Born on this day!! Actor Fionnula Flanagan (“Waking Ned Devine”) is 80. Singer Ralph Tavares of Tavares is 80. Actor-singer Gloria Loring is 75. Drummer Walter “Clyde” Orange of The Commodores is 75. Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 70. Actor Susan Dey is 69. Musician Paul Hardcastle is 64. Actor John York (“General Hospital”) is 63. Actor-director Kenneth Branagh is 61. Actor Nia Peeples is 60. TV chef Bobby Flay is 57. Singer-guitarist J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. is 56. Bassist Scot Alexander of Dishwalla is 50. Drummer Meg White of The White Stripes is 47. Actor Emmanuelle Chriqui (“Entourage”) is 46. Rapper Kuniva of D12 is 46. Actor Gavin Houston (“The Haves and the Have Nots,” “Guiding Light”) is 44. Actor Alano Miller (“Underground,” ″Jane the Virgin”) is 42. Bassist Noah Harmon of Airborne Toxic Event is 40. Actor Patrick John Flueger (“Chicago P.D.”) is 38. Country singer Meghan Linsey is 36. Actor Raven-Symone (“That’s So Raven,” ″The Cosby Show”) is 36. Actor-singer Teyana Taylor is 31. Actor Kiki Layne (“If Beale Street Could Talk”) is 30.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1901 – The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace.
1817 – Mississippi became the 20th state in the United States.
1869 – The territory of Wyoming authorized women to vote and hold office.
1948 – The United Nations General Assembly adopted its Universal Declaration on Human Rights.
1950 – Dr. Ralph Bunche became the first black to receive a Nobel Peace Prize.
1964 – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., received the Nobel Peace Prize.
1999 – Los Alamos scientist Wen Ho Lee was arrested and charged with stealing classified information.
2004 – A U.S. passenger jet landed in Vietnam, the first one to do so since the Vietnam War ended nearly three decades earlier.
Today Is: Dewey Decimal System Day, Human Rights Day, International Animal Rights Day, Jane Addams Day, National Salesperson Day, Nobel Prize Day, Official Lost & Found Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – SWAT / 9:00 – Magnum PI / 10:00 – Blue Bloods
NBC – 8:00 – The Wall / 9:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 – Shark Tank / 9:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 – Penn and Teller / 9:00 – Nancy Drew
TV Talk Shows
James Corden: Anna Kendrick, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Atsuko Okatsuka (R 11/2/21)
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Elton John, Katie Couric
The Real: Da’Vinchi, Rick Ross
Drew Barrymore: David Alvarez, Mike Faist, Josh Andres Rivera, Machine Gun Kelly, Pilar Valdes
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Were YOU shocked??? (Neither were we!!) Jussie Smollett is CONVICTED of a hate crime hoax in Chicago!!! Now.. the sentencing…
QUESTION: Who is he trying to be… another ALEC BALDWIN? Travis Scott goes on with Charlamagne.. “I didn’t know ANYTHING about injuries!!”
QUESTION: Why was this MOM arrested?? She stole her 22-year-old daughter’s identity to go to college, get loans, and DATE SOME YOUNG GUYS!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Wanna stay in the GRINCH’S CAVE for the Holidays?? You’re in luck!! It’s for rent from Dec. 13-23 from “vacasa.com” for $19.57 a night!!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Waiting for the ALIENS to show up?? NASA says “They may have already BEEN HERE!!!” How do they know.. and where did they go???
Josh Duggar Convicted
Former reality TV star Josh Duggar, who found fame with a TLC series about his large family, was convicted in Arkansas on Thursday on two criminal counts for receiving and possessing child pornography. The federal jury in Fayetteville found Duggar guilty on one count of possessing child pornography and one count of downloading it. He was immediately taken into custody. He faces a combined 20 years in prison for both counts. He will be sentenced around April, the judge said. He was formerly the star of the TLC series 19 Kids and Counting until it went off the air six years ago amid molestation reports involving Duggar. He also faces a $250,000 fine for Thursday’s conviction. The verdict came two years after federal authorities searched Duggar’s business in 2019 and seized personal devices and a work computer. He was indicted earlier this year on both charges after prosecutors provided evidence that he had an elaborate system to view child pornography.
