Jonathan Knight

Friday - November 6, 2009 -

2009-11-06T10:30:00.001-06:00

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

Thursday - November 5, 2009 -

2009-11-05T10:29:00.001-06:00

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

Wednesday - November 4, 2009 -

2009-11-04T10:12:00.002-06:00

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

BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND......

2009-11-03T10:58:00.002-06:00

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.
.

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 -

2009-07-16T12:06:00.002-05:00

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

Wednesday - July 15, 2009 -

2009-07-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

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

Monday - June 29, 2009 -

2009-06-29T10:32:00.002-05:00

Tuesday - June 23, 2009 -

2009-06-23T12:28:00.002-05:00

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 # 23

“A Bro should not watch Oxygen, Women’s Entertainment, or Lifetime.”

ON THIS DAY

Napolean's wife, Josephine, was born on this date back in 1763. She managed the family finances, which always left him a little short.

On this date in 1836, Congress approved the "Deposit Act," which contained a provision for turning over surplus federal revenue to the states. Whew! Glad they solved that problem.

In 1868, a patent was granted for the invention of the typewriter. Amazingly enough, at that very moment, a quick brown fox jumped over a lazy dog.

The first-ever National Lip-Reading Tournament was held in Philadelphia on this date in 1926. The winner was either Lorie Stootson or Larry Stetson.

On this date in 1938, Marineland opened up in Florida. They never have opened a Navy-land, Armyland or Air Force Land.

On this date in 1970, Chubby Checker was arrested for possession of marijuana. That explains how he got so chubby.

TODAY IS

Singer Chico Debarge, who's biggest claim to fame so far has been us mentioning him on the radio, turns 39 today.

Frances McDormand celebrates her 52nd birthday today. I still remember her most from "Fargo". "Oh, yah, sure, uh-huh, yah."

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas celebrates his 61st birthday today. Probably not with a Coke and a smile.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Tom Cruise spent Father's Day with son Connor at a NASCAR race in Sonoma, California.

Chris Brown has pleaded guilty to felony assault on Rhianna.

Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Alves are expecting baby #2.

Once again, Sienna Miller was photographed making out with married "Brothers & Sisters" actor Balthazar Getty. He's gotta be running out of explanations.

TLC's Jon and Kate Gosselin say they're divorcing.

The world's first commercially successful color film, Kodachrome, is being retired by Eastman Kodak because of declining customer demand in an increasingly digital age.

Ryan Seacrest and Lindsay Lohan teaming up for a reality show? More to come.

It's now official: T.R. Knight won't be returning to "Grey's Anatomy" in the fall.

They've been living together all these years. Now Ryan O'Neil says he plans to marry the dying Farrah Fawcett.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's planewas forced to make an emergency landing on Saturday because of smoke in the cockpit. The governor called it "a little adventure" on Twitter.

An album of songs recorded by Adam Lambert before his "American Idol" days is going to come out this summer.

Academy Award winner Linda Hunt is going to join the cast of "N.C.I.S.: Los Angeles"

T-Mobile will start offering the new Google phone -- their take on the iphone next month.

Susan Boyle got one standing ovation after another at her London concert Sunday night.

The plastic surgery drama "Nip/Tuck" has been cancelled after 100 episodes.

Only days before Brad Pitt's new movie, the $50 million-plus baseball drama "Moneyball" was due to start filming, producers pulled the plug. They were getting worried about the many script revisions.

Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen are said to be close to marriage.

That photo of Albert Einstein sticking out his tongue at a camera just sold at an auction for $74,000.

Do you need some extra cash? Do you have have any ideas on how to make some extra money? We have a few? We got these from WalletPop.com.

Take a Part-Time Job - With most part-time jobs, it's probably going to be two weeks, at best, before you receive that first paycheck. When you need cash sooner than that, look for jobs that offer immediate money in your pocket, like one that includes tips. Tending bar and waiting tables are two tried-and-true examples.

Seek Emergency Assistance - Many charities provide services and items that you would otherwise spend money on, freeing up some dollars to apply to your most pressing needs. Among the most common of these are food banks and open-dining opportunities, help or waiver of utility costs, and clothing and other household essentials.

Make Stuff to Sell - Think of the proverbial lemonade stand, but all grown up. When one WalletPop blogger is entirely broke, she'll get out her sewing machine and make her favorite quick project: stuffed geese (made out of thrifted fabric). They sell like crazy on Etsy, an online shop devoted to crafty vendors, and is her go-to plan when the well runs dry and she needs to bring in some quick cash.

Rent Out Your 'Spot' - If you own some prime parking real estate, you could put cash in your pocket and get more exercise by renting out your spot and parking further away. If access to your car is less convenient, perhaps you'll even drive less, saving money on gas, too.

Sell Stuff on Craigslist - A good alternative to the yard sale is to make use of Craigslist, a great internet site for buying and selling almost anything legal -- furniture, bicycles, musical equipment, housewares, art, and whatever. Over 40 million people use it every month. It's free and localized, so there is typically no shipping involved.

Do Odd Jobs - Babysitters earn upwards of $10 an hour these days. Offer to sit for friends' kids on Friday or Saturday night. The parents will be only too happy to hand you cash when they return! One complaint of young males is that nobody is likely to hire them to watch their kids. An alternative is to offer to wash cars, mow lawns, weed backyards or haul crap out of the garage, instead.

Find an Online Gig - One valid work-at-home program is Amazon Mechanical Turk, where companies post tasks that machines cannot easily do, but that are relatively simple for humans. You choose an assignment, and, on completion, are credited with payment to your Amazon account. This money can be withdrawn once you accumulate $10.

WEIRD NEWS

Easter Eviction? - In Boulder, Colorado, Easter 2009 is still haunting 59-year-old Carol Burdick. She's suing her landlord and claims she was wrongly evicted from her apartment because she kept her Easter decorations on her door for two weeks after the holiday. She says her landlord unjustly told her to remove a display of Easter stickers, plastic grass, and Peeps marshmallow candies from her door a few days after the April 12 holiday. Her attorney, John Pineua said, "An Easter decoration is a religious statement and should be protected -- even if it is just bunnies." Burdick is not asking for monetary damages but wants jurors to find that she's not liable for more than $2,000 in rent and late fees that she refused to pay. When Burdick refused to remove her display, apartment managers posted a notice saying she was violating her lease, which says balconies, patios and other areas must be kept "in a clean sanitary condition." After the landlord removed the display, Burdick stopped paying rent, and she was evicted in May. (Daily Camera)

National Spelling Champ: 51 Years in the Making! - You might say Michael Petrina of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been training for his new national spelling bee title for 51 years! The Arlington, Virginia, man beat out 45 other spellers older than 50 to win the AARP's annual National Spelling Bee Saturday in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The winning word was "woad," a plant whose leaves yield a blue dye. Funny, I thought that was just Elmer Fudd saying "road." Petrina, who's now 64, entered his very first spelling bee 51 years ago at the age of 13. He won $500, a trophy and a dictionary kit for his new title. The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) bee started back in 1996. (myway.com)

This Can't Be Good For Business - Attorney Larry Wilder of Jeffersonville, Indiana, might be a little hard up for clients after he made headlines in his hometown. Wilder was found asleep headfirst in a neighbor's trash can after a night of drinking. Even worse -- he's the Jeffersonville City Council's attorney! He's apologized and admitted he's quite embarrassed. Wilder had dinner and drinks with friends in nearby Louisville, Kentucky, and was driven home in a client's limousine, but remembers little that happened after that. Jeffersonville Police Chief Tim Deeringer said technically no crime was committed and that Wilder was cooperative and not a threat to anyone. But the City Council president has called a special meeting next week to discuss whether the council wants to get a new attorney. (myway.com)

Time To Change Your Facebook Photo - Might be a good idea for Boston Herald crime reporter O'Ryan Johnson to change his Facebook photo. Johnson has been charged with kicking a 74-year-old man with emphysema in the chest at a Laundromat! The 33-year-old newsman said, "I am not commenting on advice of counsel." But you might like to know that his Facebook profile picture shows him in boxing gear punching another man in the face. (Poynter News)

But Oprah Said You Would! - The folks at KFC are in a pickle after several customers have complained about a free meal that they never got. Talk show queen Oprah is too blame -- or maybe the folks at KFC just didn't realize how much power that daytime diva has. Back in May KFC promoted a giveaway of two pieces of grilled chicken, two individual side dishes and a biscuit on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." But demand was so high that the company had to scale back the offer, asking customers who had printed the online coupons to visit stores for an IOU voucher that included a free Pepsi. But this didn't sit right with James Asanuma and Veronica Mora who have now filed suit against KFC and its parent company, Yum Brands Inc., in Los Angeles County Superior Court and they are seeking class-action status. They claim false advertising, fraud and unfair business practices, among other things. KFC spokesman Rick Maynard said he couldn't comment on the lawsuit but said, "we apologize to any customers who were inconvenienced, and we remain committed to providing a free Kentucky Grilled Chicken meal plus a medium soft drink to those who submitted valid coupons for replacement coupons." (Chicago Tribune)

Pen Pals Finally Meet After Nearly 60 Years! - 68-year-old Carol Goudy and 69-year-old Joy Hood have been friends for nearly 60 years. But they never met each other until just last week. It all started when Goudy was 10 and answered a Wisconsin newspaper ad seeking pen pals. She wrote to a girl in England, who turned out to be Hood's twin sister, Iris. Since Iris already had a pen pal, Joy wrote back asking Goudy to be her pen pal instead. Over the years the two have talked intimately about life milestones such as graduations, getting married and having children. Both have shed tears as they discussed what it was like to lose a loved one. In between they've offered each other encouragement, hope and advice as they have chatted about everything from going on vacation to surviving snowstorms to changing jobs. But their first face-to-face meeting happened in a British airport this past week. Goudy said, "This is a miracle. I can't believe it. I've had a dream to see her in England. My dream has come true. I'm shocked." Goudy's daughter-in-law, Lina, who accompanied Goudy on the trip said, "They really lived through each others' lives. They put a lot into what they wrote and it comes from the heart. This really could be a screenplay." (Star Tribune)

Let's Go Fishing -- In My Kitchen! - Chinese farmer Li Huiyan of Chongqing, hired 30 villagers who worked for six months digging a 50-foot hole in his kitchen so he could go fishing! Li was searching for an underground river which he suspected was full of fish. Legend had it that the river had once been above ground but disappeared 30 years ago when local authorities bombed part of a mountain to pave a road. Turns out he was right. After digging his pit down to the river, Li installed a fishing net across it and regularly hauls out fish, so far earning his family nearly $2,500. Li built a ladder from his kitchen down to the river and each day he has to go down to check the harvest. (Ananova)

Money Not So Well Spent - It's nice to know that other countries are just as guilty of wasting tax-payer's dollars as we are. Two scientists from Britain's University of Oxford spent the equivalent of $500,000 on a three-year-study to discover -- are you ready for this -- that ducks may be even more comfortable standing under a sprinkler than paddling around in a pond! Lead researcher Marian Stamp Dawkins made the astounding conclusion that ducks basically just like water. (The Guardian)

TOP FIVE SIGNS A BASEBALL PLAYER PROBABLY ISN'T GOING TO BE AN ALL-STAR

1. Already bought his tickets for the game
2. Religious objection to running past first base
3. Number of times he strikes out greater than number of at bats
4. He asks, "What's a bunt?"
5. Steps up to plate holding wrong end of bat

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Apple founder Steven Jobs underwent a transplant operation. Yep, he now has his very own I-liver.

41-year-old skateboarder Tony Hawk visited the White House last Friday. He gave the most dangerous yet impressive display on wheels since that day President Bush had his training wheels taken off.

Sunday was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year except for season ticket holders of the Washington Nationals. They have 162 of them every season.

MEDICAL MYTHS

Here are seven medical myths identified by the British Medical Journal that will no doubt stun you. You'll probably think at least one of these is true. Here are the seven medical myths that are all false:

1. You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day -- This advice, often found in the popular press, probably originated from advice given in 1945 stating that a suitable allowance of water per day for adults is 2.5 liters (which is 10.14 cups). Drinking too much water can actually be harmful, resulting in water intoxication, hyponatraemia and even death.

2. We use only 10% of our brains -- Erroneously credited to Albert Einstein, MRI and PET scans show that there are no dormant, inactive areas of the brain. Detailed probing of the brain has never revealed the non-functioning 90 percent.

3. Fingernails and hair grow after death -- Johnny Carson even perpetuated this myth, but forensic anthropologist William Maples says no such thing occurs. However, there is a biological basis for the myth. After death, the skin around the hair or nails can retract, giving the impression that the nails or hair have grown when in fact the contrasting soft tissues just shrink.

4. Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker -- Clinical trials conducted as long as 80 years ago show that shaving has no effect on hair growth. More recent research proves that shaving doesn't affect the thickness or rate of hair growth. Because shaved hair lacks the fine taper seen on the ends of unshaven hair, it can appear to be more coarse.

5. Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight -- Moms have long maintained that children who try to postpone bedtime by reading under the covers with a flashlight will need glasses. That's not true. Poor lighting can make it seem as if your eyes can't focus and it makes them feel dryer, but in fact such light won't permanently harm your eyesight.

6. Eating turkey makes you drowsy -- Scientific studies do show that tryptophan, which is an amino acid present in turkey, is involved in sleep and mood control and can cause drowsiness. However, turkey doesn't contain enough tryptophan to knock you out.

7. Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals -- Hospitals may be plastered with warning signs against using cell phones, but not a single death can be attributed to such use. However, less serious incidents causing false alarms on monitors, malfunctions in infusion pumps, and incorrect readings on cardiac monitors, have occasionally been reported.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR -

- Perez Hilton claims he was assaulted by Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas at an awards show. Silly, Perez! Will.i.am slugging you in the face is just his way of making you an official black-eyed member of the Peas.

- The Nestle Company is recalling its Toll House refrigerated cookie dough because some batches are infected with the E. coli bacteria. Apparently, those brown chips weren't chocolate.

- Billy Joel and his 27-year-old wife are divorcing. Maybe he didn't love her just the way she was.

- In Illinois, a couple went on with their wedding even though they both had the H1N1 swine flu virus. First the bride tossed her bouquet, and then she tossed her lunch.

On to ROCK NEWS –

METALLICA SELLING OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF CLIFF BURTON…Metallica is now selling the only official biography of late bassist Cliff Burton, called To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton, at its website, Metallica.com. The book, written by U.K.-based author Joel McIver, includes a foreword from Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. Others interviewed in the book include Burton's bass teacher Steve Doherty, Burton's girlfriend during the last year of his life, metal journalists and other musicians who knew the bassist. Burton joined Metallica in early 1983 and was killed in a bus crash in September 1986.

NICKELBACK WINS BEST VIDEO AT MUCHMUSIC VIDEO AWARDS…Nickelback swept Canada's MuchMusic Video Awards on Sunday night (June 21st), with their single "Gotta Be Somebody" winning best video, best rock video and best postproduction. The Canadian quartet were nominated for a total of five prizes, tied only with R&B artist Danny Fernandes. The show was also notable for Lady GaGa's "flaming boobies" effect and a post-event scuffle involving gossip blogger Perez Hilton and will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas.

DAUGHTRY PLOTS TV APPEARANCES AND PLANS TOUR…Daughtry has lined up several TV appearances next month, just in time for the release of the band's second album, Leave This Town, which arrives July 14th. The group will pay a visit to NBC's Today show on the day album comes out. That will be followed up by a visit to The View on July 15th and The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien on July 16th. Also scheduled is a performance on Live With Jimmy Kimmel. Then Daughtry will tour the country, according to Billboard.com, playing 15 shows this summer for fan club members and contest winners. A 100-stop North American tour will kick off at the end of September. Chris Daughtry says the group's fans vary in age, adding, "We did one of the unofficial balls for the inauguration that was attended by 7,000 juniors and seniors in high school. I literally felt like I was looking out at a high school dance with no chaperones. Daughtry played an acoustic set -- and the kids were singing every lyric back."

Chris finished in fourth place on the fifth season of American Idol.

The group's self-titled album came out in 2006.

The new album's lead single, "No Surprise," was co-written by Chad Kroeger of Nickelback. The ballad, "Life After You," is expected to be the second single.

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…Ensuring that there's little chance of the opening act for Paul McCartney's Citi Field concerts upstaging him next month, the former Beatle has picked the largely unknown Irish band the Script to open his three New York City gigs. Examiner.com reported that after their trio of shows with McCartney on July 17th, 18th and 21st at Citi Field, the Script will return home to Ireland to open up for the country's favorite sons, U2.

McCartney is reportedly looking for an opening act for his July 11th Halifax gig.

Throughout the years, McCartney has shied away from utilizing any opening act for his tours. The three exceptions were Brinsley Schwartz, led by Nick Lowe, who warmed the crowds up during Wings' 1973 UK tour, Earl Okin for Wings' final UK tour in 1979, and poet Adrian Mitchell who opened McCartney's mini-unplugged 1991 European dates.

Although die-hard fans are still scoffing at the predictable tracklisting, the new George Harrison compilation Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison is ranked #1 in Music at Amazon.com. Highlights on the set include such Harrison solo classics as "My Sweet Lord," "Isn't It A Pity," "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)," "All Those Years Ago," and "Got My Mind Set On You."

Also featured are Harrison's live versions of the Beatles' "Here Comes The Sun," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," and "Something" from 1971's legendary Concert For Bangla Desh.

Making it's first appearance on CD is Harrison's 1984 cover of Bob Dylan's rarity "I Don't Want To Do It," which was originally featured on the soundtrack to Porky's Revenge.

Cynthia Lennon is disappointed with Yoko Ono's use of a bloody bag containing John Lennon's clothes at the New York City Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame annex. Cynthia, who was with Lennon for a solid decade before their 1968 split, told bbc.co.uk, "I can't even comment on that because that would never cross my mind. Any exhibition that shows blood-stained glasses and blood-stained clothes has nothing to do with me and I think it's offensive so that's all I can say. I don't understand that, I really don't."

She along with son Julian Lennon has recently launched a Liverpool exhibition White Feather: The Spirit Of Lennon which will run until December 31st. When asked about her former husband's personality, she explained, "He was not to be confronted, let's put it that way. You either loved him or you hated him, and that's still the same now, even though he's not here. You either loved him or you hated him, but you could not ignore him."

Today (June 23rd) marks what would have been the 59th birthday of the Beatles' original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Sutcliffe was in the Beatles between May and December 1960. Although he was an amateur bassist, at best, he was considered on his way to a successful career as a painter at the time of his death. Several archival recordings of Sutcliffe playing with the group can be found on 1995's The Beatles Anthology 1. Sutcliffe is often credited for naming the band.

His short stint in the group, along with his personal relationship with John Lennon, was dramatized in the 1979 made-for-TV film The Birth Of The Beatles and the 1994 feature, Backbeat.

Sutcliffe died on April 10th, 1962 in Hamburg, Germany, at the age of 21 from a cerebral hemorrhage.

Cynthia Lennon says that even while still in her teens, she was able to recognize Sutcliffe's brilliance as a painter: "Stuart was special. He was in art college with us. He was the most brilliant student. He was awesome, the stuff that he did. And he was a gentle, gentle young man."

QUICK TAKES…NME.com reports that Elton John's hometown of Pinner, England is gearing up to name a road after "Captain Fantastic" himself. The town's local council is considering honoring him sometime this year. Elton still has such a soft spot for the town that he allowed local rapper Ironik to sample a portion from his classic "Tiny Dancer." Ironk explained to Harrow Council's publication Harrow People, "We approached Elton and management after we worked on it and they loved the idea and cleared the sample, which is one of only three samples in the hip-hop scene to be cleared. The other two were for Tupac (Shakur) and Kanye West."

Pete Townshend is hoping that the new UK stage version of Quadrophenia reflects the Who's original album better than the 1979 film version. Townshend, who is one of the musical's executive producers, told clicklancashire.com, "We are hoping for a new kind of musical. That is probably dangerous, but that is what we want. It will not resemble the film, except that I believe the girl will be more important in this play than she was on the album and more pivotal than in the film."

He added: "On the album we only observed the girl from Jimmy's screwed-up point of view. In the film, and more so in our play, we see her as real person, with her own story to tell and her own frustrations about what Mods did and did not achieve."

Despite straying from his original vision of the piece, Townshend was a fan of Franc Roddam 1979 film version: "I loved all the technological innovation, there was a lot of fascinating research involved. The film was different because it happened in the final years of punk. We actually tried to cast Johnny Rotten as Jimmy at one point and he and I became friends.

There's been no date set for a U.S. stage premiere of the new Quadrophenia musical.

David Bowie's filmmaker son Duncan Jones told BBC News that he's up for teaming up with his famous dad. Jones' directorial debut called Moon will be released in the UK on July 17th. He said that he would like to have a few films under his belt before shooting his iconic dad, explaining, "I would have to feel absolutely confident I was a capable director, as I wouldn't want to put any pressure on our valuable relationship. I'd also want people to know he was in my film because I want him in it, not because I need him to be."

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 22, 2009 -

2009-06-22T10:39:00.002-05:00

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 # 22

“A Bro should not sing and dance at the same time”

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1611, English explorer Henry Hudson, his son and several other people were set adrift in present-day Hudson Bay during a mutiny. The tribe had spoken.

The very first bank in New York City opened way back in 1797. Up until that time, bank robbers had nothing to do.

On this date in 1847, the donut was invented. Someone must have been sitting around and thought, "Hmmmmm... I wonder how I could make a donut more fattening!"

In 1868, Arkansas became a state for the second time. So far, the second marriage appears to be working.

Gangster John Dillinger was born back in 1903. He would have been 104 if he hadn't died from lead poisoning.

On this date in 1970, President Nixon lowered the national voting age to 18. That way, we had more people to blame for election results.

TODAY IS

Carson Daly celebrates another birthday today, #36. I wasn't going to get on the phone and wish him a happy one, but I'll give him one more LAST CALL.

Amy Brenneman turns 45. Hey... no judging Amy.

Meryl Streep celebrates a birthday today. Momma Mia -- she's 60!

Take Your Dog To Work Day -- Here's a unique way to give away some tickets. We had listeners bark and win. They either had to bark like their dog or bark their favorite Country song. It turned out to be pretty funny.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

The Olive Garden won't say that it was connected to the off-color Sarah Palin joke, but they've canceled all of their advertising running on the Letterman show.

By the way, David Letterman did a ratings bump from that whole Sarah Palin thing, but the Tonight Show still beat him in the ratings for that week.

Sources have said that Katherine Heigl, aka Izzie, will return to "Grey's Anatomy" next season.

Rihanna will be in a Los Angeles court today to testify in the case against Chris Brown, but a judge ruled the proceedings will not be televised.

The father of last year's "American Idol" runner-up, David Archuleta, has pleaded no contest to patronizing a prostitute in Salt Lake City.

Remember Aunt Viv on Will Smith's comedy, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?" She's written her memoirs and is not to complimentary about Will.

