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Friday, February 27, 2009

Celebrity Gossip

FATHER OF NICK HOGAN CRASH VICTIM ARRESTED FOR PLOTTING TO KILL WIFE: Edward James Graziano, the father of the man injured in Nick (Bollea) Hogan's 2007 car crash, was arrested on Thursday (February 26th) for plotting to kill his estranged wife. Bay News Nine in Florida reported that authorities had been investigating Graziano for two-and-a-half months, during which time he is alleged to have held multiple meetings and negotiations with a tipster and an undercover detective disguised as a go-between to a hit man. Detectives say that the 53-year-old paid $1,100 in cash, the same amount in a personal check and a pizza gift card to have Debra Graziano murdered. The couple's son, John, was left in serious condition from the 2007 accident, which led to Hogan serving eight months in jail for reckless driving.

TOM BRADY AND GISELE BUNDCHEN GET MARRIED: Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen got married in a small, private ceremony in Santa Monica, California, on Thursday (February 26). The New England Patriots quarterback and the Brazilian supermodel tied the knot just before 6 p.m. at St. Monica Catholic Church. The bride wore Dolce & Gabbana as did her three dogs, US Weekly reported. Brady and Bundchen got engaged in January.

JEWEL HEALING FROM INJURY: A day after she announced that a knee injury could affect her participation on Dancing With the Stars, Jewel assured fans that she's still in contention for the title. The singer blogged on Thursday (February 26th), "I went to the physical therapist yesterday and I can say that I am feeling better! He said if I take time now to heal I will be good to go by next week." She added that her husband, fellow contestant Ty Murray, is strategizing how to beat her. She added, "Ty said he thinks his best chance of beating me is if I get pregnant during the show so I would be too tired to dance," Jewel writes. "Talk about a strategy! Of course, that would be fine with me if it did happen, so either way would be a win!"

RICK SCHRODER SUED FOR ALLEGEDLY STEALING TOOLS: Rick Schroder is being sued for allegedly stealing $7,000 worth of tools from a woman, TMZ reports. Alicia Roberts claims her ex-boyfriend, Brent Black, who is a friend of the actor, stole the tools from her property and has named Schroder as a co-conspirator. Black tells TMZ that Roberts is just a "crazy, bitter bitch," who suing out of revenge. Schroder is counter suing for $5,000, claiming he's never even met Roberts and has lost work due to the case.

JONATHAN RHYS MEYERS IN REHAB AGAIN: Jonathan Rhys Meyers has checked in to rehab for the third time since 2005. Independent.ie reports that The Tudors actor is seeking treatment for his problems with alcohol at a facility in England. Meyers checked into California's Promises rehab center in 2005 and his rep confirmed that he'd returned to treatment in 2007. Suspicions about his current condition arose after he failed to appear at a couple of important recent events and was spotted purchasing what appeared to be a bottle of of vodka. In 2007, Rhys Meyers was arrested at Dublin Airport and charged with being drunk and in breach of the peace.

JASON WAHLER CALLS OFF ENGAGEMENT: MTV reality star Jason Wahler has called off his engagement. Lauren Conrad's 22-year-old ex-boyfriend proposed to now-21-year-old Katja Decker Sadowski not long after his split from The Hills star. He told Usmagazine.com, "I have decided to end my engagement, and it's an amicable split," adding, "We agreed we are both just too young to be considering getting married right now." Wahler is currently shopping around his own reality show called Jason and the Cougars.

SALMA HAYEK HONEYMOONS AT WORK: Salma Hayek's Valentine's Day wedding in Paris might have been romantic, but the newlywed spent her honeymoon on the set of NBC's 30 Rock. Hayek, who is in the midst of filming a multi-episode plot line on the comedy, "flew right from her wedding to come shoot with us," on screen beau Alec Baldwin told Us Weekly magazine. Baldwin added that he wasn't surprised that Francois-Henri Pinault exchanged nuptials with the mother of his 17-month-old daughter, exclaiming, "He's a genius. Of course he should marry her!"

DAVID BECKHAM LIVING AT GEORGE CLOONEY'S HOUSE: David Beckham is currently living in George Clooney's Italian home while the actor is away. People magazine confirmed that the soccer star has taken up residence in Clooney's digs while he's playing for AC Milan under a loan agreement with his Los Angeles soccer team, the LA Galaxy. Hello! magazine reported that the two hunky stars developed a friendship after being introduced by Giorgio Armani at a New York event last year.

'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS PLANNING 2009 WEDDING: Dancing With The Stars pros Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy plan to tie the knot before the end of the year. The couple, who got engaged last New Year's Eve, told Us Weekly magazine, "We started talking about it and figuring out when and where we're going to have it. But there's so many family members that have a say that we got to try to make sure that everyone will be happy. But we think it will be sometime before the end of this year. So, not so long." Smirnoff and Chmerkovskiy, who are respectively paired with Steve Wozniak and Denise Richards on the upcoming season, will face off on the dance floor beginning March 9th.

Water Cooler Talk

  • New statistics show that Britons are turning to stomach stapling for losing weight. Those procedures were up 40% in 2008.
  • Holly Madison and Criss Angel have ended their four-month romance.
  • According to Woman's Day, 60% of you believe in ghosts.
  • Paul McCartney and his latest lady friend Mary are resurrecting his late wife's line of vegan frozen food products.
  • Wheel of Fortune celebrates its 5,000th show today. For the record, Jeopardy is over 5,700.
  • Singer-guitarist Steven Page has left the Barenaked Ladies.
  • Jerry Seinfeld is producing a new reality show for NBC called, "The Marriage Ref"... which will be on next summer.
  • It's the bank of mom and dad: The average 25-year-old gets about $2,300 annually from her folks, a study shows.
  • Chris Brown started taking anger management classes this week.
  • Juilianna Margulies and George Clooney will both be back for the March 12th episode of "E.R." The show began filming its final episode this week. That will air April 2.
  • The woman who was with Morgan Freeman when he crashed his car earlier this year is suing the actor because of her injuries.
  • Playing drums in a rock band requires the extraordinary stamina of a professional athlete, according to researchers from the University of Chichester and the University of Gloucestershire in the UK. It also burns 600 calories an hour.
  • Jewel's tendinitis in her knees is bothering her so much, she may have to drop out of the upcoming "Dancing with the Stars."
  • 36% of Americans aged 18 to 29 have at least one tattoo.
  • In Florida, they found the body of a man missing for a week. It was in the back seat of his parked car... that had received seven parking tickets.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

Faith Hill, Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, Toby Keith, Sugarland, and Taylor Swift will all be paying musical tribute to "King" George Strait as the Academy of Country Music's Artist of the Decade. Strait will be honored during a special TV taping at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 6th, the night after The Academy of Country Music Awards. The special will air at a later date on the CBS Television Network.

  • Tickets to the live concert event are available to the public for $200, $150 and $100 through Ticketmaster.com. Proceeds of all sales benefit the Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund (ACMCF).

FAST FACTS

  • Only four other acts have received the Artist of the Decade honor, including Marty Robbins in 1969; Loretta Lynn in 1979; Alabama in 1988; and Garth Brooks in 1998.
  • This marks the first time the Artist of the Decade honor will be presented as a separate television special.

Billy Currington has been splitting his time between Nashville and Hawaii these days. When he's not touring or recording, Currington told us he's soaking up the sun whenever possible: "When I'm off I love spending time over there in Hawaii. Pretty much my whole off-season I go over there. Being over there is just such a peaceful place for me, and I've made a lot of friends over there. I joined a paddling team over there. Once or twice a week we're six-man canoe paddling out there. (I do) a lot of hiking, a lot of surfing."

s with living by the water:"I was actually born on an island in Savannah, Georgia -- an island called Tybee Island -- and that's where I grew up for a little while, so, I mean, the ocean and all that kind of stuff has always been in me, but Maui's just a whole different place. I've seen a lot of things over there that I really fell in love with and I just can't let go of, so anytime I'm off I'm trying to figure out how I can get back over there."

  • The singer celebrated his latest chart-topper, "Don't," at a party in Nashville earlier this week.
  • Currington's new single is called "People Are Crazy."
Jewel has been temporarily sidelined from Dancing With The Stars rehearsals due to a knee problem. The singer told fans on her website that she has developed tendinitis in both knees and is taking steroids to deal with the problem. At one point she wondered if she would be able to compete on the show, but received some good news on Wednesday (February 25th), writing, "So, I went to the physical therapist yesterday and I can say that I am feeling better! He said if I take time now to heal that I will be good to go by next week. I hate missing these days, but it's all for the best in the long run, because I'm in it for the long haul and I wanna win it!"

Jewel also revealed that her husband's strategy to beat her is to get her pregnant during the season so she's too tired to dance. The singer said, "Of course, that would be fine with me if it did happen, so either way would be a win!"

  • Both Jewel and her husband, rodeo champ Ty Murray, are competing on this season of Dancing With The Stars.
  • The new season will begin on March 9th at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

FAST FACTS

Jake Owen considered himself still very much a fan when he landed his first opening slot on Kenny Chesney's tour a couple years ago. Though he tried to play it cool, Owen tells us he was starstruck by the headliner: "I remember walking the hallways and I'd see Kenny by the bus or something and I'd walk by and not want to say anything and Kenny would be like, 'Jake! What are you doing? What's going on?' and I'd try to be cool and carry on a conversation and be like, 'Oh nothing, man. I'm just hanging out,' and then I'd walk away and I'd grab my cell phone and I'd call my brother and I'd be like, 'Dude, Kenny just said hey to me. I was talking to him . . . (laughs)' I've come so far because now it's like it's not a big deal anymore."

Owen says that while some may still consider him a newbie, he's never made to feel that way by his fellow entertainers:"I haven't sold as many records. I'm not a huge superstar like they are, but they treat me like I'm one of them, you know? It's such a validating feeling, cause I feel like I finally made it. I'm not the kid trying to fit in anymore."

  • Owen released his sophomore album, Easy Does It, earlier this week.
  • His debut single, "Don't Think I Can't Love You," is a Top 10 hit on the country charts.
Actor Jack Black will be among the 14 Grammy and 30 International Bluegrass Music Association Award winners taking the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on Saturday (February 28th). The evening's two shows will be held at the historic Ryman Auditorium, the Opry's original home. Black is the son-in-law of Grammy-winning jazz icon Charlie Haden, who will be making his Opry debut with an all-star band.
  • Black played on the Charlie Haden Family & Friends 2008 Grammy-nominated release Rambling Boy, which also features appearances by Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Mark Fain, Rob Ickes, Jim Mills, and Bryan Sutton.
  • For tickets to the Grand Ole Opry, call (800) SEE-OPRY or log on to opry.com.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW


STAY MARRIED FOR THE PLANET'S SAKE: Staying married is better for the planet because divorce leads the newly single to live more wasteful lifestyles, an Australian lawmaker said earlier this week. When couples separate, they needed more rooms, more electricity and more water. This increased their carbon footprint, Australian Associated Press (AAP) quoted the lawmaker as telling the hearing on environmental issues.

'SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE' SPAWNS BOLLYWOOD DANCE CRAZE: Bollywood dance workouts, already popular in New York City, are getting a boost from "Slumdog's" success. One instructor told the New York Daily News that her class sizes doubled as the movie took off.

ARE GUYS WITH LESS TO SPEND LESS OF A CATCH? The market crash has had a particular impact on young adults who developed their dating skills in fat times, the twentysomethings who spent lavishly to show that they could afford the finer things. Now, with national unemployment rates at 8.8 percent for people 25 to 34, they are looking for more creative ways to attract partners -- and reassessing what all that big spending really meant. One woman told the Washington Post, "They're spending more time at networking events, happy hours, with their guy friends -- trying to get leads on jobs, rather than spending it on women. I feel bad for the guys who don't have jobs." She added that she won't date them, "I guess I'm kind of traditional. So if a guy can't really take you out or doesn't have the money or the state of mind to take girls out, then it's not going to go anywhere."

WHY MEN PREFER BLONDES: The science behind what people find attractive remains largely theoretical. However, a consensus emerges among theorists: We are generally attracted to people who are most likely to protect and preserve our genes as a human race. For example, we are more likely to be attracted to a healthy young face than an old diseased one because this increases the chances of producing healthy offspring. Following this theory, it is believed by some that the reason blond hair, which is much rarer than brown or black hair, is deemed more attractive is due to a subconscious human desire for a bigger, and therefore healthier, gene pool. (MSN)

WOMEN DON'T WANT MAJOR COSMETIC OVERHAUL: Given a choice, more women would opt for simple nonsurgical cosmetic procedures over drastic changes, a study in the European Journal of Plastic Surgery reports. Here's a look at what procedures women hope for, rated on a scale of 0 (no way) to 7 (hell ya):

  • Teeth whitening: 4.10
  • Body-hair removal: 4.04
  • Facial-hair removal: 3.40
  • Acne scarring reduction: 3.15
  • Minimization of sun damage or scarring: 3.14
  • Liposuction or fat removal: 2.38
  • Tummy tuck: 2.27
  • Eye-bag removal: 2.14
  • Ear pinning: 1.99
  • Anti-wrinkle eye treatment (e.g., Botox): 1.98
  • Breast enlargement: 1.36

Celebrity Gossip


HOLLY MADISON AND CRISS ANGEL SPLIT: Hugh Hefner's ex-girlfriend Holly Madison and her rebound beau, Mindfreak star Criss Angel have split after four months of dating. A source close to the pair told E! News, "She was very much in love with him, and they're still very close friends," adding, "It was a conflict of schedules. She felt she couldn't devote 100 percent of her time in Vegas and his career at the expense of her career and her goals."

'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PRO DATING 'IDOL' REJECT: Dancing With the Stars pro Mark Ballas has been dating recent American Idol cast-off Joanna Pacitti for the past eight months, the couple revealed to People magazine. The reality couple went public at Tuesday's (February 24th) premiere of the Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience, where Ballas told the magazine, "We both love music, we both love art, we both love dance. That's what we're all about so we are always there for each other." He revealed they'd been friends for a long time, but only struck up a romance last year when both were spending time in North Carolina. Pacitti, who producers deemed ineligible for American Idol because of her pre-existing music connections, added, "I think we have the perfect situation. We both get each other and understand schedules and even on a musical level, I've never met someone that's so passionate about music . . . that's what I live for so it's amazing to be with someone who gets it."

OWEN WILSON AND KATE HUDSON VISIT PARIS: Owen Wilson and Kate Hudson, whose rekindled romance was reported earlier this month, are visiting the city of love together. The couple wore dark glasses and hats in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid being spotted.

'SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE' KIDS GETTING NEW HOMES: The child stars of Slumdog Millionaire will no longer live lives mirroring those of their destitute characters. Reuters is reporting that Indian government authorities are providing new homes in Mumbai for Rubina Ali and Azhar Ismail, the two lead child actors in the Oscar-winning film. Gautam Chatterjee, head of the state-run Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority, said, "These two children have brought laurels to the country, and we have been told that they live in slums, which cannot even be classified as housing." As the movie rose to prominence, there were protests about the living conditions of the youngsters and their families. Director Danny Boyle denied claims that the two were exploited and said they were paid above local Indian wages.

LIZA MINNELLI DOESN'T REGRET HER MARRIAGES: Liza Minnelli has had a flair for the dramatic since she was born, and that translates into her love life. In an interview with Liz Smith for Parade magazine, the 62-year-old actress said she'll never marry again. She said, "I mean, Peter Allen -- Liz, I was with him when he died. He was a great love. Jack Haley was a genius, a wonderful man. And Mark Gero -- well, that was hard." She did not address her last ex-husband, David Gest, by name, but when asked about him said, "Darling, I was recovering from brain encephalitis!"

TAYLOR LAUNTER READY TO STEAL HEARTTHROB SPOTLIGHT: Rob Pattinson might have reaped the female fan benefits of Twilight, but 17-year-old Taylor Launter is set to steal the spotlight in the film's sequel. MSNBC's The Scoop reports that Pattinson's character leaves town after just two scenes in New Moon, leaving Launter's character Jacob Back to romance Kristen Stewart's Bella. Rachelle Lefevre, who plays Victoria in the films, told Life & Style magazine, "Taylor's very serious about forming a connection with Kristen. He'll make sure his relationship with her is just as intense and has just as much chemistry as Rob's. I think Rob should watch out!"

KIM KARDASHIAN APOLOGIZES FOR POSTING CHIMP PICTURES: Kim Kardashian admits that it was insensitive of her to post pictures on her website of a chimp she was pet-sitting during the same week that the species made headlines for mauling a Connecticut woman. The reality star wrote on her blog, "I understand my timing was not appropriate and it was insensitive of me, so I want to explain. The pictures I posted are from six months ago when we were filming season three of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. I had held onto these pictures for months and preset them to run the month before my show was going to air, to give you guys exclusive glimpses into season three." She added, "What happened to the woman that was attacked by the chimpanzee was devastating! Our family is praying for everyone involved in that traumatizing attack. In no way did I mean to insult or offend anyone by posting these pictures."

LINDSAY LOHAN AND SAMANTHA RONSON RESCHEDULE CANCELED VALENTINE'S DAY EVENT: Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson have rescheduled the Valentine's Day event they were supposed to host in Miami. Although the couple was photographed arguing outside a nightclub just a day before the event, they canceled at the last minute, claiming they were both too sick to fly. In a statement from the hotel where they are scheduled to appear, Ronson said, "I'm really looking forward to making up the Valentine's gig on March 7 at Passion Nightclub at the Seminole Hard Rock."

KFLAG Country Music News


Taylor Swift seems to be living among the so-called "beautiful people" since catapulting to superstardom. The singer has been spending her fair share of time in Hollywood, befriending fellow celebrity teens like Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers. Swift says that despite the perception, her famous friends are just like her -- normal: "Hanging out with Hollywood kids is really, really fun because they're not that different from me. They're normal people with abnormal schedules, and that's what I am, you know? I'm a normal girl. I just have a really crazy schedule, and I think when you approach your life from that direction and that way it's like you try to find other people who are down to earth and haven't let it affect them."

Swift adds that she has chosen friends who share her moral character: "I'm lucky to be, you know, close to people who haven't let their lives and the way that their lives have gone completely affect them, so being friends with Selena Gomez and people like that, and Kellie Pickler, you find people that you mesh really well with, and hanging out with them, they're not gonna pressure me to do things that I don't believe in cause they have the same morals as I do. They're not going to act like they really care too much about the whole Hollywood thing cause we're just trying to live our dreams and be the same people we started out being."

  • Swift holds firmly to the Number One spot on the all-genre Billboard 200 album chart this week, for an overall 10th week at the top. More than 62,000 copies of her Fearless CD were sold last week.
  • Swift kicks off her first headlining tour on April 23rd in Evansville, Indiana with opening act Kellie Pickler.
Alan Jackson is a world away from being the blue collar working man he was when he first pursued his dream of being a singer and songwriter. Though his music still speaks to the common man, Jackson tells us his life today is hardly relatable: "You definitely change. You have to because I'm so removed from normal life anymore. I mean, I don't work, you know, and I've made a lot of money so I'm not struggling to get by. You know, it's just a totally different life, so it is, I think, harder to really be able to connect with what people are going through every day just trying to get by and pay bills and keep everything going."

Jackson says he often draws from his life before fame and wealth came his way in order to connect with listeners: "I think what helped me is I didn't come out of high school and come to Nashville and become a country star. I was working when I was 12 years old and I'd had every job you can imagine. I mean, I was 30 years old before I got a record deal so I had lived as an adult and done a lot of things, and I think that's where I acquired enough information about real life to be able to pull from that all these years, and then since then, even though it's been a celebrity lifestyle, I've had enough ups and downs in my personal life to be able to pull from love songs and tragedies in your life and so forth, so that's how I've been able to stay connected."

  • Jackson's brand new single, "Sissy's Song," is already climbing the country charts. He wrote the song about a former employee of his who died unexpectedly.
Toby Keith will host his sixth annual Golf Classic to benefit Ally's House, an organization that the singer helped establish to assist pediatric cancer patients and their families throughout the state of Oklahoma. The event will kick off on June 12th at the Riverwind Casino in Norman, where golfers and their guests will enjoy food, live music and an auction. The tournament itself will be held on June 13th.
  • Keith said, "I will always be committed to these kids. More of them are diagnosed all the time and they need our help now like never before."

FAST FACTS

  • Ally's House is named for Allison Webb, the daughter of Keith's friend and original bandmate Scott Webb. Ally died of cancer in August of 2003, one month short of her third birthday.
  • To date, the annual event has raised more than $2.3 million for the organization.
  • Since its inception in 2004, Ally's House has helped the families of nearly 300 children during their cancer treatments.

Martina McBride will be among the performers taking part in the Stevie Wonder In Performance at the White House: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize airing on Thursday (February 26th) on PBS. McBride performs "You And I" as part of the tribute to Wonder and his receipt of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. President and Mrs. Obama were in attendance at the event, which was taped on Wednesday (February 25th) at the White House.
  • Stevie Wonder In Performance at the White House: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize also includes performances by Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, Will.i.am, the gospel duo Mary Mary, and Wonder himself.
Naomi Judd will return as a judge for the second season of CMT's Can You Duet. The singer will weigh in on determining country music's next great duo.
  • Two additional judges will be announced in the near future.
  • Auditions for the show will take place through open casting calls, showcases and videotaped submissions. The producers of Can You Duet will hold an open call audition on Saturday, March 7th at the Wildhorse Saloon in Nashville.

FAST FACTS

  • Last year's winners, Caitlin & Will, signed to Sony Music Nashville's Columbia Records. Their debut single, "Even Now," is headed to radio.
  • Finalists Joey + Rory signed to Vanguard/SugarHill and released their debut album, Life Of A Song, in October 2008. Since then, the married couple have become the national spokespeople for Overstock.com. They are nominated for Top Vocal Duo at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards.

The Country Music Association (CMA) has decided to change voting procedures for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Three inductees will continue to be elected, however the categories have been renamed and redefined to include the Veterans Era, for "professionals that have been in the industry longer than 25 years," the Modern Era, for "professionals that have been in the industry at least 20 years, but no more than 25 years," and a rotating category that changes every three years to include the Recording and/or Touring Musician, Non Performer, and now the Songwriter category.

These changes will be effective beginning with the 2010 ballots.

FAST FACTS

  • The CMA created the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1961 to recognize and honor noteworthy individuals for outstanding contributions to the advancement of Country Music.
  • The 2009 recipients are Roy Clark, Barbara Mandrell, and Charlie McCoy. They will officially be inducted into the Hall in May.

WATER COOLER TALK


  • After 33 years, the New York Post has dropped 86-year-old gossip columnist Liz Smith.
  • The CW has just announced that "Gossip Girl," "One Tree Hill," "90210," "America's Next Top Model," "Smallville" and "Supernatural" will all be back in the fall.
  • Victoria's Secret supermodel Adriana Lima has eloped with NBA player Marko Jaric, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. The two were married in a small civil ceremony on Valentine's Day that took place in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, reports People magazine.
  • Researchers at Harvard Medical School in Boston conducted a long-term study founding that people who eat just one egg a day are 58% to 77% more likely than non-egg-eaters to develop type 2 diabetes.
  • Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will play himself later this year in a movie by Sylvester Stallone. The governor said he has done just three cameos for friends since becoming governor in 2003.
  • One of the gossip web sites out there has pictures of the "wardrobe malfunction" Beyonce experienced at the Oscars Sunday night. Brief, but photos show there was a nipple-slip.
  • Rosie O'Donnell says that she gave up drinking because her 13-year-old son told her that she might be ready to join "the drunk club."
  • Andy Richter is reuniting with Conan O'Brien and joining him June 1 as Conan's announcer and sketch player.
  • Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have called off their engagement.
  • Jennifer Aniston and her steady John Mayer have been hanging in New York lately... and doing lots with their friends, Jessica and Jerry Seinfeld.
  • The trendy tattoo: Rihanna, Lily Allen and Lindsay Lohan all have "Shhh..." on their index fingers.
  • Where do you think the Slumdog kids went immediately after their Oscar appearance: Disneyland!
  • Hitting the hay can give you a mental edge. The brain is better able to cement new information after you get your beauty rest, the journal Learning & Memory finds.
  • The Killers are in a legal battle in Nevada, countersuing their former manager.
  • Nicole Richie is pregnant with child #2.
  • July 15, 2011. Write it down. That's the date the final Harry Potter movie will hit theaters.

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

WEIRD NEWS


Facebook Obsession Leading Folks To Crime
Isn't Facebook just great! You get to keep up with all your peeps and find the ones you haven't talked to in years! Apparently one 19-year-old man in Bradenton, Florida thinks so. His Facebook obsession was so great he asked a stranger in Starbucks if he could check his Facebook account on the stranger's laptop. When the stranger refused the guy grabbed the laptop and ran out. Two people in the parking lot tackled the Facebook-crazed teen and held him there until a mall security guard arrived. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

50 Jobs in 50 States
While many in America are just trying to find one job, 26-year-old Daniel Seddiqui of Theresa, Wisconsin, has lined up 50 -- one for each state of the union! Each job symbolizes its respective state's most famous industry, and each lasts just one week-- just long enough for the 26-year-old to appreciate the labor and explore the region. So far he's been a park ranger in Wyoming, a corn farmer in Nebraska, a wedding coordinator in Las Vegas and last week a cheese maker in southeast Wisconsin. Seddiqui, who grew up in Los Altos, California, insists his job-hopping isn't a gimmick but rather a legitimate effort to travel the U.S., learning about cultures across the country and developing a respect for what other people do. By example, at his Nebraska job he was surprised that every farmer he met had a college degree. (myway.com)

Huge Criminal Gets U-Hauled To Jail!
In Auburn, New York, police say 56-year-old Stephen A. Turo is the biggest criminal they've ever arrested. We're not talking about the scope of his crimes -- we mean the scope of his waistline! After being arrested for the alleged sale and possession of prescription painkillers, police had to use a U-Haul rental truck to haul the 700-pound man off to jail! Turo sat on a chair covered with a blanket in the back of the rental truck, shivering in the 18-degree cold, as Cayuga County Judge Thomas G. Leone arraigned him Monday on a 24-count indictment. If found guilty of just one of the felony charges, he could be sent to state prison for 25 years. If he lands in prison, he would be the heaviest inmate ever housed by the state Department of Correctional Services. Turo remained in the truck to be fingerprinted and have his "mug" shot taken by a sheriff's investigator. (The Post Standard)

A Really, Really Drunk Driver!
There wasn't much question that 50-year-old Johnnie Ed Roberts had been drinking when police in Fort Pierce, Florida pulled him over. Roberts had a beer can on the top of his pick-up truck and a cold Natural Ice in his hand when a Sheriff's Deputy approached. He also had bloodshot eyes, incoherent speech, and peed on himself in the deputy's patrol vehicle on the ride to jail. At the jail, Roberts urinated again all over himself. Rather than blow into the breath test machine, he tried to suck the air out. (TC Palm)


WHY MEN ARE LAZY AFTER BEING LAID OFF:


The fundamentals of American manhood have gone remarkably unchanged over the last century. Sure, men today may be taking care of kids, their skin and their feelings more than Grandpa Ralph ever did, but they still grapple with the same core problem: proving that they weren't just born male -- they've become Men. And during economic crises, men humiliated by their loss of work often compensate by reasserting their worst hypermasculine impulses (snacking, sleeping and channel surfing ) -- doubling down on old alpha-male stereotypes, rather than happily baking the bread that women now win in the workplace. (Newsweek)

EVERYDAY MYSTERIES EXPLAINED (MSN.com)


  • Why do we shake hands with people? The origin of the handshake lies in medieval history. By offering a right hand to a stranger, a hand that could otherwise be used to draw a sword, men were overtly displaying their intentions of peace toward one another. Nowadays, from signing a treaty to settling a bet with friends, "shaking on it" remains a symbolic sign of agreement.
  • Why do we have bad breath in the mornings? The unpleasant smell comes from bacteria living in your mouth. The bacteria are in fact in your mouth day and night, but while you're sleeping, the flow of saliva -- and thus oxygen -- decreases greatly. This allows the anaerobic bacteria to multiply, feeding on leftover food particles and skin cells. The waste product of this process often contains sulfur, and this is what smells so unpleasant.
  • Why do we blush? When you're embarrassed or ashamed, your body releases a tiny amount of adrenaline. Adrenaline causes blood vessels in your face to dilate, allowing more blood to flow to your cheeks. This causes reddening, or blushing.
  • Why do onions make you cry? When you slice through an onion, you cause a series of chemical reactions to occur within its cells. A gas called propanethiol S-oxide is released into the air and travels upward into your eyes. The gas then reacts with the water in your eyes to form a mild sulfuric acid, which causes itchiness. Your brain reacts by producing more water, or tears, to dilute the irritant and protect your eyes.
  • Why are wedding rings worn on the fourth finger? There was an ancient belief that a vein, known as the "vena amoris," or "vein of love," ran directly from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart. It was thought that this direct blood flow to the heart made it the perfect candidate for a wedding ring, as it solidified the union of love. However, in reality the veins running from the fourth finger are no different from those of any other finger, and it seems as if shrewd marketing, hearsay and tradition have designated the fourth finger as the "ring finger."

