samhexum

Pizza Hut's Original Pan Pizza has received a makeover. The company announced Tuesday that its "Original Pan Pizza" is being completely remade, including a new cheese blend, sauce and a "newly engineered" pan for it to be baked in for a crispier crust. Changes to Pizza Hut's best-known menu item comes as competition tightens with its closest competitors, Domino's and Papa John's. For the first time last year, Domino's had more sales than Pizza Hut. And Pizza Hut last year became the NFL's advertising partner, taking that sought-after title from troubled Papa John's. Pizza customers aren't a loyal bunch, as people tend to gravitate to the company with the best promotion. But taste matters too, which is why Domino's scrapped its 49-year-old pizza recipe 10 years ago. It also rolled out new value offerings and technology for customers to track their orders. Earlier this year, Domino's opened its 16,000th store and has grown by nearly 50% over the past five years. Pizza Hut has more than 18,000 restaurants worldwide. Papa John's is experimenting with sandwiches and new technology as it aims to make up for lost ground from its year of scandals. Not to be outdone, Pizza Hut is expanding beer delivery program to 1,000 locations by the summer. It also developed insulated pouches designed to keep delivery pizzas up to fifteen degrees hotter. Its new pan pizza recipe is part of the strategy. "We know that taste is king for our customers, so we're excited to roll out this new, state-of-the-art pan technology, combined with our perfected blend of cheese and sauce ratio," said Penny Shaheen, Pizza Hut's senior director of Culinary Innovation and Strategy, in a release. Pizza Hut said it took three years to develop its improvements to the nearly 40-year old pizza. The company, owned by Yum Brands (YUM), said it "focused on combining art, science and culinary expertise" to improve the pan pizza. The relaunched pizza is available nationwide beginning Tuesday and costs $7.99 for a limited time.

A Louisiana woman allegedly flew into a rage after learning her wife had accidentally tossed their marijuana in the washing machine — prompting her to attack her spouse with a bedpost. Ashley Perkins, 30, of Youngsville, was visiting family with her wife in Navarre, Florida, last week when the wild beatdown occurred, The Smoking Gun reported, citing a police report. Perkins admitted to cops that she and her wife had “tussled” over marijuana around 7:45 p.m. May 20 — but denied using the detached bedpost to whack her, the report said. The victim, 48, told investigators with the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office that her wife beat her after learning she’d “accidentally placed” the weed “in the washer,” according to the report. The spouse, who was hospitalized, suffered cuts to her left arm and contusions to the back of her head and legs, according to the report, which noted that responding medics said the victim’s left arm may have also been fractured in the alleged assault. A bedpost was found on the bed where the couple was fighting. Perkins told cops that she believed her wife rolled over the bedpost, causing her injuries. But cops said she “changed her story” while being transported to the local jail — claiming the victim picked up the bedpost and beat herself with it. Perkins ultimately was charged with aggravated battery.

A fully albino giant panda has been filmed roaming bamboo forests in China — the first ever recorded in the wild, an expert says. The footage was taken on an infrared camera in April in Wolong National Nature Reserve, about 2,000 meters (6,562 feet) above sea level in southwestern China’s Sichuan province, reserve management authorities said Saturday. A fully albino giant panda in Wolong National Nature Reserve, in China’s Sichuan province. Li Sheng, a researcher with Beijing’s Peking University, told CNN that no fully albino giant panda had ever been recorded in the wild before. He was quoted by Chinese state media CCTV as saying it was likely to be only one or two years old. “The panda looked strong and his steps were steady, a sign that the genetic mutation may not have quite impeded its life,” Li said. The nature reserve plans to set up more infrared cameras to observe its growth and how it interacts with other giant pandas in the area. Animals with albinism — which results in a lack of melanin, or skin pigment — are often at greater risk from predators in the wild as they can be spotted more easily and have poorer eyesight, according to the National Geographic. The giant panda is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. According to the World Wife Fund for Nature, there are 1,864 left in the wild.

I realized after posting this that it would have been better if I posted it on Independence Day. If I remember, I'll bump it up then.

