Action springs not from thought, but from taking responsibility
for action.
I feel responsible and am making this a very Happy
Friday!
May 27, 2016
Pinch-Bum Day
Monarchists should wear oak leaves on May 29, also known as Pinch-Bum Day, to commemorate the return of Charles II to London on that date in 1660. Those who did not could be pinched. Our ancestors were clearly over-fond of this form of retribution, but at least women could do it to men, too.
Obscura Day
Celebrate the world's most curious and inspiring
places. LINK.
Explore places like Alexandria, Virginia's Taverns & Women
& Chocolate, Bozeman, Montana's Inside the American Computer
Museum, Bridgeport, Connecticut's Behind the Scenes with the
Barnum Museum and many more fascinating places around the world.
Butt Bricks
An engineer at RMIT University in Melbourne, has proposed re-purposing this waste into bricks for building. Bricks produced using cigarette waste are cheaper and less energy intensive than traditional bricks. The cigarette butts are mixed into traditional clay bricks, reducing the energy required by 58 percent. The resulting bricks are more insulating, which would cut down the cost of heating or cooling a home, and easier to move due to their lighter weight.
He believes that his techniques could make a huge dent in the problem of global pollution. “Incorporating butts into bricks can effectively solve a global litter problem as recycled cigarette butts can be placed in bricks without any fear of leaching or contamination.”
New York has its own solution to butts. Assemblyman Michael G. DenDekker, of Queens New York recently found out that cigarette butts can be turned into all kinds of useful things, so he proposed a bill for a cigarette recycling program for New York City. It would charge a one cent deposit on each cigarette to partially fund the recycling program and get those butts off the street. I presume the remainder of funding will come from all taxpayers, smokers or not.
A clothing maker in Brazil turns cigarette butts into fabric.
The Cigarette Waste Brigade pilot project recently began in Vancouver, Canada. The program’s first step was to install 110 recycling receptacles in four downtown areas where discarded butts are commonly found. The collected butts will be recycled into usable building materials such as planks and shipping pallets.
He believes that his techniques could make a huge dent in the problem of global pollution. “Incorporating butts into bricks can effectively solve a global litter problem as recycled cigarette butts can be placed in bricks without any fear of leaching or contamination.”
New York has its own solution to butts. Assemblyman Michael G. DenDekker, of Queens New York recently found out that cigarette butts can be turned into all kinds of useful things, so he proposed a bill for a cigarette recycling program for New York City. It would charge a one cent deposit on each cigarette to partially fund the recycling program and get those butts off the street. I presume the remainder of funding will come from all taxpayers, smokers or not.
A clothing maker in Brazil turns cigarette butts into fabric.
The Cigarette Waste Brigade pilot project recently began in Vancouver, Canada. The program’s first step was to install 110 recycling receptacles in four downtown areas where discarded butts are commonly found. The collected butts will be recycled into usable building materials such as planks and shipping pallets.
Bacon Cures
Cured bacon cures disease. Not a joke. Dr. Jennifer Gunter found that bacon has historically been used to stop severe nosebleeds, which can potentially be extremely hazardous, by stuffing it up your nostrils (the saltiness of the meat constricts blood vessels).
Bacon can also be used to expedite the removal of harmful Dermatobia hominis parasites by using it as bait (they like bacon, too).
Bacon can also treat scabies, by rubbing rendered bacon fat on yourself, which is apparently 88% effective compared to actual medicine.
Bonus, bacon can also reduce hunger and boredom.
Bacon can also be used to expedite the removal of harmful Dermatobia hominis parasites by using it as bait (they like bacon, too).
Bacon can also treat scabies, by rubbing rendered bacon fat on yourself, which is apparently 88% effective compared to actual medicine.
Bonus, bacon can also reduce hunger and boredom.
Wordology, Deja Vu, Jamais Vu, and Presque Vu
Deja vu, literally 'already seen' is having the strong sensation that an event or experience currently being experienced has already been experienced in the past.
