Shub's Thoughts

Jul 12, 2019

July 4th Celebration Beginning

After the members of the Second Continental Congress approved and signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776, John Adams wrote about the occasion in a letter to his wife Abigail: "I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding Generations as the great anniversary Festival." He suggested that it should "be commemorated as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty." and "It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shows, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires, and Illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more."

Adams was talking about July 2, 1776, when the document was approved and signed, and not July 4th, when it was formally adopted by the Continental Congress. For the remainder of his life, Adams considered July 2 to be America's true Independence Day, and he was so upset when the Fourth became the accepted holiday that he refused to participate in any celebrations on that date.

Suntan, Sunscreen, Sunblock

Suntan lotion is for tanning. It only blocks enough UV light to prevent sun burns, but enough to get a more tan complexion with enough sun exposure.
Sun screen is a more casual protection. It blocks more UV light than suntan lotion, but is a light enough formula that it does not alter the appearance of skin while it is on.
Sun block is a formula which blocks significantly more UV light; however it tends to go on very thick. The smell of it also tends to linger even after you rub it in. This formula is ideal for being in full sun, such as when on the beach.

Check this LINK for SPF information.

Pontefract Liquorice Festival

Every July, the town celebrates its leading role in England’s love affair with licorice (known as “liquorice” in the country), in particular through the “Pomfret” or Pontefract cake. Created in 1760, these black, coin-shaped “lozenges” were made of cooked licorice sap and could be dissolved in water. Once used to treat ailments and sweeten other medicines, the cake eventually became better known as a snack toward the end of the 19th century. Licorice-based fashion is a big part of the annual festival, which began in the 1990s, with some years featuring all kinds of wearable confectionery, including dresses, licorice-lined boots, and even a licorice jewelry-making station. For those who might not be interested in candy-coated fashion, the town also provides free travel on the “Liquorice Land Train” to Pontefract Castle, where people can take a tour. For the tried and true licorice lovers, the festival features a vast array of classic licorice savory snacks such as licorice-laden Yorkshire pies and sausage rolls.

Futures Vs. Options

Futures contracts require the transaction specified by the contract must take place on the date specified. Futures contracts are agreements to trade an underlying asset at a future date at a predetermined price. Both the buyer and the seller are obligated to transact on that date. Futures are standardized contracts traded on an exchange where they can be bought and sold by investors.

Options give the buyer of the contract the right, but not the obligation to execute the transaction. Options can be exercised at any time before they expire. There are two types of options: call and put options. Call options give the buyer a right, but not the obligation to buy the underlying asset at a predetermined price before the expiry date. A put option gives the option-buyer the right to sell the security.

Both options and futures contracts are standardized agreements that are traded on an exchange such as the NYSE or NASDAQ or the BSE or NSE. There is daily settlement for both options and futures, and a margin account with a broker is required to trade options or futures. Investors use these financial instruments to hedge their risk or to speculate. The underlying assets for both futures and options contracts can be stocks, bonds, currencies, or commodities.

One of the key differences between options and futures is that options are optional. The option contract itself may be bought and sold on the exchange, but the buyer of the option is never obligated to exercise the option. The seller of an option is obligated to complete the transaction if the buyer chooses to exercise at any time before the expiry date for the options.

Microwaves Revisited

Microwaving changes the molecular structure of food. It has been scientifically proven that microwaving changes the molecular structure of food. This is called cooking.
There are two kinds of radiation: (1) ionizing, the high-energy kind produced by nuclear bombs, radioactive elements, etc., and (2) non-ionizing, the relatively low-energy type we encounter every day in the form of light, heat, and radio waves. Microwaves are located between radio and heat (infrared) as non-ionizing.
Microwave heating is different from conventional heating because, microwaves only affect molecules having polarity or positive and negative ends, which rotate rapidly back and forth as the microwaves pass through. A common type of polar molecule is water, which is distributed fairly evenly throughout many foods.

