Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson played just one quarter in his final tune-up before the regular season, so high-priced backup Matt Flynn led Seattle on a three scoring drives. The Seahawks closed out the second perfect preseason in franchise history with a 21-3 win over the Oakland Raiders last night. Wilson saw limited action just days after winning the quarterback competition and being chosen the regular-season starter. He is one of five rookies expected to start for NFL teams when the season begins next week. For the Seahawks, that regular season opener is a week from Sunday when they'll be in down in Glendale to face the Arizona Cardinals.

Blake Beavan gave up two runs in seven innings and Trayvon Robinson drove in two runs to lift Seattle to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins yesterday. The Mariners, who have won 11 of their last 15 games and posted back-to-back winning months for the first time since 2009. They had a seven-game win streak to close July and an eight-gamer earlier this month to start climbing back up to respectability. The Mariners open a home series with the Los Angeles Angels tonight.

Mike Wilson and Casper Wells homered and the Tacoma Rainiers pounded 12 hits to beat Las Vegas 8-4 last night. The Rainiers have now moved on to Fresno for the final four games of their season starting tonight.

The Phoenix Mercury ended a 10-game losing streak last night. They beat the Seattle Storm 75-68 at Key Arena. The Storm is in Tulsa on Thursday.

Today is Invent A New Sandwich Day. Go ahead, you can do it. Give it a really creative name. Today is National Trail Mix' Day. The World Championship Barbecue Goat Cookoff is today in Brady, Texas. Today is Love Litigating Lawyers Day, a time to appreciate the folks we want on our side when push comes to shove.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1900, Coca Cola went on sale in Britain. In 1946, Foghorn Leghorn debuted in the Warner Brothers cartoon Walky Talky Hawk. In 1958, the Census Bureau reported that there were 902 female sailors in the US Navy. In 1976, George Harrison was found guilty of subconsciously plagiarizing the Chiffons' He's So Fine when he wrote My Sweet Lord.

Last week, Mark David Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon, was denied parole, and we're now learning what he told the parole board. According to the Associated Press, Chapman said if he was released, he planned to live and work in upstate New York with a minister. He also expressed surprise that more celebrities haven't been the targets of violence and said he's thought of someone trying to kill him as a way to gain fame as the person who avenged Lennon. Mark also wanted Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, to know he felt no anger towards John, rather he just wanted to gun down someone who is famous and the singer fit that bill. Chapman did express remorse but the board felt releasing him would "trivialize the tragic loss of life" which Mark caused in his "heinous, unprovoked, violent, cold and calculated crime."

Former CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric has released an all-female star-studded line-up of guests for her new talk show on ABC called Katie. The list is made up exclusively of "women who have reinvented themselves," including Jennifer Lopez, Demi Lovato and -- the most notable name on the list -- Barbara Streisand. Streisand rarely does interviews but has agreed to go on Katie to speak about her campaign against heart disease. Katie premieres September 10th.

Here's hoping that your worst first date doesn't even come close to this. Darrell is a 28-year-old successful professional in Los Angeles. He thought he may have found love, or at least a second date, after meeting up with his seemingly normal romantic conquest ... until her friend "Ginger" showed up. Not a big deal, except that "Ginger" is actually a puppet. With all eyes in the restaurant locked on him -- and "Ginger" -- Darrell endured the humiliation of conversation with his date and "Ginger," and sometimes just "Ginger," who apparently had a completely different personality than her handler. Darrell survived the date and vowed to screen his romantic prospects more carefully in the future.

Author J.K. Rowling is making the dream of Hogwarts a reality, and we're not talking about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park. Perez Hilton reports that J.K. has been trying to build Hogwarts-inspired treehouses in her backyard for her children, but only just got permission from the Edinburgh planning committee to move to the construction phase. The dual treehouses have spiral staircases, secret passageways, a slide and are 40-feet tall each! The project is rumored to cost around 250-thousand dollars.

Clint Eastwood popped up at the Republican National Convention. The video speaks for itself ...

Trivia Answer: Richard Tiffany Gere who turns 63 today. His American Gigolo role established him as a leading man and a sex symbol. He went on to star in several hit films including An Officer and a Gentleman, Pretty Woman, Primal Fear, and Chicago. Gere remains one of the few actors, if not the only actor, to be nominated multiple times for the Golden Globe Award without ever being nominated for an Academy Award. Gere was married to supermodel Cindy Crawford from 1991 to 1995. In 2002, he married model and actress Carey Lowell. They have a son who was born in 2000. Because he strongly supports the Tibetan Independence Movement, he is permanently banned from entering the People's Republic of China. Gere was banned as an Academy Award presenter in 1993 after he denounced the Chinese government in his capacity as presenter. 

The Oakland Raiders are in the Northwest tonight for the Seattle Seahawks' fourth and final game of the preseason. And now that most of Seattle's preseason controversies are settled, it's time for head coach Pete Carroll to get a last look at his team before the beginning of the regular season. The game begins at 7 tonight. Q13 Fox has the TV coverage. The regular season opens Sunday, September 9th, when the Hawks take on the Arizona Cardinals at Glendale.

An ugly night for the Seattle Mariners. Jason Vargas failed to finish five innings for his second straight start. He allowed six runs on eight hits over 4 2/3 innings. The Ms went on to get shut out by the Minnesota Twins, 10-0. The Ms wrapped up their stay in Minnesota with a day-game today. They won that one 5-4. They're back home hosting the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for the weekend starting tomorrow night at 7.

Last night was not a good night for the Tacoma Rainiers as left-hander Danny Hultzen had control issues and was hit hard in a 6-1 Tacoma loss to Las Vegas. The Rainiers have one more game in Las Vegas. They play tonight and then move on to Fresno for their final four games of the season.

The Seattle Storm is back in action tonight hosting the Phoenix Mercury. Tip-off at the Key at 7:00.

Today is Talk Intelligently Day. For those who normally talk intelligently, it's Talk Brilliantly Day. Today is National Toasted Marshmallow Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1964, Mickey Mantle struck out for the 1,331st time, breaking Babe Ruth's major-league career strike-out record. In 1990, Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. became the first father and son to play on the same major-league baseball team. Both singled in the first inning for the Seattle Mariners. In 1993, the first musical guest on CBS's The Late Show With David Letterman was Billy Joel. In 1997, Americans learned of the car crash in Paris that claimed the lives of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul. Because of the time difference, it was August 31st when the crash actually occurred. In 2005, on the day after Hurricane Katrina struck, 80 percent of New Orleans was under water. A massive rescue effort plucked hundreds from rooftops. Many others waited for days to be rescued. Meanwhile, Katrina flattened much of Gulfport and Biloxi, Missisippi, flooded Mobile, Alabama., and heavily damaged smaller towns in between. The good news today is that Hurricane Isaac sidestepped a direct hit of New Orleans yesterday. The bad news is that it sent the worst of its howling wind and heavy rain into a cluster of rural fishing villages that had few defenses against the slow-moving storm that could bring days of unending rain. By mid-afternoon yesterday, Isaac had been downgraded to a tropical storm.

There are less than 90 days until the Presidential election. Can genetics influence political preferences? A new study says absolutely. While most social scientists believe your family and your experiences develop your attitudes and political views, new research now links genetics to political ideology and voting behavior. One study began by looking at gene-sharing twins, who gave the same answers to the same political questions; another notes that genes may not play as big a part in your political leanings until you leave home -- but it's then, when you're away from the influence of your family environment, that they really kick in. In short, researchers maintain categories like political knowledge and liberal versus conservative ideology were influenced by genetics, but political party association? That choice likely was steered by upbringing.

It's been just over a week since Prince Harry's naked scandal in Las Vegas, but the royal family's opinion is that Harry has nothing to be ashamed of. According to People magazine, the palace thinks that whatever Harry did is his own personal business, and since it wasn't illegal, they're okay with it. The source went on to say that because Harry is third in line for the crown behind his father, Prince Charles, and his brother, Prince William, he's not likely to change his partying ways any time soon. Harry is set to resume his royal duties tomorrow when he attends the Paralympics.

The news of Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger's engagement to singer Avril Lavigne took everybody by surprise, including his former girlfriend, Kristen Dewitt. According to the AlternativePress.com Chad's former gal pal says the two had been dating since 2002 and that they had just split back in May. So when he announced his engagement to Lavigne and told the press that the two had been dating for over a year, Dewitt was shocked.

Trivia Answer: The Wizard of Omaha, the Oracle of Omaha, or the Sage of Omaha, Warren Edward Buffett who is 82 today. He's the primary shareholder, chairman, and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He's noted for his adherence to the value investing philosophy and for his personal frugality despite his immense wealth. This year, Time magazine named him one of the most influential people in the world. Buffett is also a notable philanthropist, having pledged to give away 99 percent of his fortune to philanthropic causes, primarily via the Gates Foundation. On April 11th of this year, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Dustin Ackley hit a three-run homer, Hisashi Iwakuma was hard to hit and the Seattle Mariners beat the stumbling Minnesota Twins 5-2 last night. Kuma gave up just one hit and one unearned run over six innings in another strong start for the rookie from Japan. The right-hander struck out four and helped send the Twins to their 16th defeat in their last 19 games. The Mariners, who began the day nine games behind in the AL wild-card race, have won 12 of their last 16 games. They have won seven straight against the Twins. Jason Vargas and Kevin Millwood were rumored to have been placed on waivers yesterday. That apparently was an unfounded rumor as Vargas gets the start in Minnesota tonight.

The Tacoma Rainiers pounded out 14 hits last night in a 6-5 loss to the Las Vegas 51s. The Rainiers play In Las Vegas again tonight and tomorrow night before moving on to Fresno for their final four games of the season.

The Seahawks are set to wrap up the pre-season. Tomorrow night they host the Oakland Raiders. Kick-off at the Clink at 7:00.

Tomorrow night, the Seattle Storm is hosting Phoenix. Tip-off at the Key at 7:00.

Today is La Tomatina. The world's largest tomato fight takes place at noon in Spain, near Valencia. Some 35,000 are hurling 120 tons of tomatoes at each other for two hours. Today is More Herbs Less Salt Day, because it's healthier and zestier. In the movie The Terminator, today is Judgment Day. Today is Mary Poppins Day. The movie premiered on this date in 1964. Today is National Cornbread and Milk Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1967, 72% of American TV viewers watched Dr. Richard Kimbal catch up with the one-armed man on The Fugitive. It was a record that stood until 76% of us found out who shot J.R. on November 21st of 1980. In 1973, Judge John Sirica ordered President Nixon to turn over secret Watergate tapes. Nixon refused and appealed the order. In 1990, Sandy the dog, who starred for six years on Broadway in Annie, died in his sleep at age 16. That's 112 in dog years. In 1999, thieves in Melbourne, Australia, stole a truck loaded with toilet paper. Street value: $18,900. In 2005, the average US pump price for a gallon of regular gasoline rose to a record ... $2.60.

Michael Jackson would have been 54 today. MJ is heading for ABC. The network said yesterday that it is airing BAD25, a documentary about the deceased King of Pop directed by Spike Lee. The documentary, which chronicles the creation of Jackson's 1987 album Bad, is set to air on Thanksgiving.

The next time you get an email that says you've been tagged in a Facebook photo, experts say don't succumb to curiosity. You might have received an email with malware attached to it. The email will have the subject "Your friend added a new photo with you to the album" and will encourage you to view the "tagged" photo as an attachment.

We've got a lot of tasty food in this country, but you know what we don't have? Shrimp Stars and Fish Donuts. KFC in Singapore is now offering them. The Shrimp Stars are made with shrimp nuggets in the shape of stars that are breaded and deep-fried. The Fish Donuts are essentially fish patties breaded and deep-fried into the shape of donuts.

Fifty-four percent of parents say they give their kids an allowance. And the average amount is $65 a month. Most parents say their kids earn their allowance by doing chores -- at least an hour a week.

Who's the richest drummer in the world? Well, according to a new report from CelebrityNetWorth.com, it's Ringo Starr, who is worth 300-million dollars. Phil Collins isn't far behind with 250-mil and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl takes third with 225-million dollars. Rounding out the top ten are the Eagles' Don Henley, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Rolling Stone Charlie Watts, U2's Larry Mullen, Jr., Roger Taylor of Queen, Aerosmith's Joey Kramer and Chickenfoot drummer Chad Smith.

Russell Brand has a new girlfriend -- Geri Halliwell a.k.a. Ginger Spice of the Spice Girls. TMZ reports the two got close during the Olympics and have a lot in common, including a passion for clean living. Russell is very serious about Geri, going so far as to change his schedule to spend time with her in London. Brand was previously dating yoga instructor Isabella Brewster after divorcing Katy Perry last month.

Perpetual media disaster Lindsay Lohan and her assistant, Gavin Doyle, were official suspects in an investigation linked to the theft of watches and sunglasses. According to TMZ, Lohan first spoke to the police the morning after the reported August 19th theft, and was not suspected of any offense. However, claimant Sam Magid has changed his story since the initial allegation, saying that nothing was stolen, but police believe that witnesses could offer more information about the reported theft. The stolen watches and sunglasses are worth approximately 100-thousand dollars. Lohan was one of many people inside Magid's Hollywood Hills home when the crime was reported to the LAPD. Prosecutors yesterday cleared Lohan of any involvement in the alleged theft, citing insufficient evidence.

Trivia Answer: James Brady who turns 72 today. Brady was among those shot during John Hinckley, Jr.'s March 30th, 1981, assassination attempt on Reagan. Brady suffered a serious head wound. Although he survived, the wound left him with slurred speech and partial paralysis. Brady was unable to work as the White House Press Secretary but remained in the position until the end of the Reagan Administration with Larry Speakes and Marlin Fitzwater performing the job on an "acting" or "deputy" basis. In 2000, the Press Briefing Room at the White House was renamed the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room.

The King goes the distance again. Felix Hernandez struck out five in a complete-game five-hitter and Eric Thames hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to lift the Seattle Mariners to a 1-0 victory over the Minnesota Twins last night. Felix picked up his 23rd career complete game and ninth shutout, and hasn't lost a decision since June 12th. It's the second nine-decision win streak of Hernandez's career. The only other Mariners pitcher to have two win streaks of at least nine decisions is Randy Johnson. Ms and Twins again tonight at 5:10.

Then a shocker late this morning as Fox Sports reported that Mariners' starting pitchers Jason Vargas and Kevin Millwood were placed on waivers by the team. Current MLB trade rumors suggest that a pretty big Seattle Mariners trade could take place before the end of August. Due to the affordability of both pitchers, it's highly likely that they'll get claimed by other franchises. By not passing through the waiver wire, the Mariners would only be able to deal with the team placing the claim on Millwood or Vargas. It would limit the trade possibilities, but the Mariners may just be looking for a good deal. We'll watch this one.

Sunday, the Tacoma Rainiers finished their final home stand on an up note, and they continued with another up note in Las Vegas last night. Alex Liddi's three-run home run in the fifth inning provided the margin as the Rainiers held off Las Vegas for a 7-5 victory last night. The Rainiers took a 7-0 lead thanks to Liddi's shot to left-center field, but the 51s responded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth. They match up again tonight at 7:05.

After an eventful weekend, the Seahawks are set to wrap up the pre-season Thursday night when they host the Oakland Raiders. Then it's on to the season opener. Seattle's first regular-season game is coming up September 9th against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale.

Today is Race Your Mouse Around the Icons Day, something to do while waiting for files to load. Today is Submarine Day, marking this date in 1965 when 17-year-old Fred DeLuca opened Petes Super Submarines in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He called it Petes because Dr. Peter Buck, his friendly nuclear physicist, loaned him $1,000 to start the restaurant. A year later they changed the name to Subway. Today there are 12,000 Subways worldwide. Today is National Cherry Turnover Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1837, pharmacists John Lea and William Perrins of Worcester, England, begin manufacturing their Worcestershire Sauce. In 1907, Seattle teenagers Claude Ryan and Jim Casey started a local delivery service called the American Messenger Company. Later, the name was changed to United Parcel Service: UPS. In 1963, some 200,000 people participated in a peaceful civil rights Freedom March in the other Washington, where the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his I Have a Dream speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In 1965, Bob Dylan was booed off the stage at Forest Hills Stadium in New York for playing an electric guitar. In 1989, Walt Disney Productions bought the Muppets for $100-million. In 1999, after an unarmed man robbed a bank in Hermiston, Oregon, he climbed into the trunk of his getaway car two blocks away to change clothes and accidentally locked himself inside. When he yelled for help, a policeman investigating the robbery came to his rescue and arrested him.

There's a T-shirt making the rounds in China which isn't exactly pleasing Chinese police. The T-shirt makes it look as if you're wearing your seat belt, but in reality you're just wearing a shirt with a wide black stripe crossing your body between your shoulder and waist. It's the law in Chine to wear a seat belts, but 90% of the drivers apparently don't care. Failure to wear seat belts remains the third leading cause of traffic accident fatalities in China just after speeding and drunk driving.

Following his naked picture scandal in Las Vegas last week, life isn't getting any easier for Prince Harry. The 27-year-old royal deleted his private, personal Facebook page, which he had under the alias Spike Wells. According to Digital Spy, the profile was deleted so pictures from Harry's vacation to Sir Richard Branson's private Island wouldn't leak. Harry took now ex-girlfriend Cressida Bonas on that trip with him. Cressida was incredibly embarrassed by Harry's Vegas scandal and has broken up with him. The Prince is due to be summoned to Army duty for a tour in Afghanistan, but could be told not to go if he is deemed "not mature enough."

