If you love being single, you better enjoy it because a new study has found that single people may die younger. Researchers found that single men could die about eight to 17 years earlier than married men -- and single women could last seven to 15 years less than married women. But, lead researcher David Roelfs warns, "The study is all about probabilities -- and not certainties.

It's tough to find the perfect birthday gift, but an organization in Iowa has an idea that's sure to make the giver number-one in the heart of a loved one -- a public toilet named in their honor.
The CSPS arts group in Cedar Rapids is renovating its hall, and is selling naming rights to six urinals and 15 sit-down commodes at 1,000 bucks a pop -- a present sure to generate streams of thank yous.

A woman in Washington state is going to have her hands full trying to wriggle out of reckless driving charges after causing a two-car crash while giving the middle finger to another motorist. The 23-year-old woman wanted to change lanes, but the other driver wouldn't make room, so she flipped the bird. As she was doing that, she clipped the rear end of the other vehicle, causing it to roll over.

WHAT A LOAD OF BULL! Nashville found themselves in a sticky situation yesterday when an interstate on-ramp was shut down because of a spill involving bull semen. Four unmarked canisters containing $80,000 worth of that precious but icky cargo fell off a Greyhound bus on their way to a breeding facility in Texas from Columbus, Ohio. Greyhound said it's not uncommon for their buses to transport that particular product.

How strong is your brain? Do you know? Are you good at retaining information? Are you good at math? Take a fun quiz and help the science community learn about more about the brain at TestMyBrain.org.

As expected, a Manhattan judge dismissed the sexual assault charges against former French finance minster Dominique Strauss-Kahn. The news was greeted with mixed reactions for observers and those involved in the case. Strauss-Kahn still faces possible charges of rape in another incident in France.

The most powerful earthquake in 67 years rattled the East Coast yesterday afternoon, shaking buildings and rattling nerves from North Carolina as far north as Ottawa, Canada. There were no reported deaths or serious injuries. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake hit at approximately 1:51 p.m. ET, lasted up to 45 seconds and measured 5.8 on the Richter scale. It was followed by a 2.8 aftershock.

Donald Trump has more important things to do than worry about an earthquake. The mogul was reportedly busy at work on the 26th floor of Trump Tower in New York when yesterday's earthquake hit the East Coast -- but the Donald refused to evacuate. Sources tell TMZ, Donald "would never leave his building. He designed these from scratch. If he ever did leave during something disastrous, he'd be the last one out."

Megan Fox explains why she's removing the Marilyn Monroe tattoo from her right forearm. The actress tells an Italian fashion magazine, "She was a negative person, she was disturbed, bipolar. I do not want to attract this kind of negative energy in my life." Marilyn, by the way, has been dead for nearly 50 years.

Rumors were swirling yesterday that Will and Jada Pinkett Smith broke up -- and an alleged affair between Jada and Marc Anthony was the cause. But her rep shot down the story, saying, "Everything about Jada and Marc Anthony is false." And later Will and Jada released their own statement denying it. Jada and Marc co-star on the TNT series Hawthorne.

Taylor Swift has reportedly plunked down $2.5 million for a Greek Revival-style mansion in the tony Belle Meade neighborhood of Nashville. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath home was built in the 1930s by an American ambassador to Denmark. The Nashville house Taylor bought for her parents last year is on the market. She also owns a penthouse apartment near Nashville's music row, as well as a home in Beverly Hills

According to a new study from Ohio State University, women are likely to gain weight after their wedding -- and men are likely to gain weight after their divorce.The researchers called the changes in marital status "weight shocks." "Divorces for men and, to some extent, marriages for women, promote weight gains that may be large enough to pose a health risk," study leader Dmitry Tumin said.

A domesticated kangaroo in the Czech Republic was found stealing women's underwear. Petr Hlabovic called Prague police to report that his two-year-old pet 'roo, Benji, had escaped. Around the same time, women started mentioning that their unmentionables were disappearing from clotheslines in their yards. His owner said, "He certainly didn't pick up the habit from me."

A Florida man is on the hook for assault charges after battering a quadriplegic neighbor -- with a fish! Dale McDaniel, who has 34 busts to his credit for incidents like chasing another neighbor around with a running chainsaw and urinating in his trash-filled front yard, admitted to the attack. But he says he's not worried about the law. He says, "I'm not a menace. They just don't know how to deal with me."

Three people were arrested over the weekend in Washington, D.C., Meg McLain, K.N. Dill and Will Duffield were squeezed by cops after they set up a stand to sell glasses of lemonade on the grounds of the Capitol building as part of a "Lemonade Freedom Day" protest. The idea was hatched after a series of stories about children having their lemonade stands shut by authorities, with some even facing criminal charges.

