Trending This Mornin'
Cloudy, then warmer than normal for the weekend. Today 56. Tomorrow, 50% chance of rain. Hi 50. Saturday and Sunday, sunshine. Highs around 70. 40% chance of showers Monday. Mid 60s. Rain chance is back on Tuesday. Hi mid 50s.
A the State of the Commonwealth Address last night, Governor McDonnell asked lawmakers to overhaul the state's transportation finances and approve reforms in public education.
Liberty University has announced the next lineup of Convocation headliners who will take the stage during the Spring 2013 semester. They include former governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee (Jan 28), Franklin Graham from Samaritan's Purse and Billy Graham Evangelistic Assoc on Jan 21, popular CBS Sports anchor James Brown, Christian hip-hop sensation LeCrae, and NFL player/Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow in March.
Marcus Vick, found in contempt of court and gets 5 days in jail in the New River Valley
A former Virginia Tech economics professor who later won the Nobel prize in that field for work on ideas that influenced the late President Ronald Reagan died Wednesday in Blacksburg. James McGill Buchanan Jr., 93. He was a professor at VT between 1969 and 1983.
The Redskins Nation is holding its breath as RGIII recovers from a torn ACL and LCL, but doctors hope the motivated RG3 will be ready for the 2013 season.
Lookin' Back
It's Houseplant Appreciation Day. Hug your houseplant. They'll appreciate it. However, if it's a cactus, you may not.
1776- American revolutionary Thomas Paine published his influential pamphlet, "Common Sense," in which he argued for American independence from England.
1878- The U.S. Senate proposed amending the Constitution to give women the right to vote, but the amendment wasn’t signed into law until 42 years later (Aug. 26, 1920).
1942- Mickey Rooney married Hollywood bombshell Ava Gardner. It only lasted a year.
1949- Vinyl records were introduced by RCA (45 rpm) and Columbia (33.3 rpm).
1964- The Beatles' first album in the United States, Introducing the Beatles, was released.
1971- Masterpiece Theatre premiered on PBS. Recent popular Masterpiece series include Sherlock and Downton Abbey.
Cuttin' Cake Today
Shawn Colvin – 57, Pat Benetar - 60, Steely Dan singer-keyboardist Donald Fagen - 65, Rod Stewart - 68
Joke of the Day
Why was the broom late? A: It over swept!
Weird News This Morning
A 73-year-old woman in Washington just bought a new furnace, but her house wasn't getting warm. So she called a repairman who found the problem. There was a STRANGER living UNDERNEATH the woman's house, and he'd messed with the ducts to redirect them and keep himself warm. The guy hasn't been back since, and the woman had to pay $500 to get the ducts fixed.
In the UK, a thief tried to siphon fuel from a camper van but got a mouthful of raw sewage. The would-be robber missed the fuel tank in the dark and put a tube into the van's septic tank by mistake. And after sucking up the foul-smelling waste, he threw up on the spot and fled.
Smarter Than Question
The average person does this less than 20 times a year. What is it? Sorry, no winner. Stumped ya! The answer is "go to the post office".
Entertainment Buzz
(Photo: File/AP)
Nominations for the 85th Academy Awards were announced this morning. The Civil War saga "Lincoln" leads the Academy Awards with 12 nominations.
Fans got their say Wednesday at the 39th annual People's Choice Awards, as their favorites from film, TV and music were honored in Los Angeles. More than 475 million votes were cast, a new record. (That was 3 times as many as were cast in the recent Presidential election. **Does that make Taylor Swift President?)
"The Hunger Games" devoured the competition at the People's Choice Awards, emerging the top victor with five trophies.
The night's winners:
Movie: "The Hunger Games"
Movie actor: Robert Downey, Jr.
Movie actress: Jennifer Lawrence
Action movie: "The Hunger Games"
Action movie star: Chris Hemsworth
Face of heroism: Jennifer Lawrence, "The Hunger Games"
Comedic movie: "Ted"
Comedic movie actor: Adam Sandler
Comedic movie actress: Jennifer Aniston
Dramatic movie: "The Perks of Being a Wallflower"
Dramatic movie actor: Zac Efron
Dramatic movie actress: Emma Watson
Movie franchise: "The Hunger Games"
Movie superhero: Robert Downey, Jr., "Iron Man"
On-screen chemistry: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, and Liam Hemsworth, "The Hunger Games"
Movie icon: Meryl Streep
Network TV comedy: "The Big Bang Theory"
Network TV drama: "Grey's Anatomy"
Cable TV comedy: "Awkward"
Cable TV drama: "Leverage"
Premium cable TV show: "True Blood"
TV crime drama: "Castle"
Sci-fi/fantasy TV show: "Supernatural"
Comedic TV actor: Chris Colfer
Comedic TV actress: Lea Michele
Dramatic TV actor: Nathan Fillion
Dramatic TV actress: Ellen Pompeo
Daytime TV host: Ellen DeGeneres
Late-night talk show host: Jimmy Fallon
New talk show host: Steve Harvey
Competition TV show: "The X Factor"
Celebrity judge: Demi Lovato
Male artist: Jason Mraz
Female artist: Katy Perry
Pop artist: Katy Perry
Hip-hop artist: Nicki Minaj
R&B artist: Rihanna
Band: Maroon 5
Country artist: Taylor Swift
Breakout artists: The Wanted
Song: One Direction, "What Makes You Beautiful"
Album: One Direction, "Up All Night"
Music video: Katy Perry, "Part of Me"
People's voice: Christina Aguilera
Humanitarian: Sandra Bullock
Beyonce, James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson will perform at President Barack Obama’s second inauguration in Washington on Jan. 21. Beyonce' will sing the National Anthem, Kelly will do "My Country, Tis of Thee" and JT will perform "America The Beautiful."
