Trending This Mornin'
The forecast: Turning sunny today. Hi 43. More sunshine tomorrow. Hi 45. By Saturday, the 50's return thru at least next Wednesday, with chilly nights and sunny days. Hey, it's January. 76 days until Spring. It arrives on March 20, barring any surprises in February from Phil the groundhog.
Obama signs 'cliff' bill to boost taxes on wealthy.
You can come in off the ledge now. U.S. stocks soared Wednesday after lawmakers reached a fiscal cliff deal, with the Dow adding 308 points. The Nasdaq rose 3.1% for the day, and the S&P gained 2.5%. Not a bad for a short week at the market.
Flu cases are overloading the Roanoke ER's. Both Roanoke Memorial and LewisGale Medical Center in Salem have had their capacity levels tested more than once recently. Chicken soup anyone?
Will it work? Starbucks is coming out with a $1 reusable cup to curb trash. Would you buy it?
In the early 1900's, Lynchburg hosted many popular movie actors and celebrities of the day. Back then, there were five theaters in the Hill City. This Friday, the Lynchburg Museum will host a special exhibit that lets you learn about the old buildings and see photos of the people who performed there. The event is Friday night from 5 to 8 at the Lynchburg Museum on Court Street. Admission is free.
BOWLING IN THE NEW YEAR
Sugar Bowl last night: Louisville stuns Florida 33 - 23
BOWL: Fiesta Bowl DATE: Jan. 3, 8:30 p.m. PLACE: Glendale, Ariz. TEAMS: Kansas State vs. Oregon
BCS National Championship Game DATE: Jan. 7, 8:30 p.m. PLACE: Miami, Fla. TEAMS: Notre Dame vs. Alabama
Lookin' Back
National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day. This is also Drinking Straw Day. Marvin Stone of Washington, D.C., patented the paraffin-covered paper drinking straw on this date in 1888. **I want to know who invented "slurping". Now THAT's an art.
1938: The "March of Dimes" campaign to fight polio was organized.
1970: The Beatles recorded their last song together, "I Me Mine." Ten years later it was the title of George Harrison’s autobiography.
1973: CBS sold the New York Yankees to a syndicate headed by George Steinbrenner for $10 million.
1983: Michael Jackson's Thriller album was released. It would top the LP chart for 37 weeks and become the best selling album of all time.
1987: Aretha Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Cuttin' Cake Today
actor-director Mel Gibson is 57; actor Dabney Coleman 81; actress Victoria Principal 63; actress Danica "Winnie" McKellar 38; musician Stephen Stills 68; singer Kimberley Locke 35; quarterback Eli Manning 32; hockey’s Bobby Hull 74.
Joke of the Day
Two bears - hunkered down for the winter hiberating - are talking. One says to the other. Can't sleep huh? The bear next too him replies, "yeah." What's wrong?
The wide awake bear replies, "Must have been that 'Grande Latte'". I'm going to be up all winter."
Weird News this Mornin'
Some people got a thrill to start the New Year — then there are those who ushered in 2013 with a definite chill. They were the hundreds of people who started the new year with a plunge into the waters off Brooklyn's Coney Island. Members of the Coney Island Polar Bear clubs and the Ice Breakers stripped down to their trunks for the annual January 1 romp in the surf.
One woman dressed as a mermaid, another in a horned hat. The temperatures were in the 30s and there were shrieks as bathers hit the chilly waters. This year, Polar Bear club members and others were raising money for Sandy relief efforts. **A great cause, but are you nuts?
How about you more...
A Florida family told police they returned from vacation to find a burglar had eaten their food and slept in a guest bed before fleeing with their belongings. Police said the Sanford family returned Friday from a Christmas trip to discover a burglar had cooked and eaten food from their freezer, drank some of their liquor and slept in a guest room before leaving with about $500 worth of gold jewelry and a bottle of Jack Daniels. Investigators said the thief also took a key to the family’s 2007 Cadillac, but left the vehicle in the driveway. **We're not sure if he had "goldielocks" or not and no one saw three bears either. Stay tuned.
Smarter Than Question
78% of women say their partner forgets to do this several times a month. What is it? Congrats to Carol Lou. Two mornings straight. Wow! The answer is "leave the cap off the toothpaste".
Entertainment Buzz
Simon Cowell is reportedly trying to lure Shania Twain to become a judge on "X Factor." BTW: Us Magazine is reporting Britney will NOT be returning as a judge.
Rumors have it Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were married over the holidays. Still nothing official.
Is Katie Holmes dating Jake Gyllenhaal? The U.K. Sun says so. Insiders say NOPE.
