4/21/26 - Tea, Digital Fatigue, Are Nickels Next, and A What In Your Car? Well S***

Tuesday  4/21/26

Celebrate:

Big World Day

Bulldogs are Beautiful Day

Keep Off the Grass Day

Kindergarten Day

National Chickpea Day

National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day

National Rendering Day

National Yellow Bat Day - a national security unit from 1945-1976. Its insignia is a bat with a yellow moon.

Thank You for Libraries Day

Tuna Rights Day

World Creativity and Innovation Day

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - Today is National Tea Day.

Legend has it that tea was discovered by accident when the Chinese Emperor Shen Nung was sitting under a tree while his servant boiled some drinking water.

A few leaves from a wild tea tree blew into the pot. The Emperor, who was a renowned herbalist, decided to try the accidental infusion and loved the refreshing flavor.

In 1908, New York tea merchant Thomas Sullivan started sending samples of tea to his customers in small silk bags.

The customers didn't realize they were supposed to empty the bags; they just dropped the whole thing into the hot water.

Sullivan started getting orders for more of the "tea in bags," and a multi-billion dollar industry was born by complete accident.

Globally, people drink about three cups of tea for every one cup of coffee.

China drinks the most at 14.5 million tons

India next with 6 million tons

The UK is third, and interestingly, Ireland drinks more than Britain.

But Turkey is #1 for tea consumption per person

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I've told you that we have hit digital fatigue, and we are choosing to unplug and go back to tactile and manual experience.

Sales of manual typewriters and stationery have surged by 55% in the last twelve months

The market for ‘dumb’ appliances—stoves and fridges without Wi-Fi—has grown into a $12 billion sector

Urban community gardening plots are up 30% as families grow their own produce

Bookings for ‘No-Wi-Fi’ retreats are up 400%

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Commuters in Tennessee faced a literal "buzz" yesterday when a truck carrying one million bees overturned on a highway ramp. Beekeepers were called in for a "bumper-to-buzzer" rescue mission that lasted into the night.

And you think you're mad as a hornet when you're in an accident!!!! Literally!!!!

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New data for 2026 shows that 90% of people now prefer vertical videos over horizontal ones. We’ve officially lost the ability to turn our phones sideways, with users spending nearly 46 minutes a day on TikTok alone.

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If you’re not sure how your breath smells, there’s a simple trick: lick your wrist, let it dry for a few seconds, then smell it. What you’re smelling is similar to how your breath comes across to others.

It’s not perfect, but it’s a quick reality check you can do anywhere. If it’s not great, it might be time for water, gum, or a quick brush. Easy, discreet, and way better than guessing.

Ewwww...then your wrist needs a wash.

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Last year, the United States Mint pressed the last penny. 

Retailers are trying to deal with it...in fact we are all bringing our pennies into the store I work at.

Actually, the country has been trying to get rid of the penny for years since it cost almost 4 cents to make.

Nickels might be next because they cost almost 14 cents to make.

Many Americans regard both nickels and pennies as more nuisance than currency. The typical household is sitting on $60 to $90 in neglected coins, enough to fill one or two pint-size beer mugs, according to the Federal Reserve. Americans throw away millions of dollars in coins every year, literally treating them like trash.  (they are WHAT???? Who throws away money.)

Here's the best way around it. Debit or Credit cards...or using your phone which is what I love!

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Chinese carmaker Seres has been granted a patent for what it calls an "in-vehicle toilet" that slides under a passenger's seat for visits to the loo while on the road.

(talk about distracted driving)

Chinese electric vehicles have become increasingly packed with unconventional features, like built-in massage seats, karaoke systems and a fridge, to stand out in a highly competitive market.

The patent filing shows Seres' plans for an onboard toilet that slides out from the bottom of a passenger's seat with a push or through voice-activated commands.

The loo will come with a fan and exhaust pipe to channel odours out of the car, according to the filing on China's intellectual property administration seen by the BBC.

Waste is collected in a tank that has to be emptied manually. The toilet also features a rotating heating element that evaporates urine and dries other waste.

In the 1950s, a special version of a Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith included an in-built television set and a toilet beneath the passenger seat, according to auction house Sotheby's.

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A new two-year study found that extra virgin olive oil might protect your cognitive health by diversifying your gut bacteria. It’s more proof that a healthy brain starts in the stomach.

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