How do you feel knowing that, as of this week, you now live in a world that has waffle-flavored vodka. Georgi, which also produces bubble gum and candy cane vodkas, produced the vodka in honor of National Waffle Day on August 24th.

Oprah's still raking in piles of money. According to Forbes' new Highest-Paid Celebrities list she's the richest with $165 million in earnings for the past year.

Need help falling asleep? Then turn on the TV tonight because all the news channels plus the major networks will have coverage of the Republican National Convention.

Trivia Answer: Louis Victor Piniella -- Sweet Lou -- who turns 69 today. From 1993–2002, he managed the Seattle Mariners, winning the AL Manager of the Year Award in 1995, and again in 2001 when he led the Mariners to a record-tying 116 wins. After winning the 2001 AL Division Series, the Mariners dropped the first two games of the AL Championship Series, and Piniella held an angry post-game press conference in which he guaranteed the Mariners would win two out of three games in New York to return the ALCS to Seattle. However, the Yankees closed out the series at Yankee Stadium, and the Mariners have not reached the playoffs since. In the Mariners' 33-season history, they have had eleven winning seasons and reached the playoffs four times. Seven of the winning seasons and all of the playoff appearances occurred during Piniella's ten years with the Mariners. Piniella is the only manager in Mariners history to have a winning record in a tenure of at least one season. Regarding ejections, Atlanta's Bobby Cox blows Piniella away. Cox holds the all-time record for ejections in Major League Baseball with 158 (plus an additional three post-season ejections).

A busy weekend in Seahawkland. It started Friday as rookie quarterback Russell Wilson trashed the Kansas City Chief defense for the better part of three quarters, throwing for 185 yards and two scores while leading Seattle to a 44-14 rout of the Chiefs in a preseason game. That's three in a row. Pete Carroll announced last night that Wilson -- the undersized, but highly successful rookie quarterback from Wisconsin -- will be the starter when the Seahawks open the regular season on September 9th at Arizona. Terrell Owens' NFL return lasted less than three weeks. Owens was released by the Seahawks yesterday, part of the league-mandated roster reductions from 90 to 75 players. And there's word the Buffalo Bills have tentatively agreed to acquire quarterback Tarvaris Jackson in a trade with the Seahawks. Meanwhile, this week, the Hawks see action on Thursday night when they host the Oakland Raiders.

Chicago's Tyler Flowers hit a go-ahead homer just before the final downpour yesterday and the Chicago White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 4-3 in a rain-shortened game for their sixth straight victory. Immediately following a 6-minute rain delay in the seventh inning, Flowers launched a two-run shot off Kevin Millwood to lead first-place Chicago to its second consecutive series sweep. Rain continued to pour until the tarp was put on to stay two batters later, and the game was called after a wait of nearly 2 hours. The start was delayed for 111 minutes due to showers that persisted throughout the game before it was finally stopped. The Mariners are on to Minnesota for a four-game series with the Twins starting tonight at 5:10.

The Tacoma Rainiers won their home finale yesterday. Home runs by Carlos Peguero and Alex Liddi powered the Rainiers to a 2-1 win over the Las Vegas 51s. The Rainiers open their final road trip of the season with a four-game series at Las Vegas starting tonight.

After losing three in a row -- at home, no less -- the Seattle Storm had a little attitude last night. Sue Bird led four players in double figures with 18 points and 10 assists in the Storm's 84-66 win over the New York Liberty. Lauren Jackson tallied 16 points and Camille Little chipped in 15 and eight rebounds for the Storm, who snapped that three-game losing streak with the win. Thursday the Storm is hosting Phoenix.

The man who took a giant leap for mankind when he became the first person to walk on the moon, astronaut Neil Armstrong died on Saturday. Armstrong died following complications from heart-bypass surgery he underwent earlier this month. As commander of the Apollo 11 mission, Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon on July 20th of 1969. As he stepped on the dusty surface, Armstrong said: "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." Those words endure as one of the best known quotes in the English language. President Obama said that Armstrong "was among the greatest of American heroes - not just of his time, but of all time. ..."  NASA sent out a brief statement in the wake of the news, saying it "offers its condolences on today's passing of Neil Armstrong, former test pilot, astronaut and the first man on the moon." Some controversy still surrounds his famous quote. The live broadcast did not have the "a" in "one small step for a man ..." He and NASA insisted static had obscured the "a," but after repeated playbacks, he admitted he may have dropped the letter and expressed a preference that quotations include the "a" in parentheses. Asked to describe what it was like to stand on the moon, he told CBS: "It's an interesting place to be. I recommend it." Neil Armstrong was 82.

Today is Hold A Bubblegum Bubble Blowing Tournament Day with contests for all age-groups and a double-elimination championship Blow-Off. You can do that, right? Today is Petroleum Day, marking the first commercial oil well that began pumping on August 27th of 1859 in Titusville, Pennsylvania. Today is Mother Teresa Day, marking her birth on August 27th of 1910. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and died in Calcutta in 1997. Today is National Banana Lovers Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1912, Edgar Rice Burroughs published his first magazine story about an abandoned English boy raised by African apes. Tarzan, the King of the Jungle, became one of the 20th centuries' best-known fictional characters. In 1965, The Beatles, on tour in Los Angeles, visited Elvis Presley at his Bel Air home. They stayed up all night talking and jamming. In 1982, Oakland's Rickey Henderson stole his 119th base to break Lou Brock's major-league theft record of 118. Rickey stole three more that day, but Milwaukee still won 5-4. In 2001, Sophie Frith won the Southern Daily Echo baby beauty contest in London. Readers voted on published photographs. Ironically, her identical twin sister Olivia didn't even make the second round. The twins were dressed alike and their photos were indistinguishable, yet Sophie received hundreds more votes than Olivia. In 2005, the Gulf Coast between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle was battening down for the second landfall of Hurricane Katrina, a a Category 3 storm and getting stronger.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast is battening down again this year. The Republican National Convention is convening today and then immediately recessing until tomorrow afternoon due to Tropical Storm Isaac. That was the plan announced Saturday by the Republican National Committee Chairman.

Expendables 2 kept the No. 1 spot at US and Canadian box offices for a second week during a slow movie-going weekend. Expendables 2 won the weekly race with $13.5 million in ticket sales from Friday through Sunday. With Hollywood's big summer season winding down, studios did not release any superhero stories, sequels or big-budget blockbusters. The Bourne Legacy landed in the No. 2 spot. In third place was stop-motion family film ParaNorman. The comedy The Campaign landed in the fourth spot. Megahit The Dark Knight Rises rounded out the top five.

It appears the Royal Family doesn't enjoy strip billiards as much as Prince Harry does. TMZ dishes that the royals are upset not only at Harry for naked pics of him in Vegas leaking across the Internet, but at his handlers as well for not taking necessary security measures to prevent this fiasco. When the Prince invited a group of girls back to his VIP suite, they were not asked to surrender their cell phones, so of course this led to massive photo-snapping. According to one source at the scene, the security team saw everything happening but did nothing to stop it, saying, "Harry's team acted like a bunch of amateurs."

On Friday American Justin 'Nordic Thunder' Howard convinced both judges and the audience at the 17th Air Guitar World Championships final in Finland that he is the world's best air musician. Matt 'Airistotle' Burns came in second. He also hails from the US.

Here's something that Facebook has only made worse -- our obsession with our first love. A new survey found 1 in 5 would like to get back together with their first love. And get this -- 21% of those 1 in 5 say they're secretly planning a reunion with their first sweetheart. Men are more likely than women to make this happen with 24% admitting they still lust after an ex.

NBC has picked up a new single-camera sitcom starring Michael J. Fox, which will film this year. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the show is based on the actor's real life and will highlight his daily routine and struggles, such as raising a family and dealing with Parkinson's disease. Fox, who starred on NBC's Family Ties in the ‘80s, released a statement expressing his excitement to work with the network once again, and NBC reciprocated by stating that working with him is "a pleasure of the highest order." Sam Laybourne, writer for Arrested Development and Cougar Town, along with Easy A director Will Gluck, will also lend their creative visions to the sitcom. The 22-episode inaugural season premieres in the fall of 2013.

University of Illinois students in Urbana, Illinois, set a new corn-husking record on Friday, with nearly 3,500 participants simultaneously husking. A Guinness Book of World Records representative was on hand to verify the attempt. The previous record was less than 400. That's gonna make a riveting presentation of What I Did Over Summer Vacation.

Have you ever scrolled through your partner's text messages or emails? Maybe listened into their voicemails? You're not alone. More than a third of Americans who took part in a survey conducted by an online dating site said suspicious behavior warrants electronic snooping. More women than men said it was OK to spy.

Trivia Answer: Barbara Bach who 65 today. Bach met Ringo Starr on the set of the film Caveman in February of 1980, and they were married on April 27th of 1981, a few weeks after the film's release. In recent years, Bach has accompanied Starr on his tours and has appeared in some of his music videos. Bach holds a master's degree from UCLA in psychology. She started the Self Help Addiction Recovery Program (S.H.A.R.P.) with the help of George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Pattie Boyd, the former wife of both Harrison and Clapton. Apparently those Bach girls for the rockers. Barbara married Ringo. In December of 2008, her sister, Marjorie Bach, married Joe Walsh.

The third preseason game is when NFL coaches generally give their starters the most playing time, turning it into a de facto dress rehearsal for the regular season. That probably won't be the case when the Seahawks visit the Chiefs tonight. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson is starting for the Seahawks, a clear signal he's getting serious consideration from coach Pete Carroll for the permanent job. The Chiefs may have to tweak their approach to the game, too, after top wide receiver Dwayne Bowe waited until last week to sign his franchise tender and report to camp, giving him a matter of days to start learning the playbook and get up to speed. So there's plenty for both teams to figure out tonight at Arrowhead Stadium.

For much of his first two seasons as manager of the Seattle Mariners, Eric Wedge has preached exactly what his team has practiced over the past month. The Mariners' second-half surge is giving hope that Seattle's rebuilding plan is finally progressing. The Mariners are coming off sweeps of Minnesota and Cleveland at home. They've won a season-high eight straight games -- their longest winning streak since 2007 -- and have the best record in baseball since the All-Star break at 25-13. Even more impressive is how the Mariners have turned around their struggles at home. Seattle has won 15 of its last 16 home games after being 11 games below .500 at home in late July. Now, the Ms begin a seven-game road trip tonight in Chicago against the White Sox and then travel to Minnesota. They enter the weekend seven games back in the AL wild card race. But more important for the franchise going forward is being just three games under .500 and looking legitimately at trying to finish the season with a winning record.

The Tacoma Rainiers fell behind early and stayed behind, all the way to a 6-1 loss to the Las Vegas 51s last night. Three games are left on this final homestand of the season -- and all three are sold out -- tonight, tomorrow night, and Sunday afternoon.

A buzzer-beating 3-pointer capped Indiana's closing 15-0 run and lifted the Fever to a 68-66 victory over the Seattle Storm last night. That's three consecutive home losses for the Storm. They try to stop the streak Sunday when they host New York.

The US Anti-Doping Agency said last night it is stripping Lance Armstrong of his unprecedented seven Tour de France titles after he declared he was finished fighting the drug charges that threaten his legacy as one of the greatest cyclists of all time. Travis Tygart, USADA's chief executive, said Armstrong would also be hit with a lifetime ban today. Still to be heard from is the sport's governing body, the International Cycling Union, which had backed Armstrong's legal challenge to USADA's authority. 

A statement issued last night by Lance Armstrong:

There comes a point in every man's life when he has to say, "Enough is enough." For me, that time is now. I have been dealing with claims that I cheated and had an unfair advantage in winning my seven Tours since 1999. Over the past three years, I have been subjected to a two-year federal criminal investigation followed by Travis Tygart's unconstitutional witch hunt. The toll this has taken on my family, and my work for our foundation and on me leads me to where I am today - finished with this nonsense. I had hoped that a federal court would stop USADA's charade. Although the court was sympathetic to my concerns and recognized the many improprieties and deficiencies in USADA's motives, its conduct, and its process, the court ultimately decided that it could not intervene.

Today is National Waffle Day. Today is National Knife Day. Today is Weather Cliché Day, marking this date in 1897 when editor Charles Dudley Warner of the Hartford Courant published the sentence, "Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Many incorrectly attribute the quotation to Warner's close friend, Mark Twain. Today is Flitting Appreciation Day, a time to recognize those who have perfected the art of flitting around.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly non-stop across the US, traveling from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey, in just over 19 hours. In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced in New York to 20 years to life in prison for killing John Lennon. In 1989, Pete Rose was banned from baseball for gambling. In 1995, Microsoft released Windows 95. In 1996, four women became students at The Citadel, a military school in South Carolina that had fought in court to remain all male. In 1998, three parties donated 24 beads to the Indian Museum of North America at the Crazy Horse Memorial in South Dakota's Black Hills. The beads were said to have been used in 1626 to buy Manhattan from the Indians.

John Keister is back in front of the camera, more than a decade after Almost Live! aired its final episode. Along with Almost Live! cast member Pat Cashman and two of the show's original producers, Keister is reprising his role as Seattle's chief wisecracker in a new sketch comedy show called The (206). Rumors about the show have been circulating for more than a month after teasers popped up online. The cast and crew say they're in talks with networks about finding a home for the new show, but they're all wearing poker faces for now. But they do want fans to know the show is more than just a rumor. The show gives the Northwest a preview of what's to come with a September 18th live performance at The Triple Door in Seattle. Tickets are $25.

Tony Scott gets laid to rest at a private, family-only ceremony this weekend in Los Angeles at an undisclosed location with a public memorial set for some point after Labor Day. The 68-year-old director committed suicide a week ago. At the time of his death, Scott, who was at the helm of the 1986 film Top Gun was working with the flick's leading man, Tom Cruise, and producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, to launch Top Gun 2.

Michelle Obama returns to the Late Show with David Letterman next week. The First Lady appears Wednesday night as part of her back-to-school media tour, where she discusses frequent Late Show topics such as helping parents get their kids ready for school and making healthier changes to school lunch programs nationwide.

Barbie and Ken have finally tied the knot -- thanks to Beatrice de Guigne, a destination wedding photographer based in France. De Guigne wanted something original to show off her skills, so she staged the wedding of the year. De Guigne said Barbie was tired of waiting so she asked Ken to get married.

Nudestock is set to happen tomorrow up in Issaquah. According to organizers, Nudestock is "a day in the park with live music. A nude rock and blues experience." No cameras allowed.

Trivia Answer: Geraldine Anne Ferraro who would have been 77 on Sunday. She died last year, on March 26th of 2011, from multiple myeloma, 12 years after being diagnosed. Ferraro grew up in New York City and became a teacher and lawyer. She joined the Queens County District Attorney's Office in 1974, where she headed the new Special Victims Bureau that dealt with sex crimes, child abuse, and domestic violence. She was elected to the House in 1978, where she rose rapidly in the party hierarchy while focusing on legislation to bring equity for women in the areas of wages, pensions, and retirement plans. In 1984, former Vice President and presidential candidate Walter Mondale selected Ferraro to be his running mate in the upcoming election. In doing so she became the only Italian American to be a major-party national nominee in addition to being the first woman. The positive polling the Mondale-Ferraro ticket received when she joined faded as questions about her and her husband's finances arose. In the general election, Mondale and Ferraro were defeated in a landslide by incumbent President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George H.W. Bush. She later served in the 2008 presidential campaign of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Mariners completed a three-game sweep of the Cleveland Indians yesterday, after outfielder Eric Thames drove in two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning and Tom Wilhelmsen tossed a scoreless ninth for the save in a 3-1 win. The dusting of the Tribe came on the heels of a three-game sweep of Minnesota in Seattle's previous series. In all, the once feeble Seattle Mariners have won eight games in a row and 10 of their past 11. The team is now 61-64, just three games behind the Los Angeles Angels in the American League West and, almost unbelievably, just seven games out of the fifth and final playoff spot in the AL. An off day for the Mariners today. They're in Chicago against the White Sox for the weekend starting tomorrow night.

So far so good on the Rainiers last series of their final homestand of the year. A couple of errors helped Tacoma eke out a win against the Las Vegas 51s last night at Cheney Stadium. Las Vegas errors in the second and sixth innings led to runs to help the Rainiers to a 3-1 victory in the series opener last night. Game two tonight. Tacoma is hosting Las Vegas through the weekend. It's Tacoma's final homestand of the year.

After dropping their last couple of games -- losing back-to-back at home for the first time in three seasons -- the Seattle Storm tries to get back in the win column tonight. It's another home game as they host Indiana.

Quarterback Russell Wilson gets the start tomorrow night as the Seahawks are in Kansas City to meet the Chiefs.

Today is Permanent Press Day, a day proudly to wear polyester and keep the iron unplugged. It was Steven Wright who said, "Ever notice how irons have a setting for permanent press? I don't get it." Today is Hug Your Sweetheart Day. Today is National Sponge Cake Day. Today is National Sneak Off to the Beach Day. Don't forget the sunscreen. Today is Ride the Wind Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1962, John Lennon married Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool, England. They were divorced in November 1968. In 1972, the Republican national convention, meeting in Miami Beach, nominated Vice President Spiro T. Agnew for a second term. In 1975, Fleetwood Mac's Fleetwood Mac entered the Billboard album chart. It was the group's first album featuring Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. It was the album before Rumors. In 2003, a 47-year-old German man lost his driver's license after failing to perform any of the required actions on an alcohol test. The test in Koblenz was noteworthy because the man's dog, a West Highland white terrier, executed all the commands perfectly, including a 360-degree turn as his master staggered and fell.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel tops Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful women for the second consecutive year. United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is No. 2.

