept a lid on the guest singers appearing on the record: "I've been very low key on this, because I was waiting for all the releases for all the different singers, but some of the cats are out of the bag. There's a lot of people on the record."
Confirmed singers on the disc include Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Fergie and M. Shadows of Avenged Sevenfold.
Other musicians contributing to the album include ex-Guns drummer Steven Adler, Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters, former Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese and more.
Slash added to the BBC, "It's just nice to be in charge of my own destiny, even if it's just for one record. Just not to be in a group situation, and at the mercy of what everybody as a whole feels, but being responsible for my own decisions and having the final say . . . I needed to get it out of my system."
Velvet Revolver has yet to find a new lead singer, despite dismissing frontman Scott Weiland more than 18 months ago.
Guns N' Roses released its long-delayed Chinese Democracy album last November, with singer Axl Rose as the sole original member, but it failed commercially. The band is prepping a Canadian tour.
AC/DC TOPS AUSTRALIAN RICH LIST…AC/DC have topped Australian business magazine BRW's list of that country's wealthiest entertainers for 2009.
The band earned $105 million in Australian dollars, or $95 million U.S., nine times the amount they earned the previous year.
BRW reporter Jane Lindhe said, "They've always been steady on the list but have come from $12 million last year to $105 million this year, blowing everyone out of the water."
The band's increased income was no doubt due to their world tour, which was one of the biggest of the year.
CHICKENFOOT NAMED BEST NEW BAND OF 2009…Chickenfoot was named as the best new band of 2009 at the annual Classic Rock Magazine Awards, held this week at the Park Lane Hotel in London.
The band, which features ex-Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, along with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, was not at the event but taped a video acceptance speech.
Other stars at the awards show included members of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith, Queen, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden and more.
ROGER DALTREY'S VOICE GIVES OUT DURING CLEVELAND GIG…Roger Daltrey lost his voice towards the end of Tuesday night's (November 3rd) show at Cleveland's House of Blues. Although Daltrey has had slight problems throughout the tour -- and has juggled some of the song's placings in the setlist for when he's properly warmed up for each tune -- the Cleveland gig saw him at his rawest.
Cleveland.com reported that Daltrey apologized to the crowd towards the end of his set, saying, "I sound terrible. I had a very bad night's sleep last night. This is what I woke up with." Daltrey struggled through his customary Johnny Cash medley and the Who's "Blue, Red & Grey" before abandoning both songs entirely. He mustered his strength for a rousing closing cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Born On The Bayou."
Daltrey says that he's learned to properly pace himself within his live performances: "We can only play for two hours. You know it gets to be, for me personally and my voice, two hours is enough singing the way I sing. It's not an easy number these songs. They're very, very challenging. They demand the kind of energy that the voice needs to give it."
Roger Daltrey performs tonight (November 5th) in Orilla, Ontario at the Casino Rama Entertainment Centre.
JON BON JOVI DIDN'T EXPECT TO RELEASE A NEW ALBUM THIS SOON…Bon Jovi's new album, The Circle, comes out next Tuesday (November 10th), but if you ask the guys in the band, it wasn't supposed to happen this soon. There were plans to release a greatest hits album this year, but once Jon Bon Jovi got to writing some new material, he got on a roll and had enough material for an entire studio set -- and then some. He tells us how he went about telling record exec L.A. Reid the album news: "You start writing more and more and more come January-February I went into L.A.'s office and I played him a half a dozen or more songs, and I said, 'I got good and bad news. I think we got a studio record here, but it's going to get in the way of the documentary. So much for you greatest hits.' And he said, 'My experience is if an artist really has something to say, and you let it pass, then it really wouldn't be as timely.'"
A greatest hits album with three new songs will be released next year.
The Circle features the single, "We Weren't Born To Follow."
The new Bon Jovi documentary, called When We Were Beautiful, recently aired on Showtime. A book of the same name came out this week featuring exclusive photographs, along with stories about the band.
Bon Jovi kicks off a tour in early 2010.
The New Jersey rockers will perform on NBC's Today show on November 11th.
Bon Jovi's most recent set, Lost Highway, came out in 2007.
SURVEY SHOWS BEATLES SONGS MORE MEMORABLE THAN THOSE BY ELVIS PRESLEY OR MICHAEL JACKSON….A new survey revealed that the Beatles' songs are "more memorable" than those by Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson, according to digitalspy.com. A Europe-wide poll was conducted by the Digital broadcaster Music Choice which asked 4,136 people to recite the words to several legendary songs.
The results found that 89 percent of people could recite the opening lines to the "Fab Four's" 1964 chart-topper "A Hard Day's Night," yet only 23 percent were able to repeat the first lyrics of Jackson's 1982 hit "Thriller" and Elvis' 1956 rock standard "Blue Suede Shoes."
Interestingly, the poll also showed that women were "twice as capable at remembering Jackson's words than men."
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Wednesday - November 4, 2009 -
ON THIS DAY -
On this date in 1862, Mr. Gatling walked in and received a patent for his invention, the "Gatling Gun." The reason he got the patent the same day he walked in: hey, you argue with him.
In 1880, the first cash register was patented. It was not only a much-needed invention, but it also had a nice ring to it. Or, the very cash register was patented. It's inventors had only one word to say: "Kaching!"
On this date in 1922, the entrance to King Tut's tomb was discovered. They had to Discover it because the tomb did not accept American Express. It was a very nice tomb; even had valet chariot parking. At first, they weren't sure it was actually him. He was so well-preserved that he appeared like he was made out of clay. Yeah, they thought they saw a putty Tut. Man that was a long way to go.
TODAY IS
"Survivor" host Jeff Probst celebrates his 47th birthday today. Instead of candles, he blows out torches.
Sean "Puffy" Combs and Matthew McConaughey both hit the big 4-0 today. You know, you never do seem them in the same place together. Hmmmmmmm.
Former first lady Laura Bush celebrates her 63rd birthday today.
THIS MONTH IS
National Stress Free Family Holiday Month -- The no. 1 cause of holiday stress is spending too much money! That's the word from a recent FranklinCovey survey asking over 15,000 customers what causes them stress during the most wonderful time of the year. 87% admitted that holiday activities do cause stress, while 49% confessed to being relieved when it was all over. Here are the top 10 most stressful holiday activities in ranked order of most stressful to least stressful:
1. Spending too much money
2. Creating a specific holiday budget
3. Deciding what gift to buy for whom
4. Managing workload to take time off
5. Not enough time to shop
6. Not enough time for events
7. Sending gifts and cards on time
8. Taking care of physical well-being
9. Relationships with family, friends and co-workers
10. Decorating for or hosting a holiday party
"The key to avoiding stress during the holiday season is to create a manageable, written plan for the holidays that includes events, budgeting, shopping, traditions and quality time with friends and family. Make sure your plan allows you and your loved ones to enjoy the holiday season -- your way," said professional organizer Julie Morgenstern, author of "Organizing From the Inside Out." "Without a plan, you can easily go over budget, waste time searching for the perfect gift, and abandon your own well-being. Be prepared before you take on the season."
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
· ABC News got the first interview with Rihanna who talks openly about that whole Chris Brown incident. Thursday and Friday on "Good Morning, America" and Friday night on "20/20."
· That Ryan Seacrest stalker that was arrested last Friday at the E! offices last Friday -- asking to see Ryan and with a knife -- was a member of the Army Reserve. Ryan has received an apology from the U.S. army for the incident.
· CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz must pay $916,000 annually in alimony and child support to his ex-wife and give up their Connecticut home under terms of a newly issued divorce decree.
· The harmonica player for the Steve Miller Band since 1975, Norton Buffalo, has died from cancer at age 58.
· Why is Jim Carrey packing on the pounds these days? So he can play Curly in the upcoming Three Stooges movie.
· Whitney Houston's New Jersey estate, where she married Bobby Brown back in 1992, is up for sale. Yours for a cool $2.5 million.
· Edward Norton finished the New York Marathon last weekend in 3 hours, 48 minutes and 1 second. Alanis Morissette pulled in just under 4-1/2 hours.
· Jon Gosselin and Hailey Glassman are "taking time off from each other."
· Adam Lambert and his boyfriend have split.
· The reason for Elton John canceling concerts lately: "a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza."
· A new study suggests that the nicotine patchcombined with the nicotine lozenge is the most effective way to quit smoking.
· For whatever reason, hot tub injuries are up over 200% since 1990.
· "30 Rock" debuted on German TV this past week and scored a 0.0 rating, the lowest ever recorded.
· In Saudi Arabia, a court has upheld the sentence of a child molester and murderer to have him beheaded and then publicly displaying his body with a crucifixion.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
Are you too polite to tell a colleague he smells? Would you tell your boss her sexy blouse is inappropriate for the office? CareerBuilder.com asked 4,400 workers just how bold they would be in the office when it comes to telling embarrassing things to their colleagues. It turns out that most of us are weenies. We would rather see someone with spinach in her teeth all afternoon than tell her about it. Would you tell a co-worker this?
Your hair is messy:
· Same level co-worker, 33%
· Lower level co-worker, 30%
· Higher level co-worker, 13%
You need a breath mint:
· Same level co-worker, 33%
· Lower level co-worker, 29%
· Higher level co-worker, 14%
You need a shower:
· Same level co-worker, 28%
· Lower level co-worker, 29%
· Higher level co-worker, 11%
So how many would tell a higher level co-worker his or her dress was not appropriate for the office? Only 10% thought they could do that.
No wonder "Grumpy" is the name of one of the seven dwarfs a new study found that taller people are happier with their lives, while shorties are more miserable about the way things turned out for them. Researchers questioned more than 450,000 grown-ups about their lives and discovered that those above average height 5 feet 9.2 inches for men and 5 feet 3.8 inches for women in the United States, are happier about their lot in life. Meanwhile, men who thought their lives were the "worst possible" were eight-tenths or nearly an inch shorter than the average male. And women who were unhappy with their lives were a half inch short than the average gal, according to the scientists at New Jersey's Princeton University. Taller men were also better educated, the study found, while height made no significant difference in this category for women. Men who failed to get a high school diploma were half an inch shorter than those who did and a full inch shorter than males who completed college. (National Examiner)
I just read a new poll that says, 97% of people agree on the topic of texting while driving: They think it should be illegal. The other 3 percent doesn't care, or didn't answer cause they were busy texting.
According to The Sun, a British plastic surgeon found a young woman as his bride and then surgically turned her into his ideal wife. According to the story, she is very happy with the transformation. If your spouse wanted you to get plastic surgery, and you could afford it, would you do it for them?
Do you think this winter, all companies should pay employees if they have the Swine flu? Health officials are pleading with the public: If you are sick, stay home. Although millions of Americans have no paid sick leave. Many can't afford to stay home to fight the swine flu? A person has to eat, right? Do you have a job that doesn't pay if you don't work? What do you do?
What song helped you get through a breakup? I found this list on eHarmony, The 10 most empowering breakup songs:
1. You're So Vain -- Carly Simon. Nothing helps dull the pain of a bad breakup like a gripe session about the ex – and Carly Simon's 1972 hit is just that. With bitterness in her voice (and Mick Jagger on backup vocals), Carly recounts a love affair with a narcissistic philanderer.
2. Trouble in Mind -- Various Artists. Unlike most blues songs, this one acknowledges that there's light at the end of the heartbreak tunnel. Trouble in Mind has been covered by dozens of artists since it was first recorded in 1926 by Bertha "Chippie" Hill. Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Nina Simone are just a few who've delivered the song's optimistic message: The sun is going to shine in my back door some day.
3. Kiss Off -- Violent Femmes. What ranks this among the great breakup empowerment anthems is the mid-song countdown of why the ex can "just kiss off into the air."
4. You Keep Me Hangin' On -- The Supremes. As if getting dumped weren't bad enough, the ex who insists on checking up on you after the fact is just plain cruel. Diana Ross sings about the "Aha!" moment when she realizes her former flame is dangling his love in front of her simply to feed his own ego.
5. The Sign -- Ace of Base. Ever waffle about a relationship until a defining moment pushes you over the edge? This is exactly what Swedish pop band Ace of Base refers to in their 1993 dance hit. The theme: Living well is the best revenge.
6. Hit the Road Jack -- Ray Charles. You can't really tell who's to blame in this 1961 breakup song – essentially, a volley between Ray Charles and his backup singers. Ray is broke, and his girl seems to be an old shrew who wants him out. (What'd you say?) No matter whose side you take in this song, singing it feels good.
7. Goodbye to You -- Scandal (featuring Patty Smyth). One can only pine so much over lost love before the stress becomes too overwhelming. Rock band Scandal, along with then-front woman Patty Smyth, released the unapologetic breakup tune Goodbye to You in 1982.
8. Since U Been Gone -- Kelly Clarkson. You're clearly over the heartbreak hump when you realize that your life is way better without your former flame weighing you down. With unbridled energy, former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson sings about the stupidity you feel from being duped by a lying scoundrel and the liberation that comes from "so moving on."
9. Respect -- Aretha Franklin. You know a relationship is in trouble when you literally have to spell out the problem to your significant other! That's what the Queen of Soul did when she couldn't get any respect from a man who wanted her to fork over a load of cash. Good thing she walked.
10. I Will Survive -- Gloria Gaynor. After nearly 30 years, Gloria Gaynor's disco megahit remains the ultimate empowering breakup song, and there's no wonder why: It's danceable, powerful and inspiring. A tale of triumph over heartbreak and of newfound inner strength, how's that for survival?
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…..
According to a Harris Interactive Survey, the rudest thing you can do at work is to use profanity. I think the rudest think someone can do at work is eat my stuff that I put in the fridge! Why do they eat it? They know it's not theirs! It drives me nuts.
Senseless stuff you do? We as humans often do stupid stuff that makes no sense, like when we push an elevator button when it is already lit up, as if it'll hurry the elevator.
There is a strange recent study that says, the less sex you have, the more work you seek. 36 percent of men and 35 percent of women who have sex only once a week take on extra work to compensate for their wanting sex life. On the other hand, people who have sex at least twice a week don't want to work. So we found this to be very interesting. I looked around our office and tried to find all the people who were the workaholics. Is it true? Well, I work at a radio station…what do YOU think….
Ladies, how do you ask a guy out with some class? The fact is that single women are more accustomed to being asked out, and single guys are more accustomed to doing the asking -- which means there's not a lot of data out there about how men like to be approached for a first date. Here are some tips in asking a guy out (from MSN.com):
· Be indirect. Well, OK, here's another approach to try: Remember how, back in junior high school, you'd ask your girlfriend to ask her sister if that cute, broody guy on your bus was going steady with anyone? This technique works well in adult life, too: The fact is, most guys were deeply unpopular in junior high school and will be flattered to have your friends do some advance scouting (just make sure your emissary isn't on the market herself, lest you wind up recreating the plot of a Mandy Moore movie).
· Come up with a plan. Choose between the following two conversations. Conversation A: You, to that cute guy in the coffee shop: "Um, do you think you'd... maybe like to... go out sometime?" Cute guy in the coffee shop, to you: "Um... yeah... maybe we can do something... sometime." Conversation B: You, to that cute sales clerk at Barnes & Noble: "Hey, Dave Eggers is giving a reading tonight at a really cool bar downtown. Would you like to go?" Cute sales clerk at Barnes & Noble, to you: "Sure!" Get the point?
· Don't come on too strong. I'll spare you the Freudian mumbo-jumbo about how, deep down, guys are actually scared of women, and their subconscious minds will transform an ostensibly breezy come-on ("Hey, Slim! What say I treat you to some steak and eggs at Denny's?") into a screaming nightmare about some woman in a caftan chasing them with a pair of oversized scissors.
· Don't over-plan. It's only in sitcoms that guys hire skywriters and three-piece mariachi bands to announce their interest in cute, yet clueless, roommates. So don't feel you should follow that tradition. Blue Angel flybys may be out of your price range, but even a gimmick as innocent-seeming as a homemade chocolate muffin accompanied by a written invitation is overdoing it.
WEIRD NEWS -
Bear -2, Terrorists-0! - Well there are two less terrorists in the world thanks to a bear in South Kashmir in India. A bear has mauled two Hizbul Mujahideen militants to death as they hid in its cave. Officials say it was a really stupid decision to dare to try and move in to the cave -- a decision that cost the men their lives. An Army patrol party found the mauled bodies. The two were identified as Kaisar Ahmad and Saifullah, both residents of Kashmir, and the patrol party also found two AK47 rifles and some ammunition in the cave. Of course being terrorists, the general feeling is one more of joy than sorrow. We're sure you agree. (The Times of India)
Funniest Halloween Story of 2009! - Okay we concede that there's never anything funny about somebody driving drunk but it's just dang hard to conceal a smile on your face when you hear this one. In Oxford, Ohio, 18-year-old James Miller was pulled over around 1:30am Halloween night. He was driving the wrong way out of the entrance to a one way street and officers found what was left of a case of Bud Light in the passenger front seat and in the trunk. The boy registered a blood-alcohol level of .158, nearly two times the legal limit. Also found were multiple Ohio ID's in his wallet. Fortunately nobody was hurt and what makes all this so amusing was the Halloween costume he had on at the time. James was dressed as a breathalyzer machine! (Fox News)
Hey Give Us a Break on the Bells Quasimodo! - An overly zealous bishop has been cited for disturbing the peace after neighbors complained about his habit of playing recordings of church bells every half-hour, every day of the week! Bishop Rick Painter of the newly-opened Cathedral of Christ the King in Phoenix, Arizona has appealed the conviction, saying the court's decision to silence the bells, except for Sundays, is a breach of his constitutional rights. Bishop Painter said, "God is not just God on Sundays." But neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief, saying the bells would start as early as 6am some days. One neighbor, Al Brooks said, "I can't imagine that God in heaven would look down and say that's a good thing to do to your neighbors." (Sky News)
We Don't Like Any of That Playboy Nonsense Down South! - David Fowler, a former Republican state senator who now heads the Family Action Council of Tennessee, is none too happy about the Electric Power Board's expansion into the video business by offering the Playboy Channel and access to adult movies as part of its premium pay-for-view service. Fowler and other critics object to a government-owned utility putting out what they say is pornography. But the E-P-B says it has a free speech mandate not to censure a diverse programming menu, and it has strict limits on underage people accessing adult movies. Under those circumstances, courts have held that government identities CANNOT arbitrarily edit their entertainment offerings. Lord forbid someone down south see a naked woman on the TV. It might lead to... dare I say it... dancing! (The Pulse)
High Tech Holidays Mean It's Back To School For Santa! - It's not easy being a holiday Santa in 2009. Gone are the days when kid's toy requests were relegated to new train sets and baby dolls. Today's in demand high-tech toys mean your average department store Santa may be left baffled by the requests he's getting. So an online training course has been launched to help low-tech Santas get up to speed this year. Santas can call experts and ask for technical advice on computer games, consoles, cameras, and MP3 players. Jeremy Fennell from PC World said, "There are more than 40,000 different gadgets and technologies on sale right now, a great many of which are going to be on children's Christmas lists. The Santas we are training are going to be faced with a very technically literate and technology savvy generation of youngsters over the next two months and we want them to be able to show that they understand what these kids are asking for." Because what could be more depressing than telling Santa what you want for Christmas and finding he doesn't have a clue what you're talking about! (Ananova)
New Meatball World Record! Why Not? - There's a new world record for the planet's biggest meatball -- and the honor goes to the fine folks of Nonni's Italian Eatery in Concord, New Hampshire. Owner Matthew Mitnitsky says that his 222.5-pound meatball was authenticated as the world's largest after being weighed by state weights and measures officials. A Guinness Book of World Records official confirmed the big meatball as a record breaker and presented Mitnitsky with a plaque. And we might have a real East Coast-West Coast battle brewing here as the previous record of 198.6 pounds was set just over a month ago after Los Angeles-based talk show host Jimmy Kimmel vowed to beat a record set in Mexico. That record - 109 pounds - was set in August. Mitnitsky said he got involved "to bring the meatball back to the East Coast because that's where it originated." Wanna see this thing? Sure you do. Just go to www.worldslargestmeatball.com (Sky News)
Facebook Saves The Day Again! - The search for the owner of a lost camera, which became a Facebook sensation, has finally ended in success! It was set up by Australian Danny Cameron after he found the camera on the Greek island of Mykonos. He hoped his theory that anybody in the world can be contacted within "six degrees of separation" would lead him to find the tourists whose pictures were saved on the memory card. So he posted some of the pictures on a Facebook page called Needle in the Haystack. More than 230,000 Facebook users signed up on the page and at last, three friends, Pierre Paoli, Edouard Hostein and Julien Kopp, have come forward to end the intrigue. Mr. Paoli, who works in London, said, "We were on holiday and our friend Marie Cecile lost her camera." Cameron has now closed the group with one last posting which read: "Congratulations everyone, the camera owner has been found... thanks everyone for taking part... unbelievable effort. I am amazed and in awe of you all." (Facebook.com)
We're Really Sorry That Your Kid's Such a Brat! - Southwest Airlines has apologized to a mother who was booted off a plane last Monday after her two-year-old son was deemed too unruly for flight. The flight crew asked Pamela Root and her 2-year-old son Adam to leave the plane bound for San Jose, California, because flight attendants couldn't deliver the pre-flight safety instructions over the Adam's constant loud screams. Already out on the tarmac, Southwest Flight 637 was called back to the gate, where flight attendants asked Root to leave the plane. Ms. Root then found herself stuck in Amarillo, Texas without her luggage and had to buy more diapers and a portable crib to stay an unexpected extra night with her parents. She said the flight attendant told her they wouldn't be able to tolerate the anxious child's screams for two hours. I don't know. I'm kind of with Southwest on this one. And I've got small kids too! It ain't that hard to keep 'em quiet. A little Jack Daniels in the milk just before takeoff works wonders! Unnecessary Joke Disclaimer: Okay you freaks. CLEARLY that was a joke! I don't want to see any Social Services workers knocking at my door! And stop taking everything so seriously! (San Jose Mercury News)
TOP FIVE REASONS WHY THE PHILLIES ARE DRAGGING OUT THE WORLD SERIES
1. What? A chance to go back to New York and catch a Broadway show? Why wouldn't we?
2. Nickname "Mr. November" still up for grabs
3. It gives Cliff Lee two more possible games to pitch
4. Winter bowling league doesn't kick off until next week
5. Didn't want to miss an episode of "Glee"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
A new report says that the internet will run out of web addresses early next year. Apparently, people are just grabbing up every and any kind of address they can think of. I read about this on the website, "we're going to run out of web addresses by next year" dot com.
And by the year after, they'll probably also run out of Internet zip codes.
The very first Internet message was sent 40 years ago this week. I believe it was from some South African prince who had lost his kingdom.
A drought in Venezuela has resulted in water rationing. As a good neighbor, we should offer them water -- at $80 a barrel!
Some really GOOD Advice…..TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO HER
Askmen.com says there are some instances when you are better off either shutting up or telling a little white lie -- or risk spending the night on the couch.
1. Man, you look so much like your mom!
2. I would have invited you, but you're no fun.
3. Anything related to marriage or children.
4. Would have, could have, should have.
5. You don't need another pair of shoes.
6. Any story about your private life.
7. Come on, a few little cramps never hurt anybody.
8. What's the big deal? You have another birthday next year.
9. Are you sure the dress shrunk?
10. That's not the way my ex did it.
YOU DIDN'T CALL
When a man goes out with a woman, he should not call her for a couple days after the date, according to sharpman.com, which offers advice to men. Here's why:
· Because if she liked you, waiting a day or two will not change that. If she didn't like you, why call so soon and further annoy her? Give her a day or two to forget, and then try again.
· In the event she's "on the fence": Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Also, women always want what they perceive they cannot have. But remember, you asked her out and thereby affirmed her desirability. Now she's in the position of accepting you or rejecting.
· Your aim is to turn those tables right around.
· You let her wonder. You motivate her to silently ask: Why haven't you called again? Wasn't she the vision of loveliness she thinks she is?
TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR PIZZA DELIVERY GUY WAS EXPECTING A LARGER TIP
1. Before handing off the pizza, he takes a couple of pieces and says, "Okay, now we're even"
2. He immediately calls a friend on his cell phone and says, "You're not going to believe this"
3. 3 days later he's still at the front door
4. After you handed him the tip, he said, "And?"
5. A day later he's still at the front door
A Few Entertainment News Bits -
MORGAN FREEMAN TO STAR IN 'DIRTY OLD MEN' COMEDY…Oscar winner Morgan Freeman celebrated his 72nd birthday earlier this year, but he shows no signs of slowing down. The actor just signed on to an untitled film comedy, previously known as Dirty Old Men. The story revolves around an aging playboy who finally meets the love of his life, while his best friend and wingman of 40 years -- played by Freeman -- does everything to break up the new couple. The tone of the film is described as being similar to Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Though no star has been attached to play the main character, producers are hoping to snag Jack Nicholson, who teamed with Freeman to great success in the 2007 comedy The Bucket List.
Freeman will be seen next in Invictus, in which he portrays Nelson Mandela for director Clint Eastwood. He begins shooting the action thriller Red in January.
KAROLINA KURKOVA IS LATEST VICTORIA'S SECRET MODEL TO GIVE BIRTH…Supermodel Karolina Kurkova gave birth to a son last week. A rep for the 25-year-old confirmed that she and film producer Archie Drury welcomed their first child, Tobin Jack Drury, last Thursday (October 29th) in New York City.
Fellow Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, who recently welcomed a daughter, recently commented on the baby-crazy beauties, telling People magazine, "It's just great that we're all at the same time in our lives. We're all having babies, we're thinking about play dates. We're going shopping for the babies. If we have time, we're together we're talking about babies!"
Another Victoria's Secret model -- Adriana Lima -- is also expecting he first child while Heidi Klum just gave birth to her fourth.
GOSSELIN GOSSIP…A new report claims that Hailey Glassman's public tears and claims of emotional abuse from Jon Gosselin were actually orchestrated by the reality dad himself. A supposed insider told Fox411, "Jon actually made the decision to have Hailey go on air and bad mouth him. Jon and Hailey get paid for their appearances on these shows and they need the money. It was easy for Hailey to conjure tears, their lives are less than stellar right now, but Jon hasn't abused her."
The source added, "They agreed to have her go on and make the abuse allegations! Jon doesn't have much money left and he is not currently searching for a real job. Jon still seeks money through his fame and notoriety. He really wants a reality show of his own, and he is stretching out every moment of the drama for a dollar."
KATE BETRAYED BY CONFIDANTS
In other Gosselin news, Kate said during last night's TLC special that it's hard to trust people now that her life has become tabloid fodder. The reality mom told Natalie Morales, "When you look around, and very close trusted people who would never cash you in, for lack of better words, and those people do that and people leave your house and tell completely different stories, you tend not to trust people."
She explained that eight Gosselin children have been showing signs of strain, acting out and, in some cases, becoming more introverted in the wake of the family's public troubles.
HAILEY GLASSMAN NOT READY TO DATE
Meanwhile, although Glassman and Gosselin both admit their relationship is on the back burner for now, Hailey isn't looking for a new man. She tweeted on Monday (November 2nd), "Yes, I am semi-single, but definitely NOT YET ready to mingle. I need some Hailey time and regroup myself and my life."
