Carlos Peguero made the most noise at Goodyear Ballpark. Until the beeping began, that is. Peguero hit two home runs and the Seattle Mariners beat the Cleveland Indians 5-1 yesterday. The exhibition game was delayed for 5 minutes by a false alarm. An emergency evacuation warning went off in the eighth inning. An alarm beeped loudly throughout the stadium and an automated voice over the public address system repeatedly gave instructions to leave the ballpark. Umpires huddled, players looked at one another and a few fans cleared the stands. The scoreboard soon flashed "False Alarm" and play resumed. Since losing the preseason opener to the San Diego Padres, the Ms have won five in a row. They try to keep the streak alive today at noon when they face the San Fracisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium.

Today is Goodbye M*A*S*H Day, marking the final episode of the series on this date in 1983, when 77% of the North American television audience tuned in. Today is National Tooth Fairy Day. Today is National Chocolate Souffle Day. Don't tell your puppy but today is World Spay Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1977, comedian Eddie Anderson died at age 71. He had appeared almost 20 years on radio and 15 years on television as Jack Benny’s personal valet, Rochester. In 1984, Michael Jackson won eight Grammy Awards and his first Pepsi commercial premiered. In 1993, a gun battle erupted at a compound near Waco, Texas, when ATF agents tried to serve warrants on the Branch Davidians. Four federal agents and six Davidians were killed as a 51-day standoff began. In 1996, Britain’s Princess Diana agreed to a divorce from Prince Charles, ending a marriage that began in 1981. She said it was the saddest day of her life. In 2001, the Nisqually Earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter Scale hits the Nisqually Valley and the Seattle, Tacoma, and Olympia areas.

Former Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is exploring a new career in Hollywood, according to a report by TMZ. Here’s what TMZ had to say about Alexander:

Sources tell us … Shaun -- along with 21 other past and present NFL players -- are participating in the NFL Pro-Hollywood Boot Camp in March -- a training program to help players transition to another line of work after their playing days are over. We’re told stars are all signed up to learn about several facets of the entertainment industry -- from writing to production and even film financing. So Alexander may not necessarily be interested in an acting career, but at least something to do with the entertainment industry. According to TMZ, that is.

On TV tonight, American Idol features the fourth and final group of semifinalists performing. It's a two-hour edition.

HBO's Game of Thrones holds the title for most-pirated show of 2012, but one of the show's directors isn't concerned about the massive piracy from online viewers. Director David Petrarca thinks the buzz the show's pirates create benefits the show because the chatter could influence others to tune in legally. Season three of Game of Thrones premieres March 31st.

Emmy-winning actor, director and producer Ron Howard, legendary sportscaster Al Michaels and more are being inducted into The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame next month. Will Arnett inducts Ron Howard and John Madden does the honors for Al Michaels. Meanwhile, Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson are inducting network executive Leslie Moonves, Ice-T inducts Law & Order creator Dick Wolf, and Aaron Sorkin is posthumously inducting Philo T. Farnsworth, who's credited with inventing the television. The Academy’s 22nd Hall of Fame gala is on Monday, March 11th, in Beverly Hills.

Ben Stiller is set to revisit his role as magician Tony Wonder in an upcoming episode of Arrested Development, which resumes on Netfix this May.

Ricky Schroeder, star of the ‘80s sitcom, Silver Spoons, has allegedly been involved in an altercation with an airport worker at Los Angeles’ LAX airport. According to TMZ, the alleged assault took place on Monday when Schroeder attempted to pass through security with three bags, when the limit is two. A female airport worker reached for his boarding pass and that’s when she says the actor slapped her hand. Ricky’s lawyer, Marty Singer, denies the claim and says that it’s the other way around and that Ricky was the one who was assaulted when she slapped his hand, sending his phone flying to the floor. Police eventually arrived on the scene and interviewed both parties. No charges have been filed.

Well this just seems unfair. Alana Honey Boo Boo Thompson is using Facebook to sell Girl Scout cookies. Thompson's fan page says each box will be signed by the Boo Boo herself and include an autographed picture of the family.

A new nonprofit company is launching a plan to launch the first manned mission to Mars in 2018, a voyage that could include a married crew. The project, led by American millionaire Dennis Tito -- who paid his own way to space in 2001 -- aims not to land people on the surface of the Red Planet, but to take advantage of a rare planetary alignment that would allow a relatively easy, quick flyby of Mars. Tito hopes to choose a space capsule and rocket from among those already on the market, and modify them to carry two people to Mars and back in 501 days.

An Australian billionaire, Clive Palmer, has unveiled blueprints for Titanic II, a modern replica of the doomed ocean liner. The ship will mostly recreate the design and decor of the famous original, with some modifications to keep it in line with current safety rules and shipbuilding practices, and the addition of some modern comforts such as air conditioning.

The Stone Temple Pilots have fired singer Scott Weiland. In a one-sentence news release yesterday, publicist Kymm Britton said: "Stone Temple Pilots have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland." No other information was provided. Weiland was also in Velvet Revolver with Slash and other musicians. The 45-year-old has dealt with drug addiction, run-ins with the law and two failed marriages. He released his memoir, Not Dead & Not for Sale, in 2011.

Adele's 21 is the first album to top the global albums chart for two consecutive years since the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry began reporting global best-sellers in 2001. The six-time Grammy-winning album sold 8.3-million copies in 2012, after shifting 18.1-million units around the world in 2011, according to IFPI's annual Digital Music Report, which was released in London on Tuesday. Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe was the top-selling single of 2012, moving more than 12.5-million units worldwide. Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know featuring Kimbra was the second best-selling single of the year, shifting 11.8-million units.

Trivia Answer: That character was Vito Corleone who was portrayed by Brando in The Godfather and by De Niro in The Godfather Part II.

All during the off season, the Seattle Mariners kept making noises about getting some pop. Well, they've found some. The Mariners got by Milwaukee Brewers yesterday 6-5 thanks in part to the long ball. Franklin Gutierrez and Michael Saunders hit back-to-back one-out homers in the third. Justin Smoak also homered, a two-out, two-run shot in the eighth. The Ms meet the Cleveland Indians at Goodyear Ballpark today.

Today is Read Five Pages in the Dictionary Day. Today is International Polar Bear Day. It's No Brainer Day -- this day is for me. By definition, a No Brainer is dong something that is simple, easy, obvious, and/or totally logical. Therefore, today is the day for you to do all those "no brainer" tasks and activities. If a project requires thinking, study, or analysis of any kind, then its not the chore to do today.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1879, the artificial sweetener Saccharin was discovered at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. In 1963, Mickey Mantle agreed to play another year for the New York Yankees for $100,000, making him the highest-paid player in baseball history. In 1949 he played for $1,100. In 1996, Kurt Wait became the first man ever to win the Pillsbury Bake-Off with his Macadamia Fudge Torte. First prize awarded in Dallas: One million dollars. One slice: 460 calories. In 1997, God received an American Family Publisher's Sweepstakes entry mailed to Florida's Bushnell Assembly of God Church which began, "God, you may already be a winner."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael Jackson's oldest son Prince Michael Jackson, makes his acting debut in the season finale of The CW's 90210. Jackson is playing Cooper, a trauma victim who bonds with Silver. The 16-year-old is filming his guest spot this week. Meantime, The Goo Goo Dolls have snagged a guest appearance on 90210. Entertainment Weekly reports that the band is performing on an episode set to air on May 6th. The group plays at a relief concert as part of the storyline. The guys latest album, Magnetic, comes out the day after their appearance on 90210, on The CW.

A list compiled by Mentalfloss.com reveals how some stars might need to be a little more careful with their winnings. After winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Girl, Interrupted, Angelina Jolie gave her award to her mother. When her mother died in 2007, it got boxed away and no one has seen it since. Whoopi Goldberg sent off her Oscar for cleaning in 2002. The box arrived empty and her trophy was later found in an airport trashcan in Ontario, California. The Oscar was eventually returned to Goldberg who said, “Oscar will never leave my house again.” It wasn't long after receiving his Oscar in 2011 that Colin Firth was chased down by a bathroom attendant, who said Firth had left it sitting on the toilet during an Oscar after-party.

An Oregon woman is facing a year in prison and a $6,000 fine because her toddler daughter kept dialing emergency services while playing with mom's cellphone. Jessica May said she was in the bathroom when her one-year-old accidentally summoned police. Mom says it was an honest mistake, but cops said it's been happening for two months.

Stop wasting so much time online. If you really want to meet someone, get a dog. It turns out that one in four dog owners have met dates while walking their dogs. A third have at least made new friends. We trust dogs' people-meters, too. Forty percent of dog owners say they would think twice if their pets and dates didn't get along.

A woman from Nepal has officially entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the first female to scale Mount Everest twice in the same climbing season. She made it to the top May 12th, and then went back to the top May 19th. There's no truth to the rumor she went back to look for her car keys.

Emerald City Comicon, the annual comic book and pop culture convention, is being held in Seattle Friday through Sunday. The annual comic book and pop culture convention is at the Washington State Convention Center. See who's going to be there at http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/special-guests/

Lacey Loves to Read is a community reading initiative designed to generate the discussion and celebration of a notable author. This year's featured author is Jennifer L. Holm. Jennifer L. Holm is a New York Times bestselling children's author and the recipient of three Newbery Honors for her novels Our Only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven, and Turtle in Paradise. Jennifer collaborates with her brother, Matthew Holm, on two graphic novel series we used to call them comic books), the popular Babymouse series and the bestselling Squish series. She is also the author of several other highly praised books, including the Boston Jane trilogy and Middle School is Worse than Meatloaf. She lives in California with her husband and two children. You can learn more about her at www.jenniferholm. You can also listen as we have her on the program tomorrow morning at about 7:35.  You can meet her at the free Community Author Reception tomorrow night at 7:00 at the Lacey Community Center.

Trivia Answer: Ralph Nader who turns 79 today. He came to prominence in 1965 with the publication of his book Unsafe at Any Speed, a critique of the safety record of American automobile manufacturers in general, and most famously the Chevrolet Corvair. In 1988, Nader appeared on Sesame Street as "a person in your neighborhood." The verse of the song began "A consumer advocate is a person in your neighborhood." Nader's appearance on the show was memorable because it was the only time that the grammar of the last line of the song -- "A person who you meet each day" -- was questioned and changed in the show. Nader refused to sing a line which he deemed grammatically improper, so a compromise was reached such that Nader sang the last line solo, with the modified words: "A person whom you meet each day."

A good day for the Mariners yesterday ... eventually. Down 8-2 going into the bottom of the 7th, the Ms mounted a furious rally to knock off the Los Angeles Angels 9-8 Peoria. Alex Liddi and Brendan Ryan homered for Seattle and Justin Smoak doubled and singled. The Angels jumped out to the quick lead off M's pitcher Jeremy Bonderman, who gave up a walk and two hits, including a 3-run home run to Hank Conger. The 30-year-old Bonderman is trying to secure a spot in Seattle's rotation after missing the past two seasons and undergoing elbow surgery last year. More Cactus League play today as the Mariners face the Milwaukee Brewers at Maryvale Baseball Park.

It's National Pistachio Day. Thermos Bottle Day. Tell a Fairy Tale Day, and For Pete's Sake Day,

Calendar notes: On this date in 1907, members of the US Congress raised their own pay to $7500 each. Both House and Senate members got the same bucks. In 1983, Michael Jackson's Thriller hit #1 in the US. The album spent a total of 37 weeks at number one. The tracks included Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', The Girl is Mine (w/Paul McCartney), Thriller, Beat It, Billie Jean, Human Nature, and P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing). In 1985, the seventh highest-rated TV music show of the 1980s was broadcast. A 23.8 share of the TV audience watched The Grammy Awards. The award for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Male was presented to Phil Collins for his Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now); Best New Artist for the year 1984 was Cyndi Lauper, and the Best Album of the year award was presented to Lionel Richie for Can't Slow Down. Tina Turner was a big winner at the 27th annual prize parade, copping Best Song, Best Record, and Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Female for What's Love Got to Do with It. In 1998, in Amarillo, Texas, a jury rejected a lawsuit by Texas cattlemen who claimed Oprah Winfrey's televised comments about mad-cow disease caused the beef market to plummet and cost them millions of dollars.

With his striking beard and starched uniform, former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop became one of the most recognizable figures of the Reagan era — and one of the most unexpectedly enduring. His nomination in 1981 met a wall of opposition from women's groups and liberal politicians, who complained President Ronald Reagan selected Koop, a pediatric surgeon and evangelical Christian from Philadelphia, only because of his conservative views, especially his staunch opposition to abortion. Soon, though, he was a hero to AIDS activists, who chanted "Koop, Koop" at his appearances but booed other officials. And when he left his post in 1989, he left behind a landscape where AIDS was a top research and educational priority, smoking was considered a public health hazard, and access to abortion remained largely intact. Koop died yesterday at his home in Hanover, N.H. He was 96.

Sunday's Oscars telecast was seen by 40.3 million people, a slight increase over last year's show. It was the most-watched Oscars telecast in three years.

For fans of the sitcom Arrested Development, the show's coming return on Netflix has been like an 8-year-old's wait for Christmas. Yesterday, however, the company announced it will only be doing a single season of the show.

A new study suggests -- ready for this? -- missed or wrong diagnoses at the doctor's office puts thousands of patients at risk of complications each year. That's right, if your doctor thinks that, say, a burst appendix is just a tummy ache, you could be in trouble. Yep, someone spent money to study that.

3 Doors Down has just announced that they are performing a one-time only exclusive engagement in which they're playing all of their hits acoustically. The quintet has chosen the War Memorial in Nashville, Tennessee as the venue for the event, which takes place on May 4th. Tickets go on sale this Friday and can be purchased at 3DoorsDown.com.

Elton John has revealed details about his upcoming album, The Diving Board. Sir Elton plans to put the 13-track record out in September and described it to a group of journalists last week as a mix of gospel, blues, jazz and brass band music. He explained that he wrote the entire effort in two sessions with long-time collaborative lyricist Bernie Taupin and called it "the most piano-oriented album of my career." An exact release date hasn't been set yet.

