COUNTRY November 27-28, 2014

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Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • 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 

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DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 27, 2014

This is day 331 of 2014. There are 34 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker) is 63

• Bill Nye the Science Guy is 59

• Fisher Stevens (Early Edition) is 51

• Robin Givens (Head of the Class, Mike Tyson’s ex) is 50

• Michael Vartan (Alias) is 46

• Jaleel White (Family Matters) is 38

• Aubrey Peeples (Nashville, Sharknado) is 21

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1759: Town officials in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, evicted the Rev. Francis Gastrell, the Vicar of Frodsham, from William Shakespeare’s home after he cut down a 150-year-old tree that had been planted by the famed writer. Gastrell chopped down the tree because he was annoyed by the many Shakespeare enthusiasts who came to look at it. He sold the tree for firewood, but it was recovered by a jeweler-woodcarver, who made hundreds of relics from the wood.

• 1889: Curtis P. Brady received the first permit to drive an automobile through Central Park in New York City.

• 1924: In New York City the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was held.

• 1934: Bank robber Baby Face Nelson died in a shoot-out with the FBI.

• 1955: The Guinness Book of World Records published its first issue.

• 1962: The first test flight of the Boeing 727 took place.

• 1983: The Associated Press reported U.S. stores nationwide were being besieged by shoppers searching for Cabbage Patch Kids, stuffed dolls with computer-generated faces.

• 1989: Paul McCartney hinted that there might eventually be a reunion of the three remaining Beatles. George Harrison immediately responded that, “There won’t be a Beatles reunion as long as John Lennon remains dead.”

• 1995: America Online purged the word ‘breast’ from its system in accordance with possible regulations prohibiting “use of obscene or vulgar language.” Breast cancer survivors who use the system revolted and a week later the company removes the ban.

• 2001: In State College, Pennsylvania, a Penn State student complained to the police that she had been ripped off. She said she had given a fellow student a $1,200 stereo to take an exam for her, but that he had flunked it and now wouldn’t return her stereo. Once she had filled out the paperwork with her claim, she was charged with breaking the law herself. Buying academic work is illegal in Pennsylvania.

• 2003: President Bush arrived in Iraq under the cover of darkness in a surprise visit to U.S. forces in Baghdad to help serve them their Thanksgiving dinner.

• 2005: Two workers at a Wendy’s in Manchester, New Hampshire, were charged with taking money from the store safe. One of the suspects was a guy named Ronald MacDonald.

• 2005: The first partial human face transplant was completed in Amiens, France.

• 2009: Golfer Tiger Woods crashed his SUV outside his Florida mansion, sparking widespread attention to reports of marital infidelity.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• It’s Thanksgiving Day.

• It’s National Bavarian Cream Pie Day.

UPCOMING

• Thanksgiving (U.S.): November 27

• Black Friday: November 28

• Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: December 7

• Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day): December 17

• Christmas Day: December 25

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DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 28, 2014

This is day 332 of 2014. There are 33 days remaining.

BIRTHDAYS

• Motown Records founder Berry Gordy Jr. is 85

• Paul Shaffer (Late Show With David Letterman) is 65

• Ed Harris is 64

• S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order) is 62

• Judd Nelson (Breakfast Club) is 55

• Jon Stewart is 52

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1520: After navigating through the South American strait, three ships under the command of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first Europeans to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

• 1895: The first American automobile race took place over the 54 miles from Chicago’s Jackson Park to Evanston, Illinois. Frank Duryea won in approximately 10 hours.

• 1907: In Haverhill, Massachusetts, scrap-metal dealer Louis B. Mayer opened his first movie theater.

• 1975: As the World Turns and The Edge of Night, the last two American soap operas that had resisted going to pre-taped broadcasts, air their last live episodes.

• 1985: Errol Bird of Lisbon, Northern Ireland, set a world record with 26 hours of continuous yodeling.

• 1990: Margaret Thatcher formally tendered her resignation to The Queen and left Downing Street for the last time. John Major was elected her successor.

• 1991: In a panic, a California turkey carver called the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line and screamed that there was no breast meat on his Butterball. Phone helper Jean Schnelle suggested he might have the bird upside-down. She was right, he did.

