On Today’s Show

➢ A Swiss town’s residents got a bit of a shock when it started snowing particles of fine cocoa powder. While it may have been heavenly delicious, there was a simple earth-based explanation — the ventilation system at a chocolate factory malfunctioned.

Officials for the Lindt & Spruengli company confirmed local reports that there was a minor defect in the cooling ventilation for a line of its roasted “cocoa nibs.”

The nibs, fragments of crushed cocoa beans, are the basis of chocolate.

➢A 15-year-old computer wiz in Jacksonville, Florida has been using the pandemic to refurbish old computers and donate them to kids who don’t have one.  His name is Chris Kilpatrick, and he’s done about 20 so far.  They’re all going to kids involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program.  He did it as part of a summer internship with a company that takes old electronics and recycles them, or sells the parts.  Instead, he saw an opportunity to help people.  (The other person talking in the clip is his boss.)

➢ The city of Christchurch, New Zealand has an official wizard, and he gets paid $10,400-a-year.  His name is Ian Brackenbury, and he’s been a practicing wizard since 1969.  He even has an apprentice now.

➢ An expert thinks that the pandemic might mean the end of snow days FOREVER. Why?  This era has proven that remote learning is possible . . . and both teachers and students are figuring out ways to make it work.

So once schools are fully back, if there’s ever a situation where there’d normally be a snow day, kids could still stay home . . . but they’ll just have to hop onto Zoom like they do now to have a full day of class.  Sorry, kids.

➢ People always complain when remakes are announced, but I think this one could work:  “Planes, Trains and Automobiles”. . . starring WILL SMITH and KEVIN HART.

The original came out in 1987, and starred STEVE MARTIN and JOHN CANDY as two guys forced to team up on a disastrous road trip to get to their respective homes in time for Thanksgiving.

Martin was pretty much the straight man, while Candy’s character was good natured and well-meaning, but at the same time disaster-prone and a little annoying.  I think we can expect Kevin Hart in the John Candy role.

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TODAY IS……………….

• “Aviation Day”, an annual observance honoring the 1871 birth date of Orville Wright, who piloted the first self-powered flight in history on December 17, 1903.

• “Potato Day”, did you know that more than 45 billion pounds of potatoes are harvested in the U.S. each year?

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COUNTRY MUSIC NOTE

1966  Born on this day in Jacksonville, Texas, was Lee Ann Womack, country singer, songwriter. Her 2000 single, “I Hope You Dance” was a major crossover music hit, reaching #1 on the Billboard Country Chart and the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100

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The Rangers Are Whining Because the Padres Scored Too Many Runs Against Them

FERNANDO TATIS JR. is an emerging star for the San Diego Padres, and on Monday night, he hit a GRAND SLAM in the eighth inning.  Pretty exciting, right?  (Here’s video.)

Well, the Padres’ opponents, the Texas Rangers, are FURIOUS because the Padres were already up 10-3 before the home run, and the count was three balls and no strikes.

So apparently, Tatis was SHOWING THEM UP by trying to hit a home run.

The Rangers responded by throwing behind the next batter to “send a message.”

After the game, Rangers manager Chris Woodward said, quote, “There’s a lot of unwritten rules that are constantly being challenged in today’s game.  I didn’t like it, personally.

“You’re up by seven in the eighth inning, it’s typically not a good time to swing [at a 3-0 count].  It’s kind of the way we were all raised in the game.”

The pitcher who “sent the message” after the grand slam was suspended three games.  And Woodward was suspended for one, possibly for ordering the hit.

Weirdly, even Padres manager Jayce Tingler said that it would be a “learning opportunity” for Tatis, who’s only 21.  And that he should’ve taken a strike at least.

And then, Tatis APOLOGIZED . . . yes . . . for hitting a grand slam.

Fortunately, not all players put HURT FEELINGS over COMPETITIVENESS.

Cincinnati Reds pitcher TREVOR BAUER Tweeted, quote, “Hey Fernando, listen up:

“1.  Keep swinging 3-0 if you want to, no matter what the game situation is . . .

“2.  Keep hitting homers, no matter what the situation is.

“3.  Keep bringing energy and flash to baseball and making it fun.

“4. The only thing you did wrong was apologize.  Stop that.”

