Spirit FM Morning Show

Jeff Chandler with Jim & Karen

2009-08-06T17:34:00.005-05:00

Jeff Chandler joined Jim & Karen on Spirit FM...what a great time! You can get Jeff's CD at Best Buy, Family Christian Stores, Amazon or on his My Space page!

Check out Jim & Karen's conversation with Jeff Chandler...

TODAY IS MONDAY - AUGUST 3, 2009

2009-08-02T20:39:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

THIS IS YOUR LIFE:The underroar of the flip-flops was back this past weekend I Columbia at the Walm-Mart…indicating that MU students arae returning just like the swallows to Capastrano!

GREAT WESBITE FOR MOMS : Tips and tools to help parents help their kids succeed in school. A panel of “real” moms and has lots of videos, articles, blogs, etc. that can be a big help during the school year! How to keep kids organized, setting a new bedtime, helping with the first day jitters and a lot more.

Which do you prefer a manual toothbrush or an electrict toothbrush? One could be better than the other!

It's possible to brush your teeth effectively with a manual toothbrush. But an electric toothbrush can be a great alternative to a manual toothbrush, especially if you have arthritis or other conditions that make it difficult to brush well. The bristle movement of an electric toothbrush might even help you remove more plaque from your teeth and improve your gum health. If you choose to invest in an electric toothbrush, look for one that's comfortable to hold and easy to use. A rotating-oscillating head is best. Other specific features, such as adjustable power levels, timers and rechargeable batteries, are up to you. What's most important is regular brushing, whether you choose a manual toothbrush or an electric toothbrush, and daily flossing.

TODAY IS:
Today is National Watermelon Day.

Single Working Women's Week begins today.

The annual Chocolate Festival is this week in St. Stephen, New Brunswick. For six days they eat, drink, and breath chocolate. After six days of chocolate, I would turn into a (5-foot-10, 180-pound) zit!

The annual Dog Obedience Championships are this month in Los Angeles. They wouldn't take my dog, Buddy . On his aptitude test my dog showed talent for only two things: barking at the wind -- and scooting across the carpet.

Christopher Columbus set sail on this date in 1492 to prove the world was round. And today, the world is still round. It's all that junk food. Actual, in those days, everybody thought the world was flat. Now, thanks to OPEC, it finally is.

This is National Smile Week, a time to look on the bright side of things. So go ahead, smile right now…before you hear the rest of this morning show and may not feel smiling later.

National Chigger Week begins today. A chigger is a tiny red bug that likes to bury up in your leg and have you for lunch. And dinner and breakfast.

Chiggers are so sneaky you don't even know they're eating you until after two or three meals. You'd think by now somebody would have invented a chigger alarm.

IN THE NEWS:

The X Games were going on in L.A. BMX racers, skateboarders, and motocross dudes all competing. I love watching people test the limits of their bodies and these dudes would have to be seriously athletic to do everything they do. The only event I don’t like is when the skateboarders grind down the stair rail. It makes a very annoying sound. It’s like Jessica Simpson. Very annoying.

Graduate Sues Her College Because She Can’t Find A Job
Trina Thompson gave it the old college try, but couldn't find work. Now she thinks her sheepskin wasn't worth her time, and is suing her alma mater for her money back.
The Monroe College grad wants the $70,000 she spent on tuition because she hasn't found gainful employment since earning her bachelor's degree in April, according to a suit filed in Bronx Supreme Court on July 24.

The 27-year-old alleges the business-oriented Bronx school hasn't lived up to its end of the bargain, and has not done enough to find her a job.

The information-technology student blames Monroe's Office of Career Advancement for not providing her with the leads and career advice it promised.

"They have not tried hard enough to help me," the frustrated Bronx resident wrote about the school in her lawsuit.

Iraq’s First Christian Radio Station is Taking Off!
Dramatic news out of Iran this weekend. More than 3,000 Reformers arrested. Some 600 wounded. Conflicting reports about deaths. Some say at least 19 have been killed by the security forces. CNN has unconfirmed reports put the number of deaths at 150.

But this isn’t the only story of revolution in the region. What the media isn’t telling you is that the Revivalists are moving powerfully to share the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout the Muslim world.

Last month, for example, the Kurdish government of Iraq in May gave permission for a Christian radio station that The Joshua Fund helped finance to officially begin broadcast operations. The establishment of such a station owned and operated by Iraqi followers of Jesus Christ is really an historic development in the history of Christianity in the land once called Babylonia, and we are deeply grateful for your prayerful and financial support in making this happen.

The station is operating on 97.1 FM in Erbil and has a translator station operating on 104.7 FM in the city of Kirkuk, a city of about 850,000. Each transmitter operates at 250 watts. That station — which can be heard throughout the Kurdish region and thus by more than two million people — is broadcasting Christian music, original and previously-produced educational programs, original and previously-produced cultural programs, Bible reading programs and radio dramas based on the Bible. All of this is in the Kurdish and Arabic languages.

“Growing up under the tyranny of Saddam Hussein, we never thought we would see the day when we who love Jesus could run a radio station in Iraq,” the station manager told a TJF staffer. “We are excited to see how the Lord will use us to bless the Iraqi people, and particularly the Kurdish people. Please be praying for us that the Lord’s favor would be with us and we would make a real impact in people’s lives here.”

Magnetic Signs For Teens Who Have Just GottenTheir Driver’s License
There is no easy cure for teenage traffic deaths and injuries, but Susan Kessler believes she has at least come up with a way to help limit the carnage: When a new driver gets behind the wheel, just slap a temporary warning sign on the car.

Kessler has developed signs for teens with learner permits and first-year licenses. They are attached magnetically to the car's sheet metal and display the words "Caution Newly Licensed."

It's not hard to imagine the signs being a nightmare to teens obsessed with what their peers think. But, Kessler, a Kennesaw, Georgia, mother of six, says the real horror is out on the highway: thousands of young people are killed and injured in traffics every year.

More than 15,000 of people have ordered the signs since Kessler and a group of other moms introduced them four years ago.

Parents can mount one on the trunk when a teenager takes off in the family car and remove it when he or she returns home. Once other drivers see it, they presumably exercise extra caution and create a "protective bubble" around the new driver, or so the thinking runs. AOL Autos: Rules for safe driving

4500 Year Old Skeleton Found on Beach in Rome – I didn’t even know Joan Rivers was traveling recently..did you?
A well-preserved 4,500-year-old skeleton of a man was found on a beach south of Rome, Italian police told Reuters.

The man is believed to be a warrior killed by an arrow in the chest, Reuters reported.

Six small vases were also found buried near the man.

"We thought it was that of a Roman solider, but then the experts identified it as dating back to the third millennium B.C.," said Raffaele Mancino, an official who oversees Italy's cultural heritage.

The skeleton was discovered during a routine air patrol of areas of archaeological interest.

Twenty Blind People Test Drive Car
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Several blind people were able to get behind the wheel of a new high-tech vehicle designed by Virginia Tech engineering students.

Twenty blind people took turns maneuvering the retrofitted dune buggy Friday in a parking lot at the University of Maryland. The test drive capped a National Federation for the Blind summer camp for 200 blind youth from across the country.

Virginia Tech was the only university to take on a 2004 challenge from the federation to build a vehicle that could let blind people drive.

The buggy they designed uses a laser sensor to figure out the road ahead. A special vibrating vest worn by drivers communicates speed and warns when to stop. And a headset relays voice commands signaling which way to turn.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - JULY 29, 2009

2009-07-28T18:27:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

One of world’s best kayakers has just set an unofficial new world record.
The Daily Mail says 22-year-old Montana native TYLER BRADT just took his kayak over Palouse (puh-loose) Falls in eastern Washington state. That’s a 186-foot drop! The fall itself only took about 4-seconds, but Bradt reached speeds of around 100 miles-per-hour.

The only injury he suffered was a sprained wrist and a broken paddle. The record is expected to be confirmed by the Guinness Book soon. The previous world record was set just a few weeks ago by PEDRO OLIVIA when he plunged 127-feet over a waterfall in Brazil. You can watch the video on YouTube…..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QSkyB3e474

What Can Blue M & Ms Do For Spinal Cord Injuries?

The food dye that gives blue M&Ms their colour can help mend spinal injuries, researchers have claimed after tests on rats.

The compound Brilliant Blue G blocks a chemical that kills healthy spinal cord cells around the damaged area - an event that often causes more irreversible damage than the original injury.

BBG not only reduced the size of the lesion but also improved the recovery of motor skills, the rodent tests showed.

Those treated with BBG were later able to walk, although with a limp. Rats that did not receive the BBG solution never regained the ability to walk.

On the downside, the treatment causes the skin to temporarily turn bright blue and BBG needs to be injected soon after the trauma. The test injections were given within 15 minutes.

More tests will be needed to prove the safety of BBG before human clinical trials can begin.

But researchers are optimistic new treatments for acute spinal cord injuries could emerge in the next few years.

FAITH GYM Opens in the MidWest

BARBERTON, OHIO: The doors of the old church at Third Street Northwest and Paige Avenue have reopened, but for a different kind of congregation.

The building now houses Faith Gym, offering hope for a different kind of resurrection of the body.

Barberton developer Al Horvath of Ohio Realty Consultants Inc. converted the abandoned church along Lake Anna into a fitness center for everyone from the beginner, who has never exercised to the competitive athlete.

Horvath, 41, calls himself a ''small-time developer'' and a ''risk taker,'' with an ''all-or-nothing mentality.''

This is the eighth building Horvath has remodeled in downtown Barberton. Some of the other businesses include a coffee shop, barber shop, flower shop, Lake Anna After Dark night club and the 42nd Step Party Center.

He said he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the building when he bought it in 2005. The building was for sale after the former Moore Memorial United Methodist Church merged with another Methodist church and moved out.

Horvath said he has been working on the project as money became available. He has spent just under $1 million.

It was important, Horvath said, to keep the building's religious theme. The original stained-glass windows, installed when the church was built in 1892, remain.

He added the murals painted on the ceiling in the main lobby area depicting familiar Bible story figures, including Noah's Ark, Sampson and Delilah, Adam and Eve and David and Goliath.

Bible verses and other sayings having to do with the word ''faith'' adorn the walls of the second-floor hallway.

The cross on the altar also was kept and moved to the wall of a stairwell.
Obviously, some changes were required.

The pews — donated to a church in Kentucky gutted by fire — have been replaced with rows of workout equipment.

Horvath created a Superman theme for the former sanctuary area. A Superman figure opening his shirt and displaying the big ''S'' stands in the forefront of a telephone booth when you first enter the main room.

Membership is $35 per month.

Support Site For Pastors’ Wives
http://pwr.nazarene.org/

PoWeR— the Pastors' Wives Resources website provides resources for the parsonage family. It is also a place where you will find a common bond with those who constantly face the joy and challenges of parsonage life They even want you to submit your stories and experiences and welcome pastors to visit as well!

Texting While Driving More Dangerous For Truckers

Truckers who text while driving are 23 times more likely to crash or get into a near-wreck than an undistracted driver, while car drivers face the greatest danger when dialing their cell phones, a transportation study found.

"From the study that we did, we found that it was almost five seconds out of a six-second window that we were looking at that the driver's eyes were off the forward roadway, so that's a tremendous amount of time driving at highway speeds and a lot of opportunity in that period of time to get into trouble."

If a highway driver takes his eyes off the road for even 4.6 seconds, it "equates to a driver traveling the length of a football field at 55 mph without looking at the roadway."

Because of the increased dangers associated with cell phone use while driving, the Virginia institute suggests that drivers avoid using phones while driving, even if they are communicating with a hands-free phone, which lessens risk, the news release said.

Researchers also recommend that newly licensed teen drivers not use phones while driving and that texting be banned.

HOMESCHOOLED JONAS BROTHERS AT ROCK THE RIVER ST. LOUIS THIS WEEKEND

If you have teenage or tween-aged girls in your household, you have no doubt heard of the Jonas Brothers. Even if you don’t have musical girls with talent in your household, the Jonas Brothers’ popularity is such that you probably know who they are. But, there may be some things you don’t know about them.

Kevin, Joe & Nick Jonas are coming to St. Louis Tuesday, July 28 to the Scottrade Center. If you don’t have your tickets yet, there may still be some available.

The Jonas Brothers are well known for their Disney connection & have made movies and recordings. But, did you know that they were homeschooled in a Christian household, have written Christian praise music, wear purity rings & know firsthand what Type I diabetes is like? Or, did you know that the oldest brother, Kevin – age 21, just announced his engagement to marry his girlfriend. Jonas Brother’s mother, Denise, gave an interview earlier this year with Homeschool.com blog. In the interview, she answers pointed questions directed about homeschooling. If you miss the Jonas Brothers’ concert or are looking for some more high energy music with a Christian message, don’t miss Rock The River, touring up the Mississippi River. It will be in St. Louis on August 2 at the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. Rock The River is a Billy (and his son, Franklin) Graham ministry. The event begins at 2:30-9:30 with the grounds opening at 1:00. It is a free event. Bring lawnchairs or blankets. Plan on hearing some great performers. Included are: Flyleaf, Kirk Franklin, Red, Canton Jones, Hawk Nelson, Lecrae, Skillet & action sports JSAW.

For an even more enjoyable time, get a group of homeschoolers together to attend either event – or both. You’re sure to be more than entertained. In the case of the Jonas Brothers, you will be encouraged to watch the rewards and results of homeschooling in a Christian family. In the case of Rock The River, you’re sure to be inspired to continue living a pure and powerful life or to make desirable changes in the way you currently live that will be sure to impact those who are important to you in your family and friends.

Who are some famous home schooled kids? The list is quite impressive!

PRESIDENTS…
John Adams
• John Quincy Adams
• Grover Cleveland
• James Garfield
• William Henry Harrison
• Andrew Jackson
• Thomas Jefferson
• Abraham Lincoln
• James Madison
• Franklin Delano Roosevelt
• Theodore Roosevelt
• John Tyler
• George Washington
• Woodrow Wilson
Statesmen
• Konrad Adenauer
• Henry Fountain Ashurst
• William Jennings Bryan
• Winston Churchill
• Henry Clay
• Pierre du Pont
• Benjamin Franklin
• Alexander Hamilton
• Patrick Henry
• William Penn
• Daniel Webster
Military Leaders
• John Barry - Senior Navy Officer
• Stonewall Jackson - Civil War General
• John Paul Jones - Father of the American Navy
• Robert E. Lee - Civil War General
• Douglas MacArthur - U.S. General
• George Patton - U.S. General
• Matthew Perry - naval officer who opened up trade with Japan
• John Pershing - U.S. General
• David Dixon Porter - Civil War Admiral
U.S. Supreme Court Judges
• John Jay
• John Marshall
• John Rutledge
• Sandra Day O'Connor
Scientists
• George Washington Carver
• Pierre Curie
• Albert Einstein
• Michael Faraday - electrochemist
• Oliver Heaviside - physicist and electromagnetism researcher
• T.H. Huxley
• Blaise Pascal
• Booker T. Washington
• Erik Demaine - Popular Science Mag: One of the Most Brilliant Scientists in America
Artists
• William Blake
• John Singleton Copley
• Claude Monet
• Grandma Moses
• Charles Peale
• Leonardo da Vinci
• Andrew Wyeth
• Jamie Wyeth
Religious Leaders
• Joan of Arc
• William Carey
• Jonathan Edwards
• Philipp Melancthon
• Dwight L. Moody
• John Newton
• John Owen
• Hudson Taylor
• John & Charles Wesley
• Brigham Young
Inventors
• Alexander Graham Bell - invented the telephone
• John Moses Browning - firearms inventor and designer
• Peter Cooper - invented skyscraper, built first U.S. commercial locomotive
• Thomas Edison - invented the stock ticker, mimeograph, phonograph, and perfected the electric light bulb
• Benjamin Franklin - invented the lightning rod
• Elias Howe - invented sewing machine
• William Lear - airplane creator
• Cyrus McCormick - invented grain reaper
• Guglielmo Marconi - developed radio
• Eli Whitney - invented the cotton gin
• Sir Frank Whittle - invented turbo jet engine
• Orville and Wilbur Wright - built the first successful airplane
Composers
• Irving Berlin
• Anton Bruckner
• Noel Coward
• Felix Mendelssohn
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
• Francis Poulenc
• John Philip Sousa
Writers
• Hans Christian Anderson
• Margaret Atwood
• Pearl S. Buck
• William F. Buckley, Jr.
• Willa Cather
• Agatha Christie
• Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)
• Charles Dickens
• Robert Frost - Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
• Charlotte Perkins Gilman
• Alex Haley
• Brett Harte
• L. Ron Hubbard
• C.S. Lewis
• Amy Lowell
• Gabriela Mistral
• Sean O'Casey
• Christopher Paolini - author of #1 NY Times bestseller, Eragon
• Isabel Paterson
• Beatrix Potter - author of the beloved Peter Rabbit Tales
• Carl Sandburg
• George Bernard Shaw
• Mattie J. T. Stepanek - 11-year-old author of Heartsongs
• Mercy Warren
• Phillis Wheatley
• Walt Whitman
• Laura Ingalls Wilder
Educators
• Amos Bronson Alcott - innovative teacher, father of Louisa May Alcott
• Catharine Beecher - co-founder of the Hartford Female Seminary
• Jill Ker Conway - first woman president of Smith College
• Timothy Dwight - President of Yale University
• William Samuel Johnson - President of Columbia College
• Horace Mann - "Father of the American Common School"
• Charlotte Mason - Founder of Charlotte Mason College of Education
• Fred Terman - President of Stanford University
• Frank Vandiver - President of Texas A&M University
• Booker T. Washington - Founder of Tuskegee Institute
• John Witherspoon - President of Princeton University
Performing Artists
• Louis Armstrong - king of jazz
• Charlie Chaplin - actor
• Whoopi Goldberg - actress
• Hanson - sibling singing group
• Jennifer Love Hewitt - actress
• Yehudi Menuhin - child prodigy violinist
• Moffatts - Canadian version of Hanson
• Frankie Muniz - child actor
• LeAnne Rimes - teen-prodigy country music singer
• Barlow Girl - Alyssa, Rebecca, and Lauren Contemporary Christian Music
• Jonas Brothers - Kevin, Joe, and Nick Performers
• Jacob Clemente - Broadway Actor

Business Entrepreneurs
• Andrew Carnegie - wealthy steel industrialist
• Amadeo Giannini - Bank of America’s founder
• Horace Greeley - New York Tribune founder
• Soichiro Honda - creator of the Honda automobile company
• Peter Kindersley - book illustrator and publisher
• Ray Kroc - founder of McDonald's fast food restaurant chain
• Jimmy Lai - newspaper publisher; founder of Giordano International
• Dr. Orison Swett Marden - founder, Success magazine
• Adolph Ochs - New York Times founder
• Joseph Pulitzer - newspaper publisher; established Pulitzer Prize
• Colonel Harland Sanders - started Kentucky Fried Chicken
• Dave Thomas - founder of the Wendy’s restaurant chain
• Mariah Witcher - founder of Mariahs Famous Cookies
• Daniel Mills - founder of Salem Ridge Press

Others
• Abigail Adams - Wife of John Adams; mother of John Quincy Adams
• Ansel Adams - Photographer
• Susan B. Anthony - reformer and women’s rights leader
• John James Audubon - ornithologist and artist
• Clara Barton - Started the Red Cross
• Elizabeth Blackwell - first woman in the U.S. to receive a medical degree
• John Burroughs - Naturalist
• George Rogers Clark - Explorer
• Davy Crockett - frontiersman
• Eric Hoffer - social philosopher
• Sam Houston - lawyer; first president of the Republic of Texas
• Charles Evans Hughes - jurist; Chief Justice
• Mary D. Leakey - fossil hunter; wife of Richard Leakey
• Tamara McKinney - World Cup Skier
• Harriet Martineau - first woman sociologist
• Margaret Mead - cultural anthropologist
• John Stuart Mill - Free-market Economist
• Charles Louis Montesquieu - Philosopher
• John Muir - naturalist
• Florence Nightingale - Nurse
• Thomas Paine - political writer during the American Revolution
• Bill Ridell - Newspaperman
• Will Rogers - Humorist
• Bertrand Russell - Logician
• Jim Ryan - World Runner
• Albert Schweitzer - Physician
• Sir Ernest Shackleton - Explorer
• Herbert Spencer - philosopher, sociologist
• Gloria Steinem - founder and long-time editor of Ms. magazine
• Jason Taylor - plays in the National Football League
• Mary Walker - Civil War physician; recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor
• Lester Frank Ward - "Father of American Sociology"
• Martha Washington - wife of George Washington
• Frances E. C. Willard - educator, temperance leader, and suffragist
• Frank Lloyd Wright - Architect
• Elijah ben Solomon Zalman - Jewish scholar
• Balaram Stack - Award winning Surfer
• Lia Del Priore - Award Winning Gymnast
• Taylor Gladstone - Ballerina

Famous Homeschool Parents
Will Smith - singer, actor
• Michael Card - singer, songwriter
• Mike Farris - lawyer and co-founder of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
• Robert Frost - Pulitzer Prize-winning poet
• Christopher Klicka - attorney and Senior Counsel of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
• Len Munsil - attorney and President of The Center for Arizona Policy (CAP)
• Paul Overstreet - musician, songwriter
• Kelly Preston - actress, wife of John Travolta
• Mike Smith - lawyer and co-founder of Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA)
• John Travolta - actor, pilot
• Lisa Whelchel - former actress, "The Facts of Life", now a pastor's wife and author
• Darrell Waltrip - NASCAR Racer
• John Travolta - actor, pilot

TODAY IS MONDAY - JULY 27, 2009

2009-07-26T18:50:00.000-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

Now that Jim is gonna be a Grandpa he better learn some of the kids favorite games as we grow older:
1. Sag, you're it
2. Pin the toupee on the bald guy.
3. 20 questions shouted into your good ear
4. Kick the bucket
5. Red Rover, Red Rover, the nurse says Bend Over
6. Doc Goose
7. Simon says something incoherent.
8. Hide and Go Pee
9. Spin the Bottle of Mylanta.
10. Musical Recliners

HOW COOL OF A GRANDPARENT WILL YOU BE?
1. Who are the Jonas Bros.? Actors/musicians
2. If your grandaughter is talking about Gossip Girl what is she referring to? A TV Drama on the CW network
3. What teen vampire-romance novel series that packed bookstores and movie theaters in 2008? Twilight
4. Your tween grandson spends all day trying to master a new skateboard trick, only to fall so hard he sprains his wrist. He and his friends would call the botched stunt? An epic fall
5. Destiny Hope is the real name of this 16-year-old star of film, TV, and music, whose father is a one-hit wonder country star from the 90s..who is she? Miley Cyrus
6. What is a frenemy? Someone who acts like your friend, but talks about you behind your back
7. The Last Remnant, MadWorld, and Fallout 3 are all what? Video games
8. Translate this grandchild's report on last night's outing: "Totes saw my exie at Mark's. Such the awkward sitch, for realsies." It was an awkward situation when my ex-boyfriend arrived at Mark's birthday party.
9. What are the top three popular social-networking website for tweens and teens? MySpace, Facebook and Twitter
10. If robots are the new ninjas and ninjas were the new pirates and pirates were the new unicorns what are we talking about? We are talking about nothing.
Karen scored 8 out of 10 and was told she may know too much as a grandma!!!
(Taken from papers written by a class of 8-year-olds)

WHAT ARE GRANDPARENTS??

-Grandparents are a lady and a man who have no little children of her own. They like other people's.

-A grandfather is a man & a grandmother is a lady!

-Grandparents don't have to do anything except be there when we come to see them. They are so old they shouldn't play hard or run. It is good if they drive us to the shops and give us money.

-When they take us for walks, they slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars.

-They show us and talk to us about the color of the flowers and also why we shouldn't step on "cracks."

-They don't say, "Hurry up."

-They wear glasses and funny underwear.

-They can take their teeth and gums out.

-They have to answer questions like "why isn't God married?" and "How come dogs chase cats?".

-When they read to us, they don't skip. They don't mind if we ask for the same story over again.

-Everybody should try to have a grandmother, especially if you don't have television because they are the only grown ups who like to spend time with us.

-They know we should have snack-time before bedtime and they say prayers with us every time and kiss us even when we've acted bad.

-It's funny when they bend over, you hear gas leaks and they blame their dog."
100 THINGS YOU CAN TEACH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN:
You don’t have to be an expert in anything to impress a child with your knowledge, and leave an indelible impact. From tying a necktie to driving a car, here’s a list of things you can teach them that they’ll never forget.
1.Whistle. This simple skill tops the wish list for preschoolers everywhere. If your grandchildren already know how to whistle, teach them to use their fingers to make it extra-loud.

2. Spread icing on a cake. Show them how to spread icing smoothly on all sides to make it look just so. Get creative and pipe on some decorations, too. Don't forget to lick your fingers — and the bowl!

3. Dive. It's the coolest way to enter the pool. Help your grandchildren learn to use the proper technique and hit the water straight as an arrow. But remind them that diving is only for the deep end!

4. Grow a plant from seed.

5. Shoot a basketball like their idols. By middle school, many young cagers are ready and eager to shoot one-handed like their favorite players.

6. Tie a necktie. Grandsons will feel grown-up when they ditch clip-on ties for the real thing. Watch them practice and give pointers. Older kids likely don't know how to tie a real bow tie, a lost art and a classy touch — and one you'll teach them.

7. Paint fingernails and toenails.

8. Write a thank-you note. This is a skill your grandchildren can use for the rest of their lives. The simple appreciative gesture is fading fast.

9. Discover the wonders of the local library. Show your grandchildren all the amazing free things the library has to offer. Search on the computer for books they love and teach them how to use call numbers to locate them.

10. Jump rope. Young children love the simple joy of mastering this healthy activity. Teach older children how to jump double-dutch.

11. Make water defy gravity. Young grandchildren will be amazed by the simple trick of holding water in a straw by placing your thumb over the top.

12. Identify a bird by its features and call.

13. Make a bird feeder. Whether or not you are a carpentry whiz who can make one of the little wooden houses or a bird lover who uses a plastic bottle, bird crafts are fun and educational.

14. Shuffle cards the cool way. Every kid wants to learn the riffle shuffle.

15. Hit a baseball. If your grandchildren play T-ball, softball, or Little League, the fundamentals of hitting are the same. Watch their self-esteem grow with each base hit!

16. Blow on a dandelion and make a wish.

17. Swim all the strokes. Teach them the backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, and how to breathe as they swim freestyle.

18. Crochet a sweater or scarf.

19. Ride a two-wheel bicycle.

20. Putt a golf ball. Whether your family is made up of Arnold Palmers or of mini-golf lovers, teach them the art of the pure stroke.

21. Tie their own shoelaces.

22. Do push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, and other exercises. Make healthy physical exertion fun. The younger kids start, the better.

23. Discover the world from home. Explain what a globe is, then spin it. Have your grandchildren stop it with their finger, and tell them about the country they landed on, including time, climate, and cultural specifics.

24. Make a hat out of newspaper.

25. Set the table. Get out your fine china and show them what a full place setting looks like, complete with all the accoutrements, and teach them how to elegantly fold a napkin, too.

26. Use good table manners. Teach your grandchildren what each piece of silverware is for and how to use it politely. Make this fun with a tea party (real or imaginary).

27. Shake hands firmly.

28. Eat with chopsticks.

29. Play with the garden hose. Show them how to use their thumbs to make the hose spray a wide arc or squirt a focused stream.

30. Practice photography. For grandchildren, who don't often get a chance to play with a real camera, share yours with them and point out which techniques make for good photos.

31. Shop for a discount. Show your grandchildren how to get more for less, whether you are buying fancy new shoes or just your weekly groceries.

32. Snap their fingers.

33. Pump their legs when they swing.

34. Use all those tools in the garage. Your grandkids may have no idea what the tools are for. Let them help you with a simple home-improvement project. The best way to learn is hands-on, after all.

35. Tell time on an analog clock with hour-and-minute hands.

36. Play a new card game. If your young grandchildren don't know any card games, start with War .

37. Assemble a jigsaw puzzle. Set the top right-side up so you can refer to the image as you go. Find all the straight edges that form the perimeter. Group together pieces clearly from the same area of the image. Your young grandchildren will love this stuff.

38. Show the basic movements of each piece on a chess board.

39. Tell a good ghost story.

40. Speak another language. Teach them all the different ways to say buenos dias and au revoir. After that, start them on colors and counting.

41. Throw a Frisbee. It's all in the wrist. Once they get down the basic backhand toss, there are other cool throws like the forehand and the hammer. Later, teach them how to play Frisbee golf.

42. Do crossword puzzles.

43. Solve a Sudoku puzzle.

44. Play a game of hangman. Play this simple game almost anywhere, as long as you have a pen and a sheet of paper.

45. Play croquet in the backyard.

46. Play jacks. Forget video games; this classic game will fascinate your grandchildren. Bounce the ball, grab the jacks, and catch that ball!

47. Arrange a vase of flowers.

48. Make an ice cream soda.

49. Share basics of sailing. Impart the special vocabulary (aft, starboard, come about), explain how a boat harnesses the wind, and let their imaginations run wild with thoughts of nautical adventure.

50. Sound it out. Young children need an adult who will sit while they slowly read their first books. Grandparents always want more cuddle time. Win win!

51. Fold origami shapes.

52. Wrap a present elegantly.

53. Drive a car. Increase what the kids learn in drivers' ed, take them to an empty parking lot and let them show their stuff. If you can teach them how to drive a stick shift, so much the better.

54. Shoot pool. Demonstrate the best way to shoot the cue ball with a cue. Help them hold their hands the right way and strike the cue ball cleanly.

55. Make scary flashlight faces.

56. Tie different kinds of knots. If you're a former sailor, eagle scout, or boy scout pass on your knowledge. Teach them how to tie a slipknot, a butterfly knot, or a figure eight.

57. Declare a thumb war — one, two, three, four.

58. Draw better. Share tips on how to draw figures with sharper dimension and better detail.

59. Perform tricks with a yo-yo.

60. Bait a hook. When fishing with the grandkids, teach them how to bait a hook themselves.

61. Braid a friend's hair.

62. Use a compass to find the way.

63. Identify constellations in the night sky.

64. Train a dog. Introduce the kids to ways to have dogs respond to a simple task like "sit" or "fetch." It will also bond the grandchildren to the dog for life.

65. Throw fastballs, curveballs, and more. Share the tricks to make a pitch dip, dive, curve, or rise, and your Little Leaguers will thank you over and over.

66. Throw a football in a tight spiral.

67. Make a sandcastle. Show them how to make a castle that stands proudly.

68. Build a campfire.

69. Make a fire without matches or a lighter.

70. Play a musical instrument. Teach them the basics of your favorite instrument and see if they take to it.

71. Wash the car. This is one of life's great activities for kids: They learn how to wash a car, you both get all wet and have fun outside, and you get a clean car out of the deal!

72. Read music. Teach your future Mozarts the basics of how to read notes and measure time.

73. Tie a pretty bow. Young grandchildren hold this skill in very high regard. Bows decorate many things they hold dear: hair, presents, clothes, and shoes.

74. Do a cartwheel.

75. Twirl a hula hoop. Not only will your grandkids love learning to hula hoop, they will never forget the sight of you shaking your hips!

76. Whistle with a blade of grass. If you know how to do this, your grandchildren will be impressed. If you teach them to do it, they will remember it forever.

77. Juggle three or more balls.

78. Make play dough at home.

79. Show the steps to your favorite dance. If you are not exactly Fred Astaire, teach them something silly like the Hokey Pokey or the Chicken Dance!

80. Sing the lyrics to a Beatles' song.

81. Balance a spoon on your nose.

82. Cook eggs. There are a number of fun and easy tricks that grandkids can learn: crack the shell on the counter, separate the yolk from the white, make an omelet and fold it.

83. Make a star with a rubber band.

84. Catch fireflies. Catching these enchanting little creatures is one of those magical childhood memories that the grandkids should not miss.

85. Walk along the curb like it's a balance beam.

86. Make shadow puppets with your fingers.

87. Tell a joke. Help your grandchildren exercise their funny bones; give them pointers on making their punchlines sparkle.

88. Throw a piece of popcorn in the air and catch it in your mouth.

89. Blow a bubble with a piece of gum.

90. Teach a stock-market lesson. Give your grandchildren a few shares, real or imaginary, in a company (even a single share will do). Encourage them to keep track of how the stock is performing and talk to them about the factors at work.

91. Shoot a rubber band across the room.

92. Make a drinking glass sing by tracing the rim with a damp finger.

93. Play hopscotch. Get out the sidewalk chalk and introduce your grandchildren to this timeless game.

94. Create a flower necklace.

95. Fly a kite. Show your grandchildren how to run it out, give it slack, pull it taut, and manage the spool.

96. Make paper snowflakes.

97. Play Rock, Paper, Scissors. Kids love the simplicity of this game and will use it to settle almost any dispute.

98. Skip a rock across calm waters.

99. Amaze friends with simple magic tricks. Pull a rabbit from a hat, pull a quarter from behind their ear, or pull their nose off with a bit of deception. Whatever fun tricks you can impart, they will cherish.

100. Make guacamole. This delicious dip involves a little bit of seasoning and a lot of messy squishing. Let them use their hands (washed, of course).

TODAY IS THURSDAY - JULY 23, 2009

2009-07-22T15:04:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

The Colonel’s Recipe May No Longer Be A Secret!

The obsession started years ago after a challenge from his wife: Could finance manager Ron Douglas, an avid cook and Kentucky Fried Chicken fan, really crack the code to the best-kept culinary secret in the country? After several attempts, the Long Island, N.Y., man says he may know the 11 herbs and spices in KFC’s recipe — and now he's sharing the secret with the world.

Douglas, 34, began his quest by searching the Internet for clues to the recipe.
The decision has so far paid off: Douglas scored a deal with Simon & Schuster, which published his "America's Most Wanted Recipes" earlier this month. The book includes a recipe for KFC's 11 herbs and spices — which Douglas says he discovered after six attempts.

"The exact recipe has never been released," Douglas admitted, "but mine comes really, really close. I kept trying, and with the help of the online community, we figured out a recipe that's so good most people can't tell the difference."
Ron Douglas shares the ingredients for his version of KFC's 11 herbs and spices recipe:
— 1 teaspoon ground oregano
— 1 teaspoon chili powder
— 1 teaspoon ground sage
— 1 teaspoon dried basil
— 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
— 1 teaspoon pepper
— 2 teaspoons salt
— 2 tablespoons paprika
— 1 teaspoon onion salt
— 1 teaspoon garlic powder
— 2 tablespoons Accent

A Prayer For Our Captured Solider In Iraq

On June 30th, Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban from the Paktika province in southeastern Afghanistan. Bergdahl has comrades, family--including a girlfriend he hopes to marry and friends who are all praying for his safe return. Please join us in prayer for Bergdahl's safe return back to his comrades and his family.

Heavenly Father,
Please make haste to help and make speed to save Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, a soldier who went overseas to fight for his country. In this time of uncertainty, while fear has struck his heart because of the uncertainty of his situation, please reveal your perfect love which casts out all fear. Protect him from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet so that his captors may not harm him. May your presence be known in the places that they take him to so much so that they will be consumed and will release him. Empower all of his family, friends, fellow soldiers, military supporters, government, and people around the world to send prayers and positive thoughts to him. Let us all be encouraged to continually be in prayer for this young man and all the young men and women who consider it not robbery to serve their country.

In Jesus Name,
Amen

YOU Pick The Seven NEW Wonders Of The World With The Winners Announced in 2011

Go Here To Vote: http://www.new7wonders.com/

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - JULY 15, 2009

2009-07-14T20:25:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

THIS IS YOUR LIFE:

Lots of people are going to their class reunions this summer. I read about them all over FB. I went to my class reunion a few years back and they weighed all of us and collectively we all gained enough weight to add 33 more people to our graduating class.

TODAY IS:

Today is St. Swithin’s Day. According to English legend, if it rains today, it will rain for the next 40 days. The St. Swithin Society’s annual celebration is held in Toronto. But I wouldn't bet on it -- at least not until we check with our personal psychic meteorologist, Mike “Swami” Roberts.

Today is Cow Appreciation Day

Today is National Get Out of the Dog House Day.

Today is Be a Dork Day and Gummi Worm Day.

National Rabbit Week begins today, paying tribute to the rabbit as a house pet

Amedeo Obici was born on this day in 1877. Amedeo founded the Planters Nut Company; but more important, he discovered how to roast peanuts so they could be skinned without breaking in half. Thus, the U.S. became the first nation to produce whole nuts while the rest of the world was still half nuts.

Remember, July is Avoid Boredom Month. Here's how to do it:

Sneak into McDonalds and dump ten pounds of popcorn into the French fryer.
Attend a Weight Watchers meeting dressed like a hot fudge sundae.

Sunday is National Ice Cream Day, which it says here is observed "on behalf of all the dairy farmers who produce all the milk and all the cream. Which should come as quite a shock to all the cows. My favorite ice cream flavor is mulberry almond fig. But only because persimmon pepperoni is soo hard to find.

IN THE NEWS…..

McCartney Shows
Paul McCartney is set to play two shows at Citi Field this week. McCartney should feel right at home there because just like the Mets, he hasn't had a decent hit in 23years.

Shuttle Delays
Bad weather has delayed the launch of the shuttle Endeavor for the third time. All Nasa has to do is lose the astrounauts' luggage and it'll be just like flying on Delta.

The confirmation hearings for Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor got underway. President Obama has another nominee in the news — his nomination for surgeon general is a doctor who practices in rural Alabama and still makes house calls. Of course, in Alabama, a house call is when the patient drives his house to you.

Joe Biden’s wife Jill is had surgery yesterday to relieve pain in her shoulder. Apparently, it’s a repetitive stress injury from elbowing Joe every time he says something stupid.

More than 10,000 competitors have been taking part in events from watermelon-seed-spitting to armpit-squelching at this year's Redneck Games.

The most popular contest of the games, which take place in East Dublin, Georgia, is the mud-pit belly-flop. Fully clothed contestants throw themselves into a vat of red mud clay with points awarded for beauty of form and the size of the splash produced.

YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK IF…
Your kid takes a siphon hose to show-and-tell.
You've been on TV more than 5 times describing the sound of a tornado.
Your wife's best shoes have steel toes.

YOU KNOW YOU’RE A REDNECK IF…
Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.
Your mother keeps a spit cup on the ironing board.
Your gene pool doesn't have a "deep end".

In Chicago, a truck crashed on a busy highway and spilled 9,000 pounds of Chinese food. Nobody was hurt. Although three people standing nearby were chow meined -- and one little old lady was foo yunged.

Bid'ness is Bid'ness:
Don't be surprised if you see a BILLY MAYS infomercial today. The spots for Mighty Putty’s new Superpack of epoxies hosted by Billy begin again today, and if you're offended because it's just two weeks since his death, Billy's business associates say it's OK — because it’s what he would have wanted.

And the NY Times says we can also look forward to:
• another ad for Mighty Putty,
• a new infomercial for a wireless speaker phone called Jupiter Jack,
• and perhaps the older ones as well. Billy's family has signed off on using his commercials (possibly since they still get the royalties from the pitches), although at least one company — Church & Dwight, the makers of OxiClean and the cleaning solution Orange Glo — say they still haven't decided.
So if you see Billy pitching the Awesome Auger or any other product again, you needn't worry about it being in bad taste — at least the family doesn't think so.

Tips on raising well-adjusted, entitlement-free children:
• Emphasize the importance of family. No matter how far removed or alienated your kids may seem to be, it helps if they have a strong sense of family.
• Demonstrate unconditional love and balance. Strive to seek a healthy balance between being a child-centered family and a parent-focused family.
• Consciously define fundamental values. Actively educate children by pointing out and explaining interactions and behaviors. Use teachable moments with yourself, your child and others as examples.
• Constantly re-evaluate normalcy. Every once in a while, find a way to step back and gain the perspective you need to stay calm and resist getting swept up in doing something simply because most people are doing it.
• Practice active parenting. Kids need active parents to help them navigate their access to the world and excess of information and "things." Your strong presence attests to your love and helps you thwart the power of negative techno-social influences on your children.

