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you can check out his website click on his picture....
also thanks to Paul Hebert and Congrats on him getting his own boat the "WICKED PISSAH"!
Click on his picture for your own wicked pissah gear..
Eight Things That Make You a Target for Burglars
Nobody wants to get robbed, but most people don't realize all the ways they're making their houses ATTRACTIVE to burglars. HouseLogic.com has a list of eight things people do that make it easier for burglars to rob you.
1. Leaving a ladder in the yard. Burglars can easily get around a lot of home security systems by getting into a second-story window that isn't wired in. So don't leave a ladder sitting outside in your yard, where anyone can get to it.
2. Leaving new appliance and electronics packaging out on the curb. When you get a new TV and leave the box outside next to your garbage, EVERYONE knows you just got a new TV.
The week after Christmas, burglars basically get to pick what they want to steal. The houses with boxes on the curb and no cars outside are just ASKING to be cleaned out.
3. Having flimsy wood-panel doors on back or side entrances. Burglars often get in by just kicking a hole in a back or side door. So every door should be steel-wrapped and deadbolted . . . or at least it should be solid wood that can't be kicked in.
4. Hanging a mirror in your entryway. Think about it: A mirror FACING your front door allows people to look in through a window, and see whether your alarm is set. If you need to have a mirror by the door, hang it where it can't be seen from outside.
5. Leaving the grass uncut. Never go on a long vacation without getting someone you trust to maintain your yard, and pick up mail and newspapers.
Also, don't leave the garage door opener in your second car, if it's going to stay in the driveway or on the street. If your garage is attached, a burglar can break your car window and use the opener to walk right into your house.
6. Using a fire safe. Don't put your valuables into a lockbox or fire safe and leave it sitting in the closet. That's like putting everything the burglars want into a convenient carry case for them. Use a wall safe, or get a safe deposit box at the bank.
7. Updating your Facebook status. Think about all the "friends of friends" nearby who'll know exactly where you are when you post something online. And don't upload your vacation photos until you get BACK FROM VACATION.
If you're using Foursquare or any other GPS-based apps that let you "check in" at a certain location, keep track of your security settings and only allow trusted friends to see your posts.
8. Selling things on Craigslist. When you're selling something locally, the worst thing you can do is invite complete strangers INTO YOUR HOUSE to look at it. If they like it, they can just pick it up and run with it . . . or worse, steal it at gunpoint.
If you don't know the buyers, arrange to meet them in a public place.
A French Company Is Making Scented Underwear for Men
I don't have too much experience SNIFFING MEN'S UNDERWEAR . . . but in the rare occasions I HAVE gotten a smell, it makes me wonder why it took someone this long to come up with this idea.
A company in France is currently raising money to manufacture SCENTED men's underwear.
Each pair will have small microcapsules sewn in that produce a good smell . . . which they describe as a, quote, "masculine perfume, not very strong, based on musk and pears."
The smell will hold up through 30 washes. (In other words, Frenchmen can wear these things for years without losing the smell.)
The company is using a European site that works like Kickstarter. It's called My Major Company.
The company was trying to raise about $13,000, but has already received almost DOUBLE that.
(Raw Story / My Major Company)
According to a new study, you'll be more successful with the ladies if they think you're a musician . . . and you don't even need to PLAY anything for them.
Three different times, researchers sent a good-looking 20-year-old guy to a public place, to approach 100 young women aged 18 to 22, to try to get their phone number.
And each time he carried a different prop, to see how it affected his game. Check out the results . . .
1. When he carried a GUITAR CASE, he was successful 31% of the time.
2. When he had NOTHING in his hands, he was successful 14% of the time . . . less than HALF as successful as the guitar.
3. And when he carried a sports duffel bag, he only got numbers 9% of the time.
Scientists Might Have Figured Out a Way to Get Rid of Gray Hair for Good
This seems like pretty big news: We might be one generation away from the END OF GRAY HAIR. No more dying, plucking.
According to a study in a medical journal on experimental biology, scientists at the University of Bradford in England have figured out a definitive way to REVERSE the gray hair process.
A hair turns gray when there's a massive accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the hair follicle. That basically makes the hair bleach itself.
So the researchers created a topical solution for your hair that stops it from going gray . . . and even gets it back to its original color. It's not a dye . . . it literally fixes your hair follicles and restores their color.
There's no word on when it could go on sale . . . but with something this potentially groundbreaking, you know these guys will be in a hurry to cash in.
Can You Tell the Difference Between a $600 Haircut and a $28 Haircut?
FULL STORY: There's no ceiling on what you can spend getting your hair done. Want a $20 haircut? $100? $1,000? $20 million to resurrect VIDAL SASSOON to personally cut your hair? Someone will do it.
ABC News decided to see if a higher price is worth it. For the show "20/20 Confessions" they had four women get haircuts at four different price points. One was a $28 cut, one was $75, one was $200, and one was $600.
Then they asked people if they could tell which haircut cost which amount. And as you'd suspect, almost no one could.
Only one guy got all four right . . . and his response to that was, quote, "I'm kind of embarrassed."
Aerosmith Is Sharing a Bill with New Kids on the Block . . . for Boston
We don't know if MARKY MARK AND THE FUNKY BUNCH will reunite to benefit the victims of the Boston Marathon Bombing . . . but AEROSMITH will perform a show with NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK for the city.
As awesome as that sounds, they're not actually working together . . . they're just both on the bill for a benefit concert called Boston Strong: An Evening of Support and Celebration.
It's happening in Boston on May 30th at the TD Garden arena . . . and will also feature performances by James Taylor, the J. Geils Band, Boston, Godsmack, Jason Aldean, Jimmy Buffett, and Carole King.
Comedians Dane Cook and Steven Wright will also take the stage. More artists will be announced soon.
Tickets go on sale TODAY. For more information, hit up AConcertForBoston.org.
The Latest Words Being Eliminated By Political Correctness Include Freshman, Fisherman, and Penmanship
FULL STORY: It's a dark time for words that contain the word "man." It's like the politically correct Terminator has targeted them or something . . . with the mission of complete eradication.
Washington state just enacted a law to rewrite ALL their laws, to replace all masculine words with gender-neutral words.
That includes using the word "fisher" instead of "fisherman" . . . "first-year student" instead of "freshman" . . . and "handwriting" instead of "penmanship."
They even wanted to get rid of the word "manhole" . . . but couldn't figure out a good gender-neutral substitute. I guess "peoplehole" just doesn't have the same ring to it?
(Reuters)
The Secret to Falling Asleep Faster is . . . Wearing Socks
FULL STORY: The experts say the big reason we have trouble sleeping these days is because we take our phones or iPads to bed and they distract us.
So here's another, more REASONABLE trick to use to fall asleep.
Researchers in Switzerland found you can fall asleep quicker if you WEAR SOCKS to bed.
When you're about to fall asleep, your body redirects more blood to your hands and feet. Once they're warm, your blood starts circulating around the rest of your body, which makes you go to sleep.
So if you're wearing socks, your feet warm up faster . . . which means the blood can circulate around your body sooner.
Want to Stop Your Stuff From Getting Stolen? Put Up a Photo of Someone's Eyes
FULL STORY: Here's a really interesting idea for fighting CRIME that shows how DUMB and COWARDLY petty thieves are . . .
A new study out of Newcastle University found that potential criminals get FREAKED OUT by a photo of someone's EYES.
For the study, researchers put a poster of a man's eyes above some of the bike racks on campus. The poster had the slogan, "We are watching you."
And they found the bike racks with the eyes above them had 62% fewer thefts than the bike racks without the poster. In fact, thieves clearly gravitated to the bike racks without the poster . . . because the thefts from those racks went UP 63%.
The researchers say this works because it's human nature to, quote, "care what other people think about us, and as a result we behave better when we [think] we're being observed."
It's Now Cheaper to Eat Out Than Cook at Home
Super lazy 28-year-olds who don't own a single pot or pan are RIGHT. It IS a good idea to eat every single one of your meals out.
According to a new study, based on the way food prices have gone up in the past decade, you're not really saving money by cooking at home anymore. Eating out costs around the same . . . and might even be cheaper.
Based on estimates from the USDA, the cost of food for a family of four has gone up 38% since 2003. Back then, it cost $601.50-a-month to feed a family. Now it's up to an average of $830 on the low end . . . and $1,257 on the high end.
