Born on this day!! Singer Jay Black (Jay and the Americans) is 82. Actor Stefanie Powers is 78. Singer-actor J.D. Souther (“Nashville”) is 75. Actor Kate Linder (“The Young and the Restless”) is 73. Drummer Carter Beauford of the Dave Matthews Band is 62. Actor Peter Mullan (“Trainspotting”) is 61. Singer k.d. lang is 59. Bassist Bobby Dall of Poison is 57. Actor Jenny Robertson (film’s “Bull Durham,” TV’s “Reno 911!”) is 57. Actor Lauren Velez (“Dexter”) is 56. Actor David Schwimmer (“Friends”) is 54. Singer Alvin Chea of Take 6 is 53. Jazz singer Kurt Elling is 53. Bassist Fieldy of Korn is 51. Actor Meta Golding (“The Hunger Games: Catching Fire”) is 49. Singer-guitarist John Hampson of Nine Days is 49. Actor Marisol Nichols (“Riverdale”) is 49. Singer Timothy Christian Riley of Tony! Toni! Tone! is 46. Rapper Nelly is 46. Actor Danny Cooksey (“Diff’rent Strokes”) is 45. Guitarist Chris Walla of Death Cab For Cutie is 45. TV personality Karamo Brown (“Queer Eye”) is 40. Actor-singer Kendall Schmidt (“Big Time Rush”) is 30.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1889 – North Dakota and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states, respectively.
1947 – Howard Hughes flew the Spruce Goose on its first and only flight.
1948 – Harry S. Truman defeated Thomas E. Dewey to the surprise of pollsters and newspapers, in the greatest presidential upset in history.
1959 – Twenty-One game show contestant Charles Van Doren admitted that he had been given questions and answers in advance.
1976 – Jimmy Carter defeated Gerald Ford, becoming the first U.S. president from the deep South since the Civil War.
1984 – Velma Margie Barfield, a convicted murderer became the first woman to be executed since capital punishment was reinstated in 1976.
2003 – V. Gene Robinson was consecrated as bishop by the U.S. Episcopal Church, becoming the first openly gay bishop in the church.

Today Is: All Souls Day, Color The World Orange Day, Cookie Monster Birthday, Fill Our Staplers Day, International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, Job Action Day, National Traffic Professionals Day, Traffic Directors Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 – The Price Is Right  /  9:00 – All Rise  /  10:00 – Bull
NBC – 8:00  – The Voice  /  10:00 – SNL Special
ABC – 8:00 – Dancing With The Stars  /  10:00 – The Good Doctor
FOX – 8:00 –  L.A. Finest  /  9:00 – Filthy Rich
CW – 8:00 –  Whose Line Is It  /  8:30 – Whose Line Is It  /  9:00 – Penn and Teller

TV Talk Shows

Jimmy Kimmel: John Lithgow, Freddie Highmore, Giveon
Jimmy Fallon: Anthony Anderson, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Big Boi and Sleepy Brown featuring Killer Mike & Big Rube
Stephen Colbert: John Oliver, JoJo
Seth Meyers: John Mulaney
James Corden: Pete Buttigieg, Travis
Lilly Singh: Chrissy Metz, Marlena Rodriguez (R 3/10/20)
Daily Show: The Daily Social Distancing Show
Conan: Andy Daly
Watch What Happens Live: Eddie Lucas, Francesca Rubi
The View: Nate Silver
The Talk: Joel Kinnaman
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Freddie Highmore, Dr. Eileen Kennedy-Moore
Ellen DeGeneres: Sacha Baron Cohen, Sarah Cooper
Wendy Williams: Hot Topics
The Real: Eboni K. Williams
Kelly Clarkson: Jon Bon Jovi, Melissa Etheridge
Tamron Hall: Amazing animals
Drew Barrymore: Chelsea Handler, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Yamaneika Saunders, Mark Manson, Dr. Pooja Lakshmin

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

QUESTION: What could go wrong?? FLORIDA MAN paid $150 for a “full contact experience” with a LEOPARD at a backyard zoo!! That’s exactly what he got!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: What do single men REALLY think about your makeup, fillers, Botox and lash extensions?? They were asked, and their answers may surprise you!!