Michael Buble is hosting the 2013 Juno Awards. Buble is a multiple Juno Award winner and he's only the second singer to be awarded the hosting gig. The first was Paul Anka who hosted in 1975. William Shatner hosted last year. The 2013 Juno Awards are on April 21st from Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Everyone is looking for a great deal these days, but apparently it's women who are really stepping up to cut costs in their households. All You magazine recently polled women ages 21 to 59 around the country to see just how far they're willing to go to save a buck. Here are some of the findings:

• 74 percent said they would give up an hour of their day to save money -- for some that means couponing.
• Over 50 percent said they'd give up sex for six months if it meant saving 25-hundred dollars.
• 82 percent of the women said they're "committed clippers," using coupons as a saving strategy.
• 97 percent said even if they became millionaires, they'd still shop smart and look for the best deals.

Number for the day: 9.2. That's the number of days of vacation unused by the average American in 2012. Just sayin'.

How twisted is this? A new website called LivesOn.org takes over your Twitter account after you die and sends out new tweets based on your current likes and tastes. All you need is an executor to decide if your account stays alive long after you're gone.

Trivia Answer: Levi Strauss who was born on this date in 1829. He founded the first company to manufacture blue jeans. Levi Strauss & Company, began in 1853 in San Jose, California. His parents named him Löb, but when he entered Ellis Island they couldn't understand his name, therefore, they changed it to Levi after he came to the United States. A Levi Strauss museum is maintained in Buttenheim, Germany, located in the 1687 house where Strauss was born. There is also a Levi Strauss museum in San Francisco.

Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer off former teammate Freddy Garcia to spark a five-run first-inning and lead the Seattle Mariners to an 8-3 win over the San Diego Padres yesterday. Garcia and Ibanez were twice teammates in Seattle and played together last season for the New York Yankees. Ibanez, who turns 41 this season, sent a sinker over the right field wall for his first homer of the spring. Mike Morse and Michael Saunders followed Ibanez with back-to-back doubles before Garcia recorded his first out, a strikeout of Jesus Montero. The 36-year-old Garcia allowed five hits and four earned runs in his only inning. Starter Erasmo Ramirez got the win with one inning of work for Seattle. The Ms end up taking two of three from the Pads. After losing the opener 9-3 on Friday. Seattle won Saturday 8-6. The Ms host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim today at noon.

Jimmie Johnson won the Daytona 500, the season-opening and most prestigious race of the NASCAR season, yesterday at the Daytona International Speedway. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished second. Pole-sitter Danica Patrick was eighth.

It's National Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day. Ironically, it's also Let's All Eat Right Day. Today is Pistol Patent Day Samuel Colt invented the pistol. He received Patent #138 for it on this day in 1836. The patent was for the Colt Revolver with a rotating chamber containing six bullets.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1919, Oregon placed a one-cent per gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first US state to levy a gasoline tax. In 1928, Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, D.C. became the first holder of a television license from the Federal Radio Commission. In 1964, Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston met. Ali took the title. In 1986, President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos fled the nation after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino became the Philippines' first woman president. In 1991, in the Gulf War, an Iraqi scud missile hit an American military barracks in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia killing 28 US Army Reservists from Pennsylvania.

Argo stormed to Best Picture victory at the Oscars last evening on a night of surprises that ended in disappointment for frontrunner Lincoln and handed the most overall wins -- four -- to Life of Pi. It was the first time since Driving Miss Daisy in 1990 that a film won the top prize at the Oscars without its director also being nominated. The honors for the Iran hostage drama marked a triumphant comeback into Hollywood's mainstream for director Ben Affleck, who failed to get a nomination in the directing category six weeks ago, and who struggled for years to rebuild his reputation after tabloid ridicule over his 2002 to 2004 romance with Jennifer Lopez. Argo also won best film editing and best adapted screenplay for its gripping and often comedic tale of the CIA mission to rescue six US diplomats from Tehran shortly after the Islamic Revolution. Ang Lee was an upset choice for Best Director for his lavish shipwreck tale Life of Pi, beating the respected Steven Spielberg, whose presidential drama Lincoln took home just two Oscars from a leading 12 nominations. The other three wins for Life of Pi came for original score, visual effects and cinematography. The Best Picture Oscar for Argo was announced in one of the best kept secrets in the history of Oscar telecasts when first lady Michelle Obama made an unprecedented video appearance from the White House to open the winning envelope. Daniel Day-Lewis, as expected, made Oscar history and won a long standing ovation on becoming the first man to win three Best Actor Oscars. He collected the golden statuette for his intense performance as US President Abraham Lincoln battling to abolish slavery and end the U.S. civil war in Lincoln. Jennifer Lawrence was named Best Actress for playing a feisty young widow in comedy Silver Linings Playbook, tripping up on her Dior dress while was going up on the stage. The 5,800 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who chose the Oscar winners in secret ballots, dealt a stinging blow to Zero Dark Thirty. The movie about the 10-year-long hunt for Osama bin Laden, which has been attacked by Washington politicians and some human rights groups for its depiction of torture, came away with just one Academy Award out of five nominations. Even that Oscar -- for sound editing -- had to be shared as it was a tie with James Bond blockbuster Skyfall. Last night's show will also be remembered for the provocative performance given by Seth MacFarlane in his debut as Oscars host. MacFarlane pushed the envelope with cheeky songs like We Saw Your Boobs about actresses who have stripped down for movie roles, and jokes about Hollywood's large Jewish and gay communities. He also turned the telecast into a running joke about whether he would be deemed the worst Oscar host ever by the media on Monday.

According to The Associated Press, Lady Gaga has had surgery to fix her ailing hip. The 26-year-Gaga posted on her blog late Wednesday that she underwent the surgery and it "happened so fast." Gaga was forced to cancel her Born This Way Ball tour last week, due to a torn muscle in her hip. She thanked her fans in the post, saying they gave her "a lot of strength."

Justin Timberlake is the musical guest and host on Saturday Night Live on March 9th. According to a post on his official website, it marks his fifth time hosting the show. JT also joins Late Night with Jimmy Fallon for a week from March 11th through the 15th, where he's performing each night and chatting with Fallon. His new album, The 20/20 Experience, arrives on March 19th.

Over the weekend Pope Benedict gave his final Sunday blessing.

Want to own a very unique piece of Bruce Springsteen memorabilia? Well for about 350-thousand dollars, you can. The two-bedroom cottage where The Boss penned the classic rock anthem Born to Run is up for sale. According to the Asbury Park Press, Bruce rented the Long Branch, New Jersey home in 1974 and 1975 when he wrote the music for his Born to Run album.

We're just over a week away from the premiere of All-Star Celebrity Apprentice, which sees the return of previous Celebrity Apprentice contestants like Dee Snider, Gary Busey and Season Nine champion Bret Michaels. See how Bret does this time around when All-Star Celebrity Apprentice premieres on March 3rd on NBC.

A violin that was used on the Titanic is going up for auction and is expected to sell at a record price. The instrument, played by ship musician Wallace Hartley, was given back to his fiancée after it was pulled from the ocean after the 1912 disaster. The violin's current owner says the instrument was a gift from Hartley's fiancée. There were eight total members of the band that played on the deck of the Titanic even as it was sinking. The historical artifact is expected to bring in over a quarter of a million dollars.

Megan Fox has been cast in the upcoming remake of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The actress is playing April O'Neil, the human friend of the Ninja Turtles. For the flick, Fox is reuniting with her Transformers director, Michael Bay, who is producinmg the film. It's the first time the two are working together after a two-year long beef that began when she compared him to Hitler. Sources say that Fox and Bay settled their differences over a series of recent meetings. No word yet on when the film is due out.

Trivia Answer: James Gilmore Backus who was born in this date in 1913. Among his other roles was that of James Dean's father in Rebel Without a Cause As Mr. Magoo, he helped advertise the GE line of products over the years. He was also spokesperson for La-Z-Boy furniture during the 1970s. In the late 1980s, he was reunited with former co-star Natalie Schafer -- Lovie from Gilligan's Island -- in an advertisement for Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn. They reprised their roles from Gilligan's Island, but instead of still being shipwrecked, the setting was a luxurious study or den. Both performers were rather frail and this would be the last television appearance either one would be in before their deaths. Backus died in Los Angeles on July 3rd of 1989 from complications of pneumonia, after suffering from Parkinson's disease for many years.

Every year at spring training, the Mariners shoot the commercials we'll see all season on TV. Production for the 2013 ads is now under way in Peoria. At least one of this year's commercials includes an unorthodox guest star: a big-ol' buffalo. On Tuesday for one of the shoots, shortstop Brendan Ryan found himself sharing the field with a bison named Harvey. Though the Mariners won't spill the premise of the commercial -- not before the ads start airing in March -- the shoot reportedly did entail Ryan fielding ground balls beside the buffalo. Other TV ads this season are set to feature pitcher Felix Hernandez, outfielder Raul Ibanez and surely some other guys. A Mariners spokesperson said the 2013 commercials are debuting in early March.

How are the Mariners gonna do this year? Bookmakers have them with 75-1 odds of winning the Series. Sounds awful until you find out that the AL West newbie Houston Astros have 200-1 odds.

Hector Noesi got the start for the Mariners annual charity game today against the San Diego Padres. The Padres put up a six spot in the first inning and still have a 6-0 lead as of this writing.

Today is Margarita Day. It's Be Humble Day. Today is Call Somebody Boo Boo Day, just to see what they call you. Today is World Spay Day, highlighting the importance of spaying and neutering. Today is also World Thinking Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1879, Frank Winfield Woolworth opened the nation's first 5-cent store in Utica, New York. In 1980, the Miracle on Ice happened. In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team beat the Soviet Union hockey team 4-3, in what is considered to be one of the greatest upsets in sports history. In 1992, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love were married. In 1997, in Roslin, Scotland, scientists announced that an adult sheep named Dolly had been successfully cloned.

The members of Fun. say they always knew they wanted to be a band, but they never figured on being one of those bands that wins Grammys.

Sunday features both the Daytona 500 and the Oscars.

Adele has been on a nice run lately, winning a GRAMMY earlier this month for Best Pop Vocal Performance for her live rendition of Set Fire to the Rain, and a few weeks before that, winning the Golden Globe for Best Original Song for Skyfall. Adele is nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song for Skyfall. There's even a rumor that Adele may perform during the show. The 85th Academy Awards are Sunday night

A new CareerBuilder survey shows 39 percent of those in the American workforce have dated a co-worker at least once in their career. Thirty percent of those people report their relationship went all the way to the 'I do' stage. Some other interesting tidbits from the annual survey:

• Twenty-nine percent of people who have dated at work, dated someone in a higher up position than theirs.
• Sixteen percent of those dating in the workplace say they have dated their actual boss.
• The top five industries for office romance are: Leisure & Hospitality, Information Technology, Financial, Health Care, and Professional & Business Services.
• Twenty-six percent of people say what someone does for a living affects their decision to date that person.
• Most of those that said they were dating a co-worker were doing it openly, while 35 percent were keeping it secret.

Are we suffering app overload? People download a lot of apps, but they abandon 95 percent of them, according to a new study (by Nuance). Bottom line: We keep using the same apps. Facebook, YouTube, Google Play, Google Search, and Gmail were the top five apps in both 2011 and 2012.

Uber nerd and World's Second Richest man Bill Gates is a huge fan of U2, in fact the boys from Dublin are his favorite band in the whole world. Gates revealed his musical crush on a recent session of Reddit.com's Ask Me Anything.

One of the most popular social networking games to ever hit Facebook is set to make its way to TV with the announcement that director Brett Ratner has signed on to produce an animated series based on Farmville. The farming simulation game, which hit Facebook by storm back in 2009 and once boasted over 80-million users, is currently being shopped around to various networks.

A 17-year-old in Santa Fe, New Mexico, just wanted to throw a snowball at his friends. While sitting in a ski slop chairlift. 45 feet off the ground. The 17-year-old must have thrown so hard that he knocked himself off the seat, dangled from the chairlift for a bit, then fell. Despite an ambulance ride to the hospital, he was OK.

A new study shows cavemen may have had better hygiene than most of us do! A group of Australian researchers found that prehistoric humans had nearly no cavities or gum disease. How do they know? The answer comes from DNA extracted from prehistoric human skeletons. ABC Science reports that it all comes down to diet. The hunter-gatherer of that day was restricted to eating a meat-heavy, grain-free Paleolithic diet, while we're usually chowing down on sugars and refined carbs, leaving us with cavities.

Starting next year, your snail mail could start arriving in style. According to the Washington Post, the US Postal Service is preparing a new line of all-weather apparel and accessories to be launched sometime next year and it's not just for their carriers. Jackets, headgear, footwear and clothing with iPod storage will be available in premium department and specialty stores in 2014. The Postal Service hopes to boost their brand image and bring in some much-needed revenue with the idea.

Some 13,000 unexpired boxes of Girl Scout cookies were crushed to pieces before being shipped off to a landfill. The cookies were from the San Gorgonio Council of the Girl Scouts in Redlands, California, which said their supplier allowed them to return one percent of unsold cookies to the bakery. The council didn't know what would become of the cookies. Local food banks say they would have been happy to take them.

