Five! Four! Three! Two! One!

The site of the Crystal Ball dropping over Times Square in New York City has become the icon of New Year's Eve. But actually, many cities will drop something other than a ball on New Year's Eve:

Bangor, Maine will drop a beach ball decorated with lights
Baltimore Maryland will drop a disco ball.
Duluth, Georgia - a disco ball called the Soaring Spirit Ball is raised
Terre Haute, Indiana will drop watermelons
Atlanta will drop an 800-pound peach.
Port Clinton, Ohio is dropping a walleye fish.
Mount Olive, NC will drop a pickle
Hershey Pennsylvania will drop a Hershey's Kiss.
Tallapoosa, Georgia will drop an opossum
Kokomo, Indiana - an aluminum 70-Pound Ball with 34,000 lights is dropped
Vincennes, Indiana - watermelons are dropped
Havre de Grace, Maryland - a wooden duck is dropped
Black Creek, North Carolina - a large red heart represents "A Small Town with a Big Heart".
Brasstown, North Carolina - The Possum Drop. A plexiglass pyramid containing a living opossum is lowered from the roof of Clay Logan's convenience store. The possum is turned loose at the end of the celebration.
Elmore, Ohio - a sausage will be dropped
Cincinnati, Ohio - a flying pig is "flown" - not dropped, confirming there is at least one occasion "when pigs fly".
Akron, Pennsylvania - A purple-and-gold shoe is dropped
Beavertown, Pennsylvania - a beaver is dropped
Cleona, Pennsylvania - A pretzel is raised
Frogtown, Pennsylvania - A frog is dropped
Hummelstown, Pennsylvania - A lollipop is dropped
Ickesburg, Pennsylvania - A french fry is dropped
Mobile, Alabama - A giant electric Moon Pie is raised
Flagstaff, Arizona - A pine cone is dropped from the balcony of Weatherford hotel.
Key West, Florida - A large ruby slipper, with drag queen Gary "Sushi" Marion inside is dropped
Easton, Maryland - A crab is dropped
Ocean City, Maryland - A beach ball is dropped
Eastover, North Carolina - A three-foot tall, thirty-pound wooden flea is dropped
Dillsburg, Pennsylvania - Two pickles are dropped
Lebanon, Pennsylvania - A 100-pound stick of Lebanon Bologna is dropped
Richland, Pennsylvania - A cigar is dropped
Bartlesville, Oklahoma - An olive is dropped

And right in our own back yard, Prairie Du Chien has the annual Carp Fest, where they drop "Lucky The Carp" at midnight!

But What About "All I Want For Christmas Is You"?

The Shins “Wonderful Christmas” has replaced Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” as the most-played Christmas song this year, according to PlayNetwork, a company that creates playlists for more stores around the country.

PlayNetwork released the 20 songs consumers will hear most this holiday season, which tops out with The Shins’ cover of Paul McCartney’s “Wonderful Christmastime.”

Here are the top 20 tunes, according to PlayNetwork:
1) Shins – “Wonderful Christmas”

2) Mariah Carey -- “All I Want For Christmas Is You”

3) Christina Aguilera -- “Christmas Time”

4) Waitresses -- “Christmas Wrapping”

5) Jack Johnson -- “Someday At Christmas”

6) Kelly Clarkson -- “Underneath The Tree”

7) Michael Buble -- “A Holly Jolly Christmas”

8) Bing Crosby -- “White Christmas”

9) Train -- “What Christmas Means To Me”

10) Ella Fitzgerald -- “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

11) Coldplay -- “Christmas Lights”

12) Jose Feliciano -- “Feliz Navidad”

13) Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings -- “White Christmas”

14) Vince Guaraldi Trio -- “Christmas Time Is Here”

15) Sam Smith -- “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”

16) Pentatonix -- “The Christmas Song"

17) Paul McCartney -- “Wonderful Christmastime”

18) She & Him -- “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”

19) Elvis Presley -- “Blue Christmas”

20) Darlene Love -- “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)”

OK so what's your favorite Christmas tune? Drop me your choice at john@kicks1063.com.

I'd Settle For The Partridge In My Oven!

If you go out and buy all the gifts mentioned in the popular Christmas song “The 12 Days of Christmas,” you’ll be paying a little more than you would have for the same gifts last year. PNC Wealth Management follows what the items in this song would cost a Christmas shopper every year, and this is what they found for 2015:

Partridge: $25 (up from $20 last year)Pear tree: $189.99 (up from $187.68)A partridge in a pear tree: $214.99 (up from $207.68)Two turtle doves: $290 (up from $260)Three french hens: $181.50 (same in 2014)Four calling birds: $599.96 (same)Five gold rings: $750.00 (same)Six geese-a-laying $360 (same)Seven swans-a-swimming $13,125 (same)Eight maids-a-milking: $58 (same)Nine ladies dancing: $7,552.84 (same)Ten lords-a-leaping: $5,508.70 (up from $5,348.24 last year)Eleven pipers piping: $2,635.20 (same)Twelve drummers drumming: $2,854.80 (same)
The grand total? $34,130.99, up from $33,933.22 in 2014. It would cost $155,407.18 to buy the presents every time they are repeated in the song (364 gifts). That’s up from $154,508.08 last year.

Boo!

Do you like a good scary movie? You'd better, because it seems that's all they're playing on TV, right? Since Halloween is this weekend, E! News put together a list of 31 interesting facts about horror movies. Here are 17 of our favorites:

1. "The Exorcist" is the first horror movie to be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It lost out to "The Sting".

2. In "The Exorcist", Linda Blair's character was supposed to vomit on Father Karras' chest. But the tube they used misfired, and it hit him in the face. So the look of disgust as he wipes off the vomit is genuine.