 

QUESTION: What happens when one of the security detail starts DATING THE GOVERNOR’S DAUGHTER?? His next assignment is on the CANADIAN BORDER!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: Is Johnny Depp a WIFE BEATER?? That’s what this British tabloid said, and TODAY a court is set to rule on his defamation lawsuit!!! Interesting……

 

QUESTION: Is ELECTION DAY 2020 going to be the MOST STRESSFUL DAY OF YOUR LIFE?? 55% of Americans say “YES!” (Thank God it’s almost over!!)

Sean Connery Dies

Sean Connery died in the Bahamas, his family said. He was 90.  The BBC reported his death Saturday.  No cause was given.  He died peacefully in the Bahamas after a long illness.  He served in the Royal Navy from the time he was 16 until he was discharged on medical grounds. Connery began his acting career on stage, but he went on to become one of the most famous film actors in the world in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s.  He was known for his distinctive voice and was the first actor to play James Bond on the big screen, starting with 1962’s Dr. No. He also portrayed the British secret agent in five other movies.  “We are devastated by the news of the passing of Sir Sean Connery,” Bond franchise producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli said in a statement Saturday.  His other credits include The Wind and the Lion, Murder on the Orient Express, The Man Who Would Be King, The Name of the Rose, Highlander, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, The Hunt For the Red October, The Rock and Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. He won an Oscar for his work in the 1987 film The Untouchables and his final on-screen role in a movie was in 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentleman.
UPDATE: His wife confirmed that he died while battling dementia. Sad.. we always thought he’d go out in a hail of bullets or a small nuclear explosion.
TOPIC: Was he the best Bond ever?? Can we all agree on that??
*******A lot of Millennials think of him as the father of Indiana Jones!!
*******His first showbiz experience was in the chorus line of “South Pacific” on the London stage! (true)
*****Right now, he’s in “007 Heaven” with Roger Moore!!!
******His second greatest line? “Welcome to The Rock!!!”
REMEMBER.. People magazine also named him the “Sexiest Man of the Century!!”  (20th)

Daniel Craig Pays Tribute To Connery

Daniel Craig is paying tribute to his James Bond predecessor Sean Connery, who died on Saturday at age 90.  “It is with such sadness that I heard of the passing of one of the true greats of cinema,” Craig said in a statement.  “Sir Sean Connery will be remembered as Bond and so much more. He defined an era and a style,” he said. “The wit and charm he portrayed on screen could be measured in mega watts; he helped create the modern blockbuster. He will continue to influence actors and film-makers alike for years to come. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones. Wherever he is, I hope there is a golf course.”
********We think Sean would have wanted the new Bond film to be released in theaters!! Just sayin’!!!

Jeff Bridges Gets Support From Fans

Jeff Bridges is feeling lots of “gratitude” and “love” following his diagnosis with cancer.  He gave an update Thursday after announcing this month that he was diagnosed with lymphoma.  He posted a photo on Instagram of himself posing with a machine at a hospital and shared his musings in an online journal on his website.  “This cancer thing is bringing on feelings of preciousness, & gratitude, & good old fashion love, & lots of it, big time. I’m feeling so much of it comin’ my way, & man, I appreciate it,” the star wrote.  “It’s contagious, all this love, like some kind of positive virus,” he said. “I want to acknowledge & thank you guys for reaching out during this time. It feels good, getting all the well wishes & love!”  His diagnosis has made him appreciate his “mortality” and “impermanence.” He was also moved to share links promoting voting and care for the environment.  “I’m lookin’ to be in partnership with you guys in creating a beautiful life & world for all of us,” he said. “All in this together.”
********We’ve had the pleasure of hangin’ with Jeff a couple of times! Good guy…
*****And don’t call him Jeff! He’s The Dude!!

