12.01.08

 SHOW PREP DECEMBER 1, 2008

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Puerto Rican actress Roselyn Sanchez has gotten married at a historic San Juan fort in front of 250 guests that included Eva Longoria Parker. Sanchez and actor Eric Winter arrived Saturday at the San Cristobal fort in a white Mercedes Benz. Guests also included actor Amaury Nolasco and Gov. Anibal Acevedo Vila and his family. Sanchez wore a princess-style dress with hand-embroidered pearls and diamonds created by Venezuelan designer Angel Sanchez. Winter wore a Calvin Klein suit. The couple expects to honeymoon in the Mayan Rivera. The 35-year-old Sanchez appears in the CBS series “Without a Trace” and produced the 2007 movie “Yellow.” The 32-year-old Winter has appeared in the soap “Days of Our Lives.” (Daily Record)

 

Macaulay Culkin’s actor brother Kieran Culkin has found love on the set of his new movie Paper Man – with co-star Emma Stone. The pair hit it off after they met while working on the comedy drama, which also stars Ryan Reynolds and Lisa Kudrow. And according to the New York Post’s PageSix column, Culkin and Stone have been enjoying more and more time together off-set – with one source telling the publication they have been frequenting the Backyard Bar in the Montauk area of the Big Apple, where the movie is being filmed, “almost every night”. The insider adds, “They seem to get along well and have spent time there, just the two of them… closing down the bar in the wee hours of the morning.”  (Tenn Hollywood)

 

Jennifer Aniston has rejected John Mayer’s marriage proposal sources have told Look magazine. “Jennifer said no when John asked her. She told John that everything is so perfect between them right now, they shouldn’t ruin the focus of their relationship,” the source claims. “A wedding would be so stressful and Jennifer just wants to enjoy this phase, falling madly in love and getting a thrill if the other one texts when they are apart. John told Jennifer she is the girl for him and he is sure of it. He is willing to do anything she wants as long as they are together. He is like a different guy. John was over the moon when Jennifer took him back last month and he never wants them to be apart again. He really wants to settle down with her. He wants children, marriage – the whole thing at some point.” (Handbag)

 

Leonardo DiCaprio has admitted he wants children. The 34-year-old star, currently dating Israeli model Bar Refaeli, also confessed seeing his A-list mates Tobey Maguire, Brad Pitt and Matt Damon with children has made him want kids of his own. “I see these guys with their families, and it reaffirms for me that I definitely want a kid someday,” he tells Showbiz Spy. “I absolutely believe in marriage. My parents were divorced before I was even born, but that’s never bothered me. They’re both real cool people, and I’ve enjoyed sharing both their lives rather than having one life.” (Handbag)

 

Hugh Jackman has admitted he no longer has any issues filming sex scenes in front of his wife after she watched making his 2001 movie Swordfish. “There’s a scene in Swordfish where I’ve got a gun to my head, I’ve got to crack a code and a girl is under the table giving me a b*****b all at once,” Hollywood Pulse quote the star saying. “We shot it for two days and Deb turned up unannounced right as I was finishing. Afterward she went straight up to the girl and said, ‘Hi, I’m Deborra-Lee. I think you’re giving my husband a b*****b. The actress went bright red and apologised but Debbora just said, ‘Oh, don’t worry. You’re getting paid to do it so enjoy it!’” (Handbag)

 

Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus is convinced her siblings are going to be able to emulate her success in showbusiness – because they all love the limelight. Cyrus shot to fame in the Disney hit show when she was just 14 and now some of her brothers and sisters are also embarking on careers in the public eye. Cyrus’ older half-brother Trace, 19, currently fronts a band called Metro Station, while her younger brother Braison and sister, Noah, are also keen to be famous in their own right. And the singer/actress is delighted that her loved ones are starting to find success. She says, “They really like it (fame). My brother Trace is in a band that’s not so popular here (in the U.K.), but in the States they’re huge. And my younger brother is a drummer in a band. He doesn’t really want to do it professionally yet. He just wants to go on tour. He’s really amazing. And my sister is doing a new version of a Japanese film. She’s playing the main part.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Teen superstar Miley Cyrus is determined not to fritter away her hard-earned cash – because she wants to be able to support her parents when they retire. The Hannah Montana actress/singer has made millions since she was cast in the hit Disney show, and recently topped a poll by Forbes magazine of the world’s highest-earning young stars. But Cyrus has vowed that she won’t be splashing her money on luxury cars, jewels or clothes – because she wants to keep enough savings aside to help her father, Billy Ray, and mother, Leticia, later in life. When asked whether she will be indulging in a few shopping sprees, Cyrus says, “Certainly not. I wouldn’t have anything left to support my family, because that is what I do. When I get older, and maybe my parents want to settle down, I want to be able to take care of them.”  (Teen Hollyhwood)

 

Leonardo DiCaprio is following through on his vow to boycott the paparazzi – he’s put his Malibu, California mansion up for sale. The Titanic star recently lashed out at the snappers who follow his every move, branding them “disrespectful and dangerous”. He said, “The mere fact that these – I’ll use the word piles – are earning money from exploiting my image is the only reason I hide myself or am not a photo-friendly person. I do not like the way they conduct themselves. I think they’re disrespectful and dangerous. The reason I don’t pose or smile or that I seem mad is that I don’t want them to make a living off my private life.” And he appears to be serious about stepping out of the spotlight by making plans to move out of the area. His two bedroom, two bathroom property, which also boasts a guest house and four-car garage, is on the market for just under $9 million. And that’s not all – the home comes with an added perk of underground tunnels leading to and from Hollywood’s hottest nightspots, reports TMZ.com. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Daniel Radcliffe, whose character in “Equus” is hung up on horses, went with the whole cast and crew of the Broadway show to see real ones at Lionshare Farm in Greenwich, Conn., owned by Peter Leone, an Olympic silver medallist in show jumping. Candia Fisher, an “Equus” co-producer, and her daughter, Matti, ride and board their show horses there. “They went to learn about horses, how to react like horses,” said one source. One theatrical type, after touring the stables, marveled, “I wish my apartment were so spacious and clean.” (PageSix)

 

Beyoncé has confessed she’s fed up with dieting and is thinking about packing in watching her weight entirely. “My meals are always so boring,” Showbiz Spy quote the star saying. “I have cereals in the morning, a sandwich for lunch and fish and vegetables for dinner. And I eat a lot of fruit. Sometimes if I am not being disciplined – which usually happens a couple of months after a record comes out and I have done all the press and the video – I will start hitting the Dunkin’ Doughnuts. But when I am out of the country it is harder to find that food so it is easier to eat healthily.” (Handbag)

 

Actor Robert Pattinson has poor standards of hygiene when it comes to his hair – he never washes it. The Twilight star has shot to fame after portraying a vampire in the new movie – but he risks jeopardising his hunk status by confessing his dirty secret. He says, “I don’t have much of a sense of personal hygiene or styling or anything. I gave up washing it a while back.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

The distinctive white sails of the Sydney Opera House darkened Sunday night to mourn the death of Joern Utzon, the creative mind behind the globally known landmark. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd led praise for the Danish architect, whose most distinctive creation had a troublesome birth in Australia but is now held dear as perhaps the country’s most recognized icon. “Joern Utzon was a visionary architect whose legacy includes one of the world’s most spectacular and inspiring buildings, the Sydney Opera House,” Rudd said in a statement. From the prime minister’s residence overlooking the opera house, Rudd later told reporters, “In the great sweep of history, what we’re left with is a beautiful building, Sydney’s symbol to the world, Australia’s symbol to the world.” He called Utzon – who never saw his masterpiece completed – “a son of Denmark but … in terms of his spirit, a son of Australia as well.” Floodlights that illuminate the shell-like structure were dimmed for one hour Sunday night to mark Utzon’s death. Flags on the city’s other landmark, the arch-like Sydney Harbor Bridge, would be lowered to half-staff on Monday to honor Utzon, the New South Wales state government announced. “Joern Utzon was an architectural and creative genius who gave Australia and the world a great gift,” said Kim Williams, the chairman of the trust that operates the venue. “Sydney Opera House is core to our national cultural identity and a source of great pride to all Australians. It has become the most globally recognized symbol of our country.” Utzon died from a heart attack in his sleep early Saturday, surrounded by family members in Denmark, his son, Kim Utzon, told The Associated Press. He was 90. Utzon’s design for the opera house was selected in 1957 after a worldwide competition. But he was pushed off the project after years of cost overruns and wrangling with the state government. He left Australia before the building was completed and never returned, though these days the scandal over the cost is gone and the failure to achieve Utzon’s original vision for the building is largely viewed as tragic. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Fans of the holiday classic “A Christmas Story” are celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary with a convention and trips to the house where the movie was made. The 1983 film, an adaptation of Jean Shepard’s memoir of a boy in the 1940s, was set in Indiana but largely filmed in Ohio. The movie starred Peter Billingsley as Ralphie Parker, a young boy determined to get a Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas. The film was a modest theatrical success, but critics loved it. It eventually joined “It’s a Wonderful Life” and “Miracle on 34th Street” as a Christmas cult classic.

“It’s a film about being a kid and looking back,” said Brian Jones, who owns the house where the movie was shot and the neighboring museum dedicated to the film. About 4,000 fans are attending the convention at Cleveland’s Renaissance Hotel, where they’ll meet some of the film’s actors, watch three documentaries made about the film and see the original 1938 fire truck from a famous scene in the movie involving a child’s tongue stuck to a frozen pole. “It is unbelievable that a movie has touched the lives of millions of families,” said Phil Gillen, son of the late actor Jeff Gillen who played the movie’s worn-out Santa Claus. He traveled from Miami with his family to attend the convention. Avid fans Mark and Becky Tompkins also traveled to the meetup with their children, Madison, 9, and Brandon, 5. “It’s a Christmas movie that you can watch and relate to,” Mark Tompkins said. “Everyone, whether they want to admit it or not, really wanted a special gift one holiday.” (Daily Record)

 

An annual Wizard of Oz festival that once attracted 75,000 fans of the classic film to see the actors who played Munchkins has been cancelled, its organizers announced Friday. Brenda Maynard, president of the Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival, said the low turnout at September’s event caused by heavy rains and flooding was part of the decision to end the festival after 27 years. “When you add to that the tough economy everyone is up against right now, as well as the advancing age of our Munchkin guests, who are one of the primary reasons this festival is so beloved, we had to make a decision that it’s time to retire the festival,” Maynard said. At this year’s festival, only three Munchkins from the 1939 film were still alive and well enough to attend. As many as 15 actors who played Munchkins attended the festival during its peak years. Mary Paschen, the festival’s treasurer, said the festival owes about $10,000. Paschen and Maynard said its stock of props, artifacts, scenery and costumes will be sold to raise money to pay creditors. Jean Nelson founded the festival in 1981 after inviting Parnell St. Aubin, who played a Munchkin in “The Wizard of Oz” movie, and his wife, Mary Ellen, to an autograph party at her Chesterton shop and museum, The Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop. Eventually, the festival grew to include a parade and costume contests. Nelson has since sold the shop, and its new owner said Friday that it also planned to close. (Daily Record)

