Born on this day!! Actor James Earl Jones is 92. Talk show host Maury Povich is 84. Singer Chris Montez is 81. Actor Joanna David (“Downton Abbey”) is 76. Actor Jane Elliott (“General Hospital”) is 76. Former Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor is 75. Singer Sheila Hutchinson of The Emotions is 70. Singer Steve Earle is 68. Singer Paul Young is 67. Actor-comedian Steve Harvey is 66. Singer Susanna Hoffs of The Bangles is 64. Writer-Director Brian Helgeland (“42,” ″Mystic River,” ″L.A. Confidential”) is 62. Actor Jim Carrey is 61. Actor Denis O’Hare (“The Good Wife,” ″True Blood”) is 61. Actor Joshua Malina (“The West Wing,” ″Sports Night”) is 57. Singer Shabba Ranks is 57. Actor Naveen Andrews (“Instinct,” “Lost”) is 54. Electronic musician DJ Tiesto is 54. Musician Kid Rock is 52. Actor Freddy Rodriguez (“The Night Shift,” ″Six Feet Under”) is 48. Actor-writer Leigh Whannel (“Saw” and “Insidious” movies) is 46. Actor-singer Zooey Deschanel (“New Girl”) is 43. Singer Ray J is 42. Country singer Amanda Wilkinson of The Wilkinsons is 41. Actor Ryan Gage (“The Hobbit”) is 40. DJ Calvin Harris is 39. Drummer Jeremiah Fraites of The Lumineers is 37. Actor Jonathan Keltz (“Reign,” ″Entourage”) is 35. Actor Kelly Marie Tran (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) is 34. Actor Kathrine Herzer (“Madame Secretary”) is 26.

THIS DAY IN GENIUS HISTORY

1706 – Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston.
1806 – James Madison Randolph, the grandson of Thomas Jefferson, became the first child born in the White House.
1893 – Hawaii’s Queen Liliuokalani was forced to abdicate by a group of planters and businessmen.
1945 – Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg disappeared in Hungary while in Soviet custody.
1977 – Gary Gilmore became the first person executed in the U.S. since the death penalty was reintroduced.
1991 – Operation Desert Storm was launched against Iraq.
1998 – President Clinton became the first sitting U.S. president to testify as a defendant in a criminal or civil suit.
2001 – Gov. Gray Davis declared a state of emergency concerning California’s electricity crisis.

Today Is: Cable Car Day, Hot Heads Chili Days, International Mentoring Day, Judgment Day, Kid Inventors’ Day, National Bootleggers Day, Popeye Day, National Rye Whiskey Day, World Scotch Pie Day

TODAY ON TV!
Primetime TV (All Times Eastern)

CBS – 8:00 – FBI  /  9:00 – FBI International  /  10:00 – FBI Most Wanted
NBC – 8:00  – Night Court  /  8:30 – Night Court  /  9:00 – New Amsterdam  /  10:00 – New Amsterdam
ABC – 8:00 –  The Rookie  /  9:00 – The Rookie Feds  /  10:00 – Will Trent
FOX – 8:00 – The Resident  /  9:00  – Alert Missing Persons Unit
CW – 8:00 –  The Winchesters /  9:00 – Mystery Decoded

TV Talk Shows

Jimmy Kimmel: Rob Lowe, Storm Reid, Seal
Jimmy Fallon: Katie Holmes, Danielle Deadwyler, Anuel AA
Stephen Colbert: Jesse Eisenberg, Atsuko Okatsuka
Seth Meyers: Common, a performance by the Broadway cast of “Some Like It Hot”, Daniel Fang
James Corden: Danny DeVito, Lucy DeVito, Madison Cunningham
Watch What Happens Live: Bianca Belair, Montez Ford
Daily Show: Guest host Leslie Jones
The View: Dolly Parton, Stephen A. Smith
The Talk: Melissa Rauch, Brandon Sklenar
Live with Kelly and Ryan: Kristin Chenoweth, Harry Hamlin
Kelly Clarkson: Jenna Dewan, Sam Jay, Jillian Michaels, Aoife O’Donovan
Tamron Hall: Joey Thurman, Aaron Baker
Drew Barrymore: Brendan Fraser
Jennifer Hudson: Michael Chiklis, Rosanna & Elaina Scotto

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

QUESTION: Are you afraid of the afterlife?? Nanny Faye, America’s favorite GREAT GRANDMOTHER, says, “What’s there to be afraid of?? She’s gone mega viral with advice!!!

