Baseball post-season play rolls out tonight as Tampa Bay is at Texas, and Detroit is at New York against the Yankees. Both games are on TBS.

Meanwhile, word out of Boston today that Terry Francona and the Red Sox agreed that he will not return as manager. Francona met with owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner, team president Larry Lucchino, general manager Theo Epstein and assistant GM Ben Cherington today at Fenway Park. He left and then returned. Epstein initially put out a statement saying all sides wanted to think about the meeting and no announcement was forthcoming, but then a statement came out later in which Francona indicated it was his decision to move on. "I've always maintained that it is not only the right, but the obligation, of ownership to have the right person doing this job," he said. "I told them that out of my enormous respect for this organization and the people in it, they may need to find a different voice to lead the team. In my eight seasons as manager of the Boston Red Sox, I have developed a tremendous appreciation for Red Sox Nation. This is a special place with some of the most knowledgeable and passionate fans in all of baseball. They packed Fenway Park for every game and because of them, I had a special sense of pride coming to work every day." The team portion of the release said that Red Sox brass agreed with Francona. "During the meeting, Tito, Theo and Ben agreed that the Red Sox would benefit from an improved clubhouse culture and higher standards in several areas," the team statement said. "Tito said that after eight years here he was frustrated by his difficulty making an impact with the players, that a different voice was needed, and that it was time for him to move on. After taking time to reflect on Tito's sentiments, we agreed that it was best for the Red Sox not to exercise the option years on his contract."

Tomorrow, the Huskies are on the road. The Dawgs take on the Utah Utes in Salt Lake City tomorrow afternoon at 4:00. Meanwhile, WSU opens Pac-12 play at Colorado. The Cougars and Buffaloes kick it off tomorrow afternoon at 12:30. European football – American soccer -- the Sounders are in New England this weekend – specifically at Foxborough, Mass – to face the New England Revolution. First kick tomorrow afternoon at 4:30.

Then Sunday, the Seahawks host the Atlanta Falcons. Kick-off at 1:05.

Improve Your Office Day is Tuesday. A new survey is out from Staples. It dealt with what improvements folks would like to see at their jobs. The one thing that didn't seem to need improvement was the boss, with 78 percent giving their boss an "A" or "B" grade. Top items on employee wish-lists for improvement were:

• Eliminating office politics (44 percent);
• Allowing or encouraging telecommuting (41 percent);
• Upgrading computers and other office technology (37 percent);
• Getting nicer or more comfortable office furniture (35 percent);
• Providing more private work areas and more flexible work hours (tied at 34 percent each).

Today is Monkey Bars Day, a day to go to the park and see if you can still do your old tricks. Be careful. Today is National Lemon Ice Cream and Cake Appreciation Day. Today is Do Something Wacky with a Grandparent Day. It’s suggested that you take pictures. Today is Stapler Day. It was patented today in 1841.

On the calendar today, it was on this date in 1960 that the first prime-time cartoon for adults, The Flintstones, premiered on ABC-TV. Alan Reed was the voice of Fred Flintstone; Jean Vander Pyl was Wilma and Pebbles; Mel Blanc was Barney Rubble and Dino the Dinosaur; Bea Benaderet was Betty; and Don Messick was Bamm Bamm. In 1971, the Washington Senators played their last game in Washington before moving to Arlington, Texas. They were forced to forfeit the game to the New York Yankees when fans stormed the field trying to take souvenirs. On this date in 1982, Cheers made its television premier. Ahh, the Boston bar, where everybody knows your name.

On Saturday Night Live this weekend, Melissa McCarthy hosts with musical guest Lady Antebellum.

New in theaters this weekend: 50/50, Courageous, Dream House, and What's Your Number.

Singer, activist, breast cancer survivor Melissa Etheridge received a star on Hollywood's Walk of Fame earlier this week. The 50-year-old Grammy winner was greeted by hundreds of fans outside the Hard Rock Cafe in Hollywood as she unveiled her coveted star. Melissa said, "You can have a dream that you can grow up in a small Midwestern town and believe, and desire, and create a life and end up with a star on the Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard"

Tony Bennett just scored his first number one album and now the legend is planning to drop a new video next week. On Monday, his clip for "The Lady Is a Tramp" featuring a blue-haired Lady Gaga by his side, hits the web. Bennett’s Duets II album sold more than 179-thousand copies in its first week, making the 85-year-old singer the oldest living artist to top the Billboard album chart.

Gavin DeGraw’s fourth album, Sweeter, debuts at number eight on this week’s Billboard album chart.

Bruno Mars is set to make it rain on the The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 soundtrack. The song It Will Rain is on the soundtrack. Mars told Billboard.com that he saw the film and the song will be a “perfect fit.” The soundtrack arrives in stores on November 8th.

Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger featuring Christina Aguilera spends a fourth week on top of this week’s Billboard Hot 100 chart. Adele’s Someone Like You holds at number two for a third week

R.E.M. called it quites last week, but we haven’t heard the last of the band just yet. Come November, they’re releasing their first-ever career-spanning compilation, called Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage: 1982 – 2011. Besides their past hits, the disc is set to include new tracks that were recorded after R.E.M.’s last album, Collapse Into Now, was released. It comes out November 15th.

American Idol contestant James Durbin spent last season getting compared to former Idol runner-up Adam Lambert, but James is releasing his debut album the same day Chris Daughtry drops his latest effort. Durbin, who finished fourth on Idol earlier this year, is releasing his first record, Memories of a Beautiful Disaster, on November 21st. That same day, Daughtry releases their third album, Break The Spell. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Durbin's debut was produced by Howard Benson, who has worked with My Chemical Romance and Daughtry.

E! Online chatted with Kelly Clarkson recently. She opened up with five things people don't know about her:

1. Regarding the gay rumors: Kelly says she doesn’t care who is or isn’t gay, but she’s straight, and added guys stay away because she “makes mean songs about them.”
2. Regarding The X Factor: Although Kelly loves American Idol, she says she’s watching former judges Simon Cowell and Paula Abdul on The X Factor.
3. On Vacuum Cleaners: Before auditioning for Idol, Kelly was in training to sell vacuum cleaners.
4. Animals: She is a huge animal lover and owns pigs, horses, dogs and donkeys.
5. Adele: Clarkson really wants to duet with Adele.

Rumors hit the web this week that Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore's relationship was on the rocks. Well Kutcher seems to be denying those claims. The star recently tweeted a link to the Public Enemy song Don't Believe the Hype. Neither Kutcher nor Moore has come out to officially recognize or react to their rumors of a split. People.com has more.

Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony did split and now J-Lo has reportedly bought a new house for 18-million bucks! According to Us Weekly, the newly single singer purchased a house in the Water Mill area of The Hamptons in New York. The house is reportedly 14-thousand square-feet and has seven bedrooms.

Mike Myers and his wife, Kelly Tisdale, are now parents. The couple named their baby boy Spike. Myers and his new wife wed last fall and announced they were expecting a baby in May.

Jason Alexander now has hair. The 52-year-old former Seinfeld star, who was balding throughout his run as George Costanza on the hit '90s show, is currently sporting some new locks. Jason has successfully gone through hair follicle treatment and is rocking a new ‘do. In July, the actor wrote on Twitter that he was experimenting with some "interesting hair systems."

Trivia Answer: Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews -- Julie Andrews -- who turns 76 tomorrow. Andrews had a revival of her film career in the 2000s in family films such as The Princess Diaries in 2001, its sequel The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement in 2004, and in the Shrek animated films from 2004 to 2010. Andrews is also an author of children's books, and in 2008 published an autobiography, Home: A Memoir of My Early Years. Her voice, which originally spanned four octaves, was damaged by a throat operation in 1997. By the way, that Tony nomination she declined? In 1995, she starred in the stage musical version of Victor/Victoria. It was her first appearance in a Broadway show in 35 years. The show later went on the road on a world tour. When she was the only Tony Award nominee for the production, she declined the nomination saying that she could not accept because she felt the entire production was snubbed. In February this year, Andrews received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Oakland Athletics beat the Seattle Mariners 2-0 last night to close out the 2011 campaign. The Mariners finished the season with consecutive shutouts and didn't score after the seventh inning on Monday night. Seattle finishes the year with a team-record 16 shutouts this season. It fit with Seattle's season-long struggles at the plate. Ichiro ended his year with 184 hits after going hitless in the finale. It's the first time in his 11-year career Suzuki failed to reach 200 hits and he ended the season with a career-low .272 batting average. Seattle finished the season with a crowd of 20,173. The Mariners unofficial season total was 1,896,929 in 81 home games. It's the first time since moving into Safeco Field the Mariners have failed to draw 2 million fans.

The Mariners and A's see each other again on March 28th and 29th as they open next season in Japan with a two-game series at the Tokyo Dome. Seattle and Oakland had been scheduled to play there in March of 2003, but the series was scrapped because of the threat of war in Iraq. The A's will be the home team in both games. Major League Baseball and the players' association said the series will be dedicated to assisting rebuilding in Japan following this year's earthquake.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Cardinals clinched the NL wild-card berth, and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched AL wild card. Playoffs are ready to roll. They start tomorrow with Tampa Bay at Texas, and Detroit at New York against the Yankees. Then on Saturday, it's Arizona at Milwaukee, Detroit at New York, Tampa Bay at Texas, and St. Louis at Philadelphia. All of those games on TBS.

Saturday, the Huskies are on the road. The Dawgs take on Utah in Salt Lake City Saturday afternoon at 4:00, while WSU opens Pac-12 play at Colorado. The Cougars and Buffaloes kick it off Saturday at 12:30.

The Sounders are in New England this weekend -- specifically at Foxborough, Mass. -- to face the New England Revolution. First kick Saturday afternoon at 4:30.

Sunday, the Seahawks host the Atlanta Falcons. Kick-off at 1:05.

Today is Quick Draw Day, always on the birthday of Quick Draw McGraw, the cartoon horse who got elected sheriff in 1959. His deputy, a Mexican burro named Baba Looey, was much smarter than Quick Draw, but never let the sheriff know it. Today is National Attend Your Grandchild's Birth Day. Today is Make a List of the Top Ten Happiest Days in Your Life Day. Jot down details (while you can still remember). Do it, it'll be fun. Today is National Coffee Day.

Calendar notes from this day: In 1950, Bell Laboratories introduced the first telephone answering machine. In 1963, the TV show My Favorite Martian premiered on CBS. In 1989, Zsa Zsa Gabor was convicted of slapping a police officer and driving without a valid license in Beverly Hills, California. In 1996, the Nintendo 64 video game system debuted in America. It had been selling in Japan for three months. In 2003, President Bush signed legislation to ratify the Federal Trade Commission's authority to set up a national do-not-call list for telemarketers.

Forbes released its latest list of the highest paid TV actresses. Tina Fey and Eva Longoria both take the cake this year. The 30 Rock star and Desperate Housewives actress tied at the top of the money mag's list, each bringing in $13 million between May 2010 and May 2011.

The recession continues to inspire people to do stupid stuff to avoid paying money. This week's example: the teen who got stuck in a Coke machine after he tried to get a free can of soda. The teen thought if he slid his hand up the machine the right way he could  get a free soda.  He was wrong. The resulting rescue process involved two fire trucks and an ambulance.

Lady Gaga kept her promise to her fans by talking to President Obama about bullying. The singer attended a 38-thousand dollar per-couple fundraising event for the Commander in Chief over the weekend at the home of Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Gaga thanked Obama for all his accomplishments and then made what is described as a general plea to everyone in the room to do what they can to prevent bullying. Obama then reportedly thanked her, re-iterated his administration's anti-bullying work and spoke in general about the importance of values.

Legendary singer Tony Bennett scores his first number one album as Duets II debuts at number one on the Billboard album chart. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the effort sold over 179-thousand copies, which makes the 85-year-old the oldest living act to reach the top of the chart. The album features duets with Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood and the late Amy Winehouse.

Amazon launched new models in its Kindle lineup yesterday. There's the Kindle, a keyboard-less replacement for its low end model. Then there is the Kindle touch, an e-ink model with a touch screen, which also comes in a 3G flavor. Prices vary depending on whether or not you're OK with Amazon showing screensaver ads. And then there's the new Kindle Fire, Amazon's tablet looking to compete with the iPad, priced at $199.

Air Canada recently had a man arrested for impersonating a police officer, even though he told them he wasn’t one. CTV reports that Aaron Haight was traveling to Ontario, where he planned to participate in a shooting competition, and somehow managed to carry two guns on board with him. There was a miscommunication with the airline and he was told to fill out a form and carry the guns through security. He was asked to present a badge, twice, and both times he told them he didn’t have one. Upon touchdown he was taken into custody, where three hours into an interrogation, authorities realized he never once said he was a police officer. Air Canada has given Haight one-thousand-dollars in airline vouchers, because that makes everything better.

Trivia Answer: Hersey R. Hawkins, Jr. who turns 45 today. He wore numbers 3, 32 and 33 in his 12-year basketball career. Before being drafted into the NBA, he was a member of the USA men's national basketball team at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul with 11 other future NBA stars coached by John Thompson. They disappointingly finished with the bronze medal after losing to the Soviet Union in the semifinals. He was then drafted 6th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in first round of the 1988 NBA Draft, but his rights were immediately traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. On the 76ers, "Hawk" was the second scoring option after Charles Barkley. Hawkins earned NBA All-Rookie First Team Honors in 1989. In 1991 he averaged 22.1 points and appeared in the NBA All-Star Game. In 1993, Hawkins was traded to the Charlotte Hornets. After two productive seasons in Charlotte, Hawkins, along with Hornet player David Wingate, was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics for Kendall Gill. He won the NBA Sportsmanship Award in his final season in Seattle. On August 12, 1999, Hawkins was traded to the Bulls but his one-year tenure in Chicago was marred by injury, and he only averaged 7.9 points per game in 61 games. He returned to Charlotte as a free agent in 2000 for his final season, and he retired in 2001 with 14,470 career points. He is currently the Player Development Director for the Portland Trail Blazers. Hersey is married with three sons. His son Corey Hawkins holds the Arizona high school record for most points in a career. His son Devon currently plays basketball at West Linn High School.

As pitcher Blake Beavan heads into the offseason after his first year with the Seattle Mariners he wants to focus on what he did well. He'd prefer to avoid dwelling on what he did last night. Beavan struggled in his final start, going just five innings, allowing seven runs on eight hits in a 7-0 loss to the Oakland A's. Mariners host Oakland for one final game this year. First pitch tonight at 7:10.

Seattle became the first MLS team to secure passage into the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals after coming back from two deficits to post a 2-2 draw in Guatemala City against Comunicaciones last night. the Sounders head into the quarterfinals of the Champions League. But first, it's back to MLS play as they head to New England to face the Revolution Saturday.

Coming up Saturday, the Huskies travel to Utah, and the Cougars are in Colorado.

Sunday, the Seahawks are home with Atlanta.

It's National Strawberry Cream Pie Day. Today is National Women's Health and Fitness Day.

On this date in 1941, Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox finished the season with a batting average of .400. He was last major leaguer to hit .400. On this date in 1996, during their wedding at Spokane's First Presbyterian Church, Craig and Jill Looper's vow-sealing kiss set off the fire alarm ... or maybe it was an electrical problem. None of the 350 guests was injured, but the wedding cake was ruined. The couple signed their license on the hood of a fire truck.

Nickelback's upcoming album is called Here and Now. It arrives in stores November 21st.

Sunday is Andy Rooney's last regular appearance on 60 Minutes. That announcement from CBS News yesterday. The 92-year-old Rooney will deliver his 1,097th original essay for the broadcast and then make the announcement. The show is featuring a segment with Morley Safer interviewing Rooney and reflecting on the award-winning career of the writer, essayist and commentator. Rooney's commentaries and essays have been featured on 60 Minutes since 1978. He joined CBS in 1949 as a writer for Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts.

A new study finds that women are significantly more likely to use online social networks, like Facebook or Twitter, to communicate with friends, family, and co-workers. The study shows 68 percent of women use social media to stay in touch with friends, as opposed to 54 percent of men.

A central Florida ice cream man has received numerous complaints after locals mistook his ice cream cone costume for a Ku Klux Klan outfit. Apparently the complainers are overlooking the fake sprinkles and waffle cone design that are a part of the costume.

Trailblazing women in rock such as Joan Jett and Heart's Wilson sisters, as well as iconic rappers the Beastie Boys were among 15 music acts nominated yesterday for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Heart are both first-time nominees. They're joined by Guns N' Roses, The Cure, The Small Faces/The Faces, The Spinners, Rufus with Chaka Khan, Freddie King and Eric B. & Rakim. Repeat nominees who failed to make it in in previous years are the Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, War, Donna Summer, Donovan, and Laura Nyro. The 27th annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place in Cleveland on April 14th.

