Phriday Photo Phinish

The Great Global Warming Swindle

Is the big Global Warming scare a buncha crap? Grab some popcorn...the video is an hour and 15 minutes. I haven't watched it yet, but I hear good things from good people. Enjoy.

Cooking For Guys Who Can't Cook 2: Electric Boogaloo

That fabulous dip pictured on the original post had no recipe to accompany it Wednesday morning. So we tracked Pat down and tickled him until he gave the ingredients up.

Here it is:

Pat's Zesty Cream Cheese Dip

8 oz of Cream Cheese
1/2 green pepper diced small
1/2 small onion diced small
1/2 a pack of Fiesta Ranch Dry Dip Mix from Hidden Valley
3 tbsp of sour cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

Leave Cream Cheese out for about 45 minutes at room temperature until it's soft, then mix in the other ingredients. That's it.

1000?

Soooooo...Friday morning, in the last hour of the show, Craig and I got curious about just how many people are reading this website.

So we stuck a simple counter near the bottom of the navigation bar on the right hand side.

Over that first weekend, 155 people stopped by to read this crap. Now, Thursday Night as I'm prepping the show for tomorrow (instead of sleeping), I see that the counter has rolled over 1,000 hits.

That's quite a surprise.

We want to hear from you, though. We want to know who's visiting this. Because if it's just my and Craig's Moms...well, that would just be sad.

So please feel free to leave little comments on the items that are on here. You aren't required to have a registered blogspot account to do so...but you can log in if you have one. Maybe we can post links to your blogs if you leave them. Some kind of "Friends Of The Show" thing could easily be set up.

Also: keep in mind that this website is really just a dumping ground for the notes I use on the show. And not everything here actually makes it on the air.

Thanks for being one of the first thousand we counted. Enjoy your weekend!

- Tommie

Heatherless Headlines

Revealing Jail Shower Turns Case Around

'911 Closed, Everyone at Doughnut Shop'

Boy finds watch after it floats some 2,900 km from North Pole

Heatherless Headlines

Willow Trees Cut Down at Wis. Nude Beach

Woman Nabbed for Teddy Bear Theft

Fellow Nerds! (or fellow parents...)

The cover art has been released for the new Harry Potter Book, out July 21st:

God is 62 today

Eric Clapton is the Ultimate Blues Road Warrior, still slogging it out with brilliant ability for the better part of 45 years.

Check out Elwood's little tribute to Slowhand tonight on The House Of Blues Radio Hour, just before Nights With Alice Cooper at 10pm.

Cooking For Guys (and Carol) Who Can't Cook

Thanks again to Official T & B Chef Pat for bringing in these great recipe ideas so simple even a caveman could do 'em. Here's Pat playing with his buns.

Pat came up with a quite a spread that the entire station is enjoying this morning. Here's the simple recipes:

BBQ PORK

4-6lbs of pork shoulder or butt (Pat says butt is better) (ahem)

1 small onion, chopped

1 tbsp hot sauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 oz pre-made bbq sauce (Pat prefers Sweet Baby Rays, as does Tommie)

Add onion, sauce, and vinegar to roast and cook at 325 for 15 minutes per pound or to an internal temp of 145 degrees. Shred with a fork, and add the sauce.

CROCK POT BRATS

1 lg onion

1 green pepper

1 red pepper

48 oz canned tomato sauce, or enough to cover

8 - 10 brats

Put everything in the crockpot on low. Cook 4-5 hours, or to an internal temp of 165 degrees.

Eddie Griffin Destroys $1,500,000 Million Car

"I'm glad Eddie came out of the crash OK, but my dream car got destroyed," Sadek said. "I went to my trailer for about 15 minutes and I thought,`There's people dying every day. A lot of worse things are happening in the world."

One Weird-Ass Story

Man: Ex' Sex Change Should End Alimony

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Lawrence Roach agreed to pay alimony to the woman he divorced, not the man she became after a sex change, his lawyers argued Tuesday in an effort to end the payments. But the ex-wife's attorneys said the operation doesn't alter the agreement.

The lawyers and Circuit Judge Jack R. St. Arnold agreed the case delves into relatively unchartered legal territory. They found only a 2004 Ohio case that addressed whether or not a transsexual could still collect alimony after a sex change.

"There is not a lot out there to help us," St. Arnold said.

Roach and his wife, Julia, divorced in 2004 after 18 years of marriage. The 48-year-old utility worker agreed to pay her $1,250 a month in alimony. Since then, Julia Roach, 55, had a sex change and legally changed her name to Julio Roberto Silverwolf.

"It's illegal for a man to marry a man and it should likewise be illegal for a man to pay alimony to a man," Roach's attorney John McGuire said. "When she changed to man, I believe she terminated that alimony."

Silverwolf did not appear in court Tuesday and has declined to talk about the divorce. His lawyer, Gregory Nevins, said the language of the divorce decree is clear and firm—Roach agreed to pay alimony until his ex-wife dies or remarries.