 

QUESTION: Are you one of those who CAN’T GET ENOUGH of PRINCE HARRY?? Chelsea Handler is DONE!! She doesn’t want to hear any more about FROZEN PENIS!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: How can you tell whether your webcam or smartphone has been HACKED?? A cybersecurity expert gives you tell-tale signs, including quick battery drains!!!!!!

 

QUESTION: Do you spend time on TIK TOK looking at MENU HACKS?? You may be able to order those special dishes in a lot of places, but WAFFLE HOUSE aint havin’ it!!!

QUESTION: Taking a trip to JAVA?? Then be sure to cruise by the world-famous “PENIS ROCK!!” It’s rumored to improve mens’ performance, and bring love to ladies!!!!!!

Lisa Marie To Be Buried At Graceland

Lisa Marie Presley will be buried with her late father Elvis Presley and her only son Benjamin Keough at the famous family’s Tennessee estate, Graceland.  Lisa Marie died of cardiac arrest Thursday, two days after attending the Golden Globe Awards ceremony and cheering on actor Austin Butler who won for portraying her dad in the movie, Elvis.  “Lisa Marie’s final resting place will be at Graceland, next to her beloved son Ben,” a representative for her daughter, actress Riley Keough, said in a statement Friday.  A date has not been announced for her funeral and burial services.  Elvis also died of cardiac arrest in 1977 at the age of 42. Benjamin Keough was 27 when he fatally shot himself in 2020. Fans wishing to pay tribute to Lisa Marie have been gathering at the gates of Graceland, which Elvis bought in 1957 and which has since been designated a National Historic Landmark.  Lisa Marie inherited the mansion and grounds in 1993 when she turned 25.
*****Right now she’s with her daddy in Rock and Roll Heaven, whispering: “Don’t tell Michael I’m here!!” (too soon?)

Spears’ Husband Denies She Had Meltdown

Britney Spears’ husband shut down a sensationalized report that the pop star had a “meltdown” at a restaurant.  Sam Asghari took to his Instagram Stories on Saturday night to defend his wife, writing, “Don’t believe what you read online people.”  His post came after TMZ published a story stating that Spears had “caused a scene” at Joey in Woodland Hills, Calif., while out to dinner with Sam on Friday.  Witnesses say she was acting “manic” and “talking gibberish,” prompting Sam to “storm out.”  However, a video obtained by TMZ appeared to contradict the eyewitness accounts, simply showing Spears shielding her face with a menu while another patron filmed her on a cellphone in the middle of the establishment. The footage notably did not show Spears speaking incoherently or Asghari leaving in a huff.  A manager at Joey said that they could not “disclose any information” about the celebrity couple’s headline-making visit.  But now, an employee tells us exclusively, “The disruptor wasn’t Britney — it was the diner who taunted her by taking a video without consent.”  The staffer explains that Spears “was understandably upset” and that Asghari “only left briefly to get their car, but he did not storm out.”  Spears initially addressed the incident by giving the middle finger in an Instagram video. She then wrote on Sunday night, “I know the news is all hyped about me being a little drunk at a restaurant … it’s like they’ll be WATCHING MY EVERY MOVE!!! I’m so flattered they talk about me like a maniac THEN have the balls to talk about all the negative things that happened in my past !!!”
********Was she naked in the video?? Because THAT’S not crazy!!!!
****This is why celebrities hate it when they see fans making an approach!!

Kim K Visits Prisoners In Solitary Confinement

Kim Kardashian recently paid a visit to inmates who’ve been placed in solitary confinement within Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent, California.  She spent a day within the prison in order to meet with prisoners in solitary, to discuss how their sentences have been affecting their “mental stability.”  Kardashian was accompanied by actor Tobey Maguire, producer Scott Budnick (whose credits include “The Hangover”) and a camera crew.  According to TMZ, the visit is part of a new documentary that would serve as something of a follow-up to previous documentaries that Budnick has produced focusing on teenagers in the American prison system, 2016’s “They Call Us Monsters” and 2013’s “Lost for Life”.
*********Kim is offering to go cell to cell, spending the night with young offenders!!!

