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CONNECT SELECT A wide selection of interesting and trending stories – rip ‘em, read ‘em and post ‘em! FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020

TODAY IS…

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4…

 NATIONAL COOKIE DAY – Who doesn’t love a good cookie?! Cookies have been around since the 7th century, right around the time they discovered sugar. Cookies made it to North America in the 16-hundreds. Back then, gingerbread and macaroons were the most popular. It would be a couple hundred years before the chocolate chip cookie was invented.  NATIONAL SOCK DAY – Do your socks match today? If they do, congratulations! National Sock Day honors all the pairs of socks that have managed to stay together through countless washes, laundry room mishaps and messy, unorganized drawers.  FAUX (Foh) FUR FRIDAY (first Friday in December) – Fake fur was invented in 1929, back when real fur had to be refrigerated to keep it from rotting (who’d wanna wear that? And what’s the point of wearing a coat that’s already cold?!). It’s since become a humane alternative to real fur, and is currently enjoying a huge comeback.  NATIONAL BARTENDER DAY (first Friday in December) – Raise a glass to that guy or gal behind the bar. And don’t forget to tip ‘em!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5…

 INTERNATIONAL NINJA DAY – So if someone dressed all in black and holding a sword drops from the ceiling, try not to freak out. Ninjas date back to the year 600. They served samurai warriors, worked as spies, and assassinated enemies. You couldn’t really apply to become a Ninja - it was more of a ‘family business’. Lore suggests the skills were passed down from one generation to another.  BATHTUB PARTY DAY – Skip the shower. Take a bath instead. If you’ve got kids, plop ‘em all in some sudsy water and give them a group wash. Or just send them to bed dirty, drag the TV into the bathroom and give yourself a nice long soak. o BATH FUN FACTS: Baths can help improve our immune response and clear out our sinuses. o Taking a bath before bed can help you sleep deeper and longer by relaxing your muscles and boosting melatonin levels in your brain. o Baths can improve circulation and even make your heart beat faster - so if you’ve got ‘ticker trouble’ maybe stick to a shower instead.  WORLD SOIL DAY – Because you can’t grow corn in crap. World Soil Day encourages preserving soil biodiversity and heathy ecosystems.  ANNIVERSARY OF THE PREMIERE OF ‘BEVERLY HILLS COP’ (1984) – The first Beverley Hills cop movie premiered on this day in 1984. It was a box-office smash (earning 100 million bucks) and made Eddie Murphy an even bigger star. A 4th ‘Beverly Hills Cop’ is now in development, and will be produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (so you know there’s gonna be a ton of explosions!) HERE’S A LINK TO THAT RAD THEME SONG (ALEX F)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6…

 NATIONAL GAZPACHO DAY – All together now! Gah-SPA-cho! It might look like tomato juice in a bowl, but this traditional Spanish vegetable soup is supposed to be served cold - especially in the summer (which kinda makes us wonder why we’re celebrating it in December?!)  ST. NICHOLAS DAY – Recognizing the third-century saint who became the inspiration for Santa Claus. Legend has it he made gold appear in the shoes of 3 poor sisters who’d left them to dry by the fire (that’s where we got the whole stuffing-stockings-by-the-fire thing)  NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY – Did you know the microwave was originally called “the Rad-range”? Good thing that name didn’t stick! The microwave was invented by a self-taught engineer back in 1945, when he found a way to use radio microwaves to heat water. Now nearly every American home has one - and popping popcorn takes just 2 minutes! HERE’S A LINK TO SOME MICROWAVE SOUNDS

BIRTHDAYS:

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4:

 JAY-Z (Shawn Carter), 51 – Rapper/Mogul. Considered one of the most influential hip- hop artists in history, “Hova” has 22 GRAMMY Awards, the most of any single artist. He’s also part owner of the Brooklyn Nets, he founded clothing line Rocawear, and started the sports-bar chain ‘40/40 Club.’ Not enough? He’s also married to Queen Beyoncé.  TYRA BANKS, 47 – Model/TV personality. The former supermodel created the successful reality series “America’s Next Top Model” and hosted “The Tyra Banks Show.” She’s now the new host of “.” Banks was the first woman of African-American descent to be featured on the covers of GQ and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue  , 71 – Actor. Happy Birthday to “The Dude.” He’s starred in so many great films, from “The Big Lebowski” and “Starman” to “” and “Iron Man.” He won an Oscar for the movie “Crazy Heart.” Bridges acting career began as a kid when he and his actor brother Beau starred on their dad Lloyd Bridges’ TV show “Sea Hunt.” He was diagnosed with lymphoma in October, and is now getting treatment for it.  MARISA TOMEI, 56 – Actress. Tomei started out in soaps, starred in the sitcom “A Different World” with Lisa Bonet, and became an Oscar winner for her role as Mona Lisa Vito in “My Cousin Vinny.” She currently stars as Peter Parker’s Aunt May in the “Spiderman” films. She is godmother to Bonet’s daughter, actress Zoe Kravitz.  FRED ARMISEN, 54 – The former SNL cast member is known for his black-rimmed glasses and quirky roles. Known for roles in “Portlandia” and “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.” In the early 90s, he played background drums for the Chicago version of “Blue Man Group.”  RONNIE ORTIZ-MAGRO, 35 – Reality star. Ronnie starred in all six seasons of “Jersey Shore.” Before his reality career, he worked in real estate with his father.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 5:

