January 22, 1969: William G. Milliken puts his hand on a borrowed bible at the State Capitol takes the oath of office as Michigan’s 44th governor. He promises “public order, social justice” and will focus on welfare improvements, educational reform and pollution control. The former Lieutenant Governor inherits a $50 million dollar budget deficit.

What we’re talking about:

Comedian Robert Klein is touring again. He came through our town on Sunday and was just as funny as he was when I first saw him in… 1974. We were looking around the venue and commenting on “how many old people are here”. Then I realized that this guy has been touring almost nonstop for 44 years. His material has evolved to suit his aging audience. But it still works.

Marie Kondo. The Netflix phenomenon is inspiring people to pick up stuff they don’t use “thank it and throw it away”. My wife is folding things differently & throwing stuff out. This is good!

Conan O’Brien is returning to TBS tonight with a new, shorter format and no live band. He’s podcasting too.

Why is it that we periodically hear from ex DJs who want to “get back in the business”? Just like the adage, “you can never go home again,” Old jobs are often like visiting your high school locker. They are not nearly as interesting as they once were. If you are thinking about a career change, Fred Jacobs’ advice is worth a listen.

Word is that the President is publishing altered photos of himself that make him look thinner and give him longer fingers. Be honest. If you have photoshop skills, have you ever “fixed” a photo of yourself? #Wrinkles #WhiteTeeth

It is said that “Marriage is essentially two people pushing down the top of the kitchen garbage so they don’t have to take it out.” Here’s a tool to facilitate more marital bliss in that space. Via Mashable.

Today in Tech:

The scariest search engine on the internet can tell you if your smart home devices can be seen by others. “While Google and other search engines index only the web, Shodan.io indexes pretty much everything else — web cams, water treatment facilities, yachts, medical devices, traffic lights, wind turbines, license plate readers, smart TVs, refrigerators, anything and everything you could possibly imagine that’s plugged into the internet (and often shouldn’t be).”

Do social media apologies work? We’re constantly reading about stars and companies who have offended the teeming masses, generating a viral storm of negative responses.  Here are 5 examples of corporate mea culpas that did.

Today in History:

Happy 130th birthday, CBS! The Columbia Phonograph Company was formed in Washington DC on this date in 1889. The record label eventually morphs into the multi faceted Columbia Broadcast System, better known today by its three letter short code. Here’s a video look at their radio and television logos from 1927 through 2018.

1949, The Chinatown telephone exchange officially closes. At its height, there were over 3,000 phone numbers associated with the exchange. The all-female staff had to memorize every one because it was considered impolite not to request a person by name when calling.

1965, A memory from Lyndon Johnson’s inaugural party. Can you name the stars in this photo? Looks like Ann Margaret, Johnny Carson and Barbara Streisand. Those were the days.

1970, The 1st commercial Boeing 747 flight takes place. Pan American World Airways flies from New York City to London in 6½ hours. The airline, which pioneered overseas travel, struggled to compete domestically and filed for bankruptcy protection on January 8, 1991.

1972, Don McLean‘s ‘American Pie‘ started a seven week run at No.1 in the US album chart. Here’s former WCFL DJ, Bob Dearborn’s analysis of the cryptic lyrics, both in written form and in an audio documentary.

1973, Roe vs Wade is decided by the US Supreme Court, legalizing most abortions. It’s been one of our most divisive issues ever since.