Digital Trump Trading Cards

     At first I thought it was a hoax, but it's true. Former President Donald Trump launched a collection of digital trading cards depicting him in various guises including a superhero, an astronaut and a NASCAR driver. 

     Trump triggered speculation this week that he would run for president again when he said he would make a major announcement, but it turned out to be a promotional video on his (mis-named) social media platform, Truth Social. 

     There was an animated clip featuring in front of the Trump Tower in New York ripping open his shirt to reveal a superhero costume emblazoned with the letter T as lasers shot from his eyes. They are non-fungible tokens (NFTs) which Trump described as being "very much like a baseball card, but hopefully much more exciting. He added that they cost $99 each and, "would make a great Christmas gift". 

     Buyers are also be entered into a sweepstake with the chance of winning prizes including a gala dinner or a game of golf with Trump. 

     It was announced that the cards are not political and the funds raised would not be put towards his presidential campaign, but it's been speculated that the sale is to help fund Trump's legal battles in which Trump is embroiled. 

     Even more amazing is the fact that the collection sold out in a matter of hours when nearly 14,000 people purchased one or more of the online tokens.

Is Coffee Good For You?

 

     Coffee is believed by many to help them focus, fight fatigue and boost their energy level and it has been linked to a long list of potential health benefits. 

     One study found that consuming caffeine increased the time to exhaustion during a cycling exercise by 12% and significantly reduced subjective levels of fatigue in participants. Another study found that consuming caffeine before and during a round of golf improved performance, increased energy levels and reduced feelings of fatigue 

     But, does it really have any other health benefits? Maybe, a lot of the research is filled with words like "may" or "could."

     Caffeine is known to block the receptors of a neurotransmitter called adenosine. A neurotransmitter ia a chemical that is released at the end of a nerve fiber by the arrival of a nerve impulse and, by diffusing across the synapse or junction, causes the transfer of the impulse to another nerve fiber, a muscle fiber, or some other structure. 

     Blocking adenosine increases levels of other neurotransmitters in your brain that regulate your energy levels, including dopamine, a chemical released in the brain that makes you feel good. 

     Some research suggests that drinking coffee regularly could decrease thr risk of developing type 2 diabetes over the long term. The results are mixed, but some research suggests that coffee may help protect against certain disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. 

     According to some research, coffee could be beneficial for weight management. 

     Some studies have found that drinking at least four cups of coffee could be associated with a lower risk of depression. 

     Several studies suggest that coffee could support liver health and protect against disease. 

     One study found that drinking more than two cups of coffee per day was linked to lower rates of liver scarring and liver cancer in people with liver disease. Research also shows that the more coffee people drank, the lower their risk of death from chronic liver disease. 

     Some research suggests that drinking coffee may benefit heart health...drinking three to five cups of coffee per day was tied to a 15% reduced risk of heart disease and a 21% lower risk of stroke. 

     While all that may be good, caffeine affects blood pressure and people with with unmanaged blood pressure could be negatively impacted. 

     Some research suggests that coffee could help people live longer. Drinking two to four cups of coffee a day was associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of factors like age, weight status, and alcohol consumption. 

     Also, drinking a cup of coffee per day has been associated with a lower risk of death from cancer. Bear in mind though that no matter how much coffee one consumes death is inevitable. 

     However, not all of this research has been done on humans and more research is needed to determine whether all of these "coulds" could also apply to humans.

     

More information HERE

Television's Most Annoying Spokespersons

     The good news is that December brings a brief respite from Medicare Advantage Plan TV commercials. The bad news is that starting January 1, they'll be back. The Medicare Advantage insurance plans have until March 31 to attempt to defraud folks into switching between Medicare Advantage Plan companies.

     Junk mail designed to look like official government forms and television commercials featuring aging athletes (e.g. Joe Namath and George Foreman), washed up actors (e.g. William Shatner and Jimmie Walker) and now some old woman who acts like she's high on some illegal drug...all ultra-annoying people...encouraging people to sign up for Medicare plans are about to end...thankfully. 

     The ads tell us that we might not be getting all the benefits we deserve. That part is true. I think I deserve free health care, prescriptions, vision and dental care for life, but that's not the case. I have to pay for it. These Medicare Part B give back plans are health plans offered by private insurance companies rather than Medicare. That means that these plans that, like the washed up celebrities say, do add money back to social security checks, but they still have to be paid for in the form of premiums to the private insurance companies or in the form of co-pays and meeting higher deductibles.  Nothing is free.

     Another thing these creeps don't tell you is that in the long run these private plans are likely to be more expensive than Medicare. And, all the free stuff...some of them are only available on specific plans for specific segments of the population. Oh, some plans may not include a person's current doctors. 

     Not only can these advertised plans become expensive if you're sick because of uncovered co-pays and deductibles, but it's not easy to change to another plan and if you decide to switch there often are lifetime penalties. 

     It’s important for people to check with their provider to ensure they can utilize the provider's services under a new plan. Imagine the shock of finding out that your provider is not covered after you’ve already committed to one of the celebrity-hyped "as seen on TV" plans! 

     While some of these plans may be a good deal, don't take Joe Namath's or Jimmie Walker's word for it. Or, some anonymous insurance rep over the phone. Check with a local professional familiar with Medicare that you can sit down face to face with and discuss your needs. 

     The main point of this rant is not that the advertising is full of half-truths (that's to be expected), but that the advertisers have chosen to advertise in a way that is distasteful and repugnant to viewers.

Private Browsing

 

     Private Browsing is the term used in Mozilla Firefox, Opera and Apple Safari; Incognito is the term in Google Chrome; and it's called InPrivate in Microsoft Edge. 

     Many people who use private browsing have misconceptions about it and believe it allows them to browse the web anonymously, websites can't identify them and their internet service provider, employer or school can't know what websites they visit. It's not true. 

