Plans for a beauty pageant for nuns have been scrapped in Italy. The BBC reports Father Antonio Rungi -- a Catholic priest -- was set to host the Miss Sister Italy contest, but he scratched the idea when the bishop told him to "re-think" it. Father Rungi explained, “My superiors were not happy but they did not understand me, either.” Rungi said it wasn’t his plan to showcase the physical beauty of nuns, but to show that “they were above all women and that beauty is a gift from God.” He said he wanted to draw attention to nuns, who he says are underappreciated by society.

The Five Minute Management Course -- and variations thereof -- are making the rounds. Here's the version that was passed along to me:

LESSON ONE: A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up with her shower and the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands the next-door neighbor Bob. Before she says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $800 to drop that towel." After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands there in front of Bob. After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves. The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, "Who was at the door?" She says, "Oh, it was Bob the neighbor." "Great," says the husband. "Did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?"

Moral of the story: If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with you shareholders in time you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

LESSON TWO: A priest offered a nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest removed his hand but, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun again says, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest apologized saying "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak." Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily, got out of the car, and went on her way. On his arrival back at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129. It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story: If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

LESSON THREE: A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. The rub it and a Genie comes out. The Genie says, "I will give each of you just one wish. The clerk hollers out, "Me first. Me first. I want to be in the Bahamas, driving a speedboat, without a care in the world." Poof. Just like that, she's gone. The sales rep chimes in with "Me next. I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, and endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life by my side." Poof. Just like that, he's gone. "Okay, it's your turn" says the Genie to the manager. The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story: Always let your boss have the first say.

LESSON FOUR: An eagle was sitting on a tree resting and doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?" The eagle answered, "Sure." So the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested. All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story: To be sitting doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

LESSON FIVE: A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree, " sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy." "Well, " replied the bull, "why don't you nibble some of my droppings. They're packed with nutrients." The turkey pecked at a lump of dung and found that it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he made it to the second branch. After repeating the process for a couple of more days, the turkey was proudly perched at the very top of the tree. He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the tree.

Moral of the story: Bulls**t might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

LESSON SIX: A little bird was flying south for the winter. It was so cold the froze and fell to the ground in a large field. While he was laying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him. As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out. He lay there all warm and happy and soon began to sing for joy. A passing cat heard the singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung. The cat promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story: (1) Not everyone who s**ts on you is your enemy, (2) Not everyone who gets you out of s**t is your friend, and (3) When you're in deep s**t, it's best to keep your mouth shut.

Trivia Answer: Bill Daily who turns 81 tomorrow. He was Roger Healey on "I Dream of Jeannie" and later Howard Borden on "The Bob Newhart Show." He currently lives in Albuquerque and, though retired, still does some comedy and the occasional TV guest appearance. That's in addition to directing at a local children's theatre.

Oklahoma City's new NBA franchise has finally set a date to announce its name and team colors. The team said Wednesday that it would unveil the name and colors simultaneously on its Web site and at a downtown event Sept. 3. Clay Bennett's ownership group has applied for trademarks for six names: Thunder, Energy, Wind, Marshalls, Barons and Bison. Oklahoma City television station KOCO has reported that the choice will be Thunder, but Bennett has refused to comment on what the name will be.

Labor Day is the unofficial end of summer, which means that it’s time to reflect. TIME magazine has done just that and compiled it list of the best songs of this fading season. Topping the countdown? Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long."

Michael Phelps is set to join Miley Cyrus, Lindsay Lohan and others as presenters at the September 7th MTV VMAs telecast from Los Angeles. Then the swimmer's victory lap on NBC continues, with the Olympian champion booked to make his acting debut on the 34th season premiere of "Saturday Night Live." Phelps will host the sketch comedy series when it begins its new season September 13 with musical guest Lil Wayne. Phelps is a guest on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" on September 8, and the network picked up the broadcast rights to the 2009 World Swimming Championship, in which Phelps will compete.

Experts in the UK are showing the world what Michael Jackson would look like if he hadn’t spent millions on his face. They’ve digitally sped up time to show us what a "normal" Michael would look like today. What you see now at the age of 50 is above on the left. With no plastic surgery, the experts propose the picture on the right represents what he should look like at 50. By the way, rumor is Michael may be a surprise guest presenter or performer at the MTV VMAs on September 7th.

Trivia Answer: Known for his often aggressive and sometimes explosive behavior, Louis Victor Piniella -- Sweet Lou -- who turns 65 today. He's the current manager of the National League Central leading Chicago Cubs. From 1993 to 2002, he managed the Seattle Mariners, winning the American League Manager of the Year Award in 1995, and again in 2001 when he led the Mariners to a record-tying 116 wins. After winning the 2001 AL Division Series, the Mariners dropped the first two games of the AL Championship Series, and Piniella held an angry post-game press conference in which he guaranteed the Mariners would win two out of three games in New York to return the ALCS to Seattle. However, the Yankees closed out the series at Yankee Stadium, and the Mariners have not reached the playoffs since. In the Mariners' 30-season history, they have had nine winning seasons and reached the playoffs four times. Seven of the winning seasons and all of the playoff appearances occurred during Piniella's ten years with the Mariners. Piniella is the only manager in Mariners history to have a winning record in his tenure with the team, while serving at least one season.

Baseball history has frequently twisted and turned on disputed calls by umpires. The sport is taking a step this week to limit such controversies … and so the slide down the slippery slope begins.  Say it ain't so, Joe.  Instant replay, to be used to review home run calls, debuts in major league games beginning tomorrow in Oakland and Anaheim, and at Wrigley Field. The NFL began replays in 1986, the NHL in 1991 and the NBA in 2002. Replay equipment was used to help determine calls at this year's Little League World Series.

Speaking of baseball, have you heard the story out of New Haven, Connecticut? It involves nine-year-old Jericho Scott, who is a good baseball player -- too good, it turns out. The right-hander has a fastball that tops out at about 40 mph. Jericho throws so hard that the Youth Baseball League of New Haven told his coach, Wilfred Vidro, that the boy couldn't pitch any more. When Jericho took the mound anyway last week, the opposing team forfeited the game, packed its gear and left. Officials for the three-year-old league, which has eight teams and about 100 players, said they'll disband Jericho's team and redistribute its players among other squads. The league says it has offered to refund the $50 sign-up fees to anyone who asks. They say Vidro has resigned. Vidro, however, says he didn't quit and the team refuses to disband. Players and parents held a protest at the league's field over the weekend urging the league to let Jericho pitch. "He's never hurt any one," says the coach. "He's on target all the time. How can you punish a kid for being too good?" The controversy bothers Jericho, who says he misses pitching. "I feel sad," he said. "I feel like it's all my fault nobody could play." Jericho's coach and parents say the boy is being unfairly targeted because he turned down an invitation to join the defending league champion team (sponsored by an employer of one of the league's administrators). Jericho instead joined a team sponsored by Will Power Fitness. The team was 8-and-0 and on its way to the playoffs when Jericho was banned from pitching. "I think it's discouraging when you're telling a 9-year-old you're too good at something," said his mother, Nicole Scott. "The whole objective in life is to find something you're good at and stick with it. I'd rather he spend all his time on the baseball field than idolizing someone standing on the street corner." League attorney Peter Noble says the only factor in banning Jericho from the mound is his pitches are just too fast. "He is a very skilled player, a very hard thrower," Noble said. "There are a lot of beginners. This is not a high-powered league. This is a developmental league whose main purpose is to promote the sport." Noble acknowledged that Jericho had not beaned any batters in the co-ed league of 8- to 10-year-olds, but said parents expressed safety concerns. "Facing that kind of speed" is frightening for beginners, he said. League officials say they first told Vidro that Jericho could not pitch after a game on August 13th. He played second base the next game on August 16th. Jericho, however, took the mound last Wednesday and the other team walked off and a forfeit was called. League officials suggested that Jericho play other positions, or pitch against older players or in a different league. Local attorney John Williams was planning to meet with Jericho's parents Monday to discuss legal options. "You don't have to be learned in the law to know in your heart that it's wrong," Williams said. "Now you have to be punished because you excel at something?"

