The American Dream is changing … While plenty of people still think owning a home is an important, a growing number of Americans are cooling to the idea, with a whopping 82 percent saying their “American Dream” is simply financial security for themselves and their family. This seems to be a reaction to so many still struggling with big time debt -- and seeing just how expensive owning a home can be. (MarketWatch)
Plastic Un-Fantastic … Kroger, the largest grocery store chain in the U.S., has announced that it will get rid of single-use plastic bags in all of its stores by 2025. According to research by the grocer, “Single-use plastic bags are the fifth-most common single-use plastic found in the environment with 100 billion tossed in the U.S. each year.” (Today)
Coffee on demand … IBM has obtained a patent for a coffee drone that would not only deliver coffee directly to you -- but would also be able to predict exactly when you need it. That’s right – the drone has sensors that would be able to identify if someone is sleepy, or low-energy or otherwise in need of a caffeine boost. (The Spoon)
Who says texting is bad for you? If you want to burn an easy 100 calories, all you have to do is text – for an hour straight. If you’d rather talk than text, you can burn 50 calories by talking nonstop for an hour. (Diply)
Bring nature to you … Saturday, August 25th was the 102nd anniversary of the National Park Service – and to get everyone in on the celebration, the National Park Foundation has launched a streaming service called ParkTracks. It’s a 12-minute mix of sounds from national parks across the country. Just go to FindYourPark.com and turn your house, commute, or cubicle into a walk in the park. (Shape)