Mimi McDaniel/Townsquare Media

I am allergic to their stings. I am afraid of their buzz. I hate being chased by them so how can I keep wasps away from my house and property?

There has to be a way…a flower, a bush, a spray or something that will make my yard unappealing to these darn stinging wasps.

Do you have any suggestions?

This is the Hotel they set up last year:

Mimi McDaniel/Townsquare Media

Andrea Stratton/Arkansas Treatment Services

There is a new clinic open in Texarkana for people that are addicted to prescription pain medications. Arkansas Treatment Services, PA is a new provider of outpatient methadone treatment located at 408 Hazel Street, Texarkana, Arkansas.

There is a huge need in southwest Arkansas for the treatment of addiction to prescription pain medications and other opiate drugs such as heroin. In our region, hydrocodone is widely abused and many people become addicted to it after having had it prescribed to them after surgery or an accident. Extended use of this drug is not good for a person’s body.

“No one deliberately chooses to become addicted to any drug,” says Dr. Peter Guresky, the company president and medical director. “Methadone is one of the most widely researched medications on the market and has been proven to be safe when prescribed under appropriate medical supervision.”

Methadone is not intended to treat addiction to street drugs such as crack cocaine. It helps stop cravings and when used in combination with counseling, has been proven to be highly successful in helping patients overcome addiction and therefore, restore their lives, families and futures. Any person who is interested in treatment should call 870-774-0421 for a free and confidential screening. Patients begin treatment by attending the clinic every day to receive their methadone and participate in counseling sessions.

“There is unfortunately a stigma often associated with substance abuse treatment and methadone treatment in particular,” says Andrea Stratton, who is the program director. “Our clinic is designed to respect and enhance the dignity and self-worth of every person who walks through the doors seeking help. The services we provide are confidential.”

Visit methadone4me.com for more information.

iStockphoto

Vote for Texarkana, Arkansas to win a grant for a dog park.

The PetSafe Bark for Your Park Contest has started and runs through June 14, 2012. You can vote every day!

Texarkana, Arkansas is ready for its first community dog park and shelter dog park. It will be known as “JefFURson Park,” located on the Partnership for the Pathway Trail. It’s the triangle area between the pathway, pavilion and road that runs along AHS. Areas will be sectioned off for large, medium and small dogs. There will also be an agility course. The community will be able to exercise and socialize their dogs with other dog lovers.

Crystal Sloan is helping to organize this project. She says, “We also want to create a dog park at the Animal Care and Adoption Center of Texarkana, Arkansas with a portion of the grant. Our shelter dogs desperately need a safe place to run off-leash and play with volunteers and potential owners. As of now, the shelter dogs can escape from their slip leads and run into nearby traffic when they are taken outside of the shelter. With $100,000 we can make the most of the money by serving the general public’s need for a safe off-leash dog park as well as creating a stress-free and safe environment for the community’s shelter dogs. Our animal shelter serves Miller County, Arkansas and Bowie County, Texas, so voting for Texarkana, Arkansas will benefit both sides of Stateline.”

Please vote daily for Texarkana, Arkansas.

You can vote once a day. Please mark it as a favorite and vote daily.

Last year there was some confusion which caused a split of the votes between the Twin Cities. I believe this cost our community the chance to have a dog park. If we can get a dog park in Texarkana, Arkansas, it will benefit the entire community no matter which side of the line you are on.

The unique opportunity for Texarkana is the ability to also help the animal shelter with this grant. If you have ever been to or seen a shelter that has areas sectioned off for dogs to run loose, it is very helpful to potential adopters. They are able to go into a fenced area and sit with the dog to interact and see how much they would enjoy the dog if they adopted it. I get chill bumps when I think about how much of a difference this type of park could make for the animals that are stuck in the shelter waiting to be given a chance. Please help by voting daily for Texarkana, Arkansas to get a dog park.

Here is a video of last year’s grant winner:

Vote daily for Texarkana, Arkansas

This is a grassroots effort. If you would like to help in this project, please visit Petsafe.net and download flyers to distribute.

HTC

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

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

The benefits are:

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

But what is the downside you ask?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I like being in control of my stuff.

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

Are you like me?

Logan Mock-Bunting/Getty Images

It’s time to exercise your right to vote.Early voting is underway in both Arkansas and Texas for Primary Elections later in this month of May. The Arkansas Primary is next Tuesday May 22 and the Texas Primary is the following Tuesday May 29.

