So I’m pretty impressed by this guy who dances.  On crutches.  Check it out.

Sandi  is a veterinarian who is helping some people out by providing low cost medical care for their animals.  So many people in West Michigan have lost their job or have become underemployed that it has put a strain on the family finances.  Oftentimes, the first things to go are luxuries and for some people those luxuries include   their once beloved pets.

Ask any shelter in our area or talk to Jennifer Stiles who oversees the Pet Pantry of Michigan and they will tell you more and more family pets are losing their home, being put out on the street, or even being surrendered to shelters, because people believe they can no longer provide food and basic care.

That’s where Dr.  Srtandberg has stepped in to fill that gap.  She has so generously arranged it so most of her services for the animals cost well under $50 dollars, in addition she is providing free or low cost spay/neuter vouchers as well.  Sure the wait may be a couple hours but it’s well worth it for a loving companion, who is there with you in the good times and the bad.

60% of her clients are living at the poverty level and although she stepped out on faith to implement this program she did it because she said she knew that this is what God wanted her to do.

Please, please please if you want to learn more or can support this wonderful woman’s Pay It Forward Outreach please do so.  The world needs more caring and pro-active people like Dr. Sandi Standberg.  Thank you Fox 17 WXMI for finding this feel good animal story.

flickr.com/kc_6201

youtube.com/FirstRaceTv

I read the headline and just smiled from ear to ear!

After all the bad news in the world, the wars, the road rage killing in Grand Rapids, the economy, finally a bright spot!  Elizabeth Smart got married in Hawaii over the weekend! I guess her co-workers at Good Morning America noticed her bright ring sparkling in the bright lights and camera last month.  Yup, she confirmed to them that she was indeed engaged to be married.  She announced a Summer wedding to the Good Morning America crew and audience.

But, since there was so much media attention she, her fiance, and their families, decided to move the date up.  So one month later they were married in Hawaii, in private, among their cloesest family and friends.  A family friend told ABC that the wedding far exceeded Elizabeth’s wildest expectations!

I am just so happy for this girl!  She deserves to have her life be filled with nothing but good!  Can you imagine what a spectacle the media would have made of her very special day.  Good for her and her new husband Matthew Gilmour. Wishing them both a loving, peaceful and purpose filled life….

flickr/Mike Jahn

Yesterday, being Fat Tuesday, and a day to celebrate with Paczki, reminded me of a very funny, historical moment.

You see, Paczkie look like Berliners, the German name for bismarcks, and jelly donuts.  So the connection here is ‘Berliners.’

It was June 26, 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was speaking in Berlin, Germany, to the German people.  He spoke for 10 to 15 minutes and closed with his, now famous phrase, “Ich bin ein Berliner.”

The story goes that he was trying to say “I am a Citizen of Berlin,” so he should have said “Ich bin Berliner.”  As he closed his speech he, of course said, “Ich bin ein Berliner,” or, “I am a Jelly Doughnut.”

See for your self.

Well, the crowd did laugh, applaud and cheer.  So, obviously they like jelly doughnuts.  But, seriously, that line had been translated by a German translator for the President, and several other people said that if President Kennedy had said “Ich bin Berliner,” he would have sounded silly because with his heavy accent he couldn’t possibly have come from Berlin. But by saying “Ich bin ein Berliner,” he actually said “I am one with the people of Berlin.”

Whatever the case, I’m still smiling.  I like Jelly Doughnuts!

flickr/Kodamakitty

I had such a great time yesterday, Tuesday,  taking the radio show on the road to the Family Fare store on Lake Michigan and Collindale, NW for Fat Tuesday.  It’s tradition for us to broadcast there as hundreds of folks come to pick up the Paczki. 

It’s also tradition to make Paczki on Fat Tuesday.  For hundreds of years the Polish have been celebrating the arrival of Lent by making Paczki.  The reason?  To use up all the lard, sugar, eggs and fruit in the house, because they were forbidden to be consumed due to Catholic fasting practices during Lent.   And, just in case you can’t pronounce it, or pronounce incorrectly, it’s ‘poont-ski.’

We all know what they are, of course.  Delicious, jelly filled piece of dough shaped into a flattened sphere and deep-fried.  Stewed plum jam or prune is the traditional filling.  But there are so many others, including strawberry, Bavarian cream, blueberry, custard, cherry, apple, and possibly more.

Family Fare

At Family Fare we had a Paczki eating contest, too, between schools.  West Catholic, Sibley, and Westwood Middle competed for cash prizes of $300, $200 and $100 from Spartan Stores.  Congratulations to West Catholic for eating the fastest and winning the 1st prize of $300.  Westwood was second and Sibley was third.

What…you mean you haven’t had enough, yet?  I’m sure Family Fare will have some left for today in case you need to “refill.”  They usually make plenty since the Lake Michigan Drive store will sell over 4,000 by itself.

Happy eating!

The intersection will be closed for close to three weeks so some much needed repairs can be completed. This intersection will temporarily reopen with one lane heading in each direction March 30th.

