11.27.08

SHOW PREP NOVEMBER 27, 2008

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

Carson Daly has another reason to be staying up late: diaper duty. The 35-year-old Last Call host and girlfriend Siri Pinter are expecting their first child together, E! News has learned. “They’re both thrilled,” says rep Heather Lylis. “He’s always wanted to be a dad, and he’s excited about the holidays and spending them together with family and friends.” Daly’s lady love, an NBC producer who has worked on Last Call (natch) and Last Comic Standing, is about midway to term, and the child is due in the early spring. The couple have been dating a little more than a year. In addition to lording over his late-night gabfest, the former TRL ringmaster will also return to host the Peacock’s New Year’s Eve with Carson Daly. (Eonline)

How I Met Your Mother star Cobie Smulders and actor Taran Killam are expecting their first child.  Smulders, 26, who plays Robin Scherbatsky on the CBS hit, is due in late spring, Smulders’s rep confirms exclusively to PEOPLE.  The couple met through a mutual friend, and have worked together on HIMYM. (People)

Hollywood star Tom Cruise has credited the paparazzi for taking photographs of his daughter Suri. Tom Cruise has said he gives credit to the paparazzi for their “incredible” shots of his two-year-old daughter Suri. “I have to say some of those paparazzi shots of my daughter are incredible,” he told Australian Grazia magazine. “As a parent you protect your children, but Suri is a very open and warm child and she’ll just wave to people on the street. It’s certainly different these days with the media, but people have been very good to us and do give us space, so I am not going to be critical.” Later in the interview Tom said Suri can expect a younger brother or sister in the future, but dismissed rumors that his wife Katie Holmes is already pregnant. (Handbag)

Ellen DeGeneres knows how to put a possible baby-carrier in a corner. Hey, the Emmy-winning talk-show host had to ask about guest Mariah Carey’s rumored expectant status. But while she pretended to let the pop diva off the hook Tuesday after receiving an elusive, “No, that’s OK [to ask],” DeGeneres instead offered up a glass of champagne to ring in the nonnews. “You don’t have to answer that. Let’s just toast with champagne,” the chat maven benignly offered, after which Mimi became all flustered, first going the feigned shock route and then trying to insist that 3 p.m. was too early for her to start drinking. “I can’t believe you did this to me, Ellen,” laughed the Grammy winner, who swapped vows with now 28-year-old Nick Cannon in April. “This is peer pressure!” “No, let’s toast to you not being pregnant,” Ellen insisted. “I can’t believe her,” Mariah said. “Why would we toast to that? How about to the future? For both of our futures, who knows what they hold.” She then only pretended to sip the bubbly.  So on second thought…”You’re pregnant,” Ellen said. But still Mariah resisted: “I didn’t say that. No, no, no. My mother would be at home like, on the computer like, What are you talking about? We will let you know when we’re going to have a family.” Well, maybe Mariah wasn’t thirsty this afternoon, but who doesn’t want to clink-and-drink with Ellen? Other than pregnant people, that is? (Eonline)

Twilight star Peter Facinelli is urging single men looking for love to check out the vampire movie – because it could land them a date for Christmas. Young girls are flocking to see the romantic movie, which debuted at the top of the U.S. box office last weekend – and the actor, who plays the patriarch of a vampire ‘family’ in the film, believes Twilight screenings are a great place for love to blossom. He tells Wenn, “I’m glad that girls like the movie but I hope that boys go out and see the movie. I think it has a bit of everything for everybody. “It’s got the action and the vampires for the boys and the love story for  the girls. Also if you’re a single guy out there the best place to be is in the movie theatre. You can find a date at Twilight.” (Teen  Hollywood)

The parents of Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal are broke. The spend-now, pay-later life has caught up to Stephen Gyllenhaal and estranged wife Naomi Foner. “I have repeatedly asked Stephen to pay his one-half share of our bills, and he has refused to do so,” Foner claims in LA divorce papers published yesterday by TMZ.com. Foner also filed an e-mail from her ex in which he advocates bankruptcy: “I have been clear that if worse comes to worse, I will let all of this collapse into ruin, just as I believe letting the markets crash and burn [is] the right approach. Pain now for clarity and balance later.” (Page Six)

Angelina Jolie has denied that she is pregnant again following American tabloid reports that she is expecting her seventh child. In Touch magazine, who broke the news that the actress was pregnant with twins earlier this year, said that Jolie announced her latest pregnancy to a waiter in a London restaurant when he tried to pour her an alcoholic drink. Despite this latest denial, the couple have made no secret that they would like to expand their family. “It’s chaos in our house, but it’s so much fun. We’ll definitely have more,” Angelina said earlier this month. (British Glamour)

Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are planning the have more children, the Valkyrie actor has confirmed. “We have already heard she’s pregnant but it’s not true. But yes, we will have more children. I’m saying this, but Kate’s not here! She’s working and we’re enjoying this time right now. It’s very precious, we don’t get this time back.” Cruise, who also has two adopted children with former wife Nicole Kidman, enjoys being a father: “When Suri was born we shut everything down for months, just to be with Suri and the kids. But now I’m making movies and Kate is loving being on Broadway because it has been a dream of hers, so we are enjoying this time too.” (British Glamour)

Despite all the rumors and divorces, Madonna and Alex Rodriguez have never been seen cavorting together … until now. The 50-year-old pop diva and the 33-year-old Yankee were spotted exiting a private jet in Miami early Tuesday morning, along with their manager, Guy Oseary. Madge then got into A-Rod’s waiting Maybach and the two drove off into the sunrise. Looks like A-Rod & Madge will be celebrating the end of the U.S. leg of her appropriately-titled “Sticky and Sweet” tour in Miami tonight. (TMZ)

Recently divorced Madonna is being “put off” Alex Rodriguez by his reluctance to study kaballah. Madonna is said to be going off rumored new man Alex Rogriguez over his lack of commitment to kaballah, sources tell msnbc.com. The New York Yankees star has been backing out of his private kabbalah classes and it’s said to be driving a wedge between him and Madonna. “Madonna did drag Guy into kabbalah, she’s doing the same now with Rodriguez. He’s basically a kabbalah school dropout,” a source said. “This is certainly off-putting to Madonna. He hasn’t even finished kabbalah 1 and the majority of the time he’s spent so far was for counseling, not study.” Meanwhile, Madonna has spoken publicly about her divorce for the first time. “I’m sad about my personal life, but I feel very blessed and very lucky that I have the opportunity to do what I do in my professional life,” she told the Associated Press. “It would be horrible if I was just thinking about getting a divorce and had nothing to do.” (Handbag)

Pamela Anderson is ready to ditch her image as a sexy blonde pin-up – so she can reinvent herself as a serious actress. Now she’s 41, the former Baywatch babe is keen to keep her clothes on and be a better role model for her two sons. And that means more straight acting roles, instead of reality shows like her disastrous recent stint in Pam: Girl on the Loose. A source tells America’s Star magazine, “Pam felt her management team just saw her as a sexy pin-up, and she wants to be taken more seriously.”  (Teen Hollywood)

On Monday, Kate Moss and her boyfriend, rocker Jamie Hince, hit the Stella McCartney London store holiday lighting ceremony sporting some injuries to their faces. She had scratches on the left cheek and he a black eye. They explained to friends at the event that they were both injured while doing some holiday decorating. A snitch reported to the Daily Mail: “He said he was on a ladder and she was waiting at the bottom for him to pass down the boxes of decorations. But he lost his grip on one and heavy decorations landed on their heads.”  What a boring explanation! The truth is probably more exciting! (Perez Hilton)

Singer Lily Allen has revealed the tactic she uses for attracting men. Lily Allen has explained the method she uses for attracting men. The Smile star has told the Mirror she used nudity to get the men she wants. “I got drunk and lied to him,” she said of her relationship with music exec Seb Chew. “I said, ‘I’ve lost my keys and I can’t wake my mum. Can I stay on your sofa?’ He went to brush his teeth. I took my clothes off and jumped in his bed. It’s the only way I can ever get together with people.” (Handbag)

New parents Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz gave their baby son the middle name Mowgli, because they fell in love over the Jungle Book. Bronx Mowgli was welcomed into the world on Thursday at Los Angeles’ Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The choice of names has left fans and celebrity pals scratching their heads. Wentz reveals Mowgli was inspired by the lead character in Rudyard Kipling’s classic story – but he’s refusing to reveal why they chose Bronx, also the name of one of New York’s five boroughs. Speaking on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show on Tuesday, Wentz says, “The Jungle Book was something that me and Ashlee bonded over. It’s a cool name. “We came up with the idea Bronx. We’ve been throwing (ideas) back and forth for a while. It’s kind of cool to just leave the narrative what it is. People are stoked or p**sed or whatever… I don’t think anyone really has the real story. (Teen Hollywood)

Reality TV star Kelly Osbourne has called fellow rock star’s daughter Peaches Geldof “sad”. Kelly Osbourne has called Sir Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches  “sad” and labeled her recent wedding “a cry for help”. “The way I see it is that Peaches is a very lost, sad little girl,” the 24-year-old daughter of Ozzy Osbourne told Star magazine. “It’s all a bit sad to be honest with you. And at one point I was like that, so I don’t want to judge. Instead of everyone picking on her, they should try to help. If she loves him then good for her, but if it was done for attention, it’s a bit sad. I did stuff like that when I was 19 as well, like get a tattoo because it p***ed my mum off. It’s just a great big cry for help. Maybe all she needs is a hug.” (Handbag)

R+B star Brandy lost the will to live after the terrifying 2006 car crash that left another driver dead – admitting she felt “in limbo” after the accident. The singer, full name Brandy Norwood, walked away from the California freeway collision, but 38-year-old Awatef Aboudihaj died from her injuries. Brandy tells Vibe magazine she prayed every day after the accident, adding, “There was a point when I didn’t feel like it was Ok to live on – because someone else lost their life.  “I really didn’t know what to do. I was in limbo for a long time… I didn’t go outside for months.” The Afrodisiac hitmaker was never charged with any wrongdoing in the crash, but Aboudihaj’s family are pursuing a $50 million civil action for wrongful death against the star. The trial is set for April 2009. (Teen Hollywood)

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

You might not think  Ne-Yo and Barbra Streisand have many fans in common. But just wait until next month when Streisand is honored at the Kennedy Center Honors gala. I’ve just got word that Ne-Yo will be one of the performers paying tribute to the legendary diva. Yes, the 26-year-old R&B crooner will be singing a Streisand tune, according to a source. He’s not the only performer I’m hearing about… Queen Latifah is this close to also singing for Babs, another source tells me. Beyoncé Knowles recently confirmed she’s on the Streisand bill. She’ll be belting out “The Way We Were.” Knowles and Latifah performed at the Kennedy Centers Honors three years ago for honoree Tina Turner. Streisand, Morgan Freeman, choreographer Twyla Tharp and Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey of the Who will be honored at the 31st annual gala in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 7. The star-studded affair, hosted by Caroline Kennedy, airs on CBS on Dec. 30. Reps for Ne-Yo and Latifah did not comment. (Launch)

A Britney Spears Comeback Tour wouldn’t quite be the same without a Rolling Stone cover—especially since the mag helped launch her underage sex-kitten image back in ‘99 and then documented her Frapp-guzzling, pap-loving downfall just this past February. Rolling Stone’s job now, along with everyone else in the Brit camp, is to reassure all of us that Old Britney is totally back and ready to rock this Circus! They accomplish this with a relatively tame, Parade-esque cover showing off Brit’s flat stomach and big blond mane. In fact, the only tangible evidence the article ever provides that Old Britney is back forreal is her blond hair. The article itself echoes Brit’s previous complaints that her life is like Groundhog Day. The interviewer sticks to preapproved questions as a Brit-guard hovers and the pop star hints at how bored she is… “I feel like an old person now,” she mentions. “I go to bed at, like, 9:30 every night, and I don’t go out or anything, you know what I mean? I just feel like an old fart.” When she does go out on something like a date—and she is dating, because her manager Larry Rudolph has decided a boyfriend is the next step in Brit’s recovery—she is accompanied by her own assistant and a colleague of Rudolph’s. Needless to say, things aren’t working out too well in that department. But maybe that has something to do with a little bit of K-Fed hostility she’s holding on to. Talking about her boys and the importance of being a mom, she says, “I didn’t think my husband was gonna leave me, otherwise, I’d be with my babies 24/7.” She also blames her ex for the bad language the boys seemed to have picked up recently. “It’s weird ’cause they’re starting to learn words like ’stupid,’ and Preston says the F-word now sometimes. He doesn’t get it from us. He must get it from his daddy.” Her troubled time is not to be mentioned at all—Rudolph is the only one who vaguely acknowledges it, explaining, “It’s about the journey for Britney, and the journey has taken her to this place now, which is a much, much better place. I mean, she’s not there yet, but she’s in an infinitely better place…She’s very happy now.” The thing is, Old Britney isn’t going to come back, no matter how blond her hair is or how many times Rudolph insists she’s happy. Present Britney has been through too much to just go back to being Old Britney, and that’s cool. That’s just how people change and grow up and eventually become Future Britney. And that’s the Britney we’re most excited to see. The one who emerges from this highly protected and guarded bubble to find herself on her own terms. But now we’re just getting all cheesy, so we’ll direct you over to where Circus is streaming in its entirety a week before its release. It’s a pretty good time. (Launch)

Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt, the reality-TV couple whose on-again, off-again relationship has been chronicled by MTV’s “The Hills” and celebrity magazines, appear on the Wednesday cover of Us Weekly with the headline “Heidi & Spencer Elope!” But were their nuptials a legal marriage, or just an elaborate photo shoot? Images given to Us Weekly by the couple, show the pair at various stages of a wedding ceremony at a chapel near Cabo San Lucas, Mexico on Nov. 20. The accompanying story features an interview with the Montag and Pratt, as well as details about the rings, Montag’s dress, and the content of their handwritten vows. The story does not address whether they obtained a marriage license or took part in a separate civil ceremony, which is required by Mexican law to make the union binding. A couple can register their marriage up to 10 days after a ceremony, but California does not recognize marriage ceremonies outside the United States, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. A couple can petition a court later to have their marriage legally recognized. “We had a beautiful ceremony here at One and Only Palmilla officiated by a minister and photographed by the hotel photographer. We’ve never been happier,” said the couple in a statement provided by Us Weekly. “And, like other elopements that happen outside the country, we’ll take care of the legal details when we get home.” Their publicist, Rick Rhodes, said he knew nothing about the marriage. “I’m not privy to any of that information,” Rhodes wrote in an e-mail. “If there was a wedding I wasn’t invited … Sorry!” Us Weekly’s report, which was picked up by numerous celebrity magazines and blogs, said that none of the couple’s friends or relatives was in attendance. Some people close to the couple said they were caught off-guard. “Everybody’s pretty upset,” Montag’s sister, Holly Montag, told MTV on Monday. Montag’s father, Bill Montag, told People magazine that he’d be dismayed if his daughter got married and didn’t invite him. If the story were true, he added, “Then we just have to have another wedding here!” Us Weekly, which has recently featured the couple in numerous cover stories and photo spreads, reported that they decided to get married while drinking margaritas on the beach. An hour later, they were exchanging vows, the magazine said. Americans who wish to get married in Mexico must first go through a process that takes about five days, according to Mexico’s foreign relations department Web site. They must obtain a health certificate, including blood test results from a local doctor; and provide official translations of legal documents, such as birth certificates. Only civil, nonreligious marriages conducted in Mexico are valid internationally. Peter Grossman of Us Weekly, who conducted the wedding-day interview with Pratt, 25, and Montag, 22, would only confirm Tuesday that the two exchanged rings and handwritten vows in front of a minister. “Heidi and Spencer are two people in love who had a beautiful wedding ceremony to celebrate that,” Grossman said. “The pictures and words in our issue this week bear that out.” It wasn’t immediately clear whether MTV captured the wedding ceremony for its show, but an MTV spokesperson said in an e-mailed statement late Tuesday that the network “wishes Heidi and Spencer the best and can’t wait to share their special moment with ‘The Hills’ fans later this season.” Since their relationship came to light on the MTV reality show, Pratt and Montag have been ever camera-ready, willing to pose or invite photographers to capture their “private” moments – including an intimate, champagne-and-roses Valentine’s Day celebration aboard a chartered boat earlier this year. (Daily Record)

A year after Kanye_West’s mother, Donda, 58, died while recovering from plastic surgery, PEOPLE has learned that California authorities have launched a probe into the possible role of Donda West’s nephew, Stephan Scoggins, 46.  A registered nurse, Scoggins was supervising West’s post-surgery care with West’s assistant and a friend when, according to a source familiar with the situation, he left the house to attend a baby shower the day after West underwent breast augmentation and liposuction last Nov. 10. West died that evening at a Los Angeles hospital.  At the time, the death of the rapper’s mother was described by a family spokesman as “the result of complications from a cosmetic surgical procedure,” a statement that placed intense scrutiny on West’s surgeon, Dr. Jan Adams. But last January, a Los Angeles coroner ruled that West died of “multiple post-operative factors,” effectively clearing Dr. Adams of responsibility.  In this new development, an investigator with the California Department of Consumer Affairs has issued subpoenas asking individuals “to testify in the matter of the investigation of Stephan Scoggins,” a source tells PEOPLE. WEST’S CONDITION The California Department of Consumer Affairs represents the California Board of Registered Nursing, of which Scoggins is a member. A public information officer for the consumer affairs department, Russ Heimerich, told PEOPLE: “We do not comment on ongoing investigations.” Scoggins – who risks losing his nursing license if complaints against him are substantiated – could not be reached for comment.  According to an autopsy report, a heavily-bandaged West was able to walk out of the medical facility after nearly five and a half hours of surgery last November. The report further stated, “[West] opted to return to her home for care even though she was advised that she receive post-operative care at another facility.”  That night, West took Vicodin for pain, slept and felt better in the morning. Later in the day, a source tells PEOPLE, Scoggins left West’s home to attend a baby shower and was unreachable when her condition worsened. According to the autopsy report, West experienced pain, a sore throat and tightening in her chest before collapsing in the early evening. A friend at the house called 911 and West was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead in the emergency room.  The source also says investigators are looking into the possibility that Scoggins administered too much Vicodin in a short period of time. In an interview with PEOPLE last year, Dr. Adams said he and Scoggins discussed West’s care briefly, but did not establish a detailed plan. “There’s no set regimen, like you need to do this and this,” he said.  A rep for Kanye West did not return repeated messages seeking comment. (People)

Supermodel Jessica Stam might want to reconsider her taste in men. The Canadian catwalker, who previously dated Adam (DJ AM) Goldstein and Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis, has been seeing Austin Cregg, 23, the son of ’80s music icon Huey Lewis, since the summer. Cregg is facing possible jail time for failing to complete a community service stint stemming from his arrest last March on marijuana possession charges and for scrawling graffiti on West Fourth Street.  Cregg, a recent NYU graduate, pleaded guilty and was ordered to work 10 days in a downtown soup kitchen. However, last Friday, after completing only seven days, Cregg was ordered back to court and instructed to finish the remaining three days of his sentence before February – or face jail time. The night before Cregg’s most recent court date, Stam, 22, told friends she’d have to cancel the couple’s planned vacation to Montana in the event the judge didn’t grant Cregg an extension. A pal of the aspiring musician said Cregg has been using Stam’s lawyer so that his father doesn’t find out about his legal trouble. “Jessica has been funding the whole affair,” said the friend. Stam has also been joking with friends about how she’d have to sneak into jail for conjugal visits if her beau gets hauled off. Earlier this year, Stam and Cregg were reportedly living together in the same SoHo apartment as model Daisy Lowe and actor Kieran Culkin. Stam, who now lives on Fourth Avenue, has some experience dating the offspring of the famous – she previously shacked up with Malcolm Ford, 21, son of Harrison Ford. Stam’s IMG rep said, “We don’t typically comment on our clients’ personal lives.” (Page Six)

Now that “Scrubs” is in its last days, star Zach Braff is ready for his next project. During a trip to Tel Aviv, Braff told the Haaretz daily newspaper he wants to make a movie about “an American Jew who visits Israel. As a Jew, I think it’s really important to come to this place . . . I love it.” Braff also added that his travel experiences were limited when he was on “Scrubs” because, “when you work on a television series, they own you.” (Page Six)

With a cig in hand and her two little girls standing right next to her, that lying liar Kim from “Real Housewives of Atlanta” insinuated that she’s locking up a deal to strip down for Playboy — but she also lied about having cancer on last night’s reunion show, so who knows what to believe?!!? (TMZ)

Scott Weiland finally admitted to what everyone who watched the AMA’s this week already knew — that he still hits the bottle … hard. On his way to Vegas, the man who’s been in and out of drug rehab AND who got a DUI last year, told us, “I still drink, I’m not perfect … you know?” It’s too bad. Hours later, cameras caught Weiland with a drink in his hand at the Lavo Lounge at the Palazzo. No word on what was in that drink. (TMZ)

Linda Hogan’s 19-year-old boycandy Charley Hill says Hulk Hogan’s out to get him — but a court isn’t buyin’ what he’s sellin’. We’ve learned a Florida court just nixed the poolboy’s request for a temporary restraining order against the Hulk. Charley claimed Hulk “dangerously followed” him in his car a couple weeks ago and “pulled up next to him and stared at him” at a stoplight — a crime in no states. Charley says he “fears [Hogan] will attempt to injure or kill him” because Linda is his girlfriend. The aspiring seaman also claims Hulk tailgated him and intimidated him on another occasion, and thinks Hulk is even more dangerous because he had weapons charges against in 1979.  UPDATE: Hulk’s lawyer David Houston tells us, “This is just another blatant attempt by Linda Hogan to try to defame Hulk Hogan’s character. We commend the judge on seeing through this ridiculous stunt and denying these baseless claims.” (TMZ)

For the love of child protective services, please say this ain’t so. Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown have been spotted together in recent days, reports the Chicago Sun-Times, and “clearly looking very romantic while dining together” at that. Apparently, the couple’s baby girl Bobbi Kristina is “eager” for her parents to remarry. Whit -– who’s dealing with a million-dollar lawsuit we reported from her stepmama – says she and BB are just “good friends.” (TMZ)

MUSIC . . .

Pop singer Britney Spears is heading to London this week to perform live on “The X Factor” TV show. She also is giving two concerts in London in June. A Spears’ representative announced those concerts Wednesday and said they will be her only European stops on a world tour. Spears is expected to sing “Womanizer” on television this Saturday. The popular single was recorded for a soon-to-be-released album. Famous singers often coach “X Factor” contestants during the show, but the representative says Spears will only be performing – not coaching. The British singing contest is similar to “American Idol” in the U.S. Spears is now on a comeback from a two-year downward spiral that included a divorce, a custody battle and public meltdowns. (Daily Record)

Nobody thought Britney Spears  could come to New York for her birthday and not have an outrageous bash. Spears has long planned to drop her album, “Circus,” on “Good Morning America” on Tuesday to coincide with her 27th birthday. That night, Page Six hears, an all-out bash is planned at Tenjune that will be “a very private, Circus-theme event.” The pop tart is quite familiar with the place, having spent many pre-rehab nights there dancing on the tables. (Page Six)

Britney Spears has pretty much done the impossible. When it looked like all was lost, homegirl got straight, and now, almost a year after her dramatic trip to the loony bin, she’s gearing up to tour with her new album, Circus. Today, the Comeback Kid’s camp confirmed her European tour dates. And, unfortunately, if you want to see Britney over there, you’re pretty much screwed. BritBrit will be playing only 2 shows on the Euro leg of her upcoming tour, and they will both be at London’s O2 Arena the 3rd and 4th of June. Oops! Tickets go on sale December 5th. (Perez Hilton)

Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson says that he and brother Chris Robinson, the group’s frontman, have “tons of songs around. Chris and I are always writing.” They just have to figure out what to do with them. “We want to make another record” with the Crowes, the younger Robinson tells Billboard.com, which likely means a 2009 follow-up to this year’s “Warpaint.” That was the Crowes’ first set of new material in seven years and the band’s first for its own Silver Arrow Records imprint.  “We still want to do this,” Robinson says. “Having all this sort of new enthusiasm and this newfound sense of identity as a band, I think we want to put it to good use and make another great record and really do some different and interesting things.” The Crowes resume their Euphoria Or Bust Tour on Dec. 5 for a dozen dates, finishing with a five-night stand Dec. 15-20 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Now shows have been announced yet for 2009, and Robinson notes that recording will be a priority. “Right now I’m just writing what I write, and Chris is writing what he writes,” the guitarist says. “When we get together and put all of our songs together, I think it’ll dictate what common direction it’s going to go. Once that happens, that’s when I think everyone’s gonna come in and we’ll solidify everything.” The Robinsons also hope to do some more work as Brothers of a Feather, which they launched with a 2006 duo acoustic tour. “Chris and I had so much fun doing it, we’re talking about making a new Brothers album of all originals,” Robinson reports, adding that they’re not concerned about having to make a Solomon’s choice between songs for that project and for the Crowes. “I think the context will dictate that pretty easily,” he says. “I think there will be songs that are more suited to that (acoustic) presentation than what would be right for the Crowes. We’ll just keep writing and come up with things and suss through ‘em all. It’s better to have too much material than too little. (Billboard)

Beyonce scores her third straight No. 1 debut on The Billboard 200 this week as the double-disc “I Am … Sasha Fierce” (Music World/Columbia) shifts a whopping 482,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album, split between material credited to Beyonce and her new alter-ego Sasha Fierce, has already spawned the hits “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It).” Beyonce’s 2003 solo debut, “Dangerously in Love,” started with 317,000, while 2006’s “B-Day” moved 541,000. In a week with seven top 20 debuts, Nickelback’s “Dark Horse” (Roadrunner) sold 326,000 to start at No. 2. The Canadian rock outfit spent an astonishing 156 weeks on the chart with its prior album, 2005’s “All the Right Reasons,” which is at 6.97 million to date. Reigning “American Idol” champion David Cook’s self-titled 19 Recordings/RCA debut arrives at No. 3 with 280,000. That’s more than double the first-week numbers of 2007 champ Jordin Sparks’ self-titled debut, which sold 119,000 copies and has gone on to shift 956,000. Last week’s No. 1, Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” (Big Machine), slips to No. 4 on a 63% sales decline to 217,000. New at No. 5 is multi-national vocal group Il Divo’s “The Promise” (Syco/Columbia) with 162,000. The act’s previous album, 2006’s “Siempre,” debuted at No. 17 with 108,000. Chop Shop/Atlantic’s soundtrack to the runaway hit film “Twilight” is down 5-6 despite a 17% uptick to 125,000. The multi-label “Now 29″ compilation slides 3-7 after a 33% decline to 115,000. Walt Disney’s “High School Musical 3″ soundtrack drops 7-8 on a 9% sales downturn to 86,000, while Enya’s “And Winter Came” (Reprise) falls 8-9 on a nearly identical sales slide to 83,000. AC/DC’s “Black Ice” rounds out the top 10 after falling from No. 6. The album sold 73,000 copies in its fifth week of exclusive release via Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club, bringing its total to a remarkable 1.39 million. Other debuts this week include Dido’s “Safe Trip Home” (RCA) at No. 13 with 51,000 and the Zac Brown Band’s “The Foundation” at No. 17 with 44,000. The new Atlantic signing is enjoying its first country hit with “Chicken Fried.” The compilation “Cities 97 Sampler Vol. 20,” rounding up live-in-studio performances from the Minneapolis radio station of the same name, debuts at No. 21 with 35,000. The double-disc album features tracks from Jack Johnson, Sheryl Crow and Jason Mraz, among others. Former 112 member Slim’s solo debut, “Love’s Crazy” (M3 Productions/Asylum) starts at No. 32 with 27,000, while country artist Blake Shelton’s “Startin’ Fires” (Warner Nashville) debuts at No. 34 with 26,000. At 9.45 million, sales this week are up 6% from last week but down 32% from the same week last year (13.96 million). (Billboard)

MOVIE . . .

Robert Downey Jr. is concerned about the upcoming remake of comic book classic The Avengers – urging moviemakers to get it right or “it will really suck”. The Hollywood actor has signed on to reprise his role as Iron Man Tony Stark for an appearance in the new film, which is scheduled to hit cinemas in 2011. The movie will bring together Marvel superheroes Iron Man, Hulk and Captain America. But Downey Jr. is adamant that producers need to be extra careful when making the picture, as he doesn’t want to see the movie flop. He tells MTV.com, “It has to be the crowning blow of Marvel’s best and brightest because it’s the hardest thing to get right. It’s tough to spin all the plates for one of these characters. If they don’t get it right, it’s going to really, really suck.” And Downey Jr. is convinced the key to The Avengers’ success is to keep the movie realistic. He adds, “The danger you run with colliding all these worlds is (director) Jon (Favreau) was very certain that Iron Man should be set in a very realistic world. Nothing that happened in Iron Man is really outside the realm of possibility. Once you start talking about Valhalla and supersized super soldiers and jolly green giants it warrants much further discussion.?  (Teen Hollywood)

Some roles just don’t suit Natalie Portman. At the junket for the film version of his “Doubt,” playwright John Patrick Shanley was asked how Amy Adams won the role of an emotionally conflicted nun. “I’m trying to think of what the etiquette is on this,” Shanley chuckled, blushing a bit. Urged on by a blogger for gossipsauce.com, he continued, “Well, we asked Natalie Portman, and Natalie was very interested but kept saying she had a problem. And we finally nailed down as to what the problem was. She basically said she didn’t understand celibacy.” (Page Six)

When Seth Gordon was lugging bundles of cash and a video camera around rural Kenya 11 years ago, he didn’t see it leading to a gig directing Vince Vaughn in a big-budget Hollywood comedy. But hey — sometimes that’s just where altruism takes you. With “Four Christmases,” a New Line release co-starring Reese Witherspoon that bows today, Gordon has reached a new peak in a filmmaking journey that began on a volunteer mission to Africa in 1997. Several documentaries (“Shut Up & Sing,” “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters”) and a fortuitous pitch meeting later, and Gordon is about to unveil his feature directorial debut on thousands of screens. He sees it all as part of the same cinematic mission. “I’m really interested in stories about identity — who I am now versus who I used to be,” Gordon said. “I think that’s really what ‘Kong’ was about. That’s what ‘Four Christmases’ is about, too. That’s a real throughline for me.” Landing at Yale via high school in Seattle and a childhood in Chicago, Gordon pursued an architecture degree until he realized that New Haven was not his kind of town. So he decided to teach high school for six months in the wilderness of Shimanyiro, Kenya (not far from President-elect Barack Obama’s father’s village). After discovering that the Kenyan infrastructure leaves school-building to the locals, he helped get philanthropic U.N. financing to finish up Shimanyiro’s school and then filmed the students and residents as they experienced the ensuing changes. “How you learn in Kenya is you behave and you get whipped if you don’t behave, and I was trying to break them out,” Gordon said. “I had them debating gender equality and the importance of AIDS training. So I would record them arguing about that.” The result was “Building Shimanyiro,” a documentary that he edited about “the difference between Third World corruption and what we understand as corruption, and how problematic that was to be in the middle of it.” This led to a gig directing behind-the-scenes spots for the touring Dixie Chicks that became a global phenomenon when Natalie Maines dropped her infamous remark slamming President Bush onstage in London in 2003. Gordon, who caught it on video, continued on tour with them as one of the cinematographers and contributing producers of the resulting documentary, “Shut Up & Sing,” which covered the vituperative aftermath. Similar fortuitous timing hit “New York Doll,” a documentary he produced, edited and shot about the New York punk band’s reunion that deepened when bassist Arthur “Killer” Kane discovered that he was dying of cancer. “Kong” then became his first full-length documentary, a fanciful 2007 drama about two men vying for the ultimate high score on the classic arcade game “Donkey Kong.” The popular doc got great word-of-mouth, and a (pirated?) disc ended up in Vaughn’s DVD player. (Hollywood Reporter)

Look at most movie databases, and you’ll find no mention of a new film called “Paper Hearts.” But talk to indie film insiders and the unconventional comedy, which stars Michael Cera and boasts other credits from Judd Apatow’s talent stable, and you’ll quickly realize how high expectations are running for this semi-secret project that’s expected to debut at next year’s Sundance Film Festival. “It’s pretty much ‘the one,’ at least as far as festival programmers are concerned,” one seller said. You can’t blame programmers or buyers for investing their hopes in the title. It’s not every day that the star of two movies in the boxoffice top 25 from the previous year toplines a movie whose rights are available — let alone one on which word has been kept very quiet. Those familiar with “Hearts” describe it as part-documentary, part-scripted comedy about the real-life relationship between Cera and his girlfriend, Charlyne Yi, another member of the Apatow acting crew (she played the pigtailed stoner in “Knocked Up”). Like Cera’s recent “Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist,” music also is a key theme. Nicholas Jasenovec, a relative unknown who has worked on past Apatow titles, makes his directing debut with the pic. (Hollywood Reporter)

Christopher Ciccone, who has directed music videos for his sister Madonna, will make his feature directorial debut with Usonian Entertainment’s teen thriller “Twist.” Usonian’s Nathan Folks and Andrew Nagel will produce the feature, co-produced and written by Jay Milner and Karyn Milner of Clouded Leopard Prods. Keith Middlebrook of FICO Financial Services serves as exec producer. (Hollywood Reporter)

In my family, the day after Thanksgiving is the one day of the year when we Hazletts manage to mobilize to see a movie together. So in the spirit of that tradition (and since there’s no column again until Monday, Dec. 1), I bring you a look at the weekend box office a little bit early. The two big ones this holiday weekend are “Australia” and “Four Christmases.” Without a doubt, “Australia” should benefit a little from the attention star Hugh Jackman is receiving for being People magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive, but I doubt it will beat out last weekend’s big successes, “Twilight” and “Bolt.” If you want to be part of the water-cooler talk come Monday and see something the entire family can watch, “Four Christmases,” my prediction for number one, is your best bet. It’s PG-13, opening in more than 3,200 theaters, and if Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon don’t really ring your bell, the supporting cast is fantastic: Robert Duvall, Jon Voight and Jon Favreau all give great performances. (Scoop)

TV . . .

