Good day, bad day: January 13, 2012
While high schoolers break a toilet-paper record, North Korea punishes citizens who failed to break down over Kim Jong-il's death — and more winners and losers of today's news cycle
GOOD DAY FOR:
Creative communication
A South-African fast food chain reaches out to the visually impaired by creating "braille burgers." The chefs painstakingly placed individual sesame seeds on burger buns to spell out "100% Pure Beef Burgers Made For You." [The Daily What]
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Practical math
A group of Massachusetts high school students breaks the world toilet-paper-folding record by completing 13 folds with 8,192 layers. Requiring mathematical formulas, this is apparently much harder than it sounds. [Huffington Post]
Penny pinching TSA agents
A report says the TSA makes $400,000 a year by collecting the coins passengers leave behind when emptying their pockets for the security scanners. [The Atlantic Wire]
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BAD DAY FOR:
Business as usual
The U.S. economy loses $800 million to $900 million every time Friday the 13th rolls around, as superstitious people are afraid to do things like fly. This year, the day occurs three times. [Daily Finance]
Politically incorrect humor
With the launch of its new "Blonde" roast, Starbucks issues a company-wide ban on blonde jokes. Witticisms mocking the fair-haired will earn employees a written reprimand. [Newser]
Stoicism
North Korea's regime is reportedly punishing citizens who did not cry over the death of Kim Jong-il by sending them to labor camps. [Daily Mail]
For more winners and losers see: Good day, bad day: January 12, 2012