PUNCH UP YOUR NEWSLETTER AND PUMP UP YOUR READERSHIP

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MON D A Y , JUNE 3 Today we spill the beans … For the second consecutive year,

EASER buttered popcorn is America’s favorite jelly bean flavor. According to sales data collected by an online candy retailer, buttered popcorn is the favorite in seven states ─ more than

any other flavor. Rounding out the top five jelly beans nationally T are cinnamon, black licorice, cherry and watermelon. And if you’re a fan of the chili mango flavor, you should know that its sales don’t add up to a hill of beans. We’re like a kid in a candy store when we see all the great stories in today’s edition of

company news.

S S Source: Associated Press

Y TUES D A Y , J U N E 4 You won’t hear a peep out of us about today’s report … Police investigating a disturbance in Loerrach, Germany, discovered a man arguing with a parrot. A neighbor called to report loud shouting from a next-door apartment that had been going on for hours. Officers arrived on the scene to find an argument taking place between a 22-year-old man and a parrot. The man said he had been annoyed with the bird, which belonged to his girlfriend. The parrot responded to his shouting by squawking back. Officials ordered the man to pay a small fine for the disturbance. Because talk is cheep. There are a lot of great stories to talk about in today’s edition of company news.

Source: UPI

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WEDNES D A Y , J U N E 5 You’ve gouda brie kidding me … Researchers in Burgdorf, Switzerland, recently found that exposing cheese to round-the- clock music could give it more flavor ─ and hip hop is tastier than Mozart. Nine wheels of Emmental cheese weighing 22 pounds each were placed in separate wooden crates equipped with music-conducting transmitters. Each cheese wheel was exposed 24 hours a day to a specific type of music, including the hip-hop track "We Got it From Here" by A Tribe Called Quest, the rock classic "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin and Mozart's Magic Flute opera. A culinary jury conducted a blind tasting and determined that the hip hop sample was the strongest tasting. Interesting research, although it sounds like their methodology was kind of hit-and-Swiss. You cheddar not miss today’s edition of company news.

EASER Source: Reuters

THURS D A Y , J U N E 6 T Today’s report is noteworthy … A pianist recently set a world record by striking a single piano key more than 800 times in a minute. The Portuguese-American professional musician broke the Guinness World Record for "Most piano key hits in one minute" by plunking the B7 key 824 times in 60 seconds. His technique involved alternating between two fingers to

S S repeatedly press the key on the concert grand piano. He practiced the feat for four months and used a metronome to ’ keep rhythm as he frantically tapped each finger on the key in Y rapid succession. We hope the recital ended on a high note. Today’s edition of company news is sure to strike a chord with you.

Source: UPI

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F R I D A Y , J U N E 7 That’s a latte money … A California café chain is brewing up what it calls the world's most expensive coffee ─ at $75 a cup. The pricey coffee is made from beans that sold for a record- breaking $803 per pound at a recent auction. Its high quality and limited supply set off a bidding war that drove up its price. Only 100 pounds of the rare variety of Arabica beans from Panama were available for purchase, most of which went to buyers in Japan, China and Taiwan. The California café secured 10 pounds and is the only outlet in North America to offer the gourmet java, which it describes as having a floral, tea-like flavor with hints of jasmine and berries. Those 10 pounds of beans will produce about 80 cups of coffee. And, as soon as the caffeine jolt wears off, about 80 cases of buyer’s remorse. Some strong stories are percolating in today’s edition of company news.

EASER Source: Associated Press

MON D A Y , J U N E 1 0 T Today we report on a brush with greatness … A nonprofit group in Loveland, Colo., recently broke a world record by creating an unbroken line of toothbrushes 3.75 miles long. Some 60 volunteers laid a total of 41,769 toothbrushes from bristle to handle in an ever-expanding circular pattern. Professional surveyors were on hand to measure the line, which came out to 3.75 miles. The

S S distance fell short of the group's 5-mile goal, but shattered the previous record of .6 miles. The record-breaking toothbrushes, as

’ well as 15,000 tubes of toothpaste, were donated to local Y charities. We just hope the group accurately documented their efforts or else the record books will give them the brush-off. Today’s edition of company news has been getting strong word of mouth.