WHAT WEDDING? One Florida man has taken things to another level altogether by claiming his first marriage completely slipped his mind. Aaron Richardson was arrested on bigamy charges after the judge at a domestic hearing discovered he had a marriage license from a 2004 wedding but no evidence that he'd ever divorced Irene Clark before marrying Arkina Sneed last year.

It's often said that it's the not the shape or size of the candy bar, it's what's inside that matters. OK, so nobody has really said that, but it's kind of true. Candy bars all look pretty similar on the outside, but inside is a world of delicious difference. This blog is a little nutty but artistic at the same time. It's a collection of photos taken of the insides of candy bars. Check out ScandyBars.tumblr.com.

The stage collapse at Sugarland's Indianapolis concert 11 days ago has claimed a seventh victim. Twenty-four-year-old Meagan Toothman was taken off life support after organ donation surgery yesterday.

When it comes to online dating, women really care about height and income. An economist at Duke University used online dating statistics to determine that in order to compete with taller guys, short men need to earn at least $30,000 more per year to get as many online dating responses as a guy who's got just one inch on them. No joke -- the study showed a 5'9" man needs to make $30K more than a 5'10" guy

There have been more incidents of fan-on-fan violence involving a San Francisco sports team. This time it was at 49ers-Oakland Raiders pre-season NFL game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Two men were hospitalized after being shot in the parking lot on Saturday night, while another man was beaten unconscious in a stadium bathroom, and there were also at least three fights in the stands during the game.

A food fight is brewing between Anthony Bourdain and Paula Deen. In an interview with TV Guide, Bourdain said, "The worst, most dangerous person to America is clearly Paula Deen. She revels in unholy connections with evil corporations, and she's proud of the fact that her food is [bleeping] bad for you. Plus, her food sucks." Deen responded, "if someone had just peed in his bowl of cereal that morning and he was mad.

Lindsay Lohan is suing rapper Pitbull for "disparaging" her in his song "Give Me Everything." The actress has a problem with the lyric "I got it locked up like Lindsay Lohan" -- which she believes is "destined to do irreparable harm" to her. She also claims in the suit that she is "a professional actor of good repute and standing in the Screen Actors Guild." Actress? Maybe. Good repute? Come on!

Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries tied the knot Saturday in Montecito, California. Among the 450 guests were Lindsay Lohan and her mom Dina, Avril Lavigne, Demi Lovato and Eva Longoria. The bride wore white, sisters Kourtney and Khloe served as maids of honor, and Kourtney's son Mason was the ring bearer. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck prepared the food for the guests.

A car thief in NYC ran into a little problem when trying to make off with a new Honda Odyssey make that two little problems, one aged seven, the other aged five.. He drove off with his passengers in tow, only to get a massive headache from the lads, who told him he was in the wrong car and warned him not to snag any of the quarters in the change tray. The bad guy, gave up and drove the vehicle to the family's house.

CATCH OF THE DAY! A British fisherman hauled in the catch of his life, one that weighed in at nearly 200 pounds, but he was forced to throw it back almost immediately because it was an unsuspecting scuba diver, and not a fish! The angler took it in stride, saying "When I went home and told my wife, she just said she was glad I didn't bring him home as she couldn't have eaten a whole one."

Yet another stage collapse due to weather happened, this time at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium. AP reports that at least three people were killed and more than 70 were injured after a storm blew through the festival grounds Thursday. 30 Seconds to Mars were getting ready to go on stage when the weather came through, and frontman Jared Leto tweeted that four stages went down.

BETTY WHITE MOST POPULAR & TRUSTED CELEB: POLL Betty White is still golden. The 89-year-old has been named the most popular and the most trusted celebrity in a Reuters poll. On the flip side, Paris Hilton topped the list of the most unpopular and least trusted personalities.

Keith Urban helped a class of fourth graders get off the homework hook for the rest of this school year. According to Nashville's Tennessean newspaper, school teacher Patty Sloan raised a sign at his hometown show that read, "I told my class no more homework for the rest of the year if I got my picture made with you." Keith, of course, was happy to oblige. Patty has stayed true to her promise.

According to a new Australian study, older people with the most formal education are the least happy of all their peers. People born in 1955 or earlier who hold a Master's or Doctorate degree expressed much less satisfaction with their lives than those with less education. Those who had left school before graduating high school -- or just earned a GED -- were the happiest.

HOLY SMOKE! Inmates at a prison in British Columbia are said to be combining the search for a higher power with the search for a high by smoking joints rolled in Bible pages. Prisoners can't obtain rolling papers under Canadian jail rules, but they're entitled to free copies of a religious text, officials have seized seven partially ripped Bibles and 11 loose scripture pages from inmates suspected of drug use.

