Roll-based toilet paper dispensing has been around since 1883 and, we're presuming, so has the argument about whether it should hang over or under. Now, we want to hear your opinion. And make it count, because we'll be posting a follow-up article next week with the best arguments on both sides.
    
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In the past we've noted that getting started is everything, but that only works if you have a place to start. Sometimes you've formulated a plan or can put one together with ease, but many projects seem enormous and intimidating with no obvious place to begin. That's when you need to tinker.
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First dates are tough. You're trying to make a good impression on someone, but you're also trying to read the person you're with and see if they're worth your time. Dating may not be an exact science, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use a little science to our advantage during that first interaction. Here's what you need to know.
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When it comes to making financial progress, we can all agree that saving for the future is a critical part of the equation. But how much are you supposed to be socking away exactly?
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Dark leafy greens like kale, collard greens, and mustard greens are good for you, but before you cook them you have to take out the woody stem in the center of each leaf. You could do it the old fashioned way—by hand tearing them from the stem, or you can use this quick tip from America's Test Kitchen to do it faster.
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There are times when a flight can be stressful. Crying babies, kids kicking seat, your fellow passenger keeps drooling on your shoulder. And then there are the times when someone won’t stop screaming at the top of her lungs while the plane is landing. In this case, a woman on a flight to Tampa gets extremely loud. And that’s putting it simply.
Since the video was uploaded to YouTube on Wednesday it’s had more than 100,000 views. The person who uploaded it appears to be sitting in the same row filming and narrating, while the woman repeatedly yells “God, you’re my savior!”
He says it began when she asked the rest of her fellow passengers to pray for her recently deceased mother, and it apparently escalated from there.
Meanwhile her seatmate appears to be trying to calm her down, to no avail. She quiets finally, once the plane has landed and appears to be taxiing to a stop.
We haven’t seen any reports of passengers getting arrested or other actions taken for a disturbance, but the narrator did say the flight attendant asked him to make sure the woman didn’t approach the back door.
All’s well that ends well, right? We hope wherever she is now, things have calmed down and she’s doing better.
Sometimes all you want is a nice, quiet meal — but perhaps the prospect of spending yet another night ordering in Thai food and staring at your cat is just getting old. Or you want to stare lovingly in the eyes of your significant other without having to talk about what Gerald at the office did today. What if there was another way to silence the chattering, cackling masses that didn’t involve shushing your fellow diners?
A Brooklyn restaurant has the solution for those with weary ears, at least a few Sundays every month. Diners can enjoy a completely silent meal that starts at 8 p.m., with no talking until all four courses are over, reports the Associated Press.
“But I don’t know sign language, so how will I order my food?” you might be saying. Simple — you order the pre-fixe meal before the quiet curtain falls. And if you want more water or there’s a bug dancing in your soup, you’ll have to use other means to indicate your needs.
“We made a lot of facial expressions,” explained one diner. “We found other ways of communicating that weren’t verbal.”
The chef said he was inspired to go soundless after spending time in a Buddhist monastery, where breakfast was silent every morning. This is his way of giving diners a chance to focus on the food.
Again, I’d embed the video so you could see the stoic faces on these patrons as they try to suppress the giggles or meditate upon the meaning of life as experienced through silent eating, but it’s got an auto-play ad so check it out in the source link below. Definitely the opposite of sweet, sweet silence.
In other news, even my cat feels the need to talk through meals so I’d be better off at this joint. Can’t a girl get some goshdarn peace and quiet around here? Ugh.
Shhhh! No talking at this Brooklyn restaurant [Associated Press]
(pmarkham)
No matter now much you wish you could bring your pet everywhere, it’s not cool to pass your dog off as a service animal in order to do so. The problem is that impersonating a service dog is very easy to do, thanks to the privacy rules that are part of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Business owners aren’t supposed to ask someone, “What do you need a service dog for?” since that can reveal very personal medical information that you might not want to share with strangers. They can ask you whether your animal is a service dog, and…that’s about it. Service animal vests and harnesses are easy to buy online, and some cheaters are making life very difficult for real service animals and their humans.
Emotional support animals are useful to some people and can get owners exemptions to pet restrictions in their housing, but they’re not allowed to go everywhere that their owners are allowed to be. Service animals are. They’re almost all dogs, and are trained to perform a specific function related to their owner’s medical condition. We’re most familiar with guide dogs, but there are also dogs that can alert owners to an impending seizure or low blood sugar episode, or that are trained to avert episodes of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Most real service animals are almost invisible, with impeccable manners while they’re working. (Off the job, they’re just dogs.) Business owners might have a bad experience with an impostor service dog and ban actual service animals. That happened recently in Massachusetts, prompting a boycott of a diner. Beloved convenience store Wawa had to pay a customer $12,500 after kicking his service dog out of a store.
Technically, it’s a federal crime to walk around with a pet impersonating a service animal, but a hard one to enforce. “We don’t have enough police to stop murders,” one person with a service dog pointed out to the Associated Press, “much less stop people from hauling around pseudo service dogs.” That’s true. Even a federal ID card, which some people suggest, probably wouldn’t prevent the abuse and misunderstandings that continue to occur. People will continue to abuse the rules, and business owners will continue to misunderstand them.
