- July 1st : Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day
- July 2nd : World UFO Day
- July 3rd : Compliment Your Mirror Day
- July 4th : National Country Music Day
- July 5th : Work-a-holics Day
- July 6th : National Fried Chicken Day
- July 7th : Chocolate Day
- July 8th : Video Games Day
- July 9th : National Sugar Cookie Day
- July 10th : Teddy Bear Picnic Day
- July 11th : Cheer up the Lonely Day
- July 12th : Different Colored Eyes Day
- July 13th : Fool's Paradise Day
- July 14th : National Nude Day
- July 15th : Tapioca Pudding Day
- July 16th : Cow Appreciation Day
- July 17th : Yellow Pig Day
- July 18th : National Caviar Day
- July 19th : National Raspberry Cake Day
- July 20th : Ugly Truck Day
- July 21st : National Junk Food Day
- July 22nd : Ratcatcher's Day
- July 23rd : National Hot Dog Day
- July 24th : Cousins Day
- July 25th : Threading the Needle Day
- July 26th : All or Nothing Day
- July 27th : Take Your Pants for a Walk Day
- July 28th : National Milk Chocolate Day
- July 29th : National Lasagna Day
- July 30th : Father-in Law Day
- July 31st : Mutt's Day
Saturday, June 29, 2013
The Month of July
The month of July is a National Observances :
Earthweek: A Diary of the Planet (June 21, 2013)
Global Growth
The world's population is likely to increase from 7.2 billion people to 8.1 billion by 2025, and to 9.6 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations. The new projections are a little higher than the U.N.'s last population estimate from 2011. While the statistician who authored the report says more needs to be done to address imbalances in populationgrowth between poorer and wealthier countries, the new upward estimatesshould not be cause for panic. John Wilmoth says the world was able to more than double its food production as the population doubled between 1960 and 2000. But others say that supplies of energy and other natural resources may not be able to keep up with the demands of a growing global population.
Asian Haze
Agricultural burning in Sumatra has sent the worst clouds of smoke in 16 years blowing into nearby Singapore and Mataysia. Skyscrapers were shrouded in haze as Singapore pedestrians were forced to endure the acrid smell of burning vegetation from hundreds of miles away. Health officials urged residents to remain indoors as air quality levels reached unprecedented levels on June 20. Singapore's National Environment Agency said it had alerted Indonesian authorities to do something about the fires that were polluting the region's air. But the Indonesian foresty ministry said firefighters were already tackling the blazes and water-dropping aircraft would be deployed onlyif local governors asked for it. So far, they have failed to do so. Massive burning occurs each year at this time as farmers clear land or plantation owners fell forests for illicit expansion. Regulations prohibiting burning are seldom enforced.
Unintended Fatalities
New research has found that the widespread use of common pesticides can kill up to 42 percent of invertebrates in a region, which make up about 95 percent of all animal species. A team of German and Australian researchers studied the impact of the chemicals on the biodiversity in flowing waters in Germany, France and the Australian state of Victoria. The study examined the effects of insecticides and fungicides that have been deemed "safe" for widespread use. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists warn that some of the insects being killed, like mayflies, caddisflies and dragonflies, are important food sources for other animals. This means their losses affect animals up the food chain to birds and fish. Companies that manufacture the pesticides are required to prove that they break down quickly and have only limited effects on the ecosystem. But researchers point out that those tests are mostly conducted in laboratory conditions that don't always accurately reflect what happens in the wild.
Earthquakes
More than 500 homes were damaged by the strongest quake to strike Russia's Kemerovo region in 100 years. Geologists said he quake was triggered by coal-mining activity.
* Earth movements were also felt in Crete, the northern Philippines, central Peru, western Guatemala, central Mexico and near Oklahoma City.
Tropical Cyclone
Tropical Storm Leepi became the second such storm in a week's time to drench Japan.
* Tropical Storm Barry came ashore along Mexico's Gulf Coast.
