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Who Knew Wednesday

Curling…yea, the sport!

Today we did a mini recap of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and shared some tidbits about the sport of curling, since it’s apparently “Curling is Cool Day.”

Norway continues to dominate the Winter Games – this year, the Norwegians took 37 total medals, including 16 golds. Coming into 2022, they had the most medals, with 368 (now 405). The USA was 5th in medals this year, with 25 (8 gold, 10 silver, and 7 bronze).

Now to curling…

A Scottish game developed in the 1500’s that the Canadians seem to be exceedingly good at- if Winter Olympic Games are anything to go by- curling involves launching a stone on ice and sweeping the ice in its path as it attempts to land on a target and dislodge your competitors’ rocks. But wait, there’s more…

The sweepers wear special shoes, one that slides and one that doesn’t, and the stone is more like a 40 pound granite bomb that looks like a macaroon. The brooms are slightly more evolved now than the ordinary sweepers they used back in the 1900s. In fact, they’re hardly reminiscent of a kitchen broom at all. The floors are sheets of ice with vinyl markings underneath, for the target, rather than the frozen lake surfaces that were used back in the day. The concept, though, is very much the same. You launch, you sweep, and you score. 

–         I was born February 23, 1923 in Hudson, Ohio
–         My father was a blacksmith who made horseshoes
–         I played football, basketball and baseball in high school
–         I originally committed to play at Notre Dame, but then ended up at Ohio State
–         I was drafted into the US Army in 1942 and was part of the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach
–         I ended up with the Cleveland Browns after the War and led the league in receiving as a rookie
–         I was part of 7 championship teams in my 10 years
–         I was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975

I am Dante Lavelli. Congratulations to Bonnie from Mount Vernon, a long-time Browns fan! She wins the WNZR drawstring backpack and the devotional book, ‘A Word from the Weaver.’

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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A 3-time Gold Medalist joins the show!

Dylan recently had a conversation with 3-time USA Olympic softball champion Leah Amico. Leah joins us in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day. Hear their full conversation by clicking this link to the WNZR Soundcloud page!

Thank you, Leah, for joining us!
–          I was born February 1, 1966 in Santa Clara, California
–          I grew up near Seattle and was a three-time high school All-American in soccer
–          I attended the University of Central Florida and won the Hermann Trophy in 1988
–          I scored the first goal in the history of the US women’s national soccer team in 1985
–          I scored 10 goals in the 1991 women’s World Cup and was awarded the Golden Shoe
–          I also played for the US in the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 World Cup
–          I retired in 2000, and currently serve as an assistant coach with the Orlando Pride
 
This one’s a stumper, so we’ll bring it back next week!

Thanks for listening – keep updated on the weather and closings/cancellations with our WNZR Facebook page.
– Joe and Dylan

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A prayer for your spouse…and your teeth!

Today is National Spouses Day, so Joe shared a few ways you can pray for your husband or wife each day. These apply to every area of life, so use them whenever and wherever you can! Here are a few examples:

  • pray overall for their day – their safety, their work and that they will be fulfilled in their work
  • pray for their health
  • pray for their relationships, both with family and work
  • pray scripture over them, inserting their name when you can – one example is Proverbs 3:5-6
  • pray for spiritual strength and their fears
  • pray for their obedience to God and their decision-making
  • pray for the presence of Christ in your marriage

Dylan shared some fun facts about peanut brittle – some argue that its origins lie in a mistake. That a woman in 1890 accidentally added baking soda instead of cream of tartar to her taffy, resulting in a peanut bark.

Celts also may have some influence in the invention of brittle, making it around holiday celebrations.

Read more from National Today by clicking here!

–          I was born January 26, 1925 in Shaker Heights, Ohio

–          My first role was in a school production of Robin Hood when I was 7

–          I served in the Navy during World War II

–          I graduated from Kenyon College in 1949 with a degree in drama and economics

–          My major film roles include Cool Hand Luke and The Sting and my Oscar-winning performance in The Color of Money

–          I was the voice of Doc Hudson in Cars

–          I had a side career in road racing and Indy Cars

–          I died in 2008 at 83 years of age

I am…Paul Newman. Congratulations to Esther from Mount Vernon, who guessed correctly and wins the WNZR drawstring backpack.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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Popcorn, Tin Cans and a Raven?

We promise it will make sense…

Today is a day to celebrate popcorn!

Did you know that the corn we eat and the corn we pop are two different varieties of maize? In fact, the corn you’d find on your dinner table is most likely unable to pop at all! Only one variety of corn is able to become popcorn: Zea mays everta (Z-MAY’S-EVER-DUH). This particular corn variety has small ears, and the kernels burst when exposed to dry heat.  

