Thursday October 2, 2008

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

· In a poll by Bikini.com asking who they would rather see in a bikini, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin or Pinup Queen Pamela Anderson, Palin swiftly beat Anderson. Yes, 61% indicated that they would prefer to see Sarah Palin.

· Oprah Winfrey's mom is countersuing the store that claims she owes them $156,000 for clothes, because she says that store officials shouldn't have extended credit to her. If it works, that'll be our excuse, too.

· Michael Buble says he is still reeling after his breakup earlier this year with Emily Blunt.

· The AIDS virus has been around for about 100 years, a new study suggests. Genetic analysis pushes the estimated origin of HIV back to between 1884 and 1924, or about 1908. Previously, scientists had estimated the origin at around 1930.

· Keira Knightley says she hides it well, but that she loves to swear. A habit she picked up from her mother.

· Kelly Osbourne says she gets tested for STD's every three months.

· The New York City Opera has commissioned an opera to be created about Walt Disney.

· Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel will perform together at an Obama fundraiser on October 16th in New York City.

· A Chicago woman won an auction for an abandoned home in Saginaw, MI, for $1.75. Joanne Smith must pay about $850 in back taxes and yard cleanup costs.

· Drury University in Springfield, Missouri, has re-named one of its streets Bob Barker Blvd. in honor of their famous game show host alum.

· Leonard Nimoy was at a recent Barack Obama event and when the candidate saw him, Obama flashed him the Vulcan hand signal.

· Portland State University has opened up the country's first comic book archive.

· Is Roy coming back to the The Office? That's the current rumor.

· Robbie Williams says he wrote his newest album while staying two weeks at a UFO camp.

· Presenting the electric drum shirt: uses four AAA batteries and gives you 7 different drum sounds so you can play your chest when you're bored. $29.95 if you want one.



A recent issue of Blender magazine lists "The 25 Biggest Wusses in Music... Ever."

1. James Taylor
2. Nick Lachey
3. Boyz II Men
4. Peter Cetera
5. Kenny G
6. Rascal Flats
7. Babyface
8. Chris Martin
9. Hilary Duff
10. Barry Manilow
11. Graham Nash
12. Belle and Sebastian
13. Cat Stevens
14. Christopher Cross
15. Paul McCartney
16. Metallica
17. Common
18. Bread
19. Garth Brooks
20. Pat Boone
21. Natalie Merchant
22. Everyone in 'N Sync (except Justin Timberlake)
23. Donovan
24. Robert Smith


WEIRD NEWS

Thursday Night Fight Night! Whether you like Obama or McCain, are Democrat, Republican, Independent or something else -- one thing is for sure -- tonight will be one of the most interesting nights of television since the medium began. Tonight, it's vice presidential nominees Joe Biden and Sarah Palin in the only debate of its kind. The whole world may actually be watching. Already, 3,100 media credentials have been issued -- the most the Commission on Presidential Debates ever needed in seven vice presidential debates it's hosted. But whatever happens, we can all be assured of a very good show tonight -- one that could have more viewers than the Super Bowl. The debate airs live at 9pm EDT from Washington University in St. Louis. (Yahoo News)


Shark Boxing? Really? Greg LeNoir boxed a shark to save his dog! Greg had taken his 14-pound rat terrier, Jake, for his daily swim at a local marina. Suddenly a five-foot shark appeared directly under Jake and grabbed nearly the entire dog in his mouth. Greg dove in after the shark, balled up his fists and began punching the shark in the head and the back. Hey, it worked! The shark let Jake go and swam away. Jake was rushed to the vet and treated for bite wounds but is going to be okay. Well, except we wonder if he'll ever want to go swimming again. (myway.com)


Clearly Marked Bills If you're stealing cash, you always want to go for unmarked bills. In Inyokern, California, 34-year-old Donald Dejarnette wasn't aware of this concept. He allegedly stole around $8,000 in bills from The Homestead Restaurant -- bills that couldn't have been more clearly marked. The restaurant has a tradition of having customers write messages on currency and then hanging it on the walls. Kern County sheriff's Sgt. Tyson Davis said a bank clerk immediately recognized the bills-- some of which even had "Homestead" written on them. So Dejarnette and four others have been arrested. (myway.com)


Best Mugging Ever? I guess if you're a guy who is going to get mugged, this is the way to go. In Stuart, Florida, 18-year-old Olmer Morales told police he was mugged and robbed as he rode his bike to work -- mugged by four topless blonde women! Olmer says a heavy-set blonde woman wearing a white long sleeved shirt and overalls stopped him by grabbing his handle bars, according to the police report. Then, four thinner blonde-haired women, all wearing overalls with no shirts and no bras, surrounded him and stole the $100 in his back pocket! Authorities searched the area but didn't find any of the suspects. (T.C. Palm)


