Ir's Super Bowl week in New Orleans, and Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson is in the Big Easy. He's there for a number of reasons -- not the least of which is to watch the Big Game on Sunday. But he also took time to appear on numerous TV and radio shows yesterday. By numerous, we mean numerous. Wilson went on at least nine shows to talk about himself, his career, the Seahawks and last weekend's Pro Bowl. Of course, we in the Northwest know that when Wilson does an interview, he doesn't really say that much. There's a lot of "the biggest thing is" and "the separation is in the preparation," and he always gives the most politically correct answer possible. In fact, one of the anchors on the NFL Network said he'd make a great senator. Wilson did manage to end every interview with his favorite sign-off, "Go Hawks." The Super Bowl coming Sunday afternoon at 3:30 on CBS.

Today is Backward Day, a day to do everything backward. Today is Inspire Your Heart With the Arts Day. Tonight is Play An Old Game You Haven't Played in Years Night. Maybe Yahztee, Scrabble, Monopoly, or Canasta. Today is Scotch Tape Day, marking the birth of the sticky stuff to 3M Company's Richard Drew on this date in 1928. It's Eat Brussel Sprouts Day.Today is Hell is freezing over Day --oOn this day we're encouraged to to pull out those old lists of things we said we were going to do when hell freezes over.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1949, the first TV daytime soap opera, These Are My Children, was telecast from NBC in Chicago. The show's creator, Irna Phillips, would later produce As the World Turns and The Guiding Light. In 1961, a chimpanzee named Ham became the first US animal sent into space. Ham traveled 158 miles above the Earth in the Mercury-Redstone-2 space capsule. In 1990, McDonald's opened its first fast-food restaurant in the Soviet Union in Moscow. In 1999, the Denver Broncos repeated as NFL champions, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34-19 in Super Bowl 33. In 2010, Avatar became the first film to gross over $2 billion worldwide.

Amy Poehler has signed on to publish her first book. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Parks and Recreation star's book isn't titled yet and is described by the publisher as "an illustrated, nonlinear diary full of humor and honesty and brimming with true stories, fictional anecdotes and life lessons." Poehler hopes to have her new book on shelves sometime next year. Meanwhile, her fellow SNL alum, Tina Fey, has sold over two-million copies of her book, Bossypants, which came out last year.

Speaking of Tina Fey, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Salma Hayek and Ice-T guest star in tonight's series finale of 30 Rock.

Justin Timberlake is performing at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. His February 10th performance marks the first time in four years that Timberlake is taking the Grammy stage. It is also his debut television performance for his first studio album in seven years. On CBS Sunday, February 10th, the 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

Barbra Streisand is performing at the 85th annual Academy Awards next month. It's Streisand's second performance ever at the Oscars and her first in 36 years, since singing A Star Is Born in 1977. She won an original song Oscar for Evergreen that night. Streisand also won a lead actress Oscar for 1968's Funny Girl and has been nominated three other times in three different categories. The Academy Awards is also featuring performances from Adele and Norah Jones. The 85th Academy Awards from Hollywood are coming up on Sunday, February 24th on ABC.

It looks like Alec Baldwin is going to be a father again. The 30 Rock star's wife, Hilaria Thomas, is reportedly pregnant. A source told In Touch that Hilaria has only told close friends and family about the pregnancy but Thomas wouldn't reveal how far along she is. However, since she is a very healthy yoga-fanatic, people suspected something was up because they saw her baby bump, so she is far enough along to be showing. A rep for the couple tweeted that until the Baldwins have news they want to share, they have no comment. Alec and Hilaria have been married for seven months.

The Labrador retriever keeps its 22-year reign as America's top dog. The American Kennel Club's annual ranking of most popular dog breeds shows Labradors in the lead, followed by the German Shepherd and the Golden Retriever.

A 49-year-old woman was stopped for speeding four times in about 2 hours on a southern Minnesota interstate while on a mission to make it to her granddaughter's school event. Her first of four tickets came at about 2:30 Friday afternoon. The fourth about two-and-a-half hours later at 5:00. She didn't make it to her granddaughter's school event.

Around $55 million was spent on food for last year's Super Bowl. If the amount's the same this year, it will take ten million man hours to prepare.

Trivia Answer: Jack Roosevelt Robinson -- Jackie Robinson -- who was born on this date in 1919. In addition to his cultural impact, Robinson had an exceptional baseball career. Over ten seasons, he played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games from 1949 to 1954, was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949. Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball "universally" retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored. Since that time, Major League Baseball has adopted a new annual tradition, Jackie Robinson Day, in which all players on all teams wear #42.For the 60th anniversary of Robinson's major league debut, MLB invited players to wear the number 42 on Jackie Robinson Day in 2007. The gesture was originally the idea of Ken Griffey, Jr., who sought Jackie's widow Rachel Robinson's permission to wear the number. After receiving her permission, Commissioner Bud Selig not only allowed Griffey to wear the number, but also extended an invitation to all major league teams to do the same. In 2009, all uniformed personnel (players, managers, coaches, and umpires) wore number 42 on April 15th.

The Osgood family, from Hayward, California, found some Super Bowl tickets on Craigslist at 'only' double the face value. The seller seemed legit, so they wired him the money. When they opened the FedEx envelope it read: "Enjoy the game!!!! Go Ravens!!! LOL."

Planning the best Super Bowl Party ever? Maybe. Two men in Atlanta were busted for allegedly stealing $65,000 worth of chicken wings from a warehouse.

Tonight on CBS, Boomer Esiason and Aisha Tyler host a special where viewers votes determine the greatest ads that have aired during the Super Bowls.

The adult video website PornHub has posted a very safe-for-work ad on YouTube which it claims was rejected by CBS for the Super Bowl. The ad features an elderly couple sitting on a park bench ... and that's about all. Except CBS didn't reject the ad. That's because PornHub never made an ad buy for the Super Bowl. In fact, PornHub could never have made an ad buy during the Super Bowl because CBS says it doesn't take ads for pornography.

The Super Bowl kick-off is at 3:30 Sunday afternoon on CBS.

Former Mariner star and current Yankee Alex Rodriguez admitted to using steroids from 2001 through 2003, when he was with the Texas Rangers, but has insisted that he's been playing clean ever since. He hasn't failed any MLB drug tests since then and hadn't been linked to performance-enhancing drugs for a decade. Until now. Yesterday, the Miami New Times newspaper published a lengthy report on the shady business practices of an Anthony Bosch, who operated a clinic in South Florida called Biogenesis. Among a collection of Bosch's handwritten files, examined by the New Times, were apparent records of PED regimens given to several professional athletes, including San Francisco Giants outfielder Melky Cabrera, Oakland A's pitcher Bartolo Colón, Texas Rangers slugger Nelson Cruz and -- you guessed it -- Alex Rodriguez. Bosch's handwritten records indicate, according to the New Times, that Rodriguez had been ordering PEDs from Biogenesis from 2009 through 2012. The listed substances include a number of which that are banned by Major League Baseball. In response to the New Times report, a Rodriguez representative gave a statement to the New York Post denying that he has any connection to Bosch and Biogenesis: "The news report about a purported relationship between Alex Rodriguez and Anthony Bosch are not true. Alex Rodriguez was not Mr. Bosch's patient, he was never treated by him and he was never advised by him. The purported documents referenced in the story -- at least as they relate to Alex Rodriguez -- are not legitimate."

The US National Snow Sculpting Competition begins today and runs through Sunday in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Today is National Inane Answering Machine Message Day. Today is National Flirt A Little Bit Day. Today is Yogi Bear Day, marking debut of the Yogi Bear Show on this date in 1958. Yogi had first appeared as a cartoon extra on Huckleberry Hound in October of 1957. Today is National Write to Congress Day. Today is National Croissant Day. Today is National Yodel at Your Neighbors Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1994, the Dallas Cowboys repeated as NFL champions by defeating the Buffalo Bills, 30-13, in Super Bowl 28. It was the fourth straight Super Bowl loss for the Bills. In 1996, Kevin Eubanks became official leader of The Tonight Show Band. In 2003, President Bush put allies on notice that diplomacy would give way to a decision on war with Iraq in "weeks, not months." World leaders and congressional critics urged patience and demanded proof of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. In 2007, Alexa Rodriguez decided she'd had enough of the gridlock and made her appearance in parents Magin Rodriguez and Wendy Neba's 4Runner. Alexa was the second baby born that week to moms stuck on I-5 near Seattle, and the 4th during January. Three arrived on I-5 and one in a restaurant parking lot. State troopers reported all moms and babies were doing well. A WSP spokesman simply attributed it to coincidence saying, "Who wants to have their baby in their car on the freeway?"

A 105-year-old California woman is celebrating after passing her first driver's exam in decades! When Edythe Kirchmaier last took a driver's test, there were no road signs and she drove a Model A Ford Coupe. Just last week, she passed her latest test with flying colors. Kirchmaier now drives a 1997 Dodge Caravan and maintains her 85-year-old perfect driving record. A couple other fun facts about Ms. Kirchmaier: she's volunteered for the non-profit Direct Relief International for 40 years and according to Facebook, she's the social network site's oldest member.

The 85th Academy Awards are honoring the James Bond movie franchise, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The 007 movies have become the longest-running franchise in motion picture history. They kicked off in 1962 with Dr. No, which starred Sean Connery, and most recently saw Daniel Craig in the critically acclaimed film Skyfall. Adele's theme song from the movie is up for the Best Original Song and she's taking the Oscar stage to perform the song. The 85th Academy Awards are being handed out on Sunday, February 24th, in Hollywood and airing on ABC.

Jobs, the Steve Jobs biopic, opens in theaters nationwide this April. The film stars Ashton Kutcher as the famed Apple founder and tracks his ascension from college dropout to one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century. Jobs opens in theaters April 19th.

An additional 300 Blockbuster stores are scheduled to be closed, putting an estimated 3,000 people out of work.

Katy Perry has teamed up with Popchips for her own unique flavor, Katy's Kettle Corn. According to Billboard, the new snack is Target, Safeway, Walgreens, and other select stores, as well as at the Popchips website starting in mid-February.

The Goo Goo Dolls just released their new song, Rebel Beat, off their upcoming 10th album, Magnetic. Singer John Rzeznik spoke with Billboard about their latest music, saying this time around he wanted to "have fun making a record without a lot of pressure." He continued by telling fans they can expect a lot more of a positive and upbeat disc than their last album, Something For the Rest of Us.

Trivia Answer: Richard Bruce Cheney -- Vice President Dick Cheney -- who turns 72 today. He, of course, served as the 46th Vice President of the United States from 2001 to 2009 in the administration of George W. Bush. He was out of political office during the Clinton presidency. At that time, he was chairman and CEO of Halliburton Company from 1995 to 2000.

Here it is. The Madden NFL 13 Super Bowl Prediction. The Madden NFL 13 forecasts the Ravens will defeat the San Francisco 49ers 27-24. The game has correctly forecast seven of the last nine Super Bowls and was two points away from predicting the exact final score of the 2009 matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. The prediction is based on a simulation of the matchup in EA's 2013 edition of Madden NFL. The simulation shows the Ravens leading the 49ers into the third quarter 24-10 and the 49ers making a comeback with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to tie the game. But the Ravens take back their lead with a 40-yard field goal to bring the score to 27-24 and secure the win with an interception with just 10 seconds remaining on the clock. So there ya go. Now you have a free Sunday afternoon. However, if you still want to watch the actual game, it's coming up Sunday afternoon at 3:30 on CBS.

Today is Carnation Day. It's National Puzzle Day. It's Free Thinkers Day. It's National Corn Chip Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1845, The Raven was published in the New York Evening Mirror, the first publication with the name of the author, Edgar Allan Poe In 1900, the American League was organized in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with 8 founding teams. In 1936, the first inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame were announced. In 2002, in his State of the Union Address, President George W. Bush described "regimes that sponsor terror" as an Axis of Evil, in which he included Iraq, Iran and North Korea. In 2009, Governor of Illinois Rod Blagojevich is convicted of several corruption charges, including the alleged solicitation of personal benefit in exchange for an appointment to the United States Senate as a replacement for then-US president-elect Barack Obama.

Because the Puppy Bowl is Sunday, some dog thoughts and observations. It's estimated that the family dog is the cause of at least 150 family arguments a year. Of all the money they spend on their dog, 56% is for food and treats. The year 2001 was the first year that pet cats out numbered pet dogs in the US. Every president since Harry Truman has owned a dog at some point while living in the White House.

Is putting your Super Bowl ad on YouTube before the big game a good idea? It is if you want to get more online views for your video. According to YouTube's research, ads that ran online before the Super Bowl last year got 9 million views, on average. Those that waited? 1.3 million.

In her lifetime, Barbara Walters has done a lot of things. She's interviewed presidents, dictators, and A-list celebrities, but she never had the chicken pox ... until now. Barbara's The View co-host, Whoopi Goldberg, revealed that the 83-year-old news legend is suffering from a case of the chicken pox. Goldberg explained, "[Barbara] never had it as a child. So now she's been told to rest, she's not allowed any visitors and we're telling you, Barbara, no scratching." Whoopi added, "We love you. We miss you. We just don't want to hug you." Walters is hospitalized where she's also recovering from a head injury she suffered during Inauguration weekend.

Some kids will do anything to avoid school.  For one 11-year-old boy in Spain, that meant faking his own kidnapping. According to The Telegraph, the child told his father over the phone that he had been snatched off the street in their hometown while taking out the trash and thrown into the back seat of a vehicle. His father called for a nationwide alert and search parties. He later came to find out it was just an elaborate scheme the boy planned so his parents would miss a meeting with his teacher that afternoon concerning his bad grades. He was found hiding in the family's apartment.

Great news for kids: Doctors are taking a stand on the benefits of recess, and not just for the exercise. It's just as important to children's development as class time is. The American Academy of Pediatrics is officially advocating a scheduled break during the school day. A pediatrician with the AAP says, "Children need to have downtime between complex cognitive challenges. They tend to be less able to process information the longer they are held to a task."

Sheryl Crow is waiting a little bit longer to share the Broadway musical Diner with fans. Sheryl wrote the songs for the show, which is based on the 1982 film. It was previously schedule to open in April, but the opening day has been pushed back to an early fall start. According to an announcement made by producers, they "received positive feedback" from investors after a "four-week workshop in November."

According to Rap-Up.com, Justin Timberlake shot a video for Suit & Tie in Redondo Beach, California on Friday. Photos have emerged featuring JT and Jay-Z wearing matching tuxedos with bow ties undone around their necks. Justin releases his highly anticipated third album, The 20/20 Experience, on March 19th.

Here's something to keep in mind as we approach Valentines Day. A simple hug can save your life. Experts say oxytocin, or what they call the 'love hormone', increases during a hug, causing a calming effect. In fact, the effects from one hug in the morning lasted throughout a tough work day.

A huge attaboy and congratulations to Roxy's own Jerry Farmer. Jerry is a frequent emcee at events throughout Thurston County. He was awarded the Olympia Downtown Association's Person of the Year for 2013 award last night. How cool is that? It helps that he's also quite deserving.

