COUNTRY July 13, 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: JULY 13, 2015

This is day 194 of 2015. There are 171 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Patrick Stewart is 75

• Roger McGuinn of The Byrds is 73

• Harrison Ford is 73

• Inventor Erno Rubik (Rubik’s Cube) is 71

• Cheech Marin is 69

• Actor-director Cameron Crowe is 58

• Comedian Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) is 53

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1960: John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination at the party’s convention in Los Angeles.

• 1978: Lee Iacocca was fired as president of Ford Motor Co. by chairman Henry Ford II.

• 1985: Live Aid, an international rock concert in London, Philadelphia, Moscow and Sydney, Australia, was held to raise money for Africa’s starving people.

• 1985: The Constitution’s presidential disability clause was invoked for the first time as President Ronald Reagan transferred power temporarily to Vice President George H.W. Bush before undergoing surgery for colon cancer.

• 1994: Tonya Harding’s ex-husband, Jeff Gillooly, was sentenced in Portland, Oregon, to two years in prison for his role in the attack on Harding’s skating rival, Nancy Kerrigan.

• 1998: A jury in Poughkeepsie, New York, ruled that the Rev. Al Sharpton and two others had defamed a former prosecutor by accusing him of raping Tawana Brawley.

• 2003: People in the Brazilian town of Pirapora do Bom Jesus were confined to their houses after the whole area was covered with six feet of foam. The foam came from detergents and shampoos dumped into as nearby river and whipped into foam by a small waterfall.

• 2008: Anheuser-Busch accepted a $52 billion cash offer from No. 2 brewer InBev. The new company would be called Anheuser-Busch-InBev.

• 2013: George Zimmerman was found not guilty in the shooting of Trayvon Martin.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Embrace Your Geekness Day

• Gruntled Workers Day

• French Fries Day

• Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

UPCOMING

• July 14: MLB All-Star Game

• September 7: Labor Day

• September 10: NFL season begins (Steelers at Patriots)

• More holidays

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY

45: The percentage of U.S. companies that log their employees’ keystrokes, according to an American Management Association survey.

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NEWS ATTACK!

Experts are warning beachgoers on the east coast to be extra cautious after an unusually high number of people have been viciously stung by Portuguese Man-of-Wars, innocent-looking jellyfish-like creatures. [Between the sharks and the Portuguese Man-of-Wars is there really any good reason left to go to the beach besides, of course, the fun of getting hot abrasive sand stuck in personal places?]

Paraguayans are complaining that the popemobile drove past them too fast. [Apparently, the pope was still feeling the effects of that Bolivian coca leaf.]

A man at Walt Disney World ran up a $92 bar tab then tried to run away. [Who in the world runs up a $92 bar tab and then expects to be able to run?]

Scientists were shocked to find sharks swimming in an underwater active volcano. [I smell another SyFy movie — Sharkcano!]

Those three sisters who went missing on a Wyoming hiking trip were found safe and sound. They credited their deep faith for their survival. [Every step of the way they kept asking themselves what would the Kardashian sisters do?]

Police have charged the manager of that Oklahoma Walmart with being a part of that $78,000 robbery. [Oh sure, the manager has time to pull off a heist, but he’s never around when I’m trying to find the toilet plungers.]

At age 33 Serena Williams became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam tennis tournament during the modern Open era. [During the changeovers she kept herself busy knitting a sweater and a pair of oven mitts.]

Wisconsin lawmakers are considering making a seven-day workweek legal. [Of course, that won’t apply to Wisconsin lawmakers.]

Three women have entered history by reaching the final round of training to become members of the U.S. Army’s elite Ranger unit. [But from here on out the training only gets more demanding. Starting today they have to watch an entire week of The View without shooting at the screen.]

For the past few years we’ve been told that honeybees are dying off, and now the latest research shows that the same is happening to bumblebees. [I also understand that Sting isn’t feeling too well.]

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NEWS & NUGGETS

MEXICAN DRUG LORD ESCAPES PRISON ON TUNNEL MOTORCYCLE _ An infamous drug lord escaped from a maximum security prison in Mexico thanks to a couple of tunnels and a motorcycle. Mexican authorities say Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman apparently escaped through a tunnel opening that is about 20 inches in diameter. That tunnel led to another passageway more than a mile long, containing lighting and a ventilation system, as well as a motorcycle built onto rails to move building materials. The second tunnel is 5 feet, 6 inches — just tall enough for El Chapo to walk. It opened up into an abandoned construction site. Eighteen prison employees and officials have been detained and are being questioned in Mexico City.