There's been plenty of buzz about it, but TMZ is reporting this morning Britney Spears is leaving the 'X Factor' judges table because she quits. She reportedly loves the show, but wants to focus on her music. She's currently in the studio working on her 8th album with Black Eyed Peas Will.i.am.
Adele will perform "Skyfall" from the latest James Bond movie this Sunday night at the Golden Globe Awards.
Here comes Honey Boo Boo the comic book.
Justin Bieber will host and perform on SNL on Feb 9.
Like sands through the hourglass...Good news soap fans - Days of Our Lives has been renewed through 2014 on NBC. Meanwhile, guess who is returning to Port Charles? Genie Francis will return as Laura Spencer on General Hospital to celebrate the show's 50th anniversary.
If you liked her in Times Square on New Year's Eve, you're going to love her new talk show. "The Jenny McCarthy Show" premieres February 8 on VH1. One way she plans to break the mold is by interviewing the stars lying on the ground. The segment will be called "Groundbreaking Interviews."
OBIT: Jefferson's actor Ned Wertimer has died at the Sherman Village Health Care Center near Los Angeles after a fall in late November. He was 89. Ned played Ralph The Doorman on the sitcom for 11 seasons.
News from Nashville
Jason Aldean brought his Kinda Party to the People's Choice Awards last night.
(Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Image)
Taylor Swift was named Favorite Country Artist at the PCA's.
We've talked about the American Idol spats between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj, but now we're learning from show insiders, Randy Jackson and Keith Urban have gotten into a few "verbal spats". However, Keith adds, he's psyched to be the first Country Judge on American Idol. The new season begins Jan 16 on FOX.
Brad Paisley was musical guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and announced the titled of his spring album.
Taylor Swift and Rihanna are among the first Grammy performers for the 55th annual Grammys on February 10 on CBS. LL Cool J will host the show again.
Eli Young Band will perform on Jimmy Fallon's show this Friday.
Hunter Hayes and Taylor Swift will appear on the 2013 Grammy Nominees Album to be released on Jan. 22 by Capitol Records and Grammy Recordings.
Miranda Lambert graces the cover which hits newsstands January 17th. She tells Redbook Magazine that while Blake Shelton is the sweet guy with everyone coming up to talk and ask for a picture, she has to be the bad guy and eventually put a stop to it or they would never get through dinner.
Brantley Gilbert is closing in on final track listing for his third album. He'll be in the Star City in April.
Season 3 winner of The Voice - Tate Stevens is kicking off his country career by writing with John Rich.
I mentioned here yesterday to look for Brantley Gilbert and Chris Young on an upcoming episode of "Nashville" . It's gonna be a good night on January 23rd.
Lar's This & That
Women Admit To Knockoffs
A new survey reveals women have no problem buying knockoffs. Three-quarters of women questioned in the poll admitted that they had knowingly purchased a counterfeit designer fashion item, and many said they had as many as five fake dresses, handbags, wallets, jewelry or pairs of shoes.
(Photo: Hasbro)
Anyone for a game of Monopoly
The gig is almost up for one of the eight Monopoly tokens. But which will it be? Iron? Thimble? Top Hat? Hasbro is holding a Facebook contest to eliminate one of the eight tokens that identify the players and introduce a new one. Possible new tokens include a cat, diamond ring, guitar, toy robot and helicopter.
It's the latest effort by the toymaker to jazz up the game which debuted almost eight decades ago.
The tokens have changed over the years. The original version also included a lantern, purse, cannon and a rocking horse. A horse and rider token was used in the 1950s. During World War II, metal tokens were replaced by wooden ones.
A New Facebook App Figures Out Which Friend Gave You the Flu
There's a new free Facebook app that can help you figure out which one of your friends gave you the FLU. It analyzes your friends' profiles for words in status updates that could hint at who's sick, and reports back to you. You can install the app at facebook.com/HelpRemedies. **Good news here...they're saying the flu bug may have reached its peak in Southwest Virginia. Let's hope so.
