Google Births and Obits

Google has an interesting forum that show notable births and deaths for any given day. Short and sweet, with no pictures, but you can click to get more details. LINK

Keyboard Alt Codes

Sometimes we need to add a few symbols to a document and spend too much time looking for a picture, when a key code sequence will work just as well, if you are using Windows. These use the numeric keypad on the keyboard, not the numbers across the top. For instance, if you need to put a copyright symbol next to a company name, push the num lock key to use the number pad, then hold down the ALT key and type 0169, release and you see © , Alt 0153 works for trademark ™, Alt 0174 works for the trademark registered symbol ®. (Some keyboards require holding the shift and alt keys while typing numbers or the FN key and alt).  The symbols show up when you release the ALT key.

To try them yourself, go through the numbers from 1 thru 127 then 0128 thru 0255, such as ALT 1 ☺, ALT 2 ☻, ALT 3 ♥, ALT 0128 €, ALT 0165 ¥, ALT 0189 ½, etc., to find some happy surprises. Incidentally, these work in Word documents as well as email, etc,. Facebook has its own set. You can also use Windows. Type in character map in the search box and it will show the full list.

Pillow Hack

Summertime is especially tough on pillows as we tend to perspire and make them flatten. If you do not have the type you can throw in the washer, you can always place your pillow out in the sun for about an hour and it will not only puff up, but also smell fresher.

Five Handy Uses for Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus is Analgesic (pain relieving), Antiviral, Antibacterial, Antiseptic, Disinfectant, and Expectorant. Europeans have long been using eucalyptus branches in the shower, but if you cannot get the real thing, you can get eucalyptus oil and use it the same way. Place 2-5 drops on shower floor to help clear nasal and sinus congestion. It acts on receptors in the nasal mucous membranes, leading to less stuffiness.

Eucalyptus oil has been used historically to treat rheumatoid arthritis. Applied to painful joints together with peppermint oil, it may help relieve rheumatoid arthritis symptoms and help relieve other minor muscle soreness.

Place a few drops on a cloth to remove stubborn stickers.

Use in a diffuser near bedside or in any room for clear breathing. It kills viruses, fungus, and bacteria.

Add some to your mouthwash or just mix with water and swish around your mouth to kill bad breath bacteria and prevent plaque and gingivitis. (Do not swallow.)

Facebook Ad Opt Out

You can adjust how ads are targeted to you based on your activity off of Facebook. Notice the words "off of Facebook" Yes, it tracks on thousands of web pages, not just your on Facebook activity.

If you do not want Facebook or other companies to collect or use information based on your activity on websites, devices, or apps off Facebook for the purpose of showing you ads, you can opt out from all participating companies through the Digital Advertising Alliance in the USA, the Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada in Canada or the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance in Europe. You can also opt out using your mobile device settings.

Happy Friday

True happiness lies within you, you do not need to search for it.

It is within me to enjoy every day like a Happy Friday!

U.S. Social Security Week

July 19th through 25th marks the celebration of the second National 'my Social Security' Week. Social Security Admin is hyping the benefits of signing up for a 'my Social Security' account at www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. With an account, you can verify earnings and get estimates of future benefits to help make important financial decisions. If you already receive benefits, you can get a benefit verification letter, check benefit and payment information, change address, or direct deposit information, and get a replacement Medicare card or SSA-1099 for tax season.

Ten Uses for Bananas

In addition to tasting good, bananas offer many other benefits. These suggestions may all not seem appetizing, but they do work. For instance, you can make a banana hair mask to give you gorgeous hair, because they are packed with nutrients that your hair needs to be healthy, such as B-vitamins and folate. Mix a banana, whole milk, and honey. After blending the ingredients, put it on your hair and keep it for about 20 minutes. You can also drink the rest of the unused mixture.

You can tenderize a meat dish by cooking it with a banana.

To make your face glow, mash a banana and apply it to your face. Sit with it on for 15 minutes then wash it off with cool water. Bananas are natural skin lighteners because they have Vitamin A that erases discoloration and Vitamin E that provides protection against free radicals.

Bananas are a natural source of probiotics, because they contain fructooligosaccharides that encourage healthy bacteria to flourish. Probiotics are essential, because they balance the bacteria in your gut, which prevents the overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria that leads to inflammation. They are also good to relieve heartburn.

Bananas are rich in potassium, which is good for lowering blood pressure and helps to decrease stress levels and boost mental performance. A banana regulates stress hormones such as cortisol in the body.

Bananas can help you lose weight because they are a great substitute for high-calorie snacks. They are sweet and will satisfy sugar cravings without the calories. Also, they rev up the metabolic rate because they contain chromium, a mineral that helps burn more calories. One medium-sized banana contains 105 calories.

Bananas are high in Vitamin C, which makes muscles, ligaments, and tendons strong. They boost energy and make a good pre-workout snack.

