Blogs Archives

Happy Headline from United Federal Credit Union – Monday, November 23

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In Los Angeles, 8-year-old Aaron Moreno made a big impact on the life of his family members by starting a business — that has allowed them all to move from a shed into an apartment.
When all this coronavirus stuff started, Aaron’s family was struggling. So, Aaron started his own business, calling it Aaron’s Garden. He raised money to start the business with a GoFundMe campaign — and then started selling plants.
It didn’t take long for his business to take off.
Thanks to his hard work, Aaron has made enough money to move his family into a nice apartment — and even buy his mom a car, the first car she’s owned in four years.
Even though Aaron has enjoyed big success, he says he’s not done. Now that they’re no longer living in a shed, Aaron plans to set aside space in their new garage to keep building his business.
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The Daily Dish – Monday, November 23

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Most people probably realize this already, but under that gruff exterior, Gordon Ramsay has a heart of gold.
According to TMZ, Ramsay donated $50,000 to help Ben Watkins in his fight with cancer. The Masterchef Junior contestant died this week at age 14.
Apparently Ramsay made the contribution very quietly back in August. The show is also exploring ways to honor Ben on the air.

Matthew McConaughey tells Sky One that he is interested in doing stand-up comedy. ”Why I’m interested in doing stand up, is my raw expression goes through four filters before it gets to the screen. I’m doing someone else’s script, I’m being directed by someone else, I’m being filmed by someone else, I’m being edited by someone else before it’s put in a capsule and put in front of you on screen. Where do you go where there is no filter? That’s stand-up. So the plan before Covid was, I was planning on taking to the road and telling stories in an hour of stand-up.”

OK! magazine says Lori Loughlin is struggling behind bars. A source tells the magazine, “This is Lori’s worst nightmare in so many ways, and she’s scared and lonely beyond belief right now. Going into this sentence, she was putting on a brave face and saying she was focused and pleased to be getting it over and done with. But Lori’s not as tough as she pretends to be. Lori is finding out the hard way that she has to be humble, pay her dues and act like any other felon who’s serving her debt to society. She’s lonely, ashamed and incredibly sad that her life has come to this — but at the same time, she knows it could have been so much worse.”
The NY Post says Lori’s husband, Mossimo, began his five-month prison sentence yesterday in California
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Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Monday, November 23

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An extremely important world figure is immune to the coronavirus — Santa Claus.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says that St. Nick “is exempt from this because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity.” He adds that it’s good news not just because he’ll be able to visit all the good little children on Christmas Eve, but because “Santa is not going to be spreading any infections to anybody.”
Obviously, kids around the world have been concerned. With his age and belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly, there’s no denying he has numerous risk factors. Nonetheless, children, you’ll still want to stay in your beds and not try to get a close look when he visits. (USA Today)

Military experts in America and England say we’re just 15 years away from having an army made up of robot soldiers.
To be clear … These experts aren’t talking about humanoid robots like The Terminator — at least for now. Instead, they’ll be machines that can make their way over any terrain and beam back information to soldiers to help the military with positioning and decision-making.
But still … scary stuff because that Terminator thing can’t be too far away … can it? Express)

NBC says dentists are seeing a rise in jaw pain and cracked teeth because of the coronavirus. They say people are clenching and grinding their teeth because the pandemic is stressing them.
Dr. Andrea Taliento tells the network, “People tend to clench their teeth more when they are stressed because it actually triggers and makes a happy feeling in the brain. If people aren’t sleeping through the different stages of sleep they are supposed to, they aren’t able to control their body’s pain, and a lot of times it comes out in jaw pain.”
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Music News – Monday, November 23

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Sam Smith has released a new holiday track.
“The Lighthouse Keeper” comes with an animated video Smith directed that’s streaming on Facebook. Sam says, “If any year could make me look forward to the sounds of Christmas, it would be 2020 as more than ever before we are yearning to be around our friends and family once again. Christmas symbolizes that for me, and earlier this year I was inspired to write a Christmas love song. Labrinth and I poured our hearts into this one and it has honestly been pure joy to create and make.”

