A total eclipse image. (NASA)

Sunday, people will be looking toward the sun in the evening as the moon passes in front of it.

The total eclipse will be visible on a line heading northwest through northwestern Texas through New Mexico, northeastern Arizona, southern Utah, Nevada, northern California and southwestern Oregon late Sunday. As the sun continues its path, the eclipse will then be seen in southern Japan and southern China early on May 21.

However, it will still be quite a site here in Hamilton, even better in Darby, Sula and Lost Trail Pass. At this viewpoint, we’ll be able to see the sun about 80 percent covered by the sun. The day will get darker between 7pm and 8pm Sunday evening. Then, it’ll get lighter as the moon reveals the sun, which will then set over the Bitterroots.

Our usual caution -DON”T LOOK DIRECTLY AT THE SUN! You can make a shadowbox – instructions online  – it’ll take a  cardboard box, two pieces of white paper, tape and a pin to make a hole. The sun shines through the hole in one piece of paper onto the other piece of paper taped inside the box.  It’s really that simple.

[button href="http://shadowandsubstance.com/201205/Montana.swf" title="eclipse path" align="center"]

zoutedrop, flickr

Attention, dieters: stop counting calories and start watching the clock.

That’s the takeaway from a new study that says what you eat doesn’t matter as much as when you eat it.

Research conducted by Satchin Panda from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, CA and his colleagues found mice that ate an unrestricted diet for eight hours and fasted for the remaining 16 hours didn’t have higher rates of obesity, diabetes or high cholesterol than mice that ate a healthy diet.

“For millions of years, we humans spent our lives as diurnal species — eating most of our calories only in the daytime and fasting overnight,” Panda said, adding that over the past century, we’ve stayed up later and eaten more at night, leading to excess weight.

“The gist of this study is that the timing and the number of hours you fast impact your weight gain,” he said. “Watch the times of day you eat as opposed to what exactly you eat. You don’t have to be as strict in counting calories.”

But some doctors aren’t convinced, saying that what works in mice doesn’t always translate to humans. Keith Ayoob, associate professor in the department of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, also said telling people they can eat whatever they want — even for a restricted time period — could be dangerous advice.

[ABC News]

dreamsjung, Flickr

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

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

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

Learn the Market

macinate, Flickr

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

Have a Plan

John Beagle, Flickr

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

Don’t Look Like You Have Money to Burn

m.gifford, Flickr

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

Bring Notes & Tools

Bob n Renee, Flickr

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

Show Interest in the Stuff You Like

Bob n Renee, Flickr

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

Take Small Bills

BrownPolyester, Flickr

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

Be Ready to Negotiate…Nicely

BrownPolyester, Flickr

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

Leave Business Cards Before You Go

giuliana_miranda, Flickr

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

Thoroughly Check Items Before You Buy

Dick Penn, Flickr

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

Be Picky

colros, Flickr

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

Watch This

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

The mail processing facilities in Butte, Helena and Wolf Point would stay open, but the Kalispell processing center would be closed…as early as this summer.

Baucus accused the Postal Service of ignoring his provisions in the Postal Reform legislation that has passed the Senate. A provision in the Postal Reform Bill would prevent closure of any postal facility before Nov 13 in a state that conducts elections by mail or permits no-excuse absentee balloting, as Montana does.

Additionally, Baucus and Tester said the bill would provide financial relief to the USPS without shutting down or reducing service in rural areas. That bill is now in the House of Representatives.

The Postal Service would like to consolidate the Kalispell facility with Missoula no later than the beginning of next year. Both Tester and Baucus said they would fight that plan, which includes 48 consolidations around the country and would require post office closings in 140 other areas. That is Phase One. If nothing changes for the Postal Service finances, then in 2014, another 89 centers would close, and that would put Butte, Helena and Wolf Point processing centers back in the “dead letter file.”

The Postal Service has also discussed closing or having reduced hours for Bitterroot Valley Post Offices in Sula and Conner.

We could see crescent shadows like these during Sunday's solar eclipse. (Photo courtesy of Cantavestrella/Flickr)

When it comes to astronomical events, it seems like I’m always a day late and a dollar short.

Over the years, I’ve missed comets, meteor showers and the Northern Lights, and although I recall seeing a shooting star once when I was a kid, I’m now fairly certain that it was actually just an airplane.

But now I have another chance to experience one of the universe’s great natural phenomena: a solar eclipse.

