10.15.08

SHOW PREP OCTOBER 15, 2008

Think Guys Only Want Sex? Think Again

Momlogic.com

If your sex life has been less then stellar lately thanks to a new baby, job stress, or plain old lack of time, and you’re worried your man is suffering, get this: Men rate family life and good health above a satisfying sex life.

Yup, that’s right: Men aren’t fantasizing about hitting the sheets 24/7. According to the study of 28,000 men published in an upcoming issue of “The Journal of Sexual Medicine” men feel the quality of their marriage is way more important than having a sizzling sex life.

Here’s a breakdown:

•1/3 of guys say being healthy is the most important factor.

•26% value a happy family.

•19% say they most value being in a good relationship.

•Only 2% placed a satisfying sex life as their top priority.

Topics

1. Guys what do you rate as the most important part of your relationship?
2. Are you married and you can’t even remember the last time you had sex? Who’s married and has been sex free the longest?
3. Even though you are a woman are you more like a man when it comes to getting some?

Hallow-THEME: Costumes for Your Whole Clique

Sometimes, it’s not enough to make your own fab entrance at a Halloween Party; you and your whole crew need to be noticed. On the other hand, sometimes your crazy costume idea is so unique that nobody will get it… unless your faves are by your side to complete the picture. Want to make the biggest splash this Halloween (and have some killer bonding time with your buds as you shop, create, and play dress up)? Here are just a few ideas for some great group costumes. And most of them can be done on a budget!

1. Barbie Dolls That Never Made it to the Shelves
The group Barbie theme has been done. See Never Been Kissed. But this theme allows you to showcase your creativity, your ingenuity, and… all the random shizz in your closet. On a budget? You can probably still throw together “Trailer Park Barbie,” “Sexually Confused Barbie,” or “S & M Barbie.”

Bonus: You can bring your guy friends along, if they dare to dress as “Transexual Barbie,” or “Gamer-Geek Ken.”

Also try: Britney Spears Through the Years: From “Hit Me One More Time Britney” to “Nearly-Naked VMA Britney” to “Preggers and Smoking Britney” to “Just Shaved My Head Because I’m Effing Nuts Britney.”

2. The Seven Deadly Sins
You can get totally creative this one AND vamp up your costume as much as your modesty (or lack thereof) allows. “Envy” can glam it up in glittery green; “Greed” can play with a strategic placement of fake dollar bills; “Lust” can take creative license in pretty much any direction.

Bonus: You can also take wordplay into consideration: “Gluttony” doesn’t have to involve food… dress like a dominatrix and make “I’m a glutton for punishment” your pick-up line of the evening.

Also try: The Seven Wonders of the World.

3. Game Show Contestants
This idea can be the easiest group costume out there. In a rut? Buy solid-colored t-shirts and draw the show’s logo on them. The Nickelodeon shows we all grew up on will bring back enough nostalgia to make hoards of slurring guys approach you to say “Man, I used to love Super Sloppy Double Dare!” or “Global Guts rules!”

Bonus: This idea can work for coed groups with ease.

Also try: Game pieces. You know, like Monopoly pieces or playing card characters.

4. Comic Book Heroes and Villains
Some ideas that instantly come to mind: X-Men’s Jean Grey, Rogue, Storm, Wolverine, or Cyclops; Batman’s Batman (obvi), Robin, Batgirl, Catwoman, Joker, Riddler; Spiderman’s Spidey, Doc Ock, Green Goblin, Mary Jane; The Fantastic Four. This one might be a bit pricey, but the possibilities are endless.

Bonus: The other partygoers are bound to get it, no matter how many shots of Tarantula they’ve imbibed.

Also Try: Heroes, Harry Potter; Superheroes that Didn’t Make it into Marvel Comics.

5. Television or Movie Ensembles…from the 80’s and 90’s
Take advantage of the unique physical attributes of all of your friends and combine it with the fun of puffy sleeves, leg warmers, and Hammer pants. Think of The Breakfast Club and choose a rebel, a jock, a princess, a freak, and a nerd. Get outrageous with a Clueless theme, or accessorize with a Z-Morris cell phone and go Saved by the Bell.

Bonus: You’ll have an excuse to host a marathon of My So-Called Life or the original 90210 in order to brainstorm some costume ideas.

Also Try: TV families: The Simpsons. Family Guy’s The Griffins. The Osbournes. The Kardashians.

6. Video Game Characters
Come on, kids. You’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on your college education, and you can’t come up with a way to turn to your empty thirty-rack cases into a Mario Kart vehicle or your pillowcase into Toadstool’s mushroom cap? Mario. Luigi. Princess. Toad. Bowser. Yoshi. Donkey Kong. What are you waiting for? Get crafting!

Topics

1. Make up an email from a female listener who has a problem. She is going out with all of her friends and they all want to do a costume theme together. They all want to be slutty nurses. The problem is they are all hot and thin and I’m a little bit on the overweight side. What should I do? I really want to go to the party but I don’t want to be laughed at or feel uncomfortable.

Don’t Make a Breakup Even Worse

Cnn.com

If you’ve been dumped recently, don’t make it worse! You can’t control their behavior, but you CAN control your own. Here are some surefire ways NOT to get over someone – avoid them!

Calling them in tears. It’s only natural that when you’re in pain, you reach out to the person closest to you. However, this is the same person that just broke your heart! Judy McGuire, author of How NOT to Date, says trying to talk someone out of breaking up with you or telling them how much they’ll regret it will only end up costing you your dignity.

Cyberstalking. It may be tempting to check their status on Facebook or MySpace, but it’ll only make things worse. Instead, McGuire suggests that you delete them as a “friend” and block their IM so you’ll have a clean slate.

Going shopping, pigging out, drinking or gambling. When people are emotional, they don’t think rationally. Also people who have been recently dumped have elevated levels of dopamine, which is the neurotransmitter associated with risk taking. So, you’re more likely to act on impulse and not care about the consequences.

Pouring over old photos, letters and gifts. Getting over a love is like going through detox. The idea is to get him out of your system and get some control of the situation. Love affects the brain a lot like drugs do. You can actually become addicted to someone. So, you need to go cold turkey because just seeing someone or hearing their voice can trigger the part of your brain linked to emotional memory. That’s when you start crying every time you hear “your song” or drive by “your place.” So, getting rid of emotionally-charged mementos frees you up mentally.

Most people who have been dumped will try to get back together with their ex at least once during the first month. Studies show, after making contact, you’ll feel worse. So resist contact if you can.

Topics

1. Are you in a relationship that you want out and you’re trying to get them to dump you so you won’t have to be the bad guy?
2. What’s the saddest thing you ever did after a breakup? Maybe you stayed up all night eating a whole pizza a gallon of ice cream watching Love Actually.
3. Is your ex still getting in the way and getting you in trouble with your current partner?

Man offers to trade marijuana for his McDonald’s order

TCPalm.com

VERO BEACH — A drive-thru customer at a fast food restaurant Monday offered something green to pay for his meal, but it wasn’t cash, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.

A McDonald’s cashier called 911 at 12:22 a.m. Monday after Shawn Alexander Pannullo, 27, of the 4800 block of Second Street, Vero Beach, wanted to trade some marijuana for food, according to the arrest affidavit.

The cashier from the McDonald’s, located in the 5000 block of 20th Street, provided a description of Pannullo’s vehicle. A deputy spotted the car and found marijuana inside, the affidavit said.

Pannullo was charged with possession of cannabis and posted $500 bail Monday.

The report didn’t indicate what Pannullo ordered at McDonald’s or if he paid for the meal through other means.

Topics

1. Send stunt guy thru a drive window to order food and tell them he has no money but is willing to barter with items in his car for the food.
2. What is the ultimate type of food you love to eat after a late night of partying?

Man makes bomb threat after being rejected by “Price is Right”

SFGate.com

Police evacuated part of a Financial District high-rise Monday, after a man angry that he had been turned down to appear on a TV game show walked into a law office wearing a blinking device that he described as a bomb, authorities and witnesses said.

Police also cordoned off the area around California and Battery streets before arresting the man in the law office at 275 Battery St. The situation was resolved around 1:30 p.m., and police were reopening the streets around 2 p.m.

The incident began when a man walked into the Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein law office and indicated to the receptionist that he had a bomb, police Sgt. Neville Gittens said. Police were called at 12:40 p.m.

Gittens said the man had a device made of a white tube and some sort of flashing light. The bomb squad was examining it to determine whether it was actually an explosive, he said.

Anthony McDaniel, facilities manager at the law office, said the man was holding a note and wearing a belt with a blinking light. McDaniel said the man indicated he was angry because he was passed over to appear on the TV game show “The Price is Right.”

Topics

1. Anybody listening ever been picked to be a contestant on The Price Is Right or any game show for that matter?
2. What have you ever been passed over for and you wanted to get revenge? Maybe it was for a promotion or a tryout for a band.

5 Signs Your Man Has Irritable Man Syndrome

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irritable_Male_Syndrome

www.collegecandy.com

Men are always complaining about women and PMS and all that jazz. To which I respond by hitting them…and then eating a candy bar. They just don’t understand; it’s not our fault that our hormones go completely nuts every month and make us want to scream/laugh/cry/murder someone/eat a cake in the span of about 4 minutes.

According to Jed Diamond, there is a new syndrome being seen in men with symptoms similar to those of a PMS-y woman: Irritable Man Syndrome. Diamond claims this disorder sets in at about the same age as women go through menopause (40-55), but I am convinced it is affecting our college boys too…and not just on those days when their favorite football team just lost a big game.

While you may be tempted to dump this dude’s ass for his strange (and pathetic) behavior, you should be patient: it’s clinical and he, like you, just can’t help it.

Below are 5 signs your man is in the throes of Irritable Man Syndrome.

1. You find him next to his mini fridge eating frosting out of the tub with a spoon. He may or may not be crying.

2. He weeps silently at Jiff commercials.

3. He snaps at you when you offer to help him with his Stats homework. “WHAT?! You think I can’t handle it on my own!?”

4. He’s never in the mood for sex anymore. Not even on the dryer. Not even when you are wearing that sexy low-cut top he used to love so much. Not even when you invite another girl into the mix.

5. He would rather watch The Notebook alone than go to a football game with you.

If you find your man in any or all of the above situations, just sit tight. It will all be over soon….at least for this month.

Topics

1. Ask women to call in that are dealing with their husband and his IMS.
2. Guys what is it that makes you the most irritable? For me it’s when my favorite sports team loses a big game and my wife won’t give me space. We men need about an hour to cool off and be left alone.

Britain’s laziest dog walker

Ananova.com

A Newcastle man has been named one of the laziest in Britain for walking his pet dog while sitting in his car.

Kevin Pyle’s son drives him slowly around the block and holds a lead attached to his bull mastiff Bruce, who walks alongside, through the window.

He claims to cover around four miles a week but never does any walking himself, reports the Daily Telegraph.

He said: “It sounds terrible that I take Bruce for a walk like that, but it saves me from getting wet when it’s raining. He really enjoys it and it saves my legs.”

Now Mr Pyle, 35, of Fenham, has won the title of being the region’s Great North Bum after he was nominated by his 18-year-old son Karl.

“My dad is the laziest person I know. When he gets in from work he has a bath and goes straight to bed. He just lies there and watches the TV,” said Karl.

“He even shouts down the stairs for us to go up and turn the channel over for him. But even we couldn’t believe it when he came up with the idea to take Bruce for a walk like that.”

Topics

1. Who’s the laziest person in your city? Let listeners call in to nominate themselves or someone else and give you examples as to why this person is so lazy
2. Find out who’s the laziest person on your show with a lazy bet. Have every show member where one of those devices that count your steps. Start it on a Friday and on Monday to see who has the least amount of steps and make that person pay off the bets.

Fashion or fetish? Sexy sheer pantyhose for men

News.com.au

IF women are worried that their previously exclusive fashion domain is being invaded by men in manscara and man-bras, there’s another cause for concern.

“Mantyhose” are pantyhose for men, the latest in a string of men’s fashion trends straight from the bizarre files. And everyone from truck drivers to cowboys are wearing them.

Self-confessed male hosiery-wearer Harisnya is so passionate about the issue he set up e-MANcipate, a website aiming to “accelerate the acceptance of male pantyhose as a regular clothing item”.

“It’s fun, but no joke,” he said, and is adamant that both males and females should be allowed to wear the sexy sheer garment.

“Men have great legs and hosiery is a great way to show them. It’s quite practical in some ways. It prevents chafing, for example, when horse riding or cycling, but it’s also a good alternative to bulky underwear if you need some warmth.

Specifically designed men’s pantyhose comes with a “male comfort panel” that better fits a man’s shape, and sometimes offers a convenient fly opening.

Harisyna’s love of pantyhose – which he insists is about fashion, rather than a fetish – is backed up by testimonials from truck drivers who swear by nylon hosiery for its circulation benefits and cowboys who don them under their Levi’s for warmth.

“At the recommendation of my wife, I got several pairs of sheer knee-high support hose that I wear under pants, and I wear either light to medium support sheer beige pantyhose or thigh highs openly under shorts, and I’ve noticed a major improvement in how my legs look and feel,” said Mike, a truck driver from Coralville.

“I fully intend to continue to openly wear hose both for the health benefits and for the look and feel of the soft, comfortable fabric, and encourage other men to have the courage to do the same,” he added.

“Not all men like to hide in grey uniformed clothes. It’s an easy way to dress differently, pairing the colour or pattern of your pantyhose to the rest of your clothes just like you do with the colour or pattern of your tie.

“Don’t buy female pantyhose at all,” urges the site. “Don’t strengthen those companies who don’t produce/sell male pantyhose. Buy male pantyhose. Do help with your purchasing power to those who are on your/our side.”

Topics

1. Have the boundaries between men’s and women’s fashion gone too far? Is it ok for men to be sporting pantyhose?
2. Any guy out there willing to admit they wear these things or they like wearing women’s underwear?
3. What do you think are the biggest fashion no no’s that you see a lot of men and women wear.

Four ways to respond to nosy questions

Some questions you shouldn’t have to answer — and now you don’t have to

Msnbc.com

You don’t want to be rude, but sometimes questioners aren’t as considerate, asking questions that you shouldn’t have to answer! Short of fleeing the room every time you see one of these overly curious folks coming, what to do? “Don’t let their nosiness get you down,” says Melissa Leonard, an etiquette coach in Westchester, New York. Generally, it helps to anticipate personal questions and formulate canned answers that contain the information you are willing to share. Certain questions require candor, others wit — and some don’t have to be answered at all. Here, ideas for how to respond politely to a few uncomfortable queries.

An extended-family member asks when you’re going to have another baby.

