Today is Feb. 3, 2011

APPLE CREATES FAKE PRODUCTS TO TEST NEW HIRES _ It's been revealed that Apple is so obsessed with secrecy, it sometimes puts new hires on fake products until they can be trusted. Adam Lashinsky reported this tidbit in his new book Inside Apple, and a former Apple employee confirmed it.

 MOST POPULAR MIXED DRINK IS THE MARGARITA _ A new survey of bar managers in the U.S. found the Margarita remains the most popular mixed drink nationwide. The Martini and Rum and Coke take second and third.

BRAD PITT SPORTS A CANE _ Brad Pitt was spotted leaving a salon in Beverly Hills Thursday with a cane. Pitt told photographers that he tore a ligament in his knee.

WORKING MOMS HAPPIER _ A new study published by the American Psychological Association found mothers with jobs tend to be healthier and happier than stay-at-home moms. Employed mothers enjoy better overall health, fewer symptoms of depression, and are also just as involved in their child's school.

CAT WITH 26 TOES HELPS ANIMAL SHELTER RAISE MONEY _ A once-unwanted cat with 26 toes has come to the rescue of an animal shelter in need of a new home. The orange-and-white tabby named Daniel is helping the non-profit Milwaukee Animal Rescue Center raise money to relocate to a new building. Normal cats have 18 toes, but Daniel has two extra on each foot due to a genetic mutation called polydactylism. Officials at the center found out their rent at a Milwaukee-area mall was being doubled on January 1 so the shelter is buying a new building and is seeking small donations of $26 -- or $1 per toe.

MAN WINS LOTTERY TWICE IN THREE YEARS _ A man in Atlanta has hauled in a million-dollar lottery payday for the second time in just three years. Fifty year old Delma Kinney recently won a $1 million dollar prize playing the instant game Super Millions. In 2008, Kinney also won $1 million playing another instant game.

WOMAN TO RETIRE AFTER 40 YEARS AT McDONALD'S _ Rita Lucas has been showing up to work at a McDonald's in Moline, Illinois, for 40 years. Lucas, who's set to retire from the fast food job, says the key to her longevity at the Golden Arches is not taking things too seriously. And, she adds, "The customers are what make it great. You give a little kindness, you get it back."

SOPHISTICATED HEINZ KETCHUP _ Heinz is coming out with a fancypants ketchup. It's more "upscale" because it uses balsamic vinegar instead of white wine vinegar. It'll cost about a buck more than a regular bottle of Heinz.

JOHNNY DEPP TO PRODUCE DR. SEUSS BIOPIC _ Do you love Johnny Depp movies? Do you love Dr. Seuss? Then you'll be lining up to go see the new Seuss biopic being produced by Johnny Depp that will also star ... Johnny Depp.

WORLD'S LARGEST SUSHI ROLL _ A restaurant in Japan has set the record for the largest sushi roll -- nearly 8 inches in diameter and 13 pounds. The giant roll is called the "Generous Roll" and contains 24 tasty ingredients, including a variety of fish and seafood, vegetables and rice. The price is nearly $200.

  FLINT IS MOST VIOLENT CITY IN THE NATION _ Flint, Michigan, was the most violent city in the nation in 2010, according to FBI statistics released Monday. Flint had 22 violent crimes per 1,000 residents. Detroit ranked second on the list. St. Louis, New Haven, Connecticut, and Memphis round out the top 5.

BEST CHEVY OF ALL TIME _ As part of their 100 year celebration Chevrolet set up a bracket style voting system in an attempt to pick the best car the company ever produced. After 124,368 votes were cast the 1969 Camaro came out victorious.

NFL BANS iPAD DURING GAME PLAY _ A couple of NFL teams are using iPads as playbooks. And the league has reminded every team that iPads apply are a no-no during the game. From 90 minutes before kickoff until the end of a game, there's absolutely no use of iPads by anyone: Not coaches, not players.

STUDENT INVENTS COAT THAT TURNS INTO SLEEPING BAG _ A 22-year-old Detroit woman has invented a coat that turns into a sleep bag at night. Veronika Scott says her coat is designed for the homeless and it can help someone keep warm in weather down to 17 degrees.

NEWS ATTACK! _ A man in Nebraska converted a school bus into a high-speed drag racer after installing a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom fighter jet engine into the vehicle. [Yeah, that's just what kids want. A vehicle that gets them from bus stop to school in 7 seconds.]

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TRAIN GOES IN WRONG DIRECTION _ A packed commuter train sped hundreds of miles across India in the wrong direction before passengers finally realized it was pulling into an unfamiliar station. Passengers ended up about 600 miles west of their intended stop.

CAPES AND PONCHOS WILL BE HOT FOR FALL _ What will women be wearing this fall? Capes and ponchos. The Internet told me so. I think it was a headline on Yahoo News or something. Not sure what you guys should be wearing this fall but pants will probably work.

COMPANIES SNAPPING UP .XXX DOMAINS _ In preparation for a new triple-x Internet domain that will launch in December, lawyers for the most famous brands in the U.S. are scrambling to prevent an x-rated rip-off of an invaluable asset: corporate web addresses. Thousands of companies have expressed interest in preregistering their trademarks and blocking others from snapping them up to create, say, a Barbie.xxx or Coke.xxx.