• Model behavior consistent with moral character. Children will surprise. Even when you think they are not paying attention, they are picking up on your most subtle traits.
• Keep pace with technology and the youth culture. Being complacent about the effects technology and culture have on your children is risky and dangerous. If you are lagging behind in the discussion, you are sure to fall behind in your parenting as well.
• Establish and maintain appropriate limits. Without limits and boundaries, the world becomes a scary and unsafe place. If you establish and maintain limits, your children will be less likely to ask for things excessively and more likely to have self-discipline, positive self-esteem, a good work ethic and respect for authority and themselves.
Source: Adapted from "Generation Text: Raising Well-Adjusted Kids in an Age of Instant Everything" by Dr. Michael Osit, a New Jersey-based clinical psychologist.

Pet Airways Hits The Skies
NEW YORK – One trip for their Jack Russell terrier in a plane's cargo hold was enough to convince Alysa Binder and Dan Wiesel that owners needed a better option to get their pets from one city to another.

On Tuesday, the first flight for the husband-and-wife team's Pet Airways, the first-ever all-pet airline, took off from Republic Airport in Farmingdale, N.Y.

All commercial airlines allow a limited number of small pets to fly in the cabin.
Others must travel as checked bags or in the cargo hold — a dark and sometimes dangerous place where temperatures can vary wildly.

Binder and Wiesel used their consulting backgrounds and business savvy to start Pet Airways in 2005. The last four years have been spent designing their fleet of five planes according to new four-legged requirements, dealing with FAA regulations and setting up airport schedules.

The two say they're overwhelmed with the response. Flights on Pet Airways are already booked up for the next two months.

Pet Airways will fly a pet between five major cities — New York, Washington, Chicago, Denver, and Los Angeles. The $250 one-way fare is comparable to pet fees at the largest U.S. airlines.

For owners the big difference is service. Dogs and cats will fly in the main cabin of a Suburban Air Freight plane, retooled and lined with carriers in place of seats. Pets (about 50 on each flight) will be escorted to the plane by attendants that will check on the animals every 15 minutes during flight. The pets are also given pre-boarding walks and bathroom breaks. And at each of the five airports it serves, the company has created a "Pet Lounge" for future fliers to wait and sniff before flights.

The company will operate out of smaller, regional airports in the five launch cities, which will mean an extra trip for most owners dropping off their pets if they are flying too. Stops in cities along the way means the pets will take longer to reach a destination than their owners.

A trip from New York to Los Angeles, for example, will take about 24 hours. On that route, pets will stop in Chicago, have a bathroom break, play time, dinner, and bunk for the night before finishing the trip the next day.

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JULY 14, 2009

2009-07-13T20:09:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on Spirit FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Roasted Chicken Day, commemorating the day in 1993 when Kentucky deleted the Fried from its Chicken and introduced the Colonel’s Rotisserie Gold roasted chicken. I think the late Colonel rolled over in his bucket when he heard this!

Today is Honda Civic Day, marking the debut of the popular car on this date in 1972.
Today is M&Ms Argument Day, a day to discuss which is best, Plain, Peanut, or Almond.
1990: The Rotary Club in Oliver, British Columbia, baked history’s largest cherry pie: 20 feet in diameter, 37,740 pounds 10 ounces. Since July is also National Ice Cream month I wonder if they served it ala’mode?

Baseball's Pete Rose was born on this day in 1941. Odds are six to one he can't blow out all the candles with one puff.

The tape measure was patented on this date in 1868. The tape measure actually comes in two sizes: Regular size for measuring most things, and Extra-Large size for measuring things like Shaquille O'Neill.

IN THE NEWS…..

Free Mocha Mondays at McDonalds now through August 3rd.!

CIA Program Killed
The CIA is scrapping a program designed to find and kill al Qaeda terrorists. The White House wants the agency to focus more time and energy finding finding something even more elusive in America today -- jobs.

Obama the Sportscaster
President Obama will join the TV broadcasters for an inning or two at Tuesday night's All-Star Game. Of course the game is being broadcast by FOX, so the president is refusing to speak to any commentators without getting a helmet and protective gear first.

What a Way to Go!
A New Jersey man has died after falling into a vat of chocolate. There is no solid evidence of foul play, but police are holding Willie Wonka for questioning.

Apparently, there are rumors out there that Osama Bin Laden is hiding out in a hotel in Pakistan.

Signs You're Staying At The Same Hotel As Osama Bin Laden

He's registered under the name Osama bin Johnson
Sign on the door reads: do not disturb, infidel pig dog
Clumps of camel hair in the jacuzzi
Guy in the room next door keeps shouting, "Death to overpriced minibar snacks!"
Main ballroom is booked for the 9th Annual Jihaddy Awards

Bernie Madoff going away for 150 years. His wife, Ruth, was left with 2 ½ million dollars. The confiscated everything. She lost her house, her car, her savings . . . it’s like being a Bernie Madoff client.

Over the weekend, North Korea test-fired several missiles — their way of say, “Iran’s not the craziest country, we are.”

Nine months into the fiscal year, the federal deficit has topped $1 trillion for the first time. The imbalance is intensifying fears about higher interest rates and inflation, and already pressuring the value of the dollar.

So I suppose you could say our government now suffers from BDD.
Budget Deficit Disorder.

In Internet news: Twitter is trying to trademark the term "Tweet". Wow -- if they succeed -- they are gonna make millions when they sue all the little birdies.

Teen Falls Down Manhole While Texting
One second a Staten Island teenager was walking down the street, the next second she was gone.

Alexa Longueira was walking down Victory Boulevard and getting ready to text-message when she fell into an open sewer manhole. Now the city is trying to figure out why the manhole was left open and unblocked.

Alexa suffered some cuts and scrapes but is otherwise OK.

He mother says workers told her they left the manhole open and unattended for just seconds while they went to fetch some cones from their truck.

The Department of Environmental Protection says it is investigating.

Alexa's mom says it doesn't matter that her daughter was text-messaging, the manhole should not have been left open. The family plans to file as lawsuit.

VIDEO LINK:
http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/news/local_news/nyc/090710_Texting_Teen_Falls_Down_Open_Manhole

Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman Dedicate Maria’s BIG HOUSE

The pro-adoption ministry of Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman and his wife, Mary Beth, recently opened a six-story “healing home” for special needs orphans in China and received prominent coverage from a number of Chinese media outlets.

“The day after the grand opening, the morning news and the evening news covered it with stories,” exclaimed Mary Beth on Friday.

“God is so good. I can’t even tell you how wonderful it has been. Definitely bittersweet at times, but beauty is going to rise from our personal tragedy,” she added, referring to the death of one of her daughters last year.

Maria’s Big House, named in honor of the Chapman’s youngest daughter, officially opened this past Thursday in the presence of national and local government officials.
The 60,000 square foot building, located in Luoyang, China, will be dedicated to saving the lives of special needs orphans in China and has so far transitioned in 40 children with room for about 90 more, according to a report by Mary Beth on Friday.

Most of the children will transition in groups from the state-run Luoyang city orphanage, which takes care of nearly 700 children from all around the Henan province, where Luoyang is located. With a population of approximately six million, the Henan province is one of the poorest provinces in all of China.

According to Show Hope, the ministry co-founded by the Chapmans in 2003, the children that Maria’s Big House of Hope will be taking in – all five years old or younger – are among the most ill of Luoyang’s orphans and also include those from other areas who are in desperate need for further medical care, which the facility has been equipped to provide.

At full capacity, Maria’s Big House of Hope will have 190 nurses and nannies on staff and 128 beds available.

The building has a floor for children who have been through surgery, recovered, and awaiting adoption; two floors for children with long-term chronic care who are not healthy enough to survive on their own or in the state-run orphanage; a floor dedicated to hospice care for children who are terminally ill; a floor for children coming in from all over China to stay before and after surgery; and a floor for long-term staff and visiting medical physicians.

The fourth floor also offers an intensive care area, emergency room, and isolation room.

Our Open House ... was just more evidence of what an incredible thing God is doing,” he reported.

Mary Beth expressed similar sentiments when she and her team from Tennessee witnessed last week’s grand opening.

“We really felt the spirit of God there as we stood there in front of Maria's Big House and dedicated it back to Him and in honor of Maria, who was a special needs orphan herself,” Mary Beth reflected the day after the grand opening.

Mommy Blogs Are Becoming BIG Money Makers

There are the free trips to Sea World and Disney World and free hotels and car rentals, not to mention the free products that pour in through the mail every day.

Turns out, being a mommy blogger can really pay off. By some estimates, there are as many as ten thousand mommy blogs on the Internet now. They share advice on everything from baby care and parenting to the best burp cloths or strollers. And as these blogs have evolved over the past few years, many have now become minibusinesses with little oversight by the government.

Colleen Padilla is the mother of two behind classymommy.com, a product review site she started from her house in suburban Philadelphia just for fun.

Her front room is filled with free products she's gotten in recent days. There's the new Nintendo Wii right in front. Toys and baby products are stacked up three feet high. Her freezer is filled with microwave meals from Healthy Choice.

Padilla never expected or asked for any of it. But after she'd been blogging on her own for a little while about the products she used and liked, her mailbox started to fill. First it was mom inventors sending products. But then larger and larger companies started sending her things for free

Padilla is paid by Energizer to be "an official online brand advocate" for their rechargeable batteries. Better Homes and Gardens paid her to make over her kitchen. And a blog about her son drinking chocolate milk turns out to be "sponsored by Healthy Choice."

Do You Cat Lovers Control Your Cats or Do Your Cats Control You?
If you've ever wondered who's in control, you or your cat, a new study points to the obvious. It's your cat.

Household cats exercise this control with a certain type of urgent-sounding, high-pitched meow, according to the findings.

This meow is actually a purr mixed with a high-pitched cry. While people usually think of cat purring as a sign of happiness, some cats make this purr-cry sound when they want to be fed. The study showed that humans find these mixed calls annoying and difficult to ignore.

SPONGEBOB SQUARE PANTS Turns 10 Years Old
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - He lives in a pineapple under the sea but has fans in more than 170 countries, a theme-park ride and is one of the best-connected celebrities in the world.

Now cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants is celebrating his 10th anniversary on television, a major milestone for any star. His creators are still mystified at his lofty status as an global pop culture icon who counts U.S. President Barack Obama, actor Johnny Depp and singer David Bowie among his friends.

It has been a surreal, goofy journey for the talking yellow sponge from Bikini Bottom, his pink starfish friend Patrick and greedy employer Mr. Krabs.

But SpongeBob's naive optimism, the show's humor and even a brief controversy over his sexuality have merited celebrations this week ranging from a 10th anniversary documentary to the unveiling of the first-ever wax figure of an animation character at Madame Tussauds in New York.

Few behind SpongeBob's July 1999 debut on children's TV network Nickelodeon expected him to win as many hearts as he has.

President Obama named SpongeBob his favorite TV character, telling TV Guide in 2007 it was "the show I watch with my daughters." Depp and Bowie are among the celebrities who have lent their voices to guest characters over the years, thanks mostly to their children.

Comedians Robin Williams, Will Ferrell and Ricky Gervais will appear as themselves in a one-hour anniversary special to be broadcast in the United States in the fall.

Five Neat and Easy Ways to Burn Calories All Day Every Day!

You know that friend, the one who is always tapping her leg, getting up to straighten the bookshelf, the one who generally just can’t sit still? She’s likely burning an extra 200 to 300 calories a day on top of any workouts she does or the amount of calories she burns just being alive. This process is neatly called NEAT, which stands for “NonExercise Activity Thermogenesis” (say that 5 times fast!), and it’s essential for successful weight loss. Basically, it’s the extra stuff you do, physically, all day long that adds up. Make a point to add more “neat” into your day and you can zap another 500 calories! Here are a few ideas:

Do crunches in bed: You could burn about 20 calories in under 5 minutes just by drawing your knees to your chest 25 to 50 times, plus it strengthens your abs and gets your blood pumping.

Dance around while getting dressed: Turn up the radio or listen to upbeat music on your iPod (if you can) while doing all your morning rituals—an hour of hip shakin’ can burn about 55 calories.

Stand up! Don’t sit when you can be on your feet—you’ll burn about 40% more calories. So just take a stand—when you’re on the phone, watching kids at the playground, making small talk at a party.

Laugh: Watch something that’s consistently funny (like 30 Rock) and you could burn about 40 calories if you guffaw for 10 to 15 minutes straight.

Walk, pace, jog down the hall: In other words, MOVE! Doing little bits of activity all day—taking the stairs to use the restroom on another floor at work, doing an extra lap around the grocery store—can help you burn an additional 375 calories a day!

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JULY 14, 2009

2009-07-13T20:08:00.003-05:00

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JULY 14, 2009

2009-07-13T20:08:00.001-05:00

TODAY IS FRIDAY - JULY 3, 2009

2009-07-02T16:07:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

On this date in 1890 Idaho became the 43rd U.S. state. If it weren't for Idaho, one of the most famous American phrases would be missing from the English language -- "You want fries with that?"

On this date in 1965: The most famous movie star horse died. Trigger. His owner was Roy Rogers, the "King of the Cowboys". Roy had Trigger stuffed and mounted. Don’t you do the same thing with the old deejays around here after they’re gone, Jim?

IN THE NEWS…..

Pentagon Order
The Pentagon says it will buy more than 5,200 new armored vehicles designed to protect troops from roadside bombs. Now all the Pentagon has to do is find an American auto company that's not out of business.

So Sad…
Michael Jackson's father announced he's looking for the next Michael. Hey, he's sad about Michael, but it's time to get back to business. Being filthy rich doesn't go as far as it once did.

A public memorial for Michael Jackson will be held on Tuesday morning at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, it was reported Thursday.

CNN and MSNBC said the event will be held at 10 a.m. and that there seemed to be a great deal of activity at center, the home of the Los Angeles Lakers and other L.A.-area teams.

In some ways, the Staples Center is a fitting venue: Jackson rehearsed at the 20,000-seat coliseum the day before he died.

All week long the Internet has been exploding with false rumors of celebrity deaths. Jim and I were NOT reported dead. Because, as I said, -- the hoaxes only involved celebrities.

Baghdad has opened its first Ben & Jerry's ice cream store. The most popular flavor is Iraqi Road. A delicious combination of chocolate ice cream, with nuts, marshmallows, and schrapnel.

DOGGY
A report shows obesity is a problem for -- dogs. Experts say obesity can make a dog very unhappy. You know your dog is overweight if he gets out of breath chasing cars. Parked cars.

DISEASE DOGS
Dogs are being trained to sniff out diabetes. Experts say dogs can be trained to sniff out other medical problems too. Soon -- at the medical clinic - instead of saying "The doctor will see you now" -- the receptionist will say -- "Fido will sniff you now".

VEGGIE
A study published yesterday shows vegetarians have weaker bones. Weak bones can fracture during physical activity. So -- all you vegetarians -- try not to move around too much -- as you fight your way to the top of the food chain.

iPHONE
There's a report iPhones can shut down in a summer heatwave. But don't worry -- Apple engineers are working to come up with an iPhone app that creates clouds.

New Air Guitar Record Set! _ We could so do this at Crossover next year!!!

NEW YORK -- The cast and crew of the Broadway musical "Rock of Ages" and hundreds of inspired New Yorkers have broken the world record for the largest air guitar ensemble.

A representative from Guinness World Records counted 810 air guitarists after Wednesday's matinee performance at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. That beats the previous world record of 440 people.

William Ocean, the 2007 National Air Guitar champion, taught the audience how to play the air guitar.

The group rocked out to Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" for 2 minutes, 34 seconds

Edy’s Launches Recession Ice Cream
Layoffs, bankruptcies and the economy have many people screaming.
One company is hoping they’ll be screaming for ice cream.

Banking on consumers’ willingness to shell out a few dollars for a bowlful feel-good ice cream, Edy’s has a new flavor: Red White & No More Blues. The frozen confection combines vanilla ice cream, strawberries, blueberries and a bit of recession humor.

"Dishing out smiles is core to the spirit and heritage of our ice cream,” said John Harrison, who is the official taster for Edy’s Grand Ice Cream.
"Red, White and No More Blues delivers cheer and cool relief, one scoop at a time,” Harrison said.

Cartons of the limited edition flavor sell for $5.99 at grocery stores.

It’s not the first time ice cream has made hard times a little sweeter.

In 1929, during the Great Depression, nearly all ice cream was made in three flavors — chocolate, vanilla and strawberry — and served as sundaes.

Ice cream maker Bill Dreyer added walnuts and marshmallows, cut into bite-size pieces using his wife’s sewing shears, to his chocolate ice cream, according to Edy’s.

The company claims that Dreyer and Joeseph Edy named the creation Rocky Road to give folks a smile and offer hope in tough times.

Disco Tune Saves Man’s Life

Debra Bader was taking a walk in the woods with her 53-year-old husband one morning when suddenly he collapsed. At first she thought the situation was hopeless.

"I looked at him and said, 'He's dead,' because he wasn't moving or making any sounds at all," Bader remembers. "But I pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and called 911, and then a public service announcement I'd heard on the radio popped into my head."

The one-minute PSA from the American Heart Association instructed listeners, in the event of cardiac arrest, to perform chest compressions very hard to the beat of the 1970s Bee Gees song "Stayin' Alive." When someone suffers cardiac arrest, as pop singer Michael Jackson did last week, the heart stops functioning completely, and brain death begins within four to six minutes if the victim doesn't receive help.

"I sang the song and gave directions to the EMTs at the same time. It was like, 'Stayin' alive, stayin' alive -- take a right here, take a left here -- Stayin' alive, stayin' alive -- take this path down here -- Stayin' alive, stayin' alive,' " Bader remembers.

For 15 minutes Bader, who had never taken a CPR class, pumped her husband's chest until the ambulance arrived and the EMTs delivered a shock to his heart with a defibrillator. Christopher Bader survived, but 95 percent of people who go into cardiac arrest die before they get to the hospital.

Bader says doctors at the hospital where her husband was treated have an alternative song. "They told me they do CPR to 'Another One Bites the Dust,' which also has about 100 beats per minute," Bader says. "Doctors have kind of a dark sense of humor."

OPERATION CARE & COMFORT FOR OUR TROOPS AT YOUR LOCAL OLD NAVY STORE (JEFFERSON CITY & COLUMBIA)
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TODAY IS THURSDAY - JULY 2, 2009

2009-07-01T18:18:00.001-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Halfway Point of 2009. At noon today, the first half of 2009 (182½ days) will be gone. Optimists will quickly realize they have 182½ days left.

Today is I Forgot Day, a day to make up for all the birthdays, anniversaries, and graduations you forgot during the first half of the year.

Today is Be Nice to People You Don't Like Day.

Today is National Try to Find Your Slinky Day.

Nostradamus died on this day in 1566. Nostra was the great prophet who annually got all the other prophets together to share their prophecies. And this was history's first system of prophet-sharing.

1982: Larry Walters flew a lawn chair to 16,000 feet over San Pedro, California. He had tied 42 helium-filled weather balloons to the chair. He even made it back down safely.

1988: Rick Krause became the world champion cherry pit spitter in Eau Claire, Michigan, with a record spit of 72 feet 7.5 inches.

1992: The one-millionth Chevrolet Corvette rolled off the assembly line.

IN THE NEWS…..

Karl Malden Dead
“The family of Karl Malden says the actor who won an Oscar for his role in 'A Streetcar Named Desire' has died at age 97. He made his screen debut in the 1940 movie 'They Knew What They Wanted,' and was praised for his role as Mitch in the 1951 classic 'A Streetcar Named Desire.'" He and his wife Mona (who survives him) were married 70 years!

California Screamin'
The state of California has still not balanced its budget, and it will now have to print and issue IOU's. In a related story, California can't afford to pay for the millions of dollars it will cost to print and issue IOU's

There May Have Been A Better Way to Handle This
Police said a Florida man charged with domestic battery allegedly sprayed his wife with a garden hose for smoking in the house. The police report of the incident said the victim arrived at her Jensen Beach home while smoking a cigarette. Her husband yelled at her about smoking in the house and sprayed her with a hose.

Have you ever overreacted with your spouse in an argument? What have you done?

Top Paying Jobs For Women
Women are flocking to the labor force in record numbers. Nearly 60% sought or occupied employment in 2008, the latest year for which statistics are available, representing 46.5% of the total U.S. labor force. More than one-third of these women worked in management, professional and related occupations, accounting for 51% of all workers in this top-paying sector.

1. A Pharmacist $86,000 annually
2. Chief Executives $83,000
3. Lawyers $78,000
4. Computer Software Engineers $70,000
5. Computer & Information Systems Managers $65,500

Apple’s New iPhone Is So Hot … It Turns Pink
The problem appears to particularly affect the white handsets of Apple's new turbo-charged device, which is twice as fast as its predecessor, the iPhone 3G, and boasts an improved camera and the ability to record video.

Dozens of users have reported overheating issues, with some iPhone owners unable to pick up the device because the handset gets so hot. Owners of the white iPhone 3GS say the casing turns pink with the heat.

Some users have said the device has been too hot to put to their ear while making a phone call. The overheating seems to occur when owners are using the iPhone's mapping software, which uses the handset's built-in GPS technology to pinpoint their location and provide directions.

Is Missouri The Fattest State In the Union?
Mississippi's still king of cellulite, but an ominous tide is rolling toward the Medicare doctors in neighboring Alabama: obese baby boomers. It's time for the nation's annual obesity rankings and, outside of fairly lean Colorado, there's little good news. In 31 states, more than one in four adults are obese, says a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

And obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year, and no state experienced a significant decline

Following Alabama, Michigan ranks No. 2 with fat boomers; 36 percent of its 55- to 64-year-olds are obese. Colorado has the lowest rate, 21.8 percent.

A RECIPE FOR RED, WHITE & BLUE POTATO SALAD
A patriotic potato salad can be made a day ahead, leaving plenty of time for you to enjoy the fireworks this Fourth of July.

The white in this salad comes from the potatoes and the dressing made from a combination of light mayonnaise, a little olive oil and thick Greek-style yogurt. We are, after all, a melting pot of nationalities.

Red, White & Blue Potato Salad

Serves 8
2 to 2½ pounds new potatoes some with red skins, some with white and blue if available.
½ cup sliced water chestnuts or 1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
½ cup diced sweet onion
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
One large red bell pepper roasted, peeled and cut in strips ½-inch by 1½ inches.
2 ounces or more blue cheese, crumbled or cut in chunks
Dressing
1/3 cup Greek-style yogurt
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup light mayonnaise
½ teaspoon garlic salt

→To prepare potatoes, wash and scrub potatoes. Cook with peeling intact by steaming or submerging in water. Cook about 20 minutes or until tender. Let cool and peel if desired. Slice ¼-inch thick or dice into ½- to ¾-inch chunks. Add water chestnuts or celery, diced onion and relish. Mix with potatoes and keep refrigerated.

→To roast pepper, place the peppers on a foil-covered baking sheet under the broiler in an electric oven. Turn them until each side is blackened. Once charred, move the peppers into a sealable plastic bag. After about 15 minutes, you will be able to remove the peeling using the paper toweling inside the bag. You also can roast peppers over an open flame on a gas stove, holding with tongs until the char is achieved.

→To make the dressing, combine yogurt, oil, mayonnaise and garlic salt. Whisk together until well-blended. Fold dressing into potato mixture with prepared red pepper strips until well coated. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

→Cook’s notes: This potato salad is a keeper and can be served with or without the blue cheese. Blue potatoes are fun to include in the potato mixture but not vital to the salad if you plan to use the blue cheese. All white potatoes may be used if others cannot be found. Just serve the salad in a blue bowl if you decide to ditch the blue cheese and blue potatoes. Roasted red peppers can be found prepared in cans or jars. You can add them raw or use red grape tomatoes instead. The tomatoes make a pretty garnish, as well.

→This potato salad keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and is great for picnics. There are no eggs in the salad.

→Source: Inspired by a recipe from Whole Foods Market.

Sarah Palin Listens To Christian Music When She is Running
Alaska governor and former vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin might be saving her best stuff for her forthcoming book, but she opened up to "Runner's World" magazine.

She grew up in a family of runners, she said, and runs even when Alaska's temperatures are 20 or 30 below zero. When she listens to music, she plays old Van Halen and AC/DC.

"I have a nice routine: I kick off my runs with the old Van Halen and AC/DC, then I get into my country music, then I always wrap it up with a couple mellow Amy Grant songs," Palin said.

She talked about a memorable run during the campaign:

"I like running alone and having the Secret Service with me added a little bit of pressure. I'm thinking I gotta have good form and can't be hyperventilating and can't be showing too much pain and that adds a little more pressure on you as you're trying to be out there enjoying your run. Then I fell coming down a hill and was so stinkin' embarrassed that a golf cart full of Secret Service guys had to pull up beside me. My hands just got torn up and I was dripping blood. In the debate you could see a big fat ugly Band-Aid on my right hand. I have a nice war wound now as a reminder of that fall in the palm of my right hand. For much of the campaign, shaking hands was a little bit painful."

The Iowa State Fair Will Honor MJ With A Statue of Him Made Out Of Butter

Iowa State Fair organizers announced Tuesday that they will have a statue of Michael Jackson made of butter. The sculpture will be on display along with the annual butter cow, a popular attraction at the event.

Both will be in a 40-degree cooler throughout the fair from Aug. 13 to 23 in Des Moines.

Fair organizers say the butter sculpture is a tribute to the pop icon who died at the age of 50.

Jackson performed at the fair twice with the Jackson Five in 1971.

This Little Piggy WILL NOT Be Going to Market

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - This pig wasn't dubbed the 'ham on the lam' by its local newspaper for nothing.

An 800-pound hog that survived on its own for a week after a truck flipped while on its way to a slaughterhouse has surfaced in a swimming pool at a home near the crash site.

LeAnn Baldy, whose house is only yards from Interstate 430, said Monday she noticed her pool was suddenly overflowing and then saw the immersed pig, which was having a drink in the pool.

About 90 hogs were in the trailer when it overturned where I-430 meets I-40, and about 60 survived. Officials said they thought the last of them had been caught.
Baldy said she found a farmer to take in the pig.

A spokesman for Odom's Tennessee Pride said it can't use the hog in its sausage products because no one knows what the hog had been eating in its week on the lam.

New Toy Allows You To Do Jedi Mind Trick

Later this summer, anybody anywhere will have the ability to physically move stuff with their minds like characters do in "Star Wars." No joke.

A new toy that harnesses the same technology doctors use to monitor brain waves will arrive in stores in August. The toy moves when it senses a change in the user's brain-wave patterns.

"It's pretty cutting-edge," says Frank Adler, executive vice president of Uncle Milton Industries, the toy company that manufactures the "Star Wars"-branded Force Trainer. "It certainly appears to be where things are headed."

It will be if the reaction from 5-year-old "Star Wars" fanatic Ryan Mogg is any indication. Mogg tried out the Force Trainer at a recent "Star Wars" toy fair.

In less than a minute, he was controlling the rise and fall of a pingpong ball in a clear tube — with his brain waves.

"It's like what Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Maul do!" he said afterward with a big grin.

FOURTH OF JULY HUMOR:
What kind of tea did the American colonists thirst for?
Liberty!

What would you get if you crossed a patriot with a small curly-haired dog?
Yankee Poodle!

70,000 Bees and 40 Pounds of Honey Removed From Kansas Church
LINK TO THEVIDEO:
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?rn=3906861&cl=14261664&ch=4226713&src=news

OPERATION CARE & COMFORT FOR OUR TROOPS AT YOUR LOCAL OLD NAVY STORE (JEFFERSON CITY & COLUMBIA)
July 1 - 5
Support our troops overseas and receive 10% off your entire purchase!
Bring in one of the items below or purchase it at our store for a donation.
• Basic Underwear
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• Flip Flops
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TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - JULY 1, 2009

2009-06-30T17:34:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Second Half of the New Year Day, a checkpoint for those who made New Year's resolutions

Today is National Creative Ice Cream Flavor Day.

July is Cell Phone Courtesy Month, a time to remind the 180-million U.S. cell phone users to hush once in a while.

This is National Dog House Repairs Month.

July is National Hot Dog Month, National Grilling Month, National Ice Cream Month, Family Reunion Month, National Baked Bean Month, National Blueberries Month, With all of that maybe it should also be National Maalox Month!

Today is National Postal Worker Day

1963: The U.S. Postal Service introduced the 5-digit zip code.

1979: Sony introduced the Soundabout, a Walkman that sold for $200..

1980: McGruff, the crime-fighting dog, debuted as an advertising symbol to take a bite out of crime.

1983: After 120 hours, the Rev. Ronald Gallagher finally stopped preaching at the Baptist Temple in Appomattox, Virginia. It was history's longest sermon.

1984: "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" became the first PG-13 rated movie.

IN THE NEWS…..

People magazine says FARRAH FAWCETT's 24-year-old son, REDMOND O'NEAL, was allowed to leave the jail where he's currently serving a time sentence for violating his probation on drug charges, to attend his mother's memorial service yesterday afternoon in Los Angeles.

Today's Michael Jackson update:
THE FACTS ON THE MJ MEETING WITH ANDRAE CROUCH
“Andrae and Sandra did in fact visit with Michael Jackson two times, once at the recording studio, and once at his home in the last two months, as recently as three weeks ago, asking for prayer concerning the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and how he could make his music more ‘spiritual,’” noted Crouch’s Facebook administrator.
“So Andrae and Sandra explained to him about the anointing and about Jesus. He wanted to know what makes your hands go up, and makes you ‘come out of yourself,’ and what gives a ‘spirituality’ to the music? He then requested to hear his favorite song that he loves and wanted then to sing to him, so they...joined hands and sang together, and he said, ‘it was beautiful.’ He first heard it in New York, and loved it and wanted it on tape. He had the engineer tape the song sang to him by Andrae and Sandra. He definitely had an encounter with them.”

As to whether or not the legendary singer had prayed to receive Christ, through his spokesman Crouch responded: “He did NOT reject Jesus or the prayer when (we) prayed, and gladly joined in prayer.”

“He usually doesn’t touch anybody, but he touched them, and held their hands in a circle as they sang and prayed,” continued Andrae Crouch’s spokesman. “There was NO actual ‘sinners prayer’ however, but they did talk and pray about Jesus and the anointing of the Holy Spirit. They also told him, ‘Michael, we consider you as our son,’ and he said, “yes, yes, yes” and gave him his latest music on a CD, and he told him, ‘Andrae I trust you with this,’ and gave him CD’s of 2 songs...unpublished, beautiful music.”

In the story, the Crouch’s reported one peculiarity about Jackson’s rented home: forbidden as a child from celebrating Christmas because of his Jehovah’s Witness faith which precludes such celebration, Jackson was still celebrating Christmas in June: “He still had his Christmas decorations up at home,” noted Crouch’s spokesman.

Did MICHAEL JACKSON nearly die five years ago under the exact same circumstances? A source close to the late singer tells Fox News' Pop Tarts gossip column that his brother, RANDY, found him unconscious back in 2004 and called a life-saving friend who happened to be a paramedic. Obviously, they were able to revive him but a doctor who normally didn't treat Michael was "absolutely shocked" by the amount of prescription medication in the home. The same insider claims the Jackson family had a meeting over the situation in 2001 when he was getting ready for a concert series in New York City. Apparently Michael's mom, KATHERINE, started asking a lot of questions about how ELVIS PRESLEY died and was worried about her son's health.
So with all the continual agonizing over MICHAEL JACKSON, somebody turned up Michael's former best friend, Bubbles the Chimp. Turns out the chimp isn't dead and gone, like many thought — in fact, People magazine says Bubbles is now 26 and living out his middle age in a private, Florida primate sanctuary called the Center For Great Apes.

There's 42 chimpanzees and orangutans which live at the Center, which is in Wauchula, FL, and Bubbles has been there since 2005, hanging out with a group of six chimps. And the primate center says he could live to 60 or so, given the right care.
FYI: The Center is a non-profit organization and supported by donations. To see a picture of Bubbles (their featured primate), head over to centerforgreatapes.org. They're using Michael's death as a fund-raiser for the "Bubbles and Friends Fund."
We haven't heard the last of MICHAEL JACKSON. The Times of London says the late entertainer has more than a hundred finished recordings that he left as a personal legacy to his children. Michael didn't want them to ever be released, but seeing as how his estate is in the minus column for more than 400-million dollars. These tracks could help clear up, or even eliminate that debt.

Billy Mays update:
Doctors told reporters yesterday after the autopsy that Billy had an enlarged heart and likely died of a pulmonary embolism, or blocked artery. There was no sign of head trauma (he was hit on the head when a tire blew out as his plane landed Saturday night and speculation was that it might have caused his death). The autopsy also revealed no indication of drug abuse, prescription or otherwise.

This morning's Philadelphia Inquirer also reports that Media Enterprises, the local company which syndicates BILLY MAYS' infomercials, will pull his pitches for its Mighty Putty and Mighty Mendit products until Jul 06, after he's buried, in agreement with family wishes.

The funeral for television product pitchman Billy Mays will be held Friday in the Pittsburgh suburb where he was born and raised.

The funeral Mass for Mays will be 9:30 a.m. Friday at St. Mary Church in McKees Rocks.

Madoff Sentence
Bernie Madoff has been sentenced to 150 years in prison, making him the only man in America who knows he'll still have health care coverage for more than the next 3 years.

Amish Hurting
The weak economy is even taking a toll on the Amish. Farm income is down, building material costs are up, and the horse union won't budge until it gets a $25 billion dollar federal bailout for the buggy industry.

A Florida school board is considering a ban on the "zero" as a grade. Instead, students would get a grade of 40% even if they miss a test completely or fail to turn in an assignment.

The lowest score that a student could get, even for poor work or miserable performance on a test, is a 49.

Officials of the Hernando County School District tell the St Petersburg Times, that the goal "is to give kids a statistical fighting chance to turn around their overall grade — something tough to do even with a couple of zeros or a few very low marks on the books."

Critics argue that "kids are getting more coddled every day, and a policy that lessens the consequences of failure only makes things worse."

The school board will vote on the proposal next month.

A 40 percent grade even if they miss a test completely? That would imply that kids did at least 40 percent of the work which they did not do. That's called a social promotion. How does getting a grade you didn't earn send the right message?

Businesses do not give you half pay for zero effort. They will, however, show you the door. Zero work deserves a zero grade. Sitting down for a test doesn't deserve a minimum grade. Simply attending class doesn't deserve a minimum grade. If you want a fighting chance at a good grade then do your assigned work.

A New Generation Gap
From cell phones and texting to religion and manners, younger and older Americans see the world differently, creating the largest generation gap since the tumultuous years of the 1960s. A new study released by the Pew Research Center found Americans of different ages increasingly at odds over a range of social and technological issues....including marriage.

Regardless of your age and how you feel about marriage, take this advise from Ogden Nash:

To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the marriage cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it,
Whenever you're right, shut up.

Church Kids Break Legos Record

ELGIN - According to the Bible, God instructed Noah to build an ark 300 cubits long, 50 cubits wide and 30 cubits tall.

Not sure how big a cubit is? Well, if a cubit were a LEGO piece, that would equal about 34,900 LEGOs.

More than 150 grade school-aged children found that out this week when they built an expected record-setting 1:37 scale model of Noah's ark made of LEGOs at Harvest Bible Chapel's "High 5" summer day camp.

the LEGO model features the ark as well as a five-color rainbow overhead, surrounded by the words of Genesis 6:8: "But Noah found favor with the Lord." It measures 12 feet long, 2 feet wide and 18 inches tall and includes a 3-foot wide exposed side revealing its three inner decks.

That should find favor with LEGO World Records.

The model will set the record for the largest LEGO model of Noah's ark both "by dimension and brick," according to Pastor Craig Steiner of the Elgin church's Adult Ministries Department.

It will be on display during worship services at Harvest Bible Chapel through July 11. Services are at 5 p.m. Saturdays and 9 and 11:15 a.m. Sundays.

TOP GROSSEST THINGS IN YOUR HOUSE

5. Your garbage pail
4. Your loofah, wash cloth or sponge
3. Your vacuum cleaner bag
2. Your toilet seat

1. YOU!
At the end of the day, YOU are pretty disgusting. Your body is home to a wide array of microbes, from bacteria and viruses to (perhaps even) bugs and parasites. There are 10 times as many bacterial cells as human cells in the ecosystem that is your body -- and as many as 182 different species of bacteria live on your skin alone. Yep, if you're looking for the biggest source of grossness in your home, you need look no further than your own fingers, feet and belly button, not to mention those disease-carrying mucous membranes. Much of your own cohabitants are harmless to you, but can potentially cause problems for other humans. So, if you wanted to be supersafe, you could simply avoid all human contact. Sounds like a plan.

July 5th. is DEPENDENCE DAY…ON GOD!

American Christians across the nation will band together the day after Independence Day to repent and pray for God to heal the country.

The newly launched initiative Call2Fall, organized by the conservative Christian group Family Research Council, will focus on the spiritual and moral problems growing in the nation.

"America is a nation in moral crisis,” says FRC President Tony Perkins. “Four out of every ten children are born out of wedlock, and every day roughly 3,000 unborn children are aborted in our county. From homosexual 'marriage' to proposed curbs on religious speech, there are serious matters for the church to address, humbly and with great earnestness, before God.”

Held a day after Americans celebrate their “independence,” Call2Fall will be a day when Christians declare their “dependence” on God, Perkins explains. The name of the initiative means call to fall on our knees.

With July 5 being a Sunday, churches are being called to have their entire congregation pray for at least three to five minutes for the spiritual health of their church and for America. Some churches, according to FRC, are holding a prayer event the entire day.

With July 5 being a Sunday, churches are being called to have their entire congregation pray for at least three to five minutes for the spiritual health of their church and for America. Some churches, according to FRC, are holding a prayer event the entire day.

Call2Fall organizers hope to have eight million Christians participate in the prayer event and declare their dependence on God.

President Interrupted By Annoying Ringtone

We've all been there - deeply embarrassed after our mobile phone has gone off unexpectedly during meetings, conferences, films, and so on.

So this poor journalist's mortification is understandable - though she gets no extra sympathy for her choice of ringtone.

Barack Obama was giving a speech yesterday when - to a reporter's horror - her mobile phone went off, interrupting the U.S. President.

To make matters worse, for some unimaginable reason the unidentified journalist had picked the sound of a duck quacking for her ringtone.

'Whose - whose duck is back there?' asked a confused Mr Obama, who had just been delivering a solemn address on homosexuality and civil rights.

'It's a duck,' First Lady Michelle Obama confirmed, breaking down into giggles.
'Where do you guys get these ringtones, by the way?' the president asked to laughter. 'I'm just curious.'

The President and the First Lady were hosting a reception for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Pride Month in the East Room of the White House
And, as the quacking - and the laughter - fell silent, Mr Obama launched straight back in to his speech on fairness and equality.

TO SEE VIDEO:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1196465/Obama-interrupted-speech-journalists-quacking-duck-ringtone.html

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JUNE 30, 2009

2009-06-29T20:59:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
on
SPIRIT FM
with
JIM & KAREN

TODAY IS:

Today is Leap Second Day, when the official world clocks are pushed ahead one second. I hate it when they do that. It screws up my sleeping pattern

On this date in 1971: The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gave 18 year old Americans the right to vote. One small step for democracy -- one giant leap for political candidates with cool hair.

On this date in 1892: It rained frogs in Birmingham, England. The frog shower was a complete surprise. The forecast called for cats and dogs.

IN THE NEWS…..

Billy Mays
Mays' family is busy making funeral plans, they say he'll be buried as soon as they can dig him a grave with the Awesome Auger.

MJ – You knew it was going to happen.
The Internet rumors have started already. Bloggers are saying Michael Jackson is still alive -- he faked his death to avoid paying massive debts. Michael Jackson memorabilia is selling like crazy. Celebrity stuff is always worth more after the celebrity dies. I will get rich if I can figure out a way to do this show after I'm dead.

Michael Jackson:
A celebrity death usually means some folks will be making a lot of money. The Las Vegas Review-Journal says Julien's auction house thought a signed copy of a JACKSON 5album would bring in about 400-bucks. It sold for 33,750-dollars over the weekend. And, a painting MICHAEL JACKSON did as a child of Mickey Mouse and Pluto was valued at 1,000-dollars. It went for 25,000-bucks.