That's anywhere from about $28 to $42 per day . . . and you can probably eat cheaper than that at fast food. Of course, it would be WAY less healthy than what you're cooking . . . but you're not saving a FORTUNE by cooking at home.
The study also found that if you try to make a 10-ounce ribeye steak, soup, salad, and a vegetable, it costs you $2.53 more per person than eating that exact same meal at Outback Steakhouse.
And if you make seafood alfredo, breadsticks, and salad, it's costs $3.79 per person more than eating that same meal at Olive Garden.
The Five Things That Help You Sleep Longer . . . And the Five Things That Cost You Sleep
According to something called the ReDormin Sleep Study, these are the five things that help you sleep LONGER:
1. Doing YOGA before bed adds 64 minutes of sleep time . . . and also improves the QUALITY of your sleep more than anything else.
2. Having a small child in bed adds 24 minutes . . . but it's also the thing that hurts the QUALITY of your sleep more than anything else. So you sleep longer, but not as well.
3. Being in a calm mood before going to bed adds 24 minutes.
4. Having an adult partner in bed with you adds 21 minutes.
5. And having SEX before bed adds the same amount as taking a HOT SHOWER before bed . . . about six minutes.
And here are five things that COST you the most sleep:
1. Being in an alert mood when you go to bed causes you to sleep 46 minutes LESS.
2. Having a partner who snores costs you 14 minutes.
3. Having your cell phone charging next to the bed costs you 11 minutes.
4. Watching a movie right before bed costs 10 minutes.
5. And having a fan running costs you nine minutes of sleep.
To Many Semi Truck Crashes going on in North County
The Five Tax Deductions You're Most Likely to Miss
The deadline to file your taxes is a week away. And it's no wonder people hate this time of year, because the U.S. tax codeconsists of about 4 MILLION words. And since 2001, there have been about 4,500 changes to it.
So to help you out, here are the five deductions and credits you're most likely to MISS, according to "U.S. News & World Report".
1. Dependents. For every dependent you have, you can write off $3,800. But a lot of people don't, because they don't realize that the relative they've been supporting CAN sometimes be claimed as a, quote, "qualifying relative."
Or even the friend who's been crashing in their spare bedroom for the past year. The main requirement is they have to have made less than $3,800 last year.
2. The Earned Income Tax Credit. Which you might qualify for if you're low-to- middle-income. And if you have three dependents, you can claim a tax credit of up to $5,891.
But the IRS estimates that about 20% of people who qualify don't end up claiming it, mostly because if you make under a certain amount, you don't HAVE to file a tax return. And if you don't file, you can't claim any tax credits, which means no refund.
If you're single and under 65, you're not required to file a federal tax return unless you made more than $9,750 last year. Or if you're the head of household, it's $12,500.
But if you qualify for the earned income tax credit, you SHOULD file, so you get a refund.
3. The Child and Dependent Care Credit. If you work and have kids under 13 who go to day care, you might qualify for a deduction of up to $2,100. And you can also deduct the cost of summer camp.
4. Charitable Donations. But that doesn't just mean the amount of money you gave to charity last year.
If you volunteered at something like a local soup kitchen, you can deduct any money you paid for parking . . . and also 14 cents per mile if you had to drive there.
5. Job-Search Expenses. Meaning any money you spent on printing resumes, postage, and even travel expenses . . . as long as the job you were applying for was in the same field as your previous job.
However, job-hunting expenses for your FIRST job are NOT tax deductible.
We've got some good news and some bad news. The good news? America isn't racist anymore! The bad news? We're still very mustache-ist.
A new survey found that single people really don't care about race when it comes to who they date. More than 90% of Latino and black people say they'd date someone who's a different race, and so would 85% of white people.
BUT . . . only 32% of men say they'd date a woman who had a VISIBLE MUSTACHE. So, you got that? We're in post-racial America but NOT a post-FACIAL hair America.
We also aren't willing to forgive people for smelling bad. Only 13% of women would give a guy a second date if he had body odor.
One other interesting finding from the survey: 57% of men would go out with someone again after having sex on the first date . . . but only 28% of women would.
Rock Stars Being Cool : All the Tickets for Kid Rock's Summer Tour Will Be $20
Decent concert tickets can be OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive . . . especially if you consider all the service fees that get tacked on . . . but KID ROCK is doing something about it.
He's worked out a deal with Live Nation to make ALL the tickets for his summer tour available for just $20. On top of that, his people are working to lower prices on things like beer, parking and merchandise for every show.
Naturally, SOMEONE is losing money here . . . and that person is: Kid Rock.
He says, quote, "We're all fortunate to make as much money as we do, and I can surely take a pay cut and help out in these hard times . . . we're going to make less money, but I've got enough money to where it's not going to kill my lifestyle.
"And who doesn't want to play to a packed house every night?"
To be clear, he isn't cutting corners by taking anything away from the show or shortchanging his crew. He says, quote, "I'm the one saying, 'If this doesn't work out, I'll take the pay cut.' It's a way of saying 'thank you' to the fans."
Despite the cheap face value, you'll still have to pay Ticketmaster a $5 service fee, which Kid Rock is "not happy about." He says, quote, "That's 25% of my ticket price, that's ridiculous. I think they should go to 10% a ticket across the board."
He also says they're not selling tickets for the front two rows, so they can offer free upgrades to random fans on the day of the show.
Once you're there, 12-ounce beers will run you $4 at every venue, which Kid Rock says is "fair," and he's slashed his t-shirt prices from $35 or $40 to $20 and $25.
He says, quote, "I've been doing the math, if you buy [your] ticket with service charge, that's $25, you have three beers, you buy a t-shirt, [then] you're under $70 for a t-shirt, having some beers, seeing a concert and parking. I don't think you can beat that."
The tour runs from June 28th in Virginia through September 15th in Tampa. The opening bands will be UNCLE KRACKER, and either KOOL AND THE GANG orZZ TOP. (For more info and all the tour dates, hit up KidRock.com.)
(Whatever you think of Kid Rock, you have to admit he's being a CLASS ACT here. A lot of artists have whined about Ticketmaster and scalpers, but how many have actually been willing to take a pay cut for you?)
RELATED COMEDY: Kid Rock is selling tickets for his concert this summer for $20. Or, to put that in terms a Kid Rock fan will understand, tickets will cost the same as ten Confederate flag decals.
What's the Best Way to Get Rich: Hard Work, Luck, or Rich Parents?
Let's assume most of us would like to be rich. We're not greedy, we don't need to be billionaires . . . just, like, $50 million or so in the bank, right? So how do we get there?
A new survey asked people to name the best way to get rich in the U.S. today.
55% of people still believe in the raw version of the American dream . . . and said HARD WORK is the key.
23% say the best way to get rich is having rich parents and inheriting the money.
And 10% say the best way to get rich is PURE LUCK.
But those numbers are VERY different with younger people . . . which shows a pretty fascinating generation gap.
Of people under 40, only 34% say the best way to get rich is hard work. 36% say rich parents or inheritance is key, and 14% say the best way is luck.
(Washington Times)
The IRS Is Going to Check Facebook to See If You Cheated on Your Taxes Bad news . . . someone finally told the IRS about Facebook.
According to reports, this year, the IRS plans on checking your Facebook page and Twitter accounts, to see if you're cheating on your taxes.
Like, let's say you went to Key West for Spring Break, but you wrote off the flight and hotel as a business trip. An IRS agent might look for your photos to see if there's proof you were actually just hammered drunk and half-naked.
Fortunately, it's too much work for them to Facebook stalk ALL of us . . . so they're only going to use social media as a tool when someone's tax forms have been red flagged for an audit or a potential audit.
But still, let's call this reminder number 45,603 that you should triple check your Facebook privacy settings.
(FOX 5 - Washington D.C.)
