On Today’s Show

➢Here’s a dad doing a spot-on impression of his always-annoyed 13-year-old daughter.  Listen to it, here.

➢ And you thought you were unlucky. A man in Britain is 42-years-old and failed his driving exam 157 times, spending over $4,800 in the process. He finally passed on his 158th attempt. The astonishing number was revealed by Select Car Leasing after they got the information from the Driver and Vehicles Standards Agency. They say that man had failed the test, known as the “driving theory test,” the most times, while a woman in her 30s came in second place, failing 117 times (spending over $3,600) and still has not passed.

➢ A wealthy Indonesian man who shared photos from a plane where he and his wife were the sole passengers said he bought all available tickets for the flight to prevent exposure to

COVID-19. A socialite famous for his extravagant lifestyle he posted a series of photos to his Instagram story showing he and his wife traveling alone from Jakarta to Bali.

In total he bought 172 seats He did not disclose how much he paid to keep the flight private, but he wrote the amount was “still cheaper” than chartering a private plane.

➢ Two fishermen have rescued a naked fugitive who they found sitting on a tree branch in Australian crocodile habitat. They heard the 40yr old yelling for help as they set crab traps from their dinghy in mangroves. The man who was covered in mud, cuts and insect bites had explained that he had been lost for four days, survived by eating snails and had used his clothes “for bits and pieces over the way.” “It didn’t make sense to us,” he said, referring to the explanation for his nudity. “He had a nest made up in the tree, and he was only laying a meter (39 inches) above the water and there were crocs in the water so he has done well to survive.”

➢ Earlier this week, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said that he will be one of the “Jeopardy!” guest hosts.

In addition to Aaron and KATIE COURIC two more names have been added . . .

MAYIM BIALIK from “The Big Bang Theory” and BILL WHITAKER from “60 Minutes”.

Each guest host will do a week’s worth of shows, and they’ll receive a donation to the charity of their choice.  There’s no word what order they’re going in, and more hosts will be announced in the future.

Former contestant KEN JENNINGS wraps up his guest stint tomorrow.  Executive Producer Mike Richards will do the honors for the next two weeks, to give the other guest hosts time to prepare.

TODAY IS……………….

• “Caesarean Section Day”, commemorating the first successful procedure of its kind, performed in 1794 by Dr Jesse Bennet in Edom VA on his wife.

1973 Last ‘Perfect NFL Season’ as Miami Dolphins beat Washington Redskins 14-7 at Super Bowl VII in Los Angeles to finish with a 17-0 record (members of that Dolphin team still celebrate when the last undefeated NFL team finally loses each season)

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COUNTRY MUSIC NOTE

“She Let Herself Go” went to #1 for George Strait in 2006

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DEPT. OF AWESOME:
A few things that you didn’t know you needed, expected to be featured at this year’s all-virtual Consumer Electronics Show, on now through Thursday . . .
➢ 5G:  Many sessions will dive into how 5G will reinvent various industries, from automobiles and smart cities to healthcare and farming. 5G-connected laptops may also make an appearance.

➢ Health tech:  Next-level wearables will go beyond traditional tracking, like the one that claims to influence your dreams. Others will tell you if you are showing signs of infection — raised body temp, elevated heart rate and respiration — or if you are socially distanced enough.

➢ Digital transformation:  Expect new developments to make online ‘everything’ – work, learning, healthcare, streaming – more effective. And we could see a chip that helps computers better handle multiplayer games.

➢ Smart home:  With millions staying home, companies are adding more smart devices and systems into living rooms, kitchens and elsewhere. Beyond smart refrigerators and washers, appliances such as robot vacuum cleaners and air filters may get smarter with voice integration.

➢ Samsung Galaxy S21:  The company will use the conference’s last day to unveil 3 new smartphones.  Expect the lineup to include an improved camera, a flatter design and a lower starting price.

FOUR RANDOM FACTS

1. In every glass of water you drink, there’s at least one molecule of water that’s been on Earth since dinosaurs existed.

2. Shredder, who’s the main bad guy in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”, was originally going to be called “The Grater” or “Grate Man” because the weapons attached to his arms were designed to look like giant cheese graters.

3. The busiest McDonald’s in the world is in Moscow, Russia.  It serves at least 850,000 people per year, which is twice as much as the average American McDonald’s.

