April 29 is International Dance
Day. It was introduced in 1982 by the International Dance Council
(Conseil International de la Danse). The main purpose of Dance Day
events is to attract the attention of the wider public to the art of
dance. Emphasis should be given to addressing a new public, people
who do not follow dance events during the course of the year. Every
year, the president of the CID sends the official message for Dance
Day which circulates in every country of the world.
US National Dance Day was created by Nigel Lythgoe and takes place
in the United States on the last Saturday in July. It was founded
and officially recognized in 2010 when American congresswoman
Eleanor Holmes Norton introduced a National Dance Day resolution to
promote dance education and physical fitness.
Apr 24, 2015
Apr 17, 2015
Happy Friday
There is no doubt in the honesty of a child's smile.
I cultivate the habit of smiling and sharing a Happy Friday!
I cultivate the habit of smiling and sharing a Happy Friday!
Wordology, Trivia
The word trivia originates from the Latin word trivium (plural
trivia), where “tri” stands for triple and “via” means way.
Basically, the word means a place where three ways meet. This word
gained prominence in Rome, where people would often chin wag with
others at a trivium. The word trivalis in Classical Latin meant an
appropriate street corner and commonplace. In medieval times, the
word gained broader meaning and came to refer grammar, rhetoric,
and logic. Much of what you read here can be referred to as
trivia.
Internet Archive
The Internet
Archive is mostly known for archiving the web, which the San
Francisco-based nonprofit has done since 1996, two years before
Google was founded.
It is also called the
Wayback Machine and indexes over 435 billion webpages dating back
to 1996. It is the largest archive of the web. The archive also
hosts:
- Books. One of the world’s largest open collections of digitized books, over 6 million public domain books, and an open library catalog.
- Videos. 1.9 million videos, including classic TV, 1,300 vintage home movies, and 4,000 public-domain feature films.
- The Prelinger Archives. Over 6,000 ephemeral films, including vintage advertising, educational and industrial footage.
- Audio. 2.3 million audio recordings, including over 74,000 radio broadcasts, 13,000 78rpm records, and 1.7 million Creative Commons-licensed audio recordings.
- Live music. Over 137,000 concert recordings, nearly 10,000 from the Grateful Dead alone.
- Audiobooks. Over 10,000 audiobooks from LibriVox and more.
- TV News. 668,000 news broadcasts with full-text search.
- Scanning services. Free and open access to scan complete print collections in 33 scanning centers, with 1,500 books scanned daily.
- Software. The largest collection of historical software in the world.
Crocks, Gators, and Plovers
Crocs and gators keep their
mouths open as a way to avoid overheating. Keeping cool may be the
primary purpose, but for some species there's a secondary gain from
the behavior. For crocodiles living in the range of the Egyptian
plover, or 'crocodile bird', sitting around with their mouth open
means they get free teeth cleaning from the small birds. The plover
acts as both a dental hygienist and a warning system for danger.
PawNation writes, "The plover comes along and, using its sharp little beak like a toothpick, removes the bits of meat from between the crocodile's teeth. This feeds the plover and removes parasites from the croc's mouth. The plover serves as a security alarm system for the crocodile. If, while in the croc's mouth, the plover senses danger from an oncoming animal, it screams and flies away. This behavior alerts the crocodile to the imminent danger, so it can slide into the water and out of harm's way."
PawNation writes, "The plover comes along and, using its sharp little beak like a toothpick, removes the bits of meat from between the crocodile's teeth. This feeds the plover and removes parasites from the croc's mouth. The plover serves as a security alarm system for the crocodile. If, while in the croc's mouth, the plover senses danger from an oncoming animal, it screams and flies away. This behavior alerts the crocodile to the imminent danger, so it can slide into the water and out of harm's way."
Eye Colors, Hazel
Hazel eyes appear to be a mixture of
brown and green. They are very uncommon so it's thought that they
are caused by a recessive gene, but in fact, very little is known
about hazel eyes and what causes them. This is a much less common
eye color than brown, but it is still more common than green.
People with hazel eyes are generally thought of as having quite upbeat, fun-loving, spontaneous characters. These people enjoy mischief and adventure, and become bored if there is little to entertain them. If you're after a good time then you'll want someone with hazel eyes around, as typically they're adaptable, courageous and even rather sensual. One word of warning would be that you should try not to cross them, as people with hazel eyes can have quite a fiery temper!
Myths state that hazel eyes change color according to mood and the person's surroundings. This is actually true - the subtle blend of green and brown coloring means that different lighting brings out different effects from the hazel eye color, sometimes looking more green, while other times having a browner tone.
Most people with hazel eyes descend from European ancestors, so many can be found in the USA and Europe. Hazel eyes are very rare in Africa and Asia, where brown eyes are the most common. My eyes are hazel.
People with hazel eyes are generally thought of as having quite upbeat, fun-loving, spontaneous characters. These people enjoy mischief and adventure, and become bored if there is little to entertain them. If you're after a good time then you'll want someone with hazel eyes around, as typically they're adaptable, courageous and even rather sensual. One word of warning would be that you should try not to cross them, as people with hazel eyes can have quite a fiery temper!