According to the online dating service:


Match.com has uncovered some fascinating facts about the American dating game. According to the online dating service:

  • The ideal woman is flirtatious and a thrill-seeker who has an average build with long, light brown hair. She's educated and possesses a college degree. She doesn't smoke, but she does drink socially. She also enjoys public displays of affection.
  • The ideal man is bold, assertive, and flirtatious. Mr. Right does not smoke, but he is a social drinker. He has dark brown hair, an average body, and a college degree. And one more tidbit: He likes to dance.

Cosmopolitan gives us five things in your room that drive him nuts:


  1. All the clothes you have shoehorned into your closet and drawers he can't even find a spot to cram a spare pair of boxers.
  2. Your array of scented candles. To guys Midnight Jasmine smells like tear gas.
  3. Your childhood stuffed animals and dolls. Why? Because the never stop staring.
  4. All 108 of your fluffy decorative pillows.
  5. The black and while prints of little kids holding hands, kissing, posing with annoyed dogs, etc. You don't even know those little brats.

WATER COOLER TALK


  • The ratings for the Academy Awards were up from last year, but still appear to be the third lowest rated show in history.
  • Paris Hilton's little sister Nicky made a citizens' arrest of a 50-year-old guy in southern California after he pushed her in the back. Drama runs in that family.
  • Teenagers who listen to popular music with degrading sexual lyrics are more likely to have sex than teens who don't listen to this kind of music, according to a new study from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
  • Former NBA star Charles Barkley will spend five days in jail starting March 21st after pleading guilty to drunk driving.
  • John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston have started up the Jett Travolta Foundation, to help children with medical and emotional needs.
  • For the record, Sean Penn left his wife out of his Oscar acceptance speech on purpose. He and Robin Wright Penn talked about it and decided, in order to get everything in on time, he'd skip thanking her.
  • A geophysicist at Tel Aviv University in Israel says those UFOs aren't aliens from another planet. They are actually "sprites," which are flashes of light high in the atmosphere triggered by thunderstorms. Space.com reports that this puzzling natural phenomenon appear as dancing lights.
  • Insiders say that Chris Brown sent a diamond bracelet and necklace, plus an iPod Touch to Rihanna for her birthday.
  • Slumdog's Freida Pinto has already landed a role in Woody Allen's next film.
  • Google had a g-mail crash on Monday. Still don't know why... they're working on it.

KFLAG Country Music News


Billy Currington celebrated his most recent Number One hit, "Don't," at a party in Nashville on Tuesday (February 24th). "Don't" is the lead single from Currington's Little Bit Of Everything album, which was released in October.

Prior to the release of "Don't," it had been nearly a year since Currington had new music on the radio. The singer told us that absence made topping the charts so much sweeter:"It's been a while since we had a song on the radio, and it's the first song off the album, so to have it go Number One is really special."

Currington says he was immediately drawn to "Don't," which is his favorite tune on Little Bit Of Everything: "It was probably my favorite recording on the album. I loved the song when I first heard it -- the soulfulness. The R&B side of it is what hit me at first. That's the kind of music I really, really love. I mean, I love the really, really country stuff but I love the R&B country the most. I'm glad we got pitched that song. It's special to me."

  • Currington's new single, "People Are Crazy," is headed to radio soon.
Garth Brooks played a private show in a small restaurant and bar located in a Nashville suburb on Sunday (February 23rd). The occasion was a thank-you concert for the Nashville Predators hockey team. Each member of the NHL team had made a donation to Brooks' Teammates For Kids charity, which provides financial assistance to children's charities.
  • The vibe was very low-key for Brooks. The performance area was "set up like a campfire scene," venue manager Jason Sheer told The Tennessean. He said, "He (Garth) wanted him, his guitar and a bar stool. There were about 60 people there, mostly from the Preds, and nobody was more than five or six feet away from Garth."
  • In addition to his own hits, Brooks reportedly covered Bob Seger, James Taylor and others.
  • Immediately following the show, Brooks jumped on a plane and headed to Detroit to do a similar show for the Red Wings.

FAST FACTS

  • Brooks created the Teammates For Kids charity in 1999 with three separate sporting divisions -- hockey, baseball and football.
  • The superstar officially retired from touring and recording in 2001.
  • Since 2005, however, Brooks has resurfaced several times for various concert appearances and has released two compilation albums.

Rascal Flatts will roll out their new album song by song in the month leading up to the official April 7th release date of Unstoppable. The trio will release one track each week on iTunes, beginning March 10th with their current single, "Here Comes Goodbye."

SIDE NOTES

  • Rascal Flatts' JCPenney-sponsored American Living Unstoppable tour kicks off on June 5th. While the dates have not been officially announced, the trio will play in at least 60 cities each year for the next two years.
  • Rascal Flatts are set to perform their first headlining stadium show on July 18th at Chicago's Wrigley Field. A local group of community members are pushing for the show's cancellation, however, saying it will conflict with the city's annual Summer On Southport Festival, another live music event.

LeAnn Rimes will star in the new Nora Roberts TV movie, Northern Lights, debuting on the Lifetime network on March 21st. Rimes plays the lead role of Meg Galligan, a pilot who is handy with a gun, as she tells us: "I was a bush pilot in Alaska and got to handle some guns, which I haven't done in a very long time. I grew up in Mississippi and Texas, so I definitely know my way around a gun (laughs). It was my second day on set. They took me out to a shooting range and I had to learn how to handle rifles and handguns, so it was fun. It was an interesting role. I was in Canada for a month. It was freezing, but it was beautiful. I had a lot of fun working with the people that I worked with -- Rosanna Arquette, Eddie Cibrian are the people that are in the movie -- and we enjoyed it. I just saw it the other day. I'm really, really happy."
  • Rimes will also star in the upcoming film Good Intentions, co-starring Luke Perry.
  • The singer will receive the Home Depot Humanitarian Award at The Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5th. The show will air live from Las Vegas on CBS.

Celebrity Gossip


MISCHA BARTON ADDRESSES WEIGHT RUMORS: Mischa Barton is addressing media reports that she's recently lost weight, but insists the dropped pounds are nothing to worry about. The 23-year-old wrote on her website, "Just so you guys know I'm happier and healthier than ever. Things are really well in Mischa world and I've just been watching what I eat." The actress, who was previously criticized by blogs for having too much cellulite on her thighs, added, "I still love my Pilates and yoga, and have cut back on fatty foods a bit. My time in India and Paris really just helped me lose a little bit of weight but there's nothing drastic going on!"

SIMON COWELL TO BE FROZEN? Simon Cowell doesn't want his death to be permanent. The American Idol host is quoted by the U.K.'s Daily Mail as stating that he wants to have his body cryogenically frozen at the time of his death. He said, "Medical science is bound to work out a way of bringing us back to life in the next century or so, and I want to be available when they do. I would be doing the nation an invaluable service." After many news outlets took his comments seriously, Cowell's rep specified on Tuesday (February 24th) that Cowell was only joking.

PORTIA DE ROSSI DENIES IVF STORY: Portia de Rossi is denying reports that she is undergoing in vitro fertilization treatments in the hopes of starting a family with Ellen DeGeneres. The actress told Access Hollywood, "There's a story around right now about me that could not be further from the truth. (The IVF story) was just completely made up. The baby thing comes around annually. I find once a year, you know, whether I deny it or not! It doesn't make any difference."

AUDRINA PATRIDGE ROBBED: Audrina Patridge's Los Angeles home was robbed on Sunday (February 22nd). On Monday (February 23rd), The Hills star blogged, "I had a really rough day today -- I got home late last night and realized that my house had been robbed. It was pretty devastating!" She added, "I spent most of the morning filling out police reports and going through the house room by room making lists of everything that had been taken. Most of the items are replaceable, but they took off with a few very sentimental things too. Definitely not a good way to start the week." Patridge has posted surveillance footage of the intruders online in the hopes of catching them.

NATALIE PORTMAN ROMANCING ROB PATTINSON? Rumors of a romance between Natalie Portman and Twilight's Rob Pattinson began circulating earlier this week after the pair was spotted hanging out together at a post-Oscar soiree. A reported friend of Pattinson told E!, "[Portman] seemed really into him, and went right up to say hello once she spotted him." According to the pal, Pattinson, who earlier in the night told E! that he was nervous about presenting an award at the big show, took the edge off his nerves with "Whiskey and Natalie Portman." Despite the flirtation, the two went their separate ways at the end of the evening.

'TRUE BLOOD' CO-STARS DATING: True Blood co-stars Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer are dating. Moyer recently told TV Guide that the romance has been going on for a while. He said, "The reason it was dodged last year was very intentional on both our parts. It was very important to me that the cast and crew we were working with didn't feel it was fickle, and didn't feel it could possibly potentially encroach on their lives, you know, just like, 'Oh the two stars are having a thing.' We didn't want to take anything away from the show. The show is the star, not the two people having a relationship."

EVAN RACHEL WOOD AND MARILYN MANSON BACK TOGETHER: Evan Rachel Wood recently denied reports that she was dating her The Wrestler co-star Mickey Rourke, and she's likely telling the truth in light of new evidence that the 21-year-old has gotten back together with her ex, Marilyn Manson. The New York Post reports that the odd pair was seen leaving a Los Angeles hotel together before Sunday's (February 22nd) Oscars. A source added that Manson emerged first and "said he was waiting for his girlfriend."

MEGAN FOX AND BRIAN AUSTIN GREEN SPLIT: Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green have reportedly split. Us Weekly magazine claims that the couple, who had been engaged since 2006, split because "the relationship had run its course." An insider told the magazine, "It's completely amicable, and they are remaining friends." Green, who is 35-years-old, has a six-year-old son from a previous relationship. When Fox, who is now 22-years-old, was asked about their nuptials last year, she told Us Weekly, "It's not going to be a big wedding. I'm not one of those girls. If it happens, it will be very low-key and quick and unplanned." Although the couple doesn't have to worry about a divorce, they do still have each other's names inked on their bodies.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

ON THIS DAY


Pope Gregory XIII established the Gregorian calendar way, way back in 1582. The Gregorian calendar is a reformed version of the Julian calendar, and is the calendar most commonly used in the world today -- Bet you didn't know this, but your calendar tells more than the day and date. It also speaks volumes about the kind of person you are -- and the kind of person you're destined to be. So says psychologist Dr. Richard Rodmund, author of the forthcoming "Weeks, Months and Daylight: How Your Calendar Reveals Your Destiny."

  • Plain -- Choosing an unadorned calendar without pictures or extraneous graphics marks you as a no-nonsense, goal-oriented person. You march to your own drum. The year ahead will move you closer to your financial objectives and you'll live more comfortably. But be sure to set aside special time for the ones you love.
  • Wildlife -- If you picked a calendar with pictures of wild animals in outdoor settings this year, you have a hunger to be free of some limitation in your life. You could be heading for a new job or less stifling relationship in 2005. But think major changes through carefully.
  • Celebrities -- If your calendar contains photos of sexy movie stars or rock singers, you may feel unappreciated. You yearn for acceptance in some are of life. You'll make a big breakthrough this year. People who've been ignoring you will sit up and take notice.
  • Humor -- If your calendar is full of cartoons or jokes, you're headed for good things. Research shows people who value their sense of humor have a perspective on life that their more serious counterparts don't. Chances are good you'll be learning a new skill or taking up a challenging new sport this year.
  • Cute animals or babies -- Adorable animal or baby pictures on your calendar indicate a desire to protect or care for another person -- or yourself. This is the year when you will joyously meet a responsibility you've been unintentionally ignoring. The year's end will find your self-esteem soaring because of the action you take.
  • Contact sports -- Football, boxing or soccer calendars mark you as someone who's ready to face opposition this year, and the opponent is likely to be some aspect of yourself. Don't be surprised if you quit smoking, stop overeating or give up some other undesirable habit.
  • Non-contact sports -- Picking a running, gymnastics or figure skating calendar indicates that this will be a year in which you'll declare your independence from people or situations that have been holding you back. You may ruffle some feathers, but you'll be far better off by 2005.
  • Wise Quotations -- Choosing a calendar containing Bible passages or quotes from great thinkers shows you're open-minded and hungry to expand your knowledge of the world. You could be going back to school this year, or embarking on a challenging new career. Travel is a very real possibility.

Celebrity Gossip


SIMON COWELL BACK WITH EX? Although they both confirmed having split amicably late last year, Simon Cowell and Teri Seymour may be giving their breakup a second thought. Rumors are flying that the pair is back together after the New York Daily News reported that they attended Elton John's Oscar party together over the weekend.

ROB PATTINSON AND KRISTEN STEWART ARE JUST FRIENDS: Rob Pattinson's place in Kristen Stewart's love life is solely on screen, the Twilight actress insists. Despite rumors of a romance between the co-stars, Stewart told Nylon magazine, "Rob and I are good friends. We went through a lot together, so we feel very close." She said that because they're close friends, the relationship gets taken out of context, adding, "If we go out in public, every little detail is scrutinized, like the way I stand next to him. And it's like, I know this guy really [expletive] well. It's only natural that we're sort of leaning on each other, because we're put in the most . . . psychotic situations."

PARIS HILTON IS EXCITED ABOUT NICOLE RICHIE'S PREGNANCY: Members of the Hilton clan, who Nicole Richie grew up alongside, are thrilled that their friend is expecting her second child. Former BFF Paris Hilton told People magazine, "I'm so excited for Nicole," while her mother Kathy added, "I think it's going to be a boy. I'm never wrong." Richie's longtime beau Joel Madden announced that they were expecting another baby over the weekend. The couple has a one-year-old daughter named Harlow.

RACHEL MCADAMS AND JOSH LUCAS GETTING SERIOUS: Although the romance between Rachel McAdams and Josh Lucas only recently became public knowledge, the relationship is reportedly more than just a fling. The New York Post reports that the actors skipped the official New York Oscar Night Party because they "went to Toronto together to meet Rachel's family. It's getting serious."

MOM WANTS MATILDA LEDGER TO BE A DOCTOR: Although she's the daughter of two thespians, Matilda Ledger will not grow up in Hollywood, her mother Michelle Williams insists. Williams told the told the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph that she hopes the three-year-old becomes a doctor, but admits Matilda is leaning towards becoming a cowgirl right now. She explained that her daughter's upbringing will happen away from Los Angeles "for all the obvious reasons. Being an actor's daughter. It's a town that's about one thing, and I want her to have options." Williams is currently enjoying life as a stay-at-home mom and looks forward to taking a year off before returning to work.

DIANE KRUGER SAYS SHE DID NOT HAVE A NOSE JOB: Diane Kruger is denying reports that she's had a nose job. The actress sparked speculation that she'd undergone rhinioplasty after she showed up at a New York Fashion Week event with bruises under her eyes. Her rep chalked the marks up to a different procedure, clarifying to Us Weekly magazine, "The truth is she had laser eye surgery the day before."

PETER FALK'S DAUGHTER GRANTED VISITATION WITH DAD: A Los Angeles judge ruled on Monday (February 23rd) that Peter Falk's daughter Catherine, who recently filed papers to establish a conservatorship of her father, can meet with him for a brief time within 30 days. An attorney for the younger Falk said that his client has not seen her father, who suffers from Alzheimer's disease, in about six months. Although a story printed by the Associated Press did not mention details about Falk's wife, last month Shera Danese Falk filed papers opposing Catherine's bid to be named her father's conservator. Catherine wants to be in charge of her father's affairs for fear they are being mismanaged, however Shera, who is currently entrusted with her husband's estate, contends that her husband is receiving adequate care and does not have a close relationship with his daughter.

WATER COOLER TALK


  • Kelly Groucutt, one-time bass player for the Electric Light Orchestra, has died of a heart attack. He was 63.
  • Prince Harry is said to be romancing Aussie singer Natalie Imbruglia.
  • Fed up hearing that harsh alarm clock in the morning? There's a new alarm clock uses the smell of freshly cooked bacon to wake you up in the morning. The 'Wake N Bacon Clock' will even cook frozen bacon, placed inside the clock the night before.
  • Wow, it's been 10 years since movie-reviewer Gene Siskel's death.
  • Joel Madden and Nicole Richie are expecting their second child together.
  • The two stars of "Slumdog Millionaire" Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, are dating.
  • A Utah woman who hadn't cut her fingernails since 1979, lost them all when she was involved in a car crash. The longest had been 2-feet, 11-inches. She did make it into the Guinness Book of World Records with a combined length of 28-feet long.
  • Rumor was that Rhianna was supposed to be a special presenter at Sunday's Oscars... but couldn't because of her injuries.
  • Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has just signed a 3-book deal.
  • This year's Academy Awards was up 6% over last year's ratings, but is still likely to be among the three least-watched Oscars ever. Last year's audience of 32 million was the smallest ever for an Oscar telecast.
  • Charlie Sheen's wife Brooke is expecting twins in April. Over the weekend, they held a sports-themed baby shower. Guests included Paris Hilton and Barry Bonds.

Monday, February 23, 2009

KFLAG Country Music News


Toby Keith has the Number One song in the U.S. this week on both the Billboard/R&R and Mediabase/USA Today country charts with "God Love Her." This is Keith's 25th chart-topper of his career. * "God Love Her" is the second single from Keith's latest CD, That Don't Make Me A Bad Guy. SIDE NOTES * Keith unveiled his new line of clothing, called TK Steelman, last week during a fashion show in Las Vegas. * He will begin shooting a new movie, called Provinces of Night, in Wilmington, North Carolina in the coming weeks. The film also stars Hilary Duff. Jake Owen releases his sophomore album, called Easy Does It, on Tuesday (February 24th). Owen wrote eight of the 10 songs on the new CD, including his debut single, "Don't Think I Can't Love You." He will perform the song live on the Tuesday edition of Good Morning America. Owen says he's too laid back to actually get nervous about the release of Easy Does It, but tells us he did put some extra effort into the project so as not to let down his faithful supporters: "Making the second record was just a lot different because I had a lot of people that had a lot more invested in it this time than the first record. Now I've had so many people that have supported what I've done, believed in me, and I've got the fans that were on the road who have listened for the last few years now to me playing older songs, newer songs, songs they heard once and never heard again, and so I had to think about all that to appease the people that've helped me get where I am. There was a lot more thought involved, I think, in this record than the first." Owen says the songs on Easy Does It were pulled from a catalogue of tunes that were written over the past few years: "I don't write for records. I write all the time anyway because that's what I enjoy doing, so this record was kind of fun because I just pulled from a ton of songs that I'd already written. It represents where I am kind of right now in my life as opposed to when I was 23 when I got my record deal." * Owen will be in Las Vegas on April 5th to hear the winners announced at The Academy of Country Music Awards. The singer is nominated for Top New Male Vocalist and Vocal Event of the Year for "Life In A Northern Town" with Sugarland and Little Big Town. * Fans can vote online for Owen for Top New Male Vocalist at gactv.com. Voting continues through March 5th. George Strait and Reba McEntire will perform the grand opening concert at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium on June 6th. Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough will join the two headliners at the $1.1 billion stadium. * This concert marks the first time that Strait and McEntire will actually perform a show together. McEntire said, "Our paths have passed many times at many different places, but the opportunity to do a show together like this has never presented itself. It's something I've looked forward to for a long, long time." * She added, "I appreciate that it is special for the fans to see us on the same show, and that makes me want to put on a great show. Plus, being a Cowboys fan for so long, I'm thrilled to be a part of the new grand opening. I can't wait!" * Tickets to the concert go on sale on Saturday (February 28th). SIDE NOTES * The first single from McEntire's next album is due out in April. * Strait will kick off his summer tour in May with openers Shelton and Hough. Jimmy Wayne visited the set of the ABC series Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on location in Montgomery, Alabama last week. He spent two days helping the show's crew and volunteers build for the family in need. Wayne also organized an impromptu benefit concert that raised more than $2000 for the family. During the concert, Wayne was joined onstage by Extreme Makeover regulars Ty Pennington, Paul DiMeo and Tracy Hutson, who all performed with him. * Wayne said, "It was an awesome feeling knowing that so many volunteers were involved, especially during a time when people are struggling so hard. It shows how selfless people can still be." * There is no word yet on when the installment of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition featuring Wayne will air. FAST FACTS * Wayne recently received the Dr. Richard H. Carmona Doorway of Hope Award for his efforts on behalf of HomeBase Youth Services, an organization that teaches at-risk and homeless youth to live healthy, independent lives. * Wayne will be a special guest on Brad Paisley's upcoming summer tour, which begins in June. Teenagers, get your texting fingers ready! Verizon Wireless has partnered with Taylor Swift for a national contest in which the high school with the most valid entries will win the opportunity to host a free concert by Swift at their high school. From now through March 23rd, students can text 'TS' to '3401' on their Verizon Wireless phones or enter online at taylorswiftconcerts.com. FAST FACTS * Swift spends her 9th week at the top of Billboard's Top 200 Albums sales chart. * Her single, "Love Story," is the first country crossover to land at Number One on the CHR/Top 40 in the 16-year history of Billboard's Nielsen BDS chart. * "Love Story" was the lead single from Swift's latest album, Fearless, which has sold more than three million copies. Jamey Johnson's latest single, "High Cost Of Living," is raising some eyebrows with its painfully honest description of a life derailed by drug use. Johnson says the song is meant to grab the attention of the listener to deliver a very serious message. 'The High Cost of Living' is not a song that's put out for the purpose of shock factor. It's not built for that. That's not the intent for that song. It's not there to be a joke, and it's not there to be made light of. It's there for the same reason those public service announcements air on Saturday morning cartoons about 'talk to your kids about drugs' and with those messages in mind. It's important." Johnson says that some might be offended by his choice of language in the song, but he feels it's best not to mince words. "There are people sitting in jail today that that song is their story. Why should their story not be told, and why should it not be played on the radio, and if the word is 'cocaine and a whore' then the word is 'cocaine and a whore'. Don't smooth it over with words that rhyme and don't exactly get the point across." * "High Cost Of Living" is the second single from Johnson's Grammy-nominated album, That Lonesome Song. * Johnson is nominated for three Academy of Country Music Awards, including Top New Male Vocalist and Single and Song of the Year for "In Color."

Daddy Wakes Baby

WHAT'S BEHIND YOUR SLEEP POSITIONS?


(Cosmopolitan) Sure, you might think you're just getting comfortable, but it's not that simple. How you slumber with your man can clue you in to some of your subconscious feelings:

  • Face to face -- You're not only breathing on each other but also creating an enclosed circle with your bodies, which indicates how totally at ease you feel with each other. But for crying out loud, be conscious of your morning breath.
  • Snuggled up -- It isn't easy to snooze wrapped around another person, so by doing so, you're choosing physical closeness over your own comfort a great sign of emotional intimacy. Chance are, the sex isn't half bad either.
  • With your backs to each other -- If it's a recent phenomenon, it may be a subconscious indication that you're both pulling away. If it's the norm, you're likely just two independent people who don't need to be attached at the hip to be happy.
  • With a hand or foot touching your partner -- This is a way to reassure him that your love is still alive and kicking. If it's something you've noticed happening more often, it may mean that you've been caught up in other things. So you're reaching out as a way to reconnect.

PERFUME REVEALS YOUR PERSONALITY


If something doesn't smell right, you might be wearing the wrong perfume for your personality. Scents, like the clothes and shoes you choose, should be just right to go with your inner self, so check out the following tips to see which is the whiff for you:

  • Girly Girl -- need to go flowery. Think gardenia, hyacinth, lavender, lilac, jasmine or rose. Choose the right bouquet, and you'll smell beautiful.
  • Woodsy Women -- want something foresty. Choose sandalwood, cedar or rosewood, and you'll be sending the signal that you're an earthy mama.
  • Athletes -- nothing says sporty like citrus. Orange, lemon and lime are all perfect for putting pep in your step.
  • Romantics -- range from sultry and sophisticated to downright mysterious. Experts recommend a mixture of exotic flowers and herbs.
  • Self-Contained -- sorts smell best when they go spicy. Ginger, cloves and cinnamon all say individualist, loud and clear.
  • Traditional Types -- tend to go for the classic kinds of aromas made up of blends of flowery fragrances.
  • Career Gals -- make out best by opting for modern perfumes with subtle undertones. Never use anything overbearing, though, because you don't want people to smell you coming.

Want to be still holding hands after 40 more years?


Want to keep your loving relationship in tact? Want to be still holding hands after 40 more years? Here are some suggestions (from MSN.com Dating and Personals) on how to keep it together:

  • Start solid. Remember that best friend you had when you were a kid? Whether blissfully playing side-by-side in the sandbox or building an awesome fort together, you two just grooved on being in each other's presence. Happy couples share that same serendipitous groove, if in the all-grown-up world.
  • Keep it fresh. Routines and traditions can give a couple a comforting sense of predictability that's both grounding and reassuring. But surprises and adventures are also essential to really keeping that spark alive.
  • Clear the air. It's perfectly natural for any couple to encounter frustrations, disappointments, and miscommunication from time to time. But if grievances go un-aired, they can pile up to a mountain of resentment and put the relationship at risk.
  • Have a life. A healthy relationship consists of two individuals who each maintain a strong sense of themselves and take a genuine interest in the other. One may decide to go back to school to pursue a higher degree, while the other may get involved in a volunteer project or a photography workshop. Maintaining individual identities and pursuing individual interests ensures that there'll always be new things to share and to learn about each other.
  • Tune it up. Whether it be once a month or once a year, a regularly scheduled sit-down can allow for some essential upkeep and maintenance of a healthy relationship. Happy couples may agree to a periodic summit meeting to check in with one another about the overall well-being of their partnership.

Celebrity Gossip



NICOLE RICHIE AND JOEL MADDEN EXPECTING SECOND CHILD: Nicole Richie and Joel Madden are expecting their second child together. In a posting on the Good Charlotte blog Saturday (February 21st) night, Madden announced that his longtime girlfriend, with whom he has a 13-month-old daughter named Harlow, is pregnant. On the blog, Madden asked, "What's better than winning an Oscar?" answering, "I am so happy to tell everyone that Harlow is going to be a big sister! God has truly blessed my family. Hope you're all feeling as good as I am right now."

