Friday 4/12/24
Celebrate:
Big Wind Day
Day of Silence
Drop Everything and Read Day
International Day of Human Space Flight
National Dive Bar Day
National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day
National Licorice Day
National Only Child Day
Poet in a Cupcake Day
Russian Cosmonaut Day
Walk on Your Wild Side Day
Wear a Star Day
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New in Theaters
Civil War - in the US. With Kirsten Dunst, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Wagner Moura, and Cailee Spaeny.
I saw the trailer and wow..this seems a little close to home.
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O.J. Simpson has died aged 76 with the family of the former NFL star revealing he passed away on April 10 after a battle with cancer surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
Simpson was regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time after spending a decade in the NFL playing for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. After his football career, Simpson moved into acting. He appeared in various films and TV shows.
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The makers of "Scrabble" say that younger folks find the game to be too intense . . . so they have just released a new version, which is supposed to be more "collaborative" and "accessible."
It's called "Scrabble Together", and it's a lot different. In this version, players TEAM UP to complete mutual goals . . . like: "Play a word containing two of the same consonant," "play a word containing at least two different vowels," and "complete a vertical word."
If that isn't easy enough, you can also flip helper cards, which introduce things like "Make 'S' tiles a blank."
An exec at the company says the new game "brings people together" . . . including people who think "word games aren't for me."
It's also designed for Gen Z'ers. Their research shows competitiveness is declining in younger generations. They say younger folks "avoid competitive games," in favor of "teamwork and collaboration."
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You saw this in every March Madness game: When someone missed a free throw, their teammates would reach out and high-five them anyway. A study just found encouragement like that really can make a difference.
Researchers looked at hundreds of free-throw scenarios from women's basketball games to see if it actually helped players make their next free throw. And it did.
They were more likely to sink their second shot if a teammate reached out for a high-five, or a pat on the back. Their chances rose even more when MULTIPLE teammates did it.
It didn't make a huge difference when they made the first shot, only when they missed it. Researchers think it's because touch conveys a powerful, nonverbal signal that "we're with you, even when you miss."
It definitely applies to other scenarios too. So remember it the next time your kid or someone you care about feels like they failed at something. A pat on the back really can make a difference.
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There was a reboot on the CW in 2009 that featured a younger cast, and included appearances by several of the original stars, but it only lasted one season. I'm talking about Melrose Place..and it's coming back again!
With some of the original stars: Heather Locklear (Amanda), Laura Leighton (Sydney), and Daphne Zuniga (Jo). There's no word if any other originals will join in, but one of them can only appear in flashbacks . . . because someone is going to DIE.
Here's the official synopsis: "When one of their dearest friends dies suddenly, the OG residents of Melrose Place gather to honor the deceased.
"But the pressure cooker of a reunion soon uncovers old traumas, rekindles old romances, reignites old resentments, and reveals new secrets . . . Throwing our characters into chaotic drama that's reminiscent of the past, but with a much more modern perspective."
The original "Melrose Place" ran on Fox from 1992 to 1999.
No work on where or when this is happening.
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Remember last year when someone on the socials told us we were old if you dance with your hands in the air?
Someone asked people to name random signs you're officially "old" now.
1. You eat Tums like candy. ( i would say it's ibuprofen)
2. You still print your boarding pass, just in case.
3. You snap your fingers when you're trying to remember something.
4. You can't stand or sit without making some sort of noise.
5. You use your speakerphone for most of your calls.
6. You judge parents if their kid isn't wearing a jacket. Like, "It's April. That kid should really have a jacket on."
7. You watch the local news every night. Bonus points if you say things like, "What's this world coming to?"
8. You've recently stood outside a store in the morning, waiting for it to open.
9. You start conversations with strangers in public.
10. You know exactly where your heating pad is.
11. You leave the plastic on things to keep them "new."
12. You've recently said, "How do you work this dang thing?"
13. You've told a server, "Please give my compliments to the chef."
14. You cut your juice with water, because everything's too sweet these days.
15. You drive by a nice house and say, "That's a nice house."
Here's more from Buzzfeed
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Yesterday was National Pet Day! There's a place in Nashville called Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary that takes in senior dogs that have medical issues. It opened in 2012, and it's completely funded by donations.
Senior year is your 12th year in school. So for their 12th anniversary this month, they threw the dogs a senior PROM and called it the Geezer Gala. Employees and donors dressed up for it, and so did the dogs. They even elected a prom king and queen.
See the news report about it here.
https://www.newschannel5.com/news/old-friends-senior-dog-sanctuary-celebrates-12-years-with-dog-prom
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Speaking of pets, two-thirds of us have at least one pet at home, according to the most recent stats. Dogs and cats are the most common, followed by fish, birds, rodents, reptiles, and horses.
97% of us think of their fur-babies as "part of the family." But we definitely get a little more creative naming them than we do with our actual kids.
Nationwide Pet Insurance has an annual contest to find the WACKIEST pet names in America. Last year's winners included a dog named "Doc PAWlliday" and a cat named "Spicy Beef PURRito".
They just announced the finalists for 2024, and voting closes tomorrow. Here are the top names in the running this year . . .
In the dog category: Boots with the Fur . . . ChugChug Pickles . . . Lil' Richard Simmons Sweatin' to the Oldies . . . Lord Waddles . . . Lulu the Conqueror . . . Mr. Pizza Puff . . . Molly from Corporate . . .. Team "The Bandit" Player . . . a dog they just call "The News" . . . and this is all one name: One Love Tiny Dancer Princess Margaret Rose Windsor.
The cat nominees are: Balsamic Vin . . . Car Alarm . . . Itty Bitty Kitty Committee . . . Meownnaise . . . Minerva Meowgonagall . . . Necronomicat . . .
. . . Skullcrusher . . . Steph Purrrry . . . Tony "Scarface" Baloney . . . and Samsung Family Hub Refrigerator.
They also have a catch-all division for other animals. Nominees include a tortoise named Midsize Sedan . . . a lizard named Frosted Mini Wheats . . . a guinea pig named Cowpig . . . and an actual pig named Snoop Hoggy Hogg.
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A guy in Maryland heard his local 7-Eleven sold two Powerball tickets worth $1 million each, and it turned out they both belonged to him. He bought two tickets with the same numbers by mistake and didn't realize.
He called his wife after he scanned the first one, and they both cried. Then he had to call her back and let her know they just won a million dollars AGAIN.
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A 58-year-old grandmother in Canada broke a world record by doing a plank for over 4 hours and 30 minutes. That's the ab exercise where you're on your toes and forearms.
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Speaking of world records: Larry and Jessica McDonnell live in West Virginia, and now hold the record for "greatest height differential of a married couple," where the WOMAN is taller.
She's 5-foot-10, and he's an even 3-feet. They've been married for almost 18 years and have four kids together. They just did an interview about it and said what's on the inside is what really matters.
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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - The deadliest mountain in the world is "K2," the second-highest mountain in the world behind Mount Everest. Only 377 people have successfully climbed it . . . and 91 have died trying.
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