Since the outbreak of COVID-19, face masks have been in high demand. One company decided to take an eco-friendly approach to manufacturing and supplying the public with protective masks. The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) partnered with the sustainable sportswear company Rash’r to turn plastic pollution found in the ocean into face masks.

All proceeds from the masks go directly back into the manufacturing of more masks to help recycle plastics from the ocean. The masks feature a number of ocean-themed designs and include special sizes for kids. The company has received more than 15,000 mask pre-orders in just a few weeks—which has helped recycle more than 1,300 pounds (590 kg) of ocean pollution. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends that people wear cloth face masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in public places. The masks made by PADI offer a sustainable alternative to the N95 respirator masks being reserved for health care workers.

One thing you should know about me is that I am from New York and I am half Italian. That means when I like something,…

What’s inside? Here are the questions answered in today’s reader mailbag, boiled down to summaries of five or fewer words. Click on the number to jump straight down to the question. 1. Using my stimulus check 2. Gas prices and hybrid cars 3. Worried about returning to work 4. Wedding planning suggestions? 5. Safely storing cash at home 6. CSA and safety 7. Financial success and self-worth 8. Figuring out break-even point 9. What’s the plan after unemployment? 10. Castile […]

The post Questions About Weddings, Windfalls, Castile Soap, Hybrid Cars, CSAs and More appeared first on The Simple Dollar.

New York Magazine published an excerpt from Ivana Trump's memoir Raising Trump - and it has since become a wildly entertaining meme. Thhe excerpt is actually a quote from Ivanka, reminiscing about her "punk" days. 

"During my punk phase in the nineties, I was really into Nirvana. My wardrobe consisted of ripped corduroy jeans and flannel shirts. One day after school, I dyed my hair blue. Mom wasn't a fan of this decision. She took one look at me and immediately went out to the nearest drugstore to buy a $10 box of Nice'n Easy. That night, she forced me to dye my hair back to blond. The color she picked out was actually three shades lighter than my natural color… and I have never looked back!"

The quote has left Twitter users in stitches, making Photoshop memes and mocking the wealthy businesswoman's statement. The results have been delightful. 

Huge, wonderful news. Five films! Melissa has seen the first ten minutes of Fantastic Beasts, and there are feelings to discuss. In this episode, John takes his Patronus test for the first time.

Fantastic Beasts is finally here! PotterCast meets to discuss the new film, our first chapter time turning into a mysterious era in J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World.

Episode 263 — Fantastic Beasts and When we Saw Them

Find the latest episode and explore PotterCast interviews, discussions and more at PotterCast.com

Visit the-leaky-cauldron.org for the latest and greatest from Harry Potter's Wizarding World.

It's round two for PotterCast and Fantastic Beasts! The show picks up where it left off and dives back in with your submitted questions and theories to guide them.

Episode 264 — Fantastic Theories

PotterCast is hosted by Melissa Anelli, John Noe, Frank Franco, and Zack Luye.

Find the latest episode and explore PotterCast interviews, discussions and more at PotterCast.com

Visit the-leaky-cauldron.org for the latest and greatest from Harry Potter's Wizarding World.

The PotterCast crew gets into it on the Fantastic Beasts extra scenes (part 1)...

- Leta and the Case of Did No One Realize This Was a Different Baby?

- Dumbledore's lumbago

- Is It A Dumbledore Part Sixty Six Thousand

...and a lot more!

Edited by: Adam Molina

Associate Producer: Kylie Madden

LIVE FROM LEAKYCON: PotterCast's Spotlight with Dan Fogler!

In this episode, we talk with Dan Fogler about how he approached Jacob's characterization in the Fantastic Beasts films, what it's like to film knowing the magical creatures will be added in post-production, Jacob's complicated relationship with Queen, and more! 

By Leo Babauta This month, I’m issuing a challenge to all of you procrastinators … and no, you can’t make the joke that you’ll do it later! The challenge is called Undone: The Unprocrastination Challenge, and it’s a part of my Sea Change Program. The challenge is to set aside an “unprocrastination session” every day […]

By Leo Babauta My Zen teacher Susan recently told a group of her students at the end of a Zen meditation retreat, “We’re all monastics now.” In this global pandemic, we’re in an era of isolation, retreat. We’re also in an era of heightened uncertainty. This can be a terrible thing, and drive us to […]

These days are filled with stress and anxiety, but it’s also time to take pleasure in the small joys of life — such as a good cup of coffee. For coffee-connoisseurs, designer Samson Chung has just released a new collection of coffee and espresso makers called Kork Kafeware that, thanks to its sleek combination of stainless steel and cork accents, lets you sit down to enjoy a superb cup of joe, slowly and sustainably.[...]

