Curious Mind Blowing Facts - 47
No, you get out of here
Canada Dry Ginger Aleβs can claims that the drink is made from βReal Gingerβ. Tested at one drop of real Ginger per 70 cans, this is clearly false advertising. The CFIA (Canadian Food Inspection Agency) is not doing its job.
Why Canada Dry's 'made from real ginger' claim isn't on U.S. cans: https://www.cbc.ca/news/marketplace/why-canada-dry-s-made-from-real-ginger-claim-isn-t-on-u-s-cans-1.7376929
The 15 highest-grossing movies in the world last year were all sequels, reboots or spinoffs.
The Guinness World Records named Samuel L. Jackson as the highest-grossing film actor of all time, taking in more than $14.628 billion! He originally intended to become a marine biologist before discovering acting in college. He has a net worth of $250 Million.
The number 2 highest-grossing actor is Scarlett Johansson, a talented and versatile American actor who has starred in 33 films grossing $14.545 billion! She has a net worth of $165 Million. She is married to Colin Jost, a writer and news anchor at Saturday Night Live. The internet says he earns $25,000 per episode.
Number 3 is Robert Downey Jr. with $14,347 billion gross film revenues.
Have you heard that our younger generation kids canβt read an analog clock?
Here are a few more skills younger generations are not using due to digital advancements:
Cursive Handwriting: Typing has replaced much handwriting, and cursive writing is often skipped in schools.
Reading Paper Maps: GPS apps have made traditional map-reading almost obsolete.
Mental Math: Calculators and apps reduce the need for quick calculations by hand.
Phone Etiquette: Texting has overtaken phone calls, so fewer people know how to handle formal or lengthy phone conversations.
Manual Research: Using libraries and card catalogs has been replaced by AI and quick internet searches.
Manual Transmission: The fact that less than 1% of new cars have a stick shift, newer drivers are not learning how to drive them.
Patience: With instant access to entertainment and answers, waiting for anything can feel foreign.
Itβs a trade-off, though - theyβve gained new skills like coding, navigating tech, and multitasking.
The current Premier of Alberta, Danielle Smith, ran for leader of the now defunct Wildrose Party, this was an attempt to market herself. After the laughter, she changed the picture in relation to the bus wheels:)
Surge Pricing is Shameful:
Rental housing prices in L.A. have spiked as fires burn in Southern California, forcing thousands of residents whoβve lost homes to scramble to find a new place to live. A listing for a 2900 sq/ft. furnished home in Bel Air that was posted Saturday, Jan. 11/25 morning at $29,500 per month. Thatβs a nearly 86% price hike from its September 2024 rental price:
Mark Zuckerberg told Meta engineers to train on copyrighted material. https://www.google.com/search?q=Mark+Zuckerberg+told+Meta+engineers+to+train+on+copyrighted+material&oq=Mark+Zuckerberg+told+Meta+engineers+to+train+on+copyrighted+material+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCTEzMzJqMGoxNagCCLACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
Zillow expects Buffalo, N.Y., to be the nationβs hottest housing market in 2025, with Indianapolis, Providence, Harford, and Philadelphia rounding out the top five.
Youβve heard the expression βPlanned Obsolescenceβ. Planned obsolescence is a business strategy where products are designed to have a limited lifespan, encouraging consumers to replace them sooner than necessary. Here are some well-known brand examples associated with planned obsolescence:
1. Light Bulbs
General Electric (GE), Osram, and Philips: In the 1920s, these members of the Phoebus Cartel capped bulb lifespans at 1,000 hours. Todayβs LED bulbs can last up to 50 times longer than these Cartel built traditional bulbs.
2. Printers and Ink Cartridges
HP: Faced lawsuits for embedding chips in ink cartridges that stopped them from working after a certain time or volume of use.
Epson: Accused of programming printers to stop working after a set page count, even when they could still function.
3. Smartphones
Apple: Admitted to slowing down older iPhone models (e.g., iPhone 6, 6S, SE, 7) in 2017 to "preserve battery life," which critics said pushed users toward upgrades. I was eligible for compensation in a lawsuit for the iPhone 7 last year.
Samsung: Fined alongside Apple in 2018 by Italy for software updates that degraded performance of older phones.
4. Nylon Stockings
DuPont: The company that invented nylon, weakened its stockings in the 1940s and 1950s after initial models were nearly indestructible.
5. Appliances
Whirlpool and Electrolux: Known for appliances with hard-to-repair components, such as sealed washer drums.
Apple: With its HomePod, made devices difficult to repair, leading to complaints about short lifespans.
LG: Had a LG fridge that had a compressor break at the 3 year mark. It was out of warranty and too expensive to fix. Β―\_(γ)_/Β―.
6. Automobiles
General Motors (GM): Introduced yearly model updates in the 1920s, popularizing planned obsolescence to drive new car sales.
Tesla: Criticized for expensive repairs and making certain features (like battery range or software unlocks) contingent on upgrades. But they do have a pretty good warranty service.
My daughter bought a Honda Civic about 20 years ago. The paint flaked off in huge hunks because of the summer sun. Not sure if the guy who bought it ever got a new paint job. She had it for 10 years so it really didnβt owe her much.
7. Razors
Gillette: Shifted from durable safety razors to plastic-handled disposable cartridges that are more expensive over time.
8. Fast Fashion
H&M and Zara: Frequently release cheap, low-quality clothing designed to last only a few wears.
