Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check

He's Calamari, Jim:

We guess some angry Germans finally got their wish: Paul the Octopus has died. Paul correctly predicted the outcome of eight World Cup matches this year, including Germany's eventual loss, which earned him death threats. There was a 1-in-256 chance he would guess them all correctly. He died of natural causes.
   The staff at the Oberhausen Sea Life Aquarium in Germany said it was "devastated when Paul was found dead this morning." The aquarium is planning to build a memorial in his honor. He would have been three-years-old in January.
   Before each game, the staff at the Centre would place a mussel in each of two containers, marked with the team's flag. Each time, Paul would pull out dinner from the correct container.
   Editor's note: We shall not see his like again. At least until the sushi is served. (Who wants calamari? With a nice marina sauce!)
   --I was gonna say that now "Paul is swimming with the fishes" but of course, he is, or was, or still is.
   --Extra sad if you consider he must have known he was going to die. (Yes, he knew, but being old, he had the wisdom to accept it as a part of life.)
   --How do you give death threats to an octopus?
   --Did they ask him about the World Series? (Yes, he tried feebly to eek out one last prediction but it was lost in a hail of bubbles.)
   --Might be time to play the Beatles' "Octopus' Garden." (Maiman)

Election Central:

With a week to go before Election Day, there are already plenty of reports of voting glitches and ballot irregularities popping up across the county:
   --In Illinois, problems are popping with that state's vote-by-mail system. Thousands -potentially hundreds of thousands-- of voters who are expecting a ballot sent to them by mail may be disenfranchised, and not get a ballot on time. 
   --In Nevada, the Democratic Secretary of State announced two days ago that voters can be provided "free food" at "voter turnout events," along with gift cards at other events.
   Also in Nevada, one voter said that when she went to vote for Republican SHARRON ANGLE, her Democratic opponent, Sen HARRY REID's name was already checked.
   --And in North Carolina, some voters say electronic voting machines are completing straight-party ticket voting for the opposite of what voters intended. (Pacelli)

Top Five Creepiest Halloween Candies:

1. Spooky Nerds
2. Body Parts
3. Zit Poppers
4. Box of Boogers ("The marketing department and packaging consultants at Flix Candy did not hold back with catchy slogans like 'Ssssnot your regular gummy'!"
5. Scab-a-Roni
   (Source: J-C REID from the Houston Press)

Sucking the life out of the wire services:

CHARLIE SHEEN may have taken another flying leap off the wagon. The NY Post reports the "Two and a Half Men" star was rushed to the hospital early yesterday morning when security at the Plaza Hotel in the Big Apple found him drunk and naked in a completely thrashed suite.
   The trouble-making star reportedly told police that he'd been "out partying," returned to the room with an unidentified woman and noticed his wallet was missing. Never one to shy away from confrontation, sources say he flat-out "lost it."
   Charlie's ex-wife, DENISE RICHARDS, accompanied him to the Emergency Room after the two spent a friendly weekend in Manhattan with their two girls.
   For what it's worth, Charlie's rep maintains his client had a bad reaction to medication and friends tell TMZ.com he has no plans to make a return trip to rehab.
   Cops say they did not find any evidence of drug use when they arrived at his hotel room at 2 am yesterday morning, but the NY Post said that when police arrived, Charlie "told cops he had snorted cocaine before flipping out."
   Star magazine says the escort who was with Charlie in his room at the time of his meltdown was the one who phoned hotel security while Charlie caused an estimated $7,000 of damage to the suite.
   Sidebar: Charlie was literally days away from completing his three-month probation, although he is not expected to face an criminal charges. (Lee)

True casting couch stories from Us Weekly magazine:
   --LISA RINNA lost a role on a big TV show because she wouldn't bend over a chair for "just a quickie"
   --MEGAN FOX claims she had to wash "Transformers" director MICHAEL BAY's car while he filmed her
   --CHARLIZE THERON walked out of a night audition at a director's house telling him, "Wrong girl, buddy"
   --GWYNETH PALTROW says someone actually suggested to her that they "finish a meeting in the bedroom"
   --HELEN MIRREN is still ticked a director made her turn around several times and show him her body (Myers)

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

The cast of "Glee" is releasing a Christmas album. Columbia Records announced yesterday that "Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album" will feature popular carols and holiday tunes. The album goes on sale November 16th, which is a few weeks ahead of the "Glee" Christmas episode that will air December 7th on Fox. (Marino)

Lowering expectations:

Do you think your boss trusts you? You might want to think again.
   Reuters says over half the bosses at small companies expect their employees to steal from them. The Chubb Private Company Risk Survey polled executives at over 400 small American companies. 54-percent of those polled said they expected employees to steal company equipment, merchandise and even cash over the next year. But, according to the survey, only 30 percent have actually had that kind of theft occur in the past 12-months. (Still)