Some cereals marketed to children are more than half sugar by weight, Consumer Reports said yesterday. A serving of 11 popular cereals carries as much sugar as a glazed doughnut. And some brands have more sugar and sodium when made for the U.S. market than when made for other countries. Golden Crisp and Honey Smacks are more than 50% sugar by weight, while nine brands are at least 40% sugar. The most healthful brands are Cheerios, Kix, Honey Nut Cheerios and Life.
Rosie O’Donnell is returning to TV as host of a variety show for NBC. The network will air “Rosie’s Variety Show” as an hour-long special the night before Thanksgiving. They hope that airing will lead to a full series. The special will feature celebrity guests, musical acts, comedy skits and a prize giveaway for the show’s in-studio and home audiences.
Competing to be best friends with Paris Hilton can really toy with your head. That's according to Michelle Kopasz who was the first contestant to get booted from "Paris Hilton's My New BFF" that premiered on MTV Tuesday night. E!Online reports the 26-year-old former Paris pal wannabe said the whole idea of the show is, quote, "just weird." She says she feels like she needs to talk to a psychologist now that her run is over. On the show, contestants must compete in various competitions in order to win the prize of becoming Paris' best friend. Kopasz says she isn't bitter about being kicked off so early because she doesn't really believe Paris has intentions of maintaining a relationship with contestants. She adds, quote, "Seriously, at the end, do you really feel like you're going to walk away being her best friend? Are we gonna hang out and do lunch together?"
Just in time for Halloween, Richards Auction Gallery in Tipton, Indiana, had a macabre item up for sale this week – a real human skeleton. The bones, wired together to keep them in place, were sold for $500 on Tuesday. Auctioneer Tim Richards found the skeleton among furniture and boxed items he collected for the auction. Richards says the find was examined by University of Indianapolis forensic anthropologist Andrea Simmons, who concluded the skeleton was that of a European man between 5-foot-3 and 5-foot-5 who died sometime before the First World War and was not murdered. Jane Harper, the winning bidder, donated it to the University of Indianapolis.
Oprah Winfrey’s mother says she shouldn’t have to pay a nearly $156,000 bill to a high-end fashion store, because store officials shouldn’t have extended credit to her. Valentina claims Vernita Lee has racked up $155,547 in purchases and interest as of July 1st. The company sued, saying Lee fell behind in monthly payments of $2,000. Lee filed a countersuit claiming that Valentina took advantage of her “lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity” when extending her a line of credit. Lee resolved a 2002 case with Valentina over a $175,000 bill. The resolution prohibited the company from extending further credit to her.
A Chicago woman has won an eBay auction for an abandoned home in Saginaw, Michigan, with a $1.75 bid. Joanne Smith’s bid was one of eight for the home. She’ll have to pay about $850 in back taxes and yard cleanup costs, but she gets the house and land it sits on. Smith said she hasn’t seen the property and has never been in Saginaw. The city has been hard-hit by economic troubles in recent years. Smith plans to resell the property.
Move over Pamela Anderson, there’s a new sex symbol in town. An international poll conducted by Bikini.com asked who people would rather see in a bikini, Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin or Pinup Queen Pamela Anderson. Sixty-one percent said they would prefer to see Palin in a bikini. Howie Sonnenschein, Executive Producer of Bikini.com offered to do a swimsuit photo shoot with Palin, if she wants.
A Mukwonago, Wisconsin, man was arrested after he used a cigarette lighter while trying to siphon gas from a van. After visiting with friends, the man started to drive home early Saturday when he realized he didn’t have enough gas in his SUV. He tried to siphon the gas out of another vehicle with help from a female, but he couldn’t see how much gas was in the container. Somewhere along the line he got the bright idea of using his lighter to check. The resulting fire burned his hands and caused nearby residents to call police. Officers arrested the man for theft and negligent use of burning materials. The woman was referred to authorities for being party to theft.
National Pretzel Month
In honor of October’s National Pretzel Month, Auntie Anne’s Pretzels has released some pretzel fun facts. The pretzel has come a long way since it was first created in 610 A.D. by an Italian monk. The finished product, called “pretiolas,” or “little rewards” in Latin, spread throughout Europe and was considered a symbol of good luck, long life, and prosperity. Now, the annual United States pretzel industry is worth over $550 million, and the average American consumes about 1.5 pounds of pretzels per year. Southeastern Pennsylvania, home to Auntie Anne’s corporate headquarters, is considered the birthplace of the American pretzel industry.
You know I thought when my kids grew up I wouldn’t be buying more toys.. but well they messed up that idea when they gave me grandkids…
And with Christmas around the corner I’ve got some toy news for you!
Wal-Mart is cutting prices on popular toys in an attempt to get an early start on the holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart said yesterday that it will sell 10 toys, including certain Barbie dolls and Tonka trucks, for $10 each. It will also have holiday decorations in stores across the country by October 10th.
