Wife Wins $4.5 Million Mansion After Ignoring Husband’s Advice "Not to Bother”

When Nicola Dickinson decided to enter a contest to win a mansion, her husband Martyn's advice was, “Don’t bother.” The spectacular home in England’s Lake District comes mortgage-free and fully furnished, with its own private lake. The contest was held as a means of raising money for charity, with entries costing £25 ($33). Fortunately, Nicola decided to ignore her husband’s advice and buy a ticket anyway. As it turns out, that’s the best decision she could have made. She won the mansion, worth nearly $5 million, saying, “This is precisely why I never listen to my husband.” After the win, Nicola said her husband of 38 years had repeatedly told her she would “never win in a million years.” The day she won, the couple had been talking about potentially downsizing to keep on top of their spending. Nicola was also given £250,000 ($336,737) in cash to help her settle in. She can choose to either live in the house, rent it out for additional income, or sell it. “Martyn was joking that he’s a little disappointed he didn’t win the Porsche 911, but I’ve reminded him that if he plays his cards right, I can afford to buy him one now, so he shouldn’t be too upset!” The couple says they’re not sure what they’re going to do long-term, but they’re definitely going to enjoy the security and peace of mind the win has brought them.

 

 

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What Really Happens In Your Body When You Have Body Art Removed

What happens to a tattoo when you decide forever is too long? Tattoo removal is achieved through a series of laser treatments, typically 4-10 sessions. Laser-based treatments heat the tattoo pigment to temperatures up to 572º F, causing ink particles to break apart. While many assume the ink simply fades in the face of the laser’s light, the reality is a bit more complicated. When the laser hits the skin, the energy that’s absorbed by the pigment is converted to heat and the chemical bonds inside the pigment begin to break down into smaller pieces, similar to when glass shatters. As the laser’s heat penetrates the skin, it creates an inflamed wound. The healing process requires the immune system to dispatch specific white blood cells called macrophages to engulf/remove the fractured pigment particles, as they are recognized as foreign matter and the source of the inflammation. Meanwhile, the lymphatic system recognizes any remaining disintegrating ink as waste and expels it through sweat, urine or feces. The exact exit strategy of your tattoo depends on the metals and minerals in the ink. Basically, the ink will get metabolized through either your sweat glands, kidney or liver, which means you’re literally sweating, peeing or pooping out your tattoo’s ink particles. Black inks are typically made with iron, while yellow inks are made with cadmium. This chemical composition determines the type of laser needed to remove the offending ink. The colors that are easiest to remove include black, brown and blue. Areas of the body with the most circulation are easier to treat, while those with low circulation — like the fingers and toes — are typically more difficult to break down.

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Why Commercials Rarely Have Jingles These Days

We can all name a famous ad jingle — whether it’s McDonald’s “I’m lovin’ it,” or a golden oldie like “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup.” Despite their effectiveness, jingles have become relics of the mid-20th-century commercials they once dominated. Today’s pop songs and yesterday’s classics have effectively replaced the jingle. Even Oscar Mayer decided to retire two of the popular jingles of all time: “My bologna has a first name,” and “I wish I was an Oscar Mayer wiener.” So what killed the jingle? Credit for the first commercial jingle goes to a Wheaties spot in 1926. The jingle was a natural fit for radio, and later television, as both mediums were well-suited to audio. The Chiquita Banana jingle, first broadcast in 1944, taught American listeners how to store and eat the tropical fruit. At its height, the song was played an average of 376 times a day. Because jingles promised a reliable cash flow, a number of stars got their start writing them. Barry Manilow, for one, is to thank for “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there,” and “I am stuck on Band-Aid Brand, ‘cause Band-Aid’s stuck on me!” If there needs to be an individual to thank for the death of the jingle, Michael Jackson would be a good candidate. His 1984 Pepsi campaign pioneered the complete melding of pop stardom and product promotion. Foregoing singing a traditional jingle, he adapted his hit single “Billie Jean” by revising the chorus to “You're the Pepsi generation, guzzle down and taste the thrill of the day, and feel the Pepsi way.” That campaign inspired a deluge of celebrity partnerships, and before long the jingle was put into the archives of advertising. Still, the lowly jingle was simple and straightforward, something today’s commercials are not.

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New Jersey Still Has Some Pretty Strange Laws on the Books

Most states have outdated, often humorous, laws still technically on the books, covering bizarre prohibitions like eating frogs in California after contests, donkeys sleeping in bathtubs in Arizona after 7 p.m., and wearing a fake mustache to church in Alabama. New Jersey, however, has some of the strangest — and funniest — laws still on the books, making you wonder why they’ve never been repealed. Here are just a few of the ridiculous laws that are still on the books in New Jersey. 

• • It’s illegal to slurp soup in New Jersey. The law was originally aimed at “unruly tavern behavior.” 
• • In Trenton, it’s illegal to eat pickles on Sunday.
• • It’s illegal to wear a bulletproof vest while committing a violent act in New Jersey.
• • In Manville, it’s illegal to offer alcohol or tobacco to zoo animals.
• • It’s illegal to sell cars on Sundays in New Jersey.
• • In Newark, it’s illegal to purchase ice cream after 6 p.m. without a doctor’s note.
• • Handcuffs can’t be sold to minors in New Jersey.
• • It’s illegal in New Jersey for a man to knit during fishing season.

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