     Private browsing does not make you anonymous on the Internet and does not protect you from keyloggers or spyware that may be installed on your computer.

     Whatever it's called, private browsing does not save your browsing information, such as history and cookies, and it leaves no trace after you end the session. 

     Visited pages are not added o the history menu, nothing you enter into text boxes on web pages nor the search bar will be saved, files you download will not be listed in the downloads library after you turn off, cookies will not be stored and temporary internet files will not be saved.

Private Browsing in Firefox

     Why use private browsing? It allows you to use a shared computer or someone else's device while preventing your passwords, search records, and browsing history from being saved on that device. 

     It should be remembered though that if you bookmark a site or download a file while using private browsing mode, the bookmarks and file will remain in the system. 

     Private browsing is actually pretty effective for the purpose of protecting browsing activities or personal data from other users of a device, but that's all.

     However, even on you own computer private browsing does provide some protection against cookie-based tracking. Therefore, it’s less likely that you will see online advertising related to the websites you visit while using private browsing.

The Tunnel Rats of Vietnam

 

     A recent post on my chess blog mentioned Hanoi Jane and when I was recently informed of the serious illness of a Marine Corps Vietnam veteran it triggered something. 

     This unassuming, jovial, likable fellow was a tunnel rat when he served in Vietnam. 

     In Vietnam the tunnel rats were the bravest of the brave. 1 in 3 died and it's difficult to comprehend their experience and the fear they felt, but it's not so difficult to understand the high rate of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder they suffered. 

 

There were two types of tunnels: 

1) Expedient. They were simple in construction ranging from twenty feet to several hundred feet long. They were sued for the setting up of ambushes, used for safe hiding places, or escape. They were carefully camouflaged to facilitate evasion and escape. 

2) Complex: They were not so much tunnels as underground complexes with sophisticated ventilation systems which housed hospitals, sleeping quarters, training areas and arms depots. One example was the Cu Chi tunnel complex 20 miles north of Saigon that housed thousands of troops. 

 

     During the First Indochina war against French colonial forces, the Viet Minh constructed an extensive system of underground tunnels, which were later expanded by the Viet Cong. 

     The access holes led to tunnels connected by hidden trap doors that zigzagged up, sideways and down and led to a labyrinth of caverns and caves. They consisted of up to four levels and stretched for two hundred miles all the way to the Cambodian border. 

     They had basic air and sanitation, but the mazes were usually less than six feet high. Some Viet Cong soldiers lived in them for years. They actually built weapons in them using primitive forges. 

     The tunnels were used as cover during bombing raids, to hide and to launch attacks. They also left supplies hidden in them. They hid the bodies of their troops in them to make their casualty count lower and doctors worked on the wounded using the most basic surgical tools and honey as antiseptic. Anesthetics were rare.

     The tunnels were very important to the Viet Cong and they had to be destroyed. That's where the Tunnel Rats came in. It was the job of combat engineers and infantrymen to enter the tunnels to gather intelligence, destroy them and kill or capture soldiers who occupied them. 

     Going in was almost like being blind...they went by smell and touch and hearing. Due to the small space the tunnel rats usually only carried a pistol, a bayonet, explosives and a flashlight. 

     Dogs were first used (tunnel dogs), but they couldn't detect booby traps and the handlers refused to allow further pointless sacrifices of their dogs. Also, dogs couldn't gather intelligence.

     Next, hand grenades and tear gas were tried, but this method destroyed intelligence, so they used men had to go in and do the job. Smaller soldiers had to be used because they were able to fit into the tunnels better, but they could not be ordered on these missions, they were all volunteers. 

     They went in in a team of two: a point man and a back-up man. Their job was to conduct a recon and gather intelligence. Lurking in the dark, hot, humid, tunnels they might find booby traps, snakes, venomous insects, weapons caches, or a weapon in the hands of a live enemy. One thing that the tunnel rats were always sure they could find underground was death lurking. 

     At first they carried the standard issue a M1911A1 pistol. It was the weapon I carried in the Marine Corps and it was a big .45 caliber that had a blinding muzzle flash and an ear-splitting noise that was magnified in the confined spaces of the tunnel. Eventually, .38 revolvers were chosen because they were relatively small, light and easy to handle. In addition, the Smith and Wesson or Colt weapons that were available could handle the dirt of the tunnel environment easily and a second shot in case of a misfire, unlike with the .45, was a trigger pull away.

     Needless to say, crawling through the tunnels was terrifying. If they were occupied and you were captured, torture and death were certain. The tunnels could collapse, could be booby trapped or flooded or you could become lost in the maze or trapped. 

     Booby traps could be anything. Sharpened sticks, snakes, scorpions or poisoned gas. Tunnel rats could not risk wearing a gas mask because they restricted vision, hearing and breathing. Rats the size of dogs could crawl over them. 

     The snakes were bamboo vipers and their venom was so potent that after being bitten death was only seconds away. The Viet Cong would tie the viper in a piece of bamboo and suspend it from the ceiling. If the tunnel rat crawled into it the snake would come out and bite him in the neck or face. Ceilings had to be checked carefully. 

     Boxes of scorpions with a tripwire that would open the box were sometimes used. Hornets, centipedes, masses of black spiders and bats were also used. Rats carried bubonic plague. 

     Training was basically brainwashing as the tunnel rats were told to kill or be killed. 

     One tunnel rat admitted that once in the tunnel he was gripped with fear. Sometimes he actually heard the enemy talking and sometimes they would crawl so close to him that that he could smell their breath. 

     You might think finally crawling out of a tunnel would be a huge relief, but it, too, could be terrifying. You didn't know where you were coming out and a waiting Viet Cong could slit your throat or garrote or spear you as you came up through the exit trap door. 

     They had to control their fear and make movements with infinite care. One tunnel rat said his adrenalin "was pumping like a river" and he could almost hear his heart pounding. 

