12.04.08

 SHOW PREP DECEMBER 4, 2008

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Something seems to be in the water on the set of “How I Met Your Mother.” Show co-star Alyson Hannigan is pregnant and due this spring, and now comes news her co-star Cobie Smulders is pregnant, too. While it’s not clear yet whether the pregnancies will be written into the show’s storylines, show creator Craig Thomas is good natured about the announcements. “If you’re trying to start a family, please come visit the set of ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ Just come by and hang out for a day or two. We can’t legally guarantee anything, but by the time you leave, you will almost certainly be pregnant,” Thomas told TV Guide. (Scoop)

 

Paris Hilton is “addicted” to skydiving – after throwing herself out of a plane to celebrate her birthday last year. The 27-year-old socialite is known for teetering around in high heels and skimpy outfits in the Hollywood party scene. But Hilton insists she’s become an adrenaline junkie since taking part in her first parachute jump in February 2007. She says, “I went for my birthday last year and got addicted, it’s so much fun. I was (terrified) but it’s such a rush, it’s really thrilling.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

British actor Daniel Radcliffe has accepted he’ll forever be linked to his wand-wielding character Harry Potter – because his role in the film has “given him everything”. The 19-year-old attempted to shed his boyish image when he stripped for a full frontal nude seen on London and New York stages in Equus. But Radcliffe insists he’ll always be thankful for his magical role in the blockbuster franchise. He says, “It’s a reality you have to come to terms with – rather than letting it bother you, just accept the fact that there will always be some people who will forever see you for the one part you are most famous for. “It’s not that I want to distance myself from it because… they’ve given me everything… it’s just a matter of being an actor rather than a character.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Brad Pitt has said that he might marry partner Angelina Jolie in the future, but only if their children want them to. During an appearance on the Today show Brad, soon to be seen in the film The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, talked about his family, “I’m really proud of this family. I look at my sons and daughters, I feel rich being around them. Each one offers so much to the mix.” Before briefly commenting on the subject of marriage, “If we feel it’s important to our kids, we would.” Old romantic. (Handbag)

 

Sienna Miller and Balthazar Getty are still cooking – because they never actually split up. British papers recently quoted Miller as saying, “I’m single at the moment . . . I’m cool being on my own.” But a rep for Miller told Page Six: “Contrary to British reports, Sienna never gave an interview about her relationship with Balthazar. An old quote was pulled from an interview three years ago.” So when the London Sun spotted the couple looking “so much in love” while walking hand-in-hand through London, it’s because they are. (Page Six)

 

Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz may have been embarrassed by the nude photos of him that surfaced back in 2006, but they ultimately landed him a nice consolation prize: wife Ashlee Simpson. “She just called me up and made me feel a lot better,” he tells Details. (Simpson herself had just gone through a public shaming for her disastrous “Saturday Night Live” performance.) Wentz admits that getting Simpson pregnant was a “happy accident,” and she had to e-mail him a picture of the pregnancy test to make it sink in. (Page Six)

 

Jessica Simpson wants to head off to college to study theology – and watching TV was her inspiration. “I’ve been contemplating taking a college course in religion,” the bubblehead told Marie Claire. “I love religion. I remember whenever the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ came out, the Discovery Channel did this three-night piece on it that I TiVoed and then watched eight times.” We just hope someone advises her not to include that bit in her application letter. (Page Six)

 

Meryl Streep says she would love to appear in a Mamma Mia sequel if only the producers can “get those fabulous boys back. The Abba musical became the surprise hit of the summer, grossing £375m worldwide, and starred Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgard. “Grand Mamma Mia! I like it! I’m up for doing a sequel, as long as you can get those fabulous boys back! It’s so gratifying it has been this phenomenon around the work. It says there’s an audience for something that appeals to a lot of women, something that might make them some money too,” Streep said. (British Glamour)

 

Former child star Haley Joel Osment quit alcohol at the age of 18, after he was caught driving drunk in Hollywood in 2006. The Sixth Sense actor was deeply shamed by the incident, which earned him a hefty fine and probation, as well as a mandatory rehab stint and Alcoholics Anonymous course. Osment vowed to stop drinking completely until he turns 21 and is able to buy his own booze legally. Two-and-a-half years on, the actor is approaching the landmark – he turns 21 in April 2009 – and he is proud to have confronted his demons and served his punishment. He say, “It was an example of someone just out of high school being extremely irresponsible. There’s no excuse for that. “I learned my lesson. I made a bad decision, and it’s something you can’t run from.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

The Hills stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt plan to start a family – just weeks after they married in a secret ceremony in Mexico. The pair, who have been dating since 2006, exchanged vows while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas. And the reality TV couple insist the next logical stage is to try for children. Asked by website TMZ.com whether they plan on having a child, Montag says: “We are going to start it!”. And Pratt adds, “(It’s the) next step!” Pratt also revealed he was surprised at the sudden wedding, which will feature in later episodes of the MTV show. He says, “I have been trying to marry Heidi for two and a half years now. It came out of nowhere. I was like, ‘This was my shot’. ” And Montag recalls the wedding day, adding, “Actually, I really started crying. My eyes just started tearing up. When you hear the love of your life just saying the most amazing, sweet things from his heart, I couldn’t help it. It was the best moment in my life.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Kevin Federline never wanted to divorce Britney Spears – and insists the singer went behind his back to engineer their break-up. The former dancer – who has two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, with the singer – hit back after she claimed in her MTV documentary Britney: For the Record this week that it was his decision to split up. But while Federline admits he found married life tough after the birth of their children, he is adamant he wanted to make it work – but the Toxic hitmaker pushed for a divorce. He tells People.com, “It’s hard enough to be in a marriage, and then have a kid, then kids, it changes everything. For me, I’d become more concerned with my children. Not that I ignored Britney, but my kids are always most important “I mean, we were having complications. I didn’t give her an ultimatum, but I was trying to work stuff out with her, and she didn’t even talk to me or anything and went behind my back and filed (for divorce). (I was) completely blindsided.” Federline also revealed he was scared he would never see his sons again after the split. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Mary-Kate Olsen’s house is in no danger of getting full. The pint-size mogul’s spokesman has shot back at a National Enquirer report claiming the 22-year-old is packing her first child courtesy of artist boyfriend Nate Lowman. “Mary-Kate is absolutely not pregnant,” her rep told Us Weekly. The baby-on-board speculation kicked up Monday when the tabloid published a less-than-flattering photo of the diminutive fashion plate and noted that her weight had “shot up”—the post-Thanksgiving horror!—to just over 100 pounds. (Apparently, the dangers of publicly speculating on the weight of someone who publicly battled an eating disorder was of no concern to the Enquiring set.) The Olsen denial has done nothing to improve the batting average of the tab’s Dec. 1 issue. Yesterday, Patrick Swayze personally denied the Enquirer’s other major cover story, that his battle with pancreatic cancer had taken a turn for the worse. The newsstand guilty pleasure should be feeling a little more guilty today. (Eonline)

 

Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze has slammed reports that he is close to losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. Patrick Swayze has called reports that he is close to death “shoddy and reckless reporting”. Tabloids in the US recently claimed the actor was “on his last legs and saying goodbye to my tearful family” after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. “Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease and from the moment I was diagnosed, I knew I was in for the fight of my life. It’s a battle, and so far, I’ve been winning. I’m one of the lucky few that responds well to treatment,” Swayze said in a statement given to People magazine. “”It’s upsetting that the shoddy and reckless reporting from these publications cast a negative shadow on the positive and good fight I’m fighting. For me, my family, and those close to me, it amounts to downright emotional cruelty. That makes me angry when hope is so precious.” (Handbag)

 

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has slammed claims that she courts media attention. Victoria Beckham has denied she, and husband David court media attention. “We lead our lives in a much more low-profile way than people think. I’m not going to The Ivy in Beverly Hills. I don’t think I’ve been to a premiere since we moved there,” she told The Times. “We’re not courting fame. I can give you a list of numerous restaurants that have underground parking so no one can get any photographs. I don’t really care what people think. I never made friends easily. For years, when I was in the Spice Girls, those were my four best friends. Now I’ve got David.” (Handbag)

 

Kelly Ripa’s rep has a reply to the claim that the star’s 12-year marriage to actor Mark Consuelos is over: No way. “There is no truth to the story. Their marriage continues to be quite healthy, and the National Enquirer should be ashamed for fabricating such an untruthful story,” Ripa’s spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, told PEOPLE Wednesday, after the paper reported the couple have split. “Their story is 100 percent false,” Rosenfield added. Regis Philbin’s on-air cohost of Live! since February 2001, Ripa, 38, has been wed to Conseulos, 37, since 1996, after having met the year before while both were acting on the daytime drama All My Children. Together they have three children: Michael, 11; Lola, 7; and Joaquin, 5. Last year, Ripa said of Consuelos: “I’ve had a crush on my husband since the day I met him.”  (People)

 

Mark Ruffalo’s brother is clinging to life right now after he was shot in the head in Beverly Hills Monday. Police sources tell TMZ Scott Ruffalo was the victim of a “suspicious shooting” that took place in his own Beverly Hills apartment. We’re also told cops are trying to determine if anything criminal went down — meaning they haven’t ruled out an accidental shooting or a suicide attempt. (TMZ)

 

Odetta, the folk singer with the powerful voice who moved audiences and influenced fellow musicians for a half-century, has died. She was 77. Odetta died Tuesday of heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital, said her manager of 12 years, Doug Yeager. She was admitted to the hospital with kidney failure about three weeks ago, he said. In spite of failing health that caused her to use a wheelchair, Odetta performed 60 concerts in the last two years, singing for 90 minutes at a time. Her singing ability never diminished, Yeager said. “The power would just come out of her like people wouldn’t believe,” he said. With her booming, classically trained voice and spare guitar, Odetta gave life to the songs by workingmen and slaves, farmers and miners, housewives and washerwomen, blacks and whites. First coming to prominence in the 1950s, she influenced Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other singers who had roots in the folk music boom. An Odetta record on the turntable, listeners could close their eyes and imagine themselves hearing the sounds of spirituals and blues as they rang out from a weathered back porch or around a long-vanished campfire a century before. “What distinguished her from the start was the meticulous care with which she tried to re-create the feeling of her folk songs; to understand the emotions of a convict in a convict ditty, she once tried breaking up rocks with a sledge hammer,” Time magazine wrote in 1960. “She is a keening Irishwoman in `Foggy Dew,’ a chain-gang convict in `Take This Hammer,’ a deserted lover in `Lass from the Low Country,’” Time wrote. Odetta called on her fellow blacks to “take pride in the history of the American Negro” and was active in the civil rights movement. When she sang at the March on Washington in August 1963, “Odetta’s great, full-throated voice carried almost to Capitol Hill,” The New York Times wrote. She was nominated for a 1963 Grammy awards for best folk recording for “Odetta Sings Folk Songs.” Two more Grammy nominations came in recent years, for her 1999 “Blues Everywhere I Go” and her 2005 album “Gonna Let It Shine.” In 1999, she was honored with a National Medal of the Arts. Then-President Bill Clinton said her career showed “us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world.” “I’m not a real folksinger,” she told The Washington Post in 1983. “I don’t mind people calling me that, but I’m a musical historian. I’m a city kid who has admired an area and who got into it. I’ve been fortunate. With folk music, I can do my teaching and preaching, my propagandizing.” Among her notable early works were her 1956 album “Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues,” which included such songs as “Muleskinner Blues” and “Jack O’ Diamonds”; and her 1957 “At the Gate of Horn,” which featured the popular spiritual “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Her 1965 album “Odetta Sings Dylan” included such standards as “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” “Masters of War” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” In a 1978 Playboy interview, Dylan said, “the first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta.” He said he found “just something vital and personal” when he heard an early album of hers in a record store as a teenager. “Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar,” he said. Belafonte also cited her as a key influence on his hugely successful recording career, and she was a guest singer on his 1960 album, “Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall.” She continued to record in recent years; her 2001 album “Looking for a Home (Thanks to Leadbelly)” paid tribute to the great blues singer to whom she was sometimes compared. Odetta’s last big concert was on Oct. 4 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where she performed in front of tens of thousands at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, Yeager said. She also performed Oct. 25-26 in Toronto. Odetta hoped to sing at the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, though she had not been officially invited, Yeager said. Born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Ala., in 1930, she moved with her family to Los Angeles at age 6. Her father had died when she was young and she took her stepfather’s last name, Felious. Hearing her in glee club, a junior high teacher made sure she got music lessons, but Odetta became interested in folk music in her late teens and turned away from classical studies. She got much of her early experience at the Turnabout Theatre in Los Angeles, where she sang and played occasional stage roles in the early 1950s. “What power of characterization and projection of mood are hers, even though plainly clad and sitting or standing in half light!” a Los Angeles Times critic wrote in 1955. Over the years, she picked up occasional acting roles in TV and film. None other than famed Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper reported in 1961 that she “comes through beautifully” in the film “Sanctuary.” In the Washington Post interview, Odetta theorized that humans developed music and dance because of fear, “fear of God, fear that the sun would not come back, many things. I think it developed as a way of worship or to appease something. … The world hasn’t improved, and so there’s always something to sing about.” Odetta is survived by a daughter, Michelle Esrick of New York City, and a son, Boots Jaffre, of Fort Collins, Colo. She was divorced about 40 years ago and never remarried, her manager said. A memorial service was planned for next month, Yeager said. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Hollywood stars Jane Fonda and Jack Nicholson are among the latest notable figures being inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Musicians Dave Brubeck and Quincy Jones, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, sculptor Robert Graham and chef Alice Waters will also be inducted at the Dec. 15 ceremony in Sacramento. “Dr. Seuss” author Theodor Geisel, photographer Dorothea Lange, architect Julia Morgan, scientist Linus Pauling and former Gov. Leland Stanford will be inducted posthumously. First lady Maria Shriver started the program in 2006 to honor those who’ve helped shape the state. Fonda’s induction comes nearly 30 years after the state Senate rejected her nomination to the California Arts Council because of her campaign against the Vietnam War. (Daily Record)

 

Jet Li said China is ready for an explosion of volunteerism amid its growing prosperity as he put aside his acting duties to discuss charitable efforts Wednesday at former President Bill Clinton’s donor conference in Hong Kong. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative Asia conference, the 45-year-old action film star said volunteerism and charity are rare in China but are now on the rise as the country becomes more prosperous after two decades of capitalist-style economic reforms. “Before the reforms, China’s 1.3 billion people couldn’t even fill their stomachs. The only way people could help others is a word of encouragement,” Li said. Now Chinese are eager to help others in need, Li said, saying he expects “an explosion of the Chinese people’s generosity pent-up over the past 100 years.” Li, who founded the charity One Foundation, a partnership with the Red Cross Society of China, said he was particularly impressed with the number of volunteers that flocked to help victims of the earthquake in China’s central Sichuan province in May. “Countless volunteers were on the front lines,” he said. Li’s movie credits include “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The Forbidden Kingdom” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” (Daily Record)

 

Tom Hanks wants to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration even if he doesn’t get a front-row seat. Or any seat at all. “Look, I’ll be in the back,” the 52-year-old Oscar winner said backstage Tuesday night at a benefit for the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. “I’ll sit on the Lincoln steps and just watch it from the distance on a Jumbotron. I’ve never been to anything like that, and – finally – a guy I voted for won. That hasn’t happened most of my life.” Hanks posted a video pledging his support for Obama on MySpace last May. In the video, Hanks said he was backing Obama because of his “character and vision, and the high road he has taken during this campaign.” Hanks also said Obama “has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us, as did FDR and Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy and even Ronald Reagan when they ran for the job.” Hank’s wife, Rita Wilson, echoed her husband’s sentiment before the pair joined a star-studded cast – which included Annette Bening, William Shatner, Martin Short, James Cromwell and Alicia Silverstone – for a one-time only performance of the Pulitzer-prize-winning play “You Can’t Take It With You” at UCLA’s Royce Hall. However, Wilson had a different viewing spot in mind for Jan. 20. “I think we’re going to get a kayak and go into the National Mall waters,” she joked. (Daily Record)

 

After grabbing the spotlight on Dancing with the Stars Lance Bass has a few words about another celebrity returning to the stage – Britney Spears. “This is going to be the biggest comeback of all time,” he told PEOPLE Monday during a party in his honor at New York’s Citrine. “I don’t think she needs any advice from me,” added Bass, 29. “She’s doing an amazing job right now and I’m so proud of her.” Spears released her sixth studio album, Circus, on Tuesday – which was also her 27th birthday – and celebrated with a performance on Good Morning America. Spears is also going back on the road with a 27-city North American tour that will kick off in March. Bass also offered congratulations to his former bandmate (and Spears’s onetime boyfriend) Justin Timberlake, whose romance with Jessica Biel is going strong. “They’re just really great people,” he gushed. “She’s just one of the guys when it comes to him, and that something that he really loves, a girl that can just hang and get along with all his friends.” As for Bass, don’t look for him on the dance floor again anytime soon. “I’m lucky that I don’t have to dance the samba anymore,” he said laughing. “But it’s definitely opened my eyes to a lot of new things and different styles of music, which is really cool. I can say I can danced those different styles, which is something I never thought I’d be able to do.” (People)

 

Donald Trump is fuming at his brother Robert, who’s in a nasty divorce battle with his socialite wife, Blaine. “Donald is extremely angry because Robert failed to have a prenuptial agreement,” a source close to the developer says. “Donald would constantly tell him to get an agreement signed, and Robert told him he had one. Ironically, Robert Cohen, the lawyer repping Blaine, also represented Ivana Trump when she tried to break her prenuptial agreement with Donald. Cohen lost big to Donald, and the prenup was upheld in its entirety. Donald likes going around telling people that he kicked Cohen’s ass. He’s surprised Blaine is using him.” (Page Six)

 

Supermodel-turned-talkshow host Tyra Banks avoids romance with fellow celebrities – instead choosing to meet potential boyfriends through blind dates. The America’s Next Top Model beauty has most recently been linked to New York banker John Utendahl, but was previously rumored to be dating former basketball star Chris Webber and director John Singleton. But she insists she isn’t looking to find love with another famous person – because the media attention would be too much to handle. She tells Ebony magazine, “One thing I can say is I try not to date people who are famous because one celebrity plus another celebrity equals five… The paparazzi will just start mixing my name with theirs. “I find it fascinating looking at other celebs dating each other and I’m like, ‘Look how cool they look!’ But it’s not a personal interest of mine, I get set up by my friends. It’s the hook up!”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Dallas Stars hockey player Sean Avery has been suspended indefinitely for referring to his ex, 24’s Elisha Cuthbert, as “sloppy seconds.” Speaking to reporters Tuesday morning after a practice in Calgary, Avery made a public dig at Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Cuthbert. “I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada,” he said. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. Enjoy the game tonight.” After the National Hockey League suspended him for “inappropriate public comments,” Avery — who served as an intern at Vogue this past year — now has to meet with Commissioner Gary Bettman, who will determine any additional penalty. A hearing has yet to be scheduled.  “I completely support the league’s decision to suspend Sean Avery,” Stars owner Tom Hicks said in a statement. “Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so.” Avery signed a four-year, $15.5 million deal with the Stars last summer. He previously played for the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings before that. (US Weekly)

 

Sir Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches has confessed to being a big fan of Kerry Katona. Peaches Geldof has owned up to being a huge fan of former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona. “I love Kerry so much. Her show was my favorite thing on TV. She’s such a train wreck but she’s amazing,” the socialite told Closer magazine before going on to say she’d like to see Katona dressed in a ‘dress made of Iceland bags’. Last week Kelly Osbourne called Peaches a “sad little girl”.  (Handbag)

 

NeNe Leakes, star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, is no longer living at the 5,000-square-foot, 5-bedroom home shown on the hit Bravo series. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she and her husband, real estate investor Gregory Leakes, left the property in November — a month after an eviction notice was filed by Winwood Properties. The notice, filed Sept. 24, claimed that they owed $6,240 in past rent. “The tenant said they would move by Sept. 14th because they could no longer afford the house,” the notice read. NeNe would not reveal where she is currently living. “It’s none of your business,” she told The Journal-Constitution in an e-mail. She also mentioned that they “are financial able [sic] and stable to live where ever we feel fits.” She stressed that the eviction notice did not have her name on it. “You don’t know my relationship with Greg,” she said, “so be careful what you report!” She said their home “was a lease purchase corporate deal with Greg & his company. Things didn’t work out between the two of them so they did what they had to do and he did what he had to do.” In a later email, she wrote, “If we rent, lease purchase or buy, money is still coming out of my pocket. So who’s [sic] business is that??” (US Weekly)

 

Meow! Meow! Meow! Tamra Barney of The Real Housewives of Orange County has some fightin’ words for the show’s newest housewife, Gretchen Rossi. Why? Because Gretchen told me earlier this week that she and Tamra got into tiff during filming when Tamra allegedly made an insensitive remark about her fiancé, Jeff Beitzel. (At the time, Jeff was suffering from leukemia; he passed away in September.) Tamra insists she did no such thing. “I have never made a statement about Jeff,” she wrote me in an email. “I never met the man. May he RIP!” Tamra goes even further to claim, “The only time we heard Gretchen speak of Jeff was when the cameras were turned ON.” Oy. And there’s more. Tamra insists she worked hard to make Gretchen feel at home among the O.C. posse, but never promised to be her BFF. (Gretchen told me she felt betrayed by Tamra’s Jeff comments because they had just talked like they were “best friends.”)  “I told her from day one I was not here to be her friend,” she wrote. “This is a working relationship…I might be judged harshly for my sharp tongue RIGHT NOW, but keep watching! I judge people on their actions and not their words.” Nope, Tamra’s not done yet. “Jeana [Keough] was right when she wrote on her blog [that] Gretchen should be on scripted TV, if you get what I mean,” Barney continued. “This is reality TV and I give viewers my life, not bulls–t or what sounds good at the moment.” And besides, she added, “I really don’t care if she does not like me.” So there! See you in the schoolyard, kids! (Eonline)

 

“Blake incarcerated” – again! Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil is being sent back to prison, just one month after he was released into rehab, his lawyer confirms to PEOPLE. “I can confirm he has been recalled,” says Fielder-Civil’s lawyer Kate Anderson, declining to state the reason. (A source close to Fielder-Civil tells PEOPLE that he failed a drug test.) The 26-year-old – who was sentenced to 27 months on charges of assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice – had been in rehab as part of his early release from jail. Anderson tells PEOPLE that “the position on recall is that you then serve the remainder of the sentence” – meaning Fielder-Civil would remain in jail until 2010. The U.K.’s Sun newspaper also reports that Fielder-Civil ran away from the rehab facility Tuesday night to visit to his estranged wife. Winehouse, 25, remains hospitalized in London as part of her ongoing treatment, her rep told PEOPLE earlier this week. Fielder-Civil “turned up in hospital and hell broke loose,” according to The Sun’s source. “He was asking Amy to forgive him.” Winehouse and Fielder-Civil wed in Miami in 2007. The “Rehab” singer dedicated this year’s Grammy wins to “my Blake, my Blake incarcerated.” But the singer had not visited her husband since his November release. Just last weekend, Fielder-Civil hinted to the News of the World that he was ready to end their union. “I have to let her go to save her life.” (People)

 

We obtained a 911 call made by Nate Dogg’s estranged wife, Latoya, and she was pretty calm considering the consequences — that Nate allegedly was chasing her down the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles and trying to kill her. Nate was arrested back in June for the incident, and charged with three felony counts of making criminal threats and stalking and one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license. (TMZ)

 

Paparazzi-ing is dangerous work sometimes! In May, bodyguards working for pop princess Rihanna and boyfriend Chris Brown supposedly beat up a Florida photog named Luis Santana for snapping some pics of the two getting cozy outside of a Florida club before they ‘officially’ came out as a couple. On Tuesday, the pap filed a $1 million lawsuit against the couple, the bodyguards and the club, who Santana claims had ‘inadequate security’. “I couldn’t believe it was happening. I’ve done this many, many times before and never have I ever gotten close to being grabbed. There’s a dark side to celebrities and nightlife,” said the photog to the media. Chris Brown’s attorney stated, “neither Chris Brown nor his security was involved in the alleged incident.” Papping can be hazardous to your health! (Perez Hilton)

 

Tyler Perry went to court to face allegations that he stole material from someone else for his blockbuster film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” Donna West is suing the actor-screenwriter for copyright infringement in U.S. District Court and wants a jury to award her family all profits made from the film. “I can’t put my play on because the stories are basically the same and nobody wants to see that again,” she said. West testified Tuesday that she developed a script titled “Fantasy of a Black Woman” based primarily on her own experiences. With her in the starring role, the play was performed in July 1991 at the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters at the Dallas Convention Center. “The play was opened to the public. Anyone could have attended,” West said. Perry’s movie, which earned some $50 million, came out in 2005. Jurors on Tuesday watched the film and listened to a reading of the script from West’s play. In her opening remarks to the jury, Perry’s attorney, Veronica Lewis, said her client is an “immensely talented” individual “who has no need whatsoever” to use the materials of others. Lewis noted that Perry had experienced considerable success before and after the film, “so why would he need to copy Ms. West’s script?” Testimony was expected to resume Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis told jurors he anticipates the case will be completed by next Tuesday. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Today’s stage and screen divas could learn from Tina Turner. The day before the living legend brought down the house at a packed Madison Square Garden, Turner had to be hospitalized for a very high fever and was put on oxygen. But Turner, the consummate professional, refused to cancel the show sponsored by Amway Global. Nor did she let down the VIPs – including Anne Hathaway, Molly Simms and MTV honcho Tony DiSanto – who congregated on the Artistry tour bus before the concert. The group was told that when they met Turner, “no one is to shake her hand, and she cannot talk before performing [because of the illness]. She’s very shy.” However, Turner not only shook hands but spoke with each guest. Also there were Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, celebrating their second anniversary, who chatted with Turner backstage. (Page Six)

 

To the delight of trannies everywhere, Cher is coming out with another album. The legendary singer, who’s ensconced at Caesars in Las Vegas for the next two years, told a Page Six operative at the new Luau restaurant: “I’m planning an album of all these great songs from the ’60s that I’ve never covered before. It was such a magical time for music – groups like The Beatles, the Hollies, the Zombies, the Kinks, the Stones and singers like Dylan and Otis Redding . . . I want to pay tribute to a time when I used to listen to music on my little transistor radio or on my AM radio in my Ford Mustang.” (Page Six)

 

Van Halen’s backstage concert rider isn’t as salacious as it was decades ago, when the band was demanding various and sundry controlled substances, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some fodder to be found in the band’s 2008 rider. TheSmokingGun.com unearthed said rider, and it stipulates that Diamond Dave’s dwelling “SHOULD BE AS FAR AWAY FROM” dressing rooms occupied by bandmates Wolfgang, Alex, and Eddie Van Halen. And while alcohol isn’t stocked in individual dressing rooms, (it’s all Red Bull, Gatorade, fresh fruit, and Japanese Apple Pears), Eddie’s onstage cooler contained “mini bottles” of “Gallo Twin Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (red & white label, red cap).” (Scoop)

 

Madonna has postponed the first of four shows in Argentina. Representatives of River Plate Stadium say they have postponed the pop star’s opening concert at the request of the production company. She will still perform as scheduled in Buenos Aires on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Local news media are reporting that some of Madonna’s sound equipment hasn’t arrived due to flight delays, so the concert could be rescheduled for Monday. Local production company Time 4 Fun wouldn’t comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Madonna kicked off the Latin American leg of her “Sticky & Sweet” world tour last week in Mexico City. From Buenos Aires she heads to Chile and Brazil. (Daily Record)

 

Beyoncé is the first artist lined up for next year’s Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Organizers of the festival announced Tuesday the singer has confirmed her participation. The July event will mark the 15th anniversary of the celebration of black music and culture. The festival will include more than 12 musical acts a day. The festival had one of its biggest turnouts this year with more than 270,000 attendees. Performers at the last event included Mary J. Blige and LL Cool J. (Daily Record)

 

This week marks the 20^th anniversary of Roy Orbison’s death. The untimely death of this music legend at the age of 52 left a hole in the music industry that will never be filled. To commemorate the 20^th anniversary of Orbison’s passing and to thank fans for keeping Roy’s memory alive, Roy Orbison Jr. has made the full recording of ‘The Last Concert’ available for download, exclusively at iTunes on December 2, 2008.  Roy Orbison performed his final concert at Highland Heights in Akron, Ohio on December 4, 1988 – two days before his untimely passing.  While the concert was recorded and Roy’s performance of “It’s Over” is featured in ‘The Soul of Rock and Roll’ 4 CD Box set, released by Sony Music In October 2008, the final tapes in their entirety have remained unreleased, until now.  