Mark David Chapman, John Lennon's convicted killer, made his seventh try at parole yesterday. Chapman's latest quest for freedom comes ahead of the 32nd anniversary of the death of the former Beatle, gunned down outside his Manhattan apartment on December 8th of 1980. Chapman was scheduled to be interviewed by two or three members of the parole board, according to Carole Claren-Weaver, a spokeswoman for the New York Department of Corrections. The Department announced this morning that Chapman has been denied parole.

The friends and family of Tom Cruise are concerned for his well-being. According to Perez Hilton, those close to the Mission: Impossible star are concerned that Tom isn't eating well and is pushing himself too hard. Tom had been in talks to develop a Top Gun sequel with friend/director Tony Scott before Scott's suicide this past weekend and recently went through a very public divorce with Katie Holmes. Tom's next film, Jack Reacher, is scheduled to be released in December.

Former NFL player Michael Strahan has been selected to be the new co-host of Kelly Ripa. According to TMZ, Strahan auditioned for the role in June and left an impression. On Monday, Strahan's rep was seen outside the building where Live! films with a giant grin on his face. The new season of Live! premieres on ABC on September 23rd, with Kelly's new co-host joining her on September 24th. Just for fun, it should be noted that Michael Strahan is 6'5". Kelly Ripa is only 5'3".

Rosie O'Donnell apparently suffered a heart attack recently but is recovering and doing well. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Donald Trump, who famously ripped O'Donnell on many occasions, took to Twitter to send her a get well message. He wrote, "@Rosie, get better fast. I'm starting to miss you." Rosie wrote back, "well, thank u donald – I must admit ur post was a bit of a shock… r u trying to kill me ? xx" The two have seemed to bury the hatchet, following their war of words that started when O'Donnell slammed Trump for his decision not to fire the troubled Miss USA Tara Conner.

Next month, Adult Beverage Company is launching it's newest ready-to-serve beverage -- Adult Strawberry Milk, a 40 proof liqueur infused with premium vodka. Just open, pour over ice, and voila -- just like mom used to make. Adult Beverage Company already makes Adult Chocolate Milk.

And as you may know, President Obama started home brewing beer in the White House in 2011, crafting a brew called White House Honey Ale using honey from the beehive in Michelle Obama's White House garden. There's now a petition on the White House's website asking the Obamas to release their home brewing recipe.

Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is getting married again. According to PerezHilton.com, during a recent trip to South Africa's Kruger National Forest, the 44-year-old proposed to longtime girlfriend, Molly McNearney, who is a co-head writer on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live. The couple started dating in October of 2009, just months after Kimmel left his five-year relationship with comedian Sarah Silverman. He has two children with his first wife, Gina, whom he married in 1988 and divorced in 2002.

Trivia Answer: Shelley Lee Long who turns 63 today. She's also starred in several motion pictures throughout her career like Night Shift (1982), her Golden Globe nominated role in Irreconcilable Differences (1984),The Money Pit (1986), Outrageous Fortune (1987), Hello Again (1987), Troop Beverly Hills (1989), The Brady Bunch Movie (1995), and Dr. T & the Women (2000). Most recently she has had a recurring role as DeDe Pritchett on the ABC comedy series Modern Family.

Well, Felix Hernandez wasn't perfect … but he was still dominant. Felix allowed one run in 7 2/3 innings in the first start following his perfect game, Jesus Montero hit a three-run homer in Seattle's four-run seventh inning, and the Mariners won their seventh straight beating the Cleveland Indians 5-1 last night. Greeted by a crowd of more than 39,000, most of them in yellow shirts with the words King of Perfection honoring his perfect game, Hernandez gave up a single to the first batter he faced for the night, Jason Kipnis. Felix allowed seven hits and struck out five. The Mariners were held hitless until Eric Thames' homer with two outs in the fifth. Last night's crowd of 39,204 was the third-largest of the season and just the 11th time in 62 home games the Mariners have drawn more than 30,000. The Mariners go for their second consecutive series sweep when they wrap up the set with the Indians today.

The Tacoma Rainiers put up 7 runs in the second inning taking advantage of two errors and a three-run Franklin Gutierrez homer and held on for a 14-5 win to close out their series with the Reno Aces at Cheney Stadium last night. Gutierrez finished with five RBIs, smacking a pair of home runs – his first since joining Tacoma on an injury rehabilitation assignment. Tacoma now gears up for their final homestand of the 2012 campaign starting tonight. They host the Las Vegas 51s tonight through Sunday.

After two dynamic second-half performances, rookie Russell Wilson is going to get his opportunity with the Seattle Seahawks' starting offense. By starting Wilson, finding a winner in one of the last remaining quarterback competitions in the NFL drags on another week closer to the start of the regular season. Seattle coach Pete Carroll announced yesterday that Wilson is starting against Kansas City on Friday. Carroll said he doesn't care what the conventional beliefs are. He said the decision on his starting quarterback could be made as late as the week of the regular-season opener. Hawks in Kansas City to meet the Chiefs Friday night.

The Minnesota Lynx downed the Seattle Storm, 86-73, last night at Key Arena. It was the Lynx fifth straight victory. Camille Little paced Seattle with 20 points and Sue Bird donated 17, but the Storm went just 3-of-15 from 3-point range to drop back-to-back home games for the first time in three seasons. Lauren Jackson was back with the team following the Olympics but she did not play. Tomorrow night, the Storm hosts Indiana.

Today is Pocketphone Day. British Telecom introduced the first pocketphones on this date in 1989. Today is Be an Angel Day. You're encouraged to do something nice for someone today. Today is Southern Hemisphere Hoodie-Hoo Day, a time for everyone in the southern hemisphere to go outdoors at noon at yell, "Hoodie-Hoo!" to chase away winter and make ready for spring. Yep, it's winter down under. Today is National Pecan Torte Day. Today is National Eat a Peach Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first US chief executive to ride in an automobile. He did so in Hartford, Connecticut. In 1989, Texas Ranger Nolan Ryan fired a 96-mile-an-hour fastball to strike out Oakland's Rickey Henderson, Nolan's 5,000th strike out. In 1997, Rossana Giusti won the job of grave digger at a cemetery in Prato, Italy, after the ten men competing against her all fainted and failed the test. The test was exhuming a body. In 2000, Publishers Clearing House agreed to pay $18 million to 24 states and the District of Columbia to settle allegations it had used deceptive promotions in its sweepstakes mailings.

Ivan the gorilla has died. Ivan spent decades displayed as an attraction at the B&I store in Lakewood. Zoo Atlanta says the 50-year-old gorilla never regained consciousness after he was put under general anesthesia Monday for a diagnostic assessment. The zoo says the geriatric ape had recently lost weight, seemed to lack appetite and had a respiratory illness. Ivan had lived at Zoo Atlanta since 1994. He was born in the wild around 1962 in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Wildlife traders sold him to the owners of a department store in Lakewood, in 1964. Three years later, he was moved to an indoor cage at the store. Ivan had thousands of fans and visitors. By the mid-1990s, a national movement had begun to have the solitary ape relocated. Facing pressure, in 1994 the store donated Ivan to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo. He was moved to Zoo Atlanta on permanent loan in October of 1994. Dr. Dwight Lawson is the Zoo Atlanta Deputy Director. He said people from the Northwest who remembered Ivan from the B&I would often come to see him in Atlanta. Gorillas are considered geriatric after the age of about 35. Ivan was one of four Zoo Atlanta gorillas who are 50 years old or older.

Avril Lavigne and Nickelback's Chad Kroeger aren't just making music together. They're getting hitched. A spokeswoman for Lavigne has confirmed a report from People magazine that the 27-year-old singer and 37-year-old band leader became engaged earlier this month after dating for six months. The magazine says Lavigne was introduced to Kroeger in February when they met to co-write a song for Lavigne's upcoming album. It's the first marriage for Kroeger and the second for Lavigne. She filed for divorce in 2009 from Sum 41 frontman Deryck Whibley after three years of marriage. By the way, there was a headline floating around in which Maroon 5's Adam Levine denied being engaged to Kroeger.

Not content to dominate just the music industry with their upcoming trio of albums, the stage with their American Idiot musical, and the silver screen with not one, but two documentaries later this year, Green Day is now aiming to conquer the video game world as well. The group has announced that they are teaming up with the makers of Angry Birds Friends for a special version of the game. The three band members appear as pigs in ten new levels in addition to having an exclusive song titled Troublemaker appear in the game. No word on when it will be available but we're guessing it will be sometime near the release of the band's record, Uno, on September 25th.

During an interview with police this week, Lindsay Lohan denied involvement in a burglary. According to TMZ, Lindsay and several other guests stayed over at a Hollywood Hills home after a party and when the guests woke up the next day, the owner claimed expensive jewelry had been stolen. Lindsay was cooperative with authorities and is currently not a suspect, however the investigation is ongoing.

Though several gossip websites said Monday that Nicki Minaj was confirmed to be the next judge of American Idol, it appears hiring her could cost the show Mariah Carey. TMZ reports that Mariah was led to believe she'd be the only female judge so hiring Nicki, who is 29 years old, doesn't fly with the 43-year-old Mariah, and the age difference between the two doesn't help either. Other celebrities still in the running for an Idol judges' seat are Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Enrique Inglesias.

ABC has announced that Jimmy Kimmel Live will move from midnight to 11:35 starting in January. Kimmel will now face off against David Letterman and Jay Leno, while ABC's Nightline moves to 12:35. According to Variety, Jimmy inked a two-year extension to host the late night show, which is up three percent in the ratings from 2011.

Elton John is in the news again, not for trashing Madonna, but because a songwriter named Guy Hobbs says Elton stole the lyrics to the song Nikita. According to TMZ, Hobbs filed a lawsuit back in April, but Elton's lawyers fired back yesterday, saying Hobbs' claims are so vague that there are no grounds for legal action. Hobbs attests that in the lyrics, Elton stole the themes of a Western man falling for a Russian girl, the phrase "I need you" in the chorus, as well as the words "just" and "never" in the song. Elton wants the lawsuit thrown out immediately, but a judge has yet to rule. Nikita is a song about the Cold War. It appeared on Elton's 1985 album Ice on Fire.

A robotics researcher in Singapore has developed a machine, called Kissenger, with synthetic lips that transmits kisses through the Internet. The device is designed to connect loved ones who are apart with a cyber-smooch. Kiss the device and your sweetie halfway across the country can feel it.

Is bacon-flavored Coke on the way? That's what some Twitter users are wondering, after an image of a Diet Coke can emblazoned with the words "with Bacon" below the logo appeared online. A Coca-Cola spokesman says no bacon-flavored Coke, or Diet Coke, is coming.

Trivia Answer: Rick Springfield -- who was born Richard Lewis Springthorpe -- in Sydney, Australia. He's 63 tomorrow. His 1981 blockbuster single was Jessie's Girl. On the soap opera General Hospital, he plays Doctor Noah Drake. He originated the character from 1981 to 1983 and then returned to play him again from 2005 until 2008. In 1981, Springfield became a soap opera star on General Hospital. He had signed a contract with RCA Records and already recorded the album Working Class Dog, which neither he nor his agent had expected would do very well, which is why Springfield took the soap role. But the song Jessie's Girl went to #1, and Springfield ended up both playing the role of Dr. Noah Drake from 1981 through 1983, while simultaneously going on tour with his band. The success of the song boosted the ratings of the show, which according to Springfield "became the biggest show on TV for that summer," and the fame from the show likewise boosted the sale of the song. In 2010, Springfield published his autobiography, Late, Late at Night : a Memoir. Rick continues touring to this day.

Michael Saunders is having his biggest week of the season. Saunders hit a pair of two-run homers to help the Seattle Mariners win their sixth straight with a 5-3 victory over the Cleveland Indians last night. Saunders also hit a two-run homer on Sunday and now has a career-best 13 home runs. He has eight hits in his last 16 at-bats, including three home runs, after going 1 for 35 over his previous eight games. The Mariners have won 13 of their last 14 games at Safeco Field, the best home stretch over 14 games in club history. They are 23-13 since the All-Star Break.

Meanwhile, the Ms are rolling out the red carpet tonight for Felix Hernandez. Tonight is Felix's first start since throwing his perfecto last week. Rather than the usual King's Court delegation down the left-field line that accompanies each Hernandez start, the Mariners are turning Safeco Field into the Supreme Court tonight. The Ms are giving away commemorative T-shirts to the first 34,000 fans at tonight's game.

The Tacoma Rainiers were up by five runs early, then gave up five runs to the Reno Aces in the fifth inning and a homer in the seventh and fell to Reno 6-5 last night at Cheney Stadium. The Rainiers host Reno again tonight and then welcome the Las Vegas 51s to Cheney Stadium for five games to wrap up the home portion of their season.

The Seattle Storm is back in action tonight as they host the Minnesota Lynx. The game is nationally televised on ESPN2.

Friday night, the Seattle Seahawks are at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to face the Chiefs.

Mentioned that director Tony Scott died over the weekend. The filmmaker, who created blockbusters like Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II and True Romance, jumped to his death on Sunday off an LA bridge. Yesterday, ABC News reported that Tony had been suffering from inoperable brain cancer before his death.

Comedian Phyllis Diller passed away yesterday at the age of 95. Diller reportedly recently fell, hurting her wrist and hip, and her health had been on the decline since. Phyllis began her career in 1952, rising to fame in the ‘60s with TV specials alongside Bob Hope. She went on to star in her own shows, paving the way for many of today's female comics. Joan Rivers said Diller "broke the way for every woman comedian." Diller appeared in the 2005 movie The Aristocrats, telling an x-rated joke.

Scott McKenzie, whose 1967 recording of "San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)" came to encapsulate the hippie movement, has died in Los Angeles. A message on his official website said McKenzie had been ill with a disease affecting the nervous system, and died at home on Saturday. McKenzie was 73.

Today is Crazy Day. It's not what you think. Patsy Cline recorded the Willie Nelson song Crazy on this date in 1961. Today is Cadillac Day. The first Cadillac was built on this day in 1902. Today is National Spumoni Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1887, Phillies' pitcher Dan Casey struck out in the 9th inning of a game against the New York Giants. The event inspired Ernest L. Thayer to write … Casey at the Bat. In 1976, RCA Victor records announced sales of Elvis Presley records had passed 400 million. In 1991, in Independence, Missouri, the owner of a Domino's Pizza restaurant, dressed as a giant red rabbit to attract business, was knocked unconscious by Bobo the Clown, who was promoting a Pizza Hut across the street. The rabbit declined to press charges.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has become the first woman admitted to Georgia's Augusta National Golf Club. The club which is the home of the Masters tournament, announced yesterday that it invited Secretary Rice and South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore to join its exclusive ranks. The two are the first women to be invited to membership since the club's founding in 1933.

It's been two years in the making but all the hard work, determination and sheer love of 80's music has finally paid off for Michael Henrichsen, founder of playmybirthdaybillyidol.com. The Bothell man learned over the weekend that Billy Idol is coming to Seattle in October for his birthday. In a post on his website, Henrichsen wrote:

WE DID IT!!!!!!! Announced last night via Video from Billy Idol at Idol Aid 4! OCTOBER 26TH SHOWBOX SODO!!! UNREAL!!!! Thank you so so so so much for all your support…I'm in shock right now I CANT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!!!

Henrichsen set up his website, dedicating it solely to getting Idol to play a concert in Seattle for his birthday. He was quick to add that he's not a spoiled rich kid just wanting his favorite singer to play for him. He said he hoped Idol would schedule a concert at a local venue around his birthday and that the proceeds would go to a charity. Idol sent a video message to Henrichsen announcing his recent decision to come to Seattle on October 26th and play at Showbox Sodo. Tickets are on sale now. Here's the video:

As Apple's stock rose to a new high yesterday, the technology giant set another record: It became the most valuable public company in history. Apple's market value -- the price of its stock multiplied by the number of outstanding shares -- hit $623 billion in intraday trading. That eclipsed the previous record of $618.9 billion set by Microsoft on December 30th of 1999, at the height of the dot-com bubble.

Want to own a house that John Lennon used to live in? Well now you can, but only if you've got an extra 23-and-a-half-million dollars lying around. According to the BBC, the legendary Beatle bought the Surrey, England house for 31-thousand dollars in 1964 and lived there with his first wife, Cynthia, until 1968. He's believed to have penned a number of tracks for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band there

Mark David Chapman, the man who killed John Lennon, receives another parole hearing this week. This marks the 57-year-old murderer's seventh time in front of a parole board since 2000. In 1981, the year after he killed Lennon, Chapman was sentenced to 20 years to life for second-degree murder. The New York State Department of Corrections holds parole hearings every two years. Yoko Ono has previously lobbied the parole board to keep Chapman in prison, saying she fears for her own safety and the safety of John's sons, Julian and Sean. A statement on whether or not Chapman is to be released is expected by the end of the week.