In ROCK NEWS -
QUICK TAKES…Pete Townshend was on hand on Monday night (November 2nd) in London, to present old friend Ron Wood with an Outstanding Contribution Honor at the Classic Rock Awards. Wood, who was singled out for his "ageless presence on the scene," revealed that the trophy was his first-ever honor not shared with the Faces or the Rolling Stones, saying, "It means a lot. It's about time -- I've never had one just for myself." Other legends honored at the awards gala included Ginger Baker, John Bonham, and Iggy Pop -- who snagged the Living Legend award. (BBC.co.uk)
Out now is Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert 40th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set. The set features three CD's and one DVD, with the first disc including the full 1970 Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out album, and the second disc including five additional cuts left off the original set. The third disc features performances from Ike & Tina Turner and B.B. King who served as the Stones' opening acts on November 27th and 28th, 1969 at New York's Madison Square Garden.
The tracklisting to Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert 40th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set is:
Disc One: "Jumping' Jack Flash," "Carol," "Stray Cat Blues," "Love In Vain," "Midnight Rambler," "Sympathy For The Devil," "Live With Me," "Little Queenie," "Honky Tonk Women," and "Street Fighting Man."
Disc Two: "Prodigal Son," "You Gotta Move," "Under My Thumb," "I'm Free," and "(I Can t Get No) Satisfaction."
Disc Three: (B.B. King) "Everyday I Have The Blues," "How Blue Can You Get," "That's Wrong Little Mama," "Why I Sing The Blues," "Please Accept My Love"; (Ike & Tina Turner) "Gimme Some Loving," "Sweet Soul Music," "Son Of A Preacher Man," "Proud Mary," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Come Together," and "Land Of 1000 Dances."
Disc Four - DVD: "Prodigal Son," "You Gotta Move," "Under My Thumb," "I'm Free," and "(I Can t Get No) Satisfaction."
Robin Gibb says that Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis are "mimicking" him and brothers Barry and the late Maurice Gibb's sometimes bitter rivalries, saying, "They're just copying us. We've been through all that. To be honest, I'm surprised they stayed together for as long as they did and I think they've gone as far as they can together." Gibb went on to say that the fellow Mancunians remind him of his relationships with his famous brothers, "but on a more physically violent level." (NME.com)
Out now is The Ultimate Bee Gees: The 50th Anniversary Collection. Highlights include: "You Should Be Dancing," "Stayin' Alive," "Jive Talkin'," "Night Fever," "Nights On Broadway," "More Than A Woman," "Tragedy," "Love You Inside & Out," "One," "Alone," "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)," "If I Can't Have You," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Emotion," "Too Much Heaven," "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "To Love Somebody," "Holiday," "Massachusetts," "Words," "I Started A Joke," "Love So Right," "Lonely Days," "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," "Run To Me," "I've Gotta Get A Message To You," and "Medley: 'Islands In The Stream,' 'Heartbreaker,' 'Guilty,' 'Immortality,' and 'Grease.'"
A memorial service for the late Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary will be held on Monday (November 9th) New York City's Riverside Church at 9 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Travers died on September 16th following a long battle with Leukemia. She was 72.
Performers and speakers will include Noel "Paul" Stookey, Peter Yarrow, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Senator John Kerry, Senator George McGovern, Anne Meara, Bill Moyers, Theo Bikel, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Paxton, Eli Wallach, with Harry Belafonte, Bill Cosby and Gloria Steinem presented on tape. (peterpaulandmary.com)
BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…Bypassing iTunes and all other digital outlets entirely, the Beatles' company Apple Corps. has announced that the group's full catalogue will be available in North America starting on December 8th through a limited edition of 30,000 stereo USB "apples." On the official website thebeatles.com, it was announced: "The exquisitely crafted, apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the critically acclaimed re-mastered audio for the Beatles' 14 stereo titles, as well as all of the re-mastered CDs' visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK album art, rare photos and expanded liner notes. A specially designed Flash interface has been installed, and the 16GB USB's audio and visual contents will be provided in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps formats, fully compatible with PC and Mac."
"The Beatles Limited Edition USB Stick" featuring their entire catalogue is available for pre-order at thebeatles.com for $279.00.
Paul McCartney recently defended the group's delay in getting the group's material out on the Internet: "Well, you know you've got to get these things right. You don't want to do something as cool as that, and then in three years time think. 'Oh God, why did we do that?'
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL RELEASES 'SINGLES COLLECTION'…Out now is Creedence Clearwater Revival's Singles Collection. The set, which is the first to feature all the A and B-sides of the band's career, also comes with a DVD featuring CCR's rarely seen promotional clips for "Sweet Hitch-Hiker," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Bootleg," "I Put A Spell On You," and "Lookin' Out My Back Door."
Bassist Stu Cook says that the acoustic-based "Looking' Out My Back Door" remains among his favorite of the group's classic 45's: "We just rehearsed it a few times, rehearsed it and cut it. Usually we cut the singles as they were written, so it was just one of many. I think there's electric rhythm guitars in there, but off course acoustics and the dobro are really the featured instruments."
John Fogerty was asked which of his classic CCR hits he couldn't get away with not playing every night: "Probably either 'Bad Moon (Rising)' or 'Proud Mary.' If I was to skip both of 'em -- that would probably be trouble. (Laughs) And 'Fortunate Son's' probably right up there in that group."
Highlights on CCR's Singles Collection are: "Suzie Q, Pts. 1 and 2," "Proud Mary," "Born On The Bayou," "Bad Moon Rising," "Lodi," "Green River," "Commotion," "Fortunate Son," "Down On The Corner," "Traveling' Band," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Up Around The Bend," "Lookin' Out My Back Door," "Someday Never Comes," and "Hey Tonight," among others.
STEVIE NICKS SAYS PANIC ATTACKS FORCED CHRISTINE McVIE TO RETIRE…Stevie Nicks says that it was a series of panic attacks which forced longtime Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie to finally walk away from the band. Nicks, who's currently on tour with Fleetwood Mac in Britain, revealed to The Daily Mail, "Christine had been having panic attacks before gigs and was developing a fear of flying, but she kept everything bottled up inside. Then, on the night of the Grammys (in 1998), she told me she simply couldn't go on any more."
Nicks says that there was no doubt in her mind at the time that McVie was done with the band for good: "When you love someone as much as I love Christine, you know instantly when they are serious. Her big green eyes filled with tears as she spoke, and I started welling up, too. I told her she needed to go home immediately, and she did. She flew home to England and she hasn't been back to the States since."
Nicks was asked how she feels fronting what she's often called a "boys club" without McVie sharing the stage with her: "Being the only girl in Fleetwood Mac? You have to understand, I've been the only girl in Fleetwood Mac now since 1998 and it's 2009. I'm used to it now. I miss Christine every day because she was my best buddy. She was my best friend. And I probably spent more time on the road with Fleetwood Mac than anywhere. I've spent more time with these people than I have with my own family. So the loss of Christine as one of my best girlfriends was horrific for me. But she's been gone a long, long, time now. There's not a day that I don't wish that she'd call up and say 'I'm back!' -- but she's not going to. So we've all kind've accepted that now."
RUSH MEETING IN LOS ANGELES TO DISCUSS FUTURE…Rush drummer Neil Peart wrote at the "News Weather And Sports" section of his website, neilpeart.net, that the Canadian trio will be getting together this month in Los Angeles to discuss their future. Peart wrote, "In this autumn of 2009, the three of us are poised on another kind of 'reinvention' . . . Of course, these are parlous times in the music business, so our time-honored pattern of touring, recording, and touring is no longer the obvious way to do things. The music world -- or at least the business of it -- is very different now, even since 2006, when we began work on (2007 album) Snakes & Arrows. The importance of 'the album' is not what it was, and there is currently a reversion to a musical climate rather like the 1950s, when only 'the song' matters."
Peart adds, "The three of us haven't even discussed what we might discuss, so to speak -- so our ideas and shared enthusiasm for the entity of Rush will be fresh, spontaneous, and quite likely exciting."
The drummer says that in lieu of a full album funded by a record label, the band could "write and record just a few songs, and release them some way. Or there were a couple of film-and-music projects we had discussed in the past. In any case, there are enough possibilities for future collaboration, and I am curious to see what we'll come up with."
Snakes & Arrows was Rush's 18th studio album.
The band, who should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at this point, will release a new CD and DVD, both titled Working Men, on November 17th. The discs compile some of the best live performances from the band's three previous concert DVDs: Rush In Rio, R30 and Snakes & Arrows Live.
That’s it for now as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
On this date in 1862, Mr. Gatling walked in and received a patent for his invention, the "Gatling Gun." The reason he got the patent the same day he walked in: hey, you argue with him.
In 1880, the first cash register was patented. It was not only a much-needed invention, but it also had a nice ring to it. Or, the very cash register was patented. It's inventors had only one word to say: "Kaching!"
On this date in 1922, the entrance to King Tut's tomb was discovered. They had to Discover it because the tomb did not accept American Express. It was a very nice tomb; even had valet chariot parking. At first, they weren't sure it was actually him. He was so well-preserved that he appeared like he was made out of clay. Yeah, they thought they saw a putty Tut. Man that was a long way to go.
TODAY IS
"Survivor" host Jeff Probst celebrates his 47th birthday today. Instead of candles, he blows out torches.
Sean "Puffy" Combs and Matthew McConaughey both hit the big 4-0 today. You know, you never do seem them in the same place together. Hmmmmmmm.
Former first lady Laura Bush celebrates her 63rd birthday today.
THIS MONTH IS
National Stress Free Family Holiday Month -- The no. 1 cause of holiday stress is spending too much money! That's the word from a recent FranklinCovey survey asking over 15,000 customers what causes them stress during the most wonderful time of the year. 87% admitted that holiday activities do cause stress, while 49% confessed to being relieved when it was all over. Here are the top 10 most stressful holiday activities in ranked order of most stressful to least stressful:
1. Spending too much money
2. Creating a specific holiday budget
3. Deciding what gift to buy for whom
4. Managing workload to take time off
5. Not enough time to shop
6. Not enough time for events
7. Sending gifts and cards on time
8. Taking care of physical well-being
9. Relationships with family, friends and co-workers
10. Decorating for or hosting a holiday party
"The key to avoiding stress during the holiday season is to create a manageable, written plan for the holidays that includes events, budgeting, shopping, traditions and quality time with friends and family. Make sure your plan allows you and your loved ones to enjoy the holiday season -- your way," said professional organizer Julie Morgenstern, author of "Organizing From the Inside Out." "Without a plan, you can easily go over budget, waste time searching for the perfect gift, and abandon your own well-being. Be prepared before you take on the season."
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
· ABC News got the first interview with Rihanna who talks openly about that whole Chris Brown incident. Thursday and Friday on "Good Morning, America" and Friday night on "20/20."
· That Ryan Seacrest stalker that was arrested last Friday at the E! offices last Friday -- asking to see Ryan and with a knife -- was a member of the Army Reserve. Ryan has received an apology from the U.S. army for the incident.
· CBS sportscaster Jim Nantz must pay $916,000 annually in alimony and child support to his ex-wife and give up their Connecticut home under terms of a newly issued divorce decree.
· The harmonica player for the Steve Miller Band since 1975, Norton Buffalo, has died from cancer at age 58.
· Why is Jim Carrey packing on the pounds these days? So he can play Curly in the upcoming Three Stooges movie.
· Whitney Houston's New Jersey estate, where she married Bobby Brown back in 1992, is up for sale. Yours for a cool $2.5 million.
· Edward Norton finished the New York Marathon last weekend in 3 hours, 48 minutes and 1 second. Alanis Morissette pulled in just under 4-1/2 hours.
· Jon Gosselin and Hailey Glassman are "taking time off from each other."
· Adam Lambert and his boyfriend have split.
· The reason for Elton John canceling concerts lately: "a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza."
· A new study suggests that the nicotine patchcombined with the nicotine lozenge is the most effective way to quit smoking.
· For whatever reason, hot tub injuries are up over 200% since 1990.
· "30 Rock" debuted on German TV this past week and scored a 0.0 rating, the lowest ever recorded.
· In Saudi Arabia, a court has upheld the sentence of a child molester and murderer to have him beheaded and then publicly displaying his body with a crucifixion.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
Are you too polite to tell a colleague he smells? Would you tell your boss her sexy blouse is inappropriate for the office? CareerBuilder.com asked 4,400 workers just how bold they would be in the office when it comes to telling embarrassing things to their colleagues. It turns out that most of us are weenies. We would rather see someone with spinach in her teeth all afternoon than tell her about it. Would you tell a co-worker this?
Your hair is messy:
· Same level co-worker, 33%
· Lower level co-worker, 30%
· Higher level co-worker, 13%
You need a breath mint:
· Same level co-worker, 33%
· Lower level co-worker, 29%
· Higher level co-worker, 14%
You need a shower:
· Same level co-worker, 28%
· Lower level co-worker, 29%
· Higher level co-worker, 11%
So how many would tell a higher level co-worker his or her dress was not appropriate for the office? Only 10% thought they could do that.
No wonder "Grumpy" is the name of one of the seven dwarfs a new study found that taller people are happier with their lives, while shorties are more miserable about the way things turned out for them. Researchers questioned more than 450,000 grown-ups about their lives and discovered that those above average height 5 feet 9.2 inches for men and 5 feet 3.8 inches for women in the United States, are happier about their lot in life. Meanwhile, men who thought their lives were the "worst possible" were eight-tenths or nearly an inch shorter than the average male. And women who were unhappy with their lives were a half inch short than the average gal, according to the scientists at New Jersey's Princeton University. Taller men were also better educated, the study found, while height made no significant difference in this category for women. Men who failed to get a high school diploma were half an inch shorter than those who did and a full inch shorter than males who completed college. (National Examiner)
I just read a new poll that says, 97% of people agree on the topic of texting while driving: They think it should be illegal. The other 3 percent doesn't care, or didn't answer cause they were busy texting.
According to The Sun, a British plastic surgeon found a young woman as his bride and then surgically turned her into his ideal wife. According to the story, she is very happy with the transformation. If your spouse wanted you to get plastic surgery, and you could afford it, would you do it for them?
Do you think this winter, all companies should pay employees if they have the Swine flu? Health officials are pleading with the public: If you are sick, stay home. Although millions of Americans have no paid sick leave. Many can't afford to stay home to fight the swine flu? A person has to eat, right? Do you have a job that doesn't pay if you don't work? What do you do?
What song helped you get through a breakup? I found this list on eHarmony, The 10 most empowering breakup songs:
1. You're So Vain -- Carly Simon. Nothing helps dull the pain of a bad breakup like a gripe session about the ex – and Carly Simon's 1972 hit is just that. With bitterness in her voice (and Mick Jagger on backup vocals), Carly recounts a love affair with a narcissistic philanderer.
2. Trouble in Mind -- Various Artists. Unlike most blues songs, this one acknowledges that there's light at the end of the heartbreak tunnel. Trouble in Mind has been covered by dozens of artists since it was first recorded in 1926 by Bertha "Chippie" Hill. Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and Nina Simone are just a few who've delivered the song's optimistic message: The sun is going to shine in my back door some day.
3. Kiss Off -- Violent Femmes. What ranks this among the great breakup empowerment anthems is the mid-song countdown of why the ex can "just kiss off into the air."
4. You Keep Me Hangin' On -- The Supremes. As if getting dumped weren't bad enough, the ex who insists on checking up on you after the fact is just plain cruel. Diana Ross sings about the "Aha!" moment when she realizes her former flame is dangling his love in front of her simply to feed his own ego.
5. The Sign -- Ace of Base. Ever waffle about a relationship until a defining moment pushes you over the edge? This is exactly what Swedish pop band Ace of Base refers to in their 1993 dance hit. The theme: Living well is the best revenge.
6. Hit the Road Jack -- Ray Charles. You can't really tell who's to blame in this 1961 breakup song – essentially, a volley between Ray Charles and his backup singers. Ray is broke, and his girl seems to be an old shrew who wants him out. (What'd you say?) No matter whose side you take in this song, singing it feels good.
7. Goodbye to You -- Scandal (featuring Patty Smyth). One can only pine so much over lost love before the stress becomes too overwhelming. Rock band Scandal, along with then-front woman Patty Smyth, released the unapologetic breakup tune Goodbye to You in 1982.
8. Since U Been Gone -- Kelly Clarkson. You're clearly over the heartbreak hump when you realize that your life is way better without your former flame weighing you down. With unbridled energy, former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson sings about the stupidity you feel from being duped by a lying scoundrel and the liberation that comes from "so moving on."
9. Respect -- Aretha Franklin. You know a relationship is in trouble when you literally have to spell out the problem to your significant other! That's what the Queen of Soul did when she couldn't get any respect from a man who wanted her to fork over a load of cash. Good thing she walked.
10. I Will Survive -- Gloria Gaynor. After nearly 30 years, Gloria Gaynor's disco megahit remains the ultimate empowering breakup song, and there's no wonder why: It's danceable, powerful and inspiring. A tale of triumph over heartbreak and of newfound inner strength, how's that for survival?
Things That Make You Go Hmmmm…..
According to a Harris Interactive Survey, the rudest thing you can do at work is to use profanity. I think the rudest think someone can do at work is eat my stuff that I put in the fridge! Why do they eat it? They know it's not theirs! It drives me nuts.
Senseless stuff you do? We as humans often do stupid stuff that makes no sense, like when we push an elevator button when it is already lit up, as if it'll hurry the elevator.
There is a strange recent study that says, the less sex you have, the more work you seek. 36 percent of men and 35 percent of women who have sex only once a week take on extra work to compensate for their wanting sex life. On the other hand, people who have sex at least twice a week don't want to work. So we found this to be very interesting. I looked around our office and tried to find all the people who were the workaholics. Is it true? Well, I work at a radio station…what do YOU think….
Ladies, how do you ask a guy out with some class? The fact is that single women are more accustomed to being asked out, and single guys are more accustomed to doing the asking -- which means there's not a lot of data out there about how men like to be approached for a first date. Here are some tips in asking a guy out (from MSN.com):
· Be indirect. Well, OK, here's another approach to try: Remember how, back in junior high school, you'd ask your girlfriend to ask her sister if that cute, broody guy on your bus was going steady with anyone? This technique works well in adult life, too: The fact is, most guys were deeply unpopular in junior high school and will be flattered to have your friends do some advance scouting (just make sure your emissary isn't on the market herself, lest you wind up recreating the plot of a Mandy Moore movie).
· Come up with a plan. Choose between the following two conversations. Conversation A: You, to that cute guy in the coffee shop: "Um, do you think you'd... maybe like to... go out sometime?" Cute guy in the coffee shop, to you: "Um... yeah... maybe we can do something... sometime." Conversation B: You, to that cute sales clerk at Barnes & Noble: "Hey, Dave Eggers is giving a reading tonight at a really cool bar downtown. Would you like to go?" Cute sales clerk at Barnes & Noble, to you: "Sure!" Get the point?
· Don't come on too strong. I'll spare you the Freudian mumbo-jumbo about how, deep down, guys are actually scared of women, and their subconscious minds will transform an ostensibly breezy come-on ("Hey, Slim! What say I treat you to some steak and eggs at Denny's?") into a screaming nightmare about some woman in a caftan chasing them with a pair of oversized scissors.
· Don't over-plan. It's only in sitcoms that guys hire skywriters and three-piece mariachi bands to announce their interest in cute, yet clueless, roommates. So don't feel you should follow that tradition. Blue Angel flybys may be out of your price range, but even a gimmick as innocent-seeming as a homemade chocolate muffin accompanied by a written invitation is overdoing it.
WEIRD NEWS -
Bear -2, Terrorists-0! - Well there are two less terrorists in the world thanks to a bear in South Kashmir in India. A bear has mauled two Hizbul Mujahideen militants to death as they hid in its cave. Officials say it was a really stupid decision to dare to try and move in to the cave -- a decision that cost the men their lives. An Army patrol party found the mauled bodies. The two were identified as Kaisar Ahmad and Saifullah, both residents of Kashmir, and the patrol party also found two AK47 rifles and some ammunition in the cave. Of course being terrorists, the general feeling is one more of joy than sorrow. We're sure you agree. (The Times of India)
Funniest Halloween Story of 2009! - Okay we concede that there's never anything funny about somebody driving drunk but it's just dang hard to conceal a smile on your face when you hear this one. In Oxford, Ohio, 18-year-old James Miller was pulled over around 1:30am Halloween night. He was driving the wrong way out of the entrance to a one way street and officers found what was left of a case of Bud Light in the passenger front seat and in the trunk. The boy registered a blood-alcohol level of .158, nearly two times the legal limit. Also found were multiple Ohio ID's in his wallet. Fortunately nobody was hurt and what makes all this so amusing was the Halloween costume he had on at the time. James was dressed as a breathalyzer machine! (Fox News)
Hey Give Us a Break on the Bells Quasimodo! - An overly zealous bishop has been cited for disturbing the peace after neighbors complained about his habit of playing recordings of church bells every half-hour, every day of the week! Bishop Rick Painter of the newly-opened Cathedral of Christ the King in Phoenix, Arizona has appealed the conviction, saying the court's decision to silence the bells, except for Sundays, is a breach of his constitutional rights. Bishop Painter said, "God is not just God on Sundays." But neighbors are breathing a sigh of relief, saying the bells would start as early as 6am some days. One neighbor, Al Brooks said, "I can't imagine that God in heaven would look down and say that's a good thing to do to your neighbors." (Sky News)
We Don't Like Any of That Playboy Nonsense Down South! - David Fowler, a former Republican state senator who now heads the Family Action Council of Tennessee, is none too happy about the Electric Power Board's expansion into the video business by offering the Playboy Channel and access to adult movies as part of its premium pay-for-view service. Fowler and other critics object to a government-owned utility putting out what they say is pornography. But the E-P-B says it has a free speech mandate not to censure a diverse programming menu, and it has strict limits on underage people accessing adult movies. Under those circumstances, courts have held that government identities CANNOT arbitrarily edit their entertainment offerings. Lord forbid someone down south see a naked woman on the TV. It might lead to... dare I say it... dancing! (The Pulse)
High Tech Holidays Mean It's Back To School For Santa! - It's not easy being a holiday Santa in 2009. Gone are the days when kid's toy requests were relegated to new train sets and baby dolls. Today's in demand high-tech toys mean your average department store Santa may be left baffled by the requests he's getting. So an online training course has been launched to help low-tech Santas get up to speed this year. Santas can call experts and ask for technical advice on computer games, consoles, cameras, and MP3 players. Jeremy Fennell from PC World said, "There are more than 40,000 different gadgets and technologies on sale right now, a great many of which are going to be on children's Christmas lists. The Santas we are training are going to be faced with a very technically literate and technology savvy generation of youngsters over the next two months and we want them to be able to show that they understand what these kids are asking for." Because what could be more depressing than telling Santa what you want for Christmas and finding he doesn't have a clue what you're talking about! (Ananova)
New Meatball World Record! Why Not? - There's a new world record for the planet's biggest meatball -- and the honor goes to the fine folks of Nonni's Italian Eatery in Concord, New Hampshire. Owner Matthew Mitnitsky says that his 222.5-pound meatball was authenticated as the world's largest after being weighed by state weights and measures officials. A Guinness Book of World Records official confirmed the big meatball as a record breaker and presented Mitnitsky with a plaque. And we might have a real East Coast-West Coast battle brewing here as the previous record of 198.6 pounds was set just over a month ago after Los Angeles-based talk show host Jimmy Kimmel vowed to beat a record set in Mexico. That record - 109 pounds - was set in August. Mitnitsky said he got involved "to bring the meatball back to the East Coast because that's where it originated." Wanna see this thing? Sure you do. Just go to www.worldslargestmeatball.com (Sky News)
Facebook Saves The Day Again! - The search for the owner of a lost camera, which became a Facebook sensation, has finally ended in success! It was set up by Australian Danny Cameron after he found the camera on the Greek island of Mykonos. He hoped his theory that anybody in the world can be contacted within "six degrees of separation" would lead him to find the tourists whose pictures were saved on the memory card. So he posted some of the pictures on a Facebook page called Needle in the Haystack. More than 230,000 Facebook users signed up on the page and at last, three friends, Pierre Paoli, Edouard Hostein and Julien Kopp, have come forward to end the intrigue. Mr. Paoli, who works in London, said, "We were on holiday and our friend Marie Cecile lost her camera." Cameron has now closed the group with one last posting which read: "Congratulations everyone, the camera owner has been found... thanks everyone for taking part... unbelievable effort. I am amazed and in awe of you all." (Facebook.com)
We're Really Sorry That Your Kid's Such a Brat! - Southwest Airlines has apologized to a mother who was booted off a plane last Monday after her two-year-old son was deemed too unruly for flight. The flight crew asked Pamela Root and her 2-year-old son Adam to leave the plane bound for San Jose, California, because flight attendants couldn't deliver the pre-flight safety instructions over the Adam's constant loud screams. Already out on the tarmac, Southwest Flight 637 was called back to the gate, where flight attendants asked Root to leave the plane. Ms. Root then found herself stuck in Amarillo, Texas without her luggage and had to buy more diapers and a portable crib to stay an unexpected extra night with her parents. She said the flight attendant told her they wouldn't be able to tolerate the anxious child's screams for two hours. I don't know. I'm kind of with Southwest on this one. And I've got small kids too! It ain't that hard to keep 'em quiet. A little Jack Daniels in the milk just before takeoff works wonders! Unnecessary Joke Disclaimer: Okay you freaks. CLEARLY that was a joke! I don't want to see any Social Services workers knocking at my door! And stop taking everything so seriously! (San Jose Mercury News)
TOP FIVE REASONS WHY THE PHILLIES ARE DRAGGING OUT THE WORLD SERIES
1. What? A chance to go back to New York and catch a Broadway show? Why wouldn't we?
2. Nickname "Mr. November" still up for grabs
3. It gives Cliff Lee two more possible games to pitch
4. Winter bowling league doesn't kick off until next week
5. Didn't want to miss an episode of "Glee"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
A new report says that the internet will run out of web addresses early next year. Apparently, people are just grabbing up every and any kind of address they can think of. I read about this on the website, "we're going to run out of web addresses by next year" dot com.
And by the year after, they'll probably also run out of Internet zip codes.
The very first Internet message was sent 40 years ago this week. I believe it was from some South African prince who had lost his kingdom.
A drought in Venezuela has resulted in water rationing. As a good neighbor, we should offer them water -- at $80 a barrel!
Some really GOOD Advice…..TOP 10 THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY TO HER
Askmen.com says there are some instances when you are better off either shutting up or telling a little white lie -- or risk spending the night on the couch.
1. Man, you look so much like your mom!
2. I would have invited you, but you're no fun.
3. Anything related to marriage or children.
4. Would have, could have, should have.
5. You don't need another pair of shoes.
6. Any story about your private life.
7. Come on, a few little cramps never hurt anybody.
8. What's the big deal? You have another birthday next year.
9. Are you sure the dress shrunk?
10. That's not the way my ex did it.
YOU DIDN'T CALL
When a man goes out with a woman, he should not call her for a couple days after the date, according to sharpman.com, which offers advice to men. Here's why:
· Because if she liked you, waiting a day or two will not change that. If she didn't like you, why call so soon and further annoy her? Give her a day or two to forget, and then try again.
· In the event she's "on the fence": Absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Also, women always want what they perceive they cannot have. But remember, you asked her out and thereby affirmed her desirability. Now she's in the position of accepting you or rejecting.
· Your aim is to turn those tables right around.
· You let her wonder. You motivate her to silently ask: Why haven't you called again? Wasn't she the vision of loveliness she thinks she is?
TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR PIZZA DELIVERY GUY WAS EXPECTING A LARGER TIP
1. Before handing off the pizza, he takes a couple of pieces and says, "Okay, now we're even"
2. He immediately calls a friend on his cell phone and says, "You're not going to believe this"
3. 3 days later he's still at the front door
4. After you handed him the tip, he said, "And?"
5. A day later he's still at the front door
A Few Entertainment News Bits -
MORGAN FREEMAN TO STAR IN 'DIRTY OLD MEN' COMEDY…Oscar winner Morgan Freeman celebrated his 72nd birthday earlier this year, but he shows no signs of slowing down. The actor just signed on to an untitled film comedy, previously known as Dirty Old Men. The story revolves around an aging playboy who finally meets the love of his life, while his best friend and wingman of 40 years -- played by Freeman -- does everything to break up the new couple. The tone of the film is described as being similar to Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Though no star has been attached to play the main character, producers are hoping to snag Jack Nicholson, who teamed with Freeman to great success in the 2007 comedy The Bucket List.
Freeman will be seen next in Invictus, in which he portrays Nelson Mandela for director Clint Eastwood. He begins shooting the action thriller Red in January.
KAROLINA KURKOVA IS LATEST VICTORIA'S SECRET MODEL TO GIVE BIRTH…Supermodel Karolina Kurkova gave birth to a son last week. A rep for the 25-year-old confirmed that she and film producer Archie Drury welcomed their first child, Tobin Jack Drury, last Thursday (October 29th) in New York City.
Fellow Victoria's Secret model Alessandra Ambrosio, who recently welcomed a daughter, recently commented on the baby-crazy beauties, telling People magazine, "It's just great that we're all at the same time in our lives. We're all having babies, we're thinking about play dates. We're going shopping for the babies. If we have time, we're together we're talking about babies!"
Another Victoria's Secret model -- Adriana Lima -- is also expecting he first child while Heidi Klum just gave birth to her fourth.
GOSSELIN GOSSIP…A new report claims that Hailey Glassman's public tears and claims of emotional abuse from Jon Gosselin were actually orchestrated by the reality dad himself. A supposed insider told Fox411, "Jon actually made the decision to have Hailey go on air and bad mouth him. Jon and Hailey get paid for their appearances on these shows and they need the money. It was easy for Hailey to conjure tears, their lives are less than stellar right now, but Jon hasn't abused her."
The source added, "They agreed to have her go on and make the abuse allegations! Jon doesn't have much money left and he is not currently searching for a real job. Jon still seeks money through his fame and notoriety. He really wants a reality show of his own, and he is stretching out every moment of the drama for a dollar."
KATE BETRAYED BY CONFIDANTS
In other Gosselin news, Kate said during last night's TLC special that it's hard to trust people now that her life has become tabloid fodder. The reality mom told Natalie Morales, "When you look around, and very close trusted people who would never cash you in, for lack of better words, and those people do that and people leave your house and tell completely different stories, you tend not to trust people."
She explained that eight Gosselin children have been showing signs of strain, acting out and, in some cases, becoming more introverted in the wake of the family's public troubles.
HAILEY GLASSMAN NOT READY TO DATE
Meanwhile, although Glassman and Gosselin both admit their relationship is on the back burner for now, Hailey isn't looking for a new man. She tweeted on Monday (November 2nd), "Yes, I am semi-single, but definitely NOT YET ready to mingle. I need some Hailey time and regroup myself and my life."
In ROCK NEWS -
QUICK TAKES…Pete Townshend was on hand on Monday night (November 2nd) in London, to present old friend Ron Wood with an Outstanding Contribution Honor at the Classic Rock Awards. Wood, who was singled out for his "ageless presence on the scene," revealed that the trophy was his first-ever honor not shared with the Faces or the Rolling Stones, saying, "It means a lot. It's about time -- I've never had one just for myself." Other legends honored at the awards gala included Ginger Baker, John Bonham, and Iggy Pop -- who snagged the Living Legend award. (BBC.co.uk)
Out now is Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert 40th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set. The set features three CD's and one DVD, with the first disc including the full 1970 Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out album, and the second disc including five additional cuts left off the original set. The third disc features performances from Ike & Tina Turner and B.B. King who served as the Stones' opening acts on November 27th and 28th, 1969 at New York's Madison Square Garden.
The tracklisting to Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out! The Rolling Stones In Concert 40th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set is:
Disc One: "Jumping' Jack Flash," "Carol," "Stray Cat Blues," "Love In Vain," "Midnight Rambler," "Sympathy For The Devil," "Live With Me," "Little Queenie," "Honky Tonk Women," and "Street Fighting Man."
Disc Two: "Prodigal Son," "You Gotta Move," "Under My Thumb," "I'm Free," and "(I Can t Get No) Satisfaction."
Disc Three: (B.B. King) "Everyday I Have The Blues," "How Blue Can You Get," "That's Wrong Little Mama," "Why I Sing The Blues," "Please Accept My Love"; (Ike & Tina Turner) "Gimme Some Loving," "Sweet Soul Music," "Son Of A Preacher Man," "Proud Mary," "I've Been Loving You Too Long," "Come Together," and "Land Of 1000 Dances."
Disc Four - DVD: "Prodigal Son," "You Gotta Move," "Under My Thumb," "I'm Free," and "(I Can t Get No) Satisfaction."
Robin Gibb says that Noel and Liam Gallagher of Oasis are "mimicking" him and brothers Barry and the late Maurice Gibb's sometimes bitter rivalries, saying, "They're just copying us. We've been through all that. To be honest, I'm surprised they stayed together for as long as they did and I think they've gone as far as they can together." Gibb went on to say that the fellow Mancunians remind him of his relationships with his famous brothers, "but on a more physically violent level." (NME.com)
Out now is The Ultimate Bee Gees: The 50th Anniversary Collection. Highlights include: "You Should Be Dancing," "Stayin' Alive," "Jive Talkin'," "Night Fever," "Nights On Broadway," "More Than A Woman," "Tragedy," "Love You Inside & Out," "One," "Alone," "Fanny (Be Tender With My Love)," "If I Can't Have You," "How Deep Is Your Love," "Emotion," "Too Much Heaven," "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "To Love Somebody," "Holiday," "Massachusetts," "Words," "I Started A Joke," "Love So Right," "Lonely Days," "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," "Run To Me," "I've Gotta Get A Message To You," and "Medley: 'Islands In The Stream,' 'Heartbreaker,' 'Guilty,' 'Immortality,' and 'Grease.'"
A memorial service for the late Mary Travers of Peter, Paul & Mary will be held on Monday (November 9th) New York City's Riverside Church at 9 a.m. The event is free and open to the public. Travers died on September 16th following a long battle with Leukemia. She was 72.
Performers and speakers will include Noel "Paul" Stookey, Peter Yarrow, Pete Seeger, Judy Collins, Senator John Kerry, Senator George McGovern, Anne Meara, Bill Moyers, Theo Bikel, Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Paxton, Eli Wallach, with Harry Belafonte, Bill Cosby and Gloria Steinem presented on tape. (peterpaulandmary.com)
BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…Bypassing iTunes and all other digital outlets entirely, the Beatles' company Apple Corps. has announced that the group's full catalogue will be available in North America starting on December 8th through a limited edition of 30,000 stereo USB "apples." On the official website thebeatles.com, it was announced: "The exquisitely crafted, apple-shaped USB drive is loaded with the critically acclaimed re-mastered audio for the Beatles' 14 stereo titles, as well as all of the re-mastered CDs' visual elements, including 13 mini-documentary films about the studio albums, replicated original UK album art, rare photos and expanded liner notes. A specially designed Flash interface has been installed, and the 16GB USB's audio and visual contents will be provided in FLAC 44.1 Khz 24 bit and MP3 320 Kbps formats, fully compatible with PC and Mac."
"The Beatles Limited Edition USB Stick" featuring their entire catalogue is available for pre-order at thebeatles.com for $279.00.
Paul McCartney recently defended the group's delay in getting the group's material out on the Internet: "Well, you know you've got to get these things right. You don't want to do something as cool as that, and then in three years time think. 'Oh God, why did we do that?'
CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL RELEASES 'SINGLES COLLECTION'…Out now is Creedence Clearwater Revival's Singles Collection. The set, which is the first to feature all the A and B-sides of the band's career, also comes with a DVD featuring CCR's rarely seen promotional clips for "Sweet Hitch-Hiker," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "Bootleg," "I Put A Spell On You," and "Lookin' Out My Back Door."
Bassist Stu Cook says that the acoustic-based "Looking' Out My Back Door" remains among his favorite of the group's classic 45's: "We just rehearsed it a few times, rehearsed it and cut it. Usually we cut the singles as they were written, so it was just one of many. I think there's electric rhythm guitars in there, but off course acoustics and the dobro are really the featured instruments."
John Fogerty was asked which of his classic CCR hits he couldn't get away with not playing every night: "Probably either 'Bad Moon (Rising)' or 'Proud Mary.' If I was to skip both of 'em -- that would probably be trouble. (Laughs) And 'Fortunate Son's' probably right up there in that group."
Highlights on CCR's Singles Collection are: "Suzie Q, Pts. 1 and 2," "Proud Mary," "Born On The Bayou," "Bad Moon Rising," "Lodi," "Green River," "Commotion," "Fortunate Son," "Down On The Corner," "Traveling' Band," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Up Around The Bend," "Lookin' Out My Back Door," "Someday Never Comes," and "Hey Tonight," among others.
STEVIE NICKS SAYS PANIC ATTACKS FORCED CHRISTINE McVIE TO RETIRE…Stevie Nicks says that it was a series of panic attacks which forced longtime Fleetwood Mac keyboardist Christine McVie to finally walk away from the band. Nicks, who's currently on tour with Fleetwood Mac in Britain, revealed to The Daily Mail, "Christine had been having panic attacks before gigs and was developing a fear of flying, but she kept everything bottled up inside. Then, on the night of the Grammys (in 1998), she told me she simply couldn't go on any more."
Nicks says that there was no doubt in her mind at the time that McVie was done with the band for good: "When you love someone as much as I love Christine, you know instantly when they are serious. Her big green eyes filled with tears as she spoke, and I started welling up, too. I told her she needed to go home immediately, and she did. She flew home to England and she hasn't been back to the States since."
Nicks was asked how she feels fronting what she's often called a "boys club" without McVie sharing the stage with her: "Being the only girl in Fleetwood Mac? You have to understand, I've been the only girl in Fleetwood Mac now since 1998 and it's 2009. I'm used to it now. I miss Christine every day because she was my best buddy. She was my best friend. And I probably spent more time on the road with Fleetwood Mac than anywhere. I've spent more time with these people than I have with my own family. So the loss of Christine as one of my best girlfriends was horrific for me. But she's been gone a long, long, time now. There's not a day that I don't wish that she'd call up and say 'I'm back!' -- but she's not going to. So we've all kind've accepted that now."
RUSH MEETING IN LOS ANGELES TO DISCUSS FUTURE…Rush drummer Neil Peart wrote at the "News Weather And Sports" section of his website, neilpeart.net, that the Canadian trio will be getting together this month in Los Angeles to discuss their future. Peart wrote, "In this autumn of 2009, the three of us are poised on another kind of 'reinvention' . . . Of course, these are parlous times in the music business, so our time-honored pattern of touring, recording, and touring is no longer the obvious way to do things. The music world -- or at least the business of it -- is very different now, even since 2006, when we began work on (2007 album) Snakes & Arrows. The importance of 'the album' is not what it was, and there is currently a reversion to a musical climate rather like the 1950s, when only 'the song' matters."
Peart adds, "The three of us haven't even discussed what we might discuss, so to speak -- so our ideas and shared enthusiasm for the entity of Rush will be fresh, spontaneous, and quite likely exciting."
The drummer says that in lieu of a full album funded by a record label, the band could "write and record just a few songs, and release them some way. Or there were a couple of film-and-music projects we had discussed in the past. In any case, there are enough possibilities for future collaboration, and I am curious to see what we'll come up with."
Snakes & Arrows was Rush's 18th studio album.
The band, who should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at this point, will release a new CD and DVD, both titled Working Men, on November 17th. The discs compile some of the best live performances from the band's three previous concert DVDs: Rush In Rio, R30 and Snakes & Arrows Live.
That’s it for now as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND......
ON THIS DAY
It was on this date in 1782 that Britain officially recognized the United States and won $10,000 on the old "What's My Line" show.
In 1839, the first Opium War between China and Britain erupted. That's where the phrase was coined, "Don't shoot until you see the reds of their eyes!"
On this date in 1917, First Class Postage in the U.S. went up to 3 whole cents. These days, that doesn't even cover the tip!
In 1952, Charles Birdseye introduced frozen peas. Finally, a vegetable that could double as an ice pack!
The very first coast-to-coast color TV broadcast took place on this date in 1953. Unfortunately, NBC chose to show a documentary on zebras and penguins in the Antarctic.
On this date in 1956, "The Wizard of Oz" was shown on TV for the very first time. You could hear the collective groans of an entire country when Dorothy arrived in Oz and millions of Americans yelled out, "Oh, crap, that's right! We don't have a color TV!" Or, needless to say, being the first time, several color TVs were broken when people kept pounding on them during the first part of the movie.
TODAY IS
Today is Godzilla's 55th birthday. As a special treat, he plans to go downtown and terrorize the local AARP office.
Dennis Miller celebrates his 56th birthday today. Of course, he spent 55 of his years not on Monday Night Football.
Kathy Kinney, "Mimi" from the old "Drew Carey Show" also turns 56 today. You know, you never see Mimi and Dennis Miller together at the same time... hmmmm.
Comedienne Roseanne Barr turns 57 today. She'll wear a carnation so we don't get her mixed up with Godzilla.
Ken Berry, who you may remember from "F-Troop," "Mayberry, R.F.D." or even "Mama's Family" turns 76 today. Although, if you're old enough to remember, you may not be able to remember.
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HUNGRY?? The Right Sandwich Can Solve All Your Problems!Sandwiches aren't just for lunch anymore. In fact, a new study says a variety of the tasty concoctions are the cure for what ails you. "You can target particular problems with the right combination of ingredients," says Detroit dietician Marcia Grapley. "Whether you want to cut calories or stop a migraine, your choice of sandwich fixings can help achieve your goal while pleasing your taste buds." "But there is one rule you must follow -- no white bread. It's high in sugar and doesn't have the amount of fiber you find in other breads such as wheat, rye or pumpernickel."
Grapley suggests tuna salad on rye with low-fat mayo and lettuce and tomato can decrease the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches. "Insomnia is not a problem most of us would think could be helped by a sandwich, but we'd be wrong," says Grapley. "In fact, a slice turkey and cream cheese is guaranteed to help you get the shut-eye you crave."
If you suffer from a lack of energy and worry about bone density, pump up the volume with a roast beef and Swiss cheese on rye with mustard. The meat is high in protein while the cheese is filled with calcium -- a one, two punch that's hard to beat.
You can rev up your love life with a surefire combination of honey, figs, ricotta cheese and orange slices on wheat bread.
Watching your weight and cholesterol levels? Slap together a tasty broiled veggie burger topped with salsa. "One of my favorite combinations for people who want to up their potassium intake is an avocado and roast chicken sandwich," says Grapley. "Chicken is also chocked full of niacin, which boosts your metabolism.
Researchers discovered another winning sandwich is sliced apple and peanut butter. Down one of these before you work out. You can even eat your way out of a hangover by eating a toasted chocolate and banana sandwich.
Celebrity Sandwiches
The Bill Gates: just bread... lots and lots of bread
The Jennifer Lopez: stuffed rump roast with very little dressing
The Britney Spears: spoiled ham that was once on a roll
The Anne Heche: tuna or salami, depending on the mood
The Gary Coleman: shrimp po' boy
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Rachel Ray is offering a free turkey dinner to anyone who lives in Wilmington, Ohio, because of their high unemployment rate. She'll serve it up this Sunday, offering it to anyone with an ID that shows they live in Wilmington.
TNT has picked up the drama "Southland" after NBC cancelled it last month.
A guy who walked into the E! offices last Friday and asked to see Ryan Seacrest was carrying a knife and was arrested.
Eddie Murphy is going to make an appearance on the finale of CW's "America's Next Top Model" on November 18.
Elton John has had to cancel many tour stops after a case of the flu and e. coli landed him in the hospital.
Colin Farrell and Polish actress Alicja Bachleda became proud parents of baby boy Henry Tadeusz Farrell on October 7.
Meanwhile, Mel Gibson's a dad again... welcoming a baby girl to his ever expanding brood, this one through his new girlfriend.
A man was arrested on suspicion of shooting four other men in Mayberry, North Carolina. Yep, the quiet town that was the inspiration for the Andy Griffith show.
Michelle Triola Marvin, who waged a landmark palimony case against former lover actor Lee Marvin, died Friday at age 76. She died at the Malibu home of actor Dick Van Dyke, her partner of 30 years.
Nicole Richie has gone to court to get some space for her and her children from the paparazzi.
WEIRD NEWS
Fight Swine Flu: Eat Your Cocoa Krispies! - Kellogg's just can't seem to get a break these days. Maybe you remember some weeks back the story about the angry consumer that realized that Froot Loops cereal contains no actual fruit and decided to sue for false advertising. Now Kellogg's is dealing with more false advertising claims, this time from San Francisco City Attorney, Dennis Herrera, who just announced that he has written a letter to the CEO of the cereal company demanding evidence that Cocoa Krispies really "helps support your child's immunity" as it purports to do on the front of the box. Herrera claims Kellogg's is shamefully playing to the public's fears about the recent swine flu epidemic and that they might "mislead parents into believing that serving this sugary cereal will actually boost their child's immunity, leaving them less likely to take more productive steps to protect their children's health." If you haven't seen a box of Cocoa Krispies cereal lately, they do feature a big yellow banner that reads: "Helps Support Your Child's Immunity!" Cocoa Krispies' ingredients do not include flu vaccines and the so-called "immunity" cereal is 40% sugar by weight. Kellogg's company spokesperson, Susanne Norwitz, would only say that Kellogg's Krispies cereals provide consumers with 25 percent of their daily value of vitamins A, C, and E, which play an important role in boosting immunity according to peer-reviewed, published, scientific research. (San Francisco Weekly)
What's Up With All The Feet Floating To Canada? - Feet -- yes, human feet -- seem to keep finding their way to Canada's Pacific coast. Another human foot was discovered near Vancouver, the EIGHTH one in the last two years. Two men walking along the beach spotted the lone foot, which was still wearing a size 8 ½ Nike running shoe. Authorities are conducting forensic tests to see if the foot matches any missing persons. As for the other seven washed up feet, one was found to belong to a missing man who was depressed, but the unidentified feet include a female pair, a male pair and a male right foot. Scientists predict the feet could've drifted anywhere from dozens to thousands of miles, as human body parts will remain intact in water for years if protected by shoes or sturdy clothing. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say they don't suspect foul play in the foot discoveries, but that it appears all the feet separated naturally from their bodies. WTF? (AHN News)
Don't Blame Me! It's That Damn Jack Daniels Sauce! - In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 23-year-old Ian A. Baker is facing his fourth drunken driving charge after failing a breathalyzer test-but he says this time it's not his fault! His defense is that the failed test is not the result of him drinking alcohol, but rather eating a steak with Jack Daniels sauce. He swears he didn't consume any alcohol, just a Jack Daniels steak! His .07 blood-alcohol level makes police think otherwise. And sadly for Ian, the Jack Daniels web site clearly states that their trademark Jack Daniels barbecue and steak sauces, which are made by Heinz, contain NO alcohol whatsoever. (AHN News)
Bad Driving? It's In Your DNA! - Might as well stop cursing at that bad driver weaving in and out of the lane in front of you. According to new research from the University of California Irvine -- he can't help it -- it's in his genes! The study found that people with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than people with a different DNA sequence. That may explain why there are so many bad drivers out there because about 30% of Americans have the variant. Dr. Steven Cramer, who led the study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex said, "These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away." Ironically, the research team had not set out to discover insights into driving but chose the driving test because it uses common skills. Cramer said he'd love to do new research and find out how many people involved in car crashes have the gene variant. (Reuters)
Don't Pull This Lever! - It was a rookie mistake -- but a big one. A novice pilot was doing aerobatic maneuvers when he accidentally pulled on the black and yellow emergency handle between his legs. That's not the emergency brake. Nope-- that's the ejector lever and our boy suddenly found himself shooting 100 meters into the air by the plane's rocket-powered emergency chair. This all went down in near Cape Town, South Africa, and authorities have not released the pilot's name. But they did say he's lucky to be alive. The lever is fitted as standard in the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II jets to allow pilots and their passengers to eject from the aircraft in the event of an emergency. The pilot floated back down to Earth on a parachute which opened automatically. (Daily Telegraph)
Gandalf Blamed For New Trend of Bible Defacing! - Any Lord of the Rings fan is familiar with Sir Ian McKellen who plays Gandalf. And it seems his penchant for ripping out pages of the Bibles he finds in hotel rooms has caught on. Fans have started sending him sections of text they've removed from hotel bibles. McKellen is openly gay and has admitted to tearing out a section of Leviticus, which condemns homosexuality, whenever he finds the good book in hotel suites. It now seems his small-scale vandalism has inspired others to do the same. In an interview with Details magazine Sir Ian says, "I'm not proudly defacing the book, but it's a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible. I received a package of 40 of those pages that had been torn out by a married couple I know. They put them on a bit of string so that I could hang it up in the bathroom." (WENN News)
How Great Thou Art! - Amazing what some people consider as art and are willing to pay a pretty penny for. At Christie's Auction House in New York City, London artist Gavin Turk recently sold an empty, nondescript cardboard box-- about the size of an ordinary moving-company box -- for a whopping $16,000! It was actually a sculpture designed to look exactly like an empty, nondescript cardboard box. I think I may have just figured out a new way to replace all the money I lost in my 401K! (New York Post)
TOP FIVE SIGNS YOU ATE WAY TOO MUCH HALLOWEEN CANDY
You've got enough love handles for 8 people to lift you at the same time
Those Bandaids you're wearing because of the candy wrapper cuts
You're breaking out in pimples that look like Milk Duds
Those $100,000 bar burps
You re-wallpapered the bathroom in Baby Ruth wrappers
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Lindsay Lohan says her father should be "behind bars"... and Lindsay, while we're on the subject, you should stay out of them.
These days, what happens in Vegas doesn't just not stay in Vegas. They turn it into a C.S.I. episode!
It was a typical Monday: got up, checked the winning lottery numbers, ripped up my tickets, went to work...
President Obama has approved a new plan to pay members of the Taliban to switch sides and support the United States. If this works, he'll try the same plan with members of FOX news.
I've talked to quite a few people who just weren't that into Halloween. To those, I'd like to just say one thing: Boo Humbug!
Time already to take down the Halloween decorations and put up the Veterans' Day lights!
Washington Democrats have unveiled their new 2,000-page healthcare reform bill. Ironically, it covered every kind of injury except for those sustained while trying to life the 2,000-page healthcare reform bill.
I hate the week after Halloween. Every day for lunch: Snickers sandwiches!
GERM ALERT
Swine Flu season is here. Take this quiz to see how "germ-free" you are:
You use public restrooms. - 3 points
You wash you hands afterwards + 3 points
You open the door with your bare hand - 3 points (That is where the germs are)
You open the door with the paper towel you dried with then toss it. +3 points
Given the choice of a row of stalls you take the farthest from the door. - 3 points (that is the germiest)
You use the stall closest to the door. +3 points (That is the cleanest)
You wash your hands for at least 10 seconds under running water. -3 points
You wash you hands for at least 20 seconds. +3 points (minimum time under running water to kill germs)
You use hot water while washing your hands. -3! Points (Hot water will cause you to wash for a shorter duration, and only boiling water kills germs)
Showering after a workout at the gym you wear flips flops or shower shoes. +3 points
You do not wear shower shoes or flip flops. -3 points (Bad germs there... bad)
You friend brings over his new dog and he gives you a big lick / kiss. -3 points (The myth of the dogs tongue being cleaner than ours is well. A myth!)
You fend off the dogs kiss and settle for a pat on the head. +3 points (Statistically the dogs head has the least germs. It is the part he can't lick!)
Your score means?
If you scored in the negative numbers you should head to the closest decontamination shower immediately!
If you scored in the positive numbers you are fairly clean and worthy of a hug! Uh but make sure that person scored in the positive numbers first!
TOP FIVE WORST IDEAS FOR A PARTY GAME
Bobbing for Piranhas
Dodge Darts
Ultimate Full-Contact Yahtzee
Spear Catching
Chainsaw Juggling
Now…ROCK NEWS……
BON JOVI TO PLAY BERLIN WALL EVENT NEXT WEEK…Bon Jovi has signed on to perform at the 20th anniversary celebration for the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany on November 9th. Billboard.com reports that the New Jersey rockers will play the new single, "We Weren't Born to Follow," live at the event -- a fitting song for the occasion. Jon Bon Jovi says he wrote a fan letter to the German government "about how we've had such a relationship with Germany for all these years and how relevant the song is to the situation and how I was there chipping away a piece of the wall 20 years ago when it came down." Shortly afterwards, he got a response with an invitation to perform. Bon Jovi says, "They heard the lyric and got it and said 'yeah. It's a pretty big deal."
The Berlin Wall event is one of many scheduled performances for Bon Jovi this month. With the group's new album, The Circle, coming out next Tuesday (November 10th), there's a flurry of activity. Things will get underway with a performance tomorrow (November 4th) in London, which will air on NBC's Today show. Expect to see Bon Jovi on Today every Wednesday this month. Also coming up are visits to Inside The Actors' Studio, The Tonight Show, The Jay Leno Show, Saturday Night Live and NBC Nightly News. It's part of a special Artist In Residency deal with NBC.
ELTON JOHN HOSPITALIZED WITH E. COLI BACTERIAL INFECTION AND FLU…Elton John has been hospitalized in London after suffering from E. coli bacterial infection and the flu, according to The Associated Press. Elton, who has already postponed shows in England and Ireland, has also postponed stops with Billy Joel in Seattle and Portland. While leaving the hospital, his partner David Furnish was quoted buy The Daily Mail as saying, "He's OK -- he's fine."
A message posted on Eltonjohn.com reads in part: "All patrons who have purchased tickets for the Face 2 Face concerts on Wednesday, November 4th, and Saturday, November 7th at the Key Arena, Seattle and on Tuesday, November 10th at Rose Garden Arena, Portland are being asked to hold on to their tickets until more information is available regarding the proposed rescheduled engagement... Organizers of the events are working to establish new dates." According to online sources, the dates will be rescheduled sometime next month.
Elton John and Billy Joel's Saturday (November 14th) show at Oakland's Oracle Arena is expected to go on as scheduled.
PAUL McCARTNEY, THE BEE GEES, PAUL RODGERS, AND MICHAEL BOLTON RECORD CHARITY SINGLE???...According to several sources, Paul McCartney has recently teamed up with the Bee Gees, Paul Rodgers, and soft-rock crooner Michael Bolton for a new charity single recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Examiner.com posted that Richard Porter of beatlesinlondon.com claimed that the song might possibly be released to raise money for the Live Aid charity, adding, "Rumor has it they're doing a Beatles song. There are loads of security guys at the studio and a guy working there told my staff at the Beatles Coffee Shop that Paul was there."
