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10 Things That Happened 10 Years Ago: Nov 16-22

Charlie Sheen’s “winning” streak, Jared Fogle’s sentencing, and an emoji wins “Word of the Year.” Here’s what was in the news 10 years ago this week.

Charlie Sheen Is HIV-Positive

Charlie Sheen went on “Today” and dropped a bomb: he was HIV-positive and he’d been living with it for four years. The revelation set off a media firestorm, but Charlie called it “a turning point.” Suddenly, “winning” meant taking his meds, staying healthy, and using his infamous spotlight to push HIV awareness.

Jared from Subway Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

Former Subway spokesman Jared Fogle – once a wholesome symbol of healthy eating – was sentenced to over 15 years in prison for child sex crimes. It was one of the most stomach-turning celebrity scandals of the decade. Subway had already cut ties.

Oxford Dictionaries’ Word of the Year Is an Emoji

Words are so last century. Oxford Dictionaries made history in 2015 by naming an emoji – “Tears of Joy” 😂 – as its Word of the Year. It was the first time a picture beat out actual words. Linguists groaned, teens shrugged, and the rest of us realized we might officially be living inside our phones now.

Thanksgiving Dinner Tops $50 for the First Time

Thanksgiving 2015 came with some sticker shock. The American Farm Bureau said the average (very basic) turkey day feast for ten broke the $50 mark for the first time ever – $50.11. The priciest item on the list was a 16-pound turkey at $23.04. The cheapest was dinner rolls at $2.25.

Psychics Predict Han Solo’s Death in “Star Wars”

Before “The Force Awakens” hit theaters, psychics (and basically every fan on the internet) predicted Han Solo wouldn’t make it out alive. Spoiler: they nailed it. Was it supernatural foresight – or just knowing Harrison Ford was probably tired of space vest duty? Either way, 2015 proved even the Force couldn’t stop a good plot twist.

Facebook Adds “Ex-Proof” Feature

Facebook finally gave the brokenhearted what they really needed in 2015: an ex-blocker. The new feature let you quietly limit how much of your ex’s face invaded your feed – without the drama of an unfriend. It was like a digital restraining order for your sanity.

Carly Simon Confirms “You’re So Vain” Is (Partly) About Warren Beatty

After four decades of mystery, Carly Simon finally confirmed what everyone suspected: at least some of her song “You’re So Vain” was about Warren Beatty. When asked if Warren knew, she joked, “He thinks the whole thing is about him!”

Woman Breaks Husband’s Junk While Online Shopping During Sex

A woman in China broke her husband’s penis while trying to shop online during sex. She tried to multitask on Singles’ Day – a holiday for single people that’s become the biggest shopping day worldwide – ended up with a trip to the ER. Doctors say “penile fractures” are real, and so is buyer’s remorse. Add it to the list of things you should never do mid-romp.

STDs Hit an All-Time High

The CDC dropped some bad news: America was catching feelings – and infections. Gonorrhea and syphilis cases were up, and chlamydia rates hit an all-time high. Experts blamed hookup apps, fewer clinics, randy seniors, and people forgetting what condoms were for.

David Beckham is “People” Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive

The retired soccer legend, model, and dad of four joined the club of impossibly attractive humans. He reacted humbly, saying, “”I never feel that I’m an attractive, sexy person. I mean I like to wear nice clothes and nice suits and look and feel good, but I don’t ever think of myself that way.” Agreed… nice clothes, but otherwise hideous. 👀

R.I.P. Penny, You Did Good

Start digging through your couch cushions and car cupholders, because your spare pennies might soon become collector’s items.

The U.S. Mint just produced its final penny—ever. Yep, the iconic one-cent coin is being retired, and it’s all thanks to a directive from President Trump and one very basic math problem: pennies cost more to make than they’re actually worth.

On Monday, the last-ever U.S. penny was minted in Philadelphia, ending a run that dates back to 1793. That first version was solid copper. These days, the little guys are mostly zinc with just a tiny copper coating—because even our coins can’t escape inflation. But despite the cheaper materials, the cost to produce each penny is still about 3.7 cents. That’s more than triple its face value.

President Trump ordered the Treasury Department to shut down penny production back in February, citing the cost inefficiency. Now that directive has officially been carried out, marking the end of a truly tiny era in American currency.

Don’t panic though—your existing pennies are still legal tender, and there are billions in circulation. But once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Some businesses are already adjusting by rounding prices to the nearest nickel when customers pay with cash. (That’s rounding both up and down, so no need to freak out just yet.) Others are now requiring exact change, which could make cash transactions a bit more awkward moving forward.