TRY THIS: “Questions about one’s most personal plans do not have to be answered with full disclosure,” says Susan Fitter, founder of the etiquette-consultancy firm Global Manners. Depending on your relationship with the offending party, an appropriate response may be direct, such as, “I know you’re asking this because you care, but it’s very personal and we’ve decided to keep it private.” Or you can try something gentler, such as, “We have no clue about another baby. We’re so busy these days, we just can’t think beyond the moment!”

AVOID mentioning specifics, such as the fact that you’re weighing whether you can afford another baby. It will only encourage the meddler to continue the conversation.

A neighbor who likes to copy everything you do asks for the name and number of the paint you used in your new kitchen.

TRY THIS: Dealing with chronic copycats can be tricky because they’re often completely unaware of what they’re doing. Fitter suggests responding with generalities. Try, “It’s Sherwin-Williams paint, and I didn’t write down the details, but you can probably find something similar at Home Depot!”

AVOID getting too territorial. It may make it easier for you to feel gracious about sharing your sources if you take a moment to remember how many times you’ve “borrowed” a friend’s crafty idea for a baby-shower gift or table centerpiece. “After all, what does it matter where the idea came from?” Leonard points outs. She adds, jokingly: “You probably read it in a magazine, which doesn’t make you the Chris Columbus of innovative ideas.”

A co-worker asks why you’ve been missing so many days recently or what the boss wanted to see you about.

TRY THIS: Opt for a short-and-sweet response, says Leonard, since acting mysterious or secretive will only cause more idle chatter. Say something like, “Oh, it is so nice of you to be concerned, but everything is fine,” or, “Thanks for checking up, but we were just reviewing the project I’ve been working on.”

AVOID revealing anything that you don’t want discussed at the watercooler or that could get you in trouble with your boss (such as that you’re job hunting).

Someone asks how much you paid for your car, house or recent vacation.

TRY THIS: Nosy money questions are so rude that almost any polite shutdown is fair game. Try, “I’ve purposely forgotten!” Letitia Baldrige, author of “New Manners for New Times,” also suggests this go-to line: “I only know that whatever I paid, it was far too much, and whatever I earn, it’s far too little.”

Topics

1. What’s the most annoying or rude question someone has ever asked you before?
2. Call out a nosy neighbor or co-worker or relative and give us examples of them being nosy.
3. I’ve asked people a genuinely concerned question like, “Are you feeling ok today?”, which they took as rude. How do you ask a question without offending someone?

What’s With All the Himbos?

msn.com

There seems to be a rash of celebrity cads these days who are starting to give guys a bad rap. These bros are hos. They’re BroHos. Yeah, I’m looking at you, Lance.

It’s a good thing I was reading the tabloids at my doctor’s office, because after looking at the latest Us Weekly and In Touch, I felt like I could use a heavy dose of antibiotics. I’m not sure when it hit me, but somewhere between the picture of Lance Armstrong holding hands with Kate Hudson (not long after he’d stopped canoodling with Ashley Olsen) and the snapshot of John Mayer catching some rays with Jennifer Aniston (mere months after telling Jessica Simpson he wanted to see other Wonderlands), I started to feel a little queasy.

I’m no stranger to the porcine habits of men, what with being one and all. But doesn’t it seem like these guys are going a little beyond piggy lately? Mayer keeps hitting “refresh” on his love life, dating Mandy Moore, Minka Kelly, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ricki Lake, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Simpson, and now Aniston, and then blogging about the breakups (“Perhaps you didn’t understand the last time I told you . . . I do not wish to have you in my life anymore”). Armstrong’s vaunted staying power deserts him as he cycles through a dizzying array of blondes; Vince Vaughn helps America’s sweetheart get over being dumped by publicly cheating on her; and Tom Brady proves he’s more afraid of babies than of linebackers.

Not long ago we had “ladies’ men,” “Casanovas,” “Romeos,” “bad boys” — guys who stayed just this side of masher-dom by deploying a certain roguish charm, along with arcane skills like discretion and shirt-wearing. Women wanted such men, and men wanted to be like them. Now, every other magazine features another famous frat boy in flip-flops or bro in Bermudas with a starlet-of-the-week on his arm — bros who don’t seem to know the meaning, let alone the public-relations value, of shame. These bros are hos. They’re BroHos.

Yeah, I’m looking at you, Lance. I’m guessing a guy with enough self-discipline to climb an Alp on a bike might be able to occasionally say no to a cupcake. What’s with the Tour de Your Pants? Sheryl Crow, Tory Burch, Ashley Olsen … it’s like a different girl every week. (BTW, if you’re so into variety, how come they all kinda look alike?) And why would a music icon like Crow and women with fashion empires fall for a BroHo, anyway? Is taming these guys the ultimate alpha-girl achievement?

As for you, John Mayer: I know you’re still young enough to be Waiting on the World to Change, but trust me on this, it’s the world that’s waiting on you to change. Into some clothes.

And don’t even get me started on you, Tom, calling an audible at the beginning of girlfriend Bridget Moynahan’s pregnancy, because, you know, the only thing more fulfilling than raising a child is dating a model.

Look, I have nothing against a little good, clean ho-ing now and then. And everybody needs to be a bro once in a while. But bro-ing and ho-ing don’t mix.

Or perhaps these guys should take a cue from Cary Grant: By all accounts, he was the Ho of Babylon, and yet his legacy is all rakish charm and sex appeal. It’s a matter of style.

Topics

1. Any Himbos out there listening to the show?
2. Are you dating a HIMBO?
3. Bargument: Who could pick up more ladies at a club a HIMBO or a CASA NOVA?

Jobseekers Duped Into Getting Face Tattoos

News.com.au

TWO Indonesian men were tricked into getting their faces tattooed by a bogus official offering government jobs, News.com.au reports.

Village chief Sawiyono — who was helping the men find jobs in Jakarta — claims he received a text message from a government official offering them work as intelligence officers, but insisted they were inked first with a dragon tattoo, Antara state news agency said.

Sawiyono realized he had been tricked after checking with the subdistrict chief of the Bojonegoro district of East Java who said there was no such requirement.

The unidentified men, however, had already been tattooed, according to the report.

“I am fully responsible for the mistake and I will do my best to help the men remove their tattoos,” Sawiyono said.

The men sought treatment at a local hospital.

Topics

1. Do you have tattoo regret? What’s the one tattoo you have you wished you never put on your body?
2. The mission is to send stunt guy into the parlor and get them to deny your tattoo request. You can make this a fun behind the scenes bit and ask your listeners for some thoughts on what kinds of ideas for a tattoo that would make them deny putting it on your body. After you compile a list from everybody send the stunt guy out to the parlor and try to get denied. Then the following day play the audio for the listeners.
3. Have you ever had to cover up or change a tattoo? Why did you have to change it?
4. Invite an expert on the Chinese language up to the studio. Then let listeners come by or e-mail pictures of their Chinese writing on their body to see what their tattoo actually says.

Allowances – Should They Be Given or Earned?

I know we live in a society that celebrates capitalism, but since when did it become a rite of passage in kindergarten to demand an allowance?

Foxnews.com

I think an allowance is a good idea, since it allows children to make their own responsible choices about what is important to spend their money on. The idea is that, if they have to pay for a movie or iTunes, they’ll only pay for the ones they really want, instead of begging you for everything.

Golf champion Tiger Woods said, “I’m tight. I mean, because I never had a whole lot growing up as a kid. I always had to save. Then I’d buy like one big thing, like a pair of basketball shoes or something like that. But I had to save up my allowance.”

Tiger obviously turned out fine. It won’t ruin our kids either. The next question is whether an allowance is something to be given or earned for performing chores.

Most children, of course, think the former is most appropriate, but that’s not my experience.

When I was growing up, I did weekly chores in exchange for my allowance. Every Saturday my sister and I cleaned our rooms. We vacuumed and dusted the whole house. Every evening, from the time we were eight years old, we took turns washing and drying the dishes.

None of these chores were punishment, they were expected. Usually dish washing wasn’t my favorite activity, but there was a period every summer in which I would love washing dishes.

Why? Because I’d just returned from Girl Scout Camp. I attended Camp Chippewa Bay in Chippewa Falls, Wis. Each girl was given a different job every few days.

The worst job, of course, was latrine duty, which meant you had to clean the toilets by scrubbing them until they were sparkling.

Another job was raising and lowering the flag, but I was always so worried the flag would touch the ground on my watch that I dreaded that job.

There was also setting the table, serving the food, clearing the food, washing the dishes, and drying the dishes. It always amazed me that washing the dishes at camp went so quickly. One girl would clear the plate and hand it to me. I would then wash the plate and hand it to the person who had drying duty. The whole stack of dishes seemed to be done in just minutes. Why couldn’t it just be that way at home? I hit upon the answer: my parents simply didn’t have the right system set up.

Each year when I came home from camp I was determined to change it. To start with, I have a bit of a take-charge personality, which was in full evidence at times like these. I would assign my brother to clear the table and scrape the plates. I would wash the plates and hand them to my sister. It wouldn’t take too long for me to become frustrated. They simply didn’t work quickly enough! I was certain their inadequacies were due to their lack of the exceptional training I had been privileged to receive at Camp Chippewa Bay! I would admonish them to work more diligently and remind them how quickly the job would go if they would only follow my system. Sometimes it took two weeks, and sometimes it took four weeks, but my newfound love of dish washing diminished nonetheless. Love or not, I still had to do it.

To this day I believe nothing builds character better than regular chores. Chores vary by age and skill, but each of my children has his or her own set.

Here are my basic guidelines:

Age 15 – 17

— Help with younger children

— Keep bedroom and bathroom clean

— Laundry

Ages 13 – 14

— Clean pet cages weekly

— Take out trash

Ages 11 – 12

— Feed pets in the morning and at night

— Sweep kitchen floor after every meal

— Clean bathrooms weekly

— Help fold and sort laundry

Ages 9 – 10

— Vacuum bedrooms and stairs weekly

— Set tables for meals

— Help unload dishwasher

Ages 7 – 8

— Help sweep

— Help unload dishwasher

— Help fold and sort clothes

Ages 5 – 6

— Take dirty clothes to laundry

— Sort laundry into dark and light colors

Toddlers

— Get dressed – two changes of clothes maximum per day, not 10

— Keep toys and movies picked up

All Children

— Make bed

— Carry dirty dishes to sink, rinse in sink

— Tidy bedroom

—

One of our business correspondents at FOX News Channel, who doesn’t have children, mentioned an interesting allowance concept based on debit cards and Web sites. It’s basically a debit card for teens. It lets you set up an allowance chart just like the one normally up on the refrigerator. You select the amount paid for each chore. Here are three of the Web sites that offer these types of services. I’m sure you can find more, and I don’t recommend one over another.
www.payjr.com

www.allowcard.com

www.upsidevisa.com

Topics

1. What kids listening gets the biggest allowance?
2. Talk to parents that don’t think kids should get an allowance for doing chores around the house.

Tips To Get Rid of an Awful Roommate

www.collegecandy.com

Midterms are still weeks away, and already you can’t stand your roommate. Being forced to share such small quarters as a dorm room with another person can take its toll on one’s sanity. Perhaps you got a random roommate, and the two of you just never clicked, or maybe you chose to room with a friend, only to find that spending every waking moment with her is a nightmare. You want to do a housing swap, but you’re settled into your room. Problem is, so is she. The gauntlet has been thrown; how do you make her move out?

1.Leave Passive-Agressive Notes.
The PAN is a surefire way to irk any person who gets it. You know what I’m talking about: Post-It notes that are written in a polite tone of voice, yet irritate you more than your mom nagging you to clean your room in high school. In fact, often the PAN comes off as sounding like your mom. I’m getting annoyed just thinking about PANs! So, use this technique to get under the roommate’s skin.

If her stuff has flooded into your personal space, neatly stack it on her desk with a note that says, “Please clean up after yourself!” If she continually forgets to lock the door, or turn off the light, write, “Please don’t forget to turn off the lights and lock the door!” on your dry-erase board. The more she irritates you, the more PANs you will be inspired to write, and the cycle of pissing each other off will continue until her bags are packed.

2. Get Dirty.
She’s a neat-freak, you’re a slob. But for the first few weeks, you made an honest attempt to change your ways. Yet what was impeccably clean for you was still too dirty for her. That’s it – show her the definition of mess. Even if you aren’t the sloppy one, big messes in small dorm rooms can be unbearable.

Case in point? A friend of mine was sick of always cleaning up after her sloppy roommate. One night, she stumbled home from the bar, wasted, and tried to make a drunken snack. Turned out, she was so wasted that all she could make was a puddle of pasta sauce… all over the floor. Drunk, hungry, and annoyed, my friend left the mess and went to bed, vowing to get up early the next morning and clean up when she was sober. This instigated a PAN from her roommate, about how they were both adults and should be able to clean up after themselves, which, in turn, prompted my friend to leave a non-passive, VERY aggressive note that sounded something like, “This was a one-time thing, and I never asked you clean up after me, bitch!”

3. Move Her Stuff.
I’m not saying hide her stuff, or steal her stuff; I’m just saying move it. People are very possessive of their personal belongings, especially when they are at odds with someone who is invading their space. If she leaves her notes all over the floor, picking them up and leaving them on her desk, or on top of her messenger bag will surely rub her the wrong way.

I have had a lot of poor living situations, but I don’t think anything irritated me more than sharing an apartment with a girl who constantly moved my shit around. Once, she decided that my 30-rack of Miller Lite took up too much room in the refrigerator, so she moved the case of beer… to the top of the dryer. WTF? That doesn’t even make sense! She then proceeded to do laundry, and the dryer heated up my beer and skunked all thirty cans. I’m still bitter, can you tell?

4. Make Ridiculous Requests.
Again, this involves using a passive-aggressive tone of voice in order to be completely effective. I once shared a dorm with a girl who told me I typed too loudly, and asked me not to keep her up by using my computer past 11 o’clock.

As an English major with at least one paper due every week, typing was going to happen. And as a college student putting herself through school by waiting tables five nights a week, the typing was not going to get done before 11 o’clock. So, make your own ridiculous requests to make your roommate think a single room is the way to go. She’ll be tired of your anal, OCD attitude in no time.

5. Make the Situation A-W-K-W-A-R-D.
Typically, sex is the best way to achieve this task. Even if you’re aren’t screwing anyone, she doesn’t need to know that. I had a friend who shared a suite and hated her suitemate. Her grand plan? Invite her best guy friend over, be all over him in the common room, and then move to the bedroom, where they would proceed to moan and make other loud sex sounds. They never actually did anything, but her hated suitemate thought she was a total nympho, and was creeped out enough to start staying away from the room to avoid hearing what she thought was a sexfest. See how creative girls can be when they hate each other?