 

A new album of songs based on poems by the late Pope John Paul II and performed by Placido Domingo goes on sale in Italy. The world famous tenor says the album “Amore Infinito” (“Infinite Love”) will not just speak to the faithful. He says “these are songs for everyone.” The 12-track record was presented Friday at the Vatican. The CD features duets with Andrea Bocelli, Vanessa Williams and Katherine Jenkins. The lyrics are in Italian, English and Spanish. The Deutsche Grammophon record label says the CD will come out next month in Mexico, where Domingo grew up, and worldwide in January. John Paul published poems, plays and philosophical essays before he became pope. He died in 2005. (Daily Record)

 

With industry giants from Condé Nast to Time Inc. cutting jobs, slashing budgets and shuttering publications, it’s not difficult to imagine that the leading candidate to be IWantMedia.com’s Media Person of the Year might just be “The Laid-Off Journalist.” Rounding out the list of nominees for the site’s seventh annual poll, which opens today, are temperamental political blog queen Arianna Huffington, Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Hulu CEO Jason Kilar, crop-haired MSNBC pundit Rachel Maddow and Tina Fey, who channeled her inner Sarah Palin into a $7 million book deal. Also making the cut is embattled Tribune honcho Sam Zell, who has the distinction of being the only person on the list to have been sued by his own employees. Past winners include “striking writers” (2007), Comedy Central tandem Stephen Colbert (2006) and Jon Stewart (2004), and CNN’s Anderson Cooper (2005). (PageSix)

 

Catwalk beauty Tyra Banks is refusing to lend her name to her own range of products, because there are too many celebrities trying to win a piece of the lifestyle market. The supermodel-turned-talkshow host admits she is always being approached to launch her brand name. But she has no plans to follow the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Mariah Carey or Beyonce Knowles, who are among a host of stars to have their own fashion, perfume and beauty deals – no matter how lucrative the offer. She tells Ebony magazine, “I don’t just want to throw my name on stuff like that. “Oh, my God, I’ve had the opportunity. And I could have retired off of doing that type of stuff. I just feel that the marketplace for celebrities throwing their names on things is oversaturated.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Most Upper East Side socialite wives are content with philanthropy or designing handbags to fill out their days – but not Nancy Jarecki. Jarecki, whose movie-director husband, Andrew Jarecki, made $600 million in 2001 by selling his Moviefone business to AOL, is still hard at work on Betty Beauty, the line of dyes for “hair down there” she started two years ago. “We’ve sold 160,000 units to date, and business keeps growing,” Nancy tells Page Six. “There doesn’t seem to be much of a stigma attached to it.”  It’s not just women who are interested in matching the carpet to the drapes: Jarecki says so many men have bought the product that she plans to launch a “Betty for Men” line early next year. “I guess man-scaping for guys is really big these days,” she says, adding that she recently sent the entire assortment of colors to noted waxing enthusiast Diddy and got back a thank-you note from his assistant. A Betty spokesperson adds that “Law & Order” brunette Mariska Hargitay, country singer Vince Gill, Jack Black and Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor also use the product, which Vogue editrix Anna Wintour featured in a spread in 2006. Jarecki, a natural blond, says the Betty holiday package could make a great stocking stuffer for the adventurous. “We’ve got some Christmas tree, angel and star stencils that we’re packaging with our green and red dyes,” she explains. The most popular color? “Definitely hot pink,” she says. “People really seem to have fun with that one.” But does husband Andrew – who was Oscar-nominated for his documentary “Capturing the Friedmans” and is now directing the murder mystery “All Good Things” with Ryan Gosling and Kristen Dunst – use the stuff? “He’s very supportive,” Nancy says. “It would be safe to assume that everyone close to me has tried it.” (PageSix)

 

Can Ashley Dupre give good book? That’s what another old pro, Heidi Fleiss, wants to find out. Sources tell us the former Hollywood Madam has e-mailed the call girl who brought down Eliot Spitzer to offer her a lucrative deal to pen a tell-all for her publishing company, which so far has put out Fleiss’ own “Pandering.” She also advised Dupre to burn off excess energy by “running a lot.” Meanwhile, Fleiss is set to appear as a contestant on Britain’s “Celebrity Big Brother” in January. (PageSix)

 

Oscar Wyatt can’t get a break. Just two weeks after finishing an 11-month sentence for making illegal payments for Iraqi oil, the 84-year-old Texas tycoon has suffered a stroke. He’s now confined to a Houston hospital, where he’ll remain for the foreseeable future. “We expect it to be several months before he will be back at work,” his socialite wife, Lynn, said. “The family is grateful for everyone’s concerns and prayers.” Wyatt, a father of four, pleaded guilty last year to conspiring to make illegal payments to Saddam Hussein’s government in connection with the UN’s oil-for-food program and agreed to cough up $11 million as part of a plea deal. The billionaire oilman served Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson as an advisor on international gas pipelines. (PageSix)

 

Jon Peters has been hit with a shocking new barrage of sex charges – this time by a male staffer who claims the powerful Hollywood producer of “Superman Returns” and “Ali” sexually roughed him up and threatened to break his legs. In a lawsuit filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court, Brian Quintana – a co-producer with Peters on the upcoming “Superman: Man of Steel” – alleges that Peters subjected him to “continuous and pervasive sexual harassment.” The suit states there were “multiple instances where he was physically, sexually harassed by Peters, including being groped by male individuals at Peters’ behest.” Peters would “wrestle and rough up [Quintana] in a sexual manner . . . fondle himself in front of [Quintana] . . . often place his hand on [Quintana's] leg in a sexual manner,” as well as “touch” his buttocks, the suit alleges. In addition, according to the suit, Peters demanded that Quintana “drive male individuals onto the set for the purposes of granting sexual favors for members of the cast and crew [and] cover up allegations that . . . Peters engaged in sexually inappropriate acts in front of children.” Quintana, in the court papers, also charges that Peters threatened to “break his legs” and fired him after he refused to “perjure himself” by signing documents stating that Peters had completed community service for a DUI conviction. Peters, a one-time boyfriend of Barbra Streisand, is already being sued by two female former staffers who claim that he sexually harassed them. One, Blanca Hernandez, claims that Peters touched her breasts and buttocks, tried to push her onto his bed when he was naked, tried to kiss her breasts and offered her money for sex.

Peters’ office number has been disconnected. His lawyer, Stephen Kolodny, did not return calls yesterday. (PageSix)

 

 

LAST WEEK:

 

The 82nd annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade wound its way through Manhattan streets under sunny skies on Thursday, as thousands of marchers carried giant balloons past throngs of holiday revelers cheering them along the route. Quincy Kersbergen of Wyckoff, N.J., found a prime viewing spot – perched on a police barricade near the beginning of the parade – and proclaimed herself a big fan of a giant dog balloon. “This is just fantastic!” the 11-year-old Kersbergen said. “So amazing to be here in person! I’m just so excited about today!” New to the revelry this year were Buzz Lightyear, the square-jawed, action-figure astronaut from the 1995 film “Toy Story,” Horton, the compassionate elephant of Dr. Seuss books, and a five-story Smurf, a blue, gnome-like creature popularized by a TV show that began in 1981. Old favorites like Kermit and the Energizer Bunny are also back. About 3.5 million spectators were expected to view the parade in person, and 50 million more to watch it on television. The 2.5-mile route wound from Central Park to Herald Square, in front of Macy’s flagship store. Crews on Wednesday inflated the 13 giant balloons and 31 smaller ones. Each giant balloon requires more than 5,000 cubic feet of helium. Among the smaller balloons was a newcomer that pays tribute to graffiti artist Keith Haring, who died in 1990. The parade also was to feature 28 floats, 10 marching bands and performances by Miley Cyrus, Trace Adkins, James Taylor and the Radio City Rockettes. “She’s just the coolest!” 6-year-old Isabella Muccio said of Cyrus. At a staging area near Macy’s, people milled around in costumes: clowns, cowboys, pirates, chefs – someone carrying a fake pie the size of a Christmas wreath. “I’m so excited! … The crowds, just seeing it in person!” said parade-goer Phyllis Grodnicki of Plainsboro, N.J. The parade, which began in 1924 and was canceled for two years during World War II, also provides a coveted yearly spotlight for Broadway productions. This year, cast members of “Hair,” “In the Heights,” “The Little Mermaid,” “South Pacific” and “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” were slated to perform. In Detroit, thousands braved near-freezing temperatures in hats, mittens and scarves to stake prime spots to view the city’s parade, which has been held for more than 80 years. Harry Vanuden, a 45-year-old Chrysler LLC worker, said he was grateful to still have his job this Thanksgiving. He’s among 200 remaining employees at Chrysler’s Mack engine plant in Detroit. Two years ago, Vanuden said they numbered 1,500. “I’ve been a toolmaker for 26 years,” said Vanuden, who lives in the Detroit suburb of Warren. “You hope for the best. I’m just thankful I’m still there.” His 13-year-old daughter Kelsey was excited at the prospect of seeing the Warren Cousino High School marching band, which she hopes to join when she starts at the school next fall. Kelly Smith, 44, and her husband Tom, 46, brought their 4-year-old daughter Annalise to her first Thanksgiving Day parade. “We’re just happy with what we have, and we’re hopeful the economy will rebound,” Smith said. For many Americans, the day promised football games and family dinners with too much food on the table.

