More Myths Debunked

When a person is livid, they are ashen (pale) not red.

Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize, not for his theory of relativity, but for his less well known work on the photoelectric effect of light.

Most black bears are black, but they also come in white, brown, cinnamon, and blue, depending on where in the world they are found.

Julius Caesar didn’t really say, “You too, Brutus?” when he was assassinated. This is a quote from Shakespeare, written 1,600 years after Caesar’s death. According to Roman historians, the real quote is, “Kai su, teknon?” (“You too, child?”). By “child,” he was referring to Brutus. So paraphrased, his last words were, “You too, Brutus?”

US ship captains may not perform weddings on board unless they are a priest, rabbi, minister, etc.

Black boxes in planes are not black, they are orange. This is to help investigators locate it by sight, if necessary after a crash. The name was chosen entirely for humor reasons.

The glow surrounding the head of a saint in religious imagery is more technically known as a nimbus or gloriole.

 

Gigantic Barnacle Facts

 There are more than 1,000 known species of barnacles spread out in virtually all marine habitats. They are actually crustaceans, related to lobsters, crabs, and shrimp. They typically live for between 5 and 10 years, but some of the larger species are known to be much older.

Barnacle cement, the substance they use to glue themselves in place, is one of the strongest known natural adhesives. It is stronger even than epoxy cement and does not readily dissolve.

Barnacles have evolved some of the longest penises, relative to body size, of any creature. Barnacle penises can stretch to up to eight times the length of their bodies.

Most barnacles are hermaphrodites that may act as either a male or a female. They can't self-fertilize, so they need to find a partner. They are aided by chemosensory bristles that allow barnacles acting as males to detect the chemical signals given out by barnacles acting as females. Once the male barnacle "sniffs out" a receptive partner, it uses its long, stretchy penis to reach out and mate with her.

Alcohol and Prostate

 A study shows men who drink four or more glasses of red wine per week have a nearly 50% lower risk of prostate cancer than non-drinkers. In addition, researchers found that red wine's protective effects appear to be even stronger against the most dangerous and aggressive forms of prostate cancer.

Drinking alcohol, even more than six drinks a week does not make the symptoms of an enlarged prostate any worse. In fact, men who drink more than is otherwise good for them have fewer prostate symptoms and better sexual function than teetotalers. A low-carb/high-fat diet slows the growth of prostate tumor cells. As with all studies, one isolated cause does not equal a silver bullet.

Generations Explained

The only recognized generation (from the census bureau) is the baby boomers. All others are made up by the media and roughly overlap. Attached is a chart, including the next generation To Be Determined.

Greatest Generation - These are the people who fought and died in World War II for our freedom, which we appreciate. Tom Brokaw made the name up.

Baby Boomers - This is the agreed-upon generation that falls within DiPrete’s punctuated time frame.

Generation X - George Masnick, of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, puts this generation in the time frame of 1965 to 1984.

Generation Y - Masnick addresses this group too, putting it “anywhere from the mid-1970s when the oldest were born to the mid-2000s when the youngest were.” Mostly Generation Y is a made-up generation.

Millennials - In October 2004, the researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss called Millennials “the next great generation.” They define the group as “those born in 1982 and approximately the 20 years thereafter.” In 2012, they affixed the end point as 2004.

TBD - Children in the past 10+ years lack a designation. They are not Millennials.

 

Roosters on Weather Vanes

Originally, people tied strings or cloth to the tops of buildings so that they could see which way the wind was blowing. Later, banners became a popular ornament, and that is where we get the “vane” in weathervane; an Old English word that meant “banner” or “flag.” They all served the same purpose, which was to turn and point in the direction of the wind.

The components of a weathervane are the vane, the mast, and the directionals, which display the four points of the compass — North, South, East, and West. The vane usually resembles an arrow shape (with the rooster on top), which rotates freely and points in the direction the wind is coming from while the directionals remain stationary.  So if the rooster and arrow are pointing north, that means the winds are coming from the north, and is referred to as “a North wind.”