After this intersection repair is completed the second phase will close the intersection at Fulton and Ottawa beginning March 15th.   All construction should be completed by May!

flickr.com/Gbozik>>t1gtv.com

The help sessions begin at 4pm today and continue until 8pm tonight at Steelcase, 901 44th St. S.E.
If you are a worker that earned less that $49,078 you could be eligible for free tax filing services AND earned tx credits of up to $5, 751.
If you’d like to see if you qualify call United Way at 2-1-1. Walk ins are welcome!

courtney0609/flickr.com

Disney Three Princesses/VanAndel Arena

“Disney Live! Presents Three Classic Fairy Tales,”is coming to Grand Rapids this Sunday.

It’s something for the whole family, and a one-day-only show with two performances at 1:30 and 4:30.

The show takes us through the classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast.   Of course, Mickey, Minnie and more than 25 of their Disney pals will be there throughout the show, too.

The story follows Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy as they find an enchanted storybook which sets them on a guided tour of the three stories.  It’s very interactive, too.  In Snow White, the audience tries to get her not to eat the poison apple the Evil Queen wants her to eat.

Yes, the show does follow the Princesses.  After all, they are the ultimate girl role models.  There’s so much negativity with celebrities being bad role models. Snow White, Cinderella and Belle have morals and values you can always count on.

Take a sneak-peak at the show.

Tickets are available at Van Andel Arena box office, Ticketmaster outlets, (800) 745-3000, ticketmaster.com.

flickr/Life in Flintville

A Johnson & Johnson consumer health unit is pulling some versions of infant Tylenol off store shelves due to problems with a device that helps measure doses.

Our news partner, WZZM 13, says McNeil Consumer Healthcare is recalling about 574,000 bottles of a grape-flavored version of the liquid medicine, which was distributed nationally.

The medicine bottle comes with a syringe and has a protective cover, or flow restrictor, at the top to help measure the right dose. That restrictor has been pushed into the bottle in some cases when the syringe is inserted.

Here is a video on how to properly use the syringe and details on the recall:

On Feburary 19th, Paul he spoke with West Michigan’s own music sensation Garrett Borns and WMCAT’s Punky Edison!

To hear the programs, you can simply click the link and the file will begin playing inside your browser OR you can right click and save to your hard drive or digital media player.

GARRETT BORNS

Feb19 – Garret Borns – Seg1

Feb19 – Garret Borns – Seg2

Feb19 – Garret Borns – Seg3

WMCAT

Feb19 – PunkyEdison – Seg1

Feb19 – PunkyEdison – Seg2

They were detailing and debunking some pretty common myths that we all – me included – had about rights at work; things like asking about your family or religion in an interview or thinking that your boss has to have a justifiable reason for firing you. A few interesting things here…

• It’s NOT illegal for an interviewer to ask about your religion, origin, relationship status or family. What IS illegal is hiring – or not hiring – someone based on those answers.
• Former employers are allowed to tell future employers everything relevant to your performance, so long as it’s factually accurate.
• You can’t sue a company because your boss is a general jerk. It’s legal for them to be a total jerk. You CAN sue if they are being a jerk based on your religion, gender, race, etc.
• Your company CAN require you to attend work-related events outside of work hours. If you’re an hourly employee, you must be paid for the time required to take part in these things.
• There is no “warning” required before you are fired. This is true even if you’ve been praised for doing a great job right up until the day they terminate you.
• Your boss does NOT have to have a justifiable reason to fire you. You can be fired for any reason, so long as that reason isn’t because of race, religion, gender, etc.

See? There were at least a few things there that I was wrong about (the interview questions and the reference check, for instance). Hope this helps, whether you’re the employee or employer!

Johnson & Johnson has recalled ALL infant Tylenol from the U.S. market because of a problem with the newly-redesigned bottle. CLICK HERE for full information from the Tylenol website.

The design was supposed to help parents give accurate doses by limiting the amount of medication that could be drawn into a plastic dosing syringe.  There there were problems with that syringe pushing a protective cover into the bottle.

IMPORTANT: This is NOT a life-threatening recall.  There have been NO life-threatening events because of this and the chance of a medical emergency is nearly non-existent.

You can continue using Infant Tylenol if the flow restrictor at the top of the bottle has remained in place.

Willis Ward, was his name.  He and Gerald formed a friendship back in 1931.  Willis, from Detroit, Ford, from Grand Rapids.  Both were college freshmen.

It was during a racist era that they both became friends.  Willis’ grandson  remembers how fondly his grandfather talked about Ford.  Willis defended Ford,  just as Ford would defend Willis, one time even when Willis was benched for being black.  Georgia Tech, a team from the south, said it would not play if Willis was playing on the field.

Willis’ grandson recalled his grandfather sharing that Gerald Ford a top player said he wouldn’t play either!  In fact Gerald said, he was quitting.   Willis, did convince Gerald to play.   But it was one of the things that solidified that bond of friendship that lasted a lifetime.