According to The Sun, the all-star vocalists are recording the song, "We Will Remember Them," which will benefit Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion. The song will supposedly become available for download on November 8th in honor of Remembrance Sunday.
ROGER DALTREY KEEPING CHECK OF HIS SODIUM LEVELS ON TOUR…Roger Daltrey has been paying serious attention to his health while out on the road for his current Use It Or Lose It solo tour. As many fans remember, during the Who's massive road trek in 2006/2007 behind their Endless Wire album, Daltrey fell ill numerous times with what many believed was a near-chronic bronchial infection.
In truth, Daltrey's condition was far worse than a simple illness, he had depleted nearly all of his body's sodium, which he now monitors constantly: "I was just completely wiped. My body temperature was going up and down all over the place, and my thyroid... I just went for a blood test and everything was out -- and there was no sodium. I mean, it was like, 'woo.' They were going to hospitalize me, I wouldn't let them. 'Cause that would've been like a prison to me. If I do any intensive work where I sweat, yeah, I take it immediately. Y'know ignorance is wonderful isn't it -- or not so wonderful when it catches you up (laughs)!" )
Daltrey not only is constantly on top of his sodium levels, but aware that this has been a lifelong problem which -- luckily -- hit rock bottom and probably saved his life: "I take hydrolytes all the time now. From that final crunch when it came -- and it was quite violent -- I didn't know how bad and serious that can be. I suddenly thought back on it and I've had this problem for years, where I gradually got run down on a tour -- and of course didn't understand that that's what it was. And of course now I'm older and the body doesn't recover quite so quickly. It manifested itself on the last marathon Who tour and boy did it lay me low. I'm still recovering from it basically."
Daltrey performs tonight (November 3rd) at Cleveland's House of Blues. He'll be on tour through the end of the month.
STEPHEN STILLS SAYS THERE'S PLENTY TO BE BE RELEASED FROM HIS SOLO VAULTS…Stephen Stills says that he's astounded by the amount of quality unreleased solo material gathering dust in his solo vaults. Stills shed some light on some of the material he's eying to be his next archival project: "There is a host of things that was recorded around the time of the second Stephen Stills record. My God, there's just a couple of things that just thrilled me. But there's outtakes and alternate takes, and songs that didn't make the cut that are still sittin' there in the vault. And except for one particular brand of tape -- everything just plays beautifully."
Stephen Stills 2 was released on June 30th, 1971
Stills has just released the live set Live At Shepherd's Bush, which was recorded in London during the fall of 2008. The album features acoustic and full electric band sets, including classics from his work with the Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Manassas, along with his own solo work. Highlights include: "4 + 20," "Johnny's Garden," "Change Partners," "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Rock & Roll Woman," "Bluebird," "For What It's Worth," and "Love The One You're With," among others.
PAUL STANLEY PROUD KISS IS CONSIDERED A VINTAGE ROCK ACT…Paul Stanley says that he feels no shame in Kiss being lumped in with other vintage, or classic rock acts -- in fact, the band is thrilled with the fact that they're now spanning there different generations with their music and bombastic live shows.
Stanley, who's out on the road with Kiss in support of their first album in a decade, called Sonic Boom, told blabbermouth.net, "I'm proud to be in the category of classic rock bands -- what's better than the word 'classic?' Are you kidding? If you want to call LED ZEPPELIN a classic rock band and then you want to call us a classic rock band, I'm not fighting. If I'm going to be lumped in with anybody, let me be lumped in with my heroes. That doesn't preclude you from being current. It means that you have a solid history and a foundation, which most bands will never achieve because they won't survive that long."
Stanley is amazed at how quickly the time has flown since the band started: "It really has gone by in the blink of an eye. It's staggering to have 35 years behind the band. And all the excitement, and the challenges, the victories, the soap operas -- everything. And yet it seems, y'know, like the blink of an eye."
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
It was on this date in 1782 that Britain officially recognized the United States and won $10,000 on the old "What's My Line" show.
In 1839, the first Opium War between China and Britain erupted. That's where the phrase was coined, "Don't shoot until you see the reds of their eyes!"
On this date in 1917, First Class Postage in the U.S. went up to 3 whole cents. These days, that doesn't even cover the tip!
In 1952, Charles Birdseye introduced frozen peas. Finally, a vegetable that could double as an ice pack!
The very first coast-to-coast color TV broadcast took place on this date in 1953. Unfortunately, NBC chose to show a documentary on zebras and penguins in the Antarctic.
On this date in 1956, "The Wizard of Oz" was shown on TV for the very first time. You could hear the collective groans of an entire country when Dorothy arrived in Oz and millions of Americans yelled out, "Oh, crap, that's right! We don't have a color TV!" Or, needless to say, being the first time, several color TVs were broken when people kept pounding on them during the first part of the movie.
TODAY IS
Today is Godzilla's 55th birthday. As a special treat, he plans to go downtown and terrorize the local AARP office.
Dennis Miller celebrates his 56th birthday today. Of course, he spent 55 of his years not on Monday Night Football.
Kathy Kinney, "Mimi" from the old "Drew Carey Show" also turns 56 today. You know, you never see Mimi and Dennis Miller together at the same time... hmmmm.
Comedienne Roseanne Barr turns 57 today. She'll wear a carnation so we don't get her mixed up with Godzilla.
Ken Berry, who you may remember from "F-Troop," "Mayberry, R.F.D." or even "Mama's Family" turns 76 today. Although, if you're old enough to remember, you may not be able to remember.
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HUNGRY?? The Right Sandwich Can Solve All Your Problems!Sandwiches aren't just for lunch anymore. In fact, a new study says a variety of the tasty concoctions are the cure for what ails you. "You can target particular problems with the right combination of ingredients," says Detroit dietician Marcia Grapley. "Whether you want to cut calories or stop a migraine, your choice of sandwich fixings can help achieve your goal while pleasing your taste buds." "But there is one rule you must follow -- no white bread. It's high in sugar and doesn't have the amount of fiber you find in other breads such as wheat, rye or pumpernickel."
Grapley suggests tuna salad on rye with low-fat mayo and lettuce and tomato can decrease the frequency and intensity of migraine headaches. "Insomnia is not a problem most of us would think could be helped by a sandwich, but we'd be wrong," says Grapley. "In fact, a slice turkey and cream cheese is guaranteed to help you get the shut-eye you crave."
If you suffer from a lack of energy and worry about bone density, pump up the volume with a roast beef and Swiss cheese on rye with mustard. The meat is high in protein while the cheese is filled with calcium -- a one, two punch that's hard to beat.
You can rev up your love life with a surefire combination of honey, figs, ricotta cheese and orange slices on wheat bread.
Watching your weight and cholesterol levels? Slap together a tasty broiled veggie burger topped with salsa. "One of my favorite combinations for people who want to up their potassium intake is an avocado and roast chicken sandwich," says Grapley. "Chicken is also chocked full of niacin, which boosts your metabolism.
Researchers discovered another winning sandwich is sliced apple and peanut butter. Down one of these before you work out. You can even eat your way out of a hangover by eating a toasted chocolate and banana sandwich.
Celebrity Sandwiches
The Bill Gates: just bread... lots and lots of bread
The Jennifer Lopez: stuffed rump roast with very little dressing
The Britney Spears: spoiled ham that was once on a roll
The Anne Heche: tuna or salami, depending on the mood
The Gary Coleman: shrimp po' boy
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Rachel Ray is offering a free turkey dinner to anyone who lives in Wilmington, Ohio, because of their high unemployment rate. She'll serve it up this Sunday, offering it to anyone with an ID that shows they live in Wilmington.
TNT has picked up the drama "Southland" after NBC cancelled it last month.
A guy who walked into the E! offices last Friday and asked to see Ryan Seacrest was carrying a knife and was arrested.
Eddie Murphy is going to make an appearance on the finale of CW's "America's Next Top Model" on November 18.
Elton John has had to cancel many tour stops after a case of the flu and e. coli landed him in the hospital.
Colin Farrell and Polish actress Alicja Bachleda became proud parents of baby boy Henry Tadeusz Farrell on October 7.
Meanwhile, Mel Gibson's a dad again... welcoming a baby girl to his ever expanding brood, this one through his new girlfriend.
A man was arrested on suspicion of shooting four other men in Mayberry, North Carolina. Yep, the quiet town that was the inspiration for the Andy Griffith show.
Michelle Triola Marvin, who waged a landmark palimony case against former lover actor Lee Marvin, died Friday at age 76. She died at the Malibu home of actor Dick Van Dyke, her partner of 30 years.
Nicole Richie has gone to court to get some space for her and her children from the paparazzi.
WEIRD NEWS
Fight Swine Flu: Eat Your Cocoa Krispies! - Kellogg's just can't seem to get a break these days. Maybe you remember some weeks back the story about the angry consumer that realized that Froot Loops cereal contains no actual fruit and decided to sue for false advertising. Now Kellogg's is dealing with more false advertising claims, this time from San Francisco City Attorney, Dennis Herrera, who just announced that he has written a letter to the CEO of the cereal company demanding evidence that Cocoa Krispies really "helps support your child's immunity" as it purports to do on the front of the box. Herrera claims Kellogg's is shamefully playing to the public's fears about the recent swine flu epidemic and that they might "mislead parents into believing that serving this sugary cereal will actually boost their child's immunity, leaving them less likely to take more productive steps to protect their children's health." If you haven't seen a box of Cocoa Krispies cereal lately, they do feature a big yellow banner that reads: "Helps Support Your Child's Immunity!" Cocoa Krispies' ingredients do not include flu vaccines and the so-called "immunity" cereal is 40% sugar by weight. Kellogg's company spokesperson, Susanne Norwitz, would only say that Kellogg's Krispies cereals provide consumers with 25 percent of their daily value of vitamins A, C, and E, which play an important role in boosting immunity according to peer-reviewed, published, scientific research. (San Francisco Weekly)
What's Up With All The Feet Floating To Canada? - Feet -- yes, human feet -- seem to keep finding their way to Canada's Pacific coast. Another human foot was discovered near Vancouver, the EIGHTH one in the last two years. Two men walking along the beach spotted the lone foot, which was still wearing a size 8 ½ Nike running shoe. Authorities are conducting forensic tests to see if the foot matches any missing persons. As for the other seven washed up feet, one was found to belong to a missing man who was depressed, but the unidentified feet include a female pair, a male pair and a male right foot. Scientists predict the feet could've drifted anywhere from dozens to thousands of miles, as human body parts will remain intact in water for years if protected by shoes or sturdy clothing. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police say they don't suspect foul play in the foot discoveries, but that it appears all the feet separated naturally from their bodies. WTF? (AHN News)
Don't Blame Me! It's That Damn Jack Daniels Sauce! - In Sheboygan, Wisconsin, 23-year-old Ian A. Baker is facing his fourth drunken driving charge after failing a breathalyzer test-but he says this time it's not his fault! His defense is that the failed test is not the result of him drinking alcohol, but rather eating a steak with Jack Daniels sauce. He swears he didn't consume any alcohol, just a Jack Daniels steak! His .07 blood-alcohol level makes police think otherwise. And sadly for Ian, the Jack Daniels web site clearly states that their trademark Jack Daniels barbecue and steak sauces, which are made by Heinz, contain NO alcohol whatsoever. (AHN News)
Bad Driving? It's In Your DNA! - Might as well stop cursing at that bad driver weaving in and out of the lane in front of you. According to new research from the University of California Irvine -- he can't help it -- it's in his genes! The study found that people with a particular gene variant performed more than 20 percent worse on a driving test than people with a different DNA sequence. That may explain why there are so many bad drivers out there because about 30% of Americans have the variant. Dr. Steven Cramer, who led the study published in the journal Cerebral Cortex said, "These people make more errors from the get-go, and they forget more of what they learned after time away." Ironically, the research team had not set out to discover insights into driving but chose the driving test because it uses common skills. Cramer said he'd love to do new research and find out how many people involved in car crashes have the gene variant. (Reuters)
Don't Pull This Lever! - It was a rookie mistake -- but a big one. A novice pilot was doing aerobatic maneuvers when he accidentally pulled on the black and yellow emergency handle between his legs. That's not the emergency brake. Nope-- that's the ejector lever and our boy suddenly found himself shooting 100 meters into the air by the plane's rocket-powered emergency chair. This all went down in near Cape Town, South Africa, and authorities have not released the pilot's name. But they did say he's lucky to be alive. The lever is fitted as standard in the Pilatus PC-7 Mk II jets to allow pilots and their passengers to eject from the aircraft in the event of an emergency. The pilot floated back down to Earth on a parachute which opened automatically. (Daily Telegraph)
Gandalf Blamed For New Trend of Bible Defacing! - Any Lord of the Rings fan is familiar with Sir Ian McKellen who plays Gandalf. And it seems his penchant for ripping out pages of the Bibles he finds in hotel rooms has caught on. Fans have started sending him sections of text they've removed from hotel bibles. McKellen is openly gay and has admitted to tearing out a section of Leviticus, which condemns homosexuality, whenever he finds the good book in hotel suites. It now seems his small-scale vandalism has inspired others to do the same. In an interview with Details magazine Sir Ian says, "I'm not proudly defacing the book, but it's a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible. I received a package of 40 of those pages that had been torn out by a married couple I know. They put them on a bit of string so that I could hang it up in the bathroom." (WENN News)
How Great Thou Art! - Amazing what some people consider as art and are willing to pay a pretty penny for. At Christie's Auction House in New York City, London artist Gavin Turk recently sold an empty, nondescript cardboard box-- about the size of an ordinary moving-company box -- for a whopping $16,000! It was actually a sculpture designed to look exactly like an empty, nondescript cardboard box. I think I may have just figured out a new way to replace all the money I lost in my 401K! (New York Post)
TOP FIVE SIGNS YOU ATE WAY TOO MUCH HALLOWEEN CANDY
You've got enough love handles for 8 people to lift you at the same time
Those Bandaids you're wearing because of the candy wrapper cuts
You're breaking out in pimples that look like Milk Duds
Those $100,000 bar burps
You re-wallpapered the bathroom in Baby Ruth wrappers
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Lindsay Lohan says her father should be "behind bars"... and Lindsay, while we're on the subject, you should stay out of them.
These days, what happens in Vegas doesn't just not stay in Vegas. They turn it into a C.S.I. episode!
It was a typical Monday: got up, checked the winning lottery numbers, ripped up my tickets, went to work...
President Obama has approved a new plan to pay members of the Taliban to switch sides and support the United States. If this works, he'll try the same plan with members of FOX news.
I've talked to quite a few people who just weren't that into Halloween. To those, I'd like to just say one thing: Boo Humbug!
Time already to take down the Halloween decorations and put up the Veterans' Day lights!
Washington Democrats have unveiled their new 2,000-page healthcare reform bill. Ironically, it covered every kind of injury except for those sustained while trying to life the 2,000-page healthcare reform bill.
I hate the week after Halloween. Every day for lunch: Snickers sandwiches!
GERM ALERT
Swine Flu season is here. Take this quiz to see how "germ-free" you are:
You use public restrooms. - 3 points
You wash you hands afterwards + 3 points
You open the door with your bare hand - 3 points (That is where the germs are)
You open the door with the paper towel you dried with then toss it. +3 points
Given the choice of a row of stalls you take the farthest from the door. - 3 points (that is the germiest)
You use the stall closest to the door. +3 points (That is the cleanest)
You wash your hands for at least 10 seconds under running water. -3 points
You wash you hands for at least 20 seconds. +3 points (minimum time under running water to kill germs)
You use hot water while washing your hands. -3! Points (Hot water will cause you to wash for a shorter duration, and only boiling water kills germs)
Showering after a workout at the gym you wear flips flops or shower shoes. +3 points
You do not wear shower shoes or flip flops. -3 points (Bad germs there... bad)
You friend brings over his new dog and he gives you a big lick / kiss. -3 points (The myth of the dogs tongue being cleaner than ours is well. A myth!)
You fend off the dogs kiss and settle for a pat on the head. +3 points (Statistically the dogs head has the least germs. It is the part he can't lick!)
Your score means?
If you scored in the negative numbers you should head to the closest decontamination shower immediately!
If you scored in the positive numbers you are fairly clean and worthy of a hug! Uh but make sure that person scored in the positive numbers first!
TOP FIVE WORST IDEAS FOR A PARTY GAME
Bobbing for Piranhas
Dodge Darts
Ultimate Full-Contact Yahtzee
Spear Catching
Chainsaw Juggling
Now…ROCK NEWS……
BON JOVI TO PLAY BERLIN WALL EVENT NEXT WEEK…Bon Jovi has signed on to perform at the 20th anniversary celebration for the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany on November 9th. Billboard.com reports that the New Jersey rockers will play the new single, "We Weren't Born to Follow," live at the event -- a fitting song for the occasion. Jon Bon Jovi says he wrote a fan letter to the German government "about how we've had such a relationship with Germany for all these years and how relevant the song is to the situation and how I was there chipping away a piece of the wall 20 years ago when it came down." Shortly afterwards, he got a response with an invitation to perform. Bon Jovi says, "They heard the lyric and got it and said 'yeah. It's a pretty big deal."
The Berlin Wall event is one of many scheduled performances for Bon Jovi this month. With the group's new album, The Circle, coming out next Tuesday (November 10th), there's a flurry of activity. Things will get underway with a performance tomorrow (November 4th) in London, which will air on NBC's Today show. Expect to see Bon Jovi on Today every Wednesday this month. Also coming up are visits to Inside The Actors' Studio, The Tonight Show, The Jay Leno Show, Saturday Night Live and NBC Nightly News. It's part of a special Artist In Residency deal with NBC.
ELTON JOHN HOSPITALIZED WITH E. COLI BACTERIAL INFECTION AND FLU…Elton John has been hospitalized in London after suffering from E. coli bacterial infection and the flu, according to The Associated Press. Elton, who has already postponed shows in England and Ireland, has also postponed stops with Billy Joel in Seattle and Portland. While leaving the hospital, his partner David Furnish was quoted buy The Daily Mail as saying, "He's OK -- he's fine."
A message posted on Eltonjohn.com reads in part: "All patrons who have purchased tickets for the Face 2 Face concerts on Wednesday, November 4th, and Saturday, November 7th at the Key Arena, Seattle and on Tuesday, November 10th at Rose Garden Arena, Portland are being asked to hold on to their tickets until more information is available regarding the proposed rescheduled engagement... Organizers of the events are working to establish new dates." According to online sources, the dates will be rescheduled sometime next month.
Elton John and Billy Joel's Saturday (November 14th) show at Oakland's Oracle Arena is expected to go on as scheduled.
PAUL McCARTNEY, THE BEE GEES, PAUL RODGERS, AND MICHAEL BOLTON RECORD CHARITY SINGLE???...According to several sources, Paul McCartney has recently teamed up with the Bee Gees, Paul Rodgers, and soft-rock crooner Michael Bolton for a new charity single recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Examiner.com posted that Richard Porter of beatlesinlondon.com claimed that the song might possibly be released to raise money for the Live Aid charity, adding, "Rumor has it they're doing a Beatles song. There are loads of security guys at the studio and a guy working there told my staff at the Beatles Coffee Shop that Paul was there."
According to The Sun, the all-star vocalists are recording the song, "We Will Remember Them," which will benefit Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion. The song will supposedly become available for download on November 8th in honor of Remembrance Sunday.
ROGER DALTREY KEEPING CHECK OF HIS SODIUM LEVELS ON TOUR…Roger Daltrey has been paying serious attention to his health while out on the road for his current Use It Or Lose It solo tour. As many fans remember, during the Who's massive road trek in 2006/2007 behind their Endless Wire album, Daltrey fell ill numerous times with what many believed was a near-chronic bronchial infection.
In truth, Daltrey's condition was far worse than a simple illness, he had depleted nearly all of his body's sodium, which he now monitors constantly: "I was just completely wiped. My body temperature was going up and down all over the place, and my thyroid... I just went for a blood test and everything was out -- and there was no sodium. I mean, it was like, 'woo.' They were going to hospitalize me, I wouldn't let them. 'Cause that would've been like a prison to me. If I do any intensive work where I sweat, yeah, I take it immediately. Y'know ignorance is wonderful isn't it -- or not so wonderful when it catches you up (laughs)!" )
Daltrey not only is constantly on top of his sodium levels, but aware that this has been a lifelong problem which -- luckily -- hit rock bottom and probably saved his life: "I take hydrolytes all the time now. From that final crunch when it came -- and it was quite violent -- I didn't know how bad and serious that can be. I suddenly thought back on it and I've had this problem for years, where I gradually got run down on a tour -- and of course didn't understand that that's what it was. And of course now I'm older and the body doesn't recover quite so quickly. It manifested itself on the last marathon Who tour and boy did it lay me low. I'm still recovering from it basically."
Daltrey performs tonight (November 3rd) at Cleveland's House of Blues. He'll be on tour through the end of the month.
STEPHEN STILLS SAYS THERE'S PLENTY TO BE BE RELEASED FROM HIS SOLO VAULTS…Stephen Stills says that he's astounded by the amount of quality unreleased solo material gathering dust in his solo vaults. Stills shed some light on some of the material he's eying to be his next archival project: "There is a host of things that was recorded around the time of the second Stephen Stills record. My God, there's just a couple of things that just thrilled me. But there's outtakes and alternate takes, and songs that didn't make the cut that are still sittin' there in the vault. And except for one particular brand of tape -- everything just plays beautifully."
Stephen Stills 2 was released on June 30th, 1971
Stills has just released the live set Live At Shepherd's Bush, which was recorded in London during the fall of 2008. The album features acoustic and full electric band sets, including classics from his work with the Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Manassas, along with his own solo work. Highlights include: "4 + 20," "Johnny's Garden," "Change Partners," "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Rock & Roll Woman," "Bluebird," "For What It's Worth," and "Love The One You're With," among others.
PAUL STANLEY PROUD KISS IS CONSIDERED A VINTAGE ROCK ACT…Paul Stanley says that he feels no shame in Kiss being lumped in with other vintage, or classic rock acts -- in fact, the band is thrilled with the fact that they're now spanning there different generations with their music and bombastic live shows.
Stanley, who's out on the road with Kiss in support of their first album in a decade, called Sonic Boom, told blabbermouth.net, "I'm proud to be in the category of classic rock bands -- what's better than the word 'classic?' Are you kidding? If you want to call LED ZEPPELIN a classic rock band and then you want to call us a classic rock band, I'm not fighting. If I'm going to be lumped in with anybody, let me be lumped in with my heroes. That doesn't preclude you from being current. It means that you have a solid history and a foundation, which most bands will never achieve because they won't survive that long."
Stanley is amazed at how quickly the time has flown since the band started: "It really has gone by in the blink of an eye. It's staggering to have 35 years behind the band. And all the excitement, and the challenges, the victories, the soap operas -- everything. And yet it seems, y'know, like the blink of an eye."
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Thursday - July 16, 2009 -
Welcome to the Blog -
Whether we know it or not, each of us lives a life governed by an internalized code of conduct. Some call it morality, others call it religion. I call it “The Bro Code”. It’s my hope that, with a better understanding of the Code, Bros the world over can put aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. It is then, and only then, that we might work together as one to accomplish perhaps the most important challenge society faces – getting laid.
- Barney Stinson – The Bro Code –
THE BRO CODE – Article # 26
A Bro will, in a timely manner, alert his Bro to the existence of a girl fight. A Bro must never hesitate before communicating the possibility of fisticuffs between two humans of the female variety [[HENCEFORTH "GIRL FIGHT"]], in an effort to make possible and probable that another Bro or Bros can partake in observation. A timely manner is open to interpretation based on the initial Bro's viewing and processing of the potential feminine conflagration. Said Bro must use any and all methods of media distribution at his disposal, including but not limited to: telecommunications, elbow nudging, fiber optics, the Broney express, and postcards. If an informed Bro is unable to witness the girl fight firsthand, the spotter Bro is responsible for documenting and relating details of the girl fight via pictures, video*, or barring any other reasonable method, interpretive dance and/or pantomime. Tabling Bro obligations to witness a XX chromosomal scuffle is not only condoned, but encouraged, and in some cases, required. Please refer to the Brobligation rubric as elucidated in AMENDMENT 83: "The REALLY hot sister and other hump trumps."
ON THIS DAY
On this date in 1439, the British government tried to stop an epidemic by passing a law that made it against the law to kiss. Most citizens felt the same way: "Oh yeah? Well kiss this!"
The kissing law paved the way for the bumper sticker, "I'll give up kissing when you pry my lips off my cold dead face." Needless to say, it never caught on.
In 1935, the very first parking meter appeared on a street in Oklahoma City. Before the day was over, three horses had received tickets.
On this date in 1951, J.D. Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye" is published. That's a baseball book, right? Why is the catcher in the rye?
TODAY IS
Will Ferrell turns 42 today. Critics predict his birthday party will be tired and predictable.
Michael Flatley turns 51 today. He's known as "the Lord of the Dance"... not to be confused with Jonathan Knight who you, of course, know as the "Lord of the Dense"!
Stewart Copeland celebrates his 57th birthday. He's with Sting and the Police... professionally known as "one of the other two guys."
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Senator Ted Kennedy's memoirs will be published with a deluxe edition available for $1,000 a book!
Elizabeth Taylor, 77, is reportedly in hospital in Los Angeles after the death of her close pal Michael Jackson left her emotionally drained.
Ukraine's Culture Ministry says it has banned Sacha Baron Cohen's new hit movie, "Bruno," because it's immoral.
Should get word this week about a possible end of August All-Star concert in London, to honor Michael Jackson's birthday.
Debbie Rowe is said to be considering her legal pursuit of Michael Jackson's kids... for somewhere between $3 million and $5 million.
Russell Brand will be back in September to host the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
He died over a year ago, but George Carlin's final book, "Last Words," will come out this fall.
Robert Redford married his German girlfriend over the weekend in her home country. First time he's been married since his divorce in 1985.
Now there are report's that the L.A. police are treating Michael Jackson's death as a possible murder. More to come.
Things that make you go…hmmm…(or WHAT THE #@*&) –
- The old cliche says no, but new research shows that how you spend money can influence how happy you are. A Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study revealed that 57% felt much happier after splurging on an experience like a vacation or theater tickets than after spending big on a material item like jewelry or clothing. This may be because the memory of a positive experience gets better with time, while material possessions eventually get old. Next time you're ready to dish out some dough, consider a trip to the Bahamas rather than that pearl necklace you've been eyeing you'll thank yourself in the long run.
- Men, you better watch out. Once women feel secure in their relationships, their sex drive plummets. Just four years into a relationship is enough to make a woman's libido wane, according to researchers at Hamburg-Eppendorf University in Germany, who found in a study of 520 men and women that less than half of 30-year-old women wanted regular sex. Specifically, they found that at the beginning of the relationship, 60% of the women wanted sex "often," but four years later less than 50% wanted it. After 20 years in a relationship, just 20% wanted to have sex often. The opposite is true for men. No matter how long they are in a relationship with the same woman, 60 to 80% of men still want to have sex often with her.
What do you think is most likely to make a marriage fail? According to a new a study by researchers from the Australian National University, here are some of the worst things for marriage
- A husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
- One-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.
- Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.
- 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.
- Partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
- Couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.
