Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Subway restaurant rises along with Freedom Tower

As the Freedom Tower is built, a Subway restaurant will be right there on top for the steel workers. They will offer their regular menu along with some other New York favorites. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091223/ap_on_re_us/us_ground_zero_restaurant

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Christmas Cookie Rules...

1. If you eat a Christmas cookie fresh out of the oven, it has no calories because everyone knows that the first cookie is the test and thus calorie free.

2. If you drink a diet soda after eating your second cookie, it also has no calories because the diet soda cancels out the cookie calories.

3. If a friend comes over while you're making your Christmas cookies and needs to sample, you must sample with your friend. Because your friend's first cookie is calorie free, (rule #1) yours is also. It would be rude to let your friend sample alone and, being the friend that you are, that makes your cookie calorie free.

4. Any cookie calories consumed while walking around will fall to your feet and eventually fall off as you move. This is due to gravity and the density of the caloric mass.5. Any calories consumed during the frosting of the Christmas cookies will be used up because it takes many calories to lick excess frosting from a knife without cutting your tongue.

6. Cookies colored red or green have very few calories. Red ones have three and green ones have five - one calorie for each letter. Make more red ones!

7. Cookies eaten while watching "Miracle on 34th Street" have no calories because they are part of the entertainment package and not part of one's personal fuel.8. As always, cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breaking causes calorie leakage.

9. Any cookies consumed from someone else's plate have no calories since the calories Rightfully belong to the other person and will cling to their plate. We all know how calories like to CLING!

10. Any cookies consumed while feeling stressed have no calories because cookies used for medicinal purposes NEVER have calories. It's a rule!

So, go out and enjoy those Christmas Cookies - we only get them this time of year!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Local Vocal Idol Competition

My son and I auditioned for and advanced to the top 10 of the Local Vocal Idol Competition in Winona. We'll be competing on January 28 for the top prize. It's a weird feeling competing against my own son but now that he's 18, I guess that's going to happen.

Cancer Telethon

I will be performing on KTTC on January 17 for the Cancer Telethon. My son and I auditioned and both got spots. We've done it for several years now. Our performance times will be on Sunday morning around 11:30. KTTC.com will also have streaming video on their website; kttc.com

teacher suspended after lunch with students at Hooters.

A choir teacher from Arizona is on leave after taking 40 students to lunch at a Hooter's restaurant. http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1120ap_us_odd_teacher_hooters.html?source=mypi

man lifts car off of child

A 6 year-old was pinned under a vehicle when it backed over her. Nick Harris saw a car backing out of a driveway and over the girl. He ran to help and is not sure how he managed to lift the car but says, "But somehow, adrenaline, hand of God, whatever you want to call it, I don't know how I did it." http://www.seattlepi.com/national/1120ap_us_odd_superman_dad.html?source=mypi

Thursday, December 17, 2009

abandoned baby reconnects with rescuers

Mia was only about 12 hours old when she was found on a doorstep by a couple of teenagers. The two friends were coming back from a 7-11 when they heard a baby crying. When they investigated, they found a newborn baby wrapped in towels and no one else around. They took the baby to one of their homes and the baby was turned over to law enforcement. Mia eventually found both of the teenagers on facebook and has added them as friends. She just wanted to say thank you. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/16/AR2009121604240.html?g=0

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Rascal Flatts will appear on CSI

Early next year the group will appear on an episode of CSI called "Unshockable" where one group member will be the victim of a crime and the other two are suspects. http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1627728/rascal-flatts-booked-for-csi-crime-scene-investigation-in-2010.jhtml

Brooks & Dunn announce final tour dates

Brooks & Dunn will begin their farewell tour in Sacramento CA on April 23 and end in Chicago IL on August 8, 2010. They've got plenty of dates and cities lined up. You can find the list here: http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1627768/brooks-dunn-announce-dates-for-farewell-tour.jhtml

Monday, December 7, 2009

goodbye toilets?

There's a growing movement (pun intended lol) to get rid of flush toilets and swap them for buckets. The waste is then used as compost and a year later, fertilizer. http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091207/us_time/08599194576400
Tell me what you think by going to my facebook page.
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fprofile.php%3Fid%3D100000357315887&h=34863901ef71427186b2f53dad950a07

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Country Music Hall of Fame

The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville will update their exhibits in May of 2010. Updates will include new displays for contemporary artists as well as some for bluegrass. The will also have a theater for viewing videos. http://www.cmt.com/news/news-in-brief/1627667/country-music-hall-of-fame-and-museum-will-update-main-exhibit-in-2010.jhtml

Thursday, December 3, 2009

mysterious mail gets neighbors talking

Not all the conversations were pleasant about the letters but it did get people talking. The letters were actually part of an art project being conducted by Michael Crowe and Lenka Clayton. They sent one to everyone in a Pittsburgh neighborhood. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091202/ap_on_en_ot/us_postal_puzzle

Tiger shows his stripes

The truth comes out about Tiger's affairs but they are still denying any domestic violence. I'm thinking there's more to this story that we may never know. http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Details-of-Elin-Woods-newly-rewritten-prenup-em?urn=golf,206529

