American Idol - Prediction Poll (Week of April 27, 2011) -- Updated Thursday at 730pm

Our American Idol Prediction Poll has done well the past few weeks.  We have correctly picked the "bottom three" each of the last two weeks (and the eliminated contestant last week).  We have received an increasing number of votes!  Thank you -- to our friends and readers -- who contributed to our poll.

Please vote for your favorite (and least favorite) American Idols in our prediction poll here.  (As usual, the poll will continue to be open -- and updated after tonight's episode).

WE HAVE a new leader!  Our most recent rankings (updated Thursday, 730pm ET) are:

1. James
2. Scotty
3. Lauren
4. Casey
5. Haley
6. Jacob

"Bring Our Children to Work" Day

Today is "Bring Our Children to Work" Day (or "Bring Our Daughters & Sons to Work Day").  Here are a few links about this special day:

http://www.daughtersandsonstowork.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=936

http://www.ivillage.com/bring-your-child-work-day-2011/6-a-344272

If you have children and are bringing them to work -- enjoy the day.

American Idol - Prediction Poll (Week of April 27, 2011) - Updated Wed. 6pm

Our American Idol Prediction Poll has done well the past few weeks.  We have correctly picked the "bottom three" each of the last two weeks (and the eliminated contestant last week).  Thank you -- to our friends and readers -- who contributed to our poll.

Please vote for your favorite (and least favorite) American Idols in our prediction poll here.  (As usual, votes after this week's performance will count more heavily).

Our most recent rankings (updated Wed, 620pm ET) are:

1. Scotty
2. James
3. Lauren
4. Casey
5. Haley
6. Jacob

Lawn: First Mow of the Season

Here are some basic tips on lawn care -- and especially the "first mow" of the season:

Excerpt:

• First mowing of the season: this first cut of the season should be on the short side. The shorter mowing will encourage the roots and grass to wake up and start growing.

• Water: only as needed. Again, this depends on your location and climate. If you need to water: water deeply and only once week or so (if there's no rain). Infrequent, but deep waterings will promote deeper roots and stronger/healthier grass (as opposed to frequent/shallow watering). Some people measure the water (putting out cans to see how much water the sprinkler is putting out) and aim for 1 inch per week. The best time to water is early in the day (avoids heat/evaporation).

Please click here for other early spring lawn care.

American Idol - Prediction Poll (Week of April 27, 2011)

Our American Idol Prediction Poll has done well the past few weeks.  We have correctly picked the "bottom three" each of the last two weeks (and the eliminated contestant last week).  Thank you -- to our friends and readers -- who contributed to our poll.

Please vote for your favorite (and least favorite) American Idols in our prediction poll here.  (As usual, votes after this week's performance will count more heavily).

Our most recent rankings are:

1. Scotty
2. Lauren
3. James
4. Casey
5. Jacob
6. Haley

American Idol - Prediction Poll (Week of April 20, 2011) - Part 2

Current rankings (4/21/11 -- 400pm ET)

1. Scotty
2. Lauren
3. James
4. Casey
5. Jacob L
6. Haley
7. Stefano 

American Idol - Prediction Poll (Week of April 20, 2011)

Thanks to everyone who voted.  We'll update our poll with votes before the results show tomorrow.  Votes after tonight's show will count more heavily in our poll prediction results.

Current rankings (4/20/11 -- 630pm ET)

1. Scotty
2. James
3. Lauren
4. Casey
5. Haley
6. Jacob L
7. Stefano 

Skin care: Naturally

Here's a good article and website on natural skin care (dandruff, rashes, etc.).  A link to the website is below.

I think health nuts are right when they emphasize skin health for total health. Your skin is your body's largest organ, and virtually the only organ that you can watch. So many people have skin rashes, dryness, sores, blisters, corns, dandruff and such that more attention needs to be given to what holds you together.  Do you realize what you'd look like without skin? A heap of organs on the floor: how explicit!  The skin also excretes many wastes from the body.  That's what sweating does, in addition, to automatically cooling you.

 Naturopathic theory holds that rashes, pimples, eczema, and illnesses like chicken pox or measles are attempts by the skin to clean itself out.  This idea will never cease to come up as long as we talk of nature's way in health: the body will try, must try, to clean itself of toxins, foreign chemicals and poisons. Nature eliminates wastes. You may not like it; it may not look romantic; it might even itch. However, the toxins must be expelled.  Since the skin is your largest organ, it will by nature want to do a lot of cleaning out. The more it does so, the more you needed it to.

 "So that's where all those hives and rashes come from," you might think, and you'd be essentially correct. Take a VERY common complaint: dandruff. An over-abundance of mucus-producing items in the diet seems to be a basic cause. Persons with dandruff have found that if they reduce their consumption of milk, ice cream,yogurt and eggs that their dandruff goes away. No medications, no special patent shampoos. I have seen this in my own experience, and if you will pardon me, on my own scalp. Cottage cheese and the aged cheeses seem to be less involved in making up what comes off us as dandruff.

http://www.doctoryourself.com/skin_care.html

American Idol Prediction Poll

Our last American Idol prediction poll worked out pretty well.  We had the bottom three correct.  Paul, one of our bottom three, was eliminated.