• 1991: A man in Waco, Texas, held up a Circle K store after first diverting the clerk’s attention by putting a $20 bill on the counter and asking for change. When the register was opened, the robber pulled out a gun and demanded all the money. The clerk put everything in a bag and handed it to the robber–all $15. The robber fled, leaving the $20 bill on the counter.

• 1995: President Clinton signed a road bill that ended the federal 55 mph speed limit.

• 2010: Wikileaks released to the public more than 250,000 U.S. diplomatic cables. About 100,000 were marked “secret” or “confidential.”

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Today is Black Friday.

• It’s Buy Nothing Day.

• Today is Flossing Day.

• Today is French Toast Day.

UPCOMING

• Cyber Monday: December 1

• Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day: December 7

• Chanukah/Hanukkah (first day): December 17

• Christmas Day: December 25

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DATEBOOK WEEKEND

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 29

• Diane Ladd is 79. Garry Shandling is 65. Howie Mandel is 59. Andrew McCarthy is 52. Don Cheadle is 50. Jonathan Knight of New Kids on the Block is 46. Anna Faris is 38.

• Today is National Day of Giving; Small Business Saturday; Square Dancing Day; Lemon Creme Pie Day; Rice Cake Day.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30

• Mandy Patinkin is 62. Billy Idol is 59. Ben Stiller is 49. Sandra Oh is 44. Elisha Cuthbert is 32. Kaley Cuoco is 29.

• Today is Square Dancing Day; Computer Security Day; Stay Home Because You’re Well Day.

Editor: November 30 is the day actor Paul Walker died in a car crash. His final film Furious 7 is scheduled to be released on April 3.

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NUMBER FOR THE DAY

36,000: Tons of mozzarella produced by Italy each year.

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NEWS ATTACK!

Did you have to travel for Thanksgiving? [Raise your hand if you used Google Earth to find the address, and saw a dark cloud hovering over the house.]

You know that feeling you get when you’re driving somewhere, and you feel that it’s taking so long to get there? [I can’t say I had that feeling.]

These days when the family goes on car trips one person has headphones listening to an audio book; one person is on headphones listening to music; and another is watching a DVD. [Nothing brings a family together like not having to actually communicate with each other.]

The highways were jammed with Americans saluting the modern legacy of Thanksgiving. [White people driving Jeep Cherokees.]

Time to cram the leftovers into the refrigerator. [Right behind the leftovers from last year.]

It must be tough losing a football game on Thanksgiving. [First of all, everyone’s watching, and, according to tradition, the loser has to do the dishes.]

When everybody goes into the den to watch football there’s never enough chairs. [Two kegs of beer later, and no one has gone to the bathroom because no one wants to lose his seat.]

I’m finished with my in-laws. I did the best I could to show them a good time. [And today I discovered that they gave me a lousy review on Yelp.]

Everybody brought their new boyfriend or girlfriend to introduce to the family. [It was fun to see who would have the fortitude to stay past the salad.]

It’s the time of the year when you’re grateful to see the other kids in the family. [Because your sisters’ brats make your brats look pretty good.]

Butterball Turkey maintains a hotline just to help you through the holiday. [And so do most psychologists.]

After Thanksgiving everyone starts standing in line waiting for that big sale. [On antacids.]

I was shocked to see more rioting in Ferguson, Missouri. [Then I realized it was simply the opening of the doors at Walmart.]

A survey reveals that the number one toy for girls this year is anything from the Disney movie Frozen. [The number one toy for boys this year is anything NOT from the movie Frozen.]

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NEWS & NUGGETS

PRESIDENT OBAMA PARDONS THE THANKSGIVING TURKEY _ Of the 46 million birds the National Turkey Federation says will be consumed this Thanksgiving, two by the names of Mac and Cheese were spared Wednesday thanks to an executive action taken by President Barack Obama. According to the White House, President George H.W. Bush officially pardoned the first turkey in 1989, although presidents as far back as Abraham Lincoln have come face to face with the bird. Normally a ceremony held in the Rose Garden, Wednesday’s event was forced indoors after Washington was hit with its first day of snow and hail this season. In an online contest, Cheese won the official title of National Thanksgiving Turkey, but tradition ensured Mac, as the alternate, was also spared.

