*Mornings Archives

Music News – Thursday, April 8

April 8, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Music News Podcast
Taylor Swift just brought some new life to a blast from the past — by recruiting pal Jack Antonoff to help rework “Mr. Perfectly Fine,” the latest teaser from Fearless (Taylor’s Version).
The song was recorded during the 2008 sessions for Fearless, but never released. It’s one of Tay’s trademark breakup songs, with lines like “Hello, Mr. perfectly fine/ How’s your heart after breaking mine?/ Mr. always at the right place at the right time/ Baby. Hello/ Mr. casually cruel/ Mr. everything revolves around you.”
She hinted on social media that the song was autobiographical, saying, “Me in 2020: Life is chill, writing songs based in fiction to avoid drama, feeling pretty grown up. My 2008 music from the vault, in a goblin voice: REELEEEEEEEASE MR. PERFECTLY FIIIIIIIIINE.”
That’s a not-so-subtle signal that the song might be about Joe Jonas, who dumped Taylor shortly before she recorded Fearless.
Elton John tells Distractify.com that he knew his husband, David, was the one for him. “I was attracted to David immediately. He had a real job, his own apartment, a car. He was independent. I didn’t need to take care of him. I thought, ‘God, this is new territory for me — someone wants to be with me just because he likes me.’ I knew he was the one because he is not afraid of me. He always tells me exactly what he thinks.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Happy Headline of the Day – Wednesday, April 7

April 7, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Happy Headline of the Day
81-year-old Linda Summers of Dallas, Texas, was in need of some cheering up, so she looked out the window of her apartment building and saw a woman walking a little dog. She then had the urge to run out of her apartment and pet that dog.
She ended up not giving in to that urge — but later decided to put a message up on a neighborhood social media app in hopes of discovering who that woman was so she could ask for a quick visit.
People in her community responded to that message in a big way.
One after another, Linda’s neighbors stepped up and offered to bring their dogs over for a visit. It was overwhelming to the point that Linda couldn’t even keep up with all the offers for visits.
Before long, Linda received more than 300 responses.
Instead of being sad — as she was before — the parade of neighbors and dogs caused Linda to tear up … in a good way.
As she explained, “All these nice people being so sweet to me. It makes me tear up. They just melt my heart.” (WFAA-TV)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Daily Dish – Wednesday, April 7

April 7, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, The Daily Dish
Jennifer Lopez‘s romance with Alex Rodriguez has barely cooled off, but she may soon be heating things up with ex-beau Ben Affleck.
Ben recently had plenty of nice things to say about J-Lo in a story for In Style magazine, and a member of her inner circle says that’s no surprise. The insider tells OK! magazine they’ve “been talking in private a lot over the past few months, and now the world knows just how close the two of them are again. When things started to get bad with Alex, Jen turned to Ben for advice.”
But does that necessarily mean they’re going to hook up? The source tells OK! “She is the rebound girl when it comes to love. After she broke up with Ben, Jen went running back to the arms of Marc Anthony. If she breaks up with Alex, it makes sense she will go running back to Ben.”
Is the world ready for another reality star in political office? Caitlyn Jenner thinks so.
According to Axios, the Olympic gold medalist-turned-Keeping Up With the Kardashians fixture is pondering a run for governor of California. Caitlyn is reportedly working with a powerful Republican strategist to put together a run for the Cali state house if Gavin Newsom is recalled.
The on-air squabble between Sharon Osbourne and Sheryl Underwood continues even though one of them left The Talk with a $10 million golden parachute.
Over the weekend on her podcast, Sheryl said she had not spoken with Sharon since their CBS show went on hiatus. She claimed that Sharon never apologized.
Sharon replied with receipts. She has screenshots of four, apologetic text messages to Sheryl over a span of eight days. All of them went unanswered. Sharon told the Daily Mail, (quote) “I not only sent these messages to Sheryl, but I apologized to her in person in her dressing room.”
Addressing Sheryl directly, Sharon rhetorically asked, (quote) “Why are you trying to destroy my reputation?” (Daily Mail)
More details have emerged behind the withdrawal of Regé-Jean [pr: ray-GAY szhon] Page from Bridgerton.
He initially agreed to a one-year deal for the Netflix series. Once Rege-Jean became a breakout star in the first season, producers needed The Duke of Hastings for the second season.
Regé-Jean turned down their offer of $50,000 per episode. The script called for The Duke to appear in just three episodes. He saw no need to return after “sticking the landing” in the first season.
Bridgerton is based on the book series by author Julia Quinn. Each book focused on one sibling of the Bridgerton family. Season one of the Netflix series started with Daphne, who (spoiler alert) married The Duke and had a baby. This coming season will be about her oldest brother, Anthony. (The Hollywood Reporter)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Coast Social Network with Berrien Community Foundation – Wednesday, April 7

