Michael Jackson will once again make music history this week as many of his albums are poised to shake up the Billboard charts with incredible sales increases. The impact of Jackson's death on Thursday was felt immediately in the marketplace. Industry sources report that the demand for Jackson's albums were so high, many stores simply ran out of his CDs. The albums with the greatest sales increases -- at least on the physical side of things -- look to be his greatest hits packages "Number Ones" and "The Essential Michael Jackson" along with the expanded reissue of "Thriller." The sets, released between 2003 and 2008, were the three Jackson albums that perhaps had the most stock available in stores. In the digital realm, where the supply problem doesn't exist, Jackson's songs and albums swarmed the top of the constantly-updating best sellers lists in both the iTunes' and Amazon's online music stores. At one point on Friday in the iTunes Store, nine out of the top 10-selling albums and 40 of the top 100-selling songs were by Jackson. The three aforementioned albums, along with Jackson's classic studio sets "Off the Wall," "Bad" and "Dangerous" all will likely zoom into the upper region of Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart this week. Initial reports of Jackson's album sales from Thursday alone indicate that one of his albums -- possibly "Number Ones" -- will easily fly to No. 1 on the chart this week. To compare, last week's No. 1 on the Catalog chart was TobyMac's "Portable Sounds" with 9,000 copies sold. Sources say that at least one of Jackson's albums sold more than double that amount just on Thursday. Billboard and SoundScan's new weekly charts are released on Wednesday.

After news spread about the death of Michael Jackson, so many people turned to the Internet that a number of Web sites went down. Twitter became overloaded and Web surfers also had difficulty searching Google News for stories on Jackson. TMZ and the LATimes.com had outages also, as did AOL’s instant message service, AIM. Meanwhile, Wikipedia saw a ton of activity with 500 edits made to Jackson’s entry in a 24 hour period. Within an hour of the news of MJ’s death breaking, CNN’s Web site reported 20-million visitors, a fivefold rise in traffic.

• Jackson sold more than 750-million records worldwide.
• He notched eight platinum or multiplatinum albums and 13 number one singles, and had 47 tracks crack the Billboard Hot 100.
• He won 13 Grammy Awards, was inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (as a member of the Jackson 5 and as a solo artist) and received the American Music Awards’ Artist of the Century Award.
• His 1982 album, Thriller, is the biggest-selling original album of all time (it has been neck-and-neck with the Eagles’ Greatest Hits collection for several years). The Guinness Book of World Records cites the singer as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time.
• Michael joined his brothers Jackie, Tito, Marlon and Jermaine in the Jackson 5 in 1963, when he was just five years old. Starting with 1969’s "I Want You Back," the Motown group notched five number one chart hits, including "ABC" and "I’ll Be There."
• While his solo career began in 1971 and included hits like "Ben" and "Rockin’ Robin," it kicked into high gear with the release of the classic Off the Wall in 1979. The album eventually went platinum seven times, stayed in the Billboard Top 200 for 73 weeks and spawned four top-10 hits. The singles "Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough" and "Rock With You" went platinum too.
• 1982’s Thriller went platinum a mind-boggling 28 times, making it the biggest-selling studio album in history. It spent 37 weeks at the top of the Billboard albums chart and won a record-breaking eight Grammys in 1984. Seven songs — out of a total track list of nine — reached the top 10 of the Billboard singles chart, including "Billie Jean" and "Beat It."
• The 1985 benefit song "We Are the World," which Jackson co-wrote with Lionel Richie, went platinum four times and stayed in the top Billboard spot for four weeks. The song raised an estimated 50-million dollars for famine relief in Africa.
• After Thriller, nearly five years passed before the release of MJ’s next solo album, but Bad proved worth the wait. It went platinum eight times and settled into the Billboard chart for 85 weeks. The album produced five number Billboard Top 100 singles: "I Just Can’t Stop Loving You," "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana."
• 1991 brought Dangerous, another Billboard-topping album. It went platinum seven times and hung around the chart for 117 straight weeks. The single "Black or White" went platinum and hit the top Billboard spot.
• Jackson’s 1995 greatest hits album, HIStory: Past, Present and Future: Book I, stayed on the Billboard chart for 36 weeks and went platinum seven times. His 82-show world tour was seen by 4.5-million fans, the biggest tour of his career. A remix album of the greatest-hits record, called Blood on the Dance Floor, also went platinum.
• His final studio album, Invincible, reached the number one Billboard spot and remained on the chart for 28 weeks.
• At the time of his death, Jackson was preparing for 50 sold-out shows at London’s O2 Arena. They had already grossed an estimated 85-million dollars in ticket sales.

A private funeral Farrah Fawcett is being held at the Catholic cathedral of Los Angeles tomorrow. The service for the former "Charlie's Angels" actress is tomorrow afternoon at 4 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.

Infomercial pitchman Billy Mays died at his Tampa, Florida, home yesterday morning. The 50-year-old known for his shouting OxiClean ads was pronounced dead at 7:45 yesterday morning. Mays was on the US Airways flight from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Tampa on Saturday that had a hard landing at Tampa International Airport when the plane's front tire blew out. There were no reported injuries on Flight 1241, according to US Airways. Mays told a local Tampa TV station, "All of a sudden as we hit you know it was just the hardest hit, all the things from the ceiling started dropping. It hit me on the head, but I got a hard head." The coroner's office expects to have an autopsy done by this afternoon. The bearded Mays was a spokesman for Orange Glo and detergent OxiClean and appeared in commercials for other products. He is featured on the reality TV show ''Pitchmen'' on the Discovery Channel, which follows pitch people in their jobs.

Comedian and impersonator Fred Travalena died yesterday afternoon after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 66. Known as "The Man of a Thousand Faces" – Travalena died at home in Encino, California, surrounded by family. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 2002 and prostate cancer in 2003. Following five years' remission, the lymphoma returned in 2008. During Travalena's 40-year career, he entertained audiences with impressions of celebrities such as Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Bob Hope. He was a regular on the "Tonight Show," with Johnny Carson. Fred Tavalena was 66.

The "Transformers" sequel is well on its way to becoming the biggest hit of the year so far at the North American box office, but narrowly missed the five-day opening record set last year by "The Dark Knight." "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" earned an estimated $201.2 million during the five-day period since it blasted into theaters on Wednesday. The Batman sequel -- the second-biggest film of all time before adjusting for inflation -- holds the five-day record with $203.8 million. Still the "Transformers" sequel, which reportedly cost about $200 million to make, beat industry expectations. The biggest movie of the year so far is "Star Trek," which has grossed $246 million in seven weeks of release across the United States and Canada. The first "Transformers" was the third-biggest film of 2007 in North America, ending up with $319 million.

A man who works three jobs to support his family - including one as a limousine driver - has won a $39 million jackpot in California's SuperLotto Plus. Clyde Persley, who is married with a 4-year-old daughter, turned in his winning ticket on Tuesday night and should get his first check for about $16 million in four to six weeks, said a California lottery spokeswoman. The 49-year-old Santa Cruz man operates candy-making machines for Santa Cruz Nutritionals, drives a limousine and picks up extra hours at a restaurant. He says his first moves will be taking his wife on a trip to Hawaii and hiring a financial adviser. He bought his winning ticket at a Santa Cruz market where he has played the lottery twice a week for several years.

Trivia Answer: William Gareth Jacob "Gary" Busey who turns 65 today. He's most famous for his roles in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, The Buddy Holly Story, Big Wednesday, Lethal Weapon, Point Break, The Firm, Gingerdead Man, Black Sheep, Rookie of the Year, Drop Zone, and Under Siege. Busey was front and center in the media, when during the E! broadcast of the 2008 Oscar red carpet pre-show, he interrupted host Ryan Seacrest's interview with Jennifer Garner and Laura Linney. It was widely reported that Busey proceeded to give Garner a hug and kissed her neck, to which Garner expressed her distaste moments later. Later that year, he joined the second season of the reality show Celebrity Rehab. Per Gary's contract and VH1's press release, he was to be part of the mentoring team and not a patient. Nonetheless, Busey was later seen at a facility by psychiatrist Dr. Charles Sophy. Sophy suspected that Gary's brain injury has had a greater effect on him than realized. He described it as essentially weakening his mental "filters" and causing him to speak and act impulsively. He recommended Gary take a medication called Depakote, to which Busey agreed.

The blog is back. There were some "issues" that prevented things from getting updated here over the past week. Hopefully that's all behind us now.  Thanks for your patience.

Wow! Not a good week for the icons of our youth. First the passing of Johnny Carson's longtime sidekick on the Tonight Show, Ed McMahon. Then yesterday, the one-two punch of Charlie's Angel and poster phenom Farrah Fawcett losing her battle to cancer in the morning, followed in the afternoon by the cardiac arrest of Michael Jackson.

An autopsy on Michael has been scheduled for today and results are expected at some point this afternoon, according to the Los Angeles coroner's office. Michael was preparing for a comeback tour, when he died yesterday at the age of 50. Jackson was taken from his home by paramedics to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, where a team of physicians tried to resuscitate him for more than an hour, according to Jackson's brother Jermaine. He said Michael was pronounced dead at 2:26 yesterday afternoon. During a career that began at age 5 singing with his brothers, Jackson had numerous number one hits. "Thriller" is still the best-selling album of all time, having sold an estimated 50 million copies worldwide. After dominating the popular music scene for years, Jackson became reclusive and mired in scandals that include molestation charges. He was acquitted after a well-publicized trial in down in Santa Maria, California, in March 2006. Last year, he announced a comeback tour that was to start in July. When some of the shows were postponed till next year, rumors spread that the entertainer was weak and suffering from skin cancer.

Stocks rallied yesterday, finding momentum after a week of choppy trading, as investors scooped up a variety of shares hit in the recent selloff. The Dow gained 172 points. It had risen as much as 190 points earlier in the afternoon. The S&P 500 gained 19 points, and the Nasdaq added 37 points. Then today, the market ended a week of choppy trading with more choppy trading. The Dow lost 34 points, the S&P 500 was off a little more than a point, and the Nasdaq was up over 8 points.

Ichiro lined the 29th leadoff homer of his career into the right-field seats and finished a triple short of the cycle, and the Seattle Mariners gave starter Jarrod Washburn his first victory in more than two months, a 9-3 win over the San Diego Padres yesterday afternoon. Suzuki parked the third pitch he saw for his sixth homer of the season. He added a double in the second and single in the fourth, but grounded out and reached on an infield hit in his final two at-bats. It was his third four-hit game of the season. The Mariners took two of three from the Padres and have won seven of their last eight series. Seattle is two games above .500 at 37-and-35 entering a brutal nine-game road trip at the Dodgers, Yankees, and Red Sox -- a trip that very well may determine how long the Mariners continue contending in the AL West.

Nielsen Media Research says the "Late Show With David Letterman" beat the "Tonight Show" last week -- for the first time in more than three years. Letterman scored a weeklong average of 3.46 million viewers, edging out the 3.32 million viewers who watched NBC's "Tonight Show" with Conan O'Brien. It was Letterman's first full-week win of all-new broadcasts since December 2005, when Oprah Winfrey was his guest.

Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day

I like it when things like this work out: Clyde Persley of California is set to get a $16 million lottery check next month. The 49-year-old man has been working three jobs for 20 years. Maybe there's something to that whole karma dea..

A painter in Florida spelled the word 'school' incorrectly on the pavement in a school zone at Goulds Elementary. He spelled it 'scohol'. Let that be a lesson, kids, stay in scohol.

A high school secretary illegally changed grades in a school computer system to improve her daughter's class standing, according to criminal charges filed yesterday. Caroline Maria McNeal of Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, is accused of using the passwords of three co-workers without their knowledge to tamper with dozens of grades and test scores between May 2006 and July 2007 at Huntingdon Area High School, the state attorney general's office said. The mom is is alleged to have improved her daughter Brittany's grades and reduced those of two classmates to enhance Brittany's standing in the 2008 graduating class. Prosecutors said school officials corrected the grades before the students graduated. McNeal was charged with 29 counts of unlawful use of a computer and 29 counts of tampering with public records. Each count is a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum of seven years in prison and a $15,000 fine.

The Academy Awards has announced that next year’s Oscars are going to have double the nominees for Best Picture. As opposed to the typical five, ten movies are now going to have the distinction of being nominated for Best Picture. Next year’s Academy Awards take place on March 7th.

Some Toledo, Ohio, residents are more than a little perturbed after being ticketed for parking in their own driveways -- and one anonymous person is trying to keep the peace by paying their fines. According to the Associated Press, Mayor Carty Finkbeiner has said the city does not allow parking on unpaved surfaces, including gravel driveways. Earlier this month, residents were written 25-dollar tickets for illegally parking on private property. On Tuesday, an unknown man who claims the issue is dividing the community, paid some of the parking tickets with 250 dollars cash.

In a China a 2-year-old boy has been labeled the world's youngest smoker. He goes through a pack a day. The boy was taught how to smoke by his dad who thought it would alleviate pain caused by a hernia.

Wallabies in Tasmania have discovered, and are enjoying, one of the largest exports of the country, opium poppies. The Associated Press reports that once the animals eat the crop, they experience an opiate high and hop around in circles, trampling the plants into crop circles. Tasmania is the world's largest producer of legally grown opium for the pharmaceutical market and it looks like the country’s sheep, deer, and wallabies don't have a problem with that.

Note to son.  Thanks for writing down the phone message but ...

Trivia Answer: Derek Sanderson Jeter who turns 35 today. He's been a Yankee his entire professional career. This year, he passed Mickey Mantle for most career at-bats with the team. Mantle had held the Yankee record since 1968. Jeter has won the American League Rookie of the Year Award, a Silver Slugger Award, and three Gold Glove Awards. In 2000, he became the only player to win both the All-Star Game MVP and the World Series MVP in the same year. As the Yankees' shortstop, Derek is currently the longest-serving position player on the team. As of his current contract, he earns $22 million a year in salary, and is the second highest paid endorser in baseball having earned $7 million in endorsements in 2006. He was ranked as the most marketable player in baseball according to an 2005 Sports Business Survey.

