ARE YOU A SHOP-A-HOLIC? TAKE THE TEST

9% OF AMERICANS ARE SHOPAHOLICS (ARE YOU ONE OF THEM???):

A recent survey found that 9% of Americans . . . are shopaholics. So that begs the question: Are you one of them?

--Well we tracked down a handy little test that can help you determine whether or not you are what would technically be considered a compulsive buyer. (Live Science)

(--You can take the shopaholic test here . . .)
http://www.livescience.com/culture/080922-shopaholic-test.html

HEALTH CARE TIPS

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS TO HELP YOU SAVE MONEY ON HEALTH CARE:

You're probably well aware that the economy is in the toilet right now. But just because things are a little tighter at home . . . that doesn't mean you should skimp on health care. --That said, we tracked down an article on CNN.com with all kinds of good tips for saving money on health care. (--For example, the article has suggestions for saving money on dental care, contact lenses and prescription drugs. Seriously, if you're looking to save some money . . . you should take a look.)(CNN) --Check out this article here . . .) http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/09/25/ep.cutting.health.costs/index.html

CALM DOWN

***FIVE WAYS TO CALM HER DOWN***

Disagreements are inevitable in any relationship. The key is to get through them and minimize the damage. So here are five things guys can do to make sure fights don't turn into all-out car destroying wars. . .

#1.) DON'T GET LOUD. Yelling makes things SO much worse. If you get caught up in your emotions during an argument, you've lost the ability to think things through. Try to remain calm and remember that SHE doesn't control when YOU get angry. You do.

#2.) DON'T CITE THE FACTS. Men generally try to win arguments by citing facts. But women couldn't care less. They'll just assume you're not really listening to what they're saying . . . so try to remember that FACTS won't change how she feels.

#3.) OWN UP. If you're in the wrong, admit it. Don't prolong a fight just because you want to be RIGHT.

#4.) REMEMBER, YOU CAN'T FIX EVERYTHING. When there's a problem, men usually want to fix it as quickly as possible. But remember, sometimes she's looking for emotional support, not a quick fix.

#5.) TAKE A STEP BACK. You don't have to agree with her, but try to remember that you do respect her. Acknowledge that her emotions are real, and stay focused on what SHE'S feeling. (MensHealth.com)

THE TOP 10 WORST

THE TOP 10 WORST SONGS TO HIT #1 ON THE CHARTS:

Everyone knows that some pretty SILLY songs have somehow managed to hit #1 on the charts over the years . . . and because of that, they'll probably never completely fade away to take their rightful place in obscurity.

--Some dude at Spike.com has put together a list of The Top 10 Worst Songs That Hit #1. And in a sheer stroke of genius, he topped the list with JAMES BLUNT'S abomination, "You're Beautiful". (--For what it's worth, all ten songs were released in the past 20 years. That either says something about the age of the guy who did the list . . . or it says something about the quality of the "hits" over the past two decades. I vote for the latter.)

--Here's the list:

#10.) "Never Gonna Give You Up", RICK ASTLEY (1988)

#9.) "Batdance", PRINCE (1989) (--It was on the "Batman" soundtrack.)

#8.) "Don't Worry, Be Happy", BOBBY MCFERRIN (1988)

#7.) "I Want It That Way", The BACKSTREET BOYS (1999)

#6.) "I'm Too Sexy", RIGHT SAID FRED (1992)

#5.) "Bad Day", DANIEL POWTER (2006)

#4.) "Who Let the Dogs Out?", BAHA MEN (2000)

#3.) "Wannabe", The SPICE GIRLS (1997)

#2.) "Macarena", LOS DEL RIO (1995)

#1.) "You're Beautiful", JAMES BLUNT (2005)

(--You can read Spike.com's explanations for including each song . . . as if that's even necessary . . . at the link below. It also features the songs' music videos.)
http://www.spike.com/blog/top-10-worst-songs/68721

(--Oops! You've just been Rick Roll'd!!! If you don't know what that means, then you're not up on the latest INTERNET SENSATION.)

