TWANG TOWN LOWDDOWN - FRIDAY MARCH 11th

 

NASHVILLE HOT PURSUIT – RANDY HOUSER



What appeared to be the police in hot pursuit of a black Pontiac Tran Am through the streets of Nashville yesterday afternoon (3/10) actually turned out to be a video shoot for Randy Houser. The classic muscle car was spotted at various locations around the city -- including downtown and Music Row -- with several police cars following close behind. Metro Nashville Police participated in the fun video shoot that featured Houser recreating the chase from his "We Went" music video. The video was also for a good cause as it resulted in a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee. The video can be seen here. The chase hit the streets of Music City just as Randy is set to drop his brand-new album, Fired Up, today (3/11).

The new police chase clip mimics the outlaw theme from Randy's official "We Went" music video, which was released in August. In the theatrical video for the song, Randy and his love interest play the roles of the "Good Deed Bandits" who blow up a drug baron's operation and make off with the cash in their black 1967 Pontiac Firebird, giving the money to less fortunate people. That video can be seen here.

GARTH BROOKS IS DELAYING HIS ALBUM RELEASE

 

Garth Brooks took to Facebook yesterday (3/10) to let fans know he's postponing the release of his forthcoming studio album. In the lengthy message, Garth first thanked fans for all of the support they've given him on his return world tour with Trisha Yearwood and then asked for their patience as he takes time to get back in the habit of writing songs.  Brooks said, "I made the statement that when we came back on the road and into the studio, I was not confident in my own writing…it is a muscle and if you don’t use it, you just can’t turn it back on again…it takes time…but I DID hear you." He then continued, "Because of that, teamed with the touring schedule, I am asking a huge favor from you, I am postponing the release of the new studio record…I ask for your patience as I explore the writing again."

Garth said that for the last four months he's really loved the challenge of exploring writing again, saying he's actually enjoyed his time in the studio even more because of it. He also ensured fans that his new music will be just as genuine as it's always been. He said, "This new album will be the most Garth thing I have ever done… whether that is a good thing or a bad thing, you will decide." Brooks then wrote in length about how he wants to keep fans up-to-date on the progress of his new music, promising to show everyone what goes on behind the scenes during every step of making the record. Garth said he would use the Facebook LIVE streaming video channel to "pull back the curtain on this process in a very cool and personal way." Brooks also said in the message that he hopes to release his new record sometime this summer. His full Facebook message can be seen here.

HOSPITAL DEDICATES FOUNTAIN TO BLAKE SHELTON'S DAD

St. Anthony Hospital in Shawnee, Oklahoma, has dedicated a fountain in its new wing to Blake Shelton's late father Richard Lee Shelton. Blake took to Twitter on Wednesday night (3/9) to say he was "so proud and thankful to Dr. Haddad and St. Anthony hospital" for the special dedication to his father. Along with expressing his gratitude for the dedication, Shelton also posted a picture of the new bubble wall fountain that was illuminated in blue light. Bubble wall fountains usually feature air bubbles released through a column of water, with the bubbles being illuminated in different colors as they rise to the top. Blake's father passed away in early 2012 after being hospitalized with pneumonia. 

THE D.A. OF THE DAY - FRIDAY MARCH 11

 

HERE'S ONE UBER GOOBER:

A Virginia woman ended up in handcuffs after trying to shoplift, then trying to get a lift -- from an Uber car she summoned to the Wal-Mart she'd just tried to rip off.

Eboni Jones tossed a bunch of items into a shopping cart and tried to leave of the super-store without paying, but was caught by a security guard who pursued her out the door. Jones ran into a building next door and emerged wearing an entirely different outfit, a disguise attempt that didn't work very well.

The store guard called cops and informed them that she'd seen Jones enter an Uber car, which the officers pulled over just a few blocks away. She was charged with petty larceny and providing false information -- a charge that was added when she told the cops she'd never been in the store. 

NOW THAT'S A DRUG BUST

A Colombian woman gave a whole new meaning to the term "drug bust" when she was arrested trying to smuggle more than two pounds of cocaine into Germany -- in her breast implants!

The 24-year-old, whose name was not released, attracted the attention of customs officials who noticed the fresh surgical scars on her chest and heard her muttering about being in pain. She became nervous during questioning and finally admitted the contraband, which was removed at a nearby hospital following her arrest.

Officials seized the drugs, valued at about $300,000, and held the woman on smuggling charges. 

FARE-LY RIDICULOUS:

A Colorado woman had a "hail" of a lot of trouble getting away from cops after she carjacked a taxi -- and then drove off to the location she'd given the cabbie when she got into his vehicle.