In the biblical passages describing these events, it was said that Peter would deny Jesus three times “before the rooster crowed.” Because of this, the rooster became known to Christians as the symbol of St. Peter. Sometime between 590 and 604 A.D., Pope Gregory I, took this a step farther, declaring that the rooster, emblem of St. Peter, was the most suitable symbol for Christianity. It is thought that this declaration led to the first roosters appearing on top of weathervanes.

In the 9th century, Pope Nicholas made the rooster official. His decree was that all churches must display the rooster on their steeples or domes as a symbol of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. In accordance with the decree, churches started using weathervanes with the rooster.

As centuries went by, the rule about placing roosters atop churches went by the wayside, but roosters stayed on weathervanes. European settlers brought weathervanes wherever they traveled, including to the New World. Now you will find weathervanes — mostly with roosters, but sometimes with other symbols — topping buildings throughout the United States, Europe and elsewhere.

Fig Newton Origin

 Until the late 19th century, many physicians believed that most illnesses were related to digestion problems, and recommended a daily intake of biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls were the ideal solution to this advice. They were a locally produced and handmade product until a Philadelphia baker and fig lover, Charles Roser, invented and patented a machine in 1891 which inserted fig paste into a thick pastry dough. F.A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in Cambridge, MA, is where the Fig Newton, named after the nearby town of Newton was first conceived and produced in 1891.

The Kennedy Biscuit Company had become associated with the New York Biscuit Company, and the two merged to form Nabisco, after which, the fig rolls were trademarked as "Fig Newtons". Since 2012, the "Fig" has been dropped from the product name. They are now just named "Newtons."

Eating Before Exercise

 A new study has finally solved the dilemma of whether to eat before or after you exercise. Researchers at the Universities of Bath, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Stirling analyzed the energy expenditure of twelve healthy physically active men between the ages of 20 and 26. Each of the men completed three different trials: eating a breakfast of oats and milk and then resting (no exercise), eating the same breakfast two hours before cycling for 60 minutes, and skipping breakfast completely before doing the same 60 minutes of exercise.

The study revealed that when the men skipped breakfast, they had a greater calorie deficit throughout the day of about 150 calories on average, implying that fasting before exercise is the best for weight loss.

The study’s authors concluded, “These results suggest that for healthy young men a short-term energy deficit may be more easily attained if breakfast is omitted before exercise.”  When you work out on an empty stomach, your body does not have readily accessible energy from food so it draws from other sources, like stored body fat, which makes your exercise more effective at burning fat and helping you lose weight.

Additionally, exercising in a fasted state keeps your insulin levels low, allowing your body to produce more growth hormone which also burns fat. “When insulin is elevated, as is the case after you eat, your body will be in a state of wanting to store fat, not burn it,” Phoenyx Austin, MD, a certified Sports Medicine Specialist, explained to MindBodyGreen. “It doesn’t matter if you exercise like a mad man after a meal, you won’t be able to burn body fat until insulin levels drop, which can typically take two-to-three hours, if not longer.

Veg Fact

According to a poll of 11,000 Americans, 84 percent of vegetarians and vegans return to eating meat.

Walmart Free Drive-in Theaters

Walmart is transforming some of its store parking lots into a free drive-in movie experience from now through October as a way to let customers still have a movie-going experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign will span across 160 supercenter store parking lots in states like Texas, Utah, Florida, Nevada, and many Midwestern and Southern states. The pop up events are completely free, but you must claim tickets in advance at TheWalmartDrivein.com since there are no tickets available upon entry. Gates open at 6:00 pm and the film begins at 7:30 pm. No late entry is allowed.

Walmart will show classic films like Wonder Woman (2017), Spy Kids (2001), Space Jam (1996), Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse (2018), Ghostbusters (1984), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Black Panther (2018), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Friday Night Lights (2004). Bring your own popcorn.

Why Barns Are Red

 According to The Farmers’ Almanac and LiveScience, there is a very practical reason why farmers have traditionally painted their barns red, simple economics.

Most of America’s early farmers did not have money they could spend on paint to cover their barns. In fact, many of them could not even afford to paint their houses. Still, they needed to protect their barns from the elements so they experimented with various concoctions until they found one that worked.