Alaskan Trio
A third Alaskan volcano has shown signs of unrest, causing scientists to raise the alert level southwest of Anchorage. The Alaska Earthquake Observatory said it had detected an increase in surface temperatures and tremors around Veniaminof volcano, on the Alaska Peninsula. The volcano has erupted about a dozentimes over the past 200 years, with the most significant activity occurring between 1993 and 1995. In 2008, it spit out several minor bursts of ash. The latest activity comes just over a month after nearby Pavlof volcano awakened, joining Mount Cleveland volcano in spewing ash.
Exit Experts
Crowds of people rushing from an emergency situation can often look like ants scattering during a crisis. And those insects are helping researchers from Australia's Monash University design buildings that can be evacuated quickly. Therre is little available data on the best places to put exits and obstructions, like support columns, when designing office buildings, transport hubs or sports arenas. And researchers say t would be impractical and even unethical to fake an emergency to test how people would react in a forced evacuation. So Monash researchers Majid Sarvi and colleagues used a citronella insect repellant to make Argentine ants flee from structures that had different exits and obstructions. They found ants were able to evacuate most effectively from exits located in corners of buildings rather in the middle of hallways. That's where they tended to jam up and become confused.
The world's population is likely to increase from 7.2 billion people to 8.1 billion by 2025, and to 9.6 billion by 2050, according to the United Nations. The new projections are a little higher than the U.N.'s last population estimate from 2011. While the statistician who authored the report says more needs to be done to address imbalances in populationgrowth between poorer and wealthier countries, the new upward estimatesshould not be cause for panic. John Wilmoth says the world was able to more than double its food production as the population doubled between 1960 and 2000. But others say that supplies of energy and other natural resources may not be able to keep up with the demands of a growing global population.
Asian Haze
Agricultural burning in Sumatra has sent the worst clouds of smoke in 16 years blowing into nearby Singapore and Mataysia. Skyscrapers were shrouded in haze as Singapore pedestrians were forced to endure the acrid smell of burning vegetation from hundreds of miles away. Health officials urged residents to remain indoors as air quality levels reached unprecedented levels on June 20. Singapore's National Environment Agency said it had alerted Indonesian authorities to do something about the fires that were polluting the region's air. But the Indonesian foresty ministry said firefighters were already tackling the blazes and water-dropping aircraft would be deployed onlyif local governors asked for it. So far, they have failed to do so. Massive burning occurs each year at this time as farmers clear land or plantation owners fell forests for illicit expansion. Regulations prohibiting burning are seldom enforced.
Unintended Fatalities
New research has found that the widespread use of common pesticides can kill up to 42 percent of invertebrates in a region, which make up about 95 percent of all animal species. A team of German and Australian researchers studied the impact of the chemicals on the biodiversity in flowing waters in Germany, France and the Australian state of Victoria. The study examined the effects of insecticides and fungicides that have been deemed "safe" for widespread use. Writing in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists warn that some of the insects being killed, like mayflies, caddisflies and dragonflies, are important food sources for other animals. This means their losses affect animals up the food chain to birds and fish. Companies that manufacture the pesticides are required to prove that they break down quickly and have only limited effects on the ecosystem. But researchers point out that those tests are mostly conducted in laboratory conditions that don't always accurately reflect what happens in the wild.
Earthquakes
More than 500 homes were damaged by the strongest quake to strike Russia's Kemerovo region in 100 years. Geologists said he quake was triggered by coal-mining activity.
* Earth movements were also felt in Crete, the northern Philippines, central Peru, western Guatemala, central Mexico and near Oklahoma City.
Tropical Cyclone
Tropical Storm Leepi became the second such storm in a week's time to drench Japan.
* Tropical Storm Barry came ashore along Mexico's Gulf Coast.
Alaskan Trio
A third Alaskan volcano has shown signs of unrest, causing scientists to raise the alert level southwest of Anchorage. The Alaska Earthquake Observatory said it had detected an increase in surface temperatures and tremors around Veniaminof volcano, on the Alaska Peninsula. The volcano has erupted about a dozentimes over the past 200 years, with the most significant activity occurring between 1993 and 1995. In 2008, it spit out several minor bursts of ash. The latest activity comes just over a month after nearby Pavlof volcano awakened, joining Mount Cleveland volcano in spewing ash.