VANDALIZED FERGUSON BAKERY NETS $177K IN A DAY ON GOFUNDME _ (Check GoFundMe page for updates before using.) When her new bakery was vandalized in the riots that rocked Ferguson on Monday night, Natalie Dubose turned to a crowdfunding page to raise $20,000 and get her bakery back up and running. Within one day, she netted more than $177,000 from roughly 5,500 backers. Money came flowing in from people across the country, including Patricia Heaton of Everybody Loves Raymond, Brandi Glanville of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and a “sweet lady who offered money from her social security check.” Dubose, who started selling cakes at local flea markets as she saved up to open her small business this summer, said her storefront’s main windows were smashed and the shop damaged during the riots.

TWO-THIRDS OF COMPANIES HAVE GIVEN UP TRYING TO KEEP YOU FROM SHOPPING AT WORK _ Braving the local mall this weekend may appeal to fewer shoppers this year than last, but online stores expect a cheery Cyber Monday. With total holiday sales forecast at $617 billion, up about 4% over last year, online shopping will jump 16% (according to the National Federation of Retailers) — and more of those online shoppers will be sitting at their desks, especially if they work at tech companies.

… The number of companies allowing “unrestricted access” to non-work sites has leapt 17 percentage points in just the past two years, and fewer employers bother monitoring for “excessive” web surfing. Altogether, about two-thirds (69%) have given up trying to keep people from shopping at work.

SMOKING LEVELS REACH ALL-TIME LOW IN THE UNITED STATES _ Americans are kicking the habit in record numbers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the percentage of adults who smoke cigarettes is at an all-time low in the United States. From 2005 to 2008, the number of smokers in the U.S. dropped from from 45.1 million to 42.1 million. Today, just 17.8 percent of Americans over the age of 18 smoke cigarettes — a record low. The annual report was released Wednesday by the CDC.

CYCLIST WEARS MOBILE AIR PURIFIER _ Photos of a foreign cyclist riding with an air purifier on his back in southwest China went viral online Wednesday. The man, identified as “Mike,” an Italian teacher at a China school, was photographed on his bike wearing a breathing mask connected by a hose to a suitcase-sized bag, which contained the custom-made system. Mike said he put together the portable air purifier to help him cope with China’s air quality during his daily commute. He said the entire setup set him back about $245.

MCDONALD’S HAS RELEASED AN APP TO PROTECT YOUR FRENCH FRIES _ Tired of people taking your french fries? McDonald’s Canada has finally built a solution. It calls it the Fry Defender. It’s a new feature in its iOS and Android apps that turns your phone into a motion sensor. You activate the defender, set it by your food, and if someone reaches for it, BUSTED. A loud alarm goes off.

WEIRDO DEMANDS 238 YEARS OF RECORDS FROM SHERIFF’S OFFICE _ A man is demanding the Snohomish County, Washington, sheriff’s office provide him with every record in its possession, going back 238 years. But he doesn’t want to give his name — he’s threatening to haul into court anyone who even attempts to make it public. Snohomish County officials say the request makes little sense except as an attempt to harass government officials, but say they have no option except to begin pulling together materials the man is seeking — regardless of how complicated or disruptive. Even one of the state’s biggest advocates for lawful access to public records believes this particular request is ill advised. Toby Nixon, president of the Washington Coalition for Open Government, said the man contacted him, apparently seeking his support. Nixon said he told the man he should withdraw his request because it was damaging to the cause of open government.

ACTRESS SENTENCED TO 26 YEARS OVER TV SCENE _ A Pakistani court disliked a segment on a TV show so much that it sentenced a Bollywood actress, her husband, and two others to prison for 26 years for blasphemy. The trouble began when Veena Malik and her new husband appeared on a live daytime show on Geo TV in May. Accounts differ about exactly what transpired, but they apparently re-enacted their wedding ceremony “while a group of musicians sang a devotional song about the wedding of the Prophet Mohammad’s daughter.” Some viewers saw it as blasphemous, and the station apologized. But that wasn’t enough to appease an anti-terrorism court, which sentenced the couple, the station’s owner, and the host of the show to the lengthy prison terms. Malik, who’s 30, said that she fully expects higher courts to overturn the verdict. The judge issued arrest warrants, but all four are reportedly out of the country.