David Lee Roth Pays Tribute To Eddie Van Halen

Van Halen’s lead singer David Lee Roth paid tribute to his late bandmate Eddie Van Halen.   Sharing his track “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill,” Roth dedicated the song to the deceased guitarist on Friday.  “Hey Ed I’m gonna miss ya,’” the track’s cover art reads alongside an image of what appears to be a man riding a rocket up to the sun. “See you on the other side…”  “Somewhere over the rainbow bar and grill / It’s a damn good story / And there’s still more to tell,” a verse in the song goes. “Somewhere over the rainbow bar and grill / You say times they ain’t got better / Maybe they still will.”  He passed away on Oct. 6^th.  Roth and Van Halen sang and played together in the legendary rock band from 1974 to 1985. The singer returned for the band’s 1996 and 2001 reunions, and again from 2007 to present.
*******”Remember when I was an EMT… right after you said goodbye to me??”
*******Eddie’s in Rock and Roll Heaven, swapping licks with Hendrix!!!
*******And just think: Keith Richards is STILL alive!!!!

Phil Collins Ex Has To Move Out of His Mansion

Phil Collins and his ex-wife Orianne Cevey have reached a partial agreement in their ongoing legal battle.   He’s been fighting to take back control of his $33 million beachfront Miami mansion which Cevey is allegedly occupying with her new husband, the Miami Herald previously reported, citing legal documents.  Now, Collins’ attorney, Jeffrey D. Fisher, said on Friday that Cevey and her new husband agreed to leave by mid-January. “Mr. and Mrs. Bates’ plan to hold Phil Collins’ house as hostage to leverage a settlement during a protracted court case was upended by the new judge’s bold decision to complete the injunction hearing next week,” Fisher said in a statement to Page Six. “With the delay tactic failing, they agreed to vacate by mid-January and to allow Phil’s realtor to market and sell the property between now and the date they leave.”  Fisher also said Collins’ memorabilia such as his Alamo artifacts and music collection will be removed from the residence.
********She may take the world title as “The Ex From Hell!!”
*******Talk about “Against All Odds!!!”
*******As part of the settlement, he’s agreed to pay for the U-Haul!!

Harry and Meghan Not Heading Back For Christmas

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will not be heading back to the UK for Christmas with their son Archie — now that they no longer have a court battle on the immediate horizon.  They had planned to return in December with Archie, 17 months, ahead of Meghan’s privacy trial set for January, the Sunday Times reported.  But the couple changed their plans after a judge granted Meghan’s request to postpone the trial until next fall for a “confidential” reason.  “It is unlikely the Duke and Duchess will be traveling before the end of the year because the focus had been the trial in January,” a spokesman for the couple told the outlet.  “As that is no longer happening, there are no plans to travel at the moment, but any travel plans will be kept under review.”  The family’s absence during the holidays will likely be particularly hard for Queen Elizabeth II, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, who have not seen their youngest great-grandchild for a year, the newspaper reported.
******She’s afraid the Queen won’t let Archie leave the country again!!
********We’re starting to get the feeling that Meghan doesn’t give a rat’s rear end what the Queen thinks!!
*******They delayed her trial by…. 9 months?? Hmmm…..

Is The Queen Stepping Down?

Prince Charles would ascend the throne in just six months if his mother steps down on her next birthday as the royal biographer predicts.  “I still firmly believe when the Queen becomes 95, that she will step down,” Robert Jobson told True Royalty TV, the Daily Mail reported.  She marks another year on April 21. She was all of 27 when she was crowned Feb. 6, 1952, on the death of her father, King George VI. Charles turns 72 in two weeks, on Nov. 14.  Newsweek royal reporter Jack Royston agreed a royal shakeup is coming.  “I think she won’t want to, but realistically she will get to a point where she has handed over everything to Charles and then how do you look your son in the eye and tell him he is not going to be king?”
*******Simple: “Hey, Jug Ears, you’re never gonna be King!! Got it?? Or do I need to diagram it for ya??”
******There’s an interview out there with Princess Di wherein she hopes that Charles will step aside and let William become King!!
******We think she’ll be Queen until they drag her out by the ankles!!!

