INTERPREP ★ DECEMBER 12, 2016
Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • Image • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Video • Wacky-But-True
DATEBOOK: DECEMBER 12, 2016
This is day 347 of 2016. There are 19 days remaining.
BIRTHDAYS
• Bob Barker is 93
• Connie Francis is 79
• Dionne Warwick is 76
• Dickey Betts (Allman Brothers) is 73
• Tom Wilkinson (Michael Clayton, John Adams) is 68
• Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean, Love Actually) is 67
• Legendary gymnast Cathy Rigby is 63
• Sheila E. is 59
• Jennifer Connelly (Oscar for A Beautiful Mind) is 46
• Madchen Amick (My Own Worst Enemy, Twin Peaks) is 46
• Regina Hall is 46
• Mayim Bialik (The Big Bang Theory, Blossom) is 41
IT HAPPENED TODAY
• 1914: The largest one-day percentage drop in the history of Dow Jones Industrial Average occurred, down 24.39%.
• 1917: In Nebraska, Father Edward J. Flanagan founds Boys Town as a farm village for wayward boys.
• 1968: The Rolling Stones filmed their “Rock & Roll Circus” in London with guests John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Eric Clapton, the Who, Jethro Tull, Mitch Mitchell, Marianne Faithful, and Mia Farrow. The show was finally released 28 years later in 1996.
• 1989: The U.S. issued a patent (#4,885,809) to Charles Muchmore of St. Bernard, Ohio, for his Portable Pocket Spittoon, a flesh-colored plastic flask-like container for tobacco chewers who prefer to spit more privately.
• 1992: A Norway court ruled that Oslo University did not have to re-admit a 39-year-old student until he bathed. The astrophysics major, who had lived in a cave for 14 years, sued the university for a half-million dollars after he was expelled for stinking.
• 2000: A divided U.S. Supreme Court halted the presidential recount in Florida, effectively making Republican George W. Bush the winner.
• 2003: Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger was knighted by Great Britain.
• 2003: Keiko, the killer whale made famous by the “Free Willy” movies, died in the Norwegian fjord that he’d made his home.
• 2003: A disabled cyclist who fell into an icy river was saved when he used his false leg as a float. Brian Denman grabbed the plastic limb which had come off as he lost balance and slid down a bank. He clung to it in the dark for half an hour until fire crews hauled him from the River Tone in the UK.
• 2005: A court in China dismissed harassment charges against a man who broke into the home of a neighbor he secretly loved and stole one of her bras. The judge decided the man had good intentions because he also did the woman’s laundry, washed her dishes and fixed her computer.
• 2009: Houston became the largest U.S. city to elect an openly gay mayor, with voters handing a solid victory to City Controller Annise Parker.
• 2012: The International Space Station suspends some of its non-critical systems after an ammonia cooling pump fails.
SPECIAL EVENTS
• Cocoa Day
• Poinsettia Day
UPCOMING
• December 25: Christmas
• January 20: Presidential Inauguration
• January 21: Women’s March on Washington
NUMBER FOR THE DAY
61 million: People in the U.S. who speak a language other than English.
NEWS ATTACK!
Actor Judge Reinhold was arrested at a Dallas airport for disorderly conduct after a confrontation with security personnel. [The trouble all started when he refused to surrender his Hatchimal.]
The President of South Korea was impeached. [She says that in hindsight she never should have sat up late at night posting those tweets.]
A woman is suing a Minnesota hospital after a mixup led to the woman’s baby being breastfed by another patient. [Court documents don’t reveal his name.]
Starbucks says that it’s adding more food to its menu. [Thank goodness. I was getting through the line way too fast.]
The Russian doping scandal just got bigger after a recent report finding that implicates over 1,000 athletes in 30 sports. [Including chess.]
President Obama has ordered a full investigation into possible Russian interference in the recent election. [Suspicion arose after the FBI learned of Donald Trump’s original plan to name Vladimir Putin his Secretary of State.]
Reports indicate that Donald Trump’s choice as Secretary of State is the CEO of Exxon Mobil. [Soon, not only will school kids get a chance to tour the White House, but they’ll also get a chance to go into what use to be the Rose Garden and operate the fracking machine.]
Rudy Giuliani has withdrawn his name from the list of candidates as the next Secretary of State. [He’ll instead focus his energy on becoming pope.]