4. Penguin poop emits laughing gas.

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GOOD NEWS

A guy in Georgia named Michael Carsley had to spend 24 hours at a Waffle House as punishment for losing his fantasy football league.

Minus one hour for every waffle he ate.  So, he tore through EIGHTEEN waffles in six hours.

But here’s the best part:  While he was there, he decided to raise money on social media to give his waitress a really good tip.  He ended up leaving more than $1,000 on a $49 tab.

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BIRTHDAYS

[80] Faye Dunaway,actress (“Bonnie and Clyde”, “Chinatown”)

[58] Steven Soderbergh, movie director (“Magic Mike”, “Traffic”)

[52] Jason Bateman, actor

THIEVES THROW WINE BOTTLES AT POLICE DURING CHASE

This is not how you lower your chances of getting in trouble after doing something bad. Early Tuesday (January 5th) a group of burglars broke into the cellar at the Domaine de Rymska, a hotel in the Burgundy region of France known for its wine, and stole bottles estimated to be worth about $430,000.

The thieves loaded up the stolen wine into a van and were ready to take off, but had managed to set off a fire alarm during the break-in. The hotel owner awoke and called police. Officials caught up with the van as it drove toward the city of Lyon, and the thieves hurled bottles of wine at officers in an attempt to slow them down. None of the bottles hit the police, who chased the thieves until they crashed into a toll barrier. They fled after the crash, leaving the stolen wine behind. Police are working to identify the three suspects in the case.

COPS: BURGLAR BUTT-DIALED US WHILE BURGLING

Technology is not always helpful. Police in Britain say they got a “suspicious call” related to a burglary on Wednesday (January 6th), and it actually came from the clueless burglars themselves. Police explain one of the men had butt-dialed 9-9-9, the country’s emergency number, allowing authorities to listen in on their crime.

The call even detailed “all of their antics up to the point of hearing our patrols arrive to arrest them,” according to police. Police shared the story on Twitter, along with a clip of one of the burglars from the movie Home Alone, writing, “I think we have just arrested the world’s unluckiest burglars.”

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Can’t Keep Strawberries Fresh? Researchers Suggest Adding CBD

Having a hard time keeping your strawberries fresh? It’s a fairly common problem. This leaves strawberry consumers with a decision to make – eat those strawberries right away or accept that some of them will go to waste.

But now researchers at the University of South Florida are suggesting a surprising solution to this fruit dilemma – adding a little bit of CBD. In a recent study published in Postharvest Biology and Technology, researchers experimented with adding CBD oil to fresh strawberries, to see if it would help keep the strawberries fresher for longer.

And the results showed that CBD was not only effective at extending the strawberries shelf-life, it also inhibited yeast and mold growth, and reduced microbial load.

Maybe the Greatest TikTok Trend Yet Is Happening: People Are Obsessed with Sea Shanties

There are all sorts of random trends that inexplicably blow up on TikTok, but this might be the GREATEST . . . and the MOST RANDOM.

The hottest trend on TikTok right now is . . . old SEA SHANTIES.

The trend started a few weeks ago when a musician from Scotland named Nathan Evans posted a video of himself singing an 1800s sea shanty out of New Zealand called “Wellerman”.

And since then, his video has been viewed more than four million times . . . tons of people have posted remixes . . . and more sea shanty videos from Nathan and others have also gotten huge.

A writer from “Vulture” says it actually makes sense that sea shanties . . . of all things . . . would have a moment right now.

Quote, “They are unifying, survivalist songs, designed to transform a huge group of people into one collective body, all working together to keep the ship afloat” . . . which really does feel like it sums up this moment in time.

THURSDAY JANUARY 14^TH  

1. U.S. President Trump was impeached by the House Wednesday (January 13th) on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” in the wake of the assault on the Capitol that he’s accused of inciting, becoming the only president to be impeached twice. The impeachment process was very swift, coming just a week after last Wednesday’s attack.

Despite the impeachment, Trump is virtually guaranteed to end his term as scheduled on January 20th, with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell saying the earliest an impeachment trial could start is next Tuesday, the day before President-elect Joe Biden‘s inauguration. A trial can be held after Trump leaves office, and would have as a main goal preventing him from being able to hold federal office again.

