Born on this day!! Actor Linda Hunt is 76. Actor Sam Anderson (“Lost,” ″ER,” ″Perfect Strangers”) is 74. Singer Emmylou Harris is 74. Actor Pamela Reed is 72. Drummer Dave Robinson of The Cars is 72. Country singer Buddy Jewell is 60. Actor Christopher Meloni (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) is 60. Singer Keren Woodward of Bananarama is 60. Country singer Billy Dean is 59. Actor Clark Gregg (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” ″The New Adventures of Old Christine”) is 59. Actor Jana Marie Hupp (“Ed”) is 57. Guitarist Greg Camp (Smash Mouth) is 54. Guitarist Tony Fredianelli of Third Eye Blind is 52. Actor Roselyn Sanchez (TV’s “Grand Hotel,” ″Without a Trace”) is 48. Actor Pedro Pascal (“Game of Thrones”) is 46. Actor Adam Rodriguez (“Criminal Minds,” ″CSI: Miami”) is 46. Actor Michael Fassbender (“Shame,” ″Inglourious Basterds”) is 44. Keyboardist Jesse Carmichael of Maroon 5 is 42. Actor Bethany Joy Lenz (“One Tree Hill”) is 40. Singer Lee Dewyze (“American Idol”) is 35. Country singer Chris Janson is 35. Actor Drew Van Acker (“Training Day,” ″Pretty Little Liars”) is 35. Actor Jesse Plemons (TV’s “Fargo,” ″Breaking Bad”) is 33.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1513 – Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida.
1792 – Congress authorized the first U.S. mint, in Philadelphia.
1865 – Confederate president Jefferson Davis and most of his cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Va.
1870 – Victoria Claflin Woodhull announced her candidacy for president of the United States.
1917 – President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany.
1932 – Charles Lindbergh paid a $50,000 ransom for the return of his kidnapped son.
1982 – Argentina seized the Falkland Islands from Britain
2005 – Pope John Paul II died.

Today Is: Good Friday, Hospital Admitting Clerks Day, International Kids Yoga Day, International Children’s Book Day, National Ferret Day, National Love Your Produce Manager Day, National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, Nickelodeon Day, Reconciliation Day, World Autism Day, World Autism Acceptance Day, World Marbles Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 –  McGyver /  9:00 – Magnum P.I.  /  10:00 – Blue Bloods
NBC – 8:00  – Blacklist  /  9:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 –  Shark Tank  /  9:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 –  Wipe Out  /  9:00 – Penn and Teller Fool Us

TV Talk Shows

Stephen Colbert: Dana Carvey, Imagine Dragons (R 3/23/21)
Lilly Singh: Lena Dunham (R 3/11/21)
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Tim Allen, Zendaya, Farnoosh Torabi
Ellen DeGeneres: Martha Stewart, John Stamos, guest host Howie Mandel
The Real: Chris Medina
Kelly Clarkson: Terry Bradshaw, Iain Armitage (R 2/18/21)

WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!

QUESTION: What do YOU do when Taco Bell messes up your order?? This guy decided to RUN OVER a group of people and INTO THE STORE!!!!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: Why was this 66-year-old Emmy winner MISSING?? She was a hoarder.. and the cops found her BURIED UNDER TRASH in her own home!!!!

 

QUESTION: Thinking about MOVING TO TEXAS?? Elon Musk has made his new town, STARBASE, TX, the hottest real estate in the country with just one tweet!!!

 

QUESTION: Are the LITTLE THINGS you’ve noticed about your spouse in lockdown DRIVING YOU CRAZY??? Here’s a funny list of the irritating habits!!!!!!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: Do your emojis REVEAL YOUR AGE?? Take a look at this list of emojis that Gen Z’ers say “ONLY OLD PEOPLE USE!!!!!” C’mon, grandpa!!!!!!!!!!

Coming 2 America Top Streamer

Coming 2 America from Amazon Prime Video has topped Nielsen’s U.S. streaming rankings for the week of March 1 to 7.  The sequel starring Eddie Murphy and Arsenio Hall had 1.413 billion minutes of viewing time, putting it ahead of any television series or movie on Nielsen’s rankings.  “Content is king, and audiences on @PrimeVideo have crowned their new streaming royalty. Congratulations to @ArsenioHall, @NomzamoMbatha and the cast & crew of #Coming2America for being the most viewed program on our Top 10 list.,” Nielsen said on Twitter.  Bigfoot Family came in second place for movies followed by I Cate A Lot, Raya and the Last Dragon, Moxie, Biggie: I Got A Story To Tell, Moana, The Dark Knight, No Escape and Frozen in tenth place.
**********Where would YOU rather live?? Ramunda, or Wakanda???
******It’s hard to beat a movie that combines the sex appeal of Tracy Morgan AND Leslie Jones!!!
*****We still can’t figure out: why are the barbers the same age they were 30 years ago??