"Those two things haven't happened," said Nevins, a senior staff attorney with the national gay rights group Lambda Legal.

Arnold is considering the arguments. But lawyers on both sides agreed Tuesday that Roach will likely have to keep paying alimony to Silverwolf.

The judge poked holes in several of Roach's legal arguments and noted that appeals courts have declined to legally recognize a sex change in Florida when it comes to marriage. The appellate court "is telling us you are what you are when you are born," Arnold said.

Entertainment News

Ice Cube wasn't joking when he predicted that the end of music is near. He says, "All music is dying. All music. No more music in schools. They're not teaching it like they used to, at least like it was when I was in school. There's more downloading. There are more ways to take the music from the artist, and you have artists who are not making music because they can't make a living at it. It's just slowly but surely dying off."

Now that we know what killed Anna Nicole Smith -- an accidental overdose of such prescription medications as methadone, Xanax, human growth hormone and the sleep aid chloral hydrate -- attention turns today to what killed her son Daniel. Authorities in the Bahamas will kickoff what's expected to be about a month of testimony today, to try to determine whether foul play was involved in what also seemed to be an accidental drug overdose. Daniel turned up dead in Anna Nicole's maternity room days after she gave birth to his half-sister, Dannielynn Hope, in September.

With Star Jones getting her own Court T-V show in the fall, enquiring minds want to know whatever became of the search to replace the freebie-grubbing former prosecutor on The View. The answer is nothing. Barbara Walters' co-executive producer, Bill Geddie, tells the New York Post that with Rosie O'Donnell boosting the show's ratings with her controversial rants, there's "no hurry" to fill the fifth chair permanently. There's probably no one in a big hurry to sit in that studio with Rosie, either...

Bruce Willis apparently really did celebrate his 52nd birthday last Monday by canoodling with Courtney Love at an Amy Winehouse concert in Hollywood. A spy tells the New York Daily News that Demi Moore's chrome-domed ex and Kurt Cobain's wild-and-crazy widow were "full-on making out" at the Roxy nightclub before the show.

Tuesday Rock Roundup

Boston's Tom Scholz is not happy with allegations made by Brad Delp's ex-wife, against Scholz, in regards to his suicide. In an interview earlier this month in the Boston Herald, Micki Delp said, "Boston to Brad was a job, and he did what he was told to do. But it got to the point where he just couldn't do it anymore." Scholz has fired off a letter to her demanding that she refrain from making any more "statements in which you place any blame whatsoever" on Scholz for her ex-husband's death.

Eric Clapton says when he stages his second Crossroads Guitar Festival on July 28th in Chicago he will join his former Blind Faith bandmate Steve Winwood for "unfinished business." In an interview with Rolling Stone, Clapton says, "[Blind Faith] kind of petered out before its time, so we will do a little bit of recall when we get together." And speaking of getting together, Clapton says he may also sit in with Buddy Guy at Guy's Legends nightclub in Chicago during the week preceding the festival.

Details about Paul McCartney's upcoming album, his first for Starbucks' Hear Music label, have reportedly been leaked. Allegedly the unnamed disc will contain new songs, a few that didn't make his last album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, and possibly outtakes from his 2001 album, Driving Rain. As for a title, the rumor is it will be McCartney Three and it will be out in June. A spokesman for Macca tells us there is "nothing to confirm at this time."

John Mellencamp says this year's Farm Aid will be held on Randall's Island in New York City, either in September or October. Mellencamp co-founded the annual festival along with Willie Nelson and Neil Young. Last year's show, which was held in Camden, New Jersey, grossed one-point-one-million dollars in ticket sales. Founded in 1985, Farm Aid has raised 29-million dollars over the years to benefit family farmers nationwide.

Tommie's favorite band of all time (because he's a big nerd) Rush is headed out on the road this summer in support of the new album, Snakes And Arrows, which hits stores May 1st. The Trio plays Noblesville August 26th at Verizon, and Tinley Park September 8th at the Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Management is reminded that Tommie has never managed to meet his Rock Idols.

Moving on.

Asia's tour plans for this summer have changed. They will not tour America with Styx and Foreigner as originally announced -- those two bands are now going out with Def Leppard. Styx's Tommy Shaw is frustrated that he hasn't been able to say anything official about their summer tour with Def Leppard and Foreigner. Though Def Lep have already made an announcement, tour organizers have told the other two bands to keep mum until all the loose ends are tied up. The three bands will tour the U-S, and then it will just be Styx and Def Leppard in Canada. Ahead of that tour, Styx will tour the U-K next month with Deep Purple. As if that weren't enough...Tommy Shaw is on tour right now with Jack Blades in support of their new album, Influence. Confused yet? Join the club.

Nirvana's music and the life of Kurt Cobain have inspired a new ballet. The Spectrum Dance Company debuted a ballet based on Cobain's life last night in Seattle.