Trivia Answer: Adam Lambert who is 31 today. Whataya Want from Me -- co-written by Pink -- reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell threatened to cancel future Pro Bowls if the players didn't pick up the effort. He got his wish -- for the most part. The NFC beat the AFC, 62-35. The game didn't have any blatant episodes of guys loafing like last year. Part of that can be attributed to Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, who spoke to the entire group of participants and called the last two years "unacceptable." Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson said, "Peyton said some things and guys took it personal." The Seahawks in attendance certainly showed up to play. Russell Wilson threw three touchdown passes, Marshawn Lynch ran for a touchdown, and Leon Washington had a 93-yard, non-scoring kickoff return to set up a TD. Goodell got what he wanted. Defenders actually tackled. No one was injured. There was a reverse on a kick return and a trick onside kick. The overall feeling was that Sunday was a marked improvement from recent Pro Bowls. Nonetheless, whether the NFL's all-star game returns next season is a something the league will ponder the next few months.

Speaking of Goodell, an effigy of the NFL Commissioner dangles from the front porch of a New Orleans home that is otherwise festively decorated with Saints paraphernalia. With restaurants and bars gearing up for an influx of Super Bowl visitors, the "Refuse to Serve Roger Goodell" page on Facebook had 107 likes as of Friday. A portrait of Goodell covers the bull's-eye on the dart board at Parkview Tavern. New Orleans is celebrating the return of Saints coach Sean Payton after a season of NFL banishment as a result of the "bountygate" scandal -- when the team ran a pay-for-hits program. But Goodell, who suspended Payton and other current and former Saints players and coaches last year for their roles in the system, is being ridiculed with a vehemence usually reserved for the city's scandal-scarred politicians. Some of Goodell's critics say the disarray resulting from what they believe were unfair suspensions led to the Saints' 7-and-9 performance this year - and a missed chance to make history. Parkview Tavern owner Kathy Anderson said, "We had a real shot of being the first team in history to host the Super Bowl in our own stadium. He can't give that back to us." Goodell suspended the coaches and players after an investigation found the Saints had a performance pool offering cash rewards for key plays, including big hits. The player suspensions eventually were overturned, but the coaches served their punishments.

Jack and Jackie Harbaugh would do well to practice their impassive faces in front of a mirror before the Super Bowl. The parents of Baltimore Ravens coach John and the San Francisco 49ers' Jim Harbaugh will be watched closely during Sunday's Super Bowl - if anybody finds them - for any visual evidence that mommy and daddy really do love one boy or the other best. The Superbowl is coming up Sunday in New Orleans. CBS has the coverage.

It's National Blueberry Pancake Day. Today is Daisy Day. It's Pop Art Day. Today's Today is National Kazoo Day. It's Gone-ta-pott Day Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day -- Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett appeared on the cover of the July 1997 issue of Playboy magazine wrapped in Bubble Wrap.

Calendar notes: On this date ini 1915, an act of the US Congress created the United States Coast Guard. In 1917, municipally owned streetcars took to the streets of San Francisco. In 1958, the Lego company patented the design of its Lego bricks, still compatible with bricks produced today. In 1985, supergroup USA for Africa (United Support of Artists for Africa) recorded the hit single We Are the World, to help raise funds for Ethiopian famine relief. In 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart after liftoff killing all seven astronauts on board.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters , the film update on the classic fairytale topped the box office raking in $19 million in its opening weekend. Other films opening over the weekend didn't fare as well. The crime thriller Parker, debuted in fifth place, while the raunchy ensemble comedy Movie 43 finished seventh. Last weekends number one, Mama dropped to second place. Silver Linings Playbook, which is up for eight Academy Awards, came in third place. Zero Dark Thirty finished fourth.

As many state and local governments across the nation deal with the aftermath of severe budget cuts, one Washington state lawmaker has put forth a plan to increase revenue by allowing the sale of naming rights to publicly owned facilities. The proposal comes from Republican state Rep. Jan Angel. The practice has been in place elsewhere for decades, most prominently on sports venues. The results have ranged from memorable, Busch Stadium in St. Louis, to regrettably, Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California. The proposal has sparked a measure of skepticism among those who think it would give the appearance that government influence is for sale. Democratic state Rep. Sam Hunt saying, "I think perhaps of the CenturyLink Capitol building or something like that. How far could this go?" Angel's plans include measures that would allow private bidders to pay state and local governments for the right to name everything from government buildings to schools. She maintains that reception to her bills has been very positive. Washington state isn't alone in considering such plans. Virginia lawmakers last year passed a measure allowing the state to sell naming rights to its bridges and roads. Shortly thereafter, the state signed a $2 million yearly deal granting GEICO Insurance naming rights to all 43 of its rest areas. New Hampshire and Florida lawmakers discussed similar legislation last year, to no avail. New Hampshire, however, is set to try again this year.

For years credit companies have been charging stores a processing fee. Store owners fought back filing a lawsuit against those card companies. A settlement that went into effect yesterday allows stores to pass those fees directly onto you. The cost depends on the store's contract with the credit card companies -- but could be up to 4 percent of your purchase. So that $5 latte may get a 20-cent bump. Stores have to tell you ahead of time if they're hitting you with the surcharge, and retail experts says small businesses are more likely to charge the fee. Big stores are less likely to do so. And shoppers who pay cash may pay less -- since they won't have a fee compared to customers using credit. The charge will not apply to debit cards or American Express cards.

Trivia Answer: Barbi Benton who turns 63 today. She was born Barbara Klein but Hugh Hefner convinced her to change her name to the more marketable Barbi Benton. Benton married George Gradow, a real estate developer, on October 14th of 1979. The couple has two children, 26-year-old Alexander and 25-year-old Ariana. For many years, they divided their time between their homes in Aspen, Colorado, and Los Angeles.

Jackie Harbaugh is wearing a neutral-colored outfit, still to be determined. Her daughter, Joani, little sister to coaching brothers John and Jim Harbaugh, plans to sport all black at the Super Bowl to show no allegiances whatsoever. The entire Harbaugh family realizes it has already won big. They got their Super Bowl victory last week, when each coach did his part to ensure a family reunion in New Orleans next weekend, with John's Baltimore Ravens facing off against Jim's San Francisco 49ers in the first Super Bowl with sibling coaches on opposite sidelines. And, no, the family members haven't decided where to sit for the February 3rd NFL title game at the Superdome -- or at least they're not saying if they have.

For one Baltimore couple, the NFL's Ravens had to make it to back to the Super Bowl for them to tie the knot. Jim Pellegrini and Daisy Sudano's first date was at a 2001 Super Bowl party, where Baltimore took on the New York Giants. According to WAFB-TV, after they hit it off, the couple agreed to get married… when the Ravens went back to claim a Super Bowl title. Now, 12 years later, as the Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers, the couple has started wedding planning.

Today is Fun At Work Day. It's Speak up and Succeed Day, time to face your fear of public speaking and speak out anyway. Today is A Room of One's Own Day, for anyone who knows or longs for the bliss of having a private place. Today is Mac Day, marking introduction of Apple's Macintosh computer on this day in 1984. And it's National Opposite Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1959, American Airlines opened the jet age in the US with the first scheduled transcontinental flight of a Boeing 707. In 1964, The Beatles reached #1 on US music charts with I Want to Hold Your Hand. In 1993, President Bill Clinton appointed his wife Hillary to lead a task force on health-care reform. In 1993, Sears announced, after 97 years, it was closing its catalog sales department. The Sears Catalog was gone.

Ho, Ho, Ho! It's 11 months until Christmas. Just sayin'.

Facebook is teaming up with Save.org (Suicide Awareness Voices of Education) to study suicide victims' activity on the social network prior to their deaths. Save.org hopes the collaboration will help family, friends, and social networks better identify warning signs.

A 16-year-old girl Indiana allegedly drove 60 miles to beat up another girl who spread rumors about her on Facebook. The victim's mother pulled the teens apart and the attacker left, but police arrested her when she later drove by the other girl's home again.

Sources confirm J.J. Abrams is directing the next Star Wars film for Disney. Argo director Ben Affleck was also in contention.

Tomorrow night, Maroon 5's Adam Levine hosts Saturday Night Live. He's been the musical guest before but never the host.

The wait is almost over for Mad Men fans. According to the New York Times, the sixth season of the hit series premieres on AMC on April 7th. The first episode is two-hours long and the entire season takes place in a different year than previous ones, though creator Matthew Weiner wouldn't specify when. This is the second-to-last season of Mad Men.

Adele returns to the stage next month after a year absence to perform her Oscar-nominated song Skyfall at the 85th Academy Awards. The show's producers made that announcement yesterday. Skyfall is the first Bond theme to be nominated for the original song award at the Oscars since For Your Eyes Only in 1981. The February 24th show marks Adele's first live performance since the Grammy Awards last April and the first time she's performing Skyfall live.

Trivia Answer: Alicia Augello Cook -- better known by her stage name Alicia Keys -- who turns 32 today. That debut album was Songs in A Minor. Among the five Grammies she earned for the album was Best New Artist. She also won Song of the Year for Fallin'. Alicia is singing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl next weekend.

The 16th Seattle Mariner FanFest is this weekend. The two-day baseball carnival at Safeco Field is this Saturday and Sunday, from 11 to 4 both days. New Mariners acquisition Michael Morse and starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma have been added to the FanFest lineup. They join outfielders Franklin Gutierrez, Michael Saunders, and Casper Wells, third baseman Kyle Seager, catcher Jesus Montero, shortstop Brendan Ryan, starting pitcher Blake Beavan, closer Tom Wilhelmsen and reliever Carter Capps, as well as manager Eric Wedge and general manager Jack Zduriencik. Tickets are $10.

This can't be good with "the big game" coming up. The National Chicken Council has announced that there's a shortage of chicken wings. The NCC estimates wing consumption on Super Bowl Sunday will hit 1.23 billion, 12.3 million less than last year. Blame corn prices, says the NCC.

Today is Social Sipping and Nibbling Rehearsal Day, a time to practice cutting a piece of cake with a plastic fork on a paper plate while holding a cup of punch, a napkin, and some mints. Memorize something clever to say if you drop it all on the carpet. Today is Global Belly Laugh Day, a day to celebrate the great gift of laughter. At 1:24 this afternoon (local time) smile, throw your arms in the air, and laugh out loud. Today is National Compliment Day. Compliment at least five people today. Today is National Peanut Butter Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1952: The NFL New York Yankees turned up in Texas as the Dallas Texans, to become history's worst pro football team. They were run out of Dallas after only four games and had to play eight games on the road, finishing 1-11. In 1955, major-league baseball announced that during the new season the rule requiring a pitcher to deliver the ball within 20 seconds after he received it would be strictly enforced. It's still the rule, but is never enforced. In 1962, Brian Epstein signed to manage the Beatles, swapping their leather jackets for matching suits and a smarter stage show. In 2003, the new Department of Homeland Security officially opened as its director, Tom Ridge, was sworn in.

Researchers have discovered the exact moment in the week in which women look the oldest! A skin care company commissioned the survey to find out what day and time is the worst for women when it comes to skin. The result: Wednesday afternoons around 3:30 since, according to an article by The Telegraph, that's when a majority of women experience an energy slump. It's also the day all the work stress and partying from the weekend catches up with you. The good news is once Thursday hits, things start looking up again, with most women reporting their happiest day of the week is Friday.

John Mayer, Christina Aguilera and Jennifer Hudson are among the musicians set to perform during the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction April 18th in LA. Mayer is there to induct late blues legend Albert King, while Aguilera and Hudson are honoring the late Donna Summer. The show is on HBO May 18th and tickets go on sale on February 1st.

Israeli fans looking forward to this summer's Lollapalooza concert were disappointed to find out that the event has been indefinitely postponed. Lollapalooza Israel was set to take place in Tel Aviv from August 20th to the 22nd. The organizers gave no specific reason for the cancellation but some are speculating it may be due to security concerns.

Here come the '90s again. 2013 is going to be one big flashback. The New Kids on the Block have announced they're taking 98 Degrees and Boyz II Men on tour with them. Starting on May 31st, the bands are heading to the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut and touring through July 13th, when they wind down in Minneapolis. In between there's a stop at the Tacoma Dome on Tuesday, July 9th. Tickets go on sale on February 2nd.

U2 frontman Bono recently said that he doesn't care if their latest album takes "10 years to finish." Well, it looks like we won't have to wait nearly as long for the group's 13th record as it appears drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. has let the cat out of the bag during an appearance on Ireland's The Dave Fanning Show. When asked about the status of their new album Mullen told the show's host, "I'd say we will be finished by the summer –and hopefully we will have something released by September." Mullen then added, "Hopefully what we will be able to do is release (in) September this year and shortly afterwards, release again. That's what we want to do." So there you have it.

Doggie poo is a problem at a Plano, Texas, apartment complex. Management is going to "poo-print" to keep their residents' dogs' DNA on file. Dogs must have their mouths swabbed for DNA. Any droppings not picked up can be traced back to the dog's owner, who will face a $250 fine.

Steve Jobs biopic jOBS opens in theaters April 19th, the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Apple company. jOBS makes its worldwide debut as the closing night film of the Sundance Film Festival tomorrow.

Trivia Answer: John Adam Belushi who would have been 64 today. During his career he had a close personal and artistic partnership with fellow SNL comedian and author Dan Aykroyd. John is the older brother of Jim Belushi. On March 5, 1982, Belushi was found dead at the age of 33 in his room at the Chateau Marmont on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood, California. The cause of death was a speedball; the combined injection of cocaine and heroin. On the night of his death, he was visited separately by friends Robin Williams and Robert De Niro, each of whom left the premises, leaving Belushi in the company of assorted others, including Catherine Evelyn Smith. His death was investigated by forensic pathologist Dr. Ryan Norris among others, and while the findings were disputed, it was officially ruled a drug-related accident. Two months later, Catherine Evelyn Smith admitted in an interview with the National Enquirer that she had been with Belushi the night of his death and had given him the fatal speedball shot. After the appearance of the article "I Killed Belushi" in the Enquirer edition of June 29th of 1982, the case was reopened. Smith was extradited from Toronto, Ontario, arrested and charged with first-degree murder. A plea bargain reduced the charge to involuntary manslaughter, and she served 15 months in prison.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson -- yes, that Kevin Johnson -- had a stern warning for Seattle SuperSonics fans who are excited about the prospect of the NBA returning to the Northwest next season. He said, "Don't celebrate too early." In front of a cheering City Hall crowd filled with fans and public officials yesterday, Johnson introduced the first part of his four-step plan to keep the Sacramento Kings in California's capital city. The three-time NBA All-Star turned mayor unveiled 20 local investors who have pledged at least $1 million each to be part of a group that would buy the franchise. Johnson said the major partner he hopes to anchor the last-ditch deal to keep the Kings from moving to Seattle will be revealed as soon as this week. Johnson went on to say, "I just say to the fans in Seattle: be cautiously optimistic. Be smart. But this isn't about our city against their city, or one mayor against another mayor. We have something that's ours and we want to keep it, and we're going to do everything we can to make Sacramento the final resting place of the Sacramento Kings."

Ken Griffey Jr., one of the greatest players Seattle Mariners' history, if not all of baseball, is set to become the 7th member of the team's Hall of Fame. That word from the Mariners yesterday. Griffey is being inducted during a pregame ceremony on Saturday, August 10th, before a 6:10 game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Griffey was selected first overall in the June 1987 draft by the Mariners and less than two years later, at the age of 19, he was in center field on Opening Night in 1989. He proceeded to electrify the game of baseball in the 1990's, not just across the Northwest, but across the country. A 13-time All-Star and the 1997 Most Valuable Player, Griffey played in Seattle from 1989 through 1999, then again from 2009-2010. He leads the team in career home runs (417 as a Seattle Mariner, 630 overall) which included two seasons with a team-record of 56 home runs. He is among the team career leaders in several other offensive categories. But many also remember Griffey for his spectacular catches while roaming the Kingdome's center field that netted him 10 Gold Glove awards. Griffey joins Alvin Davis, Dave Niehaus, Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez, Randy Johnson, and Dan Wilson in the Mariners Hall of Fame. Griffey's eligible for election to the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in January of 2016.

