Is ABC’s “Golden Bachelor” Just Boomer Bait?

In September 1985, a new hit premiered on NBC. The network envisioned a show like nothing else on TV. Their idea was to take some women around 60 that society has written off as being “over the hill” and show them being feisty and having a great time. The result was The Golden Girls, the sitcom about a group of single women — widowed and divorced — living together in a house in Florida. The show was ranked in the Top 10 of Nielsen ratings for 6 of its 7 seasons. Here were are, 38 years later, and ABC is betting that a house full of single women between the ages of 60 and 75 and the 72-year-old man whose heart they’ll vie to win can achieve ratings success with boomers (aged 59-77) who still flip on the TV for the prime-time lineup and have yet to fully abandon network television for streaming. As it turns out, The Golden Bachelor was the most-watched show of the week on network television on Thursday night, so it’s at least off to a good start.

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Corinthian Leather is Not What You Think it is

It’s helpful to know about different types of leather when choosing one for a project or buying a product. There are actually 5 types of leather, including full grain, genuine, top grain, split grain, and bonded leather. Full grain leather is by far the best in terms of quality. Unlike other grains, full grain hasn’t been separated from the top grain or split layers, and is the strongest and most dependable type of leather. The difference between full grain and genuine leather is the layers of skin from which they’re made. Full grain is made from the top layer, while genuine leather is made from the layers under the top layer and is thinner. Top grain leather is leather that's  been sanded and buffed to remove imperfections, making it smoother and more uniform in texture. Split grain leather is crafted from the fibrous part of the hide once the top grain has been separated from the raw hide, and it has a rougher texture. Bonded leather is the lowest grade of leather, made up of scrap leather and polyurethane — it’s the particle board of leathers. You might be wondering why you haven’t seen any mention of Corinthian leather. Corinthian leather is not an actual type of leather at all, but rather a marketing term created by the Chrysler automobile company in 1974 to describe premium leather seat material. The goal was to set the leather apart from competitors by implying that it was rich in quality, rare, and luxurious. Corinthian leather was made in New Jersey, not in some exotic place. It’s the same leather that’s used in other cars, made of less-costly animal hides that have imperfections such as scars from barbed-wire fencing, which are then hidden by embossing the leather. So, the next time you run across something that’s “Corinthian leather,” don’t be too impressed.

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SodaStream Has Been Around Longer Than You Think

Home carbonation may seem like a new trend, but SodaStream itself was founded in 1903. The head of a London-based gin distillery started the company after coming across a way to fizz up drinks just as pharmacy chemists were starting to dream up the top brand sodas that we enjoy today. SodaStream's original platform was limited to the affluent. It didn't have a viable home carbonation for consumers on the market until the 1950s. However, by the 1970s it had become a hit in the U.K. along with its catchy "get busy with the fizzy" campaign that continues to carry some retro charm. It may seem as if SodaStream is gaining momentum domestically, and a 36% surge in U.S. sales in its latest quarter bears that out. However, SodaStream's market penetration here is just 2%. Compare that with Sweden, where one in every four homes reportedly has a SodaStream soda maker. If there's anything that may keep Coca-Cola or PepsiCo up at night when it comes to SodaStream, it's that the small company can really move the needle if more countries wind up embracing the platform the way the Swedes have. SodaStream also has updated its actual maker, including newer models that eliminate the guesswork of deciding the level of carbonation by manual operation. There are also SodaCaps, which are single-serve flavor capsules that eliminate the need for pouring syrup out of a bottle. SodaStream is just getting started. It's been in development on everything from a solution for fountain distribution at retail food establishments to a solution that takes place beneath the sink so you can pour carbonated water straight from the tap. It really is the Willy Wonka factory of carbonation.

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The Man You Can Thank For the Chocolate Bar

Chocolate as a drink was a favorite of the Emperor of the Aztecs, and Spanish conquistador Hernando Cortez brought the drink back to Spain in 1529, where it remained the favorite drink of Spanish royalty for years. However, it was a man named Joseph Fry who discovered chocolate for eating in 1847. He found a way to mix cocoa powder, sugar, and cocoa to create a paste that could be pressed into a mold. The resulting candy bar was a success. Early chocolate bars were made of bittersweet chocolate, beginning with Fry’s Chocolate Cream bar in 1866. Then, in 1875, Henry Nestle — maker of evaporated milk — and chocolate maker Daniel Peter created the more palatable milk chocolate. In 1879, Rodolphe Lindt began adding cocoa butter back to the chocolate, which produced a bar that would hold its hardened shape and melt on the tongue. Then, in 1900, Milton S. Hershey installed chocolate machinery in his Lancaster, Penn., factory and produced the first American-made milk chocolate bar. So, while we recognize the names Nestle, Lindt and Hershey as being chocolate royalty, we have Joseph Fry to thank for getting the chocolate bar rolling.

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