On Today’s Show
March 15, 2021 9:35 am➢A guy calling himself the “Covid Bandit” recently walked into a restaurant in Denver and left a $6,800 tip . . . $200 for each of the 34 employees. (Here’s one of the workers talking about it.)
➠ There’s a tradition in Chicago to dye the river GREEN for St. Patrick’s Day. But as of Friday, the city was saying there were no plans to dye it this year, to avoid crowds coming to watch.
Well . . . in a move straight out of the Chicago political playbook, it turns out that was a bluff. They DID dye the river green after all on Saturday . . . they just didn’t tell anybody in advance, to keep crowds from gathering to watch.
It’s surprisingly easy to dye the river . . . it only took about 20 minutes on Saturday morning for boats from the Chicago Plumber’s Union to get it done.
But St. Patrick’s Day is still going to look different in the city in other ways because of the pandemic . . . all of the normal parades have been canceled, and there are still serious restrictions on the bars.
➢A woman in Alabama was arrested recently after she stole a neighbor’s goat . . . PAINTED it . . . and then took a bunch of photos for social media. She’s looking at a FELONY charge for livestock theft. (Here’s 34-year-old Erica Farmer and Capt. Clint Cadenhead from the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.)
➢ Twitter is testing out an “undo send” feature for tweets. App researcher and tipster Jane Wong posted a tweet with a GIF of how the feature would work. It seems a timer comes into play once a user hits send on a tweet, and for around five to six seconds, you’re able to hit “undo” if you so choose. Twitter also confirmed to Mashable that the feature is being tested. This comes after people have begged Twitter for an “edit” button for years, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey previously ruled it out, stating, “We’ll probably never do it.”
➢“Thelma & Louise” was such a hit that the studio wanted a sequel. And apparently it didn’t matter that both title characters DIED at the end of the original. On the “Tonight Show”
Susan Sarandon said she turned down a “big check” to do another one. And it’s pretty easy to understand why. She said they actually pitched her an idea where she and Geena Davis would be, quote, “ghosts looking down on Earth and helping women who were in bad domestic [relationships].”
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TODAY IS……………….
- “Ides of March”, marking the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC, which was a turning point in Roman history. It’s also the tongue-in-cheek observance “National Brutus Day”, recognizing the fact that no matter where you work, there’s as much backstabbing, plotting, and intrigue as there was in ancient Rome. The word ‘ides’ simply means ‘middle’. There’s nothing unlucky about it … unless you’re Caesar.
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COUNTRY MUSIC NOTE
Deana Carter‘s “We Danced Anyway” became her second Number One in 1997.
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FUNNIEST TWEETS OF THE WEEK FROM WOMEN:
⇒ Any time I see a couple running together, I try to figure out which one of them is unhappy about it. – Elizabeth Hackett
⇒ age 21: excited for shots!!!! 2021: excited for shots!!!!! – Alexandra Petri
⇒ has anyone else not been to the dentist since Covid and also not for the five years before that? – Ely Kreimendahl
⇒ nooooo i just sent an email that said “as you mentioned in your precious email” instead of “previous email”. sick at myself – Beth McColl
…AND A FEW FROM PARENTS:
⇒ Love those rare days when your kid can just go to elementary school without having to dress up as something. – Simon Holland
⇒ feeding a toddler is like only having $0.50 to fill up your gas tank every time – mom mom mom mom mom
⇒ i have a question about kids. and my question is what the hell – Dadman Walking
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FOUR RANDOM FACTS
- English is the most common language used on websites by far . . . it’s currently around 60%. Russian is second, at 8.3%.
- The American flag Neil Armstrongplanted on the Moon in 1969 was knocked over by the engine blast as soon as they lifted up to leave. Five more U.S. flags have been planted on the Moon since then, and NASA believes all of THEM are still standing.
The only problem is, the flags are now completely white, from getting bleached by the Sun.
- The average person consumes the equivalent of more than 34 gigabytes of data and information every day.
- Wifi isn’t short for “wireless fidelity.” It’s actually not short for anything. The people who created it just liked that name because it rhymed with “hi-fi.”
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GOOD NEWS
Two best friends who got separated as kids during the Holocaust recently reunited on Zoom, 82 years after they last saw each other.
Both assumed the other had died during World War Two, but they never stopped looking. Now they talk once a week.
(One of them is Betty Grebenschikoff, who’s done several interviews over the years, hoping her old friend Ana Maria was still out there.)
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BIRTHDAYS
[86] Judd Hirsch, actor (“Taxi” 1978-1983, “Numb3rs” 2005-10)
[46] Eva Longoria, actress (“Telenovela” 2015, “Desperate Housewives” 2004-12)
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SCIENCE NEWS
- The Mars rover sent back more audio . . . this time of a LASER busting up tiny rocks so they could be analyzed. But if you’re expecting a “Star Wars” type sound, you’ll be disappointed. It’s more like a series of clicks. (Here’s the audio.)
- Marine biologists in New Zealand discovered glow-in-the-dark sharks. They found that three species can do it, and they’re not small. One of them can grow to around six feet. They glow because of light-producing cells in their skin called “photophores”.
- In other animal news: The world’s oldest known wild birdis a mom again at age 70. She’s an albatross that scientists have been tracking since 1956. They say she’s now had at least 40 chicks.
- And an Egyptologist translated a set of 3,500-year-old instructions on how to mummify a body. We’ve found similar instructions before, but this one’s the oldest by far . . . about 1,000 years older than the others.