April 7, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Berrien Community Foundation, Blogs, The Coast Social Network

Lisa Cripps-Downey from Berrien Community Foundation joins Zack, along with Dick Bartz from the Berrien Springs community, to discuss the “Give Where You Live” fund in the Berrien Springs community, and how you can start your own endowment fund with the BCF focused on an area of interest or location. Details at berriencommunity.org.... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Wednesday, April 7

April 7, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Coffee Talk
TODAY IS:
  • National Girl, Me Too, Day … A day to recognize the shared experiences, strength, and support between women.
  • National Beer Day: A good day for a cold one.
  • National Walking Day: A good day to take a hike.
  • National No Housework Day: A good day to leave the laundry and go for a walk instead.
What’s the best part of your day? If you said eating, you’re in good company. A new survey found that 68% of respondents said that with the stress of work and life in general these days, that sitting down to eat is the best part of the day. What meals do people look forward to the most? Pizza (51%), burgers (38%), and pasta (38%). And it seems that cheat days have become cheat weekends – with people especially splurging on weekends. (SWNS)
Scientists think they’ve figured out why redheads have a higher tolerance for pain…and it has something to why they’re so vulnerable to sunburns. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found the cells that determine hair and skin color (melanocytes) also change how we process pain. A cell mutation that makes redheads ‘red’ and causes them to sunburn quickly also boosts their threshold for pain.
Speaking of eating … our dogs got bigger in quarantine too. A new UK study found that the average dog has put on a whopping 7 pounds since the beginning of the pandemic. Seems dogs have been getting more treats with their owners home during the day. And apparently guys are more generous with the treats. Pets with male owners gained an average of nine pounds each over the year, compared to six pounds for pups with female owners. (Metro)
Has coronavirus caused a ketchup shortage? Don’t start hoarding ketchup from the store just yet. It seems the shortage is in ketchup packets – Heinz in particular — due to so many people hitting up fast food restaurants and ordering takeout and delivery during the pandemic. Heinz told USA Today that it’s working to increase production to solve the problem.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Music News – Wednesday, April 7

April 7, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Music News Podcast
Shawn Mendes has teamed up with Flow Water for a new series of “Wonder Grants” — cash stipends to teenagers working towards positive change in the world.
Shawn tweeted that this round of grants is focused on helping young people who are working as “sustainability activists” that aim to improve clean water access and conservation efforts.
The campaign launched at the beginning of April to coincide with Earth Month and also stars Halle Berry, Taboo of The Black Eyed Peas  and NBA star Russell Westbrook.
Billy Joel tells Rolling Stone magazine that he hasn’t completely ruled out making another album. “I’m never going to say never. I may come up with an idea that could become a song. I may write a movie soundtrack. I may write a symphony. I don’t know. Anything’s possible.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Happy Headline of the Day – Tuesday, April 6

April 6, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Happy Headline of the Day
Three rescue dogs from Texas — a dad and his two pup sons — all got back together in New York City … by total random chance.
The dogs, Murray, his dad Marvin and his brother Leo lived together in Texas before being adopted by different people in New York City.
Marvin was out for a walk when he stopped to check out another dog — which turned out to be Leo. The owners of the dogs were surprised that the encounter was so friendly. After the strangers asked each other a few quick questions, they realized that both Marvin and Leo were from Texas. And, from the looks of things, they were related. Sure enough, it was father and son, together in the big city.
Things got even more bizarre when it was discovered that a friend of Leo’s owner had adopted the other brother — Marvin.
Phone numbers were exchanged and the owners were able to get all three dogs together for a very unlikely family reunion. (New York Post)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Daily Dish – Tuesday, April 6