Since Regis Philbin left Live! almost a year ago, Kelly Ripa has rotated through a variety of co-hosts ... 59 of them to be exact. The Huffington Post is now saying that one of those 59 will become Kelly's new, permanent co-host on September 4th. Rumors are still abuzz of who it will be, but frontrunners appear to be singer Josh Groban and former NFL star Michael Strahan. Kelly will start the new season of Live! alone on September 3rd and introduce her new co-host on September 4th.

Yesterday, Nicki Minaj tweeted that she had a surprise for her followers, and insiders are saying it's a new job on the American Idol judges' panel. According to Perez Hilton, Nicki still has to sign a few more documents but sources tell the site "it is happening" and she is "100% confirmed to judge American Idol." If the deal goes through, Nicki will fill the seat left by Steven Tyler and join new judge Mariah Carey for this upcoming season.

Rosie O'Donnell says she suffered a heart attack last week and is "lucky to be here." The 50-year-old comedian detailed the experience on her blog yesterday, saying sudden nausea, aches and other symptoms pushed her to do an online search for "women's heart attack symptoms." She took a few aspirin and went to a cardiologist the next day She says an artery was 99 percent blocked and a stent was inserted.

Rumors are all over the Internet that the baby of singing sensation Adele and boyfriend Simon Konecki is due sometime next month. Now, according to Perez Hilton, Simon may have spilled the beans and accidentally confirmed it. In a new interview, Simon said "The baby is coming so soon. I'm very excited. Adele is doing well and we can't wait." In June, the couple announced they were having their first child together.

Trivia Answer: Archie Griffin who turns 58 today. As a senior fullback in high school in Columbus, Ohio, Griffin rushed for 1,787 yards and scored over 170 points in 11 games, including 29 touchdowns. In college, Griffin played for the Ohio State University Buckeyes from 1972 to 1975. Among Ohio State University college football fans, Griffin holds a status akin to a living folk hero. Former Ohio State head coach Woody Hayes said of Griffin, "He's a better young man than he is a football player, and he's the best football player I've ever seen." Griffin finished fifth in the Heisman vote in his sophomore year and won the award as a junior and senior. In the 1976 NFL Draft, he was the first-round draft choice of the Cincinnati Bengals, selected as the 24th overall pick in the draft. Griffin played seven seasons in the NFL, all with the Bengals (1976–1982). During his seven NFL seasons, he rushed for 2808 yards and 7 touchdowns, and caught 192 passes for 1607 yards and 6 touchdowns. Griffin played in Super Bowl XVI with the Bengals after the 1981 season. The Bengals lost to the San Francisco 49ers 26-21. After football, Griffin returned to Ohio State University to receive an MBA. Griffin is currently the President and CEO of Ohio State University Alumni Association.

Don't look now but the Seattle Seahawks are two-and-oh after dismissing the Broncos in Denver 30-10 Saturday night. It was a mostly forgettable home debut for Peyton Manning. In the most anticipated preseason home opener for the Broncos since his boss, John Elway, was the one directing Denver's offense, Manning completed 16 of 23 passes for 177 yards with no TDs. Terrell Owens had a disappointing debut for the Seahawks, failing to catch any of the five passes thrown his way. Friday night, the Hawks are at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City to face the Chiefs.

Michael Saunders is showing signs of snapping out of his slump. Saunders hit a two-run homer, Blake Beavan pitched into the sixth inning and the Seattle Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 5-1 yesterday for their fifth straight victory. Seattle completed a three-game series sweep and has won 12 of 13 at Safeco Field. Minnesota lost its fifth in a row. The Ms now host Cleveland for three starting tonight.

Meanwhile, the Mariners are rolling out the red carpet for their King's next home start. The Mariners are giving away commemorative T-shirts to the first 34,000 fans at tomorrow night's game -- Felix Hernandez's first start since throwing a perfect game. Rather than the usual King's Court delegation down the left-field line that accompanies each Hernandez start, the Mariners are turning Safeco Field into the Supreme Court tomorrow night, handing out commemorative yellow T-shirts that read King of Perfection. The 34,000 fans is to represent the No. 34 worn by Felix. Fans also receive commemorative K cards similar to those typically distributed to the King's Court. Tomorrow night's cards, though, feature a photo from the perfect game on the reverse side. The Mariners have lowered ticket prices for tomorrow's celebration, too. Seats in the lower bowl start from $30, while view-level seats can be purchased for as low as $10.

A good weekend for the Rainiers kicking off their final homestand of the year. Saturday, they beat the Reno Aces 2-0, and then beat ‘em again yesterday 4-3. The Rainiers host Reno again tonight and tomorrow night and then welcome the Las Vegas 51s to Cheney Stadium for five games to wrap up the home portion of their season.

Sue Bird was at home recovering from stomach flu. Lauren Jackson isn't back yet from her Australian Olympic commitments. The shorthanded Storm fell to the Los Angeles Sparks 82-71 Saturday night. The Sparks swept the five-game regular-season series with the Storm. Lauren Jackson is expected back tonight but won't play in the Storm's nationally televised game against Minnesota tomorrow night.

According to the L.A. County Coroner, famed director Tony Scott jumped to his death off an LA bridge yesterday .  The 68-year-old Scott -- who is film director Ridley Scott's brother -- jumped around 12:30 yesterday afternoon. A suicide note was found. Tony Scott's film credits included Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, and others.

Then around lunch time today came word that comedian Phyllis Diller has died. She was 95.

Today is the Moon's Birthday, according to the ancient Aztecs. Today is National Chocolate Pecan Pie Day. Today is National Lemonade Day. Today is National Stop and Smell Your Dog Day. And possibly Give Your Dog a Bath Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1960, singer Connie Francis made her acting debut on the set of the movie Where the Boys Are. In 1965, The Rolling Stones released Satisfaction. It would become their first #1 song in the US. In 1990, Ike Sewell died in Chicago at age 87. Ike was an all-America football player at the University of Texas, but is probably better known as the inventor of the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza. In 1998, Canada's Supreme Court ruled that Quebec could not secede without the federal government's consent.

The aging tough guys of Expendables 2 strong-armed the box office competition with a chart-topping $28.8 million in US and Canadian ticket sales over the weekend. The sequel that unites Rocky and the Terminator -- Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger -- along with other 1980s stars, brings together a group of spies for an easy mission that turns dangerous when they seek revenge for a murder. The film also stars Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Chuck Norris. Last week's domestic winner, The Bourne Legacy starring Jeremy Renner, slipped to the No. 2 spot. In third place was newcomer 3D stop-motion movie ParaNorman. The Campaign took the fourth spot. New drama Sparkle, about three young sisters pursuing fame as singers in 1960s Motown, landed in the No. 5 spot.

The Voice is not just a hit show here in America. Over in the UK, the series premiered its first season to very strong ratings as well. However, the ratings dropped off a bit so producers for the British version have been seeking a new judge for their second season. After seeing Annie Lennox at the Olympic Games Closing Ceremony last week, they set their sights on her. However, she quickly declined. Her rep says, "Annie has been vocal in the past about her distaste for talent shows so it would have been somewhat hypocritical to take part."

Mariah Carey helps kick off the NFL season next month. She's performing during the pregame festivities before the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants game on Wednesday, September 5th, on NBC and the NFL Network. No Doubt is also performing. They're doing their new tune, Settle Down, on the telecast.

Michael J. Fox is ready to go back to acting on television full time. The Family Ties and Back to the Future star is working on a comedy project inspired by his life. Fox is teaming with Arrested Development and Cougar Town writer Sam Laybourne for the show.

Some good news from North Korea. Supreme leader Kim Jong Un reversed a 20-year-old rule -- implemented by his father -- banning women from riding bicycles. The law was originally mandated after the daughter of a high-up official was killed by an automobile while riding a bike in the 1990s.

In Japan, an overworked salesman stabbed himself in the stomach so he could get time off. The truth came out after detectives launched an attempted murder investigation but could not find any suspects matching the alleged victim's description.

Domino's is partnering with auto manufacturer Local Motors and its online community of car designers to commission a design for the ultimate pizza-delivery vehicle. Anyone can submit a design at localmotors.com/dominos. There are several design competitions, including exterior, packaging, interior, and surfacing. Domino's ia shelling out more than $50,000 in prizes for the best ideas.

One in 11 men in loving relationships would go celibate for a month if it meant getting the new Apple iPhone 5 early.

Trivia Answer: Leona Mindy Roberts Helmsley who died from congestive heart failure five years ago today at the age of 87 Helmsley left the bulk of her estate -- estimated at more than $4 billion -- to the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. She left instructions that the trust, now valued at $5 to $8 billion, be used to benefit dogs. The trust is not legally bound to these wishes. She also left her Maltese dog, Trouble, a $12 million trust fund. This sum was subsequently reduced. In a judgment, a Manhattan Surrogate Court Judge ruled Helmsley was mentally unfit when she executed her will. Hence, the Court reduced the $12 million trust fund for the pet Trouble to $2 million.

Hot enough for ya? It was a warm one here in Olympia yesterday but it wasn't record breaking hot. The record was 97 and we topped out at 95. It was toasty all across Western Washington. Seattle and Tacoma both hit 94. It was 97 in Shelton and 91 in Bremerton. Now the weather folks are concerned about the potential for lightning-created wildfires. The National Weather Service has issued a rare Fire Weather Watch for almost the entire Western Washington lowland areas, save for the ocean beaches and far southwestern Washington. There is the potential for thunderstorms to move through the region tomorrow afternoon through Sunday morning.

Terrell Owens makes his return to the NFL when the Seattle Seahawks play the Broncos in Denver tomorrow night. Coach Pete Carroll didn't say how many plays Owens will be in for but did say it would be early in the game.

The Seattle Mariners are looking for their fifth win in six games as they host the struggling Minnesota Twins in the opener of a three-game weekend series tonight at 7:00.

The Tacoma Rainiers are in Nashville where they won a one-run game Wednesday night. Last night, it was another one-run but this time the Sounds got the better of the Rainiers. In 10 innings, it was Nashville over Tacoma 3-2. The Rainiers wrap up their stay in Tennessee tonight. Tomorrow, they're back at Cheney Stadium to begin their final homestand of the season. They're hosting the Reno Aces.

Camille Little scored 17 points to help the Seattle Storm beat the Phoenix Mercury 72-58 last night. Tanisha Wright added 10 points for the Storm. Seattle hosts Los Angeles tomorrow night.

Today is Coonskin Cap Day, always on the birthday of Davy Crockett, born on this date in 1786 in Hawkins County, Tennessee. Today is Drink Coffee at the Office from A Sippy Cup Day, just see if anyone notices. I'm thinking it's for those who lack the wherewithal to wear a coonskin cap. Today is Sand Castle Day, a day to make sand castles at beaches everywhere. Today is National Thriftshop Day. Today is #2 Pencil Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1987, the movie Dirty Dancing, starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey opened throughout the US. In 1992, Las Vegas singer Wayne Newton filed for bankruptcy protection, admitting that he owed some $20 million. In 1994, actor David Caruso quit the ABC drama NYPD Blue and was replaced by Jimmy Smits. In 2001, a 45-year-old family doctor in London took do-it-yourself to a new level by performing a vasectomy on himself. Dr Jonathan Heatley performed his own surgery with the help of his wife and a nurse. The doctor, who had performed some 400 vasectomies, said everything went well, but advised others not to try it at home.

What tops your kid's back-to-school list? Here's a hint -- it's probably not new clothes. More than 40% of kids between 8 and 18 years of age would rather have a new smartphone, laptop, or tablet. That's way off what parents think their kids want with 43% thinking it's a new wardrobe.

If you've been making a nice living selling get rich quick potions, love spells, or tarot readings on eBay, your days are numbered. After August 30th, these are among the items that will no longer be available on the online auction website. These categories were targeted because buyer/seller dispute resolution "often results in issues that can be difficult to resolve."

More news from Norway today. That's where a driver on a rural road spotted a moose up ahead and swerved to avoid the animal -- but then ran into a bear. The driver escaped unscathed but it appears that the bear did not.

According to the New York Daily News, Cee Lo Green has teamed up with the NFL to "bring a splash of color to a bland backdrop." Traditionally, the opener for Thursday Night Football consists of a pre-taped artist-centered spot. To mix things up, Cee Lo and the NFL have invited fans to submit videos of themselves singing along to a version of the Ramones' Blitzkrieg Bop. Beginning on September 13th for the season opener between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears, fans can submit their videos with the song's new chorus line, "I love football." The NFL is hoping that this new format recreates the feeling fans have when they see themselves on the Jumbotron in the stadium.

Even though she moved to Chicago to be closer to him, Jenny McCarthy's relationship with Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher didn't work out as planned. The Playboy model has revealed to sources that they have split. She says the two remain "amazing" friends.

Trivia Answer: Malcolm-Jamal Warner who turns 42 tomorrow. At the age of 9, Warner demonstrated an interest in show business which led to enrollment in acting schools. With appearances and roles on many television shows and films, he landed his most successful role as Theo Huxtable, the only son of Heathcliff Huxtable, who was played by Bill Cosby on the NBC sitcom, The Cosby Show from 1984 to 1992. Warner auditioned for the role on the very last day of the nationwide search and was chosen by Cosby himself. He also starred in Jeremiah, was the voice of The Producer character on The Magic School Bus. He has directed several music videos, as well as many sitcom episodes including The Cosby Show. In addition, he directed the acclaimed, teen-oriented public health video Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You in 1992, which featured Arsenio Hall and Magic Johnson (among others) discussing the realities of HIV and AIDS and the best ways to prevent its spread. He has released a couple of CDs in 2003 and 2007.

Could be a record breaker today.  The forecast is for a high of 97 this afternoon here in Olympia.  The record for this date is 96 which was set in 1967. It's 91 as of this writing at about 3:30 this afternoon.  Tomorrow is expected to peak at 96, which would fall short of the record of 98 which was set in 1977.

Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez wowed the Safeco Field crowd yesterday as he threw an elusive perfect game -- the first ever in M's history, and just the 23rd in MLB history. If there were any doubts left about the prowess of King Felix, he put them all to rest in the biggest way possible. Felix is the first pitcher in Mariners history to throw a perfect game. Twenty-seven batters up, 27 batters down. No walks. No hits. No errors. No base-runners. Nothing. Perfect. Oh, the Ms beat the Tampa Bay Rays 1-nuttin. It's not every day you get a shout-out from one of the greatest pitchers to ever play baseball. Then again, it's not every day you throw a perfect game. Randy Johnson, the former M's star who has a perfect game of his own under his belt, took to Twitter to praise Hernandez writing: Congratulations to my friend in Seattle. Felix you r Perfect for a day. Welcome to the club. The Mariners are off today. They host Minnesota for the weekend starting tomorrow night at 7:10.

Carlos Peguero hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to lift the Tacoma Rainiers to a 7-6 victory over the Nashville Sounds last night. Tacoma trailed 6-5 before Peguero homered with one out to ultimately give the Rainiers the edge. The blast was Peguero's team-leading 20th of the season and his first since August 8th. The Rainiers and Sounds meet again tonight and tomorrow night in Nashville before Tacoma returns home for the Rainiers' final homestand of the season starting Saturday.

According to various reports, the Seahawks are looking to trade quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Citing a source with knowledge of the situation, Pro Football Talk yesterday reported that the Seahawks are talking to a couple of teams about trading last year's starting quarterback, but may wait until another team suffers a QB injury to potentially get a better deal. If the report is accurate, it's not that far-fetched and it's not that surprising. Jackson has emerged as the trailing competitor in Seattle's three-man battle for the starting quarterback job. Matt Flynn has gotten the nod to start the first two preseason games, and the Seahawks are giving rookie Russell Wilson the chance to show his stuff in the second half. Meanwhile, Jackson didn't play in last Saturday's preseason victory against the Titans, and likely won't in this Saturday's preseason game in Denver.

The Seattle Storm is back in action tonight as they host the Phoenix Mercury at the Key. Tip-off at 7:00.

Today is Elvis Memorial Day. Elvis died 35 years ago today at the age of 42. Today is Stay Home With Your Kids Day, a day to support and encourage stay-at-home parents. Today is Remember What Your Spouse Wore the First Time You Met Day. Today is National True Love Forever Day. Today is National Follow Your Nose Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1954, the first issue of Sports Illustrated was published. In 1978, James Earl Ray, convicted assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., told a Capitol Hill hearing he did not commit the crime, claiming he'd been set up by a mysterious man named "Raoul." In 1985, Madonna married Sean Penn in Malibu. She wore a leather teddy; he wore boxing gloves. They divorced in 1989. In 1992, tree surgeons Bill Droneburg and Melody Cline of Walla Walla, Washington, were married 20 feet off the ground in a maple tree. In 2002, scientists at the University of Glasgow in Scotland published research validating the so-called "beer goggles" effect. In their study of 120 male and female students, those who had drunk a moderate amount of alcohol found the faces of the opposite sex 25% more attractive than their sober counterparts.

Like many, I was surprised Sunday night when Adele didn't make an appearance at the closing ceremonies for the London Olympics. Because it was billed as a symphony of great British music, many expected that her songs would be highlighted in some way. Adele is obviously aware of this, as she took to Twitter to address her absence ... sort of.  She wrote Sunday night, "I LOVED the Olympics! Thank you everyone for making it so great! Wish I was there but I'm not, enjoy x."

