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DATEBOOK: MAY 13, 2020
BIRTHDAYS
• Harvey Keitel is 81
• Stevie Wonder is 70
• Former NBA star Dennis Rodman is 59
• Stephen Colbert is 56
• Darius Rucker (Hootie and the Blowfish) is 54
• Lena Dunham (Girls) is 34
• Robert Pattinson is 34
IT HAPPENED TODAY
• 1880: In Menlo Park, New Jersey, Thomas Edison performed the first test of his electric railway.
• 1939: The first commercial FM radio station in the United States was launched in Bloomfield, Connecticut. The station later became WDRC-FM.
• 1958: Velcro’s trademark was registered.
• 1992: Three astronauts walked in space simultaneously for the first time.
• 1994: Johnny Carson made his last television appearance, on The David Letterman Show.
• 2002: A Chicago truck driver will never forget this not-so-egg-celent day after he spilled over 180,000 eggs on the highway. Michael Haynes fell asleep behind the wheel of his truck, lost control, and dumped the eggs on parts of I-65. The highway was closed for over three hours and snowplows were used to clean up the mess.
• 2006: Artist David Mach created an 8-foot tall sculpture of a nude woman made from 4,200 Scrabble tiles. The sculpture went on display on this day in West Sussex, England, and cost over $100,000 to build. The artist has previously used magazines, newspapers, and car tires in his sculptures.
• 2017: A 22-year-old UK blogger halted the spread of a global ransomware cyber-attack by accidentally identifying “kill switch.”
SPECIAL EVENTS
• Children of Fallen Patriots Day
• Donate A Day’s Wages To Charity
• Hummus Day
• Night Shift Workers Day
• Third Shift Workers Day
• Receptionists Day
• Apple Pie Day
NUMBER FOR THE DAY
400 billion: Gallons of water used in the United States each day.
NEWS ATTACK!
Forget murder hornets. Now we’ve got giant gypsy moths from Asia to worry about. [2020 is turning out to be the best year for bad movie script ideas.]
With much of the country still on partial lockdown, Joe Biden will hang out at home for now. [Andy why not… all 22 Marvel movies are on Disney+.]
With much of the country still on partial lockdown, Joe Biden will hang out at home for now. [He’s doing Zoom meetings with donors, potential running mates, and the random fourth-grader who types in the wrong meeting code.]
While experts say the coronavirus can survive on paper money, the risk of getting the virus from cash is low. [However, if you’re not convinced, I’m holding a paper money collection drive-thru in front of my house this afternoon.]
You can buy a 1,000 pieces puzzle with Arby’s food items on it. [Not really the best puzzle if you’re trying to lose the quarantine 15.]
Disease trackers are calling an early March choir practice in Washington state a superspreader event. One sick person infected 52 others. [Until this year I used the term “superspreader” do describe the spatula I used for applying butter on my toast.]
Twitter will allow some of its employees to continue working from home indefinitely if they choose. [Hey, if it works for Joe Biden it works for me.]
Uber wants to buy GrubHub. [They shall call the company Gruber.]
NEWS & NUGGETS
🦠 CORONAVIRUS TRACKERS _ New York Times | Bing | Johns Hopkins | Johns Hopkins county | WorldOMeters
DR. FAUCI: YOU’LL LIKELY BE HOMESCHOOLING YOUR KIDS THIS FALL _ Dr. Anthony Fauci revealed Tuesday morning that a return to school in the fall “would be a bit of a bridge too far” during a Senate Committee hearing. News of likely continued homeschooling for the next school year will probably be met with groans and frustration by harried parents struggling to balance working from home and also managing remote learning and having their children home 100 percent of the time.
… Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Republican senator from Tennessee who serves as Chair for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, said: “Doctor, let’s look down the road three months. There will be about 5,000 campuses across the country trying to welcome 20 million college students, 100,000 public schools welcoming 50 million students. What would you say to the chancellor of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, or the principal of a public school about how to persuade parents and students to return to school in August?”
… Fauci said, “I would tell her that, in this case, the idea of having treatments available or a vaccine to facilitate the re-entry of students into the fall term would be something that would be a bit of a bridge too far.”