The Nasdaq surged today while the broader market struggled at the end of the first down week in a month for Wall Street. The Dow lost 15 points.  The S&P 500 added 2 points while the Nasdaq surged 20.

It turns out that the San Diego Padres can win an interleague game. It took them 10 innings to do so, but the Padres beat the Mariners 4-3 yesterday afternoon. The win brings an end their major league-record interleague losing streak at 13. The Padres had also lost 10 straight games to Seattle in San Diego. That streak also ended as the Pads won for just the fifth time in 18 games.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton fell and fractured her right elbow on her way to the White House Wednesday. The former First Lady was treated at The George Washington University Hospital and released but will need to undergo surgery in the coming week. Clinton will miss attending a World Refugee Day in Washington, D.C. next Thursday with Angelina Jolie

Continental Airlines in the news a bunch this week, which is not necessarily a good thing. Yesterday, one of their veteran pilots died in mid-flight. Now today comes the story of how Continental is feeling badly after sending a 10-year-old Massachusetts girl to the wrong destination. Reuters reports that Miriam Kamens thought she was flying alone to Cleveland, Ohio, to visit her grandparents. However, when she didn’t arrive in Ohio, her grandparents notified her father, Jonathan Kamens. After 45 minutes of no one knowing where Miriam was, they finally located her in Newark, New Jersey. The confusion occurred at Logan International Airport in Boston, where the girl boarded the flight. Both flights used the same entrance. Needless to say, her father was not amused.

We’ve mentioned that Madonna has finally gotten the OK to adopt Malawian baby Mercy. Well, it looks like Madge is some help from an A-list actress to make things comfortable for the little girl. According to British paper The Sun, Gwyneth Paltrow is helping Mama Madonna decorate little Mercy’s room. The paper reports that Madonna was so impressed with how Paltrow and Chris Martin’s daughter Apple’s room looked, that she asked for a little help.

Daughtry’s new album Leave This Town comes out on July 14th, so on the days surrounding the release, get ready to see the band just about everywhere. The guys are playing the Today Show on NBC on the day their album comes out, The View on ABC on the 15th, the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien on NBC on the 16th and Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC on the 17th. All the dates and times are listed at DaughtryOfficial.com.

Uncle Kracker has just announced via a press release that he’s releasing a new album on September 15th. The record is titled Happy Hour and features 12 songs from the Detroit singer-songwriter.

Sting is planning to release a new solo album this fall. It’s titled If On a Winter’s Night and is inspired by what the singer calls his favorite season. According to a post on his Web site, the record will be filled with carols, lullabies, traditional songs from the British Isles, and two original compositions. The set is due out on October 27th

Poison’s Bret Michaels got pretty banged up at the Tony Awards after getting struck by a piece of scenery, but the singer told People.com he has no intention of suing. The rocker explained that he was honored to be at the event and that there will be no lawsuit. Bret said he’s "taking the high road." The singer fractured his nose and received three stitches to his bloody lip because of the mishap. You can learn more about it at MySpace.com/BretMichaelsOfPoison.

A confidential memo that lists the salaries of several Hollywood agents has leaked to the New York Post. According to the memo, several big time agents at William Morris made from four to seven-million dollars in 2007. William Morris is a privately owned company, so employee incomes are usually never made public.

Police in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, arrested a woman at a store after she was spotted by an employee trying to steal 33 Blu-ray DVDs. They say she'd stuffed 'em down her pants. Like nobody's going to notice that. Sheesh.

Regina Brett is a columnist with the Cleveland Plain Dealer newspaper.  To celebrate turning 50, she updated her most requested column, "45 Lessons Life Has Taught Me" ... and added five to grow on:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over-prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful, or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Happy Father's Day weekend!

Trivia Answer: Paula Julie Abdul who turns 47 today. In 1988, Paula released her pop debut album, Forever Your Girl. The album took 62 weeks to hit number one on the Billboard 200 album sales chart -- the longest an album had been on the market before hitting the top. Once it was there, however, it stayed for 10 weeks. The album eventually became multi-platinum in the spring and summer of 1989, and it spawned five American top three singles, four of them number ones (three in 1989 and one in 1990): "Straight Up," "Forever Your Girl," "Cold Hearted," "(It's Just) The Way That You Love Me," and "Opposites Attract." After her initial period of success, she suffered a series of setbacks in her professional and personal life, until she found renewed fame and success in the 2000s as a judge on American Idol. Paula was recently featured in the eighth season of American Idol. She also has been working on a new album, and hopes to have it released by the end of the year.

Blue chips managed to advance today after encouraging signs in the day's labor market and manufacturing reports, but the gains were modest and tech selling kept the Nasdaq from joining the advance. The Dow gained 58 points while the S&P 500 rose 7 points. The Nasdaq composite was barely changed. A three-month market rally has lost steam over the last week as bets that the pace of the recession is waning have turned to worries the market has gotten ahead of itself. Reports yesterday provided some reassurance, but stocks remain vulnerable to further pullbacks in the near term. The only economic report on tap for today is state-by-state unemployment figures.

Struggling mall retailer Eddie Bauer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday but said a bidder already has agreed to keep the majority of its 371 stores open, honor gift cards, and hold onto most employees. Eddie Bauer, known for outdoorsy clothing, said CCMP Capital Advisors LLC has bid $202 million in cash for its assets. Other buyers may also make bids while the company is under court protection. Bankruptcy rumors had been swirling as Bellevue.-based Eddie Bauer struggled with slumping sales amid the recession. It reported a loss for the first quarter of $44.5 million as sales fell 16 percent to $179.8 million. The company said in its filing that it is seeking court protection because its financial position was creating uncertainty among its suppliers and because its cash flow problems "could severely impede" its operations. And it said it might not be able to comply with some covenants in its $225 million senior debt or have the cash under its line of credit to make vendor payments in the future. The company expects to complete the sale process within 60 days. Eddie Bauer joins Circuit City, Linens 'N Things, Mervyns and other retail chains that have filed for bankruptcy court protection as consumer spending fell and the recession continued.

Just a little something to think about: Paul McCartney wrote the song "When I’m 64" back in 1967. Well today, the former Beatle turns 67.

Sean Penn won’t be one of the "The Three Stooges" after all … and won't join "Cartel." A spokeswoman for the Oscar winner said he’s dropping out of the films. She didn’t specify a reason, but said if the start dates on the productions were to be postponed, Penn would remain involved. Sean was slated to star as Larry in "Three Stooges" and as a man protecting his son in "Cartel." Last month, Penn withdrew his petition to separate from Robin Wright Penn, his wife of 13 years. They filed for divorce in December 2007 but dismissed that petition several months later. In February, they were together at the Academy Awards, where the 48-year-old actor won for his role in the drama "Milk."

Just yesterday, we mentioned that Billy Joel was shopping for an Italian restaurant for his wife. Well, now comes word that Billy and wife Katie Lee are confirming a split. In a statement, the pair said that they remain "caring friends with admiration and respect for each other." They got married five years ago at Joel's mansion on New York's Long Island. A representative for Joel did not immediately respond to the question of whether the couple was getting a divorce. It's the Piano Man's third marriage, and her first. The 60-year-old Joel is one of music’s most successful singer-songwriters; 27-year-old Katie Lee Joel hosted the first season of Bravo TV's "Top Chef."

New DVR data for the just-ended TV season may give some pause to networks fretting about declining ratings. At least 30% of viewers for Lost, The Office, and Heroes were procrastinators, watching either later that night or up to seven days after the programs first aired. While "live" audiences for most shows continue to dwindle, delayed viewership from the devices, which digitally record programs and store them on a hard drive for later viewing, is filling some of that void. Nationally, 31% of homes had them in May, up from 25% a year earlier. Many of the top shows also are the most frequently recorded: Nearly 5 million of Idol's 26 million viewers on Tuesdays delayed the show, most for just a few hours. And while kids, teens, and seniors use DVRs least often, women 25 to 39 are the most frequent recorders, so programs aimed at that crowd tend to get the biggest ratings bump when delayed viewing is factored in. Grey's Anatomy, House, Lost, 24, and Desperate Housewives rank among the most time-shifted series, and a third of the 3 million viewers for CW's 90210 see the show after it first airs. Overall, 40% of the prime-time viewing in homes with DVRs is delayed, with network series far outpacing cable.

Ever wonder what the difference is between "tastes great" and "less filling?" Well, apparently it's $5,000. At least it is in one Atlantic City casino. That's how much the New Jersey Casino Control Commission fined Resorts Atlantic City yesterday for having mislabeled beer keg taps at one casino bar on two occasions last year. In March, one tap was labeled "Miller Lite" and another one "Miller Genuine Draft." But both taps were connected to a keg containing the light beer. Regulators say a similar situation in August occurred in which taps labeled "Coors Original" and "Coors Light" were both dispensing the full-calorie, full-carb brew.

More on that story yesterday about the Belgian girl getting a tattoo. She's filing a police report after having 56 stars tattooed on her face. According to Reuters, 18-year-old Kimberly Vlaeminck claims that she only told the tattoo artist to do three stars but she fell asleep during the procedure and awoke to the pain of her nose being tattooed. Upon waking, she noticed 56 stars all over her face. Vlaeminck remained calm but things turned for the worse after her father arrived. The tattoo artist claims Kimberly had asked for 56 stars but when she saw how upset her dad was, says the artist, she lied and said she only wanted three.

Then there’s the Massachusetts man was ticketed for driving erratically while eating a bowl of cereal on his lap. He explained that he was hungry.

Continental Flight 61 was flying from Brussels, Belgium, to Newark, New Jersey, earlier today according to the Federal Aviation Administration and Continental Airlines. The pilot died mid-flight. Continental said the 61-year-old Newark-based pilot died "apparently of natural causes." He had 21 years of service with Continental. The airline said the crew on the flight included an additional relief pilot who took the place of the deceased man. The plane landed safely at Newark International Airport a little before noon Eastern time this morning.

While voting is still underway for Major League Baseball's 80th All-Star game on July 14th in St. Louis, the Seattle Mariners landed one spot in the dugout already. Yesterday rookie manager Don Wakamatsu was named to the American League coaching staff. AL manager Joe Maddon of the Tampa Bay Rays (doesn't he look like Drew Carey?) appointed Wakamatsu and Trey Hillman of the Kansas City Royals as his assistants for the game.

A U.S. congressional committee is looking into former baseball star Sammy Sosa's denial that he used illegal performance-enhancing drugs in light of a report that he tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in 2003. The chairman of Congress' Oversight and Government Reform Committee says it takes seriously suggestions that a witness had been misleading. In 2005, Sosa told Congress that he had never taken illegal performance-enhancing drugs. The New York Times reported earlier this week that Sosa tested positive two years before his appearance at a congressional hearing.

Trivia Answer: Richard Allen Boone who was born on this date in 1917. He passed away in January of 1981. Boone made his screen debut in 1950 as a Marine in Halls of Montezuma. He starred in three movies with John Wayne: The Alamo (as Sam Houston), Big Jake, and The Shootist. In 1953, he played Pontius Pilate in the first released Cinemascope film, The Robe. He had only one scene in the film, in which he gives instructions to Richard Burton, who plays the centurion ordered to crucify Christ. From 1954 to 1956, Boone became a familiar face when he appeared weekly as the star of the NBC medical drama Medic. He received an Emmy nomination for Best Actor Starring in a Regular Series in 1955. It was Boone's second television series, however, Have Gun -- Will Travel, that made him a national star with his role as Paladin. The show ran from 1957 to 1963, with Boone receiving two more Emmy nominations -- in 1959 and 1960. Boone also had his own television anthology, The Richard Boone Show. Even though it only aired from 1963 to 1964, he received his fourth Emmy nomination in 1964. After the cancellation of his weekly show, Boone and his family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii. While living on Oahu, Boone helped persuade Leonard Freeman to film Hawaii Five-O exclusively in Hawaii. Prior to that, Freeman had planned to do "establishing" location shots in Hawaii, but most production would be done in Southern California. Boone and others convinced Freeman that the islands could offer all necessary support for a major TV series and would provide an authenticity otherwise unobtainable. Freeman, impressed by Boone's love of Hawaii, offered him the role of Steve McGarrett. Boone turned it down, and the role went to Jack Lord, who shared Boone's enthusiasm, which Freeman considered vital. Boone later starred as Hec Ramsey, a turn-of-the-20th-century Western-style detective who preferred to use his brain instead of his gun, in the TV series of the same name in the early 1970s. He once wryly noted to an interviewer in 1972, "You know, Hec Ramsey is a lot like Paladin, only fatter."

Well, the Nasdaq gained today, thanks to a tech rally, but the broader market meandered with financials sliding after Standard & Poor's cut its outlook on 22 banks. The Dow lost almost 7 points; the S&P 500, 1 point,; and the Nasdaq advanced 12 points. Stocks zigzagged through the session as investors considered the corporate news, President Obama's plan for an overhaul of financial market regulation, and a tame reading on consumer inflation. Stocks fell the first two days of the week on worries that the recession could drag on longer than has been anticipated. Tomorrow brings a slew of economic news, including weekly jobless claims from the Labor Department, the Conference Board's May index of leading economic indicators, and the Philadelphia Fed index (a regional read on manufacturing).

Felix Hernandez pitched a two-hitter to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 5-0 win over the Padres in San Diego last night. For the the Padres. It was a record-setting 12th straight interleague loss. Felix threw his third career shutout and sixth career complete game. San Diego set a major-league record with its 12th straight loss in interleague play to snap a tie with the New York Mets.

On June 21st of 1989, Emily Bishton and Conrad Uno of Seattle,stood on the Seattle Mariners dugout in jeans and T-shirts and got married in the Kingdome. It was leap of faith taken in a stadium that would later be blown to smithereens and at the home of a ballclub that still hasn't made it to the World Series. Well, they’ll have been married 20 years on Sunday, when they plan to stand atop the Mariners dugout at Safeco Field and renew their vows. Then ceremony is taking place before the Mariners take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. A win might be a nice little anniversary present.

