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ONE YEAR OLDER: MONDAY, AUGUST 30 _ Warren Buffett is 91 • Ben Jones (Cooter on The Dukes of Hazzard) is 80 • Comedian Lewis Black is 73 • Timothy Bottoms (film’s The Last Picture Show, TV’s The Paper Chase) is 68 • Michael Chiklis (The Fantastic Four, The Shield) is 58 • Cameron Diaz is 49 • TV personality Lisa Ling is 48
SPECIAL EVENTS _ Cabernet Day • Whale Shark Day • Grief Awareness Day • Toasted Marshmallow Day • Slinky Day
WHAT MEN AND WOMEN NOTICE FIRST ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX _ What do men and women have in common? We both love to stare into each other’s eyes. The eyes are the first thing we notice about the opposite sex. Men notice first (in order): eyes, smiles, breasts, hair, weight. Women notice: eyes, smiles, height, hair, dress sense.
YOUR CAR STEERING WHEEL IS GROSS _ Research shows car steering wheels carry twice as many germs as toilets. Tests showed that steering wheels averaged 41,600 germs, compared with 17,400 on a toilet seat. Only 13 percent of people clean their cars regularly, while 5 percent never bother to clean them at all. Men clean their cars 14 times a year, while women manage 12 cleans. Those around 55 clean the most.
HAVE A DIFFICULT PROBLEM TO SOLVE? TRY VODKA _ To the delight of grownups everywhere, a study proved what we suspected all along: drinking alcohol can help us creatively solve problems. To test this, the authors gave the participants some bagels and a couple of vodka-and-cranberries, and then had them solve puzzles. The results? Study participants were better at solving the puzzles after the cocktails. So next time you feel stuck on a problem, go ahead — have a cocktail.
FALL ASLEEP FASTER BY STICKING ONE FOOT OUTSIDE COVERS _ Now matter how hard you try, sometimes you just can’t fall asleep when you want to. But this scientifically supported method might be one of the simplest. Body temperature plays a big part in falling asleep. Having a high body temperature can make you feel more alert. When it’s bed time, your body tries to cool down before you go to sleep. One trick: sticking your foot (or feet) out of your covers to help your body release some heat. The bottoms of your feet are hairless, and they have special vascular structures to help regulate heat loss. 🗣 TOPIC: What’s your trick for falling asleep faster?
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: POLICE ALERTED TO SHOTS, FIND SLEEPING MAN AND TV _ German police called to the scene of a suspected shooting found a man who had fallen asleep with an action film running at top volume on his TV.
WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN TOSSED FROM A WINDOW? _ Driving down (local road) yesterday I was behind a guy who was on a fruit feeding frenzy. First he tossed a banana peel. I could see him eating the banana before he tossed it out his window. Then he ate an orange and tossed the peel, bit by bit. 🗣 TOPIC: What did you see someone toss out their car windwow?
THINGS YOU SHOULD NEVER SAY ABOUT AN EX _ It’s easy to rip into your ex over what a jerk he turned out to be, but before you do that, step back and read what’s proper after a breakup. Some things you should never say about an ex.
• He was broke
• Anything super embarrassing
• Anything he told you in absolute confidence
• The sex was bad
NEWS ATTACK! _ Something I just learned: North Korea has its own version of Netflix. [But it tells you what you’re going to watch.]
ONE YEAR OLDER: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 _ Lily Tomlin is 82 • Barry Gibb of the Bee Gees is 75 • Dr. Phil is 71 • Gloria Estefan is 64 • Author, model and TV host Padma Lakshmi is 51 • Formula 1 driver Carols Sainz Jr. is 27 • Singer/actress Zendaya (Spider-Man films) is 25
SPECIAL EVENTS _ Building and Code Staff Appreciation Day • Random Acts of Kindness Day or Be Kind Day • World Letter Writing Day • Cherry Popover Day • Ginger Cat Appreciation Day
9 IN 10 COLLEGE STUDENTS BATTLE FEAR OF BEING WITHOUT SMARTPHONE _ A study (by the American Academy of Medicine) shows 9 in 10 college students battle “nomophobia,” or the fear of being out of smartphone contact.
GROSS THINGS FOUND IN KIDS’ BEDROOMS _ A survey of parents show 78 percent “dread” cleaning their kids rooms when they move out, either off to college or to their first apartment. 🗣 TOPIC: What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever found in your kid’s bedroom?
MEN ARE LIARS _ To the shock of no one, a survey found that men lie more than women. The average guy lies three times a day, or 1,092 times a year. Women say they lie just twice a day.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DON’T INSPECT A GAS TANK WITH A LIGHTER _ Three men trying to steal fuel from a farm in the Ukraine ended up setting fire to their own car. The trio had siphoned diesel fuel into a gas-driven vehicle. When their car would not start, they examined the fuel tank using a cigarette lighter. One click and the car burst into flames. The men escaped without injury.
ONLY AT WALMART _ Each Walmart is its own planet with its own unique species of creatures.
• Salinas, California — A couple tried to sell a baby for $25 in a Walmart parking lot. They were arrested before they could make a sale thanks to a sharp employee.
• Canton, Ohio — A man relieved himself on $600 worth of steaks.
• St. Augustine, Florida — A customer found a 5-foot-long dead shark in a shopping cart outside the store.
• Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — Employees tried to stop a shoplifter as she was leaving the store but she punched one of the employees in the head and bit down on another employee’s finger, biting a portion of it off.