MICHAEL JACKSON's estate will be controlled by his sister, JANET. The New York Post says she has been named executor, which means she has a very tough and time consuming job ahead of her. Michael is said to have been in debt for as much as 500-million dollars. Janet was spotted Saturday at the rented house in Los Angeles where Michael died on Thursday. Movers were carrying his stuff out and putting the boxes into a number of trucks.

The Neverland Ranch, once the home of MICHAEL JACKSON will become a museum, much like ELVIS PRESLEY's Graceland. The New York Post says the huge property is being restored and is set to re-open as a place where fans can visit and pay their respects to the late entertainer. The San Jose Mercury News says JERMAINE, JACKIE and TITO JACKSON were at the ranch in Santa Barbara, California, on Saturday with investor THOMAS BARRACK who set up the joing venture that allowed Michael to keep the ranch which was headed into foreclosure. Michael bought the property in 1988 and turned it into his personal amusement park and zoo.

FARRAH FAWCETT's death may be overshadowed by the jarring news that MICHAEL JACKSON is no longer with us, but the stunningly beautiful star is still on the hearts and minds of Hollywood. CNN reports that Farrah's funeral service will be conducted tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles, CA. The service will be private.

O
President Obama has already spent more money than any other
President in U.S. history. And if you think that's impressive --imagine what he could do with a few credit cards.

President Obama says he's 95% cured of smoking. See, "95% cured" proves Obama is not a typical"over the top" politician. A typical over-the-top politician would have said"I'm 99% cured".

The new Transformers movie is a huge hit.
Sources say that 65 General Motors cars were provided for the movie “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.” General Motors said they will be providing even more of their cars for next one, “Transforms III: Revenge of the Lemons.”

"Transformers II" has made more than $145 million worldwide. It's on track to be the biggest box office opening of all time. It's incredible — somebody has finally found a way to make money using American cars.

IRAN
Last month President Obama invited Iranian diplomats to attend 4th of July celebrations at the White House. He has now withdrawn the invitation. The Iranians are saying -- "Now what will we do with 200 tubs of camel salad we made for the party?"

PHONE BOOK BULLETIN
Phone companies may stop printing directories. You'll have to look up the number using the Internet. That's a shame. I like to "personalize" my phone book by crossing out the names of all the people I don't know.

HOT
England is sweating through a heatwave, with temperatures in the 90s. That's very hot for Britain. How hot is it in London? Queen Elizabeth was seen wearing a crown with a built-in sprinkler.

SPACE CADETS
NASA announced it will no longer service the Hubble Telescope.
They will let it disintegrate, break down and conk out. It's a plan they stole from the management of the KC Royals.

CD
Yesterday a music industry executive predicted the CD will be totally dead within five years. Gee, maybe if they'd made them easier to open. (I have CDs I bought in 1998 I haven't been able to open yet)

IRAN / NORTH KOREA
An expert says North Korea and Iran are the two biggest threats to world peace. Which is the biggest threat of all? Nobody's sure. Hey -- maybe they should compete in a TV reality show called -- "Lesser of Two Evils".

MADOFF
Yesterday in New York: It was sentencing day for multi billion dollar fraudster Bernie Madoff. The judge said "You are hereby sentenced to rot in jail for the rest of your life with no possibility of parole. Have a nice day".

COMPUTER
A parenting expert says turning off the computer is the biggest favor you can do for your kids. Hey kids, drag yourself away from the computer. Go outside. Take a look at the real world. The graphics are great!

MEMORY
A study shows two things bring back strong memories: Music and smells. So -- if the old song you're listening to stinks – I guess you feel extra nostalgic.

SHOPLIFT
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce released a report on shoplifting.
Last year in the U.S., shoplifters stole 37 (b) billion dollars in merchandise. And yet -- not one Jessica Simpson CD was stolen. Interesting.

Praying Nightly in the Oval Office
Each night for 24 years, Emma Daniel Gray would diligently clean the White House. When she came to the president's chair, she would pause, cleaning materials in hand, and say a quick prayer.

The prayers asked for blessings, wisdom and safety for each of the six presidents she served.

It's a "Backstairs at the White House" moment, a story that could have come from the 1979 Emmy Award-winning miniseries about the professional household staff to the presidential families. Like the characters in that television show, Mrs. Gray took great pride in her work, traveling each day by public transportation from her Northeast Washington home to the residence of one of the most powerful men in the world.

She worked nights, in the executive offices. Her official title was charwoman, from the time she started with the government in 1943 until her retirement in 1979. The first decade or so, she was assigned to what is now called the Government

Accountability Office and a handful of other agencies. In 1955, she was transferred to the White House "because of her working habits, because of her excellent work," said one of her daughters, Lillie Collins of Forestville. "It wasn't just her work, it was her character."

That nightly pause for prayer was in keeping with her habits of a lifetime.
A member of Holy Trinity Worship Center International in Washington, she "loved President Carter because she felt he prayed a lot," her daughter said, and she treasured a photograph of her shaking hands with him, as well as an autographed picture of her with Rosalynn Carter. President John F. Kennedy may have been her next favorite, because of the Christmas parties his administration threw for workers and their families, occasions that her children remember for Mrs. Gray's insistence that they dress up and behave properly.

Today is Friday - June 19, 2009

2009-06-18T19:46:00.004-05:00

The Morning Show with Jim & Karen

HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!!

Steven Curtis Chapman Father's Day Video: (copy and paste web address into your search bar)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?roi=farm-19935957-148104-eb18ed4117669c4d1d8769939b5e3e6d&v=Gb1zcEMepUA&feature=channel%20<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb1zcEMepUA&feature=channel>%20

TEN FOODS THAT HELP US SLEEP BETTER

Nibble on one of these 10 high-carb calmers an hour before bedtime. You'll be yawning in no time.

1. Half of a whole-wheat English muffin or raisin bagel drizzled with honey
2. Two cups of air-popped popcorn
3. A small slice of angel food cake topped with berries
4. A frozen whole-wheat waffle, toasted, with maple syrup
5. Half a cup of pretzels
6. Fresh strawberries dunked in a little fat-free chocolate syrup
7. Half a cup of pasta topped with marinara sauce
8. A 4-ounce baked potato topped with salsa
9. A handful of oyster crackers and a piece of fruit
10. Canned mandarin oranges sprinkled with crystallized ginger

The benefits of sleep go well beyond good moods and lots of energy. Getting six to eight hours of sleep a night can make your Real Age as much as three years younger.

JOBLESS BENEFITS EXTENDED IN MISSOURI

On Friday (Jun. 12) Missouri Governor Jay Nixon signed into law a bill passed by the Missouri Legislature that will extend benefits for unemployed Missourians. An estimated 35,000 Missourians could benefit from this extension. Approximately 15,000 Missourians will exhaust their current unemployment benefits between April and June of 2009 alone.

Missouri workers currently qualify for a maximum of fifty-nine weeks of unemployment compensation drawn from combined state and federal Unemployment Insurance funds. Due to the recession, many workers have exhausted their regular unemployment benefits, but have still been unable to find employment.

The new law allows workers to collect extended benefits in states with high unemployment levels. It provides thirteen more weeks when the state unemployment rate exceeds 6.5 percent and an additional seven weeks when unemployment exceeds 8 percent. Missouri’s unemployment rate was 8.1 percent in April, the most recent data available.

The bill passed by the Missouri Legislature and signed by Governor Nixon allows the state to take advantage of federal funds to provide benefits to Missouri’s unemployed workers. It could bring as much as sixty-five million dollars in federal support.

Persons currently unemployed, or those whose benefits have expired since February 22, are eligible for extended benefits and will receive a letter from the Missouri Department of Labor. For assistance in filing their claims, Missourians can contact the Department’s regional claim center in their area.

Contact information for the Regional Claim Centers (RCC) is below, and can also be found at: http://www.dolir.mo.gov/es/ui-benefits/faq.htm#return1.

Jefferson City RCC

Local Calling Area: 573-751-9040

Outside Local Calling Area: 800-320-2519

Kansas City RCC

IN THE NEWS…..
iPHONEThe latest iPhone is released today.

(FRI) This new iPhone comes with an app that points at the nearest person who owns and old iPhone -- and makes laughing noises. I’m beginning to think my bag phone is out of style.

HILLARY HURT
By now you heard: Hillary Clinton broke her elbow. She was on her way to the White House when she slipped. This is not the first time things have worked out bad for Hillary while she was trying to elbow her way into the White House.

INSANIANS
Experts say unrest in Iran could spread throughout the entire Middle East. That would be a shame -- if a calm, peaceful region like the Middle East ends up being restless and jittery.

BANK BULLETIN
In Ohio, a woman robbed three banks in 30 minutes. That's very impressive. And it proves American productivity is still right up there with the best.

SMOKES
A Chinese tobacco company has a new line of cigarettes with
added caffeine. That's right, they put caffeine in cigarettes. They say it helps you stay awake while you're coughing.

Texting the Ten Commandments

2009-06-18T07:56:00.001-05:00

1. no1 b4 me. srsly.

2. dnt wrshp pix/idols

3. no omg's

4. no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

5. pos ok - ur m&d r cool

6. dnt kill ppl

7. :-X only w/ m8

8. dnt steal

9. dnt lie re: bf

10. dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.

M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

THURSDAY - JUNE 18, 2009

2009-06-17T19:04:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Wild Den Dancing Day, a day to play all your favorite old songs and dance wildly in the family room while your children roll their eyes.

Today is Recess at Work Day. Sounds like fun.

Today is National Splurge Day, a day to have fun

Today is International Picnic Day. And for those who always put too much onion in the potato salad, it's also International Rolaids Day.

On this date in 1812 the U.S. declared war on Great Britain. And from force of habit, France surrendered.

On this day in 1983 astronaut Sally Ride became the first American woman in outer space. The mission was nearly perfect, with the only problem occurring on landing when Sally could re-fold the map.

Napoleon met his Waterloo on this day in 1815, and the history of the world was changed because of one simple little problem -- hemorrhoids.
Sitting on a horse caused Napoleon so much pain that he delayed his attack at Waterloo for two hours, enough time for enemy reinforcements to arrive. Now think about it: Why do you suppose they haven't made that story into a Prep-H commercial? Just think, the entire history of the world could have been changed by little fast, temporary relief.

THIS IS LIFE:

IOWA TEENAGER WINS TEXT TITLE 15 year old Kate Moor of Des Moines, Iowa, landed the $50,000 first prize just eight months after getting her first cell phone! Kate beat out 20 other finalists from around the country over two days of challenges including texting while blindfolded and texting while maneuvering through a moving obstacle course. In the final showdown Kate had to text three lengthy phrases without making any mistakes on the required abbreviations, capitalization or punctuation. She squeaked through by a few seconds on the tiebreaking text, getting the best out of three.

Kate says she sends about 400-470 texts per day. Approximately 14,000 per month. She is a great student, performs in school plays and socializes with friends –in person – on the weekends!

The event is sponsored by LG Electronics and all the finalists were 22 years old or younger, with over 250,000 people trying to get a spot in the competition.

KC ROYAL PITCHER KYLE FARNSWORTH INJURED BY HIS DOG
If you are a KC Royal fan you will be interested in knowing that pitcher Kyle Farnsworth injured his left, non-pitching hand when one of his pet American bulldogs bit him as he tried to break up a fight between the two canines he owns. He suffered cuts to his index finger and the bites went deep enough to reach bu not cut a tendon. Farnsworth taped the finger and tucked it under his glove and shagged balss during batting practice telling the manager he was fine and still able to pitch.

BE SAFE
A study shows employees who are afraid losing their jobs in
these tough times do not report accidents in the workplace. By the way, here's a safety reminder: I am not responsible for injuries you may receive while rolling around on the floor laughing at my jokes.

IRELAND: When you visit Ireland, think twice before you kiss the Blarney Stone. In a survey by Trip Advisor dot com, the Blarney Stone was named "World's Germiest Tourist Attraction".

The stone attracts 400,000 kissers each year. Other attractions
that round out the germy list:

#2: Seattle's Wall of Gum. People waiting to get into the Market
Theater have left their chewed gum since the 1990s.

#3: Oscar Wilde's Tomb in Paris. It's a tradition for visitors
to leave lipstick prints by kissing the tombstone.

#4: St. Mark's Square in Venice, Italy. Home to thousands of
filthy pigeons.

#5: The celebrity handprints and footprints outside Grauman's
Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

IN THE NEWS…..

John McCain said on his Twitter feed that he's buying a new Ford Fusion hybrid. A year ago, McCain didn't use a computer; now he's on Twitter and buying a hybrid. I think he's like Benjamin Button.

Did you see the video of President Obama killing a fly? During a TV interview a fly started bugging him, so he killed it. There will be a Congressional enquiry into why the Secret Service guys were not there with Swatter One.

FACEBOOK FACT
Use of Facebook has increased by more than 600% since last year. The latest trend? Owning TWO laptops - so you can be on Facebook twice at the same time.

MYSPACED OUT
MySpace will lay off 30% of its staff. In case you didn't know, Facebook is cool -- MySpace is uncool. MySpace is so uncool --some users are on MySpace only three hours a day.

IRAN SCAM
Apparently we can't believe what we saw on TV. An Iranian
government spokesperson denied -- this is true -- he denied
there were thousands of protesters on the streets. He also
denied Iran's religious leaders all have long beards and look kinda scary.

LADY LIBERTY
The Statue of Liberty's crown will re-open to the public on July 4th. They say being inside Lady Liberty's head is a unique experience. Gee, I wonder if there's a side tour that includes her sinuses.

MICROBE
This week's big science story: Trapped in a block of ice in Greenland, scientists found a tiny microbe that was sleeping for 120,000 years, and successfully woke it up. So far their studies show the microbe is cranky and has very bad breath.

COMICS
Excitement in the world of comic book heroes: Marvel Comics will bring back Captain America. This time Captain America will be assisted by his new sidekick -- Sergeant Bailout.

WHY FLY
Some airlines are planning to charge extra for meals. OK, here's what I don't like about eating a meal on a plane: The drinks are in sealed containers. The knives and forks are all sealed in plastic bags. But the food just sits there on a shelf next to the toilet. That bothers me!

CLOUDS
The Cloud Appreciation Society is asking meteorologists to
recognize a new type of cloud they discovered. (TRUE) I think I speak for everybody when I say -- "There's a Cloud Appreciation Society"....?? Yes, there is. There's also a Fog Fan Club. And a Precipitation Admiration Association.

DISEASE
Doctors predict a return of Mad Cow Disease and Bird Flu you catch
from chickens. There's a simple explanation. Cows and chickens
are jealous of all the publicity pigs are getting from Swine Flu.

SWINE DOGGY
A doctor says swine flu can be passed from humans to dogs. My dog, Buddy, is very health conscious. He always makes me wash my hands before
I scratch behind his ears.

DOGS & CATS
Remember a few years ago -- a Japanese company came out with a "Dog Translator". It told you what your dog is saying when he barks. The same company now has a "Cat Translator", it translatesa cat's meows. If you connect the two gadgets -- your dog and cat can talk to each other. They don't need you anymore.

WEDNESDAY - JUNE 17, 2009

2009-06-17T14:24:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
WITH
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

In an internet survey: The # 1 place for single people to meet other singles: The pet store. I guess it's very romantic--standing around discussing the correct way to worm a dog. Interesting. Where did you meet your significant someone

Frances Ray at 7:04am June 17
I was working at a dairy bar. I still like ice cream.

Karen Dye at 7:09am June 17
I met Brad at his wireless phone store when I went in to sell him advertising for my radio station. Best sales appointment I ever went on...I got the sale and the greatest husband on the planet!

Sherry Rhodes Carroll at 7:10am June 17
"Single Christian Network" moved from Ohio to Missouri
I love it here

Ann Cousins Mason at 7:15am June 17
I met my hubby at CCCB. I had actually came to see my boyfriend off. I was going to go to another college. But, I saw Dave and just knew he was the one. I can remember thinking how great of a dad he would be. I quickly enrolled at Central. Less than a year later we were hitched. 14 years and 7 kids later we are still as happy as ever. :)

Karen Dye at 7:17am June 17
Ann that is a great story!!!! :) Christie Stockton at 7:18am June 17
The grocery store. I visited there with my Aunt. Someone else was checking and he was bagging the groceries. He picked up the check for the groceries and put it in the bag instead of the checker putting in the register. He was watching me instead!

Eric Allison at 7:21am June 17
I had just moved to jeff city from sedalia and started working at ryans here in jeff city thats were i had met mine

Annie Chartrand at 7:22am June 17
Met mine on Yahoo personals. Tracy Hayworth Garrison at 7:23am June 17
I prayed and told God the kind of man I wanted to marry. I met my husband on a blind date set up by a mutual friend. When I saw him, I knew he was the man I was meant to marry. Six weeks later, we were engaged. We have been married over 24 years and more in love than ever. My husband is truly an answered prayer.

Cindy Lolley at 7:24am June 17
Worked with my husband at Cracker Barrel in Columbia. He was the cook and I was a hostess.

Rhonda Phillips at 7:38am June 17
Met my husband at Wal-Mart in the garden dept! He sold me my Christmas tree! See, you really can find everything at Wal-Mart!

Sandy Schmid at 7:38am June 17
I met my husband, Ken, at work at UMR (now MO S&T), where we worked in the same department.

Mary Stubbs Kinnamore at 7:39am June 17
I met Jon in the McDonalds parking lot in Rolla. :O) Our kids have heard this story so many times, they just roll their eyes everytime we pass there and bring it up again!

Jeff Wallace at 7:42am June 17
Friends from the church I attended in St. Louis introduced me to one of their cousins who lived in Rolla on Aug 27, 2002. Today, I am married to her, with two sons, and we live in Rolla.

Jessica Brown at 7:48am June 17
We met at my house. He was friends with my aunts boyfriend. I ignored him the first few times until my stepmom told me to date him. I only went out with him to get her off my back! Now I am stuck with him forever. LOL He is a great guy and very loving and devoted father. Ten years and loving it!

Cassie Mathis at 7:49am June 17
My husband was my neighbor! Had a crush on him for a long time before he ever noticed me! I love him so much I still have a crush on him!

Craig Gene Hart at 7:50am June 17
I met my wife at a rollerskating rink.I thought she had the biggest most beautiful brown eyes!35 years of marriage,6 children,13 granchildren(1 more on the way),and we both accepted Christ into our hearts in the last 2 years!Our God is so great!!!!

Cherryl Nash Jones at 7:58am June 17
met my husband in junior high school when he was trying to cozy up to my friend. we met again in high school and he and i became the best of friends. we started dating a few days before he joined the military. got engaged a year later and married in April of 79 before he went to Germany for the first time. we have been married for 30years, 3 children and 3 grandchildren. he is still my best friend.

Shawn Malaney at 8:16am June 17
the time that counted... we met on the internet

Karen Hance at 8:26am June 17
I met my husband at his church. I hadn't been going to church at that time. I was 14 and not really interested in him. He was too nice for me! Things change right? We've been married 9 and a half years and have two children! He was one of my best decisions ever!

Debe Mackley at 8:37am June 17
I met my husband of 37 years in kindergarten. Bea Bonebrake at 8:40am June 17
Dairy Queen in Rolla--Went to hang out with the youth after church on a Weds night--10 years ago!

Amie DeFord at 8:44am June 17
I met my husband in a Christian music chat room online. We'll be married 10 years in August and have 3 children.

Dawn Leuchtmann at 8:46am June 17
We met at a friends 4th of July BBQ and had an amazing day together with food, a lake and then fireworks in St. Louis! I always tell my kids that when I met their dad I saw shooting stars! They just roll their eyes.

Corby Cochenour at 10:04am June 17
my friends beauty shop!!!! Nicole Jackson at 10:23am June 17
Moved to Macomb to go to school. Got a job at Hardee's. He worked there too. I never moved back home.

Julie Young at 10:25am June 17
I loved reading all these! So sweet & mushy.
I met Fred when for some reason God kept prompting me and opening doors for me to leave my friends/family and move 8 hrs away to a new job in Ark...I couldnt figure out why! But I moved, started working in radio and met the most amazing dj :)

Dan Mayo at 10:46am June 17
I met Karen at at my best friends house. His girlfriend was best friends with my wife.

Jason Sullivan at 11:09am June 17
I met my wife at church while doing VBS the first time we met I had a pink hippo puppet named Hippopartymus on my hand she was dating one of my friends at the time but not for long I guess she liked the hippo. 10 years and 2 boys later we still love each other

Joann Hart at 11:15am June 17
So there is hope for us single girls, that there are still good guys out there for Husbands? .......many of these look like at least 10 years ago..... wonder if that is the cut off? :o)

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JUNE 16, 2009

2009-06-15T17:43:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

June is National Be Silly Month, a special time when adults can feel young again by imitating the antics of children. Here are a couple of ideas you can try tonight at home:

Unzip your beanbag and dump 33-jillion teeny tiny Styrofoam beans onto the carpet.

Then try to get the dog to eat them.

Sponsor a neighborhood burping contest

Today is National Fudge Day.

Today is Horsey Parents Day, a time to honor parents who play horsey - again and again and again.

1891: The George A. Hormel & Company was founded in Austin, Minnesota. In 1937 it introduced Spam, now the world’s biggest selling canned meat product.

1978: The electronic game "Space Invaders" was first demonstrated by Taito Corporation in Tokyo.

The U.S. Army School of Nursing graduated its first class on this date in 1921. You know, of course, the most important lesson any Army nurse can learn -- always put the bedpan down before saluting.

THIS IS LIFE:

SIX FLAGS FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

The amusement park company Six Flags is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying it needs to reorganize and shed $1.8 billion of debt.

Mark Shapiro, the New York-based company's chief executive officer, says the move won't affect the operation of its 20 theme parks in the U.S., Mexico and Canada.

Six Flags says it actually had a great year in 2008. It saw 25 million visitors and posted record revenues. But executives are trying to lighten a $2.4 billion debt load that they say is unsustainable.

Apparently they got tired of the roller-coaster ride..financially speaking, of course.

Ways Six Flags is cutting back:
• Now down to four flags
• Log Flume ride now bring-your-own-log
• New theme park hours: 9 am to 9:15 am
• Bumper cars are cheerfully-colored supermarket carts
• "Free Fall" ride is just some guy pushing people in a ditch

IN THE NEWS…..

INSANIANS
Iranians are unhappy with their election. They're rioting on the streets. One Iranian said it was a pleasant change of pace to be in a riot that does not involve burning American flags.

Every TV station made the switch to digital. If you don't understand what's happening, you're not alone. It's like trying to understand "Lost" or Paula Abdul.

CLOUDS
The Cloud Appreciation Society is asking meteorologists to
recognize a new type of cloud they discovered. (TRUE) I think I speak for everybody when I say -- "There's a Cloud Appreciation Society"....?? Yes, there is. There's also a Fog Fan Club. And a Precipitation Admiration Association.

KOREAN KRAZIES
In North Korea: That little dictator guy has bestowed an official title on his youngest son, he will take over when his dad dies. He will now be known as -- "Brilliant Comrade". (TRUE) The son is disappointed. He wanted the official title -- "Radical Dude".

TOBACCO
RJ Reynolds is test marketing tobacco candy. It's an exciting new
product. Tobacco candy combines all the benefits of bad breath
and lung disease with the added bonus of dental cavities.

EXERCISE
Medical researchers are developing a pill that gives people the
urge to exercise. (TRUE) I think I speak for all couch potatoes
when I say -- what we need is a pill for medical researchers that
gives them the urge to mind their own business.

The nasty little president of Iran claims he won in a landslide.
Actually -- it's Iran -- so -- what he meant to say was -- "I won
by a sandslide".

DISEASE
Doctors predict a return of Mad Cow Disease and Bird Flu you catch
from chickens. There's a simple explanation. Cows and chickens
are jealous of all the publicity pigs are getting from Swine Flu.

SWINE DOGGY
A doctor says swine flu can be passed from humans to dogs. My dog, Buddy, is very health conscious. He always makes me wash my hands before
I scratch behind his ears.

DOGS & CATS
Remember a few years ago -- a Japanese company came out with a "Dog Translator". It told you what your dog is saying when he barks. The same company now has a "Cat Translator", it translatesa cat's meows. If you connect the two gadgets -- your dog and cat can talk to each other. They don't need you anymore.

Soda Tax
Several cash-strapped state are considering a soda pop tax as a way to pay for health reforms... and to cut down on runaway burping

Girls in Sports
The city of Boston is leading a movement to encourage more girls to play sports. Of course, the Bruins have been playing like girls for 15 years.

STRESS
A study shows stress can help a person live longer. Terrific.
Now I have to worry that I'm not stressed enough....?

FAT FACT
According to a study by the University of North Carolina --
marriage can make you fat. Married people are twice as likely to become obese than people who live alone. Let's do a survey: All you married people - if you've put on weight since the wedding --try to raise your fat flabby hand.

A report says the obesity epidemic is actually worse than
previously thought. The headline read -- "Obesity Is Widespread".

LONDON – A one week old cocker spaniel puppy had a lucky escape after a four-year-old boy accidentally flushed it down the toilet.

The dog's young owner, Daniel Blair, thought the puppy needed a wash after it got muddy, so he put it in the toilet and flushed it. The puppy was swept away and became trapped in a waste pipe for almost four hours. Daniel's mother called a plumber, who found the dog lying upside down in a pipe. Plumber Will Craig said "We couldn't believe he was still alive."

TODAY IS FRIDAY - JUNE 11, 2009

2009-06-11T20:47:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

LIFE CHANGING WORD

TODAY IS:
Today is National Peanut Butter Cookie Day

Today is National Buy Yourself a Toy Day

Actor Jim Nabors was born on this day in 1933. Gaw-lee!

On this day in 1952 a 17-year-old Bonham, Texas, house cat named Dusty set a Guinness record by giving birth to her 420th kitten. Golleee! That's enough to put Bob Barker in a home.

George Bush is 84 today. Former President George H.W. Bush will celebrate his 85th birthday by once again going skydiving. His son, George W. Bush will celebrate his father’s birthday the way he always does: giving him a World’s Greatest Dad mug

IN THE NEWS…..

Cops in France are searching for a thief who stole a notebook full of Picasso’s sketches. The thief should be easy to find—he has just one eye and his foot is on his forehead.

Free School Lunch Peak
An all-time high of 20 million U.S. children are now getting free school lunches. The spike is sending the worldwide tater tot market into chaos.

As you all know, two US reporters have been imprisoned in North Korea and now President Obama is considering sending Al Gore to negotiate their release. After hearing the Al Gore threat, North Korea gave up the reporters and their nuclear program.

KOREA KRAZY
That little dictator guy in North Korea announced his son will take over. His son will ease slowly into the job. He'll start by being insane on Monday and Friday. Then he'll be insane Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. If that works out OK -- he'll try being insane all week.

If there's actually anybody out there planning to shell out for a car for their high school graduate, Forbes magazine crunched the marketing data and finds American teens want reputable brands with cool styling, great gas mileage and ample passenger and luggage space. The teen top 10 car picks:
10. Nissan Altima
9. Ford F-150 truck
8. Ford Focus
7. Toyota Prius
6. Toyota Camry
5. Toyota Corolla
4. Volkswagen Beetle
3. Honda Accord
2. Honda Civic
1. Ford Mustang

American soldiers can now tweet, send friend requests and share photos and personal news just like the rest of the World Wide Web.

The U.S. Army is reversing a years-long policy of blocking the Web hotspots on military networks, ordering its network managers to allow access to social media sites including Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.

"The Army has recently made access to several social media Web sites available from the Army home page within the .mil domain," reads an Army order issued to Directors of Information Management and labeled "for official use only."

First reported on Wired.com's Danger Room, the order explains it is "the intent of senior Army leaders to leverage social media as a medium to allow soldiers to 'tell the Army story' and to facilitate the dissemination of strategic, unclassified information, the social media sites available from the Army homepage http://www.army.mil, will be made accessible from all campus area networks."

JERUSALEM – An Israeli woman mistakenly threw out a mattress she said had almost $1 million inside, setting off a frantic search through tons of garbage at a number of landfill sites on Wednesday. The woman told The Associated Press that she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present on Monday — and threw out the old one.

The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened," said the Tel Aviv woman, who asked not to be identified.

She went to look for the mattress, but it had already been hauled away by garbage collectors, she said. Searches at three different landfill sites turned up nothing.
She said the money was in U.S. dollars and Israeli shekels. She refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she said. There was no way to verify her claims, and she refused to disclose key details.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said he was not familiar with the case and no report had been filed.

The Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot published a picture of the woman searching through garbage at a dump in southern Israel. The picture shows the woman, dressed in a white top and black pants with her back to the camera, picking through a huge pile of trash that fills the frame about 10 feet (3 meters) in all directions.

Yitzhak Borba, the dump manager, told Army Radio that his staff was helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate." He said the mattress was hard to find among the 2,500 tons of garbage that arrives at the site every day.

He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away.
The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate.

TODAY IS THURSDAY -JUNE 11, 2009

2009-06-10T12:10:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW WITH
JIM AND KAREN
ON
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is National Feed the Ducks Day

Today is National Nursing Assistants Day and the beginning of National Nursing Assistants Week.

Today is National German Chocolate Cake Day.

Today is American Idol Day. The TV show debuted on Fox on this date in 2002. First American Idol was Kelly Clarkson.

The annual 4-day Superman Celebration begins today in Metropolis, Illinois

The late French oceanographer Jacques Cousteau was born on this date in 1910. Tonight my family will honor his memory at the local supermarket—and release everything in the lobster tank. Do you think Jacques first childhood game love was “Go Fish”?

Philosopher Roger Bacon died on this day in 1292. He was cremated. And when his ashes were scattered to the wind, some of them landed on a farmer's lunch. And this farmer ate the very first tomato, lettuce, and Bacon sandwich.

The Trojan War ended on this day in 1184 B.C. Helen of Troy was immortalized as the "face that launched a thousand ships." The Greeks were able to launch so many ships because, in those days, there weren't any liberals cutting the military budget.

1982: Director Steven Spielberg introduced his classic science-fiction film, "E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial." The knee-high creature won the hearts of Americans with his one-syllable speech patterns. Although it didn't work for Ross Perot.

1993: Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park premiered.

2004: The nation said goodbye to former President Ronald Reagan at a televised funeral service in Washington, D.C., followed hours later by a hilltop burial ceremony in California.

THIS IS LIFE:

Thought for the Day. If a family has no teenager, how do they ever know when they're doing something wrong? Our son is home from college and it amazes me that we have survived for the past nine months without him being around!

This is what we are suppose tobe doing during the month of June around the house. How many of these things have you done? I actually have done a few of them..but not all!

• Clean and seal decks. Ideally, you'll need three consecutive warm, sunny days. On day one, dry out the deck. Apply deck cleaner and scrub the deck on the second day and let it dry 24 hours. On the third day, apply deck sealer.
• Hire a certified chimney sweep to inspect and clean chimneys. Doing this task now instead of the fall allows plenty of time for repairs before the next heating season. It's also easier to schedule a sweep. Learn more...
• Wash the exterior of your house, using ordinary garden hose pressure and a mild detergent. Beware of the pressure washers -- they are powerful enough to force water under the siding where it may encourage mildew and rot.
• Caulk exterior joints around window and doors. Learn more about caulking and weatherstripping here.
• Clean lint from the entire clothes dryer vent system, from the dryer to the exterior vent cap.
• Inspect and repair or repaint all patio and deck furniture.
• Check operation of attic fans and roof-mounted turbine vents.

IN THE NEWS…..

Vick Bankruptcy
A federal judge in Virginia has told Michael Vick that he has less than a month to draft a new plan for getting out of bankruptcy. The judge also told Vick he needs to come up with something other than a proposed dog-walking business.

New iPhone
Apple has unveiled a new iPhone that the company says is a perfect fit for this economy. Not only is it half the price of the old iPhone, it has a special application that shows you where you can cash your unemployment check.

Late Night Teens
A new study shows teens whose parents let them stay up after midnight have a much higher chance of being depressed or suicidal... especially those who watch Jimmy Kimmel.

Dunkin Donuts has announced a new donut flavor called, “Toffee for your Coffee.”

British singing sensation Susan Boyle will visit America next month. Have you seen this lady? When she flies into the U.S. -- it's gonna take airport security guards two hours to frisk her eyebrows.

NORMAN BRINKER has died. Few know who this man is but he changed the meaning of casual dining out.

Brinker started out as a busboy in a restaurant and eventually got involved in fast food, but decide to branch out. In 1966, with just $15-thousand, he opened the Steak & Ale, which grew into 109 restaurants, and became the model for all chain restaurants to follow, from Sizzler's to Chili's. In fact, Brinker transformed Chili's from 21 hamburger joints into a publicly traded restaurant behemoth we know today. When he retired in 2000, he had built over a thousand casual-dining restaurants. Today, his company has 17-hundred restaurants in 27 countries.

Another of his inventions: The salad bar. Brinker was 78.

June is still the big month for weddings. Some current stats, courtesy of Marie Claire magazine:

• The average age of marriage for American women — currently 27 — has been rising steadily since the 1950s. And the average American engagement has stretched to 16 months (up from 11 months in 1990.)
• Some 2.3 million marriage licenses are issued every year in the US. And there's been a 300 percent increase in the number of marriage licenses issued annually in Las Vegas since 1970.
• 44-thousand weddings are held every weekend in the US.
• 75 percent of women in the US are married by the age of 30.
• While 27 is the average age of marriage for women in the US, for women in the UK, it's 33, and in India it's 20.

Casting continues without letup on the movie remake of the 1980s series, "The A-Team."
BRADLEY COOPER will likely be Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck and today we find out LIAM NEESON may head up the team as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith. Still no word on who'll be cast as "Howling Mad" Murdock and "B.A." ("Bad Attitude") Baracus.

Are you part of the latest rage — Twitter quitters! Thousands of people have called it quits on “tweets” because they say it takes up too much of their time and it is senseless and people are mean! I did hear yesterday that YouTube is thinking about combining efforts with Facebook and Twitter. What will they call the site: You guessed it: YOU TWIT FACE!

Survey says: American s Are Not Getting Enough Sleep
Terrific — another study says we're not getting enough sleep. This one also says we might be getting too much sleep.

Researchers at a big sleep conference in Illinois say less than seven hours is bad for you but more than nine is also bad. Why would you sleep that much? It might be that it's a red flag for some other underlying condition — physical, like sleep apnea; or mental, like depression; or you might be taking too many medications.

Why are you sleeping less? The study blames late night TV watching.

Signs you're not getting enough sleep):
• You're so fatigued, you get winded chewing gum
• Your typical lunch: coffee grounds on whole wheat
• A certain morning radio program is starting to sound entertaining

R2-D2 In the Kitchen!

TOKYO (Reuters) - They've got ones that clean, and others that pour drinks, so it was only a matter of time before Japanese inventors came up with robots that can cook.

Various prototype robo-chefs showed off their cooking skills at the International Food Machinery and Technology Expo in Tokyo this week, flipping "okonomiyaki" Japanese pancakes, serving sushi and slicing vegetables.

"We all know that robots can be very useful. We want to take that utility out of the factory so that they can be used elsewhere," said Narito Hosomi, president of Toyo Riki, manufacturers of the pancake-cooking robot.

Japan has one of the world's fastest aging societies and experts say robots can help care for the growing number of elderly, and fill in for the lack of young people willing to take on jobs as chefs, cleaners or caretakers.

Masanori Hirano of Kyoto-based robot lab Squse, which came up with an android sushi waiter, said robots could help manage the stress associated with fine dining establishments.

"If a human does this job, it can be stressful. And if so, they can leave the work to the robot," he said.

Japan is home to almost half the world's 800,000 industrial robots and expects the industry to expand to $10 billion.

Tomio Sugiura, president of Sugiura Kikai Sekkei, which manufactured the vegetable-slicing robot, saw a robot in every home in the near future.

"Nowadays, almost every family has a car. In the near future, every family would be having a humanoid robot that can help out various things at home," he said.

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JUNE 9, 2009

2009-06-08T17:30:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JKIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Don't forget, June is Dairy Month

Today is Donald Duck Day, marking the cartoon duck’s debut on this day in 1934 as a bit player in the Walt Disney cartoon "The Little Wise Hen." Donald's girlfriend Daisy Duck has been waiting since 1935 for Donald to propose marriage. Daisy is a very loyal, patient, dumb duck.

In 1938 Donald's sister Dumbella gave him custody of her three sons: Huey, Louie, and Dewey.

Today is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day.

Today is National Cuddle Up Day.

Today is Profess Your Love Day.

On this day in 1877, writer Samuel Clemens confessed he stole the name "Mark Twain" from a New Orleans Picayune reporter who had been dead 14 years. Clemens said, "Since has had no further use for the name, I laid violent hands upon it without asking permission of the remains."

IN THE NEWS.....

Stimulus Success

The White House now says that 600,000 jobs have already been created by the economic stimulus plan... most of thos jobs are going to people who are working to shut down GM and Chrysler's factories and dealerships. But hey, a job is a job, right?

Space travel makes you ugly.

A scientist in the UK believes that long-distance space travel will leave us short, fat and bald. Astrobiologist Dr Lewis Dartness says that living without gravity would cause space travellers' bones and muscles not to develop properly, leaving them stunted and weak. Meanwhile, the lack of effort needed to move around in low gravity and a temperature-controlled environment would mean that "future spacemen and women are likely to become pretty chubby."

Apparently, there have been a lot of Americans traveling to space secretly,. Hmmm

100 Year Old Woman Gets A McDonald’s Birthday Party!

A Michigan woman has celebrated her 100th birthday at the same eatery she's visited regularly for the past 15 years -- McDonald's.

Georgia Boynton stopped last week at the restaurant in Brighton for her customary hamburger and coffee. Instead, she got a surprise party with cake and balloons.
Restaurant manager Irene Burelle said that when staffers realized last year that Boynton was 99 they decided to do something special for her next birthday.

They made sure family members would bring her in for her birthday last Wednesday.
Boynton told the Livingston County Daily Press & Argus that she doesn't feel 100 years old. She said her longevity secret is loving her family and being happy.

Brighton is about 35 miles northwest of Detroit.

Ten Used Cars That Seem To Last Forever

With the economy in the tank and more folks looking for these used diamonds in the rough, we compiled the following list of 'forever cars' from research, reviews from places like Edmunds and Consumer Reports, fun little anecdotes, and even our own personal experience. It's far from scientific, but neither is picking a used car. In fact it's still relatively a crap shoot, and no model carries an absolute guarantee of everlasting life, but here's a few that seem to beat the odds more than others.

1. Subaru Wagon
2. Ford F150
3. Volvos and Saab
4. Lexus
5. Toyota Four Runner and Tacoma
6. Honda Accord
7. Mitsubishi Endeavor
8. Toyota Corrola and Camry
9. BMW – 3 series
10. Prius

Women Thought Captain Crunch “Crunchberries” were Real Fruit. Now She’s Mad they aren’t!

SACRAMENTO, CA - A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit from a California woman who claimed she was deceived into buying Cap'n Crunch cereal during a four-year period because she thought "Crunch Berries" were real fruit.

Janine Sugawara filed a class-action suit last June against Quaker's parent company PepsiCo, seeking full restitution of all money gained through misleading labelling and a court order forcing Quaker to provide public notice of the true composition of Crunch Berries.

In his order dismissing the lawsuit, Judge Morrison England, Jr. said "a reasonable consumer would have understood the product packaging to expressly warrant only that the product contained sweetened corn and oat cereal, which it did."

"As far as this court has been been made aware, there is no such fruit (Crunch Berries) growing in the wild or occurring naturally in any part of the world," England wrote.

In his dismissal order dated May 20, England pointed out San Diego lawyer Harold Hewell, who represents Sugawara, filed a similar suit against Fruit Loops cereal, which was also thrown out of court.

Hewell filed a new motion this week seeking an August hearing for the judge to reconsider the dismissal. Apparently, they want to consult with the Keebler Elves first.

Pastor T D Jakes’ Home Has A Natural Gas Explosion

FORT WORTH, Texas — Authorities say they are investigating a natural gas explosion at the Fort Worth, Texas, home of megachurch pastor T.D. Jakes.

Fort Worth fire spokesman Lt. Kent Worley says the blast Sunday in the sunroom of the home appears to have been an accident. Authorities say no one was injured and there was no fire. The sunroom was heavily damaged.