Brooke Burke waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy on the “Dancing with the Stars” finale. The 37-year-old TV personality and mother of four dominated the seventh season of the popular ABC dancing competition and bested former NFL player Warren Sapp and former ‘NSync member Lance Bass during the Tuesday night finale, in which she reprised an emotional Viennese waltz routine that earned her a perfect score from the show’s panel of judges. “Unbelievable,” was all Burke could muster after winning amid a flurry a confetti. From the outset, the slinky former host of E!’s “Wild On” and CBS’ “Rock Star” commanded the ballroom this season, coming in first place eight out of 10 times and receiving a 10 – the judges’ top score – 16 times. Burke was crowned the latest “Dancing with the Stars” champion after the judges’ scores – 88 out of 90 – were combined with viewers’ votes. “I actually can’t believe it,” said Derek Hough, Burke’s professional partner, who’s never won the competition. “I really can’t. I honestly can’t. The journey’s been so long. It’s been tough. It’s been wonderful. It’s been everything I could ever hope for. Wow. I can’t believe we actually did it, girl.” Burke maintained an eight point lead over Sapp, the charismatic 35-year-old fan favorite whose technique was consistently criticized by the judges. Sapp still managed to hustle his way into second place with professional partner Kym Johnson, despite receiving one point less from the judges than the third place finisher, 29-year-old singer Bass. “From the moment you start, you make me smile,” head judge Len Goodman told Sapp. Bass and his professional partner, Lacey Schwimmer, were upbeat about their loss. The pair danced away after their dismissal. And he’s not hanging up his dancing shoes just yet. The former boybander will join professional dancers and other former contestants for the 38-city “Dancing with the Stars” tour, which is set to kick off Dec. 17 in San Diego. “You never took the safe road once,” judge Carrie Ann Inaba told Bass during the finale. Previously dismissed celebrities – actor Cody Linley; sprinter Maurice Greene; actresses Susan Lucci and Cloris Leachman; chef Rocco DiSpirito; reality TV star Kim Kardashian; actor Ted McGinley; and comedian Jeffrey Ross – also returned for a last dance. Injured volleyball player Misty May-Treanor and singer Toni Braxton remained off their feet. (Daily Record)

A look at the winners of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” and what they’ve been up to since taking home the trophy:
- Kelly Monaco: The 32-year-old “General Hospital” star was the first celebrity to win the show’s mirror ball trophy when only six contestants competed in 2005. The actress – who infamously almost lost her top during a Latin routine when a strap on her dress broke – has continued in the role of Sam McCall on “General Hospital” since winning the show.
- Drew Lachey: The former 98 Degrees boy-band member waltzed out of big brother Nick’s shadow after winning the popular dancing competition in 2006. The 32-year-old singer returned to the show for three weeks during the fifth season as co-host while Samantha Harris was on maternity leave. Earlier this year, Lachey starred on Broadway in “Monty Python’s Spamalot.”
- Emmitt Smith: The National Football League’s all-time leading rusher and three-time Super Bowl champion was the first of several athletes to become a “Dancing with the Stars” champion. After besting runner-up Mario Lopez with his moves in 2006, the 39-year-old former Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals football player joined ESPN as an NFL analyst in 2007.
- Apolo Anton Ohno: After winning three medals at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, the 26-year-old speedskater outdanced former ‘NSync member Joey Fatone on the “Dancing with the Stars” finale in 2007. Ohno returned to the ice rink after dominating the ballroom, recently competing in the World Cup and training for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
- Helio Castroneves: After winning in 2007, the 33-year-old two-time Indianapolis 500 winner called off his engagement to Aliette Vazquez and is now entangled in a legal mambo. Castroneves was charged with conspiracy and tax evasion involving about $5.5 million in income stashed in offshore accounts. He pleaded not guilty and is free on a $10 million bond.
- Kristi Yamaguchi: The 37-year-old figure skater became the first woman to win “Dancing with the Stars” since Monaco won the show’s first season. After beating NFL player Jason Taylor and actor Cristian de la Fuente in the finale earlier this year, the Olympic gold medalist became the first woman to wave the green flag to start the Indianapolis 500.
- Brooke Burke: The former host of E!’s “Wild On” and CBS’ “Rock Star” defeated former NFL star Warren Sapp and former ‘NSync boyband member Lance Bass at the conclusion of the latest season of “Dancing with the Stars.” The 37-year-old mother of four currently sells maternity products, such as a belly wrap she designed for women after they’ve given birth. (Daily Record)

Hey, Brooke Burke, you just won Dancing With the Stars! So where are you going now? No…not Disneyland. “I’d love to do a sitcom!” This is precisely what the dancing queen told us in an interview Tuesday night, moments after she and her partner Derek Hough clinched the magic disco-ball trophy. So, um, is she serious about the sitcom thing? (Hint: Yes.) What else did Queen B.B. tell us? And how do Lance Bass and Warren Sapp really feel about her win? Well, here’s what went down backstage… “This goes out to all the moms who think because they have kids, they can’t do it!” a still very glowy Brooke told us after the final curtain closed on Tuesday’s finale. “You gotta get out there and try everything.” “She’s silenced all the stereotypes,” Derek added. “The pretty girl, the model who leaves early. She came out here and danced amazingly.” So what will the mother of four and former E! host do now? “I’d love to do a sitcom! And I love hosting. I just want to make sure that I’m really passionate about the next thing I do, because I poured my heart and soul into this for the past three months. I think anything after this is going to be easy.” Meanwhile, Lance (third place) and Warren (second) were most concerned about what their buddies were going to say. “[When] I was standing there, I was like, if I come in third, they’re gonna kill me for two years and they’re gonna ride me!” Warren said of his teammates. “He’s so going to rub it in,” Lance said of ‘N Sync buddy Joey Fatone, who competed in season four of DWTS. “It’s not even funny. Yesterday, he was like, ‘You better not win, or you’re never going to hear the end of this!’ ” Still, both runners-up seemed legitimately happy for Brooke taking home the win. “Rightful owner, no doubt about it,” said Warren. “My baby went out and rocked it every day she was here. I can’t deny.” (Eonline)

What could possibly be such fantastic news that Taylor Kitsch had to rip off his shirt? Well, mark your calendar, Panther fans: NBC has at long last announced the network premiere date for the third season of Friday Night Lights! It all begins Friday, Jan. 16 at 9 p.m. New episodes of this critically acclaimed fan favorite have been airing on DirecTV’s 101 Network on Wednesdays, and those of us who’ve seen them can assure you season three is most definitely worth the wait. (Eonline)

Most advertising slots for the 2009 Super Bowl that weren’t sold in September still haven’t moved, a change from earlier in the year when NBC announced the air time had been selling faster than usual. Super Bowl regulars like FedEx Corp., Garmin Ltd., Salesgenie.com and General Motors Corp. are sitting out this year’s football championship, to be held Feb. 1 in Tampa, Fla. But NBC says it is negotiating with other potential advertisers for the eight 30-second advertising spots that remain open. “We’re hearing from a lot of companies,” said Brian Walker, senior director of communications at NBC Sports in New York. “This is a time to show strength and confidence in their brands in a challenging economy,” Walker said NBC had a total of around 67 spots for Super Bowl XLIII and has sold about 59, or 88 percent. In September, NBC said 85 percent of the 30-second spots had sold for about $3 million each. Typically, 60 percent of Super Bowl slots sell by then. The National Football League championship is considered the premier advertising event of the year, and it often heralds new trends in advertising sales and styles. Walker said NBC could technically sell ad spots up to the last minute before the event. He declined to say whether NBC – a unit of NBC Universal, which is owned by General Electric Co. – is facing pressure from companies to discount rates. GM, which bought airtime during the Super Bowl for about a decade, is cutting costs as part of a restructuring plan that was in place even before the automaker requested federal help. FedEx spokeswoman Carla Boyd said that the company has “no plans to advertise” in the game for now, though she declined to give a reason. The shipping company, which this month reaffirmed its long-term plans to grow revenue by 10 percent and earnings per share by 10 to 15 percent per year, was a Super Bowl advertiser for a dozen years. Garmin, which has bought ads in the past two Super Bowls, said it won’t do so in 2009. Spokesman Ted Gartner said the shift wasn’t related to the economy but to a change in strategy. Salesgenie.com also confirmed it won’t be in the 2009 Super Bowl after participating in the event for the last two years. The company declined to say why. Many traditional Super Bowl sponsors are staying on, Walker said, including prepackaged goods and beverage companies and nearly every major movie studio. He declined to provide or confirm details. At least one sponsor is returning after an extended absence: Monster Worldwide Inc., whose last Super Bowl appearance was in 2004. Monster spokesman Steve Sylven said the return to the championship is part of a multiyear advertising partnership with the NFL that kicks off at the games, as the job-search company unveils a redesigned Web site on Jan. 10. In addition to job listings, the new site will help people manage their careers and improve their work lives, Sylven said. The core concept is that if people are happy at work, they’ll be happy about life, he said, declining to comment further on the ads. Anheuser-Busch Cos. Ltd. is one company that’s going to keep advertising. It bought 10 30-second spots, some of which will be combined to run as 60-second spots. “It’s a bit of a scary time for marketers, but I think this is the best time of all to put out a positive image,” said the company’s chief creative officer, Bob Lachky. “It’s one little island of normalcy in a time when things are a little crazy.” The company filmed its commercials on a Warner Bros. studio lot in Burbank, Calif., under balmy skies last week. One features a Clydesdale who immigrates from Scotland. The horse tries its hand – or hoof – at different jobs ranging from racehorse to buggy puller with limited success, until it finds its true calling. The spot’s elaborate set included a turn-of-the-century New York streetscape with dozens of extras, overseen by top-shelf ad director Joe Pytka. The crew also shot on location in Scotland, demonstrating the extent to which Anheuser-Busch will go for its Super Bowl ads. Budweiser ads in Super Bowls date back to 1975 when a hotrodding skier revealed she was a Bud girl. The self-proclaimed King of Beers has reigned over the alcoholic beverage segment at the Super Bowl since securing exclusive rights in the category in a 1989 deal set to last through 2012. InBev SA, known for its cost-cutting, last week closed its $52 billion buyout of Anheuser-Busch. The deal led to speculation that the thrifty Belgium-based company could slash some of the U.S. brewer’s sports sponsorship and advertising deals. Lachky said the Super Bowl is worth the price because it reaches 100 million viewers who are generally in a feel-good, party environment where beer is a perfect fit, setting the marketing tone for the rest of the year. “It really does kick off our selling season,” he said. (Daily Record)

Jason Butler Harner has joined the cast of Showtime’s drama pilot “Possible Side Effects.” Meanwhile, two recurring players on “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” David Hornsby and Artemis Pebdani, have been added to Fox’s single-camera comedy pilot “Boldly Going Nowhere,” from the “It’s Always Sunny” trio of Rob McElhenney, Charlie Day and Glenn Howerton. Tim Robbins’ “Side Effects” revolves around the Hunt family, which runs a pharmaceutical firm. Harner will play the middle son, Silas, peacekeeper and perhaps the only sane member of the clan. Jason London originally was tapped for the role. The recasting was done after the table read for the pilot this week. Harner is repped by Endeavor. “Nowhere,” from 20th TV, is about what happens day-to-day on an intergalactic spaceship helmed by the rogue Capt. Ron Teague (Ben Koldyke). Hornsby will play Lt. Lance Grigsby, the captain’s devoted right-hand man, who supports his most misguided orders while dealing with a cheating wife and a thieving brother-in-law back home. Hornsby, who also is a writer on “Boldly,” is managed by Ted Schachter. Pantheon-repped Pebdani plays Startemis, the female alien communications officer. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC won the weekly ratings race and took the lead in the November sweep with help from the American Music Awards and a surging “Dancing With the Stars.” For the sweep, ABC broke its tie with CBS and moved into a slight lead in the adult demo Tuesday, averaging a 3.2 rating compared with CBS’ 3.1. CBS will win the month among total viewers. ABC also overthrew CBS in the weekly race thanks to the best-rated American Music Awards (12.2 million viewers and a 5.1 rating/12 share in the key adults 18-49 demographic) in four years Sunday night as well as the Nov. 17 “Dancing” (11.6 million, 4.3/10) ramping up to its fall finale. Continuing to have one of the top-rated dramas with “Grey’s Anatomy” (15.9 million, 6.2/15) — which this week came in first place in the demo — helped too. CBS and Fox tied for second place, with the former posting a season-high rating from “How I Met Your Mother” (9.9 million, 4.4/11) as part of its strongest Monday since premiere week. Several other shows also hit season highs among total viewers, including the Wednesday comedy block of “The New Adventures of Old Christine” (7.9 million, 2.4/7) and “Gary Unmarried” (7.9 million, 2.7/7). Fox was headlined by the two-hour “24: Redemption” (12.1 million, 4.0/9), which delivered a solid performance against steep competition Sunday, as well the ongoing strength of Tuesday’s “House” (13.3 million, 5.6/15) and “Fringe” (9.2 million, 4.1/10), the latter regaining control of its 9 p.m. period. NBC was fourth, with “Sunday Night Football” (15.2 million, 5.6/14) — featuring a last-minute thriller between the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers — leading the way and “ER” (8.9 million, 3.4/9) continuing to top Thursdays at 10 p.m. Fifth-place CW was strengthened by Wednesday’s “America’s Next Top Model” (4.8 million, 2.3/7) finale.  For the week, ABC averaged 10.1 million viewers and a 3.2/8 in the demo, followed by CBS (12 million, 3.0/8), Fox (8.4 million, 3.0/8), NBC (7.1 million, 2.6/7) and the CW (2.2 million, 1.0/3). (Hollywood Reporter)

After TiVo reported record quarterly profit Tuesday, CEO Tom Rogers focused on a looming “crisis” in the television-advertising industry. The crisis is that, in the near future, “two-thirds of the households that most advertisers care about will be avoiding the commercials.” Rogers was telling analysts that TiVo’s advertising and audience research businesses are the cure to the crisis that, ironically, TiVo created by introducing ad-skipping DVRs a decade ago. As for TiVo’s fiscal third-quarter financials, they mostly beat expectations. Its record net profit of $100.6 million came courtesy of a $105 million court-ordered payment from EchoStar for damages TiVo incurred when the satellite TV company infringed some patents. Without that, TiVo would have lost a penny a share, but that still would have bested analysts’ predictions of a 6 cent loss per share. Revenue declined 15% to $64.5 million, and service and technology revenue fell 11% to $51.7 million. But revenue was expected to fall because TiVo has been losing DirecTV subscribers at a fast clip. TiVo ended the quarter with 3.5 million total subscribers, nearly half of which were the more profitable “TiVo-owned” variety that generated $8.34 average revenue per user, per month. The remaining subscribers come primarily by way of an old DirecTV relationship, with a smidgen coming from new deals with Comcast, Cox and some international TV companies. A year ago, TiVo boasted 4.1 million total subscribers. Besides touting TiVo as a way to beat an advertising crisis, Rogers bragged that it’s one of the cheapest ways to enjoy a variety of content on TV screens, especially now that it has deals with Netflix, YouTube, Amazon and other Internet companies. And he boasted of TiVo’s having $200 million in cash with no debt, an especially advantageous position to be in considering a faltering economy in which credit is tough to come by. He warned, however, that consumer electronics products, including TiVo boxes, might not sell well this Christmas season because of the troubled U.S. economy. A bankruptcy at Circuit City — a primary retailer for TiVo — won’t help matters, either. During the conference call Tuesday, some analysts seemed anxious about the EchoStar situation. Although TiVo has won every step of the way, the legal question remains as to whether DVRs from EchoStar, now known as Dish, still infringe TiVo’s patents. Either way, TiVo is due more money from Dish/EchoStar, but how much depends on what a judge has to say after a hearing scheduled for February. Investors have grown weary of the nearly 5-year-old case, and when an analyst asked Tuesday whether it could be dragged out further by more EchoStar appeals, TiVo general counsel Matthew Zinn said that it could. He added, though, that damages could accrue under that scenario, setting the stage for another hefty payment for TiVo in the future. TiVo shares closed 5% lower Tuesday to $4.43 and are off 47% so far this year. (Hollywood Reporter)

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . .  (Internet)

Q.  Half of all Americans to win the Nobel Prize in Literature had something in common?
    A.  They were alcoholics

TODAY’S QUOTE (By Burton Hills)

“HAPPINESS IS NOT A DESTINATION. IT IS A METHOD OF LIFE.”

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (Disney Insider)

Q.  What are the names of the counties in which Disneyland in California and the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom in Florida are located?
    A.  Orange County. The same name in each state

Q.  “Little Toot,” from the 1948 production “Melody Time,” includes a catchy little tune by what famous trio?
    A.  The Andrew Sisters made an encore performance in a Disney feature and performed the music for the “Little Toot” section

Q.  Name any of the three-railroad engines that make up the Western River Railroad at Tokyo Disneyland?
    A.  Colorado, Missouri, and the Rio Grande

Q.  The music for the film “Sleeping Beauty” was adapted from music by what famous composer?
    A.  Composer George Bruns adapted his own score for the film

Q.  In your best estimate, how many granite stone blocks did it take to construct Cinderella Castle?
    A.  Zero. Cinderella Castle is an architectural wonder; six hundred tons of street were used for the framework, and fiberglass was used for the exterior and interior walls, sculped to resemble granite.

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

Editor’s Note: RADIO ONLINE will not published the Daily Show Prep on Friday, November 28 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. The next prep sheet will be posted for Monday, December 1.
HAPPY TURKEY DAY!
•    Butterball turkey tip #117. When sticking a meat thermometer in the turkey, make sure it is first dead.
•    (Turkey) How can anything that ugly cost so much?
•    Surgeon General has announced that stuffing your turkey should not be considered as safe sex.
•    If you want to know just how to pluck a turkey, just ask me about my last divorce.
•    After Thanksgiving dinner. I took off my shoes, put my feet up and un-did my pants, which is when they asked me to leave (restaurant).
•    Today on the program: “How to stuff a turkey without becoming emotionally involved.”
•    I was just about to kill my own Thanksgiving turkey when we got a last minute call from the governor.
•    Thanksgiving is the time of year you hear all the turkeys learning to “meow.”
•    We always go to grandma’s on Thanksgiving. She owns a McDonalds.
•    Tough: It took me almost an hour, just to carve the gravy.
•    A time for families to get together for the first time in years and ignore each other while they watch football.
•    _____ never picks a Butterball, or a Holly Farms. Instead they always choose their favorite turkey, “Swanson.”
•    It’s hard to describe my wife’s turkey dressing. Just imagine Alpo laced with chestnuts.
•    As far as leftovers. First day I love turkey, second day I like turkey, third day I tolerate turkey, fourth day, we clean it off the ceiling.
•    My favorite food is the pumpkin pie. It’s the greatest thing to put whip cream on, next to (sexy star).
•    _____’s turkey dinner is famous. In fact, last year it was offered to inmates awaiting death row, who didn’t like the electric chair.
THANKSGIVING PROCLAIMATIONS
On June 20, 1676, the governing council of Charlestown, MA, held a meeting to determine how best to express thanks for the good fortune that had seen their community securely established. By unanimous vote they instructed Edward Rawson, the clerk, to proclaim June 29 as a day of thanksgiving, our first. President George Washington proclaimed November 26, 1789 as the first Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. Both Houses of Congress had requested him to recommend a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to acknowledge Almighty God who afforded them the opportunity to peaceably establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. In 1863, President Lincoln declared the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving. In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier. He wanted to help business by lengthening the shopping period before Christmas. Congress ruled that after 1941 the 4th Thursday in November would be a federal holiday proclaimed by the President each year.
THANKSGIVING MYTHS VS FACTS
Myth: The first Thanksgiving was in 1621 and the pilgrims celebrated it every year thereafter.
Fact: The first feast wasn’t repeated, so it wasn’t the beginning of a tradition. In fact, the colonists didn’t even call the day Thanksgiving. To them, a thanksgiving was a religious holiday in which they would go to church and thank God for a specific event, such as the winning of a battle. On such a religious day, the types of recreational activities that the pilgrims and Wampanoag Indians participated in during the 1621 harvest feast — dancing, singing secular songs, playing games — wouldn’t have been allowed. The feast was a secular celebration, so it never would have been considered a thanksgiving in the Pilgrims minds.
Myth: The original Thanksgiving feast took place on the fourth Thursday of November.
Fact: The original feast in 1621 occurred sometime between September 21 and November 11. Unlike our modern holiday, it was three days long. The event was based on English harvest festivals, which traditionally occurred around the 29th of September. President Franklin D. Roosevelt set the date for Thanksgiving to the fourth Thursday of November in 1939 (approved by Congress in 1941). Abraham Lincoln had previously designated it as the last Thursday in November, which may have correlated it with the November 21, 1621, anchoring of the Mayflower at Cape Cod.
Myth: The pilgrims wore only black and white clothing. They had buckles on their hats, garments, and shoes.
Fact: Buckles did not come into fashion until later in the seventeenth century and black and white were commonly worn only on Sunday and formal occasions. Women typically dressed in red, earthy green, brown, blue, violet, and gray, while men wore clothing in white, beige, black, earthy green, and brown.
Myth: The pilgrims brought furniture with them on the Mayflower.
Fact: The only furniture that the pilgrims brought on the Mayflower was chests and boxes. They constructed wooden furniture once they settled in Plymouth.
Myth: The Mayflower was headed for Virginia, but due to a navigational mistake it ended up in Cape Cod Massachusetts.
Fact: The Pilgrims were in fact planning to settle in Virginia, but not the modern-day state of Virginia. They were part of the Virginia Company, which had the rights to most of the eastern seaboard of the U.S. The pilgrims had intended to go to the Hudson River region in New York State, which would have been considered “Northern Virginia,” but they landed in Cape Cod instead. Treacherous seas prevented them from venturing further south.
TURKEY DAY AND YOUR WALLET
The cost of food for Thanksgiving won’t gobble up your bank account this year. The American Farm Bureau Federation said Thursday the average cost of a ten-person Thanksgiving dinner this year is $35.68. That’s 60 cents less than last year. The group also said the average price for a 16-pound turkey is $14.23, down eight cents from a year ago.
TURKEY TRIVIA
(from norbest.com)
•    The turkey is a variety of the pheasant. The origin of the name is unclear, but some interesting theories exist. Christopher Columbus thought the New World was connected to India. He called the unusual bird “tuka,” which is peacock in the Tamil language of India. Another tale says the merchants who sold turkeys in Spain changed the Tamil “tuka” to the Hebrew “tukki,” which then evolved into the English “turkey.” Others maintain the American Indian name for the bird was “firkee.” Another theory says the present name “turkey” came from the alarm call of the bird, which sounds something like “turc, turc, turc.”
•    Christopher Columbus and later Hernando Cortez both acquired a taste for turkey in the Western Hemisphere and both took some back to Europe. By 1530, turkeys were being raised domestically in Italy, France and England. When the Pilgrims and other early settlers arrived on American shores, they already were familiar with eating turkey.
•    Recent fossil evidence has been dated to show that turkeys have roamed the Americas for about 10 million years. Who first domesticated the turkey? There is archeological evidence that turkeys were at least confined, if not domesticated, by the Southwest Indians as long as 2,000 years ago. Some scientists believe the Aztecs were the first to domesticate the turkey.
•    History associates turkey with the first Thanksgiving feast celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621. However, some argue that the settlers of Virginia’s Jamestown earlier celebrated America’s first Thanksgiving as their extension of England’s Harvest Home Festival, a sort of homecoming weekend.
•    Ben Franklin suggested the national bird be a turkey and not the bald eagle. Turkey feathers are dyed and used in making Indian costumes. It is estimated that turkeys have approximately 3500 feathers at maturity. At least one company in Texas cures turkey skin and uses it as leather for custom-made cowboy boots. Turkey down is used in pillows. Wing feathers are used in fletching arrows. President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving as a national holiday in 1863 in response to a campaign by a woman magazine editor, Sara Josepha Hale. Ms. Hale also was the author of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
•    Domesticated turkeys cannot fly. Wild turkeys can fly for short distances up to 55 miles per hour and can run 25 miles an hour.
•    A tom turkey can produce as many as 1,500 poults during a hen’s six-month production cycle.
•    Only tom turkeys gobble. The hens make a clicking noise.
•    Weight records show that a commercial turkey grower in the United Kingdom, Leacroft Turkeys Limited, raised a turkey weighing 86 pounds, believed to be the world’s heaviest turkey.
•    In the early West, turkeys were trailed like cattle in “drives” to supply food where needed. One of the earliest turkey drives was over the Sierras from California to Carson City, Nevada. Hungry miners coughed up $5 apiece for the birds.
•    Abraham Lincoln’s son, Tad, had a pet turkey. When it was suggested that the bird might make a fine holiday dinner, the boy set up such a howl of protest that the president finally issued a “presidential pardon” for Tad’s pet.
•    Out of this world meal. When U.S. astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin Aldrin sat down to eat their first meal on the moon in their historic 1969 voyage, their foil food packets contained roasted turkey and all the trimmings.
•    In 1970 the average American ate 8.2 pounds of turkey. By 1980 that verage had jumped to 10.3 pounds. In the 1990’s, U.S. per capita turkey consumption has been between 18 and 19 pounds.
•    About 300 million turkeys are produced each year. About 45 million (15%, or about 675 million pounds) are consumed at Thanksgiving.
•    According to a recent survey by the National Turkey Federation, 91% of Americans eat turkey at Thanksgiving.
•    The American Farm Bureau reported that in 2001 the traditional Thanksgiving meal cost $35.04 to serve 10 people. This was about 8% above the $32.37 recorded in 2000. The menu included turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, peas, rolls with butter, cranberries, a relish dish, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee or milk.
•    Sandwiches are the most popular form of turkey consumption. American households consume turkey more often as a sandwich than any other way, with sandwiches accounting for 51 percent of all turkey consumption.
TOP 10 THINGS OVERHEARD AT THE FIRST THANKSGIVING
1.    John Smith – boy, your parents must have some imagination.
2.    Which one are you again, Pochohontas or Sachajawea?
3.    What time are the Cowboys on today?
4.    Whoa there, Jebediah. Is that your rifle or are you just happy to see me?
5.    Columbus or DeSoto… I don’t know, Regis, I think I’d like to smoke signal a friend.
6.    Plymouth Rocks, but what time do the bars in Boston close?
7.    Excuse me, but I have to make my next pilmgrimage to the men’s room.
8.    Wos! Now I know why they call you Miles.
9.    What the hell was Kathie Lee Gifford doing on the Mayflower?
10.    What’s up with all the trees and natives? The brochures promised casinos and hookers.
TURKEY DAY TOPICS
•    Turkey cooking nightmares.
•    How big is your bird?
•    I keep the secret ingredient in my stuffing a secret because _____.
•    Kindergarten Kitchen. (small children tell you how to cook a turkey)
•    Find out where people are going for turkey day. Out of town, or are the out of town turkeys coming to your house.
•    How do you make the perfect turkey for Thanksgiving?
Uses for the turkey carcass after Thanksgiving. I said they make great party hats, just joking. But people called up with actual uses! One lady boils the meat off it and says it makes a great little Santa sled for the kids to play with!
Since most people travel this week, ask callers if they routinely talk to strangers when flying? The folks at Fodor’s say 64% of traveling Americans talk to strangers on planes, trains and buses.
Always fun to discuss how dumb turkeys are like: If a turkey hears a train coming it’ll run onto the tracks or if you put an empty barrel in a turkey pen they’ll all jump in and smother.
THANKSGIVING PHRASES
•    Packin the puddin’
•    Fluffing the stuffin’
•    Creaming the corn
•    Basting the Butterballs
•    Whip the potatoes
•    Riding the Mayflower
•    Trimmin the turkey
•    Glazin’ the ham
•    Snaping the Wishbone
•    Sailin on the Santa Maria
•    Candyin’ the yams
FIRST THANKSGIVING
If you’re meeting your boyfriend’s family for the first time this Thanksgiving, here are a few tips from relationship experts:
•    Get briefed — Get the skinny on his parents before you meet them – where they grew up, what their hobbies are, what kind of things they detest.
•    Come bearing gifts — Any gift, big or small, says you’re a thoughtful person.
•    Be yourself — Sure you’re trying to impress, but don’t change your personality.
•    Look them in the eye — Upon meeting, stand up straight, be confident and shake the parent’s hand, all the while looking him or her in the eye.
•    Watch your language — Try not to swear too much.
•    Lend a hand — Just one or two polite offers are enough to impress.
•    Watch the PDA — Once they get more comfortable with you, they’ll probably put up with a little more pawing and nibbling.
USELESS THANKSGIVING TRIVIA
•    When the Pilgrims were sailing to America in 1620, what game did they play? (Darts)
•    Ben Franklin tried to get the turkey, named the national bird.
•    Neil Armstrong’s first meal on the moon was turkey.
•    A turkey has about 3,500 feathers.
•    What was one of the main reasons that the Pilgrims stopped at Plymouth Rock? (Because they ran out of beer)
•    At the very first Pilgrim Thanksgiving in 1621 they feasted on deer meat, turkey and what else? Popcorn brought by the Indians
•    How much vitamin turkey feed is necessary to raise a 30 lb turkey? (84 lbs.)
•    Running speed of wild turkeys? (25 mph)
•    Turkey meat gobbled up last year by the average American? (18.1 pounds)
•    The first settlers weren’t called Pilgrims. Instead, they referred to themselves as Saints.
•    They didn’t wear big hats with buckles either! That was invented by artists.
•    The first Thanksgiving was no solemn religious occasion. It was instead a 3-day party that included drinking, gambling and target shooting.
•    It didn’t take place in November but sometime between late September and mid-October.
•    There’s no evidence they celebrated Thanksgiving the following year.
THE TURKEY SHOT OUT OF THE OVEN
(by Jack Prelutsky)
The turkey shot out of the oven and rocketed into the air,
it knocked every plate off the table and partly demolished a chair.
It ricocheted into a corner and burst with a deafening boom,
Then splattered all over the kitchen, completely obscuring the room.
It stuck to the walls and the windows, it totally coated the floor,
There was turkey attached to the ceiling, where there’d never been turkey
before.
It blanketed every appliance, it smeared every saucer and bowl,
There wasn’t a way I could stop it, that turkey was out of control.
I scraped & I scrubbed with displeasure, & thought with chagrin as I mopped,
That I’d never again stuff a turkey with popcorn that hadn’t been popped.
BREAD STUFFING FIGHTS CANCER!
Strike a blow against cancer at this year’s holiday dinners by spooning out double helpings of bread stuffing. Scientists have proven that the crusts are full of antioxidants, the chemicals that combat cancer-causing biochemical reactions in the body. Healthy-minded cooks should make sure they load up on crusts while making stuffing for the turkey. Bread crusts contain eight times’ more of the antioxidant pronyl-lysine than the rest of the loaf, say German researchers who published their findings in the Journal Of Agricultural And Food Chemistry. Surprisingly, the anti-cancer compound didn’t even exist in the original flower, which means it was created in baking. Pronyl-lysine increases the body’s level of phase II enzymes, which have been identified as successful cancer-fighters. And darker breads like pumpernickel and whole wheat pack more antioxidant punch than whiter breads.
BIG TURKEY
Invited listeners to recite a Thanksgiving gone bad (we have all been there). Great stories. A sister told us about her brother, he brought home a turkey, said he won it at the grocery store. Mom has it all prepared and ready to serve when a knock comes on the door… police. Seems as though someone stole a turkey from the neighbor. Ooops, busted. Cops confiscate Thanksgiving dinner, turkey and all. Mom calls her parents, who say they will bring them dinner. In the meantime the police got a case of the guilty conscience, they bring food back to the house, the kids and mom have to hide that food so that when gramps and granny show up, they look starved and destitute!
CHARLIE BROWN THANKSGIVING
How about some Charlie Brown Thanksgiving trivia?
•    What does Snoopy serve for Thanksgiving? (Toast, pretzels, popcorn, jellybeans)
•    Who hollered at Charlie Brown for such a lousy Thanksgiving dinner? (Peppermint Patty)
•    What is Peppermint Patty’s real name? (Priscilla)
•    What time is Charlie Brown supposed to be at grandmother’s house? (4:30pm)
•    What kind of car do the kids ride in, to grandmother’s house? (a station wagon)
•    Where does Charlie Brown’s grandmother live? (in a condominium)
•    After everyone has gone, what delicious dessert do Snoopy and Woodstock share? (pumpkin pie with whipped cream)
FEELING GUILTY?
If all you do is pig out and watch football, don’t feel guilty. You are doing yourself some good. Here’s the rundown:
•    Stuffing a turkey, burns 54 calories.
•    Baking a pie, burns 120 calories.
•    Eating the feast, burns 70 calories.
•    Watching the football game, burns 144 calories.
WHY DID THE TURKEY CROSS THE ROAD?
Question: Why did the turkey cross the road?
Pat Buchanan: To steal a job from a decent, hard-working American.
Louis Farrakhan: The road, you will see, represents the black man. The turkey crossed the “black man” in order to trample him and keep him down.
Bill Gates: I have just released the new Turkey 2001, which will both cross roads and balance your checkbook, though when it divides 3 by 2 it gets 1.4999999999.
Freud: The fact that you thought that the turkey crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.
Los Angeles Police Department: Give me ten minutes with the turkey and I’ll find out.
Richard M. Nixon: The turkey did not cross the road. I repeat, the turkey did not cross the road.
Dr. Seuss: Did the turkey cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes! The turkey crossed the road, but why it crossed it, I’ve not been told!
Martin Luther King, Jr.: I envision a world where all turkeys will be free to cross roads without having their motives called into question.
Mulder: It was a government conspiracy.
Scully: It was a simple bio-mechanical reflex that is commonly found in turkeys.
Darwin: Turkeys, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically dispositioned to cross roads.
Darwin #2: It was the logical next step after coming down from the trees.
Oliver Stone: The question is not “Why did the turkey cross the road?” but is rather “Who was crossing the road at the same time whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the turkey crossing?”
Jerry Seinfeld: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn’t anyone ever think to ask, “What the heck was this turkey doing walking around all over the place anyway?”
The Pope: That is only for God to know.
Ernest Hemingway: To die. In the rain.
O.J.: It didn’t. I was playing golf with it at the time.
KIDS’ TURKEY RECIPES
Mrs. Dee Morrison took the 25 kindergarten students from Howells, Nebraska, Public School to the Burenheide Turkey Farm. After they returned, she asked the students how to prepare the turkeys for Thanksgiving Dinner. You might want to take notes.
Derek: Pet him. You have to hold him. Feed him. Cut their stuff up and get the meat. Then you have to throw the skin in the junk pile. Burn it up. Put the turkey in a pan. Get the bones out. Look at him. Just have fun with it. Cook it about 10 minutes.
Jessica: I’d like to have a turkey party. We’ll have Chicken Turkey. You cut it all up. Then we get some Pizza Hut. Then I’ll play in the dark. Sometimes I ride my bike.
Jacie: We butcher it. Take a knife and butcher it. Go down to my grandpa’s and butcher it. My mom cooks it 10 minutes. Then we eat it. Fix peas. Grandpa and Grandma will come to eat it. We wash up our hands. We watch TV. Moms and dads talk and then we go home.
Carly: Pull off the feathers. Cut him up. Bake him. Cut all the guts out. Then cut the beak off and that red stuff and the feet. I’d say cook him 12 minutes. Set the oven on hot. Get his bones out.
Cody: Butcher it. Take a sharp knife and butcher it. Cook it in the over an hour. (Right?) You wash dishes. Eat him. Then you put the dishes away. We go to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. We go and play. The dads talk about tractors. The moms talk about baby Darin. Then we go home. Then dad takes a nap.
Kenny: Get it out of the field. Kill it with a gun. Cook him and then eat him. Put him in the stove. Put his wings on him. Cook him 5 minutes. Go get corn out of the field. Eat corn and turkey.
A.J.: Catch ‘um. Kill him. Shoot him or stab him with a knife. Cook him 30 minutes in the stove. We will know it is done by the smoke detector. Eat him. Fix a pheasant, cornbread and milk. Fix pumpkin pie. All of us set the table.
Tela: Shoot it. Put it in the pickup. Drive it home. Take the feathers off. Put the feathers in a bag. Then we can put them in the ripped pillow at home. Cook it 45 seconds. Fix dip and vegetables.
Mitchell: Kill ‘um. Butcher ‘um. Catch ‘um. Cut him in half. Cook him. Put him in a big pan. Cook him in the house 10 minutes in the fry pan. Look at the clock to see if he is done. Cut him up. Fix roast.
Sidney: Buy one at Bill’s. Bake it 30 minutes. When it buzzes, it is done. Eat it with corn, mashed potatoes, green beans, pumpkin pie and Kool Aid. After we eat, we play. The moms will do the dishes. The dads will watch the football game.
Kourtney: First, catch a turkey. Tear the feathers off. Throw the feathers in the trash. Put sugar or something on it. Put it in the oven for 6 hours. Mom will know when it is done. Then we eat. Maybe we need more than 1 turkey.
Chelsea: I pet the turkey. Shoot him with a gun. Cook him in a microwave. And take him out and eat him. Cut the turkey and chicken up. Drink water or milk. Eat it all. Watch TV. Then sleep.
BELIEVE IT OR DON’T!
We give you a Thanksgiving fact. You tell us whether you Believe It or Don’t! Two right wins a Pilgrim’s hat full o’ prizes.
The settlers at the first Thanksgiving were actually called Pilgrims. (Don’t! They didn’t even refer to themselves as Pilgrims, they called themselves “Saints”.)
It was three days of games, drinking, gambling and target shooting with English muskets. (Believe It! By the way, the shooting contest was a friendly warning to the Indians that the Pilgrims were prepared to defend themselves.)
It took place in November. (Don’t! It was some time between late September and the middle of October, after the harvest had been brought in.)
The Pilgrims wore large hats with buckles on them. (Don’t! Seems the 19th century artists who painted them that way did so because they associated black clothing and big buckles with being old-fashioned.)
There was no turkey at the first Thanksgiving. (Believe It! They ate deer.)
The Pilgrims skipped Thanksgiving the next year. (Believe It! The harvest was a flop in 1622, plus a whole bunch of new Pilgrims showed up, and had to be fed and housed through the winter.)
REAL THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS
Fast, simple and delicious suggestions for revitalizing cooked turkey:
1. Turkey Bruschetta. Brush slices of Italian bread with olive oil. Top with minced garlic and toast in the oven. Spoon on a combination of turkey, shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped fresh basil. Broil until cheese melts.
2. Hot and spicy turkey chili. Combine sauteed green pepper and onion with turkey, canned tomatoes, canned red kidney beans and a touch of crushed red pepper. Top with corn chips.
3. Turkey grape salad. Combine turkey with halved green grapes, toasted sliced almonds, sliced green onions, orange zest and light mayonnaise.
4. Turkey stir fry. Stir turkey into stir fried broccoli florets and red bell pepper strips. Add minced garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce and a sprinkle of sesame oil.
5. Turkey and spinach Tetrazzini. Combine turkey with cooked spaghetti, chopped sun dried tomatoes, a thawed package of frozen creamed spinach, minced garlic, and Parmesan cheese. Bake until heated through.
6. Breaded turkey Italian style. Dip turkey slices in beaten egg, coat with fine bread crumbs and brown in melted butter. Transfer to baking dish and top with spaghetti sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, chopped mushrooms and green pepper. Bake until cheese melts.
7. Dry turkey flakes in the oven and sneak ‘em into a box of corn flakes.
FEELING GUILTY?
If all you do is pig out and watch football, don’t feel guilty. You are doing yourself some good. Here’s the rundown:
•    Stuffing a turkey, burns 54 calories.
•    Baking a pie, burns 120 calories.
•    Eating the feast, burns 70 calories.
•    Watching the football game, burns 144 calories.
HOW TO COOK A TURKEY WHEN THE IN-LAWS ARE COMING
•    Step 1: Go buy a turkey
•    Step 2: Take a drink of whiskey, scotch or JD to calm your nerves
•    Step 3: Put the turkey in the oven
•    Step 4: Take another 2 drinks of whiskey
•    Step 5: Set the degree to 375 ovens
•    Step 6: Take a couple more swigs
•    Step 7: Turn oven the on
•    Step 8: Tip the bottle some more
•    Step 9: Turk the bastey
•    Step 10: Whiskey another bottle get
•    Step 11: Stick a turkey in the thermometer
•    Step 12: Glass yourself a pour of whiskey
•    Step 13: Bake the whiskey for 4 hours
•    Step 14: Take the oven out of the turkey
•    Step 15: Take the oven out of the turkey
•    Step 16: Floor the turkey up off the pick
•    Step 17: Turk the carvey
•    Step 18: Get yourself another scottle of botch
•    Step 19: Tet the sable and pour yourself a glass of turkey
•    Step 20: Bless the saying, pass and eat out

