H A P P Y   H A L L O W E E N !

Attack of the KILLER Candy!
  

Halloween isn't just about costumes and scary fun - it's the holiday that marks the unofficial beginning of the eats lots of stuff that's bad for you season.  It starts innocently enough perhaps with a co-worker bringing in a bowl of leftover Halloween Peanut Butter Cups.  Around Thanksgiving Carol from accounting brings in her famous home made coffee cake, the next thing you know boxes of fudge start mysteriously appearing in the office kitchen.  By Christmas construction workers are hoisting you onto a flatbed truck to transport you home.  Happy New Year!

Yes, keeping tabs on our consumption is good year-round policy, but it does get a lot harder starting October 31st - which is why I enlisted the help of American Dental Association Spokesperson Dr. Richard Price to share some great common sense ideas to ensure all that candy consumption doesn't lead to extra (expensive) trips to the dentist office.

        No Sleep 'til Richmond!
              

I had a chance to catch The Beastie Boys, Jack Johnson, Sheryl Crowe, Nora Jones and Santogold at the Richmond Coliseum last night. Of course I feel a bit like a zombie today after rolling back into Hampton Roads at 1:30 a.m. but it was worth it. While the “Rock the Vote”   event is not officially billed as an Obama rally, many of these artists (okay every one of them) are Obama supporters. However most focused on the “get out and vote” message, refraining from making blatant endorsements.  While the vast majority of the crowd also seemed to be “left leaning” McCain supporters will be proud to know that while your fellow Republicans may have been lacking in numbers at this particular event – the ones that were there clearly made up for it with the VOLUME of their voices.  It was a great show!


      Is Your JOB making you SICK?
               
                                              ahh...ahhhh...

With autumn comes cold season.  And of course with cold season comes...well colds.  When it comes to your chances of catching a cold while on the job a recent story by ABC News reports that not all jobs are created equal. Here are the TEN jobs where workers may be exposed to the most germs.

     10.) Teacher
      9) Bank Cashier
      8) Tech Support
      7) Doctor or Nurse
      6) Lab Scientist
      5) Police Officer
      4) Animal Control Officer
      3) Janitor or Plumber
      2) Sanitation Worker
      1) Meatpacker

              Having a Ball in Dallas
        
                          A much safer record attempt than "largest lawn dart"

As part of a publicity stunt, over the weekend Carnival Cruise Lines unveiled the largest beach ball in the world . . . measuring about 33 feet across.

                   

 Laurie Clinton UPDATE   
                          
A FEATURE ARTICLE in yesterday's Virginian Pilot focuses on our favorite school nurse at Rosemont Forest Elementary in VA Beach Laurie Clinton and her dog Sydney as they take a shot at FAME and FORTUNE as Milk Bone Dog Biscuit Make a Milk Bone Moment finalists.   Laurie asks that you please click HERE to cast a vote for their special Milk Bone moment.   The moment with the most votes could win a $100,000 contract!  Laurie also reminds us, "Don't forget you may vote once per day until the deadline- thanks a lot!  Woof!!"

Here is a 2WD "Blast from the past" featuring our visit to Rosemont Forest last June - when we almost missed Laurie altogether...don't forget to Vote for her Milkbone Moment!

CAUTION: Pythons may be Dangerous
              
            Investigators are looking into the possibility that this
          Reticulated Python strangled it's owner earlier this week

According to police a pet snake may have strangled its owner to death in Virginia Beach earlier this week.  The woman's husband called police and said he found her lying in front of the pet snake's large, empty cage.  Preliminary Medical Examiner findings indicate the woman died from "asphyxiation caused by neck compression."

Absentee Ballot
             
              Mayhem

An article appeared in the Pilot today pointing out the fact that some returned federal absentee ballots will be invalidated by election officials because of an “obscure” 2002 Republican sponsored law requiring that form include the name and address of a witness.

Now as far as I’m concerned any law I don’t know about is “obscure” to me. This is why I hope and pray that on Election Day officials at my polling place will be well versed regarding election rules. I don’t want MY vote invalidated – and I also expect that tomfoolery or shenanigans will not be tolerated.

          
                      Just to be on the safe side anyone whose
                 NAME is Chad should be excluded from voting

Apparently the Virginia “witness requirement” on the federal form came about after the vote counting debacle of 2000 and was designed to keep those who try to take advantage of our system in check. As an American I am pained and disheartened at the thought of even one soldier’s vote not being counted. But the vast majority of absentee ballots, including the Virginia ballot  (which does not require a witness signature) WILL be counted.

You may recall how Virginia’s DMV provided many of the IDs used by the 9/11 terrorists – so we should understand the need for commonsense rules better than anybody. However Virginia State Election Officials have a civic responsibility to make the voting process as understandable as possible. Read the instructions on the Federal Form which direct you to consult the Virgina Voting Assistance Guide.  Gosh, with 'assistance' like this who needs terrorists?

