Trending This Mornin'
A great October 12th to you. Wow! 19 days until Halloween. There is no way that candy is going to make it.
Ready for a sun-filled, seasonably warm October weekend? A few areas of frost this morning. Sunshine and breezy today. Highs mid to upper 60s. Saturday, low 60s. Sunday, upper 60s. Lows 40's and 50s. Chance of showers Sunday night. Monday, mostly sunny. Highs 70 to 72 through Thursday.
(Photo: AP)
Well, thoughts on the VP debate. 90 minutes exchanging barbs. At odds early and often, Joe Biden and Republican Paul Ryan squabbled over the economy, taxes, Medicare and more Thursday night in a contentious, interruption-filled debate.
Meningitis update: Thursday, the CDC announced that 14 people have now died and that 170 people have been infected.
The search is on for the man who robbed the SunTrust Bank on Williamson Road Thursday afternoon in Roanoke County.
ITT Exelis announces 201 layoffs at Roanoke County plant
Tropical storm Patty is out in the the Caribbean with 40 mph winds.
Sports
Orioles stay alive with 13 inning 2, 1 win over the Yankees. Nationals force a Game 5, with 2, 1 win over St. Louis. Giants beat Cincinnati 6, 4. Detroit 6, Oakland 0. Tigers advance to the American League Championship Series.
NFL Thursday: Tennessee 26, Pittsburgh 23
Let's Do Some Tailgating
Duke at Virginia Tech
Maryland at Virginia
North Carolina at Miami
VMI at Charleston Southern
Liberty at Presbyterian
William & Mary at JMU
Richmond at N. Hampshire
Randolph-Macon at W&L
Em. & Henry at H.-Sydney
N,C. Wesleyan at Ferrum
Attention Race Fans!
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss the next two Sprint Cup races at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway with concussion symptoms following a last-lap crash Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway. Earnhardt said he was suffering headaches shortly after the 25-car pileup at Talladega. Regan Smith will drive Earnhardt's No. 88 Chevrolet at Charlotte and Kansas. Hopefully, he'll be back in time for Martinsville.
Needing some Fall color? Try the Blue Ridge Parkway, Route 311 toward Catawaba and Paint Bank, Rockbridge Co., Route 221 from Bent Mountain to Floyd, and Smith Mountain Lake.
Lookin' Back
It's National Pumpkin Pie Day and this is Moment of Frustration Day. Sunday is Be Bald and Be Free Day.
1492: Roderigo de Triana, a sailor working the crow's nest aboard the Pinta, discovered Guanahani Island in the Bahamas. Christopher Columbus got all the credit, though, because he knew the queen personally.
1933: The John Dillinger gang killed the sheriff while breaking their leader out of the Allen County jail in Ohio.
1938: Filming began on "The Wizard of Oz."
1962: A Little Richard a concert in Liverpool was opened by a local group -- the Beatles.
1971: The rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice opened on Broadway.
1997: Singer John Denver was killed at age 52 in the crash of his privately built aircraft in Monterey Bay, California.
Cuttin' Cake Today
actor Kirk Cameron is 42
actress Susan Anton 62
actor Hugh Jackman 44
Dixie Chick Martie Maguire 44
actor Adam Rich 44
Jush Hutcherson from The Hunger Games turns 20
Joke of the Day
"Do you believe in life after death?" the boss asked one of his employees. "Yes, sir," the clerk replied. "That's good," the boss said. "After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped in to see you."
Smarter Than Question
80% of us live within 20 miles of this. What is it? Congrats to Carol Lou. She got it. The answer is STARBUCKS. In fact, there's one within 20 miles of 80% of us. The furthest you'd ever have to drive to get your coffee fix from a Starbucks owned store is 140 miles.
Entertainment Buzz
Whitney Houston’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, just got engaged to adopted brother Nick Gordon. Her family is against it.