Researchers in a new U.K.-led study found a staggering volume of microplastics on the seafloor. At up to 1.9 million pieces on a single square meter, it’s the highest level on record.[...]

This survey from goo Ranking looked at what Japanese considered was the tastiest menu item at McDonald’s. My first visit to a McDonald’s was in Germany to get a salad, then a cafe latte in a McCafe in Macau (McAu?) in lieu of going to a casino as part of a package tour. My first […]

Today we have goo Ranking looking at where Japanese rate as the tastiest family restaurant. “Family restaurant” is another example of Japanese English; it isn’t “family-owned”, but “family-friendly”. Saizeria as number one (incidentally, it’s also the foreign traveller’s favourite) is a little surprising; their pasta is all dried pasta, and their pizza bases are just […]

No real surprises with the most popular, but the second, third and fourth are in this list of what the Japanese rate as the tastiest carbonated drinks. Pictured is a special limited-time flavour of the number two drink. Oronamin C Drink and others with medicinal-sounding names are indeed that; vitamin-laden foul-tasting drinks that might or […]

Der Kabarettist Sebastian Pufpaff tritt nun notgedrungen ohne Publikum auf. Hier spricht er über die Stille nach der Pointe - und über den Angriff auf das Team der "heute-show".

Joe Castiglione saw his first baseball game in the Bronx.

Weather extreme enough to shatter records across large swaths of the U.S. is heading our way this weekend, just in time for Mother’s Day. A storm system heading into the Northeast on Friday will smash into the polar vortex as it makes swing down from the Arctic, reported NBC News. This might sock the region in with heavy, wet snow all the way into New England.

New data from NASA’s Curiosity rover suggests that water vacated Mars in fits and starts.

The relationships these winged mammals forge in captivity are strong enough to survive the jarring transition back into the wild.

California suspended its pioneering plastic bag ban because of coronavirus fears about reusable bags. That can't be a permanent backslide.

Gov. Newsom, saying the virus 'doesn't take the weekends off,' criticizes beachgoers and vows to increase enforcement of restrictions if necessary.

Joe Castiglione saw his first baseball game in the Bronx.

Vin Scully, 92, has been released from Los Robles Hospital following a fall Tuesday at his home, according to a Dodgers team statement Saturday.

Weather extreme enough to shatter records across large swaths of the U.S. is heading our way this weekend, just in time for Mother’s Day. A storm system heading into the Northeast on Friday will smash into the polar vortex as it makes swing down from the Arctic, reported NBC News. This might sock the region in with heavy, wet snow all the way into New England.

Wine tastings can happen virtually. Here are a slew of California vineyards welcoming online guests.

Our Disney World trip was so close I could taste the character breakfast. But there was fine print.

Coronavirus has changed the way we celebrate Passover and Easter but not the traditions that bind us. If anything, the pandemic has brought us closer, figuratively speaking.

Joe Castiglione saw his first baseball game in the Bronx.

The UCLA women's basketball and gymnastics teams will perform in an empty Pauley Pavilion after moves made by the school and the NCAA to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

First-year UCLA gymnastics coach Chris Waller knew the Bruins would face challenges, but he's pleased with what the team accomplished.

No matter how hard I tried, plastic kept sneaking its way back into my life.

Don't get overwhelmed. Start with doable goals in your quest to cut back on plastics.

Some patients who have recovered from coronavirus infection are suffering lasting damage, including liver damage, heart damage and blood clotting problems.

If you're feeling guilty about the plastic in all those deliveries you're getting, there are worthy alternatives.

L.A. artist replaces the Statue of Liberty and Mr. Rushmore with migrant farmworkers, enslaved domestic workers and interned Japanese Americans.

Top safety tips to help everyone when cooking on Pancake Day

During coronavirus, these baking tips for those quarantine baking will reduce anxiety about the process and guarantee delicious results.

Chef Eric Bost's Melrose Avenue restaurant opened just 13 months ago.

There's no evidence that the use of plastic bags prevents exposure to the coronavirus, so why use them instead of reusable bags?

The site of French singer-composer Sébastien Izambard's Malibu home, which was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey fire, is for sale at $4.5 million.

The world's cheapest places to chow down

Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) and Michael Diamond (Mike D) join director Spike Jonze from their separate coronavirus quarantines to talk "Beastie Boys Story," which captures their blazing days with the late Adam Yauch (MCA).

Pop music critic Mikael Wood and TV critic Lorraine Ali debate the merits of Apple TV's new documentary 'Beastie Boys Story,' directed by Spike Jonze.