Dancing With The Stars...Who Was Voted off?

Shannon Elizabeth won’t have to shed any more tears over “Dancing With the Stars.”



The 34-year-old actress, who cried at the judges’ harsh remarks last week, was eliminated Tuesday from the ABC dance-off.

The pair earned 51 out of 60 points for their two dances Monday. Judges loved the couple’s tango, calling it Elizabeth’s “best dance by far.” But their mambo didn’t fare as well, with the judges describing Elizabeth as “gawky,” “gangly” and “awkward.”

I have to agree...it was time for her to go. Next on the chopping block...Marissa.

Do you think the right star was sent home?

Dixiechick..out.

American Idol...Season 7...top 5 recap....

Wow...we are already down to the top 5....who is going to make it through and who will be going home? Last night, the performers were mentored by Neil Diamond and his songs were the songs of choice. Each performer had to sing two songs....

First up...Jason Castro...singing "Forever in Blue Jeans"...

I thought, as usual it was a tad boring. No change there...

The judges didn't really comment too much on the first song choices by any of the contestants...Paula did make a major flub up....I swear she was high on something...Simon gave her a look that could kill. Paula basically cast doubt on American Idol by screwing up in a major way. When Ryan asked the judges for their thoughts on the contestants first performances, Paula not only gave her thoughts on Jason’s first song but also his second song, which hadn’t been aired yet. Even Randy, Ryan and Simon attempted to cover the mistake up but it didn’t matter, the cat was out of the bag, judges comments are “pre-written” based on rehearsal and now the whole world knows this fact. She has lost her ever loving mind...and I am sure, after the show, she got her butt reamed!

Moving on to Jason's actual second song choice.."September Morn"...

Here are the judges thoughts on his second performance....

Randy~That was just OK...again, not your best.

Paula~It was too safe, you need to venture out of your comfort zone.

Simon~This is not the Jason we put through. You struggled through both performances.

Dixie~I think Jason is as tired of Idol as I am of him. He has no passion in his singing and has become quite boring. He seems nice enough, but in my opinion, he is not worthy enough to continue on. He should have been gone a long time ago. Carly and Michael Johns were much more talented...oh, he needs to lose the dreads...they just look nasty!

I give him two out of three stars for both performances.

David Cooks first song choice "I'm Alive" was excellent....


His second song choice, "All I Ever Really Need Is You" was even better.

Here are the judges thoughts:

Randy~You rocked the house, dude....I am a huge fan!

Paula~I am very proud of you and I feel like I am looking at the next American Idol.

Simon~That was brilliant!

Dixie~In my opinion, he is awesome! He is original, he is well-spoken and he takes each and every song and totally makes them his own. He is very mature, unlike Archie....and definitely has what it takes to represent American Idol. I don't know if any of you know this or not, but he used to be the lead singer for a band called "Axium"...they released 2 Cd's..."Blindsided" and "The Story Thus Far"~I look forward to his winning this competition and seeing what new, brilliant stuff he can bring to the music industry...Rock on David!

I gave him five out of five stars for both performances!

Brooke White sang "I'm A Believer" for her first song choice...

I thought she did OK, but definitely not her best.

Her second song choice, "I Am I Said"..was much, much better.

Here are the judges thoughts:

Randy~Nice job.

Paula~Everyone loves you and it works.

Simon~I really hated the first song...but, this is the Brooke we like.

Dixie~Nice job with the second song. I'm totally in agreement with Simon. This is the Brooke we like...behind the piano..she is much more natural and feeling with her song choices. She is truly a breath of fresh air. But, I don't think she is going to make it much further....she is just a little too wholesome for some. I gave her three stars for her first song, four stars for her second song. I do believe she may be going home tonight.


David Archuletta's first song choice "Sweet Caroline"....

I love this song, but I did not like Davids performance of it...he blew it in my opinion.

His second song choice, "America"...was a little better. I still do not understand what the hell is the big deal about this kid...he has talent, yes..but, I just don't get him...