(Photo: FOX)
One-time American Idol winner Kris Allen rang in 2013 from a hospital bed. On Tuesday, the Idol Season 8 champion was involved in a "really bad wreck" that left him with a broken wrist. Kris’ pregnant wife, Katy, and the couple’s pet pooch Zorro had been riding shotgun. Neither were seriously injured. His mom says it might be a while before he plays guitar again.
Lionel Richie was feeling generous on Christmas. He bought himself seven Mercedes Benz automobiles. "I decided to buy myself a Mercedes ... In blue jeans and T-shirt, I walked into a Montgomery, Alabama, dealership and said, ‘I’ll buy seven Mercedes’. Staring, the guy asked, ‘Son, you got some proof?’" Once the dubious car dealer got proof of Richie’s identification he was more helpful, added the singer. "I had him call LA’s Bank of America president. He hung up and segued from ‘Son’ to, ‘Mr. Richie, right this way, please’." **Hey everybody, say "hello" to Mr. Richie, our customer of the month.
Robin Roberts will not return to "Good Morning America" until May at the earliest, according to TMZ. She's been recuperating from a bone-marrow transplant to treat a rare blood disorder since September.
HLN announced yesterday that Ty Pennington - from "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" would be hosting a monthly series entitled "American Journey" beginning Saturday, Jan 12.. Each episode will air multiple times over the weekend on te network formerly known as CNN Headline News, now the HLN television network.
Celebrities we're sick of in 2012
The online survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Zebra Pen Corp. found that the Kardashian family topped the list of celebrities most people would like to see "written off" in 2013, at 70%. The Lohan family came in a close second at 68%, and child pageant princess Honey Boo-Boo at 65%. Justin Bieber was a distant fourth at 47%, followed by Chris Brown and Donald Trump, who tied at 44%, and the cast of "Two and a Half Men."
Jenny McCarthy - keeping with tradtion - kissed a complete stranger at midnight in Times Square. His this not the luckiest military man on the planet?
TV TONIGHT
ABC: Nashville and two episodes of Scandal are repeats
CBS: All new tonight including The Big Bang Theory, Two and a Half Men, Person of Interest, and Elementary
NBC: 30 Rock, Up All Night, The Office, Parks and Rec, and Rock Center are all repeats
FOX: Mobbed and Mobbed are both new
CW: The Vampire Diaries and Beauty and the Best are both repe
News from Nashville
The producer of the movie 'Les Miserables' tells Showbiz411.com though Taylor Swift tried out for a part in the movie - and she is "talented and completely un-starry" - she did lose the role to Samantha Barks and the movie IS doing just fine at the box office with T.S.. Taylor is doing quite well without the Les Miz role. Her album Red continues its reign atop the Billboard 200 albums chart, and she's launching The Red Tour in March.
Taylor's in the record books. Yahoo! Chart Watch reports that makes Taylor Swift the first artist since The Beatles to log six weeks at #1 with three consecutive albums. Her 2008 release Fearless spent 11 weeks at the top, and 2010's Speak Now was at the summit for six weeks. The Beatles scored seven consecutive albums at #1 starting with Beatles '65 in January 1965 and ending with Abbey Road in November 1969.
Dierks Bentley made his annual New Year's Day lake jump in Orlando, FL, Tuesday, since he was in town to perform at the Capitol One Bowl that day. Bowl officials also gave Dierks and his two band mates pretty pink robes to wear after their jump. Believe me, it's a must see. Here.
Jason Aldean, a bad guy? Maybe. There's no official word on which role Jason will play in the new movie Sweetwater. Just that he is definitely in it. The film's story is set in 1886 New Mexico Territory and is about a young widow -- played by Mad Men star January Jones -- who sets out to avenge her husband's murder with the help of the local town sheriff.
Kenny Chesney, Emmylou Harris, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw will perform at a tribute concert to Bruce Springsteen, who will be honored next month as the 2013 MusiCares Person of the Year. Additional performers include Jackson Browne, Elton John, John Legend, Natalie Maines, Sting, Neil Young and others. Jon Stewart will host the all-star concert on Feb. 8 in Los Angeles, two days prior to the Grammy Awards. Proceeds from the concert will benefit MusiCares' funds for emergency financial assistance and addiction recovery.
Scotty McCreery got 2013 off to a fun start -- in a dentist's office, getting his wisdom teeth removed Wednesday
CELEBRITIES NEXT DOOR
Which celebrity would you most like to borrow a cup of sugar from? Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert top this year's Celebrity Neighbor Survey by Zillow.com. Reese Witherspoon and Taylor Swift are tied for second. Then comes Jon Stewart. Beyonce and Jay-Z are tied for fifth with Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel. Kristen Stewart and Justin Bieber are tied for last. But if those surveyed had to choose, Honey Boo Boo is the star they'd least like to have as a neighbor. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are in second place, followed by Donald Trump. Lance Armstrong and Clint Eastwood are tied for fourth place. Taylor Swift is in fifth, followed by Kristen Stewart.