Infrared energy warms up almost any molecule it passes through. While ordinary heat gets absorbed by the outer layer of a food and only slowly penetrates to the interior, microwave energy passes through most of the food as though it were transparent and heats up mainly the water, and to a degree fats and sugars, which in turn heat up everything else. The food thus cooks mostly uniformly. Yes, microwaved foods are still safe to eat.

Food For Flying

Here is an updated list of foods you can take through airport security. Cakes, Pies, Sandwiches, Apples, Bananas, Oranges, Sliced Fruit, Firm Cheese, Meat, Candy, Gum, Brownies, Cookies, Pastries, Granola Bars, Pretzels, Chips, Hamburgers/Cheeseburgers, and Fries. Even though an item is allowed to pass through security with you, it does not mean it will not be given a review. For instance, cakes and pies are permitted as carry-on items, but could require additional screening.

Wordology, Porculation

It is the feeding or fattening of pigs.

Equinox vs. Solstice

You could almost think of them as opposites. The word "solstice" comes from the Latin roots "sol," meaning sun, and "sistere," meaning "stationary." That refers to the fact that during a solstice, the sun rises and appears to stop in the middle of the sky for a while before it sets. As a result, the summer solstice is the longest day of the year.
If you are on the opposite side of the globe from that sunny standstill, you would experience a winter solstice, the longest night of the year. The winter solstice occurs on December 21 or 22 in the Northern Hemisphere and on June 20 or 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. The summer solstice occurs on June 20 or 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and on December 21 or 22 in the Southern Hemisphere.
The word "equinox," comes from the Latin roots "aequus," meaning equal, and "nox," meaning night. On the equinox, day and night last for exactly the same amount of time. Spring equinox means spring has arrived. The vernal equinox happens about March 21 in the Northern Hemisphere and September 23 in the Southern Hemisphere. The autumnal equinox occurs near September 23 in the Northern Hemisphere and March 21 in the Southern Hemisphere.
Picture the Earth as it circles the sun. Our planet does not sit directly upright as it rotates; its axis of rotation is actually tilted by about 23.4 degrees, always pointed in the same direction in space. In the same way you get more sun on your shoulders if you are sitting up in your beach chair than you will if you are lounging flat, some areas of the Earth get more sunlight depending on where its axis is pointing. That, in turn, depends on where the planet is in its revolution around the sun.
For example, when it's the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the Earth is at a point in its revolution where its axis points away from the sun and the Northern Hemisphere gets the least amount of sunlight. If you were standing at the North Pole, you wouldn't get any sunlight at all. The Southern Hemisphere, on the other hand, would get its biggest helping of sunlight all year, making it the summer solstice there. In Antarctica, the sun never sets during this period.

Whereas the Earth's axis is tilted directly toward or away from the sun during a solstice, it's tilted directly askew from the sun during an equinox. To use the sunbathing example again, it's as if you rotated your body parallel to the towel clockwise you get the same amount of sun on your front and back as if you had rotated the other way. At this time, the sun is directly above the equator, and that means that day and night are of equal length. But not for long: A new season is upon you, which means shorter nights (or days!) and more (or less!) sunlight to enjoy.

Geeks Vs. Nerds

According to many, there are differences. The most significant differences between geeks and nerds are that geeks are more into pop culture references, such as picking out plot holes in Star Wars. Nerds are more interested in academic achievement and the pursuit of knowledge.

TV Antenna Usage

Fast Company reports on a survey by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) that found during 2018, 31% of US households had an antenna hooked up to at least one television, up from 28% in 2015, but among 25- to 34-year-olds, antenna adoption was even higher than average, at 45%. Among the 65 to 74 age demographic, only 19% used an antenna.

Income was not a factor in antenna ownership, suggesting that many are looking to escape cable’s high prices, regardless of financial status.

How Many of You

There are 329,525,658 people in the United States of America. The US Census Bureau statistics tell us that there are at least 151,671 different last names and 5,163 different first names in common use in the United States. Some names are more common than others. For instance, there are 47,647 people named John Smith in the United States. Here is an interesting site that allows you to input your name and see if there are any others who share the same name. LINK Happy Hunting!