CNBC ranks America’s Top States for Business
When it comes to cost of living, Oklahoma ranks No. 1 (tied with Arkansas) on CNBC’s third annual list of America’s Top States for Business.
When 40 different measures of competitiveness are factored in, however, the Sooner State is No. 23 overall in the 2009 poll revealed last week.
CNBC scored all 50 states using publicly available data and input from business groups including the National Association of Manufacturers. Virginia, which topped the first list in 2007, is back at No. 1, edging out 2008 winner Texas by four points.
Oklahoma ranked 28th in 2008 and 32nd in 2007.
In the 2009 individual rankings in 10 broad categories, Oklahoma was No. 1 in Cost of Living, No. 3 in Ecomony, No. 9 in Cost of Business, No. 16 in Business Friendliness, No. 27 in Access to Capital, No. 29 in Workforce, No. 36 in Technology & Innovation, No. 37 in Quality of Life, No. 42 in Transportation and No. 46 in Education.
For more information about CNBC’s criteria for America’s Top States for Business, as well as snapshots of all 50 states, visit www.topstatesforbusiness.cnbc.com.
–Penny TV
Top 50 Talk Show Guests on TV (July 30-Aug. 5, 2009)
Adam Sandler, a cast member in the film "Funny People," arrives at the premiere of the film in Los Angeles, Monday, July 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)
Wednesday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the guests (and all the topics) coming up on TV talk shows.
Here are 50 (or more) of the best guests appearing on talk shows airing Thursday through Wednesday (July 30-Aug. 5, 2009). For a practically complete list, go to www.newsok.com/tv and click on Talk Shows (located under Resources).
But just like everything else on TV, talk show lineups are subject to change.
BEST GUESTS
••Amy Adams (“Julie & Julia”), July 30 on “Good Morning America” and “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Kris Allen (”American Idol”), Aug. 5 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Judd Apatow (“Funny People”), July 30 on “Good Morning America” and “The View”; Aug. 3 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••Eric Bana (“The Time Traveler’s Wife”), Aug. 4 on “The View”
••Wolf Blitzer (”Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer”), Aug. 5 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••James Brolin (“The Goods”), Aug. 5 on “The View”
••Saffron Burrows (”Shrink”), July 31 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Rose Byrne (”Damages”), July 30 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Kristin Chenoweth (”Pushing Daisies”), July 30 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Kelly Clarkson (”American Idol”), July 31 on “Good Morning America”
••Sacha Baron Cohen (”Bruno”), Aug. 3 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Cat Cora (”Iron Chef America”), July 30 on “Oprah Winfrey”
••Johnny Depp (”Alice in Wonderland”), Aug. 5 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Fran Drescher (”The Nanny”), July 30 on “The Doctors”
••Eliza Dushku (”Dollhouse”), Aug. 3 on “Last Call With Carson Daly”
••Edie Falco “Nurse Jackie”), Aug. 3 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Colin Farrell (“Pride and Glory”), Aug. 4 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Guy Fieri (”Diners, Drive-ins and Dives”), July 31 on “Good Morning America”
••Bobby Flay (”The Next Food Network Star”), July 30 on “The Early Show”
••Tyler Florence (”How to Boil Water”), July 30 on “Oprah Winfrey”; July 31 on “The View”; Aug. 4 on “Today”
••Megan Fox (”Jennifer’s Body”), Aug. 5 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Cassidy Freeman (”Smallville”), July 30 on “Last Call With Carson Daly”
••Jeff Garlin (”Curb Your Enthusiasm”), Aug. 4 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Balthazar Getty (”Brothers & Sisters”), Aug. 3 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Paul Giamatti (”The Owl in Daylight”), July 30 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Selena Gomez (“Wizards of Waverly Place”), Aug. 5 on “The View”