Weird Al Yankovic has released a medley of polka versions of songs by Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Ke$ha, Britney Spears, P!nk, Lady Antebellum and more. It's called Polka Face. Yankovic has released a video for the title song on ComedyCentral.com. Meanwhile, the channel premieres Weird Al Yankovic Live! -- The Alpocalypse Tour Saturday night. The DVD of the show arrives in stores Tuesday.

Bret Michaels isn't just a rock star, he's a pet lover too and now, he's introducing a line of products that will be available exclusively at PetSmart. It's called the Bret Michaels Pets Rock collection and you can pick them up at all PetSmart stores across the country next summer. In a statement, the rocker said, "I know my own pets rock, and I wanted to design a line of pet products every bit as fun and cool as they are." Find out more at PetSmart.com/BretMichaelsRocks.

According to Variety, the Blu-Ray edition of Star Wars sold more than one-million units, breaking a record for the high-definition home video format. The nine-disc set generated more than 84-million dollars from worldwide sales, with 38-million collected in the US alone. The set is also available in separate packages with Episodes 1-3 and 4-6 selling for just under 40 dollars each.

The first preview for The Human Centipede II is being touted as the grossest movie trailer of all time. MovieLine.com reported the trailer, which is about a man attempting to surgically connect 12 people together to form a centipede, caused some viewers to vomit and pass out. We can't imagine how the full-length feature will make people feel! The Human Centipede II hits theaters October 7th.

The National Park Service has released some Washington Monument security footage from last month's D.C. earthquake. It's pretty scary stuff. The Washington Monument was cracked by the 5.8 magnitude quake.

While the separation of church and state is a big topic in today's society, one minister has found a way to bring together church and skate. WHAS-TV in Louisville, Kentucky recently reported about Dawn Cooley, the first female minister of the local Unitarian Universalist Church. While on Sundays you can find her behind her pulpit, you can also find this feisty redhead at the skating-rink knocking down the competition -- literally. She's a member of the Derby City Roller Girls and recently told her congregation about her double-life by leaving her pulpit and coming back in with her teammates, dressed in her uniform. Her roller girl handle, "Liv Fearless," is quite the indication of what her double-life is all about.

According to WeirdCrime.net, Robert Brodnick received two DUIs in one night after purchasing a new vehicle. For the first arrest, Brodnick was found to have more than double the legal limit of alcohol in his system. After being picked up by the cops, he was released to a "responsible party." However 15 minutes later, the same troopers who had just arrested Brodnick were in their car at a red light when they looked over and saw him driving his car in the next lane. Of course, they pulled him over again. In order to keep Brodnick from getting arrested a third time that night, the judge decided to keep him on five-thousand dollars bond.

With the state of the economy as it is, many young adults have been forced to move back in with their parents. This is not the case in this story. Stylist.co.uk is reporting the tale of an Italian couple who are seeking legal action to evict their 41-year-old son. The father said of his son, "He has a good job but still lives at home. He demands that his clothes be washed and ironed and his meals prepared. He really has no intention of leaving." So what did they do? His parents have had a government organization send a letter to their son, warning him that he has six days to vacate the home. No word yet on his response.

Trivia Answer: Moon Unit Zappa -- although she goes by the name Moon Zappa. Unit is her middle name. She's Frank Zappa's daughter. She's 43 today. Apart from the novelty of her and her siblings' names, she first came to public attention at the age of fourteen, in 1982, as a vocalist on her father's hit single Valley Girl. The song featured her delivering a monologue in 'val-speak.' She married matchbox twenty drummer and guitarist, Paul Doucette, in June of 2002. They have one child, Mathilda Plum Doucette, who turns 7 in December.

On Monday Night Football last night, Tony Romo's ribs held up just fine. So did Dan Bailey's leg. Romo persevered through pain to lead enough deep drives to set up Bailey for six field goals, including a 40-yarder with 1:57 left to give the Cowboys an 18-16 victory over the Washington Redskins. Coming up Sunday, the Seahawks are home again, this time hosting Atlanta.

College Ball this Saturday, the Huskies are at Utah while the Cougars are at Colorado

Homeruns from Miguel Olivo -- a solo shot in the 5th -- and Justin Smoak -- a three-run blast in the sixth -- propelled the Mariners to a 4-2 win over Oakland in the first game of the Ms final series of the year. Game two of the three with the As is coming up tonight at 7:10.

Tonight, the Sounders are at Guatemala City, Guatemala to take on Comunicaciones in another CONCACAF match.

Today is Ancestor Appreciation Day. Where would you be without them? Today is World Tourism Day. Today is National Shut Up and Let Somebody Else Talk Day.

On this date in 1935, 13-year-old Judy Garland signed her first contract with MGM. Friday night, Judy's daughter, Lorna Luft kicks off the new season at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Olympia with the show Songs My Mother Taught Me. On this date in 2004, NBC announced that Conan O'Brien would take over for Jay Leno on The Tonight Show in 2009. That worked out well, didn't it?

I was going to mention this yesterday but it was Shamu's birthday and just didn't feel right. A restaurant in Japan has set the record for the largest sushi roll -- nearly 8 inches in diameter and 13 pounds. The giant roll is called the Generous Roll and contains 24 tasty ingredients, including a variety of fish and seafood, vegetables and rice. The price is nearly $200.

Arch West, the man who invented Doritos, has died. West was 97. According to TMZ, Original, Cool Ranch and Nacho flavored Doritos are being served at his funeral. Arch reportedly came up with the idea for the chip after a vacation in 1961, when he went to a snack hut that was selling fried tortilla chips.

Amazon is holding an event in New York tomorrow and plenty of folks are expecting the company to introduce its long-rumored tablet. It's reportedly called the Kindle Fire.

A website for women asked: What is the sexiest male body part?  The number one answer? The chest.

Charlie Sheen has settled his lawsuit with the makers and creators of Two and A Half Men over his dismissal. Sheen had filed a $100 million lawsuit against the studio behind the CBS comedy and its creator Chuck Lorre after he was fired from the show in March. Warner Bros. didn't put a figure on the settlement. The case had been settled through arbitration. In a statement, Warner Bros said, "Warner Bros. Television, Chuck Lorre and Charlie Sheen have resolved their dispute to the parties' mutual satisfaction. The pending lawsuit and arbitration will be dismissed as to all parties. The parties have agreed to maintain confidentiality over the terms of the settlement." Yesterday's announcement followed months of acrimonious exchanges, tempered by contrite appearances by Sheen on TV talk shows and at The Emmys in the last two weeks. Sheen, of course, was replaced on Two and A Half Men by Ashton Kutcher. The new season debuted last week to a record 28.7 million viewers -- a bigger audience than any episodes in the comedy's first eight seasons with Sheen in the starring role. Word flying around the Internet is that Charlie is receiving $25 million in the settlement.

Three months have passed since E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons passed away and now, the group is deciding what their future holds. Guitarist Steven Van Zandt told Pollstar.com that the guys will get together in the next few weeks to discuss their next step. He said that like in 2008, when the band lost their keyboardist, Danny Federici, there will again be "a void" they can't ever fill. However, he added that the group will most likely carry on playing music "until the end," explaining "that's what we do."

Sometimes you just wonder why. Thousands of runners may have broken a Guinness World Record for most people running in their underwear in Utah. About 3,000 people showed up to run in Salt Lake City.

Trivia Answer: Randy Bachman who is 68 today. At age 15, Bachman saw Elvis Presley play on television show and the sight of the guitar around Presley's neck inspired him. He learned three chords from his cousin, then started practicing on a modified Hawaiian dobro. In 1959 Bachman bought a ticket to see Les Paul in concert at a Winnipeg supper club but was unable to get in as he was too young. Instead, he instead helped Paul set up before the show and also helped him reload everything into the car after the show. Later, in 1965, the Guess Who had a #1 hit in Canada with their cover of Johnny Kidd's "Shakin' All Over", which also charted in the U.S. at #22. In 1966, Burton Cummings became the primary vocalist. Starting in 1968, the group released three successful albums. Bachman wrote or co-wrote (primarily with Cummings) most of the group's songs during this period. In early 1970, the single "American Woman" hit #1 on the US charts, a first for a band from Canada. Surprisingly, Bachman left the band at the height of its popularity, shortly after the release of American Woman. He has been quoted for leaving due to the other band members' lifestyle choices conflicting with his (at that time) Mormon beliefs and because he wanted to spend more time with his brothers and other family members. He also was suffering health problems from the constant touring and needed to be under a doctor's care, something that was impossible to do on the road. In 1973, a new group signed a record deal and changed their name to Bachman–Turner Overdrive, often referred to as BTO. They released their first self-titled album, Bachman–Turner Overdrive in May 1973. In December 1973 BTO released their second LP, Bachman–Turner Overdrive II. This album brought the band much more success than their debut, largely due to the hits Takin' Care of Business, which charted at #12 in the US, and Let It Ride, which rose to #23. In 1974, they released the LP Not Fragile, which hit #1 on the album charts. It also contained the #1 single You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet (written by Bachman) and the hit Roll On Down The Highway, which charted at number 14. BTO stayed on the charts through the mid-1970s with their next two albums, Four Wheel Drive and Head On. Today,. Bachman tours with his own band, the Randy Bachman Band, and the Bachman-Cummings Band. He has also created a popular theatre show called Every Song Tells A Story, featuring Bachman live and unplugged with his band, telling the stories behind the writing of his famous hits from the 1960s and '70s. Bachman and Burton Cummings toured throughout Canada as Bachman & Cummings in the summer of 2006. Bachman and Fred Turner completed a new Bachman & Turner CD that was released in September of last year. The pair launched a two-year world tour last year under the name Bachman & Turner, which started at the Sweden Rock Festival in June of 2010 and included a stop at Little Creek Casino Resort. Bachman now lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, near Vancouver Island, and is married to singer/songwriter Denise McCann. They were married on March 27th of 1982. His son Tal Bachman is a recording artist, best known for his 1999 song She's So High.

Well, autumn certainly made us aware of its presence over the weekend will all the wind and rain. The wind caused a few power disruptions around the Sound. Just a few blinks at our place in Tumwater but it certainly feels like fall, doesn't it?

Tarvaris Jackson did just enough to stop the home fans from booing and earn his new team its first victory. Give Kam Chancellor and the Seattle Seahawks defense an assist. Jackson put Seattle in the lead with a bulldozing 11-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, and Chancellor sealed the victory with an interception of Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb with 1:04 left in Seattle's 13-10 win over the Cardinals yesterday. Jackson went through a day when Seattle's fans alternated among cheers, boos and chants for backup quarterback Charlie Whitehurst. They were all screaming when Jackson bullied his way in for the go-ahead TD run in the third quarter, yet were back to booing Jackson minutes later when the Seahawks bumbled a third-down snap and nearly fumbled deep in their own end. Jackson's play and numbers weren't spectacular. He was 18 of 31 for 171 yards. But his only turnover came on a desperation throw at the end of the first half, and Jackson made an immediate connection with old friend Sidney Rice, making his Seattle debut. Marshawn Lynch finished with 73 yards on 19 carries. The Hawks host Atlanta on Sunday.

Dallas vs. Washington -- Cowboys vs. Redskins -- tonight on Monday Night Football.

In the conference opener for both teams, Keith Price threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns and Chris Polk added a touchdown on the ground as Washington knocked off California 31-23 to get off to their best start in six years. Washington improved to 3-1 for the first time since 2006. Saturday, the Huskies are at Utah. Coming off their bye week, the Cougars are at Colorado

Fredy Montero scored two goals in a four-minute span to lead the Seattle Sounders to a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday night. With the win, Seattle clinched an MLS playoff spot and won the Cascadia Cup title, the Cascadia Cup a competition between northwest teams Vancouver, Portland and the Sounders. More CONCACAF play tomorrow as the Sounders are at Guatemala City, Guatemala to take on Comunicaciones.

Now the AL West champion Texas Rangers have to wait to find out when they will play at home again. They've already had a record-setting season at Rangers Ballpark. Yesterday, former Mariner Yorvit Torrealba hit two of Texas' four home runs, including a grand slam, in a 12-5 victory over the Seattle Mariners as the Rangers matched a franchise record with their 52nd home win in their final regular-season game in Arlington. Former Mariner Adrian Beltre also homered for the Rangers. Mike Carp, Kyle Seager, Chris Gimenez and Alex Liddi all homered for Seattle, which played its last road game. Texas finished 15-4 against Seattle. Jason Vargas goes for his career-high 10th victory tonight at home against Oakland. Seattle finished 28-50 on the road.

David Letterman mentions Olympia. He has Larry Miller on the show. Larry is at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts October 20th.

Today is Shamu's 26th birthday. The first surviving killer whale born in captivity was born at Orlando's Sea World on September 26th of 1985. Though she has lived and performed at other parks, Shamu is now back home at Sea World Orlando. Today is Fish Amnesty Day, a day to give animals a break by not fishing. Today is National Search for Your Baseball Cards Again Day. Today is Family Day: A Day to Eat Dinner with Your Children. Today is Pancake Day.

Elly May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies, actress Donna Douglas turns 78 today. Interesting to note that on this date in 1962, The Beverly Hillbillies debuted on CBS-TV, starring Donna, along with Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, and Max Baer Jr. The show lasted nine seasons. The theme, The Ballad of Jed Clampett, was recorded by Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs.

Some other calendar notes. It was on this date in 1975 that The Rocky Horror Picture Show premiered in Westwood, California. The cult classic starred Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick. In 1984, Prince released Purple Rain. In 1994, jury selection began in Los Angeles for the double murder trial of O.J. Simpson. One year later to the day, the prosecution began closing arguments. He was acquitted of both charges. In 2003, singer Robert Palmer died in Paris at age 54.

Came across this over the weekend.  If you're like me, once there are five or six zeros on a number, my eyes glaze over.  I can't really wrap my mind around those huge numbers.  This sort of helped ...

The Lion King fended off Brad Pitt to keep the box-office crown for a second straight weekend. The 3D re-release of the animated classic rang up an estimated $22.1 million in US and Canadian ticket sales as families turned out to see lion cub Simba's return to theaters. Baseball drama Moneyball starring Pitt took second, and family film Dolphin Tale starring Harry Connick Jr., Ashley Judd and Morgan Freeman finished a close third. Action film Abduction, starring and produced by Twilight heartthrob Taylor Lautner in his first major role outside the popular vampire and werewolf series took fourth place. Spy thriller Killer Elite, starring Robert de Niro rounded out the top five.

TV tonight: Terra Nova premieres tonight on Fox. This new drama is set in the year 2149 when all life on Earth is threatened with extinction. In an effort to save the human race, scientists develop a time machine allowing people to travel 85 million years back in time.

Train is debuting a new song called Brand New Book during the premiere of NBC's The Biggest Loser tomorrow night. A clip of the song will play during the opening credits of the show all season. According to Billboard, frontman Pat Monahan was writing extensively over the summer and has about half an album's worth of new songs. The band is going into the studio in November to start recording their next album. They'll then head out on the road for a tour of China and Southeast Asia in December and finish the album in January.

Last week, five visiting Chinese law enforcement dignitaries, touring Houston's police academy, were honored by being allowed to join a driving demonstration. Unfortunately, when two patrol cars collided, it sent seven injured to local hospitals, including all five dignitaries.

President Barack Obama sped through wind gusts, withstood gaffes, raised millions of dollars and tried to sell the message of his jobs bill during a whirlwind four-hour Northwest tour yesterday. The President told a $35,800-a-couple Medina fundraiser that the 2012 election will be "especially hard because a lot of people are discouraged" but vowed he will "keep drawing a clear contrast" between his vision of America and that of the Republicans. The fundraiser was held in the 27,000-square foot home of former Microsoft chief operating officer Jon Shirley. Obama deemed the art collection unforgettable. But he could not remember the name of his host thanking Mark a couple of times before guests pointed out the hosts name was Jon. Medina has become Washington's home to presidents and presidential candidates. George W. Bush raised money there. A recent Mitt Romney fundraiser was held in the wealthy community, as well. The President crossed to the "left" side of Lake Washington to a second fundraiser at the Paramount. Inside the Paramount, two basketball greats who live locally -- Bill Russell and Lenny Wilkins -- co-hosted the fundraiser. The two men put on a lavish Obama fundraiser in 2008. The President joked that he he needed the supporters in the room so badly that he came to the Emerald City during a Bears-Packers NFL game.