The seven Endeavour astronauts and three space station crew members also planned a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but unlike families on Earth, they were poised to float – not sit down – for their feast at the joined space shuttle-international space station complex. On the menu were smoked turkey that’s ready to be heated and freeze-dried green beans and cornbread dressing in need of water injections before they’re served. Some 220 miles below, President George W. Bush was spending Thanksgiving at his Camp David retreat, thankful for his almost-expired “privilege of serving as the president.” President-elect Barack Obama was staying in Chicago to “have a whole bunch of people over to the house” and squeeze in some Christmas shopping. (Daily Record)

 

In his hit “Whatever You Like,” rapper T.I. offers iced Patron tequila and stacks of money to the lady in his life. On Thursday at Turner Field, the Atlanta native was instead offering steaming spoonfuls of corn, but the stacks were still involved – this time for an Atlanta food bank struggling during the bad economy. T.I. volunteered at the city’s largest Thanksgiving dinner at the Atlanta Braves’ home field. The event, which turned out close to 22,000, was organized by the Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless. “It’s a pleasure for me to help service those who are definitely in need of the service,” said T.I., before taking his spot on the serving line. T.I. raised nearly $100,000 within two hours on a local radio show on Wednesday. Meanwhile another Atlanta rapper, Young Jeezy, was donating $5,000, his manager said. Event co-director Elisabeth Omilami said the donations came at the right time. She said the program, dedicated to feeding the poor and homeless, had a 10 percent decrease in income because of the slumping economy. “I shouldn’t be but I’m amazed by their giving,” said Omilami, daughter of the late Hosea Williams. “I’ve been doing this for 39 years but I’ve never seen a year like this one in terms of donations.” (Daily Record)

 

Whitney Houston has issued a statement denying the rumors of a reunion with Bobby Brown. Acting on behalf of Houston, the singer’s publicist Nancy Seltzer calls speculation that the exes are getting back together “a complete fabrication.” Seltzer pinpoints the rumors to a report in Wednesday’s Chicago Sun-Times that said Houston and Brown had been spotted out and about in Georgia looking romantic. Houston and Brown divorced in April 2007 after 14 years of marriage. During their tumultuous union, Brown was arrested on drug and alcohol charges, and Houston twice entered drug rehabilitation programs. Houston has custody of their teenage daughter, Bobbi Kristina. (Daily Record)

 

A Cincinnati man has been found guilty of murder in the 2006 shooting the friend of Grammy Award-winning rapper T.I. Hosea Thomas was found guilty Wednesday of murdering T.I.’s entourage member, 26-year-old Philant Johnson. The 34-year-old Thomas was also convicted of felonious assault and illegally having a gun after a felony conviction. T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, testified last week in Thomas’ trial. The rapper told jurors that he believes the bullets fired at his entourage during the gun battle two years ago in Cincinnati were meant for him. He wasn’t injured. The rapper was in Cincinnati on May 3, 2006, to perform. Thomas faces up to life in prison at his Dec. 23 sentencing. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

During an interview with Elton John for the debut of his new Sundance Channel show “Spectacle,” Elvis Costello didn’t ask about stage costumes, boyfriends or “Island Girl.” Instead, the conversation turned to Laura Nyro, Leon Russell and David Ackles. The two men closed the show, which airs Wednesday at 9 p.m., performing the obscure singer-songwriter Ackles’ “Down River.” “For all of (Elton John’s) successes, people don’t realize that he’s a great fan of music,” Costello told The Associated Press. “They assume that he’s this flamboyant guy who has hit records. They don’t know that it’s grounded in a great love and tremendous knowledge about music.” Costello could as easily have been talking about himself. That background, his experience on the other side of interviews and a natural rapport with people in similar jobs more than make up for any deficits as a trained TV prober. They give “Spectacle,” a mix of music and talk, heft along with entertainment value. Besides John, who is an executive producer of the 13-episode series, future guests include Lou Reed, James Taylor, The Police, Rufus Wainwright, Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, Renee Fleming and Costello’s wife Diana Krall (interviewed by John). As the first episode’s interview revealed, Costello’s goal was to get his guests talking about their enthusiasms, hoping they’d reveal more of themselves in the process. During his session with a clearly nervous Taylor, Costello mentioned hearing a Gene Autry record recently that reminded him of Paul McCartney, and Taylor began talking about his days at Apple Records. Reed picked up a guitar to show the proper way of playing “Sweet Jane.” “It was funny because he wouldn’t seem to be a guy who would do an instruction thing,” Costello said. “He was in good humor throughout the show, contrary to a lot of people’s expectations about him. Maybe they approach him through a lens of darkness, solely concentrating on the image that is projected through a very limited slice of his repertoire.” The Police’s show had an end-of-tour frankness and frivolity. It also illustrated another highlight of “Spectacle” – the music – when they and Costello played a version of “Watching the Detectives” that morphed into “Walking on the Moon.” An amateur saxophone player who served two terms in the White House is on Dec. 17th’s show. Former President Bill Clinton talked about music, not politics, saying how he gave up the dream of being a professional musician when he looked in the mirror and realized he’d never be good enough to be the best. Costello’s closest experience to “Spectacle” was a few nights subbing for David Letterman. He’s not sure whether there will be a second season, noting the difficulty juggling his family and guests’ schedules, without neglecting his day job. The freedom to be flexible with format, and to talk in-depth with heroes like Smokey Robinson, made it a good experience. “For every frustration, for every idiotic suggestion that you get when you work in television, the great moments far outweigh the minor frustrations,” he said. (Daily Record)

 

Our snoopers around town say it’s totally deadsville out on the Hollywood club scene this weekend. Maybe sobriety is the new black. As fads go, Tinseltown could do a lot worse. Of course, maybe they were all at home glued to the Internet watching Pink’s new “Sober” video, where she sings about how her hard-partying days are over. But thankfully not before she makes love to her bad self dressed in bra and panties. As last hurrahs go, this girl(s) really knows how to do it! (Eonline)

 

All is fair in Chinese Democracy, except when the citizens are denied the opportunity to drink what the Dr ordered.  Axl Rose, wholely mum when Dr Pepper announced that it would bestow a free 20-ounce bottle to all Americans when Guns N’ Roses‘ years-in-the-making album finally dropped, is taking the company to task via his attorney after learning that not all customers were served.  The soft-drink slinger had arranged to bestow online coupons to any thirsty freebie-seeker who visited its website on Nov. 23, but the site crashed due to…well, high traffic brought on by people’s insatiable desire for free stuff. The promotion was extended for another day, but the site was unreachable for most of it, per Rose. (Daily Record)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Thanksgiving weekend movie crowds gobbled up the Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn holiday comedy “Four Christmases,” which debuted at No. 1 with $31.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. release, featuring Witherspoon and Vaughn as a couple suffering through four separate family holiday gatherings, raised its total to $46.7 million since opening Wednesday to get a head start on the long weekend. In terms of revenue, it was Hollywood’s second-biggest Thanksgiving period ever. The top 12 movies took in $223.7 million from Wednesday to Sunday, trailing only the $232.2 million haul over Thanksgiving in 2000. Summit Entertainment’s vampire romance “Twilight,” which had a huge No. 1 opening the previous weekend, took a steep 62 percent decline from its $69.6 million debut and was neck-and-neck for second place with Disney’s animated family flick “Bolt.” Based on Sunday’s estimates, “Bolt” had a slight lead with $26.6 million for the weekend, compared to $26.4 million for “Twilight.” Their rankings could change once final numbers are released Monday. “Twilight’ is still a phenomenon, but you can’t really maintain that level of intensity week after week,” said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box-office tracker Media By Numbers. “Twilight” raised its 10-day total to $119.7 million, while “Bolt” lifted its sum to $66.9 million. Hollywood typically releases a handful of holiday-themed movies starting in November, but “Four Christmases” has the market virtually to itself this season. “It was the perfect time. It’s the only movie out there that deals with Christmas,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. The only potential competition comes Dec. 12 with the John Leguizamo tale “Nothing Like the Holidays.” The weekend’s other new wide release, the Nicole Kidman-Hugh Jackman epic “Australia,” opened at No. 5 with $14.8 million for the weekend and $20 million since debuting Wednesday. The 20th Century Fox film reunites Kidman with “Moulin Rouge” director Baz Luhrmann for a World War II-era romance between an aristocratic British woman and an Australian ranch hand. Sean Penn’s drama “Milk” got off to a great start in limited release, coming in at No. 10 with $1.4 million in just 36 theaters. The film had a strong average of $38,375 a cinema, compared with $9,571 in 3,310 theaters for “Four Christmases.” “Milk,” an Academy Awards contender released by Focus  Features, stars Penn as gay-rights pioneer Harvey Milk, the San Francisco city supervisor slain by a colleague who also killed the mayor. The film expands to more theaters Friday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday. (Daily Record)

1. “Four Christmases,” $31.7 million.

2. “Bolt,” $26.6 million.

3. “Twilight,” $26.4 million.

4. “Quantum of Solace,” $19.5 million.

5. “Australia,” $14.8 million.

6. “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” $14.5 million.

7. “Transporter 3,” $12.3 million.

8. “Role Models,” $5.3 million.

9. “The Boy in the Striped Pajamas,” $1.7 million.

10. “Milk,” $1.4 million.

 

Star Wars star Natalie Portman turned down the chance to work alongside screen great Meryl Streep because she could understand the concept of celibacy. The actress, who has a Harvard degree, was offered the part of a nun in the film version of playwright John Patrick Shanley’s Doubt but according to the writer turned it down because she couldn’t see herself as a virgin. “We asked Natalie Portman, and Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem,” Shanley told GossipSauce.com. “And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was: she basically said she didn’t understand celibacy.” (Handbag)

 

From one Bond to another: job well done. Roger Moore told reporters Thursday that Daniel Craig was “marvelous” as James Bond because he brought a fresh dimension to the character. The 81-year-old actor, who starred in seven Bond films in the 1970s and the 1980s, said Craig’s performances in Steven Spielberg’s 2005 political thriller “Munich” and “Sylvia” in 2003, in which he plays the poet Ted Hughes, helped shape a new Bond. “All of those parts were very, very different to one’s conception of Bond … I thought he was absolutely marvelous,” Moore said of Craig’s acting in “Casino Royale.” Fans have criticized the casting of Craig, questioning whether a stage-trained actor with little action experience pull off the role of Bond. Moore, speaking at an event in Hong Kong to promote his autobiography “My Word Is My Bond,” said he had yet to see Craig’s latest turn as the British spy in “Quantum of Solace.” Moore said he met Craig for the first time at a recent celebration for Bond creator Ian Fleming in London and found him a “charming guy.” (Daily Record)

 

Madonna’s awakening to the crisis in Malawi – an impoverished African nation where one million children are orphaned by AIDS – had many consequences. She adopted one of those orphans, her 3-year-old son David. She is building a school there. And she has told Malawi’s harrowing story in her documentary, “I Am Because We Are.” With an audience thus far limited to isolated theater screenings, it will be screened for everyone with its TV premiere on Sundance Channel at 9 p.m. EST Monday (World AIDS Day). The feature-length film was written, produced and narrated by Madonna (directed by Nathan Rissman). It consults experts including President Bill Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. But the film’s real power is its images, which are often dismaying but, here and there, reflect hope and a remarkable will to survive. “I had many goals,” said Madonna during a phone conversation from her Manhattan home a few days ago. “I did get to a point where I thought, ‘I’m being overambitious, I’m trying to say too much, I’ll never accomplish it.’ But I feel proud of the fact that I did get to make all my points.” Among her points: an insistence that any crisis comes with solutions, however hard-won and piecemeal. The film offers its audience a menu of constructive responses. “If all you can do is live life in YOUR world in a way that shows you are responsible for the people around you, that’s a course of action,” said Madonna. “People can be of service in large ways and small.” The first wide exposure of “I Am Because We Are” may be coming at a propitious time, which befits the pop superstar who made it, with her knack for anticipating and identifying cultural trends. On the eve of a new presidential administration, Americans seem set on a more idealistic path, however alarmed they may be by economic threats along the way. “People really are going, ‘Wow! I can no longer ignore what’s going on around me.’ There are changes in the air,” she said. Madonna’s busy schedule continues apace. But the artistic life that drives it “is a world you create and you inhabit, to express yourself, and to inspire and reach out to other people,” she explained. “It’s also a consolation, a place you go to protect yourself.” That’s true now, in particular, during her highly public split with Guy Ritchie, her husband of eight years, which she described as “not easy, I’m not going to lie.” Though on a brief New York break from her concert tour, Madonna said the day’s long to-do list called for this AP interview to be followed by interviews she would be conducting herself: with prospective head mistresses for the girls school she is building in Malawi. “We’re all going there together at the end of March,” she said, referring to David, 8-year-old son Rocco and 12-year-old daughter Lourdes. “I’m very involved in a lot of things that are going on there,” she said, and as she makes return visits with her kids, she wants them to gather insights into the plight of the world’s underprivileged. “And David’s always going to understand where he came from, and what his life could have been like.” Meanwhile, she hopes her film can spread the message to millions more. “It has an impact on the people who see it,” she declared. “The more people, the bigger the impact.” (Daily Record)

 

 

TV . . .

