Welcome to Tuesday and welcome to another edition of the Water Cooler News. Making sure you have lots of fun things to chat about through the day! In this edition of the WC News you will find a list of notable birthdays as well as some fun historical facts too.

From the off-beat news department…

• Chainsaw Brought to a Beer Fight
• Elderly Woman Brings Mangoes to a Potential Gunfight
• Insurance Fraudster Forgets to Hang Up, Implicates Self in Fake Crash

Daily Mindbender Question
Parents Magazine says that crayons are the most likely thing that children will stick up their noses.
What is #2?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Chainsaw Brought to a Beer Fight”
A man apparently disputing the location of a case of beer took a chainsaw to a New Zealand woman’s home. Authorities say the suspect is accused of using the chainsaw to collapse the woman’s veranda – and then cut her front door down – in an attempt to recover the disputed beers. The 25 year old man was arrested and is now facing a number of charges.

—–

“Elderly Woman Brings Mangoes to a Potential Gunfight”
Mangoes are known to be good for you, but an 80 year old New Bedrord, New Hampshire woman took that to a new level when two would-be robbers entered her son-in-law’s store. Authorities say one robber had a handgun and made for the cash register when the woman grabbed the mangoes from a box on the counter and started bearning the robbers with them – causing the men to flee the scene with a handful of cash.

—–

“Insurance Fraudster Forgets to Hang Up, Implicates Self in Fake Crash”
A man from Leeds in the U.K. was convicted after his own words were used against him in an insurance fraud case. Authorities say John Machin called his insurance company to report he’d been in an accident and his passenger was injured. Neither was true and the insurance company quickly found out because Machin forgot to hang up his cellphone after making the call. That’s when he was overheard saying, “See how easy that was? We are going to be rich”.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Drive Thru Day
Cousin’s Day
National Tell An Old Joke Day

Notable Birthdays
Ruth Buzzi 76/comedienne, TV’s Laugh In
Mark Goddard 76/actor, Don West on TV’s Lost in Space
Gallagher 66/comedian who smashes watermelons
Robert Hays 65/actor, Airplane!
Michael Richards 63/actor, Kramer on TV’s Seinfeld
Lynda Carter 61/actress, TV’s Wonder Woman
Barry Bonds* 48/baseball
Kadeem Hardison 47/actor, Dwayne Wayne on TV’s A Different World
Jennifer Lopez 43/actress-singer, Monster-In-Law, ex-American Idol judge
Elisabeth Moss 30/actress, TV’s Mad Men
Anna Paquin 30/actress, X-Men, The Piano, HBO’s True Blood

Born on this day also known as the late
Amelia Earhart–1898/American aviator who disappeared with her navigator in 1937 over the Pacific during an around-the-world flight. Some say she crash-landed near an atoll; others say she was captured by the Japanese. Her fate has never been conclusively proven.

Music History
2000 – Motown legend Smokey Robinson added radio disc jockey to his resume when he premiered his own weekly radio show, Intimate with Smokey Robinson, on KCMG in Los Angeles.

1995 – Frank Sinatra’s 80th birthday was celebrated with three nights of all-star concerts at New York City’s historic Carnegie Hall.

1987 – The movie biography of Richie Valens, La Bamba, opened.

1982 – Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” began a six-week run at the top of the Billboard Pop chart, thanks to the third film in the Rocky franchise.

1978 – The film Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released. It nearly killed the careers of Peter Frampton and The Bee Gees.

1977 – The number one song was “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb.

1965 – The Beach Boys released “California Girls.”

1965 – Bob Dylan released “Like a Rolling Stone.”

1956 – Elvis Presley had the number one single with “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.”

General History
1969 – Apollo 11, the U.S. spacecraft which delivered the first humans to the Moon, returned safely to Earth. The mission fulfilled President John F. Kennedy’s goal of reaching the Moon before the Soviet Union by the end of the 1960s.

1978 – Billy Martin was fired for the first time as the manager of the New York Yankees baseball team.

1983 – In one of the more bizarre episodes in baseball history, the Kansas City Royals lost to the New York Yankees, 4-3, after a home run by Kansas City’s George Brett was nullified because he had too much pine tar on the handle of his bat. The home run was later re-instated and Kansas City wound up winning, 5-4.

1998 – Steven Spielberg’s epic World War II film Saving Private Ryan opened in theaters.

2008 – Dark Knight series star Christian Bale denied assault allegations made against him by his mother and sister.

Daily Mindbender Answer
Parents Magazine says “French Fries” are the 2nd most likely thing children stick up their noses.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Here we go for a brand new work week and another edition of the Water Cooler News! Making sure you have fun things to chat about through the day!

From the off-beat news department…

• Woman Miffed at Mug Shot Calls 911 To Complain
• Teen in “Parked” Car Ends Up in a Heap of Trouble — and Cars
• Mom Busted for Hacking School’s Computers

You will also find a list of notable birthdays for today and a list of historical notes too!

Daily Mindbender Question
According to Reader’s Digest, men use over 95% of this but women only use about 60%. You use it on vacation.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Woman Miffed at Mug Shot Calls 911 To Complain”
A Georgia woman was so upset by her less-than-flattering mug shot from a previous arrest that she called 9-1-1 to demand a new one. Officials say 45 year old Tonya Ann Fowler was dissatisfied by the picture that appeared in a local round-up of just-caught criminals called “Bad and Busted” and wanted a second chance for a picture. Authorities say Fowler got her wish as she was re-arrested and charged with unlawful use of 9-1-1 and disorderly conduct.

—–

“Teen in “Parked” Car Ends Up in a Heap of Trouble — and Cars”
A 13 year old girl who said she wanted to stay in the car and listen to music while her grandmother shopped at a Michigan mall now has a lot of explaining to do. Authorities say Granny left the keys in the car and the girl decided to slip behind the wheel of the car. The vehicle then wound up ramming a tree, a power pole and then caught air crashing on top of two other parked cars. Both the teen and her grandmother are facing charges and the teen has also changed her story from “just listening to music”.