OBIT: "Tennessee Waltz" singer, Patti Page, died yesterday. She was 85.
MORE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS FROM COUNTRY
Carrie Underwood: "I definitely want to read more- I wish I was a better book reader! I am a product of my generation: I watch movies, I go to concerts, I download things. I would just like to curl up with a book more often."
Trace Atkins: "I quit making resolutions probably 20 years ago because I never kept any of them and I felt guilty about it, so I just said 'screw it.'"
Lar's This & That
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE "END" IN 2013
Here's what the Huffington Post has to say about it. See if you agree...
Lies, lies and more lies. Of course, the election played a huge role in this one.
The total faith in smart technology. Suri doesn't know everything, especially when it comes to directions.
Businesses that pretend to be generous but aren't really. If a business wants to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy, then write a check. Don't offer 20% off all sales to the cause.
The expression "insanely awesome" coming out of the mouth of someone post 50.
Social media sharing that isn't. Stop posting pictures of your scrambled eggs. Share real stuff, like your kids or how your new job is working out.
Mean people. You know who you are. Stop it.
CONSUMER SAVVY
The BBB is offering up 10 tips for being consumer savvy in the new year. #1 on the list makes so much since...BE YOUR BEST PROTECTOR. Check out the other nine.
DO YOU SUFFER FROM NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION PROCRASTINATION
Making New Years Resolutions are easy, keeping them...that's the tough part. Psychology Today has a few tips on actually making it through the year while accomplishing your goal. They have 12 tips, here are the ones I found interesting:
Check the strength of your commitment: What do you gain? What do you trade off? Is the gain worth what you give up? If you choose something that is not that important, it's usually better to choose nothing.
Plan for success: Goals are easy, but they aren't achieved if we don't make a plan. If you want to lose weight, what should you do first, second, and third?
Watch out for the Wheedler: This is the part of your brain that whispers 'eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die.' Ya know, the evil part of your brain. Flip things around. Beat the Wheedler at its own game: 'Let's start now for we can always play later!'
Reward yourself: Create incentives to support your progress along the way. Follow a designed plan with short-term rewards that are part of your daily routine, such as drinking coffee or reading the newspaper.
WHAT DO PARENTS WANT TO SEE THEIR KIDS ACCOMPLISH IN 2013?
Not surprisingly: clean their room and get more engaged at school. They would also like to see them make better choices. A whopping 87% of parents of children ages 6-17 want to choose a New Year’s resolution for their child or children, according to a new Harris Interactive survey.
Read on and see if this is you. When asked which New Year’s resolutions, if any, they would select on behalf of their children, parents picked:
Clean up their room more often (47%)
Be more engaged in school (33%)
Have healthier eating habits (33%)
Get more physical activity (33%)
Play fewer video games (29%)
Other resolutions parents wish their children would make include minding manners (24%), better hygiene (22%), texting less and reading more (21%), being a better friend (11%) and other (4%).
THE WORLD MOOD
We are a "glass-half-full" world. A new report from Gallup found 85% of adults around the world feel like they're treated with respect.
72% reported smiling or laughing yesterday and 72% say they're well rested.
Of course, not everyone is so cheery. Folks in Singapore seem to lack emotion and fell dead last on the list of happy countries. Singapore, by the way, also ranked #1 on Gallup's World's Least Emotional Country.
Here are the most positive countries:
Panama
Paraguay
El Salvador
Venezuela
Trinidad and Tobago
WAYS TO DEAL WITH THE WINTER BLAHS
It's bound to happen sometime during the season - feeling down. Follow THIS Link for ways to deal with the winter blahs!
Some of the signs of SAD may include the following:
Loss of energy
Social withdrawal
Difficulty concentrating
Depressed mood
Fatigue
Weight gain
Cravings for sweet and starchy foods
Oversleeping
I even saw a story the other day that said your pet can suffer from the winter blahs. The sure...rent weekend at Bernie's for you and your pet this weekend. That should do it.
A Must See....
The Roomba...it cleans and entertains.
Good News Story 
The New Year wasn't even a day old, but we already got one of the feel-goodsoldier stories of 2013 at Monday's Rose Parade in Pasadena, California.
Miriam Pazz and her four-year-old son Eric Pazz the Second won an all-expenses-paid trip to the Rose Parade through a military-only contest sponsored by Natural Balance pet food, but on Monday they received a real surprise when 32-year-old Eric Pazz stepped off the float, just three months before his scheduled discharge date, for a reunion with his wife and son. How incredible must they have felt?!
Check out the video...
Lar's Thought of the Day 
"Think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year’s."
