Red, White & Blue Blog

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Luke Bryan will perform for a romantic date during the third episode of The Bachelorette, which airs on Monday (May 28th). During this special one-on-one date between this season's "bachelorette," Emily Maynard, and a lucky guy of her choosing, Luke will sing his current Top 10 hit, "Drunk On You," and his former chart-topper, "Do I," in the streets of downtown Charlotte, North Carolina. The Bachelorette airs on ABC at 8 p.m. ET.

Luke tells us about the experience of being on hit show: [When you get a call to be a part of something like The Bachelorette, and something that is in a lot of households and it's key to women, and so obviously, you want to be on TV in front of a huge female audience. So yeah, we were like, 'Yeah, let's do The Bachelorette.' So, we went down to Charlotte and did it, and it was a fun thing to do. And I think what's ironic about it is 'Drunk on You' is really kind of a timing thing with, man, we had a right song that really works on it. So, we went down there, and I think it'll come off pretty cool."
In other Luke news, the singer is warning fans about imposters with fake Luke Bryan facebook accounts. He posted a message saying, "Hey y'all, PLEASE SHARE THIS! i just want to let everybody in on something. there have been a lot of issues with fake facebook profiles of me. this is the only profile i use for correspondence. i don't have a personal page. if you are friends with another Luke Bryan, unfriend them and don't believe any of the messages. Also, people are impersonating my wife of all people. she DOES NOT use facebook. unfriend anyone pretending to be her. i'm sorry for such a long post, but i want all of you, my fans, to be aware of what's going on."

In addition to headlining his own dates, Luke is currently on the road with Jason Aldean on the 2012 leg of his My Kinda Party tour.

FAST FACTS

"Drunk On You" follows Luke's back-to-back platinum-selling hits "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" and his two-week Number One, "I Don't Want This Night To End."
Both songs are from Luke's Tailgates & Tanlines album, which has sold over one million copies to date.

Tim McGraw is launching a nationwide program called HomeFront in partnership with Chase and Operation Homefront to give away 25 mortgage-free homes to wounded warriors and servicemembers in need while out on his Brothers of the Sun summer tour.

Tim said, "It's going to be a great opportunity to set a family on track that's done so much for us and my family, so I can't imagine a better thing to do on tour. It's going to be fun -- I mean every tour date we're going to be out there."
Tim is going to kick-start the HomeFront program with a special Memorial Day concert of remembrance and gratitude for servicemembers at New York City's Beacon Theatre during Fleet Week in partnership with Chase and the United Service Organizations (USO). The show will be streamed live via YouTube and to military bases around the world on The Pentagon Channel.

Tim said, "My sister's a veteran of the first Gulf War. My uncle was a Vietnam veteran and my grandfather was a World War II veteran. I've always felt a deep sense of respect and obligation to our troops. Being able to reward them for their dedicated work with a new home will be even more rewarding for us. It feels so good to give back to them, and to have the opportunity to entertain them on Memorial Day is something I'm honored to do."

Tim and co-headliner Kenny Chesney kick off their Brothers of the Sun tour on June 2nd in Tampa. The trek will play in the biggest stadiums around the country through August.

FAST FACTS

Earlier this week, Tim announced he had signed with Big Machine Records, which is home to Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts, among others.
He is currently working on a new album, although no release date has yet been announced.

Kellie Pickler is getting ready to head out on her fifth USO tour. The singer is a staunch supporter of the U.S. troops, and says that every American should be thankful for the sacrifices these men and women make on our behalf, particularly this Memorial Day weekend.
Kelly tells us: "Anytime I see someone in the airport or at the grocery store or anywhere and they're in uniform, it really means a lot just to go up and say 'thank you.' I get asked all the time, 'Well, you know, I can't go to Afghanistan, and I don't . . . what can I do?' And it's small things like saying 'thank you' that make the biggest difference because it shows appreciation, and it shows that you respect what they're doin'. Regardless if you agree or disagree with what's goin' on, it's wrong to not say 'thank you' and give 'em a hug and let 'em know that you appreciate what they're doin'."

Kellie will be part of a Memorial Day weekend salute to the military on GAC's new series,Noteworthy at the Opry. Alan Jackson, Rascal Flatts, Montgomery Gentry, and Ronnie Milsapare among the other artists scheduled to appear in the special 90-minute episode, which premieres on Saturday (May 26th) at 9 p.m. ET.
Kellie was recently nominated for Choice Female Country Artist at the upcoming Teen Choice Awards. Fans ages 13 to 19 can vote up to once a day for all their favorites in music, movies, TV, and more online at TeenChoiceAwards.com. The winners will be announced on July 22nd at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

FAST FACTS

Kellie's latest single is the title track from her 100 Proof album.
The project was released in January.

Dolly Parton's self-penned song, "Coat of Many Colors," has been added to The Library of Congress National Recording Registry. Each year the Library of Congress selects 25 recordings that are "historically", "culturally", or "aesthetically significant" and are at least 10 years old to be added to the National Recording Registry, with selections that are being added to the registry now bringing the total number of recordings to 350.
Little Big Town will world premiere the music video for their new single, "Pontoon," on People.com today (Friday, May 25th). The video was shot on Percy Priest Lake outside of Nashville and features the foursome lounging on a pontoon in a remote cove offshore. Karen and Kimberly soaked up the sun and enjoyed lake drinks while Jimi and Phillip played golf off of the top of the pontoon and grilled out on board. "Pontoon" is the first single off of Little Big Town's fifth studio album, due out this fall.
Jo Dee Messina's humorous parenting blog, called The Fumbling Mom, will be featured in The Tennessean, Nashville's most prominent newspaper.
The news outlet will feature content from Jo Deen's blog in its "Family" section periodically, where she will provide stories, tips, and more. Jo Dee is a mom to two young boys -- three-year-old Noah and four-month-old Jonah.

Hank Williams, Jr.'s Facebook page has now surpassed one million "likes". To celebrate, Hank, Jr. is offering a free download of his new single "That Ain't Good." The free download is available now through midnight on Memorial Day (Monday, May 28th) at hankjr.com.
Hank said, "I have the most loyal fans and that's what make my job so easy. I only do 20-25 shows a year and my fans love the music. The best way to celebrate with them is to offer a free download of my new single this holiday weekend."
"That Ain't Good" is from Old School, New Rules, the first album on Hank Jr.'s new label imprint, Bocephus Records. The 12-song package, which is also available for pre-sale now at hankjr.com, is set for release on July 10th. It includes a duet with Brad Paisley on "I'm Gonna Get Drunk And Play Hank Williams" as well as a new duet with Merle Haggard on his classic, "I Think I'll Just Sit Here and Drink."
A new music video for "That Ain't Good" is currently in production.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What Austin, Texas, native was declared a state "treasure"?
A. Willie Nelson

