Red, White & Blue Blog: November 2012

Friday, November 30, 2012

KFLAG COUNTRY UPDATE

Miranda Lambert is supporting her husband, Blake Shelton's, new holiday CD with both an appearance on the album, called Cheers, It's Christmas, and his upcoming NBC special, Blake Shelton's Not So Family Christmas, which airs on Monday (December 3rd).
Miranda candidly admits that this has all been enough Christmas music for her, and thanks to Blake, she has no intention of ever recording her own holiday CD. She tells us: "I do not want to do a Christmas album. I . . . Blake burns me up on Christmas albums, so by the time he . . . he plays Christmas music all year long, and so by the time Christmas actually gets there, I'm sick to death of Christmas music! (laughs) So I don't think I'll ever be doing one! (laughs)"
Other guests joining Blake on his Not So Family Christmas include Kelly Clarkson, Reba, Jay Leno, Larry the Cable Guy, Christina Aguilera, and his mom, Dorothy Shackleford.
Miranda continues to make her way up the country charts with "Fastest Girl in Town."

Shania Twain returns to the spotlight for a two-year run at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas beginning tomorrow (Saturday, December 1st). The new show is called Shania: Still The One, and it will incorporate the superstar's previous hits.
Shania says the Las Vegas shows will mark a new beginning. "I just can't wait! I feel as though I'm about to step into a world of endless creative possibilities, and that is so exciting for a songwriter, for an artist to take their songs and translate them into such a magical place on a magical platform, so this will be like no other platform I've ever been on before with my songs, and it's a whole new beginning, I think, for the old music."
Shania tells USA Today that her younger sister, Carrie Ann Brown, will be part of her Vegas show, harmonizing with her on stage each night. She said, "I told her I wasn't doing this without her. . . We haven't been on stage together since I was 10 and she was eight. My records feature a lot of harmonizing, and in past shows we hired someone to do that. But my sister sounds a lot like me, so it will sound more like the records than ever before."
FAST FACTS

Tickets to Shania: Still The One range in price from $55 to $250.
Shania last performed a full live concert in 2004.

Trace Adkins has ruffled some feathers after he wore an earpiece bearing the Confederate flag during his appearance at the Rockefeller Center tree lighting which aired on NBC on Wednesday (November 28th). Trace was spotted with the controversial earpiece during his performance of "The Christmas Song."
Viewers immediately took to Twitter to comment.
Trace posted a message on his website yesterday (Thursday, November 29th) writing, "As a proud American I object to oppression of any kind.
To me, the battle flag represents remembrance of my Southern lineage - I am a descendant of Confederate soldiers who followed that flag into battle. I advocate for the preservation of America's battlefields and honest conversation about our Country's history. To those who view the flag as a symbol of racism, that was not my message and I did not intend offense."
Trace is currently in Japan in the midst of a USO tour.

Scotty McCreery invited his friends Gloriana, Jana Kramer and Brett Eldredge to join him on his first holiday special, Christmas with Scotty McCreery & Friends, which premieres on Saturday (December 1st) at 11 p.m. ET on Great American Country.
Scotty will perform "Christmas In Heaven," an original song from his holiday disc, Christmas with Scotty McCreery, as well as "Let it Snow" and "Santa Claus Is Back In Town." Gloriana will take on "O Holy Night," and "Silent Night"; Jana sings "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Winter Wonderland"; and Brett performs "Mary Did You Know" and "Jingle Bell Rock."
In addition to musical performances, the artists wrapped gifts for specially selected angels from the Salvation Army's Angel Tree program and encouraged audience members to pick a recipient from the Angel Tree set up in the studio.
In other Scotty holiday news, the former American Idol winner will join Diana Ross, Smash star Megan Hilty, Demi Lovato, and The Voice favorite Chris Mann in the nation's capital for TNT's annual Christmas in Washington special, airing on the cable network on December 21st at 8 p.m. ET. The concert will close with a special performance by "Gangnam Style" sensation PSY. Conan O'Brien will host Christmas In Washington for the second year in a row.

Scotty is winding down the first semester of his freshman year of college at North Carolina State University. During his holiday break, the singer will relax and spend time with family, which will include taking in some holiday flicks. Scotty tells us which ones rank at the top of his must-watch list:"Some of my favorite holiday movies are The Santa Clause one, that's with Tim Allen. He was at the CMAs this year. That was pretty cool to see him there. I didn't get to meet him. I would've liked to have. But, Home Alone: Lost in New York. All of those are good ones. A Christmas Story, now that's a classic, A Christmas Story right there. That's on every Christmas. We watch it all the time."

Alan Jackson will release a limited number of his book Seasons of Sweetbriar - A Photographic Collection of Home by Alan Jackson. The full purchase price of each book will be donated to the Colon Cancer Alliance's Blue Note Fund, benefitting colon cancer patients in need.

The Sweetbriar estate is where Alan, his wife Denise and their three daughters -- Mattie, Ali and Dani -- lived for over 13 years. Alan's original intent when he began the photo collection was to prepare a photo journal that his daughters would have to look back on when they moved out on their own. Once the book was finished, Alan and Denise realized it was a treasure filled with beauty and significance and shared it with family and a few close friends.
The book is a hardbound coffee table piece with more than 200 photographs of the landscape, buildings, ponds, trees, wildlife and other intimate reflections of life at Sweetbriar.