Today is National Pie Day. Today is National Handwriting Day, always on the birth date of John Hancock, flamboyant signer of the Declaration of Independence. Which means National Handwriting Analysis Week begins today. Today is Cold, Cold, Cold Day! The coldest temperature ever recorded in the United States was at Prospect Creek Camp, Alaska, in 1971: a record 79.8 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. National Nuclear Science Week begins today. Today is Snowplow Mailbox Hockey Day, time for snowplow drivers everywhere to see how many rural mailboxes they can knock over. Clean out Your Inbox Week begins today.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1977, the most watched TV program in history began on ABC-TV. It was a mini-series based on the Alex Haley novel Roots. In 1985, O.J. Simpson became the first Heisman Trophy winner to be elected to pro football's Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. In 1986, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted its first members: Little Richard, Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, The Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley. In 2004, the television show Friends filmed its final episode in front of an invitation-only audience. In 2005, former Tonight Show host Johnny Carson died at age 79.

Coca-Cola is hoping consumers are up for another game during the Big Game. The cola giant has unveiled a campaign called "Coke Chase" that pits three teams against each other and lets fans determine which of the teams is featured in a post-game ad. Coke released a teaser for the ad yesterday.

Two new studies show Facebook can make you feel socially isolated and miserable because seeing friends' happy pictures triggers feelings of envy. One in three people feel worse after visiting the site and their 'general dissatisfaction' with life increases. Positive images of friends enjoying holidays, commenting on their happy lives or simply posting pet pictures were enough to trigger feelings of jealousy.

Even worse than Facebook, the worse thing for your relationship is lack of sleep. A study suggests that lack of sleep tends to prioritize ourselves over our partner and become complete jerks. We forget the little things, like saying "thank you." The study, out of UC Berkeley, found that if "you slept like a baby, but your partner didn't, you'll probably both end up grouchy."

Tonight on American Idol, the auditions continue in Charlotte, North Carolinat. It's a 2-hour edition.

Arsenio Hall is all set to make his return to late night TV with the resurrection of The Arsenio Hall Show. The syndicated talk show hits the airwaves on September 9th in the 10 and 11 time slots. The original show ran from 1989 to 1994 and was eventually cancelled due to a plunge in the ratings after David Letterman left NBC to host his own show opposite Hall on CBS.

According to TMZ.com, Beyonce lip-synced to a pre-recorded track at President Obama's Inauguration on Monday. A spokesperson for the US Marine Corp Band, which provides the music for the Inauguration, told the website that Beyonce did not sing live and pre-recorded a version of The Star-Spangled Banner. Meanwhile, Kelly Clarkson did perform live at the event, singing My Country Tis of Thee.

Apparently no amount of money can get Lindsay Lohan to do Dancing With The Stars, because she's against the idea of doing reality TV shows. Reports from TMZ indicate Lohan was offered up to 550-thousand dollars to do the ABC reality competition. There's no doubt she could use the extra cash after reports that she owes hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes, but she's standing firm on her no-reality stipulation and sticking to movies. ABC has not commented.

On Monday night, Justin Bieber surpassed Lady Gaga to become the most popular person on Twitter. Lady Gaga started her Twitter reign on the social media site in August of 2010, after surpassing Britney Spears to gain the title. Gaga tweeted her congrats to Justin, saying he deserves all of his success.

Temple Run 2 has been downloaded more than 20 million times since its release in Apple's App Store last Thursday. The successful free-to-play sequel to Temple Run became the #1 Free App in just six hours.

Consumer blog Consumerist had a post on Redbox users who think handicap parking spaces are designed for them. The temptation is there -- you're just going to pull up for a minute or two to pick up or return a movie from the Redbox kiosk and the handicap parking spots are right there. It would be so much easier to pull into that spot than find one elsewhere and trek back. But, as Consumerist points out, it's illegal and rude and you just shouldn't do it.

There's nothing worse than needing a couple bucks and having to withdraw 20 dollars from the ATM. Well, those days might be over now because Wells Fargo and Citibank have decided to allow their machines to spit out one and five-dollar bills. According to CNN Money, Chase already has about 400 ATMs that allow the small-bill withdraws, and they plan to double that by the end of the year.

Trivia Answer: Francois Henri LaLanne -- Jack LaLanne -- who died on this date two years ago. LaLanne also gained recognition for his success as a bodybuilder, as well as for his prodigious feats of strength. Arnold Schwarzenegger once stated, "That Jack LaLanne's an animal!," after LaLanne, at 54, beat a 21-year-old Schwarzenegger "badly" in an informal contest. On the occasion of LaLanne's death, Schwarzenegger credited LaLanne for being "an apostle for fitness" by inspiring "billions all over the world to live healthier lives," and, as governor of California, had earlier placed him on his Governor's Council on Physical Fitness. Steve Reeves credited LaLanne as his inspiration to build his muscular physique while keeping a slim waist. He was inducted to the California Hall of Fame and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia at his home on January 23, 2011. He was 96. According to his family, he had been sick for a week, but refused to see a doctor. They added that he had been performing his daily workout routine the day before his death.

A timeline of LaLanne's feats as reported on Jack's website. These accounts are not necessarily entirely accurate descriptions of what LaLanne actually did as occasionally there would be a difference between the website account and objective reporting of the same event (as in the 1974 Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf swim shown below).

• 1954 (age 40): swam the entire length (8,981 ft/1.7 mi) of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, under water, with 140 pounds (64 kg; 10 st) of air tanks and other equipment strapped to his body; a world record.
• 1955 (age 41): swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. When interviewed afterwards he was quoted as saying that the worst thing about the ordeal was being handcuffed, which significantly reduced his chance to do a jumping jack.
• 1956 (age 42): set what was claimed as a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on You Asked For It, a television program hosted by Art Baker.
• 1957 (age 43): swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500-pound cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles
• 1958 (age 44): maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile trip took 9.5 hours.
• 1959 (age 45): did 1,000 jumping jacks and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes, to promote The Jack LaLanne Show going nationwide. LaLanne said this was the most difficult of his stunts, but only because the skin on his hands started ripping off during the chin-ups. He felt he couldn't stop because it would be seen as a public failure.
• 1974 (age 60): For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a 1,000-pound boat. At least that's according to his website. However, according to an account of this event published the day after it occurred in the Los Angeles Times, written by Philip Hager, a Times staff writer, LaLanne was neither handcuffed nor shackled if each of those terms has the unconventional meaning of "tightly binding the wrists or ankles together with a pair of metal fasteners" although that's not how handcuffs or shackles work. Hager says that LaLanne "had his hands and feet bound with cords that allowed minimal freedom". But "minimal" clearly did not mean "no" freedom, since elsewhere in the article Hager describes LaLanne's method of propulsion through the water as "half-breast-stroke, half-dog paddle" which is how you swim with your hands tied.
• 1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance of 21 years earlier, he again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed, but this time he was shackled and towed a 1,000-pound boat.
• 1976 (age 62): To commemorate the "Spirit of '76", United States Bicentennial, he swam one mile in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
• 1979 (age 65): towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp.
• 1980 (age 66): towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile in less than one hour.
• 1984 (age 70): handcuffed, shackled, and fighting strong winds and currents, he towed 70 rowboats, one with several guests, from the Queen's Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary, 1 mile.

It's not the trip to New Orleans he was hoping for but Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is bound for Hawaii. Wilson's been added to the NFC roster for the Pro Bowl after Atlanta's Matt Ryan withdrew due to an injury. Wilson was added to the team yesterday. He'll be the sixth Seahawks player in the game, joining offensive linemen Max Unger and Russell Okung, running back Marshawn Lynch, safety Earl Thomas and kick returner Leon Washington. Wilson was originally voted a third alternate for the NFC. Ryan was injured in Sunday's NFC championship game loss to San Francisco. The Pro Bowl is this Sunday in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The only thing stopping the Sacramento Kings from a sale and move to Seattle is approval by NBA owners. The Maloof family has agreed to sell the Kings to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen, the league confirmed in a statement yesterday morning. The deal is still pending a vote by the NBA Board of Governors. Word is that Hansen's group will buy 65 percent of the franchise, which is valued at a total price of $525 million, and move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The deal will cost the Hansen group a little more than $340 million. The Maloofs will have no stake in the team. The sale figure works off a total valuation of the franchise, which includes relocation fees. Hansen's group also is hoping to buy out other minority investors. The Maloofs will get a $30 million non-refundable down payment by February 1st, according to the deal. They will still be allowed to receive other offers until the league approves the sale. The plan by Hansen's group is to have the team play at least the next two seasons in KeyArena before moving into a new facility in downtown Seattle. The deadline for teams to apply for a move for next season is March 1st.

The Mariners' pitchers and catchers report on February 12th, but you can report early to FanFest. The two-day baseball carnival at Safeco Field is this Saturday and Sunday, from 11 to 4 both days. New Mariners acquisition Michael Morse and starting pitcher Hisashi Iwakuma have been added to the FanFest lineup. They join outfielders Franklin Gutierrez, Michael Saunders, and Casper Wells, third baseman Kyle Seager, catcher Jesus Montero, shortstop Brendan Ryan, starting pitcher Blake Beavan, closer Tom Wilhelmsen and reliever Carter Capps, as well as manager Eric Wedge and general manager Jack Zduriencik. Tickets are $10.

Today is Celebration of Life Day. It's National Polka Dot Day. It's Answer Your Cat's Question Day. Today is National Blonde Brownie Day. What's a blonde brownie, you ask? Well, to make blonde brownies, light brown sugar is used in the recipe in place of dark brown chocolate.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1946, the Central Intelligence Group, forerunner of the Central Intelligence Agency, was created. In 1947, KTLA, the first commercial television station west of the Mississippi River, begins operation in Hollywood, California. In 1970, the Boeing 747, the world's first "jumbo jet", entered commercial service for Pan American Airways with its maiden voyage from John F. Kennedy International Airport to London Heathrow Airport. In 1973, the US Supreme Court delivered its decision in Roe v. Wade, legalizing elective abortion in all fifty states. In 1984, the Apple Macintosh, the first consumer computer to popularize the computer mouse and the graphical user interface, is introduced during Super Bowl XVIII with its famous 1984 television commercial. In 2002, Kmart became the largest retailer in United States history to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

For only 136 dollars, you can slip into your own pair of denim "spa jeans" from Wrangler. These moisturizing skinny jeans are the newest creation from the iconic company and are infused with skin care products. According to MSN, they're intended to "protect your legs from the dehydrating effects of denim." You can get three kinds of the new jeans: Aloe Vera, Olive Extract and Smooth Legs. The hydration effect only lasts around 15 days, but a refresher spray is available for purchase that extends the life of the jeans' moisturizing properties.

Sometimes I get embarrassed for our species. A couple of cases: first, in Florida, the Broward Sheriff's Office was able to place Dwight Miller at a home where $12,000 worth of jewelry and electronics were taken. It turns out that a wallet dropped during the burglary contained Miller's ID. Oh, and a quick check showed Miller to have a GPS ankle monitor because he was a suspect in previous home burglaries. Then there's the British woman that was so mesmerized by her cell phone that she fell into a canal, even as a bystander shouted to her to stop. She was texting her boyfriend. Laura Safe (that's is her real name) fell into the canal in Birmingham, England, which has about 114 miles of canals.

How far would you go to save a friendship? Would you get professional help? That's the latest trend, it seems. Friendship counseling. More than 10-thousand psychologists and counselors are offering sessions on relationships with friends in the United States. It's not cheap. Sessions can cost anywhere between $75 and $200 for an hour.

Today the physical copy of the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief album hits shelves. The double-disc set boasts 24 tracks from the benefit concert, including songs from Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Roger Waters, Bon Jovi, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Billy Joel and Paul McCartney. All proceeds from the sale of the album go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund which benefits the victims of Sandy.

Trivia Answer: Linda Denise Blair who turns 54 today. She began her career as a six-year-old child model. She was selected from a field of 600 applicants for her most notable role as Regan in The Exorcist. The role earned her a Golden Globe and People's Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as an Academy Award nomination. She reprised her role in the sequel, Exorcist II: The Heretic in 1977. Towards the end of the 1970s, Blair encountered trouble with law enforcement authorities as she was arrested and charged with drug possession and conspiracy to sell drugs. She plead guilty to a reduced charge of conspiracy to possess cocaine, in exchange for 3 years probation and a $5000 fine. Blair was also required to make at least 12 major public appearances to tell young people about the dangers of drug abuse. Though she tried to act in subsequent films, Blair found it hard to restart her screen career and landed low grade films. As she herself said in an interview, her career "went down faster than the Titanic." Blair's career took a new turn in the 1980s, as she starred in a number of successful low-budget horror and exploitation films, including Hell Night (1981), Chained Heat (1983) and Savage Streets (1984). Blair has since worked in numerous films, including the Exorcist spoof, Repossessed (1990), and a cameo role in Scream (1996). In 1997, she appeared in a Broadway revival of Grease. Blair has become an animal rights activist and humanitarian, working with PETA, Feed The Children, Variety, the Children's Charity and other organizations. Blair also devotes time to her non-profit organization, the Linda Blair WorldHeart Foundation, which works to rescue abused, neglected and mistreated animals. She is a vegan, and has co-authored the book Going Vegan!.

The Maloof family that owns the Sacramento Kings has reached an agreement to sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the franchise to a Seattle group led by hedge-fund manager Chris Hansen and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, according to league sources. Sources said that NBA teams were formally notified last night that the Kings have been valued at $525 million and that the parties have executed a purchase agreement, which still requires league approval. Hansen plans to move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The Maloofs reportedly will receive a $30 million non-refundable deposit on February 1st. They will still be allowed to receive other offers until the league approves the sale.

Get ready for the Brother Bowl. It's Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh when Big Brother John's Baltimore Ravens meet Little Brother Jim's San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl at New Orleans in two weeks. The 49ers advanced when they won the NFC title beating the Atlanta Falcons 28-24 yesterday. Then in the AFC Championship game, the Ravens stunned the New England Patriots 28-13. That sets up the first Super Bowl coached by brothers, On Thanksgiving Day of 2011, the Harbaughs became the first brothers to coach against each other in any NFL game. Now they'll be squaring off in the biggest one of all. The 49ers open as 5-point favorites. By the way, Baltimore won that Thanksgiving game, 16-6.

The Associated Press says Alicia Keys is set to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl next month. Keys joins the likes of Mariah Carey, Christina Aguilera and the late-Whitney Houston, when she sings The Star Spangled Banner at the Super Bowl in New Orleans on February 3rd. Beyoncé is being joined by her Destiny's Child bandmates for the halftime performance.

One was born in St. Louis, the other became a star there. The baseball world lost a pair of Hall of Famers over the weekend. Saturday began with news of Earl Weaver's death at age 82, and by the end of the night 92-year-old Stan Musial had died, too. Weaver was born in St. Louis, but his greatest success came as a manager in Baltimore. He took the Orioles to the World Series four times, winning one title in 1970. A three-time MVP and seven-time National League batting champion, Musial helped the Cardinals win three World Series championships in the 1940s.

