Tim Phillips Show, 6/29/26

Summer is finally officially here and so is Google’s first-ever Summergeist report, giving us a peek into the defining food and drink trends of the season ahead. It’s based on what people across the country are looking up most on the site and it shows we’re mostly interested in new ingredients and new beverages, with some classics in the mix as well.

Summer’s hottest sips:

Hojicha [[ho-jee-chuh]] - This roasted green tea drink is exploding in popularity, as more people are drinking these lattes, horchatas and matcha-horchata lattes, which Google says was a breakout search term in the last month.

Einspänner [[INE-shpan-er]] - Interest in this Viennese coffee drink is at an all-time high. It’s traditionally made with hot espresso topped with a generous amount of cold, lightly sweetened whipped cream, but chilled versions are most popular now.

Spritzes - ‘Tis the season for spritzes, with so many people trying to figure out “what goes in an Aperol spritz,” it’s a breakout search, and searches for “how to make a Hugo spritz at home” up 2,220% in the past month.

When it comes to wine - Those not sipping a spritz may be considering a glass of chilled red, according to the report, which finds searches for it are soaring. The white wine people are Googling most is the French classic, Sancerre.

Summer’s biggest bites:

Fibermaxxing - Fiber is topping protein as the focus in nutrition, with searches for fibermaxxing up 115% over the last 90 days, according to Google. The top trending high fiber recipe searches over the last month were familiar favorites: smoothies and blueberry muffins.

Black sesame everything - It’s becoming a new favorite in the U.S. after a long run of popularity in Asia. Especially popular in desserts, black sesame ice cream and black sesame cookies were both breakout searches in the past month.

A new classic combo? - Hot dogs are an all-time summer favorite and now they’re being made with Spam. Spam hot dogs just launched last month and people are so interested in them, they’re a new breakout Google search.

Source: Martha Stewart

Monday Morning Mystery - MISS ME BLIND    CULTURE CLUB    #4 in 1984  
 CULTURE CLUB    BOY GEORGE    JERMAINE STEWART

Pop band formed in London, England: George “ Boy George ” O’Dowd (vocals; born on 6/14/1961), Roy Hay (guitar, keyboards; born on 8/12/1961), Michael Craig (bass; born on 2/15/1960) and Jon Moss (drums; born on 9/11/1957). Designer Sue Clowes originated distinctive costuming for the group. Boy George went solo in 1987. Jermaine Stewart on BV. 

Discovering you love something people have hyped-up to be incredible can be great, but sometimes it’s just a huge disappointment. BuzzFeed asked readers to share things that other people love, but they found to be overrated and just not worth it.

From viral trends to popular foods, these were some of the biggest letdowns.

"Crumbl cookies. I used to deliver for DoorDash and would always see the line and nope out of the orders, but one time, curiosity got the best of me since it was for a big order. It was wild seeing how many staff they had working & it took like 25 minutes for me to get my cookies— it was so chaotic."

"Attending NFL games. You have to arrive hours early, get stuck in traffic, compete for parking spaces half a mile away from the stadium, sit in the freezing cold, and endure periods of just waiting during long commercial breaks and the bad, overpriced food."

"Wine-mom culture. Nothing wrong with wine, but making it your personality is weird."

"Hoverboards … Now, they're nonexistent."

"Weighted blankets. That fad ended so quickly that most people probably might have missed it altogether."

"Matcha. I don't get it. It tastes like grass, and it made me gag when I tried it."

"The limited-edition, holiday bear cup from Starbucks. It was cute, sure, but hearing about all this fuss and fighting over it was wild. It's just a cup in bear shape that you can't even clean properly..."

"Subscription TV. I want to watch everything, and originally with no ads. Now, you're suddenly up $200 bucks and still watching ads.”

"Stanley cups. Honestly, they are just too expensive, and they leak, so what's the point?"

"Portillo's. I have NO idea what everyone's obsession is with this place as a 'Chicago staple.'”

"Fruit juices/smoothies/anything with BOBA. It's, like, $13 for a cup of apple and carrot juice that I can make at home for less than a dollar, and the lines are always out the door."

"Productivity apps, note taking apps, schedulers. Do you really need that many tools just to get through a task list?"

"Dubai chocolate, hyper-realistic desserts, or any viral sweet. People are just jumping on bandwagons to get views and likes.”⠀

Source: BuzzFeed

Tim's News You Can't Use 

A record 72.2 million Americans are expected to travel at least 50 miles over the extended July 4th holiday period — slightly higher than last year. According to AAA, most people will hit the road, with about 61 million traveling by car, even as gas prices are higher than last year. Flying is nearly flat at about 5.8 million travelers, while buses, trains, and cruises are seeing the fastest growth. Popular destinations include major U.S. cities like New York, Orlando, Seattle, and Chicago, along with international hotspots in Canada and Europe. Traffic is expected to be heaviest starting Thursday, July 2nd, and drivers are urged to plan ahead, leave early, and drive safely during one of the busiest holiday travel periods on record.
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A New York City woman has gone viral for turning a chance estate sale find into a way to spotlight the city’s past. After buying an old Rolodex for just a few dollars, 31-year-old Mari Huang discovered it was filled with business cards from long-forgotten NYC shops and services. Instead of tossing it, she started looking up the businesses and sharing their stories online — tracking down which ones still exist, which closed, and what replaced them. Her project has struck a chord, with people fascinated by this glimpse into a pre-digital New York and nostalgic for small businesses that once defined neighborhoods. It’s also become a reminder of how quickly the city changes — and how easily its history can disappear without someone preserving it.
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United Press International says a proud Indian man recently set a new Guinness World Record for the largest collection of paper cups. Sunil Joseph has  858 cups. He has collected cups from 31 countries. Joseph earned his first Guinness World Record in 2014 for having 5,986 phone cards.
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TMZ says the Adirondack Outlaw ride, at Six Flags Great Escape in Queensbury, New York, recently got stuck on its side. Riders were trapped for a half hour. This is the second such incident at a Six Flags park in recent weeks. A video shows mechanics working at the top to fix the ride
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KCEN says Gracie the giraffe was found safe on Friday after a days-long search in Texas Hill Country.   The giraffe went viral after she went missing and no one could find her. The search covered farms and ranches across central Texas.  Gracie is safe now and under care again.
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KIRO says a 700-pound fireworks ‘show’ recently destroyed two homes on Whidbey Island, Washington. Neighbors heard a loud bang and saw debris in yards. The bomb-like blast shook houses and rattled windows. Google says the fire started because a man was smoking a cigarette near the fireworks stash.
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Guessing Headlights says an Arcadia, Florida man recently caused a scene during a traffic stop for an expired tag.  The man was a passenger and told deputies his name was Nick Villegas. Officers could not find a record for that name. The man got out of the car and started running around it as a deputy chased him. He then ran into a wooded area before being caught.  He was later identified as eight-time felon Michael Villegas.He had warrants and was charged with resisting an officer, providing a false name, and drug charges.
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Guessing Headlights says an Indian Trail, North Carolina couple recently drove a pickup truck through a golf course. Whitney Maske and Nicholas Moore were arrested after deputies halted their joyride at the clubhouse. Maske was charged with fleeing to elude and second-degree trespassing, while Moore was arrested for trespassing. The couple told cops they were on a date