FACEBOOK TAGGED 50 MILLION PIECES OF COVID-19 MISINFORMATION IN APRIL _ Facebook put misinformation warning labels on about 50 million pieces of content related to COVID-19 during the month of April. The social networking site attaches these warnings to posts sharing articles that have been reviewed by the company’s independent fact-checking partners. The company said that the warnings greatly reduce the number of people who view the original content.
MASKS THAT COME WITH A STRAW HOLE FOR SIPPING COCKTAILS _ As the country gets comfortable — or not — with wearing face masks to prevent transmission of the coronavirus, people are finding that certain activities aren’t conducive to having your face covered, particularly eating and drinking. Not yet ready to give up an occasional cocktail outdoors, New Orleans artist Ellen Macomber designed a unique face mask, featuring a small straw slot for sipping cocktails.
… It was a friend who gave her the idea for the drinking modification. In one week, Macomber and her assistant produced 40 masks, each of which takes about an hour to complete. They use cotton combined with other embellished fabrics from her stockpile of colorful and bedazzled scraps, and charge $30 apiece. Within half an hour of launch, the whole lot had sold out.
… Macomber makes it clear that she is not a health expert, nor should her masks be considered the best form of prevention.
MASKNE: HOW TO FIGHT BREAKOUTS IF YOUR MASK IS CAUSING ACNE _ Wearing a mask can get under your skin. Ever since face coverings became a mandatory part of life, a nasty side effect has broken out in its wake: “maskne”. The new phrase — which combines the words “mask” and “acne” — has recently sprung up all over social media as people suffering from the new kind of blemish are venting about the skin care snafu.
… But the problem isn’t just affecting hormonal teens, acne-prone adults or health-care workers wearing heavy duty N95 medical masks for hours at a time. Skin experts are noticing a major zit spike in clients who have never battled pimples in the past.
… Maskne — which is referred to as acne mechanica by derms — is caused by the combination of rubbing from the mask, which irritates the skin barrier, as well as the hot moisture trapped inside, which dilates the pores and allows bacteria and oil to clog them up. Once the follicles are trapped with gunk, they become inflamed, leading to nasty breakouts.
… The fix: wash or change out your masks frequently. A diligent skin care regimen will help the skin bounce back from mask-inflicted congestion. Wash your face before and after wearing a mask, and choose a gentle skin cleanser that is free of harsh sulfates which can strip the skin of its protective oils.
LOCKDOWN CANDLES WERE MADE TO SMELL LIKE THE PLACES WE MISS MOST _ Many weeks into the COVID-19 lockdown there are a number of things you probably miss — and now there are candles to help remind you of those things. A UK candle company’s (Earl of East) latest line of candles is called “Scents of Normality,” a collection of luxury soy candles that reminds us of the things we had in a pre-lockdown. The scents are supposed to remind us of a festival, a favorite bar, and a movie theater. • LINK
NOSTALGIC FOR AIRLINE FOOD? GET IT DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR _ Frequent flyers missing out on prepackaged meals served on flights can now have the food delivered straight to their doors. JetBlue Airways snack packs are available to Imperfect Foods customers, the grocery delivery service that sells ugly produce for cheaper than store prices. Buyers will get mixed cheeses, crackers and dried cherries from the Long Island-headquartered airline. Imperfect Foods has so far sold 40,000 of the snack packs as part of its Food Recovery Program.
DOGS GO THROUGH A PHASE WHEN THEY HIT PUBERTY JUST LIKE HUMANS _ Dogs become less obedient to commands during adolescence just like teenage kids. In experiments (in Britain) dogs were more likely to ignore commands given by their caregiver and were harder to train at the age of eight months, during puberty. Despite being less mature, prepubescent dogs around the age of five months were more obedient to their owner than the older dogs. The research team, which claims to be the first to find evidence of adolescent behavior in dogs, reassures owners of pubescent dogs that they are going through a passing phase.