Late last week Pauline Friedman Phillips passed away at the age of 94. Under the name Abigail Van Buren, she wrote the long-running Dear Abby advice column. The long running advice column appeared in over one-thousand newspapers as far off as Brazil and Thailand. Phillips also hosted a radio version of Dear Abby from 1963 to 1975 and wrote best-selling books about her life and advice. Here are some of Dear Abby's best one-liners:

Dear Abby: My boyfriend is going to be 20 years old next month. I'd like to give him something nice for his birthday. What do you think he'd like? -- Carol

Dear Carol: Nevermind what he'd like, give him a tie.

Dear Abby: Our son married a girl when he was in the service. They were married in February and she had an 8 1/2-pound baby girl in August. She said the baby was premature. Can an 8 1/2-pound baby be this premature? -- Wanting to Know

Dear Wanting: The baby was on time. The wedding was late. Forget it.

Dear Abby: Is it possible for a man to be in love with two women at the same time? -- Jake

Dear Jake: Yes, and also hazardous.

Dear Abby: I've been going with this girl for a year. How can I get her to say yes? -- Don

Dear Don: What's the question?

Dear Abby: I've been going steady with this man for six years. We see each other every night. He says he loves me, and I know I love him, but he never mentions marriage. Do you think he's going out with me just for what he can get? -- Gertie

Dear Gertie: I don't know. What's he getting?

Dear Abby: My wife sleeps in the raw. Then she showers, brushes her teeth and fixes our breakfast -- still in the buff. We're newlyweds and there are just the two of us, so I suppose there's really nothing wrong with it. What do you think? -- Ed

Dear Ed: It's O.K. with me. But tell her to put on an apron when she's frying bacon.

Dear Abby: What's the difference between a wife and a mistress? -- Bess

Dear Bess: Night and Day.

Dear Abby: About four months ago, the house across the street was sold to a "father and son" -- or so we thought. We later learned it was an older man about 50 and a young fellow about 24. This was a respectable neighborhood before this "odd couple" moved in. They have all sorts of strange-looking company. Men who look like women, women who look like men, blacks, whites, Indians. Yesterday I even saw two nuns go in there!... Abby, these weirdos are wrecking our property values! How can we improve the quality of this once-respectable neighborhood? -- Up In Arms

Dear UP: You could move.

Dear Abby: I have always wanted to have my family history traced, but I can't afford to spend a lot of money to do it. Have you any suggestions? -- M.J.B. in Oakland, Calif.

Dear M.J.B.: Yes. Run for a public office.

Dear Abby: What inspires you most to write? -- Ted

Dear Ted: The Bureau of Internal Revenue.

Dear Abby: Are birth control pills deductible? -- Bertie

Dear Bertie: Only if they don't work.

Dear Abby: I know boys will be boys, but my 'boy' is seventy-three and he's still chasing women. Any suggestions? -- Annie

Dear Annie: Don't worry. My dog has been chasing cars for years, but if he ever caught one, he wouldn't know what to do with it.

Today is MLK Day, celebrated on the third Monday of January. Today is International Hot & Spicy Food Day. It's also National Granola Bar Day. How about a hot and spicy granola bar for breakfast? Today is National Hugging Day. It's Squirrel Appreciation Day. Women's Healthy Weight Day.

Calendar notes:   On this date in 1977, President Jimmy Carter pardoned nearly all American Vietnam War draft evaders, some of whom had emigrated to Canada. In 1981, production of the iconic DeLorean DMC-12 sports car began in Dunmurry, Northern Ireland. In 1985, the inauguration of President Ronald Reagan to a second term, already postponed a day because January 20th fell on a Sunday, becomes the second inauguration in history moved indoors because of freezing temperatures and high winds. The parade is cancelled altogether. In 1997, Newt Gingrich becomes the first leader of the United States House of Representatives to be internally disciplined for ethical misconduct.

Barack Obama was sworn in to a second term as president during a private ceremony in the Blue Room at the White House yesterday. After the swearing-in, when daughter Sasha said, "Good job, Dad," the Commander-in-Chief replied, "I did it." Her response: "You didn't mess up." Vice President Joe Biden took his second-term oath earlier in the day in a similar ceremony. The 20th Amendment of the Constitution specifies that the president's and vice president's terms begin at noon on January 20th. Since that fell on a Sunday this year, there's also a public ceremony today for Biden and Obama to take the oath a second time.

Watch out Beyonce and Katy Perry. There's another diva set to perform during the inauguration festivities -- Lady Gaga. A person familiar with the inauguration tells The Associated Press that Gaga is performing at tomorrow's ball for President Barack Obama's staffers. The staff ball is typically a private affair

Jessica Chastain in a low-budget horror flick overpowered Mark Wahlberg and Arnold Schwarzenegger to emerge as the weekend box office champ, while her Oscar-nominated Zero Dark Thirty took the second spot. Chastain's supernatural thriller, Mama, pulled in $28.1 million from Friday through Sunday at US and Canadian theaters, beating out a crop of new testosterone-fueled, male-targeted releases that finished far back in the pack. Zero Dark Thirty, for which Chastain is a leading best actress Oscar contender, took in $17.6 million, while another Oscar favorite, Silver Linings Playbook, finished third with $11.35 million. Gangster Squad finished fourth, while Broken City, a crime thriller starring Wahlberg and Russell Crowe, finished fifth. Schwarzenegger's new action film, The Last Stand, earned $6.3 million for a dismal 10th place.

A 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray sold at auction Saturday for $1.1 million, more than 20 times the expected cost of the latest Corvette.

An Arizona man with a special fondness for caped crusader Batman and his sidekick Robin bought the original Batmobile driven in the iconic television series with a bid of $4.2 million at an auction on Saturday. Rick Champagne owns a Phoenix-area logistics company. He came away with the black, futuristic two-seater featured in the Batman television series starring Adam West nd Burt Ward from 1966 to 1968, following a flurry of spirited bidding at the Scottsdale, Arizona, auction. The Batmobile is based on a 1955 Lincoln Futura, a concept car built in Italy by the Ford Motor Co. In 1965, the concept car was bought for a nominal $1 by noted customizer George Barris, who had a mere 15 days and $15,000 to transform the vehicle for the show. He has owned it ever since. The car has a V-8 engine and instruments in the steering wheel, plus innovative items like a push-button transmission. But generations may remember it best for Bat gadgets added for the series, including a car phone and the ability to deploy such things as oil, smoke and nails to thwart villains - not to mention twin rear parachutes for quick Bat turns. Barris said the vehicle toured the country after the series and a movie and then was housed in a private showroom in California. He said it was time to part with the popular car and let a new owner have the Bat keys.

A reported 3.2-million people tuned in to watch Oprah's interview with Lance Armstrong on OWN this past Thursday. The episode fell short of the ratings brought in by last year's episode of Oprah's Next Chapter when the TV host interviewed the family of the late Whitney Houston. That show had 3.5-million viewers. In the Armstrong interview, Oprah asked tough questions regarding his past performance-enhancing drug use. According to USA Today, ratings are up overall for the OWN Network.

Adele has almost reached legend status, after only two albums. So what would push her over the edge? She joked that it'll be her passing. Adele is alive and well and raising her new baby. She just won a Golden Globe and is up an Oscar too for her song Skyfall.

Trivia Answer: Paul Gardner Allen who turns 60 today. He, along with Bill Gates, founded Microsoft. Allen purchased the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team in 1988. He purchased the Seattle Seahawks NFL team in 1997. His Vulcan Sports & Entertainment company is part of the ownership team of the Seattle Sounders, a Major League Soccer franchise that began play in 2009. Allen's memoir Idea Man: A Memoir by the Cofounder of Microsoft was released April 19th of 2011. The paperback version of Idea Man, which included a new epilogue, came out in October of last year. Although he attended Washington State University and has given money to its music school, Allen has donated more money to the University of Washington.

Coming up on Sunday, at noon, the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers meet to decide the NFC Champ. At 3:30, the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots are squaring off for the AFC title. The winners of those games meet in the Super Bowl is on Sunday, February 3rd.

Pauline Friedman Phillips, aka Abigail Van Buren and Dear Abby has died. She was 94. She had a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

Today is Thesaurus Day. Today is Hair Dryer Appreciation Day. Today is UFO Day, marking the first reported sighting of a UFO in America by Pilgrims in Boston. The year was 1644. Tonight is National Lay Awake and Whisper in the Dark Night. Sunday, by the way is Disc Jockey Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1973, Pink Floyd began recording Dark Side of the Moon, which would set a record by staying on the Billboard album chart for over 14 years. In 1989, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York City inducted The Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, and Dion. In 1996, Lisa Marie Presley filed for divorce from Michael Jackson after 20 months of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. In 1996, Australian scientists who claimed to have contacted life on other planets stumbled on the real source of the signals -- a microwave oven in the kitchen of their laboratory.

Lance Armstrong, after years of denials, said in an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired last night that he used banned substances during his Tour de France victories. Saying his story of success after overcoming cancer "was so perfect so long," Armstrong told Winfrey he did not try to change the sport's culture during his career and that he was sorry for making mistakes. Lance says his doping admission is probably "too late" for most people.

American Idol ratings were down 19% on the premier night of the 12th season..

The average person should ingest around 2,000 calories per day -- which is what makes it so incredible that the Cheesecake Factory's Bistro Shrimp Pasta contains 3,120 calories. It's the top "winner" of this year's Xtreme Eating Awards, which highlight the highest-calorie meals you can order while eating out.

Think there's a Nobel Prize in your future? At one time, a study showed the amount of chocolate a nation consumed was linked to a higher number of Nobel Prize winners. Now, a new study in the journal of Practical Neurology says milk may be linked to winning the international award. The findings show Sweden, a nation that consumes 750 pounds of milk products, per person, each year, has the most Nobel winners. China has the fewest winners and consumes only 55 pounds on average.

When you want to know what's cool, you ask a teenager. And teens have decided that Apple is, like, so over. To own an iPhone or iPad ain't cool any more. No, all the cool kids are being seen with a Samsung Galaxy phone in their hand and the Microsoft Surface lap tablet stuck under their arm.

A California couple just spent the last year visiting Disneyland every day.  Tonya Mickesh and Jeff Reitz visited the popular park for 366 consecutive days. It all started as a way to keep themselves occupied while unemployed, but they eventually got full-time jobs. The new gigs didn't stop them from their daily visits to the park, though. They even spent 24 hours in the park on Leap Day last year. In an interview with the Orange County Register, the couple says they've made friends with the cast and characters, discovered the best spots to see fireworks and consumed a lot of corn dogs and pizza. Mickesh and Reitz have premium annual passes to the park, which include parking. Their cost-per-day comes out to $1.77 per visit over the 366 days.

A pair of Massachusetts parents are making good on a wager and getting a new puppy after their children got more than a million likes on a Facebook photo. Ryan and Evie Cordell said their five kids could have a dog if their photo could top 1 million likes.

A 13-year-old boy who lives in Italy with his adoptive parents took his father's Mercedes and drove more than 500 miles through Europe in an apparent attempt to reach his birth family in Poland. He set off last Thursday from northern Italy with 200 euros in his pocket and drove the car for almost 24 hours before being stopped by German police.

Forrest Kenneth Randall allegedly went out to a Dodge dealership in Nacogdoches, Texas, to have a little fun in his free time. According to a report, he smashed out the windows on 20 vehicles on the lot. Unfortunately -- at least for him -- he left his wallet at the scene.

And in Austin, Texas, Carlos Sergio Valdes took a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe on a test drive. Valdes called police about two hours later and told officers he had become lost about two miles from the dealership and the vehicle had been stolen. Police, however,  later pulled over a woman who told them Valdes had sold her the $40,000 Tahoe in exchange for two crack rocks.

Reportedly, Tiger is still devastated by his divorce from Elin Nordegren and is so desperate to win her back he's willing to sign a $200 million pre-nup with a $350 million "anti-cheating clause." The source on this is the National Enquirer, so...

Trivia Answer: A.A. Mlne -- Alan Alexander Milne -- who was born on this date in 1882. Milne is most famous for his two books about a boy named Christopher Robin -- named after the author's son, Christopher Robin Milne -- and various characters inspired by his son's stuffed animals, most notably the bear named Winnie-the-Pooh. Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed bear was originally named Edward but was renamed Winnie-the-Pooh after a Canadian black bear named Winnie (after Winnipeg), which was used as a military mascot in World War I, and left to the London Zoo during the war. The rest of Christopher Robin Milne's toys, Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit and Tigger, were incorporated into A.A. Milne's stories. Christopher Robin Milne's own toys are now under glass in New York. The fictional Hundred Acre Wood of the Pooh stories is derived from Five Hundred Acre Wood in Ashdown Forest in East Sussex, South East England, where the Pooh stories were set. Milne lived on the northern edge of the Forest and took his son walking there. The adult Christopher Robin commented: "Pooh's Forest and Ashdown Forest are identical". The wooden Pooh Bridge in Ashdown Forest, where Pooh and Piglet invented Poohsticks, is a tourist attraction. Winnie-the-Pooh was published in 1926, followed by The House at Pooh Corner in 1928. A second collection of nursery rhymes, Now We Are Six, was published in 1927.

The Jacksonville Jaguars hired Seattle defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as head coach today, the latest move in the team's rebuilding project. Bradley spent the last four seasons in Seattle, where his defense improved each of the last three years and finished in the top 10 in points and yards the last two. This season, the Seahawks ranked first in the NFL in points allowed (15.3), fourth in yards (306.2) and tied for fourth in takeaways (31). League sources say there is a strong possibility Florida defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will return to Seattle to replace Bradley as the Seahawks' defensive coordinator, although Cleveland and Philadelphia also are interested.

Meanwhile, just 10 days after he decided to stay at Oregon, coach Chip Kelly chose the NFL. The Philadelphia Eagles hired Kelly yesterday. The 49-year-old Kelly, known as an offensive innovator, becomes the 21st coach in team history and replaces Andy Reid, who was fired on December 31st after a 4-12 season. Kelly is being introduced at a news conference later today at the Eagles' practice facility.

Sunday we determine the Super Bowl participants. First at noon, the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers meet to decide the NFC Champ. That's followed at 3:30, by the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots squaring off for the AFC title. The winners meet in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 3rd.

The Mariners have acquired outfielder/first baseman Mike Morse in a three-team deal that sent catcher John Jaso, Seattle's leading hitter last season, to the Oakland Athletics. Morse should be a familiar name to Mariners fans. He played for the Ms organization -- some in the majors and some in the minors -- from 2005 through 2008.

The odds seem to be on the side of Northwest basketball fans. Online sportsbook Bovada has given 4-1 odds against the NBA's Kings staying in Sacramento. And while there's no mention of the team potentially moving to Seattle, the bookie thinks it's most likely that the Kings will be on the move after this season. In a bet that is now closed to wagers, Bovada asked: "Will the Sacramento Kings franchise be based in Sacramento for the 2013-2014 season?" The payouts were 4-1 for "yes" and 1-6 for "no." The owners of the Kings reportedly are close to a deal to sell the team to an ownership group led by Seattle arena investor Chris Hansen. Though Sacramento's mayor has vowed to fight the franchise's relocation, and is working on building a Sacramento-based ownership group, numerous reports suggest there is a clear shot to bring the Kings to Seattle.

