Pajama Sam Vending Machine

[Ara Kistner]

Theplan was all worked out in my head: I would try Gillette one last time, then make a trip to the Upper Quad, then come back down to the Lower Quad, then hike all the way to whatever isolated territory North and West Houses are rumored to inhabit, before coming home.

He asked to see my ID again. I slid the card out of its compartment and watched as he gave it a cold, hard look. After a few long seconds of inspecting my ID, he handed it back to me and returned his gaze to mine. I asked him one more time if he knew where the vending machines were.

The supply form is an item you need to have signed by the Vice President in Pajama Sam 2 Thunder and Lightning Aren't So Frightening, To get the supply form signed you need to get Cheese Giblets from the vending machine in the Cafeteria and use it on the Rox that is sitting on top of the "in" box.

Our small group then split up (male/female) and were guided to the changing rooms and shown how to use the lockers and where the showers were. There were plenty of signs with rules all around. One must wash before entering any of the baths. No one with tattoos allowed. Children must be accompanied by adults. One must be fully naked in the baths (this was a confidence booster)!

Of course, I have no photos of the actual baths themselves! There are lots of photos on their website though (my favourite had to be the carbonated bath, with all the little bubbles accumulating on your body!).

Just before leaving the onsen though, I managed to get a massage in one of the ridiculuosly high-tech massage chairs (just visible at the bottom of the restaurant photo). Sure I could have scheduled a proper massage (that facility was also available) but this 10 minute massage only cost me 200 yen. And with that massage, I also had a coffee milk from this Meiji milk vending machine.

I like reading before I go to sleep, but my room-mate was tired and went to sleep early. Since I didn't want to bother him with the lights, so I went looking for a different place to read. I discovered that my hotel had a "Great Room" with plenty of tables and chairs, arranged around a fireplace.

I would have been very comfortable reading in that room, as I might in my own living room, but I didn't quite feel like doing that since I wasn't sure if etiquette demanded being fully dressed in that kinda-public space.

In a big hotel in a city, it would be expected that you wear street clothes or even casual business wear in the public areas. Granted you could get away with wandering down the hall to get some ice or a soda from the vending machine in your pajamas, but lounging in the lobby or a reading room and such in pajamas would be frowned upon. (though not enforceable unless they have a posted dress code)

In a smaller guesthouse, bed & breakfast, inn, etc lounging around in your pajamas would likely not be an issue, as they try to present more more homey atmosphere, not the big city business atmosphere.

As a night clerk at a 2 star hotel in the US, I can say it depends, mainly on if you're comfortable with it. Most people wear non-sleep clothes while not in their rooms. However, there are some people who will walk around in pajamas. On very rare occasions, I've even seen people come to breakfast in their pajamas.

Higher star hotels may be more rigid, and I would say that everybody around you is going to be wearing non-sleeping clothes. However, if you're find sticking out a bit to be comfortable, then I would say go for it. I highly doubt anybody will say anything.

The only realistic answer to this question is that there is no answer. Standards of dress in the US are not standardized, except in certain contexts like prisons, the military, certain types of business, Catholic schools, and fancy restaurants. Circa 1960 was the last time in the US when there was some kind of general consensus on what was proper dress in public. That was the era when, for example, people understood that a middle-class man should tip his hat to a middle-class woman on the street, and a black male civil-rights protester would sit down at a whites-only lunch counter and get arrested -- wearing a suit and tie.

Basically, if you're not sure, don't do it. But if you guess wrong, there is no Taliban that is going to come along and haul you off to be flogged. People who disapprove will probably just ignore you, or ridicule you to their friends later on.

If you spend enough time in the US to get attuned to the culture, you will start to pick up on a gazillion and one subtle cultural expectations about dress. But transgressing against those expectations is not a huge cultural blunder. As a random example of how fragmented and complicated things can be, it might or might not be considered OK for the CEO of a technology company to show up for an important business meeting wearing a hoodie sweatshirt; it depends on the specific subsector of the technology sector.

