Credit: TSM

Some are for it, some are against it.  Either way, the first sign of the privatized liquor sales has popped up in the form of a banner on the front of the Summitview Safeway in Yakima.  The banner states that Liquor will be available for purchase at Safeway beginning June 1st.

Just two weeks away from the new law taking effect, opponents make one last bid to halt the new law.  More details on that, here.

Flickr, quinnanya

Toppenish Eagles is doing a Miss Toppenish Eagles Contest. It will be held at the Toppenish Eagles Club and will consist of talent and beauty portions. The top 3 ladies will each receive a variety of prizes and cash. The contest will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges.

o 1st Place: “seaside trip ($300 Value) / $300 Cash / Diamond Watch ($900 Value) / Massage pkg from Renu U Massage Studio ($75 Value)
o 2nd Place “Diamond earrings ($200 value) / $200 Cash / Massage pkg from Renu U Massage Studio ($75 value)
o 3rd Place “Black Hills Gold necklace ($200 value) / $100 Cash / Massage pkg from Renu U Massage Studio ($75 value)

selahdays.org

Selah Community Days kicked off yesterday and runs through this Sunday.

The parade is tomorrow morning at 10am with a new route this year. It will start at the 7-11 and end at the last stop light.

Gunner and myself have the honor of announcing the parade. This is our first parade announcement together and we will be sitting in front of the Selah Civic Center. We look forward to seeing you in Selah!

Sandra Mu, Getty Images

Taylor Swift‘s rocking singing voice in this cryptic song has been the perfect addition to ‘The Hunger Games’ soundtrack, but so far, we haven’t seen the ‘Eyes Open’ and ‘Safe & Sound’ singer do much with the music she made for the movie (other than contribute to an awesome soundtrack, of course). Until now, that is. Swift just released a creative stop-motion lyric video of her hit song ‘Eyes Open‘ — and we can’t get enough.

The entire video takes place at a desk. While that might sound boring, as pencils and papers move around displaying the handwritten (and sometimes colorfully decorated) lyrics to the song, the clip is anything but ordinary. Watching papers unfold and then crumble up to clutter the desk is kind of a magical experience.

Swift posted the creative new video on her Facebook page just Thursday (May 17), and within hours, it received more than 14,000 likes, 700 shares, and hundreds of supportive comments from fans.

The sweetheart singer contributed both ‘Eyes Open’ and ‘Safe & Sound’ (a team effort with the Civil Wars) to the star-studded soundtrack, and while we’ve seen the hauntingly beautiful video for ‘Safe & Sound,’ this is the first treatment that ‘Eyes Open’ has gotten.

The song was penned from the perspective of ‘The Hunger Games’ main character, Katniss. “It basically serves as a warning for her not to trust anyone — in many ways the opposite of ‘Safe & Sound,’” Swift explained.

The liner notes for ‘The Hunger Games’ soundtrack also feature Miranda Lambert and Pistol Annies, Punch Brothers, Kid Cudi, the Decemberists and a handful of other notable artists.

A lyric video doesn’t sound very interesting, but this one is worth a watch. Trust us!

Watch the Taylor Swift ‘Eyes Open’ Lyric Video

Source: TasteofCountry.com

dreamsjung, Flickr

With the popularity of eBay and craigslist, it has become very easy to get great deals on “gently used” items without leaving the comfort of your home, but as the weather warms up, we can’t deny that there is just something much more exciting about finding those great deals while on the hunt at garage sales all over town.

In order to make sure you’re getting the best deals possible, and not wasting time and money, this isn’t something you should just rush into and do without some planning.

You, too, can spend the next six months getting great stuff for ridiculously small amounts of money, but you need to be ready. Here are 10 ways to get the best deals during the 2012 garage sale season.

