Trending This Mornin'
 

Rain tapers off today.  Several Flood Warnings have been issued for small streams, creeks and low lying areas.  Rather cloudy today.  Hi 53. Lo 38. Mostly cloudy tomorrow.  Hi 47. Lo 32.  Mix of sun and clouds. Hi 45. Lo 29. A mostly sunny weekend.  Hi around 50. Lows 29 - 32. Partly sunny Monday.  Hi 45.  Really cold Tuesday.  Hi 35.  Lo's 25.    Burrrrrrr!!!!

Say it isn't so...maybe.

Thursday night into Friday,  there's a snow chance for the area. It could be several inches of snow with highest amounts in the mountains of the Alleghany Highlands and Greenbrier.  That's IF the storm  takes a northern track as it hits the cold air.  Timing will be everything.

The 57th Presidential Inaugural is set.  President Obama, the seventh president or president-elect to have Inauguration Day fall on a Sunday, is following the path of predecessors who held a private oath-taking on the constitutionally prescribed Jan. 20 date, followed by a public swearing-in and parade on Monday.

Roanoke County has new moped rules.  If you are riding on a moped on a public street or highway in the country,  you must wear a face shield, safety glasses, or goggles, and have the moped equipped with safety glass or a windshield.  Everyone driving a moped, as well as passengers, must wear a helmet. The new ordinances were passed in December.  Once enforcement begins moped riders in violation of the ordinance will be subject to a maximum fine of $50.

Taxes for the Virginia unemployment insurance benefits are set to decline this year for the first time since the recession hit.  The latest projections are that employers will pay an average state tax of $221 per employee this year, down from $232 in 2012,

Ernie's Bar and Grill is in talks with a restaurant owner who wants to buy the downtown Roanoke landmark out of its space.
Logan Thomas announced Tuesday on ESPNU’s College Football Live that he will return for his senior season with the Hokies.  Woo-hoo!!!  Go Hokies.

 

 
Lookin' Back
 

Today is Hot and Spicy Food Day.

1919- The 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibited the sale or transportation of alcoholic beverages, was ratified. It was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.

1920- Prohibition went into effect in the U.S., one year after the 18th Amendment was ratified.

1961- Mickey Mantle signed a contract that made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.

1973- The final first-run episode of the long-running western Bonanza aired on NBC.

Cuttin' Cake Today
 

Singer Sade- 54,  Debbie Allen (A Different World, Fame) - 63,  Talk show host Dr. Laura Schlessinger – 66,   David Chokachi (Baywatch) is 45,  Kate Moss, the Supermodel is 39

 

Joke of the Day

Son says to his dad..."Dad, Can you write in the dark?" 

The father replies, "I think so. What is it you want me to write?" 

The son says, "Your name on this report card." 

Weird News This Morning
In Austin, Texas, Carlos Sergio Valdes took a 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe on a test drive. Valdes called police about 2 hours later and told officers he had become lost about 2 miles from the dealership and the vehicle had been stolen. But police later pulled over a woman who told them Valdes had sold her the $40,000 Tahoe in exchange for two crack rocks.
A Massachusetts baby shower turned into a chaotic brawl over the weekend, resulting in the arrests of four people! Apparently, a man was sucker punched by a partygoer, setting off an all-out bottle-smashing, chair-swinging fight between 200 people.  **Nothing like getting hit upside the head by a flying binky.
 
 

Smarter Than Question
 

What is the best-selling product of all time?   Congrats to Rhonda,  she got it.  The answer is "rubik's cube."


 
 
 
Entertainment Buzz
Season 12 of American Idol debuts tonight on FOX.  J. Lo and Tyler are gone.  Joining the panel of judges this year is Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban along with the top dawg Randy Jackson.
 
There's a few changes...the wild card during Hollywood Week is gone. This season, when the Top 10 finalists are chosen, that's it.  Contestants will be divided up by gender during Hollywood Week.  when the contestants head to Vegas, expect a similar split. Tonight and tomorrow are two hour episodes.  But the $36 million-plus question is this:  Will that combined paycheck lavished on superstar judges Mariah Carey, Nicki Minaj and Keith Urban pay off in ratings?

 

Kim Kardashian's baby is due in July.  More baby news.  Jessica Simpson was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last night.  She told him she was shocked when she found out she was pregnant again.  BTW: Jess is getting her own sitcom on NBC.  It'll be based on her own life as a mom, singer, actress and fashionista.
 

