INTERPREP ★ JULY 31, 2019

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Audio • Bits & Breaks • Country Prep • Datebook • Datebook Tomorrow • Entertainment • Fun & Games • News & Nuggets • News Attack • Number for the Day • Television • Wacky-But-True • User’s Guide Facebook Group

DATEBOOK: JULY 31, 2019

BIRTHDAYS

• Michael Biehn (The Terminator, Aliens) is 63

• Wesley Snipes is 57

• Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling is 54

• Dean Cain (Lois and Clark) is 53

• Eve Best (Nurse Jackie) is 48

• B.J. Novak (The Office) is 40

• Rico Rodriguez (Modern Family) is 21

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1971: Apollo 15 astronauts became the first to ride in a lunar rover.

• 1975: In Detroit, Michigan, Teamsters Union president Jimmy Hoffa was reported missing.

• 1980: Fictional character Harry Potter was born today.

• 1981: A seven-week strike by major league baseball players ended.

• 1995: The Walt Disney Company agreed to acquire Capital Cities-ABC Inc. in a $19 billion deal.

• 1996: Three brothers, a sister, and two cousins all drowned while trying to rescue a chicken and each other from a 60-foot-deep well in Nazlat Imara, Egypt. The chicken survived.

• 1997: Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago announced that “the Teddy Bear Lady,” a $15,000 secretary who passed out teddy bears to children in the hospital, had left $18 million for research into children’s diseases. Gladys Holm, who never married and had no heirs, apparently had invested wisely in the stock market.

• 2002: A knife-wielding robber in the Philippines was beaten up by his victim, a 25-year-old pregnant woman with a black belt in taekwondo. Clarissa de Guzman of Manila said when the robber focused his attention on her jewelry and money, she kicked him in the head, then in the groin and all over.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• Avocado Day

• National Mutt Day

• Cotton Candy Day

UPCOMING

• August 1: NFL pre-season begins
• August 1: CubingUSA Nationals begins
• August 1: Lollapalooza begins
• August 1: World’s Longest Yard Sale begins
• August 2: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally begins
• August 24: College football returns with two games: Florida vs. Miami and Arizona vs. Hawaii.
• September 2: Labor Day
• September 5: NFL season begins (Packers and Bears)
• September 20: Storm Area 51
• September 21: Storm Loch Ness
• September 22: Emmy Awards (Fox)

NUMBER FOR THE DAY

1775: Year the world’s oldest potted plant was brought from South Africa to the UK and potted.

NEWS ATTACK!

Someone purchased a sketch at a thrift shop in New York City that turns out to be worth around $200,000. [That should cover his New York City rent for a good two or three months.]

A Minnesota man was sentenced to prison for faking his own death for a $2 million insurance policy. [If people close to him had known that he had a $2 million insurance policy, his death wouldn’t have been fake.]

They’re going to dig up the body of John Dillinger. [Don’t we already have enough criminals?]

Holiday Inn announced that it will stop stocking its bathrooms with those little plastic bottles of shampoo, lotion, and so forth. [Bummer. Now I’m going to actually have to spend money on real souvenirs for the family.]

Researchers are working on contact lenses that allow you to zoom in and out on an object just by blinking. [I want contact lenses that make me appear as if I’m looking at people when I’m actually looking at my phone.]

To fight climate change Ethiopia just planted over 353 million trees in one day. [It was a national day of celebration for dogs and squirrels.]

A man visiting the Arkansas Crater of Diamonds State Park found a 2.2 carat diamond. [Now he’s going to have to come up with a completely new reason to tell his longtime girlfriend why he hasn’t put a ring on it.]

President Trump granted several people presidential pardon. [Including the studio executive who last year thought the public would run out to see Melissa McCarthy and a cast of foul-mouth puppets solve a murder.]

To attract newcomers to church Britain’s Rochester Cathedral has installed a mini golf course. [It’s not easy. The 10 holes are more like 10 Plagues, and then your ball has to part the Red Sea.]

NEWS & NUGGETS

HOW LONG IT TAKES TO RECOVER TO NORMAL AFTER VACATION _ A study finds it takes at least three days to get back to normal after a vacation. Research revealed those who take a week off take around 72 hours to get back into the swings of things once again. That time increases to four days for a two-week break.

… The study also found it takes two nights for our sleeping pattern to get back to normal while battling jet lag and getting over late nights and sleeping in.

