COUNTRY October 20, 2014

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Audio • Bits & Breaks • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • Image of the Day • Joke of the Day! • Last Minute Items • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Video of the Day • Wacky-But-True • Country Datebook • Country Audio • Country News

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DATEBOOK: OCTOBER 20, 2014

This is day 293 of 2014. There are 72 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• William Christopher (M.A.S.H.) is 82

• Tom Petty is 64

• Viggo Mortensen (Lord of the Rings) is 56

• Snoop Dogg/Snoop Lion is 43

• John Krasinski (The Office, married to Emily Blunt) is 35

• Jennifer Nicole Freeman (My Wife and Kids) is 29

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1882: Bela Lugosi was born. He was best known for playing Count Dracula in the Broadway play and subsequent film version.

• 1910: The hull of the RMS Olympic, sister-ship to the ill-fated RMS Titanic, was launched from the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland.

• 1947: The House Un-American Activities Committee opened hearings into alleged Communist influence in the motion picture industry.

• 1955: The Return of the King, the last part of The Lord of the Rings, was published.

• 1967: A purported bigfoot was filmed by Patterson and Gimlin.

• 1968: Former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy married Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis.

• 1977: A plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed in Mississippi, killing lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and guitarist Steve Gaines along with backup singer Cassie Gaines, the road manager, pilot, and co-pilot.

• 1979: The John F. Kennedy library opened in Boston, Massachusetts.

• 1992: In the first World Series game to be played outside the United States, the host Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2.

• 2004: A U.S. Army staff sergeant, Ivan “Chip” Frederick, pleaded guilty to abusing Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison. (Frederick was sentenced to eight years in prison.)

• 2006: A British woman who claimed to have been dumped by her cheating husband dumped his entire wardrobe for sale on eBay. The furious mother of two said she would take cash or swap the items for “a decent single man.” The clothes came from her husband’s closet, but she advised buyers that some items “might be slightly damp due to them being chucked out of the window.”

SPECIAL EVENTS

• It’s Freedom From Bullies Week.

• It’s Character Counts Week.

• This is Chemistry Week.

• It’s Collegiate Alcohol Awareness Week.

• It’s Friends of Libraries Week.

• It’s Massage Therapy Week.

• This is Save For Retirement Week.

• Today is Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day.

UPCOMING

• World Series begins: October 21

• NBA season begins: October 28

• Halloween: October 31

• Daylight Saving Time ends: November 2

• Veteran’s Day: November 11

• Final NASCAR race of Sprint Cup season (Ford EcoBoost 400): November 16

• Thanksgiving (U.S.): November 27

• Black Friday: November 28

• Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: December 7

• Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day): December 17

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY

21.9 billion: Photos uploaded to Instagram each year.

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NEWS ATTACK!

When police in Massachusetts (Lawrence) frisked a drug dealer they found a tiny three-to-four-week-old pit bull. [He was training it to be the worlds’s smallest and cutest pickpocket.]

Researchers say that the 1998 Canadian ice storm was so stressful that pregnant mothers passed on the stress in their DNA to their kids. [For example, the kids have an unusually strong emotional attachment to hot water bottles.]

Researchers say that the 1998 Canadian ice storm was so stressful that pregnant mothers passed on the stress in their DNA to their kids. [One kid is now 16 but still runs and hides under his bed every time he hears the refrigerator’s ice maker kick in.]

A divorce in the United Arab Emirates took a weird turn when the judge ruled that the wife was not entitled to alimony because she waited until after the wedding to inform her husband that she’s a genie. [The husband’s happy. The wife is upset. And the judge is now a frog.]

Bono revealed that he wears sunglasses all the time due to glaucoma. [He said that the only time he doesn’t need to wear them is when he visits Willie Nelson’s tour bus.]

ISIS is learning to fly. [Which sounds like the answer to the question: What’s worse than JetBlue?]

An Alabama man got a grenade stuck in his leg. [And that’s why your mom told you a 1,000 times not to run with an explosive military grade ordinance in your pocket.]

In northern England a woman was sentenced to six years in prison for serving as a bank robbery gang’s getaway driver with her eight-month-old baby in the car. [She was booked for armed robbery, speeding, and breastfeeding in traffic.]

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a new law legalizing sports betting in New Jersey. [You may not care whether or not he signed it, but I had $50 riding on it.]

NASCAR veteran Terry LaBonte is retiring. [He doesn’t feel that at 58 he’s too old to compete with the younger drivers, but he does feel that he’s too old to duke it out with the other drivers after the race is over.]

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NEWS & NUGGETS

EBOLA-INFECTED SPANISH NURSE TESTS NEGATIVE FOR VIRUS _ The person with Europe’s first confirmed case of Ebola is on the mend. Teresa Romero, the Spanish nurse that contracted Ebola, has tested negative for the virus. Further tests will be done to determine whether Romero is indeed cured. Romero caught the virus while treating Spanish missionaries who had been working in West Africa. The nurse said she made a mistake in removing her protective suit, and touching her face with her gloves still on, which could have caused her to contract Ebola. Romero’s husband was quarantined and her dog euthanized as precautions against spreading the disease.

