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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - Apr 18, 2014
April 18, 2014
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Easter pet presents:
If you're giving your kids an Easter animal this year --like a baby bunny, chick or duck-- I hope you put a lot of thought into your purchase. Veterinarians say too many parents don't really think much about it and realize too late that the animal sticks around far longer than the chocolate and jelly beans.
Nashville veterinarian MARK CORWIN says rabbits are among the more difficult pets to take care of. They need to be kept inside because of extreme heat outdoors. They should only eat commercial food along with Timothy hay or fresh greens, and they need plenty of fresh water. And although some rabbits are easily litter-trained, rabbit-proofing your house can be near-impossible since they tend to chew everything --they're members of the rodent family and they need to grind down those front teeth!Filling a need:
Hey guys --got a hot date this weekend? Looking for the perfect (ahem) ending? Food inventor CHARLIE HARRY FRANCIS has quite a treat for 'ya! TheStir.com reports he created a champagne-flavored ice cream that contains 25-milligrams of Viagra per serving! Apparently the confection was commissioned for an A-list celebrity's birthday party and he can't spill the name of the client, but promises that they were "very happy with the end result." (Lee)
Culture Shock:
New data from Harris and WhitePages finds people are blocking calls from businesses and exes, unsuprisingly. But they are also blocking calls from friends.
The Consumer Call Blocking study shows about one in five consumers have used a call blocking app or feature to avoid unwanted calls; of those who have used these features 65 percent report they do it to avoid telemarketers. Parents are more likely to block calls than adults without children in the house and Millennials are more likely than Boomers or Seniors to have call blocking apps on their phones.
Other interesting findings include:
--44 percent block calls because of spam
--26 percent block calls because of pranks
--21 percent block calls because they're receiving calls for a previous owner of their number
Most (60 percent) of those surveyed say they regularly block numbers they don't recognize, 20 percent block exes' phone numbers and 15 percent have blocked friends when they're busy. About 17 percent say they've blocked debt collector calls. (Kaye)Lowering expectations:
New York City has a new hero: Meet Subway Oyster Shucking Man.
A brief video shows a man carefully shucking oysters on a crowded train. Sorry, no lemon. It's reminiscent of the guy last October who was enjoying a half a wheel of brie during a subway ride. (See RBR 10/14/13) Subway Brie Man and Subway Oyster Shucking Man. Maybe their cousins.
Editor's note: Where is the subway rider with a well placed sneeze when you need one?
--At first I was thinking, "Look at this idiot!" Then he pulled out the little Tabasco and became my hero. Lemon wedges, too!
--The sad thing is, the oysters were the freshest-smelling thing on the train. (As any true New Yorker could've told you! --Maiman)Bad luck:
A sad story out of England where the country's most obese person has passed away.
924-pound LIAM JOHNSTON was only 22-years-old. He had been on a waiting list to receive gastric bypass surgery when medics discovered him dead of heart failure in his home. Firefighters had to remove his front door to carry his body out.
Last year, Johnston made the news when he was convicted of using stolen credit cards to order himself four pizzas. (Still) -
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