FOUR RANDOM FACTS

1.   Pineapples were such a major status symbol in Europe in the 1700s, you could rent one to take to a party.  Buying one could cost the equivalent of $8,000 in today’s dollars.

2. The time machine in “Back to the Future”was NOT originally a DeLorean . . . it was a refrigerator.  But Robert Zemeckis was worried it would lead to kids locking themselves in refrigerators, so they changed it.

3. In 1923, a jockey suffered a fatal heart attack but his horse finished and won the race, making him the only jockey to win a race after death.

4. Karl Marx’slast words were, quote, “Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.”

GOOD NEWS

A dog treading water nearly four miles offshore in Lake Michigan has been rescued by a family out on a boating trip.

The family was boating from Grand Haven to Frankfort in northwestern Michigan on Friday when Jeannie Wilcox said she saw a “red animal in the lake” and started screaming, ‘dog in the water!’”  They were able to get the dog onto the boat’s swim platform and dried her off,

The family was able to have the dog scanned for a microchip. The owners later were located and reunited with their dog.

“I just hope that if this was my dog, somebody would do the same for me,” Wilcox said. “I would just be very grateful, happy because I know how rough Lake Michigan can be.”

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BIRTHDAYS

[74] Bill Clinton, (42^nd US President 1993-2001)

[72] Jim Carter, actor (‘Carson’ the butler on “Downton Abbey” 2010-15)

[57] John Stamos, actor (“Full House” 1987-95)

[51] Matthew Perry, [raised Ottawa ON], actor (“Friends” 1994-2004)

[51] Clay Walker, country singer

Men in Contrast: A Man Who Saved His Wife from a Shark . . . and a Man Who Left His Woman Behind After a Motorcycle Crash

We’ve got two stories today of two different guys who proved on Saturday they’re basically on opposite ends of the “husband material” spectrum.

The first comes from New South Wales, Australia.  A couple was out surfing on Saturday morning when the husband saw a GREAT WHITE SHARK had bitten his wife’s leg and wouldn’t let go.

So the husband jumped off his surfboard, swam over, and started punching the shark to get it to let go.  His wife was rushed to the hospital with severe cuts in her leg . . . but her husband’s HEROICS saved things from getting MUCH worse.

Our second story comes from Cranston, Rhode Island.  A 39-year-old guy named Joseph Bouchard was driving drunk on his motorcycle on Saturday night with his significant other on the back.

He crashed into a fire hydrant, then fled the scene on his motorcycle . . . but left his lady BEHIND, injured.  She was taken to the hospital, and the cops eventually tracked down Joseph and he had to go to the hospital too.

He’s facing SEVERAL charges, including a pair of felonies.

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HEAR N’ AID:
This is weird. Apple has filed a patent for “self aware” AirPods.

Now, if that gives you visions of a smartphone earpiece that has conscious thought and feelings, we’re not talking about something that is quite that self-aware.

According to the filing, the tech would give the “wearable audio device” the ability to automatically adjust volume and audio balance based on where the user is and what they are doing. It would employ a system that attempts to figure out what you’re up to based on your location and the noises around you, and adjust audio accordingly.

For instance, if you were walking down a sidewalk, it might turn down the volume on whatever ear is closest to the street, so you don’t accidentally wander into traffic.

FYI, filing a patent isn’t always an indication that the product will ever some to market, but it at least shows that it’s something that the company is considering.

HAPPINESS IS RIGHT UNDER YOUR NOSE:
You know the routine. You’re feeling grouchy, and someone tells you to smile. And there’s nothing you want to do less than smile.

But new research says that faking a smile can actually make you feel happier.

Researchers found that forcing a smile can essentially trick the mind into receiving the facial expressions and body language of others more positively, which in turn boosts our own mood.

In the experiment, scientists asked volunteers to place a pen between their teeth, forcing their faces into a smile. They then asked the participants to evaluate the facial expressions of other people, sometimes with the pen in their mouth and sometimes without.

The results showed that the pen-in-mouth people viewed the facial expressions of others in a more positive light than those without a pen in their mouth. The lead researcher said that the study shows that when your muscles say you’re happy, you’re more likely to see the world around you in a positive way.

