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There aren’t a lot of red-haired players in the NBA. That’s one of the reasons Patrick Gonzalez, who has red hair, is a fan of Matt Bonner, a ginger-headed back-up center for his hometown San Antonio Spurs.

So to pay homage to the sharp-shooting bigman, Gonzalez had a rather accurate image of his favorite player shaved into the back of his head.

Since hair is apparently a touchy subject at Woodlake Hills Middle School, his mom Rose Gonzalez actually went to the school to clear the Bonner-cut with the administration before Patrick showed up for class.

But despite this meeting, Patrick was told that he would have to get rid of his unique hair style or face suspension. According to school official Aubrey Chancellor, Rose Gonzalez may have met with the front office about her son’s hair, but permission was never actually granted.

So now it looks like Patrick will have to get rid of his tribute, which has been deemed a “distraction.” He says that he is “mad,” but will comply with the decision.

If anything good were to come out of this misunderstanding, it would be that it might draw more attention to Bonner, who last year posted a couple pretty clever parodies of basketball instructional videos on YouTube. Check them out below.

Source: TheFW.com

Wayne Wilson, Getty Images

There is some good news being reported about the state of young people in America.  They’re smoking less, at least.

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, fewer American teens and young adults are smoking cigarettes than they were nearly a decade ago.

This new report consists of data collected each year between 2004 and 2010 as part of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Researchers interviewed nearly 158,000 people between the ages of 12 and 17 and roughly 159,000 men and women between the ages of 18 to 25.

• The number of children between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoked every day fell from 3.3% in 2004 to 1.9% in 2010.
• Young people ages 18 to 25 years old also reported decreased daily tobacco use – from 20.4% in 2004 to 15.8% in 2010.
• The ranks of young smokers between the ages of 12 and 17 who smoke five or fewer cigarettes a day grew from nearly 37% in 2004 to almost 43% in 2010.
• The largest group of daily smokers between the ages of 18 to 25 who smoked between six and 15 cigarettes a day slightly increased from about 41% in 2004 to roughly 44% in 2010.
• There was nearly a 3% decrease in young adults who smoked 26 or more cigarettes a day.

According to researchers, the downward trend in tobacco use could be the result of anti-smoking laws, tax increases, and tougher laws prohibiting the sale of tobacco to minors.

Researchers also add that while these findings may be encouraging, many kids are still picking up this dangerous habit.

[WebMD]

Kevork Djansezian, Getty Images

At the end of April, Honolulu County passed a ban that made Hawaii the first state in the nation to ban plastic bags at store checkouts statewide. Of the four counties in the state, three had previously passed bans and the Honolulu County decision officially made the ban statewide.

The Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club has spent two years campaigning for a plastic bag ban. Robert Harris, director of the chapter said, “Passing the bans did take an effort — change always does — but people seemed to understand the need for such an effort.”

He believes that in the end it was easy to go statewide because Hawaii is a marine state. “Perhaps we are exposed more directly to the impacts of plastic pollution and the damage it does to our environment,” he said.

Harris also explained that the group had lobbied for state legislation, but that effort failed. The group used the exposure from it to petition the four counties to make their own bans which would then have an effect statewide.

The Honolulu County Council passed the final ban late last month, but mayor and county executive Peter Carlisle held back his support, feeling that he needed more input from the public because of enforcement and cost concerns. Last Thursday, Mayor Carlisle showed his full support by signing the ban and helping Hawaii earn its first-in-the-nation status.

Retailers have three years to comply with the county law that bans non-biodegradable plastic bags at checkout, as well as paper bags that are not at least 40 percent recycled. The ban will take full effect in July of 2015. You can find a list of other areas that have enacted bans on plastic bags at PlasticBagBanReport.com.

[MSNBC]

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Want a piece of Justin Bieber, literally? Like on a cellular level? You can.

A Canadian website is selling a pendant that contains the DNA of its country’s national treasure, according to Canada.com.

The head scientist at the company is Ryan Lehto – and we use that term “scientist” loosely. He claims that his employer “obtained his hair DNA due to popular demand and because we like that he is Canadian and how he went from YouTube to an international superstar!” How intellectual of the “scientist” to reveal that The Biebs’ nationality determined their decision to sell his DNA.