That 1991 Chevrolet Silverado that has traveled more than a million miles is still on the market. Its owner says it failed to fetch the premium price that he had hoped for. Frank Oresnik said he failed to sell the 1991 truck during a 10-day auction on eBay that ended Sunday. He had placed a minimum bid of $30,000, and said all he got was a couple of feelers. But he's not giving up. The 58-year-old Oresnik said he is going to put the truck back on eBay later this week with no minimum bid. Oresnik bought the truck 12 years ago when it had 41,000 miles. He used the vehicle to deliver seafood in three states, putting on about 85,000 miles a year. When the odometer hit a million miles earlier this year, on a road near Fond du Lac, the feat brought him national attention. Over the years, the truck has had four radiators, three gas tanks and six water pumps, but the engine is still original.

Labor Day weekend is coming up -- a weekend that contains two of the deadliest driving days of the year. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) traffic fatalities have defined the most dangerous days to drive. A clear pattern has emerged over 25 years since the NHTSA has been tracking this data. The pattern proves that drivers, not weather or fate, control the number of traffic fatalities. The results of the research:

Top 10 Deadliest Dates of the Year To Drive

1. July 4
2. July 3
3. December 23
4. December 24
5. December 22
6. August 3
7. January 1
8. September 1
9. September 2
10. August 4

Deadliest Days of the Week to Drive

1. Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Friday
4. Thursday
5. Monday
6. Wednesday
7. Tuesday

Deadliest Times of the Day to Drive

1. 3-6 pm
2. 6-9pm
3. 9pm-Midnight
4. Noon-3pm
5. Midnight-3am

Trivia Answer: Stevie Ray Vaughan.  His brother that gave him guitar lessons was Jimmie Vaughn -- later of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Stevie started with a band called The Cobras. After they broke up in 1975, Stevie formed Triple Threat which in 1978 became Double Trouble with Stevie as lead singer.  In August of 1990, Stevie Ray and Double Trouble finished the summer portion of the In Step Tour with shows at Alpine Valley Music Theatre, just outside of East Troy, Wisconsin. The show also featured Robert Cray and Eric Clapton.  The musicians were expecting a long bus ride back to Chicago. However, Stevie was informed by a member of Clapton's crew that three seats were open on one of the helicopters returning to Chicago with Clapton's crew.  Three seats would be enough for Stevie, his brother Jimmie, and Jimmie's wife Connie. It turned out there was only one seat left.  Stevie requested it from his brother, who obliged. Moments after takeoff, on this date in 1990, the helicopter crashed into a ski slope and all five on board were killed.

It turns out that the Golden Rule ... to treat others as you want to be treated ... may be wired into our brains. UCLA researchers found that treating others fairly and receiving just treatment activates the reward center in our brains, which receives the feel good chemical dopamine from our midbrain. According to one of the researchers, Golnaz Tabibnia, Ph.D, "It appears to be the same kind of emotional reaction we get when we eat chocolate or win money."

Port Orchard is a city known for its waterfront, its ferries, and its laid-back attitude. It's not known for the lottery. But maybe it should be. A Seattle P-I analysis of data from the Washington lottery shows that Port Orchard stores sell the most lottery tickets per resident per year of any other city, close to $750 per resident. Civic leaders had no easy explanation for the unusual distinction. Other towns chalked up impressive totals as well, including Shelton at $360. Washingtonians in other areas had far more modest wagering habits: Sammamish $20, Pullman $20, Bainbridge Island $30. The state's largest cities were much closer to one another than to either extreme, but even so varied substantially: Bellevue came in at $70, Seattle and Spokane at $100, Tacoma and Everett at $130, and Vancouver at $150. Jacque Coe, spokeswoman for the state lottery office, was not sure what might contribute to some places having more sales than others. Whatever the reason, lottery sales are booming across the state. Sales in 2007 set a record, and the state is running ahead of its projections for the current fiscal year.

Here are the high rollers -- Washington state cities and towns with the highest per capita lottery sales:

1. Port Orchard with $750
2. Gig Harbor with $460
3. Shelton with $360
4. Stanwood with $350
5. Sequim with $330
6. Yelm with $310
7. Puyallup with $300
8. Snohomish with $290
9. Chehalis with $280
10. Sumner with $260

The Democratic National Convention started last night in Denver, and even though Madonna is in Europe for her Sticky & Sweet Tour, she still managed to stir some political controversy. The Material Girl kicked off the trek in Wales and two videos played during the show stood out. Billboard.com reports that one clip flashed images of destruction, global warming, Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, Zimbabwe’s authoritarian President Robert Mugabe and Arizona Senator and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain. Another sequence that followed displayed John Lennon, Al Gore, Mahatma Gandhi and McCain’s Democratic rival, Barack Obama. A McCain spokesperson commented, "The comparisons are outrageous, unacceptable and crudely divisive all at the same time… It clearly shows that when it comes to supporting Barack Obama, his fellow worldwide celebrities refuse to consider any smear or attack off limits."

Trivia Answer: Ted Knight who was best known for playing the comedic role of Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Henry Rush on Too Close for Comfort. Ted died on this date in 1986. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, at 6673 Hollywood Boulevard, for his contributions to Television. Knight's distinctive speaking voice brought him lots work as an announcer -- he narrated several animated television series including Super Friends (where his signature line was, "Meanwhile, at the Hall of Justice...") -- and he appeared frequently in TV shows such as "Bonanza," "Combat!," "Get Smart," "The Twilight Zone," "The Wild Wild West" and "The Love Boat."  In fact, in one Love Boat episode, he guest starred as a rival cruise captain opposite his Mary Tyler Moore co-star Gavin MacLeod. Many fans often assumed Knight was like the Ted Baxter character in real life, causing him occasional problems, and great heartache. In 1975, he approached The Mary Tyler Moore Show Producer David Davis and Director Jay Sandrich in tears asking to be removed from the show due to the often negative effect that this was having on his wife and children. He was, in fact, an intelligent actor who worried that he was trapped in the character, and would be forever typecast. James L. Brooks brought in Georgia Engel and Robbie Rist to develop the character's softer side. To a degree Knight was typecast. After Mary Tyler Moore finished its seven-season run, Knight appeared in the film "Caddyshack" as bigoted, overbearing Judge Elihu Smails (1980). His character on "Too Close for Comfort" endeared him to a whole new audience of TV viewers. A few months after the end of the Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1977 he was diagnosed with cancer for which he received various forms of treatment for several years. In 1985 he was diagnosed with colon cancer, which despite rigorous treatment, eventually began to spread to his bladder and throughout his lower gastrointestinal tract. He died on August 26, 1986 from complications due to surgery. He was interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. His grave marker bears the name Theodore C. Konopka.

