On Today’s Show
➢ What can white cotton underwear tell you about the health of the soil in your farm or garden? Quite a lot, it turns out. Hundreds of people from farmers to schoolchildren are burying their cotton underwear in their back gardens to dig up eight weeks later as part of a citizen science project called the Soil Your Undies Challenge.
Cotton is made of a sugar called cellulose, making it a tasty snack for microbes and the army of other tiny decomposers that live in the soil. The state of the garments when they are retrieved will indicate the health of the microbiome. If there is not much left of the cloth, then the soil is healthy and teeming with activity. If it is mostly intact, then work is necessary to improve the situation.
➢ A pregnant woman went into labor on a flight to Hawaii last Wednesday, and everything went fine . . . because three nurses, a physician assistant, and a doctor all happened to be on board. She was only at 27 weeks, so it could have gone very differently. (Here’s audio of the pilot telling passengers there’s a medical emergency, followed by two of the nurses talking about it.)
➢ There’s a new term from TikTok for the opposite of trendy: “Cheugy.” Pronounced: (“choo-gee”) A woman who goes by Hal on TikTok explained what it means. (The definition on Urban Dictionary is, “The opposite of trendy. Stylish in middle school and high school but no longer in style. Used when someone still follows these out of date trends . . . including fashion, habits on social media, slang, etc.”)
TODAY IS……………….
- “National Nurses Day”, raising awareness of the great contributions and commitment of nurses, and to acknowledge the vital role they play in society. National Nurses Week begins today and ends May 12, the birthday of Florence Nightingale (May 12, 1820 – August 13, 1910). Nurses are more likely to sustain a work-related back injury than construction workers, and they walk an average of 5 km (3 miles) per shift.
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COUNTRY MUSIC NOTE
Shania Twain had her 3rd #1 on this date in 1996 with “You Win My Love’. The song was written solely by Mutt Lange, making it one of the very few Shania songs that she didn’t co-write. _____________________________________________________________________________
MENTAL HEALTH CHECK:
This is the 70th annual CMHA Mental Health Week in Canada. Here are the signs you need to take a “Mental Health Day”
➢ You’re more disorganized that usual: If lately, you’ve been losing track of tasks or your bedroom floor’s become a tornado of clothing, it may be a clue that you need a break.
➢ You’re exhausted all the time: If, for several days in a row, you’re struggling with insomnia, have trouble getting out of bed, or still feel tired even when you get enough sleep, it could be your brain’s way of warning that you need some time off.
➢You’re overly emotional: When your emotions are magnified or seem uncontrollable, taking a day to refresh can be key to setting things right — so can getting professional help if you think that isn’t going to be enough.
➢ You’re fighting with everyone: If you’re becoming more snappy or snarky with the people around you, it may be time to take a day to decompress.
➢ You’re having trouble concentrating: When a task that would usually take a few minutes ends up taking an hour, or a project you hand in is riddled with mistakes you’d otherwise catch, it could mean you need a break from your daily grind.
➢ You’re feeling physically sick: Many people experience physiological responses when their mental health needs tuning up. If you feel increased muscle tension, frequent headaches or an upset stomach, it could be tied to your mental wellbeing.
➢ Others notice that you’re not yourself: If the people around you begin making comments — such as seeing if you need help or asking if you’re doing OK — it may mean it’s time to ask yourself the same questions. LINK: https://mentalhealthweek.ca/
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FOUR RANDOM FACTS
- For almost all of the 1800s, maps of Africa had a mountain range called the Mountains of Kong . . . which didn’t actually exist. They still show up once in a while on modern maps . . . an atlas from 1995 even had them.
- Marilyn Monroehad an IQ of 163 . . . Albert Einstein’s IQ was 160.
- Harry S. Truman, Michael J. Fox, and Ulysses S. Grantall have middle initials that don’t stand for anything.
In Michael J. Fox’s case, his real middle name was Andrew. He went with “J” to distinguish himself from a guy already in the Screen Actors Guild.
- Canada and the U.S. are some of the few countries that drink milk cold. Most other countries use a different method of pasteurization that keeps milk good even when it’s not refrigerated, and they like drinking it at room temperature.
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GOOD NEWS
A Virginia school is returning a lost wallet after nearly 70 years.
