B104

A new 14-year study by the National Cancer Institute claims that men who drink at least six cups of coffee a day reduce their risk of dying by 12%.

For latte-loving women who sip four to five cups a day, the risk of dying was 15% lower than non-coffee drinkers. Even one cup a day makes a difference, as the study found a 5% decrease in mortality in those who drank a single cup daily.

The study reviewed the coffee habits of more than 402,000 people between 1995 and 2008.  Although the initial study contradicted the findings above by discovering a higher risk of death among coffee drinkers, this was only because so many of them smoked cigarettes too.

Despite the findings, researchers stressed that this study was purely “observational” and could not determine whether or not coffee was the ultimate cause of low mortality.

www.currys.co.uk

Hair dryer! Listen tomorrow at 6:10am for your chance to win tickets to the Havener Rodeo at the Interstate Center June 2.

Ragnar Singsaas, Getty Images

Big Ticket Thursday continues on B104 with tickets for Sugarland.  Win two tickets to the “In Your Hands” Tour 2012 at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre on Saturday, June 23rd.

Listen for the “cue to call” every hour from 7am-5pm. Be the 9th caller and win a pair of tickets to see Sugarland with special guests Lauren Alaina and Canaan Smith.  This show is “In the Hands of the Fans” because the tour is based solely on YOUR requests to determine the set list played in each city.

During the concert the set list will be created from texts, handwritten signs, Facebook and Twitter plus phone calls made during the show and selections directly from the stage. Anything Sugarland has recorded or played live on stage is fair game.

Make sure you get to enjoy this one-of-a-kind concert from Big Ticket Thursday and B104!

Get concert info HERE.

YouTube (2)

On tonight’s (May 16) episode of the penultimate week of Season 11 of ‘American Idol,’ the final 3 — Joshua Ledet, Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez — sang a trio of songs for three rounds of competition. One was chosen by the judges, one by the contestants themselves and one by series mentor and Interscope Records chief Jimmy Iovine. It was a whole lot of singing with a lot on the line, as the final two competitors will be determined in 24 hours. Hello, nail biting situation!

Here’s PopCrush’s recap on how the ep shook down.

JOSHUA LEDET:

Everything he did tonight was good and Gospel-flavored. He leaves it all on the stage, with his natural ability to sing and to perform. He adds touches, like ripping off his jacket and his inner ear monitors. He’s a total package. We’d be shocked if he goes home. Seriously.

Judge’s Choice: He slayed Etta James’ ‘I’d Rather Go Blind,’ nailing every single sweet spot. Out of 70,000 contestants, there is only one ‘Idol’ and he sang like he was the one. Hard to beat, for sure.

Personal Choice: He showed us he can do subdued with his soulful rendition of The Beatles‘ ‘Imagine.’

Jimmy Iovine’s Choice: Mary J. Blige‘s ‘No More Drama’ is the perfect marriage of R&B and church, and since J. Lo is like the male Mary J., the song played to all his strengths. He sang with a Gospel fire and came alive on the stage, ripping off that jacket.

JESSICA SANCHEZ:

She is going to have a long career in music since she has such a money voice. Her youth, though, make us think now is not the right time for her. That said, she continues to rack up flawless performances that are predictable. When she gets a little more life lived in her, that “edge” we desire will manifest itself. Overall, though, Bebe Chez can sing her patoot off and we predict massive things for her.

Judge’s Choice: The belter and last female standing offered up a beautifully refined rendition of Mariah Carey‘s ‘My All.’ She showed restraint and a quiet tenderness. We can’t deny it was pretty, even though it lacked any sort of edge.

Personal Choice: She went the ballad route with Aerosmith‘s ‘I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.’ She hit all the notes but it wasn’t anything particularly moving. She struggles to “connect,” despite performing in flawless fashion.

Jimmy Iovine’s Choice: The Jackson 5′s ‘I’ll Be There’ was her Iovine selection and she once again delivered a quality rendition and showed off a soulful tone. It lacked that “WOW! OMG!” moment.

PHILLIP PHILLIPS:

The girls love him, and he is artistic, yet does his own thing without catering to anyone else. He also goes off the melody of his songs and twists them to create something unique. But tonight, for his final performance, he stuck to the melody and had the moment. If he’s not in the finals, it’ll be criminal.