6. Just Move Out Yourself.
If you really can’t stand living with your roommate, maybe you will be happier if you just switch rooms yourself. That way, you don’t have to spend your study time thinking of ways to make her miserable, and you don’t have to reduce yourself to being a conniving, catty bitch. Do you really have that strong of an emotional attachment to the bunk bed you’ve only been sleeping on for a few weeks?

Besides, the best part about moving out first is that you can leave little “presents” behind that she might not find for weeks. I once moved out and “accidentally” forgot a tupperware container in the fridge which had already begun to grow mold. I don’t even want to know what was growing in there by the time my former roommate cleaned out the apartment and found that little gem.

Topics

1. Are you living with the roommate from hell?
2. What are you and your roommate fighting about right now? Maybe you can get them both on the show and let them share their side of the story and let listeners vote on who’s at fault.
3. How did you intentionally run off your roommate?

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

Lisa Marie Presley has named her newborn twin daughters Finley and Harper. Cindy Guagenti, a publicist for the 40-year-old singer, confirmed the names Tuesday, a week after Presley, who lives in the Los Angeles area, gave birth by Caesarean section. Presley is the daughter of Elvis Presley and is married to music producer Michael Lockwood. She has a 19-year-old daughter, Riley, and a 15-year-old son, Benjamin, from her marriage to musician Danny Keough, which ended in 1994. She was briefly married to Michael Jackson and to Nicolas Cage. She married Lockwood in January 2006. (Daily Record)

Baby #2 is on the way for reality whores Trista and Ryan Sutter. Trista and Ryan met and “fell in love” in the first iteration of the Bachelorette. They went on to marry, compliments of ABC, on TV in 2003. A ‘friend’ broke the news to Star Magazine. The snitch said, “Trista is pregnant again and she is very happy. She has always wanted a second child so she is thrilled!” Congratulations! (Perez Hilton)

Mark it down: Mark Wahlberg says he is finally ready to walk down the aisle next summer with longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham. “We’re talking about August,” the actor tells PEOPLE. But Wahlberg, 37, and Durham, 30, haven’t yet decided if they’ll wed in his Boston hometown. “I don’t know. It will be in the Catholic Church somewhere.” The couple, who already have three kids – Ella Rae, 5, Michael 2, and Brendan Joseph, one month – is also thinking about adding to their brood. “I’m the youngest of nine,” says Wahlberg, adding that that the final count will be “however many Mom wants to have.” Juggling family and work – he stars in the video game adaptation Max Payne, opening Oct. 17, and produces the HBO series Entourage – is much easier these days now that Wahlberg has ended his hard-partying days. “The fact that I stopped going out and partying, that allowed me to do it,” he says. “There’s more than enough time [now] to take care of everything and still get a good night’s sleep.” Getting a good night’s sleep also meant that Wahlberg missed the Oct. 4 episode of Saturday Night Live, which featured an impression of Wahlberg by Andy Samberg in a sketch called Mark Wahlberg Talks to Animals. “I haven’t watched SNL since the Eddie Murphy-Joe Piscopo days,” he says. “Somebody showed it to me on YouTube.” And the verdict? “I didn’t think it was really funny,” he says. “It couldn’t compare to Tina Fey doing Sarah Palin. I thought that was fantastic.” (People)

Johnny Depp is the sexiest man in the world, according to a new survey. The Pirates of the Caribbean actor beat off strong competition to be crowned the fittest male by Britain’s Cosmopolitan magazine. George Clooney came in second place, closely followed by Brokeback Mountain star Jake Gyllenhaal in third. James Bond action man Daniel Craig was fourth in the Sexiest Men poll of readers, and new dad Brad Pitt rounded out the top five. (Teen Hollywood)

French singer Vanessa Paradis has discussed rumors she is about to marry boyfriend Johnny Depp. Vanessa Paradis has talked about rumors she is about to marry boyfriend of ten years Johnny Depp. “Each summer people say we’re supposed to be getting married, but we don’t talk about it that much,” Vanessa tells Elle magazine. “He’s got me, and he knows he’s got me. I love the romance of ‘let’s get married,’ but then, when you have it so perfect … I mean, I’m more married than anybody can be – we have two kids [Jack, 6, and Lily Rose, 9]. Maybe one day, but it’s something I can really do without.” (Handbag)

Looks like Jennifer Aniston and John Mayer are giving their relationship another chance. The pair met up Friday in Boston to attend a Ray LaMontagne concert. “It was a very public date,” a source says in the newest issue of Us Weekly. Mayer was in town teaching a week-long music class at his alma mater, the Berklee College of Music. The couple then jetted together to New York City for the remainder of the weekend. Mayer, 31, and Aniston, 39, split in August after dating for four months. A source confirmed to Us after their break up that she wanted a bigger commitment from Mayer – and a baby “These are mature people who talk about things maturely,” the pal said. “It’s just slowed down.” Another source countered: “If she said she wants kids and he’s not ready, that’s not being needy. It’s being honest.” For more on Aniston and Mayer’s weekend hook up and how she’s changed her mind about having a baby with Mayer, pick up the newest issue of Us Weekly, on stands Wednesday. (US Weekly)

New couple alert? Shanna Moakler and Gerard Butler were photographed getting cozy at the Hollywood opening of Shin nightclub on Monday. Throughout the night, Butler also served guests drinks behind the bar. At one point, a patron told him, “Thanks,” and he said, “I have no idea what the f–k I’m doing.” When asked if he’s taken any ladies to lunch lately, Butler recently joked with Usmagazine.com, “Oh, you know, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz, Julia Roberts, Cindy Crawford – and I may even get together with a single one. His flirty behavior with Moakler comes days after her ex, Travis Barker, blogged that she hasn’t visited him in the hospital in L.A. (US Weekly)

Popstar Britney Spears has spoken for the first time about her breakdown. Britney Spears has discussed her public meltdown for the first time. “I’ve been through a lot in the past two or three years, and there’s a lot that people don’t know,” Britney explains in an interview for the upcoming MTV special Britney: For The Record. “Sometimes I think I get kind of lonely because you don’t open the gate up that much, you know I mean? You’re guarded. You have to be that way, so I’m kind of stuck in this place and it’s like: How do you deal? And you just cope, and that’s what I do. I just cope with it, every day. I sit there and I look back and I’m like, ‘I’m a smart person. What the hell was I thinking?’” Britney releases her new album, Circus, on 2 December. (Handbag)

Ringo Starr doesn’t want to hear from you. If you do write, your letter will end up in the trash. That’s the message from Richard Starkey, aka Ringo Starr. After 45 years of stardom, he doesn’t want to spend any more time answering mail or sending signed photos back to fans. The fan fatigue led the former Beatles drummer to post a sometimes angry sounding short video clip on his Web site telling fans that any mail sent to him after Oct. 20 will not be read or answered. British television stations broadcast the video on Tuesday. “It’s going to be tossed,” he says on the video. “I’m warning you with peace and love, I have too much to do. So no more fan mail. Thank you, thank you. And no objects to be signed. Nothing. Anyway, peace and love, peace and love.” The drummer and singer did not elaborate on the reason behind his decision to cut off a major point of contact with his many fans. Starr, 68, has maintained a very active touring and recording schedule in recent years, drawing large crowds for performances with his All-Starr band. The band plays a mix of old Beatles hits, Starr’s many solo offerings, and other classics from the 1960s and 1970s. Starr usually serves as front man, though he sometimes plays the drums. But he has angered longtime fans in Liverpool by telling interviewers that he does not miss his native city. Vandals there beheaded a topiary sculpture of Starr earlier this year – he was the only one of the four Beatles whose likeness was desecrated. The good-natured drummer, who also enjoyed a brief acting career after star turns in Beatles’ films “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!,” guest starred on a 1991 episode of “The Simpsons” in which he is shown scrupulously answering every piece of fan mail that comes his way. “They took the time to write to me, and I don’t care if it takes 20 years, I’m going to answer every one of them,” Starr says on the show. In his mail, he finds a package from Marge Simpson that contains a portrait she painted of him back in the Beatles heyday. He puts it on his wall and writes back to tell her – a few decades late – how much he likes her painting. (Daily Record)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

Miley Cyrus has finished writing a book detailing her life story – at the tender age of 15. The actress shot to international stardom in Disney TV series Hannah Montana after landing the role at just 12 years old, and has since pursued a solo singing career. And now the teenager has completed penning her memoirs, which will take a look back at her life so far. Publishers Disney have said the star’s autobiography will “reveal how her solid relationship with her family, especially her mother Leticia, helps her navigate the spotlight”. And now Cyrus has spoken out about the project, adding: “I’m not sure when it’s going to come out. It’s finished but you’ve got a long process of editing and all that kind of stuff, so it takes a while.” (Teen Hollywood)

Harry Potter star Emma Watson is taking her U.S. college plans to the highest level by touring one of the country’s most prestigious universities. The young actress was spotted visiting the campus of Harvard University in Massachusetts last week for an open day. University officials are refusing to comment about their celebrity guest, but insiders have confirmed the Brit inspected dormitories and the admission office. Watson hinted about her plans to study abroad in an interview earlier this year. She said, “I’ve applied to a few universities for next year, including several American ones. If I do go there (America), I will do a liberal arts degree, but if I stay in the U.K. I’ll do English literature.” (Teen Hollywood)

As the presidential election approaches Taylor Swift has politics on her mind. “The first thing I did this year on my 18th birthday was register to vote,” Swift tells Redbook magazine. “I was still in my pajamas and I got on my computer and registered.” “It was so cool and empowering. I felt this responsibility that I’ve never felt before – I actually had a say in the political discussions of my country,” she says. The singer, who turned 18 last December, appears on the cover of magazine’s November issue with country stars Reba McEntire and Martina McBride. As a songwriter, she says, “I just want to be honest and tell my stories. So I write about the kind of stuff young women experience.” “And, yes, a lot of that has to do with boys,” Swift admits. Swift has been linked with teen star Joe Jonas, of the Jonas Brothers. (People)

Zac Efron has denied reports he is set to take over from Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe in Broadway play Equus. The High School Musical star was rumored to be lined up to take on the naked role, about a young man who has a sexual interest in horses. But he is adamant he has not been asked to consider the part. Asked if his next role would be in Equus, Efron says, “No, that’s a rumor. I wasn’t approached for it.” And he insists that although he would love to attend a Usc film program, he has gained vast experience of the industry by starring in movies. Efron adds: “I’m learning so much every day working with great directors. I just worked with Richard Linklater and Burr Steers and also Kenny (Ortega). I’m working hand-in-hand with directors and taking home a lot of lessons.” (Teen Hollywood)

Marcia, Marcia, Marcia! Maureen McCormick got famous playing the Brady Bunch’s Little Miss Perfect. But in real life, the actress was sinking into depression and drug abuse. Now, in her new book, Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My True Voice, she’s opening up about her two abortions, her battle with cocaine addiction and her long history of clinical depression. “[I was] hiding the reality of my life behind the unreal perfection of Marcia Brady …,” the actress, 52, writes. “No one suspected the fear that gnawed at me.” In the memoir, out Tuesday, the former Celebrity Fit Club champ also comes clean about her romance with her TV sibling Barry Williams, who played Greg Brady. They shared a kiss, but McCormick says, the “timing was never right for us.” She also chronicles her dates with Michael Jackson and Steve Martin – not to mention wild parties at the Playboy Mansion. But her hard parting came to an end, in 1985, when she married actor Michael Cummings. The two have a 19-year-old daughter, Natalie. “I’ll always be struck by how much a part of people’s lives Marcia is and always will be,” McCormick writes. “But now I’m not bothered by the connection. It took most of my life, countless mistakes and decades of pain and suffering to reach this point of equanimity and acceptance.” (People)

Elton John just hosted his 16th annual Advanta World Team Tennis Smash Hits event this past weekend. The money raised will be used to help those with AIDS in the South. “Forty six percent of AIDS cases are now being reported in the South,” Elton said on Sunday at the Kennesaw State University tennis court. “We are distinctly aware of the problems here and the South will continue to be a priority for the foundation. “All of the money raised here today will stay here in the Atlanta market and in Georgia.” Our Poppa is so great! Joining Elton to help out in this great event were several star players and celebs, including Andy Roddick. Up for auction to raise money for the benefit was an hour session of private tennis tutoring with Roddick. And, in an attempt to get a higher bid, the recently engaged Andy said he’d take off his shirt during the session. That got the bid up to $11,000! Then, he said he’d do the lesson FULLY nude. That got him a final $15,000 from one very luck female fan. (Perez Hilton)

She might be a good cook, but Rachael Ray is not a very gracious host. The TV chef was supposed to “host” a Burger Bash contest in Dumbo on Friday from 7 to 10:30 p.m (Read: Choose Your Patty!), but “didn’t come out of her green room until 9,” a source reports. “They built a tent for her and she stayed in there most of the night,” leaving briefly to sample the burgers she was judging and a chocolate mousse from the Godiva dessert bar. “She announced Katie Lee Joel as the winner, but that was it,” the source snarked. More renowned chefs like David Burke and Tom Colicchio had no problem mingling with the crowd. (Page Six)

While the rest of us are downsizing, Sean “Diddy“ Combs is upgrading. The hip-hop mogul dumped one of his exotic rides last week – a 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom – but it wasn’t because he’s feeling the economic pinch. Diddy’s wheels sold for $200,000 last week at the Dancy Power Automotive Group’s showroom on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. But Puff, who has a birthday coming up, is putting that cash straight into a new Rolls convertible. (Page Six)

Holly Madison isn’t jealous that Hugh Hefner has already moved on with 19-year-old twins Karissa and Kristina Shannon. In fact, she tells Usmagazine.com, she introduced the three after she directed their Playmate pictorial this summer. “They’re a lot of fun,” she told Us Monday at the 2008 “Bowling for Boobies” bash in Hollywood. “I would never try to personally pick Hef’s new girlfriend. I would like him to take his time and actually get to know somebody — which he never does! But as long as he’s having fun, I’m happy for him! “He’s having lots of fun with them — and a lot of other people!” she added. Despite the girls’ criminal backgrounds (they pleaded no contest in August to felony battery and were ordered to pay restitution), Madison, 28, told Us, “I think that they’re in a good place right now and hopefully will stay out of trouble. “They are a little young and definitely like to have a good time,” she went on. “I just hope that they can take this new fame with a level head.” (Madison, for the record, said she is still single but is “having lots of fun going out with my girlfriends!” Asked if she’s still living at the mansion, she told Us, “I haven’t really changed anything. Like, as far as the whole transition thing, I just leave that up to Hef to talk about and make decisions on. Everything’s good.”) Kendra Wilkinson told Us over the weekend she wasn’t surprised Hef, 82, moved on so fast. “I mean, Hef will always be Hef,” she said at the Most Interesting Show in the World event in Hollywood on Saturday. “You can never change him. Hef will keep going on. He’ll keep loving women, keep loving the big boobs and blondes. “But it’s very rare to get a good batch like Holly, Bridget and I. I don’t think they’ll be any better than us. She added, “I’ll always be there for him. We’re all still friends. Nothing is going to change that.” (Hollywood Reporter)