For the first time in 10 years, a rare kind of eclipse known as an annular solar eclipse is projected to be visible over Montana. According to scientists, the event will be most visible in our area between the hours of 6:14 p.m. and 8:20 p.m. — with a peak time of about 7:20 p.m. — on Sunday, May 20.

During the eclipse, the moon will pass between the sun and the Earth, covering as much as 94 percent of the sun and producing the “ring of fire” effect commonly associated with eclipses.

Unfortunately, Montana is a bit north of the zone where sky-watchers will see the most defined ring of fire, but it is definitely worth a look. Those wishing to view the eclipse should use protective eye gear such as eclipse glasses, welder’s goggles or an astronomer’s filter made for sun observation, as the sunlight given off during an eclipse is still blindingly bright and could cause damage to the naked eye.

The eclipse also can be observed using binoculars or telescopes to project an image of it on a blank surface. Simply point the binoculars or telescope at the sun — without looking through the lenses — and aim the other end at a piece of paper or cardboard.

Evidence of the eclipse also will be visible in the shadows. Experts suggest looking at the beams of light beneath leafy trees. They will appear crescent-shaped due to the partial blockage of the light given off by the sun.

Brooke is a 2010 graduate of The University of Montana, where she ran track and cross country for the Grizzlies. She is currently working as a writer and editor in Missoula.

Justin Sullivan, Getty Images

If you’re a Verizon Wireless customer who was grandfathered in with an unlimited data plan after the company eliminated the option for new customers, enjoy it while it lasts — the company will be moving you to a tiered plan soon.

Speaking at the JP Morgan Technology, Media and Telecom conference on Wednesday, Verizon CFO Fran Shammo said customers with unlimited 3G data access will be required to switch to a data-share plan after transitioning to the company’s 4G LTE service.

“LTE is our anchor point for data share. So, as you come through an upgrade cycle and you upgrade in the future, you will have to go on to the data share plan,” Shammo said. “Everyone will be on [it]. A lot of our 3G base is on unlimited… [and] when they migrate off 3G they will have to go to data share.”

So when will that happen and how much will it cost? The data share plan is scheduled to launch in mid-summer, but pricing details have yet to be announced.

[Fierce Wireless]

The Big Sky Mudflaps at Hamilton City Hall in February. (KLYQ Photo)

The annual Crystal Ball gala will be Friday night at the Bitterroot River Inn. The music this year will provided by valley favorites The Big Sky Mudflaps.

The Supporters of Abuse Free Environments (SAFE) raise money for their program to help reduce domestic violence in the valley and to help provide shelter and a 24 hotline for abused spouses.

The evening starts with a Patrons’ Reception and then moves on the auction, silent auction and hors d’oeuvres and no-host bar.

Admission is $75 for the full evening, $50 without the Patrons Reception, and $15 at 9 pm for those who’d just like to dance to the ‘Flaps. Advance tickets are available at SAFE at (406) 363-2793.

The SAFE Crystal Ball is “Seeing a Future Free of Violence.”

[button href="http://www.safeinthebitterroot.org" title="Tickets and more about SAFE" align="center"]

Photo courtesy of K-38 rescue/flickr.com

The search has been suspended for a 19 year-old man who jumped off the Madison Street Bridge Wednesday evening and disappeared in the swollen Clark Fork River. Missoula County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Jason Johnson says search and rescue boats and jet-skis traveled down the Clark Fork for several miles, but found no trace of the young man’s body.

Johnson says the search has been suspended because of the high fast water of the Clark Fork makes a continued search more dangerous.

Bryan Bedder, Getty Images

Mary Richardson Kennedy, the estranged wife of Robert Kennedy Jr., was found dead on Wednesday, and an autopsy has now revealed her cause of death: she died of asphyxiation due to hanging.

Police who went to Kennedy’s home in Bedford, NY on Wednesday afternoon to investigate a “possible unattended death” found the 52-year-old in a building on the grounds.

Mary was Robert Kennedy’s second wife. They married in 1994 and separated in 2010, and she’d struggled for years with alcohol and substance abuse problems. Toxicology tests are still pending and could take months to complete.

A statement released by Kerry Lawrence, her attorney, said, “We deeply regret the death of our beloved sister Mary, whose radiant and creative spirit will be sorely missed by those who loved her. Our heart goes out to her [four] children, who she loved without reservation.”

The death seems to add another chapter to the cursed Kennedy legacy. Robert Kennedy, Jr. is the nephew of President John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1963. Robert’s father, Robert F. Kennedy, Sr., was shot and killed in 1968.