Jakes is pastor of The Potter's House, a Dallas megachurch.

Stronger, Faster iPhone To Hit Stores June 19th

Apple announces new version that it says is faster than current 3G
New phone will be sold starting June 19 for $199 and $299, with contract
The announcement comes at a developers conference in California
Apple exec Steve Jobs was reportedly not in attendance at the event

The 3GS has a new camera that shoots video and zooms. A touch-screen feature also lets iPhone photographers tap the area of the photo they would like to put into focus.

The 3GS features a similar look to the current iPhone, complete with a sleek rectangular shape and a large touch screen.

Something else getting a lot of buzz was the Find My iPhone feature, which will be available only for customers of Mobile Me, an Apple service that lets users sync e-mail and other data between computers and iPhones.

If you lose your phone, Mobile Me will display a Google Map that shows where your iPhone is, as long as it's turned on. You can then send a message to the phone, and it will sound an alarm, alerting nearby people to save it for you. If you think you've lost the phone permanently, you can remotely wipe all your data; if you find your missing phone later, you can plug it into iTunes and restore all your data.

New Website: www.HowIGotLaidOff.com

You got laid off and now you're unemployed -- so are 14.5 million other people.

Several of Greg McGunagle's family and friends were among these laid-off workers. He started hearing horror stories about how they were let go and began to notice a trend: Few companies are good at executing layoffs.

"So many companies are just awful at [the actual execution of] the layoff.

Businesses are trying to survive, so there are also a lot of terrible stories surrounding severance and benefits," McGunagle says. "I thought people likely [had] a very difficult story to tell. Wouldn't it be great to create a forum for people to tell their layoff story?"

And so the idea of HowIGotLaidOff.com was born. The site joins the ranks of many other unemployment blogs as a place where people can go to cope with being jobless and share their woes with others in the same position.

"[It] gives people a place to vent and share their story about being laid off. It also lets people know that there are others out there going through the same thing [or] in some cases, much worse," McGunagle says.

TODAY IS MONDAY JUNE 8, 2009

2009-06-07T21:16:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Upsy Daisy Day, a time to get up gloriously, gratefully, and gleefully, today and every day. In other words, wake up today and say “Good morning Lord” and not “Good Lord, it’s morning.”

Today is National Best Friends Day. So happy best friends day to Angie, Vickie, Tracy and Diane!

And for you food lovers:

Today is National Jelly Doughnut Day.
Today is National Taco Day.

On this day in 1869 Ives McGaffey of Chicago patented the vacuum cleaner, which became America's most popular dirt collector until the first supermarket tabloids were published.

The St. Louis Cardinals had a rough weekend with three losses to the Colorado Rockies this past weekend. The will try again tonight.

Celebrate this Father's Day with a game of catch at Busch Stadium!

On Sunday, June 21st, fans of all ages have the opportunity to treat their Dad to the ultimate BIG LEAGUE experience - playing catch on the field at Busch Stadium with a ballpark lunch in the Cardinals Club.

Tickets are just $150/person and include:
50 minutes of catch-time in the outfield of Busch Stadium
Photo opportunity in the Cardinals Dugout
Chance to run the bases (weather permitting)
An official Major League baseball
A commemorative t-shirt
Lunch in the Cardinals Club immediately following catch time

IN THE NEWS:

The IRS says that John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign owes over $800,000 in back taxes. I guess that explains the long face.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush is celebrating a birthday today. She was born on this day in 1925. I feel sorry for first ladies. I know they get to live at the White House, but they miss out on life's greatest pleasures, like browsing at Wal-Mart and saving 20% on Tres Semme Shampoo.

It’s being reported that North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il is in the process of deciding who’s going to be his successor, and the most likely person is his youngest son Kim Jong Un. Kim Jong Un says he’s excited, but he realizes he’s got some awfully big women’s sunglasses to fill.

It's NBA Finals President Obama is said to be monitoring the situation . . . He said he hopes both sides will act with restraint and, of course, work towards peace.

A 23-year-old rancher whose family has fallen behind in their taxes and recently had a mobile home repossessed claimed a $232.1 million Powerball jackpot on Friday, one of the largest undivided jackpots in U.S. lottery history. Neal Wanless, who lives on his family's 320-acre ranch near Mission, S.D., bought the winning ticket in the nearby town of Winner late last month during a trip to buy livestock feed. He will take home $88.5 million in a lump sum payment after taxes are deducted.

I want you to know that if I ever win the Powerball that I will continue to come into the radio station to do my radio show. Because I am committed to being here for you. I call this my "vow of commitment." My friends calls it "stupid."

Father's Day:

Suck it up, Pop: just like Mothers' Day, Fathers' Day will be bringing fewer bucks to retailers than last year. The National Retail Federation reports people who are buying gifts will spend an average of $90.89 this year, down from $94.54 last June.

"Gift givers will be looking into items that dad can enjoy with the whole family," the NRF predicts in Marketing Daily. "Retailers will offer specials on new grill sets, sporting and gardening equipment and even electronics as the holiday rolls around."

Clinic in Virginia Offering Free Botox Injections to the Unemployed

Botox, which paralyzes facial muscles to make lines fade, is the No. 1 minimally invasive cosmetic procedure in the U.S., according to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons. More than 5 million treatments were done last year.

Shannon Ginnan, a doctor at the clinic, said his patients are primarily women, but include people of various ages, races and socio-economic backgrounds. He said it's important for anyone seeking a Botox treatment to have realistic expectations.

Deep skin wrinkles, for instance, will not disappear completely. Some people also experience slight bruising after receiving injections. The cost of a single treatment can vary from $300 to $500, according to Reveal. Results typically last four to six months.

Job recruiter Laura Baker said doing well on a job interview, regardless of age, is all about exuding confidence.

"It's important when you're feeling down to treat yourself, to get a pick-me-up," said Baker, who works with the headhunting company Friends & Company.

"Whether it's Botox or something else, it's that fresh approach you need."

Wal-Mart Will Create 22,000 Jobs in 2009..No Botox Treatment Required!

As Wal-Mart Stores Inc. opens about 150 new or expanded stores in the U.S. in 2009, the company expects to hire about 22,000 people for new positions.

Those positions include plenty of cashiers and stock clerks, but the world's largest retailer will also be adding store managers, pharmacists and personnel workers
"During this difficult economic time, we're proud to be able to create quality jobs for thousands of Americans this year," Castro-Wright said.

Earlier this year, the company shared more than $2 billion with its workers through bonuses, profit sharing and payments into the company 401(k) plan.

Wal-Mart has more than 2.1 million employees in the U.S. and abroad. The company had sales last fiscal year of $401 billion.

Or if you would like a job somewhere else….check out Hired! On Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Hired-from-CNNMoneycom/75991250238

Music is A Vitamin for the Brain!

"All neurological conditions affect the throat because it has so many muscles," says Sarah Benton, another choir member with multiple sclerosis. "So singing, which makes you lift up your body and expand your lungs, is perfect for neurological diseases."

Music therapy has provided obvious social, mental and physical benefits for its members, there is a growing body of clinical evidence suggesting that music can play a key role in aiding recovery or helping sufferers cope with a broad range of brain-based conditions.

The power of music to enhance moods and emotions has long been harnessed by psychologists, but, as Dr. Lauren Stewart, director of a recently established course in Music, Mind and Brain at Goldsmiths University of London told CNN, "recent advances in neuroscience and brain imaging technology are now radically transforming conventional music therapy into a more rigorous and research-based clinical
practice."

“UP” No. 1 At the Box Office Again This Weekend!

Two live-action comedies have been unable to bring down the animated adventure "Up."
According to studio estimates Sunday, Disney and Pixar Animation's "Up" reeled in $44.2 million in ticket sales to remain on top of the box office for the second weekend in a row.

The Warner Bros. bachelor-bash comedy "The Hangover" came in a close second with a $43.3 million debut.

Will Ferrell's action comedy for Universal, "Land of the Lost," had to settle for a distant third with a $19.5 million opening.

"Up" is the first movie of Hollywood's busy summer season to take the No. 1 spot at the box office for two straight weekends.

The Amazing new “GREEN” Pizza Box!

Incorporated is marketing its first product, the Green Box, a pizza box manufactured from 100% recycled material. The top of the Green Box breaks down into convenient serving plates, eliminating the need for disposable plates. The bottom of the Green Box converts easily into a handy storage container, eliminating the need for plastic wrap, tin foil, or plastic bags.

Watch a demonstration video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQBjJjpkjl0

TODAY IS THURSDAY - JUNE 4, 2009

2009-06-04T06:15:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Frost Your Hair Day, a day for people who have never frosted their hair either to do it or to proclaim yourself a hair chicken.

Today is National Frozen Yogurt Day.

Today is National Cheese Day. Roquefort cheese was discovered near Roquefort, France, on this day in the year 1070. Roquefort residents were delighted to find out it wasn't their feet that smelled so bad.

Two years ago today The #1 Christian Hit was "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns.

On this date in 1783 the first untethered flight of a hot-air balloon was demonstrated. To picture this, just try to imagine (Rush Limbaugh) hang-gliding.

On this day in 1937 the world's first grocery carts appeared in Oklahoma City. Humpty Dumpty owner Sylvan Goldman made the carts by adding wheels and baskets to folding chairs. Today, over 50 million shopping carts are in use, most of them stalled in the express line. And the rest rolling toward your car in the parking lot.

IN THE NEWS:

THIS IS MY RANT FOR THE DAY…….
President Obama is set to give a major address in Cairo, assuring the world's Muslims that they have more in common with Americans than they realize.

President Obama says his address will seek to repair a "damaged U.S. image" in the Muslim world. But it's not clear if the U.S. image was damaged before or after 9/11, the USS Cole attack, the Khobar Towers bombing, the bombing of Pan Am flight 103, the Beirut Marine base attack, the Berlin disco bombing...

President Obama says his address will seek to repair a "damaged U.S. image" in the Muslim world. He specifically wants to apologize for all the money we've spent on their oil, making their leaders too rich over the last 60 years.

Here's some news: Despite opposition from the public, President Obama says he’s determined to close the prison at Guantanamo Bay. To make sure Guantanamo Bay closes, Obama said the new warden will be the CEO of General Motors.

GM is looking for more bailout money. I think I speak for all Americans when I say, "You want more money? Wait here — let me talk to my manager."

Cavs Chinese Sale
The Cleveland Cavaliers are selling a 15% stake in the team to China... unfortunately Lebron James owes the other 85% of the team that actually makes any money.

Tiger Stadium Demolition
The city of Detroit has decided to demolish the last remaining sections of Tiger Stadium... but since the stadium was part of the UAW, it will still have to pay its retirement benefits and healthcare insurance.

Last night was the third ”Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien.” The good news is, anything that runs this long on NBC is considered a smash hit.

The Dalai Lama gave $100,000 to a college in Florida. How come he has that kind of money? Well -- not many people know this -- the Dalai Lama makes a million dollars a year as a sheet model.

Last month scientists announced they created a glow-in-the-dark dog. This week, scientists in Japan announced they have created luminous monkeys. Friends, if this trend continues, I predict it will become almost impossible to find a dark room to sit in.

The nightly competition show originates from the Costa Rican jungle, with semi-famous people competing for food, supplies and money for their favorite charities. But most of the action is bickering and eating bugs. Actor Stephen Baldwin, pro wrestler Torrie Wilson and former Illinois first lady Patti Blagojevich (bluh-GOY'-uh-vich) are among the show's 11 rivals. "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!" continues for the next four weeks.

The Hidden Secrets of Those On-Line Quizzes
You can have a ball taking online quizzes on Facebook and other sites, but here are some things you should know before you do.

These quizzes are about far more than providing users with enlightening or entertaining information.

While Web quizzes may be fun to take, they're also a powerful tool for companies to collect your data and even your money -- and often in ways you might not notice.

We'll get to the spooky stuff in a moment, but let's start with the simplest method of quiz-based marketing: advertising. The very nature of a typical online quiz requires you to divulge all sorts of details about yourself. Those tidbits of info are like nuggets of gold for advertisers craving a way to connect with you.

"The big trend is about engagement," says Debra Aho Williamson, a senior analyst with eMarketer. "These quizzes are getting people to pay attention to ads."

Paying attention, it seems, is almost a requirement: Aside from being carefully targeted at your interests, the ads are often in-your-face and impossible to avoid
Some online quizzes will surprise you with required payments or purchases before you can access your results. While the requirement may be in the fine print somewhere, it's often not in a place you'd easily notice before beginning the process.

That's exactly the scenario I found at Test-IQ.com, a quiz advertised on Facebook. The site's home page makes no mention of a fee -- you'd have to click to the privacy policy and read to the bottom to discover the $7 charge. Other sites, such as IQ-Test-Results.com, slip in recurring monthly fees for registered users.

Message sent Up In Balloon Answered By God…sort of!
When Bailey Pinto tied a letter to God to a helium balloon and sent it flying into the sky, he hoped but never dreamed the Almighty would write him back.

Bailey, 11, of Brantford, Ont., asked God in the letter what it was like in heaven and whether miracles happen. Bailey's father, Paul, has served in Kosovo and Bosnia with the Canadian Forces and the boy is worried because his father is expected to join a unit in Afghanistan next March.

While God never replied, a Brampton criminal lawyer did, and their unlikely paths have created an experience neither will forget.

It was actually Gary Batasar's wife who found the mysterious letter inside a zip-lock bag on the driveway of their Brampton home earlier this month.

"It was such a touching letter that I knew I had to try to give him a reply that he deserved," said Batasar, who has defended drug dealers and killers.

It has been three weeks since the students sent their letters into the air but Bailey is the only one to receive a reply.

In his return letter, Batasar told Bailey he wasn't an authority on God but tried to answer him the way he thought God would reply.

He said heaven was a "wonderful place" filled with love, life and laughter, where children play, families reunite and adults love each other regardless of religion, ethnic origin, class or skin colour.

He also said it was unfortunate people don't always get along on earth, where wars are fuelled by hate, greed and differences.

"It makes no sense," Batasar wrote, suggesting things could be different if people could read Bailey's letter. "They would feel ashamed of themselves that a child of your tender age has more sense than they do."

Pinto, 38, has been with the army for 14 years and is a reservist posted in Cambridge. He had been based in Petawawa but moved back to his hometown last August to take some time to be a full-time single father.

Bailey's teacher, Andy O'Brien, has been having his students send letters into the sky for more than a decade, although most have been hellos, not questions to God. Once, when he was teaching in Oshawa, a reply came back from an international school in Panama.

"Nothing like this," O'Brien said. "I know everybody, the entire staff, was touched."

Oprah Is DeThroned
Angelina Jolie has been named the most powerful celebrity in the world, forcing Oprah Winfrey off the top spot and into second.

Women took the top four places on the annual Forbes Celebrity 100 Power List, with pop stars Madonna and Beyonce coming close behind Jolie and Winfrey.

The top place male, US golfer Tiger Woods, came in fifth.

Americans know their Bible. Yes, about 71.8 million people in the U.S. read the sacred text every week, according to a national survey. The poll, conducted by the Barna Group, found that 47% of Americans delve weekly into the Good Book for inspiration, insight or education. Furthermore, 91% of American homes own a Bible while the average household boasts a library of four Bibles, researchers say. Nearly 2000 years after Jesus walked the earth, Americans still buy about 25 million Bibles a year more than a best selling Harry Potter book. What are some Bible bloopers you’ve encountered? My son came home once from Sunday school asking me about the “fairy darts” and what they were. Turned out they were reading from the book of James about how our shield of faith quenches FIERY darts…not fairy darts. He was happy to know that.

TODAY IS TUESDAY - JUNE 2, 2009

2009-06-01T19:36:00.004-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS NATIONAL DINOSUR DAY!!!

To help us celebrate this special day here are a few jokes!

Q: What do you get if you cross a pig with a dinosaur?
A: Jurassic Pork!

Q: What kind of dinosaur can you ride in a rodeo?
A: A Bronco-saurus!

Q: What kind of materials do dinosaurs use for the floor of their homes?
A: Rep Tiles

Q: What do you get when you cross a dinosaur with fireworks?
A: DINOMITE!

VISIT THIS WEBSITE FOR MORE DINO-FUN!
http://www.juliantrubin.com/dinosaurjokes.html

TODAY IS:

Today is National Rocky Road Day.

Today is National Dinosaur Day.

The P.T. Barnum Circus began its first U.S. tour on this day in 1835.

Actor Jerry Mathers, television’s Beaver Cleaver, was born on this day in 1948. The Beaver now a geezer the AARP.

On this day in 1896 Guglielmo Marconi received the first patent for broadcasting by means of electro-magnetic waves. I tried that once, but every time I waved I almost fell off the tower. Guglielmo Marconi, made it possible for us radio people to made big money and live high on the pig. Heck, thanks to radio, I'm rich -- My DVD player is paid off and I can afford all the Beanie Weenies I want.

On this date in 1933 a heated swimming pool was installed in the White House. President Obama asked that the swimming pool be swapped out for a basketball court. I think, to suit my style, if I wqere the president I would ask that it be a HUGE deep fryer!

Today is National Leave the Office Earlier Day, a day for pros to work harder, finish quicker, and get home early to spend more time with their families.

June is Fireworks Safety Month, the time to decide if you’d rather lose your fingers, your sight, or your hearing.

June is Fight the Filthy Fly Month. Flies are filthy because they have filthy little feet, with a constant supply of sticky stuff oozing out between their toes. The sticky stuff allows the filthy fly to walk on your ceiling, and lets him pick up every filthy germ he steps on -- just before he jogs through your strawberry shortcake.

THIS IS LIFE:

Congratulations to all of the graduates of 2009.m Lots of graduations in Missouri over this past weekend. The trouble with most commencement ceremonies is that they seem almost as long as your senior year.

I'll never forget the thrill of accepting my diploma and looking out at the faces of those who made it all possible: my mother, my brother and sister ... my truant officer....

Father Watches Three Sons Graduate From His Post in Iraq

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. -- Kyle, Corey and Sean Cooke, brothers and triplets, graduated from Whitewater High School in Fayette County Friday night, and like the other graduates there, their parents were watching with beaming pride.

The big difference is that their father was watching from nearly 7,000 miles away at Camp Victory in Baghdad.

Air Force Captain William Cooke is stationed in Iraq, and asked the faculty at Whitewater High if there was any way he could see the ceremonies so that he could watch his boys graduate. Staff at Whitewater contacted 11Alive.

Staffers from 11Alive News huddled with NBC News and came up with a unique way for Capt. Cooke to be able to watch the graduation ceremony. 11Alive streamed the ceremony live on 11Alive.com, and carried a live stream of Capt. Cooke watching from Baghdad.

The logistical challenges were not only a matter of technology, but also of time.
"It's 7:00 for you, it's 3:00 in the morning for them; so this is a bit of an all-nighter for them," said NBC Southern Regional Director Danny Noa.

Noa, based in Atlanta, worked with the NBC News bureau in Baghdad to arrange for live images of Capt. Cooke watching the ceremony live to be sent back to the United States.

"They're going to where he is, and then you guys have the task of making sure the video is getting streamed back to him," Noa said.

11Alive.com was the staging area for the entire production. One side of the front page of 11Alive.com carried the ceremony live from Fayette County, while the other side carried live images of Capt. Cooke at Camp Victory.

"I grew up watching WXIA. They're simply fantastic," Capt. Cooke said while watching the video feed on 11Alive.com.

Capt. Cooke stood up when the National Anthem was played at the outdoor ceremony on the Whitewater football field, with the stands packed with family and friends. Cooke simply beamed when the Anthem was concluded with an Air Force flyover of the football field.

Hundreds of 11Alive viewers watched on 11Alive.com as the boys walked across the stage to get their diplomas, and as a beaming Capt. Cooke watched from Iraq.

Corey, Kyle and Sean knew their dad was watching from Camp Victory, but the big surprise for the boys was that once they walked across the stage to get their diplomas, they were able to come over to 11Alive's camera position and along with 11Alive's Chris Sweigart and Matt Pearl, actually talk with Capt. Cooke in Baghdad.

"I'm so proud of you boys," Capt. Cooke said, while wiping his eyes, a huge smile of pride on his face.

"We love you, Dad," the boys said, while watching their father on the screen.

"How bout these 11Alive guys putting this together? They're great," Capt. Cooke said to the boys.

After all of the Whitewater graduates passed across the stage, an image of Capt. Cooke watching the ceremony via satellite was displayed on the large screen facing the assembled masses. The appreciative crowd responded with a standing ovation.

As the graduation ceremony came to a close, the new graduates tossed their caps high into the air as fireworks boomed across the football field overhead.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment, not only for Kyle, Corey and Sean, but for their father, who despite being away in service to the nation, was able to be there for his boys.

IN THE NEWS:

Conan Officially Takes Over the Tonight Show People have been askin gJay Leno, “What are you gonna do after your last show? Are you going on vacation?” Jay said, he was going to a secluded spot where no one could find him…NBC prime time.

Climate Killers II
A new report by an environmental group claims that global warming is killing 300,000 people each year... most of them were crazed environmentalists who scared themselves to death.

More Red Ink
Because of all the stimulus packages and bailouts, U.S. taxpayers are now on the hook for an extra $55,000 in federal debt per household. The government hopes to pay us back by making the average price of a new Chrysler $55,000.

General Motors filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. GM stock is pretty low now. How low is it? Lets just say if you have GM stock you have a good fire starter for your Summer barbeques.

The president of Iran is denying he tried to ban Facebook in his country. In Iran, there's a nasty punishment if you misbehave on the Internet. They chop off your mouse clicking finger.

Donald Trump has closed his magazine. It was called -- surprise -- "Trump". It was a magazine for men who want to be like Donald. At its peak it had seven subscribers.

Hurricane season officially begins today. Forecasters agree this season will be an average year for storm development. Weather experts call for anywhere from between four and seven hurricanes to form over the next six months.

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA recently talked with the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) about the country's storm-readiness. Obama has urged those living in hurricane-prone areas to take personal responsibility by stocking up on canned food and water, rather than rely on government assistance after a disaster strikes.

Hurricanes are extremely concerned this season that they be subject to government take-over.

Missouri Church Revival Service Gets Preacher a Ticket
Goodman, Mo. -

A tent revival is causing controversy just outside the city limits.

Word & Spirit Family Outreach, located on Highway C west of Highway 59, started setting up for revival services on May 16 and that’s when the McDonald County Sheriff’s Department started getting complaints.

During the last Tuesday’s evening service, Pastor Duane Barnett was issued a ticket for disturbing the peace.

McDonald County Sheriff Robert Evenson said the ticket was unfortunate, but his deputies had four consecutive nights with calls about the noise.

“I had two signed complaints so the deputies had to do what they had to do,” Evenson said. “Nobody wants to write a preacher a ticket.”

Barnett said the church has held large events before. An October festival held last fall had attendance of 200 people and went past the 9:30 p.m. close for the revival service.

Barnett said the services will go on regardless.

“I might have a pile of tickets when it is over, but we’re going to have revival,” Barnett said.
Jim Shelton, evangelist for the services, said he feels the conflict is that some folks just don’t want to hear the gospel.

“That is what it’s all about is getting people saved and delivered, covered by the blood of Christ and the enemy just don’t like it,” Shelton said.

During Tuesday evening’s service Shelton was on the stage when the sheriff’s department showed up.

“I was in the process of closing the service when the sheriff came on our side of the street and then several of the other people from the other side of the street came out hollering,” Shelton said.

The neighbors from across the street shouted that they were ready to sign a petition to shut the church down, according to Shelton. He says he is doing his best to keep his focus on the spiritual realm.

They have decided to extend the revival services “until God says stop.”

What Does The GM Bankruptcy Mean for Us?

General Motors' potential bankruptcy filing is sure to prompt questions for the millions of consumers who own GM vehicles or for folks who are thinking about buying a new GM car or truck. Here are some questions and answers about how the filing could affect you:

Q: Will my car's warranty still be honored?
A: Yes, and extended warranties as well, says Steve Harris, General Motors' vice president of global communications. In addition to the company's backing, they have the federal government standing behind them. The government's Warranty Commitment Plan was announced in March to reassure buyers of General Motors and Chrysler vehicles that warranty claims would be honored during the companies' restructuring.

Q: What about my GMAC car loan?
A: Keep paying it. Nothing changes.

Q: Does a GM bankruptcy mean it now will be harder to obtain a loan on a car through GMAC?
A: The government invested $7.5 billion in financing arm GMAC about two weeks ago, in part to help it keep making loans on GM vehicles as well as on Chrysler vehicles.
As a result, says Harris, GMAC loans should be as available as ever. GMAC spokeswoman Gina Proia declined to comment until after the GM filing.

Q: Will I get a better deal buying a GM car after GM's bankruptcy filing?
A: You should wait a little. The deals will sweeten as the year wears on, advises Philip Reed, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com. That's because GM is seeking to cut 1,550 dealers, and the process will become easier with a bankruptcy filing.

Dealers GM wants to cut now have franchise agreements that run through October 2010, giving them plenty of time to unwind inventory (compared with the 789 Chrysler dealers facing the ax by June 9).

But federal bankruptcy judges have wide latitude to override state dealer franchise protections if the company wants to shed the dealers sooner.

"It would be good to wait several weeks before you buy," Reed says.

Even at dealers scheduled to close, as shown by Chrysler's example, don't expect fire-sale deals on the most popular models, such as the GMC Acadia crossover.

The better deals to come will be on 2009 leftovers, not-so-hot stock and discontinued models.

Q: Will I still be able to find dealer service for my current or new GM vehicle?
A: Yes, but you may have to drive a little farther to get it as the dealer network is consolidated. Harris was quick to point out, however, that even with the reduction in dealers, GM still will be in more towns and have more than twice the total dealers than Toyota has.

Q: If GM discontinues my car or truck model, will I still be able get parts for it?
A: This is not a much greater worry than for most vehicles from most makers — and it would be years down the road in any case.

The federal government requires that stocks of parts be maintained on models at least during their warranty period. Some states also have specific laws requiring product parts inventories for a set number of years.

GM models that will be discontinued also share a lot of parts with models scheduled to roll on, particularly the powertrain and electronics components that would be most critical.

The federal government has been bailing out major parts suppliers to GM and Chrysler, which will help ensure availability.

And since GM was the world's biggest automaker until last year, the sheer size of its production means aftermarket parts suppliers would have much incentive to fill in any gaps for many years to come.

Q: Will my car's resale value plunge because of bankruptcy or closing of the brand?
A: It'll fall some, but it is questionable by how much.

ALG, or Auto Lease Guide, recently subtracted another 6 percentage points from the predicted residual values of 3-year-old Chrysler vehicles because of its bankruptcy filing.

But ALG's major competitor, Kelley Blue Book, doesn't see a major impact.

"Despite the common perception that the resale will fall off a cliff if GM files for bankruptcy, the reality is that it won't have a catastrophic effect on resale values," says KBB analyst Jack Nerad. "Our experience with the cancellation of the Oldsmobile and Plymouth brands demonstrated that the resale value might take a small hit but nothing very dramatic."

New Swimsuit Fabric Eleimnates Tan Lines
LONDON, May 30 (UPI) -- A new swimsuit material that lets 80 percent of the sun penetrate to the skin could contribute to deadly forms of skin cancer, British health experts said.

The material, meant to eliminate tan-lines, has thousands of microscopic holes in the fabric that make it transparent, said John Walker, who owns Kiniki, the maker of the Tan Through fabric.

When looked at, the material appears solid because of abstract patterns and prints that confuse the eye, Walker said.

Walker's company warns wearers of Tan Through to be vigilant in applying sunscreen under the material. Health experts, however, said many wearers likely will be less than judicious in protecting tender skin, The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday.

"We recommend UV protected clothing and this is the very opposite," said Richard Clifford, a spokesman for the Karen Clifford Skin cancer charity.

“Up” Does Well At The Box Office On It’s Opening Weekend
Hollywood planned a 2nd straight weekend friendly for family filmgoers who have pent-up demand, and it was a wild success with the two top family films placing #1 and #2 With 20% of K-through-12 kids out of school Friday, Pixar/Disney's 10th pic and first 3-D movie, Up, was able to get a jump on the domestic box office with busy matinees from 1,534 3-D theaters -- a record -- and a total of 3,766 theatres total.

PLUGGED IN ONLINE MOVIE REVIEW OF THE FILM
http://www.pluggedinonline.com/movies/movies/a0004674.cfm

You Knew It Was Coming…Looks Like It’s Really Going To Happen
Octomom Realtiy Show and Book Deal
Nadya Suleman, the mother of octuplets born Jan. 26, has inked a deal with the British production company Eyeworks, which plans to begin filming a reality TV series based on the controversial single mother and her 14 children.

"I'm really excited about moving forward with this," Suleman tells PEOPLE.

Suleman's attorney Jeff Czech calls the series a "quasi-reality" show, explaining that instead of having a dozen cameramen tromping around her house 24 hours a day, film crews will only document select milestones, such as birthdays and other special events.

"Nadya knows she has to do something," says Czech. "But she doesn't want the constant filming because she feels that would be taking advantage of her kids. She's trying to find the middle ground and feels this approach will work best."

At this time, Eyeworks has yet to sell Suleman's proposed shows to any TV networks in the U.S., and is currently planning on airing her programs on British TV, then bringing the shows to America. Czech also insists that his client doesn't want her series to resemble Jon and Kate Gosselin's show.

"She's been watching them a bit lately and thinks it's boring," says Czech.

This week Suleman also finalized a deal with ghostwriter Wendy Leigh – who recently wrote Life with My Sister Madonna with Christopher Ciccone – to pen her autobiography.

"Of all her projects, this is the one she's most excited about," says Czech. "She's really looking forward to telling her story and speaking out about how she was raised, how her children are feeling, what they are asking about and things about the donor dad."

Top 10 Things You Don't Want to Hear during VBS

10. There’s a minor problem with the air conditioning. We should get it fixed by Friday.
9. We’re running low on refreshments, so we fed the kids chocolate candy and Mountain Dew.
8. Can you come and talk to the first graders? They've been crying ever since this morning’s lesson on the lake of fire.
7. Using a hammer is too difficult for our fourth graders, so they're using a nail gun to build their bird houses.
6. What time were the children supposed to be back from the field trip to the maximum security prison?
5. Can you help for a few minutes with the four-year-olds? A couple of the teachers left the room screaming.
4. No one told us they were permanent markers.
3. We thought paper towels would be okay since we were out of toilet paper.
2. Our substitute pianist doesn’t know the sit down or stand up chords, but he’s memorized a lot of Broadway show tunes.
1. My teachers and I thought this would be a good time to tell the kids that Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy are really messengers of Satan.
Source: Gerry Peak (Lifeway.com)

PRAYER FOR PARENTS NOW THAT SCHOOL IS OUT FOR THE SUMMER

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my sanity to keep.
For if some peace I do not find,
I'm pretty sure I'll lose my mind.
I pray I find a little quiet
Far from the daily family riot
May I lie back--not have to think
about what they're stuffing down the sink,
or who they're with, or where they're at
and what they're doing to the cat.
I pray for time all to myself
(did something just fall off a shelf?)
To cuddle in my nice, soft bed
(Oh no, another goldfish--dead!)
Some silent moments for goodness sake
(Did I just hear a window break?)
And that I need not cook or clean--
(well heck, I've got the right to dream)
Yes now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray my wits about me keep,
But as I look around I know--
I must have lost them long ago!
Posted by Ken Sapp on June 6

TODAY IS FRIDAY - MAY 29, 2009

2009-05-28T20:26:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Squoosh an Ice Cream Sandwich Day. No, don't squish it, squoosh it!

Today is Hug Your Cat Day.

Today is National Lovey Dovey Day. Decide how to celebrate it with someone special.

Today is International Day of U.N. Peace Keepers.

Today is Morning Radio Wise Guy Day, a day to honor all morning disc jockeys who help you get your day started. But you don’t have to do anything special.
Personally, I feel honored any morning you don’t throw your oatmeal at the radio.

Patrick Henry was born on this date in 1736. Patrick's favorite saying was "Give me liberty or give me death." He said it all the time. And sure enough -- eventually he got one of them.

On this day in 1912 the Ladies Home Journal fired 15 women for doing "The Turkey Trot" during their lunch hour. Proving once again a woman's place is in the home -- and a turkey's place is in management.

Bob Hope was born on this day in 1903. He died in 2003 at age 100

John F. Kennedy was born on this day in 1917.

Pink Flamingo Day - 1956 (others have it as June 23rd, go figure) Honors Don Featherstone, creator of the original Plastic Pink Flamingo. Shortly before the 50th anniversary of Featherstone’s flamingos, the manufacturer Union Products ceased production and went out of business, however, other versions of pink flamingos are still available from a few companies in the US.

Paper Clip Day - do you have the same habit I do of bending them into fun shapes
1942 - Bing Crosby recorded his version of “White Christmas.” It would go on to sell over 30 million copies.

THIS IS LIFE:

Q: You are over your dryer sheet budget and worry about not being static-free. Should you: (a) wear fewer clothes; (b) tell everyone that "clingy" is the latest style; or (c) reuse your old dryer sheets?
A: Tightwad Living magazine says you can dab a bit of liquid fabric softener on an old dryer sheet and reuse it several times.

IN THE NEWS:

Serious Threats
The U.S. is warning that it will respond to North Korea's nuclear threat... just as soon as it deals with the threat to "Jon and Kate Plus 8."

AOL Spinoff
Time Warner is set to spin off AOL sometime this week. It's marketing slogan will be: "AOl: We're the New GM!"

Stimulus Whine
Michigan is complaining that it hasn't received much of the stimulus money... I guess that $50 billion we just spent for a worthless auto company doesn't count.

After running out of options, Chrysler headed to bankruptcy court yesterday morning. And — this isn’t good — it headed there in a brand new Mitsubishi.

President Obama had less than a one-hour warning before North Korea's nuclear test. That's not bad when you realize he gets no warning when Joe Biden's going to go off.
President Obama is in Las Vegas. So if things go well at the tables, General Motors just might make it.

O.J. Simpson is appealing to the Nevada Supreme Court hoping to overturn his convictions for armed robbery and kidnapping. Good idea. Having something like that on your record can really hurt your image.

The Vatican has launched Pope2You, an iPhone app that lets users view pictures of POPE BENEDICT XVI, send virtual postcards of him to friends, and read his speeches and messages.

Luxury brands are finding it profitable to think small for products ranging from cigars to perfume bottles. Case in point: Nubs, a shorter luxury cigar.

At four inches, Nubs are kind of like half cigars. And at $6.50 a piece, they cost about half as much as a typical cigar. They've caught on, doing close to $8 million in its first year. Those are really big numbers for a brand right out the gate.

Nubs are among several luxury products going small to make it big. Just like most everyone else, wealthy people aren't spending like they used to, either, so high-end restaurants are expanding their appetizer menus, expensive hotels are promoting shorter stays, and even perfume is going petite.

Trade Secrets:
More than ever, consumers are assessing just how much they get for a dollar spent, and some once-trendy brands are increasingly perceived as a waste of time and money. A brand perception survey by Brandindex from January to April found that some brands, like Starbucks and General Motors’ Hummer are not convincing consumers that they offer value. Hummer came in dead last in a survey which is based on about 300,000 online interviews with consumers who are 18 and older.

The top 10 brands and the percentage of consumers who said they offer the most value for your money:

10. Target (50.7)
9. Whirlpool (51.9)
8. Lowe’s (52)
7. Subway (52.1)
6. Johnson & Johnson (53.7)
5. Rubbermaid (57.9)
4. Google (59.4)
3. Craftsman (61)
2. Discovery Channel (62.5)
1. History Channel (63.8)
The bottom 10 value brands and the corresponding consumer ratings:
10. Nieman Marcus (-19.4)
9. Citibank (-21)
8. 7-Eleven (-21.2)
7. Abercrombie & Fitch (-23.9)
6. Perrier (-24.6)
5. AIG (-28)
4. Red Bull (-29.6)
3. Starbucks (-30.2)
2. MTV (-34.5)
1. Hummer (-36.1)

Smart is so cool! - An Iraqi-born 16-year-old reportedly has cracked a math puzzle that has gone unsolved for over 300 years.

Mohamed Altoumaimi, who immigrated to Sweden six years ago, took only four months to find a formula that explains a sequence of calculations known as the Bernoulli numbers, a code that had stumped some of the best experts in the field, Agence France-Presse reported.

Altoumaimi said after his high school teachers were skeptical about his work he contacted professors at Uppsala University, one of Sweden’s top institutions, who confirmed his formula was correct and offered him a place at the university, AFP reported. The teen opted to continue his general studies but planned to take courses in advanced mathematics and physics this summer, AFP reported. I’m still trying to figure out Rubik’s Cube and that Sudoku thingy.

Improve Your Cellphone Battery Life. Check out these tips to extend your cellphone’s battery life.

• Turn Off The Vibrate Feature - The energy required for turning the tiny motor which causes the phone to vibrate is almost double to that required for the same phone to ring.
• Turn Off Back Light - If you do require to use the back light then its best to keep your back light time out to no more than 3 seconds.
• Use Cellphone Just For Talking - Avoid playing games, using the built in camera feature, listening to music, instant messaging or surfing the web.
• Reduce Volume Level - Another way to increase your cellphones batteries is by lowering down the volume for the ring tone and by turning of unnecessary sounds.
Turn Off Your Cellphone When Necessar
Take Care Of Your Cellphone Battery - If possible try to fully charge your batteries nightly at minimal once every three days.

Report: Americans Not Wearing Enough Sunscreen-More Women Than Men Wear Sunscreen. The survey, conducted by Consumer Reports, found that 31 percent of Americans do not wear sunscreen if their going to be out in the sun. Women report using sunscreen more than men, but admit that they do not routinely apply it to their children.
The people surveyed provided a wide range of reasons why they do not apply sunscreen, some of them include:

Stinging or bothersome sensation in the eyes
The “stickyness” factor when it comes to the sand
The cost of the sunscreen
What about construction workers? They seem to get as red as lobsters. Don’t
forget to check the expiration date of your sunscreen. I learned the hard way that
old sunscreen loses its protective properties.

Hooray! A U.S. health official said a swine flu vaccine could be
available as early as October, but only if vaccine production and testing
run smoothly this summer. The government will have to review the
safety and effectiveness of what’s produced, and decide if a
vaccination campaign is warranted. Anybody looking for a summer
job? Help Wanted - person willing to contract the Swine Flu to prove
that our brand new kind of vaccination is effective. Perks include
getting paid and NOT getting sick. October is about the time seasonal
flu vaccine campaigns generally get rolling.

Eating for two? New guidelines are setting how much weight women should
gain during pregnancy — surprisingly little if they’re already overweight.
Once a woman’s pregnant, the guidelines issued Thursday aren’t too different from what obstetricians already recommend, although about half of women don’t follow that advice today.

Among the new recommendations:
—A normal-weight woman, as measured by BMI or body mass index, should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. A normal BMI, a measure of weight for height, is between 18.5 and 24.9.
—An overweight woman — BMI 25 to 29.9 — should gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.
–For the first time, the guidelines set a standard for obese women — BMI of 30 or higher: 11 to 20 pounds.
–An underweight woman — BMI less than 18.5 — should gain 28 to 40 pounds.
Isn’t it something that’s hard to control and just whatever happens happens?

Here’s some pregnancy tips:

–What is the most common pregnancy craving? For men to be the ones who get pregnant.
–What is the best time to get an epidural? Right after you find out you’re pregnant.
Fatal Things to Say to Your Pregnant Wife:
“Not to imply anything, but I don’t think the kid weighs forty pounds.”
“Well, couldn’t they induce labor? The Super Bowl is on the 11th.”
“Fred at the office got this nasty paper cut. Boy, that’s gotta hurt.”

A survey says that Americans spend more than eight days yearly in the bathroom. Not all at once. In addition, they say that while women really do spend more time in the bathroom than men, the difference isn’t all that great. And I call bogus on that one. Go to any public place with a stopwatch and stand outside the bathrooms to see how long it takes a man versus a woman. Oh, and if someone leaves the table the next time your dining out, claiming they need to make a phone call? They might be fibbing. One in four of those surveyed acknowledged making a false excuse when they really were headed to the ladies or men’s room.

