Events & Items Of Interest

[sandrewn]

On some of my wanderings around parts of the world I noticed the following. In Europe, chess seemed the most popular. In the Middle East, it was backgammon and chess. Though many people every where I went had heard of or played monopoly at some point in their lives.

 

80 enterprising facts you may not know about

 

Monopoly

 

 

 

 

http://mashable.com/2015/01/21/monopoly-facts/#6X.cAMbQ7gqK

 

 

 

sandrewn

(I found this very  interesting)

[Former Member]

Shouldn't Monopoly be listed with Coca-Cola and McDonald's (and maybe Apple) as being the most insidious, invasive, or pervasive symbols of American cultural imperialism?  ;-)

[sandrewn]

So, just how strong is Oobleck?

 

(My question is, what the hell is Oobleck?)

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

(I did not know any of this)

[sandrewn]

How to get rid of Skunk odor from your pet, you or anything else.

 

 

 

http://dogs.about.com/od/caringfordogsandpuppies/ht/deskunking.htm

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Skunk-Smell-Out-of-the-House

 

 

 

The Recipe & Directions

http://home.earthlink.net/~skunkremedy/home/sk00001.htm

 

 

sandrewn

(useful stuff to know)

[sandrewn]

I could not find a site that said what I stated, in did you know. The closest I got was this National Geographic on clouds. Sun reflected from the grounds' surface during the day, rising warmed air heating the water droplets( what clouds are made of). Reflected sunlight from the ground (or water) surface also warming the droplets. At night these factors are not present. So during the day time, sunlight will cause the clouds to rise upwards.

 

http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/earth/earths-atmosphere/clouds-article/

 

 

Have you ever been told to get your head out of the clouds? Truth be told, have you ever experienced fog? If you said yes (like me), we were in fact walking in a ground hugging cloud. If you could see for a short distance, then you were walking in a mist. Both are by definition  types of clouds, fancy that.

 

Keep dry

sandrewn

[Former Member]

The Bay Area is notorious for fog. Due to our climate and geography, most of coastal California experiences fog in the morning usually burning off by noon and the return of the fog in the mid to late afternoon or evening throughout spring and into June.

 

In the Bay Area in particular, fog is pulled in from the ocean by the hot air rising in California's Central Valley. There is one sea-level gap in the coastal hill ranges that form the western side of the Valley: the Carquinez Strait that connects the Sacrament Delta to the San Francisco Bay and, through the Golden Gate, the Pacific Ocean. There are a few other relatively low gaps that also funnel air currents through the coastal hills, probably the most famous/infamous is Altamonte Pass (which is in alignment with the Tri-Valley and Castro Valley to the west, the route used by I-580). Altamonte has such a consistent and steady air flow, there are large wind turbine farms that generate fairly reliable clean electrical generation.

 

Altamonte was the site of a Rolling Stones concert where Hell's Angels providing security killed a concert-goer.

Edited January 28, 2017 by Former Member

[sandrewn]

Why Do Cats Purr?

 

 

 

By Elizabeth Palermo, Associate Editor | October 11, 2013 05:32pm ET

 

 

Credit: Kitten image via Shutterstock

For cat lovers, there are few sounds as precious as a beloved feline's purr. The purr — which is produced through intermittent signaling of the laryngeal and diaphragmatic muscles — is often interpreted as a sign of contentment, but the real reasons for this vocalization are a bit more complicated.

First of all, not all purring indicates pleasure. Cats also purr when they are nervous or in pain, leading some experts to believe that this uniquely feline vocalization is actually a method of self-healing.

A domestic cat's purr has a frequency of between 25 and 150 Hertz, which happens to be the frequency at which muscles and bones best grow and repair themselves. It is, therefore, speculated that cats naturally evolved their purr over time as a survival tactic — a biomechanical healing mechanism that ensured speedier recoveries.

Of course, cats purr even when they aren't injured. Many domestic cats purr to indicate hunger, for example. A recent study out of the U.K. shows that some cats have even developed a special purr to ask their owners for food. This "solicitous purr" incorporates cries with similar frequencies as those of human babies. These conniving kitties have tapped into their owners' psyches — all for more kibble.

And a cat's purr, like their meow, is also a form of communication. A mother cat teaches her kittens to purr when they are just a few days old. This helps the deaf and blind newborns locate their mother more easily, and may also serve as an early bonding mechanism.

But even the experts concede that, sometimes, a purr is just a purr. One veterinarian — Kelly Morgan of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine — likens the purr to the human smile.

"People will smile when they're nervous, when they want something and when they're happy, so perhaps the purr can also be an appeasing gesture," Morgan told WedMD.

 

 

 

I never thought about a mother cat having to teach her kittens to purr

sandrewn

(very interesting)

[sandrewn]

Graeme and CassieQ,  here are two articles that might be of as much interest to you as they were to me.