[The Los Angeles Times]

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Love can get messy sometimes. Divorces can get even messier. But, what often gets the messiest is the stuff left behind after the divorce that the remaining spouse must get rid of to move on. This Superior, WI woman seems to have found the best way, and a local radio station got all the photos.

Rather than posting adds for well-priced used items on Craigslist, the woman decided to have a “sale” in front of her home. The good news for interested shoppers was that everything was free. The bad news was that everything seemed to be somewhat destroyed, including a green GMC Yukon covered in vulgar graffiti indicating the former owner of the SUV to be a “cheater.” There was also a pile of charred remains of stuff, clearly the result of a small fire.

The “X-Husband Sale” stopped traffic on the woman’s street as passers-by paused to examine the items and photograph the result of the divorcee’s wrath. The traffic back-up prompted a visit from police, who spoke to someone in the home, but did nothing further with the mess on the front lawn.

Later, the SUV was gone, but the “sale” remained open. When asked, Superior Police Sergeant William Lear explained there is no law against spray painting a vehicle in your own yard. If there’s questionable language on the vehicle, he said, “Depends on the language, there’s a fine line there. If it’s creating a disturbance, if there’s threats, if it’s blocking traffic, we can tow it.”

According to court documents, the couple filed for divorce in July of 2011. A neighbor confirmed that the divorce became final on Tuesday and that set off the preparations for the “sale.” You can see more NSFW photos below. Is this a fitting revenge?

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Tony Hart/Mix 108

Source: TheFW.com

sblackley, Flickr

Sunglasses don’t just make you look cool, they’re also good for your eyes. But a lot of parents don’t seem to know that rule also applies to their kids.

Research done by the Vision Council found that while three-quarters of adults regularly wear sunglasses, only about half make their kids wear them, too. And California ophthalmologist Paul Michelson says that should change.

“A substantial proportion of people still do not understand that UV exposure is harmful to the eyes as well as the skin,” he said. “Even [in] those who do understand, few understand it is the cumulative exposure that can be damaging.”

Among adults, the top three reasons given for not wearing sunglasses were that they forgot them at home, they break or lose them too often, and they don’t believe their eyes are at risk from sun exposure.

People with light-colored eyes are more susceptible to UV damage than people with brown eyes, but the risks for everyone include cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, and cancer of the eye, eyelid or surrounding skin.

[WebMD]

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Disco legend Donna Summer has died after a battle with cancer, TMZ is reporting. She was 63 years old.

Insiders say she wanted to keep the disease quiet, and a friend said that as recently as two weeks ago, Summer seemed okay and was even finishing up work on a new album.

The five-time Grammy winner shot to fame in the 1970s with songs like ‘Love to Love You Baby,’ ‘Hot Stuff’ and ‘Bad Girls,’ and continued her reign on radio airwaves into the ’80s with hits including ‘She Works Hard for the Money’ and ‘This Time I Know It’s for Real.’

Summer was also the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach No. 1 on the US Billboard chart.

[TMZ]

Marvel/Disney

An ‘Avengers’ sequel is happening. That much is set in stone. Beyond that, there’s nothing but questions, the largest being whether or not director Joss Whedon will return to a franchise that raced past the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office and has a decent shot at knocking ‘Avatar’ off its perch as the highest-grossing film of all time.

“You know, I’m very torn,” Whedon told the L.A. Times before his film even reached theaters. “It’s an enormous amount of work telling what is ultimately somebody else’s story, even though I feel like I did get to put myself into it. But at the same time, I have a bunch of ideas, and they all seem really cool.”

I’m sure Marvel will think they’re cool, as well, so long as ‘The Avengers 2’ rakes in as much dough as its predecessor. That being said, as impossible as this sounds, sequels usually tend to do better than their initial installments. Could you imagine ‘Avengers 2’ outperforming Whedon’s film at the box office? That would be staggering.

Whedon’s decision likely will come down to time: How much time will he have to spend on preparing and directing the sequel; and how busy will he be on other projects when Marvel finally is ready to put this one before a camera. As you know, Marvel has Thor, Iron Man and Captain America sequels in the works at the moment, and a second ‘Avengers’ won’t happen until they wrap.

Whedon will very likely come back, that enough time will pass between now and when they’re ready to shoot that he’ll have the itch to get this band back together and follow up on his groundbreaking, record-setting works. But we won’t know for some time yet, so hold tight and let’s see how it shakes out.

