HEADBANGING CRIMINALS

WATCH OUT FOR THAT POLE!!!

Two New Zealand men who were handcuffed together ran from the police, but then they went around a street light pole on opposite sides, and slammed into each other.

(Search Terms: New Zealand handcuffed escapees run pole video)

POLITICAL STUFF

WANT TO KNOW HOW OBAMA'S WHITE HOUSE DIFFERS FROM BUSH'S WHITE HOUSE???

BARACK OBAMA and GEORGE W. BUSH have extremely different personalities . . . so it only makes sense they'd have different "styles" when it comes to being president.

#1.) Bush liked to get to work at 7:00 A.M. sharp. But Obama likes to work out in the morning and have breakfast with his family . . . before getting to the Oval Office around 9:00 A.M.

#2.) Bush liked to finish all his work and call it a day before dinner. But Obama has been known to head back to work after eating with his family . . . sometimes until 10:00 P.M.

#3.) Meetings with Bush started promptly and always ended on time. But Obama's meetings tend to run late.

#4.) Whenever Bush wanted to talk to a member of his staff, he would call them into his office. But Obama likes to wander the halls and pop in on his aides unannounced.

#5.) Bush always wore a jacket and tie in the Oval Office. But Obama likes to take off his jacket and keep it casual. And on the weekends, Obama has instituted a "business casual" dress code for all staffers. (New York Times)

VOTE FOR ME!

AMERICAN IDOL HOPEFULL NEEDS YOUR VOTE!

On Tuesday night, 17-year-old "senior class president" AUSTIN SISNEROS just BARELY scored a ticket to Hollywood. And now, the clever video Austin made for his election campaign has turned up online.

HEARTS OF GOLD

17 RESTAURANT EMPLOYEES IN MICHIGAN VOLUNTARILY WORKED A SHIFT FOR FREE . . . JUST TO HELP OUT THEIR BOSS:

Over the past few months, business has been a little slower than usual at Mr. B's Pancake House in Muskegon, Michigan . So in order to help out the restaurant's owner . . . a guy named Dave Barham . . . 17 servers, cooks, busboys, dishwashers, cashiers and hostesses all decided to work a shift two Sundays ago . . . FOR FREE.

Why'd they do it? --It seems Dave is a pretty decent guy . . . and he's dipped into his own pockets more than a few times in order to meet payroll. According to one of the servers at the restaurant, "This is a wonderful business. We want to see it succeed . . . We wish we could have saved [Dave] $5,000. We wanted to give back to him, lighten the load a little."

At the end of the shift, the employees divided up the tips and they each took home $51. (Yahoo News) http://www.mrbspancakehouse.com/

THAT TIME OF THE MONTH REMIDER FOR GUYS

THERE'S A WEBSITE WHERE YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR REMINDERS SO YOU'LL KNOW WHEN IT'S YOUR LADY'S "TIME OF THE MONTH":

Guys . . . how many times has this happened. Everything is perfectly fine with your lady . . . until all of a sudden she blindsides you by turning into a cranky, hormonal monster? (--Sorry ladies, but you know what you can be like.)

Well now there's a website . . . called PMSBuddy.com . . . where you can sign up for a monthly reminder that it's about to be your lady's "time of the month" so you'll never be taken by surprise again. (News.com.au)

(--You can sign up for this service here . . .) http://www.pmsbuddy.com/index.php

STOP YOUR CHEATING WAYS

HERE'S A SIMPLE GUIDE SO YOU'LL KNOW WHEN TO START WORRYING . . . THAT YOUR GIRL IS CHEATING ON YOU:

Guys . . . do you think your girl might be having an affair? Well, here's a simple guide to let you know IF and WHEN you really need to start worrying . . .

#1.) The Overly-Interested Boss: You DON'T need to worry when he's just a mentor whose motivations seem sincere. But you DO need to worry when your girl is more focused on pleasing the boss . . . than on doing her job.

#2.) The Ex She's Still Friends With: You DON'T need to worry when she has a 15-minute phone call with him every now and then. But you DO need to worry when they talk frequently . . . and especially if they do it in secret. The same applies to email.

#3.) The Ex She Still Pines For: You DON'T need to worry when she refers to him fondly when talking about her past. But you DO need to worry when she subtly . . . or not-so-subtly . . . drops his name in comparison to you. That's especially true when the comparison favors HIM.

#4.) The Hands-On Personal Trainer: You DON'T need to worry when he's just pumping her up by giving her lots of encouragement and attention. That's his job. But you DO need to worry when they start letting each other in on the intimate details of their lives. Once that happens, it's no longer a professional relationship.

