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Garlic is an essential ingredient in many recipes, and many of them will call for "minced" garlic. There are a ton of ways to mince garlic, but they can all affect the taste. Serious Eats looked at (and tasted) the best.

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Teach kids smart money habits when they're young, and they'll likely make better financial decisions as adults. The words you use when talking about money can make a difference in how they learn about personal finance.

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WASHINGTON — Those of you who watch Animal Planet’s puppy cam will recognize Flacco.

In early January, this 3-month-old pit bull terrier mix and his littermates arrived at the Washington Animal Rescue League, where until recently, they entertained online viewers with their on-camera antics.

And last week, they participated in Uber’s “Puppies On Demand” event, visiting D.C.-area offices for play dates in return for donations to WARL.

Now, they’re ready for the rest of their lives to begin and will be made available for adoption on Feb. 2. Like his littermates, Flacco is energetic and playful; he especially enjoys a good game to tug.

He’s also smart and has already learned how to sit on command. He’s looking for a family that will continue to socialize and train him, perhaps by attending WARL’s Puppy K classes.

About WARL: Founded in 1914, the Washington Animal Rescue League is the oldest animal shelter in Washington D.C. Its mission includes rescuing, rehabilitating and finding homes for animals who have no where else to go. The League also supports animals through affordable veterinary care, community outreach and education. Learn more about the Washington Animal Rescue League at www.warl.org.

If you are thinking of adding a furry friend to your family, check out these other great shelters in the area.

 

Maryland

Humane Society of Charles County

(301) 645-8181

71 Industrial Park Dr. PO Box 1015 Waldorf, Md. 20604

Humane Society of Charles County offers a low cost spay/neuter program to the public. Please call or visit our website for more information. The shelter is also looking for more foster parents to help its animals.

Prince George’s County Humane Society
(301) 262-5625
P.O. Box 925 Bowie, Md. 20718

Prince George’s County Humane Society is also looking for foster parents. For more information, contact the organization.

PAW – Partnership for Animal Welfare
(301) 572-4729
P.O. Box 1074 Greenbelt, Md. 20768

Paws Animal Kingdom
(301) 920-2318
P.O. Box 11531 Takoma Park, Md. 20912

Montgomery County Humane Society
(240) 773-5960
14645 Rothgeb Dr. Rockville, Md. 20850

The Animal Welfare League of Montgomery County
(301) 740-2511
12 Park Ave. Gaithersburg, Md. 20877

D.C.

Washington Humane Society
(202) 576-6664
1201 New York Ave. NE 20002

ASAP – Alliance for Stray Animals and People
(202) 331-1330
P.O. Box 65438 Washington, D.C. 20035-5438

Metropolitan Guinea Pig Rescue
(202) 575-2210
Approved applicants may attend monthly adoption meets that are usually held at the house of a volunteer in either Northern Virginia or Southern Maryland.

Lucky Dog Animal Rescue
(202) 741-5428
Lucky Dog is a foster home organization and does not run a dedicated housing facility.

Northern Virginia

A Forever Home
(703) 961-8690
A Forever-Home is a non-profit dog rescue group that operates in the Northern Virginia/Washington Metropolitan area.

Lab Rescue of L.R.C.P.
(301) 299-6756
Lab Rescue of the LRCP is a volunteer driven, non-profit organization that rescues, fosters and places homeless, abused, and/or abandoned Labrador Retrievers.

FOHA – Friends of Homeless Animals
(703) 385-0224
All visitors must speak to a Friends representative prior to receiving directions to their shelter location.

SPCA of Northern Virginia
P.O. Box 100220 Arlington, Va. 22210-3220

Animal Welfare League of Alexandria
(703) 746-4774
4101 Eisenhower Ave. Alexandria, Va. 22304

Animal Welfare League of Arlington
(703) 931-9241
2650 S. Arlington Mill Dr. Arlington, Va.

Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation
(703) 295-3647
P.O. Box 223953 Chantilly, Va. 20153

HART – Homeless Animal Rescue Team
(703) 691-HART
P.O. Box 7261 Fairfax Station, Va. 22039-7261

King Street Cats Rescue and Adoption
(703) 231-7199
25 Dove St. Alexandria, Va. 22314

 

The post Pet of the Week: Flacco appeared first on WTOP.

ROCKVILLE, Md. (AP) — Montgomery County fire officials say they’ve discovered trouble using their radios in some portions of the Metro system, an issue that follows similar problems for District of Columbia firefighters, but Metro officials say the problem has since been fixed.

A memo sent Saturday by a fire official who oversees emergency communications and technology for the county says bi-monthly testing found that portions of the Metro system’s red line had “poor to non-existent” radio coverage. Battalion Chief Michael Baltrotsky wrote that the problem is in “segments of the below grade” red line system. That means firefighters will have “little to no radio coverage” in “tunnels and some below-grade stations,” he wrote.

Metro said Monday that the issue was isolated to portions of the Wheaton station and has been resolved.