(--"Rick Rolling" is when you give somebody a link to something . . . but it doesn't really lead to what they think it does. Instead, when they click on it, they are magically transported to Rick Astley's BRILLIANT video for "Never Gonna Give You Up"!!!)

(--Anyway, here's the REAL link to the REAL list. And by the way . . . Don't make me Rick Roll you again, because I will . . . )

http://www.spike.com/blog/top-10-worst-songs/68721

SAVED BY THE BELL TURNS 20

MARIO LOPEZ AND MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR TALK ABOUT THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF "SAVED BY THE BELL":

This fall, "Saved by the Bell" is celebrating its 20th anniversary. And "Extra" host . . . and former "Saved by the Bell" star . . . MARIO LOPEZ is paying tribute to the show . . . by interviewing his former co-star MARK-PAUL GOSSELAAR.

--Naturally, Mario's interview will take place on "Extra" . . . and it'll air TOMORROW. Here are a few "highlights" that were released to promote the interview . . .

--Mark . . . who still enjoys watching "Saved by the Bell" with his wife and four-year-old son . . . says the show's popularity amazes him. He says, "We never thought the show was going to get picked up. --"It's cool now to watch 'Saved by the Bell' . . . it's become an icon." Mario adds, "The crazy thing is, I think it's a bigger phenomenon now that it's ever been.

--"I find it very bizarre that so many guys give it so much attention, because in college it has a cult following. It's like, 'Oh, man. I played drinking games to you! Every time you say, 'Preppy', I do a shot.' I quite don't know how to react."

--Mark also admits that there WAS a little romance between some of the show's stars. He says, "We kind of dated [the female cast members] in a way . . . but it was an innocent way of dating."

(--Technically, this is the 20th anniversary of "Good Morning, Miss Bliss", the one-season series that lead into "Saved by the Bell". Mark was on that show . . . but Mario didn't come onboard until the next year, when the name was changed to "Saved by the Bell".)

- Still, I can't remember a Saturday morning when I didn't wake up early to watch the whole gang get into shannagans!! Loved the show! Still watch it in re-runs! -- Nazzy

CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP

BLEACHED BLONDES HAVE THE MOST FUN:

It seems like every few months, a new study comes out which attempts to answer the question: "Do blondes really have more fun?"

-Anyway, on Tuesday, researchers from Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom added their two cents and announced that blondes actually DO have more fun . . . especially when they're BLEACHED blondes. Why?

Basically, what the researchers found is that women who dye their hair are happier & more confident than women who keep their natural color.

Now, stick with me here . . . Since earlier studies have found that blondes get the most attention from men, and this study found that women who dye their hair are happier than women who don't . . . it stands to reason that women who dye their hair blonde actually have the MOST fun. (Daily Star)

THATS A LOT OF LOOT

$700 BILLION COULD BUY 400 SPACE SHUTTLES (AND SEVEN OTHER THINGS YOU COULD DO WITH THE WALL STREET BAILOUT):

You might know that recently, the federal government unveiled a new plan to bail out the financial industry . . . by purchasing $700 BILLION worth of unwanted mortgages and mortgage-backed securities.

--Anyway, we came up with a list of things you could do with $700 BILLION . . . to give you some perspective on just how much money that really is.

So, for $700 BILLION you could . . .

#1.) Buy 3.5 BILLION iPhones.

#2.) Purchase 233,333 Super Bowl ads.

#3.) Get 56,000 diamond and ruby-encrusted bras at Victoria's Secret.

#4.) Make fun of BILL GATES . . . for being 12 TIMES poorer than you.

#5.) Buy 400 space shuttles.

#6.) Own the entire country of Denmark . . . TWICE. (--Based on a GDP of $311 BILLION.)

