BLASTS FROM THE PAST

RON HOWARD, ANDY GRIFFITH AND HENRY WINKLER JUMPED BACK INTO THEIR OLD TV CHARACTERS TO PITCH FOR BARACK OBAMA:

If you're one of those people who tune out as soon as celebrities start talking politics, you're probably doing the right thing. But there's a video out there now featuring celebrities talking politics, and it's worth watching, just for the entertainment value.

It features RON HOWARD, ANDY GRIFFITH and HENRY WINKLER stumping for BARACK OBAMA. But they do it in a really cool way. First, Ron and Andy do a little skit as Opie and Andy, their characters from "The Andy Griffith Show". Ron even shaves his beard, puts on a wig and wears a shirt just like one of Opie's. He and Andy talk politics at the fishin' hole.

Then, Ron transforms into Richie Cunningham from "Happy Days" . . . and interacts with Henry Winkler's Fonzie. (--Andy and Henry do look a little past their primes, but it's amazing how Ron Howard, with a clean-shaven face and a wig, can still pull off Richie, and doesn't even look that bad as Opie.)

(--This guy's got some anti-aging secrets he needs to share with the rest of us. Anyway, here's the video . . .) http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/cc65ed650d

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

FERRELL RETUNS

WILL FERRELL RETURNED TO "SNL" LAST NIGHT . . . SO THAT PRESIDENT BUSH COULD MEET SARAH PALIN:

"Saturday Night Live" did another one of their prime-time special 'election' editions of Weekend Update last night . . . and WILL FERRELL returned to do his impersonation of PRESIDENT BUSH. And yes, he met up with TINA FEY as SARAH PALIN.

Since the skit brought together the show's two most popular political impersonations in recent history, expectations were pretty high. It started out as a presidential address from the Oval Office. When Tina Fey showed up, they discussed who was more folksy, plus Will Ferrell described how the Vice President was actually more powerful than the president.

You can check out the VERY FUNNY skit yourself, here . . .)

http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/video/clips/update-thursday-bush-endorsement/783981/

DRUG SNIFFING DOGS FOR HIRE

IF YOU'RE WORRIED YOUR KIDS ARE USING DRUGS, WHY NOT RENT A DRUG-SNIFFING DOG???

Parents . . . are you worried that your kids might be using drugs? If so, you might want to find out for sure . . . by renting a drug-sniffing dog. Seriously. There's a company in New Jersey . . . called Sniff Dogs . . . that rents out retired drug-sniffing police dogs, which have been trained to detect marijuana, cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, methamphetamine and Xanax .

According to the Sniff Dogs website, "Sniff Dogs is a discreet way for employers and parents to determine if their workplace or residence is drug-free. Sniff Dogs is not affiliated with any governmental entity or law enforcement agency . . . [and] both the visit and the outcome are totally confidential." (ABC News) (--You can hire a drug-sniffing dog to snoop on your kids here . . .)http://www.sniffdogs.com/

(--This reminds me of that recent anti-drug commercial. You know the one I'm talking about? A mom gets a drug dog to bust her kids . . . only it doesn't work. - Check it out)

LOST TRAILER FOUND

CHECK OUT THE TRAILER FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON OF "LOST":

A trailer for the fifth season of "Lost" has hit the Internet. If you're interested in getting a sneak peek at the events that won't be explained this season, here you go . .

DISAPPOINTING HALLOWEEN CANDY

HERE'S A LIST OF THE TEN MOST DISAPPOINTING HALLOWEEN TREATS:

Well, Halloween is a week from tomorrow. With that in mind, here's a list of the TEN most disappointing Halloween treats for trick-or-treaters.
(--Or you can think of it as the ten items most likely to get your house egged or TP'd.)

#10.) Fun-sized candy bars (--You know what I'm talking about here . . . the really, really tiny, one-bite candy bars.)
#9.) Laffy Taffy
#8.) Miscellaneous wrapped hard candy (--Like those stupid strawberry things, or butterscotch candies, or those mints you get at TGI Fridays on your way out the door.)
#7.) Tootsie Rolls
#6.) Apples?? (What, who does this!!)
#5.) Dum Dum Lollipops (--These are like the red-headed stepchild of lollipops. What's the point?)
#4.) Smarties . . . and especially Necco Wafers
#3.) Candy Corn
#2.) Raisins
#1.) Toothbrushes (Yahoo Food)

THATS JUST CREEPY

WOULD YOU PAY $65 TO HAVE A BUNCH OF SNAKES SLITHER AROUND ON YOUR BACK???