NEW ON CD TODAY:

Stevie Nicks - Crystal Visions - The Very Best Of Stevie Nicks

NEW ON DVD TODAY:

Children of Men DVD

It's 2027, no human baby has been born for 18 years and the world is in chaos.

Happy Feet DVD

This animated movie is set in an Antarctica where the emperor penguins are heavily into singing. Except one, who sucks at it, and likes to dance.

The Pursuit of Happyness DVD

Will Smith gives a winning performance in this feel-good movie inspired by a true story.

Turistas DVD

Looked horrible. Organ-harvesting Brazillian crapfest.

The Shield - Season Five DVD

Heatherless Headlines

Pinellas County Man Sues Postal Service Over Lunch Break

TAMPA, Fla. -- A Pinellas County man is suing the US Postal Service over his lunch breaks.

Kenneth Fox said his painful arthritis requires him to keep moving, but his bosses are forcing him to take lunch breaks. So the 55-year-old military veteran decided to sue the postal service under the Americans with Disabilities Act. He claims the mandatory lunch breaks are a violation of his rights under the law.

The lawsuit said allowing Fox to work through lunch is a "reasonable accommodation" required under the Americans With Disabilities Act. It's asking for an injunction and attorneys fees.

Pizza Boxes Carry Deadbeat Mug Shots

CINCINNATI (AP) - Customers at some suburban pizza parlors are getting something extra with their pepperoni and mushrooms—wanted posters for parents accused of failing to pay child support.

The idea came to Cynthia Brown, executive director of the Butler County Child Enforcement Agency, while she was ordering pizza.

"It suddenly dawned on me that most people running from the law don't eat out, they order pizza," said Brown, whose county is north of Cincinnati.

Pungent pulp: Panda poop perfect for paper

BEIJING, China (AP) -- There's a new Chinese saying: When life hands you panda poop, make paper.

Researchers at a giant panda reserve in southern China are looking for paper mills to process their surplus of fiber-rich panda excrement into high quality paper.

Liao Jun, a researcher at the Chengdu Giant Panda Breeding Base in Sichuan province, said the idea came to them after a visit to Thailand last year where they found paper made from elephant dung. They thought panda poop would produce an even finer quality paper, he said.

The base is in talks with several paper mills on how to turn the droppings of Jing Jing, Ke Bi, Ya Ya and dozens of other pandas at the base into reams of office paper and rolls of wrapping paper, Liao said.

They hope to have a product line available by next year, he said.

Mel Gibson Update

Mel Gibson opened a can of verbal whup-ass on a college professor last week, after she questioned the authenticity of his film Apocalypto. Gibson was at Cal State University's Northridge campus for a Q-and-A when Alicia Estrada, an assistant professor of Central American Studies, suggested that the film's depictions of bloodthirsty Mayans was historically inaccurate. Gibson reportedly flipped out and told the prof to, "[Bleep] off." Later, when Mayan descendants protested the portrayal of Mayan culture in the movie, Gibson reportedly yelled, "Make your own movie!" as they were escorted from the room.

The WINNER!

Congrats to Phill Wilson!

Our judges have selected his caricature of Tommie & The Bartender as the winner!

What's next? Go to WAOR.COM and give us a One Sentence Slogan to accompany the picture! You'll win $95 if yours is the winner! Details on the deadline will be coming soon, so put on your thinking caps...

Heatherless Headlines

Wis. Couple Have Baby at Nearly 100 Mph

ASHLAND, Wis. (AP) - Jereme Tauer Jr. was born at almost 100 mph as his parents hurtled down U.S. Highway 2 in northernmost Wisconsin in a Dodge Neon. His parents, Jereme and Lisa Tauer of Hurley, managed the birth without a doctor, pain medication or even stopping the car.

A Dodge Neon can actually go 100 mph?

Bank robber caught after profile appears on MySpace

The robberies got national attention after a police sergeant in FortSmith, Ark., put photos and video from a January robbery on MySpace inearly March. He titled the page "Do You Know Me???" Over 1,800 people signed up to be "friends" of the robber.

Wow. I've got maybe 500 friends on mine. You have to commit a crime to get 1800...

Housewife Convicted of Frying Husband

SAO PAULO, Brazil (AP) - A Brazilian housewife was convicted and sentenced to 19 years in prison Friday for killing her husband, chopping his body into small pieces and frying it. Rosanita Nery dos Santos, 52, drugged her husband in his sleep, then stabbed him to death two years ago in Salvador, about 900 miles northeast of Sao Paulo, said police spokesman Idmar Bonfim.

She then hacked Jose Raimundo Soares dos Santos' body into more than 100 pieces, which she boiled and fried before hiding in plastic bags beneath a staircase in her house, Bonfim said. He said police discovered the body parts after receiving an anonymous phone call.

Phriday Photo Phinish

Larry "Bud" Melman Dies

NEW YORK (AP) -- To viewers of David Letterman's late night television show, he was known as Larry "Bud" Melman. Calvert DeForest has died after a long illness. He was 85.

