News for Week Ending Friday, Aug 3, 2018

1.   McDonald’s is now celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Big Mac, and after all those years Big Macs are still going strong.  ***   Which is probably more than you can say for the people who have been eating them.

2.   Charlie Sheen has filed documents asking the courts to revise his child support payments, claiming that he has been “unable to find steady work” and is suffering from “a dire financial crisis.”  ***   In fact, things are so bad that although he still parties in four-star hotel rooms, he can no longer afford to trash them.

3.   Police in Greenville, South Carolina were called to a Costco store after two men in their 70’s got into a fight over free samples.   ***   Actually, they were fighting over the 80 year old cutie who was handing them out.

4.   Yesterday was National Whistleblower Day.    ***    President Trump apparently misunderstood the concept and observed Whistleblower Day by sending out several tweets.

5.   In drug-related violence in the Philippines, two city mayors were recently shot.   ***   Meanwhile, for most mayors here in the U.S., the biggest risk is losing a finger during a ribbon cutting ceremony.

6.   On this date in history:  Aug 3, 1860 – The American Canoe Association is founded at New York’s Lake George.   ***  Actually, I think the Indians beat them by a few hundred years.

7.   On this date in history:  Aug 2, 1989 – NASA confirmed Voyager 2's discovery of three more moons of Neptune, temporarily designated 1989 N2, 1989 N3 and 1989 N24.  ***  Later they were given their permanent names: Curly, Larry and Moe.

8.   On this date in history:  Aug 1, 1976 – Liz Taylor finalizes her 6^th divorce when she divorces Richard Burton for the second time.  ***   For her future marriages, she always made sure to itemize the irreconcilable differences in advance.

9.   On this date in history:  Jul 31, 1964 – Ranger 7 takes 4,316 pictures before crashing into the surface of the Moon.  ***  Too bad about the inevitable ending, but photo #4,316 was an amazing close-up of a rock.

10.  On this date in history:  Jul 30, 1969 – Barbra Streisand opens for Liberace at the International Hotel in Las Vegas.  ***  Her job was to warm up the audience and then light the candelabra.