Photo courtesy of Faith WBNQ

Owning a pet can be expensive, but also the most rewarding experience of your life. I don’t know what I would do without my dogs Jagger and Jinx, and if having one dog is expensive, you can imagine what having two dogs might cost. That’s why I am so excited that Wish Bone Canine Rescue and Romanie Walter of SmartVet are offering low cost vaccine administration, microchip placement, and nail trims this Saturday. Not only can you get some low cost vet services from a GREAT vet, but the proceeds also go to help Wish Bone Canine Rescue.

If you live in Bloomington and have pets that are up for their yearly vaccines, please take a moment to stop by Deenie’s Bed & Biscuit this Saturday (5/19) from 10a to 1p for low cost vaccines, microchip and nail clipping for your pets.

No appointment is needed, it’s just first come, first serve. Here is a sample price list for some of the services…

1 year Rabies – $15

Distemper/Parvo – $20

Microchip – $25 (includes registration)

Please don’t let your pets go without being properly treated by a vet. Your babies deserve a happy, healthy life. This is also the perfect time to get your pet micro-chipped. Lost pets can be one of the saddest experiences a pet owner can have to go through, so up your chances of finding your dog or cat by getting them micro-chipped.

Proceeds go to Wish Bone Canine Rescue. Questions: email simplify@thesmartvet.com

Jason Merritt/Getty

A few years ago, it looked as if Jennifer Lopez had lost her clout as a celebrity. But since she joined ‘American Idol‘ two years ago, Lopez has reinvigorated her career in a dramatic way. And now, she’s made the top spot on Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful celebs in the world. As Lopez herself might say, that’s enough to give us “goosies.”

According to an article written by Forbes staffer Dorothy Pomerantz, Lopez’s success started with her stint on ‘Idol,’ which “gave her a platform to promote her music and turn her image around.” Then, after divorcing husband Marc Anthony, Lopez “lapped up the media attention and scored lucrative endorsement deals with companies like L’Oreal and Gillette.”

From there, Lopez created a line of clothing at Kohl’s, a fragrance and netted herself a $20 million deal for her second season on ‘Idol.’ And let’s not forget that Lopez has also established herself as a “master of social media” with 6.6 million Twitter followers and 12 million Facebook fans.

Interestingly, Lopez unseated Lady Gaga for the top spot on the list, and now ranks higher than Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber, who came in second and third, respectively.

What do you think? Is Lopez truly the most powerful celeb in the world? And will she be able to maintain the top spot if the rumors are correct and she leaves ‘Idol’?

Source: TheFW.com

Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images

Simon Cowell went through hell, high water, a conservatorship and $15 million to sign Britney Spears on to ‘X Factor.’ As a result, it’s going to take a lot more than the possibility of a meltdown to make him give that cash cow of a judge up!

TMZ cameras caught up with Cowell as he left a dinner date (platonic, mind you!) with fellow new ‘X Factor’ judge Demi Lovato. The polite-yet-aggressive film crew asked Cowell, “Do you think you’re going to get to 20 million viewers?” Cowell gave a sly smile and replied, “I think we’ll get close.”

They then asked, “Are you nervous with Britney being on live TV?” Cowell, ever professional, replied, “Not at all. Wait and see!” The site reports that some people are worried about Spears ongoing mental health issues, considering she’s still under a conservatorship, but she seems happy and excited about gig. TMZ also pointed that Spears is back her bad nail biting habit, a sign that she may be facing some anxiety about the job. Or maybe she just hasn’t had a manicure in a while!

At the Upfronts, Spears was excited about “inspiring the contestants,” telling press, “They’re so young and they’re fulfilling their dreams. It’s just a whole beautiful concept, so being able to be a part of this is really cool.” Aw, Brit!

Watch Simon Cowell Talk About Britney Spears

[button href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/15/britney-spears-x-factor-video/" title="Watch Britney Spears at the Fox Upfronts" align="center"]

Source: PopCrush.com

You Tube

They say that deaths come in threes…The legendary Donna Summer died today in Florida at the age of 63 after a battle with breast  cancer.  She was a five-time Grammy winner, and will always be remembered as a Disco Queen. She is survived by her husband, singer and producer Bruce Sudano, their daughters, Brooklyn and Amanda and Summer’s daughter, Mimi, from a previous marriage.