Bob Bogle, lead guitarist and co-founder of the rock band The Ventures, known for 1960s instrumental hits including "Walk, Don't Run," has died. Don Wilson, the band's other co-founder, says that Bogle fell ill over the weekend and died Sunday. The band sold millions of albums and heavily influenced other rock guitarists. It was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. The hall's Web site hailed The Ventures as "the most successful instrumental combo in rock and roll history." "Walk, Don't Run" reached No. 2 on the Billboard chart in 1960, and a revised version, "Walk, Don't Run '64," reached No. 8 in 1964. Among the band's other hits were the theme from "Hawaii Five-O." The band got its start in 1958 in Tacoma. Bogle initially played lead and bass and Wilson played rhythm guitar. They were soon joined by Nokie Edwards, another guitarist, and drummer Howie Johnson, later replaced by Mel Taylor. The Ventures were particularly popular in Japan, where Wilson and Bogle played as a duo during their first tour in 1962 because the promoter couldn't afford to pay the other two band members. The two Americans made such an impression, Wilson recalled last year, that when the band came back in 1964, "there were 6,000 people at the airport." He said he didn't realize at first the Japanese fans were there to see The Ventures. Bob Bogle was 75.

Don't look for Powerball tickets here in Washington. The group that runs the nation's largest lottery says Powerball tickets can't be sold in states that are part of the rival Mega Millions game. The Tacoma News Tribune reports that the Legislature approved Powerball sales in hopes of collecting about $12 million in the next two years. Lottery Director Chris Liu says he was surprised and disappointed that a proposal to cross-license the games fell apart. There may be further discussion next week when National Association of Sate and Provincial Lotteries meets in Nashville, Tenn.

What are the odds? Seattle police say a 90-year-old man suffered possible fractures and life-threatening head injuries Monday afternoon when a car hit him on Capitol Hill. Police say the driver of the car was an 89-year-old man.

Governor Sarah Palin and David Letterman have supposedly made-up. The late night host and the politician were in a spat over some recent jokes Letterman made on his program. Monday night Dave apologized and, according to EOnline.com, Palin has accepted Letterman’s apology.

Max Weinberg was auctioning off his 1957 Chevy Corvette convertible over the weekend, but no one bid on it. The E Street Band drummer’s car was expected to go for 150-thousand dollars at the Hamptons Auto Classic in New York, but instead, the classic car didn’t even sell. According to TMZ.com, few autos at the event actually sold. In fact, of the 68 up for bids, only 12 were bought.

Rumor is that Billy Joel is shopping for a restaurant. Apparently the Piano Man wants to buy his wife, Katie Lee, an Italian restaurant on Long Island. Katie is a chef who served as the first host of the Bravo series Top Chef.

Carnie Wilson has giving birth to a baby girl. This is the second child for her and her husband, Rob Bonfiglio. They named the child Luciana Bella.

The Breakfast Club’s Ally Sheedy and Meat Loaf star in a new Hallmark channel movie called Citizen Jane. The film is based on the true story of a killer that was tracked down by a normal citizen. You can check out the Hallmark Channel Original Movie on Sunday, September 5th.

Madonna has spoken out about finally having her adoption of Malawian baby Mercy approved by the country’s highest court. The singer told USMagazine.com through her spokesperson that she’s “ecstatic” and “extremely grateful for the Supreme Court’s ruling.” Madge also went on to say that she is looking forward to sharing her life with the three-year-old girl. Sources tell the Web site that Mercy could be united with Madonna any day now.

Cat Stevens, known these days as Yusuf Islam, is now acknowledging that any similarities between his track “Forgeiner Suite” and Coldplay’s "Viva La Vida" wasn’t intentional. The singer/songwriter told the Daily Express that he feels the British band did copy his song but that they didn’t do it on purpose. He even said he’d like to mend ways stating, “I don’t want them to think I am angry with them. I’d love to sit down and have a cup of tea with them and let them know its ok.”

It turns out that “New Divide,” Linkin Park’s new song from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, isn’t just your average movie song. The band has revealed that they wrote the track after seeing almost half the film and that the song inspired composer Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack for the flick. The guys even disclosed some details about the picture saying that the sequel is darker and the themes are more about the main character Sam. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is in theatres on June 24th.

No Doubt decided to go against the grain by heading out on a huge tour before releasing a new album, claiming that they were looking for inspiration. According to an interview with Billboard.com, the band has found it. Bassist Tony Kanal says they feel a very inspired record will be born from the trek, but don’t expect it anytime soon. He says they’ll want to decompress after the tour wraps up and that it usually takes them "about a year" to finish an album.

Father's Day is Sunday. How about a new power tool? There are roughly 14,000 hardware stores across the U.S.

A captain in Britain's Royal Navy has banned brussels sprouts from his warship because he hates them.

A woman in Belgium wanted three small star tattoos around her eye. She's suing the tattoo artist for $15,000 after he messed up and gave her more than 50 all over one side of her face. She slept while he worked.

An unknown Massachusetts man spent the night in a bar bathroom last Friday. According to the Associated Press, Gulu-Gulu Café staff arrived on Saturday morning to find noises coming from the bathroom. Fearing a break-in, they called police, only to learn that a man had been locked in the bathroom when the bar closed at 1 AM the night before. The man said that he spent a comfortable night in the restroom, quickly paid his bar tab and left. The police advised the restaurant to check their restrooms before locking up next time.

Trivia Answer: Joseph Charles John "Joe" Piscopo (born June 17, 1951) who turns 58 today. Piscopo was best known for his boorish impressions of celebrities such as Frank Sinatra. He actually wrote Sinatra a letter asking his permission. Frank agreed and jokingly dubbed Joe the "vice-chairman of the board." Piscopo left SNL in 1984, but unlike Murphy he did not find major success. He appeared in a few successful films such as Johnny Dangerously and in an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, he also had his own HBO comedy special, but was regarded more as a punch line to a bad joke about the doomed careers of most SNL alumni. In the 1980s, Piscopo starred in and made a series of Miller Beer commercials. In the early 1990s, Piscopo became a subject of controversy after his newly buffed physique and appearances on fitness magazines led many to speculate he was using steroids. Piscopo has repeatedly denied the allegations and says he began a campaign to improve himself after battling thyroid cancer from 1981 to 1982. He has also appeared in anti-steroid public service announcements. In more recent years, Piscopo appeared in the long-running Broadway revival of Grease, guest-starred on major TV series such as Law & Order and toured with other SNL alumni such as Kevin Nealon and Victoria Jackson. Piscopo's second wife, Kimberly Driscoll, filed for divorce on July 10, 2006. Piscopo currently resides in Lebanon Township, New Jersey. Piscopo is a big New Jersey Devils Fan. He is mentioned in the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song, Jammin' Me.

Stocks tumbled again today falling for a second session consecutive on continued worries that the pace of the recession is not waning as much as has been hoped. The Dow lost 107 points; the S&P 500, 12 points; and the Nasdaq, 20 points. Better-than-expected reports on housing and wholesale inflation gave stocks a boost early in the session, but the advance was tepid and soon lost momentum as concerns about the economy reared up again.

June is Potty Training Awareness Month. How's it going?

Fathers’ day is Sunday and if you haven’t gotten dad anything yet, there's still time to get him something amazing. Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp has announced a November session to take place in Hollywood. There, campers get to learn from and play with some of rock’s royalty, record at Capitol Studios, and even perform at the famed Whisky A Go Go. Various packages are available including one that mixes golf in with the rock and roll experience. No word yet on the stars taking part in the camp but previous counselors included Steven Tyler, Roger Daltrey, Slash, Joe Walsh and many others. Learn more or book a spot for yourself or your father (or your mother) at RockCamp.com.

Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest of American Idol participated in some male bonding this weekend. The pair was seen leaving a London strip club at 3 AM. According to the New York Daily News, both gentlemen had lipstick smudges on their faces.

P!nk is on the cover of the June issue of Performing Songwriter magazine. It shows the P!nkinator posing with a guitar and a huge smile on her face. Pick it up at newsstands everywhere.

Daniel Craig is getting ready to play "Bond, James Bond" once again. The Brit is prepping to start filming the 23rd James Bond movie.  Frost/Nixon writer Peter Morgan has signed on to pen the new flick.

David Letterman has apologized to Sarah Palin over what he called "flawed" joke he told last week. He started his show Monday with the open apology.

Meanwhile, David Letterman’s music director, Paul Shaffer, was offered the role of "George Costanza" on Seinfeld before it was given to Jason Alexander. Shaffer describes getting the sitcom offer in his new book, We’ll Be Here for the Rest of Our Lives. The book is scheduled to hit store shelves in October.

Recession? What recession? The world's largest (and most expensive) private yacht is nearing completion. The $490 million Eclipse, ordered by some Russian guy, has two helipads, a mini-sub and its own missile defense system.

Harrison Ford was the highest paid actor from June 2008 to June 2009. The actor earned a whooping 65-million dollars for his reprisal of "Indiana Jones" in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. Adam Sandler was the second highest paid actor with 55-million dollars for his two flicks You Don’t Mess with the Zohan and Bedtime Stories.

Paul McCartney wants people to stop eating meat ... at least on Mondays. The former Beatle has started an initiative called Meat Free Monday which encourages people to help slow climate change by having one meat free day a week. Sir Paul came up with the idea because he thinks many folks feel they can’t do much to help the environment. McCartney explained that Meat Free Monday "is actually a meaningful change that everyone can make, that goes to the heart of several important political, environmental and ethical issues all at once." Learn more at SupportMFM.org.

Confirmed: The students in Wales who tried to set a world record by dressing as Smurfs have succeeded, says Guinness. The 2,510 students pulled it off and are now world record holders.

As we've mentioned, Aerosmith is playing the classic 1975 album Toys in the Attic in its entirety on their current tour. However, the group has chosen to cut the record’s closing track from their set. Guitarist Joe Perry explained that "You See Me Crying" is a little too difficult for Steven Tyler to sing right now but he thinks he’ll be able to after a few more shows. Perry added that after a couple more weeks, they’ll start playing another entire album live -- the 1976 follow-up to Toys in the Attic, Rocks. Aerosmith is in Mansfield, Massachusetts tonight.

Rob Thomas is already busy as the frontman for matchbox twenty and as a solo artist. And to add to his already full plate, the singer-songwriter is starting his own clothing line. Thomas is teaming with Lyric Culture to make some limited-edition t-shirts and scarves that will be for sale at Bloomingdales. The collection is set to hit stores on June 30th.

Reese Witherspoon is coming out with her own fragrance. The Academy Award-winner announced that her scent will be called In Bloom and that it will be available through Avon this fall.

Trivia Answer: Joan Van Ark who turns 66 today. She was Valene Ewing on Dallas and Knots Landing. After receiving a contract with Universal Studios, Van Ark co-starred with Bette Davis in The Judge and Jake Wyler, a 1972 television pilot that failed to be picked up by NBC. She then accepted her best-known role as Valene Ewing (originally as a one-time guest appearance on Dallas) in 1978. However, writers later worked the character into a couple of additional episodes; she then carried the character over into the long-running spin-off Knots Landing in 1979. She remained with Knots Landing for thirteen of the show's fourteen seasons, leaving in 1992 (although she did return for the series' final episode in May 1993). Joan has been married to husband John Marshall, a former reporter with KNBC-TV, since February 1st of 1966. They have one child, voice actress/performer Vanessa Marshall who was born in October of 1969.

Stocks slumped today as weaker oil prices and more geopolitical unrest raised worries that the recession may not be waning as soon as some had hoped. The Dow lost 187 points or 2.1%. After ending last week in positive territory, the Dow is now back in the red for 2009. The S&P 500 lost 22 points or 2.4%, and the Nasdaq fell 42 points or 2.3%. Wall Street has been steadily rising for three months on bets that the pace of the recession is waning, with the S&P 500 up 40% during that period. A lack of new evidence to support the rally has left stocks rangebound over the last few weeks.

After being criticized for being weak in last year's Finals, the Lakers finished the task at hand in 2009, destroying the Magic in last night’s Game 5 to pick up the franchise's 15th title. LA beat the Orlando Magic 99-86. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points in winning his fourth title, the first without Shaquille O'Neal. It was the 10th championship for coach Phil Jackson, moving him past Boston's Red Auerbach for the most all-time.

Northwest soccer fans wanting to get a look at European champion Barcelona FC can purchase tickets for their August 5th exhibition match against the Sounders starting this morning at 10. The match is at Qwest Field at 7:30 on August 5th. The game is part of the 18-game season-ticket package for Sounders fans. The rest of us, however, can now purchase seats through soundersfc.com or by calling 1.800.745.3000. Seating is being expanded to include the upper bowl at Qwest for a total capacity of 67,000. Ticket prices for the match range from $40 to $125.

Despite complaints from an animal-rights group, a national veterinary association says Seattle's famed fishmongers will be tossing dead fish at its Seattle convention next month. American Veterinary Medical Association CEO Ron DeHaven said Friday his organization, based in Schaumburg, Ill., will proceed with a plan to host a team-building program offered by the famous fish-throwers of Seattle's Pike Place Fish Market. After People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals raised concerns about the ethics of using dead fish as props at a veterinary event, DeHaven said his group would explore other options for its July 11th through the 14th annual convention. DeHaven said in a telephone interview that his group supports the responsible use of animals for human purposes, such as food - and feels veterinarians are the best advocates for animals. He said, "We're talking about three fish. The tossing is simply used to facilitate bigger purposes" such as motivation and team-building, which are valuable for veterinarians. The fish are dead and are consumed after the program. DeHaven said his organization thinks human consumption is an appropriate use of fish. PETA spokeswoman Lindsay Rajt responded that fish feel pain and fear when they're caught. She called the "corpse toss" morally no different than tossing dead kittens. She promised her group would be on hand to protest what she called "this hideous stunt."