Now you can live like John and Cindy McCain. The 13- bedroom, 141/2-bath, 3-acre estate they once owned in Phoenix – and where Cindy grew up – is being auctioned off Oct. 25 after failing to sell for $12 million. Real estate investor Jane Popple bought the spread from the McCains for $3.5 million in 2006 and spent $3 million renovating it and adding a screening room and gym, auctioneer Stewart Larsen told us. “The election is giving us more mileage than we’d usually have,” he said. (Page Six)

Former OC star Mischa Barton has criticized Victoria Beckham’s fashion sense. Actress Mischa Barton has taken a swipe at former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham’s style. “Posh doesn’t strike me as particularly stylish. I don’t think she’s a good example of British style at all,” the British born star of The OC has told The Sun before giving an insight into her own fashion ethos. “I don’t dress for anybody else, and I think the reason people like my style is that I do my own thing.” (Handbag)

Gary Coleman pleaded not guilty to charges of disorderly conduct and reckless driving Tuesday, his lawyer said. Both charges are misdemeanors and stem from a September incident at a bowling alley in Payson, about 60 miles south of Salt Lake City. Coleman lives in nearby Santaquin. According to court documents, Coleman, his wife and his bodyguard were bowling in early September when Colt Rushton took a few photos of Coleman with his cell-phone camera and took a few more of Coleman’s truck in the parking lot. Rushton’s lawyer, Dustin Lance, said Coleman’s wife took Rushton’s cell phone, a scuffle ensued and then Coleman ran into Rushton with his truck as he was backing out of the parking lot. Coleman’s attorney, Randy Kester, said the actor didn’t do anything wrong and was just trying to leave the parking lot undisturbed. “He simply acted accordingly with what normal human beings would do,” Kester said. “He never intend to do anything but come there in peace and leave there in peace. Had it not been that he’s Gary Coleman, we wouldn’t even be talking about it.” The 40-year-old former star of “Diff’rent Strokes” (which aired from 1978 to 1986) Coleman also faces a civil lawsuit filed by Rushton. Kester said Coleman wouldn’t consider a plea deal because he said Coleman didn’t break the law and that it might entitle Rushton to monetary damages. Lance said he’s not concerned or surprised with Coleman’s plea. “It has no effect whatsoever on the civil case,” he said. This isn’t Coleman’s first run-in with the law in Utah. In July, Coleman was cited for disorderly conduct in Provo after witnesses said they saw him arguing with his wife. Authorities said the two were in his truck having a heated discussion about their relationship when two people saw him hit the steering wheel with his hands, yell at her and run around his truck with his arms in the air. The witnesses feared for his wife’s safety, according to the police report. He was later ordered to pay a fine. (Daily Record)

A former member of ABBA can cash in 85 million kronor (US$12 million) after winning a court case against the national tax authority. Bjorn Ulvaeus’ legal adviser says a court approved his appeal against a decision to increase the amount of his income it considered taxable. Ulvaeus signed contracts to hand over the rights to his song royalties to different companies. He claimed that excluded them from his personal income. Swedish authorities had claimed the deals were shams and that the star still had access to the money and should include them as his income. Ulvaeus was part of the Swedish pop group in the 1970s and 1980s, and has since co-written several musicals including the hit ‘Mamma Mia!’ that was made into a recent film. (Daily Record)

British newspapers are reporting that two people who worked for David Beckham and his wife were arrested after some of the couple’s possessions were spotted on an Internet auction site. Both the tabloid Sun and the Daily Mirror say in Tuesday’s editions that two housekeepers at the Beckham’s mansion northeast of London were arrested and questioned by police last week. The newspapers say some of Beckham’s soccer memorabilia had been placed on eBay. Dresses belonging to former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham were also reportedly for sale. No one has been charged. Hertfordshire Police said only that they are investigating a theft. Representatives of the Beckhams declined to comment. (Daily Record)

MUSIC . . .

Alicia Keys and Coldplay lead the nominees for the 2008 American Music Awards. Keys has five nominations and Coldplay has four. Both are contenders for artist of the year. Other multiple nominees and artist-of-the-year candidates announced Tuesday include the Eagles and Lil Wayne. The American Music Awards will present 20 trophies in pop/rock, country, soul/rhythm & blues and rap/hip-hop, Latin, alternative, contemporary inspirational and adult contemporary. The awards will be presented in Los Angeles on November 23rd. (Daily Record)

Alan Jackson won songwriter/artist of the year honors for his hits “A Woman’s Love” and “Small Town Southern Man” during the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers country awards Monday. Other big winners were Dave Berg, songwriter of the year, and Rachel Thibodeau, country song of the year. Reba McEntire won ASCAP’s Golden Note Award, presented to songwriters, composers and artists who have achieved extraordinary career milestones. Brooks & Dunn, LeAnn Rimes and Kelly Clarkson honored McEntire by performing some of her songs. McEntire herself surprised the crowd by singing one of her earliest hits, “(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven.” EMI Music Publishing won publisher of the year for songs including “How Long” (Eagles) and “Never Wanted Nothing More” (Kenny Chesney). Songwriters including McEntire, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Miller, David Lee Murphy and Brent Rowan won the Silver Circle honor in recognition of 25 years or more of membership in the performance rights organization. (Daily Record)

Tim McGraw says his record label, Curb Records, released a greatest hits package of his songs against his wishes and without his involvement. McGraw, 41, said in a statement Tuesday that he’s been working on a new studio album for more than a year, playing some of the new songs on tour and wanted to release the CD this fall.

But instead, he said, Curb Records released the greatest hits collection – his third overall and second since just 2006 – last week to extend his recording contract term. “I’m saddened and disappointed that my label chose to put out another hits album instead of new music,” McGraw said. “I’ve only had one studio album since my last hits package. It has to be just as confusing to the fans as it is to me.” The singer said he had no involvement in the creation or presentation of the record, “Greatest Hits 3.” The 12-track disc includes McGraw hits going back to 1995 up to his current single, “Let It Go.” It also includes two tracks not previously released on any of McGraw’s albums: “Find Out Who Your Friends Are” with Tracy Lawrence and Kenny Chesney, and “Nine Lives” with the rock group Def Leppard. “Sure I love the songs and I don’t want to take anything away from all the creative people who were part of making those records. But the whole concept is an embarrassment to me as an artist. “In the spirit of the election year, I would simply say to my fans ‘I’m Tim McGraw and I don’t approve their message,’” he said. Curb Records Executive Vice President and General Manager Dennis Hannon said in a statement that he had several conversations with McGraw’s representatives about all aspects of “Greatest Hits 3.” He also said the CD is projected to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart this week, though he expressed concern that it was released “right at the peak of the collapse of the economic and finance markets.” “We are going to work hard to try to take the current single ‘Let It Go’ to number one in hopes that the economic climate is improving and that sales will also improve.” Nielsen SoundScan releases the previous week’s sales figures on Wednesdays. Billboard uses the figures to calculate its country albums chart. McGraw has been with Curb, an independent label, since his 1993 debut. Other artists on the roster include LeAnn Rimes, Jo Dee Messina and Rodney Atkins. McGraw had a similar dispute with Curb Records in 2000 when he wanted release an album of new material, but the label instead put out his first greatest hits package in time for the holiday season. (Daily Record)

Britney Spears is one step closer to going on tour. While the comeback pop princess revealed last month she was planning on hitting the road next year, a source now tells me that things are getting serious. Spears just signed a deal with the megahuge live entertainment company AEG to produce the whole shebang, my source says. No word on when an official announcement will be made or when tickets will go on sale, but Spears revealed during an interview with New York radio station Z100 in late September that she’s hoping for a worldwide tour, not something limited just to the United States. (Launch)

Amazing entertainer? Check. Stellar golfer? Check. Fabulous boyfriend? Well, you’d have to ask Jessica Biel about that one. But Justin Timberlake can now add major do-gooder to his list of talents. The singer will helm an all-star cast of entertainers for a charity show titled “Justin Timberlake and Friends: A Special Evening Benefiting the Shriners Hospitals for Children.” Among the musical elite are the Jonas Brothers, Rihanna, Adam Levine of Maroon 5, 50 Cent, Leona Lewis, and Boyz II Men. All will perform at the Planet Hollywood Resort Theatre for the Performing Arts in Las Vegas on Friday. Shriners Hospitals for Children is an international health care system of 22 hospitals which provide specialty pediatric care. To bid for tickets for the show go to CharityFolks.com Auction ends Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. EST. (People)

Prince rocked the Gansevoort Hotel rooftop over the weekend, but the show was nearly KO’d by audience members who refused to turn off their cellphones. As the “Purple Rain” pop star prepared to take the stage, a panicked emcee announced the hundreds of cellphones in the room had knocked out Prince’s high-tech sound system. He begged fans to shut them or “there may not be a show.” Some did, but many ignored the plea – including one publicist involved with the show – claiming they had to have them on at all times. “It was so obnoxious,” one fan said. “To think a bunch of idiots can’t exist without their precious cells for an hour.” Once the problem was solved, Dave Chappelle, Spike Lee, Anderson Cooper, Howard Stern and Dennis Rodman bopped to tunes like “1999″ at the Inocente Tequila event benefiting Love 4 One Another. Earlier, Prince had Gansevoort staffers working hard to meet his fussy demands. “He’s very anal and required a humidifier in every room of his suite and the windows blacked out,” a source told us. Meanwhile, as super-pregnant M.I.A. performed at the Diesel XXX party in Dumbo, Lindsay Lohan desperately tried to get the attention of Chace Crawford. Lohan, who launched her 6126 line at Henri Bendel last night, pulled on the “Gossip Girl” boy’s shirt and grabbed his shoulder, but “Crawford was more interested in talking with Taylor Momsen,” our spy said. Lohan got dissed again at Madonna’s Madison Square Garden show Sunday when Madge gave Kelly Ripa her mike during her rendition of “Give It to Me” instead of to the rehabbed starlet, who was standing next to Ripa in the front row. Designer Betsey Johnson was also spotted rocking out to the 50-year-old pop queen when Madonna shouted at her, “Show some respect and get off your ass!” (Page Six)

MOVIE . . .

Officials say that a John Travolta movie has suspended filming in one of the Paris area’s toughest housing projects after 10 cars to be used in the movie were burned. Filming of some scenes of the action movie “From Paris With Love” was supposed to start this week but local officials and the production company say it was put on hold because the cars were burned by unknown suspects early Monday. Cars are regularly burned in French housing projects, most famously during rioting that raged for three weeks in 2005 in poor neighborhoods across the country. The mayor’s office of Montfermeil, where the housing project is located, says 90 residents were to serve as extras. The Europacorp production company says only that filming of the housing project scenes is suspended pending a review. (Daily Record)

Robert Downey Jr. will be getting a new sidekick in Iron Man 2. Don Cheadle is replacing Terrence Howard in the sequel, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Cheadle, 43, will step in as Jim Rhodes, best friend to Downey’s Tony Stark/Iron Man, who in the Iron Man comic books later becomes the armor-wearing hero War Machine. Howard, who appeared in this summer’s Iron Man, was reportedly replaced after negotiations fell apart over financial differences. Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow are both expected back for the sequel, due out in summer 2010. (People)

Greed is still good! While the economy is floundering, Hollywood still seems to be able to find ways to finance crappy movies. Hollywood’s latest endeavor is a sequel to 1987’s Wall Street. It will be a contemporary companion to the original. It’ll see Michael Douglas’ Gordon Gekko released from jail and tossed into the current economic crisis. While Douglas isn’t formally attached to the film, they seem to be banking on it. Charlie Sheen’s Bud Fox will not be returning to the sequel. The original’s producer, Edward R. Pressman, will be reprising his role in the sequel. Allan Loeb – whose credits include Things We Lost in the Fire – will pen the script. Loeb’s experience as a licensed stockbroker and at the Chicago Board of Trade should come in handy. But will people be willing to fork over $12 for the 20th Century Fox film? Is it relevent or just gimmicky? (Perez Hilton)

Sony Electronics’ Digital Cinema Solutions and Services group has signed an agreement with Muvico Entertainment to deploy its 4K projection technology. Per the deal, 176 new and existing screens at eight Muvico theaters will be covered in the DCSS group’s recently announced virtual print fee-style deployment plan. It includes 18 screens at Muvico’s Rosemont, Ill., theater, which was the first in the U.S. to deploy 4K projectors. The deal also includes 14 screens in a new Thousand Oaks, Calif., location slated to open in early 2009. Sony’s 3-D technology is also part of the plans. Its 3-D adaptors will be installed in an estimated two to four auditoriums per Muvico theater, according to Sony. DCSS expects to deploy an estimated 9,000 4K projectors worldwide through the program in the coming years. The U.S. deployments are anticipated within 2 years, while Europe and Asia are further out. Sony’s DCSS group offers integration, installation, maintenance and service support. (Hollywood Reporter)

A $30 million live-action version of “Mulan,” the legend of a heroic Chinese girl-warrior popularized by Disney’s 1998 animated movie, will be among the first films made by Xinhua Media Entertainment in partnership with the state-run China Film Group. A Hollywood-China co-production with MoviePlus and Arclight, the film is set to begin shooting in China in the spring, Christopher Brough, head of MoviePlus Canada, told The Hollywood Reporter on Monday. Brough and Stephen Waterman, of MoviePlus in Los Angeles, will produce with XME managing director David Lee, former head of the Weinstein Co.’s Asia film fund. “China Film and Xinhua came in with significant funding to make this a co-production when we met them at (the Festival de) Cannes in May,” Brough said. “They liked that we were taking a Hollywood approach to a classic Chinese story.” In April, China Film and XME, a subsidiary of Nasdaq-listed XFMedia, announced an alliance to co-produce movies from offices in Beijing and Los Angeles. Arclight’s Easternlight label will sell distribution rights to “Mulan” at the upcoming American Film Market in Los Angeles, Arclight managing director Gary Hamilton said, adding that China, Taiwan and Hong Kong rights were presold by Lee. Lee declined comment. Hamilton said a director will be announced at AFM, and he will begin selling based on interest drummed up in France, South Korea, Japan and the U.K. after he sent around the script by debuting Canadian screenwriter Iris Rey. Brough said Disney’s animated version of the sixth century Chinese legend missed much of the nuance of the story of a girl who goes to war in her injured father’s stead. “The Disney toon version takes a 4-foot-high viewpoint, from a child’s perspective,” Brough said. “We will introduce Mulan at an older age and blend her story with a romance. Mulan is China’s Joan of Arc story.” Correcting media reports in China during the weekend, Brough said the Access Asia film fund, which he co-founded in March with Hengdian World Studios outside Shanghai and Hong Kong’s Salon Films, is not yet involved in the project. “With regards to ‘Mulan,’ MoviePlus is producing with China Film and Xinhua, but Access Asia is not yet involved,” Brough said. Brough said Rey’s script calls for a lot of locations, and that Hengdian, the world’s largest backlot, and China Film’s new suburban Beijing studio are being considered. “The new Beijing studio holds appeal because it’s within an hour’s drive of the Great Wall, which has its appeal when you’re telling a sixth century Chinese story,” Brough said. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV . . .

Miley Cyrus has cast doubt on whether she will return for another series of Hannah Montana. The singer/actress is currently filming the third season of the Disney show and would like to feature in a fourth run. But the 15-year-old has revealed she is focusing on wrapping series three, which is due to hit U.S. TV screens next month, before deciding on whether to continue with the hit franchise. She says, “Hopefully I’m going to go into season four, but we’re not sure so right now we’re just getting through season three.” Cyrus has also filmed Hannah Montana: The Movie, which is slated for release next year. (Teen Hollywood)

Picking a daughter is a difficult task. It’s especially tough when the daughter is Kim, a Doritos-scarfing princess of suburbia who’s tethered by co-dependency (and an ampersand) to her mom Kath on the new NBC comedy “Kath & Kim.” Molly Shannon was a shoo-in to play 40-ish firecracker Kath in this U.S. version of the Australian hit. But finding the right actress for peevish, midriff-flaunting Kim wasn’t such a snap. “So many people came in,” Shannon recalled during a recent interview near her New York apartment. “I would fly out to L.A. and read with them: So many talented people!” And it mirrored her own past. “I had so many years of rejection, I could feel for all of them.” Of course, the lean years for Shannon ended in 1995 with NBC’s “Saturday Night Live,” where she flourished for six seasons. Now Shannon’s hopes are high for “Kath & Kim,” whose second episode airs 8:30 p.m. EDT Thursday. She stars alongside Selma Blair, who demonstrates that considering anyone else for the role was a waste of everybody’s time. The 36-year-old Blair (with films that include “Legally Blonde,” “Hellboy” and its recent sequel) gets a hearty vote of confidence from Shannon, who credits her with “a funny darkness. And she’s very strong and fearless.” She’s hilarious as the trashy self-proclaimed “trophy wife” who has walked out on Craig (Mikey Day), her husband-dude of six weeks, because he won’t take her to Applebee’s for dinner every night, and moves back home with Kath. As Kath, meanwhile, Shannon is a comic salvo of pluckiness and shopping-mall chic. Kath is a striver whose latest mark of success is her romance with Phil (John Michael Higgins), the smarmy sandwich-shop owner who Kim views dimly as a rival for her mother’s affection. “I think of Kath as someone who really tries, who’s a survivor,” says Shannon over a salad and a shot-and-a-half iced cappuccino. “She’s trying to seem smarter or fancier than she really is.” Also younger: Bonding with Kim more like a sister than a mom, Kath is committed to defying her age, among a host of other inconvenient truths. (Daily Record)

Mark Shivas, one of the U.K.’s best-loved television and film producers, has died. He was 70. The former head of BBC Films died of cancer in the hospital over the weekend. A former New York Times writer and three-time Emmy-winner, Shivas began in television as Granada’s head of story in 1964. He joined the BBC’s drama department in 1969, where he produced “The Six Wives of Henry VIII” and Dennis Potter’s “Casanova.” From 1980 the ebullient producer went freelance, working on productions such as “What If It’s Raining?” by Anthony Minghella and the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning “The Storyteller,” directed by Jim Henson and written by Minghella for NBC. He became BBC Drama chief in 1988, where he acted as executive producer on Minghella’s “Truly Madly Deeply,” the Christopher Award-winning “Enchanted April,” “The Grass Arena” by Frank Deasy directed by Gillies Mackinnon and Stephen Frears’ “The Snapper,” penned by Roddy Doyle. Shivas in 1993 became the first head of BBC Films, where he executive produced more than 20 feature films, including “Priest,” directed by Antonia Bird, “An Awfully Big Adventure,” by Mike Newell, Michael Winterbottom’s “Jude,” and “Hideous Kinky” featuring Kate Winslet. In 1997, Shivas formed independent production company Perpetual Motion Pictures, which produced Peter Moffat’s “The Cambridge Spies,” Alan Bennett’s “Talking Heads 2″ and “Telling Tales”. Most recently, in 2006 he formed Headline Pictures with Stewart Mackinnon and Kevin Hood. During his time as the company’s chairman, Shivas made invaluable contributions to the development of a range of film projects including “Quartet” by Academy Award winner Ronald Harwood and Hood’s “Reykjavik.” Shivas is survived by his civil partner of 11 years, Karun Thakar. (Hollywood Reporter)

Don’t blame the DVR. Though some broadcast networks are down significantly in the ratings this fall, the amount of viewer DVR use is almost at a standstill. The five broadcast networks received a collective 8.8% increase in adult demo viewership during premiere week when seven full days of measurement are added to the previously announced same-day adults 18-49 rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Last fall, broadcasters received a 8.4% bump. The similar numbers seemingly conflict with the increase in DVR penetration, which jumped sharply this year from 20% penetration last fall to 28%. When recent premiere week ratings showed networks such as NBC and ABC down double digits, heightened DVR adoption was eyed as a primary suspect for the audience drain. But based on the first week of numbers, at least, the blame for waning ratings seems to lie elsewhere. One network analyst said the figures suggest DVR use may have stagnated even as DVR penetration increased — that recent adopters of the technology are not as eager to time-shift programs as the more technology savvy early adopters. It’s just a theory, of course, and the numbers could change in the coming weeks. Also, premiere week included a couple hours of live presidential debate coverage on Friday night, which likely made the week slightly less time-shifted than usual. But if the theory is correct, it’s potentially good news for broadcasters, since it suggests that live viewing isn’t eroding as quickly as most have feared. Also, the modest DVR increase was far from evenly distributed. In fact, some networks significantly increased the amount that viewers delayed their programming (NBC went from a 8% bump last fall to 12% this year), while others decreased their DVR exposure (CBS went from 9% to 6%). ABC went from 5% to 8%, CW went from 9% to 8% and Fox went from 11% to 10%. Like last year, shows that are younger-skewing dramas, such as CW’s “90210” (up 27%) and Fox’s “Fringe” (up 22%) gained the most from DVR use, while reality such as ABC’s “Extreme Makeover” (up 3%) and sports telecasts like NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” (no change) benefited the least.

Charts with the biggest DVR gainers (and least-helped shows) after the jump.

Net	Show	A18-49	7-Day	% increase
CW	“90210”	1.5	1.9	27%
CW	“Privileged”	0.8	1.0	25%
Fox	“Fringe”	4.1	5.0	22%
CW	“One Tree Hill”	1.5	1.8	20%
NBC	“Heroes”	5.0	6.0	20%
Fox	“House”	5.1	6.1	20%
NBC	“The Office”	4.9	5.8	18%
ABC	“Grey’s Anatomy”	7.4	8.7	18%
CW	“Smallville”	1.7	2.0	18%
NBC	“Lipstick Jungle”	2.4	2.8	17%
Fox	“Bones”	3.1	3.6	16%
Fox	“Prison Break”	2.5	2.9	16%
CBS	“NCIS”	3.6	4.1	14%
Fox	“Terminator”	2.3	2.6	13%
CBS	“CSI: Miami”	5.2	5.8	12%
ABC	“Brothers & Sisters”	4.6	5.1	11%

Here are some of the shows that benefited the least…

Net	Show	A18-49	7-Day	% increase
NBC	“Biggest Loser”	3.1	3.3	6%
ABC	“Opportunity Knocks”	1.8	1.9	6%
Fox	“King of the Hill”	3.4	3.5	3%
CBS	“Worst Week”	3.8	3.9	3%
ABC	“Extreme Makeover”	3.7	3.8	3%
NBC	“Sunday Night Football”	6.9	6.9	0%
CBS	“60 Minutes”	2.2	2.2	0%

Net-by-net DVR bumps: ABC 3.8 to 4.1 (+ 8%), NBC 3.3 to 3.7 (+12%), CBS 3.1 to 3.3 (+6%), Fox 3.0 to 3.3 (+10%) and CW 1.3 to 1.4 (+8%). (Hollywood Reporter)

WEDNESDAY / OCTOBER 15, 2008

IT’S HISTORY

Music History for Wednesday, 10/15/08 2004 – DIAMOND RIO was honored with the Minnie Pearl Humanitarian Award after a live performance of their single “Mirror, Mirror” at the Grand Ole Opry. 2002 — FAITH HILL’S album, Cry, was released. 2000 – U2 had their fourth number one single in the U.K. with “Beautiful Day.” 1999 – Singer-songwriter TERRY GILKYSON died at age 83. 1998 – PUFF DADDY played his first-ever show in the U.K. at the new London nightclub, Sound Republic. 1998 – MCA RECORDS filed a lawsuit against the members of NEW EDITION for alleged failure to deliver albums they were contracted for. 1997 – CMT premiered the DIXIE CHICKS music video “I Can Love You Better.” 1997 — Hillbilly Rock earned MARTY STUART a gold album. 1997 – Virginia concert promoter PATRICIA ANN RICHARDSON filed a lawsuit against rapper SNOOP DOGGY DOGG, his former manager and his label, Death Row Records, charging they had tricked her into transporting packages containing seven pounds of marijuana to a venue where Snoop was performing. Richardson claimed she was stopped, searched and arrested by local, state and federal law enforcement officials at the entrance to the club. 1996 – MOTLEY CRUE drummer TOMMY LEE was charged with attacking a tabloid TV cameraman who was trying to take pictures of his wife, PAMELA ANDERSON. 1996 – THE MONKEES released Justus, the first album to feature all four original members since 1968. 1994 — BROOKS & DUNN collected another number-one hit single with “She’s Not the Cheatin’ Kind” 1991 – TRACEY LAWERENCE’S debut single, “Sticks and Stones,” was released. 1988 — “Streets of Bakersfield” scored duo DWIGHT YOAKAM and BUCK OWENS a #1 country single. 1987 – JERRY GARCIA of THE GRATEFUL DEAD opened a series of solo shows on Broadway. 1983 – The PAUL McCARTNEY/MICHAEL JACKSON duet “Say Say Say” entered the chart at number 26, the highest debut for any 45 since 1971. 1982 – MARVIN GAYE’S “Sexual Healing” entered the black singles chart at number 25. Within a month it topped that chart and went on to win him the Grammy for Best Male R&B Performance. 1978 — Songwriters JOE ALLISON (“He’ll Have to Go”), TOM T. HALL (“Harper Valley P.T.A.), HANK SNOW (“I’m Moving On”), and Don Wayne (“Country Bumpkin”) were inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. 1977 – The number one song was “You Light Up My Life” by DEBBIE BOONE. It stayed there for 10 weeks. 1977 – “Slip Slidin’ Away” by PAUL SIMON was released. 1977 – FLEETWOOD MAC released the Rumours album. 1977 – LYNYRD SKYNYRD released their Street Survivors LP, which proved to be an album of ominous foreboding. The eerie album cover depicted the members of the band engulfed in flames. Three members of the group died less than a week later in a plane crash. 1976 – IKE and TINA TURNER split their musical act. 1973 – THE ROLLING STONES had the number one song with “Angie.” 1971 – RICK NELSON was booed when he performed new material at an oldies show. 1969 — JOHNNY CASH won a record-breaking five awards at the Country Music Association Awards. His honors included Entertainer and Male Vocalist, Album, Single, and Vocal Group of the Year with JUNE CARTER CASH. 1968 – LED ZEPPELIN played their first-ever live gig at Surrey University in England. 1960 — LORETTA LYNN made her first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry and performed “Honky Tonk Girl.” 1955 – BUDDY HOLLY opened for ELVIS PRESLEY at a concert in Buddy’s hometown of Lubbock, Texas. General History for Wednesday, 10/15/08 1793 – Queen Marie Antoinette of France was beheaded during the rampages of the French Revolution. 1815 – Napoleon Bonaparte began his exile on the remote island of St. Helena in the Atlantic Ocean. 1829 – The Tremont House of Boston became the first hotel to have an indoor bath. 1917 – Mata Hari, a Dutch dancer who spied for the Germans, was executed by a French firing squad outside Paris. 1928 – The German blimp “Graf Zeppelin” landed in Lakehurst, New Jersey, on its first commercial flight across the Atlantic. 1937 – To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway was published for the first time. 1946 – Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed. 1950 – The first radio voice pager (i.e., “beeper”) was marketed and introduced to America in what amounted to a five-pound container. 1951 – The long-running TV series, “I Love Lucy,” starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, premiered on CBS-TV. It was the first TV sitcom shot on film with three cameras. 1989 – Wayne Gretzky, while playing for the Los Angeles Kings, surpassed Gordie Howe’s NHL scoring record of 1,850 career points. 1993 – South African President F.W. de Klerk and African National Congress President Nelson Mandela were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end the apartheid system in South Africa. 1998 – James Woods received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 2000 – New York Times movie and drama critic Vincent Canby died at age 76. 2001 – A letter to Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle tested positive for anthrax. Music History for Thursday, 10/16/08 2001 – Jazz vocalist ETTA JONES died of cancer. She was 72. 1999 - “Smooth” by SANTANA, featuring ROB THOMAS, started a 12-week run at number one on the singles chart. 1999 - Singer ELLA MAE MORSE who recorded the first million-selling single for Capitol Records, “Cow Cow Boogie,” in 1942, died of respiratory problems. She was 75. 1992 – BOB DYLAN’S 30th year as a musician was celebrated with an all-star concert at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Performers included GEORGE HARRISON, NEIL YOUNG, ERIC CLAPTON, TOM PETTY, and ROGER McGUINN. 1990 – Jazz drummer and bandleader ART BLAKEY died in New York City at age 71. His JAZZ MESSENGERS group gave many great jazz players their start in the business. 1989 – PRINCE released the single “The Arms Of Orion.” 1986 – CHUCK BERRY performed at his 60th birthday concert in St. Louis. It was filmed for the Chuck Berry documentary, Hail! Hail! Rock & Roll, and featured KEITH RICHARDS, ERIC CLAPTON and ROBERT CRAY. 1982 – RCA Records released H2O by DARYL HALL and JOHN OATES. 1976 – STEVIE WONDER’S two-LP set Songs In The Key Of Life started a 14-week run at the top of the pop albums chart. 1973 – Legendary jazz drummer GENE KRUPA died of leukemia at age 64. 1972 – CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL split up. 1971 – ISAAC HAYES’ “Theme From Shaft” was released. 1968 - The NEW YARDBIRDS played their first concert. The band later changed their name to LED ZEPPELIN. 1966 – Singer JOAN BAEZ was one of 124 anti-draft protestors arrested at a military induction center in Oakland, California. 1964 – Composer COLE PORTER died at age 71. 1962 – A two-month-long Motown package tour kicked off in Washington, D.C. featuring MARVIN GAYE, THE SUPREMES, MARY WELLS, THE MIRACLES and 12-year-old STEVIE WONDER. 1957 – “You Send Me” by SAM COOKE, was released by Keen Records. 1957 – ELVIS PRESLEY made his first appearance on The Louisiana Hayride. 1956 – ELVIS PRESLEY’S first film, Love Me Tender, premiered. 1951 – LITTLE RICHARD held his first recording session in Atlanta. General History for Thursday, 10/16/08 1701 - The Collegiate School was founded in Killingworth, Connecticut. The school moved to New Haven in 1745 and changed its name to Yale College. 1793 – During the French Revolution, Queen Marie Antoinette was beheaded. 1859 – Abolitionist John Brown led a raid on Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, which is now located in West Virginia. 1916 – Margaret Sanger opened the first birth control clinic in New York City. 1946 – Ten Nazi war criminals who were condemned during the Nuremberg trials were hanged. 1962 – The Cuban Missile Crisis began as President Kennedy was informed that reconnaissance photographs had revealed the presence of missile bases in Cuba. 1964 – China detonated its first atomic bomb. 1970 – Anwar Sadat was elected President of Egypt. 1978 – The College of Cardinals named Cardinal Karol Wojtyla to be the new Pope. He took the name John Paul II. 1987 – A 58-and-a-half hour drama in Midland, Texas ended happily as rescuers freed Jessica McClure, an 18-month girl trapped in an abandoned well. 1995 – A large group of African American men gathered in Washington, D.C. for the “Million Man March,” organized by Nation Of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan. 2000 – The New York Mets won the National League Championship, but they would go on to lose the World Series to the Yankees. 2002 – The Arthur Andersen accounting firm was sentenced to five years probation and fined $500,000 for obstructing a federal investigation of the energy company Enron.

