KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE
 Luke Bryan is going to have a big responsibility when it comes to co-hosting next week's ACM Awards with Blake Shelton. The last few times Blake has hosted, he's had Reba to keep him in line. Now it looks like that will be up to Luke.
He tells us: "Yeah,
I think I'll have to assume that role, too. I think no matter who's
with Blake . . . Like, maybe I need to Miranda and like learn if there's
a slap or a punch or a look. I'm sure she knows that look or that
mechanism to shut him down."
The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 7th on CBS.
This will be Luke's first time to host anything on live national TV.
He will also perform during the broadcast, where he is also nominated for Entertainer, Male Vocalist, Album of the Year for Tailgates & Tanlines and Vocal Event for "The Only Way I Know" with Jason Aldean and Eric Church.
 The Band Perry will preview new music from their upcoming album, Pioneer,
for family, friends and fans in their hometown of Greeneville,
Tennessee on Saturday (March 30th). The free concert and signing --
which raises awareness for "Outnumber Hunger" -- will take place on the
city's North Main Street.
Immediately following the special performance, The Band Perry will sign autographs and meet with their fans.
The sibling trio performed the same kind of concert when they released their self-titled debut CD in 2010. Neil Perry tells us: "We
did that for the first album and it went over so well. It was exciting
to bring the music back to our hometown and kind of give back. (Kimberly) It
is. I mean, we live in this little tiny dot on the map called
Greeneville and so many times when we go home, which feels more like we
go home for vacation because six days out of seven, if you will, we are
living on our tour bus on the go, but they're just so proud to have this
music and this band be from our small town, so it truly is a
celebratory day, with the premiere, and we're so excited to do it. (Reid) We're
actually shutting down Main Street and we're gonna set up a stage on
one end of our downtown, and there's a big hill that leads through Main
Street, and so we're gonna have people all up on the hill and we're
gonna be playing at the bottom, so it'll be a good time. (Kimberly) There may be a marching band involved. (Reid) There may be. (Neil) Potentially."Pioneer will be in stores on April 2nd. The lead single "Better Dig Two," already topped the country charts for two weeks.
Their new single is called "Done."
FAST FACTS
- Outnumber
Hunger is an initiative from General Mills, Big Machine Label Group and
Feeding America, which helps fight hunger in local communities by
helping Feeding America secure meals for its network of local food
banks.
- The Band Perry is nominated for Vocal Group of the Year at the ACM Awards and will perform on the CBS-televised show on April 7th in Las Vegas.
 Brad Paisley will join the anchors of ABC's Good Morning America as a special guest on Monday (April 1st). The appearance is to promote the April 9th release of his new studio album, Wheelhouse, along with the Building A Wheelhouse Interactive Book.
Fans can get started on the Wheelhouse Scavenger
Hunt at wheelhouse.bradpaisley.com. Each day during the contest, Brad
will post clues to the location of a hidden icon, photo or video to be
found by contest entrants via Facebook or Twitter. The first eligible
entrant each day who locates the hidden item, returns to the promotion
site and follows the prompts will win a prize. All contest participants
are eligible to compete for the Wheelhouse Scavenger Hunt Grand
Prize - a flyaway for the winner and a guest to a Brad Paisley concert.
The experience includes a meet and greet with Brad and ground and hotel
accommodations.
Brad will launch his Beat This Summer tour in May with special guests Chris Young and Lee Brice.
He's still got several weeks before hitting the road, but at this
point, Brad tells us he's unsure about the bells and whistles that this
new production will include. ["I wish I knew what would blow people's
minds on this tour, this time, but I don't really know yet enough about
what we're going to do. I do think it'll look great, and it's got a
really sort of a . . . it's got a really cool look, this stage that
we've designed. But we're still workin' on all the tricks, so it's not
like I can give anything away yet 'cause I just don't know."] SOUNDCUE (:24 OC: . . . just don't know.)
Brad
will be in Las Vegas to host and perform at the ACM Fan Jam, taking
place before, during and after the live broadcast of the ACM Awards on Sunday, April 7th in Las Vegas. The show will air on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
FAST FACTS
- Brad is among the acts confirmed to perform at LP Field during this year's CMA Music Festival in Nashville.
 Kenny Chesney's upcoming album, Life On A Rock, features a few of his friends. The superstar tapped Willie Nelson and The Wailers Band to collaborate on the project, which will be in stores on April 30th.
Kenny
said, "The spirit of this record is so much about friendship. A lot of
these songs were inspired by the people I've met, the lives we've shared
and the way they inspired me. It felt kind of odd to not have some of
the musical people who've inspired me be a part of this record . . . "
Kenny wrote eight of the 10 songs on Life On A Rock.
The album's debut single, "Pirate Flag," currently sits inside the Top 10 on the country charts.
FAST FACTS
- Kenny previously recorded a song with Willie for an earlier album, in addition to co-producing the legend's Moment of Forever album along with Buddy Cannon.
- Kenny previously performed with The Wailers on the CMA Awards, but this was his first time to record with them.
 Grand Ole Opry star Charlie Daniels
is recovering after having a pacemaker implanted yesterday (Thursday,
March 28th) at a Nashville area hospital. Charlie was at his doctor's
office on Monday (March 25th)where he was diagnosed with a mild case of
pneumonia and admitted to the hospital for a series of routine tests.
The tests revealed that a pacemaker was needed to regulate his heart
rate.
Doctors plan to release Charlie from the hospital today
(Friday, March 29th). He will spend the next two weeks recuperating at
home. Charlie's scheduled performance at MTSU's Murphy Center in
Murfreesboro, Tennessee as part of the World Outreach Church Easter
service has been cancelled. Two upcoming concert dates in Englewood, New Jersey (April 5), and Newark, Ohio (April 6) will be rescheduled.
Charlie is expected to resume his tour schedule with an appearance in Lynchburg, Virginia on April 11th.
FAST FACTS
- Charlie recently celebrated his fifth anniversary as an Opry member.
Luke Bryan has launched an interactive online music video for his song "Just A Sip," from his latest project, Spring Break . . . Here To Party.
Fans have the ability to replace frames of the video with images of
themselves replicating his movements. Nearly 1300 frames have been
swapped with fan images, representing over 30% of the final video. The
interactive video, available at justasipvideo.com, allows Luke to
engage and collaborate with his fans to create original online content
through crowdsourcing. To join the video, fans visit the website and are
directed through three easy steps to have their images included. First,
they pick a frame of the video they want to replicate, followed by
copying the pose using their webcam. Once they are happy with their
photo, they can hit submit to have their image added. The video is
continually updated with new submissions every 20 minutes. Luke
said, "The best part about my job is getting to interact with my fans
and this interactive video is just another fun way to do that. I hope
everyone enjoys making it as much as I did!"
Fans can now cast their vote for Luke to be this year's ACM Awards Entertainer of the Year by visiting VoteACM.com. Luke is also nominated for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for T ailgates & Tanlines, and Vocal Event of the Year for "The Only Way I Know" with Jason Aldean and Eric Church. He will co-host the Awards telecast for the first time on CBS on Sunday, April 7th at 8 p.m. ET.
FAST FACTS
- Luke's Spring Break . . . Here To Party CD was released earlier this month and debuted at Number One on both the Billboard pop and country albums charts.
COUNTRY TRIVIA
Q. What superstar worked at Glen Campbell's publishing company after first moving to Nashville?
A. Alan Jackson
Friday, March 29th
ON THE TUBE
TOP 20 COUNTRY COUNTDOWN/GAC 8:00PM, 10:00PM (ET)
The Band Perry
CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS
- Brady Seals (former member of Little Texas) (44)
- Jennifer Capriati (tennis player) (37)
- Vangelis (musician, "Chariots of Fire") (70)
- Walt "Clyde" Frazier (Naismith Memorial Hall Of Fame basketball player) (68)
- Eric Idle (British comedian, Monty Python's Flying Circus, mastermind of the Broadway musical Spamalot) (70)
- Lucy Lawless (actress, Xena: Warrior Princess) (45)
- Elle MacPherson (supermodel) (49, disputed)
- Brendan Gleeson (actor, Braveheart,
Gangs of New York, Cold Mountain, Troy, Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, In Bruges) (58)
- John Popper (singer of Blues Traveler) (46)
- Amy Sedaris (wacky actress of Strangers With Candy) (52)
- Perry Farrell (singer of Jane's Addiction) (54)
- Marina Sirtis (actress, Star Trek: The Next Generation's Deanna Troi) (58)
- Christopher Lambert (actor, Greystoke: The Legend Of Tarzan, Lord Of The Apes, the Highlander movies) (56)
- John McLaughlin (host of TV's The McLaughlin Group) (86)
- Bobby Kimball (singer, Toto) (66)
- Terry Jacks (singer, "Seasons In The Sun") (69)
INDUSTRY NEWS
 DEMI LOVATO CONFIRMED FOR ANOTHER SEASON OF 'X FACTOR': Fox has confirmed that Demi Lovato will be back for the next season of X Factor. Demi released a statement saying, "I am so excited to return as a judge and mentor on THE X FACTOR.
Last season was an unbelievable experience and I really enjoyed
developing personal relationships with the contestants and the panel. I
look forward to taking my previous experience and applying it to make
this season even better!"
TAYLOR SWIFT APPEARING ON 'NEW GIRL': Taylor Swift will be guest starring on the season finale of New Girl on May 14th. According to The Hollywood Reporter, she will be playing an "important guest" at the wedding of Cece and Shivrang.
BARBARA WALTERS TO RETIRE IN 2014: Multiple news outlets are reporting that Barbara Walters is getting ready to announce her retirement. She will reportedly end her broadcasting career in May of 2014.