 MARGARET CHO, 52 – Comedian/Actress. Cho is a stand-up comic known for her routines on race and sexuality. She starred in the 90s sitcom “All American Girl” and played Terri Lee in “Drop Dead Diva.” She was also in the movie “Face/Off.” At age 15, Cho worked as a phone sex operator and a dominatrix.  JOHNNY RZEZNIK, 55 – Musician. Maybe he's seen 'Better Days,' but today will undoubtedly be a good one. The Goo Goo Dolls frontman was raised by his four sisters after both his parents died in the early 80s.  FRANKIE MUNIZ, 35 – Actor. This guy is basically the poster child for the early 2000s. Whether it's “Agent Cody Banks,” “',” or “,” this birthday boy will give you serious nostalgia. He was discovered at age 8 in a local talent competition after acting in “A Christmas Carol.”  PAULA PATTON, 45 – Actress. Patton played Jane Carter in “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol” and also had a role in the film “Precious.” Patton was previously married to singer Robin Thicke. She grew up in L.A. across the street from 20th Century Fox, which inspired her to have an acting career.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 6:

 ANDREW CUOMO, 63 – Politician. Cuomo is the governor of New York, and gained a lot of fame (and attention from women!) for his blunt and candid Covid-19 press conferences. His late father Mario Cuomo was also a governor of New York, and Andrew was one of his top aides.  PETER BUCK, 64 – Musician. Buck is the guitarist for the popular 80s/90s band R.E.M. After dropping out of the University of Georgia, he worked in an Athens record store where he met future bandmate Michael Stipe.  STEVEN WRIGHT, 65 – Comedian. You know him for that monotone voice and deadpan delivery. In addition to stand-up, Wright won an Oscar in 1989 for “Best Live Action Short,” and later won two as producer of the show “Louie.”  LINSDAY PRICE, 44 – Actress. She had roles in the soap operas “The Bold and Beautiful” and “All My Children.” She also played Janet on “Beverly Hills 90210.” She’s married to TV chef Curtis Stone. She started her career singing the Toys-R-Us theme song in one of their commercials.

TRENDING/ODD:

MICROSOFT CAN NOW DETECT WHEN YOU’RE BEING LAZY (00:18) Look alive! There's new software than can tell when you're being lazy. Microsoft has just patented a new technology that detects how engaged and productive you are during those Zoom meetings. It even works in-person. The tech gives you a 'productivity score' by analyzing your facial expressions and body language (so try not to look bored!)

NORDSTROM SELLING THE ULTIMATE ‘2020’ DRESS (00:21) Nordstrom is selling the ultimate dress to commemorate 2020; 'cause it looks more like a hazmat suit. The evening gown is made out of light green satin that resembles surgical scrubs. They've paired it with red, elbow-length gloves that look like something you'd wear to handle something toxic. The whole outfit will run ya 740 bucks! But at least the shipping is free.

SOMEONE’S FOUND ANOTHER FREAKIN’ MONOLITH! (00:18) Another day, another monolith! What is this, an ad campaign or something? This time, a 10-foot silver column was found in the mountains north of Santa Barbara, California, but it was gone a few hours later. Already, they've been discovered (and then removed) in Utah and Romania, and now some people think this 2020's version of planking.

WORLD RECORD FOR ‘CHEESIEST PIZZA (00:21) Forget about those 'three-cheese' pizzas, a French chef just made a 12-inch 'zah' with 80 times as much cheese. The guy broke the world record for ‘cheesiest pizza’ by shredding tiny amounts of 254 different varieties of cheese. The pile weighed about a pound-and-a-half, cost more than a grand, and just the thought alone is enough to make people with lactose intolerance 'crampy.’

TAIWANESE MAN FORCED TO SELL NEW PS5 AFTER WIFE FINDS OUT IT’S NOT AN AIR PURIFIER (00:15) In Taiwan, a guy figured out how to sneak a new PlayStation 5 into the house without his wife freaking out about it. He just told her it was an air purifier. And, on Facebook, he says it worked…for a couple of weeks. Until she figured it out and forced him to sell it.