Sunday, November 29, 2009

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

I've been in rehearsals for a while now. We're getting close to the performance dates. Shows will be at Rock Solid in Winona MN on December 10-13 (for tickets, just call Rock Solid). It's a cute Christmas story about a family that is the "bad" family but their accidental participation in the Christmas Pageant may just change hearts and minds. I play Mrs. McCarthy who is one of the Ladies Church group. I'm having a wonderful time as I always do.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

gamer marries game character

What is this world coming to? In Japan a gamer has decided that he loves his virtual lady so much that he decided to marry her. Does this sound crazy to anyone else? For heavens sakes, where will their children live? LOL. The game is the dating sim called Love Plus from Nintendo DS. They had a ceremony and a reception for friends. http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/man-marries-a-videogame/1376577

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Miley Cyrus' tour bus crashes

53-year old Bill Douglas was the bus driver and he died at the scene. Only one other person was injured and all except the driver were able to escape through the front windshield. Miley was not on the bus at the time. It happened Friday morning near Dinwiddie VA. http://omg.yahoo.com/news/updated-miley-cyrus-family-deeply-sadened-by-fatal-bus-crash-driver-may-have-suffered-cardiac-arrest/31565?nc

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Florida has it's very own "Nessie"

A man in Madeira Beach Florida says that he has captured video of a 30-foot monster swimming in the channel behind his home. Neighbors have seen it as well but no one seems to know exactly what it is. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/nov/16/man-says-30-foot-monster-lurking-canals-madeira-be/news-metro/

unfriend is the new word for 2009

There were several other words in contention but "unfriend" won the honor. It relates to the social networking sites and is used when you remove a person from your friend list. http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091117/lf_nm_life/us_words_unfriend

NASA claims 2012 is not real

NASA has decided to come out publicly against the theory that the world as we know it will end on December 21, 2012. The first date that this was supposed to happen was set for May of 2003 so when nothing happened, theorists moved the date back to the end of a cycle on the Mayan calendar. NASA has debunked the theory of a mysterious planet colliding with earth and says that no such planet exists. http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/afp-nasa-2012-myths.html

Saturday, November 14, 2009

heavy metal monk

A Franciscan Monk is giving up his career as a heavy metal singer because the devil made him too famous. The 63 year old from Italy has the nickname "Brother Metal" and has performed with the band, Fratello Metallo (Metal Brother). http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091113/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_italy_monk

Thursday, November 12, 2009

they're back together

Steven Tyler made a surprise appearance on Joe Perry's Tuesday night solo project concert. They announced that Tyler would not be leaving and then did a performance of "Walk This Way." http://new.music.yahoo.com/aerosmith/news/tyler-onstage-with-perry-says-not-leaving-aerosmith--61802351

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A deer that watches tv?

A 6-month old buck named Bubba was wandering around Elba on Halloween creating quite a stir. He knocked down a 2 year old and left a hoof print on the child's back, scared trick-or-treaters, and ended up on a couch watching tv. Bubba wears an orange scarf and a sign that reads, "Hi, my name is Bubba. Please don't shoot me." http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/e7e1b0a6-c83b-11de-8e1c-001cc4c002e0.html

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Glee

Glee is a fantastic musical comedy about "real" teens who have found their niche. It's funny, appalling, sad, entertaining, and has a touch of soap opera too. It's on FOX on Wednesday nights at 8pm. They have been chosen to receive an award from Diversity Awards for their diverse cast. I am hooked!! http://omg.yahoo.com/news/glee-cast-to-receive-award-for-diversity/30495

free change of clothes

A local woman has opened a clothing store for bariatric patients. The weight comes off rapidly after the surgery and it can be a burden to buy new clothes every other week. All clothing at her store is free. She hopes to become nonprofit and offer other services as well. http://lacrossetribune.com/news/local/article_77a461de-c67f-11de-b6dc-001cc4c03286.html

Saturday, October 31, 2009

dog shops online

Oscar the dog likes to chew on things. Most dogs do but he decided to chew on the controller of his owner's xbox 360 one night. Oscar managed to buy 5000 Microsoft points which were billed directly to the owner's credit card. http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/gamer-has-bone-to-pick-with-online-shopping-dog/1366683

Martinsville race

Once again, it was a great race. Denny Hamlin won and I was thrilled about that. The weather out there was fantastic--I even got a bit of sun. The most exciting part of this race was that all of the spectators got to wave the green flag and say, "Gentlemen start your engines."

Sea Monster found

The skull of a fossilized sea monster has been found off of Britain's Jurassic coast. This pliosaur was believed to be 52 feet long. I wouldn't want to run into one of those while swimming. http://www.postchronicle.com/news/science/article_212264666.shtml

Winona's own TAPS

Looking for ghosts? Maybe this group can help. http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/local/bd25e206-c5cf-11de-bc7b-001cc4c03286.html

Friday, October 23, 2009

Drivers must speak English in Dallas

A driver was issued a ticket for not being able to speak English. The police in Dallas, TX have been doing this for 3 years even though there is no law that a driver in a non-commercial vehicle has to speak English. Anyone who has paid a fine will be reimbursed and all charges will be dropped. Plus an investigation will be conducted. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/DN-citations_23met.ART.State.Edition2.4bac015.html?nTar=OPUR

baby and his mother get free flights for life.