Pork Chops No Longer Exist . . . the Pork and Beef Industries Have Renamed Hundreds of Cuts
If you had pork chops for Easter, hope you enjoyed them. Because you'll NEVER EAT THEM AGAIN. At least not officially.Yesterday, the pork and beef industries announced that they've gotten approval from the USDA to rename hundreds of cuts of meat. And pork chops have been CUT.The new names are trying to balance two agendas that seem like complete opposites. First, they're trying to make the names more descriptive . . . as in, "pork chops" is ambiguous about what part of the pig they're from.But they're ALSO trying to make the names less complicated . . . because they found customers hate buying things like "boneless shoulder top blade steak." So the names will be more descriptive but less complicated? Got it.........Here are a few of the examples of renamed cuts. Different types of pork chops will now have steak names like New York chops, ribeye chops, and T-bone chops. Beef loin top sirloin cubes are now kabobs. Pork butt . . . which comes from a pig's shoulder . . . is now a Boston roast. And a boneless shoulder top blade beef steak is now a flatiron steak. But ground beef is still just ground beef.
(Chicago Tribune)
The Discovery Channel Is Developing Two Shows About People Surviving in the Wilderness . . . Naked...Really.....
If you like "Survivor", but you wish the contestants got a little more, well, NUDE . . . the Discovery Channel has your back.
They have a show in the pipeline called "Naked and Afraid" . . . where two strangers are stranded, quote, "in one of the world's harshest environments with no food, no water, no tools, and NO CLOTHES."
Each episode will feature new naked contestants in a new locale.
The network says, quote, "As their extreme survival skills are put to the test for 21 days, each couple must battle the elements, each other, and their own inner weakness to triumph over the terrain and their predicament."
Believe it or not, this is NOT the only show Discovery is developing about naked people surviving in the wilderness.
They also have one on the way called "Naked Castaway", which is sort of like the TOM HANKS movie, "Castaway" . . . only this time, yes, he'll be naked.The guy is ED STAFFORD, who was the first person ever to walk the length of the Amazon River. On this show, he'll try to survive alone on a desert island for 60 days, without food, water, tools or clothes.
According to the press release, quote, "He has only his brain, bare hands and a camera to keep him alive."
Here Are the 10 Worst Dressed Cities in the U.S.
FULL STORY: It's tough to figure out which cities have the WORST FASHION SENSE . . . but since it's an opportunity to make fun of people, someone was bound to give it a try. A real estate blog called Movoto just released a list of America's 10 worst dressed cities.The rankings are based on high-end clothing, jewelry, and shoe stores per capita, plus the number of tailors, seamstresses, and fashion schools. Here are the 10 worst:
#1.) Wichita, Kansas.
#2.) Colorado Springs, Colorado.
#3.) El Paso, Texas.
#4.) Jacksonville, Florida.
#5.) Louisville, Kentucky.
#6.) Tulsa, Oklahoma.
#7.) Albuquerque, New Mexico.
#8.) San Antonio, Texas.
#9.) Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
#10.) Indianapolis, Indiana.
It's April Fools' Day. No prank is worth getting fired over. Remember that, please.
--We were wondering where the April Fools' Day tradition actually came from, and the answer is . . . no one's quite sure.
Where Did April Fools' Day Come From?-
-The BEST theory is that it started in the 1500s. Before then, people used the Julian calendar, where the year started at the end of March. In the 1500s, the Gregorian calendar took over, which moved the beginning of the year to January 1st.--So, when April 1st rolled around, people would try to trick other people into celebrating New Year's. And if people fell for it, they were called "April fools." And that turned into the modern tradition of pranking people.--Another theory is that this is April Fools' Day because it's spring . . . but most of the time it's still COLD. So people started saying the beginning of April was when nature would 'fool' them with unpredictable weather.
Your Kitchen is Absolutely Covered in Bacteria . . . Here Are the Six Most Contaminated Items
Not to make you paranoid . . . but your kitchen is FILTHY. A new study found the six most contaminated items in your kitchen: The vegetable and meat compartments in your fridge . . . the rubber seal under the blade of your blender . . . the can opener . . . the rubber spatula . . . and any rubber-sealed food storage containers.
America's Least Sexy City....Is?????
Before we start baggin' on cities and their reputations, we just want to say this study is about as un-scientific as they get. And now that we've got that out of the way . . . time to start baggin'.
--A new study has named the 10 LEAST SEXY CITIES in the U.S. And the least sexy city in the U.S. is . . . Greensboro, North Carolina.
-The study was done by some website called MissTravel.com. Apparently it's a dating site in the sugar daddy vein . . . rich guys offer to take attractive women on nice trips, and women sign up to go on those trips. Totally not creepy at all, huh?
--So the 'study' of the least sexy cities was based on how many women REJECTED trip offers to that city. For example, 170 men proposed trips to Greensboro . . . and ALL 170 were REJECTED. No other city had a 100% rejection rate.
--Here are the ten least sexy cities in the U.S. . . . at least according to how likely young gold digging women are to go there.
#1.) Greensboro, North Carolina.
#2.) Richmond, Virginia.
#3.) Fort Worth, Texas.
#4.) Beverly Hills, California.
#5.) Chattanooga, Tennessee.
#6.) Atlantic City, New Jersey.
#7.) Atlanta, Georgia.
#8.) Jacksonville, Florida.
#9.) Corpus Christi, Texas.
#10.) Minneapolis, Minnesota.
(ABC News)
Thanks to Lori and John coming into the studio this morning to talk about the Foster Care Program.
Five Random Facts About Beer You Probably Didn't Know
Just because you drank one microbrew last weekend doesn't mean you know everything there is to know about beer. Sorry to break that news. Anyway, here are five random facts about beer you probably DON'T know.
#1.) There's a term for the study of beer and beer making. It's called zythology. (--zith-owl-oh-gee)
#2.) The first drunk driver was . . . a guy riding a chariot in ancient Egypt around 2,000 B.C. He ran over a woman, and was CRUCIFIED on the door of the tavern where he was drinking.
#3.) The hops in beer come from the same family of flowers as MARIJUANA.
#4.) When the British tried to ship beer to India . . . by sailing all the way around Africa . . . it would go bad. So they added extra hops, which made the beer more powerful and bitter. Those beers were known as India Pale Ales . . . or IPAs.
#5.) Cenosillicaphobia is the fear of an EMPTY BEER GLASS.
(Gizmodo)
The Average Person Now Spends 33 Minutes a Day on Facebook
According to a new study, you are now spending about 33 minutes a day on Facebook. So am I. So is everyone.
--The study found the average person visits Facebook 14 times a day, and now spends a total of 32 minutes and 51 seconds on the site every day.
--That comes out to around 200 HOURS per year . . . or almost eight-and-a-half FULL DAYS on Facebook.
(Web Pro News)
The State of Well Being.....which is the Best Place to Live and the Worst?
Your Best Chance of Getting Something Done at Work Is Before 11:00 Today
According to a survey by Salary.com, the best time to accomplish something at work is THIS MORNING. Tuesdays from 9:00 to 11:00 A.M. are the most productive hours of the week. And not surprisingly, Fridays from 3:00 to 5:00 P.M. are the LEAST productive. Today is also the most productive day of the week overall, followed by Thursday.
Relationship Experts Say You Can Change a Guy Who's a 'Bad Boy' . . . But Stay Away From Mama's Boys
According to a survey of relationship experts by YourTango.com, women really CAN change a man. 96% of experts say that great husbands are MADE, not born.
--And women looking for a long-term relationship should feel free to date a guy who's a 'bad boy'. 85% of experts say it's possible for a woman to reform him and make it work.
--Single dads are also a good choice: Three out of five experts say that guys with kids would be excellent long-term relationship material.
--And just because a guy is over 40 and hasn't been married, that DOESN'T mean he's got commitment problems or other issues. 55% of experts say he's worth the risk.
--On the other hand, 88% say that women should STAY AWAY from mama's boys . . . and 89% say not to waste time with guys who are addicted to drugs, alcohol, gambling, or sex.
Two-Thirds of People Feel the Best Way to Eat Peeps is By Decapitating Them..
This Easter, two-thirds of people will follow an annual tradition and bite the heads off several rabbits . . . marshmallow rabbits.
--According to a new survey by the people who make PEEPS, 65% of people say they eat Peeps by biting the head off first. 13%eat the tail first, and 16% take small bites all over the body. Some of this sounds sexier than it should. (???)
--The survey also found half of people will only eat one or two Peeps on Easter . . . but 8% will eat between six and 10.
--And finally, they asked people the old question, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" 72% went with the chicken. Which is wrong. Science has proven it's the egg.