Shein and Temu: Known for ultra-low-cost garments with very short lifespans. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdrylgvr77jo
9. Video Games and Consoles
Nintendo: Ended online support for the Wii and DS, forcing users to upgrade to newer consoles.
Sony: Stopped producing PlayStation 3 games and parts to encourage migration to PS4 and PS5.
10. Software and Digital Platforms
Microsoft: Ended support for older versions of Windows (e.g., Windows XP, Windows 7), compelling upgrades to newer operating systems.
Adobe: Transitioned its Creative Suite to a subscription-only model (Adobe Creative Cloud), requiring ongoing payments.
These examples highlight cases where companies have been accused of or admitted to employing planned obsolescence strategies.
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Instead of asking a friend who is in need or just suffered a loss, βHow can I help?β Ask instead βWhat small thing would help you right now?β
Carol Shaw is a pioneering video game programmer and one of the first women in the field. She worked at Atari in the late 1970s for 12 years. She is best known for designing River Raid while at Activision. She designed multiple games including 3-D Tic-Tac-Toe (1978) and Video Checkers (1980), both for the Atari VCS before it was renamed to the 2600. She left game development in 1984 and retired in 1990 at 35 years young. Her work broke barriers in a male-dominated industry, and she became a role model for future generations of programmers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carol_Shaw
Wish I knew this when my daughter was 5! Teaching a child to ride a bike can be simplified by removing the pedals, transforming it into a balance bike. This approach allows the child to focus solely on balancing, the most crucial aspect of cycling. By sitting on the seat with feet flat on the ground, the child propels the bike forward using their legs. As they gain momentum, they can lift their feet and practice coasting, gradually increasing the duration as their balance improves. Once the child can confidently coast without support, the pedals are reattached, and they can quickly learn to pedal, having already mastered balancing.
This method is more effective and less intimidating than traditional techniques involving training wheels or assisted riding. Training wheels can delay the development of proper balance and steering skills, as they prevent the bike from leaning and inhibit countersteering. By focusing on balance first, children can develop the necessary skills more naturally and transition to independent riding more smoothly.
How to take them off?
90% of all internet users subscribe to at least one newsletter, and one-third of those subscribers have a separate email account exclusively for them. Less than half of all internet users subscribe to this newsletter :(
The Readerβs Digest answers How much does the U.S. president make?
The past four presidents elected to officeβDonald Trump, Joe Biden, Barack Obama and George W. Bushβhave all made $400,000 a year in salary. Presidents also get an expense allowance every year of $50,000 βto assist in defraying expenses relating to or resulting from the discharge of his official duties,β but they have to return any unused funds at the end of their term. A $100,000 travel account and a $19,000 entertainment budget are bonus benefits. Combined, thatβs $569,000 annually or $47,417./month.
On top of that, they get free housing in the White Houseβplus βuse of the furniture and other effectsβ in their official residenceβfree transportation and free health care administered by the private medical team available in the White House.
The current Canadian Prime Minister's annual salary is $406,200 - $34,000/month. Plus some other expenses similar to the US presidents. This converts to $23,700. USD at current exchange rate. So half of the US President. (For roughly a tenth of the population).
The top 5 languages spoken in the world in 2024:
China plans to build enormous solar array in space β and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth'
Chinese scientists plan to build an enormous, 0.6-mile-wide solar power station in space that will beam continuous energy back to Earth via microwaves. The project has been dubbed 'another Three Gorges Dam project above the Earth'. The Three Gorges Dam is the world's largest hydropower project. Based in China, it generates 100 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year.
Obvs - Not Investment Advice
One of the best-performing investments in 2024 was a digital cryptocurrency called Fart Coin. The market cap value of Fart Coin is more than a billion American-with-a-capital-B dollars.
There are between 85 and 150 people in the United States who are 7 feet tall or taller. Barron Trump is 6β9β tall.
Top Consumer Trends for 2025
Purposeful Social Media Use: More people are using social media with intention, avoiding endless scrolling. They prefer meaningful and authentic content. (A trend is just a general direction in which something is developing or changing).
In-Person Experiences Matter: Many still value face-to-face interactions in areas like healthcare, shopping, and fitness.
Worries About Money: Inflation and recession fears are the biggest concerns, affecting how people spend.
Mindful Choices: People are moving toward sustainable habits like using cash, thrifting, and buying physical media instead of digital.
Affordable and Personalized Products: Shoppers want low prices but also unique, tailored items.
Practical Benefits First: Consumers prioritize products that make life easier and avoid vague promises from brands.
Sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia is the medical term for brain freeze, a short, intense headache that occurs when the mouth or throat is suddenly exposed to cold.
Sloths can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes. Dolphins need to come up for air after about ten minutes.
Apples on grocery store shelves can be up to a year old. They are picked in the fall, then stored in cold storage and treated with chemicals to keep them edible for months.
The Empire State Building in New York has its own zip code. It is home to many businesses. The zip code is 10118.
A blue whale's tongue can weigh up to 3 tons, which is similar to the weight of a female African elephant or a medium-sized Indian elephant.
Big Foot claims he saw Chuck Norris.
Do you have a favorite this week? Thanks for reading.
I can now afford 12 hockey pucks, a 12-pack of Molson's and a pregnant moose. Can I still buy Canada?
Temu! hahahahahaha!