"The baby was safely delivered when flight AK 6506 was approaching Kuala Lumpur for landing at 2,000 feet," the airline said in a statement, adding that mother and baby were taken to a nearby hospital following touchdown. The airliner was trying to make an emergency landing but the baby boy was born before they could land. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091023/od_afp/malaysiaairasiaairlineoffbeat

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Smoking bans proven to lower risk of heart attacks.

Smoking bans are hot topics but now there's proof that they do lower the risk of heart attacks. Advocacy groups are hoping that this information will lead to more smoking bans. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/6341610/Indoor-smoking-bans-proven-to-lower-risk-of-heart-attack.html

"Ho White" angers Disney

A beer company in Australia has used the images of Snow White and the 7 Dwarves in it's advertising but Disney doesn't like it. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6341373/Ho-White-and-the-Seven-Dwarves-beer-advert-angers-Disney.html

Beer or Bear cooler?

A 125-pound bear walked into a grocery store in Hayward WI. He seemed to know exactly where he was going--directly into the cooler. He climbed about 12 feet up on a shelf and relaxed there while store employees evacuated the store and wildlife officials were called. The bear was tranquilized and removed unharmed. http://www.wxow.com/global/story.asp?s=11332130

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

First 5 inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Bill France Sr., Richard Petty, Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt Sr., and Junior Johnson are the first 5 inductees in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. http://www.nascar.com/promos/hof/?sc_cid=e172

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Dumb criminal!!

A phillies fan stole three 2008 World Series rings from a Park office after being ejected from the game. But left behind an application he had filled out looking for a job at the park. It contained all of his current information so police had no problem finding him. http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/blog/big_league_stew/post/If-you-re-going-to-steal-World-Series-rings-ple?urn=mlb,195133

8 fat fighting foods

Eight yummy foods that will help you lose weight. http://health.yahoo.com/experts/healthieryou/12893/8-foods-that-fight-fat/

Two missing Winona teens

Two Winona teens have been missing since October 3. Their parents and authorities are searching for them. They were tracked as far as Chicago when their cell phones were either shut off or the batteries went dead. They are both friends of my son and he is very worried. No foul play is suspected but it is very uncharacteristic of these two teens to do something like this. This article has their pictures and a picture of the car in which they were traveling. http://www.wkbt.com/global/story.asp?s=11284250

Saturday, October 3, 2009

anti-wi-fi paint?

The University of Tokyo has developed a paint that can prevent a wi-fi signal from getting through. Just paint the outside of a building and no one can access the wi-fi from outside of that building. As I read the article, I kept thinking why a password wouldn't work lol. http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/151779

Friday, October 2, 2009

Lego House is demolished

The Lego House was built for the BBC show called "Toy Stories." The show's presenter had planned to live in the house but Denbies Wine Estate in England wanted their land back and no one wanted to move the house. It had been offered for free but was estimated to cost $80,000 to dismantle and reconstruct elsewhere. Legoland will be taking the pieces and using them for a charity event to benefit The National Autistic Society. Be sure to watch the video--it shows the inside of the house. http://realestate.msn.com/blogs/listed.aspx?feat=1302418&GT1=35000

another bottle makes it across the ocean

Every year on her birthday, Ann Hernandez along with her boyfriend Alan Tomaska would throw a bottle into the ocean with a note inside hoping that it would be found in some exotic far off place. Her dream finally came true when a French couple found the 2003 bottle and sent her a postcard to let her know that they had found it. Unfortunately, Ann had passed away before realizing her dream. The French couple has made new friends during their search for Ann and hopes someday to meet all of them. http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/10/02/french_couple_receive_womans_2003_note_in_a_bottle/?page=1

Saturday, September 26, 2009

chihuahua is no match for 70 mile an hour winds

Tinkerbell the chihuahua has been reunited with her owners after being blown away. The 6 pound, 8 month old Tinkerbell was standing on it's owners trailer platform and was whisked out of sight by the strong wind. The owners used a pet psychic to help them find their beloved pet. http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2009/04/27/2740119-blown-away-chihuahua-reunited-with-owners

Friday, September 25, 2009

Jeremy Mayfield gets another chance.

NASCAR has decided to test Jeremy Mayfield for drugs used to treat ADHD. These drugs may have given a false positive when he was randomly tested under NASCAR's tougher policy on drugs. http://www.wsoctv.com/news/21050674/detail.html

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A football player with a lot of class

Thamail Morgan caught the kickoff and ran for a touchdown but stopped on the 2-yard line and then knelt down on the 5. He refused to make that touchdown because his team was already up 34-16 with only seconds left in the game. This game was special in other ways. The opposing team had lost one of their players and 4 others were injured in a truck accident. Thamail is a true hero.
http://arkansasvarsity.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=992976

pregnant again while pregnant?

Sounds confusing to me but a woman is having two babies that aren't twins. The older baby was conceived 3 1/2 weeks before the younger one. If they were born at their respective due dates; one would be born at the end of 2009 and the other in the beginning of 2010. http://gmy.news.yahoo.com/

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Beyonce's halo is showing.

Beyonce once again showed her caring side. In Sydney, she called a young girl on stage who was battling leukemia. Beyonce dedicated "Halo" to the girl and sang directly to her. http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/hiphopmediatraining/219587/beyonce-issasha-nice/

Friday, September 18, 2009

Million dollar hole in one!!