(PR Newswire / Popular Science)
People Who Drink Coffee Get in Fewer Accidents
According to a new study, coffee can SAVE your LIFE. Researchers looked at long-haul truckers and found that drinking coffee or some other source of caffeine reduced the risk of getting into an accident by 63%. Two in five truckers use caffeine, and the ones that do drive longer distances and sleep less . . . but they're still safer.
NASA's Advice for an Asteroid Heading Toward Us? "Pray"
If an asteroid is speeding toward Earth one day, BRUCE WILLIS and the team from "Armageddon" are NOT going to be able to save us.
--Charles Bolden is the head of NASA, and this week he spoke at a Congressional hearing about protecting the Earth from asteroids . . . and how much it's going to cost to protect us even more.
--Here are the three things he said that should put the fear of God in ya . . .
#1.) An asteroid with a diameter of about six-tenths of a mile, quote, "could plausibly end civilization."
#2.) 95% of the asteroids flying nearest to the Earth ARE that big.
#3.) And finally, if there's an asteroid headed toward the U.S. and NASA doesn't detect it until it's about three weeks away? Quote, "Pray."
Driving With Kids in the Car Is 12 Times More Distracting Than Talking on the Phone....
According to a study by researchers in Australia, the biggest distraction to drivers is . . . having kids in the car. Parents with kids in the car take their eyes away from the road for an average of three minutes and 22 seconds over a 16-minute car trip. That means that kids are 12 times more distracting than talking on the phone. And babies are eight times more distracting than older passengers.
Four "Healthy" Habits That Aren't Actually That Healthy
If you think you don't have a single bad habit, check out this list from "Prevention" magazine of four "healthy" habits that aren't actually that good for you.
#1.) You Come Home From Work and Immediately Get Your Chores Out of the Way. If your parents made you do your homework right after school, you might think it's the way to go. Because it does SEEM like a good habit.
--The problem is, you don't give yourself time to unwind, so your body keeps pumping out the stress hormone cortisol. And research shows that higher levels of cortisol lead to more health issues in the long run.
--So it's best to at least give yourself 20 or 30 minutes to unwind before you jump into something like doing taxes or cleaning the living room.
#2.) "Hovering" When You're Using a Public Restroom. This one's for women who don't want to actually touch the seat with their skin. So they kind of stand in a squatting position.
--The reason it's bad is because it causes the pelvic muscles to contract, which prevents you from fully emptying your bladder. And when you don't do that, you're more likely to get a urinary tract infection.
--So the best way to handle it is to use those paper seat liners.
#3.) You Brush Your Teeth Right After You Finish Eating. You've probably heard that you shouldn't brush right after you drink SODA, because soda softens your enamel, which can actually be brushed away.
--But the same goes for ANYTHING that's highly acidic . . . including things like citrus fruit, tomatoes, and Gatorade. So if you have anything like that, you should wait at least 30 to 60 minutes before you brush.
#4.) You Wash Your Pillowcases Once a Week. That's better than most people, but washing JUST your pillowcases won't necessarily protect you from dust mites . . . which about 10% of people are allergic to.
--To really protect yourself, you have to wash the actual PILLOWS at least once a month in hot water . . . which most people NEVER do.
It's Official . . . Women Worry More Than Men
If you had to guess which gender WORRIES more often, you'd probably guess women. And now . . . the government says you're RIGHT.
--In a new nationwide survey by the CDC, 22% of women say they feel worried, nervous, or anxious on a daily or weekly basis.
--Only 16% of men worry that often.
--They survey also found you WILL start worrying less, eventually . . . but you've got to make it into your 70s. Both men and women age 75 and up were far less likely to worry than men and women who are younger.
(Today)
Pisces and Gemini are the Zodiac Signs Most Likely to Cheat on You . . . Scorpio and Libra are the Most Loyal
If your husband is celebrating a birthday this month, extra-marital dating site AshleyMadison.com warns he may be more likely to have a wandering eye. The dating site designed for people already in relationships reveals that Pisces men and Gemini women are more likely to cheat than any other astrological sign. Out of AshleyMadison.com’s 17 million plus users, 15.6% of males represent the water sign (a la Rob Lowe) while a shocking 16.1% of female philanderers seeking a discreet affair on the site are Geminis (a la sexy vixen Angelina Jolie).
According to astro-sexologist and author of The Celestial Sexpot Handbook, Kiki, “I’m not surprised to see Pisces top this list because they’re the rulers of the imagination and fantasy. They have a hard time letting their curiosities go unexplored.”
Though some signs seem to suggest innate two-timing tendencies, Libras like Kelly Ripa and Scorpios such as Keith Urban appear to be the most faithful astrological signs according to the naughty dating site.
Kiki comments, “Libra is the ruler of commitment and partnership.” As for Scorpio, they fall in love passionately and rarely stay in relationships that lack intensity, so if they have a wandering eye they usually leave.”
According to AshleyMadison.com Founder and CEO Noel Biderman, “The connection between Zodiac signs and proclivity to cheat is an interesting one and by looking at the data, it’s hard to disagree that one’s birth date has something to do with the predisposition to have an affair. The fact that Pisces men top our list by a significant margin should serve as a warning to women everywhere.”
The world’s most trusted adultery dating site also surveyed 284,600 of its members to find out more regarding the correlation between astrology and ability to keep it in one’s pants! The data reveals:
· Female Geminis and male Tauruses are most likely to be cheated on
· Following Gemini, female Aries are the most likely to cheat
· Following Pisces, male Aquarius are the most likely to cheat
· Aries men and Virgo women are the most ‘loyal’ cheaters (they’re more likely to have longer term affairs with just one lover)
· Female Virgos are looking for kinky sex whereas the other signs just want more sex.
Click here for Baby Names of Ireland..
The Top Five Convenience Store Etiquette Rules
In an effort to make convenience stores MORE convenient, Cracked.com posted some ETIQUITTE rules we should all be following. And they're actually right on. Here are the top five.
#1.) Know How to Use the Credit Card Machine. A lot of stores make you swipe your own card now. And the self-swiper machines have been around a while, so you SHOULD be able to do it without messing it up twice and taking five minutes.
#2.) Don't Scratch Off Your Lottery Tickets Right Next to the Register. The worst is when someone buys a ticket then scratches it off while they're still standing in line . . . because they don't want to go to the END of the line to cash it in if they win something.
--But even if you're just taking up counter space and you're KIND OF in someone's way, it's still rude.
#3.) Don't Trash the Soda Fountain Area. If you spill something at HOME, you clean it up. But for some reason that mentality doesn't always exist at convenience stores, because you figure someone's being PAID to do it.
--Which is true. But at the very least, let an employee know there's a spill. Or better yet, wipe it up with napkins. Then when you're done wiping it up, throw the wet napkins in the trash. Don't just leave them sitting on the counter.
#4.) Don't Take Forever in the Bathroom. If you're using the bathroom at a convenience store . . . it's probably for something SERIOUS. But remember, that's probably the case for MOST people who need to use it.
--So don't just sit in there playing games on your cell phone. Do what you need to do, and be done with it.
#5.) If It's a Gas Station, Don't Park at the Pump. This one's obvious, but a lot of people don't think about it. After you fill up at a gas station when it's busy, move your car to a parking space before you go inside, so someone ELSE can fill up.
Men Complain More Than Women on Twitter . . . Here Are the Six Things We Tweet About the Most
According to a new survey by a social-media company called Brandwatch, women tweet more than men . . . but men COMPLAIN more on Twitter.
--Women tweet 15 times a day on average, compared to nine for men. But they don't tweet about the same things. Women are more likely to use Twitter to enter contests . . . and men are more likely to complain about things.
--Here are the three things women tweet about most . . .
#1.) Their personal life.
#2.) Television shows.
#3.) Work.
--And here's what MEN tweet about most . . .
#1.) Sports.
#2.) Gambling.
#3.) News.
Chris & Brian Came in from Team IMPACT a wonderful group of people check out what they do here...
click on the Team IMPACT picture.
According to a new survey by Direct Line car insurance, women are more likely than men to swear while driving.
--Nearly HALF of all women . . . 48% . . . admit to cursing behind the wheel. Only 40% of men do.
Here are the five things most likely to make us swear:
#1.) The GPS: 55% of people who use one say they've sworn at it.
#2.) Getting cut off by another driver.
#3.) People who don't use their turn signal when turning or changing lanes.
