National Clean Off Your Desk Day

History 101: January 10th, 1776:  Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" was published on this date in 1776, calling for independence of the American colonies.

Music History 101:  January 10th, 1997: A famous Godfather unveiled his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – He was the Godfather of Soul: Mr. James Brown.

The 101 number one song of the day was pure kid-stuff…because it resulted in a huge charitable contribution to kids all over the world.   The group that did the song described themselves as “not very political” but one cause they were interested in was children. As one of the members of the group said, “children in need are the most defenseless people on Earth.” So when they were asked to participate in a music project sponsored by the United Nations organization UNICEF they immediately agreed. In fact, they promised to donate the royalties from their next single. That single entered the Hot 100 in November 1978 and by January 10th, 1979 it was the number one song in America – The Bee Gees and “Too Much Heaven.”

Other Stuff:

101 Gold Nugget of Knowledge: A Long Island town is lifting its worm permit requirement. The Depression-era law in Smithtown, New York, was to prevent out-of-towners from digging for fish bait. The town clerk said only a handful of the 50-cent permits are issued a year. It’s become a hassle for the clerk, so town officials now want to scrap it.

An orange alligator photographed in South Florida is raising questions about its bizarre color. Sylvia Mythen snapped the photo of the gator sunning beside a neighborhood canal in Venice. The picture ran on TV after she shot it Wednesday and caused a buzz. Experts with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission have scrutinized the photo and say the color is not genetic. They believe the gator was somehow covered in paint or an orange substance.  It looks pretty real:

A man cruising along I-95 in Connecticut could have been just another traveler – except that he was in an electric wheelchair, in the breakdown lane, while cars and trucks flew by just yards away. The mystery of the unidentified man in the cozy blue coat and sunglasses is leaving some folks laughing, including witnesses who videotaped his trip Thursday night off an exit in Fairfield. Connecticut State Police say troopers didn’t encounter the traveler, but would have warned him about vehicles that are – and aren’t – allowed on the highway.

Authorities in Montana say a man who had three outstanding warrants for his arrest gave officers a false name during a traffic stop, but ended up in custody anyway because the man was also wanted. Court records say that during a traffic stop last Monday in Great Falls, Jonothan Ray Gonzalez, of Box Elder, told police his name was Timothy Michael Koop Jr. The officer learned a man by that name was arrested in Hill County and arrested him. Police say a search of Gonzalez after his arrest turned up half a gram of meth in his jacket and he was charged with criminal possession of dangerous drugs.