An Egyptologist has translated a set of 3,500-year-old instructions on how to mummify a body. We’ve found similar instructions before, but this one’s the oldest by far . . . about 1,000 years older than the others. (Here’s the trailer for the original 1932 version of “The Mummy.”)
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DID YOU KNOW?
Talking to someone on the phone for 10 minutes a day helps ease loneliness.
According to a study published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, those who received brief phone calls over the course of a month reported feeling 20% less lonely, on average.
Anxiety and depression saw even greater decreases thanks to phone conversations with trained volunteers, who discussed a range of subjects with study participants, including their daily lives, favourite hobbies and getting to know them better.
While the way we communicate with others has changed since the start of the pandemic, this research highlights just how important picking up the phone is.
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Most People Say Changing the Clocks Isn’t a Big Deal . . .
It might take a day or two to adjust to Daylight Saving Time. But most people say it doesn’t mess with their sleep long term . . .
83% in a new poll said springing forward DOESN’T affect how much they sleep. Only 6% said they get less sleep because of it, and 10% sleep more.
Three in four also said they get the same amount of work done in a day. Again, just 6% feel less productive now that the sun sets later . . . and 19% get MORE done.
Over 7 in 10 people say changing the clocks twice a year doesn’t really affect them much . . . but that doesn’t mean we like it.
54% want to do Daylight Saving Time all year . . . 19% prefer Standard Time . . . and 27% want to keep the current system of changing the clocks twice a year.
Parents are more likely to prefer the current system. 1 in 3 like adjusting the clocks, compared to 1 in 4 people who don’t have kids.
TIPS TO GET BACK ON TRACK…….
- Get some exercise today. Even a brisk walk can help your body crave sleep a little more and compensate for that extra hour. Just don’t do it too late in the day. The Better Sleep Council says no later than two hours before bedtime.
- Skip that extra cup of coffee later in the day. Caffeine stays in your body up to 12 hours. And even if you swear it doesn’t affect your sleep, it won’t hurt to cut yourself off a little early.
- Don’t eat dinner too late. Try to eat at least three hours before bed. Later than that can mess with your sleep.
- Don’t drink tonight. Alcohol can help you fall asleep faster, but the quality of your sleep suffers. So if you’re trying to adjust and get a good night’s sleep, avoid booze.
MONDAY MARCH 15TH
- MIN 4 – ARI 1 CAR 2 – DET 1 DAL 2 – CBJ 1 SO NYI 3 – NJD 2 SO
COL 4 – LAK 1 OTT 4 – TOR 3
- A law professor at Georgetown has resignedafter she was caught talking to another professor on Zoom, and complained that Black students usually get bad grades.
- No winning ticket was sold for the $44.8 million jackpot in Friday night’s Lotto Max draw.
The jackpot for the next draw tomorrow will be an estimated $50 million, and there will also be two Maxmillions prizes of $1 million each up for grabs.
A ticket holder in Quebec won Saturday’s $27 million Lotto 649 jackpot.
The draw’s guaranteed $1 million prize also went to a lottery player in Quebec.
The jackpot for the next Lotto 649 draw Wednesday will be an estimated $5 million.
- Brian Regan is one of the first comedians to come out of quarantine with a brand new Netflix stand up special. Here he is, kicking off his show to a packed, masked audience at the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater. First off, he’s done coloring his hair. (From his 2021 “On the Rocks” Netflix special.)
GRAMMY WINNERS
Miranda Lambert, Vince Gill, Dan+Shay, The Highwomen and Dolly Parton were among the country winners at the Grammys on Sunday (March 14).
Lambert took home Best Country Album for her album Wildcard. This is the second time she’s won in this category, following her win for her 2014 album Platinum. She also previously won a Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance for her 2010 hit “The House That Built Me.”
Vince Gill, Dan + Shay, The Highwomen and Dolly Parton were among the early winners during the Grammys Premiere ceremony on Sunday afternoon.
“There Was Jesus,” recorded by Dolly Parton and CCM artist Zach Williams, earned an early win for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song.
Best Country Album
Wildcard, Miranda Lambert–WINNER
Best Country Song
“Crowded Table,” The Highwomen–WINNER
Best Country Solo Performance
“When My Amy Prays,” Vince Gill–WINNER
Best Country Duo/ Group Performance
“10,000 Hours,” Dan + Shay with Justin Bieber–WINNER
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FGL’S BRIAN KELLEY TURNED TO BASEBALL, YARD WORK TO STAY BUSY DURING PANDEMIC
Florida Georgia Line‘s Brian Kelley has tried to keep himself busy during the pandemic, filling his days with everything from sports to yard work, not to mention music. He tells us: [“You know, I’ve tried just about everything under the sun this year with this damn quarantine and pandemic of the year. I was throwing baseball, gettin’ my arm in shape for a while there. And I still throw here and there but I was gettin’ pretty serious on it. And then, you know, working in the yard, and just doing everything under the sun in between doing FGL stuff, shootin’ up there doing little tapings and just stuff like that. Trying to stay physically healthy too, and bike ride, trail rides and all that stuff.”] SOUNDCUE (:25 OC: . . . all that stuff.)
Brian used to play baseball in college and was on his way to the pros before he gave it up to head to Belmont College to pursue music.
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LUKE COMBS AND THE BBC CONCERT ORCHESTRA
Ours is not to ask why. Ours is to enjoy LUKE COMBS and the BBC Concert Orchestra performing a special version of “Refrigerator Door“.
Categorised in: Mornings
This post was written by Dave Palmer