Paul Simon Sells Song Catalog

Paul Simon has sold his entire song catalog to Sony Music Publishing, the musician and label have announced.  They are now in control of Simon’s compositions including his solo material and Simon and Garfunkel work.  Sony can earn royalties from Simon’s songs being performed including classic tracks “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” “The Sound of Silence,” “Still Crazy After All These Years,” “Graceland,” “Mrs. Robinson” and more.  The company did not disclose the terms of the agreement.  “I’m pleased to have Sony Music Publishing be the custodian of my songs for the coming decades. I began my career at Columbia/Sony Records and it feels like a natural extension to be working with the Publishing side as well,” Simon said in a statement.  Simon is the latest musician to sell their catalog including Neil Young, Stevie Nicks and Bob Dylan, who sold his collection to Universal Music Publishing Group in December.
********Paul’s getting older… he’s definitely “Homeward Bound!!”
******Calvin Klein underwear just licensed “The Boxer!!” Don’t ask!!!

Fans Upset With Wheel Of Fortune

“Wheel of Fortune” fans are upset after a technicality cost yet another contestant a win.   A rule that was introduced in 2016 along with the long-running game show’s crossword puzzle format has been causing some problems for players. As some note, the rule is needlessly restrictive to contestants who otherwise solve the puzzle. This was the case for contestant David Petersen, who lost out on big money simply for adding the word “and” to his answer. The crossword puzzle typically consists of four words that the contestants need to figure out. When it comes time to deliver their answer, the rules state that they need to say the four words and only the four words that make up the puzzle solve. Unfortunately, on Wednesday’s episode, Petersen answered, “Soul, Flounder, Cod and Catfish.”  This forced host Pat Sajak to deny him the points for the correct answer and allowed another contestant to swoop in and guess the correct words without saying “and.”  “I wish they’d get rid of the ‘don’t add anything’ rule for the @WheelofFortune crossword rounds. So upsetting when they accidentally say ‘and.’ @patsajak @TheVannaWhite,” another person wrote.  “Why don’t you have the ‘and’ symbol in the puzzle then people could say ‘and’ and not lose their money,” another wrote.
*******Does Pat Sajak even know what’s going on anymore??? He’s kinda the Joe Biden of game show hosts!!
*******Vanna spends her off time drooling in the corner!!!
******They should answer the fans with a puzzle: “WH_ CARE_?”

Meghan and Harry To Take A Break After Baby Is Born

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are planning on taking a long maternity and paternity leave as well.  “They will both take some proper time off,” a source close to the couple told Vanity Fair. “It will be the summer and they want to make sure they both take their leave so they have some real quality time together once the baby arrives.”  When Meghan and Harry’s son Archie was born in 2019, the grandson of Queen Elizabeth had to get back to work within a week and flew to the Netherlands for a scheduled commitment.  Meanwhile, during and after her pregnancy with Archie, Meghan was editing her issue of British Vogue and working on a fashion collection for Smart Works.  When their daughter arrives, she will be eighth in line to the throne, after Harry’s father Prince Charles, older brother Prince William and his three children Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis, Harry himself, and her older brother Archie.
*********Sorry… what are they taking a break from, exactly???
*******The daughter will be 8th in line for throne, which means we’ll be seeing a lot “unfortunate accidents!!!”
*******The Queen has asked if she can see the baby!! Meghan said, “What’s it worth to you???”

