CONNECT SELECT A wide selection of interesting and trending stories – rip ‘em, read ‘em and post ‘em! THURSDAY, JANUARY 28th, 2021 TODAY IS… DATA PRIVACY DAY – It’s a great day to change your email password. Data Privacy Day is a gentle reminder to come up with something a little harder to crack. A recent study found the most-hacked passwords are ‘1-2-3-4-5-6’ and the word ’PASSWORD.’ NATIONAL KAZOO DAY – It’s not the world’s most elegant musical instrument, but it sounds fun at a kid’s birthday party (or a wedding, if you’re not fancy). FUN FACTS: o The Kazoo is an American-born instrument, invented in Macon, Georgia in the 1840s. o It was made for kids and people with absolutely no musical ability. o There is such thing as an electric kazoo (and it sounds just as awesome as you think). HERE’S A LINK TO ‘BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’ ON THE KAZOO HERE’S A LINK TO SOME DUDE MESSING WITH AN ELECTRIC KAZOO NATIONAL BLUEBERRY PANCAKE DAY – Just when you thought it didn’t get any better than ‘pancakes’, someone decided to blow your mind and throw in some blueberries. It’s also a good way to get some vitamin K and C into your breakfast. Oh, and if you don’t want the whole pancake to turn blue - experts say: drop ‘em into the batter once you’ve poured it onto a hot pan. NATIONAL HAVE FUN AT WORK DAY – Let’s face it, work sucks! But today, we’re encouraged to cut loose and have a little fun…unless you’re a surgeon, ‘cause that’s some serious stuff right there. FUN FACT: o Recent studies suggest companies that encourage having fun at work boost productivity and have lower levels of absenteeism. LIL WAYNE SENTENCING (CANCELLED) – Lil Wayne’s probably sleeping in. This woulda been the day he got sentenced on gun charges, but President Trump pardoned the rapper, sparing him from up to 10 years in the slammer. Lil Wayne was praised for his commitment to a bunch of charities and some big donations to research hospitals and food banks. BIRTHDAYS: ELIJAH WOOD, 40 – Actor. Best known for playing ‘Frodo Baggins’ in “The Lord of the Rings’” trilogy, Woods has been acting since he was a kid with roles in “Avalon,” “Radio Flyer” and “The Ice Storm.” He also voiced Mumble in the animated “Happy Feet” films. In 2010, he founded a company that specializes in producing horror films. NICK CARTER, 41 – Singer. He was the ‘cute’ Backstreet Boy. Prior to joining the group, Carter had auditioned for “The Mickey Mouse Club” and had to make a choice between the show and the group. He made the right move. The TV show is long gone. The Backstreet Boys are still going strong and have been recording and touring for over 20 years. HERE’S A LINK TO BACKSTREET BOYS’ “EVERYBODY” JOEY FATONE, JR. 44 – Singer/TV host. Former member of the 90s boy-band *NSYNC. (By the way: It’s Fah-tone, not ‘Fat One’, even though that name has applied in the past). When the band broke up, he went on to host TV game shows, including Nickelodeon’s “Nick Arcade.” He’s also done some acting and had a role in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding. HERE’S A LINK TO *NSYNC’S “THIS I PROMISE YOU” ARIEL WINTER, 23 – Actress. She played the brainy ‘Alex Dunphy’ on “Modern Family.” She also voiced Princess Sofia in the animated “Elena of Avalor.” Winter was legally emancipated in 2015 after years of custody fights in her family. RICK ROSS, 45 – Rapper/Producer/Record Exec. ‘The Boss Rick Ross!’ His 2006 debut single “Hustlin’” caused a bidding war between labels before he signed with Jay-Z’s Def Jam Recordings. In 2009, he founded his own label, Maybach Music Group. MTV once named him the “hottest MC in the Game.” HERE’S A LINK TO “HUSTLIN’” TRENDING/ODD: KRAFT IS MAKING PINK MAC ’N CHEESE FOR VALENTINES DAY (00:22) Would pink, candy-flavored Mac N Cheese help get you in the mood for lovin'? Kraft thinks so. They're giving away a thousand boxes of pink Mac N Cheese for Valentine’s Day. They're swapping the neon-orange cheese with pink powder made from carrots, beets and a whole lot of sugar. Already, Twitter thinks it's disgusting. You can't buy it, instead you have to go to Kraft’s website to win a box ('win' might be the wrong word for it) BERNIE SANDERS ‘MEME’ MITTENS RAISE MILLIONS IN LESS THAN A WEEK! (00:20) About those funny wooly mittens that Senator Bernie Sanders wore to the inauguration - you know, the ones that