     They would feel their way along for booby traps and, if they lived long enough, it go so they could almost sense them and they could smell another human in the tunnel. 

     Why did they do it? Because, as one tunnel rat explained, "My job was to crawl through tunnels and then blow them up…That was my job; somebody had to do it. That’s what I was trained for.”

 

Just asking...

It's a scary thought, but could these be America's next political leaders? Washington Post story HERE.

 

George Armstrong Custer, A Contemptible Person

     While watching the basketball game between West Virginia and Florida on Sunday night (11/17) I was annoyed by the announcers...they were worthless; for the most part they engaged in idle chit-chat, told anecdotes, tossed out stupid "quizzes" and told us what was happening in other games in the tournament all while virtually ignoring what was going on in the West Virginia vs. Florida game. 

     Nevertheless they were not nearly as bad as the two asshat announcers Chick Hernandez and Chris Walker, who decided to poke fun at Wichita State basketball player Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler because of his name. 

     His name comes from his being half Native American and it is a tribute to his heritage. He is a member of the Oglala Lakota tribe and he grew up on a reservation in Pine Ridge, South Dakota before moving to Omaha, Nebraska where he attended high school. 

     Poor Bear-Chandler reminded me of the trip I took many years ago when I drove to Yellowstone National Park which is mostly in Wyoming. On the way I passed through some of the most beautiful and interesting parts of the country I have ever seen...the Black Hills and the Badlands in South Dakota.

     While on the trip I visited the Little Big Horn battlefield in Montana which is where the US Army's 7th Cavalry and the Lakotas and Cheyennes met in one of the Native American's last armed efforts to preserve their way of life. 

     On June 25 and 26 of 1876, 263 soldiers, including Lieutenant Colonel (NOT General) George A. Custer and his troops died fighting several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. 

     Somehow I think the memorial is to the wrong person...it should have been to the Native Americans, or Indians as they were called in my day. 

     It wasn't far from Yellowstone where Custer made his ignoble charge down Deep Ravine Trail where Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse and Gall were waiting with the largest concentration of warriors ever assembled. 

     Custer and his troops were lionized and turned into heroes, but after the death of Custer’s wife, Elizabeth “Libbie” Custer, a popular Western author, who wrote three books building her husband's legend, historians finally revised the legend to reveal the truth. 

     Custer was born on December 5, 1839 near New Rumley in eastern Ohio not far from Pittsburgh. He entered West Point in July 1857 and his time there was filled with demerits and a few times he managed to escape getting tossed out.

     While many of his classmates ended up serving as officers for the Confederates in the Civil War, Custer, who graduated last in his class of 34, was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the US 2nd Cavalry in June 1861. 

     During the Civil War Custer was present at the First Battle of Bull Run but did not see action. Shortly afterwards he transferred to the Cavalry and was promoted to a 1st Lieutenant in July of 1862. From there he was quickly appointed as an aide to General McClellan with the acting rank of Captain. 

     In June 1863, at the age of 23, Custer was made Brigadier General of volunteers. He did distinguish himself while in command of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade at the battle of Gettysburg and leading a cavalry charge 2 days later with the 7th Michigan Cavalry. He then served with the Army of the Potomac throughout 1864 and gained renown during battles in the Shenandoah Valley. 

     At the end of the Civil War he was a Major General with the volunteers where he was leading a cavalry division. Custer loved publicity and the press loved him because he was young, a showman with long red hair and a taste for velvet jackets with gold braid. 

     His men hated him. He was autocratic, dictatorial and incredibly arrogant. He was so bad that his post war command ended when his troops mutinied after Custer had reintroduced lashing as a form of discipline. 

     After his command was disbanded, Custer mustered out of voluntary service in February 1866 and reverted to his Army rank of Captain, but he still liked to be referred to as General Custer. 

     In early 1867 while on a recon mission Custer’s actions led to a court martial and he was found guilty of 1) absenting himself from his command, 2) using some troopers as an escort while on unofficial business, 3) abandoning two men reported killed on the march, 4) failing to pursue the Indians responsible, 5) failing recover the bodies, 6) ordering a party going after deserters to shoot to kill which resulted in 1 death and 3 wounded. But, that wasn't all! He was also found guilty of 7) unjustifiable cruelty to those wounded. 

     As the military still does to this day, officers receive a much less harsh punishment than do enlisted personnel. Custer was sentenced to suspension from rank and pay for a year. 

     While sitting out his suspension at home he was recalled to duty early due to a manpower shortage. His early recall resulted in a lot of bad feelings between Custer and the other officers in his regiment. 

     The regiment saw minor action against the Indians for the next few years, but not Custer. it didn't matter; Custer published exaggerated accounts of the 7th Cavalry’s actions. 

      Then in November of 1868, under Custer's command, the 7th Cavalry fought at the Battle of Washita River (or the Washita Massacre) over a hundred Indians were killed including some women and children. As a result, the Cheyenne referred to Custer as "Squaw Killer." 

     Custer’s incompetence helped increase ill feeling towards him and in the spring 1873 the Regiment was moved to Dakota under command of Colonel D.S. Stanley. 

     There, while protecting some railway engineers, the regiment skirmished with local Indians and Custer's actions ended up with him being charged with insubordination. Even a guy like Custer had friends though and they convinced Stanley to drop the charges. 

     In 1874 an expedition was sent to the Black Hills. While there, Custer was accused by some of spreading stories of a gold find. As a result, prospectors followed and they were attacked by the Indians. These attacks were an excuse for a campaign against the Indians. 

     The campaign was under General Alfred Terry who favored Custer even though at the time Custer was, again, in disgrace for having offended President Grant, Army Commander General William Sherman and his division commander General Phil Sheridan after having accused them of certain irregularities involving trading posts. 

