The perfect age to have a baby is 26, it has been revealed. A new study of 2,000 parents shows moms and dads are completely agreed that the mid-twenties is the point in life when young couples should aim to start a family.

A third of parents claim that having children at a younger age meant they could have a bigger family, while a fifth feel their youth will help them have more in common with their children.

The findings, reported in the Seven Seas Pregnancy whitepaper, also found a quarter weren’t sure how long it would take to conceive, and so wanted to start early.

Owning a house and getting married were the two key milestones most parents wanted to have reached before having children, and six in 10 parents were happy to be earning a collective wage of just $37,000 a year before settling down to have a family.

But couples were happy to wait for achievements such as gaining a promotion, travelling the world, being established in their career or owning a fancy car.

Claire Halsey, Clinical Psychologist and contributor to the Seven Seas Pregnancy whitepaper, comments: “The results of this survey are quite surprising, as we would have expected parents to think the perfect age to start a family to be late twenties to early thirties, as opposed to mid-twenties.

“Contrary to popular belief younger women are planning a family after just a few years of working rather than waiting to establish a career, going travelling or spending time on hobbies.

“Perhaps there is a realization that as the recession affects work prospects, planning for a family can come first and career later.”

The report also questioned 2000 childless people about their plans to have a family.

While one in 20 claimed they NEVER wanted to have children, the average age across the rest of the respondents was 28.

So despite two thirds of people without children wanting to have achieved something in life before starting a family, most reckon they will have done this before hitting the ripe old age of 30.

As well as wanting to have a house and marriage sorted, half of those polled want to earn a decent amount of money, while 47% want job security.

Four in 10 people would like to have savings in the bank before settling down with kids, and 26% want to have enjoyed lots of holidays.

Childless couples also want to make a number of preparations before starting a family but financial stability outweighs pre-conceptual health planning  – six in 10 want to save money for months in advance, while a fifth would take folic acid, vitamins and supplements.

1.Ka'anapali Beach, Lahaina, Hawaii

2.Siesta Key Public Beach, Sarasota, Fla.

3.Gulf Islands National Seashore, Pensacola, Fla.

4.Fort De Soto Park, Tierra Verde, Fla.

5.Lanikai Beach, Kailua, Hawaii

06.Wailea Beach, Wailea, Hawaii(Pictured, left)

7.Assateague Beach, Assateague Island, Va.

8.La Jolla Cove, La Jolla

9.Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, Calif.

10.Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Honolulu, Hawaii

Your pirating days may very well be over, as Internet users who illegally share music, movies, and applications could soon receive warnings from the five major Internet service providers in the U.S. (AT&T, Cablevision, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, and Comcast)

The Copyright Alert System, put together by the recording and film industry, is being activated this week in order to crack down on peer-to-peer sharing.

The new system will tell your Internet service provider what you’ve been up to – and your provider will then send a letter notifying you that you’ve been illegally sharing files.

You’ll be given six chances to get your act together and stop sharing stuff before they shut down your Internet connection.

Read the whole article

Congrats are in order for the folks at Carlton, Minnesota’s Black Bear Casino Resort for successfully building the world’s biggest burger. The whopping bacon cheeseburger weighs in at 2,014 pounds and boasts a diameter of 10 feet.

Officials from Guinness World Records flew in this week to confirm the world record, which was previously held by a puny 881-pounder. Black Bear's behemoth burger was topped with 60 pounds of bacon, 50 pounds of lettuce, 50 pounds of sliced onions, 40 pounds of pickles and 40 pounds of cheese. Dig in! (New York Daily News)

Read more

It's Official!  Kellie Pickler and Wynonna will both compete on this season of Dancing With the Stars.  Kellie Pickler will dance with partner Derek Hough, and Wynonna's pro is last year's winner Tony Dovolani.  The new season starts March 18.

See who else is on DWTS this season

Here's the cover to Kenny's new album Life On a Rock, due out April 30th.

Kenny also posted a Special Message for fans...Read it HERE

See all the pics and the Oscar grade for each dress on the Red Carpet HERE

Statistics On Women And Their Shoes from philly.com

Number of pairs of shoes the average woman owns: 17

Number of pairs that she wears regularly: 3

Number of pairs that the average woman buys annually: 3

Price that the average woman pays for shoes: $49

Percentage of women who have paid more $100 for a pair of shoes: 31

Percentage of women who consider themselves a shoe person: 39

Percentage of women who have gotten blisters from their shoes: 59

Percentage of women who have experienced foot pain because of their shoes: 46

Percentage of women who go shoe shopping as retail therapy: 19

Percentage of women who prefer flats to heels: 39

Time is running out to vote!  What movie will win Best Picture at Sunday's Oscars? Don't forget to leave comments too...

