Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 3, 2017

Giraffe-watch 2017:

April the Giraffe STILL has not given birth. The Washington Postsays many on the internet had theorized the giraffe's pregnancy was an elaborate April Fools joke. But the staff at Animal Adventure Park in Upstate New York assures the world that April is "comfortable, confident and continues to keep her composure --better than the rest of us." And she is doing this with more than 150-thousand people watching April intently on a YouTube live stream ready to broadcast the birth. Park staff anticipate that the giraffe will go into labor at any moment. (Haven't they been saying that for two months now?)
If this baby giraffe it ever arrives, this will be April's fourth calf. Female giraffes, called cows, have an average gestation period of about 15 months, or 453 to 464 days. April is between 15 and 16 months pregnant, park officials said, so she is slightly overdue. Once in full labor, April could deliver in an hour or less.
Phone starter: Would you want 150-thousand or so watching your birth broadcast live on YouTube or Facebook Live around the world? And for goodness sake, why??? (Bartha)

Lowering expectations:

A new world record has been set for stopping electric fans with a human tongue.
Believe it or not, a "sideshow performer" named ZOE ELLIS broke her own world record for stopping the most electric fan blades using her tongue in one minute. Her previous record was for stopping a fan blade 20 times in 60 seconds. This time, Ellis beat herself by stopping the blades 32 times on the Italian TV show, "La Show Dei Record." Unfortunately for Ellis, another competitor named ASHRITA FURMAN beat that record a short time later when she used her tongue to halt 35 fans in a minute. (Still)
Editor's note: It's just a matter of time before we get a reality show like that here.

Grace notes from Vinny Marino:

Former JOURNEY lead singer STEVE PERRY will be there this Friday when the band gets inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's Class of 2017. Keyboard player JONATHAN CAIN told the Dayton Daily News that Steve will accept the award with the rest of the guys, but he probably won't perform. Jonathan said current singer, ARNEL PINEDA will (quote), "represent very well, like he always does." The induction ceremony happens Friday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. HBO will air the whole thing later this month. (Marino)