Here are what the judges thought:

Randy~You are in the zone, another good performance.

Paula~Your voice is totally on point.

Simon~Smart choice of song.

Dixie~He has what it takes, but his age and maturity level may keep him from winning. The only thing keeping him in, just like with Jason, is the teenage popularity vote...it is out of hand. I can say, he hits the high notes fantastically, he definitely feels what he is singing. He just needs to try some upbeat, hip younger sounding songs..the ones he chooses to sing are too old fashioned for such a young kid. Furthermore...his humbleness, is killing me! Lighten up a little bit.
I give him three out of five stars for the first performance, four out of five for the second.

Syesha Mercado chose "Hello Again" for her first song choice.

She sounded great, she looked great...girl has come a long long way.

Her second song choice...."Thank The Lord For The Night Time"...
was very very good....I think she has totally found her niche and is working it for all it's worth...good job~

Here are what the judges thought:

Randy~You have finally found who you are...that was in the zone.

Paula~(she just rambled..not sure what her comments were)...cue twighlight zone music.

Simon~You are a very good actress/singer. But...I think you may be in trouble tonight.

Dixie~ (Simon-What????) I think he's smoking whatever Paula is...as I said before, I think Syesha has come a long way...unfortunately, not far enough to win Idol. I believe she did great tonight, as well as last week. Overall, she is better than Fantasia ever was/is....If she doesn't get some sort of recording contract..I can see her heading to broadway as the singer/actress Simon said she was.
I gave her four out of five stars for both songs.

Now...as far as who is going to be voted off? That is anybody's guess...Remember...next week, is the anniversary of the shocking Daughtry elimination....that means anything can happen. My guess is Brooke and Jason will be in the bottom two and Brooke will be going home. I would love to see Jason go though.

Who do you want to see go home? Tune in for the elimination show tonight.

Dixiechick...out

My Nashville Weekend....

Was a bust...I mean we had a good time...but the reason we went, to go back to Menage's...wasn't so impressive this time around. The crowd was very low, majority of people didn't seem interested in getting to know anyone else. Everyone pretty much stuck close to the person they came with...so, we actually left early.
We just weren't feeling it, you know? I did have fun, dancing, drinking some wine and flirting my little tale off! I got lots of attention in that respect and it was a huge boost to my ego.
It was nice to get away...crossing over a couple of states actually feels like a mini vacation. We try to find fun in everything...hubby kept me laughing the entire trip there and back.
We got a late start Friday afternoon...the trip usually takes us about 7 hours..but for some reason, this time around...it took a little longer...I felt like we were driving forever.
We did make a couple of stops along the way...we stopped at Applebee's for dinner...later on, of course..we had to stop at Wal-Mart...what kind of a trip would it be without that?
In the parking lot....we seen this...I couldn't help but laugh my ass off!


A tractor...pulling a half camper...I guess that is what that was.....

Do you guys know what state I seen that in?

A.) Indiana
B.) Kentucky
C.) Tennessee

Moving on....we got to our hotel around 11 p.m...I did most of the driving, hubby has narcolepsy so bad..he can't drive for more than fifteen minutes without getting drowsy...so, by the time we got to our hotel, I was ready to fall into bed....and only for sleep, mind you...hubby...had other ideas. We did get seperate rooms again...yeah, go ahead and laugh...I am sure some of you are going "What?"..well, if you have been reading and following the saga of my life at all, then you know hubby snores horrifically..and when we travel...we have to get two adjoining rooms..or yours truly would get no sleep, and hubby would be dealing with satan himself, instead of his normal sweet little sexy wife.

