January 18 FREE PREP

Today Is January 18

Maintenance Day
Museum Selfie Day
National Gourmet Coffee Day
National Peking Duck Day
Thesaurus Day
Winnie the Pooh Day


Fun Fact

Squirrels are behind most power outages in the U.S.

Trivia
Q: What is  the single most annoying thing about driving, according to 55 per cent of drivers.

A: Potholes


Food For Thought
Somebody will always love you. If you don't think this is true, then you're not paying close enough attention.


HAHAHAHA
Flamingos pee on their legs to cool themselves off.


Tidbits
Hug me!!!!

Simply clasping your arms around someone's body can actually help protect them from getting sick. One study found that people who received hugs more frequently were less likely to become infected by illness

Hey Hey HEYYYYYYY!!!

A survey showed how many motorists aren't keeping many key items in their car in the event of a winter driving emergency. 27 per cent store a blanket in their car and 33 per cent keep a torch. 35 per cent have a first aid kit while 36 per cent have a mobile phone  charger.

Yackity Yack

46% of Gen Zers (ages 13-21) say people need to be more careful about the language they use to avoid offending people with different backgrounds; 53% of Gen Zers say too many people are easily offended these days over the language that others use

Let’s Howl

When the moon is directly above you, you weigh less.

Nosey!!

You can always see your nose, but your brain has the ability to ignore it.

Happy Happy!!

Negative emotions, anxiety, or the occasional bout of depression may be unavoidable in life, but new findings from Neuroscientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) show how managing emotions can help limit neurodegeneration and slow down brain aging.


Money Money

 A Dollar Tree poll found that 44% of shoppers are more likely to prioritize shopping for bargains in-store this year versus 2022.  


Entertainment

In History
2021
American composer, producer, arranger, and musician Perry Botkin Jr. died age 87. As an arranger, he worked with Bobby Darin, Harry Nilsson, Gary Crosby, The Lettermen and Harpers Bizarre, among others. "Nadia's Theme", composed by Botkin and Barry De Vorzon, peaked at No.8 on the Billboard chart in 1976. He was also a major contributor to Incredible Bongo Band, one of the most influential groups of all-time for its Bongo Rock album which is one of the most sampled from records, making it a major influence in the origins of Hip hop.
2020
Nashville folk singer David Olney died age 71 after suffering a heart attack during a performance in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. He formed the band The X-Rays, which released two albums before splitting up in 1985. His songs have been covered by numerous artists, including Emmylou Harris, Del McCoury, Linda Ronstadt and Steve Earle.
2016
The Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey died at the age of 67 in New York City from complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia. Frey co-founded the Eagles in 1971 with Don Henley, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner. After the breakup of the Eagles in 1980, Frey embarked on a successful solo career and went on to score the Top 40 hits 'The One You Love', 'Smuggler's Blues', 'The Heat Is On', and 'You Belong to the City'.
2015
American session drummer Dallas Taylor died of complications from viral pneumonia and kidney disease, aged 66. He is best known as the drummer on Crosby, Stills and Nash's debut album, Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) and their follow-up with Neil Young, Déjà Vu (1970) as well as appearing on Stephen Stills' eponymous first solo album in 1970. Taylor was the drummer for Stills' group Manassas in 1972 and 1973. In 1970, Dallas sat in with The Doors accompanying John Densmore on drums. Jim Morrison acknowledges him on The Doors Live in New York album.
2011
The largest collection of Beatles memorabilia went on display in a new museum in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Rodolfo Vazquez, a 53-year-old accountant, turned his mammoth Beatles collection into a museum with more than 8,500 objects - setting the new world record for the largest collection of Beatles memorabilia. Some of the items included a box of condoms bearing the names of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, a brick from the Cavern Club, a chunk of the stage from the Star Club in Hamburg, and certified copies of the band members' birth certificates. Among his favorite items were 64 boxes of chewing gum in the form of Beatles records.