Have a great day,

John Elliott ":-)

DATEBOOK  August 19, 2011


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NEWS:

ANGRY BIRDS BABY CLOTHES _ Android and iPhone app-maker Rovio has teamed up with baby product maker SwaddleDesigns to release an Angry Birds Baby line. New parents can now opt to outfit, wrap or protect their bundles of joy while showing off their Angry Birds fan status.

WHAT TO GET GRANDMA? HOW ABOUT PLASTIC SURGERY _ With people living longer than ever and baby boomers entering old age, look for plastic surgery among those 65 and older to continue its remarkable growth. The New York Times reports there were 84,685 procedures last year alone.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: RAILROAD TRACKS 'CURE' THE SICK IN INDONESIA _ In Indonesia, sick people are searching for a New Age cure by cozying up to train tracks. They claim that by lying on the railroad tracks they're can absorb the rails' healing electric shocks and make their aches and pains go away.

THE KING'S SPEECH WILL GO TO BROADWAY _ Oscar-winning The King's Speech is set to hit Broadway in the fall of 2012. David Seidler, who won an Oscar for best original screenplay in February, originally wrote the story as a play and later adapted it to the screenplay.

MAN HAS LARGEST SMURF COLLECTION _ A guy in England (Nottingham) has the biggest collection of Smurf memorabilia in the world -- some 1,200 items.

TOP PARTY SCHOOLS _ The Princeton Review is out with its annual list of the best colleges -- and top party schools. This year, Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, captured the top party prize.

HOLLYWOOD'S HIGHEST-EARNING ACTORS _ Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp topped the latest list of Forbes magazine's highest-earning actors. DiCaprio and Depp earned $77 million and $50 million respectively.

SPACE STATION WILL BE DROPPED INTO OCEAN _ Russia is debating how to do away with the International Space Station as it nears the end of its life cycle. The answer? Fly the ISS into the ocean, rather than leave the station floating in space. In a statement a Russian space agency spokesperson said, "After it completes its existence, we will be forced to sink the ISS. It cannot be left in orbit, it's too complex, too heavy an object, it can leave behind lots of rubbish."

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN HIT BY STRAY ARROW _ An 80-year-old Missouri woman who was enjoying a donut at her kitchen table was hit in the face by a stray arrow apparently shot by a neighbor honing his archery skills. The woman calmly pulled the arrow out of her jaw and put it on her table before calling up the police. Her face was swollen and bruised but otherwise she was unharmed.

BEST CELEB-OWNED RESTAURANTS _ Website TheDailyMeal has come up with a list of the 25 Best Celebrity-Owned Restaurants. In this case, celebrities don't include ones whose fame and expertise relies on their abilities in the kitchen. At the top of the list is Market Restaurant and Bar in Del Mar, California, owned by Tony Hawk.

CASEY ANTHONY JURY NAMES TO BE RELEASED IN OCTOBER _ The names of the jurors who found Casey Anthony not guilty of first-degree murder in the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, will not be released before October 25.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD IS TOP EARNER _ Carrie Underwood is the top earning former American Idol contestant between May, 2010 and May, 2011, with an estimated $20 million.

DOUBLE RAINBOW GUY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT _ The man who gained viral fame by shedding tears at the sight of a double rainbow wants to be your next Commander-in-Chief. Paul "Bear" Vasquez is running on the primary platform of "Emergency! Alternative Energy!"

WE'RE LONELY AND UPSET WHEN WE DON'T GET OUR INTERNET _ New research shows many people feel upset and lonely when they are deprived of access to the Internet. The study revealed that 53% feel upset when denied access and 40% feel lonely if they are unable to go online.

RESTAURANT BANS KIDS UNDER 6 _ A restaurant in Monroeville, Pennsylvania, has decided to stop admitting young children. Owner Mike Vuick wrote in an email to loyal customers that his eatery "is not a place for young children. Their volume can't be controlled and many, many times, they have disturbed other customers."

10.7% OF TEXTS ARE DECEPTIVE _ There's a good chance that about 11% of the text messages you send and receive are deceptive. This is according to researchers at Cornell University, who examined nearly 5,400 texts and found that 10.7% of them are used to tell people we're some place we're not, or that we "have to go" when we really just want to end a conversation. 

MORE SENIORS LOGGING ON TO DATING SITES _ Operators of online dating services say more seniors are logging on as a way to meet people beyond the tried-and-true arenas of church and volunteer work. The senior market is the fastest-growing group in the online dating scene.

 ONE IN TEN WORLDWIDE ON FACEBOOK _ One out of every 10 people in the entire planet is now on Facebook. If that doesn't sound like a lot, keep in mind that that there are currently more than 7 billion people in the world.

WHERE TO SURVIVE THE 2012 APOCALYPSE _ A tiny southern French village (Bugarach) is being looked at by a government watchdog group because many visitors believe it's the only place in the world that will survive the supposed 2012 Apocalypse.

FOR THE MARRIAGE, WIVES NEED THEIR SLEEP _ According to a new study, when wives are unable to fall asleep at night, marital interactions of both partners are impacted the following day, while sleep issues of husbands have little bearing on marital woes.

Have a great day!

John Elliott  ":-)