#4.) People who talk on their cell phone while driving.
#5.) Someone driving slow in the fast lane. This is the ONLY thing that MEN were more likely to swear at than women. 15% of men mentioned it . . . while only 7% of women did.
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I know that "thinking" and "Facebook" don't usually go together . . . but let this be a reminder that you should THINK before you LIKE.
--Researchers at the University of Cambridge in England analyzed just the "Likes" from 58,000 Facebook profiles in the U.S.
--And they discovered statistically significant connections between what you Like and your personality, habits, sexuality, politics, and more. Here are the 15 weirdest things they found.
#1.) People with high IQs like curly fries. And also MORGAN FREEMAN'S voice.
#2.) People who are satisfied with life are more likely to like "Indiana Jones" and swimming.
#3.) People who are unhappy are more likely to like iPods. (--Maybe because it's 2013, and they're still using an iPod instead of an iPhone?)
#4.) People who are extroverted are more likely to play drinking games, like beer pong and flip cup.
#5.) Competitive people are more likely to be fans of JULIUS CAESAR, NIETZSCHE . . . and for some reason, the handicapped character TIMMY on "South Park".
#6.) Neurotic people like KURT COBAIN.
#7.) Old people LOVE DR. OZ.
#8.) People with lots of friends are more likely to shop at Dollar General and be fans of JENNIFER LOPEZ.
#9.) People without many friends are more likely to be fans of In-N-Out Burger and IRON MAIDEN.
#10.) Straight men are far more likely than gay men to get CONFUSED when they wake up from naps.
(--We know, because apparently straight men are more likely to Like a Facebook group called "Being confused after waking up from naps." Seriously.)
#11.) Single people are far more likely to be fans of USAIN BOLT than people in a relationship.
#12.) People whose parents are still married are more likely to be fans of GENE WILDER than people whose parents are divorced or separated.
#13.) People who use drugs LOVE MARTIN LAWRENCE in the "Big Momma" movies.
#14.) People who don't do drugs clearly have another vice . . . they're most likely to Like sour candy, milkshakes, and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream.
#15.) Non-smokers prefer "Rocky" and Hondas . . . smokers like ROB ZOMBIE and wearing Under Armour.
We set the clocks ahead yesterday . . . hope you remembered, or YOU'RE LATE. Anyway, in a new survey, about 61% of Americans say they SIGNIFICANTLY feel the effects of losing that hour of sleep. And about 40% say it will take them this ENTIRE WEEK to get adjusted.
According to a new survey of 1,000 kids, 100% of moms are perfect.
--That's right . . . EVERY SINGLE kid thought that their mom was perfect. They also thought their moms knew fashion better thanVictoria Beckham . . . could run the country better than current leaders . . . and are smarter than Albert Einstein.
--Here are the top five reasons why kids think their mom is perfect:
#1.) She's great at kissing and cuddling.
#2.) She makes you feel better when you're sick.
#3.) She can make you laugh.
#4.) She can bake.
#5.) She tells good stories.
Nominees for the MTV Movie Awards were announced yesterday, and "Django Unchained" and "Ted" lead the pack with SEVEN nominations each. "Silver Linings Playbook" has SIX, and "The Dark Knight Rises" got five. They're all up for Movie of the Year, along with "The Avengers". The show airs live April 14th.
According to a new study by Oxford University, men are more likely to think they're getting a good deal if the price is written in RED. When guys were asked to compare ads and price tags, they thought they were saving 85% more when the prices were written in red. Women knew there was no difference.
The average federal tax refund this year will be $2,803. Of the people who plan to SPEND whatever they get back, 30% will use it on everyday expenses . . . 23% will go on vacation . . . 16% will use it on clothes and shoes . . . and 15% will buy an iPad, TV, or other electronics.
5 Depressing Realities Behind Popular Reality TV Shows
Fast food workers are great at telling stories that will scare you off of some menu items FOREVER. But they can also use their knowledge for GOOD.
--A user on Reddit.com asked fast food workers what SECRET or UNDERRATED menu items people never order . . . but should. And a lot of these sound FANTASTIC. Here are eight highlights . . .
--Try ordering an Onion Ring and French Fry Omelet at IHOP.
--At Taco Bell, get a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, but ask them to make it with the Doritos Locos Taco shell inside.
--Little Caesars sells Italian cheese bread with a garlic cream cheese dipping sauce.
--Both Wendy's and Arby's will sell you a cup of melted cheese to dip your fries in.
--At McDonald's breakfast, order a Southern Style chicken sandwich, but instead of a bun, have it on McGriddles pancakes.
--For McDonald's dessert, try getting one of their Cinnamon Melts with ice cream on top.
--Subway workers recommend getting bacon on your tuna sub.
--At Starbucks, if you want a drink that tastes like Oreo, get a White Mocha Frappuccino with java chips and a scoop of vanilla bean.
Slid right of my driveway yesterday and almost tumbled down on to RT 8..Thanks to the guys from Bedard for bailing me out...it could have been real bad if they hadntbeen there to help me out! Watch our for the melting and refreezing!
What WILL the psychotic overprotective parents of America think of next? In their quest to ban, well, EVERYTHING, their latest target is . . . fortune cookies.
--Wonton Food in Brooklyn, New York is the biggest fortune cookie manufacturer in the world. And they say parents have complained to them about fortune cookie messages that talk about LOVE and ROMANCE.
--Apparently, parents are afraid to have their children read about falling in love. Because it's not appropriate. Or something.
--Wonton says they're going to get rid of fortunes like "One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes" . . . "The evening promises romantic interest" . . . and "A romantic mystery will soon add interest to your life."
--Derrick Wong is a vice president at Wonton. He says they pulled the fortunes because, quote, "We want to put messages inside our cookies that don't upset a single person. We don't want customers to have negative feelings."
--Wonton makes five million fortune cookies a day, and puts about 5,000 different fortunes in them.
According to a new study, the average person would save about 90 WASTED MINUTES every day if they organized themselves better with a to-do list. That adds up to an extra 23 days a year, which is enough time to watch 328 movies, eat 547 extra meals, or have sex at least 1,095 times. But that's not how you'd spend the time. Most people say they'd use it on housework or chores.
Facebook published some pretty interesting data this week in advance of the Super Bowl. They analyzed the 35 MILLION people in the U.S. who have "Liked" an NFL team, and used that to figure out what team every county in the U.S. is rooting for.
--Then, they broke it down to just the playoffs, to see who people started supporting once their own teams were eliminated.
--And finally, they broke it down to the Super Bowl, so you can see who your county is supporting on Sunday. It looks like most of the West and Midwest are going 49ers, and the South and Mid-Atlantic are mostly pulling for the Ravens.
We've got a list today of seven RIDICULOUS traffic laws that are REAL. At least Yahoo SAYS they're real. Sometimes it seems like these things only exist on the Internet, but they've been copied-and-pasted so many times people believe they're real.
--Anyway, let's not let our jaded skepticism ruin something this stupid. Here are seven U.S. traffic laws that are real, as far as we know:
#1.) If you're convicted of a DUI in New Jersey, you're permanently banned from getting a personalized vanity license plate.
#2.) It's illegal to ride a camel on the highway in Nevada.
#3.) It's illegal to drive barefoot in Alabama.
#4.) It's illegal to drive with a GORILLA in your backseat in Massachusetts.
#5.) If you tie an elephant to a parking meter in Florida, you have to pay the meter just like you would for a car.
#6.) It's illegal to wipe your car with USED UNDERWEAR in San Francisco.
#7.) It's illegal to drive NAKED in Sag Harbor, New York. (--Leave the sagging to the harbor, amiright? Hellloooo? ANYONE???)
Now that your company knows they can get in touch with you 24 hours a day . . . they DO. A new study found the average employee does an extra four hours and 51 minutes of work from home every week. And that adds up to about 30 extra work days a year . . . or a full EXTRA MONTH of work.
A guy in Australia decided to go prospecting for gold in a field people have been searching through for the last 162 years. He used a metal detector, kept at it . . . and on Wednesday, found a gold nugget that weighed TWELVE POUNDS. Since gold is currently more than $1,600 an ounce, his nugget is worth $300,000.
I bet that right now, in Washington, high-powered lobbyists from Big Deodorant are putting the squeeze on Congress to get this study suppressed.