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . . (Mike Butts Creative)

Q. This year and every year almost $4 Billion dollars will exchange hands right here – where is here?

A. Yard or Garage sales

TODAY’S QUOTE (By Mary Kay Ash)

“A MEDIOCRE IDEA THAT GENERATES ENTHUSIASM WILL GO FURTHER THAN A GREAT IDEA THAT INSPIRES NO ONE.”

MIND BOGGLERS . . . (QuickTrivia)

Q. What was the sequel to “Three’s Company” called?

A. Three’s A Crowd ****

B. Robin’s Nest

C. Two’s A Crowd

D. Two’s Company

Q. As of 2001, what was the longest-running prime-time network drama or comedy to never win an Emmy Award?

A. Married . . . With Children ****

B. Dallas

C. Gunsmoke

D. The Jeffersons

Q. Called Kangaroo balloting when introduced to Lexington, Kentucky in 1888, what is the Australian ballot?

A. Illegally bought votes

B. Voting twice

C. Compulsory voting

D. Secret voting ****

Q. Which actress co-starred most often with Humphrey Bogart?

A. Lauren Bacall

B. Bette Davis ****

C. Mayo Methot

D. Ingrid Bergman

Q. Four of these are vampire films. Which one concerned a werewolf?

A. The Howling **** (In “The Howling” a TV anchorwoman investigates a cult with members who turn into werewolves)

B. Fright Night

C. Martin

D. The Hunger

Q. Born in Neustadt, Ontario, in 1895, what Canadian Prime Minister lost the first five times he ran for office?

A. John Diefenbaker ****

B. Pierre Trudeau

C. WLM King

D. Lester Pearson

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

GROUP TRAVEL PLANNING:

Want to plan a family trip or a class reunion? Traveling in large groups can be difficult, but now there are websites to help you plan your next trip, and maybe even save you money. A website called TripHub dot com helps groups plan their vacations, from sending out the mass invitations, to planning the details of your itinerary, to sharing directions and information. After your trip, your group can share blogs, photos and videos online. Another site called Triporama dot com offers tips and planning guides to help you make sure that you’ve covered all the bases of your trip, such as a Family Reunion Checklist and advice on when group discounts will actually save you money. After that, if you’re on the lookout for group discounts, check out Groople dot com. This site negotiates group discounts for hotels, and claims that you can save more than 20 percent by booking through them.

(Peter Greenberg is North America’s preeminent expert on Travel. An Emmy Award-Winning writer and producer, Peter is the Travel Editor for NBC’S “TODAY SHOW,” MSNBC and CNBC. A Best-Selling author of the “Travel Detective” series and host of the nationally syndicated “Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show.” Visit WWW.PETERGREENBERGWORLDWIDE.COM to learn more about Peter Greenberg and his adventures.)

BIRTHDAYS . . .

–1900 Actor Mervyn LeRoy

–1904 Social Activist/Author Marty Mann (d. 7-22-1980)

–1908 Economist/Author John Kenneth Galbraith

–1917 Historian/author Arthur Meier Schlesinger, Jr.

–1920 Author Mario Puzo (The Godfather) (d. 7-2-1999)

–1924 Chrysler Chairman Lee A. Iacocca

–1925 Singer Mickey Baker (Mickey & Sylvia) (“Love is Strange”)

–1926 Actress Jean Peters (d. 10-13-2000)

–1935 Singer Barry McGuire (“Eve of Destruction”)

–1938 Musician Fela Kuti (d. 8-2-1997)

–1938 Marv Johnson (“I Love The Way You Love Me”) (d. 5-16-1993)

–1939 Actress Linda Lavin (Alice)

–1942 Actress/Director Penny Marshall (Laverne & Shirley)

–1942 Drummer Don Stevenson (Moby Grape)

–1945 Sportscaster Jim Palmer

–1946 Musician Richard Carpenter (The Carpenters) (“We’ve Only Just Begun”)

–1946 Actor Victor Banerjee (A Passage to India)

–1948 Musician Chris DeBurgh (“Lady In Red”)

–1951 Baseball’s Mitchell Page

–1951 Tennis Player Roscoe Tanner

–1953 Musician Tito Jackson (Jackson 5) (“ABC”)

–1955 Actress Tanya Roberts (That 70s Show)

–1959 Chef/TV show host Emeril Lagasse

–1959 Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

–1969 Actress Vanessa Marcil (Las Vegas)

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

Today is NATIONAL GROUCH DAY and WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY.

–1878 The nation’s first power company, Edison Electric Light of New York, was incorporated.

–1951 “I Love Lucy” makes its TV debut.

–1955 ABC-TV premieres the once-a month show “The Grand Ole Opry.”

–1955 TV premiere of the popular series “Fury.”

–1969 Led Zeppelin perform together for the first time in a very small London pub.

–1971 Rick Nelson is booed when he tries to play some contemporary material at a show at Madison Square Garden in NY. The incident is later immortalized in “Garden Party.”

–1976 Ike and Tina Turner break up professionally, after 19 years as a duo.

–1977 Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Street Survivors” album is released. The LP cover features the group engulfed in flames. Five days later, three band members are killed in a plane crash and the cover is changed.

–1986 Keith Richard storms out of rehearsals for the film “Hail Hail Rock-n-Roll” after he argues with Chuck Berry over who’ll lead the band.

–1987 Jerry Garcia begins a two-week run on Broadway, performing a one-man show at the Lunt-Fontanne theater. Each of the eighteen performances sell out.

–1988 Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, and Tracy Chapman play the 20^th and final concert of the six-week Human Rights Now! tour for Amnesty International at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before a crowd of 70,000 people.

–1988 Debbie Gibson sings the National Anthem at game one of The World Series, then watches Kirk Gibson win the game with a ninth inning home run.

–2001 Slash (former Guns n’Roses guitarist) married Perla Ferrar (former model) in Maui.

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1783, a Frenchman became the first man to fly in a hot air balloon. This was back in the days before bullies had school lockers to stuff you into. Another guy was the first to fly in an untethered balloon, but he got away before we could hear his name.

In 1860 11-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, NY, writes a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he would look better with a beard. Of course, he mailed it to Lincoln’s Gettysburg address.

On this date in 1914, the Clayton Antitrust Act was passed. Ever since then, we’ve never trusted anyone named Clayton, either.

TODAY IS

Sarah Ferguson turns 49 today. She was once royalty, but now has to settle for being the Duchess of York Peppermint Patties.

Chef Emeril Lagasse also turns 49 today which means that — BAM — it’s the big 5-0 next year.

Singer Chris DeBurgh turns 60 today. He was famous for the song “Lady in Red” and for never having another hit other than “Lady in Red.”

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

· Maureen McCormick has a new book out — her life story as Marcia Brady and everything that came with it, including a fling with her on-screen brother, Barry Williams, dates with Steve Martin and Michael Jackson and the drug habit that ruined her life.

· Sharon Osbourne admits having spent over $523,559 on plastic surgery.

· Ringo Starr says he’s through answering fan mail. If you write a letter to him, he says it’ll just go in the trash.

· The names of Lisa Marie Presley’s twin girls: Harper and Finley!

· All we know is that someone is going to die on “Heroes” soon. A real hero, a real death.

· Mark Wahlberg says he’s going to marry the mother of his three kids this August.

· After more than four decades Rolling Stone magazine is shrinking its size to a regular size magazine starting with the October 30 issue.

· Lindsay Lohan showed up in New York all spray-on tanned… uh, except she forgot to do her feet.

· Meanwhile Lohan has launched a new line of leggings. Too many L words.

· Kenny Chesney says as many as four songs on his new album are thanks to his brief marriage to Rene Zellweger.

· Don Cheadle is going to replace Terrence Howard as Robert Downey Jr.’s best friend, Jim Rhodes, in “Iron Man 2.”

· The UK version of Cosmo has named Johnny Depp the sexiest man on earth.

· Paula Abdul is reportedly angry that fellow “American Idol” judge Simon Cowell is making $36 million a year compared to her $5-$8 million.

· CBS news guy Bob Schieffer will moderate tonight’s final presidential debate.

· David and Victoria Beckham’s housekeepers have been arrested for stealing from them.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

The spookiest holiday of the year may bring a bit of needed relief to consumers and retailers. According to the National Retail Federation’s Halloween Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey, conducted by BIGreseach, more consumers plan to celebrate the holiday this year. The average person will spend $66.54 on the holiday. Total Halloween spending for 2008 is estimated to reach $5.77 billion. Here’s how that breaks down for the average person:

· $24.17 on costumes

· $20.39 on candy

· $18.25 on decorations

· $3.73 on greeting cards

Here’s what else the survey found:

· 64.5% plan to celebrate or participate in Halloween

· 73.7% hand out candy

· 50.3% will decorate their home and/or yard

· 44.6% will carve a pumpkin

· 35.3% will dress in costume

· 33.6% will take children trick-or-treating

· 31.3% will throw or attend a party

· 18.1% will visit a haunted house

A survey shows that 30% of all guys in the U.S. believe that sex is better after their sports team wins. Even more remarkable, a quarter of them would be willing to give up sex for a month if guaranteed their football team would win the Super Bowl and 11% offered to abstain “for however long it takes.” In the survey, conducted by AreYouRomantic.com, 40% of the men believe their mates would also give up lovemaking for a big Super Bowl win.

Some were accidents, some were intentional. But the one thing all of these have in common, is that they died in the bathroom.

1. Singer, Elvis Presley

2. Comedian, Lenny Bruce

3. 3rd-century Roman emperor Elagabalus

4. Actor, Robert Pastorelli (Murphy Brown)

5. Popcorn king, Orville Redenbache

6. French pop singer, Claude Francois

7. Actor, Albert Dekker

8. Singer, Jim Morrison (The Doors)

Phoner: Odd death stories?

Wanna lose weight? Strip off your duds and eat in the nude. That’s the suggestion of some experts who believe that folks who eat naked in front of a full-length mirror may lose their appetite by looking at their flab. Or course, the idea is to try the naked diet at home alone not at a dinner party. Personal trainer Matt Roberts, who helps trim and shape up stars like Madonna and Sting, believes the naked lunch can work. “While it’s probably best not to try this with hot soup,” he notes, “I should think that everyone should take an occasional, honest look at themselves naked to assess what shape they’re really in.” (National Examiner)

PHONE TOPICS

· Do you need tonight’s debate, or have you already made up your mind?

· Which Presidential candidate do you think would give out better candy at Halloween?

· What’s your “nervous food”?

· What are your top 3 favorite Halloween movies?

· Anyone have the cheapest Halloween costume idea?

· What’s the weirdest thing you ever saw in a movie theater?

· So, is it okay to drink milk out of the carton or not?

· How much is okay to have racked up in charge card debt?

· Anyone have a neighbor that invites themselves over too much?

· Which city is the best place to be a tourist?

· Ever been in the audience of a TV show being taped?

· What weird trick did you teach your pet?

· Who is the best actress making movies today? OK, how about the absolute worst actress?

· Have you or someone you know tried to build something yourself and it became a total disaster?

· The ugliest yard in town?

· Who has the best sales in town?

I’m sad today. I heard that Ringo Starr doesn’t want to hear from me, or you! If you do write, your letter will end up in the trash. That’s the message from Ringo Starr. After 45 years of stardom, he doesn’t want to spend any more time answering mail or sending signed photos back to fans. This got us on a great phoner. What’s the best autograph that you own? Best story about how you got it?

I can wait to see Josh Brolin as George W. in Oliver Stone’s new movie. We talked about who our favorite on-screen presidents were. We had lots of calls, from Bill Pullman fighting aliens in “Independence Day”, to Harrison Ford in “Air force One”, and the really cool African American president on the TV show 24. Phoner: Which actor looks the most presidential? Which actor would you choose for President if they were running?