Ask and you shall receive - In Fort Smith, AK, a guy showed a gun in his waistband and demanded money from the convenience store cash register. The clerk said that he couldn’t do it, whereupon the robber said he needed the money for insulin. And that’s when the clerk gave the robber $40 from his own wallet. The robber ended up shaking the clerk’s hand and promising to stop by again in thanks. See? All you have to do is ask.

It Just Might Work! - Energy Secretary Steven Chu stunned the audience at a London scientific conference Tuesday with a radical but simple proposal to combat global warming: Paint all the roofs of all the buildings in the world white.
If we did so, the Nobel Prize-winning physicist said, and if we also made sure the world’s roads and sidewalks were light-colored, it would have the same effect on global warming as taking all the cars in the world off the world’s roads for 11 years. The idea is to harness the “albedo effect” — the theory that a reflective planet warms up less as heat from the sun is bounced back into space.
Palace Nobel Laureate Symposium, said the calculations are based on work done at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he used to work and where three researchers concluded last year that changing surface colors in the world’s 100 largest cities would offset 44 billion tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

I’m tired of talking about it, but here you go anyway. American Idol Controversy!!! The big controversy is the allegation that AT&T employees in Arkansas helped people vote for Kris Allen on “American Idol,” and thus may have influenced the outcome. Fox denies that there was any undue result, although they admit that the employees did show people how to do “power texts” to submit ten votes at a time. This would be a scandal on the level of “hanging chads” if there was any importance at all to the “American Idol” voting.

Hugging is the new “Hello” for teens - students have broken down the hugs by type:
There is the basic friend hug, probably the most popular, and the bear hug, of course. But now there is also the bear claw, when a boy embraces a girl awkwardly with his elbows poking out.

There is the hug that starts with a high-five; then moves into a fist bump, followed by a slap on the back and an embrace.

There’s the shake and lean; the hug from behind; and, the newest addition, the triple — any combination of three girls and boys hugging at once. Amy L. Best, a sociologist at George Mason University, said the teenage embrace is more a reflection of the overall evolution of the American greeting, which has become less formal since the 1970s. “Without question, the boundaries of touch have changed in American culture.” Hugging appears to be a grass-roots phenomenon and not an imitation of a character or custom on TV or in movies.

Ketchup On Hot Dogs Ain’t Right
BOSTON (Wireless Flash) – Putting ketchup on a hot dog is the biggest mistake a sports fan can make. Just ask famed sports radio host Eddie Andelman, who’s eaten thousands of hot dogs and claims to have a PhD in the ballpark staple. According to Andelman, the only condiments a real sports fan needs on their hot dog are onions, relish, and mustard, and those who glob ketchup on their weiners are “sick.” He says ketchup ruins the taste of a hot dog and should be banned from the ballpark. What’s your list of “wiener rules?” For me, the onions have to be finally diced; relish can over power the taste of the hot dog so you must apply it sparingly or not at all.

Quirky Characters Sell Products - Just ask Warren Dotz, co-author of Ad Boy: Vintage Advertising With Character (Ten Speed), which features more than 500 of the most outrageous, quirky characters from ads over the decades.

According to Dotz, ad characters are often so identifiable; they have no problem slinging products. He remembers being mesmerized by Mister Softee, the ’60s ice cream icon as a kid, which often left him begging his mom for a cone. Dotz says ad stars that have stood the test of time include Mr. Clean, The Kool-Aid Man, Green Giant, Smokey The Bear, and The Michelin Man, who are still used today by advertisers. Ad Boy hits shelves this June. I like those scrubbing bubbles. I’d have them as a friend on my Facebook.

TODAY IS THURSDAY - MAY 28, 2009

2009-05-27T17:48:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is National Butterfly Day.

Today is National Hamburger Day.

1954: President Dwight Eisenhower signed a law that added the words "under God" to the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance.

The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences was established on this day in 1957. This is the group that brought us the Grammy Awards—and living proof that singers and musicians can make acceptance speeches just as boring as actors.

Jim Thorpe was born on this day in 1886. You probably never heard of him because he didn't have a shoe contract.

His Olympic gold medals were taken away when it was discovered that he’d once played semi-pro baseball. If you’re not clear on what "semi-pro" baseball is, just catch a KC Royals game.

On this date in 1959 the U.S. blasted two monkeys into space from Cape Canaveral. If we can do it with monkeys, why can’t we do it with the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi?

King Solomon of Israel was born on this day in 970 B.C. Solomon tried everything to find joy in life. He became the wealthiest, most intelligent, most powerful man of his time. He did more good deeds, accumulated more possessions, and got drunker than anybody. He had 700 wives and all the beautiful mistresses he wanted. But the only joy Solomon found was in finally deciding to trust and obey God.

In other words, the famous "wisdom of Soloman" didn't even begin to kick in until he finally realized how stupid he was.

The turning point may have been the 700 wives.

Solomon said there's a time for everything. With 700 wives I don't see how he had time for anything.

On this day in 1955 Albert Whitehouse of the U.S. Steel Workers Union predicted the future would some day bring a two-hour work day. And he was right. If you don't believe it, just visit Congress.

Noah Webster, the author of the American Dictionary of the English Language, died on this day in 1843.

Dr. Joe Guillotin was born on this day in 1747. Dr. Guilotin invented the guillotine as a less painful, more humane way of executing criminals. Not only that, if you chop off someone's head, he's probably less likely to become a repeat offender.

IN THE NEWS:

The price of gas is creeping up. Do not panic. Stay calm. I want you to know -- whatever happens - I still have all of my jokes about the high price of gas from last summer.

President Obama has nominated Sonia Sotomayor as the first female Hispanic justice on the Supreme Court She grew up in the Bronx. She said, "Don't be fooled by the robes I got, I'm still Sonia from the block."

UAW-GM Deal
The UAW's retirement health care program will take a 17.5% ownership stake in GM... raising hopes that the company will now take about 10 years to make an ambulance that gets 3 miles per gallon.

Economy The economy is getting so bad that some people are now sewing their Sham-Wows together to make their own Snuggies.

"Night at the Museum" made a bazillion dollars over the weekend. I would hate to actually spend a real night in a museum. All those ancient fossils and dusty old bones . . . if I wanted that I'd watch "60 Minutes."

The museum I do like is Madam Tussauds Wax Museum in London. They have a Karen Dye figure in there but you can tell it’s fake because there’s still a piece of chicken sitting on the plate I’m holding.

Donald Trump has closed his magazine. It was called -- surprise -- "Trump". It was a magazine for men who want to be like Donald. At its peak it had seven subscribers.

Wal-Mart is hosting its second annual ice cream social this Saturday from 11 til 4. That means free ice cream at select Supercenters nationwide.

The nation’s largest retailer will be handing out free Ben and Jerry’s Flipped Out Cup ice cream, Blue Bunny Aspen Frozen Yogurt Granola Bars and Dibs Snack Bags at two thousand participating locations.
A company press release also offers up Americans’ five favorite ice cream flavors:
5. Neapolitan
4. Mint Chip
3. Butter Pecan
2. Chocolate
1. Vanilla

Red Bull is being recalled in six German states after traces of cocaine were found in the energy drink.

According to Flexnews, analysts in North-Rhine Westphalia found 1 liter of the drink contained 0.4 milligrams of cocaine. German officials note that the levels are too low to be of any danger, but cocaine is not permitted in food, so the drink is being pulled.

Red Bull denies these claims, saying that the company uses the extract of coca leaf worldwide as a natural flavoring. Officials insist its cola is "harmless and marketable" in both the US and in Europe.

Procter & Gamble's Downy fabric softener has teamed up with Quilts for Kids, Inc to deliver personalized, hand-made quilts to children staying in Children's Miracle Network hospitals throughout the country. CHANDRA WILSON of "Grey's Anatomy" is a mother of three and is the spokesperson.

At the website DownyTouchofComfort.com, people can make donations, volunteer to deliver quilts or even learn how to become a local ambassador. Quilters can request a quilt kit at the site or design their own to send to their local Quilts for Kids chapter or headquarters for distribution.

National Spelling Bee on National Television Tonight finals starting at 8 p.m. on ABC.

Conservation Dept. Encouraging People to Howl Like Wolves
HOLDEN, Maine - A project involving conservationists and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologists is looking for a few dozen people willing to howl like wolves in Maine's North Woods.

The Wolf Inquiry Project plans to conduct "howling surveys" in several areas this summer in hopes of discovering whether wolves are resettling in Maine.

The Bangor Daily News said coordinators are seeking individuals willing to spend a night howling in the woods and who won't be scared off if they get a response.

A training and information session for interested volunteers will be held Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Fields Pond Audubon Center in Holden.

45 Pounds of Meat and 4 Gallons of Miracle Whip
PORTLAND, Maine - As record-setting sandwiches go, the planned world's largest lobster roll will be a colossal crustacean creation.

A team of culinary whizzes plan to combine 45 pounds of lobster meat, four gallons of Miracle Whip and a special blend of herbs and seasonings into a mix that will be slathered onto a 60-foot roll — so large that the bread will be brought in on a flatbed truck.

The monster lobster roll is to be unveiled June 7 during Maine's Old Port Festival in Portland.

The lobster roll will be cut into 4-inch sections that are to be sold as part of a fundraiser for a Portland neighborhood association for youth swimming lessons.

The association intends to get the roll certified by Guinness World Records.

Man Hopes To Visit Every Starbucks in the World
A man on a mission to visit every Starbucks in the world has a problem: Starbucks Corp. is closing scores of stores he has yet to visit.

The freelance software programmer, 37 years old, calls himself Winter. He was on a job in Wisconsin last month when he learned that a Starbucks in Prince George, British Columbia, would close the next day. He spent $1,400 to jet there for a cup of coffee -- sugar, no cream -- and a photograph.

"If the store closed before I visited, I would lose another piece of my soul," Winter says.

He has been to more than 9,000 Starbucks stores in the U.S., Japan, Lebanon, Turkey and 13 other countries in the past dozen years, a trek chronicled on his Web site, starbuckseverywhere.net. He gained some notoriety mid-decade, when he was the subject of media reports and a documentary film, "Starbucking." He has "mildly obsessive-compulsive tendencies," he concedes, and a "mild addiction" to coffee.
Born Rafael Antonio Lozano Jr., Winter is single and has no kids. When he's not on the road working on software contract jobs, playing in Scrabble tournaments or visiting Starbucks, he lives with his parents in Houston, where he stores his collection of 10,000 super-hero comic books.

He changed his name because he didn't want his credit history confused with his father's. (His dad's credit history is fine, Winter says.) His mother, Georgina Lozano, says she and her husband refuse to call their son "Winter" and pray he will halt his Starbucks mission. "My husband and I feel it's a waste of time," she says.

Winter counters that he has a purpose-driven life. "People should be out doing something rather than just existing or surviving. Even if you think that what I'm doing is meaningless, it is a purpose, at least," he says. Lately, he adds, "I feel not just satisfaction, but genuine relief when I visit a store before it closes
"Pointless though it might it be," says Winter, who plans to go to the U.K. next week, "a goal is a goal."

TODAY IS TUESDAY - MAY 26, 2009

2009-05-25T19:15:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

Memorial Day Weekend usually marks the unofficial start of the summer boating season, though lots of boaters are still hurting from high fuel prices just like motorists hitting the road. Typical fuel consumption for a 'low usage" boating enthusiast: seven to 10 gallons an hour.

Most popular Boat names:
• Sea Quest
• The Salt Shaker
• Hydrotherapy
• Black Pearl
• Dream Weaver
• Wind Seeker
• Aqua-holic
• Second Chance
• Summer Daze
• Seas the Day (or some variation the Carpe Diem theme)

FirstBoat adds these names: Happy Ours, State of Mind, Anchor Management, The Office, Feelin' Nauti; Yes, Dear; and Serenity Now.

Are you going to work even if you feel sick? Why?
Most Americans say they go to work sick not because they're great employees but because they're scared. Thirty-eight percent tell Monster.com they're too busy to miss a day; 33 percent say they're afraid in this economy that if they miss a day, they'll lose their job.

Even though former IL Gov ROD BLAGOJEVICH won't be on NBC's "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here" — that doesn't mean his wife can't go.

Yes, that's right — NBC has signed up PATTI BLAGOJEVICH and she's going to Costa Rica for the reality show instead. As you may remember, a federal judge barred the governor from leaving the country, because he faces federal corruption charges. But the fun couple was on the "Today" show yesterday to announce the move, with Patti noting that she hopes her appearance on the reality series will help show that she isn't the profanity-spewing person portrayed on federal wiretaps: "I don't think those characterizations were fair at all," she said.
So what's Rod gonna do while Patti's away? Guess who's gonna take care of the kids...?

Some quotes for those students graduating…

*Your families are extremely proud of you. You can’t imagine the sense of relief they are experiencing. This would be a most opportune time to ask for money. ~Gary Bolding

*Graduation is only a concept. In real life every day you graduate. Graduation is a process that goes on until the last day of your life. If you can grasp that, you’ll make a difference. ~Arie Pencovici

*Commencement speeches were invented largely in the belief that outgoing college students should never be released into the world until they have been properly sedated. ~Garry Trudeau

*It is indeed ironic that we spend our school days yearning to graduate and our remaining days waxing nostalgic about our school days. ~Isabel Waxman
*Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal. ~Henry Ford

Humorous Reflection from George W. Bush - ARTESIA, N.M. — It was a humbling moment for the former commander in chief: President George W. Bush was walking former first dog Barney in his new Dallas neighborhood when it stopped in a neighbor’s yard for relief.

“And there I was, former president of the United States of America, with a plastic bag on my hand,” he told a group of graduating high school students in New Mexico on Thursday. “Life is returning back to normal.”

Bush, in one of his few public appearances since leaving office in January, told the students that leaving office lifted a heavy burden.

“I no longer feel that great sense of responsibility that I had when I was in the Oval Office. And frankly, it’s a liberating feeling,” he told seniors from Artesia High School. When you think about it, being a public servant often requires one to carry around a plastic bag and clean up messes.

Swimsuit Season necessity - With summer upon our listener of the female persuasion might be hunting for the best hair removal product for legs. Woo-hoo! So, what’s the best? According to MSN Lifestyle it’s Veet In-Shower Hair Removal Cream ($8.29) works in about three minutes, so by the time you’re done shampooing and conditioning, the cream is ready for removal.

Mulletism - Jake Nyberg of St. Paul has been 3 weeks or so into his new mullet haircut. Nyberg hopes to expose “mulletism”–the mistreatment of mulleted Americans based on their hairstyle. Nyberg has posted about his trips to J. Crew, where a sales clerk snickered, “Full mullet in the back of the store!” At Wal-Mart, no one said anything. I’d like to hear what women think of the mullet! It seems it’s only the guys who defend the thing. Here are some other names for the mullet:

-hockey-hair, in reference to the popularity of the mullet among hockey players

-pad, because the hair in the back looks like one

-little carpet

-mudflap

-curtain

-small broom and my favorite, ‘business in front, party in back”

Doctor’s Make Housecalls - in the 1930’s, 40% of physician encounters were
house calls. That changed to 1% by 1980. 10 years ago, Medicate made it easier
for physicians to get paid for house calls and now their is a bill before Congress
that would make house calls less expensive and easier to arrange. I think
especially with today’s technology like I-Phones and such the doctor can still be
linked to his office. I know my blood pressure would be much lower if it was being
taken while I’m sitting on my couch watching the Discovery Channel or something.

Chicago buses get ads reading ‘In the beginning, man created God’-This is the slogan that was put on 25 buses in Chicago this week, as a part of the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign. The bus ads will be seen cruising all over Chicago through the month of June. Charlie Sitzes said that the Chicago slogan “makes the point that religion is a social, man-made creation – like literature, art, politics, and science – and as such, it should be subject to debate like everything else,” He adds that the view of atheists, agnostics and secular humanists are often ignored in public life. You’re not being ignored, there’s just might be nothing to talk about if the subject matter is of something that you don’t believe exists.

Pope Benedict XVI has entered the world of social networking sites and smart-phones with a Vatican portal that includes Facebook and iPhone applications.

The Pope2You Web site was launched Thursday and allows Facebook users to send virtual postcards with photos of Benedict and excerpts from his messages. An application for iPhone and iPod Touch gives surfers video and audio news on the pope’s travels and speeches, as well as on Catholic events worldwide. The new portal is the latest update in the Vatican’s efforts to broaden the pope’s audience and reach out to young people. Earlier this year, Benedict got his own You Tube channel, which is now also linked to the portal. Why do I see the Pope coming out with a rap song?

Behind every great man, there is a great woman. Such is the case of the latest American Idol winner Kris Allen.

Admitting during his appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, set to air on May 26, that he was “shocked every week” during competition, he says it was his wife who kept him going.

“I’ve been singing for a long time I started playing guitar when I was 13 and I’m 23 now,” he tells the talk show host. “I did the music scene in Arkansas, which isn’t that big … and It didn’t work out and I almost gave up.”

But, he continues, “My wife has been the support. I seriously almost gave up a lot, and she was just like you have to keep going. She believed in me more than I believed in myself. She is just great.”
Of Simon Cowell’s declaration Allen “shouldn’t
of played the wife card so early,” DeGeneres disagrees. She tells Allen, “I thought it was great and you seem like an adorable couple and I think it’s important for people to see that you have a wife and how supportive she was.”

It was an issue that never crossed Allen’s mind. “I care about her a lot so it didn’t bother me that she was brought up,” he says. “I think it bothered her more than it bothered me.

If I were the devil ...

Posted: August 16, 1999
1:00 am Eastern
By Paul Harvey
© 2009 WorldNetDaily.com
I would gain control of the most powerful nation in the world;
I would delude their minds into thinking that they had come from man's effort, instead of God's blessings;
I would promote an attitude of loving things and using people, instead of the other way around;
I would dupe entire states into relying on gambling for their state revenue;
I would convince people that character is not an issue when it comes to leadership;
I would make it legal to take the life of unborn babies;
I would make it socially acceptable to take one's own life, and invent machines to make it convenient;
I would cheapen human life as much as possible so that the life of animals are valued more than human beings;
I would take God out of the schools, where even the mention of His name was grounds for a lawsuit;
I would come up with drugs that sedate the mind and target the young, and I would get sports heroes to advertise them;
I would get control of the media, so that every night I could pollute the mind of every family member for my agenda;
I would attack the family, the backbone of any nation.
I would make divorce acceptable and easy, even fashionable. If the family crumbles, so does the nation;
I would compel people to express their most depraved fantasies on canvas and movie screens, and I would call it art;
I would convince the world that people are born homosexuals, and that their lifestyles should be accepted and marveled;
I would convince the people that right and wrong are determined by a few who call themselves authorities and refer to their agenda as politically correct;
I would persuade people that the church is irrelevant and out of date, and the Bible is for the naive;
I would dull the minds of Christians, and make them believe that prayer is not important, and that faithfulness and obedience are optional;
I guess I would leave things pretty much the way they are.

DELICIOUS RIB RECIPE FOR THE SUMMER GIRLLIN’ SEASON
Applewood-Fired Brandied Cherry Ribs
To start, you'll need...
• 1 Rack Fresh Pork Spare Ribs (Serves 3-4)
• 2 Portions Woodbridge Grill Applewood

RUB INGREDIENTS:
• 5 Tbsp. (heaping) Brown Sugar
• 3 Tbsp. Sea Salt
• 2 Tbsp. Brandy
• 1 Tbsp. Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
• 1/2 Cup Pitted/Diced Cherries
• 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
• 4 Tbsp. (heaping) Brown Sugar
• 4 Tbsp. Brandy
RUB PREPERATION:
• Mix rub ingredients together and coat ribs evenly (thin layer) on all sides. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.
GLAZE PREPERATION:
• Mix glaze ingredients together and bring to light boil for 10 minutes, then simmer for 15 minutes.
GRILL PREPERATION:
• Place Woodbridge Grill Smoker Box 2/3 full applewood under grill and above heat source.
• Fire up grill at medium temperature.
• Rinse spareribs under water removing excess rub.
GRILLING:
• Once smoke develops, reduce heat to medium low and place spareribs bone side down on upper rack (or use indirect heat).
• Close lid and allow smoke to penetrate meat.
• Repeat smoke process for heavier smoke flavor.
• Once mahogany color develops on ribs, coat with glaze repetitively on top side.
• Grill at medium low temperature (325 degrees F) for approximately 1-and-a-quarter hours.
Enjoy!

The Government has a new pool safety website
Each year, nearly 300 children under the age of five drown in residential and public pools and spas. Submersion incidents requiring emergency-room treatment or hospitalization number in the thousands and many victims experience permanent disability, including brain damage.
http://www.poolsafety.gov/

TODAY IS FRIDAY - MAY 22, 2009

2009-05-21T19:14:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
WITH
JIM & KAREN
ON
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is National Wig Out day, a day to celebrate wigs bobs, and mullets.

Today is Bifocals Day

Today is National Vanilla Pudding Day.

Today is National Make a Memory Day. Do something silly with a child.

Buy-A-Musical Instrument Day - In the 6th grade my mom made me play the clarinet. It last one week. I used it mainly as a sword, gun and baseball bat. What’s your musical instrument story?

The Wright brothers patented the airplane on this day in 1906. Oddly enough, Orville and Wilbur did not agree on the main purpose of their invention. Orville thought the airplane was a great way to travel a long distance in a short time, but Wilbur saw it as a super way to sell millions of little bags of peanuts.

On this day in 1841 H.P. Kennedy of Philadelphia patented the tilt-back reclining chair. With a recliner you just lean back, relax, and do nothing. It's like having your own seat in Congress.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Rita of Cascia. Rita is the patron saint of desperate cases and impossible situations. And I have a feeling she's got a full-time job just watching over this program.

On this day in 1892 a dentist named Dr. Sheffield invented the toothpaste tube. Let's all take off our caps to him.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood came together in 1967

MISTER ROGERS’ TRIVIA

–Fred Rogers was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1963.
–When Mister Rogers came on TV singing “Won’t you be my neighbor”, many children who actually lived on his street used to yell at their televisions, “But you ARE our neighbor!”
–In May 2003 asteroid number 26858 was named ‘Misterrogers’ after him.
–The Pittsburgh Penguins, an NHL hockey team, made Fred Rogers an honorary captain in 1993.
–When he’s mad, Fred sometimes plays the piano and gets his feelings out through his fingers.
–Fred wrote all the songs on the show as well as the special operas.
–Fred has about 25 sweaters which he has worn over the years of the program.
–When Fred was young, he loved to ride the trolleys in Pittsburgh; that’s why there is a trolley on his program.
–Fred spoke French as well as English.
–His cardigan sweaters were mostly made by his mother.
–Fred was 6′ (1.83 m)
–He studied theology at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
–Fred Rogers was color blind (explains some of those sweaters)

THIS IS LIFE:

INDY 500 This Weekend

It’s such a dangerous race, to qualify you have to have two years experience in a preschool car pool. I say make the Indy 500 more interesting. How 'bout, every three laps, have a school crossing guard walk onto the track?

The Indy 500 is exciting: engines roaring ... tires screeching ... it's like 4:00 p.m. in a high school parking lot

Most guys will never know what it’s like to drive 200 miles an hour—unless the contractions are two seconds apart.

The Indy 500 is a welcome event. It's nice to see somebody besides us going around in circles.

The Indy 500 signals the beginning of summer and the end of a lot of good transmissions.

For the women who don't understand the Indy 500, let me explain it. You win the race by being the first one to drive 500 miles in a circle. It's sort of a speeded-up version of chauffeuring your kids around all day.

IN THE NEWS:

President Obama has found a way to quickly close Guantanamo Bay. He's going to turn it into a Pontiac dealership.

Vice President Biden is on a trip to Bosnia, Serbia, and Kosovo. The White House is calling it "Operation Keep Biden Away From a Microphone." He goes to Antarctica next.

It's a good news, bad news story for Procter and Gamble, makers of those fine artificial potato chip called Pringles.

The Daily Telegraph reports that an appeals court in Britain ruled yesterday that Pringles are technically, potato chips. They're really a combination of potatoes, fat and flour — 42 percent of it being potato. The court ruled that Pringles contained enough "potatoness," to be considered a potato chip.

The bad news: Food isn't usually taxed in the UK but potato chips happen to be an exception. The court ruling yesterday means Procter and Gamble will have to pay $155 million in back taxes and $31 million per year thereafter.

Something tells me the court's decision was based less on "potatoness" and more "taxiness”

Parenting.com asked a never ending question. Boys vs. Girls: Who’s Harder to Raise? Ask that question on a slow day and see what happens. A mom said this, “Never was the difference between the handling of boys vs. girls more humorously apparent than during a park visit a while back. I held Laurel’s hand as she crossed a suspended balance beam repeating, “Go slowly Laurel, be careful!” (The suspension cables looked particularly unforgiving.) Minutes later, as we crossed the next obstacle, we saw a father jumping up and down alongside his son (who was of a similar toddler/preschooler size) at the balance beam, saying “Go! Go! Go! Run across as fast as you can!”

Interesting Headline -‘Idol’ Upset: Did The Evangelical Christian Vote Push Kris Allen Over The Edge? So was it the Christian vote that prevailed in Allen’s favor?
The 23-year-old UCA student has been on the worship team at New Life Church for years and helps with their outreach programs, but unlike previous winners such as Jordin Sparks and Carrie Underwood who made their faith very well known, Allen consciously refrained from making mention of his virtuous values throughout the competition. “This is a singing competition, not a church thing,” Allen told Tarts earlier this week while Lambert added that the “vote is based on talent and performing, not religion.”

With Allen having shied away from the sectarian spotlight, his local church made up for it. The New Life Church in Greater Little Rock, Arkansas urged churchgoers to prayer and vote for the ‘Idol’ finalist, created a Facebook link on the church Web site in support of their hometown hero and his proud Pastor, Rick Bezet, flew to Los Angeles for the momentous finale. According to an ‘Idol’ insider, support for Kris most likely surged over the last week when Danny Gokey (who was extremely open about his involvement with the church) was voted off and thus Christians turned their full devotion to Allen who epitomizes the all-American, talented and moralistic role model.

“America had a grass roots campaign for a ‘good ole boy!’ There was just too much hype with Lambert. Everyone likes a person who just does the work,” said Michael Sands, leading Hollywood Media Image Consultant.

Snails on Face – It’s all over the news so here ya’ go. Eleven-year-old Fin Keheler, from Sandy, Utah, allowed 43 of the slimy mollusks to be put on his face Saturday. He wants the Guinness World Records to verify his effort. The Guinness web site says the record set in 2007 for snails on the face for 10 seconds is eight.

The boy says he has since learned the record was 36. Fin made three attempts on Saturday. Sitting back in a reclining chair, snails gathered from neighbors’ gardens were carefully placed on his face. Those that remained for at least 10 seconds were counted. His family is sending witness statements, video and media coverage to Guinness this week. Put together your own show’s book of records featuring your listeners. Things like your tallest and shortest listener, oldest, youngest, highest octave, longest hair, and the list of course could go on and on; makes for fun, local radio. Another fun thing to talk about is that record you held in elementary or high school. Face it, we love to talk about our “15 minutes.”

A British woman lost 55 pounds after she was hypnotized to believe that she had weight-loss surgery. Marion Cornes, 35, said she believed surgeons had placed a gastric band on her stomach shrinking it to the size of a golf ball after paying $1,580 for five sessions with a hypnotherapist. Cornes decided to have the procedure after her weight ballooned to 216 pounds. She was hypnotized and talked through every step of the surgery as if she was in an operating room. She was asked to handle a model of a stomach and gastric band, while the smells and sounds of an operating room were introduced into her room. “Bizarrely, I can remember every part of the “procedure” — including being wheeled into (the OR), the clink of the surgeon’s knife and even the smell of the anesthetic,” Cornes said.

She said she now feels full if she tries to eat anything other than a small portion of food. Too weird for me; I don’t need someone running around in my subconscious mind UNLESS the same procedure can cause one to believe he is a millionaire.

A new chocolate claiming to reduce acne will soon hit the shelves of Australia.

Manufacturers of Acne Care say pimple-plagued sufferers will experience dramatic results within just two weeks of eating the chocolate — if they eat between two and five chocolates per day. Developed by U.S.-based Frutels, the chocolate-coated treatment is believed to be the first of its kind. Packed with antioxidants and micro-nutrients, the chocolate is supposed to clarify the skin from within.

The company says it costs about $40 for a month’s supply. Could they put it in a Deep Fried Clams form or maybe Onion Rings? How did you take care of acne when you were a teen?

Here a few homemade remedies:

>Apply some cooked oatmeal to the face for 15 minutes and wash off. Oatmeal is an astringent, which can help draw impurities out of the skin. It usually takes a week or two for results to be seen.

>A quick remedy: Apply either apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to a clean skin, using a cotton ball.This will help flush out the pores and normalize the skin’s pH.

>Reduce milk consumption, as it may aggravate acne.

• Avoid chocolate, tea and coffee.
• Reduce the consumption of junk food, limit your total
fat intake to no more than 20% of calories for acne free skin.

Flu Free Guarantee - Desperate to woo back travelers who cancelled trips in the wake of Mexico’s swine flu outbreak, more than 20 coastal resort hotels have launched a “flu-free guarantee”: Guests who catch the H1N1 virus in Mexico — and have the blood test to prove it — can get their next three vacations for free. The initiative comes as the country’s tourism industry tallies staggering losses from a flu epidemic that Mexican officials first confirmed on April 23. The new flu guarantee is offered at Real Resorts, AMResorts, and Karisma’s El Dorado and Azul hotels, most in Cancun or the Riviera Maya. At least 25 Cancun hotels have closed because of low occupancy, and many are slashing rates.

Strange and humorous - One pooch activist has a dream: That one day, all dogs will be treated equal.

Genevieve Highpoint La Reine is a seven-pound papillon who’s penned Small Dog, Big Life: Memoirs Of A Furry Genius (Simon & Schuster), with the help of her translator, Dr. Dennis Fried.

According to Fried, he and Genevieve can communicate and she “barktated” her memoirs to him to let the world know her opinion of “stupid, pitiful humans.”

Genevieve’s biggest pet peeve is how much humans discriminate against dogs, who, frankly, do a lot for mankind.

She finds it demeaning that pooches are banned from certain places and that humans make dogs do tricks and play fetch.

To protect and advance canine rights, Genevieve has formed an activist group called “Dogs against Discrimination and Unfairness,” or DUDU.

Her first order of business is to eliminate degrading sports team nicknames like “Huskies,” and get humans to stop using the word “dog” in negative phrases like “you’re in the doghouse” or “she’s a real dog.”

Changes American Idol Should Make (MSNBC):

1. Never bring back a former Idol
When you parade the ghosts of Idols past before us, all it does is serve as a reminder for how unsuccessful Idols on the whole have been. For every Kelly Clarkson there are multiple versions of Taylor Hicks. This show is about looking forward, not back. When you give us past winners, you take away the illusion of success.

2. Rotate the judges
Once we get to the final 25, if it’s really America who decides the contestants’ fates, then why do all four judges need to be at the table? There is so little about this show that is unexpected — let’s make who shows up from one week to the next a surprise. And with three judges, that gives Paula Abdul (if she shows when she should) the chance to yammer on a little more.

3. Please dispense with the final song!
The only thing phenomenal about the final song of the competition — whether written by Kara DioGuardi or a competition winner — is how phenomenally bad it is. It’s tough enough to get excited watching the finale, aka “90 seconds of excitement packed into two hours that you’ll never be able to get back.” Why make it harder by forcing the finalists to choke out a tune that wouldn’t get them past the first round of auditions? And worse yet, record it as their first single, then stand by, watching no one buy it. If there is one thing all the judges agree on, it’s that song choice is everything. So I beg of you. Let. The. Singers. Choose.

Dull days affect marriage faster than fighting - Experts say that shared challenges and exciting diversions are what make relationships hot long after the wedding gown has been packed up and stored away. And the opposite, boredom and a dull, daily routine, can kill a marriage, squashing intimacy and romance. In fact, couples who say they are bored tend to grow increasingly unhappy, according to a study published this month in Psychological Science. Most research on long-term relationships has focused on eliminating problems such as conflict and tension, explains the new study’s lead author, Irene Tsapelas, a researcher in the psychology department at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. But surveys have suggested that boredom may be even more corrosive to a relationship, she adds. Simple suggestion: go out and do novel, exciting things with each other. I try to keep boredom out of my marriage a lot, that’s why I bought an X-Box, a membership to a shooting range, and cable’s latest sports package. So really, what do you do? Take a class together, horse back riding, camping, dancing lessons, etc.

Don’t Let Kids Go Near E-Bay or TradeMe! - Three-year-old Pipi Quinlan bought a $15,600 bulldozer on auction website TradeMe, prompting immediate damage control by her mum when her purchase was revealed.

Parents Sarah and Reid Quinlan, of Stanmore Bay north of Auckland, were astonished to wake one morning to find Pipi had bought the huge excavating digger in a TradeMe auction.

The technically savvy kid had woken early and, with the rest of her family sound asleep, decided to play with the computer.

With a few clicks of the mouse she entered Internet Explorer and the Trade Me site her mother had already logged on to.

After a few more timely clicks, she had won the most recent auction listed on the site’s homepage.

It was for a Kobelco digger, a bulldozer, and she had it for nearly $16,000! -
“The first I knew about it was when I came down and opened up the computer,” says mum Sarah.

“I saw an email from TradeMe saying I had won an auction and another email from the seller saying something like ‘I think you’ll love this digger’.”

“Well, I had a few Duplo Lego play kits on my watch-list, so just assumed I’d won a digger toy-set,” she says.

“It wasn’t until I went back and re-read the emails that I saw $NZ20,000, and got the shock of my life,” says Sarah.

“I called my husband Reid over to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.

“I asked him what a Kobelco was and he said ‘I think it’s an earthmoving digger’.”

“I jokingly said to Sarah, well you’ll have to move the Honda off the driveway to make way for the Kobelco,” says Reid. Sarah immediately called TradeMe and the seller to report what had happened. TradeMe has reimbursed the seller’s costs for listing the digger and the auction. While the seller wasn’t impressed with Pipi’s antics, he relisted the digger again for another auction. The Quinlans say most people see the funny side, with family and friends already joking about the incident.

TODAY IS THURSDAY - MAY 21, 2009

2009-05-20T20:41:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Armed Forces Day - President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country. On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department — the Department of Defense.

American Red Cross established in 1881
Clara Barton organized the American Red Cross on this day in 1881. And since that day, Americans have not had to suffer through a single major disaster without coffee and doughnuts.

National Waitstaff Day
1918: The House of Representatives passes an amendment granting women the right to vote.

1927: Charles Lindbergh became the first person to fly across the Atlantic (from New York to Paris) in his monoplane, The Spirit of St. Louis.

1932: Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (from Newfoundland to Ireland).

Sister Maria Hummel was born in Bavaria on this day in 1909. She taught art in kindergarten and drew the delightful pictures that inspired the famous Hummel figurines. She had nothing, and her life is commemorated in expensive art work. We have everything, and our lives are commemorated in huge credit card bills.
English poet Alexander Pope was born on this day in 1688. He was a real wiseacre, wrote things like: "A little learning is a dangerous thing." "To err is human, to forgive divine." "Never put off until tomorrow what you can forget altogether." Things like that.

On this day in 1985 Bobby Ewing died again on the TV show "Dallas." He had already died once before, but came back to life taking a shower. If I’d been dead for awhile, I think I’d want to take a shower, too.

THIS IS LIFE:

Avon Is Calling - As the economy gets ugly, droves of out-of-work Australians, male and female, are finding a career in beauty really pays. Avon, the largest direct selling beauty company in the world, has recruited more than 7,000 door-to-door saleswomen — and men — in February alone, as the global financial crisis deepens and Australia’s economy and jobless rate take a turn for the worse. The company, which has tens of thousands of representatives in Australia, said in addition to the usual stay-at-home mums looking for extra income, new recruits include female executives and financial professionals, as well as a few more men.

Benefits of having an Avon GUY selling to you:

1. all his beauty products are carried in his tool belt for easy access
2. doesn’t have to ask a man to open the jar of facial cream
3. suggests using a paint sprayer as an easier way to apply foundation
4. can apply sports analogies to beauty products at a moment’s notice when necessary

IN THE NEWS:

B of A Stock Sales
Bank of America has sold $13.5 billion worth of stock in the last few weeks, clearly proving that adult illiteracy is a growing problem worldwide.

Mortgage Monitor
The Obama administration is proposing one single government monitor for the mortgage industry. The way the U.S. banks are run, the only acceptable candidate is McGruff the crime dog.

The White House had a private screening of "Star Trek." You don't have to worry about someone talking though the movie at private screenings. That's why they didn’t invite Joe Biden.

Scientists say they have found the missing link. The link between man and monkey. It's a little monkey. It lived on mostly twigs and berries — which makes it the direct ancestor of today's supermodel. Twig and berries and that’s it…that is definitely not where I came from. Scientists have determined that the monkey fossil is 47 million years old. It was verified today by Larry King who was married to the monkey.

NEW YORK — After a plunge in gas prices, Americans are expected to hit the highways in larger numbers this Memorial Day, giving the traditional start of the driving season a boost for the first time since 2005, AAA said Tuesday. An estimated 32.4 million people - roughly 11 percent of the U.S. population - will take some kind of trip over the holiday, most of them on the road. That’s an increase of 1.5 percent from last year’s dismal travel season, when pump prices rose above $4 a gallon and millions of people stayed put. On Tuesday, retail gas prices averaged $2.25 a gallon, about $1.47 a gallon cheaper than a year ago. Visit www.momsminivan.com for a bunch of ideas for car games for young and old. Nowadays kids just bring their PSP’s or watch a DVD. Maybe you can buy a DVD or PSP game that has to do with kids playing car games! The main game we would play was “Don’t Touch Me.” It always transitioned to the classic, “Mom, He Touched Me” Game and the ever popular “Mom, He Hit Me” game.

Which state has the biggest geography whiz? The answer is Texas, as 13-year-old Eric Yang proved Wednesday when he won the National Geographic Bee in Washington. The teen will take a $25,000 college scholarship home to The Colony, a community north of Dallas. Let’s see if you can answer the third question that was asked in the tiebreaker round: Timis County shares its name with a tributary of the Danube and is located in the western part of which European country? Eric gave the correct answer — Romania. His opponent, 14-year-old Arjun Kandaswamy, of Beaverton, Ore., wrote down “Hungary.” I would have said New York. When in doubt ALWAYS say “New York.”

Hilarious idea! - Strict parents have the perfect way of making sure their kids do their homework - a ball and chain has been created that counts down a reasonable study time before unlocking. Parents just put in a desired study time on the “Study Ball” and attach the more than 20 pound ball to their kids’ ankle. A red digital display counts down the time and the chain unlocks and beeps when time is up. The ball can’t be locked on for more than four hours and there is a safety key that lets parents open the chain at anytime. The ball’s designer says he came up with the idea after a friend compared studying to jail.
The item is for sale online for about $90.

Amazing, beautiful story - (CNN) — For years, Candace Eloph searched for her half-brother, who was given up for adoption in 1977. She found him — living across the street. “I never thought it would happen like this. Never. Ever,” Eloph of Shreveport said. Three decades ago, Eloph’s mother gave birth to a boy at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. She was 16 and gave him up for adoption. “They took him from me,” said Eloph’s mother, Joellen Cottrell. “I only got to hold him for a split second.” Cottrell searched for her son over the years, without success. She eventually left Louisiana and had other children. But she did not keep her son a secret. “My girls always knew they had a brother,” she told KTBS. “I always told them. They knew it from the very beginning. And I’ve always looked for him.” Fast forward three decades.

Eloph moved into a house in Shreveport

Across the street lived a 32-year-old man named Jamie Wheat.

“We were sitting one day, talking, and she said, ‘You know what? I had a
brother born January 27, 1977, that was adopted,’” Wheat said. “I was like,
I’m adopted.
”
Surprised, Eloph mentioned that her mother was 16 at the time. His mother
was 16, too, Wheat replied.

All the details fit, and Cottrell and Wheat decided to take a DNA test.

The results: There’s a 99.995 percent probability that the two are related.
Wheat’s adoptive parents are excited about this new stage in their son’s
life.