VANESSA LACHEY CAST IN FOX SITCOM: Vanessa Lachey has been cast in Seth MacFarlane's fox sitcom Dads. Vanessa is replacing the previously cast Erin Pineda as the wife of Tommy Dewey's character.
JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT TO LAUNCH VARIETY SHOW: Joseph Gordon-Levitt's production studio Hit RECord is being turned into a 30-minute variety show to air on a new cable network called pivot. Take a look:
CELEBRITY GOSSIP
BRUCE WILLIS WANTS TO BE A BOND VILLAIN: Bruce Willis revealed to UK's Daily Express
that he would love to go up against James Bond one day. The actor said,
"I always thought it would be more fun to play bad guys. I tried it a
couple of times but it really wasn't as much fun as I thought it would
be, so I'll stay good unless there's a James Bond villain offer. That
last movie really renewed my love for 007."
DID SETH MACFARLANE DUMP EMILIA CLARKE OVER HER BROADWAY SHOW?: The National Enquirer claims that Seth MacFarlane ended things with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke because she was getting naked on a nightly basis for Broadway's Breakfast at Tiffany's.
A source told the tabloid, "Everyone thinks Seth is this wild-and-crazy
playboy, but he's really conservative when it comes to the women he
wants to get serious about. He was getting ribbed by his friends about
Emilia's butt-naked scene, and even family members were calling to tell
him they couldn't wait to see his girlfriend in the flesh."
AMANDA BYNES IS THREATENING TO SUE: Amanda Bynes' typically light-hearted tweets took a serious turn when the former Nickelodeon star threatened to sue Us Weekly and Perez Hilton
for their stories about her. She wrote on Thursday (March 28th), "I'm
suing @usweekly & @perezhilton for continuing to act like I'm doing
something wrong by tweeting and walking to photoshoots. F--k you!!!!"
She later added, "Check my twitter for updates on my clothing and
perfume line plux pix!"
KRISTEN BELL GIVES BIRTH: Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard
have become parents to a baby girl. The couple tweeted the news on
Thursday (March 28th.) Dax wrote, "Lincoln Bell Shepard is here. She has
mom's beauty and dad's obsession with breasts. Hooray!" Kristen added,
"My new roommate poops her pants and doesn't pay rent . . . basically
Dax Shepard pre-sobriety. Welcome baby Lincoln."
ANNA CHLUMSKY IS PREGNANT: Anna Chlumsky, best known for her roles in My Girl and HBO's VEEP, is pregnant with her first child with husband Shaun So. She revealed to Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she will be having a baby girl.
DONALD TRUMP ADMITS THAT TWITTER CAUSES TROUBLE
 Real estate tycoon and Apprentice host Donald Trump stopped by the Late Show with David Letterman
on Wednesday (March 28th) to promote the new all-star edition of his
popular reality show but Letterman was more curious about Donald's life
on Twitter. The host asked Trump about whether his children ever get frustrated by his controversial tweets.
Donald joked that they never disagree with him since they want his money when he's gone but added, ["I
have very very supportive children but you're right...the Twitter
thing, the tweeting thing does get you in trouble. You know, you say
things and you think it's so cute and so smart and it comes back to
haunt you."] SOUNDCUE (:09 OC: . . .haunt you) Trump then admitted that he kind of enjoys it.
- Trump has made headlines for Twitter wars with Mark Cuban, Cher, Star Jones, Rosie O'Donnell, and rapper Mac Miller. He was also very vocal on the social media site during the most recent presidential election.
CHECK IT OUT:
SEASON OPENER: 'GAME OF THRONES'
 The highly anticipated third season of the hit HBO show, Game of Thrones, premieres Sunday night at 9 P.M. The show stars Lena Headey, Kit Harington, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Fairley and Sophie Turner.
The show follows sven families of noble blood who fight for control of
the mythical land of Westeros, where the king sits on the coveted iron
throne.
The second season ended with Daenerys Tagarion trying
to rescue her dragons and Robb Stark ignoresg his betrothal to a girl
from a family the Starks need as allies and marries Talisa.
Season
three kicks off with Jon being brought before the King Beyond the Wall;
Tyrion asking for his reward; Littlefinger offering Sansa a way out and
Daenerys sailing into Slaver's Bay.
MARIA SHRIVER HASN'T TAKEN DOWN HER CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
 It may be the end of March, but it's still Christmas time at the Shriver residence. According to TMZ, people in Maria Shriver's Brentwood neighborhood are in a tizzy over the fact that she still has lights on the trees outside of her home.
Sources
tell the website that her neighbors don't want to confront her because
they like her and don't want to hurt her feelings. They are supposedly
just hoping that word will get back to her somehow even though they
think the out-of-season display is a major eyesore.
CHECK IT OUT:
KIRSTEN DUNST THOUGHT KISSING BRAD PITT WAS GROSS
 Kirsten Dunst was only 11 years old when she was locking lips with Brad Pitt in Interview With The Vampire but she says the experience wasn't so thrilling. In a new interview with Bullet magazine, the actress recalls people's envy over her screen time with the man who would become People's sexiest man alive.
She told the magazine, "I remember Brad would watch lots of Real World
episodes. He had this long hair. He was just a hippie-ish cool dude.
Everyone at the time was like, 'You're so lucky you kissed Brad Pitt,'
but I thought it was disgusting. I didn't kiss anyone else until I was
16, I think."
CHECK IT OUT:
DEVIN VELEZ ELIMINATED FROM 'AMERICAN IDOL'
 Last night (March 28th) on the 450th episode of American Idol, the top eight became seven when 18-year-old Devin Velez was eliminated from the competition.
The show featured many performances including the top eight singing Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll." Season elevens Colton Dixon performed his song "Love Has Come For Me". One Republic featuring former Idol contestant Katherine McPhee also performed "If I Lose Myself" and judge Keith Urban took the stage and performed "Long Hot Summer".
All the ladies were safe including Kree Harrison, Candice Glover, Janelle Arthur, Angie Miller, and Amber Holcomb. But for the males they were all in the bottom three. Burnell Taylor was safe, leaving Devin Velez and Lazaro Arbos.
After nearly 26 million votes the person at risk of elimination was
Velez. Devin performed a beautiful rendition of "Somos Novios" for the
judges but they decided not to use the save and Velez was eliminated.
MOVIES OPENING TODAY
 Opening today (Friday March 29th) is the new fantasy film, written by Twilight author Stephanie Meyerb, The Host, starring Saoirse Ronan, William Hurt, Max Irons, Frances Fisher, Diane Kruger and Jake Abel.
The film follows Melanie, played by Ronan, who will do anything to
protect her loved ones from an enemy that threatens mankind by taking
over their bodies and erasing their memories.
- The Host is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 2 hours and 5 minutes.
 Opening today (Friday March 29th) is the new drama from Tyler Perry, Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor, starring Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Vanessa Williams, Brandy Norwood, Kim Kardashian and Robbie Jones.
The film follows Judith, an ambitious married woman whose obsessive
passion for another man leads to a choice that will change her life
forever.
- Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 1 hour and 51 minutes.
HEADLINE NEWS
NORTH KOREA ORDERS ROCKET PREPARATION AFTER U.S. B-2 BOMBER DRILL: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un
ordered a rocket preparation plan Friday (March 29th) after the U.S.
flew nuclear-capable B-2 bombers Thursday over South Korea in joint
military drills, saying his rocket forces are ready, quote, "to settle
accounts with the U.S." The latest threat comes after a series of recent
ratcheted-up actions and threats from the North, which are most likely
aimed at trying to coerce South Korea into softening its policies, win
direct talks and aid from the U.S., and strengthen Kim Jong Un's
credentials at home. North Korean state media said forces were ordered
on standby to strike the U.S. mainland, South Korea, Guam and Hawaii,
however they are believed to be empty threats, including the highly
improbable one against the U.S. But the threats do still raise tensions,
since its missiles can hit South Korea. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel
told reporters that the decision to send the B-2s to join the drills
was part of normal exercises and not intended to provoke the North.
MANY WEAPONS IN NEWTOWN KILLER'S HOME: Newly-released search warrants out yesterday (March 28th) related to the Newtown massacre show that the house where shooter Adam Lanza
lived with his mother was full of weapons and more than 1,600 rounds of
ammunition. Weapons found at the house included a seven-foot pole with a
blade on one side and a spear on another, a metal bayonet, three
samurai swords, a .323-caliber rifle, a .22-caliber rifle and a
.22-caliber starter pistol. Also found was a gun safe in Lanza's
bedroom, a military-style uniform, a news article on a 2008 shooting at
Northern Illinois University, and an NRA guide to pistol shooting. Also
revealed was that Lanza fired 154 shots in less than five minutes before
killing himself during the massacre, in which he murdered 20 children
and six educators. All the guns he had with him had been bought by his
mother, who Lanza killed ahead of the school attack.
OBAMA AGAIN URGES PASSAGE OF GUN REFORM LEGISLATION: Speaking at the White House with mothers of those who've died in gun violence standing behind him, President Obama
again yesterday (March 28th) implored Congress to pass gun reform
legislation. Obama specifically called for the passage of universal
background checks for gun buyers, and for loopholes to be closed for
straw buyers who purchase guns for criminals. The president said too
much time has passed since Newtown without action being taken, saying,
"Shame on us if we've forgotten." Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has said he will introduce a gun-reform bill next month, one that, significantly, doesn't include an assault weapons ban.