—-

“Mom Busted for Hacking School’s Computers”
A Pennsylvania momther is facing six felony charges and the possibility of decades in jail for allegedly hacking into her children’s school computer to change their grades and read school officials’ emails. 45 year old Catherine Venusto worked for the Northwestern LeHigh School District from 2008 through to April 2011 and has at least two children in the school district. Officials say she allegedly used the School Superintendents username and password more than 100 times to change grades and read the emails. Venusto is facing a maximum of 42 years in prison, or a find of 90 thousand dollars.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Parents Day
Gorgeous Grandma Day
Hot Enough For Ya Day
Mosquito Day

Notable Birthdays
Don Imus 72/radio personality
David Essex 65/singer, “Rock On”
John Hall 64/singer, Orleans, became a Congressman
Blair Thornton 62/guitar, Bachman-Turner Overdrive
Belinda Montgomery 62/actress, mother on TV’s Doogie Howser, M.D.
Edie McClurg 61/actress, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, TV’s The Hogan Family
Woody Harrelson 51/actor, TV’s Cheers
Lydia Cornell 50/actress, TV’s Too Close For Comfort
Philip Seymour Hoffman 45/actor
Daniel Radcliffe 23/actor, Harry in the Harry Potter movies

Born on this day also known as the late
Calvert DeForest–1921-2007/actor, David Letterman’s Larry “Bud” Melman

Music History
1992 – Chicago got a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1990 – Production began on the film, Falling from Grace, which marked John Mellencamp’s acting and directing debut.

1988 – Richard Marx had the number one single with “Hold On To the Night.” It was the fourth single from his debut album.

1983 – Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard went to number one with “Pancho and Lefty.”

1981 – Air Supply was at number one on the singles chart with “The One That You Love.”

1980 – Singer Cliff Richard received his O.B.E. from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

1977 – Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and band manager Peter Grant were charged with assault after a fight broke out backstage with employees of the concert’s promoter in Oakland, California.

1977 – Barry Manilow had the number one single with “Looks Like We Made It.” It was his third chart topper.

1977 – Foreigner’s “Cold as Ice” was released.

1971 – The Raiders were at number one with “Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian.)” Freddy Weller sang lead.

1966 – Frank Sinatra had the number one song with “Strangers in the Night.”

1964 – The Beatles had their fifth U.K. number one single with “A Hard Day’s Night.”

1951 – The number one song was “Come On-A My House” by Rosemary Clooney. The song was co-written by author William Saroyan and Ross Bagdisarian, who, as David Seville, would go on to huge fame and fortune creating The Chipmunks.

General History
1827 – The first swimming school in the U.S. opened in Boston.

1829 – William Burt patented the typographer, which was the first typewriter.

1904 – The ice cream cone was invented by Charles E. Menches during the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.

1979 – Ayatollah Khomeini banned rock ‘n roll music in Iran.

1982 – Actor Vic Morrow and two children died when a helicopter crashed on top of them during the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie.

1984 – Vanessa Williams became the first Miss America to give back her title after it was discovered she had posed for Penthouse magazine. Suzette Charles succeeded Vanessa.

1986 – Prince Andrew married Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson in Westminster Abbey. They later divorced.

2000 – Tiger Woods became the youngest golfer to win the career Grand Slam when he won the British Open.

Daily Mindbender Answer
While on vacation men use 95% of the “clothes packed” while women use about 60% of “clothes they pack”.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Welcome to the middle of the week edition of the Water Cooler News! Another week is flying by and it’s time once again to make sure you have fun things to chat about through your work day.

From the off-beat news department…

• Man On the Fence — Literally — After ‘Dine-and-Dash’
• Burglar Tripped Up By Window Treatment
• World’s Worst Carjacker Arrested

You will also find a list of notable birthdays for this day and some fun historical facts too.

Daily Mindbender Question
About 38 million Americans use these every day, two-thirds of them are women.
What are they?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Man On the Fence — Literally — After ‘Dine-and-Dash’”
If you’re going to skip out on a restaurant tab make sure you can clear the fence. Officials say a man ran from the Manchester New Hampshire’s Hilton Garden Inn instead of paying after a dispute about the check. But, his flight to freedom was cut short when he got caught on a nearby fence. Police arrived on the scene and arrested the man.

—–

“Burglar Tripped Up By Window Treatment”
Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico found an unexpected ally that helped them collar a would-be burglar – window blinds. Officers were dispatched after a call of a break-in at Central New Mexico Community College. When officers arrived on the scene they found Thomas Molina tangled in the window treatments. The 38 year old told police he was looking for computer equipment to steal.

—-

“World’s Worst Carjacker Arrested”
A woman in Petaluma, California was arrested last weekend after allegedly attempting to carjack two vehicles, using her finger in her pocket to pretend she had a gun. Authorities say 26 year old Ashley Elizabeth Barnes was unsuccessful in both attempts as the drivers refused to get out of their cars. Barnes fled the scene of her attempted crimes twice and was later apprehended by police.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Caviar Day
Cow Appreciation Day
Sidewalk Frying Day
Wrong Way Day - 1938 – Pilot Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan arrived in Ireland after leaving New York with the stated intention of flying to California.

Notable Birthdays
Nelson Mandela 94/ex-South African president
Senator John Glenn 91/the first American to orbit the Earth
Dion 73/singer, “Runaround Sue”
James Brolin 72/actor, TV’s Hotel, Mr. Streisand
Martha Reeves 71/singer, & the Vandellas, “Dancing in the Street”
Danny McCulloch 67/guitarist, The Animals
Richard Branson 62/founder of Virgin Records and Virgin Airlines
Ricky Skaggs 58
Vin Diesel 45/actor, Fast & the Furious
Aaron Gillespie 29/drummer, Underoath

Born on this day also known as the late
Harriet Nelson–1909-1994/actress, TV’s Ozzie & Harriet, Rick Nelson’s mom.
Red Skelton–1913-1997/comedian-actor, had his own TV show

Music History
1988 – The number one single was “Hold On To the Night” by Richard Marx.

1978 – John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John were awarded a platinum record for their single “You’re the One That I Want” from the movie version of Grease.

1977 – Barry Manilow had the number one single with “Looks Like We Made It.”

1974 – The U.S. Justice Department ordered John Lennon out of the country by September 10th. The Immigration and Naturalization Service denied him an extension of his non-immigrant visa because of his guilty plea in England to a 1968 marijuana possession charge.