“It just almost knocked me out for the joy,” Wheat’s adoptive mother, Ann,
told KTBS.

Added his adoptive father, Ted Wheat: “It was just surprising that they lived across the street from us for two-and-a-half years. When they told us, we said, ‘This is the greatest news it could be.’” Reunited with his birth mother, Jamie Wheat plans to make up for lost time. ”I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me,” he said. “I can move forward. Like a new beginning.”

JERUSALEM - Archaeologists digging on Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives have discovered a nearly 3,000-year-old jar handle bearing ancient Hebrew script, a find significantly older than most inscribed artifacts unearthed in the
ancient city, an archaeologist said. The Iron Age handle is inscribed with the Hebrew name Menachem, which was the name of an Israelite king and is still common among Jews. The inscription also includes a partly intact letter, the Hebrew character “lamed,” meaning “to.” That suggests the jar was a gift to someone named Menachem, said Ron Beeri, who directed the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority.

Ducks Like Water - Oxford University defends three-year research into the animals’ behaviour. Two scientists from the University of Oxford gave a lucky group of farm ducks access to a pond, a water trough and a shower. They discovered that the ducks spent an awful lot of time under the shower, sometimes just standing there, others drinking from it.

Perhaps inevitably, the revelation that ducks seem to enjoy water washing over them has not impressed everyone. Susie Squire of the Taxpayers’ Alliance, called the research a ” waste of money”. The cost? Over $400,000! Marian Stamp Dawkins, professor of animal behaviour at Oxford, said many would have expected the ducks to spend most of their time swimming in the pond. In fact, they seemed to prefer the shower to the pond, suggesting they were not very bothered about swimming. She said it was unfair to portray the study as finding out simply that ducks liked water. It had been carried out to find the best way of providing water to farmed ducks because ponds quickly became dirty, unhygienic and took up a lot of water, making them environmentally questionable. Next they’ll study if fish like water and if the Pope goes to church.

I Love Irony - How much packaging does it take to promote energy conservation? Lots, evidently, if you’re Toronto’s Better Buildings Partnership. The partnership, which provides incentives for energy conservation in new and existing large buildings, issued a one-page press release yesterday. But it wasn’t the release that was eye-catching.

It arrived in a large brown paper envelope, padded with plastic bubble wrap.
Inside the envelope was a cardboard box.

Inside the box, stuffed with tissue paper, was a green Lego toy, representing a building, with the Better Buildings Partnership logo on it.

Also in the box was a color picture of the Lego toy; a piece of paper with the Better Buildings Partnership logo; and a one-page release about the Better Buildings Partnership. One project manager said, “I’ll have to go back to the team and talk about how the packaging was put together,” she said. “That’s a valid point, and I’ll definitely talk to them about that.”

Where’s The Best Pizza in the U.S.? - GQ Magazine food writer Alan Richman singles out Mortadella Pie from Great Lake pizzeria at 1477 West Balmoral Avenue as having the best he’s tasted after traveling 20,000 miles searching for the perfect pie.

Richman writes that the pizza “represents everything irresistible about the new American style of pizza-making.” Second on the list was the Plain Pie from Lucali pizzeria in Brooklyn, and third place was awarded to the Panna Pie at Pizzeria Delfina in San Francisco. Best pizza I had was in Wichita, KS. They baked it over an open flame and you could add anything to it! Mine was an oyster and spinach pizza with Alfredo sauce. It was awesome. They’re out of business now. What’s the hot spot in your town and why?

Four in ten adults recall their school bus driver’s name - fun little tidbit from First Student, Inc., the nation’s biggest provider of school bus transportation.

They had a research firm survey 1,000 people to ask them what they remembered about their experiences riding a school bus. Forty-two percent of women and 35 percent of men who rode a bus to school said they remembered the name of their school bus drivers. I remember my 7th grade bus driver - Jenny Bean. Short, stocky lady who fell in love with another bus driver for our school. All the kids found out about the budding love affair and always hooted and hollared and Jenny and her bus driving boyfriend when they would meet in front of the school.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - MAY 20, 2009

2009-05-19T16:02:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Go Fly A Kite With the Kids Day.

Today is Turn Beauty Inside Out Day.

Christopher Columbus died on this day in 1506. Chris discovered America after sailing 5,000 miles in three small galleons. And that's a lot of miles to the galleon.

Dolly Madison, the wife of U.S. President James Madison, was born on this day in 1768. Talk about a great cook! Some of her cupcakes are still fresh.

On this day in 1927 Charles Lindbergh began the first solo flight across the Atlantic; took him 33½ hours. And on this same day in 1932 Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly the Atlantic alone -- in only 15 hours. Proving once again women are twice as fast as men -- if we have five years to get ready.

THIS IS LIFE:

Last night’s American Idol update

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "American Idol" finalists Kris Allen and Adam Lambert don't want to get personal.

The singers told a throng of media gathered Monday outside the Nokia Theatre, where the duo will duke it out during the show's two-night finale on Tuesday and Wednesday, that they hope viewers will base their votes for the next "Idol" on performance alone.

"For me, I hope that having the Christian vote doesn't help with anything," said Allen, a 23-year-old college student who has worked as a worship leader at the New Life Church in his hometown of Conway, Ark. "I hope it has to do with your talent and the performance that you give and the package that you have. It's not about religion and all that kind of stuff."

Lambert, a 27-year-old theater actor from San Diego who once worked in the Los Angeles cast of "Wicked," heartily agreed. He said he does not think the contest "has anything to do with your religious background, what color you are, your gender. It doesn't have anything to do with that. It's about music. That's really important to keep in mind."

So is your class planning a reunion this year?

I fainted at my last class reunion. It was probably the two-week hunger strike to get down two sizes that did it.

IN THE NEWS:

Last Saturday, President Obama went to daughters Malia and Sasha's soccer game. He went in Minivan One.

President Barack Obama will restart military tribunals for a small number of Guantanamo detainees. He says they will have new rights. Like they can choose their own attorneys. There is already a problem. One detainee has requested Denny Crane.

General Motors is telling about 1,100 dealers their franchises will be terminated late next year. The company is shrinking. To reflect a smaller company, there is even talk of a name change from the original GMC - "General Motors Corporation" - to "Greatly Minimized Corporation."
You see, they still keep the GMC.

(Why do I have to constantly explain my jokes around here?)

Even "American Idols" are not exempted from swine flu checks.

Philippine health authorities had to chase down Missouri's David Cook and David Archuleta, the winner and the runner-up of last season's TV singing contest, to have them fill out a health checklist and report their temperatures at least twice a day before their open-air concert this Saturday. A spokesman from the quarantine bureau said the celebrities rushed through the airport Wednesday without completing health checks that are mandatory for everyone entering the country. Officials caught up with them in their hotel rooms Thursday and reminded them that they can be arrested if they do not cooperate! They were briefed about keeping a distance of six feet from other people, what to do if they exhibit flu-like symptoms, urged to use hand sanitizers and other "little things that their handlers may forget."

Have you ever wished you were taller? Well, here’s your chance!

A Seattle designer has come up with the ultimate gadget for people who would like to be taller and more graceful - horse leg extensions. Kim Graham's Digtiigrade Leg Extensions add 14 inches of height to the wearer. The fine art sculptor says the steel extensions are much more than just stilts and insists: "They give a person the uncanny and graceful appearance of an animal." They're made of steel, cable, foam, and rigid plastic. The legs have spring loaded hooves for those requiring a little extra bounce.

The annual "Click-it-or-Ticket" campaign is underway as police across the country step up enforcement of seat belt laws.

Seat belt use is now nationally at 83 percent but experts say too many teenagers still don't use their seat belts. In fact, the National Highway Safety and Traffic Administration says of all 16-to-20-year-olds killed in traffic accidents, more than half weren't wearing a seat belt

Here's a surprise — teen girls text more than teenage boys. Duh!

New study co-released by Allstate and the National Organizations for Youth Safety shows teenage girls are much more likely to engage in the risky behavior of texting while driving, despite the fact that 87-percent of teens overall think that driving and texting is dangerous.

So what percentage of teens text while behind the wheel? According to the survey, 80-percent of girls and 58-percent of boys. And those are the ones who admitted to it.

There's a new online payment option for kids who like to shop on the internet — but who have no money.

It's a button called "Bill My Parents." Click on it and an e-mail is automatically sent to the parents along with an optional note from the child describing why he or she needs that item. Parents can accept and then give a credit card number or turn the request down.

Quick! Make friends with BRIAN BURNIE. He's an English billionaire that's giving away his money as fast as he can. The London Telegraph reports the 64-year-old has cancer, and is trying to sell off his assets before he dies.

Brian says "My ambition is to die penniless. We come into this world with nothing and we should leave with nothing." Cancer research and treatment is near and dear to him, obviously. Brian hopes that bleeding away cash will "mushroom across the country," inspiring other rich folks to take nothing to the grave. He's got at least $24-million more dollars to go until he achieves his last wish.

TODAY IS MONDAY - MAY 18, 2009

2009-05-17T20:11:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Buckle Up America Week

National Backyard Games Week

National Transportation Week

Memorial Day weekend is coming up and it’s traditionally the day people break out their boats on the lakes. It also happens to be Safe Boating Week.

This is International Pickle Week – A time to celebrate the eating of them or if you have ever been in one. Personally, I get into more “jams” then I do “pickles”.

Today is International Museum Day. It's also Visit Your Relative Day, so you can kill two birds with one stone by going to a museum and visiting your mummy.

Today is Visit Your Relatives Day, the beginning of the family reunion season. Of course, if everybody did visit their relatives today, nobody would be home for their relatives to visit.

This is National Public Works Week. Heck, the public works every week. Why not have something different like Government Works Week?

No Dirty Dishes Day all hail the paper plate!

2004 - Randy Johnson, age 40, became the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game. Many men in their forties relive that dream every weekend with Nintendo Wii Sports.

IN THE NEWS:

GM Dead Letters
About 1,000 GM dealers will get UPS letters this afternoon, informing them that they're going to be shut down. Of course GM dealers are used to getting bad news on Friday afternoons, that when they're usually informed of the latest involuntary GM car recall.

Insurers Bailed Out
The U.S. Treasury is giving $22 billion of bailout money to several life insurance companies. When asked why they didn't have some kind of emergency fund for the economic downturn, the insurance company executives said they didn't want to waste money on some crazy insurance policy.

Insurers Bailed Out II
The U.S. Treasury is giving $22 billion of bailout money to several life insurance companies. In return, those companies have promised never to send a salesmen to any Treasury official's home ever again.

President Obama held a poetry night the other night at the White House. When former President Bush heard about it he said, "Now that's torture."

President Obama has reversed direction, saying we should not release dozens of interrogation photos. The matter has not been decided yet. I understand the photos are being reviewed by Donald Trump.I think all this publicity has gone to Trump's head. Today he held a press conference and said some Burger King guy could keep his crown.

Interesting - Recession Items Flying off the Shelves - It’s not all doom and gloom in the U.S. economy. Some products are bucking the recession and flying off store shelves. Sales of chocolate and running shoes are up. Gold coins are selling like hot cakes. So are gardening seeds. Tanning products are piling up in shopping carts; maybe more people are finding color in a bottle than from sun-worshipping on a faraway beach. Strong sales of Spam, Dinty Moore stew and chili. Recession shoppers also are drawn to items that make them feel safe, both personally and financially.

“The focus on the family hearth is something that has happened in nearly every recession. It’s, ‘How can I have more fun at home?”‘ said Paco Underhill, whose company, Envirosell, monitors the behavior of shoppers and sellers across the U.S. and in other countries.

“People are much more focused on their homes and their immediate happiness and they’re buying things that they can use themselves — seeds, fishing equipment. Lipstick and chocolate are small rewards that make you feel better.”

This nasty recession we’re in has millions of people scaling back their summer vacation plans, but there is one growth area in the travel industry that seems to suit the times perfectly. Campgrounds are going gangbusters, reporting a surge of visitors who can’t afford to go the standard air-car-hotel route this year. As a nifty NPR story points out, tent camping is up by 10% this year, and RV camping is robust as well, reflecting a broad trend toward modest, inexpensive vacations close to home. If the economy remains depressed, could this be the summer that old school camping reasserts itself as the quintessential family vacation?

Here are some camping tips:

1. When using a public campground, a tuba placed on your picnic table will keep the campsites on either side vacant.
2. The guitar of the noisy teenager at the next campsite makes excellent kindling.
3. Enough dirt will get tracked into the tent on the first day out, that you can grow the food you need for the rest of the trip in rows between sleeping bags.
4. You will lose the little toothpick in your Swiss Army knife as soon as you open the box.

Twitter News - There’s a grey kitty with white spots named Sockington — @Sockington on Twitter — that just cruised past the 500,000 follower mark without barely mussing his whiskers. Known as Socks for short, the kitty lives near Boston with his human, Jason Scott. Check out this account of the cat’s triumph.

As of this morning, 502,110 people were apparently spellbound from such Tweets from Sockington:

“and so I slept and then I walked around and then I slept again and then I darted into another room for no apparent reason and just stared for a while…”

Just plain amusing - David Grant is a vet who answers questions in his towns local newspaper. The most recent question: I HAVE two four-year-old guinea pigs. They are female litter mates but one is heavier than the other and has developed slightly sore feet. Could being overweight be the cause and have you any suggestions as to what could be wrong? How on earth can you tell a guinea pig has sore feet?! Would you notice a difference in it’s walk? Are her shoelaces left untied for a looser fit? OH, the answer if a listener actually wants to know…I WOULD have both guinea pigs checked over and weighed. Your vet will want to examine their diet and the cage that you keep them in. Good quality hay and special commercial guinea pig food plus greens should contain adequate amounts of vitamin C.

Idol Chat - We all have our reasons why one or the other will win so here’s why Adam won’t win and why Kris won’t win according to USA Today:

Adam Lambert’s cons include:
-Blue hair, eyeliner and nail polish.
-Fan backlash that comes with Simon Cowell and media declaring Adam the winner too early.
-Gokey’s fans are more likely to root for Kris now that their man is out.
-His professional experience in musicals and on stage bothers some fans who want “Idol” to crown a true amateur.

Kris Allen’s cons include:
-Married status hasn’t helped him win crucial female votes.
-He was never one of the early anointed favorites, missed out on judges approval
-Probably has never played a venue the size of the Nokia Theater L.A. live.
-Low-key married dude from rural Arkansas = terrible tabloid material

The U.S. Mint introduced its new Indiana Lincoln penny Thursday in Spencer County, Lincoln’s childhood home. The one cent coin is the second in a four part series depicting the stages of Lincoln’s life, and hundreds were lined up to get them. The front still retains the image of Lincoln, but the tails side shows an image of a young Abe sitting on a log reading a book, a perfect illustration of Lincoln’s love of books and his belief in the value of education. To learn how you can pinch your pennies and save visit www.pinchingyourpennies.com It features sharing ways on how to save money in all aspects of life, ready-made shopping lists, online deals and more. Anybody save pennies or have you forgotten that it actually has some monetary value?

Top 10 World’s Happiest Places from Forbes - According to a new report released by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), a Paris-based group of 30 countries with democratic governments that provides economic and social statistics and data, happiness levels are highest in northern European countries.
Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands rated at the top of the list, ranking first, second and third, respectively. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Canada landed at Nos. 8 and 6, respectively. The U.S. did not crack the top 10. Switzerland placed seventh and Belgium placed tenth. The poll asked respondents whether they had experienced six different forms of positive or negative feelings within the last day.
Some sample questions: Did you enjoy something you did yesterday? Were you proud of something you did yesterday? Did you learn something yesterday? Were you treated with respect yesterday? I think the answer to those questions depends on what day there asked on. If asked on a Monday then most likely yesterday, being a Sunday, you did something fun, learned something at church, were treated with respect at church, and so on. Ask me on a Sunday and my answers will be even better, but please don’t ask me on a Tuesday which would force me to recall yesterday which was a Monday and we all know how Monday can go!

Food Fight! -Andrew King got a text message in his third-period class: There’s gonna be a food fight at lunch.

Other Jackson High School students heard the rumors in the halls. So when first lunch period began around 11 a.m. Thursday, students at the Mill Creek school say, tension filled the air, teenagers looked from one to another.

Then a carton of milk flew through the air and splattered on the floor.

Fight on.

Before it was over, a package of Cup Noodles had been launched, along with fruit, chocolate milk, Tater Tots, sandwiches and coffee cake. One student emptied a condiment tray of relish over another student’s head, according to one witness.
“Once food started flying, it was all over the ceiling and floor,” said King, a junior, who estimated that more than 100 kids took part. “It was pretty great.”
After the melee, 14 students, including King, were expelled. Administrators also suspended the May 23 senior prom. Brandon Peltier, a junior, said once the initial milk carton flew, he grabbed a large bowl of whole fruit from the lunch line and started lobbing oranges, kiwi and apples. He was expelled along with the other students.

King said a flying tomato slice stuck to his face. He spotted a friend across the cafeteria and hurled a Tater Tot. It was a perfect strike. He was nabbed by a teacher when he raised his arms triumphantly.

Senior Sandy Crissinger said she and some other drama students watched the fight from the cafeteria stage. “Oh boy, it was quite a scene,” she said.

She said teachers and administrators quickly closed the doors to the cafeteria and ordered students to start cleaning up the mess. Yes, wrong behavior, I just want to know have your or anybody else ever been in a food fight? What’s it like? Is it really as fun as the movies make them out to be? What would your choice of culinary weapon be? I’d choose meatloaf for distance lobs and tapioca pudding for close combat.

Mothers’ talk is key to kids’ social skills - -Mothers often get blamed for the way their children turn out, and a new study gives additional weight to that accusation. Research from the United Kingdom shows that the way mothers talk to their children at a young age influences their social skills later in childhood.
The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that children whose mothers often talked to them about people’s feelings, beliefs, wants and intentions developed better social understanding than children whose mothers did not.
In the first part of the study, mothers were asked to talk to their 3-year-old children about a series of pictures depicting scenes such as a child coming out of school looking happy and people waiting in line. Children whose mothers talked about the mental state of characters in the picture tended to perform better on social understanding tasks, the researchers found.

Can You Catch Swine Flu From Cash? - It doesn’t get talked about much, but paper currency — the dollars, fives, 10s and 20s most people routinely touch every day — can spread viruses from one person to another. So if you have contact with money that an infected individual has also handled, there’s a possibility of catching the flu.

How likely is that? Despite the pervasiveness of cash in society, its role in transmitting illness has been the subject of surprisingly little study. But some recent research suggests that flu bugs can show some staying power (some strains up to 17 days) when they land on one of the countless bank notes that change hands every day. Tell ya’ what, the only way to really know is to have your listeners send you money. It’s a sacrifice you’re willing to make for the sake of science.

Free Chocolate on Fridays!!!

Who knew chocolate could be politically correct?

Apparently, Mars Snackfood US, maker of M&Ms, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way and other American favorites, does.

The company has launched the equivalent of a filibuster to draw attention to competitors that substitute vegetable oil for cocoa butter in their products.
So, what’s in it for you? One of the biggest chocolate giveaways in history.

Every Friday through the end of September, you stand a chance of getting a free chocolate bar or candy because of the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act.

Mars initiated the program last week, giving out coupons for chocolate treats to the first 250,000 people who logged on at RealChocolate.com on Friday and requested a coupon. The response was so large that Mars is doubling the chance for free chocolate this week. A half-million coupons will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis and mailed to those who qualify. Coupons are redeemable for any full-size Mars chocolate product and are limited to one per person per week.

What’s the purpose? According to Mars, federal regulations stipulate that the only source of fat (except milk fat) in a chocolate product should be cocoa butter. Mars says it uses only 100% cocoa butter and urges consumers to look at labels whenever they buy chocolate to be sure they’re getting the real thing.

Of course, while bringing consumers’ attention to chocolate standards, Mars is also trying to lift spirits in a recession-plagued nation, describing the promotion as “a massive effort (that) aims to spread joy across America by giving away as many as 7 million full-size packages of Mars chocolate.”
All we can say is: Bring it on!

XBOX Shoes Now On Sale!!!
Some console fans will spare no expense to show their loyalty to their chosen brand, but we're guessing the $2,500 price tag of these one-of-a-kind Xbox-themed sneakers will make even the most committed Microsoft devotee think twice.

The custom shoes -- which aren't endorsed by Microsoft or Nike -- are handmade by Sole Junkie, a California-based artist who specializes in customized sneakers. And they're not the most expensive ones he's ever made. "I have made shoes with 22k gold and diamonds on them," he told us in an interview. "I look at my creations as functional art...not just ordinary sneakers."

That would be functional in shoe terms, not in a gaming sense. Although you might hope that the $2,500 price tag would buy you cool Xbox interactivity, there's no hidden hard drive or controller functionality. Instead, the Xbox logos light up, courtesy of embedded fiber optics and a hidden switch.

According to Sole Junkie's eBay auction, "These are an exclusive pair...only one of its kind. Patent leather back with embedded fiber optic wiring in the shape of the XBOX logo. Battery placement is in the tongue as well as on and off switch that has 2 settings: Strobe or Constant light functions. Gradient lime swoosh faded to black. The toe is painted in a surreal Tiger Camouflage with accents of lime and bright green. These are a men's size 11."

Will they sell? He seems confident. "I have had offers already. They mention the beauty and artwork in it, not the price tag. Don't know how serious the buyers are so far."

But surprisingly, many Xbox fans aren't overjoyed at his work. "The video game community hates the price and the fact I may have taken a beloved iconic gaming system and butchered it," he told us. "On the other hand, I've had very positive responses from others...more than negative ones."

So, $2,500 shoes that do nothing? We'll pass. But if your collection of gaming memorabilia isn't complete without this unique footwear, don't let us stop you from jumping in.

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - MAY 13, 2009

2009-05-12T19:46:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is National Nightshift Workers Day.

Today is Good Samaritan Involvement Day, a time to be unselfish and get involved to help others.

National Receptionists Day (not to be confused with Professional Administrator Day)

1938 - Louis Armstrong and his orchestra recorded the New Orleans’s jazz classic, When the Saints Go Marching In, on Decca Records.

1940 - Winston Churchill gave his first speech as prime minister: “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.”

1973 - Tennis male chauvinist Bobby Riggs defeated Margaret Smith Court 6-2, 6-1 in front of a world-wide television audience. He would lose to Billie Jean King later that year.

NEWS & STUFF:

SIMON COWELL is a clean freak. Other than having a clean shirt for every "American Idol" show, Star magazine reports that the judge's first job in Hollywood was cleaning props, specifically JACK NICOLSON's ax on the set of "The Shining."

Reports say Twitter may have peaked, 60% of new users drop out after only one month. The people behind Twitter are nervous. Maybe they should change the name to -- Jitter.

Fans are excited about the new "Star Trek" movie. The Enterprise travels through space at "warp speed". Jim explained it to me. Warp speed is the speed at which a bumper sticker on a spaceship starts to melt.

THIS IS A COOL STORY:

One thing you may not have noticed in the latest "Star Trek" movie: Carnegie Mellon computer science professor RANDY PAUSCH. Although Pausch died last July at the age of 47 from pancreatic cancer, his "last lecture" was an Internet sensation and later became a best-selling book.

The NY Times reports that "Trek" producer J.J. ABRAMS heard about the professor's love for "Star Trek" and his childhood dream to "be Captain Kirk" and wrote him "I just wanted to put the invitation out there — that if you had any desire to be in the film (can’t promise you role as CAPTAIN, but… we could do SOMETHING!), it would be my honor and pleasure."

Long story short, Pausch took him up on the offer, was flown to LA, got a custom-made uniform, a station on the bridge and one line, for which he was paid $217.06 —and donated it to charity. The line: "Captain, we have visual."

Pausch later said: "Of all the things that have happened, that is the coolest. I’m touched by it. It’s something my kids will be able to go see. It was such a kind thing that [J.J. Abrams] did."

Social Security Red Alert
A new report shows that Social Security and Medicare will go broke much sooner than expected. America's elderly are responding by doing the only thing they can do to protect their retirement - joining the UAW.

Stealing Stamps
Police say a Michigan postal worker has admitted to stealing $20,000 worth of postage stamps and trying to sell them online. The worker will be fired for breaking the Postal Service's strict rules against turning a profit.

Google Lawn Mowing
Instead of using landscapers, Google is looking to be environmentally friendly by bringing in a herd of goats to eat the grass at its corporate headquarters.

Music IS Good For You! - For years, Dr. Mike Miller, a research
cardiologist, has been studying the effects of happiness — or things that
make people happy — on our hearts. He began his research with laughter, and found watching funny movies and laughing at them could actually open up blood vessels, allowing blood to circulate more freely.

Miller thought, if laughter can do that, why not music? So, he tested the
effects of music on the cardiovascular system. “Turns out music may be one
of the best de-stressors — either by playing or even listening to music,”
said Miller. The results did not surprise Miller. “The inner lining of the
blood vessel relaxed, opened up and produced chemicals that are protective to the heart,” he said.

But when participants listened to music they didn’t particularly enjoy,
Miller said, “the vessels actually began to close up.” So, the next time
your boss gets on your nerves, or the kids are driving you crazy, or the car
breaks down, don’t start pulling out your hair. Instead, turn on the radio,
grab your iPod or pop in a CD, and let the music carry you away. All of us
have that one song or CD that does it for us, what’s yours? Stars, Gone, or
More Than Fine from Switchfoot does it for me everytime.

Baby Names Part 2 - Today’s most popular baby names say a lot about the way those babies will turn out. Kerri Hopkins is a Los Angeles-based name expert who analyzes people’s personality traits based on the letters in their names. She’s taken the most popular boys’ and girls’ names and supposedly has the scoop on what these tots will grow up to be like. Hopkins says Jacob is good-natured and tries to please everyone around him. Michael is curious and witty, Ethan is ambitious, Joshua is a prankster, and Daniel is a creative social butterfly. As for the girls, Hopkins says Emma is kind, loving, and sincere, while Isabella is a sassy attention hog. Emily is funny and likes to party, Madison hates being idle, and Ava is a looker who loves to shop.

HONG KONG (Wireless Flash) – After selling his life on eBay, one man is using the money to live out his wildest fantasies. Last June, Ian Usher decided he’d had enough of his life and sold everything – his house, belongings, friends, and even his job – for roughly $290,000 on eBay. Now, he’s using that money to complete 100 things he’s always wanted to try in 100 weeks, including juggling fire clubs, meeting Sir Richard Branson, and getting into a tomato fight in Spain.
His adventure is chronicled on 100goals100weeks.com. So far, Usher has completed 42 of his goals, including swimming with hammerhead sharks in Japan and having a wild hawk land on his hand.

How important is that resume? - The British firm Personal Career Management examined 450 resumes and found that 94 percent of job seekers lost out on getting hired because they had mistakes on their resumes. They were badly presented, had poor grammar or spelling errors. One proudly claimed, “I was responsible for dissatisfied customers.” And another lost out due to one missing comma by claiming his outside interests were “cooking dogs and interesting people.”

Weird Lookin’ Car - The 2009 Nissan Cube. It’s almost cartoonish or Dr. Seuss like. Like a movie prop, the Cube goes to great lengths to hide what it truly is underneath. Namely, a Nissan Versa, with which it shares many parts. The Cube is a bit shorter in length, but compensates for this by
being taller, with an odd array of shapes punctuating its boxy form, such as
the use of squircles for windows. It looks like a car designed for Gumby to
drive.
Base Price: $13,990
Type: Front-engine, front wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon
Engine: 1.8L inline-4 cylinder
Power: 122 hp, 127 lb-ft torque
Transmission: 6-speed manual

New Term For You - “Weisure”; here’s the rundown from CNN:
a.”Weisure” is the blurring of work and play — both what we do and
where we do it
b.Weisure is changing modern society, says NYU sociologist Dalton Conley
c.”We lose our private sphere,” he says. “There’s less time to be our
backstage selves”
d.Why? Technology, longer workweek and more workers enjoying their jobs.
What means is more and more Americans are using smartphones and other
technology to collaborate with business colleagues while hanging out with
their families. I just like saying “weisure” it satisfies the Elmer Fudd in me.

Beautiful Story - Stephen Armitage of Yorkshire, England, was born blind in his right eye, and the bad vision in his left eye went hazy after an
infection caused by a contact lens three years ago. But three months ago, the 36-year-old father of two underwent a rare seven-hour surgery that allowed him to see his youngest son, 20-month-old Harry, for the first time, reports the United Kingdom’s Daily Mail. “I hadn’t seen Harry’s facial reactions before or the way he communicates, I could only see his silhouette. Suddenly I was able to see his face,” Armitage told the Daily Mail. Reliving the moment after the surgery when the bandages were peeled away, Armitage said, “It was like a thick cloud had been lifted and my first sight of the kids was wonderful - they were like angels.”

How Ironic! -STAYING in to save money is costing clumsy folks millions a year in broken crockery, wine stains on carpets and similar household accidents. It would often be cheaper to go out than entertain at home as credit-crunched couples spill food on upholstery or start pan fires while cooking a meal, figures reveal. The survey of 1,000 adults found that 46 per cent were staying in more to save money, and almost 89 per cent sacrificed dining out when they had less disposable income. What’s the latest kitchen/cooking mishap you’ve had at home? A few years ago my wife had a grease fire on the stove. Cost us $3,500. We ate out that night, but had to charge it for obvious reasons.

Wow, this is interesting especially on the heels of the Swine Flu - The next time you cough or sneeze, there is good reason to cover your mouth. As many as 20,000 viruses are expelled in an average cough, which may be sufficient to infect many people — particularly those who are not vaccinated. Julian Tang, a consultant at Singapore’s National University Hospital’s Division of Microbiology, said as many as 3,000 tiny droplets are produced in a standard cough. My sons have been studying microorganisms in school and learned that the virus is the smallest living organism; need a high powered microscope to see most variations. If you haven’t done it yet, why not ask parents and students what actions have been taken at their schools. Are people doing anything differently? A private Christian school in town sent home a letter to the students parents simply stating that they have no plans of having the Swine Flu virus in the school at all with God’s help!

Mexico City believes that laughter is the best medicine! - Televisa is cutting all “nonessential” kisses from its soap operas. A song called the “Influenza Cumbia” is climbing the charts. As Mexicans lock themselves inside in fear of the virus, they can’t help but have a little fun with it as well.

The surgical masks that Mexicans have donned by the millions have become canvases for creativity, with some adorning their protective coverings with painted-on monkey mouths, outsized mustaches or “kissy lips.” Newspapers offer smiley cutouts for people to paste to their masks, and some drivers have fashioned masks for their cars. Dog lovers walk the streets of Mexico City with matching masks for their pooches, though doctors have yet to confirm that chihuahua-to-chihuahua transmission is a major public health threat.

Gas prices have surged nearly 10% over the past two weeks. That’s a gain of 20 cents during the past 14 days, and the national average hit $2.248 a gallon on Tuesday, according to a survey by motorist group AAA. The good news: Analysts say a return to last summer’s record highs of $4 a gallon is not on the horizon. And the current runup is not surprising because prices typically increase ahead of the Memorial Day holiday — the unofficial beginning of the peak summer driving season.

How does a man apply makeup? - Confidential notes detailing how Gordon Brown should apply his make-up were left in a taxi by an aide, in a new embarrassment for the Prime Minister of the UK.
The make-up instructions were as follows:
1. Transparent Brush. Foam all over.
2. Small pot under eyes, dimple, creases, blend in.
3. Clinique. Super balanced make-up. All over again, like painting a wall, and ears. Shut eyes over lids then with make-up pad smooth over liquid.
Powder (dark brush) terracotta Guerlain, all over.
I’ve never worn makeup so I need some help here, is that a lot of makeup or not? How does this compare with your routine at home?

Seven Unforgettable Fads
With the help of these trend-spotters, we put together a short list of fads you're likely to remember that got a fast-start. Here they are.

Crocs and Other Plastic Shoes

For a while, the brightly colored plastic shoes were the footwear to be seen in from Los Angeles to New York. But trend spotters suspect the popularity of the plastic shoe has peaked.

On Thursday, Crocs Inc. announced a 32 percent drop in revenue, according to Reuters. "Our intention in 2009 is to preserve the strength of the Crocs brand while endeavoring to strike a balance between lowering our fixed cost base and responsibly reducing our inventory," said Crocs Chief Executive Officer John Duerden.
Infinia Foresight's Bamsey believes the company is evolving, but he also said it didn't act fast enough.

"They rode the wave too long. Their surfboard hit the beach," he said, adding that the product was "pretty static.

"Do they stand for something? Do they have a certain competency?" he asked.
Piers Fawkes, founder of trends and innovation company PSFK said, "Rapid popularity led to trends outcry but many ripoff versions. Lots of people got rich on the plastic shoe fad even though I think Crocs as a company has not died."

The Livestrong Bracelet
Lance Armstrong's iconic yellow band was intended to raise awareness and funding for cancer research. But the $1 plastic bracelet spawned a whole class of wristbands for a variety of charities and political causes.

Launched in May 2004, the bracelets found their way on to the arms of celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Robin Williams and Sen. John Kerry. But today they're hard to spot.

"The Livestrong bracelet was meant to be a fad," said Bamsey. "It was great marketing but not meant to last very long."

Beanie Babies
The tiny stuffed toys from Ty Inc. really hit their stride in the late 1990s, becoming international trading and collectors' items.

Popular among both children and adults, the line started with basic frogs, dolphins and bears. Over time, it grew to include seasonal animals and celebrity lookalikes, like the Princess Diana bear introduced in 1997 after the royal's death.

Bamsey said the craze-inducing creatures fit the mold of a fad but said the shorter life cycle is part of its offering. "Creating and selling 'fads' can be a wise business choice if the category/product lends itself to that," he said. "It's all about generating interest and intent to buy. And some products are unlikely to be sustainable over time."

Since Ty Inc. is a low-profile, private company, sales figures are difficult to come by. But while the company still sells the plush toys, it no longer grabs headlines and inspires buying frenzies the way they used to. However, now that a Beanie Baby fashioned after the President Obama's dog Bo is in the works, maybe they're poised for a comeback.

The Macarena
A favorite at weddings and bar mitzvahs once upon a time, Los del Rio's Macarena is No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time Top Songs list

The popular song -- and unforgettable accompanying line dance -- peaked during the summer of 1996. But after the song's success, the band fell out of the mainstream, winning the top spot on VH1's top one-hit wonders list in 2002.
Friendster

In 2004, the social networking Web site was a media industry darling, making it on to Time magazine's list of the 50 Coolest Web sites that year. But those days are long gone.

It's still popular in some parts of the world, analysts said, but its popularity in the United States has plummeted as other sites like Facebook and Twitter have taken its place.

"Friendster, the original social network, exploded then imploded. Facebook worked out the errors made during that wave and took it all to another level altogether," said PSFK's Fawkes.

The site was launched in 2003, giving users a place to connect with existing friends, friends of friends, their friends and more. By June 2005, the site claimed more than 16 million worldwide subscribers.

According to its Web site, Friendster now has about 100 million members worldwide, but it isn't even listed among the top 10 social networking sites. According to Compete, Friendster was the 18th most-visited social networking site in January 2009, with about 7 million visits. Facebook, ranked No. 1, had about 1.2 billion visits in the same month.

Ring Pops
"The quintessential fad," said Ira Matathia of Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve, about the pacifier-like ring pops.

Manufactured by the Topps Company, the wearable sweets were introduced in 1977, but they really became popularized in the '80s. The edible jewelry is tough to find these days, though it still makes appearances on the fingers of stars like Lindsay Lohan, Fergie and others.

Garbage Pail Kids
Another Topps creation, released in 1985, Garbage Pail Kids were once the trading card of choice for kids and adolescents.

Meant to parody the Cabbage Patch Kids dolls, each card featured a character that had suffered some kind of abnormality. The cards' success led to the production of a live-action movie and animated television series that briefly aired in Europe.
The fervor has died down, but the cards are still around. Its Web site gives visitors the option to build and raiser their own kids.

ROTTEN OFFICE FRIDGE CLEAN UP SENDS SEVEN PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL
SAN JOSE, Calif. – An office worker cleaning a fridge full of rotten food created a smell so noxious that it sent seven co-workers to the hospital and made many others ill. Firefighters had to evacuate the AT&T building in downtown San Jose on Tuesday, after the flagrant fumes prompted someone to call 911. A hazmat team was called in.
What they found was an unplugged refrigerator that had been crammed with moldy food.
Authorities said an enterprising office worker had decided to clean it out, placing the food in a conference room while using two cleaning chemicals to scrub down the mess. The mixture of old lunches and disinfectant caused 28 people to need treatment for vomiting and nausea.

Authorities said the worker who cleaned the fridge didn't need treatment — she can't smell because of allergies.

TODAY IS TUESDAY - MAY 12, 2009

2009-05-11T21:14:00.004-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
Jim & Karen
on Spirit FM

TODAY IS:

Today is National Nonsense Day.

On this day in 1984, South African prisoner Nelson Mandela saw his wife for the first time in 22 years. Without missing a beat, he said "Is that a new outfit?"

National Police Week

International Nurses Day - go celebrate with a couple of inoculations.
Florence Nightingale, the mother of modern nursing, was born on this date in 1820. Florence taught her students the three basic rules of nursing: keep the patient clean, keep the patient comfortable, and don't laugh when the patient's gown gaps open.

Florence revolutionized the medical profession. She proved that more lives could be saved if the nurses took care of the patients and the doctors played golf.

Bike To Work Week - anybody raised in a large family who ended up getting a bike made out of parts from your brothers and sisters bikes? No matter how hard I tried I just couldn’t make it look cool.

Limerick Day - celebrates the birthday of Writer Edward Lear (1812-1888). It also, of course, celebrates Limerick poems.

There once was a guy named Matt
Who had an overly large cat
When it chased a mouse
It shook the whole house
So Matt got rid of the cat.

There once was a lady named Lynn
Who was so uncommonly thin,
that when she assayed
to drink lemonade,
she slipped through the straw and fell in!
1888 - Casey at the Bat was published

NEWS & STUFF:

Healthcare Cuts
The good news is the healthcare industry is promising to cut patient costs by $2 trillion over the next 10 years. The bad news is that the waiting period to see your doctor is now 10 years.

The crown on the top of the Statue of Liberty will reopen on July 4 for the first time since 9/11. Visitors will now be able to touch Air Force One as it passes by.

Dippin’ Dots Has a New Product - PADUCAH, Ky. — The guy who reinvented ice cream is desperately trying to reinvent his company — before it melts.

More than two decades ago, microbiologist Curt Jones devised a way to flash-freeze ice cream into colorful pellets about the size of BB’s. Now in a tough economy, the outside-the-box company he founded, Dippin’ Dots, is searching for a new concoction to take it beyond the quirky-but-costly ice cream’s seasonal popularity in amusement parks and stadiums. The new concoction is “coffee dots - the coffee of the future.” He’s thinking of naming the new coffee dots Smokin’ Joe. Other new products include: Dots ‘n Cream, an ice cream with Dippin’ Dots mix-ins that can be sold at supermarkets and kept in conventional freezers. “Frappe dots” that, when mixed with milk, would mimic the taste of Frappuccinos. And Fridgets, which are Dippin’ Dots clustered with candy or cookie pieces.

You Can Be a Nurse in a Year! - A Florida nursing school is giving people a chance to change careers and enter a “recession-proof” field, even if they already have established careers. The Remington College of Nursing in Lake Mary offers an intensive one-year program for people who already have bachelor’s degrees. People from a variety of fields have chosen to enroll at the school in search of a recession-proof career. The Florida Center for Nursing projects there will be a shortage of more than 18,000 nurses in Florida by 2010, and a shortage of 52,000 by 2020. When Tom Hutchinson, 54, saw the construction industry falling victim to the current economic downturn, he left his career as a general contractor to become a nurse. Visit Remington’s Web site for more information about the program. I can’t help but think, would you want a nurse who had a year long, crash course at your bedside? I would just advice the nurse not to tell the patient anything about their academic road.

Wild Story - HEPPNER, Ore. — Two baby girls switched at birth 56 years ago have finally found out about the mistake.