Source: UPI

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TUES D A Y , J U N E 1 1 We lack the words to adequately describe today’s report … The editors of the Merriam-Webster dictionary recently added more than 640 new words, from old terms that have developed new meanings to words that are products of the digital age. All of the following terms received the dictionary's stamp of approval:  buzzy ─ generating speculation or attention  garbage time ─ the final moments or minutes of a game in which one side has an insurmountable lead  gig economy ─ economic activity that involves the use of temporary workers to perform jobs typically in the service sector  Goldilocks ─ an area of planetary orbit in which temperatures are neither too hot nor too cold to support life  on-brand ─ typical of a particular brand or public image or

EASER identity  page view ─ an instance of a user viewing an individual page on a website

 tailwind ─ a force or influence that advances progress T  unplug ─ to temporarily refrain from using electronic devices If we could describe today’s edition of company news in one word, it would be “indescribable.”

S S WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12

Have you ever wondered why we spell Wednesday that way but ’

pronounce it like “Wenzday”? You can blame Woden. In ancient Y Germanic mythology, Woden was a deity associated with healing, royalty, knowledge, battle, sorcery and poetry. And with such an impressive résumé, it’s no wonder that folks dedicated the fourth day of the week to him. Woden’s day eventually morphed into Wednesday. In the 17th century, playwright William Shakespeare tried to convert the spelling to the more pronunciation-friendly "Wensday," but it didn't catch on. So thanks to Woden, we still have to type an unnecessary letter or two whenever we write about the day that falls in the middle of the work week. It’s always a red-letter day when the latest edition of company news arrives.

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THURSDAY, JUNE 13 If you hear of an odder hotel amenity than this, let minnow … A hotel in Brussels, Belgium, is offering lonely guests the opportunity to rent a goldfish to keep them company during their stay. For about $4 per night, guests can rent a goldfish in a bowl. The hotel initially kept a fishbowl at the front desk to keep guests entertained during check-in, but it became so popular they expanded the service. But no matter how much it grows, their goldfish program will always be small scale. We have bigger fish to fry in today’s edition of company news.

Source: UPI

FRIDAY, JUNE 14 You might say this youngster was equal to the tusk … A young

EASER boy recently made a paleontological discovery when he literally stumbled upon a million-year-old fossil while hiking in the New Mexico desert with his parents. After the 9-year-old lad tripped

over a half-buried tusk, his family snapped a photo of the T mysterious fossil. They contacted a biology professor at New Mexico State University, who determined it was a rare Stegomastodon skull. The family joined a team of students and paleontologists that excavated the fossil of the long-extinct elephant ancestor. Everyone agreed it was a great way to

spend a summer vacation, make no bones about it. You never

S S know what you’ll discover in today’s edition of company news.

’ Source: New York Times Y

MONDAY, JUNE 17 The thieves were arrested in the seedy part of town … Police in Maryland Heights, Mo., recently asked residents to view a "pumpkin lineup" to see if their squashes were among those recovered from robbers. After pumpkins began vanishing from local homes, police caught three teenage boys orange-handed with 49 stolen gourds crammed into an SUV. Officers snapped photos of the abducted pumpkins and posted the lineup on Facebook so the robbery victims could identify and claim their property. And we suspect that figuring out what to do with all of

those rescued pumpkins was as easy as pie. Now we get the scoop from today’s edition of company news.

TODA Source: UPI

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TUESDAY, JUNE 18 Come on in, the music’s fine … Musicians at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wis., recently staged a musical performance underwater. The show, titled “Breathe: A Multi-disciplinary Water Opera,” was performed in and around the pool in the school's wellness center. It featured dancers, percussionists, singers, trumpets, a flute, a cello, a keyboardist and a bass player. "It's been kind of one of the great surprises of my life that you could play cello underwater," the opera’s composer said. Maybe so, but good luck playing a waterlogged tuba. Today’s edition of company news boldly sails into uncharted waters.

Source: UPI

EASERWEDNESDAY, JUNE 19 This story is really bugging us … Thieves recently made off with some 7,000 live exhibits from an insect museum in Philadelphia.

Police are on the lookout for rare critters valued at an estimated T $50,000 that were nabbed from the city’s Insectarium and Butterfly Pavilion. Surveillance footage shows the bug burglars sneaking out the back of the museum with boxes filled with live insects such as zebra tarantulas, desert hairy scorpions, red spot assassin bugs, tiger hissers and a venomous six-eyed sand spider. Apparently insect collectors will pay top dollar for such rare

S S specimens. If the police are smart, they’ll stake out the flea

market. There’s a lot of good buzz for today’s edition of ’ company news. Y Source: Washington Post

THURSDAY, JUNE 20 This story is sure to bowl you over … The star bowler at a bowling alley in Emmett, Idaho, boasts an unusual pedigree ─ he's a dog. The owner of the alley put a ball on a kids' ramp when Blake the golden doodle was just 12 weeks old, and the puppy surprised her by pushing it toward the pins. The bowling canine, now eight months old, is improving. "I think his high game is, like, a 93," said the alley owner. "He gets strikes every once in a while." We hear the pin-pummeling pooch even picked up a 7/10 split but we’ll spare you the details. Today’s edition of company news is right up your alley.