There are numerous local races including Sheriff, County Clerk, County Tax Assessor and County Commissioner Races in Bowie County. Texas voters also have congressional races and a statewide Senate vote to see who will replace the retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison.

In Arkansas, County Judge, Justice of the Peace and state house and senate races are being contested and of course the 4th district  U.S. House seat currently held by Mike Ross is up for grabs. Ross is retiring from politics this year.

If you are a registered voter, please be sure and either vote early or on primary day.

YouTube.com

Disco queen Donna Summer has lost a long battle with cancer. TMZ is reporting that she was in Florida at the time of her death this morning.

The five time Grammy winner was well known for her huge disco hits in the 70′s like “Last Dance”, “Hot Stuff”, “She Works Hard For The Money” and many more.



la roxx myspace

There is live music in Texarkana all weekend at  Fat Jack’s , Hopkins Icehouse, and Shooters.

See the full schedule of music below.

Live Entertainment for the Weekend

Calendar courtesy of TexarkanaRocks.com

Venues:

Fat Jack’s is located on Stateline, Texarkana, Ark. 870-774-5225.

Shooter’s Sports Bar at 310 E 49th Street in Texarkana, Ark. 870-773-4903

Hopkins Icehouse is located in downtown Texarkana at 301 East 3rd, Texarkana, Ark. 870-774-3333

La Fogata is located on Genoa Road just past Loop 245. 870-773-1879

If you would like to add your favorite night club’s entertainment to this blog, please send me an email with all of the pertinent info.

Paramount Pictures / Universal Pictures / Lionsgate

This weekend, you’ll have your choice between a goofy comedy, watching things blow up, and a tale about the joys and perils of new parenthood. Sacha Baron Cohen’s movie opened on Wednesday to lukewarm ticket sales. My pick for the weekend is Liam Neeson’s movie Battleship. I think the only thing that will help What to Expect When You’re Expecting is Chris Rock.

THE DICTATOR is a comedy starring Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, John C. Reilly, J.B. Smoove, B.J. Novak. A dictator risks his life to ensure that democracy never comes to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

BATTLESHIP is an action movie starring Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Jesse Plemons, Peter MacNicol. Based on the classic board game, a battleship fights a fleet in an adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force.

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, Chris Rock, Elizabeth Banks, Dennis Quaid, Brooklyn Decker, Anna Kendrick, Cameron Diaz, Chace Crawford, Megan Mullally. Couples weather the first pains of parenthood in the adaptation of the best-selling self-help book of the same name.

Here’s a sneak peek.

‘The Dictator’

Directed by: Larry Charles

Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Anna Faris, Ben Kingsley, Jason Mantzoukas

Get Tickets & Showtimes

‘Battleship’

Directed by: Peter Berg

Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Tadanobu Asano, Hamish Linklater, Liam Neeson

Get Tickets & Showtimes

‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’

Directed by: Kirk Jones

Starring: Cameron Diaz, Jennifer Lopez, Elizabeth Banks, Chace Crawford, Brooklyn Decker, Ben Falcone, Anna Kendrick, Matthew J. Morrison

Get Tickets & Showtimes

dblstripe/Flickr

I guess I qualify as a pack rat because I do not like to throw away items that I may need later. Do you know what I am talking about? I absolutely hate it when I need something and realize that I either sold it at a yard sale or threw it away.

From clothing that has made it full circle and is in style again to a stupid little bowl, I want to keep it all just in case I need it again.

Example one: The blazer that I sold for a buck at a yard sale. I miss that blazer and I bet it misses me too.When I realized the error of my ways I went out and purchased three new-to-me blazers but none of them could fill the shoes of the one that got away.

Example two: The wooden shelving unit with a lock on it. It had adjustable shelves. I could have used that shelf at least one hundred times since I sold it. Why in the world did I sell it?! I was trying to minimize, cut down on furniture. What a mistake.

I have it bad but you know what? I do not plan to change a thing other than be better at organizing my stuff so I don’t spend hours looking for that ‘thing’ I know I have somewhere.

Are you a Pack Rat too?

Capital FM

Jessie J recently stopped by Capital FM studios in the U.K., and while there, the bubbly songstress dished on her next career move. Since she’s still enjoying the success of her debut album ‘Who You Are,’ the number one item on Jessie J’s professional agenda as of right now is to perform with Beyonce.

