Feb 1, 2019

Happy Friday

No one is happier than a person who is happy with himself.


It is easy to be happy with yourself, especially on a Happy Friday!

Calorie Comparison, Banana Chips vs. Raspberries


What's in a Name - Maverick, Macadamia Nuts, Mason Jars

Although most of us are familiar these names, not so many know they were all named after real people.
During the 19th Century, Samuel Agustus Maverick did not want to brand his cattle. He coined the term "maverick" for anyone who is unbranded and roams free. Historians thought this was a ploy so he could own any unbranded calf in the area.
Although named after John Macadam, macadamia nuts were discovered in Australia in 1828 by an English explorer, Allan Cunningham. It was given the name and scientific attributes by Ferdinand Mueller, a fellow scholar and personal friend of Macadam.

The popular jars were patented by John Landis Mason in 1858. These jars changed the way we store and preserve food and many other items. We also use them for preserving summer harvest and drink tea or other beverages from them.

Healthy Nuts

A 2018 study of more than 81,000 people found that those who consumed approximately a handful of mixed nuts and/or seeds per day decreased their risk of developing deadly heart problems by 40 percent. Some nuts are healthier for us than others. A few ounces of nuts each day before a meal are good to curb your appetite and a few ounces at night provide a healthy alternative snack.

1. Walnuts contain the most antioxidants compared to any other nut and also offer the healthiest kind of fat, omega-3 fatty acids, which prevent heart disease. Walnuts also contain iron, which supports oxygen-carrying red blood cells, calcium and zinc, which support the immune system, and vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant.
2. Chestnuts have the least calories at only 55 per ounce, but they also have the least protein and most carbohydrates. Chestnuts also provide a decent portion of manganese, which helps the body metabolize proteins and carbs.
3. Peanuts are actually legumes, since they grow underground, like beans. They contain 160 calories per ounce; have the most protein, and high amounts of healthy monounsaturated fats, considered to be one of the healthiest fats, since they lower cholesterol.

4. Pistachios are a great source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats. They contain more vitamin B6 than any other nut, which is important for blood sugar regulation and the formation of hemoglobin. They are also rich in potassium, with one ounce containing more potassium than half of a large banana.

5. Almonds contain more fiber than any other nut and are also the highest in Vitamin E. They also contain healthy fats, protein, and magnesium. They may help lower blood sugar levels, reduce blood pressure, and lower cholesterol levels.
6. Pecans provide many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. They also contain monounsaturated fats and they provide flavonoids, which are among the most anti-inflammatory of all antioxidants. They are high in calories at 200 per ounce.
7. Brazil Nuts are one of the richest sources of selenium and are high in monounsaturated fat. They are a great source of magnesium, zinc, calcium, vitamin E, and B vitamins.
8. Cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts — approximately 82 percent of their fat is unsaturated fat, the majority being heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. They contain 160 calories per ounce and are slightly lower in protein than peanuts.
9. Hazelnuts contain a high amount of phenolic compounds, which are antioxidants that have been shown to help decrease blood cholesterol and inflammation. They are good for muscles, joints and digestion. Hazelnuts contain 180 calories per ounce and are high in monounsaturated fats and fiber.

10. Macadamia Nuts contain more monounsaturated fat per serving than any other nut, and they are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium.

Origin of the Tooth Fairy

The story comes from the book, 'The Tooth Fairy' By Anita Feagles. It tells the tale of a cute little waif girl who works harder than the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus, because she works all year round.

She loves teeth and has buckets of them that she sorts into boxes of girl’s teeth, boy’s teeth, top teeth, bottom teeth, extra teeth, etc. She uses teeth to decorate her fish bowl, and a jar on the kitchen shelf. She paves the path to her house with teeth; she has garlands of teeth outside the house. She has a party for all the fairies once a year and they all get gifts of teeth and play games with teeth. The reason she loves teeth so much is because she does not have any of her own. Nothing is mentioned about putting money under the pillow.

Weed Eater vs. Weedwacker vs. Weed Wacker

Husqvarna holds the Weed Eater trademark. Stanley Black & Decker holds the Weedwacker trademark. Weed Wacker, note the space, is owned by Environmental Essentials, LLC.

White House Numbers

The US White House has 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms and 6 levels in the residence. It also has 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 8 staircases and 3 elevators.

First Speed Limits

The first US speed limit for motor vehicles was set in Connecticut in May 1901. It was 19 kilometers per hour (12 mph) within the city and 24 kilometers per hour (15 mph) on the highway. Earlier speed limits were targeted at horse-drawn carriages, not motor vehicles.

Representative Robert Woodruff, who proposed the speed limit for vehicles, wanted it set at 13 kilometers per hour (8 mph) within the city and 19 kilometers per hour (12 mph) on the highway. Drivers were warned to either slow down or stop driving when they saw a horse-drawn carriage. This was because the state did not want drivers scaring the horses.

Wordology, Nibling

Nibling is a gender-neutral term for a niece or nephew.

Science vs. Science

Researchers have discovered that healthy men and women continue to produce new neurons throughout life, suggesting older people remain more cognitively and emotionally intact than previously believed. For decades it was thought that adult brains were unable to form new cells, but a Columbia University study found older people continued to produce neurons in the hippocampus, a part of the brain important for memory, emotion, and cognition - at a similar rate to young people. However, the researchers also noted fewer blood vessels and connections between cells in the older brains.

The research results come a month after a University of California study suggested adults do not develop new neurons.

Jan 25, 2019

Happy Friday

Man is not constrained by happiness, but a lack of it.

I never feel constrained, especially on a Happy Friday!

McDonald's Embraces More Bacon

McDonald's is launching Cheesy Bacon Fries next week on Jan. 30, 2019 along with the Big Mac Bacon burger and Quarter Pounder Bacon burger, the company said.

The fast-food chain explained in its official announcement, "'That’s too much bacon,' said no one ever."

McDonald’s is also hosting a nationwide one-time bacon bash and free bacon giveaway from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday January 29 at participating locations nationwide to celebrate bacon menu items arrival the following day. During "Bacon Hour," customers can get a free side of thick-cut, Applewood smoked bacon with any purchase, be it a filet-o-fish, hot fudge sundae, or apple pie.
“When we said there’s no such thing as too much bacon, we weren’t kidding,” said McDonald’s manager of culinary innovation Michael Haracz. "January 29, we’ll be upping the bacon ante — the bac-ante, if you will — and celebrating this glorious food favorite like never before."

Incidentally, doing market research, the brand found that the word “bacon” was mentioned across Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest and other forums an average of 17,000 times a day (or 740 times an hour) by users in the US between January 1, 2018, and January 7, 2019.

National Gorilla Suit Day

During 1963, Don Martin (one of my favorite cartoon artists) published National Gorilla Suit Day in a collection 'Don Martin Bounces Back', in which Fester Bestertester mocks the (then fictitious) concept of a National Gorilla Suit Day, and suffers a series of incredible assaults from gorillas and other creatures in gorilla and other suits.

Martin also brought us the great new words like spladap, shtoink, bukkida bukkida, splitch, sladap, sizafitz, and many more from his cartoons.

Subsequently, Don Martin fans have celebrated National Gorilla Suit Day on January 31. Enjoy!

Wordology, Tatterdemalion

A tatterdemalion is somebody wearing tattered clothing. It can also be used as an adjective meaning tattered or ragged in appearance.