ARBY’S IS SELLING A PUZZLE COVERED IN MEAT _ Besides making banana bread and crafting cereal out of mini pancakes, one of the biggest quarantine trends is puzzles. They’ve been selling out everywhere and if you’re still on the hunt for one, get one from the Arby’s shop. Fast food chain Arby’s is currently selling a puzzle called the Arby’s 13-Hour Puzzle. The name, as you might have already guessed, is inspired by Arby’s fan-favorite dish, the 13-Hour Smoked Brisket. The new 1,000-piece puzzle is covered in all sorts of delicious Arby’s favorites like curly fries, mozzarella sticks, and a ton of sandwiches that are piled high with meat and cheese. • LINK
… The chain says that this puzzle may not actually take you 13 hours to do, especially if you’ve already had lots of practice making puzzles recently.
MOSQUITOES ARE COMING FOR BEER DRINKERS THIS SUMMER _ With summer just around the corner, and the ‘rona not letting up any time soon, beers in the backyard will likely end up being the summer escape we’re all stuck with. And while Murder Hornets might seem like the creature we’ll need to fear most, the reality is the bad ol’ mosquito is the beer drinker’s wort enemy.
… A study published in the Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association shows that a single 12-ounce brew is enough to get those pests a swarming and sucking.
WEALTHY, EDUCATED MEN DRINK THE MOST _ A global study (by the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development) reveals men who are wealthy and have more education are more likely to drink alcohol than anyone else. Though these men with a higher socioeconomic status — usually white men — tend to drink most, the study found that wealthy women and poor men are most likely to take part in “hazardous drinking.”
HIGH-SPEED INTERNET ADDICTS WOULD RATHER LOSE A FINGER THAN THE WEB _ A survey shows one in three people would rather lose a finger than their high-speed broadband internet connection.
TEACHER SHARES 4th GRADER’S FUNNY ATTEMPT AT SKIPPING ZOOM CLASS _ A 4th grade teacher recently shared one his student’s funny attempts at skipping zoom class by saying he was ‘having Internet issues’ and changing his screen name to ‘Reconecting…’ Unfortunately by incorrectly spelling ‘reconnecting’ his attempt was pretty easily foiled. • IMAGE
SCIENTISTS DISCOVER A SUPER-RARE ‘SUPER-EARTH’ _ Although the cosmos extends across billions of galaxies, each containing millions of stars and even more possible worlds orbiting those stars, a planet like our own is still proving to be quite rare. However, a team of astronomers recently discovered a new ‘super-Earth,’ or an exoplanet that bears some similarity to our own planet. The newly discovered exoplanet is located near the center of the galaxy, and is about four times the mass of the Earth. It orbits a dim dwarf star that’s about 10% the mass of the Sun. The exoplanet would likely orbit around its host star in around 617 days due to the star’s low mass. The latest discovery is a new addition to only a handful of exoplanets with a similar size and orbit to Earth.
… A super-Earth is an exoplanet that is similar to the size of Earth, although usually more massive.
HOW TACO FRIDAY BECAME A SWEDISH TRADITION _ While Taco Tuesday has turned into a once-a-week mealtime tradition in many households around the world, in Sweden they celebrate it on a different day and give it a different name.
… Swedes enjoy Fredagsmys, or Cozy Friday. Across the Scandinavian country, families stay home on Friday night, watch TV, and eat Tex-Mex-style tacos. This dinner choice is so common that, for most Swedes, Cozy Friday is also Taco Fredag, or Taco Friday.
… In 1990, the country was emerging from a financial crisis, and Swedes were eager to spend again and try new things. Around the same time, government deregulation of television allowed advertising for the first time. Prior to that, Swedes had only seen on-screen ads in movie theaters. The Swedish chip company OLW popularized the slogan “Now it’s cozy Friday time” in its commercials. These days, most Swedes can still hum the catchy jingle by heart. This is widely believed to be the origin of the term Fredagsmys, and in 2007, it was even adopted into the Swedish dictionary.
… Chips are still part of many Swedes’ Cozy Friday routine, but it’s Tex-Mex that truly benefited from the idea of staying in and eating processed foods on the sofa. Old El Paso, which had been attempting to break into the market in the 1980s, experienced success as its ads demonstrated taco assembly.