The post Montgomery County firefighters discover Metro radio trouble appeared first on WTOP.

There are few things that scream mid-90s pre-teen more than the sugary taste of Dr. Pepper Lip Smacker lip gloss. Future generations may not have the chance to experience the rush of shiny sweetness as iconic youth cosmetic brand Bonne Bell is closing up shop and selling itself to a California company.

The Plain Dealer reports that Bonne Bell Co. is closing all manufacturing and distribution operations at a facility in Ohio after the company sold a significant portion of its business.

While the death of Bonne Bell no doubt makes the 10-year-old in all of us weep, the company isn’t exactly going away forever.

Aspire Brands, which owns the youth-based brands, has entered into an agreement in which California-based Markwins International – the owner of brands Wet ‘n Wild and Physicians Formula – will acquire the Bonne Bell and Lip Smacker brands.

It’s unclear just what Markwins plans to do with the celebrated Bonne Bell brands, but officials with the shuttering company appear to have high hopes.

“Markwins has a proven track record of creating excitement and bringing innovation to the cosmetic category,” Jess “Buddy” Bell, Jr., founder of Aspire Brands says in a statement. “They will bring the same excitement and innovation to the Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell brands. I am excited about the future of the Lip Smacker and Bonne Bell brands under Markwins ownership.”

For the sake of our future children and theirs, here’s to hoping that we’ll continue to see flavors like Red Raspberry, Candy Cane, Strawberry, Root Beer Float, Birthday Cake, and Dr. Pepper gracing the cosmetic shelves of the local drug store for years to come.

The Bonne Bell Co. is closing and employees will be laid off [The Plain Dealer]

WASHINGTON — Two young children were left alone in a car on Saturday afternoon while their parents attended a private wine tasting at a D.C. restaurant.

Gwen Crump with D.C. Metropolitan Police Department  says police received a call around 5:40 p.m. from someone who spotted the kids. Crump says the children are both under the age of 2 .

Police went into Ris, an upscale restaurant near Washington Circle at 23rd and L Streets in Northwest,  to arrest the couple.

Fox 5 reports the children were kept in a police car until they were picked up by the District’s Child and Family Services.

The parents are facing a charge of first degree cruelty to children.
DC News FOX 5 DC WTTG

 

The post Parents leave kids in the car during wine tasting appeared first on WTOP.

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WASHINGTON — Some of us dread it, others do it sporadically: We’re talking about grocery shopping. And while you probably have your store and your routine, there are ways WTOP can save you money.

Before you grab your bags and the cart, you’ll need your smartphone to save money with grocery apps. The Daily Finance reports certain apps make checkout quicker than handing over your coupon clippings.

For example, the app Favado promises to save you 70 percent by comparing prices across local stores and sending you notifications when your brands go on sale; the app Paprika stores recipes and creates meal plans to cut down on overbuying.

Check deals on Checkout 51 before you head to the store. Scan a picture of your receipt once you’ve paid and the rebates are automatically added to your account. Once you reach 20 bucks in rebates, you can request a payout check.

And if you really like the feel of scissors on newsprint, you’ll like Snip Snap. Take pictures of each of your paper coupons and the app converts it to a scanable barcode to present at checkout.

Here are some more free apps:

• Cell Fire saves deals from your loyalty card right to your phone, clipping the coupons for you. Have the cashier scan the barcode instead of pulling out your card.
• Coupon Sherpa adds new coupons daily and sends you reminders to use them while you’re in the store. It may mean taco night this week will be cheaper than next.
• Grocery iQ helps you build a shopping list based on typing in a search, scanning a barcode or entering in a voice command. Arrange your list based on how you wind your way through the store.
• MySupermarket compares prices between your grocery stores based on their sales and sends you notifications and suggestions to save.

See the full list here. 

The post WTOP Saves You Money at the grocery store appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — Two employees with D.C. Fire and EMS are facing felony fraud charges after allegedly bilking taxpayers out of thousands of dollars, according to court documents obtained by ABC7.

The two cases are separate, but similar.

One of the employees is fire inspector Kimberly Pinkney, 45, who has been with the department for 26 years.

Pinkney is accused of abusing a work credit card, using it to purchase $11,334 worth of gas for her personal car over a period of more than three years, ABC7 reports.

The other employee, Terrell McCray, is charged with the same crime.

According to ABC7, 31-year old McCray allegedly used his work credit card for $2,637 worth of illegal fuel purchases in just three months.

Prosecutors say McCray not only filled up his own car, but he also sold gas to friends and acquaintances, ABC7 reports.

Both Pinkney and McCray have been placed on leave.

Follow @WTOP on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

The post Gas card scandal: D.C. workers charged with filling up on taxpayer dime appeared first on WTOP.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — The state Senate has voted to prohibit adoption of the national Common Core curriculum standards in Virginia public schools without prior approval from the General Assembly.

Sen. Richard Black’s measure passed the Republican-controlled chamber Friday on a largely party-line 21-17 vote. It now goes to the House of Delegates.