Friday, May 25th

ON THE TUBE

TOP 20 COUNTRY COUNTDOWN/GAC 8:00PM (ET)
Lady Antebellum

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Anne Heche (actress, Men In Trees, Donnie Brasco, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Volcano, Wag the Dog, Ellen Degeneres's former girlfriend) (43)
Sir Ian McKellen (British actor, Gandalf in the Lord Of The Rings movies, Magneto in the X-Menmovies) (73)
Mike Myers (actor-comedian, Saturday Night Live, the Wayne's World movies, the Austin Powersmovies) (49)
Lauryn Hill (hip hop singer) (37)
Connie Sellecca (actress, John Tesh's wife) (57)
Leslie Uggams (actress and singer, Rose on All My Children) (69)
Karen Valentine (actress, Room 222, host of TVs Dream Girl Of 67) (65)
Cillian Murphy (actor, Batman Begins, Red Eye, 28 Days Later) (36)
Molly Sims (model/actress, Las Vegas, host of MTV's Fashionably Loud) (39)
Lindsay and Sidney Greenbush (identical twin actresses, played the role of Carrie on TVs Little House On The Prairie) (42)
Jamie Kennedy (actor, The Ghost Whisperer, The Jamie Kennedy Experiment, Scream movies) (42)
Klaus Meine (lead singer, the Scorpions) (64)
Paul Weller (singer-guitarist, the Jam, the Style Council) (54)
Stacy London (co-host, What Not To Wear) (43)
Frank Oz (actor, The Blues Brothers, Trading Places; the voice of Yoda in the Star Wars movies, as well as the Muppets characters Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, and Animal, and Sesame Street's Bert, Cookie Monster, and Grover) (68)
Hal David (famous lyricist, songwriting partner of Burt Bacharach) (91)
Demetri Martin (actor/comedian, The Daily Show, Important Things with Demetri Martin, Taking Woodstock) (39)
Octavia Spencer (Academy Award winning actress, The Help) (42, some sources say 40)

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:04:00 +0000

Phil Vassar (48)
Elisabeth Hasselbeck (The View co-host) (36)
Patricia Quinn (actress, played "Magenta" in The Rocky Horror Picture Show) (68)
Gladys Knight (R&B singer) (68)
Rudolph Giuliani (Former New York City mayor) (68)
Jerry West (Hall of Fame NBA guard and coach) (74)
Christa Miller (actress, The Drew Carey Show's Kate, Scrubs) (48)
Kylie Minogue (Australian pop star) (44)
John Fogerty (singer-guitarist, Creedence Clearwater Revival) (67)
Brandon Cruz (actor, The Courtship Of Eddie's Father's Eddie, The Bad News Bears) (50)
Marc Antoine (smooth jazz guitarist) (49)
Justin Kirk (actor, Andy Botwin on Weeds, Angels in America) (43)
Jesse Bradford (actor, Hackers, Romeo + Juliet, Swimfan, Flags of Our Fathers, Far From Home) (33)
Carey Mulligan (actress, Pride & Prejudice, Shame, Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps, Never Let Me Go, Drive) (27)

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:04:00 +0000

JENELLE EVANS DENIES PREGNANCY REPORTS: Jenelle Evans is denying reports that she's pregnant. The Teen Mom 2 star, who recently got engaged, has shot down a tabloid reported that she's expecting her second child at age 20. Jenelle responded to the rumor on Twitter, writing, "Maybe if I stop eating for a week my fiance would love me and I wouldn't be so [fat so] tabloids can stop saying I'm pregnant."

ALYSSA MILANO DIDN'T DATE JUSTIN THEROUX: Alyssa Milano has denied reports that Jennifer Aniston is dating her sloppy seconds. Entertainment Tonight reported that Milano and Aniston's current beau Justin Theroux were once an item, but Milano was quick to shoot the story down, tweeting, "Completely false." She added, "We were co-workers & great friends but never dated. He dated my best friend at the time. I love that guy." ET even corrected their item, tweeting back to the actress, "Thanks for the clarification! REDACTED!!!!!!"

AMBER PORTWOOD GOING BACK TO JAIL: Amber Portwood is heading back to jail. The Teen Mom star was sentenced to five years behind bars back in January for drug possession, but a judge offered to vacate the sentence if she successfully completed a drug rehab program. However Portwood hasn't been able to stay clean and admitted that in court on Wednesday. She told the judge she "couldn't stand the drug court program and wanted out." E! reported that Portwood will remain in jail until her sentencing in a few weeks.

ROB AND KRISTEN SHOW SOME PDA: Four years after Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewartreportedly hooked up on the set of Twilight, the couple is finally showing some real-life PDA. Pattinson was photographed kissing his on-off screen love after a showing of Stewart's film On the Road at the Cannes Film Festival. Check it out: http://bit.ly/KWVIzS

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:03:00 +0000

'AMERICAN IDOL' FINALE RATINGS DROP: Wednesday night marked American Idol's least-watched finale ever. The show averaged 20.7 million viewers -- down 30 percent in total viewers and more than 33 percent among adults 18-49. Despite the drop, it was still the most-watched show of the night -- and TV's most-watched entertainment show since the Oscars telecast in February.

LINDSAY LOHAN CO-STAR SET: Lindsay Lohan has landed a costar for Lifetime's Liz & Dick. GossipCop.com reported that Grant Bowler, who has appeared on True Blood and in Ugly Betty, will play Richard Burton. Lindsay, of course, is starring as Elizabeth Taylor.

ROB KARDASHIAN AND JOE JONAS AMONG MISS USA JUDGES: Rob Kardashian, Joe Jonasand former Bachelorette Ali Fedotowsky are among the judges for the Miss USA 2012 pageant. The annual competition, which takes place in Las Vegas on June 3rd, will be hosted by Andy Cohen andGiuliana Rancic. The winner then goes on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

EMMA STONE RECEIVING SPECIAL HONOR AT MTV AWARDS: Emma Stone will be the recipient of the first ever Trailblazer Award at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards next week. The award honors Stone's "ability to connect with fans whether she's starring in a comedy like Easy A or a drama such as The Help." She's also nominated for Best Female Performance for Crazy, Stupid, Love, Best Kiss for her smooch with Ryan Gosling, in addition to Best Cast for her work in The Help.

WILL SMITH REVEALS WHY HE LET WILLOW CUT HER HAIR

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:02:00 +0000

In an interview with Parade, Will Smith revealed why he decided to let his 11-year-old daughter Willow Smith, cut off all her hair. The Men In Black actor said, "When you have a little girl, it's like how can you teach her that you're in control of her body? If I teach her that I'm in charge of whether or not she can touch her hair, she's going to replace me with some other man when she goes out in the world. She can't cut my hair but that's her hair. She has got to have command of her body."

He continued, "So when she goes out into the world, she's going out with a command that it is hers. She is used to making those decisions herself. We try to keep giving them those decisions until they can hold the full weight of their lives."

Will also talked about keeping his children -- Willow and Jaden, grounded. He said, "The most difficult part of the whole thing is emotional management. To have them connect to the artistry of what they create rather than connecting to the success or the adoration. Jada and I have been talking a lot about pulling back during teenage years because they are very formative."
He continued, "In the middle of the Justin Bieber tour she saw a Russian ballerina or something and she was riveted. She wanted to go home and take ballet and it was like, 'No, honey, you have seven more tour dates.' [laughs] But now she is way gone on ballet. So it's the difficulty of letting the business go and let them develop in the way that is more natural for them."

