Happy Hump Day-10/22/08

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Oil Falls Below $70 on Economic Concerns

Oil prices fell below $70 a barrel Wednesday as investors shrugged off a looming OPEC production cut after company forecasts suggested the U.S. may be headed for a severe economic slowdown that would crimp demand for crude. Light, sweet crude for December delivery dropped $2.63 to $69.55 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange by noon in Europe. The November contract expired Tuesday and fell $3.36 to settle at $70.89. Last Thursday, that contract had declined as low as $68.57 a barrel, the lowest since June 2007. Crude investors have followed equity markets this week, looking for signs on how the U.S. economy will weather the current global financial turmoil. On Tuesday, DuPont, Sun Microsystems and Texas Instruments reported disappointing earnings and bleak forecasts, sending the Dow Jones industrials average down 2.5%. "Oil is now highly correlated with the stock market," said Clarence Chu, a trader with market maker Hudson Capital Energy in Singapore. "People are looking to the Dow for sentiment on the economy." The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, which accounts for about 40% of global oil supply, has signaled it plans to announce an output quota reduction at an emergency meeting Friday in Vienna. But investors are skeptical about how much of the cut will be implemented, given the history of OPEC members exceeding their production quotas. "There should be a short-term boost to prices when they announce a cut on Friday," Chu said. "But OPEC production has always been above their quotas, so there's a credibility problem." Crude oil is down 53% from its peak of $147.27 reached in mid-July. A stronger dollar this week has also pushed oil prices lower. Investors often buy commodities like crude oil as an inflation hedge when the dollar weakens and sell those investments when the dollar rises. The euro fell below $1.28 for the first time in nearly two years on Wednesday. The 15-nation euro dipped as low as $1.2736 in morning trading before rising slightly to $1.2873, down from $1.3003 late Tuesday in New York. Investors are also watching for signs of slowing U.S. demand in the weekly oil inventories report to be released Wednesday from the U.S. Energy Department's Energy Information Administration. The petroleum supply report was expected to show that oil stocks rose 2.9 million barrels last week, according to the average of analysts' estimates in a survey by energy information provider Platts. The Platts survey also showed that analysts projected gasoline inventories rose 3.0 million barrels and distillates went up 600,000 barrels last week. In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures fell 6.15 cents to $2.12 a gallon, while gasoline prices dropped 6.76 cents to $1.62 a gallon. Natural gas for November delivery jumped 1.4 cents to $6.86 per 1,000 cubic feet. In London, December Brent crude was down $2.11 to $67.61 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.

A survey released yesterday by Neverfail, an Austin, Texas-based software company that provides protection for businesses, found that 77% of Americans have sent and received text messages on mobile e-mail devices while driving a vehicle. Amazingly, 41% have used a mobile e-mail device such as a BlackBerry while skiing, riding a bike or a horse. The survey also found:

· 11% have used a mobile e-mail device during a romantic moment.

· 79% said they have used one in the bathroom.

· 18% have used one during a wedding.

· 16% during a funeral or memorial service.

· 37% during a graduation.

The CMA is setting up Webisodes leading up to the 42nd Annual CMA Awards, airing November 12^th on ABC. Jake Owen and Chuck Wicks, along with former Miss Tennessee Ashley Eicher, will host the Webisodes at www.CMAawards.com  beginning November 5th and running through November 13th.

Sugarland, Tim McGraw, and Taylor Swift have reached new sales plateaus.  CMT.com says Sugarland's latest release, "Love on the Inside," has been certified Platinum for sales of more than one-million copies in the U.S.  It's only taken three months for the duo's disc to achieve the sales accomplishment.  Meanwhile, McGraw's first "Greatest Hits" set, which was released in 2000, earned multi-Platinum status for sales in excess of six-million, while Swift's has a Gold certification for her single "Should've Said No," which has logged more than 500-thousand digital downloads.

Rosanne Cash thinks she should be the Republican Vice Presidential Candidate. In an article for The Nation, Cash jokingly makes an 11-point argument outlining why she would be a better candidate than Alaska Governor and current Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin. The article compares the two on a variety of issues, including the environment, experience and church and state. “Starting with the sartorial, I know that it is God’s will that I have the entire Chanel collection for the fall season,” she writes, poking fun at Palin saying that it was God’s will that the Alaska pipeline be built. Cash also defended her foreign policies. “I don’t ask for English Breakfast Tea when I’m in France,” she wrote. “I never call foreign currency funny money (even though it does look funny).”

Hulk Hogan's 18-year-old son is back on the streets, five-and-a-half months after going to jail in Florida for causing a car wreck that left his best friend paralyzed. Nick Bollea, who sometimes goes by Nick Hogan, was released early from his eight-month sentence due to good behavior. His mother Linda took time out from her divorce battle with the Hulkster to issue a statement saying, "Nick went into prison as a juvenile and has experienced something that will mold and affect him for the rest of his adult life. His focus is to make a positive difference in this world, media-free."

