6/23/25 - Thermostat Setting, Recycle, and Eat For Summer

Monday 6/23/25

Celebrate:

International Widow's Day

Let it Go Day

National Detroit-Style Pizza Day

National Hydration Day

National Pecan Sandies Day

National Pink Day

Pink Flamingo Day

Runner's Selfie Day

SAT Math Day

Typewriter Day

United Nations Public Service Day

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Weekend Box Office

1. How to Train Your Dragon $37.0M

2. 28 Years Later $30.0M

3. Elio $21.0M

4. Lilo & Stitch $9.7M

5. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning $6.6M

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From the you have got to be kidding me file.

You have got to be absolutely kidding me!!!!!

What's the best thermostat setting for summer?  An article on MarthaStewart.com says the "ideal" temp indoors is 70 degrees.  But if you want to save money . . . and not crash the grid . . . the ideal setting is 78 degrees.  Each degree above 75 saves about 3% on your energy bill.

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A recent poll found summer is our favorite season.  You might not agree when the temperature hits triple digits, but it ranked first with 32% of the vote.  Spring is a close second, with 28% . . . then fall, 25% . . . winter, 11% . . . and 4% don't have a favorite season.

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The National Weather Service put out an advisory, warning people in areas with extreme heat to avoid "heavy foods," or meals high in protein, because they can raise your body temperature.

You should also avoid alcohol and coffee- even ICED coffee, because those drinks can speed up dehydration.

The NWS suggests keeping yourself hydrated with water and sports drinks . . . protecting your skin by using sunscreen anytime you're outside . . . and, if you can, avoid being outside in the middle part of the day as much as possible.

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A new study at the University of British Columbia found a simple trick might encourage people to recycle more.

A bunch of states pay you to turn in bottles and cans.  Anywhere from 2 cents to 15 cents depending on the type of container.

But even 15 cents isn't much.  So the study looked at what would happen if places skipped the normal payouts and used a LOTTERY system.

Instead of 10 cents, each bottle gave people a 1-in-10,000 chance of winning $1,000.  So, the same amount of money per bottle, but only one person gets it.

And the crazy part is it worked REALLY well.  People in the study recycled 47% more bottles when there was a big jackpot on the line.

The lead author of the study explained it like this:  "The thrill of possibly winning a big prize is more motivating than a small guaranteed reward.  It's the same reason people buy lottery tickets.  That tiny chance of a big win is exciting."

If you're skeptical it would actually work in the real world, it turns out it already IS working.  Norway has a lottery-based recycling system where you can win prizes worth between $1 and $100,000.

They actually blend both systems.  When you turn in a bottle, you have a choice of getting a few cents for it, or a chance at the big money.

It's become so popular that Norway's recycling rate is close to 100%. 

I think you still need to break even..I want my deposit back.

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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - Hot dogs may've got their name because people in the 1800s suspected that sausages were stuffed with dog meat.

(I prefer when it's the wiener dogs.)

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