COUNTRY March 31, 2015

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Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • Image of the Day • Joke of the Day! • Last Minute Items • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Video of the Day • Wacky-But-True

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DATEBOOK: MARCH 31, 2015

This is day 90 of 2015. There are 275 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Shirley Jones (The Partridge Family) is 81

• Christopher Walken is 72

• Gabe Kaplan (Welcome Back Kotter) is 71

• Former Vice President Al Gore is 67

• Rhea Perlman (Cheers) is 67

• Guitarist Angus Young of AC/DC is 60

• Ewan McGregor is 44

• Josh Saviano (Arnold’s best friend, Paul Pfeiffer, on The Wonder Years) is 39

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1842: Anesthesia was used for the first time in a surgical operation as Dr. Crawford Long of Georgia used it to remove a tumor from a student’s neck. The anesthetic was ether, developed from laughing gas and inhaled by sniffing it from a towel. Crawford had noticed that people under the influence of laughing gas at parties literally felt no pain. Previously opium, alcohol, or the root of mandrake had been used to reduce pain but often caused a patient’s death.

• 1889: The Eiffel Tower was inaugurated.

• 1903: Richard Pearse made the world’s first powered flight. After flying a few hundred yards he crashed into a hedge.

• 1918: Daylight Saving Time went into effect in the United States for the first time.

• 1951: The first commercial US made computer, UNIVAC I, was delivered to the United States Census Bureau.

• 1958: Chess Records released Chuck Berry’s Johnny B. Goode.

• 1966: The Soviet Union launched Luna 10 which later becomes the first space probe to enter orbit around the Moon.

• 1985: The Love Boat celebrated its 200th TV episode by honoring its 1,000th guest star, Lana Turner.

• 1989: Wrestlemania 5, pitting Hulk Hogan against Macho Man Savage, became the largest pay-per-view program in cable TV history.

• 1995: In Corpus Christi, Texas, Latin superstar Selena Quintanilla Perez was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, the president of her own fan club.

• 1998: God did not appear live at 10:00 a.m. on Channel 18 as predicted by a Taiwanese UFO cult in Garland, Texas. The group had predicted God’s appearance for months.

• 1999: During a promotional ride of a new roller coaster at the Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia, model Fabio was cut over the nose when a bid flew into his face.

• 2001: In Thessaloniki, Greece, two men using a crossbow to shoot drugs over a prison wall were arrested by police and charged with narcotics trafficking. Police had been staking out the Diavata prison after wardens discovered small bags of heroin and hashish hanging from the barbed wire atop the wall surrounding the penitentiary.

• 2005: An 83-year-old woman fought with an intruder in her Kingsport, Tennessee, home and fired two shots at him before he fled with her gun and purse. Mark Foulk was pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy about 20 minutes later and charged. Police said Foulk had an abrasion on his face that could have come from the muzzle of the gun when it was fired. Groseclose had a minor cut on her knee from the struggle but was not seriously injured.

• 2007: In Sydney, Australia, 2.2 million people took part in the first Earth Hour.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• National Week of the Ocean

• Eiffel Tower Day

• World Backup Day

• Crayola Crayon Day

• National Clam Day

UPCOMING

• April 1: April Fool’s Day (Wednesday)

• April 5: Easter (Sunday)

• April 5: Major League Baseball season opener (Sunday – Cards at Cubs, 8:05p ET)

• April 6: NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game (Monday)

• May 10: Mother’s Day (Sunday)

• May 25: Memorial Day (Monday)

• June 21: Father’s Day (Sunday)

• More holidays

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY

350 million: One initial estimate of the total amount, in dollars, Germanwings will have to pay out to families of those killed in last week’s crash.

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NEWS ATTACK!

McDonald’s is testing breakfast all day. [All day breakfast plus free WiFi. Now if they just didn’t have a problem with me in my pajamas. ]

Jon Cryer’s memoir about his crazy days in Hollywood is coming out next week. [The craziest story is the one about the time Charlie Sheen showed up for work stone cold sober.]

AMC gave a glimpse of The Walking Dead new spinoff Fear The Walking Dead. [I’m waiting for the other spinoff, The Walking Dead and the Last Crusade.]

The Internet has been outraged over people posting selfies in front of that gas explosion in New York City. [“And in this pic here’s me and my BFF in front of the people drowning on the Titanic.”]

