Wednesday - November 12, 2008 -

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1859 the first daring young man appeared on a flying trapeze. He flew through the air with the greatest of ease. I feel a song coming on...

In 1892, "Pudge" Heffelfinger became the first-ever professional football player by accepting $25 for travel and a $500 bonus. Today, that would even pay for their shoes.

On this date in 1946, the very first artificial snow was created at a ski area. It resulted in the first-ever imitation broken leg.

In 1933, the first Sunday football game in Philadelphia was played. Up until that time, football games on Sunday were illegal. Of course, up until that time, we were 100% right on our Sunday picks.


TODAY IS

Former figure skater and pipe swinger, Tonya Harding -- the original Joan the Plumber -- turns 38 today.

David Schwimmer is 42 and doesn't have any "Friends."

Megan Mullally, Karen from "Will & Grace," hits the big 5-0 today. Hey, AARP, good luck... she's all yours!


National Sundae Day -- the first ice cream sundae was said to be served by accident way back in 1881. Druggist Edward Berner of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, couldn't serve flavored soda water on the Sabbath so he compromised and put ice cream in a dish and poured the syrup on top. It was called an ice cream Sunday. The spelling was later changed to "sundae."


THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

· The two Obama daughters have been asked to appear on their favorite show, "Hanna Montana."

· According to the Journal of Labor Research 17% higher pay is earned by men who go to bars to drink socially at least once a month, compared with the earnings of men who don't drink at all.

· Whoops. Joe Scarborough, host of "Morning Joe" on MSNBC, was discussing President-Elect Barack Obama's newly appointed chief of staff, Rep. Rahm Emanuel, when he uttered the f-word live on the air without realizing it.

· Tony Dow -- the older brother (Wally) in the classic TV show "Leave it to Beaver" -- will have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre.

· In an interview with Harper's Bizaar, Lindsay Lohan said she was not a lesbian when asked point blank. But when asked if she is bisexual, Lohan responded: "Maybe. Yeah."

· People with debt related worries are more likely to develop ulcers, headaches and depression, an Associated Press poll shows. Duh, ya think?

· 68-year-old James Cromwell was injured in a fall from his bike over the weekend, but was released Monday.

· Tim McGraw is going to host "Saturday Night Live" a week from Saturday.

· It was 25 years ago this month that ABC showed the (at the time) controversial movie, "The Day After"... a much-hyped telling of what life would be like the day after a nuclear attack.

· Family Guy fans... Fox has moved the premiere of "The Cleveland Show" to Fall of next year.

· People who stay silent after a trauma make as successful an emotional recovery as those who talk about it, a study from the State University of New York at Buffalo suggests.

· Actress Evan Rachel Wood says she didn't dump Marilyn Manson, but insists their break up was amicable.

· Keith Olbermann has just signed a new deal to keep him around MSNBC for another four years at $7.5 million a year.


Who’s REALLY in charge of the household -

A new survey reveals women, not men, are more likely to be in charge of major decisions in the household. Gals are more likely to manage the budget by 38% to 30%, while fewer than three in 10 couples make joint decisions about day to day financial decision making. When it comes to making a big ticket purchase for the house, 46% of couples say they make joint decisions, but in families where one spouse takes charge, it's likely to be the female in 30% of households compared to a measly 19% for the males. According to the study by the Pew Research Center, gals have even claimed a slight advantage in who controls the TV remote control. While one fourth of couples say them make joint decisions, the women has her hand on the remote in 27% of households compared to 26% where the guys decide what to watch. When it comes to choosing what to do in the evening, a whopping 46% of couples decide together. But among couples in which one person always takes the lead, it's the lady of the house who calls the shots by 28% vs. 16% for the men. (National Examiner)


WEIRD NEWS

A Year of Election Firsts - 2008 will certainly go down in American history as a year of election firsts. Of course America elected the country's first African-American president and also proving that "Yes We Can," the city of Silverton, Oregon has elected the country's first transgendered mayor! 60-year-old Stu Rasmussen, who won a third term as mayor of Silverton-- population 9,588-- will be coming back to city hall dressed as a woman with breast implants. A local politician since 1984, Rasmussen was has been elected twice as city mayor in 1988 and 1990. However during those terms he carried out his duties wearing shirts and pants. So exactly what is his sexual orientation now? Rasmussen said in an interview, "I am a dude. I am a heterosexual male who appears to be a female." He does have a live-in girlfriend, Victoria Sage, who has lived with him for the past 35 years. He beat out incumbent mayor Ken Hector by 1,988 votes to 1,512. Ooh! That's got to hurt! (AHN News)

