A law was recently passed by President Obama that will limit the amount of formaldehyde allowed in wood, which may lead to higher furniture prices. 

Wh...wh...WHAT?!?  That stinky stuff from biology class is in my furniture?

Apparently formaldehyde is commonly used in inexpensive furniture and cabinets constructed from particle board.  More expensive furniture is generally made from hardwoods and domestic hardwood plywood that doesn't use formaldehyde.  The EPA has linked exposure to high levels of formaldehyde to illnesses ranging from watery and burning eyes to sore throats and nausea.  (By the way, the EPA didn't care when I similar symptoms in Mr Grimsley's class back in '86.)

If you are driving in Nebraska, there is a tiny town called Monowi with a sign indicating it has a population of 2.  But really, it's 1.

That's right, the sole resident of Monowi is 76-year-old Elsie Eiler, who is also the mayor...and librarian...and bartender.

When young Elsie was little, Monowi was a railroad stop with about 150 residents.  But all of them moved away or died, leaving her and her husband at the time the sign was made.  Her husband has since died leaving her to run the town.  And leaving her a lot of books.

She turned her deceased husband's 5,000 book collection into a lending library, which she runs along with the Monowi Tavern where visitors can grab a burger and beer.

Mayor Eiler collects taxes from herself, and each year applies for state funding to keep the town's 4 street lamps lit.  She also complies with a state law that requires her to post notices for upcoming public hearings, but only citizens - or the citizen - of Monowi are allowed to attend.


Source:  Mental Floss

A Starbucks employee, with the fake name Egon, is letting the world know why your Barista at Starbucks hates you:

1.  Needless use of the lingo.  I'm paid barely enough to refer to a "medium" as a "grande."  You have no f'ing excuses to call that medium coffee a "grande bold."

2.  Using the order as a way to showcase the useless knowledge of coffee you have received from some other barista.  I don't want to hear about the "hints of cinnamon: you can detect in the Ethiopian blend.

3.  Rigidly upholding inevitable service distinctions.  (It's not like we can say "no" to your inane requests.)  For example:  ordering a latte and asking that it be made at 170 degrees.  Or, sending back a caramel macciato because it mixed together.  The latte WILL cool and the macchiato WILL mix together.  Deal with it.

4.  Suggesting "unique" drink concoctions to me.  Yes, I know that a vanilla bean frap with a little bit of Strawberry cream and a half pump of mocha tastes like a Neapolitan.  I work here.  Your discovery is by no means anything new.  And even if these mixtures weren't obvious, I still wouldn't want to hear your train of thought.

5.  Sharing information about the progress of your so-called "big project."  Sure, I'll smile, nod, and offer compliments, but that doesn't mean I'm any less convinced of the inevitable failure of your novel than your estranged spouse "Emma" is.  Dear customer, she is your wife, so she can afford to be discouragingly honest with you.  I, on the other hand, must make money; if I need to brown-nose, so be it.

6.  Quizzing me or offering comments about corporate performance.  I don't give a f'k about the press interview given by the CEO, and I don't know or want to know about any regional expansion plans.  I am the equivalent of a bag boy.  Memorizing the drink formulas is enough of a waste of my processing power.

Guess that's why I get my coffee from Dunkin Donuts.

Source


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