As Melman, DeForest made dozens of appearances on Letterman's shows from 1982 through 2002, handling a variety of twisted duties. He did a duet with Sonny Bono on "I Got You, Babe" and handed out hot towels to arrivals at New York's Port Authority Bus Terminal.

DeForest was the first face to greet viewers when Letterman's NBC show debuted on February first, 1982. DeForest also appeared in an assortment of other TV shows and films, including "Nothing Lasts Forever" with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd.

Heatherless Headlines

LA Minister Sues Over Marijuana Bust

LOS ANGELES (AP) - A minister who was arrested on charges of marijuana possession has sued police for $30 million, contending his civil and religious rights were violated because he heads a church that uses pot during worship.

The Rev. Craig X Rubin, 41, is the founder of Temple 420, which holds that pot is a religious herb.

"Our congregation mandates members study the Bible, have faith in God and regularly burn the herb cannabis (The Tree of Life mentioned in the Bible) as sacrament," says the lawsuit filed Wednesday in state court.

Sat navigation misguides schoolchildren

A coachload of schoolchildren on a day trip to Hampton Court Palace never arrived after the driver using satellite navigation ended up 18 miles away - at the wrong Hampton Court.

I Love You Deerly

Click for Man/Deer Love. Ew.

The Hillary/Obama Ad you've heard about

Macca Left Capitol For...Coffee...

Coffee Giant Signs Former Beatle to Its Record Label

CHICAGO (AdAge.com) - Paul McCartney hasn't just signed on to create an album for Starbucks...it appears he left Capitol Records after 43 years to do so.

Heatherless Headlines

Teen Ends Up on Ice Chunk in Miss. River

Boy Puts Urine in Teacher's Coffee Pot

School Sued Over Girl's Socks

Season Opener in 15 Days!

The Silverhawks take the field at the Cove on Thursday April 5th, hosting the Great Lakes Loons.

It'll be another Thirsty Thursday at Coveleski, of course. Make plans now! This town has one of the nicest minor league parks in the country. Go take advantage of it and cheer for your team!

Trent's version of "Tommie & The Bartender"

Walk This Way

A new glass-bottomed walkway above the Grand Canyon called the Skywalk had its first visitors Tuesday, with former astronaut Buzz Aldrin taking the inaugural step. About 1,000 tourists, dignitaries and Indian leaders applauded as the second man to walk on the moon stepped onto the pathway.

The pathway, which is anchored into a limestone cliff, is paved with 90 tons of glass and can support a few hundred people at a time.

It creaks slightly and the deck wobbles just a tiny bit when it is walked on.

The skywalk has gotten mixed reactions from the Hualapai tribe, with many of them concerned that the burial sites near the canyon will be disturbed.

Heatherless Headlines

Cyclist, 81, hunts down shoplifter

'Spiderman' arrested

Police: Smith Judge Caught Using Pot

Pet food recall information

(from WNDU.com)

There's a massive recall of dog and cat food.

Menu Foods has recalled 60 million containers of canned pet food sold under major store brands like Petsmart, Wal-mart and Kroger.

There have been reports of kidney failure and about 10 animal deaths.

Menu foods is unsure exactly what happened, but the president says the products were made using wheat gluten from a new supplier.

The recall effects Menu Foods wet food made between December 3rd and March 6th.

Dry food is not part of the recall.

Menu Foods Recall Information

Makes me glad we buy dry for Trevor (above)

Go Red Foxes!

We love our Notre Dame Fighting Irish...but here is the Officially Tommie & The Bartender-Adopted Cinderella Story in the Women's Bracket. The pride of Poughkeepsie...Marist!

Break 'em up!

Tuesday Rock Roundup

Brad Delp's ex-wife, Micki Delp, says the Boston singer may have taken his life, partly, because of problems in the band. If their rehearsals earlier this year were any indication, then Boston was set to hit the road without Fran Cosmo, Delp's close friend and the singer who replaced him in Boston in the mid-'90s. Micki tells the Boston Herald that Delp was "upset" that Cosmo and his son, Anthony Cosmo, were "dis-invited" from the summer tour with R-E-O Speedwagon. But, according to Boston guitarist Tom Scholz, "The decision to rehearse without the Cosmos was a group decision. Brad never expressed unhappiness with that decision...and took an active part in arranging the vocals for five people, not seven."

The Who have canceled their third straight show, tonight in San Antonio, Texas, as Roger Daltrey continues to battle a virus. On his website, Pete Townshend writes, "Roger has alarmingly low sodium levels leading to problematic dehydration. He has contracted a viral infection. It was recommended he go into hospital and go on a drip for a few days to set him right. A doctor from the U-K advised caution, and suggested Roger simply try resting before going into hospital." Daltrey was scheduled to see his doctor in Miami yesterday and a decision will be made about the rest of the shows on this leg. The Who's next show is scheduled for Little Rock, Arkansas on Thursday.