The pea-brained passenger flagged down the taxi and asked to be taken to an address a few miles away, but when the driver pulled up to the corner, she pulled out a knife and gave him the boot. She drove off, but ditched the cab when she got wind of a police pursuit -- which ended at the home address she'd given the cabbie in the first place.

It took nearly 20 minutes for officers to subdue the woman, who was taken into jail on charges of grand theft auto and resisting arrest. 

THE HOTLIST - FRIDAY, MARCH 11

 

SPLENDA COULD CAUSE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS:




Sure, the idea of getting your sugar fix without the calories always seems enticing, but new research suggests that Splenda—an artificial sweetener recently considered safe—may contribute to serious health problems like cancer.

The study, published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, found that mice fed sucralose daily throughout their lives developed leukemia and other blood cancers. In response to the findings, the Center for Science in the Public Interest—a nutrition watchdog group that assesses the safety of food additives—has now formally recommended that consumers avoid the sweetener. That's a big deal, considering that until 2013, they'd rated the additive as "safe."

Granted, the doses of sucralose used in the study were equivalent to someone drinking at least 10 cans of diet soda per day—tough for anyone to do, but not totally out of the realm of possibility if you're consuming artificial sweeteners from multiple food and drink sources. "And even if you consume less, that doesn't mean there's no problem," Lefferts says. "When something causes cancer at high doses, it generally causes cancer at lower doses, the risk is just smaller."

CHRIS ROCK: WHERE'S THAT COOKIE MONEY?

Remember when Chris Rock sold $65,000 worth of Girl Scout cookies during the Oscars? The local troop says it hasn't seen a dime.

Latoya Edwards, whose daughter is in Inglewood, California troop 5215, tells TMZ that the Academy had said it was going to donate the cash to the Greater Los Angeles Council. Her troop would actually receive $1000, not $65,000, but even that small amount hasn't shown up.

A rep for Girl Scouts of America tells TMZ, "The donation process is determined by local councils." So far, the Academy hasn't issued any further public comment. 

ADAM LEVINE: GONNA BE A DAD

Victoria's Secret model Behati Prinsloo and her hubby Adam Levine of The Voice are expecting their first baby. Multiple sources confirm tthat the Victoria’s Secret Angel, 26, is three to four months along in her pregnancy and that her rocker hubby is “over the moon” about impending fatherhood.

KEIFER SUTHERLAND SET TO TOUR IN SUPPORT OF NEW ALBUM




When the drama “24” was on Fox, fans of the thriller would wear shirts asking “What would Jack Bauer do?”

If Jack were Kiefer Sutherland these days, he would announce a concert tour this spring and the release of an album, “Down In A Hole,” this summer.

Although known more as an actor than a singer and musician, Sutherland and Jude Cole established a label a few years ago called Ironworks, with the emphasis on signing local musicians. Among those signed were Rocco DeLuca and the Burden, HoneyHoney and Billy Boy On Poison.

In 2009, Sutherland left the label to recharge and figure out what he was going to do next. One of those things was to start writing songs, which he started playing for Cole last year. Cole thought they were good enough to record and the album progressed from there.

“It’s the closest thing I’ve ever had to a journal or diary,” Sutherland says. “All of these songs are pulled from my own personal experiences. There is something very satisfying about being able to look back on my own life, good times and bad, and express those sentiments in music.”

The actor-turned-singer adds that he is looking forward to going out and playing those songs live now that the album is finished. The tour kicks off in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on April 14 and will continue mostly in the Midwest and Northeast. Other dates are to be added.

Sutherland’s lastest movie was “Forsaken,” in which he starred with his father, Donald Sutherland. He also will star in an upcoming ABC series, “Designated Survivor.”

KIEFER SUTHERLAND TOUR DATES:

April 14 Milwaukee, Wis. - Shank Hall
April 15 Madison, Wis. - Majestic
April 16 Grand Rapids, Mich. - The Pyramid Scheme
April 18 Ann Arbor, Mich. - The Ark
April 19 Cleveland, Ohio - Grog Shop
April 20 Pittsburgh, Pa. - Hard Rock Cafe
April 22 Huntington, W. Va. - V Club
April 23 Cincinnati, Ohio - Ballroom at the Taft
April 24 Indianapolis, Ind - Vogue
April 26 Columbus, Ohio - A&R Music Bar
May 04 Charlotte, N.C. - Visulite Theatre
May 06 Raleigh, N.C. - Lincoln Theatre
May 08 Richmond, Va. - Capital Ale House
May 09 Annapolis, Md. - Ram’s Head Tavern
May 11 Wilmington, Del. - World Cafe Live
May 12 Teaneck, N.J. - Mexicali Live
May 14 Pawling, N.Y. - Daryl’s House
May 15 Ithaca, N.Y. - The Dock
May 16 Buffalo, N.Y. - Iron Works
May 19 Northampton, Mass. - Iron Horse
May 20 Boston, Mass. - Brighton Music Hall
May 21 Providence, R.I. - The Met
May 24 Asbury Park, N.J. - Stone Pony
May 25 Long Island, N.Y. - Founders Room
May 26 Sellersville, Pa. - Sellersville Theater
May 28 Amagansett, N.Y. - Stephen Talkhouse