Willis’ grandson, Buzz Thomas, went on to become a democratic lawmaker.   Isn’t it funny how what goes around comes around.  When there was a debate about whether President Ford’s statue should be included at the capital some  Republican lawmakers argued the point that Ford never took a stand on racial issues. That’s when, Willis’ grandson Buzz Thomas, stood up, and became his grandfather’s voice.

See and hear the full story of the impact that a friendship can have on a world at the Ford Presidential Museum!

I think that all depends.  I have always said, “There is nothing worse than being in a relationship with someone, and feeling lonely.”  It’s understandable to feel lonesome when you are alone, unattached.  But when you are in a relationship and you feel lonely, there is nothing else like it.

So when I started reading about this survey, well, I wondered.  I’ve always heard that the health benefits for men in love far outweigh the health benefits for women, but that may be shifting.  Recent studies show that yes, men are a lot better off married than their bachelor friends.  The study also shows that their wives are less likely to suffer from depression than the wives single girlfriends.   So I think what this all says is, it all depends on the quality of the relationship.  Is it give and take and is it a partnership?  Check out some of the things that can increase the health benefits in your love life!

flickr.com/david jaime photography

flickr/angela n.

The Barry Manilow Show is coming to Grand Rapids!  Okay, you already knew that.  However, the concert originally scheduled for April 26th has been moved to June 14th.

On Manilow’s Facebook page people are wishing him well, telling him they hope physical therapy goes well and, to get-well-soon.  So, possibly there’s a little health issue.  Whatever, this concert has been moved back to June.

Live Nation, the concert promoter and the VanAndel Arena say the tickets already purchesed will be honored for the new date.

Good tickets can be purchased at the Van Andel Arena and DeVos Place box offices, ticektmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets or charge by phone: 800-745-3000.

Author Jilly Eddy has written a book, Lipsology, exploring what she’s learned about people’s personalities from their lip prints.

She’s analyzed over 10,000 lips, so I guess she’s the expert on this.

Here’s what you should do.  Make your own lip print with lipstick on a piece of plain white paper.  Now study it.  How does it look?  Like a pair of lips, right.  But, according to Eddy, it says more.

"Lipsology"

If…Your Upper lip is Wavy: You’re creative and have great imagination.

Your upper lip has a V-shaped bow: you are romantic, a foodie, and have expensive taste.

A Diamond-shaped lip print: you are an accomplished individual and give generously back.

A Full lower lip: you are an excellent communicator and children love you

A Large space between lips: you are extremely open-minded.

Go ahead and have some fun with this.

Vince Bucci, Getty Images

Whitney Houston was buried today at Fairview Cemetery in Westfield, N.J.
Houston was buried next to her father, John Russell Houston, who passed away in 2003. As we previously reported, Houston’s casket was heavily guarded leading up to the burial.

TMZ noted that the burial was a private, family-only ceremony, much unlike Houston’s funeral yesterday (Feb. 18). Houston’s three-hour funeral was aired on CNN and streamed online for fans. Funeral guests included Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige and Rev. Al Sharpton, with performances by Alicia Keys, R. Kelly and Stevie Wonder.

The burial took place not far from the funeral site, the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, N.J. Our thoughts and prayers are with Houston’s family and friends. May she rest in peace and live on through her music.

Source: PopCrush.com

Here’s the thing, the monkeys really aren’t all that interested in you. What they ARE interested in are other monkeys. So, a guy had a great idea! Why not make it so that the monkeys can see themselves in the phone? That makes it easy to get pics and video without them realizing what you’re doing! The results are awesome and you can check them out after the jump!

Obviously, the front-facing camera kind of did the trick, but incorporating the mirror really took it over the top!

Want to make your own monkey-cam? Check out this instructional video!

dharrels, Flickr

They say kids learn by example, and now we have further proof — little ones who’ve watched their moms and dads order coffee are now able to do the same thing with a new concoction called a “babyccino.” And baristas are none too happy about it.

You won’t find babyccinos on most cafe menus, but that doesn’t stop parents in Brooklyn, New York from ordering them anyway. Apparently they consist of either steamed milk and foam or a simple decaf cappuccino. (Because you want your kids to develop a taste for coffee before they’re even out of diapers, right?)

The trend started in Australia about a decade ago, and according to Aussie coffee expert Paul Caligiore, milk-only babyccinos are now so popular there that finding a cafe without them is rare. Still, the people who sling coffee for a living aren’t happy about it.

“They interrupt workflow, create milk wastage and can be served at a dangerous temperature to a vulnerable consumer,” said Caligiore.

Here in the US, where babyccinos aren’t typically on menus (yet), a Brooklyn cafe owner says that while her place does serve the beverages, she doesn’t allow her own kids to drink them. “It’s a little weird,” she said, “but we make [them].”

Katherine Haver, a freelancer who works out of coffee shops, said, “My child has been going to cafes since he was a newborn. ‘Coffee shop’ was one of his first words.”

And we wonder why the terrorists hate us.

[via The Brooklyn Paper]

Source: TheFW.com