Does it seem like we are
getting more unwanted calls on smart phones? We are, and
they are more and more difficult to stop. We are now in
the phase where bad technology leapfrogs good technology
and until that changes again, it is something to deal
with.
US Federal Trade
Commission data released during December 2017 shows a
massive 4.5 million consumer complaints about robocalls in
2017, up from 2016's 3.4 million. For every single month
of the year, robocalls topped the list of "Do Not Call"
violations.
The six most common
ones in no particular order include:
Reducing your debt (credit cards, mortgage, student loans)
Dropped call or no message
Vacation and timeshares
Warranties and protection plans
Calls pretending to be government, IRS, businesses, or
family and friends
Medical and prescriptions.
In addition to all the
complaints, use of the "Do Not Call" registry hosts 226
million active registrations.
The reason for the
increase is the cheap new telephony equipment, ease of
placing millions of calls without a person needed to do
the dialing, and digital calling systems that make it
simple to automatically spoof caller ID numbers. Robo
calls are becoming the 'Nigerian Prince' scam for phones.
Incidentally, the
worst thing you can do is respond. The bad guys have no
do not call list to put you on and no reason to stop
calling. Also, once you respond, your number goes into
the bank of live persons and your number will be sold to
other scammers. Robo call apps help blocking, but cannot
keep up with the ever shifting use of numbers used,
including what appear to be local numbers.
Jan 5, 2018
Tongue and Taste Myth
Your tongue does not have
independent zones for different types of flavor, sweetness,
or saltiness. The confusion comes from the mis-translation
of a German study. Actually all of the tongue is more or
less equally capable of detecting different flavors,
although there are different patterns of strength.
What is generally categorized as
“taste” is basically a
bundle of different sensations. It is not only the
qualities of taste perceived
by the tongue, but also the smell, texture, and
temperature of food.
Incidentally,
“hot” or “spicy” is often described as a taste.
Technically, this is just
a pain signal sent by the nerves that transmit touch and
temperature
sensations. The substance “capsaicin” in foods seasoned
with chili causes a
sensation of pain and heat.
Do Not Recycle These
Ribbons, bows, Styrofoam and the
glue that sticks them to the gift are not to go in the recycling
bin.
You cannot recycle wrapping paper that has metallic, glossy, glitter, or velvety flocking on it.
Plastic bags, twine, and anything else that is long and stringy cannot be recycled.
Shiny Christmas cards printed on photo paper, have metallic embossing, or glitter cannot be recycled.
Disposable plates, cups, plastic tableware, napkins, and paper towels should not be recycled. Some plastic cups may be recyclable, but read the bottom for recycle symbol. (Many people think that rounded arrow symbol means it is recyclable, but that is the resin code. Different municipalities can recycle different resins, but only number one and two plastics are recyclable in most places.)
Do not recycle candy wrappers or the bags that coffee comes in.
Pizza boxes and fast food carryout bags may include the additional message, “Recycle if Clean & Dry,” since pizza boxes and bags dirtied by a significant amount of grease or food residue are often not accepted for recycling.
Chip bags cannot go into the recycle bin, since most chip bags are made from aluminum laminated with polypropylene.
The popular K-Cup® pod as a whole cannot be recycled.
All is not lost as cardboard boxes are great to recycle, even with some tape on them.
You cannot recycle wrapping paper that has metallic, glossy, glitter, or velvety flocking on it.
Plastic bags, twine, and anything else that is long and stringy cannot be recycled.
Shiny Christmas cards printed on photo paper, have metallic embossing, or glitter cannot be recycled.
Disposable plates, cups, plastic tableware, napkins, and paper towels should not be recycled. Some plastic cups may be recyclable, but read the bottom for recycle symbol. (Many people think that rounded arrow symbol means it is recyclable, but that is the resin code. Different municipalities can recycle different resins, but only number one and two plastics are recyclable in most places.)
Do not recycle candy wrappers or the bags that coffee comes in.
Pizza boxes and fast food carryout bags may include the additional message, “Recycle if Clean & Dry,” since pizza boxes and bags dirtied by a significant amount of grease or food residue are often not accepted for recycling.
Chip bags cannot go into the recycle bin, since most chip bags are made from aluminum laminated with polypropylene.
The popular K-Cup® pod as a whole cannot be recycled.
All is not lost as cardboard boxes are great to recycle, even with some tape on them.
Pantone
Pantone is the self-proclaimed global color
authority. It has released its 2018 color of the year. The color
is Ultra Violet 18-3838, a dark blue violet, halfway between
cobalt and periwinkle. I do not understand why they cannot
just call it purple.
