COUNTRY May 5, 2015

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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: MAY 5, 2015

This is day 125 of 2015. There are 240 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Pat Carroll is 88

• Michael Palin (Monty Python) is 72

• TV personality Kurt Loder is 70

• John Rhys-Davies (Lord of the Rings, Raiders of the Lost Ark) is 71

• Newsman Brian Williams is 56

• TV personality Kyan Douglas (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy) is 44

• Tina Yothers (Family Ties) is 42

• Danielle Fishel (Boy Meets World) is 34

• Henry Cavill (Man of Steel, the upcoming Man from U.N.C.L.E.) is 32

• Adele is 27

• Singer Chris Brown is 26

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1923: Syracuse University refused to let a student, Bernice Goldstein, graduate because she could not learn to swim.

• 1925: John T. Scopes was served an arrest warrant for teaching evolution in violation of the Butler Act.

• 1944: Mohandas Gandhi was freed from prison.

• 1961: Alan Shepard became the first American to travel into space, making a sub-orbital flight of 15 minutes.

• 1962: The Westside Story soundtrack album reached #1 in Billboard and stayed there 54 weeks.

• 1978: Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds registered his 3,000th major league hit.

• 1986: Britain’s William Whorriskey set a world record by lifting five barrels filled with water totaling 771 pounds. With one arm.

• 1999: A man who admitted making thousands of obscene phone calls over a 3-year-period was arrested in Vienna, Austria, after one of the women told him she was busy and would return his call. So he gave her his phone number.

• 2000: The world’s first cloned mouse, Cumulina, died of old age at 2 years, 7 months.

• 2002: A drunk teenager walked away virtually unscathed after a train ran over him when he collapsed on a railway line in Trondhiem, Norway. The 18-year-old passed out lengthways on the tracks and the 82-ton train went within inches of his head at 75 miles an hour. The teen slept through the entire episode and walked away with a small cut on the chin and a hole in the front of his shirt.

• 2004: Picasso’s 1905 painting “Boy with a Pipe” sold for $104 million at Sotheby’s in New York, setting a new record for an auctioned painting.

• 2005: A 38-year-old suburban New York City man allegedly admitted to police he drank 10 beers before lighting a commercial-grade firework inside his home, blowing up the house and burning himself and a female companion. A sheriff’s spokesman said the firework — designed to spread a pattern up to 50 feet across — was set in an 8 by 8 room.

• 2009: A new study revealed that the French spend more time at the table and in bed than other nations.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Cinco de Mayo

• Teacher Appreciation Day

• Cartoonists Day

• Oyster Day

• Ferret Day

UPCOMING

• May 10: Mother’s Day (Sunday)

• May 20: David Letterman’s final show (Wednesday)

• May 25: Memorial Day (Monday)

• June 21: Father’s Day (Sunday)

• More holidays

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY

19,932: Guest appearances over 33 on David Letterman’s two late night talk shows (as of May 20, 2015, his final show).

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NEWS ATTACK!

Prince William and his wife Kate announced Monday that their new baby princess has been named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. [Wait, I thought there was a boxing match that would determine her name. So she’s not going to be called “Floyd”?]

The historic Riviera Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas closed its doors for good Monday after 60 years. It dates back to when the mafia still ran Vegas. [The place is loaded with memories and bullet holes.]

Pope Francis told a group of elderly and sick worshippers to pray for him because he, too, is old and sickly. [But he says that he firmly believes that he still could have taken both Mayweather and Pacquiao.]

A New York auction house says that it expects to set new world records with the sale of a painting by Picasso, a sculpture by Giacometti… [and a poster for Avengers: Age of Ultron.]

The Las Vegas stage show Duck Commander Musical, based on the TV reality show Duck Dynasty, has closed after less than two months. [Because sometimes even Vegas shows good taste.]

The British royal couple announced the name of their new baby. [I had no idea that they were such big fans of Game of Thrones.]