Blogged with the Flock Browser

11.26.08

 SHOW PREP NOVEMBER 26, 2008

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Beyoncé says her parents prepared her for the hard work of marriage. In an interview in the latest issue of Giant, the 27-year-old singer talks about getting hitched to Jay-Z. She says she doesn’t have a fantasy view of marriage. That’s because she’s seen her parents, Matthew and Tina Knowles, struggle but stick through it. Says Beyoncé: “My parents are tighter now than ever, but they’ve been through it all. There were times when they were together, times when they were apart. I learned that it’s a lot of hard work, that it’s more than a dress.” Beyoncé and Jay-Z married in a private ceremony earlier this year. (Daily Record)

 

Socialite Paris Hilton says she and ex Benji Madden may get back together despite announcing their split last week. Paris Hilton has hinted that she and Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden may not be broken up for long. The pair announced they’d split after nine months together last Wednesday but Paris has said they might get together. “Right now, we’re just taking a break,” she told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest’s LA radio show. “We’re really good friends. We’re very close. He’s such an amazing man. He’s my best friend. He’s been so great to me, so loyal. He is an incredible person, and we will always be really close. We’ll see what happens in the future. I’m still in love with him.” So clear as mud then. (Handbag)

 

Glamour model Katie Price has scotched rumors she is to split from husband Peter Andre. Katie Price has spoken out against rumors that she and Peter Andre are to split. “I laugh when people say we don’t get on. Of course we row. But we are best friends as well as partners. I don’t think we’d know what to do without each other,” she tells She magazine. “People think my life is all about work and partying. But my favorite times are when we’re all at home sitting in front of the telly or eating dinner together. We row, we fight, we laugh, and we call each other names. But we’re exactly alike.” (Handbag)

 

Britney Spears’ long-time manager has spoken about the pair’s close relationship. Britney Spears’ manager Larry Rudolph has spoken about the close relationship he shares with his charge. “I’ve known this girl for over half her life, since she was 13. We have a very close friendship, but it’s sort of hard for me to explain my relationship with her. It’s a friendship, it’s a business relationship, there are some paternal aspects to it,” he told the LA Times. “I love her. She’s been a big part of my life, and I’ve been a big part of her life. It hasn’t really been a rocky relationship. The reality is we stopped working together right around when she got married to Kevin because she wanted that. She didn’t want a career at that point. She wanted to have kids and take on a new phase of her life and she did. Then she decided it was time to pick herself up and move forward and I came back.” (Handbag)

 

Smile singer Lily Allen has admitted she is still receiving therapy to cope with losing a baby. Lily Allen is still receiving therapy to help her deal with her miscarriage. The singer and ex-boyfriend Ed Simons were said to be delighted when it was announced they were expecting a first child together at the turn of last year. But in January Lily miscarried, something she admits she’s still coming to terms with. “I was in a very, very dark place after the whole thing happened. That was the toughest thing I’ve had to go through in my life,” she explains to the Mirror before discussing her therapy. “He [her therapist] is really, really helping me. I feel it’s getting better and everything’s going to be OK.” (Handbag)

 

British heart-throb Robert Pattinson was forced to fix his teeth before filming new movie Twilight – because producers wanted him to have an alluring smile. The Harry Potter star was delighted to land the lead role in the new vampire tale, but admits he was less than impressed when movie officials pushed him into some major dental work before the shoot. He says, “They wanted me to have the perfect smile. I never thought anything was wrong with my teeth. But the producers still wanted me to wear a brace.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Rob Pattinson is the envy of Twilight book fans – author Stephenie Meyer gave him an unseen manuscript that details his Edward Cullen character. The hunky Brit wowed film fans at the weekend, taking the movie adaptation of Meyer’s cult book to the top of the U.S. box office, but he admits much of his success as a sullen vampire came from the author’s pre-filming gift. Meyer’s book is told from the perspective of her heroine, Bella Swann, and not her vampire boyfriend, Cullen. But the manuscript she gave Pattinson was all about his character. He tells Teen magazine, “(The movie) was hopefully more balanced. It definitely did not just come from Bella’s perspective – it was an equal relationship. “It (manuscript) was helpful for me – just the amount of violence that goes through his head, which isn’t in (the book) at all, but you can see Edward is completely nuts!” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Heidi Montag doesn’t usually play her cards close to the vest, but The Hills star didn’t even inform her dad about marrying boyfriend Spencer Pratt. “I would be upset if she got married and didn’t invite me!” Bill Montag told PEOPLE Monday after reports surfaced that his daughter had eloped with Pratt in Mexico last week. As for what to do now that the story appears true, “Then we just have to have another wedding here!” he said. On Monday, Montag told Perez Hilton that she and Pratt wed at the One & Only Palmilla Resort, just outside Cabo San Lucas. “The minute we said our vows, I couldn’t stop crying,” she said. Montag, 22, and Pratt, 25, have chronicled their off-again, on-again (for good this time!) romance on The Hills – including a season cliffhanger about whether or not they were really engaged. By starting a relationship with the slick Pratt, Heidi Montag ultimately set off the well-known feud with former BFF Lauren Conrad.  The couple is set to guest star on an episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother in January. (The Hills is not currently in production.) (People)

 

Debra Messing still recalls the hurtful stories about her as she tried to lose her baby weight. “It was written about in the tabloids a lot,” the actress, 40, says of her post-baby body in the January issue of Shape magazine. “On one page it showed all the actresses who got skinny in six weeks or less, and on the other page was me! I was so depressed and frustrated.” The Will & Grace star, who gave birth to son Roman in 2004, first tried a physical trainer but the demanding workouts were too much. “I was exhausted! I couldn’t work out three hours a day and do my job as a mother and an actress. So I took the pressure off: I cut back on seeing the trainer but started eating healthier.” Three years and 42 pounds later, her pre-baby figure is back. “Ultimately I’m very proud of how I dropped the weight because I think it was the healthy approach,” Messing says. “I’ve finally taken ownership of my body.” Now that she looks so great, all she needs is a date. “I can’t tell you the last time I had a date with my husband,” she says. “My ideal date with Daniel would be a spectacular meal, maybe Italian, followed by dancing. That’s a New Year’s resolution I’m looking forward to.” (People)

 

Alex Rodriguez has his priorities – and they are not his children. The Yankee slugger, who ditched his wife of six years, Cynthia, after becoming besotted with Madonna, is a “soul-less” man who is “abandoning” his kids on Thanksgiving for his lover, according to what Cynthia is telling friends. “Access Hollywood” reports that Cynthia, who’s in the final stages of her divorce from A-Rod, wrote an e-mail to a confidant noting: “My 6-foot-3, 220-pound soul-less, soon-to-be ex-husband is abandoning his kids on Thanksgiving to be with Madonna . . . She called and he ran on her command back to New York City . . . Gross!” Instead of ushering in the holidays in Miami with his children, Natasha, 4, and Ella, 1 – A-Rod, 33, is hosting a dinner at his Manhattan apartment for Madonna, 50, and her kids, Lourdes, Rocco and David, and manager Guy Oseary. The friend of Cynthia said A-Rod’s furious ex described Madonna in “not so nice terms” in the e-mail. To add insult to injury, after Rodriguez left Miami at Madonna’s beck and call, his lawyer called Cynthia and wanted her to sign the couple’s divorce settlement. When Cynthia filed for divorce last summer, she cited irreconcilable differences and claimed her husband had an “affair of the heart” with Madonna. The sinewy pop siren claimed at the time she was still “happily married” to Guy Ritchie, but two months later she and Ritchie filed for divorce. Since then, Madonna and A-Rod have been inseparable. An insider told Page Six, “Alex likes a woman with a strong hand. He likes to be told what to do. He’s a bit of a cipher.” A rep for A-Rod declined to comment. (Page Six)

 

Stacey Bendet Eisner and her hubby, Eric Eisner, are new parents. Eloise Breckenridge Eisner weighed in at 9½ pounds yesterday morning, just hours after labor was induced. The alice + olivia designer, who spent the day before doing yoga and getting a pedicure, was supposed to deliver on Thanksgiving but got induced early because, “If I wait ’til a holiday no doctors will be around!” She and Eric – son of former Disney chief Michael – are looking for a townhouse in the West Village or TriBeCa. (Page Six)

 

JOEY Fatone is no fan of Kim Kardashian. The former “Dancing With the Stars” contestant was at the Borgata in Atlantic City for a private screening of the show this weekend. When asked who shouldn’t have been kicked off, Fatone told the crowd: “Toni Braxton for sure. But . . . it’s not just about dancing. It’s about personality, too. And that Kim Kardashian, ugh, she has no personality at all. It was painful to watch.” He also said former his former ‘NSYNC bandmate Lance Bass (now in the finals) “can’t point his toe for [bleep] . . . he had to have two Red Bulls before doing the jive.” (Page Six)

 

Holly Montag says she had “no idea” her sister Heidi had eloped with Spencer Pratt. “I had a plane ride here to Toronto. I get off the plane, and I have 40 texts and emails,” she said on MTV’s Hills after show on Monday night. “I knew they were down in Cabo, but I had no idea what was going on,” she said. “I never would’ve expected [a wedding]. “I am a little bit hurt,” she went on. “I want to hear what really happened. But whatever Heidi chooses, I support her. She’s my sister; I love her. I want her to be happy. Asked if she would’ve objected if she had attended the wedding, Holly said, “No, I wouldn’t. I mean, whatever Heidi chooses … she’s an adult. She’s a big girl and whatever makes her happy, I fully support.” Holly later said she called her mom, Darlene (who has clashed with Spencer in the past), the minute she heard the news. “She didn’t know, either, what was going on, and we were frantically calling [Heidi],” Holly said. “Everybody’s pretty upset.” Told that Heidi had wed on Thursday and let days go by without saying anything [the date was misreported; Heidi actually wed on Wednesday], Holly looked shocked. “What?” she replied before her eyes filled with tears. Holly said Heidi never talked about eloping before. “She’s very religious. She always wanted to have a big wedding in a church,” she said. “We talked abut being each other’s maids of honor.” Added Holly, “But whatever makes her happy.” Asked if she had anything to say to Heidi, Holly offered, “I would say I wish you the best and a lifetime of happiness, and I will always be there for you, and I love you.” For all the details on Pratt and Montag’s romantic wedding – including exclusive wedding photos – grab the newest issue of Us Weekly, on stands Wednesday. (US Weekly)

 

Proud papa Pete Wentz may not think that people “have the real story” about the genesis of the unusual moniker he and wife Ashlee Simpson-Wentz bestowed on their new baby boy. But when you throw an Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding, hold a Winnie the Pooh-themed baby shower and name your firstborn Bronx Mowgli, it’s probably safe to assume a love of Disney had something to do with it. “I feel weird—people have all these ideas of what it means now,” Wentz says of his offspring’s name during a phone call today to E! News’ Ryan Seacrest. “I think it’s kind of cool to leave the narrative the way it is. “People are stoked or pissed or whatever…I don’t think anybody knows the real story of why or how.” Not that they couldn’t hazard a fairly accurate guess. (Eonline)

 

It seems like Britney Spears is getting her life back together. But only because Jamie Spears is finally acting like a father! Which means that BritBrit is still acting like a kid. According to Rolling Stone, interviews are a “micromanaged process” and Britney is “never left alone.” Britters told the mag that she feels like “an old person” because she has a 9:30pm bedtime and doesn’t get to “go out or anything!” And when she does go out, it’s a chaperoned affair, with an assistant and her manager’s colleague. Imagine that at 27 with 2 kids! But we bet she wishes someone would chaperon FedEx, especially when he’s around the kids. Britney says her kids “are starting to learn words like ’stupid,’ and Preston says the f-word now sometimes. He doesn’t get it from us. He must get it from his daddy. I say it, but not around my kids.” (Perez Hilton)

 

President Bush just cut a break to convicted drug felon/rapper John Forte, allowing the so-called “Fourth Fugee” to get out of jail early — and it seems like he has Carly Simon to thank for it. Forte will walk out of Federal prison next month after serving half of the14-year sentence given to him when authorities found 31 pounds of coke on him at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport in 2000. But it turns out John met Carly’s son Ben through prep school pals — and we’re told she’s been lobbying several politicians “religiously” on Forte’s behalf, including Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch. Forte was one of only 16 people given clemency by George W. Bush out of more than 2,000 who asked. (TMZ)

 

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has admitted her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil is over. Amy Winehouse has publicly admitted her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil is finished. “It’s over. There’s no way back for us now. It was never going to last. We were only together for sex,” she told the Sun. “I fancied him like mad, like no one else I’ve ever known. But it’s not enough, is it?” Apparently not. A friend of Amy says Blake, recently released from prison, has already moved on. “It’s a watershed for Amy. She’s been up and down for weeks but finally accepts the reality,” the source explains. “She still loves Blake on many levels but she sees there’s no future. She says he wants to be with Sophie, the model who made a play for him during his court appearances, mouthing ‘I love you’. Amy knows he’s been in touch with her and it’s almost like she thinks they’re welcome to each other. But she’s so furious she won’t let the girl’s name even be mentioned around her.” (Handbag)

 

Amy Winehouse’s spokesman says the troubled singer is being treated at a clinic following a reaction to medication. Chris Goodman says Winehouse was admitted to the London Clinic on Sunday. He declined to identify the medication that caused the reaction. The 25-year-old Grammy winner has a history of drug problems and has been in and out of hospitals this year. On Monday, a British court rejected an appeal by Winehouse’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, against his sentence for assault and obstructing justice. The judges urged him to continue making progress at a drug rehabilitation center. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Los Angeles socialite Kim Kardashian and her sports star boyfriend Reggie Bush are selling their cars for charity. Kardashian’s white Ranger Rover and Bush’s Mercedes Shark II custom car have been put up for bidding on website auction house eBay.com as part of a Kardashian family “closet cleaning”. Kardashian says, “A percentage of the proceeds from this and all my auctions will go to my favorite charity, the Dream Foundation, a really wonderful organization that grants wishes to terminally-ill adults. I volunteer for them and love the way they’re making a difference in the world… one person at a time.” The auction is a venture of the eBay Giving Works project. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Look out, Hugh Jackman. There’s mutiny afoot. The actor’s reign as Sexiest Man Alive has only just begun, and his Australia costar, Nicole Kidman, is already calling for a recount. “Keith is my sexiest man alive,” she says of her country-crooning hubby. “He is the man I love and everything is sexy about him.” The actress, 41, also credited her husband for her glowing skin and stunning figure (just four months after giving birth to daughter Sunday Rose). “It’s being in love,” she said, describing her beauty secret. “When you are in love, nothing else matters.” Kidman also said she’s relishing every minute of motherhood. “Holding her in my arms is a wonderful feeling,” the Oscar-winner, clad in a Dries Van Noten dress, told PEOPLE Monday at the New York City premiere of the Australian epic. “Also laying next to her and watching her sleep and breathe. It’s the best feeling ever.” As for Urban who is experiencing fatherhood for the first time, Kidman said he is already a pro. “He’s very loving and natural.” So, will little Sunday grow up to be a daddy’s girl? Kidman noted, “She already is.” (People)

 

The hottest Oscar after-party in town is back – only smaller. Vanity Fair says its annual Academy Awards party is returning for next year’s Oscar night on Feb. 22. The magazine’s 2008 bash was canceled in support of the Hollywood writers’ strike. The A-list soiree, which has boasted such guests as Madonna and Al Gore, will take place at West Hollywood’s Sunset Tower Hotel instead of its traditional home, the restaurant Morten’s. The magazine’s editor Graydon Carter says on VanityFair.com Tuesday that the bash “will be a much more intimate affair than in years past,” with a scaled back guest list. Given the state of the economy, Carter says the party will also recycle decor from past years. (Daily Record)

 

Martha Stewart is no snob. The caterer who turned herself into a conglomerate made friends at the Alderson, W. Va., federal prison, and she’s still in touch, she tells Fortune magazine: “Some of the women who became my friends while I was incarcerated have visited with me. There are some very interesting women there of great value to society, and I keep in contact with them. We have some broken systems in this country – one is the prison system.” (Page Six)

 

Either the recession is hitting even the fanciest Upper East Side schools, or John McEnroe has lost his cachet with tennis fans. At the annual benefit auction for the Trevor Day School, where McEnroe’s daughter is a student, a tennis lesson with the Hall of Fame legend usually draws bids of $20,000 or more. “But this year, the winning bid was $8,000,” said a source. The Trevor School told us, “This year, that item went for $10,000 and last year went for $12,000.” (Page Six)

 

Beyoncé says it wasn’t easy being in the delivery room when her younger sister Solange gave birth to a boy, Daniel, in 2004.”It kind of traumatized me,” she says on Tuesday’s Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I told my sister that. I said, ‘Please don’t have me in the room,’ and she said, ‘You have to – I’m your sister! Stop being so silly.’ “Well, I was right,” Beyoncé told DeGeneres. “I’m traumatized. “Still, the singer said, she “will” have a baby of her own.” A couple, maybe,” she added. Her husband Jay-Z would make a great dad.” He’s a great guy. He’s a cool guy,” she said. “He’s patient.” She added that “it feels great” being married. Saying “I Do!” is “different for everyone,” she said. In her case, she had been with the rapper for seven years.” I was really young. I’m only 27, so I was really young, and I feel like it’s important for women and men to have their goals and their own life before they can complete someone else,” she said. “So we took our time.” Jay-Z is even familiar with “Sasha Fierce,” but Beyoncé says her alter ego “stays on the stage” and doesn’t come out in day-to-day life.” People are like, ‘I don’t understand the Sasha Fierce thing.’ It’s for fun … and it gives me an excuse to blame anything really bad on Sasha Fierce.” Beyonce also talked about her infamous SNL sketch with Justin Timberlake.” I just can’t believe how hilarious he is!” she said. “I didn’t even know he would be there, and they asked me to do it, and I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ “And then they said, ‘Justin’s coming!’ and I’m like, ‘You’re lying! There is no way!’” she went on. “He showed up. He had his leotard and his pumps and his robe, and he opened it up … just letting it all hang out. I’m like, ‘OK, Justin…’Of Timberlake, she added, “Why are his legs more beautiful than any woman” (Us Weekly)

 

As PEOPLE’s newly crowned Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman has been inundated with congratulatory phone calls. But when a certain two-time winner got on the line, it was time for some hard-core hazing. “George Clooney rang me at two in the morning,” Jackman told PEOPLE Monday at the Australia premiere in New York City. “I was half asleep and I said to him, ‘Ah, George sweetie, good to hear from you.’ ” But this was not a courtesy call. “He goes, “Shut up, Jackman!’ ” the Aussie actor jokingly recounted. “[He said,]‘I know what you did! You started this big campaign that’s been going on and [you] took the title away from me.’ ” “I thought that was unnecessary,” Jackman deadpanned. The Wolverine star has also been getting a ribbing from his friends and family. “My old man traveled over with me and we landed in America … and all of sudden we were stopped at the airport and saw the Sexiest Man Alive magazine and everyone is talking about it,” the actor said. “My father found it really uncomfortable.” “[My dad] said to me, ‘I can’t really talk to you about being sexy. It’s a little weird,’ ” Jackman recalled. “Mind you, I’m still waiting for the birds and the bees pitch from him. That hasn’t happened either!” (People)

 

As we mentioned earlier this month, it was looking like Laura Bush would beat her husband in publishing a book. The first lady had reportedly been in talks with different publishers who were bidding on her memoir. Well, Mrs. Bush has just confirmed that the reports were true. She mentioned that she’s planning to write a memoir and that she’s already met with publishers. Adds the first lady, “I’ve been talking to some publishers, but nothing has happened yet — just a few visits.” Wonder what juicy secrets she’ll let out of the bag. (Perez Hilton)

 

A one-liner in the New York Post yesterday says Ann Coulter broke her jaw and had to have it wired shut. (TMZ)

 

Eleanor Rigby: fact or fiction? That question, which has bedeviled Beatles’ fans for decades, may be answered in part by a 1911 hospital payroll sheet to be auctioned in London on Thursday. The document, sent by Paul McCartney in 1990 to the director of a music charity who had asked for funding, contains the signature of a scullery maid named “E. Rigby” who worked in a Liverpool hospital. The director of the company auctioning the document believes the woman who signed the payroll is the same Eleanor Rigby buried in 1939 in a Liverpool graveyard next to the church where McCartney met the young John Lennon. “I’ve spoken to the person who lived in the house where she used to live, and they’ve confirmed that the signature is the same signature of the person in the graveyard,” said Tom Owen of the Fame Bureau auction house, adding that the finding may contradict McCartney’s longtime assertion that the song was based on a made-up character. “It’s intriguing that McCartney owned it because he says he created the song around a fictitious figure,” said Owen. “And yet, how did he have this document and why did he have it? When he was asked to donate money, he sent this.” Interest is so high it’s estimated the document may fetch $750,000. McCartney has said the song was not based on a real person but concedes he may have been subconsciously influenced by seeing the tombstone. When the auction was announced earlier this month, he released a statement reiterating that the character was not real. “If someone wants to spend money buying a document to prove that a fictitious character exists, that’s fine with me,” McCartney said. The payroll sheet was signed by “E. Rigby” after she collected her pay at Liverpool’s City Hospital. McCartney has not revealed how he got the document, or why he sent it to the charity 18 years ago. According to the tombstone, Eleanor Rigby was born in 1895. If she is the woman who signed the hospital payroll, she would have been about 16 at the time. She worked as a maid washing pots and pans in the hospital kitchen, the document says. The song “Eleanor Rigby,” released in 1966 as a single and on the Beatles’ “Revolver” album, represented a sharp break for the band, which until then had largely relied on cheerful tunes for their international hits. With its haunting refrain, “Ah, look at all the lonely people,” it is a devastating portrayal of an isolated woman whose death draws so little notice that no one attends her funeral. There are no rock ‘n’ roll guitars or drums on the somber track – McCartney’s lead vocal is backed by violins, violas and cellos arranged by Beatles producer George Martin. “It’s a Beatles song with no Beatles instruments,” said Glenn Gass, a rock historian who teaches a course on the Beatles at Indiana University. “It’s just so bleak and so sad: she picks up the rice at someone else’s wedding, the whole image of her wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door. There are things happening emotionally that you just can’t see. It’s not a pop song in any traditional sense, but it’s one of their great songs.” Lennon and George Harrison sing harmony; Ringo Starr does not play or sing, although Beatles experts say he contributed one line to the lyrics. “Eleanor Rigby” is credited to the Lennon-McCartney writing team, but it is widely regarded as primarily by McCartney. McCartney has said he considered naming the woman in the song “Daisy Hawkins.” He also mulled naming the unsympathetic priest “Father McCartney” but decided on “Father McKenzie” so his own father wouldn’t be burdened. The song has had so much impact that a statue honoring Eleanor Rigby – be she real or imagined – has been built in downtown Liverpool. Passers-by often place flowers there. Owen said “every penny” from the auction will go to Sunbeams Music Trust, a charity that provides music instruction to people with special needs. The charity’s founder, Annie Mawson, received the document from McCartney after writing him an 11-page letter seeking help for her foundation, which uses Beatles songs, among others, to teach music to people with physical and mental disabilities. She has found, for example, that autistic children respond well to Beatles music. “I told Paul McCartney how his music had helped so many vulnerable children,” she said. She hand-delivered the letter to McCartney’s London office in 1989 and received the hospital payroll document in the mail the following year. It was in an envelope carrying the logo of McCartney’s world tour, but did not contain any note. “I think my letter moved him, so he sent me this beautiful parchment document, a ledger, from 1911, showing E. Rigby,” Mawson said. “My head was whirling when I saw the significance.” Her plan is to use the proceeds from the auction to finally build a music instruction center in Cumbria, England, where the charity is based. “This is what I dreamt about in the ’90s,” she said, explaining that she held the document for years as the value of Beatles memorabilia soared. “It’s taken this long to develop the charity and get a good team behind it and now we really need a proper center.” (Daily Record)

 

President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of a former Fugees producer who has spent seven years in prison for cocaine possession with intent to distribute. That means John Forte will soon be freed after serving about half of his 14-year sentence. He was one of two men whose sentences for cocaine offenses were commuted Monday night, along with 14 pardons granted. Forte co-wrote and produced two songs on the Fugee’s 1996 album “The Score,” a Grammy-winning hit. As a rapper, he also released two albums himself, the second of which (“I, John”) included a duet with singer Carly Simon. Simon posted bail for Forte at the time of his arrest and had urged for his release. Messages left with her publicist were not immediately returned Tuesday. Forte was arrested at Newark International Airport in 2000, and later found guilty of possession of 31 pounds of liquid cocaine with the intent to distribute. Julie Stewart, president and founder of the advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, applauded Bush’s decision to commute the sentences of Forte and another man who had been imprisoned for 15 years. Stewart said sentences for many “low-level, first-time, nonviolent drug offenders” don’t fit the crime. Presidents often issue many pardons toward the end of their terms, though Bush has granted a total of 171 pardons and eight commutations. That’s fewer than half as many as either President Clinton or President Reagan issued during their two terms in office. (Daily Record)

 

A former TV newsman in Philadelphia who said he felt threatened by his co-anchor’s “rising star” was sentenced Monday to six months of house arrest after hacking into her e-mail and leaking gossip that contributed to her downfall. Larry Mendte, 51, admitted hacking into KYW-TV co-anchor Alycia Lane’s e-mail hundreds of times, both before and after the city’s CBS affiliate fired her in January. “I made my job too important,” Mendte said in court Monday. “In believing that I was protecting the well-being of my children and my family, I put them both in jeopardy.” He then apologized to Lane, who attended the sentencing. Lane had given a confidential victim-impact statement to the court but declined to comment after the hearing. Mendte escaped jail time but has suffered the loss of his career and reputation, U.S. District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin noted. He must serve six months of home confinement during three years of probation and must perform 250 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine. He had faced up to six months in prison under sentencing guidelines. The former “Access Hollywood” anchor described his early relationship with Lane as “flirtatious, unprofessional and improper” but said it soured after his wife, local Fox anchor Dawn Stensland, learned about it. The twice-divorced Lane, 36, vehemently denies any impropriety and has sued him for invasion of privacy and on other grounds. The pair anchored the evening newscasts on KYW from 2004 to January, when Lane was fired after a Dec. 16 arrest in New York following a late-night scuffle with police. The charges were later dropped as part of a pretrial diversion program. She has a wrongful-termination suit pending against KYW. Mendte leaked privileged e-mails about her criminal case to the press, and prosecutors say he is the only plausible source of damaging leaks concerning a swimsuit photo she sent a friend, married TV sports anchor Rich Eisen. Mendte was fired in June, after the FBI searched his home and office. “My role at the station was still being diminished when Alycia told me during an argument on the set that she (was) the rising star and that I was ‘50 and on my way out,’” Mendte said after his Aug. 22 plea to illegally accessing a protected computer. “I felt I was in trouble,” he continued. “My career, my future, my family’s future was in trouble. And, this is where I got into more trouble – federal trouble.” Mendte has two young children with Stensland and two older children from an earlier marriage. He earned $700,000 at KYW-TV, while Lane’s salary had zoomed past his to $780,000, according to her lawyer, Paul Rosen. The FBI began investigating Mendte in the spring, when a station employee stumbled upon a computer that was logged into Lane’s private e-mail account – nearly two months after she was fired. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Kanye West says he’s not concerned about whether his new album is a blockbuster, because he’s made “great art” – and he feels really good about it. West’s new CD, “808s & Heartbreak,” was released Monday. It’s a departure for the 31-year-old rapper because it mostly features him singing. West says he was ready to take a risk and he thinks it paid off. Says West: “You know people sometimes don’t understand great art when they first hear it, but I am very confident in it.  Whether it sells as much as the last one, or way more, I feel like I am just successful in doing something I felt really good about.” (Daily Record)

 

No Doubt have announced plans for a comeback tour next year. The Los Angeles band revealed their plans through an instant-message transcript on their official website, but gave no specific dates. The four-piece are also currently working on a new record, their first since 2001’s Rock Steady. (Daily Record)

 

The Jonas Brothers keep going…and going…and going. Fresh from the American Music Awards, where they were named Favorite Breakthrough Artist and performed “Tonight”, the trio capped off the festivities with a free three-hour 24-song concert at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. They decided to put together the gig at the last minute on Saturday, their rep tells me. After promoting it on the radio and their MySpace page, about 1,000 fans were already lined up several hours before Kevin, Joe and Nick even arrived. And the fans got more than just the trio performing all of their hit songs. Read on for all the details… They covered John Mayer’s “Gravity,” Tom Petty’s “Freefallin’” and Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain.” They even covered their hip-hop hero Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Then there were the surprise guests. Their Camp Rock costar Demi Lovato jumped on stage to sing some of her singles with the brothers and also John Mayer’s “Daughters.” Jordin Sparks was a showstopper when she joined them for Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Jesse McCartney was also a performer with his hit, “Leavin’.” The most interesting pairing? The JoBros and Dan Aykroyd covering the 1956 Bo Diddley hit “Who Do You Love?” The show ended shortly after midnight with all the performers back on stage for the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” (Daily Record)

 

Paul McCartney says negotiations on a long-awaited deal to make the Beatles’ catalog available on the online music service iTunes have stalled. “The last word I got back was it’s stalled at the whole moment, the whole process,” the former Beatle said Monday. “I really hope it will happen because I think it should.” McCartney, who was speaking at the launch of his new album, Electric Arguments, added: “It’s between EMI and the Beatles, I think.” The band’s holding company, Apple Corps Ltd., has so far declined to allow the Fab Four’s music on any Internet music service, including iTunes. The situation has been exacerbated by a long-running trademark dispute between Apple Corps and Apple Inc., which owns iTunes – a dispute that was resolved last year. Record label EMI, which owns the Beatles recordings but needs Apple Corps’ permission to release the music in new formats, said it was still trying to resolve the matter. An EMI spokeswoman said: “We have been working hard to secure agreement with Apple Corps. to make the Beatles’ legendary recording catalog available to fans in digital form. Unfortunately the various parties involved have been unable to reach agreement but we really hope everyone can make progress soon.” The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity in line with company policy. Apple Inc. was not immediately available for comment. (Daily Record)

 

Although a long holiday weekend is right around the corner, Britney Spears is getting to work promoting her upcoming album, Circus, in Europe. The singer boarded a flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, Germany on Monday for several appearances in support of the album, which is scheduled to be released Dec. 2. Spears is traveling with several close associates and family members, including her father, Jamie, and manager Larry Rudolph. According to an eyewitness, the singer – dressed in a brown fedora, black sweatpants and a pink top – jumped out of her white Cadillac Escalade smiling and holding her dad’s hand at the airport. After a short time in Germany, Spears is expected to appear on the French program, Star Academy, and on Simon Cowell’s X Factor in England before returning to the U.S. next week. She is scheduled to go on a worldwide tour in the spring of next year. Spears’s candid new MTV documentary, Britney: For the Record, airs Nov. 30. (People)

 