VOTE HERE

From Buzzfeed:

10)Match Point

9)Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?

8)Swimfan

7)Little Children

6)What's Love Got To Do With It?

5)Cruising

4)Rosemary's Baby

3)Blue Valentine

2)Basic Instinct

1)Fatal Attraction

Union Pacific Railroad repairs continue through Saturday, February 23rd in the Lake Redding Park area.  The following roads are affected: Riverside Drive, Rio Drive, Quartz Hill Road, and Benton Drive.

New movies/TV released today

According to Uncoached.com, here’s a rundown of some of the most hated teams in sports right now:

10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

9. Duke Blue Devils

8. Ohio State Buckeyes

7. New York Knicks

6. Dallas Cowboys

5. Manchester United

4. Any Boston sports team

3. New York Yankees

2. Los Angeles Lakers

1. Miami Heat 

College of New Jersey sophomore Kyle McCabe has started a new condom delivery service at CondAm.net. He wears a helmet with a flashing purple light when delivering his goods to students. Kyle says, “I’m here to help people who do decide that that’s right for them. And I want to help them be safe when they do that. There's a need for this on all college campuses. At like 2 or 3 a.m. and I’m sitting with my girlfriend and I get a call. “It’s a little hard to get up and go full speed. But I know if I get a call there’s kids in need … I’m happy to do it.”

Read more and see Kyle make a delivery

Jake's Wayback Burgers has a new 9 patty cheeseburger called the Triple Triple.  It is 5,130 calories, 117 grams of saturated fat, and costs just $12.99.  Now that's a heart clogger!

Read More

BE CHARACTERS IN YOUR OWN STEAMY ROMANCE NOVEL OR CLASSIC

When you were reading your favorite romance novel did you ever fantasize that you and your sweetie or crush were the main characters in the story? UStarNovels, an international erotic publishing company, offers personalized romance or classic novels for adults. All you have to do is supply them with your name, your sweetie's name, and a few pieces of personal information, like favorite perfume or hobbies, and you become the main characters! (HLN)

Check out the website

The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines was interviewed recently by CMT's Katie Cook. When asked about her new project and her current attitude, Maines compared the country music community to an "abusive husband".

Read the full story here

Watch the video below

Is technology taking over your personal life? Join the club. A new study from the University of Michigan shows that most people communicate over social networks or email about as often as they speak face-to-face.

The average person has about 75 face-to-face conversations a month, compared to 74 electronic interactions on Facebook, Twitter, email and Skype. The downside is you’re more likely to be misunderstood when relying solely on electronic communication. When you communicate offline, you benefit from reading a person’s face and better understand their moods and behaviors.

Women’s Health recommends allocating two or more hours per week for human interaction to keep technology from running your life.

APHRODISIACS FOR YOUR VALENTINE’S DAY DINNER

While it may not be scientifically proven, many people believe that a handful of foods have real aphrodisiac powers.

Here’s a rundown of some foods to consider when making your Valentine’s Day dinner plans:

• Oysters – Studies have shown that oysters (as well as clams, mussels and scallops) have two rare amino acids that raise levels of testosterone and progesterone.
   
• Lobster – Shellfish in general are loaded with zinc and other minerals essential for a healthy libido.
   
• Truffles – Truffles have a very distinctive scent that’s thought to be pretty close to human pheromones, which trigger erotic memories.
   
• Honey – Honey has boron, vitamin B and other substances thought to be important for sex hormone production.
   
• Chocolate – The no-brainer on the list, chocolate hits you right in the pleasure center of the brain, releasing natural feel-good chemicals. (Forbes)

Brad Paisley's West Coast home is for sale.  3BD 3BR in Pacific Palisades...only 2.995 million!

See the listing and pics

If you can think of another person, email us

An "aptronym" is a name that is aptly suited to its owner. For instance, former congressman Anthony Weiner and toilet manufacturer Thomas Crapper. Over the years we've seen quite a few aptronyms in sports too, like pitchers Jack Armstrong and Bob Walk; sprinter Usain Bolt; and NFL cornerback Reggie Corner.