… The news follows other positive indications that Ebola cases in the developed world are under control. The city of Dallas noted earlier on Sunday that it had not seen any new cases among those on its watch list.

EBOLA HYSTERIA IN MAINE AND MISSISSIPPI _ A Maine elementary school teacher has been barred from school after visiting Dallas, Texas, where Ebola patients have been treated — despite having no contact with any suspected sufferers. The teacher at Strong Elementary School in Strong, Maine, was placed on mandatory 21-day leave after going to an educational conference and staying in a hotel 9½ miles from Texas Health Presbyterian, where ‘patient zero’ Thomas Eric Duncan was diagnosed and treated before he died. She was one of five million people who commute through the Texas city. However, the school cited “parents’ concerns” and ordered the teacher to remain in isolation for three weeks — the incubation period for Ebola.

… Meanwhile in Mississippi, a rumor emerged that Principal Lee Wannik of Hazlehurst Middle School had traveled to Nigeria, prompting swarms of parents to remove their children from the school on Wednesday. In fact, he had been attending his brother’s funeral in Zambia, which is on the other side of Africa from Liberia, Guinea, and Sierra Leone where the disease has wreaked havoc. Families at a nearby high school also filled out forms requesting a temporary absence for their child, telling journalists they would “rather be safe than sorry”. Fears were escalated further when Principal Wannik then decided to go on leave and seek medical attention because he did not want to be a “distraction”.

DON’T BE A VICTIM OF THESE EBOLA SCAMS _ Ebola is making headlines around the world, and as usual with any type of crisis, unscrupulous crooks are jumping on the chance to make a profit with scams. They aren’t just after your money either — some scammers are stealing your personal information. U.S. News reports that a fundraising page was set up by friends of Ebola victim Nina Pham on the crowd funding site GoFundMe. Their attempt to assist Pham and her family raised nearly $70,000 in two days, proving that the number of strangers sympathetic to Pham’s plight and willing to help financially was overwhelming — and that is what scammers count on. While the Pham fundraiser is legit, the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning advising consumers to be cautious when donating money to any type of “charity” or crowdfunding site claiming to assist Ebola victims or those out of work due to quarantines imposed after exposure to the virus. The consumer organization cited another fundraising page set up on GoFundMe for Amber Joy Vinson — the second nurse diagnosed with Ebola in Dallas — that was possibly a scam. Although it may have been set up by a well-intentioned person, Vinson’s family had no knowledge of who it was, nor did they authorize the page. That page has since been shut down, but there are still more than 100 GoFundMe pages raising money for various Ebola causes — many of which are likely scams.

PLUSH EBOLA TOY ONLINE THAT’S ALREADY SOLD OUT _ Here’s a phrase you probably never thought you’d hear: “Ebola toy.” But yes, there is a company, Giant Microbes, that sells a big stuffed Ebola virus. And late last week the company said it’s actually sold out. Giant Microbes makes all kinds of stuffed microbe toys, like amoebas, e. coli, and herpes. Giant Microbes president of marketing said in a statement, “We are currently out of stock worldwide.”

WHEN THE SCHOOL PHOTOSHOPS YOUR SIX-YEAR-OLD _ A six-year-old in Australia was reduced to tears after the birthmark on her neck was digitally removed from her school photo without her or her parents’ consent. Mahli Guise’s mother says they always told Mahli the birthmark is her “beauty spot”. To Mahli’s parents it’s saddening that somebody they don’t know sat behind a computer and thought, “We’ll get rid of that.” And it wasn’t just Mahli’s birthmark that was deemed unacceptable by the photography company. The color of the bow in her hair was also changed and her face was digitally cleaned. Mom said, ‘I don’t want a perfect photo, I want a photo of my perfect child.”

SCOTTISH FISH WERE THE FIRST TO HAVE SEX _ Scientists out of Australia believe they have discovered the first animal to have ever had sex.
The Microbrachius dicki (of the placoderm species) were armored fish that lived in the waters near Scotland and appear to be the oldest known animal with reproductive organs necessary for sex.

… A researcher at Flinders University in Adelaide said the very first act of sex “was done sideways, square-dance style.” The animals lived as long as 430 million years ago and went extinct around 360 million years ago.

THIS IS WHY YOU WEAR YOUR SEATBELT ON A PLANE _ Singapore Airlines flight 424 from Singapore to Mumbai encountered turbulence while on approach to its destination Saturday. Twenty-two people, including eight passengers and fourteen flight attendants required medical treatment after the Airbus A380 landed.

… It’s always recommended that while seated on a plane — even at cruising altitude — you keep your seatbelt on. The FAA reports that from 2002 to 2013, 430 passengers and flight attendants were injured by turbulence on an airline flight. A phenomenon called clear air turbulence can occur at almost any time, and it’s almost impossible to predict. It is this type of turbulence during which most injuries occur. Flight attendants are more likely to be injured than passengers, because they’re up doing their work in the cabin during most of the flight. Even when the pilots have turned off the Fasten Seat Belt Sign, that is not a guarantee of safety.

