I'M SEEING DOUBLE

TWINS OF THE STARS.

What do KIEFER SUTHERLAND, SCARLETT JOHANSSON and ALANIS MORISSETTE have in common??? They're all TWINS. Seriously. Check out these pictures of celebrities and the twins you probably never knew they had . . .

http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-top10celebtwins-pg,0,7781451.photogallery

GOOD WINE

***FOUR STEPS TO CHOOSING A GOOD WINE***

Have you ever had to pick up a bottle of wine on your way to a party . . . and been completely intimidated? Well, you're not alone. Let's face it: most of us are amateurs when it comes to wine. So here are four rules of thumb that will turn you into, at least, a skilled novice . . .

STEP #1.) KNOW WHAT YOU'RE EATING. Light wines generally go with lighter foods like fish, chicken, and creamy sauces. Full-bodied red wines go better with bolder foods like beef, wild game and tomato-based pasta sauce

--If spicy food is on the menu, go for a sweeter wine like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Or, if you're JUST having drinks, Pinot Noir and Riesling are good for sipping.

STEP #2.) PICK A REGION. Different soil affects how grapes taste, so WHERE a wine is made IS important. Countries like France, Italy and Germany have been stomping grapes for centuries, so wine made there is usually a safe bet. But it can also be pricey. If you want something more affordable . . .

--Look for AMERICAN wines from Oregon and California . . . OR a Shiraz from AUSTRALIA.

STEP #3.) PICK A GRAPE. A wine's name describes the type of grape used to make it. Cabernet Sauvignon grapes produce a rich red wine, Pinot Noir is usually a little softer, and Merlot is light. For white wine fans, Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and great on hot summer days.

--Not ALL wines are made from a single type of grape though. So, for example, you shouldn't be afraid to try a Cabernet-Merlot blend.

STEP #4.) PICK A YEAR. Contrary to popular belief, age isn't everything when it comes to picking a good wine. Some bottles DO improve with age, but most wines found at the supermarket will actually get worse if you don't open them. So don't feel pressured to go TOO old.

--Red wines are generally aged for two years before they hit the shelf. White wines and champagne are better if you drink them right away. So unless you're a wine collector, there's really no need to make room for a wine rack in your basement>

A FUNNY SOUNDING WEBSITE

A GUY SET UP A WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN VOTE ON WHICH "WHOOPEE CUSHION" NOISE IS THE FUNNIEST:

Trevor Cox is a professor at the University of Salford Acoustic Research Center in England and, apparently, he's kind of bored. So Trevor created a website where you can listen to different "whoopee cushion" noises . . . and vote for which one is the funniest. (???) (Reddit)

We're not even going to try and imagine what possessed Trevor to waste his time and energy on this website, but we're glad he did. It's actually pretty funny. Thank you Professor Cox! Take a look here . . . http://www.soundsfunny.org/

THAT'S A BIG SNAKE

THERE'S A 100-FOOT SNAKE IN BORNEO . . . MAYBE:

Recently, members of a disaster team were monitoring flood regions along the Baleh River in Borneo (--which is an island in the South China Sea) when they spotted what appeared to be a massive, 100-FOOT snake. (Daily Mail)

(--So you know, there's some debate about whether this picture is legit, or whether it's been Photoshopped. If you ask me, it's almost certainly a fake. But you can take a look and decide for yourself. . .)

THAT'S A BIG RABBIT

THERE ARE RABBITS THAT GROW AS BIG AS A LAMB:

If you love eating delicious RABBIT MEAT . . . . then I've got great news for you. Officials for the Valencia Agricultural Research Institute in Spain have just announced they're going to start breeding giant, Valenciano rabbits . . . as a cheap and healthy alternative to red meat. Why? --Because the rabbits . . . which have made a crazy comeback since nearly going extinct in the 1970s . . . can grow as big as a LAMB, and each one is capable of producing up to 15 POUNDS of meat. (Daily Telegraph)

(--Check out photos of some ridiculously large rabbits. . .)