--According to a new study out of the University of Bristol in England, about 2% of people don't need to wear deodorant. Because they have a gene that makes it so their underarms are ODORLESS.
--Only about 2% of people have the gene. The vast majority of them really don't need to wear deodorant. But 78% of them still wear it.
--About 95% of people who DO produce smells wear deodorant. Which means that 5% of them don't. And that, in a nutshell, explains why some days it's brutal to ride the bus.
--The researchers say you'd need a genetic test to determine if you're part of the odorless armpit group . . . but we're guessing you probably know already whether or not you're prone to B.O.
I keep looking at the results of this study, trying to figure out how it's going to turn out POORLY for SHORT MEN. Because it seems like EVERY study on height ends up making short men feel like garbage. But I'm just not seeing it here.
--Researchers from Groningen University in the Netherlands just released the results of a 19,000-person study on height and found some REALLY interesting results. Check it out . . .
--The average man is 5.5 inches taller than his wife or girlfriend.
--92.5% of couples have a taller man and 5% have a taller woman. The rest are the same height.
--The study found women like tall men, obviously . . . but don't like them TOO tall. Couples where the man is more than 10 inches taller than the woman are SO RARE that it's statistically significant . . . it can't be random.
--And obviously men who are below average in height prefer women who are below average in height. And women who are above average in height prefer men who are above average too.
OPRAH WINFREY went straight for the jugular in her interview with LANCE ARMSTRONG last night. She started with a round of rapid-fire questions that resulted in, really, all the answers we needed.
--In this little lightning round, we learned that Lance did indeed use performance-enhancing drugs to win ALL SEVEN of his Tour de France titles.
--Those drugs included erythropoietin . . . also known as EPO . . . testosterone, cortisone and human growth hormone. He also used "blood doping" and blood transfusions.
--And he admitted that he did not believe it would have been possible to win all those titles without doping.
--Asked why he's finally admitting all of this, Lance didn't really have a good answer. He said, quote, "That's the best question. It's the most logical question . . . I don't know that I have a great answer.
--"I will start my answer by saying that this is too late. It's too late for probably most people, and that's my fault. I viewed this situation as one big lie that I repeated a lot of times, and as you said, it wasn't as if I just said no and I moved off it."
(--Here's why he's coming clean in a nutshell: There's a FECAL TYPHOON heading his way, and he knows there's no way he can avoid it. So he's trying to get just enough ahead of it so it doesn't swallow him up completely.)
--Lance said he started taking drugs in the mid-1990s. But he claims he did it for the last time in 2005 . . . meaning he was clean during his comeback, when he did the Tour de France in 2009 and 2010. (--He didn't win either of those.)
--Lance said he didn't believe he was cheating at the time he was doping . . . quote, "I went and looked up the definition of cheat
--"And the definition is to gain an advantage on a rival or foe. I didn't view it that way. I viewed it as a level playing field."
--Yes, Lance played the "everybody else was doing it" card. He said, quote, "It's been well-documented. I didn't invent the culture, but I didn't try to stop the culture, and that's my mistake.
--"And that's what I have to be sorry for . . . and the sport is now paying the price because of that. So I am sorry for that. I don't think . . . I didn't have access to anything else that nobody else did."
--He also denied that he ran the most sophisticated doping operation in sports, as some have claimed. He said, quote, "It definitely was professional, and it was definitely smart, if you can call it that . . .
--"But to say that that program was bigger than the East German doping program in the '70s and '80s? That's not true."
--One thing Lance readily admitted to was that he ruined a lot of people who tried to call him out on his doping over the years. And he said he's trying to make amends.
--He said, quote, "When I say that there are people that will hear this and will never forgive me, I understand that. I do. I have started that process. I think all of this is a process for me.
--"One of the steps of that process is to speak to those people directly, and just say to them that I am sorry, and I was wrong. You were right."
--One of the people he has already spoken to personally is BETSY ANDREU, the wife of Armstrong's former teammate FRANKIE ANDREU. And while she hasn't quite forgiven him yet, he did set one thing straight with her.
--Apparently, she believed that he had called her, quote, "a fat, crazy [B-word]." But he says during their recent conversation, he told her, quote, "Listen, I called you crazy. I called you a [B-word], I called you all these things, but I never called you fat." (???)
--Lance also said he'd help clean up cycling if asked . . . and yes, he knows how hypocritical that sounds.
--He told Oprah, quote, "I disrespected the rules . . . that was my choice. But if we can, and I stand on no moral platform here, certainly not my place to say, 'Hey, guys, let's clean up cycling.'--"[But] if there was a truth and reconciliation commission . . . again, I can't call for that. I've got no cred . . . If they have it, and I'm invited, I'll be the first man at the door." (--Part 2 of this interview airs tonight on OWN.)
Well I am back from my Holiday Vacation and rested, feeling good and so happy to be back! It was a fun "O Wow Wednesday" heard alot from everyone about the old Walmart....
Larry and myself were talking about what they should do with the old Walmart in North Adams. when the new one opens up....What do you think they should use it for???
I'm not sure this is a shock, based on EVERY present you've ever gotten, but women tend to do a better job on wrapping than men. And EFFORT is the big reason.
--The average man wraps a present in less than one minute. The average woman spends THREE TIMES LONGER.
It's official: RUSH will FINALLY be joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. They were nominated for the first time earlier this year, after being eligible for 14 years.
--The other new inductees include: Heart, blues guitarist Albert King, Randy Newman, Donna Summer and Flavor Flav's hip-hop group, Public Enemy.
--Producers Lou Adler and Quincy Jones will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is given to non-performers.
--The ceremony will take place April 18th in Los Angeles. It'll air May 18th on HBO.
--Those who were nominated this year but did NOT get in are: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Chic, Kraftwerk and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band. (--These acts had also been nominated before.)
--The first-time nominees who didn't make it include: Procol Harum, The Marvelettes, The Meters, rappers N.W.A. and Deep Purple, who are probably the BIGGEST snub.
--Even though this was Deep Purple's first nomination, they've been eligible for 19 YEARS.
The idea of going shopping this weekend is HORRIBLE. The crowds are going to be in full force and it's going to get ugly. So wouldn't it be better to shop when places are WAY emptier . . . like tomorrow morning?
--In a new survey, one in seven people say they're considering FAKING A SICK DAY in the next two weeks to squeeze in their gift buying, or to wait for packages at home.
--About 20% of people surveyed say they haven't even STARTED their shopping yet.
Before you start randomly cramming ornaments on your tree and covering every green spot in either tinsel, fake snow, or both . . . you should really listen to this.
--A team of scientists at the University of Sheffield in England has figured out some mathematical formulas for the PERFECTLY DECORATED tree. Follow these four formulas to give your tree the most visual appeal.
--Number of ornaments. Figure out the height in inches, divide by two, and that's how many ornaments you want. (--So for a standard six-foot tree, which is 72 inches, you'd only want about 36 ornaments.)
--Amount of tinsel. Multiplythe height by five, and that's how many inches of tinsel you want. (--So for a six-foot tree, five times 72 inches is 360. That's 360 inches of tinsel, or 30 feet.)
--Amount of lights. Multiply the height by three, and that's how many inches of lights you want. (--So for a six-foot tree, three times 72 is 216. So you'd want 216 inches of lights, or about 18 feet.)
--Size of the star. Divide the height by 10, and that's how tall your star should be. (--So for a six-foot tree . . . divide 72 inches by 10 . . . and you want a star that's about seven inches tall.)
It's still pretty early in December. So we don't feel bad making you second guess the Christmas presents you've already bought.
--A new survey asked men and women to name their dream gifts, AND the gifts they hate the most. Here are the results . . . plan the rest of your shopping and frantic gift returning accordingly.
--The top five gifts women want the most:
#1.) Designer shoes.
#2.) A designer coat.
#3.) A pet.
#4.) A designer purse.
#5.) Jewelry.
--The five gifts women DON'T want:
#1.) Household items.
#2.) Gift cards.
#3.) Champagne.
#4.) A gym membership.
#5.) A kitchen appliance.
--The top five gifts MEN want the most:
#1.) Season tickets to their favorite sports team, preferably football.
#2.) An iPad.
#3.) An expensive watch.
#4.) A designer suit.
#5.) Gardening equipment.
--The five gifts men DON'T want:
#1.) A tie.