TRAIN COMPANIES DISCOURAGE RAILWAY PHOTOGRAPHY _ Near misses between photographers and oncoming trains have attracted the attention of rail companies. Union Pacific Railroad, in particular, is drawing attention to the dangers of utilizing the tracks in photos. The company says too many photographers — amateur and professional — are risking it all for a photo on or near the tracks. And another reason to stay off the tracks? It’s illegal. While photographing objects in plain view in public spaces is constitutionally protected, taking photos on railroad company property is trespassing. Railroad tracks, trestles, yards and rights-of-way are private property. Union Pacific is so serious about safety it has staff who contact photographers who post railway photos on the Internet, asking them to remove the images.

80-YEAR-OLD DEVOTED PACKERS FAN WENT TO HER FIRST GAME SUNDAY _ An 80-year-old Wisconsin woman is a huge Green Bay Packers fan. For more than 20 years Phyllis Barttelt has watched every game on TV, but she’d never been to Lambeau Field to cheer on her team. But that changed on Sunday when she attended the Green Bay-Panthers game. Last summer, Barttelt was diagnosed with lung cancer. That’s when her assisted living community decided to send their favorite Packers fan to a game. Barttelt’s passion is known throughout the assisted living center. An employee says, “She will wear all of her Packer gear, and if the game is going good you might not hear a whole lot down the hallway. If it’s going bad you might hear a few choice words.” Barttelt’s team beat the Panthers Sunday afternoon 38-17.

MAN PADDLES MASSIVE PUMPKIN ACROSS POND TO BREAK WORLD RECORD _ There was a world record attempt in Salt Lake City, Utah, Saturday as thousands of pounds of pumpkin floated across a pond at Sugar House Park. Matt McConkie holds Utah’s state record for the largest pumpkin at more than 1,800 pounds, and he and about 16 others sought to beat the record for traveling 100 meters in a pumpkin. The prior record was set in Britain and is based on the speed of the journey and not the size of the pumpkin.

… Charles Clark broke the record Saturday by paddling 100 meters in a pumpkin weighing 440 pounds. Two judges from Guinness World Records were present to certify the attempt.

MARATHON RUNNER COMBINES RUNNING AND KNITTING _ A Kansas City, Missouri, man combined two things during a marathon Saturday. David Babcock combined running and knitting at the Kansas City Marathon. Last year Babcock set the world record for knitting the longest scarf while running in a marathon — 12 feet, one and three-fourths inches long. This year Babcock did finger knitting to prepare for the upcoming New York City Marathon. He switched to finger knitting because security is tight and he wouldn’t be able to bring needles and hooks.

100-YEAR-OLD MATH TEACHER STILL GOING STRONG _ Three days a week, Madeline Scotto walks across the street from her Brooklyn, New York, home to St. Ephrem’s elementary school, where she was part of the first graduating class. She climbs the stairs to her classroom, where she works to prepare students for a math bee. She’s just like any other teacher at the school — except for one thing: She’s 100 years old. Scotto has spent most of her life at St. Ephrem’s, graduating in 1928 then later returning as a teacher and currently as a math bee coach.

HUGE DEMETHANIZER TRANSPORT IS A VERY OVERSIZED LOAD _ The transport of an oversized load has just begun its journey in Oklahoma. The 186-foot long demethanizer started in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, and is working its way to a gas processing plant in Fort Lupton, Colorado. The 536,600-pound object is being moved on a specially designed trailer pulled by two trucks in front and pushed by two trucks in back. The demethanizer left Broken Arrow early Saturday. The whole set up — demethanizer, trucks, and more — is 427 feet long and weighs more than 1.1 million pounds. It will exit Oklahoma at Liberal, Kansas as it makes its way to Colorado. Weather permitting, the move should take about two weeks. It took 44 weeks and more than 100 employees to build the tower.

SODA POP DAMAGES YOUR CELLS’ TELOMERES _ Those soft drinks you casually sip while working at your desk, or slam for energy in the late afternoon may come with a huge hidden price tag. Researchers at the University of California-San Francisco found study participants who drank pop daily had shorter telomere (tell-oh-meer). Telomere are the protective units of DNA that cap the ends of chromosomes in cells — in white blood cells. Short telomere have been associated with chronic aging diseases such as heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer. The researchers calculated daily consumption of a 20-ounce pop is associated with 4½ years of additional biological aging.

HALLOWEEN DISPLAY HAS DECAPITATED OBAMA HEAD _  A controversial Halloween display has garnered national attention due to its political reference to President Obama. Idaho homeowner Richard Piersol’s Halloween decorations include a scene of the president’s head — decapitated. Needless to say, the gruesome display has caused a bit of a stir in his community, but he refuses to let others dictate how he decorates his home. Piersol feels his decorations are just an example of “free speech.” He also says the display is not racially motivated, because he has no ill-feelings toward the African American race. As a matter of fact, a few of his African American friends have reportedly given him tips on how to make the whole scene more distinctive. Piersol says, “I am pretty much saying I don’t like his politics, and I don’t like him. That’s it.”