Judge’s Choice: He owned the melody of Madcon’s ‘Beggin’,’ a song you likely never heard. While the DMB comparisons haunt the double P, he is a true artist and the way he handled the mid-section of the song had us buying what he was selling. Steven Tyler said once he writes his own songs, he’ll be a new age Boss, as in Bruce Springsteen. HUGE compliment.

Personal Choice: He sang Matchbox 20′s ‘Disease,’ giving it a bit of a funky, jazzy feel. Only Phillip Phillips can turn radio rock into something totally fresh and new. However, the judges hated it.

Jimmy Iovine’s Choice: The song has a great melody and an emotional and romantic timbre, but the masculine quality was the reason that Iovine chose Bob Seger‘s ‘We’ve Got Tonight.’ It played to PP’s male and female fanbase. We can sum it up in one simple word: SWOOOOOOOOON! Dressed in black and singing while seated, Phillips showed us a tender, leading man side. His voice changed shape and he ventured into new territory. The ending where he harmonized with the choir? We got goosies, J. Lo. 

Tune in tomorrow night (May 17) at 8PM on FOX to find who the Top 2 will be. PopCrush has been struggling with our prediction, but we’re going to thinking the final will feature Joshua Ledet vs. Phillip Phillips.

Source: PopCrush.com

Rick Diamond (2) / Royce DeGrie, Getty Images

The first month of summer is the biggest month of music yet. Country superstars like Alan Jackson and Kenny Chesney will be releasing new projects in the list of new country music releases for June 2012, in addition to 10 other hit makers like Josh Turner, Gloriana and Edens Edge. Start saving now so you’re not left out on the new music on the list below.

Jackson and newbie Jana Kramer kick things off on June 5, while Turner, Edens Edge and Darryl Worley have music the next week. June 19 is crowded. Not only is Chesney’s new ‘Welcome to the Fishbowl’ album in stores in June, but so are new projects from Colt Ford, Chris Cagle and the legendary Don Williams.

Take a look at the entire month worth of new country music releases for June 2012 below and plan accordingly.

New Country Music Releases for June 2012:

June 5
Alan Jackson, ‘Thirty Miles West’
Jana Kramer, ‘Jana Kramer’

June 12
Darryl Worley, ‘One Time Around’
Edens Edge, ‘Edens Edge’
Josh Turner, ‘Punching Bag’

June 19
Chris Cagle, ‘Back in the Saddle’
Colt Ford, ‘Declaration of Independence’
Don Williams, ‘And So It Goes’
Kenny Chesney, ‘Welcome to the Fishbowl’
Marlee Scott, ‘Beautiful Maybe’

June 26
Aaron Lewis, ‘The Road’
Gloriana, ‘A Thousand Miles Left Behind’

[button href="http://popcrush.com/new-music-releases-june-2012/" title="New Pop Music Releases - June 2012" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Jason Merritt, Getty Images/Twitter

If it’s possible to become addicted to adopting animals, Miranda Lambert definitely has an addiction — and she might need rehab for the kind-hearted. According to the sassy songstress’ Twitter feed, she has welcomed yet another stray pup into the Shelton household.

Apparently, the furry black and white pup she rescued from the streets just a month ago wasn’t enough to fill the ‘Over You’ singer’s heart. On Tuesday, the singer shared the photo of this adorable black dog that she found, which she appropriately named after one of country music’s most legendary females.

“New puppy I found last week. Loretta! She will go to a new good home soon I hope. : ) or maybe she is already. Hehe,” Lambert tweeted. Although dozens of her 953,280 Twitter followers replied that they would take the sweet girl off of the country star’s hands, Lambert hasn’t mentioned finding a home (other than her own) for the latest canine addition.

Of course, people are starting to wonder how Lambert ends up with all of these strays. She answered the question that’s been burning up all of our minds when she conversed with Pistol Annies bandmate Ashley Monroe. Apparently, it’s because she’s magnetic — pups just come to her.

“@ashleymonroe said I have “dogdar”. They find me,” Lambert told Monroe. “And I hope I never see the people that dump them. For [their] sake. It won’t be pretty,” she added.

Let that be a lesson to any of you who have been tempted to abandon an animal: If you’re near Miranda Lambert, she’ll probably make the castoff her newest furry friend. And if she finds you, you better watch out!

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/hillary-scott-cute-pets/" title="See the Cutest Pets in Country Music" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

booleansplit, Flickr

When you’re buying sunscreen, do you look for words like ‘waterproof,’ ‘sweatproof’ and ‘sunblock?’ If so, don’t bother — they may not be as bulletproof as they seem.

