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What you can expect at the 52nd Grammy Awards

The stellar lineup of performers for THE 52nd ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS now includes...
-Current GRAMMY nominees Jamie Foxx and T-Pain with Slash and Doug E. Fresh.
-Nominees Drake, Eminem, and Lil Wayne with Travis Barker.
-A special tribute to guitar virtuoso Les Paul featuring Jeff Beck and Imelda May.
-The cast of "American Idiot" appearing with Green Day.
-Four-time GRAMMY winner Roberta Flack.
-Five-time GRAMMY winner Elton John.
-Three-time GRAMMY winner Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland.

-All five Album of the Year nominees are set to perform on Music's Biggest Night®: Beyoncé, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, the Dave Matthews Band and Taylor Swift. Other performers and nominees include Bon Jovi, Green Day, Lady Antebellum, Maxwell, P!nk and the Zac Brown Band.

-Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Usher will perform in a special 3-D GRAMMY tribute to Michael Jackson.
Van chats w Grammy Executive Prodcuer Ken Ehrlich about the Michael Jackson 3D Tribute. Click here.

-Mary J. Blige and Andrea Bocelli will perform in a special fundraising segment for Haiti relief.

The latest presenters announced for Music's Biggest Night® are...
-Actor Simon Baker ("The Mentalist"),
-Comedian and TV host Stephen Colbert
-Rock legend Alice Cooper.
-Nine-time GRAMMY winner Sheryl Crow.
-Actress Kaley Cuoco ("The Big Bang Theory").
-Seven-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY® winner Placido Domingo.
-Actor Robert Downey Jr..
-Three-time GRAMMY winner Wyclef Jean.
-GRAMMY and 17-time Latin GRAMMY winner Juanes.
-Country artist Miranda Lambert.
-Six-time GRAMMY winner John Legend.
-Actress/singer Jennifer Lopez,
-Actress/singer Lea Michele ("Glee").
-Actor Chris O'Donnell ("NCIS: Los Angeles").
-Pop singer Katy Perry.
-Four-time GRAMMY winner Lionel Richie.
-TV and radio host Ryan Seacrest.
-Four-time GRAMMY winner Seal.
-Academy Award®-winning writer/director Quentin Tarantino.
-Two-time GRAMMY winner Keith Urban.
-Actress Kristen Bell.
-Pop/R&B singer Justin Bieber.
-Actor Jeff Bridges.
-Pop singer and actress Miley Cyrus.
-Actor Josh Duhamel.
-Pop sensation the Jonas Brothers.
-Nine-time GRAMMY winner Norah Jones.
-Pop singer/songwriter Ke$ha.
-Two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J.
-GRAMMY winner and three-time Latin GRAMMY® winner Ricky Martin.
-10-time GRAMMY and three-time Latin GRAMMY winner Carlos Santana.
-Nine-time GRAMMY winner Ringo Starr.

THE 52nd ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will broadcast live from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Sunday, Jan. 31 (8:00-11:30 PM, ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network.

T-Pain and Keith Urban each have four nominations: T-Pain with Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Blame It" (with Jamie Foxx), Best R&B Song for "Blame It" (with James T. Brown, John Conte Jr., Jamie Foxx, Christopher Henderson, Brandon R. Melanchon, Breyon Prescott & Nathan L. Walker), Best Contemporary R&B Album for Thr33 Ringz, and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "I'm on a Boat" (with The Lonely Island); and Keith Urban with Best Male Country Vocal Performance for "Sweet Thing," Best Country Collaboration With Vocals for "Start A Band" (with Brad Paisley), Best Country Album for Defying Gravity and Best Long Form Music Video for Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy World Tour Live.

Jamie Foxx and nine-time GRAMMY winner Eminem are each up for three awards: Foxx with Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Blame It" (with T-Pain), Best R&B Song for "Blame It" (with James T. Brown, John Conte Jr., Christopher Henderson, Brandon R. Melanchon, Breyon Prescott, T-Pain & Nathan L. Walker), and Best Contemporary R&B Album for Intuition; and Eminem with Best Rap Solo Performance for "Beautiful," Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for "Crack A Bottle" (with Dr. Dre & 50 Cent) and Best Rap Album for Relapse.