Unfortunately..I got sick again during the night...so, I had to call hubby in his room, send him out for some pepto, asprin and 7-up....he came back with all of that, plus some soup...I took the medicine, drank the soup/7-up...I felt better...so, we dressed up and ventured out of our hotel room around noon on Saturday. Of course, we once again went to OpryMills Mall...love that place. I could spend all day there.
We went to this one store, I think it's called the Apple Barn or something like that..anyway, they have the cutest country stuff, as well as all kind of apple products, etc.....they also have a little pastry shoppe where you can buy apple pie, etc..I had the most divine, the most orgasmic tasting apple dumplings with vanilla ice cream...OH MY GOSH....I have not ate anything that fattening, that good in so long...I thought I had died and gone to heaven....if you are in Nashville, you have not been to the mall or in that store...you have got to go try it....it was like going home to Grandma's...hubby had the apple pie....he enjoyed his just as much.

So...later that afternoon...we decided to pay a visit to Nashville's Hustler Store...

I have been in "Adult" stores before, but I must say....Nashville's Hustler store keeps it classy...I loved it. We played around, shopped in there for a half hour or so...I didn't buy anything..although, Hubby pointed out a couple t-shirts for me..but, I'm not really a t-shirt wearing kind of gal...and being a mom of four..I didn't think it would look very nice for me to wear some of the ones he was suggesting.
We went for dinner....no where nice this time around...just to Ruby Tuesday's...so, I could have a salad..after the apple dumplings...I was feeling a little guilty, so I figured, to keep my dieting on track, that I needed to watch my calorie intake for the rest of the day. We went back to our respective rooms and dressed for our evening at the club...Hubby also bought me a bottle of wine..Chataeu St. Michelle Reisling..to take to the club...it was awesome...I only allow myself to have one bottle, every two weeks...to maintain my weight loss...so, being able to drink the wine was nice....after leaving the club...hubby got pulled over by the lovely Nashville police...for drunk driving...lol...he doesn't drink! Had not drank anything...what happened was...he was getting ready to turn onto a one way street, the wrong way! So, I yelled "You can't go that way!"...he swerved right...right into the path of the police officer..so, dude got pulled over and was given a sobriety test....the cop let him/us go....I was scared to death....I had been drinking....he hadn't..I knew they couldn't arrest him...but...to have to take a sobriety test was freaky....I was watching from inside of the car....the cop was doing the shine the light/follow the light test. Hubby later said, the cop asked him if he was drunk, Hubby goes, NO...but your shining that light in my eyes is making me drunk..Good thing hubby doesn't drink..thats all I can say. We went back to our hotel..wrapped up our evening with each other..retired to our seperate rooms.
Sunday...we left around 10:30...stopped in Clarksville, TN for some lunch...and a visit to the Beechhaven winery...then drove (I drove) all the way home...with a brief stop in Terre Haute to pick up my son Aaron....
Yesterday, Monday..at work was extremely busy.....I did get to watch Dancing with the Stars last night, so hopefully that post will be forthcoming...I hope you all had a great weekend....and a great start to your week. We hope to go to Nashville again soon..and Flat/Blissfully Wed..if you guys are reading this....I hope to meet you both on the next go round!
Later....

It's The Weekend...What are your plans?

Actually, my week has been pretty good. I am grateful that it is Friday...I am leaving work in two hours, at one p.m., and Hubby and I are driving here...


That's Nashville, TN for those of you that don't know...it will just be the two of us, so I am looking forward to a fun, naughty, alcohol induced time...we are dressing up, hitting the clubs, hopefully have a repeat of my last Fun filled Nashville weekend. I have lost a lot of weight, hubby has bought me some sexy clothes and I am going out and strutting my stuff and dancing till my feet fall off!

Hope you all have a wonderful, safe, fun filled weekend yourselfs!

Until Monday...Dixiechick...out!

Friday Funny....

Ladies Night Out....


Two women friends had gone out for a Ladies Night Out, and had been alittle overly-enthusiastic on the cocktails. Horribly drunk, while walking home, they suddenly realized they both needed to pee.

They were very near a graveyard and one of them suggested they do their business behind a headstone or something.