 
Did Lance lie strong?   Oprah says she got so much good material from Lance Armstrong, the special will run two nights.  Catch it starting tomorrow night on OWN.
 
Are you ready for Grandpa Charlie? Charlie Sheen tells David Letterman he'll soon be a grandfather. Sheen says his daughter Cassandra is pregnant.
Nearly 20 million people watched Ben Affleck, Hugh Jackman and Jessica Chastain win Golden Globes. That's up nearly three million people from last year.
 
TOP 5 TV SHOWS LAST WEEK BY NIELSEN

1. NFC Playoff Game: Green Bay at San Francisco, Fox, 30.89 million.

2. "NCIS," CBS, 21.11 million.

3. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 20 million.

4. "Golden Globe Awards," NBC, 19.69 million.

5. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 17.9 million.

 

AJ McCarron is once again getting shown up by his model girlfriend.  Miss Alabama Katherine Webb is back.  She Tweeted yesterday,  "So excited to be chosen to cover the Super Bowl XLVII for @InsideEdition in New Orleans!"

A shake-up in the land of Honey Boo Boo.  TMZ is reporting Mama June is fed up with family friend Tony Lindsey after he was arrested in November for allegedly dressing in a gorilla suit and scaring freeway drivers.  She's banned him from the TLC show.
 

Backstreeter A.J. McLean says actor Ryan Gosling almost passed up a promising screen career to become a Backstreet Boy.  

 

TONIGHT ON TV

ABC: All new tonight starting with The Middle, The Neighbors, Modern Family, Suburgatory, and Nashville

CBS: Criminal Minds and CSI are new

NBC: reruns tonight

FOX: The premiere of American Idol (2-hours)

CW: Arrow and Supernatural are both new tonight

 

News from Nashville
 
 
(Photo: Green Room PR)
Tim McGraw is hitting the road on his Two Lanes of Freedom tour starting May 2 in Birmingham.  Brantley Gilbert and Love and Theft will be along for the ride.  Dates close to Country 1079.  

5/3 -- Charlotte, NC, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

5/4 -- Raleigh, NC, Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion

7/27 -- Virginia Beach, VA, Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

 

Kenny Chesney announced an additional 28 dates for his Summer tour.  One stop included Charlotte! Mark your calendars for August the 1st at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater!  He'll be joined by The Eli Young Band, and newcomer Kacey Musgraves.

Jason Aldean will make his big screen debut as an actor in the film 'Sweetwater,' in which he stars alongside January Jones and Ed Harris. He plays a henchmen who eventually meets his maker in the action western

George Strait marks a new chapter in his life this week with the start of his final tour beginning Friday with Martina McBride.

X-Factor champ Tate Stevens has signed a record deal with Syco Music/RCA Records Nashville and is already writing and recording his major-label debut.  The untitled album will come out this fall.  BTW:   Tate's daughter is a Harry Styles fan.  Note:  He's available if she doesn't mind sloppy seconds after Taylor Swift. 

 

Lar's This & That

 
RUN FOR COVER
According to experts, this is the most depressing week of the year.  And  you may not have realized it at the time, but Monday was the most depressing  DAY of the year. 
 
The reasons why are obvious:  The "holiday glow" is  over, the weather stinks, nightfall begins sooner (but getting better), you may not have a vacation to look  forward to, and you've fallen off the wagon with your New Year's resolutions. 
 
With all that said, just 63 days until Spring.   Bring on the Robins.
 

 
YOU MIGHT WANT TO TELL YOUR MOTHER
A University of Michigan professor says it's a myth that people lose most of their body heat through their uncovered heads in the winter.

In a 2 1/2-minute video featuring a naked stick figure drawn with a stocking cap, Maynard explains how a 1957 British experiment mistakenly led people to believe people lose at least half their body heat via their head.

Maynard corrects that wrongheaded notion by noting it's not which body part that is exposed but how much of the body is exposed.

"And what that means is that you can't dance around naked and expect to stay relatively warm by wearing only a hat," he concludes.

 

 
DIET MYTHS 

Before you give up on your New Years resolution to lose weight and stay fit, here are a couple diet MYTHS...

No sweets before noon

Wrong. A study last March found people who ate a big breakfast that included dessert lost more weight over a four month period than a group with a low-carb meal. Why? Indulgence early may prevent it later.


