Thursday 8/29/24
Celebrate:
"According to Hoyle" Day - Edmond Hoyle passed away today in 1769 and is dedicated to playing games according to the rules. We had a card game book of his when I grew up.
Chop Suey Day
Individual Rights Day
International Cabernet Sauvignon Day
Lemon Juice Day
More Herbs, Less Salt Day
Thoughtful Thursday
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Best Facebook Post from yesterday.
Boeing Starliner astronauts are stranded in space for 80 days and will not return home until 2025.
Comment - Humanity has about six months to purchase 8 billion ape costumes for the ultimate prank.
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There’s been a sharp decline in the number of teenagers and 20-somethings getting driver's licenses, a trend diverging from the long-standing symbol of independence associated with driving at 16. It’s gone from 64% of 16 to 19-year-olds getting their licenses in 1995 to under 40% today.
What’s behind it? Let’s see: Teenagers are anxious about driving. Parents are concerned about safety. Lessons are expensive. Insurance is expensive. Cars are expensive. Alternative transportation is also more available in urban areas such as public transit, ride-sharing, and electric scooters.
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It's official: Oasis is reuniting. At least Noel and Liam Gallagher are. There's no word who else will be in the band. The Gallaghers are the only consistent members.
They announced a string of dates in the U.K. next summer, including four gigs at Wembley Stadium in July and August. Tickets will go on sale on Saturday.
Oasis haven't played together since August of 2009. The Gallagher Brothers have spent the years since sniping and insulting each other. Although to be fair, they were doing that while the band was still together, too.
The prevailing joke online is that you should aim to buy tickets for the FIRST show, because who knows if they'll stay together past that. That is, of course, if they even MAKE IT to that first show before having a big blowout.
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Travis and Jason Kelce are taking their "New Heights" podcast to Amazon's Wondery network.
The deal is worth $100 MILLION over three years.
"We love this show, and the fanbase that has grown with us over the last two seasons. Wondery understands the shared vision and will offer a wealth of experience and resources to take us to New Heights!"
Travis and Jason started "New Heights" before the 2022 NFL season. It won Podcast of the Year at this year's iHeartPodcast Awards.
Oh, by the way….
Travis became a stakeholder in a racehorse named Swift Delivery.
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Here's something to help get you over the hump before we head into a nice long weekend . . . 3:00 p.m. tends to be when a lot of us hit a wall. So someone asked a productivity expert how to blast through it.
Here are four ways to beat your afternoon slump.
1. Know how you're wired. If you start anticipating your slump, you can front-load your day and knock the hardest stuff out early.
2. Leverage small wins. Crossing something small off your list creates a sense of accomplishment. It can give you a burst of energy and keep you motivated.
3. Connect with others. Take five minutes to check in with a co-worker. Micro-breaks can help shake the afternoon fog, especially if you interact with people.
4. Change your environment. Move to another room, or step outside for some fresh air. Staying in the same spot too long can make you sluggish.
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15 coworkers scaled a mountain in Colorado last Friday as part of a team-building exercise, apparently. And one guy got left behind.
Mount Shavano is 100 miles southwest of Denver. The summit is over 14,000 feet, but not everyone did the whole thing. A few people hung back, so there were two groups . . . except for one guy who ended up doing the last leg himself.
He made it to the top fine, but got lost on his way down after everyone left and took all their gear with them. They'd left stuff along the path to guide them back like a trail of breadcrumbs. But they took it all with them when they left.
He made it to the top around 11:30 A.M., then got turned around. So he dropped a pin, texted it to his coworkers, and they told him he was going the wrong way.
He sent another pin-drop at 3:50 P.M., and he was going the right way at that point. But then a big STORM hit, with high winds and freezing rain.
He got disoriented in the storm, which also cut off his cell service. But his coworkers either didn't know . . . or didn't care . . . and no one told search-and-rescue until 9:00 P.M.
He got cell service back around 10:00 A.M. the next day and called 911. By the time they found him, he'd been on the mountain for over 24 hours and couldn't walk. He told them he'd fallen "at least 20 times."
They stretchered him out and got him to a hospital. They say he's lucky his phone didn't die, or they wouldn't have found him in time.
Search-and-rescue said the story highlights some important lessons: Remember that cell service can be spotty . . . don't hike in all-black . . . if you get turned around, it's usually best to stay put . . . and NEVER leave someone behind.
They added that the unfortunate event, "might cause some awkward encounters at the office in the coming days and weeks." (Ya think??)
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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - The three highest-grossing media franchises of all time are Pokémon . . . Mickey Mouse & Friends . . . and Winnie the Pooh. "Star Wars" is fourth.
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