China concluded its debut as Olympic host last night after 16 days of near-flawless logistics and superlative athletic achievement -- coexisting awkwardly with the government's wariness of dissent and free speech. China invested more than $40 billion in the games, which it viewed as a chance to show the world its dramatic economic progress. As Art Thiel writes in the PI this morning, it just shows you what $40 billion, 1.3 billion people, seven years of work, and centuries of insecurity will get you. A spectacular closing ceremony opened with torrents of fireworks and included a pulsating show-within-a-show by London, host of the 2012 Games. From a stage formed from a red double-decker bus, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page played "Whole Lotta Love" and soccer icon David Beckham booted a ball into the surrounding throng of athletes on the stadium floor. At the end, the Olympic flame atop the stadium was extinguished. The final medal tally has the USA on top in total medals with 110: 36 gold, 38 silver, and 36 bronze. China is first in golds but second overall with a total of 100: 51 golds, 21 silvers, and 28 bronze. Russia was third with 72 total, followed by Great Britain with 47, and Australia with 46. Athletes broke 43 world records and 132 Olympic records during the games. Olympic telecasts achieved record ratings in China and here in the States, and the games' presence online was by far the most extensive ever. NBC says the Beijing Games proved so captivating that millions of Americans now need to catch up on some sleep. A survey of people who followed the Olympics found that 76 percent said they stayed up later than normal to watch, according to NBC. More than half of its specially convened panel said they got fewer hours of sleep. NBC Universal is giddy following its Olympics coverage, which ended last night with a tape-delayed presentation of the closing ceremonies. With thousands of hours available on the broadcast network, cable affiliates, and online, the company said it surpassed the 1996 Atlantic Olympics to capture more viewers than any other event in U.S. television history. Most important, says NBC, was that it was able to eclipse the prime-time averages for Athens in 2004 (24.6 million) and Sydney in 2000 (21.5 million). With more networks, websites and video games competing for attention each year, it's the rare television event that sees such growth. NBC's effort to convince Olympics officials to schedule certain events in the morning so the network could show them live everywhere except the West Coast (Beijing's time zone is 12 hours ahead of New York's -- 15 hours ahead of ours), paid off handsomely. Michael Phelps' bid for eight gold medals was a dream when the Olympics began and for NBC, it turned into a miniseries. Without being able to check for the results on the Internet in advance, an estimated 39.9 million people tuned in to watch Phelps break Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals in a single Olympics on his final relay. When there was less live action during the second week, viewers began to lose interest. Only 17.6 million people watched Friday night, and a million fewer on Saturday, according to Nielsen Media Research. The time difference will make things more difficult for the London Games in 2012. For NBC to show something live in prime-time then, an event would have to be scheduled after midnight -- hardly an ideal time for athletes or live spectators. Interesting to note that the success of the Beijing Games may have a hidden cost down the line for NBC Universal, which is owned by General Electric Co. NBC Universal paid $894 million for the rights to broadcast the games. ESPN, owned by the Walt Disney Co., has expressed interest in bidding for the 2014 and 2016 games, and the 2008 result may send bids soaring. For now though, NBC wants to bask.

Olympic gold-medalist Michael Phelps just bought a Baltimore condo worth 1.7-million dollars along the city’s waterfront. The New York Daily News reports his new home comes with a Jacuzzi, pool, rooftop terrace, private screening room, gym and clubhouse. The swimmer is also buying up more real estate around his hometown with his estimated 40-million dollars in endorsement deals. He purchased the Meadowbrook Swim Club & Northwest Ice Rink in Baltimore with plans to turn it into an Olympic training facility. Phelps, by the way, has plans to write a book. Look for it in December.

President Bush holds up the American Flag the wrong way before wife Laura Bush instructs him to
turn it around at the swimming arena at the National Aquatics Center during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
TIME magazine says the president is still still iffy on the concept of "my left" vs. "your left."

After gaining just 3 yards on four carries in his preseason debut a week ago, Jonathan Stewart finally showed why the Carolina Panthers drafted him in the first round. The former Timberline Blazer rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on just 10 carries Saturday as the Panthers cruised to a 47-3 preseason win over the Washington Redskins -- that's former Seahawk quarterback and quarterback coach Jim Zorn's Washington Redskins. Stewart who was the 13th pick of the draft after leaving the University of Oregon after his junior season. Saturday he outran the Washington defense for a 50-yard touchdown.

I've made a couple of comments regarding seeing officers with South Sound police agencies driving down the road talking on their cell phones, something I thought was illegal.  Well, the Washington State Patrol has weighed in on the topic.  According to patrol spokesman, Trooper Freddy Williams, officers are "exempt from the hands-free law," which took effect July 1.  He asked you and me to not assume that just because a trooper is on a cell phone that he or she is on a personal call. "Troopers are sometimes contacted by our dispatch centers via cell phone to direct them to areas and situations that we do not necessarily want broadcast over the radio, such as bomb squad and SWAT situations," Williams said. "There are other times when our radio frequencies are overcrowded with directing troopers to collisions and other emergencies. In times such as these, the (communication) center will utilize the cell phone to contact supervisors to relay information." He said he believed the Legislature exempted law enforcement from the requirement to give officers another tool in their work. He did point out that as a result of the questions, the patrol will "remind our troopers of their responsibility to lead by example and use hands-free devices whenever possible."

Move over, Paula, Randy and Simon. Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi is joining American Idol as a fourth judge when the eighth season premieres in January 2009. Fox reality honcho Mike Darnell said in a news release: “For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges’ table. With Kara by her side, Paula finally has some back-up and now there is going to be a lot more ‘girl power’ on the show.” Kara is a multi-Grammy nominated, much sought after songwriter, writing or co-writing many international hit songs from 1999 to the present. DioGuardi's songs have been recorded by artists including Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Kelly Clarkson, Pink, Avril Lavigne, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Hannah Montana, Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill, Santana, Ashlee Simpson, Jewel and Kylie Minogue and many others. Kara can even be heard performing backup vocals on some of the recordings.

Trivia Answer: Thomas Roy Skerritt -- Tom Skerritt -- who turns 75 today. He was born in Detroit, Michigan. Since 1988, he has divided his domestic life between his Lake Washington home in suburban Seattle, and a home on Lopez Island in the San Juans.

The Tacoma Rainiers game against the Portland Beavers last night in Portland was suspended in the seventh inning because of a power outage around PGE Park. That's PGE as in Portland General Electric. Kris Marshall pointed out that there's no irony in baseball.

The Thurston County 13-year-old All Stars saw their quest come to an end last night at the Babe Ruth World Series at Jamestown, N.Y. The Pacific Southwest squad from Westchester, California defeated the Pacific Northwest team 8-3 in a quarterfinal game. California advances to a semifinal game tonight while the Thurston County kids are heading home.

And because I'm a baseball fan, a couple more baseball calendar notes. It was on this date in 1989 that Nolan Ryan struck out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts, and one year ago today the Texas Rangers smashed the Baltimore Orioles 30-3, tallying the most runs scored by a team in modern MLB history.

A Wisconsin woman has been arrested and booked for failing to pay her library fines. Twenty-year-old Heidi Dalibor says she ignored the library's calls and letters as well as a notice to appear in court. Still, she was surprised when officers with a warrant knocked on her door, cuffed her, and took her to the police station to be fingerprinted and photographed. Police Capt. Joe Gabrish says officers follow the same procedure with every warrant. Library director John Hanson says a couple of dozen people are cited each year for failure to return materials or pay fines. The incident cost Dalibor about $30 for the two overdue paperbacks. It cost her mother $172 to free her.

The American Association of Retired Persons is being sued for -- wait for it -- age discrimination! The Associated Press reports 63-year-old Bonita Brady is suing the A-A-R-P for 25-thousand dollars, claiming she has been passed over for jobs in the organization because of her age. Bonita began working for the A-A-R-P in 1996 as a health representative. She lost her position in a reorganization and has since been passed over for nine possible jobs.

