CONNECT SELECT WEEKEND EDITION A wide selection of interesting and trending stories – rip ‘em, read ‘em and post ‘em! FRIDAY, APRIL 16th, 2021
TODAY IS…
NATIONAL WEAR YOUR PAJAMAS TO WORK DAY Really?! Most of us have been doing this for a year now. DID YOU KNOW?…the word ‘pajamas’ comes from the Persian word ‘Pay-jama’, which just means loose-fitting, draw- string pants. But PJs, Jammies and Jim-jams are 100 percent American!
NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR MEDICINE CABINET DAY (3rd Friday in April) You don’t want your next date to accidentally find that old fungus medication, do ya? But seriously, expired medicine can make you sick. Take all your old drugs back to the pharmacy where they’ll dispose of them safely and never, ever flush ‘em; that’s how they get into the water supply.
NATIONAL EGGS BENEDICT DAY Eggs Benedict is named after a real-life guy! Lemuel Benedict was a stockbroker. In 1894, he went to the Waldorf Hotel in New York and ordered ‘buttered toast, poached eggs, crisp bacon and a side of Hollandaise’. The restaurant staff was so impressed, they stole the recipe and put it on the menu - with a few minor changes.
SATURDAY IS…
HUSBAND APPRECIATION DAY That’s enough appreciation…now go clean the garage!
NATIONAL HAIKU POETRY DAY Celebrating the Japanese art form. In case you skipped that class in middle school, a haiku is a 3 line poem with a syllable count of five-seven-five. EXAMPLE: Five syllables here… And seven syllables there… Are you happy now?!
BLAH, BLAH, BLAH DAY Today’s the day you finally get around to doing all the things you’ve been nagged to do: clean the car, change that broken light bulb, quit smoking, blah-blah-blah…
NATIONAL KICKBALL DAY Kickball was invented about 100 years ago in Cincinnati. Gym teachers first started using it to teach kids the basics of baseball (it doesn’t hurt that it’s nearly impossible to strike out).
NATIONAL AUCTIONEERS DAY (3rd Saturday in April) Celebrating the lightning-fast talkers who keep auctions rolling along. That rhythmic cadence isn’t just entertaining, it’s also uniquely American. It was developed during the Civil War - back when folks didn’t have a lot of time to wait around for the next bid.
SUNDAY IS…
GO FLY A KITE DAY Seriously, go fly a kite! DID YOU KNOW?…Kites were invented in ancient China. They were used to communicate between villages, usually as a way to say ‘send help’.
NATIONAL TRANSFER MONEY TO YOUR DAUGHTER’S ACCOUNT DAY We’re not even kidding, this is a real thing! So Venmo some cash or you’ll never hear the end of it. DID YOU KNOW?… The first wire transfer service was started by Western Union in 1872.
INTERNATIONAL PIÑATA DAY Celebrating the ultimate violent party prop! Piñatas (pin-YAH-taz) are usually made of paper- mâché and filled with toys and candy. We know them as a Mexican party favor you smack with a stick, but they were actually invented by the Chinese as a new year’s celebration. Back then, they made ‘em out of clay pots, so it took a bit more muscle to get to the goodies inside.
NATIONAL ANIMAL CRACKERS DAY Celebrating the childhood favorite that’s a little sad when you think about it. For more than a hundred years, the animal-shaped cookies came in a box that featured all the animals in train cages. In 2018, Nabisco changed that so now the animals on the box are roaming freely in nature.
BIRTHDAYS:
FRIDAY:
ANYA TAYLOR-JOY, 25: Actress. Check mate! She got us through the last leg of quarantine with her Netflix smash, “The Queen’s Gambit.” CLICK HERE FOR “THE QUEEN’S GAMBIT” THEME
CHANCE THE RAPPER (Chancelor Bennett), 28: Rapper. His third mixtape “Coloring Book” earned him three GRAMMY Awards, including “Best Rap Album.” CLICK HERE FOR “FAVORITE SONG” CLEAN
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR, 74: NBA Hall of Famer. He’s the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. He was a 6-time NBA Champion, 6-time NBA MVP and 19-time All-Star. HERE’S A CLIP FROM HIS HISTORIC RECORD-BREAKING MOMENT (00:28)
DAVE PIRNER, 57: Musician. He’s the singer/songwriter with the alt-rock band Soul Asylum, known for their 1993 hit “Runaway Train.” CLICK HERE FOR “RUNAWAY TRAIN”
MARTIN LAWRENCE, 56: Actor/Comedian. He starred in his own 90s sitcom “Martin” before bigger fame as one of film’s “Bad Boys.” CLICK HERE FOR THE “MARTIN” THEME SONG
BILL BELICHICK, 69: NFL Coach. Legendary NFL coach who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl wins.
