Gothamist has a Q&A with Craig Zucker, founder of Tap’dNY, a company that purifies, bottles, and distributes water that doesn’t come from a spring in Poland or tropical Fiji. It comes out of every tap in New York City. Tap’dNY’s mantra: “drink locally.” Once the company has collected its taxpayer-supported loot, it filters it using reverse osmosis (to get out chemicals, such as chlorine), bottles it, and sells it around town for $1.50 in places like the Virgin Megastore.The psyche out involved here is that people don’t really associate New York City with cleanliness (of the subways, streets, minds, and especially not water). But, compared to the rest of New York State, the megalopolis’ water is the best, as judged by taste test at a state fair this summer. In the interview Zucker sheds some light on this seeming paradox:New York City is one of only 5 major cities in the country that comes from such a pure source that the EPA doesn’t require filtering at all. It comes from upstate, on it’s own power (the whole system is on a slope) and it’s pretty good. If you’re seeing discoloration or other impurities, it’s probably taking place in the last 100 feet. The pipes inside your building aren’t always the best.One caveat: The company suggests reusing the bottles–after all you’re refilling it from the same source. Plastic water bottles, however, came under fire earlier this year when an ingredient used to make them–bisphenol A–was found to pose a health risk. The chemical is released when the bottle breaksdown and mimics estrogen in the body, which can affect childhood development.As a result of the recent wave of negative press, bottlemaker Nalgene announced in April that it was phasing out BPA-containing products. To its credit Tap’dNY is about to begin selling branded Sigg bottles, which are made of aluminum.Though, all this goes back to something my colleague Andrew Price blogged about yesterday: making access to clean water a human right. (There is a world beyond NYC.)
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Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
The online community came through in a big way.
Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.
“A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”
His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.
Otis knew before they did. Canva Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.
So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”
The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.
Any chance your wife is pregnant?
ZZBC | Reddit
The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!
“The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”
Redditors responded with similar experiences.
Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.
realityisworse | Reddit
So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?
Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”
The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.
This article originally appeared last year.
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14 images of badass women who destroyed stereotypes and inspired future generations
These trailblazers redefined what a woman could be.
Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.
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Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories
Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.
While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.
When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.
Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.
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