Red Hot Chili Peppers postponed their Japanese tour, which was supposed to start yesterday, because singer Anthony Kiedis is battling bronchial pneumonia. Kiedis is under doctor's orders not to fly for the next two weeks. The group hopes to reschedule the dates for this fall. The Peppers are scheduled to start an Australian tour April 7th.

Jury selection began yesterday in Phil Spector's murder trial in L-A, and reports say he'll seek support from an unlikely source -- his ex-wife Ronnie. Despite their turbulent marriage and ugly divorce, the legendary producer is expected to call the new Rock and Roll Hall of Famer as a character witness. In the updated 2004 edition of her autobiography, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts and Madness, Ronnie seems to question her ex-husband's guilt, writing, "I knew this guy who had imprisoned me in his home for years during our marriage to try and control me was capable of real crazy behavior. But cold-blooded murder? To actually pull the trigger on someone?" Jury selection is expected to last two days. The trial itself will begin on April 30th.

Jimmy Page's iconic double-neck guitar has been replicated by Gibson. There are 25 aged models, complete with nicks and dings, and they go for 33-thousand-500 dollars. 250 replica models without the aging effect sell for 10- to 12-grand each.

The new KISS comic book, KISS 4-K, has been recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the largest comic book ever published. It's three feet long, or half the length of Gene's tongue.

NEW ON CD TODAY:

Robert Plant's nine solo albums -- released last year in a limited-edition box-set, Nine Lives -- are being re-released separately starting today. Pictures at Eleven, Shaken n Stirred, Manic Nirvana, Fate of Nations and Mighty Rearranger, each of which have been remastered and expanded with bonus tracks, are in stores today. The Principle of Moments, The Honeydrippers, Now and Zen, and Dreamland will follow on April 3rd.

NEW ON DVD TODAY:

Blood Diamond DVD
Eragon DVD
Rocky Balboa DVD

Heatherless Headlines

Passenger dies on international flight; body moved to first-class cabin

Hooters heading for Holy Land

Blind Auto Mechanic Hires Deaf Assistant

The place wasn't even open yet...

...and Craig was already passed out at the bar at Houlihan's on Friday for our big party.

Happy Birthday And Yippie Ki Yay

Bruce Willis is 52 today.

Watch this in tribute:

Heatherless Headlines

City Commission Bans Sofas From Cocoa Beach

Leprechaun Works To Catch Unsuspecting Speeders

Phriday Photo Phinish

R2D2USPS

Episode VII

A TRIP TO THE MAILBOX

On March 28th, in neighborhoods and street corners not so far, far away...

...a few official U.S. Postal Service blue collection boxes will be transformed into Star Wars character R2-D2 look-alikes to promote an exciting new joint venture.

For anybody who missed seeing a Star Wars movie in the 30 years since the first installment was released, R2-D2 is the squat little android who embodies the trust and dependability for which the Postal Service is so renowned.

The R2-D2 collection boxes will temporarily replace boxes in highly visible locations across the country. Although customers can drop mail into them just like any other of our 280,000 collection boxes, there’s a striking difference visually. Not only do the R2-D2 boxes look like the Star Wars character, they feature the address of a website that gives clues concerning what this promotion is all about — uspsjedimaster.com.

More details about the promotion will be announced March 28. Look for the R2-D2 mailbox near you… until then, may the Force be with you. Always.

Heatherless Headlines

Police rescue 91-year-old man glued to roof

Suspect Returns To Scene Of Burglary To Retrieve Phone

Happy Birthday

• Phil Lesh of The Grateful Dead is 67 today.

• In honor of this, you should take something that you can usually do in five minutes...and stretch it out into 17...

• Dee Snider of Twisted Sister is 52 today.

• In honor of this, you should spend some time screaming...

• Bret Michaels of Poison is 44 today.

• In honor of this, you should have sex today...

Hey...maybe you can tie all three things together! Save time!

Bronchial Who

The Who are off until Saturday so singer Roger Daltrey can rest his voice. He is suffering from bronchitis, which forced the band to cut their show short Tuesday night in Tampa, Florida after just one song. Daltrey walked off stage and Pete Townshend went back, spoke to Daltrey, and returned to tell the crowd what had happened and that they will make up the show on March 25th. The Who are in Mexico City Saturday night.

Boston Singer Died At Own Hand

The family of Boston lead singer Brad Delp issued a brief statement yesterday saying that his death last Friday was a suicide. According to Lieutenant William Baldwin of the Atkinson, New Hampshire police department, Delp took his life through intentional carbon monoxide poisoning. He left two notes, the contents of which were not released. The statement was issued on behalf of Delp's mother, his ex-wife, children and his fiancee, the last of whom found his body. It says, "He was a man who gave all he had to give to everyone around him, whether family, friends, fans or strangers. He gave as long as he could, as best he could, and he was very tired. We take comfort in knowing that he is now, at last, at peace." Delp was 55 and was scheduled to marry his fiance, Pamela Sullivan, this summer.