REPORTS: PROSECUTORS REJECTED AURORA SHOOTER'S PLEA OFFER: The Denver Post reported Thursday (March 28th) that prosecutors have rejected the plea offer from James Holmes,
who's accused of killing 12 people in an Aurora, Colorado, movie
theater last year, saying his defense team's offer of a guilty plea in
exchange for avoiding the death penalty wasn't legitimate. According to
the Post, prosecutors said in court documents, "There is not --
and has never been -- an actual or unqualified 'offer' to plead guilty.
The prosecution indicated that it could not consider such an offer
without specific additional information, which the defense refused to
provide." The prosecution also charged the plea offer, which was
internationally reported, was an attempt to prejudice the public,
witnesses and victims.
DENTAL CLINIC COULD HAVE EXPOSED THOUSANDS TO HIV, HEPATITIS:
Some 7,000 patients of a Tulsa, Oklahoma, dental clinic are being
advised by health officials to be screened for HIV and hepatitis B and
C, with inspectors alleging the clinic used dirty equipment, risking
cross-contamination among patients. An investigation of Dr. W. Scott
Harrington's offices was begun after a patient with no known risk
factors tested positive for both HIV and hepatitis C, and it was
determined the patient had a dental procedure done at about the likely
time of exposure.
TODAY'S FYI:
POPE FRANCIS WASHES FEET OF YOUNG INMATES: Pope Francis
is continuing to show his willingness to break from papal tradition,
last night (March 28th) not only going to a juvenile detention center in
Rome to carry out the Holy Thursday ritual of washing the feet of 12
people, but surprisingly including two young women among them, despite
Church rules usually restricting the ritual to men. Those selected also
reportedly included Muslim and Orthodox juvenile detainees. In the
homily during his Mass, Francis told the young people, "This is a
symbol, it is a sign -- washing your feet means I am at your service.
Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I
do it with my heart." Previous popes carried out the ritual in the St.
John Lateran basilica, and the people chosen were always priests to
represent the 12 apostles whose feet Jesus washed during the Last
Supper. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, the current pope, then Cardinal
Jorge Mario Bergoglio, would celebrate the ritual in jails, hospitals or
hospices, and would often involve women.
CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS A VICTIM OF CREDIT CARD FRAUD: A Supreme Court spokesperson said Thursday (May 28th) that Chief Justice John Roberts has been the victim of credit card fraud, but said Roberts had no public comment on the incident. The Washington Post first reported the story, saying the chief justice was heard talking about it in a Maryland Starbucks on Tuesday morning.
PAKISTANI GIRL SHOT BY TALIBAN IS WRITING MEMOIR: Malala Yousafzai,
the Pakistani teenager who was shot in the head by the Taliban for
advocating for girls to be able to go to school, is writing a memoir.
Called I Am Malala, the book will be published this fall.
Yousafzai said in a statement that she hoped telling her story would be,
quote, "part of the campaign to give every boy and girl the right to go
to school." Yousafzai was shot on October 9th while she was on her way
home from school, with the Taliban saying she was targeted because she
criticized the militant group and promoted, quote, "Western thinking."
She was taken to Britain for treatment, and was released from the
hospital last month. She's currently attending school in Britain.
CONSUMER GROUP SAYS 97 PERCENT OF RESTAURANT KIDS' MEALS ARE UNHEALTHY:
The Center for Science in the Public Interest consumer group contends
that even though some restaurants have taken steps to offer healthier
kids' meals, 97 percent of the meals for children from 41 top chain
restaurants are unhealthy. Amazingly, that's up from just one percent in
2008. The report said 50 percent of the meals had more than 600
calories, 78 percent offered soft drinks as a beverage option, and 73
percent offered fries as a side. To meet CSPI's standards, kids' meals
can't have more than 430 calories, including no more than 35 percent of
calories from fat, 35 percent added sugars, and 770 milligrams of
sodium.
POWERBALL WINNER REPORTEDLY OWES $29K IN CHILD SUPPORT:
The feel-good story of the New Jersey man who won Saturday's (March
23rd) $338 million Powerball jackpot has been tarnished a bit by reports
that he owes $29,000 in overdue child supports payments. The Passaic
County sheriff's office said Thursday (March 28th) that it's attempting
to notify 44-year-old Pedro Quezada, a married father of five children
ages 5 to 23, about the support payment issue, which dates back to 2009.
Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik said that generally the state's
lottery division would pay the money out of the Powerball winnings.
SPORTS:
NUMBER ONE-SEED INDIANA UPSET AS HALF OF ELITE EIGHT SET:
Half of the Elite Eight teams in the NCAA men's basketball tournament
are set after four games were played yesterday (March 28th), including
one that saw Number One seed Indiana upset by fourth-seeded Syracuse.
Yesterday's results:
- Syracuse topped Indiana 61-50
- In a smaller upset, Number 3 Marquette defeated second-seeded Miami 71-61.
- Number 9 Wichita State beat 13th-seeded LaSalle 72-58
- Number 2 Ohio State downed sixth-seeded Arizona 73-70.
(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)
ON THE TUBE
CBS
- 2013 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - Oregon vs. Louisville.
- 2013 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - Michigan State vs. Duke.
NBC
- FASHION STAR - The designers must create a garment for hot weather, a pool party or summer in the city.
- GRIMM - The investigation into a gruesome homicide has Nick and Hank battling a Wesen on the Internet.
- ROCK CENTER WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS - Attorney Cate Edwards discusses te Elizabeth Edwards Foundation.
FOX
- KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (repeat)
- TOUCH - As Martin tracks down a man Jake led him to, he discovers that he was Dr. Teller's first patient and is now on death row.
ABC
- HAPPY ENDINGS - The gang helps Brad prop up the gym after the owner tells him is may be closing.
- HAPPY ENDINGS - Max pretends to be straight to date a Bulls season ticket holder.
- SHARK TANK - A teenager seeks an investment in her natural skincare line of sugar scrubs.
- 20/20 - Investigative reporting.
CW
- NIKITA - Nikita wants to eliminate the president of Chad while he is in Paris.
- CULT - Skye has a serious reacion to the drug that was slipped into her drink.
DAY TIME TALK SHOW
THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - (repeat) THE VIEW - Earthquake, Kathleen Madigan, Retha Jones, Leroya Sanford, guest co-host Bone Hampton
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS
THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat) THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - (repeat) JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - (repeat) THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - (repeat) LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat) LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
SATURDAY
NBC
- SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (repeat)
SUNDAY
CBS
- THE AMAZING RACE - An African speed trap causes problems for teams.
- THE GOOD WIFE - When a Supreme Court ruling could result in a life sentence for Colin Sweeney, Will and Alicia rush to trial unprepared.
- THE MENTALIST (repeat)
NBC
- THE VOICE (repeat)
- THE VOICE (repeat)
- ALL-STAR CELEBRITY APPRENTICE - The celebrities must create origina, three dimensional artwork; a contestant makes big promises but fails to deliver.
FOX
- THE SIMPSONS (repeat)
- BOB'S BURGERS (repeat)
- FAMILY GUY (repeat)
- AMERICAN DAD (repeat)
ABC
- ONCE UPON A TIME (repeat)
- REVENGE - Emily decides to bring Victoria's skeletons out of the closet during the Graysons' masquerade ball.
- RED WIDOW - Marta fears the worst when Natalie goes missing, and turns to Schiller for help.
AMC
- THE WALKING DEAD - Rick and the others consider the defense of the prison as the Governor's impending attack looms.
BRAVO
- THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA - (season finale) Kenya throws a party and everyone must attend wearing assigned costumes.
E!
- KOURTNEY AND KIM TAKE MIAMI - Kim hires a private detective to follow Scott; Kourtney considers being a surrogate for Khloe.
HBO
- GAME OF THRONES - (season
premiere) Jon is brought before the King Beyond the Wall; Littlefinger
offers Sansa a way out; Daenerys sails into Slaver's Bay.
SHOWTIME
- SHAMELESS - TBA
- HOUSE OF LIES - TBA
- CALIFORNICATION - Hank and Faith work together to track down Atticus.
E!
- MOB WIVES - Karen throws a pre-nup party to educate the ladies about protecting their assets.
OFF BEAT BRIEFS
SQUIRRELS GET IN ON EASTER-EGG HUNT: An Easter egg hunt
organizer in Richfield, Minnesota said the 1,500-egg hunt was crashed by
squirrels that actually stole some of the plastic eggs from the park.
Nick Thompson said, "We tried to cover all our bases but we weren't
ready for the squirrels. We noticed them... taking our eggs away."
Another organizer said she saw one squirrel get away up a tree with an
egg in its mouth. Ann Hoffer explained, "I think they just saw brightly
colored objects and thought they'd go for it. They smelled the candy
inside." According to workers, the squirrels didn't take any plastic
eggs that had toys inside them. (UPI)
SCHOOL DISTRICT BANS... DODGEBALL?
The Windham School board in New Hampshire has voted 4-1 to ban
dodgeball from gym classes after parents complained about bullying
during the games. Following the complaints, the district formed a
special committee to investigate the issue and determine whether or not
the games should be eliminated. The only school board member who voted
against the ban, Dennis Senibaldi, said, "It's almost turning into a
nanny state. What happens when they replace that game with something
different that another group doesn't want to play, do we eliminate that
group of games?" The district superintendent said the aim of the ban is
to teach students to respect one another and that human target games
"create conditions inconsistent with that message." (Yahoo!)
COUPLE GETS MARRIED AT UNCLE'S FUNERAL:
An engaged couple in Philadelphia that wanted to honor the groom's
deceased uncle had a surprise wedding at the church during the uncle's
funeral. Reggie Wade's uncle, Gregory "Chops" Scott, was shot and killed
in February but before he died, he told his nephew's fiance Monique
that he would walk her down the aisle because her father had passed away
years ago. The uncle's widow explained, "We keep our promises, and he
promised to give her away. And he was dressed for the occasion." Around
2,000 mourners showed up at the funeral for Scott, who had been a
community leader and drill master of the Gold Coast Buccaneers team.