One would think that a heading like that would be a story about Tiger Woods but in this case it's about an amateur golfer named Jason Hargett. He entered a contest during the Mark Eaton Celebrity Classic in Utah even though he had a sore wrist. He borrowed his brother's clubs and ended up getting a hole in one for $1 million. http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/blog/devil_ball_golf/post/Meet-the-guy-who-makes-more-per-hole-than-Tiger-?urn=golf,190463

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

More to Love

Tuesday night, September 15, is the last episode of "More to Love." I've really enjoyed watching this entire season. Were the women a bit desperate and whiny? Yes, I think so but I'm sure that's what the director's focus was. I'm so pleased to see "real" people on tv and I hope the trend continues. An acquaintance of mine from LasVegas is on the board of NAAFA and she was interviewed this morning on Good Morning America. She is fantastic!! You can watch the video here: http://www.yahoo.com/s/1131145

Taylor Swift, Kanye West, and Beyonce

Kanye West was just plain rude to Taylor Swift at the VMA awards. He took her microphone and announced that Beyonce's video should've won. Later when Beyonce won for best video of the year with "All the Single Ladies," she called Taylor Swift back on stage to finish her acceptance speech for best female video. http://new.music.yahoo.com/kanye-west/news/west-takes-time-for-3rd-apology-during-leno-debut--61993946
He has now made three apologies for his actions and plans to take some time off to reflect.

Monday, September 14, 2009

Patrick Swayze dead at age 57

After 20 months of battling pancreatic cancer, Patrick Swayze passed away peacefully with family at his side. The world has lost a great actor.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_swayze

Saturday, September 12, 2009

hospital mix-up

A North Dakota hospital sent a mom home with the wrong newborn. The mistake was corrected within an hour but the hospital is now reviewing their policies and procedures. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32809908/ns/us_news-life

Friday, September 11, 2009

Ellen joins American Idol

Ellen DeGeneres has been named to replace Paula Abdul on American Idol this season. She doesn't have a music background so she'll be looking at it from the people's point of view. http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212255611.shtml

girl power

A cheetah named Sarah is now officially the fastest mammal on earth. She beat a male cheetah from Africa who has held the title for 8 years. What's more amazing is that Sarah has lived her life in captivity. http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92995?fp=1

09/09/09 babies

A LaCrosse couple and a couple from Grand Junction CO welcomed newborns on 09/09/09 at 9:09am. ABC news has the story: http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/09/meet-the-90909-090909-baby.html

siblings with interesting birth dates

One child was born on 08/08/08 and now her sister has been born on 09/09/09. The Miller's say they're NOT going to try for one on 10/10/10. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090911/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_babies_by_numbers

Wells Fargo exec moves into foreclosed house

A luxury home foreclosed on by Wells Fargo becomes a party home for one of their executives. The former owners were caught up in the Madoff deal and lost everything. Seems a bit uncaring to then use their house for this reason. Here's the story: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Neighbors-Exec-moved-into-apf-818362254.html?x=0&.v=1

Thursday, September 10, 2009

bottle makes 4,000 mile trip in 5 years

A bottle containing a note is found 5 years after it's thrown from a stateroom balcony on a cruise ship just outside of Freeport in the Bahamas. The bottle traveled 4,000 miles and was found by a retired electrician while walking his dog on the beach in Cornwall England. It took Tony Hoskings 7 weeks to find the note's author; 19-year-old Daniel Knopp from Baltimore MD. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.bottle09sep09,0,2298526.story

good will from Goodwill

Goodwill in Miami FL received some donations and found a statue worth $500,000 amongst the other items. At first they weren't sure what they had but after some research, they discovered that there were only ten of these statues made. They have decided to return it to the owner because that's the ethical thing to do. http://cbs4.com/watercooler/goodwill.miami.ballerina.2.1172567.html

Saturday, September 5, 2009

thin thighs not always healthy

Danish researchers have found that having thighs that are too thin could be detrimental to your health and could actually lead to an early death. Finally some good news for me lol! They studied 2800 middle aged people for a dozen years. http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/09/03/2052314.aspx

where's Waldo?

An underwater robot named "Waldo" is missing since Monday off the coast of Florida. The robot's price tag is $100,000 and has mysteriously disappeared. Scientists are hoping that boaters will spot Waldo and report it's location. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090905/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_missing_robot_2

man shoots cannonball through neighbor's wall

Nobody was hurt when a Pennsylvania man accidently fired a two pound cannon ball on Wednesday. The cannonball went through a neighbor's window and wall before coming to rest in a closet. He's been charged with reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, and disorderly conduct but has promised not to fire any of his cannons on his property again. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090905/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_cannonball_through_house

Susan Boyle's debut album

Amazon.com reports that pre-sales of Susan Boyles debut album has topped all others. The album "I Dreamed a Dream" will be released on November 24. http://omg.yahoo.com/news/susan-boyle-tops-amazon-sales-beats-whitney-beatles/27355?nc

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Winona and "Brett" the goat make national news