BILL SPOONER, 71: Musician. “Sputnik” Spooner was the guitarist for the band “The Tubes,” known for songs like “White Punks on Dope” and “She’s a Beauty.” CLICK HERE FOR THE TUBES’ “SHE’S A BEAUTY”
SATURDAY:
PHOEBE DYNEVOR, 26: Actress. She made corsets trendy again. The British actress wowed as Daphne in Netflix’s giant hit “Bridgerton.” CLICK HERE FOR “BRIDGERTON” OPENING THEME
ROONEY MARA, 36: Actress. “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is also the fiancée of actor Joaquin (wa-keen) Phoenix.
VICTORIA BECKHAM, 47: Singer/Designer. She’ll always be “Posh Spice” to us. The singer and fashion designer is the wife of soccer superstar David Beckham. CLICK HERE FOR THE SPICE GIRLS’ “TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT”
JENNIFER GARNER, 49: Actress. She’s no longer “thirty, flirty and thriving.” But the “Yes Day” star seems to just be getting better with age. CLICK HERE FOR “ALIAS” THEME
LIZ PHAIR, 54: Singer/songwriter. The “Why Can’t I” singer and songwriter is just “Everything to Us.” CLICK HERE FOR PHAIR’S “WHY CAN’T I”
BOOMER ESIASON (Uh-SIGH-uh-son), 60: Former NFL Player/Sportscaster. The former MVP quarterback hosts a syndicated morning radio show and is also a CBS Sports NFL analyst.
SUNDAY:
CONAN O’BRIEN, 58: Talk Show Host. He wrote for “SNL” and “The Simpsons” before becoming a late-night talk host. CLICK HERE FOR “LATE NIGHT WITH CONAN O’BRIEN” THEME SONG
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN, 42: Reality TV star. She’s the eldest sibling of the Kardashian clan. And the *most* ‘interesting to look at.’ (“Keeping Up” fans, you get it.)
AMERICA FERRERA, 37: Actress. The star of the TV shows “Ugly Betty” and “Superstore” is also one fourth of the “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.” CLICK HERE FOR “SUPERSTORE” THEME
NATHAN SYKES, 28: Singer. The pop singer rose to fame as a member of the boy band The Wanted. CLICK HERE FOR THE WANTED’S “GLAD YOU CAME”
MELISSA JOAN HART, 45: Actress. She’s the star of “Clarissa Explains it All” and “Sabrina the Teenage Witch.” CLICK HERE FOR “SABRINA” OPENING
DAVID TENNANT, 50: Actor. The Scottish actor who played the 10th “Dr. Who” also appeared in “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”
KENNY ORTEGA, 71: Director/Choreographer. He choreographed the iconic film “Dirty Dancing” and directed the popular film “Hocus Pocus” and the “High School Musical” series.
TRENDING/ODD
GOOGLE EARTH NOW SHOWS THE PLANET’S SLOW DETERIORATION (00:22) Have you seen the new time-lapse feature on Google Earth? It stitches together satellite imagery going all the way back to 1984 to show how the world has changed since Wham’s first hit. You won’t be able to zoom up onto your neighborhood (and see how many Starbucks have popped up), instead ‘EarthEngine’ focuses on specific areas like the melting Columbia Glacier in Alaska, urban sprawl in Las Vegas and deforestation in Brazil. CLICK HERE TO SEE HOW THE WORLD HAS CHANGED IN 37 YEARS HERE’S WHAM’S ‘WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO GO’
AMERICA HAS BOBA SHORTAGE (00:19) If you like bubble tea, you may be out of luck soon. There’s a nation-wide boba shortage. The bubbles in bubble tea is mostly made in the US, but the tapioca it’s made from is shipped from Thailand. Some boba shops are already out and others only have enough to last ‘em the next couple of weeks. They say the shortage could last into the summer.
MYSTERY CREATURE TURNS OUT TO BE A CROISSANT IN A TREE (00:22) For two days, a neighborhood in Poland was terrorized by a mysterious tree creature. Turns out it was a croissant. Residents of an apartment building in Krakow spotted it in a tree; they couldn’t tell if it was reptile or a big slug. Regardless, they kept their windows closed and wouldn’t go outside until an animal control officer climbed the tree and confirmed it was just pastry.