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WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WORLD’S DEADLIEST SPIDER FOUND INSIDE GROCERY BAG _ A deadly spider, notorious for its potent venom and aggressive nature, was found inside a harmless looking grocery bag delivered to a British family. The deadly spider, known as the Brazilian wandering spider, was hiding inside a bunch of bananas. The spider was sitting on a sack of eggs that contained thousands of little spider babies.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WANTED MAN DISCOVERED IN CLOSET MUNCHING ON SALAD _ A Tennessee (Monroe County) man who was wanted for stealing a car and shoplifting was discovered inside the closet of another person’s house, casually eating a big bowl of salad.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DRUNK WOMAN MISTAKES JAIL FOR BAR _ Police in Michigan say a 39-year-old woman pulled into the parking lot of a sheriff’s office early Sunday morning. Patrol units observed the woman as she began backing up in the parking lot. A deputy approached the woman and discovered she smelled heavily of intoxicants and appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. She told the deputy she thought she was in a bar parking lot.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SUSPECT COMMENTS ‘I NEED A NEW MUG SHOT’ ON POLICE FACEBOOK PAGE _ A police department in Christchurch, New Zealand, had some help in a pursuit over the weekend — from the suspect himself. On a Facebook post calling for the community to report any information leading to his capture, the suspect commented, “I need a new mugshot.” The police department responded, offering the suspect a new mugshot, free of charge, if he’d just drop by. The screenshot of Sam Lake’s mugshot and comments went viral, with his taunts — and the police responses — garnering hundreds of “likes” and plenty of attention. Later that night police reported that with the public’s help, they were able to capture Lake.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN IN POLAND REALLY, REALLY WANTED SEX _ In Poland, a sex-starved woman could be jailed after making over 500 emergency services calls, local army headquarters, and the town council demanding a man for sex. After police traced the calls back to her home she told them: “It’s been so long since I had someone in my bed.”

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: GUY STEALS MOTORCYCLE FROM HIS DATE _ In China, a guy had recently been set up on a date with a lovely young woman that he really wanted to impress. And since he had no transportation of his own, he stole a motorcycle from in front of a supermarket the evening before they were scheduled to meet. When he arrived for his date the next day, she was furious. Not because he was late and not because he wasn’t properly dressed, but because that motorcycle he had stolen the day before belonged to her. She called police.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MAN AWOKE FROM SURGERY IN PINK PANTIES _ A Delaware man’s lawsuit alleges he awoke from anesthesia after a colonoscopy procedure to find he had been dressed in a pair of pink panties. Andrew Walls was employed by the Delaware Surgery Center in Dover when he underwent a colonoscopy procedure at the facility in 2012. Walls’ attorney said his client was put under anesthesia during the procedure and he awoke after surgery to find someone had dressed him in pink women’s underwear. Walls is seeking compensation for mental anguish, lost wages and loss of earning capacity.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TWEETS HELPED FREE THE ‘WATERSTONES ONE’ _ A tourist was left locked inside a London book store when it closed and was only freed after posting a picture of himself trapped on Twitter. David Willis had been browsing inside the Waterstones Book Store in Trafalgar Square when he discovered he had been locked inside. All the lights in the store, which closes at 9pm, were out, the door was locked and the shutters had been drawn down. Willis, from Texas, posted a picture of himself behind shutters with the message: “This is me locked inside a Waterstones bookstore in London.” Police received a call from the man at around 9:30pm but didn’t let him out of the book store until after 11. Once freed, Willis tweeted to followers: “I’m free.”

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ON TELEVISION

THE BIG BANG THEORY (8p ET, CBS) — New

THE VOICE (8p ET, NBC) — The battle rounds continue in this new, 2-hour edition.

DANCING WITH THE STARS (8p ET, ABC) — Leah Remini is filling in at co-host for Erin Andrews as she covers the World Series. Plus, Pitbull will serve as guest judge, filling in for Len Goodman. He’ll also be performing.

GOTHAM (8p ET, FOX) — New

THE ORIGINALS (8p ET, CW) — New

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (8:15p ET, ESPN) — The Houston Texans (3-3) head to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers (3-3).

SEASON PREMIERE: THE MILLERS (8:30p ET, CBS) — Sean Hayes (Will & Grace) joins the cast for the second season.

SCORPION (9p ET, CBS) — Mykelti Williamson (Forrest Gump, 24) guest stars in this new episode.

SLEEPY HOLLOW (9p ET, FOX) — New

JANE THE VIRGIN (9p ET, CW) — New

NCIS: LOS ANGELES (10p ET, CBS) — Gerald McRaney guest stars in this new episode.

CASTLE (10p ET, ABC) — New

THE BLACKLIST (10p ET, NBC) — New

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ENTERTAINMENT

FURY PUSHES GONE GIRL FROM TOP SPOT AT BOX OFFICE _ The new World War II film Fury starring Brad Pitt battled to the top of the weekend box office, pulling in an estimated $23.5 million in the U.S. and Canada and pushing Gone Girl out of the No. 1 spot.

