Remembering “McPlane” — the McDonald’s Jet That Served Burgers and Milkshakes

If you own a company, you can handle marketing like everyone else. If, however, money is no object, you can pull off some pretty memorable marketing stunts. That’s exactly what McDonald’s did back in 1996 when it came up with the “McPlane.” The McPlane was a McDonnell-Douglas MD-83 that was converted to fit the McDonald’s iconic red and gold color scheme. The conversion included replacing the original seats with 161 seats in ketchup-red leather with the yellow “M” on the headrests. The burger giant teamed up with local tour operator Hotelplan to make family vacations even more memorable by turning the flying experience into something to look forward to, not just a means to an end. The menu onboard was inspired by the famous McDonald's menu, which included McNuggets, a variety of burgers, soda and milkshakes. Unfortunately, fries were not on the menu because they couldn't do any deep-frying in the air. Perhaps the strangest thing about the menu was that the food wasn't even McDonald's. All items on the menu were "custom made," so they would allow storing and serving at a later hour, with the goal of "recreating the McDonald's experience." How's that for a stunt?

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Creative and Colorful Hats Steal the Show at the Royal Ascot Horse Races in England

Extravagant, elaborate and sometimes gravity-defying hats take center stage each summer at Royal Ascot, the 5-day horse racing festival held at Ascot Racecourse in southern England, a venue founded by Queen Anne in 1711. The Royal Ascot is famous for its strict dress code, which famously transforms the Berkshire race grounds into a high-fashion runway. Racegoers — particularly on Ladies’ Day — embrace the opportunity to wear wildly creative headpieces, ranging from towering floral arrangements to sculptural masterpieces. These are the hats that were on display this year.

 

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Japanese Man Visiting the U.S. is Perplexed by Mexican Restaurant Freebies

This story is a funny reminder that what seems ordinary in one country can feel extraordinary in another. An unidentified Japanese man was in the U.S. to enjoy the FIFA World Cup. He and his friends went to a Mexican restaurant, where they were served chips and salsa prior when they were seated. The man stopped the server, “We have not earned these.” The server responded, “They just come with the table, man.” The Japanese man was stunned. In his country, hospitality is a debt. Every gift creates an obligation, weighed carefully, returned at the proper time. In America, the gift arrived before he had even proven he could pay for dinner. To the foreigner, this was not an appetizer…….it was a declaration: “We trust you, eat.” The man obliged and enjoyed the free chips and salsa, but before long the basket was empty. Suddenly, the server brought a fresh basket, assuring the man that the chips and salsa were “bottomless.” The Japanese man had accepted three baskets, even though he had been warned by his friend, “Don’t fill up on chips, dude.” Too late. Honor demanded that the man finish each one; after all, an unfinished gift in Japan is an insult. On social media, the Japanese man explained his dilemma: 

"By the time my actual food arrived, I was a ruined man. I was not hungry. I was not comfortable. I had been defeated by a courtesy. Generosity that arrives before the request cannot be repaid. It can only be survived. I know the rule now. I have made my peace with the basket. One basket. Two at the most. Who am I kidding? There is no number of baskets I would refuse. The trust of a nation is in that salsa, and I intend to honor all of it.”

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Don’t Make This Common Mistake with Ants

We’ve all been there — a tiny ant crawling across the kitchen counter. A little panic, followed by an attempt to remove it unharmed, often ends with a frustrated squish! You think the problem has been solved, but then the masses descend. The common mistake we all make is squashing them. There’s a scientific reason why that’s a bad idea. When you squash an ant, it releases pheromones that signal to members of its colony that they should retrieve its body or mount an attack on a threat. Ants are fastidious, so they keep their nest and trails very clean. Because of this, they don’t let a dead member of the colony remain near one of their pheromone trails. When they get the distress signal via pheromones, worker ants quickly assemble and remove the body. So, what starts as a tangle with a single ant can quickly turn into a full-blown invasion. If you see a single ant in your home and are inclined to save a life, it’s worth removing it from the home and setting it a safe distance away so it can’t immediately re-enter. Humans can’t actually see pheromone trails, but if you see ants in a particular area, wipe down the area with lemon juice or vinegar. That will throw ants off their own trails.

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