VACCINE HESITANT STATES (00:17) For some reason, folks in Wyoming really, really don’t want a vaccine. The US Department of Health says Wyoming has the most vaccine-hesitant counties in the country, where a third of residents are turning ‘em down. Mississippi, North and South Dakota are also ending up with a whole lot of leftover vaccine.
LAMARCUS ALDRIDGE ABRUPTLY RETIRES FROM NBA BECAUSE OF HEALTH ISSUE (00:17) NBA All-Star Lamarcus Aldridge has abruptly retired, shocking the basketball world. The 35-year-old big-man is suffering from an irregular heartbeat. He had just signed a deal with the Brooklyn Nets, but only played 5 games with them. Aldridge played for 15 years (so he’s not hurting for cash) and is likely headed for the Hall of Fame.
A THIRD OF U.S. ADULTS ARE NOW FULLY VACCINATED (00:15) According to the CDC, a third of American adults are now fully vaccinated. That means more than 78 million of us have now gotten both shots. 80 PERCENT of seniors have had at least one dose of a COVID vaccine. And nearly 200-million shots have been jabbed into American arms.
PHOTO OF THE YEAR: A HUG (00:21) Is this the year we all hug again? The 2021 photo of the year shows an old Brazilian woman getting her first hug in five months from a nurse in a clear plastic hug curtain. The pandemic has hit Brazil hard; more than 350-thousand have died. The photo was taken by a Danish photographer in Sao Paulo. He says the main message of the photo is empathy, love and compassion.
BUSCH BEER LOOKING FOR A DOG MASCOT (00:18) Busch beer is looking to hire a dog to promote its latest "Dog Brew.” The company is looking for a "Chief Tasting Officer” for their alcohol free bone broth. Busch says it's full of nutrition and great for dogs who have trouble eating food. The gig pays 20-grand, offers pet insurance and, of course, includes free "Dog Brew."
LAW & DISORDER
EX COP TRIAL - CHAUVIN WON'T TESTIFY (00:28) At Derek Chauvin's murder trial, he told the judge he's not going to testify. The ex-Minneapolis police officer is accused of putting his knee on George Floyd's neck, killing him. The medical examiner on the Floyd case took the stand again. He wanted to make it known the theory that "carbon monoxide poisoning" killed Floyd does NOT fly. A defense expert blamed breathing in car exhaust. The medical examiner says Floyd's blood was full of oxygen and didn't show any indication of poisoning.
POLICE CHIEF REACTS TO VIRAL VIDEO OF ARMY LT. PEPPER SPRAYED (00:25) Viral video earlier this week showed a black Army lieutenant being threatened and pepper sprayed for not getting out of his SUV. The Windsor, Virginia cop was fired. Now the police chief says he had to let him go because of public backlash. The chief blames the lieutenant for creating the tense situation and says he is NOT owed an apology. The lieutenant is suing the police department. Now the local NAACP wants the chief to resign over his comments.
WEIRD SCIENCE & TECH
STUDY: WAKING UP TO YOUR FAVORITE SONG CAN MAKE YOU MORE ALERT (00:17) There’s a new study out of Australia that may have a cure for your morning grogginess. Researchers found that people who wake up to music instead of a blaring alarm were more alert and didn’t feel as sluggish. Scientists say waking up to a song (the catchier the better) is even more effective than caffeine and a hot shower.
PFIZER SAYS WE’LL NEED THIRD COVID SHOT WITHIN A YEAR (00:22) Don’t celebrate being fully vaccinated just yet. Pfizer now says 2 shots might not be enough. Pfizer’s CEO says they now think we’ll likely need AT LEAST a third shot, within a year of being fully vaccinated, for it to keep working properly. They also think we might need to get vaccinated annually - kinda like the flu shot. Moderna is also working on a booster shot for its two-dose vaccine.
STUDY: BRAIN BLOOD CLOTS MORE LIKELY FROM VIRUS, NOT VAX (00:32) You knew the coronavirus could have long lasting effects. New research on blood clots and vaccines shows the virus is likely to blame. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was initially linked to brain blood clots in half a dozen women. But that may not be accurate. In research on all the vaccines, doctors say the blood clots are more likely to develop if you have the coronavirus. Blood clots were seen in patients who have NOT been vaccinated and who've had the Moderna, Pfizer and J&J shots too. The researchers say the best way to not suffer symptoms of COVID-19 is to get vaccinated.