Roy Orbison The Last Concert – Track List

1.   Only the Lonely 4:32

2.   Leah 3:16

3.   Dream Baby 2:56

4.   In Dreams 3:28

5.   Mean Woman Blues 3:17

6.   Blue Bayou 3:27

7.   Candyman 3:45

8.   Crying 5:43

9.   Ooby Dooby 5:57

10. Go, Go, Go (Down the Line) 5:52

11. It’s Over 3:29

12. Working For the Man 1:50

13. Lana 2:48

14.  Oh, Pretty Woman 5:22

 Sony Music Entertainment has released the ‘The Best of The Soul Of Rock And Roll’ to honor the profoundly influential American singer, songwriter and performer Roy Orbison.  Featuring all the big singles, including (Oh) Pretty Woman, Crying, Only The Lonely, in Dreams and many more, it is a fitting tribute to someone who is regarded by all as one of the true musical greats. (Press Release)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Shia LaBeouf is in for more action on the big screen after movie bosses tapped him to star in an upcoming legal thriller. The Indiana Jones actor has landed the title role in the movie version of John Grisham’s new book The Associate, scheduled to hit shelves in January. LaBeouf will play a student graduating from Yale Law School who is given confidential information about a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The 22-year-old joins a list of Hollywood actors who’ve led Grisham adaptations, including Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Alfie star Sienna Miller plans to make a film with on/off boyfriend Balthazar Getty. Sienna Miller has told friends a film staring her partner Balthazar Getty would be “movie gold” sources have told The Sun. Sienna and Balthazar’s relationship has a received negative press after the Brothers And Sisters star left his wife and four children. “Her advisers are warning how unpopular that would be but Sienna insists it could be movie gold and is looking for a script,” the insider says. “People haven’t taken to them as a pair due to the way they got together. They fear people will find it a bit too sickly – as though they are rubbing his wife’s face in it.” (Handbag)

 

Years after making Zoolander, there might be a Zoolander 2 in the works for star Ben Stiller. Stiller was in London last week for the premiere of another one of his sequels, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. And, during an interview, he confirms the news that there might be a Zoolander 2 in the works, especially since they’ve been working on scripts. Stiller says, “I’ve been trying to get Zoolander 2 together and we’ve had a few scripts. I feel that is the sequel I really would like to do some day because I like the original and I would make sure it was something new and worthy of it first.” And there’s more. Stiller adds, “Meet the Parents 3 is a possibility too.” Enough with the sequels! (Perez Hilton)

 

Paramount Vantage is off to a bad start hyping its expensive Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet flick, “Revolutionary Road,” as an Oscar contender. On Monday, the studio so overbooked an industry screening at the AMC Loews 34th Street – featuring a live Q&A with Leo and Kate – that nearly 200 were turned away, one movie honcho told us. Those kept out included members of guilds representing actors, writers and producers, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, some of whom vote for Oscar nominees. “Scott Rudin, who produced, is always very respectful of industry members, so he’s got to be furious about this. It can’t help the film’s chances,” our insider said. A studio rep told us: “Guild screenings are traditionally overbooked to account for drop-off . . . We look forward to showing it at a later date to those who missed it.” The R-rated movie opens Dec. 26. (Page Six)

 

The Golden Globes are getting a lot of support. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has accepted bids from several studios to classify actors in its supporting categories despite comparatively significant screen time. The HFPA allowed Miramax’s push for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s complicated cleric Father Flynn in “Doubt” and Dev Patel’s soft-spoken Jamal Malik in “Slumdog Millionaire” as supporting roles in the Golden Globes race, nominations for which will be announced Dec. 11. And after what was said to be heated discussion, they ultimately accepted the Weinstein Co.’s positioning of Kate Winslet’s Nazi guard Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader” as a supporting actress, ensuring the star of “Revolutionary Road” will not compete against herself. Ralph Fiennes and David Kross, who play younger and older versions of conflicted lawyer Michael Burk, also were accepted as supporting actors, making the movie a rarity: a non-ensemble film with no lead. The abundance of borderline cases that went supporting will make a normally sparse field more crowded. Studios often prefer supporting categories because the roomier field could increase nomination chances, but the cases this year could upend the conventional wisdom. Supporting categories also are more limited because they don’t split comedy/musical and drama into two categories, as the lead acting categories do. At the other end of the spectrum, the HFPA accepted three leads for Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall and also allowed Michael Sheen as a lead for David Frost in presidential talker “Frost/Nixon.” On the film front, the HFPA allowed Overture’s push for “Last Chance Harvey” as a comedy/musical, which will mean that leads Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson will face a less dense field in acting categories. The group also allowed “Cadillac Records” as a comedy/musical. The HFPA rejected, however, Lionsgate’s bid to consider “W.” as a comedy/musical, a move that would have put it in a less crowded field. The decision opens up a slot in best motion picture comedy/musical for what’s considered an up-for-grabs race. Another movie, “Slumdog,” had been the subject of early rumors as a potential comedy/musical entry, but Fox Searchlight submitted it as a drama, which the HFPA accepted. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Kevin Spacey has been tapped to host the first annual MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress event. Spacey will also sit for a keynote interview at the Congress, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb. 16-20. MOFILM has received entries from filmmakers in over 40 countries; grand prize winner will receive a Cruze vehicle from Chevrolet, a partner in the festival. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

 

TV . . .

 

Julie Andrews is going from “The Sound of Music” to hosting one of music’s biggest annual events. The 73-year-old actress is succeeding Walter Cronkite as anchor of the Vienna Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s Day concert on PBS. Cronkite had been the narrator of the “Great Performances” telecast in the United States for the past 24 years. “He is passing the baton this year and staying home with his family, and they asked me if I would do this special 25th anniversary program,” Andrews said Wednesday during a telephone interview from Los Angeles. The New Year’s concert in Vienna – mostly waltzes, polkas and marches from the Strauss family – has an estimated worldwide TV audience exceeding 1 billion. Daniel Barenboim will conduct for the first time in 2009, and the concert is to be released on DVD by Decca Classics. Andrews wasn’t sure whether she will become a permanent replacement for the 92-year-old Cronkite, the retired CBS anchorman. “I’m sure the format is pretty much the same,” she said. “It’s like a wonderful postcard tribute to Vienna and its surrounding areas and beautiful museums and castles. I’m sort of the glue that holds the whole evening together.” Andrews plans to fly to Vienna on Friday for the start of production. She has not been there since the early 1960s, when she visited the city while “The Sound of Music” was in production in Salzburg and other parts of Austria. The picture won an Academy Award for best picture, and Andrews was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Maria von Trapp. She thinks that, because of the movie, many people identify her with Austria. “Certainly for me it has wonderful memories,” she said. “It seemed to make a great deal sense that I accept the baton being passed from Mr. Cronkite.” Andrews, a fan of the music of Ravel, Prokofiev, Mozart, Brahms and the Strauss family, has never been to the Musikverein, the 138-year-old hall where the concert takes place. “As much as I will be a hostess, I will also be a tourist,” she said. “I just think it’s a lovely tradition. It’s something that makes everybody feel good. The great Strauss music is so enjoyable, it all seems to fit in with the happiness of the new year.” (Daily Record)

 

A veteran star being saluted by a bunch of hot new ones – Alan Jackson knows this can be trouble. But in his case, Country Music Television’s “CMT Giants: Alan Jackson” (9 p.m. EST Saturday) doesn’t signal a changing of the guard just yet. At 50, Jackson remains a reliable hitmaker, even though he probably has guitar picks older than Taylor Swift and some of the other artists honoring him. “Typically, your career is over or you’re dead before they do something like this, so I’m very lucky to have it at this point,” said the easygoing singer, who had a pair of No. 1 singles from his latest album, “Good Time.” Still, there’s no escaping that Jackson has become an elder. The word “influence” was tossed around a lot when the show was taped in October at the Ryman Auditorium with performers including Swift, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack. Hank Williams Jr., George Jones and Jackson’s wife, Denise, were also on hand, as were President George W. Bush, Diane Sawyer and Carrie Underwood by videotape. “I’d say Hank Williams Jr. and Alan Jackson are the two guys whose music really resonated with me,” said Bentley, who recalled seeing Jackson in concert when he was 18. “As a songwriter, anytime I’m looking for inspiration musically, all I’ve got to do is listen either to an old Alan Jackson record or get hold of whatever new Alan Jackson record is out there, and it reminds me of why I wanted to do this,” said Paisley, who performed Jackson’s hit “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.” It was tough to tell how Jackson felt about the attention. Even on a normal day, he always seems painfully shy for a guy in his line of work. “When they first came to me and said they wanted to do a show about giants, I thought it was because I was so tall,” he joked. He credited wife Denise for keeping him grounded (“She knew me when I was nobody, and she still speaks to me that way”) and he appeared humbled by all the kind words. “It’s an incredible honor and kind of freaky to see all these people here. The president of the United States and all these celebrities coming together and saying all these nice things. It’s pretty overwhelming,” said Jackson. (Daily Record)

 

NBC says “ER” will treat its last patients during a two-hour series finale set to air March 12. A week after that medical drama ends its 15-season run, NBC will introduce “Kings,” an ambitious new series set in the present but based on the Biblical tale of David and Goliath. It stars Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) as the powerful monarch of mythical Gilboa. A four-hour thriller starring Val Kilmer (“The Doors”) and Stephen Dorff (“World Trade Center”), “XIII” will air Feb. 8 and 15. And the new season of “Celebrity Apprentice” will begin March 1, NBC says. But there’s no news yet on a premiere date for the as-yet-untitled comedy starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler, which NBC is still promising for later this season. (Daily Record)

 

Hey, Ellen, forget Victoria’s Secret models. Leave Kate Hudson at home. The real way to nab George Clooney to appear on her show is to woo him with male dancers, Brad Pitt slyly reveals. “We’ve tried everything,” DeGeneres explains to Pitt of her “catch Clooney” project, which she’s been working on since moving to her new studio adjacent to the actor’s office. “We’ve sent ‘Victoria’s Secret’ models over. We’ve sent Miss America over. We’ve sent Kate Hudson over. We’ve sent gifts. We decorated his bungalow for Halloween. I don’t know what more we can do.” Quick to the punch, Pitt says via satellite from New Orleans, “This is your problem … Get a bunch of Chippendales. He’s yours. Three, four – no less than three.” And he adds, “Make one a blonde.” Not one to pass on a great joke, DeGeneres vows, “We’re going to do it and we’re going to say it’s from you.” In the interview, set to air on DeGeneres’s talk show Wednesday, the two also discuss Pitt’s “Make it Right” foundation to aid the hurricane ravaged Lower Ninth Ward and supporting No on Prop 8. (People)

 

Neve Campbell is close to returning to series television with a co-starring role on NBC’s midseason drama “The Philanthropist.” “Philanthropist,” from Universal Media Studios, centers on Teddy Rist (James Purefoy), a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need around the world.  “Party of Five” alumna Campbell will play the wife of his business partner and lifelong friend, Phillip (Jesse Martin), who runs the two billionaires’ charitable foundation and has strong chemistry with Teddy. The actress, repped by ICM and Foster-Delaney Management and attorney Steve Younger, is expected to leave shortly for South Africa where “Philanthropist” is being shot.  (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Emmy winner Craig T. Nelson is set to do a three-episode arc of CBS’ crime drama “CSI: NY.” He will play Robert Parker, an powerful NYC publishing magnet and a nemesis to Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise). Nelson, who won an Emmy for his starring role on the comedy “Coach,” recurred on NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” last year. On the big screen the actor, repped by Paradigm and Forward Entertainment, will next be seen in the comedy “The Proposal.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Miles O’Brien will soon be leaving CNN after 16 years. O’Brien, who has been CNN’s chief technology and environment correspondent since ending his stint as anchor of “American Morning” in April 2007, is departing as the network dismantles its science and technology unit. Six producers also will be leaving. CNN’s coverage of science, technology and the environment has been integrated into the general editorial structure, according to spokeswoman Christa Robinson. Along with other duties, O’Brien had covered the space program for a decade, and in 2005 revealed that he had been close to getting NASA’s go-ahead to be the first American journalist in space until the shuttle Columbia broke apart on its return flight two years earlier. No departure date for O’Brien has been announced. (Daily Record)

 

College football’s Bowl Championship Series game will be broadcast in 3-D to the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show and select 3-D-ready theaters, David Hill, chairman and CEO of Fox Sports Television Group, said Tuesday at the 3-D Entertainment Summit. He is enthusiastic about the format but made it clear that if 3-D TV is to move forward, stakeholders should be prepared to take out their checkbooks. “You are not going to see 3-D — if I have my way — on broadcast television until the manufacturers of the sets that are making money are subsidizing us with every piece of equipment that we have to buy,” he said. “The HD transition was dreadful. It cost us a fortune to work in HD: to re-equip our studios, to re-equip our cameras, to re-equip our trucks. And do we get an extra cent from the advertisers? No. If the 3-D industry thinks they are going to get the same ride, they are wrong.” Speaking frankly about the cost of the equipment, he added: “Do I want to build a truck that shoots in 3-D? No. I’m having trouble paying for trucks that shoot in HD. I would prefer to be paying for trucks that shoot in standard definition because that’s cheaper. I’d prefer to be paying for a truck that shot in black-and-white right now.” During the presentation, Hill showed a Fox Sports test reel of 3-D professional football, basketball, boxing and NASCAR. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Andrew Sachs’s granddaughter, Georgina Baillie is being lined up to appear in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother. Georgina Baillie, the exotic dancer at the centre of the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand/Andrew Sachs phone prank controversy is top of producer’s wish list to appear in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother sources have told the Daily Mail. Georgina, a member of dance troop the Satanic Sluts, came to the public’s attention after ex-lover Russell Brand and fellow DJ Jonathan Ross left lewd messages on her grandfather Andrew Sachs’s answer phone. “We couldn’t have timed it better if we tried,” an insider claims. “It will guarantee Big Brother maximum publicity. An approach is being made to her and we are confident of landing her because we know she is keen for publicity to kickstart her own TV career. She would be on primetime TV every night and the producers know that Georgie is not backward in coming forwards. Georgie knows they will want her to talk openly about the whole affair, but she doesn’t mind in the slightest – she will do anything for fame.” Other names in the frame for this year’s show include Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil, former Sugababe Mutya Buena and Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik. (Handbag)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . .  (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  9 out of 10 women says that doing THIS . . . is a real turn off for them?

            A.  Wearing too much cologne

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Marcus A. Antoninus)

 

“THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  In 1964, a Beatles song won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group. That song also became the title of their first movie. What was it?

            A.  Help

            B.  Yellow Submarine
            C.  Magical Mystery Tour

            D.  A Hard Days Night  ****

 

Q.  In 1851, they lowered that outrageous 5-cent price for a government postage stamp to ___?

            A.  4 cents

            B.  3 cents
            C.  2 cents

            D.  1 cent  ****

 

Q.  Confused fans of “The Blair Witch Project” went looking for the three lost filmmakers in Burkittsville in what state?

            A.  North Carolina

            B.  Maryland  ****
            C.  Maine

            D.  New York

 

Q.  Who did Leo Rosten introduce by saying, “Any man who hates babies and dogs can’t be all bad”?

            A.  Will Rogers

            B.  W.C. Fields  ****
            C.  Don Rickles

            D.  Groucho Marx

 

Q.  Which of the Great Lakes is on the average the most shallow?

            A.  Lake Superior

            B.  Lake Erie  ****
            C.  Lake Ontario

            D.  Lake Michigan

 

Q.  Who was King of Britain throughout World War II?

            A.  George VI  ****

            B.  Edward VII
            C.  George V

            D.  Edward VII

 

 

INTERVIEW/GUEST . . .

 

For interview requests for Barabara Orbison regarding Roy Orbison please contact: Tatiana Marchant – Promotions & Publicity Manager – 02 9383 6381 email: tatiana.marchant@sonybmg.com, or your local Sony Music Entertainment representative. (Press Release)

 

 

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

 

NEW WEB SITES FOR PLANNING YOUR TRAVELS:

 

You may be familiar with Web sites like Orbitz and Travelocity for hotel, car rental, and airfares. But these days, several new sites have started up to help you plan your travels. Let your fingers do the walking with Yellow pages dot travel, which lets you view several travel search engines at once and on one screen for easier comparison. VibeAgent dot com will direct you to the Web site with the most competitive hotel price, and it even personalizes your hotel search with criteria such as “hip,” “downtown,”  “budget” or “boutique.” Bezurk dot com is a newer meta-search engine that finds price comparison between several travel sites around the world. And you may have heard of Farecast dot com, which offers free airfare predictions. Well, these folks recently expanded its searches to include Canada, which may make your next trip up north a lot more affordable.

 

(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 . . .

 

—1835  Author Samuel Butler (d. 6-18-1902)

—1861  Singer/Actress Lillian Russell (d. 6-6-1922)

—1899  Musician Sonny Boy Williamson (d. 6-1-1948)

—1921  Actress/Singer Deanna Durbin (It Started With Eve)

—1933  Actor Horst Buchholtz (The Magnificent Seven) (d. 3-3-2003)

—1934  Singer/Game Show host Wink Martindale (Tic Tac Dough)

—1934  Actor Victor French (Little House On the Prairie) (d. 6-15-1989)

—1937  Producer/Actor Max Baer Jr. (The Beverly Hillbillies)

—1940  Singer Freddy Cannon (“Palisades Park”)

¾1940  Musician John Cale

—1944  Musician Chris Hillman (The Byrds) (“Turn Turn Turn”)

—1942  Bassist Bob Mosley (Moby Grape)

—1944  Drummer Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) (“Good Vibrations”) (d. 12-28-1983)

—1946  Tennis player Stan Smith

—1948  Musician Southside Johnny (& The Asbury Jukes)

—1949  Actor Jeff Bridges (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

—1950  Comedienne Pamela Stephenson (ex-Saturday Night Live)

—1951  Musician Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (“Sweet Home Alabama”)

—1951  Actress Patricia Wettig (“Holly” Brothers and Sisters)

¾1955  Jazz Singer Cassandra Wilson

—1960  Musician Bob Griffin (The BoDeans)

—1964  Actress Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny)

—1970  Football’s Jeff Blake

—1973  Model/Actress/TV Host Tyra Banks

¾1976  Country Singer Amie Comeaux  (d. 12-21-1997)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

 Today is ST. BARBARA’S DAY.  This is NATIONAL DICE DAY

—1568  Sir Walter Raleigh unwrapped another goodie he’d brought back from the New World: the potato.

—1918  President Woodrow Wilson set sail for Europe to attend the peace conference in Versailles (ver-SIGH), France, thus becoming the first American president ever to travel outside the country while in office.

—1933  The first “Ma Perkins” episode was broadcast on radio. It continued for more than 25 years.

—1965  In Sacramento, Rolling Stone Keith Richards is knocked unconscious for several minutes after moving an underground microphone with his guitar. He returns to finish the show.

—1971  The top single in the US is “Family Affair” from Sly & The Family Stone.

—1976  Bob Marley is shot in the arm at his Kingston home in an apparent assassination attempt. The politically motivated gunman shot Marley, his wife Rita, and two others to discourage Marley’s upcoming performance for Jamaica’s prime minister. No one is seriously hurt, and two days later Marley plays the gig.

—1976  Liz Taylor marries her seventh husband to John Warner.

—1978  Our Pioneer Venus I spacecraft, launched the preceding May, went into orbit around Venus and began sending information, enabling us to map portions of the Venusian’s surface for the first time.

—1981  TV premiere of the nighttime series “Falcon Crest.” The show was set in California wine country. It was on the air 9 years.

—1988  Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, and Barbra Streisand make People’s “Best Dressed” list. The “Worst Dressed” include Madonna and Prince.

—1990  The cartoon show, The Simpsons, release their LP “The Simpsons Sing The Blues.”

—1991  Release of Terry Anderson, an Associated Press correspondent, who became the final American hostage held in Lebanon to be freed.

—1992  Whitney Houston has the top single in the US with “I Will Always Love You” from the Bodyguard soundtrack.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1783, George Washington bid farewell to his troops at a tavern in New York. He received endless cheers all the way up until he uttered those immortal words, “Separate checks, please!”

In 1839, the Whig party held its first convention. I believe the founder was the great-great-grandfather of Donald Trump. It only makes sense.

On this date in 1918, Woodrow Wilson became the first U.S. president to travel outside the country while in office. Of course, the tough part was getting his office there.

TODAY IS

Supermodel and actress Tyra Banks turns 35 today. She’s looking forward to sinking her teeth in a big piece of birthday cracker.

Jay-Z turns 39 today. He’s married to Beyonce: who needs a gift?

Max Baer Jr. who played Jethro on “The Beverly Hillbillies” turns 71 today. Don’t know how he’ll celebrate, but I’m sure he’ll figure out something with that fancy 6th grade education of his.

Marisa Tomei turns 43 today. Last year, she was voted “Best Nude Scene of 2007″ in the intentional category. However, Britney still wins the “Overall Best of Show” award.

National Cookie Day — There’s more going on inside your cookie jar than meets your taste buds. In fact, psychologists have discovered that the way your cookie crumbles reveals the flavor of your personality, says family therapist Jim Franklin.

·         Chocolate Chip — You’re as American as apple pie, and you’re raising your kids with the traditional values you treasure. Your low-key approach to life makes you a favorite with family and friends because you bring a steadying influence to the most chaotic situations.

·         Ginger Snaps — You’re bold, brave and in search of excitement. Life is never dull when you’re around, and both kids and adults are attracted by your zest for life. You never shy away from new adventures, leading a happy band of friends and family who’ll gladly follow you anywhere.

·         Graham Crackers — You’re softhearted and kind with a taste for nostalgia. You have many fond memories of your childhood, and your closet is probably stuffed with keepsakes from years gone by. But you don’t dwell on the past because you’re too busy making memories today.

·         Vanilla Wafers — You have uncanny intuitive powers that give you the unique ability to size up a situation or a person with breathtaking accuracy. Loved ones caught up in complex problems often turn to you for advice because they know you’ll steer them in the right direction.

·         Sandwich Cookies — Whether you eat the creme filling first or dunk them in milk, your choice says you’re a creative person with a vivid imagination. A born storyteller, you’re often the center of attention at parties, regaling your pals with funny, sometimes outrageous, tales.

·         Fig Newtons — Quiet, reserved and mature, your keen mind makes you a force to be reckoned with. You always have your “ducks in a row,” and your organizational skills assure your home and job are both running smoothly. Just don’t forget, spontaneity is a good thing too.

·         Sugar Cookies — You’re a nonconformist who believes that variety is the spice of life. Your avid interest in a multitude of subjects, teamed with your antiestablishment sensibility, makes you a challenging companion. You may not always take the safe path, but there’s no doubt that life with you is never dull.

·         Oatmeal — As homespun and down-to-earth as a comfy pair of slippers, you’re a genius at making others feel loved. Your family and friends blossom under the warmth of your generous spirit, while your practical approach to problems helps you find the best route to a solution that satisfies everyone involved.

·         Shortbread — You present a placid face to the world, but beneath your calm facade beats the heart of a passionate romantic. In fact, those closest to you would be amazed by your colorful fantasy life. Once you’ve found the right partner, you’re able to give this untapped side free rein with totally satisfying results.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         No more variety shows for Rosie O’Donnell, as her show was cancelled after only one airing. Her NBC special the night before Thanksgiving, “Rosie Live,” attracted only 5 million viewers.

·         A tracking device has been found on Simon Cowell’s Rolls Royce. Some paparazzi are so lazy.

·         Julianne Hough and boyfriend Chuck Wicks have been an item for five months… but she tells People that she wouldn’t surprised if this is it.

·         Patrick Swayze says it ticks him off when the tabloids have him all but dead. He said he’s still battling pancreatic cancer, but is responding well to treatment and doing fine.

·         Some scientists think the digital age may be changing the way we read, learn and interact with each other. Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA, argues that daily exposure to digital technologies such as the Internet and smart phones alter how the brain works. You think…

·         Sean Avery of the NHL’s Dallas Stars has been suspended indefinitely for referring to his ex-girlfriends — including actress Elisha Cuthbert and model Rachel Hunter — as “sloppy seconds” in an interview.

·         American folk singer Odetta has died. She was 77. She died Tuesday of heart disease after being admitted to the hospital with kidney failure about three weeks ago.

·         Part of the deal making Hillary Clinton Secretary of State included Barack Obama maintaining veto rights on Bill Clinton’s speeches.

·         NBC White House correspondent David Gregory is about to be named the new host for “Meet the Press.”

·         “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” star Marg Helgenberger and her husband of 19 years have split.

·         Dylan McDermott and his wife of 13 years are now officially divorced.

·         President Bush had to send out some apologies this week to Jewish leaders who had been sent an invitation to the official White House Hanukkah reception. On the invitation: a Christmas tree and Christmas wreaths. Not his fault, but no one would believe it.

·         Divorces in the military have hit a 16-year high rate. A lot of stress these days.

·         Experts say that cases of domestic violence actually get worse during the holiday season.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Men’s Health says holidays add stress and divide time. Here’s the count:

·         618,000 is the number of people hired to help staff stores nationwide during the holidays last year.

·         95% of malls will display Christmas decor.

·         70% of companies plan to host a holiday party.

·         1.1 pounds is the average pounds a person gains over the holidays.

·         $40 is the average amount people spend on a gift card.

·         55% of U.S. flights delayed by at least 15 minutes last December 28th.

·         19 billion of mails items the U.S. Postal service will delivers during the holidays.

Are you stressed out over the economy, the election, health care, you job? Don’t look now, but your pet is suffering right along with you. “Dogs and cats are very good at picking up anxiety in people, as are birds,” explains veterinarian James Morrisey, of Cornell University. “In general, the more intelligent the animal, the more psychological stress it can undergo.” But it’s not just an owner’s anxieties that can send an animal into orbit. Researchers discovered that domestic cats can also be traumatized by unfriendly relationships with other felines in the house. (Sun)

As it turns out, it really is downhill after age 40, and you can blame it on your brain. The part of the brain that is charge of motion begins to decline after four decades of life, impacting not only how fast you can throw a ball or run, but also swerve a steering wheel. New research from the University of California, Los Angeles suggests that by middle age, even healthy people lose some of the insulation in the motor-control part of the brain. Study author Dr. George Bartzokis, a UCLA neurologist, says this helps explain why “it’s hard to be a world-class athlete after 40.”

Women’s Health asked women, “The most difficult person to buy holiday gifts for is my…”

·         43% said mother and/or father

·         32% said main squeeze

·         13% said co-worker

·         12% said sibling

Men with facial scars are more attractive to women who are seeking short-term relationships, scientists have found. In non-Western cultures scars are perceived as a sign of maturity and strength, say scientists at Liverpool and Stirling Universities. But now researchers have found that Western women find scarring on men attractive and may associate it with health and bravery –as scarring on a man was often evidence of his courage.

PHONE TOPICS

·         Kanye West says that Beyonce is better than Tina Turner. Your thoughts?

·         Who has the most Christmas lights on their house?

·         What’s the most expensive Christmas decoration you own?

·         What’s the “sappiest thing” you do for the holidays?

·         If you wrote a message in a bottle, what would it say?

·         Anyone have the new Blackberry Storm? Call us on it!

·         Does any married couple, “get romantic” every day of the week?

·         When are the best years of marriage, when you’re younger or older?

·         How many cousins do you have?

