2013 a busy year for Peter Frampton. Jon Bon Jovi & X Factor? Lindsay Buckingham talks about split. Activities that cost less on Super Bowl Sunday. Eleven bizarre FB apps. Ten freaky things you should never Google. What your favorite book in sixth grade says about you.

PETER FRAMPTON

Only Peter Frampton could tread the fine line between rehearsing an original ballet score, building a school in Mexico, and mixing unreleased Humble Pie concerts. Frampton, posted on Facebook about his 2013 projects, writing, "The new music I have written with Gordon Kennedy for the Cincinnati Ballet shows on April 26th and 27th is ready to work up with the band. We start rehearsing for that beginning of April. In the meantime, I am going to Mexico with Kerry Kennedy to help build a school for some less fortunate children with the help of Habitat for Humanity. We will be hiking up into the mountains and sleep in tents. What no limo or Four Seasons?!!! Who booked me this gig?"

He also touched upon the mixing sessions he and drummer Jerry Shirley have taken part in for the expanded reissue of Humble Pie's 1971 groundbreaking live set, Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore, posting, "Jerry Shirley and I have been listening to the progress of the new mixes of the other shows from the Humble Pie Fillmore stint. These were the shows we pulled one from to be the Rocking The Fillmore album. As the surviving members we are very excited to be able to be working on this new project. It will be CD's of all four shows unedited. We know Greg Ridley and Steve Marriott would be pleased we were working on this. Jerry and I got extremely excited hearing this unreleased Humble Pie that hasn't been heard in 42 years!!! Go say hi to Jerry on Facebook he'll be thrilled to hear from you. He was the engine that drove Humble Pie. An amazing drummer and my dear friend and brother!!!"

Jerry Shirley recently published his autobiography, Best Seat In The House: Drumming In The '70s With Marriott, Frampton, And Humble Pie, and said that although the band never really caused a ripple in the careers of rock's "big three"; they did -- and still do great business: "Let's face it, I mean, we were a great band and we were a big band for a while there, but we were never the Beatles, we were never the (Rolling) Stones, we were never the Who. We never got to that stratosphere, if you like. We were trying to get there. But, y'know what? Considering that, the amount of record sales we still generate is quite decent. I mean, y'know, it's not millions a year, but it's a healthy amount. Let's put it like that."

JON BON JOVI

Jon Bon Jovi revealed that he was approached to serves as a judge on Fox's X Factor last season, according to Music-News.com. Bon Jovi's new single, "Because We Can," is out now and the band's upcoming album, What About Now, is due out on March 26th. Bon Jovi told The Sun, "I was offered all of (the shows) last year but it's not for me because I have a job, we're busy."

He went on to talk about the current crop of televised talent shows and touched upon the pressure the performers undergo weekly: "It's hard for the talent because they're thrust into a huge spotlight, then they win these things and they're expected to have a record that's on a par with the greats. I had 23 years to write my first record. I was able to develop a career in bars. I would never have won any of those contests. You see them there and they can hit the high note and then a year later they're a trivia question. It's a big ask of these kids."

Jon Bon Jovi said that by the end of the 1990's rock fans were getting sick of having their heroes take themselves so seriously: "I think it needed a good, healthy kick in the butt, and in the early '90s it got it from all the Seattle stuff. Kurt Cobain really, y'know, made his mark known, and it cleaned up music quite a bit. But I think it got to a point where people wanted to have their rock stars back again -- somebody to entertain 'em, that was happy to be there, that was gonna be a showman, that was gonna write songs that people could relate to, and not be so miserable all the time."

LINDSAY BUCKINGHAM

Lindsey Buckingham talked openly about his 1987 split from Fleetwood Mac. Following the release of the band's comeback album, Tango In The Night, Buckingham backed out of touring with the band, and officially stayed away from Fleetwood Mac until their 1997 The Dance reunion special and CD.

Buckingham explained to Rolling Stone that it took until his one-off appearance with Fleetwood Mac at President Clinton's inaugural bash for him to see a way back into the band: "We did Clinton's inauguration in '93, and that was sort of the catalyst and had a delayed reaction. I think by the time you cut to '96, when we contemplated doing The Dance, there had been enough time where we all settled down as people. The craziness that existed in '87 and '88 was gone. We were -- for all intents and purposes -- adults. I think the time apart helped us appreciate each other. The group has always been a group of people you can say maybe didn't belong in the same band together, but it's the synergy that makes it so magical. We were able to see that more clearly."

