Born on this day!! Composer-conductor John Williams is 90. ABC News anchor Ted Koppel is 82. Actor Nick Nolte is 81. Comedian Robert Klein is 80. Actor-guitarist Creed Batton (“The Office”) (The Grass Roots) is 79. Actor Brooke Adams is 73. Actor Mary Steenburgen is 69. Author John Grisham is 67. Actor Henry Czerny (“Revenge,” ″The Tudors”) is 63. Singer Vince Neil of Motley Crue is 61. Actor Missy Yager (“Manchester by the Sea”) is 54. Actor Mary McCormack is 53. Actor Susan Misner (“Billions,” “The Americans”) is 51. Musician Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk is 48. Actor Seth Green (“Austin Powers,” ″Buffy The Vampire Slayer”) is 48. Actor Joshua Morrow (“The Young and the Restless”) is 48. Bassist Phoenix of Linkin Park is 45. Actor William Jackson Harper (“The Good Place”) is 42. Actor Jim Parrack (“True Blood”) is 41. Musician Joey Ryan of Milk Carton Kids is 40. Actor Cecily Strong (“Saturday Night Live”) is 38. Musician Anderson Paak is 36. Actor Karle Warren (“Judging Amy”) is 30.
THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY
1904 – The Russo-Japanese war began when the Japanese launched a surprise attack on the Russian fleet at Port Arthur in northeast China.
1587 – Mary Queen of Scots was beheaded.
1693 – College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., received its charter, becoming the second institution of higher learning in the United States.
1870 – The National Weather Service was established under the U.S. Army Signal Corps.
1915 – D. W. Griffith’s controversial epic, The Birth of a Nation premiered in Los Angeles.
1924 – The gas chamber was used for the first time as a method of execution in the United States. Gangster Gee Jon was put to death at the Nevada State Prison in Carson City.
1960 – The payola (pay for broadcast airplay) hearings opened in the U.S. House of Representatives. Dick Clark would testify in April.
1980 – President Jimmy Carter revealed his plan to reinstate selective service draft registration.
Today Is: Boy Scout Anniversary Day, Extraterrestrial Culture Day, Extraterrestrial Visitor Day, Laugh and Get Rich Day, Opera Day, Safer Internet Day
TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)
CBS – 8:00 – Super Bowl Commercials / 9:00 – FBI International / 10:00 – FBI Most Wanted
NBC – 8:00 – Winter Olympics
ABC – 8:00 – Jeopardy College Championship / 9:00 – Abbott Elementary / 9:30 – Blackish / 10:00 – Queens
FOX – 8:00 – The Resident / 9:00 – The Real Dirty Dancing
CW – 8:00 – Superman and Lois / 9:00 – Naomi
TV Talk Shows
Jimmy Kimmel: Channing Tatum, David Oyelowo
Jimmy Fallon: Pre-empted
Stephen Colbert: Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Ingrid Andress & Sam Hunt (R 1/17/22)
Seth Meyers: Pre-empted
James Corden: Eva Longoria, J.B. Smoove, Anitta featuring Saweetie (R 11/3/21)
Watch What Happens Live: Chrishell Stause, Margaret Josephs
The View: Wendi McLendon-Covey, guest co-host Alyssa Farah
The Talk: Ludacris
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Wendi McLendon-Covey, Eric Adjepong
Ellen DeGeneres: Josh Gad, Benson Boone, Colin Cloud
The Real: Queen Naija, guest co-host Nene Leakes
Kelly Clarkson: Kristen Bell, Quinta Brunson
Tamron Hall: Chrishell Stause, Chiquis Rivera
Drew Barrymore: Sam Richardson
WHAT ARE YOU TALKIN’ ABOUT? Here are today’s PPM-Friendly Topics!
QUESTION: How much fun are those CHINESE OLYMPICS?? Not very much!!! This ski coach is facing a SECOND WEEK of COVID isolation and bad food!!
QUESTION: What is your most HORRIBLE HABIT?? The one you JUST CAN’T QUIT? Nose-picking? Phoning on the toilet?? Check out this list!!!!!!!!