I'm sure by now that you've all heard about the goat that was found in the trunk of a car last week. An employee at Tires Plus in Winona called Animal Control because he didn't like what he saw. http://winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_9872aaf0-8f8f-11de-a32a-001cc4c002e0.html
He is my hero!!! I would've done the same thing.
A LaCrosse man and a St. Paul woman were transporting the goat up to the Cities to be butchered. Winona Police are considering charges against the two involved and a Wisconsin couple has rescued "Brett" the goat. http://winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_c821a008-911f-11de-a46b-001cc4c03286.html
Now the story is traveling around the country--Winona is on the map because of a goat painted purple and gold with a 4 shaved on it's side.
http://winonadailynews.com/news/local/article_14c6b7e8-91ef-11de-b1f4-001cc4c03286.html
This morning I got a call from my daughter who is stationed in Norfolk VA. She could not believe that her local radio station was talking about a story from Winona MN and she wanted to know if it were true. Much to her dismay, I had to confirm the story. We should feel lucky that we live in such a place that the big story of the day is a rescued goat.

Monday, August 31, 2009

big brother is watching

Right out of George Orwell's "1984" comes a story of the government snooping in private citizens' lives. The IRS is finding deliquent tax payers on social networking sites. Be careful what you put on your profiles--someone may be looking for you. http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/148083

Friday, August 28, 2009

California garage sale

In order to raise money for their huge deficit, California is holding a two day garage sale. Cars will be auctioned and other items will have a set price. First come, first serve on those items and the highest bidder on each vehicle gets it. The sale starts Friday morning and runs through midnight on Saturday. The governor will even be autographing some of the items in the hopes that it will bring up the price.
http://tech.yahoo.com/news/ap/20090828/ap_on_hi_te/us_california_garage_sale

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

dog of SPCA exec dies after being left in car 4 hours

This is the definition of irony...why would anyone who is against cruelty to animals leave their dog in a car for 4 hours on a hot day? I am at a loss for words. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32569213/ns/us_news-life?gt1=43001

race changed in photo

Microsoft had a picture on their website of three people sitting at a conference table. One Asian man, one black man, and one white woman. When the picture appeared on Poland's Microsoft site, the race of the black man had been changed to white. They changed the head but left the hand. I think someone should be fired over the blantant racism. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tec_microsoft_poland_picture

little house--big price

The smallest house in New York City is on the market for a whopping $2.7 million. It's only 9 1/2 feet wide but the realtor says that is has plenty of history and light. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090826/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_skinny_house

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

stuck in airplane overnight in Rochester MN

Passengers on a flight from Texas to Minneapolis were diverted to the Rochester MN airport after they encountered some bad weather. All of the security people had left for the night and the passengers were confined to the airplane for 5 1/2 hours. Some requested to get off the plane but were denied. The passengers feel that the compensation package sent to them by Continental is inadequate for what they went through. http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-08-18-stranded-passengers_N.htm?csp=Travel

Monday, August 17, 2009

final resting place above Marilyn Monroe?

A widow is selling her husband's tomb on Ebay. She will move her husband to the one intended for her and be cremated instead. Her hopes are that she will raise enough money to pay off her mortgage. Bidding is up to $2.5 million.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090817/od_nm/us_monroe_odd_1

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Brooks & Dunn are splitting up

Brooks & Dunn have announced that they will split up in 2010. I've got the story: http://www.cmt.com/news/country-music/1618460/brooks-dunn-splitting-up-in-2010.jhtml
Make sure to see them at Fort McCoy on August 28.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

largest carp dies

A taxidermist will try to uncover the reason for the untimely death of Benson--the largest carp in the UK. Benson had been caught and released 63 times in her 25 years. Carp can live until they are 60 and Benson's death has put the fishing community in shock. Read more here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124991924916619783.html?mod=yhoofront

Saturday, August 8, 2009

off-duty firefighters save 4 year old

Two Milwaukee fire fighters were off-duty when they got a frantic phone call to come help save a mother and her two children whose SUV had flipped over and was on fire. The mother and 2 year old were rescued but the 4 year old was literally burning in his car seat. Even though the fire fighters burned their hands badly, they managed to get the child out. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32006584/ns/today-today_people/

update on upside down flag

A Wisconsin man will be represented by the ACLU in his case against the village of Crivitz. They confiscated his flag after he flew it upside down in protest of the village not granting him a liquor license. http://www.wxow.com/global/story.asp?s=10868939

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

gulf war pen pals get married

19 years after 13 year old Jaimie Benefit sent a letter to "Any Soldier" during the Persian Gulf War, she has married him. The letter happened to be given to a 19 year old soldier from Charleston, SC and they became Pen Pals. After the war ended, they lost touch but Jaimie found him again years later on Facebook. They were married on July 15. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2009/08/04/2009-08-04_wartime_penpals_become_gi__wife.html

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Mustangs in Nationwide series

Ford has announced that they will race Mustangs in the Nationwide serious next year. They will start with a limited schedule before going full time.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Once Upon a Mattress opening night

Rehearsals are winding down and opening night is Thursday. There are some characters in this show lol. Sir Studley is my dance partner for the Spanish Panic. Sir Studley (love that name and so does he LOL) is a radio DJ from Winona. They put us together for just that reason. My son plays Sir Luce (pronounced loose). I am Lady Rowena--a lady in waiting that is about to become a spinster if she can't get married soon. Plenty of laughs in this show. Come see what goes on under the sheets!!