Black, a Loudoun County Republican, said there is widespread opposition to the national standards, ranging from conservatives and libertarians to teachers unions.

Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration opposed Black’s bill, calling it unnecessary because the state has no plans to adopt the Common Core standards.

The standards have been adopted by 43 states.

The post Va. Senate votes to ban adoption of Common Core standards appeared first on WTOP.

This is a sponsored post by veterinarian Elizabeth Arguelles, owner of Just Cats Clinic at Lake Anne Plaza. She writes weekly on Reston Now.

Though relatively new to the West, traditional Chinese treatments such as acupuncture have been used to improve the health of humans and animals in the Far East for thousands of years. At Just Cats Clinic we are very excited to announce that one of our full time veterinarians will be starting the Chi Institute’s program to become certified in veterinary acupuncture.

What is “traditional Chinese medicine?”

Traditional Chinese medicine is based on Daoist philosophy, which sees the body as a microcosm of the larger universe around it. As such, practitioners believe that the forces and laws that govern the external environment also regulate the body’s inner workings.

Diseases are the result of imbalances inside the body, and diagnosing them requires identifying the underlying pattern of said imbalances. Because the body is an interconnected system of functions, a disease and the disharmony that causes it have to be treated together. This is the reason why the term “holistic” is often used in reference to traditional Chinese medicine.

There are four branches of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine: herbal medicine, food therapy, Tui-na (a type of massage) and acupuncture. The practice of using Chinese herbal medicine can treat a variety of diseases and most herbs can be compounded in easy to administer forms.

Food therapy tailors diet and food ingredients based on each patient’s need to prevent imbalance with in the body. Tui-na, a form of Chinese medical massage, targets different acupoints in the body to promote circulation and correct imbalances. Acupuncture stimulates the healing process by using tiny needles to normalize nerve functions and circulation. The needles are inserted into different acupoints on your cat’s body, depending on which particular ailment is being treated.

 Needles?!?!?!

Though the thought of sticking needles into your feline friend may send shivers down your spine, acupuncture is actually a painless experience for your kitty. When a properly trained acupuncturist inserts the needles, they do so in such a way that no pain signals are sent to your cat’s brain. As a result, the process is so relaxing that your cat may even fall asleep during the treatment.

How can acupuncture help your cat?

Used in conjunction with existing Western treatments, acupuncture can be a great, non-invasive way to improve the health of cats suffering from long-term pain, arthritis, asthma, allergies chronic kidney disease and a host of other ailments.

It can also ease the discomfort associated with the side effects of radiation and chemotherapy in felines undergoing cancer treatments. In addition, acupuncture can relieve the pain and stiffness that older cats often feel, increasing their quality of life, boosting their energy levels and hopefully adding years to their lives.

When looking for a veterinary acupuncturist, always make sure they are a licensed veterinarian and that they have had formal training in veterinary acupuncture. While acupuncture is incredibly safe, it must be done by a practitioner that has completed training to ensure its being done correctly.

One of the most recognized programs for acupuncture is the Chi Institute of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine. It involves a rigorous program with hands on training with certified acupuncturists, class room hours with small student to teacher ratio, and an examination process. The Chi Institute is also endorsed by the China National Society of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine.

The post Beyond 9 Lives: Chinese Medicine Can Help Pets Too appeared first on WTOP.

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Legislation advancing in the Virginia Senate would prohibit releasing lighter-than-air balloons into the atmosphere.

The measure’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Jeff McWaters of Virginia Beach, says balloons are fouling the state’s beaches and can be deadly to wildlife.

His bill would ban the intentional release of balloons that are inflated with helium or another lighter-than-air gas and require more than five minutes’ contact with air or water to degrade.

Violations would carry a civil penalty of $5 per balloon, with proceeds going into the Litter Control and Recycling Fund.

The measure would supersede an existing law that bans release of 50 or more balloons in a one-hour period.

McWaters’ bill cleared the Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee on a 9-6 vote Thursday and is headed to the full Senate.

The post Virginia may ban releasing balloons into the atmosphere appeared first on WTOP.

WASHINGTON — The Fairfax County Animal Shelter is hoping to find the owners of a very special Sheltie who was recently brought in.

“This little girl is the smallest Sheltie we’ve ever seen,” reads a post on the shelter’s Facebook page. “She’s barely bigger than a large cat!”

The shelter says the dog has been on the run for six months in the Lorton area and was brought to safety earlier this week by an animal control officer.

The shelter is hoping to find the dog’s owners. But if they don’t, they’ll put the dog up for adoption next week.

Here she is falling asleep:

The post Tiny Sheltie needs a home appeared first on WTOP.

We all kind of know that credit card data isn’t terribly secure, and that the payment information is likely to get swiped eventually. But that information is all theoretically anonymous. Without a name, address, or ZIP code attached, our credit card information doesn’t say much about us personally, right? Wrong.

