Friday Thought

The dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.

I dream and hope and plan to experience the reality of a Happy Friday!

Life of Kitchen Appliances

The National Association of Home Builders and Bank of America, did research entitled the Study of Life Expectancy of Home Components.
Here is a list of their findings.

    * Cabinets: 50 years
    * Compactor: 6 years
    * Countertop (natural stone): Lifetime
    * Countertop (marble): 20 years
    * Dishwasher:  9 years
    * Faucet:  15 years
    * Microwave Oven: 9 years
    * Range, Electric: 13 years
    * Range, Gas: 15 years
    * Refrigerator: 13 years
    * Sink (enamel steel): 5-10 years

What's in a Name - Mentor

A mentor is described as a teacher or trusted counselor. Mentoring is very common, both on an informally and as a part of formal education programs. In Homer’s Odyssey, the main character, Odysseus, asks Mentor to look after his son, Telemachus, when Odysseus departs for the Trojan War. The two develop a near-paternal relationship, as Mentor (and the Goddess Athena, in disguise as Mentor) helps Telemachus to overcome the difficulties he faces.

Ten Halloween Facts

It is actually supposed to be spelled Hallowe'en.

It has been celebrated for over 2000 years as pagan traditions.

Wearing masks comes from the Welsh and Celtic traditions that the dead visit the living on that day.

During the 1800s in America, the end of harvest was celebrated by wearing costumes, eating sweets, and playing tricks on each other.

Jack O' Lanterns started out in Ireland as hollowed out turnips with candles in them to ward off evil spirits.

Ninety nine percent of pumpkins are sold for Halloween for carving.

Orange and black are the traditional colors, because they represent the harvest and evil.

If you see a spider on Halloween, it is said to be the spirit of a loved one watching over you.

Eighty six percent of Americans decorate their house for Halloween, but the number is dwindling.

Halloween costume sales reached six billion dollars in 2009. Adults were 62% of that number.

About two billion dollars is spent on Halloween candy, annually.

Why Pumpkins are Better Than Men

Each year you get to choose from a brand new crop. No matter your mood, pumpkins greet you with a smile. They can make a pie. If you don't like their looks, just carve them another face. When they start smelling, you can toss them out. They're only turned on when you want them to be.

Catch 22

Did you know it was originally named “Catch-11.”? Author Joseph Heller tried out Catch-11, but because the original Ocean’s Eleven movie was newly in theaters, it was scrapped to avoid confusion. He also wanted Catch-18, but a recent publication made him switch titles to avoid confusion, Leon Uris’ 'Mila 18'. The number 22 was finally chosen because it was 11 doubled.

Windows 7 Tips

If you use Windows 7, you might like this one. To make any page you are looking at move to fill the screen (if it is not already full screen), just hit the 'Windows" key and the "up arrow" key. If you want the open window to fill half the screen and move to the left side, hit the "Windows" key and the "left arrow" key. To move right, Windows and right arrow. Hit the same combo to go back to where you were.

Land of the Free Land

Some communities need residents. Some need jobs. Some need development. In order to get those things, a few communities will give you free land.

For the most part, the places doing this are rural communities without much in the way of work opportunities, but doesn't the whole world work virtually now,

Several small cities in rural Kansas will give you a land lot if you agree to fashion housing of at least 1,000 square feet on it. If one lot isn’t large enough and you’d like to garden, the city of Marquette, Kansas  would be pleased give you a second lot adjacent to the first, also for free. These are developed lots with water, sewer, and electricity.

Muskegon, Michigan is giving away free land for companies that create new industrial jobs. You get five acres for 25 jobs; create 100 jobs and get 30 acres. The free sites have full utilities and easy access to highways, a deep-water port, railroads, and the Muskegon County Airport.

There are opportunities in Nebraska, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Alaska, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

Hand Sanitizer

How effective is it? A new survey finds most people think hand sanitizer works for an hour or more. Actually, it only protects for two minutes. The best germicidal thing you can do is wash with soap and water.

Nike Beginning

In 1972, University of Oregon track-and-field coach Bill Bowerman began experimenting with ways to make a better running shoe. One night on a whim, he poured a urethane mixture into his wife’s waffle iron.

The result was a shoe sole with protruding square segments that offered greater impact absorption. Conveniently, Bowerman’s revelation came precisely when one of his former track stars was trying to launch a fledgling shoe company. His name was Phil Knight. With a simple handshake, the two men formed the most successful sneaker company in history.

Bacon Palooza

Sorry I missed that one. A few weeks ago in New York, an event was held. It was billed as a “Meaty” FUNDRAISER TO HELP KIDS WITH AUTISM!' and “The Power of Bacon has been harnessed for the Forces of Good!” Come on, admit it. We all share the goodness of bacon.

MMM - They even had a bacon eating contest.

Sony Walkman Farewell

Sony’s portable tape cassette player first released in 1979 has finally reached the end of its production life. The final batch was produced in Japan in April, 2010 and no more will be produced. Over 200 million cassette Walkman players have been sold.

The Walkman is widely credited with pioneering the concept of personal, portable audio beyond the radio. It helped spur on the cassette as a popular format and also maintained interest in albums. Interest began to fade in the 1990s when the Discman took over, and more decline followed with the iPod introduction. Wow, from revolutionary idea to demise in a few short years.

RapLeaf Opt Out

RapLeaf is an internet company that compiles your personal information, including name, email, etc and sells it to political parties, marketers, etc. It has been accused of sending names along with personal identification info, gender, income info, children ages, Facebook accounts, and more. It has already sold and sent this info to a number of marketers, although it says it was a mistake and has stopped selling personally identifiable info.
Here is a LINK to a Wall Street Journal article explaining more.

In any case, you can opt out here LINK and let them know you do not wish to play.

Happy Friday

Life is a comedy for those who think... and a tragedy for those who feel.

I think I feel like having a Happy Friday!