But the parents of a high school kid in Florida had some high hopes and aspirations for their son when they gave him the best baseball name ever – Fenway Parks. That's right – his first name is Fenway, and his last name is Parks. His folks have to be Red Sox fans. And they were apparently onto something, because right now he happens to be a pretty big high school baseball prospect and is considering some top college baseball programs. You never know – he might make it to the big leagues and get to play in his namesake. (Yahoo)

A new survey by Match.com reveals that 42% of people would not date a virgin. Other findings:

- 38% of people would cancel a date because of something they found while doing Internet research on their date.

- 65% of people would not date someone with credit card debt greater than $5,000; 54% would not date someone with substantial student loan debt.

- 49% of people would consider getting into a committed relationship with someone who lived at home with their parents.

- 28% of people have dated someone they met online; 20% met their most recent first date that way

- 36% of people have sent a sexy photo or explicit text

- 48% of single women and 38% of men research a date on Facebook before their first date

- 6% of singles say they have broken up with a significant other due to Facebook; for men it was mostly because of pictures (55%), while for women it was posts on another person's wall (48%).

- 47% of singles have been in a "friends with benefits" relationship

- 44% of women and 63% of men have had a one-night stand

- 27% of single men and 26% of single women say they have cleaned up their Facebook wall before accepting a friend request from a potential partner

- 71% of women are not likely to consider dating someone shorter than themselves

Some geeks in Clovis made a Colin Kaepernick mosaic out of Rubik's Cubes...Cool!

Read more here

See the YouTube video of the construction

Best Things To Buy In February from msn.com

It's a great time to buy really big TVs, winter coats and ski vacations, and Presidents Day sales are coming up.

Valentine's Day deals are predictably not great. Since this is the time of year when jewelry, flowers and perfume are at their highest demand, it's not surprising that shoppers probably won't get the best price possible. Perfumes, for example, generally see better discounts in late February, after Valentine's Day, and in March. Try buying your sweetheart a less-routine Valentine's Day gift in a category that's more likely to see a fair discount.

Prepare for Presidents Day sales. The best part about a holiday weekend isn't necessarily the day off, but rather the inevitable sales. You can expect quite a few Presidents Day sales during the three-day weekend that will take as much as 80% off on a plethora of apparel, as well as tools, bedding and furniture. Some retailers tend to offer deeper discounts on existing sales, while others will lean toward modest coupons (likely an extra 20% to 30% off) that are applicable sitewide. Look to clothing and department stores for a big Presidents Day sale push.

It's tablet time. Rumors continue to swirl about the release date of the iPad 3, and many folks believe that it will be announced at the end of February. If that is indeed the case, then we'll likely see immediate markdowns on refurbished iPad 2 units sold by Apple, as well as substantial cuts on new iPad 2 devices from resellers.

Expect electronics clearance sales. As new electronics are unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show and begin to hit shelves, retailers make room for them by offering discounts on old stock. This effort continues in February, and includes markdowns on electronics like GPS units and audio equipment -- the latter of which we've already started to see excellent deals on.

Wait on digital cameras. Common logic dictates that we'd similarly see the best deals of the year on digital cameras during February, as retailers clear camera inventory post-CES. However, our deal archives paint a different picture. Although we've seen some excellent bargains during February, those discounts and promotions have paled in comparison with November and December in terms of Editors' Choice-caliber offers. In the past two years, both of those later months have each seen roughly four times as many top deals as February.

An excellent time for outerwear. Big sales will continue through February, though typically the selection is less robust. But that might not be the case if you're looking specifically for a winter coat, as the mild season has reportedly left retailers with massive amounts of unsold inventory, therefore making this perhaps one of the best years to get a deal on a late-in-the-season coat. If you've been putting off replacing your tried-and-true wool or down coat, February and March will be excellent months to snag a deal.

An increase in the number of ski resort deals. Since snow has been hard to come by this winter, the number of travelers booking trips to ski resort towns has been unusually low. Although numerous locations recently received a fresh dusting of powder, the ski season has been damaged due to mild weather. We've already seen an influx of special skiing discounts on vacations and hotels in ski towns like Keystone, Colo., Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah, and more, as they try to salvage a weak tourist season.