PROFESSORS CREATE SEESAWS SO CHILDREN CAN PLAY ACROSS BORDER FENCE _ Two U.S. professors have created seesaws so that children on one side of the border fence between the United States and Mexico can play with children on the other side. The seesaws were designed by University of California-Berkeley architecture professor Ronald Rael and San Jose State University associate professor of interior design Virginia San Fratello.

… The fulcrum for each seesaw is attached to the lower steel beam holding the slats for the border barrier in place. Their initial concept for this project, called “the Teetertotter Wall,” came in 2009, before President Donald Trump or the promised border wall ever made an appearance. They were finally installed on Monday at the border barrier between Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, and Sunland Park, New Mexico.

WOMAN BUYS OUT PAYLESS STORE, DONATES SHOES TO KIDS IN NEED _ A big-hearted Arkansas woman bought out a closing Payless shoe store — containing 1,500 shoes worth nearly $21,000 — so she could donate the footwear to children in need. When Carrie Jernigan went shopping with her three kids to buy shoes her oldest daughter spotted a pair of Avengers shoes — which sparked a big idea. The girl told Jerniagn, “There is a boy in my class that loves Avengers, and his shoes are too small. Could you buy him these?” When Jerniagn got to the counter to check out she asked, “How much for the rest of the shoes in the store?” The clerk took Jerniagn’s number. Later that day a district manager told her she could buy out the store — 1,500 pairs of shoes worth nearly $21,000.

… 1,100 pairs will go to kids and local schools, 400 pairs to adults in need.

MODEL GIVES UP ON DATING, MARRIES HER GOLDEN RETRIEVER _ Former swimsuit model Elizabeth Hoad went on live television Tuesday in the UK to get married. The 49-year-old wed her 6-year-old golden retriever, Logan. Hoad was a swimsuit model in the ’80s and had relationships with a number of men. But after a slew of unsuccessful dates over the years and giving birth to a son, now 25, Hoad decided the only man she could count on was her loyal Logan.

… It’s been a whirlwind romance for the pair: Hoad rescued Logan just a year ago.

HOLIDAY INN IS DITCHING MINI SHAMPOOS TO SAVE THE PLANET _ The fight to save the seas from plastic waste may mean the end for mini bottles of shampoo and other toiletries that hotel guests love to stuff into their luggage. The owner of Holiday Inn and InterContinental Hotels said Tuesday that its nearly 843,000 guest rooms are switching to bulk-size bathroom amenities as part of an effort to cut waste. The transition is due to be completed in 2021.

… InterContinental Hotels Group uses an average of 200 million bathroom mini bottles every year.

MAN ATTACKED POWER EMPLOYEES WORKING ON TRANSFORMER IN HIS YARD _ Police in Florida say a 39-year-old man attacked two power company workers as they attempted to fix a transformer on his property. No motive was given for the confrontation. He was tossed in jail.

PEOPLE WITH FULL BLADDERS MAKE BETTER DECISIONS _ Anyone considering an expensive purchase might drink a bottle of water first — scientists have concluded that people with full bladders make wiser decisions. Researchers discovered the brain’s self-control mechanism provides restraint in all areas at once. They found people with a full bladder were able to better control and “hold off” making important, or expensive, decisions, leading to better judgement. Psychologists (University of Twente in the Netherlands) linked bladder control to the same part of the brain that activates feelings of desire and reward.

PICK THE SECOND CHEAPEST WINE AT A RESTAURANT _ Wine has so many varieties and varying degrees of value that it can be intimidating to order when you’re out to dinner. One wine expert (Gerald Morgan Jr.) offers a simple tip about picking a wine: by the glass, pick the wine that isn’t the cheapest wine, but the next cheapest wine. It’s always going to be your best value.

… Picking a glass of the cheapest wine probably comes from a bottle that costs the restaurant 4 or 5 bucks, but if you pick the next one up in price you’re ordering a wine that costs the restaurant at least twice as much as their cheapest bottle.

REPLACE YOUR TOOTHBRUSH MONTHLY? _ While the American Dental Association advises us to replace our toothbrushes at least every three to four months, you might want to do it more often. Researchers have found that the dirtiest item in your medicine cabinet is most likely your toothbrush. They found that streptococcus, staphylococcus, influenza, and herpes simplex I, among other pathogens, can easily survive on toothbrushes. And then you put it in your mouth. One researcher says the best place to store your toothbrush is out of the medicine cabinet and even out of the bathroom.