Source: ScreenCrush.com

Smoke from forest fires on the Salmon-Challis National Forest last August. (USFS Photo)

Fire management officer Rick Floch said that all spring prescribed fires have been postponed, due to the dry conditions.

Flock said, “Fire danger indicators are at an all-time high for this time of year due to the unusually warm weather and rapid snowpack melt.”

He also cautioned people to use extreme care when building campfires in the forest, and burning slash and other debris around their homes on their property.

Abandoned campfires have been a problem, too. Fire crews have found still-burning campfires in recent weeks. That can lead to a fine of up to $5,000. An abandoned campfire could start a wildlife in these dry days.

victor1558, flickr

There are many different elements within the workplace that can increase a person’s risk of depression, but a new study suggests that men and women are affected differently.

According to study researcher JianLi Wang, an associate professor of psychiatry and community health sciences at Canada’s University of Calgary, women had increased levels of depression when they felt like they weren’t appreciated at work or given adequate incentives for a job well done. Men appeared to be unaffected by these factors. Some 2,700 people were surveyed.

However, high levels of job strain seemed to increase the risk of depression among men working full-time, but not among women. In fact, 11 percent of men who worked full-time had an increased risk for depression if their job came with a high level of strain. This compared to a 1.5 percent increase in men whose jobs didn’t come with high job strain.

Women, on the other hand, had increased levels of depression while simply working 35-40 hours a week.

Researchers also found that conflicts between family and work affected the risk for depression in both sexes. The difference being that men were more affected when their family life got in the way of work, while women were more distressed when work obstructed their family life.

Professor Wang says,

Major depressive disorder has a significant impact on the health of employees, and affects job performance. Employers should monitor the magnitude of these factors, such as job strain, in order to prevent their full-blown negative effects.”

Researchers believe that these studies could assist in the advancement of strategies for employers to help avoid depression in their employees.

[Fox]

Local 15

When fire engulfed 12-year-old Justin Jackon’s Milton, FL, home on Sunday at 2AM, his mother was at work and his father was out of state. So if anyone was going to save his four younger siblings, it was going to have to be him.

Knowing what he had to do, Allen made three trips back into the burning home. The most harrowing was when he pulled out his three-year-old sister, who remained asleep during the ordeal.

“I had to pick her up and she was real stiff. I was just real scared at that point,” said Justin, who also had to kick a door in to gain clear access to her room.

Not only did he save his younger brothers and sister, but Justin had the presence of mind to let the four family dogs out. (Although, sadly, two still perished in the flames.)

The house ended up burning to the ground, but Justin downplayed talk that he was a hero. “Not really,” he said when asked if he thought what he did was heroic. “I was just helping my family and stuff.”

Justin’s aunt, Cri Jackson, disagrees with his modest assessment.

“He ran back in not once, not twice, but three times to save his siblings,” she said. “He’s our little hero.”

Learn more about Justin — who we have no problem laying the hero tag on — in the video below.

Source: TheFW.com

Andy Lyons, Ian Walton, Brett Deering / Getty Images

Another leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown, Europe’s biggest annual soccer event and the NBA and NHL playoffs highlight this weekend’s sports schedule:

Friday, May 18

Baltimore Orioles at Washington Nationals

Nationals Park, Washington, DC; 7:05 p.m. EDT; MASN
Despite the teams’ close geographic proximity to one another, an interleague rivalry has never developed between the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals. While each team is normally near the bottom of their respective divisions, the Orioles and Nationals should both be in first place as they open a three-game series in Washington. Jake Arrieta (2-4) takes the mound for Baltimore, while Edwin Jackson (1-1) gets the start for Washington.

Boston Celtics at Philadelphia 76ers

Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA; 8 p.m. EDT; ESPN
Behind a dominant performance from veteran center Kevin Garnett, Boston beat Philadelphia, 107-91, in Game 3 of this NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night. The Celtics now have a 2-1 series lead heading into Game 4 on Friday. The 76ers need guards Evan Turner and Jodie Meeks to score more often, if they are to tie this series up as it heads back to Boston next week.

Oklahoma City Thunder at Los Angeles Lakers

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; 10:30 p.m. EDT; ESPN
After winning the first two games of this NBA Western Conference semifinal series, Oklahoma City heads west to play the Lakers in a very busy weekend for the Staples Center (the Clippers and the NHL’s Kings will also host playoff games at the arena this weekend). The Thunder have already demonstrated that they can win both close games and blowouts in this series. If someone other than Kobe Bryant doesn’t step up for Los Angeles, the Lakers may not survive the weekend thanks to the spectacular play of Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. Game 4 is set for Saturday at 10:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. TNT will broadcast that contest.