Last year, the FDA mandated that sunscreen manufacturers had to stop using the above descriptions because no product is truly waterproof or sweatproof, and even the best sunscreens don’t completely block harmful rays. And although the ban was supposed to be in place this summer, makers now have until this winter to comply.

Products claiming to be ‘waterproof’ or ‘sweatproof’ will have to prove it with standard testing and state exactly how long a product will stay on the skin after being exposed to water or perspiration.

In addition, terms like ‘sunblock’ will be replaced with ‘broad spectrum’ as long as a product has an SPF rating of at least 15 and protects the user from both UVA rays (associated with skin cancer) and UVB rays (which can cause sunburn).

That said, sunscreens on the shelves are still effective and the FDA encourages their use, saying, “The ingredients in FDA-approved sunscreens marketed today have been used for many years, and FDA has no reason to believe these products are not safe.”

[Time]

Paul Kane, Getty Images

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to hear Taylor Swift‘s ‘Mean’ performed from a male prospective? Thanks to a gender-bending performance of the No. 1 country song on last night’s (May 15) episode of ‘Glee,’ fans are now truly able to appreciate the tune from both sides of the spectrum.

McKinley High’s resident heartthrob Puck (Mark Salling) tackled an acoustic arrangement of Swift’s tune with a little help from Coach Beiste (Dot-Marie Jones) in the most recent episode, which also featured celebrity cameo appearances by actress Lindsay Lohan and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

‘Mean’ seems a likely candidate for recognizable cover tunes — and we’re surprised ‘Glee’ didn’t take it on earlier, considering the series recurring themes of self-acceptance and teenage angst in a high school setting. In the past, the show has tackled country covers in Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene‘ and Toby Keith’s ‘Red Solo Cup,’ among others.

How does the new version measure up to Swift’s original recording? Watch below and voice your opinions!

Watch Taylor Swift’s ‘Mean’ as Performed on ‘Glee’

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Sony Pictures/The Weinstein Co./Warner Bros.

If you’re ready to bring action and adventure to the comfort of your living room, June 2012 is packed with new DVD and Blue-ray releases to suit your needs. From ‘John Carter’ to ‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,’ we give you the run down of all the movies you’ll be able to take home this month.

June 5

‘Act of Valor’ – Directed by Mike McCoy and Scott Waugh. Starring Alex Veadov, Roselyn Sanchez, and Nestor Serrano. In this all-American actioner, real Navy SEALs were cast as an elite team on a mission to retrieve a kidnapped CIA operative.

‘John Carter‘ — Directed by Andrew Stanton. Starring Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, and Willem Dafoe. A Civil War veteran is transported to Mars and embarks on a journey to save a princess and her people from a nefarious man and his army.

‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island’ — Directed by Brad Peyton. Starring Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, and Michael Caine. A boy teams up with his mom’s husband to find his missing grandfather on a magical and mysterious island.

‘Safe House’ — Directed by Daniel Espinosa. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington. An up-and-coming CIA agent goes on the run with the fugitive he’s supposed to be guarding.

June 12

‘Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance’ — Directed by Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor. Starring Nicolas Cage, Ciaran Hinds, and Idris Elba. Johnny Blaze returns in this follow-up to ‘Ghost Rider,’ that pits Blaze against the Devil one more time.

‘A Little Bit of Heaven’ — Directed by Nicole Kassell. Starring Kate Hudson, Gael Garcia Bernal, and Kathy Bates. Diagnosed with cancer, a woman uses her sense of humor to face and cope with the unexpected.

‘Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows’ — Directed by Guy Ritchie. Starring Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, and Noomi Rapace. Sherlock Holmes and Watson return in this charming sequel that finds Holmes facing his most challenging, intelligent foe yet — the enigmatic Moriarty.

June 19

‘Big Miracle’ — Directed by Ken Kwapis. Starring Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski. When a group of whales become trapped and threatened by an ice formation, a reporter calls on his ex-girlfriend, a Greenpeace volunteer, to help save the day.

‘The FP’ — Directed by Jason and Brandon Trost. Starring Jason Trost, Lee Valmassy, and Art Hsu. Rival gangs battle for control of a park with a thrilling game of “Beat Beat Revolution” in this original comedy.

