HTC

Call me paranoid, but it appears the smart phone companies and the US cellular carriers are in cahoots!

Yeah, I said cahoots! You and I are being forced into the “Cloud,” and if you’re not sure what that is yet let me get you up to date. Cloud computing is the way most things are going, it simply means you store your music, video, data files online somewhere and as long as you have high speed Internet access, your stuff is just a click and a fast download away.

The benefits are:

1. Your stuff is available to you from anywhere you have access and on virtually any device.
2. You don’t have to remember to back up you local hard drive(s), so if you computer fails you, your stuff is still safe… in the “cloud.”
3. Reduces cost for computers, tablets and smart phone systems and always having to buy and upgrade hard drives.

But what is the downside you ask?

1. Trusting your “stuff” (files) to a third party cloud provider.
2. Not always having access to the Internet.
3. Increased costs associated with increased data uploading and downloading (bandwidth usage).

In the case of your smart phone, I believe  number 3 is exactly what they want though.

You’ll notice that all of the major cell phone service providers have recently gone back to data usage fees and have dropped, or are in the process of dropping, all of their unlimited plans. The only exception I know of at this time is Sprint. That’s the SP I use for my Android-based phone, been with them for over 13 years now and am reasonably happy with their service. But you can bet that if they see the other service providers making huge sums of money by charging for data and over-charging for over-data usage you can bet they will find a way to fall into that roiling sea of cash-olla as well.

If you look at most of the new smart phones that have come out recently, and from what I hear the newest phones coming this fall just in time for Christmas, they are all trying to push you into the “cloud” concept. It makes the phones more affordable because of less hardware, and it will make your data usage go through the roof.

Now you’re seeing that “cahoots” thing, huh?

It’s the same thing with tablets – you’ll soon be noticing less internal storage, making the prices go down on the device, but cloud storage will save the day… with a low monthly fee for keeping your files safe and easily accessible.

I hate being manipulated, don’t you? I like having my own internal and external hard drives and solid state drives and SD chips and micro-SD chips, etc., etc….!

I like being in control of my stuff.

The good news is there are still many devices that give you the control you want and I hope there will continue to be smart phone and tablet designers that will realize there are a lot of people like me out there.

Are you like me?

Bryan Bedder / Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

George Strait
Age: 60
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: A slew of country hits including ‘Fool Hearted Memory,’ ‘Ocean Front Property,’ ‘She’ll Leave You with a Smile’ and ‘You’ll Be There,’ dozens of industry awards, holding the record for the most No. 1 hits on the Billboard Country charts, and holding the record for most No. 1 albums, gold albums, and platinum albums in the history of country music

Tina Fey
Age: 42
Occupation: Actor, Writer and Comedic Genius
Known For: Her brilliant work as both a writer and performer on ‘Saturday Night Live’ and ’30 Rock,’ penning the screenplay for the movie ‘Mean Girls,’ her spot-on portrayal of Sarah Palin on ‘SNL,’ writing the hilarious bestseller ‘Bossypants,’ being the youngest-ever winner of the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and being an icon for smart, funny women everywhere

Joe Bonsall
Age: 64
Occupation: Singer and Author
Known For: Being one of the singers for the Oak Ridge Boys, which had country and crossover singles like ‘Elvira,’ ‘Bobbie Sue’ and ‘American Made,’ and writing books like ‘The Molly Books’ children’s series and ‘GI Joe and Lillie’

Chow Yun-fat
Age: 57
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His role as Li Mu-bai in ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,’ his Asian film collaborations with filmmaker John Woo in the heroic bloodshed genre films ‘A Better Tomorrow,’ ‘The Killer’ and ‘Hard Boiled,’ and voiceover work for the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End’ and ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ video games

Jack Johnson
Age: 37
Occupation: Singer, Songwriter and Musician
Known For: His successful debut album, ‘Brushfire Fairytales,’ his work on surfing movies and soundtracks, being the organizer of the annual Kōkua Festival, and songs like ‘Better Together,’ ‘Flake’ and ‘You and Your Heart’

