Things You Need To Know

January 27th is the 27th day of 2021. There are 338 days remaining until the end of the year

There are 18 days remaining until Valentine’s Day

Today is … National Chocolate Cake Day, National National Geographic Day & Library Shelfie Day

— On this date in 1756, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born

— On this date in 1998, James Brown was charged with possession of marijuana and unlawful use of a firearm after police were called to his South Carolina home. Brown later clamed the drugs were used to help his ‘eyesight.’

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream just announced their newest flavor . . . everything bagel ice cream.  It’s a sweet cream cheese base flavor with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, onion, and garlic mixed in. 

Sweethearts Candies is imprinting several new romantic phrases on their chalky, heart-shaped candies for Valentine’s Day. The new sayings include “AT LAST”, “SUGAR SUGAR”, “I’M YOURS” and “LUVME TENDR”, 

Cheerios is celebrating Valentine’s Day by selling heart-shaped Honey Nut Cheerios.

Most pizza chains will have their single-biggest sales day of the year on Super Bowl Sunday. The biggest pizza days:
• Super Bowl Sunday
• New Year’s Eve
• Halloween
• The night before Thanksgiving
• New Year’s Day

The folks at Butterfinger joked online this week that they should make a Butterfinger peanut butter.  And now fans want them to actually do it.

Martha Stewart is launching a line of cannabis products for dogs. The line includes oil drops and soft-baked chews

Panera just created a new glove that looks like a big BREAD BOWL . . . and the “top hole” of the bread bowl is the perfect size to hold a drink.  So now you can keep your hands warm with this bread muff while you drink an iced coffee. If you’re interested in getting one of these things, you can enter through Friday on their website IcedAndToasty.com. They’re going to pick 450 people at random to get one.  That’s right:  One.  You’ll have to win the contest twice to have a bread bowl for each hand. 

Here are five reasons to swear more that are all backed by science:  It can be a sign of intelligence.  People who swear a lot might be more honest.  It ups your pain tolerance.  It might be a sign of creativity.  And some experts think we’ve evolved to swear because it’s safer than the alternative.  In other words, throwing expletives is a better way to vent than throwing punches

Someone polled 2,000 people in England and asked them to name the best and worst things America has given the world. The BEST things America has given the world include:  Netflix . . . Disney . . . Coca-Cola . . . McDonald’s . . . Apple products . . . KFC . . . Hollywood movies . . . Elvis Presley . . . NASA . . . Levi’s . . . Tom Hanks . . . “Star Wars” . . . and Nike.We also invented cars, airplanes, Wi-Fi, and Google, but none of THOSE made the list.  Also, Elvis and Tom Hanks both ranked higher than Martin Luther King Jr. The WORST things we’ve given the world according to Brits include:  Too many guns . . . the Kardashian family . . . racial inequality . . . our politicians in general . . . Kanye West . . . calling football “soccer” . . . deep-fried everything . . . and Facebook.  (We just want to be clear that, yes . . . the Kardashians ranked higher than RACISM.)

The US Post Office is going to issue new Star Wars stamps this Spring. The stamps will feature pictures of  IG-11, R2-D2, K-2SO, D-O, L3-37, BB-8, C-3PO, a GNK (or Gonk) power droid, 2-1B surgical droid and C1-10P, commonly known as Chopper.” 

Have you ever heard a dog that shrieks like a banshee?  This four-year-old pug mix does, and you can listen to the shrieking, here.

Have these people never watched a single movie and seen what happens when you do stuff like this?  Scientists in Russia just thawed a woolly rhino that was between 25,000 and 40,000 years old.

January 26th is the 26th day of 2021. There are 339 days remaining until the end of the year

There are 145 days remaining until Summer begins (Sun June 20)

Today is … National Peanut Brittle Day, National Green Juice Day, Spouse’s Day, Dental Drill Appreciation Day and National #24 Day

— On this date in 1875, the dental drill was invented

— On this date in 1979, The Dukes of Hazard premiered on CBS

There are rumors that berry-flavored Pepsi Blue is coming back for the first time since 2004.  