1970 – Pink Floyd and Deep Purple played a free concert at London’s Hyde Park.

1966 – Bobby “I Fought the Law” Fuller was found dead in his car in Los Angeles. To this day, no conclusive cause of death has been established.

1964 – The Beatles album A Hard Day’s Night was released.

1960 – Elvis Presley’s “It’s Now or Never” was released.

1960 – Brenda Lee had the number one single with “I’m Sorry.”

1960 – Hank Ballard And The Midnighters released “The Twist.” The song didn’t become a hit until later in the year when Chubby Checker covered it.

1953 – Truck driver Elvis Presley paid four dollars to make his first recordings at the Memphis Recording Service. He cut two songs, “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.”

General History
1877 – Thomas Alva Edison shouted, “Mary had a little lamb!” into what was to become the phonograph.

1927 – Ty Cobb recorded his four thousandth hit, becoming the first player ever to accomplish that feat.

1936 – The first Oscar Meyer Wienermobile rolled out of General Body Company’s factory in Chicago.

1938 – Pilot Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan arrived in Ireland after leaving New York with the stated intention of flying to California.

1940 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt was nominated for an unprecedented third term. Roosevelt, a Democrat, would eventually be elected to a record four terms in office, the only U.S. president to serve more than two terms.

1964 – Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds hit the only grand slam home run of his career.

1969 – Teddy Kennedy drove off the Dike Bridge, better known as the Chappaquidick Bridge. His passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne died in the accident. After leaving the scene, he didn’t call anyone until the next day. On July 25th, he received a suspended sentence of two months for leaving the accident scene.

1970 – The first international encounter in space came to an end as crewmembers aboard the linked-up “Apollo” and “Soyuz” spacecraft said “goodbye” and closed their hatches.

1976 – Nadia Comaneci, a 14-year-old gymnast from Romania, scored the first perfect ten in Olympic gold history. She won three gold medals.

1986 – The world got its first look at the remains of the sunken ocean liner “SS Titanic” as videotapes were released by the researchers at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

2000 – It was announced that paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve would direct and serve as executive producer on the TV movie Rescuing Jeffrey.

2008 – The Dark Knight opened in theaters, six months after the death of Heath Ledger, who played the Joker. It scored the highest-grossing opening weekend of any movie in history, raking in nearly 158 million dollars. The Dark Knight beat out the previous record-holder, 2007’s Spider-Man 3., and Ledger’s performance earned him a posthumous best supporting actor Oscar.

2009 – Henry Allingham, the world’s oldest man — and the oldest surviving British veteran from World War I — died 113 years old.

Daily Mindbender Answer
About 38 million Americans – two thirds of them are women – use “contact lenses” every day.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Welcome to Monday and welcome to the start of a new work week! As we roll into another new week it’s also time for another edition of the Water Cooler News!

From the off-beat news department…

• Naked Woman Arrested After Lying in Front of House, Lying to Cops
• Cop Caught for Stealing iPhone from DWI Suspect
• Truck Wreck Tosses Salad Dressing over Highway

You will also find a list of notable birthdays for today and some great historical notes too.

Daily Mindbender Question
Two of these are purchased every second somewhere in the world.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Naked Woman Arrested After Lying in Front of House, Lying to Cops”
Police arrested a 52 year old Wisconsin woman after they spotted her laying naked on her front porch. After questioning the woman – who had been drinking – she explained her husband locked her out of the house after an argument. Police then questioned the husband and discovered that while he too was drunk, the back door to the house was unlocked. Officers on the scene said they also suspected the woman was not being truthful because she had prepared an area for herself to lounge – complete with a pillow and a blanket – but she chose not to use them to cover up.

—–

“Cop Caught for Stealing iPhone from DWI Suspect”
A police officer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana resigned after he was arrested and charged with stealing an iPhone from a suspect he’d arrested for DWI. Officials say 27 year old Officer Jake Chustz was at the scene of a DWI-related car crash. When the alleged drunk driver was released from jail, he couldn’t find his iPhone so he used his iCloud account to track it. That’s when the victim noticed his phone’s name had been changed to “Jake Chustz’s iPhone”. The phone’s owner remembered the officer from the night of his arrest and then called the Baton Rouge Police Department Internal Affairs Division to complain.

—–

“Truck Wreck Tosses Salad Dressing over Highway”
When a truck driver blew a tire on a highway in Germany, the impact created a massive slick of mustard vinaigrette dressing all over the road. Authorities say the 34 year old driver of the truck lost control of the vehicle, skidded approximately 60 feet and then crashed into a tunnel wall spraying the truck’s payload – drums of mustard and vinegar – all over the road. Authorities say it took nearly 12 hours to clean the roadway which caused a six mile traffic jam.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Get Out Of The Doghouse Day
Global Hug Your Kid Day
National Hot Dog Day
International Juggling Day

Notable Birthdays
Stewart Copeland 60/drummer, The Police
Phoebe Cates 49/actress, Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Daryl “Chill” Mitchell 47/actor, TV’s Ed
Will Ferrell 45/comic actor
Rain Pryor 43/actress, Head of the Class, Richard’s daughter
Corey Feldman 41/actor, Stand by Me, The Lost Boys

Born on this day also known as the late
Ginger Rogers–1911-1995/actress, dancer, singer. Starred opposite Fred Astaire in ten films.

Music History
1995 – Wayne Osmond of The Osmond Brothers underwent an operation for a brain tumor.

1995 – Queen Latifah was the victim of a carjacking that went wrong. Her bodyguard wound up shot and wounded.

1994 – The Lion King soundtrack started a nine-week run at number one on the album chart.

1986 – Country star Dolly Parton’s theme park, Dollywood, opened in Tennessee.

1985 – The Oak Ridge Boys sang the national anthem at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Minneapolis.

1983 – “Every Breath You Take” by The Police started an eight-week run at number one on the singles chart. It would go on to be the top song of the year.

1983 – Alabama went to number one with “The Closer You Get.”

1982 – Kenny Rogers made his film debut in the movie Six Pack. His song “Love Will Turn You Around” was featured in the film as well.

1981 – Folk singer-songwriter Harry Chapin had a heart attack while in a car accident on New York’s Long Island Expressway. Chapin was on his way to perform at a benefit concert.