Donna dominated the charts in the 70′s and 80′s with hits like ‘Last Dance’, ‘Hot Stuff’, and ‘She Works Hard For The Money.’ Donna was a record breaker who knew no boundaries. She was the first African American female performer to receive an MTV VMA nomination for the video and choreography of ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ AND was nominated for two Golden Globes, winning one for ‘Last Dance.’ Her Grammy wins included Best R&B Vocal Performance Female for ‘Last Dance’ and Best Rock Vocal Performance Female for ‘Hot Stuff’. She was also the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach N0. 1 on the U.S. Billboard chart, along with 12 Gold-selling singles throughout her career.

This will always be my favorite…

Here is the Lemon Bucket Orkestra, live on Air Canada Flight AC 876 bound for Bucharest,taking advantage of the 20-minute delay at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

It’s probably pretty self explanatory, but also the little intro explains the concept, too… then the video actually is the concept!For God’s sake, quit reading and start watching if you want to learn more/laugh!

Susan Saunders

Here is Shannon Schwartz and her family getting ready to fly out on a trip she won to Orlando with CIRA, Allegiant and WBNQ with BNQ Benefits!

Central Illinois Regional Airport is a lovely and convenient airport right in our own backyard. With free parking, and the nicest TSA agents you could ever hope to be patted down by, you are silly to drive far away to fly for work or pleasure. It is even fun to watch the planes come in. Here is the inaugural Allegiant flight arriving at CIRA on Wednesday, May 17, 2012.

YouTube (2)

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

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

JOSHUA LEDET:

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

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

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

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

JESSICA SANCHEZ:

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

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

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

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

PHILLIP PHILLIPS:

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

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

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

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

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

Source: PopCrush.com

Photo by Skip Bolen/Getty Images

What a silly question, OF COURSE you want to see this poster because you loved ‘Anchorman’ and if you didn’t don’t tell me that because then we can’t be friends anymore.  The first official poster is out and there are some things I didn’t notice at first, but after looking at it for an hour or so (don’t judge me) I have thoughts…

First here is the poster:

Paramount

So um, is it just me or is someone wearing mismatched pants and shoes there?  See how there’s one leg with a plaid patterned pant and brown shoe and then a leg with charcoal pants and black shoes?  Are two people missing a leg each?  Is it just the way they took the picture?  I’M SO CONFUSED!  Even more distressing is that while packing this week I discovered my copy of ‘Anchorman’ is missing.  I’M IN A GLASS CASE OF EMOTION!

Oh who cares.  This movie is going to be amazing (I hope).

[via buzzfeed]

Forbes

Justin Bieber isn’t No. 1 on the Forbes Celebrity 100list — that honor goes to Jennifer Lopez – but he is on the cover of the issue.

It’s another major magazine profile that bridges the gap from boy to man for the singer. While most Beliebers don’t care about the financials that are detailed in this story, it reveals that the Biebs is a very savvy (and wealthy) businessman.

Here’s the quick math. Since debuting three years ago, the ‘Boyfriend’ singer has sold 15 million albums and grossed $150 million over 157 tour dates in two dozen countries. His film ‘Never Say Never’ nabbed $30 million in opening weekend box office receipts. His ‘Someday’ fragrance raked in $60 million during its first six months. Add that up, and he’s earned about $108 million in the past two years.

In the social media sphere, he shakes out like this: 21 million Twitter followers, 43 million Facebook fans and 740 million ‘Baby’ YouTube video views, the most ever for one clip. Interestingly, a Twitter employee said that in 2010, three percent of the company’s infrastructure was dedicated to dealing with tweets related to the singer!

All that activity translates to plenty of money for him and his business managers to play with in the investment world. The Biebs is a venture capitalist who drops money into upstarts and products he likes. His manager Scooter Braun also stated firmly that he won’t let his client get involved in something unless he is into it. Smart strategy.