ROB LOWE INJURES HIMSELF IN SURFING ACCIDENT _ Rob Lowe got into a surfing accident on Sunday that left him very bloody and in need of stitches. The actor was surfing on Sunday morning when he injured his right knee. Lowe, wearing red swim trunks and holding his surfboard while his knee bled profusely, still posed for a hot photo that he posted to Instagram. He captioned the pic: “So sharky!” Lowe followed up that post with a message on Twitter that read, “The amount of blood that can unwantedly come out of one’s body is amazing.” Apparently, it was so much that he required a bunch of stitches.

DAVID LETTERMAN FIRES CUE CARD GUY _ (CAUTION) Tony Mendez, who has been doing the cue cards for David Letterman ever since the talk show host was back at NBC in 1993, was fired last week after calling his boss a nasty word and shoving longtime Late Show writer Bill Scheft against a wall. On October 8, Mendez and Letterman were going over things in the host’s dressing room when Scheft interrupted, prompting the cue card guy to snap back at the writer, “I know what I’m doing. Get off my back.” Letterman then interjected, “Tony, your sour disposition isn’t helping,” to which Mendez shot back, “You’re the one who has the sour disposition, mother——.”

… After a full night of stewing over Scheft’s butting in, Mendez admits he came into work the next day, grabbed the writer by the shirt, and shoved him up against a wall. Mendez was then fired. Speaking to the New York Post, the 69-year-old Mendez acknowledges,“I know I shouldn’t have put my hands on him.” He said the hostility toward Scheft “has been coming for a long time” because he feels the writer “encroaches on my work” and “tells me what to do.”

… Mendez, who often appeared on Late Show, says calling Letterman a “mother——” was how the two would often banter, and he doesn’t blame his former boss.

CHERYL BURKE: THIS WILL “MOST LIKELY BE MY LAST SEASON” OF DWTS _ After 18 seasons on Dancing with the Stars, Cheryl Burke maintains that she’s ready to pack it in… probably. Burke says, “As of now, it’s still up in the air if I’m coming back or not. Contractually, my contract is over and there’s other opportunities that have been out there for me. Will it most likely be my last season? I would have to say yes.” Burke has been on the show consecutively since Season 2.

JULIA ROBERTS HAS MARRIAGE ADVICE FOR PAL GEORGE CLOONEY _ George Clooney’s pal Julia Roberts recently opened up about George‘s wedding to Amal Alamuddin. She says, “We’ve spoken many times since he’s gone from a bridegroom to a husband. Oh yes. I’ll be advising George Clooney on his marital life. Well, the only advice for that is finding your person — and he’s found his person.”

JOAN RIVERS AUTOPSY NEVER DONE _ Sources connected to the New York City Medical Examiner have told TMZ that Melissa Rivers was despondent when Joan died and told doctors she did not want an autopsy performed. According to New York law, doctors will honor such a request if there’s no evidence of criminality associated with the death. The Medical Examiner has concluded the cause of death was deprivation of oxygen which caused irreversible brain damage. TMZ says without an autopsy it’s impossible to pinpoint the nature of the problem. As one source said, an autopsy might reveal a puncture in the throat or other trauma. The only way Joan’s family might get a definitive answer is if a doctor or nurse owns up to a possible mistake — and even then it’s just someone’s word.

CABLE CHANNEL WILL SHOW NOTHING BUT STAR WARS ON CONTINUOUS LOOP _ Sky Hits is a cable television channel in Germany and Austria. From December 1-14, it will show all 6 Star Wars movies, Star Wars documentaries, and specials on a continuous loop, 24 hours a day. The movies will air in order, so it all begins with The Phantom Menace. The documentaries and special videos will air between the movies.

ROBERT DOWNEY JR. NOW OWNS THE AVENGERS EMBLEM FROM STARK TOWER _ While it certainly isn’t unheard of for actors to take home mementos from the movies in which they star, Robert Downey Jr. may have just received one of the most unusual, and largest, props from his film career. Downey was recently gifted the 30-foot tall emblem he once joked about owning while filming the 2012 hit The Avengers. In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Downey related that the one-of-a-kind piece arrived at his office unexpectedly: “On the last Avengers, there’s this scene where there’s this ‘A’ which is probably 30 feet tall and I’m looking at it, and we’re shooting in England, and I go, ‘I need that in my office in Venice.’ About two weeks ago, a [huge truck] showed up, and I’m like, ‘What the heck is this doing here?!’ And they go, ‘This is the ‘A’ you asked for.’ So now we have a massive Avengers ‘A’…”

… Surprisingly, Downey noted that he doesn’t own a complete set of armor. Downey acknowledged that he was disappointed that he hadn’t kept a full armored suit from any of the three Iron Man films in which he has starred.

MATTHEW MORRISON MARRIED IN ‘GLEE’ INSPIRED CEREMONY _ Glee’s Matthew Morrison and his lady Renee Puente were married Saturday in an intimate ceremony complete with singing and hula dancing. They were married at a private estate on the island of Maui, Hawaii.

MARLEY AND ME TV SHOW IN THE WORKS _ NBC is giving a Marley and Me series a chance on the network. The series will be a sequel to the 2008 comedy-drama film of the same name. The movie was based on John Grogan’s book of the same name, and starred Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston as couple John and Jenny Grogan. It followed their relationship and the influence of their dog, Marley, on their lives. The show will follow-up on the couple and their now-adolescent children as they make a move to Florida so that John can write a column for the local newspaper. The family takes in a new dog, which they name Marley.