Once it was developed and proven to work, word quickly spread that a proper mixture of skimmed milk, lime, and ferrous oxide (rust) to kill fungi and as an extra sealant, and linseed oil would protect barn wood from rotting due to moisture. Luckily, those ingredients were in abundant supply on most farms of the day so they were available even to the poorest farmers. Incidentally, many houses in Sweden are red for the same reason.

Happy Friday

 If you are happy, it is not just for you. It is what you exude to others.

Always exude your happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!

National Senior Citizens Day

National Senior Citizens Day, August 21. Today we celebrate the people who are part of the fastest-growing demographic in the world. According to the traditional definition, a senior citizen is anyone older than 60 years of age, but this seems relatively young in today’s society. 

When it comes to new technologies, adults above the age of 55 represent 65% of all “early adopters.” This demographic is also the most politically engaged segment of the population. Almost 80% of all senior citizens vote in a presidential election, while the overall voter turnout is usually about 50%.

President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Senior Citizens Day in 1988. In his explanation he wrote that, “Older citizens are reinforcing their historical roles as leaders and as links with our patrimony and sense of purpose as individuals and as a Nation.”

In honor of National Senior Citizens Day, spend time with your favorite relatives or make a commitment to volunteer at a retirement home. If you are a senior citizen yourself, share a few drinks and snacks with friends. Also, check for special promotions and giveaways at your favorite restaurants and shops.

Happy National Waffle Day Aug 24

 National Waffle Day commemorates the anniversary of the first waffle iron patent issued. On August 24, 1869, Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York received his patent for the waffle iron. Celebrate by savoring your favorite kind of waffle.

For longer than anyone can remember, waffles have been a sweet, toasty breakfast treat and a staple inside America’s freezers, restaurants, and recipe books. Maybe you enjoy waffles the old-fashioned way, with butter and maple syrup, or perhaps you like them decked out with chocolate chips, whipped cream, strawberries, and other decadent toppings. Or perhaps you have moved on to concepts like waffle sandwiches, waffle crepes, waffle pizzas, or chicken and waffles.

Food historians trace the waffle’s DNA back to ancient Greece, when cooks roasted flat cakes between two metal plates attached to a long wooden handle. Obelios, as the cakes were called, were not particularly sweet or decadent, but their design evolved over time as people began customizing the plates. In Medieval Europe, the Catholic Church made a large, unleavened wafer as a sort of companion to the communion wafer. These oublies (or “wafers,” derived from the Greek term) were typically made using grain flour and water, and would depict Biblical scenes, crosses, and other religious icons. They were often served after meals as a symbolic final blessing.

In the early 18th century, the English added a second "f" to form the word we know today: waffles. It wasn’t until waffles came to America, courtesy of the Dutch, that they were finally paired with maple syrup, a popular liquid sweetener that was cheaper and more widely available than granulated sugar, which had to be imported. As early as the 1740s, colonists in New Jersey and New York were having parties known as "wafel frolics." Thomas Jefferson, who loved waffles so much that he brought four waffle irons that he bought in Amsterdam, regularly served waffles at Monticello along with other shockingly modern foods like ice cream, French fries, and macaroni and cheese.

A few decades later, three brothers from California would revolutionize the waffle industry and breakfasts everywhere. In 1932, Frank, Anthony, and Samuel Dorsa started a food manufacturing company in their parents’ basement in San Jose. Their first breakthrough, Eggo Mayonnaise, so named because it used "100 percent fresh ranch eggs," became a local success, as did a waffle batter they sold to consumers and restaurants. The brothers also developed one of the first dry waffle mixes, which required just milk to create a rich, thick batter. The Dorsas were so successful that after just a few years they moved out of their parents’ basement and into an old potato chip factory, where they expanded into other categories like chips, noodles, and pretzel sticks.

Banana Facts

A banana plant only produces one bunch of bananas in its lifetime. Banana plants take about nine months to grow up and produce banana berry, and once the bananas have been harvested, the plant dies.

Bananas reproduce by suckers, which are small plants that grow at the root of the parent plant. Each stem grows 9 to 12 hands, which means that a single banana plant can produce up to 240 bananas.

Bananas are berries. Berry is actually a botanical term, not a common English one. Blackberries, mulberries, and raspberries are not berries, but bananas, pumpkins, avocados, and cucumbers are.