2. It’s Dame Helen Mirren’s chance to get behind the wheel in “Fast And Furious 9”. Vin Diesel has confirmed that Mirren will get to drive in the delayed sequel. Mirren, who plays ‘Magdalene Shaw’, has yet to drive in the film franchise but Diesel says that this time, “It’s so awesome. She gets to drive and she gets to drive sleek. You haven’t seen anything yet.” The movie was originally set for release last year but the pandemic pushed its premiere to May 28.
3. A couple near L.A. hadto keep pushing their wedding back, and then the bride had to quarantine after a positive COVID test.  They didn’t want to wait any longer, so she rolled with it . . . threw on her dress . . . and got married from her second-story window.

4. If you’re looking for a new car, here’s comedian Brian Regan on a popular sales technique.

•  Jamey Johnson and Randy Houser – have announced they will tour the south together next month on the “Country Cadillac Tour”. The shows, which will be socially distanced, start on Feb. 5 in Fort Worth, and include stops in Orlando, Atlanta, Myrtle Beach and Birmingham. The two longtime friends will perform acoustically and swap stories and songs.
• Kelsea Ballerini – posted that, for her, 2021 will be a year to prioritize health — in every sense of the word. She wrote: “My word of 2021 is ‘healthy’. “I want to nurture and focus on my physical, mental and emotional health that all took a bit of a backseat last year (anyone else?) Having a word for the year helps me stay focused and keeps my intentions set while I try to live a full life, stay creative and be productive.”

LUKE COMBS ‘MADE IT’ WHEN HE SUPPORTED HIMSELF BY PLAYING MUSIC

Luke Combs has made Country music history time and again, charting hits, winning awards and selling out venues across the country, but by his standards, he “made it” several years. [“When I could pay my bills doing music and not have to do another job, that was making it for me. That was the goal, was not having to work 40 hours, not have to do the cubicle office grind thing. I mean I would say quote-unquote I made it in 2011 or 12. I mean, I was playing shows 3 or 4 nights a week and didn’t have to work and was just writing music and hanging out and to me that was the dream.”] 

Of course, Luke says those goals have been adjusted over the years, and now he’s looking to take home an Entertainer of the Year award, perhaps this year.

In the meantime, Luke is inching toward the top spot on the country charts with “Better Together.”

DOLLY PARTON RECORDED SECRET SONG LOCKED AWAY FOR 30 YEARS

Dolly Parton has written and recorded a song that people won’t be able to hear until 2045! The song is on a CD which is locked away at her Dollywood theme park in Tennessee with strict instructions not to open it for 30 years. Dolly wrote the song in 2015.

She wrote about the mystery tune in her new book Songteller: My Life in Lyrics. She said, “‘That’s like burying one of my kids, putting it on ice or something, and I won’t be around to see it brought back to life. It’s just burning me up inside that I have to leave it there.”

Dolly said the idea to do this wasn’t hers. She wrote, “It’s kind of weird or strange that they would ask me to write this mystery song. I don’t know if I want to live to be 100 or not. But you never know. I might and if I do, I’m going to be at that opening.”

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DUSTIN LYNCH SAYS LUKE BRYAN IS LIKE A ‘BIG BROTHER’

Normally at this time of year, Dustin Lynch would be getting ready to head down to Mexico for Luke Bryan‘s annual Crash My Playa event, which isn’t happening this year due to the pandemic. Dustin’s the only artist who has performed at all six Crash My Playa’s, and that stems from Dustin’s tight friendship with Luke.

They two have shared the bill countless times over the years, and as Dustin tells us, Luke has been a great mentor and friend. [“Without a doubt, Luke Bryan has kind of become a big brother figure. I’m not gonna say father . . . that seems weird. We did two years of touring together which is awesome. I learned so much from him and feel like I’m the entertainer I am today because of Luke and I owe a lot to Luke, you know, for just being a friend and somebody I call up and he answers the phone every time and answers my questions and so I hope we both get to make music together for a long, long time.”] SOUNDCUE (:28 OC: . . . long, long time.)

Dustin’s latest is “Momma’s House” the third single from Dustin’s 2020 album, Tullahoma.

The previous two singles — “Good Girl” and “Ridin’ Roads” — topped the country charts.

Categorised in: Mornings

This post was written by Dave Palmer