WEDNESDAY AUGUST 19^TH  

1. Vegas Golden Knights 4, Chicago Blackhawks 3 – Vegas wins series 4 games to 1

Philadelphia Flyers 2, Montreal Canadiens 0 – Philadelphia leads series 3 games to 1

Dallas Stars 2, Calgary Flames 1 – Dallas leads series 3 games to 2

Washington Capitals 3, New York Islanders 2 – New York leads series 3 games to 1

Orlando Magic 122, Milwaukee Bucks 110 – Orlando leads series 1 game to 0

Miami Heat 113, Indiana Pacers 101 – Miami leads series 1 game to 0

Houston Rockets 123, Oklahoma City Thunder 108 – Houston leads series 1 game to 0

Portland Trail Blazers 100, L.A. Lakers 93 – Portland leads series 1 game to 0

2. A guy near San Francisco lefta waiter a $1,000 tip, and then gave the restaurant’s host another 400 bucks on his way out.  It was a “Venmo Challenge” thing, where you ask friends to donate a few bucks and then give it all away.

3. A guy named Tai Star Valianti set a Guinness record by stacking 485 Jenga blocks on top of ONE vertical Jenga piece.  Here’s how that went down.  (It took him two hours, and he let his kids topple it when he was done.  By the way, he broke his own record of 353 stacked pieces that he set last year.)

4. A drive-in haunted house, Michael Jordan’s auctioned sneakers, and a chocolate factory spreads cocoa all over town.  (From Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers on Tuesday, August 18, 2020)

MIKE TYSON FIGHT

Boxing fans will have to wait a little longer for Mike Tyson’s return to the ring. The exhibition fight between Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. has been pushed back from Sept. 12 to Nov. 28. The event will be streamed on pay-per-view and will take place at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. ESPN says the organizers of the event needed more time to land international TV deals and tie up loose ends in the pay-per-view side.

TIM McGRAW SAYS ‘A SERIES OF THINGS’ MUST HAPPEN BEFORE SIGNING ON TO A MOVIE

If you miss seeing Tim McGraw on the big screen it’s because the stars and the planets haven’t aligned recently to make that happen. Tim tells us that several things have to fall into perfect place in order for him to be able to take on an acting gig. [“For me it’s just a matter of, gosh, having time, and especially a movie cause it’s not like I’m like Tom Hanks and (can) go pick any movie I want and go do it. A series of things has to happen for me to be able to do a movie — first off, it’s gotta be something I really, really like, and then they gotta want me for that part, and then its gotta fall into a time period that I’m able to do it. It’s hard for those three things to happen at the right time.”]

Tim’s most recent silver screen role was in 2015’s Tomorrowland, starring alongside George Clooney.

Tim McGraw‘s wife, Faith Hill, and three daughters held a very special family album release celebration for Tim over the weekend. The album, Here On Earth, doesn’t come out until Friday (August 21st), but the McGraws decided to do a little preview at home for the first time ever. Faith shared a video of the couple slow dancing in the dark surrounded by string lights.

Faith also shared that this was the first such family party of its kind and she also referred to Here On Earth as “one of the greatest albums Tim has ever recorded.”

Tim and Faith will celebrate their 24th wedding anniversary in October.

LUKE COMBS TO RELEASE DELUXE EDITION OF ‘WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET’

Luke Combs will release the deluxe version of his latest album, What You See Is What You Get — called What You See Ain’t Always What You Get — on October 23rd. The extended edition will feature all 18 songs from the 2019 Platinum-certified, chart-topping album as well as five new tracks. Additional details will be announced soon.

What You See Is What You Get has already produced three Number One hits with “Beer Never Broke My Heart,” “Even Though I’m Leaving,” and “Does To Me.”

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Brantley Gilbert Will Go Back on Tour “As Soon As Humanly Possible”

BRANTLEY GILBERT was asked when he thinks it’ll be safe to go back on tour.  He says it’s “crazy” to even guess . . . but that doesn’t mean he’s throwing his hands up.  He and his team are on the phone every day trying to figure things out.

Quote, “We want to do it the safest way possible and make sure we’re taking everybody into account when we’re trying to make these decisions.  But I wish I knew.  But it will be as soon as humanly possible, I can promise you that.”

Categorised in: Mornings

This post was written by Dave Palmer