QUESTION: Want to be INSTANTLY IRRESISTIBLE?? Just SHOW YOUR THUMBS and TILT YOUR HEAD! But NEVER, NEVER, cross your arms!!!
QUESTION: STILL trying to figure out how to make that damned MASK work?? New study says that wearing ladies’ TIGHTS will help seal it!!!!!
QUESTION: Has Hollywood found the POWER OF THE DONG? The wood is OUT, as male members are popping up all over the place!!!!!!
Spotify CEO Apologizes
Spotify’s founder and CEO Daniel Ek has apologized to company employees for the impact of the recent controversy involving podcaster Joe Rogan — and said the music streaming service won’t take any action to “silence” him. Rogan has been the subject of criticism multiple times in recent weeks — first by some musicians, including Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, concerned about the spread of COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and then for racial epithets Rogan used on podcasts years ago. “There are no words I can say to adequately convey how deeply sorry I am for the way The Joe Rogan Experience controversy continues to impact each of you,” Ek said in his letter, according to CNBC. “Not only are some of Joe Rogan’s comments incredibly hurtful — I want you to make clear that they do not represent the values of this company. I know this situation leaves many of you feeling drained, frustrated and unheard.” “I want to make one point very clear — I do not believe that silencing Joe is the answer,” Ek added. “We should have clear lines around content and take action when they are crossed, but canceling voices is a slippery slope.” Ek also said in the letter that Spotify has committed to spending $100 million on music and audio content from historically marginalized groups. Spotify signed Rogan to an exclusive deal in 2020 worth $100 million.
********What happened to “sticks and stones may break my bones???”
*****So they’ll pay the $100 million in extortion money and keep Joe??
*****Interestingly, there were more than a few podcast companies who offered to pick Joe up for $100 million!!
******Here’s our question: You’re paying a guy $100 million. Don’t you go through his old podcasts to make sure there aren’t any landmines in there??
****This has become about race, of course, but originally it was about COVID “misinformation” that affected the government/corporate narrative. It’s almost like a political hit job!!
Razzie Award Nominations
Nominations for the 42nd Annual Razzie Awards have been announced — and it’s not good news for Bruce Willis. He has been given his own special category at the upcoming awards show — which will name “the worst movies” of 2021 —after he starred in eight critically-panned flicks in the space of a single year. The special category is titled “Worst Performance by Bruce Willis in a 2021 movie” and includes every single film the actor appeared in over the past 12 months. LeBron James’ acting career isn’t faring well, with the star nominated for Worst Actor for his role in “Space Jam: A New Legacy.” Meanwhile, Jared Leto was nominated for Worst Supporting Actor for his role as Paolo in “House of Gucci.” It’s embarrassing news for the star, who previously won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for “Dallas Buyers Club” However, he’s in good company, with fellow Oscar winners Ben Affleck and Mel Gibson also named and shamed in the same category. Affleck was nominated for the box-office bomb “The Last Duel,” while Gibson got his nod for starring in the stinker “Dangerous.”
Some of the nominees are:
WORST PICTURE
Diana the Musical
Infinite
Karen
Space Jam: A New Legacy
The Woman in the Window
WORST ACTOR
Scott Eastwood Dangerous
Roe Hartrampf Diana the Musical
LeBron James Space Jam: A New Legacy
Ben Platt Dear Evan Hansen
Mark Wahlberg Infinite
WORST ACTRESS
Amy Adams The Woman in the Window
Jeanna de Waal Diana the Musical
Megan Fox Midnight in the Switchgrass
Taryn Manning Karen
Ruby Rose Vanquish
MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW that Bruce Willis makes tons of movies every year!! They must be sold overseas (and a few to Netflix!!). The company that makes them is Highland Film Group, the same company that made “Rust” with Alec Baldwin!! Check out their website HERE!!