Talking in the office, somebody said "Hollywood is recession proof." It's interesting to note that economic downturns have done wonders for the box office over the years. From CNN/Money, here are some of the greatest movies to hit the big screen during down times:

• King Kong (1933) When the original "King Kong" premiered with special effects previously unseen, its larger-than-life gorilla wowed Depression-era moviegoers eager for an escape. The black-and-white flick broke attendance records and is credited with saving its maker, RKO Pictures, from bankruptcy (the tiny studio is still making movies). Average ticket price: $0.23 ($3.89 in today's dollars)
• Blazing Saddles (1974) Suffering from sticker shock at the gas pump following the 1973 oil crisis, Americans flocked to theatres to see Mel Brooks' politically-incorrect spoof of the classic Hollywood Western. The film raked in nearly $120 million domestically and remains one of the highest-grossing comedies in box-office history. Average ticket price: $1.89 ($8.43 in today's dollars)
• E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982) With the unemployment rate hitting 10.8%, Steven Spielberg's heartwarming tale of an alien left behind on earth holds the record for most weekends at the top of the charts (it was No. 1 for 16 weeks). Domestically, the film grossed $435 million, while Spielberg reportedly earned $500,000 a day from his share of the film's profits. Average ticket price: $2.94 ($6.70 in today's dollars)
• Spider-Man (2002) Americans headed to theatres after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, setting the record for the most tickets (nearly 1.6 billion) sold in a year. As the dollar fell (it reached parity with the euro for the first time and has declined ever since) and the unemployment rate hit 6%, "Spider-Man" became the year's top-grossing film, with $403.7 million in sales. Average ticket price: $5.81 ($7.10 in today's dollars)
• The Dark Knight (2008) With the real estate market melting down and gas prices topping $4 a gallon, Batman's fight against the villainous Joker smashed box-office records for highest-grossing opening weekend. To date, "The Dark Knight," which was released in more theaters than any other movie before it, has sold $805 million tickets worldwide. Its $477 million in domestic revenues could help the box office break last year's record summer. Average ticket price: $7.08

Trivia Answer: Sebastian Cabot who played Giles French in the CBS series "Family Affair." He died on this date in 1977. By they way, he lived his final years in British Columbia and is interred in the urn garden in Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles, near Brian Keith. Brian Keith, of course, played Uncle Bill on "Family Affair." The program was a situation comedy television series that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966 to September 9, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do civil engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Brian Keith), as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. Davis's stuffy English butler Mr. Giles French (Sebastian Cabot), also had adjustments to make as he was usually saddled with the responsibility of caring for 15-year-old Cissy (Kathy Garver) and the 6-year-old twins, Jody (Johnny Whitaker) and Buffy (Anissa Jones). The show ran for 138 episodes and was created and produced by Don Fedderson, best known for "My Three Sons." Kathy Garver, is best known for playing Cissy Davis, is one of the last two surviving cast members of the series. The other is Johnny Whitaker, who played Jody. Kathy and Johnny share the same birthday, but he is 14 years her junior. Mary Anissa Jones best remembered as "Buffy" died of a drug overdose at the age of 18. Buffy's doll "Mrs. Beasley," which she constantly carried with her, became a popular toy in real life. Back to Sebastian Cabot: A dubious legacy exists in his spoken recitations of songs by Bob Dylan on the album "Sebastian Cabot, actor / Bob Dylan, poet." Two tracks from the album appear on the Rhino Records compilation "Golden Throats: The Great Celebrity Sing Off."

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar. Here's the story:

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. "Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things: your family, your children, your health, your friends, your favorite passions, things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter, things like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first, there's no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled and said, "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

A heartbreaker for the U.S. Olympic softball team today. With silver medals swinging from their necks, their eyes filled with tears, five members of the squad walked to home plate and placed their cleats in the dirt. Their games were over, and so were their international playing careers. With that they said goodbye to softball, the sport they played better than anyone else save for one game. Losing for the first time since 2000, the Americans were denied a chance for a fourth straight gold medal today, beaten 3-1 by Japan in softball's last appearance in the Olympics for at least eight years. Maybe forever. It was the Americans first loss since September 21st of 2000 at the Sydney Games. The U.S. had won 22 straight since then, most with outrageously lopsided scores. The U.S arrived in China determined to put on a show of power, precision and poise. And except for a tense, nine-inning 4-1 win over Japan in the semifinals, the Americans had done just that. That game was by far their toughest test in the tournament -- until they met Japan again in the final. Another gold was certainly within reach. Instead, they walked off the field with their heads bowed. The U.S. has dominated the sport since its Olympic debut in 1996, winning all three golds, rewriting the record books and setting a standard for a sport considered too All-American by some. It was the Americans' utter domination -- they outscored the field 51-1 four years ago in Greece -- that may have contributed to the International Olympic Committee's decision to drop the sport in a close vote taken in 2006.

Mentioned yesterday that the ratings for NBC's Olympic coverage were impressive. Here's some perspective: The primetime NBC coverage's average 18 to 49 audience (12.58 million) was more than the next 12 networks combined (Univision, CBS, Fox, ABC, USA, TBS, CW, TNT, ABC Family, Lifetime, Sci Fi and ESPN).

NBC's Bob Costas says it is unlikely that he’ll be covering the Olympics past the 2012 summer games in London. Costas told the Washington Post yesterday that he expects to watch the 2016 games from his living room. The 56-year-old Costas is hosting NBC’s coverage at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and is likely to anchor coverage of the next Summer Olympiad from England. But he says even if NBC wins the television rights to the 2016 games, he’s not likely to be in the host chair again. The International Olympic Committee decides next year where the 2016 games are to be held. There are four cities still in the running: Chicago, Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Madrid. Chicago and Rio are considered the favorites.

Got a couple of emails from obviously frustrated people regarding the Jumping Frog thing from a couple of days ago (see below). Here's the solve: If you number the frogs for 1 to 6 going from left to right the sequence of jumps is 3-4-5-3-2-1-4-5-6-3-2-1-5-6-1. Hope that helps.

Trivia Answer: Wilton Norman "Wilt" Chamberlain -- Wilt the Stilt, The Big Dipper, Chairman of the Boards -- who was born on this date in 1936. He played with the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers. He also played for a time with the Harlem Globetrotters. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1978, elected onto the NBA's 35th Anniversary Team of 1980, and chosen as one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History in 1996. Rumor is that his favorite nickname was "The Big Dipper" -- allegedly a name he picked up because he always had to dip his head before entering a room. That 100-point game took place between the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks on March 2, 1962 at in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Warriors won the game, 169-147. According to eyewitnesses, the game became a farce. Fearing ultimate humiliation if Chamberlain scored 100 points on them, the Knicks blindly fouled any Warrior except Chamberlain, to force them to hit free throws and keep the ball out of the center's hands. Effectively, they played the opposite of what a normal club would do if they faced a deficit. After his basketball career, Chamberlain played volleyball in the short-lived International Volleyball Association, was president of this organization and enshrined in the IVA Hall of Fame for his contributions. Chamberlain was also a successful businessman, authored several books, and appeared in the movie Conan the Destroyer. He was a lifelong bachelor, but became notorious for his claim to have had sex with 20,000 women, a statement which has entered popular culture. Chamberlain had a history of heart trouble. In 1992, he was hospitalized for three days following an irregular heartbeat, and in 1999, his condition deteriorated rapidly. After undergoing dental surgery in that year, he lost 50 pounds, was in great pain and seemed unable to recover from the stress. On October 12, 1999, he died of congestive heart failure in Bel-Air, California.

NBC is enjoying a taste of what superstar swimmer Michael Phelps savored last week: a clean sweep. But unlike Phelps in Beijing's Water Cube, NBC's prime-time Olympics coverage left all its competition far behind. In the first full week of the Summer Games, TV's seven top-rated shows were NBC Olympics broadcasts, helping NBC score an average of 28.7 million viewers, while its nearest rival, CBS, averaged just 5.1 million, according to Nielsen Media Research figures. That audience margin between the winner and runner-up networks was the widest recorded by Nielsen since its People Meters were introduced two decades ago.  The Nielsen Top 10:

1. "Summer Olympics-Tuesday," NBC, 34.01 million viewers.
2. "Summer Olympics-Saturday," NBC, 31.59 million viewers.
3. "Summer Olympics-Monday," NBC, 30.17 million viewers.
4. "Summer Olympics-Thursday," NBC, 29.71 million viewers.
5. "Summer Olympics-Wednesday," NBC, 27.66 million viewers.
6. "Summer Olympics-Sunday," NBC, 27.18 million viewers.
7. "Summer Olympics-Friday," NBC, 26.07 million viewers.
8. "Two And a Half Men," CBS, 8.07 million viewers.
9. "NCIS," CBS, 7.22 million viewers.
10. "60 Minutes," CBS, 7.09 million viewers.