April 6, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, The Daily Dish
Harvey Weinstein‘s lawyers have filed to appeal his rape conviction.
On Monday, his lawyers filed documents to overturn the conviction. According to CNBC, “They argue that Weinstein was denied his right to be tried by an impartial jury, and was denied his right to a fair trial because jurors were allowed to hear claims of serious sexual misconduct by him that were not the subject of the specific charges he faces, and that defense experts were improperly barred from testifying on the subject of memory of sexual events.”
And, the lawyers said, Weinstein received “a sentence that was harsh and excessive.”
Weinstein was convicted in February 2020 and is serving a 23-year prison sentence in the case.
Khloé Kardashian is on a mission to delete a private, unedited photo of herself from the internet.
According to Page Six, “The image shows the reality star’s face and body, as she appears in a bikini by a pool, without the heavy editing and airbrushing that are mainstays of photos Kardashian normally puts on Instagram.”
The pic started making the rounds around the internet, but many people were reportedly forced to take the down “under legal threats from the Kardashian camp.”
In a statement, Tracy Romulus, chief marketing officer for KKW Brands, said, “The color edited photo was taken of Khloé during a private family gathering and posted to social media without permission by mistake by an assistant.”
Another source tells Page Six us that the photo was “taken mid-conversation over the weekend and features some edits.” But the edits were not at the regular Kardashian level for campaigns for her clothing label, Good American.
And, Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers tells The Pat McAfee Show that he is interested in taking over as the full-time host of ”Jeopardy.’‘ “I would love to be the host of Jeopardy! There was conversation – there might have been some people who wanted me to shave to the skin. I don’t do that a whole lot, [but] if that was a prereq to get the full-time gig, no problem at all.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Coast Social Network with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber – Tuesday, April 6

April 6, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber, The Coast Social Network

Sarah with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber joins Zack to discuss some of the great upcoming ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings of new and expanded businesses in the area. The Chamber is here to support businesses & organizations for success and growth. Reach them anytime at smrchamber.com!... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Tuesday, April 6

April 6, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Coffee Talk
TODAY IS:
  • World Table Tennis Day
  • National Caramel Popcorn Day
  • New Beer’s Eve: The sale of beer officially became legal again on April 7, 1933 – after Prohibition ended. The night before, when many people began lining up outside some breweries, has been known ever since as New Beer’s Eve.
Get ready for a hot summer … According to The Weather Channel, we’re in for a scorching summer throughout the country —  particularly in the western and central states. “A hotter than average June through August is expected from the West Coast to the Mississippi Valley and western Great Lakes,” The Weather Channel revealed. “The northern and central Rockies into the northern and central Plains have the best chance for a hot summer.” (Travel & Leisure)
We’re hula hooping … Thanks to TikTok, the latest adult craze for both exercise — and out of sheer boredom — is hula hooping. There are even weighted versions of the toys that connect to apps for charting exercise and overall improvement. (Wall Street Journal)
Do you have any idea how many recurring subscriptions you have — or how much money you spend on them? If you don’t, you’re not alone. 78% of respondents in a recent survey by Chase say they have at least one recurring payment to a subscription service like Netflix or BarkBox, and 58% of those say they’ve forgotten about at least one of those subscriptions. 55% admit they don’t even know how much money they’re being charged monthly for these accounts. But it seems that a lot of people just don’t want to deal with the hassle of figuring out what recurring payments they have or trying to cancel them. (SWNS)
It might be time to stop obsessively sanitizing everything.  As we’ve learned more about Covid, we’ve found that the chances of getting it from a surface are WAY lower than we originally thought.
The CDC says the chances of catching Covid from a surface are less than one in 10,000.  And one chemist in Colorado says, quote, “If we took half the effort that’s being given to disinfection and put it on ventilation, that will be huge.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Music News – Tuesday, April 6