Wait until March to catch up on movies. Throughout the year we tend to see daily deal sites discount bulk movie tickets, and cinema chains often offer promotions for ticket sales as well. But strangely enough, those types of movie deals have largely been missing in February for the past two years. In February 2011, we didn't see a single deal for discounted movie vouchers, and the year before, we only saw an offer from AMC to watch a marathon of the Oscar best picture nominees.

Go big on HDTVs. Unfortunately, the head-turning deals we saw on 42-inch LCD HDTVs in November and December came to a quicker-than-expected end in January as prices on name-brand and third-tier 42-inch sets jumped back to their pre-September averages. Likewise, 55-inch 3-D LCDs slowly made the transition from $999 back to $1,337. But that doesn't mean TVs should be off your radar just yet.

Laptops. Fully equipped desktop replacements (those with 17-inch screens, Core i7 CPUs, and 8GB of RAM) are still enjoying all-time lows. During the past three months, we've seen deals on these 17-inch premium systems hit $800 -- a price we've never seen before. Dual-core 15-inch laptops, however, have gone up in price, slowly reaching their pre-holiday average of roughly $330.

More Super Bowl factoids than you can shake a Hoagie at...

Pig Out

DietDetective.com says the Super Bowl is the second biggest day for food consumption after Thanksgiving. Other findings:

- the average person would have to run 49 football fields to burn off just two handfuls of potato chips or do "the wave" 6,389 times to burn off six loaded potato skins.

- the average person would have to perform 299 touchdown dances to burn off half of a stuffed-crust bacon/sausage/pepperoni pizza (Each dance would have to be 15 to 20 seconds.)

- the average person would have to play football for 59 minutes to burn off 6 honey barbecue wings with dipping sauce

- the average person would have to clean the Super Bowl stadium for 322 minutes to burn off one pint of ice cream

Super Bowl By The Numbers from E!

$3.8 million: The going rate for a 30-second ad on the telecast. According to CBS' top brass, the network has sold out all its spots, with ad rates noticeably jacked up from last year's $3.5 million-a-pop price tag. Final numbers have yet to be disclosed, but for last year's game, the telecast reportedly drummed up a staggering $245 million in ad sales.

111.3 million: The number of TV viewers who watched last year's game—a staggering turnout that made it the most-watched TV broadcast in U.S. history.

$137,500.00: The top price for premium tickets still available for the game. Too pricey for ya? Not to worry: You can still get "bargain basement" tickets for $1,300.

73,000: The reported seating capacity of the Superdome.

6,700: Number of available parking spaces in the area's various garages.

150,000: Number of people who are expected to descend on New Orleans on Game Day.

$432 million: Revenue that New Orleans expects to rake in for hosting the game.

12,233: Number of tweets per second at last year's game, a new record.

12.2 million: Number of social media comments reportedly posted during the duration of last year's game.

$0: That's how much Beyoncé will supposedly earn for her highly touted half-time show (she will, however, be reimbursed an estimated $600,000 in production costs). Shocked? Purportedly, the NFL has never paid performers dating back to the very first halftime show. The payback, however, comes in the form of unquantifiable exposure. After all, with 111 million sets of eyeballs on you—and that's just from viewers watching on TV—can musicians even hope for a better gig?

Five Super Bowl Snacks Fans Will Pay More For This Year from businessinsider

Wings. Chicken wing price hikes are nothing new around Super Bowl season, but this year, record high chicken feed prices have caused the party table staple to be even pricier than usual. They were going for around $1.90 per pound in December — 26% higher than a year before. Despite the spike, the National Chicken Council projects Americans will still chow down 1.23 million pounds of wings this Super Bowl season — enough to stretch from Baltimore to San Francisco 27 times.

Burgers. If you were hoping to fill the chicken hole with beef, better luck next year. Beef prices also are on the rise, which could make the burgers and burritos you planned on stocking up on for halftime cost a few extra pennies. After livestock herds declined by record levels in 2012, beef prices rose about 6 percent and the USDA projects they could go up another 4 percent this year

Bacon. In case you were planning on taking a stab at your own Bacon Bowl, you might want to set aside a few extra bucks. The threat of a worldwide bacon "Aporkalypse" might have been exaggerated last fall, but that doesn't mean the price surge on the meat lovers' favorite has died down yet. Experts predict the price tag on bacon will soar this year. 

