COUNTRY February 25, 2015
Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • Image of the Day • Joke of the Day! • Last Minute Items • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Video of the Day • Wacky-But-True
DATEBOOK: FEBRUARY 25, 2015
This is day 56 of 2015. There are 309 days remaining.
• CBS newsman Bob Schieffer is 78
• Karen Grassle (Caroline Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie) is 73
• Tea Leoni is 49
• Comedian Carrot Top is 48
• Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings movies) is 44
• Chelsea Handler is 40
• Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Recreation) is 39
• James and Oliver Phelps (Harry Potter) are 29
IT HAPPENED TODAY
• 1793: George Washington held the first Cabinet meeting as President of the United States.
• 1836: Samuel Colt received an American patent for the Colt revolver.
• 1919: Oregon placed a 1 cent per U.S. gallon tax on gasoline, becoming the first U.S. state to levy a gasoline tax.
• 1928: Charles Jenkins Laboratories of Washington, DC became the first holder of a television license from the Federal Radio Commission.
• 1940: A hockey game was televised for the first time, by New York City station W2XBS. The New York Rangers beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-2 at Madison Square Garden.
• 1943: Beatles guitarist George Harrison was born in Liverpool, England.
• 1996: The first Christian Nudist Conference closed at a campground near Longwood, North Carolina. Some 40 "conservative nudists" attended the conference. Retired Pentecostal minister David Phipps, who walked the grounds with a pet pig on a leash, said, "God didn't create us with clothes. There are a lot of people walking around in $400 suits that I wouldn't trust my pig with."
• 2004: The Mel Gibson film The Passion of the Christ opened in 3,000 U.S. theaters on Ash Wednesday.
• 2006: The world's estimated population reached 6.5 billion.
• 2006: Veteran Emmy-winning comic star Don Knotts, best known for his Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show, died of lung cancer. He was 81.
• 2006: Darren McGavin, who played the father in A Christmas Story, died at the age of 74.
• 2009: It was revealed by the White House staff that every day President Barack Obama is handed a special purple folder. The folder contains ten letters culled from the thousands the White House Correspondence Office receives each day from Americans who have taken the time to sit down and write to their president.
• 2013: Cuban President Raul Castro announced he will not seek another term in 2018.
• Inconvenience Yourself Day
• Chocolate-Covered Peanuts Day
• Clam Chowder Day
• March 8: Daylight Saving Time begins (Sunday)
• March 15: College Basketball March Madness Selection (Sunday)
• March 17-April 6: March Madness
• March 17: St. Patrick's Day (Tuesday)
• March 20: Spring begins (Friday, 6:45p ET)
• April 1: April Fool's Day (Wednesday)
• More holidays
NUMBER FOR THE DAY
4 million: Cats eaten in Asia every year.
NEWS ATTACK!
According to a new study, two-thirds of all smokers will die as a direct result of smoking. [The other third die from exposure standing outside their office buildings in the middle of winter.]
Netflix has confirmed that the network will air the new Pee-wee Herman movie. [It's been a few years but he's still the same. Pee-wee, running around, creating havoc in his assisted living community.]
Mysterious drones hovering over famous buildings have the people of Paris feeling uneasy. [It's like having your personal space invaded by miniature flying John Travoltas.]
A new study finds that men who use saunas have fewer heart-related deaths. [Heatstroke deaths, yes. Heart-related deaths, no.]
Scandal. The head of the VA was caught lying. He said that he served in Special Forces. [With Bill O'Reilly and Brian Williams.]
It's now legal to smoke pot in Alaska. [Maybe that will finally mellow out the Palin family.]
Scientists say more mysterious craters have suddenly appeared in Siberia. ["On your morning commute you might want to avoid the bypass. It's no longer there."]
A new study concludes that parents should feed their infants peanuts to help them overcome any likely peanut allergies. [And fear of elephants.]
A teacher in Texas is going to donate a kidney to one of her 6-year-old students. [I'm very happy for the kid. I just worry that he'll never live down the label of teacher's pet.]
Two Tennessee girls high school basketball teams have been suspended from the postseason for intentionally trying to lose in order to avoid being in the same bracket as the top seed. [They started a fight — during the national anthem.]
It's February 25 — two months since Christmas. [Time to take the tree down!]