Today is Ride to Work on a Motorcycle Day

Showers and unseasonable cold winds didn't stop thousands of "American Idol" hopefuls from turning out yesterday for the show's Season Nine kickoff auditions at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Some showed up around 3 o’clock in the morning to grab their place in a line that eventually grew the length of the stadium and into the parking lot. The kickoff auditions attracted around 7,000 contestants from all over the East Coast, including New England, New York and as far south as North Carolina. Besides having talent, courage and perhaps a thick skin, auditioners must also be between the ages of 16 and 28 and eligible to work in the United States. Host Ryan Seacrest said the bad weather may have been a plus for contestants since it likely reduced the number of contestants. "If you're auditioning, you want pouring rain, you want freezing weather," Seacrest said. "It makes the weak stay home." After more than a four-hour wait, performers were herded into the stadium where 14 tents with a panel of judges awaited to evaluate them. Those who make the first cut will be called back later. Auditions for the show are geing held in six other cities during the next several weeks: Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando and Denver. The next are scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday in Atlanta.

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford hopes to rejoin his bandmates early next month after a head injury prevented him from playing on their newly launched tour. That word from fellow guitarist Joe Perry yesterday. The 57-year-old Whitford is recovering from surgery for internal bleeding after he apparently banged his head while getting out of his Ferrari about a week before the tour began last Wednesday in St. Louis. The target date for Whitford's return is July 7th, when the band is scheduled to play a show in Raleigh, North Carolina. Subbing for him is Bobby Schneck, who has played with Green Day and Weezer. Brad should be back with the band for that August 17th show at the White River Amphitheater.

At a Houston, Texas, hospital last week 3 sets of triplets were born in one 12-hour span.

Bret Michaels has finally released a statement about what happened at the Tony Awards. The Poison singer says he’s trying to remain positive but being struck by scenery at the event was a painful experience for him. Bret describes his confusion at the time of the mishap and adds that he is upset the Tony organization’s spokesperson said he missed his mark and is fine when there was no mark and he wasn’t necessarily fine. The rocker insists he isn’t seeking an apology but does wish the rep for the Tonys would have shown more concern about the injury in their statement. Bret goes on to describe what happened, apologize to the stage actors for having his incident overshadow their night and he even thanks Liza Minelli for her help after he was hit. Read it all and see photos of the injuries at Bret’s MySpace page, MySpace.com/BretMichaelsOfPoison.

An umpire in West Burlington, Iowa emptied the stands at a high school baseball game, ejecting the entire crowd of more than 100 fans for being unruly. Umpire Don Briggs said he had no problem with any of the student athletes during Thursday's game between Winfield-Mount Union and West Burlington. He said he had to take action because fans were being unruly, yelling, and arguing. The game resumed after a 40-minute delay. West Burlington, by the way, won 12-11. The umpire called police as a precaution. West Burlington police officer Al Waterman says there were no arrests. He says he saw no unruliness himself.

On Saturday in Minnesota, ATV riders formed what could go down as the world record for the longest parade. 1,632 of them lined up and now Guinness is checking to see if they have the record.

A high school computer whiz in Clifton Park, New York, didn't get a high grade for a recent feat: designing software to shut teachers out of the grading system. A New York State Police spokeswoman says the 16-year-old student has been charged with unauthorized use of a computer and third-degree identity theft. He was ordered to return to court Wednesday. The school district says the teenager temporarily blocked teachers' ability to enter grades at the high school. They needed technical support to regain access.

Trivia Answer: Harry Edward Nilsson III -- or Harry Nilsson -- or quite often simply Nilsson -- who would have been 68 today. Among Nilsson's best-known recordings are "Without You", "Jump into the Fire", "Everybody's Talkin'" (theme from the movie Midnight Cowboy & composed by Fred Neil) and "Coconut". Nilsson signed with RCA Victor in 1966 and released an album the following year, Pandemonium Shadow Show, which was a critical (if not commercial) success. That album was followed in 1968 by Aerial Ballet, an album that included Nilsson's rendition of Fred Neil's song "Everybody's Talkin'". A minor US hit at the time of release, the song would become extremely popular a year later when it was featured in the film Midnight Cowboy, and it would earn Nilsson his first Grammy Award. It would also become Nilsson's first US top 10 hit, reaching #6. Aerial Ballet also contained Nilsson's version of his own composition, One, which was later taken top five in the US by Three Dog Night. Nilsson was also commissioned at the time to write and perform the theme song for the ABC television series The Courtship of Eddie's Father. The result, "Best Friend", was very popular, but Nilsson never released the song on record. Nilsson's next album, Harry in 1969, was his first to hit the charts, and also provided a Top 40 single with "I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City" (written as a contender for the theme to Midnight Cowboy). Nilsson's next project was an animated film, The Point!, created with animation director Fred Wolf, and broadcast on ABC television on February 2, 1971, as an "ABC Movie of the Week." Nilsson's album of songs from The Point! was well received, and it spawned a hit single, "Me and My Arrow." Later that year, Nilsson went to England with producer Richard Perry to record what became the most successful album of his career. Nilsson Schmilsson yielded three very stylistically different hit singles. The first was a cover of Badfinger's song "Without You," featuring a highly emotional arrangement and soaring vocals to match, a performance that was rewarded with Nilsson's second Grammy Award. The second single was "Coconut", a novelty calypso number featuring three characters (the narrator, the sister, and the doctor) all sung in different voices by Nilsson. The song is best remembered for its chorus lyric, "Put de lime in de coconut, and drink 'em both up." Also notable is that the entire song is played using one chord, C 7th. The third single, "Jump into the Fire", was raucous, screaming rock and roll, including a drum solo by Derek and the Dominos' Jim Gordon and a bass detuning by Herbie Flowers. Nilsson made his last concert appearance September 1 1992 when he joined Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band on stage at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada to sing "Without You" with Todd Rundgren handling the high notes. Afterwards, an emotional Ringo Starr embraced Nilsson on stage. Nilsson's health had deteriorated, and he suffered a massive heart attack in 1993. After surviving that, he began pressing his old label, RCA, to release a boxed-set retrospective of his career, and resumed recording, attempting to complete one final album. He finished the vocal tracks for the album on January 15th of 1994, and then died that night of heart failure.

Trivia Answer: Paul Edward Lynde, who's birthday is tomorrow -- he would have been 83. He was a noted character actor, well known as Uncle Arthur, Endora's brother, on Bewitched. He was also the regular "center square" on Hollywood Squares from 1968 to 1981. He didn't begin in the center square on Hollywood Squares but eventually assumed that position. Originally the story was that with Paul as the "center square," it was likely that he would be called upon by contestants at least once in almost every round. In the 1970's, Universal Studios tour guides told the story indicating that Lynde’s permanent choice to occupy the center square came after an earthquake rattled the set during filming. Lynde was deathly afraid of earthquakes and he asked the engineers who designed the squares what the safest location was. The center square was the safest and thus became Paul Lynde’s square during filming. Lynde was found dead in his Beverly Hills home on January 11th of 1982. The coroner ruled the death a heart attack.

Stocks ended modestly higher today with all three major gauges closing at multi-month highs after the day's economic reports fed hopes that a recovery is brewing. The Dow gained nearly 32 points. Despite falling short of its 2008 finish, the index ended at its highest level since January 6th. The S&P 500 added over 5 points and closed at its highest point since November 5th, while the Nasdaq climbed 9 points and closed at the highest point since October 6th. Stocks have been on the rise since bottoming March 9th. Stocks, however, have seesawed this week after rising Treasury yields and higher commodity prices sparked worries about inflation hampering a burgeoning recovery. Today restarted the advance, as a rise in retail sales and a bigger-than-expected dip in jobless claims raised hopes that the pace of the recession is slowing but the early advance lost momentum. Nonetheless, the trend remains upward.

A follow-up on that accident on I-5 near DuPont the other afternoon. That 2-year-old boy who was listed in extremely critical condition after being thrown out of the SUV during that rollover crash is now expected to fully recover. Meanwhile, the driver of that vehicle faces nearly $900 in fines for not buckling up the kids. I must admit, my first reaction when I first heard this story was anger. Anger at the bozo that caused the accident apparently driving under the influence of something. Then anger at the fact that there was an SUV on I-5 full of kids not buckled up. Yesterday, law enforcement officials clarified that two adults and eight children were in the Ford Expedition that rolled over at Mounts Road after being side-swiped by a Honda Civic. The Washington State Patrol also clarified that the 31-year-old pregnant driver and one child were the only ones wearing restraints or a seatbelt. The eight children ranged in ages from 2- to 15-years-old. The most seriously injured, a 2-year-old boy is in serious condition in intensive care at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Troopers initially believed he might die of a head injury, but his family says he is now expected to make a full recovery. A 9-year-old girl who was ejected from the SUV was released from the hospital yesterday. The other children only had some minor scratches. But not strapping the children in is going to prove costly. The state patrol plans to hand the driver seven $124 citations -- one for each child who was not properly restrained. Troopers did point out that in their opinion, had the children been buckled in the injuries would have been minimal as the Expedition is a stout vehicle. Meanwhile, the 20-year-old Federal Way man accused of causing the wreck has not been charged. Prosecutors had planned to release him from jail during the investigation, but apparently he has some immigration issues, so the federal government is interested in detaining him. Troopers indicate that he may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash.

Just like his dad, Nick Montana will wear a golden helmet in college. Unlike his famous father, he'll be doing it on the shores of Lake Washington. Nick, the son of former Notre Dame and NFL great Joe Montana (who turns 53 today), has given a verbal commitment to play his college ball at Washington. He’ll be a senior at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village, California this fall. He told his coach earlier this week of his decision to become a Husky after visiting the UW campus last weekend.

Miss California USA Carrie Prejean has been stripped of her title. Why? The Miss California Organization sent out a statement saying they took Prejean’s crown because of a breach of contract, including her refusal to make appearances on behalf of their organization. Prejean told Access Hollywood that the dethroning came as a total surprise to her. Carrie first gained media attention after she shared her anti-same-sex marriage beliefs during the Miss USA pageant. Donald Trump -- who owns the pageant -- said, "You're fired."

The Army has ordered its IT people to give soldiers access to social media sites like Facebook and Twitter.

A recent report from Pew Internet and American Life Project shows 7% of us use the Internet as our primary means of social communication.

Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott are fighting. Apparently the two are butting heads about all sorts of things on the set of the new flick Robin Hood. According to the New York Post, the pair isn’t even on speaking terms right now.

Barry Bond’s wife has reportedly filed for legal separation. The record-breaking homerun hitter and has been married to Liz Watson since 1998. They have a child together. The court papers cite irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split.

This doesn't seem fair.  I lose my car at the mall but new research shows that a chimpanzee's spatial memory is so good that he can remember where to find a single tree in a patch of forest with 12,000 trees.

Trivia Answer: Adrienne Jo Barbeau who turns 64 today. She received a Theater Guild Award and a 1972 Tony Award nomination for playing Rizzo on Broadway. During the 1970s Barbeau starred as the daughter of Bea Arthur's title character in the comedy series Maude which ran from 1972 to 1978. Barbeau's autobiography There Are Worse Things I Could Do was published in 2006 and went to #11 on the Los Angeles Times best-sellers list. In July of 2008, her first novel, Vampyres of Hollywood, was published by St. Martin's Press. The novel was co-written by Michael Scott.

Stocks cut losses, but still ended lower today, as spiking Treasury yields and rising commodity prices added to worries that inflation could limit any recovery effort. The Dow lost 24 points or 0.3%; the S&P 500, almost 3 points or 0.4%; and the Nasdaq, 7 points, or 0.4%. Treasury prices slumped, boosting the corresponding yields. The benchmark 10-year note fell 22/32 and its yield rose as high as 4% before ending the session at 3.94%, up from 3.86% yesterday. Yields rose after the government's sale of $19 billion in 10-year notes saw only ho-hum demand and Russia said it will cut its share of U.S. debt.

The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the sale of Chrysler to a consortium led by Italian automaker Fiat. On Monday, the Court had delayed the sale pending review of the merits of a case brought by the Indiana state pension funds, which argued that they and other lenders deserved better treatment by the bankruptcy court. Chrysler's asset sale was approved by a bankruptcy judge on May 31st. The bankruptcy judge overseeing the Chrysler case had given approval for the company's most valuable assets, such as plants, dealerships and contracts, to become part of a new company in which Fiat would hold a significant stake. If the Chrysler deal goes through, Chrysler would sell its best assets -- including its best-performing factories and dealerships -- to a newly formed entity called the Chrysler Group. Chrysler would leave behind the assets that it doesn't want, including eight factories and franchise agreements with 789 dealerships. As it turns out, this morning, Chrysler and Fiat finalized their deal to create the 'new' Chrysler that begins operating immediately.

Michael Brush from MSN Money says "Guys, if you want to know where the economy is headed next, look in your underwear drawer." If you find skivvies that are in, "well, less-than-perfect condition," you can be pretty sure "the recession ain’t over yet." Using underwear as an economic indicator might sound frivolous, but "no less an economist than former Federal Reserve chief Alan Greenspan" considers it a good harbinger of future economic activity. He reasons that "because hardly anyone actually sees a guy’s undies, they’re the first thing men stop buying when the economy tightens." By the same token, an uptick in underwear sales can be an early sign that "consumers feel confident enough to shrug off 'frugal fatigue.'" So what does the current state of underwear sales tell us about the economy? On the one hand, men’s underwear sales have leveled off recently, following a 12-month, 12 percent decline. But the economic recovery won’t arrive until sales start growing 2 percent to 3 percent a year, and forecasters say that might not happen until 2013. "That’s four more years of saggy elastic and threadbare cotton."

They recounted and it turns out that The Hangover narrowly beat out Disney/Pixar’s new animated feature Up last weekend. The Hangover tells the story of a four friends who head to Las Vegas for a bachelor party and then wake up the next morning with no recollection of the previous night. The Hangover’s Bradley Cooper has just signed on to be part of a remake of The A-Team. Cooper will play Face in the new feature adaptation of the 1980s TV show. The flick hasn’t started shooting yet, but it’s set to be released on June 11th, 2010.

It’s been a long and arduous process, but it looks like Madonna is going to be able to adopt Malawian baby Mercy. According to British paper The Sun, the decision is being announced Sunday by Malawi’s Supreme Court. Madge’s adoption request was originally denied because she hadn’t lived in the country for 18 months. A judge later declared this was "out of date." An unidentified friend of Madonna told the paper that the singer is "ecstatic" about the ruling however a rep for Madonna says that nothing has been confirmed but they "remain hopeful."