Today is Ditch New Years Resolutions Day. Today is Make Your All-Time Top Ten Favorite TV Characters List. Go ahead. Will you include Lucy, Fonzie, Barney, Latka, Reverend Jim, Kramer, Boss Hogg, Corky, Gomer, Georgette, Meathead, Bart Simpson?  Today is Kid Inventors Day, honoring the 500,000 kids and teens who invent gadget and games each year to make our lives easier and more fun. Today is Judgment Day, a day to see how you measure up, a day to look in the mirror. Today is Rid the World of Fad Diets and Gimmicks Day. Today is National Professional Boxer's Day, always on the birthday of Muhammad Ali.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1972: Bellvie Street in Memphis was Elvis Presley Boulevard. All of the new street signs kept immediately disappearing. In 1983, Ham, the chimpanzee, died at age 26. He was America's first space pioneer and a member of the Space Hall of Fame. In 1984, the US Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that using a home video recorder to tape movies and TV shows for non-commercial purposes did not violate federal copyright law. In 1994, Donny Osmond and the Partridge Family's Danny Bonaduce fought in a charity boxing match in Chicago. Bonaduce won a split decision.

A Guns Across America rally is coming up at High Noon Saturday here in Olympia. It's one in a weekend mobilization at all 50 state capitals by opponents of what they call "gun bans": The High Noon pro-gun rally convenes by the Tivoli Fountain on the Capital Campus.

Another 2-hour auditions edition of American Idol is coming up tonight. Are you -- like me -- already tired of Mariah Carey?

Conrad Bain, best known for playing Phillip Drummond on the hit '80s series Diff'rent Strokes, has passed away. According to TMZ, he died Monday night in Livermore, California but there are no further details. Bain's daughter, Jennifer, told the site that her father was "an amazing person" and "a lot like ‘Mr. Drummond' but much more interesting in real life." Jennifer added that Bain spent his last few days with his family. He would have been 90 on February 4th.

The Evergreen State College in Olympia is rolling out the welcome mat for prospective undergraduate students and their parents with its annual Preview Day on Saturday. Visitors get an inside look at Evergreen's nationally recognized interdisciplinary curriculum; learn about specific areas of academic interest and how Evergreen students design customized academic pathways to meet their personal and career goals; meet and ask questions of faculty members and students; and have an opportunity to tour classrooms, labs, residence halls and other facilities on Evergreen's thousand-acre campus. The full-day event starts with a welcome session at 9 Saturday morning and continues until 4. For more information and a schedule of events, visit http://admissions.evergreen.edu/previewday.

One hateful Facebook comment might reduce you to tears, but a recent study found that the "likes" you get might also have a negative impact, especially on your waistline and pocketbook. Researchers (Columbia Business School professor Keith Wilcox and University of Pittsburgh business professor Andrew Stephen) studied people who use Facebook and found that the more likes and self-affirming comments they got, the more likely they were to reach for a cookie over a granola bar. They end up with a false sense of themselves.

Men's Health surveyed a group of men and asked, Which female occupation inspires the most fantasies? Here are the results:

1. Nurse
2. Teacher
3. Executive
4. Flight attendant
5. Cowgirl
6. Cop
7. Dental hygienist

Trivia Answer: Susanna Lee Hoffs who turns 54 today. The band was The Bangles. The Bangles' first recorded release was a self-titled EP in 1982. They released their first full album All Over the Place in 1984. They had a moderate hit with the single Hero Takes a Fall, but their commercial breakthrough came with the album Different Light in 1986, which produced the hit singles Manic Monday and Walk Like an Egyptian. The Bangles released their third album Everything in 1988, with their biggest-selling single Eternal Flame, which was co-written and sung by Susanna. The Bangles disbanded in 1990. In the late 1990s, Hoffs contacted the other members of The Bangles with the hope of reuniting. They recorded the single Get the Girl for the second Austin Powers movie in 1999. Subsequently, they announced their decision to reunite full-time in 2000. Their fourth album, Doll Revolution, was released in 2003.

Another double-header weekend in the NFL as the Super Bowl tournament continues. Two games on Sunday. First at noon, the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers meet to decide the NFC Champ. That's followed at 3:30, by the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots squaring off for the AFC title. The winners of those games meet in the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 3rd.

Today is Hot and Spicy Food Day. Today is Appreciate a Dragon Day, celebrating fictional dragons as memorable characters. Today is Civil Service Day. On this date in 1883, the Pendleton Act created the federal civil service system and the US Civil Service Commission. Today is Religious Freedom Day and, for the non-religious, it's National Fig Newton Day. Today also happens to be National Nothing Day, a day to not celebrate anything.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1920, the US outlawed alcohol and went dry, a year after states ratified the 18th Amendment. Fourteen years of prohibition followed. In 1957, The Cavern Club opened in Liverpool. Originally a jazz club, it became famous as the first home of the Beatles. In 1973, Bonanza aired its final episode after 14 seasons on NBC. It starred Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts, and Victor Sen Yung. In 1987, red M&Ms returned for the first time in 11 years after being banned because the original red dye used in the candy had caused cancer in laboratory rats. In 1991, boxer George Foreman's wife Joan gave birth to yet another George, George the 5th. The couple already had three sons: George the 2nd, George the 3rd, and George the 4th. Dad is George the 1st.

20th Century Fox has announced a one day, five film Die Hard marathon on Wednesday, February 13th, just before the release of A Good Day to Die Hard. Full details should be available from Fox soon, but the marathon includes the original 1988;s Die Hard, 1990's Die Hard 2: Die Harder, 1995's Die Hard with a Vengeance, 2007's Live Free or Die Hard, and the new one, A Good Day to Die Hard.

Director Zack Snyder denies a report claiming he's going to direct a Star Wars film. A story surfaced earlier this week that Snyder, the director behind 300, Watchmen, and the upcoming Man of Steel, is developing a Star Wars movie. But in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Snyder's spokesperson says: "While he is super-flattered because he is a huge fan, Zack is not involved in any way with the new Star Wars."

The 12th season of American Idol begins tonight with returning host Ryan Seacrest and new judges Keith Urban, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj. Randy Jackson also remains as judge. Tonight's two-hour premiere begins with the auditions.

Lady Gaga finally brought her Born This Way Ball to the US and she did it with a show right in our backyard. Ms. Gaga played the Tacoma Dome on Monday night. The two-and-a-half hour concert saw Gaga perform a bevy of hits and featured a lot of costume changes.

Charlie Sheen has revealed he's set to become a grandfather later this year. The former Two and a Half Men star broke the news on Late Night with David Letterman earlier this week that his oldest daughter, Cassandra Estevez, is pregnant. He joked with Dave about becoming a grandpa, saying, "I don't know. It's like the world's going to crack in half." No word on an official due date yet

Jessica Simpson's wild and sometimes crazy life might become the subject of a new NBC comedy. Sources tell The Hollywood Reporter that the singer and actress will star in the yet-to-be-titled series, which is inspired by her real life. Simpson said in a statement she's "excited" about the show and often finds herself "thinking that no one could ever make up the things that actually happen in [her] life." This isn't the first time a scripted comedy around her life has been tried. In 2004, ABC ordered a pilot but ended up cutting the series. Meanwhile, Simpson is expecting her second child with fiancé Eric Johnson.

Congrats to Adele for winning the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for Skyfall from the James Bond film of the same name Sunday night. She's also up for the Oscar for Best Original Song for Skyfall.

Has the online dating game become stale? OKCupid.com wants to freshen things up with a new app called Crazy Blind Date. The app aims to eliminate the waiting period involved in setting up a date with an online match. With the app, meet-ups are set up with only a few hours' notice -- and you know nothing about them. You simply choose which nights you want to go on dates, select your favorite bar or coffee shop and the app selects a match based on sexual preference and geolocation. If you enjoy your date, you can purchase credits to give your match higher priority for being assigned to future dates.

Trivia Answer: James Wayne Stafford -- Jim Stafford -- who turns 69 today. He continued to have moderate chart success through most of 1975. Popular as they were, many of Stafford's songs had a tendency to test the boundaries of censorship. There was My Girl Bill in 1974 where the first two verses suggest two men nervously considering a sexual interlude, but the final verse tells of a girl who has clearly made her choice between the two men, with the victor ending by saying "You're gonna have to find another, 'cause she's my girl, Bill." Then there was Wildwood Weed also in '74: This twangy country-fied song dealt with two farming brothers accidentally stumbling upon a patch of marijuana plants. A government man comes by and destroys the remaining plants ... but the brothers have a sack of seeds. There was also I Got Stoned And I Missed It in 1975. In it, a man who spends a little too much time smoking marijuana and consequently misses important things, misses someone on a nearby street corner giving out $100 bills.

Lance Armstrong reportedly confessed to Oprah Winfrey during an interview yesterday that he used performance-enhancing drugs to win the Tour de France. The interview is to be broadcast Thursday on Winfrey's network. Armstrong was stripped of all seven Tour titles last year following a voluminous US Anti-Doping Agency report that portrayed him as a ruthless competitor, willing to go to any lengths to win the prestigious race. USADA chief executive Travis Tygart labeled the doping regimen allegedly carried out by the US Postal Service team that Armstrong once led, "The most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn said yesterday, that it's clear "something's going on" with the potential sale of the Sacramento Kings, but he insisted his staff doesn't know more than the public. The mayor said, "We've been paying close attention to all the news reports, and my staff has touched base with their staff. Something's going on, and there's clearly discussions going on, but there's not a finish line that I know about. And I'm sure when they get to a finish line they'll let us know. But that's all we know." It is getting harder and harder to pin down exactly what's happening. Interesting reports continue coming out. The latest yesterday came from Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, who first reported last week that Seattle investor Chris Hansen was close to buying Sacramento's pro-basketball team. Yesterday he wrote that the NBA's relocation committee has been briefed in a conference call on the specific points of the potential agreement. Also on Monday, NBA.com's David Aldridge reported that Hansen has a "clean path" for moving the Kings to Seattle. Aldridge wrote that "that truth is the truth, and unless there's some kind of amazing change of heart or desire, the Kings are leaving Sacramento for Seattle. It's just a matter of when the announcement comes." That's very good news for Northwest basketball fans. But remember, these are still all unconfirmed reports.

Today is Hat Day. It's World Religion Day. Today is National Humanitarian Day. It's Elementary School Teacher Day. Today is National Fresh Squeezed Juice Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1889, the Coca-Cola Company, then known as the Pemberton Medicine Company, originally incorporated in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1892, James Naismith published the rules of basketball. In 1943, the world's largest office building, The Pentagon, was dedicated in Arlington, Virginia. In 1967, the first Super Bowl was played in Los Angeles. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35–10. In 2001, Wikipedia, a free content encyclopedia, went online. In 2009, US Airways Flight 1549 made an emergency landing in the Hudson River shortly after takeoff from LaGuardia Airport in New York, New York. All of the passengers and crew members survived. The incident became known as the Miracle on the Hudson.

Lady Gaga suffered a wardrobe malfunction at her Vancouver concert this weekend. She was wearing a latex black cat suit and it split up the backside as she was doing some of her acrobatic dance moves. Being the showbiz professional that she is, Gaga continued her dance routine with her butt exposed until her next costume change. No reports of any malfunctions at her Tacoma Dome show last night.

Former President George H.W. Bush was released from a Houston hospital and went home yesterday after spending nearly two months being treated for a bronchitis-related cough and other health issues. The 88-year-old Bush, the nation's oldest living former president, was admitted to Methodist Hospital on November 23rd. His stay included a week in intensive care last month.

According to Us Weekly, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams are joining Beyoncé at her Super Bowl halftime show for a full-fledged Destiny's Child reunion. It's coming up February 3rd.

We learned last month that Kate Middleton and Prince William are expecting a baby and now, we know when Kate's due. The 31-year-old Duchess of Cambridge is due to give birth in July. Middleton has resumed public appearances after spending time in the hospital in December for acute morning sickness. Her representatives said in a statement that her condition "continues to improve." No word yet on if they are having a boy or a girl but since the press release called it a "baby," it doesn't look like they're having twins, which was one of the rumors making the rounds.

About a year ago, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Erin Brady, but according to the New York Post, the pair has officially split. The couple was reportedly having trouble in October and a source close to the pair told the paper that "it's over for good this time." Brady was once an accountant for the rocker on tour and in a 2011 interview with Oprah Winfrey, said she witnessed his worst behavior but knew she could reform him. The two were together for six years.

Kobe Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, are not getting a divorce. The Los Angeles Lakers star and Vanessa announced their decision to drop the divorce proceedings and work on their marriage by posting a picture on Instagram last Friday with a note stating their "divorce action will be dismissed." Kobe also took to his Facebook page to announce the news. The couple has two young daughters together, nine-year-old Natalia and six-year-old Gianna. The 30-year-old Vanessa initially filed for divorce from the 34-year-old basketball star back in December 2011 after 10 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. The couple has been seen together a lot lately, including at the 12-12-12 Hurricane Sandy relief concert at Madison Square Garden, and on New Year's Eve. They also attended a party together after the Golden Globes on Sunday night.

You may stop at Starbucks for your morning coffee, but one Seattle woman is taking her love of the chain to a new level. Beautiful Existence (yes, that's her legal name) will spend the next year eating and drinking only at Starbucks. She's not being paid by the coffee chain and tells Eater.com she's only doing it because she likes to set "year-long challenges for herself." For instance, in 2011 she only bought things from Goodwill. Beautiful is blogging her experience at 1YearOfMyLife.Wordpress.com.

From the New York Times: People who wish to visit loved ones in the hospital take heed: At some medical centers, a cough or a sneeze will probably get you turned away. As public health officials struggle to contain the spread of influenza, pertussis and norovirus, a growing number of hospitals around the country are placing restrictions on visitors to protect their patients from infection. Hospitals in at least 10 states have asked visitors with flulike symptoms not to visit patients.

After 11 years hosting Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, Meredith Vieira is leaving the game show. The Associated Press reports the former host of Today plans to pursue other ventures, including more work at NBC News. There are also reports she plans to start her own YouTube channel that features stories on people's lives.

Tom Cruise had a bad Sunday. He was on the cover of both the New York Post and the New York Daily News yesterday -- and it's not for his current movie, Jack Reacher. Both papers were covering a new book about Scientology. The book, called Going Clear is being published Thursday.

President Barack Obama's second inauguration is turning out to be a star-studded party. Katy Perry, Alicia Keys, Usher and Fun. have joined Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and James Taylor as performers at the event, coming up next Monday. It was also announced that Smokey Robinson, Marc Anthony, the cast of Glee, Nick Cannon and more are performing at other events surrounding the inauguration.

Trivia Answer: He was Ronnie Van Zant who was born on this date in 1948. The band is Lynyrd Skynyrd. Ronnie's brother, Donnie Van Zant, founded .38 Special. Leonard Skinner, by the way, was the gym teacher. Lynyrd Skynyrd's biggest hit single was Sweet Home Alabama which came off the album Second Helping. Sweet Home Alabama was an answer song to Neil Young's Alabama and Southern Man. The common belief that Van Zant and Young were rivals is incorrect; they were actually fans of one another and considered collaborating on several occasions. Young's song Powderfinger on the 1979 album Rust Never Sleeps was reportedly written for Skynyrd, and Van Zant is pictured on the cover of Street Survivors wearing a T-shirt of Young's Tonight's the Night. On October 20th of 1977, a Convair 240 carrying the band between shows from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed outside of Gillsburg, Mississippi. The passengers had been informed about problems and told to brace for impact. Ronnie and bandmates Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray were all killed. Remaining band members survived, although all were seriously injured. Van Zant's younger brother, Johnny, took over as the new lead singer when the band reunited in 1987.