American Idol singer Carly Smithson is joining the original guys of Evanescence, and creating a new hard-rock band called The Fallen. More at wearethefallen.com.

"Twilight" star Robert Pattinson was hit by a taxi in New York as he tried to run away from a crowd of hysterical teenage fans, but he was not seriously injured.

Congress is all about passing a "Cash for clunkers" bill that would give you up to a $4500 cash rebate to buy a newer, more fuel efficient car.

To show support for democracy in Iran, you're supposed to add a green tint to your picture on Twitter. Done.

OK, we just went from spring to summer and Sting is announcing that his next album, titled "If on a winter's night... " will come out in this fall. I think we've covered 'em all.

Susan Boyle canceled another concert appearance. Is she up for this fame thing?

NICE TO KNOW -

If food falls on the floor, pick it up within five seconds and you can eat it, right? Whatever germs are on the floor don't have time to adhere to the food that quickly. Or do they? A recent national survey by Kelton Research found that nearly 60% of Americans admit to eating food that has fallen on the floor. Would they continue doing that if they knew a typical home carpet has up to 4,000 times more bacteria particles -- even after vacuuming -- than toilet seats? This is the total number of bacteria particles found on one-inch square samples of different household surfaces. The independent tests were conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona:

Toilet seat: 49

Kitchen counter: 1,686

Kitchen tile: 2,546

Bathroom floor: 18,025

Carpet: more than 200,000

So, does the 5-second rule work? No. Eat that cookie that falls on the floor, and you could also be ingesting a frosting of E. coli.

I CAN’T DRIVE 55 –

For those of us that like to drive fast, ( you know who you are) we've found out where you can drive the fastest in the U.S. Here are the Top Maximum Speed Limits:

80 mph -- Texas (on about 500 miles of Interstate 10 and 20 in southwest corner of the state)

75 mph -- Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas (in counties with less than 10 people per square mile), Utah, Wyoming

70 mph -- Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, }Tennessee, Washington State, West Virginia

WEIRD NEWS

Happy Father's Day -- NOT! - While you were busy yesterday telling your dad how great he is, 50-year-old William Ireland of Warwickshire, England, was dissing his dad big time -- by auctioning off his ashes on eBay! Mr. Ireland apparently carries quite a grudge against his deceased dad and says he was only six when his father, Ken Ireland, walked out on his mother and the family. William later tracked his dad down and they spent some time together before Ken died in 2006. But then William found out his dad left his entire estate to the woman he left his mother for. William got the ashes by paying for the funeral so to settle the score, he put them up for sale on eBay with an ad that reads: "Here are the ashes of my father, Kenneth Ireland, an adulterer who left a wife, two children with just 17 pounds in her pocket. He never paid a penny towards his kids' upbringing." His father's second wife and family are believed to want the ashes back. But obviously not enough to pay for the funeral! Happy Father's Day everyone! (Ananova)

Swine Flu I Do's! - The bride wore white -- and a face mask -- and latex gloves! So did the groom! In Highland, Park, Illinois, Ilana Jackson and Jeremy Fierstien decided to go ahead with their wedding after learning less than 48 hours before that they both had swine flu! But, just to be safe, the 26-year-olds kept a 10-foot distance from family and friends at all times, even walking around the gathering instead of down the aisle at a Highland Park synagogue. Jackson says they'd both joked about swine flu after they both experienced vomiting, achy limbs and fever -- but they never actually thought they really had it. So it'll probably be a hospital honeymoon and then hopefully they live happily ever after. (myway.com)

Lobster and Wine Thief Eats and Drinks His Way to Sleepy Time - Well at least he got a really good meal before he has to start enjoying prison food. In Portland, Maine, Paul Bruneau was arrested after he allegedly broke into the Portland Lobster Co. through a rear window and stuffed his pockets with cash before chowing down on the better part of 11 prepared lobsters worth about $300. He washed it all down with a white wine. He also left a refrigerator open, causing about $1,000 worth of food to be thrown out. It appears all that lobster and wine made him a little sleepy because employees found him asleep on a bench when they came in to work the next morning. (myway.com)

Mugged For a Bologna Sandwich? - How pathetic is this? In Oklahoma City, 24-year-old Roger Hamilton was sitting on a bus station bench, about to put mayonnaise on his bologna sandwich, when another man began staring at him. Hamilton told police that the man then punched him in the mouth and grabbed his sandwich and ran! Hamilton left with a swollen lip and his face was covered in blood when police arrived. The police report listed the value of the sandwich at 76 cents. The Bologna Bandit is still on the loose! (The Oklahoman)

Do We Really Need This? - Has society sunk so low that we now need dress codes that include wearing underwear and wearing deodorant? Apparently the city of Brooksville, Florida thinks so. The city council for the town just north of Tampa just approved a dress code that instructs employees to observe "strict personal hygiene" including wearing underwear at all times as well as deodorant. It also prohibits exposed underwear, clothing with foul language printed on it, "sexually provocative" clothes and piercings anywhere except the ears. And get this ACLU-- repeat offenders can be fired! Ironically, the single "no" vote came from Mayor Joe Bernadini who believes the underwear edict "takes away freedom of choice." Or maybe our good mayor just loves the ladies sans panties -- or goes commando himself! (The Tampa Tribune)

Our WWI Vets Are Almost Gone - There's another seriously endangered species you can add to your list -- living veterans of World War I. Did you know there are only two known vets of the first World War still alive on the planet? And one of them-- Henry Allingham of Brighton, England, just became the world's oldest living man. He turned 113 on June 6 this year and took over the oldest man title after Tomoji Tanabe of Japan died in his sleep last week. Tanabe was also 113 but was a full eight months older than Allingham. Allingham enlisted as a seaplane mechanic in 1915 during WWI after his mother died. After the war, he worked at Ford and retired in 1961. He was married for 50 years and has a great-great-great-grandchild. As for the secret to his longevity, Allingham said "to look after yourself and always know your limitations." (The London Times)

More Instructions on How To Get Into Hell! - Here's another installment from our continuing series of "How To Get Into Hell!" Police are looking for the person or persons who offered free office equipment to a group of African American churches in the Washington DC area. Turns out it was all a con. Several churches were offered computers that church staff were told would be paid for by a "sponsor." The staff was told to sign a lease for the equipment and deposit checks from the sponsor to cover the lease. However, the "sponsor" checks bounced and the equipment didn't work. Instead the con artists used the churches' banking information to withdraw money from their accounts. The scam is being investigated by the Federal Trade Commission who is taking it very seriously. You know there's a lot of people you can rip off -- but churches? Really? Seriously? Dude -- you are sooooo going to hell! (AHN News)

And Here's Me on Day 2,342! - This is interesting. 13-year-old Suman Bansal of Kent, England has become the world's first known teenager to have daily photos of herself since birth! She had 4,749 photos as of her 13th birthday on May 16, according to her father who took the pictures. Dad said, "I am taking daily photographs of my daughter Suman and son Jayl. If you want to see, Suman's father has created a Web site (earnyourname.net/SumanBansal) with every photo of Suman he has taken since birth until May 30, this year. Her younger brother, 10-year-old Jay, also has his own photo site. The family is planning to raise money from the story to build a school in India -- a school that will offer free education to children. (AHN News)

TOP FIVE BENEFITS OF BEING IRAN'S SUPREME LEADER

1. Reserved parking space. Now, if only we believed in cars...
2. Get to go to Supreme Leadership Camp
3. Great way to meet Supreme Chicks
4. You don't get lumped in with all those "regular" leaders
5. People always know what kind of gasoline you prefer

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Japan is warning the U.S. about a report that North Korea is planning to launch missiles at Hawaii on Independence Day. Someone get Will Smith on the phone!!!!

Thomas the Train is getting a makeover. Starting in January, you'll see a smother animated CGI Thomas, with a new voice from Martin Sheen. They were going to use the voice of Charlie Sheen, but he was too obsessed with cabooses.

The dad of American Idol runner-up David Archuleta has been busted for prostitution. OK Letterman, he's all yours!

In Japan, the world's oldest man has died at age 113. I tell you, that title is a curse.

PETA has sent President Obama a "Catch and Release Fly Trap," after the president was caught on camera last week killing a fly. If it were up to me, I'd have a coat made out of fly skins just to tick them off. Of course, that might take a while.

Prince Charles is complaining that the price of houses is way too high. How would he know? For that matter, when was the last time you paid for... oh, anything?

The New York Times just reported that Sammy Sosa tested positive for steroids in 2003. In an unrelated story, they're also reporting that President Bush may run for a second term.

It's all speed ahead for the FIFTH "Indiana Jones" movie. The working title for this one is "Indiana Jones and the Metamucil of Doom." Seattle's 29-dry spell has finally been snapped. Thank God -- we were getting really tired of having to water the Space Needle every day. Lindsay Lohan's mom has come to her defense and says there's no way that Lindsay could have stolen that missing jewelry from a London photo shoot. She also says that Ahmadinejad was the clear winner in Iran.

GET OUT OF BORING CONVERSATIONS

Ever gotten caught up in a conversation you just weren't interested in. Jeanne Martinet knows all about mingling with people. In fact she wrote a book about it. In the book she talks about getting out of boring conversation.

Shake and Break -- Simply smile and say, "It was so nice meeting you," while shaking their hand then turn and walk away without another word.

Offensive Escape -- Talk slowly, drop things, discuss the most uninteresting things and the person will leave you.

Human Sacrifice -- Introduce the person to someone who's passing by. Using "Have you met?" then gives you a short window to excuse yourself.

TOP REASONS WHY BAD WORKERS DON'T FACE THE AX

Have you ever wondered about someone who gave you bad service, or even a lazy co-worker: "Why don't they go ahead and fire this idiot?" The lousy employee may not face the ax because he might have friends in high places, says FabJob.com. The relationship could be romantic, family or even golf or drinking buddies with a senior manager. Here are some more reasons:

The boss may be afraid of the bad worker because he or she may know something embarrassing about the boss or the company.

A company supervisor may think the fired employee might sue or stir up all sorts of trouble, if they were to get the pink slip.

A lousy worker may still bring more value to the company than he costs.

Replacing someone with a hard to do task might make the hiring process for a new employee a nightmare and not worth the bother.

Supervisors could even believe the company might be even worse off if they were to find someone else for the job.

A bad employee may not actually be one - it could just seem to others they are slacking off, while carrying out vital duties no one is aware of.

A poor worker may be doing exactly what you think they are - pulling the wool over everybody's eyes and getting away with doing little or no work while charming the boss into thinking the company couldn't get along without them.

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR -

- "Ugly Betty's" America Ferrera says it takes hours in makeup and wardrobe to achieve her ugly, homely look. Susan Boyle replied, "Boy am I lucky. All I have to do is roll out of bed and drag a comb across my face."

- Jack Black says his three-year-old son and his 13 month old boy are finally beginning to bond after not getting along well for the first two years. Black said, "I think the key was letting them go off on their own for that wild weekend at the 'Burning Baby' festival."

- On Thursday, a Continental Airlines pilot died after having a heart attack in midflight, and the plane had to be landed by copilots. The passengers on the flight weren't told until the plane was safely on the ground. And then they all had heart attacks.

- Because of the missile threat from North Korea, the U.S. military is sending more troops and missiles to Hawaii. In fact, they're changing their recruitment add to "Uncle Sam Wants You To Go To Hawaii."

INTERESTING – ON THIS DATE IN 1974 -

At an Elvis concert at LA's Forum, some fans who begged to meet him are brought backstage, the members of Led Zeppelin!

In ROCK NEWS –

ALICE IN CHAINS POSTS TRAILER OF NEW VIDEO…Alice In Chains has posted a short trailer of the band's upcoming new video, for the song "A Looking In View," at MySpace Music. The 17-second clip presents a series of images from the video, but more importantly, features the first sample heard anywhere of new music from the group's new album, Black Gives Way To Blue. The Seattle act's first collection of all-new material in 14 years is scheduled to arrive on September 29th and marks the recording debut of vocalist William DuVall, who joined in 2006.

Drummer Sean Kinney told us that making the band's first new album in more than a decade carried a special weight for all four members: "There was no reason to do it. You know, we didn't have to do it. We did it because we wanted to and it got to a place where it seemed like it was the right thing to do and we all felt good about it. So we just went in there and it was so important to just be there, and be so involved, instead of like, 'Hey, you know, cool, I'm done. Are we done yet?' It was really cool. I mean, I hadn't worked that hard on a record in my life."

The full "A Looking In View" video will debut at the Alice In Chains website in a few weeks.

Kinney, bassist Mike Inez and guitarist Jerry Cantrell regrouped in 2005 to perform at a benefit for victims of the Southeast Asian tsunami, then launched a full reunion tour the following year with DuVall on vocals.

Original singer Layne Staley died in 2002. Alice In Chains' last full studio album was a 1995 self-titled effort.

Alice In Chains will next perform on July 18th at Comerica Park in Detroit with Kid Rock.

JIMMY PAGE AND JACK WHITE TALK GUITAR PLAYING…Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and White Stripes/Raconteurs singer/guitarist Jack White were in Los Angeles on Friday (June 19th) to speak with the press about It Might Get Loud, a new documentary about guitars and guitar playing starring both of them as well as U2 axeman The Edge. The film premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival on Friday (June 19th) and will open in New York and Los Angeles on August 14th. The film showcases how the three guitarists came to play the guitar and develop their styles, and also features a jam session involving all three players.

Jack White told reporters how he approaches playing his instrument: "I try to make it a fight. I consider it a fight, a battle, that you have to win. If you're handed an instrument or you find yourself playing an instrument that's too easy to play, that's too nice and too in tune, I want to, you know, turn it upside down and make it out of tune so I can win that fight. I have to make a fight out of it. If I don't have a struggle, then I don't feel like I'm doing my job."

Page was asked what originally attracted him to playing the guitar: "It was just that whole thing of the transmission of ideas through the tactile quality of playing an instrument, you know, your steel, strings and wood, translating through the electric pickup through the amp, and that's really what it is for me. It's that, some magical quality, really. Some sort of alchemy, if you like."

It Might Get Loud was directed by Davis Guggenheim, who was also behind the camera for the Oscar-winning Al Gore documentary An Inconvenient Truth,

The movie follows White, Page and The Edge as they visit influential locations from their own personal histories, including the mansion where Led Zeppelin recorded "Stairway To Heaven" and the Dublin high school where U2 was formed and used to practice.

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…Paul McCartney will perform at Fed Ex Field in Landover, Maryland on Saturday, August 1st. Tickets for the show -- which is so far the former Beatle's fifth open air gig of the summer -- will have an American Express pre-sale running from today (June 22nd) at 10 a.m. ET through Thursday (June 25th) at 10 p.m.

Public sale for the August 1st show starts in Friday June 26th at 10 a.m. ET.

AFP reported that both McCartney and Yoko Ono joined forces to wish Burma's liberation leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi a happy 64th birthday. Kyi, who is the leader of the National League for Democracy, spent her birthday in Yangon's Insein Prison, where she awaits trial for an incident in which an American man swam to her home. Kyi has been under house arrest for 13 of the past 19 years, with the nation formerly known as Burma refusing to recognize her political party's 1990 victory.

McCartney posted a message ion the site 64forsuu.org saying, "Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspiration to her country and the rest of the world. I truly admire her infallible resolve and her determination to stand up for what she believes in. It is vital that Aung San Suu Kyi is released so that she can govern the people who elected her and give Burma back the freedom we all take for granted."

Ono's message simply exclained: "FREE Daw Aung San Suu Kyi NOW!"

Among the other celebrities showing support for her were Bono, George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and David Beckham.

George Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison told spinner.com that these days she mainly listens to informal recordings that George recorded at private parties, explaining, "I listen to a lot of really rough recordings, cassettes and demos. George seemed to have a tape recording going . . . The other night I listened to New Year's Eve, it must have been '87. There was Joe Brown -- a great musician, Dave Edmunds, Alvin Lee -- who was a neighbor, (and) Jon Lord from Deep Purple."

She went on to say, "We're all just hanging out. And then we're sitting around the piano, someone has a guitar. You can hear all the wives talking, the guys are playing and we're all singing along . . . I'm like, 'Wow, who had this tape going,' you know? And George would always end up putting it in his pocket, throwing it in a drawer, so I listen to things like that."

Out now is the new Harrison solo compilation Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison. iTunes is offering the album with the previously unreleased Beatles-era demo of "Isn't It A Pity." Fans have been clamoring for the track's release since 1988 when its existence was first reported in Mark Lewisohn's watershed book The Beatles Recording Sessions.

The demo was recorded on Harrison's 26th birthday on February 25th, 1969 at London's Abbey Road Studios, along with solo runthroughs of future Beatles and solo classics "Something," "Old Brown Shoe," and "All Things Must Pass" -- all of which were included on 1996's The Beatles Anthology 3.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN QUICK TAKES…Max Weinberg says that having son Jay step into his shoes on the road with Bruce Springsteen is his proudest moment. Max told NPR.com that Jay rose to the occasion of subbing for his dad while busy with Tonight Show commitments, explaining, "Jay did it all himself. I mean, this is someone who just embraced the challenge, went for it, learned hundreds of songs and assimilated my style, and then threw it out to the audience, flavored by his own metal and punk style playing."

Max says that it's hard not to be emotional by how things have turned out: "You see your son, who's doing something he so loves doing, doing it with your band that you played with for nearly 40 years -- and in some cases, playing it better than me. As a dad, it is the greatest Father's Day I could have. It's an incomparable experience."

Clarence Clemons credits pilates and a rigorous workout regiment for helping him deal with his osteoarthritis on the road. Osteoarthritis develops when the cartilage between bones breaks down. Clemons, who was a college football player prior to hooking up with the E Street Band, has been battling pain frequently undergoing bilateral hip replacement in 1994, and having both knees replaced last fall.

Clemons, who was originally dealing with the pain with periodic epidurals and pain medication, decided early on to manage the pain naturally, telling arthritistoday.org, "Pilates has changed my life and made me stronger."

The "Big Man" added: "Bruce is such a high-energy person, if I didn't work out, I would die out there. I try to stay on top of it, be prepared, be ready to do my job."

Boston.com reported that the building that used to house Asbury Park, New Jersey's legendary club The Upstage will be sold for $1.1 million. The Upstage, which was an early breeding ground for Springsteen, the various members of E Street Bands, along with dozens of other Jersey Shore groups, including Southside Johnny and the Jukes, shut its doors back in 1971.

STEPHEN STILLS SAYS CROWDS THRILLED WITH CSN'S RECENT COVER SONGS…Stephen Stills says that Crosby, Stills, & Nash are getting an amazing response with the recent cover songs they've added to their nightly setlists. CSN are currently road testing cuts from their upcoming covers set which is being produced by Rick Rubin. So far, the band has surprised concert-goers with harmony-driven versions of the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday," James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes," and the Grateful Dead's "Uncle John's Band."

Stills admits that he's getting off watching the crowd slowly realize what song they're covering: "Oh, it's really surprising. Nobody can believe it, but everybody goes, 'But of course! And this is so cool! 'Cause these are songs that I couldn't see them doing, like 'Ruby Tuesday' in concert.'"

Although the band is only about a third done with the album's sessions, they're playing the tunes live to gauge fan interest in what covers will make the final cut. Stills says that they've already dipped into the songbooks of Jackson Browne, Bob Dylan and other favorites: "'Reason To Believe' (the) Timmy Hardin song, and 'Lives In The Balance' and 'Girl From The North Country." at England's Glastonbury Festival. They'll kick off their next U.S. dates on July 25th in Portland, Maine at Merrill Auditorium At City Hall.

THE MOODY BLUES' 1970 ISLE OF WIGHT PERFORMANCE CHRONICLED ON NEW CD AND DVD…Out now on CD and DVD is The Moody Blues: Live At the Isle of Wight 1970, chronicling the band's legendary set on August 30th, 1970. The CD and DVD, which are sold separately, feature different songs due to the footage to several tracks not surviving the nearly 40 years since the festival. The DVD includes recollections by members of the Moodys' classic lineup featuring Justin Hayward, John Lodge, Mike Pinder, and Graeme Edge.

Justin Hayward, who remixed the sound on the disc from the master tapes, says that the band plays incredibly different now than they did nearly four decades ago: "The biggest difference was the kind of urgency and there was some kind of serious intention about the way that we played then. I think we were much more a separated from the audience than we are now. We were in our own little world a bit and I know personally, (laughs) I wouldn't speak for anyone else, personally I was very stoned and hadn't had much sleep the night before, and I'm amazed that we got through it as well as we did."

The tracklisting to The Moody Blues: Live At the Isle of Wight 1970 is: "Gypsy Sunset," "Tuesday Afternoon," "Minstrel Song," "Never Comes The Day," "Tortoise And The Hare," "Question," "Melancholy Man," "Are You Sitting Comfortably," "The Dream Have You Heard (Pt's 1 and 2)," "Nights In White Satin," "Legend Of A Mind," "Ride My See Saw."

The Moody Blues kick off their next series of dates on July 21st in San Diego, California at Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay.

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

Jonathan

Friday - June 19, 2009 -

2009-06-19T11:12:00.002-05:00

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 # 21

“In a 6 person hot tub, there should be a maximum of 3 guys”

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1905, the first nickelodeon opened up in Pittsburgh. It was very popular among rug rats and people who liked to get slimed.

In 1910, Father's Day was celebrated for the very first time. Back then, in it's early form, it was called "Thou shalt all bow down before me Day." That didn't last long.

On this date in 1934, the FCC was created... and might I just add, what a wonderful government agency it is. Such fine people. Of course, those are the folks who make sure we don't say (BLEEP ), (BLEEP) and especially, (BLEEP), on the air. Who could (BLEEP)-in' blame them?

TODAY IS

Paula Abdul turns 46 today. It's a national holiday back on her home planet.

Kathleen Turner celebrates her 55th birthday today. She got her start in "Body Heat." That was back when she still got me started.

Here's one for you: Phylicia Rashad turns 61 today! Man, I hope I look that good when I'm 40.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Hillary Clinton was on her way to the White House Wednesday night when she fell and broke her elbow!

Tom Brokaw interviewed President Obama June 5th. This week, he was named to the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.

The Global Language Monitor, a web site that uses a math formula to estimate how often words are created, estimates English now has one million words -- more than any other language.

T.R. Knight will be disappearing from "Grey's Anatomy," as he is being released from his contract.

Billy Joel and third wife Katie Lee are spliting up after five years. In a statement, the pair said that they remain "caring friends with admiration and respect for each other."

Katie Perry is suing an Australian company that was using her name as a clothing label.

Former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and "Dancing with the Stars" runner-up Melissa Rycroft will appear on "Good Morning America" as a traveling contributor this summer.

It took two calls from Angelina Jolie before fashion designer Malcolm Harris would believe it was really her. He thought he was being Punk'd.

A sequel to "Hangover" is already in the works.

Even though David Letterman's ordeal with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin gave his "Late Show" a ratings boost, rival Conan O'Brien remained top dog after two weeks as the "Tonight Show" host.