     While on patrol at the Little Big Horn, Custer again chose not to follow orders when he saw Indians in the valley below him...probably around 15,000 of them. He decided to split his force into three groups and attack from three directions..an idiotic plan considering his small force. 

     Two prongs of the attack were driven back, but made it to safety while Custer’s force was cut off and slaughtered by Crazy Horse’s Sioux. 

     Custer had risen to power due to friends and supporters and, also, thanks to the press which was always seeking a good story. A lot of people died that day to serve the glory seeking of an arrogant and incompetent lout who was hardly deserving of a memorial.

How Far Can A Kangaroo Jump?

     First of all, kangaroos don't just live in Australia! They also live in almost 1,500 miles away in New Guinea and secondly, there are four species. 

     Kangaroos are well-known for the way females carry their babies, known as joeys, in a pouch and they are also famed for their unique bounding gait. The question is, "How far can they jump?" 

     They are one of only a few animals that move by hopping or by saltation if you prefer the scientific term. Other animals include anurans (e.g. frogs), rabbits, some insects and some rodents. 

     Although kangaroos mostly move on their long back legs, when they are grazing they use their forepaws in what is known as “crawl-walking” because they appear to be crawling on their front legs. forelegs. This is much slower than hopping They rest their forepaws on the ground and then brace their tail on the ground. Thius enables them to support their weight on their tail and forepaws while they pull their hind legs forward slightly, put them down, move their forelegs, and repeat the process. 

     Kangaroos have strong hind legs and extremely large back feet and a long, muscular tail which provides them with balance. Their hopping gait is actually one of the fastest and most effective methods of covering long distances without much effort. 

     The key is the Achilles tendons that run down the back of their hind legs making them act like a spring. In the first hop their hind legs and their toes are compressed underneath them and the tendons are stretched like a rubber band. This creates a spring effect which allows them to jump with incredible effectiveness. 

     When kangaroos are bounding they build up speed and momentum, but how far and how high they can jump depends on their size. Speed is key. Kangaroos increase their speed by increasing the length of each hop which is different from most other animals who increase the frequency of their stride rather than the length of it. 

     Most of the energy that a kangaroo uses in hopping is generated by it’s tendons and that means they only need to put a little effort into each jump, despite how far and how fast they are traveling. It also means they can travel long distances without getting tired. 

     In spite of their speed, kangaroos can turn incredibly quickly because they have the ability to pivot on one foot. They can turn almost 180 degrees in a single hop! 

     Hopping gives kangaroos the ability to outrun predators, especially because they can cover long distances very fast without getting tired. And, the ability to turn quickly means that kangaroos definitely have the advantage over predators.

     Besides humans, kangaroos have few natural predators: dingoes, some eagles and, before their extermination, Tasmanian tigers. Other introduced predators are wild dogs and foxes which prey on the young. 

     What about their speed and hopping distance? Red kangaroos, the biggest species, can reach speeds of around 40 miles per hour and the average jump is 25 to 30 feet. However, the farthest recorded leap was made by a female red kangaroo in New South Wales in 1951when she jumped 42 feet!  From a standing jump, kangaroos can only jump forward around 6.5 feet. By comparison, for humans the world long jump record is just shy of 26 feet and that is after about a 100 foot head start. 

     Red kangaroos can jump around 10 feet high when they have plenty of momentum, but from standing they can only jump between 4 and 6 feet in the air. The best humans can do after a running start is about 8 feet. A professional basketball player can perform a vertical leap of about 28 inches.

Samsung Refrigerators...Junk

     A couple of weeks ago our refrigerator was making a clicking noise that was coming from the temperature control box inside the refrigerator. 

     When the repairman arrived the next day he seemed to be taking a long time tinkering with the refrigerator. Finally, when he appeared to be finished tinkering I asked what the problem was. His answer, "I don't know; I've never seen this problem before." This made be think he was something of a novice. 

     He was working for a reputable company and when he advised replacing two switches at a cost of $385 that was cheaper than a new refrigerator, so I gave the go ahead. 

     Two days later, on a Friday, the parts arrived and he installed them and left. The problem was not solved; in fact, it was worse! The refrigerator ran continuously without ever shutting off. 

     When I called the repair company Monday morning they assured me that they stand behind their work and would send the technician back. When I voiced concerns about the first technician, they had no problem with sending me different man. 

     Later that afternoon, a technician showed up with the original one in tow. When I explained the problem to the new guy, he immediately went to the source of the problem and explained it to the original tech and...me. 

     It was a leaning experience for the newer tech (and me). While it was aggravating, I realized that it took me some time to learn everything about my job, too. 

     The diagnosis was that it would be way too expensive to repair and we needed to buy a new refrigerator. And, the $385? It was refunded with no problem. 

     That evening we went out and bought a new refrigerator, a Whirlpool, that was delivered the next day which brings me to my point. The store sub-contracts delivery and when they arrived the delivery man told me, "At least you bought a good refrigerator and not a Samsung." We purchased a Whirlpool. 

     He stated that Samsung's were "junk" and added, "We pick up new ones for return all the time." And, he said, "They only last a year or two." He also mentioned that there is currently a lawsuit in the US against Samsung for faulty refrigerators. 

     It's true. Earlier this year Samsung customers in New Jersey filed a new class-action lawsuit alleging Samsung refrigerators don’t keep food cold enough. Actually, in Indiana back in 2019 consumers began experiencing problems with their Samsung refrigerators. 

     This lawsuit is separate from efforts by the group Samsung Refrigerator Recall USA which now has more than 107,000 members!

     One lady said she paid $2,700 for her refrigerator and within a year started having problems. The ice maker was freezing up, clogging up all the time causing the make to make noises. The fridge was also having problems staying cold...the inside temperature was a balmy 65 degrees! It’s important for a refrigerator to stay cold at 40 degrees or below, otherwise, bacteria can multiply rapidly and food and medicine can go bad.

