RANDOM RICK-NESS

Donate a few dollars to “my” Red Kettle would ya? It helps the Salvation Army…and since we’re in a ‘friendly’ competition to see which deejay raises the most money, I need YOUR help to crush my co-workers mercilessly! Friendly my butt! For each 5 dollar donation you are AUTMATICALLY entered to win a trip to Cancun…so if you donate 10 bucks you’re AUTOMATICALLY registered TWICE. Donate 50 bucks and you’re AUTOMATICALLY registered TEN times! See how that works? So get on it by going  HERE

…and if you want to help me annihilate my co-workers, (in that friendly way of course) start a thread about this on YOUR Facebook page. Be sure the donations go in the kettle belonging to Rick Sanborn. Let the game begin!

MORNING MUSINGS

What happened to the Rams? Bless their hearts. It was REALLY fun watching that first quarter. Then I got nervous. Then I got sad. Then I turned off the TV. Is Steven Jackson okay? He was not a busy dude yesterday, so I'm just wondering. And perhaps it's time to re-retire the shuffle pass... click HERE

Sing along with me now: Joanie Baez sittin' in a tree...f-a-l-l-i-n-g! Really! Ms. Baez apparently enjoys constructing little treehouse-ish structures (i.e. a platform) and sleeping in trees. Sometimes, however, she doesn't stay in them. While climbing down, she fell about 20 feet and was treated for what her rep says was "minor injuries." click HERE

There's a clear front runner among the Beatles' most downloaded tracks. "Hey Jude" is on top, followed by "Twist and Shout" and then "Let It Be."

If just downloading their music isn't enough to satisfy you, a documentary about John Lennon's final years hits PBS tonight at 8pm our time. "LENNONYC" focuses on John's years living in Manhattan in the 1970s with Yoko and their son, Sean and includes interviews with musicians and recording engineers who worked with Lennon during that time.

HERE is the scoop:

And if you'd like even more potentially good TV, the Discovery Channel is airing a special on JFK's Secret Service detail tonight at 8pm our time, to commemorate the 47th anniversary of President Kennedy's assassination.

Read about it HERE:

If you love your pets, I'm sure you know a lot of things that we put on the table during the holidays can be harmful to them. But Purina sent a list with items I never even thought of!

Bones - You know these can splinter in your pooches little tummy, right?

Chocolate - We've all heard this one. It really can be fatal for some pets.

Dough and Cake Batter - Raw bread dough can actually rise in your pet's belly, causing severe pain and bloating. And raw eggs could contain salmonella, which is as dangerous to pets as it is to humans.

Onions and Garlic - These ingredients contain sulfides, which are toxic to animals.

Sage - Sage, along with many other herbs, contains essential oils and resins that can cause tummy upset and central nervous system depression, especially to cats.

Raisins and Grapes - Your pets can choke on these, or, if they do get them down, they can cause kidney damage.

Walnuts and Macadamia Nuts - These nuts can cause weakness, depression, tremors, lack of coordination, and the high fat levels could even cause pancreatitis in dogs.

Mushrooms - Kidneys, the liver and the central nervous system could be disrupted and, in the worst cases, seizures, coma or even death could occur.

Chewing Gum and Candy - These goodies could contain Xylitol, an artificial sweetener that could adversely affect your pet's blood sugar level and could be fatal.

Beer - Alcohol and especially the hops in beer can actually get your pet drunk, which isn't as fun as it sounds. Panting, fever, a racing heart, liver damage, even a coma or death could result.

So, now that I've scared you silly, just know that your pets love you wither you feed them from the table or not. (I know it's hard not to share, but we can do it! Be strong!)

How would you like to get that pesky flu shot...for free? Downtown Urgent Care is offering free flu shots (normally they're $24!) IF you bring a new unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. You don't need an appointment; just walk in by Christmas Eve at 3pm. Their hours are: Monday - Friday 8a-6p and Saturday and Sunday 9a - 1p. Downtown Urgent Care is located at 916 Olive Street. Find them online HERE:

And did you know that 42% of those taking part in a new Rasmussen Reports poll say they WON'T be getting a flu shot this year and only 15% say they're concerned about health care facilities running out of the vaccine if an epidemic were to occur.

The magic that is Guns ‘N Hoses happens on Thanksgiving Eve, Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m. at Scottrade Center. Guns 'N Hoses raises money for The BackStoppers who assist the families of Police Officers and Firefighters who lose their lives in the line of duty. See 17 bouts between teams of police officers and firefighters from St. Louis City and the 12 Missouri counties and five Illinois counties covered by The BackStoppers, cheer for your favorites, and help raise money for a wonderful cause.

Tickets are $30, $25, $20 and $10 and are available by calling their 24-hour hotlines, (314) 560-9226 St. Louis and other Missouri counties, (314) 444-5795, in St. Louis City, and (618) 622-1507 in Illinois. Tickets will also be available at the door or HERE through ticketmaster.

More information is available HERE:

How would you like a 10-in-1 Game Table? You can bid - AND raise a bunch of money for the Salvation Army by clicking on the Salvation Army icon on our homepage. Don't wait; the bidding ends Sunday at 6pm! And if you don't want to bid, but you'd love to donate to the Salvation Army, feel free to visit our online kettles HERE and join in our friendly competition to see which jock can collect the most money for a very worthy cause. Thanks so much!

MAC