#2.) Socks.
#3.) A shirt.
#4.) A book.
#5.) Cufflinks.
Here's your EXCELLENT new defense the next time your wife or girlfriend catches you checking out another woman. Let her know you ALSO caught HER checking out the other woman . . . and that she was being even MORE creepy about it.
women spend more time checking out other women than men do.
--The researchers monitored men's and women's eye movement when they saw another woman. Men would quickly check out the woman top to bottom, and only take brief pauses in two spots: Her face and her breasts.
--Women would check out the woman for a longer amount of time AND pause for longer to look at her entire body.
--The researchers say it's obvious why women do it: They're VERY sensitive to any possible threat to their relationship, so they want to get a complete picture of any woman who might be that threat.
Forget about what you THINK you're attracted to in a woman. It turns out the number one quality that REALLY turns you on is . . . how much a woman LOOKS LIKE YOU.
--A study out of France took men's photos and digitally altered them to look like women's faces. Then they showed the men photos of women . . . and secretly included the altered photo.
--And the men were MUCH more likely to rate the women who looked like THEM as the most attractive.
--The researchers also analyzed photos of couples and found that they share more facial traits than two random people would.
--Their idea for why it happens is called homogamy. Most animal species prefer partners who are close to them genetically, and humans aren't immune to it either.
We've got a couple updates on the fate of TWINKIES today. One of which will make you happy, and one of which will fill you with incomprehensible rage. Because it's Friday, we'll go with the good news first.
--The Good News: Twinkies are DEFINITELY Going To Live On. Yesterday, in bankruptcy court, Hostess announced there are 110 POTENTIAL BUYERS for its brands. That includes five major supermarket chains.
--In other words, unless some company wins the bidding war for Twinkies just to shut them down forever, they WILL be back. A 110-company bidding war means someone's going to pay a LOT to make and sell Twinkies.
--The Bad News: Executive Greed in Your Face. The top executives of Hostess clearly ran the company into the ground.
--BUT . . . in bankruptcy court, the 19 top executives still had the INSANE CAJONES to ask that any sale of the company include money to pay them their BONUSES for 2012. Those bonuses? About $1.8 MILLION.
--Yep: They're fighting for their $1.8 million bonuses as their company's bankruptcy wiped out 18,000 jobs.
Just out of curiosity, what the HELL could possess a parent to name their child after a poorly-written S&M bondage novel?
--BabyCenter just released their list of the top baby names and baby naming trends for 2012. And idiotically, the characters from"Fifty Shades of Grey" are flying up the list.
--The name "Grey," after the character Christian Grey, jumped 18% for boys. The main female character's name, Anastasia, jumped10%. Her nickname Ana jumped 15%
--Those should be some great "Mommy, who was I named after?" conversations.
--People also decided to name babies after APPLE products this year. The name Mac jumped 12% for boys, the name Apple jumped 15% for girls, and worst of all, the name Siri jumped 5% for girls.
--The top name overall for girls in 2012 was Sophia. The rest of the top 10 are: Emma, Olivia, Isabella, Ava, Lily, Zoe, Chloe, Mia, and Madison.
--The top name overall for boys was Aiden. The rest of the top 10 are: Jackson, Ethan, Liam, Mason, Noah, Lucas, Jacob, Jayden, and Jack.
I guess we should be glad to see a survey turn out like this. Because even though the result SUCKS and will make most guys feel WORTHLESS . . . at least it's honest.--In a new survey, women said the biggest turn-on in a man is . . . HIS MONEY. The usual things that make these lists, like sense of humor and personality, didn't even crack the top five.
--After money, the rest of the top five are: Status, looks, trust, and dynamism. Which I didn't even know was a word.
--Women also named the five jobs that are the biggest turn-ons and, just like the other list, it's a mix of power, money, and status. The top five are: Entrepreneur, CEO, actor, banker, and lawyer.
No, this is not us doing a flashback, and reading a Christmas news story from 14 years ago.
--According to toy industry experts, one of the biggest toys this holiday season is . .
. The FURBY. Yes, the same creepy, talking Furby that the dia claimed kids loved back in the late '90s.
--Hasbro released an updated Furby this year . . . with less-creepy eyes . . . and of course, a companion iPhone app. And even though the Furbys are absurdly priced at $54 and up, they're already sold out at Walmart and running low on Amazon.
--But do your kids actually WANT this? You should probably ask them before you go get into a brawl with another parent over the last Furby at Toys "R" Us tonight.
Here's some advice to any men listening right now. Pay VERY close attention to this list, then go home and figure out all the answers. Because your wife could be listening too, and you WILL be quizzed . . . and judged.
--A new survey has figured out the top 15 things most men don't know about their wives. Some of these make sense, some don't. But either way, you should really know all of them, and soon. Here's the list.
#1.) Her cell phone number. 54% of men don't know it.
#2.) Her favorite song, 54%.
#3.) Bra size, 39%.
#4.) The specific date you met, 35%.
#5.) Favorite perfume, 34%.
#6.) Where she went to school, 28%.
#7.) Her favorite clothing store, 24%.
#8.) Shoe size, 23%.
#9.) Dress size, 23%.
#10.) Underwear size, 20%.
#11.) Who she considers her best friend, 20%.
#12.) Her allergies, 20%.
#13.) HER BIRTHDAY, 12%. That's about one in eight, by the way.
#14.) Her natural hair color, 11%.
#15.) Her official job title, 10%.
--The survey also found that more than three-quarters of men think their wife would know ALL of those details about them.
The Oxford Dictionary Online adds new words every three months . . . and the list that they're adding in the last quarter of this year is heavy on slang terms and technical jargon. Here are 10 of the newest words in the dictionary:
#1.) 4G: It stands for "fourth generation" and is a standard for cell-phone coverage that is . . . better than 3G.
#2.) LTE: It's an abbreviation for "Long Term Evolution" . . . and it's also a type of cell-phone coverage.
#3.) Dance-off: A competition between two or more dancers to see which one is eliminated . . . usually from a reality show. (--Somehow, "pants-off dance-off" didn't make the cut.)
#4.) Deets: An extremely annoying abbreviation of the word "details" . . . as in, quote, "How was the first date? Give me all the deets."
#5.) Boyf: According to the dictionary people, it's an abbreviation of "boyfriend".
#6.) First-world problems: This was popular on Twitter for awhile. People would list problems that are minor compared to starvation and war . . . like not being able to get cell phone reception while sitting courtside at a game.
#7.) Veepstakes: This is one of those terms invented by newspaper writers and talking heads on TV . . . and isn't actually used in normal conversation. It's the race to be chosen as a vice-presidential candidate.
#8.) Stressy: It's the way someone acts when they're under a lot of stress . . . as in, "She always gets stressy when she's about to break up with a guy."
#9.) Forumite: This is someone who posts a lot in an Internet forum.
#10.) Big data: This is the industry that collects and analyzes data . . . kind of like "big tobacco", only with computer nerds.
Remember this when your wife tells you, "No, you don't have to come to my company Christmas party this year." Yeah . . . that means she's going to make out with one of the stock boys.
--According to a new survey, married women are more likely to kiss someone at a company Christmas party than married men.
--48% of single men say they've kissed a married female coworker at the office party. Only 22% of single women have kissed a married male coworker.
--Which either means married women are more likely to make out with their coworkers than married men . . . or men are more willing than women to ADMIT they kissed someone who was married.
--The survey also found that four out of five coworkers who hook up at the Christmas party end up turning it into a one-time or short-term thing. Only about one in five end in relationships.
Here are ten random facts about Thanksgiving. You're welcome . . .
#1.) The first Thanksgiving featured shrimp and deer, but no turkey. There's no evidence the Pilgrims ate turkey at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. A journal says they did eat "wild fowl" . . . but that probably means duck or goose.
#2.) Four women prepared the entire first Thanksgiving. Yes, four women cooked dinner for about 140 people
#3.) Thanksgiving wasn't a public holiday until Lincoln. In the middle of the Civil War, in 1863, Lincoln made Thanksgiving a public holiday. before that, presidents could either declare it a holiday or not.
#4.) The first three Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parades featured live animals. From 1924 through 1926, they borrowed animals from the Central Park Zoo. In 1927, Felix the Cat became the first balloon.