Myths state that hazel eyes change color according to mood and the person's surroundings. This is actually true - the subtle blend of green and brown coloring means that different lighting brings out different effects from the hazel eye color, sometimes looking more green, while other times having a browner tone.
Most people with hazel eyes descend from European ancestors, so many can be found in the USA and Europe. Hazel eyes are very rare in Africa and Asia, where brown eyes are the most common. My eyes are hazel.
Limiting Baby Names
Up until 1993, France had a list of
official names that new parents were required to pick from. After
1993, they were allowed to pick almost anything they wanted.
However, one that caught the attention of the court was a girl named
Nutella. The court ruled that the name would lead to the child being
teased and was not in the best interest of the girl. When the
parents failed to appear in court, the judge ruled that the girl’s
name be changed to Ella.
Belgium has a list of approved baby names.
Denmark has a list of 7,000 approved names.
Italian law says a name cannot be chosen "when the child's name is likely to limit social interaction and create insecurity."
In Japan, only official kanji may be used in babies' given names. The purpose is to make sure all names can be easily read and written by the Japanese. The Japanese also restrict names that might be deemed inappropriate.
Malays cannot name their children after animals, insects, fruits, vegetables, or colors.
In Morocco, there is a list of approved names that appropriately reflect 'Moroccan identity'. You can name a baby 'Sara' (Arabic version) but not 'Sarah' (Hebrew version).
Norway has an official list of acceptable Norwegian names and parents may be fined and go to jail if they choose to use a name not on the list.
In Sweden, "First names shall not be approved if they can cause offense or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it, or names which for some obvious reason are not suitable as a first name."
During 2013, New Zealand released a report with all the names it has banned. A name may be rejected if it is thought to "cause offense to a reasonable person," is "unreasonably long" or "resemble an official title and rank." New Zealand has an agency that signs off on baby names.
In the Mexican state of Sonora, government officials pulled 61 names from the baby registry that were banned for being "derogatory, pejorative, discriminatory, or lacking in meaning".
The German government rules state that a name must clearly identify the person as male or female, and it cannot be offensive. No surname names are allowed in Germany, or are names of objects or products.
Iceland has a list of 1,712 male names and 1,853 female names. The lists exist to avoid embarrassment for the children, and are based on meeting certain rules of grammar.
The UK deed poll service has restrictions on name changes. It must have both a first and last name, and it cannot be vulgar, promote racial or religious hate, or the use of controlled drugs. A name cannot ridicule people or government departments.
Portuguese authorities ban nicknames from birth certificates. Tomás would be OK, but Tom is not allowed. Portugal has an 80-page document outlining names which are acceptable and which are not. Children’s names must be traditionally Portuguese, a full name, and not unisex.
Spain bans names that can be unisex.
China babies are required to be named based on the ability of computer scanners to read those names on national identification cards. The government recommends giving children names that are easily readable, and encourages Simplified characters over Traditional Chinese characters. Numbers and non-Chinese symbols and characters are not allowed.
Saudi Arabia released a list of names that were banned including western names and names with royal connotations like Prince.
Hungary, Lithuania, and Poland also have laws dealing with children naming conventions.
The US has fewer naming laws than most countries and is rooted in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment, but a few restrictions do exist. Restrictions vary by state, but most are for the sake of practicality, such as several states limit the number of characters, due to the limitations of software used for official record keeping. Some states ban the use of numerals, pictograms, or anything other than the 26 characters in the alphabet. A few states ban the use of obscenity.
Belgium has a list of approved baby names.
Denmark has a list of 7,000 approved names.
Italian law says a name cannot be chosen "when the child's name is likely to limit social interaction and create insecurity."
In Japan, only official kanji may be used in babies' given names. The purpose is to make sure all names can be easily read and written by the Japanese. The Japanese also restrict names that might be deemed inappropriate.
Malays cannot name their children after animals, insects, fruits, vegetables, or colors.
In Morocco, there is a list of approved names that appropriately reflect 'Moroccan identity'. You can name a baby 'Sara' (Arabic version) but not 'Sarah' (Hebrew version).
Norway has an official list of acceptable Norwegian names and parents may be fined and go to jail if they choose to use a name not on the list.
In Sweden, "First names shall not be approved if they can cause offense or can be supposed to cause discomfort for the one using it, or names which for some obvious reason are not suitable as a first name."
During 2013, New Zealand released a report with all the names it has banned. A name may be rejected if it is thought to "cause offense to a reasonable person," is "unreasonably long" or "resemble an official title and rank." New Zealand has an agency that signs off on baby names.
In the Mexican state of Sonora, government officials pulled 61 names from the baby registry that were banned for being "derogatory, pejorative, discriminatory, or lacking in meaning".
The German government rules state that a name must clearly identify the person as male or female, and it cannot be offensive. No surname names are allowed in Germany, or are names of objects or products.