… Meanwhile, the Swedish spice company Nordfalks, which marketed their Tex-Mex products to appeal to a Swedish audience, eventually changed its name to Santa Maria due to the popularity of its tortillas and tacos. Their TV ads suggested tacos as a staple of Cozy Fridays, and for Swedes, who were already used to smörgåsbord or potluck-style meals piled onto one plate, tacos were something new and exciting, yet familiar too. Soon enough, grocers and restaurants rallied around the idea, promoting Cozy Friday with discounts and take-out specials.
WOMEN CARRY $84 WORTH OF COSMETICS _ Women carry an average of $84 worth of cosmetics in their make-up bags, according to a survey. The survey also found women between the ages of 16 and 24 carry $101 worth of make-up while 25- to 34-year-olds have on average $105 in cosmetics. After age 34, women’s spending on make-up drops off steadily with the over-55s carrying less than $51 in product.
REMEMBER THIS? A YEAR AGO THIS WEEK: GRILLING OUT? DON’T USE WATER _ If you’re planning on grilling out this summer, here’s a tip from Men’s Health: don’t use a water bottle to squirt out flare-ups. Their sources say it can create burn-causing steam, and even worse it can damage the finish on the grill. Men’s Health says to avoid flare-ups all together, trip the fat from the meat and cook with the lid on the grill.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: ‘LUCKY JACKET’ LANDS BURGLAR IN HANDCUFFS _ A burglar accused of ransacking homes in China while wearing what he called his “lucky jacket” was caught during a police stakeout.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SEAGULLS BLAMED FOR EATING BAGS OF DONATED FOOD OUTSIDE OF FOOD BANK _ Seagulls that are plaguing a city have been blamed for devouring dozens of donations left outside a charity food bank. The dive-bombing gulls have been a menace for people living in Worcester, England, for years. In the latest attack, dozens of bags of donated food were ruined after gulls attacked them outside the city’s food bank over the weekend.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: INTRUDER MAKES BEDS, LEAVES _ In India, authorities are looking — though not very hard — for the person who likes to break into homes and make the bed. Police say at least seven homes have been entered and in each case the person made the bed perfectly. In one home the person even washed the sheets before making the bed.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DEAD MAN CAME BACK TO LIFE _ A Chinese man who was supposedly hacked to death in a fight reappeared in his hometown after 10 years. The man’s supposed killer had served 10 years of a 29-year sentence after confessing to killing the man in the hatchet fight. The man reappeared in his village because he needed money.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: SUPER-PREPPER _ When the novel coronavirus swept through the United States, architect Joseph Badame had cause to say “I told you so!” He didn’t know what calamity was coming, but Badame prepared for nearly everything: he designed and built an 8,500 square-foot, partly-underground house on 3 acres in Medford, New Jersey, surrounded by an electric fence, plus enough outbuildings and food to accommodate 120 friends and family for a full year. He even thought to stock 4,200 rolls of toilet paper, and buried tanks to hold gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel, and heating oil. He installed a coal-fired furnace supplied by “tons” of coal stacked outside.
… What does Badame think now, with COVID-19 killing thousands per day? The 77-year-old said, “This is much more severe than I even planned for.” But his decades of preparation and million-dollar stockpile of supplies aren’t helping: he lost the house to foreclosure in 2017, and now lives with a friend.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: COME BACK WITH A WARRANT _ When Flagler County, Florida, Sheriff’s deputies arrived at a house the doormat had a message for them: “COME BACK WITH A WARRANT”. No need — they already had a search warrant for suspected drugs and paraphernalia. The search uncovered significant quantities of drugs, syringes, and “other drug paraphernalia.”
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: BURGLAR CAUGHT AFTER GETTING STUCK IN A WINDOW _ A burglar was arrested in South Africa (Klerksdorp) after he was caught trying to break into a house. The man was caught after he got stuck in a small window he had tried to use to gain entry into the house.
ON TELEVISION
SEASON FINALE: SURVIVOR: WINNERS AT WAR (8p ET, CBS) — New. The 2-hour 40th season finale will be followed by a reunion show done remotely from all players homes.