In the NFL's Super Bowl Tournament, we're down to the Final Four … and the Seahawks aren't in it ... but not due to lack of trying. It would have been one of the greatest comebacks in NFL playoff history. Down by as many as 20 points yesterday, the Hawks surged back and took a one-point lead -- their first lead of the day -- with just 31 seconds remaining in Atlanta. It looked like Seattle would be punching its ticket to the NFC title game. The Falcons, however, were determined. Quarterback Matt Ryan threw two clutch passes to get his team within field-goal range as Seattle's defense broke down when it mattered most. With 13 seconds left in the game, kicker Matt Bryant sent the football through the middle of the goal posts and the Falcons took a 30-28 lead with 8 seconds to go. Quarterback Russell Wilson couldn't put together a miracle comeback, and on the last play of the game threw a Hail Mary pass into the end zone that got intercepted by Atlanta's Julio Jones. The game was over. The Seahawks lost. And Seattle's amazing season ended. The Falcons advanced through the second round of the playoffs and host the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC championship game next weekend. San Francisco beat the Green Bay Packers 45-31 Saturday. In the late game yesterday, Tom Brady became the winningest quarterback in postseason play, throwing for three touchdowns to beat Houston 41-28 and lift the New England Patriots into the AFC Championship Game. Brady got his 17th victory, surpassing his childhood hero, Joe Montana, by throwing for 344 yards. If Brady can lead the Patriots past Baltimore in next Sunday's conference title game and then win the Super Bowl, he'll equal the 49ers' Hall of Famer for NFL championships. Baltimore rallied at Denver the beat the Broncos 38-35 Saturday. So, coming up Sunday at noon, the Falcons and 49ers meet to decide the NFC Champ, then at 3:30, the Ravens and Patriots determine the AFC Champ. The Super Bowl is coming up on Sunday, February 3rd.

Burn bans have been issued in four Western Washington counties as cold, stagnant weather conditions persist in the Puget Sound lowlands. A Stage 2 burn ban -- which prohibits use of woodstoves, pellet stoves, or fireplaces -- took effect at noon yesterday in King, Pierce, and Snohomish counties. A Stage 2 ban also took effect at 10 yesterday morning here in Thurston County. Other counties within the jurisdiction of the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency, including Mason County, are asked to voluntarily refrain from outdoor burning. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says the bans were triggered by rising air pollution levels. The bans are in effect until further notice.

Today is Penguin Awareness Day It's National Dress Up Your Pet Day. It's Bald Eagle Appreciation Day. Today is C-Section Birthday day marking the first successful operation in 1794.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1943, Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the first President of the United States to travel via airplane while in office when he traveled from Miami, Florida to Morocco to meet with Winston Churchill. In 1952, NBC's morning news program Today debuted, with host Dave Garroway. In 1957, the Wham-O Company developed the first frisbee. In 1973, Elvis Presley's concert Aloha from Hawaii was broadcast live via satellite, and set a record as the most watched broadcast by an individual entertainer in television history. In 1978, the Sex Pistols broke up amidst their US tour. In 1988, the US Supreme Court ruled that public school officials can censor student newspapers.

Iran hostage drama Argo scored a sweet double victory at the Golden Globe awards last night, winning best movie drama -- the night's top prize -- and best director for Ben Affleck on a night that left front-runner Lincoln with just one trophy. Musical Les Miserables won the contest for best comedy or musical, as well as acting awards for stars Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway. The big story was the defeat of Steven Spielberg's drama about US President Abraham Lincoln's battle to end slavery -- which went into last night's ceremony with a leading seven nominations -- and the triumph of Affleck in the director's race. British actor Daniel Day-Lewis, who plays Abraham Lincoln, got the only Golden Globe win for Lincoln, which has a leading 12 Oscar nominations.

Hollywood's re-telling of the decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden, Zero Dark Thirty, captured the No. 1 spot on movie box office charts over the weekend with $24 million in US and Canadian ticket sales. The movie edged out horror movie spoof A Haunted House, which earned $18.8 million, as well as Gangster Squad, a period crime drama that finished in third place with $16.7 million. Two Christmas Day releases rounded out the top of the weekend chart. Quentin Tarantino Western Django Unchained landed in fourth place and the musical Les Miserables rounded out the top five. The weekend marked a strong start for Hollywood in 2013 after 2012's record box-office numbers. $10.8 billion in movie ticket sales were recorded in 2012, according to boxoffice.com, making 2012 the most lucrative year ever for Hollywood. The numbers exceeded those from 2011 by nearly six percent. Profits from the first two weeks of January 2013 are also up about 22 percent over the same time period of 2012.

After months of dropping, gas prices are back on the upswing in most of the United States, yet continue to fall here in Washington. The average US price of a gallon of gasoline has surged seven cents in the last three weeks. That's according to the Lundberg Survey of fuel prices, released yesterday, which puts the price of a gallon of regular at $3.32. Midgrade costs an average of $3.50 a gallon, and premium is $3.63. Here in Washington, however, gas prices continued to fall slightly to $3.38 for a gallon of regular from $3.40 last week, according to AAA. Mid grade fell to $3.51 from $3.52, and premium fell to $3.62 from $3.63. Gas prices in our state are lowest in Spokane, where the average price for a gallon of regular is $3.06, and highest in Bellingham, at $3.51 a gallon.

Trivia Answer: Andrew Aitken Rooney -- Andy Rooney -- who was born on this date in 1919. Rooney's end-of-show segment on 60 Minutes, A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney (originally Three Minutes or So With Andy Rooney), began in 1978, as a summer replacement for the debate segment Point/Counterpoint. Andy's segment proved popular enough with viewers that beginning in the fall of 1978, it was seen in alternate weeks with the debate segment. At the end of the 1978–1979 season, Point/Counterpoint was dropped altogether. Despite being best known for his television presence on 60 Minutes, Rooney always considered himself a writer who incidentally appeared on television behind his famous walnut table, which he made himself. Rooney was hospitalized on October 25, 2011, after developing postoperative complications from an undisclosed surgery, and died on November 4, 2011, at the age of 92, less than five weeks after his last appearance on 60 Minutes.

Nate Silver -- he's the New York Times' blogger and statistician who rose to prominence accurately predicting sports and elections -- says he has run the numbers and has come to a conclusion: The Seahawks, he predicts, will play in the Super Bowl. There, they'll take on the New England Patriots, according to Silver. And while the Seahawks may not be the second-best team in the NFL -- Silver says that's probably the Denver Broncos -- the Hawks may just be the best team in the NFC. Silver told ESPN, "There's always uncertainty with any metric. I do think with a Seattle team that did come on so strongly in the second half, you worry, can other coaches readjust to them potentially? Talent-wise I'm not sure it's a team that has as much pure talent as certainly a New England or Denver might, and that's why the coaching could catch up to them eventually in the postseason, I think." Seahawks-Falcons. Sunday morning at 10.

A reported deal to sell the Sacramento Kings to a Seattle ownership group is not close, according to a report yesterday, but continuing coverage suggests things have certainly heated up in the struggle to bring the NBA back to the Northwest. George Maloof is a member of the family that owns the Kings. He said yesterday that a deal to sell the NBA team to Seattle arena investor Chris Hansen is not close. That contradicts some news Wednesday -- including a Yahoo Sports' breaking report -- that the Maloofs and Hansen were close to a agreement reportedly worth around $500 million. Meanwhile, yesterday, The Seattle Times reported that if the Maloofs do sell the Kings, they would want to retain some sort of control over the team. That could possibly create a snag in the deal going forward. So, who knows? The deal is not a deal until it is a deal.

It's International Thank You Day, time to thank someone who did something nice for you. Today is National Step In a Puddle and Splash a Friend Day. Today is Smoking May Be Hazardous to Your Health Day. US Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first government report saying smoking might be hazardous to your health on this date in 1964.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1922, at Toronto's General Hospital, 14-year-old diabetic Leonard Thompson became the first person to be treated successfully with the drug insulin. In 1973, American League baseball team owners voted to adopt the designated-hitter rule on a trial basis. In 1984: The Denver Nuggets beat the San Antonio Spurs 163-155: The 318 points, the most ever scored in an NBA game without overtime.

Later this month, the Thurston County Sheriff's Office is holding its first ever gun turn-in event at the Mclane Fire Department in Olympia. Community members interested in handing over firearms and ammunition can take them by designated screening areas outside of the fire station during the day. Detectives will be on hand making sure the guns are secured and letting residents know what they plan to do with what is collected. Thurston County's gun turn-in event is scheduled for Saturday, January 19th, from 9:00. to 3:00. There will also be collection boxes for unused, unwanted prescription drugs and an opportunity for parents to put ID packets together for children.

According to Us Weekly, Britney Spears is leaving The X Factor after one season as a judge and mentor. She is reportedly working on her eighth studio album and preparing to tour behind the effort. There have been rumors of X Factor producers planning on firing her singer, but it looks like she beat them to the punch. Spears signed a 15-million dollar deal to join the show last year.

Psy -- Mr. Gangnam style -- has been tapped for a Super Bowl ad. USA Today reports the Korean star filmed the big commercial for Paramount Farms' Wonderful Pistachios on Tuesday in North Hollywood, California.

Game maker Hasbro is plans to say goodbye to one of the classic Monopoly game pieces and it's up to you to save your favorite. In the Save Your Token Facebook campaign, Monopoly fans are asked to vote for which of the pieces they'd like to see stick around. So far, the Scottie Dog and the Car seem to be favorites. The old token will be replaced by a new one, also voted on by fans. The possibilities include a robot, a diamond ring, a cat, a helicopter and a guitar. Vote at Apps.Facebook.com/SaveYourToken and look for the winner to be revealed on February 6th.

So, you need a smartphone with a really big screen? At the Consumer Electronics Show, a Chinese phone maker is showing off the Ascend Mate -- a smartphone with a 6.1-inch display. You know what no one's buzzing about at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show? 3D TV. That's because, according to a handful of tech insiders, it's dead. 3D TVs are still being made, and sold, but the problem, say tech experts, is that most consumers still don't want them. In fact, they often get 3D only because it comes with some high-end flatscreen they're buying.

The Golden Globe Awards air Sunday night on NBC. Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the 70th annual event

The annual Grammy Nominees album features tracks from a variety of artists including The Black Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry, Fun., Alabama Shakes, Mumford & Sons, Maroon 5, and more. The CD arrives in stores and online on January 22nd. The 55th annual Grammy Awards are Sunday, February 10th.

Bruno Mars remains on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the fifth straight week.

Trivia Answer: Kirstie Louise Alley who turns 62 tomorrow. On Cheers she played Rebecca Howe from 1987 to 1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991. She made her movie debut in 1982 in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. In 1989, Alley starred in Look Who's Talking alongside John Travolta. They then went on to make two other films centered around the same theme, Look Who's Talking Too and Look Who's Talking Now. In February of 2011, Alley was announced as a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She finished the competition in second place, behind NFL Super Bowl participant Hines Ward.

It's another two-games on Saturday and two-games on Sunday weekend coming up in the NFL. The Divisional Weekend gets rolling Saturday afternoon at 1:30 with the Baltimore Ravens in Denver to fact the Broncos. Then at 5:00 the Green Bay Packers are in San Francisco facing the 49ers. Sunday, things get started early for Northwest fans as the Seahawks are in Atlanta to take on the Falcons at 10:00. The weekend wraps up with the Houston Texans visiting the New England Patriots Sunday afternoon at 1:30.

Seattle arena investor Chris Hansen is close to a deal with the owners of the Sacramento Kings to purchase the struggling NBA team for approximately $500 million, or not. A Yahoo report said agreement would send the Kings to Seattle for the 2013-14 season, pending approval by the NBA. The new Seattle team would play at KeyArena for two years, until a new arena is completed in the Emerald City. In the hour following the initial report, numerous other news sources independently confirmed the Kings deal as done or close to done. However, as the day continued, more reports surfaced that said the deal may not close for a month, and warned that it could fall through.

Yesterday, Seattle Mariners legend Edgar Martinez was snubbed again by the National Baseball Hall of Fame — along with everyone else who was up for induction. Martinez received votes on 35.9 percent of the 569 ballots cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Players must get votes on 75 percent of ballots to be inducted into Cooperstown. This time around, though, no one received 75 percent of votes, so no one got inducted. It was the first time since 1996 that the BWAA voted no one into the Hall of Fame. Last year, only Cincinnati great Barry Larkin got the honor.

Today is National Cut Your Energy Costs Day. It's Houseplant Appreciation Day. Today is Woman's Suffrage Day, marking introduction of the Susan B. Anthony Amendment into the US Senate on this date in 1878. The amendment was signed into law 42 years later. Today is National Peculiar People Day. Today is Bittersweet Chocolate Day. Today is National Sturdy Flat-Heeled Shoes Appreciation Day.

Calendar notes:  On this date in 1917, Buffalo Bill Cody died in Denver at age 70. Some 25,000 viewed the body, and the Colorado National Guard marched in the funeral procession. In 1955, both the star, Jane Russell, and the audience showed up for the Silver Springs, Florida, premiere of the film Underwater in swim suits, scuba tanks, and swim fins for the first (and probably only) movie ever to debut underwater. In 1990, the San Jose, California, library displayed a 30-foot banner which was supposed to say "Welcome" in 27 languages. It didn't. In 26 languages it said "welcome," and in native Filipino it said "circumcision." They took the sign down.

Post-apocalyptic action film The Hunger Games was the big winner at the People's Choice Awards last night, picking up five awards including favorite movie of the year, while singer Katy Perry again led in the music categories. The People's Choice Awards named winners in more than 40 categories across film, television, and music. About 475 million fans voted through the People's Choice website. The Hunger Games beat out The Avengers, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Dark Knight Rises and Snow White and the Huntsman for the coveted favorite movie accolade. Jennifer Lawrence, who plays Hunger Games heroine Katniss Everdeen, won the favorite movie actress award. The Hunger Games was also named favorite action film and favorite movie franchise, while its stars Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson and Liam Hemsworth won favorite on-screen chemistry. The People's Choice is the first of Hollywood's annual awards shows, but unlike the Oscars or the Golden Globes, the winners are determined by fans, so it provides few insights into likely winners of the movie industry's top honors in February. Sandra Bullock was named favorite humanitarian for her efforts in helping victims of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans.

Adele is set to attend the Golden Globes ceremony in Beverly Hills Sunday in what will be her first public appearance since giving birth to a boy in October. Golden Globe organizers said the 24-year-old is attending as a nominee, rather than a performer. Her Skyfall theme song is in the running for best original song at the Golden Globes.

The Oscar nominations come out this morning but earlier this week, the Razzie nominees were revealed. The awards honor the worst in Hollywood over the past year and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2 scored the most nods, with 11, including Worst Picture, Worst Actors for Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson and Worst Supporting Actors for Taylor Lautner and Ashley Greene. Also up for Worst Picture, Adam Sandler's movie That's My Boy, Battleship, Eddie Murphy's latest flop, A Thousand Words, and the family flick The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure. The Razzie winners are announced on February 23rd, the day before the Oscars. Find out more at Razzies.com.

Kelly Clarkson is performing at the Presidential Inauguration on January 21st. She said via Twitter that she's "excited & honored" to sing at the historical event.

ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live got a warm welcome on its first night airing 30 minutes earlier. Kimmel went head-to-head Tuesday for the first time against CBS' Late Show with David Letterman and NBC's Tonight Show with Jay Leno. According to Nielsen fast national ratings, Kimmel edged out Letterman and ran slightly behind Leno in total viewers.