This is going to sound made up, but I promise you . . . it's not. --There's a beauty spa in Talmei Elazar, Israel, where customers pay $65 . . . to have a bunch of snakes slither around on their body. And this is supposed to be a RELAXING activity. (Daily Telegraph)

NOW THATS A SMALL HOUSE

CHECK OUT THIS 154-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE:

Up until a few months ago, Bill and Sharon Kastrinos of Calistoga, California, lived in a respectably-sized 1,800-square-foot home. But when the housing market collapsed, Bill and Sharon decided to rethink their lifestyle . . . by downsizing to a 154-square-foot home. (--Bill and Sharon's new house is really more of a trailer since it's on wheels, but they say they're happy . . . and they're saving a ton of money.)

(--Their downsized home only cost them $15,000 . . . and their utilities only come to about $15 a month. In their larger home, their mortgage payment was $1,500 a month . . . and utilities were $160 a month.) (CNN)

TEXT MESSAGE SNOOPS

IF YOU COULD, WOULD YOU WANT TO READ ALL YOUR KID'S TEXT MESSAGES???

If you could, would you want to read every single text message your kid . . . or spouse . . . sends and receives? I only ask because there's a new program called Text Guard which allows you to do just that.

According to the company website, Text Guard is, "A text filtering, monitoring and storage program . . . [that] blocks unwanted texts, monitors all incoming and outgoing messages and archives texts on a secured server for future retrieval."

In other words, it allows you to snoop on your family members . . . without them ever finding out. (New York Post) (--So you know, you'll need to install the Text Guard software onto your computer, and onto each cell phone. And it's free for the first 60 days . . . but after that, it costs $11.95 a month.) (--You can download TextGuard here . . .)http://www.textguard.com/

GIVE A GOOD TIP

HERE ARE SOME RULES FOR TIPPING AT A RESTAURANT:

I love eating out, but when the bill comes . . . I never know how much to tip. If you have the same problem, here are FIVE tipping rules that you might find helpful.

#1.) Unless your server is rude, condescending or completely absent . . . you should tip between 18% and 20%.

#2.) Calculate your tip based on the subtotal . . . meaning BEFORE tax is added in.

#3.) Include your alcohol purchases when tipping. A dollar per drink is a pretty standard tip.

#4.) If someone else in your party picks up the tab and leaves a tip that's a little too low . . . feel free to slip your server a few extra bucks on the way out.

(--A word of advice: You probably don't want to let the person who just paid for your meal see you do this . . . because they might be offended.)

#5.) If you feel like you can't afford to leave your server a decent tip . . . then maybe you can't afford to eat out at all. (Yahoo Shine)

HOLIDAY TOYS

KB TOYS HAS JUST RELEASED THEIR ANNUAL "HOT HOLIDAY TOY LIST":

If you can believe it, the holiday season is just around the corner. Anyway, if you're not sure what to get your kids this year, KB Toys has just released their annual "Hot Holiday Toy List".
So what toys made this year's list?
--Black & Decker Junior Kid's Play Workbench
--Disney Princess or Sleeping Beauty Sound and Light Vanity
--My Happy Family Dollhouse
--Webkinz
--A seven-foot by seven-foot Inflatable Bounce House
--Radio-Control Grand Canyon Express Train Set
--"Hannah Montana" In-Concert Collection Dolls
--"High School Musical 3" Sing Together Dolls
--31-inch Acoustic Guitar
--"Super Mario" Action Figures
--Light 'n Sound Kitchen Center Playset
--Razor Scooters
--"Ben 10" Action Figures
--Bakugan Booster Packs
--Rubik's Classic Cube Revolution or Magic Puzzles \ (PR Newswire)

(--I know what you're thinking . . . "I have NO IDEA what any of this stuff is." Well, you can get more information on all these toys here . . .) http://www.kbtoys.com/index.html

FUN INDOOR DATING IDEAS

**FIVE GREAT INDOOR DATES***

The days are getting shorter and the weather's getting colder, so now's the time to try some new date ideas that explore the great INDOORS. Here are five indoor date ideas you might not have tried . . .

#1.) DANCE CLASS. No matter where you live, there's probably a dance class near you. And even if you've never set foot on a dance floor in your life, you can still have fun. Learning how to dance TOGETHER can be fun and bring you closer.

#2.) RETRO TV NIGHT. Rent your favorite TV shows from your childhood and stay in for the night. It's cheaper than a movie, and you'll both learn about each other's likes and dislikes.