The first woman had nothing to wipe with so she took off her panties, used them and threw them away.

Her friend, however, was wearing an expensive set of undergarments and didn’t want to ruin them, but was lucky enough to salvage a large ribbon from a wreath that was on a grave and proceeded to wipe herself with it.

After finishing, they staggered their way home.

The next day the first woman’s husband phones the other husband and said, “These damn ladies nights out have got to stop. My wife came home last night without her panties.”
“That’s nothing,” said the other husband. “My wife came home with a sympathy card stuck between the cheeks of her butt that said, ‘From all of us at the fire station, we’ll never forget you!’

AMERICAN IDOL....WHO WAS VOTED OFF?

The votes are in....and the next Idol to be going home.........



Carly Smithson was eliminated from American Idol after she sang the track from Jesus Christ Superstar...
there are several reasons circulating as to why Carly Smithson became the second shocking elimination of the season. Without further ado, here are Reality TV Magazine’s top ten reasons as to why Carly Smithson got the boot.

1. Kiss of Death – As Simon Cowell pointed out, a compliment from him can often be the kiss of death on American Idol. It’s not the first time a contestant has been sent packing after winning the praises of Mr. Cowell.

2. Cursed Tshirt – If receiving a compliment from Simon Cowell is the kiss of death, then what is prancing around on stage with a tshirt that says “Simon Loves Me.” Carly is lucky that she wasn’t struck dead by lightning right then and there.

3. Too Many Tattoos - While on some reality TV shows having a lot of tattoos is a good thing, it might not go over well with all of American Idol’s conservative viewer demographic.

4. Not From Around Here – While America might be the great melting pot, that doesn’t mean that all American Idol viewers are ready to see an Irish girl win American Idol. Michael Johns was the first shocking elimination of the season, and he was Australian. Could there be a trend?

5. Sang About Jesus - As evidenced by Idol Gives Back, anytime a song with any religious references is sung, then it is likely to offend at least some people. Could Andrew Lloyd Webber convincing Carly to switch her song have been an evil plot to get her eliminated?

6. Popularity Contest – Even though Jason Castro and Brooke White had worse performances, Brooke is very likable and Jason is charming. In the end, popularity means more than vocal ability.

7. Vote For The Worst – Brooke White has the support of Vote For The Worst, and their legion of followers could have helped give her enough votes to push her past both Syesha and Carly.

8. Failed Record Deal – While all the contestants might claim that previous experience doesn’t matter, American Idol viewers might not hold the same opinion. The fact that it was well-publicized in the news that Carly had a previous failed record deal might have cost her fans and votes.

9. Annoying Smile – While a nice smile or two can often help a performer connect to an audience, there can be too much of a good thing. Carly’s eyes-closed, wide-open-mouth smiles could have irritated some viewers.

10. Fans Thought She Was Safe – With some contestants having horrible nights, and Carly winning the praises of the judges, some of her fans might have assumed she was safe and not voted. This excuse seems to have been used in every other shocking elimination, so why not for Carly?

Just like with Michael Johns elimination a couple weeks ago..needless to say, I was shocked Carly went home. I was totally expecting it to be Brooke...just goes to show, with American Idol..you never know what is going to happen.

Do you think the right decision was made?

Who is ready for Lost to return tonight?


I know I am....hopefully, these upcoming episodes will answer a lot of questions I know we all have.....

Have a great Thursday everyone!

Dixiechick...out!

Dancing With the Stars....Who was voted off?

Marlee Matlin took to the dance floor for the last time last night on Dancing with the Stars...
The Oscar winner was widely admired for doing so well in the competition, despite being deaf and not being able to hear the music. Upon receiving the news, she expressed her thanks to the judges, her partner FABIAN SANCHEZ, her family and children.
She also told the judges, "I have the utmost respect for you."

I think it was her time...and I believe the right decision was made. I am getting really bored with the show this year. Kristy Yamuguchi is going to win this, hands down...and I am getting a little tired of her "perfectness" week after week....dont' get me wrong, she is good...too good, thus...I feel she started out with an unfair advantage over everyone else.