Louise Bundy, a staunch defender of her serial killer son, Ted Bundy, before he made a series of death-row confessions, has died. She was 88. She died last month in her hometown of Tacoma after a long illness. The death was reported in The News Tribune yesterday. In the mid-1970s, Louise Bundy was a married mother of five working as a secretary at the University of Puget Sound when authorities across the nation began to accuse her eldest son in a series of gruesome killings.For years, she refused to believe the charges. Her stance softened after Ted Bundy made a number of death-row confessions. He ultimately confessed to murdering more than two dozen women and was executed in 1989 after being convicted of killing two Florida State University sorority members and a 12-year-old girl. Louise Bundy remained in Tacoma following her son's execution. The Tribune said her son's troubles took a toll. Louise and her husband, John, endured jokes and dirty looks over the years and often changed their telephone number to avoid angry calls.

Rod Stewart turns 68 today. He's spent nearly 50 years making music and in that time, he's had many amazing experiences. What ranks as his proudest moment? He says it was Maggie May in 1971, being number one on both sides of the Atlantic. Rod kicks off a tour with Steve Winwood this April. Get all their dates at RodStewart.com.

One of TV's longest-running soaps, Days of Our Lives, has been renewed through 2014. According to NBC, the news comes just days before the show marks its 12-thousandth episode on January 11th. Days premiered on the network in 1965 and has since gathered quite the loyal fan base. In other soap news, The Hollywood Reporter says online revivals of All My Children and One Life to Live are in the works.

Trivia Answer: Jim Croce who was born on this date in 1943. His singles Bad, Bad Leroy Brown and Time in a Bottle were both number one hits on the Billboard Hot 100. That last new studio album was I Got a Name and included the hits: Workin' at the Car Wash Blues, I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song, and the title song. The album reached #2 in the US Pop Albums chart, and I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song reached #9 in the US singles chart. Croce had just completed a concert at Northwestern State University's Prather Coliseum in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and was flying to Sherman, Texas, for a concert at Austin College. The pilot and all passengers were killed instantly on September 20th of 1973 less than an hour after the end of the concert. Upon takeoff from Natchitoches Regional Airport, despite excellent visibility, the plane did not gain enough altitude to clear a pecan tree at the end of the runway, which investigators said was the only tree for hundreds of yards. The official report hints that the charter pilot had severe coronary artery disease and had run a portion of the three miles to the airport from a motel and may have suffered a heart attack. A later investigation placed sole blame for the accident on pilot error.

According to ESPN, the Seahawks signed 15-year veteran kicker Ryan Longwell yesterday after their regular kicker, Steven Hauschka, suffered a calf strain during last Sunday's game with the Redskins. ESPN says Longwell tried out with the Seahawks on yesterday along with three other kickers. Seattle says it'll continue to monitor Hauschka's injury before deciding who to make active for the Hawks' second-round playoff game Sunday in Atlanta. Over his long NFL career, Longwell has made 83.2 percent of his field goal attempts, hitting 361 overall. Longwell hasn't played at all this season, last seeing action in 2011 during his sixth and final year with the Vikings. Before Minnesota, the 38-year-old spent nine years in Green Bay as the Packers' kicker. Longwell was born in Seattle and grew up in Bend, Oregon.

By the way, Robert Griffin III is having surgery today on a torn ligament in his right knee — and to see if there's a second ligament that also needs to be repaired.

Super Bowl ads have sold for more than $4 million for some 30-second spots for this year's game. According to CBS CEO Les Moonves, all of the commercials for the NFL championship February 3rd in New Orleans are sold out, Companies paid an average of $3.5 million for a 30-second spot last year, the previous record for a number that keeps going up. TV's biggest event averaged more than 111 million viewers in 2012.

Today is National Clean Off Your Desk Day. Today is National Static Cling Day. Today is National Stuffed Animal Laundry Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1902, New York State introduced a bill to outlaw flirting in public. In 1935, actor Bob Denver was born. The mailman and high school teacher became Maynard G. Krebs, the first television beatnik on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis and the star of Gilligan's Island, one of TV's most popular shows. He died in 2005. In 1959, CBS-TV premiered Rawhide, starring newcomer Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates. In 1993, responding to a sensor alarm, Mission Control at Cape Canaveral scolded space shuttle Endeavor astronauts to please remember and put the toilet seat down. In 2007, Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone

Political pundit Bill O'Reilly is teaming up with director Ridley Scott and the National Geographic Channel to produce a two-hour movie on the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The film is based on the best-selling book, Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot, co-written by O'Reilly and author Martin Dugard. The factual drama takes a look at the days leading up to the assassination of JFK as well as the ensuing investigation while also revealing little known details and facts discovered by the Warren Commission. No word yet on when the film will air.

Michael J. Fox is heading back to television. On his upcoming NBC comedy, Michael plays a newscaster who had to quit his job due to Parkinson's Disease but returns to work because a new medical regimen helps him control many of the symptoms. According to the Associated Press, the plot is similar to Fox's life since he said drugs are helping him minimize the tics that come with Parkinson's, allowing him to act more. The yet-to-be-named series takes place and is being filmed in New York. No word yet on when it will air.

A trophy wife as first lady, a hapless college-aged son who burns down a fraternity house, and a daughter frantically taking pregnancy tests in a White House bathroom. It's the new TV comedy 1600 Penn. It premiers tomorrow night but tonight, President Obama is holding a private screening at the White House with the cast and crew. So will Obama laugh? The screening in the White House's family theater is "closed press," meaning pool reporters won't be there to document whether the comedy hits home.

Saturday Night Live is getting their ducks lined up for the new year. Jennifer Lawrence is the first host of SNL in 2013. The Hunger Games actress is hosting the show on January 19th. The Lumineers are the musical guests. Maroon 5's Adam Levine is hosting a week later on January 26th. While Adam has appeared on the show as the musical guest, he's never hosted. Kendrick Lamar is the musical guest for the night. It's also been announced that Justin Bieber is hosting and performing on SNL on February 9th

A new survey reveals women have no problem buying knockoffs. Three-quarters of women questioned in the poll admitted that they had knowingly purchased a counterfeit designer fashion item, and many said they had as many as five fake dresses, handbags, wallets, jewelry or pairs of shoes.

Trivia Answer: Tyrone Curtis Bogues -- Muggsy Bogues -- who is 48 today. He's the current head coach of the United Faith Christian Academy boys' basketball team in Charlotte, North Carolina. Despite his height, Bogues managed to block 39 shots throughout his NBA span including one on Patrick Ewing. That happened on April 14th of 1993 in the first quarter when Ewing was pulling the ball back to go up for the shot and Bogues stripped him of the ball. He was credited with the block though.

It turned out it wasn't a classic after all. Alabama rolled to its second consecutive BCS National Championship, its third in four seasons, beating No. 1 Notre Dame 42-14 last night. The Fighting Irish didn't even score until they were down 35-0 late in the third quarter.

Seattle coach Pete Carroll said yesterday that defensive end Chris Clemons suffered a torn ACL and torn meniscus in his left knee and is lost for the rest of the playoffs. Clemons was injured in the third quarter of Sunday's 24-14 win over Washington, the Seahawks' first postseason road win since December 31st of 1983. Clemons was hurt when it appeared his cleat got stuck in the turf at FedEx Field. An MRI yesterday confirmed the injury. He will need surgery. Players were not available at the Seahawks facility yesterday, but Clemons tweeted that he appreciated support from the fans.

Today is National Man Watcher's Day. It's Show and Tell At Work Day. Today is Argyle Day. It's Bubble Bath Day. It's Midwife's Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1790, George Washington delivers the first State of the Union address in New York, New York. In 1835, the United States national debt is 0. That was the only time that happened. In 1982, the break up of AT&T: AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions. In 2002, President George W. Bush signs into law the No Child Left Behind Act. In 2004, the RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest passenger ship ever built, is christened by her namesake's granddaughter, Queen Elizabeth II.

Jimmy Kimmel is moving to late-night's sweet spot. Starting tonight, no more after midnight airings. Kimmel is playing in the same league as veterans Jay Leno and David Letterman. Jimmy's on tonight at 11:30 with guests Jennifer Aniston and No Doubt.

Jennifer Aniston, Ellen DeGeneres, Robert Downey, Jr., Josh Hutcherson, Jennifer Lawrence, Chris O'Donnell and many more are scheduled to attend People's Choice Awards 2013, broadcast live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles tomorrow night on CBS. The show features performances from Christina Aguilera and Alicia Keys. The People's Choice Award winners, nominees, and categories are determined by fans. You can still cast your votes at PeoplesChoice.com/PCA/Vote through tonight.

This morning, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas opens the doors on a record 1.87 million square feet of exhibit space where about 20,000 new products are being announced. 150,000 manufacturers, distributors, retailers and reporters make the trek to Vegas each year for CES.

Fox has picked up a series Conan O'Brien is producing. It's called Bob's New Heart Show, a riff off the classic series The Bob Newhart Show, and is about a young, hotshot doctor who gets a heart transplant, re-evaluates his life and takes over the small family practice in the working-class neighborhood where he grew up. No word yet on who will star on it or when it will air. Interesting to note, however, that the real Bob Newhart is Northwest bound. He performs at the Snoqualmie Casino coming up on the 24th.

Kids will do just about anything to look cool. A bizarre new trend is starting in some Asian countries which have some adults asking, Why!? Teens are paying big bucks to get fake braces. The New York Daily News reports the faux fashion braces cost around one-hundred bucks and can include a variety of colors and designs like Mickey Mouse and Hello Kitty. There are healthy concerns, though, as some doctors say the fake braces can break apart, causing kids to choke and can even cause sores in the mouth. Real braces average around 12-hundred dollars.

Apparently, we're finally giving up. Fewer people are dieting and women are leading the decline. In 1992, 35% of women said they were dieting. Last year it was 23%. Helping that trend is the perception that skinny is not all that attractive. In 1985, 55% of people thought people who were not overweight were more attractive. That number has dropped to fewer than one-in-four.

Trivia Answer: Robert Leland Eubanks -- Bob Eubanks -- who turns 75 today. In 1966, Bob got a call from Chuck Barris to host a new game show, The Newlywed Game, which premiered on ABC that same year. During its debut, it was an immediate hit. Only 28 years old when he started hosting, Eubanks became widely popular for bringing a youthful energy to daytime television, pressing contestants into giving embarrassing and hilarious answers. The Newlywed Game was also ranked as one of the top three daytime game shows, for five consecutive years, between 1968 and 1973. While hosting The Newlywed Game, Eubanks was known for using the catchphrase "Makin' Whoopee". It was Eubanks who coined the term from the song of the same name, in an attempt to keep parents with young children from the need to explain the facts of life because of a television show. While the network was comfortable with the term "making love", they did not allow the use of the word "panties". Bob was at Little Creek Casino Resort this past September hosting America's Greatest Game Show Live.

The Washington Redskins tried to do to the Seattle Seahawks what the Seahawks have been doing for the past month: striking early and jumping out to a big lead, hopefully deflating their opponent. But it didn't work against Seattle in yesterday's NFC Wild Card playoff game. The Seahawks rallied from an early 14-point deficit and scored 24 unanswered points, escaping that other Washington with a 24-14 victory and advancing to the second round of the NFL playoffs. Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson out-shined the other star rookie passer, Washington's injured Robert Griffin III, going 15-of-26 for 187 passing yards and a touchdown. Wilson added 67 more yards on the ground as he led the Seahawks over the Redskins at FedEx Field in Landover, Md., giving Seattle its first playoff win on the road since 1983. The Seahawks now travel to Atlanta next Sunday to play the NFC's first-seeded Falcons in the second round of the playoffs. The Falcons are favored by 2.5 points. That game is scheduled to kick off at 10 Sunday morning at the Georgia Dome on Fox TV.

Counting the Seahawks and Falcons, there are now eight teams left in the Super Bowl tournament. In the early game yesterday, the Baltimore Ravens shut down the Indianapolis Colts 24-9. The Ravens now meet Peyton Manning and the streaking Broncos in Denver on Saturday. The Houston Texans are heading back to New England, where their season began to unravel. A 19-13 win over Cincinnati on Saturday in the wild-card round means the Texans have a date next Sunday in Foxborough. And after Green Bay routed Minnesota 24-10 Saturday night, it set up a trip to San Francisco. The 49ers beat the Packers at Lambeau Field to open the season.

Today is Millard Fillmore Day, marking the birth of the 13th US president on January 7th of 1800. The Millard Fillmore Society, a group of proud under-achievers, calls its members Fillmorons. Fillmore's birthday is often used as an occasion for parties when no other reason exists. Today is Harlem Globetrotters Day. On January 7th of 1927, the Globetrotters played their first game in Hinckley, Illinois. They had been founded the previous year. Since then, they've played more than 20,000 games all over the world. Today is I'm Not Going to Take It Anymore Day, a day to stand up for your rights.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1789, in the first US presidential election, Americans voted for electors who, a month later, chose George Washington to be the nation's first president. In 1962, Chubby Checker twisted his way to the top of Billboard's Hot 100 for the second time in two years. In 1960 The Twist was #1 for seven weeks. This time the song stayed at #1 for 21 weeks. In 1992, AT&T released its video telephone. The price: $1,499. In 1996, the 3-ton killer whale Keiko flew from his cramped quarters in Mexico City to an aquarium in Newport, Oregon. Keiko became a whale star in the movie Free Willy. In 1998 he flew home to Iceland. In 2005, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston announced they were separating after four years of marriage.

The bloody Texas Chainsaw 3D buzzed past rivals at the weekend box office, generating a chart-topping $23 million in ticket sales at US and Canadian movie theaters. The movie revives a horror franchise that started four decades ago with the original 1974 film about a serial killer named Leatherface. The new movie picks up where that film ended, following a woman who inherits a family home. The horror flick topped Quentin Tarantino Western Django Unchained, the second place film from Friday through Sunday. The No. 3 movie was The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Bruno Mars remains on top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for the fourth straight week with Locked Out of Heaven.

Newtown, Connecticut, has been overrun with toys, school supplies, and other gifts donated in the wake of the massacre at the Sandy Hook Elementary school. Trucks arrive daily, despite the town's pleas to stop sending gifts. It's estimated that over 30,000 teddy bears have been sorted.

Sony announced that it's finally pulled the plug on the Playstation 2.

After not being chosen by Emily Maynard on The Bachelorette, Sean Lowe is now on the other side, looking for the one. Tonight on ABC.

A 114-year-old South Carolina woman who was the oldest living US citizen has died. Mamie Rearden of Edgefield, who held the title as the country's oldest person for about two weeks, died Wednesday at a hospital in Augusta, Ga., according to her daughter who said their mother broke her hip after a fall about three weeks ago. Gerontology Research Group, which verifies age information for Guinness World Records, listed Mamie Rearden as the oldest living American after last month's passing of 115-year-old Dina Manfredini of Iowa. Rearden's Sept. 7, 1898, birth was recorded in the 1900 US Census, according to the group. Rearden was more than a year younger than the world's oldest person, 115-year-old Jiroemon Kimura of Japan.