Iceland has a list of 1,712 male names and 1,853 female names. The lists exist to avoid embarrassment for the children, and are based on meeting certain rules of grammar.
The UK deed poll service has restrictions on name changes. It must have both a first and last name, and it cannot be vulgar, promote racial or religious hate, or the use of controlled drugs. A name cannot ridicule people or government departments.
Portuguese authorities ban nicknames from birth certificates. Tomás would be OK, but Tom is not allowed. Portugal has an 80-page document outlining names which are acceptable and which are not. Children’s names must be traditionally Portuguese, a full name, and not unisex.
Spain bans names that can be unisex.
China babies are required to be named based on the ability of computer scanners to read those names on national identification cards. The government recommends giving children names that are easily readable, and encourages Simplified characters over Traditional Chinese characters. Numbers and non-Chinese symbols and characters are not allowed.
Saudi Arabia released a list of names that were banned including western names and names with royal connotations like Prince.
Hungary, Lithuania, and Poland also have laws dealing with children naming conventions.
The US has fewer naming laws than most countries and is rooted in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment, but a few restrictions do exist. Restrictions vary by state, but most are for the sake of practicality, such as several states limit the number of characters, due to the limitations of software used for official record keeping. Some states ban the use of numerals, pictograms, or anything other than the 26 characters in the alphabet. A few states ban the use of obscenity.
Robert Liston, MD
He was a Scottish speed surgeon during the
1800s. In one case, he amputated a leg in less than 2.5 minutes (the patient died afterward
from gangrene). He amputated, in error the fingers of his young
assistant (who died afterward from gangrene). He also slashed
through the coat tails of a distinguished surgical spectator, who
was so terrified that the knife had pierced his vitals he dropped
dead from fright. It was the only operation in history with a 300
percent mortality.
SUV vs. Crossover
A crossover is based on a car's platform,
while an SUV uses the chassis of a truck. The result is that
crossovers use "unibody" architecture, meaning the body and frame
are one piece, while SUVs use a "body on frame" design, meaning the
body is built separate from the frame.
SUV is often applied to both crossovers and SUVs. In the past, that was even more common. Before, SUV brought up negative associations with large size and poor gas mileage. That is when many automakers started using the term "crossover" to describe a vehicle that was "crossing over" from the practicality of an SUV to the drivability and fuel efficiency of a car.
Many vehicles, such as the Explorer, Highlander, Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder, Lexus RX, and Acura MDX are technically crossovers.
The Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Mercedes G-Class are all SUVs in the original sense of the term.
If you are unsure whether a vehicle uses a car-based unibody design or body-on-frame construction, it is safe to use the term SUV. That acronym is still used to describe nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance.
SUV is often applied to both crossovers and SUVs. In the past, that was even more common. Before, SUV brought up negative associations with large size and poor gas mileage. That is when many automakers started using the term "crossover" to describe a vehicle that was "crossing over" from the practicality of an SUV to the drivability and fuel efficiency of a car.
Many vehicles, such as the Explorer, Highlander, Grand Cherokee, Nissan Pathfinder, Lexus RX, and Acura MDX are technically crossovers.
The Chevrolet Tahoe, Ford Expedition, and Mercedes G-Class are all SUVs in the original sense of the term.
If you are unsure whether a vehicle uses a car-based unibody design or body-on-frame construction, it is safe to use the term SUV. That acronym is still used to describe nearly anything with available all-wheel drive and raised ground clearance.
Eyelash Facts
A study published in the Journal of
the Royal Society Interface reports that eyelashes divert airflow to
prevent drying of the eyes and protect against airborne
particulates.
Twenty two species of mammals possess eyelashes of a length one-third the eye width. Wind tunnel experiments confirm that this optimal eyelash length reduces both deposition of airborne particles and evaporation of the tear film by a factor of two. This happens because of the incoming flow's interactions with both the eye and eyelashes.
Another study found that growth of eyelashes occurs in response to exposure to allergens. Children with allergies have ten percent longer and denser lashes than those without allergies. Allergens trigger mast cells within the inside of the eyelid to release prostaglandins that promote hair growth, which presumably protects the eye. If models only knew their long lashes make them look like they have allergies.
Twenty two species of mammals possess eyelashes of a length one-third the eye width. Wind tunnel experiments confirm that this optimal eyelash length reduces both deposition of airborne particles and evaporation of the tear film by a factor of two. This happens because of the incoming flow's interactions with both the eye and eyelashes.
Another study found that growth of eyelashes occurs in response to exposure to allergens. Children with allergies have ten percent longer and denser lashes than those without allergies. Allergens trigger mast cells within the inside of the eyelid to release prostaglandins that promote hair growth, which presumably protects the eye. If models only knew their long lashes make them look like they have allergies.
Effective Mood Elevator
Bacon makes us feel
happy, satisfied, and blissful, which greatly reduces stress in our
lives and effectively relieves the negative effects of frustration,
self deprivation, and sense of lack in our existence.
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