The Jacksons sold Sweetbriar in 2010 and just a few months afterwards Denise was diagnosed with colorectal cancer.
Denise said, "That rocked my world, as I'm sure it does every person who gets a cancer diagnosis. That really brought to my attention the CCA and awareness and what the organization does. It became an obvious way for us to be able to do something meaningful with these books and be able to raise money for the Blue Note Fund."

Seasons of Sweetbriar can be purchased through alanjackson.com for $25 or $50 for a book autographed by Alan, while supplies last. 100 percent of proceeds will be donated to the CCA's Blue Note Fund.

Hunter Hayes, The Band Perry and Dierks Bentley have been added to the lineup of performers at the Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!, airing live from Nashville on Wednesday (December 5th) on CBS. The Band Perry and Dierks will participate in a special tribute to Johnny Cash. Previously announced performers include Luke Bryan, FUN., Maroon 5, and Ne-Yo. Taylor Swift and LL Cool J will co-host the one-hour concert special.

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What is Taylor Swift's middle name?
A. Alison

Friday, November 30th

ON THE TUBE

RASCAL FLATTS: ALL ACCESS AND UNCOVERED: THE MAKING OF CHANGED AND BEYOND/CMT 1:30PM (ET)

TOP 20 COUNTRY COUNTDOWN/GAC 8:00PM, 10:00PM (ET)
Lady Antebellum

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAYS

Mindy McCready (37)
Clay Aiken (American Idol runner-up, pop star) (34)
Robert Guillaume (actor, Soap and Benson) (85)
Bo Jackson (former football and baseball star) (50)
G. Gordon Liddy (Watergate figure and radio talk show host) (82)
Billy Idol (rock star, "White Wedding," "Rebel Yell," "Eyes Without A Face") (57)
Des'ree (R&B/jazz singer) (44)
Elisha Cuthbert (actress, 24, Old School, The Girl Next Door, House Of Wax) (30)
Ben Stiller (actor, comedian, producer and director, Reality Bites, There's Something About Mary, Zoolander, Dodgeball, Meet The Parents, Meet The Fockers) (47)
Roger Glover (bassist, Deep Purple, Rainbow) (67)
David Sancious (jazz keyboardist; former member of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) (59)
Leo Lyons (bassist, Ten Years After) (69)
Colin Mochrie (actor-comedian, Whose Line Is It Anyway?, The Green Screen Show) (55)
Mandy Patinkin (actor, Ragtime, Yentl, The Princess Bride, Alien Nation, Chicago Hope, Criminal Minds) (60)
Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. (actor, The F.B.I., Airport 1975; father of Stephanie Zimbalist) (94)
Frank Ifield ("I Remember You") (75)
Bob Moore ("Mexico") (80)
Jimmy Bowen ("I'm Sticking With You") (75)
Kaley Cuoco (actress, The Big Bang Theory, 8 Simple Rules, Charmed) (27)
Gael Garcia Bernal (actor, The Motorcycle Diaries, Babel, Letters to Juliet) (34)

CELEBRITY GOSSIP

IVANKA TRUMP SLAMS FALSE NY DAILY NEWS STORY: Ivanka Trump took to Twitter to refute a NY Daily News story alleging that she and her siblings staged an intervention because of their father's anti-Obama rants. Ivanka wrote, "I totally respect @realDonaldTrump's opinions & right to articulate his views, which is what I would have told @nydailynews if they'd called me to fact check their false story."
JUDGE JUDY IS A GRANDMOTHER AGAIN: Judge Judy Sheindlin has become a grandmother for the 12th time. She announced to the New York Post that her son Gregory and his wife have had a baby girl named Daniella Grace Pila Sheindlin.
FRED SAVAGE AND WIFE WELCOME THIRD CHILD: Fred Savage announced the birth of his third child on Twitter earlier this week by uploading a picture of the baby's hand with the caption "He's here." It was not revealed what they chose to name the baby boy or the exact day he was born.
MATTHEW MCCONAUGHEY CALLS WEIGHTLOSS 'A SPIRITUAL JOURNEY': Matthew McConaughey recently gave an interview to The Daily Beast about his controversial weight loss for Dallas Buyers Club. He assured the website that his nearly 40 pound weight loss was healthy, disciplined, and well thought-out. He said, "I'm eating fresh fish. I'm just eating small amounts. I'm not being starved. If anything, it's as much a spiritual journey as it is physical."
'HOMELAND' ACTOR GETS MUSICAL WITH CO-STAR: Damian Lewis let it slip to Jimmy Kimmel that he and Homeland co-star Mandy Patinkin have sung Stephen Sondheim show tunes on-set to break the serious tone of their show. He added that Mandy even corrected him when he sang the wrong note during a number from Into the Woods.

INDUSTRY NEWS

CBS GREENLIGHTS STEPHEN KING SERIES: CBS has given a 13-episode series order to Under The Dome based on Stephen King's 2009 best-selling novel. It will be produced by Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television.
SUZANNE COLLINS TO RELEASE CHILDREN'S BOOK: Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games trilogy, will be releasing an autobiographical picture book about a child dealing with her father being away at war. The book is scheduled to be released in September of 2013.
CW CANCELS 'EMILY OWENS M.D.': The CW has pulled the plug on its medical dramedy Emily Owens M.D. The show will not continue after its 13-episode run is finished.
'DESPERATE' TWINS CAST IN MTV'S 'TEEN WOLF': Max & Charlie Carver, best known for playing Lynette's teenage sons on Desperate Housewives, have been cast as twin werewolves on MTV's Teen Wolf. Their characters are described as "dangerous charmers with brilliant minds."
'SPARTACUS' SPINOFF A POSSIBILITY FOR STARZ: Deadline is reporting that Starz is considering a spinoff of Spartacus which is reportedly going to be about Roman leader Gaius Julius Caesar. The upcoming Spartacus: War of the Damned will be the series' third and final season.