When asked about what her next career move will be, Jessie J didn’t speak of recording a new album or hitting the road to perform more — Ms. J is a dreamer, so it comes as no surprise that she spoke of her dream collaboration, which is “to sing with Beyonce.” They haven’t spoken about singing together, although Jessie has met the very “nice” vocalist. (She hasn’t met Blue Ivy, though, comically saying, “I’ve not met the baby. I think that that’s their thing.”) But now that the idea is out there, maybe Bey will accept this sort of proposal?

Beyonce doesn’t tend to do a lot of collaborations with other pop songstresses (minus Lady Gaga), and usually gravitates to rappers for features to offset her sultry R&B vocals. However, Jessie J would make a good song partner for Beyonce, since she can belt it out with the best of them and has that edgy, soulful quality to her voice.

During her Capital FM interview, the adorable Jessie J, who revealed she now has arthritis in her left foot after breaking it last year, also dished on performing at the radio station’s Summertime Ball on June 9, 2012.

“I can’t wait,” she gushed. “I’m looking forward to being sandwiched between Justin Bieber and Katy Perry. That’s quite a good sandwich.” She also spoke about sometimes getting teary-eyed during performances, saying, “I’m quite an emotional girl. I wear my heart on my sleeve.” Additionally, Jessie J confirmed that she’d never date a fan because “it would get a little strange,” adding that most of the people the openly bisexual songstress dates haven’t heard of her.

[button href="http://www.capitalfm.com/artists/jessie-j/news/exclusive-webchat-capital/" target="_blank" title="Watch Jessie J's Interview With Capital FM" align="center"]

Source: PopCrush.com

kkyr

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

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

Eva Rinaldi/Celebrity and Live Music Photographer

My stepdaughter wants to go to the One Direction concert in Dallas this summer. She also wants to take a friend. The tickets are over $300. What do you think?

She says she will pay for her ticket and help out on the friend’s ticket. She is 13 years old. We do not feel that she can go unchaperoned. What should we do?

Dusty Smith, LollyPopFarm, Sugar Daze/Flickr

Movies in the Park tonight, Co-ed softball tournament, a bake sale and pet adoptions this weekend in Texarkana.

Local Events This Weekend:

Thursday, May 17:

Movies in the Park, at Spring Lake Park Thursday at 8 p.m., “The Smurfs,” Rated PG. Admission is free! Bring your lawn chair or blanket. Concessions will be available. You can bring your own food but no alcohol is allowed. For more details contact the City of Texarkana, Texas Parks and Recreation Department at 903-798-3978.

Saturday, May 19:

Hooks Cub Scout Pack 547 will have their annual Yard Sale beginning at 8 a.m. at 113 East Ave. G in Hooks, Texas. They will also sell hamburger plates for $5. All proceeds will benefit Pack 547. For more information please contact Vanessa 903-276-3977.

Co-Ed Softball Tournament at the New Boston Tapp Memorial Park. This is a tournament to benefit the Strack Family. Their 3-year-old boy was killed in a car accident and his mother suffered a broken neck in the accident. This fundraiser is to help the family with their medical costs. The entry fee will be $150 per team. For more information call 903-278-7393.

Circle J Cowboy Church Bake Sale at Tractor Supply on starting at 9 a.m. This fundraiser is to help send kids to camp. For more information call Tiffany at 903-908-4262.

The Texarkana Animal League is hosting a pet adoption event this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Petsmart in Texarkana, Texas. Several local rescues will be there as well with many different dog breeds. All dogs are spayed or neutered, up to date on vaccinations and microchipped. There are also cats and kittens available for adoption in TAL’s cat adoption center inside Petsmart. Become a Fan of Texarkana Animal League’s Facebook page to find out more about this adoption event and future events.

Fish Fry at Ashdown Farmers Market from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to benefit Little River Patriots. Candidates for the upcoming 2012 election will speak at the event. For more information visit LittleRiverPatriots.com

The 24th annual Magnolia Blossom Festival and World Championship Steak Cook-Off is May 18-19 in Magnolia. The event includes a sidewalk art show, crafts, a car and motorcycle show, a fishing tournament, and more. Over 5,000 steaks are cooked by teams vying to win the coveted Governor’s Cup and title as the World Championship Steak Cooker. For more details check out blossomfestival.org or call 870-234-4352.

Washington hosts Armed Forces Day May 19 in Washington at Historic Washington State Park. This day is set aside to remember the many ways in which armed forces personnel have impacted our country since its founding. The event features exhibits and first person living history attractions related to the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, The Mexican War, Civil War, Indian Wars, Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, and an appearance by current armed forces representatives.Special programs and activities open at 9 a.m. and run through 4 p.m. Park tours are available at regular prices from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Admission is free for special exhibits. Tours cost $8 for adults and $4 for kids 6-12 years old. Visit historicwashingtonstatepark.com or call 870-983-2684 for more details.