Ford is bringing back the redesigned Lincoln Continental. [This time it’s only half the size of your apartment.]

Union organizers are trying to get better working conditions for underpaid minor league baseball players. [Do you have any idea what it’s like to be stuck in center field without a bathroom break?]

Hugh Jackman says that he’s only gonna play Wolverine once more. [Apparently he’s developed a severe allergy to money.]

In South Africa a lion jumped through a tourist’s car window and mauled his legs. [The man is being treated for bites and scratches from sharp teeth and claws. And the lion is being treated for scratches and bruises from some nasty razor stubble.]

Three teens in central Ohio were arrested for damaging 70 cars with shots from BB guns. [Summer’s not here, and school’s not out, and yet it’s already the season for being bored and stupid.]

Christopher Walken turned 72 today. [These days he needs the volume turned up on everything not just the cowbell.]

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NEWS & NUGGETS

AMAZON LAUNCHES “HOME SERVICES” BUSINESS _ On Monday Amazon officially announced Amazon Home Services, a marketplace where customers can request repair work and personal lessons from service providers in their area. Services are provided by individual contractors, not Amazon, but those contractors are rated by customers and vetted by the online shopping giant. All services provided are backed by Amazon. • Link

… Services include things like assembling a bed, installing a garbage disposal, drum lessons, setting up a wireless printer, and goat grazing. (Really.)

TIGER WOODS OUT OF GOLF’S TOP 100 FOR FIRST TIME SINCE ’96 _ Tiger Woods is no longer considered one of the best 100 pro golfers in the world. For the first time since he was barely a professional golfer at age 20, Woods fell outside the Official World Golf Ranking’s Top 100 Monday. Woods last played in the Waste Management Phoenix Open on February 2, where he was cut after the first two rounds. Yahoo! Sports reports Woods continues to work on his golf game at a Florida country club and acquaintances say he looks pretty good. It remains to be seen whether Tiger will play in the Masters starting April 9.

MAN’S INSISTENCE ON FOLLOWING GPS ENDS IN TRAGEDY _ GPS is a great invention but, let’s face it, it’s making us really lazy. Not only do people not bother to learn how to read maps anymore, people are beginning to believe GPS over their own eyes. And in this case, it led to tragedy. Police believe that a woman died after her husband drove off a demolished bridge — because GPS told him to. The couple were reportedly driving in East Chicago, Indiana, when the man (Iftikhar Hussain) drove straight off an elevated section of a highway ramp that was demolished and had been closed since 2009. Despite the fact that numerous barricades and signs reading “Road Closed” blocked the bridge, the man reportedly drove right around them — and investigators think it’s because he was dutifully following GPS. • Bridge photo

COFFEE CAN COUNTERACT DEADLY EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL ON YOUR LIVER _ New research from the World Cancer Research Fund International has confirmed that obesity and regular alcohol intake can lead to liver cancer, but also show that drinking coffee regularly is linked to a decreased risk for liver cancer. How is coffee helping your liver? According to the study, which was based on 34 studies from around the world involving 8.2 million adults, 24,500 of whom had liver cancer, “compounds in coffee have been shown to induce the body’s defense system, activating, for example, the enzyme which mitigates the effects of toxins including aflatoxin” (a potent carcinogen found in much of the food we eat). In addition, coffee has “been shown to reduce the expression of genes involved in inflammation, and the effects appear to be most pronounced in the liver.” In other words, drink coffee.

#STUFFONMYBABY: HASHTAG GOES VIRAL ON SOCIAL MEDIA _ The hashtag #stuffonmybaby is now trending on social media and the hilarious photos parents are posting of their infants are going viral. For those who are not familiar with the #stuffonmy hashtag, kids are not the only victims of pranks. There is also a #stuffonmycat. • Link

WOMAN FINDS KIDNEY DONOR USING HER CAR WINDOW _ It’s not everyone who appeals to strangers they pass on the road to give them an organ, and it’s definitely not everyone who spots such an appeal, turns to his wife, and says, “Did you get her number? Text her right now.” But two such strangers found each other on a road in Maine after 24-year-old Christine Royles scrawled this plea on her car window. She’d written: “Looking for someone to donate me their kidney. Must have type O blood.” Diagnosed with lupus-related kidney failure early last year, Royles went on a waiting list of 100,000; of those, some 17,000 a year get transplants. Not liking her chances, Royles tried her unusual approach.