     The lawsuit alleges Samsung refrigerators are defective and fail to keep food at a safe temperature. At the same time, it alleges that Samsung routinely denies warranty claims. Hence, the warning...DO NOT PURCHASE SAMSUNG REFRIGERATORS.

    This make me wonder, why do otherwise reputable stores still sell these refrigerators. I think I know the answer. Greed. It's all about the money.

Witch's Holes and Sea Farts

     According to Australian research, methane bubbles from the sea floor could, in theory, sink ships and may explain the odd disappearances of some vessels. On the other hand University College London oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski explained that the theory, while theoretically possible, is poppycock.

     According to the Australian research huge bubbles of methane gas (sea farts) can erupt from undersea deposits of solid methane, known as gas hydrates.

     Methane is an odorless gas found in swamps and mines and it becomes an ice-like solid under the enormous pressure found on deep sea floors. If one of the deposits breaks off it becomes gaseous as it rises, creating bubbles at the surface. 

     David May and Joseph Monaghan of Monash University in Australia demonstrated how a giant bubble from one of these deposits could swamp a ship causing it to sink. 

     In sonar searches of the ocean floor in the North Sea they observed large quantities of methane and eruption sites and a recent survey revealed the presence of a sunken vessel within the center of one particularly large eruption site. The site is now known as the Witches Hole. 

     The sinking is attributed to the vessel's loss of buoyancy as the bubbles make the water less dense. When a chunk of methane breaks off, along the way to the surface it breaks up into tiny bubbles. As these tiny bubbles rush to the surface they drag water with them and the water's momentum as it whooshes up could technically tip capsize a ship floating on the surface. 

     According to Helen Czerski, this could only sink a ship if it was already heavily listed to one side. Then it would be possible for the methane bubbles to push the ship over and sink it. She pointed out that ships these days are built to prevent disturbances on the surface from tipping them over, so all that would happen is that the ship would be pushed to one side. 

     When it comes to the Bermuda Triangle some say it does not actually exist. The Bermuda Triangle is a region bordered by Florida, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico and the deniers claim that there are no more unexplained plane crashes and shipwrecks in the area than anywhere else in the ocean. Thus the methane gas theory can be debunked as a cause of ships sinking in that region. 

     I also heard the explanation that one reason people have not survived going over Niagara Falls is that there are tiny air bubbles formed by the cascading water which makes it less dense and so people cannot swim in it and, also, whatever container they went over the Falls in would not float. Of course, eventually the momentum of the water spits them out and the come to the surface. 

     Water's ability to wash, soothe and nourish contrasts with its brute power as exhibited by Niagara Falls. Some of water's properties are so strange that they elude scientific understanding.

      For example, it's logical that it would take longer for hot water to drop to 32 degrees Fahrenheit and freeze than would cold water, but that's not always the case. Hot water actually freezes faster than cold water when the two bodies of water are exposed to the same subzero surroundings. There are theories, but nobody knows why. 

     Nobody has been able to determine why ice is slippery. Scientists agree that a thin layer of liquid water on top of solid ice causes its slipperiness and that makes it difficult to walk on. But, there's no consensus as to why ice, unlike most other solids, has such a layer. It's speculated that it may be caused by contact with the ice by a shoe, car tire, ice skate, etc.

     When there's a huge temperature gradient between water and the outside air and a pot of boiling water is thrown into air measuring minus 30 F, the boiling water will instantly turn to snow. The reason: When the water is thrown into the air there's more vapor being emitted than the air can hold, so the vapor forms crystals which is what snowflakes are.

Squirrels Are Scavengers

     The other day I threw some stale bread out for the birds, but the squirrels ate it...all I thought they ate was seeds and nuts. That's wrong! 

     First off, squirrels are not just squirrels. There are many varieties of squirrels found across the country: red squirrels, ground squirrels, grey squirrels, fox squirrels, flying squirrels, black squirrels, striped squirrels, and many more. They are closely related to chipmunks, prairie dogs and...woodchucks (aka groundhogs). 

     Some quick research revealed that squirrels are not the picky eaters I thought they were. They will at least try just about anything. If they live around a human picnic area the will chow down on discarded sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers...anything that's in the garbage cans. 

     They also like fruit pears, grapes, apples, kiwi, avocados, peaches, nectarines, figs, plums, mangoes, citrus fruit, strawberries, blackberries, blue berries, raspberries, mulberries, bananas, watermelons, cantaloupe and cherries...to name a few. They also like vegetables: leafy greens such as lettuce, chard, kale, spinach or arugula. 

     They like vegetables, too: tomatoes, radishes, corn, squash, beans, corn, peas, root vegetables, the greens of any root vegetables, okra, eggplant, Brussels sprouts, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, celery, cauliflower, cabbage and leeks...to name many. 

     Squirrels naturally love grains and nuts in breakfast cereals like Chex, Cheerios, shredded wheat, corn flakes and Grape Nuts. Of course, they are also nuts about nuts which they like to store for later. Nuts are one of their most naturally desired foods because they are an optimal source of fat and protein. This also includes birdseed which might also be called squirrel seed. 

     Oddly, squirrels will also eat cheese, they love it and they don't care what kind it is! Another surprising thing in their diet is...insects! Caterpillars, larvae, winged bugs, grasshoppers, butterflies, crickets, etc. They also like dog and cat food of any kind, but it's not good for them. 

     Squirrels will also eat fungi...mushrooms which they will sometimes let dry in order to eat it later. They also eat lichen, the small fungi that grows in moist areas on tree bark. 

     They have also been known to steal eggs out of bird nests and chicken coops. As far as that goes, if times are hard enough squirrels will also eat hatchlings, young chicks, baby birds and the dead baby birds that have fallen from their nests. 