Peru Has the Perfect White House Dog - A group from Peru is weighing in on the new dog in the White House issue. Claudia Galvez, director of the Friends of the Peruvian Hairless Dog Association, says they have the perfect dog for Barack Obama and his family -- a dog who is bald and toothless. President-elect Obama revealed he wanted his daughters to have a new puppy when they moved but the pet would have to be hypo-allergenic as his daughter Malia is allergic. The Peruvian Hairless dog dates back 3,000 years and is indeed hypo-allergenic. And when you consider he has no teeth, reporters won't have to worry about being bitten like President Bush's dog Buddy recently did. (Ananova)

Is There Anyone Sober In This Family? - In Schererville, Indiana, drinking seems to be a tradition for one family. Police pulled over and arrested a 24-year-old mother in a mini-van for driving drunk. Mom happened to have her 1-year-old son in the car with her at the time. So police called the boy's father to come pick him up but officers determined that he too was intoxicated and also arrested him on a drunk driving charge. Then they called the grandparents but when they arrived -- you guessed it-- also intoxicated! Fortunately the grandmother, who had been driving, was not over the legal limit so officers escorted them home with the child. (myway.com)

World's Ugliest Dog Dies! - Sadly, the world is minus one very ugly dog. Gus, a Chinese crested dog, from Gulfport, Florida, recently won the title of World's Ugliest Dog at a competition in California. He had lost one leg due to a tumor and lost an eye in a cat fight. His adopted family rescued him after learning he was being kept in a crate inside someone's garage. Sadly, he also had cancer and Gus' owner had said the prize money from the contest would be put toward the dog's radiation treatment. But Gus lost his battle and has gone on to doggie heaven. He was 9-years-old. (myway.com)

Saved By the Purse! - Hey don't knock those big, oversized purses. They're not only a hot trend -- they could save your life! 22-year-old Elizabeth Pittenger, a Middle Tennessee State University student, found out first hand when her large purse stopped a bullet during an attempted robbery. She was walking to her car on campus when a man confronted her and demanded her purse, cell phone and laptop. But then he fired off a shot before fleeing. The bullet was found inside the purse, along with a calculator, umbrella and small case that had been punctured. Elizabeth escaped uninjured. Police later arrested 20-year-old Orlando Edmiston who was charged with attempted murder, attempted armed robbery and possession of a weapon on school property. (myway.com)

Thug Bling For Sale! - Want a diamond-studded gold gorilla pendant? Just contact the North Carolina Department of Revenue -- they've got just what you're looking for thanks to busted drug dealers. The department plans to auction hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of jewelry -- including a $38,000 watch and a $23,000 gold pendant depicting Jesus. The bling was confiscated during drug busts over the past year and necklaces, rings and bracelets will be available alongside more unique items, such as a $29,500 Jacob & Co. five time zone watch with a face of sparkling yellow, pink and blue stones forming the continents on a world map. Department of Revenue spokeswoman Kim Brooks said, "You'd be surprised who buys this stuff." New owners won't get the stories behind the jewelry, though some collectors have bought pieces because they knew their history. The auction goes down tomorrow (Thursday) at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Three-quarters of the profits will go to law enforcement agencies responsible for the arrests. The rest will go to the state's general fund. (myway.com)

Times Square Ball Available All Year - For the first time in history you won't have to be at Times Square on New Year's Eve to get a glimpse of the giant Waterford crystal ball which is dropped at midnight. This year, unlike the past century when the ball went up only on New Year's Eve, 2009's ball will stay up 24/7 all year long! And it's a larger ball this year measuring 12 feet in diameter and weighing almost 6 tons. According to Waterford spokesman Peter Cheyney, to provide the glitter, the ball is made up of 2,468 crystal triangles individually etched with a stylized starburst of angel. The triangles, which will be lit by more than 32,000 LEDs, measure 5 inches each side and half an inch thick. At 12 midnight the ball will descend for one minute to mark the entry of 2009. After that the ball will remain on its perch throughout the year, giving residents and millions of New York City visitors the chance to have a look see! (AHN News)