HALLE BERRY AND GABRIEL AUBRY REACH 'AMICABLE AGREEMENT'

Halle Berry and her ex Gabriel Aubry have reached an "amicable agreement" in court over the Thanksgiving brawl between Gabriel and Olivier Martinez. According to TMZ.com, outside of court, Halle's lawyer Blair Berk held up a piece of paper with a handwritten message that said, "The parties have reached an amicable agreement. There will be no further statements regarding this matter." The statement came from Berk and Gabriel's attorney Shawn Holley.

Halle and Olivier did not show up in court -- but Gabriel was present.

HALLE BERRY'S HOLLYWOOD HILLS HOME ON SALE
In other news, the site reported that Halle's Hollywood Hills home -- the same house where the fight went down between Olivier and Gabriel went down, is on sale for $15 million. Halle has reportedly already received an $11 million offer.

The Tuscan style home is almost 6,000 square feet and features a swimming pool, spa, huge backyard and a $1,400 guest home.

CHECK IT OUT

Donald Trump says Halle is a drama queen: http://tinyurl.com/cxpcdq5

NYU BACKS JAMES FRANCO IN SUIT AGAINST PROFESSOR

New York University has thrown its support behind James Franco in a defamation suit filed by his former NYU professor. The professor believes that he was bullied by Franco in the press and fired from his job for giving the actor a bad grade.
Franco's professor, Jose Angel Santana, alleges that he made "disparaging and inaccurate public statements" to the press after receiving a "D" in the class. Hollywood Reporter says that NYU -- also a defendant in the case -- stood up for James and asked a judge to dismiss Santana's suit. They are arguing that the law only protects false statements of facts and that the star was merely giving his opinion.

James called Santana "awful" and was quoted in an interview saying, "I didn't feel like I needed to waste my time with a bad teacher."
Franco reportedly only attended two of the 14 classes during the semester.

CHECK IT OUT:

8 Celebrities Who Were Bad Students: http://bit.ly/Ue2UNc

NEW 'BACHELOR' CLAIMS TO BE BORN-AGAIN VIRGIN

The new season of ABC's hit show The Bachelor is premiering on January 7th and it seems this season may be a bit tamer than previous years. Star magazine is reporting that this season's bachelor, Sean Lowe, is allegedly a born-again virgin.
A source told the magazine that Lowe has had sex in the past with several women but a newfound devotion to God has kept him from doing the deed for several years. The Star article also suggests that people involved with the show are afraid that this prudish behavior will keep people from tuning in.

Sean was previously a part of The Bachelorette where he was eventually sent home broken-hearted by Emily Maynard.

CHECK IT OUT:

A Preview of the new season of The Bachelor:

HAS JUDE LAW LOST HIS LOOKS?

Most Hollywood actors go to extreme lengths to maintain their youthful appearance as they grow older -- but Jude Law is apparently content to embrace his age. The actor recently sat down with T, The New York Times Style Magazine to promote his role in Anna Karenina. He opened up about his Hollywood heartthrob status.

The 39-year-old said, "It's quite nice talking about what it was like to be the young pretty thing, rather than being it." Jude claims that in his younger years he was trying desperately to be taken seriously as an actor but he wasn't getting the roles that would give him that opportunity. He believes that as he gets older, the parts get more interesting.

CHECK IT OUT:

Crows Feet and Wrinkles - How to Embrace Aging: http://bit.ly/VgLoMR
Slideshow of Jude's photo shoot with T: http://nyti.ms/TwhocR

MOVIES OPENING THIS WEEKEND!

Opening today (November 30th) is the new drama, Killing Them Softly, starring Brad Pitt, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini, Ray Liotta and Sam Shepard. The film follows in retaliation after being robbed, mobsters hire Jackie Cogan, played by Pitt, a mob enforcer, to take out the thieves and the men who hired them.

Killing Them Softly is rated R and has a running time of 1 hour and 37 minutes. It was directed by Andrew Dominik.

Opening today (November 30th) is the sequel to The Collector, The Collection, starring Emma Fitzpatrick, Josh Stewart, Christopher McDonald and Lee Tergesen. The film follows Arkin, played by Stewart, the only man to ever escape from The Collector who must lead a group of mercenaries into the killer's labyrinth in order to find and rescue his latest victim.

The Collection is rated R and has a running time of 1 hour and 22 minutes.