Bieber has been dumping millions into private tech start up companies and holds stakes in a dozen or so companies. The sleuths at FORBES verified four: messaging platform Tinychat, social curation app Stamped, gaming outfit Sojo Studios and Spotify.

The Biebs isn’t paid to endorse these products. He invests his own capital into them and most haven’t even promoted his involvement. So it’s not like he tweets about the products and uses his image to sell them a la Kim Kardashian – he directly funds them.

For his part, Bieber understands the financial and long-term value of being connected in the digital age, even if privacy and mystique are casualties.  ”It used to be there was a mystery to the artist,” says Bieber. “Now there’s, like, no mystery — the fans want the connection, they want to see you Instagramming at a coffee shop in the morning.”

Forbes

Forbes

Forbes

Forbes

Watch the Justin Bieber ‘Boyfriend’ Video

Source: PopCrush.com

Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images

I stumbled across this website today and it’s too much fun not to share.  Now normally these things give you a random name or power but this one give you a whole bunch of powers and weaknesses and frankly is awesome.

Here is mine:

Tim Taylor is protected from damage by dust armor, but using this power makes him almost weightless for six seconds. He has learned to communicate with chickens through a mental link and he has inherited all of the powers and talents of a goat. Tim Taylor has the ability to become incorporeal and he possesses the power to tunnel through solid water, however using this power draws a lot of attention. Also, he has the power to jump to hell and he has been known to force dolphins into a deep sleep. Tim Taylor rides a staggering jet into battle. Shamefully, Tim Taylor endures the burden of being foolish.

They pretty much nailed me on the foolish part, but I GET A JET!

See what your power is by clicking here and leave it in the comments below!

As you are probably aware, I landed here in BloNo, sooooo…

I still think it’s good even if those jerks didn’t, so I share it with you below!

iStockphoto

It’s very difficult to fall in love if you don’t have someone to fall in love with. Love is like going to a three-legged race by yourself: you might finish, but it’s just not the same when you’re doing it alone.

Come to think of it, that sentence works on more than one level, which brings us back to the point! You need another person for your relationship to be fulfilling… but where do you find them?

Sure, bars are filled with willing participants, but remember that they are there to meet people too, so they are very likely to be intentionally misrepresenting themselves. A bar is also less than ideal because your judgment is likely to be clouded. It’s not exactly easy to think straight when your eardrums are in a fight for their life against the sound of Ke$ha TiK ToK-ing away on them. You’re likely to see anyone that gets you out of that situation the way Sandra Bullock saw Keanu Reeves in Speed… sadly, we all know there was a Speed 2.

(Even if you didn’t know that there was a sequel, the analogy still holds up.)

It’s better to meet someone that is not out looking for a mate… someone unsuspecting. That’s why the best place to meet someone is in a small traffic accident. Sure, there may be the initial uncomfortability (both mental and physical) but if you can overcome that, you’re all set!

You’ve already seen each other at your worst, so it can only get better from there. Depending on how you play it, you can come off as helpful, sympathetic, and even a little heroic (presuming that you have a buddy who was willing to be the one behind the wheel.) Plus, they have to give you’re their number!

You might be saying to yourself that those are less than ideal conditions, but you gotta admit that it’s better than online dating. Who wants to tell their kids a story that begins with “there used to be a website for people to get hookers called Craigslist. One day, they added personals…”

Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images for Atlantico Rum

Here we go again.  In August of last year Jennifer Lopez signed a $20 MILLION deal to come back for another season of ‘American Idol’ putting to bed weeks of speculation about if she would return to the show or not.  So stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but there are reports she’s leaving the show.

E! is reporting that she has decided to leave ‘Idol’ because “she’s just too busy.”

She’s about to launch a mega concert tour with Enrique Iglesias that kicks off this summer in Latin America and the U.S. She plans to go worldwide in the fall.

I’m told Lopez will be on the road, at the very least, through the end of the year.

The next round of Idol auditions will begin while she’s overseas.

The superstar apparently wants to free up her schedule next year, possibly taking a little hiatus from work to be with her kids.