Lori Loughlin Begins Prison Sentence

Lori Loughlin has turned herself in early and begun her two-month sentence at a California federal prison for her role in the nationwide college admissions cheating scandal.  She had been ordered to report to prison on Nov. 19, but she surrendered on Friday at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, Calif., a Bureau of Prisons spokesman said.  She has been assigned the prisoner number 77827-112, according to BOP records.  Loughlin had asked to be assigned to her first-choice lockup, the cushy, low-security “camp” section of FCI Victorville, located two hours east of the mansion she shares with her husband.  Instead, she is locked up at the low-security, all-woman prison in Dublin, just over five hours north of Hidden Hills, the gated community where Loughlin and Giannulli live in a $9.5 million mansion.  Asked why she did not get her first-choice prison, a BOP spokesperson said only that “A number of factors” go into their decisions on where inmates are assigned, including the inmate’s security, supervision, medical and programming needs.  Dublin is the same prison where actress Felicity Huffman served her own sentence in the scandal — a total 11 days of incarceration she afterward described as “harsh.” Dublin is by reputation a “Club Fed,” with Forbes ranking it No. 7 on its “America’s 10 Cushiest Prisons in America” list in 2009.
******She’s already making new friends and having sleepovers!!
*******She showed up early, and they didn’t have her room made up yet!!!
******The girl in the cell next door has agreed to be her personal shopper!!!
****This is NOT a cushy prison!! They don’t even have a nail technician!!

 

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

Cardi B:  On Again, Offset Again!-(National Enquirer)

Just one month after filing for divorce, madcap rapper Cardi B announced on Instagram she’s back with Migos member Offset!  The “WAP” singer and former stripper-recently admitted, “I’m just a crazy b-tch!”  The couple have a two-year-old daughter, Kulture.

George Got Last Laugh On Ringo!-(Globe)

Teary-eyed Ringo Starr confesses his last conversation with dying Beatles bandmate George Harrison was heartbreaking and unforgettable.  “The last weeks of George’s life he was living in Switzerland, and I went to see him,” Ringo, 80, recalls.  “He was very ill.  He could only lay down.”  Ringo wanted to stay with the “My Sweet Lord” legend until the end, but the drummer’s daughter, Lee, had been diagnosed with a brain tumor and Starr had to rush to Boston to see her.  Ringo says he told George, “’I got to go to Boston,’ and he goes-it was the last words I heard him say actually-‘D’ya want me to come wit’ ya?’”  Even on his death bed, George, who died of lung cancer at age 58 in 2001, made his buddy smile while both faced unspeakable grief. “So, that’s the incredible side of George,” says Ringo.

Loose Talk-(Us Weekly)

“Well, it’s that time of year again.  The anniversary of the day each year when we say to each other, ‘Wasn’t our anniversary last week at some point?’”-On celebrating seven years of marriage with Dax Shepard, Kristen Bell.

“Sometimes it feels like we are running some kind of bed and breakfast with very drunk and aggressive guests.”-Joking about parenting daughters Esmeralda, 6, and Amada, 4, with Ryan Gosling, Eva Mendes.

“This girl came up to me and was like, ‘Oh my God, your song ‘So Small’ is one of my favorites.’  And I kept thinking, ‘I don’t have a song ‘So Small.’  And then she said another song and I was like, ‘Oh, you think I’m Carrie Underwood.’”-On being mistaken for the country singer, Kelly Clarkson.

“Being mean is so yesterday.”-Defending husband Chris Pratt after he was named the “Worst Hollywood Chris” on social media, Katherine Schwarzenegger.

“I couldn’t really look at the sky the same.  I thought they might come back.”-On an encounter she once had with a UFO and an extraterrestrial being, Miley Cyrus.

Zooey & Jonathan:  Engaged!-(Star)

Cue the wedding bells:  Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott are getting hitched!  “Jonathan recently popped the question and Zooey said yes,” a source says.  According to the insider, the Property Brothers star, 42, held off on proposing until the actress’ divorce from Jacob Pecheik (dad to her kids Elsie, 5, and Charlie, 3) was finalized.  In June, the New Girl star, 40, officially became a single woman-leaving the door open to make things official.  Now the pair, dating since August 2019, are not only planning their trip down the aisle, but they’re also designing their dream home.  “Jonathan has never felt so compatible with anyone in his life.”