A GPS with the voice of Homer Simpson telling you where to turn? TomTom is now offering it.

According to a new survey, some teens are starting to use their cell phones to cheat on tests in school. They act like they just got a call, but instead, they're checking answers placed on their phone.

David Archuleta's dad was busted for soliciting a prostitute at a massage parlor.

Jane Fonda has had her left knee replaced.

Chris Brown has to appear in court on Monday to find out if charges will be filed from that Rihanna incident.

The Emmy Awards are being postponed by a week to avoid bumping into MTV's Video Music Awards on September 13th.

Guys, ever wonder how to be a husband? Here are 5 steps to being a better husband (from MSN.com)

1. Take an interest in something your wife is really passionate about. This can be especially tough for guys, because we generally feel that if someone else has interests that differ from ours, they're morons. It's not an easy task, and being able to show interest in something that matters to someone you love shows growth -- and that's terrifying. Good, but terrifying. Accomplish this and you'll make her feel better about herself, and you get better insight into what makes her tick.

2. Put the kids to bed. Once a week give her the night off and put the kids to bed by yourself. Let her take a hot bath, read a book, or check gossip on the Web and forget about the kids. I'm always amazed how happy this makes my wife. It ranks somewhere between low-end jewelry and a Hawaiian vacation.

3. Learn to apologize. This is the easiest one, and the hardest one. A marriage is a marathon, and we all fly off the handle too quick or let our temper get the best of us sometimes. When you're wrong, it's best to step up and apologize. It's amazing how fast "I'm sorry" can defuse a stupid argument about something you can't even remember.

4. Thank her for putting up with you. Every once in a while, just thank her for putting up with you. That's all you have to say. Don't launch into a list of your faults, or the story about coming home two days late from that Vegas bachelor party. Just thank her, and let her know that you understand that you're not the easiest person in the world to live with.

5. Clean up after yourself. Take care of that late night snack or morning cereal bowl. Setting them in the sink is one thing, but go that extra mile and actually put them in the dishwasher. After all, no one enjoys scraping bacon dip off a bowl that's been sitting too long or smelling the chili from the night before. A beer bottle on the counter the next morning is even worse.

WEIRD NEWS

Heroic 9-11 Dog Cloned! - A Heroic German Shepherd named Trakr that sniffed for survivors buried under the rubble of the World Trade Center terror attack is no longer with us, but his five clones will continue his heroic legacy of saving lives. Animal cloning company BioArts International has produced five genetic copies of the heroic dog after its death in April and the clones were presented to Trakr's former handler James Symington in Los Angeles. This was the result of an essay contest to find the best dog worth cloning. Symington's winning essay told Trakr's two-day non-stop search-and-rescue efforts at Ground Zero, including finding the last survivor under 30 feet of debris. Sadly, Trakr died in April from a degenerative brain disorder. (AHN News)

Dodgeball Coach Goes Nuts! - In New Rochelle, New York, police say a 58-year-old substitute gym teacher at Daniel Webster Elementary School put a 10-year-old student in a chokehold after the two got in an argument over a dodgeball game! Coach "Anger-ball" was arrested and charged with third-degree assault, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. According to police reports, the substitute teacher apparently began calling the boy "a big baby" and a "crybaby" after they argued about a call in a dodgeball game. The boy allegedly threw a punch at the sub but missed. The sub then allegedly grabbed the boy by the back of the neck, dragged him across the gym floor and put him in a chokehold when he tried to break free. The boy was hospitalized with neck and back pain. The sub is claiming self-defense. (The Journal News)

Note To Self: You Are Not Invincible! - In Fairbanks, Alaska, 34-year-old Roman Retynski loved to live life on the edge. Unfortunately, he got too close to the edge when he decided to go "car surfing" on the hood of a speeding truck -- a decision that cost him his life. A woman in the truck told Alaska State Troopers that Retynski was driving the night of June 10 when he suddenly announced he wanted to go "surfing" and climbed out of the truck as it continued to move. The woman was left to struggle to get control of the truck which was moving at 60-70 mph. He ultimately went flying off the hood to his death. Roman's mother, Ruth Retynski, said, "He was the daredevil of the family" and that she heard stories from his friends that Roman would sit on the hood of vehicle and lean back on the windshield as someone drove. According to friends, he had done it at least 100 times since he was 15. She added, "He liked to gamble with life. I know when he was flying off the hood, he didn't think he would die, he was just thinking, 'This is going to hurt.'" (News Miner)

Norman Bates Comes To Life - Anyone who's seen the classic Alfred Hitchcock movie "Psycho" will consider this Norman Bates come to life! In Brooklyn, New York, 49-year-old Thomas Prusik-Parkin has been charged with impersonating his dead mother so he could claim her benefits-- for six years. He allegedly wore a wig, thick make-up and old dresses as part of his elaborate ruse to claim over $100,000 in social security benefits and rent subsidies. Prosecutors say it all started when Prusik-Parkin's mother, Irene Prusik, died in 2003 at age 73. Mr. Prusik-Parkin allegedly gave his mother's funeral director a false social security number and date of birth so her death did not show up on government records. Dressed as his mom, he would then collect benefit checks, visit banks and even go to renew her driving license. He now faces up to 25 years in prison. (Ananova)

Obaminoes? - A group of fifth graders at Franklin Avenue Elementary School in Westfield, Massachusetts have used their math skills and a ton of dominoes to honor President Barack Obama and create a giant mural they call "Obaminoes." It utilizes 24,000 dominoes geometrically placed to create a photo of the president. Student Marissa Costa told reporters, "We were the only elementary school to do this and to have a piece of artwork of our 44th president, the only African American president. It means a lot." (AHN News)

Do You Really Want To Be Judged By a Jury of Your Peers? - Looks like the gene pool for those who actually make it to jury duty is running pretty thin these days. Back in 2003, Lisa Strong was hospitalized in Miami for a kidney stone, which was not treated properly. As a result she ended up with massive, life-threatening infections, but by the time her doctors finally got around to treating those, they had to amputate both her arms and legs! Not surprisingly, Strong filed a lawsuit against the doctors in 2005, but the jury in Broward County, Florida just returned a verdict that somehow found all of the doctors completely innocent of any malpractice. Judge Charles Greene was so shocked he immediately reversed the verdict, dismissed the jury and ordered a new trial! (WFOR-TV News)

Bank Managers Don't Make Good Arsonists - In Indianapolis, police have charged 31-year-old Fifth Third Bank manager Dwayne Roberts with arson and theft after he failed miserably in a poorly thought-out scheme to cover up his embezzlement. Reportedly, Mr. Roberts elaborately staged a fire inside a locked vault so that an undeterminable amount of money would burn up, thus perhaps covering his big cash shortage. Unfortunately for him, after Roberts set the fire and locked the vault, he realized he had left his keys inside and could not re-open the vault or lock the bank's doors or even drive home. Duh! (Indianapolis Star)

TOP FIVE LEAST APPRECIATED FATHER'S DAY GIFTS

1. A copy of George Michael's song, "I don't want my Father's Figure"
2. A headshot of Megan Fox
3. A brand-new "Honey-do" list
4. Another finger painting? For God's sake, you're 50!
5. Washing half his car

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Billy Joel and his 27-year-old wife have split up. I wonder what could have possibly gone wrong?

It was one of those classic May/A-year-from-this-December relationships.

Those of you who had five years in the marriage pool: you win!

Chace Crawford tops People Magazine's list of the summer's hottest bachelors. IF you don't include the homely ones.

Hillary Clinton was on her way to the White House Wednesday night when she fell and broke her elbow! This could pave the way for development of the first "Pantsuit Sling."

THE OFFICE

A survey of more than 2,000 executives by TheLadders.com reveals that 36% of U.S. bosses have issued a formal warning for swearing, and 6% have actually fired an employee for swearing. The survey also found that 81% of senior executives find a foul-mouthed colleague unacceptable to work alongside in the office. 70% also said they would fire an employee for bad office manners, while 82% said they have given an official warning for etiquette offenses, such as making too many personal calls, talking too loudly or wearing revealing clothing. So what are the top five nos-nos?

Bad language, 38.4%
Excessive workplace gossip, 36.5%
Drinking on the job, 35.2%
Leaving the office without telling anyone, 33.6%
Too many personal calls, 28%

81.2% of employees said they deem swearing in the workplace unacceptable. But what's the absolute most offensive thing an office worker can do to his or her colleagues? 97.8% rated fridge raiders the worst possible offenders of workplace etiquette. Want more?

Eating someone else's food from the fridge, 97.8%
Bad hygiene, 95.6%
Bad habits, 88.2%
Drinking on the job, 85.7%
Wastefulness with paper, 82%
Cooking smelly food in the office microwave, 74.1%
Sneaking peeks at the BlackBerry in meetings, 63.5%

15 CRUCIAL QUESTIONS

Think you know everything about your partner? Glamour says quiz each other on the following:

1. When I turn on the TV, which channel do I usually turn to first?
2. Which of our dates was my favorite?
3. Was I named after anyone? If so, who?
4. What is my biggest fear?
5. Ketchup: on my fries or next to them?
6. Who in my family do I feel closest to?
7. What's my favorite band of all time?
8. What's my biggest pet peeve?
9.Do I shower facing the showerhead or with my back to it?
10. What is my dream job?
11. In what kind of car did I learn to drive?
12.Was I on any sports teams or in any clubs while growing up? Which ones?
13. What's my favorite day of the year?
14. What would I do with a million dollars?
15. What do I love most about you?

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR –

- A pilot flying a Continental Airlines flight 61, from Brussels to Newark died in midair on Thursday, and the plane was landed by two flight officers. The crew and passengers of flight 61 held an impromptu memorial service for the deceased pilot during the flight, until one passenger stood up and screamed, "I've had it with this mother-freaking wake on this mother-freaking plane."

- Sasha Baron Cohen then described British Prime Minister Gordon Brown as "totally gay". That's as opposed to being only partially gay by sticking your naked butt in Eminem's face on live TV.

- Several major Iranian Ayatollahs are joining in opposition to the recent election there. Ayatollah Rafsanjani and Ayatollah Sanei declared their disapproval, and the Grand Ayatollah Montazeri, has issued a statement describing the election results as ones "that no one in their right mind can believe." President Ahmadinejad said, "I believe in them." Grand Ayatollah Montazeri replied, "See what I mean?"

- After he heard Hillary broke her elbow, Bill Clinton wanted to know if it was Hillary's china-throwing arm, and then said, "Man... I thought she had sharp elbows before she broke one."

FIVE LIES EVERY WOMAN TELLS

(from Askmen.com)

1. I'm not mad at you -- Oh, yes she is. In reality, she does care, very much so. What you should do: Save yourself some time and headaches later on by calling her on her real feelings and discussing why she's so angry.

2. I don't mind if you go to strip clubs with the boys -- If this one sounds too good to be true, that's because it is. What you should do: You're probably better off just not going.

3. I'm just not ready for a boyfriend right now -- The truth is, if the woman is single and at all interested in you, she will certainly make the time to date you. It's that simple. What you should do: Let it go. Don't bother letting her know that you see through it. Take the easy way out by pretending you believe her for your own personal dignity, and just walk away.

4. I don't mind picking up the tab tonight. You always pay anyway -- Although this lie doesn't apply to all women, most still do expect men to pay for things, especially if the man asked them out in the first place. They will secretly think that the guy is cheap if he wriggles out of the bill on a regular basis. What you should do: In the early, critical dating stages, don't risk looking cheap.

5. You're the best in bed -- Face it, women tell guys whatever they think they want to hear, just to make them feel good about themselves. What you should do: You shouldn't be asking her to rate her sexual experiences, period. That's just in poor taste.

On to ROCK NEWS –

OZZY OSBOURNE'S MEMOIRS COMING OUT THIS FALL…Ozzy Osbourne's long-awaited memoir will be published in the U.K. on October 1st, according to TheBookseller.com. The book, titled I Am Ozzy, was originally slated to arrive almost two years ago but was delayed twice. Ozzy will do a week-long publicity tour in England upon the book's publication which will include two book signing events. Publisher Antonia Hodgson called the book "fantastic," adding that it was "very much in the tone of his voice, very funny and a very full story."

Ozzy did a cover shoot for the book on Wednesday (June 17th).

A U.S. publication date has yet to be announced.

Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, published her own best-selling memoir in 2005, called Extreme: My Autobiography. A second volume was rushed out in 2008 after Ozzy's book was delayed.

A documentary about Ozzy's life and career, called Wreckage Of My Past, is due out in early 2010. The film is will be the first release from Jacko Productions, a company started by Ozzy's son Jack.

Ozzy is working on a new album that he expects to release later this year.

ALICE COOPER'S SCARY DADDY MOMENT…Alice Cooper has made a career out of being scary on stage, but he's also experienced a moment or two of fear as a father. Alice, who has three grown children, reminisced to us about the time he caught his then-teenage daughter, Calico, in her bedroom with a boy: "And there's this really good-looking guy sitting on her bed and she's taking a shower. I look at the guy and he knows that I'm gonna... and he goes 'Oh hello Mr. Cooper! Cali and I were just trying on clothes.' And I went 'either this guy is really good or he's really gay. I hope that you're really gay because if you're that quick in order to become gay, getting caught in my daughter's bedroom' and Calico looked at me and she says 'no, we were trying on dresses.' And he was gay and it was a relief to me!"

Alice said that since he's the original rebel, there was nothing his kids could do to top him: "There was no way to rebel because what are they going to do, dye their hair black and wear black lipstick? I invented that, remember? My daughter put it perfectly in her yearbook. She said, 'I couldn't really rebel because my mom and dad were cooler than my friends.'"

Of course, having Alice Cooper for a father does have its advantages: "They got to do things other kids didn't get to do. They were backstage going 'where's Uncle Axel? Where's Uncle Slash?' They knew all the rock stars as 'Uncle' this or 'Uncle' that. 'Where's Uncle Keith? Crazy Uncle Moonie?'"

Alice's three children are Calico, 28; Dashiel, 25, and his teenage daughter Sonora Rose. All of his children have performed in his shows.

Alice is currently on tour in Russia.

AEROSMITH DRUMMER HOSTING WOUNDED SOLDIERS ON SUNDAY…Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer will celebrate his 59th birthday this Sunday (June 21st) by hosting 20 wounded soldiers as his personal guests at the band's show that night at the Nissan Pavilion in Bristow, Virginia. The troops, who all served in Iraq or Afghanistan, are currently receiving treatment and therapy for their injuries at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Some are amputees, while others have suffered shrapnel wounds, burns, and traumatic brain injuries.

Kramer said in a statement, "I can't think of a better gift to receive on my birthday than to have the privilege of sharing a night of our music with these brave and heroic warriors who have been wounded in the service of our country."

The soldiers are attending the show through the assistance of the local USO chapter in Washington D.C.

Aerosmith's summer tour, which also features ZZ Top, will continue through mid-September.

CROSBY, STILLS, & NASH INDUCTED INTO THE SONGWRITER'S HALL OF FAME…Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, the Rascals' Felix Cavaliere and Eddie Brigati were among the 2009 inductees into the Songwriter's Hall Of Fame last night (June 18th) at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.

Other inductees include: Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway, best known for the songs "Long Cool Woman In A Black Dress" by the Hollies, "You've Got Your Troubles" and "Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling" by the Fortunes, "This Golden Ring" by Gary Lewis and the Playboys, and others. Galt MacDermot, James Rado, and the late Gerome Ragni, who wrote the groundbreaking Broadway hit Hair, including the standards "Aquarius," "Let the Sunshine In," "Hair," "Easy To Be Hard," and "Good Morning Starshine," and Stephen Schwartz, who composed the score for Godspell and Pippin.

Graham Nash was asked if he ever found it difficult wrapping his talents around David Crosby and Stephen Stills' distinctive styles: "Nah, it's just the way we were brought up writing. My songs are usually about three minues, 'cause I was brought up writing songs with the Hollies, y'know you need your pop songs write before the news. And mine are chopped short and to the point, and get the point across immediately. And David's tend to meander a little, y'know? And his stories are always unfolding as is his melodic chord structures. And Stephen with his Southern blues brings what he brings, y'know?"

Nash was asked what the most important character trait he respects in his partners is: "Trust. You have to trust your partners. You have to trust that they're going to push a song of yours into the right direction. And I have great partners, they're really good at making records. They're really good at recognizing when the chorus should come. It gets worked out, but basically it's trust."

Felix Cavaliere says that when he and the Rascals were coming up, it was not only the stage show, but the band's material that would make or break an act: "When you're a creative artist, you want to create. And obviously when you're trying to sell product, the most important thing, and this is the reason I moved to Nashville, are the songs. At least that's the way I was brought up in the business. It's not the case to today for the current artists, because the most important today is their look and their marketing. In our day the song was the thing."

Ritchie Sambora who was inducted last night along with Jon Bon Jovi, explains that it's the fans of the songs -- not the creators -- that keep a song alive: "Everybody asks, you know they say, 'Well, how does it feel to play 'Livin' On A Prayer' or 'Wanted Dead Or Alive' twenty thousand times or whatever it's been. The interesting thing about a Bon Jovi show, the exciting thing even for me is the dialogue between the band and its audience. Let me tell you something, when those intro chords to 'Livin On A Prayer' come up, that audience goes up a notch. When I open up the riff for 'Dead Or Alive,' those people are (thumps chest where his heart is)... They're right here."

Legendary Motown songwriters Eddie and Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier were honored with the prestigious Johnny Mercer Award. Brian Holland recalled that once their songs clicked with the Supremes and the Four Tops it was only onward and upward for the team: "When we first started getting hit records on them, we were writing songs, and we were asking, 'Well, who can sing this?' But once we locked in and it was a hit, then we knew where you were. Because, before you've gotten a hit record you really haven't established (an) identity, so to speak. Once you get those hit records, a hit record, or whatever -- depending on how big it is -- you really kind of establish a direction at least for a while."

Lamont Dozier says that other Motown songwriters often inspired the team as well: "'How Sweet It Is' came from a previous song that Marvin had -- 'Pride And Joy.' In hearing that, I felt that Marvin had nailed something in his performance. And while listening to that, I sort of got a feeling for a shuffle or a repeat shuffle, whatever you wanna call it, '... Sweet' came about from listening to that shuffle. And I figure, 'Hey, if people like that shuffle by him, let me see if I can come up with another shuffle."

To learn more about the Songwriters Hall of Fame, log on to songhall.org.

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…List.co.uk posted that George Harrison's coproducer and Traveling Wilburys bandmate Jeff Lynne might be finishing up some of the tracks Harrison had been working on at the time of his death. An unnamed source said, "George half-finished loads of songs and often just forgot about them. There is probably an album's worth of material. Jeff and George were very close and worked together a lot in the later period of George's life. He's the right man to work on the material."

Shortly after Harrison's 2001 death Lynne and Harrison's son Dhani put the finishing touches on Harrison's 2002 posthumous Grammy Award-winning collection Brainwashed.

Harrison's widow Olivia said that she wants to issue some more of Harrison's unreleased work: "There are lots of tracks. Some are closer to completion than others and with those I'd ask for help."

Rolling Stone reported that Paul McCartney will record the score for the upcoming film version of his children's book High In The Clouds. The animated feature will be produced by former New Line Cinema founders Bob Shaye and Michael Lynne and directed by The Lion King's Rob Minkoff. Michael Lynne said, "Paul said he would commit to a score of original songs as part of it. Bob and I had never focused on animation in our career, but that got our attention."

McCartney has scored his previous small scale animated projects including Tropic Island Hum and Rupert And The Frog Song, which featured beloved British character Rupert the Bear. In 1978 McCartney recorded an entire album of songs for a proposed Rupert film that never materialized. The soundtrack has been available on the bootleg market for years.

Ringo Starr will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 according to hollywoodreporter.com. Among the other stars set for sidewalk tributes by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce will be Russell Crowe, Adam Sandler, Bill Maher, Bryan Adams, the Funk Brothers, Alan Jackson, Chaka Khan, Van Morrison, Marco Antonio Solis, ZZ Top, the late Roy Orbison, Chris Berman, Jon Cryer, Peter Graves, Jimmy Kimmel, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Sam Waterston.

Andrea Bocelli and the Cirque du Soleil's Guy Liberte will represent live performance and theater.

John Lennon received his star in 1988 and Paul McCartney was on hand to celebrate George Harrison's star in April.

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

Jonathan

Wednesday - June 17, 2009 -

2009-06-17T13:17:00.001-05:00

But I Didn't Order Saliva on My Egg McMuffin! - In Berrien Springs, Michigan, a 32-year-old McDonald's employee is facing felony charges after he allegedly spit on a police officer's Egg McMuffin! Police say the guy was working the drive-thru window when an unidentified officer bit into his breakfast sandwich and immediately realized something was wrong. Reportedly, the restaurant's assistant manager noted the sandwich contained a "stringy with mucus" substance -- and no-- we don't mean McDonald's special sauce. The suspect, a parolee who spent 14 years in an Indiana prison, said he has nothing against police. In investigation is underway. (The Herald-Palladium)

Can I Cut In Line -- I'm Having a Baby! - In Columbus, Ohio, Dawn Thompson's graduation day from Columbus State University looked like it was going to be extra special. Dawn was sure she had gone into labor during last Friday's commencement exercises so she got moved up from No. 749 in the order for receiving degrees to first in line. As soon as she got her diploma she rushed off the stage with one hand clutching the document and the other on her swollen belly. A medic with a stretcher was waiting to take her to the hospital. But it turned out her pains were just a false alarm, and the hospital sent her home. But hey Dawn -- nice way to get moved up 749 spaces! (WEWS-TV News)

Flushed Puppy Miraculously Survived! - In Britain, a 1-week-old cocker spaniel narrowly escaped disaster after 4-year-old Daniel Blair decided to give him a bath in the toilet. Little Daniel said he tried to clean the muddy puppy but then accidentally flushed him down the toilet! His mother Alison thought the dog was dead, but a plumber located the poor pup in a sewage pipe 20 yards away from the house using a special drain camera. You'll be happy to know the dog is fine now. Well -- as fine as you can be after you've just been flushed down the toilet! (Ananova)

World's Toughest Owl! - If there was ever a World's Toughest Owl contest, the award would have to go to a great horned owl from the Minneapolis area. Back in 2007, a fish hook got stuck on her wing in a Burnsville lake but she was rescued, treated, and released. But just last week, she met a sports utility vehicle head on while flying down Highway 169 and got stuck in its grill. Dr. Julia Ponder works at the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota, where the bird has been treated both times and said the owl hit hard enough that she cracked the plastic bumper. The bird, which apparently recently laid eggs, has broken her radius but she's expected to be released in the next month or so. (KARE-TV News)

Life 120,000 Years Old Found - Scientists from Pennsylvania State University have made an amazing discovery-- two new species of bacteria which have been buried beneath two miles of ice in Greenland for at least 120,000 years. Prof. Jennifer Loveland-Curtze led the discovery of the harmless bacteria, whose name we won't even begin to try to pronounce, and believes the bacteria survived because of its very small size. Both strains are 10 to 50 times smaller than the E. coli bacteria. And if you must attempt it, they are called: Herminiimonas glaciei and Chryseobacterium greenlandensis. (AHN News)

Hey Grandpa -- Let's Go To College Together! - Here's an amazing story. In Taiwan, a 96-year-old grandfather graduated from college on the same day as his 32-year-old grandson! Grandpa Chao Muhe, a retired teacher, got his master's degree in philosophy from the University of South China in southern Taiwan while his grandson, Zhao Shuangzhan, graduated from Chung Hua University. And although Grandpa Chao, as he became known around the campus, was more than 70 years older than his classmates, he says he did not feel out of place. But he said he often had to study until 2am or even 3am to keep up with the younger students. He added that he did it to set a good example for his grandson. (Ananova)

Sorry Ma'am. We'll Need To Check Your Pink Tattoo! - In Montreal, Sylvie Menard is furious after Canadian border agents made her strip to see if she had a pink tattoo on her buttocks after mixing her up with an alleged criminal. Menard, who has no history of trouble with the law, was flying home from a vacation in Mexico when the humiliating encounter with airport authorities went down. Dominique McNeely, a spokesman for the Canada Border Services Agency, said he could not discuss the case, but said false matches occur and such checks are necessary. Menard says it felt like a bad dream and was astounded when a female border officer asked her to expose her buttocks to see if she had a pink tattoo. The officer later made her disrobe again to check if one had been erased with a laser. She has lodged official complaints with the police watchdog and the border agency. (The Star)

TOP FIVE OTHER REASONS I'D WANT MEGAN FOX TO LIVE WITH ME

1. If we're ever REALLY invaded by Transformers, she'll know what to do
2. I want to use her to get to know Shia Lebeouf
3. I want to find out what her middle name is (OK, I already know it's Denise... shhhhh)
4. I'm sure she's a nice person. If not, oh well.
5. Doesn't spend a lot of money on clothes

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Italy has agreed to take three of the prisoners from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for a second round draft pick and a terrorist to be named later.