Exit Experts
Crowds of people rushing from an emergency situation can often look like ants scattering during a crisis. And those insects are helping researchers from Australia's Monash University design buildings that can be evacuated quickly. Therre is little available data on the best places to put exits and obstructions, like support columns, when designing office buildings, transport hubs or sports arenas. And researchers say t would be impractical and even unethical to fake an emergency to test how people would react in a forced evacuation. So Monash researchers Majid Sarvi and colleagues used a citronella insect repellant to make Argentine ants flee from structures that had different exits and obstructions. They found ants were able to evacuate most effectively from exits located in corners of buildings rather in the middle of hallways. That's where they tended to jam up and become confused.
Protect yourself from online scammers
By Bucks County Consumer Protection
Q. I have heard on many occasions of people being scammed through email and the Internet. I can never imagine being scammed. I'm fairly Internet savvy and my computer and email account have settings to weed out potentially harmful messages. How do people fall for these scams? Why don't they protect themselves better?
A. So you're completely safe then, right? Think again. Scammers are getting smarter, too. Here are 10 things you should be alert for when going through your email inbox. Keeping your guard up now will prevent you from worrying later.
Adults Task Force at 1-800-490-8505.
Q. I have heard on many occasions of people being scammed through email and the Internet. I can never imagine being scammed. I'm fairly Internet savvy and my computer and email account have settings to weed out potentially harmful messages. How do people fall for these scams? Why don't they protect themselves better?
A. So you're completely safe then, right? Think again. Scammers are getting smarter, too. Here are 10 things you should be alert for when going through your email inbox. Keeping your guard up now will prevent you from worrying later.
- Emails that contain a link as the only content in the body, bit.ly or shortened links that don't display the actual Web address and hyperlinked text that give you no indication of what you would be clicking. When in doubt, don't click.
- An inordinate number of other recipients. If you get an email with hundreds of other addresses in the recipient field, yet the message seems directed to only one person, your scam sense should be on high alert.
- Questionable subject line. If you receive an email from an address you do not recognize and it contains "no subject," be careful. If you have no idea what you may be opening, it's best to leave it alone.
- Intense enthusiasm. All capital letters is not only annoying, it can also indicate spam when it comes to emails. (e.g. I JUST LOST 45 POUNDS WITH THE XX2 PROGRAM!) Overly enthusiastic emails are a sure sign that the information is not what it seems.
- Grammar and spelling. You don't have to be an English major to notice odd mistakes in scam emails. Look out for major typos and scammers that purposely misspell things to avoid your spam filter.
- Strange requests. If someone is emailing you for medical assistance, it's just not legit.
- Urgency. Typically, people don't use email to notify others in the case of an emergency, when they need "money wired now." If you get an email claiming the situation is a matter of life or death, rest assured that the sender would not be targeting you, a stranger, in the first place.
- Sensitive information. More often than you may expect, people send personal, secure information to scammers. Scammers operate by asking for personal information (credit card numbers, passwords, etc.) and can disquise emails to look official. Companies, schools, banks and other institutions will not ask you to submit sensitive information in an email.
- Name-sender disagreement. Scam email addresses often have different names to dupe the recipient. Check the address before assuming that something is legitimate. For instance, an email from Match.com would not have the address of contact@yourbest-friend.com.
- Guarantees. Please remember that nothing on the Internet is guaranteed. Follow your instincts and pay attention to the sender address, the subject line and promises that are too good to be true.
Adults Task Force at 1-800-490-8505.
F. Y. I.
Try It
No piece of paper can be folded more than seven times.
Famous Firsts
On March 4, 1974, Mia Farrow appeared on the cover of the first People magazine.
Distance Runner
A coyote can cover 400 miles in a single journey.
State Stats
Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows papayas commerically.
