National budget 4.2.10

GateHouse News Service National Budget

For 4/2/10 editions

Contacts: Lisa Glowinski, (217) 816-3343, lglowinski@corp.gatehousemedia.com

- Michael Toeset is out of the office today.

Notes:

NEW SITE LAUNCHES: The news service received a makeover his week. To learn more about the changes, follow this link: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/carousel/x1336920128/Welcome-to-the-new-GHNS

SITE UPDATE: Where is RadarFrog, and how do I download hi-res photos? Find out at http://lisaglowinski.ghnewsroom.com.

WAKE UP CALL: Get readers outside. http://www.ghnewsroom.com/carousel/x998203511/Fridays-Wake-Up-Call-Enjoy-the-weather-in-your-town-this-weekend

Niche

MAY HOW-TO PAGE: Set up a sprinkler system. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/x1838120325/How-to-page-Set-up-a-sprinkler

NIE PAGE: Meet the animals of Australia. http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/x12615675/NIE-page-Australias-animal-kingdom

MOTHERS DAY PAGE: Learn what flowers can express your feelings for Mom: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/x38425015/Mothers-Day-page-The-language-of-flowers

READER CALLOUT: Share your prom photos: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/x1009763226/Reader-callout-Prom-2010

STRETCHED PRODUCTS NOW RADARFROG: April's Stretched editions are out, now branded as RadarFrog:

Info sheet on the change: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/stretched/x1499088274/Stretched-products-now-RadarFrog

Half-page on saving water: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/stretched/x1009758886/RadarFrog-page-Shut-the-tap

Coupon book with stories on a budget road trip, meat-counter savings and getting the most out of garden tools: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/stretched/x1336919020/RadarFrog-coupon-book-Get-your-motor-running

MEMORIAL DAY PAGE: Learn about the nation's war memorials.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/x1009759165/Memorial-Day-page-In-loving-memoriam

Lifestyles

MORNING MINUTES: Includes Word of the Day, Web Site of the Day, Number to Know, This Day in History, Today’s Featured Birthday and Daily Quote.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/morning_minutes

ASK DOG LADY: Meet Barbara Walters' dog -- Dog Lady offers advice on Barbara Walters' dog, and on a women getting too motherly with a dog. By Monica Collins.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x12615596/Ask-Dog-Lady-Meet-Barbara-Walters-dog

KITCHEN CALL: Those eggs have legs -- This week I got a call -- and a few e-mails -- from people asking suggestions for using the leftover ham and eggs (both fresh and hard-cooked) during the week following Easter -- and not "the usual deviled eggs." By Linda Bassett.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/food/x1664790474/Kitchen-Call-Those-eggs-have-legs

EGG IDEAS: Celebrate Easter with egg recipes -- The boundaries of eggs are limitless. They can be eaten by themselves -- fried, scrambled or hard-boiled -- or combined with a few other ingredients to make everything from omelets to quiche. By Lainie Steelman of the McDonough County Voice.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x998203647/Celebrate-Easter-with-egg-recipes

GREENSPACE: Plant a veggie salad in your flower containers -- Pamela Crawford is one of our favorite writers. With more than 10 books and having designed 1,500 gardens, she has established herself as the nation's go-to authority on container gardening. Her new book, "Easy Container Combos: Vegetables and Flowers," will be inspiration for your perspiration this springtime. This is one gardening book sure to get dog-eared and muddy.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/home_and_garden/x1664790519/Greenspace-Plant-a-veggie-salad-in-your-flower-containers

TRAVEL: Canyon Ranch the ultimate wellness spa resort -- Canyon Ranch Miami Beach is the newest addition to the ultimate wellness spa resort that originally began in Tuscon, Ariz. In contrast to its desert location, Miami is where arts, ocean and long walks await along a strip of surf connecting to the famous South Beach. By Charlene Peters.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/food/x998203821/Travel-Canyon-Ranch-the-ultimate-wellness-spa-resort

ELIZABETH DAVIES: Easter still fun -- even without the chocolate -- I'm afraid this year's Easter Egg hunt isn't out of the ordinary. Thanks to my son's affection for last year's egg hunt, combined with the set of plastic eggs he got for his birthday, we've been hosting egg hunts regularly this past year.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/lifestyle/columnists/elizabeth_davies/x1031039372/Elizabeth-Davies-Easter-still-fun-even-without-the-chocolate

ALICIA GOSSMAN-STEEVES: 'Christian' militia? That's not Jesus -- Once again, "Christians" have espoused unlawful violence in Jesus' name and engaged in other spiritually embarrassing behaviors.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x998202622/Alicia-Gossman-Steeves-Christian-militia-That-s-not-Jesus

WOOD ON WORDS: Teapot Dome scandal left the country steaming mad -- I always assumed that the little ditty "The Teapot Song" had been around for centuries, but it actually made its public debut in 1939. In the previous decade, another teapot was making news. But it was about a pot of money, and the liquid wasn’t tea, it was oil.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/opinions/columnists/barry_wood/x1664790773/Wood-on-Words-Teapot-Dome-scandal-left-the-country-steaming-mad

Entertainment

SUDOKU FOR APRIL: Sudoku puzzles (645-672) for April are available. Follow the link below or visit our Puzzles category.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/puzzles/x1838106844/Sudoku-puzzles-645-672-April-puzzles

