Born on this day!! Jazz singer Cleo Laine is 94. Actor Joan Plowright is 92. Actor Jane Alexander is 82. Actor Dennis Franz (“NYPD Blue”) is 77. Actor-singer Telma Hopkins (Tony Orlando and Dawn) is 73. Actor Annie Potts is 69. Songwriter-music producer Desmond Child is 68. Drummer Stephen Morris of New Order is 64. Singer-guitarist William Reid of The Jesus and Mary Chain is 63. Actor Mark Derwin (“The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” ″Life With Bonnie”) is 61. Actor Daphne Zuniga (“Melrose Place”) is 59. Actor Lauren Holly is 58. “The Talk” co-host Sheryl Underwood is 58. Actor Jami Gertz is 56. Actor Chris Bauer (“True Blood”) is 55. Actor-comedian Andy Richter is 55. Actor Julia Roberts is 54. Fiddler Caitlin Cary (Whiskeytown) is 53. Actor Jeremy Davies (“Lost,” “Justified”) is 52. Singer Ben Harper is 52. Country singer Brad Paisley is 49. Actor Joaquin Phoenix is 47. Actor Gwendoline Christie (“Game of Thrones,” ″Star Wars” films) is 43. Singer Justin Guarini (“American Idol”) is 43. Singer Brett Dennen is 42. Guitarist Dave Tirio of Plain White T’s is 42. Actor Matt Smith (“The Crown,” ″Dr. Who”) is 39. Actor Finn Wittrock (“American Horror Story: Freak Show”) is 37. Actor Troian Bellisario (“Pretty Little Liars”) is 36. Singer-rapper Frank Ocean is 34. Actor Lexi Ainsworth (“General Hospital”) is 29. Actor Nolan Gould (“Modern Family”) is 23.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1793 – Eli Whitney applied for a patent for the cotton gin.
1886 – The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Grover Cleveland.
1919 – Congress passed the Volstead Act, or the National Prohibition Act, over President Woodrow Wilson’s veto.
1922 – Benito Mussolini took control of the government of Italy.
1940 – Italy invaded Greece during World War II.
1958 – A new pope was elected—Pope John XXIII.
1962 – Nikita Khrushchev told the U.S. that he had ordered the dismantling of Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
Today Is: Champagne Day, National Chocolate Day, National Internal Medicine Day, Read for The Record Day, St. Jude’s Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Young Sheldon / 8:30 – United States Of AI / 9:00 – Ghosts / 9:30 – B Positive / 10:00 – Bull
NBC – 8:00 – Blacklist / 9:00 – Law and Order SVU / 10:00 – Law and Order: Organized Crime
ABC – 8:00 – Toy Story Of Terror / 8:30 – Toy Story 4 / 10:30 – The Wonder Years
FOX – 8:00 – NFL: Packers at Cardinals
CW – 8:00 – Walker / 9:00 – Legacies
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Regina King, Lenny Clarke, the Kid Laroi
Jimmy Fallon: Chrissy Teigen, Matthias Schweighöfer, Skepta
Stephen Colbert: TBA
Seth Meyers: Olivia Munn, Roy Wood Jr., Jason Blum, Atom Willard
James Corden: Andie MacDowell, Rudi Dharmalingam, Calum Scott
Watch What Happens Live: Padma Lakshmi, Jason Blum
The View: Edie Falco
The Talk: Deon Cole, Kool & the Gang
Live with Kelly and Ryan: John Leguizamo, Jorja Fox, the Crafty Lumberjacks
Ellen DeGeneres: Eva Longoria, Deepak Chopra
Wendy Williams: Michelle Buteau, guest host Whitney Cummings
The Real: Ashley Darby, Wendy Osefo, Quartez Bridges
Drew Barrymore: Rachael Ray, Zach Shay, Jason Biggs, Jenny Mollen
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: How can you find out whether your blind date is GENEROUS? Bring along 23 family members!! She did.. and he stuck HER with the check!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Adele IS #1 with “Easy on Me,” right?? Uh.. no! The rap song “Let’s Go Brandon” is both #1 and #2 on the chart (different versions) Adele is #3!!!!
