Thursday, November 15, 2012

"A COUNTRY CHRISTMAS" KICKS OFF TONIGHT
There are a couple of celebrations going on today. The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center kicks off its "A County Christmas" celebration today, lighting those two million lights just after 6.

TOOTSIE'S ANNIVERSARY
Tootsie's Orchid Lounge has its annual Birthday Bash today... with a free concert starting at 3 today in front of the store on Broadway.

ALIVE HOSPICE HAS GRIEF DURING HOLIDAYS SEMINAR TONIGHT
www.alivehospice.org
Some people get sad this time of year, because they've lost a loved one recently, or lost someone at the holidays. Nashville Psychologist Kathryn Sherrod says it can seem like everybody else's holidays are happier than yours, and it can make you feel isolated. Alive Hospice says that's why they offer special seminars called Grief During the Holidays. They're free, and they have one coming up tonight. You do need to register, by calling Alive Hospice, on Patterson street in Nashville. The seminar is 6:30 to 8 p.m. 1718 Patterson St. in Nashville (37203) To register: Call 615-963-4732 or www.alivehospice.org. For those unable to make it on Thursday, there will be a second seminar on Dec. 6.)

DIRTY MONEY SPENT QUICKER THAN CLEAN MONEY
Try to keep NEW cash in your purse or pocket this holiday season and you'll spend less. A Consumer Research company found wrinkled and dirty cash gets spent quicker than bills that are clean. You hold onto the new bills longer, UNLESS... you're spending in FRONT of someone... then you spend more because you feel like a big shot, pulling out those new bills.

THURSDAY IS THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT
Today is the Great American Smokeout. The American Cancer Society hopes people who are still smoking, but want to quit, will make a plan today, take a step toward quitting, or at least go to the Cancer society website, www.cancer.org, and get some tips to help you quit. The smokeout is always a week before Thanksgiving so you can have a healthier life to be thankful for by then.

REPAIR WORK UNDERWAY AT HICKORY HOLLOW
Hickory Hollow mall could be renovated enough to start renting out store fronts to other businesses by the end of the year. The mall owner has repair crews out there now, fixing leaky roofs and damaged carpets and floors. They hope to start renting the storefronts by Christmas.

OBERTO BRANDS OPENING PLANT IN NASHVILLE
We've got a new company and new jobs coming to town. Meat snack maker Oberto Brands is opening a new production plant in Nashville, and will hire more than 300 people.
(The new plant is expected to open in July.)

CONGRESS INVESTIGATES MENINGITIS OUTBREAK
The owner of a Massachusetts pharmaceutical company at the heart of the recent deadly outbreak of fungal meningitis is refusing to answer questions on Capitol Hill.  In a U.S. House hearing, Barry Cadden repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.  More than 30 people have died in the outbreak that has affected more than 400 people in 19 states. The outbreak has been linked to contaminated products from the New England Compounding Center. 

BP TO PLEAD GUILTY TO CRIMINAL MISCONDUCT
BP reportedly will plead guilty to criminal misconduct in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill that killed eleven workers and trashed beaches in four states.  BP and the U.S. Department of Justice have reportedly agreed to a plea deal that's expected to result in the largest criminal penalty in U.S. history.  

BON JOVI'S DAUGHTER OVERDOSES ON HEROIN
Jon Bon Jovi's 19-year-old daughter Stephanie Rose Bongiovi was arrested at her college in Upstate New York early yesterday morning after allegedly overdosing on heroin. TMZ reports that someone called 9-1-1 to report that the girl had overdosed and was unresponsive. Police found her okay, but they also found heroin, marijuana and drug paraphernalia, so they arrested her. Stephanie is Bon Jovi's only daughter, and the oldest of four children. (TMZ)

HOUSING MARKET LOOKING BETTER IN NASHVILLE
It looks like our housing market is rebounding. Fewer people lost their homes last month. RealtyTrac says home foreclosures were down last month, 19% lower than a year ago, and rent prices in Nashville are going up.

TOYOTA RECALL
Toyota is recalling 2.8 million vehicles world-wide because of a glitch in the steering. If your car is involved in the recall you'll get a call or letter from your dealer.

TIM TEBOW TEAMS WITH TIVO FOR TV ADS
Tim Tebow has signed with DVR pioneer Tivo to be its spokesperson in a new ad campaign that'll start later this month. Tebow will promote TiVo's new Stream product that allows viewers to pass recordings from a TiVo DVR to an iPad

TAYLOR SWIFT ON X FACTOR TONIGHT
Taylor Swift performs on the "X Factor" tonight.

STEVIE WONDER TO LEAD DICK CLARK TRIBUTE AT AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS
Stevie Wonder is on deck to perform a tribute to late TV icon Dick Clark at Sunday's American Music Awards.  And organizers are promising it will be a tribute that won't soon be forgotten. (AMA producer Larry Klein said in a statement that Wonder's performance "is going to be talked about for years to come." Klein says our entire musical repertoire might still be classical in nature if it wasn't for Dick Clark.  He says the American Music Awards creator and "American Bandstand" host "helped Beethoven roll over and tell Tchaikovsky the news."  Ryan Seacrest will introduce the Wonder-led tribute to Clark who died in April at the age of 82. ) 

CHANNING TATUM IS "PEOPLE'S" SEXIEST MAN ALIVE
Channing Tatum is "People" magazine's Sexiest Man Alive for 2012.  The Alabama native starred as a male stripper in the movie "Magic Mike" released in June of this year.  Tatum also had leading roles in "21 Jump Street" and "The Vow."  The 32-year-old Tatum is married to actress Jenna Dewan-Tatum.  They were co-stars in the 2006 dance movie "Step Up."  He says at first he couldn't believe he'd been picked as "People's" Sexiest Man Alive.  Tatum says he shared the news with his wife right after they had to wash their dogs because the pooches got sprayed by a skunk.

DAD UNDERESTIMATES POWER OF CUTE KIDS AND THE INTERNET
Dan Urbano gravely underestimated the powerful combination of the internet and cute kids when he bet his young children they couldn't get 1,000 hits on Facebook to support their desire for a new cat. He promised seven-year-old son Remi and his one-year-old sister, Evelyn, that if they achieved the magical figure he would treat them to a new feline companion. The kids uploaded a picture on their mom's Facebook page, and quickly got more than 100 THOUSAND likes! Dad kept his word and got them a new cat from a local animal shelter near their home in Boston. They named the cat Hairietta L. Pawturr, with the "L" representing the "likes" the picture received on Facebook.