Although Buckingham now saves songs from his solo sessions for prospective Fleetwood Mac tracks, he recalled that back in the day, it was literally the opposite way around for him and the band: "The Tango In The Night album has tracks on it that were the beginnings of my third solo record. And I started that, and the group sort of moved in and said, 'Hey, we gotta do this.' So the song 'Big Love' switched gears and got into the group thing. There was more than one time when I was tempted to sort of go out and leave the group -- but its like anything else; you have to check your own impulses and make sure that you're really doing the right thing and you're ready for it."

Buckingham said that splitting Fleetwood Mac before the band's 1988 tour behind Tango In The Night was purely for his own creative survival: "I had left in '87, things had just gotten too crazy and I was just trying to, y'know, get my own act back together and reclaim my sanity and creativity."

NOT WATCHING THE GAME? ACTIVITIES THAT COST LESS ON SUPER BOWL SUNDAY(Yahoo):

1) 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-- prices may drop as game day draws nigh.

2) 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.

3) 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.

4) 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.

5) Fly (almost) anywhere. Airfare for flights in early February tend to be inexpensive, making a cheap getaway the perfect Super Bowl alternative -- unless you're eyeing Las Vegas (the partying capital of the Super Bowl) or New Orleans (the location of the game itself). Last year Jet Blue priced all drinks -- including beer, wine and spirits -- at $1 and gave out free Snyder's Buffalo Wing Pretzels on flights scheduled during the game. Bonus: Flying as a Super Bowl alternative means fewer passengers and more space to spread out.

ELEVEN BIZARRE FACEBOOK APPS(Mashable):

1) "God Wants You to Know." Expect Facebook messages from God, in the form of small motivations and encouragement. However, it doesn't help that "God's word" is sandwiched between slots ads. Users can also request prayers from others using the app and give prayers to those asking for support.

2) "Pot Farm." This game is essentially FarmVille on marijuana. Though it's intended for ages 21 and up, the game's description invites users to be part of "the other 'green' movement." The goal is to grow cash crops -- with names like "Grandaddy Purple," "Sour Diesel" and "Alaska Thunderfudk" -- and sell your "stash" for gold coins.

3) "Hemp Tycoon." If Pot Farm isn't your cup of herbal tea, check out a similar game called Hemp Tycoon. Users control a hemp leaf character with legs. The goal is to select exotic seeds, grow different plants and produce products like hemp tea and hemp ice cream. You can even send them as gifts to your Facebook friends.

4) "myPill." This app features a daily alarm that reminds users to take their birth control pills.

5) "Cat StickerZ." Cat lovers can collect and trade stickers, and vote on "the web's most fabulous cats."

6) "Amateur Surgeon." This Adult Swim game challenges users to help Alan Probe, founder of the "Bleed Everywhere" chain of illegal hospitals. The goal is to help Probe set up the place and staff whoever is available -- a user doesn't actually need to be qualified on any medical level. And yes, it's as sketchy as it sounds.

7) "Foldify." This iPad-only app allows users to turn their Facebook friends (and more) into 3D figures. Draw your friends or use existing photos as guides, then share with other users or print and actually fold the figures.

8) "Love Percentage." The concept is simple: a generator tells you exactly how much you're in love today. However, there is no explanation for what this percentage took into consideration. Judging by the comments on this app, most Facebook users are in love somewhere around 90% on any given day.

9) "How Attractive?" Another generator app, How Attractive? provides users with a daily percentage of how attractive they are. Similar to the love app, it's a mystery where the number actually originates. Interestingly, more than 10,000 people are actually using the app, and nearly 50,000 people have liked it.

10) "Pass A Joint." This explanation says it all. Earn rewards for each joint you roll or smoke. Your actions unlock new types of joints for you and your friends. You can also refine your skill in joint-rolling, if you desire.

11) "Status Shuffle." At a loss for something funny or profound to say on Facebook? This app will generate messages for you. It's filled with all of the face-palming quotes and jokes you'd normally see on your news feed.


 

TEN FREAKY THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD NEVER GOOGLE(The Stir):

1) Clock spider. I can't even type those words without my scalp crawling. Now, I have a THING about spiders so your creep factor on this one may vary, but if you're a fellow arachnophobe, you definitely definitely don't want to Google Image Search this term.

2) Trypophobia. Another Google Image term that returns a surprisingly upsetting number of visuals. Trypohphobia is also known as repetitive pattern phobia, a fear of objects with clusters of small holes.

3) Any medical symptom. Don't do it. All roads lead directly to cancer.