Iran

Iranians Upset Over '300' Movie
Some Iranians are claiming that the blockbuster film "300" is provoking animosity against the country and insults its ancient culture. More Details

Please. Iran earned plenty of animosity before 300 came out...

Heatherless Headlines

Man tells cops unicorn caused crash

BILLINGS, Mont. - It turns out there are no such things as unicorns — and even if there were, they wouldn't drive trucks.

On Tuesday, a Billings prosecutor had told a district judge that Phillip C. Holliday Jr., 42, claimed a unicorn was driving when his truck crashed into a light pole earlier this month.

But on Wednesday, the chief prosecutor said it was all a misunderstanding. Apparently, Holliday told police an unnamed woman was driving when his truck hit the pole — not a unicorn.

Chicken Fat Spill Shuts Down Louisiana Highway

MONROE, La. (AP) - Chicken fat clogged a major traffic artery Tuesday, a day after a leaky truck left a stinky, slippery trail along a one-mile stretch of Interstate 20.

The vacuum truck crossed the Ouachita River before it was pulled over about 3:30 p.m. Monday.

The truck's owner, Dixie Hydro-vac Specialist Co., an industrial cleaning company from West Monroe, tried to clean up the mess with a chemical, but then it started to rain, said John Kelly, district administrator for the state Department of Transportation and Development.

Crews spread sand over the gunk, which was mainly in one eastbound lane, and worked Tuesday to scoop up the mess and keep it from oozing farther on the concrete bridge deck, Kelly said. Traffic was able to use the second lane.

"The stench was overpowering," Kelly said.

He said the crews couldn't just turn fire hoses on it because that would have sent the smelly pollution straight into the river. The time for finishing the cleanup depended on whether it rained again, he said.

A second truck was brought in to transport the remaining fat. The spill was considered noxious but not toxic, according to a hazardous materials officer, Monroe fire officials said. It wasn't immediately clear where the fat originated.

Oh Crap...

British Skynet satellite launched

(does the name sound familiar?)

Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame: Early 2008 Favorites

This according to Fox411. None of which, honestly, I'd have a problem with. But it's an interesting grouping, no?

Heatherless Headlines

Okla. woman mistakenly calls cop for drugs

COLBERT, Okla. - A woman looking for a cocaine dealer called a number on her son's cell phone — only to discover she had phoned a police officer, authorities said.

Durant police Lt. Mike Woodruff said the 42-year-old woman called him by accident. His number was on her son's cell phone because he had been arrested previously on drug charges.

"She was looking through her son's cell phone directory and found my number," Woodruff said. "Her son had told her that if she ever needed help with anything to give me a call. I think she misunderstood.

"She thought she was talking to a drug dealer."

Woodruff said he played along and set up a meeting between her and an undercover officer. She and an alleged accomplice were arrested on a drug complaint.

Police: Dad Hides Stash in Girl's Pocket

HILLSIDE, N.J. — Police here say a man charged with drug possession had an unusual place to store his stash: his 6-year-old daughter's jacket pocket. Dennis Riker, 41, raised suspicions Monday morning when he stopped by his daughter's school in Hillside, saying he had left his keys in her jacket.

But the staff at the A.P. Morris School would not let him in because Riker was not the girl's legal guardian. That role belonged to the girl's grandmother.

Police said Riker, unbeknownst to the school, called the woman to ask her to come to the school. Meanwhile, school officials called her, too, but believed someone else answered and impersonated the woman. And then, the actual grandmother arrived, saying she wanted the girl's jacket.

It was all so strange that principal Tracey Wolff called police to the school. An officer checked the coat and found 25 vials of cocaine and a half-ounce rock of crack in the pocket inside.

The deadline is March 23rd!

Win $250! Draw your best caricature of Tommie & The Bartender and if we choose yours as the best one, we'll use it for all our promotional stuff for the show and give you $250! Need to see what they look like? Click here and check out the pics, then email your entry to Tommie with the link to the right on that page or mail it to 95.3 WAOR Tommie & The Bartender Caricature Contest 237 W. Edison Road, Mishawaka, IN 46545! Good Luck!

OK...who had "Less Than One Month" in the Bad Taste Pool?

Kristy Swanson, Original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, to Play Anna Nicole Smith on 'Law & Order'

Are you ready for the first fictionalized version of the Anna Nicole Smith story on TV? It's coming this May. Sources say that the whole demented saga will be filmed shortly for "Law & Order: Criminal Intent."

The "Criminal Intent" version of Anna Nicole's life and death will feature Kristy Swanson, the actress who played Buffy the Vampire Slayer in the movie (before Sarah Michelle Gellar did the TV series).

Howard K. Stern, they say, could be played by none other than Jon Lovitz.

(Fox411)

Tuesday Rock Roundup

Happy 47th Birthday today to U2 bassist Adam Clayton.