WEIRD NEWS
Bridal Bouquet of Disaster! - It seemed like a grand idea at the time, but a romantic wedding in the Tuscan countryside ended with injuries after an attempt to drop the bride's bouquet from a plane! While the bride was not onboard the small ultralight plane, the pilot and his passenger were supposed to launch the bridal bouquet from high in the air where it would fall to the anxious bride's maids below. Unfortunately the bouquet got caught in the aircraft's rear rotor causing the plane to crash near a youth hostel. The pilot was slightly injured while the passenger who threw the bouquet had several broken bones. (myway.com)
Getting Our Priorities Straight - Struggling in the downward economy? Well if you're a Huskies fan, there's help for you. The University of Washington just finished up a two-month campaign of compassion to help out people hurt by the downturn in the economy. Fans of UW's football team who lost their jobs or were otherwise financially unable to renew their Huskies' season tickets were able tap into a special philanthropic fund. They would then receive a $500 tax-deductible gift from "Dawgs Supporting Dawgs" which would permit a hard-hit fan to maintain his place on the priority season-ticket list. Unfortunately charity does come at a price. If you ended up on the Dawgs Supporting Dawgs list, your seats this year will be in an inferior location. (Seattle Times)
People Get Paid For This? - For some reason, researchers from Cleveland State University found it necessary to study and analyze the physical traits of 195 female characters from the first 20 James Bond films. The published journal article revealed that more Bond girls are brunette than blond and that at least 90 percent were young, slim and of above-average looks. Wow -- we had no idea! (Daily Telegraph)
People Get Paid For This Part Deux! - This summer, a branch of the National Institutes of Health actually awarded a $423,000 grant to the Kinsey Institute to find out -- are you ready for this-- why men seem to prefer not to use condoms during sex. During an ABC News story about the grant, a sex-advice blogger was interviewed and he suggested, free of charge we might add, that it's because the condom reduces sexual sensation. (ABC News)
I Can't Understand Why I'm So Fat! - 42-year-old Anna Ryan of Blue Springs, Missouri had a real mystery on her hands. As silly as it sounds, she just couldn't figure out why she got so fat. She was completely baffled as to why for many years her normal 140 pounds sometimes ballooned to as much as 260 despite her consistently rigorous diet and exercise regimen. Then the surprising truth came out. Sleep tests revealed that she had a very unusual eating disorder. Turns out Ms. Ryan was a sleepwalker whose routine included as many as eight kitchen visits a night in which she gorged herself. Yet the next morning she would have no memory of doing this. (Daily Mail)
Family Secrets - In Montreal, Quebec, the courts have ordered the Cinemas Guzzo theater to pay a woman $10,000 for violating her family's privacy. Turns out that they searched both the woman's and her daughter's purses looking for video equipment that could illegally record a movie. Well, they found no video equipment, but they did find the teenaged daughter's birth control pills, which the mother and the daughter both later admitted would have been better left unrevealed to each other. (CTV News)
T. Bone Pickens A Thief? - T. Bone Pickens has found himself on the business end of a lawsuit because a man from Holdenville, Oklahoma say Pickens is responsible for the work crews who pulled up to the driveway of the man's home, and cut out a slab containing Pickens' signature, and then drove off. The 3-by-5-foot concrete slab was then taken to the Pickens ranch in Texas. The victim, David McCart said, "I was in shock and started talking to my neighbors. I couldn't imagine who would actually come and cut my driveway out or when it had happened." Turns out the small section of cement was removed recently when Pickens was in town to inspect enhancements to a family plot at the Holdenville cemetery. It seems that back in 1946 as a youngster, Pickens scratched his name in the cement driveway of his grandmother's house, now owned by McCart. Pickens has frequently checked on the house when he visited Oklahoma. McCart says the signature was one of the main reasons he bought the house. (The OK News)
No More Bruno in Text Books - One thing about that Sascha Baron Cohen -- he always manages to get the entire world stirred up. Education officials in Germany have ordered a character called Bruno in a new children's book to be renamed Aydan. They don't want any kids' books with a character having the same name as Sacha Baron Cohen's Nazi-praising Austrian journalist Bruno from the comedian's new movie. They also wanted something that would not offend the Muslim community, and so chose the Turkish name Aydan. A local council spokesman said, "We want this book to appeal to as many people as possible and be as accessible as possible as the themes and subjects addressed in it are important to everyone." (Ananova)
TOP FIVE POSSIBLE SEQUELS TO THE LATEST HARRY POTTER MOVIE
1. "Harry Potter and the National League finally Win the All-Star Game"
2. "Harry Potter and the half blood Prince Fielder"
3. "Harry Potter and the half blood artist formerly known as Prince"
4. "Harry Potter and the half blood bank prince"
5. "Harry Potter and the half blood Prince Michael 1 & 2"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
I'm waiting for someone to develop something that writes Twitter stuff for you. Then again, they'll probably ban 'artificial tweeteners'
This year's edition of the American classic had a very interesting moment... when the 9th inning rolled around, the National League called time out and manager Joe Maddon ran up into the stands and asked President Obama for a federal bailout.
Pet Airways began flying this week: the first airline for pets only! They really move their tail for you and, well, for most anyone.
Seats are available in two categories: First class and kennel.
TOP 10 MOST OUTRAGEOUS CAR OPTIONS
Hagerty Insurance researched dozens of these unheard of inventions to create a list of the top 10 quirkiest options ever invented for the automobile.
Automotive Swamp Cooler -- These were popular from the late 1940s through the 1950s to help cool the interior of cars before air conditioning systems became readily available. Swamp coolers were available through the aftermarket and attached to one of the car's windows. These are highly collectible now and are commonly seen at vintage car shows.
Highway Hi-Fi (16 2/3 LP Player) -- Developed in 1955 and offered as an option on 1956 Chrysler models, the Highway Hi-Fi had one big drawback: Drive over even the smallest of bumps, slam on the brakes or take a corner fast, and it would skip.
Destroilet -- An optional "Destroilet" gas incinerator-type toilet was available for early 1960s Dodge motor homes, which was meant to simplify waste disposal. After use, when the top lid was closed, a small, thick metal lid would also close over the well at the bottom. A jet of burning gas would incinerate the solid waste and vaporize the liquid.
Electric Shaver -- An electric shaver that was powered by the vehicle's electrical system was developed by aftermarket automotive suppliers in the 1940s and was an available factory option for a 1957 Chevrolet.
Automatic Lit Cigarette Dispenser -- As a "safety" item, this was an aftermarket accessory designed to eliminate the distractions of lighting a cigarette while motoring down the road. Unveiled in the late 1940s, it was attached to the steering wheel.
Steam Pressure Cooker -- This accessory mounted to the rear bumper to cook food while motoring down the road. It routed exhaust gases through the inner chambers of the cooker to provide the heat to cook the food. Yum!
Steering Wheel Watch -- In 1958, a steering wheel-mounted watch was available on DeSotos.
Trafficators -- Back in the days before flashing turn signals, a driver would flip a switch on the dash and a lit semaphore arm would swing out of a panel on the appropriate side of the car and signal the driver's intention to turn.
Swivel Seats -- These seats, available on a '59 Chrysler, would automatically swivel out as the door opened to make it easier for the passenger to exit the automobile.
Talking Car -- In the early 1980s, the Chrysler LeBaron talked. It would say phrases such as "Your door is ajar" and "All monitored systems functioning." If you followed the command of "Please fasten your seatbelt," it would promptly reply with "Thank you!"
On to ROCK NEWS –
MAN WHO LEAKED GUNS N' ROSES TRACKS GETS PROBATION…Kevin Cogill, the 28-year-old blogger who leaked nine songs from the Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy months before its release, has been sentenced by a federal judge to a year's probation, according to Billboard.com. Cogill will also serve two months of home confinement, must subject his computers to government scrutiny, and will record a public service announcement for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Cogill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of copyright infringement earlier this year, saying that he posted the tracks to promote the band.
Cogill claimed to have received the nine songs from a source inside the band's label, Universal Music. The posting of the tracks caused his website to crash as thousands of fans tried to download them.
He removed the songs from the site shortly after posting them, after receiving a warning from representatives for the group, but he was nevertheless arrested by federal agents a short time later.
A federal prosecutor asked Judge Paul Abrams to sentence Cogill to some prison time, but the judge said he felt Cogill had learned his lesson.
Meanwhile, Cogill told MTV.com that he was offended by comments that former Guns guitarist Slash made in the wake of Cogill's arrest. Cogill explained, "A friend of mine conducted an interview with Slash last year in which he called me a thief and wished that I 'rot in jail.' I found that surprisingly crass, especially considering the guy has made no bones about shoplifting cassette tapes with the same rationale as today's downloaders."
Cogill, however, did admit he has learned the error of his ways and is sorry for any distress he caused Guns singer Axl Rose, saying, "I've come to respect the artists' right to determine how their art is released. I do apologize to Axl for that disrespect . . . in a fair world, it's not my place to judge, let alone act."
Guns N' Roses issued Chinese Democracy as a Best Buy exclusive last November after a wait of more than 15 years. The album has sold disappointingly, with both the band's Greatest Hits collection and 1987 debut, Appetite For Destruction, selling more copies in the last week alone. A lack of touring, as well as virtually no promotion from sole original member Rose, has been blamed for the record's failure.
FLEA PLAYING ON SLASH SOLO ALBUM…Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is the latest musician to make a guest appearance on the upcoming solo album from Slash, according to the top-hatted guitarist himself. The Velvet Revolver and one-time Guns N' Roses axeman wrote in an online post, "(ex-Guns drummer) Steven Adler played on the first of the last three tracks yesterday, along with Flea on bass. The song kicks ass and the drums and bass sound so recognizable and sound so f***ing good. Steven is staying clean, which is great; Flea is just amazing, period."
Slash wrote that he, Flea and Adler all met in West Hollywood years ago, adding, "We had a great time reminiscing about when we all first started playing rock and roll and how school didn't fit into the plan. We were like 15."
Slash also mentioned that another former Guns bandmate, guitarist Izzy Stradlin, has played on a track for the album, saying, "It was good to see him; it's been awhile. Our guitars together really do have a sound all their own."
Although Slash has not officially confirmed other guests on the album, reported guest vocalists include Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Iggy Pop, Fergie and Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows.
Slash has been recording the album, which he hopes to release later this year, with ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and former Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese as his rhythm section.
Slash also mentioned that he did the scoring for an upcoming film called This Is Not A Movie, starring Edward Furlong and Peter Coyote. The film does not yet have a release date.
Velvet Revolver is currently searching for a replacement for singer Scott Weiland, who was dismissed in April 2008.
ALICE IN CHAINS PREVIEWS NEW ALBUM IN LOS ANGELES…Alice In Chains fans and members of the press heard the band's upcoming album, Black Gives Way To Blue, in its entirety at a private listening party in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (July 14th). Following the playback over a PA system, the band itself performed a three-song acoustic set, opening with 1992's "Down In A Hole" before playing two songs from the new album -- "Your Decision" and the title track -- live for the first time ever. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell thanked the audience for coming, saying, "It's been a long road to get here, man. There's a lot of miles to go."
On first listen at Hollywood's Montalban Theatre, Alice In Chains' first new record in 14 years seemed to encompass both extremes of the band's sound. Monster rockers like "A Looking In View" and the psychedelic "Check My Brain" were balanced out by softer numbers like the melancholy title track and "Your Decision," which could have easily found its way onto one of the band's acoustic EPs such as Jar Of Flies.
The song "Black Gives Way To Blue" is an emotional tribute to original singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002 after a long struggle with drugs.
Cantrell told us that coming back together as a band was made easier by taking it one step at a time: "Losing Layne was such a huge thing, without a doubt, and such a challenge to even consider this, and if we had looked at the big picture early on, it never would have happened. We just kept looking a little bit down the road and a little bit down the road and here we are. And it's kind of like I don't even want to turn around and look behind us and see how far we've come, man. We've come a long way in the last couple of years, you know. I just want to keep looking ahead at the next step."
Singer and guitarist William DuVall joined Alice In Chains when they officially regrouped for a 2006 tour and now shares lead vocals with Cantrell. He makes his recording debut with the band on this album.
Alice In Chains will release Black Gives Way To Blue on September 29th.
Cell phones and cameras were not allowed into the listening party to avoid any leaks of the album.
Alice In Chains will play this Saturday (July 18th) in Detroit as guests of Kid Rock, and at California's new Epicenter festival on August 22nd, before starting a round of North American tour dates on September 4th in Washington D.C.
JOURNEY CLASSIC BECOMES FIRST DOUBLE-PLATINUM DOWNLOAD…Journey's 1981 hit "Don't Stop Believing" has made the history books nearly 30 years after its release by becoming the first catalog digital track to reach 2 million downloads, according to Sound Scan. The band's official site journeymusic.com posted that the song -- which is also the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history -- was first made available as a digital download on April 28th, 2003.
Following its use in the closing scene and end credits for the series finale of HBO's The Sopranos in June 2007, download sales iTunes sales of "Don't Stop Believing" jumped an astounding 482 percent between for the period from June 9th -- the night before The Sopranos' finale -- through Tuesday, June 12th.
"Don't Stop Believing," was the second single from Journey's chart-topping 1981 Escape album, and peaked at Number Eight on the Billboard singles charts.
Neal Schon, who wrote the song with bandmates Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, admits that he's not a fan of a lot of today's music: "A lot of it I don't get. Musically, I don't understand what it's about. I mean, I sort of get it, but I don't like it. The musicians need to come back, and the music needs to get back to where it should be--not so much, you know, what you wear, and what color your hair is, and all this trendy crap."
Journey performs tonight (July 16th) in Walker, Minnesota at the Moondance Jam Festival Grounds.
PETER FRAMPTON TEAMS UP WITH MOTOWN'S FUNK BROTHERS ON NEW ALBUM…Peter Frampton was able to play out a life-long dream by enlisting the help of Motown's legendary house band the Funk Brothers to play on a track called "The Invisible Man" from his upcoming, yet-to-be titled new album. The song not only features the famed sidemen -- but was actually inspired by their history.
Frampton says that he the band tracked the song live in the studio just like all the old Motown classics: "I said, 'I'm gonna write a track -- will you play with me on the next record?' It was a mutual thing, we really enjoyed working together and I was thrilled about that. The day couldn't have been better; we set it up just like they would've in Detroit -- we all played together. It was all live, even the tambourine was live. Spider (Webb) was the Motown drummer, Bob Babbitt on bass, Eddie Willis on guitar, and also we had Rob Jones who was also another Motown player as well."
The Funk Brothers are best known for being Motown's house band during the label's glory days in the '60s and performing on most of the hits for the label's biggest acts, including those for the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, among many others.
ROD STEWART BOX SET COMING IN SEPTEMBER…Rod Stewart will release a new 63-track box set called The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998 internationally on September 29th. Undercover.com.au reported that the collection, which features outtakes from his long stint at Warner Brothers records, includes such rarities as the demo of "Maggie Mae," alternate versions of "Sailing," "Tonight's The Night," "Hot Legs," "You Wear It Well," and an acoustic take of "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," among numerous alternate versions of other tracks.
A standout track on the set is a 1992 version of "In A Broken Dream," featuring David Gilmour on guitar, John Paul Jones on organ, Nick Lowe on bass, and Attractions drummer Pete Thomas.
Also included is "Innocent (The Killing Of Georgie Part III)" from 1977's Footloose and Fancy Free sessions which was a sequel to the previous year's "The Killing Of Georgie (Part I and II)," which chronicled the murder of a gay acquaintance of Stewart's in New York. Other highlights include unreleased covers such as Frankie Miller's "When I'm Away From You," Buddy Holly's 'Maybe Baby," Bob Dylan's "This Wheels On Fire" and of Oasis' 'Rocking Chair."
Stewart says that he recognized early on that it was his voice above anything else that drew fans to his music, both with the Faces and on his own: "I know that's what got people's attention. With my first couple albums, it wasn't necessarily my songwriting. It was my style of singing, and the odd cover versions I did on my first two albums -- the covers and the wide range of material that my voice would allow me to cover."
Rod Stewart kicks off his next series of dates on July 24th in Woodlands, Texas at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
Whether we know it or not, each of us lives a life governed by an internalized code of conduct. Some call it morality, others call it religion. I call it “The Bro Code”. It’s my hope that, with a better understanding of the Code, Bros the world over can put aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. It is then, and only then, that we might work together as one to accomplish perhaps the most important challenge society faces – getting laid.
- Barney Stinson – The Bro Code –
THE BRO CODE – Article # 26
A Bro will, in a timely manner, alert his Bro to the existence of a girl fight. A Bro must never hesitate before communicating the possibility of fisticuffs between two humans of the female variety [[HENCEFORTH "GIRL FIGHT"]], in an effort to make possible and probable that another Bro or Bros can partake in observation. A timely manner is open to interpretation based on the initial Bro's viewing and processing of the potential feminine conflagration. Said Bro must use any and all methods of media distribution at his disposal, including but not limited to: telecommunications, elbow nudging, fiber optics, the Broney express, and postcards. If an informed Bro is unable to witness the girl fight firsthand, the spotter Bro is responsible for documenting and relating details of the girl fight via pictures, video*, or barring any other reasonable method, interpretive dance and/or pantomime. Tabling Bro obligations to witness a XX chromosomal scuffle is not only condoned, but encouraged, and in some cases, required. Please refer to the Brobligation rubric as elucidated in AMENDMENT 83: "The REALLY hot sister and other hump trumps."
ON THIS DAY
On this date in 1439, the British government tried to stop an epidemic by passing a law that made it against the law to kiss. Most citizens felt the same way: "Oh yeah? Well kiss this!"
The kissing law paved the way for the bumper sticker, "I'll give up kissing when you pry my lips off my cold dead face." Needless to say, it never caught on.
In 1935, the very first parking meter appeared on a street in Oklahoma City. Before the day was over, three horses had received tickets.
On this date in 1951, J.D. Salinger's "Catcher In The Rye" is published. That's a baseball book, right? Why is the catcher in the rye?
TODAY IS
Will Ferrell turns 42 today. Critics predict his birthday party will be tired and predictable.
Michael Flatley turns 51 today. He's known as "the Lord of the Dance"... not to be confused with Jonathan Knight who you, of course, know as the "Lord of the Dense"!
Stewart Copeland celebrates his 57th birthday. He's with Sting and the Police... professionally known as "one of the other two guys."
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
Senator Ted Kennedy's memoirs will be published with a deluxe edition available for $1,000 a book!
Elizabeth Taylor, 77, is reportedly in hospital in Los Angeles after the death of her close pal Michael Jackson left her emotionally drained.
Ukraine's Culture Ministry says it has banned Sacha Baron Cohen's new hit movie, "Bruno," because it's immoral.
Should get word this week about a possible end of August All-Star concert in London, to honor Michael Jackson's birthday.
Debbie Rowe is said to be considering her legal pursuit of Michael Jackson's kids... for somewhere between $3 million and $5 million.
Russell Brand will be back in September to host the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards.
He died over a year ago, but George Carlin's final book, "Last Words," will come out this fall.
Robert Redford married his German girlfriend over the weekend in her home country. First time he's been married since his divorce in 1985.
Now there are report's that the L.A. police are treating Michael Jackson's death as a possible murder. More to come.
Things that make you go…hmmm…(or WHAT THE #@*&) –
- The old cliche says no, but new research shows that how you spend money can influence how happy you are. A Journal of Personality and Social Psychology study revealed that 57% felt much happier after splurging on an experience like a vacation or theater tickets than after spending big on a material item like jewelry or clothing. This may be because the memory of a positive experience gets better with time, while material possessions eventually get old. Next time you're ready to dish out some dough, consider a trip to the Bahamas rather than that pearl necklace you've been eyeing you'll thank yourself in the long run.
- Men, you better watch out. Once women feel secure in their relationships, their sex drive plummets. Just four years into a relationship is enough to make a woman's libido wane, according to researchers at Hamburg-Eppendorf University in Germany, who found in a study of 520 men and women that less than half of 30-year-old women wanted regular sex. Specifically, they found that at the beginning of the relationship, 60% of the women wanted sex "often," but four years later less than 50% wanted it. After 20 years in a relationship, just 20% wanted to have sex often. The opposite is true for men. No matter how long they are in a relationship with the same woman, 60 to 80% of men still want to have sex often with her.
What do you think is most likely to make a marriage fail? According to a new a study by researchers from the Australian National University, here are some of the worst things for marriage
- A husband who is nine or more years older than his wife is twice as likely to get divorced, as are husbands who get married before they turn 25.
- One-fifth of couples who have kids before marriage -- either from a previous relationship or in the same relationship -- having separated compared to just nine percent of couples without children born before marriage.
- Women who want children much more than their partners are also more likely to get a divorce.
- 16 percent of men and women whose parents ever separated or divorced experienced marital separation themselves compared to 10 percent for those whose parents did not separate.
- Partners who are on their second or third marriage are 90 percent more likely to separate than spouses who are both in their first marriage.
- Couples where one partner, and not the other, smokes are also more likely to have a relationship that ends in failure.
WEIRD NEWS
Bridal Bouquet of Disaster! - It seemed like a grand idea at the time, but a romantic wedding in the Tuscan countryside ended with injuries after an attempt to drop the bride's bouquet from a plane! While the bride was not onboard the small ultralight plane, the pilot and his passenger were supposed to launch the bridal bouquet from high in the air where it would fall to the anxious bride's maids below. Unfortunately the bouquet got caught in the aircraft's rear rotor causing the plane to crash near a youth hostel. The pilot was slightly injured while the passenger who threw the bouquet had several broken bones. (myway.com)
Getting Our Priorities Straight - Struggling in the downward economy? Well if you're a Huskies fan, there's help for you. The University of Washington just finished up a two-month campaign of compassion to help out people hurt by the downturn in the economy. Fans of UW's football team who lost their jobs or were otherwise financially unable to renew their Huskies' season tickets were able tap into a special philanthropic fund. They would then receive a $500 tax-deductible gift from "Dawgs Supporting Dawgs" which would permit a hard-hit fan to maintain his place on the priority season-ticket list. Unfortunately charity does come at a price. If you ended up on the Dawgs Supporting Dawgs list, your seats this year will be in an inferior location. (Seattle Times)
People Get Paid For This? - For some reason, researchers from Cleveland State University found it necessary to study and analyze the physical traits of 195 female characters from the first 20 James Bond films. The published journal article revealed that more Bond girls are brunette than blond and that at least 90 percent were young, slim and of above-average looks. Wow -- we had no idea! (Daily Telegraph)
People Get Paid For This Part Deux! - This summer, a branch of the National Institutes of Health actually awarded a $423,000 grant to the Kinsey Institute to find out -- are you ready for this-- why men seem to prefer not to use condoms during sex. During an ABC News story about the grant, a sex-advice blogger was interviewed and he suggested, free of charge we might add, that it's because the condom reduces sexual sensation. (ABC News)
I Can't Understand Why I'm So Fat! - 42-year-old Anna Ryan of Blue Springs, Missouri had a real mystery on her hands. As silly as it sounds, she just couldn't figure out why she got so fat. She was completely baffled as to why for many years her normal 140 pounds sometimes ballooned to as much as 260 despite her consistently rigorous diet and exercise regimen. Then the surprising truth came out. Sleep tests revealed that she had a very unusual eating disorder. Turns out Ms. Ryan was a sleepwalker whose routine included as many as eight kitchen visits a night in which she gorged herself. Yet the next morning she would have no memory of doing this. (Daily Mail)
Family Secrets - In Montreal, Quebec, the courts have ordered the Cinemas Guzzo theater to pay a woman $10,000 for violating her family's privacy. Turns out that they searched both the woman's and her daughter's purses looking for video equipment that could illegally record a movie. Well, they found no video equipment, but they did find the teenaged daughter's birth control pills, which the mother and the daughter both later admitted would have been better left unrevealed to each other. (CTV News)
T. Bone Pickens A Thief? - T. Bone Pickens has found himself on the business end of a lawsuit because a man from Holdenville, Oklahoma say Pickens is responsible for the work crews who pulled up to the driveway of the man's home, and cut out a slab containing Pickens' signature, and then drove off. The 3-by-5-foot concrete slab was then taken to the Pickens ranch in Texas. The victim, David McCart said, "I was in shock and started talking to my neighbors. I couldn't imagine who would actually come and cut my driveway out or when it had happened." Turns out the small section of cement was removed recently when Pickens was in town to inspect enhancements to a family plot at the Holdenville cemetery. It seems that back in 1946 as a youngster, Pickens scratched his name in the cement driveway of his grandmother's house, now owned by McCart. Pickens has frequently checked on the house when he visited Oklahoma. McCart says the signature was one of the main reasons he bought the house. (The OK News)
No More Bruno in Text Books - One thing about that Sascha Baron Cohen -- he always manages to get the entire world stirred up. Education officials in Germany have ordered a character called Bruno in a new children's book to be renamed Aydan. They don't want any kids' books with a character having the same name as Sacha Baron Cohen's Nazi-praising Austrian journalist Bruno from the comedian's new movie. They also wanted something that would not offend the Muslim community, and so chose the Turkish name Aydan. A local council spokesman said, "We want this book to appeal to as many people as possible and be as accessible as possible as the themes and subjects addressed in it are important to everyone." (Ananova)
TOP FIVE POSSIBLE SEQUELS TO THE LATEST HARRY POTTER MOVIE
1. "Harry Potter and the National League finally Win the All-Star Game"
2. "Harry Potter and the half blood Prince Fielder"
3. "Harry Potter and the half blood artist formerly known as Prince"
4. "Harry Potter and the half blood bank prince"
5. "Harry Potter and the half blood Prince Michael 1 & 2"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
I'm waiting for someone to develop something that writes Twitter stuff for you. Then again, they'll probably ban 'artificial tweeteners'
This year's edition of the American classic had a very interesting moment... when the 9th inning rolled around, the National League called time out and manager Joe Maddon ran up into the stands and asked President Obama for a federal bailout.
Pet Airways began flying this week: the first airline for pets only! They really move their tail for you and, well, for most anyone.
Seats are available in two categories: First class and kennel.
TOP 10 MOST OUTRAGEOUS CAR OPTIONS
Hagerty Insurance researched dozens of these unheard of inventions to create a list of the top 10 quirkiest options ever invented for the automobile.
Automotive Swamp Cooler -- These were popular from the late 1940s through the 1950s to help cool the interior of cars before air conditioning systems became readily available. Swamp coolers were available through the aftermarket and attached to one of the car's windows. These are highly collectible now and are commonly seen at vintage car shows.
Highway Hi-Fi (16 2/3 LP Player) -- Developed in 1955 and offered as an option on 1956 Chrysler models, the Highway Hi-Fi had one big drawback: Drive over even the smallest of bumps, slam on the brakes or take a corner fast, and it would skip.
Destroilet -- An optional "Destroilet" gas incinerator-type toilet was available for early 1960s Dodge motor homes, which was meant to simplify waste disposal. After use, when the top lid was closed, a small, thick metal lid would also close over the well at the bottom. A jet of burning gas would incinerate the solid waste and vaporize the liquid.
Electric Shaver -- An electric shaver that was powered by the vehicle's electrical system was developed by aftermarket automotive suppliers in the 1940s and was an available factory option for a 1957 Chevrolet.
Automatic Lit Cigarette Dispenser -- As a "safety" item, this was an aftermarket accessory designed to eliminate the distractions of lighting a cigarette while motoring down the road. Unveiled in the late 1940s, it was attached to the steering wheel.
Steam Pressure Cooker -- This accessory mounted to the rear bumper to cook food while motoring down the road. It routed exhaust gases through the inner chambers of the cooker to provide the heat to cook the food. Yum!
