The three notes that identify NBC are G, E, C, which represent the original owner, General Electric Corporation.
Sep 24, 2020
More Myths Debunked
When a person is livid, they are ashen (pale) not red.
Einstein was awarded the Nobel Prize, not for his theory of relativity, but for his less well known work on the photoelectric effect of light.
Most black bears are black, but they also come in white, brown, cinnamon, and blue, depending on where in the world they are found.
Julius Caesar didn’t
really say, “You too, Brutus?” when he was assassinated. This is
a quote from Shakespeare, written 1,600 years after Caesar’s
death. According to Roman historians, the real quote is, “Kai
su, teknon?” (“You too, child?”). By “child,” he was referring
to Brutus. So paraphrased, his last words were, “You too,
Brutus?”
US ship captains may
not perform weddings on board unless they are a priest, rabbi,
minister, etc.
Black boxes in planes are not black, they are orange. This is to help investigators locate it by sight, if necessary after a crash. The name was chosen entirely for humor reasons.
The glow surrounding the head of a saint in religious imagery is more technically known as a nimbus or gloriole.
Gigantic Barnacle Facts
There are more than 1,000 known species of
barnacles spread out in virtually all marine habitats. They are
actually crustaceans, related to lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.
They typically live for between 5 and 10 years, but some of the
larger species are known to be much older.
Barnacle cement, the
substance they use to glue themselves in place, is one of the
strongest known natural adhesives. It is stronger even than
epoxy cement and does not readily dissolve.
Barnacles have evolved some of the longest penises, relative to body size, of any creature. Barnacle penises can stretch to up to eight times the length of their bodies.
Most barnacles are hermaphrodites that may act as either a male or a female. They can't self-fertilize, so they need to find a partner. They are aided by chemosensory bristles that allow barnacles acting as males to detect the chemical signals given out by barnacles acting as females. Once the male barnacle "sniffs out" a receptive partner, it uses its long, stretchy penis to reach out and mate with her.
Alcohol and Prostate
A study shows men who drink four or more glasses of red wine
per week have a nearly 50% lower risk of prostate cancer than
non-drinkers. In addition, researchers found that red wine's
protective effects appear to be even stronger against the most
dangerous and aggressive forms of prostate cancer.
Drinking alcohol, even more than six drinks a week does not make
the symptoms of an enlarged prostate any worse. In fact, men who
drink more than is otherwise good for them have fewer prostate
symptoms and better sexual function than teetotalers. A
low-carb/high-fat diet slows the growth of prostate tumor cells.
As with all studies, one isolated cause does not equal a
silver bullet.
Generations Explained
The only recognized generation (from the census bureau) is the baby boomers. All others are made up by the media and roughly overlap. Attached is a chart, including the next generation To Be Determined.
Greatest Generation - These are the people who fought and died in World War II for our freedom, which we appreciate. Tom Brokaw made the name up.
Baby Boomers - This is the agreed-upon generation that falls within DiPrete’s punctuated time frame.
Generation X - George Masnick, of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, puts this generation in the time frame of 1965 to 1984.
Generation Y - Masnick addresses this group too, putting it “anywhere from the mid-1970s when the oldest were born to the mid-2000s when the youngest were.” Mostly Generation Y is a made-up generation.
Millennials - In
October 2004, the researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss
called Millennials “the next great generation.” They define the
group as “those born in 1982 and approximately the 20 years
thereafter.” In 2012, they affixed the end point as 2004.
TBD - Children in the past 10+ years lack a designation. They
are not Millennials.
Roosters on Weather Vanes
Originally, people tied strings or cloth to the
tops of buildings so that they could see which way the wind was
blowing. Later, banners became a popular ornament, and that is
where we get the “vane” in weathervane; an Old English word that
meant “banner” or “flag.” They all served the same purpose,
which was to turn and point in the direction of the wind.
The components of a weathervane are the vane, the mast, and the
directionals, which display the four points of the compass —
North, South, East, and West. The vane usually resembles an
arrow shape (with the rooster on top), which rotates freely and
points in the direction the wind is coming from while the
directionals remain stationary. So if the rooster and arrow are
pointing north, that means the winds are coming from the north,
and is referred to as “a North wind.”