Workout as long as possible

The more you exercise, the more you'll eat concluded a Danish study last September. If you workout for a long period of time, be careful of how much you eat.

 

COOKIEEEEEEE!

The Girl Scouts are selling a new cookie this year called the Mango Crème.  in some ways it's like an Oreo, except this is vanilla  and coconut flavored with mango filling in between.  The cookies  also have an additive called NutriFusion that jams a bunch of  VITAMINS in them.  Will that make you pick this mediocre flavor over the  classics?  (Los  Angeles Times)

 

 

REMEMBER BACK WHEN????

A new study figured out the basic skills that are disappearing the fastest  because of modern technology. 

The top five are handwriting, using a  dictionary or encyclopedia, mental math, reading a map, and finding something at  the library.  There's GOT to be an app for that.    Oh yeah.   (Daily  Mail)

 

 

CARBS LEAD TO WEIGHT GAIN

Last April, a study concluded that those who ate a low-calorie diet high in whole wheat lost more fat than a group that ate a low-calorie diet high in refined wheat.  Surprised?   Don't be.  The extra fiber in whole grains is more filling.

Get three more here

 

THAT LASTING COUGH
 
The number 18 is important here...no matter what, that's how long your cough is going to last. There's a reason swigging Robitussin and sucking on Ricolas isn't helping. A new study reports that a cough sticks around for at least 18 days (and possibly more than three weeks) no matter how you try to “cure” it.
 
 

HOME REMEDIES

With the flu epidemic sweeping the nation, WebMD has issued a list of home remedies for fast flu relief:

For Stuffy Sinuses:

  • Breathe aromatic steam.
  • Take a warm shower.
  • Increase liquids.
  • Use moist heat compresses
  • Try nasal irrigation.
  • Consider decongestant nasal sprays.

For Cough Relief:

Try cough syrup or cough drops 

For a Scatchy Throat and Congestion:

Eat hot chicken soup. 
Add spice to your meal. 
Try an expectorant. 

For Fever And Muscle Aches:

Try an OTC analgesic like aspirin, Tylenol or Advil. 
Drink more fluids. 
Stay in bed and rest. 

For Nighttime Congestion and Loss of Sleep

Try a humidifier. 
Use nasal strips. 
Elevate your head.

 

LET'S DESIGN THE PERFECT MAN

A website survey of 9,000 women discovered what makes up the perfect man. Guys, put a check mark next to what you have covered...

_____ Athletic 
_____ Has a graduate degree
_____ Makes between $150,000 to $200,000 a year
_____ Green eyes
_____ Brown hair

Good luck waiting for Mr. Wonderful, ladies!

 

TRAVELING ANYTIME SOON?
Here's a great website for travelers.  It's called Jet Lag Rooster.  A free, simple, effective way to reduce or prevent jet lag.  
 
Jay Olson, who works in the psychology department at Vancouver's Simon Fraser University, came up with this plan for travelers to keep their body clock in check.
 
You simply enter your trip details and they come up with a plan to help you start shifting your sleep schedule.
 

 
Cookin' with Larry
 
In case you missed my noontime visit yesterday to WSLS 10's Daytime Blue Ridge with Natalie Faunce and Mike Wilson, take a look at Larry's Southern Tilapia.

 
THIS ONE WILL MAKE YOU SMILE  Smile


 
Good News Story 
 

World War II veteran - William Kadar - who served in France during the war has been reunited with his Army-issued duffel bag nearly seven decades after it went missing.

The 92 year old opened a carefully wrapped package Tuesday at his Merrillville, Ind., home and found his drab green duffel bag inside, still stenciled in black with his name and serial number. Kadar last saw the bag used by soldiers to tote their gear in November 1944, a month before he was captured by the Germans.

A letter included in the package said the bag was being returned by a 16-year-old French boy who found it in his grandfather's house.

Kadar's granddaughter, Arleen Haas, said the bag was found and kept by a family in Rehaupal, France. The teen's great-grandparents were killed when their house was bombed by the Germans when his grandfather was 10 years old.

Mr. Kadar's daughter, Lynn Sattler, said the experience left her with a mixture of emotions.  She was amazed it was found, grateful it was sent back, but bittersweet because her dad doesn't remember (the war), but parts of it do come back.

It's still a nice story of someone going out of their way for a complete stranger.  

 

Lar's Thought of the Day

The happiest people are fearless dreamers. They use their imaginations to create hope and possibility.   - Author Ian K. Smith, M.D.