01. Turkey Talk: Butterball Experts Share Advice
02. Beware Holiday Scams: Online Shopping Tips
03. Help! My Holiday Lights Aren’t Working!
04. WaPo Food Expert: How Food Can Impact Mental Health
05. Actor Jim Meskimen on ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ and More
06. ‘Carry It On’- New Buffy Sainte-Marie Documentary
07. Pediatricians Plead for RSV Health Emergency
08. Matthew Perry’s Opioid Addiction: Lessons for Us All
09. It’s Time to Change the Way We Talk about Menopause
10. Parents Are Deeply Divided Over Education
11. 3 Tools Parents Can Use to Boost Their Kids’ Self-Esteem
12. How to Have Unbreakable Resilience
13. Using Art to Heal and Feel Better
14. A Traumatic Brain Injury Revealed Her Greatest Gift
15. The 2 Things You Should Never Leave Home Without
1. ==> Turkey Talk: Butterball Experts Share Advice
Whether it’s your first or fortieth time preparing a Thanksgiving meal, there’s a lot involved in creating the feast and it can be quite intimidating. “The holiday season can be one of the most exciting times of the year, but unfortunately, it can also be one of the most stressful,” says Nicole Johnson, director and 22-year veteran of the Butterball Turkey Talk-Line. Since its first season in November 1981, the Turkey Talk-Line has helped almost 50 million consumers with their bird woes. Each November and December, professionally trained turkey experts assist more than 4 million cooks through the phone hotline, Butterball.com, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Butterball Skill for Alexa, live chat and emails in the United States and Canada. With more than 50 staff members, the Talk-Line crew operates through December and answers questions from both English- and Spanish-speaking callers and responds to questions via email. Johnson can share the most common questions asked and offer tips and tricks to pulling off a holiday meal that everyone will enjoy. Contact Derek Wimmer at (312) 937-4855;
derek.wimmer@edelman.com
2. ==> Beware Holiday Scams: Online Shopping Tips
Every year, consumers flock online to secure a deal on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and this year promises to be no different. Cybercriminals – the opportunists that they are – will respond with the same enthusiasm. Cybersecurity expert Rick McElroy will share some of the most prevalent tricks fraudsters will use to target consumers online. From making sure your financial transaction is secure to double-checking delivery and other “additional” fees, listeners will appreciate his smart tips to avoid scams and overcharges. And he’ll remind shoppers that if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. “This year, the scarcity of some products, due to the ongoing supply chain issues, is creating a more attractive playing field for fraudsters,” he says. “Consumers should keep in mind that if someone is offering a shortcut to the front of the line for an in-demand product, it may be a scam.” Rick McElroy is a cybersecurity strategist at VMware, a leading provider of multi-cloud services. Contact Sara Bistrin at sbistrin@inkhouse.com
3. ==> Help! My Holiday Lights Aren’t Working!
It’s the time of year when strings of twinkling lights are attached to anything and everything around us. Can you even picture a holiday season without them? John DeCosmo is a Christmas light expert. For the past 15 years, his Chicago company, Ulta-Lit Tree Company, has been selling tools to fix broken Christmas tree lights. On your show he’ll explain what to do now to make sure your holiday lights are working properly, the dos and don’ts of Christmas tree lights, and the difference between LED and incandescent lights and how to tell which is right for you. He’ll also introduce listeners to his version of the Butterball Turkey hotline which has answered more than 100,000 Christmas light questions from frazzled tree trimmers since 2004. Contact Ivy Boomershine at ivy@lightspeedpr.com
4. ==> WaPo Food Expert: How Food Can Impact Mental Health
Food has the power to nourish your mind, supporting emotional wellness through both nutrients and pleasure. “Washington Post” food expert Mary Beth Albright draws on cutting-edge research to explain the food/mood connection. She redefines “emotional eating” based on science and will reveal how eating triggers biological responses that affect humans’ emotional states both immediately and long-term. Albright can discuss recent studies from the new field of nutritional psychology and explain “what” to eat and “how” to eat it. Listeners will learn which foods help reduce the inflammation that can harm mental health, the critical relationship between the microbiome and the brain, and which vitamins help restore the body during intensely emotional times. Mary Beth Albright has broad experience, from food attorney to finalist on Food Network Star, where she competed on Iron Chef America. Her new book is “Eat and Flourish: How Food Supports Emotional Well-Being.” Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 646-5137; (703) 400-1099 (cell) or Erin Bolden at (703) 980-2705
5. ==> Actor Jim Meskimen on ‘Welcome to Chippendales’ and More