NURSE SAVES DRIVER WHO STOPPED BREATHING AND HAD NO PULSE AFTER HE CRASHED INTO HER HOME _ A Florida nurse saved a man’s life after he crashed his car into her home. Carmen Roman (of Kissimmee) says a driver swerved off the road and crashed his vehicle into the exterior of her bathroom. When she came outside to survey the damage, Roman discovered that the driver was unresponsive behind the wheel. Roman ran over to the driver’s side window and began to perform chest compressions on the man. After about 30 compressions the man came to life. After emergency crews arrived, the man appeared to be in better condition and was even seen on the security cameras walking beside the damaged car and first responders.

COORS LIGHT SAYS THEY’RE THE OFFICIAL SHOWER BEER _ Some would say that there’s nothing more relaxing and more satisfying than ending a long, hard day by hopping into a hot shower with an ice cold beer — a shower beer. Well, Coors Light is on board and, as part of their new “Made To Chill” campaign, they have declared themselves the official shower beer. • VIDEO

COLORADO HUNTER’S ‘BIG GAME’ CATCH IS ACTUALLY BABY DEER _ A hunter who boasted about a “big game” catch on social media had actually let his dog kill a young baby deer. Michael Garcia filmed the fawn being attacked in rural Colorado, and posted both the video and a photo of the deer’s flayed body on Instagram. The caption on the now-deleted post read: “Got his first big game kill.” After the images were shared widely, Colorado Parks and Wildlife charged Garcia with “several wildlife crimes” and fined him $1,372.50. In a Facebook post that has since been deleted, but was later published by local media, Garcia said he was “sorry for everything. I truly am a lover of the outdoors and in no way would have thought it would get this out of hand! Gus is an awesome, kind, loving dog. I let him chase rabbits and squirrels every day, and I promise you, this is the one and only time he’s ever caught a fawn.” He also claimed the fawn’s death was “a freak accident”.

NEBRASKA TEACHER FOUND 2.12-CARAT DIAMOND _ A Nebraska teacher managed to find the biggest diamond at Crater of Diamonds State Park during a two-hour visit last week. A press release from the Murfreesboro, Arkansas, park quotes Josh Lanik as saying, “It was blatantly obvious there was something different about it. I saw the shine, and when I picked it up and rolled it in my hand, I noticed there weren’t any sharp edges.” He dropped the brandy-colored find in his bag and later ended the visit at the park’s discovery center, where an employee determined it was a diamond that clocked in at 2.12 carats.

… And he almost didn’t find it. The morning had been hot, his family was hungry for lunch, and their finds so far had been rock and glass. Then he saw it in the gravel. It’s one of 296 diamonds surfaced in the park this year, and one of just 11 weighing at least one carat. And, per park policy, it’s his for keeps, and he says his plan is to keep it, rather than sell.

STUDY SHOWS THAT FITBIT DOESN’T ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE LOSE WEIGHT _ Strapping on a FitBit and tracking your steps may not actually be doing all that much to help you lose weight. Researchers at the University of Florida found that wearable fitness devices like FitBit and Apple Watch may help a person’s wellbeing, but do not lead to any meaningful drop in cholesterol or blood pressure, and only one of six studies analyzed showed any weight loss at all.

… The findings were a surprise even to researchers, who thought they would find that the motivation to get moving and get more exercise would have shown some kind of weight loss. Lead author Ara Jo said that the wearable fitness tracking devices can help people stay away from a sedentary lifestyle that creates its own health risks, but does not motivate them to be active enough to actually lose weight.

REMEMBER THIS? A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK: DEATH CLEANING IS THE NEWEST WAY TO DECLUTTER _ There’s a new book about death and cleaning. No joke. The book is titled The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning and it dives deep into dostadning — the Swedish, a hybrid of the words for death and cleaning. That’s exactly what death cleaning is: the process of cleaning house before you die, rather then leaving it up to your loved ones to do after you’re gone.

… Author Margareta Magnusson — a Swedish artist who describes herself as somewhere between age 80 and 100 — says it’s “more like a relief,” and that it has benefits you can enjoy while you’re still very much alive. Magnusson says people should start thinking about death cleaning as soon as they’re old enough to start thinking about their own mortality. She says, “Don’t collect things you don’t want. One day when you’re not around anymore, your family would have to take care of all that stuff, and I don’t think that’s fair.”

