Have you ever heard a beep from the internet box where
your connection comes into the house, probably located in the
basement or garage. It usually shows a red light and says
'replace battery' or 'battery low'. Turns out the battery is
just for the in-house phone line and provides a few hours backup
to make landline calls in case of power failure.
The battery also
provides a few minutes of backup for internet service. That is
not enough to even finish watching an ad. If you call, your
service provider will tell you to replace the battery (at your
expense, and preferably from them). There is a button for
'silence alarm'. Press and hold it for a few seconds and the
alarm will temporarily stop. If you do not have a landline
phone, you can disconnect the battery.
A recent study
confirmed about only 6.5 percent of US homes have just a
landline. About 30+ percent have a landline and mobile phone
service. Mobile phones are not affected by home power failure.
If you want to replace
the cable box battery, they can be purchased at Walmart, Amazon,
Lowes, etc. and cost between 18 and 50 dollars. For the vast
majority, the fix is to unhook the battery and eliminate the
beep. It is cheaper, simple to do, and you can find instructions
online. You are welcome.
Feb 14, 2020
Locusts vs. Grasshoppers
There are many stories in the news lately
about the deadly locust invasions, especially in Africa. Locusts
belong to the same order as grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets
- the Orthoptera (derived from the Greek words orthos meaning
straight or rigid and ptera meaning wing).
Grasshoppers congregate in huge swarms that can do severe damage to crops. These swarming grasshoppers are called locusts. There are more than 20,000 species of grasshoppers known to science, but only about a dozen of these transform into locusts and produce damaging swarms.
Locusts and grasshoppers are the same in appearance, but locusts can exist in two different behavioral states (solitary and gregarious), and most grasshoppers do not. When the population density is low, locusts behave as individuals, much like grasshoppers. However, when locust population density is high, individuals undergo physiological and behavioral changes, known as phase polyphenism, and they form gregariously behaving swarms of adults.
In addition to changes in behavior, phase change may be accompanied by changes in body shape and color, and in fertility, physiology, and survival. These changes are so dramatic in some species that the swarming and non-swarming forms were once considered to be different species. The scale of population increase and migrations also distinguish those species known as locusts from grasshoppers.
Locusts are large herbivorous insects that can be serious pests of agriculture due to their ability to form dense and highly mobile swarms. They are species of short-horned grasshoppers that periodically form large populations in dense migrating groups, where individuals differ in several characteristics from those living separately. A locust has longer and stronger wings and a smaller body than a grasshopper.
Grasshoppers congregate in huge swarms that can do severe damage to crops. These swarming grasshoppers are called locusts. There are more than 20,000 species of grasshoppers known to science, but only about a dozen of these transform into locusts and produce damaging swarms.
Locusts and grasshoppers are the same in appearance, but locusts can exist in two different behavioral states (solitary and gregarious), and most grasshoppers do not. When the population density is low, locusts behave as individuals, much like grasshoppers. However, when locust population density is high, individuals undergo physiological and behavioral changes, known as phase polyphenism, and they form gregariously behaving swarms of adults.
In addition to changes in behavior, phase change may be accompanied by changes in body shape and color, and in fertility, physiology, and survival. These changes are so dramatic in some species that the swarming and non-swarming forms were once considered to be different species. The scale of population increase and migrations also distinguish those species known as locusts from grasshoppers.
Locusts are large herbivorous insects that can be serious pests of agriculture due to their ability to form dense and highly mobile swarms. They are species of short-horned grasshoppers that periodically form large populations in dense migrating groups, where individuals differ in several characteristics from those living separately. A locust has longer and stronger wings and a smaller body than a grasshopper.
Happy Friday
But what is happiness
except the simple harmony between a man and the life he leads?
~Albert Camus
Happiness and harmony are important, especially on a Happy Friday!
Happiness and harmony are important, especially on a Happy Friday!
Pizza Facts
If
you did not get enough pizza during the big game, Feb 9 is
another opportunity to celebrate. In fact, there are 10
different pizza days during the year. National Pizza Day is
celebrated Feb 9. This observance began in October 1984, and was
created by Gerry Durnell, the publisher of Pizza Today magazine.
Here are a few pizza facts.
