Thursday, February 28, 2013
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR
When communities like San Francisco and Seattle began banning plastic bags, said Ramesh Ponnuru, it seemed like a public-spirited thing to do. But benign-seeming laws often have unintended consequences—and the plastic-bag ban is now producing a sickening result. The reusable shopping bags that people now use to bring groceries home turn out to be breeding grounds for bacteria carried by raw meat and unwashed vegetables. Studies have found that half of reusable bags contain coliform bacteria from feces; if these bags are left in a warm car trunk for two hours, the number of bacteria grows tenfold. “Kind of gross,” no? After San Francisco banned plastic bags, another study by two law professors found, emergency-room admissions caused by E. coli infections began climbing; researchers estimate that the plastic ban leads to five additional deaths a year from food-borne illness. Regular washing and drying can clean out a reusable bag’s bacterial colonies, but it’s a habit many consumers simply don’t have. It’s a stomach-turning reminder that governments should “just let people make their own decisions.”
TODAY IN HISTORY
FEBRUARY 28
1784
John Wesley issues “Deed of Declaration” formally establishing the Methodist Church.
1849
The steamship California landed in San Francisco, bringing the first East Coasters to the Gold Rush.
1916
Henry James, American novelist and critic, died.
1948
The last British troops left India.
1983
The final episode of M*A*S*H aired. It was the most watched television program in history.
1986
Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot to death in central Stockholm.
1993
Four federal agents were killed in Waco, Texas, after they tried to serve an arrest warrant for weapons charges on Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh, starting a 51-day standoff.
TRIVIA
When a human embryo is forming, which one of the five senses develops first?
(click below for the answer)
(click below for the answer)
THE FIRST WORD
pervicacious
PRONUNCIATION:
(puhr-vi-KAY-shuhs) 
MEANING:
adjective: Very stubborn.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Latin pervicax (stubborn). Earliest documented use: 1633.
USAGE:
"Your grandmother had spunk, bless her pervicacious soul. ... She had a stubborn streak, you see, very stubborn."
David Curry Kahn; Her Mother's Diary; Wheatmark; 2010.
David Curry Kahn; Her Mother's Diary; Wheatmark; 2010.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
NOW YOU KNOW
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| 200612 myopia utopia (Photo credit: iambents) |
YOUR NEXT HOME?
DISCARDING THOUGHTS (LITERALLY)
Plagued by unwanted thoughts? Try writing them down and throwing the paper away.
A new study finds that this trick works. First, students were asked to write down positive or negative thoughts about their bodies, and half were told to tear up and discard the paper. Then the students were asked to rate their attitudes about their bodies. (click below to read more)
FUN(D) RAISING IN THE SNOW
Few people would think of playing golf in Minnesota in February. Recently, the Cloquet Rotary Club of Carlton, Minn., invited locals to play a few rounds on frozen Chub Lake, with holes drilled into the ice. Competitors used hockey sticks, canoe paddles, and tennis rackets to hit a tennis ball around the course. The 12th annual “Hook and Slice on Ice” tournament was played strictly for fun, but the event raises around $20,000 for local charities every year, paying for scholarships and books. “It’s a win-win for everybody,” said “golfer” Chris Erickson.
TODAY IN HISTORY
FEBRUARY 27
1844
Dominican Republic gained independence from Haiti.
1933
1951
The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, limiting the President to two terms.
1973
Members of the American Indian Movement occupied the village of Wounded Knee, S.D.
1991
2003
Fred Rogers, of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, died.
AND I QUOTE
"Why is it that when we talk to God we are said to be praying, and when God talks to us we are said to be schizophrenic?" Lily Tomlin
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
JUST THE FACTS
Got milk? Probably not. Americans today drink 30 percent less milk than they did in 1975. They’re also less thirsty for orange juice, soda, powdered drinks, and beer, while beverages such as tea, liquor, wine, and bottled water are gaining favor.
(click below to read more)
REINVENTING THE WHEELCHAIR
Invented by Duncan Fitzsimons of the London firm Vitamins, the design relies on a standard solid wheelchair tire—an inflatable would lose air when folded—and a wheel made of plastic reinforced by glass fiber and supported by sturdy folding spokes. It should enable the production of a wheelchair that fits into the overhead bin of a commercial airliner.
Vitamins had been trying to improve the performance of folding bicycles, but wheelchair users became interested, the company says.