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WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: FORMER NASA EMPLOYEE SAYS SHE SAW HUMANS WALKING ON MARS IN 1979 _ A woman named Jackie, who claims to be a former NASA employee, says she once watched two human figures walking towards the Viking lander on Mars in 1979. The “former NASA employee” says her job was to handle the downlink telemetry from the lander. The Viking lander was the first vehicle to send back pictures of the surface of the Red Planet. She says that while she was working, she saw two people walking across the Martian surface. She says the men’s suits looked protective but unlike what astronauts wore.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: ‘FART PILL’ GIVES GAS ‘THE SCENT OF CHOCOLATE’ _ A French inventor says he’s developed pills to make bodily gases smell like chocolate, roses, or violets. Christian Poincheval is selling his line of pills online. The website bills his pills as “The Father Christmas fart pill that gives your farts the scent of chocolate.” Poincheval said the invention was inspired by an uncomfortably flatulent dinner with friends about six years ago.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SOCIAL WORKER CHARGED WITH SMOKING CRACK WHILE DRIVING WITH CHILD IN CAR _ A manager of a Birmingham substance abuse treatment center faces charges after authorities said she was driving down an interstate smoking a crack pipe with a young child in her car.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: RESIDENTS DEMAND TO KNOW WHY TOWN SMELLS LIKE CAT URINE _ Residents of New Castle, Pennsylvania, are curious as to why their city smells like cat urine. Air samples have been collected by state environmental officials for further analysis. Although they do not believe the smell to be harmful, finding the source and removing the smell is a priority. The smell began to permeate the air on November 1 and residents of New Castle quickly began to notice the assault on their noses. The smell seems to be strongest near the sewage treatment plant.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MAN CHARGED WITH PUTTING CAMERA IN EX’S SHOWER SAYS HE WAS FILMING CHICKENS _ When a Montana woman confronted her 41-year-old live-in ex-boyfriend about a camera hidden in a hole in her shower, he told her he had installed it the day before. His excuse: he had installed the camera the previous day to watch chickens he was cleaning in the bathtub and forgot to remove it.

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ON TELEVISION – NOVEMBER 27

MACY’S THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE (9am in all time zones, NBC) — Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie host coverage of the parade. Performers include Hilary Duff, Nick Jonas, KISS, Idina Menzel, Pentatonix, Cole Swindell, Meghan Trainor, and more.

THE THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE ON CBS (9am ET, CBS) — Kevin Frazier and Thea Andrews host this coverage of the Macy’s annual parade.

NFL FOOTBALL (12:30p ET, CBS) — In the first game today, the Chicago Bears head to Detroit to take on the Lions.

NFL FOOTBALL (4p ET, FOX) — In the second game of the day, the Eagles head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys.

NFL FOOTBALL (8p ET, NBC) — The Seattle Seahawks travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers.

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

THANK YOU, AMERICA! WITH ROBIN ROBERTS (8p ET, ABC) — In this special, Robin Roberts seeks out unsung heroes and celebrates them with life changing surprises.

FOX’S CAUSE FOR PAWS: AN ALL-STAR DOG SPECTACULAR ’14 (8p ET, FOX) — Hilary Swank and Jane Lynch host this special celebrating rescue dogs. Celebrities set to appear include Kristen Bell, Josh Duhamel, Fergie, Scarlett Johansson, Miranda Lambert, P!nk, LeAnn Rimes, Emmy Rossum, and Betty White.

WHOSE LINE IS IT ANYWAY? (8p ET, CW) — It’s a mini-marathon as four repeats air back to back.

MOM (8:30p ET, CBS) — Sara Rue and Ed Asner guest star in this new episode.

HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER (9p ET, ABC) — Two repeats air back to back.

TWO AND A HALF MEN (9p ET, CBS) — New

THE MCCARTHYS (9:30p ET, CBS) — Jessica St. Clair (Bridesmaids) guest stars in this new episode.

ELEMENTARY (10p ET, CBS) — New

ON TELEVISION – NOVEMBER 28

THE AMAZING RACE (8p ET, CBS) — New

DATELINE (8p ET, NBC) — New

AMERICA’S FUNNIEST HOME VIDEOS (8p ET, ABC) — Repeat

MASTERCHEF JUNIOR (8p ET, FOX) — Repeat

FROSTY THE SNOWMAN (9p ET, CBS) — Jimmy Durante narrates this holiday classic. Yes, Virginia follows.