NEWS & NUGGETS
SERVICE MEMBER REFUSED TO TIP WAITRESS _ Rude messages on receipts and refusing to tip are two of social medias biggest touchy spots, so this latest should infuriate all around. It supposedly comes from a service member who refused to tip a waitress on the grounds that he (or she) has already paid his tip in military service. The bill shows a $40.10 tab, and then a zero tip written in, near which someone had scrawled: "My tip is the freedoms I provided you while serving my country. You're welcome for my service."
… We've all been tricked by some receipt hoaxes in the past, so unless Internet sleuths get to the bottom of it we'll have to assume this was someone having a bad day.
THE FIRST SPACE SELFIE IS ABOUT TO GO ON SALE _ Buzz Aldrin, who was the second man to set foot on the moon, also took the first known selfie from space during the Gemini 12 mission in 1966. The astronaut tweeted his legendary selfie, which he took from Earth's orbit, back in 2014.
… The photo, which Aldrin called "the best selfie ever," has recently resurfaced online after being offered for sale at the Bloomsbury Auction house in London, along with 1,100 other vintage photographs from the early days of space exploration. The auction will take place tomorrow (February 26) and the collection of photographs is expected to sell for up to $1 million.
PIZZA APP TRANSLATES YOUR STOMACH RUMBLES INTO AN ORDER _ Domino's new "Tummy Translator" app can apparently interpret your gurgles to find our what kind of pizza you're craving. According to Domino's, the app uses 1960s-inspired technology and "Gastro-Acoustic-Enterology" — whatever that is. When hungry, users are instructed to "place the bottom of phone against tummy with the screen facing skywards" so the app can get to work.
AMERICANS GET AN 'F' IN UNDERSTANDING TAXES _ The average U.S. adult scores about 50% on personal finance questions related to U.S. federal income tax returns. Most American adults get an "F" in understanding income tax basics, according to a NerdWallet survey. Respondents scored on average 51% in a 10-question quiz on tax basics related to such personal finance issues as retirement, college savings and health care.
… A majority of respondents did not know the tax implications of popular financial products such as Roth individual retirement accounts, flexible spending accounts and 529 education plans. For example, most survey respondents thought Roth IRA contributions are taken from pre-tax salary. Although contributions to a 401(k) retirement accounts are deducted from taxable salary, Roth IRA contributions are not.
… Take the test here.
… See the answers here.
COLLEGE ADMINISTRATOR GAVE OUT FINANCIAL AID FOR SEX _ Every college student knows the difficulty of trying to acquire good financial aid. But most students wouldn't go as far as a financial aid officer at North Idaho College was asking. An administrator of the school was caught giving out scholarship money to students who agreed to have sex with him. Joseph M. Bekken was arrested last week after the FBI alerted local police that the school official was having "casual encounters" with students in exchange for free financial aid. The most disturbing part is Bekken was completely open about the exchange, having made a post on Craigslist about his offer: "I have some extra grant money to allocate. Just looking for some potential fun on the side."
REDDIT CRACKS DOWN ON NUDE IMAGES _ The social news site Reddit is cracking down on nude images. The changes, which will take effect on March 10, come six months after Reddit found itself at the center of a media firestorm over a photo hack in which leaked nude images of Jennifer Lawrence and Kate Upton, among other celebrities, found their way onto the site. In the days and weeks that followed, Reddit's team struggled to deal with an influx of traffic and media criticism.
GUY FILMED HIMSELF GETTING CUT OUT OF HIS CAR BY THE JAWS OF LIFE _ You fell asleep and hit a pole. Your face is all messed up. You've got a broken arm. A broken femur. Two broken kneecaps. Two broken ankles. After the paramedics arrive, you know exactly what to do. Take a video selfie, and share the experience with the world.
… YouTube user Andrew Mac (from British Columbia, Canada) seems to really be taking the whole thing in stride as rescue workers use the Jaws of Life to remove him from his vehicle. Major surgery to fix his body took 14 hours over a couple of days. He now has metal plates and screws all over his body — and a video to remember the day. | VIDEO
COTTONELLE WANTS YOU TO 'GO COMMANDO' _ Cottonelle wants you to "go commando." That's right, the toilet paper brand says you should walk around without underwear because its CleanRipple texture provides a superior clean. Cottonelle hired British documentary filmmaker Cherry Healey to intercept random people who've just used the toilet and ask them to go commando. Whereupon they hide in a little pop-up tent, take off their underpants and receive an undies storage baggie and some Cottonelle. | VIDEO
… Cottonelle isn't just doing this commando stuff to hawk its product. It's doing it for the good of musicians everywhere. Musicians who have been much maligned by the unpleasant habit women have of throwing their undergarments on stage. Musicians like New Kids on the Block, who kicked off the Cottonelle campaign this month with a sponsored concert.