‘Jeff, Who Lives At Home’ — Directed by Jay and Mark Duplass. Starring Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Judy Greer. After an unfortunate coincidence, Jeff leads his estranged brother on a day-long quest to see what else fate has in store for them.

‘Project X‘ — Directed by Nima Nourizadeh. Starring Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, and Jonathan Daniel Brown. Three high school teens throw the biggest party ever — a party to end all parties — in this found footage comedy from producer Todd Phillips.

‘Wanderlust‘ — Directed by David Wain. Starring Paul Rudd, Jennifer Aniston, and Justin Theroux. Unemployed and desperate, George and Linda venture to a free-spirited commune to find happiness and purpose.

June 26

‘21 Jump Street‘ — Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller. Starring Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Rob Riggle, and Brie Larson. Two mediocre cops are banished to an undercover program where they’re forced to return to high school in order to bust a drug operation.

‘The Artist’ — Directed by Michael Hazanavicius. Starring Jean Dujardin and Berenice Bejo. A silent film star is faced with the changing landscape of cinema, but soon emerges from his depression when he finds love with a dancing actress and star of talking pictures.

‘Mirror Mirror‘ — Directed by Tarsem Singh. Starring Julia Roberts, Armie Hammer, and Lily Collins. In this quirky twist on the fairy tale from visionary director Tarsem Singh, a princess must reclaim her rightful throne from an evil queen with the help of seven dwarfs.

‘Wrath of the Titans‘ — Directed by Jonathan Liebesman. Starring Liam Neeson, Sam Worthington, and Ralph Fiennes. Perseus’ saga continues in this sequel where he must rescue his father Zeus from the evil Hades.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

In March, Lady Antebellum announced the tornado-ravaged Henryville High School in Henryville, Ind. as the lucky winners in the band’s Own the Night Prom Contest. Holding true to their word, the superstar trio heads to the Midwest today (May 16) to play a private concert for the students who are still trying to piece together a somewhat normal high school experience.

“Helping rebuild this community is our biggest priority right now,” says Lady A leading lady Hillary Scott. “We were so moved by the stories from Henryville High School, but also from the students at their rival schools who raised their hands and said they wanted to help. There has been so much national media attention and so many sponsors and volunteers are stepping forward to help. It’s going to be an amazing day!”

Outreach for the disaster relief has reached a fever pitch, with major media outlets covering the event, and ultimately getting #RebuildingHenryville trending on Twitter. The trio took to their official account too in hopes of garnering support for their goodwill effort.

“@Ladyantebellum is #RebuildingHenryville today! Help out here http://bit.ly/ladyaprom and RT to show your support!” the ‘Wanted You More’ singers tweeted.

“The whole community, especially the students, is excited about Lady Antebellum coming and performing for Henryville,” says the superintendent of the West Clark Community Schools, Monty Schneider. “They missed so much with the school being destroyed that things like this help them feel whole again. They will be talking about the tornadoes for the rest of their lives, but this event will give them something positive to reflect on about that time. It’s going to be a special moment for the entire community.”

The trio will perform a private 45-minute set for the juniors and seniors at the KFC YUM! Center as part of the school’s prom night, which will be followed by a full-fledged post-party concert that will be open to the general public in order to help raise funds to rebuild the town. Lipton Tea’s team has also come on board to help with the event in the spirit of their Drink Positive and Live Positive message, a campaign that Lady A already supports.

The band is on track to reach their donation goal of $250,000. All proceeds raised from the concert portion of Rebuilding Henryville will remain local through the New Hope/Indiana Bankers Association for the benefit of the disaster relief fund. Fans who are unable to attend Rebuilding Henryville can still get involved by making donations in any amount here.

Watch the Winning Submission to Lady Antebellum’s ‘Own the Night’ Prom Contest

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Jason Merritt/Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images

It certainly looks as though Taylor Swift‘s next studio album will be full of surprises! In what seems like an unlikely pairing, British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran took to his official Twitter account yesterday to tells fans he is indeed working with the country starlet on her highly-anticipated fourth album.

“Writing songs with a very cool artist today ,” The BRIT Award winner tweeted. Sheeran quickly clarified his mysterious tweet by adding, ”In and out burger, defacing guitars and writing music with @taylorswift13.”

The cross-genre collaboration isn’t Swift’s first in recent months. In addition to being the featured artist on rapper B.o.B’s song ‘Both of Us,’ the country superstar has also teamed up with pop phenomenon Justin Bieber to pen a track for the young heartthrob’s next album.