I can't help but thinking that somewhere, in David Letterman's dressing room, there's a bouquet of flowers from Conan O'Brien along with a note that says, "Thanks for the Palin joke!"

Not surprising, the Orlando Magic are now asking the federal government for a bailout.

Billy Ray Cyrus took his 16-year-old daughter Miley to have her nose pierced in Los Angeles last week. If it affects her singing, she plans to change her name to "Miley Sinus."

Iranian voters are upset about the results of their presidential election... this after their current president, George W. Ahmadinejad, was re-elected.

What irritated them most was the sign he put up after the election, "Mission: Accomplished."

GOIN' TO GET MARRIED

June, or Weddings Month, is here. "Although couples may think they're bucking tradition, they're actually collectively creating new wedding rules," says Christa Vagnozzi, senior editor of WeddingChannel.com. "Asking their best guy friend to be a man of honor, deciding to keep their last name and registering for their honeymoon are becoming more mainstream as brides and grooms strive to incorporate their personal style." Here are the four new wedding traditions for the 21st century:

Gender-Bending Rituals -- Man of honor? Best woman? Brides and grooms are no longer dismissing their best friends of the opposite sex when it comes to their wedding. In fact, according to a WeddingChannel.com poll, an 63% of brides said that if their best friend were a guy, they would definitely ask him to be a bridesman or man of honor.

A Friend as the Officiant -- According to a WeddingChannel.com poll, 59% of couples would be interested in having a friend or family member officiate.

The Name Game -- Don't make any assumptions when it comes to the bride's last name. According to the Real Weddings Survey 2007 by The Knot Wedding Network, 12% of brides don't plan on taking their spouse's name upon marriage.

Alternative Wedding Registries -- China and crystal are so yesterday. Brides and grooms are ditching traditional registries or augmenting them with such unusual gifts as horseback riding lessons, the honeymoon, a hi-definition plasma-screen TV and even donations to their favorite charity.

WHAT YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW REVEALS ABOUT YOU

(Sun) The TV shows you faithfully watch week after week actually boost your positive personality traits, experts say. "Studies indicate that the programs you enjoy most tend to give your ego a lift," says Indianapolis sociologist Denise Franks. "That's because the kinds of shows you choose reflect your virtues and attributes." See what your "must see TV" show reveals about you:

Cop shows like "Southland," "The Closer" or "In Plain Sight" - You're a "pragmatist" who enjoys figuring out "who done it." Logically arriving at a solution is a soothing exercise that relieves the stress of your busy day and leaves less time for worrying about your own problems. Your positive approach to most situations makes you the leader of the pack with both friends and family. You're the rock that others depend on to make important decisions and find the right path.

Sitcoms like "30 Rock," "Old Christine" and "My Name is Earl" - You're a "friend" who can always be depended upon. Your interest in others finds true meaning in your dedication to your community, working with other volunteers to improve your environment. Your sharp sense of humor and lively intelligence make you the life of the party, but you also use those two attributes to your advantage when an innovative answer is required to solve a crisis situation on the job.

Reality shows like "Survivor," "Project Runway" and "Hell's Kitchen" - You're a "romantic" who shines as a team player, doing whatever it takes to help your group win the day. You're a genius at collaborating because you inspire others to work just as hard as you to achieve your mutual goals. You thrive by being where the action is, meeting challenges face to face. You also have a strong competitive streak that propels you forward, without fear, into new adventures.

Dramas like "Grey's Anatomy," "Medium" and "Fringe" - You're "compassionate" with a rich imagination, easily putting yourself in someone else's shoes. Seeing all sides of a situation makes you a champ at handling problems with the diplomatic flair of a State Department veteran. You seldom judge other people. You'd rather reserve your opinion while giving others the benefit of the doubt. When the chips are down, you keep the faith that they won't let you down.

Cartoons like "Family Guy," "South Park" and "The Simpsons" - You're a creative "dynamo" who can identify with eccentric characters who are out of the mainstream. You're caring and sensitive to the needs of others with the ability to design excellent solutions for everyday dilemmas. Being a cartoon lover indicates you're receptive to new ideas and willing to try anything once. Your intuitive powers allow you to be in sync with the emotional atmosphere of charged situations.

Soaps like "The Young and The Restless," "All My Children" and "General Hospital" - You're a rebel who sets an agenda and shows little interest in the opinions of others. Even if you're stubborn about forging your own way, your devotion to friends and family is unsurpassed. Your independent attitude is often the catalyst for inspired ideas you develop while working alone. Once you've reached the pinnacle you were shooting for, you're more than happy to let others in on your secrets.

On to ROCK NEWS –

CHRISSIE HYNDE PROTESTS MINNESOTA ZOO GIG…The Pretenders' August 19th concert in Apple Valley, Minnesota has been moved from its original venue at the Weesner Amphitheater, after Chrissie Hynde protested playing the show which is housed in the Minnesota Zoo. Startribune.com reported that Hynde, an avid animal rights activist had written a letter to the zoo about its Family Farm exhibit, saying "How can a zoo invite children to touch and play with and express joy over animals for their uniqueness, only to turn around and sell those very animals to slaughter?" Hynde told zoo director Lee Ehmke that she planned to raise the question from the stage the night of the show

According to a representative of PETA, the zoo canceled the show. Kelly Lessard, a spokesperson for the zoo added, "Goats, sheep, calves and pigs from the Family Farm exhibit are sold at livestock auctions at the end of each summer season, just as they would be on a regular farm. . . . We've never hidden our mission."

Hynde says she is dedicated to PETA's cause, and that she will use her fame to help the organization in any way it sees fit: "You know, I'm always available to PETA, including posthumously. I've agreed that they can use my image in any way at all after I die to promote the cause, so..."

The Pretenders kick off their North American dates on August 4th and 5th in Rama, Ontario at Casino Rama Entertainment Centre.

YOKO ONO JOINS PAUL McCARTNEY AND KIDS TO LAUNCH 'MEAT FREE MONDAYS'…Yoko Ono joined Paul McCartney and his kids on Monday (June 15th) in London's St. James Park to publicize "Meat Free Monday." Britain's Coventry Telegraph reported that Ono, McCartney, and his children with late wife Linda McCartney -- Mary, Stella, and James -- were publicizing the campaign "to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the world's livestock population, thought to be a major cause of global warming."

McCartney explained, "I thought this was a great idea. To just reduce your meat intake maybe by one day a week and this would seriously benefit the planet. My family have been this way for years -- vegetarians, that is."

Among the other notables on hand to support Ono and the McCartneys were Kate Bosworth, Kelly Osbourne, and Moby.

RELEASE DATE SET FOR 9TH PEARL JAM STUDIO ALBUM…Pearl Jam has tentatively set September 22nd as the release date for the band's ninth studio album, titled Backspacer. The CD is the band's first since leaving Sony Music and will be released at least initially as a Target exclusive, with other retail partnerships in the works.

KRIST NOVOSELIC ABANDONS COUNTY CLERK RUN…Ex-Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has abandoned his short-lived campaign to become county clerk of Wahkiakum County in Washington State. Novoselic said he staged the campaign to protest a new state law that allows candidates to affiliate themselves with a political party or local organization whether the party or organization endorses them or not. Novoselic ran under the banner of the Grange Party, a fictitious party based on a real farming group. He wrote, "I'm just trying to make a point. And I think I made it crystal clear: It's wrong for me to drag a private association unwittingly onto the public ballot. There, said it, done, no need to drag this on toward the November election."

METALLICA PLANNING OCTOBER SURPRISE?...Metallica announced in an email blast to its mailing list on Tuesday (June 16th) that the band is rescheduling a concert in Ottawa, Canada, originally scheduled for October 29th, to November 3rd. The reason? According to the email, "the date change is due to a scheduling conflict with a very cool event coming up around that time. We wanted to let you know about the new date in Ottawa ASAP, but we've been sworn to secrecy on all other fronts . . . more details in mid to late July."

No other information was available, and a rep for Metallica also did not have any comment.

All tickets for the Ottawa date are good on the 3rd, and anyone who cannot make the new show is entitled to a refund at their point of purchase.

Everyone attending the rescheduled gig will also receive a voucher for a free download of that night's show at livemetallica.com.

Metallica will start a North American tour on September 14th in Nashville as the band continues supporting 2008's Death Magnetic album.

EDDIE VAN HALEN SUES NIKE…Eddie Van Halen has filed a lawsuit against the Nike shoe company, according to Los Angeles station KTLA-TV. The Van Halen guitarist filed his claim on Friday (June 12th), alleging that Nike used the trademarked striped design from his guitar for its new line of "Dunk Lows" tennis shoes. According to the suit, Van Halen copyrighted a red, white and black streaked design for his "Frankenstein" guitar in 2001, the same design he claims Nike has used for the midsole of its new shoes.

Van Halen's suit alleges that Nike infringed on his copyright and used the design without "consent, approval or license."

The guitarist claims that Nike is doing "irreparable harm and damage" to his design. In addition to damages, he is seeking all profits from the sales of "Dunk Lows" and a permanent injunction halting production of the Nike shoes.

Van Halen also recently launched his own line of striped sneakers.

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

Jonathan

Tuesday - June 16, 2009 -

2009-06-16T11:40:00.001-05:00

Monday - June 15, 2009 -

2009-06-15T11:10:00.002-05:00

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 # 18

"Always allow a buffer zone at urinals and on couches."

ON THIS DAY –

On this date in 1215, King John signed the Magna Carta. The document gave barons more liberty. In fact, with the new freedom, that's when the Red Baron began making his pizzas.

In 1752... yep, this was the day that Ben Franklin discovered electricity with a kite, a key and string. It's also the day that the phrase was coined, "What's that nut doing out there?"

On this date in 1844, Charles Goodyear received a patent for vulcanizing rubber. I'll bet you had no idea that Goodyear was a Vulcan.

In 1844, Charles Goodyear managed to vulcanize rubber. It helped pave the way for years later, when Mr. Spock invented the vulcanized tire grip.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time ever at a church picnic on this date, back in 1956. The conversation went something like this:

John: "Hey, Jude!"Paul: "Good day, Sunshine!"John: "Do you want to know a secret?"Paul: "Any good Norwegian wood?"John: "I wanna hold your hand."Paul: "Get back. You've got to hide your love away!"John: "When I'm sixty-four!"Paul: "Hello, goodbye!"

TODAY IS –

Billy Martin from the band Good Charlotte celebrates his 28th birthday today. Out of habit, George Steinbrenner fired him.

Neil Patrick Harris celebrates his 36th birthday today. Needless to say, it's going to be legendary.

Courtney Cox celebrates #45 today. "Happy Botox to you, happy Botox to you..."

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW -

What does American Idol Kris Allen think about runner-up Adam Lambert's admitted crush on him? "I'm flattered... and it's hilarious!"

Reese Witherspoon says she'll never do a nude scene. The "Rendition" actress told Fox News that it just wouldn't be appropriate for her to appear nude in a movie because of the effect it could have on her children.

Johnny Palermo and his girlfriend were killed in a car crash last week in North Hollywood. He was on "Everybody Hates Chris" and the Nickelodeon series, "Just for kicks."

The best food to eat after exercise is a bowl of cold cereal and skim milk. When it comes to recovery after exercise, whole grain cereal can be just as effective at a much lower cost than a carbohydrate-based sports drinks, according to researchers from the University of Texas at Austin.

A couple lately: Heather Locklear and Jack Wagner.

Political and social activist Chastity Bono -- the only child of Cher and the late Sonny Bono -- began undergoing a sex change shortly after her 40th birthday on March 4.

A court in Malawi has reversed an earlier lower court decision and Madonna has a big "yes" to her second adoption from that country.

New episodes of "Mad Men" start up August 16th.

The Michael Vick era in Atlanta is officially over. The Falcons relinquished its contractual rights to Vick on Friday, but he remains suspended by the NFL.

Commander Mark Polansky and the crew of the Space Shuttle that blasted off Saturday are heading to the International Space Station. Along the way, the Commander is going to Twitter. Astro_127 if you want to follow him.

Rihanna and Chris Brown were both at the Magic/Lakers game last Thursday night, but sitting at opposite ends of the same row.

You'll get to see even more of Heidi Montag in the September issue of Playboy magazine.

I LOVE MOVIES!!!

The best movie of all time is Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather," according to a poll conducted by Empire magazine of 10,000 moviegoers, 150 Hollywood directors and 50 film critics. Based on the Mario Puzo novel of the same name, "The Godfather" starred Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton. Here's the top 10 best movies of all time, according to the magazine:

1. "The Godfather"
2. "Raiders of the Lost Ark"
3. "The Empire Strikes Back"
4. "The Shawshank Redemption"
5. "Jaws"
6. "Goodfellas"
7. "Apocalypse Now"
8. "Singin' in the Rain"
9. "Pulp Fiction"
10. "Fight Club"

Want more?

The latest Batman film, "The Dark Knight," was the only film from this century to make the top 20.

"Easy Rider," "The Sound of Music" and Oscar-winner "Shakespeare in Love" did not make the list at all.

"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" came in at 471, the only film in the "Harry Potter" franchise to make the list.

All three "Lord of the Rings" films were in the top 60

WEIRD NEWS -
Relationships: Bad For Your Weight! - This isn't good news. A new study to be published in the journal Obesity says that couples who marry or live together are more than twice as likely to become obese than those who stay single. And, the risk of obesity rises the longer people stay together. But there is an upside. Penny Gordon-Larsen, associate professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina, found some positive health benefits to marriage, including decreased cigarette smoking and lower mortality. But she added: "We also see greater weight gain than in single people of the same age, and greater risk of obesity." So why is this? Gordon-Larsen speculates that people living together tended to eat meals together, possibly cooking bigger meals or eating out more often than they did when they were single. They were also more likely to watch television together instead of going to the gym or playing a sport. (Ananova)

Ump Ejects the Entire Crowd! - In West Burlington, Iowa, baseball umpire Don Briggs ejected the entire crowd of more than 100 fans for being unruly at the game between Winfield-Mount Union and West Burlington. Briggs said he had no problem with any of the student athletes during the game but it was the fans who were being unruly, yelling and arguing. But West Burlington Superintendent James Sleister said he didn't see any unusual behavior and said he thought the umpire overreacted. The game resumed after a 40-minute delay and West Burlington won 12-11. (myway.com)

Better Have a Better Lie Than This - Police in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, say a man has been charged with lying about his involvement in a hit-and-run accident. He told police it was his son who was driving the vehicle. But what makes that so hard to believe is the man's son is an infant. When police questioned the guy about who "normally" drives the car, our friend said it was his 19-year-old son who wasn't home at the time. The man told police he would have his son contact them. But the story kind of blew up in his face when officers were leaving the house and happened upon one of the neighbors and asked if they had seen the man's son driving the vehicle recently. The neighbor began laughing and told police that the son is still an infant. (Foster's Daily Democrat)

Dog Trippin'! - In Seattle, Jen Nestor Waddell's dog had an interesting afternoon. He got away from Jen while in Seward Park and somehow managed to find and eat some marijuana. And yes he got high as a kite. Jen said his 11-year-old black Lab mix named Jack was "just stoned" after they returned home from the park. The dog's eyes glossed over and he had trouble walking. The vet said Jack had swallowed a large amount of dried, harvested marijuana. After some medication to induce vomiting and a night of rest Jack was back to normal. Except he kept begging for those dang Beggin Strips! (KING-TV News)

I'll Meet You Under the Bridge! - In Columbia, South Carolina, drivers on the I-26 bridge called 911 after they witnessed what they thought was a suicide. Turns out it wasn't. Oh Lyle Silkwood did jump from the bridge into the Saluda River, but he wasn't trying to kill himself. He was just taking the shortest route to meet a passing friend in a boat after his truck ran out of gas. Firefighters, paramedics and rescue boats searched the river for more than an hour. Authorities finally figured out what was going on when they ran the license tag on the truck and called Silkwood's home. He answered and told them what happened. (myway.com)

Luckiest Couple Of the Week! - While you were busy trying to make it through another work week, Chuck and Karen Hill of Villa Rica, Georgia, were busy winning big on both of their scratch-off lottery tickets. Just one week after Chuck won $5,000 in the Georgia Lottery's Weekly WinFall drawing, his wife, Karen, bought a World Class Millions scratch-off ticket on her way to work and won $1 million! The couple has two children, ages 6 and 8 and said they plan to pay bills with the money. Pay bills?? You just won over $1 million!! Dang folks -- how much debt do you have? (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

If He Had Only Said Yes! - In Zephyr Cove, Nevada, a 53-year-old man really should have said yes instead of no. That's because the question he was being asked was, "Do you need us to help untie you?" And that question was being asked by a group of teenage high school students who found our friend naked and tied face down to a rock near Whittell High School. Unfortunately the guy told them, "no" so they called police who arrested the perv and charged him with indecent exposure and loitering on school grounds. (Tahoe Daily Tribune)

The Crook Who Bites Through Bars! - Police in China who solved a series of mysterious burglaries were shocked to find the crook was actually biting his way through steel window bars! Detectives in Nanjimen region, Chongqing, were puzzled by continuous reports of break-ins through barred windows and downright shocked to find the cut bars had deep tooth prints! Eventually, their inquiries led them to interview a man who said he was sharing a hotel room with a man who could crack walnuts with his teeth. Police then questioned his 23-year-old roommate who confessed that he was behind the burglaries. He said that he had turned to crime after failing to find a job and could not even remember how many houses he had broken into over the last two years. He also said he had developed strong, sharp teeth by using them to open the walnuts which grew in the mountains where he grew up. He added, "I never take other tools with me when breaking in. That's why I never got stopped by patrolling officers at night." (Ananova)

TOP FIVE SIGNS IT'S TIME TO GIVE UP COFFEE

Starbucks names it's next blend after you
You're trying to cut back to just 10 pots a day
The doctor just told you that your coffee tested positive for blood
You always have a bag of Columbian in the car... and it's coffee
You want to name your new son, "Yuban"

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

North Korea appears to be preparing for another nuclear test. Intelligance reports say government officials were up late, drinking lots of energy drinks and ordering a pizza delivered.

Carrie Prejean was removed as "Miss California" last week and replaced by Tami Farrell who also just said that marriage is "between a man and a woman." Here we go again!

Cher's daughter, Chastity, is undergoing a sex-change operation. Once completed, she plans to go into the studio and record a new song, "I got one, too, babe"!

"My Name is Earl" is NOT going to TBS. The show is history. But that doesn't mean it's going to the History Channel, either.

TV stations made the switch from standard broadcast to digital last Friday. But I thought it was cruel how they did it with two minutes left in the hockey game!

I miss analog TV.

I want to know: so who said it was OK for the oil companies to make billions in record profits again?

NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSOR –

- The Fox TV Network has a series in development called, "I Married a Stranger," about the stress and strain of going through with an awkward arranged marriage. First up, the U.S. government and General Motors...

- Tony Romo says Jessica Simpson is his "dream date" because she enjoys watching football with him. Really? Jessica Simpson enjoys sitting on a couch drinking beer while eating nachos and chicken wings? Looking at Jessica's thighs...I never would have guessed it! Knock me over with a deep-fried turkey-feather!!!

- Like the House did previously, the Senate last week passed a bill that will regulate the marketing, advertising and manufacturing of tobacco products. President Obama is expected to immediately sign the tobacco bill into law. It's the first time that a guy signing anti-tobacco legislation will leave a nicotine stain on the pen.

ON TO ROCK NEWS –

EDDIE VAN HALEN OPENS UP IN RARE INTERVIEW…Van Halen guitarist Eddie Van Halen opened up in a rare interview with Spinner.com, saying that he's "re-learning" how to play the guitar ever since getting sober more than two years ago. When asked about his playing technique nowadays, the hugely influential axeman said, "It takes me a good hour to loosen up my fingers . . . after two and a half, three hours, you kind of get into a zone that I'm kind of relearning because I'm not drinking anymore. When I used to drink, it would get me there quicker. It's kind of the zone where you're not thinking."

Van Halen added that his riffs come from a divine source, explaining, "God's not gonna give you nothing if you don't practice or play. So after a couple, three hours, God says, 'OK, he's ready. I'll throw him a bone.' And God's got a sense of humor, too -- sometimes he gives me s***, 'cause not everything I do I like."

The guitarist also spoke about the public reaction to the band's 2007 reunion tour with David Lee Roth, which also featured Eddie's son Wolfgang on bass. Eddie said, "It brought tears to my eyes . . . And now I got my son in the band and it makes it even more ... Alex (Van Halen, drums and Eddie's brother), Wolfie and I, it's a family thing. And by the end of the tour, Wolfie was just incredible. For a 16-year-old to get up there and play in front of these people, he pulled it off very, very good."