Former "Price is Right" host Bob Barker is protesting the construction of a 40-million-dollar exhibit at the Los Angeles Zoo.  Barker, a longtime animal rights advocate, joined Los Angeles City Councilman Tony Cardenas to ask the zoo to cease construction of the exhibit.  Barker says Cardenas' plan would instead create a separate elephant sanctuary exhibit which would be far more comfortable for the elephants and create a better environment for visitor and animal alike.  He says elephants need a lot of space and companionship to avoid the psychotic behavior and deaths that occur when they are in a zoo.

More than half of Americans (53%) have been interrupted by a work-related phone call or e-mail while in the bathroom, according to a survey by Nokia. The survey revealed that office-related intrusions have invaded other areas of Americans’ lives as well – 24% have allowed a call or e-mail to interrupt them while in the throes of passion. That may be because most working Americans (59%) never turn off their mobile device. Still, 75% of working Americans say technology plays a primary role in helping them balance their work and home life. The survey also showed that work seeps into leisure time more often than not – 62% of working Americans have had their personal lives interrupted by work 10 or fewer times each week. However, a similar number (65%) have had their work lives interrupted by a personal matter.

Eating Fast and Until Full 'Triples Chances of Getting Fat'

WASHINGTON — 

People who gobble down their food and eat until they feel full are three times more likely to become overweight compared with people who eat slowly and modestly, according to a Japanese study.

Researchers suggest shifting patterns of behavior, driven by the advent of fast food and cheap food, are widely to blame for the obesity pandemic.

Osaka University's Hiroyasu Iso and colleagues recruited 1,122 men and 2,165 women aged between 30 and 69 and asked them to closely track their eating habits and body mass index, a benchmark of obesity.

Around half of the men, and just over half of the women, said they ate until they were full.

Just under half of the men, and a little more than a third of the women, said they ate quickly.

Men and women who ate until full were twice as likely to be overweight compared with counterparts who did not eat until full.

Those who ate both quickly and to satiety were three times likelier to be overweight.

"The combination of the two eating behaviours had a supra-additive effect on being overweight," the team say in their paper, published online Tuesday by the British Medical Journal.

The study distinguished between people who ate until full and those who reported binge-eating. Intriguingly, it found those who ate until full had in fact a higher calorie intake than those who gorged.

In a commentary, also carried by the BMJ, Australian nutritionists Elizabeth Denney-Wilson and Karen Campbell suggested that the drive to eat quickly is a genetic survival mechanism — humans are hardwired to overconsume energy when it is available.

This mechanism has run into problems, though, with food that is cheap and instantly available and eaten swiftly, they argued.

"It may be that the changing sociology of food consumption, with fewer families eating together, more people eating while distracted (for example, while watching television), and people eating 'fast food' while on the go all promote eating quickly," said Denney-Wilson and Campbell.

"Furthermore, the increased availability of relatively inexpensive food, which is more energy-dense and served in substantially larger portions, may promote eating beyond satiety."

A Dutch court has convicted two teenagers of theft for stealing virtual items in a computer game. Only a handful of such cases have been heard in the world, and they have reached varying conclusions about the legal status of “virtual goods.” The Leeuwarden District Court says the 14- and 15-year-olds coerced a 13-year-old boy into transferring a “virtual amulet and a virtual mask” from the online adventure game “RuneScape” to their game accounts. “These virtual goods are goods (under Dutch law), so this is theft,” the court said in a summary of its ruling. The 15-year-old was sentenced to 200 hours of community service, while the 14-year-old received 160 hours.

Actor Nicolas Cage has sold one of his many homes for almost 16-million dollars.  The "Newport Daily News" reports that Cage has sold his Gray Craig estate in Middletown, Rhode Island after buying the property a little over a year ago.  His real estate agent told the paper that Cage was barely able to spend time in the home because of his busy schedule.  The 24-thousand-square-foot manor features 12-bedrooms and ten-full bathrooms on 26 acres near a bird sanctuary and beach.  The paper says Cage still owns 13 other homes in five countries.  Cage was recently seen in the crime-action thriller "Bangkok Dangerous," which was released to theaters last month.

Remember that incident last year when a pre-rehab Lindsay Lohan hijacked a car and chased her just-fired personal assistant's mother through L-A? Three guys who were in the car are suing, claiming the ride endangered their lives. The incident led to Lindsay's second D-U-I bust in less than three months and, eventually, to less than a day in jail. The suit seeks unspecified damages. 

Donald Trump’s Miss Universe Organization has been rocked by yet another scandal. Lindsey Evans, the third runner-up at this year’s Miss Teen USA, was arrested with three friends after allegedly leaving a $46.07 bill unpaid at a Louisiana restaurant. The 18-year-old, who is the reigning Miss Teen Louisiana, faces additional charges of pot possession after officers found the drug while searching her purse.

Students at the Ohio State School for the Blind found out yesterday that they will make history at the 2010 Tournament of Roses Parade. It will be the first time a blind marching band takes part in the parade in Pasadena, California. It is the only blind marching band in the entire country. The school will need to raise an estimate $1,500 in travel costs for each person making the trip, including the 17 band members.