2010
Canadian folk singer Kate McGarrigle died of cancer at home in Montreal at the age of 63. Once married to folk singer Loudon Wainwright lll, Kate was the mother of singers Rufus and Martha Wainwright. She rose to prominence with sister Anna when they recorded together in the 1970s. Other artists who covered the pair's songs included Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, Billy Bragg, Kirsty MacColl and Judy Collins.

2007
Islington Green School in North London was fighting plans to turn it into an academy. The school, which found fame when some of its pupils sang on Pink Floyd's hit 'Another Brick In The Wall (Part 2)' wrote a new version of the song to sing outside Islington Town Hall as part of their protest. They hoped lyrics such as 'We don't need no business control' and 'Hey bankers leave our kids alone' could persuade authorities to reject the proposal.
2006
Animals in Michael Jackson's private zoo were declared to be in good health after officials paid a surprise visit to the singer's Neverland ranch. A medical officer from the US department of agriculture inspected the property following concerns voiced by the animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Jackson had earlier moved out of Neverland and had taken up residence in Bahrain in the Middle East.
2005
Motown producer Norman Whitfield pleaded guilty for failing to report royalty income he earned from 1995 to 1999 to the Internal Revenue Service. Facing charges of tax evasion on over $2 million worth of income, he was sentenced to six months of house arrest and a $25,000 fine. The producer was not imprisoned because of health problems.
2001
Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher was granted a quickie divorce from Meg Matthews at the High Court in London. The couple had split last September, eight months after Meg had given birth to their daughter, Anais.
2000
Spencer Goodman was executed by lethal injection in Huntsville, Texas. Goodman was convicted of kidnapping and murdering the wife of ZZ Top manager Bill Ham in 1991. Ham was present for the execution.
1997
Songwriter and producer Keith Diamond died of a heart attack. He wrote, 'Caribbean Queen' and 'Suddenly' for Billy Ocean, and also wrote hits for Donna Summer, James Ingram, Mick Jagger, Sheena Easton and Michael Bolton.

1993
Elton John resigned his directorship of Watford Football Club. Having supported Watford Football Club since growing up locally, Elton John became the club's chairman and director in 1976, investing large sums of money as the club rose three divisions into the English First Division.

1990
English singer Mel Appleby died of Pneumonia aged 23 following treatment for metastatic paraganglioma. Appleby was one half of the duo Mel and Kim who had the 1997 UK No.1 'Respectable'. She initially worked as a glamour model, (in 1987 she did a photo shoot for Mayfair).
1989
At just 38 years old, Stevie Wonder became the youngest living person to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At a ceremony held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York, other inductees include The Rolling Stones, The Temptations, Otis Redding and Dion DiMucci.

1981
Wendy O. Williams of The Plasmatics was arrested on stage at Milwaukee and was charged with the offence of simulating sex with a sledgehammer. Williams later filed a multimillion dollar civil suit against the Milwaukee Police, claming they sexually assaulted and beat her during the arrest, but a jury rejected her claims.

1967
The Jimi Hendrix Experience recorded an appearance on UK TV show Top Of The Pops performing a live version of "Hey Joe". They also played a show at the Seven and a Half Club in Mayfair, London during the evening.
1965
The Rolling Stones recorded 'The Last Time' and 'Play With Fire' at the RCA studio in Hollywood, California. Producer Phil Spector played acoustic guitar on 'Play With Fire.'

And Elsewhere:

Madonna is going on tour in 2023. The 64-year-old singer announced the Celebration tour Tuesday. The North American leg of the tour will kick off July 15 in Vancouver, B.C., and end Oct. 7 in Las Vegas. The European leg of the tour will take place in the fall, starting in London on Oct. 14.
Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time.


Hawkeye and The Mayor of Kingstown star Jeremy Renner has announced he is out of the hospital, more than two weeks after he was seriously injured in a snowplowing accident.
"Outside my brain fog in recovery, I was very excited to watch Episode 201 with my family at home," the 52-year-old actor tweeted late Monday night, referring to the first episode of Kingstown Season 2.
The tweet also featured heart and praying hands emojis. Earlier in the day, he posted a photo of his cabin in a remote area of Nevada, surrounded by snow, with the message, "Missing my happy place."