Hersey Chocolate is coming out with a new candy bar called Whozeewhatzit. It has peanut butter cream, rice crisps and chocolate candy and is similar to the Whatchamacallit candy bar 

A new “Ghostbusters” cereal is on the way. The cereal is filled with ghost-shaped marshmallows  It’s connected to the new movie “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” that’s slated to come out this fall.  If you remember the ’80s, there was another “Ghostbusters” cereal that hit shelves shortly after the original movie hit theaters

Tio Rodrigo Craft Beer has created the world’s first tortilla chip beer. The beer has hints of lime and salty chips. The company says, “Everyone’s been going a bit stir-crazy lately so we wanted to have some fun and shake things up. Why not have your chips and drink them too?”

Starbucks is celebrating Valentine’s Day by adding a Raspberry Cheesecake Frappuccino to their secret menu. The drink is made with a white mocha frappe, one pump of hazelnut, one pump of raspberry, strawberry puree, whipped cream and a caramel crunch topping 

Coca-Cola with Coffee just launched nationwide.  The cans are a mix of Coke and coffee and come in three flavors: Dark blend, caramel, or vanilla.  

Buffalo Wild Wings announced their Super Bowl promotion yesterday. They Tweeted: ”FREE WINGS! If Kansas City-Tampa Bay goes to overtime, everyone in America gets wings.” 

An 18-wheeler hauling millions of bees overturned on a highway in Texas on Sunday.  And the huge swarm made it impossible to clean up the wreck, so they had to call in exterminators. 

A global survey on drinking and hangovers found Americans regret drinking less than any other country.  We tied with Denmark for having the least amount of regret.  And men are less likely to feel guilty about it than women. 

The iPhone 12 can interfere with pacemakers and other medical devices. Apple says the iPhone 12 should be kept at least six inches away from medical devices because their magnets and electromagnetic fields may interfere with their ability to properly work.

January 25th is the 25th day of 2021. There are 340 days remaining until the end of the year

There are 20 days remaining until Valentine’s Day

Today is … Opposite Day, National Irish Coffee Day, Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day, IV Nurse Day, National Florida Day, National Fish Taco Day, National Moose Day and Fluoride Day

— On this date in 1993, Sears announced that after 97 years it was closing its catalog sales department

— On this date in 1995, The defense gave its opening statement in the O.J. Simpson trial in Los Angeles, saying Simpson was the victim of a ”rush to judgment” by authorities who had mishandled evidence and ignored witnesses.

There are rumors that berry-flavored Pepsi Blue is coming back for the first time since 2004.  

A new “Ghostbusters” cereal is on the way. The cereal is filled with ghost-shaped marshmallows  It’s connected to the new movie “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” that’s slated to come out this fall.  If you remember the ’80s, there was another “Ghostbusters” cereal that hit shelves shortly after the original movie hit theaters

Tio Rodrigo Craft Beer has created the world’s first tortilla chip beer. The beer has hints of lime and salty chips. The company says, “Everyone’s been going a bit stir-crazy lately so we wanted to have some fun and shake things up. Why not have your chips and drink them too?”

Starbucks is celebrating Valentine’s Day by adding a Raspberry Cheesecake Frappuccino to their secret menu. The drink is made with a white mocha frappe, one pump of hazelnut, one pump of raspberry, strawberry puree, whipped cream and a caramel crunch topping 

Microsoft just patented a technique that could turn dead people into 3D A.I. chatbots.  The system would collect all sorts of data on a person, then make a 3D model of them that can have conversations powered by artificial intelligence.  Microsoft doesn’t have any plans to make this . . . yet. 

Someone looked at Google searches to find out which states hate Mondays the most.  The top five Monday-hating states are Idaho, Montana, Utah, Oregon, and Minnesota which is #5. Wisconsin came in at #15.

There was a serious traffic back-up at a Covid vaccine site in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, so the mayor called the best expert at handling long drive-thru lines he could think of:  The manager at the local Chick-fil-A.  And that manager actually came out and helped them do a better job getting the line moving.