A Halsey, Oregon, mother said her 13-year-old son will not be returning “The Book of Bunny Suicides” to his high school library, because she intends to burn it. Taffey Anderson said the book will never be returned to Central Linn High School and she intends to do all she can to ensure the school does not replace it. The book, by British author Andy Riley, features drawings of rabbits committing various forms of suicide. Anderson said that if the school replaces the book, “I’ll have somebody else check it out and I’ll keep that one. I’m just disgusted by the whole ordeal.”

George Strait is featured in the current issue of Country Weekly. Strait calls his wife, Norma, the most important person in his life and says, “if you find the partner you can stick with, you’re a lucky man or woman.” The two married in 1971. Among the other people Strait mentions are songwriter Dean Dillon, record producer Tony Brown, Alan Jackson and Lee Ann Womack.

Dolly Parton has cancelled her October 31st performance at New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark due to a personal scheduling conflict. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

The newest version of Guitar Hero -- Guitar Hero World Tour -- features Willie Nelson's "On the Road Again."

A hacker who published provocative photos of Miley Cyrus earlier this year was busted by the F-B-I Monday at his home in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 19-year-old Josh Holly broke into an E-mail account once used by the tween queen in order to obtain the photos -- which she'd initially sent to former beau Nick Jonas-- and post them online. Authorities seized three computers from Holly's home, but have yet to charge him with any crime

Larry the Cable Guy will appear on CMT with a 90-minute special holiday variety show called “Larry The Cable Guy’s Star Studded Christmas Extravaganza.” Taped in Nashville, the special premieres November 21st, with a DVD release set for November 25th. The show includes guest stars Toby Keith, Blake Shelton, Terry Bradshaw, Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall and Lewis Black. Appearing with Larry in sketches are Tony Orlando, Fred Willard and ventriloquist Terry Fator, among others. Montgomery Gentry, Rodney Atkins and Emily West will perform.

Despite the popularity of her Saturday Night Live impersonation, Tina Fey thinks she doesn't hold a candle to Sarah Palin -- in the looks department. The 30 Rock star tells T-V Guide, "That lady is five times better-looking than I am. She's 44? She's got none of that droopy [bleep]. She's keeping it tight!" The 38-year-old Fey says when she first got a gander at the Republican vice-presidential nominee, "I didn't think we looked alike at all. Then during the convention, I started to think, 'Okay, maybe a little.'" There is one physical difference between the two. Fey reveals, "We glue my ears down. That's one of the tricks."

An Arizona man is behind bars for allegedly breaking into a home to charge is cell phone.  Police in Mesa say Scott Boe broke into the home of a detention officer and was caught when the homeowners got back to their place.  Boe told told officials he went into the place to charge his phone because he needed a power outlet to use.  The 24-year-old was caught with tools used in burglaries and was arrested on several different charges.

A Johnson County, Iowa, judge has ordered a woman to stay away from her fiancé – two weeks before their wedding. Judge Stephen Gerard ordered 23-year-old Rucha Patel not to have contact with her soon-to-be-husband after she was charged with domestic abuse causing injury. Police say Patel drove over her fiancé’s foot and then bit his hand when he took away her keys. It was not known why he tried to stop Patel from driving.

Japanese climbers returning from a mountain in western Nepal said yesterday they had found footprints they think belonged to the abominable snowman or Yeti. Kuniaki Yagihara, a member of the Yeti Project Japan, said in Kathmandu, "We saw three footprints which looked like that of human beings." The climbers, equipped with long-lens cameras, video cameras and telescopes, said, however that they did not see or take any photographs of the creature. The Yeti is said to live in the Himalayan regions of Nepal and is largely regarded by the scientific community as a mythical creature. Yagihara and his team, supported by Sherpas, spent six weeks looking for evidence of the beast's existence.

Amber Joy Milbrodt waited 19 hours at Parkland Memorial Hospital’s emergency department for treatment of a broken leg and never did get to see a doctor – but still got a bill for $162. Milbrodt, who broke her leg while playing volleyball, received the bill two weeks after her September 24th visit to the Dallas hospital. Parkland officials say the bill was appropriate because a nurse spent time checking her vital signs to assess her level of need. But Milbrodt says, “It should have been more like them paying me for having to sit in the emergency room for 19 hours.” Amber had been waiting about 3 1/2 hours before a nurse saw her. She ended up having an X-ray taken at a chiropractic school where she is a student, which confirmed she had a fracture. Still, the hospital says, “She’s not paying for waiting. She’s paying for the assessment she received.” A few days before Milbrodt’s visit, a 58- year-old man who went to the ER with stomach pains also waited 19 hours – and then suffered cardiac arrest and died.

Getting ready for a Thursday of Carolina Country Cruizin' with Matt and Dee. Join us for another day of fun and winning! Keep it rolling with Wheelz 100.5!

 *Information from Premiere, Dail Global Prep, Foxnews.com, and Metro Networks*