A study released by researchers at MIT this week shows just how easy to spot almost all of us our just by our spending, the AP reports.

The research team wanted to know: how much “anonymized” data would it take to identify you? If your ZIP code and name and all other identifying information are stripped away, how many records does someone need to figure out who you are?

The answer is: four. At most. Three, if at least one price is included.

That’s all it takes to pick you out of a crowd with over 90% accuracy, the research team found.

Any three or four transactions can give you away, and it doesn’t have to be anything fancy like air travel. Kleenex, coffee, and a sandwich? If the researchers could see the price for any one of those items, they could figure out who it was doing the spending.

The researchers looked at transaction information from 10,000 retailers (not in the U.S.), with each piece of data time-stamped. They were then able basically to reverse engineer identities from spending:

As an example, the researchers wrote about looking at data from September 23 and 24 and who went to a bakery one day and a restaurant the other. Searching through the data set, they found there could be only person who fits the bill – they called him Scott. The study said, “and we now know all of his other transactions, such as the fact that he went shopping for shoes and groceries on 23 September, and how much he spent.”

The study also found that it was easier to identify women than men by their spending alone, though did not determine why that is.

The complete lack of anonymity in “anonymized” data is a major area of concern for privacy experts and even the FTC. The ability for “non personally identifiable” data to in fact personally identify basically everyone is, at best, a hazard to privacy and, at worst, downright menacing. If you buy things less innocuous than a muffin — like medical supplies — you probably don’t want every company in the world able to follow your digital breadcrumbs and figure out who you are.

‘Anonymized’ credit card data not so anonymous, study shows [Associated Press]

A new federal lawsuit filed today claims that Costco and the managers of a Long Island store violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York State Human Rights laws by allegedly allowing managers and staff to taunt a fellow employee about his Tourette’s Syndrome, to the point where the man had to be hospitalized.

The New York Post reports the 38-year-old man, who has worked as a greeter at the store since he was 19, filed the lawsuit this week in a U.S. District Court, claiming that he was subjected to a hostile environment because of his disability.

According to the lawsuit, when new management took over at the Costco store in 2103, they disregarded the company’s Code of Ethics and systematically targeted, discriminated against and physically endangered the man.

“Appallingly, instead of ‘taking care’ of [the plaintiff], Costco subjected him to the same discrimination and stigmatism he has fought against his entire life,” the suit states. “For nearly the past two years, [the plaintiff] has endured unabated harassment, scrutiny, and ridicule so severe that it sent Plaintiff’s disabilities into a tailspin, and resulted in [the man’s] most recent hospitalization.”

The man alleges that when the new managers were hired, they immediately made it known that they did not like the man.

At times one manager allegedly told the employee, “I cringe every time I walk by you.”

The man claims in the lawsuit that the managers refused to allow him to take required medication and “maliciously stood by as Costco employees verbally assaulted [the man] with tasteless comments such as ‘hut-hut-hike,’ a jibe meant to mock the man’s uncontrollable grunts.”

In addition to being taunted by managers and employees, the man claims he was reprimanded for complimenting customers and was transferred from his position as a greeter to a cashier’s assistant position.

Managers told the man they believed the new position would keep the man so busy that he would not be able to interact with customers.

“Clearly, Defendant shamefully wished to hide Plaintiff away from its patrons on the basis of Plaintiff’s disabilities and their attendant symptoms,” the suit states.

According to the lawsuit, the man attempted to bring the issues to the attention of Costco’s CEO, but the efforts made no difference.

The issues culminated one day in November, when according to the lawsuit, the man hit his breaking point and suffered a debilitating panic attack while at work. He had to be taken from work in an ambulance, and is currently on leave for work-related stress.

“This episode was directly spurred on by the increased stress and anxiety [the plaintiff] experienced as a result of his maltreatment at Costco,” the suit states. “To date, the Plaintiff continues to recover from his attack.”

The man is seeking compensatory, emotional, psychological and punitive damages, lost compensation, front and back pay, injunctive relief and other damages for the alleged treatment and violations.

In its latest effort porving that McDonald’s is going to cling to this Lovin’ thing and never, ever let it go, the fast-food chain has a new Super Bowl ad promising to reward touchy-feely customers with free food, in exchange for selfies, hugs, high fives and anything else the company deems to be in line with Lovin’.

While it’s unclear how many hugs McDonald’s had to pay for its 30-second $4.5 million spot, the company says it’ll be accepting hugs and photos of people in return for food, during pre-selected times between Feb. 2 and 14.

“From selfies, hugs to high fives – we have a bunch of fun ways to express your Lovin’,” McDonald’s says, showing people embracing each other in front of the cashier or calling

Customers will be chosen randomly by McDonald’s employees to “Pay with Lovin’,” a spokeswoman tells ABC News.

“We want to thank our customers for making our day and hopefully they will make someone else’s as well – that’s what Lovin’ is all about,” she said.