… Cottonelle will be joining the first leg of the NKOTB summer tour to offer "an elevated bathroom experience," and surprise meets and greets with the boys.
Start it on Facebook, take it to the phones: When is it OK to go commando? Do you do it often?
ROADHOUSE USED TO TEACH NYPD COPS A LESSON _ The classic action flick Roadhouse is teaching a generation of NYPD officers a valuable lesson. A clip from the 1989 Patrick Swayze movie appears in a new training video for officers and gives advice on how to deal with unmanageable New York City residents. In the clip, Swayze's character tells his Roadhouse bouncers: "If somebody gets in your face and calls you a [name], I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk. Be nice. If he won't walk, walk him. But be nice. If you can't walk him, one of the others will help you, and you'll both be nice. I want you to remember that it's a job. It's nothing personal."
LED TRAFFIC LIGHTS JUST TOO COOL FOR SNOWY JAPAN _ Energy-saving LED traffic lights seemed like a cool way to cut back on electricity costs, but Japanese police say they might just be too cool — because they don't melt snow. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) account for around 45 percent of all of Japan's stop-and-go signals. But in wintry northern Japan the lights have encountered a problem — drivers can't see them because they don't get warm enough to melt accumulated snow. Snow has to be removed manually between December and mid-February during blizzards.
SAUDI KING BEGINS REIGN WITH A $32 BILLION GIFT TO HIS PEOPLE _ There ain't no party like a royal party — because a royal party gives away $32 billion. Newly crowned Saudi Arabian monarch King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud is cementing his rule with a massive $32 billion handout to average citizens. The beneficiaries of King Salman's largesse include "all state employees, soldiers, students, and pensioners, as well as generous grants to various professional associations, and literary and sports clubs." Individuals receiving the bonuses will get the equivalent of two months' pay.
WAFFLE HOUSE BECOMES AN UNLIKELY COMPETITOR TO FEDEX AND UPS _ Waffle House wants in on the sharing economy. The diner chain has announced a partnership with Roadie, a new company that aims to become the "Uber of package delivery." The app, which launched last month, lets travelers earn money by delivering packages to locations along their routes. At the moment, users can send packages from within 10 states across the southeast US, and most packages are delivered door to door, but the company is looking to create a network of meeting places for users to hand off deliveries, which is where Waffle House comes in. With the new partnership, users will be able to meet and complete deliveries at the company's 1,750 diners across the US, which are open 24 hours a day. Waffle House will also offer a free waffle and drink to drivers making deliveries at their eateries.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: ROBBER CAUGHT WHILE TAKING COFFEE BREAK _ A robber made off with $4,000 from a New Jersey (Lodi) bank on Monday, only to get caught after buying coffee from a Dunkin' Donuts down the street.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: CHEESE TRUCK CUT IN HALF _ A semitrailer loaded with 40,000 pounds of cheese crashed on a Colorado toll road Monday morning, splitting in half and causing a traffic nightmare.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN CHANGES NAME TO ALPHABET _ A teacher in Colombia who had already changed her name once to Ladyzunga Cyborg has changed her name again; this time she decided to go for a name including every letter of the alphabet — literally. The former Ladyzunga Cyborg spent years fighting with the Colombian authorities in order to include all 26 letters of the English alphabet in her name. Her official ID card now reads: First name: ABCDEFG HIJKLMN. Family name: OPQRST UVWXYZ.
… Cyborg, a university art lecturer, decided that Ladyzunga Cyborg was too easy a name to pronounce and wanted to go for something completely unpronounceable.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SCHOOLBOY SURVIVES EPIC SELFIE FALL _ A 14-year-old British boy survived a 1,640-foot fall in the Austrian Alps. The incident happened during a school trip. The boy had been standing with a ski instructor and five friends when he stepped backwards while holding his phone out in front of him and slipped off a cliff edge. Yep, he fell off a cliff while taking a selfie. He was not seriously injured.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: MAN IS SELLING BOSTON SNOW _ Mother Nature has created plenty of headaches for snow-weary residents of Massachusetts, but one man is turning it into an opportunity to make a few bucks off the warmer states. He's selling the snow from his front yard for $89 for six pounds, shipping it to sunnier climes. The man has launched the website ShipSnowYo.com and he's already sent 112 people 16.9-ounce water bottles for $19.99, each filled with "historic Boston snow".