Learn the Market

macinate, Flickr

First of all, if you’re going to shop efficiently, bargain smartly and save money on garage sale items that you don’t have to purchase for retail, then you need to know the market. In order to know what kinds of things you should be looking out for, you need to know what useful items you’ll be able to find at garage sales. You can usually get great garage sale buys for baby items, kids’ clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories, tools, camping gear, games (both board and video), DVDs, CDs, off-season holiday items, speakers, spare parts, craft supplies, gift items and furniture. Make sure you stay away from computer and electronic items that you can’t test, or pricey “antiques” with interesting histories that you can’t verify. Then, do a little research early in the season and while you shop. Check prices for items you want online and pay attention to the prices people have on their garage sale items. If you always see books priced at about 25 cents apiece, you know not to pay $1 apiece for them somewhere else. This is also a good way to know if you’re at a garage sale where everything is way over-priced and you’ll just be wasting your time.

Have a Plan

John Beagle, Flickr

The next thing you have to do to be sure you’re getting the best deals possible at garage sales is to have a plan. For one thing, you don’t want to spend a fortune in gas driving randomly all over town just to save a few bucks on an old table. Use an app like YardSaleMapper that maps sales listed on Craigslist, or any mapping program to help you find the most efficient route to your selected sales. Also, to find the best stuff at low prices, make sure you’re shopping in a relatively upper middle class area. These garage sales usually have nicer items that are less used and they are usually trying to just get rid of them, rather than make their livelihood. Also, look for group sales where you’ll be able to shop for more items in less time. Finally, your plan must be well-timed. It’s common knowledge among the pros that the good stuff goes early. Things will be cheap at the end of a sale, but it will also be picked over. You may have a harder time negotiating the lowest price for something early on, but if you wait too long, it’ll be gone. Check for sales that start during the week and don’t wait until Saturday or Sunday if you can avoid it. Plan your route according to when people are starting their sales. Don’t show up early, though. Nobody wants to make deals with the early bird, because now you’ve made them cranky.

Don’t Look Like You Have Money to Burn

m.gifford, Flickr

Now that you’re ready to actually get out and shop, you need to think about your presentation. If you want to be able to negotiate prices down, don’t show up in your expensive car with your expensive clothes and your expensive accessories. Nobody wants to lower prices for someone who looks like they could easily pay retail without blinking an eye. You’ll get better deals if you look like it would help you to get them. This seems obvious, but it’s an easy mistake to make. Leave the Coach bag and BMW at home. Wear your Old Navy and drive the clunker you’re saving for when your toddler’s a teen. You’ll definitely get the best deal possible if you look the part.

Bring Notes & Tools

Bob n Renee, Flickr

The best way not to waste your money at a garage sale is to know exactly what you need and exactly what will work for you. At the start of the season, make a list of the items you’re hoping to find during your sale quests. It doesn’t matter what the list contains, it just matters that you make a list so you don’t get sidetracked by interesting stuff that will only turn into clutter later. Then, make notes. If you’re looking for clothing, have everyone’s sizes with you. If you need a gift for Aunt Matilda, note what she likes. If you’re getting video games for the kids, know what system and games they have. Then, bring a garage sale kit. You need to have a tape measure for furniture, batteries to test battery-operated items, a small screwdriver to open battery compartments, a portable CD player to test CDs, a CD to test CD players, a DVD to test DVD players, an extension cord to test electric items, a working light bulb to test lamps, bags to carry items, newspapers to wrap breakables and a rope to tie large things to your car.  Also, make sure you bring munchies so you can keeping ‘saling even if it’s lunch time.

Show Interest in the Stuff You Like

Bob n Renee, Flickr

Don’t be afraid to show a seller that you’re interested in the items for sale. If you are interested in more than one item, the seller will like you more because his taste will be validated. Also, if you’re interested in what you see on the tables, you can strike up a conversation about certain items, further forming a bond with the seller. This means he’ll be more likely to negotiate a good deal with you because he’ll like you. If he has things out that are similar to other items you’ve been searching for, but not exactly what you want, ask about the items you’re looking for. For example, if you know your husband needs a certain tool and the sale has some tools, let the seller know what you’re looking for because he might be willing to part with it. Maybe he has something inside that he didn’t put out because he thought it wouldn’t sell, but would be willing to sell it if asked. Or, maybe he’s seen it somewhere else in his garage sale excursions and can give you a tip.

