Tahoe Talk - 1/12/21

Here are some conversation starters from around the globe and within your local community to add to your social toolkit

Regional News:
- The Spanish capital of Madrid was still trying to get back on its feet Monday after a 50-year record snowfall that paralyzed large parts of central Spain and hampered the delivery of coronavirus vaccines. 20 inches and 11 degrees Fahrenheit. Video of massive snowball fight going viral. Even had measurable snow in Austin TX and Nashville, TN
- 2020 ties 2016 for the hottest year on record for Earth. The Earth is nearly 2 degrees Fahrenheit warmer now than it was in the 20th century as greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere continue to rise. 56.95 degrees Fahrenheit was the mark, which is 1.75 degrees above that 20th century average
- CES 2021: Monday, the 54th annual tech show kicks off virtually for the first time ever: home entertainment systems, connected fitness equipment, air purifiers are the most popular items to look for innovation BUT the biggest = Hologram technology inspired by "Star Wars" could bring "new dimension" to smartphones
- The anti-return policy: Walmart, Amazon and Chewy don't want your stuff back.  These online giants are starting to say “keep it,”…  They’ll refund you for that tight-fitting beanie — but they don't want it back. Why so nice? It's a price thing. Some returns are more expensive to process and ship than the products actually cost — especially cheap or heavy items. Companies use AI to do the math. Returns can cost companies $10 to $20, excluding transportation. So it makes more economic sense to just refund you for that $7 PopSocket
- Podcasts are as old as the 2004 iPod — the term is actually a mashup of "iPod" and "broadcast." But the Big Pod Boom came more recently: global monthly podcast listeners grew from 287M in 2016 to 1B+ in 2020 — and they're expected to hit 1.85B in 2023
- ViacomCBS Inc. said Monday it has reached a distribution agreement with Walt Disney Co. ’s Hulu that puts many of its most popular cable channels on the live-television video-streaming service. The deal adds 14 cable networks from ViacomCBS to Hulu’s live-TV option, including Comedy Central, MTV and children-friendly channel Nickelodeon. 
- Friday 1/15 = Nat’l Bagel Day!

Local News:
- Douglas Co. kicks off Tier 2 vaccinations and state of NV extends mitigation measures for another 30 days.
- $200k+ raised for Clean Up The Lake in effort to collect underwater trash in all 72 miles of shoreline in Tahoe
- Rock Tahoe half-marathon canceled for 2021, Tahoe BrewFest being postponed to mid-September
- Tahoe Chamber “GoLocal” campaign and Tahoe AleworX’s  “Feel Good Movement” blow away expectations with funds raised
- Prescribed burns resume in Tahoe basin with mild, warm weather in the forecast with little to no wind