Stones still talking 2013 tour. Fleetwood Mac to release two digital songs. Elton John still tweaking new album. Geddy Lee will make appearance on TV show. The Puppy Bowl is back for another year. US getting more impolite, less stylish. Who got you sick? There's an app for that. Sixteen things single people need to stop saying. Tips for good joke telling. 13 fast food facts from a fast food worker.

ROLLING STONES

All eyes are on the Rolling Stones as they size up the offers for a 2013 tour. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both talked openly to Rolling Stone about how the band plans to play out their 51st year. Keith Richards admitted that the 50th anniversary held little allure for commemoration, saying, "Nostalgia is not this band's strong point. It was almost kicking and screaming to get us to this 50-year thing. We eventually realized it was a good time to put things together again. 'Hey, 51 years? Don't give a s***.' Mick took the longest to come along. He was there with it, but it was always 'Give me another reason.' I know Charlie (Watts) didn't need persuading. He just wanted to make sure Mick wanted to do it."

Fans have been speculating how the Stones' next series of dates will take shape -- whether they'll be part of a massive stadium tour, a string of major city residencies, or some combination of different sized venues as they did in 2006. Keith Richards said that how the band decides to perform ". . . will definitely come into the equation. At the same time, a gig's a gig. The curtain opens and there you are. I just get the feeling they're itching at the bit now. This thing wasn't enough."

Mick Jagger maintains that whether or not the band would salute their golden anniversary was never really in question -- but how they would do it was: "It wasn't really a debate. I originally said, 'We can do anything. We can do one club show, if you want.' But I always imagined it was going to be brief."

Jagger laughed at Richards assuredness at future Stones gigs this year: "Keith and Ronnie (Wood) say things to the press, because that's their line. They don't say, 'Oh, I think about it carefully.' But they think about it as carefully as Charlie and I do. The reality is they are as tentative as anybody else."

Keith Richards shed some light on how the corporate side of the Stones works these days, telling Britain's The One Show, that the band's meetings couldn't be farther away from sex, drugs, and rock n' roll: "We meet in meeting rooms (laughs). And it's also ludicrously formal; a table with a pen and pad -- and a couple of lawyers -- and then it usually degenerates into, like, a farce."

FLEETWOOD MAC

Fleetwood Mac will be issuing two digital songs before launching their upcoming tour in April. Stevie Nicks explained that in 2013 the public demand for vintage acts to release full-scale albums has greatly diminished, saying, "Nobody is sitting around waiting for an album from anybody. And that's unfortunate. That's not how we want it. If we had felt that there was a reason to rent a house and go into a house for eight months to do a (full-length) record, we would have. But I think we'll throw these two songs out (before) our first show, in the way that we do these days, which I'm not really familiar with, because I'm not a computer person."

The two tracks -- "Sad Angel" and "Miss Fantasy" -- stem from early 2012 band sessions, which Nicks sat out due to the then-recent loss of her mother: "Those are both written by Lindsey (Buckingham). But I really like 'em. The boys went in at the beginning of the year for a couple weeks and recorded about eight songs. . . And I just kind of went underground for about six months, so I wasn't available. So they recorded several songs, and they're all good. And I chose one, and Lindsey chose one. And I put vocals on them, and we played around with them, and they came out great. Even though I didn't write them, I think they're very representative of me. As Lindsey told me, 'I tried very hard when I was writing these songs to make them you. It's not about you (but) of you.' And I can hear that in these songs."

Stevie Nicks shed some light on the most recent Fleetwood Mac sessions -- which actually turned into a Buckingham Nicks reunion: "We worked on two songs. I put some vocals on two songs that Mick (Fleetwood) and John (McVie) and Lindsey had recorded a few months back that I liked very much. That's why I spent four days at his house at his studio, and they came out great. And then wee also found an old Buckingham Nicks song that really, neither of us can figure out why it didn't go on the (Buckingham Nicks) record, because we have just the most amazing demo of it. And I was considering doing it on In Your Dreams, and I thought, 'This needs to wait for whenever the Buckingham Nicks record come out, y'know? We need to strip it on to Buckingham Nicks.' So, we recorded that, so we actually recorded three songs."

There's been no release date set for "Sad Angel" and "Miss Fantasy."

Fleetwood Mac kicks off its 34-date North American tour on April 4th at Columbus, Ohio's Nationwide Arena. They're scheduled to hit Houston June 5th.

