Chuck's Morning Bridge Blog

From AOL Health:

Can drinking coffee can help prevent cancer? A new study suggests that the popular morning brew could protect against tumors of the head and neck.
Regular coffee drinkers -- those who downed four or more cups a day -- were 39 percent less likely to develop cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx combined, the researchers found.
Decaffeinated coffee didn't seem to pose any added risk, though there wasn't enough data for a thorough analysis. The authors found no link between tea and cancers of the head and neck.
The authors examined nine different studies done by the International Head and Neck Cancer Epidemiology consortium, and said the big number of participants and wide range led to their findings.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Did you know that there’s a way to tell if you’re too dehydrated? You'll know you're too dehydrated if you start to feel dizzy, or notice your body's temperature going up fast. If that happens, lie down immediately and start downing liquids. Even moderate heat can cause mild dehydration. The fix: Drink a full glass of water in the morning to replenish the fluid you lose overnight. Then, sip eight glasses during the day, even if you don’t feel thirsty- especially in these hot, hazy days of Summer!

Michael Jackson's Swarovski crystal studded glove from his 1984 Victory Tour was auctioned off for $190,000. Los Angeles resident Wanda Kelley was the winning bidder at the auction, which was held at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Kelley said, "Let's just say, I wasn't walking out of here without that glove."

The glove was expected to sell between $20,000- $30,00 at the auction, but Darren Julien of Julien's Auction said that the response was "unlike anything we've ever experienced." He said, "People flew in from Asia, Russia, all over. Now that he's gone, we now realize the true legend we lost."

    * Other MJ items that sold at the auctions were a pair of stage-worn loafers that went for $90,000, a custom jacket he wore during a Barbara Walters interview that sold for $120,000, and one of the last autographs he signed on June 24, 2009, which went for $21,000.

It's looking like Santa Claus just might be comin' to town this Christmas for Bruce Springsteen fans. Backstreets.com reported that at eMusic's recent hour-long discussion dubbed "Summer School with Little Steven" in Manhattan, Steven Van Zandt gave the first sign that the long-awaited Darkness On The Edge Of Town  box set will be in fans' hands by Christmas. Van Zandt said, "There's going to be amazing stuff coming out for Darkness On The Edge Of Town  for Christmas. I heard, like, 10 outtakes; they're all fantastic. I forgot every one of 'em.

A study found that over the course of their lifetime women will spend more than $24,000 on heels, pumps, boots, sandals and wedges. They buy their first pair at the age of 14 then go on to purchase seven pairs a year for the rest of their lives -- a total of 469 pairs. The study of 3,000 women found shoes are bought for a purpose. The average female owns three pairs of heels for formal functions and special occasions. Women usually have six pairs of flip flops, sandals, ballet pumps and wedges for the summer months, and three pairs of warm boots for colder weather.

WEEKEND MOVIE WRAP-UP

The animated Toy Story 3 was the top film at the box office for the second weekend in a row, easily outperforming new releases from Adam Sandler and Tom Cruise.

The ensemble comedy Grown Ups, starring Sandler and Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade and Rob Schneider, opened well in second place with a $41 million take, despite being pummeled by critics. The movie features the five funnymen as boyhood friends who reunite as adults for the funeral of their old basketball coach. Salma Hayek co-stars.

Cruise's Knight and Day opened disappointingly in third place, taking in only $20.5 million, the worst debut for an action movie from the Hollywood A-lister in 20 years. Cruise stars as a spy who romances a civilian played by co-star Cameron Diaz while on a globe-spanning mission to protect a dangerous piece of technology.

THIS WEEKEND'S TOP TEN MOVIES -- JUNE 25-27

   1. Toy Story 3, $59 million
   2. Grown Ups, $41 million
   3. Knight and Day, $20.5 million
   4. The Karate Kid, $15.4 million
   5. The A-Team, $6 million
   6. Get Him to the Greek, $3 million
   7. Shrek Forever After, $2.9 million
   8. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, $2.8 million
   9. Killers, $2 million
  10. Jonah Hex, $1.6 million--

The state of California's budget crisis is so bad that its state legislature is considering a bill that would allow it to consider selling advertising on license plates. Electronically-flashing advertising! The ads would start flashing whenever the car is stopped for more than four seconds. "We're just trying to find creative ways of generating additional revenues," the bill's sponsor, Senator Curren Price, told Time magazine. California is $19 billion in the hole.

An octopus named Paul has successfully predicted the winner of each of Germany World Cup matches so far. Paul, who currently lives in a tank at an aquarium in Germany, even picked Serbia to beat Germany which has been one of the biggest upsets in the tournament thus far. So how's he doing it? Handlers basically place two clear boxes in his tank, one with Germany's flag and one with the opposing country's flag. They place shells and other treats inside both boxes and the box that Paul picks first is the winner. Until Germany gets knocked out of the tournament, the aquarium will continue to have Paul make his picks.

The Food & Drug Administration has issued a warning to consumers about a new instant drink called "Passion Coffee" that its makers claim contains all-natural aphrodisiacs. The maker, Magic Power Coffee, advertises that "your 'special moments' can increase to a level you only dreamed" of after a cup of this stuff. The coffee contains herbal supplements like horny goat weed and goji berry. The company's slogan: "You Never Had Coffee Like This Before!" The FDA says the coffee contains a chemical similar to the active ingredient in Viagra. The agency says the coffee can significantly reduce blood pressure. It also says no complaints have been received from Passion Coffee drinkers.

Talk about coffee keeping you up all night! :)

Had the pleasure of chatting with Comedienne, Actress and new friend Melissa Peterman in the studio last week.

Toy Story 3 crushed the box office competition over the weekend, raking in $109 million -- the second-biggest opening-weekend gross for an animated film. Only two other cartoons have opened to more than $100 million -- Shrek the Third with $122 million in 2007, and Shrek 2 with $108 million in 2004.

The weekend's other new offering, Josh Brolin and Megan Fox's Jonah Hex, debuted with a disappointing $5.09 million on nearly 3,000 screens. The comic-book Western had a $40 budget that it seems unlikely to recoup.

Last week's top-earner, The Karate Kid, held up strong, coming it at number two with another $29 million. That brings its domestic gross to $106 million so far.

The box office results are as follows:

1. Toy Story 3, $109 million
2. The Karate Kid, $29 million
3. The A-Team, $13.8 million
4. Get Him to the Greek, $6.1 million
5. Shrek Forever After, $5.5 million
6. Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, $5.3 million
7. Killers, $5.1 million
8. Jonah Hex, $5.09 million
9. Iron Man 2, $2.7 million
10. Marmaduke, $2.65 million

Simon & Garfunkel have postponed their latest reunion tour indefinitely. The duo announced what amounts to a cancellation following a statement on Art Garfunkel's vocal paresis. Although Garfunkel is expected to make a full recovery, the tour -- for now -- is off.

Garfunkel said in a statement posted on both PaulSimon.com and ArtGarfunkel.com: "I do feel bad about disrupting so many people's plans. but, as I continue to mend, I can't yet bring my A game to a tour, and I would not perform for you with anything less."

    * The sites added: "Tickets can be refunded at place of purchase or call your local venue."
    * Back in April the pair pushed back the dates of their spring tour to accommodate Garfunkel's vocal ailments.
    * Simon is currently in the studio with former producer Phil Ramone recording his first new collection since 2006's Surprise.

CLICK HERE FOR ART GARFUNKEL'S WEBSITEl