A famous mattress maker in Sweden has just released its latest bed. It costs $149,000. [But that includes pillows.]
Japan launched a cargo spaceship with a device that’s designed to pick up all the space junk floating around out there. [Sounds like a great idea. Well, that is if the astronauts at the international space station don’t mind hearing an orbital space trash truck outside their windows every morning at six.]
NEWS & NUGGETS
TRUMP INSPIRES ANOTHER TV STAR TO CONSIDER POLITICS _ Former Saturday Night Live star Joe Piscopo says he’s seriously considering run for New Jersey governor. The 65-year-old says, “I’m seriously looking at it. I love the people. I love the state. I know what has to be done.” He’ll make an announcement early new year and says he would likely run as a Republican in 2017, but isn’t ruling out jumping in as an independent after the June 6 primary. Piscopo has never campaigned for or held office, but considered running in 2004. What’s different now? He said he feels emboldened by the against-all-odds victory of President-elect Donald Trump.
CADILLAC DISTANCES ITSELF FROM ‘ALT-RIGHT’ CASTING CALL _ Cadillac is distancing itself from a casting call for an upcoming commercial that called for real “alt-right (neo-Nazi)” people to apply. The car maker says it did not authorize or approve the casting notice, which was posted last week by a casting service called the Cast Station. After an outcry on social media, the post was altered to remove the phrase “neo-Nazi,” but that did little to stem the controversy. Cadillac said in a statement: “We unequivocally condemn the notice and are seeking immediate answers from our creative agency, production company and any casting companies involved.” The Cast Station called the posting a mistake and said the employee who drafted it has been fired.
WEDDING GUESTS SUE GROOM, SAY CAMERA DRONE HIT THEM _ A groom is being sued by some wedding guests. Barry Billcliff decided to have his drone help capture his wedding, which took place in August under a tent in New Hampshire (Windham). The accusation made by a couple of the guests is that the drone lost its bearings and flew straight into their faces. Billcliff insists he wasn’t piloting the drone at the time. He told the Boston Herald that it was a mutual friend of his and his bride’s. But a couple of guests have now filed a negligence suit against Billcliff. One of the guests says she had a gash in her forehead that needed 20 stitches; the other says her nose and orbital bone were broken and she suffered a concussion.
… A spokesman for the wedding venue says the groom was told “with absolute certainty, that he was not allowed to fly a drone… Common sense says that nothing good could come of flying a drone inside our expensive tent that is draped with expensive fabric and has hanging chandeliers.”
NEW LONGEST NON-STOP FLIGHT _ A new record-breaking passenger flight is set to begin in 2018. Qantas has announced their new non-stop service between Perth, Australia, and London — 8,989 miles and 17½ hours in the air.
WHAT’S LURKING IN YOUR SHOWERHEAD _ Mondays are already an uphill battle, so the last the last you want to hear is that your showerhead is a breading ground for germs. I mean, if you already took a shower I sorta creeped you out for the rest of the day. And if you’re about to take a shower, well, there’s nothing you can do — take the shower or go to work with bed-head. We have Rob Dunn, an evolutionary biologist at North Carolina State University, to thank. Dunn’s laboratory is focused on getting to know humanity’s most intimate microbial neighbors — the invisible army of bacteria, fungi, mites, and molds that live on our skin, clothes, and household surfaces. Earlier this year, as part of that mission, Dunn and his colleagues launched the Showerhead Microbiome Project, sending five hundred sampling kits to volunteers across the United States and Europe.
… The study is still ongoing, but one member of the study has looked into shower heads before. Jennifer Honda, a microbiologist based at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She says nontuberculous mycobacteria — also known as NTM — seems to about in showerheads. NTM is a pathogen that can cause lung disease in individuals with weakened immune systems.
… The good news: some of the stuff in your showerhead could be good for us. Back to biologist Rob Dunn, who reminds us that there’s a growing awareness that we “need exposure to a diversity of microbes” and that our showerheads are “one of the few places where we’re getting exposed to lots of weird things.”
DONALD TRUMP CONFIRMS HE’LL LIVE AT THE WHITE HOUSE _ The president-elect confirmed to Fox News Sunday’s Chris Wallace that he will be living in the White House following his inauguration. Trump also confirmed again that his 10-year-old son Barron will not move into the White House for several months, allowing him to finish out the school year in New York City. Trump’s Melania will travel between New York City and Washington, D.C. as necessary.