The next one to go home will be Marissa.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the right one was chosen to go home? Have you voted, if so...who are you voting for?

Dixiechick..out!

AMERICAN IDOL...SEASON 7...TOP 6 PERFORMANCE RECAP..

Well, American Idol is now split down the middle...3 guys...3 girls...
Last nights mentor was Broadway icon Andrew Lloyd Webber...and the top 6 had to take on his compositions.



None of the songs were easy, it seemed each Idol had their own personal struggles with their song selections. As Lord Webber made clear, the challenge they faced last night was not just to belt out “money notes” but to connect with a song, with the character behind it and use it to tell a story.

So, lets recap and see how well they did....

Syesha Mercado..singing "One Rock and Roll Too Many"...


I believe that Syesha truly found her mojo. She did much better than I expected her too. She finally showed some personality and had fun with the song.
I gave her five out of five stars.

Here are what the judges had to say:

Randy~You are in your element, after that..you could truly be a huge broadway star!

Paula~(as usual) This is your happy place..you are good at it.

Simon~Syesha, that was really very sexy. I liked it, one of your best perfomances so far.

Jason Castro singing "Memory"...


Man, his performance was really bad. The song was so far out of his element. I feel like he will totally be in the bottom three because of this..I doubt he will go home though. I think he will still get his freaking "aw, I am adorable/cute" votes.
I only give him two out of five stars.

Here are what the judges had to say:

Randy~Totally not your thing, too much melody..bit of a train wreck, dude.

Paula~It sounded like a pop ballad; wise choice for you to do this song.

Simon~Came across to me as a young guy being forced to sing that song at a wedding you didn’t want to be at. That was the longest two minutes of your life wasn't it? Because it was for me.

Brooke White...singing "You Must Love Me"

Wow...Brooke...Brooke...Brooke...totally forgot her lyrics...again. This does not bode well for her and will insure her a spot in the bottom three. Not only did she forget the lyrics at the very beginning, but she stopped, paused and started all over...that in itself is a big no-no...because of this, the whole song, Brooke included, was very tense. I feel like she is losing her confidence. Even with the mess up at the beginning, she didn't do too bad. I still give her three out of five stars.

Here are what the judges had to say...

Randy~Wasn't great for me. Once you got going, it was ok..but vocally, it was a little tough.

Paula~You must never start and stop.

Simon~Your voice was tense, too dramatic. I think you are going to be totally disappointed when you watch this back.

David Archuletta singing "Think Of Me"...


Once again, I didn't like it...I think he is overrated and I am not impressed. Week after week, he does nothing for me...not once have I thought, man, can't wait until he has his CD out so I can rush out and buy it. Just ok for me.
I can't even rate him...for some reason though, a lot of people do like him and the teenage girls are voting and keeping him in. I do believe he will end up in the final two, dueling it out with David Cook.

Here are what the judges had to say:

Randy~Dude, that was the bomb...this boy is the one to beat.

Paula~Perfect..absolutely perfect.

Simon~I thought it was pleasant..but, one of your weakest performances. Not memorable, but it will get you onto the next round.

Carly Smithson singing "Jesus Christ Superstar"...


I feel that this was a good song for her. It wasn't her best, but I am not a big fan of Carly either. She had fun with it though; I liked the t-shirt thing at the end.
I gave her four out of five stars.

Here are what the judges thought:

Randy~It was good, not your best performance, but good.

Paula~I love what you did with it, especially in the chorous.

Simon~Actually, that was one of my favorite performances of the night.

I agree with the judges, but I don't think it will save Carly from being in the bottom three.

David Cook singing "Music of the Night"...