First it was badminton and now this. One of the top young Scrabble players in the country has been kicked out of the game's national championship tournament in Florida after he was caught hiding blank letter tiles. The executive director of the National Scrabble Association, said that a male player was ejected from the 350-player event in Round 24 of the 28-round event. The cheating was spotted by a player at a nearby table, who noticed the ejected player conceal a pair of blank tiles by dropping them on the floor. Blank tiles can be used as wild card letters. When confronted by the tournament director, he admitted to it, organizers said.

Despite their recent divorce, both Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise will be at Suri's first day of school. Perez Hilton reports the decision to send Suri to a private school was a main point of contention in the divorce – Tom wanted Suri to have a private Scientology tutor like his children with Nicole Kidman, but "he has reluctantly accepted this is the way it's going to be." The former couple is trying to put their daughter before their own feelings and will both be a part of Suri's school life.

Jennifer Aniston has gotten a lot of congratulations on her recent engagement to actor Justin Theroux, including one from ex-husband Brad Pitt. According to Perez Hilton, Brad called Jen to congratulate her and jokingly asked if he should save the date. The two shared a laugh and Brad said he was very happy for her. With Jen's engagement, the Internet is abuzz with the imminent question: Who will get to the altar first – Brangelina or Junnifer?

Thirty-one years after it hit theaters, Raiders of the Lost Ark is coming to IMAX for one week only. Steven Spielberg says the film has been converted and its sound enhanced for IMAX, but no effects have been changed. Raiders opena in IMAX theaters on September 7th. Then it hits Blu-ray on September 18th.

You have to give it to this ten-year-old… either he's the sweetest kid on the planet or he's done something really bad and is sweet-talking his way out of trouble. The web is buzzing over the totally adorable note and gift the son left for his mom, acknowledging her hard work and showing his appreciation. When the mom opened up the refrigerator, she found a strawberry milkshake and a note from her little man that read, "Dear Mom, this is for you, I understand how hard you work, and I know you love strawberry milk, so I made this for you. :)" Quick, somebody get the Kleenex.

Trivia Answer: The Woodstock Music and Art Fair held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm from August 15th to August 18th of 1969. Bethel, New York is 43 miles southwest of the village of Woodstock. Although attempts have been made over the years to recreate the festival, the original event has proven to be unique and legendary. It's widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll. Thirty-two of the best-known musicians of the day appeared at the festival but it's interesting to note who wan't there. The Jeff Beck Group was scheduled to perform failed to do so because the band broke up the week before. Iron Butterfly was stuck at an airport so they didn't appear. Joni Mitchell's agent informed her that it was more important that she appear on The Dick Cavett Show on the following Monday so she didn't make it. Joni, however, penned the song "Woodstock", which commemorated the event and became a major hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Canadian band Lighthouse was originally scheduled to play, but in the end they decided not to, fearing that it would be a bad scene. Several members of Lighthouse would later say that they regretted the decision.

There's an "Excessive Heat Watch" in effect from tomorrow afternoon through Friday evening. They say temps should be well into the 90s. Olympia is forecast to hit 97 tomorrow and 95 on Friday. Down south, Portland and extreme Southwest Washington could easily see triple digits.

The Seattle Mariners came up with a 3-2 victory last night. The Ms snapped the Tampa Bay Rays' seven-game winning streak. The Ms and Rays wrap up their series with a day game today.

The Tacoma Rainiers were up 2-1 in the 7th, tied at 2 in the 8th, and then lost it 3-2 when the Nashville Sounds put up another run in the 9th. The Rainiers and Sounds match up again tonight in Tennessee.

Tomorrow the Seattle Storm is back in action. They host the Phoenix Mercury. Tip off at 7:00.

Saturday, the Seahawks are at Denver as their pre-season rolls on

Today is National Failures Day. Hay Fever Season begins today and runs through September 15th. Today is National Relaxation Day, an excuse for every overworked, underpaid person to do what they'd rather be doing. Today is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1911, Procter & Gamble of Cincinnati introduced Crisco hydrogenated shortening. In 1939, the film The Wizard of Oz premiered at Graumans Chinese Theater in Hollywood. In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in a field near Bethel, New York. Almost 400,000 rock fans heard Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Joe Cocker, Santana, The Grateful Dead, the Who, Creedance Clearwater Revival, and Sly and The Family Stone. Two children were born during the 3-day festival; three people died. In 1977, eight-year-old Rebecca Chase sank a hole-in-one on the 125-yard par-3 fifth hole at Oak Knoll golf course in The Dalles, Oregon. It was the first hole she ever played. In 2004, in Athens, the US men's basketball team lost 92-73 to Puerto Rico. It was only the third Olympic defeat ever for the Americans and the first since adding pro players.

In Norway, a mama bear and three cubs broke into a cabin and consumed more than 100 beers. Also in Norway (what's going on in Norway?), a woman was arrested for shoplifting after walking out of a store with a 42-inch color TV between her legs. The woman told authorities she was Romanian and had "very strong thigh muscles."

Remember back in July when Charlie Sheen quit Twitter because he felt like he got nothing out of it? Well, it looks like that's no longer a winning decision for the actor. According to TMZ, Charlie has re-activated his Twitter account and plans to reach out to his eight-million-plus followers once again because "he misses his fans…and really wants them to talk about important things in his life". Topics interesting Sheen now include his excitement over an upcoming episode of his new show, Anger Management, starring his father, Martin Sheen. TMZ also reports that Charlie wants to keep his tweets "professional" from now on.

Twilight's Robert Pattinson spoke with Daily Show host Jon Stewart in his first public interview since his traumatic breakup with Kristen Stewart. To start things off, Jon greeted Rob and showed him a couple of pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, saying, "We're just a couple of gals talking. Tell me everything." Although Rob was really on the show to promote his new movie, Cosmopolis, the actor held nothing back while discussing the woman who broke his heart, and Jon agreed that Rob was "better off kicking her to the curb." Rob later confessed that he should probably hire a publicist.

Trivia Answer: Kerri Lee Walsh Jennings who is 34 today. She was born in Santa Clara, California. As a high school student, Walsh played indoor volleyball at Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, California. There, she led her team to three state championships in indoor volleyball from 1993 to 1995. She also led her team to one state championship in basketball in 1995. She continued on to Stanford University, where she won national titles in 1996 and 1997 and was a four-year first-team All-American. In high school and college competition, she played against her current partner, Misty May-Treanor. Walsh is married to fellow pro beach-volleyball player Casey Jennings. Together, they have two sons, Joseph Michael (Born May 22, 2009) and Sundance Thomas (Born May 19, 2010). She is very close with Misty May-Treanor, saying that although their volleyball career together has ended, their partnership has not.

B.J. Upton hit a two-run homer and Alex Cobb pitched seven strong innings to help the Tampa Bay Rays to their season-high seventh consecutive win, 4-1 over the Seattle Mariners last night. The Rays have won 10 of their last 12. Seattle's Blake Beavan pitched six innings, allowing eight hits and four earned runs. Beavan allowed all four runs on five hits in the third inning. Ms and Rays again tonight at 7:10 at the Safe. You know, I'm a baseball fan but goodness, there are still like 45 Mariner games left this year. It just goes on and on and on.

The Tacoma Rainiers wrapped up their stay in Memphis last night with a 6-4 win over the Redbirds. The Rainiers are now in Nashville for four games before returning home to Cheney Stadium for their final homestand of the year starting on Saturday.

The Seattle Seahawks pre-season continues Saturday as they travel to Denver to face the Broncos.

After taking a break for the London Olympics, the WNBA season continues as the Seattle Storm hosts the Phoenix Mercury Thursday.

The legendary editor of Cosmopolitan magazine who helped usher in the 1960s sexual revolution, Helen Gurley Brown, died yesterday. She was editor from 1965 to 1996 at Cosmo, a magazine aimed at young single women, which under her hand became renowned for its provocatively posed models, frank articles, and racy headlines extolling the virtues of sex. Helen Gurley Brown was 90.

Then word coming today that actor Ron Palillo, who played class joker Arnold Horshack in the 1970s TV comedy series Welcome Back, Kotter, has died. TMZ.com reports that Palillo died of an apparent heart attack at his home near Palm Beach. The website said he was found before dawn today and pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Palillo played Horshack for four years in the 1975-79 ABC comedy. Palillo went on to play numerous supporting roles in TV series and doing voiceover work. In the 1990s, he went to New York and took lead roles in plays and musicals like Amadeus, Guys and Dolls, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?. Palillo was a teacher at the G-Star performing arts and film high school in West Palm Beach. Ron Palillo was 63.

Today is National Creamsicle Day. Today is International Nagging Day, a day to celebrate and remember the gift of positive nagging, particularly by parents. Today is Wiffle Ball Day. Wiffles were introduced on this date in 1953. Today is National Financial Awareness Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act, creating a system of federal income insurance for the elderly. In 1976, the Gagers beat the Elbows 491 to 467 in a 365-inning softball game at Monticello, New York, the longest softball game on record. Starting at 10:00 the morning of August 14th, the game was called because of rain and fog at 4:00 the afternoon of August 15th. The 70 players raised $4,000 to build a new softball field for a local hospital. In 1981, the BBC recording of the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana became the #1 album in Britain. In 1992, a health board in Massachusetts briefly closed a Chinese restaurant for the way it drained water from cabbage. They restaurant workers had placed the cabbages in laundry bags between two pieces of plywood in the parking lot and drove over them in a van.

The closing ceremonies of the London Olympics helped NBC top the ratings once again, drawing over 26-million viewers. However, the four-hour primetime telecast drew more criticism over the network's coverage of the games because they cut away from the ceremony to give a sneak peek of their new series, Animal Practice. According to Variety, there was also an issue at DirecTV, when the transmission was lost, leaving millions of viewers missing 30 minutes of the telecast. Despite the complaints, Variety reports that the London Olympics averaged 31.1 million viewers, which is 12-percent better than the Beijing games in 2008 and the best for any non-US summer games since 1976.

Alanis Morissette is the latest celebrity to be linked to the American Idol judging panel. In an interview last week, Alanis didn't confirm nor deny that she is in talks with the singing show. Mariah Carey is already confirmed to fill one of the judging chairs for season 12, which starts in January on Fox.

Fans of the The Voice have become familiar with the show's blind auditions and battle rounds, but there's a new twist coming in the new season: coaches are able to steal players from another team. Before, when a singer lost a battle round, they were off the show. In the new season, rival coaches have a chance to save them. But, if more than one coach shows interest, the contestant has to choose which coach they want to work with next. According to TV Guide, each coach is able to save two singers per season. The new rules also include a knockout round, where coaches narrow down their teams from ten to five in just two weeks. The new season -- with Rob Thomas and Billy Joe Armstrong joining as mentors -- premieres September 10th on NBC.

After getting a taste of the Kennedy lifestyle this summer, Taylor Swift apparently feels she could get used to it. The 22-year-old singer -- who is dating Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s son Conor who's 18 -- has bought a house in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, across the street from Conor's grandmother Ethel.

Glee is covering Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe on an upcoming episode this season. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the song is being covered in the episode titled The New Rachel, which is also featuring a cover of Adele's Chasing Pavements. Glee's fourth season kicks off September 13th on Fox.

Meanwhile, today is DVD release day for Glee: The Complete Third Season. The Hunger Games also comes out on DVD today, as does a re-release of Jaws, a part of Universal's 100th Anniversary.

President Obama got on the phone with NASA's Curiosity team yesterday and gave a nice little shout out to everyone's favorite geek. Obama said, "I understand there's a special mohawk guy that's working on the mission. I, in the past, thought about getting a mohawk myself." The Internet being what it is took the comments as an invitation and it didn't take long for someone to Photoshop the president with the unique hair style.

Trivia Answer: Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel, better known as Danielle Steel, who turns 65 today. Steel's novels have been translated into 28 languages and can be found in 47 countries across the globe. The books have often been described as "formulaic." They tend to involve the characters in a crisis of some sort which threatens their relationship. Many of her characters are considered over-the-top, making her books seem less realistic. The novels sometimes explore the world of the "rich and famous" and frequently deal with serious life issues, like illness, death, loss, family crises, and relationships. Also, there are claims that her popular story lines are based on events of her own life, like having two ex-cons as ex-husbands and other events that she kept hidden from the public.

The flame for the London Olympics has been extinguished. The flame went out at the end of the closing ceremony last night, signaling the end of 16 days of the games. After two weeks of sport, the athletes are leaving London. As the Games closed, the United States led the medal count with 104 overall, 46 of them gold. China finished second with 87 medals, Russia was third with 82. Great Britain finished with 65, its best total since 1908. IOC President Jacques Rogge hailed the London Olympics as "happy and glorious games." Rogge gave his verdict in a speech at the closing ceremony last night. He then declared the games closed and called on the youth of the world to assemble in four years in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games.

Matt Hasselbeck barely had time to hear his name announced as the Tennessee Titans starting quarterback before he was watching his former team headed the other way for a touchdown ... on the first play of the game. Hasselbeck had a rocky return to the stadium where he created so many memories wearing a Seahawks uniform, throwing a pair of interceptions in his limited appearance, while Seattle rookie Russell Wilson dazzled with touchdowns running and throwing in the second half to help the Seahawks open the preseason with a 27-17 victory Saturday night. Matt Flynn got the start at quarterback for Seattle while incumbent Tarvaris Jackson was left to watch this week. Coach Pete Carroll gave no indication afterward how the rotation will be next week when Seattle travels to Denver.

The Carolina Panthers have signed Timberline graduate and University of Oregon standout, running back Jonathan Stewart to a five-year contract extension. The team made the announcement Saturday. The deal is worth $36.5 million and could reach a maximum of $42.5 million. 

The Seattle Mariners had a good weekend in Anaheim taking two of three from the Los Angeles Angels. Jesus Montero homered twice off major league ERA leader Jered Weaver, and Jason Vargas outpitched his former Long Beach State teammate to give the Seattle Mariners a 4-1 win yesterday. The Mariners were 7-4 winners on Saturday. The Ms are back home hosting Tampa Bay tonight

Tacoma's Luis Rodriguez, the second batter of the game, uncorked his 12th homer of the year in Memphis yesterday and the Rainiers went on to beat the Redbirds 4-2. The Rainiers are in Memphis again tonight and then Nashville tomorrow.

With the Olympics concluded, the WNBA resumes its season. Thursday, the Seattle Storm hosts the Phoenix Mercury.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1910, nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale died at the age of 90. She had taken to her bed 34 years earlier, convinced she was dying of heart disease. In 1952, Big Mama Thornton recorded You Ain't Nothin' But A Hound Dog, almost four years before Elvis did it. In 1961, East Germany closed the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to start building the infamous Berlin Wall. In 1995, baseball Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle died at a Dallas hospital of liver cancer at age 63. In 2004, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece, with a record 202 countries and 10,500 athletes taking part.

It was a mega wedding day for a Mesa, Ariz., family with five siblings walking down the aisle on the same day. The five Waldie children all got engaged within a few months of each other. While trying to plan wedding dates with out-of-state family and guests, dad Doug Waldie suggested they all marry on the same day. So five of the eight Waldie children got married Friday at a Mormon church in Mesa: 28-year-old Emily, 26-year-old Bradford, 25-year-old Sydney, 24-year-old Walker and 20-year-old Brooke. Each ceremony was separate, but the reception was scheduled for all five couples Friday night. Eighteen-year-old Andee Waldie, one of two unmarried sisters, was a bridesmaid for four of the couples.

The Bourne Legacy won the weekend box office, opening at No. 1 with $40.3 million in North American ticket sales. The comedy The Campaign came in second, followed by The Dark Knight Rises, which finally fell from the top spot after three weeks.

Kristen Stewart has moved out of the LA home she shared with ex Robert Pattinson, and now she's leaving another part of California ... kind of. According to Variety, the actress is bailing on her lead role in the film Cali. She was set to star alongside Magic Mike's Alex Pettyfer in the flick about two young lovers caught up in crime. Stewart's decision to drop out was announced amidst her scandalous affair with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders. It's rumored that Rum Diaries star Amber Heard is replacing Stewart in the movie.

Everyone and their mother -- well, mostly their mother -- is wondering who will be cast in the primary roles when 50 Shades of Grey hits the big screen. But the author of the erotic novel thinks all this speculation is premature. E.L. James tweeted last week that it's simply "far too early" for that kind of talk, adding that "no one is ruled in or out yet." While James may be trying to calm rumors down, the vagueness of her comments may only add fuel to the fire. 50 Shades of Grey continues to sit atop best-seller lists worldwide.

Mitt Romney's pick for VP is Wisconsinite Paul Ryan. Ryan once drove the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

The Powerball jackpot has grown to $305 million for Wednesday's drawing. The prize grew after no one matched all six numbers in the multi-state lottery drawing Saturday night.

Trivia Answer: Jay Campbell Buhner who turns 48 today. The Bone was a powerful right-handed hitter. He was traded from the Yankees to the Mariners along with two career minor leaguers (Rich Balabon and Troy Evers) in exchange for Ken Phelps. While the trade was considered one of the worst for the Yankees, it was considered one of the best in Mariner history. The trade was once noted humorously on the television program Seinfeld, in the episode "The Caddy," in which the Yankees' owner, George Steinbrenner, appears at the home of George Costanza's parents to inform them – mistakenly – that their son is dead. All Mr. Costanza can say is, "What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?! He had 30 home runs, over 100 RBIs last year! He's got a rocket for an arm... You don't know what the hell you're doing!" Click here to watch the video.

