As medical researchers meet in New Orleans this week to discuss the longterm health effects of the oil that’s gushing into the Gulf of Mexico, many Americans are making alternate plans for their summer vacations. The tourism industries along the beaches in Southern coastal states are no doubt suffering from the spill as well as fisherman and workers in the oil drilling industry.

No one wants a tar ball sullying time in the sun and surf at his or her regular beachside resort. So, where are Americans heading this summer? Are they finding seaside time on the Atlantic or Pacific oceans? Are they heading to the mountains? Or are they opting to stay closer to the lakes and rivers near their homes?

How has the oil spill affected your summer vacation plans?

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Can you see the plan coming together?

Just like Iron Man 2, The A-Team seems to be one of those blockbuster summer flicks that’s roundly criticized by film critics and completely beloved by the movie-going public.

This review from Slate said, “The A-Team played as if scripted by two 8-year-old boys banging their action figures together: “Pow!” “Kablammo!” “Curses!” “Victory!” In its better moments, the film version captures the goofy energy of juvenile commandos at play; at its worst, it’s as if the 8-year-olds got final cut.”

Roger Ebert had a hard time setting aside his suspension of disbelief, saying, “Am I right in assuming that it is difficult to get enough speed for a good aerial jump while biking across a crooked heap of freight containers? I ask because, as I hinted above, no action in this movie necessarily has any relationship to the actions surrounding it.”

(It should be noted that both of these reviewers gave favorable reviews to the remake of The Karate Kid. )

One of the best indicators of a film’s popularity might come from the Rotten Tomatoes site. The A-Team seems to be riding at roughly 50/50. But we bet if you ask your friends, they’ll tell you the film was mindless summer fun for everyone. Or maybe you disagree. Voice your opinions in this week’s poll.

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Prepping for the World Cup (ap photo)

The 2010 World Cup starts Friday and will determine the best soccer team on the planet. The first match for the U.S.A. will be against England on Saturday. Will the U.S. win? We’re certain a country of Englishmen certainly hope not.

(A recent survey found that 12 percent of English soccer fans said they’d give up sex for a year if it could guarantee a World Cup victory for their country. One-third said they’d do housework for a year to make victory happen. Ten percent said they’d dump their girlfriends, but we suspect they’d probably do that anyway.)

One thing’s for certain, most of the world will be focused on South Africa for this tournament, but will you?

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Also, if you’re wondering why we call it soccer while the rest of the world calls the sport football, this Slate article has the answers.

You can get free doughnuts at Krispy Kreme, though most of them won't look this fancy.

Who says you can’t get things for free?
This magazine was completely free, for instance, and you might be pleasantly surprised to find out you can get quite a few things for free in central Arkansas. A few free things you already know about like outdoor movies, walking trails and the splashy fun at the Peabody Park, so we’ll skip adding those to the list and add a few lesser-known freebies near you. Some require you to purchase other things, some require you to prove it’s your birthday and some are just for kids, but all have an element of free that we think is worthy of a mention here.
For more fun, you can add your freebie finds in the comments section.

FOOD AND DRINKS:
Doughnuts — Once I went into Krispy Kreme on Shackleford Road in west Little Rock and wanted a single doughnut. I didn’t realize that when the red light was lit they’d give them away for free to anyone standing in line. Now, I’m in line to purchase one doughnut that I’ve already eaten, and I’m at a loss as to what I should buy. Do I turn around and leave? Nah. Doughnuts make you thirsty. I bought milk.
True story.

Cookies — At Fresh Market kids can visit the bakery and get a Cookie Club card. They sign their name and on subsequent visits to the store, they’ll get a free sugar cookie. What does Fresh Market get out of this deal? We’re guessing they’re expecting your kids to beg you to take them to Fresh Market for a cookie and then you’ll buy a few other things. Not a bad idea.

Dog treats — If you take your dog along on your next trip to Shakey’s Frozen Custard, they’ll give Fido his own “pup cup” of custard. I’m assuming they want you to purchase something, too, but this is an absolutely free perk for man’s best friend.

