Monk’s Afternoon Six Pack

Today is Tuesday, November 13th and here is my take on six subjects that I thought might be of interest. We'll talk about Twinkies, Catfish, and Jeff Gordon!

FORECAST: Lows back down in the mid-30s tonight with highs tomorrow reaching near 60 under partly cloudy skies.

ALABAMA: Tuscaloosa made it on to national television again but this time it wasn’t because of football. MTV came with ‘Catfish: The TV Show’ to focus on a Tuscaloosa resident who makes friends through a fake Facebook account and a battle of words ensued on the front steps of her home. Midtown Village got a little screen time as did a few T-Town neighborhoods. Watch the whole episode here. http://www.mtv.com/videos/catfish-the-tv-show-ep-1-sunny-jamison/1697219/playlist.jhtml

NATIONAL: 30% of the Hostess Brands, Inc. workforce is still on strike. The maker of such mouthwatering cakes as Suzy Qs, Ho-Hos, Donettes, and Ding Dongs has already shut 3 bakeries due to the strike which is preventing them from making and delivering product. Remember how many people were talking about the Twinkie shortage a few years ago? This could mean the end of Twinkies as we know it! I think we should start a petition to get Hostess Brands much needed Federal assistance. You think?

SPORTS: NASCAR officials announced late Monday that Jeff Gordon will face a fine of $100,000 and a 25-point penalty for his role in wrecking Clint Bowyer at the end of Sunday's race. Gordon, who ignored a black flag, altered the championship battle by taking Boyer (who was 3^rd in points) out of contention. NASCAR also fined Brian Pattie, Bowyer's crew chief, $25,000 for failing to keep his crew in line and Alan Gustafson, Gordon's crew chief, was placed on probation for the rest of the year as well.

ENTERTAINMENT: I saw the movie Wreck-It Ralph with my family on Sunday and recommend it for yours. My 11-year old loved it as did my wife and I. If you were a child of the first era of video games you’ll love it too. There are cameos from some video classics like Q-Bert, Pac-Man, Bowser from Super Mario Bros., Frogger, Peter Pepper from Burger Time, and more! As of November 11^th Wreck-It Ralph has grossed an estimated $119,947,405 worldwide. Watch the trailer here.

MUSIC: Aaron Lewis, vocalist for hard rock band Staind, releases his first full-length country CD ‘The Road’ today. The first single from the new disc is called Endless Summer. Last year Aaron came with the EP ‘Town Line’ which contained the hit Country Boy. http://aaronlewismusic.com/splash