Trivia Answer: Abraham Charles Vigoda -- Abe Vigoda -- who turns 92 on Sunday. Vigoda is well known for his portrayal of Sal Tessio in The Godfather and for his portrayal of Detective Sgt. Phil Fish on the sitcom television series Barney Miller from 1975 to 1977 and on its spinoff show Fish that aired from February 1977 to June 1978. In 1982, People magazine mistakenly referred to Vigoda as dead. At the time, Vigoda was performing in a stage play in Calgary. He took the mistake with good humor, posing for a photograph published in Variety in which he was sitting up in a coffin, holding the erroneous issue of People. The same mistake was made in 1987 when a reporter for television station WWOR in Secaucus, New Jersey, mistakenly referred to him as "the late Abe Vigoda." She realized and corrected her mistake the next day. Vigoda has been the subject of many running gags pertaining to the mistaken reports of his death. In 1997, Vigoda appeared in the film Good Burger as the character Otis, a restaurant's French fry man. Several jokes were made about his advanced age, including Otis saying "I should've died years ago." A Late Night with David Letterman skit showed Letterman trying to summon Vigoda's ghost, but Vigoda walked in and declared, "I'm not dead yet, you pinhead!" In May of 2001, a website was mounted with only one purpose: to report whether Vigoda was dead or alive. In 2005, a "tongue-in-cheek" Firefox browser extension was released with the sole purpose of telling the browser user Vigoda's status. Continuing with the gag, Vigoda appeared frequently to make fun of his status on the television show Late Night with Conan O'Brien, including a guest appearance on the show's final episode. On January 23, 2009, Vigoda appeared live on The Today Show. He said he was doing well, joked about previous reports of his death and announced he had just completed a voice-over for an H&R Block commercial to air during the Super Bowl. On December 30, 2009, Vigoda was invited back to The Today Show to appear live on the set for Matt Lauer's birthday party. Lauer called him "our favorite guest of all times." Vigoda returned to The Today Show on June 8, 2011, to celebrate Meredith Vieira's last day on the show. In a New York Friars' Club roast of Drew Carey, with Vigoda in the audience, comedian Jeffrey Ross said "and my one regret is that Abe Vigoda isn't alive to see this."

The Seattle Mariners traded Mike Carp to the Boston Red Sox yesterday. Seattle designated Carp for assignment earlier this month, and the Mariners are getting a player to be named later or cash from Boston.

Before getting too worked up over the Mariners' preseason preparations, outfielder Michael Saunders, pitcher Oliver Perez, and infielder Alex Liddi are looking forward to the World Baseball Classic. Saunders is playing for Canada, Perez for Mexico, and Liddi for Italy, with all three nations competing in Group D of the opening round in Arizona from March 7th through the 10th.

Meanwhile, Felix Hernandez threw his first bullpen session of spring training and made 33 pitches yesterday -- mainly fastballs and changeups. Hector Noesi is set to start for Seattle in tomorrow's annual charity game against complex partner San Diego.

Today is Remember the Funniest Thing Your Child Ever Did Day, always on Erma Bombeck's birthday. Today is Single Tasking Day, a day to do only one thing at a time without feeling guilty. Multi-tasking is ineffective -- and may cause brain damage -- or worse when driving. Today is National Sticky Bun Day. Today is Giving Day, a day to give someone something, even if it's merely encouragement.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated his Polaroid Land camera, which could produce a black-and-white photograph in 60 seconds. In 1970, The Jackson 5 made their TV debut on American Bandstand. In 1988, evangelist Jimmy Swaggart confessed tearfully to his Baton Rouge congregation that he had sinned. Media reports linked Swaggart to a prostitute. In 2000, David Letterman returned to his Late Show five weeks after emergency quintuple heart bypass surgery

Monday was a pretty icy day in Grand Rapids, Michigan, but a good day for Dashiell Kolbe, because he just made the final payment on his Toyota Highlander. Yep, it was a great day ... until a bus, swerving to avoid a spinning vehicle, slid into Kolbe's fully owned Toyota Highlander.

Police in North Carolina said someone stole a parked truck and led them on a 20-minute chase that reached speeds of 70 miles an hour. The driver turned out to be a 12-year-old girl who had been in a fight with her father.

OfficeMax and Office Depot reached a deal for a merger yesterday.

The White House Correspondents' Association has chosen Conan O'Brien as the featured act for its annual dinner on April 27th.

Airing tonight on Animal Planet, and filmed in Afghanistan, Glory Hounds tracks four servicemen and their explosives- and insurgent-detecting dogs on combat missions. Most of the film was shot in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand, the cradle of the Taliban and the region responsible today for two-thirds of all US and other coalition casualties.

Kate Gosselin is on the season premiere of Celebrity Wife Swap on ABC. Kate is trading places with Playmate and former Dancing with the Stars contender Kendra Wilkinson. Kate and Kendra are swapping "lifestyles, children and homes (but not bedrooms), for one week. The episode airs Tuesday night.

Carly Rae Jepsen and Justin Bieber lead the way with multiple Juno Award nominations. Carly Rae has five nominations including Best Artist of the Year, Best Single for Call Me Maybe and Best Album, while Bieber is up three awards including Best Album of the Year, Pop Album of the Year (both for Believe), and Fan Choice. Other nominees for the big show include Mumford & Sons, Maroon 5, Taylor Swift, One Direction, Nickelback and Drake. The Juno Awards, which are the Canadian equivalent of the Grammy Awards, take place in Saskatchewan on April 21st.

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry have created some amazing songs during their career and now, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers is honoring them for their contributions. During the 30th annual Pop Music Awards on April 17th, ASCAP recognizes the Toxic Twins with the Founders Award, which is given to pioneering songwriters who have inspired and influenced fellow musicians. Tyler called the upcoming honor "a huge achievement."

Remember when you couldn't open your mailbox or a magazine without seeing one of those America Online installation CDs? AOL dial-up is still around, though the company says only about 2.8 million people get their Internet using the service that way. AOL's desktop software is up to version 9.7 and can be downloaded by anyone. Want a CD-ROM? They'll still mail you one.

Aaron Sorkin has penned some amazing lines during his long career. He's the man behind The West Wing and The Newsroom and also movies like The Social Network and A Few Good Men, all of which had some great lines in them. So what does he think is the best movie line ever? Sorkin the line is "we're gonna need a bigger boat" from Jaws. Actor Roy Schieder, who said the line, actually ad libbed it.

A mall in Sydney, Australia is making news this week for banning loud kids. If your kid makes noise, you're not welcome. Here's the posted notice: "Stop. Parents please be considerate of other customers using the food court. Screaming children will not be tolerated in the centre." The mall's manager said parents "have to be more responsible. We have had so many complaints."

Trivia Answer: NASCAR is the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. It's a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947-48. NASCAR sanctions over 1500 races at over 100 tracks in 39 states, and Canada. NASCAR's headquarters are located in Daytona Beach, Florida, although it also maintains offices in four North Carolina cities: Charlotte, Mooresville, Concord, and Conover. Regional offices are also located in New York City, Los Angeles, Bentonville, Arkansas, and international offices in Mexico City and Toronto. Additionally, owing to its southern roots, all but a handful of NASCAR teams are still based in North Carolina, especially near Charlotte. NASCAR is one of the most viewed professional sports in terms of television ratings in the United States. In fact, professional football is the only sport in the United States to hold more viewers than NASCAR. Internationally, NASCAR races are broadcast in over 150 countries. NASCAR holds 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world, and claims 75 million fans who purchase over $3 billion in annual licensed product sales. Fortune 500 companies sponsor NASCAR more than any other motor sport, although this has been in decline since the early 2000s.

Coming up Friday, the Mariners host the San Diego Padres at Peoria in their annual charity game to get spring training play underway. Interesting to note that the Ms and Padres share the training facility in Peoria so they must have flipped a coin to see who got to be the home team. The regular season opener for the Mariners is coming up April 1st down in Oakland against the As.

Today is Call An Old Friend Day, a day to phone someone you haven't talked to in a very long time. Today is Toothpick Day. The toothpick was patented on this date in 1872. Today is Northern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day. At noon everyone yells Hoodie-Hoo to chase away winter and make way for spring..

Calendar notes: On this date in 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth, aboard the Friendship 7 Mercury capsule. In 1997, the Trinity Broadcasting network announced it had dropped singer Pat Boone's Gospel America show after he recorded a heavy metal album and appeared on the American Music Awards in black leather and a studded dog collar. In 1998, American Tara Lipinski became the youngest gold medal winner in winter Olympics history when she won the ladies' figure skating title at Nagano, Japan. Tara was 15. In 2003, during a Great White concert in West Warwick, Rhode Island, a pyrotechnics display set the Station nightclub on fire, killing 100 and injuring over 200 others. In 2006, the Danish newspaper that published controversial cartoons of Muslim Prophet Mohammed and triggered widespread, angry and often deadly protests, ran a full-page apology in Saudi papers.

Oscar nominees who don't end up with a coveted gold statuette at the Academy Awards on Sunday still get something. Los Angeles-based marketing firm Distinctive Assets is handing out its annual "Everyone Wins at the Oscars Nominee Gift Bag", valued at more than $45,000, to the talented and well-dressed "losers." That word form the company yesterday. Among the items in the swag bags are trips to Australia, Hawaii and Mexico, personal training sessions, a bottle of tequila, and hand-illustrated tennis shoes. This year's swag bag also includes an under-the-counter water filtration system, acupuncture and aromatherapy sessions, a one-week stay at a fitness and weight-loss retreat, and a one-year membership to London's Heathrow Airport's private VIP service. Nominees' children also benefit as they get to enroll in professional all-kid circus classes. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which hands out the Oscars, stopped its practice of giving gift baskets to presenters and performers in 2007 after the practice came under closer scrutiny from tax authorities. Celebrities who receive gifts and free trips at awards shows are expected to declare them to the IRS as income and pay the appropriate taxes. The Distinctive Assets gift bag is not endorsed by the Academy but the company has been creating consolation goodie bags for 11 years now. The bags are delivered to the losing nominees to their homes directly or through their agents or publicists.

A Texas woman got a quadruple Valentine's Day gift this year, giving birth to four babies -- two sets of identical twins. Ace, Blaine, Cash, and Dylan Montalvo were born at the Woman's Hospital of Texas in Houston to Tressa and Manuel Montalvo. Ace and Blaine were first, weighing 3 pounds, 10 ounces, and 3 pounds, 15 ounces. Cash and Dylan were born a minute later and weighed 2 pounds, 15 ounces and 3 pounds, 6 ounces. All four were born by cesarean section. Mom said, "We tried to stick to the A-B-C-D theme when naming them. The twins were not the result of fertility treatments according to the hospital. The odds of having two sets of twins at once is about 1 in 70 million. Dad said he and his wife were trying to have "one little brother or sister" for their 2-year-old son, Memphis. Tressa added, "We planned the pregnancy -- I guess we just succeeded a little too much."

Is your computer affecting your relationship? According to a new survey by crucial.com, two out of every five US adults who reported having a computer also reported having computer-related issues in their relationship. The biggest computer-related complaint in their relationship was that their partner was spending too much time 'plugged in'.

The Pope's retirement package is around $3,340 per month. That's how much Pope Benedict will get when he abdicates later this month.

Trivia Answer: Cynthia Ann Crawford -- Cindy Crawford -- who turns 47 today. Crawford was married to actor Richard Gere from 1991 to 1995; although they had no children. She cited him as one of the most influential people in her life (after her parents). She has been married to Rande Gerber since May 29th of 1998 and they have two children, 13-year-old Presley Walker and 11-year-old Kaia Jordan.

Not sure exactly what it means but it is interesting. Major League Baseball pitched an arbitration shutout. Reliever Darren O'Day completed a $5.8 million, two-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles yesterday, becoming the final player to settle without a hearing among the 133 who filed for arbitration January 15th. This was the first year since arbitration began in 1974 that no player who filed went to a hearing.

Today is National Chocolate Mint Day. Today is Iwo Jima Day. Thirty thousand US troops landed there on this date in 1945. Over 21,000 Japanese troops were waiting underground in massive forts and tunnels on the 12-square-mile island. Today is Straw Wrapper Appreciation Day, a day to remember how much fun it was to blow the wrapper off a straw. It still is.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1964, a thousand pounds of Beatles wigs arrived from England in New York City, where they sold out immediately. Also in 1964, Simon & Garfunkel completed the original version of Sounds of Silence using only acoustic guitars. In 1984, on the final day of the Winter Olympics at Sarajevo, American brothers Phil and Steve Mahre won the gold and silver medals in the men's slalom. By the way, they were born in Yakima and spent more than a few days up on White Pass. In 1996, two days before her 121st birthday, Jeanne Clement of France became the world's oldest pop star by releasing her first CD entitled Mistress of Time, on which she spoke over funk-rap, techno, and dance music. She said she made the recording to earn money for a minibus for the retirement home where she lived. In 1998, a piece of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's 60-year-old wedding cake sold for $29,900 at an auction in New York City.

Sources say Khloe Kardashian has been X'd by The X Factor -- she has not been asked to return as co-host of the Fox singing competition. The sources say producers are asking Mario Lopez to come back, but not Khloe.

It looks like Harrison Ford is set to return to the role that made him a household name. Rumor is that Ford has already signed on to play Han Solo once again. The 70-year old actor had expressed interest in returning to the Star Wars franchise last year shortly after news broke that Disney had purchased it from George Lucas. Ford's reps have been silent on requests from the media to either confirm or deny the actor's involvement in the upcoming seventh Star Wars film, which is to be directed by J.J. Abrams and is set for release in 2015.

If you watch Law & Order: SVU, I can't help but think that this will be the plot of an upcoming episode. Police in France are investigating a series of sexual assaults and have arrested identical twin brothers. Officers say they are sure that one of the two 24-year-old unemployed delivery drivers carried out the attacks, but that they do not know which. Standard DNA tests are unable to differentiate between their DNA.

A German company has designed a pen that vibrates whenever you write something it considers grammatically incorrect. Designed to help kids learn how to write, the Lernstift pen lets the user know when it detects an error in grammar, spelling or even legibility. The pen isn't available for sale yet, but reportedly it will be released soon.

Law enforcement authorities say a mafia war is brewing in Sochi, Russia, the city slated to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Think you've been smoking too long to give it up? Clara Cowell, of Britain, finally quit the habit at age 102. Cowell, who had been lighting up for more than 80 years, gave up cigarettes at the urging of her family.

When men complain of the symptoms of pregnancy, it is often called "phantom pregnancy". But there may be more to it and we think. As many as 65 percent of expectant fathers report experiencing at least one "symptom" of pregnancy, studies show; more than 20 percent of expectant dads actually sought medical care because of it.

Police in Australia responded to an accident. While investigating the accident, the female driver who caused it asked if she could sit in a police officer's car. Not a good decision on the woman's part. After a while in the cruiser, it began to reek of alcohol. She got a free ride to jail.

Tiger Woods and President Barack Obama played golf on Sunday in Florida. Though the two have met before, this marks the first time Obama, an avid golfer, and Woods have ever teed up together.