National Gallery of Art

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1804 – Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed Emperor of the French (More info)

1896 – The US Supreme Court rules in Plessy v. Ferguson that “separate but equal” is constitutional (More info)

1933 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an act creating the Tennessee Valley Authority (More info)

1980 – Mount St. Helens in Washington state erupts after being dormant for 123 years (More info)

2004 – Randy Johnson, age 40, becomes the oldest pitcher to throw a perfect game (More info)

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Who would have thought we would see the day when after paying for gas, we would later be assaulted and carjacked? Well, this very thing happened to national minister Pastor Marvin Winans of Perfecting Church of Detroit, Mich. early Thursday morning. 

Winans was on his way to Toledo when he needed to fill up for the trip at a nearby Citgo gas station.

“There were about 10 young guys in the station and four of them followed me out,” says Winans to a news anchor of Channel 7 news.  So often you hear of such things in and around communities to people we don’t know, but this was an exception.

Pastor Winans is well known in the Detroit area and nationally, especially after he preached at the funeral of the late pop singer, Whitney Houston.

We can’t save our loved ones and all people from such a situation, but we can pray their safety.  I’m so pleased that matters weren’t worse for Pastor Winans, and yet I’m praying the authorities find those that committed this crime.

Let’s cover each other in prayer.  From the words of a well-known gospel song by Bishop Paul Morton, Sr., “I need you, you need me….I need you to survive!”

Supermunch, Flickr

One of the best ways to save money is cooking at home rather than dinning out.

In these times, are Americans choosing to do that?

According to a new poll from Harris Interactive — which suggests the economic recovery is still a long way from being over — more and more people are dining in.

The survey asked 2,451 adults if they agree with the statement “I find myself cooking more instead of going out in order to save money.” Seventy-one percent did agree, with 41 percent agreeing strongly. Among the 26 percent who didn’t agree with the statement, nine percent disagreed strongly.

Despite this move away from dining out, 63 percent of the poll’s respondents had still been to a fast food restaurant chain in the past month, and about half have dined at a local casual dining establishment.

[PR Newswire]

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Love can get messy sometimes. Divorces can get even messier. But, what often gets the messiest is the stuff left behind after the divorce that the remaining spouse must get rid of to move on. This Superior, WI woman seems to have found the best way, and a local radio station got all the photos.

Rather than posting adds for well-priced used items on Craigslist, the woman decided to have a “sale” in front of her home. The good news for interested shoppers was that everything was free. The bad news was that everything seemed to be somewhat destroyed, including a green GMC Yukon covered in vulgar graffiti indicating the former owner of the SUV to be a “cheater.” There was also a pile of charred remains of stuff, clearly the result of a small fire.

The “X-Husband Sale” stopped traffic on the woman’s street as passers-by paused to examine the items and photograph the result of the divorcee’s wrath. The traffic back-up prompted a visit from police, who spoke to someone in the home, but did nothing further with the mess on the front lawn.

Later, the SUV was gone, but the “sale” remained open. When asked, Superior Police Sergeant William Lear explained there is no law against spray painting a vehicle in your own yard. If there’s questionable language on the vehicle, he said, “Depends on the language, there’s a fine line there. If it’s creating a disturbance, if there’s threats, if it’s blocking traffic, we can tow it.”

According to court documents, the couple filed for divorce in July of 2011. A neighbor confirmed that the divorce became final on Tuesday and that set off the preparations for the “sale.” You can see more NSFW photos below. Is this a fitting revenge?

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Source: TheFW.com

sblackley, Flickr

Sunglasses don’t just make you look cool, they’re also good for your eyes. But a lot of parents don’t seem to know that rule also applies to their kids.

Research done by the Vision Council found that while three-quarters of adults regularly wear sunglasses, only about half make their kids wear them, too. And California ophthalmologist Paul Michelson says that should change.

“A substantial proportion of people still do not understand that UV exposure is harmful to the eyes as well as the skin,” he said. “Even [in] those who do understand, few understand it is the cumulative exposure that can be damaging.”