Announcements:

Vote for Texarkana, Ark. to win a grant for a dog park: Please vote daily for Texarkana, Ark.! The PetSafe Bark for Your Park Contest has started and runs through June 14. You can vote every day! Texarkana, Ark. is ready for its first community dog park and shelter dog park. It will be known as “JefFURson Park,” located on the Partnership for the Pathway Trail. It’s the triangle area between the pathway, pavilion and road that runs along AHS. Areas will be sectioned off for large, medium and small dogs. There will also be an agility course. The community will be able to exercise and socialize their dogs with other dog lovers.

Crystal Sloan is helping to organize this project. She says, “We also want to create a dog park at the Animal Care and Adoption Center of Texarkana, Ark. with a portion of the grant. Our shelter dogs desperately need a safe place to run off-leash and play with volunteers and potential owners. As of now, the shelter dogs can escape from their slip leads and run into nearby traffic when they are taken outside of the shelter.

Texarkana Animal League’s Tails of Two Cities Day Planner-2013 edition is underway. Please share with your animal-loving friends and family. The more people that sponsor a page, the more lives we can save. Applications can be downloaded at TexarkanaAnimalLeague.org.

Here are just a few of the ways you help animals by sponsoring or underwriting a page:

Low Income Spay/Neuter Assistance Program available to residents of Bowie, Miller, Cass, & Little River Counties.

Foster Care for cats, dogs and the occasional rabbit or ferret. All of the animals in our foster care program are fully vetted prior to adoption.

TAL purchases all vaccines for animals residing at the local city-run shelter, Animal Care & Adoption Center. Shelter pets deserve a healthy life!

Wildlife Rehabilitation: baby birds, raccoons, opossums, oh my! All of these and more have come through and been successfully released back into the wild.

Life Saver Program: our way of helping local rescues offset unexpected, but necessary veterinary expenses.

Have An Upcoming Event?

We want to hear about your upcoming events! To have your church, group or civic organization announcements listed here please send an email and include the who, what, where, when and why. Please include contact information for the event.

Texas Governor Rick Perry/Flickr

The Texarkana, Arkansas Police Force is once again this year participating in the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.

Arkansas-side Public Information Officer Kristi Mitchell says the department is proud to participate in such an outstanding event for such a work cause. The local department is joining over 85,000 law enforcement officers who will carry the Flame of Hope across 35 nations.

The event will begin Tuesday May 22 at 8 a.m. starting in the Wal-Mart Parking lot on Arkansas Boulevard. Texarkana, Arkansas Police officers will carry the torch over 18 miles before handing it off to officers from the Hope Police Department.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Michael Loccisano / Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Kelly Clarkson showed off her new, trimmer figure at the ABC and Entertainment Weekly Upfront party in New York City this week. Wearing a spring-appropriate, strapless floral frock that accentuated her toned arms and smaller waist, Clarkson, 30, looked amazing.

The ‘Stronger’ singer also chose a flattering cut to show off her shape with this pretty dress. She has not admitted to any sort of diet or exercise regimen, but it’s clear that she has shed some excess pounds and it’s most visible in her arms and hips. Looking god, Kel!

She’s also growing out her formerly blunt bangs, it seems. It’s a move which flatters her face shape, since it’s a less severe style.

According to AOL Music, the singer and original ‘American Idol‘ was in town to promote her new reality show ‘Duets,’ which teams aspiring singers with established stars. The new show premieres on May 24. Clarkson loves her reality competitions, as she also mentored on the second season of ‘The Voice.’ She has spread her wings beyond the show that made her famous, and she has often maintained that she just wants to sing, as opposed to being a pop star.

Watch the Promo for ‘Duets’ Starring Kelly Clarkson

Source: PopCrush.com

YouTube.com

Speaking for a living can lead to hilarious moments that after 27 years of radio are just to numerous to mention, unfortunately or fortunately most of them were not caught on Memorex. (That’s a cassette audio tape for some of you.)

With today’s video cams in almost every phone and places on the Web like YouTube and Facebook to post them on, not many will be lost in the future. Today we can all enjoy gaffs like the one below.

Amazing how much difference pausing at the wrong time can make in a simple sentence.