Not much lovin’ was reserved for Mickey D’s CEO Don Thompson, who announced this week he’s stepping down March 1 after three years on the job. CEO Steve Esterbook has moved into the role, but it’s unclear how many high fives he accepted in his salary package. Certainly more of those than selfies. Who wants a selfie anyway? No one but yourself, hence the name.

You can watch the ad below if you’re into that kind of thing. My favorite is the grumpy guy who’s all, “Why don’t you just tell me how much I owe you?”

Once upon a time, Frank Eliason was better known Comcast Frank, heading up the cable company’s Digital Care team during a time when people began to realize that complaining on the Internet could get results. He left Comcast in 2010 to take his social media and customer service skills to Citigroup, but his legacy of giving a damn about customers remains. So after months of seeing Comcast make one huge goof after another, Frank apparently felt compelled to pen an open letter to his former employer with some good advice.

“I have had the privilege of working for the company,” Eliason writes in a lengthy post on LinkedIn, “and I consider many who work there to truly be family, but today I have to say I am disappointed.”

Though we take issue with his assertion that Comcast customer service complaints had quieted in recent years — we can testify that they have not — we agree that the last year has been one disaster after another for the company.

There was the Aug. 2014 incident in which a desperate Comcast retention specialist desperately demanded that writer Ryan Block provide a reason for canceling his service.

Comcast apologized profusely for that incident an insisted that this wasn’t how employees were trained, though employees told us differently, and an in-house Comcast memo acknowledged that the employee was doing “what we trained him to do.”

“I have no doubt that the corporate office did not realize that employees were trained this way,” writes Eliason, “but I am confident that the customer service representative was doing what he was taught — up-selling, or retaining, rather than risking the loss of a subscriber. In any job we strive to perform according to how we’re measured. And for most companies, employees in a retention department are measured on the number of customers they save from closing an account.”

The Ryan Block call was followed by other high-profile customer service disasters like this one, and this one, and this one — and let’s not forget about the customer who was fired from his job at a Comcast vendor after complaining about thousands of dollars in overcharges for service and equipment.

And 2015 has not gotten off to a great start, with the most recent cock-up — the customer whose name was changed to “A**hole Brown” by someone at Comcast.

“From what I have seen, Comcast has been handling this in the best manner you can expect,” writes Eliason. “They have offered the Customer credits for multiple years of service and they have privately and publicly apologized.”

He says he agrees with Comcast Senior VP Charlie Herrin, who wrote in response to the incident that “we need to show them respect, patience, and enthusiasm to provide them with an excellent experience.”

But Eliason questions what it is about the employee culture at Comcast that is still allowing for these sorts of gaffes to occur.

“How can this happen today?” he asks. “Why do we not hear many incidents like these from other companies? Companies do implement technology solutions to prevent these type of things, which Comcast has stated they are working on, but often other companies do not have the same issue because they hire people to fit within their company culture.”

Because human customer service is a huge expense for businesses and doesn’t directly generate revenue, companies have both been trying to automate the process, removing humans from the equation whenever possible. And for those times when you must use actual people, businesses are more frequently going the cheapest possible route while also turning frontline customer service reps into de facto salespeople, argues Eliason.

“Call centers tried to shift to become sales centers,” he explains. “This is why any time a customer calls, they’re pitched everything under the sun instead of actually helping you with the reason why you called in the first place. We have been in a age of outsourcing, and finding the cheapest means possible to provide customer service. Comcast has become the poster child for this shift in company thinking.”

Eliason believes there is something wrong with the inside culture at Comcast that allows bad behavior to persist.

“The reason you tend not to hear about incidents like this from other companies is because people within the company would be horrified if they heard of such a thing, and they can easily escalate the situation to higher levels,” he writes. “How would you react if you worked for a company and a customer pointed out that the company changed a customer’s name to a–hole? I personally would hit the roof.”

But as happened in the A**hole Brown story, the customer claims she appealed to both the local Comcast office and the regional office to no avail. It wasn’t until she reached out to journalist Christopher Elliott that she finally got anyone to care.

“In my view it should have been able to be handled by those in the store,” contends Eliason. “They should have had the ability to escalate the situation to the senior leaders who could find a reasonable solution to a very unreasonable situation.

“I am sure Comcast will be reviewing the entire situation,” he continues, “and I hope they not only look into why the first person thought this was okay to do, or that they could get away with it (although they may have intended to go out in style too), but why others were not completely horrified by it and yelling from the rooftops for all leaders to hear? This is where culture comes into play and it should not have taken public shame to do the right thing.”

Eliason concludes his post with some actionable advice on what Comcast could do to improve its customer service and minimize the likelihood of high-profile errors:

1) Hire a Chief Customer Officer to represent the views of the Customer in everything the company does…

2) Simplify pricing strategies instead of forcing people to threaten to cancel service just to get a better rate. Stop creating situations where customers have to fight with you.

3) Review current customer service staffing and consider moving roles back to the US (please note, in my view and experience this incident was most likely done by someone in the US), where at least the service personnel can relate to what it is like to being a Comcast Customer.