The clip was played at Safeco Field when Buhner was inducted into the Mariners' Hall of Fame in 2004.  Buhner retired at the end of the 2001 season as one of the most popular players in Mariners history. The Mariners have not issued his #19 jersey since he retired. According to Mariners team policy, he did not become eligible to have his number retired until 2006. The Mariners require a player to have spent at least five years with the team and be elected to the Hall of Fame or narrowly miss election after spending his entire career with the team. He holds the Seattle Mariners career record for strikeouts, with 1375, and has the lowest career stolen base percentage since 1954 (6 stolen bases against 24 times caught stealing for a success rate of 20%; baseball did not keep track of times caught stealing until 1954). He was also known throughout baseball for his ability to vomit on command. Today he lives on Lake Sammamish.

The Seattle Seahawks said yesterday they violated the NFL's collective bargaining agreement by allowing Terrell Owens to practice in shoulder pads during his first on-field practice. The team said it unintentionally committed the violation and that Owens should have just been in a shell and not shoulder pads during his debut practice on Wednesday. League spokesman Greg Aiello said in an email that the league is gathering facts. It's unclear if the team will face any discipline. The Seahawks launch their preseason campaign tomorrow night at 7 when they host the Tennessee Titans at Century Link.

The Seattle Mariners are spending the weekend in Anaheim with the Los Angeles Angels. Game one of the three-game set is tonight at 7:05. Ms are back home with Tampa Bay on Monday.

The Tacoma Rainiers are down to the final 25 games of the season. They have four in Memphis and four in Nashville before returning to Tacoma for their final homestand of the year starting a week from tomorrow.

With just a few minutes left, it was go time for Hope Solo. Japan's Asuna Tanaka had just stolen the ball and was preparing to shoot. Certainly, time slowed down for the US goalkeeper who calls Seattle home. Tanaka tried to curl the ball right, but Solo stretched out and made a brilliant block that showed why she is often considered the world's best goalkeeper. Memories of last year's World Cup final, when Japan beat the US women 3-1 on penalty kicks, must have been flashing through Solo's mind. But this time, the result was different. Solo and the Americans hung on, and beat Japan 2-1 yesterday to take the gold at the 2012 Olympics. Redemption.

Manteo Mitchell heard the POP! and knew it wasn't good. He said, "It felt like somebody literally just snapped my leg in half." The American sprinter had 200 meters to go in the first leg of the 4x400-meter relay preliminaries yesterday and a decision to make: keep running or stop and lose the race. To him, it was never much of a choice. He finished the lap and limped to the side to watch the Americans finish the race and easily qualify for the final. A few hours later, doctors confirmed what he suspected: He had run the last half-lap with a broken left fibula. The 25-year-old sprinter from Cullowhee, N.C., said he was diagnosed with a complete break of the left fibula — but it was not a compound fracture and the bone is expected to heal on its own in four to six weeks. Mitchell is spending the rest of the Olympics, and beyond, in a walking boot and on crutches. He'll be at the stadium to watch today's final. The medals ceremony is Saturday, and if the US finishes in the top three, Mitchell gets one, too, since he ran in the preliminaries. Forgive him if he doesn't leap onto the podium, though.

The US sits atop the medal tally -- both in Golds and in total -- going into today's action:

Today is Improve Your Ice Cubes By Swapping Recipes Day (I'm not even sure what that means). Elvis Week begins today in Memphis, sponsored by Graceland. The 3-day Kool-Aid Days celebration begins today in Hastings, Nebraska, the proud home of Kool-Aid. They'll be pouring all 22 flavors at a gallon a minute at the world's largest Kool-Aid stand. Today is National Duran Duran Appreciation Day. Today is National S'Mores Day. Today is National Lazy Day, a day to take it easy. Is QWERTY a word? The National Scrabble Championship is in Orlando tomorrow..

Calendar notes: On this date in 1985, Michael Jackson paid $47.5 million for ATV Music, a catalog of the Beatles' copyrights, which included 251 songs written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. In 1995, Hollywood madam Heidi Fleiss was convicted of conspiracy, tax evasion, and money laundering. In 2005, a 48-year-old man in Simi Valley, California, became so annoyed by a noisy car alarm he grabbed a handgun, went out and fired at least three bullets into a Toyota Camry. He silenced the alarm, but also brought out police who hauled him away in handcuffs. The charge was reckless discharge of a firearm and felony vandalism.

While rumors about the iPhone 5 have Apple fans drooling with anticipation, one eBay entrepreneur is looking to profit from a first generation iPhone. He has posted one -- factory sealed -- for the price of $10,000.

Pink's face and music are plastered all over MTV nowadays, but there was a time in her life when she wasn't even allowed to watch MTV. She tells People magazine, "My mom never used to let me watch MTV as a little girl. I would watch it anyway, but she would also try and ground me. I would just sneak out my window and go to someone's house that had MTV, so to be on MTV is quite ironic." Pink is performing a new song from her upcoming album at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, coming up September 6th.

Forbes has just released its list of the The World's Highest-Paid Celebrity Couples, and Beyonce and Jay-Z topped this year's list. The couple, who also welcomed their first child this year, brought in a whopping 78-million dollars.

Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe scores its ninth week atop the Hot 100 chart. According to Billboard, the song is now the longest running chart-topper of 2012, passing Gotye's Somebody That I Used to Know, which was number one for eight straight weeks earlier this year. Gotye's song holds at number six and is the first track to surpass six-million downloads this year.

When is your favorite time of day to ... partake of the wild thing? If you're not one of the 34 percent of Americans who start their day with some frisky action, you might consider joining their ranks. It appears mornings are the most popular time for mattress aerobics for Americans. The usual and mundane evening time is second at 26 percent.

Trivia Answer: On July 7th of 1981, President Ronald Reagan -- who had pledged during his 1980 presidential campaign to appoint the first woman to the Court -- nominated Sandra Day O'Connor as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, to replace the retiring Potter Stewart. In response to a carelessly written editorial in The New York Times which mentioned the "nine old men" of the Court, O'Connor sent a letter to the editor. She wrote, "According to the information available to me, and which I had assumed was generally available, for over two years now SCOTUS has not consisted of nine men. If you have any contradictory information, I would be grateful if you would forward it..." In several speeches, she mentioned feeling some relief from the media clamor when Ruth Bader Ginsburg joined her as an Associate Justice of the Court in 1993. O'Connor retired from the Court in 2006. On August 12, 2009, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor of the United States, by President Barack Obama.

Terrell Owens yesterday completed his first practice back in the NFL as a member of the Seattle Seahawks, a workout that featured some impressive catches and getting slammed to the turf by a new teammate. Owens says he's changed a lot in the past two years since his last NFL stop with Cincinnati. Owens spent the 2011 season out of the NFL and signed with Seattle after a tryout Monday. He participated in most drills during the two-hour practice wearing No. 10. Owens did get wrestled to the ground by cornerback Brandon Browner during a one-on-one drill, when Owens attempted to run through the big cornerback but Browner wouldn't let him go. The Hawks host the Tennessee Titans in preseason play Saturday night.

Baltimore's Steve Johnson struck out nine batters over six innings in his first major league start and the Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 9-2 last night to complete a three-game sweep. The Orioles built a 7-0 lead by the fourth inning against former teammate Kevin Millwood and cruised to the finish in their sixth sweep of 2012. Millwood pitched for Baltimore in 2010. Seattle has a day off today and faces the Los Angeles Angels at Anaheim tomorrow.

The New Orleans Zephyrs dumped the Tacoma Rainiers, 5-3, yesterday at Cheney Stadium. Tacoma's Carlos Peguero drilled a first inning home to give Tacoma a 2-0 lead but it didn't hold. The Zephyrs took three of four in Tacoma. The Rainiers are down to the final 25 games of the season. They're off today, then have four in Memphis and four in Nashville before returning to Tacoma for their final homestand of they year starting Saturday the 18th.

Sporting Kansas City won the US Open Cup last night, outlasting Seattle in a penalty shootout to derail the Sounders' bid to become the first team to win four straight titles. Kansas City won the shootout 3-2 after the teams finished overtime tied 1-1.

Playing in the Summer Games together for the last time, Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings, the twice-defending champions extended their unbeaten streak to 21 in a row -- through Athens, Beijing and now London -- by defeating Jennifer Kessy and April Ross 21-16, 21-16 in an all-American final last night. Dominating the sport for three Olympiads, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor have won every match they've ever played at the Summer Games and lost just one of 43 sets. No one had ever won even two beach volleyball gold medals before the Americans won their second straight in Beijing. No woman had ever won three Olympic beach volleyball medals of any kind.

Kobe Bryant felt the game getting close, then put it away from long range. Bryant made six straight 3-pointers in the second half, LeBron James finished with a triple-double, and the U.S. men's Olympic basketball team advanced to the semifinals with a 119-86 victory over Australia on Wednesday night.

The Muse song Survival was chosen as the official song of the 2012 London Olympics and it looks like the band might be playing it live at the closing ceremony. Drummer Dom Howard confirmed that the band is performing at Sunday's closing ceremony along with George Michael, Ed Shehan, and possibly The Who.

Today is National Hand Holding Day. Today is Send an E-Mail Greeting Day. Today is Book Lover's Day. Today is National Rice Pudding Day. A Moment of Silence is observed today at Peace Memorial Park in Nagasaki, Japan, where an American bomber dropped an atomic bomb on August 9th of 1945. Today is National Clean Out the Kitchen Cabinets Day. The National Hobo Convention begins today in Britt, Iowa.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1944, the US Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council created the character Smokey the Bear to plead for Americans to prevent forest fires. In 1974, Gerald Ford became the first non-elected President of the US after Richard Nixon resigned. In 1988, the Edmonton Oilers traded hockey superstar Wayne Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings for two players and $15 million. In 1991, during a barnyard scene in Indiana, director Penny Marshall temporarily halted filming the movie A League of Their Own when a cow went into labor. In 1995, while undergoing drug rehab, Grateful Dead leader Jerry Garcia died of a heart attack at age 53. In 1999, 14-year-old Ryan Tripp of Beaver, Utah, finished mowing the lawn at the Hawaii state Capitol and announced his retirement. He had mowed the lawns at all 50 state capitols, except Alaska where the capitol had no lawn, so he mowed at the governor's house.

The host of NBC's Late Night is no longer in the running to host the Academy Awards following objections from Disney CEO Robert Iger and executives at ABC. Iger and his ABC cohorts were reportedly leery of the idea of giving Jimmy Fallon such a big platform on their network. Fallon confirmed he's out of the running when he said, "It's an honor to be asked by the Academy, but it's not my year."

A Wisconsin teen put his thumbs on the line yesterday. Austin Wierschke was defending the texting title he first won last year. He's now a two-time champion. Austin competed in New York's Times Square with other teens from across the country. Austin picked up $50,000 for his win.

For those dreaming of self-driven smart cars, the wait is nearing an end. Google blogged yesterday that its smart cars have driven over 300,000 miles without a single accident under computer control. Currently, all Google Cars are manned by two drivers in case something goes wrong. The only accidents Google Cars have ever been in involved a human manning the wheel.

Twilight star Robert Pattinson will break his media silence on ABC's Good Morning America next week. Since the revelation of a cheating scandal from ex-girlfriend Kristen Stewart, Pattinson has moved out of his home and stayed out of the public's view, but it appears he's finally coming out of hiding.

Jennifer Lopez's love may not cost a thing, but extorting her certainly will. The entertainer has filed a 20-million dollar lawsuit against her former chauffeur for extortion and defamation. She claims the driver threatened to disclose damaging information about her. MTV News reports Lopez's team had the chauffeur sign a confidentiality agreement as part of his job. The suit claims he had a falling out with her manager last summer and began threatening them after losing his job.

Carly Rae Jepsen releases her debut album Kiss on September 18th.

Trivia Answer: Jesse Owens. In 1936, Owens arrived in Berlin to compete for the United States in the Summer Olympics. Adolf Hitler was using the games to show the world a resurgent Nazi Germany. By allowing only members of the Aryan race to compete for Germany, Hitler further promoted his ideological belief of racial supremacy. He and other government officials had high hopes that German athletes would dominate the games with victories. Meanwhile, Nazi propaganda promoted concepts of "Aryan racial superiority" and depicted ethnic Africans as inferior. Owens surprised many by winning four gold medals: On August 3rd of 1936 he won the 100m sprint; on August 4th, the long jump; on August 5th, the 200m sprint; and, after he was added to the 4 x 100 m relay team, he won his fourth on August 9th. It was a performance not equaled until Carl Lewis won gold medals in the same events at the 1984 Summer Olympics. On the first day, Hitler shook hands only with the German victors and then left the stadium. Olympic committee officials insisted Hitler greet every medalist or none at all. Hitler opted for the latter and skipped all further medal presentations. Meanwhile, Owens was cheered enthusiastically by 110,000 people in Berlin's Olympic Stadium; on the street, Germans sought his autograph. Owens was allowed to travel with and stay in the same hotels as whites, while at the time blacks in many parts of the United States were denied equal rights. After a New York City ticker-tape parade of Fifth Avenue in his honor, Owens had to ride the freight elevator at the Waldorf-Astoria to reach the reception honoring him.

Marshawn Lynch is this year's honoree at the Rutledge Corn Maze in Tumwater. The maze opens to the public on Friday, and the Seahawks running back makes an appearance there on September 1st.

For this week and the preseason opener, Matt Flynn is the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback. Beyond Saturday night against Tennessee, coach Pete Carroll is keeping it a mystery. The decision to announce the quarterback plans for the preseason opener is the first definitive move Carroll and the Seahawks have made in their three-way quarterback competition. Flynn will take all the reps with the first-team offense for the rest of this week -- beginning with todays practice -- and play the entire first half. Rookie Russell Wilson is set to play the second half against the Titans, leaving incumbent Tarvaris Jackson on the sideline as a spectator.

Former Mariner Adam Jones singled home the winning run in the 14th inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Seattle Mariners 8-7 last night after rallying from a five-run deficit. The Ms were up 5-0 and later 7-2. The game lasted 4 hours, 55 minutes and featured a disputed play in the 14th inning. A grounder was hot to second baseman Dustin Ackley, who made a great stop before throwing to first baseman Mike Carp. Umpire Brian Knight ruled Carp took his foot off the bag while stretching for the throw. Mariners manager Eric Wedge disagreed … was ejected for arguing the call. Kyle Seager and Miguel Olivo homered for the Mariners, who have lost four of five following a seven-game winning streak. Seattle finished with 18 hits but did not score after the sixth inning. The Ms and Os wrap up the series tonight.

The Tacoma Rainiers were shutout by the New Orleans Zephyrs 2-0 last night for their second straight loss. They had plenty of opportunities to push runs across the plate, but capitalized on none of them. Justin Smoak had an especially rough night as he was thrown out at third on a play that would have scored a run and later robbed of what might have been his first home run with the Rainiers since his demotion from Seattle on July 24th. He is batting .224 in 15 games with the Rainiers with a .323 slugging percentage -- .323 about where most people thought his batting average would be. The Rainiers and Zephyrs wrap up their series with a day game at 11:35 this morning.

In their first Olympics, April Ross and Jennifer Kessy are playing for the gold medal in an all-American beach volleyball final. In their final Olympics together, Kerri Walsh Jennings and Misty May-Treanor are playing for something more. Kerri said last night, "We want to seal the deal that we're the best team that's ever happened." Already the most-decorated team in the brief history of Olympic beach volleyball, Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor are guaranteed at least a silver medal. No one -- man or woman -- had ever won two beach volleyball gold medals before they became repeat champions in Beijing, and until now, no woman had won three Olympic medals of any color. Walsh Jennings and May-Treanor won gold medals in Athens and Beijing without ever losing a match -- in their first two Olympics, they never even lost a set -- and they ran their unbeaten streak to 20 in a row with a victory yesterday. But they gave up the first three points of the semifinal with China and fell behind 13-7 in the first set. But they won and now it's on to at least a silver tonight.

German weightlifter Matthias Steiner dropped a bunch of weight on his head Tuesday. The gold medal winner from the Beijing Olympics attempted to snatch just over 432 pounds. The bar got behind him and fell to the back of his head. As he laid in pain, officials came out and tended to him, no doubt fearing the worst. But amazingly, he got up and walked off the mat under his own power.

The medal tally heading into today's action:

Tonight is Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night, a night for gardeners who grew too much zucchini. Today is Happiness Happens Day. Today is Odie Day, marking the birth of Odie the dog, Garfield's best friend, who first appeared on the comic pages on this day in 1978. Odie is 35 (245 in dog years) -- can't teach him any new tricks. Today is National Frozen Custard Day,

Calendar notes: On this date in 1970, Janis Joplin purchased a marker for the Philadelphia grave of blues singer Bessie Smith. Bessie died in 1937. In 1974, President Richard Nixon announced he would resign following new damaging revelations in the Watergate scandal. In 1988, 39,012 fans attended the first night baseball game at Chicago's Wrigley Field. In 2004, actress Fay Wray, held atop the Empire State Building by the giant ape in the 1933 film classic King Kong, died in New York City at the age of 96.

More good new for chocolate lovers. We know dark chocolate may help our hearts. Now a study in the Archives of Internal Medicine cites another benefit: People who ate dark chocolate often had lower body mass indexes.