*********Another one bites the dust??? If you have something to hide, don’t do a reality show!!
New Cobra Kai Trailer Released
William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso are working together in order to win the All Valley Karate Tournament in the new trailer for Cobra Kai Season 4. They have joined forces and brought their karate students together for joint lessons that mix both of their fighting styles in the clip released on Thursday. Johnny and Daniel want to defeat Martin Kove’s John Kreese, who has taken over the Cobra Kai dojo from Johnny. Thomas Ian Griffith, who starred as Karate Kid III villain Terry Silver, also returns to help assist John. Johnny and Daniel argue over the teaching of Xolo Maridueña’s Miguel Diaz as the governing body of the tournament votes on a new set of rules. Cobra Kai Season 4 is coming to Netflix on Dec. 31. See the trailer HERE.
*******Do you know what this means?? Neither do we!!
******We thought “Dojo” was what they call the french fries at Shakey’s!!!
*****This show has given the karate business a real kick start!!
Kourtney K Hits Back At Plastic Surgery Trolls
Kourtney Kardashian clapped back at a troll who accused her of having plenty of plastic surgery to achieve her youthful look. “Kourtney got plenty of plastic surgery!” a critic commented on a throwback photo of the reality star and her sisters that was posted to the @popcultureangel Instagram account this week. “She just did it in an extremely natural way that still complimented her features instead of [changing] them.” The troll then surmised what Kourtney has had done, suggesting she underwent “botox, nose job, some sort of butt shot or bbl just to start.” Kourtney wasted no time in responding to the stranger’s claims, taking the cosmetic surgery accusations in stride. “No better compliment than a too good to be real kind of compliment,” Kourtney wrote, adding, “Butt shot and brazilian butt lift, um, thanks. And you were just getting started.” In the photo, Kourtney and sisters Kim Kardashian West and Khloé Kardashian are seen showing off their curves in bikinis while hanging out together poolside. Kourtney has found herself in defense mode quite a few times this year. Earlier this month, she slammed an Instagram user for suggesting she looked pregnant in a steamy hot tub pic with fiancé Travis Barker. “Are we really gonna do this every time I post a photo?” Kourtney asked.
********We know how to make it stop!!! Don’t post any more photos!!
****Posting on social media is like going to strange neighborhood, standing in the middle of an intersection and screaming, “Check me out!! What do you think??” Everyone immediately goes: “YOU SUCK!!!”
Jeopardy To Continue With Same Hosts
Mayim Bialik and Ken Jennings will continue to be Jeopardy!’s hosts in 2022. “We are delighted to let you know our excellent and experienced team in front of and behind the camera will continue into 2022,” it was announced by the game show on Wednesday. They will continue to “share hosting duties through the end” of Season 38, which is expected to run through August. Michael Davies will remain as the show’s executive producer. The search for new hosts began after the November 2020 death of Alex Trebek, who helmed the program since 1984. They held an elaborate search for a new host — testing out various celebrities. Ultimately, and controversially, then ended up hiring then-executive producer Mike Richards for the syndicated show with Bialik for prime-time specials. However, Richards stepped down days into his gig after old podcast comments were resurfaced in which he made offensive comments about women’s bodies and Jewish people. Bialik has said time and again that she’d like to be the permanent host. The Call Me Kat star said, “There’s no other job I would rather have.”