All things corn. If you check the ingredients on just about any carb in your pantry, chances are corn will show up –– and that you paid more for it this year than last. Thanks to the devastation caused to corn crops this year, harvests were down nearly 30 percent, sending prices soaring. From corn chips to corn on the cob, these snacking basics might not be quite as cheap compared to last year.

Booze. Alcohol sales managed to survive the recession and chances are the price hikes forecasted on beer this year won't deter thirsty fans either. But it's worth noting that Anheuser-Busch beers cost about 5 percent in the fall — making prices about 55 to 75 cents more for a case of Bud Lights. Regardless of the slight cost increase per can, Save on Brew estimates Americans will throw down 50 million cases of beer during the big game, adding up to a nationwide tab of $10.8 billion.

Super Sunday

A new survey by the National Retail Federation reveals that 179 million people will watch the Super Bowl. Other findings:

- the average fan will spend $68.54 on Super Bowl-related items and food. Super Bowl spending is likely to reach $12.3 billion.

- 3.9 million households will buy new furniture for the game

- 7.5 million families will buy a new TV for the game, compared with 5.1 million last year.

- 17 million fans will buy team apparel

- 60 million people will go to a Super Bowl party, 39.4 million will host a party, and 10.1 million plan to watch the game at a bar or restaurant

- 39% of adults say that the ads are their favorite part of the Super Bowl, versus 28% who favor the game itself

- In order not to miss the commercials, 38% of people prefer to take bathroom breaks during the game while 23% prefer to take them during commercials

Top Super Bowl Foods Being Eaten/Served from a Neilsen survey 

Salty Snacks 46%

Dips 40%

Vegetables 36%

Cheese & Crackers 30%

Appetizers 28%

Fresh Fruit/Salad 27%

Pizza 26%

Sweet Desserts/Candy 26%

Buffalo Wings 24%

Nuts 23%

Snack Attack

Americans will eat more than 30 million pounds of snacks on Super Bowl Sunday. This is double their average daily snack consumption. Other findings:

- During Super Bowl Sunday, Americans will eat 30 million slices of pizza, or 350 slices per second

- Super Bowl Sunday is the most important snack purchasing day of the year, followed by the day before the big game. 

- 64% of adults prefer sweet snacks, while 54% like their snack foods salty. 80% of fans like their snacks crunchy

Super Bowl Sunday Facts

Here are some Super Bowl facts.

- The Super Bowl will be broadcast in more than 230 countries with an estimated worldwide audience of 1 billion people.

- Super Bowl Sunday is the second-largest one-day food consumption day of the year behind Thanksgiving

- 7% of Americans will call in sick on Monday

- Super Bowl weekend is the slowest weekend of the year for weddings. 

- crime drops by an average of 73% on Super Bowl Sunday. 

- in 1967, a Super Bowl television ad cost $42,000. A 30-second ad for this year's game sold for over $3.8 million.

- $25,000: Estimated value of the Super Bowl trophy.

Super Bowl 47: More Feats, Facts and Historic Firsts from the NFL

• To date, 3,581,385 have attended Super Bowl games. The largest crowd was 103,985, at Super Bowl XIV (Jan. 1980), which was played at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

• Player shares in 2013 include: $88,000 to each member of the winning team; $44,000 to each member of the losing team.

• The Vince Lombardi trophy stands 20.75 inches tall, weighs 107.3 ounces, and is valued in excess of $25,000. The words Vince Lombardi and Super Bowl XLVII are engraved on the base along with the NFL shield.

• For this year's Super Bowl, American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress Beyoncé will perform at halftime. In Super Bowl I, the halftime entertainment consisted of the Universities of Arizona and Michigan Bands.

• The Bridgestone Super Bowl XLVI halftime show last year featuring Madonna was watched by an average of 112.6 million viewers, making it the most-watched Super Bowl halftime ever, surpassing Michael Jackson's halftime performance in 1993.

• Tom Brady's 127 pass completions over five Super Bowl games is an NFL record.

• Joe Montana threw the most touchdown passes (4 games) in Super Bowl history with 11 perfect strikes.

• Pittsburgh's Franco Harris rushed for a league record 354 yards over 4 Super Bowl games.

• Minnesota, Denver, Buffalo and New England have all lost 4 Super Bowls.

• San Francisco scored 8 touchdowns in Super Bowl XXIV (Jan. 1990) over Denver, the most by any team in Super Bowl history.