1977 – Shaun Cassidy had the number one single with “Da Doo Ron Ron.”

1977 – The number one album was Barry Manilow Live. It was his only chart topper.

1976 – The Allman Brothers Band broke up…for the first time.

1976 – Loggins and Messina broke up.

1973 – The number one song was “Bad Bad Leroy Brown” by Jim Croce.

1969 – The Who released “I’m Free.”

1966 – In London, Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce, and Ginger Baker formed the band Cream.

1966 – The Lovin’ Spoonful released “Summer in the City.”

1966 – It took three years for “Hanky Panky” by Tommy James and the Shondells to hit number one.

General History
1790 – The District of Columbia, or Washington, D.C., was established as the permanent seat of the United States government.

1935 – Oklahoma City became the first city in the U.S. to make use of parking meters.

1957 – Marine Major John Glenn set a transcontinental speed record when he flew a jet from California to New York in three hours, 23 minutes and eight seconds.

1969 – Apollo 11, carrying Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins, blasted off from Cape Kennedy on the first mission to the surface of the moon.

1973 – Roger English stopped dancing the twist after a record 102 hours, 29 minutes.

1999 – John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane crashed off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. His wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, and her sister, Lauren Bessette, were also on board the plane. John Kennedy’s body was found on July 21, 1999.

2004 – Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison for lying about a stock sale. She was also ordered to spend five months confined to her home and fined 30 thousand dollars. She was allowed to remain free pending her appeal.

Daily Mindbender Answer
Two “barbie dolls” are purchased every second somewhere in the world.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Here we go for a Friday edition of the Water Cooler News! As you head into another weekend lets make sure you have some fun things to chat about too.

From the off-beat news department…

• Man Calls Cops After Buying Fake Crack
• Town Getting First Starbucks — Inside Funeral Home
• Just Desserts: Wife Creams Cheating Hubby with Ice Cream

You will also find a list of notable birthdays and some great historical facts too.

Daily Mindbender Question
According to government studies, the average American eats three of these each week.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Man Calls Cops After Buying Fake Crack”
Police in Houma, Louisiana received a call from a disgruntled customer who wanted help settling a commercial dispute. 43 year old Edward Parr told 9-1-1 dispatchers he paid $100 to 50 year old Keith Ross for crack, but Parr soon discovered the “crack” he bought was nothing more than “flakes of soap”. Police responded to the scene and both men were arrested.

—–

“Town Getting First Starbucks — Inside Funeral Home”
Mourners visiting the Robinson Funeral Home in Easley, South Carolina will soon have something to perk them up – Starbucks Coffee. The small town is getting its first Starbucks location in the funeral home and crematorium, giving the bereaved an opportunity to sample the Seattle coffee giant’s joe. Robinson Funeral Home’s owner – Chris Robinson – says the idea isn’t so far-fetch as his great-grandfather started the fourth-generation funeral home inside a General Store where people would have their coffee.

—–

“Just Desserts: Wife Creams Cheating Hubby with Ice Cream”
A Port St. Lucie, Florida woman was arrested after allegedly hitting her husband on the head with a bag of ice cream he was buying at a Walgreens store – with his girlfriend. Authorities say the woman was upset when she discovered her husband and his girlfriend together. That’s when she hit him with the ice cream and also allegedly punched him with her car keys.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Chick-Fil-A’s Cow Appreciation Day - Dress like a cow and get a free sandwich
Collector Car Appreciation Day
Embrace Your Geekness Day
Gruntled Workers Day
National French Fries Day
International Puzzle Day

Saturday, July 14
Bald In-Bald out Day
International Nude Day
Corkboard Day

Sunday, July 15
Gummi Worm Day
Be A Dork Day
National Ice Cream Day

Notable Birthdays
Patrick Stewart 72/actor, TV’s Star Trek: The Next Generation, X-Men movies
Harrison Ford 70/actor, Star Wars, Indiana Jones
Roger McGuinn 70/singer-songwriter-guitarist, The Byrds
Erno Rubik 68/made millions with his Rubik’s Cube puzzle
Cheech Marin 66/comedian-actor, Cheech & Chong, TV’s Nash Bridges
Didi Conn 61/actress, Grease, TV’s Benson
Louise Mandrell 58/country singer, “Save Me,” “I’m Not Through Loving You Yet”
Mark Mendoza 57/bassist, Twisted Sister
Cameron Crowe 55/writer-director, Jerry Maguire, Almost Famous
Spud Webb 49/former five-foot-seven-inch NBA star
Michael Jace 47/actor, TV’s The Shield

Born on this day also known as the late
Bob Crane–1928-1978/actor TV’s Hogan’s Heroes. Found murdered on June 29, 1978 in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Music History
2009 – In an interview that ran in London’s Daily Mail, LaToya Jackson said she believed her brother Michael was murdered.

2000 – In Japan, Yoko Ono filed a lawsuit against Teito Rapid Transit Authority for copyright infringement for its unauthorized use of a ticket showing a portrait of John Lennon.

1985 – The Live Aid concerts were held in Philadelphia and London.

1975 – Wings had the number one Billboard pop hit with “Listen to What the Man Said.”

1974 – Eric Clapton’s “I Shot the Sheriff” was released.

1964 – The number one Billboard pop hit was “Rag Doll” by The Four Seasons.

1964 – The Supremes made the studio recording of “Come See About Me.”

1968 – Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild” was released.

General History
1754 – At the beginning of the French and Indian War, George Washington surrendered the small, circular Fort Necessity in southwestern Pennsylvania to the French.

1787 – Congress, under the Articles of Confederation, enacted the Northwest Ordinance, which established the rules for governing the Northwest Territory, for admitting new states to the Union and for limiting the expansion of slavery.

1837 – Queen Victoria became the first British monarch to occupy Buckingham Palace.

1960 – Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination at his party’s convention in Los Angeles.

1977 – A blackout lasting 25 hours hit the New York City area.

1978 – Lee Iacocca was fired as president of the Ford Motor Company. He went on to great success at Chrysler.

1989 – Roseanne Barr filed for divorce from her first husband, Bill Pentland.

1990 – Ghost, starring Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg, opened in theaters.

1993 – Race car driver Davey Allison died in Birmingham, Alabama, from injuries he suffered in a helicopter accident.