Woman Loses 113 Pounds To Join Army! Over a year ago, 21-year-old Ashley Barrett-Carter left Ryan Memolo's Army recruiting station in Lewisville, Texas, after being told she would have to lose at least 100 pounds to enlist. Sgt. Memolo thought he'd never see her again. He was wrong. Two months later and 20 pounds lighter, she came back. And she kept returning to Sgt. Memolo every few weeks to report more weight loss. Today Ashley has shed a total of 113 pounds, met the enlistment requirement and is preparing for basic training. Ashley says, "It's given me the courage to follow through and serve my country." So how'd she do it? She says she simply reduced her calorie intake and started exercising daily. No fads-- no pills-- no diets and no gym membership! She also hung a pair of size 7 pants on her closet door as a reminder of her goal. (Dallas News)


Police Officers Don't Need Your Hugs! In Iowa City, Iowa, 21-year-old Luke Schreder thought the police officer looked like he just "needed a hug." Turns out he didn't. Luke had been drinking when he ran up to an officer and stuck out his arms. The officer told him to "get away," but Luke didn't take the hint and embraced the officer. So they arrested him and took him to a place where perhaps his hugs will be more welcome -- jail! (Press-Citizen)


TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR MEMORY IS STARTING TO GO

1. I was doing a list?
2. You don't recognize anybody in the family photo album
3. Third day this week you forgot to wear pants
4. You always say "Thank God it's Friday" on Saturday
5. You forgot the Alamo.


I WANT YOU SO BAD!

Men's Health outlines covert female signs that scream "I want you!"

· I rub my lips together often in your presence.

· I sit at the edge of my seat.

· Instead of merlot, I order a Corona, which, conveniently, is severed in a bottle -- the better to sexily sip from.

· My speech pattern is starting to resemble, like, Kirsten Dunst's.

· You smoke. I don't. Yet I'm talking to you.

· I touch you (for any reason) more than once.

· I laugh, frequently and nervously, even amid humorless conversation.

· I use your name often in conversation.

· I tell you that you look like some particular celebrity, which means I think both you and the celebrity are very hot.

· The place is a rod-fest, yet I'm talking to you and you alone.

· My cell phone rings and I don't answer it. And I turn off my ringer immediately.


YOUR NORMAL GUY

Bernice Kanner's book, "When It Comes to Guys, What's Normal?", lists 21 strange things about otherwise normal guys. So now, if you spot any of these... they won't freak you out.

1. On average a guy spends 730 hours/year thinking about sex; 22 hours actually doing it.

2. The average guy lost his virginity at age 16.

3. A guy has relations with about 14 different women in his life... maybe a few more or a few less.

4. 60% of guys say they've had at least one one-night stand.

5. 42% claim they've coitally experienced two different women on the same day.

6. Men with messy sock drawers have sex 3 times more/month than organized guys.

7. Most guys say that if they could change one thing about themselves, they'd lose weight.

8. 40% of men say the body part they work on the most is the chest.

9. If stranded on a desert island, what toiletry would you give up? 48% of guys answer soap.

10. 59% of men would rather have more vacation time than a cash bonus.

11. 22% admit to visiting a porn site at work.

12. 75% of guys would rather spend a romantic evening with you than a crazy one with the guys.

13. In his lifetime, a guy falls in love an average of six times.

14. 44% say they've fallen in love at first sight.

15. 10% of men have never done a load of laundry.

16. 40% know that 1/3 of a cup of uncooked rice yields one cup cooked. (28% of women know)

17. Only 38% would be cool with being a stay-at-home dad.

18. More than 50% have had relations in their car. 55% of guys talk to their cars.

19. 54% drink milk or juice straight from the carton... when no one's around.

20. 17% have Googled an ex-girlfriend.


On to ROCK NEWS –


ARTIST CLAIMS TO HAVE KURT COBAIN'S ASHES, PLANS TO SMOKE THEM….An Australian-born artist named Natascha Stellmach claims that she has acquired the ashes of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain and has incorporated them into an art installation on suicide, called "Set Me Free." The project, which includes recordings, poetry and text, will conclude with an event in which Stellmach plans to produce a joint containing the ashes and smoke it at a secret location in Berlin. This will, according to the artist, release Cobain "into the ether from the media circus."

According to Art World, when asked how she obtained Cobain's ashes, Stellmach said, "That's confidential and kind of magic. They came to me."

Cobain's widow, singer and actress Courtney Love, reported the ashes stolen from her home last year. She has yet to comment on Stellmach's claim.

Cobain shot and killed himself in April of 1994, leaving behind Love and a daughter named Frances Bean Cobain.


METALLICA TOPS 'BILLBOARD' CHART FOR THIRD STRAIGHT WEEK….Metallica's ninth studio album, Death Magnetic, remained at Number One on the Billboard album chart for the third straight week, with the disc selling another 132,000 copies since arriving on September 12th, Although sales figures released on Wednesday (October 1st) indicated a 61 percent drop from the previous week, the CD has still racked up total sales of 959,000 copies. Death Magnetic is also only the second album of 2008 to top the chart for three straight weeks, following Jack Johnson's Sleep Through The Static.

The week's other major rock debut on the Billboard chart was Kings of Leon's Only By The Night, which entered the chart at Number Four with 74,000 copies sold, both career bests for the Southern rockers.

Total album sales for the week were down nearly seven percent from last week and almost 29 percent from the same period last year.