DeeAnn Angell of Fossil and Kay Rene Reed of Condon learned about the mistake from an 86-year-old woman who was a former neighbor. The former neighbor said that one of the girls’ mothers, Marjorie Angell, insisted back in 1953 that she had been given the wrong baby after nurses returned from bathing them.

But her concerns were brushed off.

With both sets of parents passed away, the Reed and Angell siblings compared notes and family stories, learning that rumors of a mix-up had been around for years. Kay Rene Reed decided to get some DNA testing done, and that confirmed the mistake. But she and DeeAnn say there just have to move forward with their lives now, and they celebrated their latest birthday together earlier this month.

Word-of-Mouth Cures That Really Work! (MSN)

Calm insect bites with aspirin
Why: “Aspirin is made of salicylic acid, a potent anti-inflammatory that can reduce pain and itching,” says Dr. Hirsch.
How:
Crush three aspirin and add a few drops of water—enough to make a paste, Dr. Hirsch says. Apply mixture to the bite. Leave on for two minutes, then rinse with cool water. Repeat twice daily until pain and itching stop.
Remove warts with duct tape
Why: Experts at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Wash., found this remedy could clear warts in two months. There are a few theories about how it works. One is that duct tape irritates warts, causing an immune system reaction that attacks them. “Another is that the tape removes the virus-laden skin cells,” says Anthony Mancini, M.D., professor of dermatology at Northwestern University.
How: Apply a piece of tape that’s the same size as the wart and leave on for six days. (If tape falls off, replace ASAP.) Remove tape after the six days and clean area with soap and water; leave tape off overnight. In the morning, reapply tape, keep on for five days and repeat until wart disappears. It may take up to two months, says Dr. Mancini, but it’s less painful and less expensive than repeated doctor visits.
Nix dandruff with apple cider vinegar
Why: “The vinegar’s acidity reduces the natural pH of the scalp,” explains Dr. Fusco. “And this creates an unfriendly environment for yeast that tend to overpopulate the head and cause dandruff.”
How: Mix 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar with one quart of water and use as a final rinse after shampooing, twice weekly.
Soothe burns with tomato
Why: “The tomato contains lycopene, which is a natural anti-inflammatory, so it calms inflamed skin. And the wetness of the tomato juice helps draw some of the liquid out of the burn, reducing swelling,” says Dr. Fusco.
How: Slice a large tomato and apply pieces to damaged skin. Leave on for five minutes, then remove, letting the remaining juices fully dry on skin. Once dry, rinse skin with cool water. Repeat twice daily until discomfort ends.

==Fewer Americans taking vacations this summer -according to a new AP-Gfk Poll, and a third of Americans surveyed said they have already canceled at least one trip this year because of financial concerns. Perfect time to put together that list of fun affordable and/or free local things to do this summer.

I’m taking my family to WalMart this summer. Money’s tight. Here’s a list of things we’ll do when we get there:

-Drag a lounge chair over to the magazine rack and make a day of it.
-Set all the alarm clocks to go off at ten-minute intervals throughout the day.
-Set up a tent in the camping department and invite other shoppers to join us, but ONLY if they bring pillows from the bed department.
-Let our kids re-dress the mannequins as they see fit. Should be a great vacation!

Coffee is on the “Good For You” list once again! The heavenly brew, once deemed harmful to health, is turning out to be, if not quite a health food, at least a low-risk drink, and in many ways a beneficial one. It could protect against diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis, and Parkinson’s disease.

What happened? New research - lots of it - and the recognition that older, negative studies often failed to tease apart the effects of coffee and those of smoking because so many coffee drinkers were also smokers.

“Coffee was seen as very unhealthy,” said Rob van Dam, a coffee researcher and epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. “Now we have a more balanced view. We’re not telling people to drink it for health. But it is a good beverage choice.”

As you digest the news on coffee, keep in mind that coffee and caffeine are not the same thing. In fact, “they are vastly different,” said coffee researcher Terry Graham, chair of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada. One can be good for you; the other, less so.

“Coffee is a complex beverage with hundreds, if not thousands, of bioactive ingredients,” he said. “A cup of coffee is 2 percent caffeine, 98 percent other stuff.” For both heart disease and stroke, recent studies are reassuring that frequent coffee consumption does not increase risk. In fact, coffee may - repeat, may - slightly reduce the risk of stroke. For cardiovascular disease other than stroke, there doesn’t appear to be a preventive benefit from drinking coffee, but there is also no clearly documented harm; the studies looked at the effect of drinking up to six cups of regular coffee a day.

As for affecting cancer risk, coffee research has come up empty - with one big exception: liver cancer. Research consistently shows a reduction in liver cancer risk with coffee consumption, and there is some, albeit weaker, evidence that it may lower colon cancer risk as well.

7th Graders Create iPhone App! - Sam Kaplan and Louie Harboe’s company, Tapware, is one of the more promising technology startups in Chicago.

Based in Hyde Park with guidance and a bit of seed funding from one of the University of Chicago’ s top business school professors, Tapware recently released its first iPhone application called “The Mathmaster” and has a second app in the works. For the two seventh-graders at the University of Chicago Laboratory School, Tapware has significantly more upside than opening up a lemonade stand.

“Since the fifth grade, we’ve had this idea of working together and becoming successful with our Web site ideas,” said Harboe, also a professional designer who publishes his portfolio of images and icons at www.graphicpeel.com. “We’ve thought of a lot of strange and different ideas.” The Mathmaster is pretty straightforward. For 99 cents per download, the application is marketed to parents as a fun tool to get their children more enthusiastic about things like square roots and multiplication tables. The application took about a month to develop and then a week to get approved by Apple’ s App Store. The two hope to launch a second, quirkier advertising-based application around their site sipthat drink.com in the coming months. I once made a rubber band gun with wood and a clothespin. Really, I’m not kidding.

Dress Code Rebellion! (AP) — Fourteen-year-old Justin Wright of Yuma, Arizona, is taking on his middle school and apparently making a splash. The Yuma Sun says he’s gotten 250 kids behind his effort to get the school’s dress code repealed.

Currently, kids at Centennial Middle School must wear solid navy, red or white shirts and bottoms in khaki, navy or denim. Wright argues that the policy violates students’ free speech rights, and costs families more money to buy special clothing. The school district disputes that, and says research shows uniforms are less expensive than street clothes. No word how many signatures Justin needs to tip things his way. There may not be that many students in the school. What do you think? Which benefits the kids more? After a while I got used to wearing a school uniform and enjoyed the benefits of not having to worry or labor over what to wear or how I could afford the cool name brand clothing. But get this, since we couldn’t be unique with our clothes we ended up doing it with cologne. That was the fresh fashion statement we could make; enter Aqua Velva back then; AXE today.

Peanut Butter Taste Test - Skippy came out on top followed by Lowe’s Foods house brand, and then Peter Pan. Jif came in 5th behind some organic peanut butter. So Skippy is the winner by a nose over the Lowe’s Foods house brand. But at roughly half the price, the house brand is the clear choice as best buy. Come on, can you really taste the difference? I wonder if kids could? Taste Test Time
SUBTOPIC - Reminds me of the season when my youngest boy was 3. I’m pretty sure he smelled like peanut butter at least every other day; mostly because the majority of what was on his spoon would end up on his face or hair somewhere. My neighbor’s kid smells like ketchup. Ever run across that wily kid who always smells like pancake syrup? Yup, that’s my grandson Brody!

TODAY IS MONDAY - MAY 11, 2009

2009-05-10T20:02:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM
TODAY IS:
Today is Eat What You Want Day

Today is Ladies Who Don't Swear Appreciation Day

Children's Book Week, Stuttering Awareness Week, and National Etiquette Week begin today.

On this day in 1916, Einstein's Theory of Relativity was presented. It's very complicated – A lot like my family tree.

Tasmanian Devil Week begins today. More Tasmanian devils are born this week than any other week of the year. Tasmanian devils are marsupials and found only in Tasmania. And I'm glad.

On this day in 1858 Dr. F.H. Rose became the first physician to be awarded a medal by the U.S. Congress. Dr. Rose was supposed to receive his medal in the House of Representatives, but it was presented instead in the Senate because he didn't make House calls.

The waltz was introduced in England on this day in 1812

NEWS & STUFF:

Liberty's Crown
The crown of the Statue of Liberty will reopen on July 4. New Yorkers are looking forward to climbing up to the top of the statue and resume spitting on New Jersey.
President Obama announced he wants to trim or eliminate 120 programs. The programs he wants to eliminate? Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly . . .
'Star Trek' beamed itself up to the top of the box office, earning $76.5 million in its opening weekend.

'Star Trek,' which reveals the back stories of Capt. Kirk, Mr. Spock and the rest of the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise, is an unusual blockbuster that pleased critics, too, receiving 96 percent positive reviews on the Rotten Tomatoes Web site."

Five Lines Never Before Said in a ‘Star Trek’ Film (The film opened this weekend)

Warp factor 8! Arby’s closes in 10 minutes
Set phasers to fabulous!
We’ve been hijacked by Somali pirates
The Enterprise just hit a goose — we’re gonna have to land in the Hudson
I find Joe Biden’s choice of hairplugs highly illogical

24 Star…Kiefer Sutherland went to a party, and there was some horseplay, and he head-butted somebody. You don't see much head-butting any more. The only place you see it regularly is on "The View."

It has come out that Paula Abdul only makes 5 percent of what Simon Cowell makes on "American Idol." To be fair, she's only awake 5 percent of the time.
Kraft Foods reports profits are up, and they can thank the stellar performance of frozen pizzas and mac-n-cheese. And c'mon admit it — there's nothing better that swiggin' some of that pre-mixed cheese sauce right out of silver foil bag! Mmmmm!

Snakes……Ewww!
CLIFTON PARK, New York -- A diner at a restaurant in upstate New York says he got a little something extra with his broccoli -- a severed snake head.
Jack Pendleton told The Times Union of Albany that he was at the T.G.I. Friday's restaurant in the town of Clifton Park on Sunday when he spotted something gray mixed in with his vegetables. He realized it was a snake head the size of his thumb, with part of the spine still attached.
Pendleton says he snapped a photo with his cell phone camera and called the waiter over. He says he has no plans to sue.
A spokeswoman for the Carrollton, Texas, chain says it's investigating. It wasn't immediately known what kind of snake it was The couple was not charged for their meals.

A senior at Heritage Christian School will be suspended Monday for attending Findlay High School's prom because the event involves dancing and rock music. A Heritage School committee decided Wednesday that Tyler Frost, 17, will be suspended if he attends Saturday's dance because the school's policy forbids dancing, rock music, hand holding and kissing.

Frost plans to attend prom anyway with his girlfriend, a senior at Findlay High.

He would have received his diploma May 24 from the 84-student fundamentalist Baptist school at 2000 Broad Ave. in Findlay.

But Frost will now be suspended from classes and receive an “incomplete” on remaining assignments, according to Principal Tim England.

He will not be permitted to attend any graduation ceremonies with his class of four students, but will receive his diploma once he completes his final exams.

If Frost “is involved with alcohol or sex” at the prom, he will be expelled from Heritage, England said.

Frost's stepfather, Stephan Johnson, said he plans to file a lawsuit against the school.

Frost has attended Heritage Christian, a ministry of Calvary Baptist Church, since kindergarten.

Other than a detention in seventh grade, Frost has never had disciplinary problems, he said.

“He deserves to wear that cap and gown,” Johnson said.

According to the school handbook, rock music “is part of the counterculture which seeks to implant seeds of rebellion in young people's hearts and minds.”

The school also forbids physical contact between girls and boys in grades 7-12.

Johnson believes those rules should not, and do not, apply outside the classroom. He said many students and their parents do not know the scope of the handbook's rules.

“How many people at that school know that when country music comes on, their kid could be expelled? Ninety percent of the school could be expelled,” Johnson said.

England said Frost agreed to the school's rules when he signed a statement of cooperation at the beginning of the school year.

“Our stand on this issue should be of no surprise to the student or his parents,” England said in a statement. “For the parents to claim any injustice regarding this issue is at best forgetful and at worst disingenuous. It is our hope that the student and his parents will abide by the policies they have already agreed to.”

England said he has never known a Heritage Christian student to attend Findlay's prom. He has been principal for 13 years.

Findlay High School requires students attending prom from other schools to get a signature from their principal.

England signed the form for Frost, but told him there would be “consequences” if he attended the dance, Frost said.

“I expected a short lecture about making the right decisions and not doing something stupid,” Frost said. “I thought I would get his signature and that would be the end.”

Instead, England took the issue to the School Committee, made up of church members, where they decided to suspend Frost.

“In life, we constantly make decisions whether we are going to please self or please God. (Frost) chose one path, and the School Committee chose the other,” England said.

Frost said he has never been to a dance before.

Craig Kupferberg, principal of Findlay High School, said he respects, but does not agree with, Heritage Christian School's view of prom activities.

“I don't see (dancing and rock music) as immoral acts,” Kupferberg said.

Postage Rates Go Up Today!
On May 11 the price for a 1-ounce First-Class Mail stamp will increase from 42¢ to 44¢. Prices for other mailing services — Standard Mail, Periodicals, Package Services (including Parcel Post), and Extra Services — will also change. The average increase by class of mail is at or below the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.

Customers can use their Forever Stamps — regardless of when purchased — to mail 1-ounce letters after the price change, without the need for additional postage. Forever Stamps are widely available through Post Offices, commercial retail outlets such as grocery stores, and online.

Prices for mailing services will continue to adjust each May. Prices for most shipping services, including Express Mail and Priority Mail, were adjusted in January and will not change in May.

New “Hot” Baby Names
WASHINGTON – Barack and Miley move up, but the classics still rule. Emma is the top baby name for girls, Jacob for boys. Emma's surge to the top in 2008 ended Emily's 12-year reign as the No. 1 baby name for girls, the Social Security Administration announced Friday.

Jacob held onto the boy's crown for the 10th straight year.

New girl names in the national top 1,000 included Isla (623), Mareli (718), Milagros (731), Dayami (750) and Nylah (821).

Debuting among the boys were Aaden (343), Chace (655), Marley (764), Kash (779) and Kymani (836). Beckham debuted at 893, perhaps a nod to the British soccer star, David Beckham, who now plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy.

TODAY IS FRIDAY - MAY 8, 2009

2009-05-07T21:08:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Military Spouse Appreciation Day.

Today is World Red Cross Day

Today is National Coconut Cream Pie Day

ALL STATE OFFICES CLOSED TODAY

U.S. President Harry Truman was born on this date in 1884. Truman's desk had a sign that said, "The Buck Stops Here." Today that sign hangs over the door at the IRS.

Hernando de Soto discovered the Mississippi River on this date in 1541. He wasn't too thrilled about it -- he was looking for gold.

Today is V-E Day, marking the end of World War II in Europe on this day in 1945. People danced in the streets and partied all night.

While visiting South America on this day in 1958, Vice-President Richard Nixon met an angry mob that pelted him with fruit, vegetables, and eggs. Unperturbed, Nixon gave his famous reply, "I am not a cook!"

The U.S. Post Office was established on this day in 1794.

An Atlanta pharmacist introduced Coca-Cola to the public on this day in 1886. At first, Coke was a medicinal tonic, then it became the world's #1 soft drink. So, I suppose anything can happen. Who knows, some day we all may be ordering a Metamucil.

Tear The Tags Off Your Mattress Day–Just so you know, it is perfectly legal to remove the tag, only the manufacturer may not remove the tag, however once you remove the tag you void the warranty . The same applies to mattress bedding. Most stores will not accept items like this if the tag has been removed, and it is definitely not healthy to use such an item when you have no idea where it has been.

Today is No Socks Day A day to preserve energy by not having to wash another pair of socks.

What do you do with that one sock that always comes out of the drier without a mate? Here’s website that will give you 16 things you can do with it! http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=DN&Dato=20090505&Kategori=GREEN&Lopenr=905050814&Ref=PH

MOTHER’S DAY IS SUNDAY

Sunday is Mother's Day, a day to honor the wonderful woman who used to spit on her fingers and wash your eyebrows on the way to church. And you know she'd still do it if she thought she could get away with it.

NEWS & OTHER STUFF:

==A primary way people are trying to save a few bucks is by cutting back on their grocery spending. No more name brand products, now it’s house brand and generic. What food product MUST NOT be generic? Pop tarts and Mac N Cheese for me.

==The Guinness Book of World Records honored “Chanel” from Port Jefferson Station, NY on her 21st birthday as the World’s Oldest Living Dog. By the way, most people might think one dog year equals seven human years. But actually, a dog’s first year counts for 15 human years. The second year is 10 years, and then it’s five years for each year after that. So instead of being 147, Chanel is “just” 120.

==This article is circulating the internet, and it’s one of the ultimate awwwwwww stories: a man was wheeled into the hospital in Tacoma, and in going through his pockets, they figured out who he was, and found a detailed know about his two dogs, which he asked whoever found the note to take care of. It turns out that he was a loner, and knew that if he became disabled, the dogs would be in trouble. Enter paramedic Pam Hunter, who saw the note, went to his house, took care of the dogs, and cleaned up his house. The man emerged from the coma, and everybody’s happy and smiling. The note in the man’s pocket read “Thank you. Someone please take care of my babies.”

==We’ve heard how damaging stilettos can be to feet, but now experts are warning that flat shoes are the ones to watch out for. In fact, some foot doctors are even urging people to strap on heels to keep their feet healthy.
Flat shoes mess up our bodies in a number of ways, including:
— They cause people to shuffle instead of walk, which can ruin posture.
— Flat shoes cause the feet to roll inward, stretching ligaments and tendons. The stretched ligaments pull toes out of alignment with the rest of the foot, causing severe pain and this can eventually cause bunions.
— When the feet roll in they pull the knees with them. If forced into an awkward angle, the knee caps can become inflamed, painful, and sometimes, arthritic.
–Walking up hills or running in flats can also bring trouble, as the lack of support causes inflammation along the shin, prompting shooting pains called shin splints.

==CareerBuilder’s annual Mother’s Day survey of 469 working mothers.
Here’s what the survey found:
1. Thirty percent of working moms whose companies have experienced layoffs in the previous 12 months are working longer hours than they used to.
2. Fourteen percent of surveyed moms have taken second jobs during the last year to make ends meet.
3. Combining family needs, financial woes and busy schedules, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that 34 percent of moms admit to feeling burned out these days.

Time is the greatest gift
As much as mothers love receiving flowers and homemade crafts on Mother’s Day, this year the one gift they want most is time. Despite the current economy being one of the toughest in the nation’s history, nearly one-third of mothers say they would consider a pay cut to spend more time with their children.

==6 Things Every Driver Should Know (MSN Autos):
1. How to Change a Tire
2. How to Jump-Start a Car
3. How to Check Tire Pressure
4. How to Check Oil
5. How to Get Unstuck from mud or snow
6. How to Spot Cops -know what the cops drive. Most still use the Ford Crown Victoria, although the Dodge Charger is coming online with many highway patrols and state police agencies, and a few have adopted the Chevy Impala. Learn to identify what a Crown Vic, Charger or Impala looks like in your rearview mirror, and react accordingly. Note particularly the shape and position of the parking lights relative to the headlights; this can be a telltale sign at night.
We’re wanting to hook up with a few churches in town and put on a clinic for single moms and anyone else who would like to learn how to do this stuff. Cool community outreach

==She’s going to be on Oprah! Remember Britain’s Got Talent” contestant and now Youtube and Internet sensation, 47 year old Susan Boyle? Look for her on Oprah Monday the 11th.The episode, titled “The World’s Got Talent,” will feature an interview with Boyle along with a guided tour of her Blackburn, Scotland, home. Susan’s audition on BGT has been watched 186 million times online! Simon Cowell will also appear on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” episode, reportedly to address rumors about his possible departure from “American Idol.” According to a press release, Cowell will debut the artists he calls “the next big thing.”

==Simply funny! A POSH bakery in Split, Croatia, has been broken into almost every week. But not since the shop owners posted a life-sized photo of the toughest man in Hollywood Chuck Norris in the window.
The sign says: “This shop is under the protection of Chuck Norris.” Now the bakery hasn’t had a single burglary for more than a month. Sales assistant Mirna Kovac said: “To be honest we just started it as a joke but it really has worked. Thieves haven’t been anywhere near us for ages. People seem to respect him. “Everyone around here has seen his films and he’s quite a popular character, perhaps even among criminals, so they’ve decided to leave us alone.” She added though: “We have had a few customers come in and ask us whether they can get Chuck’s autograph. “They really believe he is sitting in our storeroom out the back ready to pounce on any burglars.”

==Yesterday’s National Day of Prayer kicked off “Rethink Church,” an unprecedented, $20 million United Methodist Church campaign to attract the 35-and-under crowd. Most social scientists and pollsters believe that group is at risk of going through life altogether unchurched.

For Christendom, the numbers aren’t pretty. Only 15 percent of 15- to 34-year-olds have a “good impression” of Christians, according to a recent poll the UMC conducted, along with the Barna Group research organization. About 87 percent say Christianity is too judgmental, and 85 percent describe it as hypocritical. The statistic of greatest concern: About four in 10 Americans between16 and 29 define themselves as non-Christians. The research also uncovered major opportunities for the church, if it is willing to reconsider how it presents its mission. Studies consistently show the new generation is much more global-minded, and a whopping 96 percent say they want their lives to really make a difference in the world. Sixty-six percent say they’re looking for meaning, and 62 percent describe themselves as spiritual.

==Right Brained People Unite! - Your left brain is logical, linear, by-the-numbers; the right side is creative, artistic, empathetic. Oprah Winfrey talked with Daniel Pink about his groundbreaking book, “A Whole New Mind”, and explores how right-brain thinkers are wired for 21st-century success.

The best part: Anyone can tap into the right mind-set.
Pink, a former chief speechwriter for former Vice President Al Gore, presents a convincing argument that our country is entering a new era — the so-called conceptual age — during which right-brained skills such as design and storytelling will become far more crucial than traditionally left-brained skills such as accounting and computer programming.

• Author Daniel Pink: Right brain skills will be crucial in coming age
• Those skills include design, storytelling, empathy, creativity
• Says left-brained skills –accounting, computer programming can be outsourced
• Says it’s harder to outsource creativity such as design and storytelling
I do know this, with the current state of our nation, economy, stimulus package, etc. seems there are a lot of talented story tellers out there!

==An Online Harris Poll conducted between March 31 and April 1, 2009 shows that 51% of Americans don’t use Twitter or have a MySpace or Facebook account. 48% of adults have either a MySpace or Facebook page, with 16% of adults updating their page at least once a day. While the media may have found Twitter, only 5% of Americans are currently using it. (And other recent polls have found that overwhelmingly, people try Twitter but don’t stay with it.)

According to the report, social networking sites mean different things to different demos:

–74% of those aged 18-34 have a Facebook or MySpace account but this quickly drops off the older one gets. Only 24% of those 55 and older have an account
–8% of 18-34 year olds use Twitter, 7% of those 35-44 use it, 4% of those aged 45-54 and just 1% of those 55 and older
–Men and women use Twitter at the same levels (5% each), but women are more likely to have a Facebook or MySpace account (52% versus 45%)
–Two in five people with a high school degree or less have a Facebook or MySpace account compared to 55% of those with some college and 52% of those with at least a college degree

THIRD DAY MAY BE PERFORMING IN AFGHANISTAN

FAIRFAX, Va. - The Christian band Third Day may perform for U.S. troops in Afghanistan.

Bass guitarist Tai Anderson says American troops and their families have showered Third Day with gifts and letters of appreciation since the band performed last year in Iraq and Kuwait.

Anderson says he and his bandmates were impressed by the way people in the military work together as a team, more so than he's ever seen in church.

He says the trip was such a blessing that Third Day wants to fly back "within the next 12 months" and perform again for U.S. troops, probably in Afghanistan this time.

THE STORE JIM HAS ALWAYS DREAMED OF!

LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. - In today's economy it's hard not to feel stressed, frustrated and even driven to throw a plate against your wall.

That's why yesterday, Smash-N-Shatter is opening in downtown Lee's Summit.

The store is built on a new concept in the midwest. Customers can throw plates, glass and other breakables in a "shatter room" or hit a baseball bat against a wall in the "smash room."

Paul Brown, a former software engineer, recently lost his job and started Smash-N-Shatter. "With so many people facing layoffs and financial challenges, we wanted to provide a safe and dynamic environment for people to let it all out," said Brown.

Packages run from $15 to $70.

It's located at 14 S.W. 3rd Street in downtown Lee's Summit.

For more info: http://www.smash-n-shatter.com/ or call 816-524-7100.

TODAY IS THURSDAY - APRIL 30, 2009

2009-04-29T18:24:00.003-05:00

SPIRIT FM MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN

6-9 a.m. Monday thru Friday

TODAY IS:

Today is Hairstylist Appreciation Day.

Today is National Oatmeal Cookie Day.

Today is Love Your Lawn Day.

Today is International Walk Day, a day to walk wherever you go, for the exercise and just to enjoy the outdoors.

George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the U.S. on this day in 1789

. George was 57 years old when he was elected. You could tell George's age by counting the rings in his teeth. Since he couldn't tell a lie, the speech was canceled.

Today is National Honesty Day. a day to celebrate honesty and to honor honest people everywhere

On this day in 1973 Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president in history to admit he was not a crook. And later he proved it by becoming the first U.S.
president in history to receive an official pardon for not being a crook.

On this date in 1939 public television began operation in the U.S. I really think people are beginning to finally notice.

1938: That wascally wabbit Bugs Bunny first appeared on screen in the cartoon "Porky's Hare Hunt," directed by "Bugs" Hardaway for Warner Brothers. Mel Blanc, who did Bugs’ voice, was allergic to carrots.

1952: The first toy was advertised on television—Mr. Potato Head.

2005: Jennifer Wilbanks, missing from Georgia, turned up in Albuquerque. She had claimed she was abducted, but then admitted she was a ''runaway bride.''

THIS IS LIFE

A great new way to let your kids have a pet, but not too long. It’s a hamster turnover program where you hook up with 5 to 8 other families with kids and rotate hamster ownership every 6 weeks. It allows enough time for an enjoyable experience and probably enough time to get tired of the experience as well. A hamster works because you can transport it’s entire “world” so to speak with since it’s living quarters are all intact. I would love Brody to have a fish because he loves watching fish swim around in a fish tank, but his parents say “no”…maybe this is something that might work and make Nana a super hero again! Although I wouldn’t try this with homing pigeons.

At our house we have had dogs, cats, fish, turtles, birds and my least favorite of all…a guinea pig!

Finally! Scientists claim to have cloned glowing dogs. South Korean scientists say they have engineered four beagles that glow red using cloning techniques that could help develop cures for human diseases. The four dogs, all named “Ruppy” — a combination of the words “ruby” and “puppy” — look like typical beagles by daylight. But they glow red under ultraviolet light. The glowing dogs show that it is possible to successfully insert genes with a specific trait, which could lead to implanting other, non-fluorescent genes that could help treat specific diseases. I know what I’ll be seeing on this year’s Christmas gift list. Here are some benefits to having a dog that glows:

*your kids can have a roving nightlight in the house
*easier to spot during the 2 am bathroom break outside
*saying your dog “just ain’t that bright” is no longer true

Tinker Bell has been reunited with her owners after a 70-mph gust of wind picked up the six-pound Chihuahua and tossed her out of sight.

Dorothy and Lavern Utley went to a wooded area nearly a mile from where 8-month-old Tinker Bell had been last seen. The brown long-haired dog was dirty and hungry but otherwise OK. The Utleys, of Rochester, had set up an outdoor display Saturday at a flea market in Waterford Township, 25 miles northwest of Detroit. Tinker Bell was standing on their platform trailer when she was swept away. Dorothy Utley tells The Detroit News that her cherished pet “just went wild” upon seeing her. Can you imagine being a simple bystander and seeing a Chihuahua flying overhead?

A study shows overweight people contribute more to global warming than thin people. At first I thought this was silly then I got to thinking about all the times in the summer when I am outside working in the yard…the heat friction that comes off my thighs through my double-knit shorts is probably enough heat to create some sort of an issue.

NEWS & STUFF

Obama Day 100
Yesterday marked President Obama's 100th day in office. In that time, he's spent more than $6 trillion... making this the most bold presidency ever or just the sequel to "Brewster's Millions."

WHO Alert Level Raised
They’ve traced the swine flu’s origin to one little piggy who went to the market when he should have stayed home.

Remember the good ol’ days when we thought the only bad pork was in the federal budget?

Investigators now have proof that the swine flu virus has come into the United States from Mexico. The sick pigs apparently huffed, puffed, and blew our border down.

The World Health Organization has raised its alert level in response to the swine flu virus spreading from Mexico. The only thing more dangerous than getting the swine flu from Mexico is... living in Mexico.

I think it might be a good idea to take down the border wall and replaced it with a giant sneeze guard.

Swine Flu Airlines
The swine flu outbreak is hurting the already strapped U.S. travel industry. Most U.S. airlines are now charging travellers a special $25 surcharge if they don't want to be seated next to someone from Mexico.

With all this Swine Flu talk, here’s a list of fruits that will boost your immune system. Hey! Wash your hands first: pomegranates, acai berry, avocado, blueberry, cranberry, kiwi, and some other with crazy names, but check this out about the Acai Berry - touted by Oprah as a ’super food,’ grows in South American rainforests. This dark berry has been shown to have twice the antioxidants found in blueberries, as well as omega fatty acids, protein and fiber. It’s so powerful; some studies have shown it kills off cancer cells in a lab setting.

Citi Bonuses

Citigroup is asking the Treasury for permission to pay special bonuses to many key employees... like the guy who makes out all the pink slips every month.

Specter Reaction
Most Republicans are saying that they're happy that Senator Arlen Specter is leaving their party... mostly because he's showing flu-like symptoms.

A Chicago alderman said he doesn't mind that a businessman plans to open a hot dog stand in his ward and hire former convicts to work there, but he does object to the stand's crime-linked theme.

Alderman Bob Fioretti said his Second Ward on the city's West Side has major crime problems, so he thinks the stand's name, Felony Franks, is simply not in good taste.

He also objected to several slogans, including: 'Food so good, it's criminal,' and 'Home of the misdemeanor wiener.'

Here are a few other items on the menu:
• Cell Mate Dog,
• Custody Dog,
• Chain Gang Chili Dog,
• Burglar Beef,
• Bail Bond BBQ beef,
• Lawbreaker Meatball Sandwich,
• Mobster Mozzarella Sticks, and
• Prison Jalapeno Poppers.

Stand owner Jim Andrews, though, said he thinks the tongue-in-cheek name and a menu that features such items as 'burglar beef' and 'chain gang chili dog' will help to erase some of the stigma that being a former convict carries."

What is the problem? They are just trying to make a living...with a smile.

A British vacationer is being hailed a hero after he thwarted gun-toting pirates attacking a cruise ship — by throwing a deck chair at them.

Wyn Rowlands was celebrating his 62nd birthday with a dream cruise onboard the MSC Melody near the Seychelle Islands when he spotted armed pirates in a speedboat trying to clamber on to the vessel.

Quick-thinking Wyn, a retired engineer from Bangor-on-Dee, picked up a deck-chair and flung it down at the gang before raising the alarm.

The ship’s captain, Ciro Pinto, was then able to out-manoeuvre the pirates to prevent them boarding the cruise ship.

The MSC Melody and its 1,000 passengers and 500 crew were 600 miles off the coast of Somalia — notorious for pirate attacks — when the incident happenedon Sunday evening.
New online jobs site! www.glassdoor.com lists salaries and reviews of companies around the world. It also features interview listings where users can submit their experience anonymously for access to other people’s stories. It’s become a source of revealing strange, but true job interview questions like…

*What would the inside of my car look like if we were to go look inside of it right now?

*When is it OK to lie?

*What would you do with 100 Christmas trees in July?

*If you were a cereal, what kind would you be?

The question about cereal was posed in an interview for a financial analyst at Cisco Systems, and the query about Christmas trees arose in a marketing interview at Visa Inc. So…what cereal WOULD you be?

TODAY IS MONDAY - APRIL 27, 2009

2009-04-26T19:42:00.003-05:00

TODAY IS:

On this day in 1972 the Apollo-16 astronauts returned to Earth after 11 days on the moon. They brought back 200 pounds of moon rocks, a dozen T-shirts, and a set of lunar salt-and-pepper shakers.

-Today is Tell A Story Day. I’m doing that with the IRS right now.

-National Prime Rib Day! Where’s the best prime rib place in your town?

-Walter Lantz’s Birthday! He created Woody Woodpecker. How I do miss the classics. Remember Grape Ape? H.R. Puffenstuff? Fat Albert! How I miss him.

4977 B.C. - According to German astronomer Johannes Kepler the universe was created on this date.

1956 - Rocky Marciano retired as undefeated world heavyweight boxing champion.

THIS IS LIFE

This is Jefferson City’s Spring Clean Up Week. You know that time of year you drag all your junk out to the curb and the city will come by and pick it up for you.
So I am finding a bunch of junk while cleaning out the garage and it’s a bunch of junk my sons are NOW declaring they desperately need. They haven’t seen this stuff in years, but they insist they’ll probably need it in the future. What? Oh things like a broken remote control car, headless action figures, a bike seat with no bike attached to it. You know, really important stuff.

NEWS & STUFF

NFL DRAFT PICKS

From Missouri:
Jeremy Maclin is going to the Philadelphia Eagles. (Round 1)
Ziggy Hood is going to the Pittsburgh Steelers (Round 1)
William Moore is going to the Falcons (Round 2)
Chase Coffman is going to the Cincinatti Bengals ( Round 3)
Colin Brown is going to the KC Chiefs (Round 5)
Stryker Sulak is going to the LA Raiders (Round 6)

Bernie Madoff’s wife, Ruth, is saying she has her own money. She says she has $62 million in savings. She says it’s not swindle money; it’s not fraud money; it’s money she made from yard sales.

“Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” is returning to prime time. Due to the recession, it’s been renamed “Who Wants Five Bucks and a Taco.”

The Washington Times reports that PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA will soon get a new, high-tech, super-secure BlackBerry to use in and around the White House and during his travels. The BlackBerry 8830 is in the final stages of development by the National Security Agency, and could be given to the president within the next few months.
The NSA still has to test out the device's encryption software to make sure it meets federal security standards. First Lady MICHELE OBAMA and top White House aides will get the same devices.

And each model will include a super-secret, government-approved version of solitaire as well. (Okay we just made that part up!)

As PRESIDENT OBAMA's 100th day in office nears, the folks at Time magazine have posted some great, "behind the scenes" photos taken of the president, his family and staff since Inauguration Day. It's a neat slide show and reminder that important stuff actually takes place in the White House away from the media pool, the daily briefings and staged photo-ops.

Might as well have this information ready since it’s all over the news - The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new swine flu, much like the government does to prepare for approaching hurricanes. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas. Here are some basic questions answered by the World Health Organization:

Q. What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease normally found in pigs. It spreads through tiny particles in the air or by direct contact. According to WHO it tends to infect large numbers of a given pig population, killing between 1 and 4 percent of those affected. Not every animal infected displays symptoms.

Q. How do humans contract the virus?
A. People usually become infected through contact with pigs, though some cases of LIMITED human-to-human transmission have been reported.

Q. Is it safe to eat pork products?
A.WHO says properly handled and prepared pork products are safe to eat. The swine flu virus dies when cooked at temperatures of 160 F/70 C or higher.

Q. Does a vaccine exist?
A. Pigs in North America are routinely vaccinated for swine flu, but no vaccine exists for humans. In any case, the flu virus evolves quickly, meaning that vaccines are soon obsolete. Health officials say there is no suggestion that the vaccine prepared for seasonal flu will protect against swine flu.

What would you give up first, air conditioning or your cell phone?
In tough economic times with people looking to cut costs many Americans said a cell phone or computer are must-have items and regard a clothes dryers, air conditioner and microwave as less of a necessity, according to survey by the Pew Research Center. Fun discussion with your listeners as to which one would they choose and why. The A.C. issue depends, of course, where you live. There is no way I would go without A.C. in the summer in Oklahoma. I’d lose sleep, perpetually perspire, become irritable, no one would want to talk with me att that point, so a cell phone would be obsolete.

From your Good News file - Somebody’s anonymously donating millions of dollars to colleges across the country. Nobody knows who’s doing it and why. The only common thread among all the schools is that every one of them is headed by a woman. Some people have speculated that Oprah is the donor, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. The gifts, ranging from $1 million to perhaps $10 million, and totaling up to $68.5 million so far, have arrived over the past seven weeks in similarly secretive fashion at colleges around the country, including Purdue in Indiana, Montclair State in New Jersey, and the University of Southern Mississippi. All were contacted by a law firm or other intermediary and given a highly unusual condition: College officials had to promise - in writing, in some cases - not to try to find out the donor’s identity. I think I might change my name to Dartmouth or Purdue and keep an eye on the mail box.

Classic School Prank - Probers are trying to get to the bottom of who sprinkled itching powder on the seats of teachers and students at a Brooklyn elementary school, the Daily News has learned.

A few teacher and student victims of the prank at East New York’s Public School 345 were scratching their heads - as well as other places - after Wednesday’s incident, sources said.

The city Department of Environmental Protection is still running tests to identify the substance.

“The itching was terrible,” said one victim. “When I sat down, I could feel it through my pants. It was very itchy.

“It got intense. When it became uncontrollable, I had to stop what I was doing. … It stopped me in my tracks.” The powder, which looked like tiny, prickly hairs, was found on teachers’ chairs after the itching started. Kind of like that pink insulation stuff. It was non-hazardous. Reminds me of simpler times. We have a candy store in the mall that has bubble gum that turns black when chewed, super hot candy, bugs in ice cubes, whoopee cushions, etc. Just like the itchy powder, I haven’t heard of them being used in quite a while.

A man in northern Idaho says he has seen a massive hand of God in his life, and he is willing to share it with the highest bidder. Paul Grayhek, 52, listed the rock formation he dubbed the “Hand of God Rock Wall” on the online auction Web site eBay. The highest bid was $250 early Sunday, with three days left to go in the auction.
The hand-like formation, approximately 9 feet tall and 4 feet wide, appeared in Grayhek’s backyard after a rockfall during Lent on March 8, he said. The Coeur d’Alene resident said he faced tough times after losing his job, and believed the rock was a sign. “I prayed between licking my wounds and looking for a job,” he said. “We rarely get rockfalls and this formation is 20 feet from my house. It’s definitely a symbol of the hand of God in my life.” However, the winning bidder on eBay should not start clearing out his backyard. Grayhek is not planning to part with the formation. The buyer will “basically be buying the rights, complete and exclusive rights” to the rock, including literary and movie rights, according to Grayhek. Grayhek said he plans to use the money from the sale to pursue an unpaid internship in counseling when he graduates with a master’s degree in social work in two years. “People think I’m some holier-than-thou person trying to get rich. I’m not,” Grayhek said. “The purpose is to spread the story of God and eBay is just a vehicle.

Toddlers Terrorize! ANDERSON, S.C. — Two young brothers caused an uproar in Anderson on Friday morning when they wandered away from their home and into a neighbor’s home. Neighbors and public safety officers launched an intense search after John and Matthew Farrar disappeared from their home. The boy’s mother called to report the 2- and 3-year-olds missing at about 9:45 a.m. About 100 city and county emergency workers scrambled into the neighborhood to search for the boys. Little did they know the toddlers were next door, in the home of a sleeping neighbor, playing out their own version of Goldilocks gone bad. Angie Lovorn was sound asleep on the other side of the house after working a third shift and had no idea the boys were in her house. While she slept, the toddlers ransacked her cupboards, munching on Teddy Grahams and marshmallows and chips. They also got on the top bunk to retrieve some stuffed animals. From the looks of it, they had a pretty good time before the brothers were returned to their family. Ever lose track of your kids, even in your own home?

HELP! I forgot my PC password. What can I do to start my computer? If you have Windows XP Home Edition do this:

1) Turn on your computer.
2) Immediately press the F8 button at the top of your keyboard.
3) Select “Safe Mode”.

Go into your User account and change or simply write down your password.

Did you do a Yard Sale this past weekend? Here are some Dos and Don’ts from Womans Day Magazine:

DON’T sell on Sundays. People think items are picked over. Saturdays are best.

DO stick close to traffic. Move tables to your lawn’s edge and display large, unusual signs.

