On Today’s Show
➢ YouTube and other Google services suffered an outage Monday morning around the world. This outage affected all of the things Google runs, including Gmail and Google Docs, and anyone that uses Google devices in their homes. That includes Joe Brown, who tweeted “I’m sitting here in the dark in my toddler’s room because the light is controlled by @Google Home. Rethinking… a lot right now.” The Google issues affected not only light controls for some, but also heat control, and many people’s alarms never went off. The tweet seemed to remind many of how much they rely on cloud technology for basic things in their everyday lives as well as their safety.
➢ This year, for the first time since The Middle Ages, Saturn and Jupiter will align to make a “Christmas star”. The two planets align in the sky every 20 years or so, but it’s been nearly 800 years since they’ve been close enough together from Earth’s vantage point to create the double planet “star” known as the “Christmas star” or “Star of Bethlehem.” This will appear as a bright point of light that stands out starkly in the night sky. The timing of the “Christmas star” being visible just before Christmas will likely prompt comparisons to the nativity story in the Gospel of Matthew in which the three wise men followed a bright star, leading them to baby Jesus. Peak alignment will occur on December 21, coinciding with the winter solstice.
➢ The new TikTok challenge is talking about the craziest way you found out someone was cheating on you. Some woman is going viral after she told the story of how her boyfriend’s Starbucks cup tipped her off. (His ex-girlfriend’s name was written on it.)
➢ Five people reportedly walked off the set of “Mission: Impossible 7” after TOM CRUISE ripped into crew members AGAIN about COVID-19 protocols.
A source says, quote, “The first outburst was big but things haven’t calmed since. Tension has been building for months and this was the final straw . . . But Tom just can’t take any more after all the lengths they have gone to just to keep filming at all.
Cruise has gone to extraordinary measures to make the set safe. As a producer of the seventh installment, he has helped set up a cruise ship allowing staff to isolate.
“He’s upset others aren’t taking it as seriously as him. In the end, he’s the one who carries the can.” (Tom is reportedly shutting down the set early for the holidays.)
➢ Peter Billingsley got sick during the making of “A Christmas Story”, because a prop master gave him real chewing tobacco instead of a fake substitute. He was only 12 at the time. They replaced it with smooshed raisins.
(He talked about it on the podcast “That Scene with Dan Patrick”.)
TODAY IS……………….
- “Answer the Telephone Like Buddy the Elf Day”. The idea is to answer: “Buddy the Elf, what’s your favorite color?”, a quote from the 2003 Will Ferrell movie “Elf”.
1966 Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” airs on TV for the first time
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COUNTRY MUSIC NOTE
Johnny Paycheck earned his first gold album for “Take This Job and Shove It” in 1978.
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FOUR RANDOM FACTS
- Pumpkin beer dates back to early colonists in the U.S. who didn’t have enough grains available to make normal beer, so they used the cheapest substitute, which was pumpkin.
- The founder of Timex watches picked the name in honor of his father . . . because his father loved reading “Time”magazine and using Kleenex.
- The “Guinness Book of World Records”holds a world record . . . for being the best-selling copyrighted book of all time, even ahead of Webster’s dictionary.
- In Quebec, it’s illegal for a woman to take her husband’s last name after they get married.
GOOD NEWS
A waitress in Pennsylvania was shocked on Saturday when a group paid their bill for $206 . . . and left her a $5,000 tip.
Her name is Gianna DiAngelo, and she’s currently studying to be a nurse.
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BIRTHDAYS
[74] Steven Spielberg, movie director-producer (“Indiana Jones” films, “Jurassic Park” films)
[66] Ray Liotta, actor
[57] Brad Pitt, actor
[45] Randy Houser, country singer
[42] Katie Holmes, actress
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BODY OF WATER:
What’s the key to happiness? While there is certainly something to be said for love, family, security and peace of mind, the true answer just may be ‘staying hydrated’.