Steering Wheel Watch -- In 1958, a steering wheel-mounted watch was available on DeSotos.
Trafficators -- Back in the days before flashing turn signals, a driver would flip a switch on the dash and a lit semaphore arm would swing out of a panel on the appropriate side of the car and signal the driver's intention to turn.
Swivel Seats -- These seats, available on a '59 Chrysler, would automatically swivel out as the door opened to make it easier for the passenger to exit the automobile.
Talking Car -- In the early 1980s, the Chrysler LeBaron talked. It would say phrases such as "Your door is ajar" and "All monitored systems functioning." If you followed the command of "Please fasten your seatbelt," it would promptly reply with "Thank you!"
On to ROCK NEWS –
MAN WHO LEAKED GUNS N' ROSES TRACKS GETS PROBATION…Kevin Cogill, the 28-year-old blogger who leaked nine songs from the Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy months before its release, has been sentenced by a federal judge to a year's probation, according to Billboard.com. Cogill will also serve two months of home confinement, must subject his computers to government scrutiny, and will record a public service announcement for the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Cogill pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of copyright infringement earlier this year, saying that he posted the tracks to promote the band.
Cogill claimed to have received the nine songs from a source inside the band's label, Universal Music. The posting of the tracks caused his website to crash as thousands of fans tried to download them.
He removed the songs from the site shortly after posting them, after receiving a warning from representatives for the group, but he was nevertheless arrested by federal agents a short time later.
A federal prosecutor asked Judge Paul Abrams to sentence Cogill to some prison time, but the judge said he felt Cogill had learned his lesson.
Meanwhile, Cogill told MTV.com that he was offended by comments that former Guns guitarist Slash made in the wake of Cogill's arrest. Cogill explained, "A friend of mine conducted an interview with Slash last year in which he called me a thief and wished that I 'rot in jail.' I found that surprisingly crass, especially considering the guy has made no bones about shoplifting cassette tapes with the same rationale as today's downloaders."
Cogill, however, did admit he has learned the error of his ways and is sorry for any distress he caused Guns singer Axl Rose, saying, "I've come to respect the artists' right to determine how their art is released. I do apologize to Axl for that disrespect . . . in a fair world, it's not my place to judge, let alone act."
Guns N' Roses issued Chinese Democracy as a Best Buy exclusive last November after a wait of more than 15 years. The album has sold disappointingly, with both the band's Greatest Hits collection and 1987 debut, Appetite For Destruction, selling more copies in the last week alone. A lack of touring, as well as virtually no promotion from sole original member Rose, has been blamed for the record's failure.
FLEA PLAYING ON SLASH SOLO ALBUM…Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is the latest musician to make a guest appearance on the upcoming solo album from Slash, according to the top-hatted guitarist himself. The Velvet Revolver and one-time Guns N' Roses axeman wrote in an online post, "(ex-Guns drummer) Steven Adler played on the first of the last three tracks yesterday, along with Flea on bass. The song kicks ass and the drums and bass sound so recognizable and sound so f***ing good. Steven is staying clean, which is great; Flea is just amazing, period."
Slash wrote that he, Flea and Adler all met in West Hollywood years ago, adding, "We had a great time reminiscing about when we all first started playing rock and roll and how school didn't fit into the plan. We were like 15."
Slash also mentioned that another former Guns bandmate, guitarist Izzy Stradlin, has played on a track for the album, saying, "It was good to see him; it's been awhile. Our guitars together really do have a sound all their own."
Although Slash has not officially confirmed other guests on the album, reported guest vocalists include Ozzy Osbourne, Chris Cornell, Iggy Pop, Fergie and Avenged Sevenfold's M. Shadows.
Slash has been recording the album, which he hopes to release later this year, with ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney and former Nine Inch Nails drummer Josh Freese as his rhythm section.
Slash also mentioned that he did the scoring for an upcoming film called This Is Not A Movie, starring Edward Furlong and Peter Coyote. The film does not yet have a release date.
Velvet Revolver is currently searching for a replacement for singer Scott Weiland, who was dismissed in April 2008.
ALICE IN CHAINS PREVIEWS NEW ALBUM IN LOS ANGELES…Alice In Chains fans and members of the press heard the band's upcoming album, Black Gives Way To Blue, in its entirety at a private listening party in Los Angeles on Tuesday night (July 14th). Following the playback over a PA system, the band itself performed a three-song acoustic set, opening with 1992's "Down In A Hole" before playing two songs from the new album -- "Your Decision" and the title track -- live for the first time ever. Guitarist Jerry Cantrell thanked the audience for coming, saying, "It's been a long road to get here, man. There's a lot of miles to go."
On first listen at Hollywood's Montalban Theatre, Alice In Chains' first new record in 14 years seemed to encompass both extremes of the band's sound. Monster rockers like "A Looking In View" and the psychedelic "Check My Brain" were balanced out by softer numbers like the melancholy title track and "Your Decision," which could have easily found its way onto one of the band's acoustic EPs such as Jar Of Flies.
The song "Black Gives Way To Blue" is an emotional tribute to original singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002 after a long struggle with drugs.
Cantrell told us that coming back together as a band was made easier by taking it one step at a time: "Losing Layne was such a huge thing, without a doubt, and such a challenge to even consider this, and if we had looked at the big picture early on, it never would have happened. We just kept looking a little bit down the road and a little bit down the road and here we are. And it's kind of like I don't even want to turn around and look behind us and see how far we've come, man. We've come a long way in the last couple of years, you know. I just want to keep looking ahead at the next step."
Singer and guitarist William DuVall joined Alice In Chains when they officially regrouped for a 2006 tour and now shares lead vocals with Cantrell. He makes his recording debut with the band on this album.
Alice In Chains will release Black Gives Way To Blue on September 29th.
Cell phones and cameras were not allowed into the listening party to avoid any leaks of the album.
Alice In Chains will play this Saturday (July 18th) in Detroit as guests of Kid Rock, and at California's new Epicenter festival on August 22nd, before starting a round of North American tour dates on September 4th in Washington D.C.
JOURNEY CLASSIC BECOMES FIRST DOUBLE-PLATINUM DOWNLOAD…Journey's 1981 hit "Don't Stop Believing" has made the history books nearly 30 years after its release by becoming the first catalog digital track to reach 2 million downloads, according to Sound Scan. The band's official site journeymusic.com posted that the song -- which is also the top-selling catalog track in iTunes history -- was first made available as a digital download on April 28th, 2003.
Following its use in the closing scene and end credits for the series finale of HBO's The Sopranos in June 2007, download sales iTunes sales of "Don't Stop Believing" jumped an astounding 482 percent between for the period from June 9th -- the night before The Sopranos' finale -- through Tuesday, June 12th.
"Don't Stop Believing," was the second single from Journey's chart-topping 1981 Escape album, and peaked at Number Eight on the Billboard singles charts.
Neal Schon, who wrote the song with bandmates Steve Perry and Jonathan Cain, admits that he's not a fan of a lot of today's music: "A lot of it I don't get. Musically, I don't understand what it's about. I mean, I sort of get it, but I don't like it. The musicians need to come back, and the music needs to get back to where it should be--not so much, you know, what you wear, and what color your hair is, and all this trendy crap."
Journey performs tonight (July 16th) in Walker, Minnesota at the Moondance Jam Festival Grounds.
PETER FRAMPTON TEAMS UP WITH MOTOWN'S FUNK BROTHERS ON NEW ALBUM…Peter Frampton was able to play out a life-long dream by enlisting the help of Motown's legendary house band the Funk Brothers to play on a track called "The Invisible Man" from his upcoming, yet-to-be titled new album. The song not only features the famed sidemen -- but was actually inspired by their history.
Frampton says that he the band tracked the song live in the studio just like all the old Motown classics: "I said, 'I'm gonna write a track -- will you play with me on the next record?' It was a mutual thing, we really enjoyed working together and I was thrilled about that. The day couldn't have been better; we set it up just like they would've in Detroit -- we all played together. It was all live, even the tambourine was live. Spider (Webb) was the Motown drummer, Bob Babbitt on bass, Eddie Willis on guitar, and also we had Rob Jones who was also another Motown player as well."
The Funk Brothers are best known for being Motown's house band during the label's glory days in the '60s and performing on most of the hits for the label's biggest acts, including those for the Supremes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, the Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, and Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, among many others.
ROD STEWART BOX SET COMING IN SEPTEMBER…Rod Stewart will release a new 63-track box set called The Rod Stewart Sessions 1971-1998 internationally on September 29th. Undercover.com.au reported that the collection, which features outtakes from his long stint at Warner Brothers records, includes such rarities as the demo of "Maggie Mae," alternate versions of "Sailing," "Tonight's The Night," "Hot Legs," "You Wear It Well," and an acoustic take of "You're In My Heart (The Final Acclaim)," among numerous alternate versions of other tracks.
A standout track on the set is a 1992 version of "In A Broken Dream," featuring David Gilmour on guitar, John Paul Jones on organ, Nick Lowe on bass, and Attractions drummer Pete Thomas.
Also included is "Innocent (The Killing Of Georgie Part III)" from 1977's Footloose and Fancy Free sessions which was a sequel to the previous year's "The Killing Of Georgie (Part I and II)," which chronicled the murder of a gay acquaintance of Stewart's in New York. Other highlights include unreleased covers such as Frankie Miller's "When I'm Away From You," Buddy Holly's 'Maybe Baby," Bob Dylan's "This Wheels On Fire" and of Oasis' 'Rocking Chair."
Stewart says that he recognized early on that it was his voice above anything else that drew fans to his music, both with the Faces and on his own: "I know that's what got people's attention. With my first couple albums, it wasn't necessarily my songwriting. It was my style of singing, and the odd cover versions I did on my first two albums -- the covers and the wide range of material that my voice would allow me to cover."
Rod Stewart kicks off his next series of dates on July 24th in Woodlands, Texas at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion.
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Wednesday - July 15, 2009 -
Welcome to the Blog -
Whether we know it or not, each of us lives a life governed by an internalized code of conduct. Some call it morality, others call it religion. I call it “The Bro Code”. It’s my hope that, with a better understanding of the Code, Bros the world over can put aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. It is then, and only then, that we might work together as one to accomplish perhaps the most important challenge society faces – getting laid.
- Barney Stinson – The Bro Code –
THE BRO CODE – Article # 25
“A Bro should not swing his arms when he is walking.”
ON THIS DAY
It was on this date in 1815 that Napoleon was captured. It was a short arrest. In 1929, the first airport hotel opened up in Oakland, California. Of course, the big question: "Why on earth would you wanna stay there?" "The airport?" "No... Oakland!"
On this date in 1946, the comedy team of Martin and Lewis made its debut. I'm not positive, but I think it was Martin Van Buren and boxer Joe Louis... but I could be wrong.
In 1988, 20 years ago today, the first "Die Hard" movie hit theaters. Up until that time, "Yippe Eye Kye Ay" was such an innocent phrase.
TODAY IS
Wow, we've already hit the mid-way point of July!
90210 alum Brian Austin Green turns 36 today. He was big during those days when it seemed like every person on TV had three names. Malcomb Jamal Warner, Michael J Fox, Sears and Roebuck.
Forest Whitaker turns 48 today. He showed us once and for all that Idi Amin had nothing to do with Steve Lawrence.
Alicia Bridges turns 56 today. Remember Alicia? She's the one who loved the nightlife... who loved to boogie... on the disco... round...
Linda Ronstadt celebrates her 63rd birthday today. These days, it's more of a silver-blue bayou.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
• 41-year-old Molly Ringwald has given birth to twins, one of each.
• NBC put it's new "Parenthood" TV series on hold because star Maura Tierney was having "medical issues." Turns out that they discovered a tumor in one of her breasts and she'll require surgery.
• Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are no longer an item. They say Tony broke up with her the night before her 29th birthday.
• Neil Patrick Harris is everywhere. Now he's going to host the Emmy's in September.
• Eva Longoria Parker has confessed that she likes to be tied up during sex. The "Desperate Housewives" actress told Cosmopolitan she likes being restrained with silk scarves.
• Amy Winehouse is back in Britain and said to be looking pretty good... for Amy.
• In a new biography, author C. David Heymann alleges that Jackie Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy had a steamy affair from 1964 to 1968 that only ended when Bobby ran for president.
• "Star Trek" may not have wanted him, but the makers of a "T.J. Hooker" movie have asked William Shatner to make an appearance.
• An extract derived from the African mango, a fruit that is popular in West Africa, appears to inhibit body fat production and lowers cholesterol.
• Alana Stewart, one of Farah Fawcett's best friends, is going to publish a book about the actress, with proceeds going to Farah's Foundation.
• Free Press will release George Carlin's last book, "Last Words," in November. Carlin died in June, 2008 at age 71.
• This is the week Michael Jackson was supposed to re-launch his career in London. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the O2 stadium Monday night to remember him.
• Actor LeVar Burton was involved in a five-car accident in Los Angeles but wasn't seriously injured. Burton, 52, was in the TV miniseries "Roots" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
• Daughtry's second album, "This Town" hit music outlets yesterday.
• Emma Watson has signed on to star as a princess in a gothic musical reworking of "Cinderella," being written by Marilyn Manson.
• The Queen is going to visit Canada in 2010, it was announced this week.
• Delta is being sued because they won't offer larger sizes in flight attendant uniforms.
• Going through Michael Jackson's records, he had a serious over-spending problem. He owned 75 cars under his name and had monthly expenses of $2.3 million.
• Alex Rodriguez and Kate Hudson were spotted hanging out last weekend in Hollywood, in-between Yankee games.
Things that make you go..HMMMM….
a survey says the angriest drivers are in New York. Yes, the Big Apple ranks as the road rage capitol of America in a poll of motorists for the AutoVantage Road Rage Survey. Beating out 25 other metro areas, aggressive New York drivers took the number one spot by being tops at speeding, tailgating, cutting off other drivers and blowing up behind the wheel. Dallas-Fort Worth drivers were the second most aggressive, followed by motorists in Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Last year's leader Miami dropped to seventh place. Meanwhile, Portland and Cleveland boasted the nicest drivers, followed by Baltimore, Sacramento and Pittsburgh.
The next time your lady claims women are the cleaner sex, shake her up with the results of a new study. A whopping 85% of women polled confessed to donning dirty clothes, while 52% admitted to re-wearing underwear. And 43% of the ladies revealed they don't brush their teeth every night while nearly a third reported they don't bathe daily. Furthermore, at least 24% or 240 of the women surveyed by Glamour magazine revealed that they don't wash their hands every time they use the toilet, a rude gaffe that medical experts decry as both icky and unhealthy because dirty hands spread bacteria and viruses. Finally, 320 women or 32% revealed how they regularly risk contracting foot disease by walking barefoot in gyms.
Researchers explain a new study that these days men seem to prefer the average "homely" figures of the girl next door to the bombshell bodies of centerfolds. The researchers asked 100 male college students to rate 200 drawings of women's torsos and then compared the results with the vital statistics of eight different groups of women, including centerfolds, models and average gals. Surprisingly, they found that the most popular shape was a 5-foot 4-inch gal with a 30-inch waist and 40-inch hips which works out to be a size 12…(Who’s doing these studies???)
Do you Twitter? Is Twitter a waste of time? Is it worth getting your business on Twitter? Did you know, there's a new intern in town. It's called a "twintern." Pizza Hut hired a bunch of twinterms this summer. They'll spend much of the day on the free microblogging service Twitter sending out messages about special promotions, responding to customer complaints, and trolling Twitter for mentions of Pizza Hut.
We talked about the story of a Brooklyn grandma who got more than she'd bargained for when she rented a copy of "Austin Powers" from her local library. At the end of the VHS tape, she found it spliced with long pornographic scenes. Grandma, no! I'm shocked! Who else's grandma wanted to see Austin Powers? Hip grandma.
There's a Brüno debate happening over Twitter. Many people said the movie, "Brüno" would bring in $50 million on the first weekend. But it didn't happen. Brüno finished the weekend with a respectable $30.4 million. But, $20 million is a pretty big gap... what caused such an erroneous projection? Well, Time thinks Twitter is to blame. Critics say that instant-messaging can make or break a film within 24 hours. I saw quite a few messages on Twitter about how bad the movie was. Do you think a "Twitter Effect," can make or break a newly released film?
WEIRD NEWS
Sorry About the Last 20 Years Pop! - In Vancouver, Washington, Clyde Ray Spencer's two children, Matthew Spencer and Kathryn Tetz claimed their dad sexually molested them. But then they recanted their story and said he didn't. Problem is, they didn't recant until after dad had spent 20 YEARS IN PRISON! Matthew, now 33 and Kathryn, now 30, told the abuse story when they were 9 and 5. But Matthew now says he told retired detective Sharon Krause, of the Clark County Sheriff's Office that he had been abused just so she would stop questioning him. The daughter told Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis she could not remember the abuse described in police reports. After testifying, the children and their father hugged each other. The children had not spoken to their father for more than 20 years until lately. The father appealed his case after his lawyer learned that prosecutors withheld medical exams showing no evidence of sexual abuse of the children contrary to Krause's claims. Gov. Gary Locke commuted Spencer's sentence in 2004 and the former cop is on supervision as a sex offender for three years unless the court overturns his conviction which is now likely to happen. (AHN News)
Beer Bribe! - In Bar Harbor, Maine, a homeowner used a beer to entice an intoxicated intruder to leave his home. The homeowner awoke early Monday to find 22-year-old Scott Cote in the bedroom and used the beer to convince him to move on. Ironically, the beer was of the non-alcoholic variety. Police said they found Cote breaking into cars a short time later and arrested him after he fled into nearby woods. Excuse me but what exactly is the purpose of non-alcoholic beer. Does anybody actually drink the stuff regularly? (Bangor Daily News)
Heavy Metal Hero! - The folks who manage heavy metal supergroup Judas Priest said there was one Maple Heights, Ohio fan that they just had to meet. The man who claims he's listened to the latest Judas Priest album every single day for more than a year. 49-year-old Jim Bartek admits that's a lot of listening when you consider the album "Nostradamus" is an hour and 45 minutes long. But he says you can hear it over and over and always hear something new. Cleveland radio station WJCU has been tracking Bartek's streak since the 30th day, a month after the album was released in June 2008. Judas Priest played Cleveland last night and Bartek got a free third-row ticket. The band has released a statement thanking him for his support and met him after the show. (The Plain Dealer)
Who Impersonates a Priest? - In Philadelphia, a 26-year-old man was arrested for impersonating a priest after he visited a wounded police officer. Investigators said he posed as a Roman Catholic priest and entered a hospital's intensive care unit to visit Officer Richard Hayes. Officials from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said the one-time seminary student also attended funerals for slain officers and presented himself as part of the religious community but not a priest. Church officials call the matter deeply disturbing. Really??? As deeply disturbing as all the priests who molested little boys?? At least this guy wasn't really hurting anyone. (myway.com)
Hero of the Day - While you were busy complaining about the price of a gallon of gas, 46-year-old Rosemary Obiakor from Lagos, Nigeria, was busy winning the lottery and making the world a better place. Within an hour of receiving the $20,000 she won in the National Sports Lottery, she gave every penny to a very lucky street beggar. Rosemary said, "I have heard a lot of stories about how people win the lottery, and they get broke in the short run and come across a lot of misfortune. I am scared, and so I'll give it to a lucky beggar on the street." The lucky beggar was a homeless woman who was sitting on the side of the street with her two-year old baby. When Rosemary and a team of lottery executives handed the woman a bag full of cash, she screamed with delight, and hugged them all. She thanked her benefactor profusely and promised to start a food retail business immediately. But before she went away with her money she was seen giving handfuls of cash to other beggars on the street. (Ananova)
Green Planet Hoe House! - A legal brothel in Berlin is doing its part to keep the planet green and trying to drum up some extra business in a struggling economy. At the Maison d'envie brothel, customers who arrive on bicycles will get a discount! Owner and manager Thomas Goetz said, "The recession has hit our industry hard. Obviously we hope that the discount will attract more people. It's good for business, it's good for the environment, and it's good for the girls." He also added, "We have around three to five new customers coming in daily to take advantage of the discount and it's helped alleviate traffic and parking congestion in the neighborhood. Everybody wins! (Ananova)
TOP FIVE QUESTIONS CONGRESS HAD FOR SUPREME COURT NOMINEE SONIA SODOMAYOR
1. "If it had been up to, how would you have ruled -- Kris Allen or Adam Lambert?
2. "You have Latino roots... so, do you speak Latin?"
3. "Do you honestly believe George Lopez is funny?"
4. "How do you spell "Sodomayor"?"
5. "How do you spell "Sonia"?"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Natalie Portman has joined the cast of the movie about the comic book superhero, "Thor." OK, I have to say it: "Thor? Thor? I can barely thtand up!"
Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are done. Tony broke up with her in a cruel way. It was the old classic, "Go out for a pass. OK, keep going... keep going... keep going... "
I like how they introduced the American League last night at the All-Star game: "Ichiro at the plate, plus eight!"
OFFICIAL MAN'S SUMMER TIME RITUAL
It's time to review the official man's summer time ritual. Of course, this involves grilling food outdoors for a picnic at your place. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ, the following chain of events are put into motion:
1. The woman buys the food.
2. The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables and makes dessert.
3. The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill... beer in hand.
4. Here comes the important part: The man places the meat on the grill.
5. The woman goes inside to organize the plates and silverware.
6. The woman comes out to tell the man the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she'll bring him another beer while he deals with the situation.
7. Important again: The man takes the meat off the grill and hands it to the woman.
8. The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins and sauces and brings them to the table.
9. After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
10. Everyone praises the man and thanks him for his cooking efforts.
11. The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." Upon seeing her annoyed reaction, he concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.
On to ROCK NEWS –
BASSIST IS LATEST AEROSMITH MEMBER TO GO DOWN…Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton will sit out some dates on the band's current U.S. tour as he recuperates from non-invasive surgery, according to the group's publicist. Filling in for Hamilton will be David Hull, who played bass with the group in 2006 when Hamilton was recovering from throat cancer. It was not specified what kind of surgery Hamilton had, or whether it was related to his battle with cancer three years ago. Hamilton recently told us that he's been doing well: "Feeling good. Feeling really good, yeah. I've got to go in and get checked every now and then, but so far, so good. I'm going from six weeks to six weeks, so you know, I'm pretty sure I'm cool, but you never know. You might go in there and they'll say there's some kind of trouble going on."
Hamilton is the third member of Aerosmith to go down in the month since the band began its tour. First, guitarist Brad Whitford sat out the first few weeks of the trek after having surgery to relieve bleeding in his skull from a car injury. Then singer Steven Tyler apparently injured his leg onstage on June 29th, forcing the group to postpone its last seven shows, including weekend gigs in Florida.
The extent of Tyler's leg injury was revealed by drummer Joey Kramer in an interview with Philadelphia radio station WYSP earlier this week, where he told host Danny Bonaduce, "There's two big muscles in your legs, one's the quadricep, and he ripped that muscle. And it's painful, it hurts; for the first couple of days, he couldn't even stand up or walk or anything."
At press time, Aerosmith was scheduled to resume the tour on Wednesday night (July 15th) in Atlanta, with Whitford rejoining them.
ROLLING STONES UPDATE…Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor announced on iorr.org that he has canceled his upcoming North American dates posting: "It is with deep regret that I must announce that the U.S. and Canadian dates scheduled for July and August will have to be canceled, due to health concerns. During my stay in (the) hospital, my physicians have determined it would not be safe for me to travel at this time. I do hope to return to the U.S. and Canada in the future, to sing and play for you."
There has been no word given as to what Taylor's specific illness is.
Taylor replaced Brian Jones in the band in 1969 and went on to play on such classic albums as Let It Bleed, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street, Goats Head Soup, and It's Only Rock N' Roll, before quitting in 1975. Later that year Ron Wood toured with the Stones while still a member of the Faces, before joining full-time in 1976.
Britain's The Sun reported that Ron Wood's brother-in-law, artist Paul Karslake, has put a painting portraying Wood as a blood-sucking vampire after biting a woman's neck next up for sale on eBay. Karslake, who was inspired by the current HBO show True Blood, explained, "It shows Ronnie feeding off young girls... I don't hate the bloke, but I am very annoyed with him. Ron's a vampire, all those Rolling Stones guys are. They stay up all night and sleep all day."
Last year Wood dumped longtime wife Jo for 20-year-old Russian waitress Ekaterina Ivanova.
Check out Karslake's painting: http://tinyurl.com/mmf994
The Rolling Stones will reissue their 1993 greatest hits collection Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones 1971-1993 on August 18th. The set comes with a 12-page illustrated booklet featuring comments and observations by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards about the 18 tracks included.
The tracklisting for Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones 1971-1993 is: "Start Me Up," "Brown Sugar," "Harlem Shuffle," "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll," "Mixed Emotions," "Angie," "Tumbling Dice," "Fool To Cry," "Rock And A Hard Place," "Miss You," "Hot Stuff," "Emotional Rescue," "Respectable," "Beast Of Burden," "Waiting On A Friend," "Wild Horses, "Bitch," and "Undercover Of The Night."
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN EXTENDS TOUR THROUGH NOVEMBER…Bruce Springsteen has added 16 additional shows to his fall itinerary, including multi-night stops in New York City and Philadelphia. Pollstar.com reported that in addition to "The Boss's" previously scheduled fall dates, the E Street Band will now hit Nashville; Tampa and Sunrise, Florida; Greenville, South Carolina; Chicago; St. Louis; Kansas City, Missouri; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Auburn Hills, Michigan; and Milwaukee.
Springsteen says that after the E Street Band's first reunion tour in 1999 and 2000, he felt that it was important to reactivate the band on a semi-permanent level. Since then the band has played shows during eight of the past 10 years: "To go through the year-and-a-quarter, or whatever it was that we did, and to come out the other side with the band, I felt the band was more powerful than ever. And to have sort of re-found the band in the present -- you know, 'This is a job we have to continue to do, you know, and there's a job to be done' -- and then, also, to feel the way that the band changes the way that I work. You know, internally, the songs that I write, they affect the way that those songs take shape, and the way that I present those songs to my audience."
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fall itinerary (subject to change):
August 19 - Hartford, CT - Comcast Theatre
August 22, 23 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center
August 25 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
September 10 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center
September 12 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre at State Fairgrounds
September 13 - Sunrise, FL - Bank Atlantic Center
September 16 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
September 20 - Chicago, IL - United Center
September 30 - East Rutherford, NJ - Giants Stadium
October 2, 3, 8, 9 - East Rutherford, NJ - Giants Stadium
October 13, 14 - Philadelphia, PA - The Wachovia Spectrum
October 25 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
November 2 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
November 3 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
November 7, 8 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden Arena
November 10 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
November 13 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace Of Auburn Hills
November 15 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
Springsteen is currently on tour in Europe and plays tomorrow night (July 16th) in Carhaix-Plouguer, France.
PAUL McCARTNEY NOT GIVEN GO-AHEAD TO PLAY LETTERMAN SHOW MARQUEE…Fans hoping to catch a free performance by Paul McCartney today (July 15th) in Manhattan are out of luck. Industry insiders were whispering that for his debut on The Late Show With David Letterman tonight, McCartney and his band would be performing live on top of the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee, where the show is taped.
Showbiz411.com reported that the former Beatle's latest attempt to stop traffic was shut down before it even began: "Word from the New York City Department of Film and Television is that they've declined the Letterman show's application to let McCartney re-create the Let It Be movie (finale) and perform on top of the theater marquee. A spokeswoman from the department says that the Letterman show didn't even apply for permission until Monday..."