2008 Toy Wish List
According to toy industry executives Jim Silver and Christopher Byrne, the new “Guitar Hero World Tour” video game and a life-like Elmo doll that cracks jokes will be among childrens’ most wanted this holiday season. Most of the items cost less than $80. This year’s 16 toys expected to top holiday lists, arranged according to age:
1. Laugh & Learn Smart Bounce and Spin Pony by Mattel’s Fisher-Price
2. Elmo Live by Fisher Price
3. V-Motion Active Learning System by VTECH
4. TAG Reading Systems by LeapFrog
5. Hot Wheels Turbo Driver by Mattel
6. Star Wars The Clone Wars Clone Trooper Voice Changer Helmet by Hasbro
7. Bakugan by Spin Master
8. Furreal Friends Biscuit, My Lovin’ Pup by Hasbro
9. MagNext by Mega Brands
10. Clickables by Techno Source
11. Eye-Clops Night Vision Goggles by Jakks Pacific
12. Star Wars: The Clone Wars by Lego
13. U-Dance by Hasbro
14. Girl Gourmet Cupcake Maker by Jakks Pacific
15. Guitar Hero World Tour by Activision
16. Rock Band 2 by Harmonix
One lucky Kellie Pickler fan will win an exclusive, acoustic concert to share with up to 100 friends as part of the superstar's new national text campaign. Fans have until October 13th to text the word PICKLER to the number 66937. The winner will be randomly selected for the free concert in his or her hometown. Pickler's campaign coincides with this week's release of her self-titled sophomore album. Kellie previously did a texting promotion that was open strictly to high school students in three major U.S. cities. They racked up over two-million messages in an attempt to get her to play at their school. That promotion was so successful that Pickler decided to expand it to include her fans across the country. She says, quote, "It's great for the fans because it doesn't cost the winner anything." Pickler adds, quote, "All we ask is that you feed us!"
Life is good for country superstar Tim McGraw. "Let it Go" just became his 42nd top-ten country single. That musical milestone comes on the eve of his October 7th "Tim McGraw Greatest Hits 3" CD release. The new CD will feature "Let it Go" and many of his other hits, including "Last Dollar", "If You're Reading This", "Real Good Man", his duet with Tracy Lawrence on "Find Out Who Your Friends Are" and "9 Lives" with arena rock legends Def Leppard. The multi-platinum country star released his first greatest hits package in 2000. It featured many of his early hits like "Don't Take the Girl", "Indian Outlaw", "I Like It, I Love It" and the duet "It's Your Love" with his wife Faith Hill. That album was recently certified six-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Country star Clay Walker hopes to raise money for and awareness of multiple sclerosis during a charity bicycle ride this weekend. Walker was diagnosed with the condition a decade ago, and has since formed "Band Against MS." It's a public charity dedicated to providing education material to those living with the disease and raising money for research in hopes of finding a cure. The "Band Against MS" bike team will ride 75-miles from Franklin, Tennessee to Lynchburg on Saturday. They'll spend the night and return to Franklin the following morning. Walker says the Jack Daniel's "Bike to Jack and Back" event will further efforts to raise awareness, fund research and ultimately find a cure for MS. This weekend's ride is a partnership with the Mid South Chapter of the National MS Society.
Exile, who had 10 No. 1 country singles in the mid ‘80s, has reunited and will release an EP later this month. All five members – J.P. Pennington, Sonny LeMaire, Les Taylor, Steve Goetzman and Marlon Hargis – are taking part in the project, with a tour expected. They played their first show together in 23 years in June during a charity concert in Lexington, Kentucky. The band’s hits include “Give Me One More Chance” as well as the 1978 pop hit “Kiss You All Over.”
Move over Madonna, Scottish pop star Lulu tops the list for "Celebrities Whose Looks Have Improved With Age." According to Britain's "Express" newspaper, Lulu, who turns 60 next month, beat the likes of 50-year-old Madonna, 43-year-old Liz Hurley and 36-year-old Danni Minogue. Lulu said recently that looking young is about being young adding, quote, "It's about feeling food and being open to do new things." The Skinbliss shower lotion poll asked one-thousand people who they thought had aged best. In the men's category, voters ranked legendary actor Sir Sean Connery number one. At the ripe age of 73, Connery reigns above of 63-year-old Rod Stewart, 44-year-old Brad Pitt and 47-year-old George Clooney.
A watermelon grown in Marshall, Minnesota, has broken that state's record and comes within one pound of beating the world record for largest watermelon. At 267 pounds, the watermelon is the second-largest on record. The melon was planted in May by 69-year-old Bill Edwards, a Marshall Township resident who cultivated the fruit in his garden. The current world record is held by Lloyd Bright of Hope, Arkansas, who grew a 268-pound watermelon in 2005.
Blake Shelton says he'll make a "major announcement" in tomorrow's "Coming Attractions" section of "USA Today." His website is slim on details, simply saying, quote, "this is BIG news." His video for the single "She Wouldn't Be Gone" debuted last week exclusively on Yahoo!
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood, the reigning C-M-A Male and Female Vocalists of the Year, have been tapped to host this year's C-M-A Awards, which airs live from the Sommet (pr: so-MAY) Center in Nashville on November 12th. Though Brad and Carrie are no stranger to accepting awards, this will be the first time either of them will be hosting the show. Brad says, "I'm thrilled to have this opportunity to host the awards show. We're going to have a good time -- start to finish." Carrie is also thrilled to be part of Country Music's Biggest Night in such an important way. She says, "I am so excited to host a show I grew up watching, and am so thrilled to spend this night with the fans and Brad. It's going to be a party." In addition to hosting, Brad and Carrie will also perform.
Darius Rucker retains a comfortable lead on the country album chart with his Nashville debut, Learn to Live, according to the latest SoundScan figures. Sugarland holds the number-two spot on the chart with Love on the Inside. The dark horse appears to be the Randy Rogers Band whose self-titled debut album is at number-three. Taylor Swift's self-titled debut remains at number-four, and Jessica Simpson re-enters the Top 5 this week with her first country album, Do You Know.
Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo are reportedly headed down the altar this winter. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the couple was spotted at a Dallas Nieman Marcus shopping for rings, and post-Super Bowl nuptials are in the works.
