Wednesday, March 24, 2021

A company will pay you $2,400 to stay away from screens for 24 hours

Put the phone away for an hour. Or, better yet, make it 24 hours — you might just get $2,400 out of it. Reviews.org, a company that tests home services and products, is holding a 24-hour digital detox challenge. They’ll pay their chosen challengers over two grand to survive a whole day without screens. “If you’ve got the desire to ditch your devices for a day but still need to get paid, this is the perfect opportunity for you,” the company wrote on its website where aspiring digital detoxers can go to apply. To help determine who should apply, the company asks some discerning questions.

• “Have you always wanted to win reality competitions like American Ninja Warrior, but you’ve been too busy trying to beat Mario Kart and Mortal Kombat instead?” Reviews.org asks potential applicants.
• “Do you know a little too much about your old acquaintances from social media?”

According to the company, the ideal candidate is someone who is “definitely into tech” and up for a challenge. And while it might seem easy to take an Instagram detox for a day, the challenge is a bit more involved. Those selected for the challenge will not only have to swear off their phones for the day, but television, gaming, computers, smart watches and smart home devices (think smart speakers) are also off limits. But, the company clarifies, microwaves are still OK. The challengers will receive safes to store their electronics in for the 24 hours, along with a $200 Amazon gift card to put together a tech-free “survival kit,” the company wrote. (Reviews.org)

Krispy Kreme will offer free doughnuts all year long to people with COVID-19 vaccination cards

The chain says it will offer a free original glazed doughnut to anyone who shows their vaccination card for the rest of 2021 and the offer is not a one-time deal. Customers can come in any day, at any time, to claim the free treat. No additional purchase is necessary. Krispy Kreme says it also plans to randomly deliver doughnuts to health care workers and volunteers at vaccination centers in the coming weeks. The promotion is one of the few “freebies” for people who have gotten vaccinated, but the number is likely to grow as vaccine availability increases. For Krispy Kreme, it’s the continuation of a series of giveaways that started in 2020. Last year, the company says it gave away over 30 million doughnuts to health care workers, first responders, teachers, coaches, and graduating seniors to help keep spirits up. (Fortune)

A marijuana dispensary is offering its own incentive: free edibles to people who show their card

A marijuana dispensary is getting a little creative while promoting the COVID-19 vaccinations. Throughout the month of March, The Mint Dispensary in Phoenix, Arizona is offering free edibles to people 21 and over who receive a coronavirus vaccine. While no purchase is necessary to get the freebie, those interested will have to bring a valid COVID-19 vaccination card showing the successful administration of at least one dose. (KNXV)

FDA warns not to drink Real Water-brand alkaline water after 5 kids hospitalized with liver illness

Federal and local health officials are warning people not to drink a Las Vegas-based bottled water brand, Real Water, after linking it to liver illness in five hospitalized children. The Company President called for stores to stop selling the product “throughout the United States until the issue is resolved.” The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned consumers, restaurants and retailers not to drink, cook with, sell or serve the product, the Southern Nevada Health District said in a statement. Real Water is asking that all retailers pull the product from the shelf, effective immediately, and hold it in the back rooms or return it to the distributors. Any customer who has purchased Real Water from a retailer is asked to return the product. (KTLA)

Idaho cow gives birth to four little miracles

Any type of birth is a miracle in and of itself, whether it is a child coming into the world or even a calf. In Idaho, one farmer had a miracle, times four.  The owners knew that one of their cows was very, very pregnant. They even joked that it might be triplets. It has happened on that farm before. When the 8-year-old Black Angus began giving birth, they would soon realize that they were not off by much. She would end up giving birth to four bull calves, unassisted. According to them, normally this particular Black Angus gives birth to one calf every year, so this was a shock to both the family and the momma cow. The odds of a cow giving birth to four calves is 1 in 700,000. The odds that those four calves are alive: 1 in 11.2 million. (KMVT)

Man dies after jumping off Panama City Beach hotel balcony with parachute

Authorities in Panama City Beach, Florida, confirmed Sunday that one man died after jumping from a Front Beach Road building with a parachute. Panama City Beach police reportedly responded to the call during the evening from the Sunrise Beach Resort and confirmed the man jumped from a 14th-floor balcony. Authorities said the unidentified man was BASE jumping and that the parachute did not open in time. Officials also have not determined if the man was local or from out-of-state, but did confirm that he was in his 20s. (WJHG)

Monopoly getting ‘long overdue’ socially conscious makeover

The board game “Monopoly” will be the next classic entertainment brand to receive a socially conscious makeover, publisher Hasbro announced. Hasbro will change all 16 of Monopoly’s “community chest” cards to remove outdated concepts. The company said the classic versions of the cards, which included prompts referencing beauty contests and holiday funds, were “long overdue for a refresh.” New community chest cards will focus on topics that emphasize “community.” Hasbro asked the public to vote on potential replacements, with rewards for in-game actions such as rescuing a puppy or shopping local among the options. Other cards would penalize players for forgetting to recycle or blasting music too late at night. “The world has changed a lot since Monopoly became a household name more than 85 years ago, and clearly today community is more important than ever,” said Hasbro’s chief consumer officer. “We felt like 2021 was the perfect time to give fans the opportunity to show the world what community means to them through voting on new Community Chest Cards.” (Fox News)

Analysts have released a report on the gender pay gap in 2021

The report found that women still make less than their male counterparts. Unfortunately, despite attempts to increase the number of loans for women-owned businesses and initiatives to equalize pay across the genders, we still have a significant national gap of 18%. That means women make 18% less in their yearly earnings than men. States are ranked based on the percentage difference between women’s and men’s earnings for full-time, year-round workers. Researchers used the stop-pay methodology, where stop-pay dates are based on the day of the year women start working for free based on the gender pay gap in that state. 