1994 – Jeff Gillooly was sentenced to two years in prison for his part in the attack on figure skater Nancy Kerrigan. Gillooly is the ex-husband of Tonya Harding.

Daily Mindbender Answer
According to government studies the average American eats three “hamburgers” each week.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

It’s Free Slurpee Day at 7-Eleven stores across the United States as the franchise celebrates their birthday today! 

As you head to your fav 7-Eleven location for your Slurpee lets also make sure you have some fun things to chat about as you gather around the Slurpee machine! In this edition of the Water Cooler – or should we say the “Slurpee Cooler” for today – you will find some fun historical notes and a list of notable birthdays for today too!

As you head to the store be on the look out for Indy Car driver Tony Kanaan too. He might be heading to a 7-Eleven for his Slurpee too.

From the off-beat news department…

• Woman Calls Cops When Dealer Doesn’t Get Her Weed
• Thieves Swipe ATM, But Can’t Open It
• Defendant in Deep After Causing Courthouse Flood

Daily Mindbender Question
The number of people doing this while on vacation has declined 75% over the past 10 years.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Woman Calls Cops When Dealer Doesn’t Get Her Weed”
A New Jersey woman is under arrest after she called the police to tell them she’d been ripped off – in a drug deal. Officials say 50 year old Marsha A. Wilcox called 9-1-1 and told a dispatcher she’d been robbed. She went on to explan she’d given a man 20 dollars to buy her some weed, but he did not make good on his promise. Wilcox was arrested when officers responded to the site of the drug deal gone wrong.

—–

“Thieves Swipe ATM, But Can’t Open It”
It was supposed to be an easy heist, but two Florida men discovered the hard way that stealing an ATM is easier than getting cash out of it. Authorities say 36 year old Robert Leon Suggs and 28 year old David Eugene Hall stole a front-end loader and a dump truck and then used them to grab a Bank of American ATM in Seffner, Florida. Police say the pair ditched the equipment after driving the cash machine to another location where they then made “several unsuccessful attempts” to jimmy it open.

—–

“Defendant in Deep After Causing Courthouse Flood”
A 27 year old defendant in a drug case is in more trouble after he intentionally kicked a water pipe, causing a flood that in turn shut down the Bergen County Courthouse in New Jersey. Officials say Benjamin Blohm’s actions led to two people – including a Judge and a Sheriff’s Deputy – to slip and get injured during the evacuation of the building. Blohm was charged with causing a disturbance that caused widespread injury and criminal mischief.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Slurpie Day
Cheer Up The Lonely Day
Convenience Store Day - The first 7-11 opened this day in 1927
All American Pet Photo Day

Notable Birthdays
Jeff Hanna 65/singer, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Bruce McGill 62/actor, Animal House, Cinderella Man, The Insider
Bonnie Pointer 62/singer, Pointer Sisters
Mindy Sterling 59/actress, Austin Powers movies
Mark Lester 53/actor, Oliver in Oliver!
Richie Sambora 53/guitarist, Bon Jovi
Lisa Rinna 48/actress, TV’s Dancing with the Stars, Melrose Place
Debbe Dunning 46/actress, Heidi on TV’s Home Improvement
Greg Grunberg 46/actor, TV’s Heroes, Alias
Justin Chambers 42/actor, TV’s Grey’s Anatomy
Michael Rosenbaum 40/actor, Lex on TV’s Smallville

Born on this day also known as the late
Yul Brynner–1920-1985/bald actor
Brett Somers–1924-2007/actress, ex-Mrs. Jack Klugman, TV’s Match Game

Music History
1992 – Neckties designed by Jerry Garcia went on sale at Bloomingdale’s in New York City. By the end of the year, more than 10 million dollars’ worth of the ties were sold.

1979 – Donna Summer was at number one on the singles chart with “Bad Girls.”

1970 – Three Dog Night had the number one single with their version of Randy Newman’s tune “Mama Told Me Not to Come.”

1970 – Mungo Jerry released the classic “In the Summertime.”

1970 – The Who released “Summertime Blues,” recorded live at Leeds University.

1969 – David Bowie released his Space Oddity album.

1969 – One-hit wonders Zager & Evans had the number one song with “In the Year 2525 (Exordium & Terminus).”

1969 – The Rolling Stones released their single “Honky Tonk Woman.”

General History
1789 – The U.S. Marine Corps was created by an act of Congress.

1914 – A Red Sox rookie pitcher appeared in his first Major League Baseball game, after signing a contract paying him $2,900 for the season. His name was George Herman Ruth, later known as “Babe.”

1919 – Edward Styles became the first golfer to play 180 holes in a single day. The avid duffer hacked his way through 10 rounds of golf in 796 strokes, averaging one hour, 19 minutes per round. Styles set the record at the Old York Road Country Club in Philadelphia. During his marathon round, he walked 40 miles and changed his shoes three times.

1979 – The space station Skylab made a fiery plunge through the Earth’s atmosphere. The multi-million-dollar space laboratory became doomed when NASA could no longer control its orbit. So, after circling the globe nearly 35,000 times and traveling nearly 874 million miles in six years, the craft plummeted to Earth, scattering a trail of debris across the South Atlantic, the Indian Ocean and western Australia.

1987 – Bo Jackson signed a contract to play football for the L.A. Raiders for five years. He also continued to play baseball for the Kansas City Royals.

2000 – Actor Liam Neeson broke his pelvis after hitting a deer with his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Daily Mindbender Answer
The number of people “sending post cards” while on vacation has declined 75% over the past 10 years.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Here we go for another edition of the Water Cooler News! The WC News has been rather hit and miss lately as the summer months are here but we do want to make sure you’re ready with fun things to chat about through the days when we can publish the news.

From the off-beat news department…

• Drunk Shows Up Drunk to Face Public Drinking Charges
• Zookeepers Helping Smoking Ape Kick the Monkey on Her Back
• FBI Hunting Abe Lincoln: Bank Robber

You will also find a list of notable birthdays for this day and a list of great historical notes too.