3. The vomit used in "The Exorcist" consists mostly of pea soup.

4. The blood used in "Night of the Living Dead" is chocolate syrup. Of course, the movie was in black-and-white. (This was actually common in black-and-white films. It was used for the shower scene in "Psycho" as well.)

5. The color red is present in almost every shot of "The Shining".

6. Due to his experience as a volunteer firefighter, Jack Nicholson took down the prop door with the ax in "The Shining" too quickly. They had to switch it with a real door for that scene.

7. While filming "Scream", the actors were never allowed to see the man who voices Ghostface. Director Wes Craven thought it would make their performances more realistic, and so the guy, Roger L. Jackson, would hide on set and actually make the phone calls during scenes.

8. Sissy Spacek slept in her bloody clothes for three days while filming the "Carrie" prom scene in order to maintain continuity.

9. None of the actors and actresses who were playing high school students in "Carrie" were actually teenagers.

10. The original title for "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" was 'Head Cheese'.

11. The original title for "Halloween" was 'The Babysitter Murders'.

12. Church the cat in "Pet Sematary" is played by seven different cats.

13. The story for "Final Destination" was actually an abandoned idea for an "X-Files" episode.

14. "Saw" was filmed in only 18 days. There are no exterior shots because they couldn't afford them.

15. It only took eight days to film "The Blair Witch Project".

16. To make the tension between the actors authentic in "The Blair Witch Project", the directors gave them less and less food each day.

17. You may have heard this one before, but it's still pretty amazing: "Psycho" was the first American movie to show a toilet being flushed. That was in 1960.

Let's Be Careful Out There!

If you're letting your kids go trick-or-treating with friends this year, here are three free smartphone apps to help keep them safe. They'll have to have a phone with them, but a lot of kids have their own phone anyway now. And even if you're going trick-or-treating with them, you might want them in case you get separated:

1. Family Locator. It uses the GPS on their phone to show exactly where they are in real time. You just log in on your phone, and it pulls up a map. Or if they need you, they can press an S.O.S. button that sends you their location.

2. Red Panic Button. It's basically like the S.O.S. button, but simpler so it's good for little kids. All they have to do is push a big red button, and it automatically sends you a text with a link to a map that shows where they are. And you can put multiple people on the contact list, so more than one person gets it.

3. Life360. Again, you can see where they are on a map in real time, and they can message you if there's a problem. But the cool part is you can also set boundary limits. So you get an alert if they go too far away, or cross a street they're not supposed to.

Bloody Good!

If you wanna up your Halloween game with some fake blood this year, you don't have to go out and buy it. You can make buckets of it with just four ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen. Here's what you need: Eight ounces of water - 16 ounces of powdered sugar - a one-ounce bottle of red food coloring - and a tablespoon of cocoa powder to make it a nice DARK red. That'll almost fill a pitcher, so cut it down if you want to make less than that. But if you mix those four things together, you should end up with something that looks just as realistic as the stuff they sell at stores. Plus it's non-toxic, so you don't have to worry about your kids eating it. And even if you have to buy everything, it shouldn't cost more than ten bucks to make.

Now, if you still need help, here's click here for a video on how to make it!

12 Scary Moments From Kids Movies

Looking for a family-friendly movie that's still scary enough for Halloween viewing? "Rolling Stone" put together a list of the 12 Scariest Moments in Kids' Movies. Here it is, in no particular order -

1. The Flying Monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz". As a kid, I actually had a nightmare or two about the monkeys ripping the straw out of the Scarecrow.

2. "Night on Bald Mountain" from Disney's "Fantasia". I always thought this was more "cool" than "scary".

3. The boat ride from "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". The 1971 GENE WILDER version, not the Johnny Deppremake. Technically the Depp version is closer to the book. But the first one is still better.

4. The Field of Blood from "Watership Down". It's a cartoon movie about rabbits, they said. It'll be cute, they said. I'm still in therapy.

5. The kitchen scene in "Gremlins". That's the one where the mom battles Gremlins with a blender, a knife, and even a microwave. It's a beautiful thing. But it's not really a kids' movie in the first place.

6. Large Marge from "Pee Wee's Big Adventure". This scene traumatized a generation of kids, and still plagues those few women left who have the misfortune of being named "Marge".

7. Judge Doom in "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". This is the scene where CHRISTOPHER LLOYD's character is revealed to be a "Toon", rather than a real person. Oops. Spoiler Alert.

8. The final battle with Ursula in "The Little Mermaid". Ursula steals King Triton's powers and super-sizes herself.

9. ANJELICA HUSTON reveals her true self in "The Witches".

10. Sid's creepy creations in "Toy Story". Especially that one-eyed baby doll head on the spider legs, am I right?

11. Voldemort returns to life in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire". The movies got darker and more intense as they went along, and this is the moment where they really turned the corner.

12. Coraline meets her "other" parents in "Coraline". If you haven't shown this movie to your kids or read them the book by Neil Gaiman . . . do it. It's a modern classic.

How About Just Saying You're Sick?

Career Builder just released its annual list of the craziest excuses people have used for calling in sick to work. Have you used any of these:

1. A guy claimed his grandmother poisoned him with ham.2. An employee said they couldn't make it in, because they were stuck under their bed.3. A guy's sandwich fell on the floor, and he broke his arm trying to catch it.4. A guy claimed the universe was telling him he needed a day off.5. A guy's wife caught him cheating, and he had to get all his stuff out of a dumpster.6. A woman said she was brushing her hair, and poked herself in the eye.7. A guy couldn't come to work, because his wife put all of his underwear in the wash.8. A guy was too embarrassed to come in, because the food he'd made for an employee potluck didn't turn out well.9. A woman said she had to go to the beach, because she needed more vitamin D.10. A woman said she couldn't come in, because her cat was stuck in her dashboard.