 

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/52165-earths-largest-continental-volcanic-ring-discovered.html

 

http://www.livescience.com/41262-west-antarctica-new-volcano-discovered.html

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

(I love discovering new things)

[Former Member]

I would never have imagined that Australia had that in common with Hawaii!

[sandrewn]

I have never had more than several thousand dollars in my hands. I don't know about you, but I could never wrap my mind around how much a million would look like, let alone a BILLION dollars. Now when Trillions are talked about by governments, it boggles the imagination. I found this article from 2013 that helps me to visualize what these amounts would look like to the average person.

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/40400-debt-ceiling-how-much-is-16-trillion.html

 

 

 

sandrewn

Edited January 29, 2017 by sandrewn

[Former Member]

I wonder how much each of the wealthiest (individuals) 1% in the US would need to pay to cover the current US deficit? And how much it would be if corporations and other institutions* in that same 1% category were included?

 

 

*There are some incredibly wealthy trusts, foundations, and other organizations out there. Too bad we don't tax religious groups!

[sandrewn]

I wonder how much each of the wealthiest (individuals) 1% in the US would need to pay to cover the current US deficit? And how much it would be if corporations and other institutions* in that same 1% category were included?

 

 

*There are some incredibly wealthy trusts, foundations, and other organizations out there. Too bad we don't tax religious groups!

 

 

 

Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

(enough said)

[sandrewn]

The Scary use of Mercury in years gone by

 

Syphilis - Its early history and Treatment

 

From the Journal of Military and Veteran's Health

 

http://jmvh.org/article/syphilis-its-early-history-and-treatment-until-penicillin-and-the-debate-on-its-origins/

 

 

 

 

Note: Once I started reading, I had to read the whole article, as I hope you do as well. A real eye opener. We use chemo therapy, but back then there was no excuse, except ignorance, for what was done.

 

sandrewn

[Former Member]

I think it’s interesting that there is the suggestion of the possibility that the biblical leprosy was actually syphilis. Puts a new spin on all those moralistic judgements on those suffering from the various forms of VD.

[JayT]

I wonder how much each of the wealthiest (individuals) 1% in the US would need to pay to cover the current US deficit? And how much it would be if corporations and other institutions* in that same 1% category were included?

 

 

*There are some incredibly wealthy trusts, foundations, and other organizations out there. Too bad we don't tax religious groups!

 

But that top 1% already pays over 90% of the nation's taxes.

[Former Member]

You, sir, are wrong. The numbers I’ve seen range from 35% to 68% depending on exactly what you’re looking at and what year(s). The 68% is Federal Income Tax alone (with 45% of all income), the same report says 53% of Federal Taxes (not just Income Tax) with 37% of all income.

 

27%

35%

45.7%

Also 45.7%

46%

53-68%

 

But I’d like to switch to your tax plan though!

[sandrewn]

Now, for a complete change of subject. Inquiring minds want to know!

 

 

Why Does Coffee Make You Poop?

 

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/45465-why-does-coffee-make-you-poop.html

 

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

(I think I'll cut down, from 10 to 9 cups a day)

[JayT]

actually it's the top 20% pay 84% of taxes.....that's more than their fair share, 

[Former Member]

So your claim is that the top 20% minus the top 1% pay a negative 6%? That seems odd.

[sandrewn]

Find a chat room to duke this out!

 

Now for something completely different! Several videos about Hungary. You will hear of some of the history and people. Some interesting facts and places. The last one will show that even Magyars have some people, who should never, ever be allowed to sing on TV or in public again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Legyen szep napod

(have a nice day)

sandrewn

Edited February 1, 2017 by sandrewn

[Former Member]

Where’s Glittery Antlers? I’m sure she has an opinion on this post!

 

(Sorry sandrewn.)

[sandrewn]

I already told her in her status update. This is supposed to be a picker upper for her and informative to anyone else who happens to view them.

Edited February 1, 2017 by sandrewn

[sandrewn]

Small Honor:

Tiny Moth Named for Trump

 

 

http://www.livescience.com/57525-tiny-moth-named-for-donald-trump.html

 

 

 

sandrewn

[sandrewn]

When you think of it, that over a hundred years ago, most everything that we take for granted did not exist. Then the first video, 10 Creepy Vintage Videos (scary footage) is that much more impressive. The second one, 10 Scariest Videos On The Internet, keep in mind when these were made.

 

 

 

 

 

sandrewn

[Former Member]

Most of them were just weird.

 

It was pretty amazing what they were able to do with the primitive equipment available to them though. The Retribution video at the end of the second one was scary mainly because of what the guy did after he made the video.

 

 

I find it surprising what people upload these days. Some of the videos I’ve seen elsewhere have me torn between horrified shock and sphincter clenching fascination. I guess some people feel compelled to document their singular claim to fame – claims I have absolutely no interest in challenging.