radio showprep: how to stay married, dating rules of the 90's, sneaking your dog into hotels, and it's tv theme tuesday!

Note:
I'm off to the beach next week... no prep Mon through Friday  

Show Starters Tuesday

cuttin' cake

• Funny actor B.J. Novak from The Office is 33 (Woof, the office)
• The woman that thunk up Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling is only 47 (Ron Weasley)
• Non-taxpayer Wesley Snipes is the big five-oh (Demolition Man )
• Today is Mutt's Day

new DVD's today

• LOL with Miley Cyrus
• Damsels in Distress stars Adam Brody
• Hatfields and McCoys (TV mini-series on the History Channel) starring Bill Paxton and Kevin Costnar.  

primetime, tuesday

abc: all reruns up until 10pm with a new episode of NY Med
cbs: all reruns
nbc: Olympics with gymnastics, swimming and diving
fox: Master Chef is a rerun
cw:  Hart of Dixie is a rerun followed by The L.A. Complex is new at 9pm

tv theme tuesday

Here's the theme song...name the show!

hint:  It's on tonight!

answer:  Hart of Dixie

joke of the day

A scratch golfer hits his ball three hundred yards straight down the fairway, and it hits a sprinkler and careens off into the woods.

He finds the ball, but trees surround it.

He gets angry, grabs his nine-iron, and hits the ball as hard as he can.

It bounces off a tree back at the golfer’s head and kills him.

He arrives in heaven, and God himself is at the Pearly Gates to greet him. Looking up his records, God sees that the guy golf’s and says, “Are you any good?”

The golfer looks at God and says, “I got here in two, didn’t I?”

Travel Buddy

Have you ever smuggled your pet into a hotel that doesn't allow pets?  25%  of us have... what is your best pet smuggling technique?  We love traveling with our pets.  In fact 51%  of us said we would bring our pets on every trip we take.  85% of pet owners travel with a dog - only 21% bring their cat.

Phones/Facebook:  What is the oddest pet you've had to take on vacation?

Four Steps to a Happy Relationship

Psychology Today has the four things that make your relationship go from good to great...

Expression of Admiration and Affection:  An unexpected text, a small favor, or a note left  by the sink can build up a bank account of positive feelings that help fight the urge to see your partner in a negative light.

Making Room in Your Head for the Other Person:  Daily email, text messages, phone calls, and kids screaming leaves your mind as clogged as a gas station toilet.  Leave a little section of your mind open to your partner.  Remember those little things that make him/her special - like their favorite song, favorite foods, important dates, etc.

Balance of power:  Power in a relationship should not be defined by how much power one has over the other, but how power is balanced.  Help them, and let them help you.

Knowing their inner world:  We live in our head more than we realize, so let your partner express their thoughts and dreams.

More detail on each here 

That is so 90's!

The dating rules of the 90's are so...well, 90's!  The dating scene today has a whole new set of rules.  For example, the three day follow up rule after a date is long gone -- most singles think it's ridiculous.  The 90's told you to turn down a last minute date.  Now it's encouraged.  What else did this eHarmony survey discover about our dating lives?

• 41% of men admit to playing hard to get
• 44% of women admit to liking pick up lines
• Nearly half of both men and women Google potential partners
• 75% of men and women prefer a real phone conversation over a text message

How to Stay Married

A long-term government study discovered some pretty interesting things about what makes some couple stay married, while others don't.  They studied couple between the ages of 25 and 37 who were in their first year of marriage in 1986.  Where are they today?

• Divorced: 46%
• Those divorced in a new relationship: 70%
• Biggest hurdle in first marriage:  Money.
• Divorced couples who held a grudge against their ex were less likely to find a new relationship
• The happiest hubby's reported "that their wives noticed them and made them feel special"
• Shocker: Wives withdraw sex if the marriage is in trouble, while men are fine with sex even when the relationship is under stress

Show Starters

Cuttin' Cake

• Englebert Humperdink (76)
• Bianca Jagger - Mick's first wife until his little affair with Jerry Hall. "My marriage ended on my wedding day". (67)
• Christina Baranski (60 Cruel Intentions)

***Today is Brothers and Sisters Day****

Pop Quiz

Since it's Brothers and Sisters Day, I thought it would be scary to find out how much you know about celebrity brothers and sisters.

