Phillip Phillips sets record

Phillip broke David Cook's record of selling more digital copies of his debut song in the first week. He sold 327K which was far more than David's 236K in 2008. Phillip's "Home" entered the 'Hot Digital Songs' list at #2. Home

Buy Elvis' crypt

It will go on the auction block starting June 23. Elvis and his mother were laid to rest there but were moved two months later to Graceland. It's been empty ever since. It's located inside the granite and marble mausoleum at the Forest Hill Cemetery in Memphis, TN. If interested, go here: http://www.juliensauctions.com. Elvis' crypt

Noah's Ark slide makes the list...

of the wildest water slides in the world. The Insano in Beach Park, Fortaleza, Brazil is the first on the list. Next comes the Scorpion's Tail at Noah's Ark Family Park, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Third is Summit Plummet at Disney's Blizzard Beach at Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, Florida. After that, it's the Leap of Faith at the Atlantis Resort, Paradise Island, Bahamas--this one definitely lives up to it's name because you slide through a clear tube right past sharks. Last on the list (and still one I won't be riding), is The Mammoth at Holiday World, Santa Claus, IN. waterslides

And the winner is...

Phillip Phillips! American Idol crowned him as the winner of season 11 last night. Scotty McCreery was on hand to award Phillip his microphone trophy. Phillip then attempted his song, "Home" but was cut short by emotions. Phillip

No zebras or macaws

Ankeny, Iowa is not the usual place for a zebra and a macaw but a man was arrested for putting his pets in danger when he was stopped for DUI. The zebra and macaw were spotted in Jerald Reter's pickup outside the Doghouse Bar and Lounge. When police arrived, Jerald was already back in his vehicle and driving away from the bar. odd arrest

Robot fish

European scientists have developed a robot fish that will help clean up pollution. These fish can communicate with each other, return to shore when their battery is running low, and detect pollution. Scientists are hoping it will lead to other applications as well. robot fish

It's the Easter chicks all over again.

Every Easter, families buy chicks as Easter presents. After Easter it becomes too much of a hassle to care for the chicks and they ultimately are abandoned. Thus is the fate of owls after the Harry Potter series has ended. Hundreds of fans got the pet owls so they could be like the characters in the books/movies. Now though they are being abandoned and are causing problems in the eco-system. owls

Beam me up Scotty

This time it's Scotty who is beaming up. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott was a character played by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series. A lipstick size container with his cremated remains along with 307 others will be on board the SpaceX--a privately owned rocket that will be delivering supplies to the International Space Station. The remains are located in the rocket's second stage which will separate 9 minutes and 49 seconds after take-off. It will orbit the earth for about a year; then be brought back in the atmosphere and be incinerated. Scotty's final flight

And then there were two

Joshua Ledet was sent home last night on American Idol. His departure shocked many people. He's had 17 standing ovations including the one from last night. I'm sure he'll have a great career even though he didn't go on to win. Jessica and Philip will battle it out next week. Idol

The Larkins and Collin Raye

The concert at Winona State University was amazing and honestly, that's an understatement. All proceeds went to benefit the Winona VFW. They do such great work for our veterans--please consider buying a ticket and coming out for next years show.

The afternoon started with dinner in the Warrior Room with the Larkins. Dinner was fabulous; chicken, beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, salads, veggies, and a bunch of desserts. The staff at Winona State did a great job.

From there it was down to the VIP section where TJ and I were introduced before the Larkins took the stage.

The Larkins are two sisters from the hills of Tennessee with awesome voices that blend very well together. Shaunna plays the violin with precision while sister Tina plays the Mandolin just as well. Mom and Dad Larkin both play in the band (banjo and guitar respectively) along with Shauna's husband on keyboard. They did a few of their own songs and then some covers including Charlie Daniel's "The Devil Went Down to Georgia."

I had the privilege of babysitting for Tina's baby while they were on stage and that wasn't even the highlight of the night.