SAY HELLO TO BRIAN... DOLOMEDES BRIANGREENEI

Say hello to Brian, full name Dolomedes briangreenei, the most recently discovered spider in Australia. (Although considering it's Australia, it's probably only the 10th most recently discovered spider now). According to a report from Mashable Australia, Brian was revealed at the World Science Festival in Brisbane on Wednesday, and loves fresh water streams, going for long swims, and sitting motionless on ponds waiting to devour its prey. And it can kill prey up to 3 times it's own size. How sweet!

I see pictures of Australia and I think, "boy, it would be nice to go there." Then, it seems like the entire country is filled with nightmarish death-beasts awaiting the opportunity to KILL ME and feast on my dead carcus and then I'm like NOPE I'm good right here.

This spider can fish and swim. You know, like us homo sapiens. A dangerous, 8-legged, venomous human whose only instinct is to swim...and kill...

Thanks, Australia.

Twang Town Lowdown - Wednesday March 9th

 

RORY FEEK: SET TO WRITE A BOOK

In the days before her death, Joey Feek encouraged Rory to write a book.

He says, "Joey and I have both experienced the power of living and telling a great story, so I hope to be able to continue writing and being part of a great story.”

Last year, Rory wrote and directed the movie Josephine, which is based on the true story of a woman who disguised herself as a Confederate soldier to find her husband. 

JANA KRAMER: SET TO PERFORM WITH NASHVILLE BALLET:

Jana Kramer has an unusual collaboration on the docket. She'll sing her song " I Got The Boy" live, while dancers from the Nashville Ballet perform a piece specially choreographed to the song.

She says, “I grew up in the ballet world, and this makes me feel as though it’s all come full circle. I can’t wait to celebrate this wonderful evening in our city that I love.”

The performance takes place Saturday at Schermerhorn Symphony Center.

DOLLY PARTON: RENEWING HER WEDDING VOWS WITH CARL

On Monday, Dolly Parton held a massive press conference in Nashville to announce her new tour and the Pure and Simple double-disc collection. She and her husband Carl are also heading down the aisle again in May for their 50th wedding anniversary.

Before Dolly and Carl first tied the knot on May 30th, 1966, she was a new artist on Monument Records, and the head of the label advised her to wait a year to get married. But she and Carl didn’t take the advice. They eloped to Ringgold, Georgia and had a small wedding at a local Baptist church with her mom, a preacher, the preacher’s wife and a witness.

LUKE BRYAN: HOOKS HIS OWN 130 POUND SAILFISH:

 

If music doesn’t work out, Luke Bryan could always retire and run a charter boat service for fishing trips. Last week, Luke went deep-sea fishing in Costa Rica with friends and family and they caught six sailfish, weighing about 130 pounds each.

According to CMT, Luke hooked his own catch, which is something not many anglers can do. But on the last deep-sea fishing trip with Dierks Bentley and Jason Aldean, Luke’s son Bo nabbed the biggest fish -- a 21-pound red snapper.

The D.A. Of The Day - Wednesday, March 9th

 

Is This Still A Thing?

The city of Asheville, North Carolina is warning citizens about a prankster who's been going around town leaving fake parking tickets on cars.

The tickets carry a fine of $100, but they also contain a QR code that, when scanned, leads the unsuspecting prankee to the music video for Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up." Police are trying to track down the annoying jokester. He (or she) likely won't be arrested unless it's proven that he actually received $100 payments from drivers who thought the tickets were real. Otherwise, cops say, a citation for littering will be the likely outcome. They also want it to stop because it's giving police unnecessary extra work. 

Too Hot For Clothes:

A high-speed chase in New Mexico came to an exciting and naked end when the driver got out of her car in her birthday suit.

Cops say 51-year-old Barbara Arellano reached speeds of 100 miles per hour as she tried to evade police who were responding to a 911 call of someone driving erratically. As she was driving, she kept tossing items out the window. The chase came to an end when she clipped a truck and crashed her vehicle, but the excitement continued when she emerged from the car completely naked and ran across traffic yelling "Jehova!" 

She was quickly apprehended and placed under arrest. Arellano admitted to using heroin, taking pills and drinking whisky before getting into her car. As for why she was naked, she explained that she was simply too hot to wear clothes.

A search of her car turned up various prescription pill bottles. She's been charged with drunk driving, battery on a peace officer, reckless driving and fleeing from police.

