Rat City

     When asked which US city has the most rats you'd probably say New York is the country's rattiest city, but according to the pest control company Orkin you'd be wrong. 

     Orkin ranked the most mice-and-rat-infested cities based on the number of residential and commercial rat removal jobs they performed from September 2021 to August 2022. Of course, that does not measure the ACTUAL rat population, but at least it reveals the cities where folks are most concerned about the rat population.

     It's estimated that there are two millions rats roaming New York City's streets, sewers, subways and buildings...that's about one rat for every four humans in the city. Speaking only of the rats, many carry diseases that can cause serious problems for humans. Most scientists believe that while the situation can be controlled, it cannot be eliminated. 

     The COVID pandemic helped increase the rat population! According to Orkin the pandemic gave rise to outdoor dining facilities and that provided rats with a perfect place to dine, live and breed. Think about that next time you decide to eat on a restaurant or bar patio! 

     Here's the list for top honors for the rattiest cities in the US according to Orkin. Note: in Washington, D.C. politicians were not counted. 

 

1-Chicago 

2-New York 

3-Los Angeles 

4-Washington, D.C. 

5-San Francisco 

6-Philadelphia 

7-Baltimore 

8-Cleveland 

9-Detroit 

10-Denver 

11-Seattle 

12-Minneapolis 

13-Boston 

14-Atlanta 

15-Indianapolis

How Fast Is An Alligator!

 

     Down in West Palm Beach, Florida, Monday, February 20th was a bad day for an 85-year old lady out walking her dog. When they walked past a retention pond her small dog was attacked by a ten foot long, 600-plus pound alligator. When she tried to fight off the alligator it grabbed her into the water where she died; the dog, though injured, survived. 

     The American alligator is one of the world's largest reptiles. Males can grow to 19 feet in length and weigh up to 900 pounds. Their bodies are covered with large horny plates which protect them from predators and other alligators. 

     They have short legs with five webbed toes on their front legs and four webbed toes on their back legs. Their eyes, ears and nostrils are located on top of their head so they can use them without being completely emerged in the water They have valves to close their ears and nostrils when submerged and they can stay under water for 45-60 minutes. Their tails are usually at least half their body length. 

     Alligators are found throughout the Southeast and wetlands, with their range stretching as far west as eastern Texas, and as far east as coastal North Carolina, but they are most abundant in Louisiana and Florida; both states have over a million of them. 

     Alligators are relatively timid compared to crocodiles and they have a natural fear of humans, so they will usually retreat when approached because they don't perceive humans as either a threat or as food. Even so, they are still dangerous!

     They will attack if they are unexpectedly disturbed, provoked, hungry or defending their young. They will also attack humans in the water because the splashing piques their interest. And, if it perceives that the person in the water is something smaller and weaker, as many humans will be compared to the alligator, it might attack. 

     According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission the safe distance to keep away from an alligator is at least 30 feet. Although they tire quickly, on land an alligator can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. How fast is that? Sprinter Usain Bolt, just after the midpoint of his world-record 100-meter dash in 2009, briefly hit a speed of 27-1/2 miles per hour. 

     They are slower in the water...they can swim at 20 miles per hour. Olympic champion Michael Phelps has done 4.71 miles per hour. 

     Just to be safe, never approach an alligator that is on land (or swim in water in which an alligator has been spotted). There is no documented evidence of alligators running after humans or any land animal to prey upon them and there is no basis to the advice that if you are being chased by an alligator that you should run in a zig-zag pattern. Experts say that if you do find yourself being chased by an alligator that you should run in a straight line away from the alligator and its habitat. 

     If you do find yourself in the jaws of an alligator poke it in the eyes and punch and kick it in the head. Also, you can induce its gag reflex by jamming anything in the back of its mouth and when it tries to reposition its prey (you) in its mouth you have a chance to escape. That's on land; in the water escape will be more difficult.

     I saw a reality television program where two men went swimming in a pond in which there were alligators. Believe it or not, they were aware that alligators were in there, but went for swim anyway. 

     An alligator latched onto one of the fellow's arm and pulled him to the bottom. Alligators perform a spinning maneuver known as a death roll to subdue and dismember prey. The spinning maneuver involves rapid rotation about the longitudinal axis of the body. 

     He knew he was a gonner and let the alligator do its death roll and rip off his arm at the shoulder, but somehow he had the presence of mind and strength to escape as the alligator ate his arm.