TOP FIVE CHANGES YOU'LL NOTICE WHEN OBAMA TAKES OVER

1. No more skateboards left out on the White House lawn
2. Flu shots offered to staff for "redistributing the health"
3. Men's room referred to as the "Yes We" Can
4. New code name for the president: "The Anointed One"... replacing old one, "What's his name"
5. To promote diversity, presidential jet renamed "Air Force Juan"


HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

The U.S. Federal Reserve has approved changing the status of American Express from a credit card company to a full-pledged commercial bank. Their new slogan is, "Don't leave home without a bailout!"

Sales at McDonalds have gone up 8.2%. Coincidentally, so have I.

I spaced and completely forgot yesterday was Veterans' Day. I sat around all day waiting for DHL to deliver something I ordered from Circuit City.

The Bush's gave the Obama's a tour of the White House Monday... and, with their AAA membership, the Obama's saved 20% on their tickets.


FACE IT, IT'S OVER

According to Cosmopolitan, here are some warning signs for women that their relationship is over:
· He's forgetful a few too many times. Consistently botched plans and oversights reveal that you're not a priority or that he takes you for granted.
· He rarely compromises. If he can't skip his six o'clock workout to run an important errand for you, you have to wonder if he cares.
· He offers responses like "Don't worry, you'll manage" when you air your woes.
· He won't think ahead. If you're trying to make plans for an event next month and he's hesitant, which means he doesn't want to think too far into the future with you.
Relationship expert Patty Lamberti says if you notice your woman doing the following, there's also trouble:
· She begins taking down your pictures of Bruce Lee and replaces them with glossy photographs of her mother.
· She watches adult videos -- alone.
· Your birthday gift this year was moderately priced luggage.
· Lately she has been applying for jobs in Syracuse, NY, you live in Fresno, CA.
· She does her hair and puts on her makeup on Saturday, then goes out without you.
· For the date of your anniversary her daily planner reads, "Drinks with the girls."
· You find a picture of yourself affixed to her dartboard.
· She is constantly misplacing the jewelry you gave her.
· She's been putting aside money into a savings account called "Russian Husband Fund."
· She pastes a photo of you over a picture of one of "America's Most Wanted" at the post office.
· She always shuts down the Internet when you walk into the room.
· She begins making toast in the bathroom while you are in the tub.
· She walks around town in a t-shirt that says "Hot Stuff on Campus."
· She begins a night course in magic in order to "make someone disappear."
· She no longer wants to kiss you in public.


On to the good stuff – ROCK NEWS –


ALTER BRIDGE GUITARIST TALKS CREED AND LED ZEPPELIN RUMORS ..Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti spoke with Music Radar about the possibility of his former band Creed reuniting next year if Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy goes on tour with the instrumental members of Led Zeppelin, as has been heavily rumored. First, regarding Kennedy's chances, Tremonti said, "We all have to be real hush-hush about it. We hear the rumors; we know what everybody's saying; but as far as what's really happening... I don't really know. Nobody does. The only thing I can say is that, no matter what happens next year, it'll be for the ultimate benefit of Alter Bridge. Alter Bridge is our number one priority. Nothing has changed that in anybody's mind."

As for a Creed reunion possibly going forward if Kennedy hits the road with Led Zeppelin, Tremonti said, "Who knows what can happen next year? 2009 could be one of the craziest years ever for us. Again, all I can say is that Alter Bridge is still very much a band and we have every intention of carrying on."

Creed broke up in 2004, with Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips sticking together and forming Alter Bridge, while singer Scott Stapp embarked on a solo career. Tremonti told us in 2005 that he could not envision Creed ever reuniting: "We've really stressed the point that Creed is never gonna happen again, and Alter Bridge is our band, and this is the band that takes 100 percent of our time, and nobody's -- you know, we haven't even spoken with Scott, so it's just not in our cards."

If Kennedy does go on tour with the members of Zeppelin, Tremonti insisted that he will remain a member of Alter Bridge "without question."

Alter Bridge plans to tour through the holidays and begin writing early next year for a follow-up to last year's Blackbird... unless Led Zeppelin and Creed get in the way.

