-
Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Nov 20, 2014
November 20, 2014
Have an opinion? Add your comment below. -
Happening today:
It's the American Cancer Society's big quit-smoking event, the Great American Smokeout. U.S. News & World Report says cigarettes cause more than 127-thousand deaths from lung cancer each year in the United States. So whether you do it today or on some other day, here are some steps you can take to help yourself quit smoking:
--Set a quit date. Make it one that gives you enough time to prepare. That includes telling family and friends so they can support you and hold you accountable.
--Make a plan. You can either quit cold turkey, if that suits you. Or try to smoke fewer cigarettes as your "quit day" approaches to reduce withdrawal symptoms. Your plan can also include deciding whether to use nicotine-replacement products, medications, join a stop-smoking class, attend Nicotine Anonymous meetings or rely on books.
--Make small changes. Get rid of ashtrays in your home and car; stock up on things sugarless gum, hard candy or carrot. Practice saying "No thank you, I don't smoke," when offered a cigarette.
--Don't smoke on your quit day. Keep yourself occupied and avoid situations where you'll have a strong desire to smoke.
--Don't give in to rationalizations, like "I'll have just one cigarette to get me through this situation" or "Everyone dies of something" or "How bad is smoking, really?" Be prepared by having distractions to redirect your thoughts when your own brain starts working against you.
--Don't get discouraged if you slip up. Use what you learn from a slip up to improve your chances of success next time you try to quit. (Bartha)Grace notes:
Motown singer JIMMY RUFFIN has died. The Las Vegas Review-Journal says he passed away Monday. Jimmy was 78. He was the older brother of DAVID RUFFIN, lead singer of THE TEMPTATIONS. He died in 1991 when he was just 50 years old. Jimmy had his own run of hits on Motown's Soul label, including "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" which got all the way up to number seven in 1966. In 1980, Jimmy scored again with "Hold On To My Love," written and produced by ROBIN GIBB of the BEE GEES. It topped out at number 10. (Marino)
BILLY JOEL got a very special honor last night in Washington, D.C. A year after he received the Kennedy Center Honors, the Library of Congress gave Billy the Gershwin Prize for Popular Music. It's a lifetime achievement award, and to celebrate, Billy did a concert in our nation's capital, helped out by Tony Bennett, Gavin DeGraw, LeAnn Rimes, John Mellencamp, Natalie Maines, Kevin Spacey and other performers. You'll be able to see the show January 2nd on PBS. (Marino)
Broadcast, cable and video news:
No surprise to find out that NBC bagged a sitcom starring BILL COSBY yesterday, announcing the show was "no longer in development." The TV Land cable network also dropped re-runs of "The Cosby Show" yesterday, thanks to the ongoing controversy over accusations that the 77-year-old comedian assaulted a number of women over the past 30 years.
Cosby has never been charged for any of the alleged crimes with the statue of limitations now expired, and yesterday MARTY SINGER, his lawyer, called the latest accusations by model JANICE DICKENSON, "false and outlandish."Taking everything much too seriously:
A Russian man has spent the past seven years turning himself into a human duck-billed platypus.
26-year-old body art fanatic JENYA BOLOTOV used plugs to stretch eight different parts of his face. He says being a platypus is the only thing he's ever wanted in life. Bolotov explains, "Externally, I am now a platypus. Inside though, I am more like a bird. They're my spirit animals and they come to me in my dreams." He admits his extreme look attracts a lot of negative attention and sometimes people "make mean comments." (Still) -
-