PHILLIP PHILLIPS REPORTEDLY HAVING SURGERY WITHIN 10 DAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:01:00 +0000

American Idol champ Phillip Phillips will finally undergo surgery next week for his severe kidney stone problems. His condition worsened throughout the duration of the competition, but Phillips refused to seek the necessary treatment until the show was over.

TMZ.com reported that Phillips will undergo the surgery in Los Angeles within the next seven to ten days.

His family will reportedly be flying in to help him during the intense recovery period. Sources told TMZ that he'll remain hospitalized for several days after the procedure, and will need six weeks to get back to normal.

ROY OF SIEGFRIED AND ROY ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Roy Horn -- of Siegfried and Roy -- is caught up in a John Travolta-like scandal. Three physical therapy workers are accusing the Las Vegas showman of sexually assaulting them during treatment.

TMZ.com reported that a video has surfaced, showing Horn groping the employees during treatment. If you forgot, Roy was mauled by one of his tigers in 2003.

According to TMZ, the 2010 video shows Roy "shoving his hand into the man's butt crack in an aggressive manner" and "thrusting his rear end into the male caretaker's crotch."

He also allegedly grabs the caretakers' genitals and tweaks one of their nipples.

The three men in question have sued Roy in Nevada court, but say that after attempting to file a criminal report, they were told the one-year criminal statute of limitations had expired.

IS ALEC BALDWIN ELOPING IN EUROPE?

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:00 +0000

Alec Baldwin may be off the market sooner than we expected. The New York Post reported that the actor might tie the knot with fiance Hilaria Thomas in Europe after the Cannes Film Festival.

Baldwin is currently in the south of France working on a Cannes documentary, and has reportedly scheduled some time after the festival for "possible nuptials." Thomas was raised partly in Spain.

A source told the paper, "They've been telling people they'll be spending time in Europe, and there's speculation they're going to get married."

Baldwin is due back in the states for the majority of the summer, where he'll film Woody Allen's new movie with Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett.

Baldwin proposed to Thomas last month on Long Island.

FORMER NANNY SUES SHARON STONE

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:59:00 +0000

Sharon Stone is being sued by a former nanny, who claims the actress harassed her and eventually fired her after discovering she'd been paid for working overtime.

In the suit, Erlinda T. Elemen alleges that Stone was racist; insulting her accent and other elements of her Filipino heritage. Elemen, who was eventually promoted to live-in "head nanny" also claims that Stone prohibited her from reading the bible in the home.

According to the suit, Stone's accountants issued Elemen overtime payments for working on vacations and holidays -- but the actress never approved it, and fired Elemen after four years once she discovered the transactions.

Stone's publicist Paul Bloch responded, saying, "She is obviously looking for another opportunity to cash in. This is a frivolous lawsuit for absurd claims that are made-up and fabricated. Sharon Stone will be completely vindicated in court."

Elemen is seeking unspecified damages on harassment, wrongful termination and retaliation claims.

MOVIES PLAYING THIS WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:58:00 +0000

Opening today (May 25th) is the third installment of the Men in Black films from director Barry Sonnenfeld, Men in Black III, starring Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin and Emma Thompson. The film follows Agent J as he travels back in time to the 1960s to stop an alien from changing history by killing his friend and partner Agent K.

Men in Black III is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 1 hour and 44 minutes.

Opening today (May 25th) is the new horror film, Chernobyl Diaries, starring Ingrid Bolso Berdal, Devin Kelley, Jesse McCartney, Nathan Phillips and Olivia Taylor Dudley. The film follows a group of six young tourists who hire an 'extreme tour' guide and, ignoring warnings, go into the deserted city of Pripyat, the former home of the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor. The group finds themselves stranded and discover they are not alone.

Chernobyl Diaries is rated R and has a running time of 1 hour and 26 minutes.

Check out this week's movie trailers.

HEADLINE NEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:56:00 +0000

MAN ARRESTED IN 1979 NYC DISAPPEARANCE OF 6-YEAR-OLD ETAN PATZ: A 51-year-old New Jersey man was arrested for murder yesterday (May 24th) after he confessed to killing Etan Patz, the 6-year-old New York City boy whose 1979 disappearance gave rise to the missing children's movement. Pedro Hernandez, who was then a 19-year-old convenience store worker in Patz's Soho neighborhood, said he lured the boy from his school bus stop by promising him a soda and then strangled him in the store's basement. He told police he put Patz's body in some trash about a block from the store. New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said the body may have been picked up by sanitation crews with the trash, and it's possible the remains will never be found. Hernandez's motive isn't yet clear, but Kelly said they believe his story because of specific details he provided. After a search of a basement near Patz's home last month put the story back in the news, a tipster told police about Hernandez, who'd apparently told relatives as far back as 1981 that he had, quote, "done something bad" and killed a child in New York City. Hernandez is married with a teenage daughter, and has been collecting disability since a 1993 back injury after having worked in construction.

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD SAYS HAS MADE RUN-OFF IN EGYPT'S PREZ ELECTION: As the votes were counted in Egypt's first free presidential election after two days of voting, Reuters cited the Muslim Brotherhood as saying Friday (May 25th) that its candidate, Mohamed Mursi, had made it through to a run-off next month against former Air Force chief Ahmed Shafiq, who was deposed leader Hosni Mubarak's last prime minister. The run-off between the two top vote-getters is planned for mid-June. Official results are not due to be announced until next week, but representatives of the candidates are allowed to watch the count, enabling them to compile their own tally. According to the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood, with most of the vote counted, Mursi had 25 percent and Shafiq 23 percent, the top two of the 13 candidates. The election was held 15 months after Mubarak's ouster in a populist uprising after three decades of authoritarian rule. A military council has been in charge since, but has pledged to turn over power to the new president by July 1st.

TODAY'S FYI:

SPACEX'S DRAGON CAPSULE PASSES BY SPACE STATION AHEAD OF DOCKING: The world's first private space supply ship, California-based SpaceX's Dragon capsule, flew within 1.5 miles of the International Space Station Thursday (May 24th) in a practice flyby ahead of the docking with the orbiting outpost that's set for today. NASA and SpaceX said the test was a success and today's planned linkup is on schedule, when two of the six astronauts on the space station will use its robotic arms to grab the Dragon and attach it to the complex. The unmanned Dragon is carrying 1,000 pounds of food and other provisions for the space station.

