*Podcasts Archives

Chocolate Covered Anything Day: ‘Tis the season, after all …

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Maybe it’s time to revisit that high school biology class … or at least a game of Operation. According to a new survey, 73% of people said they don’t know what most of their organs do or where they’re located. How bad is it? Only 38% of survey respondents were able to accurately describe what their colon does.

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Where there’s a will, there’s a way … A 28-year-old man in Scotland broke lockdown rules by buying a jet ski and riding it for almost 25 miles to go see his girlfriend in the Isle of Man. The guy, Dale McLaughlan, had never even ridden a jet ski before. According to the BBC, it took him four hours to get to the island, where he had to walk another 15 miles to get to his girlfriend’s house. Unfortunately, he didn’t get a break for creativity … or perseverance. He was arrested, charged with illegally entering the island, and put in jail for four weeks. (Insider)

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Thinking of ditching meat in 2021? This may be some motivation … A study by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine found that a low-fat, plant-based diet can boost fat burning and weight loss, as well as lower the risk of diabetes.

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Speaking of plant-based … You may want to add some beans to your diet in the new year. Seems the people in the world who live the longest and are the healthiest all have one thing in common: They eat beans every day. According to Dan Buettner, longevity researcher and author of The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who’ve Lived the Longest, “Beans reign supreme in Blue Zones and are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world: black beans in Nicoya; lentils, garbanzo, and white beans in the Mediterranean; and soybeans in Okinawa.” He says people in these Blue Zones, who live to more than 100, eat at least four times as many beans as Americans do. They also eat mostly plants, lots of olive oil, not much meat or fish, and very little sugar. (Eat This, Not That)

Bill of Rights Day: This day recognizes the significance of the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

National Cupcake Day: A good day for a cupcake.

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With fewer people eating in restaurants and a decrease in tourism because of coronavirus, beef producers and suppliers in Japan have a surplus of prime meat. So, they are given the surplus to schools. That means grade school students are getting Kobe beef in their school lunches. Yes, the same Kobe (or wagyu) beef that sells for up to $200 a pound. (Food & Wine)

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How do you feel about giving donations in a person’s name as a holiday gift? According to a recent YouGov poll, a majority of respondents thought it was a good idea. 58% said if someone gave them the gift of a donation made in their name, they would consider it a good gift. The survey also found that women (62%) were more likely to say a donation in their name was a good gift compared to men (54% ). And older Americans (55 and older) were more likely to appreciate a donation made in their name than younger Americans (18 to 24) – 63% vs. 49%.

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Should parents be responsible when kids make unauthorized online purchases? Connecticut mom Jessica Johnson is stuck with a $16,000 bill after her 6-year-old son, George, went on an online gaming shopping spree, making a bunch of in-app purchases while playing Sonic Forces on her iPad. What started as a few micro purchases at $1.99 graduated to $99 purchases and more that Jessica initially thought were fraudulent. Instead of reporting the charges to her credit card company, Jessica went directly to her bank. But once they found the culprit, the 60-day grace period to contest charges had passed — leaving her without recourse from Apple or PayPal. Seems Jessica didn’t know she had to initiate special settings on the game to prevent this from happening – and reportedly Apple had no sympathy.

“My son didn’t understand that the money was real. How could he?” she said. “He’s playing a cartoon game in a world that he knows is not real. Why would the money be real to him? That would require a big cognitive leap.” Jessica, a real estate broker who works on commission, is now struggling to pay off the debt.

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Let Santa drive your sleigh … Waze is letting Santa Claus give you directions through the month of December. From now until December 31st, St. Nick can make sure your sleigh gets over the river and through the woods to its destination. To get Santa as your navigator just hit the search icon and select “Drive with Santa,” then turn on any (or all) of the three features you want. (Mashable)

National Roasted Chestnuts Day: A good day to roast some chestnuts on an open fire …

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Cheers to this … A new study from Iowa State has revealed that regularly eating cheese and drinking wine – particularly red wine – may help reduce cognitive decline as you age – and may help to prevent Alzheimer’s.

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Have you been walking through the grocery store or pharmacy looking for cleaning products and noticed the short supply on the shelves seems to be a continuing problem? ABC says Clorox disinfecting wipes are going to continue to be in short supply until mid 2021 because of the coronavirus. Clorox is shipping 1.5 million packages of wipes on a daily basis and they appear to be going quickly the moment they hit shelves everywhere.

