Why You Should Take Cod Liver Oil

     Cod liver oil is an incredibly nutritious type of fish oil supplement and it contains a great combination of: 

 

* omega-3 fatty acids. While the market is saturated with hype, omega-3 fatty acids are important for heart health, improved mood, an anti-inflammatory, brain function and weight management. 

 

* vitamin A. This vitamin is important for growth and development, for the maintenance of the immune system and for good vision. 

 

* vitamin D. This vitamin is responsible for increasing intestinal absorption of calcium, magnesium, and phosphate as well as many other biological effects. 

 

     Besides, cod liver oil may provide you with health benefits like stronger bones, reduced inflammation and less joint pain for those with rheumatoid arthritis. A common dose is 1–2 teaspoons of fishy tasting liquid cod liver oil per day, or it is available in capsules. 

Here are 8 scientifically supported benefits of cod liver oil. 

 

1. High in Vitamins A and D 

Most cod liver oil is extracted from the liver of Atlantic cod and it is quite different than regular fish oil. Regular fish oil is extracted from the tissue of oily fish like tuna, herring, anchovies and mackerel, while cod liver oil is extracted from the actual livers of cod. It is incredibly nutritious...a single teaspoon provides 90% of the daily requirement for vitamin A and 113% of the daily requirement for vitamin D. 

 

2. May Reduce Inflammation 

In some cases inflammation can continue at a low level for long periods of time. Such chronic inflammation may increase the risk high blood pressure and several diseases, such as heart disease. Also, vitamins A and D are powerful antioxidants that can reduce inflammation by binding and neutralizing harmful free radicals. 

 

3. May Improve Bone Health 

You start losing bone mass after age 30 which can lead to fractures later in life, especially in women after menopause. Vitamin D may reduce age-related bone loss because it helps your body absorb calcium, which is necessary for strong bones. 

 

4. May Reduce Joint Pain and Improve Rheumatoid Arthritis Symptoms 

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that’s characterized by damage to the joints. There is no cure, but studies suggest that cod liver oil may reduce joint pain and improve symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis like joint stiffness and swelling. 

 

5. May Support Eye Health 

Vision loss is a huge health problem. There are many reasons why people lose their vision, but two of the leading causes are glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Both of these diseases can result from chronic inflammation. Note: although vitamin A is great for eye health, it’s not recommended to take high doses of it, as it may cause toxicity. 

 

6. May Reduce Heart Disease Risk 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide and studies have shown people who regularly eat fish have a much lower risk of heart disease. This effect can be attributed to its omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3s have been shown to have many benefits for your heart, including: lowering blood pressure, increasing HDL cholesterol, reduce the risk of plaque forming in the arteries. Plaque buildup can narrow the arteries and lead to a heart attack or stroke. Note: taking fish oil supplements may reduce risk factors for heart disease, but there is little evidence that it can actually prevent heart disease or strokes. 

 

7. May Improve Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression 

Studies suggest there may be a link between chronic inflammation and anxiety and depression and many studies have found that the omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil can lower inflammation and reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Additionally, studies have also found a link between increased blood levels of vitamin D and a reduction in symptoms of depression. 

 

8. May Help Heal Stomach and Ulcers

Ulcers are small breaks in the lining of the stomach or gut and cause symptoms of nausea, upper abdominal pain and discomfort. They are often caused by bacterial infections, smoking, excess use of anti-inflammatory medications or too much acid in the stomach Animal studies indicate that cod liver oil may help treat ulcers, particularly in the stomach and gut. 

 

There are no set guidelines for cod liver oil intake, so most recommendations are based on safe intake levels of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin A and D. A common dose is often 1–2 teaspoons, but taking up to one tablespoon per day is usually safe. Higher doses are not recommended, as they would result in excess vitamin A. Cod liver oil is likely safe for most adults, but it can cause side effects including heartburn, stomach upset, and nausea. 

 

Warning: High doses of cod liver oil are possibly unsafe because they might keep blood from clotting and can increase the chance of bleeding. Vitamin A and vitamin D levels might also become too high with high doses of cod liver oil. Because cod liver oil can act as a blood thinner, check with your doctor before taking cod liver oil if you take blood pressure or blood thinning medications.

Supernumerary Nipples

     Supernumerary nipples, or third nipples as they are usually called, are a condition in which a person has an extra nipple on their body in addition to the two located on the breasts or chest.    

     The Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center states that this is a relatively common condition and many people with a third nipple may not even realize they have one. The presence of additional nipples (aka polymastia or polythelia or accessory nipples occur in roughly 1–5 percent of the population. 

 

Fun facts on third nipples: 

* Some people have had up to eight 

* Most third nipples are harmless and do not need any medical attention 

* Third nipples may be smaller compared to regular nipples 

* The condition is more prevalent in men than in women. 

* In most cases, the additional nipples are smaller and less developed than the regular nipples. 

* In the case of a woman who has given birth, it is possible for her third nipple to lactate 

* Lactation of third nipple can occur in third nipples on both men and women. 

 

     Third nipples are not always readily recognized because hey are usually smaller and less developed than regular nipples. As a result it is easy for a person to think they might be a mole. A third nipple usually appears on the front of the body between the area starting in the armpit and running down past the nipples to the genitals. This is known as a person’s “milk line.” 

     However, third nipples can appear anywhere on the body, even the hands and feet. a condition known medically as ectopic supernumerary nipples. Often people may dismiss third nipple as a mole or birthmark, but it is possible to tell the difference as moles or birthmarks tend to be flat and are unlikely to have any bumps or ridges in them. 

     There are different types of supernumerary nipples and they are categorized depending on features such as shape, size and tissue makeup. 

 

Types of third nipples: 

* Category One nipples (or polymastia,) may have an areola around it. An areola is a ring of soft circular tissue and the underlying tissue is regular breast tissue; this indicates that a full breast has also developed. 