Take Small Bills

BrownPolyester, Flickr

This is something, as a beginner, you may not have considered, but having small bills when you hit the sales is a must. It’s hard to make a deal if you’re whipping out a 20, especially if you’re early and the seller can’t make change. You can negotiate better prices if you can make exact change, and if you’re pulling out fives and ones, it won’t look like you have tons of money to spend. Here’s another important money idea — keep your bills in separate pockets. This way, if you’re offering $3 for an item, you don’t have to flip through a bunch of tens to get to your ones. You simply reach in your ones pocket and grab what you need without looking. Again, it won’t appear you have tons of money to spend and you can score better deals. Also, it adds to your efficiency and you can move on to the next sale that much faster.

Be Ready to Negotiate…Nicely

BrownPolyester, Flickr

People expect to negotiate at garage sales, so you need to have your skills polished. The first thing to remember is that negotiating goes much smoother if you are polite and complimentary to the seller. Whatever you do, don’t insult the products. Telling someone her items are second-rate will not help you negotiate. Instead, tell her how much you are interested in the item and then let her know the price just isn’t in your budget. If you can’t get to a good price, try buying things in groups. The seller will appreciate that you’re going to clear a lot of the things she’s trying to get rid of and may be willing to let things go for a bulk discount. Above all, be reasonable, non-confrontational and polite. And, be ready to walk away. Know what value the item has for you and don’t overspend if you don’t want to. You can always check back at the end of the sale.

Leave Business Cards Before You Go

giuliana_miranda, Flickr

If it turns out that you can’t get the price you want for an item and it’s early in the day, have a card on you that you can leave with your best offer written on it. If the item is still unsold at the end of the sale, the seller may just want to get rid of it at a bargain price and will contact you. Sellers are especially eager to get rid of large items they don’t want to drag back into the house at the end of a long day. You can go to sites like VistaPrint.com and have basic cards with your name and number on them printed for a very low price, or even free. It’s well worth it for that perfect piece of furniture that you know you can get for a steal.

Thoroughly Check Items Before You Buy

Dick Penn, Flickr

Test. Test. Test. Taking home an item that doesn’t work is more of a waste of money than buying something for retail that you can get at a sale. Paying $3 for garbage is not smart at all. Turn things on. Plug things in. Check board games for all the parts. Use your smartphone to look up items and see what a complete version of it looks like. Make sure decks of cards contain every card. Don’t buy a puzzle unless you know for sure it has all its pieces. Ask the seller if she can play a CD or DVD for you to make sure it plays, and then check for scratches yourself. It’s not rude to make sure something works properly before you buy it. Just make sure you get permission to start taking stuff apart before you do it. No seller should have an issue with you saying, “Do you mind if I put batteries in this and see if it works first?” If they do, put it down, thank them for their time and walk away.

Be Picky

colros, Flickr

Finally, you aren’t saving money if you’re going around buying things you don’t want or need, or couldn’t sell for a profit. Garage-saleing isn’t about getting things at cheap prices, it’s about getting the things you need at bargain prices. Having a house full of useless junk isn’t the best way to stretch your dollar. Keep track of your list and make sure you have a plan for everything you purchase. Is it something you’ve wanted for a long time? Is it something you or someone in your family needs or could use? Or, is it something you could clean up and mark up and then sell it at your own garage sale for a profit? If you can’t answer “yes” to any of these questions, walk away. Don’t get caught up in the moment. You aren’t going to buy something at every sale, so keep your money in those pockets until you find something on your list.

Watch This

Just so it all sinks in, here’s a quick howdini.com clip describing the best ways to get fantastic deals at garage sales. Happy ‘saleing!