Brendan Fraser Wins Critics Choice

Brendan Fraser was overcome with emotions as he accepted the best actor trophy for his role in “The Whale” at the Critics Choice Awards Sunday.  “It was Herman Melville who once wrote that there are only five critics in America — the rest are asleep,” he said.”   He added, “I don’t know what it means, either, but I’m sure glad you woke up for me. Where were you for ‘Furry Vengeance?’” Fraser called out his 2010 comedy where he starred alongside Brooke Shields and Ken Jeong.  “This movie, ‘The Whale,’ is about love. It’s about redemption. It’s about finding the light in a dark place, and I’m so lucky to have worked with an ensemble that’s incredible,” Fraser said.  Through a trembling voice and shaking hands, he noted, “Took me 32 years to get here.”  With tears in his eyes, he said, “If you’re like Charlie, who I played in this movie, in any way, struggle with obesity, or you just feel like you’re in a dark sea – I want you to know that if you can just get to your feet and go to the light, good things will happen. Thank you. Good night.”  It’s Fraser’s first leading role in almost a decade.
********Anytime you put on a fat suit, it’s a sure winner!!!!
*****We saw a light at the end of the tunnel.. turned out to be a freight train!!!
******Just remember: It’s always darkest just before the light goes out completely!!

 

Here’s a full list of the 28th Critics Choice Award winners:

Best Picture: “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Actor: Brendan Fraser, “The Whale”
Best Actress: Cate Blanchett, “Tár”
Best Supporting Actor: Ke Huy Quan, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Supporting Actress: Angela Bassett, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Best Young Actor: Gabriel LaBelle, “The Fabelmans”
Best Acting Ensemble: “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Best Director: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Original Screenplay: Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Adapted Screenplay: Sarah Polley, “Women Talking”
Best Cinematography: Claudio Miranda, “Top Gun: Maverick”
Best Production Design: Florencia Martin, Anthony Carlino, “Babylon”
Best Editing: Paul Rogers, “Everything Everywhere All at Once”
Best Costume Design: Ruth E. Carter, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
Best Hair and Makeup: “Elvis”
Best Visual Effects: “Avatar: The Way of Water”
Best Comedy: “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”
Best Animated Feature: Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Best Foreign Language Film: “RRR”
Best Song: Naatu Naatu, “RRR”
Best Score: Hildur Guðnadóttir, “Tár”
Best Limited Series: “The Dropout”
Best Drama Series: “Better Call Saul”
Best Actor in a Drama Series: Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Best Actress in a Drama Series: Zendaya, “Euphoria”
Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Giancarlo Esposito, “Better Call Saul”
Best Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”
Best Comedy Series: “Abbott Elementary”
Best Actor in a Comedy Series: Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Best Actress in a Comedy Series: Jean Smart, “Hacks”
Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: ” Henry Winkler, “Barry”
Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Shery Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”
Best Movie Made for Television: “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”

 

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

Say What?!-(Life & Style)

“It’s not great thinking, the television I watch…..But most of the time, when I watch it, it’s because my life is stressful.  And I need to just not think for a while.”-Jessica Chastain, on tuning in to a wide variety of reality shows.

“There’s never not a right time for mint tea.  That’s my motto.”-Nicole Scherzinger, on her recent partnership with Vahdam teas.

“I gotta mix it up a little bit.  I’m 53, my brain is like scrambled eggs.  I gotta do something new.”-Ellen Pompeo, on her decision to leave Grey’s Anatomy, after 19 years.

 

STUPID NEWS

Lost Suitcase Shows Up 4 Years Later

An Oregon woman whose suitcase was lost during a United Airlines flight home from Chicago said she was reunited with the bag four years later — and it took a detour to Central America.  April Gavin posted a series of videos to TikTok explaining how her luggage was lost by the airline when she flew home from a business trip to Chicago in August 2018.  Gavin said after several months of searching, the airline informed her that the bag’s disappearance was a mystery. She was compensated for some of her lost items, but not all of them, Gavin said.  Gavin said she was shocked to receive a phone call this week informing her that her suitcase had turned up at an airport in Houston. She said she was further surprised to be told it had arrived on a flight from Honduras.  “It was in Honduras. And who knows where else it went,” Gavin said in the video. “But it came from Honduras. Went to Houston, Texas. They called me.”  Gavin said the bag was slightly damaged and worn, but its contents were intact. She said United Airlines told her part of the difficulty in tracking the bag was that it hadn’t been properly scanned when she checked it before flying to Chicago.
**********It was full of scorpions and cocaine, but otherwise….
*******One of the most emotional sights at the airport is people tearing up as they wave goodbye to their luggage!!!

