CONNECT SELECT A wide selection of interesting and trending stories – rip ‘em, read ‘em and post ‘em! THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 4th, 2021

TODAY IS…

 NATIONAL HOMEMADE SOUP DAY – Who’s feeling under the weather? From chicken to borscht to wonton soup, just about every culture has its own way of warming up with a comforting bowl of something delicious.  NATIONAL HEMP DAY – This stuff can do anything! It’s been a part of human civilization for thousands of years and continues to amaze. It’s used to make clothes, CBD, paint and biofuels. It’s even being used now as a replacement for concrete (called hempcrete). Hemp got a bad rap when it was lumped into the same classification as heroin and LSD, but growing it was legalized again a few years ago.  OPTIMIST DAY (First Thursday in February) – Celebrating all the optimists who made a difference in our lives. Whether they coach community sports or are inventing the next big thing, their can-do attitude is an inspiration to us all. Now go do something great!  NATIONAL THANK A MAIL CARRIER DAY – Just because they deliver your credit card bill doesn’t mean they don’t deserve your gratitude. The first organized mail service in America was created back in 1775 and without them, this last year would have sucked a whole lot more.  FRIENDS DAY/FACEBOOK’S BIRTHDAY – February 4 is 'Friends Day,’ aka Facebook’s birthday. The day is a way to celebrate people connected through Facebook, even if it’s just your crazy uncle. Mark Zuckerberg launched Facebook in 2004 from his dorm room at Harvard as a way for students to connect with friends (but really it was a way for nerds to rank hot chicks).  WORLD CANCER DAY – The 2021 World Cancer Day theme is 'I Am and I Will.’ This year, we give particular thanks to all the nurses, doctors, researchers, volunteers and caregivers who have worked through the coronavirus pandemic.

BIRTHDAYS:

 ALICE COOPER (Vincent Furnier), 73 – Singer/songwriter. Considered the Godfather of “Shock Rock,” Cooper became known for his stage shows with pyrotechnics, fake blood, reptiles, electric chairs, and baby dolls. Alice Cooper was the name of his band. When they broke up, Vincent Furnier adopted the name Alice Cooper as his stage name AND his real name. HERE’S A LINK TO COOPER’S SONG “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY”  CLINT BLACK, 59 – Singer. The GRAMMY-winning singer/songwriter took the Country music world by storm in the 90s and has had 22 #1 singles on Billboard’s Country music charts. Before hitting it big in Country, Black worked as a construction worker, a bait cutter, and a fishing guide. HERE’S A LINK TO BLACK’S SONG “KILLIN’ TIME”  GAVIN DeGRAW, 44 – Singer/songwriter. DeGraw really broke out when his song “I Don’t Want to Be” became the theme song for the hit TV show “One Tree Hill.” DeGraw dropped out of Ithaca College after realizing he spent more time in his dorm room writing songs than he did attending classes. HERE’S A LINK TO HIS HIT “NOT OVER YOU”  OSCAR DE LA HOYA, 48 – Boxer. Known as “The Golden Boy,” De La Hoya won a gold medal in boxing at the Summer Olympics in 1992. In the late 90s he was one of the top-rated boxers in the world. After his boxing career, he became a boxing promoter and then an MMA promoter.  HANNIBAL BURESS, 38 – Comedian/Actor. This funny man has done lots of stand-up while starring on Adult Swim's “The Eric Andre Show” and being featured on Comedy Central's “Broad City.” He jokes about having trouble dating because girls associated his name with fictional character Hannibal Lecter.  LAWRENCE “LT” TAYLOR, 61 – Hall of Fame NFL linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion. He was part of the New York Giants “Big Blue Wrecking Crew” defense in the 80s. He’s ranked as one of the top defensive players in NFL history. HERE’S A LINK TO SOME FOOTBALL SOUND EFFECTS

TRENDING/ODD:

TODDLER RELEASES ALBUM RECORDED WHEN SHE WAS IN THE WOMB (00:21) Rock stars just keep getting younger and younger. Check out the toddler in Brooklyn who cut her first album before she was even born! Her parents (who, no surprise, were in bands) recorded her while she was still in the womb. The album - called ‘Sounds of the Unborn’ - used special recording software to convert 'in utero' movements into sound. Then they laid a fat bass track onto it. The album sells for 23 bucks. (It isn't exactly a good workout jam) CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO FOR ONE OF THE TRACKS (YUP, IT’S WEIRD!)

THE POLAR VORTEX IS BRINGING FREEZING TEMPERATURES TO EVERY STATE (00:15) Every single state in the US is gonna see below freezing temperatures over the next week. Even Hawaii - which doesn't happen a lot. Next Monday’s gonna be especially cold. Forecasters are blaming something called a polar vortex, which is just a fancy way of saying…winter.