“It’s crazy, I mean I even wrote a song with Taylor Swift, so the whole album ranges differently,” Bieber tells U.K. radio station Capital FM. “Everything doesn’t sound the same, everything’s different and [after] each song you won’t expect the next song to happen.”

No word yet on a release date for Swift’s follow-up to her multi-platinum album, ‘Speak Now,’ but the singer does offer an insight on the lyrical direction of the project. In an interview with the New Yorker this past fall, Swift revealed that the songs she’s penned thus far for her 2012 album are “sad.”

“Being so busy, there’s not a lot of time to stop in the middle of the day and just kind of think about this feeling that you just realized about a relationship you had a year ago,” says Swift. “The ones I love the most end up happening very quickly.”

The new album is expected to be released this fall.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/taylor-swift-songs/" title="Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

The answer, which is “magic wand,” seems perfectly obvious to those of us watching at home, but the contestant repeatedly fails to provide the correct response. Instead, he guesses “magic hand,” “magic band,” “magic pand” (?) and a few dozen others. Once the buzzer sounds, he finally gets it, but by then it’s far too late.

“Uh, wow,” said a clearly stunned Pat Sajak. “It’s a weird game and you just never know. I’m really sorry.” Well, we’re not sorry. This guy just made us feel better about shouting answers at the TV during ‘Wheel of Fortune.’

Source: TheFW.com

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Later this week, Toby Keith is gearing up for his 9th-annual Toby Keith and Friends Golf Classic event — but this year’s will be extra special. To kick the whole thing off, Keith will be present for the groundbreaking of the OK Kids Korral in Oklahoma City — a home-away-from-home for children and families being treated at the Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center and other nearby facilities.

The ceremony is set for 10AM local time on Friday (May 18). Later in the evening, Keith will host the annual dinner and auction to help continue the tradition of raising funds for the important cause.

Among those items up for auction include a trip to Africa with Pros for Africa, a Brush Creek getaway, a Dallas Cowboys VIP package, having a menu item named for you at Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill, concerts and golf packages, as well as exclusive memorabilia from artists such as Coldplay, Carrie Underwood, the Rolling Stones, the Three Stooges and, of course, Toby Keith himself.

Other auction items on the table include A Day in the Life of Toby on Tour, LA Talk Show Package, ESPYs Package with Adrian Peterson, Houston Astros Suite Package and memorabilia from Bob Griese, Derek Jeter, Drew Brees, Cal Ripken Jr., Tim McGraw, Aaron Rogers, Elvis, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean and Wayne Gretzky.

The main event — Keith’s Golf Classic — is set for the following day, Saturday, May 19. The celebrities will hit the links in hopes of getting a hole-in-one. Those who do accomplish the victory have a chance at winning a Ford truck from local dealership Seth Wadley Ford.

Monies raised from the event will benefit the Toby Keith Foundation, which was set up to give sick children and their families a helping hand. For more information on the event or the charity, visit its official website by clicking here.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/top-toby-keith-songs/" title="Top 10 Toby Keith Songs" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

stringy, Flickr

We all know that sugar can make you fat. But we eat it anyway because it’s really good.

So what if we were to tell you sugar can also make you dumb? Would you put down your Big Gulp and step away from your Snickers?

Researchers at UCLA trained lab rats to navigate a complicated maze. Then they fed half of the rodents a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup for six weeks. When that was over the rodents who got the sugar high couldn’t remember how to complete the maze, whereas the rats who ate a more normal diet were still able to.

After running brain scans on the rodents, the researchers concluded that too much sugar changes their insulin levels, which in turn affects the brain’s ability to function efficiently.

“Because insulin can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, the hormone may signal neurons to trigger reactions that disrupt learning and cause memory loss,” one of the researchers explained.

Or, in layman’s terms “Sugar make stupid.”

Source: TheFW.com

YouTube

Carrie Underwood has really been making her rounds to promote ‘Blown Away,’ her newest album release. And while the entire album has received critical acclaim from the media, ‘Good Girl’ — the first single from the record — is her most performed song nowadays. On Tuesday night (May 15), Underwood took the soulful anthem to the stage on ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ where she was accompanied by four dancers who tore up the rug.

Underwood’s rocking performance took the ballroom stage by storm during the semi-final competition. With a full band including back-up singers, Underwood took her post by the microphone wearing a short and lacy purple and blue dress. If her vocals weren’t so powerful, her gorgeous getup and signature shoulder-length curly blonde hair would have stolen the show.