Taylor Swift is the master of the short-and-snappy pop song, but one of her best ones started life as a 10-minute epic.
Tay tells Rolling Stone that “All Too Well,” which clocked in at five minutes on her Red album, could’ve been twice as long. She recalls, “I was like a broken human walking into rehearsal, just feeling terrible about what was going on in my personal life. I just started singing and riffing and ad-libbing this song that basically was ‘All Too Well.'”
Once those floodgates opened, there was no turning back. “It was that song but probably had seven extra verses. I included the F-word, and I remember my sound guy was like, ‘I burned a CD of that thing you were doing in case you want it.’ I ended up taking it home and listening to it and was like, ‘I actually really like this, but it’s 10 minutes long. I need to pare it down.'”

Blake Shelton tells USA Today that he is a role model to Gwen Stefani’s children. “It’s one thing for me to be with the kids all the time and be their buddy. But then you do have to consider after awhile, that they’re starting to listen to things that you say, and there’s a lot of responsibility that comes with that, which is new to me.” It is indeed new to Blake, seeing as how he is beginning his third marriage but has never had children of his own.
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Furry Friends Friday with Winky from Cass Co Animal Control – November 20

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Meet Winky! Winky is the sweetest little Tortoiseshell cat you’ll ever meet! She is a senior girl with special needs who is looking for a loving home to care for her. She requires medication every day, but it doesn’t stop this sassy queen from demanding love and attention! Winky is also spayed and front declawed. Her adoption fee is only $30. Please contact Cass County Animal Control at 269-445-3701 to learn more about our sweet and wonderful Winky.... [Read Full Story]

Happy Headline from United Federal Credit Union – Friday, November 20

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About a year ago, Kate Olson of Peterborough, New Hampshire, was in Missouri, visiting relatives for Thanksgiving when her golden retriever — Walter — slipped out of his collar and took off.
Kate stayed in Missouri for weeks searching for Walter. She printed and passed out flyers. She even created a “Where’s Walter?” Facebook page. Nothing worked. Walter was gone and Kate had to return home to New Hampshire.
Well, this Thanksgiving will be much happier for Kate … because Walter was recently found. He was still in Missouri and a group called Lost Paws Trapping was able to coax Walter to safety and reunite him with Kate — just in time to allow them to be together for THIS Thanksgiving. (KSDK-TV)
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The Daily Dish – Friday, November 20

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Will Smith and the original Aunt Viv have finally buried the hatchet.
Janet Hubert, who starred on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air for three seasons until getting fired, sat down with Will during HBO Max’s 30th-anniversary reunion that aired Wednesday and can now be found on-demand on the streaming service.
At one point, Janet asked, “Why? Why so far? You guys went so far. I lost so much.” The actress, who was pregnant during the show’s third season, revealed that she was in an abusive marriage. She said, “I was no longer laughing, smiling, joking because there were things that were going on that nobody knew about. The cast had no idea what was going on.”
Will admitted that after having three children of his own he realizes he had treated her badly. He said, “I can see how I made the set very difficult for Janet.”
Later in the show, Janet got emotional when she said being labeled as “difficult” destroyed her career.
Will and Janet ended their talk with an hug.

Collider magazine says Lady Gaga and Brad Pitt are in talks to star in a new movie called “Bullet Train.” The movie is about a group of assassins aboard a fast-moving train in Tokyo. No word on Gaga’s role

Thursday’s episode of Jeopardy! opened with a special message from Alex Trebek recognizing World Pancreatic Cancer Day.
The host, who died of the disease earlier this month, urged viewers to be aware of the symptoms and get tested.
Alex taped shows until about 10 days before he passed away. Those episodes will run through Christmas Day.
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Music News – Friday, November 19

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Shawn Mendes may be Justin Bieber‘s equal on the charts, but he still looks up to the guy — and he’s thrilled that Justin agreed to jam with him on the new single, “Monster.”
In talking about the tune, which drops tomorrow (Friday), Shawn tells Zane Lowe at Apple Music, “I was nine when ‘One Time’ came out, and I completely was all in. He was Elvis to me. And to come back around and to have this very human-to-human conversation with him and his truth to come into this song and my truth to be there, it feels like one of the most special songs I’ve ever wrote.”

Cyndi Lauper tells Billboard magazine that Billie Eilish and Lizzo are her favorite artists. “I think Billie very emotional. I think her voice is stunning because of how emotional it is. I mean, my favorite new acts are Billie and Lizzo. So those are my favorite gals right now.”