Country Jam


Another great day at Country Jam. I went on Friday and saw Heidi Newfield, Diamond Rio, Phil Vassar, and .38 Special. Each and every artist was fabulous--listened to great music all day--from the bands on the small stages as well. Even though it rained early in the day, the Jam grounds were dry when we arrived. The weather remained perfect for the whole day. We got great spots to put our chairs and enjoyed the vendor's booths. I even had a picture taken with my friends in our own 'jam' session.

stupid criminal

A guy impersonating an officer pulls over a real undercover police officer. He was promptly arrested and is now facing revocation of his parole. Apparantly he's a convicted car thief. I guess it takes all kinds.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/32145277/ns/us_news-weird_news/

Monday, July 20, 2009

two people, same name

Kelly Hildebrandt is marrying Kelly Hildebrandt. They met on facebook and after 8 months will be married in October. http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/A-Tale-of-Two-Kellys.html?yhp=1

81 year old NASCAR driver

Hershel McGriff came in 13th on Sunday in Portland, Ore. in NASCAR's Camping World West series. This puts him in the record books as the oldest driver to ever run in a NASCAR race. http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/blog/from_the_marbles/post/Score-one-for-the-old-guys-81-year-old-drives-i?urn=nascar,177514

Russell Crowe is Robin Hood in real life

A boom operator on the set for 'Robin Hood' starring Russell Crowe had problems with her car on the way to work one morning. It burst into flames and she complained that she would have to buy another one. Russell Crowe gave her enough money to get one. http://omg.yahoo.com/news/russell-crowe-does-robin-hood-rescue-for-crewmembers-car/25410?nc

solar eclipse

There will be a solar eclipse on July 22. Fortune tellers are predicting disasters but scientists say that there's nothing to worry about--it's just a natural phenomenon. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090720/sc_afp/scienceastronomyeclipseasiatourismsuperstition

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Once Upon a Mattress

Rehearsals are going well. I'm definitely getting a work out lol. Some of the dancing is a bit strenuous for this old gal but I'm a trooper and will keep up with the rest. Performances will be August 6-9 at Rock Solid Youth Center in Winona. As always, it's a fund raiser for them--support a great cause and get a good show. Tickets available at Rock Solid and both Midtown Foods in Winona.

Rock Fest

I went on the bus trip with the radio station. A great time was had by all. If you ever get a chance to join in on one of these trips, don't pass it up. The price was very reasonable especially since it included the bus ride. We saw Saliva, Seether, Bare Naked Ladies (this was my favorite of the night), and then Sheryl Crow--just a fantastic day.

Oscar Meyer Wiener in your house?

The Wienermobile crashed into a Wisconsin home on Friday. The occupants weren't home at the time and have been unable to be reached for comment. Won't they be surprised to come home to find an Oscar Meyer Wiener in their house? http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090718/ap_on_fe_st/us_odd_wienermobile_wreck

Sunday, July 12, 2009

giants worms?

Want to search for 3 foot worms? Travel to Moscow, Idaho to dig for the giant Pelouse earthworm. Stories dating back to the late 1890s and as recently as 1987, 1988, 1990, and 2005 have surfaced about the elusive giant worm. Researchers want to prove it's existence so that it can be added to the endangered species list. More here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090711/ap_on_sc/us_giant_palouse_earthworm

Friday, July 10, 2009

disrespect or distress?

A Wausau WI man flew a flag upside down as a sign of distress. He's been denied a liquor license after spending $200,000 on a building and remodeling so that he could open a restaurant. The police took the flag from him just 4 hours before a July 4 parade and brought it back the next day. He's an Iraq war veteran and can't believe that this type of thing would go on in this country. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090710/ap_on_re_us/us_upside_down_flag

Friday, July 3, 2009

Sarah Palin resigns

July 26 will be her last day. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will be inaugurated at the governor's picnic at the end of the month. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090703/ap_on_re_us/us_palin_resigning

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Joey Logano wins

Joey Logano wins the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at lap 273. It was called because of rain. Joey lead the final 10 laps. This makes him the youngest winner in cup history.

one more R.I.P.

Billy Mays was found unresponsive at his home by his wife today. He was pronounced dead at 7:45am. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obit_billy_mays

Saturday, June 27, 2009

R.I.P.

We've lost three entertainment icons this past week. Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson.

Rhode Island to officially change state name

Rhode Island may be the smallest state but they have the biggest name. Lawmakers want to shorten the name because it refers to slavery. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090626/ap_on_re_us/us_providence_plantations

on to the next performance

'Beauty and the Beast' is all but a memory now. We played to 7 sold out crowds; even reluctantly turning away late-comers. It was a great run and I miss it already. But on to the next project--'Once Upon a Mattress' will begin rehearsals in about a week. I once again will step on stage and become a fantasy character *smile*. More details to come later.

oldest soldier in Iraq?

A 70 year old doctor is going to Iraq for his third time. It will be his 5th time overseas. His wife may be a little worried but he's not. http://www.wcnc.com/news/local/stories/wcnc-062609-al-iraq_grandfather.d0c7af5.html?npc

Saturday, June 20, 2009

He's in the Navy now.

