Tuesday - 2/14/12 

'Live At Leeds' anniversary. Paul McCartney on 'Mad Men'?  Keith Richards recalls bashing a fan. Paying for a lap dance with drugs? Who wants marriage and children more? What did you shell out for a dozen roses today? Valentine's Day by the numbers. Tips for being happily single on Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day facts.

THE WHO

Tonight marks the 42nd anniversary of the recording of the Who's legendary 1970 gig at England's Leeds University -- the concert which eventually became their first live set, Live At Leeds. The original 1970 release only featured six tracks, including elongated versions of "My Generation" and "Magic Bus" along with show stoppers such as Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues," their 1966 single "Substitute," and covers of Eddie Cochran's "Summertime Blues," and Johnny Kidd and the Pirates' "Shakin' All Over."

Roger Daltrey said that although he loves the Live At Leeds album, he isn't wild about his particular performance that night: "I always felt under pressure when anything was knowingly being recorded. I didn't mind if people were kind of surreptitiously doing it. Personally, it wasn't one of my best gigs, but the individual in the band never sees the band in the audience's perspective. It's a great album. I love that album because it captures a moment in time."

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Is Paul McCartney heading for a guest spot on Mad Men? According to a source close to the former Beatle, a McCartney cameo might just happen after the show's producer's reportedly took an interest in including some tracks from his new standards set, Kisses On The Bottom, on the show. The insider told The Sun, "It's perfect timing because his new music suits the program perfectly. Action in the show has now reached the Swinging Sixties. So it's only right that the man who was pivotal to the era is involved in the show."

The source added that fans shouldn't hold their breath in seeing the "Cute Beatle" mix it up with Don Draper anytime soon, saying, "'Macca' could have a walk-on part if he wished but it's unlikely he'll ask for a role. He's more than happy just to supply the tunes."

KEITH RICHARDS

Keith Richards fondly recalled the night he bludgeoned a fan on his 38th birthday. Ultimate Classic Rock reported that Richards fondly remembered the December 18th, 1981 concert in Hampton Roads, Virginia when a fan ran onstage during "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and Richards swung his Fender Telecaster and bashed the stage crasher's shoulder with amazing force. The legendary show is the subject of the Rolling Stones' latest "official bootleg" release, Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981).

Richards said of the gig, which was the final North American date of the Stones tour in support of Tattoo You, "Security was a bit slow, and I saw some guy heading straight for Mick (Jagger). I saw nobody between him and Mick. . . I have no idea what this guy is gonna do. All I know is that he's trying to get his hands on Mick, and this I have to prevent, and I do have a weapon in my hands. . . The damn thing stayed in tune, and this is the greatest (advertisement) for Fender that I can give you."

MAN TRIES TO PAY FOR LAP DANCE WITH DRUGS

 A Texas man is facing felony charges after authorities say he tried to pay for a lap dance at a strip club using crack cocaine then attacked a security guard and resisted arrest. When the man was refused the dance, he was escorted out of the club and kicked the security guard in the leg. Allegedly intoxicated, the man began to use racial slurs and spit on the police officers struggling to get him under control. He is now being held on $45,000 bail. (statemans.com)

MEN WANT MARRIAGE AND CHILDREN MORE THAN WOMEN?

 Men are as likely as women (and sometimes even more likely) to want marriage and children." A Match.com study called Single in America, designed by biological anthropologist Dr. Helen Fisher, found that men are far more open to commitment than the stereotype implies. According to the study, both men and women are as likely, overall, to want to get married (33% want to tie the knot). Furthermore, men in every age group are actually more interested in having children, even in the 21-to-34 age group (51% of men in that group want kids, compared to 46% of women). Men were also less likely to report that they'd needed more space in a relationship (58%, compared to 77% of women), and less likely to insist on nights out with friends (23%, compared to 35% of women). (AskMen.com)

DOZEN ROSES WILL COST $80 ON VALENTINE'S DAY

 A dozen red roses usually cost about $60, according to the Society of American Florists. But with Valentine's Day coming next week, most people will pay about $80, the trade group said. And although restaurant prices don't change, people tend to eat at more upscale restaurants for those Valentine's dates. Romantic couples will spend an average of $146.52 on Valentine's dinner dates, according to restaurant ratings guide Zagat, compared with about $70 on a typical meal for two. Overall, the average consumer will spend $126.03 on Valentine's Day this year, according to the National Retail Federation. That's the highest in 10 years, and up 8.5% from 2011 -- for a total of $17.6 billion thanks to the improving economy and increased consumer spending power, federation spokeswoman Kathy Grannis said.(LA Times)

VALENTINE'S DAY BY THE NUMBERS (Time)

$126.03: The average expected amount, per person, that Americans will shell out for the holiday. That's up 8.5% from last year. Consumers are expected to spend the most on jewelry, at a collective $4.1 billion.

72 million: The average number of Valentine's cards purchased by parents (40% of all cards sold). Whether they end up giving the cards to their children is unknown. Either way, 65% of all gifts will take the form of a greeting card. They're quick, cheap, and best of all, they come with heartfelt messages already written for you.

$52.4 million: The 2010 romantic comedy Valentine's Day raked in this much cash during its first weekend in theaters. But how did critics feel about the star-studded box office hit? See below.

18 (out of 100): The Rotten Tomatoes score awarded to Valentine's Day.

40%: The estimated increase in requests for divorce lawyers around mid-February each year.

82%: The portion of people who said they'd like an "experience" rather than a gift for the romantic holiday. What these "experiences" entail, and how expensive they are, is unclear. But consumers are expected to put $3.5 billion towards a romantic evening on the town with their partner.

220,000: The average number of wedding proposals on Valentine's Day each year (10% of the annual total).

