Interesting Date Facts

Marilyn Monroe and Queen Elizabeth were born in the same year, 1926. Anne Frank and Martin Luther King junior were born in the same year (1929). Swiss women got the right to vote the same year the US drove a buggy on the moon (1971). Harvard University did not offer calculus classes for the first few years after the school was established, because calculus had not been invented yet. Charlie Chaplin died in 1977, the same year Apple was incorporated.

Origin of Sayings

The walls have ears - Origin: The face Louvre Palace in France was believed to have a network of listening tubes so that it would be possible to hear everything that was said in different rooms. People say that this is how the Queen Catherine de’Medici discovered political secrets and plots.

Blood is thicker than water - Meaning: Family relationships and loyalties are the strongest and most important ones. Origin: Even though many might think this saying means that we should put family ahead of friends, it actually meant the complete opposite. The full phrase actually was “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb,” and it referred to warriors who shared the blood they shed in battles together. These ‘blood brothers’ were said to have stronger bonds than biological brothers.

One for the road - Meaning: A final drink before leaving a place. Origin: During the middle ages, the condemned ones were taken through what today is known as Oxford Street to their execution. During this final trip, the cart would stop and they would be allowed to have one final drink before their death.
Butter someone up - Meaning: Flatter or otherwise ingratiate oneself with someone. Origin: The people ancient India used to throw balls of clarified butter at the statues of gods in order to seek a favor.

Beat about the bush - Meaning: Discuss a matter without coming to the point. Origin: Beating about the bush is actually an action performed while hunting, driving birds and other animals out into the open. After this was done others would than catch the animals.

Top Three Countries Internet Users

These have the most internet users in the world.
China 854,000,000
India  560,000,000
USA 313,323,000

Deep, Dark, and Surface Web

Surface Web: This is the web that you and most people are already familiar with. Major websites like Google, Amazon, Twitter and Facebook. Sites on the surface web are “indexed,” which means they can be easily located via search engines. Activity on the surface web can also be easily tracked by advertisers.

Dark Web: The “private internet” includes encrypted websites that are hidden from search engines and other indexing services. While not everything on the Dark Web is, strictly speaking, illegal, this is the place to go if you run shady operations like data laundering and cybercrime. Accessing the Dark Web requires special encryption software like Tor Browser.

Deep Web: The term deep web is often used interchangeably with Dark Web, but the definitions are different. The deep web simply includes all online data that is not registered with search engines. This includes back-end data for most of the world’s biggest websites and platforms, as well as encrypted information stored on private networks and cloud servers.

Happy Friday

"An unshared happiness is not happiness." ~Boris Pasternak

I always share my happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!

Obscura Day, May 30

Here is a set of ten places to visit to indulge your Obscura fantasy.

Around the World in 7 Futuristic Farms

13 Places to Indulge Your Inner Horse Lover

The Definitive Guide to the World’s Hidden Blunders

A Collection of 13 Eclectic Collections

30 Places to Go Deep in the Art of Texas

8 Bars and Beverages That Outlasted the 18th Amendment

10 Big Things in America’s Smallest State

15 Wonderfully Repurposed Places

10 Bathrooms You Should Pee in Before You Die

11 Themed Eateries to Indulge Your Secret Obsessions

Wordology, Recto and Verso

The term “recto” refers to an artwork public-facing front. “Verso” refers to the back of an artwork, which is normally hidden.

National Burger Day

Also Hamburger Day. No matter how you say it, yesterday, May 28 was the day to be eating out and enjoying some great burgers. This day is always toward the end of National Hamburger month.
There are 1259 people listed in whitepages.com with the last name 'Hamburger' and 17,617 people with the last name 'Burger'.
Referring to ground beef as 'hamburger' dates to the invention of the mechanical meat grinder during the 1860s.

'Filet de boeuf a la Hambourgeoise,' was sold in Boston in 1874.
Hamburgers and Cheeseburgers comprise 71% of the beef servings in commercial restaurants. Burgers account for 40% of all sandwiches sold.

The Hamburger hall of fame is located in Seymour, Wisconsin.

YouTube Tip

If you see something in a YouTube video that you want to share at a particular point, you can get a link that takes people directly to that moment. Click the Share button below the video. Look for a checkbox below the link. It will automatically display the time at which you currently have the video stopped.

You can stick with this time or choose a different time. Copy the link and share it or email it to a friend. When someone views the link, the video will automatically skip right to the point you chose. Very handy, especially for long videos.

Smile, You are on Camera

One billion surveillance cameras will be deployed globally by 2021, according to data compiled by IHS Markit. China’s installed base is expected to rise to over 560 million cameras by 2021, representing the largest share of surveillance devices installed globally. The US is rising to about 85 million cameras. When taking populations into account China will continue to have nearly the same ratio of cameras to citizens as the US.

In 2018, China had 350 million cameras installed for an estimated one camera for every 4.1 people. That compared to one for every 4.6 people in the US where 70 million cameras were installed. Taiwan was third in terms of penetration with one camera for every 5.5 citizens in 2018, followed by the UK and Ireland 1 to 6.5 and Singapore 1 to 7.1.

Cable Costs

Spectrum in Los Angeles had an advertised price of $89.97 for new subscribers to get internet, cable and phone service. After USA TODAY tried signing up for that offer, after adding the fees for two DVRs and cable boxes, and the "broadcast fee" to watch local cable channels, the final tally was $131.95.

Consumer Reports found that cable companies pocket $28 billion a year in imposed fees that are not mandated by the government and that these fees cost subscribers $37 per month and add an extra 24% to the cost of the bill. Respondents paid a median price of $173 per month for bundles, across all providers.

About 33 million people ditched their cable or satellite subscription during 2018, according to researcher eMarketer, up from 24.9 million in 2017.

22 percent of members said they use an antenna to get free over-the-air TV signals on one or more of the sets in their home.

Wilderness Fact

The percentage of Africa that is wilderness: 28%. The percentage of North America that is wilderness: 38%.

Wordology, Chronophobia

As the population ages, an old phobia is getting some news lately. Chronophobia is the fear of time. It is characterized by an irrational persistent fear of time and of the passing of time.


Chronophobia is related to the rare chronomentrophobia, the irrational fear of timepieces, such as watches and clocks. Chronophobia is considered a specific phobia.

May Inventions

May 15, 718 - James Puckle, a London lawyer, patented the world's first machine gun.

May 17, 1839 - Lorenzo Adkins patented a water wheel.

May 18, 1827 - 1830 - Edwin Beard Budding of England signed a licensing agreement for the manufacture of his invention, the lawn mower.

May 19, 1896 - Edward Acheson was issued a patent for an electrical furnace used to produce one of the hardest industrial substances: carborundum.

May 20, 1830 - D. Hyde patented the fountain pen. 1958 - Robert Baumann obtained a patent for a satellite structure.