Trending This Morning
 

 
The Forecast:  Some sunshine for this last day of the year, breezy.  Hi 49.  If you're going to be outside around 12midnight tonight, it's going to be around 38.  The New Year begins with a chance of rain. Hi 42.  Mix of sun and clouds the remainder of the week. Highs around 40. Lows in the 20s.
We're close to the edge alright.   Negotiations stalled on Sunday, but President Obama is still hopeful an agreement will be reached that will keep us from going over the "fiscal cliff".
 
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton admitted to a New York City hospital Sunday with blood clot  two weeks after suffering a concussion. Docs spotted it during a follow-up exam related to the concussion.
 
Today, the world's oldest identical twins - Charlotte Eisgrou and Ann Primack of South Florida and Daytona Beach, are in the best of health as they turn 103 years old.

 
Winterfest is underway at Liberty University.  About 7000 are expected tonight to welcome in 2013, 5200 balloons drop at midnight along with tons of confetti.

 
Blame the recession in 2012:  Jaguar has decided to scrap its most advanced -- and expensive -- car to date.  Despite having some 100 potential buyers for the C-X75 hybrid, which is capable of speeds upwards of 200 miles per hour, the company has pulled the plug. They had only planned to build 250 of these four wheeled cats with a price tag of $2 million each.  Meow!

 
 
 
Sports
 
 
Andy Reid is reportedly out as coach of the Eagles later today. He's been with the Eagles 14 seasons.

 
Sunday Night Football: Washington 28, Dallas 18.

 
 
 
NFL sets Playoff Schedule
Games will air on CBS, FOX, NBC beginging January 5, leading up to Super Bowl XLVII on FEb 3.
 

 
Saturday, Jan 5
AFC: 4:30p on NBC: Cincinnati at Houston
NFC: 8P on NBC: Minnesota at Green Bay

 
Sunday, Jan 6
AFC: 1P on CBS: Indianapolis at Baltimore
NFC: 4:30 on FOX Seattle at Washington
 
 
Congrats to Virginia Tech after getting a 13-10 overtime win against Rutgers in the Russell Athletic Bowl on Friday from Orlando.

 
 
 
Today is Make Up Your Mind Day. Make a decision today and follow through with it.
The famous Times Square ball first dropped on NYE in NYC in 1908. The original ball was lit with 100 incadesent light bulbs housed in iron and wood.  Today's ball has 2688 Waterford crystal triangles illuminated by a computerized LED system attached to an aluminum frame.
 

 
Cuttin Cake
actor Sir Anthony Hopkins 75;   actor Val Kilmer 53;   singer Patti Smith 65; singer Joe McIntyre 39; Glenna Dowdy (my wife) and her twin sister Kaye Middleton ?? (You didn't really think I would go there did you?)
 

 
 
Joke of the Day
What do you was a phone with? Ans-Dial Soap

 
Smarter Than Question
The ingredients for the original version of this is still a secret after 46 years. What is it?  Congrats to Hollie, she got it.  The answer is "Play-Doh".   It was originally introduced only in off-white.  But think of all the fun you had as a kid.
 

 
 
Entertainment Buzz  
 

 
"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" ruled the box office for the third-straight week, capping a record-setting $10.8 billion year in moviegoing.The Warner Bros. fantasy epic made nearly $33 million this weekend.   "Django Unchained" came in second place with $30.7 million. In third place with $28 million was  "Les Miserables".
 
 
Daniel Craig's "Skyfall" has made over a billion dollars worldwide.
 

 
Big Kardashian news!  Kayne West has announced, Kim is pregnant with the couples first child.  They've been dating 8 months.   Wait!  She's not even divorced from Chris Humphries yet.  This is good.
 

 
(Photo: TLC)
 
Alana "Honey Boo Boo" who is 7, has been told by Mama June to gain weight,  according to Hollywoodlife.com.  The new season of the show airs this Sunday.
 

 
Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves are proud parents of baby #3.  Camila gave birth on Friday in the couples hometown of Austin, Texas. 
 
 
What a memorable moment from last year...
 