SEASON FINALE: THE GOLDBERGS (8p ET, ABC) — New. Barry teaches Erica how to be compassionate and caring when Geoff’s dad is in the hospital.
CHICAGO MED/FIRE/P.D. (8p ET, NBC) — Repeats.
THE MASKED SINGER (8p ET, FOX) — New. Comic Jay Pharoah joins the panelists for this 2-hour edition.
SEASON FINALE: SCHOOLED (8:30p ET, ABC) — New. Lainey has a difficult choice regarding her relationship with Barry and her friendship with CB.
SEASON FINALE: AMERICAN HOUSEWIFE (9p ET, ABC) — New. Katie confronts a classmate’s mom when she suspects Anna-Kat is being bullied at school.
SEASON FINALE: SINGLE PARENTS (9:30p ET, ABC) — New. Angie struggles to recall the events of a wine-filled night of packing with Will.
SHARK TANK (10p ET, ABC) — New. Products include a line of office products that makes working or learning more functional and eco-friendly and a healthy take on a favorite childhood drink.
THE WRONG MISSY (Netflix) — David Spade stars in this rom-com as a guy who thinks he’s invited the woman of his dreams on a work retreat to Hawaii, realizing too late he mistakenly texted someone from a nightmare blind date. Lauren Lapkus (Orange is the New Black) also stars.
ENTERTAINMENT
GOLDEN GIRLS FACE MASKS ARE HERE _ Despite making its debut in the ’80s, the sitcom The Golden Girls has endured for generations. And as we are in the weariest of times, it’s nice to know the gal pals are here for us like the true friends they are — on masks. Available in eight different Golden Girl styles, the face masks are only $14.99 each and come with three insertable filters. You can also buy multiple mask and filter combos if you feel you need more than one of the bad girls in your life. • LINK
HAMILTON TO DEBUT ON DISNEY+ IN TIME FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY _ Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway smash Hamilton will land on Disney Plus just in time for our nation’s birthday. The rap-infused look at Alexander Hamilton’s life and formative role in American history will be released on the streaming service on July 3, roughly a year before it was supposed to debut. It had originally been scheduled for a theatrical release on October 15, 2021. Thomas Kail, the show’s director, shot three live performances of Hamilton featuring the original Broadway cast.
… Disney paid handsomely for the rights to a filmed rendition of Miranda’s production, shelling out $75 million. There are still plans to do a big-screen version of Hamilton, but that remains a long way off.
CHRIS PRATT BECOMES INDIANA JONES IN NEW DEEPFAKE VIDEO _ Indiana Jones is an iconic series with an even more iconic character that many of us grew up adoring as children, and for the majority of us, no one would ever be able to live up to Harrison Ford’s portrayal of the adventuring archaeologist. But we also live in strange times of Photoshop, amateur video editing, and now eerily real deepfake videos.
… A new Indiana Jones deepfake replaces Ford with Chris Pratt — best known as Star-Lord in the MCU and Andy on NBC’s Parks and Recreation — as the main character. • VIDEO
TONY SHALHOUB AND WIFE HAVE RECOVERED FROM CORONAVIRUS _ Tony Shalhoub has opened up about a “rough few weeks” after he and his wife, Brooke Adams, tested positive for COVID-19. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel actor compared his real life experience to playing germaphobe detective Adrian Monk, who lives with obsessive compulsive disorder on the TV series Monk. Shalhoub said, “I hope you are all being careful and following the protocol. We really are all Monk now. Last month, my wife Brooke and I came down with the virus, and it was a pretty rough few weeks. But we realize that so many other people have and had it a lot worse.”
… Now recovered, Shalhoub remains hunkered down in New York City.
GUY FIERI AND BILL MURRAY TO COMPETE IN LIVE NACHO-MAKING CONTEST _ Restauranter Guy Fieri and actor Bill Murray are going head to head to determine who can make the best nachos. The Nacho Average Showdown will be a live event to raise money for Fieri’s Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (RERF), which gives financial assistance to employees impacted by the coronavirus shutdown. The quest for nacho flavortown will stream on Food Network’s Facebook page on May 15 at 5 PM ET. Carla Hall will host and basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal and actor Terry Crews will judge.