An analysis of beards revealed that they’re as filthy as toilets. [Figures. After all, most of them look like toilet brushes.]

An analysis of beards revealed that they’re as filthy as toilets. [So, whatever you do don’t let your dog eat any of the cookie crumbs Santa leaves behind.]

According to a new study, once people try it, they have just as much fun going out by themselves. [That news couldn’t come at a better time for Lindsay Vonn.]

New research shows that optimism is overrated. [I wonder if the researchers were confident that that’s what they’d find.]

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NEWS & NUGGETS

PRINCESS CHARLOTTE _ Prince William and his wife Kate announced Monday that their new baby princess has been named Charlotte Elizabeth Diana. The names were interpreted as a tribute to both sides of the family. Charlotte had been the bookmakers’ late favorite and is the feminine form of the name of William’s father Prince Charles, the heir to the throne. Elizabeth is the middle name of Kate’s mother Carole and the name of the reigning British monarch, great-grandmother Queen Elizabeth II. Most sentimental of all is perhaps the baby’s third name, Diana. It was the name of William’s late mother, who struggled under the glare of celebrity and died aged 36 in a 1997 Paris car crash.

FORTUNE TELLERS SAY BRITAIN’S NEW PRINCESS IS ‘STRONG-WILLED’ _ Britain’s new princess will be a strong-willed and innovative free spirit who will re-energize the royal family, according to fortune tellers. The daughter of Prince William and his wife Kate was born on Saturday, falling under the Chinese zodiac sign of the sheep and with a personal element of earth. A feng shui expert said her birthday combination is “a very strong one. It indicates that she will give good luck to her family. She has artistic talent and does not like to stick with the status quo, unlike her brother who will be more disciplined and reserved.” She will be a happy girl, someone who does not like to follow the rules.

ARE YOU AN OVERWEIGHT DIABETIC? SOME POSSIBLE GOOD NEWS _ Scientists (University of Hull) said Monday that patients with type-2 diabetes who are overweight but not obese outlive diabetics of normal weight. In the study, although overweight and obese patients had an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes, they were more likely to stay alive than normal-weight diabetics.

7-YEAR-OLDS KISS AT SCHOOL, COPS SHOW UP TO BUST THEM _ Cops were called to investigate a Florida school for an odd reason: two 7-year-olds kissed on the lips during class. This police probe was called to find out whether the behavior could be deemed “lewd and lascivious.” According to police reports, the teacher witnessed the children smooching, but there was “no indication that there was anything sexual” about the incident. Cops determined no laws had been broken, and recommended the case be closed.

McDONALD’S INTRODUCES DELIVERY IN NEW YORK CITY _ Ronald McDonald is making house calls. McDonald’s is introducing delivery to parts of New York City. The service will be available to people in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens all day, every day from its 88 locations in that vicinity. There will be a fee for delivery, although the details had not been announced. It will also not deliver ice-cream cones, for obvious reasons. The service could be expanded to other cities if it is successful.

MICROSOFT WILL LET YOU GIVE PEOPLE THE FINGER VIA EMOJI _ When Windows 10 comes, it’s bringing a rude new emoji with it. Windows 10 will allow users to send and receive a hand with the middle finger extended. Most services, like texting on iPhone, don’t allow it to display so Windows users might be stuck flipping each other off.

FACIAL HAIR CAN CONTAIN MORE FECES THAN A DIRTY TOILET _ Hipsters everywhere are horrified by news this week that their much-loved facial hair may contain more feces than a toilet. Researchers say if the water system contained as much bacteria as the average beard, it would be shut down. Professor Anthony Hilton, head of biological and biomedical sciences at Aston University in the UK, said research has confirmed beards can spread bacteria. The study looked at whether surgical masks caught bacteria falling from surgeons faces, and whether having a beard affected how many bacteria fell. What they found was that men with beards do harbor a significant number of bacteria, more than non-bearded men and women.