* Category two nipples do not have an areola though the presence of breast tissue underneath is still apparent. 

* Category Three nipples is where the area has breast tissue present, but no actual nipple has formed. 

* Category Four nipples is where breast tissue has formed underneath, but no nipple or areola is present. 

* Category five (known as pseudomamma) nipples have an areola around the nipple area, but instead of breast tissue underneath, fat tissue is found instead. 

* Category six (known as polythelia) is where the nipple appears alone and there is no areola or breast tissue underneath it. 

 

     All third nipples develop while the baby is in the womb. When an expectant mother is 4 weeks pregnant, the developing embryo’s two milk lines begin to thicken. The milk lines are made of ridged tissue and will eventually become part of the baby’s skin. Two strips of tissue across the chest known as the “mammary ridges” regress in-utero, and in doing so two regular nipples form. However, there are instances where they don’t regress altogether, which can result in the creation of additional nipples. 

     It is important to see a doctor should the extra nipple cause any discomfort. For example, it's lactating or is painful pain, the nipple hardens, additional lumps form or a rash appears over the area.

     In any case, third nipples should be checked regularly by a doctor who will check for any signs of abnormal growths or unusual, activity. 

     It's uncommon, but there are some cases where an additional nipple can be a sign of a congenital breast defect or malignant growth or tumor. It is possible for the extra nipple to get breast cancer. 

     Additionally, certain types of extra nipples have been linked to various kidney conditions such as end-stage renal disease and can also be associated with cancer of the kidney cells.

     Having third nipples removed is usually for cosmetic rather than health-related reasons. Their removal usually involves noninvasive outpatient surgery. However, if a person has their third nipple, it may not be covered by insurance.

Notched US Military Dog Tags

     Once, a long time ago, I wore a set of US military dog tags. The ones I was issued had a notch in one end.   

     In the 1940s and for about 30 years, US military dog tags, known as the M-1940 dog tag, had a notch along the edge. If anybody asked what the notch was for they were told that when a soldier died on the battlefield, medics, or Navy Corpsman if serving with the Marines, would take the notched part of the dog tag and place it between the teeth of the deceased soldier. The medic would then kick the jaw so the tag would become lodged between the soldier’s teeth. The reason for this procedure was because transporting a dead soldier across a battlefield in the 1940s was difficult and his identity could be lost. But, if the dog tag was wedged between the teeth the loss of identity was unlikely. 

     Equally gruesome is the alternative reason for the notch. After a dead soldier was taken off the battlefield their decaying bodies produces gases and in order to allow the gases to escape the dead body, a dog tag was placed in the mouth, between the teeth, to keep the mouth open thereby allowing the gases to escape.

     Actually, neither was the purpose of the notch, known as a "locating notch" in military manuals. It's purpose was more prosaic. The notched dog tags used until 1970 were part of a casualty identification process. 

     The dog tag was created using a machine and the notch helped the machine hold the dog tag in place as it was stamped. Modern dog tags are manufactured by machines that do not need the notch to hold the tags in place. 

     The notch served an additional purpose. The dog tag was removed from casualties and it was placed into a handheld tool called the Addressograph Model 70 which transferred the information from the dog tag to medical records. The notch, again, held the dog tag in place in the Addressograph. 

     Of course, today's modern technology what with DNA and all, dog tags are no longer as important as they used to be.

The Problem With Masks

     Here's something Facebookers haven't yet posted any memes about. And, these are verifiable facts, not made up stories which is something rare for meme posters on Facebook!

     In the Cook County Jail in Chicago a prisoner jailed on a gun charge and for violating his bond in a drug case, had tattoos on his face, but wearing a mask enabled him to pose as another prisoner and get released. 

     The way the FBI tells it, William Rosario Lopez put on a surgical mask and walked into the Connecticut convenience store and picked up plastic wrap, fruit snacks and a few other items. Then, when the only other customer left, he went to the counter, pulled out a gun and robbed the place. According to the FBI Lopez robbed four other gas station stores over a period of eight days before he got nabbed. 

     At Aqueduct Racetrack in New York three workers were robbed at gunpoint of a quarter-million dollars. Other robberies involving suspects wearing surgical masks have occurred in North Carolina, and Washington, DC and other places across the country. 

     Wearing mask to protect others against the COVID virus is a perfect opportunity for robbers to conceal their face and blend in with honest, God-fearing people. 

     Before the pandemic, masked robbers had to remove their masks immediately after leaving the scene to avoid standing out from the crowd. But, now they can keep their masks on and blend right in. 

     Masks also mean video of the robbery are much less useful if police are unable to see a face,. Crimes in which the suspect was wearing a mask have increased nearly five fold. 

     The Los Angeles, California police department even suggests honest folks can protect themselves from being identified as being a subject by wearing a unique mask that stands out so you are not mistaken for a suspect!

3-D Wooden Puzzles

I have no financial interest in Rolife, but they sell some interesting and unusual stuff. Of special interest are their 3-D wooden puzzles. Visit site

Night Driving Glasses

     We've all seen advertising on television for those night driving glasses with the yellow lenses with the claim that they help you to see better at night while you’re driving. They’re non-prescription, yellow-tinted and often have some kind of anti-reflective coating to eliminate reflections from the streetlights and oncoming headlights that cause glare. 

     Many people have reduced vision in low light, especially older people. As you get older, other diseases like cataracts can also make it harder to see at night. And here is a scary fact: you may need twice as much light at the age of 50 to see as well as you did when you were 30! 

 

There are five signs of night driving issues: 

1) Not being able to see road signs clearly. 

2) Inability to judge distance and speed. 

3) Struggling to read car instruments 

4) Difficulty adapting to glare from headlights. 

5) Experiencing a loss of side vision. 