Instant karma: In the UK, a thief tried to siphon fuel from a camper van but got a mouthful of raw sewage. The would-be robber missed the fuel tank in the dark and put a tube into the van's septic tank by mistake. And after sucking up the foul-smelling waste, he threw up on the spot and fled.

Trivia Answer: He is Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Ongowe' Bongota Adeola Samuel -- best known simply as Seal -- and he's 50 today. That German model is Heidi Klum. They have four kids. In October of 2009, nearly five years after the couple married, Klum filed a petition to change her name to Heidi Samuel. On January 22nd of last year, Seal and Klum announced that they were separating, Although there have long been rumors as to the cause of the scars on Seal's his face, they are in fact the result of a type of Lupus called Discoid lupus erythematosus -- a condition that specifically affects the skin above the neck.

The fight to bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle took center stage at the All-Star NBA weekend in Houston. NBA Commissioner David Stern was the target of a full-court press Saturday for answers about the future of the Sacramento Kings at his state-of-the-league conference. With reporters from both Seattle and Sacramento jamming the room where his press conference was held, and occasionally appearing bored by their repeated questions, Stern said he couldn't see any scenario in which both Seattle and Sacramento would be happy. He didn't give up very many answers -- nor did he offer any clues about whether the Kings would stay in Sacramento or leave for Seattle -- but did give Northwest fans a reason to mark our calendars. April 18th may be a big day. That's when Seattle's Chris Hansen and the relocation committee can give their final pitch directly to the league.

By the way, the East beat the West 143 to 138 in the actual game. I had to explain to my son about defense in the NBA All-Star Game. There just simply isn't any.

Danica Patrick has won the Daytona 500 pole, becoming the first woman to secure the top spot for any race in NASCAR's top circuit. It was the biggest achievement of her stock-car career. Patrick went out yesterday and averaged 196.434 mph. She then waited about two hours as 37 fellow drivers tried to take her spot. Only four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon even came close to knocking her off. Gordon was the only other driver who topped 196 mph in qualifying. He locked up the other guaranteed spot in next week's season-opening Daytona 500. Gordons said. "It's great to be part of history. I can say I was the fastest guy today."

Today is Presidents' Day here in the US, observing the birthdays of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Today is Cold Day in Hell Day Day, marking this date in 1979 when snow fell for the first time in recorded history in the Sahara Desert. Today is National Clean Out Your Cubby Holes Day. Today is Pluto Day. The ninth planet, no longer accepted as a planet by some, was discovered on this date in 1930. It was named for the Roman god of the underworld, which of course was named for Mickey Mouse's dog.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1885, Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was published. In 1997, Kimberly and Joel Frisby of Okarche, Oklahoma, became proud parents of a son. A big son. Hunter Joel Samuel Frisby weighed 13 pounds, 9 ounces. Mom said her doctor told her, "Congratulations, you've just given birth to a toddler." In 1997, Trinity Broadcasting cancelled Pat Boone's 8weekly gospel music show after he appeared in black leather and fake tattoos on the American Music Awards show. In 2001, auto racer Dale Earnhardt Sr. died at age 49 from injuries suffered in a crash at the Daytona 500. In 2003, a Romanian teenager who won the $1.2 million lottery jackpot could not collect his winnings for two weeks because he couldn't afford the $32 train fare to Bucharest. The unemployed 17-year-old had to wait for his benefit money to arrive. Neighbors refused to loan him or his father the money.

The fifth movie in the Bruce Willis Die Hard franchise scored the biggest box-office action over the holiday weekend, beating out love story Safe Haven, which came in third for the Friday-through-Sunday period. A Good Day to Die Hard, with Willis returning as the tenacious, wisecracking hero John McClane, pulled in $25 million over the three days. The tally was expected to approach a total of $40 million for the five days that began with Thursday's Valentine's Day and ends with today's Presidents Day holiday. Last weekend's box office winner, Identity Thief, stayed strong and ended up taking second place. Safe Haven, an adaptation of a Nicholas Sparks novel that was aimed at luring couples during the week of Valentine's Day, placed third. In fourth place was family film Escape from Planet Earth, while zombie romance Warm Bodies, in its third weekend of release, took the No. 5 slot.

Make sure you get your ballot in. Final voting for the Oscars ends tomorrow afternoon at 5. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted. The Academy is comprised of over 58-hundred voters and the winners are being tabulated by the international accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. The winners are being announced at the 85th Academy Awards on Sunday night on ABC.

The original version of Presidents' Day was held on February 22nd in commemoration of George Washington's birthday in 1796, the last full year of his presidency. Its traditions included commemorative speeches given by prominent public figures, as well as celebrations in various regions throughout the US. Born on February 12th, the first formal observance of President Abraham Lincoln's birthday took place in 1866, the year after his assassination, when both houses of Congress gathered for a memorial address in his honor. While Lincoln's Birthday did not become a federal holiday like George Washington's, it did become a legal holiday in several states. In 1968, legislation was enacted that affected several federal holidays. One of these was Washington's Birthday, the observation of which was shifted to the third Monday in February each year whether or not it fell on the 22nd. This act, which took effect in 1971, was designed to simplify the yearly calendar of holidays and give federal employees some standard three-day weekends in the process. While the holiday is still officially known as Washington's Birthday, it has become popularly known as Presidents' Day, a time for honoring Washington and Lincoln, as well as all the other men who have served as president.

Facts about Presidents' Day

• Americans didn't observe this holiday until 1832, over 100 years after George Washington's birth.
• In George Washington's home state of Virginia, the holiday is legally known as George Washington Day.
• George Washington's birthday was the first federal holiday to single out an individual's birth date.
• Historic Alexandria, Virginia hosts a month-long tribute, including the longest running George Washington Birthday parade.
• Since 1862, there has been a tradition in the United States Senate that George Washington's Farewell Address is read on his birthday.
• The George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County, Virginia holds an annual birthday celebration on Presidents' Day.
• Mount Vernon honors George Washington with a birthday celebration weekend and an annual free entry day.

Weird facts about Presidents

• John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator.
• Woodrow Wilson kept sheep to trim the White House lawn.
• Benjamin Harrison was so afraid of electric lights that he used to have White House staff turn them on and off.
• Warren G. Harding once was accused of losing all the White House china gambling.
• Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt, carried a revolver.
• John Quincy Adams loved to skinny dip in the Potomac River.

Trivia Answer: Cybill Lynne Shepherd who turns 63 today. Jacy was the role Bogdanvich was casting in the 1971 film, The Last Picture Show. Shepherd's role as the sexual ingénue would prove to be one of the most explosive and promising debuts of any film actress. Her other roles over the years have included Maddie Hayes in Moonlighting, as Cybill Sheridan in Cybill, as Betsy in Taxi Driver, and as Phyllis Kroll in The L Word.

The full Mariners squad reports to Peoria for Spring Training today. After a week of workouts, they start playing ball next Friday It's their annual charity game with the San Diego Padres.

NBA Commissioner David Stern expects a concrete financing plan from Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson within the next two weeks, with the aim of settling the Kings' future by mid-April. Stern said that Johnson will attend an April 17-18 owners meeting in New York to deliver his proposal, but the league expects to have heard it by then. Stern said yesterday, "We have an April 17th meeting of the board, but if the mayor follows through on what he's told us, we'll have it comfortably by March 1st." Johnson is trying to line up investors to buy the Kings and keep them in his city with a new arena, rather than watch them move to Seattle.

Today is Thanks for a Great Valentine's Day Day. Today is Stop and Smell Your Compost Pile Day, a time to snort away the winter blahs and think about spring. Today is Maple Leaf Day, marking adoption of the new Canadian flag on this date in 1965. Today is National Gumdrop Day. National Engineers Week begins today.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1764, in Missouri, the city of St. Louis was established. In 1946, the Philadelphia Phillies signed 33-year-old Edith Houghton to a baseball scouting contract, the first female scout in the major leagues. In 1951, the movie Bedtime for Bonzo premiered in Indianapolis. It starred Ronald Reagan as a monkey's father. In 1969, Vickie Jones was arrested in Florida for impersonating Aretha Franklin during a paid concert. She was so convincing, however, that nobody asked for a refund. In 1999, Governor Jesse Ventura proclaimed Rolling Stones Day in Minnesota, and congratulated 55-year-old Keith Richards for being "still alive." Ventura once worked as a Rolling Stones bodyguard. In 2001, a drummer in Kagel, Germany, was practicing so loudly in his bedroom that he did not notice burglars smash a downstairs window, empty the house of valuables, and drive off in his car.

This is scary. A meteor streaked across the sky and exploded over Russia's Ural Mountains with the power of an atomic bomb this morning, its sonic blasts shattering countless windows and injuring about 1,100 people. The spectacle deeply frightened many Russians, with some elderly women declaring that the world was coming to an end. Many of the injured were cut by flying glass as they flocked to windows, curious about what had produced such a blinding flash of light. The meteor -- estimated to be about 10 tons -- entered the Earth's atmosphere at a hypersonic speed of at least 33,000 miles an hour and shattered into pieces about 30-50 kilometers (18-32 miles) above the ground, the Russian Academy of Sciences said in a statement. Amateur video showed an object speeding across the sky about 9:20 this morning local time, just after sunrise, leaving a thick white contrail and an intense flash. The meteor in Russia arrived shortly before Asteroid 2012 DA14 was soaring by Earth. It has now safely passed our planet according to NASA. The closest approach was 17,500 miles above Indonesia. "It has passed closest approach and this asteroid is going away," said Paul Chodus of the Near Earth Object team. The asteroid is estimated to be about 150 feet across with an estimated mass of 130,000 metric tons. Its flyby was the closest ever for an object this large, according to NASA.

Medical examiners confirmed yesterday that the charred body found in a burned California cabin was that of Christopher Dorner, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department. The identification of the rogue former police officer blamed in four killings was made through dental records.

Sunday is the NBA All-Star Game in Houston.

A postal worker with a sharp eye is to thank for putting an alleged criminal behind bars after spotting a suspicious Valentine's-themed package. The box, filled with chocolates and a teddy bear, was delivered to 62-year-old Boston resident Lawrence Ligocki by a mailman and police officers. Upon delivery, cops searched the package and discovered ten-thousand dollars' worth of crystal meth stuffed inside. Ligocki was arrested and charged with drug trafficking. FOX-TV in Boston reports the man will be back in court March 4th.

In Minnesota, a woman could end up in prison for ten years after signing a neighbor up for two dozen magazine subscriptions. The animosity between neighbors began when one neighbor turned another in to the homeowners association for letting her dog relieve itself on her lawn.

Cops in Ottawa, Ontario, are circulating an image they believe a break-in suspect took of himself. The crook broke into a Ford dealership and, at one point, photocopied his face. He left the photocopy behind.

Chubby Checker made a name for himself with the 1958 hit The Twist. He's now suing an app maker over his name. The singer is upset that an app which estimates the size of a man's ... mantool ... is called, what else? The Chubby Checker. The app was created by Hewlett-Packard subsidiary Palm, Inc and used shoe size to help assess ... mantool ... size. It has long since been deleted and was only downloaded 84 times, but the 71-year-old Chubby claims it has done "irreparable damage and harm" to his name, which he says is now associated with "obscene sexual connotation and images."

Trivia Answer: Billie Joe Armstrong is the guy. He's 41 Sunday. The band is Green Day. Mike Dirnt was the boyhood friend. On September 23rd of 2012, two days following the well publicized incident at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, Green Day announced that Armstrong was seeking treatment for an unspecified substance abuse problem. Reports were that Armstrong had been drinking heavily in Las Vegas following approximately one year of sobriety. Green Day subsequently canceled all remaining concert dates for 2012 and early 2013 as Armstrong continued dealing with his personal problems. In late December, the band announced they were returning to touring. They're in Illinois March 28th and 29th. Still no word on a make-up date for that missed Seattle show.

Fighting back tears while his hands trembled, Felix Hernandez signed a seven-year contract with the Seattle Mariners yesterday that makes him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball. Hernandez officially completed his new deal during a news conference. The $175 million pact covers the final two years of his existing deal and added five additional years through the 2019 season. Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik said the contract is fully guaranteed and Felix got a full no-trade clause, the first one ever given by the franchise. With his voice cracking, Felix said, "To the people in Seattle, to all the people in Seattle that trust me, that believe in me I will not disappoint anybody." KIRO guestimated the contract to be worth about $7,000 a pitch.

The Mariners' pitchers and catchers have now reported for Spring Training. Position players are schedule to report tomorrow. Manager Eric Wedge said yesterday that he was pleased to see a lot of position players already there. He said he couldn't recall a camp where so many have come in. Infielders Dustin Ackley, Brendan Ryan, and Justin Smoak were among those who worked out yesterday, as did outfielder Michael Saunders. They start playing ball a week from tomorrow -- on Friday the 22nd -- in the annual charity game with the San Diego Padres.

Today is Valentine's Day and National Have A Heart Day. One promotes romance, the other promotes eating your vegetables. Today once was the Feast Day of St. Valentine, the patron saint of lovers. Father Valentine was beheaded in Rome on this date in 269. The church dropped the feast from its liturgical calendar in 1969. The first valentine card was probably sent by the Duke of Orleans while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415. Today is National Call In Single Day. Valentine's Day is great for those in a romantic relationship, however, if you're single, do you really want to be in the office watching the constant flow of incoming flowers, candy, teddy bears and the accompanying "oohs", "ahhhs" and "how sweet!"? That's why we have National Call in Single Day, as being single should be a legitimate reason for not going into the office on Valentine's Day. Today is Ferris Wheel Day. Today is National Cream Filled Chocolates Day. Love a Mensch Week begins today. Mensches are decent, responsible men or women.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1929, the St. Valentine's Day Massacre occurred in Chicago garage as seven rivals of Al Capone's gang were gunned down. In 1980, CBS announced that reporter Dan Rather had been chosen to succeed retiring CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite. In 1988, Connecticut teacher Catherine Pollard received official permission from the all-male Boy Scouts to become a troop scoutmaster. She had unofficially led her son's Boy Scout troop from 1970 to 1974. In 1990, Friends of Beer was founded in Czechoslovakia as a political party with a platform of improving the quality of Czech beer while forcing down the price. In 1991, for Valentine's Day, President George Bush gave First Lady Barbara a small electronic thesaurus and dictionary. In 1999, Theresa Mueller of Philadelphia announced that her $8.95 chocolate heart, life-size and shaped like a human heart, was her chocolate shop's best-selling Valentine novelty ever. It even beat out the top-selling body-part novelty from 1998, a dozen chocolate noses. In 1999, Elton John guest-starred as his-animated-self on the Valentine's Day episode of The Simpsons.