 
Ryan Seacrest has a New Year's resolution for 2013: improve his skill at dancing.  Since he's dating Julianne Hough, Ryan plans to take dance lessons.   Join Ryan tonight for  "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest," from 8 p.m. until past 2 a.m. EST on ABC.  The night will begin with a two-hour tribute, "New Year's Rockin' Eve Celebrates Dick Clark," hosted by Fergie and Jenny McCarthy.  Then Seacrest takes over for the countdown show at 10 p.m. EST.
 

 
All the single ladies _ and fellas _ will have a chance to join Beyonce onstage at the upcoming Super Bowl.  Pepsi announced Friday that 100 fans will hit the stage when the Grammy-winning diva performs on Feb. 3 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
  
 

 
News from Nashville
 
 
Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington, Brantley Gilbert, Kellie Pickler and Easton Corbin played Ram Jam in Nashville on Saturday.  ZBB will be in the Star City on  Jan 25.   Brantley in April.

 
Eric Church's March 14, 2012 show at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom made the New York Times list of Best Concerts in 2012.
 

 
At the request of former first lady - Barbara Bush - the Oak Ridge Boys, friends of the Bush's,  called the former President in the hospital on Friday and sang a few of his favorites over the phone including Elvira.  The former President is no long in Intensive Care and hopes to go home soon.
 
 
Kelly Clarkson thought she'd be single forever until Reba  McEntire's stepson, Brandon Blackstock came along.
 
 
Nothing like a little country to kick of 2013.   Taylor Swift will perform in Times Square, while Jason Aldean checks in from the West Coast on "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve with Ryan Seacreast" tonight on ABC.
 
 
X-Factor winner Tate Stevens performs on Fox's New Year's Eve Live tonight.  Due to a scheduling snafu, Philip Phillips is dropping out of his planned performance from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. 
 
 
Eric Church has a couple of hangover cure's for New Year's Eve.   "One is 5-hour Energy [bottles], because of all the B-vitamins that are in it.”  Church says “You can start pounding those, and it’s either gonna work or it’s gonna keep you up and prolong your misery.   But the other one is to take two Advil and a beer in the morning.   Eric says, "Hair of the dog, man — that works every time.”   Good luck.  You may be "Creepin" in the A.M. if you get too much today.  Don't forget your designated driver if you're on the road.
 
 
Blake Shelton will be featured on the NBC special New Year's Eve With Carson Daly, airing at 10 p.m. ET tonigt.   Blake and his fellow Voice coaches will each dish about their New Year's parties. The show will also include performances by Train, as well as The Voice's season three Cassadee Pope.  Other celebrity guests include Jay Leno, Donald Trump, Amy Poehler and Jimmy Fallon. The Office's Angela Kingsley will give live reports from Times Square.
 
 
Jake Owen will headline the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl.  Owen will provide the entertainment as the halftime headliner on Tuesday, Jan. 1 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens in his home state of Florida.
 
 
Reader's Digest asked celebs to finish this line...tomorrow is..."the first blank page of a 365 page book.  Write a good one." Brad Paisley
 
 
Emmylou Harris is being investigated for a hit-and-run accident that took place on a Los Angeles freeway back in October. The case is currently on the desk of the D.A., who will decide if she needs to be prosecuted. 
 

 
 
Lar's This & That
 
2012 Will Be A Write-off For Some
Most of us feel 2012 was not very good.  In fact, the year gets a poor rating, but 2013 is looking up. 
A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that just 36% of American Adults rate the year 2012 as good or better, including eight percent who think it was excellent and three percent who think it was the Best Year Ever. Thirty-five percent describe 2012 as fair, while 28% think it's been poor.
 
 
Slim Down in the New Year
If you want to slim down in the year ahead, try doing it the Italian way. Since caffeine in coffee revs up your metabolism, try a cup to burn up to 15% of fat.  Howeve, you have to drink your coffe like the Italians do it without milk, cream or sugar.


 
So Long 2012
25% of us haven't done this in 2012.  Most of us get 14 days of vacation in the year, but we've only used 12 days this year.  However, 25% have not used ONE vacation day.  Are you nuts?
 

The Name Game
According to BabyCenter.com, a growing number of parents are naming their offspring after their favorite technology. That means we can expect to see more babies named Apple, Mac, and even Siri (the voice-enabled “personal assistant” on the iPhone).  There was even a Google and Jedi.
 