WACKY-BUT-TRUE

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN ACCUSED OF URINATING ON POTATOES AT WALMART _ A woman accused of urinating on potatoes at a Walmart in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area was arrested. After a photo of the woman was shared by police she turned herself in.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DOG EATS WATCH _ A dog owner in England discovered his dog had swallowed an $800 watch when the alarm went off inside the animal. The dog was taken to the vet but coughed the watch up before an operation became necessary.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: THIEVES STEAL 24 BUS STOPS _ Dozens of newly-installed bus stop shelters were stolen in China. Authorities are still baffled how the thieves managed to make off with the 24 shelters, along with 23 bus stop signs and four benches. Each stainless steel shelter weighs around 550 pounds, requiring a truck, crane and a four-man crew to install.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DRUG DEALER WORE ‘I AM A DEALER’ SHIRT _ In the UK, cops raided a teenage drug peddler’s home and found him wearing a T-shirt that read: “I am a dealer.” And when they searched his bedroom the officers found thousand of dollars worth of drugs hidden away. The teen actually claimed he had stashed the drugs for safe keeping for other dealers.

ON TELEVISION

LOVE ISLAND (8p ET, CBS) — New.

PRESS YOUR LUCK (8p ET, ABC) — New.

MASTERCHEF (8p ET, FOX) — New. The Top 12 have to replicate one of the cakes on display in 75 minutes.

SERIES FINALE: JANE THE VIRGIN (8p ET, CW) — After 5 seasons, Jane the Virgin says goodbye with a behind-the-scenes special followed by the series finale.

SERIES FINALE: WAHLBURGERS (8p ET, A&E) — A mini marathon of 3 new episodes will wrap up the series after 10 seasons.

CNN DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE (8p ET, CNN) — Night two includes former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen. Cory Booker, former HUD Secretary Julian Castro and more.

UNMASKING JIHADI JOHN: ANATOMY OF A TERRORIST (8p ET, HBO) — This new documentary profiles one of the most sadistic soldiers of the self-proclaimed Islamic State.

BIG BROTHER (9p ET, CBS) — New.

CAPSIZED: BLOOD IN THE WATER (9p ET, Discovery) — For the first time ever, Shark Week will have a scripted film. Based on actual events, this made for TV movie recounts the 1982 ordeal of a yacht crew that was caught in a storm near North Carolina that destroyed the vessel, leaving them clinging to life in an 11-foot dinghy. Josh Duhamel, Rebekah Graf), Beau Garrett, and Josh Close star.

MATCH GAME (10p ET, ABC) — New. The celebrity panelists are Horatio Sanz, Sherri Shepherd, Thomas Lennon, Ellie Kemper, Kenan Thompson and Kyle Richards.

THE INBETWEEN (10p ET, NBC) — New. Cassie encounters an idol from her childhood in the InBetween.

THE RED SEA DIVING RESORT (Netflix) — This original film, starring Chris Evans, is based on actual events and tells the story of an unusual spy mission: rescuing Jewish refugees under the guise of running a beachfront resort. Alessandro Nivola (Disobedience), Michael K. Williams (The Wire), Ben Kingsley and Greg Kinnear also star.

SERIES PREMIERE: FOUR WEDDINGS AND A FUNERAL (Hulu) — This new limited series from Mindy Kaling was inspired by the 1994 romantic comedy of the same name. The setting is still London, but the main characters are Americans who are living in England. Nathalie Emmanuel (Game of Thrones) stars, with Andie MacDowell.

ENTERTAINMENT

YOUTUBE ‘KING OF RANDOM’ STAR DIES IN PARAGLIDING ACCIDENT _ Grant Thompson, the star and creator of popular YouTube channel King of Random, died on Monday in a paragliding accident in Utah. He was 42. Thompson’s body was recovered early Tuesday morning in St. George, Utah after his family filed a missing person’s report on Monday night when he didn’t return from his trip. Officials were able to quickly locate his body thanks to a GPS locator in his possession.

… Thompson had amassed over 11 million subscribers on his YouTube channel, posting experimental videos and clips about various projects. His most popular video, How to Make LEGO Gummy Candy, had over 26 million views.