Swansea University in Wales has broken the world record for the number of people dressed as Smurfs in one place, at one time. According to TMZ.com, over 25-hundred students gathered in Smurf and Smurfette attire to break the record.

Today is Iced Tea Day.

There must be something in the stars. A couple of scoundrels having birthdays today: John Edwards turns 56, and Eliot Spitzer is 50.

In the July issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine we learn that 9,300 Americans suffer computer injuries each year.

A dog in Germany was playing fetch and came back with a World War II grenade. Authorities were called to diffuse it.

Florida authorities say a commercial fisherman reeled in a live missile in the Gulf of Mexico and kept it on his boat for 10 days. The sheriff's office in Pinellas County say the boat's captain, Rodney Soloman, hooked the air-to-air guided missile 50 miles off the Panhandle town of Panama City. The Air Force and Navy use Gulf waters off the Panhandle for weapons training. Soloman had the missile aboard his boat for 10 days before returning Monday to port near St. Petersburg. A bomb squad was called in from MacDill Air Force Base and dismantled the missile in an empty parking lot. The bomb squad said the missile was very corroded from floating in saltwater for a long time but they said it was live and in a very unstable state.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s lawyers have sent a letter to a woman suing the “Bruno” actor for allegedly putting her in a wheelchair after he visited her bingo hall in character back in 2007. The letter demands that the woman drop her suit or -- here comes the nasty legalese -- "our clients will avail themselves of every legal remedy against you."  No word as to whether the woman has dropped her case yet.

If you’ve ever wanted to see Billy Joel’s bike collection, now is your chance. The Piano Man is showing his collection of 31 motorcycles. According to the New York Post, the bikes are part of an exhibition called 20th Century Cycles: The Motorcycle as Art and Icon. It's going on in Sag Harbor, New York from June 6th to the 20th.

In the UK a nine-year-old boy found a seven leaf clover.

A tree on the White House's North Lawn was knocked down yesterday afternoon by strong winds. It had been planted nearly 70 years ago.

Trivia Answer: Daniel Francis "Dan" Fouts who turns 58 today. He took the Chargers to the playoffs from 1979 to 1982 and to the AFC title game in 1980 and 1981. Fouts is one of only seven quarterbacks in NFL history who have achieved two consecutive 30-touchdown passing seasons. The others are Steve Bartkowski, Brett Favre, Dan Marino, Jeff Garcia, Peyton Manning, and Y.A. Tittle. He was also the third quarterback in NFL history to pass for 40,000 yards, after fellow Hall of Famers Johnny Unitas and Fran Tarkenton. He's the first quarterback ever to throw for over 4,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Fouts' jersey number, 14, is one of only two numbers retired by the San Diego Chargers (the other being Lance Alworth's 19). In 1999, Fouts was ranked number 92 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. In 1992, he was inducted into the University of Oregon and State of Oregon Sports Halls of Fame.  

The Nasdaq rallied today while the broader market was little changed, after the government said 10 of the largest banks could pay back loans and after a positive Treasury auction cooled worries about rising borrowing costs. The Dow lost 1 point while the S&P 500 added 3 points. The Nasdaq added 20 points, with technology shares rising after chipmaker Texas Instruments boosted its quarterly sales and earnings outlook late Monday. Stocks were mixed throughout the session after the government said 10 banks were well-enough capitalized to pay back a collective $68 billion in loans. But stocks moved to the highs of the session after a strong response to the government's auction of $35 billion in three-year securities.

Britain’s Got Talent Internet sensation Susan Boyle has just hired U2’s financial adviser, Ossie Kilkenny, to manage her budding music career.

Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report is currently at Camp Victory -- the U-S military headquarters on the western edge of Baghdad. He had his head shaved by a general there after President Obama issued a videotaped order to the general demanding Colbert’s head be shaved. Colbert is taping special episodes of his weeknight comedy central show while in Baghdad.

Then there’s the Florida couple that’s starting married life with 182 years of experience between them. 93-year-old Ebenezer Rose married 89-year-old Monica Hayden on Sunday in West Palm Beach. The couple said they decided to get married after a brief courtship. Ebenezer says he told Monica that "each of us is living a lonely life. Why not get married?" The couple first met in church about 20 years ago. Ebenezer’s first wife died about four years ago after 58 years of marriage. Monica is twice-widowed.

"My Name Is Earl" might live on. Weeks after NBC pulled the plug on the series starring Jason Lee, TBS is in preliminary talks to order 13 new episodes of the single-camera comedy from 20th Century Fox TV. "Earl" became one of the highest-profile cancellations of for the networks' recent "upfront" programing presentations to advertisers. Speculation was sparked that the series, which has won five Emmys, would find another home. TBS had already planned to start running repeats of the 4-year-old "Earl" in the fall as part of a deal with Twentieth inked in 2007. Still, sources stressed that a deal for new episodes of "Earl" is still far from a lock. The two sides have to determine whether an expensive network single-camera series can be produced under a basic cable network's economic model.

19 Recordings has signed American Idol winner Kris Allen, and his songs have been licensed to Jive Records. Allen says his debut will be "very similar" to what you heard from him on the show and will "definitely be in the pop/rock genre." It’s expected to be released this fall but you can see Kris on the road during the American Idol 2009 Summer Tour, including the stop at the Tacoma Dome on July 7th.

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford had to undergo some surgery recently and as he recuperates from the operation, he won’t be able to take part in some of band’s upcoming tour. The group released a statement that thanks fans for their support and reveals that Bobby Schneck, who has played with Green Day and Slash, will be filling in for Whitford. No word on what the surgery was for or when Brad will join back up with the trek. Aerosmith’s tour with ZZ Top gets underway tomorrow in St. Louis and plays the White River Amphitheater August 17th.

David Letterman is near a deal to continue reading Top 10 lists on CBS for another three years. Sources say the network is about to re-sign the Emmy-winning talk-show personality to continue hosting "Late Show" until 2011-12. The agreement would represent a two-year extension on his current contract, which expires in 2010. CBS declined comment. The decision to stay the course comes as rival NBC makes dramatic changes to its late-night lineup, moving Jay Leno to 10 o’clock in the fall and installing Conan O'Brien behind the "Tonight Show." During his first week on "Tonight," O'Brien bested Letterman in the ratings, though the gap between the shows narrowed as the week progressed. Letterman has been with CBS since 1993, when he joined the network after leaving NBC's "Late Night" (where he was replaced by O'Brien). Given the economic climate, CBS was able to negotiate a lower license fee with "Late Show" production company Worldwide Pants. Previous agreements gave the host a salary of around $30 million per year.

Hearings into the water landing of Flight 1549 ("Miracle on the Hudson") begin today. One question officials hope to answer: Who opened the rear door, which allowed water to enter the cabin.

A new polls says Vancouver in Canada is the world's easiest city to live in.

The players of the Wrentham, Massachusetts, Youth Baseball and Softball Association set a record for the longest baseball game over the weekend. More than 800 children played for 36 hours.

It must have been one interesting pitch meeting: "We want the guy buying your product to also buy a pornographic magazine. A really nasty one. Then terrible things will happen to him, and he'll be humiliated on national TV, and everyone will know that he -- your consumer -- is a total deviant."  It's actually a commercial for beer -- specifically Bud Light -- made by the company that claims "the beer you choose says a lot about you." The ad never aired on TV, and careful viewers will note that all the sexual devices are blurred and the strong language bleeped. The ad quietly appeared in February as part of a viral campaign and has attracted little notice thus far, but because it comes from a highly respected American brand, it seems to mark some kind of cultural tipping point, where pornography has soaked so far into the fabric of mainstream culture that it's no longer seen as a stain. The phenomenon, known as porn creep, is also evident in ads from such companies as American Apparel, Carl's Jr. and Quiznos. This is a family website, so you can Google those ads on your own. But Budweiser is a much bigger, better-known brand. "Why is such a huge company aligning itself with pornography?" asks Michael Solomon, a marketing professor at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia. "Because Budweiser must have calculated it was worth the risk to alienate some people, if they could reach their core buyers." As marketers struggle to find ways to make an impression on a population saturated in all kinds of media, the too-hot-for-TV online-only video has become an increasingly common device. And in order to get customers to seek out and recommend the straight-to-YouTube video, marketers often reach for comedy from the appropriateness hinterlands. Especially when trying to reel in young men.  With the obligatory cautions that you may find the content offensive, here it is if you choose to view:

Trivia Answer: Michael J. Fox who turns 48 today. He was born Michael Andrew Fox in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In that first film Letters from Frank, he was credited under the name "Michael Fox." He intended to continue to use the name, but when he registered with the Screen Actors Guild, which doesn't allow duplicate registration names to avoid credit ambiguities, he discovered that Michael Fox, a veteran character actor, was already registered under the name. As he explained in his autobiography, Lucky Man, he needed to come up with a different name. He didn't like the sound of "Andrew" or "Andy" Fox. He decided against using his middle initial because he didn't want to fit into a Canadian stereotype, as in Michael "Eh?" Fox, and he didn't want teen fan magazines referring to him as "Michael, A Fox." He decided to adopt a new middle initial and settled on "J." Sometimes he jokes that the J stands for "Jenius" or "Jenuine". His most famous roles: Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990); Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties (1982-1989), for which he won three Emmy Awards and a Golden Globe Award; and Mike Flaherty from Spin City (1996-2000), for which he won an Emmy, three Golden Globes, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 1991, and disclosed his condition to the public in 1998. Fox semi-retired from acting in 2000 as the symptoms of his disease worsened. He has since become an advocate for research towards finding a cure.

Stocks cut losses today, ending mixed, as investors scooped up bank and consumer shares and kept an eye on Treasury bond yields, the dollar, and commodity prices. After the close, the Supreme Court granted a stay in the sale of Chrysler's assets to Italian automaker Fiat, at the behest of a group of shareholders. The move delays Chrysler's exit from bankruptcy, which had been expected to occur as soon as Monday. All three major indexes had slumped through the session, before turning higher near the close and ultimately ending mixed. The Dow ended just above unchanged and the S&P 500 ended just below unchanged. The Nasdaq lost 7 points.

Friday, Ichiro’s club-record 27-game hitting streak ended, and the Ms lost the series opener to Minnesota. Saturday, Ich went 3-for-4 and Seattle beat the Twins. Yesterday, Jose Lopez homered and drove in two runs, leading Erik Bedard and the Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the Twins. Russell Branyan and Jamie Burke also homered for the Mariners, who took two of three from Minnesota and have won three consecutive series.

Meanwhile, Mariner pitcher Ryan Rowland-Smith, the Australian, was supposed to make his first start for the Ms since April on Thursday night in Baltimore but instead is headed for at least one more rehab start. In Tacoma for a tune-up Friday night, Rowland-Smith gave up 12 runs and 14 hits, hit a batter, and didn’t get a strikeout as the Rainiers lost to Reno, 21-5, at Cheney Stadium.

The Sounders play with "XBox 360" emblazoned on their jerseys. They lost over the weekend. Chivas USA edged the Sounders, 1-0, on Saturday down in Carson City, California. Chivas picks up its MLS-leading eighth win. Seattle lost for the first time since a 2-0 loss to Chivas on April 18th, but is winless in six straight. Seattle tied its previous five matches. The Sounders are now 4-3-and-5.

Last night's performance-packed Tony Awards celebrated the Broadway musical and the many different ways in which it lifts and celebrates the human spirit. As predicted, Billy Elliot, Elton John and Lee Hall's smash musical adaptation of Hall's sleeper film about a working-class British lad born to dance, was a big winner, collecting 10 trophies. They included best actor, best book, director, and choreographer. In the best-score field, though, John and Hall were edged out by composer Tom Kitt and lyricist Brian Yorkey, whose Next to Normal, about a suburban mother with bipolar disorder, was another critical favorite. Elton was a good sport, telling reporters backstage that he found the Tonys "more enjoyable than the Oscars, because you're entertained from start to finish."

"Angels & Demons" earned $6.5 million in North America over the weekend. In and of itself, not a huge number but its worldwide gross surpassed the $400 million mark. That makes it the number one film on the planet for 2009.

Mentioned last week that Nirvana's former bassist is running for office. Krist Novoselic He’s running for clerk of Wahkiakum County. Of course, there’s more to the story. He says he’s running to protest protest the state's method of letting candidates name their own party affiliation. Krist Novoselic is the head of his local chapter of the Grange, a civic organization. His election paperwork declares that he's running under the "Grange Party" banner, even though the Grange isn't a political party. Novoselic tells The Daily World newspaper that he's protesting the system that lets candidates say what party they prefer when running for office. He says that's confusing for voters and lets candidates appropriate the names of private associations.

Lance Armstrong is a papa again. The cyclist Twittered about the birth of his son. Armstrong and his girlfriend Anna Hansen have named their child Max. This is the first kid for the pair and the fourth baby for Armstrong.

Tonight, more than 3,000 students from Swansea University are trying to set a new world record by staging the largest gathering of Smurfs. The students are painting themselves blue and wearing white hats.

A survey has found that one in five people view homes they have no intention of buying, just so they can have a look around.

A 90-year-old suburban Chicago woman who dropped out of school to help her family during the Great Depression now has her high school diploma. Eleanor Benz left Chicago Public Schools' Lake View High in 1936 during her senior year to take a job. Over the following decades she moved to the suburb of Gurnee and had 15 children, 54 grandchildren and 37 great-grandchildren. Benz attended night school for typing and bookkeeping, but she recently told one of her daughters that never completing high school was one of her greatest disappointments. Her children contacted Lake View, and the school approved Benz's diploma. This week, at her 90th birthday party, Benz's family presented her with the diploma and a 2009 gown and cap ... with a 1936 tassel.

Two suspected bank robbers in Florida were arrested last week after their getaway car ran out of gas. Randall Walker and Jason Dietrich went into a Florida bank and demanded money from a teller. Shortly after leaving the bank, their getaway SUV ran out of gas so the two fled on foot.  Cops tracked down one of the guys through the SUV's license plate. 