THINK I BETTER DANCE NOW

HE'S LIVIN' ON A PRAYER IN BEANTOWN!

Check out the "Jumbotron Dance guy" from a Boston Celtics' game. He goes nuts and is caught on the jumbotron - but who wouldn't that song kicks butt!

JYY HERO OF THE WEEK (2-19)

A GUY GOT A KIDNEY FROM A STRANGER WHO ANSWERED HIS CRAIGSLIST AD LOOKING FOR AN ORGAN DONOR:

Craigslist is great if you're looking for some cheap furniture for your apartment . . . or if you're in need of some late-night "companionship". But it turns out Craigslist is a great place to find HUMAN ORGANS too. Observe . . .

In 2007, 68-year-old Daniel Flood of New York City learned he needed a kidney transplant. But none of Daniel's family members shared his blood type . . . O-negative. At the time, there were roughly 75,000 people ahead of Daniel on the donor list . . . and it would've been anywhere from TWO to SIX years before he got a transplant.

So to help Daniel find a new kidney, his three daughters . . . Jennifer, Cynthia and Heather . . . posted an ad on Craigslist which read, "Please help us, my dad needs a kidney!"

Meanwhile, 48-year-old Dawn Verdick of Monterey, California was looking for a volunteer project to get involved with . . . and Daniel's ad caught her eye. Dawn says, "I didn't set out to donate a kidney. I turned it over to the universe early on. And I just said, 'If it's meant to be, then I will qualify, and if it's not, I won't.'" But Dawn did qualify as a donor, and a few months ago . . . out of the goodness of her heart . . . she donated a kidney to Daniel.

According to Daniel, "Every day is a fresh start for me. It's a whole new awakening, a whole new beginning." (CNN)

(--How crazy is it that some lady from California just gave her kidney to a random guy on the other side of the country? Good for you, Dawn. For this unselfish act - You are the JYY HERO OF THE WEEK!!)

Daniel's daughters have set up a website connecting donors with those in need of a transplant. You can link to it here . . . https://www.floodsisters.org/

JUST DO IT

***FIVE STEPS TO STOP PROCRASTINATING***

Sometimes we avoid doing things because there's too much on our plate. Other times . . . we're just plain lazy. If you have a problem procrastinating, here are five steps to help you start getting things done . . .

STEP #1.) BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF. Ask yourself why you're avoiding work. Are you afraid you'll do it wrong? Are you worried you won't have time to finish it? Whatever your reason, figuring out exactly WHY you're procrastinating is step one.

STEP #2.) COMMIT TO DOING IT AT A CERTAIN TIME. If you set aside a specific block of time, you won't push things off to tomorrow. Set aside some time in the morning, and you'll be surprised how good it feels to get it out of the way early.

STEP #3.) PREPARE. Make a 'to do' list and turn off the TV and phone if you need to. Whatever it takes, set yourself up for success. If you don't PREPARE to get things done, you probably WON'T get things done.

STEP #4.) JUST DO IT. Once you're ready to start working, WORK. Don't stop halfway through and don't try to do five things at once. Concentrate on completing one thing at a time, and you'll eventually start seeing your 'to do' list get a lot shorter.

STEP #5.) REWARD YOURSELF. Once you've finished doing what needed to be done, watch a TV show, read a book, or go get a cup of coffee. Now you can do what you want and not feel guilty. But DON'T reward yourself until you're completely finished. (News.com.au)

THE BOSS IS RIPPED

VIDEO FOR "THE WRESTLER"

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has released a video for "The Wrestler" . . . the song he wrote for the MICKEY ROURKE movie of the same name. (--It's pretty cool . . . and unless it's an optical illusion, The Boss looks RIPPED. Check it out . . .)

SURVEY SAYS

DO YOU AGREE??

Some guy with a little too much time on his hands put together a table of movie trilogies . . . and the quality of each film in each trilogy compared to the other films in that same trilogy. It's WAY less complicated than it sounds. You'll see what I mean when you check it out . . http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/02/18/cool-stuff-the-trilogy-meter/

THAT'S A LOT OF CASH

JUST HOW MUCH MONEY IS $787 BILLION???