BRUCE JENNER DATING SOON-TO-BE EX-WIFE KRIS’S BEST FRIEND _ While Bruce and Kris Jenner announced their separation almost a year ago and both filed for divorce just last month, officially ending their 22-year marriage, Kris admitted the thought of dating again was “daunting” to her. However, a source says Bruce has already begun a new romance — and it’s with Kris’ longtime friend and former assistant, Ronda Kamihira. The source says Kris is devastated: “This was her former assistant and best friend of 20 years.”

EVAN RACHEL WOOD: COVER SHOOT MADE ME FEEL “LIKE MEAT” _ Evan Rachel Wood did not enjoy her first experience shooting a Vanity Fair cover. After one of her Twitter followers posted a throwback pic of Wood from the magazine’s 2003 cover, the True Blood actress responded with a series of tweets criticizing the issue’s shoot. She wrote: “I was almost in tears after this shoot.” Wood, who was 15 at the time, said that she didn’t feel comfortable in the dress that was chosen for her but was told there wasn’t time to tailor it. Wood, now 27, said she also wasn’t given her choice of shoes and that she and the other actresses were then lined up and evaluated. She tweeted further: “I was 15 and felt for the first time my identity being erased and the pressure to shut up and do what you are told. I felt like meat. Since then, I have found my voice. Never again.” Wood added that she has since appeared on the Vanity Fair cover and had a “lovely” experience.

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AUDIO

HALLOWEEN DROPS A big package of Halloween-related TV and movie drops. » download

BLACK FRIDAY STARTING ON THANKSGIVING _ Macy’s and Toys R Us will open just as some will be sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner. Launch a phoner with these calls. » download

BLACK FRIDAY FIGHTS _ (From the archive) Ever witness a good Black Friday fight? One call to launch a phoner. » download

SPOOKY MUSIC _ Need some spooky music? We found a bunch on YouTube.

BRIAN WILLIAMS BLEEPED _ On October 13 Brian Williams read an apology statement from NBC’s medical correspondent, Dr. Nancy Schneiderman, who left voluntary Ebola quarantine. It sounds better when bleeped. » download

WHAT DO YOU MISS BEFORE THE INTERNET? What do you miss before the Internet? Here’s one I hadn’t thought of: a friend of mine who’s a great cook says they miss cookbooks. She still has some but now it’s just easier to go online for recipes. She used to plop down and go through cookbooks she received as gifts and mark recipes she wanted to try. Now she never touches them. What do you miss from before the Internet? » download

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS. In my garage this morning, staring at me through the dark, was a possum. They are the creepiest animals, aren’t they? What’s your animal encounter story? Two calls to jumpstart the phones. » download

JIMMINY CRICKETS! A female caller exclaims, “Jimminy crickets, that’s great!” » download

RULES FOR TEXTING. I’d like to have a law or rule that when you’re out with your kid your attention should be on him or her. For 30 minutes I saw a mom on her smartphone while her little guy, maybe 4, ran around a coffee shop trying to entertain himself. Every minute or so he’d come back to his mom and ask a question but her iPhone kept winning. What are your rules for texting? Two calls to jumpstart the phones. » download

WHAT DID YOUR PET EAT? We all have those stories of the dog slamming an entire pizza, or a drawer of socks. Share your personal story then open the phones. » download

FILL IN THE BLANK: YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD TO… This one’s good to launch on Facebook. Simply post: “Fill in the blank: You’re never to old to ____.” Then use the best responses plus these quick calls to get more calls. Three calls to jumpstart the phones. » download

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BITS & BREAKS

TOP TEN MOVIES

1. Fury, $23.5 million
2. Gone Girl, $17.8 million
3. The Book of Life, $17 million
4. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, $12 million
5. The Best of Me, $10.2 million
6. Dracula Untold, $9.8 million
7. The Judge, $7.94 million
8. Annabelle, $7.92 million
9. The Equalizer, $5.4 million
10. The Maze Runner, $4.5 million

… One year ago this week the number one movie was Gravity.

… Five years ago this week the number one movie was Where the Wild Things Are.

… Ten years ago this week the number one movie was Shark Tale.

… Twenty years ago this week the number one movie was Pulp Fiction.

IN THEATERS FRIDAY

23 BLAST (PG-13)  score/reviews

• When a high school football star is suddenly stricken with irreversible total blindness, he must decide whether to live a safe handicapped life or bravely return to the life he once knew and the sport he still loves.
• Mark Hapka, Bram Hoover, Stephen Lang

JOHN WICK (R)  score/reviews

• Keanu Reeves
• An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters that took everything from him.

OUIJA (PG-13)  score/reviews

• A group of friends must confront their most terrifying fears when they awaken the dark powers of an ancient spirit board.
• Olivia Cooke, Ana Coto, Daren Kagasoff

WEEKLY HOT LIST

Courtesy of morning show talent coach Steve Reynolds. The Hot List is made up of the topics everyone knows about.