Judge Halts The Sell Of “Satan Shoes”

A judge has ruled that MSCHF must stop fulfilling orders for its “Satan Shoes” in a trademark infringement lawsuit brought by Nike.  Nike filed for a temporary restraining order Tuesday, asking the court to keep MSCHF from issuing orders, using any Nike work and referring to Nike’s logos. The ruling is a hit for MSCHF, which sold out of its “Satan Shoes” within minutes of their launch Monday.  MSCHF designed 666 pairs of the sneakers, priced at $1,018, in collaboration with the rapper Lil Nas X. The controversial kicks are modified Nike Air Max 97s decorated with a pentagram pendant and a reference to Luke 10:18, a Bible verse about Satan’s fall from heaven.  MSCHF also said there was a single drop of human blood, drawn from its own team, mixed with red ink in the sneakers’ soles.  Nike filed a federal trademark infringement lawsuit Monday, arguing that the shoes diluted its brand because people blamed Nike for them.
********Lil Nas is represented by the law firm of “Beelzebub, Beetlejuice and Satan!!!”
******MSCHF has requested that any trial be held in hell!!!!
*******In Luke 10:18, Jesus is talking about how he’s defeated Satan and his demons. Sounds like Lil Nas is setting up “round two!!!”
*****We like a lot of pop stars… but we draw the line when they have hooves!!!

Paris Jackson Opens Up About Michael As A Father

Paris Jackson appeared on Naomi Campbell’s YouTube series “No Filter” Tuesday and opened up about her childhood and how famous father Michael instilled a strong work ethic and eclectic music taste in his kids.  “My dad was really good about making sure we were cultured, making sure we were educated, and not just showing us like the glitz and glam, like hotel hopping, five-star places,” she said.  She said she was conceived in Paris and born in LA but remembers growing up “kind of everywhere.”  “It was also like, we saw everything. We saw Third World countries. We saw every part of the spectrum,” Jackson said.  The model-singer was 11 years old when her father died, in June 2009, but she acknowledges that his influence in her life continues to this day.  “Growing up, it was about earning stuff. If we wanted five toys from FAO Schwarz or Toys R Us, we had to read five books,” she said. “It’s earning it, not just being entitled to certain things or thinking, ‘Oh, I got this.’ It’s like working for it, working hard for it — it’s, it’s something else entirely. It’s an accomplishment.”
********Weird.. Michael Jackson’s kids turned out better than Joe Biden’s!!!!
*******

Tiger Woods Crash Investigation Complete

The cause of Tigers Woods’ car crash last month has been determined.  However, the Los Angeles County sheriff said that detectives would not release details of the crash due to privacy concerns for Woods, who suffered significant injuries in the crash.  Woods is now recovering from multiple surgeries in Florida.  Sheriff Alex Villanueva would not specify what kind of information was found in the black box.  “A cause has been determined, the investigation has concluded,” Villanueva said during a live social media event on Wednesday. He added that investigators need permission from Woods to release the information.  “We have reached out to Tiger Woods and his personnel,” Villanueva continued. “There’s some privacy issues on releasing information on the investigation so we’re going to ask them if they waive the privacy and then we will be able to do a full release on all the information regarding the accident. We have all the contents of the black box, we’ve got everything,” Villanueva said. “It’s completed, signed, sealed, and delivered. However, we can’t release it without the permission of the people involved in the collision.”  Villanueva called the crash “purely an accident.” The sheriff has been criticized for some of his past comments, especially after he said that there was no evidence of impairment.

 

Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!

Miley Hopes Country Twerks Out Better-(National Enquirer)

Miley Cyrus is “going country” after her last two albums tanked!  “Miley offended her core audience with her outrageous behavior and punk sound.  She’s signed with a new record label and the plan is to reintroduce her to the country audience that loved her dad, ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ singer Billy Ray Cyrus, and once loved her,” an insider snitched.  “Miley has an amazing voice, but her behavior has overshadowed her talent for years.  Her new team will guide Miley back to her roots in the world of country.  With her talent, finding the right sound will be easy.  The question is, can Miley find the right behavior?”

Kanye Blanks Out Kim With Hypnosis-(Globe)

Crushed Kanye West is struggling to move on after Kim Kardashian filed for divorce-so he’s undergoing hypnotherapy to erase her from his memory!  Sources claim the spurned rap mogul, 43, has cut off all contact with his booty queen ex, 40-and now he’s ready to write her out of his life!  “Kanye has tried hypnotherapy before to combat certain fears and demons in his life, but now he wants to apply it to his marriage,” spills an insider.  “It may sound extreme but with each passing day he’s feeling increasingly betrayed and bitter, so he says something drastic has to be done!”

