Jul 21, 2017

Eagle Fact

If a bald eagle loses a feather on one wing, it will shed a corresponding feather on the other to stay balanced.

Streaming Movies and TV

2016 was the first year more movies were streamed than played on DVDs. Amazing, since DVDs were first invented in 1995 by  Panasonic, Philips, Sony and Toshiba. Of course, other formats had been around for a number of years before that. Hmm, over the hill at the tender young age of 22.
The first basic cable network, launched via satellite in 1976, was Ted Turner's superstation WTCG. A May 2017 study from Fluent LLC asked internet users about their cable and TV habits. Across age groups, 67 percent of people reported using a video streaming service, such as Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon Prime video. Cable subscriptions, which peaked during 2000, was reported by 61 percent of responders.

Incidentally, during 2008, cable subscribers had 129 channels to choose from, and they watched an average of 17 channels in a given week. Five years later, they had 189 channels, and were still watching only 17.5. Their bills have doubled or more since 2000.

Anime vs. Manga

Anime (pronounced ann e mae) is animation of a cartoon show. The word is the abbreviated pronunciation of "animation" in Japanese, where this term references all animation. Anime is usually, but not always, the animated version of popular manga.

Manga is book of pictures or comic. Manga are comics created in Japan or by creators in the Japanese language, conforming to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century. They have a long and complex pre-history in earlier Japanese art.

Cleaning White Shoes

For major dirt stains, use 409 cleaner or any other all-purpose spray cleaner, an old toothbrush and a couple of paper towels.

Rub Whitening toothpaste into the shoe using an old toothbrush and let it sit for 10-15 minutes before wiping off.
Micellar water and cotton will help you clean the white shoe sole and rubber/leather toe bit of your shoes.
Magic erasers and vinegar are great for removing stains on white shoes as well.

To bring the white color of your canvas shoes back, use rubber gloves, mix one part of bleach and 5 parts water. Apply it with an old toothbrush to get rid of various stains and dark spots.

The Great Lakes

Lakes Superior, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Erie make up the largest body of fresh water on Earth, accounting for one-fifth of the freshwater surface on the planet with 6 quadrillion gallons.

The area of all the Great Lakes is 95,160 square miles (246,463 square kilometers) and span 750 miles (1,200 km) from west to east. The square mileage is larger than the state of Texas.
The lakes are on the U.S. and Canadian border, touching Ontario in Canada and Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York in the United States. The St. Lawrence River connects Lake Ontario to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which leads out to the Atlantic Ocean.


As of 2017, more than 30 million people live in the Great Lakes basin, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency. This equates to 10 percent of US residents and 30 percent of Canadian residents. More than 3,500 species of plants and animals inhabit the Great Lakes basin, as well as more than 170 species of fish.

Quote

"The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge." This is also the definition of a politician.

Quote 2

Someone added another of my quotes to a picture

The Island of Discussion

The island in Glencoe, Scotland was a place to settle disputes and resolve differences. Officially named Eilean a’ Chomhraidh, the Island of Discussion is small and alone.

This island served a noble purpose for many years. During more than 1,500 years, when clansman had a disagreement, this is the place they went to work it out. When there were quarrels or arguments, the feuding parties where taken to the island and left alone with whiskey, cheese, and oat cakes. They did not leave the island until the dispute was settled. The result, in over 1,500 years, only one recorded murder in the area.

Jul 15, 2017

Happy Friday

A half-hearted spirit has no power. You must put your whole heart into achieving happiness.


I put my whole heart into enjoying every Happy Friday!

World Eskimo-Indian Olympics

Next week, July 19 - 22, 2017, the third Wednesday in July, at the Carlson Center in Fairbanks .

WEIO gives people and participants a chance to see supreme feats of endurance and agility and the rare chance to experience a culture alongside those who live within it. WEIO is a time to share stories through dance and display parkas, kuspuks, mukluks, moose hide dresses, vests and jewelry at the Native Arts & Crafts fair. In additional there is a cultural Miss WEIO pageant to showcase talents and traditional knowledge. Events include: Native Regalia and Baby Regalia contest, Knuckle Hop, Blanket Toss, High Kick, Stick Pull, and more.

Flitch Day

Next week, July 19 is Flitch day. The Flitch Trials are held every 4 years in Great Dunmow, Essex, England. The town is located north-east of London, just off the A120 between the M11 at Stansted Airport and Colchester.

4,000 Flitches lined up and ready to go.

Dating back to 1104 in Dunmow Priory, England, monks offered a side of bacon (flitch) to any married couple proving a year and a day after their wedding that they had lived in harmony and fidelity for the past year and had not wished they were single again.

Knots and Bends

A ‘knot’ is something tied in a single piece of rope or line. Something that joins two ropes together is a ‘bend’.

Keep Fruit Fresh

One way to keep your fruits and veggies fresh longer is with an inexpensive ethylene gas absorber. It can extend the life of fruits and veggies by weeks or more vs. using nothing. Ethylene is a harmless, odorless, and colorless gas that is given off naturally by fruits and vegetables as a signaling mechanism for produce to ripen faster. Many growers add extra ethylene or absorbers to their delivery trucks to hasten or reduce ripening during fruit's trip to the store.

These are relatively cheap and come in various guises, such as food storage tray liners for fridge, plastic apples filled with absorber, 'stayfresh' bags, and sachet type packets. Some of them use a coated zeolite, which has a honeycomb like structure which absorbs odor and ethylene. Depending on type, the absorbers last about three months to a year in constant use. When not in use, they can be stored in an airtight container almost indefinitely, for later use.

There is scientific evidence that absorbers are effective and growers would not waste money on technology that does not work. A US Navy test showed a 245% improved shelf life for tomatoes, 88% for lettuce, and 10% for cucumbers. All indications are that they work best in closed area, rather than simply putting an absorber on a counter next to fruit. They can be purchased online and at Walmart, Bed Bath, etc. I read many comments from users and they appear to work as advertised, which is a pleasant change these days.

More Egg Facts

Most eggs are not egg-shaped. Hummingbirds lay eggs that look like Tic Tacs, owls lay almost perfect spheres, and sandpipers lay almost conical eggs that end in a rounded point. Swift eggs are pointed, more like pine nuts than Tic Tacs. The most common shape, exemplified by a songbird called the graceful prinia, is more pointed than a chicken’s. Eggs of 1,400 bird species had measurements extracted from 50,000 photos. It revealed the left-field nature of chicken eggs.

Incidentally, if you dissolve an egg shell in acid, the naked egg will still retain its original shape due to the internal membranes.