Trivia Answer: Linda Carroll Hamilton who turns 55 today. Hamilton played the lead in Children of the Corn, based on the horror story by Stephen King. The movie was panned by critics, but it made a profit at the box office and had a strong cult following. Hamilton's next role was in The Terminator, co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, in 1984. The movie was an unexpectedly huge commercial and critical success. Following The Terminator, Hamilton starred in Black Moon Rising, an action thriller with Tommy Lee Jones. She then returned to television as a guest-star in the mystery series Murder, She Wrote, scoring favorable reviews. Hamilton next starred opposite Ron Perlman in the TV series Beauty and the Beast. The series was critically acclaimed, and she received Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Hamilton left the series in 1989 and it ended in 1990. Hamilton returned to the big screen in 1990 with Michael Caine in Mr. Destiny and in 1991 with Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the sequel to The Terminator. Hamilton underwent intense physical training to emphasize the character's transformation from the first film. Her identical twin sister Leslie Hamilton Gearren was Linda's double in Terminator 2. In 1990, Hamilton was chosen by People magazine as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in the world. In 2010, she joined the cast of Chuck in the recurring guest role of Mary Elizabeth Bartowski, a CIA agent and long-missing mother of Chuck and Ellie. She also appears as a guest star in the Showtime cable television show Weeds as the marijuana supplier for the show's main character (Mary Louise Parker). Linda married her first husband, actor Bruce Abbott, on December 18th of 1982. In 1989, Abbott and Hamilton separated while she was pregnant with their first child. Hamilton gave birth to her son Dalton on October 4th of 1989, and the couple divorced before the year's end. While filming Terminator 2 in 1991, Hamilton began a relationship with director James Cameron, whom she had met seven years earlier when he directed her in the first Terminator film. They had a daughter, Josephine, born in 1993. She and Cameron eventually married in 1997, but the marriage was short-lived, ending in a $50 million divorce settlement in 1999.

Fall has fell. Autumn began in the middle of the night around here -- at 2:04 this morning. It's the beginning of spring in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Mariners are down to their final six games of the year. They've got three in Texas against the Rangers starting tonight. Seattle is back home Monday hosting Oakland for the final three games of the season.

Tomorrow, it's the Huskies Pac-12 opener as they host the California Golden Bears at 12:30. It's the bye week for the Cougars.

Tomorrow night at 7:30, the Sounders return to MLS play as they head to Vancouver to face the Whitecaps.

Sunday afternoon at 1:15, it's the home-opener for the Seahawks as they host Arizona.

The lockout has started doing real damage to the NBA's calendar. Players won't report at the usual time. The preseason won't start as scheduled. And more cancellations could be necessary without a new labor deal soon. Out of time to keep everything intact, the NBA postponed training camps indefinitely and canceled 43 preseason games today because it has not reached an agreement with players. All games from October 9th through the 15th are off.

Saturday Night Live is back this weekend with Alec Baldwin hosting and Radiohead as the musical guest.

The Dow Jones industrial average closed up nearly 38 points today. Despite today's relative calm, it was a brutal week for stocks, with investors losing faith in economies and political leaders around the world. The Dow closed the week down 738 points, or 6.4%, its worst weekly performance since October 2008.

Today is Hug a Vegetarian Day. Be gentle. Today is Love Note Day. Words of love, powerful and poignant, expressed on paper. Today is National Dogs in Politics Day, a day to remember dogs who lived at the White House: Abe Lincoln's Fido, Franklin Roosevelt's Fala, Harry Truman's Mike and Feller, Dwight Eisenhower's Heidi, Lyndon's Johnson's Him and Her, Richard Nixon's Checkers, Ronald Reagan's Lucky and Rex, George Bush's Millie, Bill Clinton's Buddy, and George W. Bush's Barney, and Barack Obama's Bo.

Tomorrow is Museum day, part of the Smithsonian's annual effort to boost museum attendance. Museums around the country offering free admission tomorrow.

Calendar notes: On this date in 1946, in the fastest knockout in boxing history, Al Couture landed one blow on Ralph Walton's chin in Lewiston, Maine. Total time, including the ten-count: 11 seconds. In 1986, Congress designated the rose as America's national flower. In 1992: The TV sitcom Mad About You, starring Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt, debuted on NBC.

The X Factor premiered this week and it didn't get the kind of tune-in American Idol is used to. Simon Cowell says he's not too shocked about that. He says he never knows if the things he's a part of will be successful. (Is this the same Simon Cowell?) The X Factor is on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

There's more new TV tonight. There are season premieres of Kitchen Nightmares, CSI: New York, and Supernatural.

In theaters this weekend, Moneyball (PG-13), Abduction (PG-13), Killer Elite (R), and Dolphin Tale (PG).

This could be purely a coincidence, but don't you think it's a little fishy that right after we reduced NASA's funding they tell us a satellite is going to fall out of the sky? The Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite is headed home to Earth. NASA assures us that the majority of the six-ton satellite is made of aluminum and will burn up upon re-entry. However, they don't seem too worried about the remaining half-ton of material that is likely to make it through the atmosphere – or, that there is no way to track where it lands. But have no fear, they say it will probably separate into 26 pieces before landing, so there's more to go around. According to NASA, the chances that someone on the planet will be hit by a piece of the falling satellite are 1 in 3,200. The chances that you will be hit by one of these pieces are one in many trillions. NASA's latest predictions showed that the satellite won't be passing over North America during the time that it is expected to reenter the atmosphere.

Twenty years ago tomorrow, Nirvana put out their second album, Nevermind. The record would go on to become of the most important albums in rock history and would sell millions of copies worldwide. Nevermind was produced by Butch Vig, drummer for Garbage. In January of 1992, the album replaced Michael Jackson's Dangerous at the number one spot on the Billboard chart. The album is certified Diamond by the RIAA, for sales in excess of ten-million copies. By the way, on the same day, Red Hot Chili Peppers put out their classic album, Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton has updated fans on the progress of the band's latest album. In a new video, the rocker revealed that producer Jack Douglas is now compiling all the bits and pieces the group recorded this summer, assembling it and deciding where more instruments or vocals are needed. He went on to say that the album should come out next spring and that they're all excited about it.

Trivia Answer: Martin Page who turns 52 today. In 1994, Page received recognition as a singer and musician in his own right with his album In the House of Stone and Light. The title track, which he wrote himself after spending some time in reflection on a visit to the Grand Canyon, was a hit in the same year, reaching #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Page currently lives in Southern California. He has never married, and he shares his home with his three cats.

Stocks plunged today as investors were gripped by fear. The Dow sank 390 points or 3.5%. The Nasdaq and S&P 500 each fell about 3.2%. The Federal Reserve's comments about "significant downside risks" coupled with weak manufacturing reports from China and the Eurozone sparked a broad sell-off that spilled into copper, oil, and gold. As investors rushed out of stocks, they poured money into bonds, sending the yield on the 10-year Treasury note to a record low. At this rate, the Dow is on track for its worst week in nearly three years.

A run-scoring double with two outs in the ninth inning let the Minnesota Twins snap their 11-game losing streak. The Twins beat the Seattle Mariners 3-2 earlier today. The Twins avoided another sweep and won for just the second time in 17 games. It was another close game between the two teams. The Mariners won the first two games of the series by 5-4 scores and both teams had their chances late in this one. The Mariners are down to their final six games of the year. They've got three in Texas against the Rangers starting tomorrow night. Seattle is back home Monday hosting Oakland for the final three games of the season.

The post-season is taking shape as the New York Yankees clinched the AL East last night.

Saturday, it's the Huskies Pac-12 opener as they host the California Golden Bears. It's the bye week for the Cougars.

Saturday, the Sounders return to MLS play as they head to Vancouver to face the Whitecaps.

Sunday, it's the home-opener for the Seahawks as they host Arizona.

Today is Dear Diary Day, a day to write it down. Today is American Business Women's Day. Today is Ice Cream Cone Day, marking Italo Marchiony's invention of the cone, first made of paper then pastry, for his push cart ice cream business in New York City. He filed to patent the cone mold on this date in 1903 and received the patent in December. Today is Elephant Appreciation Day.

On this date in 1976, Charlie's Angels debuted on ABC-TV. The crime drama starred Kate Jackson as Sabrina Duncan, Farrah Fawcett as Jill Munroe, and Jaclyn Smith as Kelly Garrett. David Doyle was Bosley, and John Forsythe was the voice of Charlie Townsend. Cheryl Ladd, Shelly Hack, and Tanya Roberts replaced departing angels during the show's five-year run. Don't look now, but it's back. Tonight is the series premiere of Charlies Angels.

On this date in 1985, the first Farm Aid benefit concert was held in Champaign, Illinois. Willie Nelson, Neil Young, and John Mellencamp helped raise $10-million to aid the nation's farmers. On this date in 1989, Baywatch debuted on NBC. Friends premiered on NBC on this date in 1994. It was on this date in 2004, that the Federal Communications Commission voted to fine CBS a record $550,000 for indecency related to the Super Bowl in which Janet Jackson suffered a wardrobe malfunction. The FCC fined each of the 20 CBS-owned television stations the maximum penalty of $27,500.

More new TV tonight: the season premieres of Grey's Anatomy and The Office.

Bill Gates is still the richest person in America. Forbes magazine's annual list of the 400 wealthiest people in the US has the Microsoft founder at the top with a net worth of $59 billion. That's up about $5 billion from what the magazine estimates Gates' worth at in 2010. Gates is followed on the list by investor Warren Buffett with $39 billion and Larry Ellison of Oracle with $33 billion. There are six other people on the list from Washington: Jeff Bezos ($19.1 billion), Steve Ballmer ($13.9 billion), Paul Allen ($13.2 billion ), James Jannard ($3 billion), Craig McCaw ($1.6 billion) and Howard Shultz ($1.3 billion).

Our tweet du jour comes from matchbox twenty: Sometimes I start off reading the news online & then end up looking up trivia facts about Keenan Ivory Wayans. I don't know how this happens.

Apparently not everyone loves Adele's song, Someone Like You. A music store owner in Dublin, Ireland put a sign up in his shop front of where the keyboards are located saying, "Strictly NO Adele." Apparently many people who came into the store were attempting to play her tune. He told British paper The Independent that Someone Like You was becoming the "the piano equivalent of Stairway to Heaven, everyone thinks they can play it." He added that "the sign was a bit of a joke, but the song can drive you mad."

Laurie Metcalf, who played Roseanne's sister on Roseanne, is getting a divorce. Her husband, Matt Roth, has filed citing those ever-popular "irreconcilable differences." The pair was married in 2005 but dated for a long time before that and have three children under the age of 18.

David Silverman is about to open the nation's largest museum dedicated to speeding silver balls and fast-motion flippers. The National Pinball Museum opens in November in a 12,000 square foot space in Baltimore's tourist district and includes exhibits on the history of pinball. It's also stocked with up to 900 pinball machines.

A man in New Delhi, India, has kept his right arm raised above his head since 1973. The clerk -- Mahant Amar Bharti Ji -- has kept his arm up for 38+ years in honor of a Hindu deity (Shiva). Despite pain and arm deformation, he's managed to keep his arm raised for nearly 4 decades.

Trivia Answer: The Peace Corps. The mission of the Peace Corps includes three goals: providing technical assistance, helping people outside the United States to understand US culture, and helping Americans to understand the cultures of other countries. Each program participant -- each Peace Corps Volunteer -- is an American citizen, typically with a college degree, who works abroad for a period of 24 months after three months of training. Volunteers work with governments, schools, non-profit organizations, non-government organizations, and entrepreneurs in education, hunger, business, information technology, agriculture, and the environment. Since 1961, over 200,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps and have served in 139 countries.

The Federal Reserve pulled the trigger today on a widely anticipated stimulus move, a policy involving the sale of $400 billion in short-term Treasuries in exchange for the same amount of longer term bonds. The goal is to push down interest rates on everything from mortgages to business loans, giving consumers and companies an additional incentive to borrow and spend money. Wall Street was apparently not impressed. Stocks fell to their lowest levels of the day after the Fed's announcement. While it was exactly what investors had been anticipating, meeting expectations with the bare minimum came up short of pleasing them. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 283 points.

Mike Carp went 5-for-5, Adam Kennedy hit a tie-breaking infield single in the seventh inning, and the Seattle Mariners beat the Minnesota Twins 5-4 last night handing the Twins their 10th straight loss. The Twins haven't had a 10 game losing streak since September of 1998. The Ms and Twins meet again tonight at 5.

Herediano beat the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in CONCACAF Champions League group play last night. It was the Sounders first group play loss. Seattle still leads the four-team group with two games left. The Sounders return to MLS action as they head to Vancouver to face the Whitecaps Saturday.

Also Saturday, the Huskies host California. This is the bye week for the Cougars.

The home opener for the Seahawks is coming up Sunday as they host Arizona.

Last Sunday, football stadiums across the country began to implement enhanced pat downs. According to USA Today, "The NFL wants all fans patted down from the ankles up this season to improve fan safety." This will result in longer wait times to get into stadiums, as TSA agents conduct thorough searches among attendees. Of course, being physically searched is not without controversy. Several fans have already filed suits across the country by challenging the league's searches in court.

Today is Observe the Speed Limit Day, a day to slow down and see if you can drive legally for 24 hours, and then declare yourself a Law-Abiding Citizen. Today is World Gratitude Day. Today is Throw Away Something Day or, if you prefer, Give Away Something Day. It's just a good day to reduce the clutter in your life.

Calendar Notes: On this date in 1897, the New York Sun ran its famous editorial that declared, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus." On this date in 1970, Monday Night Football made its debut on ABC television as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets, 31-21. On this date in 1981, the US Senate confirmed Sandra Day O'Connor to be the first female justice on the Supreme Court.

Dead or alive, Charlie Sheen ruled the TV airwaves Monday, pulling in record audiences for his Comedy Central roast and more than 28 million Americans to his Two and A Half Men TV funeral. Some 28.7 million watched CBS bury Sheen's wayward TV character Charlie Harper and introduce new star Ashton Kutcher in an all-time series high audience for the comedy, according to updated figures from research company Nielsen. Comedy Central, meanwhile, said Sheen's was its most-watched roast ever. The audience for Two and A Half Men was more than double that of last year's season opener and bigger than any episode in the show's first eight seasons with Sheen in the starring role. Sheen and Warner Bros, by the way, are said to be close to a settlement of the actor's $100 million lawsuit over his firing. Sheen has also made a number of contrite appearances in the past week, including delivering an awkward mea culpa at the Primetime Emmy Awards show on Sunday.

On TV tonight, The X Factor premieres on Fox; Law & Order: SVU is back -- without Christopher Meloni; and CIS returns for a 12th season with Ted Danson joining the show.

A guy hitchhikes 5,000 miles across the country in this very cool stop-motion video:

Plans for next summer's London Olympics are well under way and a big part of the planning involves the nominations for the Olympic Torch relay. A computer scientist has nominated a robot to be part of the London 2012 Olympic Torch Relay. The 3 foot tall iCub robot has been nominated by Dr. James Law to mark the centenary in 2012 of the birth of Alan Turing, the father of modern computer science.

How many photos have ever been taken? The website 1000memories estimates 3.5 trillion throughout history.

Almost one in five Americans who work from home only clock in for an hour or less a day, according to a survey, while a third stay in their pajamas.

A Sarasota, Florida-based credit card processing company is offering customers a free AK-47 if they open a new account and meet certain minimums for card-charging volume.

Mick Jagger is the focal point of Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera's video for their smash, Moves Like Jagger but it seems that the legendary Rolling Stones singer didn't like the original cut of the video clip. He told the British paper The Times that there was "far too much" of him in the first version of the video, and that he made them "cut out a bit." Mick also revealed that Maroon 5 asked him to perform at one of their shows and he turned it down because he didn't know what he would do while they performed the song.

Have INXS and singer JD Fortune parted ways? According to NME, a new song was posted on the band's official website and it features a "mysterious Irish vocalist." Meanwhile, Fortune was only featured on one track on the group's latest release, Original Sin, which came out earlier in the year. NME also reports that INXS will release a statement regarding Fortune's future with the band later this week. Fortune became lead singer after winning the 2005 reality show Rock Star: INXS

Lady Gaga is at the top of the fashion world – well, at least according to one poll anyway. ContactMusic.com reports that clothing brand Hot Tuna took a survey of the top celebrities in the world in anticipation for London fashion week, and the pop star was voted number one, with model Kate Moss finishing a close second. At the bottom of the list were Rihanna and Victoria Beckham.

The Black Eyed Peas are performing in New York City's Central Park on September 30th. The Concert 4 NYC was originally scheduled for June 9th, but was canceled due to extreme weather conditions. It marks the first show in Central Park for the multi-platinum group. The concert benefits the Robin Hood Foundation and its mission to fight poverty in New York City. Proceeds from the show also fund the creation of three new sites for The Black Eyed Peas' Peapod Academies in New York City.

Coldplay's Chris Martin says that their producer Brian Eno is more like a member of their band. Martin told Rolling Stone that Eno, who is famous for both his production work and solo material, gets to stand in the circle with the band and play alongside them, making him more of a player than a producer. Coldplay's new album, Mylo Xyloto, is set to come out on October 24th.

Matchbox twenty has revealed information about their forthcoming new album. The guys have been in Nashville working on their first record since 2002's More Than You Think You Are, and guitarist Paul Doucette said on the group's Twitter page that it's being released "early next year." Still no word on what it will be titled.