MEETING MAKE-UP AT THE CYPRESS CREEK (FT. LAUDERDALE, FL.) CLUB
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| The salads await Rotarians arrival |
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| The meeting room at the Westin Hotel has been found! |
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| Group photo celebrating 3rd grade dictionary distribution |
ELECTRONIC VANISHING ACT
With technology rushing onward, electronic gadgets often seem ephemeral. Now they literally will be, as scientists make electronics that dissolve. (click below to read more)
TODAY IN HISTORY
FEBRUARY 26
1815
Napoleon Bonaparte escaped from exile on the island of Elba.
1870
A 312-ft long pneumatic subway was opened in New York City; funding for a larger version never materialized.
1901
1919
Grand Canyon National Park was established.
1935
RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging) was first demonstrated by Robert Watson-Watt.
1993
A bomb exploded at the World Trade Center in New York. The blast killed six people and injured more than 1,000.
TRIVIA
What is the current name for the country once known as Caledonia?
(click below for the answer)
(click below for the answer)
THE FIRST WORD
wunderkind
PRONUNCIATION:
(VOON-duhr-kind, wun-)
MEANING:
noun:
1. A child prodigy.
2. A person who achieves great success early in the career.
1. A child prodigy.
2. A person who achieves great success early in the career.
ETYMOLOGY:
From German Wunderkind, from Wunder (wonder) + Kind (child). Earliest documented use: 1891.
USAGE:
"Miguel Angel Sano is the wunderkind, one of the best young players the Dominican Republic has ever produced."
David Malitz; The Big Leagues' Hits and Errors; The Washington Post; Jul 13, 2012.
David Malitz; The Big Leagues' Hits and Errors; The Washington Post; Jul 13, 2012.
Monday, February 25, 2013
PEOPLE BEING PEOPLE
Wonton Food, the world’s largest fortune-cookie manufacturer, is removing romantic messages from its cookies after complaints from parents. Fortunes such as “One who admires you greatly is hidden before your eyes,” will henceforth be replaced with less steamy sentiments such as, “You make every day special.” The New York company said it would make sure its fortunes “don’t upset a single person.”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
How airport security costs lives
Want to save American lives? Stop wasting billions on airport security, said Charles Kenny. Set up in the panicky aftermath of 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration now spends $8 billion a year on intrusive searches, backscatter machines, and other time-consuming security operations that have turned air travel into an ordeal. Is this level of scrutiny still necessary? (click below to read more)
HOW POLIO CHANGED A LIFE
Before it was eradicated through the effort of massive immunization campaigns in 1989, poliomyelitis was prevalent in Brazil. The lack of vaccine and poor sanitation in small towns resulted in thousands of victims a year. Avoiding polio was often a matter of luck. (click below to read more)
DO YOU REMEMBER?
It is truly amazing to consider the role that scents play in our ability to recall the past. One whiff of a certain smell can transport us right back to our childhood as if it were yesterday. And when posters on Retroland were asked to name their favorite smells from their school days, they weren’t shy about voicing their opinions. Here are the five school scents that were most often mentioned. (click below to read more)
TODAY IN HISTORY
FEBRUARY 25
1570
Elizabeth I, queen of England, was excommunicated by Pope Pius V.
1836
Samuel Colt patented the first revolving barrel multishot firearm.
1870
Hiram Revels became the first black United States senator, taking over the term of Jefferson Davis.
1901
J.P. Morgan formed U.S. Steel Corporation, the first billion-dollar corporation in the world.
1948
Communists took control of the government in Czechoslovakia.
1964
Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) became world heavyweight boxing champion for the first time by knocking out Sonny Liston in Miami Beach.
1983
Tennessee Williams, American playwright, died.
1986
President Ferdinand Marcos fled the Philippines; Corazon Aquino took over the office.
1990
AND I QUOTE
"The will to succeed is important, but what’s more important is the will to prepare."-Bobby Knight
Sunday, February 24, 2013
CHARITY OF THE WEEK
Water.org transforms communities in developing countries around the globe by providing access to clean water. One child dies every 21 seconds from a disease brought on by contaminated water, and more than 6,000 children die daily because they lack this basic staple of life. Water.org was founded more than 20 years ago to address that problem worldwide. In countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti, India, Kenya, and Uganda, Water.org forges long-term solutions to water and sanitation crises. Locals are trained and enlisted to dig wells, install pumps, and maintain water systems. The organization’s work has directly improved the lives and prospects of more than 1 million people in communities across Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
The charity has earned a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator, which ranks not-for-profit organizations on the strength of their finances, their control of administrative and fund-raising expenses, and the transparency of their operations. Four stars is the group’s highest ranking.
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