During the service, Reverend Caleb Johnson said, "If you came to this
looking for a funeral as usual, you're in the wrong place. This is going
to be one for the books." He proceeded to marry the couple, who wore
matching t-shirts with a picture of Scott on the front. (Philly.com)
MAN'S WANDERING CAT INSPIRES GPS INVENTION:
A 41-year-old man in England who has a cat that likes to wander has
invented a GPS device specifically for pets. Dave Evans said that his
cat Yollo started to put on weight and that he needed to find a way to
find out where it was going and how that was affecting the feline's
weight. He ended up attaching an ultra light GPS system to Yollo's
collar to find out. He explained, "My cat was getting fat even though I
was feeding him less and I needed to know what was going on. Now I know
he travels a couple of miles a day, where he goes at night and who's
feeding him. I know he also enjoys chasing chickens at 6 a.m. every
morning and can see his favorite hang-outs." The idea has led to the
invention of the G-Paws unit, which goes for $75 per device. Evans is
also creating a social network for people who use the gadget to "enable
users to see where their pets have been as well as share photos, videos
and other information." (msnNOW)
CAMERA LOST IN HAWAII WASHES UP IN TAIWAN:
A woman who lost her camera while on vacation in Hawaii six years ago
said that someone found it washed up on a beach in Taiwan. Lindsay
Scallan lost the camera during a nighttime scuba dive and completely
forgot about it until someone sent her a Facebook message last weekend.
She said, "I get this random message on Facebook from a guy I went to
high school with, saying his wife found an article and he thought it was
about me and my camera. An employee of China Airlines found my camera,
found the pictures still on the memory card and got in touch with
Hawaiian officials to see if they could help find who the owner was, the
mystery blond woman as they called it." Now Scallan is headed to east
to get her camera back. She said, "China Airlines has offered to pay for
me to go out there and my room, board and my food and everything. An
all expenses paid trip to come out there and get my camera back and meet
the guy that found it. It's been a wild ride." (UPI)
16 LEAST APPROPRIATE TIMES TO CORRECT SOMEONE'S GRAMMAR: http://bit.ly/ZrKCs8 (BuzzFeed)
MAN ACCUSED OF USING FAKE PENIS FOR DRUG TEST:
A Missouri man allegedly used a prosthetic penis in an attempt to fool
his probation officer and pass a drug test. 34-year-old Sydney Levin was
in the middle of submitting his test last week when an officer saw him
using a Whizzenator -- a gadget that uses someone else's urine to pass a
drug test. Levin was arrested and charged with possessing a forging
instrument. After posting $25,000 bond he pleaded not guilty on Monday
(March 25th). (AP)
SECURITY CAMERA FOOTAGE OF BURGLAR TRIPPING:
Police in Redding, California released security video of a man who
attempted to break into a store but tripped after he triggered the
alarm. The footage shows a large man. who police believe to be about
5'11" and around 350 pounds. throwing a rock at the window of a store
and running away when the alarm goes off. As he flees, the man trips and
falls. (Mirror.Co.Uk)
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
WOMEN ON THE PILL PREFER LESS MASCULINE-LOOKING MEN: New
research finds that women who take birth control pills like less-manly
looking men. For the study, straight women aged 18 to 24 who take birth
control pills were asked to rate photos of male and female faces. The
faces were manipulated to look more or less masculine. Scientists then
directed participants to alter the male faces so they were most
attractive for either a short or long-term relationship, and to alter
the female faces to be most attractive. A control group of women also
did the exercise who did not take birth control. Researchers found that
women on the pill preferred less masculine male faces, while being on
the pill had no affect as to how participants viewed female faces. The
study was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology. (Fox News)
STUDY: MOMS ARE ASKED NEARLY 300 QUESTIONS PER DAY:
A survey from British online retailer Littlewoods.com finds that
mothers are asked almost 300 questions each day-- that's about 105,120
questions per year. Littlewoods.com conducted the survey of one-thousand
mothers with children between the ages of two and ten. The survey found
that four-year-old girls are the most curious, asking about
390-questions per day, and that meal-times are the most popular time for
all children to ask questions, with young kids asking an average of
11-questions per meal. Nine out of ten moms admitted to secretly
Googling the answers to certain questions. The five toughest questions
moms said they get asked are: Why is water wet? Where does the sky end?
What are shawdows made of? Why is the sky blue? And how do fish breathe
under water? (Telegraph)
THE MOST AWKWARD EASTER PHOTOS EVER: http://tinyurl.com/brxtbjm
THE MOST POPULAR JELLY BEAN COLOR AT EASTER:
The National Retail Federation estimates that consumers will spend an
average of 20-dollars-and-66-cents on surgary treats for Easter this
year. The third most popular Easter-time candy is the classic jelly
bean, and it turns out most people prefer the cherry and strawberry
flavored beans. Spectra Colors Corps, a company in New Jersey that
supplies manufacturers with colorants for a variety of products,
including food, says red is their most popular color. One expert
explains that people actually start to taste when they see something,
and that the color of food and drinks is just another marketing tool
companies use. (Forbes)
YOUNG PEOPLE THINK THEY'LL BE FINANCIALLY INDEPENDENT BY AGE 25:
A survey of young people finds that 29-percent of participants think
they will be age 25-or-older before they are financially independent
without their parents' help. Allsate and Junior Achievement USA
conducted the survey, and say that two years ago, only 16-percent of
participants said the same. Rob Callender, with youth research firm Tru,
attributes this effect to the high jobless rate among young people
which is 25.1-percent for teens aged 16 to 19 according to government
data. The survey also found that 90-percent of participants believe they
will be at least as financially well-off as their parents. Barbara Ray,
co-author of the book "Not Quite Adults: Why 20-Somethings Are Choosing
A Slower Path to Adulthood and Why It's Good for Everyone" says, " They
know the trends, they know they're part of a larger trend, but they
think it's going to be ok for them. It's kind of classic American
optimism but maybe a little unrealisitc." (CNBC)
THINK TWICE BEFORE GIVING BUNNIES OR DUCKS AS EASTER GIFTS:
Rabbits, chicks and ducklings may seem like the perfect gift to give
for Easter, but the ASPCA warns it's not usually a good idea. The ASPCA
says that pet rabbits are a full-time commitment and can live ten years
or longer. Additionally, the furry creatures are not low-maintenance
pets and typically are not necssarily 'friendly' with children. Ducks
can live eight to 12 years, and some chickens can live to be as old as
25-years-old. The ASPCA says these animals typically get bought around
Easter and eventually get given back to shelters less than a year later.
The organization says to do your research before buying one of these
pets, and consider sticking to chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks
instead. (CBS/ ASPCA)
THE AVERAGE SMARTPHONE OWNER CHECKS FACEBOOK 14 TIMES PER DAY:
The International Data Corporation's latest research indicates that
U.S. iPhone and Android users check Facebook an average 14-times per
day. The study followed nearly 7,500-iPhone and Android users between
the ages of 18 and 44, monitors their cell phone usage and asked them
questions about their cell phone usage for a week in March. Researchers
found that 79-percent of smartphone users reach for their device within
15-minutes of waking up, and 62-percent reach for their phone
immediately upon waking. The survey found that on average, smartphone
users visit Facebook 13.8-times during the day for an average of two
minutes and 22-seconds each time. Perhaps the most surprising thing the
survey found was that 50-percent of participants admitted to checking
their Facebook while at a movie. (Mashable)
SEVEN THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT PEEPS (Fox News):
1) Just Born, the company that makes Peeps, is family-owned and operated.
The founder, Sam Born, was a Russian immigrant and a candy-maker by
trade, and opened up shop in Brooklyn, New York in 1923 where he sold
candy and fudge.
2) Born was a candy innovator. Born is
credited with creating the machine that puts sticks into hard candy
(producing lollipops) and also created "jimmies," the chocolate
sprinkles served with ice cream.
3) Peeps have a biblical hometown.
Or at least a city named as one - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In 1932, in
the height of the Great Depression, Just Born took over a vacant
facility in Bethlehem that had formerly printed the Saturday Evening
Post. The company is still there today.
4) The original peeps took 27-hours to make.
In 1952, Bob Born discovered women making marshmallow peeps by hand
using pastry tubes-- but each one took 27 hours to make from scratch.
Born then created a machine that could make a treat in six minutes.
5) Just Born also manufactures Hot Tamales and Mike and Ike candies.
6) Peeps used to have wings! Just Born says the wings become problematic to make, and were clipped in the 1950s. Consumers apparently didn't care.
7) You can get Peeps year-round.
Just Born is now making Peep varities for Christmas, Halloween and
Valentine's Day. A company represenative says to expect summertime
flavors like bubblegum and lemonade to pop up once the weather warms up.
CREATIVE PRANKS YOU CAN MAKE YOURSELF FOR APRIL FOOLS DAY: http://tinyurl.com/czxj2r9
LINDT LOSES EASTER BUNNY BATTLE:
A popular Easter-time candy may have an imposter! The Swiss chocolatier
Lindt has lost a legal fight to stop its German rival Riegelein
Confiserie from selling a gold foil-wrapped bunny similar to Lindt's.
