Show Notes for Wednesday, July 17, 2024


Today we visit with Taryn Jackson about the Webby Award-winning PBS Short Film Festival which is happening now until Friday, July 26 - to all PBS and station digital platforms, including PBS.org, YouTube and the PBS app. The 2024 festival, themed “Story Time,” celebrates the art of short-form storytelling and will feature 15 independent films selected for their impact and stories that reflect a variety of American cultures, families, and experiences.

The PBS Short Film Festival continues to elevate the reach and visibility of independent films and filmmakers from across the country. For 13 years, the festival has showcased films about love, acceptance, family, strength, equality, friendship, loyalty, and much more. The 2024 PBS Short Film Festival selections include a musical, an animated short, documentaries on sexual assault and missing persons, and stories that explore American families, environmental conservation, and history.

Films featured in the PBS Short Film Festival have been selected and provided by 12 public media partners and PBS member stations. This year’s lineup includes films from Black Public Media, Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), Independent Television Service (ITVS), Latino Public Broadcasting, Pacific Islanders in Communications (PIC) and Reel South, as well as PBS local member stations, Alabama Public Television (APTV), KLRU-TV Austin PBS (Texas), Illinois Public Media, Louisiana Public Broadcasting (LPB), WMHT Public Media (New York’s Capital Region) and WQED (Pittsburgh, Pa.).

Taryn Jackson, Director, Editorial and Brand Engagement at PBS, is dedicated to amplifying the voice of PBS.org in many ways, speaking directly to audiences via the PBS.org homepage, key PBS e-newsletters, and other PBS.org content projects. She also spearheads the annual PBS Short Film Festival, which highlights short-form independent films from across public media. Taryn started her career in multimedia journalism after graduating from Howard University in 2003. Before joining PBS in 2008, she worked for both C-SPAN (Book TV) and TV One.

https://www.pbs.org/show/pbs-online-film-festival/

TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY! (A special thanks to ListOfNationalDays.com)

July 17th

Global Hug Your Kids Day

National Lottery Day

National Peach Ice Cream Day

National Tattoo Day

National Yellow Pig Day

World Day for International Justice

World Emoji Day

Wrong Way Corrigan Day

National Hotdog Day

Take Your Poet to Work Day


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It’s the new dining trend that your grandparents would love: According to those who know, residents who patronize New York’s famous restaurant scene are booking their tables, on average, at least an hour earlier than they did in 2019, before the pandemic. And, horror upon horrors, reservations for “as early as 5:30 to 6pm” are “a hot time”, according to Michael Lomonaco, the founding chef of Porter House Bar & Grill. Why so early, when before, it was nothing unusual to sit down with your dinner companions at 8 or 9 o’clock? It seems that when New Yorkers finally returned to full-capacity dining, they started and finished earlier due to work-from-home. And others moved out of the city, so they have a longer commute home to take into consideration. And “happy hour” has been affected too: Where you once could take advantage of deals on appetizers from 5-7pm, they are now offered from 4-6pm, for example.

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The word "hipster" goes all the way back to the 1930s. While "hipster" is used these days to describe someone who tries (perhaps too hard) to be stylish and trendy, the term is actually much older. According to Dictionary.com, the word was originally used (along with the similar "hepster") in the 1930s to refer to someone in the jazz scene.

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Pat Sajak is getting back behind the Wheel. Sajak, who ended his 4-decade-plus run as “Wheel of Fortune” host in June, will come out of retirement to host one more season of the game show’s celebrity edition this fall. That was announced as part of ABC’s fall primetime schedule rollout on Wednesday, with the network referring to Sajak’s return as his “final spin” hosting Celebrity Wheel of Fortune. New installments begin airing on Oct. 7.

After Chapter 1 of Kevin Costner’s western “Horizon: An American Saga” bombed, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are delaying the release of part 2. It has been moved from its planned August release, “in order to give audiences a greater opportunity to discover the first installment of ‘Horizon’ over the coming weeks, including on PVOD and Max,” a spokesperson said. The plan is still to release the second part of Costner’s planned 4-part series theatrically, though the new release date has yet to be determined. Through 2 weekends, Horizon: Chapter 1 has grossed only $22.6 million domestically.