Disgraced New York congressman Anthony Weiner, now has a problem a kosher deli in his district, which had named a sandwich of roast beef and Bermuda onion after him, has taken it off the menu altogether, erasing him from a roster that includes Dr. Ruth and local politician Nita Lowey. Owner Jay Parker says, "I feel really, really bad for the schmuck. But there just wasn't any dignity to keeping it on the menu."

HIS DRIVING STINKS! A driver in Kuwait is holding his breath while awaiting his punishment for an odd violation -- driving with bad breath! It's hard to say exactly why cops pulled over the unidentified man, who readily admitted to having a rather foul mouth odor. And it's unclear what's going to happen to him. A police source says, "Will the motorist be fined? If so, on what ground and how much will he have to pay?"

President Obama is taking heat from the Trump for taking too much vacation. Obama has taken less vacation that George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan had at the same point in their presidencies. After 31 months Obama has taken 61 vacation days. George W. Bush had spent 180 days on his ranch, while Ronald Reagan had taken 112 at his ranch. The recent president with the least time off would be Bill Clinton, with 28 days.

Abercrombie and Fitch wants The Situation to strip! The company has offered to pay the Jersey Shore star NOT to wear its clothes, claiming his bad-boy image "could cause significant damage" to the brand's "aspirational nature." Abercrombie has also extended the offer to the rest of the cast. It seems to be a publicity stunt since the company once sold T-shirts that read "The Fitchuation.

DEATH THREAT MADE AGAINST DAVID LETTERMAN ON AL-QAIDA WEBSITE - David Letterman has been targeted by an extremist website frequented by al-Qaida. The site reportedly urged its followers to "cut the tongue" of the late-night host because of a joke he made about accused terrorist leader Ilyas Kashmiri, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan in June.

THE WORM HAS TURNED - A man in Washington state is on the hook for indecent exposure charges after a group of his fellow fishermen turned him in for casting his line while stark naked. Dean Meginess was casually trolling for trout on a lake just outside Spokane, Washington with his bait and tackle in full view of a man who was fishing with his two young sons. He had a previous conviction on a charge two years ago.

PANTRY OF THE APES - Talk about Hell's Kitchen! A British zoo was put on lockdown last week after a chimpanzee escaped and headed straight for the main cooking unit, where she tossed pots, pans and food at keepers until she was coaxed back to her enclosure. Josie, one of the Twycross Zoo's favorite residents, held authorities at bay for more than 40 minutes, but officials say no one was ever in danger.

BETWEEN A ROCK AND A MEAN PLACE - A lot of women would be thrilled to get a big, eye-catching rock as a birthday present, but not the ex-wife of a Quebec politician who awoke to a 20-ton boulder dropped smack dab in the middle of her lawn. Dany Lariviere, the mayor of a small town in the province, used one of his construction company's pieces of heavy equipment to bring the "gift" to ex-wife Isabelle Prevost.

On this day in 1998, President Bill Clinton testified before the Independent Council about his relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Later that night, he addressed the country and admitted to having a "relationship with Ms. Lewinsky that was not appropriate."

DR. PHIL TO INTERVIEW CASEY ANTHONY'S PARENTS - Dr. Phil has landed the first interview with Casey Anthony's parents Cindy and George Anthony will appear on the September 12th season premiere of The Dr. Phil Show. Dr. Phil says the interview is being done in return for a donation to Caylee's Fund, the Anthonys' charity, but insists "the couple will derive no income" from it.

A California woman who was out for a jog with a friend called 911 to report a man who was just bringing the 411. The woman was alarmed because she saw a white van cruising at a slow speed with its door open, and she thought the driver was planning to kidnap her or her friend. Cops found the van who was delivering phone books in the area and was driving slowly because he was having trouble deciphering some addresses.

A British teenager is going to great lengths to master a new language well, her tongue is, at least. Rhiannon Brooksbank-Jones has been planning to move to South Korea after graduating from high school, but she recently discovered that she can't master certain sounds in the language due to her unusually short tongue. Rather than pick a new path, she had surgery to lengthen her tongue by one centimeter.

OBAMA Goes on the Offensive- With his approval ratings down to an all-time low, President Obama hit the campaign trail yesterday on the $1.1 million Obamamobile. A Tea Party activist pressed Obama about a claim that Vice President Biden called Tea Party members "terrorists." The conversation heated with Obama saying he's been called "a socialist who wasn't born in this country" so "I'm all for lowering the rhetoric."