The survey also found that 38% of us have called in sick this year when we actually felt fine, which is up from 28% last year. So what's the craziest excuse you've ever used to get out of work? Drop me an email: john@kicks1063.com

Get The Popcorn Ready!

We all have at least one movie that we can watch over and over and over and over again without getting the least bit bored. According to an online survey, the most  rewatchable movie is "Star Wars". Here's the Top 25 . . . well, 26, thanks to a tie at #25:

1. "Star Wars"2. "The Wizard of Oz"3. "The Sound of Music"4. "The Lord of the Rings" series5. "Gone With the Wind"6. A tie between "The Godfather" and "The Princess Bride"8. "The Shawshank Redemption"9. The "Harry Potter" series10. "It's A Wonderful Life"11. A tie between "Forrest Gump" and "Grease"13. "Dirty Dancing"14. A tie between "Pulp Fiction" and "Titanic"16. A tie between "The Lion King" and "Pretty Woman"18. "Casablanca"19. A tie between "The Matrix" and "The Notebook"21. A tie between "Finding Nemo" and the 2009 reboot of "Star Trek"23. "Goodfellas"24. "Pride and Prejudice"25. A tie between "Caddyshack" and "The Avengers"

      For just women, the most rewatchable movies are "The Wizard of Oz", "The Sound of Music" and "Gone With the Wind". For men, it's "Star Wars", "The Godfather" and "Lord of the Rings". One thing about the list thats interesting: only one Disney animated flick made the Top 25, "The Lion King".      So what's the one movie you could watch over and over? For me it's the "Lord Of The Rings" series. Drives my wife crazy, by the way. Drop me an email with your pick: john@kicks1063.com.

Oh, The Stress!!!

I'm not sure I can trust a list of stressful things at work if it doesn't include "getting an email from your boss that says 'we need to talk.'" But here you go. A new survey found the real top five things that stress people out at work. Check 'em out:

1. Having to wait for other people to get the info you need to work on something.2. Not knowing which tasks should be priorities.3. Unrealistic expectations and goals for projects.4. Moving deadlines.5. Bosses not quite making it clear exactly what they want.

The survey also found that 34% of people go to at least six meetings a week. So what stresses you out at work the most? Drop me an e-mail: john@kicks1063.com.

The Great Pumpkin Might Just Really Be Gone!

Pumpkin mania is spreading like a virus -- and that could cause some problems this year. Apparently, the pumpkins can't quite keep up. And that means we could have a shortage of pumpkin pie mix by Thanksgiving. About 90% of the pumpkins in America come from central Illinois, and the crop is down almost one third this year because of records amounts of rain in June. Meanwhile, demand is as high as ever. So if you want to make sure you can bake pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, you might want to stock up on some cans right now.

Libby's is the biggest pumpkin pie mix company in the country, and they think they should have just enough inventory to get everyone through the holidays. But if you want a pumpkin pie on a random day next spring, forget it. A spokeswoman says, quote, "Once we ship the remainder of the 2015 harvest we'll have no more to sell until harvest 2016."

What About Bonanza!?!

Do you find TV theme songs memorable? They don't really do memorable ones as much these days, but Billboard did a list of TV theme songs that actually climbed up the charts. Here are 18 of them, along with their peak position on the Hot 100:

1. "I'll Be There for You" from "Friends", which stayed at #1 for eight weeks
2. "How Do You Talk To An Angel" from a show called "The Heights". The song was #1 for two weeks.
3. The theme from "S.W.A.T.", which was #1 for one week.
4. "Welcome Back, Kotter", which was #1 for one week.
5. "Miami Vice", which was #1 for one week.
6. "Greatest American Hero", #2
7. The original "Hawaii Five-O", #4
8. "Happy Days", #5
9. "Cops", #8
10. "Peter Gunn", #8
11. "Hill Street Blues", #10
12. "Party of Five", #16
13. "Batman", #17
14. "Bonanza", #19
15. "Magnum P.I.", #25
16. "Mission: Impossible", #41
17. "The Wonder Years", #68. The theme song was Joe Cocker's version of "With a Little Help from My Friends", and was on the charts back in 1968, not when the show ran from 1988 to 1993.
18. "iCarly", #100

But some made charts other than the Hot 100. For instance, the themes from "The Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Dukes of Hazzard" made the Country charts.

 "Those Were the Days" from "All in the Family", and the theme from "Cheers" both made the adult contemporary chart, and the"X-Files" theme was apparently a hit in dance clubs.

"I Got A Rock"

We've all got weird stuff for Halloween, right? Like from the old lady down the street who used to give you pennies! Weird and a little creepy. Well, Buzzfeed just asked people to share the weirdest things they ever got trick-or-treating. Here are nine favorites . . .

1. "Potato salad in a plastic bag."
2. "One year I got an actual cat. I still have him 17 years later."
3. "A gingerbread cookie in the shape of a penis."
4. "Pamphlets about why Halloween was a celebration of Satan."
5. "A Christmas crossword puzzle."
6. "I got a small plank of wood."
7. "A pack of cigarettes for my dad, who was with me."
8. "Live goldfish, not even in plastic bags . . . they just dumped fish into our bags."
9. "Hotel toiletries and Mary Kay samples."

So what's the weirdest thing you've ever received trick-or-treating? Drop me an email: john@kicks1063.com.

Boo Boo Is Right!

It just happened. Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson has recorded a song. It's called "Movin' Up", and it's as horrific as you'd expect. There's also a video. It's just Alana and her family, including parents Mama June and Sugar Bear, dancing in the studio. So yeah, it's just as horrific as the song. Take a look and listen...if you dare!