Sally Field will be honored with the SAG Life Achievement Award in 2023. SAG-AFTRA announced in a press release Tuesday that Field, 76, will receive the award at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in February. The SAG Life Achievement Award is given to an actor who fosters the "finest ideals of the acting profession. The award recognizes their career achievement and humanitarian accomplishment. Field is known for such films as Norma Rae, Forrest Gump, Places in the Heart and Lincoln, and the TV series Gidget, The Flying Nun, ER and Brothers & Sisters.



About 4.7 million viewers tuned in to the series premiere of The Last of Us on HBO and its streaming platforms Sunday. HBO said it was its second-largest debut, behind only House of the Dragon, since Boardwalk Empire premiered on the network in 2010. Dragon scored 10 million viewers when it debuted last year. Starring Bella Ramsey and Pedro Pascal, the critically acclaimed video-game adaptation takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed by a mutated fungus that turns people into monstrous cannibals.


Odd News

Maine teen breaks world record for building Lego World Map

A 13-year-old Maine boy broke a Guinness World Record by assembling the 11,695-piece Lego World Map in 9 hours, 14 minutes and 49 seconds.
Cooper Wright of Cumberland Center said he has been building with Lego bricks since he was 3 or 4 years old and received the Lego Death Star as a Christmas gift. Wright said he decided to attempt the Lego World Map for a Guinness World Record. The time to beat was 12 hours. Wright said he feared his attempt could be in jeopardy when his table collapsed partway through his build, sending bowls of Lego pieces crashing to the floor.
Wright finished with a time of 9 hours, 14 minutes and 49 seconds, enough to officially earn the world record.


Check Out Here:


https://youtu.be/77DpmcUDqO8


According to MSN Poll
If you had $100,000 to invest today, where would you put it?
Stock market 22%
Real estate 29%
Savings account 45%
Into a business 4%


Is now a good time to invest in the stock market?
Yes 29%
No 41%
I don't know 30%


Is now a good time to invest in real estate?
Yes 37%
No 45%
I don't know 18%

Is now a good time to invest in cryptocurrency?
Yes 3%
No 84%
I don't know 13%


Have you lost money in a recession?
A lot 23%
A little 51%
No 26%


Have you lost money in real estate?
A lot 3%
A little 9%
No 88%


Health
Better sleep habits may help people lose weight

Sleeplessness could cost you when it's time to stand on your bathroom scale, a British study suggests. People plagued by insomnia who began sleeping more cut the amount of sugary foods they tended to eat, an experiment at King's College London revealed. U.S. experts said the findings show that sleep can help foster healthier eating habits. Those folks who got more sleep wound up with a 10-gram reduction in their daily intake of added sugars, the researchers found.

HealthDay


Lifestyle

City dwellers have the blues - and they believe the lack of greenery in their area is the cause

A poll of people who live in urban environments found two thirds want to see more botanical beauty where they live.

26 per cent feel demotivated by the lack of green space in their area, while one in five feel isolated.

More than half (51 per cent) think there is not enough investment in urban greening and 43 per cent believe there is just too little space available.
57 per cent would welcome more vertical greenery, such as living walls where plants are grown up the side of buildings, to make up for the lack of ground level room in their city.

Others want more trees (43 per cent), flower beds (38 per cent) and grass (36 per cent) – with 78 per cent claiming greenery improves their mental wellbeing.

The majority of city dwellers (79 per cent) enjoy living in an urban place, thanks to the convenience, career opportunities and social life.

67 per cent would consider moving to a greener suburb or the countryside to be able to enjoy nature more.

Those looking to move want cleaner air (40 per cent), a calmer life (39 per cent), more space (34 per cent) and to be able to get outside more (32 per cent), according to the study carried out via OnePoll.



Holidaymakers are already planning their next holiday - so they have something to look forward to

The ‘holiday glow’ – otherwise known as the feeling of excitement that surrounds a holiday - lasts for as long as a whole week after returning home from a vacation

However, the poll of  holidaymakers found 34 per cent will get their next holiday plan sorted immediately upon return so they have something to look forward to and kick start the new holiday cycle.

