Born on this day!! Singer-actor Tommy Steele is 85. Actor Bernard Hill is 77. Actor Ernie Hudson (“Ghostbusters”) is 76. Former “Hardball” host Chris Matthews is 76. Actor-comedian Eugene Levy is 75. Actor Marilyn Hassett (“The Other Side of the Mountain”) is 74. Actor Wes Studi (TV’s “Comanche Moon,” “Into the West”) is 74. Drummer Jim Bonfanti of The Raspberries is 73. Actor Joel Brooks (“Six Feet Under”) is 72. Singer Paul Rodgers is 72. Singer Wanda Hutchinson Vaughn of The Emotions is 70. Country singer Sharon White of The Whites is 68. Actor Barry Livingston (“My Three Sons”) is 68. Actor Bill Pullman is 68. Director-producer Peter Farrelly (“There’s Something About Mary,” ″Dumb and Dumber”) is 65. Bassist Mike Mills of R.E.M. is 63. Singer Sarah Dallin of Bananarama is 60. Country singer Tracy Byrd is 55. Bassist Duane Propes of Little Texas is 55. Actor Laurie Holden (“The Walking Dead”) is 52. DJ Homicide of Sugar Ray is 51. Actor Sean Patrick Thomas (“The District”) is 51. Actor Claire Forlani (“Meet Joe Black,” ″CSI: NY”) is 50. Drummer Eddie Fisher of OneRepublic is 48. Actor Sarah Paulson (“American Horror Story”) is 47. Actor Giovanni Ribisi is 47. Actor Marissa Ribisi (“Pleasantville”) is 47. Actor Milla Jovovich (“Zoolander,” ″The Fifth Element”) is 46. Singer Ben Goldwasser of MGMT is 39. Singer Mikky Ekko is 38. Actor Shannon Woodward (“Westworld,” ″Raising Hope”) is 37. Actor Emma Bell (“The Walking Dead”) is 35. Actor Vanessa Zima (Film’s “Ulee’s Gold,” TV’s “Murder One”) is 35. Guitarist Taylor York of Paramore is 32. Actor Graham Rogers (“Quantico”) is 31. Actor-singer Nat Wolff (“The Naked Brothers Band”) is 27.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1777 – France recognized American independence.
1903 – Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first flight in a heavier-than-air plane at Kitty Hawk, N.C.
1944 – The U.S. Army announced the end of its policy of holding Japanese-Americans in internment camps, allowing “evacuees” to return home.
1969 – The U.S. Air Force ended its “Project Blue Book” and concluded that there was no evidence of extraterrestrial activity behind UFO sightings.
1992 – North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) signed by U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
Today Is: A Christmas Carol Day (Story), Clean Air Day, National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day, Underdog Day, Wright Brothers Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – At Home Videos / 9:00 – At Home Videos / 10:00 – Blue Bloods
NBC – 8:00 – Sing / 10:00 – Dateline NBC
ABC – 8:00 – Shark Tank / 9:00 – 2020
FOX – 8:00 – Friday Night Smackdown
CW – 8:00 – Hollywood Christmas Parade
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Fallon: Reese Witherspoon, Mike Birbiglia, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Stephen Colbert: Jennifer Lawrence, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats (R 12/6/21)
Seth Meyers: Andy Samberg, Jesse Plemons, Jon Epcar (R 11/24/21)
James Corden: Hailee Steinfeld, Lee Pace, Coldplay (R 10/19/21)
The View: Darlene Love
The Talk: Anna Kloots
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Method Man, Shaggy
Ellen DeGeneres: Michael Bublé, Pentatonix, guest host Howie Mandel
Wendy Williams: Guest host Sherri Shepherd
The Real: Meghan Trainor, Ester Dean
Kelly Clarkson: “The Masked Singer” winner, Demi Singleton, Saniyya Sidney, Maddie Poppe
Tamron Hall: Daniel Thomas, Lish Steiling, Tamela Mann
Drew Barrymore: Chelsea Handler, Eitan Bernath, Gillian Lau (R 10/13/21)
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: Besides English and Spanish, what is the most commonly spoken language in YOUR state? Check this map.. you may be shocked!!
QUESTION: Why can’t this happen to YOU? Man pays $30 for a line drawing at an estate sale.. then discovers it’s worth $50 MILLION!!!!
QUESTION: Why did this obit GO VIRAL?? A man salutes his “Redneck Jewish Mom” with a “plus-sized neck,” and the Internet goes wild!!!!!
QUESTION: Guess who has to pay rights fees when he plays his own music? BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN just sold his library for $500 MILLION!