A contractor working on the renovation project at a Middle School was going through the rubble of the building’s demolished gym when he found a wallet in some duct work. The wallet’s contents included 85 cents, some Santa Claus stamps from 1951, a 1951 calendar and a pair of photos.
The school was able to identify the owner as 85-year-old Ester French, who moved to Connecticut in 1957. School officials were able to contact French through a relative who still lives in the area, and the woman said she remembered losing her wallet during the 1951-52 school year.
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BIRTHDAYS
[66] Tom Bergeron, TV host (“Dancing With the Stars” 2005-20, “America’s Funniest Home Videos” 2001-15, “Hollywood Squares” 1998-2004)
[60] George Clooney, actor (“Ocean’s Eleven” movies , Oscar-“Syriana”)/movie director (“Good Night, and Good Luck”)/movie producer (“Michael Clayton”)/TV actor (“ER” 1994-99)
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INTRUDERS BREAK INTO THE SAME DENNY’S TWICE IN ONE NIGHT
They say offenders always return to the scene of a crime, but it’s usually not twice in the same night. Two unidentified men entered a Denny’s restaurant in Evansville, Indiana, around 2 a.m. Reports say it seems the building may have been left open, as the suspects didn’t appear to force their way in. The two men allegedly went into the restaurant’s kitchen and prepared some eggs, and after eating their food they left.
But just before 3 a.m. the same two men reportedly returned and began preparing a second batch of eggs. Police say that’s when a Denny’s worker arrived on the scene to confront the suspects, and the two men reportedly left while the worker called police.
A Guy Thwarts a Gas Station Robbery by Spraying the Thieves with Gasoline
A man in Chile was filling his car with gas when a van pulled up, and three guys tried to rob him. But they left empty handed . . . because he immediately yanked the nozzle out of his car and started hosing in them in the face with GASOLINE.
A security camera got it on video, and the entire thing only lasted 10 seconds.
The first thief jumped out . . . got a face full of gas . . . and retreated. Then a second guy got blasted in the face while he was still climbing out of the van.
The third thief probably got the worst of it, because he was only a few feet away when the guy spun around and started hosing HIM in the face. Then he kept spraying gas into their van as they drove off. So the driver got soaked too.
It’s not clear if cops were able to track them down.
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BORED SUPERMARKET SHOPPER PARKS IN ALL 211 SPACES OF PARKING LOT OVER 6 YEARS This level of boredom is extreme. A man named Gareth Wild lives in London, and back in 2015 he began a six-year quest to park in all 211 spots of his local supermarket parking lot, and he even used a spreadsheet to track his progress.
He took to Twitter to reveal the completion of his unusual mission, and included diagrams of the superstore’s parking lot for anyone in the area who might want to recreate his feat.
On his Twitter thread, which has now been liked more than 50,000 times, he explained that handicapped and motorbike spaces couldn’t be counted as he cannot use either of them, so he had a total of 211 spaces that he could access. He said the task led him to dub 11 spots the “god-tier” or best spots, and 29 as the worst.
He also noted that some spots were nearly impossible to get, and required him to take a few extra late evening trips to the store, which isn’t far from his home.
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A Guy Harassed His Former Coworker by Tossing Used Coffee Cups in Her Yard for Three Years
For almost three years, someone near Buffalo, New York has been littering in front of the same house. Specifically, throwing empty coffee cups on their lawn. And no one knew who was doing it.
A couple named Ed and Cheryl Patton live there. And they didn’t know if it was just a random person or what. So they set up a security camera on a tree but couldn’t get a good shot of the person.
But then a neighbor saw someone in a minivan pull up and do it, and got their license plate number. And it turned out it was one of Cheryl’s old COWORKERS who still held a grudge.
76-year-old Larry Pope used to work with her, and they used to fight over union issues. So for three years, he kept swinging by and tossing coffee cups from his van.
She says she couldn’t believe someone would be that petty, especially someone in their 70s. He’s facing harassment and littering charges.