FORMER TOP FOOTBALL PROSPECT EXONERATED AFTER JAIL FOR RAPE CONVICTION: A former Long Beach, California, high school football star whose college and potentially pro prospects were derailed by a rape conviction was exonerated Thursday (May 24th) after serving more than five years in prison when a judge threw out the charge. Brian Banks, who's now 26, pleaded no contest 10 years ago on the advice of his lawyer after a friend falsely accused him of raping her at their high school. The exoneration was set in motion when the woman, Wanetta Gibson, friended Banks on Facebook when he got out of prison and acknowledged during a meeting with him that she'd lied and offered to help him clear his record. Gibson didn't want to tell that to prosecutors, however, because she was worried that she'd have to give back a $1.5 million payment from a civil suit brought by her mother against Long Beach schools. But a second meeting between the two was secretly videotaped. Banks, who said he'd verbally agreed to attend USC on a scholarship when he was arrested, hopes to still be able to play professional football, although that's a long shot.

TEXAS 14-YEAR-OLD WINS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC BEE: A 14-year-old from Sugar Land, Texas, won the National Geographic Bee on Thursday (May 24th), taking the prize of a $25,000 college scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Eighth-grader Rahul Nagvekar was put over the top by answering the question: Which Bavarian city located on the Danube River was a legislative seat of the Holy Roman Empire from 1663 to 1806? He correctly answered: the German city of Regensburg to win the title. The contest was hosted by Jeopardy!'s Alex Trebek, and President Obama presented a question by video, asking the contenders: What Asian capital city on the Han River hosted a gathering of world leaders in March for a Nuclear Security Summit. The correct answer was Seoul, South Korea.

DOCTORS REPORT KIDS EATING COLORFUL LAUNDRY DETERGENT PACKETS: Doctors across the country are reporting that children are swallowing miniature laundry detergent packets that manufacturers recently debuted, confusing the small, brightly-colored packets with candy. Nearly 250 cases have been reported this year to poison control centers, and while none have been fatal, doctors say the symptoms they're seeing, including nausea and breathing problems, are more severe than is typical with detergent poisoning, although it's unclear why. The small packets, which are intended to be dropped into a washing machine, contain a single-use amount of detergent that dissolves in water.

CDC INFOGRAPHIC SHOWS HOW PORTION SIZES HAVE GROWN: With the country continuing to face an obesity epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has put out a new infographic that shows how portion sizes have increased over the past 50 years, as the average American has become 26 pounds heavier over the same period of time. According to the infographic: the average restaurant meal is four times larger now that it was in the 1950s; the average size of a hamburger has tripled from 3.9 ounces to 12 ounces; an average serving of fries has more than doubled from 2.4 ounces to 6.7 ounces, and an average soda has ballooned from 7 ounces to a whopping 42 ounces.

SPORTS:

TRIPLE CROWN CONTENDER'S TRAINER SUSPENDED: Doug O'Neill, the trainer for Triple Crown contender I'll Have Another, has been suspended 45 days and fined $15,000 on charges related to another horse, but the ban won't take effect until after I'll Have Another tries to win the Triple Crown in the Belmont Stakes on June 9th. O'Neill has denied giving one of his horses an illegal performance-enhancing mixture and California racing officials agreed after a nearly two-year legal battle, but still imposed punishment because of the rule that trainers are ultimately responsible for horses in their care. A hearing officer in the case agreed with O'Neill that his horse, Argenta, hadn't been fed a mixture of bicarbonate of soda, sugar and electrolytes -- what's called "milkshaking" -- to enhance performance and combat fatigue, even though the horse was found to have elevated levels of carbon dioxide.

NBA PLAYOFFS:

The Miami Heat defeated the Indiana Pacers 105-93 last night (May 24th) to win their Eastern Conference semifinals series 4 games to 2. Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 41 points and LeBron James had 28.

(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:53:00 +0000

CBS

UNDERCOVER BOSS (repeat)
CSI: NY (repeat)
BLUE BLOODS (repeat)

NBC

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE? (repeat)
GRIMM (repeat)
DATELINE NBC (repeat)

FOX

KITCHEN NIGHTMARES (repeat)

ABC

SHARK TANK (repeat)
PRIMETIME: WHAT WOULD YOU DO? (repeat)
20/20 (repeat)

NIKITA (repeat)
SUPERNATURAL (repeat)

DAY TIME TALK SHOW
THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Matt LeBlanc, Olivia Munn
THE VIEW - John Slattery, Train, guest co-host Donald Trump
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS
THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - Gen. Colin Powell, Greg Gadson, All American Rejects
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - (repeat)
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Jason Alexander, Angela Kinsey
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - Bill Hader, Kareem Abdul Jabbat, Joshua Topolsky, Lambchop
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)

SATURDAY

NBC

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (repeat)

SUNDAY

CBS

BLUE BLOODS (repeat)
THE GOOD WIFE (repeat)
NYC 22 (repeat)

NBC

HARRY'S LAW (repeat)
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (repeat)
AMERICA'S GOT TALENT (repeat)

FOX

NASCAR RACING - Sprint Cup: Coca-Cola 600

ABC

DUETS (repeat)
ROOKIE BLUE (repeat)

AMC

THE KILLING - Sarah moves unsteadily; Stan tries to make amends.
MAD MEN - Don's challenged by a pitch; Peggy considers a trip.

KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS - Kourt's grudge against Kris; Kendall and Kylie work for Seventeen Magazine.
MRS. EASTWOOD & COMPANY - Tyler puts Francesca in a bad situation; Dina dear Morgan's party mischief.

HBO

GAME OF THRONES - Tyrion and the Lannisters fight for their lives as Stannis' fleet attacks King's Landing.
VEEP - Selina tells Amy a secret while at a healthy eating event; Amy and Dan must entertain a group of elementary school children.
GIRLS - While at a party, Hannah learns Adam's main defining trait; Ray becomes Shoshanna's spirit guide.

VH1

MOB WIVES: CHICAGO - (series premiere) Nora returns to Chicago to investigate the mysterious circumstances about the burial of her father; Renee struggles with trust issues.

MONDAY

CBS

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER (repeat)
2 BROKE GIRLS (repeat)
TWO AND A HALF MEN (repeat)
MIKE & MOLLY (repeat)
HAWAII FIVE-0 (repeat)

NBC

AMERICA'S GOT TALENT - Hopefuls audition in Tampa, Florida.
AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR - The top 30 finishers from the Midwest preliminary round take on a more challenging course.
GRIMM (repeat)

FOX

HOUSE (repeat)

ABC

THE BACHELORETTE - Emily surprises Chris with a performance by Luke Bryan on their one on one date; Dolly Parton gives Emily and Arie a private concert at Dollywood.
CASTLE (repeat)

GOSSIP GIRL (repeat)
HART OF DIXIE (repeat)

BRAVO

BETHENNY EVER AFTER - (season finale) The Skinnygirl gang has a party; Bethenny and Jason move into their new apartment, but are sent packing again.