Quotable
by Joyce Carol Oates, novelist
"I have read on a kindle we had only worked for about eight months then it stopped working. You don't have to get books repaired."
Still on the Books
In Sterling, Colo., cats may not run loose without having been fitted with a taillight.
No piece of paper can be folded more than seven times.
Famous Firsts
On March 4, 1974, Mia Farrow appeared on the cover of the first People magazine.
Distance Runner
A coyote can cover 400 miles in a single journey.
State Stats
Hawaii is the only U.S. state that grows papayas commerically.
Quotable
by Joyce Carol Oates, novelist
"I have read on a kindle we had only worked for about eight months then it stopped working. You don't have to get books repaired."
Still on the Books
In Sterling, Colo., cats may not run loose without having been fitted with a taillight.
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Advice from someone clueless at giving advice
by Erin Farrell
Central Bucks East High School
In the wake of some typically angsty teenage conflict I recently had the singular pleasure to observe and partake in, I reached the epiphany that I, Erin Elizabeth Farrell, am officially the Queen of Not Knowing What to Say.
Yes, dear reader, it was a hard-earned title toward which I have been striving for a strenuous lifetime of 16-and-a-half years, but as I watched my friends wrinkle their eyebrows at my poorly timed advice or laugh at myuncomfortably not comforting words, I realize I have finally fully reached the esteemed label.
Do not envy me, however, for it is a title earned with many trials and tribulations.
All hilarity aside, I seriously stink at giving advice.
Why? I think it is because I am brutally honest, to a fault at times. Or maybe I'm just bad at taking social cues. Either way, this is why, when faced with situations brimming with adolescent depravity, I always give an answer that is not easy to hear.
How on Earth are you supposed to give advice as a teenager? We don't even understand ourselves, let alone others and their utterly perplexing drama.
Some of my friends have been graced with the poise and cunning of a diplomat, able to dole out useful advice at the drop of a hat.
Me on the other hand? I literally have no freaking clue what to say.
So I decided to give a few pointers on how to feign giving good advice when you are, like me, completely inept at comforting friends you don't quite understand but love as wholly as humanly possible.
Nod frequently
Seriously, nodding is the most underrated form of body language in the human repertoire. Even if you have unfortunately zoned out during the tirade of ceaselessly incomprehensible teen turmoil, just nod. It will get you so far.
Use a lot of eye contact
If their words befuddle you and fail to betray their true emotions, just look at their eyes. As of late, I have developed a meticulously evolved hypothesis that the way person looks at you will consistently say far more than their words ever will. Also, the way they look at you upon immediately seeing you shows how they really feel about you. If at first they grimace and then pretend to smile, I thinkyou know the truth, as hard as it is to hear (or, I guess see).
Utilize vague maxims
Always have countless adages on hand about growing up and moving on. Even if they are not even slightly applicable to the situation, there is some inexplicable form of comfort in sayings that have little to no meaning but remind us of hand-stitched throw pillows in our grandparents' living rooms.
Try to listen
OK, here's where we get to the real stuff. Yeah, maybe as the story progresses, you have already forgotten who broke up with whom, who cheated on whom, who wasn't invited, etc. But at least try to keep track of the story. Ask questions. The more you get to know someone and the harder you try to understand them, I guarantee the better you'll get at aomewhat, kind-of, a-little-bit knowing what to say.
Practice
I MEAN THIS ONE! The more you observe others giving advice and learn what things do not work (ahem, case in point, never actually say how your friends look in dresses or you will quickly regret it), the better you will be at learning what to say in your friend's time of need.
Overall, dear reader, learn as I have that saying the right thing at the right time may not be your skill. So that's my advice for you.
And a hug goes a long way! But definitely not a pat on the shoulder.........seriosly, the one time I tried to do this to a friend made the situation so much worse.
I can't even express the mortification that ensued following the horrifically parental gesture. (DON'T test it..........you'll just have to trust me on this one.)