*********Can we “pre-honor” J Lo for “Marry Me??” Or do we have to wait for next year??
JLo Opens Up About Dating Ben Affleck
A lot has changed between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck in 18 years. Jennifer, who is on the cover of Rolling Stone’s March 2022 issue, reflected on the intense media scrutiny the pair faced during the early years of their relationship. “It’s funny because Ben and I were together, and we were so in love,” she explained. “It was one of the happiest times of my life. But also, there was this other thing happening where we were being criticized, and it really destroyed our relationship from the inside out, because we were just too young to understand at that time what were really the most important things in life.” The outlet noted how the press mocked her Latin heritage. One outlet described how “Ben Affleck sleeps with the help,” following her 2002 romantic comedy “Maid in Manhattan.” While “South Park” called her a “mean-spirited b—h,” Conan O’Brien said that he’d cast “our script intern” as Affleck and “our cleaning lady” as Lopez for a sketch. “It was brutal,” said Lopez. “It’s one of those things that you bury very deeply, so you can move on and get about your business.”
********It’s always someone else’s fault!!! Toughen up, guys!!
*****Sounds like she was the first Meghan Markle!!!
*******Sounds bad, but it’s hard to envision J Lo as a victim!!!
Green Day’s Car is Stolen
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong took to Twitter revealing that his 1962 Chevy II had been stolen in Costa Mesa, California. “My car was STOLEN 1962 Chevy II,” he wrote alongside several photos of the missing classic. “This car is near and dear to all our hearts and has been in the GD family for over 30 years. Please send any sighting, tips or info to the Costa Mesa police.” He concluded: “Please re-post, & find this car!!” Green Day has been teasing new music of late, albeit in a cryptic manner. The band has shared a number of clips to Instagram featuring what appears to be new music but offers no context. However, the song “1972,” the birth year of all three members of the band, is featured prominently in the clips. Just over a week ago, it was announced Green Day would headline the Innings Festival in Tampa, Florida, on March 19 alongside The Lumineers. See the post HERE.
*******We hate to tell him, but that car is long gone!! The parts are worth more than the car!! “Good Riddance!!”
Kanye West Cleans his Instagram Of Kim Kardashian
Kanye West has scrubbed his Instagram of all posts pertaining to Kim Kardashian and their children. After spending the last few days accusing his estranged wife of kidnapping their daughter Chicago, putting eldest daughter North on TikTok “against my will” and more, the Yeezy fashion designer erased all accusations and only left posts pertaining to his career and projects. The decision to erase the accusatory posts — which also claimed Kardashian believes he put “a hit out on her” — came after video on social media showed West, 44, spending time with three of his four kids without any sort of chaperone. He took Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2, to his and Jason Lee’s event called “The Future Brunch.” He also shared a photo of West walking with his children entering the event before West put on a private Sunday Service. It appears West’s public war with Kim is over for now, though she hasn’t spoken out about his vicious claims since he first blasted her for putting their 8-year-old daughter on TikTok. “Kanye’s constant need for attacking me in interviews and on social media is actually more hurtful than any TikTok North might create,” Kardashian wrote in the scathing statement shared to social media on Friday.
********The good news?? The divorce is gonna work out. They WON’T be getting back together!!
*******Instagram was MADE for divorces!!!
WELCOME TO CHINA, OLYMPIANS!!
Ripping The Tabloids (Throughout the week, we’ll give you the stories from that weeks tabs!)
**Please Credit Publication!
Ivanka Is “The View’s” Trump Card! – (National Enquirer)
“The View” is setting its sights on a replacement for conservative gabber Meghan McCain that would ruffle feathers AND boost ratings – Ivanka Trump!! “Stranger things have happened,” dishes a source. “There have been conversations about approaching Ivanka to join the show. It would be a game-changing move that could save the show from further declining ratings.”
Clapton: Vaccine All a Mind Game! – (The Globe)
Anti-Vax rocker Eric Clapton is going off the rails claiming people are being “hypnotized” to get COVID shots against their will. The 76-year-old “I Shot the Sheriff” singer has been blasting vaccinations after claiming his AstraZeneca jab left his hands and feet “frozen, numb or burning,” compared to mild flu symptoms some suffer following the injections. Now he’s embracing Belgium head-shrinker Mattias Desmet’s theory large groups are driven to get vaccinated by “mass formation hypnosis” – subliminal messages in the media telling folks to get shots.