MOVIE REVIEW: ‘Sweetgrass’ a look at disappearing Americana -- In “Sweetgrass,” the talk is sheep. And normally, I’d say baa humbug to the thought of sitting down with lambs for 90 minutes. But any apprehension quickly abates under the power of a documentary that’s as beautiful as it is informative in its tribute to the herders who’ve driven sheep up and down Montana’s majestic mountainsides for generations. By Al Alexander of The Patriot Ledger.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1838123631/Movie-review-Sweetgrass-a-look-at-disappearing-part-of-Americana

AT THE MOVIES WITH GATEHOUSE: Our collection of reviews, columns and more.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/carousel/x12615566/At-the-movies-with-GateHouse

MOVIE MAN: Dark 1950s drama finally makes its DVD debut -- Can we finally put the cliché to rest that the 1950s were a bland, boring, "Leave it to Beaver" decade? The movies, in particular, were especially interesting. One of those, "Bigger than Life," has been released for the first time on DVD. By Will Pfeifer of the Rockford Register Star.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1031039419/Movie-Man-Dark-1950s-drama-finally-makes-its-DVD-debut

MICHAEL TORTORICH: Jammin' at the ballpark -- Two of the best things in life are sports and music, at least according to this grizzled scribe.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1043112818/Michael-Tortorich-Jammin-at-the-ballpark

FOLK ON THE ROAD: Folk singer John Gorka feeling right at home -- John Gorka's gift for lyricism and control has made him a staple in folk circles for some 25 years. He's currently touring, more or less, behind his much-acclaimed October album, "So Dark You See." But Gorka looks at his concerts as something more akin to sowing decades of folk tradition through his voice and guitar. By Chad Berndtson of The Patriot Ledger.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x12617044/Folk-singer-John-Gorka-feeling-right-at-home

ARCTIC MONKEYS: Alex Turner and Arctic Monkeys enter new territory with current tour -- When Alex Turner arrives in the U.S. for the start of a string of 12 shows in 18 days, someone should hand him and the rest of the Arctic Monkeys a map. The Sheffield, U.K., band is playing places it has never seen before. By Ryan Wood of The Patriot Ledger.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1664790298/Alex-Turner-and-Arctic-Monkeys-enter-new-territory-with-current-tour

ALBUM REVIEW: Peter Wolf, 'Midnight Souvenirs' -- Peter Wolf's "Midnight Souvenirs" may not hit the heights of some J. Geils classics, but it doesn't sound like he's trying to; rather, he's continuing to stretch out of his blues-based rock 'n' roll comfort zone. By Peter Chianca.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1838123055/Album-review-Peter-Wolf-Midnight-Souvenirs

AUTHOR Q&A: 'Love's Compass' follows love's endings and beginnings -- Author Mary McAvoy discusses her first novel, "Love's Compass." By Peter Costa.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1043113814/Loves-Compass-follows-loves-endings-and-beginnings

5 THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND: This week’s suggestions: Check out “Clash of the Titans” or the latest Tyler Perry movie; celebrate International Children's Book Day, “observe” Global Astronomy Month, celebrate Easter and get ready for the return of baseball.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/entertainment/x1838116798/5-Things-to-Do-This-Weekend-April-2-4

Opinions 

BILL MOYERS AND MICHAEL WINSHIP: The unbearable lightness of reform -- For all their screaming and gnashing of teeth, the insurance companies still make out like bandits.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x1838122098/Bill-Moyers-and-Michael-Winship-The-unbearable-lightness-of-reform

LLOYD GARVER: Testing trustworthiness -- Call me a Pollyanna, but I generally feel that people are good, honest and responsible. That's why I

was so disappointed to learn about the people in Ohio who took money and ran after $100,000 spilled out the doors of a moving armored car.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x998203997/Lloyd-Garver-Testing-trustworthiness

Business / Ag

DAVE RAMSEY: Weekly financial Q&A, with advice on what to do with an inheritance and how to deal with creditors.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1859636660/Dave-Ramsey-College-student-wonders-what-to-do-with-inheritance

AUTO BITS: Get online to find great travel deals - Weekly auto rail, with a tip on finding travel deals, Car Q&A with Junior Damato and more.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/features/x1838109451/Auto-Bits-Get-online-to-find-great-deals-on-travel-this-season

SHOESTRING LIVING: Frugal fixes speed home sales - Last month, a friend sold her house in 10 days. I remember a time when stories like this were so common that selling a home seemed like child’s play. I’m not sure if my friend’s story is a sign that our sleepy housing market is starting to stir, but it does cause me to think about how folks might be better positioned for home sale success these days. By Molly Logan Anderson.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1838113485/Shoestring-Living-Frugal-fixes-speed-home-sales

CHECKOUT LANE: A sump pump will keep your basement dry -- When massive amounts of rain flood your basement, it might seem impossible to ever dry out. However, there is a way to keep your home from getting water damage: Sump pumps are small pumps designed for use in basements to clear out water that could potentially damage your home. By Lana Lagomarsini of The Patriot Ledger.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/news/business/x1664780595/Checkout-Lane-A-sump-pump-will-keep-your-basement-dry

MAKING CENTS: A flight plan for your finances -- Sometimes I wonder if the expectations of a financial plan are unrealistic. Investors should not feel that a financial plan or hiring a financial planner is going to be the silver bullet that fixes all things. By John P. Napolitano.

http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/east/massachusetts/x1838113616/Making-Cents-A-flight-plan-for-your-finances

Sports

NASCAR PAGE: Which drivers might be better than they’ve looked so far and which might be driving over their heads? http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/ghns_pages/x1859636702/NASCAR-page-Crunched-numbers