Impostor service animals posing growing problem, hurt people with disabilities [Associated Press/Washington Post]
Modern life poses many problems, but we didn’t think that “it’s too hard to make soft pretzels” was one of them. Following in the footsteps of small countertop appliances that make the baking of cupcakes, dog treats, and tiny pies significantly simpler but also significantly stupider, now you can buy a countertop soft pretzel maker that promises to simplify the process. Why?
Maybe you like soft pretzels, or want to make your own for a special event. If you’re into monotasking appliances, maybe this could work for you, but reviewers on Amazon report some serious flaws. It takes a lot longer than one might think to whip up a batch of pretzels: a few hours, from dough-mixing to final cleanup, especially if you’re only making two pretzels at a time. Multiple reviewers also complained that the pretzel plates’ nonstick coating peeled off too soon. Much too soon: after one use. Another customer complained that while the box brags that the plates are dishwasher-safe, they’re not.
Maybe the simplest way to get a fresh pretzel will always be to just visit a dedicated vendor, and that’s how it always will be.
Nostalgia Electrics SPF200 Soft Pretzel Maker [Amazon]
Now You Can Own A Personal Soft Pretzel Maker [Foodbeast]
(consumerist)
PennLive.com reports that the son, who was reportedly fired from his job with the family-owned franchises back in July, filed a complaint in August with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and McDonald HQ, requesting an investigation into allegations of harassment by his father.
According to the complaint, the franchisee is “obsessed with female prostitutes and strippers who perform exotic dances on stage and in private lap-dance booths at local and out-of-state ‘gentleman’s club’ establishments” and allegedly roped a female manager into aiding in his communication with sex workers, as the 72-year-old didn’t know how to send text messages.
The son also claims that his father made racially charged remarks to employees, giving the example of a time he supposedly asked a black field service manager, “Why not ride with me, I’ve never been with a black woman before.”
The father denied the allegations, telling PennLive, “[T]his situation stems from a personal family matter. The EEOC charge does not have merit, and I intend to defend the claims vigorously. However, since there is an EEOC case pending, I do not plan to provide further comment.”
For its part, McDonald’s HQ is pretty much staying out of this family fray:
“[The franchisee] is an independent owner/operator of McDonald’s restaurants. McDonald’s expects all of its franchisees to comply with all applicable laws when operating their franchise businesses. It is our understanding that this matter is currently pending before the EEOC. McDonald’s trusts that the process will permit both parties to present evidence supporting their respective positions, however, McDonald’s is not a party to that proceeding and will not comment further.”
Local McDonald’s owner subject of son’s harassment, prostitution-related complaints [PennLive.com]
Disposable diapers, carbonated probiotic drinks, and “spreadable butter.” What do they have in common? They’re all recent victims of the Grocery Shrink Ray, spotted by our alert readers across the country.
“The box on the left is the new Pampers box design with marketing all over the diaper aisle and entry doors at Babies ‘R’ Us. The box on the right was purchased about one month ago,” notes tipster S, pointing out that the newer Pampers are thicker than the old ones, but “neither are as well padded as the Huggies.”
Heather noticed that her Kevita probiotic drink was just a little bit smaller than previous purchases, though the price remains the same.
Ronald noticed that part of the “new look” for Country Crock is three fewer ounces in a container, slimming it down from 18 ounces to 15. “The same price at the store,” he grumbles.
Not long ago, we shared with you the information that IKEA product names are pretty much meaningless, even in Swedish. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. But can you tell the difference between an IKEA product name and a death metal band? Time to find out. [IKEA Or Death]
While it’s surely better to strip down to your birthday suit after you’ve deboarded a plane, no matter when you start pulling shenanigans, if you do it an airport the authorities will not be pleased. Add in public urination and telling the captain you’re going to fight him and well, things are going to get taser-y.
Police in Manchester, UK say a passenger who’d just gotten off a flight from Malta was apparently drunk when he stripped naked on the airport tarmac and challenged the captain to a fight, reports The Guardian.
In an incident caught on video, the man reportedly strips down to his black underoos while shouting, urinating on the side of a terminal building and otherwise behaving badly. When he whipped off his underpants, his female companion smacks him before he finally puts his clothes back on.
It reportedly started on the plane when the man allegedly became abusive and started swearing at other passengers. The captain came back into the cabin to chide him like the bad child he was acting like, which is maybe what made the man want to challenge him to a fist duel later.
When he was done peeing and being naked, he went to collect his luggage and was apprehended by police. He reportedly refused to cooperate and was stunned with a dry Taser. He was then arrested and issued a fine.
Drunk plane passenger strips naked on tarmac at Manchester airport [The Guardian]
Free from fees, least for now.
It’s always the opposite of fun to realize you forgot to turn off your mobile roaming or sent a few too many texts while traveling out of the United States — fees for text and data can pile up into the the hundreds or thousands of dollars if you’re not careful. T-Mobile customers on its Simple Choice plan won’t have those worries when visiting 115 or so countries, as the company announced it’s ditching international fees in certain locations.