… However, while there is evidence beards are filled with bacteria, there is no proof this leads to health problems. After all, it’s not uncommon to find 20,000 bacteria on the skin, and this isn’t harmful.

… And other experts argue that beards are no less hygienic than a clean-shaven face.

CHEETOS POPCORN COULD BE A THING SOON _ There are plenty of cheddar popcorns out there, but nothing compares to the cheese-tastic flavor of Cheetos. Apparently Cheetos is experimenting with launching movie theater popcorn. It’s only in its concept stage now.

SUPERMAN COP DRIVES 11 HOURS TO SURPRISE SICK BOY _ With cops getting a lot of negative media attention lately, here’s a story that’s definitely positive. Senior Corporal Damon Cole with Dallas PD has a big “S” hiding underneath his uniform. He’s part of a group called Heroes, Cops and Kids. It’s five Dallas police officers who dress up as superheroes and go to schools, churches and hospitals to interact with the community and kids.”

… Cole noticed a Facebook page about a seven-year-old boy with cancer named Bryce Schottel. Cole saw a post where those running the Facebook page were wanting the superhero cops to take pictures with the Team Bryce logo. Cole decided that wasn’t enough, so he packed his cape and drove 11 hours from Dallas to Smithton, Illinois (southeast of St. Louis) to surprise him. Cole gave him a Superman Action Figure, a ride in his Superman-mobile and a spare Superman cape.

MOMS FEEL UNDER-APPRECIATED _ Mothers across the country like being mothers, but they also tend to feel under-appreciated and less valued by society, according to a study on motherhood. The research (University of Connecticut and the University of Minnesota) found 81 percent of moms are “very” satisfied with life as a mom, but nearly 1 in 5 (19 percent) said they felt less valued by society since becoming a mom.

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WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DRUNK WOMAN CALLS COPS ON BARTENDER _ A woman called for sheriff’s deputies in Naples, Florida. When they arrived, she told them she had been in a bar, “dancing with Jim Carey in the Batman costume,” and she wanted them to ask the bartender why he threw her out. The bartender at Jack’s Bait Shack reportedly said the woman had been harassing the men at the bar, so deputies told her that they were going to go along with what he did. The woman didn’t appreciate that and allegedly flicked a lit cigarette at a deputy, hitting him, and started fighting them, screaming that she was “mafia and married to a man in the FBI…” Deputies were not intimidated and arrested the woman.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: FIRE STATION CATCHES FIRE _ Fire departments in Williams County, Ohio, responded to a fire at a fire station on Sunday. Three fire departments responded to the fire at the fire station. There were no injuries.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN EATS EVIDENCE TO FOIL COPS _ A woman caught trying to distribute counterfeit money tried to foil police with her mouth. According to a police report the woman and a friend planned to spend the fake money in a hobby store. After the pair had left the store, the owner noticed that the bill note that he had been given was too smooth to be real money. He then went out and grabbed the women, holding them until police arrived. Once the cops were on the scene the alleged counterfeiter snatched the incriminating note and chowed down on it. But she soon vomited up the paper shreds. And police found other fake bills in a book she was carrying.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DRUNK DRIVER MAKES COPS’ JOB EASIER _ As police were investigating a late-night crime in Tampa, Florida, with two patrol cars parked in the street with their strobe lights flashing, a car drove up and smashed into one of the parked police cruisers, ramming it into the other. Its driver, a 32-year-old woman, was arrested for drunk driving. And what were the officers investigating? Another drunk driver.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: BILL PROPOSES SENTENCING WOMEN TO PRISON IF THEY WEAR YOGA PANTS _ A lawmaker in Helena, Montana is trying to make the state’s “indecent exposure law” include yoga pants. Representative David Moore introduced House Bill 365 last week. He said the bill is in response to a group of nude bicyclists who participated in a group bicycle ride through the city of Missoula back in August. The proposed bill would drastically expand the existing indecent exposure law to include any sort of expose of nipples — including men’s — or any clothing that “gives the appearance or simulates” buttocks, genitals, pelvic area or female nipple.