Among adults, the top three reasons given for not wearing sunglasses were that they forgot them at home, they break or lose them too often, and they don’t believe their eyes are at risk from sun exposure.

People with light-colored eyes are more susceptible to UV damage than people with brown eyes, but the risks for everyone include cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer of the eye, eyelid or surrounding skin.

[WebMD]

China Photos, Getty Images

At a school in China, hard work isn’t just rewarded with success — it’s rewarded with air conditioning, too.

Binhe Middle and High School in Shenzhen, China has 11 classes for 10th-graders, but only four of them — the honors classes — are air conditioned. Kids in the other classes have to sweat it out with only fans for comfort.

Students who do well on their high school entrance exams don’t just get a more comfortable classroom, they also get the most experienced and competent teachers. In exchange, those elite kids are expected to later enroll at one of the country’s universities.

A Binhe students said kids in the non-honors classes have offered to buy air conditioning units themselves and even pay for the electricity required to run them, but school authorities rebuffed their request, saying, “We may be put under investigation by education authorities if we allow such a practice.”

But the rationale behind the refusal seems to go deeper. One teacher said kids need to learn they can’t get whatever they want and that learning in a hot classroom will help them acquire the skills necessary to “overcome difficulties.”

Parents of some of those children are understandably upset, with one saying, “I think the school should treat all the students equally. Students in honors classes should not be given special treatment.”

[China Daily]

Wayne Wilson, Getty Images

There is some good news being reported about the state of young people in America.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, fewer American teens and young adults are smoking cigarettes than they were nearly a decade ago.

This new report consists of data collected each year between 2004 and 2010 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Researchers interviewed nearly 158,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 and roughly 159,000 men and women between the ages of 18 to 25.

• The number of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoked every day fell from 3.3% in 2004 to 1.9% in 2010.
• Young people ages 18 to 25 years old also reported decreased daily tobacco use – from 20.4% in 2004 to 15.8% in 2010.
• The ranks of young smokers between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoke five or fewer cigarettes a day grew from nearly 37% in 2004 to almost 43% in 2010.
• The largest group of daily smokers between the ages of 18 to 25 who smoked between six and 15 cigarettes a day slightly increased from about 41% in 2004 to roughly 44% in 2010.
• There was nearly a 3% decrease in young adults who smoked 26 or more cigarettes a day.

According to researchers, the downward trend in tobacco use could be the result of anti-smoking laws, tax increases, and tougher laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.

Researchers also add that while these findings may be encouraging, many kids are still picking up this dangerous habit.

[WebMD]

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

At the end of April, Honolulu County passed a ban that made Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at store checkouts statewide. Of the four counties in the state, three had previously passed bans and the Honolulu County decision officially made the ban statewide.

The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club has spent two years campaigning for a plastic bag ban. Robert Harris, director of the chapter said, “Passing the bans did take an effort — change always does — but people seemed to understand the need for such an effort.”

He believes that in the end it was easy to go statewide because Hawaii is a marine state. “Perhaps we are exposed more directly to the impacts of plastic pollution and the damage it does to our environment,” he said.

Harris also explained that the group had lobbied for state legislation, but that effort failed. The group used the exposure from it to petition the four counties to make their own bans which would then have an effect statewide.

The Honolulu County Council passed the final ban late last month, but mayor and county executive Peter Carlisle held back his support, feeling that he needed more input from the public because of enforcement and cost concerns. Last Thursday, Mayor Carlisle showed his full support by signing the ban and helping Hawaii earn its first-in-the-nation status.

Retailers have three years to comply with the county law that bans non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout, as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. The ban will take full effect in July of 2015. You can find a list of other areas that have enacted bans on plastic bags at PlasticBagBanReport.com.

[MSNBC]

kkyr

What is shaking in East Texas?Yet another Earthquake has struck deep East Texas. This moderate tremor happened around 3:12 a.m. centered near Timpson with a magnitude of 4.3 on the scale. The Shelby County Sheriff’s office says the only known injury was an elderly woman who fell out of bed and cut her arm. There have been reports of broken windows and fallen dishes but no major damage reported so far.