14 MILLION COVID CASES (00:19) The US just hit 14-million COVID cases. And you're thinking: it felt like we reached 13 million just last week, that's 'cause we did. We're now averaging more than a million cases a week. The U.S. topped 10 million cases less than a month ago. At this pace, we could reach 18 million by Christmas, and possibly 20 million before the New Year.

DEAD GUY BANNED FROM HIS OWN FUNERAL (00:15) In Trinidad and Tobago, a 29-year-old guy was banned from his own funeral. The church refused to allow the body inside because it wasn't in a casket. Instead, his family insisted on having the dead guy posed in a chair. The body was dressed in a bright suit and sunglasses (so at least it wasn't a downer).

TIME MAGAZINE’S ‘KID OF THE YEAR’ (00:32) Time Magazine is known for its "Person of the Year." Now they're recognizing young smarties with a "Kid of the Year." Time selected five kids as their finalists for 2020. One grows food for people in crisis. Another designs toys for children with disabilities. Their winner for kid of the year is a 15-year- old inventor from Lone Tree, Colorado. Gitanjali (get-on-juh-lee) Rao (raow) develops technology to help fight everyday problems from cyberbullying to water contamination. The magazine says their kids list was inspired by last year's person of the year, environmental activist Greta Thunberg (toon- burg). How to say her name.

KIDNAPPED TURKEY DRUNK ON VODKA (00:17) While you were eating turkey leftovers, a turkey in Latvia was drinking vodka. Three men were arrested for stealing the bird from a zoo and then taking it to the beach, where they drank and partied and forced booze on the bird. The turkey later made an appearance on the Latvian evening news, visibly hung over!

FISHY LOTTERY NUMBERS BEING INVESTIGATED (00:16) South Africa's version of Powerball had some weird winning numbers: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. What are the chances of that! Twenty people will get more than five-million dollars each, but others are crying foul. They say it was a scam. Lottery regulators promise they're looking into it.

LAW & DISORDER

COUPLE ARRESTED FOR FLYING WITH COVID-19 (00:14) A couple from Hawaii faces charges for getting on a flight knowing they tested positive for the coronavirus. San Francisco airport officials told them to quarantine. They boarded anyway, and were met by the cops and arrested when their plane landed in Hawaii.

WEIRD SCIENCE & TECH

CHINA TRIED BUILDING SUPER-HUMAN SOLDIERS (00:20) The U.S. Director of Intelligence says China tried building super-human warriors. Intelligence shows China "conducted human testing" on its soldiers so they could develop troops with biologically enhanced capabilities. The gene-editing would give 'em super-human senses like better vision, but it's not clear if they figured out how to make people fly or anything. HERE’S A LINK TO THE SOUND EFFECTS FROM THE 6 MILLION DOLLAR MAN

NASA FIGURES OUT WHAT THAT THING IS THAT’S ORBITING THE EARTH (00:15) NASA was worried an asteroid had started to orbit Earth, but when they pointed their high-powered telescope at it…they saw what it was: an old NASA rocket from 54 years ago. It's the 30-foot upper stage of 'Surveyor 2', a failed moon-landing mission from back in 1966.

FORMER PRESIDENTS SAY THEY'LL GET VIRUS VACCINE (00:16) Most of us won't be able to get the coronavirus vaccine until the spring, and some are skeptical of the new shot. Now former Presidents Obama, Bush, and Clinton say they're willing to go on camera and get the shot publicly to promote the vaccine. Uh yeah, you first Mr. President.

YOUR MONEY/SHOPPING

AIRBNB UNVEILS NEW RULES TO STOP NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTIES (00:19) AirBnB is making it harder for COVIdiots to throw a New Year's bash in a rented home. You'll have to have a history of positive reviews to be allowed to book an entire house. For anyone who doesn't, there's now a 2-night minimum. And every renter will have to sign a contract promising not to throw any kind of 'rager' or they'll get sued!

WALMART PLUS DROPS LIMIT FOR FREE SHIPPING (00:15) Starting today, Walmart Plus members can get free shipping no matter how little they spend. Walmart ditched the 35 dollar minimum to get free shipping. They're trying to lure more online shoppers, and if you wanna compete with Amazon Prime, you gotta have free shipping.

NOVEMBER SPENDING UP ON ELECTRONICS & HOUSEWARES (00:14) MasterCard says we spent a lot in November. Retails sales jumped more than 5 percent, with a lot of us spending on electronics and home goods. There was a drop in sales for clothing and at department stores. Online spending was up more than 50 percent.