Hot Water/Cold Water Sounds

     Did you know that when it's poured boiling water sounds different than cold water?

     The viscosity (thickness) of the two is different and that changes the sound of the splash and the brain can distinguish the difference. Check it out HERE

Elevator Door Close Buttons

     You get into an empty elevator, no one else is in there, you jab the close door button, the doors close and the elevator starts moving. Guess what? The close door button on an elevator doesn’t do anything...the door closes the same as if you had just waited. 

     It's true! That’s because most of the door-close buttons in U.S. elevators don’t actually work because they’re programmed that way. Why? 

     When the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, certain requirements for elevators were outlined, such as the installation of raised buttons, braille signs, and audible signals. 

     The act ensured that people with disabilities would have enough time to get inside and it stipulated that elevator doors must remain open for at least three seconds and so the the door close button will not cut the time short. Many elevator manufacturers just deactivated the button entirely. 

     Here's a little known fact about elevators...their life span is about 25 years and the Act has been around longer, so most of the elevators in operation today do not have a functioning close door button. Only firefighters are able to close elevator doors manually through the use of a key. 

     There are exceptions to the rule. New York City elevators are required by law to have working close door buttons, but some operate on a delay that is so long that the button's use is pretty much meaningless. 

     It's not the case in England where the buttons in most elevators actually do work. Not all elevators in England have the button, but for those that do, the time it takes for the doors to shut after pressing the button varies. 

     The question is, why install a button that serves no purpose? The reason is that the buttons serve an important psychological function. As one Harvard psychologist stated, "Perceived control is very important...it diminishes stress and promotes well-being." Supposedly, believing that we are in control makes us feel better. 

     Here's another interesting fact...elevators are not the only place where "they" fool us. In similar fashion buttons on city crosswalk Walk, Don't Walk signs are often disabled and the thermostats in many office buildings don't actually change the temperature even if the numbers change. 

     In elevators it is a psychological effect at work when you push the close door button and it appears that it actually works...your brain is deceiving you. Pushing the button alleviates some of the subconscious anxiety that many people are not even aware of. 

     Some people experience anxiety stepping inside a small confined space that's hanging by cables that may lift them hundreds of feet into the air. Pushing the button gives them a false sense that they at least have a tiny bit of control.

Frost Quakes

 

     Today we woke up to drizzling rain in a 300 mile wide by 1,300 mile long system that arrived over night from down in Texas. Today's weather conditions will have us feeling more like spring than winter with potentially record-breaking high temperatures of near 65 degrees. But, it also comes with some strong winds with gusts predicted to be up to 60 mph...that's near hurricane strength (!) and that could produce damages and power outages. Just another typical crappy day where I live. 

     There is no danger of frost quakes, or ice quakes, today although a while back when we had zero degree temperatures and even below in some nearby locations they were a real possibility. 

     Technically known as cryoseisms, a frost quake is a seismic event caused by a sudden cracking action in frozen soil or rock saturated with water or ice or by stresses generated at frozen lakes. 

     As water drains into the ground, it may freeze and expand under colder temperatures, putting stress on its surroundings. This stress builds up until relieved explosively in the form of a frost quake. 

     There are numerous requirements for one to occur and so accurate predictions are not possible. Interestingly, their possibility may be a factor in structural design and engineering when constructing in an area historically known for such events. And, needless to say, Speculation has been made between global warming and their frequency. 

     Frost quakes occur when very cold air interacts with soil that is saturated after recent rain or snow has seeped into the ground. They are triggered by a rapid temperature drop in a short amount of time when the air is at or below freezing. The cold air suddenly freezes the water in the ground, causing expansion, which then causes stress and pressure to build up. The result causes soil and rocks to crack, which can make a booming sound and produce minor shaking. 

     They are most likely to happen in locations that are susceptible to cold air masses, like Canada and the northern states in the U.S. They have been reported in recent years in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee. 

     A 2016 study concluded that frost quakes could become more frequent because as winters continue to get warmer and the ground remains thawed for longer with a higher prevalence of unfrozen water in the soil. 

      Frost quakes are often mistaken for minor earthquakes because the initial indications may appear similar...tremors, vibrations, ground cracking and noises such as cracking, popping, thundering or booming sounds.  

 

     However, they can be distinguished from earthquakes through meteorological and geological conditions.

     Frost quakes can have an intensity of up to 6 (out 0f 10) on the Modified Mercalli Scale which means they are considered "strong" and felt by all and many people will be frightened. Some heavy furniture may be moved and there may be a few instances of fallen plaster, but damage is considered "slight." 