"Good Morning America" co-host Robin Roberts tweeted Thursday she is home from the hospital after undergoing a bone-marrow transplant last month.
Tom Hanks will play a gutsy New York City newspaper columnist when he makes his debut on Broadway in "Lucky Guy" this spring.
Rihanna says her seventh studio album, "Unapologetic," will be released worldwide next month.
Stevie Nicks insists she is sorry she said in an interview she thinks Mariah Carey should have strangled Nicki Minaj for verbally abusing her. Stevie says those remarks were made after a long and exhausting day of interviews. It was very out of character for her and she deeply regrets it. She says feels very protective toward Mariah Carey who has gone through many difficulties in her life.
Before Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner were married, there was another Bennifer: Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez. It’s been eight years since they were together, but Ben says he is still in touch with J Lo. Ben says they still send emails like, "Oh, your movie looks great."
NBC says it plans to air its pilot for "Mockingbird Lane," a new version of the classic American series "The Munsters," this month.
One of the few couples from ABC's "The Bachelor" franchise to marry is now expecting their first child. Jason and Molly Malaney Mesnick's baby is due in March.
Rick Springfield played three songs, including his 1980s anthem "Jessie's Girl," during rush hour in a New York subway station. This is great!
primetime friday
abc: new episodes of Shark Tank, Primetime: What Would You Do?, and 20/20
cbs: new episodes of CSI: NY and Blue Bloods
nbc: Grimm is new followed by a new Dateline NBC
fox: Fringe is new at 9pm
cw: reruns tonight
in theaters
Argo (R); Atlas Shrugged: Part II (PG-13); Here Comes the Boom (PG); Seven Psychopaths (R); Sinister (R)
News from Nashville
Luke Bryan will be joined on the Dirt Road Diaries tour by Thompson Square and Florida Georgia Line when his first headlining tour begins next year. The first leg of the tour will begin Jan. 17 in Evansville, Ind. The closest date to us is March 23: Charlottesville, Va.
Taylor Swift has already lent her name to two fragrances, a line of greeting cards and a range of sun dresses. Now, she's branching out into footwear. Taylor's just announced a multi-year deal with Keds. The first fruit of the partnership will be the introduction of limited-edition red Keds Champions, in honor of Taylor's new CD, Red. They'll be available at Keds.com and TaylorSwift.com starting Oct 22.
Taylor Swift and Conor Kennedy were reportedly in London spending $80,000 on antiques. She also spent time wandering around Paris and would love to shoot a video there.
Don't worry about Keith Urban being in the doghouse anytime soon. Wife Nicole Kidman says he gives her confidence though his kindness.
Talk about being "Blown Away"...Carrie Underwood and hubby Mike Fisher recently went on a romantic ziplining date in Idaho. Afterwards she Tweeted "Good times."
"Tornado," four weeks in a row at number one for Little Big Town.
What WAS that song at the end of "Nashville" on Wednesday night?
Scarlett O'Connor and Gunnar Scott (played by Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio) did a song entitled -- 'If I Didn't Know Better' -- written and originally recorded by a male/female duet that became a Grammy winning act in 2012 when it was recorded by the Civil Wars. A total of 14 country songs were used during the premiere episode of ‘Nashville,’ including well-known hits by Justin Moore, Edens Edge and Eli Young Band, plus lesser known tunes by Greg Bates and Miranda Lambert.
It looks like there’s a little bit more authenticity coming to ABC’s ‘Nashville.’ Star Kimberly Williams-Paisley has joined the show in a role that will recur over a multi-episode arc. Williams-Paisley will portray Peggy Samper, a former co-worker and girlfriend of Rayna’s husband Teddy Conrad. **Hummm, can you picture Brad Paisley at home on Wednesday night, bowl of popcorn, in front of the flat screen watching his wife?
Reba's new sitcom Malibu Country premieres on ABC November 2.
Hunter Hayes says he an Carrie Underwood have become close friends, since he's been opening for her "Blown Away" tour. He says she's "so real and down to earth."
