Official Garlic Bread Tester Wanted

So, do you love garlic bread? Like really love it? Well, if you’re willing to travel to the other side of the world, Domino’s has the dream job for you.

On LinkedIn, the fast food chain has posted an opening for a “Chief Garlic Bread Taste Tester” for its HQ in Brisbane, Australia.

“We’re looking for someone a little bit crunchy, but mostly warm and soft on the inside,” notes the ad, which states, alas, it’s a short time gig.

The job will pay $30 an hour for one working day of 7.5 hours — including a pizza lunch. “The ideal candidate,” the ad notes, “Never met a carb they didn’t like,” and “understands the perfect ‘crunch to softness’ ratio.”

Also required: you must have “working taste buds” and a “minimum of 5 years’ experience in garlic bread consumption.”

Oh, and you cannot “identify as a vampire.” You know, the whole garlic thing.

If it sounds like your dream job, complete a survey and, the company asks, “tell us in 200 words OR in a 30 second video why you are the perfect candidate for the job.”

But the ad warns, “no loafing around!” Applications close Monday, October 7.

Kindness Counts

While opinions may seem to differ day to day, a new international study shows that long term, people prefer kindness in a romantic partner.

The study, conducted by researchers from Swansea University in Wales, surveyed 2,700 students from different parts of the world, in an effort to see what people have in common in finding a partner — regardless of culture.

The survey included students in Western countries including the U.S., the UK, Australia, Norway and New Zealand, as well as students in Eastern countries including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

The study used a “money” system to rate which qualities were important to the test subjects.  Basically, the subjects were tasked with building their ideal partner by allocating imaginary dollar amounts to eight different qualities.

Kindness came out on top, followed by attractiveness and financial stability. “Luxury” characteristics were considered those ranked as nice, but not necessary.

The 2,700 students spent 22-26% of their “money” on kindness. Perhaps not surprisingly, both Eastern and Western men spent more of their money on attractiveness than did women of both cultures: 22% vs. 16% respectively.

Women from both regions put more of a value on good finances than did men: 18% to 12%, respectively.

The other qualities that the participants could have “purchased” included chastity, strong religious beliefs, creativity and a desire to have children.

“humor was indispensable for Western women and [considered] a luxury for Eastern women,” noted the study. Also getting the short shrift? Creativity and chastity: both Eastern and Western women say it wasn’t necessary. For Western women and men, having a “religious” partner wasn’t that important.

Similarly, humor was a necessity for Western men, and a luxury for their Eastern counterparts. “Chastity, creativity, and the desire for children” were luxuries for both groups of men, the study noted.

Superbowl Half-Time Show Announced for 2020

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira will be performing during the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, February 2, 2020. The pop stars confirmed the news via Twitter on Thursday afternoon.

… Maroon 5 headlined last year’s Super Bowl halftime show from Atlanta’s Mercedez-Benz Stadium, with Travis Scott and Outkast’s Big Boi also appearing.

… Super Bowl 54 will be held on Sunday, February 2, 2020 from Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida. It will air on Fox.

Wacky But True: Dental Edition

A man in England said he couldn’t get an appointment with any dentists in his area, so he drank a half-bottle of vodka and then used a pair of rusty pliers to extract three of his own teeth.

Facebook Testing Like Counts

Facebook is testing whether hiding like counts will make for better conversations. The company began to hide the number from posts in Australia today (Friday). A Facebook spokesperson says, “We are running a limited test where Like, reaction, and video view counts are made private across Facebook. We will gather feedback to understand whether this change will improve people’s experiences.”

Need AAA Roadside Help? Just talk to Google or Alexa

New Feature Uses Digital Assistants to Place Service Requests

AAA members needing emergency service can now get help just by talking to their digital assistant. A new AAA-developed feature for Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa allows members to forgo the call and make requests for some roadside service needs, such as fuel refills, battery replacements, or flat tire repairs directly through their digital assistants.

“Roadside service is the leading reason members join AAA. With 1 in 3 calls originating from home, this new feature for Amazon Alexa and Google Home provides an innovative, convenient way for members to request service,” said Nick Jarmusz, Midwest director of public affairs for AAA – The Auto Club Group. “These sorts of services are something people have come to expect.”

There are about 118 million digital assistants in use in U.S. homes, and that number is growing every day.

Before using the feature – also called a “skill” – users must enable Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa on their smart device. To request help, members instruct Amazon Alexa to “Open AAA Road Service,” or tell Google Assistant to “Talk to AAA Road Service.” The skill works with home digital assistants, smartphones or tablets.

The first time a member uses the skill, they will be asked to provide information to confirm their AAA membership. Once that’s been done, the skill will talk them through the service-request process. In 2017, AAA unveiled a similar voice-activated service that allows members to find AAA-approved restaurants.

“This new feature has the potential to change the way many members interact with AAA – especially members who are digital natives,” said Jarmusz.

For now, the skill allows members to make certain types of roadside service requests only. Those include battery boost/replacement, fuel delivery, vehicle lockout service and flat tire service. AAA is exploring opportunities to expand the system to accommodate full-service requests such as towing.

Watch for Deals on National Coffee Day

Sunday is National Coffee Day and that means… DEALS! No doubt many chains coffee places — and maybe even a few local ones — will have specials. Dunkin’ is offering a special buy one, get one offer. On Sunday, September 29, anyone who purchases a hot coffee at participating Dunkin’ restaurants nationwide will get one hot coffee free (of equal or lesser value).

Wacky But True: Sandwich Edition

Police around the world are sharing a message tweeted out by the Peel police department in Ontario, Canada. The message is a simple one: don’t call 911 to complain about your restaurant food order. The tweet includes audio of a customer who called 911 because he’d previously been given tomato on a sandwich when he didn’t want it. In the audio, the customer is back at the same restaurant complaining that the owner was threatening him.

What Makes Your Kids Happy

Parents, do you know what makes your kids happy? It’s… YOU. That’s according to a survey (by Associated Press). Researchers asked more than 1,000 teens what gave them the most satisfaction, and guess what? The #1 Answer: Spending time with family. Hanging out with friends was #2. The big surprise? Money and material possessions ranked near the bottom of every teen’s list.

Walgreens Delivery Service

Walgreens has teamed up with drone delivery service Wing to bring food and beverages, over-the-counter medication and other items to customers. The testing will begin next month in Virginia and will offer more than 100 products and pre-built ‘packs’ for purchase in the Wing app.