The spare Mindbender
With the start of a new month, I have two new selections for you to check out with Dom’s Book Club.
And both of these are probably in my all-time top 20.
In non-fiction, it’s Bill Bryson’s “A Short History of Nearly Everything.” Yes, it’s full of science and history, but it’s written in a remarkably casual, conversational manner. You’ll love it.
And for fiction, we’re going to the moon. It’s “Steel Beach,” by award-winning sci-fi writer John Varley.
Learn more about both selections right here. And happy reading!
Let's get on with the countdown.
Along with today's Mindbender you get these bonus stories:
Tinder leave
Robots to feed gamers
The best/worst Tom Hanks movies?
But first, today's Mindbender for a Two-Point Tuesday:
Nearly three out of four single men say they do not have a spare (blank) in their house.
Josh said, "pillow,” and Jeremy went with “can opener.”
I'll have a clue coming up.
Tinder leave
Companies around the world are trying everything they can think of in order to lure and keep top talent.
Many are experimenting with four-day work weeks. In fact, in the U.K., the government might give workers the right to request a “compressed week,” where they’d work the same number of hours, but compressed into four days.
But now a company in Thailand is offering an interesting new benefit to employees: “Tinder leave.”
Yes, they are offering paid time off so their workers can go on dates.
Should I comment on this? No, I should not.
Robots to feed gamers
If you’re the parent of a big-time gamer, you know how difficult it can be to get them to answer the door, or answer YOU, when they’re in the middle of an intense game.
Well, if you’ve been having a hard time getting them to stop long enough to eat, the Heinz company may have the answer.
They’ve developed a robot that will dip their snacks for the gamers . . . and FEED them as they play.
The hands-free machine is called—I’m not making this up—the “Hum Hum.” It has a mechanical hand that can dip and feed gamers so they never have to let go of their controls.
Should I comment on this? No, I should not.
Here's a clue for the Mindbender:
Hopefully this clue can shine some light on the answer.
The best/worst Tom Hanks movies?
I went on a rant a while back that Tom Hanks was in way too many movies. I like the guy, I just thought he needed a break. It got to the point where he was in every third movie released.
Now “Esquire” has ranked all 53 of his live-action films—so no “Toy Story” films. Which ones are the best and the worst?
They put “Saving Private Ryan” at #1, followed by “Captain Phillips” and “Apollo 13.”
If you’re curious, “Forrest Gump” was number six. I’m just disappointed “The ‘Burbs” wasn’t in the top five, where it clearly belongs.
At the bottom? They claim his worst movie was “The Circle.” I never even heard of that one, which might explain a lot.
And now, the answer to today's Mindbender:
They don’t have a spare what?
Light bulb.
They claim the new LED technology means you don’t have to replace them as often, but color me skeptical.
That'll do it for today's Mindbender. Thank you for being part of The Club.
Enjoy your day!
Dom
I've never seen that. I've never seen anybody drive their garbage down to the street and bang the hell out of it with a stick. I've never seen that.
Do you have curious young readers in your house?
Challenge them with a collection of books from Buster Blank, the pen name Dom uses when writing for kids in grades 4 through 6.
Each of these odd, quirky stories delivers a fun reading experience while quietly sharing a positive message.
Find your copies here.
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