The change will also apply to voice calls while made in those countries, which will be capped at a flat rate of 20 cents per minute for voice calls to those same countries or the U.S., compared to the $1 or more T-Mobile and other carries currently charge per minute in many countries, reports the Associated Press.
CEO John Legere said in an interview that of course, roaming fees are very profitable, but T-Mobile hasn’t gotten a large chunk of that pie simply because it doesn’t have a lot of traveling business customers. The new program will hopefully bring in subscribers without having revenue fall, he hopes.
In any case, Legere adds that T-Mobile isn’t going to miss out on much moolah anyway, because it has existing agreements with wireless carriers around the globe that allow for more data than customers are using up.
For those customers who want a faster roaming plan, T-Mobile will offer speedier plans at $15 for a day or $25 for a week.
The free plan won’t apply to some customers, however, including study abroad students who are out of the U.S. for extended periods of time. Any trip abroad will be limited to six weeks or less for the plan to work, and customers have to be in the U.S. at least half the time out of any three-month period.
The fine print notes that this is a limited offer and could always change, so be sure to do your research and make sure your phone is compatible before setting sail in your yacht or whatever.
Click here to see which countries are covered and here for more info on the plan.
T-Mobile to eliminate international data fees [Associated Press]
The machines offer a Minute Maid lemonade beverage and were placed at water and amusement parks for the last two summers.
While traditional wisdom might lead you to assume that the machine would charge more when it’s hotter outside, according to Supermarket News, the machines actually charged less when the temperature soared outside.
At outdoor temperatures below 84 degrees, the price was $2.40. When the temp. increased to 84-85 degrees, the price dropped to $1.70. If it broke the 86-degree threshold, the machines only charged $1.20.
Why the seemingly counter-intuitive pricing levels?
“The machines were designed specifically to increase trial of Limon & Nada as a thirst quencher in the summer heat,” a rep for Coca-Cola HQ explains to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, adding that these machines have not yet been used in other markets.
The world is full of mysteries.
Sometimes it feels like there’s nothing left to look forward to in a food landscape busy spawning franken-pastry hybrids left and right and “reinvented” pizza. But then along comes a product pairing nuts and canned meat and faith in the culinary innovation of the world is restored.
Spam and macadamia nuts might appear to be an odd couple — Spam is all that is soft, smushy and meat-like, while macadamias are the crunchy nuts that go in my favorite ice cream flavor.
But these nuts do taste like spam, says Hamakua Macadamia Nut Co. out of Hawaii, reports the Los Angeles Times. There’s no pink dust or soft, inner centers, meaning there won’t be any actual bits of Spam when you open the bag.
Instead, the President and Co-Owner Richard Schnitzler of Hamakua says the Spam flavor comes from a special Hormel seasoning blend.
“Spam has a cult following in Hawaii and so it seemed like a good idea,” he explains.
Anyone who’s ever had Spam and pineapple pizza knows this pairing is pretty darn natural, and sales have shown the item to be a popular one, says Schnitzler.
So far the only way to get your hands on these nuts is to order them from the company’s website or online, but Hamakua says it’s in talks with a supermarket chain to bring them to California at some point.
Or just go back to taking a bite of Spam and a bite of nuts, a bite of Spam and a bite of nuts, so on and so forth.
Spam-flavored nuts exist, people! [Los Angeles Times]
Some kids may need coaxing to get on the potty, but we’re pretty sure that there is never any justification for any kind of system that combines tablet computing and pooping. What adults do once they’re fully potty-trained is their own business, but there’s something terribly wrong about combining screen time and potty time.
The iPad mount “also includes a removable touchscreen cover to guard against messy hands and smudges.” OH GOD
Then there’s this strange promotional video from the manufacturer. The company behind this product, CTA, offers a whole host of baffling tablet-mount toys, including an easel (for drawing apps?) and inflatable cars so parents can…prepare their kids for a future of self-driving cars and playing Angry Birds the whole way to work?
CTA Digital 2-in-1 iPotty with Activity Seat for iPad [Amazon]
Officer Starts His Own Private Police Department in Manassas Patch.com Comment Recommend. Michael Youlen started the Manassas Housing Police Authority, a private police department, in Manassas in 2012. Loading... x. ×. Next Previous Slideshow Download. Michael Youlen is a force to be reckoned with—a police force, that ... |
Simple changes can reduce electricity costs 10 percent WTOP MANASSAS, Va. - An energy vampire in your house is sucking your wallet dry. But you can drive a stake into it and reduce your energy costs by 10 percent with just a little effort. The average American home has 40 devices and appliances that are ... and more » |
On Capitol Hill, two veterans crippled by debilitating pain described their VA doctors increasing narcotics dosages instead of treating the underlying causes.
Built-up earwax taken from a blue whale carcass offers insights into the creature's life.
According to 10Best, these are the scariest places in the world. So would you dare to visit?
Pilots N Paws, a non-profit, flew over 400 pets from high-kill shelters in Hinesville, GA to VA, NJ and FL. Five volunteer pilots flew 26 animals to Warrenton-Fauquier Airport in Va., Oct. 5, 2013. See photos of the take-off.
