On Today’s Show

The 2020 Summer Olympics aren’t scheduled to start in Tokyo, Japan for another four months.  But Yesterday, the International Olympic Committee admitted they’re considering postponing the games, and that a final decision will come within four weeks.  But don’t be surprised if it comes sooner than that . . .

Last night, Canada became the first country to PULL OUT, and if other countries follow suit, the IOC will have no choice but to postpone.

Other countries, like Brazil and Norway, have called on the IOC to postpone, and after Canada’s announcement, Australia told its athletes to prepare for the Games to be held in 2021.

The government 30-million-dollar ad campaign to advise Canadians about how to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 begins today.

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A group of students from Briercrest College and Seminary in Saskatchewan celebrated their graduation on a WestJet flight when coronavirus shut down their school.

Four members of the Women’s Volleyball team were flying on the Canadian airline back to school after the CCAA National Women’s Volleyball Championships in Québec City, when they were surprised with a mid-air celebration

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ENTERTAINMENT

Drew and Jonathan Scott, the Property Brothers, have yet another HGTV series — and this one won’t just feature open floor-plans. A-listers Brad Pitt, Melissa McCarthy, Viola Davis, Rebel Wilson and Michael Bublé are set to guest star. On “Celebrity IOU,” the famous guests will express their deep gratitude to individuals who have had a major impact on their lives by surprising them with “big, heartwarming home renovations that bring everyone to tears,” according to HGTV. “Celebrity IOU” launches Monday, April 13.

TODAY IS……………….

• “Chip & Dip Day”. While North Americans might pick ‘Sour Cream & Onion’ or ‘Salt & Vinegar’ chips, the top flavors for ‘crisps’ in the UK include ‘Roast Beef & Mustard’ and ‘Smoked Ham & Pickle’. The Swiss like ‘Paprika’, while Thais choose ‘Prawn’, and in Egypt ‘Kebab’ is popular.

• “Puppy Day”, the idea is to save 10,000 homeless puppies in a single day by encouraging adoptions at dog pounds and rescue centers. (Although your local shelter may be closed these days, you can certainly ‘window shop’ – online!)

• “Cuddly Kitten Day”, whether you are a cat person or dog person, today serves as a reminder to pamper your pet.

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COUNTRY MUSIC NOTE

We remember Kenny Rogers

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COVID UPDATES

A couple became FURIOUS at a grocery store in Kentucky when they weren’t allowed to buy 552 cans of Mountain Dew because of purchase limits.

A couple in Port CoQuitlam, B.C. were fined $500 each for selling masks for $70 a box or more at a public park and reported to the RCMP. The Mayor was very upset to learn that after they were fined they were back at the park again a few hours later. He’s hoping the RCMP can lay some more serious charges.

More landlords are cutting rent, or waiving it next month.  One guy in Milwaukee left a note on his tenants’ doorsteps that said he’s only charging them $100.  And if they don’t need the help, he wants them to use the extra money to support local businesses.

Some people have started hosting formal dinner parties with their families . . . where everyone puts on nice clothes for their quarantined dinner.

In Brazil, they’ve been using a huge projector on the Christ the Redeemer statue, so it’s lit up with flags of countries from all over the world.

There’s a guy in Australia whose dad passed away a while back.  And for decades, he liked to hoard toilet paper for some reason.  Now the son is giving it all away.  Quote, “He would have wanted me to give [them] out to people in need.”

About 20 kids from a high school choir in California got together online to raise people’s spirits.  They sang an acapella version of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, and posted the video to YouTube.

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FOUR RANDOM FACTS

1. The arcade game based on “TRON”hit arcades shortly after the movie came out in 1982 . . . and made more money than the film.  Possibly from people hoping they’d get transported into the game?

2.  Nepal is the only country with a flag that’s not a rectangle . . . it’s two overlapping triangles.

3. Easter Island got its name because a Dutch explorer landed there on Easter Sunday in 1722.

4. Every cat’s nose print is unique, like a human fingerprint.

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GOOD NEWS

People across the world are hunkering down to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

For many, that means stocking up on necessary supplies, but for the elderly or those physically unable to do so it might not be so easy to do.

As a result, people are “caremongering,” which has been defined on Twitter as: “a movement rapidly spreading across Canada to spread kindness and help others in their communities (particularly those most vulnerable to #COVID19.)”

The movement isn’t just exclusive to Canada, and can refer to delivering supplies or food, running errands, setting up online exercise classes, or cooking and doing chores for others.

There are caremongering Facebook groups and people have even created forms that can be printed and given out to seniors so they can specify the help they need.

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BIRTHDAYS

[44] Keri Russell, actress (“The Americans” 2013-18, “Felicity” 1998-2002)

[34] Brett Eldredge, country singer

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Here Are the Household Chores We Hate Doing the Most

Being at home 24 hours a day means you REALLY can’t get any distance from your mess or your chores.

A new survey asked people to name the chores they hate the most.  And here are the top 10 . . .

1. Cleaning the toilet.
2. Ironing.
3. Changing the sheets.
4. Dusting.
5. Washing dishes.
6. Vacuuming.
7. Cleaning windows.
8. Taking out the garbage.
9. Paying bills.
10. Cleaning the fridge.