It's How America Works
In a recent poll, Congress was less popular than lice, root canals, NICKELBACK, colonoscopies, and France . . . but more popular than telemarketers, the Kardashian's, North Korea, meth labs, communism, and gonorrhea. (Public Policy Polling)
What Are Your Chances of Landing The Dream Job
According to a survey by LinkedIn, only 29% of Americans are working in the job they dreamed about as a child. That's up from 9% last year. America ranks eighth in the world when it comes to kids growing up to get the job they want. India is first, at 44% . . . followed by Indonesia . . . and the United Arab Emirates. (Daily Mail)
Top 10 Safe Driving Songs
In a study by London MetropolitanUniversity there are songs that are safe to drive to. Leading the way is "Come Away with Me" from Norah Jones. What would be on your list?
Here is the list:
1. Come Away With Me –Norah Jones
2. Billionaire Feat. Bruno Mars – Travie McCoy
3. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
4. The Scientist – Coldplay
5. Tiny Dancer – Elton John
6. Cry Me a River – Justin Timberlake
7. I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing – Aerosmith
8. Karma Police – Radiohead
9. Never Had a Dream Come True – S Club 7
10. Skinny Love – Bon Iver
Things That Seem Normal When You Live Alone
Living alone is one of those things that each person should do at least once in their lives. If not for the liberating feeling of absolute and complete independence, then for the hilarity and bizarreness of living alone behaviors like this …
• Going to the bathroom with the door open
• Talking to yourself a lot — and sometimes answering yourself back. And sometimes even using weird voices or accents just for fun
• Using the couch as a bed … because you can!
• Drinking out of the orange juice/milk/soda container because, hey, why not?!
• Being perfectly comfortable in a state of perpetual undress or close to being undressed.
Companies With The Worst Customer Service
We have all had some bad customer service at some point. Here is a list of the top 15 worst companies with customer service. Do you agree? Is there a different company you would add?
The 15 Worst Companies For Customer Service from Business Insider
#15 Bank of America
#14 CenturyLink#13 Delta
#12 US Airways
#11 Twitter
#10 American Airlines
#9 Cox Communications (Television Service)
#8 LinkedIn
#7 Time Warner Cable
#6 United Airlines
#5 Facebook
#4 Comcast (Television service)
#3 Charter Communications
#2 Northeast Utilities
#1 Long Island PowerAuthority
All In A Days Work
The average office worker starts at 8:09 A.M. and leaves at 5:22 P.M.
That means the average workday is now nine hours, 13 minutes.
The average person leaves home at 7:49 A.M. and has a commute that lasts 20 minutes and 41 seconds. The commute home takes 33 minutes and 46 seconds.
It takes 12 minutes before the first conversation with a coworker, at 8:21 A.M.
The average worker takes a 28-minute lunch break.
And spends an average of $5 on lunch.
Only 7% go outside for some fresh air during lunch.
The average worker drinks three cups of coffee a day.
We average one argument with a coworker daily.
The average worker sends 26 emails a day and receives 32.
And finally, the average worker spends 10 minutes and 15 seconds on Facebook during the workday.
Before Marriage...
You're talking to someone that's considering getting engaged. Finish this sentence: "Don't get married until you _______"
Here's one guy's list from Redbook:
"I wish I'd had a man-versus-nature experience." (live in the wilderness for a while trusting only his wits and biceps!)
"I wish I had gotten smart about money"
""I wish I'd learned to take care of myself before I turned 25."
"I wish I'd apprenticed with a contractor."
Wow, that's a great list! I'm thinking of a few more...
Learned how to fix a car
Took a cooking class
Said yes to every travel opportunity
Said 'yes' to bigger opportunities (thinking I wasn't ready for them)
Challenged myself physically
How about you?
Teacher's Pet
A new study discovered that...gulp...teachers are human. Teachers base part of a student's grade on their personal feelings for the child.
Yes, it pays to be the teacher's pet.
The grades given to students by 2,000 teachers were double checked by specially trained external moderators. They discovered that 10% of the time, teachers had marked the work too favorably. Too harshly 5% of the time. Most of the moderators thought the teacher's personal feelings played too big of a role in the grades assigned.
The moderator also discovered that teachers gave more favorable grades to children with neater handwriting and provided longer stories.
Is that a dog or a lion?
(Photo: Natalie Painter)
A Norfolk woman called 911 recently thinking a lion was loose in her neighborhood. Wait. Maybe it was a Labradoodle with a "Lion Cut."
Good News Story 
Some working girls in Detroit are trying to make lives better. But listen how they're doing it.
A knitting group known as The Happy Hookers has been crocheting a 150-foot-long scarf to raise awareness of the plight of the homeless in Motown.
The mass of knitted wool will be wrapped around a local statue of a nude woman in a ballet pose.
**Wouldn't it be funny if the answer to our homeless problem was discovered by a group of hookers...simply knitting. That would be awesome.
Lar's Thought of the Day 
One person can make a difference and everyone should try