PAUL McCARTNEY TO RELEASE NEW EXPERIMENTAL ALBUM THROUGH DAVE MATTHEWS' VANITY LABEL …Paul McCartney's new experimental project under the moniker the Fireman, called Electric Arguments, will be released in the U.S. by the Dave Matthews-owned label, ATO. The album, which was co-produced by longtime McCartney collaborator and ambient DJ Youth, will be released by McCartney's production company MPL and manufactured and distributed outside of North America by One Little Indian Records.

Electric Arguments is the third Fireman project that McCartney has released since 1993, and is the first to feature full vocal performances. The album's lead track, called "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight," is musically and vocally reminiscent of the Beatles' "Helter Skelter," and such early solo and Wings tracks as "Oh Woman, Oh Why," "Monkberry Moon Delight," "Mumbo," among others.

McCartney told Mojo that the title of the song "Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" was inspired by his late friend Jimmy Scott, who also inspired the title of the Beatles' "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da."

"Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight" was previewed on BBC's Radio 1 Zane Lowe Show and can be accessed by going to bbc.co.uk/radio1/zanelowe/

In June, McCartney had premiered a song from the album called "Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)" on his website, paulmccartney.com, to fans who donated $25 or more to the Adopt-a-Minefield campaign.


BOB WEIR BREAKS HIS RIBS ON TOUR BUS …The Grateful Dead's Bob Weir broke his ribs riding on his tour bus, but he's expected to recover nicely. According to TMZ.com, Weir was standing and fell when the driver slammed on the brakes. The band's rep says it hurts for Weir "to breathe, hold the guitar, and laugh." Weir was en route on the "Deadmobile" heading to fundraising concert when the incident occurred.


BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TO GO ACOUSTIC ON SATURDAY FOR OBAMA RALLY IN PHILLY …Bruce Springsteen will perform acoustically on Saturday (October 4th) in the streets of Philadelphia in support of Senator Barack Obama, and to raise awareness of Pennsylvania's voter registration deadline on Monday (October 6th). The event, which features Springsteen performing without the E Street Band, is an effort to both to register voters and recruit volunteers.

Craig Schirmer, the Pennsylvania State Director of the Obama-Biden campaign told backstreets.com, "Senator Obama is a great fan of Bruce Springsteen and is honored to have his support. This will be a great opportunity to gather tens of thousands of our supporters together in one place as we register new voters and bring new volunteers into this campaign for change."

Springsteen's performance will take place on Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 20th and 22nd Streets. Gates open at 2 p.m. with a 3:30 p.m. show time. For more information go to pa.barackobama.com/springsteen.

On October 14th, Springsteen, Billy Joel and other still-to-be-announced friends will play a double bill fundraiser for Obama at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. The show is titled "Change Rocks" and will benefit the Obama Victory Fund.

In other Springsteen-related news:

E Street Band guitarist Nils Lofgren had both his hips replaced on Tuesday (September 30th). Lofgren posted to fans prior to the surgery on his website (nilslofgren.com), saying, "Due to a long, beautiful life on the road (40 years) that's included back flips with guitars, dive rolls, leaping off drum risers, and trying to break stage floors with pounding legs due to the amazing energy I gratefully continue to get from you, the audience -- in addition to thousands of hours playing aggressive basketball, (my favorite sport to play) on mostly cement, city courts -- I have finally destroyed both of my hips and they are both bone on bone with no cartilage left."

He added, "... If all goes well, I hope I can start doing my acoustic show touring by early Spring. Anyway, right now I'm just focusing on the immediate future and would welcome your kind thoughts and prayers. You have all been an incredible source of inspiration and hope and have helped keep the musical and life journey real. (My wife) Amy and I thank you from the bottom of our hearts and will be in touch soon with updates. Until then, God bless you all! Peace and Believe -- Nils."

There is no word as to whether Lofgren will be on hand when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform as the half time act at the 2009 Super Bowl in February.


JACKSON BROWNE SCORES FIRST TOP 20 ALBUM IN 25 YEARS ..Jackson Browne has scored his first Top 20 album on the Billboard charts since his 1983 set Lawyers In Love. The new album, called Time The Conqueror, debuted this week on The Billboard 200 album chart at Number 20.

Browne says that although the recording sessions happened quickly, gathering the album's material was a few years in the making: "I've had some of these songs going on for a while. Certainly, a lot's been going on in my corner -- a lot's been going on for everybody. I was shocked, I was looking for the original version of the song that we were working on... I said, 'Let's go back and listen to when we did it originally' and it was on a disc this disc that said, 2005, and I went 'Oh.' I fact, this album was cut in a very short time, but in the case of a couple of songs, they began a long time ago."

Browne's last album, Solo Acoustic Vol. 2, released earlier this year, peaked at Number 24 on The Billboard 200 and Number Four on the magazine's Top Independent Albums chart.

Jackson Browne performs tonight (October 2nd) in Los Angeles at McCabe's 50th Anniversary at UCLA's Royce Hall Auditorium.


That’s if for now..as always, if you can’t be good, be good at it and don’t get caught!!

Jonathan