******This is great news!! For Mayim and Ken, that is!!!
SATC Revival Addresses Kim Cattrall’s Absence
As the “Sex and the City” revival series airs, Samantha Jones’ absence looms large. Within the first five minutes of the premiere episode of “And Just Like That” (now streaming on HBO Max), the show addresses where Kim Cattrall’s beloved character went. In the opening scene, Carrie, Charlotte and Miranda (Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis and Cynthia Nixon) go out to dine together for the first time since the pandemic. At the restaurant, they run into Bitsy Von Muffling (Julie Halston), who asks where “the fourth Musketeer” is. “Oh, she’s no longer with us,” Charlotte explains. Bitsy looks shocked — as that certainly sounds ominous, so Miranda clarifies, “Oh no, she didn’t die,” while Carrie further explains that Samantha moved to London. In a later scene, Miranda says, “It is kind of like she’s dead . . . we never even talk about her.” Understandably, fans are having strong reactions to this explanation for the most dynamic friend’s absence from the “Sex and the City” revival. Fan account @everyoutfitonSATC posted a screenshot of Carrie sending unanswered texts to Samantha, with the caption, “TFW [That feel when] Samantha ghosts you.” It elicited a flurry of reactions about Samantha’s fate. “I don’t like the idea of making Sam bad and rude. I don’t,” wrote one commenter. Another said, “I really don’t think Sam would be scorned like that . . . she was so loyal.” The outrage continued on Twitter, as a fan tweeted, “Put more respect on Samantha Jones. She was the most understanding friend in that group and would never go ghost like that. Lazy-ass writers.”
*********The rest of the girls have to pick up the slack in the “random sexual encounters” department!!
*****The way these three look, they could have said, “She died of old age!!”
****Can someone tell these fans that it’s FICTION, not a documentary??
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Shawn & Camila’s Ultimate Kiss-Of!-(National Enquirer)
There’s nothing holding Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello back-from breaking up! After over two years together, Shawn, 23, and Camila, 24, announced their split in a joint statement. “Hey guys, we’ve decided to end our romantic relationship but our love for one another as humans is stronger than ever,” they said. “We started our relationship as best friends and will continue to be best friends.”
Love Match-(Globe)
The love match is still going strong for tennis ace Serena Williams, 40, and tech titan hubby Alexis Ohanian, 38. “Four years ago you made me the happiest man in the world and our little family keeps me feeling more grateful every day,” he coos, marking their anniversary.
John & Emily: Perfect Balance-(Us Weekly)
John Krasinski and Emily Blunt are two of the busiest people in Hollywood but they never let their careers interrupt their happy home life. “Their kids always come first,” a source says of Krasinski, 42, and Blunt, 38, who share two daughters. “Raising them is very much unified.” That means they try hard not to work at the same time. “They arrange their lives to keep family as their tip priority,” adds the source. “That’s why they’re so solid together.”
Ad Fab! Mila Kunis-(Star)
Earlier this year, the actress, 38, played herself in a Super Bowl ad for Cheetos alongside hubby Ashton Kutcher, but at 12, Mila also raved about how much she loved Lisa Frank products in a TV spot. (She starred in a Barbie advertisement the very next year!) By 1998, she had landed a part on That ‘70s Show. Her commercial career has lived on-today she pushes more adult products, like Jim Beam.
Best Hollywood Boss: Jennifer Hudson-(Life & Style)
She famously won an Oscar for playing a member of the Dreamettes in the 2006 movie musical Dreamgirls-but it turns out Jennifer is also a total dream in real life. In 2013, the singer-actress, 40, gifted her longtime assistant, Walter Williams-whom she’s known since they were classmates in sixth grade back in Chicago-an epic Christmas gift: a new house. She even shared a video of Walter’s excited reaction on social media. “He’s by far my closest friend,” Hud has said.
Lindsay Lohan & Bader Shammas: Engaged-(People)
On Nov. 28 the Mean Girls actress, 35, revealed that her boyfriend, who works in finance, had popped the question. “My love. My life. My family. My future,” Lohan-who has been with Shammas for three years-posted on Instagram.
Last Laughs-(In Touch)
“Gucci is releasing a special edition Xbox that comes with two controllers and branded suitcase for $10,000. For 10 grand, a Gucci Xbox should come with Adam Driver and Lady Gaga.”-Jimmy Fallon.