Saturday, May 19

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils

Prudential Center, Newark, NJ; 1 p.m. EDT; NBC
With a 3-2 win on the road at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday, the New Jersey Devils have stolen home ice advantage from the New York Rangers in the NHL’s Eastern Conference finals. The teams will meet in Game 3 with the Devils hoping that veteran goalie Martin Brodeur continues to stonewall the Rangers. New York goalie Henrik Lundqvist has come up with an impressive performance each time his team has needed a lift in this postseason. He will be called on to do so again.

Chelsea at Bayern Munich

Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany; 2:45 p.m. EDT; FOX
Europe’s top soccer clubs will duel in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final, an event which attracts more global viewers than the Super Bowl. Known by its royal blue color, Chelsea has won three Premier League titles, two League Cup titles and four FA Cup titles since demanding owner Roman Abramovich took over the franchise in 2003. However, Chelsea has never won the UEFA Champions League crown in its 107-year history. Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo will have to overcome the absence of captain John Terry, defender Branislav Ivanovic and midfielder Raul Meireles. Bayern Munich, Germany’s most successful club, has won 22 national titles. They’ll be the underdog on the pitch Saturday, but they could surprise given Chelsea’s injuries.

The Preakness Stakes

Pimlico Race Course, Baltimore, MD; 6:18 p.m.; NBC
Trainer Doug O’Neill will have Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another ready to run the 137th Preakness Stakes on Saturday at Pimlico outside Baltimore, but it’s Derby runner-up Bodemeister that is the early favorite at 8-5 odds. Eleven horses will compete in the storied race. If I’ll Have Another can come away with another win, the horse will race for the Triple Crown at the Belmont Stakes on June 9. The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.

Boston Red Sox at Philadelphia Phillies

Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA; 7:15 p.m. EDT; FOX
Though both teams entered 2012 with World Series hopes and loads of baseball talent, injuries and poor play have left both the Phillies and the Red Sox in last place in their respective divisions. They’ll try to get things turned around on Fox’s national game of the week. Boston will send Jon Lester (2-3) to the mound to shut down a Phillies lineup that has had difficulty working deep into counts and scoring runs. Philadelphia counters with Joe Blanton (2-3), who will attempt to keep Boston’s bats quiet.

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, NC; 7 p.m. EDT; Speed
NASCAR’s version of an all-star game, the Sprint All-Star Race invites winning drivers from 2011 and 2012, plus the past 10 event winners and Cup Series champs, to square off for 90 laps in pursuit of $1 million, but no points are awarded toward a Sprint Cup title. The 28th (XXVIII) edition of the race will have five segments: four 20-lap runs and a 10-lap sprint. The leaders of each individual segment will be allowed to pit prior to the 10-lap final, giving those drivers an edge in lining up best for the last 10 laps and the million-dollar purse. Greg Biffle, the circuit’s hottest racer, is the favorite to win.

Sunday, May 20

Phoenix Coyotes at Los Angeles Kings

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; 3 p.m.; NBC
Already up 2-0 in the NHL’s Western Conference finals heading into Thursday’s Game 3, the Kings could be going for the sweep come Sunday. Los Angeles goalie Jonathan Quick has been nothing short of dominant, as the Kings have a 10-1 record this postseason. Phoenix may lose center Martin Hanzal to a suspension for his boarding penalty on Los Angeles captain Dustin Brown late in Game 2. Phoenix could be at an extreme disadvantage against Quick if Hanzal, who is the Coyotes’ first-line center, can’t play on Sunday.

Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers

Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN; 3:30 p.m. EDT; ABC
This NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series is tied at a game apiece heading into Thursday night’s game in Indianapolis. If the Pacers can defeat Miami, which is without injured center Chris Bosh, they may get Heat superstars LeBron James and Dwayne Wade into panic mode on Sunday. Indiana plays solid interior defense and uses a balanced scoring attack. Forward David West has led the Pacers in scoring in both games of the series thus far.

St. Louis Cardinals at Los Angeles Dodgers

Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA; 8:05 p.m. EDT; ESPN
In what should be a battle of two National League division leaders, the defending world champion Cardinals conclude a three-game series in Los Angeles. Kyle Lohse (5-1) gets the start for St. Louis. He’ll try to shut down a Dodgers’ lineup that is without Matt Kemp, Juan Uribe and Juan Rivera. Los Angeles starter Chad Billingsley (2-3) must be careful when pitching to hot-hitting St. Louis outfielder Carlos Beltran. He leads the National League in home runs with 13.

