Nap Class

Not into working out? There may be another option coming soon to a gym near you! A gym in the UK has started Napercise classes. They are mainly concentrating on parents and stressed out professionals who are unable to get enough sleep at home.  Instead of upbeat music and exercise equipment the gym features relaxing music and single beds where for 45 minutes all that you need to do is nap. I'm not sure if it will catch on or not as it seems like sleeping in a room with several other people could create problems such as snoring but that might just be me. Apparently sleeplessness is overtaking other health problems and that is why this service is being offered. Nap on folks!

Something's Fishy

It's  astounding what the brewers are using these days to make beer,I've begin watching for unusual beers and so far haven't been disappointed. Though Maine and Delaware have incorporated lobster into brewing in the recent past now an eclectic brewery in the UK is trying their hand with ocean inspired beers. Of the Sea came about because of the co-founders mutual love of lobster bisque. They boiled the lobster,cockles,seaweed and other ingredients for 12 minutes then removed the solids,added the yeast and went on from that start. The Wild Beer Co. has made over 100 different brews over the last four years including: sake, coffee,chocolate, toffee apples and mushrooms. Most of their concoctions are available in 22 countries including the US. It's hard for me to wrap my head around some of their offerings.

Wedding Party!

When I first glanced at this I thought "how sad that those people didn't have any friends to be in their wedding" but that was far from the real story. Mtn Peaks Therapy Llamas and Alpacas have launched a service with Rojo and Napoleon,two of their therapy animals. They are available for $200-$300 depending on the amount of time they are involved in the festivities. Some weddings just use them for photo ops while others include them as ring bearer or as greeters. They also attend birthday parties and mall events,all proceeds go to support the therapy program which now has 5 llamas and 5 alpacas who visit hospitals and other settings where good cheer is needed.

Funny Money

It seems like the chances of getting counterfeit money from an ATM would be slim to none but that isn't necessarily the case. A Seattle woman withdrew $300 from a Bank of America ATM and when she counted the money noticed one of the $20 was badly frayed and taped. She went inside the bank to exchange the bill and while waiting in line looked more closely at the bill,this is when she saw it was a movie prop. The bank refused to replace the fake $20 stating that there are safeguards to keep counterfeit money out of ATMs. The woman contacted a news station to prevent this happening to other people and has since had the bad $20 replaced by the bank. It pays to complain!

Dirty Mudders

I usually try to not have posts with the same subject two days in a row but I heard about these jeans after finishing yesterday's post plus I was away from home for most of the morning which left me short on time so please bear with me. I suppose it was only a matter of time between jeans with holes and the ones that look like you just got off a horse after riding bareback and the latest in distressed jeans,wait for it...mud caked jeans. For only $425 you can purchase a pair of dirty looking jeans that embody rugged Americana workwear,and for the bonus the "mud" doesn't wash out if you follow the care instructions which tell you to wash in cold water and line dry. Seems like a lot of trouble and money when a person could just go roll around in the mud to get the same results.

Fashion Flop

Fashion is low on my list of priorities,but even though I don't care what is considered "in fashion" I do care about comfort and these latest clear plastic jeans not only are nothing special to look at they would be miserable to wear. It also seems odd to me to be using plastic in fashion when the world as a whole is trying to get away from plastics. Topshop claims the "jeans" are a conversation starter and they even go so far as to suggest wearing them with bikini bottoms and a sequin jacket. If for some reason anyone feels compelled to buy a pair they sell for $100 though I might suggest they would not be acceptable office apparel especially if you're thinking of going commando.

Wax Tadpole to Warren Buffett

When Coca-Cola was first introduced in China in 1927 there were problems with translating the words into Mandarin. While Coke employees searched the 40,000 characters for a correct meaning shop keepers made their own signs using words that sounded like Coca-Cola with some rather odd combinations one of which was "bite the wax tadpole". The translation they finally arrived at was K'o K'ou K'o Le,meaning "to permit mouth to be able to rejoice".  Today both Coke and Warren Buffett are popular in China and since Buffett drinks mass quantities of Cherry Coke he agreed to have his image used on the product in China,and did I mention he also runs one of Cokes largest investors worth about $17 billion?
 

Creepy or Cool?

Feelings about the Slovenian digital tombstones could go either way. The 48 inch interactive screens can show pictures,video and interact with visitors not to mention they are weatherproof and vandal proof. The tombstone has a sensor so when no one is around it only displays the name and dates of the departed saving both energy and the tombstone. They are working on a smartphone app that will allow audio interaction as well since regular speakers would be out of place in a cemetery.  The price is $3,189 which isn't too bad when compared to the cost of the more elaborate tombstones available.