HEAD OF THE CLASS REBOOT IN THE WORKS AT HBO MAX _ Head of the Class could be back in session. HBO Max has ordered a pilot episode for a potential series based on the classic ABC sitcom from the 1980s.
… A description of the updated version: Head of the Class is about a group of overachieving high school students who meet their greatest challenge — a teacher who wants them to focus less on grades and more on experiencing life.
… Head of the Class ran for five seasons and 114 episodes on ABC, premiering in 1986 and ending in 1991. It centered around a group of academically gifted high school students at the Millard Fillmore school in New York City, and their eccentric substitute history teacher Charlie Moore (Howard Hesseman). Hesseman’s character exited the series after season 4, giving way to a new unorthodox teacher Billy MacGregor, played by Scottish comedy legend Billy Connolly.
BROADWAY STAR NICK CORDERO IS OUT OF HIS COMA AND AWAKE _ Broadway actor Nick Cordero woke from a medically induced coma Tuesday, weeks after doctors amputated his leg as part of his coronavirus treatment. Cordero’s wife, Amanda Kloots, announced his updated condition on Instagram just a day after sharing that the Tony-nominated actor was making progress by following doctor’s commands.
… Kloots first shared her husband’s illness on April 1 and has shared his continued medical struggles through Instagram. He’s been in the intensive care unit for more than 40 days after arriving at the emergency room in late March.
LAST MAN STANDING MAY ADDRESS CORONAVIRUS IN SEASON 9 _ Last Man Standing hasn’t been renewed for Season 9 yet, but members of the team have their fingers crossed for another go at it, with big plans about how they’d move forward. Producers are already thinking about how the show might address what’s happening in the real world given that Last Man Standing takes place in present-day America. And though the show has yet to formally move forward plotting storylines and episodes, its key players are already thinking about how COVID-19 would factor in. Tim Allen told TV Guide, “We kind of have to,” adding that he isn’t sure how yet but “there’s a new normal” that needs to be addressed.
GAME OF THRONES ACTOR WILL STAR IN COMPETITION SERIES _ Hafthor Björnsson, the Icelandic weightlifter best known for playing Ser Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane on HBO’s Game of Thrones, is following up his recent deadlifting world record (1,104.52 pounds on May 2) with a competition series. Beat the Mountain, a competition of strength and endurance, is described as a challenge that pits powerful, adept athletes against one another to fight it out in unique bouts. Ultimately, the top performer will have the opportunity to go head-to-head against Björnsson. No word yet on what network Beat the Mountain will air on.
… Beating the Mountain does not sound like the easiest task. Björnsson stands at 6’9″ and currently weighs 450 pounds.
JEOPARDY HAS WEEKS OF NEW EPISODES _ A large number of TV shows and game shows are running out of episodes, but Jeopardy still has new episodes left to air. The fan-favorite game show will return with new episodes on Monday, May 18. The new episodes will continue for just four weeks.
… New regular episodes air from May 18-22. The Teachers Tournament quarterfinals air May 25-29, the Teachers Tournament semifinals and finals air from June 1-5 and new regular Jeopardy episodes air June 8-12. The rest of Jeopardy!’s summer schedule will be announced at a later date.
BITS & BREAKS
NEED A QUARANTINE MEME?
Need a new meme for your social media page? Check out this growing stack. Please add yours in the comments!
SHOULD I GET A TATTOO?
You or a member of your team has to mention that they’re thinking of getting a tattoo. Ask the audience if it’s a good idea or not, what to get, etc.
Always lots of calls and social media feedback on this one!
WE HAVE TOO MUCH STUFF!
• There are 300,000 items in the average American home.
• While the average size of the American home has nearly tripled in size over the past 50 years, 1 out of every 10 American households rents offsite storage.
• 25% of people with two-car garages don’t have room to park cars inside them and 32% have room for only one vehicle.
• Research found that the average 10-year-old owns 238 toys but plays with just 12 daily.
• 3.1% of the world’s children live in America, but they own 40% of the toys consumed globally (UCLA).
• The average American throws away 65 pounds of clothing per year.
• Our homes have more television sets than people.