On Tuesday, BARACK OBAMA signed off on a $787 BILLION economic stimulus package. Here's some perspective on just how much money that is.

With $787 BILLION you could . . .

--Pay every elementary school teacher's salary in the entire country for 11 YEARS.

--Pay off every American's student loan debt . . . and still have $237 BILLION to spare.

--Buy more than 45 MILLION Pontiac G5 cars to help GM stay in business.

--Buy the Boston Celtics 1,760 times.

--Buy 19.6 BILLION digital TV converter boxes.

--Buy 222 BILLION Big Macs.

--Or look at it this way . . . If someone paid you $1 MILLION every day for the rest of your life, you wouldn't have $787 BILLION until April of 4165. (Boston Globe / Christian Science Monitor)

ARE YOU DATING A LOSER?

HERE ARE FOUR WAYS TO TELL IF YOU'RE DATING A LOSER:

Ladies . . . are you dating a loser? Here are FOUR simple ways to find out . . .

#1.) Is he the jealous type? By nature, men are competitive and jealous . . . but there are different degrees of jealousy.

--For example, does your guy try to pick a fight any time another guy talks to you or . . . God forbid . . . tries to dance with you at the club? If so, you might be dating a loser.

#2.) Is he cheap? Most men pride themselves on their ability to save money. But there's a difference between saving a few bucks . . . and being a flat-out cheapskate.

--For example, if your guy consistently leaves bad tips at restaurants no matter how good the service was, it's a good sign you're probably dating a loser.

#3.) Is he a commitment-phobe? On some level, all guys are afraid of commitment. But if the guy you're dating is over the age of 30, his apartment looks like a frat house and his longest relationship was less than six months long . . . chances are he's a loser.

#4.) Is he trustworthy? This is the TRUEST barometer of a loser. Is your guy always checking out other ladies? Or does he lie to you? Even if the lies he's telling are microscopic . . . rest assured you're dating a loser. (Yahoo Personals)

KISS KISS

CHECK OUT A PICTURE OF JENNIFER ANISTON AND JOHN MAYER KISSING:

Just in case there was any question as to the current status of JENNIFER ANISTON and JOHN MAYER'S relationship . . . I think we can safely say it's ON.

Jennifer and John spent the weekend in the Bahamas together. Then, on Monday, they boarded separate planes bound for separate destinations. But not before sharing a very public kiss at the airport.

Check it out . . .

--A witness says, quote, "Jen looked really upset to be leaving John."

PRACTICAL FASHION

AND NOW . . . THERE'S A "RECESSION-PROOF DRESS", WITH 120 ZIPPERS TO CREATE 100 DIFFERENT OUTFITS:

Times are tough right now. We all know it. But ladies . . . just because you can't afford to buy new clothes, that doesn't mean you can't have a bunch of new outfits. I'll explain . . .

A 31-year-old designer named Sebastian Errazuriz has created a dress . . . called The Zipper . . . which has 120 separate zippers that can be zipped, unzipped or partially zipped in order to create more than 100 different outfits.

Sebastian says the dress was, quote, "influenced by the constant changes and demands that fashion establishes every season. The idea was to create a single dress that could easily be reconstructed over and over again to comply with hundreds of variations . . . "I believe the concept is particularly poignant in the current economic crisis because you can buy one dress and get a hundred different fashion possibilities."

The Zipper dress isn't in stores yet, but Sebastian is in talks with developers to put the dress into mass production . . . so he can sell it on the cheap. (Daily Telegraph)

(--Check out some pictures of a model sporting The Zipper dress in various combinations. . .)

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU

OLD SCHOOL "STAR WARS" CLIP

In this clip from the infamously bad 1978 "Star Wars Holiday Special", Han Solo has a friendly reunion with Chewbacca's family.

SAVE YOUR HAIR

***FOUR FOODS THAT PREVENT HAIR LOSS ***

Whether you're finding clumps of your hair in the shower drain . . . or just worried that your thick, lustrous locks won't last forever . . . here are four foods that will keep your scalp healthy, and hopefully prevent hair loss . . .