·         Which Superhero would you want fighting for your life?

·         Who belongs to the most clubs and organizations?

·         Did your dog ever run away and you found it?

·         Who can get by on the least amount of sleep and still function?

·         What’s the classic moment in your home movie collection?

·         When did you get your first Christmas card?

Have you ever looked up an old love? We had a listener call and tell us her story. She said that her guy wanted to make it serious when they were in high school, but she wasn’t ready. Her parents always told her not to consider marriage until her career was established, and she listened to them. Over the years she thought about him — he was the one that got away. After her divorce she looked him up online. Come to find out, he was divorced too. They started talking and now they’re getting married! A great warm and fuzzy phoner.

Our producer overslept and came in about an hour late one day last week. While we were waiting for him to arrive, my news anchor and I started talking about “The worst jobs to have in which to oversleep?” Funny calls in professions running the gamut from airline pilots to morticians.

When was the last time you made an offer to someone that you really didn’t mean and assumed they’d say no to? You know, like, “We should get together for lunch sometime.” And they’re supposed to say, “Yeah, we’ll have to do that.” But instead they say, “Okay. How about tomorrow?” Or they’re talking about moving and you ask if they need any help and they say they do.

My partner is off this week because she had to have surgery on her nose. When she was a kid she wanted to be an Olympic pole vaulter. So she tried to pole vault over her sofa in the living room. She ended up smashing into a book shelf and knocking a jar full of pennies off the shelf and on to her nose. She hasn’t been able to breathe properly since then. Did you ever injure yourself as a child, and still have scars to prove it?

What are your crazy 911 (emergency call) stories? We had a listener call us that said her eight month old child dialed 911 by accident and two hot officers showed up at her door while she wasn’t exactly looking so hot. They even came in and searched the house to make sure everything was OK.

What unpleasant things do people always put off as long as possible? Some of our answers:

·         Working out

·         Housecleaning

·         Visiting the doctor

·         Writing thank you notes

·         Drawing up a will

·         Visiting a relative

·         Washing the car

·         Cutting the grass

·         Taking out the trash

·         Listening to this show

A recent study suggests older people would rather exercise alone than be surrounded by a bunch of youthful hard bodies in Spandex. It recognizes that people of all ages generally prefer to exercise with people their own age — or they may opt to go it alone. Do you prefer to workout alone or at the gym? Are other people at the gym motivation for you or intimidation?

If she’s happy, then he’s happy — and vice versa. Married men and women are significantly more satisfied with their life when their spouse is also satisfied with life, according to recent research from Britain’s University of Warwick. But this only works if you’re married. The same level of satisfaction was not found in couples who simply live together. Phoner: For married guys — are you really happy when she’s happy?

When I was 4 I had a little red fire engine. You know the type, all steel construction with the white steering wheel. My friend was pushing me down the sidewalk when I ended up smashing into my dad’s car and I broke my collar bone. What did you do when you were a kid that got you horribly injured? Great calls on this one. Give it a try!

If kids are required to pay for their own college/cars, etc. Does that make them more responsible than the kids today that have everything handed to them. We had quite a few calls on how parents try to teach their kids how to be responsible and manage money. Most agreed today’s kids have the attitude “what’s in it for me?” more than ever before!

What’s the strangest food combination you can enjoy? My cohost’s wife dropped a bomb on him that she LOVES dipping French fries in a Wendy’s Frosty. Seven years together and he never knew that, but I’ve always known about that. Excluding pregnancy cravings, who’s got the strangest, creepily enjoyable food combination?

Percentage of adults who think the following generalizations are true:

·         Men like gadgets: 83%

·         Men like to have control of the TV remote: 80%

·         Women are more nurturing than men: 79%

·         Men refuse to ask for directions: 69%

·         Women talk on the phone more than men: 68%

·         Women are more moody: 58%

Other generalizations that are true of men in (city)? Generalizations for women?

I saw a _____ in my neighborhood! You should get some great calls on this. We’ve had everything from a peeping tom, streaker, bear, gator and more.

What singer or band have you see over & over? Find the person in your audience whose seen one artist more than the rest of the callers. I know someone whose seen Kiss over 100 times!

First dates are always a bit weird… and sometimes a huge mistake! Especially when we talk too much. What’s the strangest thing someone has admitted to you on a first date? Was there a second date?

Have you ever bought a car that was a lemon? We also took a bunch of calls asking people if they ever bought a used car from a celebrity. How were you sure it was truly the star’s car?

How do you get you kid out of bed in the morning? My wife is going crazy trying to get our teen-aged daughter up on school days, so I asked the audience for help. The calls came pouring in. One woman suggested frozen marbles in bed, a few suggested spray bottles of water to the face and more than a few said “just leave her there, and if she misses school she’ll have to face the consequences.”

WEIRD NEWS

Message In a Bottle
Along the beach of Corolla, North Carolina, Mark Ciarmello and his 3-year-old daughter made a real find! A genuine message in a bottle. This one was dated August 17, 1969 and the simple note inside read: “If found notify the North Haledon Fire Co. 2.” That’s about 400 miles from where it was released off Barnegat Bay. Mark said he immediately got on his cell phone, called North Haledon and e-mailed photos of the bottle to the firefighters. Nobody’s quite sure who tossed the bottle but firefighters suspect it was during one of the many fishing trips that they used to take years ago. (The Record of Bergen County)

Don’t Try This At Home
Props to truck owner Alonzo Johnson for bravery — or stupidity — we’re not quite sure which. And we don’t suggest trying this yourself. Alonzo saw his pickup truck being stolen from a Quick Mart parking lot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so he jumped into the bed of the moving vehicle, kicked out the back window and crawled into the cab to stop the thief! Police said the 18-year-old woman who stole the truck then jumped out and hopped into her boyfriend’s car, which the truck owner chased until officers finally intervened. The woman was arrested and Alonzo needs a good quote for a new rear window. (Tulsa World)

Christmas Tree Spirit
In Parrish, Florida, a 37-year-old man who lives with his parents was arrested after attacking his father — with a Christmas tree! According to the Manatee County sheriff’s report, the guy allegedly threw a 3-foot Christmas tree at his father. The tree missed, but the man then tried to use the steel base from the tree to strike his dad. Both mom and dad then grabbed his arms to prevent further attacks but deputies say the tree could have caused serious injuries because the metal base weighs about five pounds. Our loser friend denied the whole incident but was still charged with felony assault. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

More Christmas Spirit — NOT!
How’s this for how low some people can go? In Manchester, Maryland, police arrested a 51-year-old woman for stealing Christmas decorations from her neighbor’s yards, and then setting them up in her own yard! The county sheriff’s office said the suspect was found in her own home with decorations from at least three area homes. So she’s now in jail — but she has a very festive yard. (Carroll County Times)

Condo-Liberace Rice!
Maybe we should call her Condo-Liberace Rice. Our out going Secretary of State was the star of a piano recital for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth herself. You may not know this but Madame Secretary is actually an accomplished concert level pianist. She played a piece by Brahms, and was joined by three members of the London Symphony Orchestra. A palace spokeswoman said, “Condoleezza expressed a wish to play at Buckingham Palace and the queen offered her to play in the music room.” Queen Elizabeth listened to some of the performance, and then gave Condoleezza a recording of it as a souvenir. (BBC News)

Real Gratitude
How’s this for gratitude? A New York City bus driver was stabbed to death by the very passenger he had allowed to ride for free! 46-year-old Edwin Thomas became the first on-duty bus driver to be killed in the city since 1981 for his act of kindness. The suspect’s metro card had apparently expired but Thomas allowed him to ride anyway. But then the guy began demanding a free transfer card as well, and became agitated and attacked Thomas after he refused and reminded the guy that he hadn’t paid to begin with. Ironically, the father of two had become a bus driver after driving an armored truck because he thought it would be safer. After the stabbing, the suspect jumped off the bus and police are still looking for him. Police raced Thomas to the hospital after arriving on the scene but he died at the hospital. There is a $36,000 reward for the capture of the passenger, who was described as being in his 20s. (AHN News)

How To Talk To Girls!
There’s a new book out called “How To Talk To Girls.” What makes this book unique is that it was written by 9-year-old Alec Greven. Alec started the book as a creative writing project in school at Castle Rock, Colorado. His handwritten pamphlet was then sold for $5 at a school book fair where it was the surprise bestseller. After local news stations picked up the story he ended up being offered a publishing deal with HarperCollins. “How To Talk To Girls” is now available as a 46-page hardcover across the U.S. So what’s some of Alec’s best advice? He told the New York Post, “I saw a lot of boys that had trouble talking to girls. If I say hi and you say hi back, we’re probably off to a good start.” (New York Post)

Life Saving Text!
British vascular surgeon David Nott saved the day and saved a 16-year-old boy’s life thanks to surgical instructions being texted to him from a colleague while he was in Africa! The boy’s left arm had been ripped off by a hippopotamus and was badly infected and gangrenous. Dr. Nott knew he needed to perform a forequarter amputation, which requires the surgeon to remove the collar bone and shoulder blade. While he had never performed the operation before, he followed instructions from a colleague who had. Nott, who is normally based at Charing Cross Hospital in London, said, “I texted him and he texted back step-by-step instructions on how to do it. Dr. Nott, who volunteers with MSF for a month every year, added, “It was just luck that I was there and could do it.” (Ananova)

HOLE IN THE HEADLINE

·  “Top 10 Stupid Gifts From Chickens To ____ Golf!” (Toilet)

·  “Police Turn On Anti-Government ____s?!” (Facebookers)

·  “Security Intrudes On Live ____!” (Interview)

·  “Cop Pulls Gun Over Scooter ____ Violation!” (Helmet)

·  “Three Jailed For ____ T-Shirts In Court!” (Kangaroo)

·  “Forgot Socks, Adopt a ____ For Christmas!” (Koala)

·  “Ancient ________-Like Insect Imprint Found!” (Dragonfly)

·  “____-Boy Footballer Dropped By Club!” (Garlic)

·  “French Say They Need Biggest ____s!” (Condoms)

·  “Dutch Ban On “____” Mushrooms To Take Effect!” (Magic)

·  “Japan Pm Aso Criticizes Unhealthy ____!” (Elderly)

·  “Man Says God Ordered Him To Ram ____ at 100 Mph!” (Vehicle)

SHAMELESS PLUG DAY

Offer 30 seconds of free time for your listeners to talk about anything or product that they want. You’ll get people who want to just tell their bosses off, bands, entrepreneurs, small businesses and overworked moms.

TOP FIVE THINGS A PHYSICAL TRAINER MIGHT SAY TO A SNOWMAN

1.      “Your arms are like sticks! Oh, wait… they really ARE sticks!”

2.      “Let me help you melt away the pounds”

3.      “You’re just a skinny person

4.      “Someone really packed on the snow this weekend, didn’t they?”

5.      “Is your nose a carrot or are you just happy to see me?”

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Olympic Gold winner Michael Phelps has just been named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year.” Boy, who could have seen that coming?

Jessica Simpson says she wants to go back to college and study theology. Especially since every guy named Theo that she has met has been so nice…

With Barack Obama naming Hillary Clinton as his new Secretary of State, the rumor has sprung up that Bill Clinton might take over her Senate seat. Bill Clinton held a press conference yesterday and said he had no interest in Hillary’s seat… or her job as Senator, for that matter.

SLOGAN OFF

Classic Edition

·         “Cooks who know trust ______” (Crisco)

·         “Better living through chemistry” (Dupont)

·         “The best tires in the world have ______ written all over them” (Goodyear)

·         “_____ has a better idea” (Ford)

·         “Manly, yes, but I like it, too” (Irish Spring Soap)

Modern Edition

·         “Search. Savor. Share.” (Myrecipes.com)

·         “Jump in” (Xbox 360)

·         “Better sound through research” (Bose)

·         “At the heart of the image” (Nikon)

·         “The power of dreams” (Honda)

LIE LIKE A DOG

Have guys (and women) call with the stuff guys have said just to get a date. Guys are very creative and some women date them for months before they find out. Best story wins.

WHO NEEDS A SLAP?

Have a listener party where you have a punching bag set up. Ladies bring pictures of someone they really despise and you put the photo on the punching bag and let them slap it until they are exhausted as you cheer them on. Have a good bunch of sound effects for the air as they go at it.

HURRY IT UP!

Does your girlfriend or wife take forever to get ready (or do you)? For most guys, it doesn’t matter if their wife or girlfriend spends ten minutes or three hours. She looks the same either way. But that doesn’t stop women from barricading themselves in the bathroom and… doing whatever it is that they’re doing in there for a long, long time. Like it or not, according to Men’s Health magazine, there’s not much you can do to hurry things up. But there might be a few things you can do to ease your pain.

·         Lie — Tell her that dinner is at 7:30 instead of 8. That way you’ve got a “cushion” of half an hour for her to do all the things she feels she needs to get done, and you’re not sitting there steaming about it.

·         Remind her — Gently. An hour and a half before it’s time to leave, remind her that it’s time to start getting ready.

·         Get ready first — Do all your showering and shaving long before she locks herself in the can. That way the pressure’s off you.

·         Get a book — The fact is nothing short of tear gas is going to get her out of that bathroom before she’s good and ready, so make that time productive. Catch up on your reading. Watch SportsCenter. Whatever it takes to take your mind off the fact that time’s-a-wasting.

Phoner: What do you do or say to speed things along? Ever cause a fight that ended up with you NOT going out?

MEN GONE MAD AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM

You get women to call up to tell you how their men have gone mad. They either watch the same movie over and over or are insanely in love with their cars or a chair. It’s some crazy behavior that they do. The women call and you listen but goat them on. You play about four and pick the winner.

IT’S THE NETWORK

With all of our bad winter weather, we urge listeners to call in whenever they see anything newsworthy like accidents or traffic delays. It’s amazing how much they embraced this and at a time when radio news is practically nonexistant, it goes a long way to making them sound on top of everything. We’ve got a produced breaker for the reports and the payoff for the caller is hearing themselves on the radio. Now they’re calling in unsolicited just to tell them which areas are experiencing bad weather conditions, etc.

TRIVIA

·         Gary Coleman has pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge and paid a $100 fine stemming from a September incident at what kind of establishment in Salt Lake City? (Bowling alley)

·         Ivana Trump, ex-wife of property mogul Donald Trump, said she has split from husband number what? (Four)

·         Fans of the holiday classic, “A Christmas Story,” are celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary with a convention and trips to the house where the movie, set in Indiana, was made. In what state? (Ohio)

·         Police in Spain are investigating $125,000 in missing designer jewelry last seen on which actress at an event in Madrid? (Winona Ryder)

·         John Travolta says he turned down a role in which movie, allowing Tom Hanks to grab the starring role? (“Green Mile”)

·         Country music star Faith Hill finally has that Christmas gift that she said she’s always wanted, performing her favorite holiday songs with a 31-piece orchestra, nine-member choir and an elaborate stage set for a new special on what network? (PBS)

·         On “Top Chef New York,” whose banana s’mores ended the chef’s stint on the show? (Richard)

·         Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet finally get back together on the big screen this year for the first time since they co-starred in 1997’s “Titanic,” in which movie? (“Revolution Road”)

·         Author Jeff Lindsay made a cameo appearance on which cable TV series based on his work? (“Dexter”)

·         This internet search engine’s co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down as chief executive. Which search engine? (Yahoo)

·         Journalist/author Carl Bernstein lamented what type of culture in the U.S.? (Idiot)

·         The 1976 horror film “Carrie” starred Sissy Spacek and what leading Hollywood actor in one of his earliest roles? (John Travolta)

·         In 1999, for the first time in 13 years a female artist won Entertainer of the Year. Name this artist. (Shania Twain)

·         Which two Great Lakes are hydrologically intertwined and are sometimes considered to be one entity? (Lake Michigan and Lake Huron)

·         If five people were to shake hands with everyone in the group, how many handshakes would it take? (10)

·         Who was the male star of the 1985 film, “Summer Rental?” (John Candy)

·         Who won the first Daytona 500? (Lee Petty)

·         About how long can your average mole dig in a single night? (300 feet)

·         What was the Skipper’s name on “Gilligan’s Island”? (Jonas Grumby)

·         In which film did Elizabeth Taylor embark on her singing career? (Cynthia)

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

The Jonas Brothers may appear in an adaptation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” In this version, one of the ghosts shows the Jonas Brothers their future. By the way, the future Jonas Brothers are played by Hanson.

An amateur astronomer in Canada has captured images of that NASA tool bag lost by the Space Shuttle astronauts floating in space. The discovery was made by a man named Kevin Fetter. So remember, K-Fett discovered a tool bag, and K-Fed is a tool bag.

Did you know that George Bush once bowled with a frozen turkey when he was Governor of Texas? And that Senator Barack Obama bowled like a turkey when he was running for president? And of course, when Bill Clinton was President, he got in trouble for Butterballing.

Lance Armstrong says he’ll be back racing at the Tour de France next year. I’m not saying Lance is a little old to be doing that, but he’ll be riding a Little Rascal Scooter.

Now, instead of Live Strong bracelets, Lance has a deal with Life Alert.

Big scandal over at CNN–Today it was exposed that CNN’s Chief Pentagon Correspondent, Barbara Starr, is actually their terror expert, Peter Bergen, in drag.

During a fight scene with a seven-foot wrestler on the set of his upcoming film, “Sherlock Holmes,” actor Robert Downey Jr. was knocked out cold. Asked what it felt like being knocked unconscious, Robert said, “A lot like the 80’s and the 90’s.”

Robert Downey Jr. says he’s feeling a little weak after a bout with dysentery. Let’s call him, “Not Enough Iron Man.”

On “Hardball” Tuesday, the Chief Operating Officer of GM, Frederick “Fritz” Henderson, was asked if General Motors was on the “brink of bankruptcy,” and Henderson answered, “Our liquidity is badly tested.” You know what also does badly on tests? GM’s product line.

The CEO’s of the Big Three auto companies will be back on Capitol Hill this week to tell Congress that they’re dangerously close to the edge. And if they don’t stop now…with their brakes, who knows what could happen?

Ford announced on Tuesday that they plan to drop more than 600 dealers. You know what Amy Winehouse calls dropping 600 dealers? Rehab.

I think there may be something wrong with President Bush’s hearing. When he was told the Big Three had arrived in Washington he said, “I can’t wait to decorate it.”

The stock market rallied from a 680 point loss on Monday to a 270 point gain on Tuesday. In fact, Superball stock went from really, really low, to very, very high. Now, I’m no market analyst, but I bet it’s coming back down.

During Charlie Gibson’s interview of George Bush, the president said that among Laura Bush’s greatest accomplishments were “lifting the spirits” of “activists in Burma,” and also “those teachers in America.” Of course, those teachers in America would probably tell President Bush that Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989.

In his interview with ABC News anchor, Charlie Gibson, President Bush said he would leave office with his “head held high.” That way, it won’t bump into his approval rating.

Pastor Rick Warren has awarded President George Bush the “International Medal of Peace.” A medal of peace for a guy who started a war over bogus WMD’s? Might as well give a medal of sobriety to Amy Winehouse–a medal of fidelity to John Edwards–and a medal of intelligence to Sarah Palin…

Barack Obama is assembling a cabinet that is being referred to as a “Team of Rivals.” In a related story, Sarah Palin says when she’s elected president in 2012, she’ll assemble a team of rifle lovers.

Researchers say they’ve discovered the world’s oldest marijuana stash in a remote part of China. It’s was 2,700 years old! That’s incredible. I didn’t even realize Willie Nelson was touring 2,700 years ago.

You know what the toughest part was about smoking pot 2,700 years ago? Rolling joints with those stone tablets. Talk about smoking rock!

Rumors are running rampant that MSNBC’s Chris Matthews is considering a run for the U.S. Senate. Bill O’Reilly just announced that he’s pulling two squadrons out of the War on Christmas to start a second-front War on Chris Matthews.

Experts say the holiday season always sees a sharp rise in reports of domestic violence. I suppose that’s why the Ike and Tina Turner Christmas Special never made it to broadcast.

WHAT DOES YOUR SLEEP POSITION SAY ABOUT YOU

(Sun) The position you snooze in involves more than comfort it reveals important information about your personality. “The way you sleep echoes the way you deal with your daytime waking hours,” says researcher Dr. Samuel Dunkell. “Invariably, you sleep as you live.” So what is your body saying when you let down your defenses and head off into dreamland? Choose your favorite nightly slumber position, and find out what it reveals about you:

·         You sleep flat on your back — This is known as the royal sleeper, fully on the back with arms slightly akimbo at the sides. This open, vulnerable position reveals your supreme confidence in your abilities. You’re a resilient, inspirational leader who takes on difficult tasks with relish while encouraging others to excel.

·         You assume the fetal position — Lying curled on your side, knees pulled all the way up and head bent forward says you’re highly emotional, inventive and gregarious. You enjoy taking creative risks and you’re flexible enough to handle surprise situations. Women who sleep in this position often enjoy a heightened sexual response.

·         You’re most comfy on your tummy — Sleeping in the prone position with arms framed above your head is a sure sign you’re an adventurer who’s ready for anything. You’re also willing to take on projects that are outside your comfort zone. Uneasy with emotional displays, you only reveal your sensitive side to trusted loved ones.

·         You prefer to stretch out on your side — Falling asleep on your side with one knee slightly bent indicates you’re easygoing, nonjudgmental and thrive on parties and meeting new people. You may get hurt when others abuse your trusting nature, but you’ve also got a long list of loyal pals.

·         You change your position almost every night — Choosing something different every night makes you special, only 5 percent of Americans are in this category. You possess an adaptable mind that’s constantly coming up with innovative ways to handle problems. Family and friends depend on your ability to produce smart solutions.

BANG YOUR HEAD

Glamour says these diseases feel real, but no HMO will cover them.

·         Apologitis — A needless-blame-taking disorder signaled by overuse of the phrase “I’m so sorry.” Acute cases have been known to apologize to people who bump into them. The cure: Try “Oops.”

·         Indecisionism — When it’s 4:30 but there are still seven restaurants under consideration for tonight’s dinner, indecisionism is to blame. The wish to abandon responsibility is a risk factor. A radical treatment involving flipping a coin is in final testing.

·         Man-orexia — This insatiable hunger for anything male causes the sufferer to put her life on hold whenever a set of XY chromosomes crosses her path. One remedy is an all-girl retreat, but more serious cases may need a few hours listening to (radio show) to remember just how unappealing men can be.

·         Screw-you-enza — More common during warm weather, this ailment prompts sufferers to cancel prearranged plans “just because.” It was once thought to be contagious, but clingy relatives and over social peers are more likely the cause. Treatment includes, but is not limited to, high doses of guilt.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTIES

Office Christmas parties are in full swing and it’s always fun to talk about “horror” stories from Office Christmas parties. Did you know:

·         A total of 618,000 Americans will be fired because of remarks they made to their boss at the party.

·         At least 288,000 marriages will be damaged beyond repair because of something that happened at a party. About half of those will end in divorce within a year.

·         There will be at least 500,000 unexpected pregnancies as a result of party drinking.

CHRISTMAS MONTAGE

We’ve teamed up with a local jeweler to give away a diamond pendant for with a Christmas Montage. Basically, we’ve strung together 10 song clips with just the word “Christmas” isolated… the first listener who can correctly identify all 10 songs in the correct order wins! We’re posting clues to each song on the web site, as well.

YOU’RE NOT EVEN CLOSE

When it comes to finding Christmas presents, Men’s Health says 2 in three men who, as boys, searched the house for the hidden stash of Christmas presents. And two in 10 men who, as grown men, still search the house for the hidden stash of Christmas presents. Want more? You’re in luck:

·         26% of guys have proposed at the holidays.

·         9 in 10 guys really do believe that “Good things come in small packages.”

·         1 in 6 men have dressed up as Santa Claus.

·         1 in 4 men who dressed up as Santa Claus said it got old really quick.

·         3 in 10 men have their wife or girlfriend do some of their holiday shopping for them.

·         77% of women would prefer to receive a plasma high definition television instead of a diamond solitaire necklace.

·         2 in 3 men have to exchange at least one gift on Christmas Eve.

·         3 in 4 men who have bought a gift so cool they just had to buy the same thing for themselves.

·         1 in 2 men who have “regifted” – taken their gift and given it to someone else.

·         2 in 3 guys have shopped on Christmas Eve.