A poll of 2,000 people found that those who drink at least 6 glasses of water daily are most likely (41%) to agree with the statement “I’m very happy”. Only 12% of those who drink less than one glass of water per day say the same.
The survey also found that 40% of those who drink more than 6 glasses of water consider themselves to be optimistic, compared to just 10% of those who drink less than one glass per day.
Other findings: 56% won’t drink water unless it’s cold, and those who drink lots of water were found to be less likely to wake up feeling tired.
FRIDAY DECEMBER 18TH
- SUNDAY-
• “22nd Annual A Home for the Holidays” (CBS): Inspirational stories of lives changed through adoption; performers include Josh Groban, Miranda Lambert, Meghan Trainor, Leslie Odom Jr. and Andrea Bocelli. Gayle King hosts.
- “Garth & Trisha Live! A Holiday Concert Event” (CBS): Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood perform an intimate concert of seasonal music live at their home recording studio, Studio G.
- A group of Boy Scouts builta “hugging booth” for a nursing home in Texas. So now people can hold hands and hug family members who come to visit.
- Luke Combs is a huge Carolina Panthers fan, and even though this year’s football season is unpredictable, he’s still watching.
- Snow storm Gail, millions of vaccines are waiting for directions, and a man broke COVID restrictions by using a jet ski to see his girlfriend. (From Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Seth Meyers on Thursday, December 17, 2020.)
UGLY SWEATER DAY
Happy National Ugly Sweater Day! It used to be a bad thing, but thanks to ugly sweater parties, and Jimmy Fallon’s annual giveaway to audience members, they’re more popular than ever. Here’s “Ugly Sweater” by Mistletoe Conspiracy. It came out in 2010, when people still thought they were horrible. Now they make millions.
ERIC CHURCH: ‘MUSIC BRINGS UNITY’
Eric Church plans to continue to do his part to unify America the only way he knows how and that’s through music. He spoke about it in his acceptance speech for Entertainer of the Year at last week’s CMA Awards, and he expanded on that sentiment while talking with reporters in the virtual press room.
[“Everything we see in daily life is about division. Music has nothing to do with division. Music is about unity. So, for me, it’s all about music that moment that you can share, regardless about what your politics are, regardless of what your favorite football team is. It has nothing to do with anything other than the love of music.”]
CHRIS YOUNG’S NEW SINGLE IS A SPIN ON SMALL TOWNS
Chris Young teams up with his good friend and fellow entertainer Kane Brown for his new single, “Famous Friends.” He co-wrote the song from a headlining tour date in Tampa, FL in 2018. [“‘Famous Friends’ was one of those songs that we started on the bus and we were just hoping to write something cool and different, and kind of give it that new spin on a small town, or just your hometown song, and the people that you grew up with. That whole idea kind of morphed into this song. I sent it to Kane, just over text message, and he said he wanted to be part of it, and it really has just taken a life all its own. It’s so cool seeing people respond to this one.”]
Chris name checks some of his buddies in his home town of Murfreesboro, TN as well as Nashville.
MIRANDA LAMBERT WRAPS UP A MONUMENTAL YEAR
Despite the pandemic, 2020 has been a great year for Miranda Lambert. She reached #1 on the charts with “Bluebird” and also extended her run as the most decorated female artist at both the ACM and CMA Awards.
She picked up wins for Music Event of the Year for “Fooled Around and Fell in Love”, and won Music Video of the Year for “Bluebird.” She also became the most nominated female artist in CMA history.
She’s also among the most nominated country artists for the Grammy Awards, with nods for Best Country Album for Wildcard, Best Country Solo Performance for “Bluebird”, and Best Country Song for “Bluebird.”
This year, her foundation, Mutt Nation celebrated its 10th anniversary and has now raised over $4.4 million in support of its mission to promote the adoption of rescue pets and to support animal shelters across the country.
This weekend, Miranda will perform during the CBS – A Home for the Holidays special, as she wraps up her last appearance for the year. It airs Sunday (12/20) at 9:30 p.m. ET