 

WKRP is back on the air in Cincinnati – but this time it’s for real. A low-power TV station has changed its call letters to WKRP, the same as the fictional radio station in the 1970s hit series “WKRP in Cincinnati.” The station changed its call letters to promote its new digital TV signal. It formerly went by WBQC-TV. General Manager Elliott Block says the new call letters give the station recognition because so many people remember the television sit-com. (Daily Record)

 

Rosie O’Donnell didn’t go head-to-head with foe Barbara Walters Wednesday night. Which was a good thing. For O’Donnell. The comic had trouble enough drawing a crowd for Rosie Live. The NBC variety special was watched by only about 5 million, per Nielsen estimates, worse than Knight Rider, the network’s usual 8-9 p.m. occupant. In the 10 p.m. hour, Walters scored 11.5 million for her ABC interview special with President-elect Barack Obama. CBS’ CSI: NY (12.2 million) was Wednesday’s most watched show. Thursday night, CBS’ CSI (10.6 million) won the Thanksgiving battle of the repeats. ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy was its typically weak rerun self, averaging 5.5 million for a second serving of its two-hour season premiere. (Eonline)

 

Just ahead of World AIDS Day Monday, a Belgian TV journalist and his crew reporting on the spread of the disease in China were assaulted and robbed by county officials in Henan province, highlighting the ongoing difficulty Beijing has enforcing official media openness begun around the Olympics. On Thursday, after they interviewed several HIV/AIDS support groups in Henan, in Central China, Belgian journalist Tom Van de Weghe and his team from Flemish public television VRT were beaten and robbed of cash and equipment by eight men recruited by authorities in Henan province, according to The Foreign Correspondents Club in China. “I thought they were going to kill us,” Van de Weghe said in an FCCC statement. “One of them gave me a heavy blow to the head. They acted like animals. It was terrifying.” Locals said the attackers were county officials, the FCCC said. In 2005, China arrested 15 people for involvement in illegal blood-selling schemes blamed for widespread HIV/AIDS infections in the 1990s. The arrests were linked to 106 cases of unsafe blood collection, illegal organization of people to sell plasma and “serious malpractice” in blood market supervision, Vice Minister of Health Ma Xiaowei told official Chinese media at the time. The recent incident in Henan echoes one further south in the spring in which a crew from “60 Minutes” of CBS was assaulted when trying to film a plant processing toxic waste near the South China boomtown of Shenzhen. Beijing promised free access to foreign media reporting in China starting a year before the Olympics and extended the rules indefinitely after the Games ended in what reporters in China had hoped was a sign of lasting change. Even as foreign reporters continue to be blocked from covering news that might challenge the authority of the leading Communist party, AIDS awareness in China may yet spread via the Web. The VRT incident, also publicized Friday by global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, follows close on the heels of an initiative by Yahoo! China and the United Nations Development Program to provide China’s 210 million Internet users with HIV prevention information even if they are not searching for it. For instance, Yahoo China’s online ad space will ask viewers searching key words such as ’sex,’ ‘porn’ and ‘gay,’ “Do you know about HIV and HIV Testing?” then provide links to HIV/AIDS information (Daily Record)

 

 

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

 

Q.  Over 76% of married woman say that they decide THIS in their homes. What?

            A.  What toilet paper to buy

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Eric Hoffer)

 

“THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS IS ONE OF THE CHIEF SOURCES OF UNHAPPINESS.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  What type of fish comes in brook, brown, lake and rainbow varieties?

            A.  Pike

            B.  Trout  ****

            C.  Bass

            D.  Tuna

 

Q.  Which “man of 1000 voices” is buried under a gravestone that reads, “That’s All Folks”?

            A.  Rich Little

            B.  Jack Benny

            C.  Walt Disney

            D.  Mel Blanc  ****

 

Q.  Born September 5, 1940, she starred in this movie: The Oldest Profession – 1967?

            A.  Judi Dench

            B.  Sally Field

            C.  Jean Harlow

            D.  Raquel Welch  ****

 

Q.  Who recorded “Groovin’” in 1967?

            A.  Buffalo Springfield

            B.  Association

            C.  The Grateful Dead

            D.  Young Rascals  ****

 

Q.  What year did the movie Ghost bring the Righteous Brothers back to popularity with the song “Unchained Melody”?

            A.  1991

            B.  1990  ****

            C.  1992

            D.  1993

 

Q.  The Tropic of Capricorn passes through all but which one of these continents?

            A.  Australia

            B.  Africa

            C.  South America

            D.  Asia  ****

 

 

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

 

SPACE-SAVING DISPOSABLE UNDERWEAR:

 

Packing can be a frustrating experience when you’re trying to make room for souvenirs. Well, I’ve got some unusual packing advice, and it involves underwear. That’s right, you can create a decent amount of space in your suitcase by skimping on underwear. Purchase disposable underwear and you can wear them once before throwing them away, creating that much more room in your suitcase. The web site traveling chic dot com offers disposable women’s underwear for around $4 for two pairs. At Underworks dot com, you can find disposable men’s boxers for $8 for 6 pairs. If you don’t like to waste, try something called quick-trying underwear, which you can find can on Travelessentials dot com.  These breathable briefs wash and dry in just a couple of hours, so you’ll only need to pack one or two pairs to last you through your trip.

 

(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 . . .

 

—1847  Ballad Writer Julia A. Davis Moore (d. 6-17-1920)

—1913  Actress/Singer Mary Martin (Peter Pan, Legends) (d. 11-3-1990)

—1926  Actress Allyn McLerie (Days & Nights of Molly Dodd)

—1929  Actor David Doyle (Charlie’s Angels) (d. 2-26-1997)

¾1934  Singer Billy Paul

—1935  Actor/Director/Writer Woody Allen (Crimes & Misdemeanors)

—1935  Singer Lou Rawls  (“You’ll Never Find Another  Love Like Mine”) (d. 1-6-2006)

—1938  Drummer Sandy Nelson (Teen Beat)

—1939  Golfer Lee Trevino

—1939  Singer Dianne Lennon (The Lennon Sisters)

—1940  Comedian/Actor Richard Pryor (Stir Crazy)

—1944  Guitarist Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult)

—1944  Musician John Densmore (The Doors) (“Light My Fire”)

—1945  Actress/Singer Bette Midler (First Wives Club)

—1946  Singer Gilbert O’Sullivan (“Alone Again Naturally”)

—1952  Actor Treat Williams (Everwood)

—1958  Actress Charlene Tilton (Dallas)

—1960  Model Carol Alt

—1963  Musician Sam Reid (Glass Tiger)

—1965  Musician Mark Anthony Moore (S’Xpress)

¾1970  Actress Golden Brooks (Girlfriends)

¾1977  Guitarist Brad Delson (Linkin Park)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

Today is  ROSA PARKS DAY and WORLD AIDS DAY.  This is also COOKIE CUTTER WEEK, NATIONAL APLASTIC ANEMIA AWARENESS WEEK

—1797  Death anniversary of Oliver Wolcott, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Governor of Connecticut.

—1878  The first telephone was installed in the White House, for President Rutherford B. Hayes.

—1896  Frank Broaker of New York was issued a certificate to become the first Certified Public Accountant in the US.

—1913  The first drive-in gas station in America opened, in Pittsburgh, PA. Until that time motorists had to buy their gasoline at livery stables.

—1935  The Monopoly game made its debut.

—1941  The Director of Civilian Defense, former New York Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia, signed a formal order creating the Civil Air Patrol, a US Air Force Auxiliary.

—1953  Playboy Magazine was launched in Chicago by publisher Hugh Hefner.  Featuring Marilyn Monroe as its centerfold.

—1955  Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus for a white man in Montgomery, Alabama, and the great Bus Boycott was on — led by a young minister from Georgia, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks died at age 92, on 10/24/2005.

—1957  Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke make their television debuts on the “Ed Sullivan Show.”

—1958  RCA Records signs Neil Sedaka.

—1968  The top single in the US is “Love Child” from Diana Ross & The Supremes.

—1971  John Lennon releases “Happy Christmas.”

—1975  Bette Midler celebrates her 31^st birthday with an emergency appendectomy.

—1982  Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” LP is released.

—1987  Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Frank Sinatra announce they’ll do a 29 city Rat Pack reunion tour.

—1988  The World Health Organization of the United States declared this day World Aids Day to focus the world on the fight against AIDS

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

The great Indian warrior “Crazy Horse” was born on this date in 1842. Why the name “Crazy Horse”? His mom, “Constant Nag” never told him.

On this date in 1903, the first payment to a Christmas Club account was paid. Needless to say, that was a pretty cheap-gift Christmas. The following year was much better.

The very first gas station in the United States opened up its pumps on this date back in 1913. It was in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and gas sold for 3-cents-a-gallon. That doesn’t even cover the tax these days.

On this date in 1929, Bingo was invented. I wonder what the dog’s name was before that?

In 1939, Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer made his first appearance in a Montgomery Ward catalog. They weren’t the best pictures and all of the other reindeer laughed and called him names.

TODAY IS

Charlene Tilton, who played the loose Lucy on the TV show “Dallas,” turns the big 5-0 today. She was the show’s teddy bear — she slept with everybody!

Bette Midler turns 63 today. She’s still got a lot left in her, not that we were worried that she would run out.

Woody Allen turns 73 today. He plans to spend a quiet birthday with just his wife and his daughter… and the kids they had together.

Cyber Monday — the first Monday after Turkey Day, when e-tailers offer Internet shoppers big savings. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), 72% of online merchants posted promotions on Cyber Monday 2007, up from 43% in 2005.

Eat A Red Apple Day and National Pie Day — Put them together and you’ve got good old American Pie! How about some “American Pie” trivia from funtrivia.com:

·         Who says that ‘third base’ is like warm apple pie? Jim, Stiffler, Kevin, or Oz ***.

·         What is Kevin’s girlfriend’s name? Libby, Vicky ***, Becky, or Nicky.

·         What country does Nadia come from? Yugoslavia, Romania, Hungary, or the Czech Republic ***.