Following his upcoming wedding to Janie Liszewski and Wolfgang's graduation from high school, Van Halen reiterated plans to begin work on the band's first new album with Roth in 25 years: "I hope that after Janie and I get married in June and Wolfie graduates that we sit down and discuss recording new music, which I have tons of, if Dave's up for singing ... and then do another tour and just see where it takes us."

Van Halen concludes with some advice for younger musicians: "Do you want to be a rock star or do you want music to be your livelihood? If you want to be a rock star or just be famous, then run down the street naked, you'll make the news or something. But if you want music to be your livelihood, then play, play, play and play! And eventually you'll get to where you want to be."

METALLICA PLAYING BENEFIT FOR ROCK MUSEUM EXHIBIT…Metallica will play a benefit concert for the Marin County Museum in San Rafael, California this September, according to the Contra Costa Times. The announcement was made by frontman James Hetfield in a video screened at a museum gala last week for the "Marin Rocks" exhibition, where attendees paid $200 a ticket to raise funds for the project. The Museum pulled the project from its original intended location in a downtown space owned by the local Masonic Lodge, citing concerns over the cost of renovating the space, its size, and the length of the lease that the Lodge was offering.

The Museum is now looking for a new and larger space for the exhibition, which will tentatively open next spring and showcase Marin Country's rich rock history.

Also appearing in the video with Hetfield was Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro. Hetfield and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich both live in Marin and send their children to local schools.

The Metallica show will be the first in the county by the group, who are likely to play at the 2,000-seat Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium.

Museum executive director Merry Alberigi said, "Metallica very much supports the 'Marin Rocks' project, and especially the educational programs to be offered for our youth. They have kids in school here in Marin County and they want to give back."

Metallica is currently touring in Europe but will launch a North American trek in September.

CHEAP TRICK BRINGING 'SGT. PEPPER' TO LAS VEGAS…Sgt. Pepper is finally coming to Las Vegas in September courtesy of Rockford, Illinois' favorite sons -- Cheap Trick. The Associated Press reported that the crown princes of power pop will perform the Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in its entirety with a full symphony orchestra during a nine-date stand at the Las Vegas Hilton. The Beatles' legendary engineer Geoff Emerick will be in charge of the audio production for the show, which is dubbed Sgt. Pepper Live.

Cheap Trick first performed Sgt. Pepper in its entirety back in 2007 with special guests at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl. Rick Neilsen said that he had to get in gear to learn the various guitar parts: "I quit practicing and learning tunes, in a way, in the late '60s, 'cause I started writing songs. I knew the songs from Sgt. Pepper but I never played them. Years before, I had the nice stereo and I put the needle down on the track and figure out how to do a solo or whatever. So I knew the music, but I didn't know it to play it. And you can't really jam a solo (laughs) on a Beatles song in front of 38,000 people. Y'know, you gotta really know your stuff."

Sgt. Pepper Live will run on September 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 19th, 21st, 22nd and 23rd.

Cheap Trick will next perform on June 23rd with Def Leppard in Camden, New Jersey at Susquehanna Bank Center.

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…George Harrison's widow Olivia says that George would've taken part in a Beatles reunion if Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had agreed upon it. Olivia, who's promoting the new compilation Let It Roll: Songs By George Harrison -- which is out tomorrow (June 16th) -- told The Sun that Harrison would be on board to team up again with his Beatles bandmates, "I think so, yes, I do, because he had great love for the others. He really did. As you get older, you value and treasure your friends so much more. I don't even want to think about what it would have been like. Very often there are times I think, 'Oh, I wish George were here for that.' He became more and more loving towards everything. He came to appreciate his friends so much more."

The full track list for Let It Roll: The Songs Of George Harrison is: "Got My Mind Set On You," "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)," "The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)," "My Sweet Lord," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live)," "All Things Must Pass," "Any Road," "This Is Love," "All Those Years Ago," "Marwa Blues," "What Is Life," "Rising Sun," "When We Was Fab," "Something (Live)," "Blow Away," "Cheer Down," "Here Comes The Sun (Live)," "I Don't Want To Do It," "Isn't It A Pity."

Britain's The Sun reports that Paul McCartney took the advice of daughter Stella and has hired Kate Moss' former nanny Jade Davidson to help him look after five-year-old daughter Beatrice. A source close to McCartney said that, "Paul wants Bea in the company of a young, energetic woman who can run after her, climb, play games and generally muster up a lot of energy. He feels he needs the extra spark because he is getting a bit older and is aware he needs a younger influence around."

McCartney's ex-wife Heather Mills had initiated the hiring of the nanny, with the source adding "Heather felt Paul's circle of pals were a bit old for a little girl to be hanging around."

FLASHBACK: BOB DYLAN RECORDS 'LIKE A ROLLING STONE…It was 44 years ago today (June 15th, 1965) that Bob Dylan recorded "Like A Rolling Stone." The song not only revolutionized the way lyrics were written and sung, but ultimately pushed the boundaries of how long a hit single could actually be. "Like A Rolling Stone," which clocked in at 6:06, would end up being printed as 5:59 on the 45's label in an effort to fool Top 40 disc jockeys into playing the single.

The session for the song began at 1:20 p.m. at Columbia Records studios in New York City, with Dylan performing the song on the piano as a waltz. By dawn the song had taken shape as one of the all time greatest rock and roll singles. Producer and friend Paul Rothchild remembered visiting the session in the early hours of June 16th in Bob Spitz' Bob Dylan: A Biography recalling that, "They told me they had played it 25 times before I got there. Dylan just sat in a chair with a smile plastered on his face and his leg going a mile-a-minute. He was grooving on the knowledge that he'd made a great record."

Dylan recalled writing the song in the liner notes to his 1985 box set Biograph revealing that, "My wife and I lived in a little cabin in Woodstock, New York, which we rented. I wrote the song there... It just came, you know it started with that 'La Bamba' riff."

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

Jonathan

Friday - June 12, 2009 -

2009-06-12T10:24:00.002-05:00

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 # 17

“When out with the guys, never accept a call from your girlfriend—unless she's dying or trapped under a burning fuel truck, and if that's the case, make it quick.”

ON THIS DAY –

On this date in 1792, George Vancouver discovered the site of Vancouver, British Columbia. What are the odds Vancouver would discover Vancouver?

In 1839, baseball was played in America for the very first time.

After the game, they refined the rules a bit... like, for example, "No more guns."
That explains why it was billed as the "Battle of the Unbeatens."

On that very same day, Jeremiah Bonds tested positive for a banned substance.
They also had some bugs to work out. Like, it was okay for the peanut guy to toss 'em to the crowd, but they finally had to tell the hot chocolate guy to knock it off.

On this date in 1939, 100 years to the day after baseball was invented, the baseball Hall of Fame opened up in Cooperstown. Little did they know, 70 years ago today, that eventually they'd have to build a steroids wing.

TODAY IS

Boy, slim pickins on the birthday calendar today. Well, no, he's not on there... just very few worth mentioning.

Meredith Brooks who had a hit a few years back with "Bitch" turns 51 today. Seems to me, if you're going to be remembered for just one song, that wouldn't be the one.

Surprise, surprise surprise! Jim Nabors celebrates his 77th birthday today. Jim became famous as "Gomer Pyle" in the days before "Don't ask, don't tell."

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Venezuela has banned Coke Zero, saying that it didn't know what kind of dangers its artificial sweeteners presented to its population.

Actor Johnny Palermo, who appeared in more than 30 television shows, including the CW's "Everybody Hates Chris," died in an early morning car accident in North Hollywood, California on June 8. He was 27.

Starting Monday, some of Bravo's Real Housewives are guest hosting in the 4th hour of the Today Show, filling in for the vacationing Kathie Lee.

If you drink Red Bull, beware! Just one can of the carbonated energy drink can boost your risk of a heart attack or stroke -- even if you're young. That's the word from Australian medical researchers.

After all that brew-ha-ha, Donald Trump has now fired Miss California, Carrie Prejean, because of her "failure of duties". Supposedly it had something to do with refusing to appear at some events.

The independent forensics expert who examined David Carradine's body says the actor didn't commit suicide.

Just two weeks after the accidental death of his 4-year-old daughter, Mike Tyson married his girlfriend over the weekend in Las Vegas.

Idol news: Allison Iraheta has landed her own album deal, while last year's runner-up, David Archuleta, says he's not surprised that Adam Lambert has come out as gay!

Joy Behar, co-host of ABC's "The View," plans to double up with her own show on cable's HLN, airing nightly at 9pm after Nancy Grace.

James Van Der Beek and his wife have gone their separate ways.

Over 20-million kids in the U.S. receive free or reduced-price lunches.

At least one so-called expert claims that we're on our way to $250 a barrel oil. That's four times what it is now... so you can imagine what it would to the price of a gallon of gas.

A New Jersey mother once featured on the reality show "Wife Swap" has been accused of stabbing her husband. Jamie Czerniawski tells The New York Post it was self-defense.

Canadian brewer Molson has stopped it's long-standing practice of providing 864 free beers every year to retired employees. They figure it'll save them $1 million a year.

Microsoft has announced it will stop selling Money at the end of the month. That's it, program over.

Brad Pitt bought Angelina Jolie sexy underwear for her birthday. He flew from Los Angeles to throw a surprise party for Angelina at her rented mansion in Long Island, New York, last week.

Megan Fox says, yes, it's true. Her personal assistant buys all her groceries for her. She's just too busy.

Rihanna has been subpoenaed to testify against Chris Brown June 22nd in LA Superior Court.

Paris Hilton and Doug Reinhardt are over.

WEIRD NEWS -

Where Are My Russian Royalties? - Jeff and Danielle Smith of St. Louis, Missouri have a big international mystery on their hands. How did their family's Christmas card photo end up in the Czech Republic, splashed across a huge storefront advertisement? Danielle said that the photo taken of her and her husband Jeff holding their two young children got sent to family and friends, and was posted on her blog and a few social networking sites. Amazingly, about 10 days ago, one of Smith's college friends was driving through Prague when he spotted their huge smiling faces in the window of a store specializing in European food. He snapped a few pictures and sent them to his flabbergasted friend. Danielle said, "It's a life-size picture in a grocery store window in Prague - my Christmas card photo!" Mario Bertuccio, who owns the Grazie store in Prague, said the photo was from the Internet. Details were sparse, but he said he thought it was computer-generated. When told it was a real photo of a real family he said he started taking steps to remove it. Meanwhile, Danielle said the next time she posts a photo on the Internet she's going to lower the resolution or add an electronic watermark to make it hard to reproduce. Come on people. Do you really think if you post anything on the internet you aren't giving the world access to it and to use in anyway someone sees fit? Wake up. There is no more privacy. (myway.com)

Million Dollar Mattress! - Who actually stuffs cash in a mattress anymore? And if you do, who stuffs a million bucks in a mattress? And if you do that -- who is stupid enough to forget about it and throw the mattress out? Well an Israeli woman did just that and is now frantically searching through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites. She asked not to be identified but told reporters that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday-- and threw out the old one. The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. She said, "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened." So far, searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing. The money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. So why the mattress? The woman said she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past and no longer trusted them. (myway.com)

Sorry -- There's No Such Thing As Shopping Therapy - In Golden Valley, Minnesota, 68-year-old psychologist Judith Henderson has surrendered her license to practice after she was accused of taking a patient shopping and traveling, then billing the activities as therapy. The Minnesota Board of Psychology said Henderson charged more than $300,000 in fees to the patient over 10 years. Henderson neither admitted nor denied the allegations, but agreed to give up her license. According to the board, Henderson violated her professional relationship with the patient by her actions and as a result, the patient developed an inappropriate dependence on her. (AHN News)

Triplets Begat Triplets! - How's this for huge odds? In Detroit, Amber Ali just happens to be one third of a set of triplets. And now she has given birth to triplets of her own! Amber welcomed three baby boys, Amir, Armann and Amari Whitaker on May 26 at Sinai-Grace Hospital. The 23-year-old said she's relieved the boys arrived safely but for now, the children remain hospitalized. The babies' 25-year-old father, Andre Whitaker, says that naming the triplets "took forever." (The Detroit News)

But I Want To Be Matched With Her! - In Brooklyn, New York, Sean McGinn is suing the popular matchmaking web site Match.com for what he calls inflicting "humiliation and disappointment" on lonely hearts "who feel rejected when their e-mails get no reply." He accuses the site of dangling phony date bait by posting profiles of people who no longer subscribe to its $39.99-a-month service. Sean says, as a result, lovelorn singles have been "defrauded" out of millions of dollars and countless hours spent sending heartfelt missives in vain. McGinn is also demanding that the Internet's biggest dating site "cease and desist its deceptive practices," which he claims are "willfully causing emotional harm to the consumer and social harm to society at large" and says, "Match's policy causes severe emotional distress and anxiety for some subscribers, including those who keep writing e-mails to one member after another and never hear back because he/she is writing to people who've canceled." The suit also alleges that "Match.com induces canceled members to log in, creating the appearance that inactive members are active" by sending bogus BlackBerry notifications that read, "Someone has winked back at you." Ironically, McGinn's own lawyer, Norah Hart, said McGinn "met someone he's happy with" through Match.com! She added, "We're not saying that Match doesn't provide a valuable service, but they don't have to misrepresent what they're offering you." (New York Post)

Tasering 72-Year-Old Woman Deemed Okay! - They say you "don't mess with Texas." And you certainly don't mess with Texas peace officers. In Travis County, Texas, law enforcement officials are standing behind the actions of an officer who used a Taser on a 72-year-old woman during a May traffic stop, saying the officer acted properly in a dangerous situation. Deputy Constable Christopher Beize used a Taser on 72-year-old Kathryn Winkfein after she resisted arrest when he pulled her over for speeding. Beize wrote a citation for Winkfein for going 60 mph in a 45 mph construction zone, but the 4-foot-11-inch woman refused to sign it and told Beize that he was "going to have to take her to jail." At that point, Winkfein allegedly got out of the truck and began to yell profanities at Beize and tried to take his ticket book away, telling Beize to Tase her or take her to jail and then pushed Beize into oncoming traffic! So that's when the Taser gun came out and Granny Winkfein got her wish. She was Tased once and then again after not staying on the ground, as commanded. An ambulance was called to evaluate Winkfein, and she was not found to have any irregularities. Man, tased twice and still fighting. That's one tough grandma! (The Austin American Statesman)

English Gets Its One Millionth Word! - The English language now has one million words -- at least according to the web site Global Language Monitor. They announced that the term "Web 2.0" is the 1 millionth word or phrase added to our language and noted that the phrase "jai ho" and the word "slumdog," made popular by the Academy Award-winning movie, just missed being added. "Web 2.0" was defined as "a technical term meaning the next generation of World Wide Web products and services." GLM noted that the word had gained momentum within the past six months because of usage by celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher and Oprah Winfrey and even President Barack Obama. According to the site, a new English word is created every 98 minutes. (AHN News)

TOP FIVE WAYS YOU CAN TELL THE PRICE OF GAS IS ABOUT TO GO UP AGAIN

1. When you complain about today's price, cashier laughs
2. When you go to pay, swimming pool brochures all over counter
3. Cashier constantly ringing his hands
4. Guy who pumps gas now has personal assistant
5. While filling up, the constant sound of popping champagne corks

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Pity the caveman. He spent a lifetime on earth and never even realized that coffee was here.

Then again, he didn't know he could have saved a bunch of money on car insurance by switching to Geico, either. Of course, not having a car, that probably didn't hurt him.

Two U.S. reporters have been imprisoned in North Korea and now President Obama is considering sending Al Gore to negotiate their release. Gore plans to make a one-hour speech and if they still refuse to release the prisoners, he'll make a two-hour speech and so on, until they cave.

A new green tea-flavored Coca-Cola was introduced in Japan this week. For those who prefer a healthier sugar-spiked carbonated beverage.

SO INTO YOU –

Guys are so insecure when they first start dating a girl they really like. Here are a few simple cues that show the girl you've started dating is really into you:

She calls you before going to bed -- It's a pretty intimate thing, talking to someone when you're lying cozy in your pajamas. You may as well be sharing a pillow.

She doesn't ask you to set her up with anyone -- If she's not bugging you to hook her up with one of your single buds, you may be her point of interest (or you may just have loser friends).

She's stopped saying "I have the perfect girl for you" -- She does have the perfect girl for you. It's her.

When you come over, she looks like she's fixed herself up -- You could have sworn when you called she said she was just hanging out, watching the tube. So why (when you stop by a half-hour later) does she look like she's fresh from the shower and smells so darn good?

She gets weird when you talk about other women -- When you start giving the details about your date with the dancer you met last week, she's busy turning her cocktail napkin into an origami swan.

HOW TO BUY A FATHER'S DAY GIFT THAT ISN'T A TIE –

(Glamour) Poor Dad. His big day's coming, and what's in store. Solar-powered ear-hair trimmer? A tie covered with golfing ducks? Try something a little more sentimental:

Revisit Strawberry Fields. The Beatles, the Boss, Petula Clark. Buy him CD's of the artists he introduced you to as a kid. He'll be thrilled you remember his favorites.

Make it art-felt. Go back to the days when all your gift-giving was taken care of in arts-and-crafts. Paint a new family heirloom and have it framed. Or roll it, tie with a ribbon and include a few refrigerator magnets.

Go classic but personal. Pick out a money clip, a robe, PJs, socks, handkerchiefs, then get them monogrammed: D-A-D.

On to ROCK NEWS –

AEROSMITH TOUR OPENER DISRUPTED BY SEVERE WEATHER…The opening date of Aerosmith's summer tour was postponed by severe weather, including intense lightning, on Wednesday night (June 10th) in Maryland Heights, Missouri, according to KTVI-TV. The show was halted for about an hour, with police citing safety concerns for the 16,000 people attending the outdoor gig. Opening act 3 Doors Down went on before their scheduled start time in order to get their portion of the show completed early in case concertgoers were forced to leave the venue.

A number of attendees left for good during the delay, but Aerosmith eventually did come onstage and perform a 16-song set featuring their classic 1975 album, Toys In The Attic, in its entirety save for closing song "You See Me Crying."

Aerosmith will be joined by ZZ Top on the trek beginning June 16th.

Guitarist Brad Whitford is sitting out at least part of the trip while he recovers from an undisclosed surgery. His temporary replacement is Bobby Schneck.

LED ZEPPELIN'S FINAL UK GIGS TO BE CHRONICLED IN NEW BOOK…Coming in August will be the limited-edition book Then As It Was: Led Zeppelin At Knebworth 1979 -- 30 Years Gone. Lemonsqueezings.blogspot.com reports that the book by Dave Lewis will feature previously unpublished photos and fan recollections of Zeppelin's final UK performances on August 4th and 11th 1979 at the legendary festival.

Then As It Was: Led Zeppelin At Knebworth 1979 -- 30 Years Gone will be released on August 8th.

Footage of Zeppelin's 1979 Knebworth appearances was featured on the 2003 DVD Led Zeppelin.

Jimmy Page says that he's extremely proud that Led Zeppelin's music is still held in as high regard now as it was during the band's heyday: "You know, it's the most rewarding part of it, having, you know, been part of music like that which has stood up to the test of time. I think every musician hopes that their music will hold up, and it's wonderful."

COLOR ALICE IN CHAINS 'BLUE' ON NEW ALBUM…Alice In Chains has titled their new album 'Black Gives Way To Blue', according to the page posted for the record at Amazon. The band's first collection of all-new studio material in 14 years is set for release on September 29th through EMI Music's Virgin Records label. As previously reported, the disc will feature the recording debut with the group of singer William DuVall, who first got behind the mic for the band's 2006 reunion tour after original vocalist Layne Staley died in 2002.

The album title appeared on Amazon without any prior announcement from the band, who just made their signing with Virgin official a few days ago through a press release that did not reveal a title or release date.

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell recently told us that Alice In Chains was "really proud" of the new record, adding, "Regardless of how it does, it's a win already for us, 'cause we really dig it and we stand behind it, and each other."

Alice In Chains will next perform on July 18th at Comerica Park in Detroit with Kid Rock. The group has yet to air any of the new material live.

GREEN DAY PERFORMING AS ALTER EGOS ON FINAL 'LAST CALL' SPOT…Green Day will wrap up their four-night residency on NBC-TV's Last Call With Carson Daly on Friday night (June 12th) by performing as their garage-band alter egos, the Foxboro Hot Tubs. The group released an album last year as the Hot Tubs, called Stop Drop And Roll, although their secret identity was uncovered by fans even before the record came out. Drummer Tre Cool told us that the whole project came together very quickly: "It just sort of came out. We started jamming with these vintage instruments and plugged in this old school tape machine, and busted out like about 10 songs in one night. We did everything live in the room and, you know, we just had so much fun with it, we just put it on the Internet and gave it away and people started figuring out it was us."

In other Green Day news, a spokesperson for Rock Band publisher Harmonix neither confirmed nor denied plans to create an edition of the game based around the punk trio. Tre Cool hinted at such a game on a Los Angeles radio show last week, prompting MTV.com to ask Harmonix rep John Drake if the game was in the works. Drake replied, "Green Day's really, really great! Wouldn't you love to see Green Day in Rock Band? I would also love to see Green Day in Rock Band! Hopefully we'll have some official news soon!"

The band did confirm that a Blu-ray edition of their 2005 concert DVD, Bullet In A Bible, will be released on June 22nd.

Green Day's North American tour in support of their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown, will begin on July 3rd in Seattle.

FAITH NO MORE MAKES 'EPIC' RETURN IN LONDON…Faith No More returned to the stage for the first time in more than a decade on Wednesday night (June 10th) at the Brixton Academy in London, England, where the reunited band played a warm-up show before its appearance this weekend at the massive Download Festival. According to RollingStone.com, each band member came out in a different colored suit and carnation as they opened with the Peaches & Herb soul classic "Reunited." The 24-song set swung between hits such as "Easy" and "Epic" to fan-favorite album tracks such as "The Gentle Art Of Making Enemies."

The lineup featured original members Roddy Bottum on keyboards, Billy Gould on bass and Mike "Puffy" Bordin on drums, along with singer Mike Patton and guitarist Jon Hudson.

Patton joined the band on its third album, 1989's The Real Thing, while Hudson, one of two replacements for founding guitarist Jim Martin, played on the group's final studio effort, 1998's Album Of The Year.

RollingStone.com concluded about the show, "The volume was loud and the crowd response deafening . . . Last night was about a band rediscovering their special chemistry, and proving good music only improves with age."

Faith No More will tour Europe throughout the summer. No North American dates have been announced yet, although someone posted anonymously at RollingStone that the band will be playing in New Orleans around Halloween.

PHIL SPECTOR PHOTOGRAPHED WITHOUT WIG, FINDING RELIGION?...Phil Spector has reportedly become an observant Jew since being imprisoned for murder of Lana Clarkson. Media outlets are having a field day showing the latest mugshot of Spector bald, without one of his signature flamboyant wigs. According to The Associated Press strict prison regulations forbid wigs and hairpieces unless they are "deemed medically necessary." Spector's wife Rachelle said, "They took my husband's freedom and dignity. So why not his hair? This is a personal matter. But in case you don't know, they don't allow for much accessorizing while in prison."

