Oct 23, 2015

Happy Friday

"Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness." Frank Tyger

I am free to do what I like and I like smiling and celebrating a Happy Friday!

Daylight Saving

"Daylight Savings Time" is incorrect, but is commonly used, especially in Australia, Canada, and the United States. Officially, it is Daylight Saving Time.

The US and Great Britain used DST during World War I and II and reverted to standard time during peace years. It was not until the energy crisis of the 1970s that Daylight Saving Time was made permanent in many areas.

The US Energy Policy Act of 2005 was signed into law on August 8, 2005. Among other things, the Energy Policy Act extended the Daylight Saving Time period by starting DST several weeks earlier (second Sunday in March) and ending it one week later (first Sunday in November).

- Countries and territories which do not observe DST    161, including China
- Countries and territories where at least one location observes DST    79
- Countries and territories where all locations observe DST some part of the year    68
- Countries and territories where many, but not all locations observe DST part of the year    11, including United States
- Countries and territories where at least one location observes DST all year    2

The majority, including Europe end DST on Sunday Oct 25. In the US, it ends 2am Sunday, November 1. Some other countries end it on other dates, such as: March 8, March 22, April 5, April 25, April 26, January 18, February 22, September 22, September 26, October 23, October 30, and November 8. Must be interesting for the global airlines to change the flight times almost monthly for beginning and ending DST.

On 31 October 2007 in a Press Release, Western Power researched and reported DST caused "a 0.6% increase in electricity consumption in Washington's main grid". It also stated that "The daylight saving research showed slightly less power was used on days when the temperature went below 30 degrees, and slightly more power when the temperatures went above 30 degrees."

National Greasy Foods Day

Only in America do we celebrate greasy foods day. It is on Oct. 25. This might be a good day to try something different, like a breakfast dog, with a hotdog topped with a fried egg, bacon, hash browns, and cheese, wrapped in bacon. Time to think outside the box and go crazy for grease. If time change and greasy foods are not enough, October 25 is also Mother-in-Law day.

Visual Puzzle

This one is more simple than meets the eye, but is very interesting about 4 minute video. LINK

Vitamin C Myth

Thought it might be worth replaying this one as this is the beginning of the cold and flu season.

Hundreds of studies have now concluded that vitamin C does not treat the common cold. The results of many studies of various types, involving hundreds of thousands of people from around the world have all arrived at the same conclusion - vitamin C has no effect to prevent or cure colds or cancer.

The FDA, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Dietetic Association, the Center for Human Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services do not recommend supplemental vitamin C for the prevention or treatment of colds. Vitamin C does have other benefits and the studies did not say vitamin C is bad for you, it just does not provide the cancer and common cold remedies claimed.

Social Media Explained

Social media is now an essential part of doing business. That does not mean you need to be on every social media platform to get results. Ideally, with one or two focused networks, your message can reach your target audience in no time.
The question is which ones to use and how to maximize your visibility.

If you are clear about your social media goals, it will not be a challenge to determine which channels would work best for your business. Thing to keep in mind when you are deciding - Where are your customers? Before you think of creating your business profile on a site, you need to think: Are my customers here? There is much variation in the demographics of social networks and you need to find out where your customers are so you can reach them effectively.

According to a Pew survey in 2015:

  • Facebook has wide, global usage, but fewer young people are staying active.
  • Instagram is a favorite among teens and young adults.
  • Twitter is home to many information junkies and tech savvy people.
  • LinkedIn has higher income, educated professionals.
  • Pinterest has a user base which is 80% female dominated, most of whom have a higher income background.
  • Google+ is a network with a predominantly older male user base.
  • Vine is also a youth oriented platform.
  • YouTube has an equal number of men and women, but men are more active users with wider preferences.
Instagram — art, food, retail, lifestyle
Twitter — news, gossip, tech updates
LinkedIn — B2B, recruitment agencies
Pinterest — Retail, DIY, culinary skills, art
YouTube — Luxury products, DIY, Home improvement, music,
Google+ — SEO, IT

Sushi vs. Sashimi

Sushi means 'sour rice' and does not always feature fish.
Sashimi means 'raw' - but is not just fish.

Background Sounds

This simple site provides some ambient sounds to soothe your soul as you scramble around the internet. There are also apps for iPhone and Android to take the sound with you. It has birds, rain, waves, fire, thunder, and more. Now you can think pleasant thoughts with pleasant sounds in the background to keep you company as you do your work or surf the net. Alas, there was no bacon sizzle sound. LINK

Scientific Proof Isn't

There is no such thing as scientific proof. Scientific evidence is evidence which serves to either support or counter a scientific theory or hypothesis.


Proof is incompatible with science which, by its nature should be provisional and self-correcting. Karl Popper (generally regarded as one of the greatest philosophers of science in the 20th century) once wrote that "In the empirical sciences, which alone can furnish us with information about the world we live in, proofs do not occur, if we mean by 'proof' an argument which establishes once and for ever the truth of a theory." Only Math has proofs.

Free Friday Smile


Oct 16, 2015

Happy Friday

Happiness cannot be accumulated, but it can be divided.

I always try to share a slice of happiness while enjoying a Happy Friday!

Most Important Crops

The order varies by study, but these are generally agreed to as the top ten crops harvested, not by revenue. Cannabis is the top revenue producing crop and sugar cane is the most popular.


They are, in order, Corn, Wheat, Rice, Potatoes, Cassava, Soybeans, Sweet potatoes, Sorghum, Yams, and Plantains.

National Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Week

It is celebrated Oct 20-26. Pharmacists are the unsung heroes of the medical system. They keep doctors honest, and patients as well as possible. They are the last stop before a patient ingests something that can do great good or grave harm.

Laser Razor

Here is a new invention that has been a long time coming. It was a kickstarter campaign and garnered US $4 million. The goal was $160,000. If it makes it, a whole industry will change forever, just like it did when Gillette came up with the disposable razor blade. This one is non-disposable and requires a battery to operate.

Kickstarter has suspended funding because it is, “in violation of our rule requiring working prototypes of physical products that are offered as rewards.” Should be fun to watch for the next round. See for yourself at LINK.