Where did the inflatable dancing man come from? You know what we mean: the tall fabric puppets that you attach to a fan and let loose to dance in the air, capturing the attention of people passing by. Where did the air dancer come from? They’ve been around for less than 18 years, and have an origin story involving three countries and the Olympic Games. [More]

RadioShack Will Stop Matching Workers’ Retirement Contributions Next Year
RadioShack, the electronics retailer that once called itself “America’s Technology Store” and now wants to repair your cracked iPhone screen, is willing to try just about anything to stay in business. While they negotiate with lenders for permission to close more stores, the chain announced that it will end matching contributions to employees’ retirement plans as of February 1, 2015. [More]

Security Video Shows Thief Apparently Hypnotizing Shopkeeper Before Picking His Pockets
The next time I find myself suddenly without any cash, I’m now going to be convinced that it was a hypnotizing thief lightening my load. Because yes, that can apparently happen: Police in London believe a shopkeeper might’ve been put in a trance by a guy caught on CCTV who then picked his pockets. [More]

Cracker Barrel Waitress Scores Ultimate Tip: A Car
After seeing the woeful state of their waitress’s car parked outside the Branson, MO, Cracker Barrel where she worked, a couple from Arkansas decided to leave her a pretty nice tip — in the form of a car. [More]

Tesla Batteries Might Be The Next Big Threat To Electric Companies
Electric cars might not be great for gas companies, but they feel like a net win for the electric utilities: after all, if you’re plugging in a Tesla in the garage every night, that’s a little more juice they can charge you for using. Tesla’s goal, though, isn’t just to make cars less environmentally hostile, but to make everything else that way too. And that might just be a huge problem for existing electric utilities. [More]

Canada Gives The Union Of Burger King & Tim Hortons Its Blessing
Burger King has been itching to go down the aisle with Tim Hortons for months, and now that the coffee chain’s motherland has given the okay, it’s one step closer to wedded bliss. Canada has officially given its approval of Burger King’s bid to buy Tim Hortons. No word on whether it’s likely to cry during its toast at the reception. [More]
Why Are 100,000 People On A Waiting List To Buy Duck Boots From L.L. Bean?
Do you need a warm and waterproof pair of boots so you can tromp through serious snow, slush, and ice this winter? If so, you really should have planned ahead. L.L. Bean reports that their duck boots (which are not made out of actual ducks) for men and women alike are pre-ordered so far in advance that for some sizes, you’ll be waiting around until mid-March to get your boots. [More]

For-Profit College Hired Exotic Dancers As Admissions Reps
The operators of a now-defunct for-profit college in Florida allegedly told its admissions directors to do whatever it took to sell the school to potential students. Among the tactics used by the school is one straight out of a wacky, low-budget, late-night college movie you might see on Cinemax. [More]

Sprint Exec Admits That “Half-Off” Offer Will Likely Only Result In Savings Of Around 20%
Earlier this week, Sprint introduced a new offer for current Verizon and AT&T customers looking to switch service — same amount of data at half the price. We noted at the time that the major catch to this deal is that you have to pay full price for your new phone when you switch (or pay $200), but how much would that cut into your savings? According to one top Sprint exec, quite a lot. [More]

Don’t Want To Buy An Ugly Holiday Sweater You’ll Only Wear Once? Now You Can Rent It
If you don’t have a female relative over the age of 50 who can conveniently provide you with a glittery, puffy landscape of giant snowflakes and bedazzled Christmas trees, it’s understandable that you don’t want to drop the big bucks on an ugly holiday sweater you’ll never wear again after that Ugly Holiday Sweater Party you’ll inevitably be invited to at some point in your life. As an alternative, now you can rent one. And never see it again, like that other mistake you made last holiday season. [More]

Starbucks Wants To Open A Chain Of Even More Upscale Coffee Shops
You may have thought that Starbucks was already an upscale coffee chain. Perhaps it is, compared to brewing your own Folgers at home, but there are even pricier coffee shops out there that offer even finer coffees. Starbucks wants to compete with these shops, which you haven’t heard of because you can’t afford to visit: even if you can, you probably don’t want to pay $45 for a pound of roasted beans. [More]

Cat Owners Who Value A Smell-Free Home Should Thank This Guy For Inventing Kitty Litter
Cat owners: There is a debt of gratitude to be paid. Every time you walk into a home with a cat that doesn’t smell like cat pee, and every night that you spend comfortably in your bed with your favorite feline friend snoozing cozily on your feet is all because of one guy, when you get right down to it. He is the guy who invented kitty litter. [More]

26-Year Delta Air Lines Vet Says He Was Fired After Criticizing Baggage Handler Pay
There is a game of he said/airline said going on between a baggage handler who was recently fired after more than two decades on the job. He claims he was fired for speaking out publicly on his co-workers’ wages while Delta maintains that the man’s statements were untrue and in violation of company policy. [More]
McDonald’s Customer & His Cat Pepper-Sprayed By Other Customer

Anyone who has worked in retail — especially foodservice — is familiar with pesky customers who have to repeatedly be told to leave the store. But one such standoff in Seattle apparently escalated quickly to the point where at least two adults and a cat were all doused in pepper spray. [More]

Sears Holdings Admits Plans To Close 105 More Stores, Won’t Say Which Ones
Last week, we shared an updated version of a list naming 109 Kmart and Sears stores reported by employees or local media outlets to be closing by early 2015. While Sears still won’t confirm or deny these reports on a company-wide level, the company did tell investors as part of its quarterly earnings report this week that it plans to close 105 more stores by the beginning of next year. [More]

Singapore Airlines Accidentally Sells 900 Business Class Fares At Economy Price
Travelers who thought they’d lucked into some magically low fares on Singapore Airlines are in for a disappointment — the airline says that after a computer glitch allowed Australian travel agents to sell 900 business class fares at economy prices, the agents will either have to provide the difference in fare, or passengers will have the option of flying economy or getting a full refund. [More]

FCC Releases Massive Study On Mobile Phone Theft, Asks Wireless Companies To Start Making Changes
Smartphones are amazingly convenient: tiny little hand-sized computers that make it easy to organize our lives on the go. They’re also amazingly good targets for theft: tiny, portable, expensive, and full of personal information. Mobile device theft is on the rise, just as mobile devices are, and the FCC has been trying to find ways to protect consumers when their devices get yanked from their hands. [More]

Secret Santa Gifts $15K To Pay For Strangers’ Walmart Layaway Items
It’s that time of year again, when generous folks around the country pop in to their local retailers and plunk down a pile of cash to make strangers’ holidays happier by paying for their layaway purchases. This time, some secret Santa in Ohio left a substantial $15,000 gift under shoppers’ trees. [More]