In the biblical passages describing these events, it was said
that Peter would deny Jesus three times “before the rooster
crowed.” Because of this, the rooster became known to Christians
as the symbol of St. Peter. Sometime between 590 and 604 A.D.,
Pope Gregory I, took this a step farther, declaring that the
rooster, emblem of St. Peter, was the most suitable symbol for
Christianity. It is thought that this declaration led to the
first roosters appearing on top of weathervanes.
In the 9th century, Pope Nicholas made the rooster official. His
decree was that all churches must display the rooster on their
steeples or domes as a symbol of Peter’s betrayal of Jesus. In
accordance with the decree, churches started using weathervanes
with the rooster.
As centuries went by, the rule about placing roosters atop
churches went by the wayside, but roosters stayed on
weathervanes. European settlers brought weathervanes wherever
they traveled, including to the New World. Now you will find
weathervanes — mostly with roosters, but sometimes with other
symbols — topping buildings throughout the United States, Europe
and elsewhere.
Fig Newton Origin
Until the late 19th century, many physicians believed that most illnesses were related to digestion problems, and recommended a daily intake of biscuits and fruit. Fig rolls were the ideal solution to this advice. They were a locally produced and handmade product until a Philadelphia baker and fig lover, Charles Roser, invented and patented a machine in 1891 which inserted fig paste into a thick pastry dough. F.A. Kennedy Steam Bakery in Cambridge, MA, is where the Fig Newton, named after the nearby town of Newton was first conceived and produced in 1891.
The Kennedy Biscuit Company had become associated with the New York Biscuit Company, and the two merged to form Nabisco, after which, the fig rolls were trademarked as "Fig Newtons". Since 2012, the "Fig" has been dropped from the product name. They are now just named "Newtons."
Eating Before Exercise
A new study has finally solved the dilemma of
whether to eat before or after you exercise. Researchers at the
Universities of Bath, Birmingham, Newcastle, and Stirling
analyzed the energy expenditure of twelve healthy physically
active men between the ages of 20 and 26. Each of the men
completed three different trials: eating a breakfast of oats and
milk and then resting (no exercise), eating the same breakfast
two hours before cycling for 60 minutes, and skipping breakfast
completely before doing the same 60 minutes of exercise.
The study revealed that when the men skipped breakfast, they had
a greater calorie deficit throughout the day of about 150
calories on average, implying that fasting before exercise is
the best for weight loss.
The study’s authors concluded, “These results suggest that for
healthy young men a short-term energy deficit may be more easily
attained if breakfast is omitted before exercise.” When you
work out on an empty stomach, your body does not have readily
accessible energy from food so it draws from other sources, like
stored body fat, which makes your exercise more effective at
burning fat and helping you lose weight.
Additionally, exercising in a fasted state keeps your insulin
levels low, allowing your body to produce more growth hormone
which also burns fat. “When insulin is elevated, as is the case
after you eat, your body will be in a state of wanting to store
fat, not burn it,” Phoenyx Austin, MD, a certified Sports
Medicine Specialist, explained to MindBodyGreen. “It doesn’t
matter if you exercise like a mad man after a meal, you won’t be
able to burn body fat until insulin levels drop, which can
typically take two-to-three hours, if not longer.
Veg Fact
According to a poll of 11,000 Americans, 84 percent of
vegetarians and vegans return to eating meat.
Sep 16, 2020
Walmart Free Drive-in Theaters
Walmart is transforming some of its
store parking lots into a free drive-in movie experience from
now through October as a way to let customers still have a
movie-going experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The campaign will span across 160 supercenter store parking lots
in states like Texas, Utah, Florida, Nevada, and many Midwestern
and Southern states. The pop up events are completely free, but
you must claim tickets in advance at TheWalmartDrivein.com
since there are no tickets available upon entry. Gates open at
6:00 pm and the film begins at 7:30 pm. No late entry is
allowed.
Walmart will show classic films like Wonder Woman (2017), Spy
Kids (2001), Space Jam (1996), Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse
(2018), Ghostbusters (1984), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Black
Panther (2018), E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and Friday
Night Lights (2004). Bring your own popcorn.