Pepperoni is the most popular pizza at 36% of all pies ordered.
Over 3 billion pizzas are sold in the USA each year. Add another 1 billion of frozen pizzas.
17% of all US Restaurants are pizzerias.
Antica Pizzeria, the first Pizzeria, opened in Naples, Italy, in 1738.
Gennaro Lombardi, the first Pizzeria in the United States, opened in 1895 in New York City.
Americans consume on average 23 pounds of pizza per person each year.
Here are a few pizza facts.
Pepperoni is the most popular pizza at 36% of all pies ordered.
Over 3 billion pizzas are sold in the USA each year. Add another 1 billion of frozen pizzas.
17% of all US Restaurants are pizzerias.
Antica Pizzeria, the first Pizzeria, opened in Naples, Italy, in 1738.
Gennaro Lombardi, the first Pizzeria in the United States, opened in 1895 in New York City.
Americans consume on average 23 pounds of pizza per person each year.
Dial 211
There
is another service akin to 411 and 911 in the US. The Federal
Communications Commission reserved the 211 dialing code for
community information and referral services. It intended the
code as an easy-to-remember and universally recognizable number
that would enable a critical connection between individuals and
families in need and the appropriate community-based
organizations and government agencies. Currently, active 211
systems cover all or part of 50 states.
Calling 211 provides the following resources:
Basic Human Needs Resources – including food and clothing, shelters, housing, utility assistance.
Disaster Response and Recovery – works with the emergency management team during a disaster to offer support and place for dissemination of information.
Mental Health and Health Resources – including counseling, support groups, drug and alcohol treatment, health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health resources, health insurance programs for children, medical information lines, clinics, and hospitals.
Employment Support – including job training, employment services, transportation assistance, and education programs.
Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities – including adult day care, community meals, respite care, home health care, transportation and homemaker services.
Children, Youth and Family Support – including child care, after school programs, educational programs for low income families, family resource centers, and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services.
Volunteer Opportunities and Donations – Individuals who wish to donate time, goods or money to community organizations.
Calling 211 provides the following resources:
Basic Human Needs Resources – including food and clothing, shelters, housing, utility assistance.
Disaster Response and Recovery – works with the emergency management team during a disaster to offer support and place for dissemination of information.
Mental Health and Health Resources – including counseling, support groups, drug and alcohol treatment, health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health resources, health insurance programs for children, medical information lines, clinics, and hospitals.
Employment Support – including job training, employment services, transportation assistance, and education programs.
Older Adults and Persons with Disabilities – including adult day care, community meals, respite care, home health care, transportation and homemaker services.
Children, Youth and Family Support – including child care, after school programs, educational programs for low income families, family resource centers, and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services.
Volunteer Opportunities and Donations – Individuals who wish to donate time, goods or money to community organizations.
Coronavirus vs. Other Outbreaks
Although there seems to be world panic
according to the media, the virus appears not be as deadly as
reports would have us believe. The number of confirmed cases of
the virus worldwide numbered 14,637 and the total confirmed
deaths stood at 305 as of midday Feb. 2, according to data
collected and mapped by Johns Hopkins University’s Center for
Systems Science and Engineering. As of Feb 5, a Wisconsin
coronavirus case brings total infected in US to 12.
To put the risk in more context, the current US flu season has killed 54 infants so far, according to CDC. In the U.S. alone, the flu has already caused an estimated 19 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Common coronavirus symptoms can include:
— Fever
— Dry cough
— Shortness of breath
— Aching muscles
— Fatigue.
Less typical coronavirus symptoms:
— Phlegm buildup
— Headache
— Hemoptysis
— Diarrhea.
Symptoms atypical for coronavirus:
— Runny nose
— Sore throat.
A runny nose and a sore throat are typical signs of upper respiratory infection. Therefore, those who have bouts of sneezing or get the sniffles likely have the flu or a common cold. As the new coronavirus generally affects the lower respiratory tract, most of those infected exhibit a dry cough, shortness of breath or pneumonia, but not a sore throat.
Last week, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced a $12.5 million effort to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus, split among three firms. In the best-case scenario, immunologist Barney Graham of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease told Science magazine, a vaccine would be ready for testing in people by next summer.