McCartney says that although he always appears to be swamped with various tours along with other creative and charity projects, he actually lives quite a leisurely life: "I have quite a bit of time. You'd be surprised. I do these kinds of things, like this promotion stuff now, and I do quite a lot of it in one spurt, but then I've got the weekend off. I put spare time in. I'd have to or I'd just go mad."
SURVIVING BEATLES TO REUNITE AT CITI-FIELD?...There might be yet another reunion of the surviving Beatles later this week at one of Paul McCartney's concerts New York's Citi Field, according to irishcentral.com. At a recent press conference at the Oxygen Music Festival in Ireland on Friday (July 10th) the show's opening act, Dublin's the Script said that a team-up of the Fab Four's legendary rhythm section might be in the works: "Just to even get a chance to play on the same stage for us is amazing and we're hearing rumors that Ringo (Starr) may play with him as well."
McCartney and Starr last performed together on April 4th at Radio City at a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation. Although throughout the years the former Beatles sporadically performed on each others albums, the actual times that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were on stage together can be counted without using both hands.
Post-split Beatles public appearances:
John Lennon and George Harrison: UNICEF's Peace For Christmas - The Lyceum, London - December 15th, 1969
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: The Concert For Bangladesh (afternoon and evening shows) - Madison Square Garden, New York City - August 1, 1971
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: 'Blue Suede Shoes': A Rockabilly Session With Carl Perkins And Friends - Limehouse Television Studios, London - October 21st, 1985
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: The Prince's Trust Concert - Wembley Arena, London - June 5th and 6th
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: Benefit For The Natural Law Party - Royal Albert Hall, London - April 6th, 1992
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: Earth Day For The Environment Concert - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles - April 16th, 1993
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: The Concert For George - Royal Albert Hall, London - November 29th, 2002
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: Change Begins Within benefit - Radio City Music Hall, New York City - April 4th, 2009
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!!
Jonathan
Whether we know it or not, each of us lives a life governed by an internalized code of conduct. Some call it morality, others call it religion. I call it “The Bro Code”. It’s my hope that, with a better understanding of the Code, Bros the world over can put aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. It is then, and only then, that we might work together as one to accomplish perhaps the most important challenge society faces – getting laid.
- Barney Stinson – The Bro Code –
THE BRO CODE – Article # 25
“A Bro should not swing his arms when he is walking.”
ON THIS DAY
It was on this date in 1815 that Napoleon was captured. It was a short arrest. In 1929, the first airport hotel opened up in Oakland, California. Of course, the big question: "Why on earth would you wanna stay there?" "The airport?" "No... Oakland!"
On this date in 1946, the comedy team of Martin and Lewis made its debut. I'm not positive, but I think it was Martin Van Buren and boxer Joe Louis... but I could be wrong.
In 1988, 20 years ago today, the first "Die Hard" movie hit theaters. Up until that time, "Yippe Eye Kye Ay" was such an innocent phrase.
TODAY IS
Wow, we've already hit the mid-way point of July!
90210 alum Brian Austin Green turns 36 today. He was big during those days when it seemed like every person on TV had three names. Malcomb Jamal Warner, Michael J Fox, Sears and Roebuck.
Forest Whitaker turns 48 today. He showed us once and for all that Idi Amin had nothing to do with Steve Lawrence.
Alicia Bridges turns 56 today. Remember Alicia? She's the one who loved the nightlife... who loved to boogie... on the disco... round...
Linda Ronstadt celebrates her 63rd birthday today. These days, it's more of a silver-blue bayou.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
• 41-year-old Molly Ringwald has given birth to twins, one of each.
• NBC put it's new "Parenthood" TV series on hold because star Maura Tierney was having "medical issues." Turns out that they discovered a tumor in one of her breasts and she'll require surgery.
• Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are no longer an item. They say Tony broke up with her the night before her 29th birthday.
• Neil Patrick Harris is everywhere. Now he's going to host the Emmy's in September.
• Eva Longoria Parker has confessed that she likes to be tied up during sex. The "Desperate Housewives" actress told Cosmopolitan she likes being restrained with silk scarves.
• Amy Winehouse is back in Britain and said to be looking pretty good... for Amy.
• In a new biography, author C. David Heymann alleges that Jackie Kennedy and Bobby Kennedy had a steamy affair from 1964 to 1968 that only ended when Bobby ran for president.
• "Star Trek" may not have wanted him, but the makers of a "T.J. Hooker" movie have asked William Shatner to make an appearance.
• An extract derived from the African mango, a fruit that is popular in West Africa, appears to inhibit body fat production and lowers cholesterol.
• Alana Stewart, one of Farah Fawcett's best friends, is going to publish a book about the actress, with proceeds going to Farah's Foundation.
• Free Press will release George Carlin's last book, "Last Words," in November. Carlin died in June, 2008 at age 71.
• This is the week Michael Jackson was supposed to re-launch his career in London. Hundreds of fans gathered outside the O2 stadium Monday night to remember him.
• Actor LeVar Burton was involved in a five-car accident in Los Angeles but wasn't seriously injured. Burton, 52, was in the TV miniseries "Roots" and "Star Trek: The Next Generation."
• Daughtry's second album, "This Town" hit music outlets yesterday.
• Emma Watson has signed on to star as a princess in a gothic musical reworking of "Cinderella," being written by Marilyn Manson.
• The Queen is going to visit Canada in 2010, it was announced this week.
• Delta is being sued because they won't offer larger sizes in flight attendant uniforms.
• Going through Michael Jackson's records, he had a serious over-spending problem. He owned 75 cars under his name and had monthly expenses of $2.3 million.
• Alex Rodriguez and Kate Hudson were spotted hanging out last weekend in Hollywood, in-between Yankee games.
Things that make you go..HMMMM….
a survey says the angriest drivers are in New York. Yes, the Big Apple ranks as the road rage capitol of America in a poll of motorists for the AutoVantage Road Rage Survey. Beating out 25 other metro areas, aggressive New York drivers took the number one spot by being tops at speeding, tailgating, cutting off other drivers and blowing up behind the wheel. Dallas-Fort Worth drivers were the second most aggressive, followed by motorists in Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Last year's leader Miami dropped to seventh place. Meanwhile, Portland and Cleveland boasted the nicest drivers, followed by Baltimore, Sacramento and Pittsburgh.
The next time your lady claims women are the cleaner sex, shake her up with the results of a new study. A whopping 85% of women polled confessed to donning dirty clothes, while 52% admitted to re-wearing underwear. And 43% of the ladies revealed they don't brush their teeth every night while nearly a third reported they don't bathe daily. Furthermore, at least 24% or 240 of the women surveyed by Glamour magazine revealed that they don't wash their hands every time they use the toilet, a rude gaffe that medical experts decry as both icky and unhealthy because dirty hands spread bacteria and viruses. Finally, 320 women or 32% revealed how they regularly risk contracting foot disease by walking barefoot in gyms.
Researchers explain a new study that these days men seem to prefer the average "homely" figures of the girl next door to the bombshell bodies of centerfolds. The researchers asked 100 male college students to rate 200 drawings of women's torsos and then compared the results with the vital statistics of eight different groups of women, including centerfolds, models and average gals. Surprisingly, they found that the most popular shape was a 5-foot 4-inch gal with a 30-inch waist and 40-inch hips which works out to be a size 12…(Who’s doing these studies???)
Do you Twitter? Is Twitter a waste of time? Is it worth getting your business on Twitter? Did you know, there's a new intern in town. It's called a "twintern." Pizza Hut hired a bunch of twinterms this summer. They'll spend much of the day on the free microblogging service Twitter sending out messages about special promotions, responding to customer complaints, and trolling Twitter for mentions of Pizza Hut.
We talked about the story of a Brooklyn grandma who got more than she'd bargained for when she rented a copy of "Austin Powers" from her local library. At the end of the VHS tape, she found it spliced with long pornographic scenes. Grandma, no! I'm shocked! Who else's grandma wanted to see Austin Powers? Hip grandma.
There's a Brüno debate happening over Twitter. Many people said the movie, "Brüno" would bring in $50 million on the first weekend. But it didn't happen. Brüno finished the weekend with a respectable $30.4 million. But, $20 million is a pretty big gap... what caused such an erroneous projection? Well, Time thinks Twitter is to blame. Critics say that instant-messaging can make or break a film within 24 hours. I saw quite a few messages on Twitter about how bad the movie was. Do you think a "Twitter Effect," can make or break a newly released film?
WEIRD NEWS
Sorry About the Last 20 Years Pop! - In Vancouver, Washington, Clyde Ray Spencer's two children, Matthew Spencer and Kathryn Tetz claimed their dad sexually molested them. But then they recanted their story and said he didn't. Problem is, they didn't recant until after dad had spent 20 YEARS IN PRISON! Matthew, now 33 and Kathryn, now 30, told the abuse story when they were 9 and 5. But Matthew now says he told retired detective Sharon Krause, of the Clark County Sheriff's Office that he had been abused just so she would stop questioning him. The daughter told Superior Court Judge Robert Lewis she could not remember the abuse described in police reports. After testifying, the children and their father hugged each other. The children had not spoken to their father for more than 20 years until lately. The father appealed his case after his lawyer learned that prosecutors withheld medical exams showing no evidence of sexual abuse of the children contrary to Krause's claims. Gov. Gary Locke commuted Spencer's sentence in 2004 and the former cop is on supervision as a sex offender for three years unless the court overturns his conviction which is now likely to happen. (AHN News)
Beer Bribe! - In Bar Harbor, Maine, a homeowner used a beer to entice an intoxicated intruder to leave his home. The homeowner awoke early Monday to find 22-year-old Scott Cote in the bedroom and used the beer to convince him to move on. Ironically, the beer was of the non-alcoholic variety. Police said they found Cote breaking into cars a short time later and arrested him after he fled into nearby woods. Excuse me but what exactly is the purpose of non-alcoholic beer. Does anybody actually drink the stuff regularly? (Bangor Daily News)
Heavy Metal Hero! - The folks who manage heavy metal supergroup Judas Priest said there was one Maple Heights, Ohio fan that they just had to meet. The man who claims he's listened to the latest Judas Priest album every single day for more than a year. 49-year-old Jim Bartek admits that's a lot of listening when you consider the album "Nostradamus" is an hour and 45 minutes long. But he says you can hear it over and over and always hear something new. Cleveland radio station WJCU has been tracking Bartek's streak since the 30th day, a month after the album was released in June 2008. Judas Priest played Cleveland last night and Bartek got a free third-row ticket. The band has released a statement thanking him for his support and met him after the show. (The Plain Dealer)
Who Impersonates a Priest? - In Philadelphia, a 26-year-old man was arrested for impersonating a priest after he visited a wounded police officer. Investigators said he posed as a Roman Catholic priest and entered a hospital's intensive care unit to visit Officer Richard Hayes. Officials from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said the one-time seminary student also attended funerals for slain officers and presented himself as part of the religious community but not a priest. Church officials call the matter deeply disturbing. Really??? As deeply disturbing as all the priests who molested little boys?? At least this guy wasn't really hurting anyone. (myway.com)
Hero of the Day - While you were busy complaining about the price of a gallon of gas, 46-year-old Rosemary Obiakor from Lagos, Nigeria, was busy winning the lottery and making the world a better place. Within an hour of receiving the $20,000 she won in the National Sports Lottery, she gave every penny to a very lucky street beggar. Rosemary said, "I have heard a lot of stories about how people win the lottery, and they get broke in the short run and come across a lot of misfortune. I am scared, and so I'll give it to a lucky beggar on the street." The lucky beggar was a homeless woman who was sitting on the side of the street with her two-year old baby. When Rosemary and a team of lottery executives handed the woman a bag full of cash, she screamed with delight, and hugged them all. She thanked her benefactor profusely and promised to start a food retail business immediately. But before she went away with her money she was seen giving handfuls of cash to other beggars on the street. (Ananova)
Green Planet Hoe House! - A legal brothel in Berlin is doing its part to keep the planet green and trying to drum up some extra business in a struggling economy. At the Maison d'envie brothel, customers who arrive on bicycles will get a discount! Owner and manager Thomas Goetz said, "The recession has hit our industry hard. Obviously we hope that the discount will attract more people. It's good for business, it's good for the environment, and it's good for the girls." He also added, "We have around three to five new customers coming in daily to take advantage of the discount and it's helped alleviate traffic and parking congestion in the neighborhood. Everybody wins! (Ananova)
TOP FIVE QUESTIONS CONGRESS HAD FOR SUPREME COURT NOMINEE SONIA SODOMAYOR
1. "If it had been up to, how would you have ruled -- Kris Allen or Adam Lambert?
2. "You have Latino roots... so, do you speak Latin?"
3. "Do you honestly believe George Lopez is funny?"
4. "How do you spell "Sodomayor"?"
5. "How do you spell "Sonia"?"
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
Natalie Portman has joined the cast of the movie about the comic book superhero, "Thor." OK, I have to say it: "Thor? Thor? I can barely thtand up!"
Tony Romo and Jessica Simpson are done. Tony broke up with her in a cruel way. It was the old classic, "Go out for a pass. OK, keep going... keep going... keep going... "
I like how they introduced the American League last night at the All-Star game: "Ichiro at the plate, plus eight!"
OFFICIAL MAN'S SUMMER TIME RITUAL
It's time to review the official man's summer time ritual. Of course, this involves grilling food outdoors for a picnic at your place. When a man volunteers to do the BBQ, the following chain of events are put into motion:
1. The woman buys the food.
2. The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables and makes dessert.
3. The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill... beer in hand.
4. Here comes the important part: The man places the meat on the grill.
5. The woman goes inside to organize the plates and silverware.
6. The woman comes out to tell the man the meat is burning. He thanks her and asks if she'll bring him another beer while he deals with the situation.
7. Important again: The man takes the meat off the grill and hands it to the woman.
8. The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins and sauces and brings them to the table.
9. After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.
10. Everyone praises the man and thanks him for his cooking efforts.
11. The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." Upon seeing her annoyed reaction, he concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.
On to ROCK NEWS –
BASSIST IS LATEST AEROSMITH MEMBER TO GO DOWN…Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton will sit out some dates on the band's current U.S. tour as he recuperates from non-invasive surgery, according to the group's publicist. Filling in for Hamilton will be David Hull, who played bass with the group in 2006 when Hamilton was recovering from throat cancer. It was not specified what kind of surgery Hamilton had, or whether it was related to his battle with cancer three years ago. Hamilton recently told us that he's been doing well: "Feeling good. Feeling really good, yeah. I've got to go in and get checked every now and then, but so far, so good. I'm going from six weeks to six weeks, so you know, I'm pretty sure I'm cool, but you never know. You might go in there and they'll say there's some kind of trouble going on."
Hamilton is the third member of Aerosmith to go down in the month since the band began its tour. First, guitarist Brad Whitford sat out the first few weeks of the trek after having surgery to relieve bleeding in his skull from a car injury. Then singer Steven Tyler apparently injured his leg onstage on June 29th, forcing the group to postpone its last seven shows, including weekend gigs in Florida.
The extent of Tyler's leg injury was revealed by drummer Joey Kramer in an interview with Philadelphia radio station WYSP earlier this week, where he told host Danny Bonaduce, "There's two big muscles in your legs, one's the quadricep, and he ripped that muscle. And it's painful, it hurts; for the first couple of days, he couldn't even stand up or walk or anything."
At press time, Aerosmith was scheduled to resume the tour on Wednesday night (July 15th) in Atlanta, with Whitford rejoining them.
ROLLING STONES UPDATE…Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor announced on iorr.org that he has canceled his upcoming North American dates posting: "It is with deep regret that I must announce that the U.S. and Canadian dates scheduled for July and August will have to be canceled, due to health concerns. During my stay in (the) hospital, my physicians have determined it would not be safe for me to travel at this time. I do hope to return to the U.S. and Canada in the future, to sing and play for you."
There has been no word given as to what Taylor's specific illness is.
Taylor replaced Brian Jones in the band in 1969 and went on to play on such classic albums as Let It Bleed, Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, Sticky Fingers, Exile On Main Street, Goats Head Soup, and It's Only Rock N' Roll, before quitting in 1975. Later that year Ron Wood toured with the Stones while still a member of the Faces, before joining full-time in 1976.
Britain's The Sun reported that Ron Wood's brother-in-law, artist Paul Karslake, has put a painting portraying Wood as a blood-sucking vampire after biting a woman's neck next up for sale on eBay. Karslake, who was inspired by the current HBO show True Blood, explained, "It shows Ronnie feeding off young girls... I don't hate the bloke, but I am very annoyed with him. Ron's a vampire, all those Rolling Stones guys are. They stay up all night and sleep all day."
Last year Wood dumped longtime wife Jo for 20-year-old Russian waitress Ekaterina Ivanova.
Check out Karslake's painting: http://tinyurl.com/mmf994
The Rolling Stones will reissue their 1993 greatest hits collection Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones 1971-1993 on August 18th. The set comes with a 12-page illustrated booklet featuring comments and observations by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards about the 18 tracks included.
The tracklisting for Jump Back: The Best Of The Rolling Stones 1971-1993 is: "Start Me Up," "Brown Sugar," "Harlem Shuffle," "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll," "Mixed Emotions," "Angie," "Tumbling Dice," "Fool To Cry," "Rock And A Hard Place," "Miss You," "Hot Stuff," "Emotional Rescue," "Respectable," "Beast Of Burden," "Waiting On A Friend," "Wild Horses, "Bitch," and "Undercover Of The Night."
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN EXTENDS TOUR THROUGH NOVEMBER…Bruce Springsteen has added 16 additional shows to his fall itinerary, including multi-night stops in New York City and Philadelphia. Pollstar.com reported that in addition to "The Boss's" previously scheduled fall dates, the E Street Band will now hit Nashville; Tampa and Sunrise, Florida; Greenville, South Carolina; Chicago; St. Louis; Kansas City, Missouri; Washington, D.C.; Charlotte, North Carolina; Cleveland, Ohio; Auburn Hills, Michigan; and Milwaukee.
Springsteen says that after the E Street Band's first reunion tour in 1999 and 2000, he felt that it was important to reactivate the band on a semi-permanent level. Since then the band has played shows during eight of the past 10 years: "To go through the year-and-a-quarter, or whatever it was that we did, and to come out the other side with the band, I felt the band was more powerful than ever. And to have sort of re-found the band in the present -- you know, 'This is a job we have to continue to do, you know, and there's a job to be done' -- and then, also, to feel the way that the band changes the way that I work. You know, internally, the songs that I write, they affect the way that those songs take shape, and the way that I present those songs to my audience."
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fall itinerary (subject to change):
August 19 - Hartford, CT - Comcast Theatre
August 22, 23 - Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center
August 25 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center
September 10 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center
September 12 - Tampa, FL - Ford Amphitheatre at State Fairgrounds
September 13 - Sunrise, FL - Bank Atlantic Center
September 16 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center
September 20 - Chicago, IL - United Center
September 30 - East Rutherford, NJ - Giants Stadium
October 2, 3, 8, 9 - East Rutherford, NJ - Giants Stadium
October 13, 14 - Philadelphia, PA - The Wachovia Spectrum
October 25 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
November 2 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
November 3 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
November 7, 8 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden Arena
November 10 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
November 13 - Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace Of Auburn Hills
November 15 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
Springsteen is currently on tour in Europe and plays tomorrow night (July 16th) in Carhaix-Plouguer, France.
PAUL McCARTNEY NOT GIVEN GO-AHEAD TO PLAY LETTERMAN SHOW MARQUEE…Fans hoping to catch a free performance by Paul McCartney today (July 15th) in Manhattan are out of luck. Industry insiders were whispering that for his debut on The Late Show With David Letterman tonight, McCartney and his band would be performing live on top of the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee, where the show is taped.
Showbiz411.com reported that the former Beatle's latest attempt to stop traffic was shut down before it even began: "Word from the New York City Department of Film and Television is that they've declined the Letterman show's application to let McCartney re-create the Let It Be movie (finale) and perform on top of the theater marquee. A spokeswoman from the department says that the Letterman show didn't even apply for permission until Monday..."
McCartney says that although he always appears to be swamped with various tours along with other creative and charity projects, he actually lives quite a leisurely life: "I have quite a bit of time. You'd be surprised. I do these kinds of things, like this promotion stuff now, and I do quite a lot of it in one spurt, but then I've got the weekend off. I put spare time in. I'd have to or I'd just go mad."
SURVIVING BEATLES TO REUNITE AT CITI-FIELD?...There might be yet another reunion of the surviving Beatles later this week at one of Paul McCartney's concerts New York's Citi Field, according to irishcentral.com. At a recent press conference at the Oxygen Music Festival in Ireland on Friday (July 10th) the show's opening act, Dublin's the Script said that a team-up of the Fab Four's legendary rhythm section might be in the works: "Just to even get a chance to play on the same stage for us is amazing and we're hearing rumors that Ringo (Starr) may play with him as well."
McCartney and Starr last performed together on April 4th at Radio City at a benefit for the David Lynch Foundation. Although throughout the years the former Beatles sporadically performed on each others albums, the actual times that John, Paul, George, and Ringo were on stage together can be counted without using both hands.
Post-split Beatles public appearances:
John Lennon and George Harrison: UNICEF's Peace For Christmas - The Lyceum, London - December 15th, 1969
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: The Concert For Bangladesh (afternoon and evening shows) - Madison Square Garden, New York City - August 1, 1971
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: 'Blue Suede Shoes': A Rockabilly Session With Carl Perkins And Friends - Limehouse Television Studios, London - October 21st, 1985
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: The Prince's Trust Concert - Wembley Arena, London - June 5th and 6th
George Harrison and Ringo Starr: Benefit For The Natural Law Party - Royal Albert Hall, London - April 6th, 1992
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: Earth Day For The Environment Concert - Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles - April 16th, 1993
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: The Concert For George - Royal Albert Hall, London - November 29th, 2002
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr: Change Begins Within benefit - Radio City Music Hall, New York City - April 4th, 2009
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!!
Jonathan
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday - June 29, 2009 -
Welcome to the Blog -
Whether we know it or not, each of us lives a life governed by an internalized code of conduct. Some call it morality, others call it religion. I call it “The Bro Code”. It’s my hope that, with a better understanding of the Code, Bros the world over can put aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. It is then, and only then, that we might work together as one to accomplish perhaps the most important challenge society faces – getting laid.
- Barney Stinson – The Bro Code –
THE BRO CODE – Article # 24
“Men do not lie about their age.”
ON THIS DAY
On this date way back in the year 48 BC that Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus... which, we believe, was an early form of backgammon.
Patrick Henry became the Governor of Virginia in 1776. Of course, he's famous for the phrase: "Give me liberty or give me death!" That was also the day the British coined the phrase, "No problem!"
On this date in 1767, the British parliament imposed a tax on all glass, lead, paint, paper and tea being shipped to America. As you know, all the rest was fine... but the tea was just one tax too many.
In 1940, the first issue of "Batman" was published. Only hours later, the joke "Oh, he was in the batroom" was told for the first time.
On this date in 1953, congress passed the Highway Act... which resulted in the construction of dozens of freeways, allowing millions of people to drive slower than ever before.
In 1956, Charles Dumas became the first person to high jump over 7 feet. When asked how he did it, Charles replied, "Because of the Rottweiler on the other side of that 7-foot fence!"
TODAY IS
Evelyn "Champagne" King turns 49 today. Back in the disco era, she was hot. But since that time -- as far as her career goes -- Champagne has gone flat.
Carlos Santa celebrates his 62nd birthday today. He's so "Smooth..."
Gary Busey turns 65 today, despite his best efforts.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
TV pitchman Billy Mays was found dead Sunday morning. He was 50.
An apparent "secret library" of songs that Michael Jackson recorded for his children could be released now that he's gone.
Jackson's three kids are currently in the custody of his mom, Katherine.
A lawyer for the doctor who was with Michael Jackson when he died says the physician found the entertainer in his bed with a faint pulse.
Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick took home their twin girls from an Ohio hospital where a surrogate mother gave birth to them last week.
Daniel Radcliffe says that dating girls his own age is "tiresome" and prefers ladies in their 20s.
Cosmopolitan magazine reports women are drawn to men with a fresh scent, like baby powder.
Whitney Houston's new album coming out September 1st will be titled, "I look to you."
Did you know that Rhode Island's official name is "the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." The legislature is looking at chopping off the Plantations part.
Johnny Depp left a $4,000 tip at a Chicago restaurant, Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, where and 15 people were celebrating a red carpet screening of his new movie "Public Enemies."
If you drink one 8-ounce glass of low-sodium vegetable juice every day, it could help you to lose about four pounds in 12 weeks, according to researchers from the University of California, Davis.
Drew Barrymore says she's been stalked... by two squirrels in the front yard of her L.A. home.
WEIRD NEWS
What Is It With Our Southern Politicians? - So what is it with our Southern politicians these days? First we have South Carolina governor Mark Sanford going AWOL for a week only to be caught having an affair with some Argentinean chick -- now we've got the former mayor of Clayton, Georgia, Mark Musselwhite, arrested for public nudity! Mayor Musselwhite was found by police sitting nude at his Rabun County campsite. He told police officers he had been swimming in a nearby creek. The Republican was elected to the Gainesville City Council in 2000, where he served for six years, including a stint as mayor. He lost a bid for a state Senate seat in 2006. Now apparently he spends his time camping and stripping! (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
World's Most Expensive Casket - When police in Dallas pulled over William Dale Crock for not wearing his seatbelt, they found a much bigger problem. There was a casket in the back of his van, but a search of the casket revealed no dead bodies, but nearly 100 pounds of pot instead! A drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the casket in the van. And just think -- all this could have been avoided if he had just remembered to buckle up! (myway.com)
House Catches Fire Two Nights in a Row! - The house may be built in Lake Success, New York, but there's nothing successful about it. Authorities say the same house caught on fire two nights in a row. Both fires were deemed accidental and they appeared to be related to construction work. Fortunately no injuries were reported and while nobody was occupying the house at the time, the million dollar home had just been sold. One of the two fires caused extensive damage. (Newsday)
The Free Beer Ticket! - Kim Schroeder was running for vice president of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Teachers Education Association, and promised a five-point program in her bid for the office. The first four points were all vows to make the union more aggressive toward the school board. But his fifth point, and perhaps his most important point, was "to make sure that there is beer and wine available for the monthly Leaders' Meetings." Alas, it didn't go over as well as you might of expected and Schroeder lost. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Under The Sea! - Using GPS and state-of-the-art sonar, Columbia University researchers recently made the first comprehensive map of the wonders that are submerged in New York City's harbors. Inventory highlights include a 350-foot steamship (downed in 1920), a freight train (derailed in 1865), 1,600 bars of silver (unrecovered since 1903), a fleet of Good Humor ice cream trucks (which form a reef for aquatic life), and so many junked cars near the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges that divers use them as underwater navigation points. (New York Magazine)
TOP FIVE MOST OBVIOUS SIGNS YOUR KIDS ARE BORED
1. They actually confess: they're tired of video games!
2. There's a worn path between the house and the mailbox
3. They're franchising their Lemonade stand business
4. They've asked to paint the outside of the house....again!
5. They not only cleaned their rooms, they want to add on a sun room
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
In South Carolina, there's still a first lady. It's just that now, we know about a second one.