So did they yank a strand from The Biebs’ head while he was trapped in a crowd of fans? Did they break into his house and swipe strands from his hair brush? Did they get it on the black market, if there is such a thing for Bieber contraband and genetic material? Did they get it from Mariah Yeater, the woman who claimed that The Biebs fathered her son? See where we are going with this…

The pendants, which make us think of the time when Angelina Jolie and her then-hubby carried vials of each other’s blood around their necks while apart, comes with a $120 price tag, a silver box chain and a certificate of authenticity.

PopCrush readers, would you wear a pendant containing Bieber DNA?

Watch the Justin Bieber ‘Boyfriend’ Video

Source: PopCrush.com

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]

Dave Kotinsky, Getty Images

Simon Cowell went through hell, high water, a conservatorship and $15 million to sign Britney Spears on to ‘X Factor.’ As a result, it’s going to take a lot more than the possibility of a meltdown to make him give that cash cow of a judge up!

TMZ cameras caught up with Cowell as he left a dinner date (platonic, mind you!) with fellow new ‘X Factor’ judge Demi Lovato. The polite-yet-aggressive film crew asked Cowell, “Do you think you’re going to get to 20 million viewers?” Cowell gave a sly smile and replied, “I think we’ll get close.”

They then asked, “Are you nervous with Britney being on live TV?” Cowell, ever professional, replied, “Not at all. Wait and see!” The site reports that some people are worried about Spears ongoing mental health issues, considering she’s still under a conservatorship, but she seems happy and excited about gig. TMZ also pointed that Spears is back her bad nail biting habit, a sign that she may be facing some anxiety about the job. Or maybe she just hasn’t had a manicure in a while!

At the Upfronts, Spears was excited about “inspiring the contestants,” telling press, “They’re so young and they’re fulfilling their dreams. It’s just a whole beautiful concept, so being able to be a part of this is really cool.” Aw, Brit!

Watch Simon Cowell Talk About Britney Spears

[button href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/15/britney-spears-x-factor-video/" title="Watch Britney Spears at the Fox Upfronts" align="center"]

Source: PopCrush.com

Jason Merritt/Getty

A few years ago, it looked as if Jennifer Lopez had lost her clout as a celebrity. But since she joined ‘American Idol‘ two years ago, Lopez has reinvigorated her career in a dramatic way. And now, she’s made the top spot on Forbes’ list of the 100 most powerful celebs in the world. As Lopez herself might say, that’s enough to give us “goosies.”

According to an article written by Forbes staffer Dorothy Pomerantz, Lopez’s success started with her stint on ‘Idol,’ which “gave her a platform to promote her music and turn her image around.” Then, after divorcing husband Marc Anthony, Lopez “lapped up the media attention and scored lucrative endorsement deals with companies like L’Oreal and Gillette.”

From there, Lopez created a line of clothing at Kohl’s, a fragrance and netted herself a $20 million deal for her second season on ‘Idol.’ And let’s not forget that Lopez has also established herself as a “master of social media” with 6.6 million Twitter followers and 12 million Facebook fans.

Interestingly, Lopez unseated Lady Gaga for the top spot on the list, and now ranks higher than Oprah Winfrey and Justin Bieber, who came in second and third, respectively.

What do you think? Is Lopez truly the most powerful celeb in the world? And will she be able to maintain the top spot if the rumors are correct and she leaves ‘Idol’?

Source: TheFW.com

cityoflc

No, they’re not changing the name to the Joshua Ledet Concert Hall, but given the outpouring of support that you man received there last week, it could be conceivable!  Actually, the name will still include the name of the arena’s benefactor, W.T. Burton..But more than a name change is in store…

According to the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the new name for the arena will be the Burton Complex.

A few of the overhauls are already in place, including new features inside the complex like vinyl banners and televisions near the concession stands. Some of the other renovations will include restroom renovations, lighting system upgrades and a new roof.

Parish Administrator Bryan Beam says the changes are long overdue.

“With a facility this big, you have maintain it and you have to reinvest in it,” said Beam. ”Every 20 years or so is when you should ideally sort of upgrade or do renovations to keep up. We’re a little behind the curve on that because money is always a challenge.”

Officials say construction of the remaining upgrades may start as early as next week.

Make sure you look him up on facebook and let him know How you feel about the song and be on the lookout because in September he will be apart of the major concert from Mindless Behavior and so many more in Lafayette at the Cajundome.