Critics of the move point out that ditching the penny may have some ripple effects, especially for folks who rely on cash and don’t have easy access to digital payments.

And here’s another sad twist… nickels are next on the chopping block. According to the U.S. Mint, each nickel costs 13.8 cents to make. So, we’re losing money on those too.

This isn’t the first time killing off the penny has been proposed, but it’s the first time it’s actually happened. For now, it’s a farewell to one of the most annoying and underappreciated parts of your pocket change—and possibly the start of a slow march toward a more cashless future.

And who knows? Maybe someday, that crusty penny at the bottom of your junk drawer will be worth more than a dollar. Probably not, but hey, stranger things have happened.

When Tom Cruise Became the New Elvis (And Not in a Good Way)

I don’t love Tom Cruise.  And it’s not the Scientology.  Or maybe it is and I just don’t know it.  He’s weird.  Let’s just put it down to that.

But there’s one movie of his that I’ve seen probably a hundred times or more; if not start-to-finish, then in bits and pieces as I’ve happened upon it while channel surfing and been powerless to pass it by:  “The Firm”.

Released in 1993, “The Firm” stars Cruise as Mitch McDeere, a Harvard Law graduate recruited by a small firm in Memphis.  What Mitch soon discovers is that the firm secretly represents the Morolto crime family . . . a.k.a. the mafia, and there’s no way out.  At least not alive.

Mitch ends up stuck between the firm, the mob, and the feds, who want him to snitch, which would get him disbarred, and put him on the mafia’s not-so-loved list.

His solution?  Instead of revealing client secrets, he gives the government evidence of massive overbilling at the firm . . . enough to indict every partner on federal charges; destroying the firm and keeping him from getting whacked.  Or so he hopes.

“The Firm” is a tense, well-written thriller with great characters . . . including Wilford Brimley ignoring his diabeetus and playing against type as the evil, badass head of security for the firm.  (“What do you think I am here, a fuckin’ night watchman?!”)

But here’s where The King comes in . . .

Mitch doesn’t come up with the overbilling idea on his own.  He gets it from a client.  A black client.

But at the end of the movie, when an FBI agent asks him how he came up with it, he says, “It was on the bar exam.  They made me study like hell for it.”

In other words, he steals the intellectual property of a black man and passes it off as his own.  Not only that, but he does it in Memphis, Tennessee, the home of the man who did it best: Elvis Aaron Presley.

And he never even offered so much as a “Thank you very much.”

36% of Garages Are So Cluttered That There’s No Room for an Actual Car

A garage always starts as a place for vehicles… and then slowly transforms into a black hole for anything you don’t want to deal with inside the house.

One day it’s spotless; the next, you’ve got a workbench, some tools, a second fridge, six totes of Christmas decorations, and a mysterious box labeled “cords?”

A survey found that 36% of Americans have garages so cluttered, they can’t even park their cars in them anymore. Which really makes you wonder… who’s the garage actually for at this point?

And 62% say their garage is the most cluttered space in their entire home. So if you can’t find it in the closet or attic, check under that pile of paint cans.

Over half (53%) claim to use their garage as a DIY workshop, which means you at least have room to move around a bit.

Naturally, most people wish they had an organized garage. 90% say a tidy garage makes a small one feel bigger, and 85% say they’d take pride in having one. The other 15% apparently gave up years ago and just park in the driveway like it’s 1952.

Still, 52% admit they’re not happy with the current setup… probably because it’s less “garage” and more “archaeological dig site.”

Just Two Minutes of Exercise a Day Can Help You Live Longer

A study a while back claimed that four-second workouts might be enough to undo all the sitting we do.

Which, if you’re honest, makes this next study sound a little less thrilling… because four seconds is hard to compete with… but the exciting thing is that it kinda backs that up.

Scientists at the University of Sydney say that just two minutes of exercise a day can actually extend your life. (That is roughly five seconds per hour, or about eight seconds per hour you’re awake.)

They tracked 70,000 people aged 40 to 70 using activity trackers like Fitbits. And here’s the kicker: people who did just 15 minutes of vigorous exercise per week… roughly two minutes a day… were 18% less likely to die over the next five years. That’s less than the time it takes to scroll through Instagram on your lunch break.

The four-second study had participants pedaling as hard as they could on a stationary bike for four seconds, resting, repeating five times, and doing the whole thing eight times a day.

In total, that’s just 2 minutes and 40 seconds of hardcore effort. A couple minutes a day might help keep the Grim Reaper at bay.