… Josh Dall-Leighton saw Royles message and got in touch with her, and has since been identified as a potential match.

McDONALD’S INTRODUCES TABLE SERVICE IN GERMANY _ Imagine that you’re visiting a large restaurant at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany. You take a seat and give your order to a roving server, who taps it into a tablet computer and takes payment. Then your food arrives, which is… Big Macs and fries? What is this? When did McDonald’s start offering table service? It’s part of an experiment at the 500-seat McDonald’s at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, where the fast-foodery will try a new experiment in bringing food to people.

UPDATE: PETITION WANTS SPECIAL NEEDS KID TO WEAR LETTER JACKET _ I told you Monday about Michael Kelly, a Kansas high school student who plays on Wichita East’s special needs basketball team. His mother bought Kelly a letter jacket and a varsity letter to show his participation. But when Kelly, who has Down syndrome and autism, wore the jacket to school, he was forced to remove it and put on a sweatshirt instead. According to school principal Ken Thiessen, it’s because Kelly isn’t actually on the varsity team.

… Now a Change.org petition asking Wichita East to allow special needs students to letter has over 50,000 signatures.

WOMAN THANKS POLICE WITH 17 YEARS OF CHOCOLATES _ For 17 years a woman in China has been giving chocolates to the local police unit that saved her and her family from carbon monoxide poisoning. The woman has given four officers chocolate every year to express her gratitude and commemorate the heroic act on February 14, 1998, when officers found her husband, their 7-year-old son and 8-year-old nephew unconscious in their home.

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WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: BODY FALLS OUT OF COFFIN DURING PROCESSION _ A video of a funeral procession in Indonesia is going viral. The video shows the moment the body falls out of the coffin and on to the road below. The coffin was reportedly made from green canvas and was apparently not strong enough to hold the body securely. • Video Editor: Almost looks staged.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: OVERWEIGHT MAN DELAYS TRAIN _ An overweight train passenger in the UK caused heavy delays after he became stuck underneath a table. The man dozed off during a commute, slipped from his seat, and became wedged underneath the table. When the man woke up, he realized he was stuck beneath the bolted-down table and had to ask for help from train staff. Several workers tried to free the man but eventually called in the fire department. They removed the table and set the man free.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TEEN TRIES TO PROVE HE’S MILITARY TOUGH _ A 16-year-old in India has done the ultimate to prove he is tough enough to one day join the army. The teen was upset after being teased by friends over his ambition to join up, so he did what any kid would do — he drove nails into his hands and feet. He’ll be released from the hospital in a couple of days.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: ROBBER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A CAB _ In Sweden, a man wearing a ski mask used a gun to hold up a store. Then he ran out and got on a bus. When the police investigated, they tracked down the bus, pulled it over, grabbed the only passenger on board and took him in for questioning. The man claimed he had nothing to do with the crime, and was upset because he had left his backpack on the bus. The police showed him a backpack that the driver had turned in and asked the suspect if it was his. He confirmed that it was and seemed relieved to have it back — until the cops opened it up and found a ski mask and gun.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: LET THE WOMAN DRIVE _ In Scotland, a man was sitting in the passenger seat of the car while his girlfriend was driving. After he had complained for a solid hour about the way she drove, she stopped the car, switched places with him, and let him take the wheel. He promptly drove the car into a tree. On top of that, when the cops came they gave him a $500 ticket for driving without a license.

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ON TELEVISION

THE VOICE (8p ET, NBC) — This “new” edition is a recap of the best moments from the season so far, including new footage of the coaches.

NCIS (8p ET, CBS) — Lisa Banes (Gone Girl, Royal Pains) guest stars in this new episode.

FRESH OFF THE BOAT (8p ET, ABC) — Rex Lee (Suburgatory, Entourage) guest stars in this new episode.

HELL’S KITCHEN (8p ET, FOX) — New

THE FLASH (8p ET, CW) — Mark Hamill (Star Wars) guest stars in this new episode.