Why Barns Are Red
According to The Farmers’ Almanac and LiveScience, there is a
very practical reason why farmers have traditionally painted
their barns red, simple economics.
Most of America’s early farmers did not have money they could
spend on paint to cover their barns. In fact, many of them could
not even afford to paint their houses. Still, they needed to
protect their barns from the elements so they experimented with
various concoctions until they found one that worked.
Once it was developed and proven to work, word quickly spread
that a proper mixture of skimmed milk, lime, and ferrous oxide (rust) to kill fungi and as
an extra sealant, and linseed oil would
protect barn wood from rotting due to moisture. Luckily, those
ingredients were in abundant supply on most farms of the day so
they were available even to the poorest farmers. Incidentally,
many houses in Sweden are red for the same reason.
Aug 22, 2020
Happy Friday
If you are happy, it is not just for you. It is what you exude to others.
Always exude your happiness, especially on a Happy Friday!
National Senior Citizens Day
National Senior Citizens Day, August 21. Today we celebrate the people who are part of the fastest-growing demographic in the world. According to the traditional definition, a senior citizen is anyone older than 60 years of age, but this seems relatively young in today’s society.
When it comes to new technologies, adults above the age of 55 represent 65% of all “early adopters.” This demographic is also the most politically engaged segment of the population. Almost 80% of all senior citizens vote in a presidential election, while the overall voter turnout is usually about 50%.
President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Senior Citizens Day in 1988. In his explanation he wrote that, “Older citizens are reinforcing their historical roles as leaders and as links with our patrimony and sense of purpose as individuals and as a Nation.”
In honor of National Senior Citizens Day, spend time with your favorite relatives or make a commitment to volunteer at a retirement home. If you are a senior citizen yourself, share a few drinks and snacks with friends. Also, check for special promotions and giveaways at your favorite restaurants and shops.
Happy National Waffle Day Aug 24
National Waffle Day commemorates the anniversary of the first waffle iron patent issued. On August 24, 1869, Cornelius Swarthout of Troy, New York received his patent for the waffle iron. Celebrate by savoring your favorite kind of waffle.
For longer than anyone can remember, waffles have been a sweet, toasty breakfast treat and a staple inside America’s freezers, restaurants, and recipe books. Maybe you enjoy waffles the old-fashioned way, with butter and maple syrup, or perhaps you like them decked out with chocolate chips, whipped cream, strawberries, and other decadent toppings. Or perhaps you have moved on to concepts like waffle sandwiches, waffle crepes, waffle pizzas, or chicken and waffles.
Food historians trace the waffle’s DNA back to ancient Greece, when cooks roasted flat cakes between two metal plates attached to a long wooden handle. Obelios, as the cakes were called, were not particularly sweet or decadent, but their design evolved over time as people began customizing the plates. In Medieval Europe, the Catholic Church made a large, unleavened wafer as a sort of companion to the communion wafer. These oublies (or “wafers,” derived from the Greek term) were typically made using grain flour and water, and would depict Biblical scenes, crosses, and other religious icons. They were often served after meals as a symbolic final blessing.
In the early 18th century, the English added a second "f" to form the word we know today: waffles. It wasn’t until waffles came to America, courtesy of the Dutch, that they were finally paired with maple syrup, a popular liquid sweetener that was cheaper and more widely available than granulated sugar, which had to be imported. As early as the 1740s, colonists in New Jersey and New York were having parties known as "wafel frolics." Thomas Jefferson, who loved waffles so much that he brought four waffle irons that he bought in Amsterdam, regularly served waffles at Monticello along with other shockingly modern foods like ice cream, French fries, and macaroni and cheese.
A few decades later, three brothers from California would revolutionize the waffle industry and breakfasts everywhere. In 1932, Frank, Anthony, and Samuel Dorsa started a food manufacturing company in their parents’ basement in San Jose. Their first breakthrough, Eggo Mayonnaise, so named because it used "100 percent fresh ranch eggs," became a local success, as did a waffle batter they sold to consumers and restaurants. The brothers also developed one of the first dry waffle mixes, which required just milk to create a rich, thick batter. The Dorsas were so successful that after just a few years they moved out of their parents’ basement and into an old potato chip factory, where they expanded into other categories like chips, noodles, and pretzel sticks.