April 6, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Music News Podcast
Taylor Swift invited Keith Urban to join her on a couple of songs on her Fearless: Taylor’s Version album.
She writes on Instagram, “I’m really honored that @keithurban is a part of this project, duetting on ‘That’s When’ and singing harmonies on ‘We Were Happy.'”
Taylor was Keith’s opener when her original Fearless album came out.
Maren Morris also takes part in the album. She sings on “You All Over Me (From the Vault).”
The Easter Bunny brought Shawn Mendes a really big surprise on Sunday — the Mercedes SUV that was stolen from his home last month.
Okay, according to TMZ, the car was actually delivered by cops, who found it parked on a residential street in Beverly Hills. Much to the surprise of the officers, the vehicle was in perfect shape, not stripped or wrecked like most vehicles swiped under similar circumstances.
No arrests have been made, but the investigation is still open.
Katy Perry gave American Idol viewers a hair-raising look at maternal life on Sunday night — revealing that she stopped shaving her legs after giving birth to daughter Daisy Dove.
After contestant Cassandra Coleman performed her version of the Sigma song “Find Me,” Katy raved, “As a new mother I don’t have very much time, so I’ve quit shaving my legs. But when you sang, the hair on my legs grew an inch and a half. Full-body chills! It was amazing.”
In case anyone was doubting her words, Katy then pushed back her chair to put her legs up and show off that carefully cultivated stubble.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Happy Headline of the Day – Monday, April 5

April 5, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Happy Headline of the Day
Rita Krenz is a flight paramedic. She responds to emergencies and transports patients between hospitals by flying a helicopter.
When Rita realized how many people were dealing with debt because of medical situations, she decided to do something about it — and started raising money for a charity to help out.
The charity she chose — RIP Medical Debt — collects donations, and then distributes the money to those who are having a tough time paying their bills.
So far, Rita has raised $18,000 that has helped forgive the debt of more than 900 people.
Once RIP Medical Debt pays off a bill, it sends patients a yellow letter telling them things are resolved. This was important for Rita as it makes things personal. She explains that she can “picture a person going to the mailbox and getting that letter” — which motivates her to continue helping out as much as possible. (The Daily Universe)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Daily Dish – Monday, April 5

April 5, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, The Daily Dish
David Schwimmer tells the BBC that the cast of ”Friends” may get back into character during their HBO Max reunion show. ”I’m going to LA to shoot the Friends Reunion. I will get to see everyone for the first time in years. Nothing is scripted and we are not in character. We are all ourselves, although there is one section of it that I don’t want to give away, but we all read something. I should have genned up on old episodes, but I just haven’t been able to bring myself to catch up on the 236 shows. I guess I need to watch a lot over the next five days!”
Lori Loughlin‘s husband Mossimo Giannuli was granted an early release from his prison sentence for helping the couple’s daughters cheat their way into college.
The 57-year-old, who was incarcerated in November for his part in the infamous bribery scandal, was transferred to a “residential facility” where he will reside until his actual release on April 17th.
Loughlin served two months behind bars before being released in December. (New York Post)
The Globe claims Ellen DeGeneres is allegedly fighting to save her career and marriage. A source tells the magazine, “Ellen’s been hit by a double whammy and her nerves are frayed. Her ratings are tanking, and her marriage is coming apart at the seams. Her strategy is to let the storm die down and then pull in some huge guest stars to win back her audience and reestablish herself as top-dog on the talk show circuit. Ellen is in a really bad place over Portia’s health crisis. Ellen realizes more than ever how much she desperately loves Portia, but she also knows it’ll be a lot of work to get the relationship back on track.”
Alfonso Ribeiro tells Hollywoodlife.com that he has no plans to make a cameo in the new Fresh Prince of Bel-Air series. “Not from me, no. It’s not a reboot. It’s a reimagining. It’s a completely different show with, with none of us really involved in it.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Monday, April 5