 

     These night driving glasses tend to be similar to shooting glasses and in some cases they are identical. Shooting glasses are yellow because this color is known to filter out blue UV rays. It's also claimed that yellow lenses improve a person's ability to see and discern objects as well increase depth perception. Shooters who wear these glasses for hunting or target shooting often find that they increase the contrast of objects against an overcast sky. But do they really help you see better while you're driving at night? 

     A 2019 study showed that people wearing night driving glasses had a harder time seeing pedestrians in their path than people who were not wearing night driving glasses. Those wearing the night driving glasses sometimes took up to 1.5 seconds longer to see pedestrians while driving. 

     Glasses with yellow tinted lenses can enhance contrast in certain daylight conditions, since the yellow tint blocks some of the sun's blue light. This high-energy visible blue light is more likely to cause glare when it enters the eye, compared to other forms of visible light. 

     Amber or copper colored lenses can block much more blue light than yellow lenses, but they also prevent more light from entering the eye, which reduces visibility even more in low-light conditions. In fact, even yellow lenses reduce the overall visible light to a degree, since they also block some blue light. This might be a good thing during the day, but not at night when maximum visibility is important.

     Researchers at Harvard's Schepens Eye Research Institute conducted a study involving 22 participants to find out whether night driving glasses provided any benefit for nighttime driving. 

     The experiments were conducted in four simulated night driving conditions with the subjects wearing either yellow tinted night driving glasses or glasses with clear lenses. Scenarios included testing with and without a headlight glare that mimicked oncoming traffic. The experiment measured the subject's reaction time to seeing a pedestrian walking alongside the roadway. 

     The study found that night driving glasses did not appear to improve how well participants detected pedestrians at night. The experiment data suggested that wearing yellow-lens glasses when driving at night does not improve performance in that critical task. 

     In fact, the results found "that wearing yellow-lens glasses may slightly worsen performance," but the finding "was not statistically significant." Their conclusion was that the findings did not appear to support the use of night-driving glasses. 

     If your eyes are healthy and you don't have vision problems and don't need prescription glasses, then it's best not to wear any glasses at all. If you need prescription eyeglasses then having an anti-reflective coating is worth the small extra cost. 

     The reasons are that these glasses will allow almost all of the visible light to enter your eyes, they will let your eyes focus properly and reduce or eliminate the glare causing reflections of streetlights and headlights in your lenses. 

     Note that the AR coating only reduces the glare caused by the eyeglass lenses themselves so there is no visual benefit to wearing non-prescription lenses with AR coating.

The Golden Gate Quartet: Old Time Religion

Durwood FIncher Interviews People

A Scary Man

     Michael Flynn is a retired Lieutenant General in the U.S. Army and the former head of the Defense Intelligence Agency. He was also the National Security Advisor under President Trump. It's scary that this goofball was once running the military, occupied a high ranking position in the government and apparently is still an influential figure in politics. 

     Appointed by Trump on November 17, 2016, Flynn didn't have the job long. He resigned on February 13, 2017, amid reports that he did not provide Vice President Mike Pence with accurate information about a conversation that he had with a Russian ambassador concerning sanctions against the country. On November 25, 2020, President Trump tweeted that he had granted Flynn a presidential pardon.

     Trump claimed that, although Flynn “didn’t do anything wrong,” he had lost confidence in the general. Trump said, “He didn’t tell the vice president of the United States the facts. And then he didn’t remember. And that just wasn’t acceptable to me.” 

     Flynn is a scary man! QAnon, a far-right conspiracy theory and movement centered on false claims made by an anonymous individual or individuals, known by the name Q, claimed that Flynn worships Satan. 

     In an effort to refute that absurd claim and in an effort to proclaim his Christian faith, Flynn, speaking in San Antonio, Texas on the ReAwaken America tour which features Flynn, other Trump loyalists and anti-vaxxers who have a history of spreading disinformation about the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic, he called for Christianity to become the singular religion of the United States!

     He stated, "If we are going to have one nation under God, which we must, we have to have one religion. One nation under God, and one religion under God." Most Christians would, I think, shudder at the very thought of the United States having a state religion. Besides that, under the Constitution such a thing is illegal. 

     Flynn also said he taped a segment for the television program Tucker Carlson Tonight (Carlson is a political journalist who speaks on current issues). In reference to the insurrection that took place in Washington DC at President Biden's inauguration, Flynn called it the "insurrection crucifixion" and compared House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Pontius Pilate, the man who ordered the crucifixion of Jesus in the Bible. He stated, "This is the crucifixion of our First Amendment freedom to speak, freedom to peacefully assemble. It's unbelievable." 

     As is all that isn't bad enough, Flynn gets even more weird. A while back he stated, “Somebody sent me a thing this morning where they’re talking about putting the vaccine into salad dressing, or salads.” That's right! Flynn is tossing around a conspiracy theory about Covid-19 vaccines being secretly put in salads or salad dressing. Flynn did not say on the video whether he actually agreed with the salad claim adding, “I’m thinking to myself, this is the Bizarro World, right.” But, why mention it? 

     Flynn did not elaborate where this information came from, but according to Snopes, in a September 16, 2020 article by Jules Bernstein for the University of California-Riverside News began with the lines, “the future of vaccines may look more like eating a salad than getting a shot in the arm. UC Riverside scientists are studying whether they can turn edible plants like lettuce into mRNA vaccine factories.” 

     Scientists are studying this possibility but have not achieved it yet. They even received a half a million dollar grant from the National Science Foundation to do research on this. What they are actually trying to do is to use plant cells to produce enough mRNA to be used as a vaccine. First, they haven't accomplished it nor are they trying to turn salads or salad dressing into some kind of secret vaccine.

     Amusing was rapper, singer and songwriter Nicky Minaj's tweet about a friend of her cousin's testicles. Her tweet:

  

My cousin in Trinidad won’t get the vaccine cuz his friend got it & became impotent. His testicles became swollen. His friend was weeks away from getting married, now the girl called off the wedding. So just pray on it & make sure you’re comfortable with ur decision, not bullied.  