Andy & Brooklyn:  Better Together-(Us Weekly)

For Brooklyn Decker, the silver lining of the pandemic has been spending more time with Andy Roddick.  “[It] has strengthened our relationship,” the actress, 33, says of being married to the retired tennis pro, 38.  While adjusting to the new norm was tough at first-“We were like, ‘You’re here all the time,’” she recalls-Decker, who recently partnered with Zyrtec, wouldn’t have it any other way.  She adds:  “We’ve been really fortunate.”

More Real Deal:  Transformation!-(Star)

Emma Corrin- The 25-year-old dug into the late Princess Diana’s psychology to portray her on season 4 of The Crown.  Speaking of the troubled royal’s bulimia, she said she decided to play her with fidgety hands:  “You use your hands to make yourself sick, and her fingers on her right hand have become a source of anxiety for her.”

Blonde Ambition-(Life & Style)

March 17

Isn’t she Lovely?  After rocking green roots with black ends for two years-including at the Grammy Awards on March 14-Billie Eilish debuted new light-colored locks on Instagram.  Fans clearly approved:  [A] snap of the ocean-eyed singer scored more than 13.8 million likes in just seven hours!

William & Harry’s Ongoing Strain-(People)

Tensions continue between Prince William and Prince Harry in the wake of the interview Harry and wife Meghan Markle gave to Oprah Winfrey on March 7.  A week later, CBS This Morning’s Gayle King said she had talked to Harry and Meghan, and although the brothers had spoken (and Harry had also spoken to his dad, Prince Charles), “The word I was given was that those conversations were not productive.”

Last Laughs-(In Touch)

“I saw that 7-Eleven is adding fish bites to its menu.  If you order them, they just automatically hand you the bathroom keys.”-Jimmy Fallon.

“Kia is recalling 380,000 vehicles and instructing owners to not park them in a garage because they can burst into flames.  Other than that, they’re completely safe.”-James Corden.

“Chipotle is launching a makeup collection.  Great news for anyone who’s ever looked at a burrito and thought, ‘Boy, I wish my face looked like that.”-Stephen Colbert.

“Grammy winner Taylor Swift accidentally dressed [in a mini-dress covered in flowers] for the wrong awards show!  She thought she was going to be picking the Best in Show award at Berks County Home & Garden Show, sponsored by Miracle-Gro.”-DListed’s Mieka.

 

STUPID NEWS

Wild Turkey Crashes Thru Window

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said officers was dispatched to the home of a woman who discovered a wild turkey had crashed through a window into her home.  The DEC said an environmental conservation officer was dispatched to the home of a woman who heard a loud noise inside her Erie County residence and discovered a turkey had crashed through a second-floor window.  The woman was able to confine the turkey in an upstairs bathroom before the officer arrived. The officer summoned a second officer for assistance, and the two were able to pin the turkey down with a neighbor’s fishing net and take it outside.
*********Turns out it was a “jive-ass turkey!!!”
*******If that happened in Kentucky, the bird’s new nickname would have been “dinner!!!”
TOPIC: A wild animal invaded my house!!!!

Lizard Hitches A Ride

Animal rescuers in Boston said a lizard hitched a ride in a car and ended up traveling from Florida to Massachusetts.  The Animal Rescue League of Boston said a Massachusetts resident returned from a trip to Florida to discover the lizard, a brown anole, was hiding inside their car.  The person brought the lizard to ARL’s Brewster Animal Care and Adoption Center.  Officials said brown anoles are not native to Massachusetts. The lizard was taken to a Connecticut reptile rescue facility to be rehomed.  “ARL commends these actions and reminds the pubic that non-native species should never be released into the wild, as they can create vast ecological problems,” the ARL said in a statement provided to WBZ-TV. “Any non-native species should be taken to a rescue organization like ARL — our local environment will thank you!”
*********What happened to the days when we just ran ’em over??? No good???
****A “brown anole” doesn’t sound right!!! 

Lost Goat

Police in Minnesota said they are trying to find the owner of a large goat that spent several days wandering around a city.  The Anoka County Sheriff’s Office said the goat was seen wandering around Andover for a “few days,” including multiple sightings in residential areas.  “Hobbies appear to be spring walks, gardening & grilling,” the sheriff’s office tweeted.  A sheriff’s office spokesman said deputies ran into a hurdle when attempting to capture the goat.  “The goat is too large to fit into a squad vehicle, so we are unable to transport it to animal control,” said Tierney Peters, community relations coordinator for the sheriff’s office. A later tweet revealed deputies managed to get wanderer to animal control, according to Bring Me the News.
*******Police got the call that a GOAT was wondering around… they said, “Which one? Lebron? Tom Brady??”
*****People were pissed! He ate all the recyclables!!
*****It was a “baaad” situation!!