QUESTION: Is it a “Rockin’ Robin?” This album of BIRD SOUNDS tops the Aussie charts, beating out MARIAH CAREY and MICHAEL BUBLE!!!!
Ryan Seacrest Extends NYE Show
Ryan Seacrest will continue to host Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve for years to come. He has signed a multi-year deal extension with MRC Live & Alternative to host and executive produce the ABC special. 2021 will mark Seacrest’s 17th year as host and the special’s 50th anniversary. This year’s show will air Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. “It’s been a privilege to spend the last 17 years ringing in the new year on Times Square with friends in person and at home,” Seacrest said. “I’m looking forward to continuing the traditions and making new memories as we go into this next chapter.” “I’m grateful I get to do what I love every year and collaborate with the best-in-class teams at MRC and ABC on this annual event,” he added. MRC Live & Alternative president Adam Stotsky praised Seacrest as “a singular talent.” Seacrest first joined the special in 2005 after creator and original host Dick Clark had a stroke.
******Somewhere, Dick Clark is hoping Seacrest winds being hiti by an asteroid!!!
*******When they say he’s a “singular talent,” it means they can only think of one talent that he has!!!
******His ball has been dropping for 17 years??? And his voice has changed???
*****This year, only rats will be allowed in Times Square!! But they’ll have party hats and noise makers!!
Jeff Garlin Exits The Goldbergs
The Goldbergs star Jeff Garlin has exited the series following multiple misconduct allegations. He left the sitcom after an HR investigation into his on-set behavior, according to Deadline. Sources said a mutual agreement was reached Wednesday that Garlin would exit the show. He had played Murray Goldberg on the show’s premiere on ABC in 2013. The series follows the Goldbergs, a family living in Jenkintown, Pa., in the 1980s. Sources said Garlin was not expected to return for the potential 10th season of The Goldbergs, which has yet to be renewed. Garlin confirmed in an interview with Vanity Fair this month that “There has been an HR investigation on me the past three years. HR has come to me three years in a row for my behavior on set.” “[A]s a comedian, if somebody is offended by what I say, all I can say is, I’m sorry. OK? I have never physically come at anyone, for any reason, so that I find terribly confusing and untrue,” he said when told about some Goldbergs staff feeling demeaned and disrespected by some of his language and physical actions.
********He’s a big manly man. That scares an entire generation!!!!
********His violations included burping and farting at the same time!!!
******You know what’s funny to “woke” people? Nothing.
The Sound Of James Bond Is Coming
New documentary The Sound of 007 is coming to Apple TV+. The new project will explore the history of the music of the James Bond films. From the iconic 007 theme song to Billie Eilish’s “No Time to Die,” the documentary gives an in-depth look at the music of the long-running franchise through interviews and archive material. The project hails from MGM, Eon Productions and Ventureland and will premiere on Apple TV+ in October 2022 to mark the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film series. Ventureland and Eon Productions previously collaborated on the James Bond documentary Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007. The most recent James Bond film, No Time to Die, was released in October. The film marks Daniel Craig’s fifth and final movie as Bond.
*********The Sound of James Bond should be gunshots and explosions. That’s all.
Ben Affleck Back Peddles After Interview
Ben Affleck discussed his recent, controversial interview with Howard Stern while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Affleck’s interview with Stern made waves on social media as he talked candidly about his previous marriage to Jennifer Garner and his struggle with alcoholism. He addressed comments about Garner from the interview that he felt were taken out of context in news articles and on social media. “They had literally taken the conversation that I had for two hours and made it seem as if I was saying the exact opposite of what I had said. I had gone on, said how much we respected each other, cared about each other, cared about our kids and put them first,” Affleck told Kimmel. “It said that I had blamed my ex-wife for my alcoholism, that I was trapped in this marriage. Just made me out to be the worst, most insensitive, stupid awful guy,” he continued. He said the situation hurt his feelings and noted that he has to draw a line when it comes to his kids. He shares 16-year-old Violet, 12-year-old Seraphina and 9-year-old Samuel with Garner. “Like that’s not true. I don’t believe that, it’s the exact opposite of who I am, what I believe. And I would never want my kids to think I would ever say a bad word about their mom,” he continued.
********That’s great… but that’s not what you said. YOU SAID “If I was still with her I would’ve kept drinking..”
******Thinking only of yourself… that’s alcoholic behavior!!
******He should just own it and move on!! What do you think??
UPDATE: Now her friends are weighing in, and they’re PISSED!! Get the story HERE!!
