5/7/25 - Bad Driving, Oops Jailers, and Charles Dickens (not really)

Wednesday 5/7/25

Celebrate:

Bike to School Day

Great American Grump Out

National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day

National Barrier Awareness Day

National Cosmopolitan Day

National Roast Leg of Lamb Day

National School Nurse Day

National Tourism Day

Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

Paste Up Day

World Carnivorous Plant Day

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We knew it was coming, so it wasn't really a shock.  Microsoft announced it a month ago and started moving users over to their more modern Microsoft Teams platform.  If you go to Skype.com, it now prompts you to "Start using Teams."

Skype was founded in early 2003, and the first beta version came out later that year.  Microsoft eventually jumped in and bought it for $8.5 BILLION in 2011.

Slack and Teams, along with newer video platforms such as Zoom, saw explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic as companies scrambled to shift to remote work, and even families and friends looked for new tools for virtual gatherings.

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When you're driving on a major interstate . . . and you miss your exit . . . do you:  A)  Keep driving, and get off at the next one.  Or  B)  Come to a complete stop on the road, cause a crash, and then drive away?

The Ohio Department of Transportation posted video from last week of a red van coming to a complete stop on an interstate after apparently missing their exit.

They seem to be waiting for the right lanes to clear so they can make a last-second right turn to cross over and go back to it.

In the meantime, a couple cars stop behind them.  Then a van SLAMS into those cars, causing a multi-car pile-up.

The original red van was mostly spared.  They SURELY saw and heard the crash, but made the turn down the exit, and drove away.

They haven't identified the Red van yet.

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A 12-year-old boy in New Zealand created an A.I. "Pill Bot" to stop his grandmother from taking the wrong medication, due to her poor eyesight.

The boy was asked if we should fear A.I., and he said no . . . but joked, "If A.I. does take over the world, I hope this project helps them realize I'm on their side!"

(i'm kind of screwed...i yell at my alexa)

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A drunk and pants-less 56 year old man was arrested in Florida, with his naughty bits on display. 

He told police his name was "Charles Dickens."  It wasn't.  He's a 56-year-old named Vincent Conroy.

It was the best of times, and the worst of times. 

It was a tale of two identities.

His Oliver Twist was showing.

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A jail in Georgia went into lockdown after officers could not find a missing inmate who was convicted of murder.  The cops later discovered THEY left the inmate at the courthouse holding cell overnight.

By the way, President Trump is directing the government to reopen and expand Alcatraz, the notorious former prison on a hard-to-reach California island off San Francisco that has been closed for more than 60 years.

Is this even feasible?? He does realize that it tourist attraction attracting millions annually? Right?

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64% of Americans worry more about running out of money than they do about death.

Causes are Inflation, Concerns about Social Security, Higher Taxes, and Market Volatility.

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - Roughly 4.5 TRILLION cigarette butts are littered every year, making them the most littered item on the planet. 

Most cigarette butts contain filters, which are made of nonbiodegradable plastic, and contain toxic chemicals that leach into the soil and water.

Is there still the group of kids that pick them up?

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