Cow Shows Up To The Olive Garden

Police in Oklahoma put their cowboy skills to the test when a loose cow was spotted wandering outside an Olive Garden restaurant.  The Stillwater Police Department said officers responded alongside Stillwater Animal Welfare when a loose cow was spotted Thursday near the Olive Garden in Stillwater.   “Officers questioned the cow and learned that the cow had heard about the never ending soup and salad option at Olive Garden and decided to see for itself,” police joked in a Facebook post.  The cow was safely corralled and relocated from the area. The animal’s origins were unclear.
********If it’s not one thing, it’s her udder!!!
*******That cow was milking the attention!!!!

Lucky Ticket Sold In Lucky Town

The winning ticket for a $15.1m state lottery was sold in the appropriately named town of Luck, Wisconsin.  The winning Megabucks lottery ticket for the Jan. 4 drawing was sold at Wayne’s Food Plus, and is the largest winning lottery ticket ever sold by the store, as People.com reported.  Luck is a tiny town of approximately 1,100 residents.   “Thursday morning, when I come in and run my morning reports and ‘get your lottery’ report — it shows, ‘Congrats to Wayne’s foods in Luck, Wi, for selling a 15-million-dollar megabucks ticket,'” store manager Paul Wondra told CBS Minnesota.  Megabucks is a Wisconsin-only lottery game, according to the Wisconsin Lottery’s website.   A man named Mark Cunningham claimed the $15.1 million prize on Monday, Jan. 9, according to a Jan. 11 press release from the Wisconsin Lottery.  “Dreams really do come true,” said Cunningham in the release.
**********We’ll tell you where the ticket WASN’T sold: Hell, Michigan!!!!!
********Is their local football team called the Lucky Ducks???

Dancing Permits

Sweden’s center-right coalition government wants to cut red tape when it comes to dancing by abolishing a decade-old requirement for restaurants, nightclubs and other venues to obtain permits before they let patrons shimmy and sway.  The proposal made Thursday means that venues no longer would need a license to organize dances. Instead, as a general rule, they would only have to register with the police, which can be done verbally and does not cost anything.  Applying for a permit incurs a fee of at least 700 kroner ($67) for the establishment. As it is now, owners can lose their liquor and business licenses if police officers come by and find out that a venue did not have authorization to let patrons dance.  “It is not reasonable for the state to regulate people’s dance,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer said in a government statement. “By removing the requirement for a dance permit, we also reduce bureaucracy and costs for entrepreneurs and others who organize dances.”  Swedish media outlets welcomed the move to abolish the dance permits, which have been called outdated and moralistic.  The government proposed having the change take effect on July 1, although it requires parliamentary approval.
*********Once they start dancing, can sex be far behind?? (we hope not)
********They’re also reducing twerking to a misdemeanor!!!

 

STUFF THAT’S COOL AND VIRAL

 

VIDEO: GO PRO CAMERA ON A FISHING POLE

VIDEO: EVER HEAR A BEAVER FART????

 

A LIST FOR TUESDAY

 

Budgeting for Beginners in 5 Painless Steps

Follow these basic steps and tailor them to your needs to create a monthly budget that will set you up for financial success.

 

Step 1: Set a Financial Goal

First thing’s first: Why do you want a budget?  Your reason will be your anchor and incentive as you create a budget, and it will help you stick to it.  Set a short-term or long-term goal. It can be to pay off debts like student loans, credit cards or a mortgage, or to save for retirement, an emergency fund, a new car, a home down payment or a vacation.  For example, creating a budget is a must for many people trying to buy their first home. But it shouldn’t stop there. Once you’ve bought a home, keep sticking to a budget to pay off debt and give yourself some wiggle room for unexpected expenses.  Once one goal is complete, you can move on to another and personalize your budget to fit whatever your needs are.

