New Car Smell

 Why is it that most things that are enjoyable aren't good for you?  Even though that new car smell only lasts a couple of weeks it is generally considered to be a pleasant smell. The bad news is it isn't good for you, in fact car manufacturers are working to eliminate it. The culprit is volatile organic compounds  which aren't usually a high enough concentration to cause long term issues but they aren't 100% safe either. Manufacturers suggest driving with the windows down the first few weeks until the gases lessen. 

He She It

 This study points out that as far as equality goes we haven't made great strides and the way things are currently going we may be headed back in time. The survey focused on popular children's books from 1950 to current time with about 30 books per decade. The study wanted to know why children's books used he/him for the animal characters three times as often as animals that were represented as female and only 2% were referred to as it. The only animals that were consistently female were birds, ducks, and cats. 

Weird Chocolate?

 US chocolate tastes weird to the rest of the world, that's because the ingredients in US chocolate are different and there are no standard recipes from brand to brand. Even though most Europeans find US chocolate sweeter they also detect a slightly sour note which is caused by butyric acid, one of the ingredients that give it longer shelf life, also vegetable fats are used instead of cocoa butter. In the EU standards call for 25% cocoa solids in all chocolate plus they use a process called conching which gives the chocolate a fine creamy texture. The very worst thing about chocolate is that West Africa is the world's largest producer of cocoa but they only consume 4% of the market because it doesn't keep well in the heat.

Horsin' Around

 Race horse training in Barbados isn't quite the same as elsewhere in that they use the ocean. It makes so much sense when you think about low impact exercise for humans you think of swimming, it also stretches their muscles and readies them for their workout on the track. They start by lunge lining them in shallow water then work their way out into the ocean where the grooms push against the horse's chests to make resistance, then they hold onto the horse's necks while they swim out into the deep. When they get back they get a scrub down before they start their training on the track. Oddly enough the whole procedure is also a tourist attraction. 

Green With Envy?

 A bright green pigeon has been spotted doing pigeon stuff near a church in the UK. No one seems to know where it came from or how it ended up green but some have speculated it was released for a wedding or some sort of event. Though it doesn't seem to be unhealthy at this time authorities warn that dying or painting not only raises their risk with predators but can also cause eventual harm when they ingest the dye/paint while they're preening. 

Fashion Statement?

 Remember the orcas swimming around with dead salmon on their heads for no apparent reason? Well this is a similar deal, only this time it's chimps. Usually animal behavior centers around finding food or other survival skills which doesn't help explain why chimps at a wildlife orphanage in Zambia started putting blades of grass or sticks in their ears or rectum. The grass in the ear behavior was first noticed in 2014 and was only one group of chimps, then recently another group was seen doing the same thing. The only thing the two groups have in common is their caretakers who admitted to sometimes using a blade of grass or a matchstick to clean their ears though that would explain the grass in the ear for the chimps, I doubt it explains the grass/sticks in the rectum. Then again, who knows?

Finger Licking Good?

 Originally KFC 's fried chicken toothpaste started out as an April Fools joke but then they thought "why not".  KFC is partnering with Hismile, a trendy toothpaste brand. According to a press release the toothpaste is just like biting into a hot, juicy piece of KFC Original Recipe Chicken, they go on to claim, the toothpaste is irresistible, coating your teeth with flavor while leaving your mouth feeling fresh and clean. They are also offering a companion item, an electric toothbrush, the toothbrush runs $59 and the toothpaste is a fluoride free $13 per tube. My dental hygienist likes to surprise me with different flavors but so far no fried chicken flavor...thankfully.