The mastermind behind this is a guy named Adam Barta. You might remember him because he also helped Tan Mom, Farrah Abraham and the Octomom make "interesting" music.

Hey, Boss? You Got A Second?

Now this is interesting! Glassdoor.com figured out which jobs have gotten the best raises this year. The average salary is up about 2%. So here are ten jobs with even bigger raises:

1. Business systems analyst. Basically it's someone who analyzes an organization and figures outhow to make it work better. The median salary is about $83,000, which is 10% higher than it was last year.

2. Security guard - $24,000, which is up 7%.

3. Sales consultant - $49,000, which is also a 7% increase.

4. Pharmacist - $26,000, up 6%.

5. Barista - $23,600, up 6%. Apparently the girl serving you coffee makes almost as much as the woman filling your prescription?

6. Customer service manager - $34,800, up 5%.

7. Certified nursing assistant - $25,000, up 5%.

8. Financial analyst - $71,600, up 5%.

9. Systems analyst - $80,000, up 4%.

10. Research scientist - $85,000, up 4%.

Good To The Last Drop!

OK, I know there's lots of coffee lovers out there! And since today is National Coffee Day, I thought I'd look up some free coffee stuff for you to check out:

- National Coffee Day 2015, Freebies and coupons
http://www.wbir.com/story/money/personalfinance/ways-2-save/2015/09/28/matt-granite-national-coffee-day-2015/72958248/


- 9 National Coffee Day deals you need to know about
http://www.sheknows.com/food-and-recipes/articles/1097283/national-coffee-day-deals


- For National Coffee Day, where to get freebies
http://college.usatoday.com/2015/09/28/for-national-coffee-day-where-to-get-freebies/

After all, there's nothin' like a free cup o' joe!

If You Can't Get Enough Pumpkin Spice

We found something that combines two great American obsessions - adding pumpkin spice to everything, and deep frying everything. Someone online figured out how to deep fry a pumpkin spice latte! Here the recipe:

You take a loaf of pound cake - cut it into one inch slices - cut the slices into one inch cubes - soak them using two grande pumpkin spice lattes - then deep fry the cubes for five minutes. Then you sprinkle them with cinnamon sugar, put whipped cream on top, and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on the whipped cream.

Pretty simple, right? They say it tastes like warm, mini cinnamon doughnuts dunked in coffee. And here's a video of how to do it:

it Tastes Sooooo Good!

If this is some kind of stealth marketing thing by Pepsi, bravo! Some guy says his girlfriend had never tried it before, because she's allergic to caffeine. So he told her the caffeine-free stuff pretty much tastes the same, and bought her a two-liter bottle. And the video of her drinking it is great, because she gets really emotional - and starts crying after her first sip! Check out the video:

Have you ever tasted something that was so good you just cried the first time you had it? Me neither!

From The "What Were You Thinking!" Files

We've seen at least two stories in the last few months about people trying to drive their cars off tow trucks, to keep them from being towed. Here's an even worse strategy - A 40-year-old guy in Manchester, New Hampshire named Shad Badeau saw his car being hooked up to a tow truck over the weekend. It wasn't being repossessed or anything, he just parked it illegally. And he tried to stop it from happening - by setting his own car on FIRE. We don't know if the whole car went up, or he just started a small fire on the hood. But the tow truck driver immediately put the car down and unhitched it. So in the short term, it worked. But someone also called 911. By the time firefighters got there, Shad had already put out the fire himself. But the cops showed up too, and arrested him for arson. No word on what happened to his car, but we're assuming it's evidence now. So it probably got towed and impounded anyway. Truly a case of What Were You Thinking!

Dear Son. Shape Up!

Tell me what you think of this: Parents around the world are coming to a mother's defense after a letter detailing a "creative" punishment for her 13-year-old son went viral. The mom wanted to teach her son, Aaron, a lesson familiar to kids his age: If you want to be treated like an adult, you have to start acting like one. To make a point, she took away his clothes, comforter, Legos, stuffed animals -- even the lightbulbs in his room. If he wanted them back, he'd have to pay: rent: $430; electricity: $116; Internet: $21; food: $150. He would also have daily chores. "I guess you will need a lesson in independence," Aaron's mom, who wants to be referred to as Estella, stated in a Facebook post. "If you decide you would rather be my child again, instead of roommate, we can renegotiate terms."
She says that in the end he apologized, and she never charged him for anything. She says it was more about gratitude, and making him realize that being an adult is a lot harder than being a kid. She also says he's been doing his chores again. So what do you think, too extreme or right on the money? Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com.

Gold? Tan? Some Weird Shade Of Orange?

This is hilariuos! "Vanity Fair" recently asked a bunch of celebrities to describe Donald Trump's hair color! This just goes to show how crazy this election thing is. Take a look:

So what color do you think The Donald's hair is? john@kicks1063.com.

Trust Is A Hard Thing To Earn!

What brands do you trust the most? "Reader's Digest" does an annual survey on America's most trusted brands, but it's hard to know if they're really the best or just do the best job at marketing themselves! At any rate, here are America's most trusted brands, in ten categories -

1. Airline: Southwest
2. Domestic car: Ford. The most trusted foreign car was Toyota.
3. Car insurance: State Farm
4. Computer: A tie between Dell and HP
5. Fast food: McDonald's
6. Big box retail store: Walmart
7. Laundry detergent: Tide
8. Shampoo/conditioner: Pantene
9. Toothpaste: Crest
10. And most importantly, TOILET PAPER: Charmin.

