Couple Sues JetBlue After a Block of Ice Fell From a Plane and Crashed Into Their Bedroom

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! — at least for one California couple. On New Year’s Day, Michael and Leah Reese were settling into bed for the evening when a large block of ice the size of a watermelon slammed into their bedroom, just missing their bed. The couple, who lives near Los Angeles International Airport in Inglewood, are now suing JetBlue for $1 million, alleging the ice ball came from JetBlue Flight 2715, which was flying over their home at that exact moment. The couple is asking for $300,000 for emotional distress, $300,000 for pain and suffering, $40,000 in medical expenses, and $360,000 in property damages. The FAA investigation found that the aircraft had a “history of potable water issues dating back to July 2023,” and was allegedly responsible for a similar incident in August 2023. In that case, a slab of “clear ice” crashed through the roof of a home in Boston. The Reeses says they live in fear that this will happen again, which has caused them to begin looking for a new place to live.

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Why Is It Called a “Manila” Envelope?

The days of getting important documents in the mail instead of by email may be waning, but there’s still plenty of mileage left in the Manila envelope. The oversized, heavy-duty enclosures can send and store everything from contracts to insurance policies to secret documents. So why are they called “Manila” envelopes? In the 1830s, American stationery companies were experiencing supply shortages. Cotton and linen rags —which were used to produce paper pulp — were growing scarce. To keep production up, paper manufacturers turned to the Manila rope typically found on ships. In contrast to cotton and linen, Manila rope was derived from Manila hemp — an extremely strong and durable material sourced from Manila — hence it being named after the country’s capital. Unlike the products of today, early Manila paper was much heavier and more like cardboard than paper. One sheet could be folded in half to make a simple folder, and because it was water-resistant, the folder was ideal for transporting important documents. Manila was phased out of most paper manufacturing, but the durability of Manila products caused companies to continue using unbleached, yellowish paper to make large envelopes. They also kept their “Manila” designation, despite no longer featuring the plant fiber.

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Woman Inherits Stranger’s Fortune Thanks to Genealogy

Lorraine Gesell was initially skeptical when she discovered she was 85-year-old Raymond Howson’s only living relative. Howson had never married or had children, which is likely why he left no will behind. Following his death, Finders International, a probate genealogist firm set out to locate any potential heirs to his substantial estate. Their search led them to Lorraine, a 60-year-old resident of Canada. Her mother had migrated from Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, UK, to Canada back in 1951 and was found to be a first cousin of Howson. That made Lorraine the beneficiary of his ￡400,000 ($492,746) estate. Researchers explained that if they had not found Lorraine, Howson’s estate would have gone into the government’s unclaimed estates fund. Family members and heirs have 12 years to claim an estate once it has been reported as unclaimed. After that time, the money becomes the property of the government. As for Lorraine, she says her inheritance will be split between a nice vacation and some home improvements.

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The World’s Smallest Escalator Is Useless

The escalator is one of humanity’s most useful inventions, allowing people to effortlessly travel between floors in places where elevators would be impractical. However, the world’s smallest escalator is pretty much useless. Holding no purpose other than to claim the Guinness record for the world’s smallest escalator, a 5-step, 32.8-inch escalator in the basement of More’s Department Store in Kawasaki, Japan, is considered more of a tourist attraction than a useful piece of technology. While it’s usable, its five steps offer no real benefit to riders over traditional stairs. In 1989, its designers wanted to connect the store’s underground level to that of the adjacent Azalea underground shopping center. They weren’t perfectly aligned, so even though the difference in levels wasn’t that great, they decided to implement a set of conventional stairs and a small escalator………only that escalator ended up shorter than they planned because of a design oversight. After failing to fulfill its original purpose of connecting the floors, it just connects to a short set of conventional steps, making it virtually useless. 

 

 

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