Cheeto Deluxe

No,not Mr. Cheeto,nothing deluxe about him. This Cheeto was purchased from a Walgreens in Tennessee and though the evidence was consumed in a timely manner it would no doubt have been a record holder for longest Cheeto. Upon closer examination it was actually several small Cheetos that had formed into one long one. The couple who briefly owned the world's longest Cheeto thought about keeping it but the gal decided she was hungry and didn't even bother to share the enormous orange snack. Her pleasure wasn't long lasting when she found out about a Cheeto resembling the deceased gorilla from the Cincinnati zoo sold on eBay sold for $99,000.

TNT&T

The foodies out there will be delighted with today's offering or at least intrigued. Most of us are familiar with the taco pizza,I was never much of a fan personally,but an Atlantic City,NJ restaurant has put a different twist on the taco pizza thanks to some stoned kids who wandered in one evening asking for tacos. The massive pizza is available for $75 only on Tuesdays and Thursdays and if you plan on going your best bet is to pre-order as they make around 350 a day on the days they are offered.  The pie is an assortment of tacos with different fillings arranged on top of a cheese pizza with guacamole and sour cream in the center. They also offer the pie by the slice...sign me up!

Robo Dog

This sounds kind of odd until you think about it then the practical aspects make themselves apparent and you think why not? The inventors of the robot dog believe it could be the future of elderly care and people with learning disabilities. The robo pet is equipped with sensors that allows it to feel when it is petted and keeps it from bumping into things plus it has facial recognition so it not only knows its owner but the friends and family that may come to the door. There is also an event reminder feature which I'm thinking would be for taking medications or remembering appointments. This would also be great for people unable to care for a real pet that requires feeding and exercise.

Got Chips?

Japan is experiencing a potato famine of sorts,okay maybe famine is a little dramatic but because of several typhoons hitting a northern island where most of their potato crop is grown they are running out of potato chips which are one of the countries most popular snacks. The chip manufacturing companies are limited by regulations on the use of imported ingredients they can use in their products. Fast food will eventually suffer from the shortage also but for now the focus is on the lack of chips. Some folks are turning to online sources and paying up to $12 or 1,250 yen per bag (they normally sell for 200 yen).

Clear as Mud

It seems like more and more when I hear about some new product I find myself asking why? That was my reaction when I read about two Slovakian brothers coming up with the worlds first clear coffee. The reasoning behind their invention was worry about staining their teeth,but wait there are lots of other things that stain the teeth in addition to coffee,what about those items? Not to mention that natural teeth are rarely bright white,but if they were so concerned wouldn't it have been easier to have regular teeth cleanings and use whitening toothpaste?  The product is called CLR CFF and is supposed to taste like regular coffee though it wasn't mentioned if it smelled like coffee which seems like an important factor to me. Who knows? Maybe it will be the next big thing.

Fowl Play?

Maybe it is common practice in England to go to the nearest drive-thru if your car is on fire,I have no idea why else the driver of a burning car went to a KFC drive up. Employees ran out to help the driver out of the car and luckily no one was injured. The building,car and inventory were another matter. It took three fire engines over an hour to get the fire under control and the cause of the fire hasn't been determined...but the question remains,why would anyone go to a drive-thru with their car on fire? It's not like a person wouldn't notice their car was burning. Furthermore why did the chicken cross the road?

Hatching a Plan

An Avondale,AZ police department swore in their newest officer last week,a drug sniffing bearded dragon. The lizard named Iroh started training a year ago when officials reviewed research indicating reptiles have a better sense of smell than canines. I'm not sure how a person would train a lizard to know what they were supposed to be smelling or how they would make a find known to their handler, but if there is a way lizards would be a lot more cost effective than their canine (K9) counterparts,of course their handlers would have to be careful about washing their hands as bearded dragons have the salmonella bacteria.

Cure What Ales You

Our Canadian neighbors are doing their part to help see us through these difficult political times by making beer great again. Northern Maverick Brewing Co. has introduced "Fake News Ale" which they describe as an easy drinking beer good for discussing world events with friends. It also pairs well with "small hands,striking comb overs,huge egos and all things Mexican". The company is also donating 5%  of every can sold to reversing questionable policies which can be voted on at their website in the upcoming weeks. Thank you Northern Maverick we really need all the help we can get at this point!

Not a Peep!

The Peeps debate continues as Easter draws near but wait,now you can like them without having to eat them! This seems like the perfect thing to do with the nasty little critters,what's that you ask? They are  being used for artistic expression in the annual PEEPshow for the last 10 years. The entries total 151 so far this year and can be voted on for $1 online from now until April 19th with proceeds going to the Carroll County Arts Council in Maryland. The shelf life if you intend to eat Peeps is 2 years but the sculptures seemingly last forever,or at least ten year as some sculptures from the first PEEPshow are still intact.