Why It Doesn't Fit
A size 2 isn't always a size 2.    More

 
 

 
Hi-tech Rulesof High Tech Etiquette
Here are a few ways we inadvertently offend others:

•Returning a phone call with a text.  Folks in the business world say you should always reply the same way someone reached out to you.   However, you can kick-it-up-a-notch, by going from an email to a phone call.  That's more of a personal touch.
 

•Turning down an invitation without suggesting an alternative.  This leaves the ball in your court. If you don't follow through, you're sending the message, “I don’t want to spend time with you.”

•Leaving people out.  In the ages of texts, tweets and Facebook, everyone knows who attends what events.   So it's VERY easy to get busted.  The last thing you need is to deal with "hurt feelings". 
 
 
What Your Favorite TV Show Says About You
If reality TV is your best friend, listen up. A recent survey found that audiences of these shows was more likely to be extroverted and neurotic than people who avoid reality TV.
 

In fact, 70% of reality TV fans consider themselves extroverts.  Reality show fans are twice as likely to say they’re neurotic, meaning they worry what others think about them.  Watching shows like “Honey Boo Boo,” makes them feel better.
 

Many viewers claim they watch reality TV in order to feel better about themselves and boost their self-esteem.   Experts say we’re hardwired to learn social skills by observing how other people deal with family, friends, relationships and conflicts.  
 
 
So, reality TV gives us that window into social interactions from our couch in High Definition,  teaching us everything from how some people become powerful, to how others end up being manipulated.

In case you're wondering what the most popular reality show is?  Guys pick the “Deadliest Catch” – while the women like to "Keep up with the Kardashians.”   But in second place – for men and women – was “The Real Housewives” series – no matter what town they’re from.

 

4 Secrets To Staying Trim in the New Year
Start every day with a workout.  It's simply easier in the A.M. than it is after a hard days work.  Plus, you're less likely to give into the temptation of eating fatty foods, which can cause you to gain weight.
Practice saying “no” to more than just fatty food.  Think of your willpower as a muscle.  It needs to be exercised every now and then.  When you hear the line from your favorite wait staff, "did we save room for dessert?"   You know what the answer needs to be.  
If you just CAN'T say no,  try the “three bite rule”.  Only allow yourself three bites of dessert.  That should satisfy your sweet tooth.
Avoid “morning-after food.”  In other words, the leftovers you snack on ALL DAY after a dinner party.   Better yet, instead of sticking them in the fridge,  send 'em home with guests.  Your friends can worry about the extra calories.
 

 
When Should Holiday Home Decorations Come Down
51% said until the end of January
39% said by New Years Day
8% said no deadline
2% Valentines Day
 
 

 
Weird, But True News

The 13th step to getting sober has to be: Don’t drive drunk onto the lawn of the AA founder’s house.A man was busted for DUI after he allegedly drove onto the property of the historic home of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill Wilson in Dorset, Vt.The house still hosts AA meetings — which suspect Donald Blood may want to think about attending.
 
An Orlando man got a shock when he glanced into some woods and spotted an 800-pound gorilla.The shock only grew when he learned the realistic-looking beast was a life-size, $5,000 bronze statue of a silverback gorilla that someone had dumped in a wooded area after stealing it from a nearby hotel.
 
Good News Story 
 
A HS football quarterback, with a 4.3 GPA, has taken a bullied, special-needs student under his wing and supported her.

Quarterback Carson Jones was contacted through Facebook by a Liz Johnson, a teacher's aide and the mom of Chy, a 16-year-old with the cognitive abilities of a third-grader.  Her mom knew he was a good guy and asked him for help in finding who was bullying her daughter. 
The next day, Carson asked Chy to sit with him and his team at lunch - thinking, if other people saw him and his friends treating her well, they would do the same.
Not only has the bullying stopped, but the players have latched on to Chy, making her an unofficial member of their team.  They now walk her to classes, take her to dances and parties, even invite her down to the sidelines during games.   Chy calls them "my boys and I'm their lucky girl."  
 
 
Lar's Thought of the Day 
"Every moment wasted looking back, keeps us from moving forward."   Secretary of State Hillary Clinton