IF YOU HAD TO GIVE UP ONE OF YOUR SENSES _ See what your audience thinks. A survey asked: “If you were forced to give up one of your senses, which one would it be?” The results:
• Smell – 57%
• Taste – 27%
• Hearing – 7%
• Touch – 5%
• Sight – 4%
HORROR MOVIE GARDEN GNOMES _ Love garden gnomes? Love horror movies? Amazon’s selling Horror Movie Garden Gnomes — 5-inch tall garden gnomes that look like some of your favorite horror movie characters. The set of 11 is $97. • LINK
NEWS ATTACK! _ An Australian survey found turning off the TV, picking up a crossword puzzle, and eating more fish could be the keys to a better memory. [And to fewer matches on Tinder.]
ONE YEAR OLDER: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 _ Valerie Perrine is 78 • Costas Mandylor (Picket Fences) is 56 • Charlie Sheen is 56 • Ashley Jones (True Blood) is 45 • Joel Johnstone (Archie Cleary in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) is 43 • Nick Wechsler (Revenge, Roswell) is 43 • Garrett Hedlund (Tron) is 37 • Snowboarder Shaun White is 35 • And today is… Bring Your Manners To Work Day • College Colors Day • Lazy Mom’s Day • Chianti Day • Doodle Day • Food Bank Day • Stand Up To Cancer Day • Pressed Pennies Day • Skyscraper Day • Baby Back Ribs Day
ONE YEAR OLDER: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 _ Mitzi Gaynor is 90 • Judith Ivey is 70 • Khandi Alexander (ER, NewsRadio) is 64 • Damon Wayans is 61 • Noah Taylor (Game of Thrones) is 52. • Ione Skye is 51 • Music producer Mark Ronson is 46 • Wes Bentley (American Beauty) is 43 • Max Greenfield (New Girl) is 42 • Beyonce’ is 40 • Whitney Cummings (Whitney) is 39 • Kyle Mooney (Saturday Night Live) is 37 • And today is… Bacon Day • Cowgirl Day • Play Outside Day • Tailgating Day • Turkey Vulture Day • National Wildlife Day • Newspaper Carrier Day • World Beard Day • Macadamia Nut Day
ONE YEAR OLDER: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 _ Bob Newhart is 92 • William Devane is 82 • Raquel Welch is 81 • Michael Keaton is 70 • Dweezil Zappa is 52 • Rose McGowan is 48 • Carice Van Houten (Game of Thrones) is 45 • And today is… Bowling League Day • Be Late For Something Day • Jury Rights Day • Cheese Pizza Day • Pet Rock Day
TWEET OF THE WEEK _ What’s longer, a treadmill minute or a coworker making you watch a funny YouTube video that isn’t funny minute? (@svershbow)
WHAT FAST FOOD CHAIN HAS THE BEST BURGER? _ 🗣 TOPIC: We know (local place, local place and local place) have great burgers, but what fast food chain has the best burger?
HOW DO YOU MAKE NEW FRIENDS AS AN ADULT? _ 🗣 TOPIC: How do you make friends as an adult? Some suggestions on social media:
• If you run join a local running group.
• Take cooking classes. Even if you’re already a pretty good you can up your game while you meet new people.
• If you ride a motorcycle go to shop-sponsored bike runs/rides.
HERE’S HOW OFTEN YOU SHOULD BE WASHING YOUR SHEETS _ There are few things more comforting than climbing into a bed with freshly laundered sheets. The problem, of course, is the labor involved in washing those sheets. But make no mistake. You should be washing your bed sheets regularly. According to CNET, sheets collect residue from the bodies occupying them. Skin oil, dead skin cells, saliva, and sweat all accumulate. The dead skin cells are especially problematic, as they help nourish dust mites, tiny little insects that can inhabit your bed and leave tiny droppings. Even worse, people who sleep in the buff may be leaving small amounts of fecal matter behind. At a certain point, your sheets may become the equivalent of sleeping in a six-month-old pile of dirty underwear.
… When it comes to washing sheets, some might opt for once a month — but that’s not enough. A better schedule for sheets is once every one to two weeks, minimum. If you sweat, opt for once a week. To combat the dust mites, washing in hot water (at least 130°F) is recommended. Hot water and immediate washing is also needed if you’re just getting over an illness.
WACKY-BUT-TRUE: CROOKS SNAP SELFIES WITH FOUND PHONE _ In Argentina three guys stole some fertilizer. While they were there one of them spotted a cellphone. The guys couldn’t resist taking pictures of themselves. Only one problem: the phone had been set up to auto-upload photos to the cloud. Cops were able to identify and track down the crooks pretty easily.
WHAT BODY PART DO YOU WASH FIRST? _ When you step into a shower, which part of the body do you wash first? Which part you wash first says a lot about you.
• CHEST: You are practical person. To you, convenience is of paramount importance.
• FACE: Money is important to you.
• ARMPITS: You are a dependable and hard working person.
• HAIR: Artistic type. Daydreaming is your hobby but you can achieve what most other people cannot.
• PRIVATES: Shy type. You lack self confidence and have a very small circle of friends.
• SHOULDER: You really like to spend time alone and you see the world as difficult.
• KNEES AND BELOW: You’re fun and are always up for new things.
NEWS ATTACK! _ Researchers may be on the right track for finding a cure for baldness. [Forget cancer — can’t you see we’re busy bringing an end to the combover?]