Oct 19, 2018

Quick Google Tip

If you want to watch a show, but do not know where to find it, you can search the word “watch” followed by the name of the show in Google and it will show you all the sites and service from which it is available.

Oct 13, 2018

Happy Friday

Smile and everyone becomes your mirror.

I always smile and collect smiles back, especially on a Happy Friday!

Wordology, Sock and Buskin

The sock and buskin are the two masks, usually seen together that symbolize the world of theater/drama or comedians and actors. They represent the ancient symbols of comedy and tragedy.

In Greek theater, actors in tragic roles wore a boot called a buskin that elevated them above the other actors. The actors with comedic roles wore a thin soled shoe called a sock.

Interesting to know that street buskers, although entertainers, get their name from a different source, busk from Italian buscare to procure, gain, or from Spanish buscar to look for. The term is not related to the buskin mask above. 
LINK

Seven More Uses for WD-40

The solvents contained in WD-40 are very helpful in dissolving any grime in your toilet. Spray WD-40 on the toilet bowl, leave it for a minute, and then scrub it with a toilet brush.

To remove stains from lipsticks or other makeup products, spray some WD-40 directly on the spot, leave it for a couple of minutes, and wash as usual.

A good way to clean your grill is to spray WD-40 over it. Spray WD-40 and wait a couple of minutes before scrubbing off the residue. Remember to do this when the grill is cool. Remaining residue will burn off next time.


WD-40 can help a stubborn zipper slide easier. Just spray it on and try to distribute it evenly along your zipper. You can spray on cloth, then rub on zipper if you are afraid of overspray.

In a pinch, prevent wasps from building nests by spraying WD-40 in the nooks and crannies of your house. It sprays a long distance, like the 20 foot hornet spray.

To remove stickers, spray on WD-40 and leave it for 5-10 minutes. Then rub it with a sponge.

Spray a tight ring with WD-40 and it will easily slide off.

Vegan vs. Vegetarian vs. Pescatarian vs. Pollotarian

A vegan is a person who does not eat or use animal products, including eggs and dairy.
A vegetarian is a person who does not eat meat, poultry, or fish, with or without dairy products, such as honey and/or eggs.

A pescatarian is a vegetarian who also eats fish.


A pollotarian is a vegetarian who also eats chicken.

Incidentally, the Vegetarian Society says there are levels of vegetarians, such as Lacto-ovo-vegetarian eats both dairy products and eggs. This is the most common type of vegetarian diet. Lacto-vegetarian eats dairy products, but not eggs. Ovo-vegetarian eats eggs, but not dairy products.

Iceberg A68 Scare

There was major news about the world effects last year when a huge iceberg broke off the Larsen C shelf in Antarctica. On 12 July 2017, a lump of ice more than twice the size of Luxembourg or the state of Delaware broke off the Larsen C ice shelf, spawning one of the largest icebergs on record and changing the outline of the Antarctic Peninsula forever.

Even though it has been proven that the break had no relation to climate change, a headline read, "If climate change continues unabated, ice-free areas on Antarctica will increase up to a quarter by 2100 - says a study on changes in the planet's southernmost continent." Another headline read, "Antarctica: Larsen C break off could have dire consequences." Many were worried about how far and where it would float and what damage it would cause before dissolving.

During the following months, observations showed the iceberg remained close, buffeting back and forth against the ice shelf. It was unclear what would happen to the berg, because they can remain in one place for years. A68 (sixth largest in recorded history) is now on the move and drifting out to sea with a gap of about 11 miles (18 km) between it and the shelf.

For B15, the second-biggest iceberg in recorded history, the process has taken nearly two decades. B15 snapped off Antarctica's Ross ice shelf in 2000. It had a surface area of 4,200 square miles - twice that of A68. Today it is drifting in warm waters near South Georgia (southeast of South America).

Incidentally, I had to scour about thirty web sites to find current details. Other than a few real scientists, not much interest lately. Bottom line, it broke off, we are all still safe, Meh.

Run Amok

It means to behave uncontrollably and disruptively.

The saying comes from the Malaysian word amoq, which describes the bizarre behavior of tribesmen who, under the influence of opium, would become wild and attack people.

Hugs are great

A study from the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, published this week in PLOS ONE, looked at the social interactions of more than 400 people over two weeks. A summary of their daily activities, moods, and physical interactions revealed a causal link between emotional states, conflicts, and the number of hugs a person gave or received.

"Results indicated that there was an interaction between hug receipt and conflict exposure such that receiving a hug was associated with a smaller conflict-related decrease in positive affect and a smaller conflict-related increase in negative affect when assessed concurrently," the study reads. In plainer English, hugging helped people feel less poorly after some kind of conflict or negative event during their day.

"This effect was seen across all genders and ages in the study, although women reported more hugs than men. Our results are consistent with the conclusion that both men and women may benefit equally from being hugged on days when conflict occurs," the study found.

It did not seem to matter if the huggers were in a romantic relationship at the time of a hug, the mood-related benefits still stood. The study was authored by Michael Murphy, a postdoctoral research associate at the Department of Psychology at Carnegie Mellon.