2017 Word of the Year
The field is crowded, and the
fight for Word of the Year will be fierce. The American Dialect
Society will chose the winner during January 2018. For 2016, the
word was 'dumpster fire'. Here are some contenders for 2017:
Fake news
Alternative facts
Collusion
Nothingburger
Normalize
Antifa
Resistance
Persisterhood
Dotard
Reclaiming my time
Taking a knee
Covfefe
According to the Oxford University Press, use of the word "Trump" has increased 839 percent. It analyzed over 100,000 short stories written by British children for a competition, and has already declared "Trump" to be the Children's Word of the Year 2017.
Feminism ranks as Merriam-Webster’s 2017 word of the year. It is defined by Merriam-Webster as: “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity in support of women’s rights and interests.”
'Complicit' is Dictionary.com's word of the year - "Choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having complicity."
Recent past Words of the Year were not so overtly political: The American Dialect Society gave us "Dumpster fire" for 2016, An emoji was used during 2015, and 2012 brought us "hashtag." Back in 2009, "tweet" was word of the year.
During 2016 snollygoster was voted the first Haggard Hawks Word of the Year. It is a word for an unscrupulous politician
'Whatever' was voted the most annoying word of the year for the ninth year in a row.
Fake news
Alternative facts
Collusion
Nothingburger
Normalize
Antifa
Resistance
Persisterhood
Dotard
Reclaiming my time
Taking a knee
Covfefe
According to the Oxford University Press, use of the word "Trump" has increased 839 percent. It analyzed over 100,000 short stories written by British children for a competition, and has already declared "Trump" to be the Children's Word of the Year 2017.
Feminism ranks as Merriam-Webster’s 2017 word of the year. It is defined by Merriam-Webster as: “the theory of the political, economic and social equality of the sexes” and “organized activity in support of women’s rights and interests.”
'Complicit' is Dictionary.com's word of the year - "Choosing to be involved in an illegal or questionable act, especially with others; having complicity."
Recent past Words of the Year were not so overtly political: The American Dialect Society gave us "Dumpster fire" for 2016, An emoji was used during 2015, and 2012 brought us "hashtag." Back in 2009, "tweet" was word of the year.
During 2016 snollygoster was voted the first Haggard Hawks Word of the Year. It is a word for an unscrupulous politician
'Whatever' was voted the most annoying word of the year for the ninth year in a row.
Six Benefits of Parsley
Parsley is full of vitamin
C, an essential nutrient and best known for giving the immune
system a boost.
Parsley can actually improve kidney functionality by helping the human body do away with excess fluids. It is a diuretic and according to Livestrong.com, it plays an important role in the process of removing unnecessary fluids from the body.
Parsley contains ample amounts of folic acid and research from Harvard Medical School shows that foods high in folic acid can help the body regulate blood pressure and produce and maintain new cells.
Parsley Contains Vitamin K an important nutrient in helping the body respond to injuries. It helps in the clotting process, giving the body a chance to stop the damage and begin the healing process. Vitamin K has also been shown to help reduce the risk of bone damage and build bone durability.
Parsley contains compounds that can aid in digestion, according to research from WebMD,
Parsley contains anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation around the joints and ease the pain associated with conditions like osteoarthritis.
Parsley can actually improve kidney functionality by helping the human body do away with excess fluids. It is a diuretic and according to Livestrong.com, it plays an important role in the process of removing unnecessary fluids from the body.
Parsley contains ample amounts of folic acid and research from Harvard Medical School shows that foods high in folic acid can help the body regulate blood pressure and produce and maintain new cells.
Parsley Contains Vitamin K an important nutrient in helping the body respond to injuries. It helps in the clotting process, giving the body a chance to stop the damage and begin the healing process. Vitamin K has also been shown to help reduce the risk of bone damage and build bone durability.
Parsley contains compounds that can aid in digestion, according to research from WebMD,
Parsley contains anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce inflammation around the joints and ease the pain associated with conditions like osteoarthritis.
Wordology, Obdormition
It is pronounced ob-dor-MISH-uhn. It means
numbness in a limb, usually caused by pressure on a nerve. Also
known as falling asleep. From Latin obdormire (to fall asleep),
from dormire (to sleep). Earliest documented use: 1634.
Incidentally, there is a good word that comes after obdormition: paresthesia, known as pins and needles.
Incidentally, there is a good word that comes after obdormition: paresthesia, known as pins and needles.
Cord Cutters
Cord cutters are people who have decided
to give up cable TV and find another way to watch TV and movies.
The main alternatives have been streaming TV over the internet
(OTT) and subscribing to services, such as NETFLIX, YouTube,
Amazon Video, etc.