Her admirers stretch from Belarus to Brooklyn, where this furry immigrant arrived to charm the locals two years ago. Meet Sima the Maine Coon cat, who once prowled the woods and lakesides of the former Soviet republic and now roams leafy streets in Prospect Heights. “This cat? The coolest cat in the world,” said admiring neighbor Rodney Shaw. “The cat goes away and comes back, always finds its way back home.” He paused to make clucking noises to get Sima’s attention before resuming his laudatory oratory. “I’ve seen dogs run from her," continued Shaw, 55. "I’ve seen it. She’s fearless. She’ll walk around and let you know this is her territory.” The 16-year-old cat, whose name translates to “boundary”or “limit,”in Sanskrit seems to know little of either. Sima is renowned throughout the neighborhood for her luxurious coat, friendly nature and nighttime forays. Her owners finally posted a laminated sign on the gate of their brownstone assuring neighbors that their peripatetic pet enjoyed more freedom that the average house cat. “My name is Sima,” the sign states. “I am allowed to sit outside.” On a sunny spring afternoon, the feline took shade beneath a hedge just inside the gate. With little coaxing, Sima stepped into the lap of a reporter, curled up and began purring before eventually dozing off. Sima began life as stray kitten, appearing on Elena Rykoff’s doorstep on a winter day in Belarus. Rykoff gave the cat a home, but always allowed her to roam freely. "She would go to the forest, go to the fishermen, sit with them and then come home at night,” recalled Rykoff, 43. “Everybody would give her fish.” The cat lived in Belarus for 11 years, staying with Rykoff’s mother and grandmother after Elena moved to New York. The two were reunited in 2014, when Sima resumed her life of freedom in a new country. “The first months were hard because people would call us — ‘Your cat is lost, we found your cat here, there,'" recalled Rykoff. "We were trying to explain that’s okay, it’s a normal thing.” Once Rykoff’s husband Mark made the sign for the front gate, the worried phone calls ceased. Neighbor Shaw, on his way home with take-out, said he sees faces familiar and unfamiliar stopping to visit with Sima. “I see people sitting on the step in the evening," said Shaw. "She must bring some calm to them.” As if on cue, a woman wearing a T-shirt festooned with a cat’s face approached and cooed hello to Sima. Donna Robles, 49, is the superintendent of a building across the street and comes by to dote on the cat. “My windows are there, my cats are in the windows and she’ll come and say hello to them,” explained Robles. Robles also works with the state in her part-time home of Pennsylvania to find homes for animals. While she was initially worried after seeing Sima out, Robles came to know the cat and appreciate her free-range lifestyle. “She’s very sociable," said owner Rykoff, who said she’s met numerous neighbors thanks to Sima. "She likes to meet people, make friends. So we let her do that.” As the evening approached, a man walked past with a plump terrier. The dog tugged at the leash, eager to greet the cat. Sima arose from her spot behind the gate and then sat down in the same spot — tucking her fluffy tail around her. “Don’t start trouble, Sam," the man told the dog as the two walked away. "It’s obvious you’re not wanted.” After a minute or two, Sima yawned and allowed her eyes to close.

I thought Rex was a natural brunette. The prototypical early blonds were Jack Wrangler, Leo Ford, Kevin Williams, & Lance.

Congrats to Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence! The couple tied the knot at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, California, on Thursday, in a ceremony attended by family and friends. Included in Burke's bridal party was matron of honor Leah Remini and Dancing With the Stars alum Kym Herjavec, who threw Burke's engagement party last year. Remini, meanwhile, hosted Burke's bridal shower in March. Burke and Lawrence's star-studded wedding comes a year after their engagement on her 34th birthday last May. Lawrence, 39, popped the question with a beautiful and sentimental ring incorporating the diamond that Burke's late father gave to her mother. While speaking with ET last October, Burke revealed that she wasn't going to be teaching Lawrence a dance for their wedding. "We may never get married if I teach him how to dance!" she confessed with a laugh. "He might run away!" "I just turn into a different person when I'm teaching, so I'm a lot harder," Burke explained. "I'm not mean, I'm just like... that's how I was coached, and it was just the reality of it. Everything, it's like, 'This is how it is, and if you want to be better, you know, this is what you need to do.' So it was tough love." Burke and Lawrence first met during the 2006 DWTS season, when Lawrence's brother, Joey, competed. They started dating, but broke things off after a year. They reunited almost nine years later, in 2017.

Congrats to Cheryl Burke and Matthew Lawrence! The couple tied the knot at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar in San Diego, California, on Thursday, in a ceremony attended by family and friends. Included in Burke's bridal party was matron of honor Leah Remini and Dancing With the Stars alum Kym Herjavec, who threw Burke's engagement party last year. Remini, meanwhile, hosted Burke's bridal shower in March. Burke and Lawrence's star-studded wedding comes a year after their engagement on her 34th birthday last May. Lawrence, 39, popped the question with a beautiful and sentimental ring incorporating the diamond that Burke's late father gave to her mother. While speaking with ET last October, Burke revealed that she wasn't going to be teaching Lawrence a dance for their wedding. "We may never get married if I teach him how to dance!" she confessed with a laugh. "He might run away!" "I just turn into a different person when I'm teaching, so I'm a lot harder," Burke explained. "I'm not mean, I'm just like... that's how I was coached, and it was just the reality of it. Everything, it's like, 'This is how it is, and if you want to be better, you know, this is what you need to do.' So it was tough love." Burke and Lawrence first met during the 2006 DWTS season, when Lawrence's brother, Joey, competed. They started dating, but broke things off after a year. They reunited almost nine years later, in 2017.

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