… ShipSnowYo.com's newest product offers is six pounds of snow shipped to any destination in the U.S. within 20 hours, with the $89 price tag including shipping. He admits the snow will likely melt at least a little, even though he does his best to insulate it.
SEASON PREMIERE: SURVIVOR (8p ET, CBS) — Survivor's 30th season has the theme Brawn vs. Brains vs. Beauty. The contestants will be split into 3 tribes (White Collar, Blue Collar and No Collar) to test the notion that that certain characteristics will help you win.
AMERICAN IDOL (8p ET, FOX) — The Top 12 guys perform in this new edition.
THE MIDDLE (8p ET, ABC) — New
THE MYSTERIES OF LAURA (8p ET, NBC) — It's a Will & Grace reunion as Eric McCormack guest stars in this new episode.
ARROW (8p ET, CW) — New
THE GOLDBERGS (8:30p ET, ABC) — This new episode is inspired by the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Charlie Sheen makes an appearance.
MODERN FAMILY (9p ET, ABC) — This new episode (filmed entirely with an iPhone 6, iPad and MacBook Pro) takes place entirely on a computer screen, with all communications via Facebook, Facetime, instant message and other forms of digital communication.
LAW & ORDER: SVU (9p ET, NBC) — The family drama of the late Casey Kasem is the inspiration for this new episode. Marcia Cross (Desperate Housewives) and Robert Vaughn (Hustle) guest star.
EMPIRE (9p ET, FOX) — Naomi Campbell guest stars in this new episode.
THE 100 (9p ET, CW) — New
SEASON PREMIERE: THE AMAZING RACE (9:30p ET, CBS) — For the first time, the Race features 11 teams of all dating duos: six who are already couples, and five who meet for the first time at the starting line. This season's cast features New Kids on the Block's Jonathan Knight who will be racing with his partner, and Olympic medalists Aly Dudek and Steven Langton.
BLACKISH (9:30p ET, ABC) — New
CHICAGO P.D. (10p ET, NBC) — New
NASHVILLE (10p ET, ABC) — Country stars Terri Clark and Chuck Wicks appear in this new episode.
OSCARS: LADY GAGA WORKED WITH VOCAL COACH FOR MONTHS _ Lady Gaga's tribute to The Sound of Music during the Oscars telecast didn't come easily. The singer reportedly spent months training with a vocal coach to reach the impossible range required to sing the classic songs. Viewers at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles and those at home were left in awe of the moving performance, which saw Lady Gaga mimicking Andrews' very difficult vocal range almost to perfection.
… Oscars producers say Lady Gaga practiced every day for six months with a vocal coach.
PEE-WEE'S BIG HOLIDAY TO PREMIERE ON NETFLIX _ Production has begun on Pee-wee's Big Holiday, starring Paul Reubens. Netflix will premiere the new feature film exclusively. Judd Apatow (Anchorman, Bridesmaids) and Reubens will produce the film.
NICOLAS CAGE JOINS OLIVER STONE'S EDWARD SNOWDEN FILM _ A source says Nicolas Cage will join the cast of Oliver Stone's upcoming Edward Snowden film. In the film, titled Snowden, Cage will play "an ex-Intelligence Official of the U.S. government."
… Cage joins Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who plays Snowden; Shailene Woodley is playing Snowden's girlfriend Lindsay Mills; Tom Wilkinson has signed on as Guardian correspondent Ewen MacAskill; Zachary Quinto and Timothy Olyphant will appear as currently unspecified players in the Snowden saga.
ADELE'S '21' HAS SPENT FOUR STRAIGHT YEARS ON THE CHARTS _ This week, British soul/pop singer Adele has one more thing to celebrate. Her last album, 21, has now been on the Billboard 200 for four years straight. Impressively, of the 208 weeks it's been on the chart, only 24 of them have been outside the top 100. In fact, this week it sits at number 89.
WANT TO GET MARRIED ON THE PRICE IS RIGHT? _ People magazine is reporting that The Price is Right plans to throw a mass wedding on its Los Angeles set March 31. Host Drew Carey was ordained online so he could officiate the nuptials, which he'll announce on today's (Wednesday) installment of The Price is Right. Anyone who wants to get married in between playing Plinko or spinning the wheel must have a California marriage license that's ready to be signed.