A U-S District Court judge recently dismissed a case filed by a woman who wasn't quite happy with her breakfast cereal. Janine Sugawara filed a complaint stating that when she bought a box of Cap’n Crunch with Crunchberries, she expected the Crunchberries to be real fruit. To her dismay, she learned that the Crunchberries are actually just dyed cereal balls.

Trivia Answer: Bonnie Tyler who turns 58 today. That breakthrough song was "It’s a Heartache." When her contract with RCA expired, she signed with CBS and teamed with Jim Steinman. Her first album on CBS was Faster Than the Speed of Night and included the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” which went on to be a worldwide hit reaching number one in the UK, France, Australia, and here in the United States where it stayed on top for four weeks. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" also brought Tyler a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. She didn’t win, however, as that was the year Irene Cara won the award for “Flashdance... What A Feeling."

Stocks struggled today at the end of another up week for Wall Street as investors welcomed a report showing that the pace of job losses is starting to slow, but showed caution after the market's recent advance. The Dow Jones industrial average added 13 points. Stocks had been up and down through the morning as investors digested the jobs report in the aftermath of a good run on Wall Street. Analysts says the report has been corroborated by other recent readings on the labor market, such as the weekly jobless claims numbers. Some are sayinig they think we've probably turned the corner and seen the worst of the monthly job losses, Bets that the economy is starting to stabilize have fueled an advance that has lifted the Dow off of 12-year lows since early March. The Dow has now gained in 11 of the last 13 weeks, adding 32.2%,. That's the Dow's best 13-week run since the period ending November 1982, according to Dow Jones market data.

For the second day in a row yesterday we had record-tying heat here in Olympia. We made it up to 92 yesterday which ties the record set on June 4th of 1978. Then today we didn't get out of the 60s. Go figger.

Hats off to the Department of Transportation for getting the Hood Canal Bridge back open eight days early. DOT opened the bridge Wednesday night after replacement of the structure's eastern section and six years of work on the $500 million project. The first car used the bridge at 10:19 Wednesday night. Now it's time for the ribbon cutting. That’s tomorrow morning at 11 at Salsbury Point County Park near state Route 104 just off state Route 3. Then there’s a "Bridge Opening Bash" from noon until 8 in Port Townsend.

The emotions finally flowed for Randy Johnson when the final out was made. A hug for his son, who was serving as batboy. Hugs for every teammate, plus a really big one for his manager. The game ball presented to his wife as his three daughters beamed with pride. A news conference that lasted a half-hour from a player who usually doesn't have much to say. Someone even spotted a smile. The Big Unit became the 24th pitcher in MLB history to reach the milestone. Randy admits he can come across as surly, and he did his best over the past few weeks to downplay his pursuit of 300 wins. Once he got there, however, he was free to express that, yes, it really is a big deal. Says Johnson, "I think it kind of hit me when I walked on the field. It's a long-range achievement. It's not a one-game or a one-year achievement, it's a career achievement. Who knows how many teammates I've had over my 21 years, but they had a great deal to do with my success. I'm going to think about this for a long time."

It’s been 25 years since Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band released Born in the U.S.A. and to celebrate the anniversary, Hard Rock International is launching limited-edition apparel and accessories featuring the album’s iconic artwork. All proceeds from sales of the items go towards World Hunger Year and the organization’s Artists Against Hunger & Poverty Program. Every purchase also comes with a limited-edition Born in the U.S.A. collectable button. Learn more or buy some goodies at HardRock.com.

The First Family is going to Paris on vacation. Malia and Sasha - who begin summer vacation today -- are flying to France with mom Michelle today. Dad will meet 'em there.

It's garage sale season and according to YardSaleQueen.com you should start yours 30 minutes before other sales. This'll encourage shoppers to begin their garage sale day with you, when they have the most money to spend.

A Michigan woman who's one-third of a set of triplets is celebrating the birth of her own three babies. Amber Ali delivered Amir, Armann and Amari Whitaker on May 26th at Sinai-Grace Hospital in Detroit. The 23-year-old woman tells The Detroit News she's relieved the boys arrived safely. Amir was 4 pounds, 5 ounces at birth; Amari was 4 pounds, 3 ounces; and Armann was 3 pounds, 12 ounces. The babies' 25-year-old father, Andre Whitaker, says that naming the triplets "took forever." The couple lives in Detroit. Amber Ali's triplet sisters, Asia and Ashley, live in nearby Redford Township.

Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic is running for office. He’s running for clerk of Wahkiakum County. The county has a population of less than 4,000.

They’ve been kickin’ the idea around for a while and now Aerosmith has confirmed that they will play their Toys in the Attic album in its entirety when they tour with ZZ Top this summer -- including the stop at the White River Amphitheater in August. Singer Steven Tyler and drummer Joey Kramer confirmed the news to a Boston radio station this week. The trek kicks off on Wednesday in St. Louis.

Wine from a box tastes better. Canadian scientists found Tetrapak packaging (a box) had up to 45 percent fewer unwanted chemicals than bottles.

After months of an IRS elevator smelling of urine, the tinkling trespasser was caught in the act on a surveillance camera. The Associated Press reports that IRS employee Michael Hicks was charged with damaging federal property on Tuesday. Over the past few months, Hicks has caused over 46-hundred dollars worth of clean-up costs for the elevator. As for why Hicks didn’t just use the bathroom, he said he did it because he felt he could get away with it.

Gavin Rossdale is wrapping up his U-S trek, but his wife, Gwen Stefani, and her band No Doubt are just getting started on a tour that’s going to take them all over America. The former Bush frontman says Gwen getting back together with her group is a very good thing. Gavin plays the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas tonight, while No Doubt performs in Atlanta, Georgia.

Britney Spears has been trying to sell her Los Angeles home which was much publicized during her meltdown last year. E! Online reports that Britney purchased the digs for 7.1-million dollars back in December 2007 but this week has lowered the price to 6.5-million dollars, the lowest ever asked for the property. She was originally trying to sell it for 7.9-million dollars.

Maybe Britney should do what this guy in Orlando had done.  He's been trying to sell his $699,000 home for a year. Now he's thrown in an incentive: Buy it and he'll include a 1967 Rolls-Royce.

Dr. George Nichopoulos is the doctor who prescribed Elvis Presley an array of pills and inhalants during the last months of his life. In return for the medicine, The King gave his physician, known as Dr. Nick, an assortment of items. Now, those items and some medical-related memorabilia are up for bids in a new auction. Under the gavel are Elvis’ pills, his nasal douche and some puka shells Presley gave to the doctor. See what else is being auctioned off by heading to JuliensAuctions.com.

Fox is developing "I Married a Stranger," a matrimonial reality series in which brides-to-be don't meet their husbands until they exchange vows. The premise of the show is that a woman frustrated by the dating scene agrees to wed a man she's never met. While she prepares for her blind wedding, friends and family select a spouse from a pool of six eligible suitors offered by the show's producers. The men are eliminated one by one until only two candidates remain. Both finalists walk down the aisle, but only one makes it to the altar to reveal himself to his new wife. "She never meets him until the actual moment when they say 'I do,'" a source close to the project said. "It's like the big scene that comes after an entire season of 'The Bachelor,' only this is in every episode." After the climactic wedding, Fox will show footage from the couple's honeymoon and then show a segment from a couple of months later, updating viewers on how the relationship is going. Fox has shot a pilot for "Stranger," which is said to be in strong contention for a place on the primetime schedule as a series. If Fox picks up the show, "Stranger" will have some conceptual competition: CBS has a similar series, "Arranged Marriage," planned for midseason.

Trivia Answer: Ronald Wilson Reagan who died on this date four years ago today. He, of course, went on to be the 33rd governor of California winning the governorship in 1966 and again in 1970. However, he was defeated in his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 1968 as well as 1976. He came back and won both the nomination and the election in 1980 becoming the 40th President of the United States. He was also the 33rd Governor of California, serving from 1967 to 1975. As president, Reagan implemented new political and economic initiatives. His supply-side economic policies, dubbed "Reaganomics," advocated reduced business regulation, controlling inflation, reducing growth in government spending, and spurring economic growth through tax cuts. In his first term he survived an assassination attempt, took a hard line against organized labor, and ordered military actions in Grenada. He was reelected in a landslide in 1984, proclaiming it was "Morning in America." His second term was primarily marked by foreign matters, namely the ending of the Cold War, the bombing of Libya, and the revelation of the Iran-Contra affair. Publicly describing the Soviet Union as an "evil empire", he supported anti-Communist movements worldwide and spent his first term forgoing the strategy of détente by ordering a massive military buildup in an arms race with the USSR. Reagan negotiated with Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev, culminating in the INF Treaty and the decrease of both countries' nuclear arsenals. Reagan left office in 1989. In 1994, the former president disclosed that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease earlier in the year; he died ten years later at the age of 93. He ranks highly among former U.S. presidents in terms of approval rating.

Wall Street ended the day with gains for the fifth time in six sessions. Stocks rallied today, led by energy, financial, and tech shares, as investors welcomed signs of improvement in the labor market ahead of the big monthly jobs report. The Dow gained 70 points; the S&P 500, 10 points; and the Nasdaq composite, 24. While there are concerns about tomorrow's jobs report, the energy-and-bank-stock-driven rally of the last few weeks appears to have resumed after yesterday's slide.

Hot enough for ya? We didn't break the record ... but we tied it here in Olympia yesterday. Officially it topped out at 89 degrees at the Olympia airport. That tied the record set on June 3rd of 1978. It was a record breaker up north, though. Sea-Tac also reported a high of 89 yesterday. The record there, however, was 87 degrees -- also a record set in 1978.

Ichiro extended his Mariners record by hitting safely in the Mariners 3-2 win over Baltimore last night. It was Ich's 27th consecutive game in which he had a hit. He's now three games shy of the major leagues' longest hitting streak this season, by Washington's Ryan Zimmerman, that ended on May 12th. This is his seventh hitting streak of at least 20 games since the five-time major league hits leader arrived in Seattle for the 2001 season. That ties him with George Sisler for the fourth most 20-plus game hitting streaks. Willie Keeler, Ty Cobb, and Pete Rose each had eight.

About 200 people -- including men's basketball coach Lorenzo Romar and football coach Steve Sarkisian -- were at the University of Washington softball field yesterday to welcome the national champions home. While the Husky band played, the team displayed the trophy … and some of them took a dip in Lake Washington. The team is scheduled to be at SafeCo tomorrow night.

Jay Leno’s new show is set to premiere at 10 o'clock on NBC on September 14th. The Jay Leno Show will be similar to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno with a nightly monologue, stars as guests and Kevin Eubanks leading the band.

Conan O'Brien, hosting his second episode of The Tonight Show, received a 5.0 rating, down 30 percent from his Monday debut. Jay Leno's average for the second quarter while hosting Tonight was a 3.9 rating, so O'Brien outperformed Leno's recent average. O'Brien also handily beat CBS' Late Show With David Letterman which garnered a 3.0 rating.

President Obama is the first sitting head of state to make the Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List, with his many magazine covers and best-selling books blurring the line between politics and celebrity. The president came in at No. 49 on the annual list released yesterday after he made $2.5 million last year from his two best-selling books. The list ranks celebrities based on their earnings and mentions in the media. Former President Bill Clinton, who left office in 2001, appeared on the Forbes list in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. Topping the list is actress Angelina Jolie, followed by talk show host Oprah Winfrey, then singers Madonna and Beyonce Knowles, making this the first year all top four spots were taken by women, Forbes said. During the past year, Jolie made $27 million, Winfrey $275 million, Madonna $110 million and Knowles $87 million. While Jolie's earnings pale in comparison to the other women's, her constant presence in magazines propelled her to the top spot. Madonna rose from No. 21 last year, after her 'Hard Candy' tour was the top-grossing international tour of 2008. She also remained in the media spotlight due to her divorce from director Guy Ritchie and her bid to adopt a second child from Malawi. Tiger Woods came in at No. 5 with estimated earnings of $110 million, Bruce Springsteen nabbed No. 6 with an income of $70 million and Steven Spielberg took seventh place after bringing in $150 million, Forbes said. Actress Jennifer Aniston jumped to the No. 8 spot from No. 17 last year, after earning an estimated $25 million from two Hollywood movies, endorsement deals and royalties from her syndicated TV series Friends. She was also a regular in the media due to her former relationship with singer John Mayer. Brad Pitt, who has six children with Jolie, came in at No. 9, with estimated earnings of $28 million. Kobe Bryant, who saw his popularity soar after making the 2008 Olympic basketball team, came in at No 10. Bryant raked in an estimated $45 million in the past year, padding income from his Los Angeles Lakers basketball contract with endorsements. Among those dropped from the list are British author J.K. Rowling, who released her final Harry Potter book in 2007. Actor Johnny Depp, who placed sixth last year following the third installment in the movie series Pirates of the Caribbean, also fell off the list.

Bruce Springsteen recently announced he’d play three shows to close out Giants Stadium before the venue is torn down. Well the demand for those gigs was so high that The Boss added another two dates. He's now also playing the New Jersey stadium on October 8th and 9th, with the show on the 9th being the last concert ever at the venue. Meanwhile, it’s official -- Paul McCartney is performing the first ever concerts at New York’s new stadium, Citi Field. Paul, who with a little band called The Beatles played the first show at Shea Stadium, will now christen the new home of the Mets. The concerts are set for July 17th and 18th.

The A&E series Biography spotlights Aerosmith tonight. The episode marks the first time the band’s former manager Tim Collins has spoken about the group since he stopped working with them in a bitter break-up in 1996. Originally, none of the band members took part in the program but after Collins spoke, guitarists Joe Perry and Brad Whitford decided to consent to interviews as well. Collins chose to talk because "time heals all wounds" and he thinks Aerosmith is "America’s greatest rock band" and "wanted to set the record straight." Check out the show tonight on A&E.

In October, the Federal Housing Administration launched the Hope for Homeowners program, setting aside $300 billion to help 400,000 homeowners avoid foreclosure. So far, according to ProPublica.org, only one homeowner has benefited from the program, due to red tape, expensive fees, and insufficient incentive for lenders to participate.