• Buffalo turned the ball over 9 times in Super Bowl XXVII (Jan. 1993) against Dallas, the most in Super Bowl history.

• 23 NFL head coaches have won Super Bowls with more than one team.

• 18 individuals have won Super Bowls both as a player and as a coach.

• 14 fathers and sons have reached the Super Bowl.

• 22 sets of brothers have reached the Super Bowl.

• 6 NFL head coaches led their team to the Super Bowl in their first season, the last being Jim Caldwell of the Indianapolis Colts in 2009.

• Based on Nielsen record figures, Super Bowl XLV (Feb. 2011) was watched by 162,900,000 viewers on FOX, the most in Super Bowl history.

• The oldest winning coach in Super Bowl history was Tom Coughlin, 65, in Super Bowl XLVI (Feb, 2012); while the youngest was Mike Tomlin, 36, in Super Bowl XLIII (Feb. 2009)

• The ticket prices for Super Bowl I (Jan. 1967) in Los Angeles were $6, $10 and $12.

• The ticket prices for XLVI (Feb. 2012) in Indianapolis were $600, $800, $900 and $1,200.

• On average, 10,000 tweets were sent per second during the final three minutes of the New York Giants' 21-17 defeat of the New England Patriots last year in Super Bowl XLVI, according to a Twitter spokesperson.

• More than 2.1 million people turned on the live Internet stream of Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5, 2012, according to an NBC spokesperson.

• Super Bowl XLVII will be the 10th Super Bowl held in New Orleans since 1970, putting the city into a tie with South Florida for the most by any single location.

• There were 338 credentials issued to media at Super Bowl I in Los Angeles; last year in Super Bowl XLVI, there were 5,156 accredited members of the media, the most in the history of the game.

• The use of Roman numerals to designate Super Bowls began with game V (Jan. 1971), won by the Baltimore Colts over the Dallas Cowboys, 16-13.

• The price of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl I in 1967 was $42,000. This year, by comparison, for Super Bowl XVII, a 30-second commercial will run $3,800,000.

• According to a new survey by the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, a division of the National Retail Federation, conducted by BIGinsight, more than 179.1 million people will watch the game Sunday, February 3, the most in the survey's nine-year history and up from an estimated 172.5 million last year.

• The NRF survey additionally found nearly three-quarters (74.0 percent) of those watching the game will buy wings, pizza, chips, soda. Additionally, 3.9 million households will buy new furniture items, such as entertainment centers, chairs and couches, while 7.5 million will buy decorations.

• Americans will consume 1.23 billion chicken wings during the Super Bowl this year, a 1 percent decline from last year, according to the National Chicken Council.

• Mexico will be the largest supplier of avocados for the Super Bowl, according to the Henry Avocado Corp.

• According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, $93.90 million was wagered on the Super Bowl last year in the state of Nevada.

• There are approximately 22,000 hotel rooms in downtown New Orleans and another 37,000 in the metropolitan area; and all are but officially sold out, according to the NFL.

• According to the New Orleans Convention and Visitor's Bureau, approximately 150,000 tourists will have stormed New Orleans for Super Bowl 47 this year.

• According to an economic study conducted by the University of New Orleans, Super Bowl 47 will have a $432 million impact on the city.

Super Bowl Alternatives - What Costs Less On Game Day from cheapism.com

•Go to the theater. Broadway shows tend to be less expensive on Super Bowl night. For example, ticket prices to Wicked's 7 p.m. performance in New York City on Feb. 3 start at $79 through Stub Hub compared to $256 for the following Sunday night. (Cheaper tickets are available for other days of the week.) But hang on -- prices may drop as game day draws nigh. According to a New York Times 2012 travel article, ticket prices for Merchant of Venice and Spiderman were down by 25 percent a week prior to the 2011 Super Bowl and fell 13 percent more in the days leading up to the big game. And you won't have to worry (as much) about ticket availability because most people already have plans for that night.

•Hit the slopes. We don't have exact figures, but if the past is any guide, Super Bowl Sunday is prime time for skiing. In 2011 people who purchased lift tickets for this day through Liftopia saved an average of 40 percent compared to the average savings of 32 percent for mid-week lift tickets. Keep tabs on such deals as you scout around for Super Bowl alternatives. Obviously, the offers vary by location and in an unusual twist may also be determined by the fate of competing teams. For instance, Feb. 3 lift ticket prices at New Hampshire's Waterville Valley depend on the New England Patriots' most recent score. 

