Tuesday, February 25, 2020

Limited edition Supreme Oreos are selling for over $10,000 online

Oreo, “Milk’s Favorite Cookie,” has teamed up with popular streetwear brand Supreme to release designer Oreos, and they’re taking off on resale sites like eBay. The collaborating brands made the announcement via Twitter on Tuesday, February 18. Supreme is known for its limited-edition releases and partnerships with designer brands, but their new spring drop contains something a little more bizarre, packs of three Oreos, allegedly retailing for $8. The designer Oreos launched on Thursday and immediately were up on eBay, selling for anywhere from $50 to $125, to even $500. The highest-priced pack of Supreme Oreos, though, was priced at $12,000, and had received 61 bids. Sold only in Supreme stores, the Oreos are bright red, with the word “Supreme” across the top. (Robb Report)

D.C. issues record $1 billion in traffic and parking tickets, AAA calls it ‘predatory’

Washington D.C. has long been considered one of the most onerous places in the country for traffic fines, seeing a steady climb year to year in tickets issued and revenue generated. But recently the District broke into stunning new territory, issuing more than $1 billion in tickets in just three years. AAA and other organizations have asked the District to show its evidence that D.C.’s cameras, and the high fines, translate to fewer accidents, fewer injuries and fewer deaths, but the District admits it hasn’t done any studies. Yet the fines keep increasing, generating more money than alcohol, cigarette, motor vehicle, fuel and estate taxes and all revenue from licenses and permits, and personal property taxes combined. In fact, nearly three million motorists were on the receiving end of traffic and parking citations last year, totaling $375 million. In a study comparing the nation’s 25 largest metro areas, D.C. had the highest traffic fines per capita by a long shot at $170 per person, the next closest, Chicago, was $101. That means AAA is likely to declare Washington, D.C. a “traffic trap” (or speed trap as it is commonly referred to) to its 60 million members. In 2005 AAA declared D.C. a “strict enforcement zone,” one step below the “traffic trap” designation. One widely regarded metric for jurisdictions with effective automated traffic enforcement is that the number of tickets and fines consistently decreases in traffic camera locations. It indicates drivers are learning and responding to signs and other indicators to reduce speed or stop. Townsend says D.C.’s numbers show just the opposite, indicating the presence of speed traps – designed to surprise motorists and generate revenue, rather than alter driver behavior. (WJLA)

Youth job aspirations ‘mismatched’

An OECD survey across 41 countries suggests 15-year-olds’ career aspirations lie mainly in traditional roles such as doctors, teachers, business managers or lawyers. In other words, they have “unrealistic expectations” about what work will be available. Some of the fastest-growing occupations, such as user support technician, are rarely mentioned by young people. Also of note, a gender gap is apparent: More boys than girls expect to work in science or engineering with the average gap being more than 10 percentage points. (The Economist)

A new Nissan every day?

Nissan is launching a subscription service in Houston as automakers look to court millennials who are less inclined to buy or lease their own cars. Nissan Switch will feature two tiers: A $699 monthly option for a choice of four cars, and a $899 option for an additional six vehicles. The Japanese company is the latest to trial a subscription-based model allowing drivers to swap cars on demand, joining Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche and others. The trend has been met by resistance from dealers, who claim it undercuts their business model. (The Verge)

Airlines to take a big hit from virus

The coronavirus outbreak is expected to cost the world’s airlines a combined $29.3 billion in revenue this year, the global airline industry body has warned. The International Air Transport Association said air travel demand is set to decline for the first time since 2009. Carriers around the world have been forced to reduce or suspend flights as a result of the virus. The IATA expects airlines in the Asia Pacific region to take a combined $27.8 billion revenue hit, and $1.5 billion for those outside Asia. (CNBC)

New research suggests that the world’s coral reef habitats could be gone by the year 2100

The apparent causes are rising sea surface temperatures and warming acidic oceans, according to the research done by scientists from the University of Hawaii Manoa. A biogeographer at the university who presented the findings estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of all coral reefs would disappear over the next two decades, adding that “Trying to clean up the beaches is great and trying to combat pollution is fantastic. We need to continue those efforts, but at the end of the day, fighting climate change is really what we need to be advocating for in order to protect corals and avoid compounded stressors.” Meanwhile, some conservationist groups are growing live corals in labs and plan to transplant them to reefs, potentially reviving them to a healthier state. (Futurism)

A hologram of Whitney Houston, which will appear in an upcoming tour, is reportedly spooking people on social media

A preview of the late singer’s likeness was shared with British media for the “An Evening With Whitney: The Whitney Houston Hologram Tour” in the U.K. But people seem to think that “the Whitney apparition looks downright scary.” “‘Can’t take away my dignity’ sings the creepy hologram of the deceased Whitney Houston,” wrote one Twitter user. The singer’s sister-in-law and former manager said that “In the spirit of Whitney, I know we’re doing all the right things right now.” The tour, in which Houston’s hologram will sing hits such as “I Have Nothing” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” runs through early April in Europe, followed by U.S. dates. (NJ.com)