NOVAK DJOKOVIC WINS WIMBLEDON TITLE _ For the second straight year, Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final.

TREE-MAIL _ The city of Melbourne in Australia assigned trees email addresses so citizens could report problems. Instead, people wrote thousands of love letters to their favorite trees. One person sent an email to a green-leaf elm: “As I was leaving St. Mary’s College today I was struck, not by a branch, but by your radiant beauty. You must get these messages all the time. You’re such an attractive tree.”

… Officials assigned the trees ID numbers and email addresses in 2013 as part of a program designed to make it easier for citizens to report problems like dangerous branches. Another email sent to a tree read: “Dear Algerian oak: Thank you for giving us oxygen. Thank you for being so pretty. I don’t know where I’d be without you to extract my carbon dioxide. (I would probably be in heaven) Stay strong, stand tall amongst the crowd. You are the gift that keeps on giving.”

DOG HELPS RESCUE BABY DOLPHIN STUCK ON A BEACH _ Rich Wilcock, aided by his Cocker Spaniel Leia, rescued a beached baby dolphin while fishing on an isolated beach in the U.K. Leia was the first to notice the calf and run over. Upon seeing the little dolphin struggling on the rocky coast, Rich managed to rescue the sea creature one while filming. • VIDEO

MAN DRIVES BACKWARDS FOR MILES THROUGH L.A.’S BUSY STREETS _ A man driving an Audi decided to go on a joyride last Thursday — in reverse. For miles, the mysterious driver with a female passenger wound his way down the Hollywood hills backwards, crossing over yellow lines and almost hitting a pedestrian. Kevin Zanazanian was behind the rear-facing Audio and recorded a video, which police are checking out. They are still looking for the driver, whose car sported car dealer plates.

NEW PLANE SEATING DESIGN SITS PASSENGERS FACE-TO-FACE _ Imagine having to stare at your fellow passengers for the duration of an economy-class flight. A new seating configuration could make that introvert’s nightmare a reality. Called the “Economy Class Cabin Hexagon,” the plan has travelers sitting side-by-side, with the middle seat facing the rear of the plane. The design is the latest in a series of seating plans that seek to let planes carry more people, as airlines strive to increase profits.

… Supporters of this new type of airplane seating point out that, with every-other-seat facing backward, you’ll have more shoulder room.

PLAYING VIOLENT VIDEO MAKES WOMEN FEEL SEXY _ A new study is challenging the stereotype that only men enjoy violent video games. Researchers (Michael M. Kasumovic and Thomas F. Denson) say many women feel sexy for playing them. Of the 59 percent of Americans who play video games, 44 percent are female.

MAN SETS NEW APPALACHIAN TRAIL SPEED RECORD _ Ultramarathon runner Scott Jurek on Sunday became the fastest person to finish a supported thru-hike on the Appalachian Trail. He completed the 2,189-mile journey in 46 days, 8-plus hours, breaking the previous record by just more than three hours. Jurek started the attempt at the trail’s southern point, in Georgia, on May 27. He averaged nearly 50 miles a day, crossing 14 states, and traversing 515,000 feet of elevation change.

STEPHEN CURRY AND WIFE AYESHA WELCOME BABY NO. 2 _Riley Curry was one of the stars of the NBA finals, but she’ll have competition down the road. Stephen Curry and wife Ayesha welcomed their second baby girl Friday evening.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER CAR-MOTORCYCLE ACCIDENT _ A Floyd Mayweather’s vehicle was involved in a motorcycle crash on Sunday morning, causing the cyclist to be ejected from his bike and hospitalized. The boxing champ and a group of friends had just left a Kansas City, Missouri, dance club when it hit the motorcycle at around 3AM. While it’s unknown whether Mayweather was in that particular SVU, which was part of a caravan of five vehicles in his group, the boxer definitely was on the scene as the biker was being treated on the ground.

… TMZ notes that it appears the biker clipped the back of one of Mayweather’s cars, causing him to be thrown into the air before landing on the street.

