THE FOODIST / WHAT'S THIS? COSTCO IS TINKERING WITH ITS $1.50 HOT DOG DEAL

The hot dog combo is iconic for remaining at its $1.50 since its introduction in 1984, while other food prices have soared. 

 GUEST BLOG / By Alexis Weisend, The Seattle Times--The internet is blowing up over the first change to Costco’s $1.50 hot dog combo in 40 years. But don’t worry — the Issaquah, Washington-based big-box store isn’t budging on the price. 

 Shoppers who need respite from the chaos of the Costco checkout area can now opt for a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland Signature water instead of a fountain soda to wash down their steaming, often slightly wet hot dog. 

You might be thinking, “Who cares?” Apparently, a lot of people. The seemingly minor change has generated major headlines. 

That’s not just due to excitement from Kirkland Signature water bottle lovers (if those even exist). The hot dog combo is iconic for remaining at its $1.50 since its introduction in 1984, while other food prices have soared. 

The meal has become a lot of fun. Shirts featuring the Costco hot dog combo with the phrase, “I got that dog in me,” have gone viral.  A quote about never changing the price of a Costco hot dog, supposedly said by Costco co-founder Jim Sinegal, frequently appears on social media posts. 

Former Costco CEO Walter Craig Jelinek told media outlets that he recalled Sinegal once telling him that if he raised the price of the hot dog combo, “I will punch you.” 

And last month, current Costco CEO Ron Vachris joined in on a viral trend of CEOs trying their company’s food, which was unintentionally kicked off by McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski’s taking a bite of his company’s new burger. 

“$1.50? For this hot dog?” Costco's Vachris said before inhaling his hot dog. “The hot dog price will not change as long as I’m around.” The video garnered over 800,000 likes on Instagram. So any news about the combo, even "watered" down, is a big deal to Costco fans. Costco did not immediately respond to a request for comment or reply if the change will appear on menus nationwide. 

DESIGN / HOW IN THE HECK DID ANYONE SURVIVE THE HINDENBURG CRASH?

Most, not all of the 97 passengers and crew died. Sixty-two survived. 

The survival of many people in the Hindenburg disaster seems unbelievable because the famous newsreel images show the airship consumed in flames. Yet most of the people aboard actually survived. 

Here's how: 

--First, the fire spread very quickly upward, not instantly through the passenger areas. The hydrogen gas that lifted the LZ 129 Hindenburg burned in the upper gas cells of the ship. The passenger decks were located lower in the hull, beneath the gas bags. That gave some people precious seconds to react. 

--Second, the airship was very close to the ground when it ignited. The Hindenburg had already begun its landing maneuver at Lakehurst Naval Air Station and was only about 200 feet above the field when the fire started. As the ship collapsed, many people simply jumped from windows or gangways once the structure dropped lower. Several survivors described jumping from heights of 15 to 30 feet, which can be survivable compared with the inferno behind them. 

--Third, the structure did not explode like a bomb. The hydrogen burned extremely fast, but it produced more of a flash fire than a massive blast wave. The aluminum frame of the zeppelin remained standing for several seconds as the burning fabric fell away. This allowed passengers and crew to escape through openings. 

--Fourth, there was immediate help on the ground. Navy personnel and ground crew were already assembled to receive the airship. They rushed in within seconds to pull survivors away from the wreckage. Most of the victims were people who were trapped in the rear of the ship, where the fire likely began. Crew members working near the tail had little chance to escape once the flames raced forward through the structure. 

One of the most haunting aspects of the disaster is how quickly it happened. The entire airship was destroyed in about 34 seconds, yet those seconds were just long enough for dozens of people to leap clear and survive. 

The iconic radio broadcast by Herbert Morrison, who cried “Oh, the humanity,” helped fix the disaster in the public imagination as total destruction. 

In reality, it was chaotic and horrific, but not quite the total loss that the footage suggests. Ironically, that survival rate is one reason investigators long debated the exact cause of the fire. The evidence was badly destroyed, leaving the precise ignition source a mystery even today.* 

*Many experts believe the airship struck the metal mooring tower causing a spark that led to the detonation of the hydrogen gas.