Dragon Fruit

The drought in California is causing many citrus fruit growers to swap crops which require less water. Many are switching to wine grapes, among others. One of the new crops also gaining popularity is dragon fruit, or Pitaya. It is in the succulent family and grows over much of Central and South America as well as in most Asian countries.


Dragon fruits have a number of phytonutrients and are rich in antioxidants. They contain 10 percent of the daily value of vitamin C, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and B1, B2, and B3 vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and carotene. Dragon fruits have zero complex carbohydrates. It also has a high fiber content and one has just 60 calories.

The seeds of dragon fruits are high in polyunsaturated omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids that reduce triglycerides. Eating dragon fruit can also help rid the body of toxic heavy metals and improved eyesight.



Inside the dragon fruit is white with edible little black seeds, like kiwi. You can cut it in half lengthwise and scoop out the fruit and chop into bite size chunks. It tastes like a bland kiwi. It also has the same consistency. Wegman's sells it for about $5.00 a pound and Amazon about $6.00. Average fruit size is about 300 g (10 ounces), but can range to over a pound.

Safety App

There is an interesting app for Android and iOS users called SafeTrek that you can use when in unfamiliar or potentially dangerous areas. It was originally developed by college students for college students and is extremely easy to use.



Start the app and hold a finger on the onscreen button. If you release the button and do not enter a 4 digit security code, local police will be notified of your location, name, and emergency. The price is $3 per month. LINK

Climb a Tree to Get Smart

Dynamic activities like climbing a tree could be a simple way to improve your working memory, according to new research.

Researchers found activities that require awareness of the position of different body parts and strength to complete movement, are linked to benefits of an individual’s working memory. These activities include anything from climbing a tree to balancing on a beam.


They evaluated participants between the ages of 18 and 59 while testing their working memory before and after the completion of various dynamic activities, such as climbing a tree, walking on narrow beams, running barefoot, and navigating obstacle courses. The study found that participants experienced a 50 percent improvement in their working memory after completing these exercises. Just a few minutes of such activity can produce beneficial effects on working memory.

“By taking a break to do activities that are unpredictable and require us to consciously adapt our movements, we can boost our working memory to perform better in the classroom and the boardroom,” study leader Ross Alloway said. He emphasized that by doing physical activity that makes us think, we are exercising our brains as well.


Those in the medical field say working memory helps humans actively process information, making it easier to perform day-to-day tasks and often increasing performance. The findings were published in the journal Perceptual and Motor Skill. Some of us are already smart enough to not climb a tree.

Aphrodisiacs

Men may be more biologically focused, with sexual problems stemming from more influence on veins arteries and nerves, but they are also influenced by stress and fatigue. Women may have more of a psychological influence, but are also subject to hormonal shifts and biological facets.

Pharmaceutical medications for the treatment of sexual problems are only available for men. These drugs, like Viagra and Cialis, are used to treat erectile dysfunction. However, the FDA is expected to approve the drug flibanserin this month, for the treatment of low libido in women.

Ginseng was shown to be effective at treating erectile dysfunction in several double-blind, placebo-controlled studies.

Free Friday Smile

Happy Friday

No one else in the world has your smile. Only you can share it.

I always share my smiles, especially on a Happy Friday!

Busy Holiday Week

Get your smile on, August 1 to 7 is International Clown Week. The first week in August is also World Breastfeeding Week - August 1-7, both always celebrated during the first week in August. Not sure how these two coincided, but someone was not checking their calendar.

On October 8, 1970, Public Law 91-443 under the 91st Congress, JJR 26 was passed by both the House and Senate and was sent to the president for his signature. It was signed into law by President Nixon on August 2, 1971. Many clown organizations have an international constituency and over time, National Clown Week has expanded to be International Clown Week.

World Breastfeeding Week was first celebrated in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action and is now observed in over 120 countries by UNICEF, WHO and their partners including individuals, organizations, and governments. WABA's goal is to re-establish a global breastfeeding culture and provide support for breastfeeding everywhere. The World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics emphasize the value of breastfeeding for mothers as well as children.

August 6, 2010 is National Fresh Breath Day. A group of New York dentists created this holiday as an awareness that having fresh breath is part of overall health and wellness. Appropriate at the end of Breastfeeding week.

Following that is Happiness Happens Day celebrated each year on August 8, founded in 1999 by the Secret Society of Happy People as “Admit You’re Happy Day.”

Blue Moon

Today we can see the second full moon in July and a second one in a month is commonly referred to as a blue moon. The US Naval Observatory in Washington describes it as, " ... the third full moon in an astronomical season in which four full moons fall." It takes place at the same instant everywhere in the world, whether the moon is above or below the horizon.

The phenomenon appears about every 33 months, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The most literal meaning of blue moon is when the moon (not necessarily a full moon) appears to a casual observer to be unusually bluish, usually caused by smoke or dust particles, which is a rare event. Hence the saying of, "once in a blue moon."

Of course, today's blue moon is not actually blue, but this song from the Marcells definitely is LINK, and this one is all light, but not blue from Judith Durham and the Seekers LINK.

Copyright © vs. Registered ® vs. Trademark ™

A Copyright protects original creative works such as books, movies, songs, paintings, photographs, TV shows, web content, and choreography.

Registered may only be used after the US Government grants a Federal registration certificate. The ® symbol may not be used while the Federal application is pending.

A Trademark protects names, terms and symbols that are used to identify the source of goods and/or services on the market. Trademarks include brand names such as "Coca-Cola" and images such as Nike's famous "swoosh" and taglines such as "just do it." Your business can use the ™ symbol whenever it wishes to claim a trademark. You do not need to file any paperwork to receive permission to use the ™ symbol. Use of the ™ symbol can put your competition on notice that your business considers a mark to be your trademark. 

YouTube Tips

YouTube is ten years old this year, so thought I would offer a few tips for the site that just keeps getting better.

Add quotation marks, as well as a plus or minus sign to include or omit results, for example: “beyonce” + “destiny’s child” or “beyonce” - “jay-z”.

Keyboard hacks
- k = pause or play
- j = rewind 10 seconds
- l = fast-forward 10 seconds
- m = mute
- Number 0 = go to the beginning of the video
- Numbers 1 to 9 = jump to 10% to 90% of the video

While captions are on:
+ = make caption font bigger
- = make caption font smaller

When searching for a TV show, add the word full after the title and YouTube will eliminate the trailers and mostly deliver only full shows.


And last, but not least - While signed in, go to youtube.com/account_privacy and make sure all boxes are checked.

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.)