TANGLED WEB WE UNWEAVE

We made listeners sweat it out holiday style for an ultimate experience. Three listeners were each given 300 tangled Christmas lights as part of “Roulight.” The first person to completely untangle their mess of knotted lights won the ultimate concert experience, including front row seats, a meet and greet, tour merchandise and lots more.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

12.04.08

 SHOW PREP DECEMBER 4, 2008

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Something seems to be in the water on the set of “How I Met Your Mother.” Show co-star Alyson Hannigan is pregnant and due this spring, and now comes news her co-star Cobie Smulders is pregnant, too. While it’s not clear yet whether the pregnancies will be written into the show’s storylines, show creator Craig Thomas is good natured about the announcements. “If you’re trying to start a family, please come visit the set of ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ Just come by and hang out for a day or two. We can’t legally guarantee anything, but by the time you leave, you will almost certainly be pregnant,” Thomas told TV Guide. (Scoop)

 

Paris Hilton is “addicted” to skydiving – after throwing herself out of a plane to celebrate her birthday last year. The 27-year-old socialite is known for teetering around in high heels and skimpy outfits in the Hollywood party scene. But Hilton insists she’s become an adrenaline junkie since taking part in her first parachute jump in February 2007. She says, “I went for my birthday last year and got addicted, it’s so much fun. I was (terrified) but it’s such a rush, it’s really thrilling.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

British actor Daniel Radcliffe has accepted he’ll forever be linked to his wand-wielding character Harry Potter – because his role in the film has “given him everything”. The 19-year-old attempted to shed his boyish image when he stripped for a full frontal nude seen on London and New York stages in Equus. But Radcliffe insists he’ll always be thankful for his magical role in the blockbuster franchise. He says, “It’s a reality you have to come to terms with – rather than letting it bother you, just accept the fact that there will always be some people who will forever see you for the one part you are most famous for. “It’s not that I want to distance myself from it because… they’ve given me everything… it’s just a matter of being an actor rather than a character.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Brad Pitt has said that he might marry partner Angelina Jolie in the future, but only if their children want them to. During an appearance on the Today show Brad, soon to be seen in the film The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, talked about his family, “I’m really proud of this family. I look at my sons and daughters, I feel rich being around them. Each one offers so much to the mix.” Before briefly commenting on the subject of marriage, “If we feel it’s important to our kids, we would.” Old romantic. (Handbag)

 

Sienna Miller and Balthazar Getty are still cooking – because they never actually split up. British papers recently quoted Miller as saying, “I’m single at the moment . . . I’m cool being on my own.” But a rep for Miller told Page Six: “Contrary to British reports, Sienna never gave an interview about her relationship with Balthazar. An old quote was pulled from an interview three years ago.” So when the London Sun spotted the couple looking “so much in love” while walking hand-in-hand through London, it’s because they are. (Page Six)

 

Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz may have been embarrassed by the nude photos of him that surfaced back in 2006, but they ultimately landed him a nice consolation prize: wife Ashlee Simpson. “She just called me up and made me feel a lot better,” he tells Details. (Simpson herself had just gone through a public shaming for her disastrous “Saturday Night Live” performance.) Wentz admits that getting Simpson pregnant was a “happy accident,” and she had to e-mail him a picture of the pregnancy test to make it sink in. (Page Six)

 

Jessica Simpson wants to head off to college to study theology – and watching TV was her inspiration. “I’ve been contemplating taking a college course in religion,” the bubblehead told Marie Claire. “I love religion. I remember whenever the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ came out, the Discovery Channel did this three-night piece on it that I TiVoed and then watched eight times.” We just hope someone advises her not to include that bit in her application letter. (Page Six)

 

Meryl Streep says she would love to appear in a Mamma Mia sequel if only the producers can “get those fabulous boys back. The Abba musical became the surprise hit of the summer, grossing £375m worldwide, and starred Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgard. “Grand Mamma Mia! I like it! I’m up for doing a sequel, as long as you can get those fabulous boys back! It’s so gratifying it has been this phenomenon around the work. It says there’s an audience for something that appeals to a lot of women, something that might make them some money too,” Streep said. (British Glamour)

 

Former child star Haley Joel Osment quit alcohol at the age of 18, after he was caught driving drunk in Hollywood in 2006. The Sixth Sense actor was deeply shamed by the incident, which earned him a hefty fine and probation, as well as a mandatory rehab stint and Alcoholics Anonymous course. Osment vowed to stop drinking completely until he turns 21 and is able to buy his own booze legally. Two-and-a-half years on, the actor is approaching the landmark – he turns 21 in April 2009 – and he is proud to have confronted his demons and served his punishment. He say, “It was an example of someone just out of high school being extremely irresponsible. There’s no excuse for that. “I learned my lesson. I made a bad decision, and it’s something you can’t run from.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

The Hills stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt plan to start a family – just weeks after they married in a secret ceremony in Mexico. The pair, who have been dating since 2006, exchanged vows while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas. And the reality TV couple insist the next logical stage is to try for children. Asked by website TMZ.com whether they plan on having a child, Montag says: “We are going to start it!”. And Pratt adds, “(It’s the) next step!” Pratt also revealed he was surprised at the sudden wedding, which will feature in later episodes of the MTV show. He says, “I have been trying to marry Heidi for two and a half years now. It came out of nowhere. I was like, ‘This was my shot’. ” And Montag recalls the wedding day, adding, “Actually, I really started crying. My eyes just started tearing up. When you hear the love of your life just saying the most amazing, sweet things from his heart, I couldn’t help it. It was the best moment in my life.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Kevin Federline never wanted to divorce Britney Spears – and insists the singer went behind his back to engineer their break-up. The former dancer – who has two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, with the singer – hit back after she claimed in her MTV documentary Britney: For the Record this week that it was his decision to split up. But while Federline admits he found married life tough after the birth of their children, he is adamant he wanted to make it work – but the Toxic hitmaker pushed for a divorce. He tells People.com, “It’s hard enough to be in a marriage, and then have a kid, then kids, it changes everything. For me, I’d become more concerned with my children. Not that I ignored Britney, but my kids are always most important “I mean, we were having complications. I didn’t give her an ultimatum, but I was trying to work stuff out with her, and she didn’t even talk to me or anything and went behind my back and filed (for divorce). (I was) completely blindsided.” Federline also revealed he was scared he would never see his sons again after the split. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Mary-Kate Olsen’s house is in no danger of getting full. The pint-size mogul’s spokesman has shot back at a National Enquirer report claiming the 22-year-old is packing her first child courtesy of artist boyfriend Nate Lowman. “Mary-Kate is absolutely not pregnant,” her rep told Us Weekly. The baby-on-board speculation kicked up Monday when the tabloid published a less-than-flattering photo of the diminutive fashion plate and noted that her weight had “shot up”—the post-Thanksgiving horror!—to just over 100 pounds. (Apparently, the dangers of publicly speculating on the weight of someone who publicly battled an eating disorder was of no concern to the Enquiring set.) The Olsen denial has done nothing to improve the batting average of the tab’s Dec. 1 issue. Yesterday, Patrick Swayze personally denied the Enquirer’s other major cover story, that his battle with pancreatic cancer had taken a turn for the worse. The newsstand guilty pleasure should be feeling a little more guilty today. (Eonline)

 

Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze has slammed reports that he is close to losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. Patrick Swayze has called reports that he is close to death “shoddy and reckless reporting”. Tabloids in the US recently claimed the actor was “on his last legs and saying goodbye to my tearful family” after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. “Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease and from the moment I was diagnosed, I knew I was in for the fight of my life. It’s a battle, and so far, I’ve been winning. I’m one of the lucky few that responds well to treatment,” Swayze said in a statement given to People magazine. “”It’s upsetting that the shoddy and reckless reporting from these publications cast a negative shadow on the positive and good fight I’m fighting. For me, my family, and those close to me, it amounts to downright emotional cruelty. That makes me angry when hope is so precious.” (Handbag)

 

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has slammed claims that she courts media attention. Victoria Beckham has denied she, and husband David court media attention. “We lead our lives in a much more low-profile way than people think. I’m not going to The Ivy in Beverly Hills. I don’t think I’ve been to a premiere since we moved there,” she told The Times. “We’re not courting fame. I can give you a list of numerous restaurants that have underground parking so no one can get any photographs. I don’t really care what people think. I never made friends easily. For years, when I was in the Spice Girls, those were my four best friends. Now I’ve got David.” (Handbag)

 

Kelly Ripa’s rep has a reply to the claim that the star’s 12-year marriage to actor Mark Consuelos is over: No way. “There is no truth to the story. Their marriage continues to be quite healthy, and the National Enquirer should be ashamed for fabricating such an untruthful story,” Ripa’s spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, told PEOPLE Wednesday, after the paper reported the couple have split. “Their story is 100 percent false,” Rosenfield added. Regis Philbin’s on-air cohost of Live! since February 2001, Ripa, 38, has been wed to Conseulos, 37, since 1996, after having met the year before while both were acting on the daytime drama All My Children. Together they have three children: Michael, 11; Lola, 7; and Joaquin, 5. Last year, Ripa said of Consuelos: “I’ve had a crush on my husband since the day I met him.”  (People)

 

Mark Ruffalo’s brother is clinging to life right now after he was shot in the head in Beverly Hills Monday. Police sources tell TMZ Scott Ruffalo was the victim of a “suspicious shooting” that took place in his own Beverly Hills apartment. We’re also told cops are trying to determine if anything criminal went down — meaning they haven’t ruled out an accidental shooting or a suicide attempt. (TMZ)

 

Odetta, the folk singer with the powerful voice who moved audiences and influenced fellow musicians for a half-century, has died. She was 77. Odetta died Tuesday of heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital, said her manager of 12 years, Doug Yeager. She was admitted to the hospital with kidney failure about three weeks ago, he said. In spite of failing health that caused her to use a wheelchair, Odetta performed 60 concerts in the last two years, singing for 90 minutes at a time. Her singing ability never diminished, Yeager said. “The power would just come out of her like people wouldn’t believe,” he said. With her booming, classically trained voice and spare guitar, Odetta gave life to the songs by workingmen and slaves, farmers and miners, housewives and washerwomen, blacks and whites. First coming to prominence in the 1950s, she influenced Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other singers who had roots in the folk music boom. An Odetta record on the turntable, listeners could close their eyes and imagine themselves hearing the sounds of spirituals and blues as they rang out from a weathered back porch or around a long-vanished campfire a century before. “What distinguished her from the start was the meticulous care with which she tried to re-create the feeling of her folk songs; to understand the emotions of a convict in a convict ditty, she once tried breaking up rocks with a sledge hammer,” Time magazine wrote in 1960. “She is a keening Irishwoman in `Foggy Dew,’ a chain-gang convict in `Take This Hammer,’ a deserted lover in `Lass from the Low Country,’” Time wrote. Odetta called on her fellow blacks to “take pride in the history of the American Negro” and was active in the civil rights movement. When she sang at the March on Washington in August 1963, “Odetta’s great, full-throated voice carried almost to Capitol Hill,” The New York Times wrote. She was nominated for a 1963 Grammy awards for best folk recording for “Odetta Sings Folk Songs.” Two more Grammy nominations came in recent years, for her 1999 “Blues Everywhere I Go” and her 2005 album “Gonna Let It Shine.” In 1999, she was honored with a National Medal of the Arts. Then-President Bill Clinton said her career showed “us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world.” “I’m not a real folksinger,” she told The Washington Post in 1983. “I don’t mind people calling me that, but I’m a musical historian. I’m a city kid who has admired an area and who got into it. I’ve been fortunate. With folk music, I can do my teaching and preaching, my propagandizing.” Among her notable early works were her 1956 album “Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues,” which included such songs as “Muleskinner Blues” and “Jack O’ Diamonds”; and her 1957 “At the Gate of Horn,” which featured the popular spiritual “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Her 1965 album “Odetta Sings Dylan” included such standards as “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” “Masters of War” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” In a 1978 Playboy interview, Dylan said, “the first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta.” He said he found “just something vital and personal” when he heard an early album of hers in a record store as a teenager. “Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar,” he said. Belafonte also cited her as a key influence on his hugely successful recording career, and she was a guest singer on his 1960 album, “Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall.” She continued to record in recent years; her 2001 album “Looking for a Home (Thanks to Leadbelly)” paid tribute to the great blues singer to whom she was sometimes compared. Odetta’s last big concert was on Oct. 4 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where she performed in front of tens of thousands at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, Yeager said. She also performed Oct. 25-26 in Toronto. Odetta hoped to sing at the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, though she had not been officially invited, Yeager said. Born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Ala., in 1930, she moved with her family to Los Angeles at age 6. Her father had died when she was young and she took her stepfather’s last name, Felious. Hearing her in glee club, a junior high teacher made sure she got music lessons, but Odetta became interested in folk music in her late teens and turned away from classical studies. She got much of her early experience at the Turnabout Theatre in Los Angeles, where she sang and played occasional stage roles in the early 1950s. “What power of characterization and projection of mood are hers, even though plainly clad and sitting or standing in half light!” a Los Angeles Times critic wrote in 1955. Over the years, she picked up occasional acting roles in TV and film. None other than famed Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper reported in 1961 that she “comes through beautifully” in the film “Sanctuary.” In the Washington Post interview, Odetta theorized that humans developed music and dance because of fear, “fear of God, fear that the sun would not come back, many things. I think it developed as a way of worship or to appease something. … The world hasn’t improved, and so there’s always something to sing about.” Odetta is survived by a daughter, Michelle Esrick of New York City, and a son, Boots Jaffre, of Fort Collins, Colo. She was divorced about 40 years ago and never remarried, her manager said. A memorial service was planned for next month, Yeager said. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Hollywood stars Jane Fonda and Jack Nicholson are among the latest notable figures being inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Musicians Dave Brubeck and Quincy Jones, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, sculptor Robert Graham and chef Alice Waters will also be inducted at the Dec. 15 ceremony in Sacramento. “Dr. Seuss” author Theodor Geisel, photographer Dorothea Lange, architect Julia Morgan, scientist Linus Pauling and former Gov. Leland Stanford will be inducted posthumously. First lady Maria Shriver started the program in 2006 to honor those who’ve helped shape the state. Fonda’s induction comes nearly 30 years after the state Senate rejected her nomination to the California Arts Council because of her campaign against the Vietnam War. (Daily Record)

 

Jet Li said China is ready for an explosion of volunteerism amid its growing prosperity as he put aside his acting duties to discuss charitable efforts Wednesday at former President Bill Clinton’s donor conference in Hong Kong. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative Asia conference, the 45-year-old action film star said volunteerism and charity are rare in China but are now on the rise as the country becomes more prosperous after two decades of capitalist-style economic reforms. “Before the reforms, China’s 1.3 billion people couldn’t even fill their stomachs. The only way people could help others is a word of encouragement,” Li said. Now Chinese are eager to help others in need, Li said, saying he expects “an explosion of the Chinese people’s generosity pent-up over the past 100 years.” Li, who founded the charity One Foundation, a partnership with the Red Cross Society of China, said he was particularly impressed with the number of volunteers that flocked to help victims of the earthquake in China’s central Sichuan province in May. “Countless volunteers were on the front lines,” he said. Li’s movie credits include “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The Forbidden Kingdom” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” (Daily Record)

 

Tom Hanks wants to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration even if he doesn’t get a front-row seat. Or any seat at all. “Look, I’ll be in the back,” the 52-year-old Oscar winner said backstage Tuesday night at a benefit for the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. “I’ll sit on the Lincoln steps and just watch it from the distance on a Jumbotron. I’ve never been to anything like that, and – finally – a guy I voted for won. That hasn’t happened most of my life.” Hanks posted a video pledging his support for Obama on MySpace last May. In the video, Hanks said he was backing Obama because of his “character and vision, and the high road he has taken during this campaign.” Hanks also said Obama “has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us, as did FDR and Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy and even Ronald Reagan when they ran for the job.” Hank’s wife, Rita Wilson, echoed her husband’s sentiment before the pair joined a star-studded cast – which included Annette Bening, William Shatner, Martin Short, James Cromwell and Alicia Silverstone – for a one-time only performance of the Pulitzer-prize-winning play “You Can’t Take It With You” at UCLA’s Royce Hall. However, Wilson had a different viewing spot in mind for Jan. 20. “I think we’re going to get a kayak and go into the National Mall waters,” she joked. (Daily Record)

 

After grabbing the spotlight on Dancing with the Stars Lance Bass has a few words about another celebrity returning to the stage – Britney Spears. “This is going to be the biggest comeback of all time,” he told PEOPLE Monday during a party in his honor at New York’s Citrine. “I don’t think she needs any advice from me,” added Bass, 29. “She’s doing an amazing job right now and I’m so proud of her.” Spears released her sixth studio album, Circus, on Tuesday – which was also her 27th birthday – and celebrated with a performance on Good Morning America. Spears is also going back on the road with a 27-city North American tour that will kick off in March. Bass also offered congratulations to his former bandmate (and Spears’s onetime boyfriend) Justin Timberlake, whose romance with Jessica Biel is going strong. “They’re just really great people,” he gushed. “She’s just one of the guys when it comes to him, and that something that he really loves, a girl that can just hang and get along with all his friends.” As for Bass, don’t look for him on the dance floor again anytime soon. “I’m lucky that I don’t have to dance the samba anymore,” he said laughing. “But it’s definitely opened my eyes to a lot of new things and different styles of music, which is really cool. I can say I can danced those different styles, which is something I never thought I’d be able to do.” (People)

 

Donald Trump is fuming at his brother Robert, who’s in a nasty divorce battle with his socialite wife, Blaine. “Donald is extremely angry because Robert failed to have a prenuptial agreement,” a source close to the developer says. “Donald would constantly tell him to get an agreement signed, and Robert told him he had one. Ironically, Robert Cohen, the lawyer repping Blaine, also represented Ivana Trump when she tried to break her prenuptial agreement with Donald. Cohen lost big to Donald, and the prenup was upheld in its entirety. Donald likes going around telling people that he kicked Cohen’s ass. He’s surprised Blaine is using him.” (Page Six)

 

Supermodel-turned-talkshow host Tyra Banks avoids romance with fellow celebrities – instead choosing to meet potential boyfriends through blind dates. The America’s Next Top Model beauty has most recently been linked to New York banker John Utendahl, but was previously rumored to be dating former basketball star Chris Webber and director John Singleton. But she insists she isn’t looking to find love with another famous person – because the media attention would be too much to handle. She tells Ebony magazine, “One thing I can say is I try not to date people who are famous because one celebrity plus another celebrity equals five… The paparazzi will just start mixing my name with theirs. “I find it fascinating looking at other celebs dating each other and I’m like, ‘Look how cool they look!’ But it’s not a personal interest of mine, I get set up by my friends. It’s the hook up!”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Dallas Stars hockey player Sean Avery has been suspended indefinitely for referring to his ex, 24’s Elisha Cuthbert, as “sloppy seconds.” Speaking to reporters Tuesday morning after a practice in Calgary, Avery made a public dig at Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Cuthbert. “I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada,” he said. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. Enjoy the game tonight.” After the National Hockey League suspended him for “inappropriate public comments,” Avery — who served as an intern at Vogue this past year — now has to meet with Commissioner Gary Bettman, who will determine any additional penalty. A hearing has yet to be scheduled.  “I completely support the league’s decision to suspend Sean Avery,” Stars owner Tom Hicks said in a statement. “Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so.” Avery signed a four-year, $15.5 million deal with the Stars last summer. He previously played for the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings before that. (US Weekly)

 

Sir Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches has confessed to being a big fan of Kerry Katona. Peaches Geldof has owned up to being a huge fan of former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona. “I love Kerry so much. Her show was my favorite thing on TV. She’s such a train wreck but she’s amazing,” the socialite told Closer magazine before going on to say she’d like to see Katona dressed in a ‘dress made of Iceland bags’. Last week Kelly Osbourne called Peaches a “sad little girl”.  (Handbag)

 

NeNe Leakes, star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, is no longer living at the 5,000-square-foot, 5-bedroom home shown on the hit Bravo series. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she and her husband, real estate investor Gregory Leakes, left the property in November — a month after an eviction notice was filed by Winwood Properties. The notice, filed Sept. 24, claimed that they owed $6,240 in past rent. “The tenant said they would move by Sept. 14th because they could no longer afford the house,” the notice read. NeNe would not reveal where she is currently living. “It’s none of your business,” she told The Journal-Constitution in an e-mail. She also mentioned that they “are financial able [sic] and stable to live where ever we feel fits.” She stressed that the eviction notice did not have her name on it. “You don’t know my relationship with Greg,” she said, “so be careful what you report!” She said their home “was a lease purchase corporate deal with Greg & his company. Things didn’t work out between the two of them so they did what they had to do and he did what he had to do.” In a later email, she wrote, “If we rent, lease purchase or buy, money is still coming out of my pocket. So who’s [sic] business is that??” (US Weekly)

 

Meow! Meow! Meow! Tamra Barney of The Real Housewives of Orange County has some fightin’ words for the show’s newest housewife, Gretchen Rossi. Why? Because Gretchen told me earlier this week that she and Tamra got into tiff during filming when Tamra allegedly made an insensitive remark about her fiancé, Jeff Beitzel. (At the time, Jeff was suffering from leukemia; he passed away in September.) Tamra insists she did no such thing. “I have never made a statement about Jeff,” she wrote me in an email. “I never met the man. May he RIP!” Tamra goes even further to claim, “The only time we heard Gretchen speak of Jeff was when the cameras were turned ON.” Oy. And there’s more. Tamra insists she worked hard to make Gretchen feel at home among the O.C. posse, but never promised to be her BFF. (Gretchen told me she felt betrayed by Tamra’s Jeff comments because they had just talked like they were “best friends.”)  “I told her from day one I was not here to be her friend,” she wrote. “This is a working relationship…I might be judged harshly for my sharp tongue RIGHT NOW, but keep watching! I judge people on their actions and not their words.” Nope, Tamra’s not done yet. “Jeana [Keough] was right when she wrote on her blog [that] Gretchen should be on scripted TV, if you get what I mean,” Barney continued. “This is reality TV and I give viewers my life, not bulls–t or what sounds good at the moment.” And besides, she added, “I really don’t care if she does not like me.” So there! See you in the schoolyard, kids! (Eonline)

 

“Blake incarcerated” – again! Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil is being sent back to prison, just one month after he was released into rehab, his lawyer confirms to PEOPLE. “I can confirm he has been recalled,” says Fielder-Civil’s lawyer Kate Anderson, declining to state the reason. (A source close to Fielder-Civil tells PEOPLE that he failed a drug test.) The 26-year-old – who was sentenced to 27 months on charges of assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice – had been in rehab as part of his early release from jail. Anderson tells PEOPLE that “the position on recall is that you then serve the remainder of the sentence” – meaning Fielder-Civil would remain in jail until 2010. The U.K.’s Sun newspaper also reports that Fielder-Civil ran away from the rehab facility Tuesday night to visit to his estranged wife. Winehouse, 25, remains hospitalized in London as part of her ongoing treatment, her rep told PEOPLE earlier this week. Fielder-Civil “turned up in hospital and hell broke loose,” according to The Sun’s source. “He was asking Amy to forgive him.” Winehouse and Fielder-Civil wed in Miami in 2007. The “Rehab” singer dedicated this year’s Grammy wins to “my Blake, my Blake incarcerated.” But the singer had not visited her husband since his November release. Just last weekend, Fielder-Civil hinted to the News of the World that he was ready to end their union. “I have to let her go to save her life.” (People)

 

We obtained a 911 call made by Nate Dogg’s estranged wife, Latoya, and she was pretty calm considering the consequences — that Nate allegedly was chasing her down the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles and trying to kill her. Nate was arrested back in June for the incident, and charged with three felony counts of making criminal threats and stalking and one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license. (TMZ)

 

Paparazzi-ing is dangerous work sometimes! In May, bodyguards working for pop princess Rihanna and boyfriend Chris Brown supposedly beat up a Florida photog named Luis Santana for snapping some pics of the two getting cozy outside of a Florida club before they ‘officially’ came out as a couple. On Tuesday, the pap filed a $1 million lawsuit against the couple, the bodyguards and the club, who Santana claims had ‘inadequate security’. “I couldn’t believe it was happening. I’ve done this many, many times before and never have I ever gotten close to being grabbed. There’s a dark side to celebrities and nightlife,” said the photog to the media. Chris Brown’s attorney stated, “neither Chris Brown nor his security was involved in the alleged incident.” Papping can be hazardous to your health! (Perez Hilton)

 

Tyler Perry went to court to face allegations that he stole material from someone else for his blockbuster film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” Donna West is suing the actor-screenwriter for copyright infringement in U.S. District Court and wants a jury to award her family all profits made from the film. “I can’t put my play on because the stories are basically the same and nobody wants to see that again,” she said. West testified Tuesday that she developed a script titled “Fantasy of a Black Woman” based primarily on her own experiences. With her in the starring role, the play was performed in July 1991 at the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters at the Dallas Convention Center. “The play was opened to the public. Anyone could have attended,” West said. Perry’s movie, which earned some $50 million, came out in 2005. Jurors on Tuesday watched the film and listened to a reading of the script from West’s play. In her opening remarks to the jury, Perry’s attorney, Veronica Lewis, said her client is an “immensely talented” individual “who has no need whatsoever” to use the materials of others. Lewis noted that Perry had experienced considerable success before and after the film, “so why would he need to copy Ms. West’s script?” Testimony was expected to resume Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis told jurors he anticipates the case will be completed by next Tuesday. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Today’s stage and screen divas could learn from Tina Turner. The day before the living legend brought down the house at a packed Madison Square Garden, Turner had to be hospitalized for a very high fever and was put on oxygen. But Turner, the consummate professional, refused to cancel the show sponsored by Amway Global. Nor did she let down the VIPs – including Anne Hathaway, Molly Simms and MTV honcho Tony DiSanto – who congregated on the Artistry tour bus before the concert. The group was told that when they met Turner, “no one is to shake her hand, and she cannot talk before performing [because of the illness]. She’s very shy.” However, Turner not only shook hands but spoke with each guest. Also there were Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, celebrating their second anniversary, who chatted with Turner backstage. (Page Six)

 

To the delight of trannies everywhere, Cher is coming out with another album. The legendary singer, who’s ensconced at Caesars in Las Vegas for the next two years, told a Page Six operative at the new Luau restaurant: “I’m planning an album of all these great songs from the ’60s that I’ve never covered before. It was such a magical time for music – groups like The Beatles, the Hollies, the Zombies, the Kinks, the Stones and singers like Dylan and Otis Redding . . . I want to pay tribute to a time when I used to listen to music on my little transistor radio or on my AM radio in my Ford Mustang.” (Page Six)

 

Van Halen’s backstage concert rider isn’t as salacious as it was decades ago, when the band was demanding various and sundry controlled substances, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some fodder to be found in the band’s 2008 rider. TheSmokingGun.com unearthed said rider, and it stipulates that Diamond Dave’s dwelling “SHOULD BE AS FAR AWAY FROM” dressing rooms occupied by bandmates Wolfgang, Alex, and Eddie Van Halen. And while alcohol isn’t stocked in individual dressing rooms, (it’s all Red Bull, Gatorade, fresh fruit, and Japanese Apple Pears), Eddie’s onstage cooler contained “mini bottles” of “Gallo Twin Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (red & white label, red cap).” (Scoop)

 

Madonna has postponed the first of four shows in Argentina. Representatives of River Plate Stadium say they have postponed the pop star’s opening concert at the request of the production company. She will still perform as scheduled in Buenos Aires on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Local news media are reporting that some of Madonna’s sound equipment hasn’t arrived due to flight delays, so the concert could be rescheduled for Monday. Local production company Time 4 Fun wouldn’t comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Madonna kicked off the Latin American leg of her “Sticky & Sweet” world tour last week in Mexico City. From Buenos Aires she heads to Chile and Brazil. (Daily Record)

 

Beyoncé is the first artist lined up for next year’s Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Organizers of the festival announced Tuesday the singer has confirmed her participation. The July event will mark the 15th anniversary of the celebration of black music and culture. The festival will include more than 12 musical acts a day. The festival had one of its biggest turnouts this year with more than 270,000 attendees. Performers at the last event included Mary J. Blige and LL Cool J. (Daily Record)

 

This week marks the 20^th anniversary of Roy Orbison’s death. The untimely death of this music legend at the age of 52 left a hole in the music industry that will never be filled. To commemorate the 20^th anniversary of Orbison’s passing and to thank fans for keeping Roy’s memory alive, Roy Orbison Jr. has made the full recording of ‘The Last Concert’ available for download, exclusively at iTunes on December 2, 2008.  Roy Orbison performed his final concert at Highland Heights in Akron, Ohio on December 4, 1988 – two days before his untimely passing.  While the concert was recorded and Roy’s performance of “It’s Over” is featured in ‘The Soul of Rock and Roll’ 4 CD Box set, released by Sony Music In October 2008, the final tapes in their entirety have remained unreleased, until now.  

Roy Orbison The Last Concert – Track List

1.   Only the Lonely 4:32

2.   Leah 3:16

3.   Dream Baby 2:56

4.   In Dreams 3:28

5.   Mean Woman Blues 3:17

6.   Blue Bayou 3:27

7.   Candyman 3:45

8.   Crying 5:43

9.   Ooby Dooby 5:57

10. Go, Go, Go (Down the Line) 5:52

11. It’s Over 3:29

12. Working For the Man 1:50

13. Lana 2:48

14.  Oh, Pretty Woman 5:22

 Sony Music Entertainment has released the ‘The Best of The Soul Of Rock And Roll’ to honor the profoundly influential American singer, songwriter and performer Roy Orbison.  Featuring all the big singles, including (Oh) Pretty Woman, Crying, Only The Lonely, in Dreams and many more, it is a fitting tribute to someone who is regarded by all as one of the true musical greats. (Press Release)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Shia LaBeouf is in for more action on the big screen after movie bosses tapped him to star in an upcoming legal thriller. The Indiana Jones actor has landed the title role in the movie version of John Grisham’s new book The Associate, scheduled to hit shelves in January. LaBeouf will play a student graduating from Yale Law School who is given confidential information about a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The 22-year-old joins a list of Hollywood actors who’ve led Grisham adaptations, including Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Alfie star Sienna Miller plans to make a film with on/off boyfriend Balthazar Getty. Sienna Miller has told friends a film staring her partner Balthazar Getty would be “movie gold” sources have told The Sun. Sienna and Balthazar’s relationship has a received negative press after the Brothers And Sisters star left his wife and four children. “Her advisers are warning how unpopular that would be but Sienna insists it could be movie gold and is looking for a script,” the insider says. “People haven’t taken to them as a pair due to the way they got together. They fear people will find it a bit too sickly – as though they are rubbing his wife’s face in it.” (Handbag)

 

Years after making Zoolander, there might be a Zoolander 2 in the works for star Ben Stiller. Stiller was in London last week for the premiere of another one of his sequels, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. And, during an interview, he confirms the news that there might be a Zoolander 2 in the works, especially since they’ve been working on scripts. Stiller says, “I’ve been trying to get Zoolander 2 together and we’ve had a few scripts. I feel that is the sequel I really would like to do some day because I like the original and I would make sure it was something new and worthy of it first.” And there’s more. Stiller adds, “Meet the Parents 3 is a possibility too.” Enough with the sequels! (Perez Hilton)

 

Paramount Vantage is off to a bad start hyping its expensive Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet flick, “Revolutionary Road,” as an Oscar contender. On Monday, the studio so overbooked an industry screening at the AMC Loews 34th Street – featuring a live Q&A with Leo and Kate – that nearly 200 were turned away, one movie honcho told us. Those kept out included members of guilds representing actors, writers and producers, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, some of whom vote for Oscar nominees. “Scott Rudin, who produced, is always very respectful of industry members, so he’s got to be furious about this. It can’t help the film’s chances,” our insider said. A studio rep told us: “Guild screenings are traditionally overbooked to account for drop-off . . . We look forward to showing it at a later date to those who missed it.” The R-rated movie opens Dec. 26. (Page Six)

 

The Golden Globes are getting a lot of support. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has accepted bids from several studios to classify actors in its supporting categories despite comparatively significant screen time. The HFPA allowed Miramax’s push for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s complicated cleric Father Flynn in “Doubt” and Dev Patel’s soft-spoken Jamal Malik in “Slumdog Millionaire” as supporting roles in the Golden Globes race, nominations for which will be announced Dec. 11. And after what was said to be heated discussion, they ultimately accepted the Weinstein Co.’s positioning of Kate Winslet’s Nazi guard Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader” as a supporting actress, ensuring the star of “Revolutionary Road” will not compete against herself. Ralph Fiennes and David Kross, who play younger and older versions of conflicted lawyer Michael Burk, also were accepted as supporting actors, making the movie a rarity: a non-ensemble film with no lead. The abundance of borderline cases that went supporting will make a normally sparse field more crowded. Studios often prefer supporting categories because the roomier field could increase nomination chances, but the cases this year could upend the conventional wisdom. Supporting categories also are more limited because they don’t split comedy/musical and drama into two categories, as the lead acting categories do. At the other end of the spectrum, the HFPA accepted three leads for Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall and also allowed Michael Sheen as a lead for David Frost in presidential talker “Frost/Nixon.” On the film front, the HFPA allowed Overture’s push for “Last Chance Harvey” as a comedy/musical, which will mean that leads Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson will face a less dense field in acting categories. The group also allowed “Cadillac Records” as a comedy/musical. The HFPA rejected, however, Lionsgate’s bid to consider “W.” as a comedy/musical, a move that would have put it in a less crowded field. The decision opens up a slot in best motion picture comedy/musical for what’s considered an up-for-grabs race. Another movie, “Slumdog,” had been the subject of early rumors as a potential comedy/musical entry, but Fox Searchlight submitted it as a drama, which the HFPA accepted. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Kevin Spacey has been tapped to host the first annual MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress event. Spacey will also sit for a keynote interview at the Congress, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb. 16-20. MOFILM has received entries from filmmakers in over 40 countries; grand prize winner will receive a Cruze vehicle from Chevrolet, a partner in the festival. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

 

TV . . .

