10/7/25 - Banned Book Week, Marathons, and Social Media

Tuesday 10/7/25

Celebrate:

Bathtub Day

National Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day

National Flower Day

National Forgiveness & Happiness Day

National Frappe Day

National Fruit at Work Day

National Inner Beauty Day

National LED Light Day

National Propane Day

You Matter to Me Day

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Censorship is so 1984.

Sunday kicked off #BannedBooksWeek, an annual observation started more than 40 years ago in response to a sudden surge in the number of book challenges in libraries, schools, and bookstores. Sound familiar?

George Orwell’s cautionary tale '1984' warns us about the dangers of censorship. This year’s Banned Books Week theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.

A Facebook meme recently said "The banned book list is my reading list."

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This past weekend in Corning was the Wineglass Marathon. A legitimate and taken seriously marathon. Also this weekend there was an ultrarunner race in Denver called the Taco Bell 50K, which is 31 miles.  It included mandatory stops at 10 area Taco Bells, where you had to order and consume Taco Bell.

You have to order something at NINE of the 10 Taco Bells, and you've gotta actually eat the food.  That includes one Chalupa Supreme or one Crunchwrap Supreme by the fourth stop . . . and one Burrito Supreme or one Nachos BellGrande by the eighth stop.

You need to finish the 31 miles within 11 hours.  You need to keep all your receipts and wrappers . . . and "drinks do not count as food."

They have a zero-tolerance policy on vomiting.  If you do, you're immediately disqualified. 

You're banned from on-course stomach medicines, including "Pepto, Pepcid AC, Alka-Seltzer, and Mylanta."

Oh..this isn't a new race..it's the 8th year.  Taco Bell isn't affiliated with the race, and won't even comment on it.

See a story about it here.

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According to data from 250,000 adults in 50 countries, social media is in decline EVERYWHERE . . . except America, but it may finally happen in the U.S., now that social platforms are being filled with A.I.-generated videos.

The sharpest decline is among teens and 20-somethings . . . although many Millennials and some Gen X'ers seem to be deleting their accounts too.

Tech experts say users have basically been pushed out, by reducing the actual socialness and connectedness, and replacing it with ads, "suggested content," more ads, negativity bots, stupidity, and even more ads.

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A truck and trailer was stolen in Canada a week ago and it was packed with $35,000 worth of SALSA.  It's unclear if the thieves targeted the salsa, or if they were hoping it contained something more valuable.

The problem is salsa seems like a difficult product to offload for cash . . . especially when people may be looking for it.

The police are asking for the public's help.  If you know anyone who's suddenly come into a lot of salsa . . . or is hawking crates of it on social media . . . contact the authorities in Ontario. 

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Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - Major League Baseball had ZERO no-hitters in the 2025 regular season.  It's been 20 years, since 2005, when there was another season without a no-hitter.  Before that, the previous year without a no-hitter was 1989.

Generally, no-hitters have become MORE common in the past 25 years, when MLB has averaged 3.1 no-hitters per season.

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