#7.) Or, you could just cut every American a check for $2,303.96.

(Network World)

IS IT TIME TO STEP IN?

***WHEN PARENTS SHOULD . . . AND SHOULDN'T . . . HELP THEIR KIDS***

It's hard being a parent. Most of the time, you'll do anything to make your kids happy. So when something goes wrong, you want to fix it, right?

Well, sometimes you do need to step in . . . but not ALWAYS. Sometimes you have to let your kids figure things out by themselves. So, here's a little guidance on when you should and SHOULDN'T save the day . . .

#1.) YOUR KINDERGARTENER FORGOT ABOUT SHOW-AND-TELL. It's okay to run home and get their toy the first few times . . . but if your child keeps doing it, let them be disappointed. They need to learn about CONSEQUENCES.

#2.) YOUR FOUR-YEAR-OLD IS BEING EXCLUDED. When YOUNG kids aren't including your child on the playground or in the sandbox, it's okay to intervene.

--But, if you don't want to step in just yet, try telling your child how to handle the situation, and see if they can work it out on their own.

#3.) YOUR HIGH SCHOOLER IS BEING HARRASSED. There's a difference between being picked-on and being harassed . . . but if your child tells you they're having trouble with kids at school, make sure the situation is handled by an ADULT.

#4.) YOUR CHILD IS STRUGGLING IN THE "REAL WORLD". When you're child FINALLY heads out into the real world, it can be hard for them to adapt. So don't be surprised when they call on you to help pay the rent.

--Help them get on their feet if you can, but make sure they don't rely on you EVERY month. If they keep having trouble, sit down with them and figure out a budget. (CNN)

NOT THIS TIME MR. BOND

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, JAMES BOND WILL NOT INTRODUCE HIMSELF AS "BOND, JAMES BOND" IN THE UPCOMING MOVIE:

If you thought "Casino Royale" lacked the spirit of a true James Bond flick, then you're really going to be disappointed with the sequel, "Quantum of Solace". Director Marc Forster has banned two classic Bond quotes from the movie. For the first time in 22 flicks, Bond will not introduce himself as, "Bond, James Bond" . . . and he won't ask for a martini "shaken, not stirred".

Forster says there WAS a "Bond, James Bond" in the script, and they shot DANIEL CRAIG saying it in a few different places . . . but it just never seemed like it fit. He says, "It's nice to be open-minded about the Bond formula. You can always go back to them later on."--Some Bond experts, by the way, say that Daniel Craig's James Bond is actually closer to the version in the books by author IAN FLEMING . . . which the movie franchise strayed from. For instance, the beloved movie character Q and Moneypenny were cut out of "Casino Royale" . . . but while they were pretty much constants in the Bond movies, they only appeared in the books once or twice.-

-Similarly, the "Bond, James Bond" thing or the martini line were used in the movies a lot more than they were in the books. (--Whether you prefer this Bond or not, "Quantum of Solace" hits theaters in November.) Can't wait!

PARENTS MOVING IN WITH THEIR KIDS

THE NUMBER OF PARENTS WHO'VE MOVED IN WITH THEIR KIDS IS UP BY 67%:

It's not that uncommon for young adults to move back in with their parents after they graduate from college. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the latest trend . . . is for parents to move in with their kids.

Since 2000, the number of parents who've moved in with their kids has increased . . . by 67%. -Now, maybe you're thinking, "Well, yeah, a lot of parents move in with their kids when they get too old to take care of themselves. It's not that big of a deal." But that doesn't seem to be what's happening because, overall, the number of parents who are UNDER the age of 65 who've moved in with their kids . . . is up by 75%. (CNN)

So what can we attribute this to? Well, part of it probably has to do with the slumping economy. But another factor is that parents and kids are closer now than they used to be . . . partially because of the high divorce figures. In other words, there are all kinds of single, aging parents out there who desperately want to be near their kids. But, a few decades ago, it wasn't as important to be so close to their kids . . . because they had their spouse.