Oh, and the survey also found that most people think ROBOTS will be handling 90% of our chores within the next 20 years.

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AFTER A RAFTING TRIP – A NEW WORLD

Every time Zach Edler sets out on a rafting trip — out on the water for days, away from phones, an internet connection and the rest of the world — the question comes up.

“Somebody would always joke and say, ‘What if we come back to a world where nothing is the same?’”

On Feb. 19, Mr. Edler, 27, and more than a dozen others set out for a 25-day adventure: rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon — a trip so coveted it requires a permit won through a lottery.

By last Saturday, March 14, as they took the last paddle strokes of their journey, Mr. Edler and his friends were some of the last people on the planet unaware that the novel coronavirus had exploded into a once-in-a-generation pandemic, setting off a global health and economic crisis and shutting down large parts of life. In moments, the man waving to them from the banks of the river would tell them that the world they were returning to looked vastly different.

Aside from a few one-way text messages sent to family on a satellite phone, the friends hadn’t heard anything in more than three weeks. No cell service. No news. Not even a passing dispatch from fellow travelers.

After they got out of the river on Saturday, the group packed up their rafts and gear quietly and got in their vans to drive out. Purposely, they kept the radio off, wanting to extend the blissful ignorance of the trip a little bit longer. Ninety minutes later, they picked up a cell signal. That’s when the texts poured in.

“The first one was from my mom,” Mr. Thomas said. “It was like, ‘You need to text me the second you get this. The world is going crazy.’ She’s immunocompromised so I was definitely worried.”

Another rafter’s family texted that the supermarket shelves in California were bare and urged the group to stock up on rice, beans, dog food and toilet paper. “

As one of them put it, “We had so much fun. We lived in the moment. We were some of the only people in the world who had no idea. I liked it better then.”

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MONDAY MARCH 23^RD                                               

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

[44] Keri Russell, actress (“The Americans” 2013-18, “Felicity” 1998-2002)

[34] Brett Eldredge, country singer

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1. Canada not going to the Olympics

2. Neil Diamond took to Instagram to tell us all to hang in there.  Then he played a fireside version of “Sweet Caroline”, but changed the lyrics to “hands washing hands” and “don’t touch me, I won’t touch you.”

3. Johnny Behner says his wife was raised by hippies and won’t allow him to use regular soap.  Instead, she makes him use earth soap.

4. A restaurant offers free toilet paper, a strip club in Vegas offers a drive-by dance show, Orlando Bloom’s celibacy, and the French guy who ran a marathon on his balcony.  (These are from Fallon, Kimmel, and David Spade’s home shows, Friday, March 20, 2020.  Fallon does some of his from a tent in the backyard.  He also tacks these home shows on the beginning of his broadcast reruns now.)

Kenny Rogers Passed Away on Friday

By now you’ve probably heard that we lost The Gambler, KENNY ROGERS, on Friday.  He was 81.  Kenny packed several careers into one lifetime.  He was a singer, songwriter, jazz bassist, actor, author, photographer, and businessman.  He was a huge investor in sprint cars, and his Kenny Rogers Roasters, although closed in the U.S., are still operating in Asia.

His musical career started in the late ’50s but didn’t pick up until the ’60s when he joined The New Christy Minstrels.  That group morphed into The First Edition, and their hits included “Just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in” and “Ruby Don’t Take Your Love to town”

His first solo #1 country song was “Lucille” in 1977, and that opened the floodgates to a string that included “She Believes In Me”, “You Decorated My Life”, “Coward of the County”, “Love Will Turn You Around”, and, of course, “The Gambler”, which is in the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry.

He also starred AS “The Gambler” in five TV movies from 1980 to 1994.

Kenny sold over 120 million albums, won three Grammys, and was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2013.  A&E will be airing “Biography:  Kenny Rogers” on April 13th.  It chronicles his entire life and includes live performances and guest appearances from his 2017 farewell concert.

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GARTH BROOKS, TRISHA YEARWOOD PERFORM LIVE TONIGHT ON FACEBOOK

Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, will host a free concert on Facebook Live tonight (Monday, March 23rd) starting at 7 p.m. EST as part of his weekly Monday night Inside Studio G series. The couple will be taking song requests via social media.

Garth recently postponed his scheduled Dive Bar show in Charlotte, NC on May 2nd until further notice.

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ZAC BROWN BAND CANCELS ALL REMAINING 2020 TOUR DATES

The ongoing coronavirus outbreak is to blame for the Zac Brown Band‘s cancellation of all of their remaining 2020 tour dates. Tickets will automatically be refunded if they were purchased through Ticketmaster, or upon contacting the retailer.

The announcement was made in an email to fans and on social media on Saturday

SCOTTY McCREERY POSTPONES OVERSEAS DATES

Scotty McCreery will postpone his upcoming May concerts in the U.K. and Ireland and reschedule them for October.

LITTLE BIG TOWN POSTPONES TOUR UNTIL AUGUST

Little Big Town will postpone their headlining The Nightfall Tour until August amid health concerns over the coronavirus. Previously purchased tickets will be honored at all of the newly rescheduled dates.

The tour will resume on August 8th in Denver, CO.

Categorised in: Mornings

This post was written by Dave Palmer