BABY SHOWER HELD FOR CHARLIE SHEEN'S TWINS: Charlie Sheen is apparently excited to be adding sons to his brood of three daughters, holding a sports-themed baby shower on Saturday (February 21st) in anticipation of his twin boys with wife Brooke who are due in April. People magazine reports that Paris Hilton, Eric Dane and baseball star Barry Bonds were among the guests who attended the soiree at the home of Dr. 90210 star Dr. Nassif. Also in attendance was the actor's father, Martin Sheen, and his two young daughters from his marriage to Denise Richards.

SAMANTHA RONSON DENIES HAVING $500 HAIRCUTS: Samantha Ronson is denying a report in OK! magazine that claimed her gal pal Lindsay Lohan pays for her to get $500 haircuts. The DJ took to her blog to dispel the rumor, stating, "1. it doesn't cost $500 to cut my hair . . . have you seen my hair? I don't even have that many strands. 2. if for some reason i decided that I was going to throw $500 away on a hair cut I would pay for it myself, however- I have a great exchange going with my hair dresser- i make him cds- he cuts my hair. yay! cheap and cheerful!"

HAYDEN PANETTIERE HOOKS UP WITH 'GRIZZLY' MAN: Hayden Panettiere is not crying about her split from Heroes co-star Milo Ventimiglia. The 19-year-old, who the Chicago Sun-Times claims ended things with Ventimiglia after a pregnancy scare, attended a Los Angeles party last week with a "grizzly bear-looking" man. A source told the New York Daily News, "His name was Vladimir and everyone kept talking about how he was a wrestler," adding the the couple was so oblivious to anything besides one another, that they did not even notice a drunken partygoer urinating in a fireplace nearby to where they were standing.

DYING BRITISH REALITY STAR WEDS: A dying U.K. reality star who gained international fame in the wake of her cervical cancer diagnosis married her boyfriend in England on Sunday (February 22nd). Twenty-seven-year-old Jane Goody has made headlines in recent weeks for broadcasting her life after doctors said her illness was terminal. The former Big Brother star was reportedly paid $1.4 million for the media rights to her wedding, which she says will go towards financing the education of her two young sons from a previous relationship. Goody's rep said on Sunday that the wedding was a "happy ceremony with lots of tears, lots of smiles, lots of laughter . . . (a) very beautiful, very moving service," adding that she had taken painkillers to get through the day.

VIETNAM VETS PROTEST JANE FONDA ON BROADWAY: Jane Fonda's performance in Broadway's 33 Variations was protested on Saturday (February 21st) by about a dozen Vietnam veterans and others who are still angry that the 71-year-old actress made radio broadcasts critical of U.S. policy and sat on an anti-aircraft gun laughing and clapping in Hanoi during the Vietnam war. Dan Maloney of the Gathering of Eagles said, "Jane Fonda is a traitor. She got on Hanoi radio and called every U.S. serviceman a war criminal." Fonda has defended her anti-war activism but acknowledges that the incident sitting on the gun was "a betrayal" of American forces.

When men see a woman in a bikini, they see her as a sexy object.


Well, duh. But researchers at Princeton University have confirmed this scientifically. When men see a bikini-clad woman, the areas of the male brain that are associated with handling tools and the intention to perform light up. Men depersonalize sexual images of women. "This is just the first study which was focused on the idea that men of a certain age view sex as a highly desirable goal, and if you present them with a provocative woman, then that will tend to prime goal-related responses," psychology professor and said study leader Susan Fiske.

The top 10 fattest U.S. cities:


Miami, FL, is the fattest city in the U.S., according to an annual ranking by Men's Fitness of the nation's 50 largest cities. Salt Lake City was the fittest city. Each city was evaluated in more than a dozen categories, including the percentage of overweight citizens and the number of fitness centers and sports stores. The top 10 fattest U.S. cities:

  1. Miami, Florida
  2. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  3. San Antonio, Texas
  4. Las Vegas, Nevada
  5. New York, New York
  6. Houston, Texas
  7. El Paso, Texas
  8. Jacksonville. Florida
  9. Charlotte, North Carolina
  10. Louisville, Kentucky

Miami was the fattest city for six reasons:

  • A large number of overweight people.
  • A high rate of TV viewing among residents.
  • Almost three times as many fast food restaurants as the average city.
  • Low participation in outdoor activities such as biking, running and fitness walking.
  • Long commutes.
  • Poor air quality.

KFLAG Country Music News


Sugarland will head out on their first European tour next month. The duo will take their music to seven countries and 11 cities throughout the month of March. They will be joined on a couple dates by opening act Holly Williams, the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. Several of Sugarland's shows will be held at military bases.

  • Sugarland's first show is on March 6th at the Army Base in Aviano, Italy. They wrap things up on March 22nd in Thurles, Ireland at Premier Hall.

FAST FACTS

  • For a complete list of tour dates, log onto www.sugarlandmusic.com.
  • The duo recently picked up a Grammy for Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group for "Stay." The song earned Jennifer Nettles a second Grammy for Best Country Song. She wrote the tune by herself.
  • Holly Williams will release her debut album, called Here With Me, in June. Her debut single is called "Keep The Change."
Montgomery Gentry will host the sixth annual ACM Chairman's Ride, formerly known as the Charity Motorcycle Ride, on April 4th in Las Vegas. Toby Keith is confirmed to participate in the ride, with additional artists to be announced in the coming weeks. The event benefits the Academy of Country Music Charitable Fund (ACMCF).
  • As one of the hosts of the ride since its inception, Troy Gentry tells us he looks forward to the growing event every year. "The motorcycle ride has been an honor for me, and the fact that Eddie and I started this out with 200 motorcycles and we're up around the 2,000 range now with motorcycle riders and people participating, so it's a growing event, and it's kind of like being a parent -- it's awesome to be able to be a part of something in the beginning and watch it grow throughout the years."
  • The ACM Chairman's Ride takes place the day before the ACM Awards. The Awards will be held on April 5th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Sin City. The show will air live on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.

SIDE NOTES

  • Other ACM-related events scheduled on April 4th include the 6th annual Celebrity Golf Classic hosted by Rascal Flatts at TPC Las Vegas; and Divas Downtown on Fremont Street, a free concert featuring performances by Julianne Hough, Kellie Pickler and LeAnn Rimes on Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas.
Taylor Swift has achieved another first. The brand new video for her single, "White Horse," debuts at Number One on CMT's Top 20 Countdown this week. This is the first time that a video has ever made its debut in the Number One spot.
  • The clip exclusively premiered on CMT on February 7th.
  • It is the most streamed video of the year so far on cmt.com.

FAST FACTS

  • Swift's "White Horse" video stars Laguna Beach and One Tree Hill star Stephen Colletti.
  • "White Horse" is the second single from Swift's new Fearless CD. The project has already sold three million copies since its release in November.
  • Fearless has been at the top of Billboard's Country Album Sales charts each of the 12 weeks since its release.
  • The album is currently in its ninth week at Number One on the all-genre Top 200 Albums chart.

Jason Michael Carroll usually likes to have a hand in writing his own material, but his latest single, "Where I'm From," is an exception for the singer. Carroll said he might as well have penned the song, however, because it shares so many similarities to his own life, as he tells us: "The unique thing about it is I didn't write the song. A friend of mine wrote it, and as we were writing one day he said, 'Jason, have you heard the song I wrote called "Where I'm From"?' And I said, 'No,' and he played it for me and, I mean, it just hit me in so many different places. I said, 'I've gotta have that song,' and so we recorded it in May of last year, and we started playing it in June of last year when we were out on the road with Carrie Underwood, so that's how much I believed in this song right out of the gate."

Carroll adds that listeners will find a commonality in the message of "Where I'm From," something that struck him immediately. "I really think that as much as it connected with me, there's gotta be a lot more people out there that are just like me. They'll be able to say, 'You know what? That's me too,' or 'I've been through this.' The coolest message of the whole song, to me, is the fact that goin' through everything and all the similarities that everybody's faced in life, you hear the story of two guys that have been from two different areas in life -- their lives have carried them in two different directions -- but through their talking and their conversation you find out that we're all really not that different, and that's one of the coolest things about this song."

  • "Where I'm From" is the debut single from Carroll's upcoming sophomore album, due out this spring.
LeAnn Rimes and her husband, Dean Sheremet, celebrate their seventh anniversary on Monday (February 23rd). The couple married in Dallas, Texas in 2002 after dating for 18 months.
  • Rimes says her life has changed for the better since meeting Sheremet. He is involved in every aspect of her life, including her career, she told us a while back:"He definitely has his opinions and I listen. He's great! He really is. He's so supportive and that really makes a difference in what I do, cause to have that base in my life now is wonderful."
  • Rimes met Sheremet when he was one of her dancers during her performance of "Can't Fight The Moonlight" on the Academy of Country Music Awards in Los Angeles in May of 2000.
  • The couple currently reside in Nashville.
Kellie Pickler will be shooting the video for her new single, "Best Days Of Your Life," this week in Nashville. Since she co-wrote the song about an ex with her good friend, Taylor Swift, Pickler found it only fitting to come up with the idea for the video together.

Pickler said, "After we wrote the song, Taylor and I talked about what a fun, visual video this would make and the scenes that follow the storyline are very funny. This song is about one particular guy but I'm dedicating the music video to all you bad boys out there and you know who you are."

  • There is no word yet on when fans can expect to see the video for "Best Days Of Your Life."

FAST FACTS

  • Pickler will begin appearing in ads for the Big Sexy Hair products campaign in April.
  • The former American Idol finalist will head out on Swift's headlining Fearless tour beginning on April 23rd in Evansville, Indiana.

Water Cooler Talk

  • How bad is it in the newspaper industry? Today, a share of New York Times stock costs less than one of their Sunday papers. The stock is $3.77, the Sunday paper sells on newsstands for $4.
  • Yes's "In The Present Tour," featuring Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Alan White, has been cancelled. Founding Yes member, Chris Squire, underwent surgery on his leg on February 11.
  • Can you believe it's been almost three years since Katie Couric took over the news desk at CBS?
  • You knew it was just a matter of time. The web site TMZ has released one of the first pictures of a battered Rihanna.
  • Sounds like Clay Aiken is about to be dropped by his record label.
  • Another sign of the times: Disney has announced that layoffs are coming to its parks.
  • Josh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, are expecting their second child this summer.
  • Rumor has it that Harrison Ford and Calista FLockhart will soon be married.
  • Find the audio version of the children's book "Loukoumi's Good Deeds" and you'll hear Jennifer Aniston and her dad reading it together.
  • Il Divo's Carlos Marin and his wife have separated. The couple was married at Disneyland in 2006, but were together for more than 13 years.
  • 92-year-old Kirk Douglas is planning to take to the stage again in a one-man show called, "Before I forget."

K-FLAG SPORTS

A battle on the hardwood last night with Arizona State coming up the victor over Arizona. Rihards Kuksiks scored 17 points and hit a pair of late 3-pointers as the number 14 Sun Devils edged the Wildcats 70-68. Nic Wise scored 17 points for Arizona, which snapped a seven-game win streak.

The Boston Celtics got a career-high 32 points from Rajon Rondo, 31 points from Ray Allen and 26 from Paul Pierce in a 128-108 victory at Phoenix. The Suns had won three straight but were playing their first game without Amare Stoudemire who's out following eye surgery.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points to move past Elgin Baylor into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list and the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves, 111-108. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol each added 25 as the Lakers improved their NBA-best record to 46-and-10.

Yesterday's NBA Scores....

Indiana 98, Chicago 91
Toronto 111, New York 100
Boston 128, Phoenix 108
Milwaukee 120, Denver 117
Houston 99, Charlotte 78
Orlando 122, Miami 99
Portland 116, L.A. Clippers 87
L.A. Lakers 111, Minnesota 108
Cleveland 99, Detroit 78

Tonights NBA Schedule

Indiana at New York,
Philadelphia at New Jersey,
Boston at Denver,
Atlanta at Utah,
New Orleans at Sacramento,
Golden State at L.A. Clippers,

Illness has swept over Arizona Diamondbacks players and one coach. Ten players missed spring training drills Sunday with unspecified "gastrointestinal conditions." The team isn't sure if the illness stems from something the players ate, a virus going around the clubhouse or some other factor.

Free-agent outfielder Garret Anderson has reached a preliminary agreement with the Atlanta Braves on a one-year deal. Anderson hit .293 with 15 homers and 84 RBIs in 145 games with the Los Angeles Angels last year.

Ron Capps raced to his first number 1 qualifying performance in Funny Car in more than four years Sunday at the Lucas Oil Slick Mist NHRA Nationals. Capps powered his Dodge Charger to 4.023 seconds at 305.63 miles per hour to claim his ninth career top qualifying position and second at Firebird International Raceway in Chandler.

Matt Kenseth is the fifth driver in NASCAR history to follow up a victory in the Daytona 500 with a win in the following race. Kenseth won the Auto Club 500, easily outdistancing runner-up Jeff Gordon with Kyle Busch finishing third at Auto Club Speedway in Southern California.

Phil Mickelson is the king of storied Riviera Country Club after winning the Northern Trust Open for the second straight year. Mickelson shot 1-over-par 72 yesterday but that was enough to edge Steve Stricker by one shot.

In the NHL yesterday...

Washington 5, Pittsburgh 2
Carolina 5, Colorado 2
Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3
Minnesota 2, Chicago 1
Toronto 3, N.Y. Rangers 2, OT

Tonight in the NHL....

San Jose at Dallas,

Friday, February 20, 2009

WILL YOUR MARRIAGE LAST?


You're in love, but do you have what it takes to live happily ever after? Thanks to a 22-question quiz from Dr. John Gottman of Washington University in St. Louis you can find out. Answer these 22 questions and then see below to find out what your answers mean.

  1. I can name my partner's best friends.
  2. I know what stresses my partner is currently facing.
  3. I know the names of some people who have been irritating my partner lately.
  4. I can tell you some of my partner's life dreams.
  5. I know my partner's basic philosophy of life.
  6. I can list the relatives my partner likes the least.
  7. I feel that my partner knows me pretty well.
  8. When we're apart, I think fondly of my partner.
  9. I often touch or kiss my partner affectionately.
  10. My partner really respects me.
  11. There is passion in our relationship.
  12. Romance is still part of our relationship.
  13. My partner appreciates the things I do.
  14. My partner likes my personality.
  15. Our sex life is mostly satisfying.
  16. At the end of the day my partner is glad to see me.
  17. My partner is one of my best friends.
  18. We just love talking to each other.
  19. There is lots of give and take (both people have influence) in our discussions.
  20. My partner listens respectfully even when we disagree.
  21. My partner is usually a great help as a problem solver.
  22. We generally mesh well on basic values and goals in life.

What your answers mean:

15 or more positive answers: You have a lot of strength in your relationship.

8 to 14 positive answers: This is a pivotal time in your relationship as there are strengths you can build upon, but do focus on the weaknesses that need your attention.

7 or fewer: Your relationship may be in serious trouble and could be headed for the rocks. If you're concerned about this, it means you probably still value the relationship enough to get help.

LAUGHTER REVEALS YOUR PERSONALITY


  • Booming: Passionate, make decision quickly, but with a sensitive side.
  • Cackling: Practical, down to earth and a good judge of character.
  • Weepy: You care deeply for others, and handle complex situations well. A zest for life.
  • Squeaky, high pitched: Young in spirit, love surprises, emotional, trustworthy, energetic optomistic.
  • Chuckling, low pitched: Sensuous, romantic, a flirt who can influence others.
  • Tinkling, soft: Conscientious, kind, considerate, dependable and you try hard to please. You make others feel good.
  • Giggling: Hard worker with high personal standards. Lots of energy, creative, imaginative.
  • Variable: If you have a different laugh for every occasion, your versatile, good with people and fit in everywhere.

SECRETS ALL WOMEN KEEP


You may think you know your wife better than anyone, but chances are she has at least one don't-tell-the-husband secret. Redbook deputy editor Jeannie Kim writes that all womankind has 11 near-universal secrets, some of which will shock men and some of which they'll realize they suspected all along. Here they are:

  1. Everything a woman buys for herself--from shoes to skirts and even shampoo -- really costs 20 percent more than she tells you.
  2. She actually thinks about sex--with you--a lot. (It's just that by the end of the day she's too tired to do anything about it.)
  3. She is just as nervous about commitment as you are.
  4. She may be modern and independent, but she still wants you to be "the man."
  5. Her ex-boyfriends were not completely terrible in bed.
  6. She is scared that she'll turn into her mother. (So the worst insult you can throw at the woman you love is, "You're acting just like your mother.")
  7. She wants you to be jealous--but just a little bit.
  8. Yes, she fantasizes about hot celebrity guys, but that doesn't mean she wants you to be one of them.
  9. She tells her girlfriends more than she will ever admit to you (but less than you fear).
  10. She really does notice and appreciate all the chores you do.
  11. She loves you with all her heart, but she still gets wistful about the fact that she'll never feel that falling-in-love sizzle and spark again.

SUBTLE SIGNS HE DIGS YOU


(Cosmopolitan) A man's actions -- even if they're subconscious -- often speak louder than his words. That babe is interested if he...

  • Fondles his face -- When a man is feelin' you, his nervous system makes him fidgety. He'll stroke his Adam's apple or gently rub his lips. These touchy-feely gestures mean he's a bit unsure and needs encouragement.
  • Gives you the warm shoulder -- If you're huddled in a group, don't call it quits just because his eyes aren't focused on you. To decode whom he truly desires, notice which way his shoulders are facing. Why? Men are hardwired to position their torsos in the direction of the person they deem most important.
  • Offers you a hand -- When captivated, he'll reach out and pat the back of your hand or wrist. He's literally taking a reading to see how you respond to his touch.
  • Stakes his claim -- If he's sitting at the bar, he'll place his cash or keys in front of him to proclaim his availability and status.

Oldest, Middle, Youngest Children: Who's More Successful?


Research shows that first-borns (and onlys) lead the pack in terms of educational attainment, occupational prestige, income and net worth. Conversely middle children in large families tend to fare the worst. Here's a look at what impact your birth order may have on you:

  • First-Borns: More conscientious, ambitious and aggressive than their younger siblings, first-borns are over-represented at Harvard and Yale as well as disciplines requiring higher education such as medicine, engineering or law. Every astronaut to go into space has been either the oldest child in his or her family or the eldest boy. And throughout history -- even more than half of all Nobel Prize winners and U.S. presidents have been first-born. Famous eldest children include: Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, J.K. Rowling and Winston Churchill.
  • Middles: Middle children are more easy going and peer-oriented. Since they can get lost in the shuffle of their own families, they learn to build bridges to other sources of support and therefore tend to have excellent people skills. Middle children often take on the role of mediator and peacemaker. Famous middle children include: Bill Gates, J.F.K., Madonna and Princess Diana.
  • Youngest: The youngest child tends to be the most creative and can be very charming -- even manipulative. Because they often identify with the underdog. Successful in journalism, advertising, sales and the arts, famous youngest children include Cameron Diaz, Jim Carrey, Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, Eddie Murphy and Billy Crystal.
  • Only Children: Only children have similar characteristics to first-borns and are frequently burdened with high parental expectations. Research shows they are more confident, articulate and likely to use their imagination than other children. They also expect a lot from others, hate criticism, can be inflexible and are likely to be perfectionists.
  • Twins: Because they hold equal status and are treated so similarly, twins turn out similarly in most cases. Consider advice columnists "Dear Abby" and "Ann Landers" (Abigail and Esther Friedman), and Harold and Bernard Shapiro, who became presidents of Princeton University and Canada's McGill University respectively.


WATER COOLER TALK


  • A green comet with it's tail pointing towards the sun will be visible from earth on February 24.
  • Ronald Strykert, guitarist of the Australian band Men At Work, has reportedly been arrested for allegedly threatening to kill the band's lead singer, Colin Hay.
  • Women who drink coffee appear to have a lower risk of stroke than their friends who don't according to a new study from the Universidad Autonoma de Madrid in Spain.
  • Fire at Tracy Morgan's New York apartment this week, after a light bulb in his aquarium exploded.
  • The new Hannah Montana movie will not include Dolly Parton appearing as "Aunt Dolly."
  • California's Governor Schwarzenegger is going to go back to movies for a day. He's going to appear as himself in Sylvester Stallone's next movie project and shoot all his scenes in one day. After all, he's got a budget fire to put out.
  • The Office's Angela Kinsey has split from her husband of eight years, Warren Lieberstein. They just had a baby together last May.
  • Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday" is next week. Lent begins on Wednesday.
  • We're just now getting word that Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen got engaged over the holidays.
  • Now we hear that the grandmother of that California woman who gave birth to octuplets hadn't made house payments since May of last year... and so mom and her 14 kids may soon be homeless.
  • 59% of men don't want to know your nooky number according to a Cosmopolitan magazine web poll.
  • If Heath Ledger wins the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor on Sunday, his daughter Matilda Rose Ledger will get the trophy.
  • Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel moved into a Manhattan apartment together on Monday.
  • A little bit of a scare this week for Charlie Sheen and his pregnant wife after she had to be hospitalized because of premature contractions.
  • In the aftermath of that alleged domestic violence incident, sales of Rihanna's 2007 album, "Good Girl Gone Bad," went up 33%!

K-FLAG SPORTS

The Phoenix Suns didn't make a major move before yesterday's trade deadline. But if their first two games after the All-Star break are any indication, a coaching change may have been all they needed. The Suns will try to continue their high-scoring start under coach Alvin Gentry tonight against the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the NBA last night....
San Antonio 83, Detroit 79
Utah 90, Boston 85

Tonight on the NBA courts...
Orlando at Charlotte,
Toronto at New York, .
Dallas at Houston,
Sacramento at Memphis,
Washington at New Jersey,
Indiana at Minnesota, .
Denver at Chicago, .
Cleveland at Milwaukee,
Oklahoma City at Phoenix,
Atlanta at Portland,
New Orleans at L.A. Lakers,

The six-game home-ice losing streak is over for the Phoenix Coyotes. Daniel Carcillo scored in the eighth round of the shootout and the Coyotes beat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 last night. Shane Doan also scored in the shootout, and Joakim Lindstrom, Viktor Tikhonov and Steven Goertzen had goals in regulation for the Coyotes, who won for just the second time in 11 games since the All-Star break.

Last Nights NHL action.....
Philadelphia 6, Buffalo 3
Pittsburgh 5, Montreal 4
Carolina 6, N.Y. Islanders 2
Vancouver 5, Ottawa 2
Chicago 4, Florida 0
New Jersey 3, Tampa Bay 2, SO
Columbus 4, Toronto 3, SO
Calgary 3, Minnesota 2, OT
St. Louis 2, Nashville 1, OT
Dallas 4, Edmonton 2
Phoenix 4, Atlanta 3, SO
San Jose 4, Los Angeles 2

Tonight on the Ice....
Tampa Bay at Carolina,
Colorado at Washington,
Anaheim at Detroit,

After an eight-month layoff, Tiger Woods will return to action next week in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana. Woods had surgery after the Masters last year to repair cartilage damage in his left knee, and while preparing to return for the U.S. Open, suffered a double stress fracture in his left leg.

The Arizona Cardinals have named former Kansas City Chiefs assistant Curtis Modkins as running backs coach. He replaces Maurice Carthon, who was named assistant head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs yesterday. Carthon followed Todd Haley, who was Arizona's offensive coordinator for two seasons before being hired as head coach of the Chiefs earlier this month.

KFLAG Country Music News


Rascal Flatts will kick off their American Living Unstoppable tour on June 5th. The new tour will be sponsored JCPenney Company, Inc. for the next two years. The trio is slated to play in approximately 60 cities around the country each year.

The tour will promote American Living, the retailer's all-American lifestyle brand developed exclusively by Polo Ralph Lauren's Global Brand Concepts.

In conjunction with the tour, Rascal Flatts has written a new song inspired by the brand titled "American Living," which will serve as the soundtrack for the new American Living commercial. The song will only be available on a special version of the Unstoppable CD sold at JCPenney stores beginning on April 7th. The commercial is set to air from May 17th through June 6th.

SIDE NOTES

  • Rascal Flatts' played at the launch party for the American Living brand in February of 2008.
  • All net proceeds from the sale of albums sold through JCPenney will be donated to the JCPenney Afterschool Fund, which provides children in need with access to life-enriching afterschool programs that inspire kids to be smart, strong and socially responsible.


Josh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, are expecting a baby this summer. The couple are already parents to two-year-old son, Hampton.
  • Turner said, "I am so excited about the newest member of our family. I can't wait to hold him or her for the first time."

FAST FACTS

  • Turner is nominated for the Academy of Country Music's Vocal Event of the Year for "Another Try," featuring Trisha Yearwood.
  • The singer is featured in the current special Country Music edition of People magazine.



Martina McBride will be among the performers taking part in the Stevie Wonder In Performance at the White House: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize special being taped on Wednesday (February 25th) at the White House. The evening celebrates Wonder's receipt of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. President and Mrs. Obama will be in attendance at the event, which will include performances by Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, Esperanza Spalding, Will.i.am, the gospel duo Mary Mary, and Wonder himself.
  • Stevie Wonder In Performance at the White House: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize is set to air on PBS stations nationwide on Thursday (February 26th). Check local listings.

SIDE NOTES

  • McBride will release her new album, Shine, on March 24th.
  • The album's debut single, "Ride," is currently climbing the charts.

Kellie Pickler's latest single, "Best Days Of Your Life," is the result of a writing session the singer shared with her good friend while on the road last summer: "'The Best Days of Your Life' is one of my favorite songs on the record because I wrote it with one of my best friends, Taylor Swift, and we actually wrote this song last summer while we were on the Brad Paisley tour."

With a little help from Swift, Pickler decided to dump her anger and heartbreak about an ex into "Best Days Of Your Life": "You know, Taylor's notorious about writing about ex-boyfriends and relationships, especially the ones that did her wrong, and, yeah, I went through a rough patch last summer with a boy, and I was venting to Taylor about it and she said, 'Well, let's just write a song about it,' so I went, 'All right, I'm up for it,' so we got on her bus and she pulled out her guitar and we wrote a song about this guy I used to date that did me wrong, and the whole concept of the song was that he's already had the best days of his life and that was with me."

  • Pickler will be hitting the road with Swift again this summer on Swift's first headlining tour. The Fearless tour kicks off on April 23rd in Evansville, Indiana.
  • Pickler was in New York City this week attending the various designer fashion shows as part of Fashion Week.
Jason Aldean's latest single, "She's Country," passed the 10 million mark on Myspace this week, making it the most streamed country song by any solo artist on the current Top 40 chart. Miranda Lambert's "More Like Her" and Taylor Swift's "White Horse" trail in second and third place.
  • Aldean will release the video for "She's Country" on AOL Music's homepage on Friday (February 20th). The clip will begin airing on CMT on Monday (February 23rd).
  • The performance video was filmed in January at concerts in Peoria, Illinois; Evansville, Indiana; and LaCrosse, Wisconsin.
  • Aldean said, "We have a blast playing this song because the energy is through the roof. And (director) Wes (Edwards) didn't have any problem finding girls to be in the video because they really relate to the lyrics and are proud to be from the country."