4) Actions speak louder than words, so no more apologizing, but instead doing.

5) Live up to being the Philadelphian that you already are. We will support you, but you need to support us too. Treat us in the same manner you would want to be treated.

While these are all valid points, what Eliason — who supports Comcast’s pending acquisition of Time Warner Cable — glosses over is one of the main reasons that people hate their cable and broadband providers so much: lack of choice.

It’s one thing to get bad service from a company. It’s another when you have no other option for that service. Even those who get their pay-TV service from satellite or who don’t watch TV at all still rely on cable companies for broadband.

Imagine being publicly an “A**hole” by your supermarket and then having to go back to that same supermarket because you’re simply not allowed to shop elsewhere. Then you’ll understand why consumers hate Comcast and the few remaining cable companies out there.

Inside NoVA

UPDATED: German shepherd alerts Nokesville family to raging fire Inside NoVA Captain Jack, a 4-year-old long-haired German shepherd, alerted his family to a garage fire in Nokesville early Monday morning. garagefire.jpg. Nokesville Volunteer Fire Department. garagefire.jpg. A garage fire left $150,000 damages to property on ...

People aren’t buying as much canned soup as they used to. Whether it’s because meals with a cream of mushroom base have gone out of style or people have left for other brands, Campbell’s canned soups aren’t selling like they used to. That’s why Campbell Soup Company is reorganizing its business to focus on lines of food other than soup.

Instead of organizing itself by geographic regions or by brand, the company will organize itself according to food type. Campbell owns some brands that you might not have associated with the company, like Bolthouse Farm vegetables, Pepperidge Farm, Plum Organics baby food, Prego pasta sauce, Spaghetti-Os, and V8. The company will now organize itself into divisions in charge of packaged meals and beverages, cookies and snacks, and fresh packaged produce.

It’s not that people aren’t eating soup, but Americans are switching to store brands or to smaller gourmet or organic brands of packaged soup. Campbell’s has tried to compete with other brands, but an attempt to reach young foodies with $3 plastic pouches of soup that isn’t organic, gluten-free, or vegan didn’t really succeed.

Campbell Soup to reorganize, shift focus from soup business [Reuters]

Unlike many of my friends, I enjoy assembling IKEA furniture — to a point. I have been known to utter a few Scandinavian profanities after a few days of shredding my fingers with an allen wrench. Now a video game will apparently allow me to enjoy that unique thrill of putting together a nonsense-named end table without enduring any physical or spiritual injuries.

Höme Improvisåtion is a free game for both Windows and Mac that puts you in a living room with some decidedly IKEA-like furniture that is missing one key component — IKEA’s all-but-wordless assembly guides.

And you’re not only stuck having to sort out the pieces sans instructions. Once you’ve put a peg into what you hope is its associated hole, it’s stuck. At least with real IKEA furniture, you can usually work your way backward when you make an assembly error.

All the pegs fit into all the holes, which means you can create whatever furniture Frankenstein you want from the pieces available.

The game also offers a multiplayer experience that is supposed to aid in your faux-IKEA constructions, but which we predict will only end in dissolved friendships.

“Or labor alone and descend into madness,” the above preview video suggests.

[via CNET]

California has taken a stance in the debate over electronic cigarettes, and it is coming down squarely on the side that says e-cigarettes are potentially harmful. In a new report released this week by the California Department of Public Health, officials declare e-cigarettes as a threat to public health.

The report wants lawmakers to regulate e-cigs just like traditional cigarettes, reports the Wall Street Journal, with the state planning to launch a campaign in California warning residents about health risks associated with e-cigarettes.

“We really, really believe strongly people of California need to know what is in e-cigarettes and the harm that they can cause,” Dr. Ron Chapman, state health officer and director, California Department of Public Health told the WSJ. He points to studies that show e-cigarettes release a mix of more than 10 toxic chemicals that can cause cancer, such as benzene and acetaldehyde.

Thus far, California is the biggest state to take such a stance against e-cigarettes, with Alaska as the only other state with a public-education campaign warning about their dangers.

The report came out this week in response to what Dr. Chapman says is the growing profile of e-cigarettes, and what he calls misinformation about their safety.

In California, the number of stores peddling e-cigs quadrupled between 2011 and 2013 and now includes more than 7,000 retailers. It also pointed to rising use among the younger set, saying it could help to addict future generations to nicotine. Citing a state survey of 430,000 middle and high school students in 2013, it points out that 6.3% of seventh-graders, 12.4% of ninth-graders and 14.3% of 11th graders had used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days.

Tasty flavors like cotton candy and no restrictions on how companies market those products are bringing more kids in to vaping, Dr. Chapman said, calling it a “wake-up call.”

He did say that while e-cigarettes aren’t as harmful as traditional cigarettes, they’re “not harmless.”

“The reality is with many of these chemicals such as benzene and acetaldehyde there’s no level that’s safe,” he said.