Bennett Raglin, Getty Images

OneRepublic drummer Edward Ray Fisher had a bad day, it seems. The skinsman was arrested in Denver, Colo. this morning (May 15), with cops claiming he flipped out and went into a destructive rage, according to TMZ. A destructive rage? Yikes.

TMZ also obtained the kit minder’s mugshot, which you can view by clicking below. Check out his forehead, which boasts a circular, bloodied injury that made us say “Ouch” upon looking at it. That thing looks painful. It’s not been determined how he sustained the gash, but it’s likely due to his “destructive rage.”

Fisher was booked for destruction of private property, disturbing the peace and assault. Further details on what he destroyed and why, not to mention how, are TBD. We’ll fill you in as we find out what the heck happened. All we know is, “it’s too late to apologize.” Sorry, we had to…

Fisher, 38, resides in Denver. He is due in Denver County Court tomorrow (May 16) to answer the charges.

Remind us not to piss this guy off…

[button href="http://www.tmz.com/2012/05/15/onerepublic-drummer-arrested-edward-ray-fisher-disturbing-the-peace/" title="See Edward Ray Fisher's Mug Shot" align="center"]

UPDATE: ON May 16, Eddie Fischer pleads not guilty to charges Read about it here.

Watch the OneRepublic ‘Good Life’ Video

Source: PopCrush.com

kat sommers, flickr

Unfortunately, a memo requiring you to work on Saturday may not be the only thing on your desk making you sick.

A new study by the University of Arizona says eating lunch at your desk can actually put you at risk of developing a food-borne illness.

According to their report, the average office desktop has 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more than the average toilet seat. The reason? It’s likely due to our mindset that we should keep our bathrooms and kitchens clean, yet we seem to neglect the cleanliness of out workspaces.

Eighty-three percent of Americans regularly eat at their desks, according to a survey conducted by the American Dietetic Association and ConAgra Foods’ Home Food Supply Safety program.

“With fears of a double-dip recession, more people are bringing their lunches to work instead of eating out,” says Joan Salge Blake, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “No matter how busy you may be, keep in mind that it’s just as important to practice the same food safety tips while eating at your desk as you would in your kitchen.”

The good news is there are steps you can take to avoid getting ill from chowing down at your desk, including keeping your workspace clean, placing food in a refrigerator, re-heat food appropriately if using a microwave and wash your hands.

[Men's Fitness]

Jerry Bunkers, Flickr

Are you addicted to checking your work email? Well, knock it off. A new study says it’s bad for your health.

Researchers at the University of California-Irvine conducted a study and found that people in constant contact with their email accounts tended to have steady “high alert” heart rates, while those who weren’t had more natural, variable heart rates.

What’s more, after five days of not constantly reading and responding to messages, the latter group reported they had more time to complete work tasks and felt more in control of their work overall.

The bottom line? People who check their work email regularly exhibit higher states of stress and are less focused than people who do their jobs while being cut off from email entirely.

Lead researcher Gloria Mark, a UC-Irvine informatics professor, said that while it’s impossible for people in some professions to ignore their email, everyone else would be well-advised to take a break now and then.

“I could see people taking a day off of email if they could afford it … It would be good for their health,” she said. “We are heading towards a 24/7 connectivity [and] I think we have gone a little too far.”

[Ottawa Citizen]

melvin schlubman, flickr

There is a growing trend among America’s married couples that appears to be gaining ground as a result of a challenging economy and unsettled job market.

That trend is the commuter marriage. But what is it?

It’s basically a long distance relationship that exists to promote the financial gain of the married couple. In the typical commuter marriage, one spouse will rent an apartment in the city where they work, while the other runs things at home. Then, in order to maintain a connected marriage the commuting spouse flies back and forth while the non-commuting spouse makes special trips to visit.

It seems that ever since the recession hit, working-class people have been forced to broaden the geographic scope of their job search in order to maintain the lifestyle they want to live. In fact, according to the US Census Bureau, 3.5 million couples were part of commuter marriages last year. That’s up about 17 percent from 2001, when three million couple did it.

So rather than try to sell a home during a real estate downturn and relocate for work, it appears that more American couples have opted to invest their money in travel and living expenses as a means for strengthening their bottom line.