The maker of Spam is buying another iconic brand. Hormel Foods apparently has a hankering for a peanut butter and bacon sandwich. The company primarily known for Spam and other cured, smoked and deli meats said yesterday that it's buying Skippy, the country's No. 2 peanut butter brand, in its biggest-ever acquisition. Skippy, which was introduced in 1932 and is a staple in American pantries, is intended to increase Hormel's presence in the center of the supermarket where nonperishable foods are sold. It also gives the Austin, Minnesota-based company a stronger footing in international markets. Skippy is sold in about 30 countries and is the leading peanut butter brand in China, where Hormel has been trying to build up its Spam business for the past several years. Hormel, which also makes canned chili, sausages and pepperoni, currently gets the vast majority of its sales in the US, with only about 4 percent of revenue coming from abroad. Now the company is hoping that Skippy, which it's buying from Unilever for $700 million, will help it expand at home and overseas.

It's January, which means we have to throw a new gimmicky diet into your life. Here's called the 8 Hour Diet. The authors of a book, appropriately titled The 8 Hour Diet: Watch the Pounds Disappear Without Watching What You Eat, claim the world's obesity problem has more to do with when we eat than what we eat. Translation: We eat all the time. The book claims we can lose 20 pounds in six weeks by eating within an 8 hour period. Choose any 8 hours, but nothing beyond that. Could you do it?

Director George Lucas is engaged to Mellody Hobson. Hobson is a businesswoman and a financial contributor on Good Morning America. The couple has been dating for seven years.

Could Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have gotten hitched in a secret ceremony over Christmas? The UK's Daily Telegraph reports the couple exchanged vows in the Caribbean on Christmas. Pitt and Jolie have been vacationing in the islands with their kids and families. One report even states 12 nannies accompanied the crew on their trip. No official news yet on the rumor. The two got engaged last April.

Online dating services see a spike in usage around this time of the year. In fact, sites like OKCupid and Match.com say this week is their biggest! Last year, Match.com saw a 55 percent increase in new members during the month of January. The sites say there may be a few explanations, though. One poll showed 67 percent of single people included finding love as one of their resolutions for the New Year. Another survey of single people shows 24 percent just dumped someone over the holidays, leaving 2013 wide open for new love.

Trivia Answer: Kenneth Clark Loggins -- Kenny Loggins -- who turns 65 today. He was born up in Everett. During the 80s, Loggins recorded many hit songs for movie soundtracks. It began with I'm Alright (peaked at #7 in the US), from Caddyshack. Hits followed with Footloose from Footloose, and Danger Zone from Top Gun. In 2005, Loggins reconnected with Messina. The two decided to hit the road again; the result was a successful nationwide tour that resulted in the CD and DVD Loggins and Messina Sittin' In Again. On November 16th of 2008, Loggins sang the National Anthem before the Seattle Seahawks / Arizona Cardinals NFL football game at then-Qwest Field in Seattle. Loggins has a cousin, singer-songwriter Dave Loggins, who scored in 1974 with the hit Please Come To Boston.

After leading the Seahawks to a 5-and-0 December in which they outscored opponents 193-to-60, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson has been named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month. Over five games in December, the first-year QB completed 65.5 percent of his passes for 1,067 yards, nine passing touchdowns, and two interceptions. He earned a passer rating of 115.2 and also was crafty on his feet, scrambling for 262 yards and four rushing touchdowns last month. Wilson was named December's NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month yesterday morning. Russell meets up with another pretty good rookie quarterback this weekend when the Seahawks travel to the other Washington to face Robert Griffin III and the Redskins in the final game of the NFL's Wild Card Weekend. Seahawks are 3-point favorites. Kick-off at 1:30 Sunday afternoon. First, though, there are a couple of games on Saturday: the Bengals and Texans at 1:30 followed at 5:00 by the Vikings and Packers. Sunday's early game at 10:00, features the Colts and Ravens.

De'Anthony Thomas returned the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown and No. 5 Oregon raced past No. 7 Kansas State 35-17 at the Fiesta Bowl last night. I did get to see an obscure 1-point safety on a blocked extra-point kick. Never saw one of those before. By NCAA rule, though, it's a one-point safety. You knew something was amiss when the head referee began his explanation by saying, "We have an unusual ruling on the field." Here's the full ruling via the NCAA:

On a try attempt… a Team A fumble that is recovered in the Team B end zone by Team B. RULING: Safety, award Team A one point (Rules 8-3-1 and 8-5-1).

Today is Eat An Oreo Cookie, Look at Your Teeth … and Remember to Floss Day. Today is Short People Day, marking the birthday of General Tom Thumb on this day in 1838. Today is Dimpled Chad Day, commemorating all the dimpled chads left over from various contested elections. Today is National Spaghetti Day. By the way, the world record for largest bowl of spaghetti was set in March 2009 and reset in March 2010 when a Buca di Beppo restaurant in Garden Grove, California, successfully filled a swimming pool with more than 13,780 pounds of pasta.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1965, CBS bought the Fender Guitar Company from Leo Fender for $13 million. In 1974, President Nixon refused to release any more documents subpoenaed by the Senate Watergate Committee. In 1981, the Broadway show Frankenstein opened and closed on the same night at a reported loss of $2 million. In 1987, TV evangelist Oral Roberts said God would strike him down unless donations improved. The money poured in at first, then dropped off, and within two years Roberts had to sell much of his property in Tulsa. In 1994, the 104th Congress convened, the first Republican Congress since the Eisenhower era. Newt Gingrich was elected speaker of the House. In 1999: former professional wrestler Jesse Ventura took the oath of office as Minnesota's 37th governor.

John Keister and Pat Cashman are bringing local comedy back to TV in the Northwest. It's Almost Live reincarnated. The (206) premiers tomorrow night after Saturday Night Live on KING television. Then you can catch it again on KONG, Sunday night at 7:30 and 11:30.

More than half of Americans who regularly go to the gym said they dread the month of January because resolution-makers move in and take over. Sadly, only 11% of those who join a gym as part of a resolution will still be going by the end of the year.

Canada is phasing out the penny in a month. On February 4th, the Royal Canadian Mint starts collecting one-cent coins for melting and recycling of the metal content. Officials expect that around six billion pennies will be surrendered by Canadians over the next six years.

A record-breaking 55.74 million digital songs were sold last week -- the single-largest week for download song sales ever according to Nielsen SoundScan. The week beats the previous record of 47.73 million sold during the week ending December 28th of 2008. Do you suppose gift cards played a role here?

Well, it's the first weekend of the new year. Have a good one!

Trivia Answer: Best known as the coach of the Miami Dolphins, Donald Francis Shula -- Don Shula -- who turns 83 today. He played football in high school … but never started … and in college … but never started. Later in 1951, he signed with the Cleveland Browns, but rarely got on the field. On March 26th of 1953, he was traded to the Baltimore Colts in what was, at that time, the largest NFL player trade ever made, involving 15 players. Shula played with Baltimore for four seasons before finishing his playing career with the Washington Redskins. In his seven NFL seasons, Shula played in 73 games, intercepted 21 passes and recovered four fumbles. In 1972 the Dolphins were unbeaten (14–0) in the regular season. They swept the playoffs and finished 17–0.

Brandon Browner was back in the Seattle Seahawks' locker room yesterday, shaking hands and sitting just a few feet away from fellow cornerback Richard Sherman. For a time last month, no one was sure whether Browner and Sherman would be around at this point of the year with each facing four-game suspensions for using a banned substance. Browner eventually dropped his appeal and sat out the last four games of the regular season, while Sherman won his appeal and had his suspension overturned. The result is that the Seahawks go to Washington on Sunday for the opening round of the playoffs at nearly full strength. For the most part, what Seattle's starting lineup looked like for most of the season will be on the field against the Redskins. The only player listed on Seattle's injury report yesterday was Marshawn Lynch, who continued with his trend of having a light practice early in the week to rest his back. It's Russell Wilson and RG3 -- the Seahawks and Redskins -- at 1:30 Sunday afternoon.

Ray Lewis has spent 17 seasons instilling fear in his opponents while serving as an inspirational leader for the Baltimore Ravens. Now he's poised and eager to become a full-time dad. Lewis announced yesterday that he is ending his brilliant NFL career after the Ravens complete their 2013 playoff run. Lewis has been sidelined since October 14th with a torn right triceps. The 13-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker intends to return Sunday to face the Indianapolis Colts in what will almost certainly be his final home game.

In college ball, there's a good one tonight. Kansas State and Oregon are headed to the desert in one of the most anticipated games this bowl season. A year ago, the Fiesta Bowl hit it big with Oklahoma State and Stanford, two high-profile programs that didn't disappoint, putting on an offensive show won by the Cowboys 41-38 in overtime. This year's game, tonight at University of Phoenix Stadium, has the potential to be even better. Tonight at 5:30 on ESPN.

Today is National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day. Today is Tom Sawyer's cat's birthday. Today is Apple Day, marking incorporation of Apple Computer on this date in 1977. Today is Drinking Straw Day. Marvin Stone of Washington, DC, patented the paraffin-covered paper drinking straw on this date in 1888. Today is National Write to Congress Day, to tell them how best to represent us during the coming year. Congress reconvenes today.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1938, the March of Dimes campaign to fight polio was organized. In 1973, CBS sold the New York Yankees to a syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner for $10 million. In 1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller album was released. It would top the LP chart for 37 weeks and become the best selling album of all time. In 1987, Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 1997, Bryant Gumbel signed off for the last time as host of NBC's Today show. In 2000, the final new daily Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz ran in 2,600 newspapers.

Singer Patti Page, whose 1950 hit Tennessee Waltz topped the charts for months, has died in Southern California. Nicknamed The Singing' Rage, Page sold more than 100 million albums in her 67-year career, which included (How Much Is That) Doggie in the Window, She died on Tuesday in a nursing home in Encinitas, north of San Diego, after suffering congestive heart failure, according to her manager. Page won a Grammy for her 1998 album Live at Carnegie Hall: The 50th Anniversary Concert and is being honored with a lifetime achievement Grammy next month. She had expected to attend the ceremony. Patti Page was 85.

The Lumineers' song Hey Ho got popular after being featured in a commercial for Microsoft's Bing search engine, something the self-described lo-fi band finds amusing because they're not really big on all of the technology and social networking of today. Band member Neyla Pekarek says not only does she not have a smartphone, she doesn't have a Facebook account either. The Lumineers are up for two Grammys one for Best New Artist and another for Best Americana Album.

Pink is facing legal action from producers who worked on her debut album. Bosses at a company called Specialists Entertainment filed a lawsuit in New York City last month alleging the singer signed a deal with them and another firm, Thunderstone Productions, to work on songs for her first record, 2000′s Can't Take Me Home. Specialists Entertainment executives claim the deal guaranteed them a portion of royalties and they are now suing over allegations they have not received any money from the album's title track and another song called Hiccup. They are demanding more than $36,213. A representative for Pink says, Sony (the record label) is responsible for paying the producers.

Next month, Bruce Springsteen is being honored as MusiCares Person of the Year and some big names are coming out to pay tribute to The Boss. Elton John, Jackson Browne, Neil Young, Sting, Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith and a wide array of others are set to perform at the sold-out event, which celebrates Bruce's accomplishments and philanthropic work. It takes place February 8th in LA, right in the heart of Grammy week. It's hosted by Jon Stewart.

How's that iPhone 5 treating you? Pretty sweet piece of hardware, ain't it? Well, before summer is over you'll want to upgrade to the iPhone 5S. Or will it be the iPhone 6? Sources say Apple is already testing the next iPhone. What will be new? One source says Apple will offer the next iPhone in 6 to 8 colors.

Trivia Answer: Dabney Coleman who turns 81 today. Coleman is a character actor who has a wide range, with over 60 films to his credit. He is often typecast as a comic relief villain, the smarmy, devious foil to the main character. Coleman's fate in these types of roles was cemented with roles such as that of Franklin Hart, Jr. in 1980's Nine to Five, a sexist boss whose murder is fantasized about by his office employees (Jane Fonda, Dolly Parton and Lily Tomlin). He also worked on the TV series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman where he played Fernwood's mayor, Merle Jeeter. He played military computer scientist John McKittrick in WarGames in 1983.

The Stanford Cardinal downed the Wisconsin Badgers (Russell Wilson's alma mater) 20-14 in the Granddaddy of all college bowl games, the Rose Bowl, last night.

In the NFL, it's Wild Card Weekend. The schedule this weekend has four games -- two on Saturday and two on Sunday. On Saturday, the Bengals and Texans meet up at 1:30 followed at 5:00 by the Vikings and Packers. Sunday morning at 10:00, the Colts and Ravens match up. Then, it's Russell Wilson and RG3 -- the Seahawks and Redskins at 1:30 Sunday afternoon.

Today is National Cream Puff Day. Today is No-Fault Divorce Day. The first no-fault divorce law became effective in California on this date in 1971. Today is National Run It Up the Flag Pole and See If Anybody Salutes It Day. Today is National Motivation and Inspiration Day.Some Day We'll Laugh About This Week begins today. Today is Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Day. The Andrews Sisters recorded the song in Los Angeles on this date in 1941.

Calendar notes:  On this date in 1910, the first junior high school in America opened in Berkeley, California. In 1936, Burma Shave erected roadside signs throughout the U.S. promising, "Free! Free! A Trip to Mars For 900 Empty Jars." Arliss French collected 900 jars and demanded the free trip. He finally settled when Burma Shave supplied a space suit and flew him to a small town near Dusseldorf named Mars (Moers), Germany. In 1965, the New York Jets signed University of Alabama quarterback Joe Namath for a reported $400,000. In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed a bill requiring states to limit highway speeds to 55 mph or lose federal highway funds. In 1980, after 25 years as host of the Miss America Pageant, Bert Parks was fired. In 1993, New York police revealed that a "thriving" gun rental business had been operating in a Brooklyn housing project. Rental price for a 9mm pistol was $20.00 a night, or $100 if the gun was used to shoot someone. In 2004, a third US cow herd was quarantined near Yakima for fears of spreading mad cow disease.

With the new year upon us, there are several new state laws now in effect:

• All apartments, condos, hotels, and homes are required to have carbon monoxide monitors.
• Another new state law makes it tougher for convicted drunk drivers to drive drunk. All ignition interlock devices in our state will now snap a photo as the driver gives a breath sample.
• And tens of thousands of workers here in Washington state got a raise. The minimum wage moved up 15 cents per hour on New Year's Day. At $9.19, it's $2 an hour higher than the federal minimum wage.

Playboy founder Hugh Hefner is off the market, again. The 86-year-old married former Playmate Crystal Harris -- she's 26 -- on New Year's Eve in a small ceremony captured on Twitter.

Spending office hours staring at cute and cuddly animals could actually help boost your work performance. Researchers found university students who viewed images of baby animals, such as puppies and kittens, performed set tasks with greater time and care.

Psy officially retired Gangnam Style with his New Year's Eve show. In fact, Gangnam Style is now reportedlyy living in retirement in Florida, sharing a condo with the Macarena.

Below is a teaser trailer for the documentary Landfill Harmonic, about Los Reciclados, or The Recycled Orchestra, part of a youth music program in Paraguay. Los Reciclados are from Cateura, a poor city that houses "the final dumping site for more than 1,500 tons of solid waste each day." Alejandra Nash and Juliana Penaranda-Loftus have been working on the movie for the last two years, following three members of the orchestra in particular. If you do not lose it a little when 19-year-old Juan Manuel Chavez starts playing Bach's Cello Suite no. 1 on an instrument "made from an oil can, and wood that was thrown away in the garbage," then you are made of sterner stuff than I."

You can learn more about the movie on its Facebook page, at https://www.facebook.com/landfillharmonicmovie and its website at http://www.sonidosdelatierra.org.py/.