LOW STREES JOBS

HERE'S A LIST OF LOW-STRESS JOBS YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER:

Are you sick of always feeling stressed out at work? If so, maybe you should think about switching to a less-stressful line of work. --Here are a few low-stress jobs that you might want to consider:

#1.) Mathematician. The downside is that you have to be good at math. But if you are, you can go back to school, pick up your Ph.D., and earn an average salary of nearly $87,000 a year . . . just to mess around with mathematical theories.

#2.) Archivist. The job is similar to what a librarian does, but instead of dealing with books, you're dealing with records. The work is consistent and predictable . . . and the average salary is nearly $41,000.

#3.) Foresters and Conservation Scientists. Look at it this way . . . you'll probably have to put out a few small fires and deal with an occasional mean camper. But you get to work outdoors . . . and you'll earn around $55,000 a year.

#4.) Travel Agents. OK, so travel agents only make around $30,000 a year . . . but the hours are flexible and, since you're helping people plan their vacation, they'll probably be nice to you most of the time. (Yahoo HotJobs)

(--While we're on the topic of careers, we found a list of unusual jobs listed from "A" . . . Autopsy assistant . . . to "Z" . . . Zamboni driver. You can check that out here . . .)
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/09-23-2008/0004890464&EDATE

====================================================================

HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR HOW TO HANDLE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS:

I don't know about you, but when I get stressed out . . . I go just a little bit crazy. Anyway, I found an article that has some tips on how to handle 14 stressful situations (--like if you lose your job, witness a crime or get bad medical news) . . . so that your response doesn't make things worse. (CNN)

http://cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/09/23/rs.first.reponse.to.events/index.html

SHARPIE ART

Take a look at this 360 degree view of a basement that was decorated by a man who only used $10 worth of Sharpies. - I did something very similar when I was young, only it was with Crayons and my mom wasn't too happy with me!


http://www.kentucky.com/181/story/532854.html

But Nazzy, I LOVE David Blaine!

Hi it's Gabrielle. I've adored David Blaine for years and I'm always incredibly amazed at his seemingly impossible / ridiculous / uncomfortable stunts!

But even before he began to do these televised feats, I thought he was super cool. I'm equating my adoration for him to that feeling you have when you've discovered a band before they make it big.

So, I'll be watching Wednesday night to see what happens to him!

DAVID BLAINE OUT TO SET ANOTHER RECORD

Alleged "magician" DAVID BLAINE is currently hanging by his feet in New York's Central Park. He went up Monday (9/22) at 8:30 A.M., and he'll stay up there for THREE DAYS without food. --This latest stunt will culminate with a two-hour ABC special Thursday night. KELLY RIPA "hung out", if you'll pardon the pun, with David for a while after he got into position.

My question: WHY???

What do you think of his latest stunt? Is it entertaining or just plain dangerious for no reason? -- Nazzy

IS YOUR CAR UGLY?

HERE'S A LIST OF WHAT MAY BE THE SEVEN UGLIEST CARS OF ALL TIME:

Are you a car guy? If so, you should check out this list of what just may be the SEVEN ugliest cars . . . to ever roll off an assembly line. (Spike) (--Take a look at the list here . . .)

http://www.spike.com/blog/seven-ugliest-cars/68678

OWN THE FUTURE PREZIDENT ON YOUR FINGER

WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR VERY OWN PRESIDENTIAL FINGER PUPPETS???

Would you like to stage your own presidential debate . . . using paper finger puppets? If so, you're in luck . . .

--We found a website where you can download paper cutouts of the OBAMAS and the MCCAINS . . . which you can fold into finger puppets. (Reddit)

(--You can download your presidential finger puppets here . . .)http://folduscandidate.com/

And while we are on politics.. Take a look at this homeless guy, who's very creative. He's got a sign that says, quote, "I'm like Obama. I want change"

PLEASE DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME

Watch this guy hang on to a bulldozer claw as it swings him around and tosses him into a pond.