DAY TIME TALK SHOW
THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Ellie Kemper, Rufus Wainwright
THE VIEW - Bill Evans
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS
THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - TBA
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - TBA
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Benjamin McKenzie, Shohreh Aghdashloo
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - TBA
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)
THE DAILY SHOW WITH JON STEWART (COMEDY CENTRAL) - (repeat)
THE COLBERT REPORT (COMEDY CENTRAL) - (repeat)
CONAN - (repeat)

OFF BEAT BRIEFS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:53:00 +0000

WOMAN WITH PROFANE T-SHIRT REPRIMANDED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES PILOT: A woman arriving in Washington, D.C., on an American Airlines flight, was reprimanded by the pilot for wearing a T-shirt with the statement: "If I wanted the government in my womb, I'd f*** a senator." The unnamed woman said she had just landed when a stewardess told her the captain wanted to speak with her because of her "offensive" shirt. She was afraid that she'd miss her connecting flight while she spoke with the captain but said the airline called ahead to the other gate. Unfortunately, she explained, they called to warn them about her T-shirt not ask to them hold the flight. A spokesperson for the airline said, "The only reason she was asked to cover up her T-shirt was the appearance of the 'F-word' on the T-shirt. The [pro-choice] message is irrelevant to our policy and had no bearing in our crew's decision to ask her to cover up the F-word. The outcome would have been exactly the same had the message been anti-abortion." After she covered the word with a shawl, she was allowed to board a plane headed to her destination. (Daily Mail)

SUSPECT TRIED TO STEAL POLICE CLOCK: Police in Panama City, Florida said a man they arrested for possessing a stolen shopping cart tried to steal a clock from the police station while he was being interviewed. Police were responding to a call about an altercation between two men when they discovered the men had a shopping cart along with some other items the police suspected to be stolen. Both men were taken in but one of them, 34-year-old Michael Marquez, tried to steal a wall clock from an interview room at the police station. The two were charged with possession of the stolen cart and Marquez was charged with one count of petty theft. (UPI)

MEN DRIVE STOLEN VAN TO JAIL: Two men who were being driven in a church van to the San Joaquin County Jail in California high-jacked the vehicle on the way. Dave Kendall, with the Church of Christ Within in Stockton, said he agreed to take 55-year-old Cortez Craig and 31-year-old Cornell Moses to the jail to visit an inmate. Kendall said that on the way, the man grew angry with his scheduled stops. He said, "They were impatient so they decided to assault me and take the keys by force. They basically punched me in the head a few times, kicked me a few times, grabbed the keys and ran." The men drove the stolen van to the jail where they were arrested on felony carjacking charges. Detective Joe Silva said, "These criminals were not very smart..." Kendall, who was homeless for "the better part of thirty years" said the incident won't stop him from trying to help others, adding, "And if people are willing to help me, then I am willing to help people."

MAN WHO HONKED HORN AT COP FACES CHARGES: A 68-year-old man in Eslov, Sweden who honked his horn continuously at a police officer dealing with a robbery, faces charges and a fine. Authorities said the man started honking his horn when he noticed a double-parked car with the driver sitting inside and talking on the phone. Even when driver in the stopped car held a badge out of his window but the man continued to honk the horn. The plain clothes officer ended up walking over to the 68-year-old to show him his badge but the man remained unsatisfied. He later told police he didn't believe the out-of-uniform cop because "so many bad things happen in our society." He faces a charge of willfully honking his horn longer than deemed necessary and a fine of up to $70.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:51:00 +0000

AVERAGE PERSON DIETS FOR 14 YEARS? We are now spending four to five months a year trying to eat healthy. But we are mainly doomed to failure, with the average person in a new survey spending 14 years of their life counting calories. One in four people said images of thin celebrities made them want to diet and 66 percent said it was the thought of wearing skimpier clothes in the summer that motivated them to get into shape. The report noted that if the trend continues, as many as one in ten women will spend 18 years of their lives on a diet in the future. It is not just women who are obsessing about staying thin, either. One in three men are now spending around two to three months a year trying to lose weight in time for summer. (Daily Mail)

MEN WANT TO SLEEP WITH DUMB WOMEN: Men apparently prefer to have flings with women they consider "airheads" -- but that's not who they want to marry. In a new study, men rated 19 out of 22 traits such as stupidity, sleepiness or drunkenness as 'attractive.' In pictures, the dumb-looking and inert women were also perceived as being more attractive than their more lucid or intelligent-looking peers, but only when it came to short-term relationships. When the men were asked to judge the same liquored-up, silly-looking women in the photos as potential girlfriends and wives, they had entirely lost their appeal on them. (Jezebel.com)

'TWILIGHT' REPLACING RELIGION FOR TEENS? Teenagers are apparently swapping religion for movies when it comes to life's big questions. The Daily Mail reported that films like Twilight -- with their supernatural themes and 'immortal' characters -- are used by teens as a way to think about the 'big' questions of life and death, good and evil. Increasingly, young teenagers reject established religion - but the popularity of shows such as Twilight, True Blood and The Vampire Diaries shows that they are seeking 'the spiritual' elsewhere. Petersen from the Department of Media, Cognition and Communication at the University of Copenhagen said, "A film series like Twilight offers young people a playground for exploring life's big questions, moral judgment and to imagine the possibility of the supernatural in a pleasurable and informal fashion. The fictional worlds challenge their presuppositions about themselves and their surroundings." (Daily Mail)

AVERAGE PERSON: 9,672 LIFETIME AILMENTS: A new study found that respondents suffer 9,672 ailments and injuries in their lifetime -- and experience 124 incidents of ill health every year. They can also expect to endure at least three sore throats, four cases of heartburn and four "cricked necks" every 12 months. Additionally they will suffer five cuts, five cramps and six upset stomachs meaning they will be in some sort of pain almost once every three days. We can also expect to experience two shaving cuts and three stubbed toes annually, and we'll bite our tongue three times and lose our voice at least once. Need more? We'll also face 78 nosebleeds in our lifetime, trip over 234 times and suffer through 156 bouts of blisters. (Telegraph)

RESUME DON'TS (Yahoo!)

An objective or mission statement. There was a time when job-seekers were encouraged to spell out exactly what they were hoping for in a job, which is a useful exercise for the candidate but a waste of time for the employer. Why? The company is looking for someone who can meet its goals, not trying to figure out if they're able to meet yours. Go ahead and craft that mission statement -- but then leave it on your computer instead of putting it on your resume.

Personal information. There's no need to include your marital status, sexual preference, number of kids, religion, or political affiliation on your resume. If you have a blog, only include the URL if it's pertinent to the job. And don't ever include your driver's license number or your social security number; if your resume ends up in the trash, someone can use that information to impersonate you, and identify theft is not a good thing at all.

Salary requirements. Discussions about money are best left for much later in the employment process. If the job posting requires that you mention your salary range, keep it as broad as possible and be prepared to negotiate.

Unrelated experience or activities. Unless it's germane to the job you're applying for, your previous experience in unrelated fields, club or group affiliations, and a list of what you like to do in your spare time has no place on your resume.

Your weaknesses. Plenty of employers ask candidates about their perceived weaknesses, but you don't need to beat them to the punch. Focus on your strengths, and leave the trick-questions for the interview -- in person, you can provide a positive spin.

Don't use the same resume for every job application. It's important that you tailor your resume to fit the job for which you're applying. And if you're applying to several jobs within in same large company, it's essential. Different jobs require different skills, and even if you're applying for the same exact job at several places, each company is still different, so it's worth submitting a (slightly) different resume for each job.