Over the weekend, John Mayer gave an update on his next album, Born and Raised. The singer wrote on his Tumblr that due to a problem with his vocal cords, he has had to push the release of the effort back to "next year" instead of "this fall or winter" as he had originally intended. He also added that he had to cancel two gigs, including one that was supposed to be with Tony Bennett.

Barenaked Ladies has a greatest hits album on the way. According to a press release, the effort is titled Hits From Yesterday & The Day Before, and it features 14 tracks, including, for the first time on CD, their theme song to the hit TV show the Big Bang Theory. The album comes out September 27th.

Trivia Answer: Stephen Edwin King who turns 64 today. Many of his books have been adapted into feature films, television movies and comic books. Carrie, The Shining, Creepshow, Cujo, The Dead Zone, Children of the Corn, Pet Sematary, Misery, and the list literally goes on and on. King is also a baseball fan, and a Boston Red Sox fan. He frequently attends the team's home and away games, and occasionally mentions the team in his novels and stories.

The run was fun but it's done for the Seattle Storm. Candice Dupree's putback with 1.9 seconds remaining lifted Phoenix to a 77-75 victory over the Storm in Game 3 last night, sending the Mercury to the Western Conference finals and sending the Seattle Storm home. Sue Bird scored 22 points to lead defending champion Seattle, and Lauren Jackson added 18, but in the end, it wasn't quite enough as Seattle's year comes to a close.

Mike Carp hit a grand slam into the second deck in right field and drove in five runs during Seattle's nine-run third inning, leading the Mariners to a rain-shortened 12-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians yesterday. The Mariners stopped in for one day to make up a rainout from May 15th, and played in a steady drizzle before the field was covered at the start of the eighth. After waiting 44 minutes, it was called. That Mariners' third inning was their biggest inning of the season, surpassing a six-run outburst April 27th at Detroit. The Ms are down to their final nine games -- three in Minnesota, three in Texas, then three at home with Oakland. The good news is that they will not lose 100 games this year. They can lose from here on out and end the year with 98 losses. The Ms and Twins tonight at 5.

Tonight at 7, the Sounders host Herediano in a CONCACAF match.

Coming up Saturday, the Washington Huskies host the California Golden Bears. It's the bye week for WSU. The Cougars are back in action October 1st as they play in Colorado.

Sunday, it's the Seahawks' home-opener as they host Arizona.

Bob Hope's widow, Dolores Hope, has passed away. Dolores and Bob were married in 1934. The couple was married for 69 years, until Bob died in 2003. Delores died yesterday morning. She was was 102.

Today marks the Birthday of the Sun, according to the Incas. The Incas aren't sure exactly how old the sun is. Today is National Gibberish Day. Today is Make Your Own Junk Food at Home Day.

Today marks the release of Gavin DeGraw's highly anticipated new album, Sweeter.

Remember when you were a kid, and your parents told you not to fret about the honey bee that was buzzing around your soda can, because "it's more afraid of you than you are of it. It's just an itsy bitsy bee, you're a big ole human." Well, it turns out mom and dad might have been wrong. USA Today reports that bees attacked -- and killed -- a one-thousand pound hog in Tucson. In addition, the Africanized Killer Bees came from a hive that weighed more than two-hundred pounds.

Flint, Michigan, was the most violent city in the nation in 2010, according to FBI statistics released yesterday. Flint had 22 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Detroit ranked second on the list. St. Louis; New Haven, Connecticut; and Memphis round out the top five.

The world's largest sperm bank is telling redheads thanks but no thanks. Demand for red-haired donors is so low that Cryos International says they needn't bother donating. The director of Cryos says there are too many redheads in relation to demand. He says, however, men with dark hair sell "like hot cakes."

TV Premier Week continues. Tonight's season premieres include NCIS, Glee and The Biggest Loser. Series premieres include Unforgettable and New Girl.

Tonight'd be a good night to stay up. Kelly Clarkson, Gavin DeGraw, Harry Connick Jr., Matt Nathanson, and Coldplay are all performing on late night TV. Kelly is on Leno, Nathanson is on Conan, Gavin is on Kimmel, Harry is on Craig Ferguson, and Coldplay is on Letterman.

"Royal wedding" and "winning" (as in Charlie Sheen's catch-phrase) were the two most used phrases on television in 2011, according to a survey released this morning by the Global Language Monitor.

Calendar notes: It was on this date in 1973, the singer-songwriter Jim Croce and five others, on their way to do a concert in Sherman, Texas, died in a Louisiana plane crash. Croce was 30 years old. On the same day, in a so-called "battle of the sexes," tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in straight sets at the Houston Astrodome. On this date in 1975, Bruce Springsteen released Born To Run. And 20 years ago today, a fast-acting poultry judge saved a prize-winning chicken's life at the Western Washington Fair -- The Puyallup. The hen almost drowned while being given a bath, but Judge Sherry Milligan gave it mouth-to-beak resuscitation.

Trivia Answer: Anne Meara who turns 82 today. She and Jerry performed as the comic team Stiller and Meara. Meara has been married to Stiller since 1954. Both were members of the improvisational company The Compass Players (which later became The Second City), and the pair, as the comedy team Stiller and Meara, brought many of their real-life relationship foibles to bear on their often-improvised comedy routines. After some years honing the act, Stiller and Meara became regulars on The Ed Sullivan Show and other TV programs. Their career declined, however, as variety series gradually disappeared. During the 1970s, Meara and Stiller wrote and performed many radio commercials together for Blue Nun Wine. She had a recurring role on the sitcom Rhoda as airline stewardess Sally Gallagher, one of the title character's best friends. She also had a small role opposite Laurence Olivier in The Boys from Brazil. Meara costarred with Carroll O'Connor and Martin Balsam in the early 1980s hit sitcom Archie Bunker's Place, which was a continuation of the 1970s sitcom All in the Family. She played the role of Veronica Rooney, the bar's cook, for the show's first three seasons. She also appeared as the grandmother in the TV series ALF in the late 1980s. More recently, she has had recurring roles on the television shows Sex and the City (as Mary Brady) and The King of Queens (as Veronica). In the 2004-2005 season, she appeared in an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Earlier this year, she accepted a role in the Off Broadway play Love, Loss, and What I Wore.

Friday morning, we put forth the question: Are the Steelers really 14 points better than the Seahawks? We have an answer now: Yes. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 298 yards and a touchdown as the Steelers routed the Hawks 24-0 yesterday. The Seahawks put up little resistance. And if you thought the offense was bad last week, well it got worse. The Hawks didn't take an offensive snap on Pittsburgh's side of the field until midway through the fourth quarter. Seattle was shutout for the first time since their last visit to the Steel City in 2007.

Monday Night Football tonight, the St. Louis Rams are in New York to face the Giants. Kick-off at 5:30.

No. 11 Nebraska defeated Washington 51-38 in a wild game Saturday in which the teams combined for 884 yards of offense. The Cornhuskers (3-0) won the third meeting of the teams in 364 days. Nebraska won 56-21 in Seattle last September but lost 19-7 in a rematch at the Holiday Bowl. Saturday, the Huskies are back home hosting California.

San Diego State won its third straight game to start the season for the first time in 30 years with a 42-24 win over Washington State on Saturday. The win also broke the Aztecs' 22-game losing streak against BCS schools and snapped a 19-game losing streak to teams in the Pac-12. The Cougars drop to 1-and-2. It's bye week for the Cougs. They're back in action on October 1st when they play at Colorado.

The Phoenix Mercury beat the Seattle Storm 92-83 Saturday night to even their Western Conference playoff series at a game apiece. Sue Bird had 17 points and four assists for the defending champion Storm, who had won their last eight postseason games. Game three of the best-of-three series is tonight at 7in Seattle.

As the season is winding down, the Seattle Sounders are playing their best. That was apparent Saturday night as Seattle hosted DC United in MLS play. The Sounders cruised to a 3-nil win in a match that was all Seattle from the very first minute. The Sounders now host Herediano in a CONCACAF match tomorrow night.

Adrian Beltre got the best of friend and former teammate Felix Hernandez, hitting a two-strike pitch for a two-run homer in the fourth inning and propelling the Texas Rangers to a 3-0 win over the Seattle Mariners yesterday. Beltre was one of Hernandez's closest friends when Hernandez first made the jump to the majors and Beltre was with the Mariners. Beltre left after the 2009 season and when Beltre walked to the plate in the fourth inning Sunday, it was just his ninth plate appearance against the Mariners ace. Instead of pitching conservatively, Hernandez went right at Beltre with the 0-2, two-out fastball, and the veteran got the better of Hernandez. In his final home start of the season, Hernandez wasn't his sharpest. The reigning AL Cy Young winner gave up nine hits and struck out five but lost his second straight decision. Seattle makes a detour to Cleveland for a makeup game on today. Seattle then opens a three-game series in Minnesota tomorrow. Counting today, the Ms are down to their final 10 games of the season.

Modern Family led the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards with five awards including the Emmy for for best comedy series. AMC's Mad Men won the 2011 Emmy for best drama series, the fourth year the series has taken the award. Madmen went into the night with 19 nominations and left with two statues.

Seventeen years after the film first hit theaters, The Lion King is back on top of the movie jungle . A 3-D version of the 1994 animated classic reclaimed the box office throne with a strong $29.3 million in domestic ticket sales over the weekend.

This is TV's big week of season and series premieres. The biggest tonight is the revamped Two and a Half Men, with Ashton Kutcher replacing Charlie Sheen. Tonight, of course, is also the night the Roast of Charlie Sheen is on. Seth MacFarlane, William Shatner and Kate Walsh all take turns roasting Charlie at 10 o'clock tonight on Comedy Central.

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day. Today is National Butterscotch Pudding Day. Today is Respect for the Aged Day in Japan. National Love Your Files Week begins today.

On this date in 1976, President Gerald Ford signed a bill posthumously making George Washington a 6-star general, the highest ever US military rank.

An era came to an end over the weekend when J.P. Patches retired. Saturday, hundreds of people watched him in his last public performance. It was at Fisherman's Terminal in Seattle. J.P. has been a Puget Sound performer for more than 50 years, and his Emmy Award-winning TV show aired from 1958 to 1981. After signing off the air, he continued to make appearances for years. But because of health concerns, 83-year-old Chris Wedes (wee-dus) is retiring.

Star Wars character Obi-Wan Kenobi has been voted as the greatest Star Wars character of all time. Almost 12-thousand votes were cast in the poll on NextMovie.com and the Jedi master won 25 percent of those votes. Han Solo came in second and Darth Vader in third.

As part of their 100 year celebration Chevrolet set up a bracket style voting system in an attempt to pick the best car the company ever produced. After 124,368 votes were cast the 1969 Camaro came out victorious.

Tomorrow sees the release of Gavin DeGraw's new album, Sweeter.

Back before Lady Gaga was one of the biggest artists in the world, she moved from New York to LA to try and get her music career up and running. Well while there in 2008, Gaga stopped by Kat Von D's tattoo shop to get a little ink done, and Radar Online has gotten their hands on video of Gaga getting her lower back tatted up. She speaks to Kat throughout the process, saying that she's a singer and a songwriter, and that she recently worked with New Kids on the Block and that it was "rad."

Trivia Answer: Jim Abbott who turns 44 today. When preparing to pitch the ball, Abbott would rest a right-handed thrower's glove on the end of his right forearm. After releasing the ball, he would quickly slip his hand into the glove, usually in time to field any balls that a two-handed pitcher would be able to field. Then he would remove the glove by securing it between his right forearm and torso, slip his hand out of the glove, and remove the ball from the glove, usually in time to throw out the runner and sometimes even start double plays. At all levels, teams tried to exploit his fielding disadvantage by repeatedly bunting to him; this tactic was never effective. While with the University of Michigan, Abbott won the James E. Sullivan Award as the nation's best amateur athlete in 1987 and won a gold medal in the demonstration event at the 1988 Summer Olympics. He was drafted in the first round of the 1988 Major League Baseball Draft and reached the Majors the next year. He threw a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians in 1993. Abbott retired with a career record of 87 wins and 108 losses, with a 4.25 earned run average. He currently works as a motivational speaker.

Tanisha Wright scored 21 points, and Camille Little had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the defending WNBA champion Storm over the Phoenix Mercury 80-61 last night in the opener of the Western Conference semifinals. Lauren Jackson added 13 points, six rebounds and three blocks for Seattle. Game two is tomorrow night at 7 n Phoenix.

An off day for the Mariners yesterday. They open a three-game series with the Texas Rangers tonight at Safeco.

Tomorrow afternoon at 12:30, the Huskies are at Nebraska. Then at 3:30, the Cougars are at San Diego State

The Sounders are home against DC United tomorrow night at 6.

Sunday the Seahawks are in Pittsburgh to face the Steelers.

Today is Cherokee Strip Day in Oklahoma, marking the great run for Oklahoma land on this date in 1893. Those who cheated and left the day before were called 'Sooners.' Today is National Play-Dough Day, marking its invention on this date in 1956. At last report, over 900 million pounds had been sold. Today is Stop the World Day, a day to pause, calm down, be nice, and plant a seed. Wile E. Coyote and The Roadrunner debuted in movie theaters on this date in 1949. Chuck Jones created the characters as a parody of Tom & Jerry. Today is National Cinnamon Raisin Bread Day. Today is National Collect Rocks Day. Today is International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, sponsored by the United Nations.

On this date in 1991, The Avon, Colorado, Town Council voted to name the town's new bridge. They selected on of the 84 names suggested by citizens. The name they selected was 'Bob.' That's the one I would've picked.

The US Postal Service is considering shutting down an Olympia-area mail processing and distribution center which employs 118 people. In an effort to cut costs, the Postal Service is studying whether to consolidate its operations at 252 locations across the country. That could mean the closure of the Olympia Processing and Distribution Facility which is on 76th Avenue in Tumwater. The study is to determine if the Olympia operations should be consolidated with Seattle. The Postal Service is looking at doing the same thing with centers in Tacoma and Everett. The study won't be complete until early next year.

This is not the Easy-Bake Oven you remember. The latest version of the famous toy oven first marketed in 1963 with a carrying handle and a fake stove top is now all curves and purple and snazzy graphics. And- - perhaps most shocking of all -- it comes with a new instruction: No light bulb necessary. Chalk it up as an unintended consequence of the federal government's move to phase out the incandescent light bulb. The compact fluorescents that are becoming the new standard for household use are so energy efficient that they're useless in baking a brownie -- or any of the other miniature treats the Easy-Bake has been cooking up for nearly 50 years. Initially, news of the death of the 100-watt bulb prompted rumors that the Easy-Bake might be going the same way. Instead, the toy got its 11th redesign, at the heart of which is a new heating element much like that of a traditional oven. The forced re-engineering also handed Hasbro an excuse to give the Easy-Bake, its most modern makeover yet. Along with the latest makeover comes a new line of Easy-Bake mixes. There's a pink-and-brown checkerboard cake, along with whoopie pies, party pretzel dippers and cinnamon twists. The cook time is about the same with the new heating element, about 15 minutes on average.

On Halloween of 1991, Nirvana played a 60 minute set at Seattle's Paramount Theatre. It wasn't televised at the time, and hasn't been since. Later this month, VH1 is putting the the show on to commemorate the 20-year anniversary of Nirvana's Nevermind album. The concert airs next Friday night at 11.

Maroon 5's Moves Like Jagger featuring Christina Aguilera, rebounds to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, bouncing Adele's Someone Like You down to number two.

Could Madonna be getting ready to release her own fragrance? Fragrance insiders have revealed that Madge is in "serious talks" with the brand Coty to have her own scent.

This is just an awful story. A suburban Chicago man who admitted to stabbing his mother to death allegedly told authorities that his actions stemmed not from his bipolar disorder, but from anger that she refused to get him tickets to an Avril Lavigne concert. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that the man flew into a rage after his mother refused to call a friend to arrange for tickets to an Avril Lavigne show. He allegedly hit her over the head twice with a champagne bottle and then stabbed her in the back nine times. 39-year-old Robert Lyons' first-degree murder trial began this week. He's been behind bars since he was arrested.

Brad Pitt talked very openly with Parade magazine about his marriage to Jennifer Aniston. He said that it didn't work because he was "trying to pretend the marriage was something that it wasn't" and that it became very clear he "wasn't living an interesting life" He goes on to call his current partner, Angelina Jolie, a great mom and says that he's very satisfied.

I don't know art, but I know Arby's. Two women in East Tennessee have been arrested for taking artwork from the lobby of a Johnson City Arby's restaurant. Both 45-year-old Connie Sumlin and 58-year-old Gail Johnson are charged with theft of property over five-hundred dollars, and have been released on a one-thousand dollar bond.