WOW!!!!!!! Once again, an unbelievable performance. His voice is top notch. I really like how he had respect for the song, without rearranging it, he totally knocked it out of the park! I was totally blown away. He really is a singer, not just a rocker.
I give him five out of five stars. I truly feel he is going to win this thing...we have our next Chris Daughtry with him, I'm telling you..he is our next American Idol.

Here is what the judges had to say:

Randy~That was an amazing vocal performance.

Paula~This songs proves how well rounded of a performer you are.

Simon~You made the most of it.

Well, there you have it folks...it is really getting down to the nitty gritty here...

Who is going, who is staying?

My choice for the bottom three:

Syesha Mercado
Jason Castro
Brooke White

Who is going home?

Brooke White

Tune in tonight for the vote off.

Dixiechick...out!

I HAVE BECOME A SLACKER.....

When it comes to Dancing with the Stars/American Idol...I have become a slacker. For that I apologize. I did not get to watch Dancing last night....it was such a beautiful evening, after work, Hubby and I decided to take the kids and go for a picnic at our local park....it was too nice to stay cooped up in the house.
We stopped by Subway, bought some sandwiches...then headed to the park.

I haven't posted pictures of my little guys in awhile..so, here is an abundance of them...












Afterwards, we stopped by Dairy Queen for ice cream, then it was home for baths/bedtime...

The smiles on their faces, their laughter as they played, was exactly what I needed to lift my spirits...of course, Max had to pick me a "flower" which was accompanied by a kiss and a hug...


Dancing With The Stars can't compete with that....

Hey ya'll...whoop dee doo..It's Monday again!

Seriously....why does every single Monday have to be such a pain in the ass?!!!!
I feel like, once again, I had no weekend. Today at work has been like being a juggler in the circus...I have so many balls to juggle, only two hands, I feel as if they are going to all rain down on top of my head at once.

A three day weekend would be right up my alley, Saturday, Sunday and Monday off. Because, seriously...one weekend, is never enough to get everything done.
Friday after work, I had to do the 45 mile drive, one way, to pick up my son Justin...after working all day, then picking him up, throw in a trip to Walmart for groceries....then the 45 mile drive home, unpack the car, put said groceries away, bath two little kids...make up the spare bed...send hubby off to work, then finally around eleven p.m...I breathe a sigh of exhaustion, pop in a movie..and promptly fall asleep...yeah, so is my exciting life. Although, I must say...the movie seriously sucked....Sweeney Todd...I only rented it because it had my main movie star crush in it...Johnny Depp...

Seriously, Johnny...what crack were you smoking when you agreed to do this movie? I thought you pushed the envelope with your Willy Wonka role, but I have to admit, that movie was cute, I liked your weirdness in that...after Captain Jack Sparrow..didn't think you could be anything but rough, tough and swarthy...but a musical...a singing murderer? WTH? Sorry, but...Sweeney Todd...just didn't preserve your hotness for me...it sucked...I could not finish it.
Rant over...

Saturday morning, Justin baby sat for a couple hours, while Hubby and I ran to into town to pay a bill, go to the bank, etc...he took me for coffee...oh, Starbucks..How do I love thee? Eight year old, Aaron is in a school Musical this Tuesday evening, he needed a plain yellow shirt and black slacks...so, we stopped at Kohl's for me to make said purchases...while there..hubby insisted that we look for me some new clothes...with my weight loss, I didn't have a lot of selections when it came to work clothes...so, he took me to Charlote Russe, bought me a white pencil skirt, black lacy top, a short sleeved cropped over jacket, a dress and two pair of shoes..oh, and a pair of shorts/shirt/tank top....I am so spoiled.

We later took the kids out for dinner...Applebee's...I like to go there because I love their Weight Watchers meals...I got the tilapia..which led to food poisoning...so, you can figure out how the rest of my evening went...it was miserable...oh, the vomiting/nausea that I had..it was terrible...ruined my night, and the hubby's night....the kids were indifferent...they were off in their own little worlds, oblivious to their mother dying behind the bathroom door...that's ok..I want write them off just yet...just shows me..they probably will put me in a home when I am old...lol...