If you have cracked heels, banana can help to smooth your skin because it has moisturizing properties. Mash up the pulp of one banana and apply it to your dry feet and relax, then wash with cold water.

Bananas are a good source of tryptophan, an amino acid that contributes to the production of serotonin in the brain. This hormone is a natural sedative. Eat a banana about an hour or so before bedtime so that your body can digest it and allow the tryptophan to work.

Bananas can fight and prevent headaches and migraines, because they are a good source of magnesium. The next time you feel a headache coming on, reach for a banana. Of course, Homer has his own idea for how to eat a banana.

Pluto and the Naming of the Planets

With all the publicity surrounding the recent photos of Pluto, Seems fitting to look at it and the other (real) planets and how they received their names. Pluto is the largest and second-most-massive known dwarf planet in the Solar System and the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object directly orbiting the Sun.

It had been discovered many times by astronomers, who did not realize what they found. It was discovered 'for real' in 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, and was originally considered the ninth planet from the Sun. After 1992, its status as a planet fell into question following the discovery of several objects of similar size, in particular Eris, which is 27% more massive than Pluto. This led the International Astronomical Union to define the term planet formally for the first time. This definition excluded Pluto and reclassified it as a member of the new "dwarf planet" category. The other dwarf planets are Ceres, Eris, Haumea, and Makemake (sic).

The tradition of naming planets after mythological gods was passed continued after Roman names for the five extraterrestrial planets they were aware of.

• Earth is the only planet not named for a mythological god.
• Venus is named after the goddess of love. It is thought this planet got its name from the fact that it is “pretty” to look at as the third most bright object in our solar system in the sky as viewed from Earth (after the Sun and the Moon).
  
• Mercury is named after the god of thievery, tradesmen or commerce, and travel. It is thought that the planet probably was named such due to how quickly, relatively speaking, it travels across the sky.
• Pluto, although no longer a "real" planet is named after the god of the underworld. The name was proposed by Venetia Burney, a then eleven-year-old schoolgirl in Oxford, England, who was interested in classical mythology.
• Saturn is named after the Roman god of agriculture. It followed the Greek designation for Cronus. In modern Greek, the planet retains its ancient name Cronus—Κρόνος: Kronos.
  
• Neptune was named after the god of the sea. It got its name thanks to the fact that it has a blue color.
  
• Uranus is named after the very early god of the sky (and father to the Titans).
• Mars was named after the Roman god of war. It’s thought that it was labeled such based on the reddish hue of the planet, relating to blood.
• Jupiter is named after the god of thunder and the sky, and king of the gods. It is probable that it was named such as it is the largest non-star in our solar system.

Incidentally, many languages have their own name for Earth, such as ‘terra’ in Portuguese, ‘dünya’ in Turkish and ‘aarde’ in Dutch. However, the common thread in all languages is that they were all derived from the same meaning, which is ‘ ground’ or ‘soil’. The modern English word and name for our planet Earth likely extends back more than 1,000 years. The name was also found in early English translations from the bible.

Hockey Trivia, Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs say that the name was chosen in honor of the Maple Leaf Regiment from World War I. Because the regiment is a proper noun, its plural is Maple Leafs (not Maple Leaves). Initial reports were that the team's colors would be red and white, but the Leafs wore white sweaters with a green maple leaf for their first game on February 17, 1927. The next season, the Leafs appeared for the first time in the blue and white sweaters they have worn ever since. The Maple Leafs say that blue represents the Canadian skies and white represents snow, but it also followed the Toronto sports tradition of using blue as the primary color, which started with the Toronto Argonauts in 1873 and the University of Toronto Varsity Blues in 1877.

Name That Song

MooMa.sh is great for YouTube, Dailymotion, and Vimeo. The site can identify songs in any video. Copy and paste the URL into MooMa.sh and watch the site identify the song.

National Dance Day

US National Dance Day was created by Nigel Lythgoe and takes place in the United States on the last Saturday in July. This year it is July 25. 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. Not to be confused with international Dance Day, which is in April.

Why Super Heroes Wear Underwear on the Outside

According to previous DC Editor Comics Julius Schwartz, the custom matched the clothing used by circus performers and wrestlers of the time. Although not actually underwear, they wore shorts over tights or leggings. Since super heroes were gifted athletes, it seemed natural to dress them in the same way as the gifted performers. In addition, with early printing techniques being rather primitive by current standards, color changes or divisions at the waist, groin, feet, hands, and chest allow the characters to have certain attributes stand out.

Top 10 Viewers of Shubsthoughts

The top ten countries viewing my blog this month, in order are: Russia, US, Germany, France, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Portugal, India, China. Thank you to all my new BFFs. I hope you continue to enjoy. Hey Soedinyonnye Shtaty Amerik watzup!