Merrell In The Morning Fun You May Have Missed

Today's Celebrations

World Kindness Day

Celebrity Birthdays

1850 - Robert Louis Stevenson - author: Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, A Child’s Garden of Verses; died Dec 3, 1894

1920 - Jack Elam - actor: Support Your Local Sheriff, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Cannonball Run series, Pocketful of Miracles, Rawhide, Temple Houston, The Texas Wheelers, The Dakotas; died Oct 20, 2003

1934 - Garry Marshall – (79) producer: The Odd Couple, Mork & Mindy, Happy Days; director: Pretty Woman, Beaches; comedy writer: Dick Van Dyke Show, The Lucy Show; actor: A League of Their Own, Lost in America; brother of actress Penny Marshall

1955 - Whoopi Goldberg (Caryn Johnson) (58) - Academy Award-winning actress: Ghost [1990]; The Color Purple, Sister Act series, Made in America, Jumpin’ Jack Flash, Comic Relief, The Whoopi Goldberg Show, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Bagdad Cafe, Whoopi; Grammy Award-winning comedienne: Whoopi Goldberg [1985]

1963 - Vinny Testaverde (50) - football: QB: University of Miami [Heisman Trophy winner: 1986]; Cleveland Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Baltimore Ravens

1954 - Jeannie Kendall (59) is born in St. Louis, Missouri. With her father, Royce, she takes part in the duo The Kendalls, whose gospel-based harmonies and cheatin' themes are exemplified by their million-selling signature song, 1977's "Heaven's Just A Sin Away"

Tabloid News

The Hygiene of Hand Drying

From wmin.ac.uk -

The Applied Ecology Research Group, School of Bio-sciences at University of Westminster in London carried out a study starting in 1993 has “consistently shown that warm air dryers do not perform as well as paper towels in terms of speed, drying efficiency, hygiene and microbial environmental contamination”.
Here are the facts:
The average change in general bacterial numbers on fingertips after drying with paper towels… -58% after drying with a warm air dryer… +255%!
“Paper and cotton towels help reduce the numbers of bacteria on the hands. Warm air dryers significantly increase the numbers of all types of bacteria, including potentially pathogenic types. This is mainly due to the inadequate drying of the hands and also to bacteria emitted in the air flow.”
So next time you wash, towel off.