THURSDAY MAY 6TH
- TBL 6 – DAL 2 OTT 5 – MTL 1 WSH 4 – NYR 2 CBJ 4 – NSH 2
ANA 3 – STL SO VGK 3 – MIN 2 OT WPG 4 – CGY 0 SJS 3 – COL 2
LAK 4 – ARI 2
The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals had six fights in the first five minutes of their game last night (May 5th), their first since Washington’s Tom Wilson punched Pavel Buchnevich in the back of the head while he was facedown on the ice and threw Artemi Panarin to the ice, injuring him, on Monday night. They combined for 72 penalty minutes in the first four minutes and 14 seconds last night, and 141 penalty minutes overall for the game, which the Capitals won 4-2. The Rangers had been upset Tuesday after Wilson was fined $5,000, but not suspended, and called for the head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to be removed.
Blue Jays 9 A’s 4 Tigers 6 Red Sox 5
- Fifteen years ago, John Mayer snubbed a fan trying to get a picture with him. The lady’s son posted a picture of the snub; John felt bad about it and wrote a quick song to apologize. (Here’s the song, along with John telling the story.)
- A woman in Ohio who’s allergic to bees got stungten times, and her Amazon Echo saved her life. She has one with a screen that does video calls. Her husband wasn’t home, but he was able to use it to talk to their son and neighbor through the process of using an EpiPen.
CK HOSPICE
The Chatham-Kent Hospice Foundation is getting an over $140,000 funding boost after exceeding the expectations of its latest fundraising effort. The 2021 Hike for Hospice was held from April 26, 2021 to May 2, 2021.
For the second year in a row, it was done virtually due to the pandemic. Participants were encouraged to register online, then head out to Mud Creek Trail to walk the route.
The fundraising goal for this year was $75,000. According to Event Chair Randi Bokor Caron, they raised almost double that, for a grand total of $143,000.
All of the money raised stays local and will go towards helping residents receive compassionate and quality end-of-life care at no cost.
The Chatham-Kent Hospice has served over 860 families since opening in 2016.
The 2020 virtual walk raised over $79,000.
Here’s Luke Bryan’s Plan to Have Thomas Rhett Clean His Pool
LUKE BRYAN was on yesterday’s “Ellen” talking about his recent ACM Entertainer of the Year award. She congratulated him for “taking it away from that previous guy” . . . THOMAS RHETT.
Luke saw the opening for a riff, and he went with it. Quote, “And now that I think about it. The ACMs got delayed and then he wins and only gets half a year. I get my full year. Maybe I need to sit down with him and I’ll grant him, like 33 1/3.
“Whatever, I can’t do math. But I’ll grant him a couple extra months. [Maybe] he can come clean my pool at the house and I’ll let him have two or three extra months of walking around and telling everybody he’s Entertainer of the Year.”
Nice story, but Luke must’ve forgot that Thomas and CARRIE UNDERWOOD TIED for that award at last fall’s ACMs. (Here’s the “Ellen” clip. Skip to 3:50.)
One more Luke thing.
Luke Bryan appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, where he addressed false rumors that he secretly fathered Maren Morris’ child. It came from a false article by UK publication, The Sun, which reported he had.
Ellen DeGeneres jokingly brought up the topic, and Luke said, “So, I’m having coffee, and my mother calls me. And she says, ‘I’m sitting here reading some gossip thing. It says you fathered Maren Morris’ child!’
He told Ellen, it was one of those days that he definitely needed his coffee.
Maren Morris and her husband Ryan Hurd had their first child in March of last year.
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CHRIS LANE DROPS ANOTHER NEW SONG, VIDEO
Chris Lane has released the second of two new songs. The new tune, called “Summer Job Money,” follows “Fill Them Boots,” his new single which was recently released to Country radio.
Chris tells us that “Summer Job Money” is very reminiscent of something one of his favorite entertainers would sing. [“I had been telling my team, ‘Try to fine me . . . ‘ — I was also trying to write this kind of song — ‘try to find me a nostalgic, throwback, summertime kind of song,’ cause I’m such a huge Kenny Chesney fan, and he is the king of that kind of song and I really loved it. It’s just what I wanted.”]
The song’s official music video premiered on CMT over the weekend, as well as on ViacomCBS’ Times Square Billboard on Saturday (May 1st).
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SAM HUNT
Sam Hunt teased a new song on Instagram. Check it out, here.
(According to the caption, it might be titled “Sometimes You Gotta Start Nowhere”.)