The more music we listen to these days, the more we catch ourselves saying: ‘Hey, this sounds like (insert older song/band here).’ Sure, being influenced by something or even covering a song is all fine and dandy, but lately, it just feels like there’s been a massive spate of songs that are clearly — and often, blatantly — ripped-off from other tunes. Say, for example, Hilary Duff’s new tune. On ‘Reach Out,’ Duff doesn’t exactly pay homage to the Depeche Mode classic ‘Personal Jesus’ as much as she completely reworks and samples the song without trying to cover it. She even names the song after a lyric in the chorus (“reach out and touch faith,” Mode sang). Back when the single dropped, we polled PopEater readers about whether or not they dug Duff’s new, borrowed sound. It was a 50-50 split straight down the middle. A staggering 42% of voters also said that while totally “unoriginal,” jacking songs is fine by them. To her credit, Ms. Duff isn’t the first young’un to take royalties with an older tune in recent days. Rihanna’s smash single ‘S.O.S.’ is a clear (and properly credited) spin on Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love.’ Avril Lavigne’s massive hit ‘Girlfriend’ landed the Canadian mall-punker in court after The Rubinoos sued her for copyright infringement. Turns out, Lavigne’s chorus sounds exactly like their 1977 track ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.’ Today’s pop stars aren’t the only musicians taking heat for snagging rhythms, melodies and chord progressions (Fun fact: the latter of which isn’t copyrightable). The biggest punk band of the last 15 years, Green Day, have gained a reputation for taking liberty with other people’s tunes. Some of the biggest hits of rock and rap (which often uses sampling … not the same as what we’re describing here) the last 20 years in the world have sounded curiously like other songs we love. Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ infamously heists David Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure’ beat (though Ice claims there’s an additional note, making the stolen song argument null and void), while even The Strokes’ rock debut single ‘Last Night’ bears a striking resemblance to the opening of Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl.’ Hear for yourself below, with a massive gathering of side-by-side songs. (Popeater)

 

Some of the biggest names in music are contributing exclusive songs to RED(WIRE), a new digital music magazine launching on World AIDS Day (Dec. 1). U2, Coldplay, the Killers, the Dixie Chicks, John Legend, R.E.M. and Bob Dylan are on board for the initiative, which is an outgrowth of the Bono-reared activist organization (RED). All proceeds from subscriptions will benefit HIV-infected people in Africa; MSN.com will host a kick-off party on Dec. 1. For $5, users will receive a new issue of RED(WIRE) every Wednesday, featuring an exclusive song from a major artist, a song from an artist (RED) aims to showcase, a multimedia piece that could encompass video or photography and a look at how proceeds are directly benefiting Africans in need. The materials will be downloaded to a custom player and automatically loaded into iTunes. Users can send two free issues to friends, and will be rewarded if they join RED(WIRE). “Artists are already saying, ‘I want to give you a track for those people who brought friends in,’” (RED)WIRE founder Don MacKinnon tells Billboard.com. “That’s the biggest idea: using social networking to actually change the world in a unique way.” U2’s track was recorded just last Wednesday, while the Killers, Elton John and the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant teamed up for the Christmas song “Joseph, Better You Than Me,” which MacKinnon describes as “like a power ballad.” This is the third year in a row the Killers have penned a holiday song and donated proceeds to (RED). Meanwhile, John Legend’s take on Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” finds him eschewing piano for a stripped-down arrangement with guitar, bass and backing vocalists, according to MacKinnon. Also coming is the first new Dixie Chicks song since the group’s Grammy sweep in 2007, “Lucky One,” and Elvis Costello and the Police jamming on “Watching the Detectives” and “Walking From the Moon,” tape during Costello’s new Sundance Channel show “Spectacle.” Additional (RED)WIRE offerings will be announced in the coming weeks. MacKinnon is particularly enthused about the creative directions open to (RED)WIRE, especially with such high-profile artist participation. “I had a meeting with Jay-Z, and he wants to talk about artists to be featured in that spotlight slot,” he says. “Big artists may curate an issue. The whole goal was to create a creative platform. When somebody says, ‘I do all this photography and I want to put it in as an extra,’ That’s when I go, this is going to be really cool.”  (Billboard)

 

An eminent Russian conductor has pulled out of a series of concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, saying he felt insulted by the way his appearances were marketed. The Boston Globe reported that Gennady Rozhdestvensky (geh-NAH-dee rahzh-DYEST-vehn-skee) left town on Saturday, fuming over the disrespect he said the BSO showed him. The 77-year-old maestro was scheduled to conduct four concerts, starting Thursday and running through Tuesday. Rozhdestvensky said the trouble started when he noticed the week’s soloist, cellist Lynn Harrell, got top billing on a promotional poster. He later learned the BSO’s season brochure didn’t list him in its “Distinguished Conductors” section, mentioning him only in connection with Harrell. The BSO’s managing director, Mark Volpe, said the orchestra greatly admires Rozhdestvensky and regrets he canceled his concerts. (Daily Record)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Maurice Kanbar is making “The Scene.” “Hoodwinked” producer Kanbar Entertainment is financing the indie black comedy with its star and producer, Daphne Zuniga. “Gossip” screenwriter Theresa Rebeck adapted the script from her play, a vicious satire of the Manhattan party circuit and entertainment industry. Zuniga will play a cynical TV talk show producer who encounters a chameleon-like social climber (Heather Gordon). Stephen Barker Turner and David Wilson Barnes round out the cast. Director Amy Glazer is producing the low-budget feature with Lynn Webb, Ned Kopp and Zuniga, shooting on sets built in Kanbar’s San Francisco home. Glazer and Zuniga collaborated this year during the play’s West Coast premiere in San Francisco. Jonathan Baruch of Rain Management Group, which reps Zuniga with BRS Agency, is co-producer. The CAA-repped Rebeck is no stranger to the scene she sends up, having been a New York-based producer-writer on such hits as “NYPD Blue” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Paul Schrader is taking a taxi to Bollywood. Saying he feels the U.S. film market has become “barren,” the writer of classics “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull” is packing his bags for Mumbai to write and direct the Bollywood action movie “Extreme City.” “I’ve been getting indie movies made for 20 years,” he said. “But I take a good look around and what I see is a barren, barren place — in terms of the financial community, in terms of audiences, in terms of distribution. It’s cold out there.”  In India, on the other hand, he says there are ways to gain both creative freedom and audiences. “City” is a cross-cultural tale that will center on an American man who travels to India to help resolve a kidnapping case for his father-in-law, only to get caught up in a gangster plot. There likely will be some musical numbers, and dialogue will be spoken in English and Hindi. Schrader is working on the script. While the story combines various elements, it’s “not a Masala movie,” Schrader said, referring to the term for a kitchen-sink Bollywood film that tosses in action, romance, family drama and other genres in one big stew. “City” will be produced by Anubhav Sinha, the noted Indian director (he most recently directed the Bollywood action movie “Cash”) who is looking to grow his producing slate and evolve from a more action orientation. Schrader and Sinha are in talks with a number of Bollywood stars; the movie could get greenlighted at a bigger Bollywood studio or go the indie route. Schrader, who made his name as a writer on classics like “Raging Bull” and as a writer-director on Oscar winner “Affliction,” is the latest film figure seeking to build a bridge to India. One of the fall’s nascent hits is “Slumdog Millionaire,” Danny Boyle’s romantic-action tale set in India. Indie director Jennifer Lynch is making the India-set mystery “Hisss.” Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment has a deal with Indian entertainment company UTV to produce two movies. And DreamWorks is, of course, now financed by India-based Reliance Big Entertainment. Still, Schrader is the first major contemporary U.S. writer or director to migrate to Bollywood, a trend he said could continue given the trajectory of both film cultures. “Old Bollywood will never go away,” he said, “but it’s changing. Movies can be shorter than two hours. There doesn’t need to be singing and dancing.” Schrader is promoting “Adam Resurrected,” a Holocaust drama starring Jeff Goldblum that he directed about a German-Jewish performer who survives the war by performing for a Nazi commander. “At first I thought, ‘The world has a lot of Holocaust movies. It doesn’t need one from Paul Schrader.’ But I started to read the script and got 65 pages in and thought, ‘I need to do this.’ It’s such an original story.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

The rebirth of the gay rights movement and the battle over legalizing same-sex marriage will be the focus of the new indie documentary “A Non-Issue?” The doc will follow Dr. John Corvino, a philosopher, lecturer and author of “The Gay Moralist,” as he crisscrosses the nation engaging and debating those most against gay marriage. Personal stories will be showcased.  Robert Zimmer Jr. (“Half-Life”), Matthew Mishory (“Fellowship of the Dice”) and Michael Einheuser (“InZer0″) are producing. Mishory is directing as well. “Existing illusions that 2008 America is a ‘post-gay’ society, that sexual orientation is a ‘non-issue,’ that the culture war is over — were immediately vanquished,” the producers said of the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California, which bans same-sex marriage. “The filmmakers believe the time to speak is now.” Production is set to start next year, with high-definition lensing from cinematographer Rachel Morrison. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Warning. Marley & Me this ain’t. Yes, Wendy and Lucy does feature a cute Lab (the Lucy in the title) much like the one in the upcoming Jennifer Aniston flick, but that’s pretty much where the similarities begin and end between that silly-antics-filled romp and this more serious, seemingly depressing, indie starring Michelle Williams. In the trailer, we follow Michelle’s rather morose (actually, make that very morose) Wendy, who, while trying to make her way to Alaska, encounters trouble every step of the way—trouble with her car, trouble with the law, trouble with her family and, ugh, even trouble with her dog. Not to mention having to interact with some creepy dude with icky teeth. So what do you think? Are you up for a downer, or is dinner with the in-laws this holiday season gonna be torture enough? (Eonline)

 

The reviews are in and the critics have spoken: Nicole Kidman can’t act her way out of a soggy paper bag. Baz Luhrman’s epic Australia apparently has all the fixings for a spectacular tourism commercial – except for one thing: its star. As one reviewer brilliantly put it, Kidman “drifts around films like a lost porcelain doll, looking frozen, brittle and vapid, staring at the camera with her oh-golly-look-how-I’m-looking-interesting blue eyes” and is “exquisitely accomplished at being awful.” In short, she is “the kiss of death in practically every movie she has starred in.” Crikey! (Perez Hilton)

 

With its muscular $70 million opening weekend despite scant appeal for guys, “Twilight” has redefined expectations for the chick flick. While offering some high-flying vampire battles, its main action centers on the developing romance between two teens played by relative unknowns Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Women and girls made up more than 75 percent of the film’s opening-weekend audience, according to Fandango.com, which sells tickets and conducts surveys about recent releases. With the movie’s stellar opening weekend – it trounced the celebrated $55.7 million opening of “Sex and the City” – studios ought to take notice of women’s continued ticket-buying power, said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracking firm Media By Numbers. “The word ‘chick flick’ is going to have to be replaced by big box-office girl-power flick,” he said. “The box-office clout of the female audience is just astounding, and it’s been an underserved audience for way too long. … They have no trouble finding money for the things they’re passionate about.” Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines chick flick as “a motion picture intended to appeal especially to women.” But “Twilight” is no lightweight date movie – instead, it’s a real-girl’s chick flick, where a normal-looking teenager finds romance with a modern (if undead) Prince Charming. “It’s the most insanely romantic film since ‘The Notebook,’” said Harry Medved, a spokesman for Fandango.com, who described Pattinson’s Edward Cullen as “the ideal boyfriend. … He’s incredibly strong, superfast, impossibly handsome, he plays the piano and all he cares about is what’s on her mind.” Here’s a look at some of the top-grossing chick flicks in recent years: (Daily Record)

- “Sex and the City” (2008) earned $55.7 million its opening weekend and more than $150 million to date. Easily the biggest chick flick until now, it had something going for it that “Twilight” did not: at least some crossover appeal with men who were fans of the long-running TV series.

- “High School Musical 3″ (2008) had a $42 million opening weekend and has already earned $84 million just one month after its release. This successful Disney franchise has more tween appeal than a standard chick flick.

- “Enchanted” (2007) opened with $34.4 million and went on to earn more than $127 million. Disney mixed music, princesses and Dr. McDreamy for big box-office success.

- “Titanic” (1997) opened to $28.6 million in ticket sales and $600.8 million to date, making it the highest-grossing film of all time. Women got steamy romance, men got spectacular disaster action. Both saw it several times and probably bought it on DVD.

- “Mamma Mia!” (2008) opened with $27.6 million and has topped $142 million. Based on the popular musical inspired by Abba’s hits, it had a built-in audience with fans of both live theater and the Swedish supergroup.

- “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) collected $27.5 million its opening weekend and more than $124 million to date. Great performances and Oscar nominations (for costume design and star Meryl Streep) likely boosted this film, which also appealed to men with its sendup of the fashion and publishing industries.

- “The Princess Diaries” (2001) earned $22.8 million its opening weekend and eventually grossed over $108 million. Disney plus princesses equals success (see “Enchanted”).

 

 

MOVIE REVIEW:  “Four Christmases”

 

The size difference between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon isn’t the only thing keeping them apart in “Four Christmases.” His signature rat-a-tat overconfidence and her pleasing girl-next-door perkiness turns out to be an awkward mix. Individually likable, Vaughn and Witherspoon never really seem to mesh as a couple. That’s a problem, since we’re meant to root for them to stick together. It doesn’t help that they’re saddled with hackneyed holiday gags: wacky relatives making inappropriate remarks, decorations that cause severe bodily harm, obnoxious kids, uncomfortable gift exchanges. And “Four Christmases” began with some promise, too. Vaughn’s Brad and Witherspoon’s Kate are a happily unmarried couple sharing a coolly industrial-chic house in San Francisco. They like to keep things lively by role-playing at bars, as they do in the film’s amusingly naughty opening, and they lie to their families about doing charity work each year to avoid seeing them during the holidays. So far, so good. Then, when they’re caught live on the news getting stuck at the airport on the way to Fiji, they get roped into seeing both sets of parents, who are divorced, hence Brad and Kate’s own apprehension about walking down the aisle. And so they must celebrate – let’s all say it together – four Christmases. The visiting begins in painfully broad fashion with Brad’s family, all white-trash stereotypes led by Robert Duvall. (Vaughn’s longtime friend and collaborator, a freakishly muscular Jon Favreau, and Tim McGraw play his ultimate-fighter brothers.) The noisy joylessness of this segment sets the tone for the whole movie, and it makes you wonder how it’s possible that it took four screenwriters to come up with this stuff. Next, they’re off to see Kate’s mom (Mary Steenburgen), who’s found the Lord now that she’s involved with a rock-star preacher (Dwight Yoakam, underused). Kristin Chenoweth plays her smugly married-with-children older sister in a perfect bit of casting; it’s amazing she and Witherspoon never shared the screen before. It’s also amazing that, after dating for three years, neither Kate nor Brad has met the other’s family until now. The third stop is at Brad’s mom’s house, and speaking of a complete waste of talent, Sissy Spacek gets to do little but beam benignly as a rich Marin County hippie. Finally, they end up at the upscale home of Kate’s father (Jon Voight), but by then the couple’s relationship is hanging by a thread. After attempting to offend us in every imaginable way, “Four Christmases” has the chutzpah to try tugging at our hearts, with a half-baked conflict about Kate’s sudden desire to get married and start a family – as if any of their hideous visits would inspire such an instinct. Vaughn makes the movie tolerable here and there, but this kind of slapsticky physical comedy doesn’t suit Witherspoon at all. Director Seth Gordon, making his feature debut following the critically acclaimed documentary “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” fails to make optimal use of the qualities that make this bright actress shine. It isn’t funny when a baby spits up on her the first time; then again, it would be a lame joke regardless of who was covered in yack. “Four Christmases,” a New Line Cinema release, is rated PG-13 for some sexual humor and language. Running time: 88 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. (Daily Record)

 

 

TV . . .

 

When this 12-year-old talks, millions of preschoolers around the world listen. All Caitlin Sanchez needs to say is “Swiper, no swiping!” Or to summon the powers of her magical backpack.

Sanchez is the new voice of “Dora the Explorer,” one of the world’s most popular cartoons for preschoolers. She has always enjoyed music and acting, but never expected to be talking to Boots the Monkey, Swiper the Fox, The Map and other characters who appear regularly on Dora’s cartoon adventures. “When my mother called me on the phone and told me I got (the part), I really didn’t believe it at first,” Sanchez said. It’s the first cast change in Dora’s voice since the Nickelodeon cable show debuted in 2000 (the original voice of Dora, Kathleen Herles, is now 17 and in college). The show is broadcast worldwide and translated in 24 languages, entertaining millions of preschoolers. On the show, the 7-year-old Latina heroine and her band of animal friends take their audience along on their quests in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rain forests. During their travels, they ask their audience to help them solve the various problems they encounter. Sanchez, who has been acting professionally for nearly five years, does the English- and Spanish-speaking parts for Dora on the new season of shows being broadcast in the United States. She has long been a fan of “Dora,” and feels honored to be a part of the show. “Dora really is an international icon to preschoolers and a really good role model, so it’s neat to see how she has spread across the globe and become so popular,” said Sanchez. “One of my friends went to Ireland, and she brought back a Dora book in Gaelic … I love being part of this (show).” Getting the role wasn’t an easy task for Sanchez, a Fairview resident who is the oldest of three children in what she describes as “a very musical” family. “I was kind of nervous about trying out and everything, but I believe you should be confident in everything you do and if you follow your dreams and be positive, you can do anything you want to do,” she said. “I was real excited to get it, and it has been a lot of fun. This show really helps kids learn.” She soon learned that doing voiceover work isn’t a simple task. “With each script, you’re saying the lines and doing the songs a lot of times – they want me to use different inflections, to do things in different ways so they can decide what they like best,” she said. In this season’s shows, Dora meets friends from different cultural backgrounds (French, Mayan, Guatemalan, German and more) who teach her special skills. Dora also uses more math to help solve problems, and she also will teach multiword phrases in Spanish. Sanchez, a self-taught musician who loves to play jazz piano, sees her work on “Dora” as another step toward reaching her dreams. For now, that includes attending a prestigious school such as The Juilliard School, though she realized she might change her mind. “I know I can be anything I want, and my parents have always encouraged me to be the best I can be and to enjoy myself, so that’s what I try to do,” she said. (Daily Record)

 

First lady Laura Bush says she has loved living in the White House. Now, as she and President George W. Bush prepare to leave after eight years, she is hosting a History channel special, “The White House: Behind Closed Doors.” Premiering Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST, this 90-minute documentary is a combination inside look, history lesson and parting gift from a grateful resident. “I’m very proud of how beautiful the White House is,” Mrs. Bush said during a phone call Tuesday from the upstairs living quarters. She said she’s proud, too, of the White House staff – “all the people who work here, who’ve worked here for many presidents. This was a way for me to pay tribute to them as well; to thank them, here at the end of our time.” Masterminded by George Washington (the only president who never got to live there), the White House was first occupied by John Adams in 1800, and since then has been the official residence of 40-and-counting chief executives. It’s a bustling place of business, and a unique museum. It’s also an inspiring symbol of national endurance. As with the United States itself, the White House has faced many challenges – as early as 1814, when British troops set it ablaze. It was reduced to a charred shell. But within a few years, the White House was rebuilt. “I think it’s encouraging to get to live here,” Mrs. Bush said. The program takes viewers into the Oval Office, the East Room and the State Dining Room, as preparations are abuzz for an official state visit. Cameras venture into the kitchen and the tiny pastry shop to catch behind-the-scenes action. In the Green Room, Mrs. Bush offers a delightful fact about the third president, Thomas Jefferson. It was in the Green Room that he enjoyed eating his dinner – with a color-appropriate green canvas cloth to catch any spills. Mrs. Bush displays a wealth of knowledge about White House history and lore. “I’ve studied it a lot,” she said, “and, of course, I picked up a lot of information along the way.” Her initiative in restoration efforts gave her a crash course, too. “As we worked on each of the different rooms, like the Lincoln Bedroom, for instance, I really learned a lot about that room.” Mrs. Bush shares with her audience the seldom-photographed Lincoln Bedroom, as well as the Treaty Room, used by President Bush as his private office, which was refurnished with pieces from the era of Ulysses Grant. At first, Mrs. Bush voiced misgivings to her husband, telling him, “I’m not so wild about Victorian furniture,” but he was sold on it. “He said, ‘Oh, no, I want to have Grant’s furniture in my office!’” Mrs. Bush said she first visited the White House upon the 1989 inauguration of her father-in-law, George H.W. Bush. She said she initially was struck not only by its beauty, but by an unexpected coziness. “It’s grand, but it’s not huge,” she said. “It’s much more human scale than many other homes of leaders, and I like that because I think that fits with our country.” In less than two months, the White House will be home to President-elect Barack Obama and his family, at which point the Bushes will move to Dallas. She expects to carry with her a range of emotions. “There’s happy anticipation of another house and another life – ‘afterlife,’ as I’m calling it,” she said. “On the other hand, it’s bittersweet. I don’t think you ever get over your awe of the White House.” (Daily Record)

 

The CW network says it’s replacing its Sunday night lineup with movies and reruns of series including “Jericho” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” The network Monday announced the cancellation of “In Harm’s Way,” “4 Real,” “Valentine” and “Easy Money,” a programming block created by independent studio Media Rights Capital. CW had made a deal with the company this season to schedule Sunday nights, but the new shows were drawing dismal ratings. The revamped lineup, which begins Sunday, also will include repeats of “The Game” and “The Drew Carey Show” and films from the MGM library including “The Cutting Edge,” “Revenge of the Pink Panther,” “Spaceballs” and “Carrie.” (Daily Record)

 

MTV is throwing an inaugural ball for President-elect Barack Obama. The network announced Tuesday that it will host the “Be the Change Inaugural Ball” at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on Jan. 20. The event will be televised live across MTV’s many channels and platforms, including MTV and MTV.com. The Viacom Inc.-owned network said the event will feature leading artists, celebrities and government officials. To celebrate the large youth voter turnout in the election, hundreds of young people will be chosen to attend based on their demonstrated volunteerism. MTV’s announcement comes as a host of organizations are planning inaugural balls in Washington, where more than a million people are expected to be drawn to the nation’s capital for the occasion. (Daily Record)

 

Already engaged in deep soul searching following a dismal fall TV season and flatlining ad market, broadcast networks are facing another blow: a potential SAG strike early next year. SAG’s decision during the weekend to seek a strike authorization from its membership following the breakdown of its negotiations with AMPTP has shifted the once-remote possibility of a SAG walkout much closer to reality. While its effect would not be as far reaching as this year’s strike by the WGA — a SAG walkout would only affect scripted primetime fare — it would derail the broadcast season for a second straight year, this time in the midst of a severe economic crisis. “Everyone is praying that it won’t happen, but the reality starts to sink in that there may be a strike,” one TV studio exec said. On Monday, TV executives who normally would be embarking on a Thanksgiving vacation were working on contingencies. For now, there are no plans to cancel or shorten the primetime series’ holiday hiatuses, scheduled for the last two weeks of December, in order to get more episodes in the can. The bulk of primetime scripted series will have 60%-75% of their episodes completed before they stop for a holiday break and as many as five unaired episodes in various stages of postproduction.  Things look better for such returning midseason series as WGA strike casualty “24″ and comedies “Rules of Engagement” and “According to Jim,” which will have completed their orders by the end of the year. “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf, in New York to receive the Founders Award at the International Emmys, said it’s “unbelievable” that SAG could be moving toward a strike. “It’s so out of touch with reality,” he said. “Strikes very rarely accomplish what they set out to do, and it is a different situation than the ’40s and ’50s, when certain things had to be achieved.” Unlike the WGA strike, which crippled every primetime scripted series as well as daytime dramas and late-night talk shows, a SAG strike would only impact primetime series. Soaps and variety shows are under AFTRA’s jurisdiction. Still, the late-night guest bookings would be thinner since SAG members likely would not participate. A SAG strike also could further cable’s momentum. The cablers gained ratings ground this year because their series are produced in smaller batches throughout the year and thus were far less affected than those of the broadcast networks. The discrepancy in terms of impact would be even greater this time, as the vast majority of scripted cable series are AFTRA affiliated and won’t be affected at all. About eight broadcast series are under AFTRA, with five of them freshman shows: “90210,” “Gary Unmarried” and the upcoming “Better Off Ted,” “The Unusuals” and “Harper’s Island.” While the transition from film to digital has been slowly increasing AFTRA’s piece of the primetime pie, the shift has been more profound this year, which some observers attribute in part to the threat of a SAG strike. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Former ABC News “Nightline” anchor Ted Koppel and Discovery Communications are parting ways. Discovery said Tuesday that Koppel, who joined Discovery Channel in January 2006 as managing editor, agreed to terminate his documentary group’s three-year contract ahead of schedule “under terms that both sides found acceptable.” The original agreement for Koppel, his executive producer Tom Bettag and the eight other members of the staff that had left “Nightline” to go to Discovery would have ended in May 2009. Koppel’s departure from Discovery had been long rumored, as the deal was left over from former president Billy Campbell’s tenure at the channel. Koppel told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year that it was unlikely that he would continue at Discovery, and in a statement Tuesday, he repeated that. “It has long been clear that neither of us is interested in an extension of the current contract,” Koppel said. Discovery, which under CEO David Zaslav and Discovery Networks chief John Ford, has been taking a new direction. The critically acclaimed documentaries that Koppel and his team made were not in line with that direction. “They’ve been awfully good to us, and we’ve been able to do exactly what we wanted to do and have been very happy doing it,” Koppel told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this summer. “But are we of the same mold as ‘Mythbusters’ and ‘Dirty Jobs’? Not really. It’s a bit of a strange fit. And I’m not sure if it’s going to go beyond this contract.” During their time at Discovery, Koppel and his team have done 15 hours of programming including a four-hour series on China and also documentaries on prisons, Iran and a town-hall meeting about living with cancer that featured his former executive producer, Leroy Sievers, who later passed away. As for his plans, Koppel does commentaries for National Public Radio and also works for BBC World News from Washington. He’s been rumored to be a long-shot candidate for the position of moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” although he told The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn’t the right person for the job. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

CBS might be adding a companion guy rule book to Barney Stinson’s Bro Code. The network is developing “Things a Man Should Never Do Past 30,” a single-camera comedy from executive producer/director Barry Sonnenfeld, the Tannenbaum Co. and Sony Pictures TV. The project is inspired by Esquire contributing editor David Katz’s humorous book penned as a list of 500 rules of what a man shouldn’t do once he turns 30. A few examples: “See any movie with elves, mutants, Wookiees or other nonhuman characters on opening night”; “Figure out which dirty words are spelled by phone number”; “High five in a business situation”; “Have any furniture that involves cinder blocks”; and “Google ex-girlfriends.” The CBS project mostly is based on the personal experiences of Katz and Esquire editor at large A.J. Jacobs. “The show is about a guy working at men’s magazine who is reluctant to embrace adulthood and his friend who is an immersion journalist,” said Katz, who is penning “Things” with Jacobs, an immersion journalist. Although set at a men’s magazine, “Things” will not be a workplace comedy, Katz said. In their first TV writing effort, Katz and Jacobs are being supervised by veteran comedy writer-producer Al Higgins (“Malcolm in the Middle”), who also is set to serve as showrunner if the project is picked up. In addition to executive producing, Sonnenfeld — hot off his Emmy win for helming the pilot of ABC’s “Pushing Daisies” — is on board to direct the potential pilot. “I thought it was a great idea for a show about modern-day men and women dating and trying to grow up and commit while at the same time surrounded by many reasons why not to grow up,” Sonnenfeld said. Katz and Jacobs are repped by ICM. Sonnenfeld is repped by WMA. Higgins is with CAA. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

While speaking on a panel at a screenwriting expo earlier this month, Heroes creator Tim Kring called those show fans who don’t use DVRs “saps and dipshits. His comment, unsurprisingly, was broadcast far and wide almost immediately after the words tumbled out of his mouth. Kring now wants everyone to know he was a bone head and is sorry: I need to strongly apologize for the slightly mangled quote of mine that is making it’s way around the internet. It was made while trying to explain the rise in DVR and online audience for the show. I was making the point that these platforms now offer a superior way to watch the show (without commercials, with extra content, commentary, at the audience’s convenience, etc.) And went on to say how it’s getting to the point where “watching the show on the air is relegated to the poor saps and dip****s who can’t figure out how to program their DVR’s”. (Or something close to that) It was a boneheaded attempt at being “cute” and making a point. Instead, it turned out to be just plain insulting and stupid. I know now how it sounded, but I truly never meant to suggest anything negative about our audience. No one cares more about the fans than we do at Heroes, and no one appreciates them more than me. We are grateful for whatever way people are finding our show. Now more than ever. I want to take this opportunity to say that I’m very sorry for this careless, lame remark. The best way to make it up to you is to live up to my promise that the upcoming episodes of the show are fantastic. I think you’ll agree we’re really on a roll and we couldn’t be more excited about the last four episodes of “Villains” and the upcoming volume, “Fugitives”, which we feel will be a huge hit with the audience. Thank you for hearing me out. Humbly Tim Kring Do any of you even bother to watch Heroes anymore? We hear it has been sucking big time. (Perez Hilton)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . .  (Internet)

 

Q.  Women like them long, men like them short?

            A.  Jokes

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Various)

 

10 Memorable Thanksgiving Day Quotes:

 

Thanksgiving Quote #1   

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. — John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Quote #2   

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. — Edward Sandford Martin

Thanksgiving Quote #3   

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. — Erma Bombeck

Thanksgiving Quote #4   

Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. –

J. Robert Moskin

Thanksgiving Quote #5   

It is delightfully easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received, but it requires great grace to thank God always for the grace given to others. — James Smith

Thanksgiving Quote #6   

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. — W.T. Purkiser

Thanksgiving Quote #7   

Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in. — Phillips Brooks

Thanksgiving Quote #8   

Forever on Thanksgiving Day the heart will find the pathway home. — Wilbur D. Nesbit

Thanksgiving Quote #9   

There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. — O. Henry

Thanksgiving Quote #10   

Ah! on Thanksgiving day….   When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,   And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.   What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?    What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie? — John Greenleaf Whittier

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  A U.S. dime is made of 25 percent nickel and 75 percent what?

            A.  Copper  ****

            B.  Nickel

            C.  Silver

            D.  Aluminum

 

Q.  On TV, what middle name was shared by starship captain James Kirk and bartender Woody Boyd?

            A.  Caligula

            B.  Claudius

            C.  Nero

            D.  Tiberius  ****

 

Q.  On TV, what was Warren Weber’s nickname?

            A.  Potsie  ****

            B.  Horshack

            C.  Radar

            D.  Rerun

 

Q.  In 1985, who formed a jazz band called the Blue Turtles?

            A.  Sting  ****

            B.  Brian Setzer

            C.  Herbie Hancock

            D.  Rosemary Clooney

 

Q.  What cable channel gives out Golden Buckets of Popcorn as its movie award?

            A.  Turner Movie Classics

            B.  MTV  ****

            C.  BET

            D.  Comedy Central

 

Q.  What New Orleans house has been the ruin of many a poor boy?

            A.  Ill Repute

            B.  Upside Down

            C.  Rising Sun  ****

            D.  Voodoo Hoodoo

 

 

LET’S TALK TURKEY! . .  . (Internet)

 

• Americans feast on 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving.
• According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the United States at Thanksgiving. That number represents one sixth of all the turkeys sold in the U.S. each year!
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird.
• Domesticated turkeys cannot fly, however wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour over short distances.
• Only male (tom) turkeys gobble. Females make a clicking noise. The famous gobble is actually a seasonal mating call.
• The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds – about the size of a German Shepherd! (But turkeys are normally not used as police animals.)
• A turkey under 16 weeks of age is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a roaster.
• The Turkey Trot, a ballroom dance in the 1900s, was named for the short, jerky steps of the turkey. It became popular mainly because it was denounced by the Vatican as “suggestive.”
• Turkeys are known to spend the night in trees! (Maybe to escape the Thanksgiving table?)
• Turkeys can drown if they look up when it’s raining!
• A turkey’s field of vision is 270 degrees–one of the main reasons they’re able to elude some hunters.
• The average age of the Mayflower passenger was 32. The oldest Mayflower passenger was 64.
• There was no milk, cheese, bread, butter or pumpkin pie at the original Thanksgiving Day feast.
• Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not have big buckles on their clothing, shoes, or hats.
• Buckles did not come into fashion until the late 1600s – more appropriate for the Salem Witchcraft trial time period.
• The cranberry got its name because the pale pink blossoms on the plant resembled a crane’s head and neck. The name cranberry stuck, eventually becoming cranberry.
• Fresh cranberries are ideal for cranberry sauce. Cranberries of the highest quality will always bounce! (If you try this at home, please wash the cranberries before eating.)
• President Abraham Lincoln established the original date for our National Thanksgiving Day celebration in 1863.
• President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of establishing a national “Thanksgiving Day.”

• Congress did not declare Thanksgiving a national holiday until 1941.
• The average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. (Now that’s a lot of turkey!)

 

http://ww12.1800flowers.com/template.do?id=template8&page=4033

 

 

The first known thanksgiving feast or festival in North America was celebrated by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and the people he called “Tejas” (members of the Hasinai group of Caddo-speaking Native Americans).

 

 

– Coolest Thanksgiving Facts —

 

• Here’s one of those funny Thanksgiving facts: Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.
• Turducken, a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, is becoming more popular in Thanksgiving (originated in Louisiana). A turducken is a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture (although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird).
• Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas 10 million years ago.
• 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day

 

(http://www.coolest-holiday-parties.com/thanksgiving-facts.html)

 

 

WHEEL OF MACY’S CLICHES . . .  (Paige Nienaber)

 

I listened to a station in Denver last year where, on the day before Thanksgiving, there was literally no mention that millions of people were piling into cars, flooding the airports, emptying the grocery stores…it was marginally surreal. They were in their own very weird, cut off from the rest of the planet, zone.

 

Here’s something to get you thinking Bit Wise: Wheel Of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Clichés. You take ten callers and for each of them you spin the wheel. They each are assigned a word:

 

Sparkling

Spectacular

Warmth

Joyous

Magical

Festive

Wonderful

Basking

High-Stepping

Crazy/Wacky/Zany/Loveable (usually in reference to a character depicted as a balloon)

 

You have an intern watch the show and every time the trio from The Today Show use one of the terms, make a notation. Person whose cliché gets the most votes, wins a tree, or a primo spot at your market’s holiday parade, or some twinkle lights, or…the ultimate Christmas cliché: a fruitcake and a Chia Pet.

 

 

CYBER MONDAY SALES . . . .

 

Here’s a web site that has a list of all the online retailers doing sales and promotions for the Monday after Thanksgiving

 

http://www.cybermonday.com/

 

 

MENTAL_FLOSS . . .

 

• The title of Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way” was taken from a line in Mel Brook’s comedy Young Frankenstein.
• Bette Nesmith Graham, mother of Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, invented Mistake Out or Liquid Paper as it was later known.
• In 2006, Japan produced more than twice as many cars (9.8 million) as did the United States (4.4 million). America leads Japan in truck production, however (7 million to 1.7 million)

 

 

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

 

HIGH SEASON DISCOUNTS:

 

During tough high seasons — spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and of course, summer months — there are few discounts. The way around the busiest seasons is actually a simple one if you can plan ahead: think alternate airports and cities, and flights with intermediate stops in hub cities en route.  And if that doesn’t work, go to plan C: whether you have young children in school or they’re in college, figure out ahead of time if they can take exams a week earlier, or get extra credit for doing an assignment during a trip.  That way, you can leave early and avoid peak travel periods.  Outside of that terrible blackout period around the holidays when airfares skyrocket, the savings can be staggering on both airfares and hotel rates, and the crowds at the airport more manageable.