Drake has two nods: Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Song for "Best I Ever Had" (the latter nomination with D. Hamilton & M. Samuels).

Four-time GRAMMY winner Jeff Beck, Stephen Colbert, Katy Perry and Seal are each nominated: Beck for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for "A Day In The Life," Colbert for Best Comedy Album for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift Of All!, Perry for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Hot N Cold," and Seal for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

As part of Bon Jovi's performance on THE 52nd ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS, fans have the opportunity to decide which Bon Jovi hit the band will perform thanks to a "You Pick It, They Play It!" special segment. Viewers can log on to www.cbs.com/grammys and vote for one of three favorite Bon Jovi songs—"Always," "It's My Life," "Livin' on a Prayer"—to decide which hit the band will perform as part of their segment. Fans selected the three songs during the first phase of voting which ended Sunday, Jan. 24. The second and final phase of voting will continue until Bon Jovi's performance on THE 52nd ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS on Jan. 31. There is no registration to vote and fans may vote as often as they wish. Additionally, a 30-second clip of each song may also be viewed on the Web site.

GRAMMY winners Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Smokey Robinson, Carrie Underwood and Usher will join together, along with the voice of Michael Jackson, in a moving tribute to Jackson. The tribute will feature the never-before-seen 3-D mini-movie for "Earth Song" that Jackson created as the centerpiece of his much anticipated "This Is It" tour. So that viewers at home can enjoy the unique 3-D portion of the tribute, CBS and Target have partnered to provide millions of free 3-D GRAMMY Glasses. Target stores nationwide will exclusively offer the glasses through Sunday, Jan. 31, so that fans have the opportunity to see the film that was very personal to Jackson. Additionally, the audience at STAPLES Center will share the 3-D experience, wearing the same glasses as those worn by viewers at home.

Nine-time GRAMMY winner Mary J. Blige and world-renowned pop tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform the Simon & Garfunkel classic, "Bridge over Troubled Water," together in a special fundraising segment for Haiti relief. Their once-in-a-lifetime performance (audio and video) will be made available for download at iTunes.com/Target following the telecast with all proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross' ongoing earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. This year marks the 40th anniversary of "Bridge over Troubled Water" receiving GRAMMY Awards for Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year; the song will provide a moving tribute to survivors of the tragic events in Haiti.


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01/28/2010 9:32AM
What you can expect at the 52nd Grammy Awards
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How To Help Tornado Victims
The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise. Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations. Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations: American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: Click HERE to donate online. You can also text REDCROSS to 909999 to immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund. Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095. Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: The Oklahoma Baptist Convention says says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website by clicking HERE. You can send checks to: BGCO Attn: Disaster Relief 3800 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK. 73112. Salvation Army - The Salvation Army is deploying mobile kitchens that can serve to 2,500 people a day. Click HERE to donate via their website. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone. You can also donate to the Salvation Army via check: Put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail to: The Salvation Army P.O. Box 12600 Oklahoma City, OK. 73157. Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). Feeding America - Feeding America says it utilize its 200 foodbanks to deliver food and supplies. Click HERE for their website. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - Text the word FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
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How To Help Tornado Victims
The tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, as well the twisters as Kansas and Texas, have killed dozens and left thousands homeless. Officials expect the death toll to rise. Relief efforts are underway. Right now, the best way to help the victims is a donation to major relief organizations. Here is a list of organizations that are accepting donations: American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund: Click HERE to donate online. You can also text REDCROSS to 909999 to immediately donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster Fund. Phone: 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767); for Spanish speakers, 1-800-257-7575; for TDD, 1-800-220-4095. Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: The Oklahoma Baptist Convention says says donations will "go straight to help those in need providing tree removal services, laundry services and meals to victims of disasters." For more information, and to donate, visit Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief's website by clicking HERE. You can send checks to: BGCO Attn: Disaster Relief 3800 N. May Ave. Oklahoma City, OK. 73112. Salvation Army - The Salvation Army is deploying mobile kitchens that can serve to 2,500 people a day. Click HERE to donate via their website. You can also text the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone. You can also donate to the Salvation Army via check: Put the words "Oklahoma Tornado Relief" on the check, and mail to: The Salvation Army P.O. Box 12600 Oklahoma City, OK. 73157. Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769). Feeding America - Feeding America says it utilize its 200 foodbanks to deliver food and supplies. Click HERE for their website. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma - Text the word FOOD to 32333 to donate $10 to the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma
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Best Photo BOMB!
This was the best photo bomb from Saturday night at Kenny Chesney!
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The Best Reality Show EVER!
If you're a fan of "The Bachelor" like I am, then you will get a kick out of this new reality TV show idea.
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The Best Reality Show EVER!
If you're a fan of "The Bachelor" like I am, then you will get a kick out of this new reality TV show idea.
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Low Maintenance – Big Impact Perennials
Don't let a lack of time, energy or space stop you from growing perennials. Instead select and grow low maintenance plants with big impact. Start with your design. Once you develop your plan, cut the number of different perennials in half and double the number of each. You will have fewer perennials to identify as they emerge in spring, less maintenance to learn and bigger impact. Edge your beds to keep unwanted grass out of the bed and make managing the surrounding lawn much easier. I dig a small trench around the edge of my gardens and fill with woodchips. Always select plants suited to your climate, soil and natural rainfall. You'll have healthier and more beautiful plants with much less work. Look for perennials that require no staking and little or no deadheading. Avoid those that reseed, are aggressive and do not plant perennials that tend to escape the garden and invade our natural spaces. A bit more information: Use color to help increase the impact without increasing the number of plants. Warm colors of red, orange and yellow grab your attention. Repeat colors, known as color echoing, from one plant to another to provide unity and balance. Use complementary colors, those across from each other on the artist color wheel, like red and green and blue and yellow to create a focal point. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Grow Your Own Pickles & Celebrate National Pickle Week
Celebrate National Pickle Week by growing a few of your own cucumbers for pickling. All you need are a few seeds, a sunny location and a bit of garden space or a large container. Train these large vining plants up a fence, trellis or decorative obelisk to save space. Consider planting National Pickling Cucumber Seeds developed by the National Pickle Packers Association and Michigan Agriculture Experiment station. These were bred for their versatility and perfect pickle shape. You'll be harvesting cucumbers in about 52 days after planting. Or save some space with Bush pickle. This cucumber forms a 3 to 4 foot wide mound and produces an abundance of 4-inch fruit. It's a perfect size for containers. And save even more space and grow straighter fruit by training these smaller plants up a cage or trellis. Cucumbers are ready to pick in about 45 days. A bit more information: Cucumbers are generally ready to harvest in 45 to 60 days after planting. This makes them a great option for mid and late season plantings. Just calculate the number of frost-free days left in the growing season to see how late you can plant. And further extend the season by using floating row covers like ReeMay, Harvest Guard, and Frost Covers to protect plants from frosty weather. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Celebrate Clean Air Month – Grow Some Air-Purifying Houseplants
Celebrate National Clean Air Month by growing a few houseplants to improve your indoor air quality. NASA teamed up with PLANET (Professional Landcare Network, formerly ALCA) and found adding 15 to 18, 6 to 8 inch diameter container houseplants will improve the air quality in an 1800 square foot house. Keeping them healthy will increase their beauty and ability to cleanse the air. Consider adding a bamboo palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii). Use this large houseplant to create a warm welcome for guests, dress up a blank wall or mix in with other houseplants for an impressive indoor garden. This palm is an understory plant in Central America. It is hardy in zones 10 to 11 and adapted to the lower light conditions indoors. Grow it in a brightly lit location and keep the soil slightly moist. Cut off fronds as they die, leaving the leafy stem covering intact. Once it is fully dried, remove to expose the attractive stems. A bit more information: Start new plants by division. Remove suckers and offshoots that form at the base of the plant. Slide the bamboo palm out of its pot. Use a sharp knife or drywall saw to separate the offshoots from the main plant. Repot the parent plant and offshoots in a container slightly larger than the remaining root ball. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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We get your letters...
What an amazing weekend! First of all, a very big THANK YOU to everyone who came out to Grafton and Mukwonago and waited in line amid cold, windy and rainy conditions for those Wisconsin Dells Season Opener Cards. For me, it is a chance to meet / hang out with YOU the listener and give you goodies! Second, got this letter from our 99.1 The Mix Contact Us forum, from the Dawson family of Port Washington and was truly surprised that my "simple gesture" warranted the following... Question: Your Name: Answer: Michelle Question: Your City: Answer: Port Washington Comments: Yesterday I took my parents to Grafton to wait for season opener cards. It was quite a cold morning. We arrived at 10 because in the past there have been huge lines. My mother is recovering from a recent open-heart surgery. She is a very petite older woman. Van McNeil was interacting with people people in line and I asked him if it would be possible for my mom to going to the bank to warm up. He unexpectedly took my mom's hand and escorted her into the building. He was so kind to her and gave her a hug. He made sure she was warm and dry and took very good care of her. My mom and dad are thrilled to be going to the Dells. Unknown to Van my dad just got out of The hospital last Friday after 4 1/2 weeks of being in. It's been a very rough couple of months for my parents and their health. My mother was just beaming about how nice Van was. I wanted to thank you for the season opener cards which will allow my parents and my family to enjoy a vacation in Wisconsin this summer, and send a special thank you to Van for being so wonderful to my parents. You're welcome and THANK YOU Michelle! Just doing what I do because that's how my mama raised me! Enjoy the Dells! -Van #everylistenermatters
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Perennial Garden Renovations
Give your tired perennial garden a boost without a total renovation. Topdressing your garden with compost every year or two provides most if not all the nutrients your perennials need. Pull back the mulch if needed. Then spread an inch of compost over the soil surface. You can buy a quality compost or make your own. Leave the compost on the surface or lightly mix it into the soil. The earthworms, ground beetles, and other organisms will take it from there – moving the compost into the soil and around the plant roots where it is needed. Or, do a bit of vertical mulching. Use an auger bit on your cordless drill. Simply drill holes into the soil between plants. Then fill the holes with compost. This gets the compost closer to the plant roots and soil organisms that will help mix it into and improve the soil. Soil preparation and repair will help transform your garden. A bit more information: Apply a plant strengthener such as JAZ spray to increase plant vigor and their natural ability to tolerate environmental stresses, insect attacks, and disease problems. These natural products aren't fertilizers or pesticides. They can be applied to established plants at the beginning of the season to boost their ability to deal with stress or as soon as problems arise. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Growing Banana Plants Indoors or Out
Add a bit of the tropics indoors or out with a banana plant. The large leaves are great for screening views and creating a bit of privacy on a balcony, patio or in the yard. Add a wicker planter or chair and you have your own tropical get-away. The fiber banana (Musa basjoo) is hardy in zones 5 to 11. It grows in full sun. It will die back to the ground and benefit from winter mulch in northern areas of its hardiness zone. Less hardy and smaller, the blood banana (Musa acuminata 'Zebrina'), has large leaves with red markings on 6 to 8 foot plants. It's only hardy in zones 10 to 11, but can be overwintered as a houseplant or allowed to go dormant in other areas. Combine these tropical beauties with palms, ginger and bird-of-paradise. Or add some hardy tropical look-alikes such as Japanese forest grass, large leaf hostas and trumpet vines. A bit more information: Push the limits of your growing region with special wintering techniques developed by Dr. David Francko, author of Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths: Warm-Climate Plants for Cooler Areas. And for those in warmer regions check out Creating the Tropical Look. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Preserving the Asparagus Harvest
Preserve the flavor and nutrition of asparagus to enjoy year round. This flavorful vegetable is low in calories and high in Vitamins A and C as well as fiber. Unfortunately, it is most readily available and at the best price in the spring. Insure the best flavor with proper harvesting. Select young tender spears 8 to 10 inches tall. Wash, remove the ends, and then cut to fit the freezer bag or container. Blanch the asparagus before freezing to lock in flavor, color and texture. Dip the asparagus into boiling water. You'll need a large pan with a lid. Blanch small spears for 2 minutes, medium spears for 3 minutes and large spears for 4 minutes. Remove and immediately set the blanched spears in ice water for 5 minutes to cool. Drain and freeze. And, if you don't have an asparagus patch, you may want to consider planting one this year. A bit more information: May is National Asparagus Month. For tips on planting and harvesting asparagus listen to my audio tip. And check out the National Center for Home Food Preservation website for helpful tips and guidelines for preserving your harvest. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Mexican Mint Marigold (Tagetes lucida)
Add a little color and flavor to your garden and salads with Mexican tarragon. This subtle beauty is really a type of marigold, but the leaves and flowers have a tarragon fragrance and flavor. Wait until after the danger of frost has passed to plant this zone 8 to 10 hardy plant. Grow it in full sun to part shade and well-drained soils. It is somewhat drought tolerant. Northern gardeners can treat it like an annual and those in the northern range of its hardiness zone may see it die back to the ground in a hard freeze. But don't worry its root hardy. The yellow flowers appear in late summer and persist through fall. The 14 to 20 inch tall plants make a nice addition to herb gardens and flowerbeds. Harvest the new growth to use fresh. Preserve the flavor by freezing the leaves or storing in vinegar. They tend to lose their flavor when dried. A bit more information: You can find this plant listed under several common names including Mexican tarragon, Texas tarragon, pericon, and sweet mace. No matter the common name you can use the leaves and blossoms in soups, sauces and chicken dishes as well as salads. Some gardeners even seep it for tea. Visit Bonnie Plants for more information and gardeners ideas for growing and using this plant in the garden. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Year of the Watermelon
Year of the Watermelon The National Garden Bureau has declared 2013 the Year of the Watermelon. Be part of the celebration and consider planting watermelon in this year's garden. Don't let the sweet flavor deceive you – these are nutritious as well as delicious. High in Vitamin C, low in fat and calories - it is a great way to boost your energy. Plus, all parts are edible. You can pickle the rind, eat the fleshy portion fresh or roast or grind the seeds for flavoring. In china they stir fry watermelon while the Russians often pickle it before eating. You may want to try some new ways of enjoying this tasty summer treat. Grow watermelon in full sun and well-drained soils. Save space by growing these plants on a trellis or decorative obelisk. Just secure the heavy fruit to the support with a cloth or macramé sling. Or plant a few seeds in a container and let the vines wander over your balcony or trellis. A bit more information: Try planting one of the large picnic-type watermelons that can weigh 15 to 50 pounds. These are sure to get everyone in the family excited about growing and eating this, the largest edible fruit in the United States. Or perhaps you want to try one of the icebox melons that is much smaller at 5 to 15 pounds and easier to squeeze into the fridge. And don't forget about those with unique colored rinds and flesh and of course those that lack seeds. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Clematis Stem Wilt
Clematis Stem Wilt Your clematis looks beautiful until suddenly the stems and leaves start turning black. Though it looks bad your clematis will survive. The fungus that causes this disease enters your plant through wounds and cracks in the stem near ground level. Fortunately new growth arising below this point will be disease free. Reduce future problems by pruning out and destroying infested stems. Disinfect tools between cuts to reduce the risk of spreading this disease. As new growth emerges from the soil carefully secure it to the support to reduce the risk of cracking and damage. Eliminating the entryways for the fungus will reduce the risk of disease. In the future consider planting the crown of the clematis below the soil surface. This allows the plant to produce new shoots below the point of infection. Try growing small flowered clematis that tend to resist this disease. Alpina, macropetala and the viticella types are a few to consider. A bit more information: For a disease to occur you must have the causal organism (fungus, bacteria, virus) present, disease-promoting weather and susceptible plants. Remove one of these factors and you eliminate the disease. Keep this in mind when managing clematis stem wilt and other plant diseases in your garden. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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I'm a fan, are you?
Who doesn't LOVE a good Roller Coaster? Am I right?! I've been so very lucky to been have rasied in the Midwest, a stones throw away from Six Flags Great America, where I practicaly spent my summers as kid with my best bud Edgar! Mom and dad would drop us off at open and pick us up at close. 10a-10p. Don't think I could handle that now. Heck, I could barley make it on one run of Batman The Ride Backwards! Yes, that's right, for a limited time this season, (BTW... I tried to find out when from officials, they wouldn't budge, so get there soon!) Batman The Ride will be running BACKWARDS!! MOBILE USERS: Click here to WATCH Van rides Batman: The Ride Backwards! www.SixFlags.com
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NEW MUSIC: Safe & Sound
This song is currently in my Top 5. Capital Cities is the group and the song is "Safe & Sound". Let me know what you tihnk.
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My Lucky Brewers Socks
I've been wearing these sock to the last few games I have attended at Miller Park and the crew always wins when I have them on. Do you think my socks lucky?
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This Is The Spring I Have Been Waiting For
Fnally, the Milwaukee we love. Sunny and 70.
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Matt Nathanson AND Plain White T's coming to Festa!
YES! That headline is correct...Matt Nathanson AND the Plain White T's will be performing at Festa Italiana, Saturday night, July 20th and I have the honor of being your ON STAGE HOST!! I'm super stoked and looking forward to hanging with Platinum-selling singer-song writer Matt Nathanson, and Grammy-nominated Chicago-bred Plain White T's again! Check out the videos from both groups last visit to The Mix Studios: WATCH Matt Nathanson Interview and Performance. WATCH Plain White T's Interview and Performance.
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Watch for and Prevent Borers on Trees and Shrubs
Extreme heat and cold, droughts and floods can leave our plants stressed and more susceptible to damaging borers. These insects are the immature stage of moths and beetles that feed under the bark and inside the stems of plants. Their feeding weakens and in some cases kills the plant. Many borers are opportunists, attacking already stressed trees. We can't control the weather but we can help reduce stress on our plants. Start by growing plants suited to the climate and growing conditions in your landscape. Mulch the area under and around the base of trees and shrubs. Organic mulches like wood chips keep the roots cool and moist and reduce competition from grass and weeds. Be sure to water new plantings thoroughly and as needed the first few years. And do the same for established trees and shrubs during extended drought. This will keep them healthy and help ward off borers. A bit more information: Incorporate trees and shrubs into perennial planting beds. You will create an attractive garden and better environment for the plants. Plus, planting beds as well as mulching will reduce the need for hand trimming and will keep weed whips and mowers away from the trunks of the trees. And don't pile soil or mulch over the stems of shrubs and the trunks of trees. These practices create entryways for pests and encourage disease problems. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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Lawn Revival
If sparse, bare spots or lots of weeds describe your lawn, it is time for a little lawn revival. Start by evaluating the current state of your lawn. If more than 60% is bare or filled with weeds, it is time to start over. Look at this as an opportunity to properly prepare the soil, select a more drought tolerant lawn or convert it into a no mow or low maintenance lawn or planting bed. Overseed thin sparse lawns. Core aerate first or use a slit seeder to insure good seed-to-soil contact. For small bare spots use a lawn patch kit or make your own. Mix a handful of quality grass seed into a bucket of topsoil. Remove any dead grass and roughen the soil surface. Then sprinkle the commercial or homemade lawn patch over the prepared bare spot. Keep the soil moist until the grass seed begins to grow. A bit more information: Larger areas will benefit from the addition of organic matter into the top 6 inches of soil before sowing the grass seed or laying sod. Keep the soil moist until the sod has rooted into the soil below and the grass seed begins to grow. Consider overseeding the lawn to help create a more uniform appearance in the lawn. For more information, click here. For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com
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