April 5, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Coffee Talk
TODAY IS:
  • Gold Star Spouses Day: This day honors the surviving spouses of military service members killed in the line of duty.
  • Go for Broke Day: A day to get out of your comfort zone and go for that thing you’ve been wanting to do, see, or achieve.
  • National Read a Roadmap Day
  • National Deep Dish Pizza Day
  • National Caramel Day
Will this be the summer of shopping? The president of Rakuten believes that after a year at home, people will be ready for some “revenge shopping” when the pandemic ends. “The advent of revenge shopping will resemble what we saw during the Roaring Twenties — a surging economy that will drive people to shop for more of the finer things that many felt they were deprived of due to the pandemic,” said Kristen Gall. “This last year also acted like a giant savings account for many people, which means they now actually have the means to treat themselves.” (Pure Wow)
Atkins? South Beach? Keto? These low-carb diets are all really popular. Have you tried any of them? Did you hate them? A survey by Health Digest asked respondents about the diets they tried, hated, and quit. Three of the most tried and most hated diets were all low-carb. But one was more hated than others. We’re looking at you, keto. 21% of those surveyed said they tried – and hated – the keto diet. The Atkins Diet was hated by over 16% of respondents, and 11% had no love for the South Beach diet after giving it a try.
Apparently, there are records for everything … including how long it takes to drink a Capri Sun juice pouch. Yep, there’s a Guinness world record for it – set during COVID-19 lockdowns by English college student Declan Evans. Evans has the record at 16.65 seconds, which includes the time it takes to get the attached straw out of the plastic before the drink is consumed. (Food & Wine)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Music News – Monday, April 5

April 5, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Music News Podcast
The Milwaukee Business Journal says Harley-Davidson and Aerosmith are teaming for a new apparel line. The t-shirts, sweatshirts, hoodies and tank tops will be available at Harley dealerships.
Mariah Carey hit a high note during her COVID vaccine. She posted a video on Instagram of herself getting her first dose of the shot. She talked over the nurses the entire time. Then, she gave the fans what they wanted with a high-pitched Mariah scream as the needle went into her arm. She is encouraging everyone to get their shot “when they can.”
Miley Cyrus came to rock. The singer belted out iconic rock hits during her performance at the NCAA men’s final four — including Queen’s “We Will Rock You” and “Don’t Stop Me Now.” Cyrus, dressed in a black vest with matching trousers and leather gloves, also covered Stevie Nicks’ “Edge of Seventeen,” and Blondie’s “Heart of Glass.” The concert was held for an audience of frontline workers after the Baylor-Houston game. Baylor advanced to the championship game against Gonzaga on Monday.
Stevie Nicks tells Far Out Magazine that Fleetwood Mac’s song, ‘Gypsy’ came about because of a mattress on the floor. “Lindsey Buckingham and I had no money, so we had a king-size mattress, but we just had it on the floor. There was a certain calmness about it. To this day, when I’m feeling cluttered, I will take my mattress off of my beautiful bed, wherever that may be, and put it outside my bedroom, with a table and a little lamp. So that’s what ‘Gypsy’ means: it’s just a search for before this all happened.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Happy Headline of the Day – Friday, April 2

April 2, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Happy Headline of the Day
When Brooklynn Grehig of Racine, Wisconsin, learned that her church was collecting personal care kits for those in need, she asked her grandmother if there was anything they could do to help.
Brooklynn’s grandmother, Jacki Kirt, supported the idea — and the two started collecting the items needed, including one towel, two bars of soap, one comb, one nail clipper, and one toothbrush.
At first, they put together two kits.
Then, Brooklynn started asking family members for donations — and that number grew.
Once things were rolling, Brooklynn set a goal of 40 kits. She ended up doubling that goal — creating 82 kits — with an extra $150 donation for even more supplies.
Jacki, of course, is very proud of her granddaughter for taking what she described as a “small thing” that the two of them could do together — and making it “huge.” (WTMJ-TV)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Daily Dish – Friday, April 2

