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A wide selection of interesting and trending stories – rip ‘em, read ‘em and post
                                       ‘em!
                 THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11th, 2021
TODAY IS…
      NATIONAL PEPPERMINT PATTY DAY – Once the ‘rock star’ of the candy world,
      peppermint patties were invented in the 1800s and were only sold during the cooler months,
      so they wouldn’t melt on the way to the store. They’ve fixed that problem now. Peppermint
      Patties are known to get messy, so you gotta eat ‘em fast or you’ll ruin your shirt.
      NATIONAL DON’T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK DAY – Reminding us not to sweat
      the little things.
      NATIONAL INVENTORS DAY – In 1983, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first
      National Inventors’ Day, and it takes place every year on Thomas Edison’s birthday.
      NATIONAL WHITE SHIRT DAY – Marking the Great Sit-Down Strike of 1937, when
      workers at the General Motors plant in Flint, Michigan won union recognition. The strike
      helped change laws to better protect workers from huge corporations.
      INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE – Celebrating the
      women who work to advance science and technology, and encouraging girls to consider
      careers in math and science. This year’s theme: Women Scientists at the Forefront of the
      Fight Against COVID-19.

BIRTHDAYS:
     JENNIFER ANISTON, 52 – Actress. Best known for playing Rachel Green on ‘Friends’.
      She currently stars in Apple TV’s “The Morning Show.”
      HERE’S A CLIP FROM THE “WE WERE ON A BREAK” EPISODE (:32/”We were on a
      break.”)
     TAYLOR LAUTNER, 29 – Actor. He was the werewolf Jacob Black in all the “Twilight”
      movies. FUN FACT: He is a descendant of Pilgrims who came to America on the Mayflower
      (and apparently hates a full moon)
     KELLY ROWLAND, 40 – Singer. Co-founded the group Destiny’s Child with Beyoncé.
      She’s also done some acting, appearing in “Empire” and playing Gladys Knight in BET’s
      “American Soul.”
      HERE’S A LINK TO DESTINY CHILD’S “SURVIVOR”
      HERE’S A LINK TO HER SINGLE WITH NELLY, “DILEMMA”

   BRANDY (Norwood), 42 – Singer/Actress. The GRAMMY-winning R&B/pop singer
        released her first album at 14 and had several hits, including her popular duet with Monica,
        “The Boy is Mine.” In addition to music, she starred in the TV sitcom “Moesha” and BET’s
        “The Game.” Fun fact: Rapper Snoop Dogg is her cousin.
        HERE’S A LINK TO BRANDY’S HIT “I WANNA BE DOWN”
        HERE’S A LINK TO THE DUET “THE BOY IS MINE”
        HERE’S A LINK TO THE “MOESHA” THEME
       MIKE SHINODA, 44 – Musician. Guitarist, singer, and songwriter for the band Linkin
        Park. He’s also a graphic designer who made all the artwork for the band’s albums.
        HERE’S A LINK TO LINKIN PARK’S “NUMB”
       NATALIE DORMER, 39 – Actress. The English actress broke out playing Anne Boleyn in
        Showtime’s “The Tudors” and as Margaery Tyrell in “Game of Thrones.” She also played
        Irene Adler, also known as “Moriarity,” in the CBS drama “Elementary.”

TRENDING/ODD:
PARTYING TOM BRADY THROWS SUPER BOWL TROPHY OFF BOAT (00:22)
Members of the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers threw a boat parade and gave some
fans a heart attack when Tom Brady tossed the Lombardi Trophy off the back of his boat. Luckily,
star tight end Rob Gronkowski was there to catch it (they do that a lot together). Until now, 'Gronk'
hasn't been allowed to touch the trophy after denting it in 2019 when he used it like a baseball bat at
the Red Sox Opening Day.