Do you agree with this list? Do you trust brand name items as a general rule? Drop me an email: john@kicks1063.com.

Good Boy! Really Good Boy!

Meet Rider The Dog. Rider has become an Internet superstar for his ability to fetch beers out of the fridge. We all need a dog like him! Check out his skills:

Training begins tonight for my dogs, Boomer and Ella!

Oh, The Stress Of It All!

We've seen these lists before, but "Business Insider" crunched some old data and came up with a new ranking of the most stressful jobs. And with healthcare being such a big part of our local economy, this survey should catch a lot of people's attention. Here's the top ten.

1. Emergency dispatchers. That means police, fire, and ambulance. Their stress tolerance is 98.5 - that's a number from zero to 100 that measures how frequently you have to accept criticism, and deal with high stress on the job. Even worse - the average annual salary is only $39,410.

2. Nurse anesthetists. Sort of like an anesthesiologist, only you're not a doctor. The stress tolerance is 98.2, but the average annual salary jumps to $158,900.

3. Telephone operators. We think that means customer service reps and call center people. Probably because of all the ABUSE we give them, when we just want answers from a real human being. Stress tolerance 98.2 - average salary $39,350.

4. Dancers. Yeah, we all saw "Black Swan". The stress tolerance is 97. They didn't list a salary, but it's not like anyone does it for the money.

5. Obstetricians and gynecologists. Stress tolerance 96.5 - average annual salary $214,750.

6. Surgeons. We thought this would be higher too. But maybe they really ARE egotistical supermen, like they are on TV. Stress tolerance 96.2 - average annual salary $240,440.

7. Airline pilots, copilots, and flight engineers. Stress tolerance 95.2 - average salary $131,760.

8. Healthcare social workers. The stress tolerance is 95 - the average annual salary is $53,590.

9. Phlebotomists. They're the people trained to draw blood from you for clinical or medical testing, transfusions, donations, or research. Stress tolerance 95 .- average salary $31,890.

10. News anchor. Stress tolerance 94.7 - average salary $84,380

So basically - DON'T go into healthcare unless you can deal with your stress, and other people's stress.

Grandpa? Tell Me 'Bout The Good Old Days

Remember that tune from the Judds? Well, this Sunday is National Grandparents' Day, and according to a new survey, 64% of us say our grandparents have had a profound impact on our lives - and 56% pass on things we learn from them to our own kids. Here are the ten most common 'words of wisdom' we get from our grandparents -

1. "A leopard never changes its spots." Meaning you can't really change someone.
2. "A minute on the lips, a lifetime on the hips." Which is about over-snacking.
3. "A watched pot never boils."
4. "Treat others as you would like to be treated."
5. "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."
6. "An hour before midnight is worth two after." In other words, don't stay up too late.
7. "Be nice to people on the way up, because you'll meet them on the way down." Meaning be nice to people when things are going well, or they won't be there for you when things AREN'T going well.
8. "Cleanliness is next to godliness."
9. "Don't leave until tomorrow what you can do today."
10. "Don't let the sun go down on your anger." Meaning don't go to bed angry.

What was the best piece of advice you ever got from your grandparents? Drop me a line at john@kicks1063.com.

It's That Time Again!

The nominees for the 49th Annual CMA Awards were announced on ABC's Good Morning America. Kelsea Ballerini andSteven Tyler were on hand to read off the names in the top categories.

Here are the announced nominees:

Entertainer of the Year
Garth Brooks
Luke Bryan
Kenny Chesney
Eric Church
Miranda Lambert

Female Vocalist
Kelsea Ballerini
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood
Lee Ann Womack

Male Vocalist
Dierks Bentley
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Blake Shelton
Chris Stapleton

Album of the Year
Jason Aldean, Old Boots, New Dirt
Kacey Musgraves, Pageant Material
Little Big Town, Pain Killer
Kenny Chesney, The Big Revival
Chris Stapleton, Traveller

New Artist of the Year
Kelsea Ballerini
Sam Hunt
Maddie & Tae
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton

Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood return as hosts of the 49th Annual CMA Awards Wednesday, November 4 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Excuses, excuses!

Have you ever come up with a crazy lie to get out of work? Apparently you should just keep it simple. An insurance company recently polled 1,000 business owners and CEOs to find what they consider good reasons for calling out sick. Here are the top nine -

1. You have the flu. 42% said it's a good enough reason to miss work. Apparently the other 58% expect you to show up in a Snuggie and work from the bathroom?

2. Your back went out, 39%.

3. You had some sort of accident and hurt yourself, 38%.

4. You're just really stressed out, 35%. Which is interesting. Can you imagine saying you're just too stressed out to come in, and your boss being COOL with it?

5. You had elective surgery, 35%. (???)

6. You're depressed, 35%.

7. You're having an anxiety attack, 25%.

8. You have a cold, 24%.

9. You have a migraine, 22%. And 8% of employers said NONE of those excuses are a good enough reason to miss work.

Ok, But The Bears Still Suck!

We Packer fans can forgive this Bears fan, I think! A 14-year-old Indiana boy named Miguel Reyes is fighting brain cancer. And he has given his tumor a name. and because he's a Bears fan, he chose Aaron Rodgers! A former teacher of his named Peg Kelly suggested he name the tumor. She says, quote, "I said, 'You need to name that tumor so we can kill it.' You know what he named it? Rodgers. Aaron Rodgers. What a stinker!" Peg is a Packers fan, by the way. Miguel's family has started a GoFundMe campaign to train his dog Hester to be a service dog. Hester is named after former Bears receiver Devin Hester, who's on the Atlanta Falcons now. (You can learn more about Miguel here.)

Nothing Like A Cute Doggie Video!

