Toby Knapp

Toby Knapp

Dive into the captivating universe of Toby Knapp! Experience his authentic life story, engage on social media, revel in exclusive interviews,...Full Bio

 

#READTHISFIRST: The #TobyTime Afternoon Edition (12/11)

Good afternoon! Thanks for choosing to #ReadThisFirst. Today's edition wasn't published in the morning, because, well, I slept in. Gotta use or lose that vacation time however you can, right?

In a time when reporters are being demonized. When news is being called fake because what's being reported - albeit honest - is vilified by people who don't like facts or truth. When reporters are being killed - murdered - for reporting and governments turn a blind eye, TIME MAGAZINE has sent a resounding statement, naming the GUARDIANS as their PERSON OF THE YEAR. 

The magazine's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal made the announcement this morning on the Today show and revealed the magazine's cover which features a group of four individuals and one group who have taken risks in pursuit of the truth. These include murdered journalist and Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi; The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland which was the scene of a mass shooting in June which left five journalists dead; Filipina journalist Maria Ressa whose work has exposed the rise of terrorism in Southeast Asia; and Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo who are imprisoned in Myanmar for investigating a mass execution carried out by the Myanmar Army.

Donald Trump, who was named the 2016 Person of the Year, was this year's first runner-up. Special counsel Robert Mueller came in third.

Kathie Lee Gifford is leaving the Today show.

The longtime TV personality, who has co-anchored the fourth hour of the Today show with Hoda Kotb for more than 10 years, said this morning (Tuesday) that she'll leave on April 7th, which is the show's 11th anniversary. 

After breaking down in tears, Kathie Lee said, "It's an exciting time for me and I'm thrilled about all the projects that are coming up, but it's also hard. I've been in this business for 120 years and never worked with a more beautiful group of people who just give, give, give every day." She added that her plans include several film projects. 

Hoda Kotb will remain on the show with a new co-host, who has not yet been named. 

RANDOMS and WATER COOLER MADNESS... do we still have water coolers in offices? 

We still love old-fashioned communication … Technology has changed the way we communicate, but we still crave that human interaction. A new poll by SurveyMonkey found that 42 percent of Americans still prefer in-person communication over any other form. 21 percent of survey respondents said they’d rather text than have face-to-face communication and 16 percent said they’d rather chat over the phone than in person. (Fortune

Eat whatever you want and then just take a pill to keep your weight in check? It could be a reality. Researchers in Australia believe they’ve pinpointed a gene that controls weight gain. If they’re right -- and they’re able to develop a medicine that switches this gene on and off -- we all might be able to eat as much as we want without gaining a pound. (Science Daily

So doggie leggings are a thing … A company called Walkee Paws has created leggings for dogs to keep them warm and dry in the winter. The leggings have waterproof soles that will apparently withstand the elements -- and will not only keep your dog’s paws clean and dry … but also keep them from tracking mud, dirt and other bad stuff onto your floors. No word on what they will do to your dog’s dignity … (Lad Bible

Breakfast pizza? Lots of people have leftover pizza for breakfast, but a bakery in Canada is actually putting breakfast on a pizza. Lamanna's Bakeryin Toronto took a cheese pizza and topped it with bacon, mini pancakes and butter. And then drizzled maple syrup on top. Yum? (Delish)

LUKE SKYWALKER’S LIGHTSABER IS UP FOR AUCTION

Starting today, Luke Skywalker's lightsaber from the original Star Wars movie is up for auction -- and it’s expected to be sold for between $150,000 and $200,000.

The movie prop is being described as the “original” lightsaber. But, it’s not that simple.

Mark Hamill explained on Twitter that he used a bunch of lightsabers while filming the movie. So, maybe this is the “original” lightsaber. Or, maybe not. (Den of Geek)

BRING ON WEED-INFUSED WINE

A new weed-infused wine is now out there called Winabis.

It’s described as “medium sweet” and clocks in with an alcohol content of 9.5 percent. And, it’s laced with THC.

The winemakers didn’t want it to be too overpowering. The stuff won’t actually get you stoned. But, there’s enough going on in the bottle to mellow you out. (Metro)

OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY GETS BACON VENDING MACHINE

Ohio State University now has a bacon machine on campus. No joke.

The machine is located in the Animal Science Building at the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences -- and supplies supply students with ready-to-eat bacon strips and bacon bits for just a dollar.

Not surprisingly, the machine has been a big hit, and it has to be restocked four or five times each and every day. (Gizmodo)

And... ON TV tonight... 

TALK SHOWS:

  • Jimmy Fallon has singer Jennifer Lopez, comedian Robert Klein, music by J Balvin
  • Stephen Colbert has Whoopi Goldberg (The View), comedian Adam Pally, music by Jungle
  • Jimmy Kimmel has Nicole Kidman (Aquaman), Ron Livingston (A Million Little Things), music by Smashing Pumpkins
  • James Corden has comedian Ellen DeGeneres, Patrick Wilson (Aquaman)
  • Seth Meyers has Ken Jeong (The Masked Singer), Vanessa Hudgens (The Princess Switch), guest drummer Todd Sucherman
  • Ellen DeGeneres, with guest co-host Ashton Kutcher, has Amy Adams (Vice), Eugene Levy (Schitt's Creek), Catherine O'Hara (Schitt's Creek), music by Marshmello & Bastille

PRIMETIME:

  • The Conners Becky helps Harris keep a secret from Darlene, which causes a rift between the sisters. (ABC)
  • The Kids Are Alright When Peggy's successful brother drops in for Christmas, Mike feels envious. (ABC)
  • blackish The Johnsons can't agree on what movie to see on their traditional Christmas trip to the theater. (ABC)
  • Splitting Up Together Things get complicated after Lena and Vlad kiss; Martin goes to Paige's house for more privacy. (ABC)
  • The Rookie Nolan and Bishop respond to a silent alarm call at a local convenience store. (ABC)
  • NCIS The team's holiday plans are put on hold when a murder investigation leads to the discovery of a newborn baby who has no identification and no apparent ties to a family. (CBS)
  • FBI When an illegal arms broker-turned-informant is assassinated, OA assumes his identity and goes under cover to stop the sale of dangerous weapons, with help from Maggie and their former FBI instructor. (CBS)
  • NCIS: New Orleans Pride is given a series of tasks to complete by unknown assailants who are holding Wade and his father hostage. (CBS)
  • The Voice After the Top 3 artists are declared safe, America votes to send their favorites to the finale. (NBC)
  • Darci Lynne: My Hometown Christmas The "America's Got Talent" champion and her puppet pals give a special holiday performance. (NBC)
  • Hollywood Game Night Two ordinary people join teams of celebs for hilarious holiday-themed games. (NBC)
  • Lethal Weapon (repeat) Cole and Murtaugh try to get used to working with each other as they investigate a finance executive's murder. (FOX)
  • The Gifted (repeat) Thunderbird hopes to find the Inner Circle through a mutant lawyer who recruited him as a member of the Underground years ago. (FOX)
  • Supergirl Supergirl, The Flash, Green Arrow and Superman engage in the battle of their lives. (CW)
  • Black Lightning Program information TBA (CW)

And there you go. Up to speed... with things you get because you are reading this first! Back to the normal early-AM wake up and post schedule tomorrow... and be sure to refresh this page often for even more insanity as we go through our Tuesday! 


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