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

George Strait is celebrating his 60th birthday today (May 18)! There isn’t an artist in country music who’s been as successful for as long as the King. He’s charted at least one song every year since his debut single ‘Unwound’ hit in 1981. Strait got his start in an unusual way, however. In fact, there are a number of quirks about the legend’s life you might find surprising.

The famously private Texas cowboy isn’t prone to sharing the details of his personal life like the younger generation. Instead, he prefers to spend his off time tending to his other hobbies and interests. Did you know he barely picks up a guitar between tours and albums? Click the button below to find 10 more pieces of George Strait trivia that only his biggest fans would know. You might learn a thing or two.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/george-strait-10-things-10" title="10 Things You Didn't Know About George Strait" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

You’ve probably heard how crammed-in they are in Beijing:  Last August, a traffic jam stretched for 60 miles and lasted NINE DAYS.  So Beijing definitely makes the list.  Here are four more.

#1.)  The Tokyo Rail System.  It gets so packed, you just stand there and can’t move at all.  So they actually have “train pushers” who wear white gloves and literally pack people into the train so the doors can close.

The system gets around 8.7 million passengers a day, and regularly runs at 200% capacity.  Plus, you have to deal with the, quote, “chikan,” which loosely translates to “train gropers.”

#2.) The Los Pinos Zipline.  The village of Los Pinos is in the middle of the Colombian jungle, and to get to school, kids either have to walk around a 1,200-foot gorge, or use a 1,300-foot zip line to go OVER it.

They use a piece of wood as a brake, so they don’t slam into the tires on the other side at 40 miles an hour.  (–Check out a video of people using it.)

#3.)  The Hussaini Bridge in Pakistan.  It’s made of rope and wood, it’s 635 feet long, and it’s completely falling apart.

People use it to transport crops, firewood, and livestock.  It’s not very high, but it crosses a huge river.  And if you fall in, you can easily get swept away and drown.

#4.)  Yungus Road in Bolivia.  It’s 38-miles long, and most of it is only wide enough for one car . . . but it’s not one-way.  And if you drive off the side, you fall 3,000 feet.

Hundreds of people have died on it, so it’s also known as “El Camino de la Muerte,” which means “The Road of Death”.

DougDillard.net / Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Today was a sad day for the music world. One country music inspiration and legendary banjo player passed at the age of 75. Fans also learned of the death of the Queen of Disco, Donna Summer. And while Summer’s death was less directly related to the country music world, it was no less a reason to mourn — especially for Dolly Parton. Get those stories and more in today’s Taste of Country Daily Roundup.

Each day, we tie up the day’s news in a handy little list so you can get up to date at the click of your mouse. Also included in our Roundup, find out what big contribution Taylor Swift made to music plus other stories from around the web — like Donna Summer’s best videos and an impromptu concert on a plane. Oh, and be sure to check out who bought Ellen DeGeneres’ $39M estate.

Today on Taste of Country:

Doug Dillard, Legendary Banjo Player, Dead at 75
Donna Summer Dead: Country Artists Share Thoughts About Queen of Disco
Dolly Parton Reflects on the Passing of ‘Wonderful Singer’ Donna Summer
Taylor Swift Is the Most Powerful Country Artist, According to Forbes’ Celebrity 100
Alan Jackson Reveals Track Listing for ‘Thirty Miles West’
Gloriana Set to Perform in Upcoming ‘The Bachelorette’ Episode
Lady Antebellum Raise $285K to Help Rebuild Henryville
Most Anticipated Summer Tour – Readers Poll
Rascal Flatts’ ‘Changed’ Goes Gold
Edens Edge Reveal Track Listing for Self-Titled Debut Album
Win a Pair of Justin Boots Autographed by Stoney LaRue
Taylor Swift Donates $4M to Country Music Hall of Fame for Music Education

Taste of Country Also Recommends:

Disco Diva Donna Summer Dead at 63 – Watch Her Best Videos
Ryan Seacrest Buys Ellen DeGeneres’ Estate
Ronnie Wood Indicates Rolling Stones Will Tour in October 2012
Band’s Impromptu Concert Makes Delayed Flight Much Better
Facebook IPO Set to Help Bono Become World’s Richest Rock Star

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Photo by Keystone/Getty Images

1) Sarg Hubbard Park in Terrace Heights
2) The Arboretum in Yakima, WA
3) Pioneer Park in Toppenish, WA
4) Randell Park in Yakima, WA
5) Wixson Park in Selah, WA

Where do you go for a picnic? What would you add to the list?

