For the first time this decade, AAA estimates a decline in the number of Americans traveling this Fourth of July holiday.

 

"Triple A" projects 40.45 million Americans will travel during the July 4th holiday weekend, down 1.3 percent, or nearly 550,000 Americans, from the 41 million who traveled last year.

 

This is the second consecutive travel holiday in 2008 where a year-to-year decrease was forecasted. AAA projected a nearly one percent drop in holiday travelers for the Memorial Day holiday in May. The forecast includes U.S. residents traveling 50 miles or more from home.

"With gasoline prices over $4 throughout much of the country, it is certainly no surprise that some Americans will be celebrating their independence at home this year," says Denice Harris, AAA Spokeswoman. "But, there will still be many traveling despite record gas prices."

 

More than 34.2 million Americans (almost 85% of all holiday travelers) intend to travel by car, a 1.2 percent decrease from the 34.6 million people who drove to their holiday destinations last year.

 

Approximately 4.54 million Americans (11% of holiday travelers) expect to travel by plane, a 2.3% decrease from the 4.64 million who flew last year. Nearly 1.7 million plan to travel by train, bus, or other mode of transportation.

Stupid News

Strolling Along In A Thong ...

Manchester, Connecticut ... A man has been arrested after he allegedly strolled along a busy Interstate wearing nothing but a thong, fake breasts, and a wig.

Police received several calls about the man in the strange ensemble, and after an hour-long search authorities found the suspect fully clothed and collecting cans behind a local business. Police said they also found a wig and fake breasts in his car.

The 42-year-old man was charged with disorderly conduct and simple trespass.

Sausage Attack

DeLand, Florida ... A man was arrested after he threw a 3-pound pack of Polish sausage at his mother. No surprise here ... alcohol may have been a factor.

According to the police report, the woman said her son was drinking and they got into an argument. She said her son then picked up a pack of sausage and threw it at her, grazing the back of her head.

Gregory Allan Praeger, 46,  was charged with battery after the incident.

Judges Say No Effing Way

Santa Fe, New Mexico ... A New Mexico appeals court ruled against a man who wanted to change his name to a phrase containing the F word.

The man appealed after a state district judge refused his request to change his name to "F--- Censorship!"

Judge Nan Nash ruled that the proposed name change was "obscene, offensive and would not comport with common decency."

The man -- whose current legal name is "Variable" -- argued that it was improper government censorship to deny him the name change.

"We do not believe that the district court's action infringes on petitioner's right to free speech," a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals said in its ruling.

The man has the right to call himself whatever he wants, unless there's fraud or misrepresentation involved, the judges said. But once he seeks court approval for a name change, the court has the authority to turn him down on several grounds, including if the name is offensive to common decency and good taste, the judges ruled.

He's Crafty

Van Buren, Arkansas .... Authorities say an inmate who escaped from the county jail left behind a rose made out of toilet paper because he felt sorry for breaking out.

Luis Camacho-Mendoza was recaptured a day later in a Van Buren home after police received a tip. Investigator Ken Howard said the suspect was found hiding in a closet in a pile of clothes with a pillowcase over his head.

"But he wasn't hiding too good because you could see the outline of his head in the pillow case," Howard said. "We all grabbed him pretty quick and he didn't seem to be resisting."

Camacho-Mendoza was in jail on drug charges and was expected to be deported to Mexico by immigrations officials.

When asked about the flower, Camacho-Mendoza told officers "he felt sorry for the captain for escaping."

Two of the most notable things in our lives are changing. The Walmart logo and the milk jug. What!? Click the pictures for the full stories.

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As if there weren't enough bad news about the economy, here comes some more ...

According to the American Pyrotechnics Association, there is a shortage of fireworks.

"This year, for the first time ever, we are experiencing a shortage of fireworks and pyrotechnic devices," said Julie L. Heckman, Executive Director of the American Pyrotechnics Association. "The current shortage resulted from a significant port closure in China -- following a series of warehouse explosions."

Did You Know ...

• 98% of the fireworks purchased for backyard parties are manufactured in China.
• 80% of the professional display fireworks used in the U.S. are manufactured in China.
• The U.S. only manufactures about 10% of the fireworks it shoots off.

iTunes, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays on Sale Today

 

·        VANESSA HUDGENS-- IDENTIFIED

·        LOS LONELY BOYS-- FORGIVEN

·        BUSTA RHYMES-- BLESSED

·        ALKALINE TRIO-- AGONY & IRONY

·        MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE-- (CD-DVD) THE BLACK PARADE IS DEAD

·        JOHN MAYER-- (CD-DVD) WHERE THE LIGHT IS: LIVE IN LOS ANGELES

 

·        Tyler Perry's MEET THE BROWNS-- (Two-Disc Blu-Ray Special Edition) Tyler Perry, Angela Bassett, Rick Fox, Jennifer Lewis, David Mann, Frankie Faison, Margaret Avery and Sofia Vergara. 1 Hour and 35 Minutes. Rated PG-13.