HEADLINE NEWS

U.N. VOTE RECOGNIZES PALESTINIAN STATE, U.S., ISRAEL OPPOSED: The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly (November 29th) to recognize a Palestinian state, with more than two-thirds of the 193 member nations voting in favor of upgrading the Palestinians' status to "nonmember observer state" from "nonmember observer entity." The U.S. and Israel were among the nine states that voted no, joined by Canada, the Czech Republic, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau and Panama. There were 41 abstentions, among them many Western nations, including Britain and Germany. The vote came after a speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in which he called it a, quote, "last chance" to save the two-state solution. However, the vote doesn't change anything on the ground, where Israel still controls the West Bank and east Jerusalem and access to Gaza, and real independence won't be gained by the Palestinians until there's a peace deal with Israel. Both U.S. and Israel criticized the vote, with U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice saying, "Today's unfortunate and counterproductive resolution places further obstacles in the path of peace," and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling it "meaningless" and saying, "It won't advance the establishment of a Palestinian state, but rather, put it further off."
INTERNET SHUT DOWN ACROSS SYRIA: Internet service went down Thursday (November 29th) across Syria, with the opposition saying President Bashar al-Assad's regime shut it down, perhaps in preparation for a major offensive. Cellphone service also went out in Damascus and parts of central Syria. However, the government blamed the rebel fighters in the country's 20-month-old civil war for the outages. The developments come as the regime suffered a string of blows in recent weeks, losing air bases and other strategic facilities, and as rebels have recently begun pushing back into Damascus after being driven out of the capital after a July offensive. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland condemned what she called the regime's, quote, "assault" on Syrians' ability to communicate with each other and express themselves.
FRANCE CLEARS CONTINENTAL IN CONCORDE CRASH: A French court cleared Continental Airlines Thursday (November 29th) of criminal responsibility for the Concorde crash in Paris in 2000 that killed 113 people. The court also absolved a Continental mechanic of involuntary manslaughter. The appeals court ruling, however, found Continental civilly responsible, opening the door to payments to the families of those killed and to Concorde operator Air France. The court confirmed that the crash was caused by a metal strip that fell from a Continental plane onto the runway just before the Concorde took off, and that Continental welder John Taylor had violated industry norms by using titanium to forge the piece, which destroyed the Concorde's tire, causing pieces of rubber to damage the plane and spark the fire that brought it down. However, it ruled that this was not criminal, since neither Taylor nor Continental could have predicted what had happened. The crash accelerated the end of the use of the Concorde three years later due to high operating costs and a drop in demand.
MILITARY JUDGE ACCEPTS TERMS OF MANNING'S PLEA: A military judge yesterday (November 29th) accepted the terms under which Army Private Bradley Manning would plead guilty to seven charges for sending classified U.S. documents to WikiLeaks. However, the ruling, which came during Manning's pretrial hearing, doesn't mean the pleas have been formally accepted, instead it approves the language of the offenses to which Manning would admit. The judge said those offenses would carry a maximum prison term of 16 years. Government officials have not said whether they would continue prosecuting him for the other 15 counts he faces, including aiding the enemy, an offense that carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. Under the proposal, Manning would admit to sending a battlefield video file, some classified memos, more than 20 Iraq war logs, more than 20 Afghanistan war logs and other classified materials to WikiLeaks. Later yesterday, Manning took the stand, where he made his first public comments since his 2010 arrest in Iraq. He spoke about feeling like he was in a cage in the early days after his arrest and feeling that he was going to die there. He also said his isolation quickly led to a breakdown, and he eventually was put on suicide watch.
TODAY'S FYI:
OBAMA AND ROMNEY SHARE WHITE HOUSE LUNCH: President Obama and Mitt Romney had their White House lunch yesterday (November 29th), a private, one-on-one sit-down that lasted a little over an hour as the two former rivals had their first face-to-face meeting since the election. In a statement released later, the White House said Romney, quote, "congratulated the president for the success of his campaign and wished him well over the coming four years." The statement said they discussed the importance of maintaining America's leadership position in the world, and quote, "pledged to stay in touch, particularly if opportunities to work together on shared interests arise in the future." Little other information was given, other than that the menu included white turkey chili and southwestern grilled chicken salad, and a photo was released showing the two men shaking hands in the Oval Office.

CHECK IT OUT: The photo: http://tinyurl.com/ca4rjj2

EX-PREZ GEORGE H.W. BUSH HOSPITALIZED WITH COUGH: Former President George H.W. Bush has been hospitalized near his home in Houston since last Friday (November 23rd) for continuing treatment of a lingering cough. Methodist Hospital said the 88-year-old Bush had been in and out of the hospital recently for complications resulting from bronchitis. But both the hospital and Bush's spokesman, Jim McGrath, said the former president is stable and they expect him to be released by the weekend. McGrath said doctors want the cough to go away completely before Bush is discharged. The former president also suffers from a form of Parkinson's disease that has forced him to use a wheelchair or motorized scooter to get around.
STRAUSS-KAHN REPORTEDLY REACHES SETTLEMENT WITH MAID DIALLO: Former International Monetary Fund head Dominique Strauss-Kahn has reportedly reached a settlement agreement with hotel maid Nafissatou Diallo, who accused him of trying to rape her in an upscale New York City hotel last year, the Associated Press reported Thursday (November 29th), citing what was described as a person familiar with the case. Details of the deal to settle Diallo's lawsuit against Strauss-Kahn were unknown. Although Strauss-Kahn was arrested after Diallo accused him of attacking her when she went to clean his room in May 2011, prosecutors later dropped the charges, saying they'd developed concerns about Diallo's credibility. Strauss-Kahn had claimed the encounter was consensual. However, Diallo later filed a civil suit against Strauss-Kahn, who'd tried unsuccessfully to claim that he had diplomatic immunity from the suit.
MOST POPULAR BABY NAMES OF 2012: BabyCenter, the leading online pregnancy and parenting resource, has released its annual list of the top 100 baby names. Sophia and Aiden held on to their Number One spots on the list, while BabyCenter saw trends that showed the influence of the 50 Shades of Grey erotic novels, with the names Grey and Anastasia on the rise, the Masterpiece Classic hit Downton Abbey, boosting names including Branson, Edith, Sybil and Violet, and even Apple's voice-enabled personal assistant Suri, which climbed five percent on the girls' list.
Top 10 girls' names of 2012:

Sophia
Emma
Olivia
Isabella
Ava
Lily
Zoe
Chloe
Mia
Madison

Top 10 boys' names of 2012:

Aiden
Jackson
Ethan
Liam
Mason
Noah
Lucas
Jacob
Jayden
Jack

SPORTS:
FALCONS DOWN SAINTS 23-13: The Atlanta Falcons defeated the New Orleans Saints 23-13 last night (November 29th) in Atlanta, in a game that saw Saints quarterback Drew Brees throw five interceptions for the first time in his career and end his NFL-record streak of throwing touchdown passes in 54 consecutive games. Brees finished 28 of 50 for 341 yards. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan went 18 of 33 for 165 yard with one touchdown.
MEDIATION FAILS IN NHL TALKS: Mediation didn't help in the NHL talks, with federal mediators saying Thursday (November 29th) that after two days of their involvement in the negotiations between the league and the players' union, the two sides were no closer to an agreement that would end the lockout. It's not known what will happen next, as the possibility that the entire season will be lost continues to grow. So far, games have already been canceled through December 14th, and the New Year's Day Winter Classic and All-Star weekend wiped out.
(Headline News, FYI and Sports stories were compiled in part from reports by the Associated Press and Reuters.)

ON THE TUBE

CBS

UNDERCOVER BOSS - Diamond Resorts International CEO Stephen J. Cloobeck goes under cover for a second time to check in on a new property acquisition.
CSI: NY - When Detective Lovato's cover is accidentally blown, the team investigates the Latin gang she infiltrated.
BLUE BLOODS - Danny finds a murdered student at a college campus; Erin tries to give Nicky some freedom.

NBC

CHRISTMAS IN ROCKEFELLER CENTER (repeat)
GRIMM (repeat)
DATELINE NBC - Investigative journalism.

FOX

COLLEGE FOOTBALL - Pac-12 Championship: Team TBA

ABC

LAST MAN STANDING - When Vanessa gives a presentation about her job at an oil company during career day at Eve's school, Eve and her classmates think Vanessa is destroying the planet.
MALIBU COUNTRY - Reba feels threatened by her daughter's relationship with Kim.
SHARK TANK (repeat)
20/20 (repeat)

NIKITA - When a former undercover division agent is elected president of Uzbekistan, Nikita and the team try to capture him while he is visiting the United States.
ARROW (repeat)

DAY TIME TALK SHOW
THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW - Wanda Sykes, Kevin Pollak
THE VIEW - Beth Behrs, Christine Ha
KATIE - (repeat)
LATE NIGHT TALK SHOWS
THE LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN (CBS) - (repeat)
THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO (NBC) - Marisa Tomei, Carson Daly, Il Volo
JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE (ABC) - (repeat)
THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH CRAIG FERGUSON (CBS) - Tim Meadows, Mayim Bialik
LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON (NBC) - (repeat)
LAST CALL WITH CARSON DALY (NBC) - (repeat)

SATURDAY

NBC

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (repeat)

SUNDAY

CBS

60 MINUTES - Investigative reporting.
THE AMAZING RACE - TBA
THE GOOD WIFE - While Will defends a man accused of murder, Alicia tries to help by assisting a prosecutor in another country who is trying a different man for the same crime.
THE MENTALIST - When Jane is attacked during the search for a firefighter's killer, he loses his memory and reverts to his former con man identity.

NBC

FOOTBALL NIGHT IN AMERICA - Pregame.
NFL FOOTBALL - Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys.

FOX

THE SIMPSONS (repeat)
BOB'S BURGERS - Tina worries that she is a jinx when she wrecks the car and gets the family involved with a questionable insurance agent.
FAMILY GUY (repeat)
AMERICAN DAD - When Stan decides that Snot isn't cool enough to be Steve's best friend.

ABC

ONCE UPON A TIME - Hook and Cora face off with Emma and Mary Margaret in a race for the compass.
REVENGE - Nolan deals with a skeleton from his past; Carl's christening reveals new concerns for Jack and Declan.
666 PARK AVENUE - Jane is send back in time when she is hypnotized by Maris Elder (Whoopi Goldberg).

AMC

THE WALKING DEAD - Andrea steps up when the people of Woodbury are thrown into uncharted territory.

BRAVO

THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA - Tensions rise as the ladies plan a trip to Anguilla.
SHAHS OF SUNSET - (season premiere) Asa moves back to her Venice mansion; Reza becomes friends with a Persian Princess.

HBO

BOARDWALK EMPIRE - (season finale) Nucky makes a deal with Rothstein; Margaret decides to end one relationship and resume another.