Scrolling through holiday snaps and videos (40 per cent), reminiscing about their favourite memories (34 per cent), and sharing holiday stories with those who weren’t there (28 per cent) are the top three ways to try and hold onto the holiday glow.

Spamming their social media with holiday pictures and memories is also a popular way to prolong the buzz for 14 per cent, while 13 per cent try to recreate some of the dishes they had on their travels at home.

On average, travellers begin planning their trips four months in advance, including choosing a destination and booking or planning activities.

They then reach their peak level of excitement three days before setting off on a trip, with 18 per cent having sleepless nights because of the anticipation.

Lists
The Craziest Candle Scents You Can Actually Buy

Pot Roast Dinner Candle
Gasoline Candle
Cheese Candle
Smell My Nuts Candle
Warhammer 40k - Scent of Pestilence Candle
Mac & Cheese Candle
Buttered Popcorn Candle
Ramen Candle
Trail Mix Candle


Social Media

The most problematic top social media scams of 2023 revealed

The most problematic top social media scams of 2023 revealed.
Cybercriminals continue to seek new ways to steal data from unsuspecting social media users. Often this is in the form of trying to obtain account login credentials, personal information, or bank and credit card information.

Cybersecurity expert Liz Wegerer from VPNOverview.com says the most common Facebook and Instagram scams likely to emerge thorough the course of 2023.  

The most common Facebook scams of 2023
Facebook is the most popular social media app worldwide, and, according to Wegerer: “Scammers flock to it to fleece unsuspecting users. With so many active users, fraudsters have a vast pool of potential victims to target.”
The most common ways scammers try are:
Phishing scams: Emails or direct messages with sketchy links that download malware or capture login credentials on spoofed websites.
Romance: Friend requests and direct messages that attempt to create a romantic interest with the goal to steal money from the victim.
Prizes or job offers: Claims designed to obtain personal information or money from the victim, including “You’ve won!” scams.
Quizzes and games: Designed to elicit personal information in the answers through the kind of information people may use to create passwords or answer security questions for their online accounts.
Charity pleas: Creating fake charities to get donations during times of disaster, using sites like GoFundMe.

The most common Instagram scams of 2023
Wegerer observes: “More than one billion people use Instagram each month, making it the world’s fourth most popular social media platform. Cybercriminals know this and have several tricks to infiltrate your account and steal your personal information.”
These include:
Fake investment offers: Scammers promise you a great return for just a small investment.
Bogus brand collaboration requests: Fraudsters offer to pay you for promoting their products then steal your financial data when you provide them.
Selling followers and likes: Ask you to pay a nominal fee in exchange for like or follow packages, but your financial data gets stolen when you send financial details.
Giveaways: Entice you to try and win a prize, but then you will be asked to provide personal information or payment to claim your winnings.
Imposter brand accounts: Sell counterfeit goods (or never deliver the promised goods at all) under the guise of a popular brand to drain your bank account.


Stats
People give up on their New Year's resolutions on this day

Two-thirds of Americans have never successfully completed a New Year’s resolution, according to new research from N!CKS.
A survey of adults revealed that of those who’ve previously set resolutions, 68% have never fully achieved one.
Three-quarters have set resolutions for 2022, and 36% of those believe they’ll achieve all of their goals.

Thirty-five percent of resolution-setting respondents believe they’ll achieve some of their goals, while just 4% don’t think they’ll be successful with any.

For those who don’t expect to hit all of their targets, the average respondent said they’d start falling behind before the end of the month, specifically by Jan. 29.

And for those respondents, Feb. 4 is when they expect to give up entirely on most of their 2022 goals.


WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE HELD RESPONDENTS BACK FROM COMPLETING THEIR RESOLUTIONS?