ELTON JOHN

Elton John's longtime lyricist Bernie Taupin reveled that Elton John is once again revising his up coming album. Back in October, producer T Bone Burnett explained that Elton was going back into the studio to "tweak the album before it's released." Although the album is still on track for a May release, the set has now gotten a name change from The Diving Board to Voyeur. The new sessions are slated to take place during the latter part of this month.

Bernie Taupin posted on his official website, (berniejtaupin.com): "Seeing that we're in no rush to get this record out there, we just felt the bug to get back in and cut some more material. We're pretty happy with what we've already laid down but there's always room for improvement. If you've got some good songs up your sleeve that can spice up the mix and enhance what's already there, it would be a shame not to make use of the free time."

2012 marked the 45th anniversary of Elton John and Bernie Taupin first teaming up as staff writers for Beatles' music publisher Dick James Music. Taupin said that although his and Elton's songs have become pop standards over the years, that shouldn't take away from the quality of the work: "First and foremost, we are good songwriters. And there's nothing wrong with writing a great song -- providing it retains elements of passion, and whatever. As long as its not just a surface thing. And I think these songs are very commercial and there's nothing wrong with being commercial, yet they are at the same time very passionate."

Elton John will be among the artists paying tribute to Bruce Springsteen on February 8th at the MusiCares Person Of The Year Gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

RUSH

Rush frontman Geddy Lee will appear on the February 4th episode of the popular CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother, as part of an array of Canadian celebrities on hand for the return of Avengers star Cobie Smulders as Canadian pop star Robin Sparkles on the show. Other Canadians lined up to appear include Alan Thicke, Paul Shaffer, Jason Priestley, Alex Trebek, K. D. Lang, ex-Barenaked Ladies frontman Steven Page and former hockey player Luc Robitaille. How I Met Your Mother airs Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET on CBS-TV. (Huffington Post)

PUPPY BOWL RETURNING FOR ANOTHER YEAR

 Puppy Bowl will be back for another year, as Animal Planet announced Tuesday (January 8th) that the annual adorable tradition will air on February 3rd, Super Bowl Sunday, from 3 to 5 p.m. There will be 63 puppies competing at the newly-named Geico Stadium, with a few new elements added this year. Among them, hedgehog cheerleaders will be on the sidelines, "Puppy Cam" technology will gave up close shots or puppy faces and limbs as they play, and an off-field camera will show substitute puppies warming up in a special puppy hot tub. Also back will be the Kitty Half-Time Show, with kittens tumbling and playing as the puppies get a break between halves.

SURVEY: U.S. IS GETTING MORE IMPOLITE, LESS STYLISH

A survey sponsored by the Italian wine brand Ecco Domani finds that 79-percent of American adults surveyed said they have seen a decline in manners and etiquette over the past few decades. Sixty-five percent of respondents said generations younger than their own generally have poor manners, and 61-percent said they wished they put more effort into maintaining their personal appearance. Additionally, 48-percent of respondents said they have not sent a handwritten thank-you note within the past year - or ever, and 46-percent of men said they never or rarely stand up when a lady leave the table. The survey was given to one-thousand adults between ages 25 and 55. (UPI)

APP HELPS YOU FIGURE OUT WHO GOT YOU SICK

Trying to figure out who to blame for giving you the flu? There's an app for that - it's called "Help, I have the Flu," and scans your Facebook friend's status updates and more for clues. The app scans status updates for words such as, "coughing," "sneezing," and "flu." It even checks the places that they checked in, and even takes into account what time they posted, as several late-night posts might indicate sleep-deprivation and would thus make the friend more susceptible to catching the flu. The app even lets the user message the friend in question to let them know they've passed the flu on to someone else. (Huffington Post)

SIXTEEN THING SINGLE PEOPLE NEED TO STOP SAYING (The Frisky):

1) "I'm going to die alone!"

2) "When will it be my turn?!"

3) "There is no one out there." Tips

4) "I'm so over dating."

5) "If I get invited to one more wedding, I'm going to kill someone."

6) "I'm better off alone."

7) "All the good ones are gay or taken."

8) "I'm giving up and becoming a crazy cat lady."

9) Telling coupled friends, "You got the last good one."

10) "Boys are dumb."

11) "Dating is a waste of time, because it never works out for me any way."

12) "I'm just unlucky in love."

13) "Guy don't like me because I'm too [insert description here]."