Don't forget the cover letter. The cover letter is your chance to blow your own horn, tout your skills, and explain any puzzling parts of your resume. It's also a great place to show that you're already aware of how the industry -- and the company -- operates, and how you'd fit right in. It's your chance to show the company exactly what you can do for them. Don't forget to include one.

Don't just list your previous job titles and responsibilities. It's important to show a prospective employers how you sharpened your skills at previous jobs, and how those skills relate to the job you want. So list your past responsibilities, sure, but also list your achievements and the skills you honed along the way.

Don't forget to proofread. Proofreading means more than simply fixing spelling, punctuation, and grammar issues. Spellcheck can't tell the difference between "sew" and "so" or "too," "two," and "to" -- but an employer or recruiter sure can. And if you get the name of your contact person wrong, or address them as "Mr." instead of "Ms.," chances are that a recruiter will hit "delete" no matter how great a candidate you may be.

Don't embellish. If your resume makes the cut -- and that's the goal, right? -- a good employer is going to fact-check. It's easy to double check data online, and a quick phone call to a previous employer can bring truth to light pretty quickly. If you have a tricky situation that bears explaining, do it in the cover letter -- or, better yet, in person.

IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION

What percentage of women are okay with being taller than the man they are dating?

A: 4 percent

A study polled 382 undergrads, and found that though both genders prefer for the woman to be shorter than the man, women feel much more strongly about it. Twenty-three percent of men were up for a relationship in which the guy was the shorter party, but only 4% of women could say the same.

Source: Askmen.com

WATER COOLER TALK

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:50:00 +0000

Proposed N.Y. Law Takes Aim at Internet 'Trolling'

New York state seems to be looking to follow in the footsteps of Arizona, which earlier this year passed legislation that essentially made Internet "trolling" illegal. Proposed legislation in New York, called the Internet Protection Act, would require authors of offensive anonymous comments on posts to either identify themselves when asked or have their comments removed. The bill's sponsors say the measure is meant to combat cyber-bullying and business competitors posting false, negative posts to hurt rivals, but it's come under strong criticism, with opponents citing free speech rights and noting that it would be virtually impossible to police the law.

TV Networks Sue Dish Network Over Commercial-Skipping Service

TV networks Fox, NBC and CBS sued satellite TV provider Dish Network Thursday (May 24th) over its service that offers TV shows with the commercials skipped. Meanwhile, Dish filed a suit of its own seeking judicial approval of its "AutoHop" ad-skipping technology. Dish launched the service earlier this month, called Primetime Anytime, that offers the last eight days of prime time programming from the four major broadcast networks -- ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox -- with the commercials stripped out. Dish maintains that the service is, quote, "user-enabled" and is basically no different from consumers using their DVRs to skip ads themselves, but the networks disagree. NBCUniversal said in a statement, "Dish simply does not have the authority to tamper with the ads from broadcast replays on a wholesale basis for its own economic and commercial advantage."

New Orleans' 'Times-Picayune' to Have Print Editions Just Three Times a Week

The Times-Picayune of New Orleans, one of the nation's oldest newspapers, established in 1837, announced yesterday (May 24th) that staring this fall it will no longer offer daily print editions and will switch to having printed issues just three days a week. The change will make New Orleans the largest metropolitan area in the country without a daily printed newspaper. The Times-Picayune will continue to publish continuously online, however, with no charge for access. The Times-Picayune won a Pulitzer Prize for its coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when staffers continued reporting despite being forced out of the newspaper's offices by the widespread flooding and power outages. Three days' issues were only published online before they managed to get print editions out again.

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Carrie Underwood is still fielding questions about whether she and her husband, Mike Fisher, plan to have kids anytime soon. Carrie has had the same answer for the past year-plus, which remains the same today. She tells us: "I don't know . . . I feel like I've said it so many times, like, 'Not right now, not right now, not right now, not right now.' I guess maybe people are just expecting me to like one day say, 'Yes, we would love to have babies now!' But that's not gonna happen anytime soon. We have our dogs. We love them. We're really happy with our little family right now."
Carrie adds that the press' constant search for a "baby bump" is growing tiresome, not to mention, offensive. "I mean, I feel like we haven't been married two years. I don't feel like there's any pressure on us and neither does Mike because all we do is, 'No, no!' It is annoying when if I wear a dress or something and I'm not like standing up straight or I'm not sucking in or my Spanx weren't tight enough or whatever it is (laughs) if somebody's trying to point out a bump, cause that just makes any lady feel bad about herself."

Carrie will head to the UK for a string of concert dates beginning on June 21st in London.
The North American Blown Away tour will begin on September 14th in Manchester, New Hampshire.

CHECK IT OUT

How To Fix A Sticky Social Situation: http://tinyurl.com/cxuc7st

Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw's Brothers of the Sun tour is no small operation. The 21-stadium tour, which kicks off June 2nd in Tampa, Florida, will have traveled more than 19,458 miles by tour's end in August. Those miles will be traveled over 88 touring days with 20 buses and more than 80 tractor trailers.

Kenny said, "It doesn't seem that long ago when it was just 14 of us crammed into a 12-bunk bus we called 'the iron lung,' 'cause it leaked diesel fumes inside the bus. There weren't enough bunks for everybody so we took turns sleeping on the couch and floor, but we were living our dream and having fun. And even though we have a lot more stuff now, we're still having a blast and just as passionate about playing music and taking it out to the fans, whether it be in a club or stadium."
Tim added, "It's been a lot of fun rehearsing in Nashville, but rehearsals are over. It's time to pack the trucks and head to Tampa. I'm pretty sure there are towns in Louisiana with smaller populations than we have on our road crew. It takes a village and a lot of hard work by a lot of people, but I'm just excited for the fans because we've got one hell of a show planned for them!"
Here are more fast facts about the Brothers of the Sun tour:

The 283-member tour crew will be fed by a traveling catering staff that will serve three hot meals a day.
Almost 3,200 meals will be prepared for the tour in the five days surrounding the opening show in Tampa.
Show day also includes the "Stage Bar & Grill," which serves hamburgers and hot dogs on stage from 10 am until 9 pm.
Grill chefs include the stage manager, truck drivers and members of Chesney's band.
Over the course of the tour, more than 50,000 bottles of water will be consumed by the full production team, with the bottles recycled by the end of the tour.
Having stadium shows on both Saturdays and Sundays requires two teams to build and tear down the massive staging -- from start to finish, each team will spend 91 hours at each stadium.
Staging for both Kenny and Tim's set includes an LED video wall with nearly 2,400,000 pixels for sharpness and clarity.
Lighting for Kenny's set includes 80 strobes and 48 Syncrolites that are placed throughout the stadium to send five foot diameter beams of light criss-crossing the night sky.
The Brothers of the Sun tour will wrap on August 25th with the second of two shows at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

FAST FACTS

Opening acts on the tour are Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Jake Owen.