In the study, he says the research could be improved upon by pinpointing exactly what kind of social relationships were involved in a hug, such as a stranger or someone you were arguing with as opposed to a lover or an a embrace from mom. "The lack of specificity regarding from whom individuals received hugs also restricted our ability to identify whether hugs from specific types of social partners were more effective than those from others," Murphy wrote.

Pizza Tip

A large pizza is almost always a better deal than two mediums. When you increase the width of your pizza it actually adds to the total size exponentially. For example, a 16-inch large might seem twice as big as an 8 inch small, but it is actually four times as much pizza. A 12 inch pizza is 2.3 times as much as an 8 inch. Also, a single 18-inch pizza is better than ordering two 12-inch pizzas. (A 16 inch is not larger than two 12 inch pizzas.)

For the mathematically inclined, Area of two 12” pizzas: 12/2 = 6   6×6=36   36xπ = 113.1 in² x 2 = 226.2 in². Area of one 18” pizza: 18/2=9   9×9=81   81xπ = 254.5 in². Did you notice we use pi to measure pie?
It is also be the same if it was square. Two 12in square pizzas = 288 square inches, one 18in square pizza = 324 square inches.

A study of nearly 4,000 pizzerias confirms: if you buy based on price-per-square-inch, the large is always a better deal. There is even a web site that will do a pizza size calculation for you LINK .


Incidentally, number of slices does not matter, it is volume of pizza.

Interesting Drink Phobias

Cenosillicaphobia fear of an empty glass. Sufferers experience fear of seeing an empty glass, it may be a beer glass, a wine glass, or a cocktail glass.

Methyphobia is a psychological condition is also known as Potophobia, often described as a fear of loss control when drinking alcohol. Methyphobic people may be either afraid of losing control after drinking alcohol or they may avoid (because of the fear) the company of people who consume alcohol.

Oenomania is also known as oinomania and enomania, is a mania for wine. Although it is not a phobia, it may create similar psychological negative effects on the person because of the morbid and often not controlled desire for wine.

Oenophobia is also known as enophobia or oinophobia. Oenophobia is a psychological condition where the sufferer has an intense dislike or hatred for wine. The most common reason why oenophobes fear wine is because wine contains alcohol that is considered a toxin and this toxin causes effects that are unpleasant and scary for the person who drinks it and for the person who witness others drinking it. Similar to methyphobic people, oenophobes avoid people who drink wine and they do not drink wine themselves.

Zythophobia is a very similar phobia to oenophobia. In this case, beer is a reason for fear. It is considered to be a branch of methophobia. People suffering from this phobia are afraid of others who drink beer. They avoid parties and gathering where beer can be present in order to protect themselves from acts of rudeness. Zythophobes may as well fear yeasts that are present in beer. This type of zythophobia may lead to a fear of taking live yeast into the body that may lead to unpleasant effects.

What's in a Name, WiFi

Finally the tech industry does something to make our life easier. Instead of the current WiFi being called 802.11ac, it will soon be called WiFi 5, because it is the fifth version.

Wi-Fi 1: 802.11b (1999)
Wi-Fi 2: 802.11a (1999)
Wi-Fi 3: 802.11g (2003)
Wi-Fi 4: 802.11n (2009)
Wi-Fi 5: 802.11ac (2014)
Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax (2019)

Instead of wondering whether “ac” is better than “n” you will be able to look at the number. WiFi 5 is higher than WiFi 4, so it is newer. WiFi networks have always worked together, so WiFi 5 devices should be backward compatible and connect with WiFi 4 devices.

Because the WiFi Alliance represents just about every major company that makes any kind of product with WiFi in it, its actions usually reflect what the industry wants. So presumably, tech companies agree with the branding change and will start to advertise it this way.


The WiFi Alliance even wants to see this branding go beyond hardware. So in the future when you connect to a WiFi network on your phone or laptop, your device will tell you what WiFi version you are connected to, so if two networks are available, one showing “4” and the other “5” you can choose the newer option.

Tips to Cheer up

Smile more
Take a walk
Stand up and sit up straight
Do a small good deed - feed someone's meter, or pay the toll or coffee shop bill of the person behind you.
Say thanks - For an instant brightener, think of something or someone you are thankful for.
Take a few deep breaths
Think of or play on of your favorite songs.
I know you already feel better just reading the list.

Oct 5, 2018

Happy Friday

Happiness is like the icing on life's cake.

Smiles increase the sweetness, especially on a Happy Friday!

Happy World Smile Day and More

It is celebrated each year on the first Friday in October. Did you notice smile day is always celebrated on a Happy Friday. Do it! Smile. You will make yourself and all around you happier.
Also October 5 is Rocky Mountain Oyster Day (bull testicles) and Apple Betty Day (also known as apple pan dowdy and apple crisp). Amarillo, Texas, Vinita, Oklahoma, and other cities annually claim to have the World’s Largest Calf Fry Cook-Off, where cooks compete in the art of frying bull testicles. A busy day to make us all smile and be glad we are not bulls.

Tomorrow, October 6 is German American Day. It commemorates the founding of Germantown, Pa. in 1683. The holiday celebrates America's largest ethnic group, with 50 million people of German heritage.