••Seth Green (“Robot Chicken”), Aug. 5 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Anne Heche (”Hung”), July 31 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Tricia Helfer (“Battlestar Galactica”), Aug. 5 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Jonah Hill (”Funny People”), Aug. 4 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Vanessa Hudgens (“Bandslam”), Aug. 4 on “Today” and “Live With Regis and Kelly”; Aug. 5 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Chris Kattan (”Bollywood Hero”), Aug. 5 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••Phil Keoghan (“The Amazing Race 14”), July 31 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Angela Kinsey (“The Office”), Aug. 4 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Ashton Kutcher (”Personal Effects”), Aug. 3 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”; Aug. 4 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Leslie Mann (“Funny People”), July 30 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Eva Marcille (“The Young and the Restless”), Aug. 5 on “The Wendy Williams Show”
••Constantine Maroulis (”The Bold and the Beautiful”), July 31 on “The View”
••Cameron Mathison (”All My Children”), July 30 on “Good Morning America”
••Tim Meadows (“The Bill Engvall Show”), July 31 on “The Wendy Williams Show”
••Cesar Millan (“Dog Whisperer”), Aug. 4 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”
••Sienna Miller (“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), Aug. 3 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”; Aug. 5 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Shemar Moore (“Criminal Minds”), Aug. 3 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Deborah Norville (“Inside Edition”), Aug. 5 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”
••Bill O’Reilly (”The O’Reilly Factor”), July 30 on “Rachael Ray”
••Regis Philbin (”Live With Regis and Kelly”), July 31 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Jeremy Piven (”Entourage”), Aug. 4 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Daniel Radcliffe (”Harry Potter”), Aug. 3 on “Late Show With David Letterman”
••Joan Rivers (“How’d You Get So Rich”), Aug. 3 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”; Aug. 4 on “The Wendy Williams Show” and “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••Seth Rogen (”Funny People”), July 30 on “The View” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Adam Sandler (”Funny People”), July 30 on “Good Morning America” and “Late Show With David Letterman”; July 31 on “Live With Regis and Kelly” and “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••Melissa Sagemiller (”Raising the Bar”), July 30 on “Jimmy Kimmel Live”
••Steve Schirripa (”The Secret Life of the American Teenager”), Aug. 5 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Ashley Scott (“12 Rounds”), July 31 on “The Bonnie Hunt Show”
••Tony Shalhoub (”Monk”), Aug. 4 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Cybill Shepherd (“Mrs. Washington Goes to Smith”), July 31 on “The Wendy Williams Show”
••James Spader (”Shorts”), July 30 on “The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson”
••Channing Tatum (“G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), Aug. 4 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”; Aug. 5 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
••Ashley Tisdale (”Aliens in the Attic”), July 30 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”
••Kate Walsh (“Private Practice”), July 30 on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show”
••Marlon Wayans (”G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra”), Aug. 3 on “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon”; Aug. 5 on “Today”
••Alexandra Wentworth (”Head Case”), July 31 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”
••Charlyne Yi (”Paper Heart”), Aug. 3 on “The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien”
••Steve Zahn (“A Perfect Getaway”), Aug. 5 on “Live With Regis and Kelly”
Top 20 Talk Show Topics on TV (July 30-Aug. 5, 2009)
Wednesday is when The Oklahoman posts a list of all the topics (and all the guests) coming up on TV talk shows.
Here are TV Editor Penny Soldan’s Top 20 picks for shows airing Thursday through Wednesday (July 25-Aug. 5, 2009). For a practically complete list, go to www.newsok.com/tv and click on Talk Shows (located under Resources).
But just like everything else on TV, talk show lineups are subject to change.