•Take-out from the nearest chain restaurant. In previous years several chain establishments' Super Bowl alternative has involved offering tasty treats for cheap. Papa John's, for example, gave out $45 gift cards every 45 seconds and sold large pizzas for $10 each during Super Bowl 2011. Many national restaurant chains have also used game day to promote a new product. In 2011 Pizza Hut publicized the "Big Dipper": $12 for 24 strips of pizza and four cups of tomato sauce for dipping. 

•Eat local. Super Bowl alternatives also include alternatives to fast food, including good deals at neighborhood joints. At Carnivale in Chicago, all diners will receive a complimentary $15 gift certificate during this year's Super Bowl weekend. This is a smart idea considering that Super Bowl Sunday tends to be one of the least busy nights of the year for sit-down restaurants. During game time Open Table -- the restaurant reservation site -- fills about half the seats of a typical Sunday night. So use the day as an opportunity to dine somewhere you haven't been able to get into.

DOES GOD CARE WHO WINS THE SUPER BOWL?

The cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated has a picture of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis with the headline, “Does God Care Who Wins the Super Bowl?”

The cover and the question were inspired by the fact that Lewis has been very open about his faith in God – especially this year.

According to a recent survey, 27 percent of Americans believe that God plays a role in determining which team wins a sporting event. (WashingtonPost.com)

SUPER BOWL TRIVIA THAT WILL MAKE YOU SOUND LIKE A GENIUS ON SUNDAY

If you want to sound like a genius to your friends on Sunday, just drop some of these gems of trivia on them this Sunday:

Each winner of this year’s game gets $88,000. The losers get $44,000.

Minnesota, Denver, Buffalo and New England have all lost four Super Bowls.
 

The oldest winning coach in Super Bowl history was Tom Coughlin at age 65 in 2012. The youngest was Mike Tomlin, who was 36 when he won it all in 2009.
 

The ticket prices for Super Bowl I were $6, $10 and $12. The ticket prices last year were $600, $800, $900 and $1,200.
 

The price of a 30-second commercial for Super Bowl I in 1967 was $42,000. This year, they’re running $3.8 million.
 

Americans will consume 1.23 billion chicken wings during the Super Bowl this year.
 

All of the 57,000 hotel rooms in New Orleans and the surrounding area are sold out. (HuffingtonPost.com)

SUPER BOWL: Taco Bell Wants Employees to Tweet Their Commercial

Taco Bell spent $4 million on its 60-second ad that will be seen during Sunday's Super Bowl.

And, in an effort to get the biggest bang for its buck, the company is asking its 150,000 employees to tweet and Facebook it to their friends.

On one hand, it’s a chance for all those employees to do something fun and be a part of the Super Bowl madness.

On the other hand, Taco Bell is crossing a line, asking employees to do something in their personal lives that benefits the company. (MSN.com)

QUIZ: Super Bowl

Super Bowl 47 is right around the corner. How much do you know about the big game?

1. This will be the 10th time the city of New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl, tying with what city for most Super Bowls hosted by a metropolitan area: Los Angeles, Miami or Atlanta?
(ANSWER: Miami)

2. Linebacker Ray Lewis will retire from the NFL after 17 seasons following his team's Super Bowl appearance. What is his jersey number?
(ANSWER: 52)

3. True or false: heading into the game, both teams are undefeated in Super Bowls?
(ANSWER: True – the 49ers are 5-0 and the Ravens are 1-0)

BONUS: Three other teams besides the 49ers and Ravens have played in Super Bowls but never lost. Name two of them?
(ANSWER: The Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Saints – all three are 1-0 in Super Bowls)

4. During Super Bowl gatherings this year, football fans are anticipated to consume 79 million pounds of: avocado, potato chips or chicken wings?
(ANSWER: Avocado)

5. According to Forbes Sports Money, how much money will people in Las Vegas wager on the Super Bowl this year: $56 million, $77 million or $92 million?
(ANSWER: $92 million)

6. True or false: to date, the team that called 'heads' has won the Super Bowl coin toss nearly two-thirds of the time?
(ANSWER: False. Up until now, there have been an equal number of heads results and tails results – 23 times each)