Collin Raye was a complete showman. It was an intimate setting and he made each and every one of us feel like he was there just for us. He played his number one hits, some of his stuff that didn't climb that high but should have, and some of the stuff from his new album. He covered Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA" and had the entire audience on their feet. His whole set was very moving. I can't say enough about this man and his music--just was an honor getting to be in the crowd.

After Collin Raye left the stage, we were invited to a private meet-n-greet with him. He gladly had his picture taken and then spent almost half hour just chatting with us--kids, careers, music, and life in general. We got his autograph and then when it was time to leave, he took my hand and then leaned over to kiss my cheek. I will never forget that moment!! Simply amazing!

Sylvester Stallone reincarnated?

A 20-year old visiting the Vatican discovers the likeness of Sly in an ancient painting. What do you think? Sly

Jeremy Mayfield faces new problems

His dogs attacked a postal worker while the dogs were running loose on his property. She has sued and gotten a judgement for $1 million. Mayfield is already in trouble for testing positive for drugs and banned from NASCAR. He's also facing charges for stolen property found at his home. Mayfield

Rare lobster

A very rare calico lobster has been discovered in a restaurant tank. Because of it's rare coloring, it will be saved from the cooking pot. lobster

Goodbye to Hollie

Last night on American Idol, Hollie went home. I honestly thought it was way past time for that. The top three are Josh, Jessica, and Phillip. It will be very difficult to pick a winner from those--glad I'm not a judge. AI

Howard Stern debuts on "America's Got Talent"

Howard promises to be honest in order to actually help the hopefuls. He also has some not so kind words about judges on other shows--mostly about J. Lo and Britney Spears. Howard Stern

Lead from "Against Me" comes out

Tom Gabel of "Against Me" has always felt like he was in the wrong body. He's 31, married, and has a 2 year old with his wife. He has decided to undergo the physically and emotionally painful transformation. He hopes people will be understanding and accepting. Tom Gabel

No bite to the story

The claims that a dentist pulled out all of the teeth from her ex-boyfriend is just a hoax. Erin Tennant is an MSNBC contributor and was able to discover:

--The Polish police agency in the region where the incident reportedly took place is not investigating any such case.

--Poland's Chamber of Physicians and Dentists is not investigating any case like the one reported.

--Nor, is a dentist named Anna Maćkowiak listed on its professional register.News outlets in Poland did not report the story. Some, however, reported the foreign media's coverage of what they called a "prank."

--The original story was traced back to Britain's Daily Mail newspaper. The writer Simon Tomlinson, says he does not know where the story originated, despite its bearing his byline. "I've drawn a bit of a blank," he told MSNBC.

--American Dental Association's national spokesperson, David Johnson Jr., said the story was highly improbable because most dentists are equipped to administer drugs only for conscious sedation dentistry. That would mean the man would've known all his teeth were being pulled as it was happening.

no teeth

One less Beastie Boy

Adam Yauch aka MCA has passed away at the age of 47 after a 3 year battle with cancer. The Beastie Boys became famous with their song "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (to Party)." He was unable to attend the ceremony when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame but was optimistic about continuing treatment and staying cancer free. Sad to see another go so young. Adam Yauch

Too fat to fly?

Southwest Airlines is at it again. A woman has no problems on some flights but is refused a seat on others. She is suing; not for monetary damages but to force Southwest to have a uniform policy. Kenlie Tiggeman

Skylar? Really?

What was America thinking? Perhaps because Skylar was compared to Carrie Underwood, everyone thought she would be safe and didn't need their votes. Unfortunately, that was not the case and Skylar has gone home in 5th place. Oh the horror!! On tour she plans to stick to her country roots--no more pop for her. Skylar

May the fourth be with you!

While most people will be celebrating Cinco De Mayo tomorrow, there are a growing number of Star Wars' fans that will be celebrating their own holiday today. Happy Star Wars Day everyone!! May the fourth