In 1948, small heads of Zea mays everta (Z-MAY’S-EVER-DUH) were discovered by Herbert Dick and Earle Smith in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico. Ranging from smaller than a penny to about two inches, the oldest Bat Cave ears were about 4,000 years old. Several individually popped kernels were also discovered, which have since been carbon dated and shown to be approximately 5,600 years old. There’s also evidence of early use of popcorn in Peru, Mexico, and Guatemala, as well as other places in Central and South America.  

Aztecs used popcorn to decorate their clothes, create ceremonial embellishments, and also for nourishment. Native Americans have also been found to consume and utilize popcorn in their day to day lives. In a cave in Utah, thought to be inhabited by Pueblo Native Americans, popcorn has been found that dates back to over 1,000 years ago. French explorers who traveled to the new world discovered popcorn being made by the Iroquois Natives in the Great Lakes region. As colonists moved around North America, and as the USA came to be, many people adopted popcorn as a popular and healthy snack. 

—

…and tin cans? January 19th is National Tin Can Day! Some call this invention key to feeding soldiers and helping solve hunger issues…(from DaysoftheYear.com)

Cans were invented as a solution for hunger in combat. The French Directory, serving the years when Napoleon’s army fought battles in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Caribbean, offered a 12,000 franc prize (probably around $150,000 in today’s terms) for a breakthrough in the preservation of food.

Nicholas Appert, a Paris resident and chef, saw this opportunity and took it. Working for French nobility, he studied different methods of food preservation until he presented his creation to the Directory. He is known as the ‘father of canning.’

His factory progressed from bottles to glass containers and then eventually to tinplate cans. These preserves of different foods were shipped all over through the French navy. Then, two British men set up the first commercial canning factory in Britain in 1812.

Tin can preservation became a crucial element for the history of combat and war as well as helping solve hunger issues.


–          Born January 19, 1809 in Boston
–          My parents were both actors, but my mother died when I was two
–          I was fostered by the Allan family of Richmond, Virginia
–          I studied ancient and modern languages at the University of Virginia
–          I joined the US Army in 1827 but also released my first book of poems that year
–          I am best known for ‘The Raven’ and ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ and for starting modern detective stories
–          I died at 40 years of age in Baltimore

I am…Edgar Allan Poe.
Congratulations to Faith from Howard, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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from pharmacists to redheads and donuts…

Today’s a wide range of WHO KNEWS…January 12th give us a chance to recognize:

KISS A GINGER DAY

Fiery red hair, pale skin, and eyes of blue or green. Kiss a Ginger Day gives us all the opportunity to show our love for redheads!

Did you know that only around two percent of the population have naturally red hair? A lot of people associated red hair with Ireland. However, there are archaeological discoveries and ancient accounts that have indicated that red hair existed in Asia and Greece.

Did you also know that redheads don’t go gray? This is because red hair holds its pigment for longer than other color shades. Therefore, when it does fade, it does not go dull or gray. Instead, it will become an incredible silvery-white color.

NATIONAL PHARMACIST DAY

National Pharmacist Day asks us to take a moment to think about and thank of all those important people who work as pharmacists. These are people whose job it is to mostly see people when they are sick with a cold or cough, need a refill on that asthma inhaler, or perhaps when someone has run out of toothpaste.

In any case, these helpful folks are able to assist people all over the world to feel better, even though they mostly only see them at their worst.

Today, pharmacists aren’t responsible for actually making the pills and potions, but for storing them, fulfilling them with correct dosage, offering advice to patients, watching for mistakes or drug interactions and other duties that are vital to the health of billions of people all over the world.

–          I was born January 12, 1930 in Ontario, Canada
–          My dad was a National Railway mechanic
–          When I was 18, I was signed to play junior hockey in Toronto
–          I turned pro in 1950 and played my first NHL game that March for the Maple Leafs
–          In 1964 I opened my first donut shop in Hamilton, Ontario
–          I was a seven-time all-star and won four Stanley Cups
–          I died in a car accident in 1974 and my business partner grew the donut shop to over 4,800 locations in 14 countries

I am…TIM HORTON. Congratulations to John from Utica, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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A Generation Chasing Christ

I was blessed with the opportunity to travel to Atlanta, Georgia to meet, celebrate, and worship with thousands of people at Passion 2022. Today on the show, I reflected on how God was able to move through 18-25-year-olds in this event to bring in the New Year!

Many big names in Christian music and ministry came together for the two day event including

  • Passion Music
  • Maverick City Music
  • Crowder
  • Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes
  • KB
  • Christine Caine
  • Jennie Allen
  • Louie Giglio
  • Tim Tebow
  • Sadie Huff
  • Levi Lusko
  • And More!

To watch any of the event on demand, visit https://www.passion2022.com/rewatch/session-one-english

Thanks for listening!

Jonathon

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Do You Still Have Things To Do?

Today on the show we talked about how today is National Still Need To Do Day.

