Yes, they are now making “smart mugs”…

Scientists Develop Intelligent Coffee Mug

The idea came to the researchers at the Christmas market in the Bavarian town of Rosenhiem. “We got upset because the mulled wine” — Glühwein, in German — “was always either too hot or too cold,” say Klaus Sedlbauer, the head of the Fraunhofer Institute for Building Physics (IBP), and his colleague Herbert Sinnesbichler. “We had to find a solution.”

Yep, gotta have that mulled wine at the correct temperature!  I guess the substance they are using keeps things at the right temp, I’m just trying to figure out how it knows what that temp is.  After all, how often have you gotten a drink that is too hot and needs to cool a bit… if this keeps it from cooling, that would be a problem.  Now if something is “too cool” does it warm it up?  Still seems to be a bit vague.

If they figure out these issues and it works, I will then know that my coffee mug is smarter than I am.

I am reminded once again how happy I am that we have well water now that we’ve moved to the Northeast. I swear they have the weirdest stuff happening here. Stuff I never saw happen in the Midwest.

Boil-water order issued for Gloucester

Gloucester Health Director Jack Vondras said the problems began because the historic port city is performing maintenance at its main water treatment plant. With the summer’s normally high demand and the recent heat wave, the two other water plants couldn’t keep up. That allowed water pressure to drop and contaminants to seep into the system.

Then there’s this.

Milford boil-water order completely lifted

Officials say the crisis was solved through patience and aggressive action, including taking the compromised Congress Street water storage tank off-line and pumping chlorine into the system and waiting for it to kill the bacteria.

Good Grief! This is something that happens several times a year up here in various towns.  I’m stunned.  The only time you heard boil water orders in the Midwest was when there was a water main break.   I’m just thanking my lucky stars we didn’t decide to buy a house that was hooked up to all the local utilities.  I’m finding it to be much more in our best health interest in having our own well water.

Whew!

When you live in Chicago, the only way you get noticed is to be a character.  If you’re a character people enjoy, you can make a living at it.

He carries a tune to pitch his beer

Even though there are no lyrics to composer Gioachino Rossini’s famous “William Tell Overture,” beer vendor Mark Reiner has added his own as he walks the aisles at Cubs and White Sox games.

The 55-year-old Reiner, a south suburban social studies teacher in the off-season, is better known to thirsty fans at Wrigley and U.S. Cellular fields as “The Singing Vendor.”

Hit the link and listen to the video.  Fun times at the ball park and you get a beer to go with it.

I have to say, I like his singing better than Ronnie Woo Woo’s, wooing.

Personal preference – no I don’t drink beer.  Heh.