Spector's publicist Hal Lifson, said Spector is "wearing a Jewish yarmulke in his cell and is conferring regularly with a prison rabbi and receives kosher food at mealtimes."

Spector is serving a 19-years-to-life sentence for the 2003 shooting death of Clarkson. He is currently being housed at North Kern State Prison in Delano, California until he is shipped off to his final destination.

EDDIE MONEY ANNOUNCES EXTENDED SUMMER TOUR…Eddie Money is heading back out on the road again, taking in 35 cities this summer. Money kicks off the tour on June 17th in New York City when he plays with the legendary Gary "U.S" Bonds at the B.B. King Blues Club. The tour wraps up on September 26th when he plays the second of two shows in Lubbock, Texas at the South Plains Fairgrounds. Along the way, Money will play select shows with Heart and Billy Squier.

Money, who has been performing nearly non-stop since his teens, says he's amazed that his voice has remained strong and held out for as long as it has: "You know I gotta tell you the truth, the guy upstairs has been very good to me when it comes to the voice factor. I took voice lessons from a lady -- I'd go into a soda shop (and) waiting on line for her (would be) Barbra Streisand. She taught Vicki Carr, Barbra Streisand, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, the list goes -- Steve Perry, Grace Slick. And you know, I had nodes when I was screaming my butt off in the early '70s, I got that taken care of and learned how to sing pretty much correctly."

Eddie Money tour dates (subject to change):
June 17 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club (with Gary "U.S." Bonds)
June 19 - Boise, ID - TBA
June 20 - Houston, TX - Sam Houston Park
June 26 - Joliet, IL - Taste Of Joliet at Joliet Memorial Stadium
June 27 - Norfolk, NE - Divots Event Center (with Heart)
July 3 - Arlington Heights, IL - Frontier Days at Recreation Park
July 4 - Great Lakes, IL - Great Lakes Naval Training Center
July 11 - Fort Worth, TX - Billy Bob's Texas
July 15 - Chesaning, MI - Chesaning Showboat Music Festival (with Billy Squier)
July 16 - Chicago, IL - The Cubby Bear
July 17 - Springville, IN - The Boogie
July 18 - East Falmouth, MA - Barnstable County Fairgrounds
July 23 - Paso Robles, CA - Fort Frontier Stage at Mid State Fair
July 24 - Santa Cruz, CA - Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk
July 25 - Vallejo, CA - Solano County Fair
July 29 - Altoona, PA - Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum
July 30 - Maumee, OH - Lucas County Fairgrounds
July 31 - Saint Clair, MI - St. Clair Riverfest at Festival Grounds
August 1 - Roosevelt, UT - Uintah Basin In Celebration
August 5 - Columbus, OH - Ohio State Fair Ohio Expo Center
August 6 - Gallipolis, OH - Gallia County Junior Fairgrounds
August 7 - Lockport, NY - Ulrich City Courtyard
August 8 - Greenville, WI - Great Catfish Extravaganza at Greenville Lions Park
August 15 - San Antonio, TX - Hemisfair Park
August 19 - Canandaigua, NY - Finger Lakes Race Tracks
August 21 - Kansas City, MO - Crown Center
August 26 - Bremerton, WA - Kitsap County Fair Kitsap County Fairgrounds
September 5 - Memphis, TN - Delta Fair & Music Festival at Agricenter International
September 10 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
September 11 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Concert Theatre
September 12 - Riverside, CA - Voodoo Lounge
September 18 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
September 19 - East Durham, NY - Catskill Thunder Mountain
September 25, 26 - Lubbock, TX - South Plains Fairgrounds

In 2007 Money released Wanna Go Back, which featured his takes on his favorite 1960s hits, including the Foundations' "Baby Now That I Found You" and "Build Me Up Buttercup"; the Rascals' "Good Lovin'"; and Wilson Pickett's "Land Of A Thousand Dances."

BEATLES NEWS ROUNDUP…Paul McCartney is saying "so long" to both his recent record label Hear Music -- which released his last mainstream album Memory Almost Full -- as well as his previous label Capitol/EMI, which handled his entire post-Beatles catalogue. According to thesun.co.uk, McCartney is set to house the catalogue and new works with the tiny One Little Indian indie label. The label released McCartney's 2008 Fireman project Electric Arguments.

A source close to McCartney said, "Paul has been unimpressed with EMI for quite some time now. He's really enjoyed working with One Little Indian on his Fireman project, so didn't think twice about giving them the responsibility of handling his solo catalogue too."

There's no word on when the revamped catalogue will make its debut.

Following the recent scandal over Members of Parliament using taxpayer's money to fund extravagant lifestyles for themselves, McCartney says that he's completely disillusioned with Britain's elected officials, telling Britain's The Independent, "I didn't vote in the last election. All that expenses rubbish has made me disillusioned with British politics. I didn't feel comfortable using my vote to get any of them in power. All of them seem to be up for ripping off expenses and making themselves as powerful as possible and I don't want a part of that."

When asked if he was ever tempted to run for public office, McCartney joked: "I couldn't do it. If someone asked me to be a music tsar, I'd say, 'I'm a tsar already, what are you talking about?'"

Yoko Ono has launched a new version of the Plastic Ono Band -- the conceptual rotating group of musicians that banked her and John Lennon through the 1970's. Examiner.com reported that the new lineup features son Sean Lennon along with Cornelius and Yuka Honda of Cibo Mato.

Producer Marc Ronson was behind the boards of their new EP Don't Stop Me, which is a teaser for the upcoming album Between My Head And The Sky, which will be released in September.

The new Plastic Ono Band will play their first concert on June 14th at London's Royal Festival Hall.

Ono just scored her fifth chart-topper on the on the Billboard Dance Club Play singles chart with "I'm Not Getting Enough."

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

Jonathan

Thursday - June 11, 2009 -

2009-06-11T12:29:00.002-05:00

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 # 17

When out with the guys, never accept a call from your girlfriend—unless she's dying or trapped under a burning fuel truck, and if that's the case, make it quick.

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1638, an earthquake rattled the settlement at Plymouth Rock. One of the settlers wrote, "It was enough to makest thou crappeth!" Oh, they had occurred before, but the Native Americans had simply blamed the dog.

In 1770, Captain James Cook discovered Australia's Great Barrier Reef by running in to it. He believed in doing things the hard way.

On this date in 1895, the very first auto race took place. To no one's surprise, the winner was driving a car.

In 1919, Sir Barton became the very first horse to win the Triple Crown. However, before you get too impressed, back then it was a dental procedure.

TODAY IS

Tennis player Tatiana Ignatieva turns 35 today. We don't even know who she is -- we just wanted to make you pronounce it.

Hugh Laurie turns the big 5-0 today. House party!

Former NFL quarterback Joe Montana turns 53 today. Frankly, he was a little surprised that he was 53. Throughout his entire career, whenever he passed 50, the numbers started getting smaller instead of bigger.

The very funny Gene Wilder is still alive and kickin' and turns 74 today. His funniest movie ever? Gotta be "Young Frankenstein."

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

A special 70th anniversary edition of "The Wizard of Oz" will come out in September. Re-mastered, remixed to perfection, so they say.

Las Vegas entertainer Danny Gans' death was accidental, caused by a prescription painkillers.

Donald Trump has ousted Miss California USA, Carrie Prejean, who recently said gays shouldn't be allowed to marry. Trump said Prejean was being fired not because of her controversial remarks but because she hadn't been holding up her end of the agreement.

Ridley Scott is working on a prequel to the orgianl "Alien" movie.

In the latest issue of Essence magazine, Queen Latifah has revealed that she was sexually abused as a child at the hands of a teenager charged with watching her.

That "pregnant man" in Oregon has given birth to a second child, this time, a son.

Chris Brown lost a bid to delay a preliminary hearing in his assault case.

Hef's ex-girlfriend Kendra Wilkinson and her fiance, NFL star Hank Baskett are going to become parents, she has confirmed.

One of the blogs out there is claiming that Prince is going to have to get double hip replacement surgery.

"American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert has landed the cover of Rolling Stone magazine. The 27-year-old singer from San Diego acknowledges in the interview that he's gay, and says it shouldn't come as a surprise.

Britney Spears is taking her act to Australia, most of the month of November.

Gossip Girl's Kelly Rutherford had a baby girl Monday night.

Miley Cyrus has reportedly split from her model man Justin Gaston.

While in London this week, First Lady Michelle Obama and the two Obama girls took a tour of Pinewood Studios and the set of Harry Potter.

If you went to Starbucks over Memorial Day and charged it, check your credit card bill. A snafu resulted in Starbucks double-charging all the drinks paid for with a credit card, all across the U.S. and Canada.

Eddie Bauer could be heading into bankruptcy court, as soon as this week.

Wendy's is going to start selling boneless chicken wings this month.

Kyra Sedgwick and husband, Kevin Bacon, were among the many victims of the massive Ponzi scheme run by financier Bernard Madoff. Kyra says they lost a lot, but not everything.

The Screen Actors Guild has reached a 2-year agreement with producers, so that threat of a strike is gone for a while.

Travelers Digest has unveiled a list of the top ten cities with the most beautiful women, in the eyes of male tourists anyway.

1. Amsterdam (the Netherlands)
2. Tel Aviv (Israel)
3. Montreal (Canada)
4. Caracas (Venezuela)
5. Moscow (Russia)
6. Los Angeles (California, the U.S.)
7. Varna (Bulgaria)
8. Buenos Aires (Argentina)
9. Copenhagen (Denmark)
10. Stockholm (Sweden)

How do you show someone that you're interested? Here are 6 dating signs that show you're interested. (from Yahoo! Personals)

1. Lean toward your date. Body language plays a huge role in what you communicate to others. This is especially true on a date, where the person you're with will be paying a lot of attention to your body language. So, when you're on a date with someone who interests you, you need to let him/her know it with your body language. One of the best ways is to lean in towards your date. Lean in and smile. And when you're leaning in, look at your date directly in his/her eyes.

2. Smile or laugh a bit when your date says something funny. While we all know it's important to listen to what your date is saying during a conversation, it's equally important to react to things that your date says that resonate with you. For instance, when your date is saying something funny, contribute to that part of the conversation. Keep the conversation rolling when it's on something funny and don't change the subject.

3. When your date says something intriguing, comment on it. When your date starts talking about a topic that is in an area of interest of yours, respond with questions and get more involved in that topic. Say, for instance you feel really passionate about an upcoming election and your date says "Well, I really don't think I'm going to bother voting." You can respond with something like "Wait a second. Why are you considering not voting?" Then, let the conversation flow from there. Asking questions when a date says something relating to an area of interest of yours is a great way to get into a deeper conversation with your date while also showing interest in what your date is saying.

4. Challenge your date a little bit. Gently challenging your date will lead to a stimulating conversation. It shows your date you're interested and engaged in the conversation, and that you're not just a puppet who just nods and agrees with everything.

5. Keep your body language open at all times. Do not fold your arms. Do not pick at your nails when you are telling a story or talking. Look at your date directly in their eyes. Don't look in other directions. If you don't keep eye contact, your date will not only think you lack interest, but that you're looking at somebody else.

6. Bring your date "into your space." When you catch yourself leaning back, lean forward towards your date. When you tell a story, be animated. Whenever you talk to your date, use hand gestures and engaging body language. Face your date and hold your in front of you. By doing all of this, you're inviting your date into your personal area. Your date will notice this and know you're interested.

WEIRD NEWS -

Easiest Drunk Driver Arrest Ever - In Enola, Pennsylvania, a 37-year-old man literally couldn't have made it an easier for police to arrest him for drunk driving. The guy was actually speeding in a police station parking lot, and then stopped his car between two marked police cruisers so he could "take a nap!" Officers saw our friend park in a space reserved for police cars, turn off his headlights, recline his seat and close his eyes. When an officer approached the car to check on him, he saw an empty vodka bottle on the floor and found a pipe with traces of marijuana. So the dude was promptly arrested for driving under the influence and possessing drug paraphernalia. (The Patriot-News)

Environmentally Conscious Bank Robber - In Austin, Texas, she may have been a bank robber, but at least she was concerned about keeping the planet green. Police say the woman who held up a Regions Bank branch used a green recyclable grocery bag to haul away the green she stole. Sheriff's spokesman Roger Wade said he saw surveillance photos of the unidentified woman with the green bag, and that he's guessing "that's where she put the money." No weapon was displayed during the robbery and fortunately nobody was injured. The amount of money stolen was not released by law officers. (myway.com)

Freedom of Speech Does Not Include Horn Honking - In Everett, Washington, Judge Richard J. Thorpe has ruled that "Horn honking, which is done to annoy or harass others, is not considered free speech." The judge also told Helen Immelt that being honked off doesn't give you a right to honk on. Immelt allegedly vented at a neighbor by leaning on her car horn at 6 a.m. Immelt was apparently angry that the neighbor had complained to their homeowners association about Immelt having chickens which is against the association's rules. So she parked in front of the neighbor's house at 5:50 a.m. the next day and leaned on her horn for 10 minutes straight. He called the police, but she repeated the honking two hours later. She was charged with a noise violation but appealed on free-speech grounds. (The Seattle Times)

For the Love of Art - In Altamonte Springs, Florida, 53-year-old Alan Davis says he's not finished with his long-running battle with the city of Altamonte over what Alan calls his art. He was just released from prison after serving a year for his latest defiance of court orders to clear the "junk" out of his yard. Officially the charge is "felony littering" and it was Allen's third prison stretch in five years over his "art." Just before his latest prison stint, he had placed a giant sculpted derriere in front of the Seminole County Courthouse. He recently told reporters that he would rejoin the battle by decorating his yard with 42 smaller, similar sculptures. (Orlando Sentinel)

Don't Forget About Your Right To Remain Silent - At his murder trial in Pittsburgh, Timothy Williams might have benefited by exercising his right to remain silent. His lawyer had worked out a pretty good defense strategy after Williams fatally shot the "other" man in a love triangle with his girlfriend. His lawyer tried to present the crime as a "crime of passion" which would have meant manslaughter charges for Williams rather than first-degree murder. But dumb Mr. Williams insisted on taking the stand, and by the time he was done, had openly bragged in court that he was a "swinger" with many girlfriends, that this particular woman meant "nothing" to him, and that, though he killed the man, police had somehow "sabotaged" the surveillance video of the shooting. So when the jury got done, they came back with a verdict of first-degree murder! (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Two-Year-Old Genius! - A two-year-old toddler has become one of the smartest girls in the world after her IQ was measured at 160, the same as that of physics professor Stephen Hawking and Microsoft founder Bill Gates. Little Karina Oakley got the high score in the Stanford-Binet IQ test administered by child psychologist Prof. Joan Freeman. Part of the test is answering questions and the tot gave very advanced, imaginative answers. When asked, "What do you use your eyes for?" Karina replied, "You close them when you go to sleep" and "You put your contact lenses in them." When Karina was asked what was missing from a picture of a broken teapot, she replied, "It's missing a handle-- but also a picnic blanket and cupcakes." Karina's mother, Charlotte Fraser, said her daughter has a very good memory and can easily remember foreign words and phrases after hearing them just once, and is able to recall numbers, shapes and writing. (AHN News)

Help! I'm Allergic To the 21st Century! - 10-year-old Molly Harrad of Kent, England has a severe allergy problem. No-- we mean really severe. She's essentially allergic to the 21st century! Doctors have told her parents she would not have suffered from any of her allergies if she'd been born 100 years ago, but as a result she has to live a very restricted lifestyle. Her allergies prevent her from wearing normal shoes, socks or clothing. She can't come into contact with carpet, and she eats a specially selected packaged lunch under supervision at school, just in case she encounters a food that triggers a reaction. Molly wears special cotton gloves on her hands at all times, bathes in a special solution to coat her skin, and takes several pills each day. Among the food Molly can't eat are pasta, bread, oats, milk, eggs, tomatoes, chocolate and nuts. Household cleaning products, soap, shampoos, plastic or rubber surfaces, dust and even magnets can trigger a dangerous physical response. (AHN News)

Now That's Some Catch! - Florida fisherman Rodney Salomon made a most amazing catch while fishing in the Gulf of Mexico -- and he's lucky to be alive! Salomon hooked an air-to-air guided missile that could have exploded at any moment. But he reeled in the missile, attached it to his boat and kept fishing in the Gulf of Mexico for another 10 days before returning to port. He says, "I had it strapped to the roof of my boat as we rode through lightning storms." The bomb squad dismantled the heavily corroded eight-foot-long missile when he returned to shore. Chrissy Cuttita, spokeswoman at Eglin Air Force Base, said it was an "AIM-9 missile, it was released by an F-15 in August 16, 2004 during an exercise. Salomon asked the bomb squad if he could keep the missile as a souvenir after it was made safe, but the request was denied. And even more amazing-- Salomon says he landed another missile during his trip-- but that one was beeping so he decided to let it go!! (Ananova)

TOP FIVE WORST POSSIBLE REASONS FOR A FEDERAL BAILOUT

1. The dog ate my $10-billion
2. I hear the popsicle man coming
3. Who knew the bottom would fall out of the pet rock industry?
4. It's just to hold me over until I get through this Ponzi thing
5. It's just until we clear up a bank error

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Adam Lambert has admitted that he's gay. Boy, who could have seen that one coming?

I haven't been this surprised since I found out that Starbucks sold coffee!

Of course, the phrase we're STILL waiting to hear: "Seacrest, out!"

Katie Couric's nightly news ratings have dropped down into the 5's and pretty close to the reality series, "I'm a celebrity! Get me out of here!" In a related story, CBS announced that Katie will do tonight's news after being dropped off somewhere in the jungle.

The big switch from analog to digital TV broadcasting takes place this Friday. For months, local TV stations have been warning us that this was coming. I think I can safely speak for most Americans when I say, "What change-over?"

An almost 70-year-old tree blew over in windstorm Tuesday on the north lawn of the White House. President Obama is nominating Al Gore to fill that position.

On to ROCK NEWS –

SLASH ISSUES STATEMENT ON MOTHER'S PASSING…Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash issued a statement at his MySpace page about the passing of his mother, Ola Hudson, who died last Friday (June 5th) from lung cancer at the age of 62. Slash wrote, "This is a difficult time, but I have to share with you that she was the sweetest, warmest, most loving human being I've ever known (next to my grandmother on her side), as well as one of the most creative and talented. She was also the coolest rock and roll mom a rock junkie like myself could ever possibly want to have."

Slash also wrote that his mother was responsible for introducing him to much of the music and art that influenced and shaped him, concluding, "I still haven't grasped fully that she is gone. This is going to take some time to process. But I have got a lot of really genuine condolences from many of you and I want to tell you that I appreciate it more than you can possibly know. My family and I thank you for your support."

According to Reuters, Ola Hudson was a costume designer who made outfits for artists such as David Bowie, John Lennon and Ringo Starr.

Ola also dated Bowie in the mid-1970s after her marriage broke up. Slash, whose real name is Saul Hudson, said in a 1990 Rolling Stone interview, "I really didn't like him that much, because he was the new guy in the house."

She is survived by another son, 38-year-old graphic artist Albion "Ash" Hudson, as well as her ex-husband, English artist Anthony Hudson.

THE WHO'S 'MY GENERATION' ALBUM ADDED TO THE NATIONAL REGISTRY…The Who's 1966 debut album The Who Sings My Generation is among those included in the 2009 National Recording Registry List. The annual list includes selections that are "culturally, historically or aesthetically important, and inform or reflect life in the United States." Individuals can write to the Library of Congress and nominate up to 10 sound submissions per year.

Other notable recordings added to the 2009 Registry include: "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" by the Andrews Sisters (1938); "Que e Que a Bahiana Tem?" by Carmen Miranda (1939); NBC Radio coverage of Marian Anderson's recital at the Lincoln Memorial (April 9th, 1939); "Sinews of Peace" (Iron Curtain) Speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri by Winston Churchill (March 5, 1946); "Boogie Chillen" by John Lee Hooker (1948); "A Child's Christmas in Wales," by Dylan Thomas (1952); West Side Story original cast recording (1957); "Tom Dooley," by the Kingston Trio (1958); "Rumble," by Link Wray (1958); "Rank Stranger," by the Stanley Brothers (1960); "2000 Years" with Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks (1961); "At Last!" by Etta James (1961) and "He Stopped Loving Her Today" by George Jones (1980), among others.

My Generation was the Who's debut album which was released in the UK in December 1965. The set was issued in the U.S. in April 1966 as The Who Sings My Generation with a slightly different tracklisting and a soon-to-be legendary shot of the band with London's iconic "Big Ben" in the background.

In addition to the album's legendary title track, The Who Sings My Generation also features such notable Pete Townshend songs as "The Kids Are Alright," "A Legal Matter," "La-La-La-Lies," and "Circles."

Townshend said that among other things, the Who accurately represented the frustration of growing up in post-war Britain: "What we brought to that three-legged chair -- blues, pop, and country music, was not anger. It looked like anger. Particularly in the Who, it looked like we were angry. But it was frustration and a demand for answers, that to be honest, to this very day we have never had."

BRET MICHAELS' REP BLASTS TONY AWARDS…Reps for Bret Michaels have blasted the Tony awards for "dismissing" the singer's injury, which came after a set piece knocked him to the floor. In a statement to MTV News, the rep said, "I find it surprising that a Tony spokesperson would brush off this incident with a comment stating 'Mr. Michaels missed his mark' with no mention of concern for his condition. If everyone at the Tonys was aware that Bret missed his mark, then they should have been aware enough to stop the set piece from hitting him or at least slowed it down until he cleared the stage. I feel had this incident happened to Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton or Elton John, the Tonys would have at least issued a letter of concern."

Another person from Michaels' camp said, "We realize the show is live and must go on, however, it is unfortunate that the show's host made light of the situation without having any knowledge of the severity of Bret's injuries. Comments that Mr. Harris was doing shots backstage with Mr. Michaels and that Bret was completely fine were untrue, considering Bret never saw Mr. Harris prior to, during or after the Tonys, but in fact was being attended to by medical personnel backstage. Michaels did not return to the stage, the seats nor attend any afterparties."

Michaels suffered a fractured nose and needed stitches in his lip as a result of the accident.

ROCK QUICK HITS…AC/DC has selected back-from-the-dead Canadian metal act Anvil as the sole opener for two massive upcoming shows, on July 28th at Boston's Gillette Stadium and July 31st at New Jersey's Giants Stadium. Anvil had been banished to almost complete obscurity for more than two decades until becoming a media sensation this year with the documentary Anvil! The Story Of Anvil. Anvil is now performing at screenings of the movie, which is expanding in theaters across the country. (Billboard.com)

Tool has added two new dates to its upcoming summer run, on August 5th in Toronto and August 7th in Cincinnati. That brings the band's schedule to a total of 13 gigs. The trek begins on July 18th in Colorado and also features stops at the Lollapalooza and All Points West festivals. (LiveDaily.com)

U2'S BONO AND THE EDGE TALK 'SPIDER-MAN' MUSICAL…U2 singer Bono and guitarist The Edge talk about writing the songs for the upcoming Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark in a new video interview posted at the show's official website. The show, based on the classic Marvel Comics character that has also been the subject of three blockbuster movies, is slated to open on February 18th, 2010. Bono said about getting involved with the project, "We were open to the idea of musical theater, but Spider-Man, that's a different thing again, because that's comic books, and there's a whole series of relations between punk rock and rock bands and comic books, that goes back years."