     They eat roots, leaves, grass, plants stalks and anything else with a nutritional value to them. Their preference is for tender stalks and branches of plants and things like flower buds. Of course, they also love the seeds from plants like sunflowers, pumpkins and such. That includes plant bulbs. 

     What won't they eat? Just a few things: raw onions, raw garlic, hot peppers such as jalapenos, dairy products (except for cheese), chocolate, junk food, candy, highly processed foods they may find in trash cans. At least in some areas they have better sense than humans.

Taxing the Poor

The lottery is a tax on poor people and on people who can't do math. Rich people and smart people would be in the line if the lottery were a real wealth-building tool, but the truth is that the lottery is a rip-off instituted by our government. This is not a moral position; it is a mathematical, statistical fact. - Dave Ramsey, The Total Money Makeover: Classic Edition: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness 

 

     In 1973, the Ohio Lottery Commission was created by a vote of the people of Ohio in an overwhelming margin. The following year, the first ticket, the “Buckeye 300,” went on sale that August. 

     The Ohio legislature earmarked lottery profits for education. Lottery profits are not sent directly to school districts; they go into the State's general fund to help fund education. Profits, what's left over after paying the winners, giving commissions to ticket sellers and administrative expenses, actually amount to less than one-third of the sales. And, that one-third is only a fraction of the cost of running the state's educational system. 

     While it is true that lottery profits are used to fund education, the politicians have been known to tell lies about the lottery. For example, back in 2012 the profit from increased sales was used to free up other state funds when the lottery profit was transferred into the State’s rainy day fund. The politicians played a shell game by simply moving money around in the budget so they kept the extra lottery profits rather than sending it to the schools.

     Some people spend ridiculous amounts of their hard earned money on a minuscule chance they will win enough money to live the lifestyle of the rich and famous. As the prize fund goes up in those mega-million lotteries the odds of winning get smaller...a lot smaller than they already were. 

     More people are buying tickets and in a recent lottery the chance of winning was 1 in 300 million. You have better odds of other things happening to you, but those odds don't look like something you want to happen. 

 

1 in 3,000 - getting struck by lightning once in your lifetime 

1 in 11.5 million - getting attacked by a shark 

1 in 700,000 - a woman giving birth to identical quadruplets 

1 in 12,500 - hitting a hole-in-one on a par 3 hole 

1 in 9,821- being in an airplane crash

 

     That one-third that actually makes its way to the schools is nowhere near enough to pay the the state's educational costs. Still, if it wasn't for lottery ticket sales the money that the lottery does contribute to schools would have to be made up somehow. Like the lottery itself, you just can't win!

NOT a Michael Jackson fan, but...

While doing a post on my chess Blog I came across this entertaining video on those who influenced Michael Jackson. 

Get Human

This website claims to be able to: 

*Fix your customer service issues faster

*Get a rep on the phone faster & get better help. 

 

     The site is free and you can search for phone numbers for companies plus get tools for avoiding waiting on hold, get other contact information like live chat, tips, secrets, and ways to solve customer service issues. 

     It works! I had a credit card for about 40 years and they recently transferred the business to another bank. I received the new credit card and went online to setup my account and that part went well. 

     The problem was I could not get the card activated! After two frustrating days trying to find out how to activate the card online I gave up and called the customer service number on the card. 

     After wending my way through a maze of recorded messages telling me to visit their website and punching in menu options, I was finally put on hold with a recorded message telling my call was important and a customer service representative would be with me shortly. Thirty minutes later the line went dead...I was disconnected.

     After trying a couple of other numbers listed on the website and getting nowhere, I Googled the bank's name plus "customer service." That's when Get Human popped up with a customer service number that was listed nowhere else on the site.

     I called the number listed and after a couple of rings a very nice lady answered; I explained that I couldn't get the card activated and within two minutes she had the problem solved.

 

Link to Get Human

Fun Foot Facts

     The military has a lot of slang and initialisms, a string of letters made from the first letter of a string of words, but they can’t be pronounced as words. e.g. USN, USMC. 

     Acronyms on the other hand are made from the first letter of a string of words but are pronounced as if they were words themselves. e.g NASA. Any shortened form of a word is an abbreviation. 

     Now that that is cleared up, in the USMC when we weren't moving from one place to another by helicopters (choppers) we traveled by SLT...Shoe Leather Transport. The feet inside the SLTs are remarkable bio-mechanical structures.

     Nearly a quarter of all bones in our bodies are in our feet. Most people, but not all, have 26 bones in each foot. Some people have have accessory or extra bones; they're very rare though. Usually they don't cause a problem and people that have them may not even be aware of it. 

     Fourteen of the 26 bones are found in the toes. Each toe has three bones, except the big toe, which has two. But, it is not uncommon for the little toe to have only two bones as well. 

     A foot has 33 joints, 19 muscles, 10 tendons and 107 ligaments and the soles of our feet contain more sweat glands and nerve endings per square inch than any other body part. Together the two feet have 250,000 sweat glands that are capable of producing half a pint of sweat in a single day. The skin on the soles of your feet is thicker than anywhere else on your body. The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the body.

     Babies are born with more cartilage than bone in their feet. Their arches are filled with fat and does not become fully developed until the age of two or three. 

      Gait patterns: gait is a person’s pattern of walking. It's really not so simple...it is a complex and coordinated series of movements that involve both the arms and legs. 

     Gaits is divided into heel strike, flat foot, mid-stance, push-off, acceleration, mid-swing and deceleration. The gait pattern of the right foot usually does not match that of the left foot. This is usually not a problem, but it can be if there is a significant mal-alignment which can can lead to knee, hip and back pain. 

     When a person is walking normally, the whole foot is never flat on the ground. A normal gait starts with heel strike with weight to the outside of the foot. As we move forward the weight shifts to mid-line and then to the inside, ending with a push-off with the big toe. 