SHOWTIME

DEXTER - TBA
HOMELAND - TBA

OFF BEAT BREIFS

TURKISH MEN ARE GETTING MUSTACHE IMPLANTS: A plastic surgeon in Turkey said he is doing about 50 to 60 mustache implants each month for men who are trying to project a more wise and prestigious image. Dr. Selahattin Tulunay said most of his patients are tourists from the Middle East, between the ages of 30 and 50. Dr. Tulunay told CNN, "For some men who look young and junior, they think [a mustache] is a must to look senior . . . more professional and wise. They think it is prestigious." The procedure costs about $7,000. (UPI)
CHECK IT OUT

Movember's 20 Weakest Mustaches - http://bit.ly/TuEOwT

KIM RIDLEY LIED ABOUT DAUGHTER BEING SEXY MODEL FOR EBAY AD: It turns out that the man in Oregon who reportedly used his daughter to sell his 1977 Datsun on eBay, lied about the daughter part. Despite Kim Ridley's comments to AdWeek claiming the model was his daughter "Lexxa," he now says the whole thing was a joke and that he probably took it too far. He ended up admitting to a local news station that the girl is not his daughter, but a longtime friend. (KVAL)
NYPD OFFICER'S ACT OF KINDNESS GOES VIRAL: A tourist walking around Times Square, visiting from Arizona, witnessed Officer Larry DePrimo buying thermal socks and insulated winter boots, then giving the goods to a barefoot, homeless man to help keep warm. The gesture was caught on camera by the tourist, Jennifer Foster -- who sent the image to the NYPD. They shared it on their Facebook page and DePrimo immediately became a Facebook sensation. At press time the photo had 165,152 shares and 467,268 likes. According to the Facebook page, DePrimo said, "I didn't think anything of it." I LOVE THIS GUY!
CHECK IT OUT

NYPD's Facebook page now has 125,000 followers now (reportedly up from 7000) - https://www.facebook.com/NYPD

Image is from NYPD's Facebook page.
MEN'S MAGAZINE'S 'DEMEANING' FACEBOOK IMAGE BANNED: An Australian men's magazine, Zoo Weekly, that posted a controversial image to Facebook has been censored by the country's Advertising Standards Bureau due to the image's "demeaning" nature. The picture depicts a woman in a bikini -- with her top half on the left side, and her bottom half on the right -- and poses the question: "Left or right? But you've got to tell us how you came to that decision." The Ad Bureau said, "The image, disturbing nature of having a disembodied woman and the offensive, clearly sexist and even abusive nature of some responses on a page being used to advertise this product should not be allowed. Both the pictures, the questions that are posed and the responses are regularly demeaning and unacceptable to women." The magazine's publisher said the image isn't an advertisement, rather it is editorial material that is meant to "engage [male readers] with content that doesn't require too much thought." The image has been removed, but screen-caps of the original post, including the comments, are still out there. (Buzzfeed)
CHECK IT OUT

For screen-caps of the comments, head to BuzzFeed - http://bit.ly/11j9NB4

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

NASA: THE WORLD IS NOT ENDING ON 12/21/2012: At a recent press conference, NASA scientists addressed rumors surrounding the Mayan calendar. Scientists say people misinterpret the end of a certain cycle on the calendar to mean the world will end on December 21st, 2012, and that Mayan scholars say the Mayans would not have interpreted the date to signal the apocalypse. Scientists addressed popular rumors such as: a rogue planet will collide with earth and kill everyone, and the danger of killer solar flares. Scientists say neither of those issues are a concern, and that the greatest threat to Earth in the foreseeable future is from the human race itself. (Huffington Post)
WOMEN PREFER THIN MEN TO MACHO MEN, STUDY SHOWS: For a new study, scientists from the University of Petoria in South Africa photographed a group of male volunteers in their underwear and then measured the men's body fat, testosterone levels, and immune system responses. The photographs were shown to different groups of women, and scientists found that women unconsciously see fatness or thinness as indicators of a man's immune response and attractiveness, while masculinity was not linked to either of those traits. Scientists say this means a masculine jaw and chiseled abs aren't always what women are looking for, at least consciously, when choosing a male mate. (Fox News)
SEVEN NEWS-WORHTY-TERRIBLE FIRST DATES: http://tinyurl.com/buxzbvo
MORE MEN SEEKING SURGERY TO GET RID OF "MAN BOOBS": More men are seeking breast reduction surgery to treat gynecomastia, which causes "man boobs." Statistics from the British Association of Plastic Surgeons shows that 790 men in the U.K. went under the knife for the procedure last year. That number is double the amount who had the surgery in the last five-years, and among men it was a more popular procedure in 2011 than liposuctions or facelifts. (Newser)
HOLIDAY WORK PARTIES MAKE WORKERS SICK? In a recent survey of more than two-thousand American workers, 64-percent say they have either called in sick, or know someone who has done so the day after a holiday office party. The reason: hangovers. Half of the people who said they went to work the day after the party said they were hungover or knew someone who was. Fifty-five percent of those who went to work admitted to checking-out mentally, and some admitted to putting off work or leaving work early the day after a holiday office party. (Fox News)
FOUR WAYS TO COMBAT A HANGOVER (Fox News)
1) Stay Hydrated. The main problem when you have a hangover? The alcohol you drank dehydrated you. So, you are left feeling thirsty, sleepy and even light-headed. Replenish some of that lost moisture with lots of water.
2) Eat Bananas. This will replace some of the potassium and magnesium that you lost. Lack of magnesium is linked to fatigue and loss of appetite.Bananas will also ease nausea, because they act as a natural antacid.
3) Ginger. Grind up some ginger. This root will soothe your stomach. You can eat it raw, drink it in tea - or take capsules.
4) Asparagus. Studies show this green vegetable breaks down alcohol in your system. So make sure to eat some with your dinner before a night out.
WHICH TECH COMPANIES DOMINATED BLACK FRIDAY? Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over now, so which tech companies had the best luck with consumers? According to Apple sales figures, Apple iPads sold better than Android tablets. For gaming-- the Wii U sold-out completely from retailers despite having less-than stellar reviews. The Microsoft Surface may have suffered the most - while Apple stores saw customsters purchasing 17.2-items-per-hour, Microsoft stores sold only 3.5-items-per-hour in sales. (Ask Men)
34 COOL TECH TOYS: http://tinyurl.com/d79vn46
EIGHT WAYS TO HANDLE THE HOLIDAY BLUES (The Frisky)
1) Make your own traditions. Don't be afraid to celebrate how you want to celebrate, whether that means replacing old traditions with new ones, or adding some new traditions to your current holiday schedule.
2) Help someone out. However you choose to it, helping other people is guaranteed to give you a boost of positive energy.
3) Free yourself from obligations that don't feel right to you. Take a step back from the things that you've always done and reassess if they are actually what you want to be doing. Make sure you're spending your precious time, energy, and money in the way you want to, and don't be afraid to change your roles. People will understand.
4) Get away. Winter weather and being stuck indoors can spark one of the worst feelings in the world: stagnancy. To combat this, introduce some new scenery in your life. Just spending a day wandering around a small town just outside your city can be enough to break your tired routine and rejuvenate you.
5) Reconnect with people. Set up a weekly happy hour with coworkers or invite a couple of friends over to watch a movie. If that feels like too much, write a letter to a far-away family member. No matter how you do it, reinforcing your connections with people will help you feel less alone.
6) Get some sun. In the winter time, even though the sun is frequently hard to spot between weather and less daylight you can still reap the benefits of some sunshine. The sun's invisible rays can penetrate through weather! Give yourself five or ten minutes before work or on your lunch break to walk around outside and get some air - you'll feel better.
7) Go to the library. Books are a great way to get you out of your own head and your own world. Take advantage of the crappy weather by curling up with a blanket, a hot cup of tea, and a stack of new reading material.
8) Give yourself a break. If your holiday schedule could be described as "Go! Go! Go!," give yourself permission to stop every once in awhile. Take a breath, eat a piece of fudge, and remember: if you want to take care of other people, you've gotta take care of yourself first.
??? TRIVIA ???
What do snowy owls prefer to eat?
A: Lemmings. An adult snowy owl may eat more than 1,600-lemmings a year.