SIDE NOTES

  • "She's Country" is the fastest rising single of Aldean's career to date.
  • The song is the debut release from Aldean's upcoming album, Wide Open, due out on April 7th.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

LOVE & MARRIAGE



Want a great marriage? Here's what the best ones have in common, according to Neil Clark Warren, psychologist and author of "The Triumphant Marriage":

  • First, strong couples focus on the positive -- They have a list of their partner's outstanding qualities on the tip of their tongue that's longer than their list of complaints. So, if you're having trouble, ask yourself a few questions, like: "What's right about my marriage?" And "What made us fall in love in the first place?"
  • Then, a little romance can heal a lot of hurts. So, act on those romantic impulses! Bring home their favorite candy bar, or call to say "I was just thinking about you." Bottom line: Make time for romance -- Don't wait for it to make time for you.
  • Another thing to consider: even in a great marriage, you're never going to see eye to eye on everything. So, set up some ground rules for fighting: Be honest -- No name-calling -- No fighting or nagging in public -- No walking out in the middle of a fight--No bringing up unrelated issues--And no holding grudges. When the fight is over, it's over.
  • And finally, listen to each other! Researchers found that communication predicts the success of a marriage better than any other factor. So, pick two 30-minute time slots a week to talk--No phone, no TV, no Internet in short, no interruptions. One of you should start by talking about something that really matters to you. Be brief but thorough--And your mate can't respond until they repeat what you said, in their own words. Then it's their turn. And just keeping going back and forth for half an hour. To recap, focus on the positive, play the romance card frequently, set up ground rules for fights, and really listen to each other. And you'll have a stronger marriage in no time.

What are your secrets to a long and healthy relationship. Have a you had a great relationship that went south because of ONE mistake (infidelity, aside). Let us know! Email the Morning Jolt mornings@kflg947.com


SPICE UP YOUR LOVE LIFE


Want to light a fire with your love life? Start with romance. It may seem old-fashioned, but there is nothing like taking time to just focus on each other to put the zing back into a tired relationship. Some suggestions:

  1. Set a monthly "date night" and stick to it -- Even if it's just dinner and a movie or a candlelit dinner together at home, make time for just the two of you.
  2. Say "I love you" every day -- These three small words carry so much meaning, yet they're never said often enough. Make sure that your partner knows you love and appreciate him or her every single day.
  3. Put your love in writing -- Nothing gives you warm fuzzies of love like receiving a simple love note or a passionate love letter. Every once in a while take the time to write your sweetie love notes, love poems and love letters.
  4. Bring back the spontaneity in your relationship -- Surprise your partner once a month. Try sending her flowers "just because." Buy him two tickets to a game of his favorite sport--and go with him!
  5. Get away from it all with a weekend getaway -- Take a romantic weekend away for no reason except to be together. Head to a cabin in the mountains, a local bed and breakfast or a relaxing spa. It doesn't really matter where you go, as long as you go together and leave the interruptions behind.
  6. Show your love each and every day -- Give your partner compliments, hold hands, open doors and engage in public displays of affection. It's the little things you do to show your love that always mean the most.
  7. Shake up your romantic life with a little creativity -- Create your own love coupon book with one coupon for your partner to redeem each week of the year. Easy to create, these little coupons can be as romantic, sexy or practical as you want. Hint: a mix of all three works best.
  8. Have fun together -- Take up a new hobby together. Join a softball team together or take cooking, golf or dancing lessons. You'll not only learn something new, but also you'll have fun with your partner at the same time.
  9. Don't forget the little things -- Make him lunch. Paint her toenails. Wash and wax his car. Do her weekly chores. You've heard the phrase that it's the little things that really matter when it comes to showing how much you care. Show you care by doing something nice and unexpected for your partner. It's a practical way to show your love that will be very much appreciated.
  10. Get to know your partner better -- Whether you're dating, just married or celebrating your 25th wedding anniversary, there is always more to learn about your partner. Get creative! Buy the book "All About Us" by Philipp Keel. It's filled with questions that will help you document your own love story; set aside time to answer one question each week. Or check out the many other books and resources which feature questions designed to spark discussions that will help you learn more about one another.

Why are so many of us running late?


15% of workers admit to arriving late at least once a week, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey. Why are so many of us running late? You might be surprised that the snooze button is not the primary culprit of tardiness.

  • 32 percent of workers attribute their late arrivals to traffic gridlock
  • 17 percent claim a lack of sleep is the reason
  • 7 percent have trouble arriving on time because they need to get their children ready for school or day care
  • Other issues, like forgetting something at home or not feeling well, are also popular.

According to the new survey 24 percent of all employees decide to make up a fake excuse rather than tell the truth.

TODAY'S FYI


ATTACK CHIMP'S OWNER NOW SAYS SHE DIDN'T GIVE HIM XANAX: The owner of a chimpanzee who attacked the woman's friend Monday (February 16th), leaving her in critical condition, and was shot dead by police, is now saying she didn't give the animal Xanax. Sandra Herold told AP Wednesday that she never gave the anti-anxiety drug to the chimp, named Travis. However, Herold said in an interview Wednesday morning on NBC's Today show that she gave Travis the drug less than five minutes before he attacked Charla Nash. Additionally, police have said Herold told them that she gave Travis Xanax that day to calm him because he was agitated. Psychiatric experts have said Xanax can lead to aggression in people who are unstable. Herold speculated to AP that Travis was being protective of her when he attacked Nash, who she said was driving a different car, wearing a new hairstyle and holding an Elmo stuffed toy in front of her face as a present for the chimp. Stamford, Connecticut police are looking into the possibility of bringing criminal charges against Herold. Under the law, a pet owner who knew or should have known that an animal was a danger to others can be held criminally responsible.

OCTUPLETS' GRANDMOTHER COULD LOSE HOME: Angela Suleman, the grandmother of the octuplets born in California last month, could lose the home where she, her unemployed daughter Nadya, and Nadya's previous six children live, to foreclosure. TMZ.com first reported that property records show a mortgage default notice was filed last week saying that Angela Suleman is more than $23,000 behind in payments on her house in the Los Angeles suburb of Whittier, having last made a payment in May 2008, and has filed for bankruptcy. She's been given three months to settle her debt to avoid foreclosure. It was previously disclosed that Angela's daughter Nadya, the mother of octuplets, has been receiving nearly $500 a month in food stamps for her other six children and disability payments for three of them.

GEOGRAPHY PROFS THEORIZE ON BIN LADEN'S HIDING PLACE: Two University of California geography professors think they may know where Osama bin Laden is hiding. Using satellite-imagery analysis and geographic methods, Professors Thomas Gillespie and John Agnew have theorized that the al-Qaida leader is holed up in the city of Parachinar in the mountains of northwestern Pakistan, about 12 miles from the Afghan border. They have narrowed it down even more, thinking he may be in one of three walled compounds in the city. To come to their conclusions, Gillespie and Agnew used bin Laden's last reported whereabouts in the mountains of Tora Bora and, quote, "theories that predict how plants and animals distribute themselves over space and over time." Parachinar is named as a likely hideout, where bin Laden could have electricity, physical protection, privacy and a small number of bodyguards, while remaining protected from aerial view. They also said being in or near a large city would reduce the risk of him being found in a military raid, and that Parachinar has a history of housing Islamic fighters during the Soviet invasion of neighboring Afghanistan two decades ago.

PALIN MUST PAY BACK TAXES ON PER DIEM PAYMENTS: Alaska officials said Wednesday (February 18th) that Governor Sarah Palin must pay back taxes on nearly $18,000 in expenses she charged the state for living in her home in Wasilla instead of at the state capital in Juneau, which is 600 miles away. A review of state policy and IRS tax laws determined the per diem payments should be treated as income. The fact that Palin had charged the state for the expenses became an issue during the presidential campaign, when Palin was the vice presidential nominee on Republican Senator John McCain's ticket. Per diem payments are intended to cover meals and incidental expenses while traveling on state business. State officials have said Palin's claims were allowed because her duty station is Juneau.

GERONIMO DESCENDANTS SUE YALE'S SKULL AND BONES SOCIETY: Descendants of Geronimo have filed suit against Skull and Bones, the secret society at Yale University whose members have included U.S. presidents and other powerful people, claiming that its members stole the skull and some bones of the Apache leader in 1918, nine years after his death, and still have them. The family says it wants the remains back. The robbing of Geronimo's Fort Sill, Oklahoma, grave is a longstanding Skull and Bones legend that's gained some credence after the discovery in 2005 of a letter from a club member that described the theft. Among those supposed to have taken part in the robbery was Prescott Bush, grandfather of former President George W. Bush, who was also a Skull and Bones member, as was his 2004 opponent, Senator John Kerry. Members of Skull and Bones swear an oath of secrecy about the group and its rituals, which include initiation rites such as a confession of sexual secrets and kissing a skull.

NEAR-COMPLETE MAMMOTH SKELETON FOUND IN LOS ANGELES: The nearly complete skeleton of a large Columbian mammoth who died during the last ice age has been dug up after being found at a construction site near the La Brea Tar Pits in downtown Los Angeles, scientists said Wednesday (February 18th). The mammoth -- who was dubbed "Zed" by researchers at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits -- likely died some 40,000 years ago. The skeleton was found near a large group of fossils that workers discovered while digging the foundation for an underground parking garage, that included a prehistoric American Lion skull and bones from saber-toothed cats, juvenile horse and bison, teratorn -- a prehistoric bird of prey -- coyotes, lynx and ground sloths. The discovery is expected to double the size of the museum's collection.

Celebrity Gossip


RACHEL BILSON ENGAGED: Rachel Bilson is engaged to her longtime beau, actor Hayden Christensen. A source who recently traveled on a plane with the actress broke the story to the New York Post. The witness told the paper, "A man sitting in front of her on the plane saw a ring on her finger and asked if she was married." Bilson's alleged reply was, "I'm not married yet, just engaged. I know I look like I'm 15, but I'm actually 27." A friend of Bilson's told People magazine that the duo got engaged in December, adding, "They're so excited. They're a great couple. Rachel seems thrilled beyond belief."

'THE OFFICE' STAR SEPARATING FROM HUSBAND: The Office star Angela Kinsey has separated from her husband of eight years, Warren Lieberstein. Us Weekly reports that the couple, who welcomed their first daughter last May, need to reevaluate their marriage. Kinsey's rep told the magazine, "Angela and Warren are taking some time apart to figure out what is best for their relationship," but added, "They continue to be friends."

MICKEY ROURKE'S BELOVED DOG DIES: Mickey Rourke's beloved pet Chihuahua Loki has died. A rep for the Oscar nominee confirmed to E! News that the 18-year-old pooch, whom the actor called the "love of his life," passed away on Monday (February 16th) night. Rourke famously thanked his canine companions while accepting the Golden Globe for Best Actor last month, telling the world, "I'd like to thank all my dogs, the ones who are here and the ones who aren't here anymore. Sometimes, when a man is alone, that's all you got is your dog. And they've meant the world to me." He reiterated the sentiment in a recent interview with Barbara Walters, telling her, "I sort of self-destructed and everything came out about fourteen years ago or so . . . the wife had left, the career was over, the money was not an ounce. The dogs were there when no one else was there."

JUDGE WON'T DISMISS POLANSKI CASE: A Superior Court Judge said on Tuesday (February 17th) that he'll only consider dropping the 31-year-old sex case against Roman Polanski if the director returns to the United States and appears in court. The now-75-year-old pleaded guilty in 1977 to unlawful sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old, but fled to France the following year after he was threatened with more prison time than originally agreed upon. Polanski has been a fugitive ever since and recently requested the case be dismissed so that he could enter the United States without the fear of arrest.

HAYDEN PANETTIERE REBOUNDING WITH GERARD BUTLER? Although her split from Milo Ventimiglia was just announced, Hayden Panettiere is reportedly wasting no time getting back in the singles scene. Us Weekly reports that at a New York City event last week, the 19-year-old actress was spotted "flirting" with actor Gerard Butler -- who is 20 years her senior.

LIEV SCHREIBER WANTS TO BREAST FEED: Naomi Watts says that her beau Liev Schreiber is such a hands-on dad, he wanted to breast feed their son. The couple welcomed son Samuel two months ago and have a one-year-old, Alexander, whom they refer to as Sasha. Watts told Ellen DeGeneres that Schreiber "does take care of Sasha in the night, but he can't do Sammy because I'm breastfeeding. Although with the first one, he was like, 'I want the man boob.'" For non-believers, she explained, "You can get those things. You can attach them and they feed through a tube!"

TIGER WOODS SHOWS OFF NEWBORN: Tiger Woods introduced his 10-day-old son Charlie Axel Woods to the world on Wednesday (February 18th) by posting pictures of the infant on Golf.com. Five snaps were shared, showing the family of four -- Tiger and wife Elin welcomed daughter Sam in 2007 -- and their dogs, kissing the new arrival. After Charlie's birth, Woods wrote on his website, "Both Charlie and Elin are doing great and we want to thank everyone for their sincere best wishes and kind thoughts."

GARY COLEMAN DEPOSITION WON'T BE RELEASED: A Utah judge ruled on Tuesday (February 17th) that a videotaped deposition of Gary Coleman won't be released until a personal injury lawsuit against the actor, which stemmed from an incident at a bowling alley last year, is resolved. A man is suing Coleman, claiming that the actor hit him with his truck last year while exiting the bowling alley. The judge was worried about Coleman getting a fair trial if the tape was released, saying, "I do not want to come in here and have the whole jury challenged off." Coleman pleaded no contest in December to a disorderly conduct charge in the incident and was ordered to pay a $100 fine.

DAUGHTER TO GET HEATH LEDGER'S OSCAR IF HE WINS


Three-year-old Matilda Ledger has been designated by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the eventual owner of her dad's Oscar-- if he wins best supporting actor on Sunday (February 22nd). Despite the designation, Matilda wouldn't get the statue until her 18th birthday, and even then, would have to sign a contract first, indicating that she will not resell the Oscar without first offering it back to the academy for $1.

  • Academy tradition calls for a posthumous award to go to the winner's spouse, or if there is none, the oldest child.
  • Bruce Davis, executive director of the academy, explained to the Associated Press the course of action that will be taken if Ledger wins. He said, "In the event that Heath Ledger should be selected as the supporting actor recipient, the statuette will be held in trust for his daughter by her mother, Michelle Williams, until Matilda reaches the age of 18. At that point, she may execute what we call an heir's agreement and keep the statuette forever -- or, if she chooses not to do that, it will return to us."
  • If Ledger wins, he would be only the second actor to receive an Oscar after death, following Peter Finch, who won in 1976 for Network.

YOUR AMERICAN IDOL UPDATE


America voted for the first time this year, and the initial three finalists of American Idol's Season Eight were revealed last night (Wednesday, February 18th). And the winners were judges' favorite Alexis Grace, a 21-year-old single mother from Memphis, Tennessee, Michael Sarver, a 27-year-old oil rig worker from Jasper, Texas and Tuesday's stand-out contestant Danny Gokey, a 28-year-old church music director whose wife died a month before the Idol auditions. An "unprecedented" 24 million votes were cast -- that's 10 million more than this time last year.

The way it works this year is the guy with the most number of votes, the woman with the highest votes, and the next biggest vote-getter all move to the next round. The remaining contestants will still have a chance to make it into the final 12 during a wild card round in two weeks.

The show kicked off with some banter between host Ryan Seacrest and the four judges, followed by an introduction of the first 12 out of 36 finalists. Then highlights from Tuesday night's (February 17th) performances show were featured in a brief video montage. Ryan Seacrest talked about how the "dark horse" and outspoken contestant Tatiana Nicole Del Toro "turned the night around."

Before revealing the three singers who will stay in the competition, Seacrest chatted with some of the contestants about their chances. Anoop Desai, who seemed to be a fan favorite, admitted that "he's the most nervous he's even been."

  • Throughout the show, Seacrest introduced the contestants and announced whether they would advance to the next round.
  • Grace was the first singer to learn she was a finalist. She thanked the crowd a couple of times and said, "This is awesome," before performing "I Never Loved A Man" by Aretha Franklin.
  • The second finalist was Texas native Sarver. Before the winners were announced, Sarver said his "heart was pounding out of his chest." After he found out the good news, Sarver said his pals at work would either make fun of him for being a "sissy," or they would be "proud." He then performed Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Wanna Be."
  • Gokey was the third winner revealed last night. He was paired with Del Toro, who looked visibly upset and shocked upon hearing the news that she wouldn't be making it to the next round. Prior to finding out he was in the winner, Gokey said he was "overwhelmed by the unknown." Following the announcement and massive crowd applause, he performed Mariah Carey's "Hero."
  • Two of last year's American Idol finalists Carly Smithson and Michael Johns performed "The Letter" made famous by the Box Tops. Johns says his album will be out in May.
  • The next group of 12 -- Megan Corkrey, Kris Allen, Mishavonna Henson, Matt Breitzke, Allison Iraheta, Matt Giraud, Jasmine Murray, Kai Kalama, Jesse Langseth, Adam Lambert, Jeanine Vailes and Nick Mitchels -- will perform next week.

Water Cooler Talk

Taylor Swift reclaims the Number One spot on the all-genre Billboard 200 album chart with her latest CD, Fearless. Taylor sold more than 92,000 copies of the album last week, a sales jump of 44 percent from the week before, which is likely linked to her appearance on the Grammy Awards. Fearless has now spent a total of nine weeks in the Number One spot. The most recent album to have spent more time in the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart was Santana's Supernatural in 1999 and 2000. According to Billboard, that project held the Number One place for a total of 12 weeks.

Rascal Flatts' concert last week at New York City's Madison Square Garden is the trio's third consecutive show at the venue to have sold out, giving the group the distinction of being the first country act to manage this feat. Nearly 45,000 fans attended the three tour stops, which includes gigs on 2006's Me & My Gang, 2007's Still Feels Good, and this year's Bob That Head tours.


* A new study suggests that women who drink coffee have a significantly lower risk of having a stroke in their lifetime compared with non-coffee drinkers.

* Here's one of those fine-print stories that would probably go by most people, but we're thrilled to see. Cell phone manufacturers are going to standardize cell phone rechargers by the year 2012. They'll all use the same type of plug. How in the world did it take this long?

* Recent reports say that 1 in 100 Americans is currently behind bars. That is an all time high.

* MC Hammer is going to star in a new show on A&E called, what else -- "Hammertime!"

* As Mickey Rourke heads to the Oscars this weekend, he goes in sadness: his Chihuahua and faithful friend of 18 years, Loki, passed away this week.

* Freida Pinto, the beauty from Slumdog Millionaire, has broken off her engagement and is a single woman again.

* Usher's wife Tameka Foster Raymond remains in a Brazilian hospital after having a heart attack following a liposuction procedure.

* Mackenzie Phillips, who'll turn 50 in November, is writing a book about her life experiences. It'll be published in March, 2010.

* Rosie O'Donnell has shut down her blog, but kept her "stuff for sale" site open.

* This Friday is Conan's last late night show... until he takes over the Tonight Show.

* Don Johnson is suing the folks who made "Nash Bridges," saying he is owed millions for working on
that show.

* Pat Robertson has denounced Rush Limbaugh for his comment, saying "I hope Obama fails."

* It's being asked seriously: will California's financial troubles inspire it to legalize (and thus, start taxing) pot?

* Jerry Springer's next stop: the musical "Chicago" in London.

* Cameron Diaz her British model boyfriend Paul Sculfor are said to be scouring the English countryside for the perfect place to get married.

K-FLAG COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

If he's not on the stage or at home with his family, you'll likely find Darius Rucker on the golf course. The singer has a passion for the sport, which takes up a lot of his downtime, as he tells us:

"I only have one hobby, and that's golf. That's the only thing I do besides work and spend time with my family, the only thing I do is golf. Even when I'm playing bad I force myself to not be mad and look around and go, man, you know, 'This is God! This is nature.' You're usually in an amazingly beautiful place that's so manicured and so well-kept that what have you got to be mad about? I'm not gettin' paid to play. That's what I always tell myself, but it's very important to me. I play as much golf as I can. I would play every day if I could."

The singer boasts an 11 handicap. Rucker says he occasionally plays some bad golf, but even then he refuses to get upset about a sport that makes him so happy.

"I'm not a club thrower. No, I'm real laid back. My main thing, and my friends always make fun of me, (but) my main thing is when I hit a bad shot I go, 'Darius Rucker!' And my friends always do that when I hit a bad shot, so, yeah, that's about it.

* Rucker has been a special guest on the Paisley Party tour with headliner Brad Paisley since the beginning of the year.
* His debut country album, Learn To Live, was recently certified gold for sales of more than half a million copies.



Jake Owen is just days away from releasing his second album, but he still has to pinch himself to believe that his dream of being a singer is a reality. Owen says he's taken off guard when other artists, particularly those he's a fan of, know him and his music.

One such incident happened during last year's CMA Awards. Owen tells us he and his girlfriend were backstage at the show when he encountered one of his favorite fellow singers.

"I was presenting, so I was walking backstage and Keith Urban was walking, and I've always loved Keith Urban. I've never met him, and I was walking by. I didn't say anything to him, I was just walking, and he looks up and he's like, 'Hey Jake.' I looked at Laura and I was like, 'How does he know my name? That guy knows me!' It just blew me away, and so I was like, 'Hey Keith! How are you doin', man?' I just started laughing walking down the hallway thinking, 'Man, this is unbelievable!'"

Owen is humbled by the opportunities he's been afforded over the past few years.

"I'm really, really fortunate and lucky to do this, and it still blows my mind four or five years into this whole deal of gettin' a deal, makin' a record, touring, that this is seriously for real."

* Owen's new CD, Easy Does It, hits retails outlets on Tuesday (February 24th).
* The singer will be performing a handful of dates on Kenny Chesney's Sun City Carnival tour this summer.


Toby Keith plans to move ahead with his next movie. The project is called Provinces Of The Night and reportedly co-stars Hilary Duff. The story is set in rural Tennessee in 1952. Keith's last movie, Beer For My Horses, was released in 2008. Keith co-wrote the screenplay with comedian Rodney Carrington.
* Keith made his film debut in 2006's Broken Bridges. The film also starred Kelly Preston, Burt Reynolds and Lindsey Haun.
* The singer has said that he intends to make one movie a year.


Mardi Gras will have a Kid Rock flavor this year. The "All Summer Long" hitmaker has been announced as the Grand Marshal for the Krewe of Endymion (pronounced En-DI-mee-on) parade on Saturday afternoon (February 21st) in New Orleans. The event bills itself as "the largest non-military parade in the world" and is followed by an Endymion Extravaganza in the Louisiana SuperDome at which classic rockers REO Speedwagon are also booked to play.

Of the honor, Rock tells us that "The good people of New Orleans thought it a good idea to elect myself the Grand Marshal of one of the biggest parties in the world. I've been training for something like this my whole life. I plan to represent and not let them down."

* The Krewe of Endymion was founded in 1967 and named for the Olympian god of fertility and eternal youth -- which certainly fits Rock's hard-partying rock 'n' roll image. The Krewe's motto is "Token of Youth," while Krewe members are also known to shout out "Throw 'til it hurts!"
* On his official website, Rock is teasing the prospect of a partnership with the Michigan Brewery Co. for his own beer. He's soliciting name ideas from his fans; among the suggestions so far are Cadillac Ritchie, Guilty, Top Dog, Rock God and Shotgun Blast.
* Rock is nominated in the favorite male singer category at this year's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. The ceremony takes place March 28th in Los Angeles.
* Rock and his Twisted Brown Trucker band perform April 3rd at the Tempe Music Festival in Arizona and will start a new tour in mid-April.


Dolly Parton will receive an honorary doctorate of humane and musical letters from the University of Tennessee this spring. The degree will be bestowed on Parton during the school's graduation ceremony in May.

Parton said, "It is an incredible honor for me to receive this degree from a prestigious university like UT. I've been a volunteer all my life and entertained folks around the world with 'Rocky Top.' Seriously, education and the arts are very important to me, and this degree is something that makes me and would have made my parents very proud."

* This is only the second honorary doctorate granted in the history of the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
* The doctorate is the second honorary degree for Parton. She received her first in 1990 from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee.

K-FLAG SPORTS

The Phoenix Suns swept the season series with the Los Angeles Clippers. Last night, the new look Suns knocked off L-A 142-119 behind Amare Stoudemire's 42 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Nash had 21 points and 12 assists for the rejuvenated Suns, who played their second game under interim head coach Alvin Gentry and are back to their old ways of up-tempo basketball.

Last nights scores from the NBA

Cleveland 93, Toronto 76
Charlotte 103, Indiana 94
Denver 101, Philadelphia 89
Minnesota 111, Miami 104
New Orleans 117, Orlando 85
Chicago 113, Milwaukee 104
Dallas 113, New Jersey 98
Portland 94, Memphis 90
Atlanta 105, Sacramento 100
L.A. Lakers 129, Golden State 121

Tonight's NBA action

San Antonio at Detroit,
Boston at Utah,

Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes has confirmed the struggling team is entertaining investment offers. The team said Moyes and managing partner Wayne Gretzky have had discussions with potential investors interested in joining them and continuing the team's presence in Glendale. The Coyotes will be on the home ice tonight against Atlanta.

Last Nights NHL final scores

Columbus 4, St. Louis 3
N.Y. Rangers 3, N.Y. Islanders 1
Detroit 6, Nashville 2
Washington 4, Montreal 3, SO
Los Angeles 4, Anaheim 3

Tonight on the Ice

Buffalo at Philadelphia,
Montreal at Pittsburgh,
Carolina at N.Y. Islanders,
Vancouver at Ottawa,
Chicago at Florida,
Columbus at Toronto,
New Jersey at Tampa Bay,
St. Louis at Nashville,
Calgary at Minnesota,
Edmonton at Dallas,
Los Angeles at San Jose,

Arizona Diamondbacks' owner Ken Kendrick says full disclosure would help baseball deal with the fallout from the steroid era. Kendrick spoke to reporters in Tucson after his annual spring training address to the team. Kendrick says he urged players to think about the example they set, as well as the harm they may do to themselves, if they're considering taking performance enhancers.

Major League Baseball wants to speak to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez who's admitted to steroid use from 2001-2003. The players' association has been contacted by the commissioner's office to set up an interview with Rodriguez and the sport's investigations department. That from union general counsel Michael Weiner.

The Arizona Cardinals have put a non-exclusive franchise tag on linebacker Karlos Dansby. It guarantees Dansby a 2009 salary of at least $9.7 million. The non-exclusive tag allows Dansby to field offers from other teams, but the Cardinals may match it or receive two first-round picks as compensation.

New England quarterback Tom Brady says his recovery from knee surgery is on schedule and sees no reason why he won't be ready for the start of the 2009 season. Brady added he has had no further setbacks from the post-operative infections he suffered last fall.

Tampa Bay has placed the franchise tag on Antonio Bryant in an effort to hang onto the team's leading receiver. The move assures Bryant a salary of $9.88 million next season. That's the average of the NFL's five highest-paid players at his position.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

SCARY TRUTHS ABOUT GETTING ENGAGED (Cosmopolitan)


You Start Noticing (and Cringing at) His Little Quirks: When you're simply dating, you don't pay much mind to his weird little idiosyncrasies, like his penchant for telling The World's Longest Story to your whip-smart friends, only to end with, "Uh, I forgot why I was telling that story." But when you're thisclose to marrying the man, his minor flaws suddenly grow into major personality defects because you realize they'll be with you for life.

Your Friends Get Flaky . . . or Cranky
: The very people who brought you Kleenex and bonbons when you were at your worst hour may seem to turn on you in the afterglow of your engagement, griping about the bridesmaid dresses or forgetting to call you on girls' night out. They're reflecting on where they are in their lives. They might be jealous because they're still single or because they've been dating longer than you, or even angry if they feel like they're losing a friend.
You Turn into the Nag You Swore You'd Never Be
: You silently vowed you'd never evolve into one of those high-strung fiancees. Yet, chances are, you'll find yourself screeching at him at some point because he forgot to call the photographer or griping "I'll do it myself -- as usual" whenever he flakes on planning.