It may look like fun, but "Please don't try this at home!" - Nazzy

PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK

***HOW TO STOP LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK***

If you're finding it hard to make ends meet, you're not alone. A lot of people are living paycheck to paycheck . . . in fact, a recent survey shows that 21% of people who make over $100,000 a year are living paycheck to paycheck too.

--But sometimes OVERSPENDING is to blame, not the economy. So here are four ways to break the cycle and keep a little extra in the bank each month . . .

#1.) FOLLOW YOUR MONEY. To cut your expenses, you need to know EXACTLY what they are. Make a spreadsheet of your bills, or track your spending online. Once you know where your money goes each month, you can decide how to cut your budget.

#2.) SAVE MORE AUTOMATICALLY. If you're contributing to a 401K or a retirement account, that's great. But set up a savings account too, and automatically have part of your paycheck deposited there.

#3.) DOWNSIZE. It's easy to overspend if you're worried about impressing people all the time. Just remember, your neighbors might have a nicer car than you, but they also probably have a MUCH bigger car loan to pay back. --Living modestly now will pay off later . . . so be proud of yourself for making responsible decisions.

#4.) DON'T RELY ON CREDIT CARDS. It might sound obvious, but make sure you remember it. Credit should be for emergencies, so don't get into the habit of spending more than you have, or you might be living paycheck to paycheck for A LOT longer. (CNBC.com)

THE LAST HOUSE STANDING

ONLY *ONE* HOUSE SURVIVED HURRICANE IKE IN THIS GALVESTON NEIGHBORHOOD:

You have to see this picture. It's so messed up that it looks fake . . . but it's not. It's a neighborhood in Galveston, Texas, where Hurricane Ike hit hardest last week. It shows a lone house with nothing around it but utter devastation.

The house belongs to Pam and Warren Adams, who built it in February 2006 after their first home was destroyed by Hurricane Rita. They asked the contractor to build a house that could withstand a Category 5 hurricane. Looks like it did. (iReport.com)

GO TO BED

***FIVE TIPS FOR GETTING THE KIDS TO BED ON TIME***

Children need a sleep schedule to make sure they're rested for school, sports, and day-to-day activities. But try explaining that to a 6-year-old who wants to stay up. Well, here are five tips to get those kids to bed . . .

#1.) DON'T SERVE DINNER LATE. Feeding your kids right before bedtime gives them more energy to stay awake, AND it's bad for their bodies. Try to eat dinner a few hours before bedtime so your kids can metabolize the food before it's time to fall asleep.

#2.) SET A CONSISTENT BEDTIME. A good bedtime for young kids is 8 o'clock. Whatever time you choose, make sure you're CONSISTENT, so you don't mess with their internal clocks.

#3.) AVOID LATE ACTIVITIES. Try not to plan activities . . . especially physical ones . . . right before bed, or you risk missing bedtime and having to deal with a sleep-deprived child the next day.

#4.) GIVE THEM A BATH. Taking a bath an hour before bedtime can help your kids relax, AND it should make them sleepy too. It's also a good way to divide PLAYTIME and BEDTIME.

#5.) DON'T LEAVE THE TV ON. Letting your kids fall asleep with the TV on keeps them up, and creates a bad habit that can follow them into adulthood. Instead, play some light music or read to them. OR, if they're old enough, encourage THEM to read. (eHow.com)

WEIRD SCULPTURE

A KID MADE A SCULPTURE OUT OF GUM . . . THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN CHEWED:

Check out this sculpture by a 17-year-old British boy named Ally Rosenberg. --He assembled 50 classmates in his school library . . . had them chew up a thousand pieces of gum . . . and then mixed it together to make the flesh-like skin for the bust of an old woman's head. FREAKY LOOKIN'!!!!!!