 

Julie Andrews is going from “The Sound of Music” to hosting one of music’s biggest annual events. The 73-year-old actress is succeeding Walter Cronkite as anchor of the Vienna Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s Day concert on PBS. Cronkite had been the narrator of the “Great Performances” telecast in the United States for the past 24 years. “He is passing the baton this year and staying home with his family, and they asked me if I would do this special 25th anniversary program,” Andrews said Wednesday during a telephone interview from Los Angeles. The New Year’s concert in Vienna – mostly waltzes, polkas and marches from the Strauss family – has an estimated worldwide TV audience exceeding 1 billion. Daniel Barenboim will conduct for the first time in 2009, and the concert is to be released on DVD by Decca Classics. Andrews wasn’t sure whether she will become a permanent replacement for the 92-year-old Cronkite, the retired CBS anchorman. “I’m sure the format is pretty much the same,” she said. “It’s like a wonderful postcard tribute to Vienna and its surrounding areas and beautiful museums and castles. I’m sort of the glue that holds the whole evening together.” Andrews plans to fly to Vienna on Friday for the start of production. She has not been there since the early 1960s, when she visited the city while “The Sound of Music” was in production in Salzburg and other parts of Austria. The picture won an Academy Award for best picture, and Andrews was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Maria von Trapp. She thinks that, because of the movie, many people identify her with Austria. “Certainly for me it has wonderful memories,” she said. “It seemed to make a great deal sense that I accept the baton being passed from Mr. Cronkite.” Andrews, a fan of the music of Ravel, Prokofiev, Mozart, Brahms and the Strauss family, has never been to the Musikverein, the 138-year-old hall where the concert takes place. “As much as I will be a hostess, I will also be a tourist,” she said. “I just think it’s a lovely tradition. It’s something that makes everybody feel good. The great Strauss music is so enjoyable, it all seems to fit in with the happiness of the new year.” (Daily Record)

 

A veteran star being saluted by a bunch of hot new ones – Alan Jackson knows this can be trouble. But in his case, Country Music Television’s “CMT Giants: Alan Jackson” (9 p.m. EST Saturday) doesn’t signal a changing of the guard just yet. At 50, Jackson remains a reliable hitmaker, even though he probably has guitar picks older than Taylor Swift and some of the other artists honoring him. “Typically, your career is over or you’re dead before they do something like this, so I’m very lucky to have it at this point,” said the easygoing singer, who had a pair of No. 1 singles from his latest album, “Good Time.” Still, there’s no escaping that Jackson has become an elder. The word “influence” was tossed around a lot when the show was taped in October at the Ryman Auditorium with performers including Swift, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack. Hank Williams Jr., George Jones and Jackson’s wife, Denise, were also on hand, as were President George W. Bush, Diane Sawyer and Carrie Underwood by videotape. “I’d say Hank Williams Jr. and Alan Jackson are the two guys whose music really resonated with me,” said Bentley, who recalled seeing Jackson in concert when he was 18. “As a songwriter, anytime I’m looking for inspiration musically, all I’ve got to do is listen either to an old Alan Jackson record or get hold of whatever new Alan Jackson record is out there, and it reminds me of why I wanted to do this,” said Paisley, who performed Jackson’s hit “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.” It was tough to tell how Jackson felt about the attention. Even on a normal day, he always seems painfully shy for a guy in his line of work. “When they first came to me and said they wanted to do a show about giants, I thought it was because I was so tall,” he joked. He credited wife Denise for keeping him grounded (“She knew me when I was nobody, and she still speaks to me that way”) and he appeared humbled by all the kind words. “It’s an incredible honor and kind of freaky to see all these people here. The president of the United States and all these celebrities coming together and saying all these nice things. It’s pretty overwhelming,” said Jackson. (Daily Record)

 

NBC says “ER” will treat its last patients during a two-hour series finale set to air March 12. A week after that medical drama ends its 15-season run, NBC will introduce “Kings,” an ambitious new series set in the present but based on the Biblical tale of David and Goliath. It stars Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) as the powerful monarch of mythical Gilboa. A four-hour thriller starring Val Kilmer (“The Doors”) and Stephen Dorff (“World Trade Center”), “XIII” will air Feb. 8 and 15. And the new season of “Celebrity Apprentice” will begin March 1, NBC says. But there’s no news yet on a premiere date for the as-yet-untitled comedy starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler, which NBC is still promising for later this season. (Daily Record)

 

Hey, Ellen, forget Victoria’s Secret models. Leave Kate Hudson at home. The real way to nab George Clooney to appear on her show is to woo him with male dancers, Brad Pitt slyly reveals. “We’ve tried everything,” DeGeneres explains to Pitt of her “catch Clooney” project, which she’s been working on since moving to her new studio adjacent to the actor’s office. “We’ve sent ‘Victoria’s Secret’ models over. We’ve sent Miss America over. We’ve sent Kate Hudson over. We’ve sent gifts. We decorated his bungalow for Halloween. I don’t know what more we can do.” Quick to the punch, Pitt says via satellite from New Orleans, “This is your problem … Get a bunch of Chippendales. He’s yours. Three, four – no less than three.” And he adds, “Make one a blonde.” Not one to pass on a great joke, DeGeneres vows, “We’re going to do it and we’re going to say it’s from you.” In the interview, set to air on DeGeneres’s talk show Wednesday, the two also discuss Pitt’s “Make it Right” foundation to aid the hurricane ravaged Lower Ninth Ward and supporting No on Prop 8. (People)

 

Neve Campbell is close to returning to series television with a co-starring role on NBC’s midseason drama “The Philanthropist.” “Philanthropist,” from Universal Media Studios, centers on Teddy Rist (James Purefoy), a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need around the world.  “Party of Five” alumna Campbell will play the wife of his business partner and lifelong friend, Phillip (Jesse Martin), who runs the two billionaires’ charitable foundation and has strong chemistry with Teddy. The actress, repped by ICM and Foster-Delaney Management and attorney Steve Younger, is expected to leave shortly for South Africa where “Philanthropist” is being shot.  (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Emmy winner Craig T. Nelson is set to do a three-episode arc of CBS’ crime drama “CSI: NY.” He will play Robert Parker, an powerful NYC publishing magnet and a nemesis to Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise). Nelson, who won an Emmy for his starring role on the comedy “Coach,” recurred on NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” last year. On the big screen the actor, repped by Paradigm and Forward Entertainment, will next be seen in the comedy “The Proposal.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Miles O’Brien will soon be leaving CNN after 16 years. O’Brien, who has been CNN’s chief technology and environment correspondent since ending his stint as anchor of “American Morning” in April 2007, is departing as the network dismantles its science and technology unit. Six producers also will be leaving. CNN’s coverage of science, technology and the environment has been integrated into the general editorial structure, according to spokeswoman Christa Robinson. Along with other duties, O’Brien had covered the space program for a decade, and in 2005 revealed that he had been close to getting NASA’s go-ahead to be the first American journalist in space until the shuttle Columbia broke apart on its return flight two years earlier. No departure date for O’Brien has been announced. (Daily Record)

 

College football’s Bowl Championship Series game will be broadcast in 3-D to the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show and select 3-D-ready theaters, David Hill, chairman and CEO of Fox Sports Television Group, said Tuesday at the 3-D Entertainment Summit. He is enthusiastic about the format but made it clear that if 3-D TV is to move forward, stakeholders should be prepared to take out their checkbooks. “You are not going to see 3-D — if I have my way — on broadcast television until the manufacturers of the sets that are making money are subsidizing us with every piece of equipment that we have to buy,” he said. “The HD transition was dreadful. It cost us a fortune to work in HD: to re-equip our studios, to re-equip our cameras, to re-equip our trucks. And do we get an extra cent from the advertisers? No. If the 3-D industry thinks they are going to get the same ride, they are wrong.” Speaking frankly about the cost of the equipment, he added: “Do I want to build a truck that shoots in 3-D? No. I’m having trouble paying for trucks that shoot in HD. I would prefer to be paying for trucks that shoot in standard definition because that’s cheaper. I’d prefer to be paying for a truck that shot in black-and-white right now.” During the presentation, Hill showed a Fox Sports test reel of 3-D professional football, basketball, boxing and NASCAR. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Andrew Sachs’s granddaughter, Georgina Baillie is being lined up to appear in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother. Georgina Baillie, the exotic dancer at the centre of the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand/Andrew Sachs phone prank controversy is top of producer’s wish list to appear in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother sources have told the Daily Mail. Georgina, a member of dance troop the Satanic Sluts, came to the public’s attention after ex-lover Russell Brand and fellow DJ Jonathan Ross left lewd messages on her grandfather Andrew Sachs’s answer phone. “We couldn’t have timed it better if we tried,” an insider claims. “It will guarantee Big Brother maximum publicity. An approach is being made to her and we are confident of landing her because we know she is keen for publicity to kickstart her own TV career. She would be on primetime TV every night and the producers know that Georgie is not backward in coming forwards. Georgie knows they will want her to talk openly about the whole affair, but she doesn’t mind in the slightest – she will do anything for fame.” Other names in the frame for this year’s show include Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil, former Sugababe Mutya Buena and Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik. (Handbag)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . .  (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  9 out of 10 women says that doing THIS . . . is a real turn off for them?

            A.  Wearing too much cologne

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Marcus A. Antoninus)

 

“THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  In 1964, a Beatles song won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group. That song also became the title of their first movie. What was it?

            A.  Help

            B.  Yellow Submarine
            C.  Magical Mystery Tour

            D.  A Hard Days Night  ****

 

Q.  In 1851, they lowered that outrageous 5-cent price for a government postage stamp to ___?

            A.  4 cents

            B.  3 cents
            C.  2 cents

            D.  1 cent  ****

 

Q.  Confused fans of “The Blair Witch Project” went looking for the three lost filmmakers in Burkittsville in what state?

            A.  North Carolina

            B.  Maryland  ****
            C.  Maine

            D.  New York

 

Q.  Who did Leo Rosten introduce by saying, “Any man who hates babies and dogs can’t be all bad”?

            A.  Will Rogers

            B.  W.C. Fields  ****
            C.  Don Rickles

            D.  Groucho Marx

 

Q.  Which of the Great Lakes is on the average the most shallow?

            A.  Lake Superior

            B.  Lake Erie  ****
            C.  Lake Ontario

            D.  Lake Michigan

 

Q.  Who was King of Britain throughout World War II?

            A.  George VI  ****

            B.  Edward VII
            C.  George V

            D.  Edward VII

 

 

INTERVIEW/GUEST . . .

 

For interview requests for Barabara Orbison regarding Roy Orbison please contact: Tatiana Marchant – Promotions & Publicity Manager – 02 9383 6381 email: tatiana.marchant@sonybmg.com, or your local Sony Music Entertainment representative. (Press Release)

 

 

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

 

NEW WEB SITES FOR PLANNING YOUR TRAVELS:

 

You may be familiar with Web sites like Orbitz and Travelocity for hotel, car rental, and airfares. But these days, several new sites have started up to help you plan your travels. Let your fingers do the walking with Yellow pages dot travel, which lets you view several travel search engines at once and on one screen for easier comparison. VibeAgent dot com will direct you to the Web site with the most competitive hotel price, and it even personalizes your hotel search with criteria such as “hip,” “downtown,”  “budget” or “boutique.” Bezurk dot com is a newer meta-search engine that finds price comparison between several travel sites around the world. And you may have heard of Farecast dot com, which offers free airfare predictions. Well, these folks recently expanded its searches to include Canada, which may make your next trip up north a lot more affordable.

 

(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 . . .

 

—1835  Author Samuel Butler (d. 6-18-1902)

—1861  Singer/Actress Lillian Russell (d. 6-6-1922)

—1899  Musician Sonny Boy Williamson (d. 6-1-1948)

—1921  Actress/Singer Deanna Durbin (It Started With Eve)

—1933  Actor Horst Buchholtz (The Magnificent Seven) (d. 3-3-2003)

—1934  Singer/Game Show host Wink Martindale (Tic Tac Dough)

—1934  Actor Victor French (Little House On the Prairie) (d. 6-15-1989)

—1937  Producer/Actor Max Baer Jr. (The Beverly Hillbillies)

—1940  Singer Freddy Cannon (“Palisades Park”)

¾1940  Musician John Cale

—1944  Musician Chris Hillman (The Byrds) (“Turn Turn Turn”)

—1942  Bassist Bob Mosley (Moby Grape)

—1944  Drummer Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) (“Good Vibrations”) (d. 12-28-1983)

—1946  Tennis player Stan Smith

—1948  Musician Southside Johnny (& The Asbury Jukes)

—1949  Actor Jeff Bridges (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

—1950  Comedienne Pamela Stephenson (ex-Saturday Night Live)

—1951  Musician Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (“Sweet Home Alabama”)

—1951  Actress Patricia Wettig (“Holly” Brothers and Sisters)

¾1955  Jazz Singer Cassandra Wilson

—1960  Musician Bob Griffin (The BoDeans)

—1964  Actress Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny)

—1970  Football’s Jeff Blake

—1973  Model/Actress/TV Host Tyra Banks

¾1976  Country Singer Amie Comeaux  (d. 12-21-1997)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

 Today is ST. BARBARA’S DAY.  This is NATIONAL DICE DAY

—1568  Sir Walter Raleigh unwrapped another goodie he’d brought back from the New World: the potato.

—1918  President Woodrow Wilson set sail for Europe to attend the peace conference in Versailles (ver-SIGH), France, thus becoming the first American president ever to travel outside the country while in office.

—1933  The first “Ma Perkins” episode was broadcast on radio. It continued for more than 25 years.

—1965  In Sacramento, Rolling Stone Keith Richards is knocked unconscious for several minutes after moving an underground microphone with his guitar. He returns to finish the show.

—1971  The top single in the US is “Family Affair” from Sly & The Family Stone.

—1976  Bob Marley is shot in the arm at his Kingston home in an apparent assassination attempt. The politically motivated gunman shot Marley, his wife Rita, and two others to discourage Marley’s upcoming performance for Jamaica’s prime minister. No one is seriously hurt, and two days later Marley plays the gig.

—1976  Liz Taylor marries her seventh husband to John Warner.

—1978  Our Pioneer Venus I spacecraft, launched the preceding May, went into orbit around Venus and began sending information, enabling us to map portions of the Venusian’s surface for the first time.

—1981  TV premiere of the nighttime series “Falcon Crest.” The show was set in California wine country. It was on the air 9 years.

—1988  Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, and Barbra Streisand make People’s “Best Dressed” list. The “Worst Dressed” include Madonna and Prince.

—1990  The cartoon show, The Simpsons, release their LP “The Simpsons Sing The Blues.”

—1991  Release of Terry Anderson, an Associated Press correspondent, who became the final American hostage held in Lebanon to be freed.

—1992  Whitney Houston has the top single in the US with “I Will Always Love You” from the Bodyguard soundtrack.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1783, George Washington bid farewell to his troops at a tavern in New York. He received endless cheers all the way up until he uttered those immortal words, “Separate checks, please!”

In 1839, the Whig party held its first convention. I believe the founder was the great-great-grandfather of Donald Trump. It only makes sense.

On this date in 1918, Woodrow Wilson became the first U.S. president to travel outside the country while in office. Of course, the tough part was getting his office there.

TODAY IS

Supermodel and actress Tyra Banks turns 35 today. She’s looking forward to sinking her teeth in a big piece of birthday cracker.

Jay-Z turns 39 today. He’s married to Beyonce: who needs a gift?

Max Baer Jr. who played Jethro on “The Beverly Hillbillies” turns 71 today. Don’t know how he’ll celebrate, but I’m sure he’ll figure out something with that fancy 6th grade education of his.

Marisa Tomei turns 43 today. Last year, she was voted “Best Nude Scene of 2007″ in the intentional category. However, Britney still wins the “Overall Best of Show” award.

National Cookie Day — There’s more going on inside your cookie jar than meets your taste buds. In fact, psychologists have discovered that the way your cookie crumbles reveals the flavor of your personality, says family therapist Jim Franklin.

·         Chocolate Chip — You’re as American as apple pie, and you’re raising your kids with the traditional values you treasure. Your low-key approach to life makes you a favorite with family and friends because you bring a steadying influence to the most chaotic situations.

·         Ginger Snaps — You’re bold, brave and in search of excitement. Life is never dull when you’re around, and both kids and adults are attracted by your zest for life. You never shy away from new adventures, leading a happy band of friends and family who’ll gladly follow you anywhere.

·         Graham Crackers — You’re softhearted and kind with a taste for nostalgia. You have many fond memories of your childhood, and your closet is probably stuffed with keepsakes from years gone by. But you don’t dwell on the past because you’re too busy making memories today.

·         Vanilla Wafers — You have uncanny intuitive powers that give you the unique ability to size up a situation or a person with breathtaking accuracy. Loved ones caught up in complex problems often turn to you for advice because they know you’ll steer them in the right direction.

·         Sandwich Cookies — Whether you eat the creme filling first or dunk them in milk, your choice says you’re a creative person with a vivid imagination. A born storyteller, you’re often the center of attention at parties, regaling your pals with funny, sometimes outrageous, tales.

·         Fig Newtons — Quiet, reserved and mature, your keen mind makes you a force to be reckoned with. You always have your “ducks in a row,” and your organizational skills assure your home and job are both running smoothly. Just don’t forget, spontaneity is a good thing too.

·         Sugar Cookies — You’re a nonconformist who believes that variety is the spice of life. Your avid interest in a multitude of subjects, teamed with your antiestablishment sensibility, makes you a challenging companion. You may not always take the safe path, but there’s no doubt that life with you is never dull.

·         Oatmeal — As homespun and down-to-earth as a comfy pair of slippers, you’re a genius at making others feel loved. Your family and friends blossom under the warmth of your generous spirit, while your practical approach to problems helps you find the best route to a solution that satisfies everyone involved.

·         Shortbread — You present a placid face to the world, but beneath your calm facade beats the heart of a passionate romantic. In fact, those closest to you would be amazed by your colorful fantasy life. Once you’ve found the right partner, you’re able to give this untapped side free rein with totally satisfying results.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         No more variety shows for Rosie O’Donnell, as her show was cancelled after only one airing. Her NBC special the night before Thanksgiving, “Rosie Live,” attracted only 5 million viewers.

·         A tracking device has been found on Simon Cowell’s Rolls Royce. Some paparazzi are so lazy.

·         Julianne Hough and boyfriend Chuck Wicks have been an item for five months… but she tells People that she wouldn’t surprised if this is it.

·         Patrick Swayze says it ticks him off when the tabloids have him all but dead. He said he’s still battling pancreatic cancer, but is responding well to treatment and doing fine.

·         Some scientists think the digital age may be changing the way we read, learn and interact with each other. Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA, argues that daily exposure to digital technologies such as the Internet and smart phones alter how the brain works. You think…

·         Sean Avery of the NHL’s Dallas Stars has been suspended indefinitely for referring to his ex-girlfriends — including actress Elisha Cuthbert and model Rachel Hunter — as “sloppy seconds” in an interview.

·         American folk singer Odetta has died. She was 77. She died Tuesday of heart disease after being admitted to the hospital with kidney failure about three weeks ago.

·         Part of the deal making Hillary Clinton Secretary of State included Barack Obama maintaining veto rights on Bill Clinton’s speeches.

·         NBC White House correspondent David Gregory is about to be named the new host for “Meet the Press.”

·         “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” star Marg Helgenberger and her husband of 19 years have split.

·         Dylan McDermott and his wife of 13 years are now officially divorced.

·         President Bush had to send out some apologies this week to Jewish leaders who had been sent an invitation to the official White House Hanukkah reception. On the invitation: a Christmas tree and Christmas wreaths. Not his fault, but no one would believe it.

·         Divorces in the military have hit a 16-year high rate. A lot of stress these days.

·         Experts say that cases of domestic violence actually get worse during the holiday season.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Men’s Health says holidays add stress and divide time. Here’s the count:

·         618,000 is the number of people hired to help staff stores nationwide during the holidays last year.

·         95% of malls will display Christmas decor.

·         70% of companies plan to host a holiday party.

·         1.1 pounds is the average pounds a person gains over the holidays.

·         $40 is the average amount people spend on a gift card.

·         55% of U.S. flights delayed by at least 15 minutes last December 28th.

·         19 billion of mails items the U.S. Postal service will delivers during the holidays.

Are you stressed out over the economy, the election, health care, you job? Don’t look now, but your pet is suffering right along with you. “Dogs and cats are very good at picking up anxiety in people, as are birds,” explains veterinarian James Morrisey, of Cornell University. “In general, the more intelligent the animal, the more psychological stress it can undergo.” But it’s not just an owner’s anxieties that can send an animal into orbit. Researchers discovered that domestic cats can also be traumatized by unfriendly relationships with other felines in the house. (Sun)

As it turns out, it really is downhill after age 40, and you can blame it on your brain. The part of the brain that is charge of motion begins to decline after four decades of life, impacting not only how fast you can throw a ball or run, but also swerve a steering wheel. New research from the University of California, Los Angeles suggests that by middle age, even healthy people lose some of the insulation in the motor-control part of the brain. Study author Dr. George Bartzokis, a UCLA neurologist, says this helps explain why “it’s hard to be a world-class athlete after 40.”

Women’s Health asked women, “The most difficult person to buy holiday gifts for is my…”

·         43% said mother and/or father

·         32% said main squeeze

·         13% said co-worker

·         12% said sibling

Men with facial scars are more attractive to women who are seeking short-term relationships, scientists have found. In non-Western cultures scars are perceived as a sign of maturity and strength, say scientists at Liverpool and Stirling Universities. But now researchers have found that Western women find scarring on men attractive and may associate it with health and bravery –as scarring on a man was often evidence of his courage.

PHONE TOPICS

·         Kanye West says that Beyonce is better than Tina Turner. Your thoughts?

·         Who has the most Christmas lights on their house?

·         What’s the most expensive Christmas decoration you own?

·         What’s the “sappiest thing” you do for the holidays?

·         If you wrote a message in a bottle, what would it say?

·         Anyone have the new Blackberry Storm? Call us on it!

·         Does any married couple, “get romantic” every day of the week?

·         When are the best years of marriage, when you’re younger or older?

·         How many cousins do you have?

·         Which Superhero would you want fighting for your life?

·         Who belongs to the most clubs and organizations?

·         Did your dog ever run away and you found it?

·         Who can get by on the least amount of sleep and still function?

·         What’s the classic moment in your home movie collection?

·         When did you get your first Christmas card?

Have you ever looked up an old love? We had a listener call and tell us her story. She said that her guy wanted to make it serious when they were in high school, but she wasn’t ready. Her parents always told her not to consider marriage until her career was established, and she listened to them. Over the years she thought about him — he was the one that got away. After her divorce she looked him up online. Come to find out, he was divorced too. They started talking and now they’re getting married! A great warm and fuzzy phoner.

Our producer overslept and came in about an hour late one day last week. While we were waiting for him to arrive, my news anchor and I started talking about “The worst jobs to have in which to oversleep?” Funny calls in professions running the gamut from airline pilots to morticians.

When was the last time you made an offer to someone that you really didn’t mean and assumed they’d say no to? You know, like, “We should get together for lunch sometime.” And they’re supposed to say, “Yeah, we’ll have to do that.” But instead they say, “Okay. How about tomorrow?” Or they’re talking about moving and you ask if they need any help and they say they do.

My partner is off this week because she had to have surgery on her nose. When she was a kid she wanted to be an Olympic pole vaulter. So she tried to pole vault over her sofa in the living room. She ended up smashing into a book shelf and knocking a jar full of pennies off the shelf and on to her nose. She hasn’t been able to breathe properly since then. Did you ever injure yourself as a child, and still have scars to prove it?

What are your crazy 911 (emergency call) stories? We had a listener call us that said her eight month old child dialed 911 by accident and two hot officers showed up at her door while she wasn’t exactly looking so hot. They even came in and searched the house to make sure everything was OK.

What unpleasant things do people always put off as long as possible? Some of our answers:

·         Working out

·         Housecleaning

·         Visiting the doctor

·         Writing thank you notes

·         Drawing up a will

·         Visiting a relative

·         Washing the car

·         Cutting the grass

·         Taking out the trash

·         Listening to this show

A recent study suggests older people would rather exercise alone than be surrounded by a bunch of youthful hard bodies in Spandex. It recognizes that people of all ages generally prefer to exercise with people their own age — or they may opt to go it alone. Do you prefer to workout alone or at the gym? Are other people at the gym motivation for you or intimidation?

If she’s happy, then he’s happy — and vice versa. Married men and women are significantly more satisfied with their life when their spouse is also satisfied with life, according to recent research from Britain’s University of Warwick. But this only works if you’re married. The same level of satisfaction was not found in couples who simply live together. Phoner: For married guys — are you really happy when she’s happy?

When I was 4 I had a little red fire engine. You know the type, all steel construction with the white steering wheel. My friend was pushing me down the sidewalk when I ended up smashing into my dad’s car and I broke my collar bone. What did you do when you were a kid that got you horribly injured? Great calls on this one. Give it a try!

If kids are required to pay for their own college/cars, etc. Does that make them more responsible than the kids today that have everything handed to them. We had quite a few calls on how parents try to teach their kids how to be responsible and manage money. Most agreed today’s kids have the attitude “what’s in it for me?” more than ever before!

What’s the strangest food combination you can enjoy? My cohost’s wife dropped a bomb on him that she LOVES dipping French fries in a Wendy’s Frosty. Seven years together and he never knew that, but I’ve always known about that. Excluding pregnancy cravings, who’s got the strangest, creepily enjoyable food combination?