During the second verse, the ‘Good Girl’ hitmaker and her backup band were joined by four professional dancers, who twirled and displayed impressive footwork. The two duos flexed their dancing muscles by adding dips and swing moves into the mix.

After an intense round of dancing, one more contestant was eliminated from the 14th season of the show. Julianne Hough also performed with her ‘Rock of Ages’ co-stars.

Underwood has heard her smash hit single performed all over the country since its release in February. In April, the country superstar sang along with the 5th grade choir at PS22 in Staten Island, as they performed their own rendition of ‘Good Girl.’ Last week, a video surfaced of a toddler rocking out to the No. 1 single in her car seat.

Given the mega-popular status of ‘Good Girl,’ it’s not surprising that Underwood made history with her most recent album. ‘Blown Away’ landed Underwood in the books by debuting at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. This makes her only the second country artist in the 47-year history of the chart to have each of their first four albums debut at No. 1.

Currently, Underwood has five CMT award nominations under her belt, including Female Video of the Year, two for Video of the Year, Collaborative Video of the Year, and CMT Performance of the Year. Talk about being blown away!

Watch Underwood’s performance on ‘Dancing With the Stars’ to catch a glimpse of why this lovely lady is getting so much critical acclaim.

Watch Carrie Underwood Perform ‘Good Girl’ on ‘Dancing With the Stars’

Source: TasteofCountry.com

YouTube

Sunday, May 20th is the date for an annular solar eclipse that will create a “ring of fire” in the sky. Unfortunately, this stunning solar display will not be visible here in Central Illinois.

This annular solar eclipse is the first one in the United States in nearly eighteen years. This type of solar eclipse will create a “ring of fire” in the sky as the moon passes between the Earth and the sun. The moon will cover as much as 95% of the sun leaving a fiery halo around the moon that will look like a “ring of fire.”

Experts at NASA report the eclipse zone stretches from southeast Asia across the Pacific Ocean to western parts of North America. This is the area that will be able to see the “ring of fire” effect during the eclipse. In the United States, people in Northern California, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and the panhandle of Texas will have a great view of the space show.

Lars Baron/Getty Images

NASA’s leading eclipse expert Fred Espenak of the Goddard Space Flight Center cautions people not to look directly at the eclipse without eye protection. “The ring of sunlight during annularity is blindingly bright,” he cautions adding, “Even though most of the Sun’s disk will be covered, you still need to use a solar filter or some type of projection technique. A #14 welder’s glass is a good choice. There are also many commercially-available solar filters.”

I really wish we would be able to see this amazing solar display of the “ring of fire” in the sky here in our area. We will just have to wait and see the pictures on Twitter, Facebook and in the news. We will be able to see the solar eclipse happen. In our area we will just see a crescent shaped sun as the moon passes in front of it Sunday, May 20th starting at around 7:30 p.m. central time.

Watch a video from Science@NASA about the solar eclipse below.

CBS

Being Upfront week, CBS is hard at work announcing and promoting its new series, as well as plotting out ways to incorporate them into the current schedule.  Today a big move for the network’s flagship comedy ‘Two and a Half Men‘ is in the works, but what does it mean for its other comedies?  Who’s getting a big promotion, and who will be joining the ‘Men’ trio on their new night?

Change has been omnipresent for CBS’ biggest comedy ‘Two and a Half Men,’ which has already endured a complete shake-up in its lead actor and executive producer this year, so what’s a little more?  Along with their Upfront presentation today, The Eye has announced that ‘Two and a Half Men’ will vacate its Monday time slot, joining CBS’ other major hit ‘The Big Bang Theory‘ on Thursday nights.

The unholy popular paring will fill out the 8-9 time slot, and will be followed by a second season of ‘Person of Interest,’ and CBS’ new modern-day Sherlock Holmes adaptation ‘Elementary.’

But that’s not all!  Someone’s got to fill the cherry spot vacated by ‘Two and a Half Men,’ and it would seem that Kat Dennings sitcom ‘2 Broke Girls‘ will fill the slot, a development appropriated by the crude field day its characters would have with the phrase “fill the slot.”  Yay.

