If it sinks, it is fresh - if it rises to the surface, throw it away. Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Well, they are said to never cross a chalk line. When you get a splinter, reach for the scotch tape before resorting to tweezers or a needle. Simply put the scotch tape over the splinter, then pull it off.
Scotch tape removes most splinters painlessly and easily.
Don't throw it away. Instead, set it for the year 1972 as the days are the same as the year 2000. The manufacturers won't tell you.