April 2, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, The Daily Dish
Mia Farrow has addressed the “vicious rumors” about the deaths of three of her children.
The actress headed to Twitter Wednesday night and wrote, “Few families are perfect, and any family who has suffered the loss of a child knows that pain is merciless and ceaseless. However, some vicious rumors based on untruths have appeared online concerning the lives of my three children. To honor their memory, their children and every family that has dealt with the death of a child, I am posting this message.”
Mia then explained the how three of her adopted children died. Tam, she wrote, died at age 17 from an accidental prescription drug overdose. Lark died at age 35 from complications of HIV/AIDS. And Thaddeus died at 29 by suicide.
The Twitter posts come after the release of Allen v. Farrow, HBO’s four-part documentary about Dylan Farrow‘s molestation allegations against Woody Allen.
While the documentary doesn’t talk about the deaths of Farrow’s children, they are mentioned in a 2018 essay that has resurfaced. The essay was written by Moses Farrow, another adoptive child of Allen and Farrow, and in it, Moses defends his father and accuses Mia of abusing her adopted children.
Also an old family photo surfaced that appeared to show one of her daughters intentionally removed from the image.
Mia called the deaths “unspeakable tragedies” and added that “any other speculation about their deaths is to dishonor their lives and the lives of their children and loved ones.”
The box office is roaring back to life thanks to Godzilla and King Kong.
The monster flick premiered on Wednesday with $9.6 million, which is the best opening day total of the coronavirus era, according to Variety.
Godzilla vs. Kong benefitted from the fact that it played in more theaters than any other movie released during the pandemic. It debuted in 2,409 venues and will expand to 3,064 locations by Friday.
More than 94% of U.S. theaters have reopened, according to Warner Bros. Many, however, are running at reduced capacity.
Wonder Woman 1984 had the previous biggest opening weekend of the pandemic with $16.7 million and the best opening-day total with $7.5 million on Christmas Day.
Godzilla vs. Kong, which earned $121 million overseas last week, is also streaming on HBO Max.
Life & Style Weekly Magazine says Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s son, Archie, is ready to become a big brother. A source tells the magazine, “Archie can’t wait to meet his baby sister and loves putting his hand on his mummy’s tummy and feeling the baby move. He’s such a caring, bright, loving little boy and is super advanced for his age. Archie’s a real water baby and loves being in the pool. Harry can’t wait to teach him to swim this summer.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Furry Friends Friday with Ellie from Al-Van Humane Society – April 2

April 2, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Furry Friends, The Coast Social Network

It’s Furry Friends Friday from The Mason Jar Cafe featuring Ellie at Al-Van Humane Society: “Ellie is an adorable 2.5 year old girl and she is ready for adoption! She LOVES tennis balls, cuddles, and soft treats. Ellie enjoys going outside to play and to go for walks. She knows how to sit and is potty-trained. Ellie would do best in a home as the only pet and no small children. Please fill out an adoption application online at www.al-van.org if you are interested in meeting our loveable Ellie.”... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Friday, April 2

April 2, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Coffee Talk
TODAY IS:
  • Good Friday
  • National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day
  • National Reconciliation Day: A day to try and repair relationships that may be strained.
  • World Autism Awareness Day
Dream job alert … A dog food company wants to pay you 27 bucks an hour to look at pictures of puppies. No joke. ProDog Raw is looking for 10 dog lovers to look at pictures of puppies, as part of a study to test whether looking at dogs on social media can reduce people’s stress level. We can save them a lot of time – the answer is yes. If you’re interested, click here for all the info. But you better hurry – they’re picking the candidates in mid-April. (7News-Boston)
Are you paranoid about sneezing or coughing in public? You’re not alone. A new survey (by Flonase) found that 56% feel “judged” after sneezing or coughing in public. 55% said they experience a slight moment of panic when they feel the urge to sneeze or cough coming on. What thoughts race through people’s minds during this common occurrence? Here are a few, according to those surveyed:
  • “Great, now people think I’m sick.”
  • “I promise I’m NOT sick.”
  •  “Hold it in!”
  •  “I hope I don’t have snot in my mask.”
  • “It’s just allergies, I swear!”
No, bunnies do NOT lay eggs. This comes up every year. Yes, the Easter bunny brings eggs … but it seems a lot of people are confused about whether or not bunnies actually lay eggs. According to Google, the questions “Do bunnies lay eggs?” and “Do rabbits lay eggs?” each receive between 1,000 and 10,000 average monthly searches.
For the record, bunnies don’t lay eggs. They are placental mammals and female rabbits have pregnancies lasting between 31 and 33 days. They give birth to litters of often 12 or more baby bunnies. (Woman’s Day)
So what came first, the bunny or the egg? According to a Wallet Hub report, 52% of Americans say the Easter bunny came before the Easter egg.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Music News – Friday, April 2