DON’T skimp on used books, CDs and DVDs. Charge up to $2. They’re cash cows.

DO apply price stickers. And get ready to haggle.

DON’T be greedy. At most, charge $2 to $4 for every $10 you spent, even if the item is new.

DO say that you’re open to offers and want to sell it all–it gets folks in a buying mood.

Read an article from a mom who said that her 16 year old son won’t get his full license until he’s 17 and a half. And it’s HER choice. She figures that if he can’t remember to wear his bicycle helmet every time, maybe he’s just as inclined to forget turn signals, seat belts and speed limits. There’s no rule that says an American teen must have a license in his pocket. Not to mention that scientific studies show that the teen brain is, well, only half-baked. The prefrontal cortex, the part that controls judgement, values, long-term control, doesn’t finish ramping up until long after age 16–not until around 25 as a matter of fact. (No wonder the leading cause of loss of life among teens are car crashes, especially in the first year a teen is licensed.) What do you think? Let the debate begin!

Upcoming Summer Movies! Most have yet to be rated…

Star Trek (May 8) Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action and violence, and brief sexual content.

Terminator Salvation (May 21) going for a PG-13 rating

UP (May 29) 3-D animated film about a floating house

Land of the Lost (June 5)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (June 26)

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra (Aug 7)

I’m all after Land of the Lost with Will Ferrel! The TV show from 1974 to ’76 was the most wonderful, cheesy display of claymation dinosaurs, weird hissing,
humanoid/lizard creatures called Sleestak, monkey people and more!

With swimsuit shopping season here, enjoy this poem from Kathy Downey (altered a bit for decency sake)

As summer approaches, the weather gets hot,
and women face something that we’d rather not.
Yes…wearing a swimsuit, because as we know,
the body we’ve been hiding will all have to show.
I do some weeping, and gnashing my teeth,
but it does not provide very much relief,
So I head to the mall to begin my quest
for that one perfect suit that will make me look best.
As I search through the racks, I mutter and sigh,
“How can swimsuits so tiny have prices so high?”
A bikini won’t do, I am too old for that.
Ah, here is a one piece, this might hide my fat.
I squeeze into the suit and suck in my gut,
while attempting to stretch the cloth over my butt.
I look like a sausage link, latex encased,
a visual image I would like to erase.
When a voice rings out loudly,
a woman shrieks, “NO!”
“Pay that much to look like this, I don’t think so!”
Dead silence follows for one moment or two,
until someone else shouts, “Honey, I’m with you!”
Then the whole place erupts into cheers and applause,
as women emerge from the dressing rooms jaws.
Trampling the suits that we sling to the floor,
we dance and scream as we cause an uproar.
Someone starts to chant and we all sing along,
sharing our strength in the words of our song.
“We are women with curves, please heed our cry.
Make swimsuits that fit us or we will not buy.”
“T-shirts and gym shorts will be our swim wear.
Bathing suit makers had better beware.
Your profit margins will feel the bite.
We are women, united, and ready to fight.”
Pumping our fists and slapping high fives,
we are ready to take control of our lives.
Giddy with power, a loud happy bunch,
we decide to get dressed and go out for lunch!

TEN HOMESCHOOLED CELEBRITIES

Agatha Christie was a painfully shy girl, so her mom homeschooled her even though her two older siblings attended private school.

Pearl S. Buck was born in West Virginia, but her family moved to China when she was just three months old. She was homeschooled by a Confucian scholar and learned English as a second language from her mom.

Alexander Graham Bell was homeschooled by his mother until he was about 10. It was at this point that she started to go deaf and didn't feel she could properly educate him any more. Her deafness inspired Bell to study acoustics and sound later in life.

If Thomas Edison were around today, he would probably be diagnosed with ADD -- he left public school after only three months because his mind wouldn't stop wandering.
His mom homeschooled him after that, and he credited her with the success of his education: "My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so sure of me; and I felt I had something to live for, someone I must not disappoint." Mental Floss: Jefferson vs. Adams and the birth of negative campaigning

Ansel Adams was homeschooled at the age of 12 after his "wild laughter and undisguised contempt for the inept ramblings of his teachers" disrupted the classroom. His father took on his education from that point forward.

Robert Frost hated school so much he would get physically ill at the thought of going. He was homeschooled until his high school years.

Woodrow Wilson studied under his dad, one of the founders of the Southern Presbyterian Church in the United States (PCUS).

He didn't learn to read until he was about 12. He took a few classes at a school in Augusta, Georgia, to supplement his father's teachings, and ended up spending a year at Davidson College before transferring to Princeton. Mental Floss: 8 tuition-free colleges

Mozart was educated by his dad as the Mozart family toured Europe from 1763-1766.

Laura Ingalls Wilder was homeschooled until her parents finally settled in De Smet in what was then Dakota Territory. She started teaching school herself when she was only 15 years old.

Louisa May Alcott studied mostly with her dad, but had a few lessons from family friends Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Can you imagine?

JOIN US ON THE FUN BUS TO WOMEN OF FAITH IN ST. LOUIS - JUNE 26-27, 2009

2009-04-23T17:17:00.005-05:00

ATTENTION ALL WOMEN!

Karen Dye Ministries invites you to attend the Women of Faith Conference to be held in St. Louis, Mo. June 26-27, 2009. The featured guest speakers this year will be: Steven Curtis Chapman, "American Idol" finalist Mandisa, Nicole C. Mullen, Sandi Patty, Lisa Whelchel (from TV's "The Facts of Life"), Sheila Walsh, Patsy Clairmont, Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll and more! During the event you'll hear fabulous music, watch stirring drama, listen to hilarious and heart-tugging stories and join thousands of women in worship.

To place a reservation please print off the reservation form and return it along with your payment in full. Forties seats are available on this trip and will be sold on a first come/first serve basis.****Please note - Women of Faith is changing the way they promote the Conference this year. They want everyone to attend the full two-day event, not just Friday evening Saturday. This means we will be leaving very early Friday morning.

The cost of the trip includes :

Ticket into event ($79-non-refundable) Standard Upper Level Seating

Deluxe Motor Coach transportation to and from St. Louis, with pickups in Camdenton, Jefferson City and Columbia.

One Night Hotel Stay at the Drury Inn

Full Hot Breakfast at the Hotel on Saturday Morning

All tips and Gratuities

Snacks, Games, Fellowship and Fabulous Prizes on the trip to St. Louis

Pre-Conference Presentation From Karen Dye of Spirit FM’s Morning Show

Pricing:

Double-Occupancy $185.00

Triple Occupancy $166.00

Quad-Occupancy $158.00

PAYMENT, IN-FULL, MUST ACCOMPANY RESERVATION FORM AND BE MAILED TO:

Karen Dye Ministries
C/O Spirit FM Radio
P.O. Box 800
Camdenton, Mo. 65020

RESERVATION DEADLINE IS: May 22, 2009

The only other money needed would be for meals going to and from the conference and if you want to purchase books, music, etc. at the conference.

What if I make my reservation and send in my money then cannot attend is my money refundable?

The WOF ticket is not refundable. However, it is not our desire to keep your money if something arises and you are not able to go. If we have someone that can replace you, it is entirely refundable. If we cannot replace you, all but $79.00 will be refundable. For more information about the conference visit the Women of Faith website: http://www.womenoffaith.com/

Tickets are still available, but limited so don’t delay!

Women of Faith says it like this "Do you ever feel something's not quite right in your life? Discover the joy and freedom in releasing the burdens of your past and waking up to a new you". The theme for this year's conference is "A GRAND NEW DAY" based on Lamentations 3:22-23 “The Lord's love never ends; His mercies never stop .”
Bring your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors—any woman you know who needs a new perspective . . . a new enthusiasm!

Please print off this form and send in with your payment.-----------------------------------

RESERVATION FORM:

WOMEN OF FAITH
St. Louis, Mo.
June 26-27, 2009

NAME:

ADDRESS:

CITY & STATE:

PHONE NUMBER: (Day & Evening Number Please)

EMAIL:

PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:

________Double-Occupancy

________Triple Occupancy

________Quad Occupancy

DO YOU HAVE A ROOMMATE(S) IN MIND? THEIR NAMES:

PLEASE CHECK ONE OF THE FOLLOWING PICK UP POINTS:

________Camdenton, Mo.

________Jefferson City, Mo.

________Columbia, Mo.

AMOUNT ENCLOSED:________________________

MAKE YOUR CHECK PAYABLE TO :

Karen Dye Ministries

MAIL COMPLETED FORM AND PAYMENT TO:

Karen Dye
C/O Spirit FM Radio
P.O. Box 800
Camdenton, Mo. 65020

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY - APRIL 22, 2009

2009-04-21T20:22:00.002-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

Earth Day is today. And petroleum-based grocery bags hit the checkout aisle back in 1977. Presented as a revolutionary idea, they are now recognized as an environmental hazard. Just like bottled water, plastic bags are made from crude oil, contributing to global warming.

The numbers:
—1000: Estimated years for a plastic bag to decompose.
—1460: Plastic bags used in a year by an average family of four in the U.S.
—12 million: Barrels of oil used to make the plastic bags that the U.S. consumes annually.
—Less than 1%: Percentage of all plastic bags that get recycled in the U.S.
—88.5 billion: Plastic bags consumed in the U.S. last year.
—500 billion: Estimated plastic bags sold worldwide each year.

Meanwhile, JoAnn Fabric Stores’ e-mail to crafters is offering crafts using "plarn" —plastic bags cut into strips that can then be used for knitting, crocheting and even weaving. The store advises, "One method for making plarn is to cut plastic shopping bags crosswise in strips that form long loops. The loops are interlocked to create a chain — essentially forming a double-thick strand of plarn. Another method has you cut the bag in a spiral from the top to the bottom."

Ironically, the e-mail suggests using plarn to craft reusable shopping bags, but anyone handy with a chubby crochet hook can use it to create other household items like rugs, placements, coasters, dish scrubbers and doormats.

TODAY IS:

Professional Administrators Day

Earth Day
Today is Earth Day, honoring the planet Earth, one of our most beloved planets. I know it's certainly my favorite.
Congressmen will be celebrating Earth Day buy selling themselves “dirt cheap”.

1864 - “In God We Trust” was placed on U.S. coins
The phrase "In God We Trust" was stamped on all U.S. coins for the first time on this date in 1864. Coming in a close second was the liberal choice ... "Whatever." I think it is time Democrats and Republicans alike trust God….since they seriously can’t trust each other.

NEWS & STUFF

Mitchell's Accusation
Former astronaut Edgar Mitchell insists that extraterrestrial life exists, and that the truth is being concealed by the U.S. government... mostly because Washington doesn't want us to know just how much money we've spent to bail out the entire Martian banking system.

Morgan Stanley Banks
Morgan Stanley executives are considering buying smaller banks across the U.S. in hopes of diversifying the business, getting into consumer lending, and having a really good place to hide their excessive bonuses.

Consumer Reports says people routinely send in letters complaining about small items arriving in way too much packaging. To check the problem, Consumer Reports ordered small items from 13 companies, including Avon, Staples, drugstore.com, Oriental Trading Company, and Best Buy. Consumer Reports was really surprised to find that so many tiny items came in boxes that were way too big.Avon arrived with just one lip balm as well. Inside a box from the Oriental Trading Company—just one small vial of beads. And a box from Staples—it could easily fit 200 pencils but contains…just one. Less packaging could make a real difference. If Americans cut back the use of cardboard from 100 tons to 90, it would save more than 5,300 pounds of waste…20,000 gallons of wastewater…and more than 34,000 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent. Some companies, such as Avon, Staples, and Lands End, told Consumer Reports that they recycle thousands of tons of cardboard a year.www.greenerchoices.org/wastetips.cfm.

You call this camping? Yellowstone completed a wireless communications plan this month after taking public comment on a proposal released last fall. The plan includes a limited expansion of cell phone service, restrictions on wireless Internet at historic lodges and rules for new scientific monitoring stations. “Not all potential services are appropriate in all areas,” park spokesman Al Nash said Monday. “It really is about an expectation that visitors have of a certain experience in Yellowstone, whether it’s in historic lodging or in the backcountry. This plan recognizes technological change but works to protect the experience people seek in Yellowstone.” Good time to discuss just exactly what IS camping? What must you have and what must you NOT have to consider it camping?

When’s the last time you had a pillow fight? - The man police say organized an impromptu pillow fight in front of a Vermont mall is being dragged into court to face charges. Darin Cassler, 21, of South Burlington, Vt., was charged Friday by city police after he allegedly incited a pillow fight at the town center on Church Street. Police said his actions warranted a disorderly conduct charge. The feathery fracas was organized by Cassler, police say, and included about 50 participants. A video of the pillow pounding appears on several Internet sites and shows about a two-minute scrum that began and ended with a whistle being blown. The pillow fight was organized on the social networking site Facebook, which listed the following rules:

1. Bring a pillow and a container in which to conceal it.
2. Assemble on the street as if you were loitering, do not acknowledge anyone else participating.
3. Our host will shout ‘pillow fight’ and we will all spontaneously break into a big miasma of feathers and pillows.
4. Soft pillows only!
5. Swing lightly, many people will be swinging at once.
6. Do not swing at people without pillows or with cameras.
7. Remove glasses beforehand!
8.The event is free and appropriate for all ages.
9. Wait until the signal to begin.
10.This event is more fun with feathers!

It’s Soccer Season! Let the stories begin…The parents of a traveling Maryland 13 year old girls soccer team were forced to watch their kids play from 100 yards away Sunday as a punishment for their behavior at a previous game, the Washington Post reported. The Washington Area Girls Soccer League banned the parents from the sidelines for two games after a parent from the Bethesda Legacy travel team approached an assistant referee following a call at the end of last season. After several snide remarks and a parent starting to “raise his voice,” another Bethesda parent reportedly yelled at the referee’s daughter, “Your father should be fired!” according to minutes of a disciplinary hearing. The league’s disciplinary committee ruled the parents violated the league’s code of conduct, the Post reported. I remember a Little League Coach forcing his players to do push ups right then and there, during the game, when a team mate messed up. All the while I couldn’t help but think that the coach probably couldn’t do 2 push ups without passing out. The kids didn’t look like they were having a good time , even with extra orange slices.

Hawaii is the least-stressed state in the nation. The Aloha State had the nation’s lowest rate of frequent mental distress, or FMD, for adults. Hawaii’s rate of 6.6 percent was lower than the national average of 9.4 percent, according to a study to be published in the June issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. South Dakota and Nebraska were among the lowest, while Kentucky was the most stressed state at 14.4 percent, the report said. The study concluded that where people live could affect their state of mind. Well, YEAH!!! Hawaii? The only stress I could think of if I lived there would be in trying to decide which SPF to choose. What makes your state most of least stressful?

OOPS! The monument that marks the only area in the U.S. where four states meet, is apparently in the wrong spot. The Four Corners monument marks the intersection where new Mexico, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah meet, and it’s a popular tourist stop.
But according to readings by the National Geodetic Survey, the real four corners is actually 2-point-5 miles east of the monument. Surveyors say they used satellite maps and gps units to track down the right location. The current four corners monument is on land owned by the Navajo Nation. Federal officials say it’s up to the Navajo Nation and the Ute Mountain Indian Tribe to decide if they want to move the monument to the correct spot. Makes you wonder what else we might have gotten wrong.

Most motorists in the USA — 78% — call aggressive driving a serious concern yet nearly half admit speeding on major highways in the past 30 days, according to a survey and analysis of research made public today by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety. Drivers also confessed to recently speeding on residential streets, speeding up to beat yellow lights, honking at other drivers and tailgating. Here are some warning signs to find out if you might be an aggressive driver:

• Turn signals aren’t for signaling a lane change; they’re just clues as to your next move in “road battle.”
• You believe the faster you drive through a red light, the smaller the chance you have of getting hit.
• Braking is to be done as hard and as late as possible to insure that your antilock braking system kicks in to give you a nice relaxing foot massage as the brake pedal pulsates.
• You believe that if another driver comes in eye contact with you…you instantly have the right of way.

Pet Airways is the first pet-only airline to take to the skies, starting in July. The first five cities to be served are Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C. A one-way flight costs around $149, and Pet Airways is now accepting reservations for its first New York to Los Angeles flight, scheduled for July 14. Right now the website for Pet Airways is over capacity but they are encouraging folks to check out their Facebook Fan Page, follow them on Twitter (@petairways) and inquire about reservations by e-mail at: reservations@petairways.com.

Here’s a fun and yet serious topic - Can painful, unwanted memories be altered or even eradicated? That’s the provocative question being raised by the emerging science of forgetting. Visit Newsweek.com for the whole story. Too long and ‘sciencey’, but the question is intriguing. What are your thoughts? If you could erase that painful memory would you, or has it made you into a better person? Without the bad can we truly grow and mature? The ability to recall pain can sometime prevent future pain, yes? I’ll stop here.

TODAY IS FRIDAY- APRIL 17, 2009

2009-04-16T17:05:00.003-05:00

THE MORNING SHOW
with
JIM & KAREN
on
SPIRIT FM

TODAY IS:

Today is Toothbrush Appreciation Day, a day to wonder how life would taste without your toothbrush.

Today is Ellis Island Family History Day, marking this date in 1907 when 11,747 immigrants were processed through the island, more than any other day in history
Today is National Cheeseball Day.

Today is Daffy Duck Day. Daffy appeared in his first cartoon, "Porky's Duck Hunt," on April 17, 1937. He didn't get his name until he appeared in the 1938 short, "Daffy Duck and Egghead." In 1999, the U.S. Postal Service issued a new Daffy Duck stamp on his birthday.

Today is International Ford Mustang Day 1964 - The Ford Motor Co. unveiled its new Mustang model at the New York World’s Fair on April 17, 1964. The Mustang was championed by Ford Division general manager Lee Iacocca, with a suggested retail price of $2,368. The car was a great success and sold over one million cars in its first 18 months.

Today is Blah Blah Blah Day, a day to stop smoking, take out the trash, lose weight, empty the cat litter, get a job, quit a job, or whatever.

1970 - Apollo 13, the U.S. lunar spacecraft that suffered oxygen tank No. 2 blowing up in the spacecraft on its journey to the moon, safely returns to Earth landing in the Pacific Ocean. What’s your latest “Houston, we have a problem” moment? Mine…washing machine breaks, flood ensues, family room wet, me angry.

1521 - Martin Luther excommunicated from the Roman Catholic church.
1985: The U.S. Postal Service unveiled its new 22-cent "Love" stamp. Showing the set of TV’s The Love Boat as a backdrop, the stamp became one of the postal service’s biggest sellers.

IN THE NEWS:

Owners of the Columbia and Jefferson City Malls file for bankruptcy
Joe Biden Visited Mid-Missouri Thursday – I wonder if he was here to collect all the tea bags?

Despite making $1.2 million from 2000 to 2004, Barack and Michelle Obama gave less than 1% of their earnings to charity in that time. But they were selfless and giving enough during that period to by a GM car.

President Obama should get a big refund this year. He has a lot of dependants. AIG, Citibank, Morgan Stanley . . .
President Obama has lifted the travel ban to Cuba. I want to remind people that if they do travel to Cuba, don’t forget to set your watch back 50 years
Biden Charity

Vice President Joe Biden and his wife gave just 0.7% of their income to charity in 2008. Biden says he shows true kindness to poor people by staying out of their neighborhoods.

In Hong Kong, a group of billionaires have built a life-size replica of Noah’s ark. It is big enough to hold 150 animals or almost all of the Octo-Mom’s kids.

"In a week, Susan Boyle has gone from karaoke and her local church choir to global fame and an invitation to the Oprah Winfrey show.

The frumpy 47-year-old, who says she's never been kissed, has gained celebrity fans and millions of admirers - including a fair number of men - since she wowed judges on the TV show 'Britain's Got Talent.'

Her fame has been fueled by new technology, with a clip of her performance viewed more than 12 million times on YouTube.

'Susan can't help herself, she just sings whenever she can sing,' said Jackie Russell, the manager of the Happy Valley Hotel in Blackburn, Scotland, where Boyle occasionally sings karaoke. 'We weren't surprised by her talent, but we were surprised by the reaction around the world.'"

"John Madden is retiring from football announcing, where his enthusiastic, down-to-earth style made him one of sports' most popular broadcasters for three decades. The Hall of Fame coach spent the last three seasons on NBC's 'Sunday Night Football.' His final telecast was the Super Bowl in February."

We wish him well. Speaking of retirement:

When is the best time to start thinking about your retirement?

Before your boss does.

A Saudi man divorced his wife by text message. In Saudi Arabia, if a man says "I divorce you" three times, it's legal. But you have to be careful. Some cell phone texting plans include unlimited divorcing -- others only allow divorcing evenings and weekends.

NADYA SULEMAN may not like the name, "Octomom," but she's filed an application to trademark the word so she can license products to make money. However, People magazine says she may not get the rights because a Houston-based novelty company filed for the rights a month earlier. Her attorney is already on the case, though, claiming the firm has no rights to claim the name and that they have no permission from Nadya. He says there's a bunch of doll manufacturers and clothing designers who want to distribute product lines with the bame.

Meanwhile, the Hollywood Reporter says although several online columns have already reported Nadya has a reality TV show, there's nothing signed yet. However, she apparently is in negotiations with a British-based production house. The problem is apparently finding a network which would run the show. The show biz trade says TLC, which already runs "Jon and Kate Plus 8," "18 and Counting" and "Table for 12," backed out of a deal after meeting Nadya in person. And a spokesperson for Bravo says they're not interested as well.

Yes, Virginia, there will be a "Ghostbusters 3" movie. Ain't It Cool News says DAN AYKROYD, BILL MURRAY, HAROLD RAMIS and ERNIE HUDSON have all signed on for the sequel, and now Ackroyd is trying to convince SIGOURNEY WEAVER to join the cast as well. The movie is scheduled to be in theatres in 2011.

While eating some Girl Scouts Sugar Free Chocolate Chip cookies I noticed a warning, ever so small, on the box that read “excess consumption may have a laxative effect.” I was surprised by that! Someone called and gave me an answer as to why. I asked her how she knew why and her answer is, “because I’m a life time dieter” in case you want to fit that question in the proper spot.

Legendary football coach and broadcaster John Madden is retiring, he announced Thursday. It’s been such a great ride … the NFL has been my life for more than 40 years, it has been my passion — it still is,” he said in a statement released by NBC Sports. Madden, 73, was a Hall of Fame coach for the Oakland Raiders, but is best known to millions as an ebullient football commentator. He won 16 Emmy awards for outstanding sports analyst/personality, NBC said. I bet he’ll come back and play for the Jets, just watch. Who has held down a job the longest in your community? I talked to a guy this morning who hasn’t missed a Tulsa Driller’s baseball game in 20 years!

A quick ironic headline for you from CNN – “Endangered Turtles Race To Save Their Futures” One problem: they’re turtles. The largest turtles on Earth, leatherbacks once were plentiful in every ocean but the Arctic and Antarctic. While their population in the Atlantic Ocean is believed to be stable, other populations, including those in the Pacific, are dwindling dramatically.

Hazing in high school - Authors of an ambitious survey of hazing in colleges and universities have turned their attention to high schools and discovered that many freshmen arrive on campus with experience — with 47 percent reporting getting hazed in high school. They are finding that it’s getting out of hand. Hazing in the 70’s and 80’s was wearing a kick me sign on the back of your shirt or getting an innocent ‘swirlie’, but no one ever ended up getting physically hurt. Hazing eventually ended up in friendship or just faded away, unlike bullying today which is really what hazing has become. What’s the hazing scenario in your high schools?
Females get along fine without males - in the world of tropical ants. A type of tropical ant has dispensed with males altogether, according to scientists, and only the female of the species exists. Experts have discovered a South American species that is exclusively female and reproduces by cloning the queen. The Mycocepurus smithii is the first known type of ant to be a male-free species. The phenomenon takes the stress out of finding a mate and may help keep the peace in colonies, the scientists believe. Do you hear the sound of women cheering or is that…just…know, forget it.

Can’t go into the weekend without another food recall! Union International Food Co. is expanding a spice recall to include all Lian How brand and Uncle Chen brand sauces, oil and oil blends in various size packages because the products may be contaminated with salmonella. For more details visit www.ufunionfood.com

Want your kid to be happy? Let them eat fries!
A new study published recently in the Journal of Happiness Studies took a hard look at kids and their relationship with fast food.

At first the findings, according to a Los Angeles Times report, are what you’d expect:

– Kids ages 2 to 12 who regularly consume fast food and soft drinks are more likely to be overweight.
– Moms who turn to fast food are more likely to have kids who turn to fast food.
– Kids in cities are more likely to consume fast food than kids in small towns.
– Greater fast food consumption is linked to greater soft drink consumption.
– Kids eat more fast food and guzzle more soft drinks as they get older.
But then there’s this:
– Kids who regularly scarf down fast food and soft drinks are less likely to be unhappy than kids who don’t. More likely to be overweight, yes, but less likely to be unhappy. Like LA Times health blogger Tami Denis’ colleague put it: There’s a reason they’re called “Happy Meals.”

This is National Playground Safety Week. Playground safety tips.
*The monkey bars can be fun, and if it’s hot enough you can sit on them and they’ll leave really cool grill marks.
*The slide is always going to be really hot or really wet.
*Getting really dizzy on the merry-go-round after eating a bowl of Cheerios will only be funny to other people.
*Regardless of whether the playground is grass or gravel, when it comes to your gum, it’s always a good idea to back the “five second rule” off to a “two second rule”.

Kind of a strange topic, but one we will all be a part of one way or another: What song will you play at your funeral? While hymns and classics may have been traditional favorites, pop songs now account for more than half of the music chosen as people’s final soundtrack, according to the poll of over 30,000 funerals. Here are some of the top pieces of music chosen, according to the poll commissioned by Co-operative Funeral Care.

- Top 5 popular songs:
1. “My Way” - Frank Sinatra/Shirley Bassey.
2. “Wind Beneath My Wings” - Bette Midler/Celine Dion.
3. “Time To Say Goodbye” - Sarah Brightman/Andrea Bocelli.
4. “Angels” - Robbie Williams.
5. “Over The Rainbow” - Eva Cassidy.
- Top 5 hymns:
1. “The Lord Is My Shepherd”.
2. “Abide With Me”.
3. “All Things Bright And Beautiful”.
4. “Old Rugged Cross”.
“Amazing Grace”.

From our format, I would go with Hold Me Jesus from Rich Mullins, When All Is Said And Done from Geoff Moore, I Will Rise from Chris Tomlin OR…a party song…Fields of Grace from Big Daddy Weave or Gone from Switchfoot.

Coupons.com reported a 192% increase in the value of coupons printed from its site in March, compared with a year ago. The total value of the coupons was $57 million.”Consumers printed a record amount of savings in March, almost tripling the amount printed last year,” Coupons CEO Steven R. Boal. Coupons have been the second-most-visited category on the internet — behind jobs — for about a year. Man, I feel like it’s money waiting to be used up, but I just can’t get myself to use coupons! Ask for some coupon users to offer tips for the novice coupon clan out there. I guess there are websites solely devoted to coupons and coupon trading!

TODAY IS THURSDAY - APRIL 16, 2009

2009-04-15T19:57:00.004-05:00

The Morning Show With Jim & Karen
on Spirit FM!

TODAY IS:

This is National Coin Week, for obvious reasons. After you pay your income tax, all you have left is a few coins. Apparently that is the change the government speaks of us getting!

Wilbur Wright was born on this day in 1867. Wilbur was the second man in history to fly an airplane. He could have been the first, but somebody had to stay on the ground and lose the luggage. The challenge of an airplane is to keep it up—the challenge of airplane food is to keep it down.

The world's first air conditioned hat was patented on this day in 1889. It was a derby with ventilation ducts on four sides and a wind-up exhaust fan in the top. But you had to be careful: if you wound the spring too tight -- well, that's when the hair hit the fan.

On this day in 1978, over 50,000 runners competed in the Milan, Italy, Marathon -- the largest race ever. Some called it a stampede, but it wasn't. A "stampede" is what happens when there are 535 members of Congress and only one bribe.

The Book of the Month Club was founded on this day in1926. Instead of joining the Book of the Month Club, Here’s your money-saving tip for today…Instead of joining a book-of-the-month club I saved money by buying a dictionary. I have all the same words, though not necessarily in the same order.

NEWS & STUFF:

American Sea Captian Richard Phillips and his crew were reunited and are now back in the United States.

Pirate Attack
Another U.s. cargo ship has been attacked by Somali pirates. It's not clear if the attack was revenge for the killing of three Somali pirates on Saturday or if this was just another one of those anti-tax day protests.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates said the Somali pirates were all untrained teenagers with heavy weapons — which we call rap stars in this country.

Top Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before Becoming A Somali Pirate
10. Is piracy a recession-proof industry?
9. How am I at ducking sniper fire?
8. Is there enough swash in my buckle?
7. Before committing, should I temp as a pirate?
6. Am I doing this just to get babes?
5. Is there an all-inclusive meal plan?
4. Will I get to meet Johnny Depp?
3. Will I get along with Ross Ohlendorf? (Sorry, that's a question to ask yourself before becoming a Pittsburgh Pirate)
2. Is there more opportunity for advancement in al-Qaida?
1. How's the commute fromMissouri?

President Obama is receiving high marks for the way he handled the pirate situation. But with all the problems we have right now, who would have guessed our new president would have to deal with pirates? What’s next, dragons?

Post Office Tax Day
Post offices across the country stayed open late last night so Americans can file their taxes on time... there was still only one person waiting on customers at each office, but they were open late!

Back at work: The co-pilot of the USAir jet that landed in New York's Hudson River is back behind the controls. JEFF SKILES resumed flying yesterday, the first member of the crew to return to work since the incident.

No Uniforms at Graduation
The El Paso, Texas school board has decided to bar a high school senior who has enlisted in the army from wearing his military uniform to his graduation. What do you think? Should he be allowed to wear his uniform to his high school graduation?

GM Recall
GM is recalling 1.5 million cars that are susceptible to engine fires. In fact the only thing that GM burns through faster than those engines is government bailout money. Fortunately the cars have been able to recall and locate because they are all still in the show rooms.

A northeast Missouri farming couple knows the government won't be giving them a bailout like so many big companies are getting, so they issued their own. Dennis and Janet Garlock (GAHR'-lahk) of rural Adair County have placed a large hay bale at the end of their driveway with a sign proclaiming: "I got my bale out!" The stunt has their neighbors talking and a lot of heads turning. Some of the Amish in the area apparently are confused by the sign. One inquired whether the sign means the bale is for sale.

WANT FREE PIZZA FROM PIZZA HUT? Do whatever you can to make friends with anybody named JOHN or SARAH CONNOR before May 21st of next month. Dayton Daily News reports Pizza Hut will give free pizzas to anyone with either of those names on that day. It's a promotional tie-in with the "Terminator Salvation" movie releasing at the same time, based of course on main characters John and Sarah Connor. To claim your pizza pie, you'll need to have a valid and legal ID.

Cities where Americans are relocating:
Rising jobless rates, tight credit and consumers holding onto their money means few of us are moving to new digs. But some cities saw population growth in 2008. What do they have in common? According to Forbes magazine, more business opportunities, better weather and more affordable housing. (Maiman)
The top 10:
10. Denver
9. Atlanta
8. New Orleans
7. Houston
6. San Antonio
5. Dallas
4. Phoenix
3. Charlotte, NC
2. Austin, TX
1. Raleigh, NC

BLAGO TO STAR IN REALITY SHOW – PENDING THE COURT’S APPROVAL
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich has made a deal to star in NBC's upcoming summer reality show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here, the network confirms.
"Rod Blagojevich will be a participant on the show pending the court's approval," said NBC in a statement.

NBC has been looking for household names for its version of the U.K. hit, which launches June 1. With NBC taking the unusually intensive step of airing the show four nights a week at 8 p.m. for nearly a month, a successful launch could help fuel the network's entire summer schedule.

According to the Chicago Tribune, Blagojevich's attorney told a federal judge Tuesday that he will file a request to loosen his client's travel restrictions to participate in the show, which will be shot in Costa Rica. Blago was indicted April 1 on 16 counts -- 11 counts of wire fraud, three of extortion, one of racketeering and one of lying to federal investigators. He has plead not guilty.

Given Blagojevich's notoriety following his arrest on federal corruption charges, he's bound to garner some curiosity tune-in for the network. Celebrity is produced by Granada, which signed Blagojevich for the show (provided the court rules the ex-governor facing multiple federal counts isn't a flight risk and permits him to leave the country to participate in a reality show).

Official Celebrity description: "Ten celebrities of various backgrounds will be dropped into the heart of the Costa Rican jungle to face challenges designed to test their skills in adapting to the wilderness and to raise money for their favorite charities."

PRESIDENT ORDERS PIZZA FROM ST. LOUIS
St. Louis — After wowing the immense crowd at a campaign rally under the
Gateway Arch last fall, Barack Obama found himself wowed by the pizza his staff
ordered from the Delmar Loop.

Now that he's the big cheese in Washington, he's calling for seconds.

Pi, which opened in St. Louis just over a year ago, is expanding its political
circumference all the way to Pennsylvania Avenue, where later this week the
proprietors will prepare a pizza feast for Obama and his family.

It's a rare honor for anyone other than the president's personal staff to cook
at the White House kitchen, especially for an establishment that offers
recycled cardboard to-go boxes instead of fine dining.

But Obama, whose culinary tastes lean more toward comfort food than gourmet
cuisine, enjoys pizza enough that he's calling across the country to get a
slice.

And the staff at Pi is thrilled to deliver.

"What can you say?" said Pi partner Ryan Mangialardo. "It's incredible."

Mangialardo, 27, hopes to carry his own dough — enough for 20 pizzas — on the
plane with him to Washington. Getting a cooler full of ingredients past airport
security could be difficult, though, even if it is for the commander-in-chief.

Even if something gets confiscated, Mangialardo — who started in the pizza
business as a teenager — should be well equipped once he reaches the White
House. At his disposal will be a full-service commercial kitchen built to
prepare dinner for 140 and hors d'oeuvres for more than 1,000.

Two-thirds of college graduates leave school nearly $20,000 in debt,
according to the National Postsecondary Student Aid study. With mounting job
losses and unemployment at a 25-year high, those considering changing
careers and pursuing passions must weigh the risk of a pay cut. But now
some students can reduce - or even wipe out their debt - just by following
their calling. More liberal loan forgiveness programs are adding a financial
incentive to working in traditionally low-paying fields.

Under certain circumstances, the federal government will reduce payments,
and ultimately forgive all or part of an educational loan for those who
choose a career in the military, volunteering, teaching or practicing law or
medicine in low-income communities. And some may even be able to reduce
their payments, based solely on their income and family size.

To apply for either the programs you can call the US Department of Education at 1-800-557-7392. Have we placed the pursuit of a degree and masters to ensure you make more money in your career over the simple idea of doing what you love? And then following the logic that if what you really want to do with your life requires college then go for it, but if not, don’t go tens of thousands of dollars in debt when a trade school or apprenticeship would suffice. I’m off my soapbox now.

Susan Boyle. She’s the latest hit on Youtube and the Internet.
Unassuming, 47 year old, lady who shocked Simon Cowell and the other judges on Britain’s Got Talent with her singing. She doesn’t fit the package.
Thought you should know it’s the latest water cooler topic. What talent do you have that takes people by surprise?

Football Widows, the 2009 NFL schedule has been released. I’m sorry.
Possibly the AFC’s two best teams of 2008 will kickoff the 2009 season as
the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Tennessee Titans. The Titans were the No.
1 seed in the AFC playoffs, but the Steelers one-upped them by winning the
Super Bowl. The two teams will play Thursday Sept. 10. The always-popular
Dallas Cowboys lead all teams with six scheduled nationally televised games,
even without Terrell Owens. The Cowboys will open their new $1.1 billion
stadium in a nationally televised Sunday night game against the New York
Giants on Sept. 20.

So what indulgences have you given up due to the recession? I don’t buy Starburst Jelly Beans anymore. Had to say goodbye to them. Withdrawal symptoms were horrible.

Earth Day is Wednesday, April 22nd, instead of confusing your four year-old son with talk of his or her “carbon footprint,” why not mark the day by sharing the four age-appropriate “Green Start” board books from Innovative Kids.

They feature soy-based ink illustrations that seem to pop off the thick brown pages that are made almost entirely from recycled materials. Basically, they’re cool, colorful, tough, toddler books. Each Green Start kids’ book covers a different topic, like One Tree, which teaches why a single tree is so important to living creatures, or Baby Animals, which allows kids to have a ball searching for the different babies in their habitats. But the books’ eco-friendly teachings don’t end with the story — each title includes ways parents can bring the lessons to life. Find all four Green Start board books, Baby Animals, One Tree, In the Garden and The Five Senses, at Amazon.

Sweet! Ben & Jerry’s has some new ice cream flavors that include Chocolate Macadamia, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough and Mission to Marzipan which is sweet cream ice cream with almond cookies and Marzipan Swirl. You’re right, I have know idea what Marzipan is. I’m gonna ask our listeners. By the way, Tuesday, April 21st is Free Cone Day at Ben & Jerry’s. Check your local store for details.

A new workout option for the Wii. Following up on the success of Wii Fitness, there is now the Gold’s Gym Cardio Workout. However, keep in mind a computer game workout is not exactly the same as a real-life workout. Here’s my thoughts:

1. You leave your real life workout, sweaty and buff. You finish your Wii workout with thumb pain and slight blurriness of vision.
2. Potential problems could occur when you put the wrong Wii game in the machine and end up in the dark mystical land of Zworn the headless swordsman of the apocalyptic under earth minion sanctuary (and you end up dueling with Marnia the powerful myth mistress of Vilman).
3. One sweaty hand, one slippery Wii controller, third new TV this week!

Things To Do With Flour! You can clean playing cards with it. Just put the cards in a plastic bag with a half-cup of flour. Shake for a minute. Remove cards, and shuffle the deck a few times over the sink to clear.

You can also un-stick a lid. Have a plastic container that closes a little too tightly for your taste? Dip the container edged in flour to prevent sticking. Flour also works great for spot cleaning white fabrics, linens, leather and such. Just rub flour into the dirt lines and then brush clean. And of course we can’t forget…CLAY! When’s the last time you did this? Knead together 1 cup water, 3 cups flour and 1 tsp vegetable oil. Add food color. To store, moisten and wrap it in plastic, then place in fridge.

Did you know that it’s illegal to drop cell phones into the trash in California? More states are expected to follow. So, why not send them to Cell Phones for Soldiers, a nonprofit that accepts all models and resells them to a recycling company. Proceeds buy calling cards for U.S. soldiers abroad to call their families–27 million minutes have been provided so far. Mail your phone to: Cell Phones for Soldiers, 2555 Bishop Circle West, Dexter, MI 48130-9916. You can also visit www.CellPhonesforSoldiers.com.

Fat Cat. Felines are twice as likely as canines to be obese, according to APOP. Apparantly, cats should be exercised just like dogs are. Get out the laser pointer or whatever and get that corpulant cat movin’! O.K., here are some signs to help you know if your cat is fat:

1. Your cat has 9 lives and 10 chins.
2. Enormous belly keeps your hardwood floors freshly buffed.
3. He only catches mice that get trapped in his gravitational pull.

THIS IS LIFE:

Fingerprints! Everywhere!! Our windows have more fingerprints then the FBI. Constant infiltration of kids in our home and they all MUST touch glass windows. Don’t know why, they just do it. Anyway, I read from Women’s Day that you can repel fingerprints by first cleaning your windows and glass doors with rubbing alcohol, then use a clean, soft cloth to rub on a dab of polymer car wax. The wax will fend off fingerprints and make the glass easier to clean the next time around.

You can tell it’s Prom season, so many teenage girls are walkin’ around with fresh “tans from a can.” Answer me this, why don’t guys do that? Is it simply because of the dresses the ladies end up wearing? TIME Magazine had an article a while ago that pointed out an estimated 2.3 million teens go to a tanning parlor at least once a year. It’s a $5 billion dollar or more industry! Heads up though, dermatologists say ANY change in skin color, whether a golden tan or a beet-red sunburn, is a sign of UV damage. So much for the idea a base tan is a form of protection.