     Also, frost quakes often exhibit high intensity only in a very localized area in the immediate proximity of the epicenter as compared to the widespread effects of an earthquake. And, because they happen at the ground's surface they cause effects right at the site, often strong enough to jar people awake. 

     Some reports have included the presence of distant flashing lights before or during a frost quake; this is possibly because of electrical changes when rocks are compressed. Cracks and fissures may also appear as surface areas contract and split apart. Sometime superficial to moderate occurrences may range from cracks of a few inches to several miles long.

Disrespectful Politicians

Marjorie Taylor Greene

     In the US military enlisted men salute officers who are required to return the salute. I don't know about the other branches, but in the Navy and Marine Corps, with some exceptions, salutes are not rendered unless both members are in uniform and "covered", i.e. wearing a hat. The salute, therefore, is a sign of respect for the position, not the individual. 

     Some positions warrant respect even though the person occupying that position is a lout. One such position is President of the United States. 

     One of the crudest and most vulgar men to ever occupy the White House was, without a doubt, Lyndon Johnson. Nevertheless, no matter how despicable the man was, the office should be honored. Details on the man's uncouthness.

     During President Biden's State of the Union Address (which by the way is a legal requirement) a number of those present interrupted him thereby showing their disrespect for the country's highest office. 

     Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia showed what an uncouth, mannerless moron she is when about midway through his address she interrupted and tried to shut him down by yelling, “Liar!” 

     She wasn't the only one. When President Biden called for an end to the fentanyl crisis in the United States, another lawmaker yelled, “It’s your fault!” It's not clear how the smuggling of fentanyl into the US from Mexico, which has been happening for a long time, is the President's fault. 

     Another lawmaker yelled out "Bullshit!" and there were jeers, cat calls and mocking laughter.

     President Biden has low approval ratings, but even so, he is the President and it's disturbing that nobody seemed shocked at the behavior directed at him during his address to Congress. 

     Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is new to politics, is especially worthy of attention. She was stripped of her committee assignments by the House Democratic majority over racist remarks, her embrace of conspiracy theories and her past endorsement of violence against leading Democratic officials. 

     She previously worked for her family’s construction business in Georgia. She was praised by Donald Trump and she is one of his supporters. 

     In 2017, when a gunman opened fire from a hotel room window overlooking an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas, killing 58 people, Greene suggested that the shooting might have been staged! 

     In 2018, a poorly maintained electrical grid sparked a California wildfire that killed 84 people and Greene speculated that "darker forces" were at work. She suggested a bank controlled by the Jewish Rothschild family, the utility company that controlled the grid and then-Governor Jerry Brown had a motive to cause the fire. It would clear the path for a high speed rail project Brown wanted. 

     She also put forth the possibility that the fires could have been started by “lasers or blue beams of light” coming down from outer space by allies of Brown who were in the solar energy industry. 

     In 2019, Greene appeared in a video arguing that Representatives Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan weren’t “really official” members of Congress because they didn’t take the oath of office on the Bible because both women are Muslim. She also said, “They really should go back to the Middle East.”

    Of course, both Omar and Tlaib are hardly shining examples of patriotism and tolerance. Omar is an anti-Semite who was removed from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. 

     Talib is not a nice person either. She was one of the first female members of Democratic Socialists for America to serve in Congress and she has called for abolishing the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the police and the federal prison system, not to mention that she, too, is anti-Semitic. 

     Back to Greene: In May 2018, a Facebook user purporting to be the mother of a New York police officer claimed that her son had seen a video taken from the laptop of disgraced former Representative Anthony Weiner that showed Hillary Clinton and a top aide cutting off a child’s face. Greene “liked” post. 

      Greene once suggested in an online video that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi could be executed for treason. “She’s a traitor to our country, she’s guilty of treason.” She added, “And it’s, uh, it’s a crime punishable by death is what treason is. Nancy Pelosi is guilty of treason.” 

     She also “liked” a 2019 Facebook post that called for “a bullet to the head” of Pelosi. 

     In 2018, in a video in which she talked about the 9/11 terrorist attacks she referred to a “so-called” plane that crashed into the Pentagon killing 125 people. She added, “It’s odd, there’s never any evidence shown for a plane in the Pentagon.” 

     She “liked” another comment posted by on Facebook in 2018 that argued that 9/11 was “done by our own Government. Greene wrote, “That is all true.”