In America you can basically wear whatever you want in any situation.... Especially since you're a paying customer at a hotel, it would be VERY rare for you to get anything but, at worst, weird looks. (As long as you aren't actually exposing your genitals. If you are, indecent exposure probably will land you on a sex offender list for years.)

It's America. Wear whatever you're comfortable in. It's more common for women here to wear pajamas if they're not going anywhere fancy, maybe less so for men but who cares? I've worn pajamas to the supermarket on occasion.

The line between sleepwear and very casual day wear is pretty fuzzy; frequent travelers may find it convenient to carry sleepwear that can pass as casual clothing. (For example, while I (female) normally sleep in a T shirt like top, when traveling I sleep in a longer nightshirt that looks very much like a loose comfortable dress.)

Note, though: I am white. I've heard too many stories about non-whites being hassled and harassed in the past year or so to recommend that people of color do anything that stretches the limits of propriety.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - In cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), four toy jewelry importers today announced the voluntary recall of 150 million pieces of toy jewelry sold in vending machines across America. CPSC has determined that some of this toy jewelry contains dangerous levels of lead, posing a risk of lead poisoning to children. Only about half of the 150 million pieces of toy jewelry actually contain lead, but because it is difficult to distinguish the lead jewelry from the non-lead jewelry, the industry decided to recall all of it. The four firms are A & A Global Industries, Inc., of Cockeysville, Md.; Brand Imports, LLC, of Scottsdale, Ariz.; Cardinal Distributing Co. Inc., of Baltimore, Md.; and L. M. Becker & Co., Inc., of Kimberly, Wis.

CPSC has received one report of lead poisoning when a child swallowed a piece of toy jewelry containing lead that was previously recalled. No reports of injury or illness have been received for the recalled products announced today. Young children sometimes mouth or swallow items like these, and lead can leach from the jewelry into the child's body. Lead poisoning in children is associated with behavioral problems, learning disabilities, hearing problems and growth retardation.

The four firms have advised the Commission that they have stopped importing toy jewelry with lead and are committed to working with the CPSC staff on eliminating hazardous levels of lead in future importations of toy jewelry.

"With millions of pieces of jewelry involved in this recall, I urge parents to search their children's toys for this jewelry," said CPSC Chairman Hal Stratton. "Throw away this recalled toy jewelry." CPSC has issued guidance urging firms to eliminate lead in consumer products, or, if lead is used, to assure it is not accessible. CPSC collected and analyzed some samples of toy metal jewelry sold in vending machines and found that 10 of those products had lead that could be accessible to children. The industry volunteered, out of an abundance of caution, to recall additional products.

This toy jewelry recall involves various styles of rings, necklaces, and bracelets. The rings are gold- or silver-colored with different designs and paint finishes with various shaped center stones. The necklaces have black cord or rope or gold- or silver-colored chains. The necklaces have pendants, crosses or various geometrical designs or shapes, and can include gemstones. The various styles of bracelets include charm bracelets, bracelets with medallion links, and bracelets with faux stones. All the jewelry was manufactured in India.

The toy jewelry was sold in vending machines located in malls, discount, department and grocery stores nationwide from January 2002 through June 2004 for between $0.25 and $0.75. The industry estimates that this toy jewelry is kept in homes for a short period of time, but parents should look for these items in their homes.

Consumers should throw away recalled jewelry. Consumers can contact these importers for more information about this recall by calling (602) 636-3908 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday.

The twin stroller violates multiple safety regulations for strollers. The front seat in the forward-facing configuration poses an entrapment hazard to children. In addition, failures with the restraint system and rear seat enclosure pose a fall hazard to children. In products with a black grab bar, the foam padding on the grab bar can pose a choking hazard if the child bites it.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risk of injury or death associated with the use of thousands of types of consumer products. Deaths, injuries, and property damage from consumer product-related incidents cost the nation more than $1 trillion annually. CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products has contributed to a decline in the rate of injuries associated with consumer products over the past 50 years.

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