Ellen DeGeneres is ready to say goodbye to the spotlight following her current “Ellen’s Last Stand… Up” comedy tour. The 66-year-old previously said that her upcoming Netflix stand-up special will be her “last,” but further clarified that she’s done with performing entirely during a recent show. During the Q&A portion of her set, DeGeneres was asked whether she’ll appear on Broadway or in future films. Her answer: “Um, no. This is the last time you’re going to see me. After my Netflix special, I’m done.”

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You know all about “Bed-rotting”, right? Maybe you’re even one who partakes in the trend that involves spending the entire day under the comfort of your duvet, sleeping, watching TV, or mindlessly doom-scrolling. While those who do it claim bed-rotting is a way of decompressing after a long, hard workweek, it could do you more harm than good, says an expert. Samantha Boardman, a psychiatrist and clinical instructor at Weill-Cornell Medical College, admits that while bed-rotting might be tempting, “the reality is, many people, after they engage in some extended period of bed-rotting…don’t feel that much better”, and can end up feeling even more drained. It turns out that bed-rotting could disrupt your circadian rhythm, leaving you feeling groggy come Monday morning, no matter how much you slept over the weekend. And research shows that extended periods of time spent staring at screens can cause eye strain, sleep disturbance and poor mental health. Boardman suggests instead that you try shaking up your routine, by taking part in low intensity exercise, or a relaxing activity that puts you in a good mental space.

FUN FACT FOR YOU:
Share this with your friends... they'll think you're really smart!

About 700 grapes go into one bottle of wine (approx. 2.6lbs – 1.2kg)

A new word in English is created every 98 minutes.

Ounce by ounce, nutritious food costs up to 10 times more than junk food.

The average person unlocks his or her smartphone 110 times each day.

Two-thirds of the people on earth have never seen snow.

THE MINT MOBILE QUESTION OF THE DAY: Mintervention.com

A survey of parents with kids under the age of 14 say THIS is their biggest challenge each day. What is it?

Answer: Getting them out of bed

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A Las Vegas man broke a pair of eye-popping Guinness World Records — using the strength of his eye sockets. Andrew Stanton appeared on Italian TV series “Lo Show Dei Record in Milan” and took on the records for the ‘heaviest weight pulled with eye sockets’ and the ‘heaviest weight lifted with both eye sockets while swallowing a sword’. For the first title, he attached large metal hooks to his eye sockets and used them to pull a Cadillac and driver — totaling 5,319.75 pounds (2,413kg) — across the TV show’s stage. Next, he swallowed his sword and used the hooks in his eye sockets to lift his 130-pound (59kg) assistant. And what does Stanton do for his day job? Surprise, surprise: He’s a sideshow performer.

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Everyone loves to save a few bucks – and for some, it’s a necessity, these days. Recently, a Reddit user posed the question: “What’s one frugal habit you’ve adopted that has made a significant impact on your financial well-being over time?” These are some of the best answers… (PART ONE)

➠ “For online shopping, leave it in the cart. If you come back to it multiple times and think, ‘Yes, I need/want that,’ get it. Most of the time it’s not necessary and I’ll remove it.”

➠ “Rent/buy less house and car than you can afford. This has saved my partner and me hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years”

➠ “Bringing my own lunch. I’ve saved approximately $35k over my 12-year career by not going out to eat daily while at work.”

➠ “I bought the cheapest 2013 Prius C when gas prices were skyrocketing. I get between 50-60 mpg on my daily 60-mile commute.”

➠ “Using the library. It is free and is one of the last sanctuaries we can go to without an expectation to pay for a service or our time there. It’s been a boon both financially and mentally.”

➠ “Being semi-vegetarian…I found if I bought more veggies and just bought smaller portions of better quality meat, I could not only eat better but also lose weight!”

➠ “We never (well, 99% of the time) pay for coffee that we haven’t brewed ourselves at home. We use…excellent Costco coffee beans that we grind ourselves.”

➠ “Buy the high-quality version of the thing (even if it’s more expensive) and take good care of it. I’ve wasted so much money buying and replacing cheap crap.” (This SO goes against everything I’ve ever believed in…)

➠ “Pay in cash when I’m hanging with friends. Automatically limits my drinking and spending to what’s in my pocket.”


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When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. I read that one on a can of lemonade. I like to think it applies to life.” —Andy Dwyer, Parks and Recreation

GOOD NEWS: Brought to you by GenesisGoldIRA.com

Woman Finishes Breast Cancer Treatment, Wins $5 Million Lottery Prize
https://www.sunnyskyz.com/good-news