April 2, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Music News Podcast
Did Britney Spears really write that she was “embarrassed” by the documentary Framing Britney Spears? A one-time colleague doesn’t think so.
Makeup artist Billy Brasfield, who worked with Brit several years ago, tells the New York Post that he reached out to the troubled star, who told him she had “no control over the caption.” He says “I immediately knew it was not her. I texted her about it and she texted me back last night.”
Brasfield went on to insist that Britney is not as bad off as a lot of us think, saying “She is not ‘fragile.’ She does not like being a victim, she never wanted to be a victim and doesn’t see herself as a victim. She sees herself as a survivor and has navigated this with patience and strategy.”
Snoop Dogg is taking a bite out of The Voice.
He’s been tapped as a “Mega Mentor” for the current season. Snoop will join Kelly Clarkson, Nick Jonas, John Legend and Blake Shelton to mentor the remaining contestants. Snoop will provide individualized coaching and help rehearse with the four artists still in the competition.
When Snoop announced the news, he made sure his followers knew it wasn’t an April Fools’ Day prank, tweeting, “This is not a joke. Excited to join The Voice as this season’s Mega Mentor.”
Jon Bon Jovi tells Rolling Stone magazine that everyone should be optimistic about the future. “Optimism, I’ve always been guilty of that and you know, I’ll take that rap right square on the chin, too. Because at the end of the day, if you can’t see the glass as half full and not half empty, somebody should talk to you about it and if nobody’s going to talk to you about it, then talk to yourself about it and try to see that glass as half full and not half empty.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Happy Headline of the Day – Thursday, April 1

April 1, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Happy Headline of the Day
Andrea Lessing was working at a Goodwill store in Norman, Oklahoma, when she felt something unusual hidden in a pair of donated sweaters.
At first, she thought the sweaters were holding books. Then, she realized they weren’t books — but instead were stacks of envelopes filled with $100 bills inside them.
Somebody had accidentally dropped off $42,000 in cash.
Luckily, the envelopes also had paperwork that identified who owned the money — and the store was able to return it.
The owner of the envelopes ended up surprising Andrea with $1,000 from the money she found.
Andrea appreciated the gesture and plans to spend some of her reward on an “amazing birthday party” for her six-year-old daughter. (The Norman Transcript)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Daily Dish – Thursday, April 1

April 1, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, The Daily Dish
Ryan Reynolds donned a pink beanie and a muscle shirt to get his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday morning.
The Deadpool star shared a pic of himself getting jabbed on Instagram. He wrote, “Finally got 5G,” joking about a vaccination conspiracy theory.
The quip went over well on Twitter, with one user saying, “If you stand next to any TV you’ll get HBO Max and Hulu!”
Just a few hours later, wife Blake Lively said she also got vaccinated. She wrote, “Find you someone who looks at you like I look at the heroic nurse vaccinating me.”
Kylie Jenner is putting her fortune to good use.
The billionaire has donated $500,000 to create a state-of-the-art hospital lounge for teen cancer patients that was unveiled on Wednesday.
Page Six says Kylie donated the money to support her friend, singer-songwriter Harry Hudson, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2017.
The donation, along with money from rockers Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend’s Teen Cancer America, led to the “Hey, I’m Here for You Teen Lounge” at the Monroe Carell Junior Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt in Nashville.
The lounge features video games, a big-screen TV and a meditation room.
In a statement, Hudson said, “I am so grateful for Kylie’s friendship and the impact she’s had on my life and my cancer journey… She has always been there for me, and together, we wanted to figure out a way to be there for other young people who are battling this disease.”
Heat Magazine claims Brad Pitt allegedly continues to lean on Jennifer Aniston during his divorce proceedings with Angelina Jolie. A source tells the magazine, “As soon as the accusations about domestic violence went public, Jen was straight on the phone to Brad. She wanted to let him know she would be there for him, no matter what, and she’s told him again that she’ll appear in court if she has to, although she knows it would never come to that.”
Woman’s Day magazine claims Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are allegedly blaming each other for the bad press they are receiving from their Oprah interview. A source tells the magazine, ”Harry has been hostile and sulking while Markle has been blaming him for pretty much everything.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Thursday, April 1