70%: The portion of singles who said they wouldn't mind a blind date for the occasion.
8 billion: The number of Sweethearts Conversation Hearts manufactured each year by the New England Confectionery Company. Though the company began producing candy with messages in 1860, modern Sweethearts date back to 1920, when the sweets were also available in shapes such as watches, baseballs and horseshoes.

15%: The estimated portion of women who will send themselves flowers. (Like Cher in Clueless, perhaps?)

$367 million: Don't forget Fido -- collectively, consumers spend this much on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets each year.

TIPS FOR BEING HAPPILY SINGLE ON VALENTINE'S DAY

1) DON'T "celebrate" your singlehood with other single women.

• You might assume that surrounding yourself with women who are in the same unattached boat is the perfect way to combat the feelings of loneliness that can arise during a day that is built around coupledom. But when a bunch of single women get together because they are single, to remind themselves of why it's OK to be single, they tend to end up feeling really. . . single.
• A good rule of thumb is this: If you'd be embarrassed to tell your cute male co-worker what you did on Valentine's Day ("We ate tapas and burned photos of our exes and hit the club to dance in a circle all night long!"), then you probably shouldn't do it.

2) DON'T force yourself to attend a singles mixer, speed-dating event, or blind date with your grandmother's dentist's son.

• Being single is not a problem that you have to "fix"-and the day that you are feeling the most pressure to have a romantic partner is not the day to start desperately throwing yourself on the market.
• In today's post-dating world (check out what I mean by that here!), people are increasingly connecting through casual and ambiguous settings where they can be themselves. So skip the formal outings and throw a co-ed dinner party, go to a concert, or volunteer with a local organization.
• Be social on Valentine's Day! Do something that involves members of the opposite sex. But choose an activity that will be fun on its own, whether you end up meeting the love of your life or not. You don't want to risk going home disappointed. Not on Valentine's Day.

3) DON'T expect this to be the day when "that guy you've been sort of hanging out with" will declare his romantic feelings for you.

• Men often feel unwelcome pressure around Valentine's Day, too. While guys in relationships are stressing over their obligation to plan The Best Evening Ever, single guys are wondering how to handle their more ambiguous relationships.
• In this era of romantic "gray areas," you probably have at least one guy in your life who you think you might have (mutual? who knows!) feelings for. But here's a hint: he's probably going to stay silent on Valentine's Day. His lack of a big romantic gesture-or even a perfunctory text message-doesn't mean that he's not into you. It just means that he knows you will read more seriousness into his words and actions on Valentine's Day than you would on any other day of the year. And given all that pressure, he'd rather keep the lid on that can of worms.
• Save yourself the worry of waiting to hear from him, and push him out of your mind for a day. You can comment on his Facebook status and resume your ambiguous flirtation tomorrow.

4) DON'T assume that everyone who has a date is having a better time than you are.

• Several Valentine's Days ago, a girlfriend and I took each other out to a fun sushi restaurant for dinner. The hostess seated us next to a couple, and thus we prepared ourselves for the PDA-filled lovefest that was surely about to be thrown in our faces.
  But to our surprise, the couple said 12 words to each other throughout the entire meal, choosing instead to stare glumly at their dragon rolls and scroll through their phones. All while my friend and I had a blast chatting, laughing, and enjoying the good food.
• There are definitely couples out there who will have a great time together on Valentine's Day. But those are probably the same couples who are also having a great time together on Feb. 13, 15, and beyond. So don't psych yourself out by comparing your plans to everyone else's. You aren't a Valentine's Day failure! In fact, you might even be having more fun than most other people . .

5) DON'T get hung up on being "single." You're not!

• Valentine's Day can tempt you to categorize your love life into one of two black-and-white boxes: either you're in a relationship, or you're not. If you're in a relationship, then you're happy and in love. And if you're single, then you're desperate and lonely.

VALENTINE'S DAY FACTS (Woman's Day)

1. Valentine's Day started with the Romans. There are two theories about the origin of Valentine's Day. The first is that the day derives from Lupercalia, a raucous Roman festival on February 15 where men stripped naked and spanked young maidens in hopes of upping their fertility. The second theory is that while the Roman Emperor Claudius II was trying to bolster his army, he forbade young men to marry (apparently single men make better soldiers). In the spirit of love, St. Valentine defied the ban and performed secret marriages. For his disobedience, Valentine was executed on February 14.

2. It's not the most popular holiday for greeting cards. According to the Greeting Card Association, 190 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular greeting card-giving occasion, after Christmas.

3. Single ladies have a good shot at finding a date. There are 119 single men -- never married, widowed or divorced -- in their 20s for every 100 single women of the same age.

4. True love is apparently not that hard to find. Over two million marriages take place in the United States every year. That means there are more than 6,000 a day!

5. Husbands and boyfriends like to give bouquets. Men account for 73 percent of Valentine's Day flower sales.

6. Roses are the flowers of love. The favorite flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love? The red rose, of course. The bud stands for strong romantic feelings, so it's no surprise they make up the most popular Valentine's Day bouquets.

7. "Wearing your heart on your sleeve" is more than just a phrase. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names to see who their Valentine would be. They would wear the name pinned to their sleeve for one week so that everyone would know their supposed true feelings.

8. Money can buy love. The average U.S. consumer spent around $102 on Valentine's Day gifts, meals and entertainment in 2009, according to an annual U.S. National Retail Federation survey. Roughly 92 percent of married Americans with children will spend most of that money (about $67) on their spouse; the rest goes to Valentine's Day gifts for kids, friends, coworkers and even pets.

9. Americans have a serious sweet tooth. According to the National Confectioners Association, about eight billion candy hearts were made in 2009.

Thanks for listening to The Eagle while you work. Keep it fabulous, Houston!

xoxo,

Jennifer Tyler

Fabulous Mid-day Diva  <3