 

(Peter Greenberg is North America’s preeminent expert on Travel. An Emmy Award-Winning writer and producer, Peter is the Travel Editor for NBC’S “TODAY SHOW,” MSNBC and CNBC. A Best-Selling author of the “Travel Detective” series and host of the nationally syndicated “Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show.” Visit WWW.PETERGREENBERGWORLDWIDE.COM to learn more about Peter Greenberg and his adventures.)

 

 

BIRTHDAYS . . .

 

November 26^th:

–1607  Founder and scholar John Harvard  (d. 9-24-1638)

–1907  Actress Frances Dee (d.3-6-2004)

–1901  Actor Cyril Cusack (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold) (d. 10-7-1993)

–1912  Journalist Eric Sevareid (d. 7-9-1992)

–1912  Dramatist Eugene Ionesco

–1922  Cartoonist Charles Monroe Schultz  (Peanuts) (d. 2000)

–1933  Actor/Singer Robert Goulet (Camelot) (d. 10-30-2007)

–1935  Actor/Singer Marian Mercer

–1938  Comedian/Impressionist Rich Little

–1939  Singer Tina Turner (“What’s Love Got To Do With It”)

–1942  Actress Olivia Cole (North and South)

–1943  Football’s Jan Stenerud

–1944  Jean Terrell – vocalist for The Supremes (“Stoned Love”)

–1945  Musician John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) (“Go Your Own Way”)

–1960  Football’s Johnny Hector

–1969  Basketball’s Shawn Kemp

–1981  Singer Natasha Bedingfield

 

November 27^th:

–1804  Musician/Composer Julius Benedict  (d. 6-5-1885)

–1809  Actress Frances Anne “Fanny” Kemble  (d. 1-15-1893)

–1853  Old west gambler, lawman, editor Bat Masterson  (d. 10-25-1921)

–1909  Poet/novelist James Agee (A Death in the Family) (d. 5-16-1955)

–1917  TV Host “Buffalo” Bob Smith  (The Howdy Doody Show) (d. 7-30-1998)

–1935  Drummer Al Jackson  (Booker T. & The MGs) (“Green Onions”)

–1937  Author/Journalist Gail Sheehy  (Passages)

–1942  Musician Jimi Hendrix (“Purple Haze”) (d. 9-18-1970)

–1944  Singer Eddie Rabbitt (“I Love A Rainy Night”) (d. 5-7-98)

–1944  Trevor Davies (Dozy) – bassist for Dave Dee, Dozey, Beaky, Mick and Tich (“Legend Of Xanadu”)

–1945  Musician Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears) (“And When I Die”)

–1951  Actress Jayne Kennedy

–1953  Soviet rock musician Boris Grebenshikov

–1956  Football’s Curtis Dickey

–1957  Caroline Kennedy (daughter of the late Pres. John F Kennedy)

–1959  Musician Charlie Burchill (Simple Minds)

–1960  Musician Ashley Ingram (Imagination)

–1962  Author Victoria Gotti (Growing Up Gotti)

–1963  Actor Fisher Stevens (The Brother from Another Planet)

–1964  Actress Robin Givens (Head Of The Class)

–1965  Musician Fiachna O’Braonian (Hothouse Flowers)

–1976  Actor Jaleel White (Family Matters)

 

November 28^th:

–1628  Author John Bunyan  (A Pilgrim’s Progress) (d. 8-31-1688)

–1757  Poet/Artist William Blake (d. 8-12-1827)

–1929  Record Executive Berry Gordy, Jr.  (Motown Records founder)

–1932  Singer Ray Perkins (The Crew Cuts) (“Sh-Boom”)

–1933  Actress Hope Lange (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir) (d. 12/19/03)

–1939  Gary Troxel - vocalist for The Fleetwoods (“Mr. Blue”)

–1940  Singer Clem Curtis  (The Foundations) (“Baby Now That I’ve Found You”)

–1940  Bruce Channel (“Hey, Baby”)

–1943  Musician Randy Newman  (“Short People”)

–1944  Singer R.B. Greaves (nephew of Sam Cooke) (“Take A Letter Maria”)

–1949  Bandleader/Comedian Paul Shaffer (The David Letterman Show)

–1949  Actor/Ballet Dancer Alexander Godunov  (Die Hard)

–1950  Actor Ed Harris (The Right Stuff, Milk Money)

–1952  Actress S. Epatha Merkerson  (Law & Order)

–1955  Musician John Spinks (The Outfield)

–1956  Musician David Jaymes (Modern Romance)

–1959  Actor Judd Nelson (Suddenly Susan)

–1962  Comedian Jon Stewart

–1964  Basketball’s Ray Tarpley

–1966  Musician Mark Gillespie (Big Fun)

–1968  Model Anna Nicole Smith (d. 2-7-2007)

–1988  Actress Scarlett Pomers (“Kyra” Reba)

 

November 29^th:

–1729  Secretary of First Continental Congress Charles Thomson  (d. 8-16-1824)

–1816  Seventh Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Morrison R. Waite  (d. 3-23-1888)

–1832  Author Louisa May Alcott  (Little Women) (d. 3-6-1888)

–1917  Musician Merle Travis

–1918  Writer Madeleine L’Engle  (A Wrinkle in Time)

–1927  Sportscaster Vin Scully

–1932  Singer John Gary

–1932  Actress Diane Ladd  (Wild At Heart)

–1933  Musician John Mayall  (John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)

–1939  Musician Meco Monardo (“The Theme from Star Wars”)

–1940  Musician Chuck Mangione (“Feels So Good”)

–1940  Denny Doherty - vocalist for The Mamas and Papas (“California Dreamin’”)

–1944  Musician Felix Cavaliere  (The Young Rascals) (“Good Lovin’”)

–1946  Skier Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee

–1949  Comedian Garry Shandling

–1951  Musician Barry Goudreau  (Boston) (“More Than A Feeling”)

–1955  Actor/Comedian Howie Mandel  (Deal Or No Deal)

–1960  Actress Cathy Moriarty  (Raging Bull)

–1961  Actress Kim Delaney  (“Claudia Joy” Army Wives)

–1962  Actor Andrew McCarthy  (“Joe” Lipstick Jungle)

–1964  Actor Don Cheadle (Devil In A Blue Dress)

 

November 30^th:

–1835  Author Samuel Langhorne “Mark Twain” Clemens  (d. 4-21-1910)

–1874  British Prime Minister Winston Spencer Churchill  (d. 1-24-1965)

–1922  Actress Virginia Mayo  (The Best Years of Our Lives)

–1923  Actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.  (The F.B.I.)

–1924  Author Shirley Chisholm

–1927  Actor Richard Crenna  (Wait Until Dark) (d. 1-17-2003)

–1927  Actor Robert Guillaume  (Benson)

–1929  Entertainer/Producer Dick Clark  (American Bandstand)

–1930  Actor/Lecturer G. Gordon Liddy

–1937  Musician Paul Stookey  (Peter, Paul & Mary)

–1937  Musician Jimmy Bowen

–1943  Musician Leo Lyons  (Ten Years After)

–1944  Musician Rob Grills (The Grassroots “Midnight Confession”)

–1944  Musician Luther Ingram

–1945  Musician Roger Glover  (Deep Purple)

–1947  Dramatist/Director David Mamet  (American Buffalo)

–1952  Actor/Singer Mandy Patinkin (Yentl, Evita)

–1953  Singer June Pointer  (The Pointer Sisters “Fire”)  (d. 4-11-2006)

–1955  Musician Billy Idol (“White Wedding”)

–1962  Baseball player/Football player  Bo Jackson

–1965  Actor Ben Stiller (Meet The Parents)

–1968  Singer Des’ree (“You Gotta Be”)

–1970  Actress Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy)

–1975  Country singer Mindy McCready

–1978  Singer Clay Aiken (American Idol)

–1982  Actress Elisha Cuthbert (24)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

November 26^th:

—1789  The first national day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed by President George Washington.

—1864  Charles Dodgson, a young mathematics instructor from Britain’s Oxford University, sent an early Christmas gift to the 12-year-old daughter of a friend. Little Alice Liddell unwrapped a book Dodgson had written under the pen name Lewis Carroll and became the first person ever to read Alice In Wonderland.

—1956  TV premiere of the longest running daily game show “The Price Is Right” starring Bill Cullen as the host.

—1966  The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer” goes gold, making believers out of many of the band’s skeptics.

—1968  Cream played its farewell concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

—1971  Rod Stewart and Faces break Led Zeppelin’s Madison Square Garden sellout record.

—1975  Claiming that 984 out of 1000 unwed mothers became pregnant while listening to rock and roll, the Rev. Charles Boykin and his congregation burn $2000 worth of records in Florida.

—1986  George Benson guests on the “New Mike Hammer” as the shady “Sweet Billy” Marvel.

—1987  Sean Penn shows up for Thanksgiving dinner at Madonna’s house after an unexplained four-day absence. Madonna files for divorce two weeks later.

—1990  The Farm releases “Altogether Now.”

—1992  Prime Minister John Major announced that Britain’s monarch, Queen Elizabeth had decided to begin paying taxes on her personal income.

 

November 27^th:

THANKSGIVING DAY…HAPPY TURKEY DAY.   MOON PHASE: NEW MOON (11:55am EST)

—1829  Levi Strauss, the man who invented denim jeans, was born.  The basic model 501 has been unchanged for more than a century, except that pocket and seam rivets have been moved; once to stop damage to school furniture and once because there used to be a rivet in the crotch which heated up if the wearer were crouched in front of a campfire.

—1899  Curtis Brady of New York received the first permit to operate a motor vehicle in Central Park, subject to his pledge “to avoid frightening the horses.”

—1934  Baby Face Nelson, “Public Enemy #1,” died in a shoot out with G-men in Barrington Hills, Illinois.

—1964  The Beatles release their fourth album, “Beatles For Sale” and their ninth single, “I Feel Fine.”

—1970  George Harrison releases the “All Good Things Must Pass” triple album.

—1972  “Grease” musical opens on Broadway at the Royale Theatre.

—1974  “Kung Fu Fighting” goes gold for Carl Douglas

—1988  At the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Grover Washington Jr. plays Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” as a tribute to retiring NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

¾1991  Both houses of Congress approved legislation authorizing $70 billion in additional borrowing authority for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) because of the record number of savings and loan failures.

—1992  Ice Cube’s “The Predator” album debuts at the top of the U.S. chart, while the top single is Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

¾2007  Dancing With The Stars  5^th Season  winner was Helio Castroneves (Indy 500 race car driver) his partner Julianne Hough. Coming in 2^nd place was (Spice Girls) Mel B & Max. 

 

November 28^th:

Today is the kick-off to the Christmas shopping season, (Black Friday). How about reserved parking spaces for your listeners.  Work with your local mall to

section off several hundred spaces near the front of  the mall.  A  “secret word” is given on the air, listeners who repeat it to the parking patrol get to park in

one of the reserved spots.  Also, giveaway mall gift certificates!  Happy holiday shopping.

—1520  Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sailed into the Pacific Ocean after discovering the straits at the southern tip of South America, which now bear his name.

—1895  The first recorded automobile race in history took place in Chicago. Of eighty cars entered, only seven were actually able to start the 55-mile race, and the winner, Franklyn Duryea, clocked in with an average speed of just over seven miles per hour.

—1925  The first broadcast of a new program on WSM Radio, Nashville – The Grand Ol’ Opry.

—1960  The top U.S. single is “Stay” by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs.

—1963  The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” is released in England, selling a million copies in three days, and becoming the band’s first record to immediately go number one.  It displaced “She Loves You” from the top of the charts.

—1964  “Leader Of The Pack” by the Shangri-Las is the top single in the US.

—1966  The Beatles begin recording sessions for Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

—1968  The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” film is released.

—1968  Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” album is released.

—1969  The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Sly & The Family Stone, Iron Butterfly, Grand Funk Railroad, Pacific Gas & Electric, King Crimson, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Spirit, Vanilla Fudge, Canned Heat, and Sweetwater are among the bands on the bill for the first annual Palm Beach International Music & Arts Festival at the Palm Beach International Raceway.

¾2004  Actress Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) gave birth to twins Hazel Patricia and Phinneaus Walter

¾2006  Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting – Hosted by Al Roker & Megan Mullaly (tree lighting about 8:50pm) tree lit until January 6, 2007.

 

November 29^th:

Today is ELECTRONICGREETINGS DAY

—1814  England’s London Times became the first newspaper to be printed on steam-powered presses.

—1876  Birthdate of Nellie Tayloe Ross who became the first female governor in the US when she was chosen to serve out the last month and two days of her husband’s term as governor of Wyoming after he died in office.  Nellie died 12-20-1977.

—1891  The first Army-Navy football game was played at West Point. The visitor’s won 24 – 0.

—1959  At the second Grammy Awards, Bobby Darin wins Best Record for “Mac The Knife,” Frank Sinatra takes Best Album with “Come Dance With Me,” and Johnny Horton’s “The Battle Of New Orleans” is named Best Song.

—1975  Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” becomes the top single in Britain, where it remains for nine weeks.

—1978  Paul Chapman replaces Michael Schenker on lead guitar in UFO.

—1979  After signing with Warner Bros., Paul Simon sues former label CBS for release from his contract.

—1979  Supertramp records “Paris,” their live album in . . . Paris.

—1985  British Courts awards Elton John and Bernie Taupin 169 song royalties from DJM Music but denies them song rights.

—1988  KIIS-FM/LA’s Rick Dees becomes the highest paid DJ when he signs for more than $2 million a year.

—1991  Michael Jackson’s “Black Or White” jumps to number one in the US, in it’s third week on the chart, the first single to do so since the Beatles’ “Get Back” in 1969. U2’s “Achtung Baby” is the #1 album.  

¾2001  Beatle George Harrison (58) died in Los Angeles.  He lost his life to cancer.  His wife Olivia and son were by his side when he died.     

¾2005  New York Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting at 9:00pm (tree is lit until January 6, 2006)

 

November 30^th:

Today is COMPUTER SECURITY DAY and STAY HOME BECAUSE YOU’RE WELL DAY.  St. ANDREW’S Day (patron saint of Scotland)

—1782  American and British representatives signed a preliminary version of the Treaty of Paris, formally ending our War for Independence.

—1835  Mr. and Mrs. Twain of Florida, Missouri had a baby boy – disproving the old myth about how the Twains never met. Actually of course, their name was Clemens, and they named their child Samuel Langhorne Clemens, ­Mark Twain to you and me. Historical sidelight: the night of his birth Halley’s Comet arced across the sky. 75 years later Twain wrote that, “It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don’t go out with it.” In April 1910, as thousands gathered to pay their last respects to the storyteller who had become a legend, Halley’s Comet was, once again, in view.

—1887  The first game of softball, invented by George Hancock of Chicago, was played – indoors.

—1963  The top single in Britain is the Beatles’ “She Loves You.”

—1969  Simon & Garfunkel host their first TV special. Original sponsor AT&T pulls out after discovering the show’s political theme.

—1988  L.L. Cool J. plays Africa’s first rap concert (Ivory Coast). Midway through women faint, fights break out, and many rush the stage, ending the concert.

—1991  Rob Pilatus, one of the members of Milli Vanilli, is hospitalized for observation after apparently taking pills, slashing his wrist and straddling a Hollywood hotel balcony in a half-hearted suicide attempt.

¾1996  Entertainer Tiny Tim died of a heart attack.  He was 73 years-old.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, RADIO ONLINE will not publish a Daily Show Prep sheet on the following dates:

·         Thursday, November 27

·         Friday, November 28

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1716, a lion went on display in Boston for the very first time in the New World. That was the only time people saw a lion on Thanksgiving and it didn’t have anything to do with football.

On this date in 1885, the first photograph of a meteor was taken… just in time for the Christmas card.

Also on this date in 1885, the very first photograph of a meteor was taken. And, not surprising at this time of year, the meteor was sitting on Santa’s lap.

On this date in 2001, President Bush appealed to Congress to ban human cloning. It was a rare case of the argument presenting itself.

TODAY IS

It’s Thanksgiving Eve!

Country singer Joe Nichols turns 32 today. He had a huge hit two years ago with “Tequila makes her clothes fall off.” Sadly, he never identified “her.”

John McVie turns 63. He’s a long-time member of Fleetwood Mac. He was with the group way back when Stevie Nicks first learned to twirl.

Tina Turner celebrates her 70th birthday today. Now when she sings, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” it’s because she really doesn’t remember the answer.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         Platinum Blonde bass player Kenny MacLean has died. Police said the musician was discovered collapsed and unresponsive Monday at his Toronto apartment.

·         Hannity & Colmes are breaking up. Alan Colmes plans to leave the show at the end of the year.

·         Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that airlines need to provide two passenger seats for extremely overweight people.

·         Ted Koppel is leaving the Discovery Channel six months before his contract is due to expire in May, the network announced Tuesday.

·         The creator of the TV show “Heroes” is now apologizing for saying that people who watch his show are “dipsh*ts” and “poor saps.”

·         Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt got married in Mexico November 20, just outside of Cabo.

·         The fashion color of the year is blue iris, according to the Pantone Color Institute.

·         Jason Lee now admits that he secretly married Ceren Alkac, the mother of his second child, several months ago.

·         “Scrubs” returns to TV on January 6th… but it’s jumped over to ABC.

·         GM has ended their 9-year endorsement deal with Tiger Woods.

·         Amy Winehouse is back in the hospital again. This time, it’s said to be a reaction to a medication. Uh-huh.

·         First lady Laura Bush confirms that she is planning a memoir and has met with publishers.

·         Madonna is said to be furious at Alex Rodriguez who dropped out of Kabbalah training because “he was bored.”

·         Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear will spend Thanksgiving together with their 11-year-old daughter… and Heather’s new boyfriend.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

(ListUniverse.com provides us with this list of people and things that/who never existed that have had a great influence on mankind.

1.      Santa Claus

2.      Barbie

3.      Robin Hood

4.      The Marlboro Man

5.      Rosie the Riveter

6.      Daedalus and Icarus

7.      The Little Engine That Could

8.      Big Brother

9.      Romeo and Juliet

Ladies, if you want to attract a very rich man, become a brunette. Lycos, a dating site in the United Kingdom, checked out the hair color of the wives of 100 of the world’s billionaires. It turns out that 62% have wives with brown hair, including Microsoft head honcho Bill Gates’ wife, Melinda French Gates. Coming in second were blondes at 22%, while those with raven-colored hair attracted 16% of the world’s wealthiest men. Oddly, not a single billionaire was married to a redhead.

How many times a year do you purchase new sneakers? People who buy three pairs of sneakers or more a year are far more likely to be leaders than people who buy fewer pairs of this particular kind of shoe, according to research by Mindset Media. Specifically, the survey found that frequent buyers of sneakers are 61% more likely to have the personality characteristics and qualities of a modern leader. In addition, the survey found that multi-sneaker buyers are 50% more likely to be very assertive and 47% more likely to be spontaneous.

PHONE TOPICS

·         Ever been “caught in public” doing something you shouldn’t have been?

·         How often do you clean your house?

·         Who needs a bailout? Why?

·         Who’s getting up the earliest for bargains on Black Friday?

·         How many times will you go holiday shopping?

·         Any of the new movies any good?

·         Is anyone totally done with Holiday shopping?

·         True stories of “dreams that came true?”

·         Tell us your “what goes around comes around” stories.

·         What’s your coffee drink? (C’mon, rattle it off)

·         Bizarre bathroom accidents?

·         Who found the best deal online?

·         Are gift cards OK, or do they show how lazy someone was to put some thought into your gift?

·         No names… but any family dramas brewing for Thursday’s get together?

·         What part of the meal are YOU in charge of?

Have you ever won a sweepstakes? I’ve never known anyone to win a national contest. Apparently, you have to live in Topeka, Kansas. In a span of 10 days, a man from Kansas won two automobiles in two separate contests. Michel Horton picked up his newest ride on Friday, a 2008 “Bon Jovi Special Edition” Saturn Outlook, at a dealership in Topeka. The entry also netted him a guitar and gold-plated Bon Jovi records. That was his second free vehicle. Horton was also notified in October he had won a Mitsubishi Lancer in a contest sponsored by Bic lighter.

My live-in boyfriend is in between jobs so he’s not raking in the cash like he once was. Meanwhile, I’m making lots of money, lots more than he is. So I want to know, for the men, is it a deal breaker to date women who make more money than you? And for the ladies, how do you feel about men who make less than you? Do you live by the “meet me or beat me” approach when it comes to money?

So marriage rates are down, and divorce rates are up. There are more single people than married people in the U.S. today, but recent studies show that many of them are in committed relationships. Phoner: Do you need a marriage certificate to validate your level of commitment to that special person in your life?

We got a call from a listener who was asking for some advice. Her boyfriend of five months called her by his ex-girlfriend’s name. Those kinds of things happen. However, this guy refused to apologize for the slip up. She wanted our advice and we told her to kick him to the curb. Then, we had listeners call in with other embarrassing things that have been said in relationships. Anyone scream out their ex’s name while doing the nasty?! It happens more often than you think!

When was the last time you made an off-hand comment about something only to find that you just insulted the person you were talking to? How did you try to recover? This comes to mind because last year around this time I was commenting on how tacky I think those giant, blow-up decorations are in people’s yards… the giant Santas, etc. I think it was when I noticed the seething hatred in my co-host’s eyes that I realized she just might have a giant Santa in her yard.

Have you ever been taken advantage of by an auto mechanic? Don’t worry you’re not the first. And so it doesn’t ever happen again, here are 5 things your auto mechanic won’t tell you (from AAA):

1.      Always request an estimate.

2.      Your work order should also clearly state a guarantee on the work. If not, ask the shop what type of guarantee is provided on both workmanship and parts.

3.      If the mechanic is replacing something on your vehicle, ask for your old parts back.

4.      You should always study your bill for doubled labor charges. If you’re getting a new water pump and you replace the timing belt at the same time, there’s no additional labor to do the timing belt just the additional cost of the parts.

5.      Don’t replace your tires until you do your own tread test. Do a simple penny test. Find the wear bar on the tire and insert the penny in the tread. The less you see of Lincoln’s head the better the tread.

Phoner: See what holiday specials are a favorite among your listeners. Hint: We found that Rudolph does not lead the pack.

Smokers take more breaks and double the time on their breaks than non-smokers. That was all I had to say to get the phones going on this one. Where is the compensation for non-smokers? Do they get to go home early? No! Some guy called to complain not only about smokers but women. He wants to be compensated because he, a single guy, has to pick up the slack for women and their “extra ailments” like pregnancy. It ended with a woman asking that he pass a watermelon through his penis and seeing just how much time off he needs.

TV shows you’re ashamed to admit you love to watch? You know, stuff that you watch, but when someone else comes in the room, you turn the channel or say, “The TV was on this channel so I just left it.”

A great phoner is, “What was the first major sign for you, personally, that you were getting older?” The first time someone younger called you “sir?” The first time you had to make grunting noises to get out bed?

We keep seeing those commercials for hair removal jells and they always show guys wiping a huge swatch of hair from their chests or backs. So, is chest hair is out? We asked the ladies how they felt about it and the vast majority said chest hair was sexy. On the other hand, most of them were turned off by back hair. That led to a discussion about why is hair on the back bad and hair on the front okay, plus if so many women think chest hair is good, why don’t any of the male models have any?

We talked about how to keep your pets safe during the holidays. I read that some Veterinarians are more concerned during the holidays, especially when family chaos increases and your pet’s environment may change from day to day with the arrival of family and friends bearing gifts, holiday food items and exotic plants. Here are some household toxins to always keep away from Fido:

·         Antifreeze

·         Chocolate

·         Acetaminophen and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories

·         Prescription or illegal drugs

·         Rodenticides

·         Xylitol

·         Grapes and raisins

·         Onions and garlic

·         Lilies

·         Macadamia nuts

Phoner: Have you ever accidentally been sent a check for much more money than you were owed? I got a refund check from my car insurance company for $500. I think they made a mistake. Should I call them and bring it to their attention?

I found an interesting study the other day that we discussed on the air. We had lots of phone calls on it too. Apparently, when it comes to setting a woman’s heart afire, one kind of man has the inside track: the one who looks like dear old dad. Researchers say, if a woman was a daddy’s girl when she was little, chances are she’ll be romantically attracted to a man who looks like her father. But if a woman had a poor relationship with her father, she’ll be attracted to a man who doesn’t look a bit like him. Phoner: Ladies, does your man look at all like your dad?

This holiday will you send out real greeting cards or e-greetings? Even with the advent of free e-greetings, researchers say that paper cards aren’t going away anytime soon. Is it acceptable to send an e-card instead of mailing a real greeting card?

We’re not talking sexual harassment here, but has a guy ever been so aggressive you had to take action?

Try asking guys to call in with stories about psycho pregnant wives. You know, stories that came about because the hormones were raging and she was going through hell. The subjects range from weird stuff they craved to uncontrollable fits of laughter. The really mean stuff seems to happen during labor!

WEIRD NEWS

Never Steal From a Woman With a Frozen Turkey
In Raleigh, North Carolina, a would-be carjacker was stopped cold — quite literally — when he tried to steal the car of a woman armed with a frozen turkey! Police say 30-year-old Fred Louis Ervin allegedly stole money from a gas station before running across the street to a grocery store parking lot where he began beating Irene Moorman Bailey while stealing her car. But soon other shoppers came to her rescue including one who hit Ervin squarely with a frozen turkey! Despite serious head injuries, Ervin still got away in Bailey’s car and hit several other cars as he fled. But police arrested him a short time later. (myway.com)

Great News! You Can Drink Your Own Pee!
We’ve got great news for you this morning– astronauts aboard the International Space Station told Mission Control in Houston that their new urine recycler has passed the test and is working just fine! In other words — now you can drink your own pee! However, a separate testing will be conducted back on Earth on samples of processed urine, sweat and condensation before astronauts can start drinking purified water which is scheduled next year. The $154-million system, distils, filters, ionizes and oxidizes wastewater, including urine, into fresh drinking water. Yum, Yum! (myway.com)

Boy’s Heart Growing Outside His Body
Talk about wearing your heart on your sleeve! Doctors in China are trying to figure out what to do with a four-year-old boy whose heart is growing on the outside of his stomach. The heart is covered in only a layer of skin under which it can easily be seen beating. Kind of looks like someone attached a tennis ball to his chest and covered it with plastic wrap. Doctors are debating trying surgery to move the heart to its proper body cavity. In the meantime, the boy’s parents wrap him up in clothes with extra padding to protect his heart and, sadly, have to keep him from playing with other children in case of accidents. (Ananova)

Woman Celebrates Wrong Birthday — 106 Times!
106-year-old Lena Thouless just got some interesting news. For 106 years she’s been celebrating the wrong birthday! The great-grandmother, from Bowthorpe, Norwich, has spent all her life celebrating her birthday on November 23rd, but some detective work by her daughter, Lena Brooks, discovered she should have been blowing out the candles on November 22nd. She found her mother’s birth certificate and is baffled why her family has always marked the occasion a day late. (Daily Telegraph)

I Sentence You To Barry Manilow!
In Fort Lupton, Colorado, Judge Paul Sacco has an interesting way to deal with noise polluters. He forces them to listen to Barry Manilow. Those arrested in the small town for playing car stereos too loud or violating other noise ordinances are forced to sit in a room for one hour listening to great hits like Mandy, Copacabana and Looks Like We Made It! But his methods seem to be working. There’s been a massive drop in the number of repeat offenders. Judge Sacco came up with the idea after noticing that many repeat offenders simply showed up at his courtroom to pay their fine with cash. (Ananova)

Luckiest Man Ever?
Michael Horton of Topeka, Kansas is one lucky son-of-a-gun. In a span of ten days he learned he won to cars in two separate contests and tickets to a Chiefs game! He picked up his newest ride on Friday, a 2008 “Bon Jovi Special Edition” Saturn Outlook which included an autographed guitar and gold-plated Bon Jovi records. Then a few days later he was notified he had also won a Mitsubishi Lancer in a contest sponsored by Bic lighters. And if that weren’t enough, then he won tickets to a recent Kansas City Chiefs game in another drawing. While he kept the Bon Jovi car, he opted to take the $28,800 cash value on the Lancer that’ll help pay the taxes on all the other stuff. (The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Piano in the Woods
Police in Harwich, Massachusetts have a real musical mystery on their hands. They’d like to know who left a Baldwin piano in the middle of Bells Neck woods– and why. The piano is in perfect working condition and had a matching bench as if it had been recently played. The biggest question is how somebody got thing to such a remote location way out in the woods. It’s so heavy, it took more than a dozen men to load it on to a truck and remove it. It was discovered by a woman walking along a path inside a conservation area in the woods. (Cape Cod Times)

MATCH THE MOUTH

“I’m only 27 so I was really young when we started dating and I feel like it’s important for woman and men to have their goals and their own life before they can complete someone else. So we took our time.”

·         Nicolette Sheridan

·         Beyonce ***

·         Heather Mills

·         Heidi Montag

·         Drew Barrymore

“My mom loves to cook really southern, good, buttery, salty, delicious, bad-for-your-arteries kind of food, but it is amazing, and I hope to be a cook like that someday because one thing that I look forward to whenever I do go home is tasting my mom’s home cooking.”

·         Christina Aguilera ***

·         Britney Spears

·         Jessica Simpson

·         Reese Witherspoon

·         Cher

“We both love each other very much, and we’ll see what happens in the future. My work schedule is out of control, so it’s hard for us to have time for each other. It’s going to be really hard being alone during the holidays but I’m lucky to have a great family.”

·         Alyson Hannigan

·         Shannon Doherty

·         Paris Hilton ***

·         Heidi Montag

·         Heather Locklear

COMING OR GOING GAME

Send stunt boy to airport, train station or bus depot and have him walk up to person while listener is on the phone. Listener guesses if he or she is coming or going to win.

A DAY OFF

We’re taking a group in a limo to a fun event — for a day off. Listeners actually called in weeks before we start this to see when they can start entering. They will meet us at the station and we take them in a stocked limo for the entire day with us. We feed them, too, and have a great time. Here is the trick to not taking a boring group. Have them e-mail or fax in why you should take them. That way, you can at least have a feel for who you are calling and spending the entire day with. It’s worked for us. We have had a fun group the past four years!

TOP FIVE SIGNS THE ELVES ARE REALLY FEISTY

1.      Someone put Nair in Santa’s beard cream and he’s ticked

2.      Tricycles only have two wheels

3.      43 garbage sacks full of empty beer cans out by the curb on recycling day

4.      The Elves Illustrated Swimsuit issue is out

5.      They’re e-mailing you ten YouTube links a day

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

I’m so frustrated. I keep getting these e-mails about a UPS virus and when I open them, my computer stops working so I order a new one. They ship it UPS so when I watch for it with my other computer, it shuts down, so I have to order another one. I’ve gone through six this week already!

So, let me get this straight: Citibank is now Federal Bank, right?

How about 3D football? Next week’s game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders will be broadcast live in 3-D to theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Imagine the thrill of watching an incomplete pass or a fumble in amazing 3D.

Archaeologists have discovered an elaborate 1800-year-old chariot in Bulgaria. The deluxe bronze chariot was believed to have been used by the leader of the chariot makers when he went to ask the Emperor for a bailout.

President Bush has pardoned 14 convicted criminals and pardoned two people… but yet Jack Bauer is still a wanted man. I just don’t get it!

This score just in from the White House: Pardons 14, Commutes 2.

I’M NOT IN LOVE

When entering a new relationship, here’s how to tell if you’re really in love with that person, according to German psychologist Dr. Herbert Freudenburger.

·         You give thanks every day. You’ll find yourself in a perpetually good mood. Little annoyances will not bother you as much.

·         You let your guard down and feel free to be yourself. When you’re infatuated with someone, you go out of your way to present just the right image of yourself.

·         You enjoy giving and sharing. You’ll feel real joy giving that special someone little gifts or cards and sharing special moments.

·         You notice a shift in your attitude toward single life. Going to a big party on your own isn’t fun anymore. Flirting with the opposite sex isn’t as exciting.

·         You can’t imagine being with anyone else. You stop looking at other single people as potential dates and realize that no one compares to your new love.

·         You enjoy physical affection more.

60-SECOND RECAP

This is a recurring bit that gets raves every time. It’s called the “60 Second Recap.” We record an entire awards show then edit it down to just the winners being announced one after the other. We include the incredibly funny or stupid comments from the recipients but the whole idea is to get the tiny little bit of actual information out of a 2 or 3 hour Hollywood self promotion party! You will be surprised how fast it goes when you take out the fluff!

ARE YOU INDISPENSABLE?

(Sun) You have a trait that makes you indispensable to your family and friends when it comes to getting things done. Discover what makes you such an asset by answering these questions:

You love to get your blood pumping with:

a.       A backyard volley ball game.

b.      A fast walk around the neighborhood.

c.       An exercise class with a pal.

Your favorite aspect of dinnertime is:

a.       Selecting the foods.

b.      Cooking something everyone loves.

c.       Chatting with friends and family.

If a kitchen appliance goes on the blink, you’d:

a.       Push it aside and finish the job by hand.

b.      Try to repair it yourself.

c.       Check the warranty to see how to return it.

When it comes to family vacations, you:

a.       Choose where you’re going after consulting with family.

b.      Select the destination and do all the planning.

c.       Hold a family meeting and vote on where you’ll go.

Analysis

Mostly “a” – You’re the leader who organizes others in getting the job done. With your energy, creativity and positive attitude, family and friends are happy to follow your lead.

Mostly “b” – You’re’ the imaginative one who can size up a problem with lightning speed. Your ingenious solutions spark the creativity of the group and make any task a fun adventure.

Mostly “c” – You’re able to see all sides of a situation and stay flexible. You also know how to unite your team while achieving a happy compromise between various opinions.

THE BIRTHDAY GAME

Trying to find a way to use celebrity birthdays on your show? We play the birthday game. You give the contestant a celebrity, they have to guess within 2 years how old that celebrity is. Another twist would be to make it multiple choice, get two out of three right and they win.

COUPLES COURT

Get married listeners to call with their marital problems. Who ever screens the calls needs to make sure they get the best one. We had a couple that was mediocre up until I asked had they ever cheated on one another and that totally broke the ice. Fighting, fighting, fighting… but it sounded great on the radio. We at least hooked them up with dinner for two to a steak house. This turned out so good, we’re going to make it a reoccurring bit.

HEADLINE TRUTH OR TRASH

“Woman Turns Herself Into Barbie With Plastic Surgery!”
Truth! 49-year-old Briton Sarah Burge had a dream to look just like Barbie — the popular Matel doll. And she’s darn near made her dream come true thanks to over 100 cosmetic surgeries at a cost of over $850,000! So many surgeries that she’s made her way into the Guinness Book of World Records for the most cosmetic procedures. Her extensive work included making her nose made smaller, her cheekbones bigger, her chin more prominent, her breasts lifted, fat sucked from her face, hips, thighs and jawline, and excess skin cut from her tummy and eyes.