January 22nd is the 22nd day of 2021. There are 343 days remaining until the end of the year

There are 48 Weekends remaining until Christmas

Today is … Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day, National Southern Food Day, National Polka Dot Day and Celebration Of Life Day

— On this date in 1972, Don McLean’s album American Pie hits #1

— On this date in 2002, Kmart filed for bankruptcy

— On this date in 2015, Tom Brady responded to Deflategate by saying: ““I didn’t alter the ball in any way. I have a process that I go through where before the game I go through and pick the balls that I want to use. When I pick those balls out, at that point, to me they’re perfect. I don’t want anyone touching the balls after that, I don’t want anyone rubbing them. I don’t like that this has taken away from what we’ve accomplished as a team.”

NFL Playoff Schedule
Conference Championships on Sunday, January 24

– Tampa Bay @ Green Bay … 2:05 PM on FOX
– Buffalo @ KC … 5:40 PM Eastern on CBS

Tonight’s Mega Millions lottery jackpot is worth $970 million with a lump sum cash payout of $716 million

Kellogg’s and General Mills are turning some of their cereals into “flavored nutritional drinks” . . . including Froot Loops and Golden Grahams.

Tonight’s Mega Millions lottery jackpot is worth $970 million with a lump sum cash payout of $716 million

A candy company in Canada is looking to hire candy and chocolate taste testers.  They’re hiring people for FULL-TIME jobs for about $47,500 a year.  You’ll have to move to Canada to work in person, but it’s still a pretty good deal.

There’s a new wristband that lets your boss know how you’re feeling.  It has a button you push if you’re happy and one you push if you’re not, so your company can keep an eye on your mental health.

The Miami Heat have added a new component to their COVID screening process: Virus-sniffing dogs!  Supposedly, they can tell within 10 seconds if you have COVID-19 . . . with an accuracy level of “nearly 100%.” 

The big science stories this week included a study that found catnip causes the same type of response in cats as heroin does in humans.  Paleontologists in China found a perfectly preserved dinosaur BUTT.  And NASA added a feature to its website that lets you listen to what various things would sound like on Mars. 

The NBA has hired security guards to make sure players don’t hug or shake hands after games. The league says players can fist bump and elbow bump, but not get any closer because of the coronavirus. The league had 11 new coronavirus cases last week.

A new survey found 1 in 4 people who use Zoom for work spend more time staring at their own video than at other people. 

It’s a great party trick and useful for circus performers but scientists say that learning to juggle can cause changes in areas of the adult brain. Mastering the skill increases the amount of grey matter in areas of the brain that process and store visual information, proving what was not thought possible — that new stimuli can alter the brain’s structure. A comparison of brain-imaging scans of non-jugglers and other volunteers before they learned to juggle and three months later, revealed an increase in grey matter in certain areas of the newly trained jugglers’ brains.

January 21st is the 21st day of 2021. There are 344 days remaining until the end of the year

There are 58 days until Spring begins

Today is … National Hug Day, New England Clam Chowder Day, National Granola Bar Day, Squirrel Appreciation Day, International Sweatpants Day, National Conscious Uncoupling Day, One-Liners Day  & National Cheesy Socks Day

— On this date in 1990, John McEnroe became the first player to be expelled from the Australian Open after throwing a tantrum and swearing at an official.

— On this date in 2006, Carrie Underwood was at #1 on the Billboard Country charts with “Jesus, Take The Wheel.”

Wednesday night’s Powerball jackpot was worth an estimated $730 million. A winning ticket was sold in Maryland.

We just entered a 10-day stretch where every date is a palindrome, meaning it’s the same forwards and backwards.  It started yesterday, with 1-20-21, and goes all the way through next Friday, 1-29-21. But if you miss this palindrome stretch, don’t panic or declare all hope is lost . . . there’s another nine-day stretch starting on December 1st. 

A study in 2010 found money CAN buy happiness until you make around $75,000 a year.  But a new study at Penn found there might not be an upper limit.  More money equals more control over your life, no matter how much you make.

The isolation of the pandemic has got you down, an expert in Canada says creating an imaginary friend to talk to might not be a bad idea.  A recent study found it could even improve your mental health.