Billionaire Warren Buffett wants to pay more taxes because he says the super-rich aren't paying their fair share, and he wants his rich friends to pay up as well. Buffett, worth $47 billion, said Congress should call for "shared sacrifice" and raise taxes on those who earn more than a $1 million, adding that the rich are being "coddled" by Congress "as if we were spotted owl or some other endangered species."

KATE PLUS 8 GETS CANCELLED - Kate Gosselin will soon be joining ex-husband Jon as a former reality star. TLC has cancelled Kate Plus 8, with the final episode airing September 12th.

Kenny Chesney's rewards all of his loyal employees with an all-expenses-paid trip to the Virgin Islands. Kenny says, "I want all the people out there who work with me to feel as appreciated as possible." He even sometimes draws a crew member's name from a hat and gives the winner all the money from merchandise sales that night, which often totals hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Cops gave an aspiring screenwriter two thumbs-down on his latest script -- in fact, they said they thought it was a bomb! That's because the man left the screenplay behind in a locked briefcase -- after trying to pitch it to a talent agency, where he found no takers. The bomb squad arrived about 90 minutes after the man left the area and detonated the briefcase, which contained the script and the man's laptop.

A coupon-crazed Arkansas woman was busted for stealing hundreds of newspapers to clip their money-saving motherlode but she insists she didn't know she'd broken the law. Jamie Van Sicker, who describes herself as an extreme couponer, grabbed more than 180 papers from various racks around the Springdale area. Her lawyer insists she shouldn't be held responsible because she thought she was allowed to do so.

A Georgia man got himself put in handcuffs because he decided to put someone else in them a woman who turned down his offer for a date.
Taco Bell employee Jason Dean pulled up next to the gal he was sweet on in the restaurant's parking lot -- and promptly attached himself to her with a pair of cuffs. He'd been asking her out for weeks, much to her dismay, and she had changed her work schedule so she could avoid him.

TRAILER PARK HOUSEWIVES: Casting Call. Live in a Las Vegas mobile home, you may be a good candidate for the upcoming series Trailer Park Housewives. According to Las Vegas Weekly, producers are looking for women whose "husbands or significant others have 'Vegas' type jobs such as blackjack dealers, be in the witness protection program, former or current mob family members, been an extra on CSI more than five times.

A JetBlue passenger went from business class to no class on a flight from Oregon to New York City by walking over to a sleeping 11-year-old a few rows behind him and urinating all over her! Robert Vietze proved that he was just plane stupid in explaining his actions by saying, "I was drunk and I didn't realize I was [peeing] on her leg." He had 8 alcoholic drinks before letting his stream flow into the jet stream.

A Chicago-area handyman won't get a ringing endorsement from one client -- since she caught him stealing one of her diamond rings, only to have him swallow it as he tried to escape. Wilfredo Gonzalez-Cruz asked the woman's permission to use the restroom, and after he did, she noticed the ring was missing. She confronted the man, and after a struggle, he popped it into his mouth and swallowed it.

U.K. RIOTS: Brits Look to U.S. for Advice - Things have gotten so bad in the U.K. that the usually mild-mannered Brits are looking to the U.S. for advice on how to deal with gang violence. British Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that he would act "decisively to restore order on our streets,". Cameron is considering turning to Bill Bratton, the former police chief of Los Angeles and New York, for advice.

PAULA ABDUL DEMANDS ASSISTANTS CALL HER A "WARRIOR" - Paula Abdul makes some strange demands of her assistants.
1. Each assistant must carry and use a tape recorder at all times "because she doesn't trust her own conversations."
2. Assistants should through her email -- and respond to family and friends as the star herself.
3. And Paula also needs constant reminders that she is a "warrior, survivor and gift."

Best of Nashville voting begins today! http://ping.fm/3EWhA

According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, here's a rundown of the most dangerous cities for driving in America:
10. Lubbock, Texas
9. Memphis, Tennessee
8. Jackson, Mississippi
7. Chattanooga, Tennessee
6. Salt Lake City, Utah
5. San Bernardino, California
4. Little Rock, Arkansas
3. Augusta, Georgia
2. Orlando, Florida
1. Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Researchers at California State University-Dominguez Hills found that teens who are heavy Facebook users have trouble sleeping, higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stomach aches.
Also, young adults and teens who spend their too much time with Facebook are more narcissistic and show more signs of other psychological disorders, including anti-social behaviors, mania and aggressive tendencies.

A Kansas woman blew her chances of Mother of the Year honors by encouraging her son to win a fight with another local boy by suggesting he toss a brick at the kid. The boy took her advice. He hit the other boy in the forehead with the brick and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The 12-year-old is in juvenile detention; the mom was booked on contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

A Wisconsin man was arrested for lodging a complaint about cold pizza from a local establishment by driving to the restaurant and throwing the slices at employees while cursing them out. The 26-year-old man had placed his order online and discovered that he'd clicked on "pick up" instead of delivery. When he called and asked if the place would be willing to drop his order at his door, they agreed but it was cold.

