I threw in three states, California, Florida, and Texas for comparison.
Nov 2, 2018
Size Matters
I
took a look at 2018 populations and land sizes in the various
countries that are dominating the news. It is interesting that
the news describes the economic and other influences out of
proportion to the population or size of these areas. For
instance the news would have us think there is not much to
Mexico, but its population is the fourth largest in the world
and has the sixth largest land mass in the world. Also, Iran is
not just a little dot in the desert.
I threw in three states, California, Florida, and Texas for comparison.
I threw in three states, California, Florida, and Texas for comparison.
Oct 27, 2018
Happy Friday
Life happens, whether
you take advantage of it or not.
Be happy and take advantage of celebrating a Happy Friday!
Be happy and take advantage of celebrating a Happy Friday!
What's in a Name, Chock Full O'Nuts
The coffee is named for a chain of nut stores
the founder converted into coffee shops. Its coffee does not
contain nuts.
Discount Store Tidbits
Sam's Club - A former worker says on his blog that a price
ending in 1 means it is a sale price, and that the letter on the
top right of the shelf tag can give you even more valuable info.
If it is an A or an N that means it is something they always
carry and always try to have in stock. Something with a C means
it's a canceled item they are going to get rid of, so you can
definitely watch for this one to go on clearance. An S means it
is a seasonal item and might only be there for a short time, but
it is the O that is hugely important. That means it is a
one-time buy, so once it is gone, it's gone. Stock up on this
one if you find something you like, because it is not coming
back.
Because of existing laws, Sam's and Costco, you do not need to be a member to buy booze and wine, also pharmacy and food court.
Lidl - It should be pronounced leedle. After Josef Schwarz died in 1977, his son Dieter bought the rights to his partner Ludwig Lidl's name for 1,000 Marks. He wisely did he not use his family's own name, because ‘Schwarz Markt' would have meant ‘black market'.
Because of existing laws, Sam's and Costco, you do not need to be a member to buy booze and wine, also pharmacy and food court.
Lidl - It should be pronounced leedle. After Josef Schwarz died in 1977, his son Dieter bought the rights to his partner Ludwig Lidl's name for 1,000 Marks. He wisely did he not use his family's own name, because ‘Schwarz Markt' would have meant ‘black market'.
Words When You Were Born
Here is a website that shows you what words were
first found in print during the year you were born. LINK
Fun diversion.
Snopes
Many of
us have used the Snopes web site from time to time in order to
check out the veracity of stories or to check out emails to see
if they are real.
Snopes was founded by a husband and wife team who are now in the middle of a contentious divorce in which founder David Mikkelsen has been accused of embezzling $98,000 of company money to spend on “himself and prostitutes”.
The site is now 50% owned by an ad agency (Proper Media) and they make money by generating millions of views on the 3rd-party advertisements on the website. It makes sense for them to seek out articles that are viral to “debunk”, so that they can piggy-back on that traffic and generate more advertising revenue.
It has a hired team of suspect fact checkers who collaborate to debunk falsehoods that are trending on the internet. These fact checkers reportedly have no editorial oversight and do not follow standard journalistic procedures such as interviewing the authors of articles they are trying to debunk to get all sides of the story.
Snopes is one of the sites that Facebook recently partnered with to fact check news stories on its platform. In the counter-intelligence world, this is what is known as a “wilderness of mirrors” – creating a chaotic information environment that so perfectly blends truth, half-truth, and fiction that even the best can no longer tell what is real and what is not.
Snopes was founded by a husband and wife team who are now in the middle of a contentious divorce in which founder David Mikkelsen has been accused of embezzling $98,000 of company money to spend on “himself and prostitutes”.
The site is now 50% owned by an ad agency (Proper Media) and they make money by generating millions of views on the 3rd-party advertisements on the website. It makes sense for them to seek out articles that are viral to “debunk”, so that they can piggy-back on that traffic and generate more advertising revenue.
It has a hired team of suspect fact checkers who collaborate to debunk falsehoods that are trending on the internet. These fact checkers reportedly have no editorial oversight and do not follow standard journalistic procedures such as interviewing the authors of articles they are trying to debunk to get all sides of the story.
Snopes is one of the sites that Facebook recently partnered with to fact check news stories on its platform. In the counter-intelligence world, this is what is known as a “wilderness of mirrors” – creating a chaotic information environment that so perfectly blends truth, half-truth, and fiction that even the best can no longer tell what is real and what is not.
Ice Cream Fact
When comparing ice cream for quality, but the ingredient list
looks the similar, compare the weight of a serving on the
nutrition label. Denser is better. The gums and fillers used in
lower quality ice cream are lighter than cream and eggs.
If one says a serving is 1/4 cup (65g) and the other says a serving is 1/4 cup (73g), get the 73g one. They may both have some fillers, but the denser one will have less.