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One bright spot to the pandemic? People are reaching out to loved ones – even ones they haven’t talked to in a long time. A new survey found that 50% of respondents said they have reached out to a family member or friend they’ve previously lost touch with. Seems that this holiday season there is a stronger desire to put away past differences and reconnect. The survey also found that coronavirus has changed the way people think about the holidays – with 76% saying that this year they just want to be with loved ones and enjoy good food. And 63% said they are looking forward to the holidays more than ever so they can spend time with the ones they love – even if that means spending time together virtually. (SWNS)

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CBS says a Secret Santa has been mailing thousands of dollars to essential workers in the U.S.. A nurse in Houston, a sanitation worker from Sarasota, Florida, a server from Pittsburgh and a security guard from Kansas City all received $1,000 in the mail. The Secret Santa plans to send $100,000 to more essential workers before Christmas.

The Santa, who wishes to remain anonymous, tells CBS, “You know kindness, when freely given, with no expectation in return – is, in fact, unconditional love. And that’s really what we’re giving them.”

Also … It’s December 11th … exactly two weeks till Christmas. Are you ready?

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Seems virtual love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be … Apparently a lot of people who “fell in love” over Zoom had a very different reaction when meeting in real life. The sparks that flew virtually just didn’t carry over to real-life chemistry. “What’s happening is when we meet someone for the first time after video dating, there’s some familiarity already,” said Jacqueline Mendez, an L.A.-based marriage-family and sex therapist. “We feel we know this person, but we really only know the presentation of this person.” (NY Times)

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What would we do without our furry friends? A survey by DogTV revealed that dogs really are our emotional support animals – even if they aren’t officially designated that way. 64% of dog owners surveyed said they don’t know where they’d be without their dog’s love and support. And 70% said their dog knows them better than they know themselves. Those surveyed said their pups had helped them get through everything from starting new jobs, to moving, to heartbreak. And a whopping 68% said their dogs are the only reason they’ve stayed sane during coronavirus lockdowns. (SWNS)

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Just in time for Christmas, the perfect stocking stuffer: an over-the-counter COVID test has been approved by the FDA. You’ll have to send your nasal swab sample to a lab for testing, but still – no long lines! The kits are already being sold online and should be in stores soon.

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Are people busy eating cookies as therapy through these hard times? You bet! And, Pepperidge Farm can’t keep up! The coronavirus has people out sick at Pepperidge Farm production plants. Problem is, their cookies with their unique shape can’t be sent out to another manufacturer, plus with high demand, get ’em while you can in stores. Since the pandemic began, cookie buying is up 25 percent. One in five Americans eat over three cookies per day.

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It’s time to start thinking about those New Year’s resolutions … and if you want 2021 to be the year you’re finally successful with your resolution(s), you should start with re-wording your goal. Seems when most people make a resolution, they often vow to “quit” doing something. According to a new study from Stockholm University in Sweden, the key to success is vowing to “start” doing something instead. The researchers found that people are 12% more likely to stick to their resolutions for the year if they avoid making vows like “I will quit …” or “I will avoid …” and instead say, “I will start …”

According to study author Professor Per Carlbring, “In many cases, rephrasing your resolution could definitely work. For example, if your goal is to stop eating sweets in order to lose weight, you will most likely be more successful if you say, ‘I will eat fruit several times a day’ instead.” (Daily Mail)

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Is there a book you loved this year? A candle you can’t do without? A bottle of wine you love? When it comes to shopping for holiday gifts, a lot of us are making it so much harder than it has to be. According to a study from the University of Cincinnati, we tend to avoid getting the people on our list the same thing … even if we think more than one person would like this particular gift. Seems we look at buying the same gift for multiple people as taking the “easy way out.” Don’t make yourself crazy. If you think more than one person will love a gift, just get it. (Women’s Health)

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Vaccine or vodka? People all over the world are hopeful that new COVID vaccines will lead us all back to a normal way of life soon, but it’s leaving Russians in the tough position of having to choose between vaccine or vodka. Health officials there are warning people that if they receive the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine, they will have to give up booze for about two months after, because alcohol could weaken the immune system. There’s been no word yet from Pfizer or Moderna whether Americans will also need to stay sober for their versions of the vaccine. (TMZ)