Spelling mistakes, printing errors and bad ideas on restaurant menus are what make BadMenu.com a funny site to visit.

REBECCA BLACK'S HOMESCHOOL BLUES - Rebecca Black's professional life is soaring she just picked up a Teen Choice Award, she has a cameo in Katy Perry's latest video, and she now has two viral hits. But the 14-year-old still has to deal with haters. In an interview with ABC News, the Internet sensation says constant taunting has forced her to be home schooled.

It's official, Jennifer Lopez, Steven Tyler and Randy Jackson will return next season. Idol executive producer Nigel Lythgoe made the announcement on Ryan Seacrest's radio show yesterday. J. Lo's salary was reportedly upped from $12 million last season to $20 million next season. Steven was said to be unhappy about that, since he's getting only $10 million over two years. But he got a raise too.

George Lopez's TBS show has been cancelled. His last episode airs tonight, and the big question on everyone's mind: Did Conan kill Lopez Tonight? When Conan moved to TBS, he bumped the comedian from 11 p.m. to midnight. After the change, George saw a 40-percent drop in his ratings. Conan's own ratings haven't been much better.

APPLE: Surpasses Exxon as the Most Valuable Company - After another volatile day on the stock market, Apple Inc. surpassed Exxon Mobil Corp. to gain the title of the world's most valuable company. As with most stocks, both companies dropped yesterday, but Exxon took a bigger plunge, ending the day with a market value of $330.8 billion, compared to $337.2 billion for Apple.

I am a Floridian. Born and raised in Seminole County. I have a huge crazy family. I'm 28 but act like I'm 17 most of the time. I love to farm and shoot guys and wreck cars. I'm a redneck and proud of it. I like milk and German engineering and causing mayhem with my siblings. Lee-Grace Dougherty of the Dougherty Gang caught yesterday in Colorado

One Canadian man is jumping for joy after "winning" a chance to stay a full 80 days at Vancouver International Airport. Jaeger Mah spent two weeks campaigning on social media to win the prize, which will also offer him three meals a day from any of the airport's dozens of restaurants. All he has to do in return is post four videos a week chronicling the glamour of airport living.

IT'S A BIRD ... IT'S A PLANE ...IT'S AN IDIOT!
Cops were called to a mall in Iowa City because a man identified as Jerald Navarre was shouting at passersby. Navarre, who smelled strongly of alcohol, admitted to being "a little drunk," but said he needed to be at the mall to protect women -- and identified himself as "Captain Save-a-Ho."

REGULAR, UNLEADED OR FOSTER'S? An Australian man was arrested for drunk driving, which really shouldn't have surprised cops all that much, given his choice of vehicle -- a motorized beer cooler! Ian Petrie attached an engine to an oversized cooler on wheels and decided to pilot it down a street in Noosa, Australia.

Armies of London residents are mad as hell and they're not going to take it any more. They took to the streets yesterday not to riot and loot, but to clean up the mess left in the wake of the riots that have rocked Britain for four consecutive nights. More than 560 people have been arrested and more than 100 have been charged in the violence and arson attacks, London's Metropolitan Police Service said yesterday.

Charlie Harper is dead, but his legacy lives on. "Where's Charlie?" stickers have been popping up all over L.A. in what seems to be support for the ousted Two and a Half Men star. TMZ says Sheen has seen the stickers and appreciates the message but doesn't support the vandalism. The identities of the die-hard Charlie fans remain a mystery.

Gavin DeGraw was released from the hospital last night after his brutal beat down on the streets of New York the day before. The "I Don't Want to Be" singer had been treated for a concussion, broken nose, and cuts and bruises. He tweeted, "Honestly, I don't remember much. I only know I can recover from here. Thank you all for your genuine concern."

LAND SHARK! Residents of Milton, New Hampshire, were puzzled to find a dead shark washed up in their backyard since they're more than an hour away from the ocean. The six-foot shark was spotted alongside a rural road after one man "happened to smell something that didn't smell right." He and his posse expected to turn up a deer, but ended up face to face with mini-Jaws instead.

BRANCHING OUT INTO ROBBERY - A Long Island, New York, man went out on a limb in his effort to commit the perfect crime -- by trying to rob a convenience store using a tree branch as a weapon. The store clerk initially laughed off Michael Zimmerman's attempt, but Zimmerman struck him several times, then fled on his motorcycle. Sounds like the guy should stick to his day job.