NBA TEAMS NOW FORCED TO PLAY NATIONAL ANTHEM BEFORE GAMES
(00:23)
The NBA has a new rule: Teams now HAVE TO play the national anthem before every game. It was
instituted after Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban stopped playing the Star Spangled Banner this
season - it went unnoticed for 13 home games. He supports players kneeling during the anthem, but
says not playing it prevents a lot of unnecessary drama. The anthem was played before Wednesday
night’s Mavs/Hawks game.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY ’THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER’
HERE’S VIDEO OF THE ANTHEM BEFORE THE MAV’S/HAWKS GAME WEDNESDAY NIGHT

CANADA IS SO COLD A WOMAN FROZE TO DEATH WALKING HOME FROM HER
NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR’S (00:16)
You think this polar vortex is hard on you? In Canada, things got so cold a woman in British
Columbia froze to death walking home from her next-door neighbor’s house! It happened in Dawson
Creek (no, not that one) where the temperature fell to 44 below! The area is under an extreme cold
weather alert (yeah, no kidding!)

AUNT JEMIMA’S NEW NAME GETS TRASHED ON TWITTER (00:18)
Aunt Jemima is now called ‘Pearl Milling Company,’ and the internet is hating on it! Twitter users say
it sounds more like ‘a company that mines gravel’ or an evil corporation owned by ‘a James Bond
villain.’ The packaging still kinda looks the same, but gone is the racial stereotype mascot and its ties
to slavery.
CLICK HERE FOR THE JAMES BOND THEME

CDC SAYS TWO MASKS IS BETTER THAN ONE (00:18)
Two is better than 1, even when it comes to masks. The CDC has new research that says wearing a
cloth covering over a medical grade mask cuts the spread of virus particles by more than 90 percent!
That's way better than wearing just one. Experts say they have to fit tight against your face for them
to work properly.

AVOID TEXTING YOUR EX - TEXT FOR WINE INSTEAD (00:17)
Texting your ex? Don't do it! A lot of us feel lonely around Valentine's Day! Now a wine company is
giving you an alternative. Movo Wine Spritzers wants you to text them instead of your ex. You can
get a rebate on their wine in a can. Text “You up," with the letter "U" to 7 3 2 5 5 to get your wine.

OOPS! 7,000 VACCINE APPOINTMENTS LEFT OPEN (00:22)
Getting the COVID vaccine; for some it's a game of wait and see. At Dodgers stadium, a mix-up in
messaging left seven thousand appointments open and up for grabs. For some older folks it was a
blessing that after waiting so long, they got to walk in. The issue was the county is only doing second
doses right now, but the stadium is run by the city of Los Angeles and should be open to all eligible.

LAW & DISORDER
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN BUSTED FOR DWI (00:18)
Bruce Springsteen was busted for drunk driving! The 'Boss' was arrested for DWI in New Jersey
back in November, but we're just finding out about it now. It happened at the Gateway National
Recreation Center. Springsteen just narrated a Super Bowl commercial for Jeep. That ad has been
pulled and is no longer on YouTube.
HERE’S A WORKING LINK TO SPINGSTEEN’S JEEP AD
CLICK HERE FOR SPRINGSTEEN’S ‘GLORY DAYS’

WEIRD SCIENCE & TECH
NEW WEARABLE ANALYZES YOUR SWEAT FOR SIGNS OF BURNOUT (00:23)
If you're felling stressed, there's a new wearable that can look for signs of burnout! It's a patch that
analyzes your sweat and measures your cortisol levels - that's the stress hormone. When your
hormones get out of whack, it'll warn ya to take a break or even a day off before you burn yourself
out. The sensor works round-the-clock, so it can even tell you if you're starting to put on stress-
related weight.

NEW SNAP CHAT APP RIDS YOU OF OLD FRIENDS (00:23)
Snapchat thinks it's time for you to do some spring cleaning by kicking some of your friends to the
curb. They've just launched a new ‘Friend Check Up’ app that hunts down strangers and ex-friends
who have squirmed their way into your Snapchat friends list. It comes out in the next few weeks, and
they hope it'll help eliminate predators. It's also a good excuse for 'accidentally' unfriending your
mom.

SCIENTISTS FIND NEW BAT CORONAVIRUS (00:20)
Here we go again! Scientists have found a new coronavirus in bats that's similar to the one that
caused this whole mess. Researchers in Thailand say the new bat virus has nearly the same genetic
code as the coronavirus that causes COVID. On the bright side: the new virus has a different spike
protein that makes it impossible to infect a human… for now.

