It’s official. The world is ending. About a week ago, I told you about the newest in silly ways to pollute the earth: plastic wrapped bananas. Well, sadly you can now own an unnecessarily-wrapped-in-plastic vegetable to go along with your banana. That’s right. Introducing potatoes coated in plastic. They were spotted in Walmart.
h/t Paul O’Flaherty
If you’re looking to send a letter or small package in the country of Sweden, pretty soon all you’ll need is a cell phone with a working text plan. That’s right, customers will text a number to pay for their mail. In return, they’ll get a code to write on the mail to show that it has been paid for.
The system will likely go into effect this summer. Denmark will start a similar plan in April. Postage rates will stay the same and a spokesman for the Swedish postal system said they are not worried about forgeries.
Problem I see: what if I don’t have a cell phone? It seems to me that the most likely segment of the population to lack a cell phone would be the elderly, who are also probably the most frequent users of the postage system.
Last week, the Wall Street Journal wrote an in-depth feature piece about Manganaro’s, a deli and restaurant in New York City that would finally close after decades of fighting between brothers and endless litigation. The story detailed the fighting between two brothers that drove a wedge into business and resulted in lots of litigation in courtrooms. Entitled “Eatery Closes After Decades-Long Family Spat,” the story seemed really touching.
One problem. The restaurant is not closing. Restaurant owner Seline Dell’Orto told The New York Observer that the family put the 5-story building they own on the market, but had no intention of closing the restaurant. After the admission, the Journal put out a pretty lame statement:
“While not the best [headline] we’ve ever written, it’s meant to convey the process of closing rather than the moment of closure”
Yeah, whatever. Your reporter screwed up. In the original story, the reporter claimed that many customers complained that the owners were not friendly to customers. Ms. Dell’Orto (one of the owners) replied:
“It’s in the genes! Italians all have the jealousy and gloating and ‘I’m gonna fuck you’ gene.”
Hmmm…. the customer is always right?
Famous rapper Waka Flocka stripped down to his birthday suit in the latest ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Known for ads with scantily clad (or nude) females, Flocka becomes one of the first males and probably the only rapper to go nude for advertising. Best known for the song “No Hands,” Flocka says that he’s loved animals since he was very small.
According to PETA’s website:
Waka thinks that “[fur] is nasty!” and urges the hip-hop community to “understand what you buy.” Animals who are killed for their fur, such as foxes, minks, rabbits—even dogs and cats—are bludgeoned, stomped, electrocuted, and often skinned alive. Waka shares his disgust and exclaims, “Damn … electrocuting and killing animals!”
The ad campaign is being called “Ink, Not Mink.” Check out the image above.
Just days after a devastating earthquake struck New Zealand’s Christchurch and killed over 160 people (with the final toll expected to go higher), the community has come alive with people coming up with creative ways of describing their plight and raising funds for rebuilding the city. Here’s some of the most creative:
1) Show Us Your Long Drop: This site may not have been designed to raise awareness, but its done exactly that. The site’s creator says that it was designed as a way for people in Christchurch to have a laugh during such a difficult time. Actually, it has shown the world about the lack of proper sanitation and bathroom facilities. Users submit outdoor toilets that they designed.
2) Christchurch Cafe: This is an online coffee shop that doesn’t sell any coffee. Instead, you purchase any number of products that you would ordinarily find at a coffee shop. Click the link and you’ll be taken to a PayPal page, which enables you to make a donation in the amount you would’ve paid for the product. All proceeds go directly to the Christchurch community and help the coffee industry rebound from the quake.
3) This Online Auction: Well, you missed out because the auction has ended, but you could have had the opportunity to win “Rocky.” Now, Rocky is a 25-30 ton boulder that destroyed this man’s building in Christchurch. All proceeds from the sale went to the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund. The winning bid? Someone won “Rocky” for $50,000.
If you’d like to help the earthquake victims, you can make a donation to the Red Cross.
Not Intent on Arriving 