Wednesday 8/31/22
Celebrate:
Eat Outside Day
Love Litigating Lawyers Day
National Matchmaker Day
National Trail Mix Day
We Love Memoirs Day
Willing To Lend A Hand Wednesday
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Mikhail S. Gorbachev, the Soviet leader whose vision of humane communism liberated millions, bridled the global arms race and knocked down the walls dividing East and West, has died, according to Russian news agencies.
Gorbachev, who had been in declining health suffering from acute diabetes, was 91 and had been undergoing treatment at a hospital, according the agencies.
One of the most influential politicians of the 20th century, Gorbachev used his six years as head of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to systematically dismantle the machinery of repression.
He freed political prisoners, lifted the Iron Curtain, liberated the arts and pulled Red Army troops out of foreign conflicts such as the country’s 10-year debacle in Afghanistan. He forged disarmament treaties with Cold War enemies that helped melt away that adversarial era and revolutionized Soviet relations with the industrial powerhouses of the West.
Named Time magazine’s Man of the Decade for the 1980s and the revered object of “Gorbymania” throughout Europe, the fallen leader’s rejection by his own people was brutally reiterated in 1996, when he ran for president and won barely 1% of the national vote in a contest won by his successor and nemesis, Boris N. Yeltsin.
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Do you think the world would be a better place if we were just brutally honest all the time?
A new poll found most people think so, but very few of us have the guts to actually do it. Here are a few quick stats on honesty . . .
1. 57% think it would be better if everyone just told people what they were thinking and didn't hold back. But 83% of us bite our tongue a lot, and avoid saying stuff that might offend people.
2. We hold back four times a day, on average. That includes big stuff, but also little things. Like wanting to tell someone to chew with their mouth shut . . . or saying, "No, I DON'T want to see more pictures of your cats."
3. 77% of us think we're good at hiding the fact we're not being totally honest.
4. 56% of people claim they want people to be brutally honest with THEM and not hold back.
5. 73% think being brutally honest is necessary sometimes.
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Want people to find you fascinating? It's easier than you think. And it doesn't require climbing Mount Everest, bullfighting in Spain, or learning about wine or, God forbid, soccer.
According to a business leadership expert named Marcel Schwantes, the secret to having people find you fascinating is . . . don't talk about yourself.
He says the best way to have people find you fascinating is to get them talking about themselves . . . and engage with them about their stories. And here are his three tips for being the most interesting person at a party . . .
1. Be intensely curious. Show that you're genuinely fascinated by what someone's telling you and ask smart follow-up questions.
2. Be a good listener. When you let someone talk about themselves, it triggers the same area of their brain as getting money or food. So as they talk about themselves, they'll grow to like you more and more.
3. Ask interesting questions. Instead of small talk, ask questions like "What's on your bucket list?" And then ask a follow-up question about how YOU can help them achieve it. From that point on, they'll think you're the most interesting person there.
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And a new poll for it found Chocolate Chip Cookies are still our favorite type of cookie . . .
Our five favorites are chocolate chip . . .
peanut butter cookies . . . double chocolate chip . . . oatmeal raisin . . . and shortbread.
Here are a few more quick cookie stats . . .
1. The average American eats 21 cookies a month. One in four admit they eat more than that.
2. 41% of us think we've had enough of them in our life to call ourselves a "cookie expert." The average person thinks you need to eat at least 319 cookies before you can say that.
3. According to the poll, the perfect chocolate chip cookie is soft and chewy . . . made with brown sugar . . . and just came out of the oven.
4. 61% say a really good cookie can turn your whole day around.
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A new seasoning blend that makes everything taste like Snickers is being rolled out to stores nationwide this month.
The Mars candy company partnered with a condiment brand for it. Each jar is filled with around seven ounces of Snickers in powder form.
It's supposed to be for things like ice cream, milkshakes, pancakes, and frozen yogurt. So it's mostly a dessert thing.
This isn't the first time a candy has been turned into a seasoning. The same brand released a Twix version last year. And before that, they did a Cinnamon Toast Crunch one called Cinnadust.
The Snickers version should be available everywhere.
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There's a thread online where people are talking about celebrities they "hate . . . for no good reason." Although it's funny, some people couldn't help but explain themselves, which goes against the premise. Here are some highlights . . .
1. Justin Bieber
2. Harry Styles . . . "I just don't like the whole 'be positive' thing he does."
3. Most of the "Friends" cast
4. Ed Sheeran
5. LeBron James
6. Adam Sandler . . . "He just seems to play the same character over and over again. All jokes, no personality."
7. Richard Dreyfuss
8. Lizzo
9. Gwyneth Paltrow
10. Will Smith
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Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - If you blended-up everyone in the world, it would create a meatball that fits in New York City's Central Park.
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