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:

Oops!

East Paulding Middle School in Dallas, Georgia started classes this week, and they welcomed their students back with a message on the sign outside school. "Welcome Back Students We Are Glad You Are Hear." But they spelled it "H-E-A-R." Oops.

Someone from the school district says the sign was only up for an hour before they caught the mistake and fixed it . . . but that was long enough for someone to take a picture.

Say It Ain't So!

The Internet had a meltdown yesterday after it was announced that KERMIT THE FROG and MISS PIGGYare breaking up. Here's their official statement:

"After careful thought, thoughtful consideration and considerable squabbling, we have made the difficult decision to terminate our romantic relationship. "We will continue to work together on television and in all media now known or hereafter devised, in perpetuity, throughout the universe. However, our personal lives are now distinct and separate, and we will be seeing other people, pigs, frogs, et al. "This is our only comment on this private matter . . . unless we get the right offer. Thank you for your understanding."

Of course, this was all done to promote the new "Muppets" series that's airing on ABC this fall. They even discussed it during a Television Critics Association panel yesterday. Kermit said, quote, "It can be tough to work with your ex . . . especially when your ex is a pig. I don't know whether any of you have ever dated pigs." He also said he's dating a NEW pig named Denise, who works in marketing at ABC. Miss Piggy added, quote, "Dating moi is like flying close to the sun. It was inevitable that Kermit would drop down to the ground while I stayed in the heavens." People are losing it on Twitter. But what none of them seem to realize is that Kermit and Miss Piggy break up all the time! Just watch any Muppet movie. Blake and Miranda, Reba and Narvel, Kermit and Miss Piggy? My gosh, who will be next!

This Will Touch Your Heart!

This story will make you think, and maybe shed a tear! 13-year-old Saige Seibold lives in Cement, Oklahoma, and lost her dad Johnny to pancreatic cancer back in May. (Cement is about an hour outside Oklahoma City.) About a month later, she and her mom went to visit his grave on Father's Day, and released some balloons with a note, asking whoever found them to get in touch. Which didn't go well at first, because they got tangled in some power lines. But a gust of wind eventually blew them away, and Saige watched them drift off into the sky. After that, she and her mom ran errands for a few hours, and drove home. And that's when Saige noticed something in a field a few hundred feet from their house. It turned out the balloons had drifted 25 miles . . . and landed in their backyard!

Saige and her mom say it can't just be a coincidence, and think it's her dad's way of letting them know he's okay. And even though they miss him, they know he's not really gone. What do you think? Divine intervention? Drop me a line: john@kicks1063.com.

Hey, Who's Got The Right-Of-Way Here!?!

Did you see this yesterday? NASCAR driver Brad Keselowski came in second at the Windows 10 400 in Pennsylvania yesterday. But his pit stop on lap 57 would have been the top story even if he'd won. Because he accidentally ran over two members of his PIT CREW! NBC Sports happened to be showing footage from his dash-cam when it happened, so it was from his point of view. Luckily both guys on the pit crew are okay.