Supermodel and TV host Heidi Klum has been named the most dangerous celebrity in cyberspace, inviting malware and viruses to flourish on computers. Internet security firm McAfee said searching for downloads and screensavers for the "Project Runaway" judge and former Victoria's Secret model runs a nearly one in 10 chance of landing on a malicious website with spyware, spam, phishing and other viruses designed to steal personal information. CNN talk show host Piers Morgan, also a judge on "America's Got Talent" and a former British tabloid newspaper editor, was the most dangerous male celebrity in the survey, produced annually and released yesterday by McAfee. McAfee said cyber criminals often used the name of popular celebrities to lure people to websites that are laden with malicious software.

The most dangerous celebrities in cyberspace, according to McAfee are:

1. Heidi Klum
2. Cameron Diaz
3. Piers Morgan
4. Jessica Biel

Trivia Answer: Bobby McFerrin's Don't Worry, Be Happy. The song was originally released in conjunction with the film Cocktail in 1988, and could only manage its way to No. 88 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was re-released later that same year and made it to No. 1. At the 1989 Grammy Awards, it won the awards for Song of the Year, Record of the Year, and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance. The "instruments" in the a cappella song are entirely overdubbed voice parts and other sounds made by McFerrin, using no instruments at all. It's ranked #31 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s.

Luis Rodriguez led off the bottom of the 12th inning with a solo homer off New York reliever Cory Wade, and the Seattle Mariners delayed Mariano Rivera's chase for the saves record with a 2-1 win over the Yankees last night. A special thank you to my family for the Fathers Day gift of tickets to the game. I did discover, however, that a pitchers' duel is much more enjoyable on television than it is in person. Ms are off today then open a three-game series with the Texas Rangers tomorrow night.

The Sounders beat Herediano 2-1 in a CONCACAF match in Costa Rica yesterday. The Sounders have won four consecutive CCL matches and currently sit atop Group D. Seattle has an opportunity to clinch advancement in their next champions league match on Tuesday against Herediano at CenturyLink Field. But first they have an MLS match when they host DC United Saturday night at 6.

The Seattle Storm opens the post-season tonight. They're hosting the Phoenix Mercury at the Key with a 7 o'clock tip-off.

Saturday, the Huskies are at Nebraska while the Cougars are at San Diego State

Are the Steelers really 14 points better than the Seahawks? That's a question you'll have to ask yourself if you're planning to put money on Pittsburgh in Las Vegas this week. According to VegasInsider.com, the Steelers opened as a 13-point favorite over the Seahawks, and the line has since moved to 14. That makes the Seahawks far and away the week's biggest NFL underdog. Sunday morning, the Seahawks are at Pittsburgh.

National Hispanic Heritage Month begins today. Today is Make a Hat Day. And apparently it's our choice, it can be either Make a Serious Hat Day or Make a Goofy Hat Day. Today is USA Today Day, marking the first issue of the Nation's Newspaper on this date in 1982.

On this date in 1954, during night filming for the movie The Seven Year Itch in New York City, a gust of wind from a subway grating lifted Marilyn Monroe's skirt. Though her husband Joe DiMaggio objected, the scene made it to the world's movie screens.

Paul McCartney is getting married this weekend. A source tells Us Weekly that Paul's gettig hitched to his fiancée, Nancy Shevell, at a farmhouse in Sussex, England in a small, intimate wedding. The insider added, "It's going to be very elegant and classic." Those of us on this side of the big pond need not worry though, the pair is celebrating in New York with a big party later on.

Lady Gaga and Adele are both now in the Guinness Book of World Records. Gaga made the 2012 edition for having the Most Followers on Twitter, as well as Most Weeks on the US Hot Digital Songs chart for Poker Face. Adele is in the book for Most Consecutive Weeks at Number One on the UK chart for her album 21, as well as First Female to Reach the UK Top 5 with Two Singles and Two Albums Simultaneously. Other people making the book include Taylor Swift and Beyonce.

Both Katy Perry and Adele are apparently feeling better. They're both back on the road after having to cancel dates because of illnesses. After missing her show on Sunday, Perry performed in Columbus, Ohio, even though she was still a bit sick. As for Adele, she had a chest infection that caused her to miss a handful of shows, but she was back on stage in England, telling that crowd, "Thank God I'm ****in' well. I've been ill as a dog!"

Charlie Sheen is saying that he is "calmer, clean and sober" now. The actor told Matt Lauer on the Today Show that he looks at his past behavior and doesn't really know what happened. He went on to say he won't take back his memorable media appearances or the catchphrases he coined, but that he's moved on from that.

Rihanna is featured on the new Coldplay album. The singer lends her pipes to the track Princess of China. The song is off their upcoming fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto, which comes out on October 25th.

There's nothing odd about picking up a grape and tasting it before deciding to buy a bunch, right? Well a man in Pennsylvania is behind bars today for doing the exact same thing ... but with meat. 53-year-old Scott T. Shover has been accused of eating raw meat at a local Wal-Mart, then putting the open packages back on the shelves. Employees escorted Scott out of the store and alerted a police officer that he had eaten $24.35 worth of food without paying for it. Since Scott had four prior retail theft convictions, his charge was upped to felony retail theft.

Trivia Answer: Vina Fay Wray who was born on this date in 1907. She was born near Cardston, Alberta. Her family moved to Salt Lake City in 1912. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1935. She's best remembered for her role as Ann Darrow, the blonde captive of the gigantic gorilla in the classic horror/adventure film King Kong in 1933. She wore a blonde wig over her naturally dark hair for the role. She continued in films but by the early 1940s her appearances grew sporadic. Wray was approached to appear in a small cameo for the 2005 remake of King Kong. She met with Naomi Watts who was to play the Ann Darrow role. Before filming commenced, however, Wray died in her sleep on August 8th of 2004 in her Manhattan apartment of natural causes -- 38 days shy of her 97th birthday.

Mariano Rivera earned his 600th save, moving within one of Trevor Hoffman's major league record, by closing out the New York Yankees' 3-2 win … over the Seattle Mariners last night. Ms and Yanks wrap up the series tonight at Safeco. Just two weeks left in the Mariners' season.

The Mariners are unveiling a statue of Hall of Fame broadcaster Dave Niehaus outside Safeco Field on Friday before the game against the Texas Rangers. Niehaus died November 10th. He was the voice of the Mariners from their first game in 1977 through the final game of the 2010 season. His wife, Marilyn, along with several other family members, are being joined by longtime booth partner Rick Rizzs, team President Chuck Armstrong, and former players Dan Wilson and Jay Buhner at the invitation-only unveiling. Eventually, fans can see the bronze statue depicting Niehaus behind his microphone. It's being located on the main concourse near Section 105 in right field. The statue includes a spot where you can sit next to Niehaus for a picture. The scorebook in front of the statue is from Game 5 of the 1995 American League Division Series, which the Mariners won on Edgar Martinez's double -- The Double.

On this date in 1990, in an unprecedented father-son feat, Seattle's Ken Griffey and Ken Griffey Jr. hit back-to-back home runs off California's Kirk McCaskill. California won the game anyway.

The Sounders are in Costa Rica tonight for a CONCACAF match. They return to MLS play when they host DC United Saturday.

Tomorrow night at 7:00, the Seattle Storm opens the post-season hosting Phoenix in game one of the conference semi-finals.

Saturday, the Huskies are at Nebraska, and the Cougars are at San Diego State.

Sunday morning, the Seahawks and Steelers meet.

Today is Eat A Hoagie Day. Today is Hug a Crabby Stranger Day. Today is National Cream-Filled Doughnut Day. Today is The Waltons Day, marking the TV show's debut on this date in 1972. Today is also The Golden Girls Day, marking the TV show's debut on this date in 1985.

On this date in 2003, Brandi Carbee and Natalie Svenvold of Bellingham, Washington, set a world record of 75 hours for teeter-tottering. The old record was 24 hours. The ladies said they were very, very tired -- especially their butts. Of course, Demetri Martin points out that if you have fat friends, there are no teeter totters -- just catapults.

According to various reports, Christina Aguilera's position as a vocal coach on The Voice is secure, dismissing earlier reports that she would be fired after the completion of next season's singing competition. A rumor about Aguilera's proposed firing erupted after X17 Online reported that producers were unhappy working with her and planned to replace her in third season of the show. An NBC executive cleared the air saying, "There is absolutely no truth to the rumor." Aguilera, Adam Levine, Cee-Lo Green and Blake Shelton all return when The Voice returns on Sunday, February 5th, after the Super Bowl.

Sad news for Steven Tyler. His father, Victor Tallarico, passed away Saturday in New Hampshire at the age of 95. According to Victor's obituary, he was surrounded by family when he died peacefully. The obit also mentions Tallarico's children, Lynda, a retired teacher, and of course, Steven. It explains Victor launched Steven's music career and he went on to become famous as "Steven Tyler, the lead singer of the rock band Aerosmith." Tyler's mom, Victor's wife of 63 years, Susan, died in 2008 at age 84. In a 2010 interview, Victor said that his favorite Aerosmith song is Dream On because "it's not really a rock song." He also said he was proud of his son, adding, "There is no one like him. There will never be. He, as far as I'm concerned, is a genius."

Charlie Sheen is making his way to late night television. He's appearing on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno tomorrow night to promote his Comedy Central Roast, which airs on Monday. Monday, by the way, also marks the premiere of the new season of Two and a Half Men, the first season without Sheen.

Jane Lynch is reportedly looking to release her first memoir. It's titled Happy Accidents and contains personal stories about her childhood, motherhood, and marriage as well as what it was like working with former cast mates including Charlie Sheen. The memoir is set to be released October 4th.

Lady Gaga, Usher and Bono and The Edge from U2 are set to perform at party for former president Bill Clinton next month. The event celebrates the 10th anniversary of the William J. Clinton Foundation is happening at the famed Hollywood Bowl on October 15th. The William J. Clinton Foundation has raised more than 10-billion dollars for HIV/AIDS treatment, economic empowerment, food aid and global health initiatives.

The 2011 Olympia AIDS Walk is just around the corner. The United Communities AIDS Network is hosting AIDS Walk 2011 on Saturday, September 24th, in the heart of Downtown Olympia. Visit the AIDS Walk website at olyaidswalk.com to download a pledge form. The walk starts at 9:30 in the morning on September 24th at Sylvester Park.

Princeton joined Harvard University atop the annual US News & World Report rankings of US colleges released yesterday.

The real prime time for people with televisions is 9:15 in the evening. The Nielsen Company says nearly 42 percent of American adults who have televisions are watching them between 9:15 and 9:30 at night, the highest percentage of the evening.

A Chicago company has created the world's largest chocolate bar at 12,000 pounds. World's Finest Chocolate said the 6-ton bar measures nearly 3 feet high and 21 feet long.

Police in Wichita, Kansas, said a man broke into a home, collected items he planned to steal, but then decided to rest -- after taking a shower. The homeowners found him snoozing and called cops.

The readers of Rolling Stone magazine have cast their votes for the worst songs of the '90s and the results are in.

1. Barbie Girl -- Aqua
2. Macarena -- Los Del Rio
3. Achy Breaky Heart -- Billy Ray Cyrus
4. Ice Ice Baby -- Vanilla Ice
5. Tubthumping -- Chumbawamba
6. MMMBop -- Hanson
7. My Heart Will Go On -- Celine Dion
8. Who Let the Dogs Out? -- Baha Men
9. I'm Too Sexy -- Right Said Fred
10. What's Up? -- 4 Non Blondes

Trivia Answer: Melinda Lou Morse was born Melinda Lou Thomas. As a child she pronounced Melinda as Wenda. She's the daughter and fourth child of businessman Dave Thomas, the founder of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers. As an adult, Morse owned several Wendy's restaurants near Dallas, Texas until 1999. After the death of her father in 2002, she and her siblings bought restaurants in the Columbus, Ohio area. As of September 2010, Morse herself owned or co-owned more than 30 Wendy's stores. In November of 2010, she began appearing in Wendy's ads on camera for the first time. (Her voice was featured in a 1989 ad giving her father advice from off-camera.) Morse currently serves on the board of trustees of the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

A Monday Night Football doubleheader last night. Tom Brady threw for a team-record 517 yards and four touchdowns, and the New England Patriots started with a victory for the eighth consecutive season in the early game beating the Miami Dolphins 38-24. In the nightcap, Sebastian Janikowski hit a record-tying 63-yard field goal that helped the Oakland Raiders beat the Denver Broncos 23-20.

NBC's Sunday Night Football opener featuring the New York Jets' win over the Dallas Cowboys was the top-rated Sunday Night Football in the history of the program. The game also had the best ratings for a first-week primetime game on a Sunday or Monday night in over 15 years, scoring over 23-million viewers.

A couple of NFL teams are using iPads as playbooks. And the league has reminded every team that iPads are a no-no during the game. NFL rules say that from 90 minutes before kickoff until the end of a game, there's absolutely no use of iPads by anyone: Not coaches, not players.

Remember when NFL referee Bill Leavy and his officiating crew did seemingly everything within their power to make sure Pittsburgh beat Seattle in Super Bowl XL? Of course, tou remember. Well, word is that Leavy has been assigned to work this week's game between the Seahawks and Steelers, which is in Pittsburgh. Leavy admitted to reporters last season that he "kicked two calls" in the fourth quarter of the 2006 Super Bowl, which Pittsburgh won 21-10 after a bevy of controversial calls went the Steelers' way. There was a questionable holding penalty on Seattle that prevented the Seahawks from having the ball at Pittsburgh's 1-yard line, plus a mind-blowingly horrible call against Hasselbeck for an illegal block during a Pittsburgh interception return .. even though Matt was actually making the tackle. No word on whether the NFL is allowing Leavy to wear a Steelers jersey this weekend. Hawks and Steelers meet Sunday morning at 10.

Saturday, the Huskies are at Nebraska, and the Cougars are at San Diego State.

Robinson Cano hit a three-run double, Mark Teixeira and Chris Dickerson homered and the New York Yankees rolled past Felix Hernandez and the Seattle Mariners 9-3 last night. Game two of the three-game set coming up tonight at 7:10.

Tomorrow, the Sounders are in Costa Rica for a CONCACAF match. They return to MLS play when they host DC United Saturday.

Thursday, the Seattle Storm opens the post-season hosting Phoenix in game one of the conference semi-finals.

Woody Woodpecker is 71 today.

Today is Law & Order Day. The TV series premiered on this date in 1990. None of the original cast remains on the series. Today is Muppet Day, marking the TV premier of The Muppet Show on this date in 1976. Hosted by Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street, Jim Henson puppet characters included Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and The Great Gonzo. The show lasted five seasons in 100 countries. Muppet Babies, a Saturday morning cartoon show followed for eight years. Today is Positive Thinking Day. Today is Scooby Doo Day, marking the 1969 premier of the Saturday cartoon series, Scooby Doo, Where Are You?

On this date in 1899, Henry Hale Bliss died in New York City from injuries suffered in the first recorded automobile accident in America. Bliss was struck by an electric auto as he exited a trolley at 74th Street and Central Park West.

On this date in 1989, a national study revealed that on an average day in the US 169 women and 56 men got ... nose jobs.

Teachers in Tacoma have voted overwhelmingly last night in favor of a strike. That means after only seven days of school, the 28,000 children in the state's third-largest school district are staying home today. Tacoma Education Association spokesman Rich Wood said 87 percent of the union's total membership voted to walk out. A Tacoma School District spokesman says the district is seeking an immediate court injunction today to terminate the strike, which school officials contend is illegal.

Tonight is the final competition show of America's Got Talent. The season finale is tomorrow.

Jane Lynch from Glee is hosting the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmys this Sunday.

Fans of Pearl Jam are dying to see the new documentary Pearl Jam Twenty and to know some more about it. Director Cameron Crowe spoke at the Toronto International Film Festival last weekend about why he wanted to make the movie saying, "I always felt the story of Pearl Jam was a great story. It takes the usual rock story and turns it on its head. It's a tragedy that was surmounted and these guys found joy through survival." And the key to their twenty year career? Singer Eddie Vedder tells Billboard, "Whatever way we're doing it, it's still reaching out in the dark, but it seems to be working." Pearl Jam Twenty hits theaters across the country on next Tuesday. Visit PearlJam.com for more.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, next year, Top Gun is being re-released to theaters in 3D. The Tom Cruise movie came out back in 1986. Another classic movie set to come back to our screens in 3D form is Titanic.

Pop stars are having trouble staying healthy. Adele had to cancel a number of shows on her European tour over the past week because of a "serious cold and chest infection." Katy Perry has now gotten into the act, having to pull out of her show a couple of nights ago in Grand Rapids, Michigan after being plagued by "symptoms of a cold" herself. Katy's show has been rescheduled for December 1st; no word when Adele's gigs will be made up or if more will be cancelled.

In exactly one week, Gavin DeGraw's new album, Sweeter, comes out. The first single off of the effort is the song Not Over You, which is a collaboration with OneRepublic frontman Ryan Tedder.