·         In the movie what sport do you see Oz play? Football, Soccer, Hockey, or Lacrosse ***.

·         What number does Oz wear? 2, 4, 8 ***, or 6.

·         What club does Oz join to find girls? Chess Club, Jazz Choir ***, Jazz Ballet, or Ballroom Dancing.

·         What subject does Nadia ask Jim to help her study for? Latin, English, American History, or World History ***.

·         Who was Jim’s date for the Prom? Heather, Nadia, Michelle ****, or Jessica.

·         Did Chuck Sherman score at Stiffler’s party? Yes or No ***.

·         How much did Paul Finch pay Jessica to build his reputation? $150, $300, $100, or $200 ***.

THIS WEEK IS

Christmas Tree Week — The first full week in December. It’s the perfect time to point out the differences between a Christmas Tree and a date.

·         A Christmas tree is ready when you go to pick it up.

·         A Christmas tree won’t retaliate if you dump it after a month.

·         You don’t need a clever line to pick up a Christmas tree.

·         You can fondle a tree before you take it home.

·         A Christmas tree doesn’t mind you looking under it.

·         A Christmas tree doesn’t become envious around bigger trees. This would be known as treeness envy.

·         A Christmas tree doesn’t go completely to pieces if you mishandle its balls.

·         You don’t have to worry about who else has had your tree.

·         A Christmas tree doesn’t worry about how many others you’ve had.

·         A Christmas tree doesn’t object to exotic electrical appliances.

·         A Christmas tree doesn’t think you’re a whacko if it finds an artificial tree in your closet.

·         The tree doesn’t get upset when you tie it up and put it in the trunk to take it home.

Why Christmas Trees are better than women:

·         Your Christmas Tree never makes fun of you for having another fake one in the closet.

·         You never have to sit there and wait 20-minutes while you Christmas Tree finishes getting ready for the big company Christmas Party!

·         You pick out your Christmas Trees by groping them all over and feeling around the base.

·         How may times have you heard a Christmas Tree complain that all you do on Sunday is lie-around all day, watching football, and drinking beer.

·         When you’ve had enough of your Christmas Tree, all you have to do is drag it out in to the woods, or toss it on the curb to have it hauled away.

·         Your Christmas Tree never orders the lobster brisk and Champaign. All it wants is water!

·         It doesn’t matter what a Christmas Tree wears, they always look fat in it! (So the hell cares?)

·         Your Christmas tree doesn’t care how many other Christmas Trees you’ve had in the pat. (Big added bonus)

·         Unlike women — Christmas Trees cannot run away when they first spot my face.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         Florida Gulf Coast University has banned all holiday decorations this year.

·         Carson Daly and his girlfriend Siri are expecting their first child together.

·         Barbara Walters says about her co-horts on “The View,” “I don’t know of any five women who get along as well as we do.”

·         Actress Patricia Marand, who played Lois Lane in the Broadway musical “It’s a Bird… It’s a Plane… It’s Superman,” has died. She was 74.

·         Playwright William Gibson, who wrote the true story of Helen Keller in his book, “The Miracle Worker,” has died. He was 94.

·         Rumors have put an Osmond nephew, the reigning Miss New York USA and Jason Castro’s little brother among the contestants trying out for “American Idol” in the next season.

·         What you smell before you go to sleep at night could affect your dreams. Specifically, sniffing something that smells good, such as fresh flowers or a fragrance you especially like, could make for pleasant dreams, according to a study from researchers at the Central Institute of Mental Health in Germany.

·         So, you’re taking the bus these days, huh? Inter-city bus ridership has grown almost 10% over the past year. That’s the biggest jump in 40 years!

·         Vanity Fair has announced their after-Oscars party will be back next year. It was cancelled last year in support of the writers’ strike.

·         Word is that John Mayer proposed to Jennifer Aniston, and she said thanks but no thanks.

·         In Brazil, four men were killed while trying to put up an almost 400-foot aluminum Christmas tree when it fell on them.

·         Josh Duhamel took his fiancé Fergie and her family home with him for Thanksgiving… to his home town of Minot, North Dakota.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Ah, the holidays. Women’s Health offers these stats on the Average Woman’s early days from crawling to crushing, or what they loved most about being a kids was no responsibilities:

·         The toy she treasured as a kid was her teddy bear.

·         42% of AWs still have their childhood teddy bear.

·         8 months is the age the AW first crawled.

·         14 months is the age the AW first walked.

·         20 months is the age the AW first ran.

·         6 years is the age the AW first rode a bike.

·         7 years is the age the AW stopped believing in Santa Claus, how Saint Nick got outed was she caught Mom and Dad with presents.

·         12 years or older is when the AW realized boys didn’t have cooties. Her first crush was a neighbor.

·         50% of AWs had a nickname as a child.

·         76% of those who had a nickname still answer to it.

·         82% of AWs remember praying for a snow day.

·         76% still pray for a snow day so they can miss work.

·         32% of AWs bunked with a sibling. Best part was always having someone there to talk to when she couldn’t sleep.

·         56% of AWs still eat kids’ cereal, their favorite is Cap’n Crunch.

·         44% of AWs wished for a pony when they were little, 12% of those got one.

·         48% of women would live their childhood all over again.

·         The movies she loved then, and still does in order are: The Wizard of Oz, Back to the Future, and The Princess Bride.

Men and women are able to tell if the other is interested in a sexual fling or prefers a long-term commitment by carefully studying facial cues. That’s the word from researchers at the United Kingdom’s Durham University, St. Andrews University and Aberdeen University, who found that a man generally prefers a woman whom he believes is open to a short-term sexual relationship, while a woman generally prefers a man whom she perceives to be potentially suitable for a long-term relationship.

Bad news for vegetarians (our boss). People in Western cultures associate meat with power and veg substitutes with weakness, a study in the Journal of Consumer Research reports. Subjects registered their social values and diet choices, then took a sausage roll taste test. Those who prized traits such as authority and wealth rated rolls labeled “beef” tastier than ones labeled “vegetarian” regardless of what was actually in the wrap. Previous studies have linked meat eating with values like power and strength and leafy greens and grains with the rejection of power, says study author Michael W. Allen, Ph.D.

Good news for couch potatoes. Reuters Health reports that a small study from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor concluded that even occasional exercise that is done without the intention of losing weight has enormous benefits, including improving the body’s ability to burn fat and store fat as triglyceriedes in muscle, which is beneficial, as well as reducing insulin resistance and the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes. “This means that exercising, even without losing weight, can benefit individuals in terms of metabolic health,” Andrea Cornford, a graduate student researcher, told Reuters.

A Men’s Health ask men: “How do you give to help others?”

·         90% said they’ve donated to a food drive

·         89% said they’ve donated to a nonprofit

·         75% said they’ve given money to a panhandler

·         75% said they’ve attended a fund raiser

·         73% said they’ve donated to a toy drive

·         64% said they’ve worked on a service project

·         58% said they’ve donated blood

·         51% said they’ve volunteered time at a shelter, food bank or equivalent

·         42% said they’ve volunteered to coach youth sports

·         35% said they’ve donated money to a telethon or radiothon

According to a Brigham Young University a soft, non-sexual touching can banish stress and cut blood pressure levels significantly. The gentle stroking enhances the production of oxytocin, an hormone that counters stress and promotes a sense of calmness and serenity. The most pronounced benefits were noted among people who received a light 30-minute massage three times a week, but simple hand holding also works for some people. (Sun)

Spending money on others makes people happier than buying stuff for themselves. That’s the shocking finding of a Harvard Business School study to determine the relationship between spending habits and levels of happiness. In the study, researchers measured how happy workers reported feeling one month before and six to eight weeks after receiving a profit sharing bonus that ranged from $3,000 to $8,000. Scientists say the employees who spent money on others or donated money to charity reported higher levels of happiness than those who blew the cash windfall on themselves.

PHONE TOPICS

·         Who finished their Christmas shopping over the weekend?

·         Do you have a shopping attack plan?

·         What’s your favorite TV holiday special?

·         Were you ever really, really lost?

·         Who discovered the best “Black Friday Deal” of all time?

·         Who knows of the best “Cyber Monday” deal?

·         2008 Turkey Day horror stories?

·         Was it a mistake to take your date home for Thanksgiving?

·         XBox 360 or Playstation?

·         Are you cutting your holiday shopping list down this year? In half? Altogether?

·         What’s the best “emergency” gift to buy.

·         Strangest thing you learned from someone who talks in their sleep?

·         You know the holiday shopping season stresses you out when _____.

·         Who should cover the cost of birth control, the man or woman?

·         Have you discovered someone in your office steals from your company?

·         How many strands of lights did you put up this year?

·         Define “too much” holiday decorating.

·         Anyone ever get hurt decorating for the holidays?

·         What annoys you about Christmas?

According to a new retail survey, nearly 84 percent of online retailers will offer a special promotion on Cyber Monday, which kicks off holiday shopping on the world wide web. Phoner: What percentage of your Holiday gifts will be bought online? Anyone buying strictly online?

I read a new survey this week that said Americans would most like to spend their Thanksgiving holiday with Jennifer Aniston. So we decided to up the anty… Which celebrity would you most like to spend Christmas with?

Things that just cost too much?! Milk, cereal, gasoline, haircuts for women, popcorn and soda at the theaters, mechanics, car insurance, health insurance, airline tickets, and finally being born and dying.

Where are the tackiest Christmas decorations in your neighborhood? We’ll also get folks to tell us where to go see the best-decorated houses. Last year when we asked people where the tackiest decorations were, we were accused of being scrooges, be careful!

What is your favorite Christmas special on TV? But we asked listeners to call in the best lines from those TV specials. Listeners calling in and saying, “I’m cute! She thinks I’m cute!” (from “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer”). “Stink, Stank and Stunk! (from “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas”). “You’re gonna shoot your eye out! (from “A Christmas Story”). We we’re all in agreement too that Frosty’s voice is not very manly sounding.

Last year Americans spent nearly $30 billion on products like gourmet treats, music CDs and specialized spectacles on their cats and dogs. Anyone listening that bought their pet a Christmas gift? What did you buy and how much did you spend?

It’s here, the busy holiday travel season. And in honor of it, we bring you the list of things to do when your flight is cancelled:

·         Take advantage of alerts. When you purchase your airline ticket, sign up for e-mail, voice or text message alerts to your cell phone to alert you of flight status changes.

·         Call or go online before leaving for the airport. Check the airline web site for delays or call the automated flight status number to ensure your flight is not delayed or cancelled.

·         Use your cell phone to save time. Program numbers for your airline, hotel, car rental company, and your travel agent into your cell phone. In case you need to change your flight, you can call your agent or the airline directly rather than waiting in line at the ticket counter.

·         Use all contact methods available to you. If you’re already at the airport, get in line to talk to an airline agent, but continue to try to contact the airline via your travel agent, directly over the phone, or via Internet if you have web access.