An attorney in Southfield, Michigan is offering a free divorce to one lucky candidate. Walter H. Bentley III tells ABC News that almost 500 people have applied. His criteria: "Someone truly struggling to move forward...struggling to make ends meet...don't have enough money for a divorce." Bentley says he started the promotion because "you can't find a new love before you close the chapter on the old."

According to the British Heart Foundation, 90% of women want a simple hug for Valentines Day instead of a costly present. No offense to the British Heart Foundation, but if I were you, I'm thinking if I were you, I'd also have a gift -- just in case.

Harry Potter is getting a new look on his 15th birthday. At least, the book covers are, if not the young wizard. Scholastic, Harry Potter's US publisher, yesterday unveiled a new cover for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the first of seven new covers for each book in the series. They debut in September to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the first book's publication

Taco Bell has announced that its Doritos Locos Tacos in Cool Ranch flavor is being launched March 7th. Taco Bell is hoping the Cool Ranch sequel is as successful as the original Doritos Locos Taco, with over 350 million sold in the past year.

At age 67, Steve Martin has fathered his very first child. According to the New York Post, his 41-year-old wife, Anne Stringfield, gave birth to the child back in December. Other celebrity dads who fathered in their 60s include Rod Stewart who had a child at 66 years old, Pablo Picasso, at 67, and Clint Eastwood at 66. Then there was Tony Randall who was 77.

Lady Gaga is having surgery to repair a tear in her hip and has canceled the rest of her Born This Way Ball tour. That announcement from tour operator Live Nation yesterday. Gags has a labral tear of the right hip caused by strenuous repetitive movements. The tour operator said. "She will need surgery to repair the problem, followed by strict down time to recover. This unfortunately will force her to cancel the tour so she can heal." Gaga said Tuesday that several shows would be postponed because of an injury she had been hiding. "I've been hiding a show injury and chronic pain for sometime now, over the past month it has worsened," she tweeted Tuesday afternoon. "I've been praying it would heal."

Billboard Magazine's Top Love Songs: In honor of Valentine's Day, Billboard has ranked the biggest Love' songs to ever hit the Hot 100. The ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least.

• 10. Ray Charles from 1962 with I Can't Stop Loving You.
• 9. The Emotions from 1977 with Best of My Love.
• 8. Stevie B from 1990 with Because I Love You (The Postman Song).
• 7. Mario and Let Me Love You from 2005
• 6, Whitney Houston and I Will Always Love You from 1992
• 5. From 1976, Paul McCartney and Wings with Silly Love Songs.
• 4. How Deep Is Your Love from The Bee Gees in 1977.
• 3. We Found Love from Rihanna featuring Calvin Harris from 2011
• 2. Boyz II Men with 1994's I'll Make Love to You.
• 1. Diana Ross and Lionel Richie with 1981's Endless Love.

Trivia Answer: The song was My Sharona by The Knack. The album from which it came was Get The Knack. The album spent five straight weeks at No. 1 and eventually sold 3 million copies in the US and 6 million worldwide. The guy was Doug Fieger who died of cancer on this date in 2010. Fieger underwent brain surgery in August of 2006 to have two tumors removed. He was later diagnosed with lung cancer in 2007, for which he underwent extensive chemotherapy and had a half of a lung removed. After battling cancer for several years, Fieger died at his home in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Woodland Hills on February 14th of 2010. He was 57 years old. Fieger wrote My Sharona for a woman named Sharona Alperin, who later became his girlfriend. Fieger and Alperin eventually married other people, but they remained friends. Alperin says she visited him frequently in his final months.

The Mariners' concerns over Felix Hernandez's right elbow apparently were not enough to sway the club from making Hernandez the highest-paid pitcher in major league history yesterday. Hernandez and the club made official the news that broke last week: He has signed a seven-year, $175 million deal that replaces the two years and $40.5 million remaining on his current deal. The new deal is being announced at press conference today at Safeco Field. It reportedly includes language that will protect the Mariners in the event Hernandez can't pitch because of elbow problems. Felix took his physical exam in Peoria early yesterday along with the rest of the club's pitchers and catchers and then flew to Seattle for today's signing and press conference.

International Olympic Committee leaders dropped wrestling from the Olympic program yesterday -- a surprise decision that removes one of the oldest Olympic sports from the 2020 Games. The IOC executive board decided to retain modern pentathlon -- the event considered most at risk -- and remove wrestling instead from its list of 25 "core sports." Wrestling, which combines freestyle and Greco-Roman events, goes back to the inaugural modern Olympics in Athens in 1896.

Today is Get A Different Name Day, just for today. Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, a period of Christian penitence from today until the Saturday before Easter. Today is Employee Legal Awareness Day. Today is Guys Don't Forget Tomorrow Is Valentine's Day Day. Also called Dream of Your Sweetheart Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1795, the University of North Carolina became the first US state university to admit students. Hinton James was the only student on campus the first two weeks. In 1937, the NFL's Boston Redskins moved to Washington, DC. In 1959, Mattel toy partner Ruth Handler gave birth to an 11-inch teenager named Barbie, the first doll with developed breasts. Mattel sells over 20-million Barbies a year. In 1967, the Beatles released Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever in the US. In 1983, singer Karen Carpenter died at 32 of anorexia. In 2002, a man in New Jersey who allegedly stole dozens of lottery tickets was arrested trying to cash a winning $12.50 ticket. Stolen ticket serial numbers had been circulated, and a store's alert cashier had the suspect fill out a claim form with his name and address. Police arrested the 39-year-old suspect at his home. In 2005, Ray Charles' final album, Genius Loves Company, won eight Grammy awards.

Justin Timberlake has announced he's releasing a documentary on the making of his new album, The 20/20 Experience. JT has said that they started filming the doc around June, the same time he began working on his new music. The 20/20 Experience hits stores on March 19th. No word yet on when the documentary is set for release.

In Jackson, Michigan, Linda Ackley went to the hospital Friday morning thinking she had a hernia. By Friday night, she had given birth to a 10-pound baby. It's an amazing story when you hear about the couple. Linda and Mike are high school sweethearts that have been married 24 years and thought they were unable to have kids. Not only that, Linda contracted a bacterial infection that put her in a week-long coma 2 years ago. Doctors thought she wouldn't pull through.

A man who pranked the Grammys by popping on stage after Adele's Best Pop Solo Performance win is speaking out about how he pulled it off. Ukranian journalist Vitalii Sediuk told The Hollywood Reporter that police asked him "a lot of questions about how [he] got inside" after he was taken into custody offstage. He admits he didn't have a ticket to the show, but walked in with a group of friends that did. Security checked his pockets, but apparently never checked for a ticket. Before going inside, Sediuk says he even jumped into the press line to interview celebs like Nicole Kidman. Jennifer Lopez, who was on stage presenting the award to Adele, shot the prankster quite a look when he hopped on stage to say, "Thank you, Adele. You're my inspiration." Sediuk went to jail for the night and was charged with trespassing.

Good news for your favorite music teacher -- he or she can now win a Grammy. The Recording Academy has announced a music educator award that is being handed out at next year's Grammy Awards. K through college-level music teachers are eligible and both students and colleagues can nominate their favorites online. The award is being handed out for the first time at a special ceremony, one day before the 56th Annual Grammy Awards in 2014. Learn more at GrammyInTheSchools.com.

She played at The Super Bowl and now she's performing at the 62nd NBA All-Star Game. Alicia Keys is set to perform some of her chart-topping hits at the halftime show. It airs this Sunday on TNT.

Steven Tyler spends a lot of time at his home in Maui, Hawaii and the Aerosmith singer is tired of photographers taking pictures of him while he is trying to relax. So now, the rocker has proposed a new bill in the state's Senate. Bill 465, also known as the Steven Tyler Act. Simply put, it gives celebrities legal recourse if they are photographed while doing something personal or with family in the state. Steven and fellow rocker Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac appeared at the State Capitol in Honolulu on Friday while the bill was being presented. It currently is endorsed by two-thirds of the Senate.

If you'll pay $5 for a cup of coffee, maybe you're the type who will pay $35 for a jar of pasta sauce. Sunday Gravy, is made by chef Steven Smith and Grace Clerihew. They spend 6 to 8 hours slow-braising pork shoulder and beef chuck before adding it to a plum-tomato sauce with basil, onions and garlic, mini-meatballs and sliced sausage. The $35 gets you a 32-ounce jar.

Did movie ticket prices seem higher last year? They were -- buy 3 cents. The average cost of a movie ticket rose to an all-time high of $7.96 last year here in the US, but that was just 3 cents more than a ticket cost in 2011.

Can't decide on what to get your valentine? The Bronx Zoo has 58,000 Madagascar hissing roaches -- most with no name. For a $10 donation, you can name one for your sweetie and send a truly handsome certificate of honor.

Trivia Answer: Gerald Norman Springer -- Jerry Springer -- who turns 69 today. The program was The Jerry Springer Show where typically lower class, minimally educated, blue collar people were confronted on a television stage by a spouse or family member's adultery, homosexuality, prostitution, hate group membership, or other controversial situations. The confrontations often led to shouting, profanities, chair-throwing, fist-fights, pulling of hair by fighting women, and removal of clothing. The show garnered huge ratings, and lots of attention. By 1998, it was beating The Oprah Winfrey Show in many cities, and was reaching more than 6.7 million viewers. He's still at it today.

When the Seattle Mariners report for spring training, they'll immediately start trying to answer whether their starting rotation has enough depth and how they will shuffle a glut of players between left field, first base and designated hitter. And why exactly there was a delay in an expected new contract for ace Felix Hernandez. Seattle's pitchers and catchers report this morning, likely the first time Hernandez will be available since news broke last week of the Mariners working on a new contract for their star. Hernandez and the Mariners were working on a deal that would pay him $175 million over seven years and make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball. But there has been no formal announcement, leading to speculation there was a snag. ESPN.com and USA Today reported over the weekend, citing unnamed sources, that the condition of Hernandez's pitching elbow could be a future issue and was delaying the contract. Meanwhile, the full roster reports to Peoria on Friday. Skipper Eric Wedge says, "I have a clear idea of how I see it playing out, but they'll ultimately determine that. Players make decisions for you. They decide how much they're going to play by their performance and how they act, how they handle both the good and the bad. In regard to our numbers, I look at it like a healthy thing. You're one trade or injury away from being another injury or trade from getting thin again."

Today is Pick A New Love Song Day. Get a CD or MP3 of it for your Valentine. Today is Extraterrestrial Culture Day in New Mexico. Today is Mardi Gras, the last feast before Lent. Today is Lost Penny Day, a day to gather up all those pennies stashed in jars, candy dishes, and coffee cans and get them back into circulation (always on Abraham Lincoln's birthday).

Calendar notes: On this date in 1870, the Utah territory granted its women the right to vote. In 1878, US patent #200,358 was issued to Frederick Thayer for his baseball catcher's mask. It was similar to one worn by cowboys to keep from being kicked in the face while branding cattle. In 1940, The Adventures of Superman debuted on the Mutual Radio Network, starring Bud Collyer as the Man of Steel. The comic book character had been created in 1938 by two Toronto teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. In 1994, a Montreal woman sued a local funeral home and a hospital after the funeral home called to offer its services just 3½ hours after she had been diagnosed at the hospital with skin cancer. 1999: The US Senate voted to acquit President Clinton of perjury and obstruction of justice; the President said he was "profoundly sorry" for what he'd said and done in the Monica Lewinsky affair. In 2000, two popular Americans died: Charles Schulz, creator of the Peanuts comic strip, died in California at the age of 77. Football coach Tom Landry, who led the Dallas Cowboys to five Super Bowls, died in Texas at the age of 75. In 2001, a federal appeals court ruled the Internet service Napster could not allow users to swap copyrighted music without charge. In 2002, a six-year-old boy ate the first meal of his life after having a kidney transplant. The boy had been fed through a tube because of his serious medical conditions. From Covingham, England, the lad said he especially enjoyed the ketchup with his first meal, a burger. He had had 30 operations and regular dialysis until the transplant.

President Obama addresses a joint session of Congress, and the nation, tonight about the current condition of the country.

Ratings were low for Sunday night's popular shows such as Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show. Apparently many of the viewers had instead tuned into the Grammy Awards, which remains one the most popular events of the year. The show had its second largest audience in 20 years, drawing in 28.4-million viewers.

Justin Timberlake has teamed up with designer Tom Ford for his upcoming album, The 20/20 Experience. Timberlake already rocked a Ford suit in his music video for his first single, Suit & Tie, and the singer says Tom will be outfitting him in future videos for his upcoming effort. By the way, Tom Ford also designed Justin's wedding tuxedo when he married Jessica Biel.

Demi Moore has been frolicking about in public and partying hard, but a source close to the actress says that in reality, she is still very much brokenhearted over losing her husband of six years, Ashton Kutcher. According to RadarOnline.com, the actress can't get over her painful split with Ashton is struggling to accept that he has moved on -- and found love again -- so quickly with Mila Kunis. Also, Demi's fractured relationship with her three daughters, Rumer, Scout and Tallulah Willis, remains divided and that's further deepening her despair. Her daughters believe that their mother is too desperate to hang onto her youth at all costs and they feel she is refusing to allow herself to move on from Ashton. However, despite the fallout in her life, Demi is trying to put herself together by actively trying to find a boyfriend. A source said, "She thinks that this will help her move on from her ex-love."

Mountain Dew has a new morning soda to start your day off right. It's called Kickstart. Kickstart is a "sparkling juice beverage" that contains only 5 percent real juice and 95 percent ... uhm ... whatever. For the record, the 16-ounce version of Kickstart has less than a third the caffeine of a Starbucks coffee drink.

