ON THIS DAY
On this date in 1823, the poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" was published for the first time.
In 1920, Ireland divided into two parts.
Harry Shearer, who provides a lot of the voices on the Simpsons, including Kent Brockman, turns 66 today. Susan Lucci from "All my Children" turns 63 today. She went 20 years before winning her first Emmy.
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- One of the three legs of horse racing's Triple Crown -- the Belmont Stakes -- is in financial danger of not happening in 2010. The governor and legislature are at a standstill over funding.
- Tom Cruise has been hit with a $5 million lawsuit for allegedly hiring imprisoned private investigator Anthony Pellicano to spy on a magazine editor.
- On average, women spend about 20 minutes a day checking out members of the opposite sex, according to a survey from Kodak Lens Vision Centres in Gloucester, England. 35% of respondents said they had started a relationship with someone they had ogled.
- Ask Jeeves says that Britney Spears was the most searched for person during the past decade.
- Alaina Reed Hall, better known to you as Olivia the photographer on Sesame Street, died on December 17th in Los Angeles after a bout with breast cancer. She was 63.
- Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen have finally announced their baby boy's name. It's Benjamin.
- CBS has the Super Bowl in February. The show they're going to feature immediately after the game? Maybe you've seen the commercials -- "Undercover Boss."
- MTV's "Jersey Shore" show has gotten a little too ethnic for Dell's comfort zone and they've withdrawn as a sponsor.
What do we do in the shower? We think! That's the word from a nationwide survey by Water Pik. The quick results of the "Behind the Shower Curtain" survey: Women think about their to-do list. Men think about sex.
- The survey revealed that 64% of women think about their to-do lists in the shower, compared with 48% of men. In addition to their chores, women contemplate their problems and their weight, while men think about work, sex and day dreams.
- 66% of men admit to showering with another adult for intimacy, compared with 55% of women who admit to having an intimate shower.
- While popular opinion says women spend more time in the shower, the survey findings show that men shower an average of only two minutes less than women (14 minutes for women vs. 12 minutes for men).
- 50% of moms say they use the shower as a time to escape, compared to only 28% of dads and 29% of women without children. More than half (53%) of moms always feel rushed to get out of the shower to take care of their family, compared to 27% of dads.
The top three bathroom pet peeves:
- Low water pressure
- Toothpaste gobs in the sink
- Dirty clothes on the bathroom floor
Families spend an average of 91 hours a year arguing, and when it comes to the instigator, mother rows best. A new study reveals that verbal brouhahas break out three times a day and last about five minutes apiece, with mommy dearest usually at the center of it all. TV tends to ignite a large number of skirmishes, usually with Mom adamant about watching her soap operas, dads preferring sports or documentaries and kids clamoring for movies or reality shows. Mother is more likely to hold her ground, with daughters slamming doors as they retreat and fathers going for a drive to cool off. And 1 in 10 families were not on speaking terms when the surveys were taken. Says Mark De Netto, spokesman for the study sponsoring family database Uinvue: "It was interesting to note that Mom still seems to play the pivotal role within the family." (National Examiner)
Here are the Best TV Series of the Year according to Entertainment Weekly writer Ken Tucker:
- "True Blood," HBO
- "Fringe," Fox
- "Modern Family," - ABC
- "Sons of Anarchy," FX
- "Nurse Jackie," Showtime
- "Breaking Bad," AMC
- "Friday Night Lights," NBC
- "Mad Men," AMC
- "Glee," Fox
- "The Good Wife," CBS
The Worst TV Series of the Year:
- "The Jay Leno Show," NBC
- "Glenn Beck," Fox News
- "Osbournes: Reloaded," Fox
- "Grey's Anatomy," ABC
- "Sex Rehab With Dr. Drew," VH1
If you have friends named Judy or Joshua and they're always ridiculously upbeat and happy, there's a reason: It's in their name. The happiest people are likely to be named Judy or Joshua, and the most miserable are Lynn and Ben. At least, that's the word from psychologist Dr. David Holmes of Britain's Manchester Metropolitan University, who claims people's personalities change to fit the name their parents gave them. In addition to Judy and Joshua, the happiest people are named Stephanie, Linda, Pam, Pat, Matthew, Jason, Terry and Barry. The unhappiest women tend to be Charlotte, Tina, Amy or Tara, while the most dejected males are likely to go by the names of Andrew, Edward, Tim or Owen, reports the BBC News.