Daily Mindbender Question
The average guy does this for 9 minutes and 39 seconds.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Drunk Shows Up Drunk to Face Public Drinking Charges”
A 36 year old man was due in court in Modesto, California last week to address a recent arrest for being drunk in public. However, officials say Ryan Michael Nunes did not make the appointment because he was arrested for being drunk on the courthouse steps. According to court documents, this recent run-in with the law is one of “at least a dozen” criminal charges related to alcohol in the past 10 years.

—–

“Zookeepers Helping Smoking Ape Kick the Monkey on Her Back”
Animal experts at Jakarta, Indonesia’s Taru Jurug Zoo are hoping that moving an orangutan’s enclosure will help her kick her smoking habit. The ape is now addicted to smoking thanks to zoo patrons who threw their discarded cigarette butts near her cage. Tori became so hooked on nicotine she would “ask” zoo visitors to throw her smokes by mimicking puffing with her fingers. She would also throw things at people who refused to give her a cigarett.

—–

“FBI Hunting Abe Lincoln: Bank Robber”
The FBI Bank Robbery Task Force is looking for help in finding a bold bearded bandit who looks like Abraham Lincoln. The “Abe Lincoln Bandit” reportedly robbed a Wells Fargo bank in Scarsdale, Texas on June 30th. Officials say the robber – who wore a New York Mets hat instead of Lincoln’s trademark stovepipe hat, is accused of displaying a handgun in the waistband of his pants and demanding money from the teller.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Don’t Step on a Bee Day
Teddy Bear Picnic Day

Notable Birthdays
Mavis Staples 73/singer, The Staple Sisters
Ron Glass 67/actor, Det. Harris on TV’s Barney Miller
Arlo Guthrie 65/folk singer, “Alice’s Restaurant”
Dave Smalley 63/bass, The Raspberries
Greg Kihn 63/singer, The Greg Kihn Band, “Jeopardy”
Neil Tennant 58/singer, Pet Shop Boys
Jessica Simpson 32/singer

Born on this day also known as the late
David Brinkley–1920-2003/TV news correspondent & anchor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver–1921-2009/JFK’s sister
Arthur Ashe–1943-1993/one of the best-ever American tennis players

Music History
2002 – Eddie Van Halen and Valerie Bertinelli announced they had secretly separated 10 months before. There was no indication they planned to get formally divorced, though they later did.

2000 – Diana Ross announced the “Diana Ross and the Supremes ‘Return to Love’ Tour” had been canceled by its producers.

1998 – Singer Sheena Easton filed for divorce from her husband, documentary film director Timothy Delarm. They had been married 11 months.

1979 – Chuck Berry was sentenced to four months in jail for tax evasion.

1976 – Cher gave birth to Elijah Blue, her son with Gregg Allman.

1975 – Cher filed for divorce from Gregg Allman, just 10 days after they had married.

1975 – Gladys Knight & The Pips premiered their summer variety series on NBC.

1968 – Eric Clapton announced Cream would break up following a farewell tour.

1967 – Bobbie Gentry recorded what would be her classic single, “Ode to Billy Joe,” at a Hollywood recording studio.

1965 – The Rolling Stones enjoyed their first number one single in the U.S., “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” It spent four weeks at the top spot.

1964 – The Beatles released their third studio album in the U.K., A Hard Day’s Night, to coincide with the opening of their movie of the same name. The American version was released on June 26th.

1952 – Hank and Audrey Williams were divorced for the second and final time.

General History
1850 – Vice President Millard Fillmore assumed the presidency, following the death of President Tyler.

1900 – “His Master’s Voice” was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine.

1928 – George Eastman first demonstrated color motion pictures.

1943 – During World War Two, U.S. and British forces invaded Sicily.

1984 – Dwight Gooden of the New York Mets became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game as a pitcher. He was 19 years, seven months and 24 days old.

1985 – Bowing to pressure from irate customers, the Coca-Cola Company said it would resume selling old formula Coke, while continuing to sell New Coke.

1989 – Mel Blanc, the “man of a thousand voices,” died at age 81. He was known for such cartoon characters as Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig.

Daily Mindbender Answer
The average guy “shops in any given store” for 9 minutes and 39 seconds.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Welcome to Tuesday and welcome to another edition of the Water Cooler News. Making sure you’re ready with fun chit-chat items not only for today – but possibly for tomorrow – the July 4th holiday! You will find some great historical notes as well as a list of notable birthdays for today.

From the off-beat news department…

• Naked Carjacker Wreaks Havoc in Arizona
• Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Wipes Up at Cheap-O Wedding Awards
• Mom Jailed for Overdue Twilight Book, DVDs

Daily Mindbender Question
This has happened to over 50 million workers at work.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Naked Carjacker Wreaks Havoc in Arizona”
A shameless – seemingly-indestructable – naked 45 year old man caused a series of crashes in Scottsdale, Arizona in a bizarre set of incidents that left seven people hurt. Authorities say John Brigham first rammed his car into a Porsche causing the driver to be ejected from the vehicle and seriously injured. Eyewitinesses say Brigham then stripped off all of his clothes and then started dancing and chanting on the roof of his SUV. He then carjacked a woman out of her Toyota Prius and fled the scene at a high rate of speed, hitting four other vehicles in the process. Police arrived on the scene and took Brigham into custoday on a number of charges.

—–

“Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Wipes Up at Cheap-O Wedding Awards”
A Michigan woman now has bragging rights and more than two thousand dollars for designing a wedding dress made out of toilet paper. Susan Brennan was named teh winner of the Eighth Annual Cheap Chic Weddings Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest. The announcement of the winner took place at a very appropriate venue – Ripley’s Believe It Or Not Times Square Odditorium in New York City. Brennan beat out more than 700 other people who entered the contest.