“Nicolette Sheridan Spotted Making Out with NASCAR Driver!”
Trash! The drivers usually prefer things with fewer miles.

“Robber Complains To Manager After Finding Bank With No Cash!”
Truth! In York, Pennsylvania, a would-be robber tried to rob a Susquehanna Bank branch but found he got there too early and all the teller’s cash drawers were still empty! Frustrated, the crook threatened to file a complaint with bank manager before leaving. Police arrested him about 10 blocks away.

“Rosie O’Donnell Has Multiple Personalities So She Can Feud With Herself!”
Trash! She couldn’t come to an agreement with all of her personalities.

“Man Loses 140 Pounds So He Can Join the Marines!”
Truth! When 23-year-old Ulysses Milana of Lewiston, Maine, went to enlist in the Marines, he was told his 330-pound body just wouldn’t do and he’d have to lose some serious weight. Determined to serve his country, he came back 11 months later after losing a whopping 140 pounds — a feat he accomplished through exercise, healthier eating habits and cutting down on beer. He’s now at Paris Island, South Carolina going through boot camp!

“Madonna and A-Rod Plan to Divorce First, Then Get Married!”
Trash! Just like in baseball, she already doesn’t believe he’s safe when he’s out.!

“10-Year-Old Girl Self Diagnoses Her Autism!”
Truth! In Wakefield, England, 10-year-old Rosie King diagnosed herself with Asperger’s Syndrome while reading a children’s book on autism. The book is called “The Little Rain Man” and when she got to the section on Asperger’s, Rosie blurted out, “I think this might be me.” After extensive testing over the next year, her doctors agreed.

“Amy Winehouse Has Her Own Parking Space at Hospital!”
Trash! Not yet, but soon.

“Escaped Convict Begs To Be Let Back in Jail!”
Truth! In Paducah, Kentucky, 21-year-old Chad Toy managed to escape from the McCracken County Regional Jail but later the same afternoon, he returned begging to be let back in! He told the guards that his sister persuaded him to surrender because his family feared for his safety.

YOU GONNA FINISH THAT?

Your eating patterns tell others plenty about your personality, according to Dr. Russell Haley. Here’s what you eat reveals about you:

·         Meat & Potatoes — These are “solid citizens,” resistant to change.

·         Junk Food Eaters — They eat as though they are still teenagers. This is a family-oriented group – their lives center around their children.

·         Diet-Conscious Eaters — They count calories and avoid foods high in cholesterol, sugar, fat and salt. This group is strong-willed, frugal and willing to give up immediate pleasures for long-term security.

·         Naturalists — These are highly idealistic people and believe they can improve life for everyone with their constructive criticism.

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

The British Secret Service has confiscated a teapot the Russians gave Queen Elizabeth twenty years ago because they think it was bugged with a surveillance device. And to make matters worse, they’re pretty sure the antenna was hidden in a pair of giant earmuffs the Russians gave Prince Charles.

A study on the use Viagra as a sports performance enhancing drug found that some cyclists improved their times by 40 percent. Turns out, the Viagra didn’t actually enhance athletic performance, directly. All the guys just peddled faster to get home to their wives and girlfriends.

Amy Winehouse has been hospitalized in London after she experienced a “bad reaction to medication.” Here in the U.S. we have another name for that sort of incident…an overdose.

So Amy Winehouse had a bad reaction to some medication. My question is, how could she tell?

Because of the falling price of oil, the Russian economy is tanking and Vodka sales there are down 15 percent. The world is so connected these days. When we don’t use gas, Russians can’t afford to get gassed.

Sources say Michael Jackson’s behavior is growing more bizarre and that he’s living on a diet of gravy, painkillers and biscuits. He’s gone from sex, drugs and rock and roll, to fats, drugs and buttered rolls.

NASA says the recycling system astronauts installed on the International Space Station that turns urine into drinking water was repaired Tuesday morning. Astronauts became suspicious Monday when their Tang tasted like wang.

Even though he’ll give up his Senate seat shortly after, Joe Biden will be sworn in as Senator on January 6th, and then as Vice President on January 20th. Biden loves it because this way he gets to give two speeches.

Next week’s football game between the 4-7 San Diego Chargers and the 3-8 Oakland Raiders will be broadcast live to theaters in 3-D. You haven’t seen absolute crapiness until you’ve seen it in three dimensions.

I’ve already seen the Detroit Lions in 3-D. Disgusting, Disastrous and Deplorable.

Last week, for the first time in five and a half years, the Dow was down under the 8,000 mark. In a related story, attendance at Detroit Lion games is down below the 7,000 mark.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine says moving your clock ahead in the spring causes a 7 percent rise in heart attacks. Doctors warn that elderly folks and those with other risk factors should have their kids change their clocks and their doctors check for clots.

A study by Ohio State University says baseball players could avoid a majority of serious face and eye injuries by wearing protective, see-through, hard plastic face shields. The one problem… you’d no longer be able to scratch yourself and then sniff your finger.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed two hot, young pitching prospects from India who only recently learned baseball. Not only do the 19 and 20-year-olds have fastballs of 85 mph or better, on the Pittsburgh Pirate’s website… they’re doing the tech support.

You may think a baseball pitcher from India is a strange concept, but it’s a very good idea. Indian pitchers are extremely motivated to strike hitters out. They can’t stand it when somebody hits a cowhide.

Every president has his own governing philosophy. Here’s the difference between Barack Obama, George Bush and Bill Clinton. George Bush thinks government is the enemy. Barack Obama thinks government is our friend. And Bill Clinton thinks government is a friend with benefits.

The economy is bad world-wide. The government of Somalia says they have to lay off 1,500 pirates and cut down to a 4-day pillage week.

Reports say the Barack Obama will pick New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson to be his Commerce Secretary. This is in keeping with Obama’s pledge to choose the strongest, brightest and fattest candidates he could find.

The U.S. economy is in a period of deflation. You know what deflation is. It’s like when you smoke after sex and your inflatable date gets too close to the hot end of the cigarette.

You don’t want to jump on people while they’re down, but I don’t think Sarah Palin is the sharpest tool in the box. Sarah says this being Thanksgiving Eve, tonight she and her husband Todd are going on a midnight Turducken hunt.

There’s a big feud going on between Rosie O’Donnell and Barbara Walters again. Rosie made some comments about “The View,” and Barbara said she couldn’t understand why some people who used to work on the show couldn’t get on with their lives. Which, when I think of it, is what Conan O’Brien will be saying about Jay Leno next year.

You see, Jay Leno is lucky. Everyone else who’s ever hosted the Tonight Show has already passed on.

Barack and Michelle Obama have decided to enroll their daughters Malia and Sasha in the prestigious Sidwell Friends School that Chelsea Clinton attended. This is as opposed to the Bush daughters who were enrolled at the Fox & Friends School that Sarah Palin attended.

Malia and Sasha Obama are lovely. You know, there haven’t been young, black girls living in the White House since President Thomas Jefferson’s wife took a trip to Europe.

TOP FIVE WAYS TO GET RELATIVES TO LEAVE EARLY ON THANKSGIVING

1.      Yell “Fire”

2.      Serve the turkey frozen

3.      Start a yam fight

4.      Ask if they like white meat, dark meat or green meat

5.      Make pumpkin pie with the skins on

WORK OFF THE BIRD

(Men’s Health) About 2,370 calories stand between you and the post turkey bliss. Skip the gym this year and burn off the feast with these family-friendly “workouts”:

·         Turkey and gravy — 730 calories to burn off play touch football for 55 minutes.

·         Mashed potatoes and gravy — 600 calories to burn off walk 4 and a half miles with the family.

·         Double order of pumpkin pie with whipped cream — 540 calories burn off rake parents’ lawn for 70 minutes.

·         Stuffing — 280 calories burn off by roughhousing with nieces and nephews for 40 minutes.

·         Dinner roll — 130 calories burn off by washing dishes for 30 minutes.

·         Cranberry sauce — 90 calories burn off by watching Sportscenter for 50 minutes.

SIGN TAKES THE HASSLE OUT OF TURKEY DAY

Does Thanksgiving and the annual onslaught of hungry friends and loved ones wear you out, physically and emotionally? Well, relax, because this year you can follow the Weekly World News’ handy zodiac guide and take the hassle out of turkey day:

·         Aries — Are multiple cooks in your kitchen driving you batty? Don’t throw them out, delegate all the chores and then enjoy watching them slave away while you relax.

·         Taurus — Turkey day traveling gets the Bull child down – this year let the relatives bring the feast to you – tell them a psychic foretold danger ahead if you leave home on Thanksgiving.

·         Gemini — Aunt Millie won’t sit next to mon and sister’s in the kitchen weeping because she thinks she’s fat? Invite a bunch of friends to join the festivities and your family will be on their best behavior.

·         Cancer — Sis’s brats are blasting the stereo and Grandma’s got the TV volume on high – it’s driving you batty. Tempted to flip the circuit breaker and claim the power’s out? Buy noise dampening earplugs and you’ll survive headache free.

·         Leo — House-proud Lions could be driven to drink by hyperactive youngsters. Here’s a hint – Plan activities to divert their attention from destroying your antiques and you’ll survive without mishap.

·         Virgo — Virgos are distraught when plans go awry, and this includes your relative’s chronic lateness. But tell them the feast starts an hour earlier than you plan and for once they’ll arrive on time.

·         Libra — Meddlesome relatives annoy privacy-loving Librans. Resist the urge to stuff a turkey leg in nosy Aunt Nellie’s mouth. Fake deafness instead, responding to questions with “Eh? Eh?”

·         Scorpio — Resist the temptation to stuff Uncle Milton down the disposal, or shove Cousin Billy Bob down the trash chute, Scorpion. Turn your annoyance on the pots and pans, retiring to the kitchen after dinner to scrub and polish your irritation away.

·         Sagittarius — Archers hate being cooped up with a bunch of annoying relatives. Organize a long walk for the crowd – you’ll enjoy the great outdoors and exhaust them so they’ll go home early.

·         Capricorn — Do you always get stuck at a skin full of dirty dishes while everyone else kicks back and relaxes? Announce that exposure to detergent makes you break out in hives – then cleanup’s on them.

·         Aquarius — Fretting over who brings what stresses you out – not to mention that half your relatives can’t cook. This year order a prepared feast from the deli.

·         Pisces — Peaceful Pisces dislikes arguments. When your relatives start quibbling pretend to faint – they’ll get so distracted the subject won’t come up again.

REDUCE HOLIDAY DATING STRESS

Great Expectations dating expert Robert Fisher offers these tips to help singles reduce the stress of holiday dating:

·         Stop, think and plan — Many professionals have an implementation calendar at work; they also need one for their personal lives as well. “Think in advance about the business, religious, community and neighborhood events that you’d like to attend, and start thinking now about which ones you’d like to bring a date to,” says Fisher.

·         Take time for a “reconnaissance date” — An important office or family holiday function is the wrong place for a first date. Schedule a “reconnaissance date” before the event. Fisher notes that even if it’s just a cup of coffee or lunch, a reconnaissance date gets the preliminary awkwardness out of the way and gets some chemistry going. This simple strategy can make all the difference before one is “on stage” in front of co-workers or family.

·         Hold your horses — It’s natural to do some “what if” thinking when meeting someone new, but remember to pull in the reins. “Although there’s no better time to arrive with the perfect partner, this is not the time to pin all of your hopes on meeting your dream mate,” cautions Fisher.

·         Go easy on the spirits — Holiday party drinking stories are almost as much a part of the seasonal lore as are Rudolph and Frosty the Snowman. “Go easy on the alcohol,” warns Fisher. “Adrenaline from nervousness or jitters can amplify alcohol’s effect. If you’re going to drink at a holiday party with your date, a good rule of thumb is to cut in half the amount you’d normally consume in a given period of time.”

10 RUDEST THINGS PEOPLE DO AT WORK

The Civility Initiative at Johns Hopkins University and the Jacob France Institute of the University of Baltimore surveyed employees and others in Baltimore to find out the worst examples of workday incivility. Here’s the top 10 most rude workplace behaviors:

1.      Discrimination in an employment situation.

2.      Erratic/aggressive driving to and from work that endangers others.

3.      Taking credit for someone else’s work.

4.      Treating service providers as inferiors.

5.      Jokes or remarks that mock another’s race/gender/age/disability/sexual preference or religion.

6.      Children who behave aggressively or who bully others.

7.      Littering (including trash, spitting, pet waste).

8.      Misuse of handicapped privileges.

9.      Smoking in non-smoking places or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking.

10.  Using cell phones or text messaging in mid-conversation or during an appointment or meeting.

The research also suggested that people are bothered more by the transgressions of co-workers and strangers than by those of family and friends. Phoner: What’s the rudest thing someone has done at your workplace?

TOP FIVE SIGNS YOUR TURKEY WAS USING STEROIDS

1.      Has also hit 762 home runs

2.      Those aren’t bowling pins, those are his drumsticks

3.      He could bench press 320 pounds with his giblets

4.      Had a hairy upper beak

5.      Pop-up timer shot out, wounded seven

TOP FIVE WORST LEFTOVER TURKEY RECIPES

1.      Turkey jam

2.      Dark meat popsicles

3.      Chocolate dipped drumsticks

4.      A Giblet Latte

5.      “What do you mean you didn’t stuff the turkey either” Surprise

TOP FIVE THINGS WE’D SAY DIFFERENTLY IF THE PILGRIMS WERE STILL IN CHARGE

1.      “Just doeth it”

2.      “Deal or Deal not”

3.      “The Joker must be shunned”

4.      “Verily, this is CNN”

5.      “Hast thou driven a Ford lately?”

Blogged with the Flock Browser

11.26.08

 SHOW PREP NOVEMBER 26, 2008

 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Beyoncé says her parents prepared her for the hard work of marriage. In an interview in the latest issue of Giant, the 27-year-old singer talks about getting hitched to Jay-Z. She says she doesn’t have a fantasy view of marriage. That’s because she’s seen her parents, Matthew and Tina Knowles, struggle but stick through it. Says Beyoncé: “My parents are tighter now than ever, but they’ve been through it all. There were times when they were together, times when they were apart. I learned that it’s a lot of hard work, that it’s more than a dress.” Beyoncé and Jay-Z married in a private ceremony earlier this year. (Daily Record)

 

Socialite Paris Hilton says she and ex Benji Madden may get back together despite announcing their split last week. Paris Hilton has hinted that she and Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden may not be broken up for long. The pair announced they’d split after nine months together last Wednesday but Paris has said they might get together. “Right now, we’re just taking a break,” she told American Idol host Ryan Seacrest’s LA radio show. “We’re really good friends. We’re very close. He’s such an amazing man. He’s my best friend. He’s been so great to me, so loyal. He is an incredible person, and we will always be really close. We’ll see what happens in the future. I’m still in love with him.” So clear as mud then. (Handbag)

 

Glamour model Katie Price has scotched rumors she is to split from husband Peter Andre. Katie Price has spoken out against rumors that she and Peter Andre are to split. “I laugh when people say we don’t get on. Of course we row. But we are best friends as well as partners. I don’t think we’d know what to do without each other,” she tells She magazine. “People think my life is all about work and partying. But my favorite times are when we’re all at home sitting in front of the telly or eating dinner together. We row, we fight, we laugh, and we call each other names. But we’re exactly alike.” (Handbag)

 

Britney Spears’ long-time manager has spoken about the pair’s close relationship. Britney Spears’ manager Larry Rudolph has spoken about the close relationship he shares with his charge. “I’ve known this girl for over half her life, since she was 13. We have a very close friendship, but it’s sort of hard for me to explain my relationship with her. It’s a friendship, it’s a business relationship, there are some paternal aspects to it,” he told the LA Times. “I love her. She’s been a big part of my life, and I’ve been a big part of her life. It hasn’t really been a rocky relationship. The reality is we stopped working together right around when she got married to Kevin because she wanted that. She didn’t want a career at that point. She wanted to have kids and take on a new phase of her life and she did. Then she decided it was time to pick herself up and move forward and I came back.” (Handbag)

 

Smile singer Lily Allen has admitted she is still receiving therapy to cope with losing a baby. Lily Allen is still receiving therapy to help her deal with her miscarriage. The singer and ex-boyfriend Ed Simons were said to be delighted when it was announced they were expecting a first child together at the turn of last year. But in January Lily miscarried, something she admits she’s still coming to terms with. “I was in a very, very dark place after the whole thing happened. That was the toughest thing I’ve had to go through in my life,” she explains to the Mirror before discussing her therapy. “He [her therapist] is really, really helping me. I feel it’s getting better and everything’s going to be OK.” (Handbag)

 

British heart-throb Robert Pattinson was forced to fix his teeth before filming new movie Twilight – because producers wanted him to have an alluring smile. The Harry Potter star was delighted to land the lead role in the new vampire tale, but admits he was less than impressed when movie officials pushed him into some major dental work before the shoot. He says, “They wanted me to have the perfect smile. I never thought anything was wrong with my teeth. But the producers still wanted me to wear a brace.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Rob Pattinson is the envy of Twilight book fans – author Stephenie Meyer gave him an unseen manuscript that details his Edward Cullen character. The hunky Brit wowed film fans at the weekend, taking the movie adaptation of Meyer’s cult book to the top of the U.S. box office, but he admits much of his success as a sullen vampire came from the author’s pre-filming gift. Meyer’s book is told from the perspective of her heroine, Bella Swann, and not her vampire boyfriend, Cullen. But the manuscript she gave Pattinson was all about his character. He tells Teen magazine, “(The movie) was hopefully more balanced. It definitely did not just come from Bella’s perspective – it was an equal relationship. “It (manuscript) was helpful for me – just the amount of violence that goes through his head, which isn’t in (the book) at all, but you can see Edward is completely nuts!” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Heidi Montag doesn’t usually play her cards close to the vest, but The Hills star didn’t even inform her dad about marrying boyfriend Spencer Pratt. “I would be upset if she got married and didn’t invite me!” Bill Montag told PEOPLE Monday after reports surfaced that his daughter had eloped with Pratt in Mexico last week. As for what to do now that the story appears true, “Then we just have to have another wedding here!” he said. On Monday, Montag told Perez Hilton that she and Pratt wed at the One & Only Palmilla Resort, just outside Cabo San Lucas. “The minute we said our vows, I couldn’t stop crying,” she said. Montag, 22, and Pratt, 25, have chronicled their off-again, on-again (for good this time!) romance on The Hills – including a season cliffhanger about whether or not they were really engaged. By starting a relationship with the slick Pratt, Heidi Montag ultimately set off the well-known feud with former BFF Lauren Conrad.  The couple is set to guest star on an episode of the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother in January. (The Hills is not currently in production.) (People)

 

Debra Messing still recalls the hurtful stories about her as she tried to lose her baby weight. “It was written about in the tabloids a lot,” the actress, 40, says of her post-baby body in the January issue of Shape magazine. “On one page it showed all the actresses who got skinny in six weeks or less, and on the other page was me! I was so depressed and frustrated.” The Will & Grace star, who gave birth to son Roman in 2004, first tried a physical trainer but the demanding workouts were too much. “I was exhausted! I couldn’t work out three hours a day and do my job as a mother and an actress. So I took the pressure off: I cut back on seeing the trainer but started eating healthier.” Three years and 42 pounds later, her pre-baby figure is back. “Ultimately I’m very proud of how I dropped the weight because I think it was the healthy approach,” Messing says. “I’ve finally taken ownership of my body.” Now that she looks so great, all she needs is a date. “I can’t tell you the last time I had a date with my husband,” she says. “My ideal date with Daniel would be a spectacular meal, maybe Italian, followed by dancing. That’s a New Year’s resolution I’m looking forward to.” (People)

 

Alex Rodriguez has his priorities – and they are not his children. The Yankee slugger, who ditched his wife of six years, Cynthia, after becoming besotted with Madonna, is a “soul-less” man who is “abandoning” his kids on Thanksgiving for his lover, according to what Cynthia is telling friends. “Access Hollywood” reports that Cynthia, who’s in the final stages of her divorce from A-Rod, wrote an e-mail to a confidant noting: “My 6-foot-3, 220-pound soul-less, soon-to-be ex-husband is abandoning his kids on Thanksgiving to be with Madonna . . . She called and he ran on her command back to New York City . . . Gross!” Instead of ushering in the holidays in Miami with his children, Natasha, 4, and Ella, 1 – A-Rod, 33, is hosting a dinner at his Manhattan apartment for Madonna, 50, and her kids, Lourdes, Rocco and David, and manager Guy Oseary. The friend of Cynthia said A-Rod’s furious ex described Madonna in “not so nice terms” in the e-mail. To add insult to injury, after Rodriguez left Miami at Madonna’s beck and call, his lawyer called Cynthia and wanted her to sign the couple’s divorce settlement. When Cynthia filed for divorce last summer, she cited irreconcilable differences and claimed her husband had an “affair of the heart” with Madonna. The sinewy pop siren claimed at the time she was still “happily married” to Guy Ritchie, but two months later she and Ritchie filed for divorce. Since then, Madonna and A-Rod have been inseparable. An insider told Page Six, “Alex likes a woman with a strong hand. He likes to be told what to do. He’s a bit of a cipher.” A rep for A-Rod declined to comment. (Page Six)

 

Stacey Bendet Eisner and her hubby, Eric Eisner, are new parents. Eloise Breckenridge Eisner weighed in at 9½ pounds yesterday morning, just hours after labor was induced. The alice + olivia designer, who spent the day before doing yoga and getting a pedicure, was supposed to deliver on Thanksgiving but got induced early because, “If I wait ’til a holiday no doctors will be around!” She and Eric – son of former Disney chief Michael – are looking for a townhouse in the West Village or TriBeCa. (Page Six)

 

JOEY Fatone is no fan of Kim Kardashian. The former “Dancing With the Stars” contestant was at the Borgata in Atlantic City for a private screening of the show this weekend. When asked who shouldn’t have been kicked off, Fatone told the crowd: “Toni Braxton for sure. But . . . it’s not just about dancing. It’s about personality, too. And that Kim Kardashian, ugh, she has no personality at all. It was painful to watch.” He also said former his former ‘NSYNC bandmate Lance Bass (now in the finals) “can’t point his toe for [bleep] . . . he had to have two Red Bulls before doing the jive.” (Page Six)

 

Holly Montag says she had “no idea” her sister Heidi had eloped with Spencer Pratt. “I had a plane ride here to Toronto. I get off the plane, and I have 40 texts and emails,” she said on MTV’s Hills after show on Monday night. “I knew they were down in Cabo, but I had no idea what was going on,” she said. “I never would’ve expected [a wedding]. “I am a little bit hurt,” she went on. “I want to hear what really happened. But whatever Heidi chooses, I support her. She’s my sister; I love her. I want her to be happy. Asked if she would’ve objected if she had attended the wedding, Holly said, “No, I wouldn’t. I mean, whatever Heidi chooses … she’s an adult. She’s a big girl and whatever makes her happy, I fully support.” Holly later said she called her mom, Darlene (who has clashed with Spencer in the past), the minute she heard the news. “She didn’t know, either, what was going on, and we were frantically calling [Heidi],” Holly said. “Everybody’s pretty upset.” Told that Heidi had wed on Thursday and let days go by without saying anything [the date was misreported; Heidi actually wed on Wednesday], Holly looked shocked. “What?” she replied before her eyes filled with tears. Holly said Heidi never talked about eloping before. “She’s very religious. She always wanted to have a big wedding in a church,” she said. “We talked abut being each other’s maids of honor.” Added Holly, “But whatever makes her happy.” Asked if she had anything to say to Heidi, Holly offered, “I would say I wish you the best and a lifetime of happiness, and I will always be there for you, and I love you.” For all the details on Pratt and Montag’s romantic wedding – including exclusive wedding photos – grab the newest issue of Us Weekly, on stands Wednesday. (US Weekly)

 

Proud papa Pete Wentz may not think that people “have the real story” about the genesis of the unusual moniker he and wife Ashlee Simpson-Wentz bestowed on their new baby boy. But when you throw an Alice in Wonderland-themed wedding, hold a Winnie the Pooh-themed baby shower and name your firstborn Bronx Mowgli, it’s probably safe to assume a love of Disney had something to do with it. “I feel weird—people have all these ideas of what it means now,” Wentz says of his offspring’s name during a phone call today to E! News’ Ryan Seacrest. “I think it’s kind of cool to leave the narrative the way it is. “People are stoked or pissed or whatever…I don’t think anybody knows the real story of why or how.” Not that they couldn’t hazard a fairly accurate guess. (Eonline)

 

It seems like Britney Spears is getting her life back together. But only because Jamie Spears is finally acting like a father! Which means that BritBrit is still acting like a kid. According to Rolling Stone, interviews are a “micromanaged process” and Britney is “never left alone.” Britters told the mag that she feels like “an old person” because she has a 9:30pm bedtime and doesn’t get to “go out or anything!” And when she does go out, it’s a chaperoned affair, with an assistant and her manager’s colleague. Imagine that at 27 with 2 kids! But we bet she wishes someone would chaperon FedEx, especially when he’s around the kids. Britney says her kids “are starting to learn words like ’stupid,’ and Preston says the f-word now sometimes. He doesn’t get it from us. He must get it from his daddy. I say it, but not around my kids.” (Perez Hilton)

 

President Bush just cut a break to convicted drug felon/rapper John Forte, allowing the so-called “Fourth Fugee” to get out of jail early — and it seems like he has Carly Simon to thank for it. Forte will walk out of Federal prison next month after serving half of the14-year sentence given to him when authorities found 31 pounds of coke on him at New Jersey’s Newark International Airport in 2000. But it turns out John met Carly’s son Ben through prep school pals — and we’re told she’s been lobbying several politicians “religiously” on Forte’s behalf, including Senators Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch. Forte was one of only 16 people given clemency by George W. Bush out of more than 2,000 who asked. (TMZ)

 

Troubled singer Amy Winehouse has admitted her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil is over. Amy Winehouse has publicly admitted her marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil is finished. “It’s over. There’s no way back for us now. It was never going to last. We were only together for sex,” she told the Sun. “I fancied him like mad, like no one else I’ve ever known. But it’s not enough, is it?” Apparently not. A friend of Amy says Blake, recently released from prison, has already moved on. “It’s a watershed for Amy. She’s been up and down for weeks but finally accepts the reality,” the source explains. “She still loves Blake on many levels but she sees there’s no future. She says he wants to be with Sophie, the model who made a play for him during his court appearances, mouthing ‘I love you’. Amy knows he’s been in touch with her and it’s almost like she thinks they’re welcome to each other. But she’s so furious she won’t let the girl’s name even be mentioned around her.” (Handbag)

 

Amy Winehouse’s spokesman says the troubled singer is being treated at a clinic following a reaction to medication. Chris Goodman says Winehouse was admitted to the London Clinic on Sunday. He declined to identify the medication that caused the reaction. The 25-year-old Grammy winner has a history of drug problems and has been in and out of hospitals this year. On Monday, a British court rejected an appeal by Winehouse’s husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, against his sentence for assault and obstructing justice. The judges urged him to continue making progress at a drug rehabilitation center. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Los Angeles socialite Kim Kardashian and her sports star boyfriend Reggie Bush are selling their cars for charity. Kardashian’s white Ranger Rover and Bush’s Mercedes Shark II custom car have been put up for bidding on website auction house eBay.com as part of a Kardashian family “closet cleaning”. Kardashian says, “A percentage of the proceeds from this and all my auctions will go to my favorite charity, the Dream Foundation, a really wonderful organization that grants wishes to terminally-ill adults. I volunteer for them and love the way they’re making a difference in the world… one person at a time.” The auction is a venture of the eBay Giving Works project. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Look out, Hugh Jackman. There’s mutiny afoot. The actor’s reign as Sexiest Man Alive has only just begun, and his Australia costar, Nicole Kidman, is already calling for a recount. “Keith is my sexiest man alive,” she says of her country-crooning hubby. “He is the man I love and everything is sexy about him.” The actress, 41, also credited her husband for her glowing skin and stunning figure (just four months after giving birth to daughter Sunday Rose). “It’s being in love,” she said, describing her beauty secret. “When you are in love, nothing else matters.” Kidman also said she’s relishing every minute of motherhood. “Holding her in my arms is a wonderful feeling,” the Oscar-winner, clad in a Dries Van Noten dress, told PEOPLE Monday at the New York City premiere of the Australian epic. “Also laying next to her and watching her sleep and breathe. It’s the best feeling ever.” As for Urban who is experiencing fatherhood for the first time, Kidman said he is already a pro. “He’s very loving and natural.” So, will little Sunday grow up to be a daddy’s girl? Kidman noted, “She already is.” (People)

 

The hottest Oscar after-party in town is back – only smaller. Vanity Fair says its annual Academy Awards party is returning for next year’s Oscar night on Feb. 22. The magazine’s 2008 bash was canceled in support of the Hollywood writers’ strike. The A-list soiree, which has boasted such guests as Madonna and Al Gore, will take place at West Hollywood’s Sunset Tower Hotel instead of its traditional home, the restaurant Morten’s. The magazine’s editor Graydon Carter says on VanityFair.com Tuesday that the bash “will be a much more intimate affair than in years past,” with a scaled back guest list. Given the state of the economy, Carter says the party will also recycle decor from past years. (Daily Record)

 

Martha Stewart is no snob. The caterer who turned herself into a conglomerate made friends at the Alderson, W. Va., federal prison, and she’s still in touch, she tells Fortune magazine: “Some of the women who became my friends while I was incarcerated have visited with me. There are some very interesting women there of great value to society, and I keep in contact with them. We have some broken systems in this country – one is the prison system.” (Page Six)

 

Either the recession is hitting even the fanciest Upper East Side schools, or John McEnroe has lost his cachet with tennis fans. At the annual benefit auction for the Trevor Day School, where McEnroe’s daughter is a student, a tennis lesson with the Hall of Fame legend usually draws bids of $20,000 or more. “But this year, the winning bid was $8,000,” said a source. The Trevor School told us, “This year, that item went for $10,000 and last year went for $12,000.” (Page Six)

 

Beyoncé says it wasn’t easy being in the delivery room when her younger sister Solange gave birth to a boy, Daniel, in 2004.”It kind of traumatized me,” she says on Tuesday’s Ellen DeGeneres Show. “I told my sister that. I said, ‘Please don’t have me in the room,’ and she said, ‘You have to – I’m your sister! Stop being so silly.’ “Well, I was right,” Beyoncé told DeGeneres. “I’m traumatized. “Still, the singer said, she “will” have a baby of her own.” A couple, maybe,” she added. Her husband Jay-Z would make a great dad.” He’s a great guy. He’s a cool guy,” she said. “He’s patient.” She added that “it feels great” being married. Saying “I Do!” is “different for everyone,” she said. In her case, she had been with the rapper for seven years.” I was really young. I’m only 27, so I was really young, and I feel like it’s important for women and men to have their goals and their own life before they can complete someone else,” she said. “So we took our time.” Jay-Z is even familiar with “Sasha Fierce,” but Beyoncé says her alter ego “stays on the stage” and doesn’t come out in day-to-day life.” People are like, ‘I don’t understand the Sasha Fierce thing.’ It’s for fun … and it gives me an excuse to blame anything really bad on Sasha Fierce.” Beyonce also talked about her infamous SNL sketch with Justin Timberlake.” I just can’t believe how hilarious he is!” she said. “I didn’t even know he would be there, and they asked me to do it, and I was like, ‘I don’t know.’ “And then they said, ‘Justin’s coming!’ and I’m like, ‘You’re lying! There is no way!’” she went on. “He showed up. He had his leotard and his pumps and his robe, and he opened it up … just letting it all hang out. I’m like, ‘OK, Justin…’Of Timberlake, she added, “Why are his legs more beautiful than any woman” (Us Weekly)

 

As PEOPLE’s newly crowned Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman has been inundated with congratulatory phone calls. But when a certain two-time winner got on the line, it was time for some hard-core hazing. “George Clooney rang me at two in the morning,” Jackman told PEOPLE Monday at the Australia premiere in New York City. “I was half asleep and I said to him, ‘Ah, George sweetie, good to hear from you.’ ” But this was not a courtesy call. “He goes, “Shut up, Jackman!’ ” the Aussie actor jokingly recounted. “[He said,]‘I know what you did! You started this big campaign that’s been going on and [you] took the title away from me.’ ” “I thought that was unnecessary,” Jackman deadpanned. The Wolverine star has also been getting a ribbing from his friends and family. “My old man traveled over with me and we landed in America … and all of sudden we were stopped at the airport and saw the Sexiest Man Alive magazine and everyone is talking about it,” the actor said. “My father found it really uncomfortable.” “[My dad] said to me, ‘I can’t really talk to you about being sexy. It’s a little weird,’ ” Jackman recalled. “Mind you, I’m still waiting for the birds and the bees pitch from him. That hasn’t happened either!” (People)

 

As we mentioned earlier this month, it was looking like Laura Bush would beat her husband in publishing a book. The first lady had reportedly been in talks with different publishers who were bidding on her memoir. Well, Mrs. Bush has just confirmed that the reports were true. She mentioned that she’s planning to write a memoir and that she’s already met with publishers. Adds the first lady, “I’ve been talking to some publishers, but nothing has happened yet — just a few visits.” Wonder what juicy secrets she’ll let out of the bag. (Perez Hilton)

 

A one-liner in the New York Post yesterday says Ann Coulter broke her jaw and had to have it wired shut. (TMZ)

 