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WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: YOGA MAN INJURED WHEN BALL BURSTS _ A man exercising on a yoga ball on a beach in England had to be flown to hospital after falling and landing on his head when the ball burst.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MEN ARRESTED AFTER STEALING ATM WITH BACKHOE _ Police say two Florida men used a backhoe to steal an ATM machine from a bank (in Winter Haven). The men successfully dislodged the ATM and loaded it into their getaway truck. But they were pulled over and apprehended a short time later.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN LEGALLY CHANGES NAME TO JEMMAROID VON LAALAA _ As many have found out, Facebook is a tad touchy about people who use false names or pseudonyms on their social media accounts. Jemma Rogers set up a profile back in 2008 with the name Jemmaroid Von Laalaa, and because of this, she has recently been hit with a locked Facebook account. The holistic therapist from London, England, used the fake name to avoid getting any unwanted friend requests from strangers and old friends. This was fine until recently, when Facebook decided that Jemmaroid Von Laalaa was a false name and locked her account. So rather than lose her account and all the various Facebook friends, photos, and posts she had accumulated, she changed her name to Jemmaroid Von Laalaa.

… To make it even more official, Jemmaroid ordered new bank cards and got a new driver’s license.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: CAMPUS SECURITY BREAKS UP DRONE DATE _ At a university in Beijing, China, a student thought it would be romantic to deliver an engagement ring to the love of his life using a drone. The student steered the drone toward his waiting sweetheart — until campus security arrived and put an end to the aerial display of affection. Someone with campus security said that drones cannot be flown in Beijing without official authorization.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TEEN COLLAPSES WEARING 12 LAYERS ON FLIGHT _ A British boyband singer collapsed with heat exhaustion during a flight while wearing 12 layers of clothing. James McElvar, from the Scottish group Rewind, was about to board a flight from a London-area airport to Glasgow when he was told he had one carry-on bag too many. With his bandmates already on the plan and just minutes to spare before takeoff, he made a snap decision, emptying his bag and putting on the entire contents. McElvar was wearing six T-shirts, two jackets, one pair of shorts, three pairs of jeans, two pairs of track pants and two hats. He collapsed with heat exhaustion and was given medical attention.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: GROPING WOMEN FORCE BARMEN TO GIVE UP KILTS _ The male staff at a bar in Scotland are giving up their kilts. The men at the the Hootananny pub have stopped wearing their kilts after complaining of constant harassment by women attempting to check whether they are “true Scotsmen”.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: COUPLE HAVE COFFIN-THEMED WEDDING PHOTOS _ Many people will cringe but Jenny Tay and her fiance Darren Cheng have chosen a casket as a prop in a series of photos taken for their wedding in October. Their reason? They are dead serious about their profession and their wedding. Both are in the funeral business in Singapore.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TACO BELL EMPLOYEE SPOTS OWN STOLEN CAR IN DRIVE THRU _ A Taco Bell employee who dropped his car off at the dealership to be serviced was surprised to see it a few hours later when the mechanics who were supposed to be fixing it drove it through his drive-thru. The dealership manager said both mechanics have since been fired for their Taco Bell run. The Taco Bell employee’s vehicle was taken to a different dealership and serviced for free.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TEXTBOOK ERROR CAUGHT BY STUDENT _ A school textbook publisher in Japan has recalled 10,000 textbooks over a hand-drawn illustration of a little girl who, on close inspection, has three arms. A spokesman for the publisher says the textbooks are rigorously screened before being shipped to schools. It was a student who discovered the three-armed girl.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: THIS IS NOT HOW YOU GET A STORE DISCOUNT _ A 42-year-old woman was buying a purse at a Macy’s in California (Newark). According to police, she complained about the price and received a discount on the purse, but was still angry about the price and started screaming and cursing at the manager. The manager and loss prevention officers asked her to leave. She refused, so one of the officers attempted to escort her from the store. She then threw herself on the floor in a full-blown temper tantrum, scratching and biting the officer on the leg. The store detective was treated for minor injuries, and the woman was arrested for assault and battery.

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ON TELEVISION

AMERICAN NINJA WARRIOR (8p ET, NBC) — The top 30 competitors from the Venice qualifier tackle the finals course in this new, 2-hour edition.

SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE (8p ET, FOX) — In the first live show of the season, the Top 20 perform.

THE BACHELORETTE (8p ET, ABC) — The final two men’s families express their concerns in this new, 2-hour edition.