REPEAT AFTER ME (8:30p ET, ABC) — New

PREMIERE: THE DOVEKEEPERS (9p ET, CBS) — This two-part, four-hour miniseries from executive producers Roma Downey and Mark Burnett is based on a historical novel by Alice Hoffman. Cote de Pablo (NCIS), Rachel Brosnahan (House of Cards) and Kathryn Prescott (Finding Carter) and Sam Neill star in this tale based on the true events at Masada in 70 C.E. revolving around a group of extraordinary women whose lives intersect in a fight for survival.

MARVEL’S AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D. (9p ET, ABC) — New

UNDATEABLE (9p ET, NBC) — New

NEW GIRL (9p ET, FOX) — Houston Texans star J.J. Watt, Nora Dunn (Saturday Night Live) and Nasim Pedrad (Mulaney) guest star in this new episode.

iZOMBIE (9p ET, CW) — New

ONE BIG HAPPY (9:30p ET, NBC) — New

SERIES PREMIERE: WEIRD LONERS (9:30p ET, FOX) — This new comedy follows the adventures of four friends living next door to each other trying to navigate their lives in New York City. Becki Newton (Ugly Betty) and Zachary Knighton (Happy Endings) star.

FOREVER (10p ET, ABC) — Cuba Gooding, Jr. and David Krumholtz again guest star in this new episode.

CHICAGO FIRE (10p ET, NBC) — Repeat

SERIES FINALE: COUGAR TOWN (10:30p ET, TBS) — After 6 seasons, Cougar Town says farewell.

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ENTERTAINMENT

JAY Z LAUNCHES HIS OWN MUSIC STREAMING SERVICE _ Jay Z held a press conference in New York filled with some of the biggest names in music in order to promote his new streaming site Tidal. The press conference started off by talking about the history of music, and then moved on to say that Tidal is owned by artists, claiming that it will “continue to evolve.” A Tidal spokesperson said that the site will also include full offline play, just like Spotify. Then, a long line-up of musicians was introduced, including Tidal owner Jay Z, Beyoncé, Daft Punk, Madonna, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and more.

… Alicia Keys emphasized that Tidal is the world’s first streaming platform owned by musicians. She went on to say that Tidal will deliver “exclusive experiences that will be available nowhere else.”

… Tidal is $9.99 per month, but a version with extremely high quality music is $19.99 monthly.

PAULA PATTON TALKS LIFE POST ROBIN THICKE DIVORCE _ Paula Patton has opened up about her life following her recent divorce from Robin Thicke, and she’s admitted that she’s already on the road to recovery. Patton was talking to Meredith Vieira about her recent divorce during her appearance on The Meredith Vieira Show, which will air today (Tuesday). The 39-year-old explained to Vieira that following her initial separation from the singer in February, 2014, after almost nine years of marriage, she is beginning to feel different: “It’s been a long year and a lot of challenges but I’ve grown quite a bit and just getting used to change.” And Patton has confessed that she is now beginning to feel like an adult, especially since she went from living with her parents to moving in with Robin: “I moved from my parents house to moving in with Robin, and now I’m like becoming an adult at this old age. I’m really like a real woman now.”

NBC TO STAGE LIVE VERSION OF THE WIZ _ NBC says its next live television production of a musical will be The Wiz. No casting has been disclosed yet. The classic 1978 movie musical starred Diana Ross, Michael Jackson and Lena Horne. The December 3 version will feature Cirque du Soleil performers. The company’s new stage theatrical division will co-produce the live TV event and then present it as a major Broadway revival for the 2016-17 season.

HELEN MIRREN WANTS TO DO FAST & FURIOUS MOVIE _ With Furious 7 just days away, you might be thinking that an eighth movie in the Fast & Furious movie series it probably too much. But what if I told you the legendary Helen Mirren wants to be in it? In a new interview Mirren said it is her “greatest ambition” to be in the next one. She said, “I so want to be a mad driver in a Fast and Furious movie. My claim to fame is I always do my own driving … I’ll be in Fast and Furious 8.”

VACATION GETS PRIME SUMMER DATE _ In a big show of confidence, Warner Bros. is moving Vacation into summer. The reboot of the 1980s comedy franchise will hit theaters July 31. It was originally set to open Oct. 9.

… Vacation stars Chris Hemsworth, Leslie Mann, Ed Helms, Christina Applegate and Charlie Day, with original castmembers Chevy Chase and Beverly D’Angelo making cameos.