QUESTION: WHY is the voice of Buzz in “Lightyear” being provided by CHRIS EVANS and not TIM ALLEN?? Is it artistic.. or is the decision based on POLITICS???
QUESTION: Ooops??? This woman with a 3-month-old baby is HELD AT GUNPOINT by U.S. Marshalls when they RAID THE WRONG HOUSE!! “Get over it!!???”
QUESTION: Do you feel “tingly” when you see pictures of JENNIFER ANISTON?? That’s because everyone has Jennifer Aniston CELL!! Scientific FACT!!!!!!!!
Alec Baldwin Shooting Update
Authorities in New Mexico said in an update Wednesday that criminal charges are possible in the accidental shooting involving actor Alec Baldwin that killed a cinematographer and wounded the director of a western film during production last week. New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney Mary Carmack–Altwies and Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza presented preliminary findings from their investigation into the accident, which has shaken the film industry and brought focus on the safety of using real weapons on movie sets. The district attorney said that criminal charges are still possible in the case, including against Baldwin. “All options are on the table at this point,” Carmack-Altwies said during the briefing. The film’s director, Joel Souza, and camera operator Halyna Hutchins were injured by a real bullet that had been placed into the gun. Hutchins, 42, died of her injuries. The district attorney said the investigation’s focus has been on ballistics and who loaded the bullets into the gun. According to an affidavit, an assistant director gave the prop gun to Baldwin believing it did not contain any live rounds. Investigators confiscated three revolvers, spent casings and ammunition during a search of the film set. The Wrap reported on Monday that some crew members had taken the prop guns for live-ammunition target practice earlier in the day and one of the weapons ended up on the set.
*********We thought that Hollywood stars were allowed one murder apiece before authorities took it seriously!!
******After watching that press briefing, we’re thinking.. SOMEONE is going to jail!!!
****By the way, “prop guns” will NOT fire real ammunition. So those were real guns!
UPDATE: AD David Hall admits “I should have checked the gun.” Really?? Get the story HERE!!
Kat Von D Ditches California
Tattoo artist Kat Von D announced she is officially leaving Los Angeles for rural Indiana, and will close her famous LA tattoo shop in the process. “As some of you know, we recently purchased a beautiful home on a bit of land in rural Indiana, and the more time we spend out there we realize we feel more at home there than we do here in LA,” Von D, whose real name is Katherine Von Drachenberg, wrote on Instagram Monday. The post was accompanied by a photo of her with the words “Goodbye California.” Von D operated High Voltage, her swanky West Hollywood tattoo parlor, for the last 14 years, which was also the setting for TLC reality show “LA Ink.” Now, she plans to open a new shop in Indiana and close High Voltage. “After much thought, we have decided we will permanently be moving to Indiana at the end of this year. We plan on selling our beautiful home here, and I will most likely open a private studio in Indiana once we are done with the house remodel there,” she continued on Instagram. “I didn’t think it would make sense to keep it open if I wasn’t present, and aside from coming back to work on music with my band, we don’t plan on returning to LA very often.”
*******She may moving, but she’s left a mark!! Many marks!!!
*****She says California is “running out of skin!!”
******This is why people all over the country HATE Californians!!
Angelina Jolie Lets Her Kids Wear Her Clothes
While doing press for “Eternals” on Monday, Angelina Joie confirmed that her six children have free rein over her fashion archives, and nothing’s off limits. “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, wear it and wear it better than me! Take it, it’s your turn,’” Jolie told E! News’ “Daily Pop,” adding that unlike some parents who keep close tabs on their closets, she’s the “opposite.” That open-door policy was clearly in full effect ahead of the red carpet premiere of Jolie’s new Marvel movie last week, with five of her kids showing up in styles borrowed from their famous mom. Her eldest daughter Zahara, 16, dazzled in the silver beaded Elie Saab Haute Couture gown Jolie wore to the 2014 Oscars, while 15-year-old Shiloh sported an altered version of a beige Gabriela Hearst slip dress her mother recently wore in Paris. Vivienne, 13, looked sweet in a knee-length cream dress with wide sleeves, while twin Knox rocked a green-and-black striped vest and skirted pants. And Maddox, 20, went sharp with classic black suiting.