#1.) FISH, EGGS AND BEANS. Hair is primarily made up of protein, so it makes sense that a high-protein diet helps maintain a healthy head of hair. Fish, eggs and beans are all high in protein, so eating enough of them will help. --BUT . . . eating a steak every day WON'T really help much. Too much fat can actually lower testosterone levels in your body, and make you lose hair faster.

#2.) RAISINS. They're packed with iron, which increases blood flow and stimulates hair growth. If you don't like raisins . . . eggs, dates and dark green vegetables like kale will also do the trick.

And since Vitamin C helps you absorb iron, fruits like oranges, strawberries and lemons should be on your shopping list too.

#3.) BEAN SPROUTS. To help prevent hair loss, you need to make sure your body is getting enough silica. Silica helps your body absorb vitamins, and if you're not getting enough of it, those multivitamins you're taking might not be doing much.

Bean sprouts, cucumbers and green peppers are packed with silica, and if you eat them raw, you'll take advantage of their full nutritional value.

#4.) SEAFOOD. It's packed with zinc, which manages the glands attached to your hair follicles. When you're low on zinc, those follicles weaken, but eating enough seafood will help. And it's better than taking a supplement, since TOO MUCH zinc can actually CAUSE hair loss. (AskMen.com)

SHHH AT WORK!!

***TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER TALK ABOUT AT WORK***

You spend forty hours a week with your co-workers, so talking to them about your personal life is inevitable. But revealing TOO MUCH about yourself can actually HURT your career. So here are ten things you should NEVER talk about at work . . .

#1.) POLITICS. You've seen how out of hand political discussions can get with your friends and family. Do you really want that in the workplace? Keep in mind that your family is obligated to love you no matter what . . . but your co-workers are NOT.

#2.) RELIGION. It's the same as politics, but MORE dangerous. Religion is one of those subjects you can talk about all day and never make any progress. Talking about it at work will definitely cause controversy and could turn friends into enemies.

#3.) SALARY INFORMATION. Salary is associated with WORTH. And when someone knows how much you make, they naturally start wondering if you're being paid more than you should be . . . especially if that person is being paid A LOT less.

#4.) MATTERS OF THE HEART. Your love life isn't as interesting to other people as it is to you, and crying on your co-worker's shoulder is unprofessional. Remember, soap operas might be fun to watch on TV, but no one wants one going on in the office.

#5.) GOSSIP. Spreading rumors or secrets WON'T help your career. So don't do it at work. Gossip is also one of the main reasons to keep YOUR secrets to yourself. If you tell one co-worker a secret, you'd better be prepared for the entire office to find out.

#6.) YOUR MEDICAL HISTORY. Your human resources department can't give out your medical information for a reason. If people find out you have . . . or had . . . a medical condition, they might treat you like a sick child . . . or an outcast.

#7.) CONFIDENTIAL WORK INFORMATION. If you start walking around telling people that one of your co-workers is going to be let go, you can easily get fired too for not keeping privileged information to yourself.

#8.) PLANS TO QUIT. When you're hunting for a new job, don't let co-workers know about it. Loose lips or devious motives can mean your secret finds its way to the boss. And if that happens, you could be let go before you've found another source of income.

#9.) YOUR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES. If you use MySpace or Facebook to vent about your boss or complain about your job, DON'T let your co-workers see it. If you do, you'll have to censor everything on the page from that point on.

#10.) OFFENSIVE JOKES OF ANY KIND. In an episode of "The Office", Steve Carell's character gets in trouble for repeating a Chris Rock stand-up routine that's full of racially charged jokes and curse words.

--Remember, comedians get PAID to be edgy and offensive . . . but YOU get fired for it. (CNN.com)

RETURN TO SENDER

OBAMA RETURNED A BUST OF WINSTON CHURCHILL THAT THE BRITISH GAVE PRESIDENT BUSH AFTER 9/11:

I understand why BARACK OBAMA feels the need to change the political climate established by the BUSH administration. But what if he angers off our closest allies in the process? Here's what I mean . . .