     Each foot takes 1.5 times your body weight when you are walking; more if you are traveling by SLTs and carrying 50-100 pounds of combat gear. Normal running puts five times your weight on your feet. 

     The average shoe size for men and women has increased over the 30 years. 30 years ago the average size for women was 7.5 and 9.5 for men. These days it's 9.5 and 10.5. 

     20-30 percent of the world's population have Morton’s toe, a condition where the second toe is longer than the big toe. The average person walks 110,000 miles in their lifetime. They say ankle sprains are the most common foot ailment, but in the days I traveled by SLTs it was blisters. Lose a toenail and it'll take a year to a year-and-a-half to regrow!

It Doesnt' Mean What You Might Think!

 

     I recently heard someone called "rectitudinous" and immediately thought what a cool description of, well, the name of the person I was thinking of isn't important, but I was wrong about what I thought the word meant. 

     I thought "rectitudinous" had something to do with "rectum", the final section of the large intestine, terminating at the anus. It turns out that the word is defined as "characterized by the quality of being honest and morally correct." This definitely does NOT describe the person I was thinking of. 

 

There are many other words that don't mean what we think. A few...

 

1. Bemused does not mean amused, it means puzzled, confused, or bewildered.

2. Disinterested does not mean having no interest in something. It means unbiased, fair-minded and objective. 

3. Enormity has nothing to do with enormous which means very large in size, quantity, or extent. It means the great or extreme scale, seriousness, or extent of something perceived as bad or morally wrong. A second meaning is a grave crime or sin. 

4. Noisome has nothing to do with noise and ears. It means something has an extremely offensive smell. 

5. Factoid. It does not mean an interesting little piece of trivia. No, factoids are something we are inundated with everyday. Norman Mailer (an American novelist, journalist, essayist, playwright, activist, filmmaker and actor) coined the word in 1973 and he explained the meaning. Factoids are “facts which have no existence before appearing in (print and they are)...not so much lies as a product to manipulate emotion in the Silent Majority.” In other words, factoids are bits of fake news that people believe to be true because they appeared in print. 

6. A travesty is not a deplorable occurrence or situation. A travesty is a false, absurd, or distorted representation of something. You might say it's a close relative of a factoid! 

7. Peruse does not mean idly scanning magazines or websites in a casual manner without paying too much attention to details. It means to read or examine something carefully and thoroughly.

The Sargasso Sea

     Look at any map of the Atlantic Ocean and off the east coast of the United States you'll notice and area mark the Sargasso Sea; it's surrounded by water, not land. What is the Sargasso Sea? 

     All other seas in the world are defined at least in part by land boundaries, the Sargasso Sea is defined only by four different ocean currents: Gulf Stream on the west, North Atlantic Current on the north, Canary Current on the east and the North Atlantic Equatorial Current on the south. 

     The Sargasso Sea is distinctive for its deep blue color and exceptional clarity, with underwater visibility of up to 200 feet. The sea is a vast patch of ocean is unique in that it harbors this free floating vegetation which is known as Sargassum; other seaweeds begin life on the floor of the ocean. 

     Sargassum provides a home to an amazing variety of marine species. Turtles use the seaweed as nurseries and it's a habitat for shrimp, crab, fish, and other marine species that have adapted specifically to this floating algae. It's also a spawning site for threatened and endangered eels, as well as white marlin, porbeagle shark, and dolphinfish. Humpback whales annually migrate through the Sargasso Sea. Commercial fish, such as tuna, and birds also migrate through the Sargasso Sea and depend on it for food. 

     In 1492 Christopher Columbus gave the first known written account when he wrote that he feared the seaweed would trap his ship and potentially hide shallow waters in which they could run aground. He also wrote that he feared a lack of wind would trap them. However, the sea was likely known to earlier mariners because a poem by the late fourth century author Avienius describes a portion of the Atlantic as being covered with seaweed and windless. 

     Columbus was aware of this account and thought earlier sailors had reached the Sargasso Sea, as did several other explorers. However, modern scholars consider this unlikely, but it's quite possible they are wrong...early mariners were not stupid. 

     One more recent interesting story, and a mysterious one, is that in July of 1969, British businessman and amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst, who was competing in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a single-handed, round-the-world yacht race, disappeared after his yacht became mired in the Sargasso Sea. He had reported false positions by radio in an attempt to give the impression that he was still participating. 

     Eventually, Crowhurst wound up drifting in the Sargasso Sea, where he apparently went mad. His yacht was found unoccupied and drifting on July 10. It is unclear whether his death came as the result of suicide or accident.

Fecal Material is EVERYWHERE!

     It's everywhere! Fecal matter and fecal bacterial. It's in your home, your car, your workplace, in your bed...you name it. 

     The term fecal matter sounds nasty, but there is some good news...the risk of catching an awful illness or disease from it is pretty low. Still, the thought of the fact that pretty much any item that you touch is likely to contain some level of fecal matter or bacteria is off putting. 

     One study found that 1 in 6 cell phones are contaminated with fecal matter. Other items covered with it are baby toys and cribs, computer keyboards, toothbrushes and dozens of other everyday items in the home. 

     The best defense is wash your hands frequently with soap and hot water, but alcohol-based hand sanitizer can be used as a substitute. 

 

Some common items reeking with fecal bacteria are: 

 

1) Restaurant menus - these things are rarely cleaned between uses and generally only wiped down with a wet cloth that's probably filthy to begin with. 

2) Cell phones - They are constantly being handled...even when a person is in bathroom, so it’s no surprise they have a heavy load of fecal material and bacteria. Are you ready for this? Researchers at the University of Arizona found that an average cell phone has ten times the amount of bacteria as a toilet seat. That shouldn't be too disconcerting though because it's mostly your own, but think about it if you borrow one from somebody else. 