Rick Diamond/Ethan Miller, Getty Images

With all the outpouring of love and mourning over the death of Donna Summer, no country artist has expressed the true loss of such an iconic artist as eloquently as Dolly Parton. The ‘I Will Always Love You’ singer issued an official statement about the death of her fellow singer and songwriter on Thursday.

“I can’t believe we’ve lost another wonderful singer. Donna, like Whitney, had one of the greatest voices ever. I loved her records,” says Parton (quota via MSO PR). As expected, Parton is as distraught by Donna Summer’s death as she was by Whitney Houston’s passing in February.

Of Summer, Parton adds, “She was the disco queen, and will remain so. I knew her and found her to be one of the most likable and fun people ever. She will be missed and remembered.”

Known best for her disco hits ‘Last Dance,’ ‘McArthur Park’ and ‘Hot Stuff,’ Summer also had a little known connection to country music — at least as a songwriter. She penned ‘Starting Over Again’ with her surviving husband, and the song later became a No. 1 for both Parton in 1980 and Reba McEntire in 1995.

Summer died Thursday morning (May 17) at the age of 63 after a battle with lung and breast cancer. She is survived by her husband Bruce Sudano, their daughters Brooklyn and Amanda, as well as her daughter Mimi from her previous marriage. “Words truly can’t express how much we appreciate your prayers and love for our family at this sensitive time,” writes her family in an official statement.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/tommy-crain-death-2011/" title="Country Artists We Lost in 2011" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Dimension Films

Good news for those of you who have been waiting years and years for that ‘Sin City’ sequel to finally start production — it will and two of the big name stars from the Robert Rodriguez film will be coming back for the sequel.

Jessica Alba and Mickey Rourke will return for the now officially titled ‘Frank Miller’s Sin City: A Dame To Kill For.’ The sequel is going to start shooting this summer with Rodriguez returning to direct based on a script by ‘The Departed’ writer William Monahan. Rodiguez will start shooting once he wraps work on ‘Machete Kills’ which is currently filming.

According to the Dimension Films, the movie will start shooting this summer and big names are expected to be announced soon which means more of the original cast is likely to return. The sequel has a release date of October 4th, 2013, which puts it up against the yet-to-be announced Disney project by Henry Selick (probably ‘The Graveyard Book’).

Whether or not Bruce Willis, Clive Owen, Benecio Del Toro or Elijah Wood return remains to be seen. As long as Alba wears super tight inappropriate tops, it doesn’t really matter who else comes back.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

By now, everyone knows that award-winning country star Taylor Swift has a huge heart. And thanks to her award-winning, record-breaking music career, the ‘Mean’ hitmaker has a hefty bank account, too. What do you get when you put those things together? A gigantic donation to a new education center at the Country Music Hall of Fame.

In fact, the six-time Grammy award winner’s donation of $4 million is the largest gift by a musician in Country Music Hall of Fame history, and now, the new education center will officially be known as the Taylor Swift Education Center. The exhibit and classroom space is scheduled to open in 2014. Not a bad legacy for the young country star, who will likely be just 24 or 25 when the center opens.

“In terms of what it will allow us to do, we do education very well now,” museum director Kyle Young told the Associated Press (via Billboard). “It will allow us to do what we do better, serve more people, develop new programs, and I’m happy to say that as we talked through this opportunity with Taylor, she very much wants to be involved in an advisory capacity in what we do. Is there a better person out there who’s in touch with a young audience? I think not. I was joking we should be paying her to do that. I was only joking.”