Minor League Mascot Found

A Minor League Baseball team in Tennessee said its mascot costume was recovered after it was one of several items stolen from an office.  Chattanooga police said the costume for Looie the Lookout, mascot for the Chattanooga Lookouts, was stolen Tuesday along with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise and other items from a locked office at AT&T Field in Chattanooga.  A spokesman for the team said Wednesday morning that the Looie costume was recovered with help from the nearby Tennessee Aquarium.  “Everyone in the state of Tennessee can now breathe a sigh of relief,” Lookouts president Rich Mozingo said in a statement provided to WTVC-TV. “We are once again overwhelmed by the support of the Chattanooga community.”  See the pic HERE.
*******At first we thought it was “Loogie the Lookout!!” Ew!!!!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: IS “IN N OUT” OVERRATED?

VIDEO: WHAT SONG ARE YOU LISTENING TO???

VIDEO: MAKE THIS YOUR NEXT “ZOOM” BACKGROUND VIDEO TO FREAK OUT YOUR CO-WORKERS.

 

A LIST FOR FRIDAY

6 Wise Ways to Use Your Child Tax Credit

The Penny Hoarder

 

1. Contribute to a 529 Savings Plan

College tuition continues to rise, leaving many saddled with student loan debt. A 529 savings plan is an investment vehicle to grow money tax free and then use that money to spend on qualified education expenses, like college tuition.

Money in a 529 savings plan can also be used for private school expenses. You could even use the money to go toward a trade school or vocational school program if your child decides college isn’t for them.

 

2. Use the Money to Subsidize Your Child Care

The cost of child care often rivals the cost of a college education — with much less time to save up for the expense.

While $300 a month does not cover the average cost of daycare or preschool, it can help reduce the financial burden.

Parents of elementary or middle school students could use the $250 monthly payments toward before- or after-school care.

 

3. Increase Your Dependent Care FSA Contributions

A dependent care FSA, or flexible spending account, is a workplace benefit that allows workers to put aside pre-tax dollars to use toward qualifying expenses, like day care, nanny care, preschool, before- or after-school care and summer camp.

In addition to the expanded child tax credit, the American Rescue Plan Act increases the 2021 dependent care FSA contribution limits to $5,250 for single tax filers or $10,500 for married couples filing jointly.

If you are enrolled in a dependent care FSA through work, you’ll technically be using your pre-tax income from payroll to increase your contributions. However, the extra money you’ll get from the child tax credit can be used to make up for having less take-home pay.

 

4. Pay for Tutoring to Prevent the Covid Slide

After pandemic-related school closures and the switch to remote learning, you may notice your child is struggling academically.

NWEA, an educational research-based nonprofit, found that students in grades 3 through 8 saw math testing scores drop between five and 10 percentile points in 2020 compared to pre-pandemic test scores.

Supplementing your kid’s education with private tutors can help with academic improvement. While payments from the child tax credit aren’t expected to hit parents’ bank accounts until sometime in July, this money could be used to pay for tutoring over the summer and into the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

 

5. Pay for Next Year’s Summer Camp

Summer camp is an annual expense, but it still always seems to hit from out of nowhere.

Depending on when your child tax credit payments are deposited into your bank account (and when your kid’s summer camp requires payment), you could use the money to cover the final weeks of camp.

However, if you miss out this year, you can always put the money in a sinking fund to help offset next year’s summer camp costs so you won’t be caught off guard.

 

6. Get Your Kids Interested in Investing

Parents who want to get their children off to a strong start financially could use the extra cash as seed money for their kids to start investing.

Starting with fractional shares is one way to get your kids excited about investing — and you won’t have to use all your tax credit money to buy a tiny percentage of ownership in their favorite companies.

As a bonus, you’ll be starting your children on the path to building wealth at an early age.

 

The preceding material was compiled and edited by Brandon Castillo.  The Editor-In-Chief is Gary Bryan.  The Radio Genius Show Prep Service is licensed for use on-air only by subscribing radio stations.  Other means of redistribution is forbidden.
© 2020 – Radio Genius Show Prep