2 BROKE GIRLS (8p ET, CBS) — Repeat

PENN AND TELLER: FOOL US (8p ET, CW) — New

MIKE & MOLLY (8:30p ET, CBS) — Repeat

SCORPION (9p ET, CBS) — Repeat

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (9p ET, CW) — This new edition features Kathie Lee Gifford.

MAJOR CRIMES (9p ET, TNT) — New

CEDRIC’S BARBER BATTLE (9:30p ET, CW) — New

SEASON PREMIERE: RUNNING WILD WITH BEAR GRYLLS (10p ET, NBC) — Bear Grylls returns for a second season, taking eight entertainment and sports stars around the world for a 48-hour journey of a lifetime. In the season premiere, Kate Hudson and Bear hike a challenging mountain range in Italy.

NCIS: LOS ANGELES (10p ET, CBS) — Repeat

THE WHISPERS (10p ET, ABC) — New

UNREAL (10p ET, Lifetime) — New

MURDER IN THE FIRST (10p ET, TNT) — New

PREMIERE: CUBAN CHROME (10p ET, Discovery) — This docu-series explores the culture of vintage automobiles on the island of Cuba. It’s the first American TV series produced and filmed entirely on location in Cuba. Cuban-American actor William Levy narrates.

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ENTERTAINMENT

MINIONS RULE AT BOX OFFICE _ Minions pulled in $115.2 million over the weekend, notching the second-biggest opening ever for an animated flick. Shrek the Third holds that record with $121.6 million. And Minions set the No. 1 single day haul for an animated film when it grossed $46.2 million on Friday.

… Globally Minions has racked up $395.7 million.

… Many box office analysts believe Minions has a strong shot at passing the $1 billion mark worldwide. It would join Jurassic World, Furious 7 and Avengers: Age of Ultron as the fourth release this year to hit that mark.

COMIC-CON UNLOADS THE TRAILERS _ At Comic-Con in San Diego, fans were treated to new teasers and trailers for some upcoming films, including Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Batman v Superman and Man from U.N.C.L.E.

CHRISTIAN BALE GIVES BEN AFFLECK INVALUABLE BATMAN ADVICE _ From one Batman to another, Ben Affleck revealed a very funny story about how he bumped into Christian Bale in a very ironic location. Christian Bale and Ben Affleck ran into each other at a Halloween store in the Batman costume aisle. Affleck was looking for a costume for his son when Bale approached him. Affleck asked Bale if he had any advice about playing Batman. Bale’s answer: “Make sure you can [use the bathroom] in that suit.”

… Ben Affleck revealed this story during his appearance at Comic-Con 2015 in San Diego, California. This was Affleck’s first public appearance since he and Jennifer Garner split. Affleck did not comment about the rumor of being romantic with Margot Robbie.

BILL COSBY’S WIFE SAYS ACCUSERS ‘CONSENTED’ TO DRUGS AND SEX _ A story in the New York Post claims Bill Cosby’s wife knows her husband is a serial philanderer, but believes his scores of accusers consented to drugs and sex. Last week’s revelation that Cosby admitted during a deposition that he intended to ply women with quaaludes before bedding them barely fazed Camille Cosby. A source told the Post: “Camille still doesn’t believe that Bill provided drugs and had sex with women without their consent. She’s well aware of his cheating, but she doesn’t believe that her husband is a rapist.” Camille has reportedly told advisers, lawyers and PR specialists to “get back out in front of this.” And, she added, “I created him, I knew what I was getting and we’ll fix this.”

J.K. ROWLING DESTROYS SERENA WILLIAMS HATER _ J.K. Rowling slammed a cyber troll who talked smack about Serena Williams. The Harry Potter creator was paying a compliment to Williams on Twitter for winning Wimbeldon — saying, “I love her. What an athlete, what a role model, what a woman!” Some guy named Rob tweeted back at Rowling: “Ironic then that main reason for her success is that she is built like a man.” Rowling shot back by posting a pic of Serena looking smoking hot in a dress and adding the caption, “‘she is built like a man’. Yeah, my husband looks just like this in a dress. You’re an idiot.” • LINK

WILLIAM SHATNER ADDRESSES STAR TREK BEYOND RUMORS AT COMIC-CON _ While at San Diego’s Comic-Con actor William Shatner addressed rumors that he could be reprising his role as James T. Kirk in Star Trek Beyond. During a Q&A session an audience member pointed out to Shatner that Star Trek Beyond has reportedly been rewritten. Shatner replied, “Well, I tell you — how do you know it’s been rewritten? What you’ve asked has implications, OK? We need to further examine this because you may have an answer I don’t have. … What do you know? Am I in the next movie? Tell me!”