Percentage of adults who think the following generalizations are true:

·         Men like gadgets: 83%

·         Men like to have control of the TV remote: 80%

·         Women are more nurturing than men: 79%

·         Men refuse to ask for directions: 69%

·         Women talk on the phone more than men: 68%

·         Women are more moody: 58%

Other generalizations that are true of men in (city)? Generalizations for women?

I saw a _____ in my neighborhood! You should get some great calls on this. We’ve had everything from a peeping tom, streaker, bear, gator and more.

What singer or band have you see over & over? Find the person in your audience whose seen one artist more than the rest of the callers. I know someone whose seen Kiss over 100 times!

First dates are always a bit weird… and sometimes a huge mistake! Especially when we talk too much. What’s the strangest thing someone has admitted to you on a first date? Was there a second date?

Have you ever bought a car that was a lemon? We also took a bunch of calls asking people if they ever bought a used car from a celebrity. How were you sure it was truly the star’s car?

How do you get you kid out of bed in the morning? My wife is going crazy trying to get our teen-aged daughter up on school days, so I asked the audience for help. The calls came pouring in. One woman suggested frozen marbles in bed, a few suggested spray bottles of water to the face and more than a few said “just leave her there, and if she misses school she’ll have to face the consequences.”

WEIRD NEWS

Message In a Bottle
Along the beach of Corolla, North Carolina, Mark Ciarmello and his 3-year-old daughter made a real find! A genuine message in a bottle. This one was dated August 17, 1969 and the simple note inside read: “If found notify the North Haledon Fire Co. 2.” That’s about 400 miles from where it was released off Barnegat Bay. Mark said he immediately got on his cell phone, called North Haledon and e-mailed photos of the bottle to the firefighters. Nobody’s quite sure who tossed the bottle but firefighters suspect it was during one of the many fishing trips that they used to take years ago. (The Record of Bergen County)

Don’t Try This At Home
Props to truck owner Alonzo Johnson for bravery — or stupidity — we’re not quite sure which. And we don’t suggest trying this yourself. Alonzo saw his pickup truck being stolen from a Quick Mart parking lot in Tulsa, Oklahoma, so he jumped into the bed of the moving vehicle, kicked out the back window and crawled into the cab to stop the thief! Police said the 18-year-old woman who stole the truck then jumped out and hopped into her boyfriend’s car, which the truck owner chased until officers finally intervened. The woman was arrested and Alonzo needs a good quote for a new rear window. (Tulsa World)

Christmas Tree Spirit
In Parrish, Florida, a 37-year-old man who lives with his parents was arrested after attacking his father — with a Christmas tree! According to the Manatee County sheriff’s report, the guy allegedly threw a 3-foot Christmas tree at his father. The tree missed, but the man then tried to use the steel base from the tree to strike his dad. Both mom and dad then grabbed his arms to prevent further attacks but deputies say the tree could have caused serious injuries because the metal base weighs about five pounds. Our loser friend denied the whole incident but was still charged with felony assault. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)

More Christmas Spirit — NOT!
How’s this for how low some people can go? In Manchester, Maryland, police arrested a 51-year-old woman for stealing Christmas decorations from her neighbor’s yards, and then setting them up in her own yard! The county sheriff’s office said the suspect was found in her own home with decorations from at least three area homes. So she’s now in jail — but she has a very festive yard. (Carroll County Times)

Condo-Liberace Rice!
Maybe we should call her Condo-Liberace Rice. Our out going Secretary of State was the star of a piano recital for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth herself. You may not know this but Madame Secretary is actually an accomplished concert level pianist. She played a piece by Brahms, and was joined by three members of the London Symphony Orchestra. A palace spokeswoman said, “Condoleezza expressed a wish to play at Buckingham Palace and the queen offered her to play in the music room.” Queen Elizabeth listened to some of the performance, and then gave Condoleezza a recording of it as a souvenir. (BBC News)

Real Gratitude
How’s this for gratitude? A New York City bus driver was stabbed to death by the very passenger he had allowed to ride for free! 46-year-old Edwin Thomas became the first on-duty bus driver to be killed in the city since 1981 for his act of kindness. The suspect’s metro card had apparently expired but Thomas allowed him to ride anyway. But then the guy began demanding a free transfer card as well, and became agitated and attacked Thomas after he refused and reminded the guy that he hadn’t paid to begin with. Ironically, the father of two had become a bus driver after driving an armored truck because he thought it would be safer. After the stabbing, the suspect jumped off the bus and police are still looking for him. Police raced Thomas to the hospital after arriving on the scene but he died at the hospital. There is a $36,000 reward for the capture of the passenger, who was described as being in his 20s. (AHN News)

How To Talk To Girls!
There’s a new book out called “How To Talk To Girls.” What makes this book unique is that it was written by 9-year-old Alec Greven. Alec started the book as a creative writing project in school at Castle Rock, Colorado. His handwritten pamphlet was then sold for $5 at a school book fair where it was the surprise bestseller. After local news stations picked up the story he ended up being offered a publishing deal with HarperCollins. “How To Talk To Girls” is now available as a 46-page hardcover across the U.S. So what’s some of Alec’s best advice? He told the New York Post, “I saw a lot of boys that had trouble talking to girls. If I say hi and you say hi back, we’re probably off to a good start.” (New York Post)

Life Saving Text!
British vascular surgeon David Nott saved the day and saved a 16-year-old boy’s life thanks to surgical instructions being texted to him from a colleague while he was in Africa! The boy’s left arm had been ripped off by a hippopotamus and was badly infected and gangrenous. Dr. Nott knew he needed to perform a forequarter amputation, which requires the surgeon to remove the collar bone and shoulder blade. While he had never performed the operation before, he followed instructions from a colleague who had. Nott, who is normally based at Charing Cross Hospital in London, said, “I texted him and he texted back step-by-step instructions on how to do it. Dr. Nott, who volunteers with MSF for a month every year, added, “It was just luck that I was there and could do it.” (Ananova)

HOLE IN THE HEADLINE

·  “Top 10 Stupid Gifts From Chickens To ____ Golf!” (Toilet)

·  “Police Turn On Anti-Government ____s?!” (Facebookers)

·  “Security Intrudes On Live ____!” (Interview)

·  “Cop Pulls Gun Over Scooter ____ Violation!” (Helmet)

·  “Three Jailed For ____ T-Shirts In Court!” (Kangaroo)

·  “Forgot Socks, Adopt a ____ For Christmas!” (Koala)

·  “Ancient ________-Like Insect Imprint Found!” (Dragonfly)

·  “____-Boy Footballer Dropped By Club!” (Garlic)

·  “French Say They Need Biggest ____s!” (Condoms)

·  “Dutch Ban On “____” Mushrooms To Take Effect!” (Magic)

·  “Japan Pm Aso Criticizes Unhealthy ____!” (Elderly)

·  “Man Says God Ordered Him To Ram ____ at 100 Mph!” (Vehicle)

SHAMELESS PLUG DAY

Offer 30 seconds of free time for your listeners to talk about anything or product that they want. You’ll get people who want to just tell their bosses off, bands, entrepreneurs, small businesses and overworked moms.

TOP FIVE THINGS A PHYSICAL TRAINER MIGHT SAY TO A SNOWMAN

1.      “Your arms are like sticks! Oh, wait… they really ARE sticks!”

2.      “Let me help you melt away the pounds”

3.      “You’re just a skinny person

4.      “Someone really packed on the snow this weekend, didn’t they?”

5.      “Is your nose a carrot or are you just happy to see me?”

HUNTER’S HUMOR by Tim Hunter

Olympic Gold winner Michael Phelps has just been named Sports Illustrated’s “Sportsman of the Year.” Boy, who could have seen that coming?

Jessica Simpson says she wants to go back to college and study theology. Especially since every guy named Theo that she has met has been so nice…

With Barack Obama naming Hillary Clinton as his new Secretary of State, the rumor has sprung up that Bill Clinton might take over her Senate seat. Bill Clinton held a press conference yesterday and said he had no interest in Hillary’s seat… or her job as Senator, for that matter.

SLOGAN OFF

Classic Edition

·         “Cooks who know trust ______” (Crisco)

·         “Better living through chemistry” (Dupont)

·         “The best tires in the world have ______ written all over them” (Goodyear)

·         “_____ has a better idea” (Ford)

·         “Manly, yes, but I like it, too” (Irish Spring Soap)

Modern Edition

·         “Search. Savor. Share.” (Myrecipes.com)

·         “Jump in” (Xbox 360)

·         “Better sound through research” (Bose)

·         “At the heart of the image” (Nikon)

·         “The power of dreams” (Honda)

LIE LIKE A DOG

Have guys (and women) call with the stuff guys have said just to get a date. Guys are very creative and some women date them for months before they find out. Best story wins.

WHO NEEDS A SLAP?

Have a listener party where you have a punching bag set up. Ladies bring pictures of someone they really despise and you put the photo on the punching bag and let them slap it until they are exhausted as you cheer them on. Have a good bunch of sound effects for the air as they go at it.

HURRY IT UP!

Does your girlfriend or wife take forever to get ready (or do you)? For most guys, it doesn’t matter if their wife or girlfriend spends ten minutes or three hours. She looks the same either way. But that doesn’t stop women from barricading themselves in the bathroom and… doing whatever it is that they’re doing in there for a long, long time. Like it or not, according to Men’s Health magazine, there’s not much you can do to hurry things up. But there might be a few things you can do to ease your pain.

·         Lie — Tell her that dinner is at 7:30 instead of 8. That way you’ve got a “cushion” of half an hour for her to do all the things she feels she needs to get done, and you’re not sitting there steaming about it.

·         Remind her — Gently. An hour and a half before it’s time to leave, remind her that it’s time to start getting ready.

·         Get ready first — Do all your showering and shaving long before she locks herself in the can. That way the pressure’s off you.

·         Get a book — The fact is nothing short of tear gas is going to get her out of that bathroom before she’s good and ready, so make that time productive. Catch up on your reading. Watch SportsCenter. Whatever it takes to take your mind off the fact that time’s-a-wasting.

Phoner: What do you do or say to speed things along? Ever cause a fight that ended up with you NOT going out?

MEN GONE MAD AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM

You get women to call up to tell you how their men have gone mad. They either watch the same movie over and over or are insanely in love with their cars or a chair. It’s some crazy behavior that they do. The women call and you listen but goat them on. You play about four and pick the winner.

IT’S THE NETWORK

With all of our bad winter weather, we urge listeners to call in whenever they see anything newsworthy like accidents or traffic delays. It’s amazing how much they embraced this and at a time when radio news is practically nonexistant, it goes a long way to making them sound on top of everything. We’ve got a produced breaker for the reports and the payoff for the caller is hearing themselves on the radio. Now they’re calling in unsolicited just to tell them which areas are experiencing bad weather conditions, etc.

TRIVIA

·         Gary Coleman has pleaded no contest to a disorderly conduct charge and paid a $100 fine stemming from a September incident at what kind of establishment in Salt Lake City? (Bowling alley)

·         Ivana Trump, ex-wife of property mogul Donald Trump, said she has split from husband number what? (Four)

·         Fans of the holiday classic, “A Christmas Story,” are celebrating the film’s 25th anniversary with a convention and trips to the house where the movie, set in Indiana, was made. In what state? (Ohio)

·         Police in Spain are investigating $125,000 in missing designer jewelry last seen on which actress at an event in Madrid? (Winona Ryder)

·         John Travolta says he turned down a role in which movie, allowing Tom Hanks to grab the starring role? (“Green Mile”)

·         Country music star Faith Hill finally has that Christmas gift that she said she’s always wanted, performing her favorite holiday songs with a 31-piece orchestra, nine-member choir and an elaborate stage set for a new special on what network? (PBS)

·         On “Top Chef New York,” whose banana s’mores ended the chef’s stint on the show? (Richard)

·         Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet finally get back together on the big screen this year for the first time since they co-starred in 1997’s “Titanic,” in which movie? (“Revolution Road”)

·         Author Jeff Lindsay made a cameo appearance on which cable TV series based on his work? (“Dexter”)

·         This internet search engine’s co-founder Jerry Yang is stepping down as chief executive. Which search engine? (Yahoo)

·         Journalist/author Carl Bernstein lamented what type of culture in the U.S.? (Idiot)

·         The 1976 horror film “Carrie” starred Sissy Spacek and what leading Hollywood actor in one of his earliest roles? (John Travolta)

·         In 1999, for the first time in 13 years a female artist won Entertainer of the Year. Name this artist. (Shania Twain)

·         Which two Great Lakes are hydrologically intertwined and are sometimes considered to be one entity? (Lake Michigan and Lake Huron)

·         If five people were to shake hands with everyone in the group, how many handshakes would it take? (10)

·         Who was the male star of the 1985 film, “Summer Rental?” (John Candy)

·         Who won the first Daytona 500? (Lee Petty)

·         About how long can your average mole dig in a single night? (300 feet)

·         What was the Skipper’s name on “Gilligan’s Island”? (Jonas Grumby)

·         In which film did Elizabeth Taylor embark on her singing career? (Cynthia)

GORSEFEATHERS by Patrick Gorse

The Jonas Brothers may appear in an adaptation of Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” In this version, one of the ghosts shows the Jonas Brothers their future. By the way, the future Jonas Brothers are played by Hanson.

An amateur astronomer in Canada has captured images of that NASA tool bag lost by the Space Shuttle astronauts floating in space. The discovery was made by a man named Kevin Fetter. So remember, K-Fett discovered a tool bag, and K-Fed is a tool bag.

Did you know that George Bush once bowled with a frozen turkey when he was Governor of Texas? And that Senator Barack Obama bowled like a turkey when he was running for president? And of course, when Bill Clinton was President, he got in trouble for Butterballing.

Lance Armstrong says he’ll be back racing at the Tour de France next year. I’m not saying Lance is a little old to be doing that, but he’ll be riding a Little Rascal Scooter.

Now, instead of Live Strong bracelets, Lance has a deal with Life Alert.

Big scandal over at CNN–Today it was exposed that CNN’s Chief Pentagon Correspondent, Barbara Starr, is actually their terror expert, Peter Bergen, in drag.

During a fight scene with a seven-foot wrestler on the set of his upcoming film, “Sherlock Holmes,” actor Robert Downey Jr. was knocked out cold. Asked what it felt like being knocked unconscious, Robert said, “A lot like the 80’s and the 90’s.”

Robert Downey Jr. says he’s feeling a little weak after a bout with dysentery. Let’s call him, “Not Enough Iron Man.”

On “Hardball” Tuesday, the Chief Operating Officer of GM, Frederick “Fritz” Henderson, was asked if General Motors was on the “brink of bankruptcy,” and Henderson answered, “Our liquidity is badly tested.” You know what also does badly on tests? GM’s product line.

The CEO’s of the Big Three auto companies will be back on Capitol Hill this week to tell Congress that they’re dangerously close to the edge. And if they don’t stop now…with their brakes, who knows what could happen?

Ford announced on Tuesday that they plan to drop more than 600 dealers. You know what Amy Winehouse calls dropping 600 dealers? Rehab.

I think there may be something wrong with President Bush’s hearing. When he was told the Big Three had arrived in Washington he said, “I can’t wait to decorate it.”

The stock market rallied from a 680 point loss on Monday to a 270 point gain on Tuesday. In fact, Superball stock went from really, really low, to very, very high. Now, I’m no market analyst, but I bet it’s coming back down.

During Charlie Gibson’s interview of George Bush, the president said that among Laura Bush’s greatest accomplishments were “lifting the spirits” of “activists in Burma,” and also “those teachers in America.” Of course, those teachers in America would probably tell President Bush that Burma was renamed Myanmar in 1989.

In his interview with ABC News anchor, Charlie Gibson, President Bush said he would leave office with his “head held high.” That way, it won’t bump into his approval rating.

Pastor Rick Warren has awarded President George Bush the “International Medal of Peace.” A medal of peace for a guy who started a war over bogus WMD’s? Might as well give a medal of sobriety to Amy Winehouse–a medal of fidelity to John Edwards–and a medal of intelligence to Sarah Palin…

Barack Obama is assembling a cabinet that is being referred to as a “Team of Rivals.” In a related story, Sarah Palin says when she’s elected president in 2012, she’ll assemble a team of rifle lovers.

Researchers say they’ve discovered the world’s oldest marijuana stash in a remote part of China. It’s was 2,700 years old! That’s incredible. I didn’t even realize Willie Nelson was touring 2,700 years ago.

You know what the toughest part was about smoking pot 2,700 years ago? Rolling joints with those stone tablets. Talk about smoking rock!

Rumors are running rampant that MSNBC’s Chris Matthews is considering a run for the U.S. Senate. Bill O’Reilly just announced that he’s pulling two squadrons out of the War on Christmas to start a second-front War on Chris Matthews.

Experts say the holiday season always sees a sharp rise in reports of domestic violence. I suppose that’s why the Ike and Tina Turner Christmas Special never made it to broadcast.

WHAT DOES YOUR SLEEP POSITION SAY ABOUT YOU

(Sun) The position you snooze in involves more than comfort it reveals important information about your personality. “The way you sleep echoes the way you deal with your daytime waking hours,” says researcher Dr. Samuel Dunkell. “Invariably, you sleep as you live.” So what is your body saying when you let down your defenses and head off into dreamland? Choose your favorite nightly slumber position, and find out what it reveals about you:

·         You sleep flat on your back — This is known as the royal sleeper, fully on the back with arms slightly akimbo at the sides. This open, vulnerable position reveals your supreme confidence in your abilities. You’re a resilient, inspirational leader who takes on difficult tasks with relish while encouraging others to excel.

·         You assume the fetal position — Lying curled on your side, knees pulled all the way up and head bent forward says you’re highly emotional, inventive and gregarious. You enjoy taking creative risks and you’re flexible enough to handle surprise situations. Women who sleep in this position often enjoy a heightened sexual response.

·         You’re most comfy on your tummy — Sleeping in the prone position with arms framed above your head is a sure sign you’re an adventurer who’s ready for anything. You’re also willing to take on projects that are outside your comfort zone. Uneasy with emotional displays, you only reveal your sensitive side to trusted loved ones.

·         You prefer to stretch out on your side — Falling asleep on your side with one knee slightly bent indicates you’re easygoing, nonjudgmental and thrive on parties and meeting new people. You may get hurt when others abuse your trusting nature, but you’ve also got a long list of loyal pals.

·         You change your position almost every night — Choosing something different every night makes you special, only 5 percent of Americans are in this category. You possess an adaptable mind that’s constantly coming up with innovative ways to handle problems. Family and friends depend on your ability to produce smart solutions.

BANG YOUR HEAD

Glamour says these diseases feel real, but no HMO will cover them.

·         Apologitis — A needless-blame-taking disorder signaled by overuse of the phrase “I’m so sorry.” Acute cases have been known to apologize to people who bump into them. The cure: Try “Oops.”

·         Indecisionism — When it’s 4:30 but there are still seven restaurants under consideration for tonight’s dinner, indecisionism is to blame. The wish to abandon responsibility is a risk factor. A radical treatment involving flipping a coin is in final testing.

·         Man-orexia — This insatiable hunger for anything male causes the sufferer to put her life on hold whenever a set of XY chromosomes crosses her path. One remedy is an all-girl retreat, but more serious cases may need a few hours listening to (radio show) to remember just how unappealing men can be.

·         Screw-you-enza — More common during warm weather, this ailment prompts sufferers to cancel prearranged plans “just because.” It was once thought to be contagious, but clingy relatives and over social peers are more likely the cause. Treatment includes, but is not limited to, high doses of guilt.

OFFICE CHRISTMAS PARTIES

Office Christmas parties are in full swing and it’s always fun to talk about “horror” stories from Office Christmas parties. Did you know:

·         A total of 618,000 Americans will be fired because of remarks they made to their boss at the party.

·         At least 288,000 marriages will be damaged beyond repair because of something that happened at a party. About half of those will end in divorce within a year.

·         There will be at least 500,000 unexpected pregnancies as a result of party drinking.

CHRISTMAS MONTAGE

We’ve teamed up with a local jeweler to give away a diamond pendant for with a Christmas Montage. Basically, we’ve strung together 10 song clips with just the word “Christmas” isolated… the first listener who can correctly identify all 10 songs in the correct order wins! We’re posting clues to each song on the web site, as well.

YOU’RE NOT EVEN CLOSE

When it comes to finding Christmas presents, Men’s Health says 2 in three men who, as boys, searched the house for the hidden stash of Christmas presents. And two in 10 men who, as grown men, still search the house for the hidden stash of Christmas presents. Want more? You’re in luck:

·         26% of guys have proposed at the holidays.

·         9 in 10 guys really do believe that “Good things come in small packages.”

·         1 in 6 men have dressed up as Santa Claus.

·         1 in 4 men who dressed up as Santa Claus said it got old really quick.

·         3 in 10 men have their wife or girlfriend do some of their holiday shopping for them.

·         77% of women would prefer to receive a plasma high definition television instead of a diamond solitaire necklace.

·         2 in 3 men have to exchange at least one gift on Christmas Eve.

·         3 in 4 men who have bought a gift so cool they just had to buy the same thing for themselves.

·         1 in 2 men who have “regifted” – taken their gift and given it to someone else.

·         2 in 3 guys have shopped on Christmas Eve.

TANGLED WEB WE UNWEAVE

We made listeners sweat it out holiday style for an ultimate experience. Three listeners were each given 300 tangled Christmas lights as part of “Roulight.” The first person to completely untangle their mess of knotted lights won the ultimate concert experience, including front row seats, a meet and greet, tour merchandise and lots more.

Blogged with the Flock Browser

12.04.08

 SHOW PREP DECEMBER 4, 2008

 

HOLLYWOOD 411 . . .

 

Something seems to be in the water on the set of “How I Met Your Mother.” Show co-star Alyson Hannigan is pregnant and due this spring, and now comes news her co-star Cobie Smulders is pregnant, too. While it’s not clear yet whether the pregnancies will be written into the show’s storylines, show creator Craig Thomas is good natured about the announcements. “If you’re trying to start a family, please come visit the set of ‘How I Met Your Mother.’ Just come by and hang out for a day or two. We can’t legally guarantee anything, but by the time you leave, you will almost certainly be pregnant,” Thomas told TV Guide. (Scoop)

 

Paris Hilton is “addicted” to skydiving – after throwing herself out of a plane to celebrate her birthday last year. The 27-year-old socialite is known for teetering around in high heels and skimpy outfits in the Hollywood party scene. But Hilton insists she’s become an adrenaline junkie since taking part in her first parachute jump in February 2007. She says, “I went for my birthday last year and got addicted, it’s so much fun. I was (terrified) but it’s such a rush, it’s really thrilling.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

British actor Daniel Radcliffe has accepted he’ll forever be linked to his wand-wielding character Harry Potter – because his role in the film has “given him everything”. The 19-year-old attempted to shed his boyish image when he stripped for a full frontal nude seen on London and New York stages in Equus. But Radcliffe insists he’ll always be thankful for his magical role in the blockbuster franchise. He says, “It’s a reality you have to come to terms with – rather than letting it bother you, just accept the fact that there will always be some people who will forever see you for the one part you are most famous for. “It’s not that I want to distance myself from it because… they’ve given me everything… it’s just a matter of being an actor rather than a character.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Brad Pitt has said that he might marry partner Angelina Jolie in the future, but only if their children want them to. During an appearance on the Today show Brad, soon to be seen in the film The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button, talked about his family, “I’m really proud of this family. I look at my sons and daughters, I feel rich being around them. Each one offers so much to the mix.” Before briefly commenting on the subject of marriage, “If we feel it’s important to our kids, we would.” Old romantic. (Handbag)

 

Sienna Miller and Balthazar Getty are still cooking – because they never actually split up. British papers recently quoted Miller as saying, “I’m single at the moment . . . I’m cool being on my own.” But a rep for Miller told Page Six: “Contrary to British reports, Sienna never gave an interview about her relationship with Balthazar. An old quote was pulled from an interview three years ago.” So when the London Sun spotted the couple looking “so much in love” while walking hand-in-hand through London, it’s because they are. (Page Six)

 

Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz may have been embarrassed by the nude photos of him that surfaced back in 2006, but they ultimately landed him a nice consolation prize: wife Ashlee Simpson. “She just called me up and made me feel a lot better,” he tells Details. (Simpson herself had just gone through a public shaming for her disastrous “Saturday Night Live” performance.) Wentz admits that getting Simpson pregnant was a “happy accident,” and she had to e-mail him a picture of the pregnancy test to make it sink in. (Page Six)

 

Jessica Simpson wants to head off to college to study theology – and watching TV was her inspiration. “I’ve been contemplating taking a college course in religion,” the bubblehead told Marie Claire. “I love religion. I remember whenever the book ‘The Da Vinci Code’ came out, the Discovery Channel did this three-night piece on it that I TiVoed and then watched eight times.” We just hope someone advises her not to include that bit in her application letter. (Page Six)

 

Meryl Streep says she would love to appear in a Mamma Mia sequel if only the producers can “get those fabulous boys back. The Abba musical became the surprise hit of the summer, grossing £375m worldwide, and starred Colin Firth, Pierce Brosnan and Stellan Skarsgard. “Grand Mamma Mia! I like it! I’m up for doing a sequel, as long as you can get those fabulous boys back! It’s so gratifying it has been this phenomenon around the work. It says there’s an audience for something that appeals to a lot of women, something that might make them some money too,” Streep said. (British Glamour)

 

Former child star Haley Joel Osment quit alcohol at the age of 18, after he was caught driving drunk in Hollywood in 2006. The Sixth Sense actor was deeply shamed by the incident, which earned him a hefty fine and probation, as well as a mandatory rehab stint and Alcoholics Anonymous course. Osment vowed to stop drinking completely until he turns 21 and is able to buy his own booze legally. Two-and-a-half years on, the actor is approaching the landmark – he turns 21 in April 2009 – and he is proud to have confronted his demons and served his punishment. He say, “It was an example of someone just out of high school being extremely irresponsible. There’s no excuse for that. “I learned my lesson. I made a bad decision, and it’s something you can’t run from.”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

The Hills stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt plan to start a family – just weeks after they married in a secret ceremony in Mexico. The pair, who have been dating since 2006, exchanged vows while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas. And the reality TV couple insist the next logical stage is to try for children. Asked by website TMZ.com whether they plan on having a child, Montag says: “We are going to start it!”. And Pratt adds, “(It’s the) next step!” Pratt also revealed he was surprised at the sudden wedding, which will feature in later episodes of the MTV show. He says, “I have been trying to marry Heidi for two and a half years now. It came out of nowhere. I was like, ‘This was my shot’. ” And Montag recalls the wedding day, adding, “Actually, I really started crying. My eyes just started tearing up. When you hear the love of your life just saying the most amazing, sweet things from his heart, I couldn’t help it. It was the best moment in my life.” (Teen Hollywood)

 

Kevin Federline never wanted to divorce Britney Spears – and insists the singer went behind his back to engineer their break-up. The former dancer – who has two children, Sean Preston and Jayden James, with the singer – hit back after she claimed in her MTV documentary Britney: For the Record this week that it was his decision to split up. But while Federline admits he found married life tough after the birth of their children, he is adamant he wanted to make it work – but the Toxic hitmaker pushed for a divorce. He tells People.com, “It’s hard enough to be in a marriage, and then have a kid, then kids, it changes everything. For me, I’d become more concerned with my children. Not that I ignored Britney, but my kids are always most important “I mean, we were having complications. I didn’t give her an ultimatum, but I was trying to work stuff out with her, and she didn’t even talk to me or anything and went behind my back and filed (for divorce). (I was) completely blindsided.” Federline also revealed he was scared he would never see his sons again after the split. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Mary-Kate Olsen’s house is in no danger of getting full. The pint-size mogul’s spokesman has shot back at a National Enquirer report claiming the 22-year-old is packing her first child courtesy of artist boyfriend Nate Lowman. “Mary-Kate is absolutely not pregnant,” her rep told Us Weekly. The baby-on-board speculation kicked up Monday when the tabloid published a less-than-flattering photo of the diminutive fashion plate and noted that her weight had “shot up”—the post-Thanksgiving horror!—to just over 100 pounds. (Apparently, the dangers of publicly speculating on the weight of someone who publicly battled an eating disorder was of no concern to the Enquiring set.) The Olsen denial has done nothing to improve the batting average of the tab’s Dec. 1 issue. Yesterday, Patrick Swayze personally denied the Enquirer’s other major cover story, that his battle with pancreatic cancer had taken a turn for the worse. The newsstand guilty pleasure should be feeling a little more guilty today. (Eonline)