Now, to make matters worse, the Governor of South Carolina is being charged with impersonating a Democrat!
As if economic times weren't hard enough, with the passing of Michael Jackson, the paparazzi announced they were laying off 74 sleaze-ball, scumbag photographers.
Michael's brother Jermaine is acting as family spokesperson during this tragedy, which is great news: he's finally got work!
(pause) Oh, I'm sorry. I was just looking at the man in the mirror....
Michael Jackson died last Friday in Los Angeles. Parts of his body ranged from 10 years to age 50.
Michael Jackson is dead. This, of course, contracting earlier reports from his aides that he was out on a hike.
I guess the thing I'm hoping the most that won't happen is that they put in Michael's obituary "He was preceded in death by Bubbles"
FUN THINGS TO DO AT THE DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW
Stand close to the speaker and yell your order, using colorful expletives in ways which would embarrass the patrons inside.
Drive through backwards.
Belch your order.
After ordering, cover the speaker and mic with transparent tape. Watch as customers and order- takers are unable to hear each other and, thus, each raises his/her volume.
Barter. Offer a Whopper for a Big Mac.
Walk through.
Speak a foreign language (make one up if you have to). When the manager comes to the mike, speak English and inquire as to why the order taker had such difficulty understanding you.
Repeat everything the order-taker says.
Attempt to take the order-takers order ("Hi, may I take your order?") before they get a chance to take yours.
Order confusing items, i.e., "Hi, I'll have a large orange Coke and a small medium fries, please."
In a crowded drive-through line, place a HUGE order, then slip out of line and watch the fun as the person behind you is handed 40 bags of food.
When you arrive at the window to pick up your food, hand them several bags of garbage & ask if they'll dispose of it for you. Make sure it smells.
Drive through with a carload of naked people.
Speak in such a garbled fashion that the order-taker will think there is a problem with the speaker and ask you to order at the window. When you arrive at the window, speak in the same garbled, incomprehensible fashion.
Drive through with someone on the hood to accept the food.
Bring along a Mr. Microphone. When the order-taker speaks, aim the mike at their speaker but do so while aiming the Mr. Microphone speaker at the mike to produce excruciating feedback of their own voice.
One word: Flatulence.
Have a friend hide in the trunk. When you approach the window to pickup your order, have him start yelling and banging his fists on the trunk.
If you are a male, have a female friend place the order by speaking very seductively and suggestively into the speaker. When she finishes, have her hide and pull up to accept your order.
See how many of the order-takers fellow employees have been called over to the window to "check out the babe."
Change a flat tire in the drive-through lane.
TO BE OR WANTED TO BE
I wanted to be an assassin so I gave it a shot.
I wanted to be a surgeon so I took a stab at it.
I had an itch to open a calamine lotion factory, but I knew I would have to start from scratch.
I wanted to be a podiatrist, but I got off on the wrong foot.
I wanted to be a urologist, but had to flush the idea.
I wanted to be a plumber, but it was only a pipe dream.
I wanted to be a missionary cobbler, I figured I could save soles.
I wanted to be a optometrist, but I didn't see eye to eye with the teacher.
I wanted to be a barber or Proctologist, so I flipped a coin to see if it would be heads or tails.
I wanted to be a food taster, but I bit off more than I could chew.
I wanted to be a baker, but I couldn't raise the dough.
I wanted to be a pilot, but it never took off.
I wanted to be a librarian, but I shelved the idea.
I wanted to be a butcher, but I backed into a meat grinder and got a little behind in my work.
I wanted to be a dentist, but I was always down in the mouth.
I wanted to be a tire salesman, but that went flat.
I wanted to be a musician, but it ended up on a bad note.
I wanted to be an accountant, but it just didn't add up.
I wanted to be a belly dancer, but I couldn't shake the feeling.
I wanted to be a computer programmer, but I couldn't hack it.
I wanted to be a prostitute, but I got laid off.
I wanted to work as a vacuum cleaner salesman, but the job really sucked.
AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR –
- Friday was a sad day in Hollywood. I guess you can say it. She's really with the Angels now. But enough about Michael Jackson...Farrah Fawcett died too you know!
- In North Carolina, there's a new state program that pays young girls a dollar-a-day to not get pregnant. Talk about not getting any bang for your buck.
On To ROCK NEWS –
'HEY JUDE' VOTED GREATEST PAUL McCARTNEY SONG…The Beatles' "Hey Jude" has been voted by fans' as their favorite Paul McCartney song. In honor of McCartney's 67th birthday last week (June 18th) Rolling Stone asked readers to post their favorite McCartney song from his entire career -- spanning his decade long runs in the Beatles, Wings and the nearly 30 years since he truly went "solo."
The Top 15 Paul McCartney songs as voted by Rolling Stone readers is:
1. "Hey Jude" -- 1968
2. "Penny Lane" -- 1967
3. "Maybe I'm Amazed" -- 1970
4. "Helter Skelter" -- 1968
5. "Oh! Darling" -- 1969
6. "Live And Let Die" -- 1973
7. "Eleanor Rigby" -- 1966
8. "I Will" -- 1968
9. "Jet" -- 1973
10. "Yesterday" -- 1965
11. "Let It Be" -- 1970
12. "Let Me Roll It" -- 1973
13. "Band On The Run" -- 1973
14. "Too Many People" -- 1971
15. "For No One" -- 1966
During The Beatles Anthology, McCartney explained that the inspiration for "Hey Jude" was none other than Julian Lennon: "I was driving out to John's house after John and Cynthia had got divorced and I was just going out to say hello to Cynthia and Julian. And I started coming up with these words. In my own mind I was kind of talking to Julian. 'Hey Jules don't take it bad, take a sad song and make it better.' You know it will be alright. So I kind of got the first of the idea on the way out there with this Hey Jules as I thought it was going to be called, It seemed a little bit of a mouthful so I changed it to Jude."
Paul McCartney tour dates (subject to change):
July 11 - Halifax, NS - Halifax Commons
July 17, 18, 21 - New York, NY - Citi Field
August 1 - Landover, MD - FedExField
August 5, 6 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park
August 15 - Atlanta, GA - Piedmont Park
AEROSMITH DRUMMER HOPES BOOK WILL HELP PEOPLE…Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is doing more than playing music this summer -- he's also promoting a book. Kramer will publish his autobiography, Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top, on Tuesday (June 30th). The book chronicles his years of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as battles with depression, a dysfunctional relationship with his father and an antagonistic, ''co-dependent'' friendship with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.
Kramer tells us that he hopes readers will learn something from his experiences: ''Really my goal is for it to be entertaining but at the same time I think the primary goal that I have is to help people, and that's always been my premise is to help people and to be of service and be entertaining. So as long as I can continue doing what I'm doing I think that writing the book is just another step along the way of helping other people.''
Kramer wrote Hit Hard with William Patrick and Keith Garde. Aerosmith published a band biography, Walk This Way: The Autobiography Of Aerosmith, in 1997. But Kramer isn't the only group member with his own memoir; Steven Tyler is working on Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?, which has been moved from an October publication date to the summer of 2010
MICK JAGGER TOPS 'WORST ROCK ACTOR' LIST…Mick Jagger has been named Rock's worst actor in a list published by Britain's The Independent. Rounding off the Top Three worst rock star actors are Sting and Madonna.
The Top 10 Worst Rock Star Actors according to The Independent:
1. Mick Jagger
Key Movies: Performance, Ned Kelly, Fitzcarraldo, and Freejack.
2. Sting
Key Movies: Quadrophenia, Brimstone And Treacle, and Dune.
3. Madonna
Key Movies: Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy, Evita.
4. David Bowie
Key Movies: The Man Who Fell To Earth, Just A Gigolo, and Labyrinth.
5. Bob Dylan
Key Movies: Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, Renaldo & Clara, Hearts Of Fire, and Masked And Anonymous.
6. Roger Daltrey
Key Movies: Tommy, Listomania, and McVicar.
7. Jon Bon Jovi
Key Movies: Moonlight And Valentino, The Leading Man, and U-571.
8. Ringo Starr
Key Movies: The Magic Christian, Son Of Dracula, and Caveman.
9. The Spice Girls
Key Movies: Spiceworld: The Movie.
10. Ozzy Osbourne
Key Movies: Trick Or Treat.
WOODSTOCK PRODUCER TO PUBLISH MEMOIR… Legendary Woodstock producer Michael Lang will publish his memoir in celebration of the festival's 40th anniversary on Tuesday (June 30th). The new book The Road To Woodstock, cowritten with Holly George-Warren, highlights the backstory and hard work in turning Woodstock into the global rock event for the ages.
The book features one-of-a-kind testimony from key performers at the three-day 1969 festival. Rolling Stone published several excerpts from the book, including those by Carlos Santana and Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Santana recalled the day of his performance, saying, "One thing led to another. I wanted to take some mescaline. Just at the point that I was peaking, this guy came over and said, 'Look, if you don't go on right now, you guys are not going to play.' I went out there and I saw this ocean as far as I could see. An ocean of flesh and hair and teeth and hands. I just played. I prayed that the Lord would keep me in tune and in time."
He went on to say, "I had played loaded before, but not to that big of a crowd. Because it was like plugging into a whole bunch of hearts -- and all those people at the same time. But we managed. It was incredible. I'll never forget the way the music sounded, bouncing up against a field of bodies. For the band as a whole, it was great."
Stu Cook remembered CCR landing the unenviable spot of following the Grateful Dead: "You couldn't see anything. We had some technical problems. After the first song, we weren't sure there was anybody there. It was quiet. But some guy, way the hell out there, yelled, 'We're with you!' Okay, I guess that's who the concert's for. And on and on we played, and we had no idea what we were involved in. Later, it started to dawn on us just what had happened, and we thought we'd never ever see anything like that again."
Lang remembers that he at one point tried to talk Jimi Hendrix and his manager Michael Jeffries into playing earlier than planned, once it became clear that much of the audience was departing on Sunday night and Hendrix was clearly going to play to a much smaller crowd -- which turned out to only be about 30,000 by the time he finally went on: "When he came in -- I think they came in Sunday morning -- I asked them if they wanted to go on earlier. And Michael said 'No, we definitely want to close the show.' I said, 'Well, you know, closing the show might not be a good idea. It's running approximately twelve hours behind. (laughs) Chances are you're going to be closing in the morning.' And they sort of insisted on it. Unfortunately, most of the audience was gone by the time Jimi played, but he played an unbelievable set."
LATE BON SCOTT HANDWRITTEN LYRICS FETCH $35K…A pair of handwritten lyric notebooks from late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott were sold at auction for $35,000 on Monday (June 22nd) at Christie's in New York City. The books contain lyrics for 25 songs handwritten by Scott between 1974 and 1980, and include such AC/DC classics as "High Voltage," "It's A Long Way To The Top," "T.N.T." "The Jack" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." A Sears bass guitar once owned by Nirvana's Kurt Cobain sold at the same auction for $43,750, while a black leather motorcycle jacket signed by members of Nirvana and Soundgarden fetched $12,500.
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
Whether we know it or not, each of us lives a life governed by an internalized code of conduct. Some call it morality, others call it religion. I call it “The Bro Code”. It’s my hope that, with a better understanding of the Code, Bros the world over can put aside their differences and strengthen the bonds of brotherhood. It is then, and only then, that we might work together as one to accomplish perhaps the most important challenge society faces – getting laid.
- Barney Stinson – The Bro Code –
THE BRO CODE – Article # 24
“Men do not lie about their age.”
ON THIS DAY
On this date way back in the year 48 BC that Caesar defeated Pompey at Pharsalus... which, we believe, was an early form of backgammon.
Patrick Henry became the Governor of Virginia in 1776. Of course, he's famous for the phrase: "Give me liberty or give me death!" That was also the day the British coined the phrase, "No problem!"
On this date in 1767, the British parliament imposed a tax on all glass, lead, paint, paper and tea being shipped to America. As you know, all the rest was fine... but the tea was just one tax too many.
In 1940, the first issue of "Batman" was published. Only hours later, the joke "Oh, he was in the batroom" was told for the first time.
On this date in 1953, congress passed the Highway Act... which resulted in the construction of dozens of freeways, allowing millions of people to drive slower than ever before.
In 1956, Charles Dumas became the first person to high jump over 7 feet. When asked how he did it, Charles replied, "Because of the Rottweiler on the other side of that 7-foot fence!"
TODAY IS
Evelyn "Champagne" King turns 49 today. Back in the disco era, she was hot. But since that time -- as far as her career goes -- Champagne has gone flat.
Carlos Santa celebrates his 62nd birthday today. He's so "Smooth..."
Gary Busey turns 65 today, despite his best efforts.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
TV pitchman Billy Mays was found dead Sunday morning. He was 50.
An apparent "secret library" of songs that Michael Jackson recorded for his children could be released now that he's gone.
Jackson's three kids are currently in the custody of his mom, Katherine.
A lawyer for the doctor who was with Michael Jackson when he died says the physician found the entertainer in his bed with a faint pulse.
Sarah Jessica Parker and husband Matthew Broderick took home their twin girls from an Ohio hospital where a surrogate mother gave birth to them last week.
Daniel Radcliffe says that dating girls his own age is "tiresome" and prefers ladies in their 20s.
Cosmopolitan magazine reports women are drawn to men with a fresh scent, like baby powder.
Whitney Houston's new album coming out September 1st will be titled, "I look to you."
Did you know that Rhode Island's official name is "the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations." The legislature is looking at chopping off the Plantations part.
Johnny Depp left a $4,000 tip at a Chicago restaurant, Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse, where and 15 people were celebrating a red carpet screening of his new movie "Public Enemies."
If you drink one 8-ounce glass of low-sodium vegetable juice every day, it could help you to lose about four pounds in 12 weeks, according to researchers from the University of California, Davis.
Drew Barrymore says she's been stalked... by two squirrels in the front yard of her L.A. home.
WEIRD NEWS
What Is It With Our Southern Politicians? - So what is it with our Southern politicians these days? First we have South Carolina governor Mark Sanford going AWOL for a week only to be caught having an affair with some Argentinean chick -- now we've got the former mayor of Clayton, Georgia, Mark Musselwhite, arrested for public nudity! Mayor Musselwhite was found by police sitting nude at his Rabun County campsite. He told police officers he had been swimming in a nearby creek. The Republican was elected to the Gainesville City Council in 2000, where he served for six years, including a stint as mayor. He lost a bid for a state Senate seat in 2006. Now apparently he spends his time camping and stripping! (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
World's Most Expensive Casket - When police in Dallas pulled over William Dale Crock for not wearing his seatbelt, they found a much bigger problem. There was a casket in the back of his van, but a search of the casket revealed no dead bodies, but nearly 100 pounds of pot instead! A drug-sniffing dog alerted officers to the casket in the van. And just think -- all this could have been avoided if he had just remembered to buckle up! (myway.com)
House Catches Fire Two Nights in a Row! - The house may be built in Lake Success, New York, but there's nothing successful about it. Authorities say the same house caught on fire two nights in a row. Both fires were deemed accidental and they appeared to be related to construction work. Fortunately no injuries were reported and while nobody was occupying the house at the time, the million dollar home had just been sold. One of the two fires caused extensive damage. (Newsday)
The Free Beer Ticket! - Kim Schroeder was running for vice president of the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Teachers Education Association, and promised a five-point program in her bid for the office. The first four points were all vows to make the union more aggressive toward the school board. But his fifth point, and perhaps his most important point, was "to make sure that there is beer and wine available for the monthly Leaders' Meetings." Alas, it didn't go over as well as you might of expected and Schroeder lost. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Under The Sea! - Using GPS and state-of-the-art sonar, Columbia University researchers recently made the first comprehensive map of the wonders that are submerged in New York City's harbors. Inventory highlights include a 350-foot steamship (downed in 1920), a freight train (derailed in 1865), 1,600 bars of silver (unrecovered since 1903), a fleet of Good Humor ice cream trucks (which form a reef for aquatic life), and so many junked cars near the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges that divers use them as underwater navigation points. (New York Magazine)
TOP FIVE MOST OBVIOUS SIGNS YOUR KIDS ARE BORED
1. They actually confess: they're tired of video games!
2. There's a worn path between the house and the mailbox
3. They're franchising their Lemonade stand business
4. They've asked to paint the outside of the house....again!
5. They not only cleaned their rooms, they want to add on a sun room
HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter
In South Carolina, there's still a first lady. It's just that now, we know about a second one.
Now, to make matters worse, the Governor of South Carolina is being charged with impersonating a Democrat!
As if economic times weren't hard enough, with the passing of Michael Jackson, the paparazzi announced they were laying off 74 sleaze-ball, scumbag photographers.
Michael's brother Jermaine is acting as family spokesperson during this tragedy, which is great news: he's finally got work!
(pause) Oh, I'm sorry. I was just looking at the man in the mirror....
Michael Jackson died last Friday in Los Angeles. Parts of his body ranged from 10 years to age 50.
Michael Jackson is dead. This, of course, contracting earlier reports from his aides that he was out on a hike.
I guess the thing I'm hoping the most that won't happen is that they put in Michael's obituary "He was preceded in death by Bubbles"
FUN THINGS TO DO AT THE DRIVE-THROUGH WINDOW
Stand close to the speaker and yell your order, using colorful expletives in ways which would embarrass the patrons inside.
Drive through backwards.
Belch your order.
After ordering, cover the speaker and mic with transparent tape. Watch as customers and order- takers are unable to hear each other and, thus, each raises his/her volume.
Barter. Offer a Whopper for a Big Mac.
Walk through.
Speak a foreign language (make one up if you have to). When the manager comes to the mike, speak English and inquire as to why the order taker had such difficulty understanding you.
Repeat everything the order-taker says.
Attempt to take the order-takers order ("Hi, may I take your order?") before they get a chance to take yours.
Order confusing items, i.e., "Hi, I'll have a large orange Coke and a small medium fries, please."
In a crowded drive-through line, place a HUGE order, then slip out of line and watch the fun as the person behind you is handed 40 bags of food.
When you arrive at the window to pick up your food, hand them several bags of garbage & ask if they'll dispose of it for you. Make sure it smells.
Drive through with a carload of naked people.
Speak in such a garbled fashion that the order-taker will think there is a problem with the speaker and ask you to order at the window. When you arrive at the window, speak in the same garbled, incomprehensible fashion.
Drive through with someone on the hood to accept the food.
Bring along a Mr. Microphone. When the order-taker speaks, aim the mike at their speaker but do so while aiming the Mr. Microphone speaker at the mike to produce excruciating feedback of their own voice.
One word: Flatulence.
Have a friend hide in the trunk. When you approach the window to pickup your order, have him start yelling and banging his fists on the trunk.
If you are a male, have a female friend place the order by speaking very seductively and suggestively into the speaker. When she finishes, have her hide and pull up to accept your order.
See how many of the order-takers fellow employees have been called over to the window to "check out the babe."
Change a flat tire in the drive-through lane.
TO BE OR WANTED TO BE
I wanted to be an assassin so I gave it a shot.
I wanted to be a surgeon so I took a stab at it.
I had an itch to open a calamine lotion factory, but I knew I would have to start from scratch.
I wanted to be a podiatrist, but I got off on the wrong foot.
I wanted to be a urologist, but had to flush the idea.
I wanted to be a plumber, but it was only a pipe dream.
I wanted to be a missionary cobbler, I figured I could save soles.
I wanted to be a optometrist, but I didn't see eye to eye with the teacher.
I wanted to be a barber or Proctologist, so I flipped a coin to see if it would be heads or tails.
I wanted to be a food taster, but I bit off more than I could chew.
I wanted to be a baker, but I couldn't raise the dough.
I wanted to be a pilot, but it never took off.
I wanted to be a librarian, but I shelved the idea.
I wanted to be a butcher, but I backed into a meat grinder and got a little behind in my work.
I wanted to be a dentist, but I was always down in the mouth.
I wanted to be a tire salesman, but that went flat.
I wanted to be a musician, but it ended up on a bad note.
I wanted to be an accountant, but it just didn't add up.
I wanted to be a belly dancer, but I couldn't shake the feeling.
I wanted to be a computer programmer, but I couldn't hack it.
I wanted to be a prostitute, but I got laid off.
I wanted to work as a vacuum cleaner salesman, but the job really sucked.
AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR –
- Friday was a sad day in Hollywood. I guess you can say it. She's really with the Angels now. But enough about Michael Jackson...Farrah Fawcett died too you know!
- In North Carolina, there's a new state program that pays young girls a dollar-a-day to not get pregnant. Talk about not getting any bang for your buck.
On To ROCK NEWS –
'HEY JUDE' VOTED GREATEST PAUL McCARTNEY SONG…The Beatles' "Hey Jude" has been voted by fans' as their favorite Paul McCartney song. In honor of McCartney's 67th birthday last week (June 18th) Rolling Stone asked readers to post their favorite McCartney song from his entire career -- spanning his decade long runs in the Beatles, Wings and the nearly 30 years since he truly went "solo."
The Top 15 Paul McCartney songs as voted by Rolling Stone readers is:
1. "Hey Jude" -- 1968
2. "Penny Lane" -- 1967
3. "Maybe I'm Amazed" -- 1970
4. "Helter Skelter" -- 1968
5. "Oh! Darling" -- 1969
6. "Live And Let Die" -- 1973
7. "Eleanor Rigby" -- 1966
8. "I Will" -- 1968
9. "Jet" -- 1973
10. "Yesterday" -- 1965
11. "Let It Be" -- 1970
12. "Let Me Roll It" -- 1973
13. "Band On The Run" -- 1973
14. "Too Many People" -- 1971
15. "For No One" -- 1966
During The Beatles Anthology, McCartney explained that the inspiration for "Hey Jude" was none other than Julian Lennon: "I was driving out to John's house after John and Cynthia had got divorced and I was just going out to say hello to Cynthia and Julian. And I started coming up with these words. In my own mind I was kind of talking to Julian. 'Hey Jules don't take it bad, take a sad song and make it better.' You know it will be alright. So I kind of got the first of the idea on the way out there with this Hey Jules as I thought it was going to be called, It seemed a little bit of a mouthful so I changed it to Jude."
Paul McCartney tour dates (subject to change):
July 11 - Halifax, NS - Halifax Commons
July 17, 18, 21 - New York, NY - Citi Field
August 1 - Landover, MD - FedExField
August 5, 6 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park
August 15 - Atlanta, GA - Piedmont Park
AEROSMITH DRUMMER HOPES BOOK WILL HELP PEOPLE…Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer is doing more than playing music this summer -- he's also promoting a book. Kramer will publish his autobiography, Hit Hard: A Story Of Hitting Rock Bottom At The Top, on Tuesday (June 30th). The book chronicles his years of drug and alcohol abuse, as well as battles with depression, a dysfunctional relationship with his father and an antagonistic, ''co-dependent'' friendship with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler.
Kramer tells us that he hopes readers will learn something from his experiences: ''Really my goal is for it to be entertaining but at the same time I think the primary goal that I have is to help people, and that's always been my premise is to help people and to be of service and be entertaining. So as long as I can continue doing what I'm doing I think that writing the book is just another step along the way of helping other people.''
Kramer wrote Hit Hard with William Patrick and Keith Garde. Aerosmith published a band biography, Walk This Way: The Autobiography Of Aerosmith, in 1997. But Kramer isn't the only group member with his own memoir; Steven Tyler is working on Does The Noise In My Head Bother You?, which has been moved from an October publication date to the summer of 2010
MICK JAGGER TOPS 'WORST ROCK ACTOR' LIST…Mick Jagger has been named Rock's worst actor in a list published by Britain's The Independent. Rounding off the Top Three worst rock star actors are Sting and Madonna.
The Top 10 Worst Rock Star Actors according to The Independent:
1. Mick Jagger
Key Movies: Performance, Ned Kelly, Fitzcarraldo, and Freejack.
2. Sting
Key Movies: Quadrophenia, Brimstone And Treacle, and Dune.
3. Madonna
Key Movies: Desperately Seeking Susan, Dick Tracy, Evita.
4. David Bowie
Key Movies: The Man Who Fell To Earth, Just A Gigolo, and Labyrinth.
5. Bob Dylan
Key Movies: Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid, Renaldo & Clara, Hearts Of Fire, and Masked And Anonymous.
6. Roger Daltrey
Key Movies: Tommy, Listomania, and McVicar.
7. Jon Bon Jovi
Key Movies: Moonlight And Valentino, The Leading Man, and U-571.
8. Ringo Starr
Key Movies: The Magic Christian, Son Of Dracula, and Caveman.
9. The Spice Girls
Key Movies: Spiceworld: The Movie.
10. Ozzy Osbourne
Key Movies: Trick Or Treat.
WOODSTOCK PRODUCER TO PUBLISH MEMOIR… Legendary Woodstock producer Michael Lang will publish his memoir in celebration of the festival's 40th anniversary on Tuesday (June 30th). The new book The Road To Woodstock, cowritten with Holly George-Warren, highlights the backstory and hard work in turning Woodstock into the global rock event for the ages.
The book features one-of-a-kind testimony from key performers at the three-day 1969 festival. Rolling Stone published several excerpts from the book, including those by Carlos Santana and Stu Cook from Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Santana recalled the day of his performance, saying, "One thing led to another. I wanted to take some mescaline. Just at the point that I was peaking, this guy came over and said, 'Look, if you don't go on right now, you guys are not going to play.' I went out there and I saw this ocean as far as I could see. An ocean of flesh and hair and teeth and hands. I just played. I prayed that the Lord would keep me in tune and in time."
He went on to say, "I had played loaded before, but not to that big of a crowd. Because it was like plugging into a whole bunch of hearts -- and all those people at the same time. But we managed. It was incredible. I'll never forget the way the music sounded, bouncing up against a field of bodies. For the band as a whole, it was great."
Stu Cook remembered CCR landing the unenviable spot of following the Grateful Dead: "You couldn't see anything. We had some technical problems. After the first song, we weren't sure there was anybody there. It was quiet. But some guy, way the hell out there, yelled, 'We're with you!' Okay, I guess that's who the concert's for. And on and on we played, and we had no idea what we were involved in. Later, it started to dawn on us just what had happened, and we thought we'd never ever see anything like that again."
Lang remembers that he at one point tried to talk Jimi Hendrix and his manager Michael Jeffries into playing earlier than planned, once it became clear that much of the audience was departing on Sunday night and Hendrix was clearly going to play to a much smaller crowd -- which turned out to only be about 30,000 by the time he finally went on: "When he came in -- I think they came in Sunday morning -- I asked them if they wanted to go on earlier. And Michael said 'No, we definitely want to close the show.' I said, 'Well, you know, closing the show might not be a good idea. It's running approximately twelve hours behind. (laughs) Chances are you're going to be closing in the morning.' And they sort of insisted on it. Unfortunately, most of the audience was gone by the time Jimi played, but he played an unbelievable set."
LATE BON SCOTT HANDWRITTEN LYRICS FETCH $35K…A pair of handwritten lyric notebooks from late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott were sold at auction for $35,000 on Monday (June 22nd) at Christie's in New York City. The books contain lyrics for 25 songs handwritten by Scott between 1974 and 1980, and include such AC/DC classics as "High Voltage," "It's A Long Way To The Top," "T.N.T." "The Jack" and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap." A Sears bass guitar once owned by Nirvana's Kurt Cobain sold at the same auction for $43,750, while a black leather motorcycle jacket signed by members of Nirvana and Soundgarden fetched $12,500.
That’s it for now, as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!
Jonathan
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