Full tilt

The Who’s psychedelic rock opera Tommy turns 50 this year, along with a bunch of other classics from 1975. It was a feast for the eyes as much as Elton John’s version of Pinball Wizard was a feast for the ears.

As a kid who #grewupinthe70s, you may have fed your fair share of quarters into pinball machines, but it’s probably been a while since your last replay. Not Steve Young though—he’s built the world’s greatest collection of machines, parts, and schematics!

It might go on for miles and miles ;)

Americans can expect the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to finalize a rule this week to ban credit agencies from using a consumer’s medical debt to help determine the person’s credit score.

“People who get sick shouldn’t have their financial future upended,” said CFPB director, Rohit Chopra. “The CFPB’s final rule will close a special carveout that has allowed debt collectors to abuse the credit reporting system to coerce people into paying medical bills they may not even owe.”

The bureau proposed the rule last June and it would take effect roughly two months following its publishing in the Federal Register.

However, whether or not it’s actually allowed to take effect is another story. Several lawmakers have expressed concerns over the rule potentially obfuscating a person’s reliability when it comes to meeting debt obligations, and incoming president Donald Trump spoke about outright eliminating the CFPB during his campaign for the presidency.

Medical debt is among the most burdensome financial hurdles for millions of Americans to overcome. Across several states, cities, and counties, roughly $7 billion in medical debt held by over 3 million Americans is expected to be erased by funds from the American Rescue Plan over the next year.

After years of advocacy from distilleries, lobbyists, and whiskey enthusiasts, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) finally handed down a ruling deeming American single malt an official spirit category in the United States.

In order to be categorized as such, the whiskey must be mashed, distilled, and aged completely at a single American distillery at 160 proof or less, made with 100% malted barley, and bottled at no less than 80 proof.

The American Single Malt Whiskey Commission (ASMWC) has been the country’s biggest advocate for the official categorization.

“This is a landmark ruling by TTB and validation for years’ worth of work by American distillers to define American single malt,” ASMWC president Steve Hawley said in a press release.

“It has been over 52 years since a new type of whiskey was added to our federal regulations. We applaud TTB for formalizing the category which will signal to the world that not only do we believe in and support our own distilleries, but we also recognize that American Single Malt Whiskey is unique and deserves to be defined and protected as other American whiskey categories are.

“Most importantly, this new definition ensures that consumers worldwide can have every confidence that what they think is in a bottle of American Single Malt Whiskey actually is.”

Researchers at the University of Florida recently conducted a study looking into the potential relationship between the thickness of the heels inside a pair of running shoes and the likelihood of the person wearing them getting injured.

The hypothesis was driven by other studies that have suggested a shoe’s thickness could affect the way a person’s feet land while running (foot strike pattern), and that the thicker the shoe, the more likely an injury could be sustained.

Looking back at data from 700 runners who visited a medical clinic, the researchers determined that those who wore thicker-heeled shoes were indeed more likely to have suffered an injury while running or related to running in the last six months.

They determined those who ran in a front-first strike pattern (they landed each stride with the front of their foot) and were aware of it were the least likely to have suffered an injury. Those who ran in a rear-first strike pattern (they landed each stride with their heel) and didn’t know their strike pattern were most likely to get hurt, and were also most likely to incorrectly guess their strike pattern—particularly if they wore thicker-heeled shoes.

The Antarctic ice sheet sits on top of the Transantarctic Mountains, including the behemoth volcano known as Mount Erebus. However, there are over 100 smaller volcanoes across the continent as well, and the likelihood of them erupting appears to be growing as the ice continues to melt.

Planetary scientist A.N. Coonin and his team of researchers at Brown University published a paper documenting 4,000 simulations of what could happen as the ice melts further and the weight of the glaciers atop the mountains continues to shift.

According to that paper, the likelihood of the smaller volcanoes erupting is indeed growing, a pattern that matches what’s historically been observed all over the world for subglacial volcanoes.

Why is the likelihood increasing? Simply put, solid and stationary ice will press down on a volcano’s magma chamber walls, preventing or at least mitigating volcanic activity. When ice melts away and that pressure is released, the magma is allowed to expand, applying pressure from within that can only be relieved in one way.

Gene Simmons is extending his mini tour this year, adding 15 new dates to the four he announced late last year.

The God of Thunder enjoyed several successful shows last summer, and spoke about the ease with which he can just march his solo act into a town compared to bringing a massive arena KISS show around the world.

He also spoke to Guitar World last year explaining his love for the bass guitar and why he decided to take it up.

“When I was a kid I noticed that everybody wanted to be a guitar player, and I did initially learn to play a few chords,” he said. “But I picked up bass because there were fewer bass players, and it increased my chances of being in a band—which is what I really wanted.

“I was never really interested in being a bass virtuoso. I don’t like showoffs in music. I’m much more attracted to things that are memorable.”

The tour will begin Apr. 3 at Anaheim’s House of Blues and conclude at Houston’s House of Blues on May 24, ending the string of 19 shows that includes 18 across the United States and one at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Canada.

The Who’s Tommy is one heck of an album, but there’s an undisputed king when it comes to rock operas. Meatloaf’s Bat out of Hell isn’t just the best selling rock opera of all time, it’s one of the best selling albums of all time.

The album also features one of the greatest duets ever recorded. If you can see Paradise by the Dashboard Light, you’ll definitely be a fan of today’s trivia ;)

Have a great day ahead Staker!

Trivia courtesy of funtrivia.com. Today’s issue written by Michael Cowan, Joey Cowan, and Maureen Norman.