Here’s a great topic with Halloween coming. When selling a haunted house, is the owner required to warn you? Probably not according to what it says online. Sellers by law are required to share information about the physical condition of a house (water damage, lead paint), but those rules may not apply when it comes to disclosing the property’s lurid history or paranormal activity. Disclosure rules vary widely from state to state, so if the thought of living in a house with a checkered past bothers you, do your own research. One tip: If you are buying a house that’s more than 75 years old, the chances are pretty good that a previous owner died at home. Did you ever live in a haunted home? Should home sellers have to disclose whether their home is haunted or not?

I saw parents driving in the car yesterday with an infant in wrong kind of car seat. What’s worse, they were in a car with the windows rolled up and the mom was just puffin away on a cigarette! What parent pet peeve do you have? Put on your superhero cape and call in your “if I could be a parent superhero story!” We heard some pretty amazing stuff! Even web sites you can give tag numbers here in our state for them to mail a letter to parents that have inappropriate child car seats, etc.

The government is trying to enlist the help of the nation’s eateries in fighting obesity. One of the first things on their list: cutting portion sizes. What restaurant has the biggest portions in your town? And just because we’re fat, should eateries have to change their menus?

With Bill Maher’s new movie out called, “Religulous” I thought this was a cool poll. Nearly one-third of Americans believe the Bible is literally true, word-for-word, reports the Christian Post, a drop of 10% over the past 30 years. In the Gallup survey, more than 1002 adults were asked to describe their view of the Bible. Here’s more:

· 28% said the Bible is the “actual Word of God and is to be taken literally.”

· 49% said the Bible is the “inspired word of God but not everything in it should be taken literally.”

· 19% said it is an “ancient book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.”

Have you avoided someone simply because of their name? For instance you were bullied by someone with that name. Some husbands and wives called saying they fought over their babies names because one pulled a name of someone they thought was hot in high school and the other was like no way! Name like Faith and Harmony seem less offensive. Not too many of us have had the crap beat out of us by a Harmony!

I went to pickup my Chinese take-out order last night and I noticed that there was a plastic tip jar on the counter. The person that was putting together my order was doing a lot of work putting my order together, but I was torn as to whether or not I should have tipped them. But I gave in and put $3 in the cup. My co-host BLASTED me for doing so. This made a great phoner for us, and it will probably go into tomorrow’s show as well. You have to do this one!

A recent study says Friday is the day most people get fired. We were joking about how radio people seem to get fired a lot. Listeners volunteered their “how I got fired” stories. Then we searched for our “most-fired listener.” One guy has been fired 11 times in the last 3 years. All different professions.

Dumb subjects rock! We have a commercial running that talks about boring stuff, like debating how often to clean a clothes dryer lint screen. After it ran, I mentioned how that was stupid because you clean it after every load, but my partner disagreed so we actually started debating it. Most callers agreed with me that you can’t wait until the lint trap looks like a maxi-pad but the others tried to make it look like we were anal. Then people whose houses caught on fire from their dryers started calling in with horror stories.

It’s here! The very first outpatient addiction treatment program for problem video gamers in Europe. Do you know someone that is addicted to video games? What’s the longest you’ve ever played?

Would you have an affair? Huge phones with this topic. We had a lot of women call in to tell us “What made you do it?” We got into it using the following set up: How much you love your husband may be less important than you think. So said an article in Redbook. What really makes you vulnerable? Ways to predict if you’ll have an affair:

· You work — It provides opportunity simple because you spend 8 hours a day in close contact with men. And because women are still outnumbered by men in the workforce, they have more potential lovers.

· One of your parents cheated — There’s a greater tendency to repeat family patterns.

· You initiate sex with your husband — If you’re comfortable being the aggressor, then you won’t have a problem coming on to someone you’re interested in.

· Your friends are having affairs — Peer pressure!

· You live in a big city — Residents of small towns tend to frown on affairs. Most likely because everyone knows everyone.

· Your husband dominates you — An affair can be a declaration of independence.

· You’re better educated than your husband — Perhaps because you feel more powerful.

· You’re at a transition or crisis point — Maybe approaching your 30th birthday or whatever and you feel uncertain about the direction of your life.

· You’ve just moved to a new community.

· A parent has recently died — This may make you feel like doing things you know your mom or dad would have disapproved of.

· You and your husband spend a lot of time apart.

· You have a special friendship with a man.

· You’ve always been a “good girl.”

· Your husband criticizes your looks — Many of us, especially women, judge ourselves based on how we’re viewed by others. But husbands often forget to give compliments or worse, feel free to find fault.

· You’re content with your marriage — This might cause you to believe that since you have all the love and security at home, it’s okay then to have fun. You’ll see sex and love as two totally different things.

What does your significant other do that they think is “sexy?” Do they do something that means they want some and you have no idea what they’re trying to tell you? I’m sure that most wives do it, but the men just don’t catch on to it… that’s why married men complain about not having sex.

Some folks like livin’ like a rock star and maybe have even destroyed a television or threw something out of a window while partying. Phoner: I partied so hard I broke _____!

I have a co-worker of mine who’s a woman and she’s always trying to hook me up with friends of hers. This co-worker is married, but my buddy says that since she’s trying to hook me up, she must think I’m hot! His theory is that women don’t try to hook up men that they wouldn’t date themselves. Is this true? I mean it makes sense, or are women just saying that to be nice?

What’s the greatest thing anyone has done to show you they love you? This one was cool… Some romantic, others about military sacrifices or organ donation, etc. Real warm fuzzy!

Doctors are currently studying how people experience emotions and how some have spiritual experiences when they listen to music. What is the one song you hear that brings back the most memories for you?

WEIRD NEWS

Cash Or Credit Card Only Please
You probably know that if you go to McDonald’s, they’ll take cash, ATM cards or credit cards. What they won’t take is pot. In Vero Beach, Florida, a Mickey D’s cashier called 911 after a drive-thru customer allegedly offered to pay for his meal with marijuana. Police arrived quickly and a deputy spotted the vehicle fitting the cashier’s description. He found marijuana in the car and arrested its occupant, 27-year-old Shawn Alexander Pannullo. (Treasure Coast Newspapers)

Too Many Cooks Spoil the Soup
You’ve heard the old saying — “Too many cooks spoil the soup.” So does powdered rust remover. In Beijing, some 170 wedding guests were rushed to a hospital after powdered rust remover was accidentally added to the pot of soup they were served instead of salt after they all decided it needed added flavor. One doctor said, “When I arrived at the hospital, the observation room was packed with people vomiting, with stomach pains and with diarrhea.” Fortunately the symptoms were short-lived and all the victims were released by the next day. (Reuters)

So Who Does a 106-Year-Old Nun Vote For?
A 106-year-old American nun says she’s “startled and a bit anguished” by all the minor celebrity attention she is getting after she appeared on television and said she was planning to vote for Barack Obama. Sister Cecilia Gaudette, born on March 25, 1902, has decided to step out of the limelight and back into the comfortable obscurity that was her life before the media discovered that she will be one of the oldest Americans to vote. Sister Carmen Aymar, a deputy superior general at the convent in Rome where the voting nun lives said, “Now she wants to be left alone.” After Sister Cecilia appeared on CBS News and on BBC radio saying she was voting for the first time since 1952 and that it would be for Obama, the convent was besieged by calls from reporters and media outlets across the world. She told reporters, “I’m encouraged by Senator Obama. I’ve never met him, but he seems to be a good man with a good private life. That’s the first thing. Then he must be able to govern.” Sister Carmen added, “She is very proud to be an American. She keeps an American flag in her office.” (Ananova)

Pooh Characters Brighten Up Flint
It’s not news that Flint, Michigan has been one of the hardest hit towns during this bleak economy. But at least one citizen is using her artistic talents to brighten up some of the city’s worst spots. 20-year-old Kristina Pringle has started painting Winnie the Pooh characters on the boarded-up windows of vacant homes in her neighborhood. She says, “I’d like to make my street better for sure. And drawing is something I like to do.” Now she’s getting grant money to help her and other volunteers with paint and other supplies. Two other murals are being painted on nearby buildings and Jason Headrick and Sara McIlroy live next door to the vacant home Pringle is painting. The couple has a 5-year-old daughter who loves looking at the characters and Sara says, “It brightens them up a bit and the neighborhood doesn’t look as bad. It just goes to show we have nice people around here.” (Flint Journal)

Hitmen Are Working For Cheap These Days
It’s surprising how cheap hitmen are these days. In Port St. Lucie, Florida, a mother and son are accused of plotting to kill two men for their inheritance and offering anti-anxiety pills as down payment for the hit. Police say that 44-year-old Therese Batson and her son, 23-year-old William Allen Cook, wanted to hire a hitman to kill Batson’s live-in boyfriend and his brother. As a down payment, the man was allegedly offered 29 pills of alprazolam– the generic name for Xanax. The hitman was to receive a truck, boat and camper belonging to one of his intended victims after they were killed. But the would-be hitman got cold feet and instead reported the plot to police and Batson and Cook were both arrested. (Palm Beach Post)

Jam Cures Cancer?
Scientists from the Institute of Food Research in the U.K. may have found an explanation for the healthier bodies of people who regularly eat jam as well as fruits and vegetables. A fragment of pectin, found in both veggies and fruits, binds to and likely inhibits galectin 3, a protein that has a major role in all stages of the spread of cancer. Professor Vic Morris of the IFR said claims of anti-cancer effects of food are based on population studies. Pectins have been identified in a previous study in the U.S. to slow the growth of prostate cancer. About 35,000 tons of pectins are produced worldwide in various forms, aside from being found in jams and jellys. It is also used in confectionery, bakery fillings, yogurts and milk drinks. Peels of citrus fruits and apple pulp also contain a large amount of pectins. So go ahead and go for that jelly donut! You may be curing cancer! (AHN News)

Worst Carjacking Ever!
A woman in Ormond Beach, Florida just went through what has to be one of the worst carjackings ever! A gunman ambushed Alyssa Gould in her SUV at an intersection when he opened the driver’s side door and put a gun in her face, then unbuckled her baby and dangled the infant by her feet. Gould kept screaming and the gunman finally released her, but forced her to beg for her baby’s life before finally releasing the infant. He then drove off in the vehicle, which ran out of gas a few miles away. He fled on foot and authorities are still looking for him. Police are warning people to keep their doors locked when they are inside their vehicles even when they think they are in safe neighborhoods. (AHN News)

MATCH THE MOUTH

“I totally plan to go back into acting once the strike stops. The economy is so bad right now that people are afraid to put money back into acting.”

· Pamela Anderson

· Tara Reid ***

· Jenny McCarthy

· Debra Winger

· Britney Spears

A comment made in England this week: “I’ve phoned my dad and told him not to expect me home. I want to live here. I’ve already fallen in love with 20 guys since I’ve been here.”

· Jessica Simpson

· Cameron Diaz

· Vanessa Anne Hudgens

· Miley Cyrus ***

· Dakota Fanning

“Breast cancer helped me put myself first in life… I had to remember that the only person who could take care of me was me. I’d better do that before I take care of everybody else, instead of everybody else first.”

· Kylie Minogue

· Edie Falco

· Sheryl Crow ***

· Sharon Osbourne

· Cynthia Nixon

MY BIG FAT FAT WEDDING

Here’s a bit for your weight-challenged listeners who are thinking about getting married next year. Listeners who are willing to slim down before the big day could win a free wedding along with rings, a wedding gown, tuxedos, wedding cake, honeymoon and of course free food from a great restaurant, where you hold the wedding!

LICK IT UP

This is great for a in-office bit. Get somebody on the phone who wants to really win a great prize. They have to work in an office or post office. Go to the office and have them lick envelopes all morning or up against a co-worker and see who can lick the most.

FREE HALLOWEEN STUFF

Free Halloween music is available from Mannheim Steamroller. Production, imaging, special program features, yours for free. http://www.mannheimsteamroller.com/H2-radio.html

TOP FIVE WAYS TONIGHT’S DEBATE COULD BE A LITTLE MORE FUN

1. At halftime, a contest: Which one’s Sarah Palin and which one’s Tina Fey?

2. A Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake pre-debate song

3. Sneak itch powder inside both of their suits

4. Both candidates hooked up to lie detectors.

5. Food fight!

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

President Bush said that with less than 100 days left in his term, he’s still got “a lot of work to do.” Mr. President, haven’t you already done enough?

British singer M.I.A. has confirmed that she’s pregnant. Obviously, action is not what she was missing.

Tonight is the final of the three presidential debates. This is the one where we get on our phones and vote, right? Is the results show tomorrow night?

Why is it that it’s so hard to figure out who’s telling the truth in the presidential race, yet we know every little detail about what it’s like to grow up as Marcia Brady?

Paula Abdul is upset that Simon Cowell is getting paid four times as much as she is to be a judge on “American Idol”… and says she’ll be saying a lot less this season. The plan is working perfectly…

A new study suggests that drinking alcohol may actually cause your brain to shrink. Understand me not.

SLEEP POSITION REVEALS PERSONALITY

The position in which you sleep at night reveals your personality says Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service. After spending years analyzing six common sleeping positions, he has concluded that each is linked to a particular personality type:

1. The Fetal (41%) People who sleep this way, which is the most common way to sleep, are described as tough on the outside, but sensitive on the inside. Often shy when they first meet someone, people who sleep like this soon relax. Twice as many women as men sleep in the fetal position.

2. The Log (15%) People who sleep this way lie on their side with both arms down, close to their side. They tend to be social and easy-going people who enjoy being part of the in-crowd. While they are trusting of strangers, they are often gullible.

3. The Yearner (13%) Sleeping on your side with both arms stretched out in front of you describes the yearner’s sleep position. While they have an open nature, they can be suspicious and even cynical. Such people are slow to make up their mind, but once a decision has been made, they are unlikely to ever change it.

4. The Soldier (8%) Lying flat on the back with both arms pinned at the side is the sleep position of the soldier. People who sleep this way are quiet and reserved. They don’t like a fuss and set themselves and others to high standards. People who sleep like this are more likely to snore and have a bad night’s sleep.

5. The Freefall (7%) People who sleep this way lie on their tummy with their hands at the sides of their head. While they tend to be brash and gregarious on the surface, they are nervy and thin-skinned underneath. They don’t like criticism or extreme situations. This sleep position is good for digestion.

6. The Starfish (5%) People in the starfish position sleep on their back with both arms up around the pillow. Because they are always ready to listen to others and offer help when needed, they make the best of friends; however, they generally don’t like to be the center of attention. People who sleep like this are more likely to snore and have a bad night’s sleep, just like the soldier position.

The remaining 11% in this study either said they slept in a variety of positions or just didn’t know how they slept.

