Friday Snippets and Soundbites

It’s our final “Snippets and Soundbites” for September. That’s hard to believe! September has really flown by, at least for us!

And if this isn’t enough strange, slightly offbeat news for you, be sure to check out “Snippets and Soundbites” on page 38 of the September (and every issue) of ec. You know you wanna!

Ready for this week’s snippets? Let’s go!

And you thought Starbucks was expensive . . .
A college in St. Louis will have to pay $200,000 for a cup of coffee. And they are NOT happy about it. Apparently, back in July, a coffee maker that was rigged to a water line and left on resulted in a ruptured water line. Gallons upon gallons of water poured over four floors, damaging walls, ceilings, computers, and files. The college’s Board of Trustees will be asked to approve cleanup costs this week. Those costs are expected to include a $143,494 contract with a disaster-recovery company. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that school officials hope the campus will only have to pay the insurance deductible ($25,000) plus some other expenses ($54,000). Is a cup of coffee really worth all that expense? We’re not sure . . . but we’re just saying. To learn more about the coffee disaster, go here.

Shirt and tie
Maybe you hate wearing ties, but a British shirt company has a plan to make it a little more fun. Yep, they’re making a tie with a hidden iPod storage pocket. The pocket is just the right size for an iPod Nano. The company, Thomas Pink, is calling the invention/accessory “The Commuter Tie” and plans to release it this fall. You’ll be happy to know that there are also fabric loops that keep the wires hidden and close to your body. To learn more about the tie, go here. If you haven’t heard about all of Apple’s updates to the iPod Nano go here.

You ate what?!
You have to know that we on the ec team love us some burritos. Like a lot of burritos. But not as much as “Humble Bob” Shoudt who ate 33 burritos in 10 minutes last Friday. Let that sink in: 33 burritos! Shoudt won the 2009 World Burrito eating championship at the New Mexico State Fair. It is important to note that the 33 burritos Bob ate each weighed in at about a quarter of a pound and included tasty ingredients like beef, beans and green chile. Shoudt said his next stop was Louisiana for a grits-eating competition. There, he expected to compete against Joey Chestnut, a professional eater we’ve often featured in “Snippets and Soundbites.” Shoudt recently defeated Chestnut, the world champion professional eater, at a chili-eating contest. If you want to read more about Shoudt’s burrito-eating feat, go here. We’re just going to lie down for awhile and hope the stomach ache this story caused goes away soon. :)

Have a happy Friday and a great weekend, ec readers!