Source: National Geographic
What is the largest flying bird in North America?
A: The California condor. Their wing span can be nearly 10-feet.
Source: National Geographic.

WATER COOLER TALK

Should Fast Food Workers Be Able to Unionize?

Fast food workers at several of the big national chains walked off the job in New York City Thursday (November 29th), kicking off what the New York Times described as the "biggest effort to unionize fast food workers ever undertaken in the United States." Organizers, which include civil rights groups, religious leaders and a service-industry union, say it's the first time workers from different fast food chains joined forces in this way. The workers say that what they're being paid -- about $9.00 a hour for full-time workers in New York City -- is barely enough for the necessities of life like food, clothing and housing, and are demanding an hourly wage of $15, as well as the right to form a union. Supporters say that the industry is changed and its workers are no longer mostly teenagers, but increasingly working class adults dependent on the paychecks for their families. The main argument against unionization is that it will force the fast food companies to pass on costs to their customers via higher prices.

Man Who Got Romney Face Tattoo Now Getting It Removed

A 30-year-old professional wrestler who got a five-inch-long tattoo of Mitt Romney's "R" logo on his face during the presidential campaign and said after Election Day that he was keeping it despite the Republican nominee's loss has now changed his mind. Eric Hartsburg had originally told ABC News that he didn't regret the tattoo at all, but said that's changed in the wake of Romney's post-election remarks in a conference call with donors that President Obama won because he gave, quote, "gifts" to certain constituencies, like minority voters. Hartsburg told ABC, "I could deal with being a part of a losing campaign, but to still stand behind Governor Romney with the positions he's taken post-election with the blame game instead... To be such a sore loser about it, to me I can't walk around representing that." He said that since Romney made those remarks, stranger have been shouting lewd comments and hissing at him on the street. It could take up to 15 sessions over six months to a year to get the tattoo removed, which is longer than usual because of the blue ink in the logo. A Los Angeles doctor has agreed to do it for free.
CHECK IT OUT: Hartsburg's tattooed face: http://tinyurl.com/cx4l38d

MOMA Classifies 14 Video Games as Art to Start New Collection

The art world has apparently decided that the answer to the question of whether video games are art is yes, with the Smithsonian ending a popular exhibit a few months ago called, The Art of Video Games, and New York City's Museum of Modern Art now acquiring 14 video games to start a collection that it says will eventually include about 40 games. The 14 games that will be installed next March span three decades, from 1980's Pac-Man to 2009's Canabalt. According to The Atlantic Wire, popularity isn't what MOMA is looking for; instead their focus is on design traits, looking for games that emphasize everything from, quote, "the elegance of the code to the design of the player's behavior," according to the museum. Among the games MOMA is looking to acquire in the future are such iconic ones as Pong, Super Mario Brothers, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong and Street Fighter II. The 14 acquired now are:

Pac-Man (1980)
Tetris (1984)
Another World (1991)
Myst (1993)
SimCity 2000 (1994)
vib-ribbon (1999)
The Sims (2000)
Katamari Damacy (2004)
EVE Online (2003)
Dwarf Fortress (2006)
flOw (2006)
Portal (2007)
Passage (2008)
Canabalt (2009)

