TGIF 3/19/21

Here's your random recap of good weeks and bad weeks. Note that all of this isn't from this week, but it's recent stuff. I'll let you figure out who goes where.

One Republican Congressman from Texas voted in favor of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, and no one was more shocked than the man himself, Rep. Lance Gooden. In a since-deleted tweet, Gooden clarified that he 

accidentally pressed the wrong voting button and realized it too late. I have changed the official record to reflect my opposition to the partisan George Floyd Policing Act.

Sticking with issues about police, a recent USA Today/Ipsos poll shows that only 18% of Americans support "defunding the police," but 43% support re-allocating police funding to social services, proving the point that words matter - especially when you're trying to sell a country on a fairly new - and potentially beneficial - concept.

People have said that the pandemic made everything different. Apparently, that applies to dating preferences, too.

• A new poll from Dating.com revealed that only 15% of the website's members prefer a "Barbie- or Ken-like" body type, while nearly 75% said they're fans of the "dad bod" - a less chiseled figure, if you will. Not only that, but guys who think they have a dad bod are adding #dadbod to their profiles.
• All that preference stuff aside, 38% of members say they've joined a gym to get in shape - but haven't started working out yet, while more than 70% of the site's say they're working out already, with summer just around the corner. 

My brain's getting a workout on that math, I think. And something else entirely is getting a workout with this next item - here's the eye-catching headline:

You'll never wash your pants again if this pioneering US company has its way

That's right - the company, HercLéon, sells underwear with the name Kribi, made from bamboo, eucalyptus, beechwood, and copper, and says it doesn't really need to be washed, just aired out every now and then. 

Whether you're planning on going for an all-day hike, weekend camping trips, or even just going to the gym and then the bar to grab drinks with friends; your Kribi underwear will keep you feeling fresh & smelling good.

I'm reminded of the old, Gee, your hair smells terrific! commercials, and I'm not happy about that. 

A couple of numbers for you, starting with a report from CNN on robocalls. If you think you're getting more of them lately, you're right. February's robocall volume was up 15% from January - over 4.6 billion calls were made, or more than 159 million of the annoying things a day. That's the highest in a year, and we're on track to exceed 51.5 billion robocalls this year. And, in case you were wondering. your car's extended warranty is about to expire, or may already have expired. 

If you're tempted to grab your crystal ball and see if there's a way you can avoid future robocalls, a word of caution. According to the fire department in Delton, WI a homeowner's crystal ball started a fire that caused over $250,000 in damage.

Shortly after 4:00PM on the day of the fire, the owner arrived home, discovered thick smoke throughout the house, and immediately called 911. An investigation determined the fire started on a couch in the living room and the cause of the fire was determined to be from a glass "crystal ball" ornament. The crystal ball had been located on a table near the couch and in direct sunlight. When sunshine came through a large set of windows and through the glass ball, it ignited the couch.

It seems some things should be kept under wraps and out of direct sunlight, including "crystals, mirrors, glass ornaments, and even bottles."

No word on whether that's necessary for your Kribis, but I'd consider it, just in case.

TGIF, everyone.