Toilet paper dolls

Yep, toilet paper. 2 dressed rolls to complete a Combination Doll.

Put on a different attire and they are ready to be wedding favors.

It’s allllll in the dressing…which also says: “(Thank you very much!) This is a very convenient doll. If you need it, you can use this. The doll will give you happiness.”

Have a happy weekend!

[Images from Tongari]

Magnet and stainless steel cookware

With all the attraction-seeking, I stumbled upon a topic concerning the testing of nickel in stainless steel (SS) cookware with a magnet because of the possibility of nickel (and other toxic metal ions) leaching into food.

Quick jots on nickel:

• SS is an alloy made up chromium, steel iron, molybdenum, nickel and other metals.
• Nickel is magnetic but when added to the steel mix, the changes in its structure (due to the magnetic field) causes the steel to turn non-magnetic.
• Common SS grades:
  18/0   — 18% chromium, no nickel
  18/8   — 18% chromium, 8% nickel
  18/10 — 18% chromium, 10% nickel

• Nickel is added to SS to protect against corrosion and to give SS its glow.
• SS cookware would usually have a magnetic base so that they can also be used on an induction stove, which uses a magnetic field to heat up the cookware.
• If SS is magnetic, nickel is absent.
• If SS is not magnetic, nickel is present.
• The following is said to encourage more leaching:
  - Salty or acidic food stored or cooked in SS
  - Steel scouring pad and harsh abrasive
  - Pitted surface due to extended use

• Austenitic stainless steels like 18/8 and 18/10 are non-magnetic however a small amount of magnetism is produced after cold forming, e.g. bending and rolling.
• SS cookware can be made up of layers consisting of aluminium (or even copper) sandwiched between 18/10 SS, shielded with a polished magnetic stainless steel exterior. This explains why a 18/10 pot or pan can be magnetic.

  Brands that make such cookwares are All-Clad, Emerilware, Dr Weil and WMF.

I have 4 SS pots from WMF, only 2 are magnetic all over, inside and out. Excluding the lid + handles.

Magnetic stuff around the house

To continue with the magnetic trail that was paved because of tea tins, I trailed behind every piece of possible metal seeking for *attraction*.

With the understanding that iron, steel (an alloy of iron), nickel and cobalt are magnetic, here are some of their comrades:

✜ Stainless steel (SS) cookware; esp pot base
✜ SS utensils, including chopsticks
✜ SS sink
✜ SS scourging sponge (surprise!)
✜ Mandoline
✜ Washing machine drum
✜ Fridge casing
✜ Eyelash curler
✜ Tweezer
✜ Scissors, plier, shears, can-opener and knife
✜ Cast iron cookware
✜ Cast iron stove cap and grid
✜ Baking tray
✜ Nickel jewlery
✜ Jar lid
✜ Food can
✜ Tea/cookie tin
✜ Paint can
✜ Sewing needles
✜ Ikea Gruntal and Galant leg
✜ Hammer, wrench and spanner
✜ Allen key
✜ Screwdriver head
✜ Bolt and nut
✜ Concrete nails
✜ Wood nails
✜ Screw and screw hook
✜ Spring
✜ Picture hanging plate
✜ Keyring
✜ Paper clip
✜ Binder clip
✜ Round binder clip
✜ Staple
✜ Steel rule
✜ Safety pin
✜ Watch battery
✜ Batteries, such as AA and AAA
✜ USB drive connector

[More: Which metals are not magnetic? @ Ask A Scientist]

Pears soap

In the good old days, I grew up with Pears as the family’s official facial cleanser. Pears has a certain class of its own which is simply unforgettable…that’s why we still wash with it.

Locally, it’s no longer sold everywhere* like it used to, and it’s no longer made in the UK but in India.

* Found it at Nishino pharmacies and more recently at CK, the budget store for more than half the price!

Bill rounding

Since the use of 1 cent coins ended years ago, shops would round down to the nearest 5 cent on their bills. Or so I thought.

It came upon me recently when I was at a supermarket checkout, that if I pay cash, I get to pay a rounded amount which is lesser than if I were to pay with a card (whether debit or credit).

Simply put, if the cash register flashes $9.04, I can pay $9.00 in cash while my receipt will show ‘Rounding adjustments’ to deduct the 4 cents. If I pay by card, there’s no rounding, I will be charged $9.04 flat and the receipt will likewise reflect this figure.

Quickly, I checked with another supermarket and this one declares a rounded figure on the register. Hence no matter which mode of payment is chosen, the same amount is charged. In my case (2nd receipt from the left), $19.30 was the rounded figure I paid with a card.

Did more checks on bookstores, restaurants, shops and not forgetting the other receipts I had on hand, only to confirm fears that they won’t do rounding when we do cards. So for how long have I have been paying extra cents just because!

The few people I talked to just heard it from me…can you believe us?!

p.s. No rounding on credit card/utility bills when you pay cash at the counters, you would have to pay more or risk late charges on unpaid cents. :-)

Funny but true – smile

Western food

In unison we decided on western food for dinner before heading home to watch last night’s table tennis matches at the Olympics on TV.

Site seeing: offsetting carbon footprints

As a traveler, I’m aware of the greenhouse gases I contribute, so with that, there’s an extra trip to make:

Go Zero, where

* $10 offsets an average trip including air travel, a one-night hotel stay, and rental car for one person.

* $25 negates air travel, four-night hotel stay, and rental car for two people.

* $40 equalizes the effects of air travel, four-night hotel stay, and rental car for four people.