Here are some fun facts to help get you through the day and look like the most informed person at the water cooler…
Fun (or not-so-fun) Facts:
- Most microwaves sold in the U.S. are made by a single Chinese company: Midea. They provide microwaves for Toshiba, Comfee, Black and Decker, GE, Whirlpool, Breville, Insignia, and more. LG and Samsung make their own microwaves . . . as does Panasonic, but Panasonic does have budget models made by Midea. And it’s been that way for a long time.
- The first American sitcom shown in China was“Growing Pains”.
- M&M’s are named after their two founders, Forrest Mars and Bruce Murrie. But they wound up hating each other, and Mars bought out Murrie’s share after eight years.
- The entire province of Alberta, Canada has been rat-free for 70 years. The government there decided to get rid of rats around World War Two and they still have a pest control crew on the border to prevent any from coming in.
- Red states and blue states have only been that way since 2000. Before that, the Republicans were generally blue, and the Democrats were red.
(Wirecutter / Mental Floss / History / National Post / Alberta.ca / Wikipedia)
Strange and trending news:
- Today is National Hot Chocolate Day.
- Chipotle says they’re hiring 15,000 new employees for “burrito season,” which runs from March through May. It’s also known as “spring.” (Full Story)
- Some guy took a photo of seven different PENS and asked which you’d pick if you could only use one for the rest of your life. And it’s been viewed millions of times and drawn thousands of votes. (???) (Full Story)
- An Idaho man has set a new world record for fist bumps. (Full Story)
- If this hasn’t been a movie yet, it will be: German prosecutors claim a woman faked her own death . . . by killing a lookalike. (Full Story)
- This goes without saying at this point, but beer will probably cost more for this year’s Super Bowl. Beer prices are up 11%. (Full Story)
- S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy says he thinks 13 is too young to join social media . . . even though that’s the minimum age for the apps. He said kids should wait until they’re 16 to 18. Okay parents, good luck with that. (Full Story)
- A driving expert says you should NEVER drive with a cold . . . because SNEEZING can cause an accident. (Full Story)
- The World Health Organization says that COVID-19 is still a public health emergency, but the pandemic is at a “transition point.” (Full Story)