If one says a serving is 1/4 cup (65g) and the other says a serving is 1/4 cup (73g), get the 73g one. They may both have some fillers, but the denser one will have less.
Eight Tips for a Healthier Brain
Studies have shown that regular aerobic
exercise boosts daily intellectual performance and significantly
lowers risk for dementia. Other studies have suggested that
regular exercise can reduce that risk by up to 38 percent. More
studies have shown that maintaining a healthy weight with a low
ratio of belly fat can significantly lower our risk for a memory
disorder, even beginning in middle age.
Managing chronic conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes can significantly reduce risk for stroke and dementia. Also, taking care of medical issues such as hearing or vision loss can make a tremendous difference in our ability to learn new information.
Emotional distress and anxiety can also affect everyday abilities and may even increase risk for memory impairment. Get a good night’s sleep, avoid risky behaviors, and do not ignore emotional upsets. A leading study on successful aging found that folks who aged well were more emotionally resilient than others.
Playing games against the clock activities force us to pay attention, work fast, and think nimbly. Research shows that training in these skills can help us stay more effective at them, regardless of age.
Research shows that staying intellectually engaged can significantly lower risk for memory impairment by as much as 63 percent. Intellectual engagement supports emotional well-being and better brain health. Look for ways to change your routine, such as taking a craft class, brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, or taking a new route to work or the store.
Staying social has been shown to potentially cut your risk for memory impairment in half. Social situations offer a challenge to keep up our end of the conversation and helps us stay focused, and think fast. Find ways to get out with friends, and ways to engage through community or other resources.
Working or volunteering can improve daily intellectual performance. You get a good brain workout on the job, which offers you the chance to engage both mentally and socially. Continuing to work or volunteer provides a sense of purpose, which researchers found may protect us from memory impairment.
If you want to remember better, believe that you can. Self-perception can impact performance. If you are convinced your memory is poor, it probably will be. Studies have shown that memory self-belief impacts how well we do on memory tests. Practice the power of positive thinking.
Managing chronic conditions, such as hypertension or diabetes can significantly reduce risk for stroke and dementia. Also, taking care of medical issues such as hearing or vision loss can make a tremendous difference in our ability to learn new information.
Emotional distress and anxiety can also affect everyday abilities and may even increase risk for memory impairment. Get a good night’s sleep, avoid risky behaviors, and do not ignore emotional upsets. A leading study on successful aging found that folks who aged well were more emotionally resilient than others.
Playing games against the clock activities force us to pay attention, work fast, and think nimbly. Research shows that training in these skills can help us stay more effective at them, regardless of age.
Research shows that staying intellectually engaged can significantly lower risk for memory impairment by as much as 63 percent. Intellectual engagement supports emotional well-being and better brain health. Look for ways to change your routine, such as taking a craft class, brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand, or taking a new route to work or the store.
Staying social has been shown to potentially cut your risk for memory impairment in half. Social situations offer a challenge to keep up our end of the conversation and helps us stay focused, and think fast. Find ways to get out with friends, and ways to engage through community or other resources.
Working or volunteering can improve daily intellectual performance. You get a good brain workout on the job, which offers you the chance to engage both mentally and socially. Continuing to work or volunteer provides a sense of purpose, which researchers found may protect us from memory impairment.
If you want to remember better, believe that you can. Self-perception can impact performance. If you are convinced your memory is poor, it probably will be. Studies have shown that memory self-belief impacts how well we do on memory tests. Practice the power of positive thinking.
Wordology, Don't Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth
It means to find fault with
something that has been received as a gift or favor.
Long ago when buying a horse, people would determine the horse’s age and condition based on its teeth, and then decide whether they want to buy it or not. This is the reason why people use this idiom to say it is rude to look for flaws in a thing that was given to you as a gift.
Long ago when buying a horse, people would determine the horse’s age and condition based on its teeth, and then decide whether they want to buy it or not. This is the reason why people use this idiom to say it is rude to look for flaws in a thing that was given to you as a gift.
Flag Shape
Did
you know there is only one state in the United States that has a
non rectangular shaped flag? The flag starts wider on the left, getting narrower
on the right side. Instead of a straight edge on the right, it
has two points. It is
red, white, and blue, with five red-and-white stripes on the
right side.
The left side has a dark blue triangle, in the center of which is a red-and-white circle surrounded by 17 white stars. The 13 stars surrounding the circle pay homage to the original 13 colonies, and the four stars to the right of it bring the number up to 17, representing Ohio’s admission to the Union as the 17th state. The large blue triangle represents Ohio's hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The circle in the center evokes the “O” for Ohio, in addition to slightly resembling a buckeye seed (since Ohio is “the Buckeye State”).