San Antonio Spurs at Los Angeles Clippers

Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA; 10:30 p.m. EDT; TNT
The Clippers dropped Game 1 of this NBA Western Conference semi-final series on Tuesday. With Game 2 set for Thursday and Game 3 on Saturday afternoon (3:30 p.m. EDT; ABC-TV), Los Angeles could easily be down 3-0 by Sunday night. San Antonio has won 15 games in a row and looks nearly unstoppable behind point guard Tony Parker and veteran big man Tim Duncan. Los Angeles needs superstars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin to rise to the occasion, or this could be their last game of 2012.

Thinkstock

Coffee drinkers no longer need to fret over health concerns and their beloved beverage, according to a new study by the National Cancer Institute. In fact, feel free to pour an extra cup in the morning because, the study suggests, coffee may actually prolong life.

Over the course of a 14-year study, researchers found that men who drank at least six cups of coffee a day had a 10 percent lower chance of dying than those who drank none. Women had a 15 percent lower chance.

“I would say it offers some reassurance to coffee drinkers,” said Neal Freedman, a nutritional epidemiology researcher and one of the authors of the study. “Other studies have suggested a higher risk of mortality with coffee drinking and we didn’t see that in our study.”

The study looked at the coffee habits of 229,000 men and 173,000 women from 1995 to 2008. It found that even people who drank between two and five cups of coffee daily seemed to have a lower risk of mortality. This applied to both regular and decaffeinated coffee.

It’s important to note, however, that the study highlights only a potential connection between coffee and decreased risk of death. Simply put, researchers aren’t quite sure why their findings highlight an uptick in longevity.

Still, Freedman said, it’s entirely possible that coffee may be beneficial in some unknown way. “Coffee has more than 1,000 compounds and we really don’t know what effects those compounds have on health,” he said.

[MSNBC]

tobyotter, flickr

It seems that all of the junk food that we’ve been eating might not be killing us off as quickly as some might think.

In fact, according to the annual state of the union’s health report, which was released this week by the Center for Disease Control, even though the American population is getting fatter, we are still longer living longer.

The report details the relation between our income and education, life expectancy, disease and risk factors health care costs and our overall health.

Here are some points of interest from the study:

• We are living longer. Since 19080, men’s life expectancy rose from 70 to 76, while women’s increased from 77 to 81.
• Even though heart disease is the most common killer between men and women, the number of deaths from heart disease dropped 32%.
• Caner deaths are down 15% for men and 11%for women.
• Deaths by stroke are down nearly a third for both men and women.
• Nearly 50% of adults living with high blood pressure don’t have it under control, which is surprisingly lower than it was in the 1990’s.
• Obesity has gone up in every age demographic.
• 20% of school age children are now obese.
• Only half of adults over the age of 18 years old meet federal physical activity recommendations.
• More adults are having cancer screening than 10 years ago.
• Drug overdose deaths have nearly doubled in the last decade.
• Nearly a third of money spent on heath care was spent on hospitals.
• Prescription drug costs have more than doubled over the last decade.
• Employees receiving health insurance from their employer decreased 10%.
• Seventeen percent of American adults to not receive timely health care due to cost.

[WEB MD]

Dan Kitwood, Getty Images

A while back, we told you about the Jewish girls’ school in Brooklyn that instituted a Facebook ban for its students, saying using the social media site violated its religious tenets.

Now an elementary school in Australia is following suit, but its demand that kids delete their Facebook pages has an entirely different reason: it’s an attempt to wipe out cyber-bullying.

Leonie Hultgren, principal of Harlaxton State School in Toowoomba, Queensland, said in a newsletter that children must obey Facebook’s rule stating no one under 13 is permitted to sign up for an account. It’s not uncommon for kids to lie about their ages to circumvent that policy, but Hultgren said any of her charges who did so would face expulsion.

Falsifying one’s age to gain access to Facebook is not only against the law, she wrote, but “there has been some considerable Facebook traffic that either bullies a child of this school or in some cases denigrates some staff and the school. Either of these circumstances warrant the school becoming involved.”

Some parents are outraged at the new policy, but child psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg applauds it, saying Hultgren’s stance is “directly related to the lack of supervision of very young people who do not have the skills, knowledge and strategies to manage their digital behavior.”

[The Age]