NFL GIANTS GOT MOTIVATED BY WATCHING GUY PUNCH A KANGAROO _ Ordinary pep talks were not enough for coach Ben McAdoo to motivate his Giants to take on the Cowboys last night. According to the New York Post, the head coach chose something a little bolder as his inspirational technique for this week: that viral video of a guy punching a kangaroo in the face in order to rescue his dog.
THE WORLD’S OLDEST FLIGHT ATTENDANT IS 80 _ Bette Nash started working as a flight attendant when Dwight Eisenhower was President of the United States and airline tickets were only $12. The 80-year-old airline worker first put on her uniform (Eastern Airlines) when she was just 21 years old — and has no plans to retire. Her regular American Airlines route is Washington National to Boston Logan.
TRACKER WILL COMPARE THE SIZE OF YOUR BABY TO STUFF YOU KNOW _ If you’re a mother-to-be and can’t quite imagine what that little growing life inside you has become week after week, turn to the Babysizer website, which will compare the size of your unborn to stuff you already know. Just plug in how many weeks you’re into your pregnancy and choose a category: facts, craving, geeky or manly. Say you’re in your 17th week:
- Facts: Your baby measures 5.6 inches from crown to rump and weighs 6.7 ounces.
- Cravings: Your baby is the size of a tall, decaf, non-fat, Frappuccino with whipped cream and caramel drizzle.
- Geeky: Your baby is the size of a baby tribble (Star Trek).
- Your baby is the size of a multi-tool.
CLEVELAND WEATHERMAN KEEPS HIS BEARD _ With a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday a weatherman in Cleveland has to keep his beard for at least another week. Meteorologist Steve Sabol vowed at the start of the Browns’ season not to shave until they won their first game. The team is currently 0-13 with three games left to play. Sabol says he’ll be shaving after the season ends even if the team never wins a game. • INSTAGRAM • TWITTER
SKY’S THE LIMIT WITH THIS IN-FLIGHT DATING APP _ There’s a Tinder for fliers. AirDates is like other mobile dating options, except this one is for air travelers looking for a connection, or even love, before, during or after a trip. CEO and founder Michael Richard said he used to travel a lot during his previous job in real estate development. He says he was on planes constantly and busy “being French and single and using a lot of dating apps.” He realized the only time he couldn’t use his apps was when he was in the air. So the concept of AirDates came together to make it easier to meet other single travelers. He said it’s more about finding someone to talk to and get to know before going on a date once you’ve landed.
… After users sign up, they can share their flight itineraries and find other people flying, say, to Seattle via Houston.
OBAMA IMPERSONATOR TRUMPED BY END OF TENURE _ A Chinese man who’s made $145,000 working as a Barack Obama impersonator admits some changes in his career are probably coming. The 30-year-old quit his job as a security guard a few years ago to impersonate the outgoing U.S. president full-time. With Obama finishing up his second term in January, the man says he’s afraid he’ll also be out of a job.