Reports of Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer Jason Bonham jamming with other singers first surfaced a few months back, after Robert Plant made it clear he was not interested in doing a Led Zeppelin tour anytime soon.


METALLICA FRONTMAN SAYS EX-BASSIST SHOULD ATTEND HALL OF FAME…Metallica frontman James Hetfield told Rolling Stone in a new interview that former bassist Jason Newsted should be onstage with the band if they are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame early next year. But he also added that former guitarist Dave Mustaine, who was fired in 1983 and went on to form Megadeth, should not. Hetfield explained, "Everyone that played on a record should be there. You're considered for the Hall 25 years after your first recording, not after you formed... (Mustaine) wasn't on a record. Jason Newsted should be up there -- he was in the band for 14 years and played on quite a few records -- and so should (current bass player) Robert Trujillo."

Hetfield doesn't expect the ceremony to be "weird" with Newsted there, saying, "There's no reason for it to be weird. We don't want to be part of the soap opera of the Hall of Fame. Everybody wants to see a train wreck, like with Blondie onstage arguing over crap (at the 2006 ceremony). That really cheapens the moment."

The singer and guitarist also revealed that he wrote a yet-to-be-released song called "Shine" at the 2006 Hall of Fame ceremony, when Metallica inducted Black Sabbath. Hetfield said the song "will come out sometime."

Nominees for the Hall of Fame are eligible on the 25th anniversary of their debut release under their official name. Metallica's debut album, Kill 'Em All, came out in 1983.

Five artists will be chosen for induction, with the final list to be announced in January. The ceremony is set for April 4th at Cleveland's Public Hall, with tickets made available to the public.

Metallica is on the road behind their latest album, Death Magnetic, and next plays on Monday (November 17th) in St. Louis.


RUSH GUITARIST AUCTIONS PAINTING FOR CHARITY ..Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson has auctioned one of his original paintings on eBay for charity, according to Blabbermouth.net. The winning bid was for $1,225, and all proceeds will go to support the Kidney Foundation of Canada. Lifeson stated about the painting, "It was painted from a photo I'd taken at a friend's cottage in Muskoka looking out at Georgian Bay at dusk during the summer of 2006. The painting is done in acrylic and I used a sheet of paper towel fixed to the board to add texture."

Lifeson is one of several Canadian celebrities who created paintings to raise money for the Kidney Foundation and to bring attention to the global increase in kidney disease and other kidney-related illnesses.

Rush wrapped up its latest round of tour dates in July. The trio had been on the road in support of their latest studio effort, 2007's Snakes & Arrows.

The Snakes & Arrows Live DVD will be released on November 25th in both standard and Blu-ray formats


MOTLEY CRUE SELECTS WINNER OF UNSIGNED BAND CONTEST ..Motley Crue has selected the Last Vegas as the winner of a "best unsigned band" contest that the group launched in conjunction with Guitar Center. The Chicago-based Last Vegas was announced as the winner on Monday (November 10th) in Los Angeles, and will receive $25,000 in cash, a $20,000 gear package from Gibson guitars, a recording contract with Eleven Seven Music, and a opening slot on Motley Crue's upcoming Saints of Los Angeles tour, which will begin next year. The Last Vegas will also get to open for the Crue at a special show this Friday (November 14th) in Los Angeles, the same day the tour dates will be announced.

Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx said in a statement, "The overall talent and energy of the Last Vegas surpassed our expectations. Motley Crue is excited to pass the torch on to these amazing musicians, just as Ozzy (Osbourne) did for us over 25 years ago."

The Last Vegas was one of 30 semi-finalists and then six finalists chosen from nearly 8,000 submissions. The band will record its first single right away, which will be available as a download on iTunes by November 25th.

The Saints of Los Angeles tour, named after Motley Crue's recently released album, will also feature Hinder and Theory of a Deadman.


MARITAL ISSUES FUEL SCOTT WEILAND ALBUM …Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland has stated candidly that marital issues are the main subject of his new, two-disc solo album, Happy in Galoshes. Although the 20-song set does feature several songs written about his late brother Michael, Weiland told us that most of the project was based around his eight-year relationship with his wife Mary: "It's a concept album and it's a personal concept album. It really tells the tale of the relationship between my wife and I from the beginning 'til kind of the end."