********She should let the kids go down to Fredericks of Hollywood and buy their OWN clothes!!!
*******Letting your sons wear their mother’s clothing.. that’s when the trouble starts!!
*****She doesn’t care how they look, as long as they don’t look like Brad!!
Wendy Williams’ Ex-Husband Engaged
Wendy Williams’ ex-husband Kevin Hunter is engaged to the mother of his love child, Sharina Hudson. A source told us Hunter bought the ring, which is valued at $80,000, in 2020, and Hudson has been spotted in Instagram posts wearing the pricey diamond as far back as that April. Although it’s unclear when exactly Hunter popped the question, the engagement news, which was first reported by the US Sun, comes amid Williams’ health struggles, which have caused her to take leave from her eponymous talk show with no word on when or if she will return. Williams married Hunter in 1997 and filed for divorce in April 2019 after Hudson, his mistress at the time, gave birth to a baby girl. Hunter released a statement at the time saying he wasn’t “proud” of his “recent actions.” “[I] take full accountability and apologize to my wife, my family and her amazing fans,” his statement said.
********Maybe THAT’S what put Wendy in a mental hospital!!
*******Wendy has a rule in relationships: “Love me, love my farts!!”
*******Having children with other women is usually the last straw in any relationship!!
Country Star Comes To Roadside Rescue
A Tennessee woman’s chance encounter with a country music star on Sunday has been viewed more than three million times on TikTok. “I was just driving to my parent’s house, and my tire blew out,” said Courtney Potts, a young mom of two. “I was scared to keep going, so I just had to stop because I didn’t want to mess my wheel up.” She pulled to the side of a road in Columbia. Potts had hoped someone would stop and offer help. Moments later, a man runs out of a pickup truck. “He was like ‘hey I almost hit you! This is a really bad road, we’ve got to get out of this curve,”‘ Potts said. “I knew his voice, and I was like, ‘okay this is happening!’” The man was none other than “Entertainer of the Year”, Luke Bryan. “I’m not one of those to be like ‘oh my god it’s Luke Bryan!’ I was just trying to be cool, and I didn’t want to make him feel awkward,” she said. Bryan was on his way to go hunting with his kids. Potts’ son was fast asleep in the backseat, and she held her daughter as the country music star got to work. The jack that came with her car was bending, so he had to use his to do the job. “He didn’t act like a celebrity, not even a little bit. He just looked like anybody else that would have pulled over,” she said. Thirty minutes later, he was done. Before he headed out, she snapped a picture with him.
********That’s how those Bryan boys are!!! Just happy to help!!!
*****He’ll never make in Nashville with THAT attitude!!
TOPIC: “Brush With Greatness!!” Tell us about YOUR run-in with a celebrity!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Tyra Is Banking Pm Fashion Fix-(National Enquirer)
Viewers are waltzing away from “Dancing with the Stars” in droves-but host Tyra Banks has come up with a solution! “Tyra thinks fashion-with more costume changes and outrageous outfits-will stop the plummeting ratings!” a source giggled. “While everyone else is running around trying to stop the bleeding, Tyra is ordering more clothes rather than admitting that the real problem might be her!”
Jamie Lee’s Nip/Tuck Warning!-(Globe)
Jamie Lee Curtis has a huge warning about age-defying nip/tucks. “I tried plastic surgery and it didn’t work,” admits the 62-year-old actress, adding, “It got me addicted to Vicodin.” Proclaiming she’s now 22 years sober, the “Freaky Friday” star-who quit dyeing her hair years ago-cautions people to think twice about trying to fool Mother Nature. “Once you mess with your face, you can’t get it back.”
Alexis & Serena: Down to Earth Duo-(Us Weekly)
Between the Reddit cofounder’s tech money and the tennis star’s endless successes, Alexis Ohanian, 38, and Serena Williams, 40, have earned the right to live the high life-except, they don’t. “They prefer quiet nights at home,” an insider says of the couple. Plus, they truly enjoy each other’s company. “They’re still madly in love,” notes the insider. “Alexis is head over heels for Serena. He’d do anything for her.”