made him a meme? Yeah, they've helped raise almost 2 million bucks in less than a week. Sanders' has been selling them and other ‘merch’ on his website with ALL proceeds going to charities in his home state of Vermont. Everything's sold out! LAID OFF BOSS HAS THE MOST IRONIC NAME (00:17) In Canada, a TV network laid off a bunch of people last week, including a local news director in Vancouver. Sad as it is for him and his family, he's now trending because…who doesn't love a good pun? The guy’s name is Les Staff. So now the company has 'less staff' but also --- well, you get it. OVERDUE BOOK RETURNED TO NEW YORK LIBRARY 72 YEARS LATE! (00:19) A public library in New York finally has its copy of 'The Life Story of Theodore Roosevelt' back on its shelves. It was borrowed 72 years ago! Some guy found it in a box of his parents’ old stuff. They died ages ago. The first edition biography was due back on April 5, 1949. Good thing the library doesn't charge late fees anymore. NEW 23andME TOOL TELLS YOU IF YOU’LL DIE FROM COVID (00:23) One of those ancestry DNA testing companies says they can now tell you your risk of DYING from COVID. 23andMe has launched a new tool they say can predict your chances of developing a severe case of COVID, IF you even get it. They call it the 'COVID Severity Calculator'. It's an algorithm that compares your DNA to factors that could determine how bad you get it - stuff like: ethnicity, height, weight and genetics. APPLE WARNS IPHONE 12 COULD KILL YOUR GRANDPA (sorta) (00:21) Your new iPhone 12 could kill your grandpa!…well…sorta. Apple has issued a warning that their new phone is packed with so many magnets, it could actually mess with someone's pacemaker or surgically implanted defibrillator. The magnets are what make the iPhone 12 charge wirelessly but can throw off medical devices, too…so they say those people should check with a doctor first. STUDY: WE’RE ACTUALLY FATTER THAN ELEPHANTS (00:14) Next time someone compares you to an elephant, consider it a compliment. A new study from the University of Indiana says the average elephant is in better shape that most humans and, despite their size, elephants carry less body fat than the average person. (A typical elephant has only 9 percent body fat while we have between 12 and 31.) HERE’S A LINK TO THE SOUND OF AN ELEPHANT (BRAGGING THEY’RE SKINNIER THAN YOU) WORST NIGHTMARE? A THOUSAND BEES RELEASED IN SEMI CRASH (00:20) Afraid of bees? How about thousands of them? In San Antonio, Texas an 18-wheeler didn't quite make the turn on the interstate. The semi flipped. The truck from a bee removal business had 400 hives in the back. Out came the honey bees! About a thousand were freed. The fire department had to come in and kill the 20-thousand left with a foam spray. LAW & DISORDER AWARD WINNING PARAMEDIC ACCUSED OF STEALING VIRUS VACCINE (00:22) An E-M-T in Florida is now accused of stealing COVID-19 vaccines. He was the state's "Paramedic of the Year" in 2020. But now he’s been charged with forging vaccine forms and stealing ten doses. He says his fire captain forced him to swipe the vials. The captain was arrested too. Polk County's sheriff was floored by the crime. He asked, "What were you thinking? Do you only have three brain cells?" ENGLAND WANTS TO TURN KIDS INTO SPIES (00:24) A proposed law in England would let teenagers spy on their own parents. Their mission? To help the government stop a crime, protect the public's health or to collect taxes. Good luck getting any teenager to look up from their cell phones. Some 20 different agencies would be allowed to exercise those powers. Supporters insist the welfare of the teen would always come first. Others say it could put their lives in jeopardy. IRS AGENT ACCUSED OF STEALING MAN'S IDENTITY (00:16) An IRS agent is in big trouble with the law. While working an investigation, prosecutors say the agent stole the identity of the person he was looking into. They say the agent set up companies in the man's name and even bought an apartment in New York City. He faces twenty years in prison. WEIRD SCIENCE & TECH APPLE SECURITY WARNING (00:14) If you've got any Apple devices, you should update them as soon as you can. Apple says a flaw in their latest operating system (iOS 14) could leave your stuff vulnerable to hacking. They've released an update they say should patch up all those holes.