Mr. Big Accused Of Assaulting Women
“Sex and the City” alum Chris Noth has been accused of sexually assaulting two women. The actor, whose recently made headlines for the shocking storyline involving his character Mr. Big in HBO Max’s “And Just Like That,” released a statement through his team after The Hollywood Reporter reported accusations made by two women under the pseudonyms Zoe and Lily. “The accusations against me made by individuals I met years, even decades, ago are categorically false. These stories could’ve been from 30 years ago or 30 days ago — no always means no — that is a line I did not cross. The encounters were consensual. It’s difficult not to question the timing of these stories coming out. I don’t know for certain why they are surfacing now, but I do know this: I did not assault these women,” Noth’s statement reads. THR claims the women – Zoe, now 40, and Lily, now 31 – approached the outlet separately in recent months and do not know each other. The women claim headlines about Noth’s appearance in the new “Sex and the City” revival series led them to want to come forward with the allegations. Zoe claims she met Noth in 2004 at the age of 22 when she began working for a media firm. Her now former boss corroborated her claims to the outlet that Noth, then 49, left her voicemails and was seen talking to her at her desk. Zoe alleged that one day Noth invited her to the pool of his West Hollywood apartment. She went with a friend. Before taking a phone call back at his apartment, Zoe alleges Noth asked for her opinion of a book. When she later went to return the book to him, she claims he kissed her before pulling her toward him and taking off her shorts and bikini bottom. “It was very painful and I yelled out, ‘Stop!’” she alleged to the outlet. “And he didn’t. I said, ‘Can you at least get a condom?’ and he laughed at me.” Zoe further alleged that her friend took her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where she received stitches. She claimed she feared her career would be over and that she would not be believed if coming forward with the claims back then. Her former boss recalled Zoe informing her that Noth attacked her, according to the report.
********And just like that… he died on a Peloton!!! Now you know why!!!
Nick Cannon Opens Up About Infant Son
Nick Cannon says he made the difficult decision to not put his infant son, Zen, through chemotherapy before his death last week — because he didn’t want to prolong the baby’s cancer suffering. Nick, who has been through chemo himself, says he decided to focus on Zen’s quality of life rather than any invasive treatments, even though the procedure may have prolonged the child’s life for a while. “We started asking, ‘Is there a way to prevent this? If not, how long do we have?’” Cannon, who suffers from lupus and has taken a chemo drug to treat it, told People magazine on Thursday. “The conversations quickly turned to, ‘How can we give him the best life for the time that he does have?’ It could be weeks, it could be months, it could be years.” Cannon and Alyssa Scott welcomed their baby boy in July. However they soon learned that Zen — who was Cannon’s seventh child — had been building up fluid in his brain that turned out to be a malignant tumor. Cannon continued, “From someone who’s had to deal with chemotherapy before, I know that pain. To see that happen to a 2-month-old, I didn’t want that. I didn’t want him to suffer.”
*********Tough call. What would YOU have done???
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Casey & Caylee: A Cute Couple!-(National Enquirer)
Kissy-face Casey Affleck, 46, hasn’t been shy about giving lip service to new girlfriend Caylee Cowan-who at 23 is half his age! The “Manchester by the Sea” actor seemed to seal the end of his time with longtime galpal Floriana Lima, 40, by publicly playing tongue hockey with “Sunrise in Heaven” actress Caylee.
“Birds” Star Tippi Still Spiffy At 91-(Globe)
For Tippi Hedren, 91, being a picture-perfect Hollywood icon ain’t for the birds. In fact, the stunning star of Alfred Hitchcock’s terrifying 1963 horror hit “The Birds” still insists on getting dolled up every single day! According to her famously sexy “Fifty Shades of Grey” star granddaughter Dakota Johnson. “She’s such a glamorous movie star still. She spends like three hours a day, even if she doesn’t leave the house, getting ready.”
Michael & Lori: Totally Smitten-(Us Weekly)
Michael B. Jordan could not be happier with his girlfriend of one year, Lori Harvey, 24-and he wants the world to know it! “He’s in awe of Lori. She’s the complete package as far as he’s concerned,” a source says of the actor, 34, who recently gushed that he’s “finally found” what love is. “Beyond being captivatingly beautiful, Lori’s incredibly intelligent and driven, plus extremely loyal. And it helps that they share the same wicked sense of humor too!”
Crushin’ It! Emma Watson & Tom Felton-(Star)
Harry Potter
He put a spell on her! “Between the ages of 10 and 12, I had a really terrible crush on Tom Felton, to the extent that I would go into work in the morning and look down at the numbers on the call sheet to see if he was going to be in,” the 31-year-old admitted. Like Draco Malfoy, his onscreen alter-ego in the 2000s flicks, Tom, 34, was a bit of a bad boy. “He was a few years older and he had a skateboard,” says the Little Women star. “And that just did it.” Sadly, the actor did not return her feelings. “It just broke my heart,” says Emma. “It still does.”