SHARK TANK (9p ET, ABC) — Repeat

GRIMM (9p ET, NBC) — New

GOTHAM (9p ET, FOX) — Repeat

HAWAII FIVE-O (10p ET, CBS) — Repeat

CONSTANTINE (10p ET, NBC) — New

20/20 (10p ET, ABC) — New

CMT CROSSROADS (10p ET, CMT) — Bob Seger and Jason Aldean perform together in this new edition.

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ENTERTAINMENT

TOM HANKS AND RITA WILSON TO HOST NATIONAL CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING _ Hollywood couple Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson will host the 92nd annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington December 4. The announcement was made Wednesday by the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation. Wilson will sing during the program. The musical lineup also includes Ne-Yo, Steve Miller, Chely Wright, Fifth Harmony, Patti LaBelle, Nico & Vinz, and The Tenors.

STAR WARS TRAILER WILL BE ONLINE AS WELL _ If you’re the kind of committed Star Wars fan who was planning an hours-long roundtrip to the nearest of 30 North American theaters showing an 88-second teaser trailer for “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” this weekend, you can stand down now. Lucasfilm confirmed Wednesday afternoon that the trailer would also appear on iTunes on Black Friday.

CREED SINGER SCOTT STAPP IS BROKE AND LIVING IN A HOLIDAY INN _ Creed has sold something like 30 million albums in the United States, but Wednesday lead singer Scott Stapp revealed that he is “penniless” and living in a Holiday Inn. That’s according to a 15-minute video titled “Public Statement #1,” which you can watch over on his Facebook page. According to Stapp, he recently looked over his finances and realized that his money had been secretly stolen. Stapp said: “About eight weeks ago, I began an audit of not only my record company but my personal finances. During the course of that audit, a lot of things were uncovered. A lot of money was stolen from me, or royalties not paid, and that’s when all hell began to break loose.” He says further that he was recently living in his truck without money for food or gas.

… Earlier this week, the Miami Herald reported that Stapp’s wife, ex-Miss USA Jaclyn Stapp, filed for divorce and asked for full custody of the couple’s children. In her filing, Jaclyn released recent text messages she says she received from Scott, including:

JAMES CAMERON ON AVATAR SEQUELS: “YOU WILL SH** YOURSELF” _ (CAUTION) Movie magazine Empire cornered director James Cameron with some questions about the forthcoming sequels to Avatar. He’s working on scripts for the next 2 installments, and 3 are expected in total. Cameron said of the Avatar sequels: “I can tell you one thing about them. They’re gonna be bitchin’. You will [mess] yourself…”

EXPERTS: JURASSIC PARK DINOSAURS INACCURATE, OUT-OF-DATE _ The newest trailer for Jurassic World promises fans that the park is indeed open, yet the dinosaurs that populate Isla Nublar have upset some experts, who assert that the prehistoric creatures are out of step with advances in paleontology. The full trailer for Jurassic World was released on Tuesday. The clip has since been viewed over 14 million times. Not all who viewed the trailer came away thrilled. Paleontologist Thomas R Holtz Jr. said, “The original movies brought the dinosaur research of the 1980s to 1990s viewers. And the latest one seems to bring the dinosaur research of the 1980s to the 2010s viewers.”

… Darren Naish, a zoologist at the University of Southampton in the United Kingdom, said, “I’m just disappointed — as are many other scientists and researchers — that they’ve deliberately chosen to portray ‘old school’ dinosaurs designed to mimic those of the original Jurassic Park.”

… Chief among the complaints is the fact that the Jurassic Park series depicts dinosaurs without any kind of plumage. Researchers have learned since the 1993 release of Jurassic Park that feathers of varying sizes adorned many dinosaurs. In addition, the velociraptors and mosasaur depicted in the Jurassic World trailer are too large in relation to their surroundings, and exhibit factual inaccuracies. The raptors hold their hands in a manner that is considered outdated, while the mosasaur sports a since-disproved frill on its body.

ROBIN WILLIAMS’ ESTATE LISTS FOR $25.9 MILLION _ Robin Williams’ Napa estate is on the market with a reduced price of $25.9 million. The 639-acre property — featuring rolling hills, olive trees and a working vineyard — was listed in 2012 for $35 million and became available again earlier this year for $29.9 million. The 20,000-square-foot, three-story main house has five bedrooms, 10 bathrooms, a screening room and climate-controlled storage for wine and art. There is also a four-bedroom caretaker’s house nearby. Outdoor amenities include infinity and lap pools, a nine-stall horse barn, tennis court, hiking trails and a spring-fed pond for bass fishing. Williams named the estate Villa Sorriso (Villa of Smiles). Williams committed suicide at the age of 63 on August 11 at his home in Tiburon, California.