 If you’re having trouble falling asleep, the experts agree — reach for a Lewis Capaldi album.
According to figures compiled by the Premier Inn hotel chain, the Scottish singer shows up most frequently on Spotify users’ lists of best songs to snooze to. “Someone You Loved” topped the overall list of grownup lullabies, while “Before You Go” checked in at number-four and “Bruises” at number-nine.
Billie Eilish is the only other artist with more than one song in the Top-10. “Lovely” ranked number-seven and “When the Party’s Over” ended up at number-ten. An expert in the field of sleep science told the survey takers that all the songs on the list share a trait — their beats-per-minute rate is about the same as the average person’s heart rate, which makes for a soothing experience. (Red)
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Happy Headline from United Federal Credit Union – Thursday, November 19

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Reuben McCartney of London, England, was out riding his bicycle, just getting some exercise — when his bike ride became a rescue mission.
Reuben noticed that a dog was on the loose in the streets. The dog, named Kiki, had a collar and a leash and seemed to have escaped from her home.
So — for an entire hour — Reuben followed Kiki wherever she went.
The chase unfolded all around central London.
Finally, Kiki got tired of being chased — and some bystanders stepped up to help. Reuben was finally able to get control of the pup — and deliver her back home.
Reuben admitted that Kiki wore him out as well. But in the end, it was worth it to reunite the adventurous dog with her family — and get a little extra exercise in along the way. (Times Now News)
... [Read Full Story]

The Daily Dish – Thursday, November 19

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Warner Brothers gift this Christmas to moviegoers is a blockbuster release into theaters and HBO Max.
Wonder Woman 1984 starring Gal Gadot will play at megaplexes starting December 25th, in states where theaters are actually open. At the same time, the movie will stream at HBO Max. Gadot urged Twitter followers to support the $200 million blockbuster at theaters, but where it is not safe or available, to choose HBO Max.
AMC Theaters made a deal with Warner Bros to allow both options for 30 days. Then, for the next months, Wonder Woman 1984 will be available only at megaplexes before returning to on-demand HBO Max. (Deadline)

In touch Weekly Magazine says Naya Rivera’s four-year-old son, Josie, is suing Ventura County, California for wrongful death. The child’s father, Ryan, and Naya’s estate say the pontoon boat she was on before she drowned was grossly under equipped and lacked a safety ladder, adequate rope, an anchor and a radio

Michael J.Fox tells the Los Angeles Times that he is retiring from acting again due to his declining health. “There is a time for everything, and my time of putting in a twelve-hour workday, and memorizing seven pages of dialogue, is best behind me…At least for now … I enter a second retirement. That could change, because everything changes. But if this is the end of my acting career, so be it.”

In case you’ve been looking for the Peanuts holiday specials on TV,  Apple TV+ has reached an agreement to show ”A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” (November 22nd)  and ”A Charlie Brown Christmas” (December 13th) on PBS. Apple now owns the rights to the Charlie Brown specials and only streamed “The Great Pumpkin” on their service. This angered people, who had become accustomed to watching the specials on free TV.
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Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Thursday, November 19

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TODAY IS:
  • World Toilet Day: This day brings attention to the 2.5 billion people worldwide who do not have regular access to indoor plumbing
     
  • Use Less Stuff Day: A good day for some pre-winter cleaning.
  • Play Monopoly Day: A good day for a board game.

How are you handling sick days if you’re working from home? If you’re like most people, you’re working while sick. According to a new survey by ColdCalm, 67% of respondents working from home said they were much less likely to take time off from work when they’re sick. 66% said they believe taking sick days for anything that’s not as serious as COVID-19 would be looked down upon by their boss. 50% said COVID-19 has made other illnesses look “minor” in comparison. 70% of respondents said they have worked while sick since they began working remotely. (SWNS)

Here’s a gift idea for the pizza lover in your life. Pizza Hut has teamed up with Gravity Blankets to make a weighted blanket that look a giant pepperoni pizza. The blanket weights 15 pounds, is 6 feet in diameter, and will run you $150. You can get yours at originalpanblanket.com. (Delish)

No surprise – companies aren’t having holiday parties this year. A recent poll of human resources professionals across the country found that only 23% said their company was going to have an office holiday party this year, and, of those having a party, 75% said the parties would be virtual.