COVID VARIANT FROM UK SPREADING FAST (00:26)
Scary stats on that version of the coronavirus first spotted in the U-K. It's spreading quickly here in
the U-S. It's doubling in cases nearly every ten days. The problem is this variant could be to blame
for over half of new infections by next month, and that's here in the states. Projections suggest it
may also increase the risk of dying by 30-percent. Yikes. And as it stands, California has now
passed New York as the state with the most COVID deaths...about 45-thousand.

STUDY: TREAT POST-COVID SYMPTOMS THE WAY YOU WOULD DEPRESSION
(00:15)
The coronavirus has left some feeling sluggish and blue. Now doctors are working on a treatment
similar to how they'd address chronic fatigue, depression and Fibromyalgia. Researchers think the
virus is leaving some with low-grade inflammation. They're hopeful it's treatable.

JUICY RIBEYE STEAK POSSIBLE WITH 3D PRINTER (00:19)
More companies are dabbling in making food with 3-D printers. Could you dig into a juicy piece of
meat à la 3-D printer? An Israeli company has created a cruelty-free ribeye steak using the
technology and cow tissue. They're incubated to form the texture and taste of a real steak. The
company says it has big plans for other kinds of meat.

STUDY: SUBWAY AIR VERY POLLUTED (00:22)
Fewer cars may be good for the environment, but it's what subways are doing to our lungs that's a
problem. Commuters in New York and New Jersey breathe in the most polluted air. Researchers say
they were shocked at the level of toxins underground. At one Manhattan trains stop, the air was as
bad as the soot from a forest fire. Philly's mass transit system had the cleanest air, but still polluted.

YOUR MONEY/SHOPPING
A LOT OF US BUYING BARBIES (00:17)
Life in plastic must be fantastic for Mattel. They saw their best in holiday sales in four years! Parents
are spending on Barbies and Hot Wheels to make up for a Christmas burdened by the pandemic.
Good ol’ Barbie made Mattel more than 1.3 billion dollars in 2020. Her sales were up nearly 20-
percent globally. Go girl.
HERE is Aqua's Barbie Girl song (played over 800,000,000 on Youtube. No kidding.)

ALDI OPENING MORE STORES (00:16)
At a time when lots of stores are closing, Aldi is expanding. A hundred new stores are planned from
California to Florida. The company plans on doing more online too with curbside pickup. And a
southern based headquarters is being built in Loxley, Alabama with a couple hundred added jobs.

POSTMASTER GENERAL SAYS SORRY FOR SLOW MAIL (00:28)
An apology from the man in charge of the US Postal Service. He says the post office hasn't lived up
to standards and he knows they've disappointed the country. You got that right. In places like
Chicago some are still waiting for holiday packages. More of us are now familiar with the term
"package being processed." The postmaster general says storms, old mail trucks and the pandemic
caused the delays. One lawmaker suggests the entire postal service board of governors get fired
over the lousy service

LIFE/SURVEY SAYS…
COVID AND SCHOOLS – TEACHERS NERVOUS, NEW RULES COMING
Teachers are getting vocal about not wanting to go back to class. They're worried about poor
ventilation and social distancing. In Philadelphia, the union was ready to protest having to go back
Monday. Now an independent arbitrator will decide whether it's safe to return. In Chicago, the school
district and teachers have been arguing for months. They've reached an agreement to go back next
month. Better buy the kids extra masks; the CDC is gonna issue new school guidelines soon.

WOMEN SACRIFICE CAREER THROUGH PANDEMIC (00:18)
Before the pandemic, a lot of women were hitting the height of their career. Ladies outnumbered
men in the professional workforce. Now? Statistics show nearly a million American mothers have
quit their jobs. Moms more than dad have sacrificed their careers with the kids home e-learning.
Women working has hit a 33-year low.