YouTube

Luiz Meneghin, a 54-year old nurse for the elderly, did the near-impossible last night (May 15) on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ He converted Howard Stern, who admitted he is “bored to tears” by opera music, to an opera fan with his beautiful, soaring rendition of ‘Nessun dorma.’

Meneghin said his patients support him, and told him to “go for it” on ‘AGT” since he sings for them daily. Every afternoon after lunch, the patients gather in the lobby and listen to him sing for 30 minutes. In the middle of that feel good story, Stern deadpanned, “So far no casualties? Everyone doing okay?” Meneghin also said he sings to help his charges move their bowels, which would have been prime fodder for Stern to pounce on, but he didn’t. This is ‘AGT,’ not his “anything goes” radio show, and he was respectful.

Meneghin shared his back-story — he is from Brazil, but lives in Utah and his father introduced him to opera at a young age. Stern grilled him on what to expect and his accent. He really asked the right questions, like he would to a guest on his show, and was not hesitant to reveal he has “a tough time with opera.”

Well, Luiz made it an easy genre to love. While his eyes did bug out a little while he sang, he hit notes beautifully and is in line with the likes of Andrea Boccelli. When Meneghin wrapped, Stern declared, “You converted me.”

It’s worth a mention that this is the same song that Paul Potts sang on the British version of the show back in 2007, and he was a huge sensation! It’s not the song, though. It’s the singers!

Watch Luiz Meneghin Perform ‘Nessum dorma’ on ‘AGT’

Source: PopCrush.com

YouTube.com

There have been many times over 14 seasons of DWS that the better dancer was sent home and in my humble opinion, it happened again last night.

The finals are set, it will be Katherine and Mark vs. William and Cheryl vs. Donald and Peta, congratulations to all. However here’s the rub,  the star that I thought was clearly the best dancer of all of the four remaining stars in the semi-finals is gone, the team of Maria and Derek were eliminated last night even though they had the top scores from the judges the night before. That’s just nuts!

But this highlights a problem that the show has in general, it’s not a show about who’s the best dancer, it’s a popularity contest. Donald Driver is one of the two hunks in the finals, and yes he has proven that he can in fact dance, but he is not a better dancer than Maria Menounos.

William Levy, good looking guy who has rhythm and can shake his butt, he’s in.

Katherine Jenkins who hurt her back competing the night before is good no doubt, but I think she received a sympathy vote because again, she is clearly not a better dancer than Maria.

Carrie Ann, Len and Bruno had it right when they gave Maria and Derek the top scores from the previous night but the voting fans, dominated by women viewers of course, voted with their hearts and not their heads. Once again the DWS mirror ball trophy will go to someone who’s a pretty darn good dancer, but the best dancer of the final four has left the competition early.

Your thoughts.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Desert Sun

Most of us love our pets to death, and have no problem lavishing attention upon them when they are good. Sometimes in the winter, if we happen to live in a cold place, we might even knit a sweater for them (especially the little ones). These days, if your dog is acting a bit strange, you can even take it to a pet psychologist. There seems to be no end to the ways we try and make our animals more like us.

Keeping with this tradition, some people have gone so far as to throw a wedding bash for their canine friends.

Doggy weddings have become increasingly popular these days. But a pooch marriage ceremony that recently took place in Palm Spring, California, went to extremes on this account, and really took the (wedding) cake.

Around 100 people participated in the celebration that marked the tying of the knot between Scruffy Rubin and Snickers Carter, two exceedingly well-pampered dogs. The ceremony was held at the Palm Desert Resort Country Club, and apparently no expense was spared. There was an open bar for the guests, a fancy wedding cake, security (for the dogs or the people, we’re not sure), a ring bearer and a “priest” of a sort to say the vows for the lovely canine couple, since their command of spoken English probably wasn’t all that good.

In addition to these normal wedding fixtures, there was also an usher on hand to help the guests find their seats, a flower boy, as well as a four-legged pug groomsman named Max. Max was probably on hand just to make sure the groom made it through this nervous occasion, and didn’t get “cold paws.”

The cost for this extravagant canine festival, which also featured a live band, clocked in at around $5,000. Ann Carter and Ernie Rubin, the ‘”parents” of the betrothed, asked their guests to donate money to an orphan pet humane society in lieu of actual wedding gifts. While that was a nice touch, some people on the blogosphere are questioning the wisdom of such extravagant expense for a dog wedding, no matter how cute the couple was. Even in a bad economy, it seems, every dog can still have his (big) day.

You can see footage of the adorable wedding here.

Source: TheFW.com