You (Possibly) Feel Tempted to Cheat: Men aren't the only ones who panic at the thought of sleeping with the same person forever -- women can get equally anxious. And it's not because your sex life together is just so-so. It's that once you're engaged, other men become the forbidden fruit. You start thinking about all the varieties you've never had or can't ever sample again, like the ex whose chemistry rocked your world or the flirty bartender who slips you his number.

Little Signs "We're Not Meant to Be" Start Cropping Up:
Once you're engaged, insignificant situations have a way of snowballing into major issues. The blender from him that was a testament to your margarita-making skills now seems like a domestic shackle. Your lust life tapers off for a week, and instead of thinking it's from wedding stress, you're convinced it's a forecast of boring marital sex. Habits of his that were charming and hopeful before you got engaged - such as dreamily mentioning that he'd like to open a cigar bar someday or hatching yet another wacky get-rich-quick plan - are just scary now.
Cash Becomes a Tricky Topic
: The three things you need to discuss are how much the wedding will cost, who is contributing (between the two of you and both sets of parents), and how much each is putting in. Getting those numbers in black and white will spare you the awkward, possibly ugly confrontation later, but expect to have a few disagreements.

Both of You Begin to Change:
Of course marriage gives you a new outlook on life, but changes really start when you get the ring. You go from being spontaneous, self-sufficient Me to a more cautious, settled, future-oriented We overnight. It's easy to get spooked by the subtle shift in your personality, but it's really a rite of passage.

WARNING SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE ADDICTED TO FACEBOOK (Huffington Post)


  • Facebook is your home page.
  • You update your status more than twice a day.
  • You have over 500 "friends" -- half of whom you've never actually met.
  • As soon as you step away from your computer you're on FB on your phone.
  • You are a FB stalker. You qualify as a FB stalker if you (click on someone's profile more than once a day even if they haven't messaged or tagged you in a photo -- have dragged and dropped more than 3 FB photos (not from your own profile -- actually go to a place mentioned on someone's page in hopes of seeing them in real life)
  • You change your profile picture more than a 12-year-old girl.
  • You have checked your FB page while reading this.
  • You clean up your "wall" so it looks like you spend less time on FB.
  • You are a member of more than 10 groups and respond to every event invitation "attending" even if you have no intention of going.
  • You change your relationship status just to mess with people.

CHECK THIS OUT: If you need help kicking your Facebook addiction, seek assitance from KeepMeOut.com. Simply bookmark it and when you want to use Facebook click on the bookmark. The site keeps track of when you last visited and if it's been over an hour it will automatically load Facebook. If it's been less than an hour, it will tell you "You visited Facebook.com less than 60 minutes ago! Why not come back in 58 minutes, 20 seconds?"

Celebrity Gossip


'SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE' STAR CALLS OFF ENGAGEMENT?: TheLondonPaper.com claims Freida Pinto has called off her engagement to a Mumbai PR agent she met in college, telling him that she wants to "put her career first." The website reports that the Slumdog Millionaire beauty didn't believe that she could be a successful actress and continue their relationship at the same time. Pinto reportedly finalized the split by removing pictures of her engagement party from her Facebook page.

CHACE CRAWFORD DISSES LINDSAY LOHAN: Despite reports that Lindsay Lohan recently made a 6 a.m. visit to Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford's New York City apartment, a source close to the actor told OK! magazine that there's nothing romantic going on between the two. The source said, "Lindsay heard that Chace and Emile Hirsch were hanging out. But she showed up uninvited and unannounced. She caused quite a scene so Chace left to go back to his place for some more fun." The source added, "Lindsay showed up uninvited to Chace's apartment and was not allowed in."

ANGELINA JOLIE HOUSE-HUNTING? Angelina Jolie is reportedly house-hunting in New York City. Us Weekly magazine reports that the mother-of-six was spotted checking out a building in Manhattan on Tuesday (February 17th) afternoon. A witness told the magazine, "The building had work permits and it seemed like they were probably being remodeled for [buyers'] taste." Jolie and Brad Pitt recently signed the lease on a $60 million Long Island mansion.

JULIA ROBERTS WANTS TO DINE WITH OBAMAS: Julia Roberts is returning to the spotlight in the wake of her upcoming film release, Duplicity, by expressing her dream celebrity dinner party. Foremost would be the Obama family, Roberts revealed to Allure magazine, but mentioned that Diane Sawyer, Mike Nichols, Oprah Winfrey, Stedman Graham and Tina Fey would also receive invitations. The actress, who has stayed out of the public eye while raising her three young children, says that keeping them protected from the paparazzi is a priority. She explained, "I think it should be against the law to take a picture of a celebrity's child. Fortunately, it's a rare occurrence for us. My husband and I are very protective of our children. We go out of our way to shelter them from the paparazzi and to still live a normal life."

'VIEW' LADIES 'PISSED' AT ELIZABETH HASSELBECK: Whoopi Goldberg is expressing her frustration with her View co-host Elizabeth Hasselbeck, but for once it has nothing to do with political differences. Goldberg told Us Weekly, "She's pregnant and beautiful and fine. It's her third pregnancy, and she looks better than she looked with the first one! That's pissing everybody off." Hasselbeck announced late last month that she and her husband are expecting the latest edition to their family in August.

GARY COLLINS SHARGED WITH DUI: Gary Collins was charged with two counts of DUI on Tuesday (February 17th) for allegedly driving drunk on January 31st. TMZ.com reports that the 70-year-old former television host recorded a .29 blood alcohol level after police stopped him near Santa Barbara for driving erratically. Collins has a prior DUI for which he served jail time. His arraignment is set for March 2.

NOT READY FOR PARENTHOOD?


You're not ready to be a parent unless you can pass the following tests:

  • Mess test -- Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in a wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.
  • Toy test -- Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos. (If Legos are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake the little ones at night).
  • Grocery store test -- Borrow one or two small goats and take them grocery shopping with you. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.
  • Dressing test -- Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.
  • Feeding test -- Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Tie jug to ceiling fan blade. Turn fan on. Try to insert spoonfuls of oatmeal into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. When finished, dump the contents of the jug on the floor.
  • Night test -- Fill a small cloth bag with about 10 pounds of sand. Soak the bag in warm water. At 8pm begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9pm. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10pm. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4am. Set alarm for 5am. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.
  • Physical test -- (women) Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10% of the beans.
  • Physical test -- (Men) Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest grocery store and do the same. On the way home purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

K-FLAG SPORTS

The Phoenix Suns outran and outgunned the Los Angles Clippers last night under newly appointed interim coach Alvin Gentry. Guard Leandro Barbosa scored 24 points and Amare Stoudemire added 23 to help Phoenix rout L-A 140-100. The same two teams meet tonight in Los Angeles.

What's the ideal gift for a basketball-obsessed president? Try a size 23 sneaker personally autographed by Shaquille O'Neal. The Phoenix Suns center's orange-and-white sneaker made a big impression on President Barack Obama. The president set it on the ground next to his own, much smaller shoe, and grinned as photographers captured the moment yesterday at Sky Harbor.

LAST NIGHT'S NBA SCORES

Orlando 107, Charlotte 102, OT
Indiana 100, Philadelphia 91
Washington 111, Minnesota 103
Milwaukee 92, Detroit 86
New York 112, San Antonio 107, OT
New Orleans 100, Oklahoma City 98
Houston 114, New Jersey 88
Utah 117, Memphis 99
L.A. Lakers 96, Atlanta 83

TONIGHTS NBA ACTION

Denver at Philadelphia,
Cleveland at Toronto,
Indiana at Charlotte,
Minnesota at Miami,
Chicago at Milwaukee,
Orlando at New Orleans,
New Jersey at Dallas,
Atlanta at Sacramento,
Memphis at Portland,
Phoenix at L.A. Clippers,
L.A. Lakers at Golden State,

TUESDAY NIGHTS NHL SCORES

Boston 5, Carolina 1
Buffalo 4, Toronto 1
Florida 4, New Jersey 0
Chicago 5, Tampa Bay 3
Colorado 3, Ottawa 2, OT
Vancouver 4, Calgary 3, SO
San Jose 4, Edmonton 2

TONIGHTS NHL MATCH-UPS

St. Louis at Columbus,
N.Y. Islanders at N.Y. Rangers,
Nashville at Detroit,
Montreal at Washington,
Los Angeles at Anaheim,

MLB NOTES...

Conor Jackson has avoided a salary arbitration hearing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He agreed Tuesday to a one-year contract worth $3.05 million. The 26-year-old infielder and outfielder hit .300 with 12 homers and 75 RBIs in 144 games last year.

The rest of spring training figures to be a little less emotional for Alex Rodriguez. The Yankee superstar discussed his use of a performance-enhancing substance, which led to his positive drug test in 2003. A-Rod says it was a mistake he regrets. He says he hopes fans forgive will him.

NFL NOTES...

Kansas City Chiefs new head coach Todd Haley has retained offensive coordinator Chan Gailey and hired former New Orleans defensive coordinator Gary Gibbs. Haley also announced that former Arizona defensive coordinator Clancy Pendergast will be on the Chiefs' staff.

The Denver Broncos continued their salary purge by releasing 11-year veteran cornerback Dre' Bly, who had spent two years starting opposite star Champ Bailey. Bly was acquired from the Detroit Lions in March of 2007 to replace Darrent Williams, the rising 24-year-old cornerback who was killed in a drive-by shooting two months earlier.

LADIES, HOW TO TELL IF HE'S ONLY AFTER SEX


(Cosmopolitan) Some guys act like they're doing the dating thing but are just looking for a hookup. This behavior exposes his true intentions:

  • He treats you like one of the guys -- If he's making explicit comments or telling raunchy jokes, he could be testing whether you're willing to connect on a sexual level. Thus, he may not plan on working to reach boyfriend status.
  • He's charming.. -- repeatedly. A guy who retells anecdotes or gives you the same compliments as he did on your last date could be on autopilot. That connection you thought you made may be an act he uses to get chicks into bed.
  • You don't bond in person -- Electronic communication is a way of life, but a man who's looking to date will call you and have meaningful conversations face-to-face too.
  • You usually stay in -- Chilling on the couch may seem sweet, but be suspicious if he's not taking you out. Being seen with you could ward off other women, so if you two don't socialize in public, it may be that he doesn't want to seem taken.

KFLAG Country Music News


A New York songwriter has filed a lawsuit against Rascal Flatts claiming they stole a portion of a hit song he wrote for Pat Benatar in the 1980s. D.L. Byron says the trio's "No Reins," a tune on their Still Feels Good album, sounds too similar to his "Shadows Of The Night."

Jay DeMarcus is the only Flatts member who had a hand in writing the song, but Byron has filed a federal lawsuit against the trio, their producers and Disney Music Group label. Byron told the New York Post, "They'd have to have a tremendous lapse of memory not to realize what they were doing. It's my contention there's willful infringement."A lawyer for Joe Don Rooney defended the group in court papers saying that "any such similarities between the two works are the result of coincidence and/or the use of common or trite ideas."

FAST FACTS

Rascal Flatts' Still Feels Good album featuring "No Reins" was released in 2007.

Their new album, Unstoppable, drops on April 7th.

Since their career launched in 2000, Rascal Flatts has sold over 18 million albums.

Rascal Flatts has charted 10 Number One singles and 17 top 10 hits.
Taylor Swift spends much of her life on the road these days playing shows and making appearances, but when she gets a few days off, she heads straight home to her family in Hendersonville, Tennessee. The teenager opts to still live with her parents and younger brother, despite the fact that her reported 2008 income was $45 million.

Life at home is still pretty much the same for the superstar, who tells us that even her room remains the same as it did before she hit the big time."It's so funny because I come back and I feel like time has passed and I've spent all this time on the road and I come back and my room is like this time warp of when I was in eighth grade (laughter). Like it's just all pink and it's all, like, pictures of my friends from high school, and it's just really cool to come back there to that room where so many things have happened."

Swift says there is a permanent reminder of heartbreak on her bedroom floor."There's like this stain on the floor of my room in the carpet of when I was so upset about this one guy that I laid on the floor crying for like four hours, and all my mascara ran off my face and stained the carpet, and every time I walk by there I'm like, 'Ha! That's awesome!'"

  • Swift will be even busier on the road this year with her first headlining tour. The Fearless tour is set to kick off in April. Swift will be joined by her friend Kellie Pickler and new act Gloriana.
  • Swift tops the USA Today MediaBase Top 40 chart this week with "Love Story." The song is the very first country crossover hit to claim the Number One spot on the Nielsen BDS pop chart in its 16-year history.
  • "Love Story" was the debut release from Swift's current three million-selling Fearless album.
Montgomery Gentry are following up their last single, the chart-topping "Roll With Me," with a song called "One In Every Crowd." Troy Gentry says the new music is reminiscent of the duo's early stuff. "We're just kind of going back a little bit to the old Montgomery Gentry kind of stuff -- something a little rowdy, rambunctious. Coming into spring and everything, we want a fun-hearted kind of tongue-in-cheek kind of song."

Gentry's musical partner, Eddie Montgomery, co-wrote "One In Every Crowd" with former Trick Pony member Ira Dean. Gentry adds that Montgomery was going down memory lane when he got the idea for the song. "When Eddie wrote this song he was thinking of the days of us growing up in the clubs and being rambunctious and having fun, and, you know, if you play in the clubs long enough you pick out those ones that sit at the bar, the ones that come in every night, sit at the same place, and the ones that come in that cause all the ruckus and the drunks and the ones that buy all the drinks. It's just a fun song."

  • "One In Every Crowd" is the third single from Montgomery Gentry's Back When I Knew It All album.
  • The duo will be playing stadium dates with Kenny Chesney on his upcoming Sun City
Dierks Bentley and Alan Jackson are releasing new singles to radio in the coming weeks. Bentley is following up his Number One hit, "Feel That Fire," with a tune called "Sideways."
  • He said, "I did a lot of research in pubs across the U.S. and Europe to get this song just right. My band almost died of hypothermia a few weeks ago doing research out on my houseboat in freezing weather. It was the only way to make sure it would sound good out in party cove this spring! Seriously, a lot of thought and Bud Light went into choosing this song as the second single."

On a much more serious note is the fourth single from Jackson's Good Time album, called "Sissy's Song." Jackson penned the song following the sudden death of a woman who worked in the singer's household everyday.

  • Jackson said, "She was just a real sweet young woman. The sudden death of someone so young who we saw every day was really hard on me and all of us. I didn't sleep for a while. I just didn't feel right. I sat down one day and wrote this song and after that I felt alright."
  • Jackson originally recorded the song to give to the woman's family for her funeral. He added, "A lot of people told me how much it made them feel better and helped them get through it a little easier, so I was very proud of it."

FAST FACTS

  • To watch a behind-the-scenes clip of Bentley's December trip to Nashville's Percy Priest Lake, click here: http://www.dierks.com/sideways.
  • Bentley is currently on tour with Brad Paisley's Paisley Party playing dates throughout Canada.
  • Jackson's Good Time album has charted three Number One hits -- "Small Town Southern Man", "Good Time", and "Country Boy", the last of which became his 25th chart-topper.

Brad Paisley continued to sell out shows on his Paisley Party tour while in Canada over the weekend. Thirteen of the first fourteen tour dates on the final leg are sold out, including this weekend's upcoming shows in Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, and Calgary.
  • The Paisley Party tour has sold over 225,000 tickets in the first quarter of 2009 over the course of 24 dates.
  • This leg of the tour features special guest Dierks Bentley along with Crystal Shawanda throughout the month of February.

SIDE NOTES

  • The Paisley Party tour wraps up on March 14th, but the singer's 2009 American Saturday Night tour will begin on June 5th in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • The 41-date run will again feature Dierks Bentley along with Jimmy Wayne.
  • The American Saturday Night tour is scheduled to wrap up on October 17th in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Grand Ole Opry member Little Jimmy Dickens is back at home in Nashville after spending time recuperating at a nearby rehabilitation center. The Hall of Famer is recovering from recent brain surgery to repair a subdural hematoma.
  • Dickens had surgery on January 13th.

FAST FACTS

  • The 88-year-old entertainer has been a member of the Grand Ole Opry for 60 years.
  • Dickens was made a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1983.

WATER COOLER TALK


  • Marion "Suge" Knight has been hospitalized after allegedly getting into a fight involving Akon's business manager.
  • An April auction featuring some 2000 personal items from Michael Jackson will offer his American Music Award for "Thriller," a pair of rhinestone-trimmed socks from 1981, a basketball signed by Michael Jordan, his own original artwork, a customized Harley Davidson and a Rolls Royce limousine.
  • Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia from "Heroes" were a couple... but that's over.
  • According to Marie Claire, 49% of women ages 18-34 would forgo sex for 2 weeks rather than give up the Internet.
  • You know who's doing well in this economy? KFC! They're planning to open upwards of 300 more restaurants, which means as many as 9,000 new jobs!
  • Emily Blunt may have wanted to be in "Iron Man 2," but the studio gave the role to Scarlett Johansson.
  • US Weekly claims that Kate Hudson had a stripper pole installed in her bathroom.
  • Gary Collins has been ccharged with drunk driving in Californa. The actor and former TV host has two previous drunken driving convictions and faces up to 120 days in jail, if convicted.
  • Get ready for a kiss between Terri Hatcher and Eva Longeria on a future episode of "Desperate Housewives."
  • Jennifer Aniston has admitted that she still has voicemails on her phone from Brad Pitt that she can't bring herself to erase.
  • Thinking ahead: Adding a metallic sound to your show on April 1st and reminding people that this is the day that your old radio's are out-dated and from now on, you're only broadcasting in digital.
  • GQ has named the "Ten most stylish men in America" and at the top: Justin Timberlake.
  • Australia's drought is so bad, they're talking about a tax for every time you flush your toilet.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

WHAT THE BEST JOB FOR YOU?

(Sun) Yearning for a career change but not sure what you want to do? Discover your true destiny by taking this quiz:

A description of the way you typically dress is:

  1. Informal or sporty.
  2. Traditional or conservative.
  3. Unique or trendy.

Your ideal work situation would be:

  1. Near your home with flexible hours.
  2. A quiet cubicle.
  3. Changing assignments with some travel.

An afternoon with the kids usually finds you at:

  1. A pizza place with their friends.
  2. The zoo or a museum.
  3. The playground.

When you have an extra bit of money, you:

  1. Buy treats for the whole family.
  2. Purchase books or magazine.
  3. Hit the crafts store.

Analysis:

Mostly "a" - Your compassion for the less fortunate is evident in everything you do. Working for a nonprofit organization or a health facility should be right up your alley.

Mostly "b" - Your detail oriented mind makes you terrific at solving problems. Take the lead by applying for a job where your superior management skills will make you a star.

Mostly "c" - You're a creative dynamo who enjoys combining your keen imagination with hands-on approach. Consider a job in landscaping, decorating or designing handmade items.

FAVORITE GIRL SCOUT COOKIE REVEALS PERSONALITY

Did you know your favorite Girl Scout cookie is a revealing clue to your personality? Check out the five delectable treats listed below and choose the one you like the best. And find out all about yourself. Chances are you'll never look at a Girl Scout cookie the same way again:

  • Thin Mints -- You're a person who believes fun can be found in most every aspect of life. Whether you're working or playing, you have a youthful zest that turns an ordinary day into a party and your friends and family love for it.
  • Lemon Pastry Cremes -- You're an elegant person who likes things just so. Although you never appear to get ruffled, you manage to juggle job, family and home with amazing aplomb, thanks to your organizational skills. Your motto: Never let them see you sweat.
  • Shortbread -- Just like this unadorned cookie, there's no artifice about you. Down-to-earth and strong-minded, you set your goals and meet them in an energetic but not showy manner. Children are especially charmed by your open, sunny personality.
  • Caramel Delites -- Like the layers of this cookie, there's more to you than meets the eye. Your reserved manner makes you a bit of a mystery to some people. But those lucky few within your circle know they can count on your generous heart and wise counsel.
  • Peanut Butter Sandwich -- You're the glue that holds your world together, just like the creamy center of this cookie. Friends, family and co-workers all look to you for leadership and guidance. You're a master at cutting through to the heart of the matter and coming up with a brilliant solution.

Celebrity Gossip


'HEROES' COSTARS END ROMANCE: Heroes costars Hayden Panettiere and Milo Ventimiglia have reportedly ended their year-long relationship. An insider told Us Weekly magazine that the couple, who have had to contend with a 12-year age gap, called it quits within the last week. The source said. "It was a lifestyle conflict. They were in very different places," adding that 19-year-old Panettiere "is young. She likes to go out in the Hollywood scene and that's not his style."

COLIN FARRELL BACK ON THE MARKET? Colin Farrell is reportedly single. In Touch magazine claims that the actor recently split from girlfriend Emma Forrest, the writer he reportedly moved to Hollywood to be with. The pair are believed to have started dating in 2008, but the magazine claims Farrell's failure to mention her during his best actor acceptance speech at the Golden Globes put a strain on the relationship. An insider said, "She was upset that he didn't thank her." However, "They are still friends."

KELLY RUTHERFORD OPENS UP ABOUT DIVORCE: Although she's embroiled in a nasty custody dispute with her estranged husband Daniel Geirsch, Gossip Girl star Kelly Rutherford says the couple is trying to stay civil for the sake of their unborn child and two-year-old son, Hermes. A pregnant Rutherford told Life & Style magazine, "We have kids together. We have a beautiful son together. I think we're both decent people. But sometimes you go through tough times. It's a challenge, you know? I think everyone goes through it on a certain level. When it's public, it's really hard. People say things they don't mean because they're upset. I'm hoping we can work it out." She revealed that she's carrying a daughter and admits that she and Giersch have spoken about potential names.

BIKE STOLEN FROM LANCE ARMSTRONG: Lance Armstrong has turned to Twitter for help recovering his stolen bike. He's offering a reward for the recovery of his custom-painted Trek time trial bike that was taken from his biking team's truck in Sacramento on Saturday (February 14th) night. In one "tweet" he said that the bike is one of a kind and would be hard to pawn. Three other bikes were also stolen.

KATE MOSS DENIES PREGNANCY RUMORS: Although she's recently been sporting a fuller stomach, Kate Moss is denying reports that she's pregnant with a second child. The model told New York, "I am a woman now. It's true. Honestly, I've never worn a bra in my life. Ever! It's so awful, even my friends are phoning me up and saying, 'Are you pregnant?' And I'm like, 'No! I just put on a couple of pounds and they went in the right place.' Isn't that weird?"

PARIS HILTON AND DOUG REINHARDT GETTING SERIOUS? Paris Hilton and Amanda Byne's ex-boyfriend Doug Reinhardt may be having more than just a fling. Sources told E! Online that the maybe-couple spent Valentine's Day together, and Reinhardt even gifted the heiress with a print of an Andy Warhol picture of Marilyn Monroe. Reps for the pair declined to comment on the status of their relationship, but a source told E! that they're simply "hooking up" on a regular basis.

HEIDI KLUM'S REP RESPONDS TO 'FAT' COMMENT: Heidi Klum's rep was among those flabbergasted after hearing German designer Wolfgang Joop's comment that the supermodel is "too heavy" to be a model. Her rep told the New York Post, "Wolfgang is obviously trying to revive his sagging career and get press for himself by riding Heidi's coattails."

BEN AFFLECK PENS ESSAY FOR 'TIME': Ben Affleck has penned an essay for Time magazine about his recent trip to the war-ravaged Congo, detailing the struggles that civilians there are faced with. The actor, who has been traveling to the region since 2007, said that there's finally hope for the area as, "The Congolese army and the CNDP are working together to separate Hutu civilians from Interahamwe commanders, and already hundreds have been freed. "

KFLAG Country Music News


Kenny Chesney and Taylor Swift top this week's Billboard and MediaBase country singles charts, respectively. Chesney's collaboration with Mac McAnally, "Down The Road," is the second single from the superstar's Lucky Old Sun album. Swift's latest chart-topper "White Horse," is also the second release from her sophomore album, Fearless.

SIDE NOTES

  • "Down The Road" received an Academy of Country Music Vocal Event nomination last week.
  • Chesney's Corona Extra-sponsored Sun City Carnival tour will kick off with two sold out shows on April 17th and 18th in Uncasville, Connecticut.
  • Swift's Fearless album has sold more than three million copies to date.
  • Her first headlining tour will kick off on April 23rd in Evansville, Indiana.

Carrie Underwood's nod for the Academy of Country Music's (ACM) Entertainer of the Year last week moved the singer to tears. She was caught off guard by the news, as she told Access Hollywood. She said, "I had forgotten the nominations were being done that day, so I was getting up, getting my stuff together. We (had) a plane to catch early in the morning and my manager called me and I thought the plane was delayed or late or something was wrong. So I pick up the phone (and) she says, 'Congratulations!' She told me and I started crying. It was amazing."
  • Underwood's inclusion in the Entertainer category is the first time that a female has been nominated since the Dixie Chicks in 2000.
  • Underwood said, "Girls don't get nominated for Entertainer of the Year. It's been like eight, 10 years, something like that. I don't know the exact amount, but it's been a very long time since a girl's been nominated, so to be in that category, it's so amazing. It's wonderful."
  • The Academy of Country Music Awards will be held on April 5th in Las Vegas.

FAST FACTS

  • Underwood is also nominated for Top Female Vocalist and Video of the Year for "Just A Dream" at the ACM Awards.
  • She recently won her career fourth Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for "Last Name."

Rascal Flatts unveiled the winning artwork for their upcoming album during their show on Thursday (February 12th) at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The trio named Chris Kubrick from Arlington Heights, Illinois the winner of the contest, which allowed fans to design the group's new album cover. Kubrick was selected from thousands of submissions.
  • Rascal Flatts' new album, Unstoppable, will be in stores on April 7th.

FAST FACTS

  • The new Unstoppable album cover may be seen online at www.rascalflatts.com.
  • Rascal Flatts' next show will be in Boise, Idaho on February 25th. The concert features opening act Jessica Simpson.

Kellie Pickler couldn't make this weekend's opening of the American Idol Experience at Disney World in Orlando because she had already committed to attending Fashion Week in New York City. This is Pickler's first time at the event, which she tells us is her own kind of Disney World."I'm like, 'Clothes or Disney World -- this is hard,' but I gotta love my clothes and my shoes. I'm a girl, so I'm going to a lot of the fashion shows and meeting with different designers, which will be great because I've never been able to do that."

Pickler looks forward to getting to know her favorite designers in light of some important upcoming events. "I think it's so important to build relationships with those designers that are loaning you these clothes for the ACMs and for other appearances, and so I think it's all about knowing your team of people."

  • Pickler will be the special guest on Taylor Swift's upcoming Fearless tour, which kicks off this spring.
  • The two co-wrote Pickler's new single, "Best Days Of Your Life."
Actor Jack Black will be among the 14 Grammy and 30 International Bluegrass Music Association Award-winners taking the stage of the Grand Ole Opry on February 28th. The evening's two shows will be held at the historic Ryman Auditorium, the Opry's original home. Black is the son-in-law of Grammy-winning jazz icon Charlie Haden, who will be making his Opry debut with an all-star band.
  • Black played on the Charlie Haden Family & Friends 2008 Grammy-nominated release Rambling Boy, which also features appearances by Ricky Skaggs, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Mark Fain, Rob Ickes, Jim Mills, and Bryan Sutton.
  • For tickets to the Grand Ole Opry, call (800) SEE-OPRY or log on to opry.com.

IS SHE PUNISHING YOU??