April 1, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Coffee Talk
TODAY IS:
April Fools’ Day
So how do people really feel about April Fools’ Day pranks? Seems there’s a pretty equal divide between people who find them annoying and people who find them amusing.
According to a YouGov poll, 45% of respondents found them amusing and 47% said they were annoying. Those under the age of 30 were more likely to find pranks funny – 50% liked them vs. 40% who found them annoying. And men under 30 were the most likely to appreciate April Fools’ Day jokes — with 60% saying they were amusing vs. 35% who found them irritating.
Do you know how much money you have in the bank? If you don’t, you’re definitely not alone. A survey found that 55% of respondents said they didn’t know how much money was in their bank account … because they were too afraid to find out.
Did you master a hobby in the last year? 60% of people in a recent survey said they had gotten better at one or more of their hobbies since last March and 56% expect to be an “expert” at their hobby when the pandemic is over. Some of the hobbies people surveyed said they’ve gotten better at …
  1. Doing something active (golf, running, yoga) – -35%
  2. Preparing food (baking, cooking) — 34%
  3. Making art (drawing, painting, sketching) — 34%
  4. Fiber arts (knitting, embroidery, sewing) — 28%
  5. Playing an instrument — 28%
  6. Speaking a language — 28%
  7. Scrapbooking or papercraft — 23%
  8. Model or miniature building — 21%
  9. Photography, videography, or editing — 17%
  10. Sculpture or pottery — 17% (SWNS)
Drinking too much wine can cause blurry vision … but the right amount of wine, particularly red wine because of the antioxidants in it, can actually improve your vision. A new UK study found that red wine can prevent you from developing cataracts as you get older. But the key is moderation. According to the research, those who drank wine daily or almost daily actually saw a 6 percent greater risk of needing cataract surgery compared to people who drank in moderation. (PRNewswire)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

Music News – Thursday, April 1

April 1, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Music News Podcast
NBC’s singing competition The Voice seduced Ariana Grande with a $25 million contract.
She’s easily the highest paid of the four coaches. Kelly Clarkson negotiated for $15 million, which is still more than either John Legend or Blake Shelton.
Gossip guru Rob Shuter said (quote) “Ariana is getting a whopping $20 to $25 million for the show, putting her in the same category as Katy Perry on American Idol. With John and Blake getting $13 million per season, it is the women on the show that will be making the most.”
Ariana starts her new gig this September. She’s at the top of her career, the most-streamed at Spotify among women, and The Voice would like to leverage her 229 million Instagram followers — 10-times the number of the three other Voice coaches combined. (OK!)
Legal battles between Britney Spears and her father just hit a new low. Jamie Spears now wants her to pay his $3 million attorney bills.
A member of Team Britney told the New York Post (quote) “If approved by the judge, this money would come from Britney’s estate. She essentially would be paying her own father’s lawyers to fight her in court.”
Jamie Spears filed documents asking for Britney to pay him a salary of $16,000 per month as co-conservator — and to pay his monthly office rent, which goes for $2000. (New York Post)
Sharon Stone revealed Wednesday on The Kelly Clarkson Show that Britney reached out in 2007 as her life spiraled out of control. Sharon said (quote) “Britney wrote to me a very long and important, poignant letter. I was in a very difficult time of my life and I couldn’t help myself.” (Kelly Clarkson)
Billy Joel tells Billboard magazine that he loves to mentor the new generation of artists. “When I first started I didn’t know a lot about the job, so I kinda had to figure it out by wire, ya know? It was hit and miss, I made mistakes, and fortunately I was able to recover from most of ’em. But I promised myself if I ever get to a point where I can help somebody that’s trying to learn how to do this, that I would try to do that. I always wanted to try to be a teacher even before I was in the music business.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More

The Happy Headline of the Day – Wednesday, March 31

March 31, 2021 *Mornings, *Podcasts, Blogs, Happy Headline of the Day
Earlier this month, a 6-year-old boy named Aiden from Hilliard, Ohio, completed his final chemotherapy treatment — a big step toward beating leukemia, a disease he’s been fighting since he was just two years old.
To celebrate, local police officers and firefighters showed up in his neighborhood with their squad cars for a loud parade.
The lights were on and sirens squealed as the vehicles rolled past Aiden’s house, while neighbors watched and applauded.
Normally, there’s a bell-ringing ceremony at the hospital after the final treatment. Things have changed, of course, because of coronavirus.
So instead of ringing a bell, Aiden was serenaded with sirens and flashing lights — a well-earned reward for all of his courage and hard work. (WBNS-TV)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed... [Read Full Story]

Read More