 

Dirty Dancing star Patrick Swayze has slammed reports that he is close to losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. Patrick Swayze has called reports that he is close to death “shoddy and reckless reporting”. Tabloids in the US recently claimed the actor was “on his last legs and saying goodbye to my tearful family” after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer. “Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive disease and from the moment I was diagnosed, I knew I was in for the fight of my life. It’s a battle, and so far, I’ve been winning. I’m one of the lucky few that responds well to treatment,” Swayze said in a statement given to People magazine. “”It’s upsetting that the shoddy and reckless reporting from these publications cast a negative shadow on the positive and good fight I’m fighting. For me, my family, and those close to me, it amounts to downright emotional cruelty. That makes me angry when hope is so precious.” (Handbag)

 

Former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has slammed claims that she courts media attention. Victoria Beckham has denied she, and husband David court media attention. “We lead our lives in a much more low-profile way than people think. I’m not going to The Ivy in Beverly Hills. I don’t think I’ve been to a premiere since we moved there,” she told The Times. “We’re not courting fame. I can give you a list of numerous restaurants that have underground parking so no one can get any photographs. I don’t really care what people think. I never made friends easily. For years, when I was in the Spice Girls, those were my four best friends. Now I’ve got David.” (Handbag)

 

Kelly Ripa’s rep has a reply to the claim that the star’s 12-year marriage to actor Mark Consuelos is over: No way. “There is no truth to the story. Their marriage continues to be quite healthy, and the National Enquirer should be ashamed for fabricating such an untruthful story,” Ripa’s spokesman, Stan Rosenfield, told PEOPLE Wednesday, after the paper reported the couple have split. “Their story is 100 percent false,” Rosenfield added. Regis Philbin’s on-air cohost of Live! since February 2001, Ripa, 38, has been wed to Conseulos, 37, since 1996, after having met the year before while both were acting on the daytime drama All My Children. Together they have three children: Michael, 11; Lola, 7; and Joaquin, 5. Last year, Ripa said of Consuelos: “I’ve had a crush on my husband since the day I met him.”  (People)

 

Mark Ruffalo’s brother is clinging to life right now after he was shot in the head in Beverly Hills Monday. Police sources tell TMZ Scott Ruffalo was the victim of a “suspicious shooting” that took place in his own Beverly Hills apartment. We’re also told cops are trying to determine if anything criminal went down — meaning they haven’t ruled out an accidental shooting or a suicide attempt. (TMZ)

 

Odetta, the folk singer with the powerful voice who moved audiences and influenced fellow musicians for a half-century, has died. She was 77. Odetta died Tuesday of heart disease at Lenox Hill Hospital, said her manager of 12 years, Doug Yeager. She was admitted to the hospital with kidney failure about three weeks ago, he said. In spite of failing health that caused her to use a wheelchair, Odetta performed 60 concerts in the last two years, singing for 90 minutes at a time. Her singing ability never diminished, Yeager said. “The power would just come out of her like people wouldn’t believe,” he said. With her booming, classically trained voice and spare guitar, Odetta gave life to the songs by workingmen and slaves, farmers and miners, housewives and washerwomen, blacks and whites. First coming to prominence in the 1950s, she influenced Harry Belafonte, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other singers who had roots in the folk music boom. An Odetta record on the turntable, listeners could close their eyes and imagine themselves hearing the sounds of spirituals and blues as they rang out from a weathered back porch or around a long-vanished campfire a century before. “What distinguished her from the start was the meticulous care with which she tried to re-create the feeling of her folk songs; to understand the emotions of a convict in a convict ditty, she once tried breaking up rocks with a sledge hammer,” Time magazine wrote in 1960. “She is a keening Irishwoman in `Foggy Dew,’ a chain-gang convict in `Take This Hammer,’ a deserted lover in `Lass from the Low Country,’” Time wrote. Odetta called on her fellow blacks to “take pride in the history of the American Negro” and was active in the civil rights movement. When she sang at the March on Washington in August 1963, “Odetta’s great, full-throated voice carried almost to Capitol Hill,” The New York Times wrote. She was nominated for a 1963 Grammy awards for best folk recording for “Odetta Sings Folk Songs.” Two more Grammy nominations came in recent years, for her 1999 “Blues Everywhere I Go” and her 2005 album “Gonna Let It Shine.” In 1999, she was honored with a National Medal of the Arts. Then-President Bill Clinton said her career showed “us all that songs have the power to change the heart and change the world.” “I’m not a real folksinger,” she told The Washington Post in 1983. “I don’t mind people calling me that, but I’m a musical historian. I’m a city kid who has admired an area and who got into it. I’ve been fortunate. With folk music, I can do my teaching and preaching, my propagandizing.” Among her notable early works were her 1956 album “Odetta Sings Ballads and Blues,” which included such songs as “Muleskinner Blues” and “Jack O’ Diamonds”; and her 1957 “At the Gate of Horn,” which featured the popular spiritual “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” Her 1965 album “Odetta Sings Dylan” included such standards as “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right,” “Masters of War” and “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” In a 1978 Playboy interview, Dylan said, “the first thing that turned me on to folk singing was Odetta.” He said he found “just something vital and personal” when he heard an early album of hers in a record store as a teenager. “Right then and there, I went out and traded my electric guitar and amplifier for an acoustical guitar,” he said. Belafonte also cited her as a key influence on his hugely successful recording career, and she was a guest singer on his 1960 album, “Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall.” She continued to record in recent years; her 2001 album “Looking for a Home (Thanks to Leadbelly)” paid tribute to the great blues singer to whom she was sometimes compared. Odetta’s last big concert was on Oct. 4 at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, where she performed in front of tens of thousands at the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, Yeager said. She also performed Oct. 25-26 in Toronto. Odetta hoped to sing at the inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama, though she had not been officially invited, Yeager said. Born Odetta Holmes in Birmingham, Ala., in 1930, she moved with her family to Los Angeles at age 6. Her father had died when she was young and she took her stepfather’s last name, Felious. Hearing her in glee club, a junior high teacher made sure she got music lessons, but Odetta became interested in folk music in her late teens and turned away from classical studies. She got much of her early experience at the Turnabout Theatre in Los Angeles, where she sang and played occasional stage roles in the early 1950s. “What power of characterization and projection of mood are hers, even though plainly clad and sitting or standing in half light!” a Los Angeles Times critic wrote in 1955. Over the years, she picked up occasional acting roles in TV and film. None other than famed Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper reported in 1961 that she “comes through beautifully” in the film “Sanctuary.” In the Washington Post interview, Odetta theorized that humans developed music and dance because of fear, “fear of God, fear that the sun would not come back, many things. I think it developed as a way of worship or to appease something. … The world hasn’t improved, and so there’s always something to sing about.” Odetta is survived by a daughter, Michelle Esrick of New York City, and a son, Boots Jaffre, of Fort Collins, Colo. She was divorced about 40 years ago and never remarried, her manager said. A memorial service was planned for next month, Yeager said. (Daily Record)

 

 

THE OTHER STUFF . . .

 

Hollywood stars Jane Fonda and Jack Nicholson are among the latest notable figures being inducted into the California Hall of Fame. Musicians Dave Brubeck and Quincy Jones, fitness guru Jack LaLanne, sculptor Robert Graham and chef Alice Waters will also be inducted at the Dec. 15 ceremony in Sacramento. “Dr. Seuss” author Theodor Geisel, photographer Dorothea Lange, architect Julia Morgan, scientist Linus Pauling and former Gov. Leland Stanford will be inducted posthumously. First lady Maria Shriver started the program in 2006 to honor those who’ve helped shape the state. Fonda’s induction comes nearly 30 years after the state Senate rejected her nomination to the California Arts Council because of her campaign against the Vietnam War. (Daily Record)

 

Jet Li said China is ready for an explosion of volunteerism amid its growing prosperity as he put aside his acting duties to discuss charitable efforts Wednesday at former President Bill Clinton’s donor conference in Hong Kong. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Clinton Global Initiative Asia conference, the 45-year-old action film star said volunteerism and charity are rare in China but are now on the rise as the country becomes more prosperous after two decades of capitalist-style economic reforms. “Before the reforms, China’s 1.3 billion people couldn’t even fill their stomachs. The only way people could help others is a word of encouragement,” Li said. Now Chinese are eager to help others in need, Li said, saying he expects “an explosion of the Chinese people’s generosity pent-up over the past 100 years.” Li, who founded the charity One Foundation, a partnership with the Red Cross Society of China, said he was particularly impressed with the number of volunteers that flocked to help victims of the earthquake in China’s central Sichuan province in May. “Countless volunteers were on the front lines,” he said. Li’s movie credits include “Lethal Weapon 4,” “Romeo Must Die,” “The Forbidden Kingdom” and “The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.” (Daily Record)

 

Tom Hanks wants to attend President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration even if he doesn’t get a front-row seat. Or any seat at all. “Look, I’ll be in the back,” the 52-year-old Oscar winner said backstage Tuesday night at a benefit for the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television. “I’ll sit on the Lincoln steps and just watch it from the distance on a Jumbotron. I’ve never been to anything like that, and – finally – a guy I voted for won. That hasn’t happened most of my life.” Hanks posted a video pledging his support for Obama on MySpace last May. In the video, Hanks said he was backing Obama because of his “character and vision, and the high road he has taken during this campaign.” Hanks also said Obama “has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us, as did FDR and Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy and even Ronald Reagan when they ran for the job.” Hank’s wife, Rita Wilson, echoed her husband’s sentiment before the pair joined a star-studded cast – which included Annette Bening, William Shatner, Martin Short, James Cromwell and Alicia Silverstone – for a one-time only performance of the Pulitzer-prize-winning play “You Can’t Take It With You” at UCLA’s Royce Hall. However, Wilson had a different viewing spot in mind for Jan. 20. “I think we’re going to get a kayak and go into the National Mall waters,” she joked. (Daily Record)

 

After grabbing the spotlight on Dancing with the Stars Lance Bass has a few words about another celebrity returning to the stage – Britney Spears. “This is going to be the biggest comeback of all time,” he told PEOPLE Monday during a party in his honor at New York’s Citrine. “I don’t think she needs any advice from me,” added Bass, 29. “She’s doing an amazing job right now and I’m so proud of her.” Spears released her sixth studio album, Circus, on Tuesday – which was also her 27th birthday – and celebrated with a performance on Good Morning America. Spears is also going back on the road with a 27-city North American tour that will kick off in March. Bass also offered congratulations to his former bandmate (and Spears’s onetime boyfriend) Justin Timberlake, whose romance with Jessica Biel is going strong. “They’re just really great people,” he gushed. “She’s just one of the guys when it comes to him, and that something that he really loves, a girl that can just hang and get along with all his friends.” As for Bass, don’t look for him on the dance floor again anytime soon. “I’m lucky that I don’t have to dance the samba anymore,” he said laughing. “But it’s definitely opened my eyes to a lot of new things and different styles of music, which is really cool. I can say I can danced those different styles, which is something I never thought I’d be able to do.” (People)

 

Donald Trump is fuming at his brother Robert, who’s in a nasty divorce battle with his socialite wife, Blaine. “Donald is extremely angry because Robert failed to have a prenuptial agreement,” a source close to the developer says. “Donald would constantly tell him to get an agreement signed, and Robert told him he had one. Ironically, Robert Cohen, the lawyer repping Blaine, also represented Ivana Trump when she tried to break her prenuptial agreement with Donald. Cohen lost big to Donald, and the prenup was upheld in its entirety. Donald likes going around telling people that he kicked Cohen’s ass. He’s surprised Blaine is using him.” (Page Six)

 

Supermodel-turned-talkshow host Tyra Banks avoids romance with fellow celebrities – instead choosing to meet potential boyfriends through blind dates. The America’s Next Top Model beauty has most recently been linked to New York banker John Utendahl, but was previously rumored to be dating former basketball star Chris Webber and director John Singleton. But she insists she isn’t looking to find love with another famous person – because the media attention would be too much to handle. She tells Ebony magazine, “One thing I can say is I try not to date people who are famous because one celebrity plus another celebrity equals five… The paparazzi will just start mixing my name with theirs. “I find it fascinating looking at other celebs dating each other and I’m like, ‘Look how cool they look!’ But it’s not a personal interest of mine, I get set up by my friends. It’s the hook up!”  (Teen Hollywood)

 

Dallas Stars hockey player Sean Avery has been suspended indefinitely for referring to his ex, 24’s Elisha Cuthbert, as “sloppy seconds.” Speaking to reporters Tuesday morning after a practice in Calgary, Avery made a public dig at Calgary Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf, who is dating Cuthbert. “I am really happy to be back in Calgary, I love Canada,” he said. “I just want to comment on how it’s become like a common thing in the NHL for guys to fall in love with my sloppy seconds. I don’t know what that’s about. Enjoy the game tonight.” After the National Hockey League suspended him for “inappropriate public comments,” Avery — who served as an intern at Vogue this past year — now has to meet with Commissioner Gary Bettman, who will determine any additional penalty. A hearing has yet to be scheduled.  “I completely support the league’s decision to suspend Sean Avery,” Stars owner Tom Hicks said in a statement. “Had the league not have suspended him, the Dallas Stars would have. This organization will not tolerate such behavior, especially from a member of our hockey team. We hold our team to a higher standard and will continue to do so.” Avery signed a four-year, $15.5 million deal with the Stars last summer. He previously played for the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Detroit Red Wings before that. (US Weekly)

 

Sir Bob Geldof’s daughter Peaches has confessed to being a big fan of Kerry Katona. Peaches Geldof has owned up to being a huge fan of former Atomic Kitten star Kerry Katona. “I love Kerry so much. Her show was my favorite thing on TV. She’s such a train wreck but she’s amazing,” the socialite told Closer magazine before going on to say she’d like to see Katona dressed in a ‘dress made of Iceland bags’. Last week Kelly Osbourne called Peaches a “sad little girl”.  (Handbag)

 

NeNe Leakes, star of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, is no longer living at the 5,000-square-foot, 5-bedroom home shown on the hit Bravo series. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, she and her husband, real estate investor Gregory Leakes, left the property in November — a month after an eviction notice was filed by Winwood Properties. The notice, filed Sept. 24, claimed that they owed $6,240 in past rent. “The tenant said they would move by Sept. 14th because they could no longer afford the house,” the notice read. NeNe would not reveal where she is currently living. “It’s none of your business,” she told The Journal-Constitution in an e-mail. She also mentioned that they “are financial able [sic] and stable to live where ever we feel fits.” She stressed that the eviction notice did not have her name on it. “You don’t know my relationship with Greg,” she said, “so be careful what you report!” She said their home “was a lease purchase corporate deal with Greg & his company. Things didn’t work out between the two of them so they did what they had to do and he did what he had to do.” In a later email, she wrote, “If we rent, lease purchase or buy, money is still coming out of my pocket. So who’s [sic] business is that??” (US Weekly)

 

Meow! Meow! Meow! Tamra Barney of The Real Housewives of Orange County has some fightin’ words for the show’s newest housewife, Gretchen Rossi. Why? Because Gretchen told me earlier this week that she and Tamra got into tiff during filming when Tamra allegedly made an insensitive remark about her fiancé, Jeff Beitzel. (At the time, Jeff was suffering from leukemia; he passed away in September.) Tamra insists she did no such thing. “I have never made a statement about Jeff,” she wrote me in an email. “I never met the man. May he RIP!” Tamra goes even further to claim, “The only time we heard Gretchen speak of Jeff was when the cameras were turned ON.” Oy. And there’s more. Tamra insists she worked hard to make Gretchen feel at home among the O.C. posse, but never promised to be her BFF. (Gretchen told me she felt betrayed by Tamra’s Jeff comments because they had just talked like they were “best friends.”)  “I told her from day one I was not here to be her friend,” she wrote. “This is a working relationship…I might be judged harshly for my sharp tongue RIGHT NOW, but keep watching! I judge people on their actions and not their words.” Nope, Tamra’s not done yet. “Jeana [Keough] was right when she wrote on her blog [that] Gretchen should be on scripted TV, if you get what I mean,” Barney continued. “This is reality TV and I give viewers my life, not bulls–t or what sounds good at the moment.” And besides, she added, “I really don’t care if she does not like me.” So there! See you in the schoolyard, kids! (Eonline)

 

“Blake incarcerated” – again! Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil is being sent back to prison, just one month after he was released into rehab, his lawyer confirms to PEOPLE. “I can confirm he has been recalled,” says Fielder-Civil’s lawyer Kate Anderson, declining to state the reason. (A source close to Fielder-Civil tells PEOPLE that he failed a drug test.) The 26-year-old – who was sentenced to 27 months on charges of assault and attempting to pervert the course of justice – had been in rehab as part of his early release from jail. Anderson tells PEOPLE that “the position on recall is that you then serve the remainder of the sentence” – meaning Fielder-Civil would remain in jail until 2010. The U.K.’s Sun newspaper also reports that Fielder-Civil ran away from the rehab facility Tuesday night to visit to his estranged wife. Winehouse, 25, remains hospitalized in London as part of her ongoing treatment, her rep told PEOPLE earlier this week. Fielder-Civil “turned up in hospital and hell broke loose,” according to The Sun’s source. “He was asking Amy to forgive him.” Winehouse and Fielder-Civil wed in Miami in 2007. The “Rehab” singer dedicated this year’s Grammy wins to “my Blake, my Blake incarcerated.” But the singer had not visited her husband since his November release. Just last weekend, Fielder-Civil hinted to the News of the World that he was ready to end their union. “I have to let her go to save her life.” (People)

 

We obtained a 911 call made by Nate Dogg’s estranged wife, Latoya, and she was pretty calm considering the consequences — that Nate allegedly was chasing her down the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles and trying to kill her. Nate was arrested back in June for the incident, and charged with three felony counts of making criminal threats and stalking and one misdemeanor count of driving on a suspended license. (TMZ)

 

Paparazzi-ing is dangerous work sometimes! In May, bodyguards working for pop princess Rihanna and boyfriend Chris Brown supposedly beat up a Florida photog named Luis Santana for snapping some pics of the two getting cozy outside of a Florida club before they ‘officially’ came out as a couple. On Tuesday, the pap filed a $1 million lawsuit against the couple, the bodyguards and the club, who Santana claims had ‘inadequate security’. “I couldn’t believe it was happening. I’ve done this many, many times before and never have I ever gotten close to being grabbed. There’s a dark side to celebrities and nightlife,” said the photog to the media. Chris Brown’s attorney stated, “neither Chris Brown nor his security was involved in the alleged incident.” Papping can be hazardous to your health! (Perez Hilton)

 

Tyler Perry went to court to face allegations that he stole material from someone else for his blockbuster film “Diary of a Mad Black Woman.” Donna West is suing the actor-screenwriter for copyright infringement in U.S. District Court and wants a jury to award her family all profits made from the film. “I can’t put my play on because the stories are basically the same and nobody wants to see that again,” she said. West testified Tuesday that she developed a script titled “Fantasy of a Black Woman” based primarily on her own experiences. With her in the starring role, the play was performed in July 1991 at the Junior Black Academy of Arts and Letters at the Dallas Convention Center. “The play was opened to the public. Anyone could have attended,” West said. Perry’s movie, which earned some $50 million, came out in 2005. Jurors on Tuesday watched the film and listened to a reading of the script from West’s play. In her opening remarks to the jury, Perry’s attorney, Veronica Lewis, said her client is an “immensely talented” individual “who has no need whatsoever” to use the materials of others. Lewis noted that Perry had experienced considerable success before and after the film, “so why would he need to copy Ms. West’s script?” Testimony was expected to resume Wednesday. U.S. District Judge Leonard Davis told jurors he anticipates the case will be completed by next Tuesday. (Daily Record)

 

 

MUSIC . . .

 

Today’s stage and screen divas could learn from Tina Turner. The day before the living legend brought down the house at a packed Madison Square Garden, Turner had to be hospitalized for a very high fever and was put on oxygen. But Turner, the consummate professional, refused to cancel the show sponsored by Amway Global. Nor did she let down the VIPs – including Anne Hathaway, Molly Simms and MTV honcho Tony DiSanto – who congregated on the Artistry tour bus before the concert. The group was told that when they met Turner, “no one is to shake her hand, and she cannot talk before performing [because of the illness]. She’s very shy.” However, Turner not only shook hands but spoke with each guest. Also there were Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, celebrating their second anniversary, who chatted with Turner backstage. (Page Six)

 

To the delight of trannies everywhere, Cher is coming out with another album. The legendary singer, who’s ensconced at Caesars in Las Vegas for the next two years, told a Page Six operative at the new Luau restaurant: “I’m planning an album of all these great songs from the ’60s that I’ve never covered before. It was such a magical time for music – groups like The Beatles, the Hollies, the Zombies, the Kinks, the Stones and singers like Dylan and Otis Redding . . . I want to pay tribute to a time when I used to listen to music on my little transistor radio or on my AM radio in my Ford Mustang.” (Page Six)

 

Van Halen’s backstage concert rider isn’t as salacious as it was decades ago, when the band was demanding various and sundry controlled substances, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t some fodder to be found in the band’s 2008 rider. TheSmokingGun.com unearthed said rider, and it stipulates that Diamond Dave’s dwelling “SHOULD BE AS FAR AWAY FROM” dressing rooms occupied by bandmates Wolfgang, Alex, and Eddie Van Halen. And while alcohol isn’t stocked in individual dressing rooms, (it’s all Red Bull, Gatorade, fresh fruit, and Japanese Apple Pears), Eddie’s onstage cooler contained “mini bottles” of “Gallo Twin Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (red & white label, red cap).” (Scoop)

 

Madonna has postponed the first of four shows in Argentina. Representatives of River Plate Stadium say they have postponed the pop star’s opening concert at the request of the production company. She will still perform as scheduled in Buenos Aires on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Local news media are reporting that some of Madonna’s sound equipment hasn’t arrived due to flight delays, so the concert could be rescheduled for Monday. Local production company Time 4 Fun wouldn’t comment when contacted by The Associated Press on Wednesday. Madonna kicked off the Latin American leg of her “Sticky & Sweet” world tour last week in Mexico City. From Buenos Aires she heads to Chile and Brazil. (Daily Record)

 

Beyoncé is the first artist lined up for next year’s Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. Organizers of the festival announced Tuesday the singer has confirmed her participation. The July event will mark the 15th anniversary of the celebration of black music and culture. The festival will include more than 12 musical acts a day. The festival had one of its biggest turnouts this year with more than 270,000 attendees. Performers at the last event included Mary J. Blige and LL Cool J. (Daily Record)

 

This week marks the 20^th anniversary of Roy Orbison’s death. The untimely death of this music legend at the age of 52 left a hole in the music industry that will never be filled. To commemorate the 20^th anniversary of Orbison’s passing and to thank fans for keeping Roy’s memory alive, Roy Orbison Jr. has made the full recording of ‘The Last Concert’ available for download, exclusively at iTunes on December 2, 2008.  Roy Orbison performed his final concert at Highland Heights in Akron, Ohio on December 4, 1988 – two days before his untimely passing.  While the concert was recorded and Roy’s performance of “It’s Over” is featured in ‘The Soul of Rock and Roll’ 4 CD Box set, released by Sony Music In October 2008, the final tapes in their entirety have remained unreleased, until now.  

Roy Orbison The Last Concert – Track List

1.   Only the Lonely 4:32

2.   Leah 3:16

3.   Dream Baby 2:56

4.   In Dreams 3:28

5.   Mean Woman Blues 3:17

6.   Blue Bayou 3:27

7.   Candyman 3:45

8.   Crying 5:43

9.   Ooby Dooby 5:57

10. Go, Go, Go (Down the Line) 5:52

11. It’s Over 3:29

12. Working For the Man 1:50

13. Lana 2:48

14.  Oh, Pretty Woman 5:22

 Sony Music Entertainment has released the ‘The Best of The Soul Of Rock And Roll’ to honor the profoundly influential American singer, songwriter and performer Roy Orbison.  Featuring all the big singles, including (Oh) Pretty Woman, Crying, Only The Lonely, in Dreams and many more, it is a fitting tribute to someone who is regarded by all as one of the true musical greats. (Press Release)

 

 

MOVIE . . .

 

Shia LaBeouf is in for more action on the big screen after movie bosses tapped him to star in an upcoming legal thriller. The Indiana Jones actor has landed the title role in the movie version of John Grisham’s new book The Associate, scheduled to hit shelves in January. LaBeouf will play a student graduating from Yale Law School who is given confidential information about a multi-billion dollar lawsuit. The 22-year-old joins a list of Hollywood actors who’ve led Grisham adaptations, including Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman. (Teen Hollywood)

 

Alfie star Sienna Miller plans to make a film with on/off boyfriend Balthazar Getty. Sienna Miller has told friends a film staring her partner Balthazar Getty would be “movie gold” sources have told The Sun. Sienna and Balthazar’s relationship has a received negative press after the Brothers And Sisters star left his wife and four children. “Her advisers are warning how unpopular that would be but Sienna insists it could be movie gold and is looking for a script,” the insider says. “People haven’t taken to them as a pair due to the way they got together. They fear people will find it a bit too sickly – as though they are rubbing his wife’s face in it.” (Handbag)

 

Years after making Zoolander, there might be a Zoolander 2 in the works for star Ben Stiller. Stiller was in London last week for the premiere of another one of his sequels, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. And, during an interview, he confirms the news that there might be a Zoolander 2 in the works, especially since they’ve been working on scripts. Stiller says, “I’ve been trying to get Zoolander 2 together and we’ve had a few scripts. I feel that is the sequel I really would like to do some day because I like the original and I would make sure it was something new and worthy of it first.” And there’s more. Stiller adds, “Meet the Parents 3 is a possibility too.” Enough with the sequels! (Perez Hilton)

 

Paramount Vantage is off to a bad start hyping its expensive Leonardo DiCaprio-Kate Winslet flick, “Revolutionary Road,” as an Oscar contender. On Monday, the studio so overbooked an industry screening at the AMC Loews 34th Street – featuring a live Q&A with Leo and Kate – that nearly 200 were turned away, one movie honcho told us. Those kept out included members of guilds representing actors, writers and producers, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, some of whom vote for Oscar nominees. “Scott Rudin, who produced, is always very respectful of industry members, so he’s got to be furious about this. It can’t help the film’s chances,” our insider said. A studio rep told us: “Guild screenings are traditionally overbooked to account for drop-off . . . We look forward to showing it at a later date to those who missed it.” The R-rated movie opens Dec. 26. (Page Six)

 

The Golden Globes are getting a lot of support. The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. has accepted bids from several studios to classify actors in its supporting categories despite comparatively significant screen time. The HFPA allowed Miramax’s push for Philip Seymour Hoffman’s complicated cleric Father Flynn in “Doubt” and Dev Patel’s soft-spoken Jamal Malik in “Slumdog Millionaire” as supporting roles in the Golden Globes race, nominations for which will be announced Dec. 11. And after what was said to be heated discussion, they ultimately accepted the Weinstein Co.’s positioning of Kate Winslet’s Nazi guard Hanna Schmitz in “The Reader” as a supporting actress, ensuring the star of “Revolutionary Road” will not compete against herself. Ralph Fiennes and David Kross, who play younger and older versions of conflicted lawyer Michael Burk, also were accepted as supporting actors, making the movie a rarity: a non-ensemble film with no lead. The abundance of borderline cases that went supporting will make a normally sparse field more crowded. Studios often prefer supporting categories because the roomier field could increase nomination chances, but the cases this year could upend the conventional wisdom. Supporting categories also are more limited because they don’t split comedy/musical and drama into two categories, as the lead acting categories do. At the other end of the spectrum, the HFPA accepted three leads for Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” in Javier Bardem, Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall and also allowed Michael Sheen as a lead for David Frost in presidential talker “Frost/Nixon.” On the film front, the HFPA allowed Overture’s push for “Last Chance Harvey” as a comedy/musical, which will mean that leads Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson will face a less dense field in acting categories. The group also allowed “Cadillac Records” as a comedy/musical. The HFPA rejected, however, Lionsgate’s bid to consider “W.” as a comedy/musical, a move that would have put it in a less crowded field. The decision opens up a slot in best motion picture comedy/musical for what’s considered an up-for-grabs race. Another movie, “Slumdog,” had been the subject of early rumors as a potential comedy/musical entry, but Fox Searchlight submitted it as a drama, which the HFPA accepted. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Kevin Spacey has been tapped to host the first annual MOFILM Mobile Short Film Festival at the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress event. Spacey will also sit for a keynote interview at the Congress, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb. 16-20. MOFILM has received entries from filmmakers in over 40 countries; grand prize winner will receive a Cruze vehicle from Chevrolet, a partner in the festival. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

 

TV . . .

