Silliness

CNN reports: Taylor Swift fans are in their record-breaking era. After two nights of earth-shaking dancing at Swift’s Seattle “Eras” tour concert at Lumen Field, enthusiastic Swifties caused seismic activity equivalent of a 2.3 magnitude earthquake, according to seismologist Jackie Caplan-Auerbach. The “Swift Quake” has been compared to the 2011 “Beast Quake,” when Seattle Seahawks fans erupted after an impressive …

The New York Times reports: The Transportation Security Administration thought it had settled a dispute over peanut butter some time ago: unless it is 3.4 fluid ounces or less, it has to be checked. However, the question of what the T.S.A. considers a liquid continues to confuse passengers. It bubbled up again last week when a writer and podcaster tried …

The Daily Beast reports: Alonso Isa and a group of urologists from Spain set out to answer a question that few have asked scientifically: Is shower and grower even a thing? They concluded that these categories were real, but two extreme ends of a spectrum. Most men, the researchers found, fall into a middle gray area. By measuring flaccid and …

The New York Daily News reports: Perfectly chiseled pecs just don’t pay the bills anymore. After a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the FDNY Foundation has decided to scrap it’s once wildly popular Calendar of Heroes, which highlighted the city’s hunky and hot first responders, the Daily News has learned. First published in 2003, the $16 calendar was an …

Pittsburgh’s CBS affiliate reports: Punxsutawney Phil has spoken: Six more weeks of winter await us. The beloved groundhog took his position for the 137th time in Gobblers Knob Thursday. Phil also saw his shadow in 2022, giving us six more weeks of winter. 2023 now marks the 108th time Phil’s shadow has been seen since the tradition began in 1887. …

So this just happened over at Fox: Kate Middleton’s official royal title is “Princess of Wales,” derived from her marriage to William, Prince of Wales and heir to the British throne, but an unfortunate typo in a Fox News graphic switched that for a reference to earth’s largest aquatic mammals. On Wednesday, America’s Newsroom anchors Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino …

The Daily Beast reports: Nearly 900 would-be Rat Czars have responded to New York City’s solicitation for a citywide director of rodent mitigation. “It went wild,” a city spokesperson told The Daily Beast on Friday. “It really did, which is good.” The applicants included a number of cats. At least one feline’s submission had a photo attached. “It was a …

NPR reports: It’s official: 2023 is the year of magenta. That’s according to the Pantone Color Institute, the authoritative consultancy that’s christened an “it color” every year for more than two decades. Its latest pick is none other than Viva Magenta 18-750, which it describes as “a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a …

Yet another New York City story about rats: On Wednesday, the city published a job listing for a director of rodent mitigation, which a City Hall spokesperson described as a “rat czar.” Based in City Hall, the individual will report to Meera Joshi, the deputy mayor of operations, and will be paid a salary between $120,000 to $170,000. New York …

Gothamist reports: The shirts, which were listed at $48 on Only NY’s website, featuring a rat running scared, feature a phrase made famous by Sanitation Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Standing outside City Hall on Oct. 17, Tisch unveiled a proposal to shorten the amount of time trash bags sit on the street in hopes of giving city rats less garbage to …

Axios reports: The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a dispute between Jack Daniel’s and a dog toy company that sells chewable “Bad Spaniels” whiskey bottles. The case carries implications for trademark law — and a number of companies, like Levi Strauss and the makers of Campbell Soup, have filed amicus briefs on the topic. Jack Daniel’s asked the Supreme …

The Washington Post reports: The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has denied Carey’s applications to trademark “Queen of Christmas.” Earlier this month, the agency also rejected the singer’s applications for “Princess Christmas” and “QOC.” Last year, the pop star had signaled she wanted to splash such phrases onto a wide range of items, from skin care products to dog leashes …

CNN reports: Powerball players should hold on to their tickets through Tuesday morning, when the winning numbers for the largest lottery jackpot ever are expected to be announced after Monday night’s drawing was delayed, the Multi-State Lottery Association said. The delay was initially caused by one participating lottery that needed extra time to complete required security protocols, the California Lottery …

New York City’s Fox affiliate reports: The annual Halloween parade in New York City’s Greenwich Village returns Monday. Officially called the Village Halloween Parade, the event draws tens of thousands of costumed participants and even more spectators. The 2022 Village Halloween Parade will showcase hundreds of floats and puppets. The Brass Queens, an all-women eight-piece brass band from Brooklyn, will …

Deadline reports: He is back! Saturday Night Live‘s hugely popular Halloween character David S. Pumpkins, played by 10-time host Tom Hanks, returned to the show after a lengthy hiatus. He did it in a prison ride skit, in which Pumpkins and his trusty dancing skeletons, played once again by Mikey Day and SNL alum Bobby Moynihan, mix it up with …

The Independent reports: US chess player Hans Niemann has rejected claims that he used a sex toy to beat Norweigan world champion Magnus Carlsen. The streak of 53 games during which Mr Carlsen, 31, remained unbeaten was ended on 4 September when he was defeated by the 19-year-old US grandmaster in the Sinquefield Cup hosted by the St Louis Chess …

The New York Post reports: A driver involved in a car accident in Los Angeles gave rubberneckers something to gawk at when he got out of his vehicle naked at the scene, video shows. The two-vehicle crash occurred shortly before 12:30 p.m. Thursday, police said. A bystander’s footage shows a naked man then exiting the blue truck via the passenger …

Sports Illustrated reports: On Thursday, the seven-time Super Bowl champion had an eventful day on Twitter, and it all had to do with underwear. After using Instagram earlier this week to promote one of his brands and leave little to the imagination, Tom Brady was back at it Thursday. The Bucs quarterback promised to re-create a photoshoot where he’d just …

ABC New York reports: Mega Millions has temporarily suspended prize payments after the host called the wrong number during Tuesday night’s drawing. Lottery officials said John Crow mistakenly called the gold Mega Ball as 6 when it was actually a 9. Players are advised to hold on to their tickets until the issue is resolved. There were no grand prize …

Go Erie reports: After spending last year in quarantine due to the pandemic, Punxsutawney Phil was back at it again celebrating Groundhog Day with thousands in Pennsylvania on Wednesday. The great weather-predicting groundhog could not be stopped, forecasting six more weeks of winter after seeing his shadow during the annual spectacle at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney. Back to normal for …