GRANDMOTHERS’ BRAINS BENEFIT FROM BABYSITTING _ When you’re a grandma, there aren’t many things better than spending time with your grandchildren. And, according to research, babysitting your grandkids doesn’t just add joy to your life — it can also help keep you sharp as a tack in your golden years. Research (by the Women’s Healthy Aging Project in Australia) shows that grandmothers who helped with childcare at least one day a week scored better on cognitive tests, leading researchers to conclude that spending time taking care of grandchildren could potentially lower one’s risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: BURGLAR BREAKS INTO RELIGIOUS STORE FOR PIGEONS _ The owners of a South Florida business are shocked after a burglar broke into their religious store and took off with a cage filled with pricey pigeons. Security footage shows the pigeon-pincher wearing a bucket over his head and a trash bag over his shoulders. Minutes later, the thief is seen walking off with a cage filled with pigeons that, the owners said, are worth thousands of dollars.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: ROBIN WILLIAMS, TUPAC ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA _ The names of two suspects were pretty familiar when police arrested three Albuquerque, New Mexico, men and confiscated thousands of dollars worth of marijuana. State troopers pulled over Erick Harris Jr., Tupac Crum and Robin Williams. The initial stop of their truck was for alleged traffic violations, but during the stop a search turned up bags of weed weighing 114.7 pounds.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: INMATES DO ‘MANNEQUIN CHALLENGE’ _ Officials at a prison in San Diego County are investigating a video that has gone viral: A group of inmates filmed their own version of the Mannequin Challenge. The one-minute clip starts with inmates holding still in the bathroom, including one sitting on the toilet. It is unclear who is recording, but the camera then moves into what appears to be living quarters, showing an inmate holding a cellphone, a fake fight scene and an inmate reading. The video ends with another inmate in his bunk, also holding a cellphone. Officials at the prison are investigating. Cellphones are not allowed in prison. • VIDEO (NSFW)
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TURKEYS CAUSE POWER OUTAGES IN OREGON TOWN _ A flock of wild turkeys, long considered menaces to one Oregon town, have sparked new outrage after causing power outages in the eastern part of Medford. Wild turkeys flying into power lines have been responsible for four morning outages in the last month, each time cutting off power for more than 1,600 residents and businesses.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MAN CUTS OFF PINKY FINGER WHILE TRYING TO BREAK INTO A CAR _ A 22-year-old California man got a violent dose of karma when a car burglary he was attempting went wrong. The man had apparently been using a folding knife near the car’s window to break in when something went wrong, causing him to inadvertently sever a portion of his own pinky finger. Blood was later seen smeared across the upper driver’s side window. The bozo burglar got himself to a local hospital and told the hospital staff what had happened. Police went to the scene and found the guy’s knife as well as his missing finger.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MAN TRIES TO SNEAK A 58-INCH TV OUT OF WALMART _ A man who tried to do some Christmas shopping at a Walmart in Florida instead got a free ride to jail. Police say James Walsh tried to walk out of the Walmart with a 58-inch television without paying. Investigators say a security guard tried to stop Walsh before he walked out the store. Police said Walsh ran back into the store and left through another exit. Unfortunately for him, some sheriff’s deputies were at the store for a shop-with-a-cop event. They had him in custody in no time.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: ROBBER HITS WRONG STORE _ In Florida a guy just had to have the latest Playstation game console. So he came up with a plan. After all the stores in a nearby strip mall had closed, he went to the back of the mall and broke a window that he thought would allow him inside the store that had a Playstation. Unfortunately he miscalculated and broke the window of the jewelry store next door, setting off the silent alarm and notifying the cops. He was still looking for the game system when the police arrived.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SANTA TO THE RESCUE _ A German Santa turned crime fighter when he leapt into action to chase two shoplifters. Santa was in his seat in a department store when he saw the crooks filling their bags with expensive cosmetics. Santa flew after the pair and managed to hold them down until police arrived.
ON TELEVISION
THE VOICE (8p ET, NBC) — In the first part of the season finale, the top 4 perform for America’s votes.
THE GREAT CHRISTMAS LIGHT FIGHT (8p ET, ABC) — New. Competing displays include a Magic Kingdom-inspired light show, a tropical North pole, and a tree with more lights than the one at Rockefeller Center.
KEVIN CAN WAIT (8p ET, CBS) — New. Kevin helps Mott and his seven kids while Mott’s wife (guest star Jackie Sandler) is away.
GOTHAM (8p ET, FOX) — Repeat
GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER (8p ET, CW) — Repeat
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL (8:15p ET, ESPN) — With a three-game lead in the AFC East, the Patriots (10-2) look to close in on another division title. They host the Ravens (7-5), who have won four of their past five.
MAN WITH A PLAN (8:30p ET, CBS) — New. A blizzard prevents the family from visiting the grandparents’ house for Christmas.
2 BROKE GIRLS (9p ET, CBS) — New. Caroline worries an approaching hurricane will ruin the divorce party she’s hosting.
LUCIFER (9p ET, FOX) — Repeat
GREATEST HOLIDAY COMMERCIALS COUNTDOWN 2016 (9p ET, CW) — Kevin Frazier and Keltie Knight host a countdown of the world’s best holiday commercials.
BILLBOARD WOMEN IN MUSIC 2016 (9p ET, Lifetime) — Madonna is named Billboard’s 2016 Woman of the Year in this special. Other awardees include Andra Day, Halsey and Shania Twain.
THE ODD COUPLE (9:30p ET, CBS) — New. Felix’s mother (guest star Jessica Walter) can’t host Christmas so he goes into a frenzy preparing the Unger family Christmas traditions.