To put the risk in more context, the current US flu season has killed 54 infants so far, according to CDC. In the U.S. alone, the flu has already caused an estimated 19 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths this season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Common coronavirus symptoms can include:
— Fever
— Dry cough
— Shortness of breath
— Aching muscles
— Fatigue.
Less typical coronavirus symptoms:
— Phlegm buildup
— Headache
— Hemoptysis
— Diarrhea.
Symptoms atypical for coronavirus:
— Runny nose
— Sore throat.
A runny nose and a sore throat are typical signs of upper respiratory infection. Therefore, those who have bouts of sneezing or get the sniffles likely have the flu or a common cold. As the new coronavirus generally affects the lower respiratory tract, most of those infected exhibit a dry cough, shortness of breath or pneumonia, but not a sore throat.
Last week, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations announced a $12.5 million effort to develop a vaccine against the coronavirus, split among three firms. In the best-case scenario, immunologist Barney Graham of the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease told Science magazine, a vaccine would be ready for testing in people by next summer.
Wordology, Quit Rent
Most quit rents are relics of medieval agreements. A few
examples include: Some English landowners must produce a variety
of quit rents: a bucket of snow on demand, three red roses, a
small French flag, a salmon spear. Some rents only kick in if
the king or queen visits: the renter must provide the crown with
a bed of straw, in another the renter must offer a single white
rose.
There is a quite recent one in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA. It started when the city imported a bridge from London (which had spanned the Thames river) and was auctioned off in the late 1960s. Robert McCulloch, Lake Havasu City’s founder, bought the bridge, and by the early ’70s, the bridge had been reinstalled in Arizona.
As a gift to London, during the dedication ceremony, McCulloch offered an acre of Arizona land and years later, when the city wanted to use that land for a visitor’s center, London agreed to lease it back to Lake Havasu. They settled on a token quit rent: a Kachina doll (a carved Hopi figure representing an immortal being).
There is a quite recent one in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA. It started when the city imported a bridge from London (which had spanned the Thames river) and was auctioned off in the late 1960s. Robert McCulloch, Lake Havasu City’s founder, bought the bridge, and by the early ’70s, the bridge had been reinstalled in Arizona.
As a gift to London, during the dedication ceremony, McCulloch offered an acre of Arizona land and years later, when the city wanted to use that land for a visitor’s center, London agreed to lease it back to Lake Havasu. They settled on a token quit rent: a Kachina doll (a carved Hopi figure representing an immortal being).
Antipasto, Antipasta, Antipasti, Charcuterie
Antipasto means before
the meal and is the Italian equivalent of appetizers (not a
salad or fried foods served by many Italian-American
restaurants). It is a platter of meats, cheeses, raw or cooked
vegetables, olives and bread. The antipasto platter is pretty
much the same as a charcuterie platter. Both involve dry, cured
meats and garnishes. Antipasto is served at room temperature and
incorporates many colors, textures and flavors to stimulate all
of the senses before the main course.
Antipasta is an erroneous colloquialism for antipasto, a mistranslation of before the pasta.
Antipasti (antipasto plural) are a simple assortment of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
Charcuterie is the French equivalent and means cooked meat. A platter of good-quality cooked and dry-cured meats, sausages and pâté with various garnishes like bread, olives, nuts, dried fruit, crackers or baguette bread, jelly or jam. Cheese was not typically included, but is now often added.
Incidentally, pepperoni is entirely American.
Antipasta is an erroneous colloquialism for antipasto, a mistranslation of before the pasta.
Antipasti (antipasto plural) are a simple assortment of meats, cheeses, and vegetables.
Charcuterie is the French equivalent and means cooked meat. A platter of good-quality cooked and dry-cured meats, sausages and pâté with various garnishes like bread, olives, nuts, dried fruit, crackers or baguette bread, jelly or jam. Cheese was not typically included, but is now often added.
Incidentally, pepperoni is entirely American.
Pig Crisis
China is now the world's largest producer and consumer of pork
at 57 metric tons a year, more than half of the pork eaten on
the entire planet. Pork is perhaps the most important commodity
in the country. A sudden decrease in supply, and increase in
price could not only cause mass civil unrest, but also increase
the inflation rate.