The Thurston County 13-year-old All Stars representing the Pacific Northwest at the Babe Ruth World Series in Jamestown, New York, improved their record in pool play to 2-and-1 with a win yesterday over the Western New York team from Syracuse 10-5. The Thurston County kids see action again this morning at 9 as they face New England in their final pool game.

Saxophonist and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, LeRoi Moore, died yesterday from complications stemming from injuries he sustained in an ATV accident. The 47-year-old died at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles. He had been rehabilitating at his L.A. home after the June 30th accident at his farm outside Charlottesville, Virginia. The Dave Matthews Band was formed in Charlottesville in 1991 by Matthews, drummer Carter Beauford and Moore, an established saxophonist in the local music scene. "Jazz is probably my main influence, but at this stage I don't really consider myself a jazz musician," Moore is quoted as saying on the band's Web site. "I have plenty of space to improvise, to try new ideas." DMB went ahead with a scheduled show last night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Jeff Coffin, saxophonist for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, has been sitting in for Moore since Moore's accident. Matthews announced the death of the band's "dear friend" to the crowd.

Michael O’Neill of Middlesbrough, England, decided at the last minute in June to take a trip to Australia. He didn’t tell his circle of friends where he was going and never even sent a postcard. The London Daily Telegraph reports his friends got worried when they didn’t see him for weeks and called police to break into his house to see if he was alright. Police found nothing and when a death notice for another Michael O’Neill appeared in a local paper late last month, friends of the Michael who was visiting Australia were convinced they’d lost their buddy. The deceased Michael was the same age and had brothers named Kevin and Terry, just like their Michael. Of course, this was all disturbing to Michael O’Neill when he returned from Down Under to find his door kicked in by the cops and everyone he knew shaking his hand, congratulating him on being alive. 

Trivia Answer: The Queen of Mean -- Leona Mindy Rosenthal Helmsley -- who died one year ago today. The image of Helmsley was sealed when a former housekeeper testified that she had heard Helmsley say: "We don't pay taxes. Only the little people pay taxes ...", a saying that became notorious and identified with her for the rest of her life. She was later convicted of federal income tax evasion and other crimes in 1989 and served 19 months in prison (and two more months under house arrest), after receiving an initial sentence of 16 years. How mean was she? On March 31st of 1982, Leona's only child died of a heart attack. Leona sued her son's estate for money and property that she claimed he had borrowed. Her son's widow (who lived in a property Leona owned) received an eviction notice. The widow later said the legal expenses wiped her out and "to this day I don't know why they did it." You'll recall that when she died she left her Maltese, Trouble, a $12 million trust fund. This sum was subsequently reduced to $2 million. Her choice to leave $12 million to Trouble was branded third in Fortune's "101 Dumbest Moments in Business" of 2007. In an April 30, 2008 court ruling Manhattan Surrogate Judge Renee Roth reduced the trust fund for Trouble from $12 million to $2 million with the $10 million going to Helmsley's charitable foundation. However, in the April 30 judgment Manhattan Surrogate Court Judge Reena Roth further ruled Helmsley was mentally unfit when she executed her will. Today, nine-year-old Trouble lives in Florida with the Carl Lekic, general manager of the Helmsley Sandcastle Hotel. Lekic has stated that the $2 million would pay for the dog's maintenance for more than 10 years -- the annual $100,000 for full-time security, $8,000 for grooming, and $1,200 for food. Lekic is paid a $60,000 annual guardian fee.

The decision to push back the release of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" put magazines in a scramble for their upcoming fall preview issues. According to the Associated Press, the news came just after Entertainment Weekly completed its August 22nd edition with the Harry Potter stars on the cover, promoting the film’s original release date of November 21st. The fall preview features a six-page spread on the movie, a movie that is now scheduled to be released on July 17th, 2009. Just a note: Entertainment Weekly and Warner Bros., the studio behind the film, are owned by the same company.

Above is a screen-shot of what I'm told is a second grade computer test in China.  I'm not sure I'm buying that.  For what it's worth, a couple hours of trying and I finally proved that ... well apparently I'm as smart as a Chinese second-grader.  Sheesh.  Click on the graphic above and give it a go.

The country caught Olympic fever this past weekend as Michael Phelps won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing games. So, it’s as good a time as ever to count down the best Olympics-themed movies ever, and Access Hollywood has done just that:

1. Chariots of Fire
2. Miracle
3. Cool Runnings
4. The Cutting Edge
5. Munich
6. Prefontaine
7. Olympia
8. One Day in September
9. American Anthem
10. Blades of Glory.

By the way, Michael Phelps has reportedly received more than 7,000 Facebook friends requests and nearly 5,000 text messages on his phone.

Paul McCartney isn’t the only singer to have gone through an expensive divorce. Phil Collins just settled with his ex for a pricey sum. Orianne Cevey is set to receive 46-million dollars from Philbert. According to the British tabloids, the settlement is the biggest payout of its kind ever in the U-K, beating out what Sir Paul gave to Heather Mills by two-million bucks. This is Phil’s third divorce and brings the grand total of how much Collins has paid out during all three divorces to 80-million dollars.

Trivia Answer: Francis Gary Powers was flying a U-2 spy plane. While he was convicted and sentenced on this date, on February 10th of 1962, twenty-one months after his capture, he was exchanged along with an American student in a spy swap for a Soviet KGB Colonel. Though Powers claimed he had not divulged details of the U-2 program, he received a cold reception upon his return to the United States. Initially, he was criticized for having failed to activate his aircraft’s self-destruct charge designed to destroy the camera, photographic film, and related classified parts of his aircraft before capture. In addition, others criticized him for deciding not to use an optional CIA-issued suicide pin. This pin, which was concealed in a hollowed out silver dollar, could be used to avoid pain and suffering in case of torture. After being debriefed extensively by the CIA, Lockheed, and the USAF, on March 6, 1962, he appeared before a Senate Armed Services Select Committee. During the proceeding it was determined that Powers followed orders, did not divulge any critical information to the Soviets, and conducted himself “as a fine young man under dangerous circumstances.” In 1998, information was declassified revealing that Powers’ fateful mission had actually been a joint USAF/CIA operation. In 2000, on the 40th anniversary of Powers being shot down, his family was finally presented with his posthumously awarded Prisoner of War Medal, Distinguished Flying Cross and National Defense Service Medal. In addition, then CIA Director George Tenet authorized Powers to posthumously receive the CIA "Director's Medal" for extreme fidelity and courage in the line of duty. According to his son, when asked how high he was when flying back on May 1st of 1960, Powers would often reply, "not high enough."

Day nine of the Summer Olympics in Beijing, featuring swimmer Michael Phelps' historic gold-medal triumph, gave NBC its most watched Saturday prime-time broadcast in 18 years. The telecast averaged 31.1 million U.S. viewers, NBC's biggest audience for a Saturday night program since an episode of "The Golden Girls" spinoff "Empty Nest" drew 31.4 million viewers in February 1990. Phelps was all of four years old at the time. On Saturday, the 23-year-old pride of Baltimore, helped the U.S. swim team to a first-place finish in the 400-meter medley relay in record time, giving Phelps the 14th gold medal of his career and his eighth at the Beijing Games. The victory marked the most gold medals ever claimed by one athlete at a single Olympics, summer or winter, surpassing the previous record of seven golds won by swimmer Mark Spitz in 1972.