·         Remain calm. With delays and cancellations affecting lots of passengers, the “squeaky wheel gets the grease” maxim probably doesn’t apply. You’ll increase your stress as well as that of those around you and you’ll probably get even worse service as a result.

·         Contact the canceling airline prior to rebooking on another carrier. If your flight has been canceled by an airline try to get that airline to re-accommodate you. If you book a ticket on another carrier before contacting your original airline, it’s possible the original airline will not reimburse you for your ticket or give you credit to use it at a later date.

We also did the old “Never buy a woman _____ for Christmas!” My favorite calls were from the women telling what their ex-husbands bought them.

My daughter has expressed an interest several times to take dance lessons. However, we can’t afford to pay for them. With her birthday not far behind Christmas, I’m wondering if it’s OK to ask friends and family to not buy her many toys that she doesn’t need but to perhaps help her take a lesson she would love. Should I set up an account and let people contribute? Is this too weird of a request?

And, this morning we let people call in with their “Some assembly required” stories. This was a great topic. We had several dads call in talking about Barbie dream houses and cars. It seemed that beer and liquor were involved in many of the stories where they just couldn’t figure out where all the parts went. This one is a gotta do!

There’s no doubt that sex is an important part of any relationship, but what happens to a couple when the sex is bad? Even terrible? What do you say is the best way to tell someone that you’re not getting what you need. How did it work out for you?

My sister usually buys presents for everyone in our family. However this year, her and her family hit some hard financial times. She feels bad that she can’t buy gifts for everyone. I think she’s going to over extend herself and still buy us stuff. How can I talk her into NOT getting us something?

Have you ever bought something from one of those late nite infomercials? Before there was QVC, there was Ron Popeil, an inventor who became a multimillionaire by pitching labor-saving, albeit unusual, devices on TV. But wait… there’s more! Here are some of Ron Popeil’s famous and infamous products.

1.      Veg-O-Matic – The Chop-O-Matic was introduced in the mid-1950s at the amazing low price of $3.98. Ron renamed it the Veg-O-Matic and pitched it as “the greatest kitchen appliance ever made. . . .”

2.      Pocket Fisherman – “the biggest fishing invention since the hook . . . and still only $19.95.”

3.      Mr. Microphone – Launched in 1978, Mr. Microphone was a low-power FM modulator that turned radios into annoying precursors of the karaoke machine.

4.      Smokeless Ashtray – The Smokeless Ashtray was a tiny device that promised to suck up the smoke coming from cigars and cigarettes before it filled the room, and in the 1970s, Ron sold more than a million of these contraptions at $19.95 each.

5.      Inside-the-Shell Egg Scrambler – Not one of Popeil’s best sellers, but here’s how it works: A bent pin pierces the eggshell, rotates inside it, and creates perfectly scrambled eggs and yolk-free hard-boiled eggs.

6.      Dial-O-Matic – If the Chop-O-Matic and Veg-O-Matic don’t cut veggies small enough that the kids can’t recognize them, the Dial-O-Matic will. This food slicer debuted in the mid-1950s, preceding the modern food processor, and at the original price of $3, took a much smaller slice out of the family budget.

7.      Automatic Pasta Maker – This gadget allows you to make 12 different shapes of preservative-free homemade pasta in just five minutes!

8.      GLH Formula Number 9 Hair System – Got a bald spot? Ron Popeil can fix it with the GLH Formula Number 9 Hair System. Great Looking Hair isn’t real hair but a spray that matches your hair color, thickens thinning hair, and covers bald spots.

9.      Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ Oven – Introduced in 1998, the Showtime Rotisserie and BBQ Oven is by far Popeil’s most successful product to date. He has sold seven million units in three different models: the $99.95 Compact Rotisserie, the $159.80 Standard Rotisserie, and the $209.75 Pro Rotisserie.

10.  Electric Food Dehydrator – Introduced in 1965 at $59.95, Popeil called it “the most famous food dehydrator in the world!”

11.  Solid Flavor Injector – Resembling a syringe with a large plastic “needle,” this gadget is used to inject fillings such as dried fruit, small vegetables, nuts, chocolate chips, and candy into foods such as hams, roasts, cupcakes, and pastries.

Americans love their media — so much that we’ll spend nearly half our lives watching TV, going online, listening to the radio (or music) and reading. How much TV/Radio do you watch/listen to each week?

Young adults who frequently make their own meals have much healthier diets than their peers who never set foot in the kitchen, a recent study shows. 21 percent of young men and 36 percent of young women bought fresh vegetables every week. Females were more involved with food preparation. And 13 percent of males wrote a grocery list at least once a week, 23 percent of females did. Find the listener that eats out the most every week. Is everyone eating their vegetables?

Anyone know how to calm people down while playing on the Wii? Hopefully so they wouldn’t injure themselves or their loved ones, due to improper use of the Wii remote. My cohost hurt herself playing the game over the weekend. Did you ever hurt yourself playing a video game? Ever break furniture?

How do you keep the romance alive? Years into it how do you keep it exciting? Ask your listeners how they do it and take calls from people who haven’t done it. Give them your listeners suggestions and follow them for 6 months to see if they find the spark they lost again.

A University of Virginia neuroscientist has found that women under stress who hold their husbands’ hands show signs of immediate relief, which can clearly be seen on their brain scans. So this got us to thinking. On a scale of 1 to 10 ladies, how important is it that your man makes you feel safe?

WEIRD NEWS

Thanksgiving Thief!
In Oregon, Wisconsin, Lillian Moore says her family found it a little tough to be thankful on Thanksgiving after a thief made off with their turkey dinner — right off the front porch! She sent a large cooler stuffed with Thanksgiving food to her daughter Cindy Moore. The cooler included half a turkey, potatoes and salad but she left it on her Cindy’s porch Wednesday evening because her daughter’s refrigerator was too small. When Cindy went to get the turkey Thanksgiving morning, the cooler was gone. Instead, Cindy says she had to buy turkey using money she sets aside for bills. The disabled single mother didn’t bother reporting the theft to police and her mother told reporters, “It’s just awful to steal from people who don’t have much.” (The Capital Times)

Really Waiting For Marriage
In Chicago, Melody LaLuz and Claudaniel Fabien didn’t just wait to sleep together until they were married — they never so much as kissed until they were pronounced at the alter. The couple shared their very first lip lock on Saturday at their wedding. The two teach abstinence at the city’s public schools and apparently practiced what they preached to their teenage students. They had reportedly never been alone together in a house during their courtship. Wedding guests cheered and stomped during the two-minute smooch between the 28-year-old bride and the 30-year-old groom. Here’s the upside to waiting — the couple says they have no worries about how they will spend their honeymoon in the Bahamas. (Chicago Tribune)

PHONER: Anyone else wait until marriage? Anyone actually wait to be kissed until marriage? Is the marriage going well?

WKRP Is Back!
Perhaps the country’s most popular call letters are back on the air in Cincinnati! But this time WKRP is not a fake TV sitcom radio station — it’s a real low power TV station that has changed its call letters. The call letter change is to promote its new digital TV signal. It formerly went by WBQC-TV. General Manager Elliott Block says the new call letters give the station instant recognition because so many people remember the classic TV sit-com. (WKRP-TV)

So How Many Obamas Are There?
As the January 20th presidential inauguration of our new president is quickly approaching, you might be interested to know just how many Obamas there are in the U.S. Frankly — not many. According to U.S. databases there are probably less than 20 Obama families in America, while Whitepages.com shows 70 Obamas total on its roster. However, there are 11,000 Clintons and 60,000 Bushes. And Washington D.C. may not be the most accommodating town on January 20th. Over one million people are expected to arrive in the nation’s capitol for the inauguration but the five county metro area has only 95,000 hotel rooms. As early as October, hotels in Washington, Pennsylvania and West Virginia have already been booked. As a result, homeowners are benefiting as many plan to rent their vacant rooms and even basements with prices ranging from $350 a night at a three-bedroom house in Brookland, Washington to a $57,000 a week stay in a three-bedroom home near Chantilly in Virginia. There’s now even a website, inauguralhomes.com. (AHN News)

A Spacey Thanksgiving
While you sat around with family and friends on Thursday stuffing your face, the ten folks aboard the International Space Station had to do with a little less for Thanksgiving. Still, the nine American astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut managed a spread of freeze-dried green beans, cornbread dressing and deli-style turkey. Perhaps just sharing a meal together was their biggest blessing as it is very uncommon for shuttle and ISS crews to eat together because of their varying schedules and duties. (AHN News)

In a Coma? Have Someone Bit Your Toes!
In China, Zhang Kui, of Shenyang successfully woke his wife from a ten-year coma by biting her toes! No kidding! Kui says he tried everything he could think of to wake his wife after she suffered a head injury in an industrial accident. He played the radio, sang and talked to her — even tickled her — but nothing worked until the toe biting thing. He said, “I recalled someone saying that the feet are the home for many nerves. I wondered if I could wake her up by biting her feet.” He started gently biting her toes and has been doing so regularly for the last 10 years–until she suddenly squeezed his wrist. His wife, Lv Fengshuang, can now move her arms and smile, although she is still unable to speak. The couple has been married for 27 years and Kui is now hoping for another miracle– to hear her voice again. (Liao Sheng Evening Post)

Eau de Penn State
So you’re a Penn State fan? Well now you can smell just like your favorite college for $60 bucks! A fragrance developer says it has made a perfume and cologne inspired by Pennsylvania State University. Masik Collegiate Fragrances says the perfume for the school in State College, Pa., smells of vanilla, lilac, rose and white patchouli. The cologne smells of blue cypress and cracked pepper. Fortunately these fragrances are designed after the school campus vegetation and not the crowds at a Penn State football game. But the company says the 3.4-ounce bottles of fragrance should appeal to Penn State’s vast alumni and football fans. Masik also has captured the smell of the University of North Carolina and six other universities are coming next year! (Masik Collegiate Fragrances)

YES OR B.S.