Central Bucks East High School
In the wake of some typically angsty teenage conflict I recently had the singular pleasure to observe and partake in, I reached the epiphany that I, Erin Elizabeth Farrell, am officially the Queen of Not Knowing What to Say.
Yes, dear reader, it was a hard-earned title toward which I have been striving for a strenuous lifetime of 16-and-a-half years, but as I watched my friends wrinkle their eyebrows at my poorly timed advice or laugh at myuncomfortably not comforting words, I realize I have finally fully reached the esteemed label.
Do not envy me, however, for it is a title earned with many trials and tribulations.
All hilarity aside, I seriously stink at giving advice.
Why? I think it is because I am brutally honest, to a fault at times. Or maybe I'm just bad at taking social cues. Either way, this is why, when faced with situations brimming with adolescent depravity, I always give an answer that is not easy to hear.
How on Earth are you supposed to give advice as a teenager? We don't even understand ourselves, let alone others and their utterly perplexing drama.
Some of my friends have been graced with the poise and cunning of a diplomat, able to dole out useful advice at the drop of a hat.
Me on the other hand? I literally have no freaking clue what to say.
So I decided to give a few pointers on how to feign giving good advice when you are, like me, completely inept at comforting friends you don't quite understand but love as wholly as humanly possible.
Nod frequently
Seriously, nodding is the most underrated form of body language in the human repertoire. Even if you have unfortunately zoned out during the tirade of ceaselessly incomprehensible teen turmoil, just nod. It will get you so far.
Use a lot of eye contact
If their words befuddle you and fail to betray their true emotions, just look at their eyes. As of late, I have developed a meticulously evolved hypothesis that the way person looks at you will consistently say far more than their words ever will. Also, the way they look at you upon immediately seeing you shows how they really feel about you. If at first they grimace and then pretend to smile, I thinkyou know the truth, as hard as it is to hear (or, I guess see).
Utilize vague maxims
Always have countless adages on hand about growing up and moving on. Even if they are not even slightly applicable to the situation, there is some inexplicable form of comfort in sayings that have little to no meaning but remind us of hand-stitched throw pillows in our grandparents' living rooms.
Try to listen
OK, here's where we get to the real stuff. Yeah, maybe as the story progresses, you have already forgotten who broke up with whom, who cheated on whom, who wasn't invited, etc. But at least try to keep track of the story. Ask questions. The more you get to know someone and the harder you try to understand them, I guarantee the better you'll get at aomewhat, kind-of, a-little-bit knowing what to say.
Practice
I MEAN THIS ONE! The more you observe others giving advice and learn what things do not work (ahem, case in point, never actually say how your friends look in dresses or you will quickly regret it), the better you will be at learning what to say in your friend's time of need.
Overall, dear reader, learn as I have that saying the right thing at the right time may not be your skill. So that's my advice for you.
And a hug goes a long way! But definitely not a pat on the shoulder.........seriosly, the one time I tried to do this to a friend made the situation so much worse.
I can't even express the mortification that ensued following the horrifically parental gesture. (DON'T test it..........you'll just have to trust me on this one.)
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Betty Ross and the first flag ------- America's greatest myth?
Throughout my youth in the 1930s and early '40s, children would often sing a little patriotic song we had learned in school.
Commonly referred to as "Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue" and sung to the tune of "Oh, Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," it supposedly told the story of how the first American flag was created for Gen. George Washington by a 24-year-old Philadelphia seamstress named Betsy Ross.
While it's been many years since I've heard it sung, it apparently made a major impression on me as I still remember its words.
Betsy Ross lived on Arch Street near Second,
Her sewing was very, very fine.
General Washington came down to see her,
To order a brand new flag.
Six white stripes and seven pretty red ones.
Thirteen white stars upon a field of blue;
Twas the first flag our country ever floated,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.
Today, that house in downtown Philadelphia described in the song as being on Arch Street near Second is known as the Betsy Ross House.
After Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, it's the third-most -popular stop for tourists in the historic section of the city, with hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking to it every year. Its official website states : "The Betsy Ross House, the birthplace of the American flag."
And that house isn't the only memorial to Ross.
