Catnip is a member of the mint family,
but it is better known for making cats go into a euphoric frenzy,
rubbing on everything and rolling on the ground. Only about half of
cats react to catnip for some genetic reason that no one
understands.
Many insects are also sensitive to the oil in catnip, however they
hate it. Lab tests from one study show that catnip is ten times more
effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET, and another study found
that it has the same ill effect on bloodsucking flies that attack
livestock.
Follow-up studies showed that the oil in catnip was not quite as
effective as DEET when used directly on skin. Many people use catnip
oil as insect repellent, because it is nontoxic and 100 percent
natural.
No one understands why catnip makes such a good insect repellent.
Maybe the bugs cannot stand the smell, or maybe catnip acts as an
irritant to them.
Jul 17, 2015
Wordology, Facts and Factoids
A “Fact” means something that
is unquestionably true. Merriam Webster says it is the “quality of
being actual.”
“Factoid” has two distinct definitions, one being more or less a subset of “Fact”, the other not meaning the same thing as “Fact”. The first definition is: “an invented fact, believed to be true because of its appearance in print.” The second is from Merriam-Webster: “a briefly stated and usually trivial fact”.
“Factoid” has two distinct definitions, one being more or less a subset of “Fact”, the other not meaning the same thing as “Fact”. The first definition is: “an invented fact, believed to be true because of its appearance in print.” The second is from Merriam-Webster: “a briefly stated and usually trivial fact”.
Jul 10, 2015
Happy Friday
Happiness is a way of travel, not a destination.
I always travel well, on my way to a Happy Friday!
I always travel well, on my way to a Happy Friday!
We Have Infinite Power
Light travels 93
million miles from the sun unobstructed and we can block it
the last few feet from reaching earth.
Lesser Known July Holidays
July 11,
Bowdler's Day - This day honors the prude namesake of the word
bowdlerize. English doctor Thomas Bowdler quit
his job to focus on expunging from Shakespeare all lewd and indecent
references. His version, Family Shakespeare, came out in
1818.
July 12, Night of Nights - On July 12, 1999, the US closed commercial Morse operations, but every year since, on that anniversary, the Maritime Radio Historical Society commemorates maritime radio by bringing stations KPH, KSM, and KFS back on the air for one night. Other existing radio stations participate with related content.
July 13, International Town Crier's Day - This holiday, celebrated annually on the second Monday in July, is a chance to honor the lost art of speaking loudly and starting proclamations with "Hear ye, hear ye!" in celebration of the ancient practice of town crying. Now Facebook is used much the same way.
July 15, Saint Swithin's Day - Swithin was the Bishop of Winchester in the 800s. Many years after his death, his relics were transferred to the Winchester Cathedral on July 15, 971, a day which had heavy rains there. Since then, the belief has been that if it rains on this day, it will continue to rain for 40 more days.
July 17, Yellow Pig Day - This is a Princeton mathematician's holiday celebrating yellow pigs and the number 17. It is celebrated annually since the early 1960's, primarily on college campuses, and primarily by mathematicians. On campus, Yellow Pig Cake and Yellow Pig Carols are tradition!
July 19, National Ice Cream Day - Sundae Sunday, annually the third Sunday in July.
July 22, Spooner's Day - Reverend William Archibald Spooner was a scholar and the warden of New College at Oxford. He also had a habit of transposing the first letter of certain words. It is from his frequent, funny slips of the tongue that we get the word 'spoonerism'. Examples: a blushing crow a crushing blow, tons of soil sons of toil, our queer old Dean our dear old Queen, we'll have the hags flung out we'll have the flags hung out.
July 24, National Tell an Old Joke Day - Mary Rose sat on a pin. Mary rose!
July 30, National Chili Dog Day - Celebrated on the last Thursday in July.
July 12, Night of Nights - On July 12, 1999, the US closed commercial Morse operations, but every year since, on that anniversary, the Maritime Radio Historical Society commemorates maritime radio by bringing stations KPH, KSM, and KFS back on the air for one night. Other existing radio stations participate with related content.