JOHN STAMOS’ REHAB STINT BEGINS _ John Stamos’ rehab stint has begun as he seeks treatment for substance abuse, one month after he was arrested for DUI. On June 12, Stamos was arrested in Beverly Hills, California, and charged with DUI. Stamos’ court date for the DUI charge is September 11. It has not been revealed yet if the date will change since he has entered the residential recovery program. It has also not been confirmed where, or for how long, the actor will be seeking treatment.

… Stamos has been staying busy since his June arrest. Along with Grandfathered, his upcoming Fox sitcom, Stamos is also producing and appearing in Netflix’s series Fuller House, a spin-off of the ’90s sitcom Full House. He will also be making an appearance in the upcoming sequel to My Big Fat Greek Wedding.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD’S DOGS LOCKED HER BABY IN THE CAR _ Carrie Underwood lived a scary moment Saturday when she realized that dogs Ace and Penny had locked themselves — along with Carrie’s 4-month-old baby Isaiah — in the car. Carrie says took matters into her own hands. She tweeted after the incident: “When your dogs manage to lock themselves, all your stuff & the baby in the car & you have to break a window to get in. #WhatAreTheChances.”

… Carrie tweeted a bit later: “I should clarify. My bro-in-law was actually the window breaker in the ‘dogs-locked-the-car-door’ incident today! But all is good now!”

ASH VS. EVIL DEAD HITS THE WEB _ The Ash vs. Evil Dead trailer from Starz landed on YouTube over the weekend. While most of the Internet was buzzing about the Star Wars: The Force Awakens behind-the-scenes footage or the first long trailer of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, the Ash vs. Evil Dead trailer gave fans three minutes that won the hearts of horror fans all over the world. • TRAILER

THE HEROES REBORN COMIC-CON TRAILER _ NBC debuted the new Heroes Reborn Comic-Con trailer over the weekend. Returning cast members include Jack Coleman as H.R.G., Jimmy Jean-Louis as The Haitian, Masi Oka as Hiro Nakamura, and Greg Grunberg as Matt Parkman.

… The cast also includes Zachary Levi (of NBC’s Chuck and Thor: The Dark World) along with Robbie Kay (Once Upon a Time), Danika Yarosh (Shameless), Judith Shekoni (The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2), Kiki Sukezane (Death Yankee 3), Henry Zebrowski (NBC’s A to Z), Gatlin Green (Criminal Minds), and Ryan Guzman (The Boy Next Door).

… The supernatural phenomenon begins again with a fresh crop of inspiring heroes who take on the ultimate struggle between those with extraordinary abilities and those with nefarious motives to hunt and harness their powers. • TRAILER

GEORGE MICHAEL NOT ADDICTED TO CRACK _ George Michael is not addicted to crack cocaine, despite a shocking new tabloid report. Michael himself says the story is “rubbish.” According to The Sun, Michael was secretly staying in a $295,000-a-month rehab facility in Switzerland for the past year while battling an addiction to crack cocaine, in addition to a myriad of other substances that have allegedly turned him into a “shaking, vomiting, drug-addled wreck.”

… Michael’s rep says the story of his client being addicted to crack are “highly inaccurate … the matter is now in the hands of Mr. Michael’s lawyers.”

HARRISON FORD SPOTTED PILOTING HELICOPTER _ Harrison Ford isn’t afraid to head back into the sky.  The actor was spotted flying on Saturday in a helicopter, just months after his scary plane crash. Ford was fresh off surprise appearance at San Diego Comic-Con for the Star Wars: The Force Awakens panel on Friday evening. The next day, Ford was photographed standing on the side of A 2013 Bell 407 helicopter. The star appeared to be inspecting the aircraft, which was on the tarmac at the Santa Monica Airport. The flight isn’t the first time Ford’s returned to the skies following the plane crash in March. He also co-piloted a trip in his helicopter back in May.