The quake was felt some 75 miles from the epicenter. The same area felt a 3.9 magnitude quake just last week. East Texas is not normally thought of as the place in Texas where Earthquakes are felt.

Sweet Swirlz yogurt machines (© Jathan Fink/Townsquare Media)

Texarkana summers are brutal, but there’s a new place in town to help us beat the heat. Sweet Swirlz, a frozen yogurt shop that opened last November in Pleasant Grove, is a one-of-a-kind, locally owned business that is quickly becoming a family favorite.

Earlier this week I stopped by to try out the goods. Chris Stine, one of the employees there (and great nephew to best-selling author R.L. Stine of “Goosebumps” fame), welcomed me with a big cheerful smile and tousled blond locks and offered to show me around the shop, which is colorfully decorated in pastel pink and green.

“We’ve got five machines that each have two flavors which can be swirled together,” Chris said. Four of the machines typically maintain the same flavors of Strawberry Sensations, Cheesecake, Orchard Peach, All Natural Classic Tart, Kisses Chocolate, Caramel Custard, Tahitian Vanilla and White Chocolate Mouse.

Sweet Swirlz' effervescent Chris Stine is ever cheerful (© Jathan Fink/Townsquare Media)

The fifth machine changes flavors weekly and usually features the most unusual flavor combination. This week, the result was Espresso/Cupcake. As strange as that blend sounded, the swirl of rich coffee and chocolate cake made for the perfect bite of cool, frosty refreshment.

Chris was quick to point out that there are tons of toppings available too, and his favorite is apparently the Boba Balls, because he mentioned them frequently. “They’re filled with strawberry juice that bursts in your mouth,” he said with a grin. (Yes, I believe my new buddy Chris is always full of smiles.)

In addition to these flavorful Boba Balls, there are 29 other toppings customers can choose from including berries, nuts, and assorted candies.

Boba Balls give a burst of strawberry flavor (© Jathan Fink/Townsquare Media)

Located at 3317 Richmond Road, the shop quickly fills with teenagers after school, eager to fill up on their sweet concoctions. Sweet Swirlz makes it easy though. All customers have to do is grab a cup, fill it up with all the yogurt they can handle, pile on the toppings, and then weigh it and pay only 43 cents per ounce. While it sounds amazingly inexpensive, it is a business model that has worked so well the owners are considering opening a second shop in Arkadelphia, according to Chris.

So the next time you’re out on a hot afternoon and need a little cooling off, skip the ice cream and try something tasty and low fat and discover for yourself why Sweet Swirlz is the latest place to make our Good Eats list.

Paramount Pictures / Universal Pictures / Lionsgate

This weekend, you’ll have your choice between a goofy comedy, watching things blow up, and a tale about the joys and perils of new parenthood.

In ‘The Dictator,’ Sacha Baron Cohen stars as the title character who risked his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

Based on the classic board game, ‘Battleship’ is an epic action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force.

And ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting,’ inspired by the self-help book of the same name, tells the story of a group of expectant parents dealing with the surprise demands of pregnancy.

Here’s a sneak peek.

‘The Dictator’

Directed by: Larry Charles
Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Jason Mantzoukas
Get Tickets & Showtimes

‘Battleship’

Directed by: Peter Berg
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano, Hamish Linklater, Liam Neeson
Get Tickets & Showtimes

‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’

Directed by: Kirk Jones
Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew J. Morrison
Get Tickets & Showtimes

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

Mario Tama, Getty Images

The separation of church and state doesn’t mean religious leaders can’t express political opinions. And in the wake of President Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage there has been talk that some houses of worship may encourage their flock not to vote for the president in 2012 to protest his reversal on the issue.

However, the majority of Americans would rather that churches and other religious institution keep out of politics altogether. According to a Pew Research Center Poll of 1,503 adults, 54 percent said that churches should keep out of political matters, whereas 40 percent think churches should express views on political questions.