The Irish Sun is reporting that U2 frontman Bono is caught in the middle of a nasty war between American Idol and the US version of The X-Factor, with both fighting over him to join their panel of judges. The fight intensified in recent weeks when departing Idol judge Jennifer Lopez let it be known that Bono would be her pick to replace her. Bono, however, has apparently turned a deaf ear to the numerous offers from both shows and has told people close to him that he's not interested in being a talent judge because he's a rock star and he's fully committed to U2 and making their next album a masterpiece.

The Billboard Hot 100 chart celebrated its 54th anniversary over the weekend. According to Billboard.com, the number one song on the chart's inaugural list in 1958 was Rick Nelson's Poor Little Fool. Fofty-four years and 1,016 chart-toppers later, Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe is at number one for her eighth straight week.

Curly fries at McDonald's? Not in the US. For a limited time, McDonald's is selling its version of curly fries in the Philippines. "Twister Fries" are already making big waves and have been available since August 1st, and will only be on the menu for three short weeks. Fans already are begging the fast-food chain to keep them on the menu.

Trivia Answer: We know him as Donny Most but the biography now says Don Most. He's 59 today. Following his role as a regular cast member on Happy Days, Most has appeared in other film and television work. Film credits include EDtv (1999), Planting Melvin (2005) and The Great Buck Howard (2008). He also made guest appearances on many TV shows, including CHiPs, Baywatch, The Love Boat, Sliders, Star Trek: Voyager, Diagnosis Murder and Glee. He also made an appearance on Charles In Charge, alongside his former Happy Days co-star, Scott Baio. He plays a man who has just won the lottery, and as part of the cameo joke, runs up to Scott Baio and waving the winning ticket shouts, "It looks like Happy Days are here again!" He also receives several looks from Scott Baio that suggests familiarity throughout the episode. Most is married to actress Morgan Hart. He has two daughters and lives near Los Angeles.

The Seattle Seahawks announced last night that they have agreed to a deal with free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens. Owens reportedly received a one-year deal worth $1 million. Last night Owens took to Twitter saying, "Thankful. Grateful. To ALL my new teammates & the 12th Man ... Let's Do This!" Owens hasn't played in the NFL since the 2010 season with Cincinnati when he caught 72 passes for 983 yards and nine touchdowns. The Hawks open pre-season play Saturday night when they host the Tennessee Titans.

Baltimore's Chris Tillman took a three-hit shutout into the eighth inning and the Orioles beat Jason Vargas and the Seattle Mariners 3-1 last night. The Mariners scored in the eighth to end a streak of 28 scoreless innings by Baltimore pitchers. Vargas went the distance, allowing three runs -- all in the second inning. Vargas was trying to become the first Seattle pitcher in nine years to win six consecutive starts. The last Seattle pitcher to win six straight starts was Joel Pineiro in 2003. Ms and Os again tonight.

The Tacoma Rainiers were up 4-3 edge before giving up three homeruns in the top of the fifth inning. They weren't able to get back on top and fell to the visiting New Orleans Zephyrs 9-4. Tacoma and Rainier match up again tonight at Cheney Stadium and then wrap up the series with a day game at 11:35 tomorrow.

The US women's soccer team is back in the Olympic gold medal match after a wild come-from-behind 4-3 win over Canada with a goal in the final minute of extra time yesterday. Now the Americans will be out to avenge one of the most gut-wrenching losses in the program's history. Next comes the game the U.S. players have been eyeing for more than a year, a rematch with Japan on Thursday at Wembley Stadium with gold on the line. The top-ranked Americans lost to Japan on penalty kicks in the World Cup final last summer, a stunning blow that became a source of motivation as the players prepared for this year's Olympics.

Kevin Durant shot the US men's Olympic basketball team out of trouble, and right into the top seed in their group. Durant scored 17 of his 28 points during the Americans' explosive 42-point third quarter, turning a one-point game into a blowout that sent the US soaring into the quarterfinals with a 126-97 victory over Argentina last night.

Michael Phelps is now the most decorated Olympian in history and he's letting everyone know. According to TMZ, Phelps went out to the clubs in London's Soho this weekend with three of his 18 gold medals and a mystery blonde. Don't worry though, Phelps and his medals got a ride home after their night of partying.

Nearly everyone is a winner at this year's 2012 Summer Olympics thanks to a goodhearted man in the UK who his handing out medals for fourth-place! England's David Mitchell purchased custom-made fourth-place medals from a local trophy store, with his own money, and is sending them disappointed Olympians, including British divers Peter Waterfield and Tom Daley. On one side, the medals say, "In Recognition of your 4th Place Olympic Games 2012." On the other side is the athlete's name and event. He tells the BBC that he plans to send medals to fourth-placers from other countries too, and hopes "they don't find it insulting because [he meant it] seriously and supportively."

Medal count heading into action today:

Tonight is National Night Out. Today is Particularly Preposterous Packaging Day, a day to focus on why some packages are so freakin' hard to open. Today is Professional Speakers Day. Today is National Take Last Winter's Snowballs out of the Freezer and Have a Fight Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1963, Jacqueline Kennedy became the first wife of a president since the days of Grover Cleveland to give birth while in the White House. The infant, a boy, died two days later. In 1985, Atlanta's Ted Turner paid $1.5 billion for MGM, including all the Tom & Jerry cartoons. In 1993, in Twinsburg, Ohio, identical twins Phil and Doug Malm married identical twins Jill and Jena Lassen in front of twin ministers with 1,500 sets of twins witnessing the ceremony. It was Twins Day. In 2005, Peter Jennings, anchor and senior editor of ABC News World News Tonight, who had been fighting lung cancer, died at his New York home at the age of 67.

Some 1,500 people have signed a petition to rename 34th Street in Fremont after beloved clown J.P. Patches. Chris Wedes, who portrayed Patches, died last month after a long battle with blood cancer. A bronze statue of J.P. and his sidekick Gertrude already stands on the side of the street, but fans say that's not enough. Now a group is asking Mayor Mike McGinn to change the name of a main arterial in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood to honor the clown.

Sharon Osbourne is leaving America's Got Talent, but she isn't going quietly. The former judge on the show opened up to The New York Post about exiting, and slammed NBC for discrimination in the process. Her beef with the network involves her son, Jack, and how they cut ties with him after he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The Osbournes claim Jack was fired from Stars Earn Stripes after the condition was disclosed. NBC claims he was never officially hired. Sharon is still under contract and will be unable to judge on another reality program for five years.

Sunday night was all right for fighting, according to Elton John. E! Online reports the singer slammed Madonna over the weekend, saying "her career's over" and that recent performances make her look "like a fairground stripper." This isn't the first time Sir Elton has taken jabs at Madonna. He's been accusing her of lip syncing since 2004. His beef with her may be reignited over Lady Gaga, whom Madonna appears to have dismissed as unoriginal. Gaga is the godmother of John's 19-month-old son.

It wasn't a specially trained police dog that sniffed out two missing girls in Georgia last week, it was a Chihuahua. The little pup is being hailed as a hero after finding two girls, ages five and eight, who were missing in a forest near Atlanta. Police officers swarmed and searched the area. Meanwhile, a man in the neighborhood took his three-year-old Chihuahua named Bell, and headed into the woods. The girls' mother says the girls were not hurt, and were familiar with the dog, therefore it was able to track them down.

Jennifer Lawrence is getting a nice raise for the sequel to Hunger Games. She's in the final stages of negotiating a deal to return for Catching Fire that will pay her somewhere around $10 million.

Pink has been named the newest face of Covergirl. She joins the likes of Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, and Queen Latifah to help rep the brand. Of the new job, Pink says it's an honor to join a group of women who've inspired her. This looks to be a great year for Pink. Her new album, The Truth About Love, comes out September 18th.

Trivia Answer: David William Duchovny who turns 52 today. The role he's best known for was in the sci-fi series The X-Files as FBI Special Agent Fox Mulder. He also provided the voice for a parody of his Mulder character in an episode of The Simpsons, entitled The Springfield Files. Duchovny alsop played Hank Moody, a troubled novelist in Showtime's series Californication.

Saturday was the hottest day in the Puget Sound region since 2010. The mercury hit 95 degrees in Shelton and Quillayute, and down in Vancouver the high temperature was a sweltering 103 degrees. Other high temperatures on Saturday were 94 here in Olympia, and 91 at Joint Base Lewis McChord. We hit 94 again yesterday here in Olympia. Shelton topped out at 88.

Jesus Montero ran through a stop sign and was thrown out at the plate. Second baseman Kyle Seager stayed back on a bouncer and played it into an RBI single. First baseman Dustin Ackley let a grounder skip through his legs for another run. That all happened in the first two innings, and those were only part of the problems for the Seattle Mariners yesterday. Sloppy in several ways, Seattle lost to the New York Yankees 6-2. A pair of ex-Mariners led the way -- Freddy Garcia posted his 150th career win and Raul Ibanez homered and drove in three runs on a sticky afternoon. Saturday was a better day for the Ms as Felix Hernandez pitched a complete game two-hit shutout and Seattle beat the Yankees, 1-0. Seattle is now in Baltimore for three against the Orioles. Game one coming up tonight.

Luis Jimenez brought home the winning run in the ninth inning for the Tacoma Rainiers in a 3-2 win over the New Orleans Zephyrs at Cheney Stadium yesterday. Jimenez's double scored Carlos Peguero, who singled with one out. Jimenez went 4-for-4, including a home run. Rainiers and Zephyrs again tonight.

Since he retired in 2000 after an 11-year, eight-time Pro Bowl career, you haven't seen a ton of Cortez Kennedy. He's not a flashy network NFL analyst, and he doesn't make daily pithy observations on Twitter. He's a quiet man from a quiet town, and he's not looking to be a celebrity in his post-football life. He recently told the AP, "I've got a street named after me, I'm in the Arkansas Hall of Fame, I've got my jersey retired, everybody knows me in my hometown." That seems to be good enough for the dominant defensive tackle who was with the Seahawks for his entire career and who finished with 58 career sacks. Now he's in the NFL Hall of Fame. He was inducted Saturday. The Seahawks open up up pre-season play Saturday night as they host the Tennessee Titans.

The Summer Olympics a little more than halfway over. Michael Phelps swam his final Olympic race on Saturday, winning his 18th gold and 22nd overall medal. There were more offensive fireworks on display at the basketball venue at the Olympics yesterday -- this time courtesy of the U.S. women. The Americans tied their Olympic scoring mark in a 114-66 rout of China and set couple of other US records along the way. Just days after the US men shattered the Olympic records for points in a game, the women put on their own show. The women set American Olympic records with 33 assists that led to another team milestone of 52 baskets. The Americans haven't lost a game in the preliminary round since 1976 -- the first time that women's basketball was played in the Olympics. On the men's basketball side, the Americans got a game against Lithuania -- and then some. They got a scare. Two days after running and gunning to a record-shattering 83-point win, the US men's Olympic basketball team had to come back in the fourth quarter for a 99-94 win over Lithuania -- a team that had the Americans in serious trouble until the closing minutes Jamaica's Usain Bolt did it again, winning gold in the men's 100 meters with a new Olympic-record time of 9.63 seconds. The medal tally going into today's action:

Today is National Fresh Breath Day, a day to focus on one's overall health and image. Today is Wiggle Your Toes Day. Today is National Root Beer Float Day. Today is National Pamper Yourself Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1980, on General Hospital Luke and Laura spent a romantic evening locked inside Wyndham's department store. In 1994, newlyweds Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley made their first public appearance together in Budapest. In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger used an appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to announce his successful bid to replace California Governor Gray Davis.

The Dark Knight Rises dominated North American box offices for a third time, holding firm to the weekend's No. 1 spot and leaving the debut of science fiction remake Total Recall in a distant second place. Dark Knight racked up an estimated $36.4 million in ticket sales in the US and Canada. Total Recall, featuring Colin Farrell in a role played by Arnold Schwarzenegger in 1990, grossed $26 million. Family sequel Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days took the No. 3 slot.

It was hot, now it's cold. They were in, now they're out. Perez Hilton reports that despite the numerous times they've been spotted together recently, Katy Perry and John Mayer won't be a romantic couple anytime soon. A source says Katy "has tons of respect for him as a musician" but she "just isn't attracted to [Mayer]." What's far more likely for the two musicians is a collaboration in the recording studio. They're apparently "toying with the idea." Perry and Mayer flirted three years ago, before her marriage to Russell Brand.

The news isn't lovely or wonderful. Stevie Wonder has filed for divorce from his wife, Kai Millard Morris. The music icon, who agreed to pay spousal and child support, has asked for joint custody of the couple's two children. Wonder married Morris in 2001. They separated almost three years ago.

Despite personal trouble between Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, the two are scheduled to join the rest of the Breaking Dawn: Part 2 cast for the promotional tour. People magazine reports that Summit Entertainment, the film's studio, is moving ahead with all plans for the film's November premiere. Kristen & Rob have only communicated via text message since their break-up and are both actively trying to avoid the paparazzi.

If Jimmy Fallon gets his way, we could see him slow jamming the Academy Awards nominees. According to the LA Times, NBC's Late Night host is on tap to host next year's Oscars. While obstacles remain, including ABC not wanting to provide exposure to a comedian on a rival channel, it looks likely that he will take the reins from last year's host, Billy Crystal. Lorne Michaels, Fallon's own executive producer, is already signed on to produce the show. The 85th Academy Awards take place in February.

The world's most famous first grader is going to a new school. Katie Holmes enrolled daughter Suri in a New York private school called Avenues. The 40-thousand-dollar-a-year school has a campus that is 215-thousand square-feet and classes that go through high school. The school also offers foreign language and study abroad courses. The school is just a few blocks from Katie & Suri's new apartment in Chelsea.

Carly Rae Jepsen has scored her eighth straight week at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with her debut single, Call Me Maybe. The tune is now tied for the year's longest running chart topper, matching Gotye's eight week run with Somebody That I Used to Know.

The Neon Trees just added a new member to the quartet, kind of. On July 30th at her home in Provo, Utah, drummer Elaine Bradley gave birth to a bouncing baby boy named Bryce Alden. Elaine told Us magazine that she almost started to panic when they realized the baby was in the breach but their midwife was able to help get the baby turned around and the birth went off without a hitch.

Look around your office or workplace now. Pick out a group eight men. According to researchers, one of those eight wear their underwear two or three times before washing it. The survey, conducted by Clorox, also found guys 18 to 29 wash their bed sheets around one a month (compared to once a week for women).

Trivia Answer: Lucille Ball who was born on this date in 1911. That studio she ran was Desilu. The sticoms she starred in were I Love Lucy, The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour, The Lucy Show, Here's Lucy, and Life With Lucy. She was Emmy-nominated thirteen times, and won four times. Lucy met and eloped with Cuban bandleader Desi Arnaz in 1940. On July 17th of 1951, at almost 40-years-old, Ball gave birth to their first child, Lucie Désirée Arnaz. A year and a half later, Ball gave birth to their second child, Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV, known as Desi Arnaz, Jr. Lucy and Desi divorced in 1960. At the time of her death, Ball had been married to her second husband and business partner, standup comedian Gary Morton, for more than 27 years. Lucille Ball died on April 26th of 1989 at the age of 77.

The weather folks say this weekend is going to be the warmest it's been this year. Enjoy. You know it won't last.

The Seattle Mariners are off to the Big Apple for a three-game weekend set in the Bronx with the New York Yankees. We get to see Ichiro in pinstripes. Game one tonight.

The Tacoma Rainiers fell to the Oklahoma City RedHawks 7-1 last night. The Rainiers managed only five hits. Rainiers and RedHawks again tonight. A Friday night home game for the Rainiers means post-game fireworks at Cheney Stadium.

Speaking of minor league baseball, the music stopped at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in Daytona Beach after a minor league umpire ejected the music DJ for playing Three Blind Mice during the game. The ejection came in the eighth inning of Wednesday's game between the Daytona Cubs and the Fort Myers Miracle. Cubs manager Brian Harper was arguing a call at first base when he heard home plate umpire Mario Seneca bellow "you're out." Harper says he thought he was being kicked out of the game. Instead, the umpire ejected the music man. The public address system at the stadium was shut down for the rest of the game. Reports are fans took it upon themselves to announce players as they approached the plate. I'm told prior to last night's game at Cheney Stadium, the umpiring crew let it be known that if somebody wanted to play Three Blind Mice during the game, that was just fine with them. Nobody would be ejected from the ballpark.

The Seattle Seahawks are ready to fire up the pre-season. They get things going one week from tomorrow. Next Saturday, they host the Tennessee Titans.

Somebody said the last group in England with this many records was The Beatles. Carmelo Anthony and the US men's Olympic basketball team rewrote the record books yesterday in a 156-73 romp over Nigeria. They led by 26 in the first quarter, had an Olympic-record 78 points in the first half and Anthony scored 37 points, including 10 of 12 3-pointers, to break the US single-game scoring record in less than three quarters. They broke the Olympic record for most points in a game with 4:37 still to play, and set US records for 3-pointers (26), field goals (59) and field-goal percentage (71).

The medal tally heading into today:

Michael Phelps won the 200-meter individual medley yesterday for his first individual gold of the London Games. With the win, Phelps becomes the first man to win the same individual event in three straight Olympics. By the way, word now is that NBC and ABC are expected to enter a bidding war over Phelps once the London Olympics wrap. The swim star could be in for a change of career, as, according to PerezHilton, both networks say they would love to sign him on as a sportscaster. For now, Phelps continues to go for the gold in London.