Felt better late into the evening...so, Justin and I watched Juno....


I thought it was really good...I highly recommend it...just don't watch with kids younger than 13/14....

Sunday..ahh...aren't they supposed to be a day of rest? Yeah, that's what I thought...then, why oh why, didn't I heed that? I spent the entire day cooking breakfast, cleaning up and then cleaning my house...I cleaned house for five and a half hours....have I told you how much I hate cleaning? I do....I love having a clean house..but, I hate doing it. Makes me a bitter, angry, grumpy person....hubby left and went fishing...Justin left with a neighborhood boy to start a football game, the two younger boys, hightailed it outside to the sandbox...no one, I repeat no one, wanted to endure the wrath of the Cleaning, freaking out, Mommy....
By the time hubby got home..the house was spotless, I was covered in comet and close to tears...I swear to you, I scrubbed my kitchen floor, with comet, on my hands and knees....then I mopped it three times, swept it at least five...those little ones kept running in and out, in and out, trekking sand in each and every time...I threatend to bury them in the sandbox for good, if they came in and trekked up my floor one more time.
Hubby seen my exhaustion...the tears I was on the verge of releasing, and calmly steered me towards the shower....with the suggestion that I need to call a cleaning service...maybe Merry Maids....because as a full time working Mom...I shouldn't have to spend my weekends working as well..he may be on to something...but I would probably still clean, before the cleaning person came over...I am anal that way. I don't want anyone else to see our dirt..so, where is the purpose of that...I would still clean and then be out my Starbucks/clothes buying money....I can't win.

Maybe I should only clean when we know we are going to have company...


Since we never have company....then I would have no worries, would I?



Happy Monday, ya'll!

Earthquake in Indiana!!!

Holy hell! We had an earthquake this morning...woke me up out of a sound sleep, made me scream like a little girl..My eight year old ran into my room freaking out....scared the crap out of us. Also put a crack in my front porch. The windows were shaking, my bed was shaking, the t.v. on my dresser was shaking...it only lasted about 30-40 seconds...but I have never expierienced anything like that in my life.


We felt it: earthquake rocks Central Indiana

Posted: April 18, 2008 06:00 AM EDT

Updated: April 18, 2008 09:01 AM EDT

Interview with USGS expert on morning earthquake
ISP: No reports of injuries, no significant damage reported
Shaking felt at Indy airport control tower
Earthquake shaking captured on security cameras
We felt it: earthquake rocks Central Indiana
Earthquake damage in Kentucky





The quake was centered near West Salem



INDIANAPOLIS (WISH/AP) -- The U.S. Geologic Survey reports that an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.2 has struck the Midwest. It happened at 5:36 a.m.

The USGS Web site said the quake was centered near West Salem, Illinois, or about 40 miles northwest of Evansville, Indiana.

A Vincennes University spokesman says 250 students were evacuated when fire alarms sounded, apparently due to the earthquake.

The earthquake was felt as far north as Kokomo, Rochester and Warsaw in Indiana, as well as in Evansville, Fort Wayne and Indianapolis. It shook tall buildings in downtown Indianapolis.

"I was in the shower and my first thought was that it felt like a dinosaur running down the hallway. My husband didn't notice anything. Everything seems to be fine so far," said Susan from St. Paul, Indiana.

"I was awake when I started feeling the house shake. My husband was leaving for work and said he felt it too. We do not have any damage that I have found, but we do live in Brown County at Sweetwater Lake, and we have many trees that I will have to check," said Shannon on the 24-Hour News 8 comment forums.

"Very exciting! It woke us up! You could hear rumbling outside and the mirror attached to the dresser shake. No damage at this point," said a Fishers resident.