Jonah’s Wedded Blitz-(Life & Style)

Jonah Hill isn’t wasting any time moving on from his fiancée, Gianna Santos!  The Superbad actor, 36, reportedly called off his engagement to the beauty executive, 31, just a few short weeks ago, but he’s already dating someone new.  “Jonah’s hooking up with a pretty blonde in Malibu,” reveals an insider.  “Now that the wedding’s off, Jonah’s looking to have some fun and enjoy his freedom.”

Kate Beckinsale & Goody Grace:  Split-(People)

After dating since early this year, the actress, 47, and the Canadian rapper, 23, are done, insiders say.  “It’s not a big deal for Kate.  It was great…..to have him around during the lockdown,” says a source.  “He is young and has other priorities.  She totally gets it.”

Number of the Week-(In Touch)

300,000

-dollars in liquid assets philanthropist and movie producer Steve Bing had left at the time of his death, after inheriting $600 million 30 years ago.

 

STUPID NEWS

Wrestling Coach Uses Starbucks For Coaching

A physical education teacher at a California middle school said he ended up teaching from the parking lot of a Starbucks when his home Internet went out.  Jason Guiducci, a gym teacher and longtime wrestling coach at Hogan Middle School in Vallejo, said he has been teaching classes virtually from his Napa back yard amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but he found himself in a difficult position Tuesday when his Internet went out.  “I was getting one bar on my phone,” Guiducci told KPIX-TV. “Nothing was coming through or going out so I went down to the school.”  Guiducci said he arrived at the school and was disappointed to discover the facility also had no Internet service.  “So, I went to Starbucks and I pulled up, got a signal on my district laptop and away we went,” Guiducci said.  The coach live streamed on Instagram as he guided his wrestling team through conditioning exercises.  “I’m teaching from my car and I am hacking Starbucks’ Wi-Fi,” Guiducci told his students. “Love you, Starbucks!”
********Good news for Californians: Our governor’s daughter is back in the classroom at her private school!! That should make you feel better as you try to get your kids to log in every day!!
*******Since school is on the Internet, we can learn and hate each other at the same time!!
******At least this teacher made the effort!! 

Private Island For Sale

A Wisconsin property listed for sale is gaining attention online for an unusual reason — it’s a private island with two cottages and boathouse.  Hohnback Island, situated in Wisconsin’s Okauchee Lake, has nearly an acre of land, including more than 800 feet of shoreline.  The island, owned by the same family since the 1960s, is listed by Berkshire Hathaway Metro Realty with an asking price of $699,000.  The island features a pair of two-bedroom cottages, a boathouse with sleeping quarters, three piers and two boat lifts.  “There are not many islands out there that actually have more than one house,” real estate agent Brian Fendry, who is handling the sale, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  The island had been listed in December 2019 with an asking price of $1.1 million, but was relisted for a lower price when it failed to sell.
********In L.A., a lot of people live on islands… traffic islands!! And we’re not kidding!!
*******Sounds good… but the commute is tough!!
******When we think of private islands, we usually think of something with palm trees!!!

Woman In Labor Stops To Vote

A woman in labor had her husband stop on the way to a Florida hospital for the birth of their child so she could cast her vote.  Karen Briceno Gonzalez, an employee of the Orange County Supervisor of Elections, said she was processing voter ballots about 2:30 p.m. Tuesday when a man came in with his wife’s driver’s license.  The man explained his wife was outside in the car and wanted to cast her vote.  “I go, ‘We need her here,’ and he basically told me that’s gonna be a problem because she refuses to go to the hospital until she votes,” Briceno Gonzalez told WKMG-TV.  The man explained his wife was in labor and insisted on voting before going to the hospital.  Briceno Gonzalez said she initially took a mail-in ballot out to the woman, but she refused it.  “She said ‘No, no, no, I need to fill it out right now,” Briceno Gonzalez recalled.  Briceno Gonzalez waited while the woman completed the ballot.  “So the woman in labor filled out her ballot while doing a little controlled breathing,” she told WESH-TV.
*******Since she’s in labor, she must be voting Democrat! If she was in management, she’d go Republican!!
*******The baby’s name?? “Little Donnie!!”
*****If that baby comes out with orange hair, people will talk!!!
TOPIC: True stories of labor!!!!! Like, where were YOU when you went into labor??