YOUR MONEY/SHOPPING
DOLLAR TREE HIRING 20,000 (00:20) Who doesn't love a good dollar store? Especially when money is tight! Dollar General saw sales up 22-percent last year through the pandemic. Now the company is looking to hire 20-thousand more people. They'll have virtual and in-person hiring fairs. A Dollar General spokesperson won't say what their hourly pay rate is, but does say it’s competitive.
LIFE/SURVEY SAYS…
CONTEST: PROFESSIONAL MLB HOT DOG EATER (00:17) If you love heartburn and being gassy for 3 days, you can try out for a job as a professional hotdog eater. A review site is looking for someone to travel across the U.S. to major League Baseball stadiums, eat tons of their hotdogs and then compare their color, flavor complexity and value for money (right…like 6 bucks for hotdog is a steal!). CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF BALLPARK HOTDOG PRICES (FROM 2019)
PARENTS ASK ZUCKERBERG NOT TO DO A KIDS VERSION OF INSTAGRAM (00:20) A bunch of parent groups want the idea of a "kids Instagram" dropped. Dozens of organizations have sent Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg a letter. They warn him bullying and online predators won't be stopped just because of a kid-friendly Instagram. In fact, they say it'll only hook users at a younger age into being filter obsessed and being body-shamed.
SURVEY: MORE WOMEN GETTING ACNE FROM FACE MASKS (00:20) A new survey finds the average woman pops 65 pimples a year! That's more than 4-thousand in a lifetime! Seems like a lot right? Are they tackling their boyfriend's back too? Nearly 60 percent of women say they learned a lesson from picking, like a scar left behind. More than half say their acne got worse from having to wear a face mask all the time.
ENTERTAINMENT
JLO AND AROD ARE DONE (00:21) No surprise to anyone, JLo and A-Rod have split up…again…this time, for good. They officially announced their engagement is over, saying ‘they’re better off as friends.’ And while we all knew it wasn’t gonna last, some people figured it out days ago when Alex Rodriguez teamed up with a rich buddy to buy the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves - and JLo wasn’t part of the deal.
TV PREVIEW FRIDAY (00:21) Tonight at 8pm ET on CBS is a new “MacGyver.” Mac and Desi travel with Bozer to his childhood home when his aunt dies in a tragic accident. However, they soon discover she may have been murdered for trying to expose a secret. “Magnum P.I” follows at 9pm ET. Then “Blue Bloods” at 10pm ET. A new “Shark Tank” airs at 8pm ET on ABC. “The Blacklist” starts at 8pm ET on NBC.
TV PREVIEW SUNDAY (00:10) The ACM Awards is tonight at 8pm ET on CBS. Keith Urban and Mickey Guyton co-host. Performers include Kelsea Ballerini, Eric Church, Dan + Shay, Blake Shelton and more.
WEEKEND / “ICYMI”
PLAYBOY’S BIG BUNNY JET IS BACK (00:23) The Big Bunny is back! No, not the Easter bunny or the rapper. Big Bunny is a private jet owned by Playboy. The solid black DC-9 built for Hugh Hefner was grounded a few years ago, but the company’s bringing it back for a whole new purpose – to woo social influencers and jet them off to cool events. Hef’s fur-covered waterbed may be gone, but the company says the experience is like flying in a small mansion.
HOME INSPECTOR CAUGHT ON CAMERA DEFILING ELMO DOLL (00:23) Well, tickle me EWWW-mo. A couple in Detroit got a disturbing surprise after letting a realtor and a home inspector into their house. While the inspector was in the baby’s room, he accidentally tripped a nursery cam app on the woman’s phone. Then she saw him pleasuring himself with an Elmo doll. The dirty dude told cops he only moved poor Elmo because it was blocking an electric socket. Yeah, more like the rocket in his pocket. CLICK HERE FOR “ELMO’S SONG” CLICK HERE FOR TICKLE ME ELMO LAUGHING
ALLIGATOR MATING SEASON IS EARLY THIS YEAR (00:18) What’s worse than an alligator in your backyard? Two ‘frisky’ alligators. Turns out alligator mating season has started a bit early in Florida. It’s been warmer than usual, and that’s got alligators…lookin’ for love. Sometimes in people’s back yard. It’s even got folks posting their own alligator ‘porn’ on YouTube. (Not great…unless you’re into a lot of biting)
UBER DESPERATE FOR NEW DRIVERS (00:20) If you don’t mind having drunk strangers puke in your car, Uber is looking for new drivers! They’re hurting so bad, they’ve started offering sign-up bonuses and other incentives. Uber says it booked more rides last month than ever before - most of that was for food delivery, and passenger bookings are back to where they were before the pandemic hit.
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