July 13, International Town Crier's Day - This holiday, celebrated annually on the second Monday in July, is a chance to honor the lost art of speaking loudly and starting proclamations with "Hear ye, hear ye!" in celebration of the ancient practice of town crying. Now Facebook is used much the same way.
July 15, Saint Swithin's Day - Swithin was the Bishop of Winchester in the 800s. Many years after his death, his relics were transferred to the Winchester Cathedral on July 15, 971, a day which had heavy rains there. Since then, the belief has been that if it rains on this day, it will continue to rain for 40 more days.
July 17, Yellow Pig Day - This is a Princeton mathematician's holiday celebrating yellow pigs and the number 17. It is celebrated annually since the early 1960's, primarily on college campuses, and primarily by mathematicians. On campus, Yellow Pig Cake and Yellow Pig Carols are tradition!
July 19, National Ice Cream Day - Sundae Sunday, annually the third Sunday in July.
July 22, Spooner's Day - Reverend William Archibald Spooner was a scholar and the warden of New College at Oxford. He also had a habit of transposing the first letter of certain words. It is from his frequent, funny slips of the tongue that we get the word 'spoonerism'. Examples: a blushing crow a crushing blow, tons of soil sons of toil, our queer old Dean our dear old Queen, we'll have the hags flung out we'll have the flags hung out.
July 24, National Tell an Old Joke Day - Mary Rose sat on a pin. Mary rose!
July 30, National Chili Dog Day - Celebrated on the last Thursday in July.
Wordology, Hebdomadal
It is pronounced as heb-DOM-uh-dul and is an
adjective meaning taking place once every seven days. I hope you
enjoy my hebdomadal Friday Thoughts.
Eight Strange Things You Can Find in a Library
Erie,
Pennsylvania’s Blasco Library loans out fishing poles and tackle
boxes, while several branches of the Chicago Public Library run a
“Rods and Reads” program that provides poles and tackle sets for
adults and kids.
Many libraries lend out passes for free or discounted admission to museums and other institutions. In Michigan, the Library Network provides “Michigan Activity Passes” for admission or discounts at more than 100 museums, galleries, and other institutions across the state. Georgia libraries have passes for Georgia State Parks and historic sites that provide admission for four people and cover parking fees.
Libraries in Ann Arbor, Minneapolis, Iowa City, Aurora, Ill., and Braddock, Penn. have original artwork, prints, posters, and even sculptures that you can take home and display.
The Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library both loan out mobile hotspots so patrons can have mobile broadband Internet access at home or on the go.
Arizona’s Pima County Public Library has seeds for hundreds of types of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that patrons can take home and plant in their gardens. The library encourages borrowers to save and donate seeds from their grown plants.
Berkeley and Oakland public libraries both have a variety of carpentry, masonry, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping tools to lend out. The Ann Arbor library has a tool collection, but focuses on uncommon tools like thermal leak detectors and air quality meters.
The Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass. has banjos, bongos, and ukuleles to lend.
Libraries around the world host “human library” programs where visitors can sit down with human 'books' and learn about their different cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences.
Many libraries lend out passes for free or discounted admission to museums and other institutions. In Michigan, the Library Network provides “Michigan Activity Passes” for admission or discounts at more than 100 museums, galleries, and other institutions across the state. Georgia libraries have passes for Georgia State Parks and historic sites that provide admission for four people and cover parking fees.
Libraries in Ann Arbor, Minneapolis, Iowa City, Aurora, Ill., and Braddock, Penn. have original artwork, prints, posters, and even sculptures that you can take home and display.
The Chicago Public Library and New York Public Library both loan out mobile hotspots so patrons can have mobile broadband Internet access at home or on the go.
Arizona’s Pima County Public Library has seeds for hundreds of types of vegetables, herbs, and flowers that patrons can take home and plant in their gardens. The library encourages borrowers to save and donate seeds from their grown plants.
Berkeley and Oakland public libraries both have a variety of carpentry, masonry, plumbing, electrical, and landscaping tools to lend out. The Ann Arbor library has a tool collection, but focuses on uncommon tools like thermal leak detectors and air quality meters.