The Chinese government has built up strategic reserves of bacon since the 1970s, and although the exact number of emergency pigs is hidden in state secrecy, experts estimate the National Pork Reserve holds hundreds of thousands of metric tons, both in the form of frozen meat and live hogs.
Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean pork stock has been getting wiped out. There is no vaccine or treatment. US pork sales to China have doubled, while European pork prices have reached a six-year high.
Due to a 2019 outbreak of African swine fever, China is culling millions of pigs, and is at risk of wiping out a quarter of the world's pork population. To combat the shortage, the government opened its pens and its fridges, releasing several thousand pounds of frozen pork from its reserves in an attempt to help meet demand.
The Chinese government has built up strategic reserves of bacon since the 1970s, and although the exact number of emergency pigs is hidden in state secrecy, experts estimate the National Pork Reserve holds hundreds of thousands of metric tons, both in the form of frozen meat and live hogs.
Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean pork stock has been getting wiped out. There is no vaccine or treatment. US pork sales to China have doubled, while European pork prices have reached a six-year high.
Due to a 2019 outbreak of African swine fever, China is culling millions of pigs, and is at risk of wiping out a quarter of the world's pork population. To combat the shortage, the government opened its pens and its fridges, releasing several thousand pounds of frozen pork from its reserves in an attempt to help meet demand.
Men and Stockings
Stockings are another clothing material that switched genders.
Men have been wearing them since the 9th century. Men of the
upper class generally wore white or colored stockings while
poorer men only wore black.
They are exclusively worn by women these days. Women started wearing stockings in the 18th century. For the unaware, stockings (also called hose) are those close-fitting clothes that cover the feet and part of the legs. A variant of it is the pantyhose, which is a combination of stockings with panties. Men never wore pantyhose. To avoid confusion, stockings, pantyhose, tights, and breeches all belong to a category of clothes called hosiery.
Things slowly changed between the 16th and 20th centuries when stockings switched from being a masculine item to feminine. The period is even called the “The Dark Ages of Tights” for this reason. By the 19th century, stockings had become so closely associated with women that men stopped wearing them completely.
They are exclusively worn by women these days. Women started wearing stockings in the 18th century. For the unaware, stockings (also called hose) are those close-fitting clothes that cover the feet and part of the legs. A variant of it is the pantyhose, which is a combination of stockings with panties. Men never wore pantyhose. To avoid confusion, stockings, pantyhose, tights, and breeches all belong to a category of clothes called hosiery.
Things slowly changed between the 16th and 20th centuries when stockings switched from being a masculine item to feminine. The period is even called the “The Dark Ages of Tights” for this reason. By the 19th century, stockings had become so closely associated with women that men stopped wearing them completely.
Vegan Snacks
According to the PETA web site, the following are the top vegan
snacks.
Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
SkinnyPop White Cheddar Flavored Popped Popcorn
Airheads
Cracker Jack
Spicy sweet vegan Doritos
Fritos
Fruit by the Foot
Kettle Brand Potato Chips (sea salt and vinegar)
Lay’s Potato Chips (barbecue and classic)
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars
Ritz Crackers
Ruffles Original Potato Chips
Sour Patch Kids
Wheat Thins
Hershey’s Syrup
Ore Ida Tater Tots
Pringles (original only)
Nabisco Oreo 100 Cal Thin Crisps (Oreo cookies are not vegan)
Jell-O Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding & Pie Filling
Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
SkinnyPop White Cheddar Flavored Popped Popcorn
Airheads
Cracker Jack
Spicy sweet vegan Doritos
Fritos
Fruit by the Foot
Kettle Brand Potato Chips (sea salt and vinegar)
Lay’s Potato Chips (barbecue and classic)
Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars
Ritz Crackers
Ruffles Original Potato Chips
Sour Patch Kids
Wheat Thins
Hershey’s Syrup
Ore Ida Tater Tots
Pringles (original only)
Nabisco Oreo 100 Cal Thin Crisps (Oreo cookies are not vegan)
Jell-O Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding & Pie Filling
New FedEx Scam
I try to keep informed about new scams and this is just one more
to watch for. Users will receive a text message informing them
that their purchase has been shipped via FedEx. Users are then
given a link that they can click to track their shipment, but
when they click on it, they are taken to a fake Amazon page that
offers a reward to complete a survey.