Men's Health asked 300 women to rate the ways they punish the men in their lives using a 1 to 10 scale, 1 being "wouldn't dare," and 10 being "feels great":

  • 8 - "I don't pick up the phone when he calls."
  • 7 - "I force him to talk about whatever the problem is."
  • 6 - "I give him the silent treatment till he cracks."
  • 6 - "I tell him I'm disappointed, cry, and make him feel miserable."
  • 5 - "I go out with my girlfriends and hope he worries."
  • 5 - "I buy myself something nice with our money, because I can."
  • 4 - "I withhold sex till he grovels."
  • 3 - "I flirt with other guys."

K-FLAG SPORTS

Alvin Gentry vows to bring back an up-tempo game to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns former assistant coach will get his chance starting Tuesday against his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers. Gentry was named interim head coach Monday after the firing of Terry Porter. The Suns are 28-and-23 but were out of synch trying to adapt to Porter's defensive- approach. The Suns are at home tonight against the LA Clippers.

Phoenix has suspended Jason Richardson for one game without pay after his arrest on allegations he was driving 55 miles-per-hour above the limit with his unrestrained 3-year-old son in the car. Richardson was pulled over by a Scottsdale police officer Sunday night after he was clocked doing 90 in a 35. The officer then noticed that Richardson's son was in the back seat but not in a child seat.

Tuesday night's NBA Games

Charlotte at Orlando,
Philadelphia at Indiana,
Minnesota at Washington,
Milwaukee at Detroit,
San Antonio at New York,
New Orleans at Oklahoma City,
New Jersey at Houston,
Memphis at Utah, .
L.A. Clippers at Phoenix,
Atlanta at L.A. Lakers,

Sheldon Souray's power-play goal early in the third period snapped a tie and Edmonton went on to beat Phoenix 3-1. The Coyotes have lost six in a row at home and nine of their last 10 games.

NHL Monday's Games

N.Y. Islanders 3, Pittsburgh 2, SO
Dallas 3, Columbus 2, SO
St. Louis 2, N.Y. Rangers 1
Ottawa 2, Nashville 0
Edmonton 3, Phoenix 1
Atlanta 7, Los Angeles 6, SO

Tuesday night's games

Boston at Carolina,
Buffalo at Toronto,
New Jersey at Florida,
Chicago at Tampa Bay,
Ottawa at Colorado,
Vancouver at Calgary,
Edmonton at San Jose,

Reds pitcher Micah Owings is hoping his pinch-hitting skills and now pain-free delivery will secure him a roster spot. Owings was acquired from Arizona last season in the Adam Dunn trade. Manager Dusty Baker says Owings has looked sharp in recent throwing sessions. Owings says he's healthy and able to throw hard.

Olympic swimming star Michael Phelps won't face drug charges for the now famous picture of him taking a hit from a bong. A South Carolina sheriff decided Monday that he simply didn't have enough physical evidence to charge the 14-time gold medalist.

Dustin Johnson can put the Masters on his schedule after being declared the winner of the rain-shortened AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am Monday. Johnson grew up less than an hour from Augusta National but has never played on the legendary course.

Running back Fred Taylor has been released by Jacksonville after spending his entire 11-year career with the team. The Jaguars all-time leading rusher turned 33 last month and was scheduled to make $6 million next season.

THIS MONTH IS


  • More than half of couples say they hug or kiss anytime they have the chance.
  • 36% say they get affectionate at least three times a day.
  • 67% of wives say they do all the grocery shopping.
  • 33% of married people have no idea what their spouse earns.
  • 17% of married people have thrown something at their spouse when they were angry.
  • More than a third have slept apart because of a fight.
  • 31% say they don't talk for an hour after a fight with their spouse.
  • 21% don't talk for at least a day after fighting with their spouse.
  • 19% stop the silent treatment after about five minutes.
  • 26% never do that silent treatment thing.
  • 60% of wives are responsible for balancing the checkbook.
  • 56% of wives are in charge of paying all the bills.
  • 38% of wives are in complete control of the family budget.
  • 53% of married people tell spouses they love them at least once a day. 15% say it once a week. 4% hardly say it at all; 23% never say it.
  • 69% of married people say there are no secrets in their marriage.
  • 11% say they keep quiet about money.
  • 10% keep quiet about affairs.
  • 6% keep their weight a secret.
  • 45% of couples say they'd share each other's toothbrush. 36% would only use their spouse's toothbrush in an emergency. 19% never would use their spouse's toothbrush.

WATER COOLER TALK


  • Leonardo DiCaprio has been informed he must convert to Judaism if he wants to marry Bar Rafaeli. Her dad's rule.
  • February 20th is Conan O'Brien's last show before he packs up and heads out west to take over for Jay Leno.
  • U2 will be on David Letterman for a full week to promote their upcoming album. The band will be Letterman's musical guest each night from March 2 to 6.
  • Salma Hayek married French businessman Francois-Henri Pinault last Saturday... on Valentine's Day! He is one of France's richest men and the two had a daughter together back in September of '07.
  • A tell-all book about baseball's Alex Rodriguez is being hurried to press and coming out a month earlier than planned... probably before A-Rod goes to "Who cares?" status.
  • Britain's august Royal Opera has announced that it is planning a show based on the life of Anna Nicole Smith.
  • Ronnie Wood has been told to get his drinking under control or he's out of the Rolling Stones.
  • A South Carolina sheriff said Monday he was not going to charge Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps after a photo showed him smoking from a marijuana pipe.
  • Lindsay Lohan and her girlfriend Samantha Ronson cancelled their scheduled Valentine's Day appearance after getting into a huge public fight on Friday night.
  • Colin Farrell has been dumped by his Irish writer girlfriend after he failed to offer any kind of commitment.
  • Tom Cruise spent last weekend with his older son, Connor, at the Daytona 500... except for a few hours with Katie and Suri at Disneyworld on Saturday.
  • Steven Cojocaru's days as a fashion correspondent on Entertainment Tonight might be numbered. His diva-ness is just getting to be way too much.
  • Rough weekend for Lance Armstrong. Someone stole his bike on Saturday night.
  • For the record, the grandmother of that 22-year-old model Madonna's been dating lately is the same age as the singer.
  • Kevin Costner and his wife, Christine Baumgartner, gave birth to Hayes Logan Costner on Thursday night in Los Angeles. That's 8-pounds, 15-ounces of bouncing baby boy.
  • Paul Simon was joined by Art Garfunkel for three songs at Paul's show at New York's Beacon Theater last week.

Monday, February 16, 2009

HAPPY PRESIDENT'S DAY

PRESIDENTIAL TRIVIA TO AMAZE AND DELIGHT YOUR FRIENDS!

  • This American president's inaugural speech lasted only a minute and a half. Who was it? (George Washington)
  • What was President George Washington's annual salary? ($25,000)
  • Who are the four presidents on Mount Rushmore? (Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Theodore Roosevelt and Thomas Jefferson)
  • Thomas Jefferson was the first U.S. president to do wear what? (To wear long pants. Washington and Adams wore knee-length "knickers.")
  • What is the only U.S. coin on which a president's head faces right? (Lincoln penny)
  • Who was the first president defeated for re-election? (John Adams, 2nd president. Defeated by Thomas Jefferson)
  • In President Rutherford B. Hayes' name, what does the "B" stand for? (Birchard)
  • Which American President was originally a king? (Gerald R. Ford, he was born Leslie King)
  • Andrew Johnson was the first American president to ever do this. (Shake hands with people. Up until then, all presidents bowed to subjects they were meeting or addressing)
  • Who was the first American President born in a hospital? (Jimmy Carter)
  • What former U.S. president was inducted into the Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1989? (Ronald Reagan)
  • Which U.S. president had a pet turkey named Jack? (Abraham Lincoln)
  • Who were the youngest and oldest elected Presidents in American history? (John F. Kennedy, 43, and Ronald Reagan, 73, to start his second term)
  • Who was the President when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon? (Nixon)
  • Of all the presidents ever elected in the U.S., only one was Catholic. Which one? (John F. Kennedy)
  • When President Nixon resigned who took over as President? (Gerald Ford)
  • What play was President Lincoln watching when he was shot? ("Our American Cousin")

Which president nearly died from Scarlet fever at the age of three. Had German measles, Whooping Cough, Asthma, Jaundice, Chicken Pox, Diptheria, Malaria, Pneumonia, Colitis, a bladder problem, spastic colon, prostate disease and hemorrhoids? Answer: John F Kennedy

Can you name the only President to weigh under 100 pounds? James Madison, the fourth president of the United States, stood five feet four inches and weighed ninety-eight pounds.

Name 5 presidents whose last names had 4 letters in it? Bush, Bush, Ford, Taft, and my favorite, Polk.

How many U.S. state capitals are named after presidents? (Four. Jackson, Mississippi; Jefferson City, Missouri; Lincoln, Nebraska; and Madison, Wisconsin)

Which president installed a toilet seat in the White House bearing his college emblem, the University Of Michigan? Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford ***, or John Adams.

John F. Kennedy liked coleslaw. Lyndon Johnson ate chile. But who was it that like cottage cheese and catsup? A. Richard Nixon ***, Dwight D. Eisenhower or Harry Truman.

Which president sired the most offspring? Fifteen children by two wives? James K. Polk, George Washington or James Tyler ***.

Who was the first president to throw out a baseball to offically open the baseball season? James Garfield, Ulysses Grant or William Taft ***.

Who was the only bachelor to serve as commander in chief? James Buchanan ***, Millard Fillmore or James Garfield.

Which president loved having his head rubbed with vaseline while he ate breakfast? Ronald Reagan, Calvin Coolidge ***, or Harry Truman.

Which president always washed his own underwear? Harry Truman ***, Abraham Lincoln or Thomas Jefferson.

Which president had electric lights installed in the White House? Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Benjamin Harrison ***.

A bathtub and inside toilet were provided by which president? Millard Fillmore ***, Martin Van Buren or Jimmy Carter.

EVENTS A WOMAN SHOULD NEVER AVOID


From Cosmopolitan, here are 7 events a woman should never sidestep:

  1. Not filing your taxes -- Forget trying to pull a fast one on Uncle Sam.
  2. Blowing a date off without warning -- In this age of cell phones, beepers and e-mail, there's no excuse for standing him up.
  3. Breaking a promise to your boss -- Never say the words "I do" to the head honcho and fizzle on your follow-through.
  4. Bailing on a friend in crisis -- No one wants to play therapist 24 hours a day, but if your pal is in genuine pain, the least you can do is lend an ear.
  5. Not sending a condolence card -- It only takes three seconds to extend your sympathy when a friend loses a loved one.
  6. Copping out on the break-up talk -- If you've been dating for more than a couple of months the least he deserves is the "it's not you, it's me" conversation.
  7. Avoiding questions about your sexual history -- If you plan to get hot-and-heavy with a new man, he deserves to know if you have a clean bill of health.

Of course, all of these could apply to the guys as well,

  • Don't stop and ask for directions when there's still a teeny-tiny chance you might stumble upon the right place accidentally.
  • Don't do the laundry when there's still a pair of underwear you haven't worn inside out yet.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

She may be giving you mixed signals. In a University of Texas poll, 64% of women admitted to "sexually teasing" a man. That is, they tried to make him think they would have sex but had no intention of closing the deal at the time. Motives varied, but a theme emerged: If she teases, she's probably interested in a future encounter. Number of women who have hit on a guy because they:

  • 69% "wanted to make him sexually interested."
  • 52% "wanted to make themselves feel desirable."
  • 28% "were joking or made a bet with friends."
  • 22% "wanted to date him in the future."
  • 7% "wanted to make him suffer."
  • 6% "wanted to make his girlfriend angry."

One in seven say they have been dumped by a text message or e-mail. But 4% end it all by just suddenly dropping all communication with their lovers according to research from moneysupermarket.com. 25% of 18- to 24-year-olds say they would choose a more traditional method to break-up, a written letter.

The most attractive physical feature is your smile. That's the word from a survey conducted by who else but the American Dental Association, along with Crest and Oral B. The poll showed that a smile beat out eyes, hair and the full body as the most attractive physical feature. The survey also found found that 86% of women brush their teeth two times or more a day, but only 66% of men do the same.

Ladies, Men's Health asked us which female occupation inspired the most fantasies in us?

  • Nurse, 26%
  • Teacher, 21%
  • Executive, 20%
  • Flight Attendant, 14%
  • Cowgirl, 10%
  • Cop, 6%
  • Dental Hygienist, 3%

For the fourth year in a row, Aidan is the most popular boys' name. But in 2008, there was a big upset on the girls' list with Emma taking top honors once again after being bumped into the #2 spot by Sophia in 2007. That's the word from BabyCenter.com, which derived its top baby names of 2008 from over 400,000 names submitted by parents. The top 10 names for boys: Aiden, Jayden, Ethan, Jacob, Caden, Jackson, Noah, Jack, Logan and Matthew. The top ten names for girls: Emma, Sophia, Madison, Isabella, Olivia, Ava, Madeline, Addison, Hailey and Lily.

Watch what you put in your ears. The wrong music could hurt your heart, say University of Maryland researchers. They found that the blood vessels of people who were subjected to songs they didn't like constricted by 6% in just 30 minutes. On the flip side, listeners who grooved to their personal playlists saw their blood vessels expand by 26%. That means their bodies were pumping out more nitric oxide, a chemical that helps prevent the clots that can lead to a heart attack, says researcher Michael Miller, M.D. (Men's Health)

Celebrity Gossip


DEMI MOORE AND ASHTON KUTCHER DISLIKED BY PETA: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher currently occupy the top two spots on PETA's annual "Worst Dressed" poll. The group told Us Weekly, "She may be a cougar, but that's not helping fur-loving Demi Moore in the eyes of animal lovers." Moore often dons fur at public events while her husband has received heat for wearing a coyote coat to the Sundance Film Festival last month. Voting continues until March 2nd on the organization's website, where Madonna, Jessica Simpson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kanye West, Lindsay Lohan, the Olsen Twins, Mary J. Blige, and Kate Moss can also be deemed the most animal-unfriendly dresser.

ALEX RODRIGUEZ RETURNING TO EX-WIFE? In the wake of his steroid scandal, Alex Rodriguez is reportedly seeking comfort in the arms of his ex-wife Cynthia. The New York Daily News claims that Rodriguez's rumored girlfriend Madonna is "pissed" that he's spending time with Cynthia, even though she has reportedly been hooking up with a younger model. A source told the paper, "Madonna just wishes he had come to her. She has been the subject of negative press her whole career, and she wants to help him understand that this too shall pass."

SAM SHEPARD PLEADS GUILTY TO DRUNK DRIVING: Actor Sam Shepard pleaded guilty to drunk driving stemming from an arrest in Illinois last month. In court on Wednesday (February 11th), Shepard said, "I never intend to drive under the influence again ... it's not worth it." He apologized to the judge and agreed to pay fines of $65, plus court costs, as well as commit to 100 hours of community service. Additionally, he was placed on 24 months of court supervision and will likely have to complete an alcohol treatment program.

PRINCE HARRY MUST UNDERGO SENSITIVITY TRAINING: People magazine reports that Prince Henry's Army bosses have ordered him into equality and diversity lessons after he was caught on video referring to a fellow soldier as a "Paki." Royal insiders told the magazine that the the 24-year-old, who is third in line to the crown, will begin taking the lessons shortly. On Thursday (February 12th), Harry's London office said, "Prince Harry has said he is sorry for his remarks. He has been subjected to the normal army disciplinary procedures." His punishment comes a day after it was revealed that he recently told a comedian, "You don't sound like a black chap," at a birthday party for his father.

JOE FRANCIS'S HOUSE ARREST LIFTED: After being put on house arrest earlier this month following an arrest for missing a court hearing, Joe Francis can now travel to seven counties in Southern California until his trial on tax evasion charges begins in July. Earlier in the week, prosecutors sought to revoke his bail or at least continue his house arrest, claiming he displayed a lack of regard for the court. A judge made the decision to loosen the Girls Gone Wild creator's confines on Wednesday (February 11th).

KATE HUDSON INSTALLS STRIPPER POLE? Kate Hudson is a pole-dancing aficionado, according to Us Weekly magazine, and has recently installed a pole in her home bathroom. An insider told the magazine, "She's so proud of it. She was laughing and giddy like a kid when the thing was installed! She holds on with both her arms and flips her legs into the air. It's kind of amazing and totally sexy." Hudson is reportedly back together with on-off boyfriend Owen Wilson.

National Friendship Week


February 16-22. The type of friends you prefer reveals a lot about your personality, says psychologist Dr. Elayne Kahn, co-author of "1001 Ways You Reveal Your Personality."

  • Just one close friend -- You need someone to confide in and trust. You don't trust people very easily, but once you do you're very loyal. You take friendship very seriously and never take your friends for granted.
  • Friends of your own sex only -- You enjoy tradition and believe boys should be boys and girls should be girls. You're more comfortable when people are in more traditional roles. You enjoy friends who have something in common with you.
  • Friends of the opposite sex only -- You enjoy being the center of attention, but don't like competing for it. Intimacy is very important to you, and you're capable of deep relationships.
  • Friends you just party with -- You love to socialize, but don't like people getting too close. You're very independent and want to stay that way - and you especially don't like to become dependent on one person.
  • Friends from the workplace -- You love achieving, working hard, making money and always moving ahead. All things in your life - including friendships - are geared toward making your career as successful as possible.
  • Different friends for different occasions -- If, for example, you go dancing with one group of friends and play touch football with another, you're well-organized, but don't like to become too involved with people. You're a busy, active person.

Kflag Country Music Update


Despite her original decision to leave Dancing With The Stars behind to focus on her music career, Julianne Hough will be returning to the ABC show this season. Hough told us she had some extra incentive to re-join the competition, not the least of which is getting to partner with her boyfriend, fellow singer Chuck Wicks. "I almost didn't do this season. I had announced that and everything, but then they did ask Chuck to do the show and maybe a week later they called me and said, 'Hey, would you be interested in dancing with him?' I was like, 'I don't know. I don't know how that's gonna work out,' but then I thought about it and it's like, you know, I can still write, I can still tour, I can still work on my next record if I dance with him, which in the past I haven't been able to do that with my other partners, so I thought, 'Why don't we do this and that way I can take the fall off when the album comes out and the single, and that way I can really promote it,' which I did not get a chance to do on my last record."

Hough said that although she and Wicks have the advantage of being a couple, they don't have a leg up, so to speak, on the other contestants. "First of all, we don't have time to get in any extra practice time. We're actually struggling to get in the normal amount, but we're just gonna go there and have a blast because that's what the show's all about, and plus, you know, it gives us time to spend together."

  • The new season of Dancing With The Stars begins on March 9th at 8 p.m. ET.
  • New castmembers also include Jewel and her husband, rodeo champ Ty Murray.

SIDE NOTES

  • A bad case of the flu forced Hough to cancel her scheduled performance at the Daytona 500 on Sunday (February 15th). The singer was supposed to perform the national anthem. Musician Gavin DeGraw stepped in for the ailing Hough.
Jake Owen was live on the air while visiting a radio station in New Hampshire on Wednesday morning (February 11th) when he was surprised with news of his two Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards nominations. Owen received nods for Top New Male Vocalist and Vocal Event of the Year for "Life In A Northern Town" with Sugarland and Little Big Town.

Owen was overwhelmed by the news, which he quickly shared with his family. "I want this not only for myself but I wanna do it for everyone that's just helped me get here, you know? I was so excited when they told me. I was like, 'Y'all are gonna have to hold on for a second,' and I called my mom and told my mom and dad that I got nominated."

Owen adds that he's very grateful to those who have let him live his dream: "It's been a whirlwind the past few months, especially with the Grammy nomination, and I'm really blown away. It is really humbling. It really is, to feel like people respect who you are enough and your music to even vote for you in the first place to get you through the first round and have supported what I'm doing."

  • The ACM Awards will be held in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 5th. The show will air live on CBS.

FAST FACTS

  • Owen's sophomore album, Easy Does It, will be in stores on February 24th.
  • He co-wrote his current single, "Don't Think I Can't Love You," which is the fastest-rising single of his career at Number 12 on the country singles charts.
Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have donated half a million dollars to the Red Cross in the aftermath of the recent Australian bushfire that killed nearly 200 people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. Urban and Kidman appeared together via a satellite link during the Australia Unites telethon to raise money for the Red Cross.
  • Urban said, "Our hearts go out tonight to all the families that are dealing with the loss of loved ones and having to rebuild their lives again."
The Lost Trailers' recent success with their first Top 10 hit, "Holler Back," has launched the band into this year's group of Academy of Country Music Awards nominees. The Lost Trailers received two nominations -- Top Vocal Group and Top New Vocal Duo or Group.

The group was overcome with excitement about the news, as members Stokes Nielson and Ryder Lee told us: Everybody's floored. Everybody's off their rocker on this one. First of all, if you get one of the other guys up at 7:30 . . . (Lee) It's big news. (Nielson) It's big news! And all the guys were up at 7:30 like calling and stuff, so it's big news, but you gotta understand this is a band that's been together for years and it's no surprise that we're all really, really excited because we're seeing a lot of our dreams being realized."

  • The group will be in Las Vegas on April 5th to find out whether they'll be taking home an ACM Awards trophy. The show will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on CBS.
  • The Lost Trailers' new single is called "How 'Bout You Don't."
Julianne Hough will sing the National Anthem at the 51st annual Daytona 500 on Sunday (February 15th) at Daytona International Speedway. The race is the season opener to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
  • The pre-race ceremonies will also include a live performance by Keith Urban.

FAST FACTS

  • Hough received her first Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards nomination on Wednesday (February 11th) for Top New Female Vocalist. Trophies will be handed out in Las Vegas on April 5th.
  • Hough will return for her fifth season of Dancing With The Stars this year. She will be partnered with her boyfriend and fellow singer Chuck Wicks. The new season of ABC's Dancing With The Stars gets under way in March.
Martina McBride will release her new album, called Shine, on March 24th. The CD will be McBride's 10th studio project.
  • McBride said, "I'm so excited about this music and this time in my life. Creatively I have a renewed energy and I feel like this album reflects that."
  • The singer collaborated on Shine with producer Dann Huff for the first time. Huff has worked with the likes of Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban and Lonestar.
  • She said, "I wanted to move forward, production-wise, which isn't always easy. I think it was time to find somebody with a different, fresh perspective on my music. I felt like I needed someone to help me do things a bit differently, and I instinctively felt Dann was right for the job."
  • The album's first single, "Ride," is currently climbing the country charts.
  • McBride co-wrote one song on the album, called "Sunny Side Up." She collaborated on it with the Warren Brothers.

FAST FACTS

  • McBride has sold more than 18 million records.
  • Her last album, Waking Up Laughing, was released in 2007.
Emerson Drive will take their music to the Nashville Superspeedway on April 11th as part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 race. The group will perform the post-race concert for the fans. Tickets to the event can be purchased by calling toll-free 1-866-RACE-TIX or going online at nashvillesuperspeedway.com.

SIDE NOTES

  • Emerson Drive will release their fourth studio album, called Believe, on April 7th.
  • The group performed the album's debut single, "Belongs To You," during a mass wedding in honor of Valentine's Day on Thursday (February 12th) in Virginia Beach.

K-FLAG SPORTS

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were named co-MVPs of the 58th NBA All-Star game after leading the West to a 146-119 win over the East. Bryant had 27 points and four assists in 29 minutes while O'Neal had 17 points on 8 of 9 shooting as they each won their third All-Star MVP award.

The Phoenix Suns have decided to fire coach Terry Porter, who will be replaced by assistant Alvin Gentry. A person familiar with the decision says the team also is considering trading Amare Stoudemire, who had 19 points in last night's All-Star game.

Matt Kenseth passed Elliott Sadler with 54 laps to go and was declared the Daytona 500 winner when race was called because of rain with 48 laps left. It's Kenseth's first Daytona 500 victory and snaps a 36-race winless streak.

In the NHL on sunday.....

Philadelphia 5, N.Y. Rangers 2
New Jersey 6, San Jose 5
Colorado 6, Detroit 5, SO
Washington 4, Florida 2
Carolina 3, Buffalo 0
Atlanta 8, Anaheim 4
Vancouver 4, Montreal 2

Monday's NHL Games
Pittsburgh at N.Y. Islanders,
Dallas at Columbus,
N.Y. Rangers at St. Louis,
Ottawa at Nashville,
Edmonton at Phoenix,
Atlanta at Los Angeles,


TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL-Sunday's Games

( 3) North Carolina 69 Miami 65
( 5) Louisville 99 DePaul 54
Boston College 80 ( 6) Duke 74
Virginia 85 (12) Clemson 81, OT
Loyola of Chicago 71 (15) Butler 67
(18) Arizona St. 65 Southern Cal 53
(22) Illinois 65 Indiana 52

TOP-25 WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL-Sunday's Games

( 1) Connecticut 95 (19) Pittsburgh 42
( 5) Auburn 63 Mississippi St. 58
( 8) North Carolina 73 Georgia Tech 50
LSU 66 ( 9) Florida 47
(11) Maryland 67 Rutgers 47
(13) Texas 55 (16) Iowa St. 52
N.C. State 60 (17) Virginia 54
(18) Ohio St. 81 Northwestern 55
(20) Kansas St. 79 Oklahoma St. 71
(21) Xavier 78 Dayton 57
(24) Vanderbilt 80 Georgia 64

WATER COOLER TALK


  • Estelle Bennett, one of the three Ronettes who had a hit with "Be My Baby," died last week at the age of 67.
  • A 20-year-old naked picture of Madonna was auctioned off on last Thursday for $37,500.
  • The Journal of Sexual Medicine found 76% of men believe it's physically harmful not to have sex.
  • Mira Sorvino and her husband Christopher Backus are expecting their third child.
  • Wanda Sykes will be the lead roaster at the annual White House correspondents' dinner in Washington May 9.
  • FX has signed a deal for a 6th season of Denis Leary's "Rescue Me" in 2010. The 5th season gets underway on April 7th.
  • Samantha Harris, co-host of "Dancing With the Stars," thinks Olympic gold-medal gymnast Shawn Johnson could be a top contender when the ABC dance competition returns March 9.
  • Peter Gabriel has pulled out of performing at the Oscars because he doesn't think the nominated songs, and their writers and performers, are getting enough respect. That's because, instead of the songs being performed completely, they're all part of a medley.
  • Cherry Jones, who plays Madame President on this season of "24," says she turned to Eleanor Roosevelt and Golda Meir for inspiration for her character... not Hillary Clinton.
  • The latest on Michael Jackson is that he has some kind of skin infection. Whatever.
  • Controversial "American Idol" contestant and former child star Joanna Pacitti has been booted off the talent show, apparently due to her past in the music business.
  • Madonna was #1 on Billboard's Top Moneymakers of 2008 with $242.2 million. She had the 50th-best-selling album in the country and ranked 14th on the list of digital track sellers -- but had the highest-earning 2008 tour.
  • Singer-actress Mandy Moore and rock singer Ryan Adams are engaged.
  • A survey by Schwarzkopf Professional and Henkel found brunettes ear $8,400 more per year than blondes.
  • For his less-than-sensitive comments that have leaked out lately, Britain's Prince Harry is going to "diversity training."