INDEPENDENCE DAY SEQUEL IS A GO _ The Independence Day sequel has a greenlight from 20th Century Fox. While there has been no casting information shared about the film thus far, Jeff Goldblum said in an October interview that he had been in talks about appearing in the sequel. No word on whether Smith will appear in the film. The sequel is set for release on June 24, 2016, which would be just short of two decades since the original title was released on July 3, 1996. The original film grossed more than $800 million worldwide at the box office.

KATE MIDDLETON AND PRINCE WILLIAM ARE MAJOR HOMELAND FANS _ President Barack Obama may not be the commander-in-chief of Homeland fans anymore — Prince William and Kate Middleton are also really into the intense Showtime series. Star Damian Lewis says the prince told him, “Catherine and I are huge Homeland fans.” The English actor was just awarded with an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).

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AUDIO

Audio Archives

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE BEST WORST MOVIE?

What’s the best worst movie? A move you love even though it’s horrible? Here are three calls to help with the phones. » download

DROP: SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT!

Men yells, “Something is not right!” » download

PHONER: FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TOYS

It’s toy-buying season. Share the story of your favorite toy and invite listeners to tell you their stories. We have three calls to help with the phones. » download

PHONER: WHAT DECADE WOULD YOU GO BACK TO?

If you could go back to a different decade which one would it be? Three calls to help launch the phones. » download

PHONER: WOMEN WEARING MEN’S UNDERWEAR

A recent story out of the UK said more and more women are wearing men’s underwear, especially boxers. Ask the women in your audience if they ever wear their guys’ undies — boxers or briefs. We have two calls to help with the phones. » download

PHONER: SMELLS OFFENSIVE ONLY TO YOU

It’s a tough time of year if you find the smell of pumpkin to be offensive. A friend hates the smell of pumpkin. Pies, lattes, you name it. What smell is everyone okay with that you hate? Here are six calls to help launch your local phoner. » download

PHONER: STUFF YOU PUT IN THE DISHWASHER

Lately I’ve been having fun with using the dishwasher to wash stuff other than dishes. Like my toothbrush. And the pop-out rubber insert for my car’s cup holder. Great way to clean the gunk out of that! What stuff do you wash in the dishwasher? Here are a few real calls to help with the phones. » download

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BITS & BREAKS

THROWBACK THURSDAY

“We were talking about this stuff one year ago…”

• PIZZA HUT MANAGER QUIT RATHER THAN OPEN ON THANKSGIVING _ A 10-year employee of Pizza Hut claimed he was given no choice but to leave his job when faced with the company’s demand that the restaurant open on Thanksgiving. The Indiana man said that during the meeting where it was announced that being open on Thanksgiving would be mandatory, he asked, “Why can’t we be the company that stands up and says we care about our employees and they can have the day off?”

• BUSINESS CARDS MADE OF BEEF JERKY _ Meat Cards were introduced– business cards made by laser-etching your contact info onto slabs of tough dried meat.

• OKLAHOMA STATE EMPLOYEES LOOOVE FACEBOOK _ Oklahoma’s Cyber Command Security Operations Center announced that state employees on the state computer network made 2,008,092 visits to Facebook in a three month span.

• MUGGER APOLOGIZED DECADES LATER ON FACEBOOK _ A man who mugged a stranger in New York in the 1970s posted an apology after spotting his victim’s name on Facebook. Michael Goodman was commenting on a Facebook post (about a closed bagel shop) when he recognized the name of Claude Soffel. Goodman said he was a teenager when he mugged Soffel for a bus pass in the late 1970s. Goodman posted: “You may not remember this … but a long, long time ago I walked up the steps of [the museum] one afternoon, trying to look like a tough guy. I have never forgotten the incident or your name … then here I am … reading about my favorite bagel store in the world closing down, and [whose] name do I see but yours. Finally I can say — I’M VERY SORRY that you had to go through that crap that day long ago.” Soffel said he remembered the incident on the steps of the American Museum of Natural History and accepted Goodman’s apology.