COVID IS MAKING OTHER DISEASE GO AWAY
Staying home and washing your hands a million times isn’t just helping with COVID… other diseases
aren’t spreading either. When was the last time you heard anyone talk about having the flu? The
CDC says influenza infections last month were WAY below usual for this time of year. Same for
other stuff like AFM, which is kinda like polio and attacks little kids. STDs are also down…(but that’ll
probably change when grandma gets her vaccine)

ENTERTAINMENT
OSCARS WILL BE LIVE AND IN PERSON (00:19)
No more Zoom Oscars…This year's Academy Awards ceremony will be live and in-person. They've
announced they'll do it with an audience so actors will be able to get their awards instead of having
them thrown at them by a guy in a hazmat suit. The show will originate from multiple locations, so as
not to cram all those people into just one place.
CLICK HERE TO PLAY ‘HOORAY FOR HOLLYWOOD’

HUSTLER FOUNDER LARRY FLYNT HAS DIED (00:19)
Hustler founder Larry Flynt has died. He was 78 (which is only shocking because he's looked that
old for the last 40 years). The 'nudy' magazine mogul spent most of his life fighting for First
Amendment rights and sexual freedom. He even ran for president and governor of California. In
1978, Flynt was shot and paralyzed during one of his many obscenity trials. Later, he used a
trademark gold wheelchair.
CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO BIO OF LARRY FLYNT

VALENTINE’S DAY STUFF
NYC SEWAGE PLANT VALENTINE’S DAY TOUR GOES VIRTUAL (00:26)
Forget flowers and chocolate! Take your Valentine on a virtual tour of a sewage plant instead. New
York City’s Environmental Protection agency hosts a very popular Valentine’s Day tour at a Brooklyn
wastewater facility. You can watch water collected from storm drains, toilets and sinks get cleaned in
giant stainless-steel containers called digester eggs. Now that’s romantic! This year the tour is virtual
on Zoom. It runs an hour on Sunday and only costs five bucks.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SOUND OF A TOILET FLUSHING

VALENTINE'S BOUQUET OF LOBSTER TAILS (00:18)
Why not skip the flowers this year and get her something you both can enjoy? Like a bouquet of
lobster tails! A couple of lobster companies out of Maine came up with the idea. You can get 4 to 6
tails, and the gift comes with skewers and a Valentine's theme. A bouquet of four tails shipped runs
just over a hundred bucks.

ZOO OFFERS JILTED LOVERS A CHANCE TO NAME RATS AFTER EXES (00:21)
If you’ve ever felt like feeding your ‘ex’ to a wild animal, now you can (kinda). For 5 bucks, the San
Antonio Zoo is letting you name roaches and frozen rats after someone you don’t really like
anymore. Then they’ll feed the critters to their animals (…like a big snake). If that’s too gross for you,
you can name a vegetable after your ex and stream the whole feeding frenzy on Valentine’s Day.

KENTUCKY SHELTER OFFERS TO ‘DUMP’ ON YOUR EX (00:20)
Have you been dumped? A Kentucky animal shelter wants to help jilted lovers get their revenge. For
10 bucks, the Lexington Humane Society will put your ex’s name inside a litter box and let their
shelter cats do their ‘business’ all over it. The “Dumps for the Dumped” promotion ends Friday but
the litter boxes will keep stinking up the place until the 15th.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SOUND OF CATS MEOWING (YOU’RE LUCKY THEY’RE JUST
MEOWING)

WEEKEND / “ICYMI”
GUY CAUGHT FLOSSING WITH BOTH HANDS IN SPEEDING TESLA (00:16)
In Canada, cops near Toronto pulled over a speeding Tesla that was clocked doing 135! Cops say
they could tell the driver was using the “auto pilot” setting because his hands weren't on the wheel.
They say he was using both of them to floss instead. The driver's license has been suspended. (No
word on the freshness of his breath)

BRUSHING YOUR TEETH CAN KEEP YOU FROM DYING OF COVID? (00:18)
Here's another good reason to floss: A new study says people with gum disease are 9-times more
likely to die of COVID and 4-and-a-half-times more likely to need a ventilator if they get sick. Spanish
researchers say gum disease causes inflammation throughout your body, and that makes fighting
viruses way harder.
CLICK HERE FOR THE SOUND OF SOMEONE BRUSHING THEIR TEETH

SURVEY: MILLENNIALS COMMIT THE MOST FINANCIAL INFIDELITY (00:26)
Are you keeping financial secrets from your partner? Half of millennials are. A new survey from
Credit Cards dot com reports that 51-percent of millennials have committed ‘financial infidelity,’ like
hiding money or secretly overspending. That’s compared to 40-percent of adults at other ages. More
than a quarter of American adults think that financial cheating is worse than physical cheating.
Twenty-nine percent of the men who do it say they don’t trust their partners around money, while
only 17-percent of women say the same.

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