14) "I'll be happier if I'm in a relationship."

15) "Things would be so much easier if I was gay."

16) "My eggs are rotting as we speak."

TIPS FOR GOOD JOKE-TELLING (Men's Health):

1) Tell at least one joke a day. According to Peter McGraw, Ph.D, an assistant professor of marketing and psychology and director of the Humor Research Lab (HuRL) at the University of Colorado, most people don't attempt jokes often enough for fear of failure or worse: offending the audience. That's because the root of humor is "benign violation," a situation that simultaneously seems wrong, but harmless. Moreover, it's not easy to nail a joke. To up your odds of eliciting laughs, test new jokes among friends - because they already like you, they'll be more forgiving if a punch line flops. If you must joke with a stranger, imitate his or her body language (it will put them at ease) and show some teeth. "A smile tells your audience that this is a joke, and that this thing that is wrong [the violation] is OK," says McGraw. And if your joke still isn't perceived as funny, or it makes someone uncomfortable? Use this simple save: "I'm just kidding!"

2) Start with a complaint, and end in an analogy. "Most people don't like complainers, but they do like humorous complainers," says McGraw. After all, when you transform something negative into something you can laugh about, it feels less irksome. To craft a joke, identify something that's negative - awful weather, tasteless food, the office loudmouth - and compare it to something unrelated that has similar qualities. McGraw's example: "My Internet connection is as slow as a 4-year old getting ready for bed." It's funny because it's not cool to make fun of 4-year-olds (violation!), but in this context - an article about jokes that's written for adults - it won't hurt a kid's feelings.

3) Make yourself the punch line. Most standup comedians open with a self-deprecating joke. Why? "It makes him or her seem more human and likeable," says McGraw. Plus, it's easier to laugh at a joke if you like the comedian, because you trust that they have good intentions. That said, never scrutinize your deep-rooted insecurities when you make fun of yourself. Instead, begin with a light topic like the mismatched outfit you threw on in a hurry, or your unrelenting hat hair.

  13 FAST FOOD FACTS FROM A FAST FOOD WORKER(Reader's Digest):

1) After we cook something, we put it in a holding cabinet and set a timer. When the timer goes off, we're supposed to throw it out. But often, we just reheat the food. So for the freshest meal, come between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. or between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. More people are in the restaurant then, so we're cooking and serving new food constantly.

2) That plain chicken breast may have been a healthy choice right out of the package. But sometimes we have to slather it with butter just to make sure it doesn't stick to the grill.

3) Most fast-food joints clean everything, including the grills and drink machine nozzles, with super-concentrated chemicals at the end of the day. If you're one of the first customers in the morning, you may be getting some of that chemical residue on the food or in the drink you order.

4) Those grill marks on your burger? Not real. They were put there by the factory.

5) Most of us will cook something fresh for you if you ask. But if you want to make sure your french fries come right out of the fryer, order them without salt; that forces us to cook you a new batch. Then you can add your own salt.

6) Avoid asking for "extra" of something, like cheese or sauce. As soon as you say "extra," we have to enter it at the register and charge you for it. Instead, just tell us you want us to "put a good amount on there" or "not to be skimpy with it," and we'll load you up.

7) Yes our chili is made from what you think. Meat from old burgers.

8) It makes me laugh when someone comes in and says she's trying to be healthy - and then orders a salad with crispy chicken. At McDonald's, some of those salads have about as many calories as a Big Mac. In fact, a small order of french fries contains four fewer grams of fat than a packet of our ranch dressing.

9) Because we're timed on how fast we get customers through the drive-though...we always prioritize those in line outside over anyone at the front counter.

10) One of my co-workers once got so mad that he spit in someone's food. He was suspended for three days; most of us would never do something like that.

11) Here's a good way to know how clean a fast-food establishment really is: When you get your drink, bend down and look up into the ice chute. If you see mold and other stuff growing in there - which is more common than you might expect - they're not cleaning the machine as often as they're supposed to.

12) Those gorgeous pictures of our food in our advertisements? They're airbrushed and touched up with fiberglass and paint. It probably takes two hours to make that picture; obviously, we're not going to be able to replicate that.

13) Please, please, get off your cell phone. I've had people pull up to the window, pay, and drive away without their food because they're talking on the phone and not paying attention. Then they're mad at me.

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

xoxo,

Jennifer Tyler

Fabulous Mid-Day Diva