• Americans spend more on shoes, jewelry, and watches than on higher education.
FOODS NON-AMERICANS ARE GROSSED OUT THAT AMERICANS EAT
BuzzFeed rounded up some tweets from non-Americans that began with “Do Americans really eat…”
• Do Americans really eat a bowl of chili as a meal?
• Do Americans really eat bacon with their hands?
• Do Americans really eat eggs with ketchup?
• Do Americans really eat pasta with butter?
• Do Americans really eat shredded cheese straight out of the package?
• Do Americans really eat chips on sandwiches?
• Do Americans really eat from paper plates because they don’t wanna do dishes?
• Do Americans really eat pizza with pineapples?
• Do Americans actually eat just peanut butter… with a spoon… from the jar?
• Do Americans actually eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?
• Do Americans actually eat their apples with peanut butter and cinnamon?
• Do Americans actually eat cold pizza?
FUN & GAMES
TRIVIA: The state of Maine has 65 of these. (Lighthouses)
TRIVIA: Thirteen percent of Americans say they’ve spent the night where? (In jail)
TRIVIA: The largest one of these in the world grew to 11 pounds, 9.7 ounces. (Lemon)
TRIVIA: Employees with desk jobs do this more at work than those who work in manual labor. (Go to the bathroom)
ROAD TRIP POP QUIZ
According to rental car company Hertz, the top five causes of road trip car arguments are, in reverse order:
5. Bathroom stops
4. Partner’s driving skills
3. Traffic
2. Noisy / naughty children
1. ???
Answer: Getting lost / directions
HOLE IN THE HEADLINE
Guess the word that’s missing from this real news headline: “Bears Break Into Tennessee Cabin, Steal ______”
Two friends on vacation in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, had a close encounter with a black bear when it forced its way into their rental cabin. The women immediately went to a bedroom for safety. If one bear inside the cabin wasn’t scary enough, there were three more bears lingering around the porch. The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency says black bears are coming out of winter hibernation.
… Police were called, eventually getting the bear out of the cabin and the other three bears away from the porch, but the bears did not leave without taking a few snacks with them: they got 5 pounds of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, a pound of M&M’s, two pounds of Sour Patch Kids, two bags of potato chips, two beers, two Diet Cokes and about 20 Zyrtecs.
COUNTRY DATEBOOK: MAY 13, 2020
• 1972: TANYA TUCKER made her chart debut at the age of 13 with Delta Dawn.
• 1978: WILLIE NELSON’s album Stardust made its chart debut. A decade later it was still on the chart.
• 1995: THE JUDDS appeared on the cover of TV Guide.
• 2011: LUKE BRYAN required stitches after he banged himself between the eyes throwing a stage prop around during a concert at the Peoria Civic Center.
• 2013: FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE’s Cruise went triple-platinum.
• 2017: CHELY WRIGHT received an honorary doctorate from the College of Arts and Science at the University of Missouri in Kansas City.
• 2017: DAN + SHAY’s Dan Smyers married Abby Law in Nashville.
LARI WHITE is 55. Her hits include That’s My Baby, Now I Know and Stepping Stone. Lari had a part in the Tom Hanks movie Cast Away.
DARIUS RUCKER is 54.
COUNTRY MUSIC NEWS
CMT has added CARRIE UNDERWOOD, LUKE COMBS, SAM HUNT, TIM MCGRAW, BRANDI CARLILE and Christian singer LAUREN DAIGLE to its list of performers for CMT Salutes Our Country, airing June 3. Artists will perform from home, recognizing through words and music those who have made extraordinary contributions during the pandemic. Previously announced performers include FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, BROTHERS OSBORNE, LITTLE BIG TOWN, LADY ANTEBELLUM, and MIRANDA LAMBERT.
THOMAS RHETT scores his third consecutive number one from his Center Point Road album this week with his duet with JON PARDI, Beer Can’t Fix. It follows chart toppers Remember You Young and Look What God Gave Her.
… Beer Can’t Fix is the 15th number one for THOMAS RHETT and fifth for duet partner JON PARDI.