An unlikely hero came to the rescue of an elderly woman in Texas recently. The Austin American-Statesman newspaper reports that 75-year-old Evelyn Rogers spent nearly 12 hours on her front lawn, stuck in a broken folding chair. She had stopped to rest while watering her plants at 6 o'clock one evening and couldn't get back up. At 5:00 the next morning, her paperboy, or more accurately man, 30-year-old Ethan Mueller, found his customer in her predicament. She had survived the night without her insulin, food or water. While Ethan was unable to extract Evelyn from her chair, he was able to call 911.

A naked German motorcyclist wearing just a scarf and sunglasses crashed his bike after he was stung on his big toe by a bee. The man, who had been driving to the swimming area at a nudist colony, lost control of the bike as he tried to kick the insect away. Luckily he escaped with just a shoulder injury and minor cuts and bruises.

Some religions are a little out there, and here's one that's no exception. The Phoenix Goddess Temple claims to be a "sexual healing" church. Parishioners come to the "temple" for "sessions" that heal. The facility is overseen by a Temple Mother by the name of Tracy Elise. This is starting to sound like a house of ill-repute, isn't it? Well, it turns out it is. The Phoenix News Times reports that this "church" was raided last week, and that 16 people were arrested. They're being charged with illegal control of enterprise, maintaining a house of prostitution and receiving the earnings of a prostitute.

Trivia Answer: Zak Starkey who turns 46 today. He is the son of Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and Starr's first wife (Maureen Starkey Tigrett). The Who's drummer Keith Moon was one of Ringo Starr's closest friends and Zak's godfather, and although they "never sat together at a drum kit", Moon discussed drumming with Zak, and gave Zak his first professional drum kit. Back in the mid-80s, Zak and his wife made Ringo the first Beatle to become a grandfather.

Tarvaris Jackson had little time to bask in celebration after his 55-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin brought the Seattle Seahawks within two. He started getting ready for a potential go-ahead drive and rallying the defense on the sidelines for one, final stop. Ted Ginn Jr. of the 49ers never gave them the chance. Ginn returned a kickoff and a punt for touchdowns in a minute's span late in the fourth quarter, sending the Seahawks to a 33-17 loss to San Francisco in the regular-season opener yesterday. The Seahawks travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers at Heinz Field next Sunday. Monday Night Football tonight features the New England Patriots at Miami to face the Dolphins.

Happier times for Northwest college football fans. Keith Price connected on his first eight passes en route to a career-high 315 yards and four touchdowns, and Washington used a blistering start to hold off Hawaii's late rally for a 40-32 win on Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, Marshall Lobbestael threw for career highs of 361 yards and five touchdowns as Washington State mauled UNLV 59-7 on Saturday. The Huskies and Cougars are both off to 2-and-0 starts. Coming up Saturday, the Huskies are at Nebraska amd the Cougars travel to San Diego State.

Camille Little posted 17 points and Swin Cash added 15 last night as the Storm closed out the regular season with a 81-70 win over Chicago. The Storm got by Phoenix, 85-70 on Friday night and clinched home-court advantage against the Mercury in the playoffs this week. Seattle hosts Phoenix in Game One of the Conference Semi-Finals Thursday night.

The Kansas City Royals chalked up a 2-1 win over the Mariners yesterday. We're down to the final 15 games for the Ms including three with the New York Yankees at Safeco starting tonight at 7:10.

The Seattle Sounders lost to Real Salt Lake Saturday, 2-1. They have a CONCACAF match Wednesday in Costa Rica then return home to meet DC United in MLS action next Saturday.

It was another gorgeous weekend here in the South Sound. Here in Olympia, we saw 87 Friday, 85 on Saturday, and then 87 yesterday. Doesn't look like it'll last much longer, though. There's even talk of showers this upcoming weekend.

Contagion infected enough moviegoers this weekend to take the No. 1 spot at theaters move The Help down a notch after nearly a month atop the box office. Contagion features six Oscar winners and nominees including Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow. It earned $23.1 million over the weekend. No. 3 was Warrior. The Debt was No. 4. Colombiana rounded out the Top Five. Four new films open Friday, including Ryan Gosling's Drive and The Lion King in 3D.

Today is Fraggle Rock Day, marking the TV premier in 1987 of the cartoon version of the children's show that featured the Fraggles, the Doozers, and the Gorgs. Today is National Boss/Employee Exchange Day. By switching places, bosses and employees are supposed to get a better understanding of their jobs and responsibilities. Today is Lassie Day, marking the debut of the TV show on this date in 1954. Through the years, the cast included six different Lassies. Today is Josie and the Pussycats Day, marking their debut on this date in 1970. The popular cartoon was spawned from Archie comics. Today is National Chocolate Milkshake Day. Today is Defenders Day in Maryland, marking the bombardment of Fort McHenry that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star-Spangled Banner.

Actor Cliff Robertson, who won an Oscar playing a mentally disabled janitor in Charly and worked in movies ranging from PT 109 to Spider-Man 3, died in New York Saturday. Robertson's career spanned more than 60 years and included Hollywood movies, Broadway shows, television dramas and commercials. Cliff Robertston died the day after his 88th birthday.

Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen taped at Sony Studios in Culver City, California on Saturday night. Comedians and actors like Jon Lovitz, Kate Walsh, Mike Tyson, Steve-O, William Shatner and more took turns making fun of the actor. Roast master Seth MacFarlane opened the show by reading an obituary to Sheen joking he will probably be dead in a few months. At the end of the night Charlie Sheen got a chance to defend himself along with a chance to rip the panel one by one. He concluded the evening by saying, "I'm done with the 'winning' because I've already won. This roast may be over, but I'm Charlie Sheen, and in here burns an eternal fire ... I just have to remember to keep it away from the crack pipe." Comedy Central's Roast of Charlie Sheen premieres next Monday night.

Nickelback is releasing their new album, Here and Now, in November. But first, on September 26th, they're releasing two new songs, Bottoms Up and When We Stand Together. Here and Now is the follow-up to 2008's triple-platinum Dark Horse and arrives in stores on November 21st. Head to Nickelback.com for more info.

As if global warming hasn't already done enough for us, guess what we're gearing up for now? One of the worst, and longest, allergy seasons yet. Thanks to a particularly wet summer, ragweed pollen levels are surging and standing water left over from summer flooding and Hurricane Irene has increased the amount of mold, a common year-round allergen, in the air.

A 22-year-old Detroit woman has invented a coat that turns into a sleep bag at night. Veronika Scott says her coat is designed for the homeless and it can help someone keep warm in weather down to 17 degrees.

A man in Nebraska converted a school bus into a high-speed drag racer after installing a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom fighter jet engine into the vehicle.

Thieves stole a trailer filled with meat from a tractor-trailer truck in Iowa. The driver left the semi parked in a lot over the weekend in Marshalltown, Iowa. When he returned on Monday, the trailer was gone. The trailer was filled with more than 42,000 pounds of scrap meat used to make processed meat products.

A packed commuter train sped hundreds of miles across India in the wrong direction before passengers finally realized it was pulling into an unfamiliar station. Passengers ended up about 600 miles west of their intended stop.

Trivia Answer: Peter Scolari who turns 56 today. Additional television credits include Newhart, The Love Boat, The Twilight Zone, Baby Makes Five, Family Ties, Nurses, Empty Nest, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Dave's World, The Drew Carey Show, The Nanny, Touched by an Angel, Ally McBeal, The King of Queens, ER, The West Wing, and Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. He co-starred in the 1984 comedy The Rosebud Beach Hotel and played the Lonely Boy in The Polar Express.

It was a high-scoring beginning to the NFL season. Aaron Rodgers came out on top in a memorable opening-night duel with Drew Brees and the Green Bay Packers came up with a goal-line stand on the final play of the game to beat the New Orleans Saints 42-34 last night. Packers rookie Randall Cobb caught a touchdown from Rodgers and ran a kickoff back 108 yards for a score in the third quarter -- tying an NFL record for the longest kickoff return in history.  Rodgers threw for 312 yards and three touchdowns. Brees threw for 419 yards and three touchdowns. Sunday afternoon at 1:15, the Seattle Seahawks begin their part of the new season. They're on the road at San Francisco to face the 49ers.

Speaking of San Francisco, a city official there has introduced a proposed ordinance that would ban bare bottoms from being planted on public seats. The ordinance would modify the San Francisco Police Code to prevent those practicing public nudity -- which is legal in the city -- from utilizing public benches or other public seating "without clothing or some other separate material between the person's genitals, buttocks or anal region and the seating surface." 

Back to sports. Justin Smoak hit his first home run in nearly three months, a two-run shot in the sixth inning, to help the Seattle Mariners to a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals last night. Ms and Royals again tonight at Safeco.

The Seattle Storm hosts Phoenix tonight at 7. Home court advantage for the post season is in play. Then Sunday night at 6, the Storm closes out the regular season hosting Chicago.

Tomorrow afternoon at 12:30, the Huskies host Hawaii. At 2:00, the Cougars host UNLV.

At 1 tomorrow afternoon, the Seattle Sounders host Real Salt Lake.

Authorities say they're investigating a credible but unconfirmed threat that al-Qaida is planning to use a car bomb to target bridges or tunnels in New York City or Washington, DC to coincide with the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. This is the first tip of an "active plot" around that date. The Homeland Security Department says the threat is credible and specific, but unconfirmed. The nation's terror alert level has not changed, but raising it was under consideration. To mark the 10 year anniversary of the attacks, Jon Bon Jovi returned to the Engine Co. 8, Ladder 2 fire house in Manhattan this week to pay tribute to the firefighters. It was filmed for the NBC special, NFL Kickoff 2011: Back to Football, much like his original visit to the fire house, which aired on September 23rd, 2001 before the kick-off of the first football games following 9/11. Jon reportedly spoke to some of the same firemen he chatted with a decade ago. You can watch the special tomorrow. The Olympia Choral Society is performing Mozart's Requiem in remembrance of September 11th on Sunday. It's a free concert starting at 3 Sunday afternoon at The Washington Center for the Performing Arts in Downtown Olympia.

A major power outage knocked out electricity to millions in California, Arizona, and Mexico yesterday -- 3.5 million just in San Diego -- taking two nuclear reactors offline, leaving people sweltering in the late-summer heat, disrupting flights at the San Diego airport, and we don't even want to talk traffic. San Diego bore the brunt of the blackout and most of the nation's eighth-largest city was darkened. All outgoing flights from San Diego's Lindbergh Field were grounded and police stations were using generators to accept emergency calls across the area. The trolley system that shuttles thousands of commuters every day was shut down and freeways were clogged at rush hour. Police directed traffic at intersections where signals stopped working. FBI officials ruled out terrorism while power plant authorities struggled to find the cause of the outage that started shortly before 4 yesterday afternoon.

The nice weather continues at least through the weekend. Made it up to 87 here in Olympia yesterday. Now comes word, however, that apparently La Nina had so much fun messing with our winter last year that it's decided to come back for an encore. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center officially upgraded our La Nina Watch to a La Nina Advisory, which in essence means La Nina conditions are forecast to return for the fall and winter. A quick recap: La Nina is part of a 3- to 7-year cycle where ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean region drift from warm to cold, then back again. The warm phases are called El Nino, the cold phases are La Nina, and "neutral" is what we get when they're in the middle, or average. The shift in water temperatures has a cascading effect on global weather patterns that begin with a change in the trade winds near the equator. La Nina winters typically spell cool, wet (and snowy) winters around here while El Nino winters are typically warm and dry. So perhaps good news for skiers, snowboarders, and rain lovers as the fall and winter grows closer. La Nina's also typically enhance the hurricane season, as we've already seen this year. Suffice to say, this current warm and dry stretch's days are numbered.

Alice Cooper is on the Jay Leno Show tonight. Also on late night, Pearl Jam is on with Jimmy Fallon.

Today is Lost Sock Memorial Day. It's also National Receptionist Day and School Nurses Day. Today is Wonderful Weirdoes Day, a day to thank the weirdoes in your life. The 40th annual One Arm Dove Hunt begins today in Olney, Texas. Anyone with the use of only one arm or hand is invited. In addition to the dove hunt, events include Glove Swap, One Arm Jokes, One Arm Golf, and Cow Chip Chunkin. Today is California Day. On this day in 1850, California became the 31st state. Today is Fat Albert Day, marking the TV debut of Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids in 1972. Remember Fat Albert's cartoon friends? Weird Harold, Mush Mouth, and Donald.

The National Football League and ESPN have agreed to a deal that will keep Monday Night Football on the cable sports network through 2021, extending the current contract by eight years.  The deal is worth $1.9 billion a year -- or about $15.2 billion over the life of the contract -- according to a source familiar with the negotiations. That is about 73 percent more than ESPN previously paid the NFL. The deal will gives ESPN 17 regular season NFL games along with rights to the Pro Bowl, NFL draft, 3-D distribution, and Spanish language and international broadcasts. ESPN also get rights to more than 500 hours of NFL-branded studio programming.

Nike is going back to the future. The sneaker maker said yesterday it's created a limited-edition shoe based on a glowing pair that appeared in the popular 1989 movie Back to the Future II. The 2011 Nike Mag is designed to be an exact replica of the fictional sneaker, including a glowing Nike name on the strap. But unlike the movie version, these shoes won't lace themselves. Nike is releasing 1,500 pairs of the 2011 Nike Mag sneaker for auction on eBay and donate all proceeds to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's disease research. Fox famously played Marty McFly in the Back to the Future time-travel trilogy, where he wore the shoes during a visit to the year 2015.

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is already lining up big names. Lady Gaga is going to be ringing in the New Year in Times Square on the 40th anniversary of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest. Fergie is hosting the event on the West Coast.

There's no stopping Adele. Her song, Someone Like You, the second single off from her album 21, is now the number one song in the country, jumping from the 19th spot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart. And not only that, but she has now sold more than 10-million copies of her album worldwide and is projected to sell another three by the end of the year.

The Amy Winehouse Foundation might finally be getting off the ground. According to the Twitter page of Amy's father Mitch, the charity is set to launch next Wednesday. He also wrote that the family's "grief" will now be turned into "positive action." There were problems surrounding the Amy Winehouse Foundation name, as someone registered it before Mitch could. No word on if Mitch purchased the rights to it or came up with something else.

Coldplay fans get to check out a new single from the band next week. Paradise is set to be released on Monday. It's the second single off their upcoming new album, Mylo Xyloto, which is due out on October 24th.

Twitter yesterday announced it had reached 100 million active users. The social media site says 40% of its active users do no tweeting ... they just watch/listen to what's happening in their world.

Trivia Answer: Michelle Williams who turns 31 today. Her relationship with actor and Brokeback Mountain co-star Heath Ledger remains the most high-profile of Williams's relationships since the 1990s. Before breaking up in 2007, they had one child together: a daughter named Matilda Rose. After Ledger's death from an accidental overdose in January 2008, the usually under-the-radar actress and her young daughter became an interest of the media and were often followed by paparazzi. As a result, Williams rarely gave interviews until the end of 2009. In an interview with LA Weekly, Williams spoke about taking time off to be a full-time single mother and the support she has found in what she refers to as "coffee-shop parents" and fellow single-mom parents. She said, "I'm not quite ready to give up working, but I don't know how to do the good balance of it. That's the challenge, to live in the chaos."

Well, we didn't hit the 90 we were shooting for yesterday. We gave it a gallant try, though, and topped out at 85 here in Olympia.

The Mariners got only one hit in Anaheim last night -- it was a good one, a homerun by Trayvon Robinson -- but it wasn't enough as the Ms wrapped up the series in California losing 3-1. Seattle is back home for a 10-game homestand starting with Kansas City tonight.

Tomorrow, the Seattle Storm hosts the Phoenix Mercury.

Coming up Saturday, Huskies host Hawaii while the Cougars host UNLV.

Saturday, the Seattle Sounders return to MLS play as they host Real Salt Lake.

Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks play for reals -- the games start counting now. The Hawks are in San Francisco to face the 49ers

The NFL season begins tonight. NBC has the first game -- the New Orleans Saints and Green Bay Packers. President Obama provides the pre-game show tonight as he lays out his jobs plan to a joint session of Congress.

Today is National Nose Hair Maintenance Day. Today is Oprah Day, marking the premier of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on this date in 1986. Today is Pardon Me Day, marking President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon "for all offenses" on September 8thh of 1974. Today is International Literacy Day, sponsored by the United Nations.

One of the world's oldest televisions is still going strong over in Britain. Steve Farley's TV was bought in 1946 but is still working and even receives all the latest channels using a digital converter.

Keith Richards' memoirs are heading for the big screen. The Rolling Stones legend has given the green light to adapt his tell-all tome Life, which became a bestseller after its release last year, into a movie. He confirmed the news at the GQ Men of the Year Awards in London on Tuesday, where he was named Writer of the Year for his explosive memoir. But the guitarist admits it will be a struggle to cast an actor to fill his shoes. He tells Britain's Daily Telegraph, "There are feelers out at the minute (but) I'm in no rush right at the moment. Also, how are they going to find me? The idea of a succession of Keith Richards coming down is horrifying."