Friday, February 13, 2009

CHEAP VALENTINE


Have a lotta love in your heart, but not a lot of loot to back it up? Not to worry -- the most romantic Valentine's Day gifts require imagination, not money. "Think back on the most treasured gifts you've received," says Laura Shanahan, a New York consumer-tips columnist. "Chances are they were the most thoughtful, not the most costly." Here are her top 10 tips for Valentine's gifts that show the most caring, not the most cash:

  1. An appointment book with one date filled in -- that of a romantic getaway for the two of you. It doesn't have to be a Caribbean cruise. A day of "playing hooky" together at an out-of-the-way park and a back table at a dim bistro are perfect for creating that loving feeling.
  2. A gift certificate for your honey's choice of pampering treatments performed by you. A massage, shampoo, and a bubble bath with room service -- their wish is your command.
  3. A heart-shaped box from card or novelty store. Place a handwritten note inside: "Contains 365 blown kisses just for you -- take one a day."
  4. Pajamas for the two of you. He wears the pants, she wears the top.
  5. A cozy picnic. Never mind the snow. Lay out a blanket on the living room floor and serve up finger foods you can hand-feed each other. Don't forget the candles.
  6. Sweep your sweetie off his or her feet with tickets to a ballroom dancing class so you can stay cheek to cheek all year round.
  7. Indoor "sky writing" is a great way to say I love you to that special someone. Simply make a poster with a declaration of your devotion and tape it to the ceiling right over the bed. It will be the first thing your sweetheart will see upon wakening Valentine's Day -- and your final, sweet-dreams message.
  8. A fortune -- or more. Get a handful of fortune cookies from a specialty market or your local Chinese restaurant. Compose your own personal messages.
  9. A dozen red balloons. Before you blow them up, insert tiny trinkets or love notes. Give the blowup, treasurer filled results to your beloved for a popping good time.
  10. A blank journal you'll head "Reasons I Love You." Every reason will have it's own page.

SUPERSTITIOUS?


(From "10,000 Superstitions You Really Need" by William Carroll)

  • Be sure to wear old shoes on Friday the 13th so you do not have bad luck.
  • When a person snores, immediately whistle and they will stop snoring.
  • Wear red pepper in your shoes while looking for a new job and you will find a good one.
  • Wear earrings when you are married and you will always be happy.
  • Sneezing twice before breakfast will bring you a new lover that week.
  • Sleep with a mirror under your pillow and dream of your prospective mate.
  • It is unlucky to read the back of a book first.
  • A woman who wears her shoes out on the side will marry a rich man.
  • If you wear a dime in your shoe you will never be unlucky.
  • Dreaming of a boat in clear water foretells happiness.
  • Go swimming the first day you are married and you will have twins.
  • If you have a rooming house, and some of your rooms are vacant, put salt in the scrub water and you will soon rent the empty rooms.
  • Wash your face in dew to become lovely.
  • You will be clean all year if you take a bath on New Year's night.
FEEL LUCKY? WELL, DO YA?

So it's Friday the 13th! Watch out for black cats, broken mirrors -- and for goodness' sake don't walk under any ladders. But is "unlucky" number 13 getting a bad rap? Here are some pretty impressive positive events that have occurred on the 13th. As a matter of fact, it's hard to say where we'd be if there were no 13's on the calendar.

  • America was discovered on the eve of the 13th of the month.
  • The republic originally consisted of 13 colonies.
  • The first official American flag had 13 stripes and 13 stars.
  • The 13th Amendment to the Constitution put an end to slavery.

But just in case all this doesn't impress you, here's the reason why you should avoid certain evil omens, especially when the 13th rolls around.

  • Black cats have been feared since the Middle Ages because back then people thought the devil and his demons took feline form to stalk the earth. But while it's considered to be bad luck if a black kitty crosses your path, it's considered good luck to own one.
  • Blame the ancient Greeks for the notion that a broken mirror will bring you seven years bad luck. They thought things happened in multiples of seven -- the Seven Wonders of the World, for example.
  • Walking under ladders has been a no-no ever since early Christian mystics decided to make the triangle the symbol of the Trinity. Anyone who blundered through a triangle -- the shape made by a ladder leaning against a wall -- was deemed to be tempting fate.

HOW TO GET HIM TO TAKE YOUR ADVICE


Cosmopolitan suggests these tips to put your man on the right path without pushing him over the edge.

  • Perfect your pose -- Body lingo can speak louder than words, so watch your stance, warns Paul Coleman, Psy.D. author of How to Say It for Couples. "Hovering over him communicates superiority," he says. Instead, sit next to him and convey warmth with affectionate gestures.
  • Be his biggest fan -- "Hearing advice makes men feel like they don't measure up," says Coleman. But you won't make him feel stupid if you praise him while giving him guidance. For instance, if he's stressed about giving a presentation, remind him how well he handles crowds before putting in your two cents.
  • Should your suggestions -- If you phrase your comments as questions, he'll think he figured out the answer. "A man will be more receptive to an inquiry because it doesn't seem pushy," explains Neil Warren, Ph.D., author of "Date... or Soul Mate." Say something like "Doesn't it seem like you've been putting in tons of overtime?" instead of "Your boss is taking advantage of you."

TAKE IT OFF BABY!


HOW YOU UNDRESS REVEALS YOUR PERSONALITY

People are usually judged by how they dress. But how about how they undress? "How a person takes off his or her clothes and what they do with those clothes can reveal quite a bit about one's personality," Dr. Jane Greer, a New York psychotherapist and author of "How Can You Do This To Me?" "These six styles of shedding your clothes can help you get to know yourself better."

  • The Tosser -- If you throw your clothes all over the place, you're friendly, the life of the party type. Although others may think you're a slob, you're really a happy individual who doesn't care what others think.
  • The Neatnik -- If you remove each piece of clothing and put it away immediately, you may believe that the best way of solving life's problem is to prevent them in the first place. You're dependable, sometimes intense, and you know how to pay attention.
  • The Dabbler -- If you take off your pants and get around to taking off your skirt 10 minutes later, you are a deep thinker who ponders the meaning of life. You don't like being rushed. Having free time is most important.
  • The Sprinter -- If you shed your clothing as quickly as possible, you're a busy person who often feels stressed. However, you may also be a passionate person who wants to change quickly in order to have fun.
  • The Jeweler -- If you take off your jewelry before anything else, you're a warm and sensitive person. You are considerate and romantic, thoughtful and a good friend.
  • The Adventurer -- If you don't have an undressing routine, or you never do it the same way twice, bravo. You enjoy a broad range of activities and take risks. You're a sociable, fun-loving individual.

KFLAG Country Music News


SOMETHINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Men, if you want to get rid of that pot belly, wiggle your hips and start belly dancing. It's been all the rage in Japan where men have turned to belly dancing to make them thinner and more flexible, as well as tone their arms and stomach muscles. It's such a hit in Japan now that members of the Juntendo University swim team are belly dancing as part of their training regimen.

Better compliment her hairstyle because it's worth a whopping $70,000, says a recent study. That's the price of her coif over a lifetime, when you count washing, cutting, styling, coloring, curling and/or straightening her locks, either at home or in the salon. And gals spend nearly two years of their lives -- 650 days creating a "salon look" in their own bathrooms over the course of their lifetimes. The average lady spends 41 minutes every day washing, styling and restyling her tresses. At the beauty parlor, a woman lays out an average of $566.12 a year for cuts and coloring. There's also $227.40 a year for shampoos and conditioners and $316 a year for home-styling products. These figures come from a poll of 2,500 women conducted by Boots, a British health and beauty products company.

The "dumb blonde" theory has been solved at last. Blondes aren't necessarily dumb they just make men dumber, says a recent study. Male volunteers were shown photos of gorgeous women with various hair colors and them given general knowledge tests. The ones who viewed "blondes" had the lowest scores in two different trials.

K-FLAG SPORTS

The agent for Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner has entered discussions with the team about a new contract for his client. Warner will turn 38 this summer and hasn't ruled out retiring. He's due to be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the month and has said for weeks that one factor in his decision will be gauging how interested the Cardinals are in re-signing him.

The Phoenix Coyotes have assigned 19-year-old center Kyle Turris to their AHL affiliate in San Antonio and recalled defenseman David Schlemko. Turris, the former University of Wisconsin star selected third overall in 2007, has six goals and 10 assists in 50 games this season for Phoenix.

Thursday's NHL SCORES
Florida 5, Carolina 0
Ottawa 5, Philadelphia 2
Detroit 4, Minnesota 2
Tampa Bay 6, Toronto 4
Nashville 4, St. Louis 3, SO
Vancouver 4, Phoenix 3
Calgary 2, Los Angeles 0

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing officials following Cleveland's last-second loss at Indiana Tuesday night. Brown went into a tirade about a call by referee Joey Crawford that awarded the Pacers two free throws and gave them a 96-95 win.

Thursday's NBA SCORES
Miami 95, Chicago 93
Boston 99, Dallas 92
Golden State 105, Portland 98

For three years, Arizona State forward Jeff Pendergraph had to listen to his friend, UCLA star Darren Collison, talk about the Bruins' domination of the Sun Devils. No longer. Sparked by a big 3-pointer by Derek Glasser, the 18th-ranked Sun Devils knocked off the 11th-ranked Bruins 74-67 last night.

Nic Wise sank a 3-pointer with 43.8 seconds, then made two free throws with 17.3 seconds remaining last night and Arizona pulled away to win its sixth in a row, 83-76 over USC. Wise scored 27 points, two shy of his career high, as the Wildcats improved their record to 17-8 overall and 7-5 in the Pac-10.

Notre Dame pulled off a stunner in men's college basketball Thursday night, ending a seven-game losing streak by blasting fifth-ranked Louisville 90-57. Luke Harangody finished with 32 points and 17 rebounds as the Fighting Irish improved to 3-and-7 against ranked opponents this season. The Cardinals missed 12 of their first 13 shots and trailed 37-19 at halftime.

Bud Selig says New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez has "shamed the game," though the baseball commissioner indicates he has no plans to punish the three-time AL MVP. Two days after Sports Illustrated reported Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in baseball's anonymous 2003 survey, Rodriguez admitted Monday that he used unspecified performance-enhancing drugs from 2001-2003 while playing for the Texas Rangers. Players and owners didn't agree to a joint drug program until August 2002, and testing with punishment didn't start until 2004.

A federal judge has dismissed most of Roger Clemens' defamation lawsuit against his former personal trainer, saying statements made in the Mitchell Report on doping in baseball are protected. Brian McNamee told federal agents, baseball investigator George Mitchell and a congressional committee that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and HGH from 1998-2001. Clemens has repeatedly denied McNamee's accusations and sued last year.

Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch have earned spots in the second row for Sunday's Daytona 500 by winning Thursday's twin qualifying races. Tony Stewart and Brian Vickers will start from the third row, and Jeremy Mayfield, AJ Allmendinger, Scott Riggs and Regan Smith claimed the non-automatic berths in the Sprint Cup season opener.

Water Cooler Talk

Julianne Hough will sing the National Anthem at the 51st annual Daytona 500 on Sunday at Daytona International Speedway. The race is the season opener to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Emerson Drive will take their music to the Nashville Superspeedway on April 11th as part of the NASCAR Nationwide Series 300 race. The group will perform the post-race concert for the fans. Tickets to the event can be purchased by calling toll-free 1-866-RACE-TIX or going online at nashvillesuperspeedway.com.

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman have donated half a million dollars to the Red Cross in the aftermath of the recent Australian bushfire that killed nearly 200 people and destroyed more than 1,000 homes. Urban and Kidman appeared together via a satellite link during the Australia Unites telethon to raise money for the Red Cross.

Carrie Underwood is trying to figure out a way to get on "House." She loves that show.

Nicollette Sheridan is leaving "Desperate Housewives." ABC won't say when, but knowing that she's married to a psycho killer, we have a feeling how this is going to end for her.

Molly Bee has died at age 69. When she was 13-years-old, she had a huge hit with the 1952 version of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus."

Sign of the times: after 67 seasons, the Connecticut Opera is going out of business.

Courtney Love says she's tired of the L.A. life and is packing up her daughter, Frances Bean, and buying a house in Britain.

Remember Robin Gibb of the Bee Gee's? His wife says she'll stand by him, days after it was announced that he had a love child last year with his live-in housekeeper.

Congrats to Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams. They are now officially engaged.

Carol Burnett will return to network TV on March 17th, with a guest appearance on "Law & Order: SVU."

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Win a great Valentine gift for your sweetie Friday on the Morning Jolt!


This Friday during the 7am hour you can win.......
1. Hot Air Balloon Gift basket (value $55.00) The basket comes with candy and assorted goodies OR
2. A Singing Balloon Bouquet (value $25.00) This balloon has micro chip that will play a verse of a song at least 50-60 times 1 singing balloon 3 mylar balloons 6 latex balloons From Nothing But Air!
Log on to http://www.nothingbutairballoons.com and call 800-935-9055 to order the perfect gift for your Valentine!!!


-Also Mention KFLG and receive free delivery in Bullhead,Fort Mojave or Laughlin

10th Annual Veterans Chili Cook off is this weekend

To Find out what all is happening at the Chili Cook-off at Rotary Park in Bullhead City this weekend, check out their website at http://veteranschilicookoff.com/ Look for some of our K-Flag Posse to be on hand out there as well!

Meet the American Idol Contestants

The Top 36 semi-finalists of American Idol's eighth season were revealed on last night's two-hour episode. That means that starting next week the show will become a live competition, with the viewing audience casting their votes for their favorite singers.

'AMERICAN IDOL' TOP 36

FEMALES

Alexis Grace
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Currently Resides: Memphis, TN
Age: 21

Grace has been singing since she was 7 years old. She was a member of the Concert Choir at the University of Memphis, and enjoys dancing, playing the guitar and taking care of her daughter.

Allison Iraheta
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Currently Resides: Downey, CA
Age: 16
Iraheta is a junior in high school who began singing at age 5. She also enjoys playing the guitar.

Ann Marie Boskovich
Hometown: Thousand Oaks, CA
Currently Resides: Nashville, TN
Age: 22

Currently pursuing a career as a singer/songwriter, Boskovich began singing before she could talk. She also plays guitar and piano.

Arianna Afsar
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Currently Resides: San Diego, CA
Age: 17

Afsar is a senior at Westview High School. She has been singing since she was 7 years old, and loves acting, dancing and playing piano.

Casey Carlson
Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN
Currently Resides: Minneapolis, MN
Age: 20

Carlson is in her third year at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, majoring in Psychology. She began taking voice lessons in fifth grade.

Felicia Barton
Hometown: Virginia Beach, VA
Currently Resides: Virginia Beach, VA
Age: 26

Barton lives in Virginia Beach, VA, with her husband and son. She began singing before she could talk, and her first public performance was at age 2.

Jackie Tohn
Hometown: Oceanside, NY
Currently Resides: Silver Lake, CA
Age: 28

Tohn resides in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Silver Lake. She holds an associate's degree in psychology from Santa Monica College. Her hobbies include acting, performing comedy and playing guitar.

Jasmine Murray
Hometown: Columbus, MS
Currently Resides: Starkville, MS
Age: 17

Murray lives in Starkville, MS, and attends The Mississippi School of the Arts. She loves being on stage and has been singing since she was 3 years old.

Jeanine Vailes
Hometown: Washington, DC
Currently Resides: Sherman Oaks, CA
Age: 28

A recent arrival to Los Angeles, Vailes began singing at age 4 and had her first solo performance in church at age 9. She also enjoys songwriting, motivational speaking and doing voiceover work.

Jesse Langseth
Hometown: Minneapolis, MN
Currently Resides: Minneapolis, MN
Age: 26

Langseth lives in Minneapolis, MN, with her 8-year-old daughter. In addition to singing, she also plays the piano and guitar.

Kendall Beard
Hometown: Lufkin, TX
Currently Resides: Austin, TX
Age: 24

Beard graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 2007. In addition to singing, she has been studying dance for 12 years.

Kristen McNamara
Hometown: Napa Valley, CA
Currently Resides: Nashville, TN
Age: 23

McNamara is a singer/songwriter originally from Northern California. She loves to dance and has been performing her whole life. Her hobbies include playing guitar, piano, painting and baking.

Lil Rounds
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Currently Resides: Memphis, TN
Age: 24

Rounds lives in Memphis, TN, with her husband and three children. Music has always been a part of her life, and she began singing when she was 3 years old.

Megan Corkrey
Hometown: Taylorsville, UT
Currently Resides: Sandy, UT
Age: 23

Corkrey lives in Sandy, UT, with her 2-year-old son, Ryder. She has been singing since age 3, and is a self-professed "foodie."

Mishavonna Henson
Hometown: Irvine, CA
Currently Resides: Irvine, CA
Age: 18

Henson has been singing since she could talk and sang publicly for the first time in church. Her hobbies include horseback riding, acting, dancing and playing piano and guitar. She also takes classes at a junior college.

Stevie Wright
Hometown: Phelan, CA
Currently Resides: Phelan, CA
Age: 17

Wright is a junior at Serrano High School. She works in a coffee shop and sings in a band with her youth group. Her real passion is singing, but she also loves to dance.

Tatiana Nicole Del Toro
Hometown: San Juan, PR
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 24

Del Toro studied at the Manhattan School of Music and attended the New York Film Academy. Her hobbies include theater, acting, writing and dancing.

Taylor Vaifanua
Hometown: Hurricane, UT
Currently Resides: Hurricane, UT
Age: 17

When Vaifanua was 2 years old, she and her family moved to Samoa and lived there for five years before returning to Utah. She is a junior at Hurricane High School, and her hobbies include sports, singing and dancing.

MALES

Adam Lambert
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Currently Resides: Los Angeles, CA
Age: 26

Lambert grew up in San Diego but currently lives in Hollywood. He began singing at age 10, and has been involved with musical theater for the past eight years.

Alexander Wagner-Trugman
Hometown: Studio City, CA
Currently Resides: Studio City, CA
Age: 19

Wagner-Trugman is a sophomore at the University of Miami. He began singing in high school, and he plays piano and guitar. His hobbies include playing video games and basketball.

Anoop Desai
Hometown: Chapel Hill, NC
Currently Resides: Chapel Hill, NC
Age: 22

Desai is working on his master's degree at the University of North Carolina. During his undergraduate years, he was a member of the UNC Clef Hangers, an a cappella group.

Brent Keith
Hometown: Blanchester, OH
Currently Resides: Nashville, TN
Age: 29

A guitar player, Keith lives in Nashville, TN, with his wife. He has been singing all his life but started performing publicly when he was 13 years old.

Danny Gokey
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
Currently Resides: Milwaukee, WI
Age: 28

Gokey is the president and founder of a non-profit organization. In addition to singing, he plays the piano and loves salsa dancing.

Jorge Nuñez
Hometown: Cidra, Puerto Rico
Currently Resides: Carolina, Puerto Rico
Age: 21

Nuñez is in his fourth year at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. In addition to English and Spanish, Nuñez is also fluent in French.

Ju'Not Joyner
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Currently Resides: Bowie, MD
Age: 26

A native of Maryland, Joyner owns his own business with his fiancée. He enjoys acting, comedy and songwriting.

Kai Kalama
Hometown: Redlands, CA
Currently Resides: San Clemente, CA
Age: 27

Kalama began singing when he was 5 years old at his church. An accomplished musician, he also plays guitar, ukulele, bass, piano and drums.

Kris Allen
Hometown: Jacksonville, AR
Currently Resides: Conway, AR
Age: 23

Allen is a student at the University of Central Arkansas. He has been singing and playing the guitar since he was 13 years old.

Matt Breitzke
Hometown: Bixby, OK
Currently Resides: Bixby, OK
Age: 28

Breitzke spent his childhood in Hobart, IN, and later attended flight school in Tulsa, OK. He has been singing and playing the guitar since the fifth grade.

Matt Giraud
Hometown: Ypsilanti, MI
Currently Resides: Kalamazoo, MI
Age: 23

Giraud is a life-long resident of Michigan who graduated from Western Michigan University in 2007. He sings and plays piano in local clubs and hotels.

Michael Sarver
Hometown: Jasper, TX
Currently Resides: Jasper, TX
Age: 27

Sarver is married with two children and works on an oil rig. He has always dreamed of being a singer/songwriter. Sarver also plays the piano, drums and guitar.

Nathaniel Marshall
Hometown: Malone, NY
Currently Resides: Malone, NY
Age: 19

Marshall began singing at age 2, and sang publicly for the first time in his high school choir. He is a cosmetology student in New York.

Nick Mitchell
Hometown: Brookfield, CT
Currently Resides: Brookfield, CT
Age: 27

Mitchell attended Marymount Manhattan College and Western Connecticut State University. He is a sketch comedian who performs in Manhattan and Connecticut.

Ricky Braddy
Hometown: Nashville, TN
Currently Resides: Elizabeth City, NC
Age: 25

Braddy graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, TN, with a degree in Commercial Vocal Performance. He began singing when he was 4 years old at his church.

Scott MacIntyre
Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
Currently Resides: Scottsdale, AZ
Age: 23

MacIntyre earned his bachelor's degree from Arizona State University at age 19, and attended graduate school in London, England. He also plays piano, guitar and drums.

Stephen Fowler
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Currently Resides: Beachwood, OH
Age: 26

Fowler has been married for six years and has two sons. He has been singing his entire life, and began playing piano at 11 years old. He is a full-time musician who teaches piano at the Rainey Institute in Cleveland.

Von Smith
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
Currently Resides: Greenwood, MO
Age: 22

Smith plays piano and is fluent in Spanish. His other hobbies include dancing, acting and songwriting.


Celebrity Gossip

MICKEY ROURKE DATING COURTNEY LOVE? Forget Evan Rachel Wood. The U.K.'s Daily Mirror claims that Mickey Rourke has "secretly seeing" Courtney Love for the past three weeks. The newspaper is reporting that Rourke first texted Love asking her on a date around the time of the Golden Globe Awards. On Monday (February 9th), both attended the Elle Style Awards in London where Rourke was named best actor and Love the Elle Woman of the Year.

BENICIO DEL TORO ADMITS TO PAST SUICIDAL THOUGHTS: Benicio Del Toro has experienced suicidal thoughts. The actor admitted to Rolling Stone magazine, "Have I ever been suicidal? Not long enough. Not long enough. But there has been the question, to be or not to be? Hey, I've thought about it. Would I go through with it? No. But feeling alone, feeling like a failure, feeling like there's no one out there. I've had those feelings, though they don't last." The 41-year-old Oscar-winner also revealed that his longest relationship lasted for a year and a half, likely because he's "selfish about my time."

HARRY POTTER CAST VISITS INJURED STUNTMAN IN HOSPITAL: Daniel Radcliffe and Tom Felton, who play Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy in the franchise, were photographed visiting David Holmes, who is still receiving treatment in London hospital following an on-set injury. Observers told the Daily Mail that Radcliffe lit a cigarette upon leaving the hospital and appeared "shaken and emotional." Specific information on Holmes's condition has not been released but a statement on behalf of his family thanked people for support and said, "We are trusting in the expertise of the medical staff who are caring for David." It's been reported that after the accident he told crew members, "I can't feel my legs."

TRAVOLTA SUSPECT DENIED BAIL: A judge in the Bahamas denied a request to lower the bail requirement for an ambulance driver accused of trying to extort money from John Travolta after his son's death. Tarino Lightbourne, who has been in custody since January 23rd, was hoping to reduce the bail, which is currently set at $50,000. The case's other suspect, former senator Pleasant Bridgewater, is currently free on bail after paying the same amount set for Lightbourne. The pair allegedly demanded millions from the Travolta family in exchange for a document related to the death of their 16-year-old son, Jett.

THAI GOVERNMENT CRITICIZES ANGELINA JOLIE: The Thai government chastised Angelina Jolie on Wednesday (February 11th) for discussing the Myanmar refugees who the Thai government is being accused of abusing. Jolie, the UN's Goodwill Ambassador, stated that she hoped the Thai government would help people who are being held in camps around the Thai borders and that they would show respect to the Rohingya people who are now arriving on Thai borders. The Thai military is said to be detaining the Myanmar refugees, beating them, then taking them out to sea in ill-equipped boats with not enough food and water and leaving the people there. The Thai government is looking into why Jolie and her partner, Brad Pitt, were allowed to visit the camp. They are also saying that the UN should not be involving itself in a situation that is private to Thailand.

MICHELLE PFEIFFER FINE WITH OLDER WOMAN ROLES: Michelle Pfeiffer may be 50 years old, but the gorgeous actress says she doesn't mind her age. Pfeiffer, whose new film Cheri premiered Tuesday (February 10) at the Berlin Film Festival, says she prefers the roles she is getting now because they are more interesting. The actress also says that she doesn't mind that the older she gets, the younger her co-stars get. Cheri co-stars Rupert Friend -- who starred in Pride & Prejudice and is currently dating Kiera Knightley -- and Kathy Bates.

'DANCING WITH THE STARS' PROS ALREADY PLANNING FOR KIDS: Betrothed dancers Karina Smirnoff and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have known each other for years, but only started dating last year because Chmerkovskiy was less mature than his fiancee. Smirnoff said it took a while for him to grow up, admitting to People magazine, "You know how boys tend to develop slower than girls? A lot slower!" She added, "I never looked at him seriously." Now the dancers have a wedding planned for later this year and are thinking ahead to a family. Chmerkovskiy told People magazine, "Our kids would be rock stars. They're going to be like royalty."

K-Flag Country Music Update

Brad Paisley leads the list of nominees for the upcoming 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards with six nominations, it was announced on Wednesday morning during a press conference in Nashville. The singer earned nods for Entertainer, Top Male Vocalist, Single, Song And Video of the Year for "Waitin' On A Woman," and Vocal Event of the Year for "Start A Band" with Keith Urban.

LeAnn Rimes, Jessica Simpson, Kellie Pickler and first-time ACM nominee Julianne Hough read the nominations, which aired live on the CBS Early Show.

In addition to Paisley, top nominees include Heidi Newfield with five; Kenny Chesney, Jamey Johnson and George Strait with four each; and Carrie Underwood and Keith Urban with three apiece.

* We caught up with Hough minutes after her name was announced in the category of Top New Female Vocalist:

"I'm so excited! I'm thrilled and shocked! Going from, like, being here for a year and all the accomplishments and just the experiences that I've had over this year have been enough, you know, and then the fact that I've been going from Dancing With The Stars over to music...This is, like, just a true testament that, 'Oh my gosh! These people are really welcoming and supporting me and really accepting me.' It's the best feeling in the world."

* Rounding out the Top New Female Vocalist category are Sarah Buxton and Ashton Shepherd, two deserving competitors, as Hough tells us:

"The fact that I'm up against great artists in itself, I mean, I'm just happy to be nominated with them. I think it's really cool. I guess I could say I didn't do it the wrong way, but they did it the right way, and to be up with them is really cool."

* The Top New Female, Top New Male, Top Vocal Duo or Group and Entertainer of the Year categories will be voted on by the fans this year. Voting begins on Friday (February 13th) at gactv.com. For the first time, fans will also be allowed to text their votes for Entertainer of the Year during the show's broadcast.

* The Academy of Country Music has yet to announce the finalists in the Album of the Year category. That announcement will be made sometime in March.

* The 44th annual ACM Awards will take place in Las Vegas on April 5th. The show will be hosted by Reba McEntire for the 11th time in her career.


CARRIE UNDERWOOD, HEIDI NEWFIELD REACT TO ACM NOMINATIONS

Carrie Underwood's Academy of Country Music Awards nomination for Entertainer of the Year marks the first time a female has been included in the category since the Dixie Chicks in 2000. The singer was also nominated for Top Female Vocalist and Video of The Year for "Just A Dream."

* Underwood said, "I am so humbled and blessed with the recognition of these nominations by my fellow artists and the country music community. My band, crew, and everyone on my team have worked so hard the past year with my first big tour, so the Entertainer nomination is especially rewarding for all of us. I think I'm still in shock!"

Heidi Newfield earned an impressive five Academy of Country Music Awards nominations, including Top Female Vocalist, and Single, Song, and Video of the Year categories for her debut solo single, "Johnny and June." The former Trick Pony member was at home in Nashville when news of the nods reached her.