#3.) FENCING. You probably never thought SWORD PLAY would factor into a date. At least not when you're just getting to know someone. But fencing has become popular in the U.S., and it's a new experience that'll get you both some exercise.

#4.) TAKE AN EVENING OR WEEKEND CLASS. Find a subject you're both interested in and take a class at your local community college. You can have dinner afterward or just go for coffee. --Plus, even if the relationship DOESN'T work out, you'll still have some knowledge to show for it.

#5.) THROW A PARTY. Not all dates have to be private affairs. So invite some FRIENDS over for a fun evening. Just don't blindside your date by introducing too many people at once. Trying to impress ALL of your friends can be nerve-wracking. (AskMen.com)

THE JONAS BROTHERS LATEST VIDEO IS SET IN THE 1940s:

If you have any young daughters, your TV set may be locked on the Disney Channel . . . 24-7. If that's the case, you probably caught the premiere of the JONAS BROTHERS video for "Lovebug" on Sunday night. It's a PERIOD PIECE, set in the 1940s. I think it's BRILLIANT! Enjoy!! -- Nazzy

FUNNY DOGS

HERE ARE SOME DOGS THAT ARE DRESSED UP FOR HALLOWEEN:

If you're the sort of person who enjoys dressing your poor dog in clothes . . . then you'll probably love these pictures we found of dogs wearing Halloween costumes. (Examiner)

(--Take a look at these poor dogs here - make sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page . . .)http://www.examiner.com/Slideshows.html?slideshowID=1716

CHEAP COSTUMES

HERE'S A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN DOWNLOAD POLITICAL HALLOWEEN MASKS:

Are you looking for a cheap, politically-themed Halloween costume that will take all of two minutes to throw together? If so . . . you're in luck. --We found a website where you can download and print out paper masks of JOHN and CINDY MCCAIN, SARAH PALIN and JOE LIEBERMAN . . . among others. (ReallyGoodMagazine)

(--You can download your political cutout mask here . . .)http://www.ep.tc/intro-archive049.html

COOL PUMPKINS

CHECK OUT SOME COOL JACK-O-LANTERNS:

I really enjoy carving pumpkins. But, unfortunately, I'm not very good at it. That's why when I see a quality pumpkin carving . . . I truly enjoy the craftsmanship that went into it.

(--If you think that's lame, then you should check out some of the cool pumpkin carvings here. .)http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/green/chi-carved-pumpkins-pg,0,797302.photogallery?index=sfl-wacky-pumpkins-10

GET CREATIVE

THE MOST CREATIVE TIME OF DAY IS 10:04 P.M.:

Personally, I've always felt like I'm much more creative at night, and according to a recent study . . . that makes total sense. --Researchers have found that the time of day when people are the MOST creative . . . is 10:04 P.M. --And the time of day when people are the LEAST creative . . . is 4:33 P.M. (Daily Telegraph)

THAT'S A LOT OF COFFEE

WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY CUPS OF COFFEE YOU'D HAVE TO DRINK TO DIE FROM A CAFFEINE OVERDOSE???

Since there's caffeine in EVERYTHING these days . . . have you ever felt like you've had so much caffeine . . . that you were about to die? Well, we tracked down a website that shows exactly how much of a certain caffeinated product you'd have to ingest . . . for it to kill you. It's called EnergyFiend.com.

For example, let's say you're an average adult male (--which means, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you weigh 191 pounds). To die of a caffeine overdose, it would take about:
--13,000 Hershey's Kisses
--2,173 Kit Kats
--383 bottles of Nestea Iced Tea
--378 cans of Coke
--237 cans of Mountain Dew
--163 cans of Red Bull
--Or 90 cups of coffee. (Energy Fiend)

(--Fun game, right? You can see how much of other products it would take to kill you with caffeine, here . . .)http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine

- WARNING: Please don't try to put these numbers to the test!! You are needed right here! -- Nazzy

INSPIRATIONAL PEOPLE

***FIVE WAYS TO BE INSPIRATIONAL***

The presidential candidates have been trying to inspire voters and win support for the past two years. But you don't have to be a presidential candidate to inspire people. Here are five ways for YOU to become more inspirational in your everyday life . . .

#1.) BE POSITIVE. Negative ads might scare people into voting for one candidate or the other, but being positive is what ACTUALLY inspires people. You might be bored at your job, but remaining happy and productive can inspire others to be the same way. And remember what Nazzy always says at the end of every show, "Think Positive & Positive Will Happen!"