This is one of the strangest websites seen in a while. It's a collage of sounds put together by combining random YouTube footage of people playing instruments. They call it YouTube Free Jazz and it can be found at DontSave.com.

45,000 Verizon employees are on strike after failing to agree on a contract, things are so bad S&P downgraded them to AT&T. Other news China said the days of spending borrowed money is over for the US, maybe we shouldn't tell them Americans spent 76 million to see the Smurf movie over the weekend. Also England, Italy and Greece sent messages that they will defriend us on facebook if we don't fix our debt issues.

Maria del Rosario Cayetana Alfonsa Victoria Eugenia Francisca Fitz-James Stuart y de Silva (yes, that's one name) is one of the wealthiest women in all of Spain. She is worth somewhere between $850 million and $5 billion--but not for long. The Duchess of Alba, 85, is giving it all away so she can marry the man she loves.

TEENS INJECTING SALINE INTO THEIR FOREHEADS - You knew you'd say it eventually... "What is wrong with kids these days?" It is becoming more and more common for teenagers to inject saline into their foreheads. The trend started in Japan and it makes the kids look like they have bagels under their skin.

An English teacher in Australia was granted $17,000 in wrongful dismissal charges after he was fired for using a worksheet that used the F-bomb in every sentence. Luke Webster was teaching students whose first language was not English when he offered up the test, asking them to discuss the four-letter word's various meanings, and whether it was being used as a verb or a noun.

The mayor New Mexico has an explanation for his decision to spend a million dollars of the cash-strapped town's money on contracts, he was too drunk to know. Martin Resendiz, mayor of SunlandPark, said "after two or three hours of us drinking, [it's] not exactly the best time to do business, not exactly the best time to read over legal documents" adding that he had to call his sister to drive him home.

Two border patrol agents in Arizona are under investigation for coming up with their own sentence for a group of drug smugglers making them eat the dope, then run naked into the desert.
Agents Dario Castillo and Ramon Zuniga are being investigated on civil rights violations for their actions, which prosecutors say were particularly dangerous because the men were forced to flee naked in nearly freezing temperatures.

ThereIFixedIt.FailBlog.org will appeal to the lazy do-it-yourselfer. For those of you who believe you can fix anything with duct tape, check out this collection of photos showing creative but haphazard repair jobs.

Just three months ago the Navy SEALS were being hailed as heroes after the killing Osama bin Laden. Now the elite fighters are back in the news, but this time it's tragic. The Navy has confirmed that 22 SEALS and eight other service members were killed when their CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed in Afghanistan early Saturday morning. It's the worst single loss of U.S. troops since the war in Afghanistan began.

Tiger Woods didn't win the Bridgestone Invitational in Arkon, Ohio, but his old caddie did. Steve Williams, the long-time caddie Tiger recently fired, working winner Adam Scott's bag. Scott won the tournament by four strokes, after shooting a five-under par 65 yesterday, while Tiger finished with an even-par 70, leaving him in the in 37th place for the weekend. Williams said it was his best victory ever.

Ashton Kutcher and company have filmed the season premiere of Two and a Half Men, which begins with Charlie Harper's funeral and Charlie Sheen plans to watch every second of it. The fired actor says, "I will be watching my fake funeral, attended by my fake ex-girlfriends, from my very, very real movie theater, with my very real hotties in tow."

Tennessee's Tax Free Weekend will take place today August 5-7, 2011, and applies to the following types of merchandise: Clothing under $100, School and art supplies under $100 Computers under $1,500. 18 states having a sales tax holiday this year. So get out there and shop :)

Celebrities Who Are Smarter Than You Think - Steve Martin- He's a talented playwright, a music composer, a member of MENSA and a Grammy winner. Shakira- According to some reports, she has an IQ of 140, which is bordering on genius levels. Cindy Crawford- She was valedictorian of her high school class, had a 4.0 grade average and was awarded a full ride to Northwestern University to study chemical engineering.

Do you talk to your car? Not in a Michael Knight kind of way, but more in a "I'm alone in the car with no one to speak to" kind of way? There's a pretty good chance that you do. According to new research, 33 percent of car owners admit to talking to their cars. Drivers talk about regular day-to-day matters as well as frustrations on the road. 16 percent of men think of their car as female and many have a name for it.

RENT A YARD - No yard? No problem! A New York company is offering a 3,200-square-foot grassy area to rent for barbecues and other fun in the sun ... for $50 an hour. 24-year-old Jacqui Kavanagh, who came up with the "backyard time share" idea, will also rent out backyard equipment including a slip-and-slide, kiddie pool and barbecue grill.