[MSNBC]

IDJ / A&M/Octone

June 2012 is a huge month for new music releases. Pop superstars like ‘Boyfriend’ crooner Justin Bieber and ‘Payphone’ hitmakers Maroon 5 are getting ready to unveil a fresh batch of songs in June 2012, and eager fans are on the edge of their seats awaiting the new album arrivals.

Beliebers are getting pumped for the release of Bieber’s third studio LP ‘Believe.’ The new record features Bieber’s 2012 hit single ‘Boyfriend‘ and his ode to mama Pattie Mallette, entitled ‘Turn to You.’ He’s also rumored to have collaborations with Cody Simpson and Lil Wayne on ‘Believe.’

Meanwhile, Maroon 5 fanatics are itching to hear the band’s new LP ‘Overexposed,’ which features their Wiz Khalifa-featured lead single ‘Payphone.’ Adam Levine and co. are also working with Ryan Tedder and producer Benny Blanco for the album, so there’s sure to be more hits on the way.

Check out what new music releases are in store for June 2012, including more albums from Usher, Waka Flocka Flame and R. Kelly, among others.

June 2012 New Music Release Dates:

June 5
Bobby Brown, ‘The Masterpiece’

June 12
Usher, ‘Looking 4 Myself’
Waka Flocka Flame, ‘Tripe F Life: Friends, Fans & Family’

June 19
Justin Bieber, ‘Believe’
Vicci Martinez, ‘Vicci’

June 26
Maroon 5, ‘Overexposed’
R. Kelly, ‘Write Me Back’

[button href="http://popcrush.com/2012-new-music-releases/" title="See a Full List of 2012 New Music Releases" align="center"]

Source: PopCrush.com

ThinkStock

When DVR first entered our homes, commercials pretty much got the boot out the back door. The ability to speed through ads on our saved shows not only sheltered us from the mind-controlling scepter of the ad wizards, but freed up a bunch of time for us to do other things — Like watching more TV.

Picky ingrates that we are, we’re still annoyed with DVR for how it requires pinpoint fast-forward precision to skip all the commercials and start the recording when our show begins. More often than we’d care to admit, we’ll fast-forward five minutes past our intended point, over-correct by rewinding back before the original commercial break and end up stuck in a commercial-skipping treadmill.

Electronic House reports the end of such screw-ups is at hand. Dish Network is introducing the Hopper DVR system, which automatically skips commercials, letting you feast on the good stuff. Well, maybe “good” is too high praise for ‘Two and a Half Men’, but you catch our drift.

The feature is called Auto Hop, and it sounds too good to be true. We’re waiting for network overlords to figure out ways to punish us for daring to try to hop past its moneymakers.

[button href="http://guyspeed.com/throne-chair/" title="NEXT: Every King Needs a Throne" align="center"]

Source: GuySpeed.com

jailbird 12, flickr

What state leads the entire planet in throwing people in the slammer?

If you said Louisiana, congratulations, you win.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune:

The state imprisons more of its people, per head, than any of its US counterparts. First among Americans means first in the world. Louisiana’s incarceration rate is nearly triple Iran’s, seven times China’s and 10 times Germany’s.

The soaring rate is due, in part, to the fact housing inmates has turned into big business for states with ‘for-profit’ facilities at their disposal. These privately-owned facilities, which are leased by the state, help contribute to a nearly $200 million-a-year industry.

By skimming money off the top of these prison operations, some states are able to fund the majority of their law enforcement’s yearly budgetary requirements. And it is perfectly legal.

So it stands to reason that with many jobs dependent on the amount of working inmates within a particular institution, these prisons require a consistent amount of human surplus to ensure their survival.

Harsh sentencing guidelines are feeding that surplus.

There are many prominent community and political members who do not believe that harsh sentencing guidelines should be used as a means to serve in the interest of punishments and public safety. Yet, most of the states with the highest incarceration rates are showing no signs of weaning off their prison dependency any time soon.

THE TOP TEN STATES WITH THE HIGHEST RANKING INCARCERATIONS

1. Louisiana – 867 per 100,000 residents
2. Mississippi – 686
3. Oklahoma – 654
4. Alabama – 648
5. Texas – 648
6. Arizona – 572
7. Florida – 556
8. Arkansas – 552
9. Missouri – 508
10. South Carolina – 495

[NOLA]

But does Joshua Ledet even know what that album would sound like?  With all of the craziness surrounding him in these past months, has he even had time to think about it?  Will he do an R&B album?  A throwback soul album?  Gospel?  A mish-mash of all three?  Or something else that would blow our minds entirely?  He’s capable of it all.