Another alternative gaining a growing following is using a TV antenna. The antenna technology is much better than the traditional antenna service and is extremely cheap, with no monthly fees. Recent studies have shown that over 90% of the US population is within range to stream free over-the-air HD television. Antennas do not lose stations like satellite subscribers suffer from during bad weather. In addition the signal is not compressed, so there is a noticeable improvement in picture quality vs. cable and satellite. In addition, usually there are 30 to 60 free channels available. Many find that an indoor antenna is sufficient, so no need to climb up on the roof for installation.
As of November, the latest analysis by Kagan indicates that another 1.2 million Americans cut the TV cord during the past quarter, lured away from expensive traditional cable TV bundles and by the rising availability of cheaper, more flexible streaming alternatives. The losses once again broke records for the industry, contributing to a net loss of 2.9 million traditional pay TV subscribers so far during 2017, after a loss of another 2 million during 2016.
Since 2015, TV watching growth has been in the number of antenna-equipped homes with broadband access. These increased 36 percent.
Another alternative gaining a growing following is using a TV antenna. The antenna technology is much better than the traditional antenna service and is extremely cheap, with no monthly fees. Recent studies have shown that over 90% of the US population is within range to stream free over-the-air HD television. Antennas do not lose stations like satellite subscribers suffer from during bad weather. In addition the signal is not compressed, so there is a noticeable improvement in picture quality vs. cable and satellite. In addition, usually there are 30 to 60 free channels available. Many find that an indoor antenna is sufficient, so no need to climb up on the roof for installation.
As of November, the latest analysis by Kagan indicates that another 1.2 million Americans cut the TV cord during the past quarter, lured away from expensive traditional cable TV bundles and by the rising availability of cheaper, more flexible streaming alternatives. The losses once again broke records for the industry, contributing to a net loss of 2.9 million traditional pay TV subscribers so far during 2017, after a loss of another 2 million during 2016.
Since 2015, TV watching growth has been in the number of antenna-equipped homes with broadband access. These increased 36 percent.
Free TV Trials
Now you can try some of the streaming
deals for free, before or after you cut the cable cord. Sign up
for any or all of the following. Some require a credit card, but
do not bill unless you go past the trial period. Many begin to
automatically bill at end of trial, so it pays to be diligent
and watch the end date of your trial period.
Amazon Prime Video: 30 days (Movies and TV shows)
Amazon Channels - As a Prime member, Amazon Channels has additional services with free trials from 7 to 30 days (includes HBO, Showtime, and Dove Family Films)
CuriosityStream: 7 days (Documentaries & Educational)
DIRECTV NOW: 7 days (Live TV)
Fubo TV: 7 days (Live TV with sports)
HBO NOW: 30 days (Movies & TV shows)
Hulu: 30 days (Movies and TV shows)
NETFLIX: 30 days (Movies and TV shows)
PlayStation Vue: 5 days (Live TV)
PureFlix: 30 days (Family-friendly Movies & TV shows)
Showtime Anytime: 30 day (Movies & TV shows)
Shudder: 7 days (Horror movies)
Sling TV: 7 days (Live TV)
Sundance Now: 7 days (Independent movies)
Amazon Prime Video: 30 days (Movies and TV shows)
Amazon Channels - As a Prime member, Amazon Channels has additional services with free trials from 7 to 30 days (includes HBO, Showtime, and Dove Family Films)
CuriosityStream: 7 days (Documentaries & Educational)
DIRECTV NOW: 7 days (Live TV)
Fubo TV: 7 days (Live TV with sports)
HBO NOW: 30 days (Movies & TV shows)
Hulu: 30 days (Movies and TV shows)
NETFLIX: 30 days (Movies and TV shows)
PlayStation Vue: 5 days (Live TV)
PureFlix: 30 days (Family-friendly Movies & TV shows)
Showtime Anytime: 30 day (Movies & TV shows)
Shudder: 7 days (Horror movies)
Sling TV: 7 days (Live TV)
Sundance Now: 7 days (Independent movies)
Browser Honey
Honey is sweet, especially when it can
save you money. Honey is a browser add-on that automatically
applies coupon codes at checkout, and now it also finds better
prices on Amazon immediately.
Honey brings the best final prices to the forefront after automatically comparing every top-rated seller in the Amazon marketplace.
It also lets you know if you can save money just by waiting a couple of days for delivery. Quick shipping is awesome, but so is having options, especially if those options save you money.