—–

“Mom Jailed for Overdue Twilight Book, DVDs”
New Mexico police say a normally law-abiding woman spent a night in jail for not returning the book Twilight and the DVD for the Twilight Saga: New Moon that she borrowed back in 2010. Officials say Lori Teel received a summons at her childhood address, which later turned into a warrant for her arrest that Teel did not know existed. When police showed up at her home to arrest her husband as part of an assault investigation, officers on the scene also discovered the outstanding warrant for Teel’s arrest.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Stay Out Of The Sun Day
Compliment Your Mirror Day

Tomorrow – July 4th – is “Independence Day”! Are you ready…

Notable Birthdays
Fontella Bass 72/singer, “Rescue Me”
Kurtwood Smith 69/actor, TV’s That ‘70s Show
Michael Cole 67/actor, TV’s The Mod Squad
Betty Buckley 65/actress, TV’s Eight is Enough
Dave Barry 65/writer-humorist
Jan Smithers 63/actress, Bailey on TV’s WKRP in Cincinnati
Montel Williams 56/TV talk show host
Stephen Pearcy 53/singer, Ratt
Tom Cruise 50/actor, Jerry Maguire, Mission: Impossible movies
Thomas Gibson 50/actor, Greg on TV’s Dharma & Greg, Criminal Minds
Yeardley Smith 48/actress, the voice of Lisa on TV’s The Simpsons
Kevin Hearn 43/keyboardist, Barenaked Ladies

Born on this day also known as the late
Laura Branigan–1957-2004/singer, “Gloria”

Music History
2002 – Elton John became the first person to receive an Honorary Doctorate in Music from the Royal Academy of Music. He was a former student at the London school.

2000 – DirecTV aired the movie The Wizard of Oz and synched up the soundtrack with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. The band has denied any connection between the two.

1982 – The Human League had the number one single with “Don’t You Want Me.”

1977 – One-hit-wonder Alan O’Day had the number one song with “Undercover Angel.”

1973 – David Bowie announced he was retiring from live performing. Turns out he was just retiring his Ziggy Stardust character.

1971 – Jim Morrison died of a heart attack in Paris. He was 27.

1969 – Ex-Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones drowned in his swimming pool.

General History
1608 – The city of Quebec was founded by Samuel De Champlain.

1775 – General George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Massachusetts.

1863 – The Civil War battle of Gettysburg ended after Confederate General George Pickett’s troops suffered severe losses to General George Meade and the Union Army. Meade had taken command only six days previously when General Joseph Hooker was relieved of command. The South had almost won the war, thanks to General Hooker’s preoccupation with ladies of the evening in Washington — ladies who became known as “Hooker’s Division,” and, later, as simply “hookers.” No kidding.

1901 – The Wild Bunch, led by Butch Cassidy, committed its last American robbery near Wagner, Montana. They took $65,000 from a Great Northern train.

1962 – Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

1965 – Roy Rogers’ beloved horse, Trigger, died at the age of 33. Roy couldn’t stand the thought of life without Trigger, so he had the horse stuffed and put on display at his Double-R-Bar Ranch in Apple Valley, California.

1985 – Back to the Future was released in theaters.

Daily Mindbender Answer
Over 50 million workers say they have been “bullied by a co-worker” at work.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Welcome to Friday and welcome to another edition of the Water Cooler News as we head toward the weekend. In this edition of the WC News you will find some fun off-beat news…

• ‘Grill May be Hot’ and Other Wacky Warning
• Stranded Man Sets Signal Fire, Sparks Inferno
• Driver Claims GPS, Not DUI Led Her into Sand Trap

You will also find a list of historical notes and some notable birthdays for today as well.

Daily Mindbender Question
The average person spends six minutes a day on this annoying task.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“‘Grill May be Hot’ and Other Wacky Warning”
For the past 15 years Bob Dorigo Jones and the Center for America have researched products to find the dumbest warning labels around in an effort to highlight America’s obsession with frivolous lawsuits. This year’s Wacky Warning Labels contest pulled in 430 submissions. The grand prize winning submission for 2012 – The label on a seven inch globe – “Not to be used for navigation”.

The other top four finalists;
Norelco electric razor: “Never use while sleeping”
Kid’s neck pillow: “Keep away from infants and children”
Electric skillet: “Griddle surface may be hot before and after cooking”
Laptop steering wheel desk attachment: “Never use while driving”

—–

“Stranded Man Sets Signal Fire, Sparks Inferno”
A man who broke his foot while on a hike on a remote Norwegian island last week was desperate to get the attention of potential rescurers he decided to set a signal fire. But, his fire-making skills were a little better than he thought as the blaze quickly spread to his tent and then to the trees all over the the island of Hillesoy. As the fire engulfed the uninhabited island, a team of firefighters raced to the island to fight the blaze and of course also rescued the hiker.

—–

“Driver Claims GPS, Not DUI Led Her into Sand Trap”
An Uxbridge, Massachusetts woman was arrested after she drove her Buick onto a golf course and into a sand trap. When police responded to the scene Patricia A. Maione claimed her GPS led her into a “cornfield”. But, the alcohol on her breath and an apparent open container in her car led officers to think otherwise.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Take Your Dog To Work Day
Stupid Guy Thing Day

Notable Birthdays
Ralph Waite 84/actor, father on TV’s The Waltons
Kris Kristofferson 76
Howard “Eddie” Kaylan 65/singer, The Turtles
David L. Lander 65/actor, Squiggy on TV’s Laverne & Shirley
Todd Rundgren 64/singer-guitarist-producer, “Hello It’s Me”
Meryl Streep 63/actress
Lindsay Wagner 63/actress, TV’s The Bionic Woman
Cyndi Lauper 59/singer, “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”
Derek Forbes 56/bass, Simple Minds
Garry Beers 55/bass, INXS
Alan Anton 53/bass, Cowboy Junkies
Tracy Pollan 52/actress, TV’s Family Ties, Mrs. Michael J. Fox
Steven Page 42/ex-singer, Barenaked Ladies
Lecy Goranson 38/actress, original Becky on TV’s Roseanne
Lindsay Ridgeway 27/actress, TV’s Boy Meets World

Born on this day also known as the late
Billy Wilder–1906-2002/film director Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot
Ed Bradley–1941-2006/newsman TV’s 60 Minutes
Freddie Prinze–1954-1977/actor-comedian, Chico and the Man

Music History
2000 – The Artist Formerly Known As Prince announced that he wanted to be called Prince again.

1998 – Sir Paul McCartney personally chose and arranged the 45 thousand flowers that decorated Manhattan’s Riverside Church for a memorial service in honor of the late LINDA McCartney.

1990 – Billy Joel became the first rock and roll artist to perform a concert at New York’s Yankee Stadium.

1985 – The number one album was the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop.

1985 – Bryan Adams had the number one single with Heaven.