The Forbes Library in Northampton, Mass. has banjos, bongos, and ukuleles to lend.
Libraries around the world host “human library” programs where visitors can sit down with human 'books' and learn about their different cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences.
Oxford's Student Atlas
Had to share a recent finding;
one of my books showed up in the Oxford's Student Atlas, 0198325800,
9780198325802, Oxford University Press, Incorporated.
"Medical Humor, Medical Nonsense to Tickle Your Funnybone, Thomas F. Shubnell Ph. D., 2008, Humor, 340 pages. Laughter is an orgasm triggered by the intercourse of sense and nonsense. Pain killers are released during a deep laugh and stress hormones are decreased." I am chuffed to bits.
"Medical Humor, Medical Nonsense to Tickle Your Funnybone, Thomas F. Shubnell Ph. D., 2008, Humor, 340 pages. Laughter is an orgasm triggered by the intercourse of sense and nonsense. Pain killers are released during a deep laugh and stress hormones are decreased." I am chuffed to bits.
Tech Tidbits
Many people are afraid to charge their phone
or tablet overnight because they think it might overcharge and
destroy the battery, but modern electronics automatically stop
charging and will not overcharge.
Do not leave your gadget in the car or outdoors as extreme heat and cold will harm both your battery life and battery health. Cell phone batteries can swell and be destroyed within hours due to extreme heat. In extreme cold areas batteries run out very fast
Older Nickel-Cadmium batteries had a memory effect that meant you had to drain them every time. Newer lithium-ion batteries do not have that problem. In fact, li-ion batteries last longest when you keep them between 40% and 80% charged.
Whether you shut down your computer nightly comes down to personal preference and the vagaries of Microsoft operating systems. If you never shut down your computer, it tends to slow down over time, so a restart every now and then will keep the speed up.
If your Internet connection is slower than usual, try unplugging both your modem and router from the Internet source for 10 to 15 seconds. This usually works to speed things up. Unplugging many from the power source does not work as they have internal batteries, so using the reset button another way to solve this.
Every Web browser has a private mode. When private browsing mode is on, the browser will not record where you go and it wipes most of the information someone could use to piece together your online travels. However, private browsing isn't foolproof. It doesn't hide your browsing from your Internet service provider, the sites you visit, or any law enforcement that happens to be watching. Companies typically log sites visited. Private just means that it is harder to find.
Do not leave your gadget in the car or outdoors as extreme heat and cold will harm both your battery life and battery health. Cell phone batteries can swell and be destroyed within hours due to extreme heat. In extreme cold areas batteries run out very fast
Older Nickel-Cadmium batteries had a memory effect that meant you had to drain them every time. Newer lithium-ion batteries do not have that problem. In fact, li-ion batteries last longest when you keep them between 40% and 80% charged.
Whether you shut down your computer nightly comes down to personal preference and the vagaries of Microsoft operating systems. If you never shut down your computer, it tends to slow down over time, so a restart every now and then will keep the speed up.
If your Internet connection is slower than usual, try unplugging both your modem and router from the Internet source for 10 to 15 seconds. This usually works to speed things up. Unplugging many from the power source does not work as they have internal batteries, so using the reset button another way to solve this.
Every Web browser has a private mode. When private browsing mode is on, the browser will not record where you go and it wipes most of the information someone could use to piece together your online travels. However, private browsing isn't foolproof. It doesn't hide your browsing from your Internet service provider, the sites you visit, or any law enforcement that happens to be watching. Companies typically log sites visited. Private just means that it is harder to find.
Interesting YouTube and Twitter Facts
It would take more
than a thousand years to watch every movie on YouTube and another
one hundred hours of video are uploaded every minute. YouTube
Content ID scans over 400 years of video every day. More than 1
billion unique users visit YouTube each month.
The number of words posted on Twitter each day would fill more than a ten million page book.
The number of words posted on Twitter each day would fill more than a ten million page book.
Jul 3, 2015
Happy July 4th
Tomorrow is July 4, and is Independence Day
in the US. It is commonly known as the Fourth of July or July Fourth
and is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the
adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776,
declaring independence from Great Britain (but we are still
friends).
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