4) Tetris fanfic. Yes, there is fanfiction devoted to Tetris. Yes, some of it is pornographic. "I unbuttoned the blue pixel I had on my lower half and instructed her on the ways of foreplay. As her top pixel met my bottom pixel, I let out an ecstatic sigh. Such pleasure I had never experienced in my life ..."

5) Snapewives. According to the Urban Dictionary, "A group of middle-aged women on the internet who believe they are all married to Severus Snape from the Harry Potter books -- on the astral plane. They have real-life meetings where they take turns channeling the spirit of Snape so they can have wedding ceremonies with him." There are photos. There are videos. There are blogs. There are ... emotions.

6) Coconut crab. Sounds sort of tasty, right? Sure, in the sense that seeing one will eat your brain alive with horror. (A runner-up: the star-nosed mole.)

7) Mucus plug. Maybe you're pregnant and wondering what to look for. Maybe you should just use your imagination on this one.

8) Bedbugs on mattress. SWEET JESUS NO.

9) Skin condition. Nope, you don't have to be more specific than that -- Google will return a plethora of terrible visuals for you to choose from.

10) Yourself. Either you'll find no proof whatsoever of your existence or you'll realize just how screwed-up your Internet legacy will be. There's no happy outcome here.

  WHAT YOUR FAVORITE BOOK IN SIXTH GRADE SAYS ABOUT YOU(The Gloss):

1) The Outsiders: You were the first member of your peer group to discover, and later write, fanfiction.

2) Sweet Valley High (any title): You had an older sister. Depending on how much older she was, you found the books thrillingly racy or strangely foreign. Either way, your favorite part was always the opening description of the twins' appearance. You can still recite their measurements like beads on a rosary. Five foot six. Perfect size six figures.

3) From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler: You once told your best friend at her eleventh birthday party that she was boring, completely unprompted, then refused to apologize. You never apologize, even when you wish you could.

4)Little House on the Prairie: You were perfectly normal in every way.

5) Caddie Woodlawn: Secretly, you found the girls who liked the Little House books juvenile.

6) The Hatchet: You fell mutually in love with the co-captain of the basketball team your sophomore year of high school, but did not come out for another four years. You occasionally test yourself in private to see if you can still do ten pushups in a row, just in case. Not that anything bad is going to happen, or that pushups will be what helps you survive if it does. But just in case.

7) Harriet the Spy: Your overtures at friendship never came across in the warm and offhand way you imagined they would in your head. The word your classmates used most often to describe you was "weird." You weren't liked and you weren't disliked. You were "that weird girl," and no one ever asked you what you were thinking.

8)The House on Mango Street: You moved a lot, too often, and hated it. Now that you have a place of your own you can't help buying something new for it almost every week; a mirror, a plant, a puzzle. It runs into money but you don't mind.

9) Babysitter's Club (any title): Your best friend since the second grade suddenly and without warning stopped talking to you the summer before junior high. After college you received an unexpected Facebook friend request from her. When you saw her picture, you immediately began to cry, even though you had not thought of her in years.

10) Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry: For reasons that you can no longer recall, you spent the better part of fifth grade telling the most outrageous lies to anyone who would listen. You told your teacher that your grandmother had died, not to get out of any schoolwork but to see what her response would be. You affected a Southern accent for a week at summer camp, then dropped it without explanation.

11) Anne of Green Gables: This is still your favorite book. For better or for worse, it will always be your favorite book, no matter how much you talk about George Saunders or Wallace Stegner.

12)The Giver: You had a pet that died at a very formative point in your childhood. After its death you insisted upon carrying around a clump of its fur in a Ziploc baggie, even to sleepovers, until the other girls stopped inviting you to their sleepovers and your mother started to hint tactfully that maybe it would be a good idea if you kept the baggie in a "very special" place in your room that you could visit whenever you wanted. Three days after you gave in, the baggie disappeared. You knew it was her. You even knew that you should have been angry; instead you were relieved. You had been feeling guilty for days that you weren't as sad as you had been, and you found the burden exhausting.

13) A Wrinkle in Time: You studied abroad in college - for several years you insisted upon calling it "university" but time eventually cured you of that - where you briefly flirted with the idea of converting to something a little more High Church. Possibly Catholicism. More likely Episcopalianism.

14) Where the Red Fern Grows: You have never lived in the country or grown anything in the ground, but like to think that you would do a very good job of running your own farm someday. Nothing ambitious, nothing big, just a few cows, some chickens, maybe a goat. A vegetable garden, maybe. You work at a desk.

15) The Witch of Blackbird Pond: You find a perverse pleasure in feeling misunderstood and shop often at Free People.

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

xoxo,

Jennifer Tyler

Fabulous Mid-Day Diva