TOP TOPICS
••Saving money and finding bargains, July 30 on “Today”
••Kids’ book club, July 30 on “Today”
••Jeans for men, July 30 on “The Early Show”
••Engaged couples who met on MySpace, July 30 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”
••Violence in teen dating, July 30 on “The Tyra Banks Show”
••Transvaginal ultrasounds, July 30 on “The Doctors”
••Family nutrition, July 31 on “Today”
••Financial issues, July 31 on “Good Morning America”
••Navigating social networks, July 31 on “The View”
••Tips for online dating, July 31 on “Rachael Ray”
••Shoes that spice up one’s sex life, July 31 on “The Doctors”
••A syndrome that puts salon-goers at risk for a stroke, July 31 on “The Doctors”
••Working as a tour guide, Aug. 1 on “Today”
••Avoid getting sick, Aug. 3 on “Today”
••Life after a cancer diagnosis, Aug. 3 on “Today”
••Summer trends, Aug. 4 on “Today”
••Living to 100, Aug. 4 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”
••Adding years to one’s life, Aug. 4 on “The Morning Show With Mike & Juliet”
••Money 911, Aug. 5 on “Today”
••Technique for creating decorative winter landscapes, Aug. 5 on “The Martha Stewart Show”
Happy Birthday, Tim Gunn
July 29, 2009 – Timothy Gunn, who
is a mentor to the contestants on “Project Runway” (Season 6 premieres Aug. 20 on Lifetime), turns 56 today.
He played a Fashion TV Reporter on two episodes of “Ugly Betty” (2007 on ABC).
His first acting role was as himself on Season 1 of “Project Runway” (2004).
Best wishes to Tim and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Tim Gunn arrives at the 19th Annual GLAAD Media Awards at the Marriott Marquis hotel in Times Square, Monday, March 17, 2008, in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)
DirecTV to air the final four episodes of ‘The Nine’
“The Nine” came to an abrupt
end two years ago on ABC. The network didn’t even air the final four episodes of Season 1.
DirecTV will, though. It’s been airing “The Nine” since May 27, starting with the nine episodes that ABC did air in 2006-07.
Starting Wednesday (July 27), the show’s previously unaired final four episodes will begin airing — one a week at 9 p.m. Wednesdays on DirecTV’s 101 Network).
Viewers can finally see how things play out in the drama that follows nine people who forge a common bond when they live through a 52-hour hostage standoff during a bank robbery. Each episode begins with a flashback that reveals another 10 minutes of the robbery, and then it uncovers why and how these nine strangers remain linked to each other. The cast includes Timothy Daly (”Eyes”), Chi McBride (”Boston Public”), Kim Raver (”Third Watch”) and Lourdes Benedicto (”NYPD Blue”).
–Penny TV
Episode descriptions for the final four of “The Nine”:
••Episode 10: The Inside Man (9 p.m. Wednesday, July 27): After Egan makes a surprising statement on national television, the lives of the nine are thrown into turmoil. Kathryn must now consider the political implications of her continued association with the others, and Nick tries to use knowledge that only he possesses to satisfy a nagging suspicion.
••Episode 11: Man Of The Year (9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 5): While Malcolm struggles with whether or not he deserves an award for his many years of civic service, his hapless brother visits unexpectedly. Lizzie remains troubled by romantic dreams of Lucas. And Felicia digs deeper into her memories of the bank incident.
••Episode 12: Legacy (9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12):
Nick asks Malcolm for guidance in coping with an old promise of revenge for his father’s death. Egan proves to be a valuable asset in Kathryn’s campaign. And Felicia confronts Malcolm about something she remembers from the robbery.
••Episode 13: Confessions (9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 19):
Kathryn is drawn dangerously close to Nick. Burdened by his sins, Jeremy makes a shocking confession. And Lizzie faces a crisis of conscience regarding Luc.
Happy Birthday, Elizabeth Berkley
July 28, 2009 –Elizabeth Berkley, who
played Jessica “Jessie” Myrtle Spano on “Saved By the Bell” (1989-93), turns 37 today.
She played Kelly in 4 episodes of “The L Word” (2009 on Showtime)
Her first acting role was as Girls #1 in a 1986 episode of “Gimme a Break!” She was 14.
Best wishes to Elizabeth and everybody who shares this special day with her.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Elizabeth Berkley arrives for the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity Award Dinner, Sunday, May 20, 2007, in New York. (AP Photo/ Louis Lanzano)
“True Blood” Drink Arriving Soon
“True Blood” afficionados can quench their thirst with a Blood Orange carbonated drink that will hit store shelves in September.