WATCHING OTHER PEOPLE CLEAN IS NOW A THING ON YOUTUBE (00:18) Watching videos of people cleaning their house is now a 'thing.' YouTube is filling up with strangely satisfying time-lapse videos of regular people scrubbing their bathrooms (and they're not even naked or anything). Some are pulling 3 million views per video, showing close up shots of scrubbing drains with a toothbrush and even critiquing cleaning products. CLICK HERE TO WATCH SOMEONE SCRUB THE HECK OUT OF HER LIVINGROOM

AMAZON KEPT 62 MILLION IN TIPS INTENDED FOR DRIVERS (00:21) Apparently the 21 BILLION dollars Amazon made last year wasn't enough for them, so they kept all the tips that were intended for their drivers (allegedly). The Federal Trade Commission claims Amazon stiffed their 'Flex' delivery drivers out of 62 million bucks in tips. The gig workers - kinda like Uber drivers for parcels - were promised the cash, but the feds say they never got it.

WORLD’S TALLEST, FASTEST ROLLER COASTER (00:22) There's another good reason to go to Six Flags Great Adventure…They're building a record- breaking roller coaster that has an 87 degree drop - that's nearly straight down - and goes as high as 130 feet! They call it 'the Jersey Devil'. The final piece of track was laid this week and when it's finished this summer, it'll be the tallest, longest and fastest single-rail coaster in the world.

LOWE'S OFFERS VALENTINE'S DATE NIGHT TO SPLASH PAINT ON CANVAS (00:21) Lovers of Lowe's home improvement store now have a chance to take their honey there after hours for romance. The store is offering a date night with flowers and a chance to splash paint on a canvas. Sherwin Williams paint that is. Ten Lowe's stores are offering the Valentine's fun, in cities Lowe's says are the most romantic; think New Orleans, Nashville and Milwaukee.

WEIRD SCIENCE & TECH

STUDY: THESE ARE THE PEOPLE SPREADING COVID THE MOST (00:19) A new study has zeroed in who spreads COVID the most: it's adults 20-to-49. And now researchers think they should be the ones getting the vaccine next. Scientists at Imperial College in London say out of 10 million infections, more than 70 percent of cases came from 20-to-49 year olds. Kids were responsible for just 5 percent of the spread (in spite of their dirty little hands).

STARTUP CLAIMS THEY CAN 3D PRINT A STEAK (00:20) You can 3D print just about anything… a house, a gun, meat - WAIT, meat? There's a Spanish startup making plant-based meat substitutes, and they've just figured out a way to 3D print a fake steak. Novameat claims its printers can squeeze out 'the world's biggest whole cuts of cultured meat' that look, taste and even 'chew' just like a pork chop or steak. CLICK HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO OF A MACHINE SQUEEZE OUT A PORK CHOP

AS WE STAYED HOME THE EARTH GOT WARMER IN 2020 (00:22) As we checked for fever during the coronavirus crisis, Mother Earth had her own slight fever. Scientists say 2020 saw less pollution, allowing for warmer temperatures. Around the globe, the weather was up nearly one degree. Car exhaust and burning coal normally cool the atmosphere. But with less of us commuting and factories not at capacity, the sun's rays didn't have the usual smog to fight.

YOUR MONEY/SHOPPING

DRUG STORE VACCINATIONS START FEBRUARY 11th (00:17) Starting next week, you can get your COVID shot at the drug store. The US government has given permission for CVS, Walmart and Walgreens pharmacists to vaccinate people at no charge. 40- thousand American pharmacies can administer vaccines starting next Thursday - they'll get a million doses every week.

KROGER WOULD RATHER CLOSE STORES THAN GIVE HAZARD PAY (00:20) Looks like a big grocery chain would rather close a couple of stores than pay more to their employees. In Long Beach, California the city council passed a hazard pay law for grocery store workers. Kroger is gonna close the Ralphs and Food 4 Less it owns to avoid the extra four bucks an hour. Kroger executives say they can't absorb that kind of huge labor cost.

LIFE/SURVEY SAYS…

OBESITY EXPERTS WANT THE CALORIE COUNT ON ALCOHOLIC DRINKS (00:15) If you knew how many calories were in a daiquiri or margarita, would you still drink 'em? Obesity experts say calorie labels should be on boozy drinks because many of us have no clue how many calories we're taking in. A margarita has about 200 calories, and a piña colada 500!

COVID TIMES - MANNEQUINS FILL AN EMPTY RESTAURANT (00:22) All around the world COVID rules have tightened, even in Brussels. The owner of a Belgian restaurant misses her customers, so much she's started serving mannequins glasses of wine. Yup, they're all dressed up in wigs, hats and scarves, sitting around the bar. They're a bit comical because their heads are blown up balloons. The restaurant owner says the dummies give her a sense of community.