… That means men and women can’t go topless for any reason and yoga pants that reveal the shape of one’s buttocks are completely prohibited.

Start it on Facebook, take it to the phones: Finish this sentence: “They should send people to jail for wearing ________ .”

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: THOR GETS ARRESTED _ He ran through the town without any clothes. He yelled he was a god. And he got frisky with a tree. Police say Kenneth Crowder, who also claimed he was Thor, was high on something and that after he attempted to stab an officer with his own badge he was arrested.

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ON TELEVISION

NCIS (8p ET, CBS) — Mimi Rogers guest stars in this new episode.

DANCING WITH THE STARS (8p ET, ABC) — Josh Groban and Carly Rae Jepsen will perform as two couples are sent home in this double elimination results show.

MLB CUBS VS. CARDINALS (8p ET, NBC) — NBC has coverage of the Cubs at St. Louis tonight.

HELL’S KITCHEN (8p ET, FOX) — New

THE FLASH (8p ET, CW) — New

NCIS: NEW ORLEANS (9p ET, CBS) — Dylan Walsh (Nip/Tuck, Unforgettable) guest stars in this new episode. Steven Weber and Stacy Keach return.

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

SEASON FINALE: NEW GIRL (9p ET, FOX) — The fourth season ends tonight. New Girl has been renewed for a 5th season.

iZOMBIE (9p ET, CW) — New

SEASON FINALE: WEIRD LONERS (9:30p ET, FOX) — The show’s short first season ends tonight. It has yet to be renewed for season 2.

SEASON FINALE: PERSON OF INTEREST (10p ET, CBS) — Season 4 ends tonight. The show has not yet been renewed for a 5th season.

SEASON FINALE: FOREVER (10p ET, ABC) — John Noble (Fringe, Sleepy Hollow) guest stars in the season 1 finale. The show has not yet been renewed for a 2nd season.

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ENTERTAINMENT

KEANU REEVES CONFIRMED FOR JOHN WICK 2 _ Keanu Reeves is confirmed for John Wick 2. The first John Wick was released in October 2014, and stars Reeves as a retired hitman seeking revenge on the Russian mobsters who killed his puppy. It made just under $80 million.

DYN-O-MITE! GOOD TIMES MOVIE BEING MADE _ A movie based on the 1970s hit sitcom Good Times is in the works. Black-ish creator Kenya Barris will write the script. • THEME

SOFIA VERGARA OPENS UP ABOUT SPAT OVER FROZEN EMBRYOS _ After a spat over some frozen embryos brought Sofia Vergara’s private life into the spotlight, the actress has finally put in her two cents about an ex’s desire to be the father of her children. Vergara says ex Nick Loeb is bound by a contract he signed that prohibits him — or Sofia — from doing anything with the embryos they froze when they were together. In March last year, he filed a complaint to prevent Vergara from destroying the embryos, which the 42-year-old actress insisted she’s never intended to do — nor could. Vergara is also bound by the contract, which states “no unilateral action can be taken with regard to the embryos unless both parties consent.” Loeb has stressed that he wants to “protect” the embryos — not necessarily that Vergara wants to get rid of them — and also wants to be a father.

THREE TEENAGE GIRLS SIGN WITH BEYONCÉ FOR $1.5 MILLION _ Beyoncé has gotten into the talent acquisition game by signing three teenage girls whose music she found on YouTube. Sister act Chloe and Halle Bailey, ages 17 and 15, caught Beyoncé’s attention with a cover of Pretty Hurts. The video currently has 8.2 million views. Chloe and Halle are the recipients of a $1 million contract, which provides for up to six albums over five years. Beyoncé will collect 15 percent of their earnings.

