MALL SANTAS DESCRIBE WEIRD THINGS KIDS HAVE ASKED FOR _ Mall Santa stopped by the website Reddit to share some of the weird things kids have asked for over the years:
• A fax machine
• A remote-controlled buffalo
• A unicorn starter kit
• Uranium
• Fish and chips
• A Nordstrom gift card
• A flamethrower
CAN’T HEAR WHAT ACTORS ARE SAYING ON TV? _ Some people turn on closed captions because they like how it helps them understand the plotlines of shows and movies, and lets them multitask in front of the tube. Others turn them on because they can’t hear what actors are saying. That doesn’t always mean they are hard of hearing. A report (from language-teaching app Preply) says: “Muddled audio is the top reason why more people are watching video with on-screen text. As more studios embrace advanced audio formats for at-home content, not every device can keep up. People tend to blame their flat-screen TVs for bad sound. The tube TVs of decades past had front-facing speakers that sent audio toward you, while new, super-thin models have speakers that are behind the screen or point downward, bouncing sound away from you. But your TV is just one of the culprits. The rest of the problem lies within virtually every other step of the audio process, from a studio’s production choices to the device used to watch the content.
SURVEY REVEALS THE BEST ADVICE GRANDPARENTS GIVE US _ A survey about grandparents compiled the most important pieces of advice people ever received from their grandpas and grandmas. The top five things we learned from our grandparents:
1. How to be thankful
2. How to cook
3. How to clean
4. How to be smart with money
5. How to do basic DIY.