[button href="http://cajunradio.net/american-idols-joshua-ledet-says-stardom-hasnt-really-hit-him-yet-and-he-shares-his-secret-nickname//" title="Also Watch: Josh tells us his secret nickname and its meaning" align="center"]

Joshua Ledet and his family. (Scott Lewis)

After an incredible day of interviews, parades, catching up with family and just generally being hounded by “American Idol’s” camera crews on Saturday, Joshua Ledet made his stunning entrance into Burton Coliseum for his homecoming concert.  Neither his entrance  nor singing disappointed.  It was a fitting end to an amazing day.

The doors opened at 4 p.m., and the crowd was treated to opening performances by Josh’s Zydeco-slinging cousins — first Brandon Ledet and then Terrance Simien.  And while the crowd was having a good time, they started getting restless at about 7 p.m.  It wasn’t that they weren’t enjoying Simien, but by that time they wanted some Josh.

Simien kept getting the crowd to chant, “JOSH, JOSH, JOSH,” which led the crowd to believe that the headliner was indeed about to hit the stage.  But apparently, Josh (or the “Idol” crew) wasn’t ready, and so Simien would have to launch into another song.  By the third time this had happened, the crowd began to boo.

“When he gets here, he’ll get up on stage,” said Simien, trying to win over the crowd.

But it wasn’t much longer before Josh entered.  And when he did, it was all worth it.  The producers had rigged up a Mardi Gras float for Josh and his family to ride, and so the drove into Burton like Fat Tuesday royalty.

Joshua Ledet and La. Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne (Scott Lewis)

Once he stepped down off the float (more delays there, too), he rocked the house with five songs from his ‘Idol’ playlist, starting with “When a Man Loves a Woman,” and winding down to his rendition of James Brown’s “It’s a Man’s Man’s Man’s World.”

He was also welcomed by Louisiana’s Lt. Governor Jay Dardenne and named as an official ambassador for the State of Louisiana.

It was an incredible experience for the Lake Area, and it cemented in everyone’s minds just why Joshua Ledet will be the next American Idol.

Check out Josh’s majestic entrance and his performance of The Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody.”

[button href="http://gator995.com/how-much-control-does-josh-ledet-have-over-his-song-choice-on-american-idol/" title="WATCH:  See excerpts from our live 30 minute interview with Josh" align="center"]

It was about eight years ago when a young Joshua Ledet was watching TV and realized, “I just might be able to do this.”  See the video to find out what moment sparked what promises to be an incredible career for Josh Ledet.

We caught Josh mid-morning during his interview, but by the middle of this clip, you can clearly see that he’s pretty tired.  We can only imagine the pressure and time strain he’s been under.

One other cute note — we invited a few of our Club 921 members into the studio to watch the interview.  You can see them in the background  In their excitement, they just couldn’t sit still!

[button href="http://107jamz.com/joshua-ledet-explains-a-day-in-the-life-of-american-idol-and-shares-his-regrets" title="Also watch: If he had it to do over again, what would Josh do differently?" align="center"]

Joshua Ledet lands in Lake Charles (Don Rivers)

After all of these weeks, “American Idol’s” Joshua Ledet finally returns home in the grandest way possible.  When he started all of this, he was just a 19-year-old kid from Westlake.  Now, he’s the kind of guy that gets off a flight to a full press of local paparazzi.  What does he have to say for himself now?

Just as we thought, Josh proves to be a warm guy with a sense of humor.  He doesn’t seem the slightest bit fazed by all the attention.  In a press conference held at the airport (I wasn’t joking about that full press of paparazzi), Joshua answers some of the most pressing questions Southwest Louisiana has dying to ask him.

It’s all a really good warmup for Saturday’s exclusive half-hour interview at 9 a.m.  We’ll get deeper into what it means to be on “American Idol” and just how someone copes with sudden fame.  Until then, enjoy these appetizers.

Poor Josh isn’t a fan of flying, but unfortunately for him, it’s probably the easiest way to get from La. to L.A.  How’s he been dealing with having to fly the friendly skies?

How does Josh go about picking a song to sing?  What are the criteria?

Of all the songs Josh has sung on “Idol,” which is his favorite, and how does it feel to sing it to someone like J-Lo?