DAVID ADAMS writes about the odder side of life…
A sample of the pattern on some of the IHOP ‘Pancake Wear’. PICTURE: Via eBay.
• To mark it’s 60th anniversary, US chain IHOP was looking for that something special. And so we have PancakeWear, a breakfast-themed clothing line – some of which is already available to buy on eBay (sorry, looks like they ship to the US and Canada only) – which comes in both adult and children’s sizes and includes onesies, ‘lounge pants’ and socks. IHOP, who will be donating a percentage of the sales to the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, hopes to raise $5 million for children’s charities through its annual giving effort which runs until the end of the month. Purchasers are encouraged to wear their new gear to their local IHOP, so if you see people looking rather swish in some very special clothes at your local IHOP, you’ll know why.
• Slovenia unveiled what is believed to be the world’s first monument to Bitcoin (and the blockchain tech which underpins crypto-currencies) in the city of Kranj on Tuesday. Located at the centre of a roundabout, the circular metal sculpture weighs about three tonnes and has a diameter of some seven metres. The design features a B symbol with two vertical lines, used to represent both Bitcoin and blockchain. It was reportedly paid for by two local tech firms and part of a bid to help the city become something of a hub for the new technologies.
• Six pictograms showing how to use cutting edge Japanese toilets have been registered as a global standard. Kyodo News reports that the images – which depict everything from raising and lowering the lid to ‘bidet’ and ‘strong flush’ – have been accepted by the International Organization for Standardization. Local toilet manufacturers hope the move will help with exports to overseas markets. Better get familiar with them, stat.