TODA Source: UPI

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FRI DAY, JUNE 2 1 What’s next, waterproofing the Wicked Witch’s costume? The Smithsonian Institution recently launched a successful crowdfunding effort to raise money to save Judy Garland’s iconic ruby slippers from “The Wizard of Oz.” It took just a week for the campaign to meet its goal of $300,000, which will be used to repair the leather, sequined and glass-beaded slippers made in 1939. The organization is trying to drum up an additional $85,000 to preserve the Scarecrow costume worn by actor Ray Bolger in the classic movie. And they better not forget to oil the Tin Woodsman’s hinges or he’ll have an axe to grind. Now we bring down the house with today’s edition of company news.

Source: Associated Press

EASER MONDAY, JUNE 24

Today we’re reading between the lines … Readers nationwide T recently named the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" as America’s best-loved novel. More than 4 million votes were cast in the 6- month-long "Great American Read" survey conducted by PBS. To qualify for the survey, books had to be published in English (but not necessarily written in the language). Books that were published as a series counted as a single entry. Rounding out the

S S top 10 (in order of votes) were: • The "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon ’ • The "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling

Y • "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen • "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien • “Gone with the Wind” by Margaret Mitchell • “Charlotte's Web” by E.B. White • “Little Women” by Louis May Alcott • “Chronicles of Narnia” by C.S. Lewis • “Jane Eyre” by Charlotte Bronte You don’t need a library card to check out today’s edition of company news.

Source: PBS

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TUESDAY, JUNE 25 Where did the time go? A group of former classmates recently was stumped when it tried to dig up a time capsule buried 30 years ago in Coloma, Mich. Seven classmates and two teachers spent several hours outside their former junior high school searching in vain for a box that was buried in 1988. Some speculated that rebellious classmates may have dug it up, but the school superintendent suggested the box was unearthed when work was performed to alleviate flooding behind the school. The group plans to continue the search with a different metal detector. It sounds like they’re trying to make up for lost time. Time stands still when you read today’s edition of company news.

Source: Associated Press

EASER WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26 While the United States is home to some of the world’s most

iconic tourist destinations, many Americans haven’t gotten T around to actually visiting them. According to a study conducted by a national motel chain, 48 percent of Americans have visited 10 states or less. Our travel deficiencies include some pretty awesome vacation experiences, including the following: • See the Great Lakes (40 percent haven’t done)

S S • Visit a desert (34 percent) • Go to a major mountain range (28 percent) ’ • Visit a National Park or landmark (26 percent) Y • Visit a major U.S. city (13 percent) • Visit an amusement park (12 percent) • See an ocean (10 percent) • Touch snow (6 percent) We’re excited to see the sights in today’s edition of company news.

Source: Associated Press

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THURSDAY, JUNE 27 Unmotivated applicants are encouraged to apply … NASA and the European Space Agency are offering $19,000 to subjects willing to spend 60 consecutive days lying in bed. The space agencies said the Artificial Gravity Bed Rest study, which aims to analyze the effects of long spaceflights on astronauts' bodies, calls for 12 men and 12 women to spend 60 days lying in bed at the German Aerospace Center in Cologne, Germany. The study will examine the potential benefits of artificial gravity on missions to destinations such as Mars. Study participants will also spend 19 days preparing and recovering from the bed portion of the

study. Before accepting the job, we advise you to sleep on it. Today’s edition of company news soars so high that it defies gravity.

Source: UPI EASER

FRIDAY, JUNE 28

T If this pencil breaks, the whole thing will be pointless … An artist in Haldwani, India, recently created the world's smallest pencil ─ a functioning writing implement measuring just .2 inches long and .02 inches wide. The micro-sculptor drilled a minuscule hole in a single piece of wood, inserted graphite and carved the wood to create the pencil, which requires a pair of tweezers to use. It took him about four days to make the puny pencil, which is roughly

S S the size of an eyelash. Now we’re waiting for someone to create

the world’s smallest eraser. Today’s edition of company news is ’

quite sharp. Y

Source: UPI

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