“A woman reportedly climbed over the barrier to the Bronx Zoo’s lion exhibit while carrying a bouquet of roses. Or as the lions saw it: dinner, holding some garnish.”-Seth Meyers.
“A man surprised his girlfriend by bringing her on-stage to propose to her during an Adele concert. Then they sat down and listened to an hour of songs about divorce.”-Colin Jost.
STUPID NEWS
Impatient Baby Born On The Highway
A Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper put his skills as an EMT to good use when he was summoned to help deliver a baby at the side of a highway. Trooper Aaron Ranker said he was on his way back to his post Tuesday evening when he heard sirens on Interstate 40, in the Dickson area, and called dispatch to find out what was happening. “That’s when they informed me that there was a lady on the side of the road that was in labor,” Ranker told WSMV-TV. Ranker, who previously trained as an EMT, rushed to the scene to assess the situation. “She was what we call crowning. You could see the top of the head in the birth canal,” Ranker said. “I knew at that point birth was going to happen whether we wanted to or not.” Ranker helped the mother deliver a healthy baby boy in the front seat of the woman’s vehicle. The THP tweeted a photo of Ranker visiting the mother in the hospital after the successful delivery. “I figured at some point my medical background would help on some calls, but as far as delivering a baby on the side of the interstate, never in a million years,” Ranker said.
*********The kid will grow up to be a Road Scholar!!
********He spanked the baby, and is now charged with police brutality!!
******After you have enough babies, they just walk out!!!
Skiing Santas!
A Maine resort said a total 232 people donned Santa Claus costumes and took to the slopes on skis and snowboards to raise money for a local nonprofit. The Sunday River Resort in Newry said the 21st Annual Santa Sunday event featured 232 Santas wearing red hats, red coats and white beards, ringing sleigh bells and taking on the slopes of the resort’s Broadway trail. The event raised more than $5,000 for the River Fund Maine, a non-profit that “aims to create a bright economic future for the community by investing in the education of the area’s youth and by harnessing the recreational assets of the region,” the resort said. The skiing Santas each made a $20 donation to participate in the event, and the resort provided day-long lift tickets for all participants as well as extra tickets for return visits. See the video HERE.
********With all those clones, it looked like the “Santa Matrix!!!”
******The reindeer said, “What are we? Chopped liver???”
Sisters Finally Meet After DNA Test
A pair of sisters in their 70s met one another for the first time in Denver after first finding out about one another’s existence from a website. Harriet Carter, 76, who was given up for adoption at birth, found out she had a sister, Linda Hoffman, 73, when both women recently signed up for Ancestry.com and took DNA tests. Hoffman said her parents never told her she had an older sister, who was born when both parents were 18. “I had a message from Harriet saying, ‘I think we might be related,'” Hoffman told KMGH-TV. “We were 100% match, but our parents never told a soul ever.” The sisters got to know each other over the phone during the pandemic and finally were able to meet face-to-face this week at Denver International Airport. “I can’t quit staring at you,” Hoffman told Carter, who flew into the airport from Sacramento, Calif. The women said they are not focusing on the time they lost, but rather the time they have now. “I think we found each other when we were supposed to,” Hoffman said.
**********They weren’t separated at birth… but soon after!!
***** We went on Ancestry… but none of our DNA matches were human!!!
TOPIC: Who did YOU find on Ancestry or 23 and Me???
Largest Pot Brownie
A marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts cooked what it claims to be the world’s largest cannabis-infused brownie — an 850-pound THC treat. MariMed, based in Norwood, celebrated the launch of its new brand Bubby’s Baked by cooking the brownie infused with 20,000 milligrams of TCH, the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. The brownie measures 3 feet long on each side and 15 inches high. It dwarfs the Guinness World Record holder for largest brownie, a 234-pounder made by Alabama’s Something Sweet Bake Shop in 2013. But MariMed said the record-keeping agency told the company its brownie would not be considered. “Unfortunately, Guinness World Records rejected our entry because they don’t accept cannabis-related records,” Ryan Crandall, MariMed’s chief product officer, told McClatchy. “That was a disappointment, but we’re still very proud of what we accomplished.”