 

You can read the response by the government of Trinidad and Tobago HERE.

Where did the robins go?

     Where I live robins are the harbinger of spring and a common sight in the summer. Yesterday I put some stale bread out for the birds, but, of course, this time of the year there were no robins. By the way I have never seen them eating bread. 

     Where do robins go for the winter? Do robins migrate? The answer is yes and no. While they are associated with spring and summer here, not all robins escape the winter. Unlike many long-distance migrating birds which head south en masse during the fall, robins react to winter's onset in two ways. 

     Many retreat southward. They skedaddle out of Northern Canada and the cold, snowy parts of the country and head to areas far to the south like Texas and Florida. But they are not motivated by the cold because robins can withstand extremely cold temperatures, adding warm, downy feathers to their plumage. No, their motivation for heading south is food. 

     As their warm-weather diet of worms and insects becomes scarce, robins begin searching for fresh supplies. For unknown reasons though some stay up north and tough it out just like we humans do. Robins have been observed in every US state except Hawaii and all southern Canadian provinces in January. 

     They survive by changing their diet, transitioning from insects and worms to winter fruits and berries, including junipers, hollies, crabapples and hawthorns. In the spring and summer, robins aggressively defend their territories and raise young. In the winter, they change. They become nomadic, searching far and wide for food. If a heavy snowfall persists for more than a few days they will leave in search of greener pastures, so to speak. 

     Although I have never seen one (probably because there isn't a lot of food for them in the winter around here) robins also form flocks in the winter which can number in the hundreds or thousands which is totally unlike their summer behavior where they pair up and raise young. 

     Flocking means the larger groups have more eyes pealed to spot and avoid predators. It also increases the chances of discovering food. Here's another odd fact about robins that winter over in flocks...they make little noise during winter months. Although some males begin singing toward winter's end as spring approaches and mating hormones kick in, they typically maintain a subdued silence. Taken together, these changes lower robins' profile in the northern part of their range, making sightings much less common, and leading some people to assume they have all gone elsewhere.

     The burning question is, how do robins decide whether to stay or go during the winter? Nobody knows, but it is thought that it's mostly males that remain because it allows early access to the best breeding grounds. When spring arrives the winter robins disperse and change their diet back to worms and insects. Then a few days to two weeks later the females show up. 

     Robin populations are increasing, but they are vulnerable to pesticide poisoning because they forage on lawns and other open spaces that are often sprayed with weed killers. Additionally, pesticides can also kill earthworms, a major food source for robins. Because they forage on the ground, robins often end up as food for outdoor cats. Collisions with windows, communications towers and car strikes are other common hazards.

Toilet Seats

     The use of toilet seat dates back 2,000 years to China, when it was made of stone and was a luxury. Latrines featuring just a hole in the ground could be found in public places and the seats were nothing more than a part of the communal bench where the holes were cut out. 

     In Ancient Egypt, they had proper bathrooms and toilets in their homes with toilet seats made of limestone. In Ancient Rome, wealthy people also had their own toilets, while public bathrooms consisted of stone seats right next to one another.

     During the Middle Ages, toilet were pits in the ground with wooden seats over them. Medieval castles had shafts for toilets with a stone seat; they were called garderobes and they stuck out of the side of the castle. A hole in the bottom let everything drop into a pit or the moat. People who didn't live in castles used pits and sat on wooden planks. 

     Eventually toilets made their way into most homes and today the seat is a hinged unit typically made from plastic or a blend of wood and plastic. It consists of a round or oval open seat that typically has a lid bolted onto the bowl. 

     A toilet seat consists of the seat itself, usually contoured to provide a more comfy seating, but lids are often absent in public restrooms. There are reasons for the lids. They can be closed to prevent small items from falling in, to reduce odors, for aesthetic purposes or simply to provide a chair. Some studies show that closing the lid prevents the spread of microscopic aerosols on flushing which end up covering everything in the bathroom with fecal bacteria. 

     Toilet seats are manufactured in a range of styles and colors and are usually shaped to fit the shape of the toilet bowl: elongated or round. Some toilet seats are fitted with slow-closing hinges to reduce noise and prevent them from slamming against the bowl. Some are made of wooden materials, like oak or walnut, and others are made soft for added comfort. There are also novelty seats such as floral designs or transparent plastic with small decorative items such as seashells or coins. 

     Some metal toilets, such as those in jails and prisons, have built-in toilet seats that cannot be removed, so that an inmate cannot fashion it into a weapon, shield or escape tool. 

     Some seats have an open front. The International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials' Uniform Plumbing Code, section 409.2.2, requires that "all water closet seats, except those within dwelling units or for private use, shall be of the open front type." 

     The code is followed by most public authorities, many public toilets feature open front toilet seats , also known as split seats. This seat design prevents genitals from contacting the seat and also omits an area of the seat that could be contaminated with urine and it makes for easier wiping. 

     Nowadays there are also high-tech toilet seats such as heated seat, bidets and blow driers. These seats are most common in Japan. Electrically heated toilet seats have been popular in Japan since the 1970s because Japanese bathrooms are often unheated and the toilet seat can double as a space heater. 

     Seatless toilet have no seat (no surprise there!). It's claimed they are much cleaner and easier to clean than toilets with seats. While it is possible to sit on the toilet without a seat many users prefer to hover over it. 

     Back in 1987 there was a huge brouhaha over the Lockheed Corporation's charging the US Navy $34,560 for 54 toilet covers, or $640 each on P-3C Orion antisubmarine aircraft which went into service in 1962. 

     In 1987 it was determined that the toilet shroud, the cover that fits over the toilet, needed replacement and because the airplane was out of production that would require new tooling to produce. 