Pie — As part of the Argenta Art Walk on June 18, you can attend the free Hunka Pie tasting in Galaxy Furniture from 5 to 8 p.m. In short, a free night of browsing art, live music and then a little bit of free pie. What’s not to love?

Facebook — If you love a local restaurant, you should become its fan on Facebook. Many places offer freebies for those digitally savvy customers who arrive on a certain night and say a code word. For example, if you know the buzzword when you visit The Pantry, you could score a free dessert or appetizer.

ACTIVITIES:
Browsing and imbibing — If you love shopping, mingling and free drinks, you should check out First Thursdays in Hillcrest, Happy Hour in the Heights and Second Friday Art Night. On each of these nights, shops and galleries that normally close at 5 p.m. stay open until around 8 p.m. and offer evening browsing hours for customers. They also offer a few snack-type foods and wine, probably in hopes of loosening up your wallet’s inhibitions.
The event in Hillcrest is held on the first Thursday of every month, and the Heights event is on the third Thursday. You’ve probably guessed that the second Friday of the month is home to Second Friday Art Night, but it’s held in the River Market area.

Reading — Sign up for the seven-week Summer Reading Club program at a nearby Central Arkansas Library branch and receive a free backpack and inspiration to read. On June 10, reading club members will receive free admission to the Arkansas Travelers game. Other events on the calendar include a Fishing Derby in Sherwood on June 26, a River Market walk on July 10 and Library Day at the Little Rock Zoo on July 31. See www.cals.org for a full schedule and more information.

MISCELLANEOUS:
Late news — Though this is untested, we’re told those who visit Starbucks can get a copy of yesterday’s New York Times for free. All you have to do is ask, and get there before they throw them out or recycle them.

Ten dollars — If you join the Winners Circle club at Oaklawn, they’ll give you $10 to spend. You must be 21, of course, but you can spend this money on anything from corned beef to video poker. It’s your call.

Movie tickets — If you follow Sync on Twitter, you could win two movie passes to Rave Motion Pictures just for tweeting your review of a film you’ve seen recently. Yes, it’s that easy. Follow us at twitter.com/syncweekly and wait until we ask for your film reviews and offer up free tickets — usually on Fridays.

Forget this. Let's go to the lake.

According to the LA Times Blog, Memorial Day weekend saw its lowest total sicne 2001. If you account for ticket price inflation, “the actual number of tickets sold — about 23.4 million — was the lowest since 1993, according to data compiled by Hollywood.com.”

Movie studio execs are blaming the paltry showing on the NBA and NHL playofs and the Indianapolis 500 race. Others think more people took to the highways this week and were traveling out of town. Or maybe the selection of new releases like Sex and the City 2 and Prince of Persia were poor. In previous Memorial Day weekends, moviegoers had selections like Night at the Museum 2 and Terminator Salvation as well as the new Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull in 2008.

According to the LA Times Blog, “Still, studio executives are hopeful that pictures like Shrek and Sex and the City 2 will hold on much better after their openings than did past summer movies. They also have big commercial hopes for several upcoming titles including Toy Story 3, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse and the Leonardo DiCaprio thriller Inception.

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(ap photo) The Deepwater Horizon oil rig before the explosion.

Back in March, President Obama announced a measure that would expand offshore oil drilling. However, after recent events on the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico have brought devastation to the coastline of Louisiana and neighboring states, it’s speculated that Obama will extend a recent moratorium on new drilling for six months.

The president is expected to make this announcement in a press conference later today according to a story on Google news. His plans include delaying a “planned exploration off the Alaska coast” and canceling “a planned August lease sale of drilling rights in the Western Gulf” and “a lease sale off the coast of Virginia.”

Some feel that the BP oil spill was an isolated incident and continuing to drill for oil is a way to reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. Other say the administration should work more quickly to transition to cleaner sources of energy that don’t involve the potential to wreck the nation’s coastlines. What do you think?

