Sperm Study

Here is another of those studies that makes us wonder who thinks up this stuff. The British Journal of Sports Medicine, looked at the lifestyles of 189 healthy men between the ages of 18 and 22, during a three-month period to establish a link between environmental factors and semen quality. Its finding - men who watch more than 20 hours of television a week risk halving their sperm count.

It said, while regular, vigorous exercise was shown to boost sperm count, excessive television-watching can counteract the positive effects of physical activity and can have a major impact on a man’s ability to reproduce.

Another study by researchers at the University of Sheffield and Manchester compared the lifestyles of 939 men with poor sperm quality with 1,310 men with normal sperm quality. It found “little evidence” that a high BMI, excessive alcohol consumption or recreational drugs were contributing factors to sperm quality. It also found that wearing boxer shorts rather than tighter underwear was linked to higher sperm levels. There was even evidence that high levels of physical activity might have a detrimental effect on quality and quantity.

Dr George Chavarro from the Department of Nutrition at Harvard School at Public Health, senior author of the recent study said, “In general, very little is known about what influences sperm count.”  Too bad for us their fathers didn't watch more TV.

Describing Brains

This five minute video is a humorous look at the differences between male and female brains. A fun diversion. LINK

Happy Friday

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

I have learned to live for a Happy Friday and hope for another next week.

Super Camera

DARPA has released more details on the ARGUS-IS, a 1.8-gigapixel camera that will be attached to unmanned drones to spot targets as small as six inches at an altitude of 20,000 feet. The camera – which is one of the highest resolution systems in the world – can view ten square miles of terrain at a time and zoom in on targets with surprising clarity.

The camera uses 368 five-megapixel camera sensors aimed through a telescopic array to pick out birds in flight and humans on the move on the Earth’s surface. ARGUS stands for Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System.

Wordology, Wenis

It is pronounced wee nis. The skin on the end of your elbow. It is also the name of an Egyptian pharaoh of the fifth dynasty.

Bubble Wrap

It was invented by two engineers Al Fielding and Swiss inventor Marc Chavannes in 1957. They were trying to create a textured wallpaper. They started out by sealing two shower curtains together in such a way that it would capture air bubbles which would make the textured appearance for their wallpaper. The wallpaper idea didn't sell. They tried to find another use for their product and tried to use it as greenhouse insulation. This idea wasn't popular either.

Three years later Frederick W. Bowers, a marketer at Sealed Air, which makes Bubble Wrap, came up with the perfect use for the product. IBM announced their new 1401 computer and Bowers got the idea that Bubble Wrap could be used as a packaging material to protect the computer while it was being shipped. He then pitched the idea to IBM and it began purchasing Bubble Wrap to protect their 1401 and other fragile products.

About $400 million worth of Bubble Wrap is sold annually. Bubble Wrap can be used as a cheap burglar alarm by placing it on the floor in front of a door.

Down Under Trivia

The official Royal New Zealand Air Force logo is the kiwi, a flightless bird.

Australia’s tallest mountain and most populous city were named for people who never visited the country. Mount Kosciuszko was named after Polish military hero Tadeusz Kosciuszko, because of its resemblance to a prehistoric mound in Kraków, and Sydney was named for British politician Thomas Townshend, Lord Sydney.

Greatest Quotes of the Century

“I gave at the office,” “The check is in the mail,”  “This is a risk-free investment,” “They are too big to fail,” “I do” (when uttered by Kim Kardashian), "I did not have sexual relations. . .", "Trust me" (when spoken by any politician), "The facts prove" (When proffered by the media).

SpongeBob Facts

Each of the main characters in SpongeBob Squarepants was inspired by one of the seven deadly sins. These seem to fit the characters.

1. Greed (Mr. Krabs) - Eugene Krabs is constantly thinking of ways to turn a profit, even if it involves taking advantage of his friends or putting them in harmful situations.

2. Envy (Plankton) - Sheldon Plankton owns a struggling restaurant called “The Chum Bucket” and is consumed with the desire to achieve the success of his adversary and steal the Krabby Patty formula.

3. Sloth (Patrick) - In one episode Patrick is given an award for ‘doing absolutely nothing longer than anyone else’. He then proceeds go back under his rock to protect his title.

4. Pride (Sandy) - The fact that Sandy Cheeks is from Texas alone should almost suffice for this one. She is a squirrel that is very proud of her heritage. Sandy also takes a great deal of satisfaction in being the only land critter living down in Bikini Bottom among all the fish. Sandy is quick to spout off about the greatness of the Lone Star state or to show off her athleticism in a karate match or a weightlifting contest.

5. Wrath (Squidward) - Squidward Tentacles has no qualms about expressing his negative outlook on life by describing how much he hates his job at the Krusty Krab or through outward disdain for his two obnoxious neighbors. He is portrayed as a general failure who refuses to acknowledge his own personal flaws. He has a sarcastic sense of humor and resentment toward the society that doesn't appreciate his creativity and clarinet skills.

6. Gluttony (Gary) - Gary doesn't do much other than eating and meowing, and the meowing is often due to the fact that he is hungry. Gary was shown eating parts of their couch. In another episode, Gary ran away from home because SpongeBob forgot to feed him for a while. Another time Gary ate a year’s supply of snail food and became morbidly obese.

7. Lust (SpongeBob) - The alternative definition for lust is simply “a passionate desire for something”. In this sense, it cannot be denied that he is an extremely lustful creature. SpongeBob has a lust for life that is incomparable to most other cartoon characters. He yearns for the affections of both friend and foe alike, is eager to please, and will often stop at nothing to complete a task.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) and Obesity

HFCS entered the American food supply in the 1970s and the rates of obesity began to rise about the same time. Consequently, many blame HFCS.

However, the calories in HFCS are no different from those in refined white sugar. The makeup of HFCS (55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose) is close to that of white sugar (50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose) and our bodies digest HFCS and sugar in very similar ways. Nutritionally speaking, the two are virtually identical.

Interesting Fact: Coca Cola produced in Mexico is still made with sugar (as opposed to corn syrup in the US), and many people claim to be able to taste the difference, but after numerous tests, results vary widely in their conclusions.

Vowel-less Words

English is a funny language with many interesting words.
BRR – The way you tell people that it is very chilly.

HMM – Accepted (in addition to “hm”) as a sound of contemplation. When you are thinking more, it is “hmm” instead of “hm.”

NTH – Having the quality of being the last in a series of infinitely increasing or decreasing values. (As in, “the nth degree.”)

PHT – An interjection used to signify mild annoyance or disagreement.

SHH – A way to urge someone to be quiet.

TSK – An interjection often used in quick repetition like “tsktsk” to express contempt or disdain.

PFFT – A way to express that something is dying or fizzling out.

PSST – Used to attract someone’s attention.

The Real Batmania

In 1835, John Batman settled in what was to eventually become Melbourne, Australia. He named it “Batmania”. Two years later it was renamed Melbourne in honor of the Prime Minister, Lord Melbourne.
---------------

Happy Friday

A mediocre person tells. A good person explains. A superior person demonstrates. A great person inspires others to see for themselves.

I may not always tell, or explain, or inspire, but I do always demonstrate having a Happy Friday!

February

February came into English from French. The French feverier became English feverere, or feverell. During the 16th and 17th centuries writers began re-Latinizing their spelling to make words look more like original ancient language sources. It was a way to make documents look more intelligent, so along with many other words, they made February look more like Februarius.