In 1996, these percentages were just about reversed, with 54 percent in favor of churches being involved in politics and 43 percent opposed.

[Pew Research Center]

Zappos

You may have seen the ads for Skechers’ Shape-ups shoes featuring spokesmodels like Kim Kardashian and Brooke Burke.

But the FTC says the claims made within those ads and others like them were false, and it’s now ordered the shoe manufacturer to cough up a $40 million fine.

Skechers said the $100 sneakers’ design promoted weight loss and toned muscles, but the FTC said such assertions were deceptive and misleading to consumers. The action brought by the agency also included Skechers’ Resistance Runner, Toners, and Tone-ups shoes.

People who bought the shoes will be eligible for refunds, though how much they’ll get back is unclear. The FTC did say that most of the $40 million settlement will be returned to consumers.

It’s not the first time the FTC has cracked down on the makers of athletic shoes. Last year Reebok faced similar trouble over its EasyTone walking shoes and RunTone running shoes, and eventually paid out $25 million in customer refunds.

“The FTC’s message, for Skechers and other national advertisers, is to shape up your substantiation or tone down your claims,” said David Vladeck, director of the agency’s consumer protection bureau, adding that for millions of buyers, “the only thing that got a workout was their wallet.”

[Associated Press]

NBC

We’re still in the middle of the audition process for ‘America’s Got Talent,’ so at this point audiences are prepared to see anything from the sweet to the absolutely absurd. What better place to find that all than in San Francisco?

We’re technically on the second episode of ‘America’s Got Talent,’ so naturally at this point the judges are ready to ‘go into battle’. “I’ve been waiting in my hotel room since five in the morning, waiting to judge something,” says Howard Stern as he’s greeted by crowds of San Franciscans. And obviously the rest of the crowd is anxious to move forward with the auditions. After all, if the contestants manage to win this competition then they will snag a million dollars. And no matter what you tell us, we don’t believe that Howie Mandell actually flew in on some form of a jet pack. That’s just careful editing at work there.

We begin the festivities with the Sacramento dance group called CMYB, headed by David Garblandi. Now here’s the kicker: they’re not just a dance group, but a painting dance group. Yes, they manage to combine their love of dance with their incredible painting skills. To think that he’s able to paint Mozart while actually dancing to it along with his group is just amazing. Color the judges impressed. (Sorry)

Then the audience isn’t introduced so much as exposed to Mr. Special. His name should sum it up. He comes in a little tricycle playing “Anchors Away” on a trumpet while wearing half of a chicken outfit. He gets an automatic fail from Sharon and Howard, but pushover Howie gives him a chance for a split second until he decides to vote against him. Mr. Special doesn’t take the news well as he almost calls Sharon a b—-, then tells her to give him a call. Mr. Special even manages to slightly harass Howie and Howard back stage. Rude much?

It’s time for a horrible audition montage! We’re exposed to the worst of the bunch which includes lame fire performers, a band who plays solely on guitars made out of suitcases and Mars Green, a man who’s painted like a lizard and sings an awful rendition of Katy Perry’s “Supernatural.” That poor, poor audience.

Obviously the saddest one in the group was Kim McAffe, a singer who’s duet became a solo thanks to her flaky singing partner. She may have given Howard Stern praise for his show, but that doesn’t stop him from giving her an automatic no for her performance. Suddenly Nick Cannon pops up, trying to help her out by “scratching,” which makes her performance a bit worse.

Let’s bring on the balancing act! We’re referring to Cristin Sandu, a seventeen-year-old who balances on several metal circles. It terrifies the audience to a degree, afraid that Cristin will be splattered all over the AGT floor, but he manages to pull off his act without a hitch and wins most of the judges over.

Then we’re sprinkled with a bit of humor as the auditions continue on with LCD – The Lisa Clark Dancers. This has to be one of the funniest dances that’s been seen on the show so far, mixing contemporary dance with classical music. Everyone’s won over except for Howie, which nobody gets, not even us. For some reason Howie is happy when he sees the magician and the concert piano player who pull off a cool sawing act that ends with half of the piano player performing one of his tunes. And then he gives a yes to a juggler who screws up the first time he performs his act. What’s going on in that noggin, Howie?

