Killer Tomatoes

 Not like the old movie, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes", more like mutants without teeth tomatoes. People who have grown tomatoes have probably noticed that they sometimes grow in odd configurations that can range from humorous to macabre and several areas in between. The reason for these oddities is when the weather gets to warm it causes the tomatoes to mutate and parts grow more rapidly than the rest of the fruit. They are still completely safe to eat but you won't be seeing them in grocery stores. 

Dog Gone

 Apparently even robotic dogs need forever homes. Sony has launched a program to rehome their five year old ERS-1000 Aibo robotic dogs. People who no longer use their robo dogs can turn them in to be repaired and rehomed to medical and nursing facilities to help provide emotional support. Aibo wasn't initially meant to be an emotional support dog, it was designed for people who for various reasons couldn't have a real pet. Aibo responds to petting from sensors located in various spots, recognizes voices and has a camera in its nose to visually see family members. Even though it sounds a bit odd at least Sony is making an effort to curb electronic waste...of course they are also charging a rehoming fee so it isn't entirely altruistic. 

That's Italian?

 Pepperoni is the most popular pizza topping in the US though pepperoni's heritage is American not Italian. It was the product of Italian immigrants working with the ingredients available to them. The butchers and pizzerias mashed up pork and beef flavored with peppers, garlic, fennel, mustard seeds and give or take other spices to make pepperoni. Hormel is the #1 pepperoni brand so it is fitting that they are opening an online shop to celebrate Pepperoni Day on September 20. The shop opens today and features items like wearables, tire rims, home decor and much more, some of the items amounts are limited but they go on sale today so if you feel like this is something you can't live without go to their online store before they sell out of that must have item! 

Dim Bulb

 After 16 years of wading the channels of red tape the incandescent light bulb ban finally came to fruition on August 1, of course not everyone was happy about this effort to curb carbon emissions and cut energy costs. One 25 year old software developer spent two weeks pay to buy up 3,500 banned bulbs which he estimated will be enough to last him 75 years. He claims he likes the light they give off better than the bright white light the LED bulbs supply. I wonder if in his calculations for how many bulbs he will need for 75 years figured on things like possibly moving to a larger place? of course that would involve moving all the bulbs as well and risking breakage, but those pesky LED lights last 25 to 50 times longer than the incandescent bulbs and he can't be made to suffer those kind of savings for what he considers government overreach. 

Sticky States

 What makes a state sticky? Research shows that it is mainly having several large cities which provide a variety of employment options, warm weather, good tax policies and housing costs and availability. Being a sticky state also considers how many natives remain in the state throughout their lives. With those qualifiers explained it makes it easier to understand why Texas tops the most sticky list followed by North Carolina, Georgia, California and Utah. Which brings us to the least sticky states...Wyoming is at the top of the bottom of the barrel list with North Dakota coming in second, Alaska, Rhode Island and South Dakota rounding out the list. Even though this rationale makes sense it doesn't seem to figure in other livability factors at least in my opinion. 

Color Coded

 The nail business is a multi billion dollar business today primarily catering to women though that isn't how it started out. Around 5000 BCE women would decorate their nails with henna, a thousand years later Babylonian warriors lacquered their nails before battle the higher ranks wore black and the rest of the troop wore green and one golden manicure was found dating to 3200 BCE along with combat equipment. Later in China the masses could only wear lighter colors on their nails as the darker shades were reserved for royalty. In Egypt the royals wore henna and gold on their nails while the lower class was allowed the paler colors. Manicures were brought to the US in the late 1800s by Mary E. Cobb who studied the art in France and opened a salon in Manhattan in 1878. 

Bedazzled Beetle

 As barbaric as it sounds the practice of gluing fake gems and velvet to maquech/makech beetles then attaching a chain and selling them to tourists is still being done in the Yucatan. Did I mention the beetles are alive? The thumb sized beetles are a type of wood beetle that can live for years without food and rarely need water making them the perfect pet to adorn your clothing and they are eye catching when they move about. Thankfully it is illegal to bring them across the border though like most things several are smuggled into the US which in turn is making them an endangered species. This tradition is nothing short of cruel even though they are only beetles they shouldn't have to starve for someone to make a fashion statement.