You’ll probably recognize Jim Meskimen from his many TV and film roles over the past thirty-some years. His latest is playing Phil Donahue in the new Hulu mini-series “Welcome to Chippendales,” but you may have also seen him alongside Julia Roberts and Sean Penn in “Gaslit,” or on the Amazon series “Hunters,” starring Al Pacino and Carol Kane. Invite Jim on your show to talk about his work in those productions and his recurring role on Apple TV’s upcoming series “The Big Door Prize,” by the creators of “Schitt’s Creek.” Jim currently plays Colonel Sanders in the popular KFC commercials, as well as President George Washington crossing the Delaware Turnpike for GEICO, which led his mother, Marion Ross (Mrs. C. from “Happy Days”) to claim that she is now the mother of the father of our country! “Welcome to Chippendales” begins airing today on Hulu. Contact Harlan Boll at harlan@bhbpr.com
6. ==> ‘Carry It On’- New Buffy Sainte-Marie Documentary
The life, music, and activism of legendary Indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie are explored in the new documentary “Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On.” Since her groundbreaking debut in 1964, the Cree singer-songwriter has been a trailblazer and a tireless advocate, an innovative artist, and a disruptor of the status quo. In 1969, she made one of the world’s first electronic vocal albums; in 1982, she became the only indigenous person to win an Oscar; she spent five years on “Sesame Street” where she became the first woman to breastfeed on national television. Music blogger and publicist Eric Alpert calls the documentary a much-needed, inspiring biography of one of our most revered and courageous artists. Invite him to discuss “Buffy Sainte-Marie: Carry It On,” which begins airing tonight on PBS and includes never-before-seen archival material, new performance footage and interviews with Sainte-Marie, Joni Mitchell, Sonia Manzano, John Kay, Robbie Robertson, Jackson Browne and others. Contact Eric Alpert at (647) 971-3742; Eric@ThatEricAlper.com
7. ==> Pediatricians Plead for RSV Health Emergency
“Our hospital is filling up with young babies who are struggling to breathe,” says Dr. James Reingold, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. And Reingold’s hospital is not alone. Rising rates of RSV combined with an increase in the flu, continued COVID-19 cases, and staff shortages have created a public health crisis, yet the Biden Administration has not declared an emergency despite pleas from The Children’s Hospital Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Reingold can explain what’s happening and why low-income communities are hardest hit by respiratory illnesses. He can also discuss the difference between RSV and the flu, the best ways to avoid getting sick, and when to seek medical help. Contact Paul Healy at (215) 427-4060 (office); Paul.Healy@towerhealth.org
8. ==> Matthew Perry’s Opioid Addiction: Lessons for Us All
Matthew Perry has been all over the media in recent days revealing how he spent over 20 years and more than $9 million overcoming an opioid addiction that started when he was prescribed painkillers for a jet skiing injury. Perry puts a familiar face to a story playing out in families all across the country as just one of the millions who’ve become addicted after receiving a prescription for opioids to treat pain from an injury or illness. Cindy Perlin is passionate about educating patients about safer and more effective treatments for acute and chronic pain and can educate your audience so they can avoid Perry’s fate. Perlin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified biofeedback practitioner, chronic pain survivor, and the author of “The Truth About Chronic Pain Treatments: The Best and Worst Strategies for Becoming Pain Free.” She created the “Alternative Pain Treatment Directory” and is a seasoned radio guest who has appeared on dozens of radio shows and podcasts. Contact her at (518) 439-6431; cindyperlin@gmail.com
9. ==> It’s Time to Change the Way We Talk about Menopause
Whether it’s Oscar-nominated Naomi Watts’ recent, high-publicity launch of beauty/wellness products for the “menopausal market” or 2022’s explosion of high-profile summits of Menopause Innovators, one thing is clear: the shame, silence and suffering of menopause seem to (finally!) be headed out the door. With 1.1 billion women – or 1 in 3 – expected to be in a stage of menopause by 2025, menopause industry disrupters Debbie and Markea Dickinson say it’s time for a change in how we approach this time in a woman’s life. The mother-daughter duo is helping to modernize menopause and mobilize an empowerment movement. They’ll offer listeners a science-backed, inspirational earful on menopause symptoms, solutions and support. The Dickinsons (along with Yale scientists, engineers and doctors) invented Thermaband Zone, a first-of-its-kind wristband using artificial intelligence and Nobel Prize-winning research to outsmart hot flashes and stop them in their tracks. Debbie Dickinson is a former Johnson & Johnson executive. Her daughter Markea is a logistical and operational genius who previously spent five years at Unilever. Contact Jenn Weinstein at Jennifer@TransmediaGroup.com
10. ==> Parents Are Deeply Divided Over Education