"I felt it too. At first I thought it was wind, but thought how does a house shake that long without falling down? It seemed to last at least a minute. I though I was dreaming. My cat had waken me up about 20 minutes before it happened meowing weirdly and is still freaking out. A few things fell off shelves but we all are okay. Good to know I am not crazy, the house really did move," said Amanda Smith from Illinois.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, but 24-Hour News 8 has received phone calls reporting some damage. Residents in Princeton, Indiana have reported damage inside their homes. 911 services were reportedly knocked out for an hour and were restored around 6:45 a.m. in Gibson County.

"It shook our house where it woke me up," said David Behm of Philo, 10 miles south of Champaign. "Windows were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It's not like California."

"I live in Greenwood, south side of Indianapolis, and had gotten up to go to the restroom. I was extremely tired and thought I felt the 'floor' move and heard rattling. It happened so quickly I assumed that I was just still half asleep and 'dreaming' it. Of course, after waking up at 7 a.m. and hearing of the earthquake on the news, I was happy to know I wasn't really losing my mind," said Tina.

The quake shook skyscrapers in Chicago's Loop, 240 miles north of the epicenter, and even in Milwaukee, Wis., 350 miles north of the epicenter. Residents of Cincinnati, St. Louis and in Michigan also reported feeling the earth shake.

The quake occurred in the Illinois basin-Ozark dome region that covers parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Arkansas and stretches from Indianapolis and St. Louis to Memphis, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Indiana State Police spokesman Sgt. Todd Ringle says there are also no immediate reports of damage. Ringle says he was shaken out of his bed in the Evansville area by the earthquake.

The Great 1906 San Francisco earthquake happened 102 years ago today at 5:12 a.m.


Did any of you guys within my neck of the woods feel it?

Dixiechick...out!

Friday Funny....How do they survive?

How do these people survive?


ONE



Recently, when I went to McDonald's I saw on the menu that you could have an order of 6, 9 or 12 chicken McNuggets. I asked for a half dozen nuggets. "We don't have half dozen nuggets," said the teenager at the counter. "You don't?" I replied. "We only have six, nine, or twelve," was the reply. "So I can't order a half dozen nuggets, but I can order six?" "That's right." So I shook my head and ordered six McNuggets.

TWO


I was checking out at the local Wal-Mart with just a few items and the lady behind me put her things on the belt close to mine. I picked up one of those "dividers" that they keep by the cash register and placed it between our things so they wouldn't get mixed. After the girl had scanned all of my items, she picked up the "divider", looking all over for the bar code so she could scan it. Not finding the bar code she said to me, "Do you know how much this is?" I said to her "I've changed my mind, I don't think I'll buy that today." She said "OK," and I paid her for the things and left. She had no clue to what had just happened.

THREE


A lady at work was seen putting a credit card into her floppy drive and pulling it out very quickly. When I inquired as to what she was doing, she said she was shopping on the Internet and they kept asking for a credit card number, so she was using the ATM thingy."


Four:




I recently saw a Distraught young lady weeping beside her car. "Do you need some help?" I asked. She replied, "I knew I should have replaced the battery to this remote Door unlocker. Now I can't get into my car. Do you think they (pointing to a Distant convenience store) would have a battery to fit this?" "Hmmm, I dunno. Do You have an alarm, too?" I asked. "No, just this remote thingy," she Answered, handing it and the car keys to me . As I took the key and manually unlocked the door, I replied, "Why don't you drive over there and check about the batteries. It's a long walk.."

FIVE


Several years ago, we had an Intern who was none too swift. One day she was typing and turned to a secretary and said, "I'm almost out of typing paper. What do I do? Just use copier machine paper, the secretary told her. With that, the intern took her last remaining blank piece of paper, put it on the photocopier and proceeded to make five "blank" copies.

SIX


A mother calls 911 very worried asking the dispatcher if she needs to take her kid to the emergency room, the kid was eating ants. The dispatcher tells her to give the kid some benadryl and should be fine, the mother says, I just gave him some ant killer..... Dispatcher: Rush him in to emergency!

Life is tough... it's tougher if you're stupid