Adele’s Diva Demands-(Life & Style)
Go easy on them, Adele! Rumor has it the British songstress, 33, is making some ridiculous requests as she prepares to take the stage at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in January. A source says Adele not only insists on staying at a $25,000-a-night villa during her 12-week Las Vegas residency, but she also wants her dressing room to be stocked with 100 bottles of carbonated water, chamomile and honey tea and her favorite red wine, etc. “A lot of people expect Adele to be fun and easygoing,” notes the source. “But she’s one of the most demanding celebs to hit the Strip, and that’s saying something!”
Britney Turns 40!-(People)
Britney Spears closed out a monumental year with a birthday for the books. The day before she turned 40 on Dec. 2, the singer jetted off to Cabo San Lucas for a getaway with her actor-model fiancé Sam Asghari, who surprised her on the flight with champagne and a rose-topped birthday cake in the shape of a “B.”
Last Laughs-(In Touch)
“Matthew McConaughey discussed his possible campaign for governor of Texas in a new interview with the Hollywood Reporter. Which is smart, because Texans famously get all their news from the Hollywood Reporter.”–Seth Meyers.
“In the U.K., snow trapped 60 people in a pub with an Oasis cover band for three days. So it’s true: Hell can freeze over!”-Stephen Colbert.
“Barbados ditched Queen Elizabeth II as head of state and officially declared Rihanna a national hero. That allows her to use the title ‘Right Honorable’ in front of her name. So now, she’s not just RiRi-she’s RiRiRi.”-Stephen Colbert.
STUPID NEWS
Biggest Mouth
A Minnesota teenager’s big mouth recaptured a Guinness World Record when his gape was measured at 4 inches. Isaac Johnson initially earned the record in 2019, when the then-14-year-old’s mouth gape measured 3.67 inches, but he lost the record to a Pennsylvania teenager just a few months later. Johnson now has recaptured the record after his gape was measured at a full 4 inches. “I guess it just grew over time as I grew. Maybe doing it, opening my mouth, stretches it out. Maybe that helped, too,” Johnson told KMSP-TV. Johnson said he has been invited to appear on a TV show about Guinness World Record holders in Italy next year. “It’s been an amazing, unforgettable experience that I’m very lucky to just have naturally — to just have a naturally big mouth,” Johnson said. See the video HERE.
*********How big is his mouth??? He just got an offer from three cable news outlets!!
*****He has a family of five living in there!!!
********He can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner at the same time!!!
Wild Hogs Caught On Tape
A Texas man who spotted evidence of wild hog activity outside his home checked his security camera footage and was shocked to see dozens of the animals had visited overnight. Glen Garner of Sienna said he was walking his daughter to the bus stop when he saw the footprints and other evidence that hogs had visited his yard during the night. “I saw a ton of damage,” Garner told KHOU-TV. “In our front yard, in our neighbor’s yard. Some of the houses down the street were hit worse than others.” Garner said he checked his security camera footage and expected to see wild hogs, but he was shocked to see how many of the animals had been through his yard. He estimated 25-30 hogs were in the troop. “You’ve seen one hog, OK,” Garner said. “And then you see the whole family troop filing in. It’s just really bizarre.” He said the hogs did a lot of damage in a very short amount of time. “They move really quickly,” Garner said. “Looking back on our camera, they were in our yard less than a minute.” See the video HERE.
*********They were “hamming it up” for the camera!!!
*******What time was it? “Swine O’Clock!!”
Largest Ornament Collection
A Welsh woman who started collecting Christmas bauble ornaments in 1999 has now earned a Guinness World Record with 1,760 pieces. Sylvia Pope, a Swansea resident nicknamed Nana Baubles, told Guinness World Records her collection of Christmas baubles began after seeing someone else’s festive decor. “It was back in 1999. My son, who lived in Brighton, invited us to spend New Year with him. We went to a friend’s house for a drink and, when I walked in, they had the baubles on the ceiling. It was fantastic. I thought, ‘oh my god, this is wonderful,'” Pope said. “They were from all over the world. And then I thought, ‘I’m going to try this,'” she recalled. Pope’s collection of Christmas baubles earned a Guinness World Record this year when they were officially counted at 1,760. She said the ornaments hang from the ceilings inside the home, with more decorating the exterior of her house. Pope said she expects her collection of bauble ornaments to top 2,000 next year. She said her collecting is centered on making the holidays magical for her family. See the video HERE.