Republican and Democratic parents of K-12 students have widely different views on what their children should learn at school about gender identity, slavery and other topics, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. At the same time, Republican and Democratic parents –– including those with children in public schools –– are equally likely to say they are extremely or very satisfied with the quality of the education their children are receiving. Kim Park, director of social trends research at the Pew Research Center can discuss the survey results including how parents think the pandemic has affected their children’s educational progress and emotional well-being, and their concerns about school shootings. Kim Parker frequently discusses social and demographic trends with journalists and has been interviewed by broadcast outlets such as NPR, NBC, MSNBC and C-SPAN. Contact her at @kim_c_parker or Julia O’Hanlon at (202) 419-3613; johanlon@pewresearch.org
11. ==> 3 Tools Parents Can Use to Boost Their Kids’ Self-Esteem
Does your child struggle at home or school? Do you often hear them say they can’t do something, or it’s too hard? Whether it’s learning to tie their shoes, getting good grades, or joining extracurricular activities, having positive self-esteem helps kids do more — and feel great about themselves in the process. Valerie Whetstone is an experienced educator and the author of several books, including the brand-new children’s book “Oh No, Riley!” This expert, who has trained with Oprah Winfrey and Jack Canfield, shares three crucial tools to help kids of all ages boost their confidence and develop the life skills they need for success. Ask her: What is the one mistake millions of parents are making that affects their child’s self-esteem? How can I increase my child’s confidence today? What are some “power words” kids can use to become more confident and positive? Contact Valerie Whetstone at (408) 752-5943 or vwhetstone@rtirguests.com
12. ==> How to Have Unbreakable Resilience
It’s easy to appear resilient when life is going great. But the true test of one’s flexibility comes when life is difficult and unpredictable as it had been for Kiden Jonathan. Invite Kiden on your show to learn how anyone can develop unbreakable resilience by listening to her as she passes along what she learned after she fled worn-torn Sudan at age 20 with her two-month-old baby, lived with an abusive man and spent time in a women’s shelter and the world’s largest refugee camp in Kenya. Now she lives in Canada where she is a full-time college student, speaker, and the author of “Resilience: The Journey of Self-Discovery.” She has been quoted in CBC News and the “Toronto Star.” Contact Kiden at (647) 503-5092; kjonathan@rtirguests.com
13. ==> Using Art to Heal and Feel Better
Could looking at art restore people’s health as well as their souls? According to Annessa Morrison, if done properly in the manner she prescribes, it may very well do so. Working under the name Abstract Annessa, Morrison has been painting full-time for eight years after discovering that viewing and creating art helped her heal from the debilitating symptoms of lupus and fibromyalgia. In response to the many questions people ask about her return to health, Morrison developed an online course that mirrors the routine that cured her. Invite her to discuss how “The Art Alternative” helps program the subconscious mind to heal from within. Annessa Morrison is a working artist and painter who creates art using 15 distinct techniques that she has found help immerse people in the act of looking at art. Contact her at (928) 830-3935; healingthroughartrx@gmail.com
14. ==> A Traumatic Brain Injury Revealed Her Greatest Gift
After experiencing a traumatic brain injury due to falling at home, author Jennifer Maag realized this was a blessing in disguise. “I became extremely empathic, which was a gift,” she says. One of those gifts was developing an understanding of what happens after we die. “When we pass over, we go to a ‘soul hospital’ and then ‘soul school’ where we learn valuable lessons. Those who have passed over often communicate with us through our dreams.” Jennifer, a licensed massage therapist, and her son, Alexander Maag, are the co-authors of the critically acclaimed book “Take on God,” which explores how to transform our inner battles into healing tools to live our best lives. Contact her at (419) 969-3259; jmaag@rtirguests.com
15. ==> The 2 Things You Should Never Leave Home Without
Few people would dream of leaving the house without their cell phone, car keys and wallet. But there are two other things that most people don’t consider bringing along with them because they are unaware that their use could lead to greater problem-solving abilities, clarity, and relaxation. Bring Arlene Duane Hemingway on your program to identify what those two objects are and their connection to Drabbling, a literary art form inspired by Monty Python that uses just 100 words to tell a complete story. Arlene can read some examples of drabbles to get your audience started and has even created a Drabble on Drabbles. She is the author of “A Twist of Lemon: 100 Curious Stories in Exactly 100 Words” and has a master’s degree from the Juilliard School of Music. She was a respected piano and vocal music teacher in a Long Island public school system, and a professional organist, choir director, and vocalist. She performed with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir at Radio City Music Hall and launched a composer’s original work at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. Contact Arlene at (828) 684-9840; adh7@att.net