Thursday, November 29, 2012

KFLAG COUNTRY MUSIC UPDATE

Eric Church is known for his trademark look -- a knit cap and dark sunglasses -- and he's finding that his fans want to see that no matter the venue or occasion. Even when he plays the hallowed Grand Ole Opry, Eric tells us he feels compelled to remain "in character," so to speak, so as not to disappoint fans. "It's become a little harder not to now because people . . . I don't know. It's weird. It's almost like . . . I don't know whether it's like a uniform or a super hero. Some people just feel like they're not getting what they want if I don't. Sometimes I've had people . . . There's been times when I just don't feel like wearing 'em on the Opry and I'll just go out without 'em and I've had people go, 'Why did you not?' And they have theirs on. They'll put theirs on when I come on, so a lot of times I wear 'em. If I'm in an ass-kickin' mood I'll wear 'em out there."
You can bet Eric will be in full "uniform" tonight (Thursday, November 29th) when he takes the stage in Duluth, Georgia.
He's making his way up the charts with his latest hit, "Creepin'."
FAST FACTS

Eric will play his last show of the year on December 15th in Sunrise, Florida.
He will hit the road with Kenny Chesney beginning in March of 2013.

Kip Moore has already topped the charts as both singer and songwriter with this year's hit, "Somethin' 'Bout A Truck," and it looks like before long he'll return to Number One with his second single, "Beer Money." The song is about saving up for those local watering hole outings, but these days Kip is upping the ante and saving up for a little -- or a big -- something special.
He tells us: "You know, things have changed a little bit in my life recently, but it's like I still, I live so simple. Like, I'm not somebody that's out doing all kinds of crazy stuff. I still spend my money on beer and food and that's about it. I'm thinking about splurging the first of the year. I'm thinking about getting me a Harley. I love to ride so I think that's what I'm gonna get pretty soon."
Kip continues on Eric Church's Blood, Sweat & Beers tour, which plays tonight (Thursday, November 29th) in Duluth, Georgia. The show also features Justin Moore.

Reality television has been a vehicle for a lot of entertainers, but Justin Moore says he likely won't be one taking advantage of the trend. He tells us: "I'll never say never on anything, but I'm just not a big fan of reality TV. I don't watch much TV in general but it's not something I'm interested in, necessarily. And that's...there's nothing against it. I just ... it's not something that I enjoy watching or it's not something that I think I would be interested in doing but I never say never. You never know."

Justin is busy on the road through mid-December as part of Eric Church's headlining Blood, Sweat & Beers tour.
They head to Columbia, South Carolina and Huntington, West Virginia on Friday (November 30th) and Saturday (December 1st).

FAST FACTS

Justin continues climbing the charts with 'Til My Last Day."

Keith Urban is adjusting to being one of what he calls a very "passionate" group of four judges on the 2013 season of American Idol. Reported cat fights and tension between Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj have been making the news with regularity, but Keith tells E! News that all four -- including Randy Jackson -- have had their moments, saying "The thing about the four of us is we hear very different things and see very different things, and for every time we could react to the same thing, there were definitely times we thought that a person was completely insane."
The new season of Idol begins in January, and Keith is already getting anxious about the work ahead. He said, "I love that we went into all these towns and heard so many people. It's going to be hard to get to Hollywood week and let so many people go."
American Idol will air premiere on FOX on January 16th at 8 p.m. ET.
FAST FACTS

Keith will also kick off his 2013 tour in Australia in January.
The North American leg of the tour, which kicks off in July, will feature special guests Little Big Town and Dustin Lynch.

Taylor Swift, Toby Keith and Kenny Chesney are the only country artists on Forbes' list of the world's 25 highest-paid musicians. Taylor came in at Number Eight, tying with Paul McCartney at $57 million; Toby and Justin Bieber tie at Number 10 with $55 million; and Kenny ranks at Number 17 with $44 million. Dr. Dre is the highest-paid musician, earning an astounding $110 million.
Lee Brice will kick off the ACC Championship game in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday (December 1st) with a pre-game performance. He is also scheduled to perform prior to the Sun Bowl game in El Paso, Texas on New Year's Eve.

The Grand Ole Opry will honor Marty Stuart on his 20th anniversary as an Opry member on Saturday, December 8th. Marty will be celebrated during a one-hour segment on each of the night's two shows with performances by his wife and fellow Opry member Connie Smith, Charley Pride, Old Crow Medicine Show, and songwriter Brandy Clark. Also appearing with Stuart will be Phyliss J. Anderson, Chief of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, along with two Choctaw dancers. The evening's shows will be held at the Ryman Auditorium, where Marty made his Opry debut alongside Lester Flatt in September 1972 at age 13. Marty joined the Opry 20 years ago on November 28, 1992.

After two drinking-related brushes with the law this past year, Randy Travis is reportedly saying goodbye to alcohol. His lawyer told TMZ that Randy has "eliminated alcohol from his daily life. . . (He) works out 3 hours every day and is in the best shape of his life. He has a high protein diet and takes a lot of vitamins."
Randy has also reportedly been spending time in a recording studio in Texas where he is working on new music.
In February, Randy was charged with public intoxication, followed by an August arrest for DWI.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

COUNTRY TRIVIA

Q. What was the title of Keith Urban's first Number One single?
A. "But For The Grace Of God"

ON THE TUBE

LUKE BRYAN FARM TOUR/GAC 10:00AM (ET)

RON WHITE'S COMEDY SALUTE TO THE TROOPS 2012/CMT 9:00PM, 11:45PM (ET)

RON WHITE: THEY CALL ME TATER SALAD/CMT 10:30PM (ET)

CHELSEA LATELY/ETV 11:00PM (ET)
Blake Shelton

LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON/NBC 12:35AM (ET)
Carrie Underwood