An updated poll has been posted here.  Please vote for the contestants you think are the best -- and worst.  Votes after Wednesday's episode will be counted more heavily.  Thank you for participating!

Tax Procrastinator? Taxes are due April 18th!

Did you know that taxes are due April 18th this year (2011)?

Taxpayers can thank a little-known holiday in Washington, D.C., for extending the deadline to file tax returns until April 18 this year.

Washington observes the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the Compensated Emancipation Act that freed 3,100 slaves in the Capital on April 16, 1862. Because April 16 falls on Saturday, the holiday will be observed on Friday this year and tax returns aren’t due until Monday.

Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/01/04/106171/taxes-due-april-18-not-15th-because.html#ixzz1JXYJK1BY

American Idol Prediction: as of 4/14 -- 6:45 ET

Here are the results of our American Idol poll.  The poll predicts that Stefano will be voted off the show tonight.  The rest of the poll's bottom three include: Paul & Haley.  Thanks to everyone who voted.  We'll have an updated poll after the results show to collect votes for next week.

1. Scotty
2. James
3. Lauren
4. Casey
5. Jacob L
6. Haley
7. Paul
8. Stefano

American Idol Poll: Updated Ratings (Please VOTE!): updated 4/14 (7am)

In previous years, our poll has been a good leading indicator or American Idol results.  Please vote here so we can improve our poll's predictive power.  Please keep voting; we'll update this list before the results show on Thursday.

Rankings as of 4/14/11 -- 7am (ET -- didn't want to ruin anything for west coast viewers!)

1. Scotty
2. Lauren
3. James
4. Casey
5. Jacob
6. Haley
7. Paul
8. Stefano

Our current rankings as of 4/13/11 8am (eastern):

1. Scotty
2. James
3. Casey
4. Lauren
5. Haley
6. Paul
7. Jacob L
8. Stefano

Buying Organic can be Pricey

Here's an article that has useful information.  Buying organic can be pricey -- but what is MOST important to buy organic??

By now, we all know there’s a benefit to buying some stuff organic. But these days you’re faced with the option of gettingeverything organic—from fruits and veggies to mattresses and clothing. You want to do right by your body, for sure, but going the all-natural route en masse can be pricey.

So we wondered: What’s really essential for our health? That’s why we came up with this definitive list. Here's what should be in your cart—and what you don’t have to worry about.

Read more here:

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/green/11-things-you-should-buy-organic-2467411/

American Idol: Poll

After Thursday evening's shocking result, we are opening our poll up earlier, to give us time to collect more votes.

Thanks for your votes -- and keep them coming!  We'll weigh the votes after next week's performance more heavily.

Please click here to vote for your favorite Idols.  

American Idol: Poll & Predictions (updated 4/7/11)

zRoundTable's semi-scientific American Idol poll currently has the following predictions for tonight's results show:

• Bottom two on our list: Stefano & Haley.
• Top-ranked contenders are currently: Scotty, Pia & Jacob.  

Please complete our poll to help improve the results of our poll (click here).  We'll update this information as often as we receive interesting information and votes.  Thanks, in advance -- and thank you for visiting our blog!


UPDATE at 1pm ET; thanks for the votes.  We will update our poll results before tonight's show....  

Update at 5:15pm eastern time:

1. Pia
2. Scotty
3. James
4. Casey
5. Lauren
6. Jacob Lusk
7. Paul
8. Haley
9. Stefano

Take Me Out to the Ballgame (Costs to attend a MLB Game)

The baseball season has started.  We were talking with some friends -- and were amazed that parking alone at Yankee Stadium was $35 (more for valet parking!).  Here is a look at some of the expenses to attend a baseball game.

The average ticket price across all 30 teams is $26.91, which is only a 1.2 percent increase from last season.
Here are some of the other highlights from the report:

• The highest non-premium ticket prices
 are the Boston Red Sox ($53.38), the New York Yankees ($51.83), the Chicago Cubs ($46.90 and the Chicago White Sox ($40.67).

• The lowest non-premium ticket prices
 are the Pittsburgh Pirates ($15.30), San Diego Padres ($15.45), Arizona Diamondbacks ($15.74) and the Los Angeles Angels ($17.13).

• The most expensive parking
 is the New York Yankees ($35), Boston Red Sox ($27), Chicago Cubs ($25) and the Chicago White Sox ($23).

• The cheapest parking
 is the Tampa Bay Rays ($0), Washington Nationals ($5), Detroit Tigers ($5), Minnesota Twins ($6) and the Kansas City Royals ($6).

Read more here.

http://www.cnbc.com/id/42381528