ENTERTAINMENT

EA SPORTS SAYS NEW COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME IS COMING (00:20) It's been 8 years since E-A sports did a college football video game. The company says it's working on something new. But it will not be referred to as "NCAA Football." College players are not paid directly for their likeness, at least not yet. New NCAA rules could be coming soon. For now, E-A sports will stick to college logos, uniforms and stadiums.

SUPER BOWL LV

CBS NEWS WILL HOLD PRE-SUPER BOWL INTERVIEW WITH PRESIDENT BIDEN (00:18) Joe Biden will sit down with CBS News for his first in-depth interview as president. CBS is also airing this year's Super Bowl, and presidential interviews are kind of a pre-game tradition. The interview will be pre-taped with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O'Donnell, and will run sometime around 4 o'clock eastern (so, you probably won't be drunk by then).

JOHN TRAVOLTA AND DAUGHTER DO THE DANCE FROM ‘GREASE’ IN NEW SUPER BOWL AD (00:21) A tease of what's to come in Super Bowl commercials. John Travolta and his daughter have fun in a Scotts and Miracle-Gro ad. The two dance a scene from 'Grease.' Travolta's daughter Ella is 20 and shows her dad how to use a selfie stick. Martha Stewart even chimes in saying Travolta still has his dance moves. His neighbor; the actor who played Stanley Hudson on "The Office."

SUPER BOWL HOST CITY WON'T CASH IN THE WAY OTHER CITIES HAVE (00:20) Usually the Super Bowl means big bucks for the host city, but not this year. Miami took in more than half a billion dollars from the Super Bowl last year. With fewer fans and coronavirus restrictions, Tampa will likely see less than half of what Miami got. Still, local business owners say something is better than nothing, and the cash flow is needed.

TAMPA FINALLY GETS A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! (00:18) While 2020 was a great year for Tampa sports, none of the teams played their final games in the city. The NHL's Lightning won the Stanley Cup, but they did it in Canada, and the Rays made it to the World Series, but those games were played in Texas. At least Sunday, Tampa and Buccaneers fans will get to enjoy Super Bowl "55."

WEEKEND / “ICYMI”

“PEEPING TOM” FALLS THROUGH LOCKER ROOM CEILING (00:16) Ever feel like someone's watching you at the gym? In Virginia, some women were getting dressed when a dude fell through the ceiling of the locker room. He landed on one of them. The women held him until the cops came. A 41-year-old guy has been charged with three counts of “peeping.”

MONTANA MAN FINED 10MIL FOR ROBOCALLS (00:23) It's rare to hear about robocall justice, but a guy in Montana has been fined nearly 10-million dollars by the FCC. He's accused of making thousands of robocalls with racist and hateful language against Black and Jewish politicians. A known Nazi-sympathizer, the feds say he manipulated calls, making them look like local phone numbers. The annoying caller says the fine is a massive overreach of authority by the FCC.

GRUBHUB STARTS SELLING GIRL SCOUT COOKIES (00:18) You can now order Girl Scout cookies through Grubhub. The pandemic has made it tough for scouts, especially since a lot of offices and schools are closed. Grubhub says they won't charge the Girl Scouts a fee so now you can load up on S'mores, Tagalongs and Thin Mints and all the money still goes to them.

COVID HAS MADE US STOP USING CASH (00:19) The pandemic is changing the way we pay for stuff. The Commerce Department says the crisis has more Americans ditching cash. A lot of stores are only taking contactless payments now, so they don't have to handle cash. Online retail sales were up nearly 40 percent last fall - and they definitely can't take cash over the internet.

WOMAN USES POTATO CHIP BAGS TO MAKE SLEEPING BAGS FOR HOMELESS (00:29) An environmental activist in Detroit is doing her part to help the homeless. She makes sleeping bags out of used potato chip bags. Erada Oleita collects the bags, opens them, irons them flat, and then lines them with plastic. The chip bag’s foil lining reflects heat, and the finished sleeping bags are also durable, lightweight, and waterproof. She says it takes about 150 chip bags to make one sleeping bag. So if you’re overloading on chips right now (and who isn’t?), Oleita has a website that lists where you can send or drop off used bags. HERE’S A PHOTO OF OLEITA WITH ONE OF THE SLEEPING BAGS

BBB WARNS AGAINST POSTING VACCINATION CARDS ONLINE (00:27) Got a COVID vaccine? Great! Posting it on social media? Not so great. If you’re one of the lucky ones to have already received the vaccine, don’t post your vaccination card on social media. The Better Business Bureau says it can leave you open to identity theft. The cards have your name, birthday, and information on where you got the shot. Identity thieves can match that information with other personal data they can find online. If you really feel the need to boast, they suggest posting a photo of your vaccine sticker instead.

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