Below is CBS’ full fall schedule, for your viewing pleasures:

MONDAY

8:00-8:30 PM How I Met Your Mother

8:30-9:00 PM PARTNERS (N)

9:00-9:30 PM 2 Broke Girls (NT)

9:30-10:00 PM MIKE & Molly

10:00-11:00 PM HAWAII FIVE-0

TUESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM NCIS

9:00-10:00 PM NCIS: LOS ANGELES

10:00-11:00 PM VEGAS (N)

WEDNESDAY

8:00-9:00 PM SURVIVOR

9:00-10:00 PM Criminal Minds

10:00-11:00 PM CSI: CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION

THURSDAY

8:00-8:30 PM The Big Bang Theory

8:30-9:00 PM Two and a Half Men (NT)

9:00-10:00 PM Person Of Interest

10:00-11:00 PM ELEMENTARY (N)

FRIDAY

8:00-9:00 PM CSI: NY (NT)

9:00-10:00 PM MADE IN JERSEY (N)

10:00-11:00 PM Blue Bloods

SATURDAY

8:00-9:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY

9:00-10:00 PM CRIMETIME SATURDAY

10:00-11:00 PM 48 Hours Mystery

SUNDAY

7:00-8:00 PM 60 Minutes

8:00-9:00 PM THE Amazing Race

9:00-10:00 PM THE Good Wife

10:00-11:00 PM THE Mentalist (NT)

Will you follow ‘Two and a Half Men’ to Thursday nights?  Will any other networks be able to compete with a block like that?  Thank goodness ‘Community‘ moved to Fridays!  Tell us what new shows you’re most excited to see in the comments!

Source: ScreenCrush.com

This officiant at an Australian wedding makes a fairly spectacular reading mistake, and the end result is that Lauren and Nick’s wedding will be forever remembered for an unexpected reference to Nick’s stiffy.

The crowd immediately recognized the humor behind the gaffe, which is amazing, because who the hell listens during a wedding ceremony? We’re normally asleep as soon as the entrance music hits. “Wake us up when they start chucking rice.”

And the mistake, really, was for the best. “Lauren found Nick to be incredibly hard-working,” is a painfully boring way to describe what is supposed to be eternal love. “Lauren found Nick to be incredibly hard,” however, both pays testament to Lauren’s beauty and Nick’s ability to perform his martial duties in no time flat.

[button href="http://guyspeed.com/upskirt-reporter-video/" title="NEXT: Reporter Caught On Camera With Skirt Jacked Up" align="center"]

Source: GuySpeed.com

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

Rick Diamond/Getty Images

For the sixth straight year country vocal group Little Big Town will ride motorcycles and sing for charity. Little Big Town will host the 2012 Ride For A Cure in Nashville, Tennessee.

I am a fan of both Little Big Town and riding motorcycles. That makes me wish that I could be in Nashville Sunday, June 10th for the 2012 Ride For the Cure. The event will begin with registration at 8 a.m. local time and include a morning jam session as participants get set to take the ride. When the riders reach the end point at around 12 noon, they will be treated to a concert that will include the event hosts Little Big Town as well as Lauren Alaina, Love and Theft and more. There will also be a live auction.

The entire event is to benefit the T.J. Martell Foundation. For the past 37 years the foundation has raised money to support innovative research for leukemia, cancer and AIDS at eleven research facilities throughout the United States. The annual Ride For A Cure has raised over $260,000 to date for the foundation to honor the late T.J. Martell. Through events like this and others, the T.J. Martell Foundation has raised more than a quarter of a billion dollars for research of these devastating and life-threatening diseases. You can find out more about the T.J. Martell Foundation at the official website.

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It’s obvious from the photos of the past Ride For The Cure events that the event is a great day of music, riding and fun for a great cause. If you are going to be in the Nashville area, or want to make a trip to be a part of the event, Sunday, June 10th, get all the details at www.nashvillerideforacure.com.

(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Reba McEntire has captured a new generation of fans and she is going back to the small screen with a new show on ABC. This should be pretty easy for her she will play the ex – wife to a cheating country singer.

The name of the TV show will be ‘Malibu Country’ and Reba will be the star of the sitcom. I have been a fan of Rebas for years and when I finally got to meet her last winter all I could muster was a shaky hello. I still kick myself for not getting a hug or a slap.

Nashville Kat had the scoop this morning on ‘Info From Music Row’ and she said;

Reba’s Malibu Country will premiere on ABC November 2nd.

I can’t wait for the sound clips from the show. Here is a preview of what you will see this fall from Reba McEntire in ‘Malibu Country’