Timothee’s Golden Ticket-(Star)
Dorset. England, Oct. 10
A word of pure imagination! Dressed in the eccentric candy man’s trademark coat and top hat, Timothee Chalamet surprised fans with a first look at his upcoming Willy Wonka origin story. “The suspense is terrible,” he wrote on Instagram, referencing a line from Gene Wilder’s iconic 1971 adaptation of the Roald Dahl classic. “I hope it lasts.” The prequel, due in early 2023, follows a young Willy in the years prior to opening his world-famous chocolate factory. While there’s no word on whether the Oopa Loompas will make an appearance, the cast is stacked with sweet talent: Olivia Colman, Keegan-Michael Key, Sally Hawkins and Rowan Atkinson also star.
Romance Report Card-(Life & Style)
Christina Ricci-
They do! Christina tied the knot with hairstylist Mark Hampton just two months after she announced they were expecting their first child.
GRADE: A
Tyga-
The rapper was arrested for domestic violence on Oct. 12 after ex Camaryn Swanson accused himof assault. His rep has denied the allegations.
GRADE: F
One Last Thing: Andie MacDowell-(People)
The actress, 65, stars alongside daughter Margaret Qualley in Netflix’s new limited series Maid.
Last me-time-
I try to do yoga every day when I’m home-the push-ups kind. It really affects my mind, body and spirit. I’ve got a couple of poses where people would think, “Oh my God, I can’t believe she’s doing that.”
Last time I missed someone-
I’m in Wales and miss all three of my children on this trip, but for some reason I’ve been yearning for my son [Justin]. I’m in the country with a lot of animals and a beautiful golf course. He would have so much fun seeing this.
Last thing I took from a set-
I used to do it and kind of regret that I don’t anymore. I have a set photograph from Groundhog Day and a little bell from Multiplicity. I wish I had taken something from everything.
STUPID NEWS
Unusual Andy Warhol’s For Sale
A New York art collective announced it will be selling 1,000 Andy Warhol sketches for $250 each — but 999 of them are elaborate forgeries. The Brooklyn-based MSCHF collective announced its “Museum of Forgeries” project involves a single Andy Warhol sketch titled Fairies and 999 copies made by a machine with artificially aged paper to match the original. The real artwork was randomly mixed in with the forgeries, so one buyer of a $250 sketch will receive the real deal, while 999 others will receive copies. Daniel Greenberg, chief revenue officer of MSCHF, said the sketch was sold for $8,125 by auction house Christie’s in 2016, and the artwork’s current value is estimated at about $20,000. MSCHF’s website says the project is aimed at making a statement about famous works of art only being accessible to the wealthy.
********His most famous painting was a Campbell’s Soup Can!! (true) We’ve got a bunch of those in the kitchen!!
*******Is Andy Warhol the guy who painted dogs playing poker on a velvet canvas???
TOPIC: What is YOUR favorite piece of art???
Chair Stacking Record
A restaurant manager in Britain broke a Guinness World Record when he arranged chairs into a stack that reached 17 feet high. Guinness confirmed Jay Ehson, 37 broke the world record with his stack of chairs outside the Baab-e-Salaam Banquiting Hall in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester, England, where he works as a manager. Ehson’s stack broke the previous record of 15.5 feet. “Stacking the chairs can be very dangerous,” Ehson told the Manchester Evening News. “It was important we picked a day when there was wind was very light so they didn’t blow over. “People should not try to do this unless they are very experienced and confident in what they are doing.” Ehson said Guinness gave him rules to follow during his attempt. “The chairs are not allowed to touch the ladder, but if they collapse in the direction of the ladder someone could hurt. I had three practice attempts before making the official world record attempt on the fourth go,” he said. The record attempt raised nearly $2,000 for charities that help the homeless.