Jamais vu, literally 'never seen' is experiencing a situation that one recognizes, but seems very unfamiliar, such as not remembering something you always see. It is most commonly experienced when a person momentarily does not recognize a word or, less commonly, a person or place, that she or he knows.
Presque vu, literally 'almost seen' is a failure to remember something, with the sense that recall is imminent. In English it is equivalent to 'tip of the tongue', failing to retrieve a word from memory, combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent.
Jamais vu, literally 'never seen' is experiencing a situation that one recognizes, but seems very unfamiliar, such as not remembering something you always see. It is most commonly experienced when a person momentarily does not recognize a word or, less commonly, a person or place, that she or he knows.
Presque vu, literally 'almost seen' is a failure to remember something, with the sense that recall is imminent. In English it is equivalent to 'tip of the tongue', failing to retrieve a word from memory, combined with partial recall and the feeling that retrieval is imminent.
Union Membership in US
The union membership rate, the
percent of wage and salary workers who were members of unions,
was 11.1 percent in 2015, unchanged from 2014, according to the
US Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Workers in protective service occupations and in education, training, and library occupations had the highest unionization rates at 36.3 percent and 35.5 percent, respectively.
Private sector union membership rate, 24.2% in 1973, 6.6%: in 2014. Public sector rose sharply in the 1970s and has been relatively steady since 1980 at around 35 percent, more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers.
Overall union membership has fallen by about a half since 1983, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Workers in protective service occupations and in education, training, and library occupations had the highest unionization rates at 36.3 percent and 35.5 percent, respectively.
Private sector union membership rate, 24.2% in 1973, 6.6%: in 2014. Public sector rose sharply in the 1970s and has been relatively steady since 1980 at around 35 percent, more than five times higher than that of private-sector workers.
Overall union membership has fallen by about a half since 1983, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Laughing
Did you know that laughing stimulates neurotransmitters in the brain that improve learning and increase attention span.
Lithium-ion Batteries
The global
market for lithium-ion batteries was $11.7 billion in 2012 and
is expected to reach to reach $30.6 billion by 2024, according
to Navigant Research.
Commercial energy storage system manufacturing is currently consolidated in just a handful of regions, but falling system costs will be a major factor enabling broader global market growth. South Korea, Japan, and the United States will account for 59% of global installations in 2016, with commercial deployments also expected to increase in other regions during the next five years, according to a report from IHS.
The average price for lithium-ion batteries fell 53% between 2012 and 2015, and by 2019 are forecast to again decline by half again.
Commercial energy storage system manufacturing is currently consolidated in just a handful of regions, but falling system costs will be a major factor enabling broader global market growth. South Korea, Japan, and the United States will account for 59% of global installations in 2016, with commercial deployments also expected to increase in other regions during the next five years, according to a report from IHS.
The average price for lithium-ion batteries fell 53% between 2012 and 2015, and by 2019 are forecast to again decline by half again.
Life Hack
If you find yourself with a paper cut, grab a ChapStick, or another type of lip balm, and rub it on the cut. It will help soothe the pain of the cut and it helps the cut heal faster.
May 20, 2016
Happy Friday
"You are braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
I am brave, strong, and smart in predicting that today will be a Happy Friday!
I am brave, strong, and smart in predicting that today will be a Happy Friday!
John Wayne Day
A few years ago, Texas declared a statewide John Wayne Day to commemorate the iconic actor’s birthday on May 26th for his cinematic contributions to the culture of America.
Texas also named Wayne an honorary Texan, though Wayne, born Marion Mitchell Morrison, was actually born in Iowa. Many films that he starred in were filmed in Texas and for many Texans he has always been an honorary son of the Lone Star State.
Texas also named Wayne an honorary Texan, though Wayne, born Marion Mitchell Morrison, was actually born in Iowa. Many films that he starred in were filmed in Texas and for many Texans he has always been an honorary son of the Lone Star State.
Chip Credit Cards
My ever curious friend, Jeff asked if I thought the new chip cards were more secure than the magnetic stripe cards, so I went hunting to find out the latest info.