TIMELESS (10p ET, NBC) — New. During the American Revolution, a surprising turn makes Lucy, Wyatt and Rufus question whether they’re fighting for the right side.
THE GREAT AMERICAN BAKING SHOW (10p ET, ABC) — Repeat
SCORPION (10p ET, CBS) — New. Walter makes a dangerous swim to rescue a woman trapped in the La Brea tar pits. Lea Thompson returns as Paige’s mom.
SEASON PREMIERE: AMERICA’S NEXT TOP MODEL (10p ET, VH1) — Now on a new network with a new host, a group of 28 aspiring models come to compete in their first challenge, where fourteen of them move on. Previous host Tyra Banks is on board as an executive producer and makes a cameo appearance in the premiere. Singer/actress/entrepreneur Rita Ora hosts with a new panel of judges that includes supermodel Ashley Graham, Paper Magazine chief creative officer Drew Elliott and celebrity stylist Law Roach.
ENTERTAINMENT
MOANA WINS AT MOVIE THEATERS _ Moana still has that good ol’ Disney magic. The latest from Walt Disney Animation maintained its lead as the top-grossing film at the box office with approximately $18.8 million. Office Christmas Party debuted in second with $17.5 million.
CRITICS’ CHOICE AWARDS _ The Critics’ Choice Awards were handed out Sunday night. Here are the winners.
ROGUE ONE REVIEWS: WONDERFUL, AMAZING _ Reviews are in from celebs who attended Saturday night’s premiere of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and the consensus is that it’s out of this world. Filmmaker Kevin Smith called it “unbelievably wonderful” and Rainn Wilson prefers the word “amazing.” Several blocks of Hollywood Boulevard were shut down — and an X-Wing fighter was parked on the street — to prepare for Saturday’s premiere at the Pantages Theatre.
… Comic Chris Hardwick went full-on Fan Boy mode after seeing the film, posting on Instagram: “Rogue One is a STUNNING film. I cannot recommend it enough. It’s dark, beautiful and satisfying.”
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY IS GETTING INTO YOUR UBER _ The Force will be with people who need a ride this week, thanks to a collaboration between Disney and Uber. As part of a promotion for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which hits theaters Friday, Uber riders will be able to add a Star Wars theme to the app. Users who opt in will get exclusive curated video within the app, and the black car icons on the Uber map will turn into X-wing starfighters.
THE BRADY BUNCH’S SUSAN OLSEN FIRED FROM RADIO JOB _ That Brady girl with hair of gold has gotten herself in some hot water. Susan Olsen, who played youngest daughter Cindy Brady on classic sitcom The Brady Bunch, was fired from her hosting gig on a Los Angeles-based radio show after she posted a homophobic rant on Facebook. On Wednesday (December 7) activist and producer Leon Acord-Whiting slammed Olsen after appearing as a guest on her show. He accused Olsen of spreading “outrageous misinformation,” including the idea that a person can’t be a liberal and a patriot at the same time.
… Olsen, in response, referred to Acord-Whiting as a “little piece of human waste” on her Facebook page. Acord-Whiting then posted a screenshot of a private message Olsen sent him. In response, LA Talk Radio announced on Friday that it had “severed ties” with an unnamed host due to hateful speech aimed at the LGBT community.
JENNIFER LAWRENCE APOLOGIZES OVER HER HAWAII STORY _ Jennifer Lawrence is apologizing for a story about Hawaii that caused her much grief on social media. In making the rounds for new movie Passenger, Lawrence told an interviewer about how when she was filming Hunger Games in Hawaii, she accidentally sent a “sacred” rock tumbling down a mountain because she was scratching her butt against it. After critics accused her of insensitivity, Lawrence explained on Facebook that the story was about making herself look stupid and nothing else.
SHERLOCK SEASON FOUR TRAILER _ It’s been almost three years since the third season of Sherlock. Fans were treated to a Victorian-era special episode, Sherlock: The Abominable Bride, at the beginning of the year, but Sherlock and Doctor Watson are finally about to return for a full season. On January 1 they’re back on the BBC in the UK and on PBS in the United States. • VIDEO
… Star Benedict Cumberbatch has suggested season four might be the last: “It feels like the end of an era, to be honest. It goes to a place where it will be pretty hard to follow on immediately.” On a more positive note, the show’s creator has said he’d be a little surprised if the upcoming season is the end.