AVENGERS: ENDGAME AVAILABLE ON AMAZON NOW _ Avengers: Endgame has come to Amazon early. The digital download version of the No. 1 box office movie of all time can now be purchased on Amazon. • LINK

ELIZABETH OLSEN IS ENGAGED TO MUSICIAN ROBBIE ARNETT _ Avengers: Endgame actress Elizabeth Olsen is engaged to her musician boyfriend Robbie Arnett. The couple have been quietly dating for the last three years.

MIKE TYSON IN FAMILY MATTERS DEEPFAKE _ Mike Tyson has been deepfaked into the opening credits of the classic TV sitcom Family Matters. Deepfakes combine and superimpose existing images and videos onto source images or videos using AI. In the case of the Family Matters opening credits, Mike Tyson was deepfaked as every character. • VIDEO

AUDIO

Find these audio files on the PRO AUDIO PAGE.

🎧 BACK TO SCHOOL: A silly song from YouTube singer/songwriter Jack Hartman.

🎧 DROP: Wowee wow wow bing bong ping pow!

BITS & BREAKS

JOCK INTRO

And now, (your name) — a (man/woman who got a perfect score on (his/her) ACT test once you add up all eight times (he/she) took it.

DUMB-BUT-TRUE PRODUCT WARNING LABELS

Start it on Facebook, take it to the phones: What’s the dumb warning you found on something you bought?

• On a mattress — Warning: Do not attempt to swallow.

• On a toilet plunger — Caution: Do not use near power lines.

• On the box of a Batman costume — Warning: Cape does not enable user to fly.

• In the manual for an air conditioner — Caution: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows.

• In the manual for a hair dryer — Warning: Do not use while sleeping.

• On a food processor — Not to be used for anything else.

• On a sticker on an iron — Warning: Never iron clothes on the body.

• In the instruction book for a vacuum cleaner — Do not use to pick up anything that is currently burning.

THE THINGS EVERY HAPPY MARRIAGE HAVE IN COMMON

• Share at least one hobby

• They’re cool with spending time apart

• They figure out the best ways to split up the chores

• They have sex even if they aren’t raring to go at it

• They touch each other every day

• They have a video game strategy (76% of couples report playing video games together was good for their marriage)

• They respect one another’s fighting styles

• They want to be healthy

• They forego social media

FUN & GAMES

TRIVIA: The most popular time of the day for this is 7:11 PM. (Having an alcoholic drink)

TRIVIA: What organization gives out the Vezina Trophy? (The National Hockey League, which awards the trophy to the goaltender who is “adjudged to be the best at this position.” At the end of each season the NHL general managers vote to determine the winner.)

WHO SAID IT?

“The good actors are all screwed up. They’re all in pain. It’s a profession of bottom-feeders and heartbroken people.”

• Shia LaBeouf *

• Tom Hanks

• Sandra Bullock

• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson

DATEBOOK: AUGUST 1, 2019

BIRTHDAYS

• Chuck D of Public Enemy is 59

• Coolio is 56

• Tempestt Bledsoe (The Cosby Show) is 46

• Jason Momoa (Game of Thrones, Aquaman) is 40.

IT HAPPENED TODAY

• 1889: It rained ants at Strasbourg, Germany.

• 1941: The first Jeep was produced. Parade magazine devoted three pages to what it called “the Army’s most intriguing new gadget.” The little truck, made by the Willys Company, proved so valuable in World War II that General Dwight Eisenhower said the U.S. could not have achieved victory without it.

• 1942: Jerry Garcia, of The Grateful Dead, was born. He died in 1995.

• 1962: Spider-Man was introduced in Marvel Comics issue #15.

• 1981: MTV began broadcasting in the United States and aired its first video, “Video Killed The Radio Star” by the Buggles.

• 2007: The I-35W Mississippi River Bridge spanning the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapsed during the evening rush hour.

• 2013: Russia granted NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden one year of temporary political asylum. Snowden left Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport.

SPECIAL EVENTS

• August is Happiness Happens Month, Get Ready for Kindergarten Month, Children’s Eye Health & Safety Month, Children’s Vision and Learning Month, Make Your Reading Be A Haven Month, National Catfish Month, National Inventors’ Month, National Toddler Month, Mental & Educational Wellness Month, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Awareness Month

• Mahjong Day

• Spider-Man Day

• Girlfriends Day

• Mountain Climbing Day

UPCOMING