More than three-quarters of a billion credit and debit cards are in use in the US. By the end of 2016, over 90 percent will be converted to EMV (which stands for Europay, Mastercard, Visa) cards with a chip. The US is one of the last markets to go to EMV, on a short list with Papua New Guinea and Mongolia.
About half of all credit card fraud happens in the United States even though the country only makes up about 25% of all credit card transactions, according to a Barclays report. Financial institutions had been required to pay for credit and debit card fraud until Oct. 1, 2015. Now whoever has the oldest technology when the fraud occurs, the bank or the merchant, determines who covers the cost for the crime.
Current US chip cards are vulnerable because they still employ the old magnetic stripes so that businesses that have not yet made the transition to EMV technology can still access users’ credit data.
The new cards do not work quite the same way they do in Europe, but they are a step closer. The type of card being rolled out in the US still requires a signature when you pay. Eventually, what will be used in the US is what is used in the rest of the world, known as "chip and PIN." It would work similar to an ATM card now. You insert your card and enter a four-digit password to approve the transaction. Security experts believe this is much safer than card and signature to pay for things.
The biggest difference between the old card and new one is the metal 'smart' chip embedded on the front, making personal data much safer (once they eliminate the stripe on the back). The chip assigns a unique code for every transaction made on the card. Even if a thief acquired that code, it could not be used to make another purchase. Chip cards are also harder to duplicate although it is not unheard of.
These new EMV cards do not contain the older radio frequency (RFID) technology from a few years ago as some older ones did. No need to worry about covering with foil, etc., as they cannot be scanned within your wallet.
The new EMV chip cards were designed to help curtail credit card fraud; however, there are still vulnerabilities with these cards. Nothing is perfect, so caveat emptor.
More than three-quarters of a billion credit and debit cards are in use in the US. By the end of 2016, over 90 percent will be converted to EMV (which stands for Europay, Mastercard, Visa) cards with a chip. The US is one of the last markets to go to EMV, on a short list with Papua New Guinea and Mongolia.
About half of all credit card fraud happens in the United States even though the country only makes up about 25% of all credit card transactions, according to a Barclays report. Financial institutions had been required to pay for credit and debit card fraud until Oct. 1, 2015. Now whoever has the oldest technology when the fraud occurs, the bank or the merchant, determines who covers the cost for the crime.
Current US chip cards are vulnerable because they still employ the old magnetic stripes so that businesses that have not yet made the transition to EMV technology can still access users’ credit data.
The new cards do not work quite the same way they do in Europe, but they are a step closer. The type of card being rolled out in the US still requires a signature when you pay. Eventually, what will be used in the US is what is used in the rest of the world, known as "chip and PIN." It would work similar to an ATM card now. You insert your card and enter a four-digit password to approve the transaction. Security experts believe this is much safer than card and signature to pay for things.
The biggest difference between the old card and new one is the metal 'smart' chip embedded on the front, making personal data much safer (once they eliminate the stripe on the back). The chip assigns a unique code for every transaction made on the card. Even if a thief acquired that code, it could not be used to make another purchase. Chip cards are also harder to duplicate although it is not unheard of.
These new EMV cards do not contain the older radio frequency (RFID) technology from a few years ago as some older ones did. No need to worry about covering with foil, etc., as they cannot be scanned within your wallet.
The new EMV chip cards were designed to help curtail credit card fraud; however, there are still vulnerabilities with these cards. Nothing is perfect, so caveat emptor.
Films and Colons
Twenty films Hollywood will release in 2016 contain a colon in their title, such as “Captain America: Civil War.” Thirteen are sequels, one is a reboot, one is a spinoff, one is based on a TV series, one is a concert film, one is an original comedy, and two are based on books. The colon proliferation is indicative of the industry’s reliance on sequels and reboots that need to slightly distinguish themselves from their predecessors.
Next year, 2017 is building to be the same 'title with colon' names.
Next year, 2017 is building to be the same 'title with colon' names.
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