Anderson Cooper is going to have some interesting guests on the premiere episode of his daytime talk show, Anderson. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show will feature the parents of Amy Winehouse, as well as her boyfriend. It marks the first time that all three have gotten together to talk about Amy since she passed away in July. Anderson premieres on Monday. Head to AndersonCooper.com for when and where you can catch the program.

Lady Gaga is on the cover of the October issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine but you might not even recognize her. RadarOnline.com got their hands on the cover, and it features Gaga with no make-up on whatsoever. Gaga apparently explains why in the accompanying article, saying that she's "the same person inside," whether she's all dressed up or not. The issue hits newsstands on September 27th.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' new album, I'm With You, debuted at number two on this week's Billboard 200 chart. It's the tenth studio album from the band. I'm With You sold 229,629 copies in its first week of release.

After her performance on the MTV Video Music Awards, Adele's record sales of her album 21 almost doubled from the week before. She sold another 154-thousand units. She remains in third place on the Billboard Album Chart and has now sold just shy of 3.3-million albums, far and away the most thus far this year.

Kelly Clarkson's new album is Stronger. The release date is October 24th. The first single is Mr. Know It All.

Trivia Answer: Alecia Beth Moore, better known by her stage name Pink, who turns 32 today. That first album was Can't Take Me Home and it produced the hit There You Go. Her second album was M!ssundaztood which included Get The Party Started, Don't Let Me Get Me, Just Like A Pill, and Family Portrait. Pink's third album Try This was commercially less successful than her previous albums, but still managed to sell around 3 million copies. It produced the song Trouble which earned her a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. I'm Not Dead was her fourth studio album. It marked her comeback after the poor success of her previous album. The album debuted and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, Pink's highest debut on the chart. It included the controversial single Stupid Girls. Her fifth album, Funhouse, was released in late October 2008 and included her first solo number one on the Billboard Hot 100, So What. The album notched three other Top 20 hits: Sober, Please Don't Leave Me, and Glitter in the Air. On November 15th of 2010, she released her first compilation album, Greatest Hits... So Far!!!, which included her second solo number one hit, Raise Your Glass.

And to think as July turned to August, we were wondering if summer was ever coming this year. Well, summer's here, and it's getting ready to make up for lost time. While the Labor Day Weekend was fairly warm, all signs are pointing to it just being the appetizer to an even hotter stretch of weather as we head into later this week and into the weekend. Topped out at 87 in Olympia yesterday. There's talk of a day or two of 90-ish before the run is over.

Felix Hernandez pitched eight innings of four-hit ball to win at Angel Stadium for the first time since 2006, and the Seattle Mariners snapped a five-game skid and slowed the Los Angeles Angels' playoff surge with a 2-1 victory last night. The Ms wrap up the series in Anaheim tonight then they're back home for a 10-game homestand with Kansas City, the Yankees, and Texas.

Friday, The Seattle Storm hosts the Phoenix Mercury.

Coming up Saturday, Huskies host Hawaii while the Cougars host UNLV.

Saturday, the Seattle Sounders return to MLS play as they host Real Salt Lake.

Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks play for reals -- the games start counting now. The Hawks are in San Francisco to face the 49ers.

By the way, it was on this date in 1963 that the National Professional Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, Ohio.

Opponents of a proposal to build a new 7-Eleven on the West Side here in Olympia are taking their appeal to the city. Back in June, the city approved the two-building complex that would include the 7-11 store at the long-vacant southeast corner of Harrison Avenue and Division Street -- where Rowland Lumber used to be. Since then, neighbors opposed to the 7-Eleven have gathered 1,200 signatures for a petition to stop the construction. The city's hearing examiner is hearing the appeal tonight at 6:30 in City Council Chambers. Neighbors opposed to the project say the new store is an auto-magnet and would make an already busy intersection more dangerous for pedestrians. If the hearing examiner agrees with the city's recommendation to deny the appeal, it will clear the way for MAJ Development Group of Vancouver, Wash., to move forward with the construction. Plans call for two retail commercial buildings with 7,600 square feet. The complex would include the 7-Eleven store and have 29 parking spaces.

The old west meets the new west Friday as the streets of Puyallup come alive with the Puyallup Fair Western Rodeo Parade and Cattle Drive. It gets started at 10 Friday morning. Rodeo cowboys kick it all off by herding cattle right through downtown Puyallup along Meridian Street from West Main to 7th Avenue SW, turning west two blocks to 2nd Street SW, and gathering in a temporary corral near the Fair. Enjoy the parade, and then wander down to the Fair before noon to take advantage of free gate admission from 10 til noon. Do the Puyallup this Friday through the 25th.

Today is Buddy Holly Day. He was born Charles Harden Holley in Lubbock, Texas, on this date in 1935. His name was misspelled on his first recording contract, so he kept it that way. Today is Google Day. On this date in 1998, Sergey Brin and Larry Page incorporated the Internet search company at Menlo Park, California. The test search engine was doing some 10,000 searches a day. A year later it was doing three million searches a day. Today is National Feel the Love Day. Today is Turn A Cartwheel in Public Day. Today is Grandma Moses Day, marking the birth of Anna Mary Moses at Greenwich, New York, on this date in 1860. She started painting at age 78 and lived to be 101. Today is Beer Lover's Day.

Yesterday, Regis Philbin announced the final day for his taping of Live! with Regis and Kelly, ending his run on the popular program after nearly 28 years. Philbin turned 80 on August 25th. He said in January that this current season would be his last on the program. Yesterday he finally put a hard date on the end. He told viewers, "Friday, November 18th is my last day, but don't worry, the show goes on."

Eddie Murphy is hosting the Oscars next year. Murphy was rumored to be among the short list of potential hosts for the show. Oscar producers made the announcement yesterday. Murphy received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role in the 2006 film Dreamgirls. The Academy Awards air live from the Kodak Theater on Sunday, February 26th, on ABC.

Anthony Michael Hall, who we know from The Breakfast Club and Weird Science, was arrested after allegedly going on a violent rampage around the complex at his condo. The actor's neighbors say this isn't the first time Hall has uprooted plants and challenged neighbors to fights, it's just the first time he's been booked on suspicion of disturbing the peace.

Actor Wesley Snipes is staying in jail. Snipes filed an appeal for a new trial over his 2008 tax evasion conviction charges but his plea was denied. Snipes began serving three years in a federal minimum security prison back in December of 2010.

Amy Winehouse was worth just over three-million dollars when she passed away in July. The singer was listed as having a fortune of close to 15-million bucks in 2008, but apparently, her financial value decreased dramatically over the last few years. The Daily Star reports that much of the money was spent on drugs and alcohol.

Lindsey Buckingham new solo album, Seeds We Sow, came out yesterday. The record is the Fleetwood Mac legend's sixth solo effort but it's his first self-release and he's not just putting it out himself -- he also wrote, performed, produced and mixed all the songs on the disc. Lindsey is supporting the effort with a North American tour that includes a show at Little Creek Casino Resort coming up October 23rd.

You know when you absolutely need a bathroom, but there isn't a public one to be found? Well that problem will soon be gone thanks to Cloo -- short for Community and Loo -- an app that allows people to make their private restrooms available to the public for a small fee. If you're a restroom lender you make a small amount of money every time a loo-user shows up. And Cloo says "brand partnerships" will help to keep loo-lenders stocked with important toiletries.

Trivia Answer: The show was The Flying Nun. It was based on the 1965 book The Fifteenth Pelican. The program starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille. The series originally ran on ABC from September 7th of 1967 to September 18th of 1970, producing 83 episodes. The series centered on the adventures of a community of nuns in the Convent San Tanco in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The comic elements of the storyline were provided by the flying ability of Sister Bertrille. By the way, it was Sally Field's second sitcom role with the first being Gidget. The unusual premise caught the attention of the public and the program was a success, yet the story lines were limited, and by the end of the show's run, the writers were struggling to create new situations that would allow the heroine to take flight. Another problem the show's producers had to contend with was the fact that at the beginning of the filming schedule of The Flying Nun's third (and final) season, Sally Field was noticeably pregnant with her first child. This was a logistical nightmare for a series in which Field's character was supposed to be a religious celibate, and skinny enough to fly away in the wind. The show solved the problem by using props and scenery to block view of Field's body below the chest, and using long shots of Field's stunt double for the flying sequences. The Complete 1st and 2nd seasons are out on DVD.

Are we on a roll with the weather or what? Here in Oly, 82 on Saturday, 87 Sunday, 84 yesterday, and 80s forecast again today. There's even talk of 90s before the week is up..

The Mariners lost Franklin Gutierrez for the rest of the year to an oblique injury Sunday. Then the Mariners lost another one to the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim last night, 7-3. The Mariners are 15-22 since their franchise-record 17-game losing streak in July. The defeat ensured the Mariners of their sixth losing record during Ichiro Suzuki's 11 years with the club. His first year was 2001, when they won 116 games under manager Lou Piniella and tied the major league record set by the 1906 Chicago Cubs. The Mariners and Angels again tonight at 7.

The Tacoma Rainiers ended their season on a down note falling to the Fresno Grizzlies, 12-9 yesterday. The Rainiers finished 70-and-74, seven games behind Reno in the Pacific Coast League's Pacific Northern Division.

Friday, the Seattle Storm is hosting Phoenix

Saturday, the Huskies host Hawaii while the Cougars host UNLV

Saturday, the Seattle Sounders return to MLS play as they host Real Salt Lake

Sunday, the Seahawks open the regular season on the road. They're at San Francisco to face the 49ers.

An ugly story from Western Australia. Sunday, a shark bit the legs off a bodyboarder at a popular surfing spot killing the man. Authorities are searching for the shark as well as the man's missing limbs. The man in his early 20s was bodyboarding with five friends when the shark attacked. The man died at the scene. The beach was closed after the attack. About 30 surfers were in the water when the shark attacked. Local officials say it was the first shark attack in the area in more than 20 years.

Cows have long been thought of as kind animals. If you believe the commercials, happy cows live in California. In Wales, however, a pack of wild cows recently murdered a 60-year-old woman. The BBC is reporting that the victim was walking her dog when the animals attacked. By the way, this isn't the only incident in which cows have been named as suspects. Two years ago, a 63-year-old woman was trampled to death in another field, also while walking her dog.

A small town in the Philippines was the site of the capture of a massive one-ton crocodile.

You know what planking is, right? That's where you lay face down in an unusual location with your hands at the sides of your body. So the new, weird body fad is Batmanning. That's hanging upside-down from an object, suspended only by your toes. Hang like a bat and you've got Batmanning.

Police agencies around the country were asked to submit their weirdest speeding excuses. One woman said she was using an app on her smartphone that told her where police speed traps are. While messing with the app she wasn't paying attention to her speed and ended up speeding.

There could be some new pizza that is literally out of this world. Domino's Pizza is planning to construct a location on the moon. According to The Telegraph, the race for space started in 2001 when competitor, Pizza Hut, delivered a pie to astronauts in the International Space Station. Not to be left behind, Domino's has spent the past decade thinking up their next move. The company estimates that the two-story construction will cost more than 21-billion-dollars, which they'll logically earn back pretty quickly, considering the lunar satellite's pizza eating population.

Alice Cooper has some high praise for Lady Gaga. The rock legend said that "Lady Gaga is the female Alice Cooper," and that she "totally gets it." He went on to say that just like in real life he is Vincent Furnier, and in real life, Gaga is Stefani Germanotta, and that "when you meet her offstage, she's nothing like" her Gaga character.

Trivia Answer: Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr. -- Cal Ripken -- now a retired Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career, from 1981 to 2001, for the Baltimore Orioles. During his career, he earned the nickname "Iron Man" for doggedly remaining in the lineup despite numerous minor injuries and for his reliability to "show up" to work every day. He is perhaps best known for breaking New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, a record many deemed unbreakable. Ripken surpassed the 56-year-old record when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995 between the Orioles and the California Angels in front of a sold-out crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. To make the feat even more memorable, Ripken hit a home run in the previous night's game that tied Gehrig's record and another home run in his 2,131st game, which fans later voted as Major League Baseball's "Most Memorable Moment" in MLB history. Ripken played in an additional 502 straight games over the next three years, and his streak ended at 2,632 games when he voluntarily removed his name from the lineup for the final Orioles home game of the 1998 season. His record 2,632 straight games spanned over seventeen seasons, from May 30th of 1982 to September 20th of 1998.

The Seahawks finished the preseason on winning note Friday night with an uninspiring 20-3 win over the Oakland Raiders. Sunday, they start counting as the Hawks open the regular season on the road at San Francisco against the 49ers.

The Huskies opened their season with a win. Washington held on Saturday for a 30-27 win over the defending FCS national champion Eastern Washington Eagles. The Huskies host Hawaii next Saturday.

Washington State overwhelmed Idaho State 64-21 Saturday. It was the first time WSU has scored 60 points in a game since a 63-37 win over California in 1997. The Cougars host UNLV next Saturday.

The Oakland A's completed the weekend sweep of the Mariners yesterday with and 8-3 win. The Ms are down to the final 22 games of the season. They're in Anaheim to face the Los Angeles Angels for three. First pitch tonight at 6:05.

The Tacoma Rainiers doomed themselves to a losing record Saturday, but they also set a franchise record in the stands. The Fresno Grizzlies took a 4-2 win from the home team but when fan No. 7,134 stepped through the gates, it established an attendance record for Triple-A baseball in Tacoma. This is the third straight season the club has increased its attendance record. The Rainiers bounced back yesterday with a 7-5 win over the Grizzlies. The final game of the season is this afternoon at 1:35 as the Rainiers once again host Fresno.

The Seattle Storm clinched a playoff spot with a 78-72 victory over the Tulsa Shock Friday night. It's the eighth consecutive playoff berth for Seattle. Tickets for the Storm's first home playoff game go on sale tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon. Then on Saturday, Swin Cash scored her 4,000th career point in the Storm's 70-60 win in San Antonio. Friday night, the Storm hosts Phoenix.

An early morning fire yesterday gutted a sports complex created as a senior project at Shelton High School. Officials now say it was arson. The flames severely damaged the building as well as the school's baseball and football equipment, which was stored inside. Firefighters were dispatched to the blaze at about 6 yesterday morning. While fire crews were extinguishing the flames, a second fire broke out in a wood storage area about 50 yards away. Shelton Fire Chief Tim McKern says both fires have now been ruled arsons. Shelton High School seniors had spent hundreds of hours building the structure, which was nearly complete and ready be wired for electricity. Damage to the building was estimated at $300,000.

A search in Yosemite National Park for a 69-year-old Olympia area man has come to a sad ending. Park officials say search crews found the body of Gene Hall in his tent around 2:30 Saturday afternoon. The cause of Hall's death has not been determined, but officials say it appears he died of natural causes.

The surprise summer hit The Help stayed at No. 1 at movie theater box offices over the weekend, beating back three newcomers and appearing headed for victory over the long holiday weekend. At No. 2 was the spy thriller The Debt. No. 3 was another new movie, space alien mystery Apollo 18. Close behind in 4th place was the weekend's third new release, another thriller, Shark Night (3-D). Rounding out the top five was holdover sci-fi flick Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera have hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song Moves Like Jagger. But does Mick Jagger even know there's a tune made in his honor? M5 frontman Adam Levine says he met Mick once but that was before the song so …

So, here we are on Labor Day, the unofficial end of summer. Labor Day on the first Monday in September is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions that workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country. The first Labor Day holiday wasn't on a Monday, though. It was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5th of 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. In 1884, the first Monday in September was selected as the holiday, as originally proposed, and the Central Labor Union urged similar organizations in other cities to follow the example of New York and celebrate a "workingmen's holiday" on that date. On June 28th of 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday.

• Popular fashion etiquette used to be that it was inappropriate to wear white after Labor Day, with white shoes being especially frowned upon.
• Boomsday, an enormous fireworks display, takes place every Labor Day in Knoxville, Tennessee. It attracts over 350-thousand spectators.
• Labor Day weekend also marks the beginning of football season. Most college teams play their first games over the weekend, while the NFL regular season starts on the first Thursday following. In fact, Thursday night at 5:30, the New Orleans Saints are at Green Bay to meet the Packers.

It's not too rare to see a busker in Boston – a busker is defined as a person who entertains in a public place for donations. It's pretty memorable, however, if that busker turns out to be Bruce Springsteen. The Boss, likely in town to drop his son Evan off at Boston College, went to the city's Public Garden and approached a guitarist there. He borrowed the street musician's instrument and played it for a small crowd.

Great weekend weather. Here in Olympia, we made it to 82 on Saturday and topped out at 87 yesterday. Could we have asked for a nicer weekend for Harbor Days? By the way, a note to the City of Olympia: Love what you've done with the place. Percival Landing looks fantastic.