Also not a surprise … Rather than an awkward office Zoom party or a potentially unsafe in-person event, what employees really want is a holiday bonus. A new HuffPost/YouGov survey found that 60% of employees polled said the best gift they could get from their employer was a cash bonus. (Huff Post)

Ready for the BEST Seasonal Job Ever? The Daily Mail says Reviews.org is hiring a Chief Holiday Cheermeister (CHC) whose job is to watch 25 Christmas movies in 25 days. The CHC will earn $2,500. Movies include Home Alone, Elf, The Grinch, Miracle on 34th Street, It’s a Wonderful Life, Jingle All the Way, and A Christmas Carol. The CHC will also get free one-year subscriptions for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max, Apple TV+, and Hallmark Movies Now. Applications are available on the Reviews.org website
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Music News – Thursday, November 19

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Lewis Capaldi got plenty of people hooked on his music, and now he’s hoping to get fans hooked on the seafood from his father’s fish store.
The Scottish star, who’s always willing to go the extra mile for a laugh, put on his salesman’s hat for a pitch on his Instagram Stories. Lewis put up a campy video saying, “If people my age are thinking I don’t know what to get my grandmother for Christmas, get them a big [bleepin’] sea bass. Get her a sea bass from my dad’s shop and say, ‘There you go Gran, stick this sea bass right in your neck.'”
He went on to admit that he was openly shilling for the shop. “I know what you’re thinking. Is Lewis’s father using his son to further his own business? The answer is yes, and if you’re thinking that’s disgusting, I agree. But the fish is delicious. It’s delicious fish!” (Daily Record)

All Mariah Carey wanted for Christmas was a TV special of her own — and the folks at Apple TV just gave it to her.
Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, which premieres on December 4th, will mix musical performances with a cute storyline that sees Mimi coming to the aid of Santa, who’s gotten himself into trouble up at the North Pole. Guests on the special include Tiffany HaddishAriana GrandeJennifer HudsonSnoop Dogg, and Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
Mimi has set a December 11th release date for a soundtrack album that will feature a revamped version of “Sleigh Ride” and the new single “Oh Santa.” She’s also teasing a video for the second tune, which will also drop in early December. (Variety)
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Happy Headline from United Federal Credit Union – Wednesday, November 18

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Rebecca Fralick of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, has built a catering company into a thriving business — and wanted to use that business to give a boost to local medical workers.
So, she created over 400 meals and delivered them to a hospital in the community. The workers enjoyed wraps, salads and soups — along with special cupcakes.
Rebecca said she noticed that over the past couple months support for the healthcare workers has faded. She heard stories of workers feeling discouraged and worn out — and wanted to do something to encourage them.
Now that this mission is completed, Rebecca has her sights set on the future. She’s making plans to provide Thanksgiving meals for healthcare workers as well. (Seehafter News)
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The Daily Dish – Wednesday, November 18

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Congratulations to the Sexiest Man Alive who, according to People magazine, is Michael B. Jordan.
He casually accepted the annual honor, saying, (quote) “It’s a cool feeling. It’s a good club to be a part of.”
Jordan flexed in the boxing franchise, Creed. He also starred opposite Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther.
Seven years ago, People magazine tapped Michael B Jordan as “One to Watch” in that year’s Sexiest Man Alive issue. Jordan replaced John Legend, who followed Idris Elba. Before them came Blake Shelton and Dwayne Johnson. (People)

George Clooney confirmed that he once gave $1 million to 14 friends.
He arranged delivery of “giant pallets of cash” to his closest buddies. Clooney told GQ magazine why he was so generous, (quote) “If I get hit by a bus, they’re all in the will. So why am I waiting to get hit by a bus?”
This happened seven years ago, before Clooney married Amal Alamuddin and had twins. He’d just made bank from the movie Gravity. Rather than take a big salary, he and Sandra Bullock negotiated a sweetheart deal to earn a fraction of the profits. The movie made more than $1 billion.
He chose 14 of his closest buddies. Clooney said, (quote) “They helped me over a period of 35 years. I’ve slept on their couches when I was broke and they loaned me money, too. Without them I don’t have any of this.” (GQ)

Oscar-nominated director Spike Lee will helm a movie musical about the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra. The little blue pill has become a $3 billion industry.
The song and dance film is based on a magazine article titled, All Rise: The Untold Story of the Guys Who Launched Viagra. The history behind the popular drug among over-the-hill men is a fascinating accident.
Pfizer went into Viagra test trials hoping it would resolve chest pains. It did not. But the male volunteer test subjects refused to return their unused supply of Viagra because of its side effect below the belt.
Marketing geniuses latched onto that positive element for impotent men. The movie musical will tell that story, as well as the challenges Pfizer faced in the ’90s to convince lawmakers, Wall Street, and the Catholic Church that Viagra was not immoral. (Deadline)
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Coffee Talk from Honor Credit Union – Wednesday, November 18

