THE SHOW: 12/31/2009 - FINAL BLOG FOR 2009 / CRY BABY CRY WII REALLY?!? / CHARLIE BACH IN THE SADDLE AGAIN / KEEP IT MOOVIN' / PREPARING FOR THE NEW YEAR!!

Local Buzz:
"Nashville Prepares For NYE Guitar Drop"

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Final preparations were underway for Nashville's New Year's celebration, a first in five years.
Crews have been working on building an 85 foot tower to support a massive 10 foot tall guitar that will come down at midnight.
The Bash on Broadway is presented by the Hard Rock Cafe. This is the first city operated event downtown since 2004.
Country star Rodney Atkins will headline the concert on Broadway before the countdown. Other performers include Marc Broussard and Jonny Lang, along with The Dirt Drifters and Gabe Dixon.
Broadway will be closed from 1st Avenue to 3rd Avenue for the New Year's bash. Event start Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

*FRANKLIN, Tenn. - Water bills will start getting little higher for residents in Franklin. Starting Friday, the city will implement a rate increase for water and waste-water services.
Most residents will see an increase of about $8 on their bills.
Officials said the increase was needed to make repairs and ensure reliability of the system.
The increases will show up in customers' February or March bills.

"Police Placing Check Points Throughout Middle Tennessee"

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - New Year's Eve is obviously one of the biggest party nights of the year, and local law enforcement agencies will be ready.
In 2008, 12 people were killed in Tennessee during the New Year's holiday. Nearly half of those were in alcohol-related crashes.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol will have checkpoints set up across the area to keep drivers in check.
Other local police departments including Franklin and Mt. Juliet will also be setting up checkpoints to crackdown on DUIs.

*Three men have been charged in the home invasion attacks on an elderly couple in the rural Rutherford County town of Eagleville.
The arrests came less than 72 hours after the attacks on Cecil Story, 86, a veteran of World War II and Korea, and his wife Edna, 93.
Ronald W. Damon, 36, of Murfreesboro; Ashton Garza, 19, of Rockvale; and James Charles Pittard, 20, of McMinnville, will face a General Sessions judge Tuesday to hear the charges against them, the Rutherford County Sheriff's Office said.
They are being held with no bail set in the Rutherford County jail.
Cecil and Edna Story were beaten on the face and head after the assailants knocked on the door of their Floyd Road home Sunday night.
Each suspect is charged with two counts of especially aggravated kidnapping, two counts of aggravated robbery.

*The Labor Department said Thursday that new claims for unemployment insurance fell by 22,000 to a seasonally adjusted 432,000, the lowest since July 2008. That's much better than the rise to 460,000 that Wall Street economists expected.

*ISLAMABAD -- The United Nations says it plans to temporarily relocate some of its international staff outside of Pakistan for security reasons. U.N. spokeswoman Ishrat Rizvi says 20 percent of the organization's expatriate workers will either leave the country for six months or be relocated to safer areas within Pakistan.

*Charlie Sheen can hold off on getting a divorce lawyer.
T-M-Z is now reporting that the bad-boy actor's wife Brooke wants to work things out. Brooke has hired famed defense lawyer Yale Galanter, whose first task was to ask the court to dismiss a protective order against Charlie so she can see him. Galanter says the move was made "so they can work on resolving the conflicts in their marriage." He said the fight that led to the arrest of the Two and a Half Men star was just "one bad night" in a marriage of two people who truly love each other.

*There's a new woman in Rosie O'Donnell's life.
The former talk-show host, who recently revealed her split with longtime partner Kelli Carpenter, is now dating Texas artist and mother of six Tracy Kachtick-Anders. The couple was spotted walking hand-in-hand on Miami Beach earlier in the week.

*Russell Brand and Katy Perry have gotten engaged, according to Britain's Daily Mirror.
The comedian popped the question during Katy's trip to Britain last week. A source tells the newspaper, "They don't know when the wedding will be, but they are planning to make it in 2010 if the schedules can work. Russell is searching for a jewelry designer to create a ring in time for the New Year."

*The war between Jon Gosselin and Hailey Glassman may be over -- as soon as she returns his Wii.
Jon has accused his ex-girlfriend of ransacking his apartment -- Hailey has accused the one-time reality dad of making the whole thing up for publicity. But now a source tells People magazine that the former roommates are trying to hash things out. "[Jon] won't press charges if she returns what he says is his, like the T-V, the Wii, etcetera."

Healthy Matters:
"Face the Music: Upbeat Songs Can Lower Blood Pressure"

*Is your blood pressure too high? Try listening to more music.
Researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine discovered that music does more than soothe the inner beast - it also relaxes the inner lining of the arteries. When relaxed, the arteries widen, which lowers blood pressure by letting blood circulate more efficiently.
You won’t lower your risk for high blood pressure overnight. But, there are some lifestyle tweaks you can make now to gradually decrease your odds of developing the condition:
1. Eat a healthy diet. You already know to avoid foods with trans fats and saturated fats, but you should also remember to add heart-healthy foods into your diet. Whole-grain foods like bran cereal and wheat bread have fiber as well as vitamins and minerals that are important in controlling blood pressure.
2. Exercise! The AHA suggests getting 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity five days a week to keep your heart strong. With work, kids and other responsibilities, setting aside a block of time just for exercise can be tough. But shorter sessions throughout the day can add up: take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car farther away than usual, take your dog for a walk -- just get moving!
Also remember that upbeat music is good for your heart. So if the heavy breathing and grunts from fellow gym rats are getting annoying, it's time to upgrade your workout soundtrack.
3. Chill out. Aside from causing major headaches and messing up your concentration, stress can spike your blood pressure. Even though you can't control the economy, you can control how it makes you feel. Try relaxation techniques and learn how to manage your time better. A lot of times, we bring stress upon ourselves. See if there's anything within your control that you can change for the better. And don’t forget to take a deep breath.

*NASHVILLE, Tenn. - NewsChannel 5 decided once again to team up with the Davidson County Sheriff's Department to help people get home safely on New Year's Eve.
Anyone who plans to drink in downtown Nashville on New Year's Eve can get a free sober ride home. The number to call is 862-RIDE.
There will be several bus stops on 2nd & 3rd Avenues and on Commerce and Broadway where people can go to get a sober ride.
This is the 26th year for the program.

Relationship Tip of the day:
"Art of Communication"

*Communication is an art of putting your thoughts into words, so that they are exactly understood by the opposite person. Communication does not mean going on talking unnecessarily. This is first mistake that couples make. One person in the relationship assumes the role of talker and the other becomes the listener. Their roles remain so forever. The talker forgets to listen and the listener becomes used to listening and not reacting. If your partner takes time to open up, help them out by asking questions. Often late bloomers, take early offense. So hear them out and give subtle reactions. You will reap the benefits of a healthy relationship through increased confidence in both of you to open up and hear things out.

Mess of the Day:
"Cowabunga!"

*Dear PoWM, how could a woman dressed like a cow and carrying a cow purse be funnier? That’s an odd question, but since you asked, what if she was buying hamburger buns? That would certainly have to make it funnier.~Illinois