• GEORGE CLOONEY ON THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE _ In an interview with W magazine, George Clooney was asked who is — or was — the greatest love of his life. The Oscar winner said: “I haven’t met her yet.”

• PAUL WALKER DIED IN CAR CRASH (NOV. 30) _ Actor Paul Walker died in a fiery car crash in California while a passenger in a Porsche Carrera GT being driven by a friend.

• AMAZON UNVEILED DELIVERY BY DRONE _ On 60 Minutes, Amazon.com’s Jeff Bezos announced that his research and development department had been working on a project aimed at delivering packages to your doorstep by “octocopter” mini-drones with a 30-minute delivery time.

NEW IN THEATERS THIS WEEKEND

HORRIBLE BOSSES 2 (R)  score/reviews

• Dale, Kurt and Nick decide to start their own business but things don’t go as planned because of a slick investor, prompting the trio to pull off a harebrained and misguided kidnapping scheme.
• Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx, Chris Pine, Christoph Waltz

PENGUINS OF MADAGASCAR (PG)  score/reviews

• Skipper, Kowalski, Rico and Private join forces with undercover organization The North Wind to stop the villainous Dr. Octavius Brine from destroying the world as we know it.
• Voice cast includes John Malkovich, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Richter

NEW ON DVD THIS WEEKEND

• The Expendables 3
• The Giver
• A Madea Christmas
• November Man
• Merry Friggin’ Christmas
• Better Off Ted: Season 2

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FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: In the last year 22% of Americans have had one of these. In 1997 the number was just 8%. (A massage)

FAMOUS DUOS

• Batman & ________ (Robin)

• Bert & ________ (Ernie)

• Maddie & ________ (Tae)

• Brooks & ________ (Dunn)

• Simon & ________ (Garfunkel)

• Hall & ________ (Oates)

• Sonny & ________ (Cher)

• Peanut Butter & ________ (Jelly)

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JOKE OF THE DAY

An old man was always going on about the good old days, and the lower cost of living, in particular. “When I was a kid, my mom could send me to the store and I’d get a salami, two pints of milk, 6 oranges, 2 loaves of bread, a magazine and some new blue jeans all for a dollar! Then the old man said sadly, “You can’t do that any more — they got those darn video cameras everywhere you look.”

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VIDEO OF THE DAY

Spaghetti eating contest: Golden Retriever vs. German Shepherd

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IMAGE OF THE DAY

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LAST MINUTE ITEMS

• Download Our Boring Radio Station App.

• Two idea-packed books for sales, promotions and stunts in 2015. Here’s one, here’s the other.

• The safest gift to get anyone on your holiday list.

• The world sends us garbage, we send back music.

• So you want to own a food truck?

• Comedian does spot-on impressions of celebrities stuck in traffic.

• This canine race course in Finland is designed to test a dog’s obedience, concentration, and speed. But no one told the Golden Retriever.

• The United States of Thanksgiving. The NYT looked for Thanksgiving recipes that evoked each of the 50 states.

• Four different images is actually a single photo.

• 15 Android apps that will make your iPhone friends jealous.

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COUNTRY DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 27, 2014

• 1941: EDDIE RABBITT was born in Brooklyn, New York. He died of lung cancer on May 7, 1998.

• 1993: ALABAMA topped the country charts with Reckless.

• 2002: KEITH URBAN’s Golden Road album was certified gold.

• 2002: TIM MCGRAW’s first network television special, Sing Me Home, aired on NBC.

• 2004: LONESTAR spent its third week at the top of the Billboard Country Singles chart with Mr. Mom.

• 2006: MONTGOMERY GENTRY’s Troy Gentry plead guilty in Duluth, Minnesota, to a misdemeanor charge involving his killing of a captive black bear in 2004. As a result of the plea, he paid a $15,000 fine and forfeited the animal’s hide. Additionally, Troy was banned from hunting, fishing or trapping in the state of Minnesota until 2011.

• 2007: ROSANNE CASH underwent surgery for a rare brain malformation.

• 2008: TRACE ADKINS performed You’re Gonna Miss This in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

• 2008: A pregnant JO DEE MESSINA pulled a hamstring during the five-mile Boulevard Bolt run for the homeless in Nashville.