I'll name the brother, and you name his famous sister:

• Eric Roberts (the Dark Knight) - Julia Roberts
• John Cusack - Joan Cusack
• Jake Gyllenhaal - Maggie Gyllenhaal
• David Arquette - Rosanna Arquette (and Patricia and Alexis Arquette)
• Spencer Breslin ("The Happening") - Abigail Breslin
• Ben Stiller - Amy Stiller ("Tropic Thunder")
• Oliver Hudson - Kate Hudson
• Michael Madsen - Virginia Madsen

Source


One Hit Wonder Wednesday

Tell me who sings this:

PLAY

Your clue is 1979! Is it Alicia Bridges, Samantha Sang, or Amii Stewart?

Answer: Amii Stewart!


Primetime, Baby!

ABC: The Middle (NEW), Suburgatory (NEW), Modern Family (NEW), Don't Trust the B--- in Apartment 23 (NEW), Revenge (NEW)
CBS: Survivor: One World (NEW), Criminal Minds (NEW), CSI (NEW)
NBC: Betty White's Off Their Rockers (NEW), Betty White's Off Their Rockers (NEW), Rock Center With Brian Williams (NEW), Law & Order: SVU (NEW)
FOX: American Idol - Finalists compete LIVE
CW: The L.A. Complex, America's Next Top Model (NEW)


Joke of the Day

A man consults a therapist and states, “Doc, I’m suicidal. What should I do?”

The doctor replies, “Pay in advance.”

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10 WAYS TO FIND HAPPINESS

I thought Bobby McFerrin had the best solution -- "Don't worry...be happy," but you may be the kind of person that requires a little more detail, so here are 10 tips to finding happiness from Dr. Barton Goldsmith.

1. Be with others who make you smile (Studies prove we're happier around those that are also happy)
2. Hold on to your values (What you find true, what you know is fair, and what you believe in -- never let those go)
3. Accept the good (take stock of what's working in your life!)
4. Imagine the best (vision yourself getting what you really want)
5. Do things you love
6. Find purpose (find a way of contributing to the well-being of humanity. People tend to find great pride in that)
7. Listen to your heart (keep your day job for the time being, but follow your passions)
8. Push yourself, not others (Stop blaming others and you'll find your answers much sooner)
9. Be open to change (change happens, so emotionally shore yourself up for the experience)
10. Bask in the simple pleasures (silly jokes, warm days, starry nights)

Source

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Posh Spice Drove Off Without Her Kid!

Victoria Beckham admitted that she once drove off leaving her son, Brooklyn, all alone at home.

 "I jumped in my Range Rover, put the car seat in, put my iPod on and drove to school...and then I realized I'd left Brooklyn in the kitchen... I was like (bleep)! (bleep)! I've forgot something."

She had packed all the kids in the car for a school run, but forgot the only one that actually needed to go to school. It should be noted that Brooklyn is 13-years-old, so he's probably okay to survive on his own for 20 minutes...

 Phones/Facebook: Victoria "Posh Spice" Beckham confessed that she accidentally drove off leaving her young son home all alone on a school run. Irresponsible or can you relate?

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Crazy Wedding

Congrats to Borge Ousland and his new wife, Hege, who recently got married...at the North Pole. In a first, Borge used a helipcopter to whisk his fiance, a priest, and a party of 15 to the northern most point on earth to get hitched.

“For me it was all about marrying the woman I love in a place I love."

Borgue is an artic explorer who has been to the area numerous times. Lots of pictures here

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What We Like (and don't) Like

From a 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll of who we are in 2012... Agree?

How do you like your burger?

1. Well done
2. Medium
3. Medium rare

What is the greatest archaeological discovery?

1. The Dead Sea scrolls
2. King Tut's Tomb
3. Popeii

If you could travel all over Europe for free, but had to skip a country, what would it be?

1. Greece
2. Germany
3. France

If Americans could vote for how much paid vacation they received, how many weeks would you vote for?

1. Four weeks
2. Six weeks
3. Two weeks

If you had to live the rest of your life in Los Angeles or NYC, which do you choose?

1. New York
2. Los Angeles

Which of the following types of music do you find the hardest to enjoy?

1. Heavy metal
2. Hip hop
3. Country

One American holiday has to go...which one?

1. Presidents Day
2. Martin Luther King Jr Day
3. Labor Day

Of the public figures on Twitter, whose tweets are you most interested in following?

1. President Obama
2. The Dalai Lama
3. The Pop

What emotion describes us best to God?

1. Love
2. Disappointment
3. Disinterest

Good Stuff

Thanks for reading my little blog... if you enjoyed any of it, please help me out by click one of the buttons below (G+, Facebook, Twitter, Email...). I do appreciate it.

-Dave (Leave a comment below if you wish, or drop me an email here)

Nagging - the Marriage KILLER!