Lacey's Jonathan Stewart finally got a few plays in as a Carolina Panther over the weekend ... and Brett Favre was in for about 14 plays as a New York Jet.

The New York Yankees -- the Evil Empire -- signed Richie Sexon shortly after the Mariners cut the first baseman loose. Well, Saturday, the Yankees cut the first baseman loose.

By the way, the Babe Ruth 13-year-olds from Thurston County -- they're represented as Pacific Northwest on all the material from the national Babe Ruth organization -- are in Jamestown, New York for the Babe Ruth World Series. They're involved in pool play to get things going. They saw their first action yesterday falling to Bryant, Arkansas, 11-9. They're scheduled to meet Ohio Valley today.

Big-screen Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. has scored his second number one movie of the summer as the Hollywood spoof "Tropic Thunder" ended the month-long reign of "The Dark Knight" atop the North American box office. "Tropic Thunder," a farcical combat movie within a comedy that also stars Ben Stiller and Jack Black, grossed $26 million during its first weekend in U.S. and Canadian theaters, bringing its five-day estimated total from Wednesday's opening to $37 million. Downey who appears in the film in blackface, portraying a white actor playing a black action hero, also starred in the summer's first chart-topping movie, "Iron Man." The blockbuster Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" slipped to number two with $16.8 million in ticket sales in its fifth weekend of release but broke yet another commercial barrier along the way by becoming the second-highest-grossing film ever, according to box office tracking service Media By Numbers.  It trails only "Titanic."

Yesterday afternoon, some 1,500 people showed up in Fremont for the unveiling of that bronze statue honoring Northwest icons J.P. Patches and Gertrude. Hundreds of people wanted pictures with stars of "The J.P. Patches Show." The program aired on KIRO-TV from 1958 to 1981.

Trivia Answer: Martin Mull who turns 65 today. "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartmen" led to spin-off comedy talk shows "Fernwood 2-Night" in 1977 and "America 2-Night" in 1978. On those programs he played the emcee Barth Gimble, opposite Fred Willard as his sidekick Jerry Hubbard. Martin is also a painter, a recording artist, and has acted in numerous feature films, including:

• FM in 1978
• Serial in 1980
• My Bodyguard in 1980
• Take This Job and Shove It in 1981
• Mr. Mom in 1983
• Growing Pains in 1984
• Clue in 1985 (He was Colonel Mustard)
• Mrs. Doubtfire in 1993
• Jingle All the Way in 1996

You are invited Sunday afternoon from 1 to 3 at the Solstice Plaza -- on North N 34th Street just east of the Fremont Bridge in Seattle. Be there to celebrate the unveiling of the bronze statue called "Late for the Interurban" featuring Northwest icons J.P. Patches and Gertrude (Chris Wedes & Bob Newman, but you knew that).  Pat Cashman presides over the event which includes comments from special guest Governor Christine Gregoire and other community leaders who helped make the statue a reality. The statue was made possible through the generosity of a host of Patches Pals. There is still, by the way, a collection box where donations can be made to support Children's Hospital and Medical Center. Patches Pals of all ages are invited to this free event. If you miss this ... it'll be kind of like if you stayed inside the house during a total eclipse of the sun.

Just about back-to-school time around the South Sound. The National Retail Federation had BIGreserach conduct a survey to find out what the average consumer is spending on back to school:

• $234.51 for clothing
• $151.61 for electronics
• $109.75 for shoes
• $98.37 for school supplies

Here's what the average consumer is spending on back to college:

• $555.69 spent on electronics
• $266.83 for dorm or apartment furnishing like bedspreads, posters, answering machine, or microwave and fridge
• $202.61 spent on clothing
• $97.35 spent on shoes
• $84.13 spent on school supplies
• $82.53 for Collegiate branded gear and supplies

Where do they shop?

• 73% shop in discount store
• 56.6% shop in department store
• 47.8% shop in clothing store
• 41.8% shop in office supply store
• 24.8% shop online
• 21.4% shop in electronics store
• 18.2% shop in drug store

When do they shop?

• 46.4% shop 3 weeks to one month before school starts
• 30.5% shop 1 to 2 weeks before school starts
• 3.8% shop the week school starts

Trivia Answer: The Woodstock Music and Art Fair held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm from August 15th to August 18th of 1969. Bethel, New York, is actually 43 miles southwest of the village of Woodstock. Although attempts have been made over the years to recreate the festival, the original event has proven to be unique and legendary. It's widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone's "50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll." Several members of Lighthouse -- the band that opted out of playing -- would later say that they regretted the decision. Joni Mitchell, who was not there, penned the song "Woodstock", which commemorated the event and became a hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Famed chef Julia Child shared a secret with Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg and Chicago White Sox catcher Moe Berg at a time when the Nazis threatened the world. They served in an international spy ring managed by the Office of Strategic Services, an early version of the CIA created in World War II by President Franklin Roosevelt. The secret comes out today as all of the names and previously classified files identifying nearly 24,000 spies who formed the first centralized intelligence effort by the United States are released. The National Archives, which this week released a list of the names found in the records, will make available for the first time all 750,000 pages identifying the vast spy network of military and civilian operatives. They were soldiers, actors, historians, lawyers, athletes, professors and reporters. But for several years during World War II, they were known simply as the OSS. They studied military plans, created propaganda, infiltrated enemy ranks and stirred resistance among foreign troops. Among the more than 35,000 OSS personnel files are applications, commendations and handwritten notes identifying young recruits who, like Child, Goldberg and Berg, earned greater acclaim in other fields - like Arthur Schlesinger Jr., a historian and special assistant to President Kennedy and Sterling Hayden, an actor. The release of the OSS personnel files uncloaks one of the last secrets from the short-lived wartime intelligence agency, which for the most part later was folded into the CIA after President Truman disbanded it in 1945.

Everyone in the world is interested in Barack Obama and John McCain these days, and before November rolls around, we need to know more and more about the Presidential hopefuls. Blender Magazine asked the Democratic and Republican candidates about their favorite tunes.  Interesting that Ol' Blue Eyes is on both lists below.

Speaking of politics and music, it looks like Daughtry is covering all the bases. The band has added a few dates to their current tour. On August 26th, the band performs at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. The following week, Chris Daughtry and crew are in Minneapolis playing the Republican National Convention on September 3rd.

Book 'em, Dan-o. E! Online is reporting that CBS is bringing back Hawaii Five-O, their popular detective series which ran from 1968 to 1980. The network is going to try and keep the show as close to the original as possible, including the use of that unforgettable theme song. The show is said to be premiering in the 2009 - 2010 TV season.

Trivia Answer: She was born Susan Jane Miller but we know her as Susan Saint James she is 62 today. The show with Rock Hudson was "McMillan & Wife" and the show with Jane Curtin was "Kate & Allie." Susan just got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame a few weeks ago on June 11th.

Wow is about all you can say ... and somehow that doesn't seem to get the job done. Michael Phelps is making history as we watch. Michael swam to become the winningest Olympic athlete ever with his 10th and 11th career gold medals -- and five world records in five events at the Beijing Games. A day after etching his name alongside Mark Spitz and Carl Lewis with nine gold medals, Phelps set a standard all his own when he won the 200-meter butterfly today. An hour later, he swam the leadoff of a runaway victory by the U.S. 800 freestyle relay team, which shattered the old world mark by more than four seconds. Phelps becomes winningest Olympic athlete ever and is now all alone at the top of the career golds list, with three more chances to stretch his lead before he leaves China. He'll swim in the 200 individual medley, 100 fly and 400 medley relay.