DANCING WITH THE STARS SEASON 20 _ Season 20 of Dancing with the Stars kicks off on March 16, marking the 10th anniversary of the hit ABC reality show. Check out the list of stars and their DWTS pro partners:
Noah Galloway with Sharna Burgess
Robert Herjavec with Kym Johnson
Patti LaBelle with Artem Chigvintsev
Nastia Liukin with Derek Hough
Riker Lynch with Allison Holker (Riker is the cousin of Derek and Julianne Hough)
Charlotte McKinney with Keo Motsepe
RedFoo with Emma Slater
Michael Sam with Peta Murgatroyd
Willow Shields with Mark Ballas
Suzanne Somers with Tony Dovolani
Rumer Willis with Valentin Chmerkovskiy
MARC ANTHONY: MY DAD CALLED ME UGLY _ Marc Anthony got some very honest advice from his father when he was younger. Anthony says, "My dad told me early on, he said, 'Son, we're both ugly.' I swear to God, he says it to this day. And he goes, 'You work on your personality. It builds character.'" Anthony shared the story on Tuesday's Meredith Vieira Show.
… Anthony — who recently married model Shannon de Lima following his split from Jennifer Lopez — took no offense to his dad's comments. He says, "Absolutely not. I was born looking at his face — and he was right."
CHRIS HEMSWORTH TO MAKE SNL HOSTING DEBUT _ Prepare yourself for Asgard jokes: Chris Hemsworth will make his Saturday Night Live hosting debut on March 7 with musical guest the Zac Brown Band.
JAMIE DORNAN IS NOT LEAVING FIFTY SHADES OF GREY _ No, Jamie Dornana is not leaving Fifty Shades of Grey. Australian magazine NW reported that Dornan decided to quit the series because his wife, Amelia Warner, was allegedly uncomfortable with the material. But after the false claims spread, fans took to Twitter to express their outrage, not only at Dornan but also his wife. The story is false.
… Dornan has a three-picture deal for Fifty Shades — a big pile of cash he's not likely to walk away from.
RICHARD PRYOR'S WIFE BLASTS BILL COSBY _ Jennifer Lee Pryor, wife of deceased comedian Richard Pryor, has blasted Bill Cosby, who stands accused of raping, drugging or sexually assaulting over 30 women. Jennifer says, "Richard was dirty on the outside, but he was a good person … he was clean on the inside. … Bill's just a [expletive] hypocrite, and dirty on the inside."
TAYLOR SWIFT DONATES $50K TO NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS _ Taylor Swift has made a donation to New York Public Schools. The singer, who has been named a Global Welcome Ambassador for New York City, has given $50,000 from the sales of her single "Welcome to New York" in order to support public education in the Big Apple.
GIULIANA RANCIC: I CROSSED THE LINE WITH RACIST COMMENT _Zendaya sported dreadlocks at Sunday's Oscars, and when discussing her look on Monday's Fashion Police, Giuliana Rancic said the teen's hair "probably smelled like patchouli oil or weed." Zendaya posted a long message after the broadcast, firing back at Rancic for her degradation, and pointing out how successful women, from professors to film directors, have dreadlocks. Rancic then apologized in a tweet.
… The controversy, however, grew throughout Tuesday, as some people apparently thought Rancic's Fashion Police colleague Kelly Osbourne had made the offensive comment, and sent her a lot of hate on social media. Osbourne then lashed out, saying, "I'm giving everyone involved 24 hours to make it right or the world will hear how I really feel," and threatened to quit the show.
… Rancic is now taking fuller responsibility for her remarks. On Tuesday's E! News she said, "I want to apologize for a comment I made on last night's 'Fashion Police' about Zendaya's hair. As you know, 'Fashion Police' is a show that pokes fun at celebrities in good spirit, but I do understand that something I said last night did cross the line. I just want everyone to know, I didn't intend to hurt anybody. But I've learned it's not my intent that matters, it's the result, and the result is that people are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not okay. Therefore, I want to say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry. This really has been a learning experience for me."
JESSICA CHASTAIN JOINING THE HUNTSMAN WITH CHRIS HEMSWORTH _ There's going to be some powerful female talent for The Huntsman, the prequel to the 2012 fantasy adventure Snow White and the Huntsman. Chris Hemsworth is returning in the title role, with Charlize Theron back as Queen Ravenna, and Emily Blunt was previously reported to join the cast as a new villain as well. Now Interstellar star Jessica Chastain is joining the cast as a love interest for Hemsworth's character.