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TODAY IS:
  • National Princess Day: A good day to embrace your inner princess.
  • Mickey Mouse Day

Here’s a resolution a lot of people are probably making for 2021 … to get more sleep. A new survey has revealed that 51% of respondents said this year has been their worst year ever for sleep. 42% said they can’t remember the last time they got a good night’s sleep. 60% said they planned to make sleep a top priority in 2021. (SWNS)

What’s better than apple pie for the holidays? Apple pie-flavored Pepsi? No joke. Pepsi just launched Pepsi Apple Pie, a new apple pie-flavored cola that, according to the company website, is “designed to taste and smell like a sweet and comforting apple pie, complete with warm notes of cinnamon, crisp apples, and buttery pastry crust.” Sadly, Pepsi Apple Pie won’t be available to buy in stores. As part of a holiday marketing campaign, Pepsi is asking anyone interested in winning a 2-liter bottle of the limited-edition flavor to post a photo or video of their best baking fail on Twitter or TikTok, and use the hashtag #PepsiApplePieChallenge. They’ll choose their favorites and send the lucky winners a bottle of the dessert-flavored soda. (People)

A new study by the University of Granada reveals that dog owners may face a 78% higher risk of catching the coronavirus. Researchers found that owning a dog is as risky as returning to the workplace because dogs touch so many contaminated surfaces. Experts say dogs should be included in their owners’ social distancing plans. Now, thankfully, most animals do not get seriously sick from the coronavirus, but that also means you’ll never know if they’re carrying any germs with the virus.

Yahoo Sports says the cheapest ticket to this year’s Super Bowl in Tampa could cost $10,102 because of reduced capacity. The NFL is only planning to allow between 10,000 and 20,000 fans into Raymond James Stadium for the game. The average ticket price could jump to $12,858 with limited capacity. The aforementioned prices may include a coronavirus test. The league is considering requiring a negative test to get into the game
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Music News – Wednesday, November 18

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Sam Smith is sending flowers to millions of followers — through a new filter set up on their Instagram page.
Sam offered the virtual bouquet in a post from early Tuesday morning. In it, they cue up the new single “Kids Again” and lip-sync along, showering the screen with petals with the wave of a hand. The singer has asked fans to follow suit and post your own flower-enhanced clips featuring songs from the new Love Goes album.

Katy Perry knows we can’t all get together right now in person, but she’s using her new single to push the idea that we can do that in spirit.
The star has partnered with Coca-Cola for a campaign called #OpenToBetter, and she’s created a short film for “Resilient” to remind fans that we really can bounce back from anything — if we lean on each other.
Katy explains the message of the song and video by saying, “To me, this campaign is about growing through challenges. I think the song ‘Resilient’ ties so well into that because being resilient is getting back up after you fall, growing from failure, and getting through that challenge. [It’s about] being resilient as a group. It’s not always just about personal growth, we need to grow together too!”

That “impossibly rare” album Ed Sheeran recorded in his early teens is hitting the auction block yet again — and this time it has company, in the form of a second CD he made around the same time.
Ed said he kept 19 of the 20 copies of Spinning Man, written and recorded when he was a kid. The one stray copy fetched $65,000 at auction back in September, but now a second copy is up for grabs, and the seller is also peddling a copy of a second album from the same era. This one’s called The Orange Room, and it got slightly wider distribution back in 2005. The current owner, who lives in the town where Ed grew up, says she bought the discs from the star’s mom when he pressed it up and completely forgot about it.
Auctioneer Paul Fairweather, who’s hoping to get $35,000 for the pair, said: “Ed’s parents played a large part in his career and it’s fascinating to see that that dedication extended to selling individual copies of their teenage son’s CD.”
The discs go up for grabs on November 24th. (Independent)
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The Coast Social Network with the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber – Tuesday, November 17

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Zack speaks with Sarah Spoonholtz from the Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber to help clarify some of the businesses and organizations that will be open or closed during the three week “Pause to Save Lives” MDHHS initiative. If you are a local business or organization with questions, feel free to contact the Chamber at smrchamber.com.... [Read Full Story]