 

Julie Andrews is going from “The Sound of Music” to hosting one of music’s biggest annual events. The 73-year-old actress is succeeding Walter Cronkite as anchor of the Vienna Philharmonic’s annual New Year’s Day concert on PBS. Cronkite had been the narrator of the “Great Performances” telecast in the United States for the past 24 years. “He is passing the baton this year and staying home with his family, and they asked me if I would do this special 25th anniversary program,” Andrews said Wednesday during a telephone interview from Los Angeles. The New Year’s concert in Vienna – mostly waltzes, polkas and marches from the Strauss family – has an estimated worldwide TV audience exceeding 1 billion. Daniel Barenboim will conduct for the first time in 2009, and the concert is to be released on DVD by Decca Classics. Andrews wasn’t sure whether she will become a permanent replacement for the 92-year-old Cronkite, the retired CBS anchorman. “I’m sure the format is pretty much the same,” she said. “It’s like a wonderful postcard tribute to Vienna and its surrounding areas and beautiful museums and castles. I’m sort of the glue that holds the whole evening together.” Andrews plans to fly to Vienna on Friday for the start of production. She has not been there since the early 1960s, when she visited the city while “The Sound of Music” was in production in Salzburg and other parts of Austria. The picture won an Academy Award for best picture, and Andrews was nominated for best actress for her portrayal of Maria von Trapp. She thinks that, because of the movie, many people identify her with Austria. “Certainly for me it has wonderful memories,” she said. “It seemed to make a great deal sense that I accept the baton being passed from Mr. Cronkite.” Andrews, a fan of the music of Ravel, Prokofiev, Mozart, Brahms and the Strauss family, has never been to the Musikverein, the 138-year-old hall where the concert takes place. “As much as I will be a hostess, I will also be a tourist,” she said. “I just think it’s a lovely tradition. It’s something that makes everybody feel good. The great Strauss music is so enjoyable, it all seems to fit in with the happiness of the new year.” (Daily Record)

 

A veteran star being saluted by a bunch of hot new ones – Alan Jackson knows this can be trouble. But in his case, Country Music Television’s “CMT Giants: Alan Jackson” (9 p.m. EST Saturday) doesn’t signal a changing of the guard just yet. At 50, Jackson remains a reliable hitmaker, even though he probably has guitar picks older than Taylor Swift and some of the other artists honoring him. “Typically, your career is over or you’re dead before they do something like this, so I’m very lucky to have it at this point,” said the easygoing singer, who had a pair of No. 1 singles from his latest album, “Good Time.” Still, there’s no escaping that Jackson has become an elder. The word “influence” was tossed around a lot when the show was taped in October at the Ryman Auditorium with performers including Swift, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Martina McBride, Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert and Lee Ann Womack. Hank Williams Jr., George Jones and Jackson’s wife, Denise, were also on hand, as were President George W. Bush, Diane Sawyer and Carrie Underwood by videotape. “I’d say Hank Williams Jr. and Alan Jackson are the two guys whose music really resonated with me,” said Bentley, who recalled seeing Jackson in concert when he was 18. “As a songwriter, anytime I’m looking for inspiration musically, all I’ve got to do is listen either to an old Alan Jackson record or get hold of whatever new Alan Jackson record is out there, and it reminds me of why I wanted to do this,” said Paisley, who performed Jackson’s hit “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere.” It was tough to tell how Jackson felt about the attention. Even on a normal day, he always seems painfully shy for a guy in his line of work. “When they first came to me and said they wanted to do a show about giants, I thought it was because I was so tall,” he joked. He credited wife Denise for keeping him grounded (“She knew me when I was nobody, and she still speaks to me that way”) and he appeared humbled by all the kind words. “It’s an incredible honor and kind of freaky to see all these people here. The president of the United States and all these celebrities coming together and saying all these nice things. It’s pretty overwhelming,” said Jackson. (Daily Record)

 

NBC says “ER” will treat its last patients during a two-hour series finale set to air March 12. A week after that medical drama ends its 15-season run, NBC will introduce “Kings,” an ambitious new series set in the present but based on the Biblical tale of David and Goliath. It stars Ian McShane (“Deadwood”) as the powerful monarch of mythical Gilboa. A four-hour thriller starring Val Kilmer (“The Doors”) and Stephen Dorff (“World Trade Center”), “XIII” will air Feb. 8 and 15. And the new season of “Celebrity Apprentice” will begin March 1, NBC says. But there’s no news yet on a premiere date for the as-yet-untitled comedy starring “Saturday Night Live” alum Amy Poehler, which NBC is still promising for later this season. (Daily Record)

 

Hey, Ellen, forget Victoria’s Secret models. Leave Kate Hudson at home. The real way to nab George Clooney to appear on her show is to woo him with male dancers, Brad Pitt slyly reveals. “We’ve tried everything,” DeGeneres explains to Pitt of her “catch Clooney” project, which she’s been working on since moving to her new studio adjacent to the actor’s office. “We’ve sent ‘Victoria’s Secret’ models over. We’ve sent Miss America over. We’ve sent Kate Hudson over. We’ve sent gifts. We decorated his bungalow for Halloween. I don’t know what more we can do.” Quick to the punch, Pitt says via satellite from New Orleans, “This is your problem … Get a bunch of Chippendales. He’s yours. Three, four – no less than three.” And he adds, “Make one a blonde.” Not one to pass on a great joke, DeGeneres vows, “We’re going to do it and we’re going to say it’s from you.” In the interview, set to air on DeGeneres’s talk show Wednesday, the two also discuss Pitt’s “Make it Right” foundation to aid the hurricane ravaged Lower Ninth Ward and supporting No on Prop 8. (People)

 

Neve Campbell is close to returning to series television with a co-starring role on NBC’s midseason drama “The Philanthropist.” “Philanthropist,” from Universal Media Studios, centers on Teddy Rist (James Purefoy), a renegade billionaire who uses his wealth, connections and power to help people in need around the world.  “Party of Five” alumna Campbell will play the wife of his business partner and lifelong friend, Phillip (Jesse Martin), who runs the two billionaires’ charitable foundation and has strong chemistry with Teddy. The actress, repped by ICM and Foster-Delaney Management and attorney Steve Younger, is expected to leave shortly for South Africa where “Philanthropist” is being shot.  (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Emmy winner Craig T. Nelson is set to do a three-episode arc of CBS’ crime drama “CSI: NY.” He will play Robert Parker, an powerful NYC publishing magnet and a nemesis to Mac Taylor (Gary Sinise). Nelson, who won an Emmy for his starring role on the comedy “Coach,” recurred on NBC’s “My Name Is Earl” last year. On the big screen the actor, repped by Paradigm and Forward Entertainment, will next be seen in the comedy “The Proposal.” (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Miles O’Brien will soon be leaving CNN after 16 years. O’Brien, who has been CNN’s chief technology and environment correspondent since ending his stint as anchor of “American Morning” in April 2007, is departing as the network dismantles its science and technology unit. Six producers also will be leaving. CNN’s coverage of science, technology and the environment has been integrated into the general editorial structure, according to spokeswoman Christa Robinson. Along with other duties, O’Brien had covered the space program for a decade, and in 2005 revealed that he had been close to getting NASA’s go-ahead to be the first American journalist in space until the shuttle Columbia broke apart on its return flight two years earlier. No departure date for O’Brien has been announced. (Daily Record)

 

College football’s Bowl Championship Series game will be broadcast in 3-D to the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show and select 3-D-ready theaters, David Hill, chairman and CEO of Fox Sports Television Group, said Tuesday at the 3-D Entertainment Summit. He is enthusiastic about the format but made it clear that if 3-D TV is to move forward, stakeholders should be prepared to take out their checkbooks. “You are not going to see 3-D — if I have my way — on broadcast television until the manufacturers of the sets that are making money are subsidizing us with every piece of equipment that we have to buy,” he said. “The HD transition was dreadful. It cost us a fortune to work in HD: to re-equip our studios, to re-equip our cameras, to re-equip our trucks. And do we get an extra cent from the advertisers? No. If the 3-D industry thinks they are going to get the same ride, they are wrong.” Speaking frankly about the cost of the equipment, he added: “Do I want to build a truck that shoots in 3-D? No. I’m having trouble paying for trucks that shoot in HD. I would prefer to be paying for trucks that shoot in standard definition because that’s cheaper. I’d prefer to be paying for a truck that shot in black-and-white right now.” During the presentation, Hill showed a Fox Sports test reel of 3-D professional football, basketball, boxing and NASCAR. (Hollywood Reporter)

 

Andrew Sachs’s granddaughter, Georgina Baillie is being lined up to appear in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother. Georgina Baillie, the exotic dancer at the centre of the Jonathan Ross/Russell Brand/Andrew Sachs phone prank controversy is top of producer’s wish list to appear in the next series of Celebrity Big Brother sources have told the Daily Mail. Georgina, a member of dance troop the Satanic Sluts, came to the public’s attention after ex-lover Russell Brand and fellow DJ Jonathan Ross left lewd messages on her grandfather Andrew Sachs’s answer phone. “We couldn’t have timed it better if we tried,” an insider claims. “It will guarantee Big Brother maximum publicity. An approach is being made to her and we are confident of landing her because we know she is keen for publicity to kickstart her own TV career. She would be on primetime TV every night and the producers know that Georgie is not backward in coming forwards. Georgie knows they will want her to talk openly about the whole affair, but she doesn’t mind in the slightest – she will do anything for fame.” Other names in the frame for this year’s show include Amy Winehouse’s husband Blake Fielder-Civil, former Sugababe Mutya Buena and Liberal Democrat MP Lembit Opik. (Handbag)

 

 

TODAY’S IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION . . .  (Mike Butts Creative)

 

Q.  9 out of 10 women says that doing THIS . . . is a real turn off for them?

            A.  Wearing too much cologne

 

 

TODAY’S QUOTE  (By Marcus A. Antoninus)

 

“THE HAPPINESS OF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON THE QUALITY OF YOUR THOUGHTS.”

 

 

MIND BOGGLERS . . .  (QuickTrivia)

 

Q.  In 1964, a Beatles song won a Grammy for Best Performance by a Vocal Group. That song also became the title of their first movie. What was it?

            A.  Help

            B.  Yellow Submarine
            C.  Magical Mystery Tour

            D.  A Hard Days Night  ****

 

Q.  In 1851, they lowered that outrageous 5-cent price for a government postage stamp to ___?

            A.  4 cents

            B.  3 cents
            C.  2 cents

            D.  1 cent  ****

 

Q.  Confused fans of “The Blair Witch Project” went looking for the three lost filmmakers in Burkittsville in what state?

            A.  North Carolina

            B.  Maryland  ****
            C.  Maine

            D.  New York

 

Q.  Who did Leo Rosten introduce by saying, “Any man who hates babies and dogs can’t be all bad”?

            A.  Will Rogers

            B.  W.C. Fields  ****
            C.  Don Rickles

            D.  Groucho Marx

 

Q.  Which of the Great Lakes is on the average the most shallow?

            A.  Lake Superior

            B.  Lake Erie  ****
            C.  Lake Ontario

            D.  Lake Michigan

 

Q.  Who was King of Britain throughout World War II?

            A.  George VI  ****

            B.  Edward VII
            C.  George V

            D.  Edward VII

 

 

INTERVIEW/GUEST . . .

 

For interview requests for Barabara Orbison regarding Roy Orbison please contact: Tatiana Marchant – Promotions & Publicity Manager – 02 9383 6381 email: tatiana.marchant@sonybmg.com, or your local Sony Music Entertainment representative. (Press Release)

 

 

TRAVEL TIPS . . . (Peter Greenberg Worldwide)

 

NEW WEB SITES FOR PLANNING YOUR TRAVELS:

 

You may be familiar with Web sites like Orbitz and Travelocity for hotel, car rental, and airfares. But these days, several new sites have started up to help you plan your travels. Let your fingers do the walking with Yellow pages dot travel, which lets you view several travel search engines at once and on one screen for easier comparison. VibeAgent dot com will direct you to the Web site with the most competitive hotel price, and it even personalizes your hotel search with criteria such as “hip,” “downtown,”  “budget” or “boutique.” Bezurk dot com is a newer meta-search engine that finds price comparison between several travel sites around the world. And you may have heard of Farecast dot com, which offers free airfare predictions. Well, these folks recently expanded its searches to include Canada, which may make your next trip up north a lot more affordable.

 

(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 . . .

 

—1835  Author Samuel Butler (d. 6-18-1902)

—1861  Singer/Actress Lillian Russell (d. 6-6-1922)

—1899  Musician Sonny Boy Williamson (d. 6-1-1948)

—1921  Actress/Singer Deanna Durbin (It Started With Eve)

—1933  Actor Horst Buchholtz (The Magnificent Seven) (d. 3-3-2003)

—1934  Singer/Game Show host Wink Martindale (Tic Tac Dough)

—1934  Actor Victor French (Little House On the Prairie) (d. 6-15-1989)

—1937  Producer/Actor Max Baer Jr. (The Beverly Hillbillies)

—1940  Singer Freddy Cannon (“Palisades Park”)

¾1940  Musician John Cale

—1944  Musician Chris Hillman (The Byrds) (“Turn Turn Turn”)

—1942  Bassist Bob Mosley (Moby Grape)

—1944  Drummer Dennis Wilson (The Beach Boys) (“Good Vibrations”) (d. 12-28-1983)

—1946  Tennis player Stan Smith

—1948  Musician Southside Johnny (& The Asbury Jukes)

—1949  Actor Jeff Bridges (The Mirror Has Two Faces)

—1950  Comedienne Pamela Stephenson (ex-Saturday Night Live)

—1951  Musician Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd) (“Sweet Home Alabama”)

—1951  Actress Patricia Wettig (“Holly” Brothers and Sisters)

¾1955  Jazz Singer Cassandra Wilson

—1960  Musician Bob Griffin (The BoDeans)

—1964  Actress Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny)

—1970  Football’s Jeff Blake

—1973  Model/Actress/TV Host Tyra Banks

¾1976  Country Singer Amie Comeaux  (d. 12-21-1997)

 

 

THIS DAY IN HISTORY . . .

 

 Today is ST. BARBARA’S DAY.  This is NATIONAL DICE DAY

—1568  Sir Walter Raleigh unwrapped another goodie he’d brought back from the New World: the potato.

—1918  President Woodrow Wilson set sail for Europe to attend the peace conference in Versailles (ver-SIGH), France, thus becoming the first American president ever to travel outside the country while in office.

—1933  The first “Ma Perkins” episode was broadcast on radio. It continued for more than 25 years.

—1965  In Sacramento, Rolling Stone Keith Richards is knocked unconscious for several minutes after moving an underground microphone with his guitar. He returns to finish the show.

—1971  The top single in the US is “Family Affair” from Sly & The Family Stone.

—1976  Bob Marley is shot in the arm at his Kingston home in an apparent assassination attempt. The politically motivated gunman shot Marley, his wife Rita, and two others to discourage Marley’s upcoming performance for Jamaica’s prime minister. No one is seriously hurt, and two days later Marley plays the gig.

—1976  Liz Taylor marries her seventh husband to John Warner.

—1978  Our Pioneer Venus I spacecraft, launched the preceding May, went into orbit around Venus and began sending information, enabling us to map portions of the Venusian’s surface for the first time.

—1981  TV premiere of the nighttime series “Falcon Crest.” The show was set in California wine country. It was on the air 9 years.

—1988  Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, and Barbra Streisand make People’s “Best Dressed” list. The “Worst Dressed” include Madonna and Prince.

—1990  The cartoon show, The Simpsons, release their LP “The Simpsons Sing The Blues.”

—1991  Release of Terry Anderson, an Associated Press correspondent, who became the final American hostage held in Lebanon to be freed.

—1992  Whitney Houston has the top single in the US with “I Will Always Love You” from the Bodyguard soundtrack.

 

 

RADIO ONLINE® DAILY SHOW PREP™ . . .

 

ON THIS DAY

On this date in 1783, George Washington bid farewell to his troops at a tavern in New York. He received endless cheers all the way up until he uttered those immortal words, “Separate checks, please!”

In 1839, the Whig party held its first convention. I believe the founder was the great-great-grandfather of Donald Trump. It only makes sense.

On this date in 1918, Woodrow Wilson became the first U.S. president to travel outside the country while in office. Of course, the tough part was getting his office there.

TODAY IS

Supermodel and actress Tyra Banks turns 35 today. She’s looking forward to sinking her teeth in a big piece of birthday cracker.

Jay-Z turns 39 today. He’s married to Beyonce: who needs a gift?

Max Baer Jr. who played Jethro on “The Beverly Hillbillies” turns 71 today. Don’t know how he’ll celebrate, but I’m sure he’ll figure out something with that fancy 6th grade education of his.

Marisa Tomei turns 43 today. Last year, she was voted “Best Nude Scene of 2007″ in the intentional category. However, Britney still wins the “Overall Best of Show” award.

National Cookie Day — There’s more going on inside your cookie jar than meets your taste buds. In fact, psychologists have discovered that the way your cookie crumbles reveals the flavor of your personality, says family therapist Jim Franklin.

·         Chocolate Chip — You’re as American as apple pie, and you’re raising your kids with the traditional values you treasure. Your low-key approach to life makes you a favorite with family and friends because you bring a steadying influence to the most chaotic situations.

·         Ginger Snaps — You’re bold, brave and in search of excitement. Life is never dull when you’re around, and both kids and adults are attracted by your zest for life. You never shy away from new adventures, leading a happy band of friends and family who’ll gladly follow you anywhere.

·         Graham Crackers — You’re softhearted and kind with a taste for nostalgia. You have many fond memories of your childhood, and your closet is probably stuffed with keepsakes from years gone by. But you don’t dwell on the past because you’re too busy making memories today.

·         Vanilla Wafers — You have uncanny intuitive powers that give you the unique ability to size up a situation or a person with breathtaking accuracy. Loved ones caught up in complex problems often turn to you for advice because they know you’ll steer them in the right direction.

·         Sandwich Cookies — Whether you eat the creme filling first or dunk them in milk, your choice says you’re a creative person with a vivid imagination. A born storyteller, you’re often the center of attention at parties, regaling your pals with funny, sometimes outrageous, tales.

·         Fig Newtons — Quiet, reserved and mature, your keen mind makes you a force to be reckoned with. You always have your “ducks in a row,” and your organizational skills assure your home and job are both running smoothly. Just don’t forget, spontaneity is a good thing too.

·         Sugar Cookies — You’re a nonconformist who believes that variety is the spice of life. Your avid interest in a multitude of subjects, teamed with your antiestablishment sensibility, makes you a challenging companion. You may not always take the safe path, but there’s no doubt that life with you is never dull.

·         Oatmeal — As homespun and down-to-earth as a comfy pair of slippers, you’re a genius at making others feel loved. Your family and friends blossom under the warmth of your generous spirit, while your practical approach to problems helps you find the best route to a solution that satisfies everyone involved.

·         Shortbread — You present a placid face to the world, but beneath your calm facade beats the heart of a passionate romantic. In fact, those closest to you would be amazed by your colorful fantasy life. Once you’ve found the right partner, you’re able to give this untapped side free rein with totally satisfying results.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

·         No more variety shows for Rosie O’Donnell, as her show was cancelled after only one airing. Her NBC special the night before Thanksgiving, “Rosie Live,” attracted only 5 million viewers.

·         A tracking device has been found on Simon Cowell’s Rolls Royce. Some paparazzi are so lazy.

·         Julianne Hough and boyfriend Chuck Wicks have been an item for five months… but she tells People that she wouldn’t surprised if this is it.

·         Patrick Swayze says it ticks him off when the tabloids have him all but dead. He said he’s still battling pancreatic cancer, but is responding well to treatment and doing fine.

·         Some scientists think the digital age may be changing the way we read, learn and interact with each other. Dr. Gary Small, a psychiatrist at UCLA, argues that daily exposure to digital technologies such as the Internet and smart phones alter how the brain works. You think…

·         Sean Avery of the NHL’s Dallas Stars has been suspended indefinitely for referring to his ex-girlfriends — including actress Elisha Cuthbert and model Rachel Hunter — as “sloppy seconds” in an interview.

·         American folk singer Odetta has died. She was 77. She died Tuesday of heart disease after being admitted to the hospital with kidney failure about three weeks ago.

·         Part of the deal making Hillary Clinton Secretary of State included Barack Obama maintaining veto rights on Bill Clinton’s speeches.

·         NBC White House correspondent David Gregory is about to be named the new host for “Meet the Press.”

·         “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” star Marg Helgenberger and her husband of 19 years have split.

·         Dylan McDermott and his wife of 13 years are now officially divorced.

·         President Bush had to send out some apologies this week to Jewish leaders who had been sent an invitation to the official White House Hanukkah reception. On the invitation: a Christmas tree and Christmas wreaths. Not his fault, but no one would believe it.

·         Divorces in the military have hit a 16-year high rate. A lot of stress these days.

·         Experts say that cases of domestic violence actually get worse during the holiday season.

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Men’s Health says holidays add stress and divide time. Here’s the count:

·         618,000 is the number of people hired to help staff stores nationwide during the holidays last year.

·         95% of malls will display Christmas decor.

·         70% of companies plan to host a holiday party.

·         1.1 pounds is the average pounds a person gains over the holidays.

·         $40 is the average amount people spend on a gift card.

·         55% of U.S. flights delayed by at least 15 minutes last December 28th.

·         19 billion of mails items the U.S. Postal service will delivers during the holidays.

Are you stressed out over the economy, the election, health care, you job? Don’t look now, but your pet is suffering right along with you. “Dogs and cats are very good at picking up anxiety in people, as are birds,” explains veterinarian James Morrisey, of Cornell University. “In general, the more intelligent the animal, the more psychological stress it can undergo.” But it’s not just an owner’s anxieties that can send an animal into orbit. Researchers discovered that domestic cats can also be traumatized by unfriendly relationships with other felines in the house. (Sun)

As it turns out, it really is downhill after age 40, and you can blame it on your brain. The part of the brain that is charge of motion begins to decline after four decades of life, impacting not only how fast you can throw a ball or run, but also swerve a steering wheel. New research from the University of California, Los Angeles suggests that by middle age, even healthy people lose some of the insulation in the motor-control part of the brain. Study author Dr. George Bartzokis, a UCLA neurologist, says this helps explain why “it’s hard to be a world-class athlete after 40.”

Women’s Health asked women, “The most difficult person to buy holiday gifts for is my…”

·         43% said mother and/or father

·         32% said main squeeze

·         13% said co-worker

·         12% said sibling

Men with facial scars are more attractive to women who are seeking short-term relationships, scientists have found. In non-Western cultures scars are perceived as a sign of maturity and strength, say scientists at Liverpool and Stirling Universities. But now researchers have found that Western women find scarring on men attractive and may associate it with health and bravery –as scarring on a man was often evidence of his courage.

PHONE TOPICS

·         Kanye West says that Beyonce is better than Tina Turner. Your thoughts?

·         Who has the most Christmas lights on their house?

·         What’s the most expensive Christmas decoration you own?

·         What’s the “sappiest thing” you do for the holidays?

·         If you wrote a message in a bottle, what would it say?

·         Anyone have the new Blackberry Storm? Call us on it!

·         Does any married couple, “get romantic” every day of the week?

·         When are the best years of marriage, when you’re younger or older?

·         How many cousins do you have?

·         Which Superhero would you want fighting for your life?

·         Who belongs to the most clubs and organizations?

·         Did your dog ever run away and you found it?

·         Who can get by on the least amount of sleep and still function?

·         What’s the classic moment in your home movie collection?

·         When did you get your first Christmas card?

Have you ever looked up an old love? We had a listener call and tell us her story. She said that her guy wanted to make it serious when they were in high school, but she wasn’t ready. Her parents always told her not to consider marriage until her career was established, and she listened to them. Over the years she thought about him — he was the one that got away. After her divorce she looked him up online. Come to find out, he was divorced too. They started talking and now they’re getting married! A great warm and fuzzy phoner.

Our producer overslept and came in about an hour late one day last week. While we were waiting for him to arrive, my news anchor and I started talking about “The worst jobs to have in which to oversleep?” Funny calls in professions running the gamut from airline pilots to morticians.

When was the last time you made an offer to someone that you really didn’t mean and assumed they’d say no to? You know, like, “We should get together for lunch sometime.” And they’re supposed to say, “Yeah, we’ll have to do that.” But instead they say, “Okay. How about tomorrow?” Or they’re talking about moving and you ask if they need any help and they say they do.

My partner is off this week because she had to have surgery on her nose. When she was a kid she wanted to be an Olympic pole vaulter. So she tried to pole vault over her sofa in the living room. She ended up smashing into a book shelf and knocking a jar full of pennies off the shelf and on to her nose. She hasn’t been able to breathe properly since then. Did you ever injure yourself as a child, and still have scars to prove it?

What are your crazy 911 (emergency call) stories? We had a listener call us that said her eight month old child dialed 911 by accident and two hot officers showed up at her door while she wasn’t exactly looking so hot. They even came in and searched the house to make sure everything was OK.

What unpleasant things do people always put off as long as possible? Some of our answers:

·         Working out

·         Housecleaning

·         Visiting the doctor

·         Writing thank you notes

·         Drawing up a will

·         Visiting a relative

·         Washing the car

·         Cutting the grass

·         Taking out the trash

·         Listening to this show

A recent study suggests older people would rather exercise alone than be surrounded by a bunch of youthful hard bodies in Spandex. It recognizes that people of all ages generally prefer to exercise with people their own age — or they may opt to go it alone. Do you prefer to workout alone or at the gym? Are other people at the gym motivation for you or intimidation?

If she’s happy, then he’s happy — and vice versa. Married men and women are significantly more satisfied with their life when their spouse is also satisfied with life, according to recent research from Britain’s University of Warwick. But this only works if you’re married. The same level of satisfaction was not found in couples who simply live together. Phoner: For married guys — are you really happy when she’s happy?

When I was 4 I had a little red fire engine. You know the type, all steel construction with the white steering wheel. My friend was pushing me down the sidewalk when I ended up smashing into my dad’s car and I broke my collar bone. What did you do when you were a kid that got you horribly injured? Great calls on this one. Give it a try!

If kids are required to pay for their own college/cars, etc. Does that make them more responsible than the kids today that have everything handed to them. We had quite a few calls on how parents try to teach their kids how to be responsible and manage money. Most agreed today’s kids have the attitude “what’s in it for me?” more than ever before!

What’s the strangest food combination you can enjoy? My cohost’s wife dropped a bomb on him that she LOVES dipping French fries in a Wendy’s Frosty. Seven years together and he never knew that, but I’ve always known about that. Excluding pregnancy cravings, who’s got the strangest, creepily enjoyable food combination?

Percentage of adults who think the following generalizations are true:

·         Men like gadgets: 83%

·         Men like to have control of the TV remote: 80%

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