Scotty McCreery helped surprise Lauren Alaina's fans during her performance in Los Angeles at the Greek Theatre on Tuesday (May 22nd) night where she opened for Sugarland. Scotty and Lauren performed Keith Whitley's "When You Say Nothing at All."
Scotty was in Los Angeles to perform on Tuesday (May 22nd) and Wednesday's (May 23rd) final episodes of American Idol.
Lauren thanked Scotty on Twitter writing, "@ScottyMcCreery it was great to see you last night(: thanks for coming ad singing with me! You sounded great as always."

Lauren and Scotty were last year's American Idol runner up and winner, respectively.
Lauren will perform at the Grand Ole Opry on June 8th.
She will perform on the main stage at LP Field in Nashville during CMA Music Festival on June 7th.

CHECK IT OUT

Making music that's believable -- and being believable as an artist -- is very important to Kelly Clarkson. Kelly especially appreciates the realness of some of country music's biggest stars, as she tells us: "I think the cool thing about country music, and not even just country music but just powerful women, you know, like Reba or Trisha or Dolly or Loretta or Annie Lennox or Whitney Houston, like, all these women, it's more than just music. It's just . . . I don't know, it's like a . . . you believe in it. You believe in all those artists. And it's . . . I love that. Believability is my favorite thing in an artist, regardless of what genre, you know, you're singing. I just . . . I want to believe what you're singin', and those women all have helped me."

Kelly recently released a country version of her Top 10 pop hit, "Mr. Know It All."
She appears on the new ABC singing competition series, Duets, which premieres tonight (Thursday, May 24th) at 8 p.m. ET. The show also stars Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, Robin Thickeand John Legend.

FAST FACTS

Kelly is dating Reba McEntire's stepson, Brandon Blackstock, who happens to manage Blake Shelton.
Kelly is managed by Reba's husband, Narvel Blackstock.

The Country Music Association and ABC Television Network have announced that the 46th Annual CMA Awards will air on Thursday, November 1st at 8 p.m. ET. The show will air live from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville.
Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Toby Keith, Willie Nelson, Pistol Annies, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perryand Hank Williams, Jr. have all been added as performers at the 2012 CMT Music Awards. The show will air live from Nashville on June 6th on CMT and cmt.com at 8 p.m. ET. Toby Keith and actress Kristen Bell will co-host the fan-voted awards show. Previously announced performers include Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood and Zac Brown Band. Fans can vote online at CMT.com, and on their mobile device at CMT Mobile or the CMT Insider app available on iPhone, iPad and Android now through June 4th to determine the winners.
Jake Owen and Florida Georgia Line have officially joined the line-up of performers for the 8th Annual Stars For Second Harvest benefit, taking place on Tuesday, June 5th at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. The fundraiser will also feature songwriters Dallas Davidson, Rodney Clawson and Craig Wiseman, the latter of whom will host the show for the 8th year. Concert tickets are on sale now for $50.00 and $35.00 via ticketmaster.com, ryman.com or by phone 800-745-3000. Proceeds from the concert to benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in their efforts to feed hungry people and work to solve hunger issues in our community.

Trace Adkins welcomed Fleet Week to New York City yesterday (Wednesday, May 23rd) aboard the U.S.S. Wasp as he greeted the ship's crew. Last night, Trace performed a free concert for sailors at the Hard Rock Cafe New York in Times Square. Nearly 6,000 military personnel, including U.S. Navy sailors, U.S. Marine Corps personnel and sailors from U.S. Coast Guard, descended on the Big Apple to mark Fleet Week's 25th anniversary.
Tonight (Thursday, May 24th), Trace will perform the national anthem to kick off the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum's 21st annual "Salute to Freedom" dinner, where Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffordswill be among those honored. Trace and his full band will also perform for those gathered aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, on Pier 86 in Manhattan.
On Sunday (May 27th) night, Trace will perform during the National Memorial Day Concert, which will air live on PBS from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol from 8 to 9:30 p.m. ET. The event honors the service and sacrifice of all our men and women in uniform, their families at home and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Co-hosted for the seventh year by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna (Criminal Minds) and Emmy Award-winner Gary Sinise (CSI: New York), the all-star line-up will also include Colin L. Powell USA (Ret.), Daughtry, Natalie Cole, Selma Blair, Ellen Burstyn, Dennis Franz, and Russell Watson.
The National Memorial Day Concert will also be sent to troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network.
FAST FACTS

Trace was awarded the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in October.
He has performed 7 USO tours overseas and recorded several tribute songs, including "Arlington," "'Til The Last Shot's Fired" (with the West Point Cadet Glee Club) and "Semper Fi," which appears on his current album, Proud To Be Here.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. Which artist has a tattoo of the Miami Dolphins' logo?
A. Darius Rucker

ON THE TUBE

THEM IDIOTS WHIRLED TOUR/CMT 8:00PM (ET)
Jeff Foxworthy, Bill Engvall, Larry the Cable Guy

INTRODUCING: SCOTTY McCREERY/GAC 8:00PM (ET)

RON WHITE'S COMEDY SALUTE TO THE TROOPS/CMT 10:00PM (ET)

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Billy Gilman (24)
Rosanne Cash (57)
Gary Burghoff (actor, M*A*S*H's Corporal Walter "Radar" O'Reilly) (69)
Tommy Chong (comedian, from the Cheech & Chong movies) (74)
Bob Dylan (legendary folk singer) (71)
Patti LaBelle (singer) (68)
Priscilla Presley (Elvis Presley' ex-wife, actress) (67)
Kristin Scott Thomas (actress, The Horse Whisperer, The English Patient) (52)
Dash Mihok (actor, The Perfect Storm, The Guru, The Day After Tomorrow) (38)
Jim Broadbent (actor, The Crying Game, the Bridget Jones movies, Moulin Rouge!, Gangs Of New York, The Chronicles Of Narnia) (63)
Alfred Molina (actor, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, Species, Spider-Man 2's Doctor Octopus, The Da Vinci Code) (59)
John C. Reilly (actor, Boogie Nights, The Perfect Storm, Gangs Of New York, Chicago, The Aviator) (47)
Rich Robinson (guitarist, the Black Crowes) (43)
Rosanne Cash (country singer, daughter of Johnny Cash) (57)
Bryan Greenberg (actor, How to Make it in America, Bride Wars, Prime, The Good Guy, October Road, One Tree Hill) (34)

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:07:00 +0000

ALISON BRIE DATING JAMES FRANCO'S BROTHER: Alison Brie is reportedly dating James Franco's younger brother Dave. Us Weekly reported that the Community star, 29, and Franco, 26, have been together for "at least five or six months." Dave is also an actor and last appeared in 21 Jump Street.

JOHNNY AND VANESSA ARE WORKING OUT THEIR ISSUES: Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradisare reportedly mending their relationship after months of split rumors. Depp recently made a rare comment about his personal life -- denying the rumors -- but they were widely believed as the couple of 14 years hadn't been spotted together in months. Now, a source told E!, "For the first time in a long time, he is talking about. They both want to make it work." Depp has been filming The Lone Ranger in New Mexico, but returning to L.A. most weekends to be with Paradis and the couple's two children.