Lar's This & That
Another reason to cut back
While modern cars are getting lighter, drivers are getting heavier -- and America's fuel economy may be feeling the weight.
The Allstate Blog says that obese Americans are wasting more than 1 billion gallons of fuel per year. The Department of Energy says an extra 100 pounds lowers a vehicle's mpg capacity by up to 2 percent. Automakers are using less steel and lighter plastics to reach higher fuel standards, but more than a third of adults are obese and that number is expected to increase.
On the flip side of that
A CNN Money survey found people that exercise tend to make more money. Men who exercise three or more times a week earn 6% more than their colleagues. And for women it was 10% more. Researchers credit the post-workout high for the increase in productivity.
Fastest of the Fastest...Drive-thru
If you're hungry and in a hurry, hit up a Wendy's! Wendy's topped a QSR magazine survey of the fastest drive-thru restaurants. On average, it takes 129.75 seconds to grab a meal through a Wendy's drive-thru. Burger King, on the other hand, takes FOREVER! A full 201.33 seconds, or 3-minutes and 20 seconds.
You would think with all that extra time, the King would rank high on accuracy in this survey -- but not so. BK had the worst accuracy ratings of any of the seven fast-food joints surveyed. They got their order correct 83% of the time. Chick-fil-A got it right 92.4% of the time.
Burger King, as if it couldn't get worse, also ranked last on the "friendly" scale. Only 27.4% of respondents said their experience was "very pleasant," and 34.3% called it "very pleasant.
A message to Millennials -- grow up!
Get out of your old bedroom, buy your own car, and stick with a job more than two weeks. A new book called "(blank), I'm in My Twenties", chronicles a woman's life and her struggle with adulthood.
Psychology Today breaks down the differences between today's 20-somethings, and 20-somethings of the past:
Fewer are driving - 46% of potential drivers 19 and under have actual licenses. In 1998 it was 65%.
46% of 18 to 24 year old's would rather have Internet access than own a car.
Almost a third of young adults are now living at home
It gets worse for you youngins... A recent survey by a human resources firm found
Most employers would rather hire a Boomer than a Millennial -- Three times as many managers would hire someone 50 and older rather than under 30
46% of managers said Millenials need to be better writers
75% of managers says Millenials need to learn how to dress for an interview
70% of managers think Millenials should reign in their personal life on the Internet... stop sharing so much on Facebook
62% think Millenials should know at least a little something about the company before coming to the interview
57% think Millenials are a little "too confident"
Only 15% said Millennials had a good work ethic, and 2% think they're reliable.
Not good, gang.
Carving 101
Buzzfeed.com has a list of “13 Brilliant Pumpkin Carving Hacks” to help you land the most creative jack-o-lantern in the neighborhood:
1. Cut the top and a section in the back in one piece: It makes for easier scraping, and it’s easier to put a candle inside.
2. Use dry erase markers instead of Sharpies: So you can correct mistakes before you carve your design.
3. Use a cookie cutter and a mallet: To hammer out designs in fun cookie cutter shapes.
4. Trace a stencil with a nail or a tack: To help with accuracy in your design.
5. Use glow sticks in place of candles: For multi-colored jack-o-lanterns.
6. Make holes with a power drill: It makes for a cool Lite-Brite effect.
7. Use glow-in-the-dark paint and masking tape: For the those who don’t want to mess with pumpkin guts and knives, use glow-in-the-dark paint and tape to make a one-of-a-kind creation.
8. Try fishnet stockings: Pumpkins look sexy when covered in cool fishnet patterns.
9. Preserve with floor cleaner: To keep the inside of the pumpkin from rotting.
10. Give them teeth: Insert plastic “bubba” teeth for a redneck pumpkin.
11. Use it as a punch bowl: Hollow it out, put a bowl inside, and fill with your beverage of choice.
12. Turn it into a keg: It’s perfect for storing beer at a Halloween party.
13. Skip the pumpkins and go with milk jugs: No carving required! Just fill the milk jug with twinkle lights!
Smooth or hairy?