Eleanor Rigby: fact or fiction? That question, which has bedeviled Beatles’ fans for decades, may be answered in part by a 1911 hospital payroll sheet to be auctioned in London on Thursday. The document, sent by Paul McCartney in 1990 to the director of a music charity who had asked for funding, contains the signature of a scullery maid named “E. Rigby” who worked in a Liverpool hospital. The director of the company auctioning the document believes the woman who signed the payroll is the same Eleanor Rigby buried in 1939 in a Liverpool graveyard next to the church where McCartney met the young John Lennon. “I’ve spoken to the person who lived in the house where she used to live, and they’ve confirmed that the signature is the same signature of the person in the graveyard,” said Tom Owen of the Fame Bureau auction house, adding that the finding may contradict McCartney’s longtime assertion that the song was based on a made-up character. “It’s intriguing that McCartney owned it because he says he created the song around a fictitious figure,” said Owen. “And yet, how did he have this document and why did he have it? When he was asked to donate money, he sent this.” Interest is so high it’s estimated the document may fetch $750,000. McCartney has said the song was not based on a real person but concedes he may have been subconsciously influenced by seeing the tombstone. When the auction was announced earlier this month, he released a statement reiterating that the character was not real. “If someone wants to spend money buying a document to prove that a fictitious character exists, that’s fine with me,” McCartney said. The payroll sheet was signed by “E. Rigby” after she collected her pay at Liverpool’s City Hospital. McCartney has not revealed how he got the document, or why he sent it to the charity 18 years ago. According to the tombstone, Eleanor Rigby was born in 1895. If she is the woman who signed the hospital payroll, she would have been about 16 at the time. She worked as a maid washing pots and pans in the hospital kitchen, the document says. The song “Eleanor Rigby,” released in 1966 as a single and on the Beatles’ “Revolver” album, represented a sharp break for the band, which until then had largely relied on cheerful tunes for their international hits. With its haunting refrain, “Ah, look at all the lonely people,” it is a devastating portrayal of an isolated woman whose death draws so little notice that no one attends her funeral. There are no rock ‘n’ roll guitars or drums on the somber track – McCartney’s lead vocal is backed by violins, violas and cellos arranged by Beatles producer George Martin. “It’s a Beatles song with no Beatles instruments,” said Glenn Gass, a rock historian who teaches a course on the Beatles at Indiana University. “It’s just so bleak and so sad: she picks up the rice at someone else’s wedding, the whole image of her wearing a face that she keeps in a jar by the door. There are things happening emotionally that you just can’t see. It’s not a pop song in any traditional sense, but it’s one of their great songs.” Lennon and George Harrison sing harmony; Ringo Starr does not play or sing, although Beatles experts say he contributed one line to the lyrics. “Eleanor Rigby” is credited to the Lennon-McCartney writing team, but it is widely regarded as primarily by McCartney. McCartney has said he considered naming the woman in the song “Daisy Hawkins.” He also mulled naming the unsympathetic priest “Father McCartney” but decided on “Father McKenzie” so his own father wouldn’t be burdened. The song has had so much impact that a statue honoring Eleanor Rigby – be she real or imagined – has been built in downtown Liverpool. Passers-by often place flowers there. Owen said “every penny” from the auction will go to Sunbeams Music Trust, a charity that provides music instruction to people with special needs. The charity’s founder, Annie Mawson, received the document from McCartney after writing him an 11-page letter seeking help for her foundation, which uses Beatles songs, among others, to teach music to people with physical and mental disabilities. She has found, for example, that autistic children respond well to Beatles music. “I told Paul McCartney how his music had helped so many vulnerable children,” she said. She hand-delivered the letter to McCartney’s London office in 1989 and received the hospital payroll document in the mail the following year. It was in an envelope carrying the logo of McCartney’s world tour, but did not contain any note. “I think my letter moved him, so he sent me this beautiful parchment document, a ledger, from 1911, showing E. Rigby,” Mawson said. “My head was whirling when I saw the significance.” Her plan is to use the proceeds from the auction to finally build a music instruction center in Cumbria, England, where the charity is based. “This is what I dreamt about in the ’90s,” she said, explaining that she held the document for years as the value of Beatles memorabilia soared. “It’s taken this long to develop the charity and get a good team behind it and now we really need a proper center.” (Daily Record)

 

President George W. Bush commuted the sentence of a former Fugees producer who has spent seven years in prison for cocaine possession with intent to distribute. That means John Forte will soon be freed after serving about half of his 14-year sentence. He was one of two men whose sentences for cocaine offenses were commuted Monday night, along with 14 pardons granted. Forte co-wrote and produced two songs on the Fugee’s 1996 album “The Score,” a Grammy-winning hit. As a rapper, he also released two albums himself, the second of which (“I, John”) included a duet with singer Carly Simon. Simon posted bail for Forte at the time of his arrest and had urged for his release. Messages left with her publicist were not immediately returned Tuesday. Forte was arrested at Newark International Airport in 2000, and later found guilty of possession of 31 pounds of liquid cocaine with the intent to distribute. Julie Stewart, president and founder of the advocacy group Families Against Mandatory Minimums, applauded Bush’s decision to commute the sentences of Forte and another man who had been imprisoned for 15 years. Stewart said sentences for many “low-level, first-time, nonviolent drug offenders” don’t fit the crime. Presidents often issue many pardons toward the end of their terms, though Bush has granted a total of 171 pardons and eight commutations. That’s fewer than half as many as either President Clinton or President Reagan issued during their two terms in office. (Daily Record)

 

A former TV newsman in Philadelphia who said he felt threatened by his co-anchor’s “rising star” was sentenced Monday to six months of house arrest after hacking into her e-mail and leaking gossip that contributed to her downfall. Larry Mendte, 51, admitted hacking into KYW-TV co-anchor Alycia Lane’s e-mail hundreds of times, both before and after the city’s CBS affiliate fired her in January. “I made my job too important,” Mendte said in court Monday. “In believing that I was protecting the well-being of my children and my family, I put them both in jeopardy.” He then apologized to Lane, who attended the sentencing. Lane had given a confidential victim-impact statement to the court but declined to comment after the hearing. Mendte escaped jail time but has suffered the loss of his career and reputation, U.S. District Judge Mary A. McLaughlin noted. He must serve six months of home confinement during three years of probation and must perform 250 hours of community service and pay a $5,000 fine. He had faced up to six months in prison under sentencing guidelines. The former “Access Hollywood” anchor described his early relationship with Lane as “flirtatious, unprofessional and improper” but said it soured after his wife, local Fox anchor Dawn Stensland, learned about it. The twice-divorced Lane, 36, vehemently denies any impropriety and has sued him for invasion of privacy and on other grounds. The pair anchored the evening newscasts on KYW from 2004 to January, when Lane was fired after a Dec. 16 arrest in New York following a late-night scuffle with police. The charges were later dropped as part of a pretrial diversion program. She has a wrongful-termination suit pending against KYW. Mendte leaked privileged e-mails about her criminal case to the press, and prosecutors say he is the only plausible source of damaging leaks concerning a swimsuit photo she sent a friend, married TV sports anchor Rich Eisen. Mendte was fired in June, after the FBI searched his home and office. “My role at the station was still being diminished when Alycia told me during an argument on the set that she (was) the rising star and that I was ‘50 and on my way out,’” Mendte said after his Aug. 22 plea to illegally accessing a protected computer. “I felt I was in trouble,” he continued. “My career, my future, my family’s future was in trouble. And, this is where I got into more trouble – federal trouble.” Mendte has two young children with Stensland and two older children from an earlier marriage. He earned $700,000 at KYW-TV, while Lane’s salary had zoomed past his to $780,000, according to her lawyer, Paul Rosen. The FBI began investigating Mendte in the spring, when a station employee stumbled upon a computer that was logged into Lane’s private e-mail account – nearly two months after she was fired. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Kanye West says he’s not concerned about whether his new album is a blockbuster, because he’s made “great art” – and he feels really good about it. West’s new CD, “808s & Heartbreak,” was released Monday. It’s a departure for the 31-year-old rapper because it mostly features him singing. West says he was ready to take a risk and he thinks it paid off. Says West: “You know people sometimes don’t understand great art when they first hear it, but I am very confident in it.  Whether it sells as much as the last one, or way more, I feel like I am just successful in doing something I felt really good about.” (Daily Record)

 

No Doubt have announced plans for a comeback tour next year. The Los Angeles band revealed their plans through an instant-message transcript on their official website, but gave no specific dates. The four-piece are also currently working on a new record, their first since 2001’s Rock Steady. (Daily Record)

 

The Jonas Brothers keep going…and going…and going. Fresh from the American Music Awards, where they were named Favorite Breakthrough Artist and performed “Tonight”, the trio capped off the festivities with a free three-hour 24-song concert at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip. They decided to put together the gig at the last minute on Saturday, their rep tells me. After promoting it on the radio and their MySpace page, about 1,000 fans were already lined up several hours before Kevin, Joe and Nick even arrived. And the fans got more than just the trio performing all of their hit songs. Read on for all the details… They covered John Mayer’s “Gravity,” Tom Petty’s “Freefallin’” and Bob Marley’s “Waiting in Vain.” They even covered their hip-hop hero Kanye West’s “Heartless.” Then there were the surprise guests. Their Camp Rock costar Demi Lovato jumped on stage to sing some of her singles with the brothers and also John Mayer’s “Daughters.” Jordin Sparks was a showstopper when she joined them for Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition.” Jesse McCartney was also a performer with his hit, “Leavin’.” The most interesting pairing? The JoBros and Dan Aykroyd covering the 1956 Bo Diddley hit “Who Do You Love?” The show ended shortly after midnight with all the performers back on stage for the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.” (Daily Record)

 

Paul McCartney says negotiations on a long-awaited deal to make the Beatles’ catalog available on the online music service iTunes have stalled. “The last word I got back was it’s stalled at the whole moment, the whole process,” the former Beatle said Monday. “I really hope it will happen because I think it should.” McCartney, who was speaking at the launch of his new album, Electric Arguments, added: “It’s between EMI and the Beatles, I think.” The band’s holding company, Apple Corps Ltd., has so far declined to allow the Fab Four’s music on any Internet music service, including iTunes. The situation has been exacerbated by a long-running trademark dispute between Apple Corps and Apple Inc., which owns iTunes – a dispute that was resolved last year. Record label EMI, which owns the Beatles recordings but needs Apple Corps’ permission to release the music in new formats, said it was still trying to resolve the matter. An EMI spokeswoman said: “We have been working hard to secure agreement with Apple Corps. to make the Beatles’ legendary recording catalog available to fans in digital form. Unfortunately the various parties involved have been unable to reach agreement but we really hope everyone can make progress soon.” The spokeswoman spoke on condition of anonymity in line with company policy. Apple Inc. was not immediately available for comment. (Daily Record)

 

Although a long holiday weekend is right around the corner, Britney Spears is getting to work promoting her upcoming album, Circus, in Europe. The singer boarded a flight from Los Angeles to Frankfurt, Germany on Monday for several appearances in support of the album, which is scheduled to be released Dec. 2. Spears is traveling with several close associates and family members, including her father, Jamie, and manager Larry Rudolph. According to an eyewitness, the singer – dressed in a brown fedora, black sweatpants and a pink top – jumped out of her white Cadillac Escalade smiling and holding her dad’s hand at the airport. After a short time in Germany, Spears is expected to appear on the French program, Star Academy, and on Simon Cowell’s X Factor in England before returning to the U.S. next week. She is scheduled to go on a worldwide tour in the spring of next year. Spears’s candid new MTV documentary, Britney: For the Record, airs Nov. 30. (People)

 

The more music we listen to these days, the more we catch ourselves saying: ‘Hey, this sounds like (insert older song/band here).’ Sure, being influenced by something or even covering a song is all fine and dandy, but lately, it just feels like there’s been a massive spate of songs that are clearly — and often, blatantly — ripped-off from other tunes. Say, for example, Hilary Duff’s new tune. On ‘Reach Out,’ Duff doesn’t exactly pay homage to the Depeche Mode classic ‘Personal Jesus’ as much as she completely reworks and samples the song without trying to cover it. She even names the song after a lyric in the chorus (“reach out and touch faith,” Mode sang). Back when the single dropped, we polled PopEater readers about whether or not they dug Duff’s new, borrowed sound. It was a 50-50 split straight down the middle. A staggering 42% of voters also said that while totally “unoriginal,” jacking songs is fine by them. To her credit, Ms. Duff isn’t the first young’un to take royalties with an older tune in recent days. Rihanna’s smash single ‘S.O.S.’ is a clear (and properly credited) spin on Soft Cell’s ‘Tainted Love.’ Avril Lavigne’s massive hit ‘Girlfriend’ landed the Canadian mall-punker in court after The Rubinoos sued her for copyright infringement. Turns out, Lavigne’s chorus sounds exactly like their 1977 track ‘I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.’ Today’s pop stars aren’t the only musicians taking heat for snagging rhythms, melodies and chord progressions (Fun fact: the latter of which isn’t copyrightable). The biggest punk band of the last 15 years, Green Day, have gained a reputation for taking liberty with other people’s tunes. Some of the biggest hits of rock and rap (which often uses sampling … not the same as what we’re describing here) the last 20 years in the world have sounded curiously like other songs we love. Vanilla Ice’s ‘Ice, Ice Baby’ infamously heists David Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure’ beat (though Ice claims there’s an additional note, making the stolen song argument null and void), while even The Strokes’ rock debut single ‘Last Night’ bears a striking resemblance to the opening of Tom Petty’s ‘American Girl.’ Hear for yourself below, with a massive gathering of side-by-side songs. (Popeater)

 

Some of the biggest names in music are contributing exclusive songs to RED(WIRE), a new digital music magazine launching on World AIDS Day (Dec. 1). U2, Coldplay, the Killers, the Dixie Chicks, John Legend, R.E.M. and Bob Dylan are on board for the initiative, which is an outgrowth of the Bono-reared activist organization (RED). All proceeds from subscriptions will benefit HIV-infected people in Africa; MSN.com will host a kick-off party on Dec. 1. For $5, users will receive a new issue of RED(WIRE) every Wednesday, featuring an exclusive song from a major artist, a song from an artist (RED) aims to showcase, a multimedia piece that could encompass video or photography and a look at how proceeds are directly benefiting Africans in need. The materials will be downloaded to a custom player and automatically loaded into iTunes. Users can send two free issues to friends, and will be rewarded if they join RED(WIRE). “Artists are already saying, ‘I want to give you a track for those people who brought friends in,’” (RED)WIRE founder Don MacKinnon tells Billboard.com. “That’s the biggest idea: using social networking to actually change the world in a unique way.” U2’s track was recorded just last Wednesday, while the Killers, Elton John and the Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant teamed up for the Christmas song “Joseph, Better You Than Me,” which MacKinnon describes as “like a power ballad.” This is the third year in a row the Killers have penned a holiday song and donated proceeds to (RED). Meanwhile, John Legend’s take on Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” finds him eschewing piano for a stripped-down arrangement with guitar, bass and backing vocalists, according to MacKinnon. Also coming is the first new Dixie Chicks song since the group’s Grammy sweep in 2007, “Lucky One,” and Elvis Costello and the Police jamming on “Watching the Detectives” and “Walking From the Moon,” tape during Costello’s new Sundance Channel show “Spectacle.” Additional (RED)WIRE offerings will be announced in the coming weeks. MacKinnon is particularly enthused about the creative directions open to (RED)WIRE, especially with such high-profile artist participation. “I had a meeting with Jay-Z, and he wants to talk about artists to be featured in that spotlight slot,” he says. “Big artists may curate an issue. The whole goal was to create a creative platform. When somebody says, ‘I do all this photography and I want to put it in as an extra,’ That’s when I go, this is going to be really cool.”  (Billboard)

 

An eminent Russian conductor has pulled out of a series of concerts with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, saying he felt insulted by the way his appearances were marketed. The Boston Globe reported that Gennady Rozhdestvensky (geh-NAH-dee rahzh-DYEST-vehn-skee) left town on Saturday, fuming over the disrespect he said the BSO showed him. The 77-year-old maestro was scheduled to conduct four concerts, starting Thursday and running through Tuesday. Rozhdestvensky said the trouble started when he noticed the week’s soloist, cellist Lynn Harrell, got top billing on a promotional poster. He later learned the BSO’s season brochure didn’t list him in its “Distinguished Conductors” section, mentioning him only in connection with Harrell. The BSO’s managing director, Mark Volpe, said the orchestra greatly admires Rozhdestvensky and regrets he canceled his concerts. (Daily Record)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Maurice Kanbar is making “The Scene.” “Hoodwinked” producer Kanbar Entertainment is financing the indie black comedy with its star and producer, Daphne Zuniga. “Gossip” screenwriter Theresa Rebeck adapted the script from her play, a vicious satire of the Manhattan party circuit and entertainment industry. Zuniga will play a cynical TV talk show producer who encounters a chameleon-like social climber (Heather Gordon). Stephen Barker Turner and David Wilson Barnes round out the cast. Director Amy Glazer is producing the low-budget feature with Lynn Webb, Ned Kopp and Zuniga, shooting on sets built in Kanbar’s San Francisco home. Glazer and Zuniga collaborated this year during the play’s West Coast premiere in San Francisco. Jonathan Baruch of Rain Management Group, which reps Zuniga with BRS Agency, is co-producer. The CAA-repped Rebeck is no stranger to the scene she sends up, having been a New York-based producer-writer on such hits as “NYPD Blue” and “Law & Order: Criminal Intent.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Paul Schrader is taking a taxi to Bollywood. Saying he feels the U.S. film market has become “barren,” the writer of classics “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull” is packing his bags for Mumbai to write and direct the Bollywood action movie “Extreme City.” “I’ve been getting indie movies made for 20 years,” he said. “But I take a good look around and what I see is a barren, barren place — in terms of the financial community, in terms of audiences, in terms of distribution. It’s cold out there.”  In India, on the other hand, he says there are ways to gain both creative freedom and audiences. “City” is a cross-cultural tale that will center on an American man who travels to India to help resolve a kidnapping case for his father-in-law, only to get caught up in a gangster plot. There likely will be some musical numbers, and dialogue will be spoken in English and Hindi. Schrader is working on the script. While the story combines various elements, it’s “not a Masala movie,” Schrader said, referring to the term for a kitchen-sink Bollywood film that tosses in action, romance, family drama and other genres in one big stew. “City” will be produced by Anubhav Sinha, the noted Indian director (he most recently directed the Bollywood action movie “Cash”) who is looking to grow his producing slate and evolve from a more action orientation. Schrader and Sinha are in talks with a number of Bollywood stars; the movie could get greenlighted at a bigger Bollywood studio or go the indie route. Schrader, who made his name as a writer on classics like “Raging Bull” and as a writer-director on Oscar winner “Affliction,” is the latest film figure seeking to build a bridge to India. One of the fall’s nascent hits is “Slumdog Millionaire,” Danny Boyle’s romantic-action tale set in India. Indie director Jennifer Lynch is making the India-set mystery “Hisss.” Will Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment has a deal with Indian entertainment company UTV to produce two movies. And DreamWorks is, of course, now financed by India-based Reliance Big Entertainment. Still, Schrader is the first major contemporary U.S. writer or director to migrate to Bollywood, a trend he said could continue given the trajectory of both film cultures. “Old Bollywood will never go away,” he said, “but it’s changing. Movies can be shorter than two hours. There doesn’t need to be singing and dancing.” Schrader is promoting “Adam Resurrected,” a Holocaust drama starring Jeff Goldblum that he directed about a German-Jewish performer who survives the war by performing for a Nazi commander. “At first I thought, ‘The world has a lot of Holocaust movies. It doesn’t need one from Paul Schrader.’ But I started to read the script and got 65 pages in and thought, ‘I need to do this.’ It’s such an original story.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

The rebirth of the gay rights movement and the battle over legalizing same-sex marriage will be the focus of the new indie documentary “A Non-Issue?” The doc will follow Dr. John Corvino, a philosopher, lecturer and author of “The Gay Moralist,” as he crisscrosses the nation engaging and debating those most against gay marriage. Personal stories will be showcased.  Robert Zimmer Jr. (“Half-Life”), Matthew Mishory (“Fellowship of the Dice”) and Michael Einheuser (“InZer0″) are producing. Mishory is directing as well. “Existing illusions that 2008 America is a ‘post-gay’ society, that sexual orientation is a ‘non-issue,’ that the culture war is over — were immediately vanquished,” the producers said of the recent passage of Proposition 8 in California, which bans same-sex marriage. “The filmmakers believe the time to speak is now.” Production is set to start next year, with high-definition lensing from cinematographer Rachel Morrison. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Warning. Marley & Me this ain’t. Yes, Wendy and Lucy does feature a cute Lab (the Lucy in the title) much like the one in the upcoming Jennifer Aniston flick, but that’s pretty much where the similarities begin and end between that silly-antics-filled romp and this more serious, seemingly depressing, indie starring Michelle Williams. In the trailer, we follow Michelle’s rather morose (actually, make that very morose) Wendy, who, while trying to make her way to Alaska, encounters trouble every step of the way—trouble with her car, trouble with the law, trouble with her family and, ugh, even trouble with her dog. Not to mention having to interact with some creepy dude with icky teeth. So what do you think? Are you up for a downer, or is dinner with the in-laws this holiday season gonna be torture enough? (Eonline)

 

The reviews are in and the critics have spoken: Nicole Kidman can’t act her way out of a soggy paper bag. Baz Luhrman’s epic Australia apparently has all the fixings for a spectacular tourism commercial – except for one thing: its star. As one reviewer brilliantly put it, Kidman “drifts around films like a lost porcelain doll, looking frozen, brittle and vapid, staring at the camera with her oh-golly-look-how-I’m-looking-interesting blue eyes” and is “exquisitely accomplished at being awful.” In short, she is “the kiss of death in practically every movie she has starred in.” Crikey! (Perez Hilton)

 

With its muscular $70 million opening weekend despite scant appeal for guys, “Twilight” has redefined expectations for the chick flick. While offering some high-flying vampire battles, its main action centers on the developing romance between two teens played by relative unknowns Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson. Women and girls made up more than 75 percent of the film’s opening-weekend audience, according to Fandango.com, which sells tickets and conducts surveys about recent releases. With the movie’s stellar opening weekend – it trounced the celebrated $55.7 million opening of “Sex and the City” – studios ought to take notice of women’s continued ticket-buying power, said Paul Dergarabedian of box-office tracking firm Media By Numbers. “The word ‘chick flick’ is going to have to be replaced by big box-office girl-power flick,” he said. “The box-office clout of the female audience is just astounding, and it’s been an underserved audience for way too long. … They have no trouble finding money for the things they’re passionate about.” Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines chick flick as “a motion picture intended to appeal especially to women.” But “Twilight” is no lightweight date movie – instead, it’s a real-girl’s chick flick, where a normal-looking teenager finds romance with a modern (if undead) Prince Charming. “It’s the most insanely romantic film since ‘The Notebook,’” said Harry Medved, a spokesman for Fandango.com, who described Pattinson’s Edward Cullen as “the ideal boyfriend. … He’s incredibly strong, superfast, impossibly handsome, he plays the piano and all he cares about is what’s on her mind.” Here’s a look at some of the top-grossing chick flicks in recent years: (Daily Record)

- “Sex and the City” (2008) earned $55.7 million its opening weekend and more than $150 million to date. Easily the biggest chick flick until now, it had something going for it that “Twilight” did not: at least some crossover appeal with men who were fans of the long-running TV series.

- “High School Musical 3″ (2008) had a $42 million opening weekend and has already earned $84 million just one month after its release. This successful Disney franchise has more tween appeal than a standard chick flick.

- “Enchanted” (2007) opened with $34.4 million and went on to earn more than $127 million. Disney mixed music, princesses and Dr. McDreamy for big box-office success.

- “Titanic” (1997) opened to $28.6 million in ticket sales and $600.8 million to date, making it the highest-grossing film of all time. Women got steamy romance, men got spectacular disaster action. Both saw it several times and probably bought it on DVD.

- “Mamma Mia!” (2008) opened with $27.6 million and has topped $142 million. Based on the popular musical inspired by Abba’s hits, it had a built-in audience with fans of both live theater and the Swedish supergroup.

- “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) collected $27.5 million its opening weekend and more than $124 million to date. Great performances and Oscar nominations (for costume design and star Meryl Streep) likely boosted this film, which also appealed to men with its sendup of the fashion and publishing industries.

- “The Princess Diaries” (2001) earned $22.8 million its opening weekend and eventually grossed over $108 million. Disney plus princesses equals success (see “Enchanted”).

 

 

MOVIE REVIEW:  “Four Christmases”

 

The size difference between Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon isn’t the only thing keeping them apart in “Four Christmases.” His signature rat-a-tat overconfidence and her pleasing girl-next-door perkiness turns out to be an awkward mix. Individually likable, Vaughn and Witherspoon never really seem to mesh as a couple. That’s a problem, since we’re meant to root for them to stick together. It doesn’t help that they’re saddled with hackneyed holiday gags: wacky relatives making inappropriate remarks, decorations that cause severe bodily harm, obnoxious kids, uncomfortable gift exchanges. And “Four Christmases” began with some promise, too. Vaughn’s Brad and Witherspoon’s Kate are a happily unmarried couple sharing a coolly industrial-chic house in San Francisco. They like to keep things lively by role-playing at bars, as they do in the film’s amusingly naughty opening, and they lie to their families about doing charity work each year to avoid seeing them during the holidays. So far, so good. Then, when they’re caught live on the news getting stuck at the airport on the way to Fiji, they get roped into seeing both sets of parents, who are divorced, hence Brad and Kate’s own apprehension about walking down the aisle. And so they must celebrate – let’s all say it together – four Christmases. The visiting begins in painfully broad fashion with Brad’s family, all white-trash stereotypes led by Robert Duvall. (Vaughn’s longtime friend and collaborator, a freakishly muscular Jon Favreau, and Tim McGraw play his ultimate-fighter brothers.) The noisy joylessness of this segment sets the tone for the whole movie, and it makes you wonder how it’s possible that it took four screenwriters to come up with this stuff. Next, they’re off to see Kate’s mom (Mary Steenburgen), who’s found the Lord now that she’s involved with a rock-star preacher (Dwight Yoakam, underused). Kristin Chenoweth plays her smugly married-with-children older sister in a perfect bit of casting; it’s amazing she and Witherspoon never shared the screen before. It’s also amazing that, after dating for three years, neither Kate nor Brad has met the other’s family until now. The third stop is at Brad’s mom’s house, and speaking of a complete waste of talent, Sissy Spacek gets to do little but beam benignly as a rich Marin County hippie. Finally, they end up at the upscale home of Kate’s father (Jon Voight), but by then the couple’s relationship is hanging by a thread. After attempting to offend us in every imaginable way, “Four Christmases” has the chutzpah to try tugging at our hearts, with a half-baked conflict about Kate’s sudden desire to get married and start a family – as if any of their hideous visits would inspire such an instinct. Vaughn makes the movie tolerable here and there, but this kind of slapsticky physical comedy doesn’t suit Witherspoon at all. Director Seth Gordon, making his feature debut following the critically acclaimed documentary “The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters,” fails to make optimal use of the qualities that make this bright actress shine. It isn’t funny when a baby spits up on her the first time; then again, it would be a lame joke regardless of who was covered in yack. “Four Christmases,” a New Line Cinema release, is rated PG-13 for some sexual humor and language. Running time: 88 minutes. One and a half stars out of four. (Daily Record)

 

 

TV . . .

 

When this 12-year-old talks, millions of preschoolers around the world listen. All Caitlin Sanchez needs to say is “Swiper, no swiping!” Or to summon the powers of her magical backpack.

Sanchez is the new voice of “Dora the Explorer,” one of the world’s most popular cartoons for preschoolers. She has always enjoyed music and acting, but never expected to be talking to Boots the Monkey, Swiper the Fox, The Map and other characters who appear regularly on Dora’s cartoon adventures. “When my mother called me on the phone and told me I got (the part), I really didn’t believe it at first,” Sanchez said. It’s the first cast change in Dora’s voice since the Nickelodeon cable show debuted in 2000 (the original voice of Dora, Kathleen Herles, is now 17 and in college). The show is broadcast worldwide and translated in 24 languages, entertaining millions of preschoolers. On the show, the 7-year-old Latina heroine and her band of animal friends take their audience along on their quests in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rain forests. During their travels, they ask their audience to help them solve the various problems they encounter. Sanchez, who has been acting professionally for nearly five years, does the English- and Spanish-speaking parts for Dora on the new season of shows being broadcast in the United States. She has long been a fan of “Dora,” and feels honored to be a part of the show. “Dora really is an international icon to preschoolers and a really good role model, so it’s neat to see how she has spread across the globe and become so popular,” said Sanchez. “One of my friends went to Ireland, and she brought back a Dora book in Gaelic … I love being part of this (show).” Getting the role wasn’t an easy task for Sanchez, a Fairview resident who is the oldest of three children in what she describes as “a very musical” family. “I was kind of nervous about trying out and everything, but I believe you should be confident in everything you do and if you follow your dreams and be positive, you can do anything you want to do,” she said. “I was real excited to get it, and it has been a lot of fun. This show really helps kids learn.” She soon learned that doing voiceover work isn’t a simple task. “With each script, you’re saying the lines and doing the songs a lot of times – they want me to use different inflections, to do things in different ways so they can decide what they like best,” she said. In this season’s shows, Dora meets friends from different cultural backgrounds (French, Mayan, Guatemalan, German and more) who teach her special skills. Dora also uses more math to help solve problems, and she also will teach multiword phrases in Spanish. Sanchez, a self-taught musician who loves to play jazz piano, sees her work on “Dora” as another step toward reaching her dreams. For now, that includes attending a prestigious school such as The Juilliard School, though she realized she might change her mind. “I know I can be anything I want, and my parents have always encouraged me to be the best I can be and to enjoy myself, so that’s what I try to do,” she said. (Daily Record)

 

First lady Laura Bush says she has loved living in the White House. Now, as she and President George W. Bush prepare to leave after eight years, she is hosting a History channel special, “The White House: Behind Closed Doors.” Premiering Wednesday at 9 p.m. EST, this 90-minute documentary is a combination inside look, history lesson and parting gift from a grateful resident. “I’m very proud of how beautiful the White House is,” Mrs. Bush said during a phone call Tuesday from the upstairs living quarters. She said she’s proud, too, of the White House staff – “all the people who work here, who’ve worked here for many presidents. This was a way for me to pay tribute to them as well; to thank them, here at the end of our time.” Masterminded by George Washington (the only president who never got to live there), the White House was first occupied by John Adams in 1800, and since then has been the official residence of 40-and-counting chief executives. It’s a bustling place of business, and a unique museum. It’s also an inspiring symbol of national endurance. As with the United States itself, the White House has faced many challenges – as early as 1814, when British troops set it ablaze. It was reduced to a charred shell. But within a few years, the White House was rebuilt. “I think it’s encouraging to get to live here,” Mrs. Bush said. The program takes viewers into the Oval Office, the East Room and the State Dining Room, as preparations are abuzz for an official state visit. Cameras venture into the kitchen and the tiny pastry shop to catch behind-the-scenes action. In the Green Room, Mrs. Bush offers a delightful fact about the third president, Thomas Jefferson. It was in the Green Room that he enjoyed eating his dinner – with a color-appropriate green canvas cloth to catch any spills. Mrs. Bush displays a wealth of knowledge about White House history and lore. “I’ve studied it a lot,” she said, “and, of course, I picked up a lot of information along the way.” Her initiative in restoration efforts gave her a crash course, too. “As we worked on each of the different rooms, like the Lincoln Bedroom, for instance, I really learned a lot about that room.” Mrs. Bush shares with her audience the seldom-photographed Lincoln Bedroom, as well as the Treaty Room, used by President Bush as his private office, which was refurnished with pieces from the era of Ulysses Grant. At first, Mrs. Bush voiced misgivings to her husband, telling him, “I’m not so wild about Victorian furniture,” but he was sold on it. “He said, ‘Oh, no, I want to have Grant’s furniture in my office!’” Mrs. Bush said she first visited the White House upon the 1989 inauguration of her father-in-law, George H.W. Bush. She said she initially was struck not only by its beauty, but by an unexpected coziness. “It’s grand, but it’s not huge,” she said. “It’s much more human scale than many other homes of leaders, and I like that because I think that fits with our country.” In less than two months, the White House will be home to President-elect Barack Obama and his family, at which point the Bushes will move to Dallas. She expects to carry with her a range of emotions. “There’s happy anticipation of another house and another life – ‘afterlife,’ as I’m calling it,” she said. “On the other hand, it’s bittersweet. I don’t think you ever get over your awe of the White House.” (Daily Record)

 

The CW network says it’s replacing its Sunday night lineup with movies and reruns of series including “Jericho” and “Everybody Hates Chris.” The network Monday announced the cancellation of “In Harm’s Way,” “4 Real,” “Valentine” and “Easy Money,” a programming block created by independent studio Media Rights Capital. CW had made a deal with the company this season to schedule Sunday nights, but the new shows were drawing dismal ratings. The revamped lineup, which begins Sunday, also will include repeats of “The Game” and “The Drew Carey Show” and films from the MGM library including “The Cutting Edge,” “Revenge of the Pink Panther,” “Spaceballs” and “Carrie.” (Daily Record)

 

MTV is throwing an inaugural ball for President-elect Barack Obama. The network announced Tuesday that it will host the “Be the Change Inaugural Ball” at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington on Jan. 20. The event will be televised live across MTV’s many channels and platforms, including MTV and MTV.com. The Viacom Inc.-owned network said the event will feature leading artists, celebrities and government officials. To celebrate the large youth voter turnout in the election, hundreds of young people will be chosen to attend based on their demonstrated volunteerism. MTV’s announcement comes as a host of organizations are planning inaugural balls in Washington, where more than a million people are expected to be drawn to the nation’s capital for the occasion. (Daily Record)

 

Already engaged in deep soul searching following a dismal fall TV season and flatlining ad market, broadcast networks are facing another blow: a potential SAG strike early next year. SAG’s decision during the weekend to seek a strike authorization from its membership following the breakdown of its negotiations with AMPTP has shifted the once-remote possibility of a SAG walkout much closer to reality. While its effect would not be as far reaching as this year’s strike by the WGA — a SAG walkout would only affect scripted primetime fare — it would derail the broadcast season for a second straight year, this time in the midst of a severe economic crisis. “Everyone is praying that it won’t happen, but the reality starts to sink in that there may be a strike,” one TV studio exec said. On Monday, TV executives who normally would be embarking on a Thanksgiving vacation were working on contingencies. For now, there are no plans to cancel or shorten the primetime series’ holiday hiatuses, scheduled for the last two weeks of December, in order to get more episodes in the can. The bulk of primetime scripted series will have 60%-75% of their episodes completed before they stop for a holiday break and as many as five unaired episodes in various stages of postproduction.  Things look better for such returning midseason series as WGA strike casualty “24″ and comedies “Rules of Engagement” and “According to Jim,” which will have completed their orders by the end of the year. “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf, in New York to receive the Founders Award at the International Emmys, said it’s “unbelievable” that SAG could be moving toward a strike. “It’s so out of touch with reality,” he said. “Strikes very rarely accomplish what they set out to do, and it is a different situation than the ’40s and ’50s, when certain things had to be achieved.” Unlike the WGA strike, which crippled every primetime scripted series as well as daytime dramas and late-night talk shows, a SAG strike would only impact primetime series. Soaps and variety shows are under AFTRA’s jurisdiction. Still, the late-night guest bookings would be thinner since SAG members likely would not participate. A SAG strike also could further cable’s momentum. The cablers gained ratings ground this year because their series are produced in smaller batches throughout the year and thus were far less affected than those of the broadcast networks. The discrepancy in terms of impact would be even greater this time, as the vast majority of scripted cable series are AFTRA affiliated and won’t be affected at all. About eight broadcast series are under AFTRA, with five of them freshman shows: “90210,” “Gary Unmarried” and the upcoming “Better Off Ted,” “The Unusuals” and “Harper’s Island.” While the transition from film to digital has been slowly increasing AFTRA’s piece of the primetime pie, the shift has been more profound this year, which some observers attribute in part to the threat of a SAG strike. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Former ABC News “Nightline” anchor Ted Koppel and Discovery Communications are parting ways. Discovery said Tuesday that Koppel, who joined Discovery Channel in January 2006 as managing editor, agreed to terminate his documentary group’s three-year contract ahead of schedule “under terms that both sides found acceptable.” The original agreement for Koppel, his executive producer Tom Bettag and the eight other members of the staff that had left “Nightline” to go to Discovery would have ended in May 2009. Koppel’s departure from Discovery had been long rumored, as the deal was left over from former president Billy Campbell’s tenure at the channel. Koppel told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this year that it was unlikely that he would continue at Discovery, and in a statement Tuesday, he repeated that. “It has long been clear that neither of us is interested in an extension of the current contract,” Koppel said. Discovery, which under CEO David Zaslav and Discovery Networks chief John Ford, has been taking a new direction. The critically acclaimed documentaries that Koppel and his team made were not in line with that direction. “They’ve been awfully good to us, and we’ve been able to do exactly what we wanted to do and have been very happy doing it,” Koppel told The Hollywood Reporter earlier this summer. “But are we of the same mold as ‘Mythbusters’ and ‘Dirty Jobs’? Not really. It’s a bit of a strange fit. And I’m not sure if it’s going to go beyond this contract.” During their time at Discovery, Koppel and his team have done 15 hours of programming including a four-hour series on China and also documentaries on prisons, Iran and a town-hall meeting about living with cancer that featured his former executive producer, Leroy Sievers, who later passed away. As for his plans, Koppel does commentaries for National Public Radio and also works for BBC World News from Washington. He’s been rumored to be a long-shot candidate for the position of moderator of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” although he told The Hollywood Reporter that he wasn’t the right person for the job. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