JENNIE GARTH TIES THE KNOT _ Congratulations are in order for Jennie Garth and her fiance David Abrams. The couple swapped wedding vows Saturday in front of family and friends during an intimate outdoor ceremony in the backyard of her six-acre ranch in Los Olivos, California. Tori Spelling, Garth’s former co-star on Beverly Hills, 90210, and Miguel Pinzon, their castmate on Mystery Girls, were in attendance.

… Garth and Abrams, an actor-producer, met last fall on a blind date and made their relationship public in January this year. They engaged in March.

JUSTIN BIEBER IS SORRY FOR OFFENDING PEOPLE _ Justin Bieber deleted his naked butt photo from Instagram, and is now apologizing in case it “offended” some people. He says it was a “joke” to him, but has since learned that it upset others, particularly people with children who are fans of his.

… Last Monday while in Bora Bora, Bieber posted a photo on his nude butt on Instagram, as he stood on the deck of a boat, looking out over the water. He captioned the picture “look,” which was presumably about his naked rear and not about the blue water or green mountains in the background. But now he’s sorry for having posted the graphic shot.

DAVID LETTERMAN COMES OUT OF RETIREMENT TO RIP DONALD TRUMP _ David Letterman took a dig at Donald Trump during his surprise appearance at Martin Short and Steve Martin’s comedy tour stop in San Antonio, Texas over the weekend. He pulled out an envelope containing his famous “Top 10” list which, according to him, came with every suit he owned, and read interesting facts about the business mogul. • VIDEO

BOBBY BROWN, ALICIA ETHEREDGE WELCOME BABY GIRL _ With Bobbi Kristina Brown still in hospice care, the Brown family finally got a bit of good news over the weekend. Bobby Brown and his wife, Alicia Etheredge, welcomed a baby girl on Saturday. Brown and Etheredge have been married since 2012 and are already parents to son Cassius, who’s 5. The new baby is Brown’s sixth child including Bobbi Kristina, his daughter with the late Whitney Houston. Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22, has been on life support since she was found unresponsive in a bathtub in January and was moved to a hospice facility in Duluth, Georgia, earlier this summer.

A GIANT ‘NICOLAS CAGE IN A CAGE’ IS COMING TO AUSTRALIA _ A piece of “art” which pays tribute to Nicolas Cage coming to a music festival in Australia later this month. Nicolas Cage in a Cage looks like a bouncy striped prison cell where visitors can come face-to-face with a giant model of the actor.

DONOR PUTS UP $1M REWARD FOR INFO LEADING TO STOLEN JUDY GARLAND SLIPPERS _ A $1 million reward has been offered by an anonymous donor for credible information leading to the pair of Judy Garland’s famous sequined, ruby red slippers stolen from a museum in her Minnesota hometown. Garland wore the slippers in The Wizard of Oz. There are only three other pairs that still exist, including one on display at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The executive director of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, says the $1 million reward offer is from someone in Arizona who is a big fan of Garland and the 1939 film. The reward requires the exact location of the slippers and the perpetrator’s name. The 10-year anniversary of the theft is in August.

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BITS & BREAKS

TOP TEN MOVIES

1. Minions, $115.2 million
2. Jurassic World, $18.1 million
3. Inside Out, $17.1 million
4. Terminator: Genisys, $13.7 million
5. The Gallows, $10 million
6. Magic Mike XXL, $9.6 million
7. Ted 2, $5.6 million
8. Self/Less, $5.3 million
9. Baahubali: The Beginning, $3.5 million
10. Max, $3.4 million

… One year ago this week the number one movie was Dawn of the Planet of the Apes.

… Five years ago this week the number one movie was Despicable Me.

… Ten years ago this week the number one movie was Fantastic Four.

… Twenty years ago this week the number one movie was Apollo 13.

IN THEATERS FRIDAY

ANT-MAN (PG-13)

Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world.

• Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Bobby Cannavale, Judy Greer, Michael Peña
• Links: website • trailer • reviews

TRAINWRECK (R)

Having thought that monogamy was never possible, a commitment-phobic career woman may have to face her fears when she meets a good guy.

• Amy Schumer, Bill Hader, Brie Larson
• Links: website • trailer • reviews

WHAT NOT TO DO AT THE MOVIES

Did you see Minions over the weekend? Was the movie ruined because of someone talking or texting away on their phone? These days there seem to be fewer talkers and more people who think the bright glow of their phone while texting won’t bother anyone.

