#WhatsHappening for December 9, 2018

Good Sunday morning, kids. Yep, I've been away for a bit. (Huh? Really?)

Anyway, hope you're all smoothly sailing through the hectic holiday season. I've been swamped at my "regular" job, so I've slacked off here. No promises, but I'll at least try to do better.

Before we get to the musical portion of our program, I'd like to drag out the old soapbox. Feel free to scroll down to the next section.

Did you ever pause for a minute in your hectic schedule to wonder why the person serving you isn't laughing along with you at your "inside joke" or bending over backwards to cater to your whims and realize that you, yourself, are the problem?

Consider this scenario: You and your coworkers leave your company Christmas party, full of the holiday "spirit" and head to the nearest spot for a drink. Many of your party are already far past the point that they should have called a cab and gone home to sleep it off but, for some reason known only to the mysterious powers of the universe that drive humans to do the dumbest shit possible, they dumb more booze down their gullet and expect that just everyone around is of the opinion that, indeed, they're the life of the party. Their behavior is so obnoxious that even you and the rest of your coworkers don't want to talk to them- but they escalate their behavior and cause more problems. For everyone. The they exacerbate things by heading outside for a smoke, stumbling over the curb and smacking their head on the pavement. And once their almost as drunk office buddy picks them up and brings them back inside, bleeding from a head wound (which, of course, means bleeding a lot, despite the cuts being superficial). Oh, and did I mention bringing them back inside? For the staff to have to deal with more of their incredible fuckery? At that point, not only is that person an asshole- so are your coworkers who deemed it a good idea to bring him back into the fucking bar. Then, by all means, call 911 and expect everyone else who isn't a part of your wagon train of dipshittery to grind their evening's activities to a halt so the asshole can be a pain in the ass to the responders and totally waste their time.

Now, consider all of that and think again why the server is less than thrilled that you're arguing with them about drink prices (which they have no control over) or that you ask them for their phone number or whatever. Or that the establishment's manager ask you to remove the prime asshole from the premises. Or that the guy playing the music laughs in your face when you tell them they're going to need to cut the music and ask people to clear the floor so the asshole can be treated. Because, guess what? Not everyone wants to play your reindeer games.

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Go watch the trailer for Avengers: Endgame immediately, if you haven't done so already. You won't be sorry.

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Six people were killed and more than 50 were injured after a stampede at a rap concert in an Italian disco yesterday. Five of the fatalities were teenagers, while the sixth was a woman who'd accompanied her daughter to the show. 

Authorities say 13 of the injured were in "very serious condition" and blamed the venue for selling far too many tickets for the space where rapper Sfera Ebbasta was scheduled to perform. The area's chief prosecutor told reporters at the scene that about 1,400 tickets were sold but the venue's capacity was only about 870 people, while Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte later said organizers had used just one of venue's three rooms- and its capacity was just 469 people.

Italian media reported concertgoers claimed that an irritant was sprayed, which triggered the panic.

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The market for dead celebrities' stuff is booming.

A Sotheby's auction of Frank and Barbara Sinatra's entertainment memorabilia, art, jewelry, books and other personal items fetched over $9.2 million Friday- doubling presale estimates.

Some of the proceeds will benefit the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center in Rancho Mirage, California, which counsels victims of physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

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After a year-long investigation into her alleged failure to pay 14.5 million euros in taxes to the Spanish government, singer Shakira will reportedly face criminal tax fraud charges, according to a report in El Pais Friday. A source "close to the investigation" told the paper that authorities had informed the singer’s attorney of the pending charges.

The investigation is said to have centered on whether the singer- who is a native of Colombia- had resided in Spain between 2011 and 2014, according to the legal definition of residence. 

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Birthdays today include: Tre Cool of Green Day (46); Geoff Barrow of Portishead (47); Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers (48); Brian Bell of Weezer (50); Nick Seymour of Crowded House (60); Donny Osmond (61); Randy Murray of BTO (63); Joan Armatrading (68); and Walter Orange of The Commodores (72). #MusicalBirthdays