We've all seen videos of dogs singing, howling right along with the tune. Dog lovers, me included, always giggle when we see our furry friends crooning a tune. But finally, we found a video of a dog barking right along with the perfect song, "Who Let The Dogs Out"! Of course, what else should he be barking to, right?

Red Or Blue, Does It Matter To You?

According to The Tennessean, Tim McGraw and his wife Faith Hill will attend a Nashville fundraiser with Democratic presidential candidate and former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The fundraiser will reportedly take place in Music City on September 29, but few other details have been released about the upcoming event. Tennessee has traditionally been a state with a conservative majority and several of the Republican presidential candidates have been eying the Nashville area for events on their campaign trails. One of those GOP presidential hopefuls is Donald Trump, who spoke at the National Federation of Republican Assemblies held in the Nashville over the weekend.

      McGraw has voiced his support for Democratic presidential candidates before. In 2008, Tim told People magazine that he is a blue-dog Democrat, saying of his political views, "I'm not saying I'm right or wrong, but that's what I am." A blue-dog Democrat has been described as a Democrat who has some moderate and conservative views. McGraw also told the publication that he supported then-presidential candidate, Barack Obama. Tim said, "My wife and I and our family will do everything we can to support Obama. I like his ideas, I like his energy, and I like the statement he would make for our country to the world."

      So here's our question to you: Does an artist's political affiliations matter to you? Are you less likely to enjoy their music if they don't agree with you politically? Drop me a line and let me know what you think:

john@kicks1063.com

Not Even Jerry Seinfeld Can Escape The Law!

Jerry Seinfeld and his 12-year-old son Julian set up a lemonade stand in their Hamptons neighborhood. A few of Julian's friends were helping out, and the proceeds were going to a children's charity. But a neighbor called the police on them, complaining about all the people it attracted. The cops came by and shut it down, because they didn't have a permit, and cars were illegally parking on the street. Jerry's wife posted an Instagram photo of Jerry and the kids jokingly putting their hands behind their heads as if they were being arrested . . . with the caption, quote, "Lemonade dreams crushed by local neighbor, but not before raising lots of money. Thanks to all of our customers and big tippers!" C'mon, who calls the cops on a lemonade stand!?!

The King And The Clown!

What a stunt! Burger King asked McDonald's to team up on a "Burger For Peace Day", but McDonald's said no! Burger King took out full page ads in the "New York Times" and the "Chicago Tribune" yesterday, as an open letter to McDonald's asking them to team up and make a "McWhopper." They want to do it on September 21st, which is apparently international "Peace Day." They say that, quote, "calling a cease-fire on these so-called burger wars" could help raise awareness. They even started a website called McWhopper.com. And the response from McDonald's was . . . NOPE. Their CEO is Steve Easterbrook, and he responded on Facebook. Quote, "We love the intention but think our two brands could do something bigger to make a difference. "Let's acknowledge that between us there is simply a friendly business competition and certainly not the unequaled circumstances of the real pain and suffering of war." He also called out Burger King's entire approach to the publicity stunt. Quote, "A simple phone call will do next time." If you're curious, the McWhopper would be approximately 726 calories with 36 grams of fat.

    So I was thinking, what if some other fast-food chains teamed up? How about Papa John's and Pizza Hut? That would be Papa Hut. Chick Fil A and Kentucky Fried Chicken? They'd be Chick Chicken. And Wendy's and Hardees? That would still be Wendees, just spelled different!

Not So Much Like A Wrecking Ball!

A new survey asked more than 2,000 parents "Are there any celebrities you would hate for your children to idolize?" Obviously the answer is yes, but they also had them name names.
      Miley Cyrus is the #1 negative influence, with a whopping 78% of parents not wanting their kids to follow her example. Nicki Minaj is second with 54%, followed by Kim Kardashian with 43%, Kristen Stewart at 36%,and Rihanna at 34%. Of course, Miley is probably the most problematic for parents since she was once someone they may have encouraged as a role model back in her Hannah Montana" days.
      Kanye West is the #1 negative influence among male celebrities, with 56% of the vote, and Justin Bieber is right below him at 55%. Zayn Malik of One Direction was third with 41%, followed by Shia LaBeouf at 38%.

      Kate Middleton is #1 among the good female influences, with 34% approving of her. But Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Angelina Jolie also made the top five.

      Ed Sheeran is the #1 good influence for the guys at 41% - despite his atrocious chest tattoo - with Harry Styles in second at 26%. Apparently, tattoos are not a problem with these parents. "Late Late Show" host James Corden and Justin Timberlake also made the top five for guys.

      The survey provided the names for parents to choose from though, and it's unclear how many celebrities there were to choose from.

      So drop me an email and tellme which celebs you would not want your kids to idolize: john@kicks1063.com.

I Have No Lips, And Why Would They Kill A Moose!?!

This video is hilarious! This young girl just had her wisdom teeth removed, and if you've ever taken your kids to have that done, then you know that the anesthesia they use can leave them, well, kinda loopy! This girl thinks she has no lips, and that the Moose Tracks ice cream they gave her were made from real moose!

"Mom, Can You Watch The Kids.....Again"

According to a recent survey, grandparents spend up to 600 hours taking care of their grandkids over the summer, and would make as much as $34,000 if they got paid for it. Here are seven jobs they do, and what they'd normally pay:

1. Personal chef, $45 an hour. Although a chef who mostly makes hot dogs and grilled cheese probably doesn't earn that much.
2. Sports coach. Private lessons for things like tennis and golf would normally run you $40 an hour or more.
3. Private tutor, $36 an hour.
4. Nanny, up to $30 an hour.
5. Chauffer, $29 an hour.
6. Event organizer, $29 an hour.
7. Housekeeper, $15 an hour.

