Word on the Curb has it that Mario Lopez and reality TV socialite Khloe Kardashian have been hired to co-host The X Factor when the live shows begin airing on Nov. 1.

Seems Stacy  Keibler's romance with Hollywood heartbreaker George Clooney is about to expire.The New York Daily News says the couple's relationship is  "almost kaput."

New American Idol judge Keith Urban had something to say about the Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey verbal smackdown at the Charlotte auditions the other day.  While attending the New York Film Festival - honoring wife Nicole Kidman, he said, "We're all passionate people and we're learning a new dance and we're all a work in progress."  He likened his role on "Idol" to that of the United Nations.    When asked what it feels like to be sitting between the dueling divas,  Urban said  "Best seat in the house."   Indeed.

Garth Brooks will conclude his three-year run of shows at the Wynn Las Vegas with the final show set for November 17.

In the new issue of Glamour magazine - with Taylor Swift on the cover - Taylor opens up about her relationship with her female friends, telling Glamour, "They are so important in my life right now. I'm the kind of girl who needs to tell her friends everything."  Noting that two of her best friends are actress Emma Stone and singer/actress Selena Gomez."  **Hummm, the things she knows about Justin Bieber.

More Taylor...She scores her fifth #1 hit on Billboard's Digital Songs chart, selling 299,000 copies of her new country single, "Begin Again." It'll be included on Taylor's fourth album, Red, coming October 22.

Swift tells the U.K. edition of Marie Claire, when it comes time to become a mom, she wants no less than four kids, which is a far cry from the 10 she wished for in an interview last fall...but she's not in any rush to get there.

Billy Ray Cyrus will release his 13th album,Change My Mind, on October 23.

You're going to hear some familiar sounds on the ABC drama Nashville when it debuts October 10.  Hits like Eli Young Band's "Even if It Breaks Your Heart," Justin Moore's "Small Town USA" and others.  Billboard.com also reports the show's producers have also cut a deal with Taylor Swift, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts' record label, Big Machine, to release songs from the show digitally.

• Deer are especially active pre-dawn to mid-morning and dusk to early evening.
• Deer travel in herds. If you see one deer, others are likely nearby.
• Slow down. The slower you're driving, the more time you have to avoid the  deer if you see it.
• Use high beams when there's no oncoming traffic, to widen your area of  visibility.
• Notice Deer Crossing signs.
• Watch for "eye shine" or light reflecting off a deer's eyes. When you see it,  slow down
• If a deer is "frozen in the headlights," flash them, since steady lights can  mesmerize deer.
• Don't swerve to avoid a deer, because it can cause you to lose control of  your vehicle.
• If a crash is going to happen, take your foot off the brake at the time of  impact, to lower the chance of the deer crashing through your windshield.
• Don't rely on hood whistles, car horns, or other devices to scare deer. They  don't work.

WEATHER CHANNEL WANTS TO NAME WINTER BLIZZARDS

The Weather Channel is going to start naming blizzards this winter . . . the  same way that the National Weather Service gives names to hurricanes.  They  say it'll raise awareness, make it easier for people to follow a winter storm's  progress, and give the storm a personality.  They go through the alphabet,  just like hurricane names do.  The first storms this winter will be named  Athena, Brutus, Caesar, Draco, and Euclid.

DON'T FALL FOR IT!

THE BEST PART OF WAKING UP
You might want to rethink the way you brew coffee -- and the cost of it. A team of engineers who worked previously at Apple and at NASA designed the $11,000 The Blossom One Limited coffeemaker that brews coffee at just the right temperature. It's intended for commercial use in cafes and restaurants.