A new study figured out why those cats with smooshed angry faces can’t show any emotions.  It’s because of generations of inbreeding . . . humans actually selectively bred those cats because we’re DRAWN to their angry faces.

January 20th is the 20th day of 2021. There are 345 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is … Inauguration Day, National Coffee Break Day, Cheese Lovers Day, Penguin Awareness Day, International Day of Acceptance, Take a Walk Outdoors Day, Camcorder Day and Disc Jockey Day

There are 13 days remaining until Groundhog Day

— On this date in 1885, the roller coaster was invented

— On this date in 2012, Etta James died

No one won last night’s Mega Millions lottery jackpot so Friday’s drawing is worth $970 million with a lump sum cash payout of $716.3 million

Disney World is selling a new grilled cheese sandwich that is made with glazed donuts instead of bread. The sandwich costs six dollars.

It’s National Cheese Lover’s Day, and a new study looked at the type of cheese each state googles more than average.  Queso ranked first in eight states, and cream cheese is next with six. Swiss Cheese is the Top Googled Cheese in Wisconsin & Minnesota. And Cheez Whiz was tops in Delaware. 

Back in November, someone launched a hotline you could call if you just needed to scream at something.  And today’s your last chance to do it.  The guy who started it says he’ll stop accepting calls tomorrow, but all of the 70,000 screams people submitted will be archived online.  So if you want to get a scream in, now’s your chance.  The phone number is (561) 567-8431.  You can listen to other people’s screams at the website, JustScream.baby. 

A woman in Toronto just hit the lottery for $47 million using numbers that came to her husband in a dream 20 years ago.

A scientist says he believes the Loch Ness Monster is actually an ancient species of sea turtle that wound up in Loch Ness at the end of the last ice age.

a kangaroo was recently on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte to Newport News. ‘Harry’ was being flown to Virginia as part of a conservation effort. He was well-behaved.

A “Willy Wonka” prequel is in the works. Tom Holland and Timothee Chalamet are both being considered for the lead role. Gene Wilder and Johnny Depp played Wonka in previous films. The movie is tentatively titled “Willy.”

Eric Church and Jazmine Sullivan will sing the National Anthem prior to this year’s Super Bowl.

Just how much old information is sitting in your smartphone? A survey finds 52 percent of us have never deleted files, apps, or anything else from any of our devices. Another 33% said they have files on their phones or other devices that are ten or more years old.

Looking for an excuse to turn your camera off during the next virtual meeting, besides Zoom fatigue? Tell the boss it’s saving the planet. A new environmental study from Purdue University, Yale University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found turning off the camera during Zoom or video meetings helps reduce a person’s carbon footprint of the call by 96 percent. One of the study’s researchers said, “Many times in meetings, there’s only one person speaking or when I’m teaching in class, all the cameras are on. This is not necessary.”

January 19th is the 19th day of 2021. There are 346 days remaining until the end of the year

There are 54 days remaining until Daylight Saving Time starts

Today is … Popcorn Day, Tin Can Day, Rid the World of Fad Diets & Gimmicks Day, International Flower Day, Brew a Potion Day & Whisper “I Love You” Day

— On this date in 1953, 68% of America watched I Love Lucy to see Lucy give birth. It was the first show to portray a character’s pregnancy

— On this date in 1991, Sergeant Slaughter defeats the Ultimate Warrior for the WWF championship belt

Starbucks is celebrating Valentine’s Day by adding a Heartbreaker Frappuccino to their secret menu. The strawberries and cream Frappuccino contains a pump of white mocha, extra strawberry puree, whipped cream on the bottom and top and a mocha cookie crumble topping.

If you haven’t seen them- Kemps is featuring flavored Cottage Cheese. Bold Cottage Cheese Flavors include Jalepeno Cheddar, Bacon Cheddar, Chipotle & Bacon Ranch with Smoke Flavor,

Failing to make your bed in the morning may actually help keep you healthy, scientists believe. Research suggests that while an unmade bed may look scruffy it is also unappealing to house dust mites thought to cause asthma and other allergies. A (Kingston University) study discovered the bugs cannot survive in the warm, dry conditions found in an unmade bed.

