Randy McCoy

The 4th of July is a day to celebrate our independence and the American flag. It is said that the first flag was sewn by Betsy Ross, but what do we really know about her? She was raised in a Quaker family and was the eighth child of seventeen; her given name was Elizabeth Griscom, but was called Betsy by her family.

Dierter Zorn from Germany is an expert on snakes and travels Europe making presentations to help people get over their fear of the reptiles. While in Southern France recently, things didn’t go very well for Zorn.

Something I learned this week that I never knew before, is there are Amish in Maine. Talking to some people they said they have known this for years while others where as surprised as I was. They began arriving in Maine in the mid 1990’s buying reasonably-priced farmlands to practice their faith and raise their families.

There are many upon many satellites circling the globe these days but it was June 28, 1965 that the first commercial communications satellite went into operation. It was called Early Bird and was built for the Communications Satellite Corporation or COMSAT and was launched on April 6, 2965.

Since marijuana has become legal in Washington state, pig farmers are taking advantage of the waste from the manufacturing process and feeding it to their pigs. Growers have a problem figuring out what to do with the excess stems, roots and leaves, so one group came up with the idea of feeding it to the pigs.

When it comes to toilet paper it appears people want softness above anything else. Consumer Reports, in a study of twenty-five varieties of toilet paper, found the balance of strength and softness were important, but softness was the number one factor. In their study there were only a few brands that stood out with both strength and softness.

It’s called a Super Moon, and it happens on Saturday, June 22 and Sunday June 23. The moon will appear bigger and brighter than any other time during the year. The reason is the moon will closer to Earth than normal. The astronomers' name for it is perigee full moon but the term super moon first came about March 19, 2011, and since it’s has been used a lot.

Is it possible we have bad posture when going to the bathroom? According to the makers of Squatty Potty, yes! The creator, Robert Edwards, says the straining that sitting causes is not healthy; we should be squatting because of the benefits it presents.

Looking at the Baseball Almanac I noticed today June 20, 1945, was the first time the classic Abbott and Costello baseball comedy act, ‘Who’s on First?’ was shown in the movie ‘the Naughty Nineties’. The bit was originally heard on the radio, The Kate Smith Show, but to see them perform it in the movie made it even funnier.

Seven-year-old Alana Thompson, better known as Honey Boo Boo, will be rolling out merchandise based on her show on TLC. The first piece that will come to a store near you will be a book titled ‘The Complete Guide on How to Redneckognize the Honey Boo Boo in You’.

U.S. Thrill Rides, a company that builds roller coasters, plans to build a 650-foot tall coaster called ‘Polercoaster’ at the Tropicana Hotel on the Las Vegas strip. The coaster is so high (how high is it?) the company has to get permission from the Federal Aviation Administration before construction can begin.

Telegrams in the United States haven’t been sent for years as the service was stopped, but in India, sending a telegram, to some, is still popular, but that is about to end. On July 14, the last telegram, anywhere in the world, will be sent and that will end the service for good.

Its meat that was grown in a lab over a two-year period at a cost of $338,000 and it’s about to be cooked this month. Mark Post at Maastrict University in the Netherlands grew the meat he calls ‘Schmeat’ and will cook it on a grill soon to see how it tastes.

North Dakota has the distinction of being the state with more bars per capita than any other state in the country. If you want a drink in North Dakota, more the likely, there’s a bar right around the corner. For every 1,620 people, there’s a bar. According to a chart created by INFORM, the land near Canada barely beat out Minnesota who has 1,658 people.

In West Hartford, Connecticut, a woman trying to save her dog from being attacked by a black bear, was attacked herself. The dog, Maggie, was rooting around in bushes in the backyard when the black bear and her two cubs started chasing her. Maggie took off running to the house when Shannon Flannery noticed the dog coming.

Coffee -Mate creamer has gone in partnership with the Girl Scouts to introduce two new flavors.  Nestle has announced the new flavors of creamer featuring the taste of Girl Scout cookies Thin Mints and Samoas.