Welcome to Simple Joe. I’m glad you’re here.

In this Monday episode of Simple Joe, I kick things off with the strange story behind the word “maverick,” check in on some beautiful September weather, and celebrate birthdays including Clayton Moore, Walter Koenig, Sam Neill, Nas, and Amy Winehouse. I also look back at Francis Scott Key and the origins of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” celebrate the anniversary of The Golden Girls, and find a few excuses to enjoy cream-filled donuts, hoagies, Virginia, and coloring. Then it’s time for Monday’s Interesting Headlines, where I wonder about cockroach milk and nose blowing, a class ring recovered after 28 years, a Costa Rican man claiming to be 119 years old, somebody solving 211 Rubik’s Cubes on a pogo stick, and a story about an act of kindness that changed a stranger’s life. That last story gets me thinking about random acts of kindness, tipping generously, and a holiday tradition where friends and I pool money to leave a surprisingly large tip for a restaurant server. I wrap things up talking about my weekend with my daughter and grandkids and the reminder that spending our resources creating great memories with people we love matters a whole lot more than adding more stuff to our lives.

Monday Interesting Headlines

• “Scientists studying cockroach milk and nose blowing win LG Nobel prizes for quirky science”
• “Long lost class ring found 28 years later under a rock at a lake by metal detecting enthusiasts”
• “Costa Rican man, 119, seeks recognition as the world’s oldest person”
• “Nova Scotia man solves 211 Rubik’s cubes while on a pogo stick”
• “Cumberland native goes viral for kindness, changes a stranger’s life”

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