DATEBOOK: August 29 _ Elliott Gould (M*A*S*H film, the Ocean’s film series, Contagion) is 85 • Rebecca DeMornay (Risky Business) is 64 • Chris Hadfield (first Canadian to walk in space) is 64 • Carla Gugino (The Haunting of Hill House, Entourage) is 52 • Lea Michele (Glee, The Mayor) is 37 • Charlotte Ritchie (Call the Midwife) is 34 • Liam Payne of One Direction is 30 • Reality star Courtney Stodden is 29.

SPECIAL EVENTS _ Chop Suey Day • Touch a Heart Tuesday • Individual Rights Day • International Day Against Nuclear Tests • Lemon Juice Day • More Herbs, Less Salt Day.

NEWS ATTACK! _ The Barbie movie is now the biggest grossing film of 2023. [Finally, a plastic figure in Hollywood making headlines for something positive.]

NEWS ATTACK! _ According to a study if a person drinks too much, exercise can help protect the brain from the damage caused by the booze. [You can always tell when the guy on the stationery bike at your fitness club has had too much to drink. He’s the only one signaling turns.]

WHAT IF YOU HAD THE POWER TO MAKE ONE LEGAL THING ILLEGAL? _ Start it on Facebook, take it to the phones: If you were given the power to make one legal thing / activity illegal what would it be?

THREE THINGS GUYS DO THAT CONFUSE WOMEN _ I’m sure women could add a few more to this list, but here are three behaviors from guys that befuddle women.
→ BEING VAGUE/DISTANT/ALOOF — He has a lot going on, and even though he likes her, he keeps his options open. He’s pleasant, but not very open.
→ CURT/INFREQUENT/DELAYED TEXTING — He’ll respond with only the necessary information needed giving the appearance that he’s uninterested and uncaring.
→ RELUCTANCE/REFUSAL TO DEFINE THE RELATIONSHIP — He’s spending all his time with her, so what’s the problem? So what if he won’t officially call her his girlfriend? Everyone knows it?

EAT THREE BARS OF CHOCOLATE A MONTH _ Another year, another study telling us dark chocolate is good for the heart. Sign us up! A study of more than half a million adults found that those who ate chocolate in moderation had a lower risk of heart failure than those who avoided such treats. Scientists (Icahn School of Medicine) found those eating up to three bars of dark chocolate monthly had a 13 percent lower risk of heart failure compared to those who ate none. Researchers say natural compounds in cocoa called flavonoids boost blood vessel health and help reduce inflammation.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: CAT SURVIVED ‘BURIAL’ UNDER BATHTUB _ A four-year-old cat in Germany survived after being walled in beneath a bathtub for a few weeks. The cat disappeared while workmen were replacing pipes in a block of apartments. The cat was last seen in a neighboring apartment, where the cladding around a bathtub had been removed. Just before tub was sealed up again, the cat apparently crept underneath. By the time the neighbor heard meowing from behind the tiles, the cat’s weight had dropped. The cat’s owner nursed her back to health.

HOW FAR WE’LL DRIVE OUT OF OUR WAY FOR FOOD _ The average adult will drive out of their way for a good meal. According to a survey (conducted by Bush’s Beans), the average American is willing to drive 36 miles out of the way just to get some food.

4 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW YESTERDAY _ Let’s upgrade our IQs.
• Wombats are the only known animals that produce cube-shaped feces.
• While most leap years occur every four years, a year that is evenly divisible by 100 is not a leap year unless it is also divisible by 400.
• About 70 to 75 percent of the world’s population does not use toilet paper.
• Australia is wider than the moon.