… 14-year-old Sophie Beem is a singer-songwriter who plays keyboards and guitar and writes her own music. Beem signed a $560,000 deal with Beyonce. She made it to the Top 40 on The X Factor in 2012 when she was just 12.

SELA WARD WILL PLAY PRESIDENT IN INDEPENDENCE DAY 2 _ Bill Pullman portrayed the president of the United States in 1996’s Independence Day. But in Independence Day 2 — set for a June 2016 release — the job of facing down an outer space armada falls to a woman: Sela Ward who has been cast as the film’s President of the United States. Ward will join a number of cast members from the original Independence Day including Pullman, Judd Hirsch, Vivica A. Fox and Jeff Goldblum. They will appear alongside franchise newcomers Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher (who plays the son of Will Smith’s fighter pilot ace character in ID4) and Maika Monroe (It Follows).

J.K. ROWLING SENDS MAGICAL MESSAGE TO FAN WHO WANTS TO ‘GIVE UP’ _ J.K. Rowling is magic. On Monday, a fan in need of some serious moral support reached out to the author via Twitter. Despite having 4.55 million Twitter followers and an extremely busy schedule, the 49-year old Brit is known for going out of her way to connect with fans on social media and in real life. Her response was heartwarming.

… Twitter user @BrocaesarTV asked: “This may get lost in the noise..but what would you say to someone who has failed to find meaning and wants to finally give up?” Rowling responded with a series of awe-inspiring photos of the sun, space and wildlife and wrote back: “I’d say, the world is full of wonderful things you haven’t seen yet. Don’t ever give up on the chance of seeing them.”

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON DIRECTOR JOSS WHEDON QUITS TWITTER _ Movie fans have one less person to follow on Twitter. Without any notice, Avengers: Age of Ultron director Joss Whedon decided to delete his social media account with little to no explanation. The filmmaker signed off with two final messages for his 1.14 million followers: “Now I may me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, ‘kay.” This was in reference to the Avengers sequel finally being released. His final tweet read: “Thank you to all the people who’ve been so kind and funny and inspiring up here.” As soon as Whedon’s account disappeared from the site, some fans begin to point out that the director was being criticized online for his portrayal of Scarlett Johansson’s character known as Black Widow.

… But past interviews suggest the Hollywood writer was never a fan of the site: “The moment I joined, oh my God, what a responsibility, this is enormous work — very fun, but it really started to take up a huge amount of my head space. It’s a fascinating medium. It’s a fascinating social phenomenon.”

JAMES TAYLOR HAS A NEW SONG ABOUT THE BOSTON RED SOX _ James Taylor has penned a song about his beloved Boston Red Sox and their long-suffering fan base. It’s called “Angels of Fenway,” and it premiered Sunday with a video on the scoreboard at the Yankees-Red Sox game in Boston’s Fenway Park. It has plenty of references to the Yankees’ longtime dominance in the rivalry. The song begins: “Eighty-six summers gone by/ Bambino put a hex on the team/ We were living on a tear and a sigh/ In the shadow of the Bronx machine.” The Boston-born Taylor spent most of his youth in North Carolina, but still visited Massachusetts in the summer. He devotes some of the song to his grandmother’s loyalty to the team. • LISTEN

BOBA FETT CONFIRMED AS LEAD OF STAR WARS SPINOFF _ Disney and Lucasfilm have revealed that the lead character of the currently untitled Star Wars spinoff will be Boba Fett. The film will be an origin story of the character. This project is one of two Star Wars spinoffs, with the other titled Star Wars: Rogue One. Rogue One stars Felicity Jones and Ben Mendelsohn and will be out in 2016. The Boba Fett project comes after that.

LOUIS C.K. TO WRITE, DIRECT AND STAR IN INDIE MOVIE _ Louis C.K. will write, direct and star in the indie movie I’m a Cop, which follows a depressed middle-aged man (C.K.) who serves as a volunteer police officer. When his mother dies following a distinguished career in law enforcement, he’s inspired to follow in her footsteps and become a real cop.