As summer vacation season kicked in, we Americans got out of our cars, driving 12.2 billion fewer miles in June than the same month a year earlier. We collectively drove 53.2 billion fewer miles this year from November through June than last year. The 4.7 percent decline, which came while gas prices were peaking, was the biggest monthly driving drop in a downward trend that began in November, according to the Federal Highway Administration. The 53.2 billion fewer miles represents a larger decline than the 49.3 billion fewer miles driven by Americans over the entire decade of the 1970s, a period marked by oil embargoes and gas lines. We had one of the biggest declines here in Washington where we were down 6.9 percent. Some others: Maine was down 7 percent, Florida was down 6 percent, Montana was down 7.7 percent, Wyoming was down 6.8 percent, and Nevada was down 6.7 percent. Gas consumption was down, too. The highway administration said motorists consumed 400 million fewer gallons of gasoline and 318 million fewer gallons of diesel in the first quarter of 2008 than in the same period in 2007. Meanwhile, we're still below $4 a gallon here in the South Sound. AAA reports the average price for a gallon of unleaded is $3.978 this morning here in Olympia.

Isaac Hayes died from a stroke related to high blood pressure. That word from Memphis authorities. Hayes once described himself as a "health fanatic." He was being treated for high blood pressure and suffered a non-fatal stroke last year. His body was found next to a running treadmill on Sunday in his Memphis home. There was no indication he had hit his head or suffered any trauma, according to the Shelby County Medical Examiner who concluded that a stroke was the cause of death. Hayes was born in Tennessee and wrote for a stable of stars at Memphis soul label Stax Records during the 1960s, emerging as a performer in his own right with the album "Hot Buttered Soul." He was the first black composer to win an Oscar. He won for the 1971 hit "Theme from 'Shaft.'"

According to the New York Times, The Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, Willie Nelson and Melissa Etheridge are among the artists set to perform at parties surrounding the Democratic National Convention coming up in Denver. Also attending the festivities: Quentin Tarantino, Susan Surandon, and Neil Patrick Harris. The convention kicks off August 25th.

Gas to drive stolen car to the 7-11 ... $10
Winter hoodie jacket with large inside pocket to conceal identity and carry gun ... $85
9mm handgun purchased just up the block ... $150
Failure to master holding on to your weapon during planned armed robbery ... Priceless.

Enjoy:

Trivia Answer: Alfred Joseph Hitchcock who was born on this date in 1899. After a very substantial career in his native United Kingdom in both silent films and talkies, he moved to Hollywood and, in 1956, became an American citizen, while retaining his British citizenship. He directed more than fifty feature films, in a career spanning six decades, from the silent era, through the invention of sound films, and far into the color era. From 1955 to 1965, Hitchcock was the host and producer of a long-running television series entitled Alfred Hitchcock Presents. He died in April of 1980.

As David Letterman used to say, "Wake the kids and phone the neighbors." Gas is back below $4 a gallon here in Olympia. AAA reports the average price for gallon of unleaded regular is 3.982 today. Interesting to note that a year ago today, it was 2.858.

The Super Bowl mightstill be six months away, but the rumors are already flying about who will play the half-time show. Sources tell the New York Post that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have confirmed they are performing at the big dance. The insider explained to the paper, “Little Stevie (Van Zandt) has already rented out the Hard Rock Café for a party.” It should be noted that at this time last year the rumors were hot and heavy that The Eagles would play last year's Super Bowl and that turned out to not be the case. Super Bowl XLIII is coming up in Tampa on February 1st of 2009.

Will "Titanic" ever lose its berth as the biggest movie of all time? "The Dark Knight" is racing up the ranks, but the Batman sequel will stall at No. 2 with about $510 million to $520 million. That's the prediction from Warner Bros. Pictures. That's far from the $601 million haul of "Titanic," which set sail in December 1997. Adjusted for inflation, both movies are dwarfed by the $1.4 billion haul for 1939's "Gone with the Wind."

Sometimes you're just embarrassed to be in the same species. Case in point, a trio of thieves in New Zealand. At lease for this week they own the title World’s Dumbest Crooks. The New Zealand Herald reports three men there decided to steal a station wagon parked outside a car repair shop. They promptly smashed a window and hot-wired the vehicle. That’s when they noticed there was no engine in the car. The motor was laid out in the back for repair.

You almost wonder if the guy in the video below was one of the brazen New Zealand car thieves.  Note to self:  blow out the flame on the shot before you drink it.  Duh.

Trivia Answer: Mark Knopfler, who turns 59 today. The band formed with his brother was Dire Straits which recorded and released their self-titled first album in 1978 initially to little fanfare in the UK. A single release, "Sultans of Swing," became a chart hit in Holland and album sales took off across Europe and then in the United States. Dire Straits' biggest studio album by far was their fifth, Brothers in Arms, released in 1985. It became an international hit and spawned several chart singles including the US number-one hit "Money for Nothing," which was the first video ever to be played on MTV in Britain. It was also the first compact disc to sell a million copies and is largely credited for launching the CD format. Other successful singles were "So Far Away", "Walk of Life", and the album's title track.

The colorful Olympics opening night ceremony from Beijing on NBC averaged 34.2 million viewers, making it the biggest television event since the Super Bowl. It was the biggest audience ever for an Olympic opening ceremony not held in the U.S. It even eclipsed the audiences for this year's Academy Awards and finale of "American Idol," according to Nielsen Media Research. The numbers were all the more impressive since it was a Friday night in August, when many people have better things to do than watch TV. If they do choose to watch TV, the number of options are growing year by year, meaning most television events typically go down in ratings. The most recent summer Olympics in Athens four years ago averaged 25.4 million viewers for its first night. Sydney in 2000 had 27.3 million viewers. "It was a magical and memorable spectacle and a great way to start the Beijing Olympics," said Dick Ebersol, chairman of NBC Universal Sports and Olympics. It was good news for NBC and its advertisers, particularly since there was concern Friday about computer users finding ways to access non-NBC video feeds and watch portions of the ceremony before it appeared on the network. Due to the time difference, NBC aired the ceremony in the eastern U.S. 12 hours after it happened in China. Instead, the tape delay may have helped NBC, allowing word of mouth to spread about the spell-binding ceremony, which featured an estimated 15,000 cast and crew members, many performing intricate dance moves with images that used Beijing's new stadium as a backdrop. NBC's Olympics Web site didn't air video of the event before it was shown on TV, but it and many other Web sites did post still pictures. NBCOlympics.com registered 70 million page views on Friday. NBC Universal said it was working with Olympics officials to make sure video of events for which NBC has exclusive U.S. rights are not shown on other websites. Olympic authorities provide rights-holders with technology that prevents its coverage of Olympic events from being seen outside of their country. However, there were reports that the blocking technology didn't work for Germany's ARD network, allowing video to slip out beyond that country's borders. After opening night, NBC is less concerned about video getting out, at least for the first week of the games. NBC's prime-time for the next week is concentrating on live events like gymnastics and Michael Phelps' bid for swimming immortality. Many other events are shown live on NBC Universal's cable networks or on NBC's website. However, the second week of the games may present NBC with more of a problem. It currently plans to air most track and field events on tape-delay in prime-time, allowing for the possibility that pictures will slip out early.

Meantime, the millionaire stars of the U.S. basketball team swept past their hosts China in the showcase match-up of the Olympics, watched by tens of millions on Chinese television and cheered on by U.S. President George W. Bush. Yao Ming, flag carrier for China at the opening ceremony, couldn't protect his colleagues from the speed and power of the NBA professionals. Ming plays with the Houston Rockets. He scored 13 points in the 101-70 loss to the U.S. in what was billed as the most watched basketball game in history. Bush and his father, former President George H. W. Bush, huddled with the U.S. team ahead of the game to wish them luck.

Batman was higher than Hollywood's newest pot heads. "The Dark Knight" took in $26 million to finish as the No. 1 movie for the fourth straight weekend, beating the stoner comedy "Pineapple Express," which opened in second place with $22.4 million. The weekend haul lifted the Warner Bros. Batman sequel to No. 3 on the all-time domestic box-office charts with $441.5 million, behind only "Titanic" ($600.8 million) and the original "Star Wars" ($461 million). The last movie to remain No. 1 for four consecutive weekends was "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in late 2003 and 2004. That movie did it during a much slower time of year, with nowhere near the competition "The Dark Knight" has faced during Hollywood's busy summer season. "The Dark Knight" should surpass "Star Wars" to become No. 2 on the revenue chart by this coming weekend.

