Some news demands a full-blown discussion of what's happened, what is happening and what may happen as a result. Other topics, such as those that follow, may be considered interesting, but not enough to lose sleep over. So, happy dreams!
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Ever since the dawn of the Tin Lizzie, car makers have made efforts to cut down on noise from motors, tires, and other parts that go bump in the night, especially as they age. Hybrids have caught them in a particular bind because they are so quiet children may be caught unawares as they cross streets and don't hear the autos approach. The New York Times, Oct. 14, 2009 reported that the newly passed Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009 requires a federal safety standard to protect pedestrians from ultra-quiet cars. So, automakers such as BMW, Toyota and Nissan are working with Hollywood special-effect wizards to "WROOM" up a sound to warn the road ahead. Better yet, why not have them open their windows so that pedestrians can hear their radios blasting. I'm Sirius!
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Before you pick up that bottle of water you feel you can't live without, consider its cost to the environment. Bottled water costs 240 to 10,000 times more per gallon than tap water, according to a North Andover Advisory Committee. As much as 25 percent to 40 percent of bottled water is simply tap water from someone else's community. Every gallon sold requires two additional gallons of water for the manufacture of the plastic bottles and the water purification process. Transporting the bottled water from the factory to the retail store consumes another 462 million gallons of oil per year. I'm all tapped out!
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Under the "too bad I didn't know this before the New Year's party" is the report from the American Academy of Ophthalmology that champagne corks injure 1,500 Americans every year. Corks fly at 50 mph from an improperly opened bottle. They advise, cover the cork with a towel and twist it out by hand, not with a corkscrew. BURP!
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Parade magazine had an interesting feature of how some countries fight fat; noticeably absent was the US! In Japan, health officials check the waistline of citizens over 40, and those considered too fat undergo diet counseling. New Zealand has rules barring people considered too fat from immigrating into their country. Germany plans to spend $47 million on healthy eating, sports programs and is encouraging software companies to develop games that force players to move about. Britain's National Health Service is paying for at least 30,000 to take weight-loss classes. Do you think we could attend class at a McDonald's?
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You can't stop at Dunkin' Donuts by name in Shanghai, according to the Boston Globe, but you can ask directions to "Everybody Is Happy." It took the Canton company a decade to figure out where they went wrong on their first attempt to enter the Chinese market in 1994. DD's were too sweet, the Chinese drank tea, not coffee, and unfortunately DD hooked up an alliance with an aerospace company that had no experience running restaurants, especially in a market well worth going after: a population of 1.6 billion. It took 10 years to realize that "round" wasn't acceptable, neither was taste, nor the name "Donut." Mochi rings are octagonal in shape, made of glutinous rice and fried in oil. The most-favored taste is a green tea-glazed mochi! More than 300 "Everybody Is Happy" stores opened in China in 2009. By George, I think they've got it!
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Robert D. Campbell, an essayist who lives in Newburyport, believes that a sense of humor is essential.
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