Chipmunk Gets Own Place To Eat

A Georgia food writer who missed visiting restaurants amid the COVID-19 pandemic found a unique way to bring the experience home: creating a miniature eatery for a chipmunk that frequents her front porch.  Angela Hansberger of Tucker said the forced closing of restaurants during the coronavirus outbreak came as a blow to her both professionally and personally.  “I was facing a lot of anxiety. I kind of hid it,” Hansberger told CBS News. “Gosh, I’m crying. I was really sad for all the people in the industry that I worked with.”  She said her chipmunk restaurant project began when her uncle sent her a tiny picnic table that she had originally intended to nail to a fence for squirrels to climb.  “I set it down on my front porch while I took the packaging to the recycle bin,” she told NBC’s Today show. “When I walked back, there was a chipmunk sitting there like a little person. I gave him some nuts I had leftover from a holiday pie and he ate them. The next morning I did the same. He came every day, sometimes sitting at the empty table waiting for me.”  Hansberger started creating chipmunk-sized versions of popular restaurant foods to feed her daily guest, who she named Thelonious Munk.  See the video HERE.
********Sometimes you feel like a nut. But if you’re a squirrel, that’s all time!
*******Is the squirrel wearing a mask???

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

VIDEO: CRAZY COLLEGE TOUCHDOWN PLAY!!!

VIDEO: ROCKET LAUNCHER FAIL!

VIDEO: FLYING CAR!!!

 

A LIST FOR MONDAY

15 Fun, Mindless Things To Do If You Have To Wait In Line To Vote

Huffington Post

1. Play Free Rice and help end world hunger.

The premise of Free Rice is simple: Guess the correct definition for a word and help combat world hunger in the process. But there’s a do-gooding catch: As you play the word game and answer questions correctly, ads appear on your screen. Whenever an ad appears, a donation is made to the United Nations World Food Program.

 

2. Play the New York Times’ “Can You Tell a ‘Trump’ Fridge From a ‘Biden’ Fridge?” quiz.

Just in time for the election, the NYT got voters to pry open their refrigerators so we could all make assumptions about what Trump voters and Biden voters eat. (Mm, delicious, delectable polarization.)

Inevitably, you’ll find yourself looking for trends (one fridge that readers have continued to get wrong is stocked with coconut water; the inclination is to guess it’s a Biden fridge, but nope, it’s a Trump fridge.) One clear takeaway? Regardless of political affiliation, Americans’ milk consumption is through the roof and we could all probably use Marie Kondo to come in and KonMari Method our fridges.

 

3. If your line is especially long, see if Pizza to the Polls will deliver.

Pizza to the Polls is a non-profit that makes “democracy delicious” by delivering free pies to polling places with long lines. Report a long line on their official site and they’ll send out some food from a local pizzeria.

This year, the site is also teaming with Uber to dispatch 180 food trucks to dozens of cities across the country. They’re handing out everything from Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in Nashville, Tennessee, to Milk Bar snacks everywhere the service is operating.

 

4. Browse through an Instagram account that uncovers kitschy, hidden gem hotels across America.

On the Instagram account @aprettycoolhoteltour and an accompanying YouTube channel, husband and wife Margaret and Corey travel across America and look for weird and wonderful themed hotels and motels to stay at. From a biker-themed room in Salt Lake City to a tacky-glam motel in Pennsylvania that features a giant champagne-shaped tub, the account has a little something for everyone. It’s kitschy Americana at its finest.

 

5. Finally achieve inbox zero.

OK, OK, this one isn’t exactly fun, but cleaning out your email inbox will make your life more functional. And given how high stakes are in this ― and how exhausting living through a global pandemic is ― your life could use a little less stress.

