It’s pretty crazy how easily a fan could get out on the court and how nonchalant Roger Federer was about it. Maybe he’s already forgotten about the Monica Seles stabbing. It’s an unfortunate incident that thankfully did not affect the final result. It’s a tremendous accomplishment for Roger Federer to win all four slams, something that I didn’t think would be possible seeing how dominant Rafael Nadal has been.
From THR.com: Fox reality gets ‘Stranger’
Fox is developing a matrimonial reality series where brides-to-be don’t meet their husbands until they exchange vows.
In A. Smith & Co.’s “I Married a Stranger,” a woman frustrated by the dating scene agrees to wed a man she’s never met. While she prepares for her blind wedding, friends and family are shown selecting a spouse from a pool of six eligible suitors offered by producers. The men are eliminated one by one until only two candidates remain. Both finalists walk down the aisle, but only one makes it to the altar to reveal himself to his new wife.
“She never meets him until the actual moment when they say ‘I do,’ ” a source close to the project said. “It’s like the big scene that comes after an entire season of ‘The Bachelor,’ only this is in every episode.”
So marriage is sacred?
NYTimes.com: Budget Airline to Charge for Toilet Use
Faced with an annual loss for the first time in two decades, Ryanair, the European budget airline, confirmed on Tuesday that it plans to start charging passengers for the luxury of using the toilet on its jets.
My initial reaction was that this was pretty ridiculous. How can you charge for using the toilet? It seems the bad feelings generated would outweigh the revenue.
But, what if that meant lower fares for those of us who don’t need the toilet during a one hour flight? I use the bathroom on an airplane as an absolute last resort so the only time I use it is on very long flights which Ryanair doesn’t fly. I believe that the majority of the people who fly Ryanair don’t use the bathroom on the plane, so these passengers are subsidizing it for those who do.
So, it kind of makes sense in a way, but I am bothered by it. Having a snack on the plane is a choice, but going to the bathroom really isn’t.
NYTimes.com: The Lord Justice Hath Ruled: Pringles Are Potato Chips
Britain’s Supreme Court of Judicature has answered a question that has long puzzled late-night dorm-room snackers: What, exactly, is a Pringle? With citations ranging from Baroness Hale of Richmond to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Lord Justice Robin Jacob concluded that, legally, it is a potato chip.
Procter & Gamble’s lawyers argued that Pringles were not potato chips to get out of paying $160 million in taxes.
In Britain, most foods are exempt from the value-added tax, but potato chips — known as crisps — and “similar products made from the potato, or from potato flour,” are taxable. Procter & Gamble, in what could be considered a plea for strict construction, argued that Pringles — which are about 40 percent potato flour, but also contain corn, rice and wheat — should not be considered potato chips or “similar products.” Rather, they are “savory snacks.”
Getting out of paying the tax put P&G in the awkward position of arguing that Pringles lack “Potatoness”. I wonder what marketing things about that.
I don’t really have an interest in the Star Wars the Old Republic Online RPG game, but the trailer is a must see. Why can’t the movies have been more like this?
Maybe it’s time for a Star Wars reboot.
NYTimes.com: Bankrupt G.M. Says It Owes $172 Billion
Robert Lutz, G.M.’s vice chairman, said that “for the first time in our history, the American auto industry has the ear of the administration. Their number one goal is to make us successful.”
What a way to get the “ear” of the administration.
This is an amusing clip shot during the filming of Return of the Jedi.
People of Cincinnati and visitors to our fair city. Will you please throw your garbage in a trash can when attending Taste of Cincinnati? You know, those round or square containers that are placed every 15 or so feet?
Yes, I know people clean up after the festival, but what is so difficult in throwing your garbage away so that what little seating is available is somewhat sittable?
Also, I didn’t see any recycling bins for plastic bottles. Pretty bad, especially since they were selling all soft drinks in plastic bottles.
Overall, I felt that the food was mediocre. Good and distinctive restaurants don’t need Taste of Cincinnati for exposure and so they don’t participate.
I like the Ritz and Oreo packaging that I saw the other day at Target. It’s a much cleaner and simpler look with a design aesthetic. I especially like the word Oreo with each letter in a white circle, reminiscent of the white icing middle.
In contrast with the beauty of the new package, we have the old Double Stuf packaging on the right. Yes, it is spelled Double Stuf with one “f”.
It looks like there may be a functional change behind the package redesign. It looks like you can open the Oreo package and reseal it by lift the tab on the top. 
From NYTimes.com: A Prom Divided
“It’s awkward,” acknowledges JonPaul Edge, a senior who is white. “I have as many black friends as I do white friends. We do everything else together. We hang out. We play sports together. We go to class together. I don’t think anybody at our school is racist.” Trying to explain the continued existence of segregated proms, Edge falls back on the same reasoning offered by a number of white students and their parents. “It’s how it’s always been,” he says. “It’s just a tradition.”
It’s pretty surprising to me that this type of thing still exists. I wonder which prom Asians would attend if you lived down there.