Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

Halloween Update:

Someone notify Charlie Brown: We found the Great Pumpkin.
   CHRIS STEVENS of New Richmond, WI, grew a gourd that weighed in at 1,810 pounds and the folks at Guinness say that's a world record for the heaviest pumpkin. (Photo)
   The circumference is more than 15 feet.
   The secret: A precise mixture of sunshine, rain, cow manure, fish emulsion and seaweed. (Maiman)

Filling a need:

Looking for something to do? Head for New York City for an attractive urban getaway at a local indoor rifle range: A --quote-- "Shootin' & Drinkin' Event: Rifle Instruction, 50 Shots, and Whiskey Tasting Course."
   Editor's note: Gee, what could possibly go wrong? (Maiman)

Idle gossip & unconfirmed rumors:

Looks like KATY PERRY and RUSSELL BRAND's wedding guests will be roughing it in India. The couple is rumored to be tying the knot at a resort called Arman-I-Khas tomorrow and getting away in the Asian wilderness doesn't come cheap.
   AbsoluteNow.com reports that friends and family will sleep in tents that go for nine-hundred-bucks-per-night! The celebration is already underway, apparently guests like RIHANNA are enjoying local splendors like traditional fare and a tiger-filled safari! (Lee)

NICOLE RICHIE and JOEL MADDEN are finally ready to get hitched. According to In Touch magazine, the parents of HARLOW and her brother SPARROW will tie the knot at Nic's dad LIONEL RICHIE's house in December --maybe. Joel's dad tells the tabloid that they are both so busy no date has been set.

The Reel Deal:

MEL GIBSON flushed outta "Hangover 2": Earlier this week, everybody was all abuzz over the potential Mel Gibson cameo as a bartender in "The Hangover 2" sequel. But yesterday, everybody behind the film dumped Mel like a hot potato, with director TODD PHILLIPS releasing a statement saying although Warner Brothers was OK with the cameo, the cast and crew decided it wasn't a good idea.
   In the movie, stars BRADLEY COOPER, ZACH GALIFIANAKIS and ED HELMS reunite and head over to Thailand.

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

A dramatic reading from JUSTIN BIEBER's memoir has gone viral. 80-year-old actor GORDON PINSENT did the bit on a Canadian comedy show called "This Hour Has 22 Minutes." He sits by a fireplace with a copy of "First Step 2 Forever: My Story," and gives it the full sarcastic deadpan treatment. (Marino)

LENNON's on sale again... this time at Bloomingdale's. A new line of clothing and jewelry inspired by the late ex-BEATLE includes very expensive t-shirts, scarves, cufflinks, bracelets and necklaces. This is all part of YOKO ONO's "Gimmie Some Truth" campaign surrounding what would have been John's 70th birthday.
   FYI: Bloomingdale's failed miserably with an exclusive Beatles collection a few years ago. The ridiculously expensive t-shirts didn't sell and were eventually liquidated at a huge discount to The Fest For Beatles Fans which also runs a merchandise Web site. (Marino)

Off the beaten path:

Government officials in Seoul, South Korea, are trying to solve an important dilemma.
   Reuters says they want to figure out how many octopus heads can safely be eaten by a human in one sitting. The slimy octo-heads are considered a delicacy in Korea. But, they also contain dangerous amounts of cadmium, a carcinogen that can damage the liver and kidneys.
   A while back, the government issued warnings against eating more than two heads per day. But, that made local octopus fisherman angry. And, they've threatened to sue the government for lost revenue. So, the issue is now back up for debate. (Still)