Advocates of e-cigarettes have come out swinging against the report, saying it contains false claims that could confuse people, and perhaps stop people from switching to e-cigarettes from traditional cigarettes.

“They’re grossly misrepresenting the safety profile of e-cigarettes. It’s really disappointing,” Julie Woessner, executive director of Consumer Advocates for Smokefree Alternatives told the WSJ. “It’s going to have the impact of discouraging people from making the switch from smoking, and it’s going to cost lives.”

Back in October, U.S. senators urged the Food and Drug Administration to hurry up and finalize months-old e-cigarette regulations it’s been promising since April 2014.

California Declares Electronic Cigarettes a Health Threat [Wall Street Journal]

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) — Southern Living magazine is constructing its 2015 Idea House in central Virginia.

The 4,500-square-foot house south of Charlottesville in Albemarle County will be featured in the magazine’s August issue.

The modern interpretation of a classic Virginia farmhouse will be clad in stone with a metal roof. It is being built at Bundoran Farm, a preservation development.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/1CCeCsW ) that the fully decorated house will open to the public June 27 until December and is expected to draw 20,000 visitors.

The Idea House program brings together teams to build and renovate houses with the goal of providing ideas and inspiration for building and updating homes.

It’s the first time the magazine is choosing Virginia for the home in at least five years.

___

Information from: Richmond Times-Dispatch, http://www.timesdispatch.com

The post Southern Living chooses Virginia for this year’s Idea House appeared first on WTOP.

Prince William County crime report Washington Post These were among incidents reported by Prince William County police. For information, call 703-792-7245. BRISTOW AREA. THEFTS/BREAK-INS. Linton Hall Rd., 8600 block, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 20. Cash and jewelry were stolen from a residence ... and more »

Fairfax County Animal Watch Washington Post No incidents were reported by the Animal Control Division of the Fairfax County Police Department. For information, call 703-246-2253. The following incidents were reported by the animal control section of the Fairfax City Police Department. For ...

If you think people don’t take maple syrup seriously, clearly you have never been to Vermont. While that state already switched up its grading system for the sweet stuff, the rest of the country is set to change as well with new categories introduced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture this week.

To make sure the country is in line with the international standards, the USDA announced that it’s doing away with the system of Grade A, U.S. Grade B for Processing labels and instead, add descriptive terms within Grade A and allow some darker syrups previously in Grade B to fall inside A’s purview as well, reports the Associated Press.

These are voluntary standards designed to match those used by other countries, in the hopes that consumers will have a better understanding of exactly what they’re buying, the USDA says. It’s in response to a 2010 petition from the International Maple Syrup Institute, which consists of producers in both the U.S. and Canada.

“The hope is that it will help producers, too, because it will make it easier for them to market their syrup … not only domestically but internationally,” said Charles Parrott, deputy administrator of the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service Fruit and Vegetable Program.

Some dark syrups with bold flavor had fallen under Grade B for reprocessing, and not intended for retail sale. There is more demand these days for dark syrup, however, for cooking and table use.

The new Grade A will now include: golden color and delicate taste, amber color and rich taste, dark color and robust taste, and very dark and strong taste.

A new “Processing Grade” will apply to syrup that isn’t intended to be sold in retail markets but can be used to make other products.

In the meantime, I would now like to eat all of the pancakes and waffles I can get my hands on.

USDA revises maple syrup grading with descriptive terms [Associated Press]

Valentine’s Day is generally a time when you share your love and admiration for your beloved by shelling out an absurd amount of money for flowers, chocolates and dinner. What the day usually fails to recognize is people’s disdain for their ex-significant others. Alas, the San Francisco Zoo feels your pain and is offering scorned partners the chance to feel better by adopting a gross, ugly, scary animal in the name of their exes.

(Warning: Ugly pics of fake bugs are contained below)

Mashable reports that for a small price consumers can show their contempt for past lovers by adopting a decidedly unloving hissing cockroach or scorpion from the San Francisco Zoo’s Adopt-An-Animal program.

According to the Zoo, the purchase of either the Hairy Scorpion or Hissing Cockroach will not only allow you to show your true feelings, it purportedly gives you protection from falling for undesirable partners in the future.

“Nothing says ‘I’ve moved on’ like adopting a giant cuddly cockroach in the name of your favorite ex,” the Zoo’s website says of the not-so-sweet gifts. “This Valentine’s Day, if you care enough to send the very best, you’ll choose our charming Madagascar Hissing Cockroach package.”

If a hissing cockroach isn’t quite the right fit for your ex, then you may want to consider the biting sting of the Zoo’s Giant Hairy Scorpion package.

“So the latest affair didn’t work out and given your ex’s record-breaking ability to move on, you suspect foul play,” the Zoo says. “Well, nothing soothes the sting like the adoption of a giant hairy scorpion in honor of your former beloved… Much like your low-life ex, they are usually found in and around low-elevation valleys where they dig elaborate burrows or caves. Also just like you-know-who, when a suitable victim wanders by, the scorpion grabs the doomed creature with its pinchers and stings the prey.”