*********They should have gotten “World’s Largest Buzz!!!”
*****They’ll remember this record for as long as they can!!
********What does Snoop Dogg call an 850-pound pot brownie?? A snack!!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: WOMAN SOCCER PLAYER TAKES DOWN INVADER.
VIDEO: MEMBERS OF THE BEATLES DESCRIBE THE BEGINNING OF BEATLEMANIA.
A LIST FOR FRIDAY
8 Secrets About Flight Delays You Need To Know Before Your Next Trip
Huffington Post
You can track your airplane.
It’s useful to download the mobile app for the airline you’re flying to get notifications about gate changes and delays before they even get announced on the screen at the airport. But you can also use it to follow your plane’s journey ahead of its arrival at your airport and anticipate potential delays to your flight.
“In the app for your airline, you can often see specifically where the plane is coming from and if it is arriving on time,” said Ravi Roth, queer travel expert and “Gaycation Travel Show” host.
There are also a number of non-airline apps and websites that allow you to keep tabs on your flight and previous departures. All you need is your flight number, the airline and the departure date.
“FlightAware and Flightradar are two of my favorites, and you are able to track where your flight came from and also where it is in that moment, which I think is so fun to be able to see your plane in real time,” said travel blogger Esther Susag. “Also, just simply checking the published flight status of the plane via a simple Google search can also be much more informative than you think.”
Earlier flights are less likely to get delayed.
“Later flights, which are relying on crew and potentially the plane itself from a prior segment, are more susceptible to be delayed,” said Adit Damodaran, an economist at the travel booking app Hopper. “In other words, an early flight getting delayed can have a ‘ripple effect’ in which subsequent flights are also delayed. We recommend always booking the first flight out if you can to avoid any impact of delays from earlier in the day.”
So if you hate flight delays more than you hate waking up at the crack of dawn, opt for a morning flight. Being able to track your plane can also be reassuring when you have a morning flight.
“If I wanted to fly from D.C. to Chicago tomorrow, I could book a 6:45 a.m. flight from Dulles and see that the plane will arrive from Los Angeles at 12:45 a.m.,” said Willis Orlando, senior product operations specialist at Scott’s Cheap Flights. “The plane is scheduled to arrive six hours before my flight, so even if there are mass delays, that plane ― or at least a plane ― will be there for me in the morning. Whereas, if I decided on a 1 p.m. flight, my plane would be arriving only an hour beforehand, and the odds increase that there might be a delay due to weather issues, staffing issues, mechanical issues.”
Of course, morning flights aren’t immune to delays and other problems. But even if something does happen with your morning flight or it ends up getting canceled, you’ll typically have many more options for getting to your destination on the same day ― whereas a canceled flight in the late afternoon or evening often means having to go home or to a hotel and return to the airport the following day.
Flying nonstop also offers better odds.
In addition to booking a morning flight, you can also try to avoid delays by opting for nonstop when possible.
“Obviously you lower your odds of being delayed by flying nonstop because there are fewer flights involved,” Orlando said.
The nonstop option can cost more money, but you don’t have to go to as many airports and gates. You can also avoid worrying about missing the connection if your first flight is delayed. If you crave that peace of mind and can’t stand delays, paying a little extra might be worth it.
That being said, nonstop isn’t always an option. In those cases, you can be strategic about your layover choices with timing and location. Aim to give yourself at least an hour between flights. You should also try to connect through a city that has many flights to your final destination.
“Choose a route that’s offered several times in the day,” Orlando advised. “That way your chances of getting rebooked on another flight quickly are better.”
Paying attention to weather patterns can help.
Another way to stay on top of flight delays is to think about weather. This also plays into your choice of flight connections.
“If you’re flying cross-country on a major U.S. airline and have to make a stop, they have hubs in both warm and cold places,” Orlando explained. “So with United, you could connect through Chicago or Houston. The wise choice would be Houston in the winter to avoid the snow in Chicago and Chicago in the summer to avoid potential tropical storms in Houston.”