U.S. presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama have unmasked their favorite pop culture icons, including superheroes, with McCain favoring Batman and Obama choosing Spider-Man and Batman. In interviews with Entertainment Weekly magazine posted on its Web site late last week, the candidates also gave their picks for best on-screen president, top singers and most-liked television shows. Obama said he chose Spider-Man and Batman because "they have some inner turmoil." McCain said Batman is a quiet hero who pursues justice "against insurmountable odds." In the world of music, McCain revealed a weakness for the Swedish disco-era band ABBA, late singer Roy Orbison and 1970s star Linda Ronstadt. "But I like Usher too," McCain said, explaining he appeared on the TV comedy show "Saturday Night Live" with the 29-year-old rhythm and blues singer. Obama favored an eclectic group of musicians, including Frank Sinatra, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow and John Coltrane. As for TV, Obama listed throwback programs like "M*A*S*H" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show," while McCain named the more recent "Seinfeld," "Curb Your Enthusiasm" and "Dexter." Obama also proved a little behind the times on the last movie seen in a theater, which for him was the 2007 animated film "Shrek the Third." McCain said he had seen the blockbuster hit "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which debuted in May. For favorite actor in the role of president, McCain picked Dennis Haysbert from the Fox network hit "24." Obama chose Jeff Bridges from the 2000 movie "The Contender."

Trivia Answer: Eric Howard Carmen who turns 59 today. His greatest success came in the 1970s, first as a member of The Raspberries (a band that scored a major hit with their song "Go All The Way"), then with his solo career, including hits like "All By Myself" and "Hungry Eyes."

Eight is an auspicious number in many cultures, and none more so than the Chinese. Eight (ba) is a homonym of the Mandarin word for prosperity (fa) thus the opening ceremonies at the Olympic Games were scheduled for 8:08pm Beijing time today, 8.8.08.  

A YouTube ditty about 08.08.08

If you're keeping track, Beijing is 15 hours ahead of us so the ceremonies were held earlier today. Not to worry, NBC is televising them tonight. Yesterday, by the way, NBC Universal announced it has garnered more than $1 billion in advertising revenue for the Olympic Games -- an event for which it spent $894 million to acquire the U.S. broadcast and digital rights. The network is planning 3,600 hours of TV and Internet coverage of the 17-day Games in Beijing. NBC says it has made significant profits from the Olympics since the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta. The network has owned the U.S. broadcast rights for every Games since then, except for the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano, Japan, which were bought by CBS for $375 million. NBC spent a total of $2 billion for the rights to the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver and the 2012 Summer Games in London.

The headline in the Olympian this morning was "First day of Olympics dawns shrouded in haze." Well, I thought, the air quality has been a concern since Beijing was awarded the Games. Then I read that the opening ceremonies were going to include some 33,000 fireworks. Is that a really good idea? Have you seen those baseball parks where they shoot off fireworks when someone hits a homerun? And then you can't see anything through the smoke for the next couple of innings?

Back on June 16th (click here for June) we talked about the Air Car here in the blog.  The technology has been the focus of MDI, a European company founded in 1991 by a French inventor and former race car engineer.  Well, now comes word that New York-based Zero Pollution Motors is the first firm to obtain a license from MDI to produce the cars here in the United States.  They're pledging to deliver the first models in 2010 at a price tag of less than $18,000.

Poor Elvis. Random sightings of the King of Rock 'n' Roll have been tapering off in recent years, and now he has mysteriously disappeared from the upper echelons of a new list that ranks the artists with the most Number One hits on the U.S. pop singles chart. Until April, Elvis Presley and Mariah Carey were tied at second on Billboard's list of the top acts of the rock era with 17 Number One tunes each, behind the Beatles with 20. Carey took sole possession of the silver medal when her single "Touch My Body" hit the top spot. That should still make Presley third right? Not according to Billboard which has demoted him to fourteenth place with seven Number One hits -- a ranking he now shares with Phil Collins. The music publication is rolling out a series of charts to mark the 50th anniversary of its Hot 100 singles chart. The problem for Presley and his fans is that 10 of his chart-toppers predated the August 4th, 1958, birth of the chart known as the Hot 100. Until then the chart was known as the Top 100.

Embaressed by yor spelling? Never you mind. Fed up with his students' complete inability to spell common English correctly, a British academic has suggested it may be time to accept "variant spellings" as legitimate. Rather than grammarians getting in a huff about "argument" being spelled "arguement" or "opportunity" as "opertunity," why not accept anything that's phonetically (fonetickly anyone?) correct as long as it can be understood? "Instead of complaining about the state of the education system as we correct the same mistakes year after year, I've got a better idea," Ken Smith, a criminology lecturer at Bucks New University, wrote in the Times Higher Education Supplement. "University teachers should simply accept as variant spelling those words our students most commonly misspell." To kickstart his proposal, Smith suggested 10 common misspellings that should immediately be accepted into the pantheon of variants, including "ignor," "occured," "thier," "truely," "speach" and "twelth" (it should be "twelfth"). Then of course there are words like "misspelt" (often spelled "mispelt"), not to mention "varient," a commonly used variant of "variant." And that doesn't even begin to delve into all the problems English people have with words that use the letters "i" and "e" together, like weird, seize, leisure, foreign and neighbor. The rhyme "i before e except after c" may be on the lips of every schoolchild, but that doesn't mean they remember the rule by the time they go to college. Of course, such proposals have been made in the past. The advent of text messaging turned many students into spelling neanderthals as phrases such as "wot r u doin 2nite?" became socially, if not academically, acceptable. Despite Smith's suggestion, language mavens are unconvinced. John Simpson is the chief editor of the Oxford English Dictionary. He says rules are rules and they are there for good reason. "There are enormous advantages in having a coherent system of spelling," he says. "It makes it easier to communicate. Maybe during a learning phase there is some scope for error, but I would hope that by the time people get to university they have learnt to spell." Yet even some of Britain's greatest wordsmiths have acknowledged it's a language with irritating quirkiness. Playwright George Bernard Shaw was fond of pointing out that the word "ghoti" could just as well be pronounced "fish" if you followed common pronunciation: 'gh' as in "tough," 'o' as in "women" and 'ti' as in "nation." And he was a playright.

Trivia Answer: Dustin Lee Hoffman who turns 71 today. The film Mike Nichols was casting in 1966 was The Graduate. Dustin's role in the film was that of Benjamin Braddock, playing opposite Anne Bancroft. The Graduate began production in March of 1967. Hoffman received an Academy Award nomination for his performance in the movie. In 1974, Hoffman on a talk show stated that the Oscars were "obscene, dirty and no better than a beauty contest." When presenting an award at that year's Oscar ceremonies, Frank Sinatra responded strongly: "And contrary to what Mr. Hoffman thinks, it is not an obscene evening. It is not garish and it is not embarrassing."

The soap opera that has become the Green Bay Packers seems to have concluded. The Pack reached an agreement to trade quarterback Brett Favre to the New York Jets. The team mad the announcement late last night. Favre's new No. 4 Jets jersey was already for sale on the team's website about an hour after the deal was announced.

Olympic athletes won't be the only ones sweating in Beijing this week. Microsoft is also in the spotlight -- and under pressure to prove itself -- as the games begin. The company is working with NBC and providing the underlying technology for what they're describing as an unprecedented online presentation of the Olympics, to include more than 3,000 hours of on-demand video and more than 2,200 hours of live coverage from China. For those of us watching the Olympics,