·         People who watch more TV are less happy than other people. (Yes, according to a new study, 6 more hours per week)

·         Elvis Presley once starred in a movie called, “Flaming Star.” (Yes)

·         Huntington Beach is known as “Surf City,” by the Beach Boys. (B.S., Jan and Dean)

·         Robin Luke wrote Susie Darlin’ about his 5 year old sister which was released on Dot Records in August 1958. (Yes)

·         On the “Dick Van Dyke Show”, Rob Reiner played a character nicknamed Meathead. (B.S., it was “All in the Family”)

·         The Wall Street Journal’s slogan is “Learning Feels Good!” (B.S., it’s the Sylvan Learning Center)

·         Donald Fagen, Walter Becker, Michael McDonald, Rich Derringer are all members of Steely Dan. (Yes)

·         Geraldine Page won an Oscar for her role in “The Titanic.” (B.S., “The Trip to Bountiful”)

·         John Lennon sang a song called, “You Know I Love You Don’t You?” (B.S. Howard Jones)

·         As of 2002, TV’s “Dynasty” had the worst losing streak in Emmy history, with 24 noms and 0 wins. (Yes)

·         Queen Victoria had 22 children. (B.S., just 9)

·         George Washington was the first president to have a federal nominee rejected by the Senate. (Yes)

·         California is the most earthquake prone state. (B.S., it’s Alaska)

·         The Pentagon is 3 stories high. (B.S., it’s 5 stories)

·         Not to brag, but the male giraffe is the land mammal with the longest tail. (Yes, up to 8 feet)

·         The solution to the very first puzzle on “Wheel of Fortune” was “General Hospital”. (Yes)

·         When it comes to dogs, the only natural toy breed is the Chihuahua. (Yes)

·         O.J. Simpson holds the record for most appearances on the Wheaties cereal box. (B.S., it’s Basketball great Michael Jordan, who’s made 18 appearances)

·         Sunlight cannot be seen 3,280 feet below the world’s oceans. (Yes, about 3/5 mile)

·         Morty was the name of the moose seen wandering through the opening credits of the hit TV series “Northern Exposure.” (Yes)

WE’RE BROKE, SO YOU DO IT!

Have your listeners make you a TV commercial. Winner gets something cool (maybe tickets to every concert for the next year) and ends up on your web site.

OLD SCHOOL BARGAINING

Whatever happened to being able to talk down a price. Nobody’s even willing to back off a price nowadays. Send stunt boy out to bargain old school style. Rule #1 was that stuntboy couldn’t say he was with the radio station. First stop gas station. Stuntboy was impressive. Walked away with a free beef jerky stick and half off a fountain. After that tried breakfast at restaurant. No discount there but got hooked up with extras on the meal.

TOP FIVE THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR LEFTOVER THANKSGIVING TURKEY

1.      Remove the rest of the feathers and eat it

2.      Put it under the couch with the leftover Easter ham

3.      Slice it thin enough and use it for wrapping paper

4.      Leave it on your neighbor’s porch when they’re not home

5.      Dry it out in odd shapes so you’ll have quirky turkey jerky.

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

In a magazine interview, Britney Spears says she feels “old and boring”… which is ironic, since I feel she’s gotten old and I’m bored with her. Friday is the day retailers call “Black Friday.” President Bush said that everyone’s getting a little too carried away with this Obama thing. OK, Thanksgiving has come and gone, the Christmas tree lots are open… but it’s not really Christmas until George Bailey appears before congress, asking them to bail out his ‘crummy, old savings and loan’. They had a giant balloon in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade representing the U.S. banking industry. It was filled entirely with government air.

THE WRONG GAME

Round 1

·         What’s the primary ingredient in cranberry juice?

·         Which night of the week inspired “Friday Night Lights”?

·         In which state would you find the Grand Canyon?

·         Name one of Charlie Brown’s friends.

·         What does the bride throw after a wedding?

Round 2

·         Which fruit grows on cherry trees?

·         Which animal wears horseshoes?

·         What do napkin rings go around?

·         Which team does Alex Rodriguez play for?

·         What do you use to draw chalk lines?

Round 3

·         What do you wear when you jump out of a plane?

·         In which fruit would I find a peach pit?

·         Who did the pilgrims celebrate Thanksgiving with?

·         What color are olives?

·         What are you supposed to do under mistletoe?

SHUT THE HECK UP!

Shut the heck up! (We are a family friendly station… so we opted to not use the “double hockey sticks.”) Get one listener on the line, call their friend and the first listener has 30 seconds to get their friend to tell them to shut up! If they do, both win! Obviously, don’t tell them what the contest is before you get the first caller on the phone.

SLEEP POSITION REVEALS PERSONALITY

(Match.com) Your sleeping position can reveal what sort of personality you are? Even better, it can reveal what sort of personality your partner has.

·         Curled up on your side — This fetal position is the most common with 41% of the population sleeping this way. (twice as many women as men). People that sleep like this may seem tough on the surface but they are shy and sensitive.

·         On your side, straight as a log — 15% of people are space-saving sleepers they tend to be extremely trusting and gregarious.

·         Arms outstretched and sideways — Beware, the 13% of people who sleep like this are cynical and slow to make decisions, but once they do make a decision to commit, they’re sure.

·         On your back with arms at sides — Only 8% of people sleep like this. They are reserved and have very high standards.

·         On your stomach — With their arms wrapped around the pillow, 7% of people sleep like this. These are the party animals!

·         On your back, with arms overhead — The rarest of all sleep positions, only 5% of the population sleep this way. they also have a very rare quality, they are good listeners.

Phoner: How do you sleep?

DEAR DIARY

Have a parent read their child’s diary on the air. Or have a husband read his wife’s journal/diary on the air. Priceless.

HOT HUSBAND OF THE MONTH

Each month, we look for Hot Husbands. The winning Hot Husband wins a GQ package from a local salon and spa, which includes a design haircut, manicures, pedicure, massage, customized facial, beverage and lunch. Listening ladies who think their husband is hot can qualify him by signing up and registering on their web site. Pictures are posted of course.

VEGETARIAN OR NOT

To eat meat or not to eat meat? That is the question. Here’s a list of celebrities, you tell us if they are Vegetarian or Not:

·  Gwyneth Paltrow

·  Shania Twain

·  Sam Neill (Not!)

·  Daryl Hannah

·  Natalie Portman

·  Jill Hennessy (Not! Her dad was a meat salesman)

·  Joaquin Phoenix

·  Chris Martin (Coldplay)

·  Josh Hartnett

·  Al Roker (Not!)

·  Richard Gere

·  Alicia Silverstone

·  Pamela Anderson

·  Joe Perry (Aerosmith) (Not!)

·  Alyssa Milano

·  Kim Basinger,

·  Ted Nugent (Not!)

·  Penelope Cruz

·  David Duchovny

·  Ashley Judd

·  Nicollette Sheridan

·  Martha Stewart (Not!)

·  Tea Leoni

·  Paul McCartney

·  Bob Barker

DID YOU KNOW?

Sit back and smell the coffee. A whiff of java may reduce the physiological stress that lack of sleep causes. Investigators exposed Z-deprived rodent to the scent of roasted coffee beans and found that it activated certain genes that protect the body during tense times. The findings may apply to humans even joe haters: Simply smelling the stuff may work as both a stimulant and a relaxant, says Randeep Rakwal, Ph.D., of the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan. (Women’s Health)

We’re all exposed to increasing amounts of radiation from TV screens, computers, microwave ovens and unborn babies are most vulnerable to its harmful effects. A young Chinese entrepreneur is planning to reduce the risk by developing a line of clothes for pregnant women that will deflect the radiation and protect their fetuses. The duds are colorful and fashionable, but are made from lightweight metallic fibers that are resistant to the most common types of radiation in the environment. Once the maternity line takes off, Xu Taofeng and her Shanghai based company plan to expand to clothes for office workers. (Sun)

Water is a precious commodity, yet we waste hundreds of thousands of gallons of it every year washing our clothes and flushing the toilet. Turkish designer Sevin Coskun has come up with a way to solve the problem, a washing machine mounted on the wall above your toilet. When you wash your clothes, the water, instead of flowing down the drain, is stored in a tank and used to flush the toilet. Apart from saving water, the machine is small in size, ideal for people living in cramped apartments or tiny houses. (Sun)

Despite all the problems you may be facing, new research shows you can still be happy if you have a positive attitude. “Many people have a remarkable capacity to maintain optimism and confidence,” says Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of “The How of Happiness.” “The label for the process by which we manage to survive and even thrive in the face of stress, trauma and adversity, is coping.” Researchers have also discovered that human beings have an extraordinary ability to believe they’re happy even in the face of tragedy. “Paraplegics are generally happy people,” declares Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert. “Blind people often say that the worst problem they have is that everyone assumes that they’re sad.” It’s as if our brains are wired to make the best of a bad situation.

Warning MP3 player headphones can interfere with lifesaving implanted cardiac devices including pacemakers and defibrillators. The interference occurs when the headphones are placed within an inch of the devices. “Exposure of a defibrillator to the headphones can temporarily deactivate the defibrillator,” cautions Dr. William Maisel, who headed the study at Boston’s Beth Israel Medical Center. Family members or friends wearing headphones should not rest their head directly on top of someone’s device. Other electronic devices iPods, Bluetooth headsets, iPhones, and eclectic blankets do not cause such problems. (National Enquirer)

Pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who view a lot of sexy shows, according to a new RAND corporation study. Over a three year period, 2,000 adolescents were questioned about how often they watched racy programs including Sex and the City, That ’70s Show, and Friends. Shockingly, pregnancies were twice as common among those who watched such shows regularly, compared with teens who hardly ever tuned in. Psychologist David Walsh, founder of the National Institute on Media and the Family, believes the solution lies in communicating with the kids. He says parents must talk to their children about sex long before they are teens and monitor the shows they watch in order to catch inappropriate content. (National Enquirer)

If you’re overweight, chances are you eat mindlessly. Not only do you serve yourself differently than people of normal weight, but also you eat differently. That’s the word from researchers at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, who have determined that when it comes to buffets, obese people sit closer to the food — and even try to face it — as well as chew less so they can eat more food faster. Led by Brian Wansink, director of the Cornell Food and Brand Lab and author of the book “Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think,” the team observed 213 diners at 11 different all-you-can-eat restaurants across the U.S. and found:

·         42% of obese people positioned themselves so they were facing the buffet, compared with 27% of normal-weight people.

·         The obese participants sat an average of 16 feet closer to the food.

·         38% of normal-weight diners sat at a booth, compared to 16% of obese people.

·         While 71% of the normal-weight people browsed at the buffet before choosing food, only 33% of the obese people did this.

·         Those with body-mass indices in the normal range were also 2.5 times more likely to use chopsticks.

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

Terrorists in Mumbai have taken hostages on the top floors of a luxury hotel. The captors are demanding that all Jihadist prisoners in India be released immediately, the right to leave the hotel without being arrested, and a writing credit on the next “Die Hard” sequel.

Did you know that India’s clocks are set a half hour ahead of the other countries around the globe? No wonder the terrorists got the upper hand. They had a half hour lead on the rest of the world.

There were three blowouts in the NFL on Thanksgiving Thursday–And four in my restroom after turkey dinner.

Did you watch the NFL game Thursday morning? Detroit wore their throwback jerseys, and Detroit fans brought their throw-up bags.

In a report on the situation in Mumbai, CNN said that the White House is sending the message that Barack Obama is still just the President-elect, and that George Bush is in charge of American foreign policy. Really? Since when?

Congratulations to actor Tobey Maguire and his wife Jennifer who are expecting their second child together. I’m surprised that this marriage has lasted long enough to produce a couple of kids. Toby Maguire is quite the swinger.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. It’s a time when you realize that the things you have to be thankful for are everywhere… But on the other hand, so are the Jonas Brothers…

Did you watch any football on Thanksgiving? The Lions were down by 37. The Seahawks were down by 25. The Cardinals were down by 28, and the Texas A&M Aggies were down 40. It was just like another day on Wall Street.