After 9/11, Britain loaned President Bush a bronze bust of WINSTON CHURCHILL. They did it to symbolize our, "strong transatlantic relationship." And Bush kept it in the Oval Office for the rest of his presidency. But when Obama became president last month, he returned the bust to Britain . . . even though they offered to let him keep it for another four years.

So why did he do it? --Allegedly, during Churchill's second term in office, Obama's grandfather, Hussein Onyango Obama, participated in the Mau Mau rebellion in Kenya, which involved native rebels fighting to overthrow Britain's colonial rule. And he was tortured by British officials as a result.

In other words, Obama didn't want a bronze bust of his grandfather's torturer in his office . . . so he's replaced the Churchill bust with one of ABRAHAM LINCOLN. (Daily Telegraph)

OK, I understand why Obama did what he did. On the other hand, don't we need as many friends as possible these days?

INTERESTING VIDEO'S

TRANSFORMERS TRAILER

There's a new trailer online for "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" . . . (--Which comes out on Wednesday, June 24th.) Check it out . . .

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If you caught "The Simpsons" the other night, you probably noticed that: (A) It was in HD for the first time ever . . . and (B) they revamped the opening credits sequence for the first time since its premiere in 1989. (--The change . . . which doesn't stray too far from the classic version . . . had to be made for the show to make the switch to high-definition.)

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Here is the trailer for the new X-Men movie featuring Wolverine. Looks awesome!!

MICHAEL'S AUCTION

CHECK OUT SOME OF THE ITEMS UP FOR BIDS IN THE MICHAEL JACKSON AUCTION:

In April, there's going to be a huge auction of MICHAEL JACKSON'S personal belongings at the Beverly Hills Hotel. It shouldn't surprise you in the least that there are some pretty FREAKY items going up on the block.

They include the following . . .

--An electric cart with a picture of Michael as PETER PAN airbrushed on the hood.

--A portrait of Michael dressed up as an actual KING
--A spandex glove covered in orange Swarovski crystals.
--A robotic, metal head that was used in the movie "Moonwalker".

--A limo with a SOLID GOLD BIDET in it.

--A painting of Michael with some other historical figures who are all wearing Michael's sunglasses and single white glove. Those historical figures are: Albert Einstein, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, the Mona Lisa and E.T. (???)

(--You can see several MORE items at this link . . .)http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/gallery/2009/feb/15/michael-jackson-auction?picture=343232869

HE'S BRINGING SEXY BACK

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE IS "GQ" MAGAZINE'S MOST STYLISH MAN IN AMERICA:

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE tops the list of the 10 Most Stylish Men in America . . . which appears in the March issue of "GQ" magazine. Justin describes his own style of wearing a sharp suit with sneakers as one of NECESSITY . . . "I just put sneakers on because I couldn't dance in the shoes I had. I couldn't leap with just insoles and dress shoes. I would have hurt myself."

As for Justin's idea of a style icon . . . he picks KATE MOSS. He says, "She looks good in anything. She would look good in one of your T-shirts, in her T-shirt, in a man's suit, in a huge gown. She even makes nude look stylish. That, to me, is a style icon."

--Other icons on the list include:--KANYE WEST--T.I.--JASON SCHWARTZMAN

HOW BIZARRE NEWS (2/16/09)

THAT IS SOME WEIRD & WILD STUFF RIGHT THERE!!

An elk in Colorado is being described as "goofy" for its unusual head ornament. Several residents have spotted a female elk donning a metal bar stool recently. A Colorado Division of Wildlife spokesman said the elk's head appears to be sticking through a metal ring that holds the legs together. "The bar stool doesn't seem to be impairing her to any great degree. She just looks kind of goofy." Residents suspect the animal and the stool became one when the elk visited a local saloon.