Thief should CHANGE his ways:

 

An Alabama man probably got to enjoy a lot of time hanging out in arcades before he was arrested for stealing $196,000 in quarters.

Stephen Dennis, a former employee of the Brink's Company, is pleading guilty to stealing the money while he was working as a money processing manager. Investigators say Dennis had access to the Federal Reserve Coin Inventory and stole large ballistic bags -- each one containing $50,000 in quarters. That's about 800,000 coins weighing more than 9000 pounds, and he pulled it off in less than two months.

A part of his plea deal, Dennis has agreed to pay back the full amount. But he's also likely facing up to 10 years in prison and a very large fine. 

The HOTLIST - WEDNESDAY MARCH 9th

 

JOHN GOODMAN vs. KRISTEN WIIG

So, John Goodman is human. He gets starstruck just like anybody else. During a recent interview with Howard Stern, Goodman recalls the time he awkwardly introduced himself to Kristen Wiig, and the meeting went less than stellar..

"She was talking to somebody else, and I was just – I think she's so great, and the social barriers broke down and I interrupted the conversation," Goodman, 63, confessed, adding, "And I would just hate for somebody to do that to me. And she goes, 'yeah, I'll talk to you in a minute.' [makes sound of bomb dropping] It was like the Atom. I shrunk down to Atom size. I really like her, and it was embarrassing, so I'll never speak to her again."

There's no doubt Goodman is a big-time A-lister (just look at his film and TV credits), but even he admitted that he doesn't really fit in with the Hollywood crowd.

HARRISON FORD: REVEALS THAT DAUGHTER HAS EPILEPSY

Harrison Ford has revealed that his daughter suffers from epilepsy.

At a gala for the charity Find a Cure for Epilepsy and Seizures (“FACES”) the actor told the New York Daily News that his 26-year-old daughter Georgia Ford has the condition. “She is joining me to thank FACES," he said. "I admire a lot of things about her. I admire her perseverance, her talent, her strength. She’s my hero. I love her.”

During a speech, Harrison talked about the difficultly of getting Georgia diagnosed. Fortunately, she hasn't had a seizure in eight years.

Georgia is Harrison's daughter with his second wife, the late screenwriter Melissa Mathison.

LINDSAY LOHAN: WEDDING BELLS IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

Lindsay Lohan has been staying out of trouble lately and her new boyfriend is credited with keeping her in line.

According to TMZ, Lindsay has been dating a mega-rich Russian man named Egor Tarabasov. The 22-year-old is the heir to a Russian business empire and currently lives in London where he is starting a real estate company. The couple met through a mutual friend and have been together for four months. Sources close to Lilo say the two are pretty serious and he's already met her family. 

Rub A Dub..

So What Do YOU Wash First?

When you step into a shower, which part of the body do you wash first?

Apparently the part you wash first says a lot about you! What do you think? 

CHEST: You are practical person. Straightforward and do not beat around the bush. To you, convenience is of paramount importance. You hate to be distracted when concentrating and are impatient with people who do not see things your way. Your best partner in life will be those who chose hair. 

FACE: Money is important to you and you will do anything to get it. Integrity and dignity is not important. You feel that friends are there to be used and life is one big hassle. Other people find it hard to understand you but you are not concerned as to what they think. Very self-centered person. Your best partner in life will be those who chose privates and others. 

ARMPITS: You are a dependable and hard working person. Generally a very popular person as you are very down to earth and willing to help others. Tend to get yourself into trouble as you cannot tell whether people are genuine towards you. Your best partner in life will be those who chose shoulders. 

HAIR: Artistic type. Daydreaming is your hobby but you can achieve what most other people cannot. Dedication is lacking but you will work tirelessly towards goals which are to your liking. Money is not important. Friends are but only intellectuals and fellow artistic types. Talent is your main strength. Your best partner in life will be those who chose chest and privates. 

PRIVATES: Shy type. You lack self confidence and tend to be bullied by others. You do not have lots of friends as others find you boring and unattractive. Perseverance is not your strength and you tend to give up easily and at the first opportunity. You are able to show your true emotions to very few people. Your best partner in life will be those who chose face and hair. 

SHOULDER: A born loser. You fail in everything that you do. People dislike you and you tend to spend your time alone. Your type have been known to be heavy gamblers and drinkers. You see the world as a living hell. Money and power is also important to you. But your luck will always fail you. You will find it difficult to find a partner in life. Those who chose armpits are your only chance. 

OTHERS: You are a very average person. Undoubtedly, you have your inner strengths but people find it hard to see. You must learn to be a little bit more adventurous and sell your potential. Deep down, you are a very likable person with very few faults. However, the key will be to make your strengths stand out and not just hide your weaknesses. Your best partner in life will be those who chose face.

Info provided by PersonalityQuiz.net