Country music’s sweetheart has a storied relationship with the Hall of Fame. She signed her record contract there and gave one of her first public performances on the building’s plaza. In the past, she has donated her talents to the All for the Hall fundraiser benefits and loaned the museum her dresses, stage costumes and instruments for display.

Since May 2010, a free-standing Taylor Swift multimedia exhibit has been one of the museum’s most popular attractions.

In addition to her generosity to the Country Music Hall of Fame, Swift has made the news a number of times in recent years thanks to her kind heart in general. Earlier this year, she invited two-time cancer patient Kevin McGuire to be her date at the ACMs after the 18-year-old invited Ms. Swift to his prom. Just this month, she made headlines for ensuring sure that a 13-year-old fan who missed Swift’s stop in Sacramento (due to a tragic drunk driving accident) would have tickets for her next show in the city and even sent her a goodie bag to tide her over.

Who knows? Maybe the next Taylor Swift will find his or her start in the forthcoming Taylor Swift Education Center. After all, that’s the goal for creating the education program.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/taylor-swift-songs/" title="Top 10 Taylor Swift Songs" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

ABC

Is Jimmy Kimmel the new king of late night? Judging by last Thursday’s ratings coup, Kimmel may soon be worthy of the crown.

‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!‘ bested ‘The Tonight Show With Jay Leno‘ by 4% in the 18-49 demo, according to Deadline. Not too shabby considering Kimmel’s show comes on at midnight, a half-hour into Leno’s ‘Tonight Show’ which airs after the eleven o’clock news.

Kimmel’s victorious night didn’t end with Leno, however. ‘Late Night with David Letterman’ also felt the heat of rising competition, as Kimmel trounced Letterman by as much as 60% with adults 18-34 on May 7th and 9th and on the 11th, with a repeat. Ouch.

Kimmel also scored notable wins over late, late night competitors, beating out ‘The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ by 48% in adults 18-49 and putting ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon‘ in second place with the demo.

The numbers mark Kimmel’s first in-season win over Leno and his 7th straight win over Fallon. If Kimmel can keep it up, celebrities may have to reconsider whose couch they’ll want to be sitting on to talk-up their next big flick.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Credit: Arista Nashville

Carrie Underwood’s ‘Blown Away’ Tour rolls into the Key Arena in Seattle on Saturday October 6th.  Tickets go on sale Friday morning at 10am.

92.9 The Bull has an opportunity for you to take advantage of a ticket pre-sale!  Ticket pre-sale runs until 10pm today.

Password: away

Click here to buy your Carrie Underwood pre-sale tickets!

All but two letters were showing, but the answer was obviously “Magic blank-A-N-D.” Somehow, Zach guessed “magic hand . . . magic band . . . magic yand . . . sand . . . vand . . . cand . . . jand . . . pand . . . fand . . . everything BUT “magic wand”.

He realized what it was right after he ran out of time. So if he’d said it a half-second sooner, he would have won a Toyota Prius.

Big Machine Records

Rascal Flatts‘ latest album ‘Changed‘ has been certified gold by the RIAA, which signifies 500,000 copies sold. Released on April 3, the project debuted at No. 1 on the Country Albums chart and at No. 3 on the all-genre Billboard Top 200 albums chart, selling more than 130,000 copies in its first week of release.

When it came to naming their eighth studio album, the guys collectively agreed ‘Changed’ was most appropriate. “We’ve gone through a year and a half of monumental changes in the careers and the lives of Rascal Flatts,” says bassist Jay DeMarcus (quote via Big Machine Records). “And for us it was a no-brainer when we heard the song and we sat down and we thought about where we are in life right now. It was the perfect message to say to the fans that we’ve indeed been changed in a big way.”

The album’s first single, ‘Banjo,’ recently hit the top spot on the country singles chart, giving the trio their 12th No. 1 song. ‘Come Wake Me Up‘ has been announced as the project’s second radio offering.