Top-10 Smallest Gender Pay Gaps:

1. Vermont
2. Hawaii
3. Maryland
4. California
5. Nevada
6. New York
7. North Carolina
8. Rhode Island
9. Alaska
10. Connecticut

Top-10 Largest Gender Pay Gaps:

1. Wyoming
2. Utah
3. Louisiana
4. Oklahoma
5. Alabama
6. South Dakota
7. Idaho
8. Indiana
9. North Dakota
10. West Virginia

(Busines.org)

Tennessee man loses $1 million lottery ticket, but finds it again in parking lot

A man in Sparta, Tennessee recently won over $1 million in the Tennessee Lottery but almost lost out on the cash prize when he briefly lost the lottery ticket. The man bought the ticket and a drink at a grocery store after a day of laying tile on March 10th. The following morning, he checked the results and discovered that the ticket was worth more than $1 million. He then rushed to his fiancée’s workplace and told her about the winnings. After he shared the news, he continued to run errands, including taking his brother to go shopping at an auto parts store. However, about an hour later, he realized that he had lost the ticket, explaining that he couldn’t find it anywhere. He retraced his steps and found the ticket on the ground in the parking lot of the auto parts store, near the driver’s side door of another vehicle. His ticket is one of five worth $1 million or more to have been sold in Tennessee this month, Tennessee Lottery officials said. The man said that he and his fiancée will continue to work but that they plan to buy a new house and a car and to invest. He said he hopes to live a life with “not a whole lot of worries.” Tennessee Lottery officials said they encourage players to sign a ticket when they buy it “to help prevent someone else from cashing it, in the event that it is lost or stolen.” (NBC News)

University of Wellington accidentally deletes all files stored on desktop computers

Victoria University of Wellington has accidentally deleted all files stored on its desktop computers affecting a “significant” number of staff members as well as some students. A spokesperson for the University confirmed that an unexpected issue wiped all files saved on the desktops. “The University’s Digital Solutions team continues to work with all affected staff and students to recover access to files and in many cases the issues have been resolved,” they said. “There are however, some affected staff and students who have not been able to recover access to files.” The spokesperson did not answer questions related to grade compensation, and would not say how many people were affected. The university spokesperson said they apologized for the inconvenience caused and is investigating the issue to ensure it doesn’t happen again. (News Hub)

Canadian man steals police car arresting him for stealing another police car

The major crimes division of the Sûreté du Québec, Canada is investigating after a man who fled in a police department vehicle was arrested and then fled again in an SQ police car. According to the SQ, Lévis police asked for assistance to help find their vehicle, which was stolen after an intervention in the St-Rédempteur sector tied to a “disorganized” man. The vehicle was found on a highway and police deployed a spike strip further down the highway. It didn’t work, and the man hit a concrete divider before continuing to flee. Another spike strip was deployed and the vehicle finally stopped. The SQ said the man “resisted arrest, assaulted a police officer and succeeded, for a short time, in commandeering an SQ patrol vehicle.” The man, in his 30s, was arrested, then brought to a hospital. The SQ says two police officers were injured in the operation, but not seriously. (Montreal Gazette)

A Chinese City Has Banned Stripping Newlyweds as a Wedding Game

A typical Chinese wedding celebration includes a banquet attended by families and friends, binge-drinking, and games that, depending on the newlywed’s luck, range from harmless fun to utter humiliation. The wedding stunts, staged by guests before the bride leaves her home or after the banquet, are usually filled with sexual innuendos, such as asking the couple to get under a blanket and throw out all their clothes, or making the bride eat a sausage while squatting under the groom’s crotch. A Chinese city is now banning these “vulgar” wedding games that have come under increasing criticism. In a notice issued last week, the Zouping city in the northern province of Shandong said wedding guests would be banned from stripping, tying up, or putting chains on the bride and groom. Guests are also banned from humiliating or sexually harassing the bride and bridesmaids, such as kissing or hugging them against their wills, according to the notice. Other forbidden practices include applying or pouring “foreign objects” onto the body of the newlywed, forcing them to make “indecent” performances, and making them wear “indecent” signs. Those who violate the rules could be given administrative or criminal penalties, the notice says. The ban reflects a cultural shift as young urban Chinese increasingly see the games as distasteful, although the custom remains popular in some regions in China, especially rural areas. (Vice)

Scientists create map predicting where the world’s undiscovered species are

According to conservative scientific estimates, only some 10 to 20 percent of species on earth have been formally described. In an effort to help find some of these missing species, researchers compiled exhaustive data that included the location, geographical range, historical discovery dates, and other environmental and biological characteristics of about 32,000 known terrestrial vertebrates. Their analysis allowed them to extrapolate where and what kinds of unknown species of the four main vertebrate groups are most likely to yet be identified. They looked at 11 key factors which allowed the team to better predict locations where undiscovered species might be located. For instance, large animals with wide geographical ranges in populated areas are more likely to have already been discovered. New discoveries of such species are likely to be rare in the future. However, smaller animals with limited ranges who live in more inaccessible regions are more likely to have avoided detection so far. The organization plan to expand their map of undiscovered life to plant, marine, and invertebrate species in the coming years. Such information will be help governments and science institutions grapple with where to concentrate efforts on documenting and preserving biodiversity. (Yale News)

Wednesday Slides On In:

• Cheesesteak Day
• Chocolate Covered Raisins Day
• Education and Sharing Day
• Equal Pay Day
• International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for Dignity of Victims
• World Tuberculosis Day