For the full story, click here: http://tinyurl.com/btow22j
WATER COOLER TALK
CBS' Gottlieb Apologizes for Saying Bringing 'White Man's Perspective' to NCAA Coverage
CBS Sports analyst Doug Gottlieb
issued an apology statement last night (March 28th) after saying during
the coverage before the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 game between
Marquette and Miami that he was there to bring the, quote, "white man's
perspective" to the network's pre-game show. Gottlieb, who was on the
panel with four African-American men, drew fire on Twitter for the
statement, which was in full: "I don't know why you guys ask me, I'm
just here to bring diversity to this set, give kind of the white man's
perspective." Fellow analyst Greg Anthony made a face after the remark and Kenny Smith
said he'd, quote, "jumped right into it." In his apology statement,
Gottlieb said, "It was not a smart thing to say and I apologize." Fellow
analyst and former NBA player Charles Barkley defended Gottlieb
during a break in the games later, saying, "He made a joke earlier
tonight and people are going crazy. All those idiots on Twitter, which I
would never ever do, all you people at home who've got no life and are
talking bad about Doug Gottlieb, get a life. It's over with. It's no big
deal."
Study: Adults Text While Driving More Than Teens Do
While many people might think it's teenagers who are most guilty of texting while driving, USA Today
reports that a new study from AT&T found that it's actually adults
who text more behind the wheel than teen drivers do. Nearly half of all
adults surveyed for the study admitted to texting while driving -- even
though 98 percent said they know it's dangerous -- while a lower 43
percent of teens said they do it. AT&T carried out the survey for
its It Can Wait campaign, which seeks to educate drivers about the risks
of distracted driving. As part of it, they've launched a free app that
sends an automated, customizable reply to incoming texts when the
vehicle is moving at 25 miles per hour or more. Texting while driving is
illegal in 39 states and Washington, D.C.
Senator John McCain's Daughter Meghan Getting Her Own Cable TV Show
STATIONS: Please note the following story contains language that could be considered offensive to your audience.
Meghan McCain, the 28-year-old daughter of Arizona Senator and 2008 Republican presidential nominee John McCain,
is getting her own cable TV talk show which will air on Pivot, a new
channel targeting 18- to 34-year-olds that's launching in August. She
tweeted Wednesday (March 27th) about her show, called Raising McCain, "The only way I can describe my series is it's Meet the Press meets Jackass
-- on the road talk show, and it's the opportunity of a lifetime!"
McCain said, "We're told . . . that young people can't have news because
we're just tweeting all the time, and that's just bulls**t."
KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE
 Kellie Pickler tore up the dance floor again this week on Dancing With The Stars. The singer and her partner, Derek Hough, ranked in the top two, even earning a standing ovation.
Kellie
spends five to six hours a day in the dance studio, but that's not the
hardest -- or most dangerous -- part of doing the hit ABC show. Kellie
tells us this week things got downright bloody thanks to her
mirror-covered costume.
She tells us: We were so sliced
up. It was like dancing with Edward Scissorhands because the costume,
the mirror part, it was glass. It wasn't like little plastic mirror
reflector things. It was glass, and so there were so many sharp edges.
Y'all couldn't tell on camera, but Derek and I were both bleeding. Like,
I cut his face. I cut his arms up, his chest up, cause he did so many
lifts and what not. The inside of my arms that lay down flat on my
sides, they got sliced up. We had blood all over us (laughs)."]
Kellie continues on to next week's competition on Dancing With The Stars, which airs on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET and Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
Wynonna also managed to make it through the first round of cuts, although she was in the bottom three.
Dorothy Hamill withdrew from the show on Tuesday (March 26th) on doctor's orders. She was suffering with a spine problem.
 Carrie Underwood will debut her brand new single, "See You Again, live on American Idol on Thursday, April 4th. "See You Again" was co-written by Carrie and is the fourth single off her platinum-selling album, Blown Away. American Idol will air on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.
Jason Aldean
is featured in a new Coors Light Avalanche commercial. The beer maker
recently teamed up with Jason, who makes his official act as a
spokesperson in the TV ad, in which two snowboarders try to beat an
avalanche down the mountain to bring Jason a cold one. Coors Light
sponsors Jason's Night Train tour.
 Kacey Musgraves' debut album, Same Trailer, Different Park, debuts at the top of the Billboard
country albums chart this week. The collection sold 43,496 copies, to
land at Number One on the country chart and at Number Two overall, just
behind Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience.
Kacey had a hand in writing all 12 songs on Same Trailer, Different Park. She drew her inspiration for the songs simply by being observant. Kacey tells us: "I
love observing things, whether it's myself or other people. It's kind
of my favorite to just like find inspiration and zone in on that and
figure out the little facets in that idea. Yeah, I mean, I'm just
inspired by emotions of every kind. I want the record to reflect a well
-rounded, just well- rounded emotions. I didn't want the overall tone to
be angry or sad .I think there's elements of everything on there."
Kacey's new single is called "Blowin' Smoke."
She continues on the road with Kenny Chesney on the No Shoes Nation tour with shows this week in Louisiana and Texas.
FAST FACTS
- Kacey co-wrote Miranda Lambert's latest hit, "Mama's Broken Heart."
- She also lends background vocals to the song.
 Florida Georgia Line are in the Big Apple this week for their three-night sold out stint in Newark, New Jersey this week with headliner Taylor Swift,
which kicked off last night (Wednesday, March 27th). As if that wasn't
enough, the duo received three plaques commemorating the gold
certification of their debut album Here's To The Good Times; gold-certified Top 10 single "Get Your Shine On"; and double platinum-certified, multi-week Number One hit "Cruise." Florida Georgia Line performed on ABC's Live with Kelly & Michael yesterday (Wednesday, March 27th). The remix of "Cruise" featuring rapper Nelly will be available on April 2nd.
FAST FACTS
- Florida Georgia Line is nominated for Vocal Duo and overall New Artist of the Year at next week's ACM Awards. They already won the ACM New Vocal Duo or Group award. The ACM Awards will be held on April 7th in Las Vegas.
- Florida
Georgia Line will also perform during the live broadcast as part of the
ACM Fan Jam, which will air from the Orleans Arena.
 Jake Owen spent a lot of time putting together his new show as part of Jason Aldean's Night Train
tour. But he's not satisfied yet. The singer is always trying to build
on what he's already created for his live show, and ideas come to him at
some of the most unlikely times.
Jake tells us: "I'm
constantly always thinking, even during the show. It's weird, like, I'll
be in the middle of the show turning around looking at something going
on, and it'll occur to me that this could be something cool for next
year. And I remember doin' that this past summer, or fall, I guess it
was, with the Summer Never Ends tour that was my first headline
tour. And I remember being on that stage thinking, 'Well, next year,
maybe we can do this or do that,' so, I mean, whether it's lighting or
it's sound or, you know, what guitar I play on a song, it's constantly
always changing, but it's always changing for what I'd like to believe
for the better. If you're ever complacent or content with where you are,
then therefore you don't have visions to go further, and I'm constantly
always tryin' to go further.
The Night Train tour resumes on April 13th with a sold out show at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia.
FAST FACTS
- Jake will perform at the Fremont Street Experience in Las Vegas on April 6th. The show is part of the lead up to the ACM Awards, which will be held on April 7th at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Sin City.
- Jake continues to climb the charts with his latest single, "Anywhere with You."
COUNTRY TRIVIA
Q. Keith Urban was a member of what mid-1990's country band?
A. The Ranch
ON THE TUBE
LIVE WITH KELLY & MICHAEL/SYN (check local listings)
Blake Shelton
DAY JOBS/GAC 2:00PM (ET)
Chuck Wicks, Neal McCoy, Rodney Atkins
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON/NBC 12:35AM (ET)
Blake Shelton
CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS
- Lady Gaga (singer) (27)
- Ken Howard (actor, The White Shadow's Ken Reeves) (69)
- Reba McEntire (country singer, actress) (58)
- Vince Vaughn (actor, Swingers, Old School, Starsky & Hutch, Wedding Crashers) (43)
- Dianne Wiest (actress, Radio Days, Hannah & Her Sisters) (65)
- Julia Stiles (actress, The Prince And Me, The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Mona Lisa Smile, 10 Things I Hate About You, Dexter) (32)
- John Evan (former keyboardist, Jethro Tull) (65)
- Brett Ratner (director, Rush Hour movies, X-Men: The Last Stand, Red Dragon, The Family Man) (44)
- Shanna Moakler (beauty queen, ex-wife of Blink 182's Travis Barker) (38)
- J-Kwon (rapper, "Tipsy") (27)
INDUSTRY NEWS
 JIM CARREY TO SELF-PUBLISH A CHILDREN'S BOOK: Jim Carrey
has announced plans to self-publish what he describes as a
"metaphysical children's book that deals with serious things in a really
fun way." He is calling it How Roland Rolls.
ANDERSON COOPER'S NEXT GIG: There seems to be conflicting rumors about what Anderson Cooper
plans to do following the end of his daytime talk show. Several news
outlets are reporting that Anderson is being courted to replace Matt Lauer on Today. However, Deadline claims that Anderson is shooting a pilot with Kathy Griffin for a new CNN show which would make their New Year's Eve gig a full-time thing.
SCREENWRITER DON PAYNE HAS PASSED AWAY: Don Payne, screenwriter of Thor and award-winning writer/producer on The Simpsons,
has passed away after a battle with cancer. Don described himself as a
"superhero geek" and worked on the first draft of the script for the
upcoming sequel Thor: The Dark World.
BRAVO PICKS UP NEW SHOW AND DROPS ANOTHER: Bravo has picked up a supernatural drama project from 2012 Sundance winner Ry Russo-Young. The network also decided not to move forward with the drama pilot for The Joneses.
NETFLIX ORDERS SCI-FI DRAMA SERIES FROM THE WACHOWSKI SIBLINGS: Netflix has given a 10-episode order for the Wachowski siblings' sci-fi drama Sense8. The show will debut on the website in late 2014.