Sure, more exercise is better. But the takeaway is clear: if all you can manage is a speed-walk to the fridge, you’re technically doing something right.

The Top 10 Airport Snacks in America (and the One Nobody Likes)

Nothing at the airport is cheap. Somehow grabbing your own bottled water and a bag of chips turns into a “premium dining experience.”

But when you’re facing delays, crying toddlers, and that guy in front of you who still doesn’t understand how TSA works, a comfort snack can save the day.

A new analysis looked at keyword search data around airports across the U.S. to figure out which snacks travelers crave the most when they’re stuck at Gate C12. The results might not surprise you… but they say a lot about how we cope with travel stress.

Here are America’s Top 10 Airport Snacks:

  1. Oreos – The undisputed king of emotional eating.
  2. Jack Link’s Beef Jerky – The snack for people who pretend they’re on a rugged road trip instead of a delayed connection in Dallas.
  3. Cheetos Puffs – Proof that cheese dust is the real MVP of travel.
  4. Cheetos Crunchy Flamin’ Hot – For the bold, the brave, and those who don’t mind orange fingers.
  5. Twizzlers – Great for sharing, or for smacking your seatmate when the Wi-Fi goes down.
  6. Sour Patch Kids – A sweet-and-sour distraction from gate changes.
  7. Dunkin’ Donuts – Because caffeine and carbs are the only things keeping us functioning at 6 a.m.
  8. Welch’s Fruit Snacks – For parents convincing themselves this counts as “healthy.”
  9. Doritos Cool Ranch – The scent of these alone can clear an entire boarding area.
  10. Haribo Gummy Bears – Timeless, chewy, and a solid way to keep the peace on a long flight.

And the least-loved airport snack? Chobani Vanilla Yogurt.

Sorry, health-conscious travelers… apparently no one wants to balance their laptop, boarding pass, and a spoon while sprinting to their gate. (Interestingly, it did rank highest in Massachusetts, where maybe travelers are just better at multitasking.)

So next time you’re running late and debating whether to splurge on snacks, remember: Oreos top the charts for a reason. Sometimes a little sugar therapy is just part of the ticket price.

Drake Bell and Josh Peck Just Shared a Drink… In a Very Gross Way

Nickelodeon nostalgia is alive and well, but Drake Bell and Josh Peck might’ve taken it a sip too far.

Josh just dropped a new Instagram video that starts off innocently enough: he’s sipping a drink through a straw. Enter Drake, who casually leans in with his own straw—then pops it between Josh’s lips and starts drinking the same beverage, straight from Josh’s mouth.

Yep, you read that right. It’s a mix between a friendship flex and a scene from a weird rom-com no one asked for.

Some fans are cracking up, others are gagging, and everyone’s talking about it.

Still, it’s not all shock value. The video has fans buzzing about whether it’s teasing something bigger—like an official Drake & Josh reunion. The two have had a complicated friendship since their Nickelodeon days, drifting apart for years before publicly reconciling. Seeing them back together, sharing a moment that’s both gross and goofy, feels like classic Drake & Josh energy.

So, could this viral video be the start of a reboot announcement? Maybe. Or maybe they’re just having fun and testing how much their fans can handle. Either way, they’ve proven that some duos never lose their chaotic chemistry.

This clip is pure nostalgia with a splash of “wait, did that just happen?”—and the internet can’t stop sipping it up.

Parents Answer 46 Kid Questions a Day

If you’re a parent of a young kid, congratulations: You’re basically a full-time customer service rep for the Department of ‘Why?’.

A new report says the average parent fields 46 questions a day from their child. That’s one every 18 minutes if you’re lucky enough to sleep through the night.

Of course, that’s an average. Some parents with teenagers might only get one grunt-like “Can I have money?” ask a day, while parents of toddlers are fielding thousands of urgent inquiries like, “Why are there clouds in the sky?” and “Where do puppies come from?” and “Why can’t you make me macaroni and cheese?”

Most of the time, the questions are manageable, but parents admit they still don’t have answers about 35% of the time.

(“Where do dreams go when you wake up?” is apparently not covered in the handbook.)

Despite the chaos, 91% of parents say it’s important to nurture their child’s curiosity. Though based on the same report, those same parents also yell “Be careful!” about 27 times a day, and “Don’t touch that!” 25 times… so curiosity has its limits.

And it turns out today’s kids might actually be more curious than their parents were. 77% of moms and dads think their little ones ask more questions than they ever did.

Which makes sense… back in the day, we didn’t have YouTube explaining how volcanoes work.