BRUCE JENNER SPEED WAS 38 MPH AT FATAL CRASH IMPACT _ Bruce Jenner was reportedly driving at 38 miles per hour during this month's fatal car accident. Jenner was traveling in his SUV along Pacific Coast Highway when he struck a Lexus, which then spun into oncoming traffic and was hit by a Hummer, killing the Lexus driver, Kim Howe. Investigators had questioned whether speed could have been a factor in the deadly collision, but according to TMZ, the Sensing Diagnostic Module in Jenner's car shows he was initially driving between 46 and 47 MPH. Jenner slammed on his brakes right before the impact, bringing his speed down to 38, per the data recorder. The incident reportedly took place in less than three seconds.
… The new information could prove that Jenner was unaware of the traffic backup at a stop light ahead of him, as investigators continue to research whether he was driving too closely to the Lexus, and how much fault he bears for what happened.
KIM KARDASHIAN PAYS 100K A YEAR TO PHOTOSHOP HER PICS? _ A report has surfaced claiming Kim Kardashian hired a Photoshop pro as an assistant to work some magic on her pictures before she uploads them for the world to see. Not only that, but the story also claims that Kim pays this editing wizard a whopping $100,000 a year to do the job. A rep for Kim says the story is false.
TLC TELLS HONEY BOO BOO FAMILY TO STOP PITCHING THEMSELVES _ Honey Boo Boo's hopes of being a pop diva may have just been shattered — the star's former network says they'll come down on her like a ton of bricks if she releases a song. Sources close to the family say TLC sent the family an ultimatum: they can't work for another entertainment company until their contract with the network runs its course at the end of May. Mama June, Honey, and the family were in Los Angeles last week shopping a reboot of their show to other networks and Honey recorded a song, "Movin' Up."
… TMZ reports TLC will take them to court if the family tries to make money before June.
The newest audio files are found here. Visit the Pro Audio page for thousands of archived audio cuts.
WEIRD WAYS YOUR KID INJURED HIMSELF
What's the weird way your kid's injured himself? Here's a dad who had a good laugh about the way his son injured himself in the bathroom. » download
http://interprep.com/audio/phoners/injured-kids.mp3
SHOW OPENS
A package of drops to use in show opens. » download
http://interprep.com/audio/drops/show-opens.mp3
BITS & BREAKS
Week of February 16-22
1. The Oscars, ABC, 37.26 million
2. Live From the Red Carpet Part 2, ABC, 23.82 million
3. NCIS, CBS, 18.06 million
4. The Big Bang Theory, CBS, 17.49 million
6. NCIS: New Orleans, CBS, 14.7 million
7. The Odd Couple, CBS, 13.57 million
8. Two and a Half Men, CBS, 13.52 million
9. The Walking Dead, AMC, 13.44 million
10. Empire, Fox, 13.02 million
BATHROOM GERMS
When it comes to a fear of germs, 39 percent of respondents in a nationwide survey said they feared picking up germs from a public restroom more than any other public place. The survey found that for 66 percent of the respondents "unclean conditions" were most likely to lead to a bad impression of the restroom. No toilet paper was a distant second at 13 percent, followed by odors at 11 percent.
… And what is the top reason a public restroom makes a good impression on visitors? 77 percent said cleanliness — obviously.
Restaurants: 21 percent
Airplanes: 20 percent
Subways and trains: 11 percent
Movie theaters: 4 percent
Try to envision the bathroom of the future. What feature would you most like to see?
One-third wished for a self-cleaning toilet seat
12 percent wanted hands-free bath tissue and dispensers for the soap and towels.
Eleven percent dreamed of instant hand sanitizers that allow people to wash their hands without water or towels.
Six percent of the respondents voted for an alarm that would go off if someone tried to leave the restroom without washing up.
Start it on Facebook, take it to the phones: Are you a public restroom germaphobe?
WHY AREN'T THESE USED MORE? I was in a restroom once that had a door handle you used with your foot. After you washed up you pulled the door open with your foot so you didn't have to touch the door.
HERE'S HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO LOOK LIKE KIM KARDASHIAN
Wish you could look at fresh and glowing as Kim Kardashian? In an interview published on the beauty blog Into the Gloss, Kim reveals the names of the products she uses every day for glam purposes. All of 'em. Here is a full categorized list of the products Kim uses throughout the day, along with her comments.
QUICK QUIZ: You probably don't want to do the whole list, so just quiz your co-host on what Kim's beauty kit costs (total below). After the correct answer is shared you can pick out a few of the priciest items below to discuss.