      Carrie Rocks the Collie!
          
                         Miss Underwood

Grammy-award and

DISAPPOINTING HALLOWEEN TREATS
                    
With Halloween CREEPING up on us a week from tomorrow, YAHOO FOOD has compiled a list of the TEN most disappointing treats for trick-or-treaters.   AKA: Ten items most likely to get your house egged or TP'd

#10.) Fun-sized candy bars
(the really, really tiny ones)

#9.) Laffy Taffy

#8.) Miscellaneous wrapped hard candy
(Like those nasty strawberry things, or butterscotch candies, or those mints you get at TGI Fridays on your way out the door.)

#7.) Tootsie Rolls

#6.) Apples
(seriously?)

#5.) Dum Dum Lollipops
(The red-headed stepchild of lollipops. What's the point?)

#4.) Smarties or Necco Wafers
(although I kinda dig the chocolate ones)

#3.) Candy Corn
(my 6 year old like 'em - but what does he know?)

#2.) Raisins

#1.) Toothbrushes
(seriously?)

              High School Musical 2 LIVE
                         
                                     The LIVE show is coming!

What could possibly be more exciting than High School Musical 3 coming to theaters in less than two days? Go ahead and ask your 12 year old - but be warned you’re likely to receive an indignant eye roll! Wow - talk about dumb questions. But ask again next week after the third and final installment of Disney’s mammoth musical saga hits the silver screen they’ll be ready to roll over to the Ferguson Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of Christopher Newport University for the LIVE version of High School Musical II. Listen to 2WD this afternoon for a chance to grab FREE tickets to the performance.


            More Test Troubles in Chesapeake
                   
                                                          Rollers!

Last year Chesapeake settled a racial discrimination lawsuit from the U.S. Justice Department alleging their math test for new police recruits was unfair. A couple weeks ago about 150 police officers took tests for promotions to sergeant or lieutenant. No women or African American officers scored high enough to move forward in the promotion process - so now the city is shelling out $50,000 for a consultant to study the exam to determine if it’s ‘flawed’. I’m pretty sure that’s why I didn’t perform very well in HIgh School - it was all those biased and flawed tests! I want my consultant!


            Under the Influence...
              
                                    seriously?

AskMen.com has put a list of the 49 Most Influential Men on their website. Their top pick is BARACK OBAMA. JOHN MCCAIN rounds out the Top 10. Click HERE for the complete list…

                  AskMen.com’s
      TOP 5 INFLUENTIAL MEN list

#1.) BARACK OBAMA - Makes sense
#2.) STEVE JOBS - Fair enough
#3.) MICHAEL PHELPS - Earned it
#4.) ROBERT DOWNEY JR. - HUH?
#5.) STEPHEN COLBERT - No duh!



                   ANOTHER LIST!
                
                        awwww....aren't they...trendy

With the holiday season just around the corner KB Toys has released their annual "Hot Holiday Toy List" -  thanks KB Toys!  Here is the stuff expected to be the hottest sellers this season...

   -- Black & Decker Junior Kid's Play Workbench
   -- Disney Princess or Sleeping Beauty Sound & Light Vanity
   -- My Happy Family Dollhouse
   -- Webkinz
   -- A seven-foot by seven-foot Inflatable Bounce House
   -- Radio-Control Grand Canyon Express Train Set
   -- "Hannah Montana" In-Concert Collection Dolls
   -- "High School Musical 3" Sing Together Dolls
   -- 31-inch Acoustic Guitar
   -- "Super Mario" Action Figures
   -- Light 'n Sound Kitchen Center Playset
   -- Razor Scooters
   -- "Ben 10" Action Figures
   -- Bakugan Booster Packs
   -- Rubik's Classic Cube Revolution or Magic Puzzles

 So simple a monkey can do it, sorta...
                    
                         Ken Carson's Favorite Monkey

How cool are those segue thingees? If I had the money, and wasn’t so concerned about looking like a dork (okay - not really an issue for me) I might get one. But if you get one please, no monkeys!

Fighting ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed.

In today's Podcast, I had the opportunity to speak with Forefront Church member Natalie DeLong about the Walk and Beach Party going on Sunday for the ALS Association as well as Michael Oyer. So make sure you give this one a listen!

(from http://www.forefront.org/thisweek_update.html)
Michael Oyer, a retired Navy SEAL who has been diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) is in need of some major home renovations to make his house wheelchair accessible. A team is working on the heavy construction, but they need some help with the finishing touches. We're looking for some volunteers to go out to Pungo on October 18th to do final touches in the home and garage. You don't have to have special skills, just a willingness to give up a few hours to help a family in need. Please stop by the Hub Table to sign up, or email Bob Nery for more info. Michael will also be walking in the "Walk to Defeat ALS" on October 19. If you'd like to help, please visit www.ALSinfo.org.