If in doubt, type the tracking number into google search and it will tell you if the number is legit or not.
Then in order to claim the reward, users are required to pay for the shipment of their reward by entering their credit card info, which will ultimately result in ongoing monthly charges of $98.95. There are many red flags in this scam to begin with, such as being redirected to a rewards page instead of FedEx’s website. Also, the rewards page has been designed to look like Amazon’s website, but the site does not belong to Amazon. If you do receive such a notification, mark as spam and delete it. Caveat Emptor.
If in doubt, type the tracking number into google search and it will tell you if the number is legit or not.
Then in order to claim the reward, users are required to pay for the shipment of their reward by entering their credit card info, which will ultimately result in ongoing monthly charges of $98.95. There are many red flags in this scam to begin with, such as being redirected to a rewards page instead of FedEx’s website. Also, the rewards page has been designed to look like Amazon’s website, but the site does not belong to Amazon. If you do receive such a notification, mark as spam and delete it. Caveat Emptor.
Brain Scans
Many of us have been subjected to different types of scans in
the hospital. Attached to this email is a picture of the various
machine representations. It makes it easy to see why different
machines are used to picture different parts of the brain, or
body, depending on what the doctor is looking for.
More Myths Debunked
Water-induced wrinkles are not caused by the skin absorbing
water and swelling. They are caused by the autonomic nervous
system, which triggers localized vasoconstriction in response to
wet skin, yielding a wrinkled appearance. This was theorized to
have evolved to give ancestral primates a better grip in
slippery, wet environments, but a 2014 study showed no
improvement in handling wet objects with wrinkled fingertips.
Hair care products cannot actually repair split ends and damaged hair. They can prevent damage from occurring in the first place, and they can also smooth down the cuticle in a glue-like fashion so that it appears repaired, and generally make hair appear in better condition.
Eight glasses or two to three liters of water a day are not needed to maintain health. The amount of water needed varies by person including weight, activity level, clothing, and environment (heat and humidity). Also, water actually need not be drunk in pure form, but can be derived from liquids such as juices, tea, milk, soups, etc., and from foods, including fruits and vegetables.
Sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children. Double-blind trials have shown no difference in behavior between children given sugar-full or sugar-free diets, even in studies specifically looking at children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or those considered sensitive to sugar.
A vegetarian or vegan diet cannot provide enough protein for adequate nutrition. Typical protein intakes of ovo-lacto vegetarians and vegans meet and exceed requirements. However, a vegan diet does require supplementation of vitamin B12 for optimal health.
There is little evidence that obesity is related to slower resting metabolism. Resting metabolic rate does not vary much between people. Weight gain and loss are directly attributable to diet and activity.
Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. Many of the studies about the benefits of breakfast were funded by Kellogg's, and showed correlation, not causation.
Hair care products cannot actually repair split ends and damaged hair. They can prevent damage from occurring in the first place, and they can also smooth down the cuticle in a glue-like fashion so that it appears repaired, and generally make hair appear in better condition.
Eight glasses or two to three liters of water a day are not needed to maintain health. The amount of water needed varies by person including weight, activity level, clothing, and environment (heat and humidity). Also, water actually need not be drunk in pure form, but can be derived from liquids such as juices, tea, milk, soups, etc., and from foods, including fruits and vegetables.
Sugar does not cause hyperactivity in children. Double-blind trials have shown no difference in behavior between children given sugar-full or sugar-free diets, even in studies specifically looking at children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder or those considered sensitive to sugar.
A vegetarian or vegan diet cannot provide enough protein for adequate nutrition. Typical protein intakes of ovo-lacto vegetarians and vegans meet and exceed requirements. However, a vegan diet does require supplementation of vitamin B12 for optimal health.
There is little evidence that obesity is related to slower resting metabolism. Resting metabolic rate does not vary much between people. Weight gain and loss are directly attributable to diet and activity.
Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day. Many of the studies about the benefits of breakfast were funded by Kellogg's, and showed correlation, not causation.
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