In a recent survey of movie-goers, phone use topped the list of bad movie manners. Other findings:

• Few movie-goers topped their list of annoyances with seat-saving in a crowded theater (4 percent) or snacking loudly (3 percent).

• 86 percent of movie-goers say they’ve heard phones ring or ding in the theater.

• People in Boston lead the nation in admitting that their phone makes noise. Audience members in Atlanta, Seattle, and San Francisco were the least likely to report that their phone has gone off.

• When asked “just for fun” what imaginary penalty should apply if someone’s phone goes off in the theater, nearly one in four think their name should be added to a list of “offenders” that shows before movies.

WEEKLY HOT LIST

Courtesy of morning show talent coach Steve Reynolds. The Hot List is made up of the topics everyone knows about.

1. New Horizons spacecraft
2. Comic-Con/Star Wars reel
3. Donald Trump
4. Caitlyn Jenner
5. The ESPYS
6. MLB All-Star Game
7. Minions at McDonalds
8. Go Set A Watchman release
9. Bill Cosby
10. Comic Con
11. Superman vs. Batman
12. Serena Williams
13. Ariana Grande
14. John Stamos
15. David Letterman
16. Bryan Cranston
17. Greece
18. Sharknado
19. Jared from Subway
20. Ben Affleck
21. Tom Selleck
22. The Pope
23. Wimbledon

BATHROOM PET PEEVES

1. Not replacing the toilet paper when it runs out.

2. Leaving the seat up (women) and too many cosmetics on the counter (men).

3. Leaving toothpaste gobs in the sink.

4. Leaving spots on the mirror.

5. Leaving dirty clothes/towels on the floor.

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FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: Allen and Wright are the guys this drink was named for. (A&W Root Beer. They launched the drink and the restaurant chain.)

NEWS QUIZ!

If your only source of news is TMZ, you won’t win…

• The U.S. Women’s Soccer Team won it’s third world title by defeating what country? (Japan)

• Joey Chestnut lost his long-running competitive eating title. A guy named Matt Stonie at two more of these than Joey. (Hot dogs)

• Rory McIlroy, the world’s number one golfer, announced he was pulling out of the upcoming British Open after injuring himself doing what? (Playing soccer)

• New York Giants player Jason Pierre-Paul had a finger amputated. Why? (Fireworks accident)

• Pop singer Ariana Grande made waves after she licked donuts in a bakery and was caught on camera saying she hated what? (America)

• Some customer of this company complained about a fast food toy allegedly saying a curse word. (McDonald’s)

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JOKE OF THE DAY

A doctor taking care of his last appointment of the day gives a man a thorough exam and finds him in perfect health. As the man is going out the door, he has a heart attack and dies. The doctor looks at the man and tells the nurse, “Help me turn him around so it looks like he was just coming in.”

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

Watch for the photobomb at the end.

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

Low-budget food truck.

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LAST MINUTE ITEMS

• Use your mouse to play with the text.

• The real value of $100 in each state.

• Emojipedia

• Dad gets owned by daughter in beatboxing battle.

• Google Sheep View

• Most Exclusive Website. One visitor at a time, every sixty seconds.

• Create your own link board — accessible from any computer.

• 20 first photos from the history of photography.

• Man does manly thing: builds primitive wattle and daub hut from scratch.

• Hidden wine cellars.

• If you favorite tweets for the show and find it a hassle to go back and unfavorite them, try Unfavinator.

• Mac users: get the fantastic Forecast Bar.

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COUNTRY DATEBOOK: JULY 13, 2015

• 1976: WILLIE NELSON appeared on the cover of Life magazine.

• 1993: A stretch of Tennessee Highway 56 in McMinville was named for the late DOTTIE WEST.

• 1996: CountryFest in Atlanta, Georgia, drew 275,000 people. Headliners included ALAN JACKSON, ALABAMA and PAM TILLIS.

• 1996: SHANIA TWAIN scored her fourth number one hit with No One Needs To Know.

• 2001: REBA McENTIRE and MARTINA McBRIDE topped the biggest all-female lineup in country music history as the Girls Night Out Tour debuted at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay. Also on the bill: SARA EVANS, JAMIE O’NEAL and CAROLYN DAWN JOHNSON.