*******She starts taking them down from one end of the house.. and by the time she gets to the other end, it’s time to start putting them up again!!
Cream Cheese Shortage
Kraft is offering to pony up $20 for dessert supplies to help customers who were unable to make cheesecake due to shortages of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The company set up a special website at which the first 18,000 people to register on Friday and Saturday will be able to apply for a $20 reimbursement for their dessert purchases. The promotion is designed to ease consumers’ concerns about shortages of Kraft’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese, which has been quickly vanishing from the shelves amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Kraft Heinz, which produces the Philadelphia brand, said it has seen demand spike for several products, and that it had to ship 35% more than last year. “As more people continue to eat breakfast at home and use cream cheese as an ingredient in easy desserts, we expect to see this trend continue,” the company said in a statement. Bagel shop owners say suppliers tell them that supply chain issues also impact the shortage, with some citing lack of containers and corrugated boxes used to ship the cream cheese to large customers such as supermarkets and bagel shops. Other theories have surfaced, as well, including labor shortages at some plants and not enough truck drivers.
********Look at that cream cheese… that’s how it looks when it gets into your veins!!
*******Supply chain blah, blah, blah… the cows don’t wanna work, because they’re getting a government check!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: SNOOP DOG MISPRONOUNCES GOLDEN GLOBE NOMINEES.
VIDEO: TORNADO CROSSES THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.
A LIST FOR FRIDAY
5 Common Gingerbread Cookie Mistakes And How To Fix Them
HUFFINGTON POST
Mistake #1: Underseasoning your dough
When you bite into a gingerbread cookie, it should taste like Christmas. Something has definitely gone wrong if your gingerbread is bland and doesn’t have a distinct ginger flavor. To prevent this from happening, Lomas recommends using several different types of ginger: dried ground ginger, fresh ginger and candied ginger. “A variety of types of ginger makes for a tastier, more complex cookie,” she said.
A caveat: If you’re making a gingerbread house, Lomas says to skip the candied ginger since it’s chunky and can get in the way of having smooth walls.
Mistake #2: Not resting your dough
Resting your gingerbread dough does two key things: develops flavor and keeps the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
“The flavors need time to mature, preferably overnight,” said Axel Jörgensen, general manager of Göteborgs Pepparkaksbageri, a Swedish bakery in Gothenburg that’s been open since 1924 and specializes in gingerbread biscuits. At the bakery, the dough is stored in plastic containers with lids and rests in a cool room for several hours before it’s cut into shapes.
After the gingerbread is cut out, Lomas recommends putting it into the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to three days. Chilling the dough before it goes into a hot oven gives the butter a chance to firm up and reduces how much it spreads when baking. “You should chill the dough both before rolling and cutting and after,” she said.
Mistake #3: Rolling out your dough unevenly
Precision is important when making gingerbread for construction purposes, and that includes uniform thickness. “When rolling out the dough, place two rulers of even thickness (or another item) on either side of your rolling space,” David said. “Because the gingerbread dough will be rolling between the two rulers, and the rolling pin on top of them, the dough will be the same thickness all the way through.” There are rolling pin guides you can buy that help you achieve even thickness, but David’s method allows you to get a similar effect using items you already have at home.
Mistake #4: Taking the gingerbread out of the oven and letting it cool
If you’re making a gingerbread house, having flat pieces with precise lines is essential to achieving a solid structure. Since cookies often spread when they’re baked, David recommends trimming your gingerbread right after you take it out of the oven to ensure your pieces are the correct sizes for construction. “The gingerbread will be easiest to cut while still warm,” he said.
Once you’re finished cutting the pieces to size, David recommends topping your gingerbread with a piece of parchment paper, then placing something heavy on top of it (like a sheet pan with a pot) until the gingerbread has completely cooled. “Gingerbread can curl as it cools, so putting something on top ensures it stays flat,” he said.
If you find that your pieces still need a little trimming after they have cooled, Lomas recommends using a rasp or microplane to file down the sides and corners for a perfect fit.
Mistake #5: Using soft gingerbread to make a gingerbread house
Soft gingerbread is great for eating and making decorated gingerbread people. But for building gingerbread houses? Not so much. To achieve crispy, sturdy gingerbread, Lomas recommends letting the baked gingerbread pieces dry out for a day or two. Don’t put the pieces in the refrigerator or keep them in a closed container, as this keeps the moisture in. “The longer it dries out, the easier it is to work with for construction purposes,” she said.
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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