Posts Tagged ‘toilet paper’
Suspicious white substance on plane is toilet paper dust
A suspicious white substance in an airplane bathroom?
It could be anthrax, could be explosive residue or — as authorities in California learned Friday — it could be toilet paper.
The white dust appeared in the back lavatory of Alaska Airline’s Flight 508 soon after it took off Friday afternoon from Seattle, said Bobbie Eagan, a spokeswoman for the carrier. Sometime during the 1,000-mile flight, the flight’s crew notified authorities about the unknown substance and asked for help.
Fire department crews, law enforcement officers and hazardous materials experts circled the plane soon after it touched down shortly after 4 p.m. at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California, according to Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Mike Fergus.
The aircraft’s 151 passengers and six crew members deplaned, and authorities climbed on board. They included members of the Orange County Fire Authority, who along with members of the county’s sheriff department tested the suspicious substance.
Capt. Greg McKeown, the fire department’s spokesman, said that authorities eventually determined that white dust actually was a “cellulose paper material” — or, in other words, what appeared to be toilet paper.
Phew. Another critical incident for Homeland Security successfully resolved. Probably only cost how much? $10,000? $20,000? Good thing we can afford all this security, eh?
Irish pupils told to “bring your own” toilet paper!
It is a cost-cutting measure that could have come from the era of Frank McCourt’s misery memoir of poverty and deprivation, Angela’s Ashes. As the Irish government tries to plug the black hole in the country’s public’s finances, a school in Cork, which declares itself strapped for cash, has asked its pupils to bring in their own lavatory paper.
Parents with children at St John’s Girls’ national school, in Carrigaline, County Cork, received the request last week.
The school’s principal, Catherine O’Neill, wrote: “Dear parent, from time to time we will request your daughter to bring in a toilet roll to her class teacher. These rolls will be specifically for your daughter’s class and will be dispensed by the class teacher. We would also request that your daughter has tissues in her sack at all times.”
Ireland’s public finances have been battered in the economic downturn, and education has not escaped savage cuts in funding.
O’Neill said the voluntary measure was taken because of the cutbacks. “We are endeavouring to trim down expenses and ensure we use our grants towards [educational needs] ,” she said.
The notoriously poor quality of some school toilet paper has long been the butt of many jokes, but the move angered parents.
The butt of many jokes. Har!
Meanwhile, the battle is fought in every state and province. Our governor has declared education a sanctuary while the state legislature prepares to decide on budget cuts to carry through the recession.
Governor Bill has so pledged; but, the predictable clot of Blue Dog Democrats and Conservative Republicans could care less about education and what it means for the future of the children of New Mexico – though we don’t even reach the dismal national average for graduating students.
Green toilet paper not super-soft, just smarter
This is NOT what we’re talking about!
Some U.S. toilet paper makers say they’re taking steps to make their product “green,” which will make it less soft and fluffy but better for the environment.
But others say U.S. customers still want the soft stuff, so they’re still selling it.
“At what price softness?” Marcal Manufacturing LLC Chief Executive Officer Tim Spring told The Washington Post. “Should I contribute to clear-cutting and deforestation because the big (marketing) machine has told me that softness is important? You’re not giving up the world here.”
His Elmwood Park, N.J., company is trying to persuade customers to try 100 percent recycled paper…
The challenge is in how toilet paper is made. Each sheet is a web of wood fibers. Fibers from old trees are longer, producing a smoother and more supple web.
Fibers made from recycled paper such as magazines, newspapers or computer printouts are shorter, producing a web that is often rougher.
It ain’t sandpaper, folks.
I hadn’t thought about the question till I read this article – and waited till this morning, grocery shopping time, to check out what’s available at the 2 stores where we get 98% of our family stuff.
To my pleasant surprise, both chains only offered recycled toilet paper. Trader Joe’s was cheaper – no surprise. But, I doubt if anyone shopping there needed to make a special stop on the way home to reduce fear of abrasion on their butt.