• 2002: BRAD PAISLEY topped the country charts with I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song).

• 2004: JIMMY BUFFETT released License To Chill, a country flavored album with collaborations from ALAN JACKSON, KENNY CHESNEY, GEORGE STRAIT, MARTINA MCBRIDE and CLINT BLACK.

• 2006: KEITH URBAN gave his first performance since his marriage to Nicole Kidman at a show in Toronto, Ontario.

• 2006: For the first time in 37 years, JOHNNY CASH held the top spot on both the Country Albums Chart and the Top 200 chart when his CD American V sold 88,000 copies its first week out.

• 2007: GENE WATSON’s bus caught fire near Nashville when the axle broke. Gene battled the flames with his band for 30 minutes before firefighters arrived, then appeared on the Grand Ole Opry the same night.

• 2011: THE ZAC BROWN BAND album You Get What You Give goes platinum.

LOUISE MANDRELL is 61.

Victoria Shaw, who co-wrote GARTH BROOKS’ The River, is 53. Victoria also co-wrote JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY’S I Love the Way You Love Me, which won the 1993 Academy of Country Music award for Song of the Year. She co-produced LADY ANTEBELLUM’s self-titled debut album, which was released in April 2008.

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COUNTRY AUDIO

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

BRAD PAISLEY on his days as an opening act. » download page

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COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

With Girl Crush, LITTLE BIG TOWN has made chart history. The song is spending its eleventh straight week at the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, surpassing the previous record — by a group — of ten straight weeks set in 1959 by THE BROWN’s The Three Bells.

LUKE BRYAN caught some backlash with recent comments that were viewed as an attack on outlaw country legends such as MERLE HAGGARD, WILLIE NELSON and WAYLON JENNINGS. In an interview (with Hits Daily Double) Luke was describing his type of country music, which is admittedly worlds away from the typical “outlaw country,” and said something that riled up the country music community. He said in the interview: “I think that people who want Merle, Willie and Waylon just need to buy Merle, Willie and Waylon. I’ve never been a ‘Those were the good old days’ kind of guy. I’m not big on looking back on the past.” He then added, “I’m not an outlaw country singer. I don’t do cocaine and run around. So I’m not going to sing outlaw country. I like to hunt, fish, ride around on my farm, build a big bonfire and drink some beers — and that’s what I sing about. It’s what I know. I don’t know about laying in the gutter, strung out on drugs. I don’t really want to do that.”

… When some fans viewed it as an attack on the three legends, Luke used Twitter in a heartfelt attempt to clear the air: “I would never speak against any artist. … Every now and then, I feel I need to defend myself in this business.”

CARRIE UNDERWOOD lived a scary moment Saturday when she realized that dogs Ace and Penny had locked themselves — along with Carrie’s 4-month-old baby Isaiah — in the car. Carrie says took matters into her own hands. She tweeted after the incident: “When your dogs manage to lock themselves, all your stuff & the baby in the car & you have to break a window to get in. #WhatAreTheChances.”

… Carrie tweeted a bit later: “I should clarify. My bro-in-law was actually the window breaker in the ‘dogs-locked-the-car-door’ incident today! But all is good now!”

KENNY CHESNEY’s The Big Revival tour has already banked $53 million in ticket sales over the course of 33 gigs since it kicked off in May.

LEE ANN WOMACK’s album The Way I’m Livin’ was named one of the Top 10 albums of 2015 by Esquire magazine.

Rusty Hamlin, who serves as chef for the ZAC BROWN BAND’s Eat & Greets, is getting his own series on the FYI network. Rusty’s Rockfeast: Backstage with Zac Brown Band begins July 23 and looks at how Rusty visits local markets in each city to prepare the food for the group. • LINK

JOSH TURNER will be in Cincinnati tomorrow night (Tuesday) to sing God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch at the All-Star game (FOX-TV).

JOSH TURNER is keeping busy this summer working on his next album as he headlines his tour.

Joey Feek of JOEY + RORY underwent a ten hour surgery Thursday (July 9) in which doctors believe they removed much of the tumor causing stage IV cervical cancer. Joy will be at the Cancer Treatment Centers of America’s Chicago location for a few days before returning home for a week or two. After that, she’ll return to Chicago and undergo five weeks of chemotherapy and radiation followed by another 18 weeks of chemotherapy.