Here is the article about the National Holiday:

Still Need to Do Day comes at a lull time in the holiday season, before New Year’s festivities. Children are still out of school, and maybe you have some time off of work. With only a few days left in the year, you may start reflecting on what you have accomplished during the last trip around the sun, and what things were left undone. Today is for tying up some of the loose ends of the year, and getting things done before the calendar changes. Completing tasks give people a sense of accomplishment, and doing some now will lay a foundation to start the new year off strong. Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays started the day, and while they put it on December 29 to illustrate the opportunity to finish things before the end of the year, they also said you have “the rest of your life” to do them, meaning that it’s okay if it takes longer than just today to finish them. They point out that procrastination does not move one forward, and that “it’s time to start pursuing the dream,” implying that not only small tasks need to be focused on, but large life goals as well.

How to Observe Still Need to Do Day

Celebrate the day by making a list of things that you wish to accomplish yet this year, and a second list outlining things that you hope to start focusing on during the upcoming year ahead—this second list may be part of your New Year’s resolutions. Then spend the day working to check off things on your first list and see if you can complete them. Maybe there is something broke in your house that you’ve been meaning to fix all year. Today is the day to do it! Is there something you have been meaning to buy all year to simplify your life, but you’ve been putting it off? Go out and get it today and start the new year fresh! Do you have children and they are off of school? If so, have them make lists too, and see what they can accomplish today as well.

·      I was born on December 29th, 1808 in Raleigh, North Carolina
·      I was born into poverty and never went to school
·      I was elected into the House of Representatives in 1843, where I served five two-year terms.
·      I was also the Governor of Tennessee for four years, and was elected by the legislature to the Senate in 1857
·      I became the 17th President of the United States following the assassination of then President Abraham Lincoln
I died on July 31st, 1875 due to a stroke

Answer: Andrew Johnson

Congratulations to Karolyn of Mount Vernon for guessing the correct answer! She wins a $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup!

Thanks for listening!

– Dylan

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Celebrating those who make things happen!

So today’s show is a celebration of two big things:

  • the 2021 Knox County Food For The Hungry drive
  • people who GET THINGS DONE (Cat Herders)

Make sure you check out our recap of FFTH 2021 by clicking this link. Our total is just over $249,000 and still growing!

Now onto the herders…have you heard (no pun intended) this before? From DaysoftheYear.com:

“You don’t have to be a cat lover to celebrate Cat Herders’ day, you only have to be someone attempting to complete a seemingly impossible task or working in a job that is a continual up-hill battle, tall-order, hard-work, or in short, some activity that is like ‘herding cats.’ Have you ever seen a cowboy or cowgirl herding cats? Didn’t think so – that’s because if we ever attempted to it would take us longer than an infinite monkey to type the complete works of Shakespeare.

You’ve probably heard the saying that something is as impossible as “herding cats”, used in reference to a seemingly futile or difficult task. Granted, if you have actually attempted to literally herd a bunch of cats for some reason or the other, you would know exactly how impossible this task actually is.

What we can say is that the phrase is pretty suitable for what it describes. And while cats are independent, solitary, and easily distracted, many humans also share the same characteristics.”

– I was born December 15, 1832 in Dijon, France
– I was a French Engineer, and started with building bridges 
– I helped design the Statue of Liberty 
– My most known work is the signature landmark in Paris
– After retiring from my company, I went on to do important work in meteorology and aerodynamics 
– I died on December 27th, 1923 while listening to Beethoven’s 5thsymphony, in my mansion in Paris

I am…Gustave Eiffel. Congratulations to Charla from Utica, who guessed correctly and wins the $5 gift card to Everlasting Cup.

Jenn from Danville and Pat from Mount Vernon – congratulations!

– Joe and Dylan

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Musicians make it happen!

We are excited to feature Foodstock 2021 for our weekly Food For The Hungry feature.

Elixir Presents will hold their 10th Annual Foodstock, a live concert, featuring the music of Peter, Paul & Mary, Joan Baez and other folk artists on Monday, December 6 at 7:00 pm.

The concert will be held at the Memorial Theater at the Knox Memorial (112 E. High St., Mount Vernon, Ohio). Admission is food items and/or monetary donation. Information about Foodstock can also be found at www.elixirpresents.com

Listen to the full conversation with Marcy Rinehart with Mike and Chris Petee here! https://soundcloud.com/wnzr/sets/the-10th-annual-foodstock-returns-for-2021-enjoy-folkfest-on-126

–          I was born December 1, 1913 in Weatherford, TX
–          My father was a lawyer and my mother a violin teacher
–          I married at 17 and had a son, Larry, who later became a TV star
–          My big break came on radio, where I was singing for a show and was discovered by Oscar Hammerstein
–          I made my Broadway debut in 1938
–          I starred in South Pacific, The Sound of Music and my most famous role, Peter Pan
–          I was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in 1973

I am…Mary Martin. Congratulations to Marty from Howard, who wins the $5 gift card from Everlasting Cup.

Thanks for listening!
– Joe and Dylan

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