We get our first dose of impressions on the show thanks to Dave, a comedian impressionist. He manages to imitate the voice and movements of a few celebrities including Nicolas Cage and Vince Vaughn but doesn’t entirely hit the mark the whole time. All of the judges basically tell him to get a little “edgier” with writing his impression skit, but still think he’s good enough to move forward in the competition.

We slip into the more emotionally touching portion of the show when we’re introduced to Luiz Meneghin, a normal man with a solid opera voice. His performance is fine but at the same time you can tell he picked a safe song to sing instead of really pushing his vocal cords to the limit. Either way, he managed to wow everyone in the audience. Here’s hoping he really challenges himself when he’s in Las Vegas.

Day two of the San Francisco auditions kicks off with Paula Nelson, an eighty-year-old woman who’s known as Granny G. What makes Granny G so unique? Why she’s a grandmother who can rap about moral values. The judges suggest that Granny G could be even cooler if she blings up her walker. She’ll certainly be doing that when she’s in the next round. At least she’s loads better than Kotton Kandy, a heavy-set male street performer who wears a glowing showgirl outfit. Hey, he may not be what everyone wants to see but at least he gave it the good old academic try while dancing to the “Tootise Roll.”

Crappy audition montage part two! This round includes motorcycle stunt men who can barely do any tricks, a lady with a performing mini-horse and puppy that just walks around in circles. And though you would have figured the man who transformed his broom and dust pan into musical instruments wouldn’t move forward, you’re wrong.

It’s sympathetic time once more with Tim Hockenberry, an alcoholic who turned his life around and is now ready to sing in front of the nation. He performs a great rendition of “You Are So Beautiful” which almost moves Howie to tears. Everyone is absolutely in love with him, especially Howard who describes his performance as “a breath of fresh air.”

The last dance group we’re presented with is the FBC (Funk Beyond Control). They’re all right, but the one thing that almost killed their routine is that one of the kids immediately messed up. Thankfully, Howard Stern and company were in more of a forgiving mood at this point in the show.

Speaking of decent performances, the judges managed to let an indie folk hipster-like band, called The Emily Ann Band, move forward. They sang a really strange rendition of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” that left half of the audience wondering what they just listened to. Oh well, they advanced to the next round along with so-so stand up comedian Kellen and a martial arts dance group that messed up at one point.

Thankfully the last performer of the night deserved to not only be on this stage but definitely deserves to make it all the way to the finals. Alonso Jones, aka Turf, is a hip hop contortionist dancer who was kicked out of his house for wanting to pursue his dreams. He was homeless for two years and danced for money on the street until he could afford his own apartment. The contortion may at times be uncomfortable to watch but man, he’s got some moves. Even Nick Cannon is speechless, his jaw hanging ajar while watching Turf at work. Once he’s done performing, Turf is moved to tears over the judges’ wonderfully kind words. “Just this right here… dream came true.” Yes, this man is going to Las Vegas.

That’s it for San Francisco’s portion of the auditions. Next week we’ll be watching the trio make their rounds in New York City, Howard Stern’s home turf, on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ airing this next Monday and Tuesday at 8 PM.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

ABC

With so many amazing contenders in the ‘Dancing with the Stars‘ semifinals, it was really anyone’s guess who’d leave after Tuesday night’s elimination show.

So which three couples will move on to next week’s big finale?

Hosts Tom Bergeron and Brooke Burke-Charvet, who was nice enough to introduce first-time viewers to her cleavage, kicked off the show by letting the judges choose an encore dance from performance night.

Len announced the honors would go to William and Cheryl’s samba, so the bronzed pair again took to the stage to showcase William’s bouncy backside to a grateful nation.

Then we got a backstage look at what exactly happened to Katherine after she flubbed the end of her second routine on Monday. Apparently a twinge in her back chose to make itself known at an inopportune time, and she was devastated — although it seemed she was more concerned about possibly costing Mark a spot in the finals than she was about herself.