CARNIVAL DELAYS CRUISES AGAIN (00:17) Carnival Cruise Line won't be sailing in February. Now they're hoping for March. They're still working out the kinks for health and safety protocols. Their new mega ship "Mardi Gras" is also not ready. Shipyard issues because of the pandemic. They're looking to launch Mardi Gras out of Port Canaveral in April.

LIFE/SURVEY SAYS…

STUDY: AMERICANS ARE IN NEED OF SOME GOOD NEWS (00:22) Desperate for some good news? You're not the only one. A new study says 4-out-of-5 Americans need some cheering up before the end of the year. Three-quarters of us say the constant stream of bad news has taken a negative toll on our mental health. Nearly half of those asked say they re- watch their favorite movie as a pick-me-up. And more than 4-out-of-10 say they snack to feel happier.

REALTORS USE ‘INFLUENCERS’ TO MAKE URBAN LIVING LOOK COOL AGAIN (00:14) With so many ditching big city life through the pandemic, New York City realtors are turning to social media influencers to make you think small apartments are cool. Who doesn't love having their office on their lap in bed?

PROBLEMATIC MAX JET FLIES AGAIN (00:17) Remember the Boeing Max jet and its problems? The plane's failure caused two deadly crashes. 737s were grounded worldwide. The plane flew for the first time with passengers and members of the media. It has been over a year of fixes and test runs. Its first commercial flight is expected at the end of the month.

ENTERTAINMENT

SHAWN MENDES DROPS NEW ALBUM (00:10) Shawn Mendes drops a new album today. It's his fourth studio record: this one's called 'Wonder.' The singer's going for 4-straight number-1 albums. He hasn't released one since 2018.

WARNER BROS WILL MAKE NEW RELEASES AVAILABLE SAME DAY ON TV (00:20) Warner Brothers says it'll release every one of their 2021 movies on TV at the same time they hit theaters. They'll run on HBO Max for a month - that includes big blockbusters like the sequels to 'Suicide Squad' and 'The Matrix'. Kinda makes sense now since 70-inch TVs cost a few hundred bucks, but the move could ultimately destroy the movie theater business. HERE’S A LINK TO WARNER BROS INTRO MUSIC

WEEKEND / "ICYMI"

INSTAGRAM MODEL USES DMs TO CATCH CHEATING GUYS (00:28) Thinking about using Instagram to cheat on your girlfriend? You might want to rethink that. Paige Woolen is a model from California who uses her Insta account "Dudes in the DM" to catch guys in the act of cheating. It started when random men would slide into her DMs and she would notice girlfriend photos on their accounts. She figured maybe the girlfriends didn't know. So she engages with these guys and then posts images of the direct message, exposing the players. Easy? Yes. Clever? Yes. Guys are stupid? YES.

PEOPLE REVEAL THE WEIRDEST COMPLIMENT RECEIVED (00:22) What's the weirdest or most unusual compliment you ever received? Last week a Reddit user posed the question and got more than 26-thousand comments. During an ultrasound, one woman was told she had beautiful Fallopian tubes. A retail worker said a customer told her she was so nice she must have been bullied in high school. Another person said someone told her she looked like a pig, "but a cute one." Ok, then.

BRIDE FAKED CANCER TO GET WEDDING OF HER DREAMS (00:20) A bride in England could be going to jail after admitting she faked cancer to get better wedding gifts. She raised more than 11-grand after telling family and friends she had only 3 months to live. She didn't. She even shaved her head and started a funding page. She blew most of it on a tropical honeymoon. Now, she could be forced to pay it all back.

PELOTON CUSTOMERS CANCEL ORDERS AFTER WAITING MONTHS (00:24) If you ordered one of those expensive Peloton bikes at the start of the pandemic and you're still waiting for it, you're not the only one. The lockdown had people buying them like crazy. But there were too many orders to fulfill and with a lot of them still not delivered, loads of frustrated Peloton customers are now cancelling their orders (maybe they're tired of spinning their wheels). Peloton says the pandemic has made it harder to import parts for their fancy bikes.

AMERICANS ARE "KEEPING IT REAL" WHEN IT COMES TO 2020 CHRISTMAS TREES (00:28) Christmas trees are certainly a tradition, and this year many Americans have decided to "keep it real," leaving fake trees in the attic and picking up fresh spruce. Tree farmers say they are getting tons of business all over the country. There are suddenly more "real tree tutorials" popping up on YouTube, and Walmart is even offering free home delivery for the first time ever! Oregon, the nation's top supplier of fresh-cut trees, expects to ship nearly 6 million evergreens this season.

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