******This must mean that his restaurant is still closed!!
********Just our luck, that will be OUR table!!
Wild Zebra On The Run
Residents of a rural area in Louisiana captured photos and videos when a zebra that was unhappy about its new pasture went for a run on the loose. Leah Darden posted a photo to Facebook showing the striped equine standing by the back stairs of a home in the Gloster area of DeSoto Parish. “Anyone missing a zebra in Gloster area? It’s outside a friend of mine’s house,” Darden wrote. The animal was caught on video nearby by witness Cabrena Waines. The zebra, named Zydeco, was captured by its owners, Leia and Jim Burford, in Darden’s friend’s back yard. The Burfords said Zydeco had been moved to a new pasture on Saturday and was apparently displeased with the offered land, leading him to escape. See the video HERE.
*********Zebras are so smart!! They know that vertical stripes are slimming!!
*******They’re the convicts of the animal world!!
*****The NFL should try an all-zebra officiating crew!!
Amazon Driver Flings Packages
A doorbell camera captured the appalling moment that a Minnesota Amazon courier carelessly hurled two packages onto a customer’s doorstep from the side of the road. “Really disappointed how the driver can act in such a disrespectful manner,” the recipient told ViralHog of the driver’s shocking, time-saving hack, which occurred Oct. 6 in Ramsey. The 26-second clip shows the energy-conserving delivery driver sidling up to the curb, then casually flinging the parcels at the porch like Frisbees, so they bounce off the cement. Then, apparently unashamed of his actions, he nonchalantly strolls back to his truck and pulls away. Thankfully, despite the fact that the parcels reportedly contained glass-packed vitamins, nothing was broken — although a toy puzzle the customer had bought for their baby was slightly damaged. To add insult to injury, according to the package recipient, Amazon reportedly did “nothing” when they filed a complaint about the incident. See the video HERE.
**********They can’t afford to lose any drivers!!! They don’t have enough as it is!!
*******Jeff Bezos will personally look into this! Not!!!
*******At least they didn’t toss the package out of their spaceship!!!
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: NEW “LIGHTYEAR” TRAILER!!
VIDEO: SQUID GAMES….WITH HAMSTERS
A LIST FOR THURSDAY
6 Tips for Managing Child Care Costs
The Penny Hoarder
- Start Your Research Now
Obviously, your working schedule as parents will factor heavily into your child care costs. Stay-at-home parents will spend significantly less.
However, for single parents working full-time and in two-parent homes where both work, you’ll need to begin researching costs as soon as possible. And be aware of waiting lists. It’s not uncommon for popular daycare providers in urban areas to have waitlists of anywhere from 12 to 24 months. Most places have fewer spots available for infants, so those waits can be even longer.
Once you get in, be ready for the sticker shock. Almost 44% of respondents in our survey spent at least $1,000 per month on child care, with only 17% spending under $500 per month.
Traditionally, a daycare provider is less expensive than a nanny. But that gap is closing, according to a 2021 survey by Care.com. There’s now only a $14 a week difference between the cost of having two kids in daycare versus hiring a nanny, that survey found.
A nanny share is also a newer trend in which multiple families use one nanny who watches all the kids at once or splits time between the two. This helps save money on the hourly costs by dividing the expenses.
So whether you’re looking at a daycare facility or a nanny, now is the time to start researching your options.
- Check with Your HR Department
If this is your first child, you might be unaware of the benefits your employer offers related to child care.
With more and more companies going remote during 2020, the next new benefit to dangle in front of potential employees may very well be child care.
Some companies are ahead of the game. Bright Horizons Family Solutions manages employer-based child care services and benefits, with clients that include Amazon, Apple, Facebook and General Motors. More than 100 of their clients chose a backup care option last year, a service that allows someone to bring their child to Bright Horizons when they’re in a last-minute bind.
According to our survey, 66% of parents would consider switching jobs to a company that offered child care-related assistance. With 70% saying they “feel stressed” over what child care will look like in 2022, it’s easy to understand why a workplace benefit would help ease their mind.
- Look into FSAs
While stipends and on-site child care are growing as benefits, a flexible spending account (FSA) is still a more common option.
Many workplaces now offer both a healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account. With dependent care FSAs, you withhold a certain amount from your paycheck while also paying out of pocket. After you’ve paid for child care, you file a claim, with receipts, and you’re reimbursed later.
What makes this type of FSA so attractive is that it’s funded with pre-tax dollars, which reduces your taxable income.