KANYE WEST NOT RESUMING SAINT PABLO TOUR IN JANUARY _ Kanye West is not resuming his Saint Pablo Tour in January, despite a slew of inaccurate articles. The wrong rumor began with X17Online. The webloid quoted an unnamed “insider” as saying, “Kanye really wants to make good on his promise to perform for fans.” The supposed source added, “Although ticket buyers were refunded, Kanye think it’s really important to give them another chance to see his show.”
CARLOS PENA JR. AND ALEXA PENAVEGA INTRODUCE BABY OCEAN _ Singer Carlos Pena Jr. and his wife Alexa Vega shared first photos of their newborn son on Instagram. Ocean is the first child for the celebrity couple who got hitched in Mexico back in 2014. • IMAGE
MEGYN KELLY GETTING MOVIE ABOUT FOX SEXUAL HARASSMENT _ The sexual harassment allegations against former Fox News CEO Roger Ailes will be made into a movie written by Charles Randolph, who wrote the critically acclaimed film The Big Short.
KHLOE KARDASHIAN’S DIVORCE IS FINALIZED _ Khloe Kardashian’s divorce from former NBA player Lamar Odom has been finalized, more than three years after the reality TV star first started the process. The 32-year-old filed for divorce in December 2013 after the pair had been married for four years. But she called it off after Odom was found unconscious at a brothel in Nevada last year. Khloe said his medical condition was one reason to stop the process. She re-filed for divorce in May saying there were irreconcilable differences in the marriage. Their judgment says that neither Khloe Kardashian nor Lamar Odom will receive spousal support from the other.
AUDIO
MOST RECENT ON THE PRO AUDIO PAGE
• DROP: There’s no master plan behind any of this.
• DROP: You’re the most amazing guy. You’re brilliant, you’re handsome, you’re rich.
• CHRIS PRATT: The actor talks about his days as a waiter.
• MYSTERY VOICE: Chris Pratt.
YO DAN, THANKS FOR SHARING!
Snag a few seconds of this solid parody song as an intro to a lot of Christmas-related topics.
BITS & BREAKS
TOP TEN MOVIES
- Moana – $18.8 million
- Office Christmas Party – $17.5 million
- Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – $10.8 million
- Arrival – $5.6 million
- Doctor Strange – $4.6 million
- Allied – $4 million
- Nocturnal Animals – $3.2 million
- Manchester By the Sea – $3.16 million
- Trolls – $3.11 million
- Hacksaw Ridge – $2.3 million
… One year ago this week the number one movie was The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2.
IN THEATERS FRIDAY
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (PG-13) – Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Alan Tudyk, Forest Whitaker
• Collateral Beauty (PG-13) – Will Smith, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Peña, Helen Mirren, Keira Knightley
• Manchester by the Sea (R, OPENS WIDER) – Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler
WEEKLY HOT LIST
Courtesy of morning show talent coach Steve Reynolds. The Hot List is made up of the topics everyone knows about.
- CIA report on Russian hacking
- Trump doesn’t read daily briefings
- Christmas Shopping
- Holiday Parties
- Santa Claus
- Rogue One
- Golden Globe Nominations
- Walter White
- NFL Week #14
- College Bowl Games
- Heisman Trophy
- Denzel Washington
- Fake News
- Kanye West
- John Glenn
NAME OF THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW
AGLET — The plain or ornamental covering on the end of a shoelace.
ARMSAYE — The armhole in clothing.
CHANKING — Spat-out food, such as rinds or pits.
COLUMELLA NASI — The bottom part of the nose between the nostrils.
FERRULE — The metal band on a pencil that holds the eraser in place.
KEEPER — The loop on a belt that keeps the end in place after it has passed through the buckle.
KICK or PUNT — The indentation at the bottom of some wine bottles. It gives added strength to the bottle but lessens its holding capacity.
OBDORMITION — The numbness caused by pressure on a nerve; when a limb is ‘asleep’.
OPHRYON — The space between the eyebrows on a line with the top of the eye sockets.
PHOSPHENES — The lights you see when you close your eyes hard. Technically the luminous impressions are due to the excitation of the retina caused by pressure on the eyeball.