FOX RENEWED THE SIMPSONS FOR TWO MORE SEASONS _ Looks like The Simpsons is never going away. Fox just renewed the animated sitcom for not just one more season, but two, bringing it up to 28 seasons. The animated comedy premiered in 1990 and has since won 31 Emmy awards. With a 27th and 28th season, the show will reach a whopping 625 episodes.

SOURCE: AMY ADAMS AND DARREN LE GALLO ARE MARRIED _ Amy Adams reportedly made her union with longtime fiance Darren Le Gallo official in a low key wedding ceremony in California on Saturday (May 2). The couple was joined by a small number of closest family and friends for the private affair. Amy and Darren first met in an acting class in early 2000s. They got engaged in 2008 and have a daughter together, Aviana, who will be turning 5 years old later this month.

CHRIS BROWN DENIES PUNCHING A GUY DURING BASKETBALL GAME _ Has Chris Brown found himself in trouble yet again? The singer has found himself at the center of reports claiming he was involved in an altercation while playing basketball in his Las Vegas suite at the Palms Casino and Resort over the weekend. Breezy decided to have a pick-up game with some guys at nearly 4AM, when a verbal argument began on the court and allegedly turned physical. According to Las Vegas police, “At approximately 3:42AM LVMPD patrol officers responded to Sunrise Hospital to investigate a report of a subject who had been beaten. Arriving officers made contact with an adult male being treated for non-life threatening  injuries sustained as a result of a battery.”

… The injured man, who has not been identified, also reportedly said he was defending himself when another person with Chris hit him as well. Brown’s camp, however, denies that the singer had anything to do with the assault.

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BITS & BREAKS

NEW ON DVD TODAY

• Selma
• The Pyramid
• Black or White
• Spare Parts
• Fifty Shades of Grey (May 8)
• Goodfellas 25th Anniversary
• Mad Max (Collector’s Edition)
• Cheers: The Complete Series
• Law & Order: The Eighteenth Year
• Law & Order: The Nineteenth Year
• Law & Order: The Twentieth Year
• Parenthood: The Complete Series
• White Collar – The Complete Series

ARE YOU A JESSICA BORN IN 1990? YOU’RE HAVING A BABY

Most mothers who have their first child are 25.4 years old (CIA data). And if we look at the Social Security Administration’s list of the most popular names 25 years ago, in 1990, we find which women will be giving birth this year.

If you were born in 1990 and your name is Jessica, you’re having a baby this year!

• Jessica. The SSA reported 46,463 girls named Jessica were born in 1990, the most of any other female name.

• Ashley. The second-most popular name in 1990 with 45,546 total births.

• Brittany. There were 36,534 Brittanys born in 1990. This doesn’t take into account all the alternate spellings of the name, like Britney, Britnay or Britnee.

• Amanda. Amanda may be your next friend to get pregnant. In fact, Amanda and Brittany were pretty close in terms of popularity with 34,401 girls getting the name 25 years ago.

• Samantha. More than 25,000 girls got the name Samantha back in 1990, making it the fifth most popular name in 1990.

… The next five most popular names in 1990: Sarah; Stephanie; Jennifer; Elizabeth; Lauren.

CINCO DE MAYO: THE REAL DEAL

• Contrary to popular belief, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican Independence Day. In fact, the Cry of Delores is the real Mexican Independence Day that’s celebrated on September 16.

• May 5th or “Cinco de Mayo” celebrates the day that Mexicans defeated Napolean’s army in the Franco-Mexican War in 1862. However, the war still lasted from 1861 to 1867. Mexican Americans use this exact date to celebrate their culture in the United States. Cinco de Mayo is not celebrated over in the mainland of Mexico. Over the years, it’s become a day where every American celebrates it, regardless if they’re Mexican or not.