1. Ebola
2. Stock Market
3. World Series
4. Halloween
5. Fan-Gate
6. NFL
7. College Football
8. Fantasy Football
9. Obama Credit Card
10. Bono Has Glaucoma
11. Neil Patrick Harris
12. Neil Young
13. iPad Air 2
14. Gay Marriage
15. How Joan Rivers Died
16. Midterm Elections
17. Daylight Saving Time
18. Channing Tatum is Dumb

FOUR WAYS TO BEAT THE BLUES WITHOUT GOING TO THE DOCTOR

1) Mind your carbs. Refined carbohydrates, like white bread, sugar and pasta, digest quickly – and trigger a spike in the feel-good chemical, serotonin. Dr. Henry Emmons, author of The Chemistry of Joy, says that when your serotonin levels crash, so does your mood. On the flip side, complex carbs give a more lasting boost to serotonin levels and your mood. So, eat more whole grains and beans.

2) Eat more fish. A study at the University of Pittsburgh found that people who get lots of omega-3 fatty acids have more gray matter in the parts of the brain that regulate emotion. So, try for two servings a week of salmon, halibut, or red snapper.

3) If you’re depressed, you should also try to relax. Studies found that people who take deep, relaxing breaths have more electrical activity in the part of the brain associated with happiness. So, sit down and close your eyes. Breathe in for a count of 3, and out for 5. Your eventual goal: to breathe deeply for 10 minutes every day.

4) Go to bed an hour earlier. A study at Stanford University found that night owls tend to be more depressed than early birds because they get less sleep, and spend less time in the daylight. So get at least 7 hours of uninterrupted sleep a night and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day – even on weekends.

WHAT TEENS AND CATS HAVE IN COMMON

• Neither teenagers nor cats turn their heads when you call them by name.

• No matter what you do for them, it is not enough. Indeed, all humane efforts are barely adequate to compensate for the privilege of waiting on them hand and foot.

• You rarely see a cat walking outside of the house with an adult human being, and it can be safely said that no teenager in his or her right mind wants to be seen in public with his or her parents.

• Even if you tell jokes as well as David Letterman, neither your cat nor you teen will ever crack a smile.

• No cat or teenager shares you taste in music.

• Cats and teenagers can lie on the living-room sofa for hours on end without moving, barely breathing.

• Cats have nine lives. Teenagers carry on as if they did.

• Cats and teenagers yawn in exactly the same manner, communicating that ultimate human ecstasy — a sense of complete and utter boredom.

• Cats and teenagers do not improve anyone’s furniture.

• Cats that are free to roam outside sometimes have been known to return in the middle of the night to deposit a dead animal in your bedroom. Teenagers are not above that sort of behavior.

THE NASTIEST GERM SOURCES

Researchers at the University of Arizona say these are the nastiest germ sources at home and elsewhere.

• Kitchen sponge vs. toilet: There’s more contamination in the kitchen sink, so change or sterilize the sponge that wipes it frequently. (You can sterilize it in the dishwasher, or heat it, wet, in a microwave oven for one minute.)

• First-floor elevator button vs. ATM keypad: It’s a tie for germiness. Wash your hands after using these buttons.

• Bedspread vs. TV remote in a hotel room: TV remote, because it’s often the first thing people touch. Again, wash your hands after using, or use sanitizer.

• Grocery-cart handle vs. drinking fountain: One study found that 55 percent of handles on grocery carts were contaminated with bodily fluids (such as urine and saliva), and 21 percent showed traces of blood. As for public fountains, the ones at schools rank germiest.

• Kitchen-sink drain vs. shower drain: The kitchen sink’s worse. If yours smells vaguely of rotten eggs, pour 1/4 cup of baking soda followed by 1/2 cup of vinegar down the drain, then flush with hot water.

• First vs. middle stalls in restrooms: Go for the first stalls because fewer people use them.

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FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: Two dozen people in the U.S. are killed each year by what? (Cattle)

TRIVIA:  According to a Yale University study, the food scent most recognizable to American adults is coffee. What scent is second? (Peanut butter)

WHAT’S IN COMMON

Each set of three things has something in common. Tell me what it is and you win…

• A weak battery, a bull fighter, a crime suspect. (They’re charged)

• Human, rat, relay. (Races)

• Gin, poker, solitaire. (Card games)

• Pat, Vanna, Wheel. (Wheel of Fortune)

• Tea, doggy, duffel. (Bags)

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JOKE OF THE DAY

A man with a winking problem is applying for a position as a sales representative for a large company. The interviewer looks over his papers and says, “This is phenomenal. You’ve graduated from the best schools; your recommendations are wonderful; and your experience is unparalleled. Normally, we’d hire you without hesitation. But a sales representative has a highly visible position, and we’re afraid that your constant winking will scare off potential customers. I’m sorry… but we just can’t hire you.” The applicant says, “Wait. If I take two aspirin, I’ll stop winking!” He then reaches into his jacket pocket and begins pulling out all sorts of condoms: red condoms, blue condoms, green condoms, ribbed condoms, big condoms, small condoms. Finally, at the bottom, he finds a packet of aspirin. He tears it open, swallows the pills, and stops winking. “Well,” said the interviewer, “that’s all well and good, but this is a respectable company, and we will not have our employees womanizing all over the country!” “Womanizing?,” the applicant says. “What do you mean? I’m a happily married man!” “Well,” the interviewer says, “how do you explain all these condoms?” “Oh, that,” the applicant sighs. “Have you ever walked into a pharmacy, winking, and asked for aspirin?”