• 2012: The December issue of Harper’s Bazaar hit newsstands with TAYLOR SWIFT on the cover. She admitted in the story that breakups are good for business: “You know that guy you really wish you could erase from your memory? … The answer is track six, eight, 12 and 13.”

Aubrey Peeples (Layla Grant in the ABC drama series Nashville) is 21.

COUNTRY DATEBOOK: NOVEMBER 28, 2014

• 1925: The WSM Barn Dance, later known as the Grand Ole Opry, made its first broadcast on the station.

• 1938: BOB WILLS recorded the hit San Antonio Rose.

• 1964: WILLIE NELSON gave his debut performance on the Grand Ole Opry.

• 1972: CHARLIE RICH recorded his first number one hit, Behind Closed Doors.

• 1992: MARTY STUART joined the Grand Ole Opry.

• 2000: LONESTAR’s Lonely Grill album was certified triple platinum.

• 2001: GARTH BROOKS’ third CBS special in the Garth Brooks Coast To Coast series aired from South Padre Island, Texas.

• 2002: FAITH HILL’s second NBC special, Faith Hill: When The Lights Go Down, aired.

• 2004: MARTINA MCBRIDE and husband John announced they were expecting their third child. Daughter Ava was born in June of 2005.

• 2005: GEORGE STRAIT scored his 72nd Top Ten hit on the Billboard Country Singles chart with She Let Herself Go.

• 2005: The JOHNNY CASH bio-pic Walk The Line spent its second week at #2 in the box office bringing in around $20 million.

• 2011: WILLIE NELSON and CHET ATKINS were among those named to Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists.

SWEETHEARTS OF THE RODEO member Kristine Arnold is 58.

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COUNTRY AUDIO

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COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS

CHELY WRIGHT will take part in this year’s National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony in Washington D.C. On December 4 she’ll join hosts Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson as a musical guest. Other performers will be Steve Miller and Patti LaBelle.

TRISHA YEARWOOD and LEANN RIMES have signed on to perform during the Christmas in Rockefeller Center television special. This year marks the 82nd year of the tradition, which helps kick off the holiday season with a ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. The 2014 tree lighting will take place next Wednesday, December 3 and will air live on NBC.

CLAY WALKER is both slamming and defending the current batch of songs and artists on the country charts. Clay told Fox News that some of the “bro-country” songs and videos are “distasteful” and “over the top.” But he also defended today’s country sound, saying the format “needs to change. It was getting stagnant, and I feel like the new music that is there, it’s in rough form, but we’re growing. We’re gaining new fans, and that’s what you want to do as a business. We need our format to grow.”

… Clay is working on a new album which he says was influenced by what he hears on the radio today.

KIX BROOKS is lending a hand in preserving Tennessee’s Civil War heritage. Kix recently donated $10,000 to the Battle of Franklin Trust to help preserve a 1½-acre tract of land south of the Carter House museum. The trust is trying to purchase the land for $2.8 million to complete a 20-acre park that’s been planned for years. Park supporters signed a contract in May to purchase the land from the family that currently owns it, and they’ve raised nearly half of the needed funds.

JOE NICHOLS had a very special guest at his concert last weekend at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas. RANDY TRAVIS showed up — not to play, but to watch the show. Randy treated Joe and his family to a barbecue dinner and when Joe took the stage he honored the legend, playing an acoustic version of Randy’s 1987 hit Promises.

On Tuesday TRACY LAWRENCE hosted his 9th Annual Mission Possible Turkey Fry in downtown Nashville. The event brings together area volunteers and the Nashville Rescue Mission to fry turkeys that will provide meals for those less fortunate in the Nashville area.

What are your favorite country stars favorite Thanksgiving side dishes?

• Trisha Yearwood thinks the dressing makes the meal.

• Tyler Farr is all about some good ole Southern side dishes — especially chicken and dumplings.

• The Band Perry‘s Reid Perry’s favorite dish is made by bandmate and sister Kimberly: sweet potato casserole.

• Maddie & Tae have different tastes. Tae Dye loves her Cranberry sauce. Maddie Marlow likes her mom’s broccoli cheese casserole.

• Josh Turner loves deviled eggs.

• Lady Antebellum‘s Hillary Scott credits her grandma with the best dish of the season: sweet potato casserole.