     These on-board toilets required a uniquely shaped, molded fiberglass shroud that had to satisfy specifications for vibration resistance, weight, and durability. The molds had to be specially made and the price reflected the design work and the cost of the equipment to manufacture them. The charge was for the large molded plastic assembly covering the entire seat, tank and full toilet assembly. The seat itself cost $9 and some cents. 

     President Ronald Reagan stepped in and held a televised news conference where he held up one of the shrouds and stated, "We didn't buy any $600 toilet seat. We bought a $600 molded plastic cover for the entire toilet system." The Pentagon admitted that the Navy was overcharged and the president of Lockheed adjusted the price to $100 each and returned $29,165. "This action is intended to put to rest an artificial issue," he said. Still, the whole incident stunk and Lockheed appears to have deliberately overcharged (stolen) from the Navy. 

 

12 toilet oddities around the world that surprise Japan

US Navy Training

     As I suspected when I posted on seamounts, the US Navy has fired Commander Cameron Aljilani, the Commanding Officer of the USS Connecticut, Lieutenant Commander Patrick Cashin, the Executive officer and Master Chief Sonar Technician Cory Rogers, the Chief of Boat, due to loss of confidence in their ability.

     Ryan Ramsey, a former British Royal Navy submarine captain, said he was shocked by the collision, which is relatively rare, adding that "The USS Connecticut is a very modern submarine - so it's kind of surprising," he told the BBC. "But if you relax at any point, then things can happen."  Details

     From the top down, lack of leadership and poor training has plagued the Navy and resulted in accidents that have injured and killed a number of sailors. The main reason is that the Navy is more concerned with political correctness and administrative tasks than efficient training. Unfortunately, crap does not roll uphill and until it does we are not likely to see any change...expect more sea service deaths. Read more...

Seamounts

     An undersea collision that injured 11 crew members of the USS Connecticut, a fast attack nuclear-powered submarine, last month was the result of it running into an uncharted seamount. 

     The boat hit what at the time was an unidentified object in international waters in the South China Sea on October 2nd, resulting in moderate to minor injuries. At the time, the Navy did not specify how much damage the vessel suffered, but sub was able to make its way to a port in Guam by traveling on the surface. 

     An investigation found that the Connecticut grounded on an uncharted seamount. The fleet's commander was investigating to determine if human error might have somehow played a role in the accident. Given the Navy's accident rate involving collisions due to poor seamanship in recent years that explanation is quite possible. 

     In 2005 the submarine USS San Francisco hit an uncharted seamount near Guam with the result that numerous sailors were injured and one died. 

     According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers believe more than 100,000 seamounts rise more than 3,300 feet from the seafloor. It is estimated that there are over 30,000 seamounts in the Pacific Ocean alone. The only known seamounts in Canada are found in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of British Columbia. 

     Seamounts are undersea mountains formed by volcanic activity and at one time they were thought to be little more than hazards to submarines, but today, scientists recognize they biological hotspots that support an amazing array of marine life. That's because their steep slopes cause currents that carry nutrients upwards from the depths of the oceans toward the sunlit surface, providing food for creatures ranging for corals, fish and crustaceans. 

     New estimates suggest that seamounts encompass about 11.1 square miles of the Earth's surface...more than deserts, tundra, or any other single land-based habitat. 

     These underwater mountains, generally extinct volcanoes, rise hundreds or thousands of feet from the seafloor and sometimes even break the ocean's surface. The highest mountain on Earth is Hawaii’s Mauna Kea is actually a seamount. It is a dormant volcano that is more than 30,000 feet tall measured from its base on the seafloor 18,000 feet beneath the surface.

     Scientists estimate there are at least 100,000 seamounts higher than 3,000 around the world. In addition to providing food for sea life, there seamounts create obstacles that shape ocean currents. Although often hidden beneath the ocean, they are also being targeted by mining companies that hope to mine the minerals that often collect around seamounts. Read MORE

Disgusting Happenings In Southlake, Texas

     Down in Texas they have a new law that requires teachers to present multiple perspectives when discussing “widely debated and currently controversial” issues.

     According to news articles there was a tense school board meeting Monday night in Southlake, Texas after many parents defended a district administrator who told teachers to offer students books showing “opposing” perspectives on the Holocaust. 

     How can the Holocaust be considered controversial? Are the parents and the school administrator saying it didn't happen? Or, are they saying it wasn't a big deal? Or, that it was OK?

 NBC Story

There are NOT Two Sides

Scratch Out, auto scratch remover

     I own a 2020 silver Ford and the other day noticed some light scratches on the left rear door. After a quick application of Scratch Out and some light buffing with a soft cloth the scratches completely disappeared. 

    This product got some negative reviews on Amazon, but I suspect the reason was because the scratches were too deep. This product (or any scratch remover) is designed to makes scratches less visible, not completely eliminate them. 

     Also, a number of people wrote that it required a lot of elbow grease, but it did work. Again, I suspect how well the product works is going to depend on how deep the scratches are but for light ones it works perfectly. In fact, that's what the advertisement says...it removes fine scratches.

     The product also works on yellowed, scratched and hazed headlights and taillights. It will also work well for "paint transfers." 

     For about $10 you'll get a bottle that will probably be a lifetime supply.

Captain Hawthorne C. Gray, Balloon Pilot

     Beginning with the 18th century, ballooning has continually achieved higher altitudes. 

     From a 1783 flight that reached 10,000 feet to the US Army Air Corps' Captain Hawthorne C. Gray’s fatal ascent to 42,470 feet in 1927, the maximum altitude was only limited by the pilot’s need for oxygen. 

     Gray (February 16, 1889 – November 4, 1927) was a captain in the United States Army Air Corps who had some really bad luck in his ballooning efforts. 

     On March 9, 1927, he set an unofficial altitude record of 28,510 feet in a balloon, but passed out from hypoxia in the thin air. He regained consciousness just in time to drop ballast and slow his fall after the balloon descended on its own. 