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

Driver has trouble backing into parking space.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQl9gIPiTe0

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

Good way to start the work week.

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LAST MINUTE ITEMS

• Two great tools for stunts, promotions and sales in 2015. Here’s one, here’s the other.

• 1980s Wendy’s training video.

• The Walking Drunk.

• Ebola Deeply promises to provide non-alarmist news.

• Bad Lip Reading of The Walking Dead Season 4 (Part II)

• Dozens of movies cleverly tied together by a single basketball.

• A catchy pop song written with iOS 8’s predictive text.

• Somehow no one died in this rally crash.

• Here’s a toy you probably won’t see on one of those annual “hot toys for Christmas” lists.

• The world’s best app!

• It’s 1999. Steve Jobs demonstrates Wi-Fi and the crowd goes nuts.

• What goes through your mind when you show a funny video to a friend.

• The 5 New Skills Today’s On-Air Radio Talent Should Have.

• The Urban Tricycle.

• Watch as a roomful of people condemn five innocent men.

• Innovative cup holder.

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COUNTRY DATEBOOK: OCTOBER 20, 2014

• 1951: HANK WILLIAMS signed a movie contract with MGM.

• 1962: LEROY VAN DYKE joined the Grand Ole Opry.

• 1967: The first Country Music Association Awards were held. The show was hosted by SONNY JAMES and BOBBIE GENTRY.

• 1992: KENNY ROGERS was sued by an aspiring actress who claimed he’d agreed to help her career in exchange for sexual favors.

• 2005: GARY ALLAN enjoyed his best first-week sales when Tough All Over debuted at No. 1 on the Country Albums chart.

• 2005: SUGARLAND’s music video for Just Might Make Me Believe debuted on CMT.

• 2009: TIM MCGRAW’s album Southern Voice was released.

CLINT BLACK and Lisa Hartman-Black celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary. They were married in a private ceremony in Texas in 1991.

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COUNTRY AUDIO

JUSTIN MOORE gets career advice from his wife. » download

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COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

GARTH BROOKS has added three more shows in Greensboro, North Carolina — November 19, 20 and 23.

JASON ALDEAN recently scored the 12th No. 1 single with the song Burnin’ It Down — a tune co-written by Tyler and Brian of FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE and two others. So why didn’t FGL record it? Tyler says it was timing. They knew when they wrote it that they wouldn’t be able to release it themselves for another year. Brian remarked that Jason would “kill this song,” so they gave it to him to check out.

LITTLE BIG TOWN was formally inducted into the Grand Ole Opry Friday evening by Opry members VINCE GILL and LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS. LBT had been invited to join the Opry on October 3 by Opry member and friend REBA MCENTIRE.

TRISHA YEARWOOD will perform November 19 at the Save the Children Illumination Gala at the Plaza Hotel in New York City.

HUNTER HAYES will be the focus of CMT Inside Fame, airing November 1. Hunter talks about growing up in Louisiana and the passion that brought him to Nashville — and share the story of how he got his first guitar from Robert Duvall.

DUSTIN LYNCH got a little more than he was expecting while playing a show at the Mullet Festival in Niceville, Florida on Friday. While Dustin was finishing up his version of Friends In Low Places, one not-so-nice fan got a little too excited and hurled a full beer can toward the stage, which hit Dustin in the face. When Dustin asked the crowd, “Who threw the beer can?” fans pointed fingers toward the perpetrator, which apparently led to a small fight breaking out. Dustin’s face was bloody after the incident, and following the show, he was taken to the hospital to get stitches. But he finished the show. Unfortunately the accused got away.

TANYA TUCKER will be the focus of an exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame beginning November 14. Tanya Tucker: Strong Enough To Bend will run through next May and will chronicle her career from teenage sensation to winning the Country Music Association’s Female Vocalist award in 1991.

DAN + SHAY’s debut single, 19, You + Me has been certified gold for digital sales of 500,000 copies.

ROSANNE CASH was honored late last week with a Smithsonian Ingenuity Award for the Performing Arts for her 2014 concept album, The River & The Thread.

Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Paul Craft has died at age 76 after years of deteriorating health. Craft wrote MARK CHESNUTT’s Brother Jukebox and MOE BANDY’s Hank Williams, You Wrote My Life, as well as tunes for ALISON KRAUSS and BOBBY BARE.

SARA EVANS’ ex-husband, Craig Schelske, is suing TMZ for defamation claiming the television show owned by the company painted him in a bad light with regard to what caused the couple’s divorce. He is seeking punitive damages.

DUSTIN LYNCH may have just released his sophomore album, Where It’s At, but he’s already making plans for his third project. That’s because he likes to listen to and record songs a couple years ahead of time for making the actual album.