Trivia Answer: Al Stewart who turns 66 today. Though Year of the Cat and its 1978 platinum follow-up Time Passages brought Stewart his biggest worldwide commercial successes, earlier albums including Past, Present and Future from 1973 are often seen as better examples of his intimate brand of historical folk-rock. Stewart was a key figure in a fertile era in British music and he appears throughout the musical folklore of the age. He played at the first ever Glastonbury Festival in 1970, knew Yoko Ono before she met John Lennon, and shared a London apartment with a young Paul Simon. He has worked with Peter White, Alan Parsons, Jimmy Page, Richard Thompson, Rick Wakeman, and Tori Amos, amongst others.

Are you ready for some football? The Seahawks wrap up the pre-season tonight. They host the Oakland Raiders. Kick-off at 7:30.

The Huskies host Eastern Washington tomorrow afternoon at 4, while the Cougars are home against Idaho State tomorrow afternoon at 2.

The Seattle Mariners released Triple-A infielder Matt Tuiasosopo yesterday. Tui was released after spending six seasons in the Mariners organization. The Ms also called up catcher Chris Gimenez, right-hander Shawn Kelley and left-hander Cesar Jimenez. Major league rosters were allowed to expand from 25 to 40 yesterday.

Torii Hunter and Howie Kendrick homered for the Los Angeles Angels to help a wild Ervin Santana overcome seven walks last night in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners are now in Oakland for the weekend facing the Athletics.

The Tacoma Rainiers powered their way to a 7-3 win over the Tucson Padres at Cheney Stadium last night. The Rainiers open their final series of the season at 7:05 tonight against the Fresno Grizzlies.

The Seattle Storm is in Oklahoma tonight to face the Tulsa Shock. Tip-off tonight at 5.

The Seattle Sounders return to MLS play a week from tomorrow -- Saturday the 10th -- when they host Real Salt Lake.

The weather was great for Sand in the City and now it's going to be great for Harbor Days this weekend. Enjoy. Harbor Days is happening at Olympia's Port Plaza and Percival Landing tonight from 5 til 8, tomorrow from 10 to 7, and Sunday from 10 to 6. Sunday at noon, the tugs take part in the annual tugboat races on the Sound.

Thanks to Lorenzo for his post on the Roxy Facebook page yesterday. He was commenting on yesterday's entry here on Bobby's Blog where we mentioned that President Obama is heading back to the Northwest. Lorenzo suggested we tell Portland to not create any more sonic booms just because someone wants to fly around U-Dub in his little toy plane.

It was an amazing hockey shot, with the puck sliding into a tiny hole from center ice for a $50,000 prize. But a penalty was called on the Minnesota boy who made the shot during a charity event. His twin brother was the one that should have been wielding the stick. The company that insured the event, Odds On Promotions of Reno, Nev., said Wednesday that due to "contractual breaches and legal implications" it was unable to pay the claim. Instead, the company said it would donate $20,000 to youth hockey in Minnesota in the boys' names. With one shot, 11-year-old Nate Smith hit the puck through a hole cut into a board from 89 feet away during a charity hockey game at a school in southern Minnesota on August 11th. But it was Nate's identical twin, Nick, whose raffle ticket won the chance to take the shot at a hole just slightly larger than the puck. The boys' father said Nick was going outside with his buddies and told his brother to try. The dad said, "It didn't even dawn on me he was going to make it." He told organizers the next day about his sons' swap, saying of the boys, "You could tell they weren't feeling right about it." He said, "We weren't trying to hide anything. We just felt honesty was the best policy." The president of Odds On Promotions said, "We greatly respect the eventual honesty of the Smith family. Although we're unable to pay the claim on Nate's incredible shot, we are confident our donation will foster a positive environment for present and future youth hockey in Minnesota." The dad, meanwhile, says the boys, who are entering sixth grade, are disappointed they won't get the money but are excited that youth hockey will benefit. He said, "They understand."

Moves Like Jagger by Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera is now the number one song in the country. It moved from fourth to first on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

A new survey finds that 71% of Chinese workers admit to calling in sick when they weren't. On the other hand, only 16% of French workers say they have taken a fake sick day. The survey found that about half of all Americans have taken a fake sick day -- on par with countries like Canada and Australia.

Have you seen the Halloween stuff is going up on store shelves? It is September, after all. Anyway, if you're the kind who thinks apples and oranges are what kids want in their trick-or-treat bag you're wrong. It's #4 on the "worst things" you can pass out list. The list:

5) Sugar-free candy
4) Fruit, like apples and oranges
3) Small boxes of raisins
2) Toothbrushes
1) Pennies

Coldplay's new album is not out until next month, but you can see the guys return to late night TV in just a few weeks. They're on The Late Show with David Letterman on September 20th. Their new album, Mylo Xyloto, comes out on October 24th.

This year, Sting not only celebrates the 25th anniversary of his solo career, but he also turns 60, and he's marking both occasions on the night before his birthday, October 1st. That day, Sting is performing a show at New York's Beacon Theater featuring music from his extensive body of work. Major guests like Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Stevie Wonder and others are included. It all benefits the Robin Hood Foundation, which fights poverty in New York City.

One day before the tenth anniversary of 9/11, a documentary about Paul McCartney's experiences in New York City following the national tragedy is on Showtime. The black and white movie is called The Love We Make and focuses on Paul's work in planning and rehearsing for the Concert for New York City benefit that took place six weeks after the attacks. Mick Jagger, David Bowie, Leonardo DiCaprio and Bill Clinton all appear in the doc.

Many people find Billy Joel's lyrics inspirational, including celebrities. In fact, according TMZ, Lindsay Lohan just got a new tattoo and it's lyrics from the singer's 1989 hit I Go To Extremes. On her ribcage, Linds inked the words, "Clear as a crystal, sharp as a knife I feel like I'm in the prime of my life." Apparently, Lindsay felt the lines were important to her because it represented where she is in life and what she's been through, and signifies that she's focused.

After 42 years of working on the set, Susan Lucci filmed the last scene of the soap All My Children this week. According to Perez Hilton, there are rumors the show will come back as an online web series, but who knows if Lucci will join that venture. Congrats to Lucci for her work all these years as Erica Kane.

The 1989 film Back to the Future II took place in 2015, and as we approach that year, you may be wondering where the fabulous technology promised in the movie is. Who doesn't want a hoverboard and a flying car? While those inventions may not be on the verge of hitting the mass market, we do have a few technologies to look forward to in the next decade. Motion control won't just be limited to your Nintendo Wii, it's being developed for use in the classroom and on the battlefield. Also, communication is expected to get easier in rural and exotic locales – replacing fixed towers and the like with balloon transmitters. Additionally, unmanned aerial vehicles are potential replacements for everything from military maneuvers to getting you your UPS shipment.

Having your car towed is the pits, but having it relocated by a bulldozer is something else completely. The Austrian Times is reporting that one woman in Switzerland experienced this situation after parking in front of a construction site. Upon arriving at work, a construction worker noticed that a Fiat sports car had been selfishly parked in the way of his bulldozer. Since this wasn't the first time, the man decided to take matters into his own hands by using the machine's digger arm to squeeze the car into a tiny parking spot. He told the paper, "We all watched her trying to get out of the spot and she had to do a 30-point turn. It was very satisfying." Apparently, the bulldozer didn't cause any damage to the vehicle, just to the Fiat drivers' ego.

Tivo only began compiling data on recorded shows in October, 2007, but since then the most Tivo'd show has been Grey's Anatomy.

Researchers say in two decades half of Americans will be obese. Of course, we can exercise and help ward things off. Remember, though, when starting an exercise program: Always start slowly -- then gradually taper off.

Trivia Answer: Robert Osbourne Denver -- Bob Denver -- who died on this date six years ago today. He was Maynard G. Krebs on the TV series The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis from 1959 to 1963. Then, of course, he was the title character on Gilligan's Island. Denver also appeared in the 1964 beach film For Those Who Think Young with Tina Louise prior to the development of Gilligan's Island. Tina, of course, would later be Ginger. After Dobie Gillis ended in 1963, Denver landed the title role on the sitcom Gilligan's Island, which ran for three seasons from 1964 to 1967 on CBS, and became a staple of later syndication. His role as the well-meaning, but bumbling, first mate among a small cast of shipwrecked castaways became the one for which he is most remembered. In 1998, Denver was arrested for having a box of marijuana delivered to his home. He originally said that the box had come from Dawn Wells, who had played Mary Ann on Gilligan's Island, but later refused to name her in court and testified that "some crazy fan must have sent it." The police reportedly found more of the plant and related paraphernalia in Denver's home. He pleaded no contest and received six months probation. Wells herself would be sentenced to six months' unsupervised probation after she was arrested in 2007 for having marijuana in her car. In May of 2005, Denver underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery and was subsequently diagnosed with throat cancer. He died September 2nd of 2005.

Felix Hernandez pitched a five-hitter and Mike Carp hit a two-run double with two outs in the eighth inning to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 2-1 comeback victory over the Los Angeles Angels last night. Ms and Angels conclude their series tonight at 7:10.

Before the game last night, the Mariners traded infielder Jack Wilson to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for a player to be named later. Wilson gives the Braves some flexibility in the infield going into the postseason, as he can play second, shortstop and third base.

Meanwhile, the Trader Jack era in Seattle continues for a few years longer. The Seattle Mariners announced yesterday that they have given General Manager Jack Zduriencik a multi-year contract extension. No terms of the agreement were disclosed. Zduriencik was hired after the 2008 season after the Mariners finished 61-101 and given the task of turning the Mariners into a contender. The M's surged to a winning record in 2009, but have since faltered, finishing with 101 losses last year and are about to finish 2011 with a losing season again. But the club is optimistic that Zduriencik has laid a good foundation of young talent to propel the Mariners to success in the near future. Mariners president Chuck Armstrong said, "Through trades, waiver claims and free agent signings, as well as the draft, Jack has accumulated talent throughout the Mariners organization. Our drafts the past three seasons have been very good, as exemplified by recent picks already arriving in the Major Leagues." Of the 32 players on the Mariners current big league roster, 28 were acquired by Zduriencik and his staff.

The Tacoma Rainiers rolled to a 6-1 win over the Tucson Padres at Cheney Stadium last night. The Rainiers and Padres wrap up their series tonight. Starting tomorrow, the Rainiers host Fresno for their final four games of the year.

Tomorrow, the Seattle Storm is in Oklahoma to face the Tulsa Shock.

The Seattle Seahawks wrap up their preseason hosting the Oakland Raiders tomorrow night.

Saturday, Huskies are home against Eastern Washington, and the Cougars are home with Idaho State.

Well, it's September already. In Latin septem means "the seventh." Originally, back when the new year started in March, September was the 7th month. September's birthstone is the sapphire. September is the busiest month for births in the US, more than 11,000 on an average day.

September is National Chicken Month, Baby Safety Month, Children's Good Manners Month, National Coupon Month, Happy Cat Month, Hug a Texas Chef Month, National Honey Month. September is Backpack Safety Month, International People Skills Month, Library Card Sign-up Month, National Biscuit Month, National Potato Month, National Rice Month, Pleasure Your Mate Month. Today is National Cherry Popover Day. International Enthusiasm Week begins today. Today is National No Rhyme (Nor Reason) Day, a celebration of words that don't rhyme with any other words (OrangePurpleSilver.com).

Today is Emma M. Nutt Day. In Boston on this day in 1878, Ms. Nutt became history's very first telephone operator. (Interesting to note that today is Lily Tomlin's 72nd brithday. Say it with me, "One ringey dingey.") Emma held the job for 33 years.

Keepers at the Milwaukee County Zoo have discovered orangutans love iPads. The apes love looking at video of themselves and other orangutans, and enjoy apps like finger painting. Some of the apps the orangutans are fond of: Virtuoso, Doodle Buddy, Koi Pond, Magic Piano, Fish Farm and Tap Drums.

Meanwhile, orangutans and other Apple lovers here in the South Sound area have reason to celebrate. Apple reseller Mac Store is set to open a new store in Capital Mall this month. The store opens on September 17th.

Bruno Mars is involved with some drama regarding his publisher, Bug Music, Inc. According to Reuters, Mars filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles earlier in the week saying that his contract with the company should have ended in May and that he wants to leave, but Bug is trying to make the claim that Bruno has not yet "fulfilled his part" of their initial agreement. Representatives at Bug did not respond to Reuters' request for comment, and their website still lists Mars as a client.

Aerosmith fans are aware that the band has been working on their new album, but we now know when to expect it to hit shelves. Jack Douglas, who is producing the CD, wrote in a new online posting that the effort "should be out around May 2012." He explained that the delay is due to the group's tours in South America and Japan later this year, saying they won't get back to work on the record until mid-January. As for how it will sound, Jack said, "This album will be raw, nasty, tough rock with a good deal of the old Aerosmith 'tongue in cheek.'"

Adele is still standing strong in the top three of the Billboard 200 chart. Her album, 21, moved another 80-thousand copies this week bringing her grand total to more than 3.1-million copies sold, and that's just in the US.

On Tuesday, Lindsey Buckingham is releasing his latest solo album, Seeds We Sow, and while fans are excited about that, they're even more excited about recent reports that Fleetwood Mac is getting back together soon. Nothing official at this point. See Lindsey at Little Creek Casino Resort on October 23rd.

Katia had churned into this year's second hurricane in Atlantic. Not clear yet if she's a threat. The name, by the way, replaces Katrina. There are five lists that are used to name hurricanes. They rotate through the lists. This year, we are using the same list that was used in 2005. Once a storm causes major damage, the name is retired and replaced. That was the case with Katrina.

Alyssa Milano has joined the Hollywood mom's club. The actress gave birth to a son, named Milo Thomas, at a Los Angeles hospital yesterday morning. It's the first child for Milano and her husband, David Bugliari. The former "Charmed" star announced she was expecting a baby boy in March and the avid Los Angeles Dodgers fan celebrated her pregnancy with a baseball-themed baby shower at Dodgers Stadium on August 14th.

Mel Gibson is paying 750-thousand dollars to ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva as part of their final custody settlement. According to TMZ, Mel has to pay up in three installments of 250-thousand dollars between now and January 1st, 2016. A judge also declared that the couple will have joint legal and physical custody of their daughter, Lucia. The couple agreed to all of the terms of the settlement, including that neither one would ever write a book about the other.

David Hasselhoff was fired from Britain's Got Talent. According to British tabloid The Sun, Hoff was axed after a ratings slump this past season and because he lacked sparkle as a judge on the show. He was doomed from the start. Hasselhoff was hired in the UK to replace Simon Cowell.

President Barack Obama returns to the Northwest next month during a multi-state trip to the West Coast. September 25th is the date Obama is in Seattle. Details about the visit have not been released. Officials said Obama is visiting San Diego, Los Angeles and Denver after the Seattle stop.

Apparently, there's nothing better to do in Carlisle, Pennsylvania than have a few cold ones and then hit up your local supermarket for some snacks. Apparently a 65-year-old resident, Donald Noone, has been doing just that, with a slight twist. He was arrested this week for trying to smuggle 20-dollars worth of ribs out of the store in his pants. The best part is that this isn't Donnie's first offense. He was arrested May 22nd for retail theft and public drunkenness after attempting to free another rack of ribs from their captivity.

An Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, man said he was doing a good deed when he was arrested and cited for mowing his yard and a neighbor's yard Friday morning. Phil Gage was arrested on a complaint of disturbing the peace after a neighbor called police to report him mowing at 4:30 in the morning.

Bees everywhere, beware. If you think it's cute to sting people as you please, they'll come for you…and your family. At least that's what a guy in Bellingham did. After one bee stung his buddy, he got a can of gasoline and went to town. He doused the beehive in which the assailant allegedly resided and lit it up. According to the Bellingham Herald, the beehive didn't just burn, it went up in an explosion that could be seen for a hundred feet or so. There wasn't an accurate count of the dead bees by press time, but the local authorities don't believe there were any survivors.

Trivia Answer: Phillip McGraw who turns 61 today. He's best known as Dr. Phil. His television show is also named Dr. Phil and it debuted in 2002. McGraw graduated in 1975 from Midwestern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in experimental psychology in 1976, and a Doctor of Philosophy in clinical psychology in 1979 at the University of North Texas. After obtaining his Ph.D., McGraw joined his father, Dr. Joe McGraw, in Wichita Falls, Texas, where the elder McGraw had established his private psychology practice. Appearing on the Today Show in January of 2008, McGraw said that he has made it "very clear" that his current work does not involve the practice of psychology. He also said that he had "retired from psychology". According to the Today Show, the California Board of Psychology determined in 2002 that he did not require a license because his show involves "entertainment" rather than psychology. Magraw's license is currently is listed by the Texas State Board of Psychology as "retired" and he holds no other active licenses to practice in any other state. He's been in the news again here of late because Casey Anthony's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, are giving Dr. Phil their first interview since the verdict in the trial of their daughter. That program is set to air on September 12th.