Lovelorn consumers can choose from a variety of adoption levels ranging from $25 to $1,000. All proceeds from the Valentine’s Day adoptions will benefit the Zoological Society.

While the packages don’t actually include live scorpions or cockroaches, consumers can show their exes they were on their mind by displaying a certificate of adoption for the animal.

Jilted sweethearts will also receive either a stuffed-toy scorpion or a heart-shaped box of plastic cockroaches, which are less critter-y than the actual animals, but no less scary.

For those consumers in a loving, happy relationship the Zoo isn’t counting you out. They also offer adoptions of cute, friendly animals like pandas, leopards and penguins.

Terrorize your exes on Valentine’s Day by adopting a cockroach in their name [Mashable]

Door latches and seatbelts are two elements of a car that you don’t exactly want to have fail in the event of an accident. That’s why Ford issued two safety recalls covering more than 221,000 vehicles today.

Ford announced the recalls after learning that a door could fly open in the event of a crash and that seatbelts in some vans might not tighten properly.

The first recall centers on 205,000 model year 2010 to 2013 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Ford Police Interceptor sedans that may contain an issue in the interior door handles.

Officials with Ford say a problem with the spring that controls the interior door may result in the door becoming unlatched in a side-impact crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Dealers will inspect all four interior door handles and repair or replace the handles as necessary.

The second recall covers 16,100 model year 2014 Ford Transit Connect vans that may have seatbelt fasteners that do not tighten properly.

Officials with For say the fasteners do not meet installation specifications and may loosen over time, which could cause them to not function as intended, increasing the risk of an injury.

Owners of the affected vehicles will be notified by Ford and dealers will replace and properly tighten the safety belt fasteners.

Ford says it is unaware of any accidents or injuries related to the two recalls.

Ford Issues Two Safety Recalls [Ford]

WASHINGTON — Want to play with a puppy without the long-term obligation? The Washington Animal Rescue League is teaming up with Uber and Animal Planet to deliver dogs to your doorstep for a good cause Wednesday.

For $30, D.C.-area residents can order a dog for 15-minute increments between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday. If it seems steep for some puppy one-on-one playtime, it’s going to a good cause: every dollar is donated directly to the Washington Animal Rescue League, a non-profit animal shelter located in Northwest D.C.

An added bonus: each dog is available for adoption.

“This promotion really raises adoption awareness for these wonderful animals ready to find their forever homes,” WARL CEO Bob Ramin said in a news release.

The canine convene comes days before Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl XI — the annual TV program where puppies adorably rumble. The show airs opposite the Super Bowl.

To get in on the puppy delivery, open the Uber app between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and request the “DCpuppies” option in the app.

There’s more to gain than time with a furry companion. Participants will receive a “Puppy Bowl gift pack,” too.

Also, all participants are encouraged to share their pictures of the experience using #UberPuppyBowl.

Editor’s Note: WARL and WTOP are partners for the Pet of the Week segment where adoptable pets are showcased.

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

The post WARL, Uber team up to deliver puppies around D.C. appeared first on WTOP.

This week’s Reston Pet of the Week is from another proud, local pet owner, which means he is not available for adoption.

Meet gentle giant Paco. Here is what owner Amy has to say about him:

As funny as it sounds, Paco adopted our family several years ago. After staying at our house while his original owner was gone, he fit seamlessly into our large household. Most importantly, his sister Kenya, a Rhodesian Ridgeback loved his company. When his owner was unable to take care of him, we were thrilled to welcome him permanently to the family.

Paco is more than we could have asked for.  His freckled pink nose, floppy ears, and lap-dog mentality are hard to beat. Whether barreling though the house with his slimy ball, or attempting to share a chair with someone — thinking he is much smaller than he actually is — he is a great supply of laughter and joy in our lives.  His pastimes include swimming in the lake, playing fetch and rolling in the mud. However on cold days, he enjoys cuddling near the fire with his humans.

Paco has been a great addition to our family and is the perfect example that pit pulls can in fact be loving and sweet family members too.

Want your pet to be considered for the Reston Pet of the Week?

Email news@Restonnow.com with a 2-3 paragraph bio and at least 3-4 horizontally-oriented photos of your pet.

Each week’s winner receives a sample of dog or cat treats from our sponsor, Becky’s Pet Care, along with $100 in Becky’s Bucks. Becky’s Pet Care, the winner of three Angie’s List Super Service Awards and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters’ 2013 Business of the Year, provides professional dog walking and pet sitting services in Reston and Northern Virginia.

The post Reston Pet of the Week: Paco appeared first on WTOP.

Fairfax County adopt a pet Washington Post Chuckie, left, a spayed 11-year-old domestic shorthair , is available from the Fairfax County Animal Shelter. Gail, a playful and sweet cat, is available from the Humane Society of Fairfax County. Chrissy, a spayed and approximately 2-year-old cat, is ... and more »