1.)     It’s the sign of an improving economy - the sales of men underwear is on the rise.      In the book “The Age of Turbulence,” author Alan Greenspan, who was the Chairmen of the Federal Reserve Board when he wrote it, claims that normally, sales of male underpants is a flat line that hardly ever changes.      But, when sales dip, it means that men are so pinched they save by not replacing underpants.     So when sales tick up, as they have lately, it’s a sure sign of economic growth.

2.)     While it may seem like there’s a Starbucks on every corner, it’s actually not the case.    But Starbucks does have more than 7000 locations nationwide, including at least 20 here in the lowcountry, with 7 in Charleston and 8 in Mount Pleasant.    You’ll find a Strabucks within 20 miles of 80 percent of Americans.    The furthest you’d ever have to drive from any point in the continental United States to get your coffee fix from a Starbucks owned store is 140 miles.

3.)     As good as a tasty cold beer can be, not everyone can enjoy one.   Think of those living in Antarctica – they have to endure freezing temperatures and extreme conditions without being able to enjoy a cold brew without it freezing over … until now.    The British microbrewery Platform Tavern has created an ale specifically designed to remain in liquid form at 90 degrees below zero.     To accomplish this, the beer had to be fermented to at least 6 percent alcohol by volume, so the Pole-Axed brew is a very strong, dark beer made with hops from North America.      The beer will very soon be bottled in plastic, vacuum-sealed bottles and sent nearly 10,000 miles to the depths of the South Pole.