CELEBRITY GOSSIP
 GERARD BUTLER BROKE BONES MAKING 'OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN': Gerard Butler broke two bones in his neck while performing stunts for Olympus Has Fallen without even knowing it. He told Jay Leno
that he went to a doctor after sustaining minor injuries when an MRI
revealed that he actually had two small bones broken in his neck which
weren't even bothering him at all.
ZAC EFRON DOESN'T REGRET 'HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL': Zac Efron isn't trying to forget his Disney roots. The actor told Flaunt magazine, "Here's the one thing about High School Musical
that a lot of people forget or don't realize. It affected a lot of
people; its resonance, culturally, was massive... and at the same time,
it was in every sense of it, the luckiest break in the world. The wrong
thing to do -- and that's what all these interviews now are trying to
get me to say -- is to turn on it, to like sh*t on it, call it crap. But
that's insane."
'TODAY' ANCHOR COMES OUT AND ANNOUNCES PREGNANCY: Weekend Today anchor Jenna Wolfe has announced that she is pregnany and will be starting a family with her girlfriend Stephanie Gosk -- an NBC News correspondent. She told Matt Lauer on Wednesday's (March 27th) show that she they are expecting a baby girl due to arrive in August.
FORMER 'AMERICAN IDOL' CONTESTANTS REVEAL ENGAGEMENT PHOTOS: American Idol alums Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young
have unveiled the engagement photos they had taken in L.A.'s Laurel
Canyon neighborhood. The couple met while appearing in 2010's Broadway
revival of Hair before getting engaged on the Idol finale last May. Here are the photos: http://bit.ly/XHqnaw
PRINCE HARRY'S STATESIDE VISIT WILL BE NUDITY FREE: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says he will be making sure that Prince Harry
keeps all of his clothes on during his visit to the United States in
May. Christie says that he'll be with Harry the entire time and that Queen Elizabeth II knows she can trust him with her grandson.
REPORT: HAYDEN PANETTIERE IS SECRETLY ENGAGED
 Nashville star Hayden Panettiere is reportedly secretly engaged to her boxer boyfriend Wladimir Klitschko. US magazine claims that the pair are planning to get hitched despite only getting back together a few months ago.
A
source told the magazine, "Very few people know, and she isn't wearing
her ring publicly yet." The couple are supposedly thinking of having a
summer wedding.
- 23-year-old Hayden and 37-year-old
Wladimir recently reconciled after splitting up in 2011. They got back
together shortly after Hayden broke things off with her ex Scotty McKnight.
CHECK IT OUT:
CHANNING TATUM'S MAN CRUSH
 Channing Tatum has revealed that he has a bit of a man crush on George Clooney. The Magic Mike actor was asked who he thought was the sexiest man in the world while attending a screening of his new film White House Down.
Channing told UK's The Sun,
"Well I've spent time with George Clooney and he's the most interesting
man on the planet. He can do it all." The 32-year-old then joked, "Yep,
I guess what I'm saying is I'd have sex with him."
- Tatum and his wife spent time with George and his girlfriend Stacy Keibler in Italy at Lake Como last July.
CHECK IT OUT:
JON HAMM DOESN'T LIKE ALL THE TALK ABOUT HIS GENITALS
 Mad Men star Jon Hamm is finally addressing all of the chatter surrounding his genitals. The actor covers the latest issue of Rolling Stone where he discusses all of the tabloid attention paid to his privates.
Jon
tells the magazine, "Most of its tongue-in-cheek, but it is a little
rude. It just speaks to a broader freedom that people feel like they
have -- a prurience. They're called 'privates' for a reason. I'm wearing
pants, for f--k's sake. Lay off." He goes on to say, "I mean, it's not
like I'm a f---king lead miner. There are harder jobs in the world. But
when people feel the freedom to create Tumblr accounts about my c--k, I
feel like that wasn't part of the deal." The 42-year-old also admits
that the attention he does get is better than being called out for the
opposite.
- TMZ is reporting that underwear brands
Jockey and Fruit of the Loom have both issued messages to Jon inviting
him to wear their products after last week's report that AMC asked him
to stop going commando on set.
CHECK IT OUT:
COURTNEY STODDEN WANTS TO BE ON YOUR WALL
 18-year-old vixen Courtney Stodden wants to be up against your wall. The aspiring singer has teamed up with TheBlownUp.com to sell life-size posters of herself in various sexy poses.
Buyers have the option of getting Courtney in sportswear, swimwear, fantasy, or lingerie. She told E! News,
"I think the pictures turned out really hot. I did them because I
wanted to be life-size on your walls." She added, "I did them more
risqué because that's what I'm all about!"
- According to their website, TheBlownUp.com "offers self-adhesive cutouts of the most amazing babes to ever bless us with their beauty."
MOVIE OPENING: 'G.I. JOE: RETALIATION'
 Opening today (Thursday March 28th) is the new action film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, starring Channing Tatum, Bruce Willis, Dwayne Johnson, D.J. Cotrona, Adrianne Palicki, Ray Stevenson and Ray Park.
The film follows the G.I. Joe team as they face their enemy COBRA and
at the same time stop a threat within the U.S. government.
- G.I. Joe: Retaliation is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 1 hour and 39 minutes.
'AMERICAN IDOL': TOP 8 PERFORM SONGS FROM DETROIT
Last night on American Idol
(March 27th), the top 8 contestants performed songs from artists from
Detroit. The finalists also received help from Motown legend Smokey Robinson.
The show began with a performance by Candice Glover who sang Marvin Gaye's "I Heard It Through the Grapevine". The judges enjoyed it and Mariah Carey said "In alot of ways you epitomize what this competition is". Kree Harrison and Janelle Arthur teamed up to perform Madonna's "Like a Prayer". When speaking to Janelle, judge Nicki Minaj said "I love you girls together, but Kree definitely outshined you my darling".
The final group performance featured Devin Velez, Lazaro Arbos, and Burnell Taylor
who sang "I Can't Help Myself". Nicki did not seem to enjoy the
rendition and said "I don't know what that was but I'm going to act like
I didn't even see it or hear it", then she told them to leave the
stage.
HEADLINE NEWS
SUPREME COURT SEEMINGLY SKEPTICAL OF DEFENSE OF MARRIAGE ACT:
On the second of two days of hearings on gay marriage cases, the
Supreme Court seemed Wednesday (March 27th) to be learning towards
striking down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which bars the federal
government from recognizing gay marriages, keeping them from a wide
range of benefits straight couples can get. Justice Anthony Kennedy,
who's often the swing vote on the court, joined the four justices in
the liberal wing in raising questions about the law, saying it appears
to intrude on the power of states that have chosen to recognize gay
marriages. Other justices, among them Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, said DOMA creates two classes of marriage, and Justice Elena Kagan
raised the issue of the law intending to discriminate, reading from the
1996 House report on the legislation that said one of its purposes was,
quote, "to express moral disapproval of homosexuality."
AURORA THEATER KILLER TO PLEAD GUILTY TO AVOID EXECUTION: Lawyers for accused Aurora movie theater massacre killer James Holmes
said Wednesday (March 27th) that he would plead guilty and serve the
rest of his life behind bars to avoid the death penalty. The offer comes
just days before the prosecution was to announce whether they would
seek capital punishment for Holmes for the 2012 attack, in which 12
people were killed and 70 injured. Prosecutors wouldn't say yesterday
whether they'd go along with such a plea deal, and likely will consult
with the victims and their families before deciding whether to accept
the offer.
NEWLY-RELEASED RECORDS ON TUCSON KILLER LOUGHNER:
Some 2,700 pages of investigative records about the deadly 2011 Tucson
attack in which six people were killed and 13 injured, including former
Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, were released yesterday (March 27th). They give more information on the mental state of killer Jared Loughner and
what was and wasn't done to help him before the attack, describing a
man who was visibly becoming unstable, but don't shed any new light on
why he targeted Giffords. Among the revelations are that he got fired
from a clothing store and thrown out of college, shaved his head and got
tattoos of bullets on his shoulder. His father, Randy Loughner,
described no longer being able to talk to him, saying, "Lost, lost and
just didn't want to communicate with me no more," and his mother, Amy,
remembered hearing her son having conversations alone in his room as if
another person were there. But despite recommendations from Pima
Community College that Loughner undergo a mental evaluation after they
expelled him, his parents never followed up. However, after
administrators at the school recommended he not own weapons, his parents
took away the shotgun he'd bought for himself in 2008.
- Loughner
was sentenced in November to seven consecutive life sentences, plus 140
years, after he pled guilty to 19 federal charges. He is serving his
sentence at a federal prison medical facility, where he was diagnosed
with schizophrenia.
TODAY'S FYI:
RECORD-BREAKING CYBERATTACK TARGETS ANTI-SPAM GROUP:
A record-breaking cyberattack targeting an anti-spam watchdog group has
been having wider effects, with AP citing experts as saying the huge
size of the attack has caused some disruptions, particularly slowness,
in some parts of the Internet. The Swiss-British group Spamhaus, which
is responsible for keeping spam out of our inboxes, said it had been
targeted by the massive denial-of-service attack since mid-March,
apparently from groups angry at being blacklisted by them.
Denial-of-service attacks overwhelm a server with traffic, and while
recent ones have peaked at 100 billion bits of data per second, the one
targeting Spamhaus has broken records with at least 300 billion bits per
second. It's unclear who exactly is behind the attack, but AP cited
someone claiming to be in touch with them who said they're mainly
Russian Internet service providers who'd been put on Spamhaus' blacklist
and accused the organization of abusing their position to block content
it didn't like. Spamhaus dismissed the accusation.