1981 – Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to the charge of murdering John Lennon in December of 1980.

1977 – Kenny Rogers picked up his first gold single for “Lucille.”

1974 – Gordon Lightfoot’s Sundown album was at number one.

1969 – Singer-actress Judy Garland died after taking a drug overdose.

1963 – Little Stevie Wonder had his first single on the charts with Fingertips Part One. Stevie was just 13.

1951 – Hank Williams’ single “Hey, Good Lookin’” was released.

General History
1945 – During World War II, the battle for Okinawa officially ended after 81 days.

1973 – Skylab astronauts splashed down safely in the Pacific after a record 28 days in space.

1987 – Actor, singer, and dancer Fred Astaire died at the age of 88.

2001 – The blockbuster The Fast and the Furious opened in theaters.

2008 – Legendary comedian George Carlin died of heart failure in Santa Monica, California at the age of 71.

Daily Mindbender Answer
The average person spends 6 minutes a day “fixing glitches with electronics”.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus

Welcome to Thursday and welcome to another edition of the Water Cooler News! The place to find fun factoids and other tidbits of informative fun to wow your friends, neighbors, family and co-workers with throughout the day.

From the off-beat news department…

• Gambler Blows Bank’s Million Dollar Mistake
• Prisoner Lets Himself Out of Jail
• Say Cheese! Suspected Mugger Drops Camera Phone at Crime Scene

You will also find a list of notable birthdays and the history book too!

Daily Mindbender Question
One in ten people say they never do this for their car.
What is it?

Answer at end of post!

Off-Beat News

“Gambler Blows Bank’s Million Dollar Mistake”
A 55 year old Detroit gambler is facing more than a year in prison for blowing through an ill-gotten jackpot mistakenly given to him by his bank. According to court documents, a Bank of America mistake in 2009 allowed Ronald Page to withdraw 1.5 million dollars from an account that had only one hundred dollars in it. Since his account incorrectly had an overdraft limit disabled, Page found cash machines that allowed him to withdraw a total of $1,543,104 from casino cashiers at ATM’s from August 1-18, 2009. He then went on the town and quickly lost most of the money.

—–

“Prisoner Lets Himself Out of Jail”
A 34 year old repeat offender with substance abuse issues freed himself from the Santa Cruz County Jail into which he was being processed earlier this week. Officials say Craig Michael Souza was arrested on a probation violation and another charge. Then – while he was on the phone making bail arrangements – he noticed jail workers coming off their shift would buzz a door, flash their ID card at a guard and walk out of the jail. Souza decided to walk up to the line of exiting employees and then buzzed himself out. The guard didn’t even check for an ID. The would-be inmate turned himself in the next day. According to a jail spokesman, “The whole incident is an embarrassment for the jail”.

—–

“Say Cheese! Suspected Mugger Drops Camera Phone at Crime Scene”
Police are looking into a string of muggings near Fort Lauderdale, Florida have a few pictures of their prime suspect thanks to the robbers’ own cellphone. Authorities say they now have a number of perfectly clear images of the man investigators say is the suspect thanks to the mugger’s phone – which he dropped in a scuffle with a victim on May 30th.

Historical Notes

Today Is
Go Skateboarding Day
Recess At Work Day
World Handshake Day

Notable Birthdays
Lalo Schifrin 80/composer, original Mission: Impossible TV theme
Bernie Koppel 79/actor, Doc from TV’s The Love Boat
Ron Ely 74/actor, TV’s Tarzan
Ray Davies 68/singer-songwriter-guitarist, The Kinks
Joe Molland 65/guitarist, Badfinger
Meredith Baxter 65/actress, Elyse Keaton on TV’s Family Ties
Michael Gross 65/actor, Steven Keaton on TV’s Family Ties
Don Airey 64/keyboardist, Deep Purple
Joey Kramer 62/drummer, Aerosmith
Nils Lofgren 61/guitarist, The E Street Band
Prince William 30/Son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana. Heir to the throne of England. Married to Kate Middleton.

Born on this day also known as the late
O.C. Smith–1932-2001/singer, “Little Green Apples”
Robert Pastorelli–1954-2004/actor, Eldin on TV’s Murphy Brown
Maureen Stapleton–1925-2006/actress, Cocoon, Bye Bye Birdie

Music History
1994 – George Michael lost his lawsuit against Sony. He claimed his 15-year contract was “professional slavery.”

1990 – Little Richard received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

1981 – Steely Dan announced they were breaking up.

1975 – This was the lineup at London’s Wembley Stadium: Elton John, The Beach Boys and The Eagles. The Eagles were the opening act.

1975 – The Captain & Tennille had the number one single with “Love Will Keep Us Together,” which was written by Neil Sedaka.

1975 – James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is” was released.

1973 – Bread played their final show at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City before a sell-out crowd of 13 thousand, 75 people. Earlier in the day, their equipment truck blew a tire and overturned near Flagstaff, Arizona…destroying 30 thousand dollars worth of equipment and forcing the band to play the concert with borrowed guitars, drums, and amps.

1970 – Pete Townshend’s unfortunate use of the British slang term “bomb” drew police and the FBI to Memphis International Airport. Ol’ Pete was overheard saying, “Tommy seems to be going down a bomb,” which meant the rock opera was a hit. But officials only heard the word “bomb” and panicked.

1966 – Tom Jones needed 14 stitches after a car accident with his Jaguar in Marble Arch, London

1966 – Jimmy Page made his live debut with The Yardbirds at the Marquee Club in London.

1966 – The Rolling Stones, preparing for a tour of the US, sued fourteen New York Hotels that banned the group from their premises. The suit claimed that the ban had hurt the group’s reputation and amounted to “discrimination on account of national origin,” a violation of New York State civil rights laws.

1948 – Columbia Records introduced the first long-playing phonograph record, which played at 33 1/3 rpm.

General History
1788 – The U.S. Constitution went into effect when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.

1834 – Cyrus McCormick patented the first practical mechanical reaper for farming. His invention allowed farmers to more than double their crop size.

1939 – Lou Gehrig quit baseball due to illness.

1981 – Raiders of the Lost Ark opened.

Daily Mindbender Answer
One in ten people say they never “check the oil” in their car.

Yours in Water Cooler News fun!

Dr. Rus