Tried to give up something they enjoy - 42%
Their goals were too large/ambitious - 42%
They don’t have a good support network for achieving their resolution - 38%
They don’t have the motivation to stick to a resolution - 37%
They set too many goals for myself - 37%
Their resolution was expensive - 36%
Other things took priority - 34%
Not enough time for my resolution - 33%
 
RESPONDENTS’ TOP ANTI-RESOLUTIONS

Stop procrastinating - 47%
Stop spending as much time on social media - 42%
Stop making excuses - 42%
Stop drinking or cut back on alcohol - 37%
Stop saying “yes” to everyone - 37%
Stop limiting things I enjoy - 36%



Do you want to have a healthier lifestyle? Get your passport and move to Japan

Are you seeking a healthier lifestyle in 2023? Then you may want to find your passport and head to Japan.

A new international poll from Noom  of  respondents from Australia, Brazil, Germany, New Zealand, South Korea, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States revealed out of all 195 nations, 15% believed Japan to be the healthiest — followed by Switzerland (12%), Sweden (12%),  Norway (10%) and New Zealand (9%).

Nearly four out of five (78%) of overall respondents said they currently feel healthy.

Out of the eight countries surveyed, respondents from Spain (91%), Brazil (86%) and America (86%) claimed they currently felt healthy — more than the other nations surveyed (76% in the United Kingdom, 74% in New Zealand, 74% in Australia and 73% in South Korea). Meanwhile, respondents from Germany reported feeling the most unhealthy out of the eight nations, with 33% categorizing themselves as currently being “very unhealthy.”

the study found that across the globe, most respondents defined “healthy” as being physically fit (31%), exercising regularly (31%), being emotionally happy (30%) and getting adequate sleep on a regular basis (30%).

In the U.S., respondents demonstrated an awareness of the connection between mind and body when it comes to health, reporting that their definition of “health” is both exercising regularly (32%) and being emotionally happy (24%).

In South Korea, health was all about being stress-free (48%). In New Zealand, it was critical to get adequate sleep (34%). In Australia, the top definition was eating plenty of fruits and vegetables (36%).

A majority of respondents (average 57% globally) reported wanting government support in caring for their health — respondents believed that government interventions like improving access to mental health care (34%), making medications more affordable (24%) and banning artificial preservatives (21%) would all positively impact their health and wellbeing.

The survey also revealed the biggest issues impacting both physical and mental wellness on an international scale, providing even more support and evidence of why health solutions must address the two in tandem.

When it comes to mental wellness, respondents report struggling to manage stress around general physical health concerns (48%), the economy (43%), finances (41%), their jobs (40%) and personal responsibilities (32%).

Maintaining family and caregiving responsibilities (17%), romantic lives (14%) and friendships (11%) were found to be among the biggest issues impacting physical health.

Fifty-three percent claimed they take their health more seriously since the Covid-19 pandemic first began. Similarly, 21% said they have felt more productive on an average day during that same timeframe.

Although overall productivity reportedly increased among respondents, some nations felt their productivity has decreased since the onset of the pandemic. Fifty-four percent of South Korean and 46% of American respondents said their productivity throughout their day-to-day lives has taken a dip.

Since the pandemic began, 44% of Americans have picked up good habits in some capacity. The factors  that most helped them stick with their habits were having support from family and friends (25%), mental health professionals (25%) and digital health programs (24%).

More than half of them (66%) have developed at least five new habits since the onset of Covid-19 that have now become a part of their daily routine.
Many shared what they would rather do than make the healthy changes needed to lose weight. Specifically, they’d rather give up their favorite streaming apps for a year (20%), two weeks of vacation (20%), sex for a year (20%) and social media for a year (18%).


Office workers will be most productive at 10:22am - and hit a slump at 1:27pm

Office workers will be at their most productive at 10:22am and hit a slump at 1:27pm, research has revealed.

A study of  employees revealed the ups and downs the typical person goes through, with the afternoon getting progressively worse with a further lull at 2:06pm.
58 per cent said they struggle to get through a day without feeling highs and lows of productivity levels.

Spending too much time in front of a computer (27 per cent), being interrupted by colleagues when in the office (24 per cent) and not taking enough breaks away from the desk (22 per cent) are among the main reasons for not feeling constantly switched on at work.

more than half (54 per cent) agreed they thrived around colleagues in the office compared to working from home by themselves.

And 38 per cent said being in an office environment helped boost their productivity, compared to 22 per cent who felt it hindered their ability to work.