The left side has a dark blue triangle, in the center of which is a red-and-white circle surrounded by 17 white stars. The 13 stars surrounding the circle pay homage to the original 13 colonies, and the four stars to the right of it bring the number up to 17, representing Ohio’s admission to the Union as the 17th state. The large blue triangle represents Ohio's hills and valleys, and the stripes represent roads and waterways. The circle in the center evokes the “O” for Ohio, in addition to slightly resembling a buckeye seed (since Ohio is “the Buckeye State”).
Oct 19, 2018
Happy Friday
You can smile to be happy and you can be
happy to smile.
I practice vice and versa, especially on a Happy Friday.
I practice vice and versa, especially on a Happy Friday.
Amazon Shark Tank
Never one to miss an opportunity, this week Amazon added a special
area on its site to sell Shark Tank items. More than 70 products that
successfully received funding from Sharks during seasons 1-9 are
now available. This collaboration coincides with the premiere of
Shark Tank season 10. Reminds me of the “as seen on TV” items in
stores. LINK
Aldi Facts
The
Aldi name is a syllabic abbreviation for Albrecht Diskont
(Discount)
Aldi is two different companies: Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud, or North and South. During the 1960s, Theo and Karl Albrecht could not agree on whether or not they were going to allow their stores to sell cigarettes. They came up with an interesting solution; instead of compromising they divided the company in half.
There is a line that runs across Germany known as the "Aldi equator" and Theo took the north while Karl took the south. You can tell the difference by looking at the logo: Nord's logo is a basic blue and white, Sud's logo is orange and blue. The southern Aldi is a bit fancier. When it came time to expand to the rest of the world, other countries were also divided. Stores in areas like the UK, Ireland, and Australia are all Aldi Sud, while Aldi Nord took France and Poland.
There is only one country where Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud share pieces of the grocery store pie, and that is in the US. Aldi Sud, with its blue and orange logo does business as Aldi, and Aldi Nord uses another name, Trader Joe's.
This year, 2018 Aldi and Kohl's announced Kohl's will sublet space to Aldi in limited stores in the US.
Aldi is two different companies: Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud, or North and South. During the 1960s, Theo and Karl Albrecht could not agree on whether or not they were going to allow their stores to sell cigarettes. They came up with an interesting solution; instead of compromising they divided the company in half.
There is a line that runs across Germany known as the "Aldi equator" and Theo took the north while Karl took the south. You can tell the difference by looking at the logo: Nord's logo is a basic blue and white, Sud's logo is orange and blue. The southern Aldi is a bit fancier. When it came time to expand to the rest of the world, other countries were also divided. Stores in areas like the UK, Ireland, and Australia are all Aldi Sud, while Aldi Nord took France and Poland.
There is only one country where Aldi Nord and Aldi Sud share pieces of the grocery store pie, and that is in the US. Aldi Sud, with its blue and orange logo does business as Aldi, and Aldi Nord uses another name, Trader Joe's.
This year, 2018 Aldi and Kohl's announced Kohl's will sublet space to Aldi in limited stores in the US.
Geography Trivia
Texas is larger than any country in Europe which is not
Russia.
Russia makes up 40% of the total area of Europe,
The population of China is significantly larger than the combined populations of South America (385,7 mil), North America (529 mil) and Australia (31.26mil).
The Pacific Ocean covers a larger area than all land masses of Earth combined.
The average depth of oceans water is about 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles). Maximum depths can exceed 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Washington Monument may be more famous, but things are bigger in Texas. The San Jacinto Monument of La Porte, Texas is 15-feet taller than the monument in DC and is the tallest stone column structure and war monument in the world. It is 9.6 feet (2.9 m) taller than the next tallest, the Juche Tower in North Korea.
Amarillo, Texas is home to 90% of the entire world’s helium reserves.
Texas is home to the largest bat colony in the world, Bracken Cave has over 20 million bats. The city of Austin is also home to the largest urban bat colony on the continent.
Dallas Cowboys may be America’s team, but they have not played football in the city of Dallas since 1971.
Russia makes up 40% of the total area of Europe,
The population of China is significantly larger than the combined populations of South America (385,7 mil), North America (529 mil) and Australia (31.26mil).
The Pacific Ocean covers a larger area than all land masses of Earth combined.
The average depth of oceans water is about 3.8 kilometers (2.4 miles). Maximum depths can exceed 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).
Washington Monument may be more famous, but things are bigger in Texas. The San Jacinto Monument of La Porte, Texas is 15-feet taller than the monument in DC and is the tallest stone column structure and war monument in the world. It is 9.6 feet (2.9 m) taller than the next tallest, the Juche Tower in North Korea.
Amarillo, Texas is home to 90% of the entire world’s helium reserves.
Texas is home to the largest bat colony in the world, Bracken Cave has over 20 million bats. The city of Austin is also home to the largest urban bat colony on the continent.
Dallas Cowboys may be America’s team, but they have not played football in the city of Dallas since 1971.
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