Weiland's brother Michael died last year from a drug overdose.

Weiland and his wife Mary separated earlier this year and are currently going through a divorce. They have two children.

Happy in Galoshes is due out on November 25th and Weiland will start a tour behind the album on January 16th in Austin, Texas. The disc features a cover of David Bowie's "Fame."

Meanwhile, the members of Weiland's former band, Velvet Revolver, have spoken lately about his dismissal from the group earlier this year. We asked guitarist Slash if the rest of the band harbored any ill will toward Weiland after their contentious split: "No, you can't really get pissed off at Scott because, you know, we knew what we were getting into going into it and, you know, he managed to do pretty well for a while there. But then he turned around and it was aggravating and frustrating and all those negatives, but at the same time, you can't sit there and be surprised. And it was a pretty good run with him, for a minute."

Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan told a Seattle radio station about Weiland, "Scott is a great guy... but he has another demon that gets into the way of him being a great guy. And it got in the way of us doing good business." McKagan added, "He has the same disease I have... that a lot of us have and that is alcoholism and drug addiction. And he is in a different stage of addiction than I am. I don't use or drink... there are some that are just less fortunate."

Velvet Revolver is still searching for a new singer.


MICK JAGGER AND PAUL McCARTNEY SHED LIGHT ON WRITING ABOUT DEATH…Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney shed some light on writing about death in an article in Britain's The Guardian. Both musicians have touched upon the subject several times in their work, and explained that singing about aging and death is often trickier than one would imagine.

Jagger, who has sung about death on such Rolling Stones songs as "Gimme Shelter" and "Hand Of Fate," among others, explained, "We're in a bit of a pioneer area, because pop music doesn't really deal with this as a major topic. You're writing within certain conventions and you have to recognize what they are. For years, the three-and-a-half-minute pop song has been an absurd convention, but we're still in it, more or less, and there are many, many others that we tend to follow -- and one is that it's not conventional to write about too depressing subjects."

He went on to say, "Some days you might feel that the dark tunnel might engulf you, but I don't think a whole album of that is going to amuse anyone. There's no harm in going there for a moment, but you don't want to be there all the time -- unless you've got no option... I write what I feel. It's pop music. It's supposed to be fun!"

McCartney has touched upon old age and dying in such songs as "Eleanor Rigby," "Maxwell's Silver Hammer," "Little Lamb Dragonfly," "Treat Her Gently/Lonely Old People," "Picasso's Last Words," and "Little Willow," among others. He explained that he's always been comfortable dealing with the aging process in music: "When I was a kid I was very lucky to have a real cool dad, a working-class gent, who always encouraged us to give up our seat on the bus for old people. This led me into going round to pensioners' houses... There were a couple of old ladies and I used to go round and say, 'Do you need any shopping done?' These lonely old ladies were something I knew about growing up, and that was what "Eleanor Rigby" was about -- the fact that she died and nobody really noticed. I knew this went on."

He shed some light on how he dealt with death on his last album, Memory Almost Full, "I wrote about death again on 'The End Of The End,' but this time it's about me! I was interested in the Irish wake idea -- jokes being told and stories of old -- rather than the solemn, Anglican, doom-laden event. But death isn't a subject that anyone visits that much. It doesn't make a great song to dance to."


BOB DYLAN VISITS NEIL YOUNG'S CHILDHOOD HOME …Bob Dylan paid a visit to the childhood home of his good friend Neil Young prior to his November 2nd stop in Winnipeg. John Kiernan, who lives in Young's childhood house, told CBC News that he noticed his wife chatting with two men on his front lawn, and recalled, "I'm looking around and I realize, this guy (wearing a knit cap) has really great boots on, these sort of cowboy, motorcycle boots. And he was wearing really nice leather pants. And I realize I'm staring face-to-face with Bob Dylan."

According to Kiernan, Dylan and his tour manager were invited into the house and asked a lot of questions regarding Young's childhood bedroom: "OK, so this was his view, and this was where he listened to his music -- It suddenly dawned on me, when you're looking at Bob Dylan standing in a hallway, that he had a very parallel experience 200 miles to the south (in Hibbing, Minnesota), sitting in his room, listening to his music, looking out his window."

Dylan performs tonight (November 12th) in Oshawa, Ontario at General Motors Centre.


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

Jonathan