7. Super model Kate Upton will appear during the game in a much talked about ad for what car company: BMW, Mercedes-Benz or Jaguar?
(ANSWER: Mercedes-Benz)

8. This year, a 30-second Super Bowl ad costs: $3 million, $4 million or $5 million?
(ANSWER: $4 million – up from $3.5 million last year and $42,000 in 1967)

9. True or false: the name "Super Bowl" was inspired by the "Super Ball," a popular children's toy from Wham-O?
(ANSWER: True)

10. Who holds the record for longest Super Bowl winning streak for one conference or league: AFC or NFC?
(ANSWER: NFC – they won 13 consecutive Super Bowls from 1985-1997)
11. To date, how many teams have been held scoreless in the Super Bowl: 0, 6 or 12?
(ANSWER: Zero – no team has ever been held scoreless in a Super Bowl)

12. True or false: this Sunday's Super Bowl is the first time in professional sports history that siblings will compete for a championship as head coaches?
(ANSWER: True – John Harbaugh coaches the Ravens and Jim Harbaugh coaches the 49ers)

13. The Baltimore Ravens are descended from what All-America Football Conference team?
(ANSWER: The Cleveland Browns – who joined the NFL along with the 49ers when the AAFC collapsed after the 1949 season)

14. Next year's Super Bowl 48 will be the first outdoor Super Bowl in a cold weather city. Where will the game be played: Mile High Stadium in Denver, Lambeau Field in Green Bay or Met Life Stadium in New Jersey?
(ANSWER: Met Life Stadium in New Jersey)

15. True or false: last year's Super Bowl between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots was the all-time most-watched broadcast in the United States?
(ANSWER: True – a record 111.3 million people tuned in)

WEIRD BEER

With Super Bowl Sunday just days away, it’s time to start planning your beer strategy.

Do you fill the cooler with the usual domestic stuff like Miller Lite and Budweiser? Or, do you put some stuff in there that actually tastes like something?

If you’re feeling really adventurous, be on the lookout for beers infused with these weird flavors:

·                                 Pizza

·                                 Key Lime Pie

·                                 Thyme

·                                 Pastrami on Rye

·                                 Rose Petals

·                                 Donut, Bacon and Maple

·                                 Bacon, Lettuce and Tomatoes

·                                 Hemp (MadeMan.com)

FOOD & DRINK: Weird Stuff People Put in Guacamole

Posted: Wednesday 01:22PM Jan. 30, 2013 PST

Super Bowl has become a huge day for guacamole, as an estimated 70 million pounds of avocados will be purchased and mashed up this year.

And, as avocado sales continue to increase, so does the creativity of avocado recipes.

Here’s a rundown of some of the weirdest stuff people are putting in their guacamole these days:

·                                 Bacon

·                                 Grapefruit

·                                 Bananas

·                                 Roasted tomatoes

·                                 Corn

·                                 Chipotle peppers

·                                 Radish slices

·                                 Black beans

·                                 Jicama

·                                 Black-eyed peas (SeriousEats.com)

SUPER BOWL: Which City Wins the Healthy Bowl?

If the Super Bowl was determined by the healthiest city, the San Francisco 49ers would be the champions.

The life expectancy for males in San Francisco? 78.5 years. In Baltimore? 67.8 years.

According to Gallup-Healthways, which ranks cities and states based on life evaluation, emotional and physical health, behavior, work environment, and basic access, San Francisco ranked 16th out of 190 cities. Baltimore came in 74th.

As for obesity, 27.4 percent of the population in Baltimore-Towson area are obese. In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont area, it's only 17.5 percent. (Huffington Post)

SUPER BOWL: Name the Budweiser Baby Clydesdale

Budweiser has been a big part of Super Bowl commercials as long as most of us can remember. They’ve got the frogs, the iguana and – of course – the Clydesdale horses.

This year, they’re really highlighting the Clydesdales because a baby Clydesdale was born just a couple weeks ago, weighing in at 150 pounds.

So, Budweiser is asking people to help them name the baby through its Twitter account and Facebook page. How convenient … just in time for the Super Bowl.

Not surprisingly, several Clydesdales, including the new baby, will appear in a new 60-second commercial that will run during the big game.

For Facebook or Twitter:

Budweiser wants you to help name their new baby Clydesdale. http://bit.ly/TMtbqA Any ideas?

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