We all know babies don’t grow on trees, but can they be bought on eBay? Reportedly, a seven-month-old infant in Bavaria, Germany was taken away from his parents after police discovered the baby was being auctioned off via the Internet. The listing stated "Male baby almost 8 months old sleeps well through the night and does not cry much." The baby boy was put on sale on Tuesday at a starting price of one euro ($1.58). The listing was removed from the site two and a half hours later. No bids were placed for the child and the "buy it now" button was not activated.

A New Hampshire man was arrested for the 153rd time over the weekend. According to reports, Paul Baldwin punched someone in the face and plans to plead guilty to the assault, along with trespassing and alcohol charges. Baldwin's record dates back to 1984 and includes eight trespass orders, 75 citations, four Social Security aliases and 17 name aliases. The prosecution team for his new charges claims to have not read his full criminal history because it is too long.

Nationwide, more than 500 private golf clubs are at serious risk of closing, as recession-racked members have resigned in record numbers. To stave off bankruptcy, clubs have been lowering dues and-gasp-opening courses to the general public for a fee.

British researchers say the average man gains 14 pounds during his partner's pregnancy.

Trivia Answer: Angelina Jolie -- born Angelina Jolie Voight -- 33 years ago today. Her father is actor Jon Voight. Jolie has been long estranged from her father. The two tried to reconcile and he appeared with her in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider. In July of 2002, Jolie filed a request to legally change her name to "Angelina Jolie" -- dropping Voight as her surname.  The name change was made official in September of 2002. In August that year, Voight had claimed on Access Hollywood that his daughter had "serious mental problems."  Jolie later indicated that she no longer wished to pursue a relationship with her father, and said, "My father and I don't speak. I don't hold any anger toward him. I don't believe that somebody's family becomes their blood. Because my son's adopted, and families are earned." She stated that she did not want to publicize her reasons for her estrangement from her father, but because she had adopted her son, she did not think it was healthy for her to associate with Voight.  Angelilna's first leading role in a major film was in Hackers in 1995. She starred in the critically acclaimed biographical films George Wallace in 1997 and Gia in 1998. She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the drama Girl, Interrupted in 1999. Jolie achieved wider fame after her portrayal of video game heroine Lara Croft in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in 2001, and since then has established herself as one of the best-known and highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She's had her biggest commercial successes with the action-comedy Mr. & Mrs. Smith in 2005 and the animated film Kung Fu Panda last year.  Agelina,  in fact, is sitting atop the new Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List which came out yesterday (see story above).   Divorced from Jonny Lee Miller and Billy Bob Thornton, Jolie currently lives with Brad Pitt, in a relationship that has attracted worldwide media attention. Jolie and Pitt have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, as well as three biological children, Shiloh, Knox, and Vivienne.

Stocks slipped today as a four-session advance lost steam. The slippage came after mixed readings on the economy and ahead of retail sales and labor market reports due later this week. The Dow lost 66 points; the S&P 500, 13 points; and the Nasdaq dipped 11 points. Reports on the job market, factory orders, and the services sector of the economy were in focus, along with congressional testimony from Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. Some of the economic reports were short of estimates and Bernanke's comments may have been seen as a little more cautionary than would have been expected, said Michael Sheldon, chief market strategist at RDM Financial Group. In addition, he said, "the market has risen in 10 of the last 12 weeks and investors may be starting to run out of gas.

The Washington Huskies scored a decisive 3-2 victory last night over the top-seeded Florida Gators to complete the two-game sweep. Washington wins its first NCAA softball championship. Washington finishes the year at 51-and-12 and kept the championship in the Pac-10 by keeping Florida from earning Southeastern Conference its first title. The Pac-10 has won 21 of the 27 Women's College World Series titles, with Arizona State and Washington joining powerhouses UCLA (with 11 championships) and Arizona (with eight championships) the past two years. The post-game celebration capped a road trip that has kept the Huskies away from home for three weeks. The team caught a flight out of Seattle on May 13th after being sent to Massachusetts for the opening weekend of NCAA tournament play. The Huskies stayed on the East Coast for a super regional against Georgia Tech in Atlanta before going to Oklahoma City for the World Series. When they arrive back in Seattle, they'll have logged 6,899 miles on their trek. It was the school's sixth NCAA title overall and second this school year after taking a women's cross country crown in November. National player of the year Danielle Lawrie and her teammates are set to be at SafeCo to throw the first pitch Friday night.

Reports are that Erik Bedard actually smiled once or twice on the field last night. Yup, this was no ordinary start for the intensely private left-hander. Bedard pitched like an ace against his former team and Ichiro extended his hitting streak to a team-record 26 consecutive games, leading the Seattle Mariners to an 8-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Ichiro set the Seattle Mariners' record by chopping the third pitch of the game to the right of the shortstop whose rushed throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, but the official scorer ruled that Suzuki had already beaten the toss. Fortunately, Ich hit a no-doubter later in the game. The first hit, however, was his major league-leading 23rd infield single, and 15th in his last 24 games. He leads the major leagues by far in that category. This is his seventh hitting streak of at least 20 games since he arrived in Seattle for the 2001 season.

New Tonight show host Conan O'Brien got off to a roaring start in his first outing behind the desk vacated by Jay Leno last week after 17 years as America's favorite late night television chat show host. Early viewing numbers show that O'Brien's debut on NBC's The Tonight Show on Monday got a 7.1 rating in the nation's biggest media markets -- trouncing rival David Letterman on CBS and bringing in the biggest Tonight Show Monday audience in more than four years. That 7.1 rating compares to about 4.0 rating for a typical Tonight show this year but is below the monster 8.8 rating that Leno scored when he bowed out on Friday. Total viewing figures won't be available until later this week. Leno returns to NBC in the fall in a controversial move to the 10 pm prime-time slot five days-a-week that will save the ailing network millions of dollars over the cost of producing a drama series in that hour. NBC is currently bottom in audience rankings of the four major TV networks. NBC said on Monday "The Jay Leno Show" will premiere on September 14th. O'Brien, more sketch artist than stand-up comedian, opened the show Monday with guests Will Ferrell and Pearl Jam. Early reviews were mixed. The Hollywood Reporter called the show "a work in progress," while Entertainment Weekly called it a "large-scale, impressive debut. But we all know that success in late-night depends on the long haul.”

The lives of the members of Green Day have just started to get busy. The trio performed on The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien last night and head to a residence at Last Call with Carson Daly starting next Tuesday through Friday. Then, they perform an intimate show at Los Angeles’ Henry Fonda Theater on June 4th before kicking off their big summer tour July 3rd at the Key Arena.

This year’s Tony Awards will seem more like the Grammy Awards. The event boasts performances from Elton John, Poison, and Dolly Parton. Each are supporting a musical they are connected to: Elton, Billy Elliot, which he produced, Dolly, 9 to 5, which she wrote the music to, and Poison, Rock of Ages, which boasts their music. The Tonys air on Sunday night on CBS.

Thinking of new ways to smuggle drugs? Well one lady was, but unfortunately for her, it was not successful. According to the Associated Press, a woman was caught trying to smuggle cocaine from Argentina to Chile. The way she went about it - she made her suitcases entirely out of the drug! Authorities say that the luggage was made from a mix of cocaine and fiber glass and that a “chemical process” could be used to separate the two. Of course, the lady was arrested.

Microsoft says Windows 7, the next version of its computer operating software, will go on sale October 22nd. Windows 7, which replaces the much-complained-about Windows Vista, will be available on new PCs. Microsoft will also sell versions that people can install on existing PCs. Upgrades will be free for people who buy a new Windows Vista computer shortly before Windows 7 arrives, though Microsoft did not say when the upgrade program begins. Microsoft also didn't say how much Windows 7 will cost. The availability of Windows 7 in time for the holidays could boost PC sales, which have slowed in the recession.

The Beatles: Rock Band had its world premiere Monday at the 2009 E3 Media & Business Summit in New York, and some famous faces were there to celebrate. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison were all in attendance at the event. The rest of us have to wait until September 9th for the game to officially come out in stores.

Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan are planning to work together soon and now there are reports that Ringo Starr will join in the collaboration as well. A source told England’s Daily Express that Ringo would like to play drums on a couple tracks once Dylan and McCartney get some songs together.

The 61st Primetime Emmy Awards are moving on up. It’s just been announced that the show will air a week earlier than originally planned. Make sure to set your TiVo for September 13th on CBS, not the originally announced September 20th.

Johnny Depp has his own Bahamian island. The 45-acre getaway is called Little Hall’s Pond Cay and Depp talks about snorkeling, reading, and painting on his island in the new issue of Vanity Fair.

Sabrina the Teenage Witch star Melissa Joan Hart has opened her own candy shop called SweetHarts. Hart told People.com that owning the California sweets shop has been a dream of hers since she was a child. Not to be picky, but wasn't Joan on the cover of a magazine recently boasting of losing 42 pounds? Is running a candy shop really the best choice at this particular point in time?

Trivia Answer: Charles Hirsch "Chuck" Barris who turns 80 today. In the year after The Dating Game, Barris began producing The Newlywed Game, originally created by Nick Nicholson and Roger Muir, for the same network. To date, it’s the longest lasting show of any developed by his company, running for 19 full years on 'first run' TV, network and syndicated. He went on to create several other short-lived games for ABC in the 1960s and for syndication in the 1970s. He also made several attempts through the years at non-game formats. The engaging but somewhat shy Barris became a public figure in a big way in 1976, when he produced -- and served as the host of -- the talent contest spoof The Gong Show. The show's cult stature far outstripped the two years it spent on NBC (1976-78) and the four years it ran in syndication (1976-1980). The planned host of the show didn’t understand the show's concept and considered it a straight talent show as opposed to Barris' parody concept. Barris scrapped the host at the last minute; in order to save the show, and followed the advice from an NBC executive that he should host the show himself. Barris' jokey, bumbling personality, his accentuated hand-clapping between sentences (which eventually had the studio audience joining in with him), and his catch-phrases (he would usually go into commercial break with, "We'll be right back with more er... STUFF...", and "This is me saying 'bye'" was one of his favorite closing lines) was the antithesis of the smooth TV host (such as Gary Owens, who hosted the syndicated version in its first season). Dubbed "Chuckie Baby" by his fans, Barris was a perfect fit with the show's goofy, sometimes wild amateur performers and its panel of three judges (including regulars Jamie Farr, Jaye P. Morgan and Arte Johnson). In addition, there was a growing "cast of characters" including an NBC electrician who played "Father Ed," a priest who would get flustered when his cue cards were deliberately turned upside-down; Canadian comedian Murray Langston, who as "The Unknown Comic" wore a paper bag over his head (with cut-outs for his eyes, mouth, and even a box of Kleenex) and dressed in a tacky polyester jacket and open-buttoned shirt, told deliberately awful jokes (example: "Did you hear about the missionary who got barfed up when cannibals tried to eat him? Just goes to show you can't keep a good man down!!"), and "Gene Gene the Dancing Machine" (Gene Patton), arguably the most popular member of the "cast," another NBC stagehand who would show up and dance whenever the band played the song, "Jumpin' at the Woodside." Siv Aberg, a one-time Miss Sweden, was also on hand, acting more or less as the show's "hostess". One Gong Show episode consisted of every act appearing singing the song "Feelings", which was popular at the time. One of its most infamous incidents came on the NBC version in 1978, when Barris presented an onstage act consisting of two young women slowly and suggestively sucking Popsicles. Another incident resulted in Jaye P. Morgan's firing from NBC broadcasts of the show, when she exposed her breasts on-camera during a woman's performance.

Another up day on Wall Street. Not as up as yesterday, but up nonetheless. Stocks inched higher as investors eyed an increase in pending home sales and a smaller-than-expected decline in auto sales. The Dow added 19 points and briefly turned positive for the year for the first time since January 7th. Analysts say the fact that stocks were mostly hanging in after Monday's big move was positive.

The Lady Huskies are one win away from the NCAA softball title. Last night, Washington routed top-seeded Florida 8-0 in Game 1 of the Women's College World Series finals. Danielle Lawrie threw a two-hitter to set a new Washington record with her 41st career shutout. Florida's 29-game winning streak was snapped. Game 2 of the best-of-three series is tonight at 5.

Former Mariners Adam Jones and George Sherrill flourished against their former team and the Baltimore Orioles beat Seattle 1-0 last night. The Orioles sent former ace Erik Bedard to the Mariners for top outfield prospect Jones, reliever Sherrill, and three other players in February of 2008. While Bedard has been slowed by injuries, Jones and Sherrill have blossomed in Baltimore. On a positive note, Ichiro tied the Mariners' record by hitting safely in his 25th consecutive game, but the AL's lowest-scoring team had just one other hit in last night's game. Bedard, finally healthy again, makes his first start against his former team as the Ms and Os do it again tonight.

Millvina Dean, believed to be the last survivor of the Titanic, has died at 97. Dean was just an infant when the RMS Titanic -- publicized as "practically unsinkable" and the largest passenger steamship at the time -- struck an iceberg on the night of April 14th of 1912 during its maiden voyage from Southampton in southern England to New York. The ship sank less than three hours later, killing more than 1,500 people. Brian Ticehurst, a friend of Dean, said she died at 8 o’clock Sunday morning. Dean was hospitalized a few days ago for medical complications before returning to the Woodlands Ridge Nursing Home in Southampton. Charles Haas was a friend and president of the Titanic International Society based in New Jersey. He said Dean's last public appearance was at the British Titanic Society's convention in April. Haas says, "She only visited a short while, but she wowed everybody with her charm. She seemed in good spirits." Haas noted that Dean's death fell on May 31st, exactly 98 years after the Titanic was launched. While Dean's survival brought her celebrity-like status in some circles, she was 8-years-old before she knew she was on the fateful ship. Dean, along with her young brother and mother, survived the sinking of the Titanic, but her mother didn't tell her about it until years later. Although she didn't have memories of the historic and tragic event, Dean, who never married or had children, became a larger presence for Titanic enthusiasts and historians over the past three decades. Dean became the last known Titanic survivor after Barbara Joyce Dainton died in October of 2007. The last American survivor, Lillian Asplund, died in May of 2006.