If given the choice, women love smooth. Researchers asked women to compare the attractiveness of men before and after shaving their chest. The majority of women loved a smooth chest, while only 20% wanted the "Magnum P.I." look.
Crazy Things People Put on the Company Tab
According to some CFOs, here are some really weird things that employees have expensed ...
1. Video game consoles 2. A luxury teepee 3. A luxury trailer 4. The fine for a toll booth crash 5. A set of luxury golf clubs 6. A $12,000 trip to Greece 7. Lottery tickets 8. A day at the spa 9. Wedding anniversary dinner 10. Hot tub supplies 11. Cosmetic surgery
Honorable mentions:
Pet food
Speeding tickets
Movie tickets
Golf trips
Cigarettes
Suits
Toilet paper
Socks
Things that had already been expensed and reimbursed (Buzzfeed.com)
The Scariest, Ugliest Pair of Shoes EVER!!!
No, it's not my new running shoes. **Hey, I'm ready for hunting season in case the deer try and run me down.
Click here.
Kids Do The Strangest Things When They Eat
Spaghetti will just wear you out!
Gotta See This...
What turns you on, brains or brawn? If you're hoping for both, here's a guy that can do one handed push-ups while solving a Rubik's Cube in 15 seconds. Proof.
Not to be outdone...this walrus does situps to "Eye of the Tiger". Goo-goo-cuh-choo! I am the walrus.
Weird, But True News
A North Carolina teen is in trouble for apparently spiking his 61-year-old high school teacher's coffee with a supplement meant to enhance female backsides. The victim, Ellen Vick, told cops her cup of joe was spiked with "some sort of substance," according to a police report obtained by The Smoking Gun website.
According to police, an unidentified student was found to be in possession of a bottle of GluteBoost, which bills itself as a way for women to get, "the hourglass figure [they] deserve" without resorting to, "expensive buttock enhancement surgery or enduring the pain of pricey butt injections."
No arrests have yet been made. And I'm thinking no comment is needed. Chances are though, this kid WON'T be passing the class. Just sayin'.
Staying Healthy Today
What Your Plate Should Contain These Days
Based on the USDA's Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the agency offers the following recommendations to "build your plate":
Half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables.
The other half should be equal parts grains and proteins. At least half of your grains should be whole grains. Breads, cereals, rice and pasta are all available as 100 percent whole grain.
Protein should come from a variety of sources. For instance, choose seafood twice a week, replace meat with beans some days and go for small portions of lean meat and poultry.
Switch to skim or 1 percent milk and other lowfat dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.
Reduce your sodium intake by checking food labels and choosing foods with the lowest sodium. Aim for less than 1,500 mg of sodium daily.
Avoid foods and beverages containing added sugar. Drink water and choose fruit for dessert.
Limit foods high in saturated fats or solid fats, such as cakes, pizza and hot dogs -- reserving them for an occasional treat.
Good News Story 
The Junior League of the Roanoke Valley - a women's organization committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women, and improving the community through effective action and leadership of trained volunteers - has stepped up to the plate and awarded The Rescue Mission a grant of $1494.
The money will be used to purchase children’s car seats, strollers, and pack-n-plays...items needed by the Rescue Mission to meet the special needs of more and more children coming into the Mission that are under the age of six.
The “pack-n-plays” and strollers will be used by guests during their stay. The car seats will be used by the Rescue Mission staff for transporting kids to special events and to eight weeks of summer day-camp.
That's what you call making a difference in our world. Just one of the many great things the The Junior League of Roanoke Valley does in the community. Something else that helps them raise money for these projects, the Stocked Market is coming up at the Roanoke Civic Center - Nov 9 - 11. Tickets on sale now. Info here.
Lar's Thought of the Day 
It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference. Tom Brokaw