CBS might be adding a companion guy rule book to Barney Stinson’s Bro Code. The network is developing “Things a Man Should Never Do Past 30,” a single-camera comedy from executive producer/director Barry Sonnenfeld, the Tannenbaum Co. and Sony Pictures TV. The project is inspired by Esquire contributing editor David Katz’s humorous book penned as a list of 500 rules of what a man shouldn’t do once he turns 30. A few examples: “See any movie with elves, mutants, Wookiees or other nonhuman characters on opening night”; “Figure out which dirty words are spelled by phone number”; “High five in a business situation”; “Have any furniture that involves cinder blocks”; and “Google ex-girlfriends.” The CBS project mostly is based on the personal experiences of Katz and Esquire editor at large A.J. Jacobs. “The show is about a guy working at men’s magazine who is reluctant to embrace adulthood and his friend who is an immersion journalist,” said Katz, who is penning “Things” with Jacobs, an immersion journalist. Although set at a men’s magazine, “Things” will not be a workplace comedy, Katz said. In their first TV writing effort, Katz and Jacobs are being supervised by veteran comedy writer-producer Al Higgins (“Malcolm in the Middle”), who also is set to serve as showrunner if the project is picked up. In addition to executive producing, Sonnenfeld — hot off his Emmy win for helming the pilot of ABC’s “Pushing Daisies” — is on board to direct the potential pilot. “I thought it was a great idea for a show about modern-day men and women dating and trying to grow up and commit while at the same time surrounded by many reasons why not to grow up,” Sonnenfeld said. Katz and Jacobs are repped by ICM. Sonnenfeld is repped by WMA. Higgins is with CAA. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

While speaking on a panel at a screenwriting expo earlier this month, Heroes creator Tim Kring called those show fans who don’t use DVRs “saps and dipshits. His comment, unsurprisingly, was broadcast far and wide almost immediately after the words tumbled out of his mouth. Kring now wants everyone to know he was a bone head and is sorry: I need to strongly apologize for the slightly mangled quote of mine that is making it’s way around the internet. It was made while trying to explain the rise in DVR and online audience for the show. I was making the point that these platforms now offer a superior way to watch the show (without commercials, with extra content, commentary, at the audience’s convenience, etc.) And went on to say how it’s getting to the point where “watching the show on the air is relegated to the poor saps and dip****s who can’t figure out how to program their DVR’s”. (Or something close to that) It was a boneheaded attempt at being “cute” and making a point. Instead, it turned out to be just plain insulting and stupid. I know now how it sounded, but I truly never meant to suggest anything negative about our audience. No one cares more about the fans than we do at Heroes, and no one appreciates them more than me. We are grateful for whatever way people are finding our show. Now more than ever. I want to take this opportunity to say that I’m very sorry for this careless, lame remark. The best way to make it up to you is to live up to my promise that the upcoming episodes of the show are fantastic. I think you’ll agree we’re really on a roll and we couldn’t be more excited about the last four episodes of “Villains” and the upcoming volume, “Fugitives”, which we feel will be a huge hit with the audience. Thank you for hearing me out. Humbly Tim Kring Do any of you even bother to watch Heroes anymore? We hear it has been sucking big time. (Perez Hilton)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . .  (Internet)

 

Q.  Women like them long, men like them short?

            A.  Jokes

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Various)

 

10 Memorable Thanksgiving Day Quotes:

 

Thanksgiving Quote #1   

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. — John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Thanksgiving Quote #2   

Thanksgiving Day comes, by statute, once a year; to the honest man it comes as frequently as the heart of gratitude will allow. — Edward Sandford Martin

Thanksgiving Quote #3   

Thanksgiving dinners take eighteen hours to prepare. They are consumed in twelve minutes. Half-times take twelve minutes. This is not coincidence. — Erma Bombeck

Thanksgiving Quote #4   

Thanksgiving comes to us out of the prehistoric dimness, universal to all ages and all faiths. At whatever straws we must grasp, there is always a time for gratitude and new beginnings. –

J. Robert Moskin

Thanksgiving Quote #5   

It is delightfully easy to thank God for the grace we ourselves have received, but it requires great grace to thank God always for the grace given to others. — James Smith

Thanksgiving Quote #6   

Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving. — W.T. Purkiser

Thanksgiving Quote #7   

Stand up, on this Thanksgiving Day, stand upon your feet. Believe in man. Soberly and with clear eyes, believe in your own time and place. There is not, and there never has been a better time, or a better place to live in. — Phillips Brooks

Thanksgiving Quote #8   

Forever on Thanksgiving Day the heart will find the pathway home. — Wilbur D. Nesbit

Thanksgiving Quote #9   

There is one day that is ours. There is one day when all we Americans who are not self-made go back to the old home to eat saleratus biscuits and marvel how much nearer to the porch the old pump looks than it used to. Thanksgiving Day is the one day that is purely American. — O. Henry

Thanksgiving Quote #10   

Ah! on Thanksgiving day….   When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,   And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.   What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?    What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie? — John Greenleaf Whittier

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  A U.S. dime is made of 25 percent nickel and 75 percent what?

            A.  Copper  ****

            B.  Nickel

            C.  Silver

            D.  Aluminum

 

Q.  On TV, what middle name was shared by starship captain James Kirk and bartender Woody Boyd?

            A.  Caligula

            B.  Claudius

            C.  Nero

            D.  Tiberius  ****

 

Q.  On TV, what was Warren Weber’s nickname?

            A.  Potsie  ****

            B.  Horshack

            C.  Radar

            D.  Rerun

 

Q.  In 1985, who formed a jazz band called the Blue Turtles?

            A.  Sting  ****

            B.  Brian Setzer

            C.  Herbie Hancock

            D.  Rosemary Clooney

 

Q.  What cable channel gives out Golden Buckets of Popcorn as its movie award?

            A.  Turner Movie Classics

            B.  MTV  ****

            C.  BET

            D.  Comedy Central

 

Q.  What New Orleans house has been the ruin of many a poor boy?

            A.  Ill Repute

            B.  Upside Down

            C.  Rising Sun  ****

            D.  Voodoo Hoodoo

 

 

LET’S TALK TURKEY! . .  . (Internet)

 

• Americans feast on 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving.
• According the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 45 million turkeys are cooked and eaten in the United States at Thanksgiving. That number represents one sixth of all the turkeys sold in the U.S. each year!
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird.
• Domesticated turkeys cannot fly, however wild turkeys can fly up to 55 miles per hour over short distances.
• Only male (tom) turkeys gobble. Females make a clicking noise. The famous gobble is actually a seasonal mating call.
• The heaviest turkey ever raised weighed in at 86 pounds – about the size of a German Shepherd! (But turkeys are normally not used as police animals.)
• A turkey under 16 weeks of age is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a roaster.
• The Turkey Trot, a ballroom dance in the 1900s, was named for the short, jerky steps of the turkey. It became popular mainly because it was denounced by the Vatican as “suggestive.”
• Turkeys are known to spend the night in trees! (Maybe to escape the Thanksgiving table?)
• Turkeys can drown if they look up when it’s raining!
• A turkey’s field of vision is 270 degrees–one of the main reasons they’re able to elude some hunters.
• The average age of the Mayflower passenger was 32. The oldest Mayflower passenger was 64.
• There was no milk, cheese, bread, butter or pumpkin pie at the original Thanksgiving Day feast.
• Contrary to popular belief, the Pilgrims did not have big buckles on their clothing, shoes, or hats.
• Buckles did not come into fashion until the late 1600s – more appropriate for the Salem Witchcraft trial time period.
• The cranberry got its name because the pale pink blossoms on the plant resembled a crane’s head and neck. The name cranberry stuck, eventually becoming cranberry.
• Fresh cranberries are ideal for cranberry sauce. Cranberries of the highest quality will always bounce! (If you try this at home, please wash the cranberries before eating.)
• President Abraham Lincoln established the original date for our National Thanksgiving Day celebration in 1863.
• President Thomas Jefferson scoffed at the idea of establishing a national “Thanksgiving Day.”

• Congress did not declare Thanksgiving a national holiday until 1941.
• The average person consumes 4,500 calories on Thanksgiving Day. (Now that’s a lot of turkey!)

 

http://ww12.1800flowers.com/template.do?id=template8&page=4033

 

 

The first known thanksgiving feast or festival in North America was celebrated by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado and the people he called “Tejas” (members of the Hasinai group of Caddo-speaking Native Americans).

 

 

– Coolest Thanksgiving Facts —

 

• Here’s one of those funny Thanksgiving facts: Turkeys have heart attacks. When the Air Force was conducting test runs and breaking the sound barrier, fields of turkeys would drop dead.
• Turducken, a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken, is becoming more popular in Thanksgiving (originated in Louisiana). A turducken is a de-boned turkey stuffed with a de-boned duck, which itself is stuffed with a small de-boned chicken. The cavity of the chicken and the rest of the gaps are filled with, at the very least, a highly seasoned breadcrumb mixture (although some versions have a different stuffing for each bird).
• Fossil evidence shows that turkeys roamed the Americas 10 million years ago.
• 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day

 

(http://www.coolest-holiday-parties.com/thanksgiving-facts.html)

 

 

WHEEL OF MACY’S CLICHES . . .  (Paige Nienaber)

 

I listened to a station in Denver last year where, on the day before Thanksgiving, there was literally no mention that millions of people were piling into cars, flooding the airports, emptying the grocery stores…it was marginally surreal. They were in their own very weird, cut off from the rest of the planet, zone.

 

Here’s something to get you thinking Bit Wise: Wheel Of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Clichés. You take ten callers and for each of them you spin the wheel. They each are assigned a word:

 

Sparkling

Spectacular

Warmth

Joyous

Magical

Festive

Wonderful

Basking

High-Stepping

Crazy/Wacky/Zany/Loveable (usually in reference to a character depicted as a balloon)

 

You have an intern watch the show and every time the trio from The Today Show use one of the terms, make a notation. Person whose cliché gets the most votes, wins a tree, or a primo spot at your market’s holiday parade, or some twinkle lights, or…the ultimate Christmas cliché: a fruitcake and a Chia Pet.

 

 

CYBER MONDAY SALES . . . .

 

Here’s a web site that has a list of all the online retailers doing sales and promotions for the Monday after Thanksgiving

 

http://www.cybermonday.com/

 

 

MENTAL_FLOSS . . .

 

• The title of Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way” was taken from a line in Mel Brook’s comedy Young Frankenstein.
• Bette Nesmith Graham, mother of Mike Nesmith of the Monkees, invented Mistake Out or Liquid Paper as it was later known.
• In 2006, Japan produced more than twice as many cars (9.8 million) as did the United States (4.4 million). America leads Japan in truck production, however (7 million to 1.7 million)

 

 

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

 

HIGH SEASON DISCOUNTS:

 

During tough high seasons — spring break, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and of course, summer months — there are few discounts. The way around the busiest seasons is actually a simple one if you can plan ahead: think alternate airports and cities, and flights with intermediate stops in hub cities en route.  And if that doesn’t work, go to plan C: whether you have young children in school or they’re in college, figure out ahead of time if they can take exams a week earlier, or get extra credit for doing an assignment during a trip.  That way, you can leave early and avoid peak travel periods.  Outside of that terrible blackout period around the holidays when airfares skyrocket, the savings can be staggering on both airfares and hotel rates, and the crowds at the airport more manageable.

 

(Peter Greenberg is North America’s preeminent expert on Travel. An Emmy Award-Winning writer and producer, Peter is the Travel Editor for NBC’S “TODAY SHOW,” MSNBC and CNBC. A Best-Selling author of the “Travel Detective” series and host of the nationally syndicated “Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio Show.” Visit WWW.PETERGREENBERGWORLDWIDE.COM to learn more about Peter Greenberg and his adventures.)

 

 

BIRTHDAYS . . .

 

November 26^th:

–1607  Founder and scholar John Harvard  (d. 9-24-1638)

–1907  Actress Frances Dee (d.3-6-2004)

–1901  Actor Cyril Cusack (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold) (d. 10-7-1993)

–1912  Journalist Eric Sevareid (d. 7-9-1992)

–1912  Dramatist Eugene Ionesco

–1922  Cartoonist Charles Monroe Schultz  (Peanuts) (d. 2000)

–1933  Actor/Singer Robert Goulet (Camelot) (d. 10-30-2007)

–1935  Actor/Singer Marian Mercer

–1938  Comedian/Impressionist Rich Little

–1939  Singer Tina Turner (“What’s Love Got To Do With It”)

–1942  Actress Olivia Cole (North and South)

–1943  Football’s Jan Stenerud

–1944  Jean Terrell – vocalist for The Supremes (“Stoned Love”)

–1945  Musician John McVie (Fleetwood Mac) (“Go Your Own Way”)

–1960  Football’s Johnny Hector

–1969  Basketball’s Shawn Kemp

–1981  Singer Natasha Bedingfield

 

November 27^th:

–1804  Musician/Composer Julius Benedict  (d. 6-5-1885)

–1809  Actress Frances Anne “Fanny” Kemble  (d. 1-15-1893)

–1853  Old west gambler, lawman, editor Bat Masterson  (d. 10-25-1921)

–1909  Poet/novelist James Agee (A Death in the Family) (d. 5-16-1955)

–1917  TV Host “Buffalo” Bob Smith  (The Howdy Doody Show) (d. 7-30-1998)

–1935  Drummer Al Jackson  (Booker T. & The MGs) (“Green Onions”)

–1937  Author/Journalist Gail Sheehy  (Passages)

–1942  Musician Jimi Hendrix (“Purple Haze”) (d. 9-18-1970)

–1944  Singer Eddie Rabbitt (“I Love A Rainy Night”) (d. 5-7-98)

–1944  Trevor Davies (Dozy) – bassist for Dave Dee, Dozey, Beaky, Mick and Tich (“Legend Of Xanadu”)

–1945  Musician Randy Brecker (Blood Sweat & Tears) (“And When I Die”)

–1951  Actress Jayne Kennedy

–1953  Soviet rock musician Boris Grebenshikov

–1956  Football’s Curtis Dickey

–1957  Caroline Kennedy (daughter of the late Pres. John F Kennedy)

–1959  Musician Charlie Burchill (Simple Minds)

–1960  Musician Ashley Ingram (Imagination)

–1962  Author Victoria Gotti (Growing Up Gotti)

–1963  Actor Fisher Stevens (The Brother from Another Planet)

–1964  Actress Robin Givens (Head Of The Class)

–1965  Musician Fiachna O’Braonian (Hothouse Flowers)

–1976  Actor Jaleel White (Family Matters)

 

November 28^th:

–1628  Author John Bunyan  (A Pilgrim’s Progress) (d. 8-31-1688)

–1757  Poet/Artist William Blake (d. 8-12-1827)

–1929  Record Executive Berry Gordy, Jr.  (Motown Records founder)

–1932  Singer Ray Perkins (The Crew Cuts) (“Sh-Boom”)

–1933  Actress Hope Lange (The Ghost & Mrs. Muir) (d. 12/19/03)

–1939  Gary Troxel - vocalist for The Fleetwoods (“Mr. Blue”)

–1940  Singer Clem Curtis  (The Foundations) (“Baby Now That I’ve Found You”)

–1940  Bruce Channel (“Hey, Baby”)

–1943  Musician Randy Newman  (“Short People”)

–1944  Singer R.B. Greaves (nephew of Sam Cooke) (“Take A Letter Maria”)

–1949  Bandleader/Comedian Paul Shaffer (The David Letterman Show)

–1949  Actor/Ballet Dancer Alexander Godunov  (Die Hard)

–1950  Actor Ed Harris (The Right Stuff, Milk Money)

–1952  Actress S. Epatha Merkerson  (Law & Order)

–1955  Musician John Spinks (The Outfield)

–1956  Musician David Jaymes (Modern Romance)

–1959  Actor Judd Nelson (Suddenly Susan)

–1962  Comedian Jon Stewart

–1964  Basketball’s Ray Tarpley

–1966  Musician Mark Gillespie (Big Fun)

–1968  Model Anna Nicole Smith (d. 2-7-2007)

–1988  Actress Scarlett Pomers (“Kyra” Reba)

 

November 29^th:

–1729  Secretary of First Continental Congress Charles Thomson  (d. 8-16-1824)

–1816  Seventh Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Morrison R. Waite  (d. 3-23-1888)

–1832  Author Louisa May Alcott  (Little Women) (d. 3-6-1888)

–1917  Musician Merle Travis

–1918  Writer Madeleine L’Engle  (A Wrinkle in Time)

–1927  Sportscaster Vin Scully

–1932  Singer John Gary

–1932  Actress Diane Ladd  (Wild At Heart)

–1933  Musician John Mayall  (John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers)

–1939  Musician Meco Monardo (“The Theme from Star Wars”)

–1940  Musician Chuck Mangione (“Feels So Good”)

–1940  Denny Doherty - vocalist for The Mamas and Papas (“California Dreamin’”)

–1944  Musician Felix Cavaliere  (The Young Rascals) (“Good Lovin’”)

–1946  Skier Suzy “Chapstick” Chaffee

–1949  Comedian Garry Shandling

–1951  Musician Barry Goudreau  (Boston) (“More Than A Feeling”)

–1955  Actor/Comedian Howie Mandel  (Deal Or No Deal)

–1960  Actress Cathy Moriarty  (Raging Bull)

–1961  Actress Kim Delaney  (“Claudia Joy” Army Wives)

–1962  Actor Andrew McCarthy  (“Joe” Lipstick Jungle)

–1964  Actor Don Cheadle (Devil In A Blue Dress)

 

November 30^th:

–1835  Author Samuel Langhorne “Mark Twain” Clemens  (d. 4-21-1910)

–1874  British Prime Minister Winston Spencer Churchill  (d. 1-24-1965)

–1922  Actress Virginia Mayo  (The Best Years of Our Lives)

–1923  Actor Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.  (The F.B.I.)

–1924  Author Shirley Chisholm

–1927  Actor Richard Crenna  (Wait Until Dark) (d. 1-17-2003)

–1927  Actor Robert Guillaume  (Benson)

–1929  Entertainer/Producer Dick Clark  (American Bandstand)

–1930  Actor/Lecturer G. Gordon Liddy

–1937  Musician Paul Stookey  (Peter, Paul & Mary)

–1937  Musician Jimmy Bowen

–1943  Musician Leo Lyons  (Ten Years After)

–1944  Musician Rob Grills (The Grassroots “Midnight Confession”)

–1944  Musician Luther Ingram

–1945  Musician Roger Glover  (Deep Purple)

–1947  Dramatist/Director David Mamet  (American Buffalo)

–1952  Actor/Singer Mandy Patinkin (Yentl, Evita)

–1953  Singer June Pointer  (The Pointer Sisters “Fire”)  (d. 4-11-2006)

–1955  Musician Billy Idol (“White Wedding”)

–1962  Baseball player/Football player  Bo Jackson

–1965  Actor Ben Stiller (Meet The Parents)

–1968  Singer Des’ree (“You Gotta Be”)

–1970  Actress Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy)

–1975  Country singer Mindy McCready

–1978  Singer Clay Aiken (American Idol)

–1982  Actress Elisha Cuthbert (24)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

November 26^th:

—1789  The first national day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed by President George Washington.

—1864  Charles Dodgson, a young mathematics instructor from Britain’s Oxford University, sent an early Christmas gift to the 12-year-old daughter of a friend. Little Alice Liddell unwrapped a book Dodgson had written under the pen name Lewis Carroll and became the first person ever to read Alice In Wonderland.

—1956  TV premiere of the longest running daily game show “The Price Is Right” starring Bill Cullen as the host.

—1966  The Monkees’ “I’m A Believer” goes gold, making believers out of many of the band’s skeptics.

—1968  Cream played its farewell concert at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

—1971  Rod Stewart and Faces break Led Zeppelin’s Madison Square Garden sellout record.

—1975  Claiming that 984 out of 1000 unwed mothers became pregnant while listening to rock and roll, the Rev. Charles Boykin and his congregation burn $2000 worth of records in Florida.

—1986  George Benson guests on the “New Mike Hammer” as the shady “Sweet Billy” Marvel.

—1987  Sean Penn shows up for Thanksgiving dinner at Madonna’s house after an unexplained four-day absence. Madonna files for divorce two weeks later.

—1990  The Farm releases “Altogether Now.”

—1992  Prime Minister John Major announced that Britain’s monarch, Queen Elizabeth had decided to begin paying taxes on her personal income.

 

November 27^th:

THANKSGIVING DAY…HAPPY TURKEY DAY.   MOON PHASE: NEW MOON (11:55am EST)

—1829  Levi Strauss, the man who invented denim jeans, was born.  The basic model 501 has been unchanged for more than a century, except that pocket and seam rivets have been moved; once to stop damage to school furniture and once because there used to be a rivet in the crotch which heated up if the wearer were crouched in front of a campfire.

—1899  Curtis Brady of New York received the first permit to operate a motor vehicle in Central Park, subject to his pledge “to avoid frightening the horses.”

—1934  Baby Face Nelson, “Public Enemy #1,” died in a shoot out with G-men in Barrington Hills, Illinois.

—1964  The Beatles release their fourth album, “Beatles For Sale” and their ninth single, “I Feel Fine.”

—1970  George Harrison releases the “All Good Things Must Pass” triple album.

—1972  “Grease” musical opens on Broadway at the Royale Theatre.

—1974  “Kung Fu Fighting” goes gold for Carl Douglas

—1988  At the Spectrum in Philadelphia, Grover Washington Jr. plays Duke Ellington’s “In A Sentimental Mood” as a tribute to retiring NBA superstar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

¾1991  Both houses of Congress approved legislation authorizing $70 billion in additional borrowing authority for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) because of the record number of savings and loan failures.

—1992  Ice Cube’s “The Predator” album debuts at the top of the U.S. chart, while the top single is Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

¾2007  Dancing With The Stars  5^th Season  winner was Helio Castroneves (Indy 500 race car driver) his partner Julianne Hough. Coming in 2^nd place was (Spice Girls) Mel B & Max. 

 

November 28^th:

Today is the kick-off to the Christmas shopping season, (Black Friday). How about reserved parking spaces for your listeners.  Work with your local mall to

section off several hundred spaces near the front of  the mall.  A  “secret word” is given on the air, listeners who repeat it to the parking patrol get to park in

one of the reserved spots.  Also, giveaway mall gift certificates!  Happy holiday shopping.

—1520  Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan sailed into the Pacific Ocean after discovering the straits at the southern tip of South America, which now bear his name.

—1895  The first recorded automobile race in history took place in Chicago. Of eighty cars entered, only seven were actually able to start the 55-mile race, and the winner, Franklyn Duryea, clocked in with an average speed of just over seven miles per hour.

—1925  The first broadcast of a new program on WSM Radio, Nashville – The Grand Ol’ Opry.

—1960  The top U.S. single is “Stay” by Maurice Williams & The Zodiacs.

—1963  The Beatles’ “I Want To Hold Your Hand” is released in England, selling a million copies in three days, and becoming the band’s first record to immediately go number one.  It displaced “She Loves You” from the top of the charts.

—1964  “Leader Of The Pack” by the Shangri-Las is the top single in the US.

—1966  The Beatles begin recording sessions for Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band.

—1968  The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” film is released.

—1968  Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” album is released.

—1969  The Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Sly & The Family Stone, Iron Butterfly, Grand Funk Railroad, Pacific Gas & Electric, King Crimson, Johnny & Edgar Winter, Spirit, Vanilla Fudge, Canned Heat, and Sweetwater are among the bands on the bill for the first annual Palm Beach International Music & Arts Festival at the Palm Beach International Raceway.

¾2004  Actress Julia Roberts (Pretty Woman) gave birth to twins Hazel Patricia and Phinneaus Walter

¾2006  Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting – Hosted by Al Roker & Megan Mullaly (tree lighting about 8:50pm) tree lit until January 6, 2007.

 

November 29^th:

Today is ELECTRONICGREETINGS DAY

—1814  England’s London Times became the first newspaper to be printed on steam-powered presses.

—1876  Birthdate of Nellie Tayloe Ross who became the first female governor in the US when she was chosen to serve out the last month and two days of her husband’s term as governor of Wyoming after he died in office.  Nellie died 12-20-1977.

—1891  The first Army-Navy football game was played at West Point. The visitor’s won 24 – 0.

—1959  At the second Grammy Awards, Bobby Darin wins Best Record for “Mac The Knife,” Frank Sinatra takes Best Album with “Come Dance With Me,” and Johnny Horton’s “The Battle Of New Orleans” is named Best Song.

—1975  Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” becomes the top single in Britain, where it remains for nine weeks.

—1978  Paul Chapman replaces Michael Schenker on lead guitar in UFO.

—1979  After signing with Warner Bros., Paul Simon sues former label CBS for release from his contract.

—1979  Supertramp records “Paris,” their live album in . . . Paris.

—1985  British Courts awards Elton John and Bernie Taupin 169 song royalties from DJM Music but denies them song rights.

—1988  KIIS-FM/LA’s Rick Dees becomes the highest paid DJ when he signs for more than $2 million a year.

—1991  Michael Jackson’s “Black Or White” jumps to number one in the US, in it’s third week on the chart, the first single to do so since the Beatles’ “Get Back” in 1969. U2’s “Achtung Baby” is the #1 album.  

¾2001  Beatle George Harrison (58) died in Los Angeles.  He lost his life to cancer.  His wife Olivia and son were by his side when he died.     

¾2005  New York Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting at 9:00pm (tree is lit until January 6, 2006)

 

November 30^th:

Today is COMPUTER SECURITY DAY and STAY HOME BECAUSE YOU’RE WELL DAY.  St. ANDREW’S Day (patron saint of Scotland)

—1782  American and British representatives signed a preliminary version of the Treaty of Paris, formally ending our War for Independence.

—1835  Mr. and Mrs. Twain of Florida, Missouri had a baby boy – disproving the old myth about how the Twains never met. Actually of course, their name was Clemens, and they named their child Samuel Langhorne Clemens, ­Mark Twain to you and me. Historical sidelight: the night of his birth Halley’s Comet arced across the sky. 75 years later Twain wrote that, “It will be the greatest disappointment of my life if I don’t go out with it.” In April 1910, as thousands gathered to pay their last respects to the storyteller who had become a legend, Halley’s Comet was, once again, in view.

—1887  The first game of softball, invented by George Hancock of Chicago, was played – indoors.

—1963  The top single in Britain is the Beatles’ “She Loves You.”

—1969  Simon & Garfunkel host their first TV special. Original sponsor AT&T pulls out after discovering the show’s political theme.

—1988  L.L. Cool J. plays Africa’s first rap concert (Ivory Coast). Midway through women faint, fights break out, and many rush the stage, ending the concert.

—1991  Rob Pilatus, one of the members of Milli Vanilli, is hospitalized for observation after apparently taking pills, slashing his wrist and straddling a Hollywood hotel balcony in a half-hearted suicide attempt.

¾1996  Entertainer Tiny Tim died of a heart attack.  He was 73 years-old.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

EDITOR’S NOTE

In observance of the Thanksgiving holiday, RADIO ONLINE will not publish a Daily Show Prep sheet on the following dates:

·         Thursday, November 27

·         Friday, November 28

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1716, a lion went on display in Boston for the very first time in the New World. That was the only time people saw a lion on Thanksgiving and it didn’t have anything to do with football.

On this date in 1885, the first photograph of a meteor was taken… just in time for the Christmas card.

Also on this date in 1885, the very first photograph of a meteor was taken. And, not surprising at this time of year, the meteor was sitting on Santa’s lap.

On this date in 2001, President Bush appealed to Congress to ban human cloning. It was a rare case of the argument presenting itself.

TODAY IS

It’s Thanksgiving Eve!

Country singer Joe Nichols turns 32 today. He had a huge hit two years ago with “Tequila makes her clothes fall off.” Sadly, he never identified “her.”

John McVie turns 63. He’s a long-time member of Fleetwood Mac. He was with the group way back when Stevie Nicks first learned to twirl.

Tina Turner celebrates her 70th birthday today. Now when she sings, “What’s Love Got to Do with It?” it’s because she really doesn’t remember the answer.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         Platinum Blonde bass player Kenny MacLean has died. Police said the musician was discovered collapsed and unresponsive Monday at his Toronto apartment.

·         Hannity & Colmes are breaking up. Alan Colmes plans to leave the show at the end of the year.

·         Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that airlines need to provide two passenger seats for extremely overweight people.

·         Ted Koppel is leaving the Discovery Channel six months before his contract is due to expire in May, the network announced Tuesday.

·         The creator of the TV show “Heroes” is now apologizing for saying that people who watch his show are “dipsh*ts” and “poor saps.”

·         Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt got married in Mexico November 20, just outside of Cabo.

·         The fashion color of the year is blue iris, according to the Pantone Color Institute.

·         Jason Lee now admits that he secretly married Ceren Alkac, the mother of his second child, several months ago.

·         “Scrubs” returns to TV on January 6th… but it’s jumped over to ABC.

·         GM has ended their 9-year endorsement deal with Tiger Woods.

·         Amy Winehouse is back in the hospital again. This time, it’s said to be a reaction to a medication. Uh-huh.

·         First lady Laura Bush confirms that she is planning a memoir and has met with publishers.

·         Madonna is said to be furious at Alex Rodriguez who dropped out of Kabbalah training because “he was bored.”

·         Richie Sambora and Heather Locklear will spend Thanksgiving together with their 11-year-old daughter… and Heather’s new boyfriend.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

(ListUniverse.com provides us with this list of people and things that/who never existed that have had a great influence on mankind.

1.      Santa Claus

2.      Barbie

3.      Robin Hood

4.      The Marlboro Man

5.      Rosie the Riveter

6.      Daedalus and Icarus

7.      The Little Engine That Could

8.      Big Brother

9.      Romeo and Juliet

Ladies, if you want to attract a very rich man, become a brunette. Lycos, a dating site in the United Kingdom, checked out the hair color of the wives of 100 of the world’s billionaires. It turns out that 62% have wives with brown hair, including Microsoft head honcho Bill Gates’ wife, Melinda French Gates. Coming in second were blondes at 22%, while those with raven-colored hair attracted 16% of the world’s wealthiest men. Oddly, not a single billionaire was married to a redhead.

How many times a year do you purchase new sneakers? People who buy three pairs of sneakers or more a year are far more likely to be leaders than people who buy fewer pairs of this particular kind of shoe, according to research by Mindset Media. Specifically, the survey found that frequent buyers of sneakers are 61% more likely to have the personality characteristics and qualities of a modern leader. In addition, the survey found that multi-sneaker buyers are 50% more likely to be very assertive and 47% more likely to be spontaneous.

PHONE TOPICS

·         Ever been “caught in public” doing something you shouldn’t have been?

·         How often do you clean your house?

·         Who needs a bailout? Why?

·         Who’s getting up the earliest for bargains on Black Friday?

·         How many times will you go holiday shopping?

·         Any of the new movies any good?

·         Is anyone totally done with Holiday shopping?

·         True stories of “dreams that came true?”

·         Tell us your “what goes around comes around” stories.

·         What’s your coffee drink? (C’mon, rattle it off)

·         Bizarre bathroom accidents?

·         Who found the best deal online?

·         Are gift cards OK, or do they show how lazy someone was to put some thought into your gift?

·         No names… but any family dramas brewing for Thursday’s get together?

·         What part of the meal are YOU in charge of?

Have you ever won a sweepstakes? I’ve never known anyone to win a national contest. Apparently, you have to live in Topeka, Kansas. In a span of 10 days, a man from Kansas won two automobiles in two separate contests. Michel Horton picked up his newest ride on Friday, a 2008 “Bon Jovi Special Edition” Saturn Outlook, at a dealership in Topeka. The entry also netted him a guitar and gold-plated Bon Jovi records. That was his second free vehicle. Horton was also notified in October he had won a Mitsubishi Lancer in a contest sponsored by Bic lighter.

My live-in boyfriend is in between jobs so he’s not raking in the cash like he once was. Meanwhile, I’m making lots of money, lots more than he is. So I want to know, for the men, is it a deal breaker to date women who make more money than you? And for the ladies, how do you feel about men who make less than you? Do you live by the “meet me or beat me” approach when it comes to money?

So marriage rates are down, and divorce rates are up. There are more single people than married people in the U.S. today, but recent studies show that many of them are in committed relationships. Phoner: Do you need a marriage certificate to validate your level of commitment to that special person in your life?

We got a call from a listener who was asking for some advice. Her boyfriend of five months called her by his ex-girlfriend’s name. Those kinds of things happen. However, this guy refused to apologize for the slip up. She wanted our advice and we told her to kick him to the curb. Then, we had listeners call in with other embarrassing things that have been said in relationships. Anyone scream out their ex’s name while doing the nasty?! It happens more often than you think!

When was the last time you made an off-hand comment about something only to find that you just insulted the person you were talking to? How did you try to recover? This comes to mind because last year around this time I was commenting on how tacky I think those giant, blow-up decorations are in people’s yards… the giant Santas, etc. I think it was when I noticed the seething hatred in my co-host’s eyes that I realized she just might have a giant Santa in her yard.

Have you ever been taken advantage of by an auto mechanic? Don’t worry you’re not the first. And so it doesn’t ever happen again, here are 5 things your auto mechanic won’t tell you (from AAA):

1.      Always request an estimate.

2.      Your work order should also clearly state a guarantee on the work. If not, ask the shop what type of guarantee is provided on both workmanship and parts.

3.      If the mechanic is replacing something on your vehicle, ask for your old parts back.

4.      You should always study your bill for doubled labor charges. If you’re getting a new water pump and you replace the timing belt at the same time, there’s no additional labor to do the timing belt just the additional cost of the parts.

5.      Don’t replace your tires until you do your own tread test. Do a simple penny test. Find the wear bar on the tire and insert the penny in the tread. The less you see of Lincoln’s head the better the tread.

Phoner: See what holiday specials are a favorite among your listeners. Hint: We found that Rudolph does not lead the pack.

Smokers take more breaks and double the time on their breaks than non-smokers. That was all I had to say to get the phones going on this one. Where is the compensation for non-smokers? Do they get to go home early? No! Some guy called to complain not only about smokers but women. He wants to be compensated because he, a single guy, has to pick up the slack for women and their “extra ailments” like pregnancy. It ended with a woman asking that he pass a watermelon through his penis and seeing just how much time off he needs.

TV shows you’re ashamed to admit you love to watch? You know, stuff that you watch, but when someone else comes in the room, you turn the channel or say, “The TV was on this channel so I just left it.”

A great phoner is, “What was the first major sign for you, personally, that y