For just $550,000 you can have your own instant video game museum. A collector is selling 6,850 game titles on eBay for that amount. The auction also includes 330 gaming consoles, 220 controllers, 185 accessories, and countless promotional posters, action figures, soundtracks, and strategy guides.

A study of nearly 20-thousand couples finds couples who drink the same amount of alcohol are less likely to end up getting divorced. The Norwegian study says when one partner drinks more than the other, marriage troubles are likely -- especially when it's the wife doing the heavy drinking. One of the study's co-authors talked to the LA Times about their conclusions and advises couples to "strive for matching amounts of light or moderate drinking."

Trivia Answer: William Felton Russell -- Bill Russell -- who turns 79 today. He played for the Boston Celtics. He was the centerpiece of the Celtics dynasty that won eleven NBA Championships during his thirteen-year career. The other NBA player to get more than 50 rebounds in a game was Russel's prominent rival Wilt Chamberlain. Russell is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. He was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. He coached the Seattle Sonics to their first appearance in the NBA playoffs. After his four-year Sonics coaching career, Russell kept his home on Mercer Island, where he slowly faded from public view, and has been a Northwest resident for the past 40+ years. 

Bill Russell threw out the first pitch for the Mariners on 
May 27th of 2011. Pictured here with then-Mariner Chone Figgins

File this under maybe nothing, but also maybe ugh: There's a report that as the Seattle Mariners have been in discussions with Felix Hernandez about a record-setting extension, concern has developed over the condition of his pitching elbow, according to a source. The team and its franchise player had talked about a framework of a deal that would pay $175 million over the next seven seasons. But as of yesterday afternoon, sources say, the Mariners and Hernandez are not close to finishing an extension, because there are issues that the two sides are sorting through. The elbow issue is perceived by at least one of the parties in the deal as being a possible impediment to the completion of the new contract.

Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik, said in an email yesterday that Felix was on his way to the team's training facility in Peoria, Arizona. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report for Spring Training tomorrow. Position players report on Friday. They start playing ball on Friday the 22nd in the annual charity game with the San Diego Padres.

Today is Pro Sports-Wives Day. Today is Satisfied Staying Single Day. Today is National Shut-In Visitation Day. Today is Don't Cry Over Spilled Milk Day. Today is National Hospital Day. America's first hospital, the Pennsylvania Hospital, opened in Philadelphia on February 11, 1751. Today is Make a New Friend Day. Today is Be Electrific Day, the birthdate in 1847 of Thomas Alva Edison, inventor of the light bulb.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1905, James Blackstone of Seattle set a world record by bowling 299½. On the last roll, one pin broke in half and half of it remained standing. Honest. In 1942, the Archie comic book debuted, featuring Riverdale High's Archie Andrews, Jughead, Betty, Veronica, and the rich, conniving Reggie. In 1966, Willie Mays became the highest-paid baseball player, signing a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for about $130,000 a year. In 1990, in a stunning upset, heavyweight champion Mike Tyson was knocked out in the tenth round of his fight with Buster Douglas in Tokyo. Douglas went into the fight a 35-1 underdog. In 1990, Georges de Mestral died in Switzerland at the age of 82. He invented Velcro and the asparagus peeler. In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced his choice of Miami prosecutor Janet Reno to be the nation's first female attorney general. In 1994, former Arkansas state clerical worker Paula Jones accused Bill Clinton of making improper sexual advances three years earlier in a Little Rock hotel room. The President said it never happened. In 2001, Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh was demolished to make way for new baseball and football stadiums. In 2004, cable TV giant Comcast launched a hostile bid to buy The Walt Disney Company for more than $54 billion. Comcast later withdrew the bid.

The Grammy awards were bestowed widely last night as Australian singer Gotye, New York indie-pop trio Fun. Ohio's The Black Keys, and British folk band Mumford & Sons took home top honors on the music's industry's biggest night. On an evening that rewarded mostly young or lesser known artists over veterans and household names, British folk band Mumford & Sons picked up two Grammys, including the coveted Album of the Year for Babel. Unlike last year, when Adele swept the board with six trophies, there was no single big winner. The Black Keys, formed by Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, took home three Grammys including Best Rock Album for El Camino. Auerbach also won the prestigious Producer of the Year award, bringing his tally to four. Mumford & Sons went into the ceremony with six nominations but the Londoners had to wait until the last minutes of the 3 and 1/2 hour televised show to claim the top prize. Fun. was named Best New Artist and won Song of the Year for its smash We Are Young. Gotye won three Grammys, including Record of the Year for his heartbreak hit Somebody That I Used to Know. The singer-songwriter said he was surprised by the runaway global success of the song, which was recorded in a barn on his father's property in Australia. The 80-plus Grammy categories are voted on by members of the Recording Academy, which is made up of creative and industry professionals in the music world. Kelly Clarkson, the first winner American Idol, gave a shout out to up-and-coming Los Angeles R&B artist Miguel as she collected her Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, saying, "I don't know who the hell you are but we need to sing together... That was the sexiest damn thing I've ever seen." One of the night's most anticipated performers, Justin Timberlake, returned to the spotlight with his first televised performance since he released Suit & Tie in January, his first new song in five years. Timberlake sang and danced with performers dressed in suits and ties in a throwback black and white speakeasy-style set, joined by rapper Jay-Z. The former member of N'Sync also debuted a smooth R&B song called Pusher Love Girl, from his upcoming album The 20/20 Experience. Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Sting joined Ziggy and Damian Marley for a tribute to late reggae singer Bob Marley, featuring Locked Out of Heaven, Walking on the Moon, and Marley's hit love song Could You Be Loved. Rihanna chose to forego her usual dance-heavy stage performances for a stripped-down rendition of the ballad Stay, accompanied only by a piano. Fusing rock and R&B, pop-rockers Maroon 5 joined Alicia Keys on stage to duet on their hits Daylight and Girl on Fire. Elton John led a tribute to the late Levon Helm of The Band, singing The Weight with Mumford & Sons, Mavis Staples, Zac Brown Band, and Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes.

Despite a blizzard in the Northeast, Identity Thief, the newly released comedy collected $36.6 million in weekend ticket sales making it the top-performing film. Identity Thief easily swiped the top spot from last weekend's champion, the zombie love story Warm Bodies, which fell to number two. Side Effects, starring Jude Law and Rooney Mara, came in third. Silver Linings Playbook, still benefiting from the buzz surrounding the Oscar nominations for its stars, was fourth. Hansel & Gretel, Witch Hunters was fifth.

Tomorrow night President Obama delivers the State of the Union Address. Marco Rubio is giving the GOP response.

How popular is Valentines Day in America? Not as popular as you may think. Sixty percent of us will celebrate Thursday, making just about every other holiday, except St. Patrick's Day, more popular.

For Valentine's Day, some apps to rev up your relationship:

• Avocado is an app that let's you stay in touch with your sweetie by sending cute messages, share photos, manage dates, create shared lists (vacation ideas, grocery lists), and send hugs and kisses (the app vibrates when you place the phone against your chest).
• BeCouply is an app that offers fresh ideas for date night.
• Treat lets you design your own greeting card using personal photos and customized text. These are real greeting cards you can send to your sweetie. The app is free but, of course, the cards come with a price.

By the way, yesterday began a new Chinese New Year, the Year of the Snake. Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. In China, it is also known as the Spring Festival.

Trivia Answer: He was Robert George Pickett -- better known as Bobby 'Boris' Pickett. The song was Monster Mash. He was born on this date in 1938. Pickett died in April of 2007 at the age of 69 due to complications from leukemia.

A blizzard of potentially historic proportions is threatening to strike the Northeast with a vengeance today, with 1 to 2 feet of snow feared along the densely populated Interstate 95 corridor from the New York City area to Boston and beyond. Yesterday, from Pennsylvania to Maine, people rushed to stock up on food, shovels and other supplies. Boston, Providence, R.I., Hartford, Conn., and other New England cities called off school today, and airlines canceled more than 1,700 flights, with the disruptions certain to ripple across the U.S. Forecasters say this could one for the record books. The snow is expected to start this morning, with the heaviest amounts falling tonight and into tomorrow. Wind gusts could reach 65 mph. Widespread power failures were feared, along with flooding in coastal areas still recovering from Superstorm Sandy in October. Boston could get more than 2 feet of snow, while New York City was expecting 10 to 14 inches. Blizzard warnings were posted for parts of New Jersey and New York's Long Island, as well as portions of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut, including Hartford, New Haven, Conn., and Providence. The warnings extended into New Hampshire and Maine.

Word is that Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners are working on a $175 million, seven-year contract that would make him the highest-paid pitcher in baseball. USA Today first reported the deal. Seattle would add $134.5 million of guaranteed money over five years to the contract of the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner, whose current agreement calls for him to receive $40.5 million over the next two seasons. Felix's total dollars would top CC Sabathia's original $161 million, seven-year contract with the New York Yankees and his $25 million average would surpass Zack Greinke's $24.5 million under his new contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Hernandez's new money would average $26.9 million over five years, which would tie him for the second-highest average in baseball with Josh Hamilton and Ryan Howard behind Alex Rodriguez and his $27.5 million. Locking up King Felix Hernandez long-term won't solve all of the problems that have left Seattle looking up at Texas, Oakland and the Los Angeles Angles in the AL West for most of the last 10 years. But should the deal be finalized, the Mariners at least have the security of knowing who'll be at the top of their rotation for most of this decade.

Today is Laugh and Get Rich Day (it apparently worked for Felix), a day to recognize laughter's power to help workers be more effective, remember things better, and not change jobs as often. It's National Potato Lover's Day.

It's Fly a Kite Day -- still trying to figure out how it landed in the middle of winter. The Boy Scouts were founded on this date in 1910. And yesterday marked one year til the opening day of the Winter Olympics in 2014 in Sochi, Russia

Calendar notes: On this date in 1922, President Warren Harding had the first radio installed in the White House. In 1960, Congress opened an investigation into widespread charges of "payola" that disc jockeys were being paid to play certain records. The accused included deejays Alan Freed and Dick Clark. Clark came through the scandal unscathed, but Freed never worked in radio again. In 1968, the film Planet of the Apes, starring Charleton Heston, Roddy McDowell, and Kim Hunter, opened throughout the US. In 2000, a man allegedly tricked Little Rock police into immediately searching for his stolen car by telling them that his daughter was asleep in the back seat. Police found the car in less than two hours. But the 30-year-old man was charged with a felony for filing a false police report. Police said he had no daughter.

The cause of Sunday's power outage at the Super Bowl in New Orleans has been traced to an electrical relay device according to Entergy New Orleans Inc. That outage lasted about 35 minutes. This electrical relay device has since been removed from service and the power company says new replacement equipment is being evaluated. Not long after we received that note, we received another. This one from the part manufacturer. The manufacturer says the part was just fine and the reason for the power outage was incorrect settings.

Meanwhile, the guy in charge of keeping Amazon's data centers up and running says that the NFL could have avoided its blackout black eye for the price of about two-and-a-half Super Bowl ads. The NFL could have bought a couple of bus-sized diesel generators, and hooked them up to an industrial-strength uninterruptible power supply system and then simply switched over to backup power when a breaker switched off power from one of the Superdome's two main power feeds Sunday night.

Before sweeping last year's Grammy Awards, Adele won two trophies at the 51st Grammy Awards back in 2009 for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Chasing Pavements. This year Adele is up for Best Pop Solo Performance for her live rendition of Set Fire to the Rain. She's up against Kelly Clarkson, Carly Rae Jepsen, Katy Perry, and Rihanna. With Adele's dominance lst year, it appears that voters have gone the other way as the guys are thr frontrunners heading into the weekend. In fact Fun. is expected to walk away from the ceremony with more than just a few statues. Carly Rae Jepsen's song Call Me Maybe was a monstrous hit over the summer. Carly said she had no idea it would be that successful. She said her dream was to make it into the Top 10 on the iTunes chart. Well the tune has now been nominated for two Grammys. She's up for Best Pop Vocal Performance and Song of the Year this weekend. Levon Helm of The Band passed away on April 12th. He's being honored at this weekend's Grammy show. Elton John is leading the tribute. During the show's in memoriam segment, Elton is being joined by Mumford & Sons, T Bone Burnett, Alabama Shakes' Brittany Howard, Zac Brown, and Mavis Staples for a special performance of The Band's hit, The Weight. Levon passed away at age 71 after battling throat cancer. The Grammys air Sunday night on CBS.

Trivia Answer: Carole King who turns 71 tomorrow. The husband she wrote with was Gerry Goffin. That album that was on the charts for six years? Tapestry. The Tapestry album held the record for the longest time an album by a solo female artist remained at number one until it was first broken by Whitney Houston for the album The Bodyguard, and then later by Adele for the album 21. In 2000, Joel Whitburn, a Billboard Magazine pop music researcher, named her the most successful female songwriter of 1955–99, because she wrote or co-wrote 118 pop hits on the Billboard Hot 100. Just to pick a song. The Locomotion written by Carol and Gerry. I was originally done by Little Eva and made it to #1 in 1962. Then Grand Funk Railroad took it to #1 in 1974. Kylie Minogue made it to #3 with it in 1988. Carole has made 25 solo albums, the most successful being Tapestry. Her most recent non-compilation album is Live at the Troubadour, a collaboration with James Taylor, which reached number 4 on the charts in its first week, and has sold over 600,000 copies.

Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Montero is named in records from a South Florida anti-aging clinic linked to performance-enhancing drugs, according to a report in the New York Daily News. The report comes just over a week since The Miami New Times reported that it obtained records detailing purchases of human growth hormone and other performance-enhancing substances by Alex Rodriguez, Melky Cabrera, Bartolo Colon, Nelson Cruz and others from a Miami clinic called Biogenesis, run by Anthony Bosch. The Daily News report does not specifically tie Montero to any performance-enhancing drug purchases, only that his name was listed in the clinic's records. Montero told the Seattle Times he had no idea how he ended up in the clinic's records. He said, "I have no clue what happened. I feel like I'm caught in the middle of something and I don't know why. I don't even know who (Bosch) is. I've never heard of him."