ASHLEY JUDD WON'T RUN FOR SENATE: Actress Ashley Judd
announced yesterday (March 27th) that she'd decided against running for
the U.S. Senate in Kentucky, disclosing the news on her Twitter page.
She wrote, "After serious and thorough contemplation, I realize that my
responsibilities and energy at this time need to be focused on my
family. Regretfully, I am currently unable to consider a campaign for
the Senate. I have spoken to so many Kentuckians over these last few
months who expressed their desire for a fighter for the people & new
leader. While that won't be me at this time, I will continue to work as
as hard as I can to ensure the needs of Kentucky families are met by
returning this Senate seat to whom it rightfully belongs: the people and
their needs, dreams, and great potential." Judd had been considering a
Democratic challenge to Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell,
who's up for re-election next year. Even though she has ties to
Kentucky, Judd's family actually lives in Tennessee, and Republicans had
already begun to attack her for it, even though she hadn't yet
announced if she was running.
ANTI-RAPE VIDEO GOES VIRAL:
An anti-rape video posted online by a University of Oregon sophomore in
reaction to the Steubenville, Ohio, rape trial has gone viral and has
been viewed over 1.6 million times so far. The 26-second video filmed by
19-year-old Samantha Stendal shows a woman passed out on a couch and a
man who looks into the camera and says, "Hey bros, check who passed out
on the couch. Guess what I'm gonna do to her?" He then puts a pillow
under her head, covers her with a blanket, places a mug beside her and
says, "Real men treat women with respect." Stendal is surprised by the
response, but told Yahoo! News, "I am happy to see the conversation
moving away from victim blaming and changing to how people in vulnerable
situations should be treated."
JOHN EDWARDS' DAUGHTER SPEAKS OUT ABOUT HIS AFFAIR: Former Senator and Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards' oldest daughter, Cate,
is speaking out for the first time about her father's extramarital
affair. In an interview set to air Friday (March 29th) on NBC's Today show and on Rock Center with Brian Williams, the 31-year-old attorney said her father told her about his affair with Rielle Hunter and she was devastated by the news. In comments posted on Today's
website, Edwards said, "I was devastated. And I was disappointed. I
mean, these are my parents. I had grown up with a lot of love in my
family. And it was hard to see them go through this." Edwards said she
met Hunter, who later gave birth to her father's baby, during his 2008
presidential run. When asked about Hunter's book trashing her late
mother, Elizabeth, who died in 2010, Edwards called the book, quote, " a poor choice," adding, "I guess that's all I can say."
TRAIN-WRECK TV? TRAILER FOR OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL-WINNING SWIMMER RYAN LOCHTE'S NEW REALITY TV SHOW:
SPORTS:
HEAT LOSE TO BULLS, WINNING STREAK ENDS AT 27 GAMES:
The Miami Heat's winning streak finally came to end at 27 games last
night (March 27th) in Chicago, as they fell to the Bulls 101-97. The
loss means the Heat fell six games short of the 33-game all-time record
held by the 1971-72 Los Angeles Lakers, and now hold the second-place
record. After the game, Miami star LeBron James said, "We haven't
had a chance to really have a moment to know what we just did. We had a
moment, just very fortunate, very humbling and blessed to be part of
this team and be part of a streak like that." The Heat had last lost
back on February 1st, defeated by the Pacers in Indianapolis.
(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)
ON THE TUBE
CBS
- 2013 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - Marquette vs. Miami.
- 2013 NCAA BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT - Syracuse vs. Indiana.
NBC
- COMMUNITY (repeat)
- 1600 PENN - Skip is asked to escort a Princess to a peace gala.
- THE OFFICE (repeat)
- 1600 PENN - (season
finale) In an interview with Larry King, President Gilchrist reveals
information that puts the legitimacy of his marriage to Emily in
question.
FOX
- AMERICAN IDOL - The contestants face elimination; Colton Dixon performs.
- RAISING HOPE - (one
hour season finale) After learning that he is Jewish, Burt prepares for
the bar mitzvah he never had; when Burt and Barney travel to Maw Maw's
childhood home, they learn that her mother may still be alive.
ABC
- WIFE SWAP - A conservative Tea Party activist trades places with a woman in a polyamorous relationship.
- GREY'S ANATOMY - A gas tanker explodes on a highway, resulting in multiple injuries; Alex is forced to work with Jo's boyfriend.
- SCANDAL - Hollis Doyle's daughter is kidnapped; Mellie tells Fitz that he needs to make some changes.
CW
- THE VAMPIRE DIARIES - As Elena and Rebekah pursue Katherine, Elena runs into Elijah; Caroline reluctantly help Klaus.
- BEAUTY AND THE BEAST - Cat
is forced to reveal secrets; Evan witnesses something that changes his
opinion of Cat and fuels his determination to find the beast.
FX
- ARCHER - Archer must rescue the Pope from an assassination plot using Woodhouse as a decoy.
- LEGIT - Jim, Steve, Billy and Rodney go to a minor league baseball game.
DAY TIME TALK SHOW
THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - (repeat) THE VIEW - Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Carla Hall, Daphne Oz, guest co-host Mario Cantone
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS
THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat) THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - Kim Kardashian, Willie Geist, Imagine Dragons JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - Dwayne Johnson, Saoirse Ronan, Kendrick Lamar THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - (repeat) LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - Tyler Perry, Nick Offerman, Thom Filicia, Blake Shelton LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - David Duchovny, Derek Cianfrance, Gold Fields THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Denise Kiernan THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - Dr. Robert Lustig CONAN - (repeat)
OFF BEAT BRIEFS
RESTAURANT SHAMES 'NO-SHOW' CUSTOMERS ON TWITTER: The manager
of a Vietnamese fusion restaurant in Beverly Hills, California went on a
Twitter rampage over the weekend and publicly called out people who
booked tables but didn't show for their reservations. Red Medicine owner
Noah Ellis tweeted the first and last names of people who made
reservations for dinner then decided not to show up or call. The first
tweet reads, "Hi Kyle Anderson (323), I hope you enjoyed your
[girlfriend's] bday and the flowers that you didn't bring when you
no-showed for your 815 res. Thanks." He followed that post by revealing
the names of six other guests who were also no-shows. He added, "All the
nice guests who wonder why restaurants overbook and they sometimes have
to wait for their res should thanks people like those below." Ellis
seemed to have no regrets when he spoke to Eater LA, telling them,
"Invariably, the a**holes who decide to no-show, or cancel 20 minutes
before their reservation (because one of their friends made a
reservation somewhere else) ruin restaurants (as a whole) for the people
who make a reservation and do their best to honor it. Either
restaurants are forced to overbook and make the guests (that actually
showed up) wait, or they do what we do, turn away guests for some
prime-time slots because they're booked, and then have empty tables."
(Daily Mail)
MAN BEAT ROOMMATE AFTER WAKING UP TO FIND PENIS DRAWING ON FACE:
A man in Arlington, Virginia who woke up after a night of drinking to
find a drawing of a penis on his face was arrested after he beat up his
roommate in retaliation to the prank. James Denham Watson allegedly saw
the drawing then went into his roommate's room, jumped on top of him and
started to punch him in the face. Another roommate in the house
separated the two, but the prankster had to be taken to the hospital and
treated for a swollen and bleeding eye. After his hospital visit he
decided to press charges against his roommate over the beating. Watson
was arrested and charged with malicious beating. His mugshot looks as if
he tried to wash the drawing off his face but didn't quite succeed.
(MSN)
DISABLED MAN WINS $8,000 AFTER BEING FORCED TO LISTEN TO 'IT'S A SMALL WORLD' FOR 30 MINUTES ON BROKEN DISNEY RIDE:
A paralyzed man in his 40s on Disneyland's "It's A Small World" ride
who was forced to listen to the theme song for 30 minutes on a loop when
the ride broke down has been awarded $8,000. The incident -- which
happened in 2009 -- left paralyzed Jose Martinez on the ride by himself
when staff at the theme park didn't think to tell the fire department
about his situation. Martinez' lawyer David Geffen, said, "He was half
in the cave of the ride and half out. The music was blaring. They
couldn't get it to go off." Other passengers were escorted off the ride,
but Geffen argues that Disneyland workers should have gotten
professionals to help Martinez instead of leaving him there to wait for
the ride to be fixed. A judge ruled in Geffen's favor, explaining that
the park failed to take proper care of the passenger and also failed to
notify riders with disabilities that they could be stranded if the ride
were to break down. (Washington Times)
SELENA GOMEZ' KNEES HAVE A TUMBLR? The shape of Selena Gomez' knees is an issue, apparently. (Warning: Cannot unsee!) http://selenas-babykn33s.tumblr.com/
CHINESE MOTHER BUYS TODDLER $6.5 MILLION NYC APARTMENT SO SHE HAS A PLACE TO LIVE WHEN SHE GOES TO COLLEGE:
A senior vice president for Sotheby's International said a woman
purchased a $6.5 million apartment located along New York City's Central
Park so that her 2-year-old would have a place to live when she goes to
college. The real estate agent said that while visiting properties he
asked the woman why she wanted to buy, and she responded that her
daughter would be going to Columbia or NYU and needs to be in the center
of the city. He asked her, "Oh, how old is your daughter?" to which she
responded, "Well she's two." The agent said he was shocked by her
response. The building, One57 Tower is still unfinished but when it is
completed next year it will be New York City's tallest residential
building. (CBS) THE LATEST MEME: SURPRISED PATRICK! http://bit.ly/ZyuQPH
MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TRIED TO POISON TEACHER; PUT HAND SANITIZER IN HER TEA:
Two 13-year-olds in Newport News, Virginia were arrested after they
tried to poison their 66-year-old teacher by putting hand sanitizer into
her tea on various dates between January 29th and March 6th. School
officials said an anonymous tip led Hines Middle School's police officer
to question the two boys who ended up admitting to their crime. The
police officer conveyed the news to the teacher who sought medical help,
as she had already been consulting with her doctor over stomach
problems. Both boys were transferred to an alternative school for
troubled teens and charged with felony attempted poisoning. One parent
at the school said, "I don't care if you don't like your teacher but
seriously that's a little scary and what if they did it to [a] student."