For almost two-thirds of workers (65 per cent), being around colleagues is the best part of being in the office.

Of those who said being in an office helped their effectiveness, almost half (48 per cent) said it was due to a better working environment and being around others (48 per cent).
Noise levels (36 per cent), room temperature (32 per cent) and colleagues asking questions (32 per cent) were the main drains on productivity in the workplace for those affected.

Energy levels are at their lowest at the start and end of a typical working week, with almost a quarter (24 per cent) finding Monday and Friday (23 per cent) the days where they had the least energy.

The typical workday sees people moan or imply they are tired three times on average.

Drinking coffee (31 per cent), going for a walk outside (25 per cent) and having a cup of tea (24 per cent) were the top ways employees give themselves an energy boost to feel more awake in the workplace.


Just for Fun

People Are Sharing Things That Went Away Without Anyone Noticing

u/lukiiiiii recently asked the people of Reddit, "What quietly went away without anyone noticing?"

 "Water beds."
—u/valthonis_surion

"Facebook poke wars."
—u/Hot_buttered_toast

 "When you turn off the TV, how the image would shrink to a dot before slowly fading away."
—u/ConcreteCubeFarm

"Flash mobs."
—u/JaiahHBrown

"Travelers checks."
—u/Anileh

 "Picture-in-Picture TVs."
—u/WhoDoesntLikeADonut

 "Actual toys in cereal boxes and cracker jack boxes."
—u/GuttMilton

"Rofl dropped off of the face of the planet and now we just go straight from lol to lmao."
—u/habofi2125

"I think people have noticed now but at the time, nobody noticed it was happening: 24 hour stores. I live in a major city and we don’t have a single 24 hour grocery store ever since the pandemic."
—u/anxiousfamily


Like Duh
Old-Fashioned Parental "House Rules" That Deserve a Comeback

"No chores, no allowance."
"Dinnertime is family time."
"Tantrums are never rewarded."
"Don't interrupt when an adult is talking."
"Bedtime isn't negotiable."
"Always say 'please' and 'thank you.'"
"Make your bed before you come down for breakfast."
"Never wear a hat indoors."
"Change out of school clothes and into your play clothes."
"Wash up before coming to the table."
"No dessert if you don't eat dinner."
"No elbows on the table."
"Get dressed up for special meals."
"Ask for permission before leaving the table."
"No food in bed."
"Be home when the street lights come on."
"Don't call unless it's an emergency."
"Knock before you enter."


Tips
Can’t Resist The Smell Of Fries? Soak In The Scent For 2 Minutes To Curb The Craving, Study Finds

If you find yourself caving in and ordering a basket of fries whenever you catch a whiff of them in the mall food court, take a few extra minutes to soak in the smell. That may be all you need to stop yourself from falling victim to the guilty pleasure, a new study finds. Researchers from the University of South Florida say that when people stop and absorb the inviting smell of a high-calorie snack for more than two minutes, they’re less likely to eat it.


Did You Know?
Ouch

Getting stabbed by a pencil can leave a mark on your skin for decades because graphite particles are left in the dermis layer of the skin The same layer of skin where tattoo ink is placed

The Brows

The space between your eyebrows is called the "glabella"


Things of Interest 

If a nuclear bomb goes off, scientists say take shelter here immediately

 If nuclear war breaks out, people should immediately take shelter in the corners of concrete buildings to have the best chance of survival. According to a team from Cyprus, it’s better than cowering in corridors or near windows and doors.


“People should stay away from these locations and immediately take shelter. Even in the front room facing the explosion, one can be safe from the high airspeeds if positioned at the corners of the wall facing the blast,” says lead author Dr. Ioannis Kokkinakis from the University of Nicosia
The findings, based on computer simulations, are timely. 


Looking Ahead
January 19

Artist as Outlaw Day
Brew a Potion Day
Get to Know Your Customers Day
Good Memory Day
Gun Appreciation Day
National Popcorn Day
New Friends Day
Tenderness Toward Existence Day
Tin Can Day
Women's Healthy Weight Day
World Quark Day


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