Shop on Amazon as usual. If Honey finds a better deal, a little tag will appear showing you how much you could save by buying the same item from a different seller. It takes into account the final price of the item (including sales tax and shipping), seller rating, delivery time, and Prime status , so you can still get Prime deals. Here is the link to add it to Firefox. LINK and Chrome LINK.
Honey brings the best final prices to the forefront after automatically comparing every top-rated seller in the Amazon marketplace.
It also lets you know if you can save money just by waiting a couple of days for delivery. Quick shipping is awesome, but so is having options, especially if those options save you money.
Shop on Amazon as usual. If Honey finds a better deal, a little tag will appear showing you how much you could save by buying the same item from a different seller. It takes into account the final price of the item (including sales tax and shipping), seller rating, delivery time, and Prime status , so you can still get Prime deals. Here is the link to add it to Firefox. LINK and Chrome LINK.
Dec 22, 2017
Happy Friday
It is not possible
to have too much happiness.
Grab all you can, wherever you can, especially on a Happy Friday!
Grab all you can, wherever you can, especially on a Happy Friday!
Christmas Carol Origins
Phillip Brooks was an Episcopalian preacher, he
earned a Doctorate of Divinity from the University of Oxford,
and taught at Yale University. During 1865, he rode on horseback
from Jerusalem to Bethlehem, where he participated in the Church
of the Nativity's five-hour long Christmas Eve celebration.
After returning home he wrote "O
Little Town of Bethlehem." Its first public
performance was held three years later, performed by the
children's choir of his church.
Clement Clark Moore was a professor of Divinity and Literature at a New York Episcopal college when, in 1822, he sat down to write a Christmas poem for his family. Moore never intended for the poem to be published. It was only at his family’s begging that it was published a year later. "The Night Before Christmas", poem became an immediate success. Moore created much of our Christmas mythology. He named the reindeer, was the first to call St. Nicolas an “elf,” the idea of Santa going from rooftop to rooftop, and codified most every concept about Santa entering your home to leave gifts. Much about the current legend of Santa was influenced by his poem.
Clement Clark Moore was a professor of Divinity and Literature at a New York Episcopal college when, in 1822, he sat down to write a Christmas poem for his family. Moore never intended for the poem to be published. It was only at his family’s begging that it was published a year later. "The Night Before Christmas", poem became an immediate success. Moore created much of our Christmas mythology. He named the reindeer, was the first to call St. Nicolas an “elf,” the idea of Santa going from rooftop to rooftop, and codified most every concept about Santa entering your home to leave gifts. Much about the current legend of Santa was influenced by his poem.
Christmas Banned
Christmas was banned in England
between about 1644 and 1660 by Oliver Cromwell, the Lord
Protector of England. Oliver Cromwell, along with Puritan
members of parliament, believed the merrymaking and festivities
observed during Christmastime were acts of sin and insults to
God. Celebrating Christmas became a punishable offense, and
consumption of Christmas foods was forbidden. The ban in England remained in place for
almost 20 years, during which people secretly celebrated
Christmas. When the British monarchy returned to power in
1660, it overruled all laws passed since 1642, and lifting the
ban on Christmas.
Christmas was, until recent times a purely religious festival and New Year was and still is the main holiday for Scots. Christmas was not traditionally celebrated in Scotland, because it was banned for nearly 400 years until the 1950's. Christmas was not even a public holiday until 1958. Hogmanay was the real traditional celebration. LINK
Similar laws were passed in Puritan colonies in America. Christmas was banned in Boston and Plymouth Colony from 1659 to 1681. In 1659 the Puritan General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony made it a criminal offense to publicly celebrate Christmas and declared that “whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way” was subject to a 5-shilling fine. In New England, Christmas did not become a legal holiday until 1856.
Although outlawed in public, the celebration of Christmas endured in private homes, particularly away from the Puritans in Boston. December 25 was declared a US federal holiday in the United States in 1870.
Christmas was, until recent times a purely religious festival and New Year was and still is the main holiday for Scots. Christmas was not traditionally celebrated in Scotland, because it was banned for nearly 400 years until the 1950's. Christmas was not even a public holiday until 1958. Hogmanay was the real traditional celebration. LINK
Similar laws were passed in Puritan colonies in America. Christmas was banned in Boston and Plymouth Colony from 1659 to 1681. In 1659 the Puritan General Court of the Massachusetts Bay Colony made it a criminal offense to publicly celebrate Christmas and declared that “whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way” was subject to a 5-shilling fine. In New England, Christmas did not become a legal holiday until 1856.
Although outlawed in public, the celebration of Christmas endured in private homes, particularly away from the Puritans in Boston. December 25 was declared a US federal holiday in the United States in 1870.
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