Single filers and couples filing jointly can currently contribute up to $10,500 per year to a dependent care FSA, while married couples filing separately can contribute up to $5,250.
Note that educational costs like school tuition and tutoring are not eligible. Overnight camps and extracurricular activities like sports or music lessons are also not covered expenses in a dependent care FSA.
The downside to FSAs is, usually, they are “use it or lose it.” If you haven’t used all of the money in your account by the end of the year, you’ll forfeit it. However, because of the pandemic and resulting unused FSA money, the IRS relaxed its restrictions and allowed rollovers for 2020-2021 and 2021-2022.
Remember, your FSA contributions will need to appear on your federal tax return, and you’ll need to re-enroll each year.
- Start a Sinking Fund
Forty percent of our survey respondents said they have gone into debt because of the cost of child care. That’s a tough situation to be in.
One potential way to avoid debt is by creating a sinking fund, which is a relatively easy way to pay for a large expense over time. For example, you know your HVAC unit has a few years left on it. So you put aside $300 per month in savings to pay for it.
After two years – 24 months worth of saving $300 – you’ll have more than $7,000 to put toward a nice new HVAC. If you want to reduce the amount you put in the fund per month, plan further ahead and start saving sooner.
So, for child care, let’s say you expect to pay $700 per month in expenses. That comes to $8,400 over the course of a year. How much can you set aside now, before your little one arrives and/or it’s time to enroll, to ease those expenses later?
Even if it’s not the full monthly amount, you’ll reduce your financial burden (and related stress) with that monetary boost when the time comes. The key is planning ahead and, to the best of your ability, know what to expect when it comes to your eventual child care costs.
- Consider the Opportunity Cost — and Adjust Accordingly
In our survey, parents reported having to make sometimes difficult sacrifices because of child care costs:
- 26% said they’ve had to move homes.
- 25% reported they’ve had to find a new home for their pet.
- 38% had taken a side hustle.
- 29% had cut back hours at work.
- 15% had taken on a second mortgage.
- 28% had borrowed money from a friend or family member.
Some of those are extreme measures. Hopefully, your choices are a little less difficult. That’s where your “opportunity cost” comes into play.
With opportunity cost, you’re basically asking yourself, “What else could I be doing with this money?”
If child care is about to be a huge priority in your life, it might be time to look around and determine if you’re spending your money in areas that aren’t as important. For example:
- Could you drop the gym membership and start working out from home?
- What other monthly memberships (e.g. streaming services, box subscriptions) could you give up?
- Could you cut back on eating out from four times a month to two?
- What other extracurriculars, like golf, spa visits, or shopping trips can you reduce or eliminate?
- Is it time for a trade-in to possibly “downsize” a car payment?
These might be temporary sacrifices until you get other permanent options in place, like an FSA. The idea is, though, to prioritize spending in your life (a budget will help with that, too).
Take a look at your expenses, list out what’s most important – obviously starting with bills like shelter and food, then moving on to transportation, child care, and so on.
After looking at that list as a whole, determine what isn’t as much of a priority as child care and how much of that spending you can put toward child care expenses.
- Look for Tax Credits
If you’re a new or soon-to-be parent, make sure you stay in tune with the available tax credits.
In 2021, many parents saw a nice bump in income from the expanded child tax credit, which provided a total credit of $3,600 to parents with children younger than 6 and $3,000 to parents of children ages 6-17. Half of those payments are being made in monthly installments from July to December of 2021, while the remaining half will be paid as a credit on tax returns in 2022.
Another lesser-known but still useful tax option is the child and dependent care tax credit. If you’re paying someone to take care of your kids while you work, you might be eligible, depending on factors like the age of your children and your income.
For 2021, the amount of qualifying expenses for this credit increases to $8,000 for one child/dependent and $16,000 for two children/dependents. The percentage of expenses that qualify for the credit also increased from 35% to 50%. To see if you qualify for the child and dependent care credit, visit the IRS website.
Tax laws may change from year to year, so make sure you are up to speed on any benefits that might help you make childcare more affordable.
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.
© 2021 – Radio Genius Show Prep