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Yesterday, NPR reported that a nun working for a Catholic church in Phoenix was excommunicated for allowing a very sick pregnant woman to have an abortion to save her life. The woman was 11 weeks pregnant, and doctors decided she and the baby were “close to 100 percent” likely to die if the pregnancy continued. The woman agreed to have an abortion. (Editor’s Note: I can’t officially discern from any news reports whether the woman already had children, but the comments under the NPR story seem to suggest that she had four children at home.) 

The mother survived and Sister Margaret McBride, an administrator at the hospital that approved the procedure, has been automatically excommunicated by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted for her actions. 

As of now, McBride still works at the hospital in another position, but the Sisters of Mercy will decide whether or not she is allowed to remain in her order. 

This week’s question, do you feel the nun’s penalty was too harsh?

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With law enforcement supporters behind her, Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signs immigration bill SB1070 into law April 23 in Phoenix.

Less than a month after signing a new law tackling the state’s immigration issues, Arizona has signed another measure to ban classes on ethnic studies that “promote resentment” toward the U.S. or racial groups.

CNN reported that, “Gov. Jan Brewer approved the measure without public statement Tuesday, according to state legislative records. The new law forbids elementary or secondary schools to teach classes that are ‘designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group’ and advocate ‘the overthrow of the United States government’ or ‘resentment toward a race or class of people.’”

The bill is aimed at the Mexican-American studies course in the Tucson Unified School District and a program that state school superintendent Tom Horne says teaches the district’s Hispanic students that they’re an oppressed minority. Opponents say the classes are not limited to one race of students and can be taken by anyone.

This week’s question wonders how you would feel if Arizona’s tough immigration stance were taken in Arkansas?

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The bill toss

CNN Money reports that an overlooked provision in the new health car bill could affect small business owners and freelancers in a big way. The bill would require individuals to keep track of all business-related purchases and submit 1099 tax forms “to any individual or corporation from which they buy more than $600 in goods or services in a tax year,” according to the story. The changes means an increase in paperwork for small businesses and self-employed workers.

This new law will take effect in 2012. Here’s how CNN Money explains it: Under the new rules, if a freelance designer buys a new iMac from the Apple Store, they’ll have to send Apple a 1099. A laundromat that buys soap each week from a local distributor will have to send the supplier a 1099 at the end of the year tallying up their purchases … Plus, it requires that 1099s be issued not just to individuals, but also to corporations.

Washington defends the change saying the new requirements will cut down on tax fraud and help to pay for the new health care bill. However, the ultimate impact won’t come to light until the IRS issues regulations next year.

But in the meantime, if you’re a small business owner or freelancer (or know someone who is) how do you think the new health care bill will impact your company?

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A study done by a Minnesota-based company has found Arkansas ranks first in the nation in broadband competition, meaning the state’s market-share distribution is more divided among broadband providers than any other state. In second place was North Dakota, with South Carolina in third, Nebraska at fourth and California in fifth.

However, this top ranking is not necessarily a good thing. The study’s results, found that states with higher incomes and home values tend to have fewer companies offering broadband access.

The report is meant “to counter claims from private sector broadband providers that U.S. consumers are being well-served by broadband competition and don’t need federal dollars building networks that compete with private sector investment,” according to thecitywire.com story.

Right now, broadband access for all Americans is a hotly-debated topic. According to this story on slate.com, the FCC chairman recently told a Senate committee that the U.S. has a 65 percent adoption rate [of broadband] as compared to a 90 percent adoption rate in some Asian and western European countries. However, when the Verizon CEO was asked where the U.S. ranks, he said we were in first place.

The Slate story says the FCC needs to put in measures that would give consumers more information about the broadband they’re purchasing and says systematic testing reveals that customers usually only receive half the advertised speed. The article goes on to say that “advertised prices almost always exclude hidden fees and additional costs … ”

So, Arkansas, now that you’re ranked first in something, how do you feel about that? Are you happy with your broadband access? Do you even have internet access? Leave your vote in the poll and comments below.

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