A Third Helping of Food Related Weirdness

A UK school has banned students from including bananas in their lunchboxes, because one teacher has a severe allergy to them. The teacher from the Plymouth school is said to have a "potentially fatal" reaction to bananas (so is presumably also unable to visit supermarkets or parks), causing her council employers to recommend the fruit be excluded from her work environment (Mirror)

Somewhere that teacher may want to cross off her list of holiday destinations is Wilmington, Ohio as the town has just held its 15th annual Banana Split Festival in honour of the supposed invention of the dish, in Wilmington, in 1907. The festival also features the "Banana Split Master’s Competition", now in it's 5th year, won this year by Pete Kramme for his "Sweet and Salty Banana Split", which adds cream cheese and pretzels to the traditional recipe (Wilmington News Journal).

Speaking of odd flavours, here's a two-fer. First up, the Double-Down Saloon is offering two-for-the-price-of-one on it's 'eye watering' bacon-vodka martini on Jun 19th, in celebration of National Martini Day (Examiner). Also, a UK barman hopes to beat the credit-crisis this summer by selling beer flavoured ice-cream. The barman, David Wardleworth, is keeping the exact recipe a secret beyond saying that is does include "Thwaites Original" British cask ale. Despite a historic reputation for liking their beer warm, the ice-cream is apparently proving popular with the British public (Burnley Express).

And it turns out weird flavours are not the only way the recession is impacting the world of ice-cream. The poor economy, combined with lower gas prices, has apparently fuelled a boom in ice-cream trucks, whose drivers stand to make from $100 to $200 a day. And it's not just the money and the lure of being your own boss that drivers find rewarding, according to driver John Jones "You get to see a lot of happy people, you get a lot of smiles." (Wichita Eagle).

And the ice-cream business certainly looks about to boom in Linden, NJ, where police are preparing to hand out tickets for free ice-cream to any kids they see wearing a helmet when cycling; the tickets will also include information about a recent law change, that makes helmets compulsory for under-17s. Even better, no child will be left out as the Brain Injury Association of New Jersey is supplying free cycling helmets for children, also available from those friendly boys in blue (My Central Jersey).



More in extended >>

Posted By: Dumbfounded - Tue Jun 16, 2009 - Comments (7)
Category: Food, Health, Jobs and Occupations, Politics, Robots

What NOT To Say At Work

There are some very specific things you shouldn't say to your co-workers. Offensive things. Questions and comments that could lead to a lawsuit, or getting fired. But how do you know exactly what those things are? Aside from using your common sense, the Delaware Department of Transportation was kind enough to make this brochure. They also issued an apology when, surprise!, people found the brochure to be offensive.

Posted By: Nethie - Tue May 12, 2009 - Comments (10)
Category: Communications, Government, Jobs and Occupations, Signage, Work and Vocational Training

Wilhelm Nauer, Scientific Dishwasher

From the Aug 1929 issue of Popular Science:


I wonder if it made his job any more bearable to be called a Scientific Dishwasher rather than a Scrub Boy?

Posted By: Alex - Thu Dec 11, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Jobs and Occupations

The Front Line

As we all prepare for our imminent minimum-wage jobs during the economic meltdown, let us study how to perform them to the best of our abilities, with a cheerful smile. Consider the job of "supermarket checker," circa 1965.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 02, 2008 - Comments (5)
Category: Business, Products, Food, Jobs and Occupations, Movies, Documentaries, Retail Establishments, 1960s