ALSO: Ask the women in their audience what beauty product they spend the most money on. (Have you seen the prices on shampoos and conditioners at the salon?!)
Face Cleansers and Creams
• By Terry Pureté de Rose Refreshing Cleansing Gel, $52. "Because it smells like rose."
• Guerlain Orchidée Impériale The Rich Cream, $455. "Because I love the scent and the rich creaminess."
• C+C Vitamin Cream, $115. This is similar to the cream above, but per Kim, "it smells really strongly of orange."
• Tracie Martyn Shakti Resculpting Cream, $155. It's "rose-scented, so of course I love it."
• Epicuren Bulgarian Rose Otto, on sale for $42.95 on Amazon. It's a rose oil. Kim notes, "I'm also really big on rose oils."
• La Mer's The Broad Spectrum SPF 50 UV Protecting Fluid, $85.
• Lancer Skin Care Sheer Fluid Sun Shield SPF 30, $48.
• "I have this at-home LED light therapy machine called Quasar MD Plus that I got it for my psoriasis because I'll try anything." $795.
• MAC 182 Buffer Brush, $53.
• Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, $62.
• Joe Blasco Ultrabase Foundation, $19.50. "It's a really old school, heavy foundation."
• Kardashian Beauty Endless Summer Matte Bronzer, $14.99. Kim loves it in Cabana Bronze.
• Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit, $40.
• Lancôme Définicils High Definition Mascara, $27.50. "For mascara, I think Lancôme makes the best mascaras."
• Kardashian Beauty Individualist Lashes, $10.98. Kim insists, "Our line actually has some of the best false lashes — our glam team can tell you."
• "I look so different when I have my eyebrows done. Anastasia Soare [of Anastasia Beverly Hills] does my brows."
• A brow shaping appointment with a lesser-known brow stylist at Anastasia Beverly Hills costs $50.
• Kim says she gets a blowout every five days, which one can conservatively price at $60 including tip.
TOTAL: $2,087.75.
TRIVIA: Americans spend a half-billion dollars a year on what type of footwear? (Slippers)
TRIVIA: The average person does this 3½ times a day while at work. (Goes to the bathroom)
• 20% of tuxedo rentals take place in May. (Fact)
• Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour. (Fact)
• In Mexico, the Tooth Fairy is known as the Tooth Turtle. (Fiction. It's Tooth Mouse.)
• The average American eats at McDonalds 245 times in the life. (Fiction. It's over 1,000)
• Astronauts cannot burp in space. (Fact)
• Approximately 92% percent of the earth is covered by water. (Fiction. It's closer to 70%.)
• A rhinoceros horn is made of compacted skin. (Fiction. Compacted hair.)
• A hard working adult sweats up to 4 gallons per day. (Fact)
St. Peter met a gorgeous blonde woman at the Pearly Gates. She had a very sexy look about her, so before he would let her in, St. Peter asked for references. The woman indicated she was sure her husband was in Heaven and would vouch for her. When she said his name was Smith, St. Peter said they had lots of those and he needed more information. She then said his full name was Charles Smith. St. Peter said there were thousands of Charles Smiths in Heaven and could she be more specific. "Well," the blonde purred, "he said if I was unfaithful to him he would turn over in his grave." "Oooh yes," said St. Peter, "you're talking about Roulette Wheel Smith."
Not having a good day.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hD8l9QixUw
source: imgur.com
LAST MINUTE ITEMS
• Two idea-packed books for sales, promotions and stunts in 2015. Here's one, here's the other.
• Find a good movie to watch.
• Power your radio show prep with Twitter Lists.
• Of the billions who have lived on Earth, where do you rank?
• Amazing Flow motion tour of Dubai.
• Smart Jock: Get more reach with native Facebook videos.
• Ford pranks dudes by setting them up on a blind date with a stunt driver.
• Help me quit shitty beer. He's made over $800.
• Browse the pages of old Radio Shack catalogs.
• Dumb product: The Face Blanket.
COUNTRY DATEBOOK: FEBRUARY 25, 2015
• 1982: ALABAMA's album Mountain Music was released.
• 1989: DWIGHT YOAKAM topped the Billboard Country Singles Chart with I Sang Dixie.
• 1994: VINCE GILL topped the country charts with Tryin' To Get Over You.
• 1994: BILLY RAY CYRUS' self-titled video was certified quadruple platinum.