* She said, "My husband and I watched the nominations with teary eyes and total elation! The support and excitement for me and this record has really blown me away, and I'm so proud for all the wonderful people who've been involved in it. I am truly honored and blessed. This is one of the happiest days of my life, so far!"

Sarah Buxton received her first ACM nomination for Top New Female Vocalist.

* She said, "Oh my goodness! It's good to know I can still turn a cartwheel! Just to have my name in the hat is beyond thrilling, thank you so much."

New act Joey+Rory received their first ACM nomination for Top Vocal Duo.

* Rory Feek said, "Just to be nominated for an ACM award in any category at any time, is an honor, but to be listed on the same ballot with four duos that are heroes of ours...that's crazy!"

The Eli Young Band also earned a nod for Best New Vocal Group Or Duo. They were on their way to visit a radio station when they heard the exciting news.

* Lead singer Mike Eli said, "This has been an incredible year for us. We played the Grand Ole Opry at The Ryman Auditorium and now this! Our single is in the Top 25, which is exciting, and getting this nomination is such a thrill. We just can't find the words!"

FAST FACTS

* For the first time ever, the three newcomer categories for the Academy of Country Music Awards will be opened up to interactive fan voting through GACTV.com beginning on Friday (February 13th) and lasting through March 5th.
* The winners will be announced during the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5th in Las Vegas.


RASCAL FLATTS GET LOOSENED UP BEFORE SHOWS

Chances are Rascal Flatts members Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney are relaxed and kink-free when they hit the stage in any given city. The trio's concert rider requires every venue to have a female massage therapist ready to work from early afternoon until the doors open, according to thesmokinggun.com.

The Rascal Flatts guys aren't selfish about it, however -- they allow tour personnel to take advantage of the service, which they insist costs no more than $1 per minute. The crew must pay the masseuse in cash, but any massage charges racked up by LeVox, DeMarcus or Rooney are the financial responsibility of the concert promoter.

* Rascal Flatts plays Madison Square Garden on Thursday (February 12th) with opening act Jessica Simpson.


LEANN RIMES NAMED ACM 2009 HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

LeAnn Rimes helped announce the nominees at the upcoming Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards yesterday (Wednesday, February 11th) in Nashville, and she was more than surprised to hear her own name called as the recipient for this year's ACM/Home Depot Humanitarian Award. According to the Academy, the honor recognizes country music artists who "serve others, have a generous spirit and help build the dreams of those in need."

Rimes told us she never expected to be rewarded for doing what is right:

"It's an honor. It really is. I mean, I've been doing humanitarian work for many years and you do it out of the goodness of your heart. The humanitarian award at the ACM's never really crossed my mind, but it's a huge honor."

While Rimes has worked with many organizations, those associated with helping children is closest to her heart:

"I've worked with a lot of children's organizations, I think just cause I was a kid myself once not too long ago, and (I've done) a lot of work with the Children's Miracle Network and St. Jude and also an organization called Salute Heroes which reintegrates wounded soldiers back into society. I kind of have done little things here and there all over the place, so it's just part of what I do. It makes me feel good, you know? It's part of, I think, my responsibility as a human being, but also as a celebrity to be able to do good for other people."

* The Humanitarian Award, a crystal trophy designed by Tiffany & Co., will be presented during the 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 5th in Las Vegas. The show will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena on CBS at 8 p.m. ET.
* Rimes will also be honored with a playground donated by The Home Depot and their national nonprofit partner KaBOOM!. The playground will be built by The Home Depot volunteers and community members in the city of Rimes' choice.
* Past recipients of the Humanitarian Award include Brooks & Dunn, Vince Gill, Martina McBride, Neal McCoy, Reba McEntire, Lonestar and Rascal Flatts.



DARIUS RUCKER STRIKES COUNTRY GOLD

Darius Rucker's debut country album, Learn To Live, has been certified gold for sales of more than half a million copies. The project produced a two-week Number One single, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It." His latest release, "It Won't Be Like This For Long," is a Top 10 hit on the country charts.

* Rucker said, "Gold records are hard to come by these days, and I am proud of this accomplishment. Now let's get back to work!"

FAST FACTS

* Learn To Live debuted at Number One on the country albums charts with over 60,000 units sold within the first week in September of last year.
* The album has since remained in the Top15 in country album sales.
* The new video for "It Won't Be Like This For Long" features personal footage of Rucker with his family.


KEITH URBAN GETS ANIMATED

Keith Urban wrote, performed and produced the theme music for The Adventures of Digger And Friends, the animated alter-ego to the FOX network's Gopher Cam. This year's theme is a collaboration between Urban and FOX Sports Chairman David Hill. The two worked up the theme just last week at Urban's state-of-the-art Nashville recording studio.

The Adventures of Digger And Friends will premiere on Sunday (February 15th) during the NASCAR on FOX Daytona 500 prerace show, airing at 2 p.m. ET. There are five two-minute Digger and Friends vignettes that will be repeated throughout the 2009 NASCAR season on FOX.

* Urban said, "David sent me this furry little NASCAR-loving gopher. How could you turn the critter down? I immediately went to my drum machine, then to my guitar, back to my drum machine and on to my banjo and it wasn¹t long before I had the song. I just hope that Digger likes it."

FAST FACTS

* The Digger characters were conceived by Hill.
* Urban will perform at the Daytona 500 before the big race on Sunday at the Daytona International Speedway. He will sing three songs during the pre-race show, which serves as the season opener to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.


JAMEY JOHNSON, SHOOTER JENNINGS TO MEET AT THE 'CROSSROADS'

Jamey Johnson and Shooter Jennings are the next pairing for CMT's Crossroads series. The show will tape before an invitation-only audience in Nashville later this month. Crossroads featuring Johnson and Jennings will debut on March 23rd at 10 p.m. ET.

* Johnson said, "I'm a country artist with a rock influence and Shooter is a rock artist with a country influence. Plus, we've been good friends for years. This will be an entertaining show to watch, I can promise you that."


COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. For what song did George Jones win his first Grammy?
A. "He Stopped Loving Her Today"

ON THE TUBE

40 SEXIEST MUSIC VIDEOS/CMT
Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley

TOP 20 LOVE SONGS COUNTDOWN/GAC
Blake Shelton

OPRY LIVE: BEST OF 2008/GAC
Jason Aldean, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Randy Travis, Jessica Simpson, Jewel, Brad Paisley, Craig Morgan, Trace Adkins

GAC NIGHTS/GAC
Wynonna

OUR SONG: BRAD & JANA MATES/GAC

And the Winner is......

44th ANNUAL ACADEMY OF COUNTRY MUSIC AWARDS NOMINEES

Entertainer of the Year

* Kenny Chesney
* Brad Paisley
* George Strait
* Carrie Underwood
* Keith Urban

Top Male Vocalist

* Kenny Chesney
* Toby Keith
* Brad Paisley
* George Strait
* Keith Urban

Top Female Vocalist

* Miranda Lambert
* Heidi Newfield
* Taylor Swift
* Carrie Underwood
* Lee Ann Womack

Top Vocal Group

* Lady Antebellum
* Little Big Town
* Rascal Flatts
* Randy Rogers Band
* The Lost Trailers

Top Vocal Duo

* Big & Rich
* Brooks & Dunn
* Joey & Rory
* Montgomery Gentry
* Sugarland

Top New Male Vocalist

* Jamey Johnson
* James Otto
* Jake Owen

Top New Female Vocalist

* Sarah Buxton
* Julianne Hough
* Ashton Shepherd

Top New Vocal Duo or Group

* Eli Young Band
* The Lost Trailers
* Zac Brown Band

Single Record of the Year

* "Gunpowder & Lead" - Miranda Lambert
* "In Color" - Jamey Johnson
* "Johnny & June" - Heidi Newfield
* "Waitin' On A Woman" - Brad Paisley
* "You're Gonna Miss This" - Trace Adkins

Song of the Year

* "I Saw God Today" - George Strait
* "In Color" - Jamey Johnson
* "Johnny & June" - Heidi Newfield
* "Waitin' On A Woman" - Brad Paisley
* "You're Gonna Miss This" - Trace Adkins

Video of the Year

* "Johnny & June" - Heidi Newfield
* "Just A Dream" - Carrie Underwood
* "Love Story" - Taylor Swift
* "Troubadour" - George Strait
* "Waitin' On A Woman" - Brad Paisley

Vocal Event of the Year

* "Another Try" - Josh Turner Featuring Trisha Yearwood
* "Cowgirls Don't Cry" - Brooks & Dunn Featuring Reba McEntire
* "Down The Road" - Kenny Chesney With Mac McAnally
* "Life In A Northern Town" - Sugarland Featuring Little Big Town & Jake Owen
* "Start A Band" - Brad Paisley Duet With Keith Urban

Water Cooler Talk

* The state of Maine recently set an all-time cold temperature record of minus 50-degrees.

* Stamps are going up another 2 cents on May 11, unless you buy a bunch of the "Forever Stamps" now at 42 cents.

* Dartmouth research shows that taking even a tiny bit of aspirin a day may help prevent colon cancer.

* Will Smith was named Hollywood's most bankable star in a survey of movie industry professionals released on Tuesday by Forbes.

* Those "Got Milk?" ads featuring Chris Brown are going to be disappearing as fast as they can.

* This month, Microsoft got its 10,000th patent, if you're keeping score.

* Katherine Heigl and T.R. Knight are leaving Grey's Anatomy soon.

* Diane Keaton is going to write about her life and her mom... but not about her past loves like Woody Allen, Steve Martin or Warren Beatty.

* The Guitar Hero folks aren't having much luck with two of the stars they're featuring in their commercials: Alex Rodriguez and Michael Phelps.

* Inspirational Guru Tony Robbins is going to star in a new show for NBC where he helps people with their lives and their problems.

* Wal-Mart laid off upwards of 1,000 employees at their Arkansas home office this week.

* Salma Hayek, while in Africa, decided to breast-feed an African child that was hungry. The story is even up on YouTube.

* Michelle Obama appears on the March cover of "Vogue" magazine.

* Mattel has introduced the Chancellor Angela Merkel Barbie... in honor of Germany's first woman chancellor.

* The folks at Kentucky Fried Chicken have locked up their recipe of 7 herbs and spices in a new vault at headquarters.

* So, here's how the feud got going. When Hillary Duff was cast in the remake of the movie, "Bonnie and Clyde," original 'Bonnie' Faye Dunaway snipped, "Why couldn't they hire a real actress?" To which Hillary replied, "I might be mad if I looked like that, too." Standing by for the next round.

* Cheryl Burke of "Dancing with the Stars" is offering a brand-new fitness program out, called 'Disco Abs!"

K-FLAG SPORTS

Saying his throwing shoulder just isn't what it used to be, Brett Favre is retiring after 18 NFL seasons, including one final year with the New York Jets. Favre says this retirement is for good and he leaves pro football with a slew of records, including career touchdown passes, completions, yards passing, regular-season victories and interceptions. New York Jets owner Woody Johnson is labeling Brett Favre a "Hall of Fame player" and a "Hall of Fame person".

In his first home game since being named an All-Star, Mo Williams scored a career-high 44 points and LeBron James added 26 as the Cleveland Cavaliers reached the break by winning their 40th game, 109-92 over Phoenix. Amare Stoudemire scored 27 and Grant Hill 14 for Phoenix, which will host this weekend's All-Star activities

Last Night NBA Scores
Denver 82, Orlando 73
Cleveland 109, Phoenix 92
Toronto 91, San Antonio 89
Philadelphia 91, Memphis 87
Charlotte 101, Washington 89
Atlanta 99, Detroit 95
Milwaukee 122, Indiana 110
Boston 89, New Orleans 77
Houston 94, Sacramento 82
Utah 113, L.A. Lakers 109
Portland 106, Oklahoma City 92
L.A. Clippers 128, New York 124, OT

Tonights NBA Schedule
Miami at Chicago,
Boston at Dallas,
Portland at Golden State,

TOP-25 Men's College Basketball
Last night Scores...
( 1) Connecticut 63 (23) Syracuse 49
( 2) Oklahoma 78 Baylor 63
( 3) North Carolina 101 ( 6) Duke 87
N.C. State 82 ( 7) Wake Forest 76
( 8) Memphis 63 Tulsa 37
Dayton 71 (14) Xavier 58
(20) Purdue 61 Penn St. 47

TOP-25 Women's College Basketball
Last Nights Scores
( 1) Connecticut 77 St. John's 64
( 2) Oklahoma 58 (16) Iowa St. 49
( 7) Baylor 64 Oklahoma St. 62, OT
(10) Louisville 71 (22) Notre Dame 66
Texas Tech 60 (12) Texas A&M 53
(13) Texas 74 Kansas 66
(21) Xavier 82 George Washington 62
(25) DePaul 80 Seton Hall 39

Ilya Bryzgalov stopped 33 shots for his eighth career shutout and the Phoenix Coyotes ended a six-game losing streak with a 1-0 victory over Dallas. Phoenix returns home this evening taking on the Vancouver Canucks.

Last night scores from the Ice.....
Chicago 3, Atlanta 1
New Jersey 4, N.Y. Islanders 2
N.Y. Rangers 5, Washington 4, SO
Ottawa 3, Buffalo 1
Pittsburgh 2, San Jose 1, SO
Minnesota 3, Colorado 2
Anaheim 3, Calgary 2, OT
Edmonton 7, Montreal 2

Tonight's Games.....
Florida at Carolina,
Ottawa at Philadelphia,
Minnesota at Detroit,
Toronto at Tampa Bay,
St. Louis at Nashville,
Vancouver at Phoenix,
Calgary at Los Angeles,

According to various media reports, former Arizona Diamondbacks slugger Adam Dunn is taking his big bat to Washington after agreeing to a two-year, $20-million deal with the last-place Nationals. According to reports on both the Nationals Web site and Washington Post.com, the deal will officially be announced Thursday at Nationals Park.

An ex-girlfriend of Roberto Alomar has filed an explosive lawsuit. She alleged the former Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman insisted on having unprotected sex with her for four years despite having AIDS. The lawsuit contains accusations that could not be corroborated but portray Alomar as someone who demanded sex without a condom despite showing obvious signs of HIV.

Olympic champion Michael Phelps has apologized to Chinese fans for what he called his regrettable behavior after he was photographed with a marijuana pipe. Chinese media quoted the eight-time gold-medal swimmer saying he had made amends to his Chinese fans via the Internet and Phelps says he vows to change his attitude.

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Win a great gift for your sweetie this Friday on the Morning Jolt!


This Friday during the 7am hour you can win....... 1. Hot Air Balloon Gift basket (value $55.00) The basket comes with candy and assorted goodies OR 2. A Singing Balloon Bouquet (value $25.00) This balloon has micro chip that will play a verse of a song at least 50-60 times 1 singing balloon 3 mylar balloons 6 latex balloons From Nothing But Air! Log on to www.nothingbutairballoons.com and call 800-935-9055 to order the perfect gift for your Valentine!!!

-Also Mention KFLG and receive free delivery in Bullhead,
Fort Mojave or Laughlin

SENDING FLOWERS?


If you plan to send -- or get -- flowers for Valentine's Day, here's what they mean:

  • Violets: "I return your love."
  • Gladiolus: "You pierce my heart."
  • Gardenia: "I love you deeply, but in secret."
  • Apple blossom: "You are my favorite."
  • Bachelor's button: "Single blessedness."
  • Red carnation: "I love you."
  • Daffodil: "Best regards."
  • Goldenrod: "Protect me with your love."
  • Lily of the Valley: "My happiness is returned."
  • Petunia: "Never despair of me."
  • Buttercup: "You are rich in all attractions."
  • Wisteria: "I cling to you."
  • Zinnia: "My thoughts to you absent friend."
  • Jasmine: "Sensuality".
  • Daisy: "I will think about it."
  • Yellow tulip: "Hopeless love."
  • Salvia: "I think of you always."
  • White lily: "purity and modesty."

50 Ways to Keep Your Love Honeymoon Fresh Forever


  • Plan and serve foods and beverages your lover likes. There are several ways to a man's heart, the stomach is one of them. The same holds true for women, and savvy guys and gals will take advantage by taking the time to prepare those favorite snacks, meals and refreshments as a token of their love.
  • Don't be stingy with sex. And try to select love locations that your partner likes or finds adventurous and exciting. You don't always have to "go to bed."
  • Talk with your lover, and prepare yourself in advance for conversation that lasts awhile. If you have trouble starting a conversation, rely on topics that everyone is interested in and knows a little something about: Food, fond memories and friendly gossip come to mind.
  • Compliment your lover honestly, lavishly and often, both when you are alone and with other people. Whenever your lover does something that you appreciate, say so. Make sure you find something to praise every day, even if it's just "Thanks for putting the cap back on the toothpaste, dear," or "My don't you look good in that sweater."
  • Touch your lover's "oohhh baby" spots -- even when you're in public. Be discreet, but send a strong signal that you can't keep your mind -- or hands -- off your sweetie. Don't think you have to be a centerfold to use this strategy -- you don't.
  • Give your lover a stress-busting massage every day. With practice you can go head to toe in five minutes, bonding all the way.
  • Have you written any love letters lately? If so, keep it up. If not start now -- and don't stop.
  • Say, "I love you," at least twice a day and even more when you can squeeze the words in. Everyone needs to feel loved and needed. Enough said.
  • Regularly set aside time to romance your lover for hours on end. Not to guys: If you're a "two-minute man" and don't know how to maintain for hours, there are plenty of excellent how-to books and manuals. This doesn't include regular morning or late-afternoon walks together, which are highly recommended for your health and for bonding as a couple.
  • Make your lover laugh every day. Practical jokes dished out in the spirit of fun can work wonders for a relationship. Or you can get up a few minutes early and find the best comic strip in the newspaper you can share.

With Valentine's Day coming up,


It seems like all you hear about is what women want from men on the "hearty" day. But what about what men want? I found this article from Yahoo Personals that might be of help called, "7 Things Men Really Find Romantic:"

  1. Dress Up for Him - Consider dressing for his tastes and not just yours once in a while, take him shopping and have him choose outfits he would like to see you in. Remember, you're doing this for him, not for you.
  2. Initiate Physical Affection - Whether you're playing footsie under the table or placing a hand on our shoulders while scooting behind our chairs, men find the touch of the woman they love unbelievably reassuring. In our treasured nonverbal language, it translates as: "I accept you... I love you... We're a team."
  3. Give Him a Night Out with the Boys -- No Strings Attached It may seem odd to you that a romantic gesture might not involve you at all. But dogs run with dogs, wolves run with wolves, and every so often, guys just have to break away and run with the guys (drooling and howling optional).
  4. Tell Him What a Big, Strong Guy He Is - We men are famously incompetent at expressing ourselves verbally... but that doesn't mean we don't appreciate hearing a little praise now and then. In particular, we draw a lot of our identity from our maleness. Nurturing our big-ape fantasies -- me Tarzan, you Jane -- lets us know you value us as males, which is somehow important to the continued production of testosterone.
  5. Score Him a Pair of Tickets to the Big Game - Which would you rather receive from your mate: a weekend at a spa or a new set of cookware? The spa is by far the more romantic gift, if only because he doesn't stand to gain anything from it. Gifts that don't benefit the giver are somehow purer because they demonstrate you care only about making your partner happy. So when you're thinking about gifts, try not to think about what you'd like to get him, but what he'd like to receive.
  6. Show Interest in His Outside Life - We live in a fast-paced world, and we all know it's easy enough to get wrapped up in our own routines. But finding ways to let a man know you care about all aspects of his life, not just the parts he shares with you, is a great way to show you love the whole man.
  7. Tell Him a Secret - Men want to be soul mates, too. Telling him a secret -- symbolically letting him deeper inside you -- demonstrates total trust in him and faith in your relationship. Because you're making yourself vulnerable, it's an incredible bonding experience.

5 Foods for Healthier Skin


  1. Fish: Fatty fish like salmon, tilapia, and cod are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. And that's a good thing, because our bodies cannot produce those essential lipids naturally. By adding omega-3s to your diet, though, you can bolster your skin barrier - that is, the layer of lipids that holds onto moisture and keeps irritants out.
  2. Green Tea: It's inexpensive, easy to add to your routine, and one of the best-researched and most powerful antioxidants around. That's why green tea is my go-to antioxidant: I drink at least three cups a day to fight aging and inflammation. Some studies even suggest that the antioxidants in green tea reduce one's risk of skin cancer. So put down that soda and start drinking your way to healthier skin!
  3. Broccoli: Rich in vitamins A, C, and K (among many other nutrients), this veggie does more than its fair share of nutritional work. Vitamin A decreases oil production, vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant, and vitamin K can help prevent bruises. So whatever ails you, this green wonderfood might be just what the doctor ordered.
  4. Safflower or Sunflower Oil: Omega-3s get a lot more talk, but omega-6 fatty acids - like the linoleic acid in these two oils - are also important for healthy skin. Like omega-3s, they help prevent dry skin and inflammation; they're also essential for the formation of prostaglandins, hormones that keep all the cells of the body functioning well.
  5. Almonds: When it comes to boosting skin's defenses against aging, inflammation, and even skin cancer, antioxidants are so important that I'm going to add another to my list: A handful of almonds every day boosts your levels of vitamin E, one of the most important antioxidants for skin health. Studies also suggest that consuming vitamin E orally can increase the levels of this moisturizing vitamin on your skin's surface - great news for anyone prone to dry skin.

Sorry Guys! But, A busted economy has deflated the demand for breast implants,

Fewer and fewer women are willing to shell out from $4,000 to $10,000 for bigger boobs as they watch their paychecks cover less and less. Dr. Sydney Coleman, a cosmetic surgeon from New York City, reports his business plummeted 18% at the peak of the financial crisis. "Women are definitely thinking twice about getting their breasts enlarged," says Coleman. "If the procedure is purely aesthetic, then the number has definitely declined. And women are complaining about the cost, and they don't usually complain." (National Examiner)

When it comes to losing weight, money talks.


And according to a new study, it's the immediacy of the reward, not the amount offered, that matters. "Behavior change efforts are often futile because they might help you sometime in the future, but the average person has trouble making that future reward relevant today," says Kevin G. Volpp, director for health incentives at the University of Pennsylvanian's Warton School. "Cash reward programs offer a chance to change behavior and get a reward right now." Participants were split into three groups. In the lottery groups, dieters got a lottery number and had a 1 in 5 chance of winning $3 and a 1 in 100 chance of scooping $100. The deposit contract groups had to pony up their own money, and give the researcher the amount they chose from 1 cent to $3 and if they met their monthly goal they got their money back and had it matched. The control groups got paid $20 simply to show up for a weigh-in. The weigh-in groups lost an average of 3.9 pounds, the lottery groups lost 13 pounds on average and the cash incentive groups topped the bunch with a 14 pound loss.

Keep listening to Kflag Country for your chance to lose weight and win $500 and tons of prizes from Herbalife and the Tri States # 1 Country Station coming soon on the Morning Jolt with Kirt and Jessi

K-Flag Country Music Update


Toby Keith proved that he is the "Biggest & Baddest" on his headlining tour, confronting an out-of-control fan at his show in Pikeville, Kentucky on Saturday (February 7th). The concertgoer had taunted Keith throughout the evening, giving him the finger repeatedly and finally throwing a beer at the stage while Keith was singing, according to reports.

A visibly angry Keith jumped off the stage and confronted the guy, calling him a "punk ass mother f***er." The man was then quickly escorted from the concert by security.

Keith got back on stage and explained the situation to the crowd, saying, "He came right down front, took a beer and threw it right on the stage, flipped me the bird ... and went out cussing me the whole way. I'm sorry to act like that. I've never acted like that before."

Keith then went into a performance of "A Little Less Talk And A Lot More Action." The show continued on without incident.






Dierks Bentley's latest single, "Feel That Fire," tops the country charts this week. The song is the debut release from Bentley's album of the same name.
  • Bentley tells us that he decided to mix things up a little with the songs on this album: "The funny thing is, usually an album's kind of like a snapshot in time of who I am at that moment, you know, like Modern Day Drifter, in the kind of road vibe of that, or Long Trip Alone, which had more heady stuff on it. This one is kind of a . . . Each song has its own little story, and I kind of did some things here that I've never done before.
  • Feel That Fire is Bentley's fourth studio album. It was released on February 3rd.
  • Bentley is performing a string of dates in Canada beginning on Thursday (February 12th) as part of Brad Paisley's Paisley Party tour.





Montgomery Gentry's Eddie Montgomery has made swinging his microphone stand his trademark move during the duo's live shows. Sometimes that stand swings a little too close to his partner during the show, hitting him more times than not, as Troy Gentry tells us: "I've got dings in guitars. I've gone home with bruises, unexplainable bruises until I got thinking back where they may have come from. Everything's spontaneous on stage with Eddie and I. I've gone home with dings in the guitar and bruises on my legs and in the arms.
  • The duo will be hitting the road with Kenny Chesney this summer playing his stadium dates, along with Sugarland, Lady Antebellum, and Miranda Lambert.
  • Montgomery Gentry's first date on the Sun City Carnival tour is May 30th in Louisville, Kentucky at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.




Carrie Underwood has scheduled some well-deserved down time for herself this year. The singer spent much of last year on the road, but 2009 promises to move at a slower pace for the singer, as she explains: "This year I'm off the road. We did a lot of tour dates last year, which was so great, but I need a little time hanging out at home, sleeping in my own bed, so I'm doing a lot of writing right now and just seeing what we can get together, what's gonna happen."
  • Underwood will be among the more than 20 former American Idol contestants taking part in the opening of the new American Idol Experience attraction at Disney World's Hollywood Studio in Orlando, Florida on Thursday (February 12th).
  • Underwood and David Cook are scheduled to perform an invitation-only concert. Other Idol alums expected to attend include Jordin Sparks, David Archuleta, Taylor Hicks and Bo Bice.
  • The American Idol Experience at Disney officially opens on Saturday (February 14th).




Reba McEntire will participate in the February 25th taping of The Price Is Right in Los Angeles. The singer's visit to the game show is to promote her hosting gig on the upcoming Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, according to reports.
  • The ACM Awards will air live from Las Vegas on CBS on April 5th. This will be McEntire's 11th time hosting the show.

SIDE NOTES

  • McEntire is working with First Book, a charity that provides new books to children in need. Her involvement with the charity is detailed in the February 23rd issue of Country Weekly magazine, which is on newsstands now.


The video for Keith Urban's Top Five hit, "Sweet Thing," is now the very first official music video to be made available for personal fan customization. Fans can log onto sweetthing.tv to create their own "Sweet Thing" music video and forward it to the intended recipient. The interactive video can be customized in 12 different ways.

FAST FACTS

  • Urban's new album, Defying Gravity, will be released on March 31st.
  • His Escape Together World tour will kick off in May.



Craig Morgan will host the Craig Morgan Charity Ride again this year on March 31st in his hometown of Dickson, Tennessee. The event will benefit several local charities. In addition to a motocross and four-wheeler ride, the event will include an acoustic concert and a silent auction. The Ride will include professional motocross riders Kevin Windham, Destrey Abbott, Fred Andrews, and Barry Hawk, in addition to Morgan and fellow singer Bucky Covington.
  • Morgan said, "I grew up around Dickson, and live there now. It's a great place to raise a family, but not all children are as fortunate as we'd like them to be, so this event is a fun way to get people together to raise money and awareness to help kids who really need it."
  • VIP ticket packages are available for $200 and include two tickets to the ride and concert, plus a meet and greet with Morgan. Tickets for the ride are $35 and include an on-site barbeque lunch. Concert tickets are $35. All tickets may be purch