Van Halen were inducted into The Rock & Roll Hall last night. Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony were the only members on hand -- with Eddie Van Halen in rehab, Alex Van Halen back home supporting his brother, and David Lee Roth boycotting the ceremony. Backstage before the ceremony and during his acceptance speech, Hagar said he really would have liked to have all of the members perform at the ceremony. "[It] would be awesome if we could have all been up there and do that. It breaks my heart that we aren't all up there doing it."

R-E-M were inducted by Eddie Vedder, who in a humorous speech told the crowd that joked that he listened to Murmur 12-hundred-60 times in the summer of 1984; that Peter Buck plays "guitar like a guy who worked in record store, he plays through the holes and invents things;" that Mike Mills was "R-E-M's secret weapon" was "until he started wearing these big suits" on the 1995 Monster tour; and that Bill Berry's aneurysm, that same year, was because of how loud Mills' suits were. Berry, who left the band a decade ago, did not give an acceptance speech and was content to just play with his old bandmates.

Queen and Paul Rodgers have just wrapped up another three-week session for their first studio album together. Writing on his website guitarist, Brian May says, "We have some good music on the boil, about eight songs so far with some great moments. He adds that it sounds different from anything either Rodgers or Queen have done in the past. No word on when they will regroup for more recording or when they plan to release an album.

Rush singer-bassist Geddy Lee is a big baseball fan, so it should be no surprise that he appears in an ad for E-S-P-N's fantasy baseball leagues. Lee sings as part of a fake group called Iron Diamond on a song called "Guide Me Master" that includes vocals by E-S-P-N baseball analyst Peter Gammons and Cincinnati Reds pitcher (and singer-guitarist) Bronson Arroyo. Check out the 90-second song clip and the 30-second ad at Iron Diamond's MySpace page. Rush, by the way, have redesigned their website [Rush.com].

Proving once again that people will wager on anything, an online gambling site is now taking bets on whether Heather Mills' artificial leg will come off during her stint on A-B-C's Dancing With the Stars. BoDog-dot-com says that the leg of Paul McCartney's estranged wife "must fall off, not be purposely taken off, during a dance routine for all yes wagers to be win." Mills starts her run on Dancing With the Stars next Tuesday.

Former Grateful Dead singer-guitarist Bob Weir and his band, RatDog, were joined by former Dead singer Donna Jean Godchaux Saturday night at the Beacon Theater in New York. RatDog is in Boston tonight.

To go with her Oscar, Golden Globe and all those other prizes, Jennifer Hudson has finally gotten something she can sink her teeth into -- free Burger King for life. It all began when Hudson responded to Simon Cowell's criticism that the Dreamgirls star didn't thank American Idol in her Oscar speech by saying, "If I'd been better at my job when I was at Burger King in my middle teens, I wouldn't be here either, so should I thank them, too." In sending her the never-ending B-K Crown Card, Burger King says, "No thanks are necessary. Burger King Corporation is proud of Jennifer's success, and while we never like to lose employees, in this case, our loss is the entertainment industry's gain."

NEW ON DVD TODAY

Casino Royale DVD
The Holiday DVD
Bosom Buddies - The First Season DVD
The Dukes of Hazzard - The Beginning DVD

Heatherless Headlines

NZ woman reports cannabis theft

Four Arrested After Waffle House 'Dash'

Hall Of Fame Wrap-Up

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame held its 22nd annual induction ceremony last night at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. Van Halen was inducted by Velvet Revolver, R-E-M was inducted by Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith was inducted by Rage Against the Machine frontman Zack de la Rocha, The Ronettes were inducted by The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards, and rap collective Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were inducted by Jay-Z. Two-time inductee Stephen Stills paid tribute to late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, while Aretha Franklin sang two songs in his memory. Reverend Al Sharpton honored the late James Brown. All of the inductees -- except Van Halen -- performed after accepting their honors, and the night closed out with R-E-M and Patti Smith covering The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" and Patti Smith leading all of the evening's inductees and presenters through her own song "People Have the Power."

300

Just go. Now.

Bursting In Air...

Click the flag to hear the judges react to Tommie's National Anthem Audition at the Cove over the weekend...

Heatherless Headlines

Suspect hopped off to 'Springer' show

Diamond found in drain at prison

German man chainsaws house in two in divorce split

Y2K7

Dig this: with the advent of the earlier Daylight Savings Time, came the potential for disaster. Apparently, CNN reported last week that six of the newest fighter jets our country built lost communication and navigation systems when they just crossed the damned International Date Line. There's patches being released for Windows and all kinds of phones and Blackberries, but for a period of about three weeks or so, there, don't trust the clock.

Tommie's Science Corner

Lesbian Koalas

Female koalas indulge in lesbian "sex sessions", rejecting male suitors and attempting to mate with each other, sometimes up to five at a time.

Cyborg Pigeons

Yes. Cyborg Pigeons.

DAMNIT!

No. 9 Hoyas Edge No. 20 Irish In BIG EAST Championship Semis, 84-82

The Day Before Tom Scholz' Birthday...