     Then on May 4, he set an unofficial record for highest altitude reached by a human when he reached 42,470 feet. Because of the rapid descent of the balloon, Gray parachuted out at 8,000 feet, disqualifying him from recognition by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale which required that the balloonist land with his craft. 

     Finally, on November 4, 1927, Gray attempted to set an official record. He rose at about 4 mph which was half the speed he used for his March 9 flight. Somewhere between 30,000 and 34,000 feet Gray threw over an empty oxygen cylinder for ballast and the canister snapped his radio antenna, cutting him off from the ground. 

     After reaching an altitude of 40,000 feet, he lost consciousness. His final journal entry read “Sky deep blue, sun very bright, sand all gone.” His body was found the next day in the balloon basket in a tree near Sparta, Tennessee which is a little over 300 miles SE of the launch point. The balloon's barographs showed that Gray had reached a height between 43,000 and 44,000 feet. 

     There were various theories about the cause of his death. He may have severed his oxygen hose accidentally while cutting open bags of sand ballast. 

     It is also possible that Gray became too cold and tired to open the valve on one of his oxygen tanks. In what is known as the standard temperature lapse rate, the temperature decreases at the rate of approximately 3.5 degrees F. per thousand feet up to 36,000 feet, which is approximately –65 degrees F. Above this point, the temperature is considered constant up to 80,000 feet.

     It is also possible that one of his internal organs was ruptured by decreasing pressure. One balloon expert believed that Gray died during descent or on impact.

     The board of inquiry which investigated Gray's death concluded that he died because his clock stopped, causing him to lose track of his time on oxygen and exhaust his supply. 

     Gray was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and buried in Arlington National Cemetery. His widowed wife and three remaining sons received his Army Air Corps insurance and $2,700, the equivalent of six month’s pay. 

     A helium filled balloon can float very high up into the atmosphere, but it can only rise up until the atmosphere surrounding it has the same weight as the helium in the balloon. This happens at about a height of 20 miles so, this is as far as a helium balloon can rise. Visit the Gray Archives

     Hot air balloons normally fly between 1,000 and 3,000 feet in the air. In the United States, hot air balloons must fly at least 1,000 feet over the highest obstacle within 2,000 horizontal feet when flying over populated areas. 

     Because of the unpredictable air conditions at higher altitudes, hot air balloons normally don’t surpass 3,000 feet. However, most balloon pilots prefer to fly at lower altitudes where the conditions tend to be more favorable and a bit warmer. Also, once you above 8,000 feet, the air starts to become thinner and going higher could result in elevation sickness. 

     In 2005, 67-year old Vijaypat Singhania, an Indian businessman and aviator took his hot air balloon 68,986 feet which is over 13 miles. Singhania actually set out to fly over 70,000 feet but didn’t quite reach his goal, but he broke the record of just under 65,000 feet. 

     The balloon Singhania used was outfitted for extreme altitudes and stood over 160 feet tall and weighed 44 tons when fully inflated. Singhania was in a pressurized cabin for just under five hours to accomplish the record. The flight began in Bombay and landed just 150 miles to the south. 

     On January 15th, 1991, Per Lindstrand and the eccentric billionaire Richard Branson flew a hot air balloon 4,767 miles from Japan to Canada. The balloon’s envelope was the largest ever built and it was able to reach the highest ever ground speed for a manned balloon, clocking in a max speed of 245 miles per hour. 

     On March 1, 1999, Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss psychiatrist and balloonist together with Briton Brian Jones were able to go around the world in just 20 days in a balloon. 

     NASA's gigantic, ultra-thin balloon, known as the "Big 60," broke a record for highest balloon altitude maintained during flight in 2018. The football-stadium-size, 60-million-cubic-foot balloon was released from Fort Sumner, New Mexico and set a new sustainable-altitude record by reaching 159,000 feet (just over 30 miles) during an 8-hour flight on August 17, traveling into the stratosphere and ascending about 5 miles higher than the next-largest balloon prototype.  

 

Visit the NASA balloon site HERE

The Humanitarian Hangman

     George Phillip Hanna was a banker, farmer and volunteer hangman. 

     He was born in Epworth, a tiny community located about a 40 minute drive west of Evansville in southern Indiana. His great grandfather was a pioneer of the community and a wealthy landowner. Phil Hanna lived in the house his grandfather built throughout his life on the prime farmland of over 2.000 acres he and his brother had inherited. 

     Although he was a farmer, he was one of the wealthiest landowners in the county and he was known for his generosity and he was not thought to be selfish with his wealth. He was described as religious in philosophy but not in practice. He was known to drink often. 

     He had a morbid, irrational fear of pain and while he would himself supervise the hanging of a man, he could not bear to watch someone slaughter a chicken. Supervising the hangings caused him to become a "nervous wreck" for several days each time he returned home. 

     When Hanna was 22 years old he witnessed his first hanging. Due to inexperience of the hanging officials, the hanging was botched and it was a brutal one. A horrified Hanna decided to learn how to conduct a proper hanging the proper manner to conduct a hanging and become an expert. As a result Hanna quickly developed a reputation for providing quick, clean hangings without ever pulling a gallows lever himself. 

     He studied ropes, lengths of drop and he made dummies of men and practiced dropping them from the haymow in the barn. He learned how to tie nooses so the criminal's neck would be broken quickly and constructed traps that were designed to make the condemned man's fall smooth and quick. 

     Although Hanna never requested to pull the lever (he left that responsibility to to the local officials), he was widely known and sheriffs and other officials across the country often requested his assistance prior to an execution. As a consultant, he advised executioners in several States on the art and science of more humane hanging. 

     Hanna would arrive the day before an execution to advise and supervise for no pay, his only requirements being a bottle of whiskey and to keep any weapons used by a condemned murderer. He eventually acquired a large collection of weapons.

