Saturday 6/22/24
Sunday 6/23/24
Celebrate:
Saturday
Global Smurf Day
Great American Campout
International RAgweed Day
National Chocolate Eclair Day
National HVAC Tech Day (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning)
(are you busy today?)
National Onion Rings Day
Stupid Guy Thing Day
World Rainforest Day
Sunday
America's Kids Day
International Widow's Day
Let It Go Day
National Hydration Day
National Pecan Sandies Day
National Pink Day
Pink Flamingo Day
Runner's Selfie Day
SAT Math Day
Typewriter Day
United National Public Service Day
National Detroit-Style Pizza Day - baked in rectangle blue steel pans—the same ones used as drip pans or to hold nuts and bolts at auto plants in the Motor City, the home of Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. The pizza's crust is thick, chewy, and crisp, but light and airy. Pepperoni is placed on the dough, and the dough is topped all the way to the edge with crumbled Wisconsin brick cheese. Finally, the pizza is topped with tomato sauce in the shape of three racing stripes—another nod to the automotive industry roots of the city. Slices are cut into squares or rectangles.
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A report from Expedia found Americans take fewer days off than any other country in the world. On average, we get 12 vacation days a year, and 53% of us don't use them all.
That's despite the fact that two-thirds of us feel like we don't step away enough. The top excuse was "life is too busy to plan or go on vacation."
Japan actually gets fewer paid days off at 11. But they're much more likely to take them all, and more likely to break them up.
Most Americans take their vacation days in chunks, while Japan prefers long weekends. 32% of Japanese people take at least one day off a month, compared to 5% of Americans.
So who takes the MOST vacation days? The French. The average worker in France gets 29 days off a year.
That's two-and-a-half times more than Americans get. And somehow, they still don't think it's enough. 65% of people in the U.S. think they deserve more time off compared to 69% of French people.
Final stat: The study found that over the course of their career, the average American will let 45 vacation days go unused.
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Here are some tips from "Consumer Reports" on how to quickly and efficiently cool down a hot car . . .
1. Start driving and turn on the air conditioner. Your car's air conditioning works better when you're actually driving, versus trying to cool the car by letting the AC run while you're stationary.
2. Open all the windows for 10 to 20 seconds. It takes that long for the AC to start cooling, so you'll be helping it cool the interior.
3. Once cold air starts flowing through the vents, roll up the front windows. Keep the rear ones cracked open for another 10 to 20 seconds to pull the cold air to the back of the car.
4. Set the AC to the lowest temp and adjust the fan speed and direction to make yourself comfortable. If you have passengers in the back seat, turn off recirculation mode so the air in the back doesn't get stale and hot.
5. If you have a car that auto stops and starts at red lights, you might want to disable it. It saves fuel by shutting off the car's engine when you're stopped, but it may also shut off the car's AC compressor.
A couple bonus tips for staying comfortable in your car in the summer include: Keeping your cabin air filter clean, since a dirty one prevents optimal airflow. And leaving a small towel or two in the car, so no one has to sit on a hot leather seat.
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Remember the Titanic submersible that imploded? It happened a year ago this week. Now the surviving co-founder of the company thinks we should be planning a manned mission to Venus and says he knows how to keep the astronauts safe. (I'll pass thanks)
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An asteroid the size of the Empire State Building will zip past us in 2029 and come closer to hitting Earth than any large asteroid in human history. Experts expect it to miss us by just 19,635 miles, or one-tenth the distance to the Moon. Bonus: It's happening on Friday the 13th. (I hope their math is right on this one!!)
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With the full Strawberry Moon tonight here's a Strawberry fact - The average strawberry has around 200 "seeds" around it although technically, they aren't classified as seeds. Botanists consider them tiny, separate fruits, each with a single, small seed INSIDE it.
Funny how we never worried about those seeds growing in our stomachs like watermelon seeds....yes kids... watermelons used to have seeds!!!!
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Donald Sutherland, passed away yesterday after an undisclosed "long illness". He was 88.
He was Hawkeye in the original movie version of "M*A*S*H", and the horny, pot-smoking professor in "Animal House".
His other classics included "The Dirty Dozen", "Kelly's Heroes", "Klute", the '70s remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers", "Ordinary People", "Backdraft", and "JFK". He was also President Snow in Hunger Games.
Yes he is the father of Kiefer Sutherland.
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Sony is exploring the idea of doing another "St. Elmo's Fire" movie with the original cast. This appears to be a direct result of Andrew McCarthy's Brat Pack documentary, "Brats".
It would reunite the original cast, so Emilio Estevez, Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, Judd Nelson, Ally Sheedy, Mare Winningham, and Andrew.
It's still pretty early on. There isn't any word of a script yet . . . or if everyone is even interested in coming back. But '80s nostalgia is still big, and it's the perfect time for a Brat Pack reunion.
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As we get ready for the first presidential debate this coming Thursday, Wales . . . the small country in the U.K. to the east of England . . . is debating a new bill that would make it ILLEGAL for politicians to knowingly LIE.
If it becomes a law, Wales would be the first country in the world to introduce criminal sanctions for lying politicians. Under the current version, anyone who's caught intentionally lying would be DISQUALIFIED from holding office. That includes making a statement that is known to be false or deceptive.
This is happening because politicians in Europe are just as misleading and deceitful as they are here.
The PROBLEM is: For this to become law, Welsh politicians would have to support it. And for now, the reaction is mixed at best.
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Check out the web version of this briefing, along with The Anniversary Song of the Day and more content, on the web at https://bribriny.wixsite.com/brianbriefing
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