It’s officially licensed from HBO Licensing & Retail by Omni Consumer Products and boasts a crisp, slightly tart and lightly sweet tang.
The bottle has been crafted to replicate the appearance of the vampiric sustenance found on the HBO series – blood type, logo and all.
“True Blood” creator and executive producer Alan Ball announced the release of the Tru Blood drink at the San Diego Comic Con on July 25, where fans were able to sample the beverage and take a bottle home.
“True Blood” kicked off Season 2 on June 14 and can be seen at 8 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 13 on HBO.
For more information on the Tru Blood beverage, visit www.TRUBEVERAGE.COM. It can be pre-ordered at www.HBO.com/store
- Melissa Hayer
Chat with ‘Saving Grace’ cast
Want to find out what’s on the mind of “Saving Grace” star Holly Hunter? Ask her during a live chat that will begin at 10 p.m. Tuesday (July 28) on www.TNT.tv.
Hunter will take part in the online Q&A session that begins immediately following a new episode of the show.
She is in her third season of playing Grace Hanadarko, a gutsy Oklahoma City police detective who investigates brutal crimes while also trying to balance her relationship with her partner, Ham Dewey (Kenneth Johnson), and figure out cryptic messages from her last-chance angel, Earl (Leon Rippy).
And she earned a second consecutive Emmy nomination for her performance.
Other “Saving Grace” cast members will join Hunter for the webchat. An exact lineup is not known, but it could be Bailey Chase (Butch Ada), Gregory Cruz (Bobby Stillwater), Lorraine Toussaint (Kate Perry) and Laura San Giacomo (Rhetta Rodriguez), Yaani King (Neely Lloyd) and/or Dylan Minnette (Clay).
In Tuesday’s episode titled “That Was No First Kiss,” the squad investigates the death of a 99-year-old man who has been shot in the head while sitting in his home. The case resembles a crime that happened in Tulsa three years ago and offers Grace and Perry an opportunity to utilize expertise in gambling-related crimes from their vice days. It also gives Bobby a chance to reconnect with his dad (guest star Wes Studi, who was born in Nofire Hollow, Oklahoma) and Ham a chance to connect with a kindred spirit.
–Penny TV
Happy Birthday, Bill Engvall
July 27, 2009 — William Ray Engvall Jr.,
who plays Bill Pearson on “The Bill Engvall Show” (8 p.m. Saturdays on TBS), turns 52 today.
He played Bill Pelton on “The Jeff Foxworthy Show” (1996-97 on ABC).
His first acting role was a Student in the 1982 movie “Split Image.” He was 25.
Best wishes to Bill and everybody who shares this special day with him.
–Penny TV
Pictured at right: Bill Engvall on “The Bill Engvall Show” (TBS Photo)
Search for “Next Food Network Star” under way
Enjoy cooking? Enjoy talking about cooking while cooking? The Food Network may be the place for you!
The search is on for Season 6 contenders for “The Next Food Network Star.”
Open-call auditions will be conducted in several cities, although none are close to Oklahoma. Here are the dates and sites, regardless: July 26 in San Francisco (W San Francisco Hotel at 181 Third Street); July 31 in New York City (CBS offices at 530 W 57 Street); Aug. 10 in Los Angeles (Saddle Ranch at 8371 W Sunset Blvd.); Aug. 17 in San Diego (W San Diego Hotel at 421 W B Street); and Aug. 24 in Atlanta (W Atlanta Midtown Hotel at 188 14 Street NE).
But don’t fret, Oklahoma food star hopefuls. Applicants can also submit a 3-minute audition video either online or through the mail. For applications and contest rules, go to www.FoodNetwork.com/Star.
The search for the next Food Network personality ends Sept. 11. The show’s sixth season is set to tape in Winter 2010. The show’s fifth season winner will be revealed during the finale airing at 8 p.m. on Aug. 2.
–Penny TV