PURLICUE — The space between the thumb and extended forefinger.
RASCETA — Creases on the inside of the wrist.
SADDLE — The rounded part on the top of a matchbook.
SPRAINTS — Otter dung.
WAMBLE — Stomach rumbling.
SHOWER THOUGHTS
In the shower you’re alone with no distractions. It’s just you and your thoughts. On a Reddit board called Shower Thoughts people share what things they thought of while shower.
• The longer I stay home, the more homeless I look.
• Smoking is good for the environment because it kills humans.
• Do Transformers get car insurance or life insurance?
• My tires have all kinds of giant text embossed on them but the only information I ever actually need, the maximum pressure, is written in tiny letters.
• When traveling from Earth to the moon, there is a point along the journey where the two would appear to be the same size.
• Sleep is great because it’s like being dead without hurting your family.
• When an alarm sounds why do we say it’s gone off when it’s obviously on?
• There are more planes in the ocean than submarines in the sky.
FUN & GAMES
TRIVIA: The average person will break three of these a year. (Drinking mugs, cups or glasses.)
TRIVIA: In a recent survey, 7 in 10 men said they would rather break up with a woman in what way? (In private.)
BREAKFAST BINGO
Each answer begins with the corresponding letter in BINGO.
• The home of the Red Sox. (Boston)
• Where Dublin is located. (Ireland)
• An actress named Kidman. (Nicole)
• Pour it on to add flavor to mashed potatoes and turkey. (Gravy)
• It’s full of cubicles, copiers and computers. (Office)
VIDEO OF THE DAY
IMAGE OF THE DAY
DATEBOOK: DECEMBER 13, 2016
This is day 348 of 2016. There are 18 days remaining.
BIRTHDAYS
• Dick Van Dyke is 91
• Christopher Plummer is 87
• John Davidson is 75
• Ted Nugent is 68
• Wendie Malick (Just Shoot Me) is 66
• Steve Buscemi is 59
• NeNe Leakes is 50
• Jamie Foxx is 49
• Taylor Swift is 27
IT HAPPENED TODAY
• 1972: Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt began the sixth and final extra-vehicular activity (EVA) or “Moonwalk” of Apollo 17. This was the last manned mission to the moon of the 20th century.
• 1978: The first Susan B. Anthony dollar entered circulation.
• 1983: The Denver Nuggets and the Detroit Pistons played in the highest scoring NBA game in history, with the Pistons winning 186-184 in triple overtime. In addition to most points in a game, this game also set the record for most field goals made (136), and most assists (93).
• 1995: After stacking the stereo, VCR, and other stuff by the front door, a 25-year-old Sacramento burglar decided to take a bubble bath. And went to sleep in the tub. Police woke him after the owner came home and called them.
• 2000: Republican George W. Bush claimed the presidency a day after the U.S. Supreme Court shut down further recounts of disputed ballots in Florida. Democrat Al Gore conceded and called for national unity.
• 2003: Former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein was captured near his home town of Tikrit.
• 2003: In the most-attended basketball game in history, 78,129 watch Michigan State University lose 79-74 to the University of Kentucky at Ford Field.
• 2004: Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers found 610 pounds of marijuana hidden in caskets in a truck they pulled over. The driver, Timothy G. Hynd, and his passenger, Robert Dean Harper, told a trooper they were working for a Tucson, Arizona, casket company and their destination was Atlanta. Both men say they were unaware the pot was in the caskets.
• 2007: A farmer in Devon, England, unveiled a multi-bird roast. The 48 birds of 12 different species weighed 55-pounds, cost $1,300, and had enough meat to serve 125 people. It contains about 50,000 calories and took more than eight hours to cook. The roast contained turkey, goose, chicken, pheasant, partridge, pigeon squab, Aylesbury duck, Barbary duck, poussin, guinea fowl, mallard-and quail with herb and fruit stuffings.
2007: The Mitchell Report was publicly released listing the names of 89 Major League Baseball players that had presumably used anabolic steroids and human growth hormones.
2014: Thousands of protesters marched in Washington, D.C. to protest recent killings of unarmed black men by police.
SPECIAL EVENTS
• Ice Cream Day
• Popcorn String Day
• Violin Day
UPCOMING
• December 25: Christmas
• January 20: Presidential Inauguration
• January 21: Women’s March on Washington