The Thanksgiving football games were all blowouts, so my family turned to NBC’s broadcast of the 1947 film, “Miracle on 34th Street.” The movie starts on Thanksgiving Day, and centers on the competition between Macys and Gimbels Department Stores. My 14-year-old nephew asked me, “What happened to Gimbels?” By Christmas, he may be asking, “What happened to Macys?”

There’s a lot of talk that the 0-12 Detroit Lions couldn’t even beat a good college football team. I’d like to see them play Texas Christian. It would finally be a chance for the Christians to get a little revenge on the lions.

A new study says that marijuana may help fight off Alzheimer’s. I’m pretty sure the study was done at Ohio State University, but I just can’t remember.

Reports out of Britain say that one of Queen Elizabeth’s servants is a professional wrestler on the side. Prince Charles said, “I don’t know how he can juggle two jobs. I’ve never even had one.”

Barack Obama spent Thanksgiving Eve at a Catholic Church on the south side of Chicago where he distributed food to the needy. According to MSNBC, Obama fed thousands of people with seven loaves and two fishes.

There were more angry demonstrations at Mormon Churches in California today. Not over Proposition 8. The protesters were upset that Lance Bass didn’t win on “Dancing With the Stars.”

Did you know that George Bush once bowled with a frozen turkey when he was Governor of Texas? And everybody knows that Senator Barack Obama bowled like a turkey when he was running for president.

During an interview with Barbara Walters, Barack Obama said his ten-year-old daughter Malia wants to write her important history papers at Abraham Lincoln’s White House desk, because it would help her think “big thoughts.” President Bush agreed saying he likes playing in the Lincoln Bedroom because it gives him an excuse to wear “big hats.”

In his interview with Barbara Walters, Barack Obama said, “I am not a miracle worker.” Too bad for Obama–Unionized miracle workers get $78 an hour…

Barack Obama said in his interview with Barbara Walters that his grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, who died on election eve, voted for him. Since Barack Obama is a Chicago politician, having dead people vote for him isn’t that unusual.

Later in the interview, Michelle Obama joined her husband and he told her “you’ve got a little lipstick on your tooth.” You know, you can put lipstick on a tooth, but it still a tooth.

This world is becoming a very harsh place. At the Vatican, for his Thanksgiving wish, instead of praying for peace, Pope Benedict prayed for a piece of the action.

A series of terrorist attacks in India have been carried out by a group calling themselves the Deccan Mujahedeen, which translates into the “Southern Jihadists.” They’re sort of like Southern Baptists, but on acid.

Rosie O’Donnell thinks the source of the problems between her and Barabara Walters is that Rosie is “the rowdy teenage daughter” that Barbara “can’t control.” I don’t know… I think Rosie is more like Barbara’s unsocial teenage son who can’t control his appetite.

Supermodel Karolina Kurkova has to have a belly button added to photos because hers was surgically removed when she was a little girl. And being a supermodel, before they add the belly button, they have to put in a belly…

The tabloids are reporting that Alex Rodriguez snuck out of the garage in Madonna’s apartment building hiding in the trunk of a car. A-Rod said the trunk still smelled like Jose Canseco.

I tell ya’, the economy is bad. The Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke… they’re starting to call him the K-FED Chairman!

Over ten thousand anti-government protesters in Thailand have sealed off the international airport, ruining the plans of thousands of tourists on vacation. It was horrible. 1,500 pedophiles were forced to have sex with people their own age…

The New York Post’s Page Six is reporting that Ann Coulter has broken her jaw and had it wired shut. In a related story, Keith Olbermann swallowed his tongue.

Britney Spears says her 3-year-old son, Sean Preston, is starting to use curse words. Sean Preston is defiant. He says he’ll stop swearing when his mom starts wearing underpants.

Did you see that interview of Sarah Palin where she was pardoning turkeys while other turkeys were being slaughtered in the background? Talk about you “gotcha’” questions. “Do you want it chopped of with an axe or put through the grinder?”

Speaking of Sarah Palin, on Thanksgiving morning, in an attempt to get things right, Sarah Palin held another turkey pardoning photo op. There were no survivors.

FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT CHRISTMAS

Did you know that royalties from Bing Crosby’s recording of “Silent Night” and Adeste Fidelis all go to charities? Here are some other fascinating facts about Christmas you may not have known:

·         The word “carol” comes from a Greek word meaning to dance and to play the flute.

·         America’s first Christmas carol was written and sung in the language of the Huron Indians. Called Jesus Is Born, it was composed by Father Brebeuf, a French missionary to the Indians, in 1630.

·         Alabama was the first state to grant legal recognition to Christmas in 1836. By 1890, all states and territories acknowledged the holiday, including the District of Columbia.

·         It was illegal to celebrate Christmas Day in the Massachusetts colony from 1659 until 1681.

·         The first true Christmas cards written by St. Francis of Assisi and his followers in the 13th century. The idea was to tell biblical stories in song in order to reach more people.

·         The first Christmas card as we know it was sent in 1843. The greeting: “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.”

·         There are at least two towns named Santa Claus in the U.S.A. in Indiana and Idaho.

·         There’s a Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean and a Christmas Island in the Pacific’s Gilbert Island.

·         The first department store Santa Claus in the nation was James Edgar of Brockton, MA. As owner of the Edgar’s Store in Boston in 1890, he donned the Santa costume himself to begin the tradition.

CHRISTMAS WISH

Our annual Christmas Wish gets bigger every year and no matter what kind of budget you have it works. You don’t need to buy a new car, last year we bought a grave stone for a kid, donated a rocking chair to a hospital in memory of someone. The letters are incredible… some selfish, some not. You weed out the expensive and selfish ones and go from there.

NAME THAT YEAR

(1971)

·         The Magic Kingdom is here, as Disney World opens in Orlando, Florida.

·         50’s rock star, and singer of “Be Bop A Lula,” Gene Vincent dies of medical problems at only 36.

·         The Jackson Five appear on the cover of Life magazine.

·         The first World Series night game, as Pirates beat the Orioles 4-3.

·         At a Madison Square Garden Oldies Concert in New York, Rick Nelson is booed for playing new material. The incident inspires him to write and record “Garden Party.”

·         And some one-hit wonders from Canada, The Stampeders top the charts with “Sweet City Woman.”

(1984)

·         Doug Flutie wins the Heisman Trophy at Boston College.

·         President Reagan pledges $100 million for African drought relief

·         The Reagan administration and Cuba reach an agreement under which Cuban criminals and mental patients who had come to the U.S. as part of the 1980 “Freedom Flotilla” would be sent back.

·         South African Bishop Desmond Tutu receives the Nobel Peace Prize.

·         “Missing You” by Diana Ross and “Loverboy” by Billy Ocean both enter the U.S. top 40 chart.

(1960)

·         On CBS-TV the first “Andy Griffith Show,” and the last “Howdy Doody Show,” where Clarabelle the Clown finally talked. He said, “Goodbye Kids.”

·         The first nuclear sub, the USS Enterprise leaves Newport News, VA.

·         San Francisco’s White House Department store becomes the first to accept charge cards instead of cash, the former Bankamericard… now Visa.

·         The first of four televised Presidential TV debates with Nixon and Kennedy.

·         Soviet leader Khruschev shows something new at the UN, shoe pounding at the podium!

·         A Carole King song, sung by the Drifters, “Save The Last Dance For Me” tops the charts.

(1990)

·         President Bush begins a five-nation South American tour as he arrived in Brazil.

·         British and French workers digging the Channel Tunnel between their countries finally meet after knocking out a passage in a service tunnel large enough to walk through and shake hands.

·         A stand-in for Mikhail Gorbachev accepts the 1990 Nobel Peace Prize.

·         The Food and Drug Administration approves Norplant, a long-acting contraceptive implant.

·         “Where Does My Heart Beat Now” by Celine Dion enters the U.S. top 40 chart.

(1969)

·         Little did they know just how big it would become as Bank Of America dedicated their new world headquarters in San Francisco at 555 California Street. Across town in San Francisco, the Fillmore West opened.

·         On television, the premiere of “Love American Style” and “The Brady Bunch.”

·         The Beatles’ “Abbey Road” is released, the last album they’d record together.

·         Lou Christie tops the chart with “I’m Gonna Make You Mine.”

(1980)

·         President Carter signs into law legislation creating a $1.6 billion environmental “superfund” to pay for cleaning up chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.

·         Poland imposes martial law in response to the Solidarity Labor of the 1980 “Freedom Flotilla” would be sent back.

·         The prime interest rate is raised to a record 21.5%.

·         Casey Kasem and actress Jean Thompson are married in Beverly Hills.

·         John Lennon’s “(Just Like) Starting Over” hits #1 on the U.S. top 40 chart and stayed there for 5 weeks.

(1955)

·         Actor James Dean loses life in California car crash.

·         Bill Haley and the Comets play Lubbock Texas, and hire local guy Buddy Holly to open. He’d do the same days later for Elvis.

·         October television featured our first look at Mouseketeers like Annette Funicello on the “Mickey Mouse Club,” “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” and Bob Keesham as “Captain Kangaroo.”

·         Chuck Berry had his very first hit with “Maybelline.”

(1999)

·         Tori Murden of the U.S. becomes the first woman to row across the Atlantic Ocean alone.

·         More than 2 million people march in Cuba to demand the return of Elian Gonzalez.

·         Charles M. Schulz announces he would retire from the “Peanuts” comic strip.

·         The Vermont Supreme Court rules that homosexual couples were entitled to the same benefits and protections as wedded hetrosexual couples.

·         The albums “So Real” by Mandy Moore, “Enrique” by Enrique Iglesias, and “Live Era 1987-93″ by Guns N’ Roses are all released.

(1959)

·         The show business world loses two popular stars, movie’s Errol Flynn, and music’s Mario Lanza with a heart attack at only 38.

·         At age 22, Bobby Darin becomes the youngest headliner to headline the Copa Showroom at Las Vegas’s Sands Hotel.

·         On TV, it’s the premiere of Robert Stack as Elliott Ness in “The Untouchables,” and Rod Serling’s classic, “The Twilight Zone.”

·         The Coasters have a top ten hit with “Poison Ivy.”

(1979)

·         In response to the Iran hostage crisis, President Carter orders the removal of most Iranian diplomats from the U.S.

·         The world’s heaviest turkey weighs in at 77.25 pounds.

·         A Leonardo DaVinci notebook is sold for $5 million. three years after leaving office.

·         The U.N. Security Council unanimously approves a resolution demanding that Iran free its American hostages.

·         “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen enters the U.S. top 40 chart.

TOP FIVE REASONS WHY SANTA WEARS A RED SUIT

1.      The blue one is at the cleaners

2.      Hides those red wine stains really well

3.      Washed his white suite with mama’s red pajamas on hot

4.      They were all out of green ones in his size

5.      No one took the pink suit seriously

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