So if you’re feeling exhausted, just remember: all those endless “whys” are proof you’re raising a future genius. Or at least a future person who will absolutely dominate trivia night.

The 12 Things in Your Home Most Likely to Hurt You When You’re Drunk

When you’re drunk and stumbling around your house, pretty much everything is dangerous. But which spots are the most dangerous?

A study analyzed emergency room visits – looking at injuries people suffered while drunk or high – and the percentage of injuries caused by 12 different things in your home.

  1. Stairs, 17%
  2. Floors, 13%
  3. Bicycles, 10%
  4. Ceilings and walls, 4%
  5. Windows, 3%
  6. Beds, 3%
  7. Porches and balconies, 2%
  8. Tables, 2%
  9. Chairs, 2%
  10. Bathtubs or showers, 2%
  11. Fences, 2%
  12. Alcohol bottles, 2%

The study also found 70% of all drunk injures happen to men, and there’s only one part of the body women are more likely to injure… the groin region.

Women are slightly more likely to injure themselves there.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday are the days you’re most likely to suffer a drunken injury… because, yeah obviously. The least likely day is Tuesday.

10 Things That Happened 10 Years Ago: Nov 9-15

Butterball morons, Victoria’s Secret bug repellant, and Ellen is Hollywood’s “kindest” celeb? Here’s what was in the news 10 years ago this week.

The Butterball hotline’s dumbest questions ever

The Butterball Turkey Talk-Line revealed the dumbest Thanksgiving questions customers had ever asked. They included:

  • “For the sake of delicious smells, can I cook my turkey over the course of four days?”
  • “My turkey thawed on my lap… can I eat it?”
  • “How do you carve a turkey when all of its bones have been broken?”
  • “How do I roast my turkey so it gets golden brown tan lines in the shape of a turkey bikini?”

Victoria’s Secret mosquito repellant

A study at New Mexico State found a Victoria’s Secret perfume called “Bombshell” worked surprisingly well as a mosquito repellent – better than some commercial bug sprays. Finally, you could smell fabulous while fighting off pests on that camping trip with the fam.

Ellen Named “Kindest” Celebrity (Oops)

NBC News did a “State of Kindness” poll to find out who fans thought the kindest celebrities were. Ellen DeGeneres topped the list. But several years and workplace allegations later, her “be kind” mantra came under fire, making the title feel more ironic than inspiring. Taylor Swift was a distant second… Will Smith was third.

Peyton Manning broke the all-time passing yards record

His final, injury-plagued season was the worst of his career from a stats perspective, but he did pass Brett Favre to top the all-time list with 71,940 career passing yards… then went on to win Super Bowl 50 and retire on top. (Drew Brees and Tom Brady would both eventually pass Peyton on the all-time passing yards list.)

The Paris Terror Attacks

On November 13, 2015, coordinated terrorist attacks struck Paris, leaving 130 victims dead and over 400 wounded. The tragedy included shootings at restaurants, explosions near a stadium, and a massacre at the Bataclan theater. It was France’s deadliest attack since World War II and a turning point in global counterterrorism efforts.

Jason Aldean criticized for blackface Halloween costume

Country singer Jason Aldean sparked outrage in 2015 for dressing as rapper Lil Wayne for Halloween – complete with blackface. The backlash was swift, with critics calling it racist and tone-deaf. Aldean later said he didn’t mean to offend, but the damage was done.

Ronda Rousey suffers her first loss

Ronda Rousey, once seen as unbeatable in the UFC, met her match in 2015 when Holly Holm knocked her out with a brutal head kick. The stunning upset ended Rousey’s undefeated streak, and led to the end of her MMA career. Her next (and final) UFC fight would come a year later in 2016, and she lost that one too.

Stubble was having a moment

A study for “No-Shave November” found stubble was officially the most attractive type of facial hair you could have. Women found heavy stubble more appealing than a clean shave or full beards. The “I shaved two days ago” look was peak sexy that year.

Pay someone $10 to dump your significant other

Too chicken to break up with someone yourself? In 2015, a company called The Breakup Shop offered to do it for you – for less than $40. Services ranged from text message breakups ($10) to break-up phone calls ($30). Singles would eventually decide that ghosting was easier (and cheaper).

Snoop Dogg launched his own cannabis line

Medical marijuana was legal in California, but it would be another year before recreational weed was legalized. Snoop got ahead of it in 2015 with the launch of Leafs By Snoop, his own line of marijuana products. The brand includes strains of flower, edibles, and concentrates, proving once again that Snoop is as much a business mogul as he is a hip-hop icon.

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