ANNE'S EX GETTING RELEASED AND DEPORTED: Anne Hathaway's ex-boyfriend is about to go free after spending four years behind bars for wire fraud, money laundering and conspiracy. The New York Post reported that Raffaello Follieri, who pled guilty to 14 charges against him in 2008, will face deportation to his native Italy when he is released today. Anne and Raffaello dated for four years, but split in 2008, just months before his arrest. She's now engaged to Adam Shulman.

LANE GARRISON PLEADS NOT GUILTY: Lane Garrison was in court on Wednesday, where he pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor domestic violence. Last month the actor was arrested for allegedly attacking his ex Ashley Mattingly -- just six days before his parole stemming from a vehicular manslaughter conviction was set to end. He's next due in court on July 11th and could face over a year behind bars if he's found guilty -- and determined to have violated parole.

KRISTIN DAVIS AND AARON SORKIN? Kristin Davis is reportedly dating The Social Networkscreenwriter Aaron Sorkin. A source told EOnline.com, "It's been going on for around six weeks. They are really happy. They have actually known each other a while through mutual friends and would sometimes bump into one another at industry events, but it has only just turned into something more." Sorkin was married to Julia Bingham from 1996 to 2005 and has been romantically linked to Kristin Chenoweth. Davis has never been married, but recently adopted a daughter.

UKRAINIAN REPORTER APOLOGIZES FOR KISSING WILL SMITH:

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:06:00 +0000

Ukranian reporter Vitalii Sediuk -- who kissed Will Smith at a red carpet event, has apologized for the stunt. He told HipHollywood.com, "I do apologize for my behavior ... I think it was too much. Will Smith is a person who I deeply respect as an actor ... When I met him in Moscow, I wanted to do something to impress him."

In an interview with Dave Letterman, Will Smith said about the incident, "I was in Moscow [and] we were doing an interview and [The journalist] says 'Im your biggest fan, can I have a hug?' So I go to give this joker a hug and he tries to like lean in to kiss me [...] its just awkward Dave." He continued, "They were saying, 'We're sorry, that's just his schtick'. And I said 'Well that's why his ass got schtuck."

In other news, Will confirmed that a Bad Boys III is in the works. He said on 106 & Park, "I talked to Martin [Lawrence] about that a couple of weeks ago. Martin is into it and we got a couple of screenplays and the story's gotta be right."

CHECK IT OUT

Ukrainian reporter apologizes for kissing Will Smith: http://tinyurl.com/d3acnoy

'BIG BANG THEORY' STAR JIM PARSONS: 'I'M GAY'

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:05:00 +0000

The Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons has opened up about his sexuality, confirming to the New York Times that he is gay. In a new profile, Times writer Patrick Healy noted, "Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship."

The identity of Parsons' partner was not revealed, nor did he offer any other details about his personal life.

Out.com said that like many others in show business, Parsons "has lived as a gay man in his private life, but in his professional public life he skirted the issue."

CHERYL COLE BEING COURTED FOR 'AMERICAN IDOL'?

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:05:00 +0000

The producers of American Idol are reportedly courting Cheryl Cole to join the program as a judge. Cheryl, as most remember, was the British export Simon Cowell hired for X Factor -- and then booted during the early auditions in favor of Nicole Scherzinger.

The New York Post reported that Cole would be a fourth judge on the panel -- assuming that Jennifer Lopez remains. Lopez has denied rumors that she's definitely leaving, but hasn't committed to another season.

A source told the paper, "It will be interesting to see how Jennifer deals with another beautiful woman sitting alongside her."

However the addition of Cole could also act as a replacement if Lopez does indeed leave.

MICHAEL MCKEAN RECOVERING AFTER GETTING HIT BY CAR

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:04:00 +0000

Actor Michael McKean is in the hospital after getting hit by a car in New York on Tuesday (May 22nd). The 64-year-old, best known for his roles in movies like Best In Show and TV's Laverne and Shirley, was struck after two cars collided -- one of which then hit him.

McKean was rushed to the hospital in critical condition, but his condition was soon upgraded to stable. Doctors also discovered that he had a broken leg from the accident.
His publicist said, "He'll be okay, hopefully he'll be fine. It's pretty devastating."

McKean's wife, actress Annette O'Toole, flew from Los Angeles to be with her husband, who had been starring on Broadway in Gore Vidal's The Best Man.

His publicist added, "It's the first time he will have ever missed a curtain in his entire life. He's never missed stage, screens in film or television. His understudy has never gone on in 40-plus years."

HOLLYWOOD NEWS

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:03:00 +0000

INJURED 'TRANSFORMERS' EXTRA SETTLES FOR $18.5 MILLION: A movie extra who was critically injured on the set of Transformers 3 is receiving an $18.5 million settlement. Gabriela Cedillo sued Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Studios after suffering a serious head injury during a stunt for the film in 2010. Cedillo was driving her own car, when a cable connecting two stunt vehicles snapped and struck her in the head. TMZ reported that the studios tried to avoid paying her medical bills, leading to the suit.
PATRICIA HEATON GETS WALK OF FAME STAR: Patricia Heaton is the latest celeb to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The actress was joined by her former TV husbands Ray Romano andNeil Flynn for the honor, which she received on Tuesday. The actress said upon accepting, "I'm overwhelmed. I came to Hollywood 20 years ago at the age of 30. I had no agent and no manager. . . God opened a door for me and by God I mean Ray Romano."
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS TAPPED FOR 'CONFEDERACY': Zach Galifianakis will reportedly star in the movie adaptation of A Confederacy of Dunces. Vulture reported that The Hangover star will play Ignatius J. Reilly, the "lovably insufferable vagabond philosopher" in the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. Several adaptations have been attempted, with stars such as John Candy and Chris Farley attached, but they never materialized.
HEIDI KLUM RELEASES MUSIC VIDEO: Heidi Klum has temporarily morphed into a rock star. The supermodel starred in a "one-off" music video for a single called "Turn Up The Night," in which she provocatively dances on a pole while wearing a leather harness. Check it out:

JILLIAN MICHAELS IS A MOTHER OF TWO

noreply@blogger.com (Jessi) — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:02:00 +0000

Jillian Michaels is finally a mother. The former Biggest Loser trainer, who has been open about her lengthy adoption process, recently brought home a two-year-old daughter named Lukensia from Haiti. She also revealed a second child -- telling People magazine that her partner Heidi Rhoades gave birth to a son, Phoenix, on May 3rd.

She told the magazine, "We're swimming in babies over here."

Ironically, Rhoades gave birth to Phoenix during the same week Michaels brought home Lukensia.

As for how she's copying with the sudden surge of motherhood? Michaels said, "I don't even answer email. I don't have time to care about anything else. I want to be really present and enjoy all the nuances of their growth and development. I don't want to rush any of it."

CHECK IT OUT: Jillian with her babies: http://bit.ly/KyeOKN