DENNIS HOPPER’S LAST FILM REACHES $90,000 KICKSTARTER GOAL _ A Kickstarter campaign to complete Dennis Hopper’s unreleased final film has topped its $90,000 fundraising goal in three weeks. The funds will enable director Linda Yellen to finish the comedy, The Last Film Festival, which was halted in 2010 when Hopper died. The funds will pay for the rights to use footage from other motion pictures, edit the movie and add special effects to complete the film’s narrative. Yellen said she plans to release the movie in May to coincide with the fifth anniversary of Hopper’s death.

… The Last Film Festival tells the story of a big-shot Hollywood producer, played by Hopper, whose recent flop of a film is accepted in just one film festival. The cast includes Jacqueline Bisset, Joseph Cross, JoBeth Williams, Katrina Bowden, Chris Kattan, Leelee Sobieski and Donnell Rawlings.

… One backer paid $4,000 for a dinner with Bisset and three backers paid $10,000 each for an associate producer credit.

ROBIN WILLIAMS’ WIDOW AND CHILDREN AGREE TO MEDIATION _ The legal battle between Robin Williams’ widow and his children appears to be nearing a peaceful conclusion. Attorneys for Williams’ widow, Susan Schneider, and his three children from previous marriages, squared off in probate court in San Francisco on Monday and agreed to private mediation, hoping to settle a dispute regarding the contents of his estate. Schneider and Williams’ children have disagreed over who can claim certain contents of the couple’s Tiburon, California, home.

… Williams’ will entitles his children to clothing, jewelry, personal photos taken prior to his marriage to Schneider, as well as awards, memorabilia and tangible personal property from his home, where he was found dead last August. Schneider argues that Williams’ will entitles her to certain items, such as his watches and other personal effects.

… During the hearing, both sides agreed to meet informally in the next two weeks to arrange a pick-up of various items at the Williams’ home and to have a private mediation before late April.

THE WALKING DEAD HAS RECORD-SETTING SEASON 5 FINALE _ The Walking Dead has done it again. Sunday’s Season 5 finale was the highest-rated finale in series history. The episode delivered 15.8 million viewers. AMC expects those numbers to exceed more than 20 million when time-shifted viewing is accounted for.

RUMOR: STAR TREK COULD RETURN TO TV _ Over the weekend, a new rumor cropped up about Star Trek returning to television. A source says CBS is looking to do a new Star Trek series, and that Bryan Singer’s name has been mentioned as a possible executive producer.

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AUDIO

Visit the Pro Audio page for thousands of archived audio cuts.

WARDROBE MALFUNCTIONS

Wardrobe malfunctions. Share your story and then go to the phones. Here are three calls that will help. » click for download page

APRIL FOOL’S DAY DROPS

A package of clips relating to April Fool’s Day. » click for download page

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BITS & BREAKS

NEW ON DVD TODAY

• The Imitation Game

• Interstellar

• Wild

• Gravity: Special Edition

• VEEP: Season 3

DOWNLOAD THIS APP!

So you’re watching a movie or TV show and decide you wouldn’t mind owning the outfit the actor is wearing onscreen. What do you do? Fire up an app, of course. Just let the Spylight app listen for a few seconds and it’ll handle the rest — it identifies the show and then pulls up a detailed breakdown of what the actors are wearing. • iOS app

… Spylight is essentially Shazam for fashion. Shazam is an app that listens to a few seconds of a song you’re hearing and then tells you the title and artist.

THE MOST INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS PREGNANT WOMEN GET AT WORK

The blog The Stir asked women to share the inappropriate comments they got at work during their pregnancy.

• “When I was pregnant, I had a perpetual stuffy nose. One day my boss asked if I was coming down with a cold. I said no, when you’re pregnant, your sinuses tend to swell. While staring at my chest he said, ‘Yeah, that’s not the only thing that swells.'”

• “A coworker leaned in to pick fuzz off my hair — I have big hair — rather than just telling me. I was startled and jumped back, and she was like, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said, ‘I don’t like to be touched.’ She looks at my pregnant belly and says, ‘Well you must have liked being touched at some
point.'”

• “I was working as a senior graphic designer for a Christian publisher. I worked up until the day my first was born and will never forget what my senior colleague asked me. We were talking in his office about a recent cover design when he turned to me, staring at my breasts and asked: ‘So those are filled with milk right now?’ Not missing a beat I nodded my head, raised my eyebrows and replied, ‘Yep.'”