#5.) The Smitten Suitor Who's Making A Move: You DON'T need to worry when your girl tells you she's working at her own pace to let the guy down easy. But you DO need to worry when she ignores the situation altogether . . . just because she hates conflict. That's bad for your relationship because it doesn't set the proper example of what she'll tolerate going forward. (Men's Health)

LET'S JUST STAY IN THIS VALENTINE'S DAY

81% OF PEOPLE WOULD RATHER EAT-IN ON VALENTINE'S DAY THAN GO OUT TO DINNER:

Guys . . . have you already made a reservation at your girl's favorite restaurant . . . for Valentine's Day? Well, you might want to cancel it. Listen to this . . . According to a new survey, 81% of people would rather stay in and have a nice home-cooked meal on Valentine's Day . . . than to go out to eat.

73% think it's more personal, thoughtful and caring to eat a meal that's been prepared by their partner . . . and 64% think eating in is more intimate and special.

Overall, HALF of all people say they're more likely to eat in this Valentine's Day . . . because of financial reasons. (PR Newswire)

OK, I actually agree with just about everything here. It is more intimate and special to stay in and eat a home-cooked meal that was prepared by your lady. But isn't the point of Valentine's Day that you're supposed to enjoy each other's company without having to worry about stuff like cooking and doing the dishes? I mean, don't you deal with that stuff every other day of the year?

UNBELIEVABLE SHOT

YOU HAVE TO SEE THIS SHOT TO BELIEVE IT!

A high school basketball player in Oklahoma only touches the ball for a split second, but still makes a ridiculous buzzer beater. Best part is at the end, he just walkes away like it's wasn't a big deal! This kid's future has NBA written all over it!! (Nazzy)

NH IS PRETTY

***AMERICA'S PRETTIEST TOWNS***

America's filled with beautiful places, but here's "Forbe's" Magazine's picks for the country's top prettiest towns (--in alphabetical order by state) . . .

#1.) BRISBEE, ARIZONA. This used to be a mining town, but now it's sort of a bohemian place, and it's great for long walks. It's just north of the Mexican border.

#2.) FLAGSTAFF, ARIZONA. Route 66 runs right though the heart of Flagstaff, where boutique hotels, lively bars, exclusive stores, and great restaurants are housed in charming brick buildings. Plus, the Grand Canyon is only 90 minutes away.

#3.) BODIE, CALIFORNIA. In 1879, Bodie was a gold-mining town with 10,000 residents. Now it's one of the best-preserved ghost towns in the entire country, and the town itself has been designated a state park.

#4.) MENDOCINO, CALIFORNIA. This is a tiny place on the coast about four hours north of San Francisco. It was originally founded as a logging town, but now it's popular with artists and nature lovers because of the rugged coast, and all the state parks nearby.

#5.) ASPEN, COLORADO. Before it was transformed into a ski resort in the 1940's, Aspen was known for its silver mines. There's a reason real estate is so expensive there now. It's got a Western-style downtown and four mountains of world-class skiing.

#6.) ROCKPORT, MAINE. Rockport's harbor is a beautiful place. It was the summer home of Andre . . . the seal from the 1994 kids movie . . . who swam to the sea every year from an aquarium in Boston.

#7.) HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE. Home of Dartmouth College, Herman Melville described it as "the quintessential New England college town." The whitewashed colonial-style buildings make Hanover the heart of the Connecticut River Valley.

#8.) PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE. This historic town is both a functioning, modern community and a museum piece. Brick buildings line the streets and alleys, and the charming port makes for spectacular sunrises. (Visit www.ForbesTraveler.com for the complete list.)

DON'T GET STRESSED

***FOUR THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT FINANCIAL STRESS***

All across the country, people are stressed out over finances. Whether you just graduated and you're looking for your first job, or you've been watching your portfolio shrink, times are tough. So here are four things you should know about financial stress . . .

#1.) THIS TOO WILL PASS. It's the same thing your mom told you when you flunked your first driver's test . . . and it was true. The stakes are just a LITTLE higher now. Remember, if you keep your chin up and continue trying, things almost always get better eventually.

#2.) YOU CAN WORK IT OFF. Dust off your running shoes, or sign up for a yoga class. Physical activity is one of the healthiest ways you can relieve stress. If you aren't able to get to the gym, then try this exercise at home or in the car.

First start HUMMING for 15 seconds . . . then, COUNT for 15 seconds, and alternate the two several times. The exercise is designed to synchronize the two hemispheres of your brain and calm you down.