Hoping to catch the band’s new set of tunes live in concert? Rascal Flatts are currently traveling the country in promotion of their latest project on their headlining 2012 Changed Tour. Little Big Town, the Eli Young Band and Edens Edge are a slated to provide opening entertainment on selected dates. Click here for tour dates and ticket information.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/best-albums-of-2012/" title="Best Albums of 2012 (So Far)" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Getty Images, Joe Scarnici

How exactly The Situation plans to maintain his new found sobriety on a show fueled by alcohol is unclear but the ‘Jersey Shore‘ star is bound and determined to return for the show’s sixth season, drunk or not. “Bound” is the key word here, as The Situation will be forced to miss a court date in his ongoing legal battle with Abercrombie & Fitch due to his contractual obligations to appear on the MTV hit this June.

“The Situation,” government name Mike Sorrentino, is suing the clothing company for ten-million dollars for selling “Situation” and “G.T.L.” themed apparel. Abercombie & Fitch claims their designs are pure parody and therefore non-infringing on any trademarks Sorrentino or MTV might hold. Interestingly enough, A&F once offered to pay Sorrentino not to wear their clothes.

TMZ reports The Situation, who was recently in rehab for a substance abuse problem, is scheduled to appear in court for the case on June 14th but is asking to postpone the date, as he’s to appear on “Jersey Shore” from May 22nd to July 7th.

Though both the show’s marquee stars, The Situation and Snooki will be back, with one sober and the other pregnant, we’re left wondering what’s the point.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

At the end of April, Honolulu County passed a ban that made Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at store checkouts statewide. Of the four counties in the state, three had previously passed bans and the Honolulu County decision officially made the ban statewide.

The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club has spent two years campaigning for a plastic bag ban. Robert Harris, director of the chapter said, “Passing the bans did take an effort — change always does — but people seemed to understand the need for such an effort.”

He believes that in the end it was easy to go statewide because Hawaii is a marine state. “Perhaps we are exposed more directly to the impacts of plastic pollution and the damage it does to our environment,” he said.

Harris also explained that the group had lobbied for state legislation, but that effort failed. The group used the exposure from it to petition the four counties to make their own bans which would then have an effect statewide.

The Honolulu County Council passed the final ban late last month, but mayor and county executive Peter Carlisle held back his support, feeling that he needed more input from the public because of enforcement and cost concerns. Last Thursday, Mayor Carlisle showed his full support by signing the ban and helping Hawaii earn its first-in-the-nation status.

Retailers have three years to comply with the county law that bans non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout, as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. The ban will take full effect in July of 2015. You can find a list of other areas that have enacted bans on plastic bags at PlasticBagBanReport.com.

[MSNBC]

TMZ

What is it with guys hitting Snooki and her look-alikes? She’s so small and harmless that it leads us to believe these are the same men who’d take a magnifying glass to ants to see ‘em explode. TMZ obtained video of this altercation that took place at this past weekend’s Rockfest in Kansas City.

The bearded festival-goer apparently hit his boiling point after the small, tan brunette in the pink Playboy hat hit a nerve with one of her comments. So, he decides to go all ’300′ on her with a kick to the chest and face area. (Note: this video may be too intense for some viewers.)

After a split second of shock, a gang of guys come to her defense and go nuclear on him. But, we’re wondering about the guy who was initially talking to the crazed kicker. You’d think after your attempt to calm down the assaulter failed, you’d just step aside and say, “Well, I told him.” But, no, this guy is there peeling off the kicker’s attackers. Must be one hell of a friend.

As for the Snook-alike (thanks, TMZ), maybe she missed the episode where her more famous doppelganger mouthed off and got clocked? Maybe the scent of pickle juice mixed with bronzer triggers the fight portion of one’s brain — like a bull seeing red. Take note, little guidettes.

[via Loudwire]

Source: TheFW.com