Brooke’s cleavage called Katherine and Mark to the stage to learn their fate, and after they were told they were the first to make it to the finals, they jumped so high it honestly looked like they’d both been launched from ejector seats. Much rejoicing ensued, and we have to say we’re pleased we’ll get to see them next week.

Next up: Derek and Maria, who had a helluva night on Monday. But even though they were at the top of the judges’ leaderboard, they must have fallen short on audience votes because they were the first couple in jeopardy.

Then we got a peek at the upcoming ‘Rock of Ages‘ movie, only live on stage, featuring ‘DWTS’ vet Julianne Hough and the always-amazing Mary J. Blige. It was … well, see for yourself:

Donald and Peta were the next to be told they were in jeopardy, which course meant William and Cheryl moved on to the finals.

And in what many people will probably feel was a really shocking result, Maria and Derek were eliminated, even after getting one perfect score and one near-perfect score on Monday. Yeah, those audience votes do matter. (Is this a good time to say we predicted they’d come in fourth?)

But if Maria was surprised, she sure didn’t let it show. “I learned so many things,” she said about her time on the show. “I learned how strong I was. I learned to persevere.” Classy lady — and as we said, it really could’ve been anyone who went home.

See you next week, when we’ll finally find out who wins the coveted mirror ball trophy.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

As the full crowd waited for the bands to begin, Sara smiled a big snaggle toothed grin at us and fidgeted in her seat like most 6 year-olds do.   She was very proud of her new hearing aids, and she showed them off to my wife with a big happy grin.

Jeff Easterling

I snapped a quick pic, and of course Sara wanted to see.  I leaned over to show her the photo on my phone, and she saw a picture of my dog, and she perked right up, and exclaimed “dog”.  Mostly with sign-language and help from her grandma, Sara told me that she had a dog, then her face went as sad as you could imagine, and she waved her hands side to side and made the sign language gesture to tell me  “her dog had died”.

I don’t know sign language, and there is no way for me to explain the gesture she made with her hands, and the look of sadness on her face accurately here, but I knew exactly what she meant, before her grandma could even utter the words.  My heart broke for that sweet young girl, with all of the trials she’s had, and lost her dog too… I thought I might even get a little “misty-eyed” right there in the Rader Dome at Liberty Eylau High School.  Bless that little girls happy heart!

A few seconds later, the LE High School Band began the show, and Sara’s face again lit up and held a giant grin, as she pointed at the band with one hand and her ear with the other…  She could hear music!

Seeing this gave me a totally new appreciation for the magic in all forms of music, and I am thankful that I was there to experience this concert, and meet Sara.

Jeff Easterling

The Liberty Eylau High School Band had a superlative year. (Superlative is my new word, because I heard the band director use it many times…we tease because we love.)  But seriously, the band had a great year receiving top honors in multiple marching, and orchestra events.  I was very proud of them, and all that they accomplished this year.  I want them to know that on top of all of the awards, sweepstakes, and the glory you earned in competition, tonight you made a little girl very happy, with the beautiful music you made.

By the way, the Ray Charles Tribute was AWESOME!

If you, or someone you know has, or suspect they may have a child with a hearing problem, here is a site of resources for parents of deaf and hard of hearing children.

americanuniversity, YouTube

Usually when a person is graduating from college, she’s thinking about what kind of job she’ll get after school. This woman gets a surprise offer during graduation and suddenly has a different job to think about — the new and unexpected job of planning her wedding.

Graduation is definitely time for thinking about the future. Clearly, no one knows this better than the boyfriend of Sarah Cooper, a very recent graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs. Sam Miller decided that Cooper’s walk across the stage as she gets her diploma was the perfect time to pop the question.

It didn’t take long for everyone in the auditorium to understand exactly what was going on, despite the fact that they probably couldn’t hear it.

Cooper and Miller now have way more to celebrate than her accomplishments at university. They also have way more to prepare for than a post-college job hunt. Double congrats, Sarah!

Source: TheFW.com