The Seattle Storm will be without three-time league MVP Lauren Jackson for the 2013 season while she stays in Australia to recover from recent hamstring surgery. The Storm made the roster announcement yesterday. Her contract has been suspended and she's expected to play for Seattle in the 2014 season. Jackson underwent surgery last month in Melbourne. She's expected to make a full recovery, but in a statement from the Storm, Jackson said she was not going to be "fit, ready or confident" for the WNBA season.

This week was supposed to be the time that Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson would announce the local owners he has gathered to try to keep the NBA's Kings from moving to Seattle, where arena investor Chris Hansen has a deal to buy the team. But the mayor told reporters in Sacramento yesterday that he's not quite ready to do that. Johnson says he intends to have a detailed plan to save the Kings ready to show the NBA by the end of the month, according to The Sacramento Bee. Besides an offer to buy the Kings, the plan is also expected to include a proposal to build a downtown sports arena.

Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner David Stern says the Seattle group has formally filed to relocate the franchise to Seattle. Stern spoke last night in Minneapolis before the Timberwolves hosted San Antonio. He called the Seattle group, led by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer, "very strong," and that the appropriate committees have been convened to look over the proposed sale of the Kings and the prospective move to Seattle." The deadline for teams to file for relocation is March 1. It's been expected that the Hansen/Ballmer group would file to move the team to Seattle, but Stern's comments were the first time that decision has been verified.

Today is Wave All Your Fingers at Your Neighbors Day. Everyone is urged to wave hello and mean it. Today is National Fettuccini Alfredo Day. America's largest celebration of George Washington's Birthday is underway in Laredo, Texas. It's the 116th celebration. The event celebrates the cultures of both the US and Mexico and includes the annual Jalapeno Festival. It runs through the 25th. Today is Fruitcake Toss Day. It's Organize Your Home Day -- clean out those closets. And, it's Old Rock Day. I was excited until I was told it's an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate old rocks and fossils and not rock-n-roll.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1940, Walt Disney's cartoon movie Pinocchio premiered at the Center Theatre in New York City. In 1959, over a thousand mourners attended 22-year-old Buddy Holly's funeral at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas. Holly's pregnant wife Maria Elena, who miscarried shortly after her husband's death, did not attend. In 1964, Pan Am Flight 101 arrived in New York City bringing the Beatles for their first American tour. Some 10,000 fans were waiting at Kennedy airport. Baskin-Robbins introduced a new ice cream flavor called Beatle-Nut. In 1994, retired Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan signed a baseball contract with the Chicago White Sox.

CBS is warning Grammys performers and presenters not to bare any breasts, buttocks, or genitalia while onscreen. The network's Standard and Practice department sent out a "Wardrobe Advisory" in advance of Sunday's awards ceremony.

It's been almost 20 years since Billy Joel put out his latest album, River of Dreams, and that number will keep on growing because the Piano Man has no desire to do any more records. Billy told Rolling Stone that people don't understand why he would retire from rock stardom but explained, "I've given away a lot of my own life in these songs and now I feel like I want to have a little bit of my own life for me." Joel is still working though, saying, "I still write music. Just nobody's hearing it and I'm not recording it and it's not songs. It's instrumental music. I haven't discarded the idea of ever writing songs."

A UK woman is trouble after she paid $250 to have her luxury car industrially compacted so she wouldn't have to make the payments. Police say the woman reported her Mercedes stolen and then hired a man to dispose of her vehicle to avoid making the monthly payments on the car. Her plan fell apart when investigators found the car's four wheels in her garage.

A recent study finds that liquids make up 22 percent of calories in the average American's diet. Is that good, or bad? Well, the problem is most Americans only count the calories they get from solid foods -- which means we're not aware of how calories are sneaking into our diet.

What's the hottest food on the Internet right now? Waffle hash browns. Pics are being shared all over Instagram and Facebook right now -- and probably because you get the awesome taste of a traditional hash brown along with the 'pockets' found in waffles.

Summer's a few months off, but if hot, sweaty feet ruin the warmest season of the year for you, look to Japan for help. A Japanese website called Chiyoda is now selling air conditioned shoes. The dress shoes run about $80 a pair and have small fans in the soles.

Trivia Answer: The current Monopoly tokens are now be the cat, the dog, the wheelbarrow, the shoe, the battleship, the thimble, the top hat, and the racecar. Previous Monopoly tokens eliminated from the game include the lantern, the purse, and the rocking horse.

Concerned the Superdome might not be able to handle the energy needed for its first Super Bowl since Hurricane Katrina, officials spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on upgrades to decayed utility lines, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. The improvements apparently weren't enough, however, to prevent an embarrassing and puzzling 34-minute power outage during Sunday's game. Officials still haven't pinpointed the cause of the outage. The Superdome's management company and the utility that supplies the stadium announced yesterday that they are hiring outside experts to investigate. A spokesman saying, "We wanted to leave no stone unturned. We thought it was important to get another party looking at this to make sure we were looking at everything that we need to examine,.

Word from Austria is that Lindsey Vonn will miss the rest of the ski season after tearing ligaments in her right knee and breaking a bone in her leg in a high-speed crash yesterday at the world championships. Vonn lost balance on her right leg while landing a jump in the super-G, flipped over in the air and landed on her back as she smashed through a gate before coming to a halt. Although she will miss the rest of this season, the US ski team said the 28-year-old Vonn is expected to return in time for the 2014 Olympics. The four-time overall World Cup winner and 2010 Olympic downhill champion received medical treatment on the slope for 12 minutes before being taken by helicopter to a hospital

Today is Federal No Smoking Day. In 1987, no smoking became the rule for 6,800 federal buildings across the US. Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day. It's Pay a Compliment Day. It's Babe Ruth's Birthday, he was born on this date in 1895.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1918, Great Britain granted women 30 or older the right to vote. In 1935, the board game Monopoly went on sale. By the way, the announcement coming this morning that Monopoly fans have voted to add a cat game piece to the game, replacing the iron token. In 1971, Alan Shepard hit three golf balls on the moon. In 1996, floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, caused over $500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest. In 1998, President Clinton signed a bill changing the name of Washington National Airport to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. In 2000, US First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton formally announced she was a candidate for the US Senate from New York.

Holy Cinerama, Batman! Adam West and Burt Ward – the actors who played Batman and Robin in the 1960s TV show and movie – are heading for the Northwest. They're attending Emerald City Comicon. Their first event is at 8 the evening of Thursday the 28th at Seattle's Cinerama on 4th Avenue. For $25, fans can watch a question-and-answer session with the dynamic duo, followed by a screening of the 1966 Batman film from an archival print. The original Batman costume is on display from the collection of Paul Allen, who funded the careful restoration of Cinerama, which he owns. The Batman event is produced by the Cinerama in conjunction with Emerald City Comicon. Tickets are available at Cinerama.com.

The Lumineers, Carrie Underwood, Jack White and more have been added to the list of performers at the 55th annual Grammy Awards. It was also announced that Elton John and Ed Sheeran are performing live together for the first time. They join previously announced performers The Black Keys, Fun., Mumford & Sons, Rihanna and Taylor Swift. LL Cool J returns as host of the show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday night on CBS .

Just in time for Valentine's Day, a new international survey reveals if you want to kick things up, learn to parle francai or habla espanol. The survey of more than 5,000 men and women (1300 of them were Americans) reveals if you speak a different language 79% find you more attractive and 77% rate you as more intelligent . The hottest languages of love? The survey reveals French is the number one sexiest language (chosen by 41%) . Italian was second being chosen by 16%. Spanish, chosen by 15%, was third. We Americans still have some umph. English ranked as the 4th sexiest language (chosen by 10%). And so much for Gangnam style.The Korean language came in dead last – the least sexy language. When asked to name two situations when they use their second language, 54% say on the job and 20% say during intimate situations. Building off the revealing survey results, Rocket Languages has posted quick tutorials to help English-speaking Americans learn some famous pick-up lines in the three sexiest languages just in time for Valentine's Day. The tutorials can be found at http://www.rocketlanguages.com/valentines-day/. For the tutorials, Rocket Languages focused on the top pick up lines from the survey. When people polled were asked the top pick-up line they'd like to hear or say in another language the top choices are:

1. "Where have you been all my life?" or in French "Où as-tu été toute ma vie?"
2. "Can I get you a drink?" or in Italian "Ti posso offrire da bere?"
3. "I lost my phone number. Can I have yours?" Or in Spanish "¿Perdí mi número de teléfono, me podrías dar el tuyo?"

Would you snoop on your partner's emails? Almost half of us do -- and a third of people stalk their exes on Facebook and Twitter. One in five admit having stalked their current partner's ex.

A school system in Maryland wants to take ownership of work by not only their teachers, but students as well. The Prince George's County Board of Education is proposing a policy which gives the school system copyrights to work created by staff and students. Board Chairperson Verjeana Jacobs told the Washington Post it wasn't their "intention to declare ownership" of student creations. The policy was created to protect lesson plans posted online by teachers, but some are wondering why it includes students. No final decision has been made.

Popping a piece of gum before a big test at school may not be such a bad idea after all. New research from Japan's National Institute of Radiological Services shows chewing gum increases awareness by up to 10 percent. Apparently, the chewing motion gets certain areas of our brain working faster, with study participants showing improved reaction time while chewing gum. Experts tell the Daily Mail the results are "profound." There are counter-effects to this though. Last year, a study was released that said chewing gum could actually take a toll on your short-term memory.

The US Postal Service plans to stop delivering letters and other first-class mail on Saturdays, beginning August 1st, although packages will continue to be delivered. Tired of waiting for Congress to help, the Postal Service later today is expected to unveil a series of more drastic cuts it plans to pursue that will save billions of dollars, a representative for the service said. It's unclear at the moment how the Postal Service has the authority to quit delivering letters on Saturdays. Previously, it has said it needed Congress to change the current law to do so. However, sources have confirmed that the plan includes an end to Saturday mail service except for package delivery, which has seen growth in the past few years.

Authorities in Tel Aviv, Israel, repainted a parking spot as a handicap zone while a car was parked there. Then, after painting was complete, they towed the car away for parking illegally because it didn't have a permit. The owner of the car received an apology from the city.

Trivia Answer: Rick Astley who turns 47 today. That 1987 song? Never Gonna Give You Up. It was in 2007 that Rick Astley became the subject of a viral internet meme known as Rickrolling. This is where internet users are tricked into watching Rick Astley's video for Never Gonna Give You Up by following a link that claims to be something else. Views of the video on various websites are now in the millions. The phenomenon became so popular that on April 1st of 2008, YouTube pranked its users by making every single featured video on its front page a Rickroll. On November 27th of 2008, Astley himself participated in a live Rickroll during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade while the Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends characters were singing Best Friend, the theme from the TV series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. Midway through the song, Astley emerged from the float and began to lip sync his signature hit. Despite the video garnering millions of hits on YouTube, Astley says he's earned almost no money from the meme, receiving only $12 in royalties from YouTube for his performance share.

Sports fans bet a record $98.9 million at Nevada casinos on the Super Bowl. That word from the Nevada Gaming Control Board yesterday. Unaudited tallies show 183 sports books made $7.2 million on the football action. Odds makers say California fans flooded Las Vegas and the Lake Tahoe area with wagers on the hometown team, which hadn't been in the Super Bowl since 1995.

Twitter said there were 24.1 million tweets during the Super Bowl as the Ravens beat the 49ers on the field, but the biggest moments had little to do with football. By the start of the second half, the "roar of the crowd" boosted the number of tweets past the number from last year's Super Bowl, according to Twitter's head of sports and entertainment. But the peak came at the end of singer Beyoncé's halftime performance, with 268,000 tweets per minute. The Destiny's Child reunion generated 257,500 tweets per minute, and there were 5.5 million tweets during the entire halftime show. Another peak came during the surprise partial power outage that darkened the Superdome and stopped the game in the third quarter -- 231,500 tweets per minute.

The National Football League, the Superdome, and a utility investigating the cause of that power outage at one of the world's most watched and meticulously planned events, yesterday exonerated the halftime show from blame in the Super Bowl mishap. The 35-minute disruption came moments after Beyonce lit up the Superdome with a halftime spectacular that officials said was powered by generators and would not have sapped the stadium's electricity. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters yesterday, "There's no indication at all that this was caused by the halftime show. I know that's out there, that Beyonce's halftime show had something to do with it. That is not the case from anything we have at this point."

Meanwhile, the NFL hasn't decided whether or not there will be a Super Bowl Halftime Show next year because for the first time the game is being played in a cold climate -- New Jersey.

With that partial power outage, an overly excited quarterback, and a game that suddenly turned from snoozer to sizzler, CBS had its hands full at the Super Bowl. The game fell short of setting a viewership record, but it stands as the third most-watched program in US television history. The Nielsen Co. said an estimated 108.4 million people watched the Baltimore Ravens' 34-31 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. The most-watched events in US TV history were last year's game, seen by 111.3 million, and the 2010 game, with 111 million viewers. CBS had hoped to make it the fourth year in a row that football's ultimate game broke the record for most-watched event in American television history. But pro football ratings in general have been down slightly this year.

Today is National Weatherman's Day. It's Peter Pan Day – the movie was released on this date in 1953. Today marks the sale of the first Wiffle Ball. The ball was invented by David N. Mullany at his home in Fairfield, Connecticut in 1953 when he designed a ball that curved easily for his 12-year-old son. It was named when his son and his friends would refer to a strikeout as a whiff.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1919, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, and D.W. Griffith launched United Artists. In 1971, astronauts landed on the moon in the Apollo 14 mission. In 1976, the 1976 swine flu outbreak began at Fort Dix, NJ. In 1988, Manuel Noriega was indicted on drug smuggling and money laundering charges.

A new study says morning cardio is most effective when done while really hungry. Researchers studied the effects of an empty stomach on exercise, and found that people who exercise on an empty stomach can burn 20 percent more body fat than those exercising after breakfast.

Fun. Is up for Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Best New Artist, among other awards at the upcoming Grammys. Fun. Is also up for Song of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. The 55th Annual Grammy awards are on CBS Sunday night.