Scientists worry the rollout of 5G could take weather forecasting ‘back to the 1980s’

As cell companies begin to rollout the ultra fast wireless service called 5G, scientists are asking government officials to slow things down. That’s because they worry some of the signals used by 5G will interfere with the same signals used in satellite weather imagery. That’s something local meteorologists say could make their jobs much more difficult. “Its important to the forecaster to watch the three dimensional changes in the atmosphere and satellite helps us do that,” said the meteorologist in charge at the National Weather Service in Tulsa. Satellite imagery is especially useful when tracking storms in the open ocean like tropical hurricanes or mid-latitude cyclones. Data from satellites directly feeds the weather models used in forecasting the weather. Like all things wireless, satellites use wavelengths and frequencies on the electromagnetic spectrum. It’s a finite resource and with limited bandwidth available for use. As 5G rolls out, some of the allotted bandwidth borders right up to the bandwidth needed for scientists to view water vapor (aka clouds). “Water vapor emits radiation at that specific bandwidth,” said the meteorologist in charge. “So we can’t change where we operate on the [electromagnetic] spectrum.” Scientists at NASA, NOAA, and other agencies from around the world worry the signals could bleed over and render weather satellites completely useless. The potential data interference could set our weather forecasting abilities back to the 1980s if it’s not handled correctly. Oklahoma Congressman Frank Lucas is one of the key congressional players on making sure the rollout of 5G is done correctly. He is the head of the House Committee of Science, Space and Technology, and also represents one of the most severe weather prone districts in the entire country. The congressman says he fully supports 5G, as long as it doesn’t interfere with weather forecasting, something that can be life or death in Oklahoma. A recent world conference on this issue set global boundaries for 5G signals. (KTUL)

Woman battling brain cancer away from home receives special snow message

A woman from Guatemala who is in Cleveland receiving treatment for an aggressive brain tumor received a little extra encouragement through a message written in the snow outside of her hospital window. “MOM, BE BRAVE,” reads the message, which was written by her daughter who is a doctor at that hospital. The mother was diagnosed with oligodendroglioma at home and referred to the Cleveland Clinic by her doctor, said she was “feeling down” when the message appeared. Marie Schambach shared photos of her message on Facebook over Valentines day, and told followers that her mom was “in the best hands in the world at Cleveland Clinic.” She added that her mom is a “superwoman.” Oligodendroglioma is a primary central nervous system tumor that begins in either the brain or spinal cord. The mom’s tumor was classified as Grade III, meaning it’s malignant and also fast-growing. The tumors most often strike in patients between 35 and 44 but can occur at any age. The cause remains unknown. (Fox 2 Detroit)

Frozen vegetables vs. fresh: Which are more nutritious?

The prevailing belief is that uncooked, fresh produce is more nutritious than frozen, yet that’s not necessarily true. One recent study compared fresh and frozen produce and the experts found no real differences in nutrient content. In fact, the study showed that fresh produce scored worse than frozen after 5 days in the fridge. It turns out that fresh produces loses nutrients when refrigerated for too long. To add to the confusion, slight differences in nutrients may depend on the type of produce you buy. In another recent study, fresh peas had more riboflavin than frozen ones, but frozen broccoli had more of this B vitamin than fresh ones. Researchers also found that frozen corn, blueberries, and green beans all had more vitamin C than their fresh equivalents. The farm-to-store process may be to blame for the nutrient loss in fresh veggies:

• The freshness of a tomato or strawberry isn’t measured from when it hits the grocery store shelf — it begins right after harvesting.
• Once a fruit or veggie is picked, it begins to release heat and lose water (a process called respiration), impacting its nutritional quality.
• Then, pest-controlling sprays, transportation, handling, and plain ol’ time cause fresh produce to lose some of its original nutrients by the time it reaches the store.
• The longer you keep produce, the more nutrition you lose. Those bagged salad greens, for example, lose up to 86 percent of their vitamin C after 10 days in the fridge. (Greatist)

2020’s Best State Capitals to Live in

Personal finance website WalletHub released its report on 2020’s best state Capitals to live in. WalletHub compared all 50 state capitals across 49 key metrics, ranging from cost of living to K-12 school-system quality, to number of attractions. The best overall ranked cities are:

1. Austin, TX
2. Raleigh, NC
3. Madison, WI
4. Denver, CO
5. Lincoln, NE
6. Columbus, OH
7. Atlanta, GA
8. Salt Lake City, UT
9. Concord, NH
10. Oklahoma City, OK

(Wallet Hub)

Tuesday Comes With:

• IHOP National Pancake Day
• International Pancake Day (aka Shrove Tuesday)
• Mardi Gras
• Pancake Day Race (Between US and England)
• Paczki Day
• Rubber Ducky Day
• World Spay Day USA (Last Tuesday )