 

6. Explore “The Deep Sea.”

Made with love and attention to detail by coder Neal Agarwal, “The Deep Sea” lets you scroll down to the very bottom of the ocean floor ― 36,000 feet below! ― and learn facts about sea life and ocean exploration along the way. “Wow,” you might say as you dive deeper and deeper, “That leafy sea dragon is so lucky that it’s never once heard a chant of ‘lock her up!’”

 

7. Make this worm dance with your browsing finger. (Warning: Flashing images ahead!)

There’s something oddly zen-like about Staggering Beauty, a simple site where you make a worm that, frankly, looks more like a hot dog, dance. That is, until you’re given a command to “shake vigorously” and the page descends into psychedelic flashing light chaos.

 

8. Reminisce about how awful it is to air travel with other people.

Dreaming of a getaway eight months into the pandemic? Cure your wanderlust with a quick scroll through the pics and videos featured on the Instagram account @passengershaming. (Ew, we’d almost forgotten about the people who put their un-socked feet all over the plane.)

 

9. See why so many Americans can’t stop playing “Among Us.”

If you hadn’t heard of the super popular game “Among Us” this fall, you definitely did last week after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) went viral for livestreaming herself playing with some famous Twitch personalities.

“Among Us” is a multiplayer game where 4-10 players are dropped onto an alien spaceship. Players are designated a role as a “crewmate” or “impostor.” If you’re a crewmate, your goal is to complete a series of tasks on the ship all while trying to suss out ― and avoid being killed by ― a few no-good impostors. It’s pretty much the perfect game to play if you’ve got time to kill. Plus, on mobile, it’s free!

 

10. Watch Jordan Firstman’s weirdly specific, very 2020 impersonations.

Instagram comedy sensation Jordan Firstman doesn’t do impressions of celebrities. Instead, he’ll do things like an impression of “a best friend character talking to Americans about their shitty boyfriend, America” ― or an impersonation of the publicist of the fly that landed on Mike Pence’s head during the VP debate. (“Girl, girl, America just watched you and loved you. Even the Republicans are laughing.”)

 

11. Donate food to shelter animals simply by playing a game.

Freekibble is a game website that asks you to answer brief trivia questions about animals. For every answer ― whether you’re right or wrong ― the site donates pet food and supplies to animal shelters. In other words, it’s a very sweet way to waste some time.

 

12. Watch comedy duo “The Good Liars” troll all the politicians whose faces you’re sick of seeing this year.

This election season, the comedy duo “The Good Liars” have had a number of clever political stunts go viral. They’re the guys who went into book stores and swapped out Donald Trump Jr’s book “Triggered: How the Left Thrives On Hate” with versions with the mocking title, “Daddy, Please Love Me: How Everything I Do Is To Try and Earn My Father’s Love.”

 

13. Transport yourself to a simpler time by visiting actor Brendan Fraser’s official website.

Miss the early aughts, when times seemed so much simpler and certainly less pandemic-y? Visit Brendan Fraser’s official website, a Flash-heavy treasure that hasn’t changed since 2005.

You may know him as George of the Jungle and Encino Man, but did you also know the actor is an accomplished amateur photog and an absolute wordsmith? Here’s Bren waxing poetic about how he decided to become an actor: “Road tripping his way to graduate school in Texas, Brendan made a brief stopover in Hollywood. In an uncharacteristic moment of introspection, he reconsidered his next move; pondering the eternal verities of education vs. experience, opportunity and vitality and ability and then — gave up on a clear-cut answer and planted his flag instead.”

 

14. Watch a live animal cam.

Research shows that watching footage of animals can make you happier. To that end, check out the Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute’s around-the-clock live feeds to see cheetah cubs, naked mole-rats, lions, elephants or black-footed ferrets. Less into naked mole-rats and more of a puppy person? Watch this livestream of puppies sleeping in a nursery. D’aww.

 

15. Listen to this The Daily podcast episode that delves into why we’re still using the Electoral College anyway.

At this point in the list ― or in the line ― you’re probably wondering why this election is so neck and neck anyway. Check out this recent episode of The New York Times’ The Daily podcast to learn the history of the Electoral College and what it would take to end it.

 

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