On Jan. 1, 1952, the U.S. Post Office issued a stamp to honor the 200th anniversary of Ross' birth. It shows her presenting the new American flag to Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross.
In 1976, the Betsy Ross Bridge was opened connecting the city of Philadelphia with Pennsauken, N.J. It's one of only two major bridges in the U.S. named for a woman.
But is the story of Betsy Ross and her creation of the first American flag historical fact?
Many historians don't think so. Some of them seem to put it in the same category as the legend of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree.
Betsy Ross was born in Philadelphia on Jan. 1, 1752, the eight of 17 children of Samuel Griscom and Rebecc James Griscom.
Raised in a home dominated by the plain dress and strict discipline of the Society of Friends (Quakers), she was apprenticed to a local upholsterer where, at age 21, she met, fell in love with and eloped with fellow apprentice John Ross.
Two years after their marriage, and shortlyafter the outbreak of war, he joined a local militia and was reportedly killed by a munitions explosion.
While it's well documented that Betsy would outlive two more husbands, the tale of her creating the first flag didn't even surface until nearly a full century after the supposed event and almost 40 years after her death in 1836.
It came to the forefront as Philadelphians were making plans for the 1876 Centennial Exposition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
A couple of years earlier, Ross' grandson, William J. Canby, had presented a paper to the Pennsylvania Historical Society. In it, he claimed his grandmother had been visited by Gen. George Washington in the spring of 1776 and, at Washington's request, she had sewn together the first American flag.
Commonly referred to as "Three Cheers for the Red, White, and Blue" and sung to the tune of "Oh, Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean," it supposedly told the story of how the first American flag was created for Gen. George Washington by a 24-year-old Philadelphia seamstress named Betsy Ross.
While it's been many years since I've heard it sung, it apparently made a major impression on me as I still remember its words.
Betsy Ross lived on Arch Street near Second,
Her sewing was very, very fine.
General Washington came down to see her,
To order a brand new flag.
Six white stripes and seven pretty red ones.
Thirteen white stars upon a field of blue;
Twas the first flag our country ever floated,
Three cheers for the red, white and blue.
Today, that house in downtown Philadelphia described in the song as being on Arch Street near Second is known as the Betsy Ross House.
After Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, it's the third-most -popular stop for tourists in the historic section of the city, with hundreds of thousands of visitors flocking to it every year. Its official website states : "The Betsy Ross House, the birthplace of the American flag."
And that house isn't the only memorial to Ross.
On Jan. 1, 1952, the U.S. Post Office issued a stamp to honor the 200th anniversary of Ross' birth. It shows her presenting the new American flag to Washington, Robert Morris and George Ross.
In 1976, the Betsy Ross Bridge was opened connecting the city of Philadelphia with Pennsauken, N.J. It's one of only two major bridges in the U.S. named for a woman.
But is the story of Betsy Ross and her creation of the first American flag historical fact?
Many historians don't think so. Some of them seem to put it in the same category as the legend of George Washington chopping down the cherry tree.
Betsy Ross was born in Philadelphia on Jan. 1, 1752, the eight of 17 children of Samuel Griscom and Rebecc James Griscom.
Raised in a home dominated by the plain dress and strict discipline of the Society of Friends (Quakers), she was apprenticed to a local upholsterer where, at age 21, she met, fell in love with and eloped with fellow apprentice John Ross.
Two years after their marriage, and shortlyafter the outbreak of war, he joined a local militia and was reportedly killed by a munitions explosion.
While it's well documented that Betsy would outlive two more husbands, the tale of her creating the first flag didn't even surface until nearly a full century after the supposed event and almost 40 years after her death in 1836.
It came to the forefront as Philadelphians were making plans for the 1876 Centennial Exposition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
A couple of years earlier, Ross' grandson, William J. Canby, had presented a paper to the Pennsylvania Historical Society. In it, he claimed his grandmother had been visited by Gen. George Washington in the spring of 1776 and, at Washington's request, she had sewn together the first American flag.
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