As your trip approaches, you might want to pay attention to weather patterns at your departure and arrival airports and along the flight route. Being aware of bad storms ahead of time can help you anticipate potential delays, especially around the holidays, when winter storms are a concern.
Weather issues in other parts of the country can also have a cascading effect on flights across the U.S., including places that aren’t directly affected. And, of course, weather isn’t the only cause for delays.
“Keep in mind that even in clear weather conditions, airlines can still face delays and cancellations as a result of disruptions to incoming flights, staffing issues, technical issues or other unforeseen circumstances, so don’t let clear skies stop you from being vigilant,” said Jen Moyse, senior director of product at TripIt.
You can check the on-time percentage for your flight when you book.
Federal regulations require airlines to share the on-time flight performance data on their websites. So when you’re scheduling your travel, you can usually see how frequently a given flight arrives on time. Understandably, you might want to opt for one with a higher on-time percentage.
If you can’t easily find that data on the airline’s website, there are other places that publish this information, including FlightAware and FlightStats.
The U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics website also offers statistics on airline and airport delays to give you a better picture before you purchase your ticket.
It’s important to know your rights.
Even if air travel makes you feel like a herded cow, you actually do have rights as a passenger. The Department of Transportation website outlines your rights during a delay at the airport or on the tarmac.
“Luckily there are rules tied to tarmac delays, or passengers stuck in a plane waiting on the tarmac,” Moyse said. “Airplanes are required to allow passengers to leave an outbound or inbound plane after three hours for domestic flights, and four for international.”
Passengers are also entitled to up-to-date information about their delays from the airline, so don’t hesitate to inquire about what’s going on if you feel it’s been a while since you heard an update.
You might be entitled to money.
“When I think about flight delays and common mistakes people make, I think about how many times people miss out on the chance to get money back or compensated,” Susag said. “Always, always look at the airline terms and conditions, because most of the time you can always find a way to get a large chunk of what you paid for back when your flight is delayed.”
Indeed, eligible passengers traveling in the European Union can be entitled to compensation for flights delayed three hours or more. Your travel insurance plan could also include compensation for delays of a certain duration, so check the fine print.
Susag also noted that airlines are obligated to give your refund in money rather than in miles or a credit with the carrier, so ask for cash if you prefer that option. Depending on the circumstances, airlines can also be obliged to cover expenses incurred due to delays or cancellations (like food and hotel accommodations).
Additionally, some travel rewards credit cards include trip delay protection, so you could get reimbursed for expenses that the airline won’t cover. If you booked your trip through a third-party travel planner, pay attention to the plan you chose. Apps like Hopper offer plans with compensation or free rebooking options for flights delayed more than one hour, for example.
Delays happen. Build in a buffer for important trips and don’t take it out on airport workers.
Sometimes travel stakes are high. You might be flying to your wedding weekend or trying to make it home for the holidays for the first time in years. In these instances, it’s helpful to build in a buffer to avoid having a delay derail your plans.
“Try to bake some flexibility into your schedule if you can, especially for Christmas and New Year’s holidays coming up,” Damodaran said. “It’s always a good idea to buffer an extra day or so, in case there are disruptions to your trip, to ensure you can make it in time for any holiday festivities.”
Delays are normal, especially in peak travel season. The days just before Christmas and New Year’s Eve are some of the busiest of the year, and the air travel industry is still recovering from staffing shortages.
“It’s been an unusual year for travel with flight disruptions and changing COVID-19 restrictions,” Moyse noted. “This has led to many heated interactions at the airport and on planes, and a rise in unruly passengers, which have impacted the overall travel experience.”
Whatever happens with your flights, taking out your frustration on airport workers will probably not make the experience more pleasant.
“Patience is key to managing the ups and downs of travel, as it will always be a little stressful to navigate schedules and crowds,” Moyse said. “Prepare for potential disruptions and pack a smile.”
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.
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