Step 2: Log Your Income, Expenses and Savings

You’ll want to use a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or another budget template to track all of your monthly expenses and spending. List out each expense line by line. This list is the foundation for your monthly budget.

Tally Your Monthly Income

Review your pay stubs and determine how much money you and anyone else in your household take home every month. Include any passive income, rental income, child support payments or side gigs.  If your income varies, estimate as best as you can, or use the average of your income for the past three months.

Make a List of Your Mandatory Monthly Expenses

Start with fixed expenses or monthly expenditures such as:

• Rent or mortgage payment
• Living expenses like utility bills (electric, gas and water bills), internet and phone
• Car payments and transportation costs
• Student loan payments
• Insurance (car, life and health insurance)
• Child care
• Groceries
• Debt repayments for things like credit cards, medical debt, etc.

Anything that will result in a late fee for not paying bills goes in this category.

List Nonessential Monthly and Irregular Expenses

Nonessential expenses include entertainment, coffee, subscription and streaming services, memberships, cable TV, gifts, dining out and miscellaneous items — basically your spending money for the month.  Don’t forget to account for expenses you don’t incur every month, such as annual fees, taxes, car registration, oil changes and one-time charges. Add them to the month in which they usually occur OR tally up all of your irregular expenses for the year and divide by 12 so you can work them into your monthly budget.  Review all of your bank account statements and credit card statements for the past 12 months to make sure you don’t miss anything.

Don’t Forget Your Savings

Be sure to include a line item for savings in your monthly budget. Use it for those short- or long-term savings goals, building up an emergency fund or investments.  Figure out how much you can afford — no matter how big or small. If you get direct deposit, saving can be simplified with an automated paycheck deduction. Something as little as $10 a week adds up to over $500 in a year.

Step 3: Adjust Your Expenses to Match Your Income

Now, what does your monthly personal budget look like so far?  Are you living within your income, or spending more money than you make? Either way, it’s time to make some adjustments to meet your goals.

 

Step 4: Choose a Budgeting Method

You have your income, expenses and spending spelled out in a monthly budget, but how do you act on it? Trying out a budgeting method helps manage your money and accommodates your lifestyle.  Living on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t have fun or splurges, and fortunately many budgeting methods account for those things. Here are a few to consider:

• The Envelope System is a cash-based budgeting system that works well for over spenders. It curbs excess spending on debit and credit cards because you’re forced to withdraw cash and place it into pre-labeled envelopes for your variable expenses (like groceries and clothing) instead of pulling out that plastic.
• The 50/20/30 Method is for those with more financial flexibility and who can pay all their bills with 50% of their income. You apply 50% of your income to living expenses, 20% toward savings and/or debt reduction and 30% to personal spending (vacations, coffee, entertainment). This way, you can have fun and save at the same time. Because your basic needs can account for only 50% of your income, it’s typically not a good fit for those living paycheck to paycheck.
• The 60/20/20 Budget uses the same concept as the 50/20/30, except you apply 60% of your income to living expenses, 20% toward savings and/or debt reduction and 20% to personal spending. It’s a good fit for fans of the 50/20/30 Method who need to devote more of their incomes to living costs.
• The Zero-Based Budget makes you account for all of your income. You budget for your expenses and bills, and then assign any extra money toward your goals. The strict system is good for people trying to pay off debt as fast as possible. It’s also beneficial for those living paycheck to paycheck.

Still not sure which budget to try? Answer a few questions on our quiz and we’ll give you recommendations about which budgeting method will work best for you.

Budgeting Apps

Another money management option is to use a budgeting app. Apps can help you organize and access your personal finances on the go and can alert you of finance charges, late fees and bill payment due dates. Many also offer free credit score monitoring.

Step 5: Follow Through

Budgeting becomes super easy once you get in the groove, but you can’t set it and forget it. You should review your budget monthly to monitor your expenses and spending and adjust accordingly. Review checking and savings account statements for any irregularities even if you set bills to autopay.  Even if your income increases, try to prioritize saving the extra money. That will help you avoid lifestyle inflation, which happens when your spending increases as your income rises.  The thrill of being debt-free or finally having enough money to travel might even inspire you to seek out other financial opportunities or advice. For example, if you’re looking for professional help, set up a consultation with a certified financial planner who can assist you with long-term goals like retirement and savings plans.

 

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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