• Believe it or not it’s offensive and inappropriate to celebrate Cinco de Mayo while wearing a colorful poncho and a large sombrero. One company unveiled a line of T-Shirts and tank tops that stereotype Mexicans. The shirts include phrases like “Tequila Helps” and “Cinco De Mayo.” After receiving some blowback from Latin media site Remezcla.com, the company’s (Nylon) CEO decided to remove the merchandise.

THE BIGGEST HEALTH FOOD MISCONCEPTIONS

Four months into 2015 and if your goal was to lose weight and you’re still at it, good for you! You’re doing better than about 95% all resolutions makers, by the way.

And in the fifth month of the year, if you’re finding it tough to stay on that healthy-eating plan, start by dumping these supposedly healthy foods. Nutritionists say they’re deceiving.

Granola – People think of granola as healthy because they think whole grain, but the problem with granola is that it tends to also have a lot of sugar and its often cooked with oil or butter and some kind of fat.

Smoothies or juice – When you juice fruit, you strip out the fiber, causing a more rapid spike in blood sugars and insulin levels. Juicing multiple fruits at once is definitely too much sugar from the fructose. Bottom line: don’t drink your calories.

Skinny Cow Ice Cream – On top of the hard-to-pronounce ingredients (Propylene Glycol Monostearate?!), artificial sweeteners could lead consumers to crave more sweet things, which basically undoes the whole point of a low-cal dessert.

Flavored yogurt – The culprit is the added sugar. Some have nearly as much sugar as ice cream. Buy plain yogurt and sweeten it up with fresh fruit.

Chicken cooked in restaurants – Chicken dishes in restaurants could possibly be loaded with calories from being cooked in large amounts of butter and oil and accessorized with lots of salt and cream. Example: The Cheesecake Factory’s healthy-sounding lemon-herb roasted chicken is around 1,250 calories.

Energy/snack bars – They often have a chocolate or yogurt coating (think Special K) and contain a ton of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Instead, the best snack options are fresh fruits, raw nuts and natural nut butters.

Vitamin Water – Most Vitamin Water flavors have upwards of 31 grams of sugar, which is almost eight teaspoons of sugar.

Reduced-fat peanut butter – Natural full-fat peanut butter is your best bet, since reduced fat actually has added sugar to make up for taste.

Agave syrup – Replacing actual sugar with a product like agave nectar might satisfy your sweet tooth but not your health. These natural sweeteners are still sugars with the same concerning amount of calories as normal sugar and honey (60 calories per tablespoon).

Multi-grain – Multi-grain just means that there are two or more grains present in the pasta or bread. It has nothing to do with how refined the flour base used is, and if it’s white, that means it has been stripped of most of its nutrients. Instead, look for 100% whole wheat, which means that all of the grain kernel has been used so you’re getting as much fiber and nutrients as possible.

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FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: About 3,000 Americans begin doing what each day? (Smoking)

TRIVIA: In recent poll, a whopping 50% of the residents of this state said that they wish they could move out of it. (Illinois)

MYSTERY VOICE

Who is this?

Answer: Dr. Oz

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JOKE OF THE DAY

The artist tried to concentrate on his work, but the attraction he felt for his model finally became irresistible. He threw down his palette, took her in his arms, and kissed her. She pushed him away saying, “Maybe your other models let you kiss them but I’m not that kind!” The artist said, “Actually, I’ve never tried to kiss a model before.” The model softened a bit and asked, “Really Well, how many models have there been?” “Four so far,” he replied. “A jug, two apples, a chair, and a vase.”

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

This is a ribbon worm, and it will freak you out. And what’s coming out of it? That’s its proboscis, a hollow, muscular structure inside of the worms that they use to grasp onto their prey. In some worms, it’s poisonous.

https://youtu.be/mxtKxlR5yqM

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

Where would you hang this sign?

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LAST MINUTE ITEMS

• Moving hacks.