MIRANDA LAMBERT’s Mutt Nation Foundation donated $75,000 to animal shelters across Middle Tennessee. Money was raised by more than 1,000 donations that were matched by Tractor Supply Company. The funds will help those shelters impacted by the March 3 tornadoes that ripped through the region, killing 25 and causing more than $1 million in damages.
ELI YOUNG BAND will kick off the Concert In Your Car series at Globe Life Park in Arlington, Texas on June 4. A 400 car limit will be imposed with an open space between each car. The cost is $40 per car with the concert to be heard on a specific FM radio station.
DARIUS RUCKER will sing the national anthem prior to Sunday’s (May 17) NASCAR race at Darlington Speedway in Darlington, South Carolina. The event will air on FOX without fans in attendance.
FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE shared a snippet of a song from its upcoming Six Pack EP. The tune is called Beer:30 and includes a ticking clock, a beer can and a slick, pop-country beat. FGL shared the sample on their social media pages on Tuesday. • LINK
… BROOKS & DUNN had a moderate hit with a song of the same title, but spelled differently. • LINK
THE BELLAMY BROTHERS have released the latest strand in their Old Hippy Stash. Called Afterglow, the marijuana is available at Trulieve dispensaries.
Visit the Country Quickies page to search past stories.
COUNTRY DATEBOOK: MAY 14, 2020
• 2001: Jury selection began in Orchard Park, New York, for the trial of TIM MCGRAW, who had been accused of physically assaulting a police officer following a concert in the area. He was later found not guilty.
• 2009: Wind gusts slammed a mic stand into DARRYL WORLEY’s head during a show in Miles City, Montana, forcing him to rush mid-show to an emergency room, where he received seven stitches. Darryl returned to resume the show before weather forced an early conclusion
• 2011: MIRANDA LAMBERT and BLAKE SHELTON were married at the Don Strange Ranch near Boerne, Texas, in front of REBA McENTIRE, DIERKS BENTLEY, MARTINA McBRIDE and THE BELLAMY BROTHERS. On July 20, 2015, the couple announced that they were divorcing.
• 2011: NEAL McCOY sang No Doubt About It for the first dance at MIRANDA LAMBERT AND BLAKE SHELTON’s wedding reception in Boerne, Texas. MARTINA McBRIDE sang Stand By Your Man; Miranda, Kelly Clarkson, and REBA McENTIRE sang Little Rock.
• 2011: GEORGE JONES was a surprise guest at KENNY CHESNEY’s Rupp Arena concert in Lexington, Kentucky, offering renditions of I Don’t Need Your Rockin’ Chair and He Stopped Loving Her Today.
• 2017: MIDLAND guitar player Jess Carson and his wife, Camille Carson, welcomed a son, Parker Emmanuel Carson, delivered in the couple’s Chevy Suburban in the parking lot at an Austin, Texas, hospital.
DUSTIN LYNCH is 35.
DATEBOOK: MAY 14, 2020
BIRTHDAYS
• George Lucas is 76
• Director Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump, Back to the Future) is 69
• David Byrne (Talking Heads) is 68
• Tim Roth is 59
• Cate Blanchett is 51
• Amber Tamblyn (Joan of Arcadia) is 37
• Miranda Cosgrove (iCarly) is 27
IT HAPPENED TODAY
• 1607: Jamestown, Virginia, was settled as an English colony.
• 1804: The Lewis and Clark Expedition departed from Camp Dubois and began its historic journey by traveling up the Missouri River.
• 1973: Skylab, the United States’ first space station, was launched.
• 1998: The finale of Seinfeld aired on NBC, with 76 million viewers tuning in.
• 2009: A church in East Sussex, England, unveiled a bronze statue dubbed “Jesus in jeans” depicting Christ as a man of the 21st century. The $50,000, seven-foot high bronze statue was funded by money left by a late parishioner. Christ is wearing jeans and a shirt billowing in the wind while his hair and beard are neatly and fashionably trimmed.
SPECIAL EVENTS
• Chicken Dance Day
• National Decency Day
• Buttermilk Biscuit Day
CARRIE UNDERWOOD’s book is out today. Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life is full of tips on eating, exercise, and lifestyle choices.