After Thursday night's performance of 'Beauty and the Beast,' my youngest son and I headed to Great Lakes IL. My second youngest son was graduating from Basic Training. He was in the Honor Guard and I have never been more proud of him than I am right now. After the ceremony, we were able to have lunch with him. My daughter who is also in the Navy and stationed in Norfolk, VA came for the ceremony as well. Lunch was great but short. I took pictures outside the restaurant and then had to head for home. We got back to the theater in Winona just 15 minutes before we had to go on stage.

Beauty and the Beast

Opening night was this past Thursday and it couldn't have been better. We have been sold out for the past two nights and I'm sure what remaining tickets there are, will go quickly. It is quite endearing to see the little girls ask for "Belle's" autograph. By next Thursday, it will be over and on to the next audition which is 'Once Upon a Mattress.'

young girl's last wish

Colby Curtin was 10 years old when she died of cancer this week. All she wanted was to see the new movie "UP" and her wish was granted. She was too ill to see it in theaters so a representative from Pixar brought her a DVD to watch in her room. She was unable to see but her mother helped by narrating. Colby died just hours after the movie ended.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Real Lucy from the Beatles' song is gravely ill.

Julian Lennon has reached out to his childhood friend after finding out that she was seriously ill. He has also offered to help and they stay in touch now mostly with text messages. http://new.music.yahoo.com/beatles/news/real-lucy-in-the-sky-with-diamonds-gravely-ill--61989942

Beauty and the Beast

We're now into dress rehearsals and everything is going great for opening night on Thursday, June 18. We've got a run of 7 shows and it's going to be a fantastic show. The costuming and music is absolutely delightful. I have two regrets though--I won't be able to see it because I'm in it and it will soon be over. But it will be on to the next audition then. The performances will be at St. Mary's University Page Theater. Here's more information...http://www.pagetheatre.org/

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Adam Lambert is gay

Adam Lambert--runner up in this seasons American Idol has finally announced that he is indeed gay in Rollingstone Magazine. http://omg.yahoo.com/news/adam-lambert-finally-confirms-i-m-gay/23594?nc

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Susan Boyle takes second


The dance troupe called "Diversity" won Britain's Got Talent and Susan Boyle came in second. She sang "I dreamed a dream" from "Les Miserables" which is what she auditioned with. Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090530/ap_en_tv/eu_britain_boyle

will Susan Boyle come out on top today?

There are some young performers that are looking to unseat Susan Boyle. The winner will be chosen on the show today. Susan Boyle has about 10 times the amount of internet searches as the other ones. http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92622/?fp=1

Monday, May 25, 2009

Susan Boyle does it again

Susan Boyle moves into the finals of 'Britain's got Talent.' She hasn't changed her appearance much because she says, "I just want people to see me for who I am, and do my best at singing the song, that's what I am focusing on." I say, "good for her!!" Here's the story: http://new.music.yahoo.com/various-artists/news/unlikely-uk-sensation-boyle-sings-rousing-memory--61987270

Sunday, May 24, 2009

this is one brave little boy

After his father passes out while driving, a 6 year old Nebraska boy safely steers the pickup until it can be stopped by an officer. He possibly saved the life of himself, his fathter and his 3 year old brother. Here's the story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090523/ap_on_re_us/us_boy_driver

Friday, May 22, 2009

The Queen's Wii

What do you get someone who has everything? How about a gold plated Wii? No one will get their Wii mixed up with the Queen's. http://videogames.yahoo.com/events/plugged-in/the-royal-wii/1316670

Jimmie Johnson's advice to Danica Patrick

Will Danica be making the change to NASCAR? She doesn't really say but has hinted. Jimmie tells her to get some experience first. I think the drivers are tired of newbies causing wrecks. Read the story here: http://sports.yahoo.com/irl/news?slug=dw-johnsonpatrick052009&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

American Idol surprise ending

Wow...........quite the unexpected finish for American Idol. Kris winning instead of the so-called favorite, Adam. I personally think that Adam's "screaming" is what did him in. Once Danny was out of the running and it came down to Kris and Adam, I think the only logical place for Danny's fans to go were to Kris. It was definitely a great finale show!

Saturday, May 16, 2009

America Idol finalists

The two finalists were chosen on Wednesday night. They are Adam and Kris. Should make for an interesting final on Tuesday.

pit crew challenge/burn out contest

Jeff Burton's crew (#31) won the Pit Crew Challenge and set a new record doing it.
gas man: Curt Bowman,
catch-can man: Andrew Childers,
front-tire changer: Daniel Blizzard,
front-tire carrier: Jon Wallace,
rear-tire changer: Terry Spalding,
rear-tire carrier: Chris Martin,
jackman: Adam North,
and Driver: Kim Burton.
Their record time was 22.115 seconds.

Kevin Harvick won the burn out contest tonight in Charlotte. His sponsor, Pennzoil is also the sponsor of the contest.