(FOX)
MINOR LEAGUE STADIUM TO GET URINAL GAMES:
Coca-Cola Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania is the first sports stadium in
the United States to install a Urinal Gaming System in their bathrooms.
The park is host to the LeHigh Valley IronPigs, an affiliate of the
Philadelphia Phillies. The GM of the IronPigs Kurt Landes, said, "These
games are sure to make a huge splash." (UPI)
THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
SURVEY: LIFE IS HARDER TODAY THAN IT USED TO BE: A British
survey finds people of two generations think younger people have it
harder today than their parents did. The survey was conducted by health
retailer Holland & Barrett and questioned four-thousand people
across two generations. Sixty-eight-percent of those surveyed said they
believe today's generation is forced to endure more hardship than young
people 40 years ago. Forty-one-percent of 20-somethings surveyed said
they experience regular or constant stress, while just 15-percent said
the same 40-years ago. Top concerns for the younger generation include
body image, being overworked, and money worries. Study authors say that
young people today are commonly viewed as living for today, when in
reality they are looking ahead and investing in their health and
savings. (Daily Mail)
29 EASY WAYS TO GET READY FOR EASTER: http://tinyurl.com/d3zgmye
PEOPLE ADMIT TO LYING TO GET A DATE:
New research finds that people admit they will lie or exaggerate their
interests in order to impress a potential date. StaticGuard comissioned
the survey and found that 63-percent of participants between the ages of
18 and 34 admit to having lied or exaggerated in order to get a date.
Thirty-eight-percent said they've gone to a movie they did not want to
see while on a date, 23-percent faked interest in a hobby, and
19-percent ate food they hated in an effort to win their crush's
affections. One expert says this might not be such a bad thing, as in a
relationship one must learn to compromise. (Cosmoplitan)
ASK YOUR LISTENERS
- What's the craziest thing you've done to impress someone you want to date?
- Do you think exaggerating an interest is lying?
- What's the coolest thing someone's done to impress you?
WHY YOU SHOULDN'T ARGUE IN THE PRESENCE OF A SLEEPING BABY: A new study finds that arguing in the presence of a baby can affect their brain. The study, published in the journal Psychological Science,
shows that even moderate stresses can affect a baby's brain function.
To find this, researchers scanned the brains of 20-sleeping infants,
ages six-months to 12 months, using an MRI machine. Inside the scanner,
the babies heard nonsense sentences spoken by a male adult in very
angry, mildly angry, happy, or neutral tones.The results showed that
sleeping infants' brains showed distinct patterns of activity
corresponding to each different emotional tone, and that compared with
babies raised in healthy homes, infants in high-conflict homes had a
greater response to the very angry voice in parts of the brain involved
in stress and emotion regulation. Researchers say that the findings
suggest babies are aware of parental conflicts and that these conflicts
may affect how infants' brains handle stress and emotion. (Fox News)
WHAT MAKES AN ADDICTIVE VIDEOGAME?
A new study reveals what drives some gamers to stay up for three days
playing a game while consisting on no sleep and junk food. The study was
conducted by researchers from the International Gaming Research Unit
Division of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University. Researchers say of
the 280 participants, 99-percent reported feeling a time-warp effect
from gaming, and only 29.3-percent said they thought it was a bad thing.
Two-thirds of participants said they lost track of time between the
evening and the wee hours of the morning. Scientists found the games
participants said caused the time-warp effect had some things in common:
they were all complex, had levels, can be played with other people, and
have a plot. The study named World of Warcraft, The Sims and the Portal games as some of the most addictive. (PopSci)
WRISTWATCH KEEPS TRACK OF HOW OFTEN DOCTORS WASH THEIR HANDS:
By now we've all heard how important hand washing is, especially for
health professionals. A new device, funded by IntelligentM, can monitor a
doctor's hand washing habits. The bracelet vibrates when the wearer has
scrubbed enough and lets employers monitor their use. At the end of the
wearers shift, hospital administrators and staff can view collected
data from the bracelet to monitor an employee's progress. The developers
hope the device will replace secret observers implemented by hospitals
to watch employees on the job, or patients asking all of their
healthcare professionals to wash their hands every time they visit. (Mashable)
10 EXTREME EASTER EGGS: http://tinyurl.com/c7ryhmy
HEALTHY EASTER BASKET ALTERNATIVES FOR KIDS:
According to the National Retail Federation, Americans are expeted to
spend more than two-billion-dollars on traditional Easter candy this
year. To avoid all the sugar and processed candy consider filling your
kids' plastic eggs with stickers, temporary tattoos, or marbles if they
are old enough. Additional sugar-free alternatives inclue Play-Doh,
glitter, or even spare change. Experts recommend creating a themed
basket such as a spring garden basket filled with shovels, seeds and
gloves, or a summer fun themed basket filled with a new bathing suit,
beach towel, flip-flop, sunscreen and a hat, and skipping the candy
completely. (Fox News)
ALLERGY "DROPS" COULD BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO SHOTS:
There may be a new way to fight itchy, watery eyes and stuffy noses
soon. A new study finds that allergy drops are an effective option for
treating allergy symptoms. Researchers say that the drops are similar to
the traditional shots, but they are instead taken underneath the tongue
instead of being injected into the arm. The drops are currently only
available in Europe, and some other countries abroad. Researchers
caution the drops have some side effects such as itchiness of the mouth,
but that no life-threatening reactions were reported. (Fox News)
SOCIAL ISOLATION FOUND HARMFUL TO SENIORS:
A new study finds that people age 52 and older who are socially
isolated are at higher risk of dying than those not socially isolated.
British researchers say they studied social isolation in terms of
contact with family and friends and participation in civic organizations
in 6,500 people age 52 and older in 2005. Participants were given a
questionnaire to measure their loneliness and an additional survey on
aging. Researchers then monitored all-cause mortality until March 2012.
After controlling for certain factors, it was found that social
isolation reamined signficantly associated with mortality. Researchers
wrote, "Although both isolation and loneliness impair quality of life
and well-being, efforts to reduce loneliness wasn't independent of
demographic characteristics or health problems and didn't contribute to
the risk associated with social isolation." (UPI)
WATER COOLER TALK
Rep. Steve King Criticizes Obama Daughters' Vacation
In a highly unusual -- if not unprecedented -- attack, Rep. Steve King publicly slammed President Obama
yesterday (March 27th) for sending his daughters on vacation while the
sequester cuts are in effect. The Iowa Republican made the remarks
during an appearance on a radio station in his state, responding to a
listener's call-in complaint. Earlier this week, the conservative
website Breitbart.com controversially reported that Malia and Sasha
were on vacation and gave the location where they were staying,
breaking journalistic guidelines and Secret Service protocol not to
reveal such information because it could put the girls in danger. King
said in response to the caller's complaint yesterday, "You're on point
and on the mark all the way through. He sent the daughters to spring
break in Mexico a year ago. That was at our expense, too. And now to
[removed] at one of the most expensive places there. That is the wrong
image to be coming out of the White House." The Obamas pay for family
vacations themselves, but, in line with standard practice, not for the
security costs.
Co-Workers Give Woman Share of Powerball Winnings Even Though She Didn't Play
Workers
at a small Florida realty company are showing not only generosity of
spirit but of actual cold hard cash by sharing their Powerball winnings
with a co-worker even though she didn't take part in the office pool.
Jennifer Maldonado had only been working for a few weeks at Keller
Williams Partners Realty in Plantation when she was asked by her
co-workers if she wanted to go in on the Powerball tickets they were
buying, and she declined, saying cash was tight. It turned out one of
the tickets her colleagues bought matched five numbers in Saturday
(March 23rd) $338 million drawing, winning $1 million. But Maldonado's
co-workers told her that even though she hadn't taken part in the pool,
they'd share the jackpot with her, so she and everyone else in the
office will get about $83,000 each, after taxes. Laurie Finkelstein
Reader, who bought the tickets for the office, told the Miami Herald, "It's about sharing the happiness."
Was It Entertainment, Not Channels Like Fox or MSNBC, That Drove Political Partisanship?
Was
it actually the rise of cable entertainment, not partisan news channel
like Fox News and MSNBC, that really drove the nation's increase in
political partisanship? Politico reports that's the argument made
by Princeton professor Markus Prior, who argues in a new academic
paper, "The culprit turns out to be not Fox News, but ESPN, HBO, and
other early cable channels that lured moderates away from the news and
away from the polls." Prior says that while cable news channels may be
partisan, very few people actually watch them, no more than about 10 to
15 percent of the voting age population. By contrast, he says that in
the 1960s and '70s, quote, "even people with little interest in news and
politics watched network newscasts because they were glued to the set
and there were no real alternatives to news in many markets during the
dinner hour." The cable news channels needed a way to draw viewers from
the growing entertainment options, and therefore made news itself more
"entertaining" with partisanship and bombast. Politico writes,
"Talk to cable news hosts now and many of them will tell you that they
don't view other cable news hosts as the competition. Their competition
is CSI or Dancing With the Stars.
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