#5.) There wasn't pumpkin pie until the SECOND Thanksgiving. At the first Thanksgiving, butter, flour, and sugar were too scarce. For the second Thanksgiving, the Pilgrims decided those were worth the investment.
#6.) The Detroit Lions are the reason for football on Thanksgiving. In 1934, the Lions owner decided he needed to do some CRAZY STUNTS to get Detroit fans to care about the Lions as much as they cared about the Tigers.
--So he scheduled a game for Thanksgiving . . . and it was a huge success. They've played every Thanksgiving since, except the ones during World War Two.
#7.) Green bean casserole didn't exist until 1955. It was created by the people at Campbell's Soup to try to figure out a way to sell more cream of mushroom soup. Now, they sell at least $20 MILLION worth every Thanksgiving.
#8.) Tonight is the single biggest day for bar sales in the U.S. Everyone's back in their hometown, and everyone's getting drunk. It even beats St. Patrick's Day, because people don't just target Irish bars tonight. They'll drink anywhere.
#9.) Turkey is a bad source of tryptophan. You fall asleep after Thanksgiving dinner because you're full and kinda drunk, not because of the turkey. Turkey has less tryptophan than egg whites, cod, soy, cheddar cheese, pork, and chicken.
#10.) Tons of people are going to restaurants tomorrow. About 14 million Americans will eat Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant tomorrow night instead of at home.
There will be an all-star Hurricane Sandy benefit concert at New York City's Madison Square Garden next month.
--The performers include: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, The Who, Billy Joel, Kanye West, Alicia Keys, Roger Waters and Jon Bon Jovi. More performers will be announced later.
--The concert is being called "12.12.12" . . . because that's the day it's happening on, December 12th, 2012. The concert will also be telecast, but the details for that haven't been announced yet.
Yesterday, the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York announced its new inductees for 2012. And only two toys made the cut.
--They are . . . Dominoes, and "Star Wars" action figures. Dominoes have been around since 1300s China . . . "Star Wars" action figures debuted in the late 1970s.
--There were 10 other toys up for consideration this year that didn't make the cut.
--They include board games like Clue and Twister . . . Simon . . . the Magic 8-Ball . . . the Fisher-Price corn popper . . . the Lite-Brite . . . little green army men . . . the pogo stick . . . sidewalk chalk . . . and the tea set.
--Toys are voted into the Hall of Fame based on four criteria: Popularity, how much they encourage creativity, how much they encourage learning, and their appeal to multiple generations.
--Last year there were three inductees: Hot Wheels, the dollhouse, and the blanket.
To see more on the TOY HALL OF FAME http://www.toyhalloffame.org/toys
That line between being an A student and being a C student is SO DAMN CLOSE. Close enough that if you just crack down on your kid's TV time a little, you might be able to transform them almost overnight.
--A new study out of Indiana University in Bloomington found that the difference between students getting A's or A-minuses, and a C-plus or lower is . . . four hours of studying a week. THAT'S IT.
TUESDAY
* The average couple owns a mattress for 10 years. And a new study tried to figure out exactly what happens on that bed over the course of the decade. Here's what the average bed experiences . . .
--48 days of watching TV.
--720 arguments.
--480 sex sessions. (--That's 48 per year, or four per month.)
--39 hours on the phone.
--70 days on laptops and phones.
--4,160 kisses.
--240 books read.
--And finally, only two years and eight months of sleep. (--That's an average of around six-and-a-half hours of sleep per day. Some days you'll get more . . . sometimes you'll be on vacation or sleep on the couch and get zero on the bed.)
* Nagging has got to be the most UNPRODUCTIVE thing we do. It's arguably more productive to lie on the couch for 72 straight hours . . . because at least you're not making someone angry in the process.
--According to a new survey, more than HALF of couples say that nagging is a problem in their relationship.
--The top three things people nag each other about are . . .
#1.) Not getting enough attention.
#2.) Housework.
#3.) Picking up things that you drop around the house, like socks or wet towels.
--The survey also found the main way couples resolve fights is apologizing and moving on. Number two is taking time to cool off . . . three is sweeping it under the rug . . . and fourth is just having MAKE-UP SEX to get over it.
* We don't know if this study is accurate, but it's generating a lot of controversy and it makes a pretty bold statement. But even if there's just a CHANCE it's accurate . . . it might be the best reason YET not to hit your kids.
--According to a study in the "Journal of Behavioral Medicine" from Plymouth University in the U.K., spanking or hitting your kids increases their chance of GETTING CANCER.
--The researchers found that children who were hit by their parents once a month or more were 70% more likely to develop cancer than other children. They're also 30% more likely to develop heart disease.
--The theory here is that physical punishment leads to a more STRESSFUL childhood. And that stress early in life can take a toll on the body.
--But the study is generating a lot of controversy. People who are skeptical say there could be other factors involved . . . like health, money, and education . . . that the researchers didn't account for.
MONDAY
If the ridiculously-early start to the holiday season is making you panic . . . we can't tell you what to buy. But we CAN tell you what NOT to buy.
--In a new survey, women ranked the worst gifts that men buy . . . and men ranked the worst gifts that women buy.
--And clearly people need these lists. Because the study found more than HALF of women and about one in five men say they've opened a present from their significant other, and wondered what the hell they were thinking.
--The survey also found about one in six couples have gotten into a MASSIVE FIGHT over a present . . . and one in 20 have actually BROKEN UP over a bad present. So here's what NOT to buy . . .
The Ten Gifts Men Should Never Buy For Women:
#1.) Underwear.
#2.) Toiletries and cosmetics.
#3.) Perfume, because men never quite pick the right scent.
#4.) Kitchen utensils.
#5.) Cheap jewelry.
#6.) Chocolates.
#7.) Shoes or slippers.
#8.) A vacuum cleaner.
#9.) Flowers.
#10.) Exercise clothes, a workout DVD, or anything else that suggests she NEEDS to work out.
--A few other things that just missed the top 10 are ADULT TOYS, anti-aging products, and luggage.
The Ten Gifts Women Should Never Buy For Men:
#1.) Clothes.
#2.) Gadgets, because women never quite get the exact thing a guy wants.
#3.) A man bag.
#4.) Stuffed animals.
#5.) Shoes.
#6.) Jewelry.
#7.) Chocolates.
#8.) A meal out.
#9.) Aftershave.
#10.) A framed photo.
* There's a time and a place for wearing something SEXY to bed. And that place is . . . in your fantasies. Because apparently it never happens in real life.
--According to a new survey, only 8% of women say they ever wear something SEXY to bed. That doesn't mean they NEVER wear lingerie . . . they just don't wear it when they actually want to go to sleep.
--The survey also found that TWO-THIRDS of both men and women say they don't like sleeping naked. And only 15% of people say they regularly sleep naked.
* The big political scandal over the weekend was that 60-year-old CIA Director DAVID PETRAEUS had to resign over an affair. Here are the six things you need to know . . .
#1.) Petraeus has been married for 38 years, and is the former four-star Army general who commanded the multi-national force in Iraq and Afghanistan. He retired from the Army last August, and has been the head of the CIA since last September.
#2.) Sometime earlier this year, he was working with a 40-year-old author named PAULA BROADWELL on his biography, and they started having an affair. Paula is married with kids as well . . . and as of now, both are still married.
--The title of the book takes on a whole new double entendre now that we know what we know . . . it's called "All In".
#3.) Very few specifics about the affair have come out, but we do know David wrote one email about having sex under his desk.
#4.) The affair came out because Paula got JEALOUS of another woman. That woman was 37-year-old Jill Kelley of Tampa, Florida. It's not clear whether she was just a friend of David's, or if he was having an affair with her TOO.
--We do know that Paula considered her a THREAT, and was sending her CRAZY EMAILS. Jill eventually went to the FBI because she FEARED FOR HER LIFE. And they launched an investigation, which uncovered David's affair with Paula.
#5.) The whole thing became a major election night issue for PRESIDENT OBAMA. Last Tuesday he got the first word about David's affair WHILE he was waiting to find out if he'd beat MITT ROMNEY.
--So Obama had Petraeus come to the White House on Thursday, and offered him the chance to resign. We get the feeling it wasn't really a choice, so Petraeus took it and resigned.
#6.) There's ALSO an investigation into whether he granted Paula access to classified emails, and other extremely sensitive files. Both of them could be looking at federal charges.
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