Moving to the Suburbs! – (US Weekly)
Time to buy a minivan! Prince William, 39, and Duchess Kate, 40, are set to relocate their brood to a town near Windsor Castle, about 25 miles west of bustling London, a source confirms to US. “The Cambridges love Berkshire,” the source says of the area, noting that while they’ll still commute to the city, “the country life suits them so much better in terms of pace and environment.” Plus, they’ve been regular visitors for years. “They already have their favorite village pub and church,” the source shares. “But the biggest attraction is that they blend with the locals. The whole family is excited!”
Last Laughs – (In Touch)
“Pete Davidson and Colin Jost bought a Staten Island Ferry. Look for Kanye to buy a tug boat just to follow it around.” – Paul Lander
“Adele postponed her Las Vegas residency less than 24 hours before the first show. Fortunately, Adele fans are well-equipped to deal with sudden heartbreak.” – Seth Meyers
STUPID NEWS
Yard Sale Drawing Worth Big Money!
A drawing purchased for $30 at a yard sale has been valued at more than $10 million after being identified as a previously unknown work by German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer. The London-based Agnews Gallery said Clifford Schorer, a Boston-based art collector and consultant for the gallery, was in a Massachusetts bookstore in 2019 when the owner asked him to take a look at a drawing purchased by a friend. The bookseller told Schorer the drawing, which had been purchased for $30 at a yard sale in 2017, might be a Durer original. Schorer said he was skeptical, but he visited the owner, who wished to remain anonymous, a few weeks later and was shocked to see the drawing, titled The Virgin and Child, appeared to be the work of Durer, who died in 1528. “When you’re in my world you spend your life looking for unknown things that lead to fascinating research avenues … and I could see I was at the beginning of something extremely exciting,” Schorer told CNN.
********The exciting part for us is that 500 years from now, our show might be extremely valuable!! In 2022?? Not so much!!
*******We’d like to get a look at that drawing?? Was it good, or just stick figures done in crayon??
*****TOPIC: Have you ever “accidentally” purchased something of value??
Giant Lemon Battery
A team of chemists gathered 2,923 lemons in Britain to break the Guinness World Record for the highest voltage from a fruit battery. Guinness said the Royal Society of Chemistry, an international organization of scientists, cut the lemons in half in Manchester, England, and hooked strips of zinc and copper to each end to extract a total 2,307.8 volts from the fruit. The resulting battery broke the previous record by 1,521 volts, Guinness announced. Professor Saiful Islam, a material science professor from the University of Bath who participated in the attempt, said the lemon juice acts as an electrolyte, with the zinc and copper acting as electrodes. The lemon battery was used to activate an LED attached to a light sensor that triggered a relay and activated a pyrotechnic system to kick off a go-kart race. The lemons used in the attempt were processed by Refood, a company that uses food waste to generate renewable energy for the National Gas Grid, and the remaining liquid was used to make bio-fertilizer for local farms.
********This means your ice tea could be very shocking!!
*******Remember this when your electric car runs out of charge in a lemon grove!!
Florida Man Sends Stolen Car Flying!
A Florida Man is facing Grand Theft and Criminal Mischief charges after stealing a car and abandoning the vehicle on train tracks. An oncoming train hit the car, catapulting it into a nearby home, according to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. Bradford Weitzel told deputies that he stole a car in ‘good faith’ after struggling to find his own car after leaving a bar early Saturday morning. Weitzel told deputies he somehow ended up on the train tracks along Indian River Drive. Deputies said that’s when Weitzel claims the vehicle he stole suddenly stopped dead on the tracks as a train approached. So he said he got out and ran, leaving the car on the tracks. In a matter of seconds, the train hit the car, launching it into a nearby home where the owners were sound asleep. The homeowners were miraculously uninjured, according to deputies. Weitzel continued on his way, where investigators say he vandalized a local business and attempted to steal a forklift.