• “My boss walked past me during my eighth month and said, ‘Are you sure you just have one in there?'”

• “I’m pregnant with my second child, and the men in my office can say the strangest comments that make me feel uncomfortable. I think they mean well, so I try not to let it bother me. One particular male coworker asks me how I’m feeling almost every day, and usually I am feeling good, so I say so and he seems surprised, like he expects me to be in a lot of pain or something. I always reply and ask how he’s doing and he says something like ‘I’m doing okay, I’m not pregnant.'”

• “Someone asked me if my baby had the same father as my other child.”

THE STUFF YOU CAN ANONYMOUSLY SHIP YOUR ENEMIES

Glitter – You’ve no doubt heard about Ship Your Enemies Glitter. Customers can either pay $9.99 to ship an ordinary bag of glitter, or pay $19.99 for the utterly horrific-sounding “Glittery Cupcake.”

Poop – PoopSenders will send your friend or enemy “a healthy helping of some of the nastiest, stinkiest, fresh poop packages you have ever seen.” The current offerings are cow poop, elephant poop, gorilla poop, or a 1-gallon combo poop pack, in case there’s someone you really, really hate.

Mayonnaise – Mayobymail lets you anonymously send envelopes of mayo to your enemies. Each delivery is also accompanied by a note that says, “My hate for Mayonnaise is only matched by my hate for you.”

The Middle Finger – For the low, low price of $5, Bird By Mail lets you anonymously ship a piece of paper emblazoned with an image of a hand giving the middle finger. The folded paper also says “Hi!” in bubbly lettering on the outside, to lull your victims into a false sense of security.

Prank Candles – The products offered by WTF Candles harken back to a more traditional era of pranking. The candles — which can be sent anonymously — start off smelling great, but gradually transform into disgusting odor-emitters. One of the company’s more popular offerings: the Baby Powder to Baby Diaper Prank Candle.

Nothing – Because there’s nothing sadder than receiving mail and then finding out there’s nothing inside. Ship Your Friends Nothing offers a variety of products — everything from a $3.99 regular envelope to a $12.99 box that includes packaging peanuts.

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FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: Interested in a government job? The FBI owns 17 of these but has just two people who know how to use them. (Drones)

TRIVIA: According to a recent survey, 24% of Americans think this guy is an imminent threat to America. (Barack Obama. Republicans think he’s more of an imminent threat than Democrats, of course.)

TRIVIA: This industry cut over 60,000 jobs worldwide in 2014. (Banking)

TRIVIA: During World War II this was used to smuggle maps, compasses and small saws into German POW camps. (Monopoly)

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JOKE OF THE DAY

As couple sat in their living room watching TV when the phone rang. The husband picked it up, listened for a moment and then screamed, “How should I know? Check the Internet!” and hung up. “What was that all about?” the wife asked. The husband replied, “Some idiot keeps calling wanting to know whether the coast is clear.”

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

Meteorologist forgot to take the wire hanger out of his jacket.

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BONUS VIDEO OF THE DAY

Guy escapes tow truck in Chicago.

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

Suggested Facebook text:

Can we borrow $7,000? Just for the heck of if it we checked the price for one seat for the Final Four games on StubHub…

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LAST MINUTE ITEMS

• How to remove a wasp infestation with a shop vac.

• This is sand.

• Orbital objects.

• Yarn dissection.

• Vine: Dog finds the perfect stick.

• How to say sh** (and other words) in any language.

• How would you be in Mars years?

• This site says what you type using movie and TV clips.

• Bouncy Balls.

• There will soon be 299 under-ocean cables that connect the world to the Internet.

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COUNTRY DATEBOOK: MARCH 31, 2015

• 1928: LEFTY FRIZZELL was born. His list of No. 1s includes Always Late (With Your Kisses) and Saginaw, Michigan. Lefty died in 1975.

• 1957: JOHNNY CASH, CARL PERKINS, JERRY LEE LEWIS, OBIE WHEELER and GLENN DOUGLAS opened a tour of the south in Little Rock, Arkansas.

• 1962: PATSY CLINE’s She’s Got You began a five week run at the top of the country singles chart.