Those are all pretty darn good reasons to leave, but remember this is the same stuff we heard last summer, so it could be another negotiating ploy, but I doubt she can squeeze any more money out of the show.  I guess what I’m saying is that she’s probably leaving the show and I want to take over the rest of her contract with the show.  Call me guys.

[via E!]

Jason Merritt / Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

The MuchMusic Video Awards — Canada’s equivalent of the MTV Video Music Awards — have revealed the list of 2012 nominees, with big names like Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna earning nominations in key categories.

Perry, who is confirmed as a performer for the June 17 show, is one of 10 nominees for International Video of the Year – Artist, for her ‘Last Friday Night’ clip. Her competition includes Minaj’s ‘Starships,’ Rihanna’s ‘We Found Love,’ Lady Gaga‘s ‘Marry the Night,’ and Flo Rida‘s ‘Good Feeling.’

Bieber is nominated in the category as a featured artist on Chris Brown‘s ‘Next 2 You.’ Bieber’s ‘Boyfriend’ is a contender for International Video of the Year by a Canadian for ‘Boyfriend.’ His girlfriend, Selena Gomez, earned a nod for International Video of the Year – Group for ‘Love You Like a Love Song,’ which takes on videos by One Direction and the Wanted.

Vancouver pop-punk band Marianas Trench and Drake are among the most-nominated acts this year. Drake is up for Video of the Year, where his ‘Headlines’ clip competes against Carly Rae Jepsen‘s ‘Call Me Maybe.’ LMFAO will be hosting the ceremony on June 17 in Toronto.

2012 MuchMusic Video Awards Nominations:

Video of the Year:
Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’
Down With Webster – ‘She’s Dope’
Drake – ‘Headlines’
Hedley – ‘Invincible’
Marianas Trench – ‘Fallout’

Post-Production of the Year:
Down With Webster – ‘Big Wheels’
Marianas Trench – ‘Fallout’
Shaun Boothe – ‘Let Me Go’
The New Cities – ‘Heatwave’
These Kids Wear Crowns – ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’

Cinematography of the Year:
City and Colour – ‘Fragile Bird’
Hedley – ‘Invincible’
Kreesha Turner – ‘Rock Paper Scissors’
Marianas Trench – ‘Fallout’
Shawn Desman – ‘Moneyshot/Something Stupid’

Director of the Year:
Aleesia Feat. Big Sean – ‘Kiss It Bye Bye’
Danny Fernadnes Feat. Josh Ramsay and Belly – ‘Hit Me Up’
Down With Webster – ‘Royalty’
Marianas Trench – ‘Haven’t Had Enough’
Nelly Furtado – ‘Big Hoops’

Pop Video of the Year:
Anjulie – ‘Brand New Chick’
Carly Rae Jepsen – ‘Call Me Maybe’
Hedley – ‘Invincible’
Marianas Trench – ‘Haven’t Had Enough’
Victoria Duffield – ‘Shut Up and Dance’

MuchLOUD Rock Video of the Year:
Arkells – ‘Michigan Left’
F—ed Up – ‘Queen of Hearts’
Sam Roberts Band – ‘I Feel You’
The Sheepdogs – ‘I Don’t Know’
Theory of a Deadman – ‘Chick Came Back’

MuchVIBE Hip-Hop Video of the Year:
A-Game -’Cool Boyz’
Classified ft. Kayo and Jim Cuddy – ‘The Hangover’
Drake Feat. Lil Wayne and Tyga – ‘The Motto’
Harvey Stripes Feat. Lloyd – ‘Come On’
K’Naan Feat. Nelly Furtado – ‘Is Anybody Out There?’