MAKE-UP CHALLENGE

Talk about women applying makeup in traffic and then make it a challenge. Select contestants, meet at a local go-cart track, give ‘em the client donated makeup and then 3 laps around the track. Best/worst makeup job wins!

ADDICTED TO LOVE

This is a regular bit, sort of a “Favorite Things” type of thing, where not only the people on the show talk about he stuff they love at the moment, but callers join in and talk about what they’re into.

COSMO’S SIGNS HE’S TOO HIGH MAINTENANCE

Are you freaked out by your fella’s excessive grooming, supersappy side, and other prissy behavior? He may be a member of a new breed of not-so-manly men.

· He checks himself out in store windows as he walks past.

· He has self-help books by his bedside.

· You confront him about his highlights, and he swears it was the work of the sun.

· When he has a can’t-miss-it-zit, he cancels your plans to go out and asks if you’ll just spend a quiet evening in.

· He has a 300-thread-count bed-linens set… that his mom didn’t buy.

· He uses emoticons in his e-mails.

· He has a breed of dog that starts with the word teacup or toy.

· He’s picky about which underwear goes with what pants.

· These words have actually excited his mouth: “Shoot, I chipped a nail.”

· You both frequent the department store skin-care counter for free samples.

· When you’re having dinner out, he requests his salad dressing on the side.

TOILET PAPER WEDDING

Here’s a contest where listeners are asked to use rolls of toilet paper to make a wedding dress for a cash prize. We ask participates to:

· First: Enlist one or more of your friend’s help.

· Second: Plan your design.

· Third: Grab some Toilet Paper, and Tape or Glue (that’s all you can use)!

· Fourth: Make the dress on your model then take some digital pictures.

All the pictures are posted on our web site where a vote determines the winner.

HEADLINE TRUTH OR TRASH

“50% of Americans Don’t Respect Their Boss!”
Truth! At least according to a new online survey by Randstad USA. Oh, and only half of us feel our boss is competent. Only 43% think their boss is open to new ideas and only 47% were willing to work overtime to impress their boss and create more job security for themselves.

“Michael Jackson is Dating His Shadow!”
Trash! Even his shadow won’t come within 10-feet of him.

“New Car Keeps Your Kids From Driving Too Fast!”
Truth! Starting next year, the FORD Company will start offering parents “smart keys” that will limit what their teen drivers can do. With parental controls on, the car will go no faster than 80 miles an hour; the stereo won’t go above half-volume; and the driver won’t be able to deactivate any of the vehicle’s safety systems. FORD decided on 80 mph because the speed limit in some states is 75, and the automaker wanted to leave leeway in case a driver had to speed up to avoid a problem.

“Gilbert Gottfried is an Alien!”
Trash! He is from Venus, but technically, he’s been here long enough to be a citizen.

“Woman On the Pill Gets Pregnant With Triplets!”
Truth! And it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for birth control pills. But in Hampshire, England, 22-year-old Kirsty Hale beat 200 million-to-one odds to become pregnant with triplets– while she was on the pill. Kirsty and her fiancé Toby Wilson are now parents to Gabriella, Lily and Alicia. The trio arrived 13 weeks early following an emergency caesarean but the girls are making great progress!

“Jessica Simpson New Tight End for the Cowboys!”
Trash! And being a family show, we’re stopping there.

“Paul McCartney Calls For Boycott of McDonalds!”
Truth! It seems Sir Paul was none too happy about a McDonalds in Liverpool using the Beatles’ image at the restaurant. Of course any Paul McCartney fan knows the ex-Beatle is a big time vegetarian and doesn’t want to be associated with beef in the least.

“Nader Now Over McCain and Obama in Polls!”
Trash! Too easy, huh?

“National Debt Clock Out of Digits!”
Truth! We’ve now run up so much debt, the National Debt Clock in New York has run out of digits. When our debt passed the $10 trillion point last month, the sign could not display the full amount. Amazingly, the board was originally erected to highlight the $2.7 trillion level of debt back in 1989 — a number that seemed insanely high at the time. The clock’s owners say two more zeros will be added, allowing the clock to record a quadrillion dollars of debt.

DATING & RELATIONSHIPS

Here are Cosmopolitan’s facts on young women dating and their relationships:

· 93% prefer a committed relationship to playing the field.

· 39% believe there is no point to being in a relationship that’s not leading to marriage.

· 78% expect a guy to offer to pay on the first date.

· 61% think he should pick up a girl for a first date and drop her off afterward.

· 46% have fallen in love at first sight.

· 86% believe in soul mates.

· 56% believe that they have met their soul mate.

· 46% believe that there is more than one soul mate out there for them.

· 59% say women wear the pants in most relationships.

· 92% say women are more in charge of relationships now than in their parents’ generation.

· 76% say it’s harder to have a good relationship today than it was in their parents’ generation.

· 82% think their generation will have a higher divorce rate.

· 65% want to live with a guy before getting married.

· 77% are happier in a relationship than single.

· 81% would rather be single forever than be married to a man they know isn’t right for them.

Attitudes and Goals:

· 72% said that they can do almost anything to which they put their minds.

· 97% said women are equally or more likely than men are to be intelligent.

· 84% said that women are equally or more likely than men are to be independent.

· 54% want to be established in their career before they marry.

· 48% would have children on their own if they weren’t married by 35.

· 56% don’t think a woman needs to be married to have kids.

· 46% think being happily married is the biggest sign of success.

· 56% said that meeting a man who they think might be The One makes them happier than getting a fantastic promotion.

· 76% believe that they can lead a very fulfilling life even if they do not have any children.

Technology:

· 73% said technology has made it easier for them to make the first move on a guy.

· 38% think technology has been harmful overall to inter-personal relationships.

· 55% believe people use technology in relationship when they are looking for someone with whom to hook up.

· 38% have Googled and ex, current, or future boyfriend.

· 54% have flirted via technology; e-mail, text, MySpace, Facebook.

· 71% have used technology to avoid actually speaking to or seeing someone.

· 44% think people use technology to avoid getting close emotionally.

What about the guys:

· 71% said men today are more willing to let women take control than were men in the past.

· 79% think that men today are more likely to let the female be the sole breadwinner.

· 57% think men today are more willing to talk about their feelings than in the past.

· 73% think men are more likely to share parenting responsibilities than in the past.

· 60% think men are less threatened by a woman who makes more money than they do.

· 86% think that men are more likely to cheat.

· 77% think that men are less chivalrous.

· 92% think that men are more likely to expect to have sex early on in a relationship.

· 46% think men are less understanding of women.

· 84% think it’s fine for a man to be a stay-at-home dad.

· 59% would rather be with a fun guy than a good provider.

· 68% would be more bummed out by an unattractive man than a guy who didn’t make much money.

· 78% said women are equally or more likely than men are to be sexual.

· 25% have dumped a guy because they found someone hotter, smarter, or richer.

· 59% said men’s expectations of women in relationships are too high.

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

Hugh Hefner has two new girlfriends, 19-year-old twin blondes, Karissa and Kristina Shannon. At 82-years old, I guess you have to do it with twins to remember you did it at all.

The tabloids say “Dancing With the Stars” hoofer Cheryl Burke is devastated by criticism on the Internet that she’s fat. The thing that bothers Cheryl Burke most about the fat comments… They’re coming from Delta Burke.

By the end of trading last Friday afternoon, Martha Stewart had lost 240 million dollars during the week. Luckily, Martha didn’t panic. She said, “I had really good information that the market was going to go up 936 points on Monday.”

“High School Musical” heartthrob, Zac Efron, who turns 21 on Saturday, says he plans to enter the University of Southern California next year. A spokesperson for USC said it’s a great fit for the university because they’re used to students who don’t graduate from high school until they’re in their early 20’s.

A new medical study by the American Academy of Pediatrics says children in the U.S. aren’t getting nearly enough vitamin D in their diets. See, once again, I don’t think President Bush understands. He said, “When I was kid, I got plenty of D’s. F’s too!”

There’s only 98 days left for George Bush as President. Or, as Ronald Reagan might have said, “The Bush administration is another sad, bizarre chapter in American history whose last pages are even now being written.”

Medical professionals are urging the FDA to demand that manufacturers of energy drinks that contain massive amounts of caffeine list the caffeine content and recommended limits on the label. The energy drink manufactures say they’ll fight the FDA, adding, “We’ve got lawyers staying up really, really late working on the case.”

The board that controls San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has voted to erect a suicide-prevention barrier around the structure. If the safety net works, New York Mayor Bloomberg says he’ll look into having one installed around Wall Street.

In remarks to the nation on Friday, President Bush said, “Anxiety can feed anxiety.” Here we are, eight years into his administration, and in the midst of an economic and foreclosure crisis, and George Bush finally announces a plan to feed the homeless. At least it beats Cheney’s plan…Eat Crap and Die.

On Friday, John McCain began discouraging his supporters from making hateful, racist and violent comments about Barack Obama. McCain didn’t do it willingly. It was either that or the Secret Service was going to have to wrestle him to the ground.

Sarah Palin said today that Barack Obama and Joe Biden “are spending more than $1 billion to defeat our ticket,” and that they’re “flooding the airwaves and stuffing mailboxes with misleading information, and in some cases flat out lies.” So, what’s the charge, impersonating Sarah Palin?

North Korea has published what they claim to be new photos of their leader, Kim Jong-il, who is rumored to have suffered a stroke, for the first time in over six months. However, there is no way to verify the exact date the photos were taken since the newspaper Kim was holding bore the extremely generic headline, “Cubs Lose”.

In Ohio, North Carolina and Florida, John McCain and Barack Obama are running neck and neck. Obama says McCain is a redneck… and McCain says Obama is a pencil-neck.

Competitive eating champion Joey Chestnut downed 45 pieces of pizza in ten minutes over the weekend. Now, he’s in the bathroom experiencing the Domino effect.

There’s a new book about the Bush administration by a guy who claims George Bush was sabotaged by “liberals in the White House,” and among those liberals were Bush’s closest advisers, Condoleezza Rice, Andy Card, Dan Bartlett, Stephen Hadley and Karen Hughes. Barack Obama says the book is ridiculous–at least that’s what two of his biggest supporters told him–Bill and Hillary Clinton.

BIZARRE & UNUSAL NAMES

The List Universe has compiled this list of bizarre and unusual names:

1. Canaan Banana — He served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 198-87. A Methodist minister, he held the largely ceremonial office of the presidency while his eventual successor, Robert Mugabe, served as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe.

2. Praise-God Barebone — An English leather-seller and radical preacher. He is best known for being elected to the Nominated Assembly of the English republic, in 1653.

3. Walter Russell Brain — An eminent neurologist who authored the standard work on the subject, “Brain’s Diseases of the Nervous System.”

4. Marc Breedlove — A Professor of Neuroscience at Michigan State University known for his work into the study of sexual attraction and sexual behaviour.

5. Thursday October Christian — The first son of Fletcher Christian (leader of the Mutiny on the Bounty) and his Tahitian wife Maimiti. Born on Thursday the 14th of October, he was given his unusual name because Fletcher Christian wanted his son to have “no name that will remind me of England.”

6. Thomas Crapper — A noted English plumber who made significant contributions towards the improvement of the flushing toilet.

7. Prince Octopus Dzanie — An amateur boxer from Ghana who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

8. Argelico Fucks — A Brazilian professional footballer. He won the Rio Grande do Sul State league, the Brazilian cup, the Brazilian Champions Cup, the Conmebol Cup plus the Portuguese league, cup and Supercup.

9. Learned Hand — An influential United States judge and judicial philosopher. He served on the Southern District Court of New York and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

10. Ima Hogg — Known as “The First Lady of Texas,” she was an American philanthropist, patron and collector of the arts, and one of the most respected women in Texas during the 20th century.

11. Rusty Kuntz — A former Major League Baseball player and currently first base coach for the Kansas City Royals.

12. Chuck Long — Head football coach at San Diego State University. He played quarterback in college at the University of Iowa and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams.

13. Adolf Lu Hitler Marak — A politician in the state of Meghalaya, India. It may be noted that his name is not particularly curious within Meghalaya, where other local politicians are named Lenin R. Marak, Stalin L. Nangmin, Frankenstein W. Momin, or Tony Curtis Lyngdoh.

14. Ten Million — A minor league baseball player who played for various teams in the Northwestern League in the years prior to World War I. He is most famous for appearing on the first set of Obak baseball cards where he became very popular due to his name.

15. Chris Moneymaker — An American poker player who won the main event at the 2003 World Series of Poker.

16. Revilo Oliver — An American professor of Classical philology, Spanish, and Italian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who wrote and polemicized extensively for White Nationalist causes.

17. Richard Plantagenet Campbell Temple-Nugent-Brydges-Chandos-Grenville — A British statesman and close friend of Benjamin Disraeli. His name arose through successive generations of people with double barrelled surnames adding and adding instead of compromising.

18. Peerless Price — An American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent.

19. Jaime Sin — A Filipino bishop who later became archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church of the Philippines and was henceforth known as Cardinal Sin. He was only the third native Filipino Archbishop of Manila, following centuries of Spanish, American and Irish episcopacy.

20. Wolfgang Wolf — A German football coach who once managed Wolfsburg FC.

DATE MISTAKES MEN MAKE

Love expert Laura Snyder says no matter what any woman tells you, first impressions matter. Guys, save yourself from getting the boot before you get started with these tips.

· The Ill-Fitting Compliment — When women take a compliment the wrong way, they take it as an insult. For example, if you say “Wow, you look great today,” she hears an unspoken “…normally you look like hell.” To avoid this dating disaster, eliminate all references to a particular time and place to your compliments (to suggest she always looks great).

· Getting Touchy — Yes, non-sexual touch is a good way to forge a connection. But, to avoid ringing the “dirty old man” warning bells in her head, avoid making a grab for her knee too early in the night. Let her touch you first, so you can get a good read on her interest level.

· Name-Dropping — Don’t bring up ex-girlfriends, platonic pals, even your mother. She wants to feel like the only person in the room, after all. There will be plenty of other dates to ruin your relationship with talk about how great your ex was.

· Bragging Rights — We know you boys are eager to impress us, but she’d rather discover what a great catch you are than have you explain it to her. To pique her interest enough to want another date, it’s better to retain a little mystery.

· Talk about Sex — Yeah, we know it’s on your mind 24/7, but you want us to see you as different from all those other guys, don’t you? Since you’re letting her discover what a great catch you are, you have no need to drop hints that you’re a real Don Juan.

TOP FIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS WAY TOO EARLY

1. Bobbing for ornaments

2. Dress up like an Election Day elf

3. Put up a haunted wreath

4. Greet the kids on Halloween dress up like Santa Claws

5. At work, organize a “Secret Slasher” exchange