THAT WEDDING DRESS IS A STEAL! A 19-year-old woman from Halifax, Canada, gave new meaning to the phrase "runaway bride" after allegedly stealing a wedding dress from a display window and then running down the road with it.
Caitlin Patricia Marie Hill reportedly smashed the plate glass window at Winchester's Bridal and Formals and ripped the dress right off the mannequin. She didn't get very far before police got her.

Do you get a kick out of watching strange-looking people on the street? You may not admit it, but you can't help but gaze at the guy with the purple mullet and chin piercing. Now, for those of you who like it so much, there's Monoface -- a generator that lets you create your very own weird people. Check it out at Mono-1.com/Monoface.

The Dow Jones Industrial average dropped more than 513 points yesterday, marking the biggest drop since December 2008. The plunge was attributed to new data that showed economic weakness in the U.S. and Europe. On top of that, 400,000 Americans applied for first-time jobless benefits and jobless claims have been holding steady at the mark for 17 weeks, leading some to economists to doubt the economic recovery.

LINDSAY SCORES TIX TO COLDPLAY CONCERT- Gwyneth Paltrow might not get musical help from hubby Chris Martin. But Lindsay Lohan sure does. When the actress learned Coldplay was hitting L.A. this week, she reached out to Chris and he hooked her up with killer seats. It's good to see Lindsay still isn't paying for things LOL.

SOBER UP, YOGI! A government official in the Ukraine wants to put an end to a practice many animal activists think is a big boo-boo forcing captive bears to get drunk as part of the entertainment in restaurants and bars. The folks in the former Soviet republic took things to a new level some years back, force-feeding tame bears copious amounts of vodka for the amusement of patrons.

FINGERED! An Australian man described as "the neighbor from hell" is now pointing the finger at other residents of his street literally. He used a chainsaw to create a four-foot high sculpture of a middle finger that now stands in the middle of his front yard. He also used a leaf-blower to propel his trash onto neighbors' property. His lawyer says the man is trying to adopt "new strategies" to avoid conflict.

How well do you know world geography? Could you point to Florence, Italy or Auckland, New Zealand on a map? Take the Traveler IQ Challenge and see how worldly you are. Check it out at TravelPod.com/Traveler-IQ.

AVIATION SHUTDOWN: While Congress Vacations - Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former Republican congressman, blamed Republicans for the shutdown, saying the FAA is shutdown because "one or two people who wouldn't compromise," although he didn't name names. The shutdown is estimated to cost the government $30 million per day because the FAA can't collect sales taxes unless it's authorized to do so by Congress.

D.B. COOPER: Mystery Solved? A woman has stepped forward claiming that she's his niece. Among the evidence that Marla Cooper has provided the FBI is a guitar strap and a Christmas photo of her uncle, Lynn Doyle Cooper, with the same strap. The FBI is searching the guitar strap for fingerprints that might match partial prints found from the hijacking.

TAINTED TURKEY: 36 Million Pounds Recalled - Yesterday, more than 36 million pounds of fresh and frozen ground turkey was voluntarily recalled by Cargill Inc. This comes after health authorities said that the poultry may be contaminated with Salmonella Heidelberg, which they believe killed the Sacramento man and has sickened nearly 80 others.

A new study from the University of Texas has found that smartphones may force our eyes to work harder than usual, creating headaches and eye strain. While people hold newspapers and books an average of 16 inches away from their eyes, they tend to hold smartphones closer about 14 inches away. Some people held them as close as 7 inches away. You may want to increase the font size on your device and get reading glasses.

DEAD BULLETS - There are many ways to honor the passing of loved ones who've been cremated. Some are kept in an urn in the home, some are scattered at sea, and some become bullets. Yes. Bullets. A company called "Holy Smoke" prides itself on being able to pack the ashes of the deceased into gun ammunition. Which means you can now shoot Auntie Ethel out of a shot gun. We all grieve in different ways.

A South Carolina man was found with a kilo of cocaine stuffed inside his artificial leg. A trooper pulled over Giudaldo Lojan for driving too slowly in a highway's fast lane, and patted down the car's three passengers finding the bag of coke in Lojan's prosthesis. The man's attorney is arguing that the stop was illegal because it was traveling at 50 mph over the minimum highway speed.

ROLLING IN THE DOUGH ... NUTS - Two Romanian students in New York City lost a sweet deal after authorities discovered that they'd used computer trickery to reprogram old Dunkin' Donuts gift cards to pilfer cash from ATM machines. The cards were originally valued at just a few dollars, but thanks to some clever re-coding, the two men were able to turn munchkins into a little over $17,000.