The vocalist added that he and The Edge were eager to "mess with all these aspects of pop culture, put them in a blender and see what comes out on the other end."

The Edge also said that rock musicians could relate to the story of Spider-Man's alter ego, Peter Parker, explaining, "Every rock and roll star probably started out as the geek who got bullied on in school, and eventually their form of revenge was to write songs or learn to play guitar."

Tickets for Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark go on sale June 24th for American Express cardholders, with general sales beginning on September 12th.

Evan Rachel Wood is slated to start as Spider-Man's love interest, Mary Jane Watson, but the webslinger himself has yet to be cast. Rumor has it that veteran actor Alan Cumming will take on the role of supervillain the Green Goblin.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ADDS TWO NEW AUGUST DATES…Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have announced two new August dates to take place just after their European leg wraps up. The band will play on August 19th in Hartford, Connecticut at the Comcast Theatre with tickets going on sale on June 12th; and on August 25th Saratoga Springs, New York at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center with tickets going on sale on June 11th.

Steve Van Zandt says that with all the requests and deep album cuts Springsteen has been playing in concert lately, the E Street Band has yet to be stumped: "Y'know not too often, because the band, there's so many people in the band that there's virtually nothing (laughs) that we can't do. We can do Beethoven's 'Fifth (Symphony)' probably, and y'know, you wouldn't miss much (laughs). I'm trying to think... I don't remember having that problem. No."

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will be back on U.S. soil for one night only this weekend when they headline the Bonnaroo Music Festival on Saturday (June 13th) in Manchester, Tennessee.

CROSBY, STILLS & NASH PREVIEW COVERS ALBUM IN CONCERT…Fans finally got a chance to hear a preview of Crosby, Stills & Nash's upcoming covers album on Tuesday night (June 9th) during their show in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Sun Media reported that the trio, who are still in production for the upcoming album, teased the crowd with three covers -- the Rolling Stones' "Ruby Tuesday," James Taylor's "You Can Close Your Eyes," and the Grateful Dead's "Uncle John's Band."

Crosby, Stills & Nash perform tomorrow night (June 12th) in Cooperstown, New York at Doubleday Field.

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

Jonathan

Wednesday - June 10, 2009 -

2009-06-10T10:27:00.002-05:00

Tuesday - June 9, 2009 -

2009-06-09T10:39:00.002-05:00

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 # 15

“Don't tell other guys elaborate stories about your weightlifting exercise routine. No one cares.”

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 68 A.D., Roman Emperor Nero commited suicide to avoid execution. I guess he showed them! Wait a minute...

In 1704, 25 pirates were sentenced to hang in Boston; this after shutting out the Red Sox, 17-0, earlier that day.

On this date in 1931, a scientist named Goddard revealed his plans for a rocket. Yes, he had a rocket in his plans and he was happy to see you.

Walt Disney's Donald Duck debuted in the cartoon "The Wise Little Hen" on June 9, 1934 making today his 72st birthday. His first appearance in comics was in the comics adaptation of that the same year in the Silly Symphonies comic series. For the record, Donald's is still mad that one of his nephews' Little League games cost him the AFLAC gig.

On this date in 1943, congress approved payroll withholding taxes. A way to get your money sooner. Hey, those people back there are really busy spending your money. They need all the help they can get.

TODAY IS

Natalie Portman celebrates her 28th birthday today. She once said she'd "rather be smart than a movie star"... but fortunately for her, she didn't have to choose.

Johnny Depp turns 46 today. I know several women who take off the Johnny Depp birthday holiday. He's calmed down now, but he was quite wild in his younger days. Back then, he wasn't afraid to run with Scissor hands.

The amazing Dick Orkin turns 76 today. Chickenman, for those who remember.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

They had snow in Dickinson, North Dakota the other day... the first time they've had June snow in 60 years.

Singer/songwriter Kenny Rankin has died of complications related to lung cancer. He was 69.

Conan O'Brien's first week on the Tonight Show: He started with a huge 7.1 overnight metered-market household rating on Monday... then dropped 30% on Tuesday (5.0), slipped 14% on Wednesday (4.3), went down 12% on Thursday (3.8) and fell 8% on Friday (3.5).

Heidi Montag Pratt was rushed to a hospital in Costa Rica where she and husband Spencer Pratt have been filming NBC's "'m a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here." Stomach infection, the initial diagnosis.

If you were at last week's Wal-Mart shareholders meeting, you would have been entertained by Miley Cyrus, Kris Allen and Smokey Robinson.

Fox still plans to air tonight's episode of "Mental," which features the late actor David Carradine.

Paula Abdul told Letterman last week that she never said she wasn't returning to American Idol next year. She just said, "I'm not sure." She's in the middle of negotiating a new contract, so we'll see...

Britney Spears is trying to get her people to arrange an afternoon tea with Queen Elizabeth while she's in London.

Speaking of Britney, topless photos of her have now surfaced. TMZ.com reports that the photos were taken during her "Gimme More" video shoot in 2007 when she was shown writhing around a stripper's pole with her breasts covered only by fake rose tattoos.

Katy Perry says she prefers her relationship to her cat over men because she knows that she and the cat won't end up on the cover of some magazine. Her cat's name? Would you believe... Kitty Purry? Not kidding.

Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers has sold his Malibu home for $13.6 million.

Rapper DMX was sentenced Monday to over year of probation, after spending two years in and out of the state prison system. He pleaded guilty in May to attempted aggravated assault after he allegedly threw a meal tray at a prison guard.

James Franco was supposed to make a commencement speech at U.C.L.A. this week... but he's dropped out, after pressure from some students who felt he wasn't academic enough.

The rumor mill says that the Irma Lake Ranch in Cody, Wyoming, has just been bought by Bill Gates. It was once owned by Buffalo Bill Cody, who named it for his daughter, Irma. The property has four lakes, three ponds, a 15,000-square-foot house and five-bedroom guest house.

Annie Lobert, who founded Hookers for Jesus, and musician Oz Fox of the Christian band Stryper were married in Las Vegas over the weekend.

Bret Michaels was clocked at the Tony Awards by a by a descending set piece, receiving a nose fracture and a busted lip.

Stephen Colbert is in Iraq this week where he'll do a couple of shows. He's even gotten a military haircut.

Do you have any special text shorthand that you like to use? We found this online, it's written by Jamie Quatro. What if God texted the ten commandments:

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.
2. dnt wrshp pix/idols
3. no omg's
4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)
5. pos ok - ur m and d r cool
6. dnt kill ppl
7. :-X only w/ m8
8. dnt steal
9. dnt lie re: bf
10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.
ps. wwjd?

WEIRD NEWS

Cap'n Crunch Ridiculous Lawsuit of the Day! - You'll be happy to know that the U.S. District Court for Eastern California has thrown out a lawsuit being filed by Janine Sugawara whose big complaint was that she had been misled by the fine folks who make "Cap'n Crunch With Crunch Berries" cereal. Janine says she only recently found out that "crunch berries" were not a real fruit but rather just brightly colored cereal balls. So she tried to sue on behalf of herself and all other consumers who also believed that somewhere on our planet is a field of crunch berry bushes. The court ultimately decided that any reasonable person would be able to figure out that crunch berries are indeed not a real fruit -- kind of like if you take Flintstone's vitamins, you're know you're not really eating the Flintstones. Besides, a little inspection of the box clearly reveals that crunch berries aren't real fruit. (Sky News)

Your Return Policy Really Burns Me Up! - In Manatee, Florida, 41-year-old Phillip R. Wright was none too happy with his local Wal-Mart when they refused to allow him to return merchandise without a receipt. That is their new policy by the way. Anyway, Phil allegedly took his frustrations out on the men's wear section of the store and set three racks of men's clothes on fire causing thousands of dollars in damages. He was later tracked down and arrested by the sheriff's office and charged with arson. (Herald Tribune)

India's Hip Hop Idol? - You might call it India's new Hip Hop Idol. There's a frog that constantly changes color that is now being worshipped as a God in India. Hundreds are flocking to Reji Kumar's home every day to pray and ask for miracles. One of India's top zoologists wants to study the rainbow frog but Reji, who keeps the frog in a glass bottle after finding it while out watering plants, is concerned for its future. The frog was a dazzling white when Reji first spotted it. Then it changed to yellow and had gone grey by the time he got it home. He said, "It seemed like a miracle to me that this frog had so many different coats. So now people come to see him and pray to him." (Ananova)

Decisions, Decisions. - In Denver, retired business executive John Francis Beech sent a check for $100,000 to a local charity. The check was postdated to Aug. 1, 2008 and was accompanied by a sealed envelope with instructions that the envelope should not be opened "until you hear from coroner" and "everything is OK." The charity's director, Annie Green, opened the envelope anyway on July 21, 2008 and found Beech's Last Will and Testament, which left his entire estate to Green's organization for children with developmental disabilities. So now we've got a real dilemma. What do you do if you're Ms. Green? Put everything into the school's safe and wait until August 1 or call the police? Well Ms. Green decided to just sit and wait -- but she now claims she did leave two voice-mail messages for Beech. On July 29, carrying out his longstanding plans, Beech committed suicide. (Westword)

There She Is... Miss Beautiful Morals!" - This summer 200 young Saudi women will be auditioning for a different kind of beauty pageant. Actually, physical beauty has nothing to do with it. This pageant will crown one woman "Miss Beautiful Morals." The ladies will be judged on their observance of traditional Saudi values, especially the honoring of their mothers. The auditions and span over a 10-week period this summer. Alas, the only pageants in Saudi Arabia devoted to physical beauty are for camels and goats. No -- that's not a joke -- that's true. (Indianapolis Star)

Unusual Priorities - In Orland Park, Illinois, 26-year-old Nour Hadad was arrested and charged with beating her 2-year-old niece death while baby-sitting. Police say Hadad later even confessed to the crime. As is standard in these cases, the police publicly release her booking photo. Her husband, Alaeddin Hadad, immediately complained that her photo, without her head scarf, was an "insult" to Islam and that "they should respect the modesty of the accused." (Southtown Star)

Anyone Seen My $40 Million? - You know that great feeling you get when you discover a $20 bill in a pocket of a coat or pair of pants that you forgot was there? The city of Baltimore just found $40 million bucks in a bank account that they completely forgot about! City finance director Edward Gallagher says an audit uncovered a bank account that fell through the cracks and has been accumulating revenue for about 10 years. Turns out finance department employees were supposed to manually transfer the funds into city operating budgets, but staff shortages and miscommunication were blamed for losing track of the loot. The windfall couldn't have come at a better time and will be used for renovations at schools, theaters and libraries, saving taxpayers loads of interest by slashing the amount of money Baltimore needs to borrow from $75 million to $35 million. (National Examiner)

TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR BANK IS HAVING PROBLEMS

They're using napkins as deposit slips
Sign says "Deposits insured up to $10"
While at the drive through window, another teller is caught siphoning your gas
The teller stole your pen
They tell you your money's no good here. No, really.

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Mattel has been fined $2.3-million for importing and selling toys from China with lead paint on them. How can you tell if you have one of the dangerous toys? "You can tell it's Mattel -- you'll swell!"

The Orlando Magic have contacted the White House. Now THEY'RE asking for a bailout!

Okay, by now enough people have seen the movie "Up" so I can finally say this and get a laugh: (pause) "Squirrel!"

"Land of the Lost": the place where you'll find the investors of Will Ferrell's latest movie.

Regarding the Obama presidency, Sarah Palin said on FOX NEWS last night, "Told ya so!" to which most Americans responded, "Told us? So!"

Sarah's interview was sponsored by the organization, "No Tina Fey Bits Left Behind".

Supporters called last night's Sarah Palin interview "frank" and "honest." Tina Fey called it, "material."

On to ROCK NEWS –

JULIAN LENNON REVEALS 'LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS' HAS LUPUS…Julian Lennon revealed that Lucy O'Donnell, the girl who was the inspiration behind the Beatles' "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" is chronically ill with Lupus. Lupus is "an auto-immune disease where the body attacks its own cells, causing immense pain and organ breakdown." Julian explained to timesonline.co.uk that he found out about Lucy's illness through his assistant who is friends with her sister, and said, "I've been able to help out a bit. I was so upset to hear what had happened."

The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band classic was written after three-year-old Julian came home from school with a crayon drawing of O'Donnell. When John asked him what the picture was of, Julian answered, "Lucy in the sky with diamonds." Lucy recalled her friendship with Julian as pre-schoolers: "We were two very energetic school kids. He would say, 'Come on, Lucy,' to get me to do things. He was the bravest boy in school whom I recall jumping into a freezing swimming pool." She remembers Julian's mother Cynthia Lennon as being "lovely" with John Lennon being "loud and frightening."

Julian says that he's worked through his anger and abandonment issues with his dead father: "But that is now all in the past. Yes, (my mother and I) were treated with disrespect. Yes, there was a lot of anger from Dad towards the two of us, but I can now understand why. Maybe it's the passing of time and me being older."

He went on to say, "I was actually very like Dad as we were both angry young men. He had locked all his emotions away about his own mother. It then came out as anger. I too became extremely short-tempered and snide but I've moved on. I'm a relatively happy camper now. . . There is nothing but love now. If he was able to come into the room now, we'd hug and cry."

Julian shed light on his relationship with the late George Harrison and his father's partner Paul McCartney: "George and I were very close. He was one of the nicest and most generous people. Paul and I have always exchanged birthday and Christmas cards, and I last saw him in Las Vegas a couple of years ago."

He said that after reconciling with half-brother Sean Lennon two years ago, "It's a fabulous relationship . . . There is not an ounce of anger between us."

Julian has even made peace with Yoko Ono whom he battled with over a decade ago to finally be recognized by the Lennon estate. He says that the two had dinner together last year in New York and describes the relationship as cordial: "I unleashed hell on her, but we've made our peace. We're okay. There was no point in continuing the anger. It's a waste of time and energy."

Julian admitted he's less-than-pleased with the way Yoko has handled his father's legacy: "You know, I'm truly not happy with the way she handles Dad's memory. I would receive, you know, Christmas presents, which were ties and mugs with Dad's lithographs on, you know, sketches on, and I just thought that was taking it a little too far in the tacky zone, you know? First and foremost, he was totally against commercialization of work, you know, and I think he'd be probably turning in his grave if he, if he knew what was going on with his work and his art, you know?"

Julian's first album in 12 years called Everything Changes will be released next year.

JOHN FOGERTY AND BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TEAM UP FOR EVERLY BROTHERS COVER…John Fogerty has teamed up with Bruce Springsteen for a duet of the Everly Brothers' "When Will I Be Loved." the track is one of the many highlights of Fogerty's upcoming album The Return Of The Blue Ridge Rangers, which has just wrapped production. Unlike his 1973 cult classic one-man-band debut The Blue Ridge Rangers, the new set features a full studio ensemble and was produced by T-Bone Burnett.

The Eagles' Don Henley and Timothy B. Schmidt contributed backing vocals to Fogerty's cover of Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party." Fogerty explained that the song has always held a special place for him: "(Ricky Nelson) helped shape who I am . . . I loved the record. Obviously, I identified with it." In 1987 Fogerty inducted Nelson into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Other covers include John Prine's "Paradise," Delaney Bramlett's "Never Ending Song Of Love," and John Denver's "Back Home Again."

There has been no release date set for The Return Of The Blue Ridge Rangers.

Fogerty says that he tried to strike a natural balance in the cover songs, rather than going too deep for the sake of digging up lost masterpieces: "I didn't want to get into this world, I see people do this -- I hate to say it -- it's in the realm of people trying to be really hip, and so you try to 'out-obscure' each other. 'Oh let's find a really obscure . . ." I said, 'I'm not going there. (Laughs) I'm not doing something 'cause it's, oh this is so obscure, this is the second cousin of somebody's brother-in-law who was related to ah . . . I don't know -- Johnny Cash!' (Laughs) y'know?" y'know)

Fogerty and Springsteen have been friends for years and longtime admirers of each other's work. In 2004 they joined forced on stage when Fogerty appeared with the E Street Band during the Vote For Change tour.

Fogerty will next perform on July 2nd, 3rd, and 4th at the "July 4th Fireworks Spectacular" at L.A.'s Hollywood Bowl.

QUICK TAKES…The Pete Townshend fan message board The Shout (theshout.yuku.com) posted that Roger Daltrey is rumored to be playing two shows this November at The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. Although no announcements have been made, the shows would mark Daltrey's first full-scale solo shows since 1995.

Mick Jagger is lending his support to try to save the Granada Theatre in London, where the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, the Who, and the Kinks all played in their early days. The theatre, now known as the EMD Cinema was sold in 2003 to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, and has since been denied permission to develop the structure. Jagger is fighting to have the venue preserved for the arts, telling news.bbc.co.uk, "Cinemas and live venues like the Granada in Walthamstow where the Stones played in the early days, learning our craft on the way, are the lifeblood of our cultural history. They helped launched British popular music on to a world stage and should continue to function as places of entertainment and enjoyment. It's heartbreaking to hear about such a beautiful, important historical building and center of entertainment being lost to the local community."

He added, "I fully support the campaign to keep it open and provide film, music and the arts for generations to come."

Daryl Hall told Rolling Stone that during Hall & Oates' mid-'80s heyday, he never comprehended how big the duo was, explaining, "I never felt like I had it all. In 1985 I had reached a certain point, all those things had happened, like Live Aid, "We Are the World," Farm Aid, and I did that thing with the Temptations Live At The Apollo. . . Most of the time you're still involved in it. You're living. It's the same way with music. I've never felt comfortable in the time that I was working. Maybe now I finally have . . . In the '80s I was definitely an oddball."

RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS BASSIST SELLING MALIBU MANSION…Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea is selling his Malibu mansion for nearly $14 million, according to the Los Angeles Times. The house, which sits on a bluff in the exclusive California beach community, has unobstructed views of the coastline and beach, an open floor plan and glass walls. Flea himself described the four-bedroom, four-bathroom home as "the beautifulest residence of mega-fun and peace." The house sits on two acres of land and is surrounded by large lawns, trees, two guesthouses and a spa with a wooden observation deck.

The house also features an outdoor living room, bar and dining area.

The exact listed price for the 2,700-square-foot house, which was built in 1980, is $13,676,000.

Flea, whose real name is Michael Balzary, purchased the place in 2006 for just under $10 million.

The 46-year-old bass player has another piece of property in Malibu on which he intends to build a new house for when he goes surfing. His new primary residence will be a home in Los Feliz that he bought last year and just finished restoring.

Flea recently inducted Metallica into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and performed the National Anthem at a Lakers game last month. The Chili Peppers are currently on an indefinite hiatus from recording and touring.

BRET MICHAELS SUFFERED NOSE FRACTURE AND BUSTED LIP FROM TONYS ACCIDENT…Bret Michaels suffered a nose fracture and busted lip after getting hit in the head by a set piece during Sunday's (June 7th) Tony Awards. The singer and reality TV star's publicist Joann Mignano said that Michaels received three stitches in his lip and had a CAT scan on Monday (June 8th) as a precautionary measure.

Mignano said that although Michaels is "pretty bruised up," he is in good spirits and laughed after the incident, when show host Neil Patrick Harris joked that he "gave head banging a whole new meaning."

Michaels and Poison performed during the show's opening number. Michaels' injury occurred as he was leaving the stage and smacked into a piece of scenery.

In other news, the Tonys were seen by 7.45 million people on Sunday, marking a 19 percent increase over the audience from last year's award show.

ALICE IN CHAINS MAKES SIGNING OFFICIAL…Alice In Chains has officially announced its signing to Virgin Records, a division of EMI Music, following a report in the Los Angeles Times last month indicating that the band had negotiated a contract with the company. All previous Alice In Chains releases had come out through Sony Music, including three full studio albums, a live collection, several EPs and compilations, and a box set. The new album has yet to be titled and is tentatively scheduled for release in September.

Alice In Chains has not played any of the new material live yet and bassist Mike Inez told us that the group is wary of letting anything out of the bag too early: "We've been just trying to be real conscious of this modern day and age we're living in. It's a whole new kettle of fish for us and it's like back to early record company, singles-driven kind of business now, you know. And that's not where we were coming from with this record. It's a team effort. We wanted to make an album."

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell said in a statement, "It's been a meaningful journey and a hell of a story. We're very excited to have a home at Virgin/EMI and are looking forward to writing new chapters in the book of Alice."

Alice In Chains began working on the new album last October with producer Nick Raskulinecz, best known for his work with Foo Fighters and Rush.

The new disc will be the first full-length Alice In Chains record since 1995's self-titled third album.

The project marks the recording debut of singer William DuVall with the band. DuVall took over on the mic when Alice In Chains began touring again in 2006, after Inez, Cantrell and drummer Sean Kinney first reunited for a benefit in 2005. Original frontman Layne Staley died in April 2002.

Alice In Chains will next perform on July 18th at Comerica Park in Detroit with Kid Rock.

PUBLISHER CONFIRMS MEMBERS MISSING FROM 'GUITAR HERO: VAN HALEN'…A spokesperson for Activision has confirmed that the upcoming video game Guitar Hero: Van Halen will not include ex-bassist Michael Anthony or former singer Sammy Hagar, according to RollingStone.com. Questions about whether they would be featured arose last week when the game was previewed at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles and only members of the current lineup -- which includes original vocalist David Lee Roth and teenage bassist Wolfgang Van Halen -- appeared in both a trailer and selected song clips.

The spokesperson confirmed that only guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, Wolfgang -- who is Eddie's son -- and Roth show up in the game.

While the spokesperson could not say whether any songs from Hagar's four albums with the group would be part of the game, it doesn't seem likely. The trailer and clips shown at E3 only focused on Roth-era tracks like "Jump," "Panama," "Hot For Teacher" and "Little Guitars."

Meanwhile, Michael Anthony continued to push back against Eddie Van Halen's assertion in a recent interview that Anthony quit Van Halen. Anthony told Classic Rock magazine, "I never quit the band . . . I loved Van Halen; I loved everything we did. Hell, I was one of the only two guys who showed up for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. I love the legacy of the band but I am moving on . . . Ed needs to do that too."

AXL ROSE FIGHTING WITH MANAGER?...Guns N' Roses frontman and sole original member Axl Rose is reportedly squabbling with his powerhouse manager, Irving Azoff. According to the New York Daily News, a source said that Rose has fired and rehired Azoff at least three times in the last five weeks. Azoff has allegedly been pleading with Rose to help with plans to revive sales of the latest Guns N' Roses album, Chinese Democracy, but according to the source, "Axl doesn't want anything to do with it. He won't come out of his house."