Wacky-But-True Newspaper Headlines:

• Red Tape Holds Up New Bridge
• Man Struck by Lightning Faces Battery Charge
• New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Because We Can is the first single from Bon Jovi's upcoming album, What About Now. The band has now put out a video for the song. The clip was directed by actor and documentary filmmaker Fisher Stevens and shows the group performing in a boxing ring and at a burlesque club. There's also footage of a boxing match and a showgirl dancing. Check it out at BonJovi.com. The album is due March 26th.

The editors at Town & Country have named Prince Harry as the World's Most Eligible Bachelor in a list of top 50. The magazine says Harry lacks a "towering intellect," but notes he is "cooler and more appealing" than older brother Prince William. Others making the list include actors George Clooney and Jack Nicholson.

A postgraduate psychology student out of New Zealand discovered that we are at our happiest while playing with our own children. Just kidding. That's actually fifth on the list. Sex is our favorite activity. In fact, sex and drinking rank ahead of childcare.

Trivia Answer: They are the Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Houston Texans. The Lions are the only NFC team yet to play in one, the other three are in the AFC. The Browns and Lions both won NFL championships prior to the Super Bowl era, while the Jaguars (who joined the NFL in 1995) and Texans (who joined in 2002) joined the league after the Super Bowl era began in 1967.

The Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers 34-31 at Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans yesterday. Just a few minutes after Baltimore's Jacoby Jones returned the opening kickoff of the second half 108 yards for a touchdown, the power in half the Superdome went off with 13:22 left in the third quarter. The referee called a halt to the game while stadium officials worked to fix the problem. About 34 minutes later, play resumed. The 49ers scored their first touchdown when Michael Crabtree scored on a 31-yard touchdown throw from Colin Kaepernick. That made the score 28-13 with 7:20 left in the third quarter. Three minutes later, Frank Gore scored on a 6-yard run off the right side to draw the 49ers to within eight, after a David Akers extra point. After a Ray Rice fumble gave the ball back to the 49ers, Akers kicked his third field goal of the contest. Rookie Justin Tucker boosted the Ravens lead back to eight with a field goal 2:03 into the final quarter. But the Niners answered quickly. Kaepenick's 15-yard scamper -- the longest touchdown run by a quarterback in Super Bowl history -- made the score 31-29 with 9:57 left in regulation. But his throw on the two-point conversion was too high. Tucker kicked a 38-yard field goal with 4:23 left in the game to make it 34-29. Ravens' quarterback Joe Flacco was selected the game's most valuable player. Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis won his second title. He said he's retiring after 17 seasons in the NFL.

Late last night officials issued a statement that said the Superdome power outage occurred when sensing equipment detected an "abnormality." Well, that certainly clears things up. By the way, if you had a power outage in the third quarter, you just made 7.5 million dollars. You can't help but think that bet was possible somewhere.

Robert Griffin III of the Washington Redskins won The Associated Press 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award, beating out Andrew Luck of the Colts and Russell Wilson of the Seahawks in a lopsided vote announced Saturday. RG3 earned 29 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members ws ho regularly cover the league. Luck was next with 11 and Wilson got 10.

Those who voted for NFL Rookie of the Year at NFL.com saw something that eluded those with votes for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: Russell Wilson had a greater impact on his team than any of the players selected before him, or after him, in last April's NFL Draft. The Seahawks' rookie quarterback was named NFL Rookie of the Year on Saturday night during an awards ceremony in New Orleans as determined by fan vote. Earlier, it was announced that Wilson had finished third in balloting for Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. See the previous paragraph.

The inventor of the Etch-A-Sketch has died. It was revealed over the weekend that Andre Cassagne had died in France on January 16th.

Today is Bubble Gum Day, National Wear Red Day. National Popcorn Day. Create a Vacuum Day. Today is Gumby's Birthday. And it's Thank A Mailman Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1789, George Washington was unanimously elected as the first President of the United States by the US Electoral College. In 1941, the United Service Organization (USO) was created to entertain American troops. In 1974, the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst in Berkeley, California. In 2004, Facebook, a mainstream online social networking site, was founded by Mark Zuckerberg.

Pennsylvania groundhog Punxsutawney Phil didn't see his shadow on Saturday -- Groundhog Day -- and thus forecasts an early spring.

Warm Bodies -- based on a first time novel by Seattle writer Isaac Marion -- a romantic comedy featuring a warm-hearted zombie, collected $20 million in ticket sales in the US and Canada to take the box office title on a weekend dominated by Super Bowl parties and football watching. Last weekend's winner, Hansel and Gretel, finished second. Benefiting from the buzz following Oscar nominations for each of its four stars, Silver Linings Playbook was third. Mama continued its improbable ticket-selling run to rank fourth. Also benefiting from its Oscar buzz, the Osama Bin Laden hunt movie Zero Dark Thirty, finished fifth. In theaters Friday: Identity Thief, Side Effects, and Top Gun IMAX 3D

One wonders if it's the improving economy or an overwhelming desire to stay out of the doghouse that is making us spend more on our sweetie this Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day, believe it or not, is the second largest consumer spending holiday, second only to Christmas. This year the average guy is expected to spend $168.74, and the average women is expected to dish out $85.76.

Ed Sheeran is heading to the Grammys this year. Not only is he nominated, he's also performing with Elton John on the big show. Sunday night on CBS, itthe 55th Annual Grammy Awards.

About 60 Harvard students have been forced to leave school after being caught cheating on the final exam of the class ... Introduction to Congress.

Think back to your last car purchase ... if you made it with your spouse, who really made the final decision? If you ask him, it was him. Unless you ask her, then it was her. A new survey found 72% of men believing they were the ones with the most influence while 60% of women believe they had the most say.

A man is recovering from surgery when the surgical nurse appears and asks how he's feeling. "I'm OK," the man tells her. "But I didn't like the four letter word the doctor used in surgery." The nurse asks, "What did he say?" The man replies, "Oops!"

Trivia Answer: Conrad John Schuck who turns 73 today. He made his first theatrical appearances at Denison University, and after graduating continued his career at the Cleveland Playhouse, Baltimore's CENTERSTAGE, and finally the American Conservatory Theater, where he was discovered by Robert Altman. Schuck's first appearance in film was the role of Captain Walter Koskiusko "Painless Pole" Waldowski in Altman's film M*A*S*H. As a result of this role, Schuck has the distinction as the first actor ever to use the F-word in a major motion picture. He went on to appear in several more Altman films: Brewster McCloud, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, and Thieves Like Us. From 1971-1977 he was Sergeant Enright on McMillan and Wife. Schuck is also known for his work on the Star Trek movies and television series, often playing a Klingon character.

Super Bowl weekend has arrived.

It turns out not everybody's scarfing down junk food. Though you might imagine that a proper plate of Super Bowl snacks has to be high in salt and/or sugar, more fans are opting for healthier snacks this year. According to a Nielsen survey, vegetables will be the third-most popular snack this Sunday, beating out pizza, buffalo swings, and sweets, among others.

Less than 1.5% of respondents to the Nielsen survey said they planned to watch the game at a bar or restaurant. Even in New Orleans, where the game is taking place, bars aren't expecting large crowds. While bars often do big business during regular NFL games, the Super Bowl is a different type of event. The Nielsen people point out that "The Super Bowl is in some ways an American holiday. It's gathering the friends and family around the at-home experience and all the other components that tie into that."

Beer remains the alcohol of choice. Even if some people are trading in potato chips for carrot sticks, they're still not giving up their brewskis: 42% of respondents to the Nielsen survey plan to drink beer during the game, the largest share for any type of alcohol. Meanwhile, 33% of respondents will drink wine, and 22% will opt for liquor. An old-fashioned Coke will do the trick for many, though, with 71% saying they plan to drink carbonated beverages.

The average ticket for the 2011 Super Bowl between the Green Bay packers and Pittsburgh Steelers sold for an average of $3,650, according to ticket price aggregator TiqIQ. Tickets for this year's matchup are currently selling for an average of $2,800, but TiqIQ senior director of data and communications Chris Matcovich says prices always drop precipitously as Super Bowl Sunday approaches. Entry-level prices, currently hovering around $2,200, could go as low as $1,000 by Sunday. The fact that Baltimore and San Francisco are both thousands of miles from New Orleans is also likely to lower demand and depress prices.

Everyone knows that the commercials during the Super Bowl are at least as much of a spectacle as the game itself. According to the Nielsen survey, 91% of of Super Bowl viewers are interested in watching the commercials, which would work out to about 100 million people based on last year's viewership numbers. The commercials that really resonate with fans are the funny ones, though: 81% of respondents to the Nielsen survey said they enjoy funny ads the most, while 25% said they enjoyed sentimental ads. Just like in Hollywood, we also enjoy sequels -- a quarter of respondents said they enjoy ads for products that have been featured in previous Super Bowls.

Super Bowl Sunday features a bunch of new movie trailers. Word is there are six this year.  Watch for our first look at Fast and Furious 6, new ones for Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z, and three from Disney: Iron Man 3, The Lone Ranger, and Oz The Great And Powerful.

Lamar Hunt, then the owner of the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs first used the term Super Bowl to refer to this game in the merger meetings. Hunt would later say the name was likely in his head because his children had been playing with a Super Ball toy (a vintage example of the ball is on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio) In a July 25th of 1966, letter to NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle, Hunt wrote, "I have kiddingly called it the 'Super Bowl,' which obviously can be improved upon." Although the leagues' owners decided on the name "AFL-NFL Championship Game," the media immediately picked up on Hunt's "Super Bowl" name, which would become official beginning with the third annual game.  Of course today, the NFL very actively defends the name warning advertisters every year that they can't use the name in advertisements (with paying rights fees).  Samsung has taken the policy to heart.

Ravens-49ers. Harbaugh-Harbaugh. Kick-off coming up Sunday afternoon at 3:30 on CBS.

Today is Tupperware Sculpting Day, a day to heat up at least one old Tupperware bowl or glass and sculpt it into something new and exciting. Today is National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Today is Spunky Old Broads Day, a day for celebration for spunky ladies over 50. Today is Working Naked Day, dedicated to those who work at home. Today is National Freedom Day. Today is Robinson Crusoe Day, a day to be adventurous and self-reliant. This is Solo Diners Eat Out Week.

Calendar notes:  On this date in 1920, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Mounties, were created. In 1949, RCA Victor introduced the 45, a smaller record with a larger hole than the long-play 33-and-a-third disc introduced earlier by Columbia Records. In 1964, the governor of Indiana declared the Kingsmen's hit Louie Louie was pornographic. He asked the state's radio stations not to play it. In 1982, 'Late Night with David Letterman' premiered on NBC-TV. In 2004, during the Super Bowl halftime show, in what was termed a "wardrobe malfunction," singer Janet Jackson's breast was exposed, resulting in a $550,000 fine against CBS' parent company, Viacom.

January is now done. Welcome to February. It's National Weddings Month. Most engagements take place between Christmas and Valentine's Day, and most future brides start serious planning in February for summer weddings. The February birthstone is amethyst. The February flower is the violet or primrose. February is American Heart Month, National Black History Month, Bake for Family Fun Month, Bird Feeding Month, Care About Your Indoor Air Month, Children's Dental Health Month, Grapefruit Month, Humpback Whale Awareness Month, Creative Romance Month, National Laugh Friendly Month, Library Lovers Month, Mend a Broken Heart Month, Pet Dental Health Month, Pull Your Sofa Off the Wall Month, Spooky Old Broads Month, Youth Leadership Month, Women's Heart Month, and in Illinois, it's Return Shopping Carts to the Supermarket Month.

Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch has died today Friday of congestive heart failure. The lawyer-turned-public-servant was a US congressman from 1968 until he ran for mayor of the city in 1977. He served three terms -- from 1978 to 1989 -- until he was defeated in a Democratic primary by David Dinkins. After he left office, Koch -- whose ebullient personality made him popular nationwide -- practiced law, hosted a radio show, was a newspaper columnist and made countless appearances on TV series as himself. His cameos included Sex and the City, Spin City, and Picket Fences. Ed Koch was 88.

In New Orleans, Beyonce opened yesterday's press conference about the Super Bowl halftime show with a performance of the national anthem and finished by asking, "Any questions?" Despite the a cappella opening, media asked Beyonce to answer whether any sound came out of her mouth during her inauguration performance earlier this month. "Typically, they have you sing a pre-recorded track, so I did sing along with the pre-recorded track," she said, noting that she didn't have time to practice with the U.S. Marine Band.

Alicia Keys, Maroon 5 and Frank Ocean have just been added to the long list of performers expected to entertain at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards. They join the likes of Fun., Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift and more on the February 10th show. The first round of presenters at the show has also been released and they include Neil Patrick Harris, Faith Hill, Carly Rae Jepsen, Katy Perry, Tim McGraw and Keith Urban. The 55th Annual Grammy Awards, hosted by LL Cool J, are on CBS, February 10th.

John Mayer told RollingStone.com that his relationship with Katy Perry is going well and that he is quite happy in his life. Mayer explained in the interview that he is a lot less concerned about what the media has to say about him, and instead focuses on all the great things that he has going for him in his life. Just last week, Mayer and Perry attended the Inaugural Ball -- and the VIP after party -- together in Washington, D.C. Despite the possible career-ending vocal problems he's been battling for the last couple of years, he's undergone surgery which has left him with a different outlook on life and he plans to continue with his career.

Trivia Answer: Paul Montgomery Shore -- Pauly Shore -- who is 45 today. Pauly is the son of Mitzi Shore, who founded The Comedy Store, and comedian Sammy Shore. Inspired by his parents' work in comedy and show business, a 17-year-old Shore made his stand-up debut at the Alley Cat Bistro in Culver City. Shore was mentored by Sam Kinison and opened several of his sets. "The Weasel" involved Shore speaking in a Jeff Spicoli-esque surfer parlance, heavily peppered with dudespeak slang such as "edged", "melons" and "grinding" as well as his catchphrase, "Hey, BU-DDY." At the height of his MTV fame, Shore had his own show, Totally Pauly, serving as a host, most memorably on MTV's annual Spring Break parties. In 1992, Shore starred in Encino Man which was a modest hit. In 2003, Shore produced, wrote, directed and starred in Pauly Shore Is Dead, a semi-autobiographical mockumentary.