End of the Road

Usually, news of celebrity divorces doesn't register much of a blip on my radar.  It's become commonplace, to be perfectly honest, however this latest news of a split seemingly came out of nowhere.  Singer,  Jewel and her championship cowboy, Ty Murray are calling it quits.

According to a post on the singer's website, the couple has been quietly trying to find reconciliation, but have decided to go ahead with a divorce.  It's really quite interesting reading.  There are some undertones that are reminiscent of Gwyneth Paltrow's referencing of an "uncoupling" with her marriage to Coldplay lead singer, Chris Martin.  I found the term to be a bit ridiculous.  The way that Jewel wrote about her and Ty coming to the conclusion is in that similar vein, but not as cheesy to me for some reason; probably because she actually wrote more to explain why things are going down the way they are.

Either way, divorce sucks--particularly when there are children involved.  (Jewel and Ty have a little boy, Kase.)  I often wondered how hard it is to hold a family together when both parents have careers that thrust them into the spotlight and eat so much of their time.  It can't be easy.  You almost always have to be "on," because there are fans who expect you to be that bubbly person all of the time, and you really don't have much for privacy to work "normal" challenges out with each other.  It takes a special understanding to work through problems in the public eye.  Not every celebrity couple can climb that mountain and come down the other side intact.

It does make one stop and appreciate the love and understanding that celebrity couples who HAVE successfully weathered the storms of life and kept their ship righted and moving ahead in life.  Couples like Tim McGraw and Faith Hill come to mind.  There have been rumors swirling for years that they were on the outs.  And perhaps they were having challenges, as ANY married couple does, but they are seemingly holding it together.  It makes me have an even greater appreciation for them both.  And it certainly allows each of them to bring real emotion to their craft.  Marriage and family provides plenty of material for music.  Not that we'd want to be hearing any songs about dirty diapers on the airwaves, but without a doubt, relationships--the good, the bad, and the ugly provide a plethora of material for music.

Sometimes Random Stupid Stuff Is Just fun!

I ran across this tidbit of info this morning and thought I'd share it with you: A group of hyenas is called a "cackle". You'd have thought a group of hens would be called a cackle, right? I'd call a group of hyenas a "laugh" of hyenas, since that's what they sound like. Or maybe a "guffaw" of hyenas? Ok, random info, I know. That's all I got today!

Talk About A Tummy Tuck!

Cops in Greenville, North Carolina, say a 315-pound drug suspect hid a cache of narcotics in his....belly button! A month-long investigation into a heroin-selling operation culminated in a May 29 traffic stop for Randall Streeter and his passenger Marshall Wayne Wilson. Streeter, from whom undercover officers had allegedly bought heroin in the past, was found to have secreted 40 bags of heroin, crack, and Percocet pills in his navel, according to the cops. Additionally, agents allegedly found 150 bags of heroin and $1,200 in Streeter's vehicle. Both Streeter and his passenger Wilson were slapped with numerous heroin trafficking charges. Obviously, he had an "inny" and not an "outie"!

So What Do You See?

A while back we told you about a waitress who saw the face of Jesus in a pancake. Today it's apiece of machinery!A man from Jackson County, Mississippi made a miraculous discovery at his local junkyard: an old air conditioner that bears what he says is the face of Jesus. Christopher Goldsberry purchased the unit for just $10. He admits that not everybody can see what he says looks like the face of Christ, including his junk seller pal. "The gentleman I purchased it from didn't see any of it. Think about it. They don't recognize what it is. Some people see it, some people don't. Think about that." OK, take a look and tell me what you think? Does it look like Jesus to you?

We Men Knew It All Along!

Yes, we did! Researchers at the University of Illinois and Arizona State University say death tolls with hurricanes that have been given female names have been greater than those that have been given male names. The researchers looked at death tolls from hurricanes going back to 1950 through 2012 and discovered that in the case of the 47 most severe storms, far more people on average died from hurricanes named after women (45) than from those with male names (23). The difference in fatalities also widens when strongly masculine names are compared to those regarded as strongly female. So what accounts for this disparity? The simple answer is that since people aren't as intimidated by female-named hurricanes, they don't take the same precautions. As co-author Sharon Shavitt of the University of Illinois explains, the findings suggest "implicit sexism." In other words, we don't even realize we're less fearful of a Mary than a Mark. While the study is pretty astounding, there's been no serious talk yet of changing the hurricane-naming system. You know, I had about a half-dozen smart remarks about this, but every one of them would get me in trouble! ~John

Where Are You Headed This Summer?

About nine out of ten Americans plan to take a summer vacation this year, according to a TripAdvisor survey of more than 2,500 travelers, about two-thirds of whom plan to travel domestically. We all know the Wisconsin Dells is one of the most popular summertime destinations in the Midwest, if not the whole country. But there's a lot to choose from! Here's what people will be doing and where they'll be going:

Most Popular Types of Summer Vacations

1. Beach / Ocean escape - 45 percent

2. City vacation - 42 percent

3. National park visit - 21 percent

Top Summer Activities

1. Shopping - 54 percent

2. Swimming/Water sports - 49 percent

3. Visiting a historical site or event - 49 percent

Top U.S. Destinations

1. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

2. Las Vegas, Nevada

3. New York City, New York

4. Destin, Florida

5. Ocean City, Maryland

Everything's Just Ducky At Shopko

Here's your "awww" story and photos for the day! Deb and I stopped at Shopko in Bridgeview Plaza late yesterday to do some shopping in the outdoor gardening area. There we found the store's staff caring for a mother duck who had made a nest in one of their plant displays.

Her ducklings had just hatched Saturday, and the staff was concerned because one of the little darlings had fallen off the stand, so they were devising a plan to move the whole thing to ground level. Deb and I were only too happy to help, so we all lifted the boards, plant containers and ducks to the ground.

Mama seemed a little disconcerted, so she decided to take her flock for a walk.

The Shopko folks said they would care for Mama duck and her brood until they were ready to head for the Black River, at which time they would help escort them safely across Rose Street. Well done, Shopko!