• This infographic has a list of all the upcoming superhero films.

• If you were not born in the country you were, what would your life be like?

• The trailer we’re so damn happy they didn’t release: Star Wars: The Binks Awakens.

• For those who own vinyl but no longer own a turntable.

• Head massager out of Japan.

• Do the latest Mad Max trailer justice: put on your headphones and turn it up.

• The Slate Reincarnation Machine.

• Is it Christmas?

• The Ultimate List of All the Converters You’ll Ever Need.

• Twisted Wave is a great audio recorder and editor for iOS devices. It also runs in a web browser.

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COUNTRY DATEBOOK: MAY 5, 2015

• 1982: Singer Vince Gill and wife Janis named their newborn daughter Jenny.

• 1984: KENNY ROGERS’ album Duets (with Kim Carnes, DOTTIE WEST and Sheena Easton) was released.

• 1987: RANDY TRAVIS’ album Always & Forever was released.

• 1996: LeAnn Rimes’ first single, Blue, entered the Billboard music charts.

• 1998: GARTH BROOKS’ The Limited Series was released. The 6-album set included never-before-heard songs and a 60 page booklet. Only 2 million copies were distributed and it became the first boxed set to debut at the top of both the Billboard Country Albums Chart and the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart.

• 1999: GARTH BROOKS was named artist of the decade at the annual Academy of Country Music Awards.

• 2000: VINCE GILL and Amy Grant made their first television appearance as a married couple on CBS’ This Morning.

• 2008: Doctors discovered a spot on MERLE HAGGARD’s lung. Merle initially decided to ignore it, but his family convinced him to have surgery six months later.

• 2009: JASON ALDEAN and Bryan Adams recorded a “CMT Crossroads” installment at The Factory in Franklin, Tennessee.

• 2012: LARRY GATLIN delivered the commencement speech as 400 students graduated from Cleveland State Community College in Tennessee.

• 2013: THE HENNINGSENS’ lead singer, Clara Henningsen, married Jacob Calaway on the family farm in Illinois.

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COUNTRY AUDIO

Visit the country audio archive for over 2,000 audio cuts.

THOMAS RHETT on keeping the romance alive. » go to download page

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COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

High ticket demand has prompted ERIC CHURCH to add a second night at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater. The July 31 acoustic show follows the July 30 concert that tickets sold out in five minutes.

LITTLE BIG TOWN will team with FAITH HILL for a performance of their latest, Girl Crush, on the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, airing May 17 from the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

The ZAC BROWN BAND was forced to postpone its show Saturday night (May 2) at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana after frontman Zac Brown lost his voice and was unable to talk or sing. The group will reschedule and tickets for the original date will be honored.

LADY ANTEBELLUM’s Heartland Home Collection is now available through Bed, Bath & Beyond. The 18 items include pillow shams, sheets and other bedroom items inspired by band members’ tastes.

CLAY WALKER has set June 10 as the date for his 6th Annual Cords Of Hope benefit concert to be held at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsley. Proceeds from the night will benefit Multiple Sclerosis research at Nashville’s Vanderbilt Hospital. Clay will reveal his special guests in the coming weeks; past guests have included MONTGOMERY GENTRY, CRAIG CAMPBELL and DUSTIN LYNCH.

On May 19 the Grand Ole Opry will salute the U.S. military and the Wounded Warrior Project with a special lineup of performances by TRACE ADKINS, VINCE GILL, CRAIG MORGAN, LEE GREENWOOD and KELLIE PICKLER.

MONTGOMERY GENTRY and LAUREN ALAINA have joined GARY ALLAN and THE BAND PERRY as performers for the Professional Bull Riders Last Cowboy Standing event to take place May 22-24 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

KEITH ANDERSON is back with a new EP, I’ll Bring The Music, May 12. He had a hand in writing all six of the songs and will tour this spring and summer to support it.