ATKINSON, N.H. --Brad Delp, the lead singer for the band Boston, was found dead Friday in his home in southern New Hampshire. He was 55. Atkinson police responded to a call for help at 1:20 p.m. and found Delp dead. Police Lt. William Baldwin said in a statement the death was "untimely" and that there was no indication of foul play. Delp apparently was alone at the time of his death, Baldwin said. The cause of his death remained under investigation by the Atkinson police and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner's office. Police said an incident report would not be available until Monday. Delp sang vocals on Boston's 1976 hits "More than a Feeling" and "Longtime." He also sang on Boston's most recent album, "Corporate America," released in 2002. He joined the band in the early 1970s after meeting Tom Scholz, an MIT student interested in experimental methods of recording music, according to the group's official Web site. The band enjoyed its greatest success and influence during its first decade. The band's last appearance was in November 2006 at Boston's Symphony Hall. On Friday night, the Web site was taken down and replaced with the statement: "We just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

Phriday Photo Phinish

The Brady Bundchen

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady isn't just prolific on the playing field. Not only is he expecting a baby with his ex-girlfriend, actress Bridget Moynahan -- he's reportedly expecting another one with his current girlfriend, supermodel Gisele Bundchen. According to a popular website in Gisele's native Brazil, Leonardo DiCaprio's ex is "no more than two months pregnant, but may already have told select friends and family."

As Van Halen Turns

(by Sal Cirrincione, Premiere)

Eddie Van Halen has finally come clean on why Van Halen's reunion with David Lee Roth has been "indefinitely postponed" -- he's headed to rehab, reportedly for alcoholism. Yesterday afternoon (Thursday) he released a statement to fans that says, "I have always and will always feel a responsibility to give you my best. At the moment I do not feel that I can give you my best. That's why I have decided to enter a rehabilitation facility to work on myself, so that in the future I can deliver the 110-percent that I feel I owe you and want to give you."

The statement continues, "Some of the issues surrounding the 2007 Van Halen tour are within my ability to change and some are not. As far as my rehab is concerned, it is within my ability to change and change for the better. I want you to know that is exactly what I'm doing, so that I may continue to give you the very best I am capable of. I look forward to seeing you in the future better than ever and I thank you with all my heart. Love, Ed."

While Eddie works at getting better, David Lee Roth has decided he will not attend Monday night's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in New York. He has opted out after the Hall of Fame declined to have him, Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony sit in with Velvet Revolver, who will perform a tribute to Van Halen. Roth tells the L-A Times, "It just not an option for me to go and watch some other band -- who are only performing because they have some new record coming out -- do our music. I have nothing against Velvet Revolver -- I'm not familiar with their music -- but that was my three minutes and 22 seconds up there. [It] rips my heart out."

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame president Joel Peresman said in reply, "We had tried for weeks to be able to have a Van Halen performance by any incarnation of Van Halen. But when we were told that could not happen, we turned to the fantastic Velvet Revolver who we felt could best represent the spirit and music of both eras of Van Halen. It would not be fair or appropriate to represent Van Halen by just one of their members performing. We will keep a seat open for David should he change his mind."

We've also heard that Velvet Revolver considered backing out when they were told that Eddie and Alex Van Halen were not attending. Calls to Velvet Revolver's management have not been returned.

So Van Halen will only be represented by Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony, who toured together last year as The Other Half.

Heatherless Headlines

Yesterday, on Pets Like Us, we had the Chinese farmer named Cao with the beer-drinking duck. Today, we begin with...

India Farmer Has Cow That Eats Chickens

Skinny Inmate Escapes Through Food Slot

And today's grand prize winner:

Teen leaves 'deposit' in German bank

BERLIN: An 18-year-old man has been detained for repeatedly defecating in front of a cash machine in a bank vestibule in the southern German town of Eggmuehl, police said today.

Jared from Subway

Hey, look! Before...After...Way Before!

Jared was cool. Click the picture to hear his studio visit this morning with Tommie & The Bartender.

Blue Oyster Cult

Almost a week after the show, I finally dig through the pictures.

And I discover that most of them suck, because I haven't worked with the camera in the new phone much.

But here's the band, on stage at the Blaze Room at Time Out Sports Bar in South Bend last Friday. Very good show, excellent crowd, horrible weather outside. People had to go through some serious crap to get to the show, and they still came out in force.

Backstage afterwards, they were ok, maybe a B-. They were less than enthusiastic about the radio people and contest winners coming backstage with cowbells.


"We don't sign cowbells anymore, usually," they said as they started autographing them. "They keep ending up on ebay."



Well, not this one. I love these guys.

Except that I was hoping they'd play Astronomy, and they didn't, the show was pretty damn good. The hits were still crisp and energetic, not really showing their age at all.

And the crowd was into it (a ton of people from their fan club were on hand. Any time you can share a show with the people who love the band more than they probably should...it's a good time.

The bass player wasn't all that good, though, and the swiss cheese guitar sounded like crap...but otherwise, great show.