Thousands of holiday gifts are stuck in a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania postal facility. The Postal Service says the gifts could take months to deliver because of an unprecedented backlog.

January 18th is the 18th day of 2021. There are 347 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is … Martin Luther King Jr. Day, National Gourmet Coffee Day, Winnie the Pooh Day, National Peking Duck Day, Thesaurus Day, Blue Monday and World Day of the Snowman

There are 27 days remaining until Valentine’s Day

— On this date in 1644, Pilgrims in Boston reported America’s first UFO sighting

— On this date in 1778, James Cook ‘discovered’ Hawaii, naming it ‘The Sandwich Islands’

Here are this past weekend’s box office results.
1 The Marksman… $3.7 million
2 The Croods: A New Age … $2.9 Million
3 Wonder Woman 1984… $2.6 million

No one won Friday’s Mega Millions lottery jackpot so Tuesday’s drawing is worth $850 million with a lump sum cash payout of $628.2 million.

No one won Saturday’s Powerball jackpot so Wednesday’s drawing is worth $730 million with a lump sum cash payout of $546 million.

NFL Playoff Schedule– Conference Championships on Sunday, January 24
Tampa Bay @ Green Bay … 2:05 PM on FOX
Buffalo @ KC … 5:40 PM on CBS

Starbucks is celebrating Valentine’s Day by adding a Love Frappuccino to their secret menu. The cream-based white mocha Frappuccino is infused with strawberry acai juice, strawberry puree, dragon fruit and whipped cream.

760,000 pounds of Hot Pockets have been recalled because they could contain shards of glass and plastic.

Waffle Crisp cereal has been spotted on shelves after disappearing in 2018.  It originally came out back in 1996.  

Today is “Blue Monday” . . . which a psychologist came up with to describe the most depressing day of the year.  It’s because today is the perfect mix of all the factors that make us depressed like bad weather, holiday debt, failed New Year’s resolutions, and realizing just how far away we are from our next vacation.

Want a simple way to be happier? According to the book The Happiness Advantage, every morning send a friend, family member, or co-worker an email to say thanks for something. There’s tons of research showing that over time, this alone — one little email a day — can make you happier.

The shelf-life of a hobby is just 16 months. Researchers who polled 2,000 adults identified work commitments, busy family life and lack of motivation as the reasons we don’t stick with interests for longer.

Your coffee machine could be one of the dirtiest parts of your kitchen if not cleaned often. Bacteria, yeast, and mold could be growing in your machine because of irregular cleaning, and those little devils don’t discriminate — it doesn’t matter whether you have a coffee pot, a Keurig, or a fancy espresso machine.… Researchers say the part of the machine that stores water is the biggest culprit of disgustingness: half of the coffee reservoirs tested contained mold and yeast. The intense heat from the machine will kill some of the bacteria, but it’s not saving you from all of it.

Would you rather get a 10% raise or get one extra day off a month to deal with bills and other life-related stuff?  A new survey found 57% of Americans would rather have the extra time than the extra money.

”Wonder Woman 1984” will stop streaming on HBO Max on Sunday, January 24th.

January 15th is the 15th day of 2021. There are 350 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is … National Bagel Day, National Hat Day, National Strawberry Ice Cream Day and National Zombies Day

There are 30 days remaining until Valentine’s Day

There are 49 weekends until Xmas

— On this date in 1967, the first Super Bowl, which pitted Green Bay against Kansas City, was played

— On this date in 1972, Don McLean’s American Pie hit #1

NFL Playoff Schedule .. Divisional Round Weekend

Saturday January 16^th
Los Angeles at Green Bay … 3:35 p.m. on Fox
Baltimore at Buffalo … 7:15 p.m. on NBC

Sunday January 17^th
Cleveland at Kansas City … 2:05 p.m. Eastern on CBS
Tampa Bay at New Orleans … 5:40 p.m. Eastern on Fox 

Tonight’s Mega Millions lottery jackpot is worth $750 million with a lump sum cash payout of $550.6 million. Saturday’s Powerball jackpot is worth $640 million with a lump sum cash payout of $478.7 million

Disney Springs in Orlando is selling a secret hot dog. It’s coated in cereal pieces and topped with spicy peanut butter. Disney fans are flocking to Disney Springs just for the hot dog 

Taco Bell cut all of its potato items from its menu last year.  But two of them are coming back in March:  Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes and Spicy Potato Soft Tacos. 