Friday, May 15, 2009

Jeremy Mayfield

Jeremy Mayfield says that it was a combination of prescribed drugs and over-the-counter medications that caused him to have a positive drug screen. Him and his doctor are working with NASCAR to get this resolved. Get more here: http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/05/09/jmayfield.violates.drug.policy/index.html

Saturday, May 9, 2009

NASCAR substance abuse policy

Jeremy Mayfield; Tony Martin, a crewman on the No. 34 Sprint Cup car; and Ben Williams, a crew member with the No. 16 Nationwide Series car have all been suspended indefinitely for substance abuse. They all tested positive for substances other than alcohol after the race in Richmond last week. You can read more here: http://www.nascar.com/2009/news/headlines/cup/05/09/jmayfield.violates.drug.policy/index.html

postage goes up again on Monday

It will cost $.44 to send a one ounce letter now. Even the forever stamp is going up in price. http://buzz.yahoo.com/buzzlog/92548?fp=1

prom or graduation?

A student at an Ohio school has to make a choice between going to prom with his girlfriend and being able to graduate. He goes to a Christian school and his girlfriend goes to a public school. If he attends her prom, his school is not going to allow him to attend graduation ceremonies. Here's a link to the whole story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090508/ap_on_re_us/us_school_dance_flap

Sunday, May 3, 2009

sad news for David Cook from American Idol

David Cook's brother passed away today after an 11 year battle with brain cancer. My heart goes out to him and all concerned. Find the story here: http://tv.yahoo.com/show/34934/news/urn:newsml:tv.eonline.com:20090503:121924__ER:67241

Thursday, April 30, 2009

NASCAR drivers from Martinsville





































Trace Adkins at the Martinsville race




As promised, here are the pictures that I took of Trace Adkins.






American Idol

I wasn't able to watch Idol this week--rehearsals for 'Beauty and the Beast' come first. But I just watched a recap of last night's show and I was surprised to see Adam in the bottom three. I'm not a huge Adam fan but didn't expect he would be there and really didn't think he'd be in the bottom two. I'm hoping though that the top two come down to Danny and Allison with Danny being the eventual winner.

Saturday, April 25, 2009

United Airlines discriminates against people of size

NAAFA and AARP have joined forces to fight this latest attempt at discrimination against people of size. If a person is deemed overweight by an agent at the time of boarding, they will be required to pay for a second seat. Fat is the last legal prejudice--when is it going to stop? You can read more about it here: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/AAPR-Blasts-United-Airlines-prnews-14955717.html?.v=1

Beauty and the Beast

Learning new songs is always fun and I'm enjoying the music from Beauty and the Beast. It's also a nice distraction from real life *smile*. Performances are in June so there's plenty of time to get prepared. Blocking which is basically the choreography will begin in the next couple weeks.

Life in the Navy

I should be used to this by now; after all, my daughter has been in for several years. But when "the box" arrived on Thursday, I got choked up once again. The military sends all of the recruit's personal belongings back to the parent in a very unassuming box. It's quite obvious though what's in there and I have yet to open it.

American Idol

Lil Rounds and Anoop went home. I thought that Anoop should've been gone a long time ago but then I don't vote so it's partly my fault lol. I'm sure he'll do fine because he was in the top 10 and I wish him luck. Now as for Lil...she is much better than what she has done in the last few weeks. Her trying to copy the singers is what brought her departure -- in my opinion anyway. Down to the last 5 now so it should get interesting.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

U.S. Navy

My middle son left on Thursday afternoon for basic training in Great Lakes. I am so proud of him. He hopes at some point to join my daughter who is stationed in Norfolk, VA. She's on her third enlistment and works for an Admiral. I admire both of them for their committment. Please remember and support all of our military.

Rodney Carrington

Rodney Carrington was fantastic on Thursday night at the LaCrosse Center. I laughed more in one night than I have in a long time. He had a very nice tribute at the end for a very good friend of his that is not with us anymore. If he's back in the area, I recommend seeing him--you won't be disappointed.

Beauty and the Beast

Rehearsals start on Monday for 'Beauty and the Beast.' I'm very excited because I haven't been in a musical since last year when I played Tweedle Dum in 'Alice and Wonderland.' It will be great to get back on the big stage.

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Locks of Love

My band, my son, and I all performed at the Cancer Telethon in January. While I was on stage for my solo talking with the MC, I admitted to him that I would cut my hair for Locks of Love. Now, you have to understand that other than trims, I haven't really "cut" my hair in over 30 years and it was quite long. I love my hair! Well, it's shorter now and I think I even cried a little when she cut off that pony tail lol. But it's for a good cause and I would urge anyone thinking about it to go to Locksoflove.com to learn more. I got a card from them thanking me for my donation. I didn't really expect anything back from them but I will keep this card and use it to spread the word.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

American Idol

The results are in for American Idol tonight. Scott went home. I'm sorry to see him go but he really shouldn't have played the guitar with that song. It sounded so awesome tonight and I thought that he should've been saved. Obviously Simon didn't feel the same way. Kellie Pickler performed her new song tonight. I loved it!!

Saturday, April 4, 2009

Martinsville race

I had quite the adventure at the Martinsville race. Trace Adkins was there. He walked around the track with 500 local workers. After the walk, he got on the flat bed trailer that is used as victory lane. I happened to be just a few feet from him and got some awesome pictures. I also got in with the reporters on the track and got pictures of Dale Jr., Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, and Ricky Hendrick as they signed the top of a car. Watch this blog for those pictures!!