The survey also found a third of grandparents spend more than $150 of their own money on their grandkids during the summer . . . 57% said taking care of them can leave them physically exhausted . . . and 35% sometimes feel emotionally drained. But 60% said they do it to make their kids' life easier . . . 35% do it to help them save money . . . and 35% also said it's the most satisfying thing they do. So do you parents out there rely on our folks a lot? And do you grandparents mind getting called up as much as you do? Give me an email: john@kicks1063.com.

The Votes Are In---Kinda!

Ahh, the political season, so much fun! Wouldn't it be great if your favorite movie star would run? That would sure make things interesting! A recent study shows that 57% of Americans believe a celebrity would make a good president, and that Clint Eastwood would DESTROY Donald Trump, by a margin of 72% to 28%. But not all celebrities would beat current politicians one-on-one . . . Oprah would lose to Hillary Clinton, 45% to 55%. Here are a few otherhypotheticals:

George Clooney would defeat Jeb Bush, 57% to 43%. This one crosses party lines. George is a liberal.

It's really hard to imagine Jimmy Fallon being political enough to occupy the Oval Office, but 55% would put him in there overRand Paul (45%).

And super-liberal Ben Affleck would win over Tea Partier Ted Cruz, but by a smaller margin than you might think, just 59% to 41%.

But not all celebrities would be able to beat the current politicians one-on-one . . . Bernie Sanders would edge Jerry Seinfeld, 54% to 46%, and surprisingly, Oprah would lose to Hillary Clinton, 45% to 55%. All four are left-leaning, to varying degrees.

Apparently, not a lot of Americans could see Oprah shouting "You get a stimulus check, you get a stimulus check . . . everybody gets a stimulus check!" It's unclear how they came up with these particular celebrities or pairings . . . especially Fallon, who hasn't really ever seemed overly political. Meanwhile, 23% of Americans think Morgan Freeman would make a good president, which was the highest among the options they provided. Clint Eastwood is next with 20%, followed by Jon Stewart at 16%. George Clooney and Meryl Streep were also options, but the full list wasn't released. Poor Meryl . . . although, as always, at least she was considered, right? Back to the current candidates, when asked which one should DROP OUT of the race, Donald Trump was #1 at 41% . . . followed by Hillary Clinton (25%), Jeb Bush (9%), Ted Cruz (8%), Bernie Sanders (3%), and Rand Paul (2%). Trump was least popular on the West Coast, Hillary didn't get much love from the Midwest, and a larger percentage of Southerners want to see Cruz gone.

One person missing from the celeb list that really surprised me was Harrison Ford! Remember him in Air Force One. Awesome! What celebrity do you think would make a great President? Drop me your idea at: john@kicks1063.com.

Geronimo!!!!!!

If you're afraid of heights, you may want to look away. A guy in Switzerland recently set a world record by jumping off the top of a 193-foot waterfall, and Red Bull posted a video of it. They had to aerate the water he landed in so the impact wouldn't kill him. But it still could have because he hit at over 75 miles an hour! Luckily, he only tweaked his hip.




Ah yes, there was a time when I would have done this in a heartbeat. Now? I'll just throw some steaks on the grill and open a cold Corona! Have you ever done anything "extreme like this? john@kicks1063.com

I'm Worried That You're Not Going To Read This!

Here's something new to worry about: You worry too much. What a vicious cycle. A new study found we're literally wasting years of our lives worrying. We do it for an average of one hour and 50 minutes a day. That's almost 28 entire days per year . . . or five total years of your entire adult life! So what are we having all this angst over? The top 10 things we worry about are: Work . . . money . . . being late . . . a friend or relative's health . . . our own health . . . relationships . . . missing a plane or bus . . . not waking up to our alarm . . . our appearance . . . and our family's safety.

A few things that just missed the top 10 are: Growing old alone . . . our pet's health . . . being the victim of a crime . . . terrorism . . . and getting cheated on. The study also found 84% of us have lost sleep over worrying . . . and 60% say it's affected our relationship.

So what do you worry about the most? Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com

You Say Potato, I Say....

In the Internet age, you really can make money doing anything, no matter how stupid it sounds. And even though this may sound stupid, this guy's making big bucks. Alex Craig is from Dallas TX, and he came up with an idea earlier this year. He'd start a business where he'd write messages on potatoes, and mail them to people. Here's how it works: You just go to PotatoParcel.com, tell him what you want the message to be, and who to send the potato to. Then he writes the message with a Sharpie, puts the potato in a manila envelope, and mails it. That's it. Sounds stupid, and simple, right? Well, he started it back in May, and posted about it on Reddit.com. The idea got some attention because it was so dumb . . . and now he's making $10,000 a MONTH! No kidding! It costs $7.99 for a medium potato and $9.99 for a large potato. Your message can be up to 100 characters on the medium potato, and 140 on the large, and it's sent anonymously. I guess it just goes to show that even an idea that sounds dumb can net you a ton of cash if you market it to just the right people. Do you have an idea that may sound stupid, but you're just sure it could make you a million? Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com.

Somebody Find Me Some Shade!

Well, it sure was a hot one the last few days! I have a black pickup with black leather interior., and let me tell you, that sucker can get like an oven! I was thinking about that when I read this today, and thought I'd share: Here are five random things you might not know about your car . . .

1. You shouldn't be able to see your own car in your side mirrors. It's safer if you can see OTHER cars. So you're supposed to position them so you can almost see the sides of your car, but not quite.

2. Here's how to cool down the inside of your car in under a minute. If you parked in the sun, roll down the driver's side window, then open and close the passenger's side door five to ten times. It recirculates the air, and makes it up to 10 degrees cooler.