Linda Evangelista is seeking a whopping $46,000 a month in child support from Salma Hayek's husband, Francois-Henri Pinault. Pinault, who fathered the supermodel's four-year-old son Augustin James, can certainly afford it as the CEO of the company that owns Gucci, Yves St. Laurent and Bottega Veneta. The $46,000 monthly payment would cover 24-hour nannies and drivers, armed with guns. She dated Pinault in 2006.

Leonardo DiCaprio isn't dreaming. The Inception star has been named the highest-earning actor in Hollywood with an estimated $77 million salary between May 2010 and May 2011. The other actors in the Top 5 are Johnny Depp with $50 million, Adam Sandler with $40 million, Will Smith with $36 million and Tom Hanks with $35 million. I will be glad to take a million.

CHUCK GOT A KICK OUT OF KILLING OFF CHARLIE - Producer Chuck Lorre is killing off Charlie Sheen's Two and a Half Men character in the show's season premiere, because killing him in real life isn't much of an option. A source says the actor's arch-enemy "got a big vicarious thrill out of it, even if it only was his fictional character!

CHOOSY VANDALS CHOOSE JIF! A Seattle man found himself in a sticky situation when he came home to find everything in his house covered in peanut butter and jelly including his dog! Every surface in the house was covered, except the daughter's bed which had a pool of vomit in it. The daughter told police she thinks a stoner friend is the culprit, as he smeared lotion all over another friend's place the night before.

OH BABY, WHAT A MESS - Two British policemen called to rescue a baby trapped alone in a hot car last week managed to break out a window -- only to find that they'd just saved a life-like doll, after causing $400 in damage to the car. The police have agreed to pay for the repairs, "Now we are just laughing about it really; it's a good tale to tell our family and friends."

Do you know that awkward feeling you get when you show up to work or maybe a party wearing the same outfit as someone else? It's so weird to have to look at the other person, and you know everyone else is laughing at you. Well, it's funny, so you should embrace the humor of it and take a picture. Then, share that photo at ILikeLookingLikeOtherPeople.tumblr.com.

CASEY ANTHONY: Ordered to Return to Orlando - Orange County Judge Stan Strickland signed amended court documents yesterday that require her to serve one year of supervised probation for check fraud charges. Anthony pleaded guilty in January 2010 to felony check fraud charges, admitting she stole a checkbook from her friend Amy Huizenga and wrote five checks totaling $644.25.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords made a surprise appearance to vote yes on the debt bill making for the first appearance since being shot in the head in January. Giffords was greeted with a bipartisan standing ovation as she entered the House chamber.

The House passed the controversial plan to boost the debt limit by more than $2 trillion. Today, the bill heads to the Senate, where it is also expected to pass in a vote that begins at noon. Then, President Obama says he'll sign off on the bill. Avoiding the United States' first-ever default and what many predicted would have been an economic nightmare for the country and possible the world's economy.

The Monday Blues Are Brutal - According to a new survey, Monday mornings are so depressing that the average time for the first Monday smile is 11:16 a.m. Half of those surveyed admitted they are usually late for work on Monday and only manage 3 1/2 hours of actual productive work. The research team found 45- to 54-year-olds spend 12 minutes of an average Monday complaining about the fact that it's Monday.

Everybody likes to waste time with a YouTube video or two, but a Pittsburgh man has really upped the anteby posting a clip that lasts more than 571 hours! Jonathan Harchick doesn't really think anyone wants to spend a full 23 days looking at out-of-focus photos of his trip to Chile, but he wanted to "test the limits" of YouTube with his effort. http://ping.fm/GTkV5

A LOW-CALIBER PARENTING JOB - A woman in Kelowna, British Columbia was busted for driving her kids around while they shot pellet guns out the windows of her car. Cops seized three weapons from the unidentified mom's pre-teen children after a man reported that they pointed the guns at him and fired into his vehicle. She thought the kids were only shooting at street signs, and saw no problem with the behavior.

If the whole "planking" trend isn't quite doing it for you, you might want to give "leisure diving" a try. LeisureDive.com collects photos of people jumping into pools posing like they're lying on the couch.

Debt crisis may finally be over, as President Obama announced yesterday that he and lawmakers had reached a deal to cut spending and raise the debt ceiling that should avoid the debt default that would have thrown the U.S. and world economy into a tailspin. Although the planned deal still requires congressional approval, the news of the end of the stalemate had an immediate positive effect on global markets.

Miley Cyrus's (Hannah Montana) new tattoo isn't much, but it says a whole lot. The teen star got an equal sign inked onto her ring finger, reportedly in support of same-sex marriage. "All love is equal," she tweeted Friday, along with a photo of the tat. Later she wrote to one of her followers, "Where does it say in the Bible to judge others? Oh, right. It doesn't. God is the only judge, honey. 'God is love.'"