MuchFACT Indie Video of the Year:
Arcade Fire – ‘Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)’
City and Colour – ‘Fragile Bird’
Danny Fernadnes Feat. Josh Ramsay and Belly – ‘Hit Me Up’
Down With Webster – ‘She’s Dope’
LIGHTS – ‘Banner’

International Video of the Year – Artist:
Beyonce Knowles – ‘Run the World (Girls)’
Chris Brown Feat. Justin Bieber – ‘Next 2 You’
David Guetta Feat. Nicki Minaj – ‘Turn Me On’
Flo Rida – ‘Good Feeling’
Katy Perry – ‘Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)’
Kelly Clarkson – ‘Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)’
Lady GaGa – ‘Marry the Night’
Nicki Minaj – ‘Starships’
Pitbull Feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer – ‘Give Me Everything’
Rihanna Feat. Calvin Harris – ‘We Found Love’

International Video of the Year – Group:
Bad Meets Evil Feat. Bruno Mars – ‘Lighters’
Cobra Starship Feat. Sabi – ‘You Make Me Feel’
Coldplay – ‘Paradise’
Foster the People – ‘Houdini’
Gym Class Heroes Feat. Adam Levine – ‘Stereo Hearts’
LMFAO – ‘Sexy and I Know It’
Maroon 5 ft. Christina Aguilera – ‘Moves Like Jagger’
One Direction – ‘One Thing’
Selena Gomez and The Scene – ‘Love You Like a Love Song’
The Wanted – ‘Glad You Came’

International Video of the Year by a Canadian:
Avril Lavigne – ‘Smile’
Drake Feat. Rihanna – ‘Take Care’
Nickelback – ‘When We Stand Together’
Justin Bieber – ‘Boyfriend’
Simple Plan – ‘Astronaut’

Source: PopCrush.com

Marie Backhall/sxc.hu

Warning: EXTREMELY disturbing photos that are very hard to see! I cannot close my eyes now without seeing these images. I literally had nightmares last night, and kept envisioning these poor pups and thinking about my own two dogs and what their situation might have been like had I not adopted them. This story makes my heart sink…Ruffles Rescue, a California based animal rescue, has gained national attention for rescuing a mother and six of her pups who were extremely neglected and infested with ticks. 

Ruffles Rescue Facebook Page

Ruffles Rescue teamed up with St. Francis All Creature Rescue and Sanctuary (also in CA) to save these Pit Bull/Boxer mix puppies. They were able to extract a mother and her six puppies who were all covered in hundreds and thousands of ticks on their tummies, paws, backs, and unfortunately burrowed in their little ears. They have spent hours and hours de-ticking these poor puppies, but that can be painful and dangerous, especially since the puppies are so young, and they are malnourished and already weak.

Here is an update from this morning on Ruffles Rescue facebook page:

“Mommy and her puppies are hanging in there. We have been working diligently on freeing the puppies from their horrible condition. Due to the ‘tick fever’, their blood isn’t clotting like it should, so this is a very slow process. We have to remove a few, then let them rest and work on another puppy. Their little paws, toes, tummies have been freed from these disgusting little bastards and we are working on their ears. We can now see the inside of the puppies ears, and they are starting to finally breath. Most of the puppies have ear infections and a horrible smell. They are on antibiotics, and fluids. The antibiotics is for any diseases that might have been passed from tick to dog along with other infections. This is a very slow and steady process. We, along with our vet, are trying to treat them without over doing their little systems. Momma dog was in better condition than the puppies, but she was covered in ticks – just not as horrendous. Her ears were in no condition like the puppies, but her body was covered. Just like the puppies, she is also being treated with antibiotics. Once the puppies are more stable and we have the majority of the ticks out of their ears, and they are no longer bleeding and inflamed, they will need to be sedated to have their ear canals deep cleaned. Our vet believes that hearing loss is a very slim outcome. We appreciate all the love, support, sharing and donations. We are truly blown away! Once their ears are not as inflamed, and bloody, we will update you guys with newer photos. Thank you so much for all the support.”

Ruffles Rescue Facebook Page

Ruffles Rescue received an overwhelming amount of support and donations due to the fast exposure over social media sites, etc. and have been able to cover the medical costs for these little guys. They are now asking you to make a donation to your local animal shelter in lieu of any further donations to these dogs. Here are just a few great rescue organizations in the area that come to mind if you are able to donate or help out. It’s important to donate year-round, but definitely times like this remind us how important it is to help places like Wishbone Canine Rescue, Humane Society of Central Illinois, CISAR, etc.

