ON THIS DAY
On this date in 551 B.C., Confucius was born.
In 1789, the U.S. War Department created a regular army.
On this date in 1829, the famous Scotland Yard was created.
In 1913, Rudolph Diesel -- the inventor of the diesel engine -- drowned in the English Channel.
On this date in 1951, the very first color broadcast of a football game on TV took place.
In 1973, a 47-year-old French man completed 185 non-stop days on a tightrope.
Andrew "Dice" Clay turns 52, and Bryant Gumbel celebrates his 61st birthday.
Pumpkin Day -- How about a little pumpkin trivia:
Pumpkins were once recommended for?
- Cleaning horses
- Treating acne
- Removing freckles and curing snakebites ***
- Curing impotence
Some Indians used pumpkins as?
- Doormats ***
- Masks
- Birthing aids
- Skin cream
Indians used pumpkin seeds for?
- Medicine ***
- Facial masks
- Birth control
- False teeth
Pumpkins originated in?
- Cuba
- Central America ***
- Ecuador
- San Pedro
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- Lucy Vodden, the inspiration for the Beatles "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds," has died after a long battle with lupus. She was 46.
- CW has cancelled "The Beautiful Life: TBL" after only two episodes. The drama starred Mischa Barton and Sara Paxton and was executive produced by Ashton Kutcher.
- Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian got married Sunday. The 29-year-old Los Angeles Lakers forward and the 25-year-old reality TV star were married in Beverly Hills. Kardashian's stepfather, Bruce Jenner, walked her down the aisle.
- Three decades after being charged with child rape and fleeing the country, director Roman Polanski has been arrested in Zurich and is facing extradition to the U.S.
- Saturday Night Live newbie Jenny Slate accidentally dropped and F-Bomb on the season premiere of the show Saturday night.
- Conan O'Brien injured himself on Friday and had to cancel the "Tonight Show" for that night... but is back on the job this week.
- Donald Fisher has died at age 81. He was one of the co-founders of "The Gap."
- Tawny Kitaen is this week's celebrity DUI award winner. She played the bride-to-be of Tom Hanks' character in the 1984 film "Bachelor Party."
- Original Melrose Place hunk Andrew Shue and NBC reporter Amy Robach are engaged. They just started dating last spring. Sometimes you just know.
Money is tight in the current economy causing most of us to give up luxuries we once enjoyed. But the one we just hate sacrificing is dining out, 33% of respondents said in a new "60 Minutes"-Vanity Fair poll. Vacations, new clothing and alcohol followed on the list of hate-to-give-up luxuries. Want more? Of course, you do:
- 51% said they would support a tax of 50% or higher on the incomes of the richest Americans.
- 39% think Twitter is just a fad that will fade. Interestingly, 33% had heard of Twitter but had no idea what it is.
- 48% said Wal-Mart is the company that best symbolizes America today, followed by Google at just 15%, Microsoft at 13% and the NFL at 6%.
- 21% think obesity could be reduced by imposing a tax on fast food, while 5% think installing scales at fast-food restaurants so patrons could weigh themselves before ordering would help with weight loss.
- 37% think a politician who takes bribes is worse than a politician who has tan extramarital affair, which was cited as a greater sin by just 2% of the respondents.
- Which man would you most like to trade places with for a week? George Clooney came in No. 1 with 26% of the vote vs. 24% for President Barack Obama, 17% for Tom Brady and 26% for Bruce Springsteen.
- Which woman would you most like to trade places with for a week? The favorite was Michelle Obama with 26% of the vote, compared with Hillary Clinton with 16%, Angelina Jolie with 13% and Beyonce with 12%.
It cost a small fortune to raise a child born in 2008 to adulthood in the United States. The latest annual report by the Agricultural Department puts the tab at a staggering $291,570 for middle income families. It covers food, shelter and other necessities factoring in inflation for a child up to age 18. And that whopping figure doesn't even include the cost of childbirth or sending your offspring to college. The Expenditures on Children by Families Report says housing accounts for one-third of expenses, and food makes up 16%, the same as child care and education. By contract, in 1960, when the USDA first started publishing estimates, parents paid out a total of $25,300. Yearly child rearing spending ranges from $11,610 to $13,480 for middle income, two parent families, according to the USDA. (National Examiner)
An American group has threatened to take an Israeli city before an international court for violating the rights to mermaids. The conflict began when Kiryat Yam offered a $1 million prize for anyone who could prove a mermaid really lived off their shores. The Mermaid Medical Association, of Brooklyn, New York, responded that the prize, "outrageously damages the legendary mermaid legacy," and threatened to file a complaint with the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands. Officials have appealed to the association, suggesting that the search will help "perpetuate and preserve" the mermaid legend. (Sun)