     Hanna's procedure was that when he arrived at the site of an execution, he visited the condemned and told them, "I am here to help you." He sometimes counseled the prisoners, assuring them their death would be painless. He also went to great lengths to see that the condemned man's last request was fulfilled. 

     Hanna stated, "I am of the opinion that there is no pain at all in a hanging that ls properly done. 1 think my work, therefore, is a type of humane service, although there are many who may have different opinions." He once witnessed an electrocution and concluded that they were less humane than hangings. Although he appeared to enjoy his notoriety, but said he disliked being called the hangman.

     Hanna carried all the accouterments needed for a hanging with him such as ropes and the handmade hoods his wife has sewn that were placed over the prisoner's head; the condemned man could choose either white or black as he preferred. Hanna also provided his own rope. 

     Eventually Hanna concluded that he could better perform his craft using his own equipment and built a portable 15-foot tall scaffold which could be disassembled and re-erected on site. Because Hanna believed that causing a man to wait for the drop was cruel, he had a prearranged signal for the man who pulled the drop lever. 

      In spite of all his precautions, not all of Hanna's hanging went well. On one occasion the rope broke and the hangee landed on the ground severely injured. After that incident, Hanna always brought two ropes to a hanging and tested their strength. 

     Shortly before he died Hanna's wife left him and he became quite ill and was admitted to a hospital in Evansville, Indiana. While hospitalized he would shake the railings of his bed in frustration and at times become quite belligerent. He died of hardening of the arteries.

The Facebook Meme Rabbit Hole

     For some people who live in the topsy-turvy world of conspiracy theories the lack of evidence is itself clear evidence that justifies their paranoia.  

     Others are just plain narcissist (meaning they are self-involved to the degree that they ignore the needs of those around them), avaricious, inappreciative, consider nothing sacred, calumnious, have no self-control, have no interest in what is good, they are reckless, puffed up, love pleasure and are always learning but not coming to knowledge and they resist the truth. 

     They believe the nuggets of truth they see on Facebook memes. These are not the type of people you want to argue (reason) with because there is no point trying to impart wisdom when they are just going to persistently ridicule your guidance. If you’ve ever tried to reason with an irrational person, you know that they have no interest in letting reason in, they just want to let their cynicism and ignorance out. Besides that, it's easy to start acting like the people around you. 

     Many Facebook users believe anything their friends post even if it even goes beyond believing. In fact, they believe more than half of fake news is true. 

 

Here's an interesting Forbes article.

Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia and Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia

Hippopotomonstroses-

quippedaliophobia has nothing to do with a hippopotamus. It's a fear of long words. 

     Fears and phobias are very real and the mind is capable of developing them towards virtually anything or any situation.

     Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is often considered funny or not real, but it is very real. People suffering from it tend to experience a great deal of anxiety when faced with long words. 

     Most phobias are caused by an event that is recorded by parts of the brain as being dangerous or deadly. The body then reacts as if the event is bound to happen repeatedly. A person with a severe phobia is literally held a prisoner by his feelings of anxiety and panic and this is exactly what some people feel when they see long words. 

     School children (or in some cases even adults) might have been laughed at or been been embarrassed or found themselves scared when reading or pronouncing long words. Their mind then continues to create the same response at future encounters even though there might not be any basis for it. Symptoms vary with the individual and they can be emotional or physical. 

     Many feel extreme anxiety or have a full blown panic attacks at the sight or thought of long words. Physical symptoms include shaking, crying, running away, trembling, feeling nauseated, experiencing headaches, rapid or accelerated heartbeat and shallow breathing etc. The person is likely to feel dread and terror as his mind creates a mental image of the person being embarrassed, faint or even passing out, etc. 

     Even if the person understands that his fear is irrational he is unable to control himself and is powerless to rationalize. 

     Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia is another phobia with a long name. For some people symbols like the swastika or wiccan symbols instill fear in their minds and this phobia fear the number 666 and avoid talking or reading about it. 

     In the Christian religion the number 666 is representative of the Antichrist. a world leader controlled by Satan who reigns during the period prior to the return of Jesus. There is a verse in Revelation that states that 666 is the number of the name of Antichrist, but at this time nobody knows what that actually means. Saints of God living at that time will though. 

     The number is deeply feared because it is considered to be the sign of Satan and people with the fear of 666 avoid talking or reading about it and some Christians even refuse to buy a product if the bar code has a 666 on it. Some sufferers even go to the extent of not leaving their house on June 6th or 6/6 since they believe it is the day of the Antichrist even though the other 6 is missing. President Reagan and his wife, following his presidency, changed the street number of their house in California from 666 to 668. 

     There are different causes of specific phobias and often the anxiety or fear is a learned or acquired behavior. A phobia can also be conditioned through association. Like other phobias, the fear of the number 666 can lead to a full blown panic attack characterized by trembling or shaking, dizziness, nausea, sweating, increased heart rate, shortness of breath and a feeling of choking. Often the physical symptoms of a phobia can make the person feel like they are having a heart attack, a fear that they are dying or a feeling of detachment from the body. 

     With these symptoms being a very real possibility it's no wonder that many phobics are under constant stress because the constantly feel vulnerable and their fear can take over their day to day lives and affect their relationships. 

     There are treatments to get over a phobia or learn to cope with it. Talking about it with a trusted person or a professional can help. Professionals have techniques that can be used to overcome a phobia. For some people relaxation techniques can help them cope with anxiety and panic attacks. Deep breathing exercises can also help. And, in some cases meditation, positive affirmations and visualization techniques can help.

Got Lime Juice?

     Limes have a bad side! Contact with lime peels or lime juice followed by exposure to ultraviolet light may lead to phytophotodermatitis, which is sometimes called margarita photodermatitis or lime disease, not to be confused with Lyme disease. Bartenders handling limes and other citrus fruits while preparing cocktails may develop it. 

     The peels contain much higher concentrations of the compound causing the disease so the peels are considerably more phototoxic than the pulp. Persian limes appear to be more phototoxic than Key limes. 