New rules requiring passports or new high-tech documents to cross the United States' northern and southern borders took effect yesterday, as some rue the tightening of security and others hail it as long overdue. The rules are being implemented nearly eight years after the September 11th attacks and long after the 9/11 Commission recommended the changes. They were delayed by complaints from state officials who worried the restrictions would hinder the flow of people and commerce and affect border towns dependent on international crossings. In 2001 a driver's license and an oral declaration of citizenship were enough to cross the Canadian and Mexican borders; Monday's changes are the last step in a gradual ratcheting up of the rules. Now thousands of Americans are preparing by applying for passports or obtaining special driver's licenses that can also be used to cross the border. Travelers who do not comply with the new requirements will get a warning and be allowed to enter the U.S. after a background check, said Michele James, director of field operations for the northern border that covers Washington state. The new rule, which also affects sea crossings, is the final implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, a security measure crafted from recommendations from the 9/11 Commission. Early reports from Blaine indicate no problems at the border.

...And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver. Jerry Mathers turns 61 today.

Have you ever wanted to meet Def Leppard? Well, you just have to sing one of their songs really well. The group is holding a contest, asking fans to upload videos of themselves nailing one of the band’s tunes. The ten best singers are being given two tickets to one of Def Leppard’s upcoming shows with Whitesnake and Cheap Trick. The lucky winners are also being treated to a backstage tour to meet Def Leppard. Get your clip up by June 17th. DefLeppard.com has all the details.

Ozzy Osbourne has accused former Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi of taking over the heavy metal titans' name and costing him royalties from merchandise sales. Osbourne, who sued the guitarist earlier last week, issued a statement Friday imploring him to "do the right thing."  The singer-turned-reality show star said, "Tony, I am so sorry it's had to get to this point by me having to take this action against you."  But, he added, "we've all worked too hard and long in our careers to allow you to sell merchandise that features all our faces, old Black Sabbath album covers and band logos, and then you tell us that you own the copyright." Osbourne, who lives in California, filed suit last Tuesday in a federal court in New York, saying Iommi falsely claimed to have sole rights to Black Sabbath's trademark in negotiations over the last year with a company that sells the band's merchandise. As a result, the lawsuit says, Osbourne has lost royalties formerly split 50/50. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, lost profits and a declaration that Osbourne is a half-owner of the trademark.

A Connecticut man is being charged with disorderly conduct after biting a coworker. Francis Woodruff reportedly bit Rochelle Wyler after she told him to do so. Rochelle claims that she was being hassled by Woodruff so she said, "Bite me." Woodruff fulfilled her request, leaving large bite marks and bruising on the back of her left arm. He's been released on the promise to appear in court at a later date.

According to New York’s Daily News, Madonna’s ex-husband, director Guy Ritchie, is planning on remaking the classic flick, Guys and Dolls, which originally starred Marlon Brando and Frank Sinatra.

Another of Madges ex-es (or is he?), Alex Rodriguez and Kate Hudson have been spending a lot of quality time together. The pair was even spotted staying in the same hotel in Dallas last week.

Fresh from the aisle, a Connecticut newlywed stormed into a burning home to rescue a family on Sunday evening. According to the Associated Press, Georgette Clemons spotted the burning building on her way back from her wedding reception. She ran into the home, rescuing members of the Eitelburg family. Although Clemons’ dress had been blackened and her shoes “messed up,” she still says that it was no big deal because no one got hurt.

The U.S. military in Afghanistan is now tweeting, Facebooking and YouTubing. Instead of waiting for newspapers to publish their info, they're taking it straight to the connected masses.

Researchers in the UK have confirmed that drinking chocolate milk after exercise is better for you than sports drinks.

A new study reveals millions of us spend our free time worrying about work. More than half admit to working at home through the weekend.

A car traveling on a highway in Switzerland lost all four wheels simultaneously. The car's passengers had just switched the vehicle from winter to summer wheels but used the wrong nuts when mounting the new set. Oops.

Trivia Answer: Ellas Otha Bates is what he was born with but he was adopted and raised by his mother's cousin, Gussie McDaniel and he assumed that surname becoming Ellas McDaniel. We, however, know him as Bo Diddley. He adopted the stage name "Bo Diddley," the origin of which is somewhat unclear, as several differing stories and claims exist. Some sources say that it was his nickname as a teenage Golden Gloves boxer, while others claim that it originates from the one-stringed instrument called the diddley bow. Bo Diddley himself has said that the name first belonged to a singer his adoptive mother was familiar with. An influential guitar player, he developed many special effects and other innovations in tone and attack. Bo's trademark instrument was the rectangular-bodied Gretsch nicknamed "The Twang Machine" (referred to as "cigar-box shaped" by music promoter Dick Clark). Although he had other similar-shaped guitars custom-made for him by other manufacturers, he fashioned a particular guitar himself around 1958 and wielded it in thousands of concerts over the years. In a 2005 interview, Bo implied that the design sprang from an embarrassing moment. During an early gig, while jumping around on stage with a Gibson L5 guitar, he landed awkwardly hurting his groin. He then went about designing a smaller, less restrictive guitar that allowed him to keep jumping around on stage while still playing his guitar. Bo Diddley died one year ago today of heart failure at his home in Archer, Florida. In the days following his death, tributes were paid to him by President George W. Bush, the United States House of Representatives, and countless musicians and performers, including Eric Burdon, Elvis Costello, Ronnie Hawkins, Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Tom Petty, Robert Plant, Bonnie Raitt, George Thorogood, Robert Randolph, and Ronnie Wood.

Stocks started June with a bang. Wall Street rallied on upbeat economic news. Unfazed by GM's bankruptcy, the Dow has nearly erased 2009 losses. Stocks rallied today, sending the Dow Jones industrial average near the breakeven point for the year, as better-than-expected readings on manufacturing activity raised hopes that a global economic recovery is brewing. The Dow surged 221 points, or 2.6%, to close at 8,721.44 points. The bluechip average is within 55 points of breaking even for the year. The rally was broad based, with industrial and technology stocks leading the pack. Boeing rose 6.5% and United Technologies gained 5.3%. Shares of energy producers Exxon Mobil and Chevron rose as oil topped $68 a barrel. Stocks opened higher as investors looked past an official declaration of bankruptcy by General Motors, which had been widely expected. The rally gained steam after an industry report showed U.S. manufacturing activity shrank at a slower pace last month.

The U.S. government is investing an additional $30.1 billion in General Motors to finance its bankruptcy reorganization filed today, President Obama's auto task force said in a statement. The government has already has provided $20 billion in aid, and says this will be the end of the taxpayers' financial support of GM. Under bankruptcy-court supervision, GM and the task force aim to create two companies: a new GM with its best and profitable assets and the old company left with the rest. They hope the new GM can emerge within 60 to 90 days able to succeed in a smaller market; the old one will be liquidated.

The Seattle Mariners blew an 8-1 lead and lost to the Los Angeles Angels yesterday, 9-8. Some good news, though, as Ichiro extended his hitting streak to 24 games with four hits including a home run. Ich's hitting streak is the longest in the majors at the moment, and one game shy of the franchise record he set in 2007. The two-time AL batting champ finished this month with a .377 average. His .365 career percentage in May is the highest by any player since 1955.

National player of the year Danielle Lawrie hit a grand slam and made it hold up with a five-hitter and Washington beat Georgia 9-3 last night to earn a spot in the finals of the Women's College World Series. The Huskies got even for a loss to the Bulldogs earlier in the day for the chance to play for the NCAA softball title for the first time in a decade. In that early game, Georgia beat Washington 9-8. It was the highest scoring game in Women's College World Series history. With the win in the night cap, the Lady Huskies advance to the best-of-three championship series in Oklahoma City. Washington faces top-seeded Florida in the best-of-three championship series beginning tonight.

The innings passed by in bunches, and so did the hours. When it was finally over, Texas walked off the field victorious -- and exhausted -- after beating Boston College 3-2 in 25 innings on Saturday night in the longest game in NCAA history. An RBI single with one out in the top of the inning helped Texas put an end to the game that eclipsed the previous record of 23 innings, set in 1971 when Louisiana-Lafayette defeated McNeese State 6-5. The game began at 7:02 Saturday night and concluded 7 hours, 3 minutes later at 2:05 Sunday morning. Many of the 7,104 weary fans were still in the ballpark. There were three "seventh-inning stretches." Some players batted 12 times in the game.

The Seattle Sounders aren’t losing many matches these days … but then, they’re not winning either. The Sounders played to their fifth straight tie Saturday with a 1-1 decision against Columbus at Qwest Field.

In the NBA, it’s the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers vying for the championship in the best-of-seven series that starts Thursday night in L.A.

NBA Finals:

• Game 1 - Thursday, June 4: Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 6 pm
• Game 2 - Sunday, June 7: Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 5 pm
• Game 3 - Tuesday, June 9: L.A. Lakers at Orlando, 6 pm
• Game 4 - Thursday, June 11: L.A. Lakers at Orlando, 6 pm
• Game 5* - Sunday, June 14: L.A. Lakers at Orlando 5 pm
• Game 6* - Tuesday, June 16: Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 6 pm
• Game 7* - Thursday, June 18: Orlando at L.A. Lakers, 6 pm

* If necessary.

Jay Leno bid farewell to The Tonight Show on Friday, ending his 17-year run as host with a finale that stayed true to the style that made him the top-rated performer on U.S. late-night television. The main difference was a long ovation that Leno struggled to quiet as he took the stage for an opening monologue that poked fun, as usual, at politicians, celebrities and current events. He thanked the likes of Michael Jackson and Monica Lewinsky for giving him material over the years. He also took a final jab at his network, NBC, which is mired at the bottom of the ratings among the four major broadcasters. Leno takes his act to 10 o’clock on NBC this fall, where he will mount a program expected to be similar to The Tonight Show but attract a wider audience than the roughly 5 million viewers, on average, who tune in nightly to the broadcast. Says Leno, "I'm going to be going to a secluded spot where no one can find me -- NBC prime time. It's a gamble. I'm betting NBC will still be around in three months, but that's not a given."

Pixar Studios, the last film house in Hollywood that draws an audience on its name alone, scored its 10th straight No. 1 film as Up soared above the competition this weekend. The animated comedy about a widower and young boy who travel in a flying house raked in $68.2 million. The debut slightly exceeded the expectations of analysts - who expect a lot from the studio behind Finding Nemo, WALL•E and Toy Story. And the film delivered on virtually every count, scoring an A-plus from CinemaScore and a recommendation from 98% of the nation's films critics. Up marked the third-largest Pixar debut, behind The Incredibles' $70.5 million and Finding Nemo's $70.3 million. The studio creates anticipation for its films with patience. Up is only the 10th film in the studio's 14-year history. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian was second with $25.5 million. Despite stellar reviews, Sam Raimi's return to schlock horror with Drag Me to Hell managed only third place and $16.8 million. Most analysts projected the horror film, which earned thumbs-up from 94% of reviewers, to collect at least $20 million. Terminator Salvation fourth, followed by Star Trek at number five.

Susan Boyle did not win "Britain's Got Talent" -- or did she? She may have finished second, but Susan Boyle continued to make newspaper headlines in the UK Sunday following her shock defeat in the final of "Britain's Got Talent." "Boyle Backlash" said the headline in the tabloid News of the World, suggesting that the Scottish 48-year-old's alleged "four-letter tantrum" earlier this week had influenced millions of viewers to switch their votes to dance act Diversity. The buildup to Saturday night's live final had been dominated by reports that Boyle lost her temper in a London hotel and had even considered pulling out of the talent show finale. The Mail on Sunday said she had been been "comforted by psychiatrists" ahead of Saturday's final. "They have a whole army of doctors, psychiatrists and experts all available to any contestant at any time. They have all been taking great care of Susan," the paper quoted "Britain's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan as saying. In Scotland, where crowds had gathered in Boyle's hometown of Blackburn in anticipation of victory, celebration parties were stopped in their tracks as the unexpected result was announced. "Boyle foiled in final: Susan's dream is over," said the headline in the Sunday Mail. Earlier, the paper said, Blackburn's community center had been "a sea of hands" as Boyle performed her signature tune, "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables." But "the cheers were caught in the collective gullet ... as dance troupe Diversity gatecrashed this most expectant of parties," the Sunday Herald reported. "Jaws were left agape. Tears were shed. And then the supportive chanting of 'SuBo' began again." Boyle could still be the real winner from the series, which became a global hit after clips of her audition of "I Dreamed a Dream" racked up millions of hits on YouTube. "£6M superstar" said the Sunday Mirror, claiming that "Britain's Got Talent" impresario Simon Cowell plans to take Boyle across the Atlantic to "conquer the U.S." The News of the World upped Boyle's likely earnings on the back of "Britain's Got Talent" to £8 million ($13 million). On top of a multi-million dollar record deal and share of album sales, Boyle is also set to earn from a Hollywood movie of her rags-to-riches life, a book deal, and millions more from image rights, endorsements and television appearances, the paper said. In an interview with the News of the World, Cowell said Boyle could be the biggest star he had ever discovered. "They don't care in America whether she wins a British TV show -- they care about the woman they saw singing on YouTube," a Cowell insider also told the paper. "If anything, £8 million in her first year might be an underestimate." Meanwhile, competition winners Diversity are also set to cash in on their success with a film deal and a possible slot supporting Michael Jackson when the superstar plays a series of shows in London next month, the Sunday Mirror said. The group collected £100,000 ($162,000) for winning the final and will perform in front of Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Variety Show later this year.

Trivia Answer: Lisa Hartman who turns 53 today. In 1991, she married Clint Black. The couple has a daughter, Lily Pearl Black who was born in 2001. As Lisa Hartman Black, she has recorded four solo albums. Despite contributions from successful writers and producers including Jeff Barry, Dobie Gray, Bryan Adams, Rick Springfield and Holly Knight, the albums were not commercially successfully.