·        DRILLBIT TAYLOR-- (Blu-Ray Unrated Edition) Owen Wilson, Leslie Mann, Nate Hartley, Troy Gentile, David Dorfman, Alex Frost & Josh Peck. 1 Hour and 42 Min.

·        VANTAGE POINT-- (Blu-Ray) Dennis Quaid, Matthew Fox, Forest Whitaker, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver and William Hurt. 1 Hour and 29 Minutes. PG-13.

·        WAR, INC-- John Cusack, Hilary Duff, Marisa Tomei, Dan Aykroyd, Joan Cusack and Ben Kingsley. 1 Hour and 47 Minutes. Rated R.

·        SEX AND DEATH 101-- Simon Baker and Winona Ryder. 1 Hour & 40 Minutes. R.

·        MY BLUEBERRY NIGHTS-- Norah Jones, Jude Law, David Strathairn, Rachel Weisz, Frankie
      Faison and Natalie Portman. 1 Hour and 30 Minutes. Rated PG-13.

That Darn Question
Q: On average, Americans eat 23 lbs of this each year. What is it?
A: Pizza

Weekend Box Office

Even though though there were some bad-assed assassins on the scene this weekend, it was a little trash robot who kicked butt at the box office.

WALL-E took the number one spot with $62.5 million in its opening weekend, followed by the Angelina Jolie/James McAvoy assassin thriller action pick Wanted with a solid $51.1 million opener.Get Smart nabbed the number 3 spot, proving that summer audiences are out and going to the movies, and adding another $20 to its gross.  Most other previous releases didn't fare as well, and slipped below a still strong Kung Fu Panda and an Incredible Hulk.

TOP TEN AT THE BOX OFFICE:

1. WALL·E              $62.5M;  $62.5M
2. Wanted                $51.1M;  $51.1M
3. Get Smart            $20M;  $77.3M
4. Kung Fu Panda    $11.7M;  $179M
5. The Incredible Hulk   $9.23M;  $116M
6. The Love Guru    $5.44M;  $25.3M
7. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull    $5.03M;  $300M
8. The Happening     $3.85M;   $59.1M
9. Sex and the City   $3.77M;   $140M
10. You Don't Mess with the Zohan   $3.2M;   $91.2M

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Can't Quit Smoking? Let Nintendo's Anti-Smoking Game Help!

Video games have been around for decades and have always been under fire as a waste of time. Sure, there have been those who say that the games improved eye-hand coordination, but how important is that when compared to ... say... reading.

But the Nintendo Wii system has a lot people reconsidering their opinion of video games. Instead of just sitting on the sofa like a zombie, the Wii makes people move.

And, one of the big successes of the system has been the Wii Fit game, which was designed to get people moving as much as possible.

Well, a French video game developer is looking to do even MORE good with video games by releasing a game that helps people quit smoking. Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking is scheduled for release on the Nintendo DS system in November.

"Each game has been designed to be very accessible, using only the stylus on the Nintendo DS, so a non-gamer can have fun instantly," said Denis Dore, producer of the game. "We are not talking here about a game that will allow you to gain virtual rewards, but one that can in fact help you quit smoking."

Check It Out: The full story can be found here.

Opening in Wide Release

WALL-E After years of doing what he was built for, a lonely robot discovers what he was meant for, and chases his dream across the galaxy. Movie Info | Showtimes | Trailers & Clips | User Reviews

Wanted Angelina Jolie is a beautiful hired killer who recruits an apathetic nobody into a secret organization of super-powered assassins. Movie Info | Showtimes | Trailers & Clips | User Reviews

That Darn Question
Q: The number one most popular computer password is password. What is number two?
A: 123456

Are You A Slouch At The Office? Here's How To Look Like A Workaholic!
Companies are becoming more and more demanding -- and they're keeping an eye on their employees, making sure they're not just working a normal 40-hour workweek, but are going ABOVE AND BEYOND those 40 hours.

Personal productivity expert Laura Stack believes that workaholics don't get ahead because there is always more to be done than there is time to do it.

Here are a few ways to demonstrate that you're a hard worker without getting sucked into the trap of being a workaholic:

Early Workers -- Staying late gets noticed and arriving early tends not to. So, if you're in the office hours before anyone else -- and then leaving hours early -- you need to do things that let your coworkers and boss know that you're doing your time. For example, write your e-mails first thing in the morning so they are time-stamped, which proves you're hard at work while everyone else is still eating breakfast.

Out on Time -- Make a commitment to get out the door on time. A regularly scheduled after-work appointment works wonders for getting you out of the office at a reasonable hour.

Go the Extra Mile When Needed -- Sometimes it is appropriate to put in a long day or week. Just don't let it become a habit. Being able to come through in a pinch is a major asset in the business world.