3. Pressing your key remote under your chin increases its range. Which can help the next time you can't find your car in a parking lot. Basically, it turns your head into a giant antenna . . . but it won't hurt you.

4. Driving with the A/C on is safer. Studies show your chances of falling asleep at the wheel start going up if it's warmer than about 71 degrees in your car. And on average, your reaction time is 22% slower at 80 degrees than it is at 71.

5. Your air conditioner filters out up to 88% of the pollen in the air. So it's a good idea to use it when your allergies flare up.

I'm going to have to try idea #2 the next time it's really hot out. So if you see some guy in a black Silverado waving the passenger door like a maniac, that's me!

"I Like Big Butts And I Cannot Lie..."

I figured Friday would be a good day to talk about this: Here are six things you probably don't know about... your butt! (By the way, I usually post some kind of related picture with my blog entries, but I knew that no matter what photo of someone's butt I posted with this would probably offend someone!)

1. Your butt muscles are the largest muscles in your body​.
2. Women have bigger butts than men because of estrogen. ​ Men's bodies tell their fat to go to their stomachs . . . women's estrogen directs it to their butts.
3. You can get skin cancer on your butt even if it's covered. Skin cancer can appear on unlikely places like between your fingers and toes, on your underarms, your butt, and even your GENITALS.
4. There's a word for being attracted to butts. It's pygophilia.
5. A big butt is linked to intelligence. According to a University of Oxford study, being a woman with a big butt was linked to being more intelligent, supposedly due to having more omega-3 fats which help with brain development.
6. Your big butt also makes you less likely to get sick. That same University of Oxford study ​found that women with bigger butts are less likely to get diabetes and heart disease, even though those two things are usually associated with obesity.

This Was My Dream Car!

I've always been a huge fan of Miami Vice. I still watch old episodes of it on Netflix. Don Johnson's white 1986 Ferrari Testarossa became my dream car. Well, I'd better get my pocket change together because the original car from "Miami Vice" is being auctioned off! It's happening in Monterey, California this Satuday. Apparently, the car has been in storage since the show was canceled in 1989. It'll be interesting to see what it goes for. It was offered for $1.75 million on eBay last year but didn't sell. and here's an interesting fact: Ferrari gave the show two Testarossas, because they weren't happy that they used a REPLICA on the first two seasons. The replica was destroyed in the first episode of the third season, and the Testarossas were used for the rest of the show's run. So what's your dream car? Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com

If A Train Leaves Boston At 60 mph....Oh I Give Up!

I was terrible at math when I was a kid. I was ok at the basics: Add, subtract and multiply. Division was tougher, and I absolutely failed at algebra. What's weird is that as an adult, I get it all now. Even algebra is fairly easy for me these days. Maybe my folks were right and I just wasn't paying attention in class, who knows?  Anyway if you've spent your whole life hating math, you probably don't want your kids to be cursed with the same issue. So here's some advice: When they pull out their math homework, don't even try to help them! A new study by the University of Chicago found that parents who hate math shouldn't try to help their kids learn it, because they can transfer their anxiety to their kids. Kids whose parents hate math did worse in math class if their parents tried to help them study, but if their parents just kept their distance, the kids did fine in class. The researchers say, quote, "Even though their efforts can be incredibly well-intentioned, when parents are trying to help with math it can actually backfire." 

What's the one subject you just hate helping your kids with? Were your parents good at helping you with your homework? Tell me about it: john@kicks1063.com

I Scream, You Scream....Well You Know The Rest!

Americans are obsessed with ice cream. And not just during the summer. Plenty of us are willing to head out in negative temperatures to get some. A new survey by Yahoo dug really deep into America's ice cream preferences. That's just what happens when you're obsessed with something. Here are our 10 favorite things they found:

1. Ice cream is the most popular dessert in the country. 41% say ice cream is their favorite . . . 20% said cake . . . 11% said cookies . . . 11% said pie . . . 9% said fruit, PLEASE . . . and 7% said candy.

2. Chocolate is the most popular flavor. 16% say chocolate, followed by cookies and cream . . . vanilla . . . cookie dough . . . and mint chocolate chip.

3. 56% of people eat ice cream all year long, not just during the summer. Women are more likely to eat it in the winter than men.

4. 86% of us eat it at least once a week . . . including 11% of us who eat it every DAY.

5. Breyers is the most popular brand, followed by Ben & Jerry's and Haagen-Dazs.

6. When people go out for ice cream, 40% like a regular scoop . . . 22% like soft serve . . . and 21% want it in a sundae.

7. Dairy Queen is the most popular place to get ice cream, followed by Cold Stone Creamery and Baskin-Robbins.

8. 57% of people usually order ice cream in a cup . . . 43% get a cone.

9. Of the people who like cones, 67% say waffle cones are the best option. 16% go for a sugar cone, and only 8% go for the traditional cake cone.

10. And finally, 51% of people under 35 and 41% of people over 35 say they'd eat more ice cream if it weren't unhealthy.

So tell me: Cone or dish? And what's your favorite flavor? Drop me a line at john@kicks1063.com.

Get That Guy A Uniform!

Ok, if you go to a Major League Baseball game, you've probably seen hometown fans sometimes throwing balls back onto the field when the opposing team hits a home run. It's something of a tradition. Well, a player for the Toronto Blue Jays hit a home run in New York yesterday, and the Yankee fan who ended up with the ball decided to throw it back onto the field, which you see all the time. But he accidentally hit one of his own players with it! It looks like the ball nailed Yankees' left fielder Brett Gardner in the back of the neck. Luckily he was okay, and stayed in the game. If you care, Toronto won the game 2 to 0.

Take a look at the video: