Thinkstock

Getting a job is no easy task in these times, but keeping it may be even tougher.

If you’re lucky enough to have a job, then you may know how frustrating it can be to be to deal with a horrible boss. Here are some clues that your supervisor hates you:

1. He walks up to you and says, “I hate you.”

2. He keeps referring to you as “the intern.”

3. When you ask for a raise, he laughs so hard that he winds up in the hospital with a stroke.

4. He changes your email address to deadwood@soontobeunemployed.com.

5. Your parking spot is re-assigned to Floyd, the 88-year-old janitor who takes the bus to work.

6. He’s Donald Trump, in which case he doesn’t hate you as much as he thinks he’s better than you, your family, your dog, your mailman, your doctor, your plumber, your neighbor, your pizza delivery guy and pretty much everyone else on the face of the planet.

7. During the corporate retreat, he makes you walk on the hot coals before you find out it was a retreat for another firm.

8. He announces a company-wide initiative awarding a $1,000 bonus and an extra week’s paid vacation to whoever gives Kevin the most intense purple nurple.

9. He orders you to try the company’s new squirrel-flavored yogurt…and you work for an accounting firm.

10. You work for JP Morgan and he refuses to give you the weekend off. Geez, some people just have no sense of humor when they lose $2 billion.

11. He’s your father-in-law. Every time he sees you, he’s reminded how he couldn’t fill the position with someone, you know, qualified.

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, country’s first couple who celebrated their first wedding anniversary last Monday (May 14), are big animal lovers. They incorporated their pets into their wedding ceremony and according to Shelton in a recent chat and photo spread in In Touch, they’ve rescued “at least 20 dogs, as well as cats and horses.” The irony that the duo lives in a converted hunting lodge in Oklahoma, and the fact that they are avid hunters, is not lost on them, either. However, their dedication to domesticated critters does offer insight into how they will fare with kids.

When asked if their love of animals will help them prep for life as parents, Shelton joked, “Not unless our kids go to the bathroom outside or on the floor!” But in all seriousness, he said, “If Miranda’s as good with a human being as she is with dogs, the kid’s going to be golden!” Lambert really does have a soft touch with pawed creatures, which definitely indicates how maternal she’ll be with her own offspring.

Lambert, who founded the MuttNation Foundation to aid animals in distress and in need, admitted she finds rescues while traveling and name them after artists.

More photos of the duo and their furry family are available in the new issue of In Touch!

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/blake-shelton-miranda-lambert-anniversary/" title="Blake and Miranda: A Year of Highs and Lows" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com

NBC

It is highly likely that throughout the years you have heard someone at one point or another talk about having “gaydar.”

This is a term that some use for having the ability to detect a person’s sexual orientation as if by having radar. It’s always been kind of a joke, but a new study suggests that not only is it real and that some who possess it may be about 80 percent accurate.

According to a study involving college students at the University of Washington, researchers found that most people were able to identify a person’s sexuality with great accuracy simply based on a black-and-white photograph flashed in front of them for just 50 milliseconds. That is faster than the blink of an eye.

The photographs were all digitally altered to remove the “self-presentational” aspects of a person, which suggests that there may be such a thing as a “gay face” according to head researcher Joshua Tabak.

The world’s best lie detection experts top out at around 80 percent accuracy. Being at 80 percent accuracy on this type of judgment — just seeing a picture of a face in grayscale — that’s pretty amazing.”

Although it may be amazing, the research also suggests that not everyone’s “gaydar” is as accurate as others. Some of the students involved in the study were not able to guess sexuality at all, while others scored well above the 80 percent accuracy in identifying nearly 100 photos of randomly gay and straight people.

Even though Tabak believes “gaydar” is real, he also suggests that the ability to guess a person’s sexual preference is something most people likely learn from social exposure and experience.

[US News & World Report]

NBC

Given that this was Kristen Wiig’s last episode as a ‘Saturday Night Live‘ cast member, it was no huge surprise to see ‘SNL’ favorites appearing alongside her. This goes especially for Jon Hamm, as he has become the show’s go-to star for cameos.

The ‘Mad Men‘ star showed up in the cold opening, which was a parody of ‘The Lawrence Welk Show.’ Wiig reprised her role as the most “special” of the four singing Dooneese sisters, and as for Hamm, he played Italian crooner Gionni Prosciutto who’s looking for love in all the wrong places.

Watch things get really awkward between the two ‘Bridesmaids‘ co-stars.

When the more traditionally attractive Dooneeses return home to America, Prosciutto is left with the small-handed, dirty-minded sister. But instead of lamenting his bad luck, he makes the most of it and it’s all pretty disgustingly hilarious.

Even though Wiig is leaving the show, we wouldn’t be surprised if she makes some cameos of her own in the years to come, like some other former ‘SNL’-ers have done before. Would this bizarre Dooneese character be one you’d like to see her bring back?

Source: TheFW.com

Thinkstock

It’s not unusual for college students to graduate with a hefty student loan debt. But according to a new study, many don’t know how much they owe — and some aren’t aware they owe anything at all.

Research done at Iowa State University found 40 percent of the students there underestimated their total debt, with 10 percent of those students underestimating the total amount owed by more than $10,000.

What’s more, one out of every eight students with loan debt didn’t even know they’d borrowed money for their studies.

Those results may seem shocking, but Cynthia Needles Fletcher, a professor of human development and family studies at ISU, wasn’t surprised. “You’re talking about people who, for them, borrowing is new,” she said, adding that the complexity of the college financial aid process and the fact that students accumulate debt over time makes it easy to lose track of what’s owed.

The researchers said their findings show that financial counseling is needed to help students understand their borrowing, so this summer, ISU will begin emailing students with an accounting of their debt and what their estimated monthly payment will be after they graduate.

[Des Moines Register]

Scott Gries / Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some notable birthdays being celebrated today:

Mr. T
Age: 60
Occupation: Actor
Known For: His role as B. A. Baracus on the series ‘The A-Team’ and as boxer Clubber Lang in the movie ‘Rocky III,’ his appearances as a professional wrestler, his mohawk and gold jewelry, and starring on the reality show ‘I Pity the Fool,’ which borrowed his trademark catchphrase

Lisa Edelstein
Age: 45
Occupation: Actress
Known For: Playing Dr. Lisa Cuddy on the series ‘House,’ memorable guest-starring spots on shows including ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘The West Wing’ and ‘Ally McBeal,’ movie roles in ‘What Women Want,’ ‘As Good as It Gets’ and ‘Daddy Day Care,’ and voiceover roles on ‘King of the Hill’ and ‘American Dad!’

Ronald Isley
Age: 71
Occupation: Singer
Known For: Founding and fronting the Isley Brothers, known for songs like ‘Shout,’ ‘Twist and Shout’ and ‘It’s Your Thing,’ and his conviction and prison sentence for tax evasion

Judge Reinhold
Age: 55
Occupation: Actor
Known For: Movie roles in ‘Beverly Hills Cop,’ ‘Ruthless People,’ ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ and ‘The Santa Clause’ trilogy, and playing the infamous “close talker” on ‘Seinfeld’

Fairuza Balk
Age: 38
Occupation: Actress
Known For: Notable appearances in ‘The Craft,’ ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau,’ ‘American History X,’ ‘The Waterboy’ and ‘Almost Famous,’ and voiceover work on ‘Family Guy’ and in the ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’ video game

Tom Szczerbowski, Getty Images

A quarter of the way through the 2012 MLB season, divisional races are starting to take shape. Meanwhile, several players are turning in incredible statistical years. Here’s what’s happening in Major League Baseball:

Mets’ David Wright Hitting Over .400

Despite a recent lingering illness, New York Mets’ third baseman David Wright is hitting .412 through 41 games. Wright had two hits on Sunday, including a two-run, first-inning double, in his team’s 6-5 win over Toronto. The last major league player to hit over .400 was Boston Red Sox great Ted Williams, who hit .406 in 1941. Wright’s Mets (22-19) are in third place in the NL East, just 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves.

L.A. Dodgers Sweep Cardinals

Pinch-hitter Scott Van Slyke hit a three-run homer in the seventh inning on Sunday night to give the Los Angeles Dodgers a three-game sweep of the NL Central-leading St. Louis Cardinals. The victory gave the Dodgers the best record in the majors at 28-13. Manager Don Mattingly’s team is 15 games over .500 and leads second-place San Francisco by seven games in the NL West.

Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander Toss Gems At Pirates

Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Max Scherzer struck out 15 in just seven innings on Sunday in his team’s 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates. The victory gave Detroit a 2-1 interleague series win. On Friday, Tigers’ ace Justin Verlander lost a bid for his third career no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning as Detroit beat the Pirates 6-0. Verlander’s 12-strike out performance left him at 5-1 with a 2.14 ERA this season. The Tigers (20-21) are in third place in the AL Central, three games back of Cleveland.

TBS To Broadcast Wild Card Games

Major League Baseball announced Thursday that TBS will broadcast the two, new Wild Card playoff games this year and in 2013. As announced by MLB this past off-season, two wild card teams in each league will duel in a one-game playoff to advance to the next round of the MLB post-season. Also, two Division Series games in the 2012 and 2013 postseasons will be moved from TBS to MLB Network.

Play of the Week: Juan Pierre, Philadelphia Phillies

In his first year in Philadelphia, veteran outfielder Juan Pierre is contributing to the Phillies in several ways. Most recently, these two catches against the Chicago Cubs’ Bryan LaHair on Thursday night helped the Phillies get back over .500 at 20-19. Click the arrow to watch video of the two great catches:
In the first inning:

In the seventh inning:

Upcoming Series To Watch: Washington Nationals at Philadelphia Phillies

Washington has been trying to build a rivalry with Philadelphia for years. It looks as though their wish has been granted. The Nationals will come into the three-game series in Philadelphia on Monday in second place in the NL East, three-and-a-half games ahead of the Phillies. The last time these two teams faced each other, the Phillies’ Cole Hamels intentionally threw at Nationals’ rookie Bryce Harper, who subsequently stole home. Hamels was suspended for admitting the bean ball, while the notoriously partisan Philadelphia fans have marked the cocky Harper as a target of their legendary ire in advance of his first appearance at Citizens Bank Park.

Fantasy Player to Add: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds

Cincinnati Reds’ reliever Aroldis Chapman earned his first save of the season on Sunday in his team’s 5-2 win over the Yankees. With a 100-plus mph fastball, Chapman has been devastating hitters in 2012. In 22.1 innings pitched, he’s 3-0 with a 0.00 ERA, 39 strikeouts, allowing just seven hits. Now finally getting saves as the Reds’ closer, Chapman’s numbers can do nothing but help your staff.

Fantasy Player to Drop: Rickie Weeks, Milwaukee Brewers

After back-to-back 20-homer seasons for the Brewers, second baseman Rickie Weeks was thought of as a power-hitting middle infielder that Milwaukee could count on in 2012. Instead, Weeks has stumbled, hitting just .154 for the Brewers with four home runs and seven runs-batted-in. Weeks’ bad luck got him dropped to sixth in the lineup, and he didn’t play at all on Sunday, when the Brewers pelted the Twins 16-4.

Around MLB: Stephen Strasburg and Bryce Harper Homer; Kerry Wood Retires; Brett Lawrie Suspended

Washington Nationals’ starting pitcher Stephen Strasburg (4-1, 2.93), who has been dominant on the mound this season, hit his first major league home run during his team’s 9-3 win over the Orioles on Sunday. Teammate Bryce Harper hit his first career home run in an 8-5 Washington win over San Diego on Monday. At 19 years and 211 days, Harper became the youngest major leaguer to homer since Adrian Beltre in 1998…. Los Angeles Dodgers’ outfielder Matt Kemp went on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left hamstring after Monday night’s game. Prior to the injury, Kemp had played in 399 consecutive games, the most by an active player. Detroit Tigers’ first baseman Prince Fielder took over the mantle with 217 consecutive games played as of Wednesday….Chicago Cubs’ pitcher Kerry Wood retired on Friday after striking out the only batter he faced at Wrigley Field. The oft-injured Wood, who had been dominant at times during his 14-plus years in baseball, was the NL Rookie of the Year in 1998 and a two-time all-star… Philadelphia Phillies’ manager Charlie Manuel and umpire Bob Davidson, were each suspended for one game by Major League Baseball after their heated argument on field in Philadelphia during Tuesday’s Phillies-Astros game…The New York Mets will host the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field in Queens, MLB announced on Wednesday. It’s the first time the Mets have hosted the mid-season classic since 1964 at Shea Stadium….Toronto Blue Jays’ third-baseman Brett Lawrie was given a four-game suspension and fined after he charged umpire Bill Miller on Tuesday. Miller was also struck by a helmet thrown by Lawrie during the melee during the game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

Thinkstock

Earlier this week the Center of Disease Control published a new report stating that although Americans are living longer these days, they are still getting fatter.

It’s no secret that the American population has terrible diets and eating habits than any other country in the world. It seems that over the course of the last 20 years it has become a population of animals trying to sustain itself on convenience store fare and fast food.

A new report based on data compiled from government agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture discovered that Americans are consuming far more junk food than what is recommended. With an average yearly intake of caloric sweeteners being nearly 142 pounds, and almost 86 pounds of fats and oils, it’s no wonder that the American population has found itself in an obesity crisis.

Wait until you see how many pounds of pizza and french fries are being consumed. The following list will either astonish you or make you sick to your stomach, so loosen your belt by a loop or two, grab some Cheetos and read on.

What the Average American Eats Per Year:

• French Fries – 29 pounds
• Pizza – 23 pounds
• Ice Cream – 24 pounds
• Soda – 53 gallons
• Artificial Sweeteners – 24 pounds
• Sodium – 2,736 pounds
• Caffeine – 0.2 pounds
• Calories — 985,500

[Natural Society]

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

On Sunday night, Taylor Swift was officially crowned with one of the most prestigious nods given at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards: Woman of the Year. Following a strong introduction by Kris Kristofferson — who called her “one of the most successful artists in country music” — Swift got a multi-minute reel recapping all of the heights she’s reached in her relatively short career.

The ‘Ours’ singer got the good news of the award during an event last fall, but given her success, it was only fair that she get some televised recognition. For starters, Swift is the only woman in music history with three No. 1 albums in a row. She has six Grammys on her shelf and was the youngest winner in history to grab Album of the Year. And, she writes all of her own songs — and has since she was 12-years-old.

Now just 22, Swift may be a worldwide phenomenon, but she’s still just a humble young girl at heart, something she outwardly admits. “I’m so humbled and honored by this,” she told the crowd at the 2012 Billboard Music Awards when she got a chance to take the mic.

Though it’s been just six years or so since she saw her first song hit the charts, Swift’s career has been full of huge achievements. Sporting a red dress and shaking her head in disbelief, Swift gave a little tribute of her own, thanking Billboard, her fans and those who took time to present her the award.

Swift is expected to release a new album — the follow-up to 2010′s ‘Speak Now’ — later this year.

Watch Taylor Swift Accept the Woman of the Year Award

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

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Thinkstock

When news organization want to find out what the public thinks about an issue, they often turn to opinion polling. Most of these surveys are of the telephone variety, meaning a random sample of people are called and asked if they would like to participate in a poll.

According to the Pew Research Center – which does a great deal of opinion polling — most say no. In all the surveys Pew has done 2012, only 14 percent of the people they reached on the phone agreed to participate. This marks a sharp decline from 1997 when 43 percent of the households contacted agreed to take part in the survey.

[Pew Research Center]

Universal

‘Battleship‘ was supposed to be the film that nudged ‘The Avengers‘ out of the number one spot at the box office, but instead you can just go ahead and insert your own “You sank my battleship!” joke here. ‘The Avengers’ didn’t cling to the top spot for the third week in a row, it dominated the top spot for the third week in a row, taking in another $55 million for a grand domestic total of $457 million.

1. The Avengers: $55,057,000 ($457,078,000)

2. Battleship: $25,300,000 ($25,300,000)

3. The Dictator: $17,415,000 ($24,456,000)

4. Dark Shadows: $12,770,000 ($50,908,000)

5. What to Expect When You’re Expecting: $10,500,000 ($10,500,000)

6. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: $3,250,000 ($8,257,000)

7. The Hunger Games: $3,000,000 ($391,631,000)

8. Think Like a Man: $2,700,000 ($85,888,000)

9. The Lucky One: $1,765,000 ($56,921,000)

10. The Pirates: Band of Misfits: $1,450,000 ($25,362,000)

Internationally, ‘The Avengers’ took in another Scrooge McDuck Money Vault sized load of cash, bringing its overall total to $1,180,378. When you write box office reports, seven figure numbers aren’t necessarily common, so these are exciting times indeed. With this weekend, ‘The Avengers’ is now the sixth highest grossing film of all time domestically (it’s number 61 when you adjust for inflation, which is still mighty impressive) and the fourth highest grossing film of time internationally. It didn’t break the record for the biggest third weekend of all time (that record is still held by ‘Avatar‘), but who cares: no movie has ever made this much money this fast and it’s still not showing any sign of slowing down.

Which brings us to ‘Battleship,’ which arrived dead in the water (haha, boat puns). The $250 million movie opened to only $25 million, a number that cannot be salvaged by any kind of spin. Make no mistake: this is a disaster. In fact, it’s the biggest disaster since ‘John Carter.’ In other words, you don’t want to be Taylor Kitsch right now, the man who was unfortunate enough to take the lead roles in what turned out to be the two biggest bombs of 2012 (so far). This may very well signify the end of Kitsch’s career as a Hollywood leading man, but surely Tim Riggins will always have a home as a supporting character on quality television shows.

The sad truth is that the failures of ‘Battleship’ and ‘John Carter’ (which petered out at $72 million) are not Kitsch’s fault at all. He’s perfectly capable in both films, but the latter was the victim of of a horrid advertising campaign and the former was just proof that audiences draw the line somewhere and that line is big budget board game adaptations (although they’re perfectly cool with toy adaptations, strangely). Although the director of ‘Friday Night Lights’ (the movie) and an actor from ‘Friday Night Lights’ (the show) deserve all of the success in the world, we should all be grateful that every lingering board game-themed project is now completely and totally dead. Their sacrifice has saved us from a ‘Monopoly’ or ‘Candyland’ movie. Hopefully.

With all of the hubbub over the success of ‘The Avengers’ and the bombing of ‘Battleship’ (these puns write themselves, folks), ‘The Dictator‘ squeaked by with thoroughly mediocre numbers. After opening on Wednesday to avoid directly butting heads with the big boys, Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest attempt to offend everyone on the planet earned $17 million for a total of $24 million. That isn’t that much lower than ‘Borat’s $26 million opening in 2006, but ‘The Dictator’ cost significantly more and won’t even come close to earning as much. It’s not like Cohen’s career is in trouble, though. In addition to being absurdly talented, he’s worked with Martin Scorsese and Tim Burton and will be in ‘Les Miserables’ later this year. He’ll keep working (and working in great stuff), but if he wants to get back to those ‘Borat’ numbers, he needs to update his comedic schtick.

The third new release of the week was also a bomb, but it didn’t cost ‘Battleship’ money so people won’t be talking about it as much. ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting‘ opened to $10 million and while we could spend an entire paragraph talking about how Cameron Diaz isn’t a real box office draw anymore or about how ‘The Avengers’ is the rare blockbuster that women are loving just as much as men (which nullifies its counter-programming potential), let’s face it: it didn’t make any money because it looked awful.

For a bright spot in the top ten that doesn’t star the Hulk, you have to look to ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel,’ which is benefiting from a slow expansion, solid word of mouth and a target audience that doesn’t have any interest in ‘The Avengers’ (i.e., old people). With a weekend total of just over $3 million, the film has now grossed over $8 million, which is a lot of money for a movie called ‘The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.’  In fact, that’s a per-theater average of $18,258 from 178 theaters. ‘The Avengers’ only averaged $12,000 per theater this weekend. Rock on Judi Dench, you rockstar, you.

There’s not much to say about the rest of the top ten. ‘Dark Shadows‘ took a dive from an already disappointing opening. ‘The Hunger Games‘ is still desperately crawling toward that $400 million mark. ‘Think Like a Man‘ is still a solid hit, but its days are waning and $100 million is suddenly looking out of the question. ‘The Lucky One‘ is still doing okay. ‘The Pirates! Band of Misfits‘ is still playing to empty theaters.

Next month, ‘Men in Black 3‘ will finally knock ‘The Avengers’ off its perch, not because people are necessarily excited for it (is anyone, really?), but because it just will. That’s what happens when you’re in the Will Smith business.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Priscilla Chan, Facebook

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg finally tied the knot with his longtime girlfriend Priscilla Chan after the Facebook IPO and his 28th birthday. So, how did we find out that this lucky woman made an honest man out of one of the most talked about billionaires? We just checked out his relationship status on Facebook.

Accompanying the announcement came the above photo of the happy couple from their home in Palo Alto, CA, courtesy of Chan’s Facebook page.

About 100 of the couple’s closest friends and family came out to what they thought was Chan’s UC San Francisco graduation party on Saturday. But when they arrived, they were all shocked to discover it was actually a wedding.

Though both Chan and Zuckerberg had been planning the ceremony for months, the groom still had a surprise tucked up his sleeve. Or rather, in his pocket. The Facebook CEO gave his new bride a custom-made ruby ring of his own design.

Plus, for the backyard, family-style wedding reception, they shared food from their favorite restaurants in California and finished off the dinner with the first dessert they ate as a couple, Burdick chocolate mice. Who knew the man we all pretended to know from ‘The Social Network’ could be so romantic?

[via TechCrunch]

Source: TheFW.com

Diane Freed, Getty Images

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1881 – The American Red Cross is founded (More info)

1927 – Charles Lindbergh completes the world’s first solo nonstop flight across the Atlantic Ocean in his plane, the Spirit of St. Louis (More info)

1979 – The White Night riots occur in San Francisco after Dan White, who murdered George Moscone and Harvey Milk, is convicted on only manslaughter charges (More info)

1999 – After 19 straight nominations, Susan Lucci finally wins her first Daytime Emmy Award (More info)

2005 – The tallest roller coaster in the world, Kingda Ka, opens in New Jersey (More info)

Michael Hickey / Jemal Countess, Getty Images

‘Duets,’ the new reality singing competition series starring Sugarland vocalist Jennifer Nettles and semi-country singer Kelly Clarkson, debuts this coming Thursday (May 24) in a two-hour premiere. The premise of the show is that established vocalists will partner with neophytes for –you guessed it- a duet! Rather than be judges or mentors, the celebs are performing alongside the hopefuls. Ahead of the big bow at 8 PM ET, the singing partners of each mentor have been revealed by ABC.

Nettles will perform with John Glosson, a 32-year-old from Douglas, Georgia. She’s a Georgian, so based on that fact alone, this is likely a smart pairing. She will also sing with J Rome, 25, from Laurel, Maryland.

Clarkson has been teamed up with Jason Farol, 23, from Torrance, Calif., and with Jordan Meredith, a 21-year-old from Wisconsin. You can peruse the ABC site to get a sneak peek of and a feel for the partners.

Together, the superstars and their partners take the stage each week and perform in front of a live studio audience. In the end, only one duet will be chosen as the “winner.” Up for grabs is a contract with Hollywood Records. Not too shabby, huh?

Be sure and tune in this Thursday to hear the sweet sounds that Nettles and Clarkson make with their partners.

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Flying Island Entertainment

Season 2 ‘The Voice’ contestant Gwen Sebastian is the first from Team Blake Shelton to release new music. While she wasn’t a finalist, the exposure she got from the show is sure to help the quirky North Dakotan. To get a handhold in Nashville circles, however, she’ll need the right song to lean on.

‘Met Him in a Motel Room’ could be that song, but the sharp lyric is dulled with middling production. The story Sebatian tells doesn’t take over the room quite like it could.

“She met him in a motel room on the shady part of town / With a set of satin sheets pulled back and the shades pulled down / Like a cotton dress she let her fears fall down to the ground / With a do not disturb sign on the door / She whispered I’ve never prayed to you before,” Sebastian sings during the first verse.

The theme of this song — that people can find God anywhere and usually do in places they’re least expecting — is original and instantly memorable. During the chorus, we learn more of this woman’s suicidal plans and her road to redemption.

“Some people meet him in a church / At a service on Sunday / As the preacher says the perfect words / They bow their heads to pray / And the choir sings a sweet forgiveness tune / She met him in a motel room.”

Despite being new to most country music fans, Sebastian is a familiar face to many radio programmers across America. She’s worked hard and deserves a hit, but this single proves that it takes a team effort to get that hit. Of course, a good story can overcome all inadequacies, so this plucky singer’s future with this song is very, very far from hopeless.

Listen to Gwen Sebastian, ‘Met Him in a Motel Room’

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Theo Wargo, Getty Images

He may be best known for his hilarious roles in the NBC television series ‘The Office’ and the blockbuster movie franchise ‘The Hangover,’ but actor Ed Helms is no one-trick pony. After more than two decades with his band, Ed Helms & the Lonesome Trio, the star has decided to move forward in his music career, making preparations for his first full-length bluegrass album.

“We’ve been laying down some demos and kicking them back and forth,” Helms tells the Hollywood Reporter. “We’ve been been playing together so long, we have so many original tunes. We’ve made recordings for friends and family for years but we’ve never done a proper album.”

Helms gave no immediate details on the upcoming album, but did offer some insight on the sonic direction of his first musical project. ”I have a very liberal interpretation of the word ‘bluegrass,’” he shared, citing the Del McCoury Band, Dave Rawlings and Gillian Welch and the Punch Brothers as inspirations.

“The purists would say it’s only this traditional high lonesome sound and that is all stuff we celebrate. But to us, it’s anything that feels like a legitimate offspring form,” he adds. “That universe could be Mumford & Sons, the Decemberists and Old Crow Medicine Show.”

No details about an album title or release date have been released yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/country-stars-who-have-acted/" title="Country Stars Who Have Acted" align="center"]

Watch Ed Helms Play Bluegrass

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Jason Kempin, Getty Images

“Everyone has that song or songs,” David Nail says of his latest single, ‘The Sound of a Million Dreams.’ “That’s the most amazing thing about music: the way songs can hold your life. It does for me, and for just about everybody I know, so I didn’t want this video to take anything away from the dreams that other people have in their music.”

The emerging country star holds true to his word, releasing a simple yet visually stunning music video for the second single from his album of the same name. When it came to choosing a location for this latest clip, he — along with director Chris Hicky — felt the historic Alabama Theater in Birningham, Ala. was the most fitting location.

“The people there are so soulful,” shares the Missouri native. “You can feel the music moving through them, and you know it’s a part of who they are. We didn’t even use extra people in our video, but you can feel their passion for the songs and artists in the air.”

The clip kicks off with an old home video of 6-year-old David Nail taking his seat at the drums, surrounded by adult musicians — the start of his dream. When the video picks up, we find him — today’s version — singing soulfully in the empty Alabama theater, but a montage of young shots of the singer plays throughout the reel.

Nail is currently on the road promoting the album ‘The Sound of a Million Dreams,’ which features the singer’s first No. 1 single, ‘Let it Rain.’ Click here to view his upcoming tour dates alongside label mates Billy Currington and Kip Moore.

Watch the David Nail ‘The Sound of a Million Dreams’ Video

Source: TasteofCountry.com

The start to the video is pretty mellow, seeing the Lamborghini at the traffic light, revving its engine and letting everyone around him know he owns the road. But then the driver turns left and hilarity ensues…

You can tell that the ones taping it are pretty happy with the result, as are most of the people watching it we’re sure considering it’s comments and having well over 8 million hits on YouTube.

As if a ‘your welcome’ came down from up above the driver of the Lamborghini loses control on the road and gently crashes, finding himself neatly tucked in between two cars. And just like any of us would have done in that situation the ones taping it turn around. Not to help the Lamborghini driver but to see the results.

Who wouldn’t want to see the look on his face? None of us would miss the opportunity to thank out favorite deity for giving us that moment. We all see guys like this around but rarely do we get to see something as well deserving as what happens in this video.

Man, we are such jerks.

[button href="http://guyspeed.com/kobayashi-coffee-video/" title="Watch Kobayashi Drink an Ungodly Amount of Coffee" align="center"]

Source: GuySpeed.com

Christopher Polk, Getty Images

We’ve already shown you Jason Aldean‘s role in the new star-studded Mountain Dew commercial. But now, the ‘Fly Over States’ hitmaker is featured in a 18-second solo spot, during which he (quickly) talks about how he does country music. Or, should we say how he ‘Dews’ country music?

The short clip is devoted entirely to Aldean, who admits that he treats his live shows like a two-hour party. As if that’s any surprise! Dubbed over clips of Aldean jumping, kicking, and rocking out in front of his fans (who are rightfully going crazy from his star power), the country star says, “To me, being a musician is about giving those fans the best show I could possibly give them.”

That’s the country version of Mountain Dew’s ‘DeWeezy’ campaign, which was rolled out this year at South by Southwest. The entire campaign brings together hip-hop artists, country stars, NASCAR racers, skateboarders and snowboarders under one united cause: drinking Mountain Dew and how awesome it is. So far, the 30-second TV spot has been successful at bringing together people of all interests and backgrounds.

Lil Wayne, Mac Miller, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Paul Rodriguez Jr., Theotis Beasley and Danny Davis also appear in the full-length commercial, but this bit is solely Aldean — just like you like it.

Watch How Jason Aldean ‘Dews’ in New Mountain Dew Commercial

Source: TasteofCountry.com

Rick Diamond, Getty Images

Gloriana‘s latest single, ‘(Kissed You) Good Night‘ — which tells the story of a guy and a girl sharing their first kiss — has been making its way up the charts lately. Because of its instant success, the song has got Gloriana members Tom and Mike Gossin thinking about their own first kisses.

Turns out, these American country stars have some awkward first-kiss memories to share, which makes for great entertainment for the rest of us. When vocalist Tom Gossin thinks about his first kiss, all he can remember is the taste of Doritos on his date’s breath.

“[Mine] was a girl that I went to grade school with,” Tom recalls. “We were at a birthday party. We were very young and she kissed me and all I could taste was Doritos … It was bad. I liked the girl right up until then. I don’t eat Doritos because of that.”

Thankfully, guitarist Mike Gossin had a sweeter memory to share. “Mine was in first grade. It was a girl by the name of Shauna,” he recalls. “And I gave her a bag of those candy hearts and No. 2 pencils. I got a kiss for it. At that age, I learned a valuable lesson: the way to a woman’s heart is to buy her something.”

Although ‘(Kiss You) Good Night’ isn’t necessarily a song written about a real-life experience, Gloriana’s forthcoming summer album has a lot of biographical elements to it. In the past three years, the trio went from playing bars to opening for Taylor Swift. You’ll hear some of their stories on their album, ‘Thousand Miles Left Behind,’ later this year.

[button href="http://tasteofcountry.com/country-soul-mates/" title="See Country Stars and Their Soul Mates" align="center"]

Source: TasteofCountry.com