NBC can thank The Hunger Games for a spike in ratings during their Olympic archery coverage. The movie, which heavily features protagonist Katniss Everdeen's archery skills, has caused record-breaking viewing numbers for the network. NBC research President Alan Wurtzel says that in terms of Olympic trends, "Archery is the new curling."

Come September, the Fab Five is coming to the Northwest. The US gymnastics team is appearing in Seattle. Gabby Douglas, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Kyla Ross and others are part of the Kellogg's Tour of Gymnastics Champions which is stopping at Key Arena on September 23rd.

The Spice Girls are reportedly rehearsing for an Olympic closing ceremony performance. London's Sunday Mirror columnist Dean Piper tweeted that the girls are currently in London gearing up for the gig. Rumors have surrounded the possibility of an appearance by the group in recent months, but event organizers have kept mum on the show's lineup.

Today is National Watermelon Day. Today is Colorado Day, marking this date in 1876 when Colorado became the 38th U.S. state.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1966, comedian Lenny Bruce died of a morphine overdose. In 1977, after building and testing 25 units, Radio Shack issued a press release introducing its TRS-80 computer. Within weeks, the company had thousands of orders. In 1986, despite pouring rain, some 82,000 Brits watched the Chicago Bears whip the Dallas Cowboys 17 to 6 in the first All America Bowl in England. The fans seemed especially to enjoy 340-pound William 'The Refrigerator' Perry, and an unknown streaker who dashed across the field wearing only socks.

Boxers or briefs? Apparently, for most of us, once that decision is made it sticks. Sunday is National Underwear Day. Surveys show 80% of adults are said to wear the same type of underwear their entire lives.

New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter is getting a sex change operation to become Minnie Mantlez. That's what Yankees fans found out when they visited the MLB team's Facebook Page Thursday after hacker gained access. The post (image) has been removed. The pages of the Miami Marlins, the Chicago Cubs, the San Diego Padres and the Washington Nationals were also hit.

The Blue Angels are in the Northwest for Seafair this weekend.

Robert Pattinson is trying to move on from his breakup with Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart after her high-profile affair with married director Rupert Sanders. After days of silence, Pattinson is allowing Stewart to contact him, but PerezHilton.com reports the couple is not about to get back together. Pattinson and Stewart will have to remain cordial, as they are scheduled to appear together to promote upcoming Twilight film, Breaking Dawn - Part 2, out November 16th.

If it were up to you, would you rather have a male or female boss? A survey from Gallup gives the edge to men, 32 to 22 percent. But the gap has narrowed since the 1950s when men had a 66 to 5 percent edge.

Trivia Answer: John David Landis who is 62 today. In 1979, Landis co-wrote and directed The Blues Brothers with John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. In 1981, Landis wrote and directed An American Werewolf in London. Landis next directed the opening teaser and first segment of Twilight Zone: The Movie in 1983. It was during the filming of Twilight Zone, actor Vic Morrow and child extras Myca Dinh Le and Renee Shin-Yi Chen were killed in an accident involving an out-of-control helicopter. Landis and several crew members were subsequently charged with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment. After an extended jury trial, Landis and other crew members were acquitted. Trading Places starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy was filmed directly after the Twilight Zone accident. After filming ended, Landis and his family went to London: then he was approached by Michael Jackson to make a video for his song, Thriller. Thriller forever changed MTV and the concept of music videos; it has won numerous awards, including the Video Vanguard Award for The Greatest Video in the History of the World. In 2009 (months before Jackson died), Landis sued the Jackson estate in a dispute over royalties for the video; he claims to be owed at least four years' worth of royalties. Next, Landis directed Into the Night, starring Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Pfeiffer and David Bowie. Other films of Landis include Spies Like Us, ¡Three Amigos!, Coming to America, Beverly Hills Cop III. A year ago this month, Landis said he would return to horror and would be writing a new film.

John Jaso hit the go-ahead single in the sixth inning and Blake Beavan's 7 2/3 strong innings led the Mariners to their seventh consecutive victory last night as they beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 5-3. It's Seattle's longest winning streak since an eight-gamer at the end of June last year. A travel day for the Mariners today. They open a three-game weekend series with the Yankees in the Bronx tomorrow night.

With the Tacoma Rainiers and Oklahoma City RedHawks holding the highest and second-highest team earned-run averages in the Pacific Coast League, offensive fireworks were to be expected. The Rainiers scored runs in five of the nine innings, and took the lead for good in the fifth in what was a 7-4 victory over the RedHawks last night, to open an eight-game homestand. Rainiers and RedHawks again tonight at Cheney Stadium.

Despite gripes that NBC is doing everything wrong with the Olympics, the network's formula for success continues to work. Tuesday night's coverage, which included a gold medal win for the USA women's gymnastics team, netted a whopping 38.7 million viewers. That's the best rating in any summer Olympics since 1996 and the best Tuesday night on any network since the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

The US women's basketball beat Turkey 89-58 last night. Turkey entered the game undefeated and was expected to give the Americans their toughest test in the Olympics so far. The Turks had looked impressive in their first Olympic appearance and said they weren't intimidated by the top-ranked team in the world despite the U.S. winning its first two games by an average of 38.5 points. The US team has now won its last 36 games in the Olympics and is attempting to win a fifth consecutive gold medal. Next up for the US is the Czech Republic on Friday.

Today is Hug A Deejay Day.Today is Make Some Old-Fashioned Lemonade Day, squeezing real lemons and using real sugar and real water. Today is Roller Skating Day, marking the opening of the world's first roller rink, in London on this date in 1875. The first skates had wheels in line. Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich Day.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1876, Jack McCall shot Wild Bill Hickok in the back as he played poker at a saloon in Deadwood, Dakota Territory. Hickok held black aces and eights, which became known as the "dead man's hand." McCall was hanged. In 1943, PT-109, commanded by Lt. John F. Kennedy, sank after being rammed by a Japanese destroyer off the Solomon Islands. The future president was credited with saving members of the crew. He was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism, and the Purple Heart for his injuries. In 1984, Charles Schultz' comic strip Peanuts was added to the Portsmouth Daily Times, making it the first comic strip to appear in 2,000 newspapers. In 1987, Disney re-released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 50 years after the film's original release.

Conrad Murray was imprisoned and charged with involuntary manslaughter following the death of Michael Jackson in 2009 and now, the former cardiologist is requesting to have a key piece of evidence in his trial re-tested. Dr. Murray is asking an appellate court to order a lab to authorize a forensic analysis on residue in a drug vial taken from the bedroom of Jackson's rented Los Angeles estate. His defense team said the vial was in a bag of trash and was unrelated to Jackson's death, countering that Michael injected himself with Propofol from a syringe while the doctor wasn't looking. With favorable findings, Murray could successfully have his four-year sentence appealed.

Have you ever smuggled your pet into a hotel that doesn't allow pets? Twenty-five percent of us have. We love traveling with our pets. In fact, 51% of us said we would bring our pets on every trip we take. Eight-five percent of pet owners travel with a dog; only 21% bring their cat.

You know how people say that men are ALWAYS objectifying women? Well, they are. And women do it too. From their lips, nips and hips to their toe tips, a gal will eyeball a woman as collection of body parts nearly as readily as a man. That according to a new study published in Science Daily.

Over the last few weeks there has been a lot of speculation about Peter Jackson's forthcoming Hobbit movies. Originally announced as a pair of films -- The Unexpected Journey and There And Back Again -- people have been saying that there is just too much story in the original novel to be contained. And lo and behold, Peter Jackson has confirmed on his Facebook page that we will indeed see a third movie made.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band really like to give fans their money's worth, and concertgoers at The Boss' gig in Finland this week learned that in person. The concert was the final one on the European leg of the group's Wrecking Ball tour and they made it last -- playing for a record-long four hours and six minutes … and that's not even counting the handful of songs Springsteen played acoustically as a treat for pre-show early birds. Among the 33 tunes performed were almost all of his hits and some covers like the final two songs of the night -- Higher and Higher and Twist and Shout.

If you're a gal trying to meet a guy at the gym and not having much luck, check your ears. Not for cleanliness -- for audio player earbuds. In a survey, guys say when a woman's blasting tunes into her ears they take it as a sign she doesn't want to be bothered. So if you want to meet your possible Mr. Right, leave the MP3 player in the locker.

Katy Perry's marriage to Russell Brand ended in heartbreak, but that doesn't mean Katy won't marry again. In an interview with Elle magazine, she said that she'll "never say never" and that she'll "let love take the lead on that."

In Germany a couple was granted a quick divorce on the grounds of "gross infidelity" after the wife moved in with her new lover just four days after her wedding. They got married on a Monday and she moved in with her new man on Friday.

The Shining, one of the scariest horror films of all time, may be getting a big-screen backstory. Warner Bros. says the project is "in a very early stage," so there's still a chance it will never be made.

CBS might be giving us more déjà vu. They already have Hawaii Five-O, and now, The Chicago Tribune reports they've placed a script order for a reboot of the Brady Bunch. The show will center on Bobby, the youngest son from the original series, who is now on his second wife with children from both marriages. Vince Vaughn is on board to executive produce the spin-off. Lyrics to a new and improved theme song have yet to be determined.

Steven Tyler said he "loved and hated" his two-year stint as a judge on American Idol but admitted it was "not my cup of tea." Tyler told Rolling Stone magazine that he took the job partly to wait out an internal feud in his band, Aerosmith. He said in an interview in the upcoming August 2nd issue, "It was something to do while the storm blew by, to be honest. I loved it and hated it. It was a great job, I sat next to J. Lo and I made a ton of money. It was a moment in life and it became larger than life." Fox and American Idol producers announced last week that Mariah Carey is taking one of the vacant seats for the new season starting in January. They expect to announce a second new judge in a few weeks.

Trivia Answer: Wesley Earl Craven -- Wes Craven -- who turns 73 today. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and had a strict Baptist upbringing. Craven had a letter published in the July 19th of 1968 edition of Life magazine, praising that periodical's coverage of contemporary rock music, in particular Frank Zappa. Craven's first marriage to Bonnie Broecker produced two children, Jonathan Craven (born 1965) and Jessica Craven (born 1968). Jonathan is a writer and director with a few credits to his name. Jessica was a singer/songwriter in the group the Chapin Sisters. The marriage ended in 1970. In 1982, Craven married Millicent Eleanor Meyer. However, the two divorced, according to Joe Eszterhas's book American Rhapsody, after she began an affair with actress Sharon Stone. Also according to the book, on the day the divorce was finalized, Stone sent Craven a dozen black roses. Although Craven has never publicly commented on Meyer's lesbian affair, he has stated in interviews that the marriage dissolved after he discovered it "was no longer anything but a sham." As of 2010, he was married to Iya Labunka. Craven is a birder and in 2010 became a member of Audubon California's Board of Directors.

Jason Vargas shut down Toronto for seven innings leading Seattle to a 7-2 victory last night. The Blue Jays have struck out 21 times and scored three runs in the first two games of the series. The Ms and Jays wrap up their series tonight.

The Tacoma Rainiers put up a 2-spot in the top of the 9th to take a 3-2 lead over the Padres in Tucson last night and managed to hold on for the win. Tacoma is back home with Oklahoma City at Cheney Stadium tonight.

The Fab Five got off to a strong start yesterday, and it led to a golden finish. The US women's gymnastics team won its second gold medal ever, living up to its pre-tournament billing, which included a Sports Illustrated cover for the Olympic darlings. At the pool, Americans were also collecting gold medals, including one that made Olympics history. Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian ever, setting a record with his 19th medal after anchoring the US men's 4x200-meter freestyle team to gold. With the gold, Phelps broke a brief tie with Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast who won18 total medals from 1956 to 1964. Michael Phelps now stands alone on the Olympic mountaintop. He has 19 medals, more than any Olympian -- Summer or Winter -- in the history of the modern Games, which date back to 1896.

Eight Olympic women's badminton players face a disciplinary hearing after being accused of "not using one's best efforts to win a match" in doubles contests that drew boos from spectators. The Badminton World Federation held a hearing today. The players -- four from South Korea, two from China and two from Indonesia -- have also been charged with "conducting oneself in a manner that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the sport" during matches on Tuesday, the federation said in a statement. The charges result from two lackluster contests in London that angered the watching crowds as the doubles pairs appeared to be trying to lose the matches in order to ensure a more favorable draw later in the competition. British sports fans going into the Olympic Park on Wednesday called it "shocking" after seeing parts of the matches on television. The eight players have now been tossed out of the Olympics.

The medal count going into today's competition:

Writer Gore Vidal, who filled his intellectual works with acerbic observations on politics, sex, and American culture while carrying on feuds with his big-name literary rivals, died yesterday. According to his nephew, Vidal died at his home in the Hollywood Hills of complications of pneumonia. Gore Vidal was 86.

Welcome to August. August was the 6th month of the Roman year and was called Sextilis. In the year 8 B.C. the Emperor Augustus Caesar persuaded the Senate to change the month's name in his honor. August is National Catfish Month. It's also Get Ready for Kindergarten Month, National Back-to-School Month, Family Meal Month, Family Fun Month, and National Goat Cheese Month.August is National Toddler Month. Simplify Your Life Week begins today. Today is Respect for Parents Day. Today is Girlfriend's Day, a day to take your girlfriends shopping, out to eat, to a spa, a movie, and/or to the park. Today is National Raspberry Cream Pie Day. Today is World Wide Web Day, marking the birth of the web in August 1990 at the Europe Laboratory for Particle Physics in Switzerland. A couple of guys there developed a prototype web browser and introduced Hypertext Markup Language, HTML.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1790, the first US census was completed, showing a population of just under 4 million people. In 1964, Hasbro Toys introduced GI Joe, an 11½-inch action figure that sold for $4.00. The doll was inspired by the 1945 Robert Mitchum movie, The Story of GI Joe. In 1973, the movie American Graffiti opened nationwide. It starred Ron Howard, Candy Clark, Richard Dreyfuss, Harrison Ford, Cindy Williams, McKenzie Phillips, and Susan Richardson. In 1994, Lisa Marie Presley confirmed rumors that she had married Michael Jackson on May 26th in the Dominican Republic. They divorced less than two years later.

A spokesman says that in the wake of the recent scuffle at the home of Michael Jackson's mother, there will now be a limited list of family members allowed on the property. There were those that were afraid this sort of thing would happen. Without the stable, mature, level-headed leadership of Michael, the family is simply falling apart.

We've all heard the stories about celebs who did fry duty at their local McDonalds growing up, but you probably haven't heard this. Business Insider did some deep digging and found a few A-listers who had some pretty strange occupations before becoming big stars:

• Rod Stewart – Before Maggie May, Stewart worked as a gravedigger when he was a teen in London.
• Christopher Walken – One of Hollywood's finest actors was part of a traveling circus at 15 years old, working as a lion tamer for a short time.
• Hugh Jackman – For $50, you could have hired Jackman for parties. No, not as Wolverine, but as a clown! For a few years, he worked as a clown, doing kids' parties.
• Brad Pitt – This Hollywood hunk was once clucking his way around El Pollo Loco, a restaurant where he dressed as a chicken and handed out flyers to customers.
• Mariah Carey – The newly appointed American Idol judge used to work as a hat checker as one of her many jobs in her backup-dancing days.
• Megan Fox – The actress used to dress in a banana costume as a mascot for a Florida smoothie place.

Back in June, Scout Willis, the daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, was caught drinking a beer in New York City's Union Square and at the time, she was 20. When the police confronted her, she gave them a fake ID and claimed to be named Katherine Kelly. Scout has finally reached a deal with prosecutors -- she won't go to jail if she does two days of community service and is on probation for six months. According to TMZ, Scout's previously clean criminal record and high grades at Brown University are what helped convince the prosecution to settle.

Is the color lavender offensive? An Oregon trucking company filed a lawsuit alleging a billboard on its property is offensive to its customers. Coast Truck Centers said the billboard company, which has a longstanding agreement with the trucking company for its billboard, snuck onto the property outside of business hours and put up the ad for a hot springs resort and spa. The lawsuit objects to the the "artistic, cursive writing" of the ad and the lavender coloring of the billboard.

Outer space may be soundless, but it's apparently not odorless. According to a 2009 interview with NASA astronaut Kevin Ford -- who did some space walks -- space has a metallic odor that Ford describes as having the "aroma of seared steak, hot metal, and welding fumes."

Ten fans of The Who traded in tickets from a canceled 1979 gig in Rhode Island for entry to the group's upcoming February show. In December of 1979, The Who's show was canceled in the wake of a stampede at a concert in Ohio two weeks earlier. Eleven people were killed in the stampede. These ten folks held onto their tickets for more than three decades and were able to trade them in for tickets to the band's upcoming February 26th show. The original tickets were priced at $11.50. Current ticket prices range from $72 and $143 at the same venue.

Trivia Answer: The launch of MTV -- which stood for Music Television. At the moment of its launch, only a few thousand people on a single cable system in northern New Jersey could see it. It's a cable television network based in New York City. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs. Today, MTV still plays a limited selection of music videos, but primarily broadcasts a variety of pop culture and reality television shows. The first music video shown on MTV was Video Killed the Radio Star by The Buggles. Interesting to note that In the early days, the screen would sporadically go black when an employee at MTV inserted a tape into a VCR.