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An Italian man's need to use the restroom almost cost him his family. 50-year-old Antonio Gallo pulled off to the side of the road to relieve himself recently. What Gallo didn't notice was that he parked the car on an icy slope. The vehicle, which contained his wife and kids, fell 150 feet over the side of a cliff and ended up in a tree. Miraculously, all of the car's passengers escaped unharmed. A police spokesperson said that Gallo won't be charged with a crime, but added, "he's definitely going to get a life sentence of backseat driving from now on."

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A GUY SET UP A WEBSITE TO TRACK HOW FAR HIS HAMSTER RUNS:

It never ceases to amaze me the things people will do . . . when they don't have anything better to do . . . Like this guy in the UK who set up a website . . . called Hamster Hike . . . which tracks how far his hamster, Horatio, runs every day.

I bring this up, because Horatio ran 27.69 miles last week. Which is about 27 more miles than me. And as of yesterday, Horatio had run 157.5 miles in 37 days . . . or more than FOUR miles a day . . . since the website went online. (Reddit)
(--Enjoy this randomness here . . .)http://hamsterhike.co.uk/blog/

LET'S HUG IT OUT

IS HUGGING THE NEW HANDSHAKE???

I can't be the only one who's noticed that lately, more and more people are hugging . . . instead of shaking hands. So what I want to know is . . . what's up with that? Well according to mental health professionals, there are all kinds of factors which have caused the hug to become so popular, including:

#1.) Increased population density

#2.) An improved sense of community spirit due to 9/11 and other events

#3.) TV shows like "The Sopranos" and "Entourage" which show that guys can hug too (Time)

-- I say, "no more fighting". Let's just "Hug It out"!!!

THE BEST & THE WORST PRESIDENTS

THE WORST U.S. PRESIDENT EVER IS . . . JAMES BUCHANAN???

Today is President's Day. So, to mark the occasion, C-SPAN had a group of historians rank the presidents (--minus BARACK OBAMA) from best to worst.
Here's what they came up with . . .

--The ten BEST presidents are:

#10.) Ronald Reagan: 40th president; served from 1981 to 1989

#9.) Woodrow Wilson: 28th president; served from 1913 to 1921

#8.) Dwight D. Eisenhower: 34th president; served from 1953 to 1961

#7.) Thomas Jefferson: 3rd president; served from 1801 to 1809

#6.) John F. Kennedy: 35th president; served from 1961 to 1963

#5.) Harry S. Truman: 33rd president; served from 1945 to 1953

#4.) Theodore Roosevelt: 26th president; served from 1901 to 1909

#3.) Franklin D. Roosevelt: 32nd president; served from 1933 to 1945

#2.) George Washington: 1st president; served from 1789 to 1797

#1.) Abraham Lincoln: 16th president; served from 1861 to 1865

--And the ten WORST presidents are:

#10.) Rutherford B. Hayes: 19th president; served from 1877 to 1881

#9.) Herbert Hoover: 31st president; served from 1929 to 1933

#8.) John Tyler: 10th president; served from 1841 to 1845

#7.) George W. Bush: 43rd president; served from 2001 to 2009

#6.) Millard Fillmore: 13th president; served from 1850 to 1853

#5.) Warren G. Harding: 29th president; served from 1921 to 1923

#4.) William Henry Harrison: 9th president; served from March 4th, 1841 to April 4th 1841 (--Harrison's ranking isn't very fair . . . considering he died after just 32 days in office.)

#3.) Franklin Pierce: 14th president; served from 1853 to 1857

#2.) Andrew Johnson: 17th president; served from 1865 to 1869

#1.) James Buchanan: 15th president; served from 1857 to 1861

(--Notice that the best president ever, Lincoln, was sandwiched between Johnson and Buchanan . . . the two worst presidents ever.)

Also, if you're wondering why Buchanan is considered the worst president, it's because he wasn't able to prevent the Civil War. Also, he's thought to have influenced the Dred Scott decision . . . which essentially legalized slavery. Nice guy.(ABC News)

(--You can check out the full rankings here . . .)http://www.c-span.org/PresidentialSurvey/Overall-Ranking.aspxspan.org/PresidentialSurvey/Overall-Ranking.aspx