     Other than that, squeezing lime juice into water improves the taste of the water (if you like limes and can be an encouragement to drink more of it. Limes, which have origins in Asia, pack a large nutritional punch. 

     According to the United States Department of Agriculture one lime with a 2-inch diameter contains:

* 20 calories

* 22 milligrams of calcium 

* 12 milligrams of phosphorus 

* 68 milligrams of potassium 

* 19.5 milligrams of vitamin C, which is about 20–25 percent of the recommended amount for adults

 

     As you probably know, limes were important to the British Navy in preventing scurvy, a disease that causes a person to feel tired and weak all the time, feel sad and irritable, have severe joint or leg pain, swollen and bleeding gums and perhaps the teeth may fall out, develop red or blue spots on the skin, especially the shins and it causes the skin to bruise easily. Read all about the cure for scurvy that was found by James Lind HERE.

 

In addition to the nutritional value, lime water has the following benefits:  

1. Helps improve diet 

A recent study showed that people who drank more water instead of sugary drinks improved their diet. People who drank water instead of sweetened drinks reduced the amount of sugar and fat they consumed on a daily basis. 

2. May aid digestion 

Limes contain compounds that help stimulate digestive secretions and the acid in the lime juice helps the saliva break down food. 

3. Reduces cancer chances 

Several studies show a link between citrus fruit and a reduced risk of esophageal cancer. However, more research is required. 

4. Improves skin quality 

Limes contain vitamin C and antioxidants which are ingredients in many commercial skin products. When consumed with water, the lime juice can help improve the appearance of aging skin. 

5. Promotes weight loss 

Drinking a glass of water with a meal to help prevent overeating. Also, the citric acid found in lime juice helps boost metabolism which aids in burning more calories and storing less fat. 

6. Improves immune system 

The vitamin C and antioxidants provide support to the immune system. When drunk regularly, lime water might help prevent and shorten the lifespan of colds and flu. 

7. Reduces risk of heart disease 

Limes contain high levels of magnesium and potassium which help support the overall health of the heart. In particular, potassium can improve blood flow and reduce blood pressure. There is also limited research indicating that limes may also help reduce cholesterol levels. 

8. Lowers blood sugar 

Some research indicates that vitamin C can help lower morning and post-meal blood sugar changes. The study actually focused on people taking supplements of vitamin C, the conclusion indicated that vitamin has the potential for improving a person’s sugar levels. 

9. Prevents the growth of micro-organisms 

According to some research, a compound found in limes can help prevent the accumulation of Streptococcus bacteria which is responsible for a variety of infections and health conditions, including respiratory and mouth infections. Drinking lime water may help stop these organisms from developing. 

10. Has anti-inflammatory properties

That's because limes are a good source of vitamin C which acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. 11. Helps prevent kidney stones Limes contain citric acid and vitamin C and both help break up or prevent the formation of some types of kidney stones.

Let's Boogy!

via GIPHY

What Does U.S. Law Say About Vaccines?

     With a wave of the mutated COVID-19 spreading throughout the United States, businesses, cities and some parts of the federal government are beginning to require proof of vaccination. Is it legal? What does the law actually say? 

     A Supreme Court case from 1905, Jacobson v. Massachusetts, was about a vaccination mandate. In the early 1900s, smallpox outbreaks were frequent and many people had been vaccinated earlier as children, but needed booster vaccinations. Massachusetts passed a law that gave authority to local boards of health to make a decision in response to an outbreak that smallpox vaccination should be mandatory for all residents if, in the opinion of the medical experts on the board, it was necessary to protect the public's health. 

     The city of Cambridge launched an outreach program to get everyone vaccinated, but Henning Jacobson objected because, he said, vaccines were ineffective and harmful. The Supreme Court said his arguments were nothing more than reciting alternative views that differed from medical opinion and they did not warrant an exemption. 

     It's common practice for health care employers to require flu shots and as well as other shots as a measure to protect patients, but also to some extent to protect health workers themselves. For years the Cleveland Clinic has required employees to receive annual flu shots. Other examples are hepatitis vaccinations and all of the childhood vaccines given as a condition of attending school. Also, college students in many states are required by law, not just by the college, to get a meningitis vaccine.  And, the federal government mandates vaccines for military service members. 

     Can government forcibly require you to get vaccinated? Legally, no, you can't be forced to take a vaccine. You're not going to be physically restrained and vaccinated. But, that's not the same as a vaccine mandate. A vaccine mandate means the government is requiring a person to be vaccinated as a condition of taking part in society or participating in a particular activity. The US Supreme Court has ruled that vaccine mandates at the state or local level can be established. 

     States and private employers are setting vaccine mandates because legally they can. In other words, the government and private entities cannot force people to get vaccinated, but they CAN make it a condition of going to work, going to college, attending certain events, etc. 

     Is an employer trying to maintain a safe workplace for employees and customers discriminating against the unvaccinated? While they can't keep unvaccinated people out of their business, they can require them to wear masks as long as they require everybody to wear masks. 

     What about religious exemptions? Most states recognize some religious exemptions, but not every state...California and New York, for example. To date, the Supreme Court has never ruled that people have a First Amendment right to reject vaccine mandates on religious grounds. 

     What about HIPAA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which includes privacy protection about when a person's health data is shared? Does a store or employer have the right to ask if a person is vaccinated? Legally the HIPAA privacy rule does not even remotely prevent that! 

     The privacy rule is about what a hospital has to do to protect a patient's medical information, not what a business can do. Businesses are free to ask, but a person is not required to answer if they don't want to. 

     Short version...state and federal governments can't force people to receive the coronavirus vaccine against their will, but lawmakers can create a mandate that imposes consequences for not being vaccinated. And, that's the way it is...for right now at least. 

 

As of yesterday the Supreme Court made THIS ruling!