• 1998: VINCE GILL performed at the Grammy Awards, filling in for GEORGE STRAIT who was unable to attend due to a bout with laryngitis.
• 2003: JOHNNY PAYCHECK was laid to rest in Nashville after a long battle with emphysema. The 64-year-old singer was buried in a plot donated by, and near in proximity to, his friend GEORGE JONES.
• 2010: Apple announced JOHNNY CASH's Guess Things Happen That Way was the 10 billionth song downloaded on iTunes.
• 2012: Suffering with a vocal problem, GEORGE STRAIT left the stage at Kansas City's Sprint Center after performing just two songs. He made up the show one week later.
RALPH STANLEY is 88.
Shawna Thompson of THOMPSON SQUARE is 37.
COUNTRY AUDIO
BRANTLEY GILBERT talks about going back to Europe. As part of the C2C: Country to Country festival tour launching February 28, Brantley will entertain fans in Norway, Sweden, Ireland and England. » download
http://interprep.com/audio/country/brantley-gilbert-talks-about-going-to-europe.mp3
ZAC BROWN BAND will be the musical guest on the March 7 episode of Saturday Night Live. Chris Hemsworth, who plays Thor in the Marvel movies, will be the guest host.
RASCAL FLATTS begins their nine show Las Vegas residency tonight (Wednesday) at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Live. The Voice winner CRAIG WAYNE BOYD will open.
GARTH BROOKS says new music will be coming either later this year or by next spring at the earliest, whether that's a duets album with TRISHA YEARWOOD or a solo project.
GARTH BROOKS would like to duet with his late mother, Colleen. She was a singer with Capitol Records in the late 1950s and Garth thinks modern technology could allow for that to happen.
JASON ALDEAN and fiancee Brittany Kerr are planning to tie the knot this summer and Jason says the couple hopes to keep things simple with just family and a few close friends.
KEITH URBAN has started work on his next album but hasn't actually recorded new material yet. Keith says right now things are more in the talking and setting up stages.
Songwriter and keyboardists Bobby Emmons has died at age 72 in Nashville of an undisclosed illness. Emmons played on albums by WAYLON JENNINGS, WILLIE NELSON and others and also penned several Jennings hits including Luckenbach, Texas, as well as GEORGE STRAIT's So Much Like My Dad.
A THOUSAND HORSES, who made their Grand Ole Opry debut last weekend, will release their debut album, Southernality, June 9. The group, who are on the charts with the song Smoke, will open shows for DARIUS RUCKER's Southern Style Tour beginning in May.
• Singer Fats Domino is 87
• Bill Duke is 72
• Mitch Ryder is 70
• Michael Bolton is 62
• Greg Germann (Ally McBeal) is 57
• Erykah Badu is 44
• 1870: In New York City, the first pneumatic-subway opened.
• 1917: The Original Dixieland Jass Band recorded the first ever jazz record for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.
• 1919: An act of the U.S. Congress established most of the Grand Canyon as a United States National Park.
• 1929: The Grand Teton National Park was created.
• 1952: United Kingdom Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that his nation has an atomic bomb.
• 1991: Tim Berners-Lee introduced WorldWideWeb, the first web browser.
• 1991: The U.S. issued a patent to William Black of Margate, Florida, for his Automatic Throw and Fetch Doggie Toy. The device will throw a ball, which a dog can fetch, return, drop into the funnel on top, and the machine will throw it again. And again and again.
• 1993: A 1,210-pound bomb packed in a van exploded in the underground parking garage of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing six people and injuring more than 1,000 (mostly from smoke inhalation). The powerful blast left a crater 200 feet wide and several stories deep. Fifteen people were indicted for the bombing
• 1996: A 38-year-old Muncie, Indiana, woman tried to remove a callus from her foot by shooting it off with .410-gauge shotgun. She told police later at the hospital she had been drinking heavily and it seemed like a good idea.
• 1997: It took three people to wrestle a pet python named Squeezer into a sack after it broke out of its aquarium and went on a rampage in the owner's home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Animal control officials said 2-year-old pythons can become very aggressive.
• 2002: German police pulled over a suspected drunk driver only to find he had a snake in his pants.
• 2005: Bank of America acknowledged it lost computer tapes containing account information on 1.2 million federal employee credit cards, including those of some U.S. senators.
• 2009: The world learned that the Obama family had decided on a dog and locked down a 'delivery' date. First Lady Michelle Obama said a Portuguese Water Dog would be arriving at the White House on April 1.
• Chili Day
• Pistachio Day