#3.) IT'S OKAY TO TAKE A BREAK FROM THE NEWS. There's no need to watch the Dow every minute of every day. You'll just get even more stressed out. So turn off the TV and recognize that headlines are just fragments of the bigger picture.

#4.) YOU'RE ALLOWED TO HAVE FUN. When you're worried about money, it's hard to relax. So make sure you spend time doing things you like. Inexpensive options are obviously best, so break out a board game, host a pot-luck, or romp in the sandbox with your toddler.

Having fun with other people will remind you that, in the end, relationships are far more important than money.(Kiplinger's Personal Finance)

THE END IS NEAR

HERE ARE FIVE SIGNS YOU'RE IN DANGER OF LOSING YOUR JOB:

Are you worried that the economy is in such bad shape . . . that you might lose your job? If so, here are FIVE signs that you could be in danger of losing your job:

#1.) Mergers and Acquisitions: If your company merges with another company, there's a good chance someone in the other company has a job that's similar to yours . . . and in all likelihood, only one of you will stick around. It might not be you.

#2.) The boss trades in his company car for a cheaper model: Your boss doesn't want to downgrade from his BMW . . . but he'll do it when he has to. This is a drastic cost-cutting measure and a clear indication that your job could be next.

#3.) You're no longer the "go-to" guy: Have your co-workers always come to you for advice . . . but now they don't? Maybe they know something you don't, like that you're about to be laid off. - Maybe not!

#4.) Your schedule is clear: You used to have meetings every day . . . but now you have tons of free time. If everyone else around you is still busy, it's a pretty clear sign you're not indispensable anymore.

#5.) Competitors are laying people off: If you work at McDonald's and the Burger King next door fires half its employees . . . how long do you think it will take before your boss does the exact same thing? (Yahoo Hot Jobs)

ETCH-ART

CHECK OUT SOME COOL ARTWORK CREATED WITH AN ETCH-A-SKETCH:

In 1989, 30-year-old George Vlosich of Lakewood, Ohio picked up an Etch-a-Sketch for the very first time . . . and spent the next 80 hours etching a picture of the U.S. Capitol building.

Anyway, now George has created his own company, and he's used an Etch-a-Sketch to create portraits of Tiger Woods, The Beatles, Muhammad Ali and . . . most recently . . . Barack Obama, just to name a few. (Daily Mail)

And get this . . . George says each etching takes between 70 and 80 hours to create, and after finishing a piece, he removes the powder from the Etch-a-Sketch in order to preserve the portrait.

(--Check out some pictures of George's work . . .)

(--Take a look at George's website here . . .)http://www.gvetchedintime.com/

CAMERA PHONE DEBATE

CONGRESS PROPOSED A BILL WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CAMERA PHONES TO MAKE A SOUND WHEN THEY TAKE A PICTURE:

Right now, the U.S. is stuck in a two-front war and the economy is suffering through its worst stretch since the Great Depression. Fortunately, our elected officials are still focusing on the important issues . . . like whether or not camera phones need to make a shutter-click noise when they take a picture. Seriously.

This month, a Representative from New York named Peter King, introduced a bill . . . called the Camera Phone Predator Alert Act . . . into Congress. According to the bill, all camera phones would be required to make a, quote, "tone or other sound audible within a reasonable radius of the phone" . . . and manufacturers would be forbidden from providing an option allowing customers to turn off the noise.

The idea is that the noise would prevent predators from secretly taking pictures of other people when they're in compromising positions . . . like in the locker room at the gym. (ArsTechnica.com)

THRILLER THE MUSICAL??

"THRILLER" IS GOING TO BE TURNED INTO A BROADWAY MUSICAL . . . AND MICHAEL JACKSON IS "OVERSEEING" IT:

Yesterday, a rep for MICHAEL JACKSON confirmed that he'd signed off on an upcoming Broadway musical based on his classic, 1982 album, "Thriller". There aren't a lot of specifics . . . since the story hasn't even been WRITTEN yet . . . but Jackson's spokesperson claims that Michael plans to oversee, "every aspect of the creative process."

Regardless, there's probably a good chance that the plot of the stage show will be inspired by Michael's legendary, 14-minute "Thriller" music video, which featured Michael and a girl trying to get away from dancing zombies. (check out the video, here . . .) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtyJbIOZjS8

(--It's hard to talk about the "Thriller" video without being reminded of that INFAMOUS video from a while back . . . where inmates at a Filipino prison put on a ridiculous, large-scale performance of the zombie dance. Here it is again. . .)