• 1992: WYNONNA’s self-titled debut CD was released. Hits included She Is His Only Need, No One Else On Earth and I Saw The Light.

• 1995: REBA MCENTIRE and BROOKS & DUNN teamed up to film the music video for their song If You See Him/If You See Her.

• 2004: KENNY CHESNEY’s album When The Sun Goes Down spent its eighth straight week at the top of the Country Albums chart.

• 2009: TAYLOR SWIFT scored her fourth number one with White Horse.

• 2009: KEITH URBAN’s album Defying Gravity was released. Hits included Sweet Thing, Kiss A Girl and ‘Til Summer Comes Around.

JOHN D. LOUDERMILK is 81

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COUNTRY AUDIO

RAELYNN wants to be on Dancing with the Stars. » go to download page

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COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

BROOKS & DUNN will take the stage for their first televised performance since 2010 at the 50th Academy of Country Music Awards on April 19. Other performers added to the show’s lineup Monday were ALAN JACKSON, MARTINA MCBRIDE, RASCAL FLATTS, LADY ANTEBELLUM, BRAD PAISLEY and LITTLE BIG TOWN. The ACMs will air live on CBS from AT&T Stadium in Dallas and will be hosted by LUKE BRYAN and BLAKE SHELTON.

The 2015 iHeartRadio Festival has added DIERKS BENTLEY, DARIUS RUCKER, LITTLE BIG TOWN, THE BAND PERRY, SAM HUNT and TYLER FARR to its lineup of performers for the May 2 event in Austin. They join previously announced performers BRAD PAISLEY, TIM MCGRAW, BRANTLEY GILBERT and RASCAL FLATTS. Footage of the event will air on NBC May 27.

DARIUS RUCKER will make appearances today (Tuesday) on The Today Show as well as ESPN’s Mike & Mike and SportsCenter to promote the release of his fourth album, Southern Style.

The Academy of Country Music’s 3rd Annual Lifting Lives concert event will take place April 17-18 at Globe Live Park in Arlington, Texas. The outdoor concerts will include performances by KIP MOORE, TYLER FARR, JUSTIN MOORE, MADDIE & TAE, DAN + SHAY, COLE SWINDELL A THOUSAND HORSES, MICHAEL RAY, SAM HUNT, FRANKIE BALLARD and KELSEA BALLERINI among others. The nighttime portion of the shows will showcase country heavy hitters DIERKS BENTLEY, LUKE BRYAN, PATTY LOVELESS, CLINT BLACK, DWIGHT YOAKAM, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE and the ELI YOUNG BAND, among others. Those nighttime concerts will be filmed for a two hour special to air May 15 called ACM Duets.

JASON ALDEAN was on hand Monday at the launch of Tidal, a new music streaming service co-owned by Jay Z. The service says it’s different from Pandora and Spotify because it’s owned by musicians, with playlists curated by musicians. The high-end version is $20 a month, which delivers a super high-quality audio format most streaming services don’t provide.

KENNY CHESNEY is asking fans to donate their old iPods to Alzheimer’s patients as part of the Music & Memory program. Kenny, who filmed a public service announcement for the cause, says the music downloaded on the players can help Alzheimer’s patients re-connect with positive memories. More details can be found at MusicAndMemory.org. • Video

WILLIE NELSON has revealed the lineup for his 42nd Annual 4th of July Picnic to be held this year in Austin. Performers joining him will include ERIC CHURCH, MERLE HAGGARD, KACEY MUSGRAVES, ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, DAVID ALLAN COE, JAMEY JOHNSON and BILLY JOE SHAVER.

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE’s Brian Kelly may be from the Sunshine State (Florida), but his favorite baseball team is the Atlanta Braves. Brian says he was a fan of the Braves growing up, pitching while in college, and even modeled his game after former Braves starter Tom Glavine. Brian also fondly recalls trips to Nashville when he and his family would stop off in Atlanta and see the Braves play. His prediction for the 2015 Braves: 92-70.

The PBS series Front & Center returns this weekend to start a new season. Musical guests will include HUNTER HAYES (April 4); BRANDY CLARK (April 11); SARA EVANS and MARTINA MCBRIDE (April 18); and LITTLE BIG TOWN (April 25). The artists will perform alongside some of Nashville’s top songwriters as part of CMA Songwriters Series episodes.