This and That

Want to make someone you don't even know feel instantly lonely? Do NOT look at them. A study found  those who received a glance and a smile from a passing stranger felt less disconnected from others. Conclusion - stop staring at your phone while walking.


A survey found 9 out of 10 women over the age of 35 snack between meals, and the heaviest snacking happens in the late evening hours. (That's what happen to my secret stash of Oreo's!)


Expecting mom's are making plans at home! Births taking place outside of a traditional hospital increased 29% between 2004 to 2009 (around 30,000 births). Some believe women are choosing to stay home because hospitals are too quick to opt for a C-section. (This is great news for dads who are already scared to death over baby's first ride from the hospital)  Source

Women are making more shopping decisions for friends and family, according to a new study. 54% of American women think they're responsible for helping family and friends make a smart buying decision. That's up from only 31% in 2008. Source


Buying a car is a man's game, right? Not so fast, a new study by LeaseTrader found women are more careful and less superficial than their male counterparts. For example, 95% of women say they care most about the car's safety performance. That ranked just above incident history and functionality, which were second and third. For men, on the other hand, it's all about performance (translation: speed!). Fewer than half the men cared about the safety features. Source


Have a nosebleed that's out of control? Use bacon! Research found packing "nasal packing with strips of cured pork" to be an effective way to treat uncontrollable nosebleeds. (Of course, this could lead to painful confrontations with your dog, so watch out._  Source

Nagging -- the Relationship Killer!

Relation experts agree that constant nagging can spell doom for a relationship. Experts also add, and you may want to sit down for this, that women are more likely to nag than men. Why? Because women feel more responsible for managing the home and are therefore more sensitive to early signs of problems.

There is good news -- a nagging relationship can be saved before it is too late. Here are a few helpful tips to avoid "death by a thousand reminders:"

•Calm down—both of you. Recognize the pattern you are in and talk about how to address it as a team. You will both need to change your behavior, and ground rules can help.

•Look at it from the other person's perspective. 'Honey, when you ignore me I feel that you don't love me.' 'I feel that you don't appreciate what I am already doing when you nag me.'

•If you are the nagger, realize you are asking for something. Use an 'I' not a 'you' statement. Say 'I would really like you to pay the Visa bill on time,' instead of 'You never pay the bill on time.'

•Explain why your request is important to you. 'I worry about our finances when you pay the bill late. We can't afford to pay late fees.'

•Manage your expectations. Make sure you are asking for something that is realistic and appropriate. Does the light bulb need to be changed immediately?

•Set a timeframe. Ask when your partner can expect to finish the task. ('Can you change the car oil this weekend?') Let him tell you when it works best for him to do it.

•If you are the naggee, give a clear response to your partner's request. Tell her honestly if you can do what she asks and when. Then follow through. Do what you say you will do.

•Consider alternative solutions. Maybe it's worth it to hire a handyman, rather than harm your relationship with arguing.

[WSJ]

Yer So Smart

Washington, D.C. is once again on top of the "Most Literate Cities" list -- which makes two years in a row. The annual list factors in a number of things including library resources, the number of bookstores and education. With that, here are the top ten most literate cities:

1. Washington, DC
2. Seattle, WA
3. Minneapolis, MN
4. Atlanta, GA
5. Boston, MA
6. Pittsburgh, PA
7. Cincinnati, OH
8. St. Louis, MO
9. San Francisco, CA
10. Denver, CO

See the full list of 75 here

Cuttin' Cake

James Cromwell (72)
Mimi Rogers (56)
Bridget Fonda (48)
Rapper Lil Jon (41)
"Bachelor" Jake Pavelka (34)

Primetime, Baby!

ABC: Shark Tank (NEW), Primetime: What Would You Do? (NEW), 20/20
CBS: A Gifted Man, CSI: NY, Blue Bloods
NBC: Chuck (NEW), Chuck (FINALE), Dateline (NEW)
FOX: Kitchen Nightmares (NEW), Fringe (NEW)
CW: Nikita, Supernatural

Joke of the Day

Two bats are hanging in their cave. One turns to the other and says,

"Oh, I'm really thirsty for some fresh blood."

The other bat is amazed and says, "Well, it’s a bit late. Daylight is almost here, and we can't be exposed to any light - you know we'll die." "Yeah, I know," says the first bat, "but I'm really starving for it."

So he flies out of the cave and returns five minutes later with blood dripping from his mouth.

"You lucky thing. Where'd you find blood that quick?" asked the second bat.

"You see that tree over there in the distance?" mumbled the bat, his mouth full of blood.

"Yeah, I think I do!"

"Well, I didn't."