#2.) HAVE A POINT OF VIEW. People are inspired by those who understand the world around them. Having an opinion is one thing, but if you can explain why your point of view is important, people will want to know more.

#3.) KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. Don't speak with authority if you can't back up what you say. People aren't inspired if they find out you're a fake. And being able to admit when you don't know about something can be inspirational in itself.

#4.) LISTEN TO OTHERS. The candidates do a lot of talking. But LISTENING is more inspirational on a one-on-one level. Learn to paraphrase what people say to you and repeat it back to them so they know that you're listening. --You'll also achieve a deeper understanding of other people's points of view.

#5.) RISE ABOVE. Leave the petty personal attacks and gossip to others. If you're perceived as being BETTER than someone who engages in these behaviors, people are more likely to view you in a positive light. (AskMen.com)

KATY & CAKE - WHAT A COMBO!

KATY PERRY JUMPED INTO A CAKE AT A LATIN AWARDS SHOW:

Last Thursday night, KATY PERRY performed at the Los Premios MTV in Mexico. (--It's an award show, which is essentially MTV's Latin Video Music Awards.) --At some point, Katy decided to jump into a HUGE cake that was sitting on the stage. Naturally, semi-chaotic HI-LARITY ensued. Enjoy!!

CATCHY TUNES!

IS "UMBRELLA" THE CATCHIEST SONG OF ALL-TIME???

Remember how that RIHANNA song, "Umbrella", was EVERYWHERE last summer??? If you're like me . . . every time you heard it, it was like your brain was paralyzed for HOURS by some blood-sucking, "Umbrella"-singing leech. Yeah, it's catchy . . . but is it the catchiest song IN HISTORY??? "Umbrella" topped a new survey of The Top Five Catchiest Songs Ever, which was conducted by a British site called OnePoll.com.

Here's their list . . .

#5.) "Can't Get You Out of My Head", KYLIE MINOGUE (2001)
#4.) "Come On Eileen", DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS (1982)
#3.) "Y.M.C.A.", The VILLAGE PEOPLE (1978)
#2.) "Dancing Queen", ABBA (1976)
#1.) "Umbrella", RIHANNA (2007)

SURFING RODENTS

A KID IN HAWAII TAUGHT HIS PET RATS HOW TO SURF:

This is going to sound made up, but I swear . . . I couldn't make this up if I tried. --There's a 14-year-old boy from Haleiwa, Hawaii (--in the northern part of Oahu), named Boomer Hodel who taught his pet RATS . . . Fin and Tofu . . . how to ride a surfboard. (Daily Mail)

CALL IT IN THE AIR

IT TURNS OUT YOUR CHANCES OF GETTING "HEADS" OR "TAILS" IS NOT 50-50:

We all know that when you flip a coin, you have a 50% chance of getting either "heads" or "tails". Or do you? Recently, a group of researchers from Stanford University conducted a study to find out whether or not there's EXACTLY a 50-50 chance when you flip a coin.

What they found is that there's actually a 51% chance that you'll get whatever side was facing up when you flipped the coin . . . and only a 49% chance that you'll get the other side. (Psychology Today)

(--Now, I'm not going to pretend I understand the physics involved here. The researchers wrote a 31-page document to summarize the exact science of it . . . but we don't really need to get into it, do we?)

HUMAN SKIN FOR SALE

A GUY IN CHICAGO IS OFFERING UP HIS SKIN . . . FOR TATTOO ARTISTS TO PRACTICE ON???

Last week, 29-year-old Marcos Paiz of Lakeview, Illinois, posted an ad on Craigslist that read, "Do you need to practice your tattoo designs or skills? I am willing to give you my skin to practice on." So why is Marcos doing this? Basically, Marcos wants to cover his body in tattoos, but, "I think it would be good to have FREE art work."

Now, clearly this is a pretty boneheaded idea . . . but according to Marcos, he's willing to let ANY tattoo artist put ANY tattoo on his body . . . so long as it doesn't include swastikas, satanic symbols or anything, "totally crazy". (Chicago Sun-Times)

(We're not sure exactly what Marcos would define as "totally crazy" . . . but we were wondering if there are any tattoo artists out there who'd be willing to put our station logo on Marcos's body.) (--In fact, Marcos might not be willing to pay you for your work . . . but we would. If we can convince Marcos to get on board, is there anyone out there who'd like to help us out with this?)

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/bar/877740353.html