Are you on a diet? Maybe you’re not calling it a diet — you’re just eating, well, differently. Either way, a study said the average adult will try 126 different diets during their lifetime. Assuming you begin adulthood at 18, that’s about two diets a year.

The most popular type of takeout and delivery food in the U.S. last year was CHINESE, according to a new study.  Worldwide, the most popular option was pizza . . . but in the U.S., that was second.

Three out of four American dog owners believe their pets can forecast bad weather better than the paid professionals. A whopping 72% of canine owners contend their pooches can sense changes in the climate.

Back in 2013, a guy in England named James Howells threw out an old hard drive that had the password to 7,500 bitcoins he’d bought in 2009.  And he’s been trying to get a landfill to help him dig for it, because it’s now worth over $250 MILLION.  It might be impossible to find at this point.  But his newest idea is to offer 25% of the money to COVID relief if the landfill helps him look. 

A company in South Korea has a new dog collar that can translate barks into five different emotions: Happy, relaxed, anxious, angry, or sad.  You can buy it for $99 at Petpuls.net.

There’s a guy in Japan who’s making great money renting himself out, quote, “to do nothing.”  Basically people hire him when they need a body but that’s it . . . like to fill out the numbers at a party or accompany them to a job interview for support.  He charges $100 per job and he’s done more than 3,000 of them. 

The record for the most expensive trading card EVER just got smashed.  A 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card was purchased for $5.2 MILLION.

January 14th is the 14th day of 2021. There are 351 days remaining until the end of the year

Today is … Dress Up Your Pet Day, National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day, International Kite Day, Organize Your Home Day and International Male Chastity Day (first of two)

There are 19 days remaining until Groundhog Day

There are 59 days remaining until Daylight Saving Time starts

— On this date in 1690, the clarinet was invented

No one won last night’s Powerball jackpot so Saturday’s drawing is worth $640 million with a lump sum cash payout of $478.7 million 

Friday’s Mega Millions lottery jackpot is worth $750 million.

Kit Kat Thins . . . which are smaller and thinner Kit Kats . . . are coming out next month. 

The European Food Safety Agency has ruled that mealworms . . . which are just like MAGGOTS . . . are safe to eat.

There’s a Reddit post going viral right now where a woman posted about her husband’s controversial technique to cool off hot pizza:  He runs it under COLD WATER and then eats it.  As you might expect, people are NOT reacting well to this.  The post got comments like, quote, “Not all marriages are worth saving” and, quote, “Get out of the house now, your husband is a serial killer.” 

A new study found there’s no such thing as too much exercise . . . everything you do helps your heart health.

When someone says “the middle of nowhere,” where is that? A travel blog decided to find out. Some basic criteria included: Furthest place from water, smallest town where “nothing” happens, furthest place from a gas station, and furthest place from a city with a Starbucks. The absolute, 100 percent most remote location in the world is Point Nemo in the South Pacific Ocean.… In the U.S. Lebanon, Kansas claims to be the center of the country, smack-dab between the Atlantic and Pacific, but that’s not the furthest place from an Ocean because it’s still nearer to the Gulf of Mexico. The absolute furthest place from either ocean is probably Langdon, North Dakota.

According to a new study of people who’ve been working at home full-time since the pandemic started, 67% say they’ve been MORE PRODUCTIVE than they were before.  And 41% say they work fewer hours a week now that they’re so much more efficient.

Your brain has to work a lot harder to argue with someone than to agree with someone, according to a new study.  In fact, the researchers say that when you agree with someone, your brains basically sync up like a, quote, “musical duet” and you feel calmer. 

Oscar Mayer is hiring a new crop of WIENERMOBILE drivers to spend a year driving around in a 27-foot-long Wienermobile.  If you’re interested in applying, you can do it on the KraftHeinz website before the 31st.