A source close to Azoff said, "Axl is Axl. People get hired and fired all the time in this business."

However, a representative for Azoff downplayed the reports, saying, "We're in daily contact with Axl, and we look forward to continuing to support him and Guns N' Roses."

Chinese Democracy was released as a Best Buy exclusive last November, after a 15-year wait that saw every member of the original band except Rose depart, and had many fans thinking the record would never come out at all.

But sales of the CD have stalled at under one million, and except for two interviews and some postings on fan message boards, Rose has done no promotion for the record. Although there have been rumors of tours and videos, nothing has surfaced so far.

AEROSMITH GUITARIST SITTING OUT PART OF TOUR…Aerosmith has announced that guitarist Brad Whitford will sit out part of the band's upcoming tour with ZZ Top while he recuperates from a recent surgical procedure. A press release issued by the group's publicist did not specify what kind of surgery Whitford had. Bobby Schneck, who has played with Green Day, Weezer and Slash, will fill in on the dates that Whitford misses. The trek begins on Friday (June 10th) in St. Louis, with ZZ Top joining the bill as special guests on the 21st.

The band said in the press release that they "regret any inconvenience to their fans and thank everyone for their support."

Every member of Aerosmith has dealt with some kind of illness or injury in the last four years. Drummer Joey Kramer suffered a shoulder injury in 2005, while bassist Tom Hamilton successfully fought off throat cancer. More recently, guitarist Joe Perry had to have knee surgery while singer Steven Tyler dealt with foot surgery and pneumonia.

Hamilton told us that overcoming cancer gave him a new appreciation for life: "You know, one of the ironic things is that, and it's kind of a cliche, you know, about the little things in life, but I'm constantly noticing little pleasures like that. And because -- you know, I'm pretty sure I'm cool, but you never know, you might go in there and they'll say, 'Oh, there's some kind of trouble going on,' so you really do put a priority on enjoying the stuff that's right in front of you."

Aerosmith recently began work on a new album but had to halt while Perry and Tyler recovered from their medical issues. The group plans to resume work on the disc when the tour is over this fall.

The band recently confirmed rumors that it will play its entire classic 1975 album Toys In The Attic on its upcoming tour.

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 8, 2009 -

2009-06-08T11:50:00.002-05:00

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 # 14

It's alright to cheat at any game where money isn't involved. In certain circumstances, relationships may be classified as "games."

ON THIS DAY-

On this date in 1796, the very first commercially-made ice cream was sold. It was made by Ben Franklin and George Washington's brother, Jerry. It was called Jerry & Ben's. So close to a great idea... ...

On this date in 1789, ice cream was sold in a store for the very first time. The customer thought the guy who served it acted like a jerk and, well, the rest is history.

On this date in 1869, Chicago inventor Ives McGaffey patented the vacuum cleaner. Coincidently, on this same date, his housekeeper got a DUI.

He thought of the idea one afternoon during a Cubs game, when they were sucking.

Most of the early reviews said that it sucked.

Up until that time, door-to-door salesmen would throw dirt on your rug and just leave.

On this date in 1917, Walt Disney graduated from high school. He wasn't very happy with his school. He called it a Mickey Mouse operation.

TODAY IS -

Kanye West turns 31 today. To commemorate the event, they're holding a 5K Run tonight around his ego.

Mike "Red" Hucknall turns 49. He used to be the lead singer for 80's group, "Simply Red." Now he's simply out of work. Alex Van Halen turns 59 today. He's of course with the group that bears his name: Alex.

Nancy Sinatra turns 69 today. These days, she's wearing support-boots.

Very few parts of Joan Rivers turn 76 today.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW –

In development at Fox: a series called "I Married a Stranger," in which people will go through with arranged marriages.

Jay Leno's final "Tonight Show" only drew 11.9 million viewers which would make it his 7th biggest show of all time.

A Saudi Prince has ordered his own A380 for $481 million. When done, it'll make him the owner of the world's largest private jet.

British scientists are using pictures of penguin poop from high-powered satellites to locate emperor penguin colonies in Antarctica.

Now they're saying that David Carradine's death may have been an accidental suffocation, much like that of Michael Hutchence of INXS.

Lance Armstrong announced the birth of his new son by Twitter last Thursday. Both mom and baby are doing fine.

Christina Ricci and Owen Benjamin, who have been together since they met last year on the set of their film, "All's Faire in Love," have broken off their engagement after an argument.

Susan Boyle has checked out of that mental clinic and, presumably, is heading home.

Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is running for a county clerk position in his home state of Washington.

Ladies, if you truly want to be physically fit, listen up. Women who take oral contraceptives may not get as much out of their weight-lifting routine as women who are not on the pill. Research from Texas A&M University in College Station says oral contraceptives impair muscle gains from resistance exercise.

The actor who played Bruce Lee's archrival in the 1973 movie "Enter the Dragon," Shih Kien, has died at age 96.

I heard one movie reviewer call "Land of the Lost" "BLAND of the Lost."

YOUR STRESSED -

No matter where you work or what you do, chances are you will feel the most stressed on Tuesdays. That's the word from researchers at Clasado Ltd., the UK company that makes the health supplement Bimuno. Conventional wisdom maintains that Monday is the most stress-filled day. But most workers coast through Monday, spending the day getting their brain in gear and catching up with gossip. 53% of those polled admitted they don't do much work on Monday, and 10% said they spend a lot of this work day on Facebook and Twitter. It all comes to a head on Tuesday. Employees are more likely to work through their lunch break on Tuesday than on any other day. Nearly 25% of women admit they have avoided sex at one time or another because they felt uncomfortable with how their body looked, according to Fitness magazine. The poll also found:

If given the hypothetical choice of losing their jobs or gaining 75 pounds, 54% of men and 58% of women would rather be standing in the unemployment line.

Would you rather be thin and poor or overweight and rich as all get out? 63% of women and 55% of men opted for a skinny body and a lean checkbook.

75% of men and 80% of women would not give up 20 IQ points to get the perfect body. However, 17% of men and 11% of women would at least consider such a tradeoff; of those, 7% of men and 5% of women admit they would do it in a heartbeat.

27% of women say they'd rather get their wisdom teeth pulled than shop for a swimsuit.

What's the one body part we most want to change? That would be the abdominal muscles for 36% of women and 48% of men.

The body parts we most like? For 42% of men and 27% of women it's their arms, while 24% of women and 12% of men say it's their derrieres.

OH BROTHER –

20% of women say they've either had an affair with their boss or have thought about it. That's the word from a Lifetime Women's Pulse Poll on the state of the workplace. 5% they have crossed that line and slept with the boss, while 12% have just thought about it but not acted on the impulse. Three times more women prefer to work for a man. But despite this preference for men, the #1 ideal boss is Oprah Winfrey with 58% of the vote.

How do you know you're going to be fired? According to Fortune magazine, here are 8 signs that you could be on your way out.

You don't fit in. Your values don't match the company's.

Your boss doesn't like you and you don't like him or her. If your boss never asks your opinion, and never wants to chat or have lunch with you, and if you disagree with her agenda and dislike her style, your days are numbered.

Your peers don't like you.

You don't get assignments that demonstrate the full range of your abilities.

You always get called upon to do the "grunt work."

You are excluded from meetings your peers are invited to.

Everyone on your level has an office. You have a cubicle in the hallway.

You dread going to work and feel like you're developing an ulcer.

WEIRD NEWS -

Wonder Who She Hooked Up At the Prom With? - In Chicago, graduation at Lake View High was a little more entertaining this year. Mainly because 90-year-old Eleanor Benz finally got her diploma. Eleanor dropped out during her senior year in 1936 to help her family during the Great Depression. Over the following decades she moved to the suburb of Gurnee and had 15 children, 54 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren. Later she attended night school for typing and bookkeeping, but only recently told one of her daughters that never completing high school was one of her greatest disappointments. Her children then contacted Lake View, and the school approved her diploma. Last week, at her 90th birthday party, Eleanor's family presented her with the diploma and a 2009 gown and cap with a 1936 tassel. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Don't Make a Beer Run on a Riding Mower - In Vassalboro, Maine, 51-year-old Danforth Ross made a bad decision. Specifically to go on a beer run -- on his riding lawn mower! State Trooper Joe Chretien had been flagged down by several motorists warning of a wayward mower and made the arrest after Mr. Ross and his friend emerged from a convenience store with two cases of beer. So why the mower? Well Ross' driver's license had been revoked, so he thought the riding mower was the way to go. Turns out he was wrong. (myway.com)

I Love the Lord And I Love My Guns! - In Louisville, Kentucky, the pastor of the New Bethel Church is causing controversy by inviting his flock to bring guns to church to celebrate the Fourth of July and the Second Amendment. Pastor Ken Pagano says, "We're just going to celebrate the upcoming theme of the birth of our nation. And we're not ashamed to say that there was a strong belief in God and firearms - without that this country wouldn't be here." So he's welcoming "responsible handgun owners" to wear their firearms inside the church June 27, a Saturday. An ad says there will be a handgun raffle, patriotic music and information on gun safety. If it makes you feel better, the guns must be unloaded and a private security will check visitors at the door just to make sure. In case you're thinking of moving to Kentucky, you might like to know the state allows residents to openly carry guns in public with state-issued permits. But no one is allowed to wear guns in schools, jails or bars. We imagine airports is also on that short list. (myway.com)

Best To Fill Up Before Robbing the Bank! - A couple of bank robbers made it too easy for police when their getaway vehicle ran out of gas. Daytona Beach, Florida police say 38-year-old Randall Fredric Walker went into the Riverside National Bank and demanded money from a teller. After leaving the bank with the money, he allegedly jumped into a Jeep Cherokee driven by 35-year-old Jason Warren Dietrich. The two didn't get far before the vehicle ran out of gas. They fled separately on foot but police traced the vehicle back to Dietrich, the registered owner, and now both idiots face bank robbery charges. Is it me or do you find it amazing that we never hear a story about somebody successfully robbing a bank and yet still so many people try it? (myway.com)

Space Travel Makes You Ugly! - So you've always thought it'd be really cool to be a space traveler. Well you might change your mind after hearing Astrobiologist Dr. Lewis Dartness' theories. He reckons that long-distance space travel will leave us short, fat and bald. He presented his theories at the Cheltenham Science Festival and believes that living without gravity would cause space travelers' bones and muscles not to develop properly, leaving them stunted and weak. Meanwhile, the lack of effort needed to move around in low gravity and a temperature-controlled environment would mean that "future spacemen and women are likely to become pretty chubby." Wait it gets worse. Without gravity, fluid would float up to pool in the skull, which would cause the head to look permanently swollen out of proportion and, with no need for hair to insulate the head or eyelashes to flick dust from their eyes, future humans may become completely hairless. So much for being an astronaut. (Ananova)

LSU Says Fight Obesity With Music in Our Stairwells - Researchers at Louisiana State University say adding air conditioning and music in stairwells might encourage people to skip the elevator and could help fight obesity. Changes that would prompt people to use the stairs and promote physical activity are outlined in the June issue of Southern Medical Journal and authored by Dr. Ishak A. Mansi of the LSU Health Sciences Center and his wife Nardine Mansi, an architect. The authors noted that ordinary day-to-day physical activity is responsible for burning the most calories and giving people some motivation to take the stairs might just do the trick. (AHN News)

Green Day Freaks Name Kid Dookie! - An unnamed couple claim to have conceived their baby at a Green Day concert and as result named their kid "Dookie" after the band's 1994 breakthrough album. Green Day couldn't be happier. Drummer Tre Cool revealed the group, including singer Billie Joe Armstrong and bassist Mike Dirnt , were delighted to hear the parents went on to christen their baby Dookie and now they're coming to meet the band and introduce their son to them. Tre said the kid is like eight or nine now and he admires his fans' dedication, adding he thinks their music has helped many people deal with hard times in their lives. (AHN News)

Thought You Were Getting Lucky -- Instead You Got Robbed! - In Naples, Florida, 38-year-old Joe Hanke met up with 37-year-old Jacqueline Soto in a bar and thought he was on his way to a night of romance when she asked him to take a walk with her on the beach. Turns out that wasn't exactly her plan. While they were walking, Soto allegedly had her teenage son and his friends attempt the rob Hanke at knifepoint and steal his wallet. Hanke told police, "Nothing like this has ever happened to me. The more I look at it, she planned the entire thing." Turns out Hanke had $2,500 in his wallet at the time so he wasn't so eager to give it up. After one of the teens punched him in the face, Hanke managed to back away enough to quickly dial 911 on his blackberry. Police arrested Soto, her 16-year-old son Eric, and four other teens. (Naples Daily News)

TOP FIVE THINGS DAD USED TO SAY

1. "I'll be out of the bathroom in a few more minutes, but you'll probably want to give it a while"
2. "No"
3. "We're not lost; I know exactly where we are"
4. "I'll be outside"
5. "Go ask your mother"

HUNTER'S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

The commerce department reports that unemployment in the U.S. is at 9.4%, the highest in more than 25 years. They would have offered further statistics, but they were short handed.

Look, I never said I wanted to hear Susan Boyle's rendition of "Crazy". Not out loud, anyway....I was just thinking it.

Father's Day is really late this year, which will mean fewer shopping days until the 4th of July this year.

Unemployment is rapidly approaching 10%. That means if you know 9 people with a job, you should really be concerned about that meeting your boss has scheduled with you on Friday.

SHUT UP & GO TO SLEEP!

Maxim gives these handy ways to lull her to sleep:

Recite dialogue from "Caddyshack."

Show her your high school yearbook and point out your friends, enemies, and describe details of your school years together.

Explain what MLB, NCAA, NBA, WWF, NHL, NFC, AFC, Navy Seals, RADAR, SCUBA, and NASDAQ stand for.

Exhaustively describe your weightlifting history.

Show her your baseball card collection and describe to her the monetary as well as the spiritual value of each card.

Tell her a "really funny" story about something that happened to you but make it one you've told her before. As you tell it pause several times to laugh then go back to the start of the story.

Pop Larry Bird: A Basketball Legend into the VCR and keep shouting, "He's the greatest white man ever to play the game!"

Tell her your great screenplay idea.

Show her how you can make the players on your hockey video game "bleed."

Tell her about a problem you're having with your bass. Start with "I'd really like your advice..."

Talk about the episode of "The Dukes of Hazzard" that made you want to move to Hazzard county.

If all else fails talk about music or golf….or grab a club….

A WOMAN'S PLACE

Always fun to bring this one out now and again. The following is from a 1950's Home Economics textbook intended for high school girls, teaching how to prepare for married life.

Have dinner ready -- Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal - on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself -- Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with alot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.

Clear away the clutter -- Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.

Prepare the children -- Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Minimize the noise -- At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.

Some Don'ts -- Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable -- Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.

Listen to him -- You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.

Make the evening his -- Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.

The goal -- Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.

TOP FIVE DRIVING ERRORS

We tend to forget that driving is serious business -- Why? We're so busy talking on the cell phone, yelling at the driver in front of us and jotting notes on our calendar. GMAC Insurance has identified the five worst driving errors, the ones that could kill you or someone else.

Multi-tasking -- When you turn on the car, turn off the gadgets. No matter how busy your day is, when you're on the road, focus only on driving. Catch up on other activities later and avoid unnecessary accidents.

Follow too closely -- Count: One thousand one. One thousand two. That's about two seconds, and that's the cushion that should be between you and the vehicle ahead. It could not only save your bumper, but also your life. Make sure to double or triple that time when the weather is bad or the pavement is slick.

Failure to yield on a left-hand turn -- Check the flow before you go. Also, look at the street onto which you are turning to make sure there are no vehicles or pedestrians in your path.

Incorrect merging -- That yield sign means just that: Yield--not stop. Accidents often occur when you are stuck behind a driver entering a highway who interprets yield as a dead stop. Don't be the guilty party. Use the ramp as a means for merging into traffic, not causing it to back up.

Backing up without looking -- You don't have eyes in the back of your head so look over your shoulder when you put the car in reverse. Remember, objects in the mirror are closer than they appear. Your side and rearview mirrors have a margin of error, so don't rely on them alone. Look over your shoulder before backing up.

On to ROCK NEWS –

METALLICA FRONTMAN COMES CLEAN ABOUT BAND'S 'WILDERNESS' YEARS…Metallica frontman James Hetfield speaks frankly in a new interview with Classic Rock magazine about the band's so-called "wilderness" years, in the mid-to-latter 90s, during which drug use and disagreements over the group's image and sound nearly drove them apart. Hetfield says he was particularly uncomfortable with the change in the group's image around the release of its 1996 album Load. Hetfield explains, "The whole 'We need to reinvent ourselves' topic was up. Image isn't an evil thing to me, but if the image isn't you, it doesn't make much sense."

Hetfield says that he thinks drummer Lars Ulrich and guitarist Kirk Hammett were "after a U2 kind of vibe, Bono doing his alter-ego. I couldn't get into it. I would say at least half the pictures that were to be in the booklet, I yanked out. The cover went against what I was feeling. Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett were very into abstract art, pretending they were gay. I think they knew it bugged me. I think the cover of Load was just a p***-take around all that. I just went along with all this crazy stupid s***."

Hetfield claims that Ulrich and Hammett bonded over their drug use during that time and that the band's music suffered too, saying, "A lot of fans got turned off quite a bit by the music -- but mostly, I think, by the image."

Metallica bottomed out in the early part of this decade with the controversial St. Anger album and the documentary Some Kind of Monster, which chronicled how they nearly fell apart and how Hetfield himself got sober.

The group rebounded last year with the acclaimed Death Magnetic record, and Hetfield told us there was never really any chance of Metallica breaking up for good: "You know, St. Anger, the Monster movie, all the stuff that we went through -- once we got back together and started playing again, we knew that we were given some sort of gift to continue and not fall like many other bands have. So we've got to take care of this, and we're doing our extra best to do that."

Now, Hetfield says in Classic Rock, Metallica is a very balanced group: "The way things are now, Lars and I are one half of the scale with (bassist) Rob Trujillo and Kirk on the other. They're great people but they're okay with someone else driving. It does take that, I think -- they're very un-ego-driven and Lars and I are the other way, it seems."

Metallica is touring Europe all summer but will return home for a North American trek this fall.

SLASH MOURNING THE LOSS OF HIS MOTHER…We're sorry to report that Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash's mother, Ola Hudson, died on Friday evening (June 5th) from lung cancer. According to Blabbermouth.net, Ola Hudson was a professional costume designer who created outfits for John Lennon, Diana Ross, the Pointer Sisters and others.

In happier news, Slash has revealed the full lineup of who will play with him when he headlines at the Quart Festival in Kristiansand, Norway on June 30th. Along with guests Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie and Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, Slash's band will include Led Zeppelin drummer Jason Bonham, ex-Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, Rob Zombie guitarist John 5 and ex-Scars On Broadway guitarist Frankie Perez, who was recently considered for the vacant frontman spot in Velvet Revolver.

FORMER NIRVANA BASSIST RUNS FOR OFFICE…Former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic has announced that he will run for the office of county clerk in Wahkiakum County, Washington, according to TheDailyWorld.com. Novoselic, who is chairman of the county's Democratic Party and once considered a run for lieutenant governor, says he is listing himself as "prefers Grange Party" to protest I-872, a new initiative in Washington electoral politics that allows candidates to align themselves with whatever party or organization they want, whether they're actually affiliated with them or whether the organization exists at all.

In this case, there is no "Grange Party." The Grange is a local farmers' organization.

Novoselic said, "As a strong believer in private association, I oppose the way the state has implemented I-872 . . . My issue is with the way candidates can appropriate the name of a private group."

Novoselic, who occasionally plays with veteran hardcore band Flipper, has been active in Washington state and Seattle politics for years.

FORBES RANKS BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN 6th MOST POWERFUL CELEBRITY…Bruce Springsteen was ranked the 6th most powerful celebrity on Forbes magazine's annual Celebrity 100 list. The list calculates each star's media exposure and earning estimates from June 2008 to June 2009.

The list heavily favors stars from the movie industry, with Bon Jovi being the only other musical act in the Top 25.

The Top 25 of the Forbes Celebrity 100 list:

Angelina Jolie -- $27 million

Oprah Winfrey -- $275 million

Madonna -- $110 million

Beyonce Knowles -- $87 million

Tiger Woods -- $110 million

Bruce Springsteen -- $70 million

Steven Spielberg -- $150 million

Jennifer Aniston -- $25 million

Brad Pitt -- $28 million

Kobe Bryant -- $45 million

Will Smith -- $45 million

Dr. Phil McGraw -- $80 million

Britney Spears - $35 million

David Letterman -- $45 million

Coldplay -- $70 million

Adam Sandler -- $55 million

Harrison Ford -- $65 million

Michael Jordan -- $45 million

LeBron James -- $40 million

Tom Cruise -- $33 million

Bon Jovi -- $50 million

Donald Trump -- $50 million

Rush Limbaugh -- $54 million

George Lucas -- $170 million

Simon Cowell -- $75 million

QUICK TAKES…The New York Press reported that Gene Simmons claims to have auctioned off a passed kidney stone on eBay for $15,000. According to the website, "there is still no confirmation that the stone was actually sold on eBay because the website claims to no longer sell 'bodily' items."

Uncut.co.uk reprinted a portion of a 2003 interview with late actor David Carridine in which he shed light into giving martial arts lessons to Bob Dylan. Carridine said in part, "Bob took some lessons. He didn't really stick with it, but we had some fun together. My master used to come out to my house and teach me every morning, and I thought Bob could profit from it, so we went over to his place, and he and his kids took a few classes with us. It was pretty cool. Bob was funny, y'know -- anybody who's just beginning with kung-fu tends to be kinda funny."

Carridine added, "But Bob's an amateur boxer. He knows how to take care of himself. I know he seems like just a little wimpy guy. As a matter of fact, he used to spar with Quentin (Tarantino). . . But yeah, Dylan showed aptitude for the kung-fu. He was kind of a natural, actually. But, I don't think it interested him enough. Bob had other fish to fry, other things to do."

The Canadian Press reported that on Saturday (June 6th) over 1,500 guitarists gathered to play Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's "Helpless" at Toronto's Yonge and Dundas Square. The guitarists attempted to break the 2007 Guinness World Record of 1,802 guitarists playing Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water." Unfortunately Guinness officials had to inform the crowd that the final tally featured only 1,623 guitarists.

The Associated Press reported that city officials in Gainesville, Florida have erected a mural and renamed their downtown city space the Bo Diddley Community Plaza. Diddley, a longtime Florida native, died in June 2008. At Saturday's ceremony (June 6th) Diddley's grandson Garry Mitchell thanked the city, saying, "Gainesville's been really good to my granddad. Thank you for your encouragement and your prayers. Long live Rock and Roll!"

Yesterday (June 7th), Diddley's gravestone was unveiled in nearby Bronson, Florida.

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

Jonathan