3) Washing machines - How does a machine that’s constantly full of soap and water end up coated with fecal bacteria? Dirty underwear. Every pair of dirty underwear contains about a tenth of a gram of feces...more is a person is...nasty. Unless washed in hot water with soap and bleach, the bacteria will end up on other clothes and grow in the washing machine. 

4) Kitchen sponges - Surprising these things also have more fecal bacteria than a toilet seat ans think about what all it touches that touch your lips or get put in your mouth. Furthermore, cleaning it by running it through the dishwasher or microwaving it may actually make it worse. Best to sanitize it in a bleach solution.

5) Office coffee mugs - 20 percent of office coffee mugs were found to have have fecal matter residue on them according to a University of Arizona microbiologist. That’s because most mugs are generally not very well cleaned. Again though the good news is that's it's probably your own fecal matter/bacteria assuming it's your personal cup. 

6) Remote controls - Specifically the ones in hotel rooms. They don't get cleaned. You should do it yourself using an antibacterial wipe. 

7) McDonald’s touchscreens - They might as well advertise, "Want some feces with that?" In the UK a newspaper swabbed them and guess what? They were covered with all nastiness. This is just one more reason to hate these things. It's like self-checkouts in stores and bagging you own groceries. I don't work there so why should I have to punch in my own order, scan my purchases and bag my items? 

8) Bed sheets - They have a build-up of bacteria and fecal matter. In fact, researchers compared human beds to beds created by chimpanzees in the wild and found that our beds contain a lot more bacteria. 

9) Air - We all breath and one study published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology found that airborne bacteria is plentiful and could even trigger asthma and allergies. In urban areas, dog feces added a surprising amount of bacteria to the air. 

 

     Think about this. When you nose detects the scent of feces the question arises, "Are you actually inhaling fecal molecules?" 

     Smells register in our noses when microscopic molecules are emitted by the things around us...coffee, flowers, etc., but what about fecal molecules? More good news here! You're not inhaling feces, just gas. 

     However, studies have found that IF someone was naked and they expelled flatus near your nose, you could, according to the British Medical Journal, actually inhale airborne, bacteria-laden droplets of feces.

32-bit vs. 64-bit

     There are 32-bit and 64-bit programs. What's the difference? 

     To begin with, a bit is the basic unit of information. In reality, when it comes to running a program most users can't tell the difference between the two. 

     A 32-bit program uses up to 4GB of random access memory (RAM) while it is running. A 64-bit program is capable of utilizing more than 4GB of RAM. 

     Most programs are 32-bit, but large, complicated programs (like, say, games and really large programs) are 64-bit. That's because 64-bit operating systems and programs can handle larger amounts of memory and data more effectively and they execute commands much faster.  

     So, if you have more than 4GB of RAM on your computer, a 64-bit program is better than a 32-bit one. 

     You can run a 32-bit program on both 32-bit and 64-bit operation. Because they are compatible to both 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems, 32-bit programs are still popular.

Samuel Little, Serial Killer

They don't come any more evil than Little who confessed to murdering 93 women between 1970 and 2005...read his account of his horrendous crimes here.

Why is Buffalo Wild Wings called BW3?

     For any readers that are unfamiliar with Buffalo Wild Wings, or BW3 as it is commonly called, it is a casual dining restaurant and sports bar franchise in the United States, Canada, India, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates which specializes in chicken wings and sauces. 

     In 2017, the chain was acquired for more than $2 billionby Arby's, also an American fast food sandwich chain with more than 3,300 restaurants.

     The question is, with only to Bs in the name Buffalo Wild Wings, why is it called BW3? Where's the third W?

     BW3 was founded in 1982 by Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery who had recently moved to Ohio from Buffalo, New York.  They couldn’t find authentic Buffalo, New York-style chicken wings anywhere around, so they created a restaurant on High Street in Columbus, Ohio that served them. 

     In 1998, the name was changed to Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar, but the original name was Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck; hence, BW3. 

     Beef on weck is a popular sandwich in New York consisting of roast beef on an au jus-soaked kummelweck roll. A beef on weck is a sandwich found primarily in Western New York State, particularly in the city of Buffalo. 

     It is made with roast beef on a kummelweck roll, a roll that is topped with kosher salt and caraway seeds. The meat on the sandwich is traditionally served rare, thin cut, with the top bun getting a dip in au jus and spread with horseradish. It's not on their menu any more.

     It's not the same things as a French dip sandwich which is a hot sandwich with tender thin slices of beef layered on a long French roll, often with melted cheese, then dipped in a sauce made from the pan juices called...au jus... which is French for with broth   

     ...now you know.

How Fast Is A Spider?

     The other day my wife was working in her home office in the basement which has a tiled floor. As I was talking to her she noticed a large spider casually strolling across the floor and told me to step on it. 

     Not wanting a squashed spider on the sole of my shoe, I grabbed a Kleenex and went to grab it and in a flash it sped away and, eluding two attempted grabs, it disappeared under a closet door. 

     It turns out spiders are fast! The fastest spider in the world is the desert-dwelling Moroccan spider which can reach speeds of up to 5.7 feet per second, or 3.8 mph. The average walking speed for humans is 2.5 to miles per hour. 

     It used to be that giant house spiders were officially be recognized as the fastest spider in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records. They have speeds clocked at 1.73 ft per second (1.18 miles per hour). The new record holders were solifugids, but they are not true spiders. Solifugids resemble spiders, but they are closely related to scorpions. 

     Giant house spiders are found in Europe, Central Asia and Northern Africa and although they were accidentally introduced in the Pacific Northwest of North America circa 1900 they are not common. 

     The most common house spiders in the U.S with their description and photo can be found HERE. 

     The ten most dangerous spiders in North America are described HERE. There are three venomous spiders in the United States: the brown recluse, the black widow, and the hobo.