Kickstarter.com

During our conversation this morning, I found out that Susan had never heard of Kickstarter.com, so I figured that I’d bring it up here. Honestly, it’s the kind of thing that I think she would love to get involved with, but if she doesn’t know about it, maybe you don’t either!

Kickstarter.com is a website where people go to raise money to fund their creative projects – writing books, recording music, releasing a film, etc. The money is all donated by supporters who are given incentives to invest in the project at greater and greater levels. The only real downside is that you need to raise the entire amount of money that you are asking for by Kickstarter’s deadline or you don’t get any of the money people promised.

You can’t just put up any old thing you want to buy and call it a Kickstarter project, though. The example I gave Susan this morning is that you can’t start a Kickstarter campaign because you want a new pair of shoes – but you can certainly create one for your documentary about trying to purchase a new pair of shoes. Subtle, but important distinction.

Kickstarter really is more than just an awesome, generous idea. It’s an amazing new business modle. Sure, if you are a struggling artist, you might be able to get the funds together to release a collection of songs that woud have otherwise gone unheard… but it also gives the consumer a way to get a more personal experience from established artists that decided to go the Kickstarter route.

Let’s follow one project completely as an example.

This is a band called Pomplamoose that did some very well received car commercials a few years ago. Below is their cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat It.”

The girl, Nataly Dawn decided that she wanted to do a solo record and so she went to Kickstarter.com to get the money together.  Along the right side of her her Kickstarter page, you’ll see that for making donations of different amounts of money, you could get everything from advanced copies of the music, to original oil paintings to private performances by Nataly in your home. As you can also see on her Kickstarter page, the amount of money she raised FAR exceeded her goal, and she gets to keep all of it, and hopefully make an even better product that she had originally planned.

The thing that I just learned about Kickstarter.com today while writing this is that they have an area on their site dedicated to supporting local projects, which I think is absolutely amazing. Click HERE to see projects from the Bloomington, IL area and get involved! Either support someone else’s project or start one of your own… either way, don’t let this great resource go to waste!!

Tom Cruise told Playboy,

“I was down in Miami, recording different songs. And director Adam Shankman called and said, ‘Def Leppard’s coming by the set.’ I said, ‘Man, that’s cool.’ Then I paused. ‘Wait, I’m rehearsing their song tomorrow.’ And he’s like, ‘Yeah!’ [laughs] So we started right in the deep end, and that was the first scene I shot in the movie…They went to the back of the Bourbon Room, and I looked at my band and was like, ‘Hit it.’ All the crew was watching them watching me. Joe Elliott, points at me and goes, ‘F— you! F— you!’ Then I saw big smiles on their faces, and I realized I’d gotten their stamp. It was a very cool moment. It was important they knew I was honoring their music and not making fun of them.”

‘Rock of Ages‘ comes out June 15, 2012

Stewart Huff

I’m still a little new to the rules and regulations for the whole radio thing…. I know that we can’t talk too much about some things on the radio, but the website may or may not be a grey area… maybe?

Honestly, who the hell knows?!

SO, let me just say that I made lots of funny friends in my time as a fulltime stand-up comedian, and one of the best is Stewart Huff. His act is thoughtful, sweet and still laugh-out-loud funny. I don’t think I can say too much about why I bring him up today, but I would suggest you looking into comedy for May 17th, 18th and 19th and go see him if at all possible!

Feel free to check out some clips of him by clicking on the links below!

“Fired From Dairy Queen” from RooftopComedy.com

Wright Brothers Were Wrong on RooftopComedy.com

P.S. I don’t think he knows about my move to this area, though, and I’d love to surprise him with that info!! So, if you’re tempted to gush to him about how you found his Facebook page, don’t mention me please!

As American University School of Public Affairs graduates walked across the stage to accept their diplomas, graduate Sarah Cooper became engaged to School of Communication graduate Sam Miller. He proposed on stage in front of family and classmates.

You tube user : americanuniversity

What was the best thing you saw at graduation this year? Log into Facebook and comment below.