Tim Phillips Show, 9/21/26

If you’ve been missing a feeling of joy, there are some hobbies you can take up that may spark it. Research shows that doing hobbies you love can bring about eight hours a week of joy. The best part is, the recommended hobbies are low cost. Try these to add some joy to your life:

Origami. Origami requires only paper. Full-time artisan Christina Argonish suggests starting with scrap paper or inexpensive origami sheets and following simple online tutorials or diagrams. Patterns become more intuitive over time. Finished pieces can function as bookmarks, party decorations, or gift toppers.

Thrifting and upcycling. Setting a small budget at the thrift store, around five to ten dollars, and then transforming what you find with paint, hardware, or embellishment turns shopping into a creative practice. The hobby combines resourcefulness with design thinking and tends to get more interesting the more constraints you accept.

Puzzles. Puzzles offer a mental workout that is engaging without being demanding. They can be borrowed, swapped, or found secondhand, which keeps costs minimal while the enjoyment stays high. The accessibility of puzzles makes them easy to pick up and put down across different energy levels or seasons.
Tabletop games. Bridge, Mahjong, chess, poker, checkers: tabletop games engage the brain while keeping you socially connected, stimulating memory, strategy, and communication at once. Many libraries, bars, and cafés host free community game nights, which removes the need for your own equipment and adds the possibility of expanding your social circle.

Journaling and junk journaling. Standard journaling is one of the most accessible habits there is: paper and a pen. Junk journaling takes it further, incorporating ticket stubs, fabric scraps, magazine clippings, handwritten notes, and found materials into layered, tactile pages. “These are ideally all items you have found and already have,” said Argonish. The materials cost is essentially zero.

Pressed floral art. Flowers, leaves, and petals collected on walks can be pressed between book pages and dried over time, then mounted in frames, turned into greeting cards, or added to scrapbooks and journals. The supplies are minimal and the source material, as Argonish notes, tends to be abundant in the natural world just outside the door.

Learning a new language. Language learning is a long-term project that opens up other interests over time: literature, film, travel, conversation with people you would not otherwise be able to reach. Free apps, library resources, and online videos make it possible to practice consistently without classes or materials costs. A few less conventional entry points: learning the language your grandparents spoke, trying sign language, or tuning in to a foreign-language radio station.

Hiking. Hiking adapts easily to different energy levels, seasons, and moods. It can be solitary or social, structured or completely spontaneous. Local trails are an easy starting point, and Sierra Club’s local outings are a good way to find company. For those whose interest runs toward outdoor photography, gardening, or birding, starting your own group is another option.
Source: The Optimist Daily

Boomer's News Preview

It’s time for the Monday Morning Mystery, brought to you by Reynolds Market, where they've got a different Deal of the Day every day this week! Today: 8-piece Fried Chicken $7, today only at Reynolds! Today’s mystery song features the lead singer of one British band doing the background vocals on another British Band’s hit that would become a #1 song in 1985. What song ties together these hits? (Song hooks from Sting, Mark Knopfler, Dire Straits). The answer is next, on the Reynolds Market Monday Morning Mystery!

MONEY FOR NOTHING - DIRE STRAITS, #1 in 1985

If you've ever felt unwelcome while traveling, you're not alone. A new poll of European travel experts highlights destinations that tourists often describe as the world's rudest.

Topping the list is Paris, long known for its reputation of being less than warm toward visitors, especially those who don't speak French. Experts say many misunderstandings come down to language barriers and differing social customs.

Italy ranks second, with some tourists describing locals as impatient or unfriendly.

Germany is third on the list, though travelers often mistake Germans' direct communication style and lack of small talk for rudeness. South Korea was fourth on the list, with some visitors reporting feeling ignored or brushed off. New York City earned a spot for its famously blunt residents. And rounding out the list is Montenegro, where some travelers reported feeling unwelcome.

Tim's News You Can't Use 

Sherwin-Williams and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams have announced their 2027 color of the year! It's Celery SW 6421, which is a soft and cheery yellow-green color. The color's easy to decorate with, too. “It’s a beautiful pastel green that sits between a pastel and an herb tone,” color marketing manager at Sherwin-Williams, Ashley Banbury, explains. “It’s a glowy green that has this yellow undertone to it. It really feels fresh and uplifting.” Banbury also notes that the color is a "new tinted neutral" that can be paired with both cool and warmer tones, making it versatile for your home. 
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Ghostbusters News says a new Ghostbusters beer is set to debut on October 3rd. Ship Bottom Brewery is currently in the process of making a new IPA called Ecto Ghouler Run. The new beer will be available at the brewery's locations in Beach Haven, New Jersey and Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It is available for a limited time
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Fox News says Hormel has launched Spam Hot Honey, the brand’s first permanent new flavor in two years. The canned meat combines sweet and spicy flavors and joins a lineup of more than 10 Spam flavors
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Bleeding Cool says a new C4 energy drink tastes like light beer with a splash of orange. The flavor is called All Hopped Up. It contains zero alcohol. Each 16-ounce can has 200 milligrams of caffeine, vitamin B12, and zero sugar, fat, or artificial colors. A six-pack will cost $14.99.
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Dexerto says tech creator Tru Narla built a handheld compass for her fiancé. The gadget locks onto the nearest Taco Bell and counts down the remaining walking distance. Narla built the prototype with a  touchscreen, live GPS coordinates,  a 3D-printed case, an internal battery, a small speaker and a magnetometer to track direction. The device also includes a Taco Bell chime
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AOL says Toys “R” Us is planning to open 120 new standalone U.S. stores before the 2026 holiday season. That would increase its current number of standalone locations from 40 to 160.  The company has not released the full list of locations or opening dates.
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A Chinese entrepreneur has opened two unusual salons where customers pay to relax by having someone gently scratch their bodies. Thirty-two-year-old Zhang Xiaochao got the idea after watching a video of a woman scratching her husband's back and reading comments from people who said they would pay for the same treatment. Customers lie down while workers wearing pointed plastic fingernails gently scratch them, with an hour-long session costing about $41
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Sifting through hundreds of rolls of toilet paper, one Illinois police department has issued a warning following a recent uptick in pre-homecoming week vandalism. The Plainfield, Illinois, Police Department said on Monday and Tuesday, officers received multiple calls reporting homes and vehicles had been vandalized with toilet paper, eggs, ketchup, laundry detergent pods, and other items. Officials said 20 to 25 people were seen wearing hoodies and ski masks. They "pulled up simultaneously" near vehicles in an effort to create chaos, the department said. Authorities said due to the incidents, they intercepted 650 rolls of toilet paper that were intended to be used for the "activities."
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Arizona authorities say a man is facing charges after allegedly posing as a police officer and then calling the real police on himself. According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the suspect used red and blue emergency-style lights on his pickup truck to pull over a Tesla on Interstate 17 near Phoenix. He then called the real police to report he had made the stop. When troopers arrived, they determined the man had no law enforcement authority and arrested him for allegedly impersonating an officer. Investigators believe the same vehicle may have been involved in other traffic stops and are asking anyone with information to come forward. Officials also remind drivers who are unsure whether a traffic stop is legitimate to call 911 and head to a safe, well-lit location while complying with the stop. (Yahoo)
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The Charlotte Observer says a man with a lifetime ban from every Walmart was recently arrested while stealing from a Walmart in Locust, North Carolina.  Marcel Henderson was caught trying to conceal $1,900 worth of electronics. The merchandise consisted of video games with anti-shoplifting devices removed. Police already had active warrants for Henderson in four prior larceny cases. Henderson also had five active felony warrants.