*********He may have been “over-served!!”
*****This was NOT the weirdest thing that happened in Florida that day!!!
*******Car vs. Train: it always turns out the same!!
NFT Used To Buy Home
A home along Florida’s Gulf Coast will be auctioned off in the upcoming week as a non-fungible token in what is believed to be among the first such transactions in the U.S. Non-fungible tokens — or NFTs — use a version of the encryption technology employed to secure cryptocurrencies to create one-of-a-kind digital objects. The technology provides digital creations a kind of certificate of authenticity, allowing ownership of something that could otherwise be replicated endlessly. In the case of the four-bedroom home in Gulfport, Florida, a California-based real estate technology company, Propy, will mint the property rights into a digital token and host an online auction, with bids starting at $650,000. Minting property rights into an NFT would allow owners to sell a home as quickly as a Venmo transaction, Leslie Alessandra, the home’s current owner, told the Tampa Bay Times. Christopher Vasilakis, a local real estate and virtual-reality expert, described such a transaction as “essentially just selling a company and a company owns that house.” There could also be challenges given the volatility of cryptocurrency, and it’s not yet clear if the value of a house tied to an NFT would be affected by the crypto market, Vasilakis said.
*******It’s a brave new world!!
*******This should work really well.. unless it doesn’t!!
******What if you pay with crypto.. and by the time the transaction goes through, the value drops by 50%?? That couldn’t happen… right???
STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL
VIDEO: SOMETHING BURNED UP OVER THE SKIES OF MEXICO!
A LIST FOR TUESDAY
5 Financial Surprises (the Bad Kind) to Avoid in 2022
Missed Student Loan Payments
If you’ve been taking advantage of student loan forbearance since March 2020 — when all payments and interest on federally held student loans were suspended — it’s time to resurrect those payments.
Forbearance ends April 30, 2022, at which point you start owing and accruing interest on your student loans. Don’t delay reaching out to your student loan servicer.
If you’re on the standard repayment plan and are unable to make the payments, apply for an income-driven repayment plan, which could substantially reduce your monthly payments when the forbearance period ends. If you’re already on an income-driven plan, update your income to modify your monthly payment.
Overdraft Fees
Overdraft fees are among the most criticized fees assessed by banks, since those who live paycheck to paycheck are the ones likely to accidentally overdraft.
The goods is that in 2021, a number of institutions eliminated their overdraft fees, including Ally Bank, Alliant Credit Union and Capital One.
Since the new year, Bank of America announced it’s slashing overdraft fees from $35 to $10 and intends to drop bounced check fees. Wells Fargo said that it will give customers 24 hours to make good on overdrafts, although it hasn’t budged on the $35 overdraft penalty.
What does that mean for you? If you’re banking at a place that’s socking you with fees, then maybe 2022 should be the year you find a new bank — here’s a rundown of those fee changes, plus a list of banks that don’t charge overdraft fees at all.
Social Security Changes
Whether you’re already retired or years away, Social Security affects your finances, and there are some major shakeups to the system this year.
For retirees, first some good news: Social Security payments are getting their biggest cost of living increase since 1982. But don’t expect a much fatter monthly check — most of that increase will be eaten up by rising Medicare premiums.
And if retirement is still in your future, you’ll have to wait longer to reach it — as of 2002, full retirement age is now 67 years old.
End to Child Tax Credits
If you’re a parent of a kid under 18, you likely received an extra monthly payment courtesy of the temporary child tax credit boost — but that source of extra income came to an end in 2021.
Starting in July 2021, parents who qualified received up to $250 a month for each child between 6 and 17, and up to $300 a month for each child younger than 6. The last payment was Dec. 15, and the remaining half of the credit — $1,500 to $1,800, depending on the child’s age — will be disbursed this year when parents file their taxes for 2021.
The only way to get the remaining half of the credit is to file your 2021 tax return — the earlier the better, if last year’s refund delays are any indication.
The quickest way to receive your additional child tax credit money is to file a return online. There are plenty of free tax filing software programs that simplify the process.
Credit Card Debt
Don’t let the ghost of credit card purchases past haunt you in 2022.
If you want to start putting a dent in your credit card debt, we have plenty of options, including the debt avalanche, debt snowball, debt snowflake and debt lasso payoff methods.
However, if you’re having problems making payments, you should reach out to your lender to ask them about assistance or hardship programs.
Start by looking for a customer service number on a copy of your bill for your mortgage, credit card, auto loan or other loan. When you call, have your account number and a clear explanation about why you’re unable to pay the bill. Be sure to ask about all your options as well as how your payments, balance, interest rate and credit score could be affected.
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.
© 2022 – Radio Genius Show Prep