on the lunar new year, 2024 – the year of the dragon
—
may the new year shower you with luck and love
and
may it be as bright as all the lanterns that light up the sky.
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art credit: etsy.com
Feb9
Monthly Archives: February 2024
Feb8
hungry.
“the war against hunger is truly mankind’s war of liberation.”
-john f. kennedy
Feb7
read aloud.
*celebrating world read aloud day
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“we have an obligation to read aloud to our children. to read them things they enjoy. to read to them stories we are already tired of. to do the voices, to make it interesting, and not to stop reading to them just because they learn to read to themselves. use reading-aloud time as bonding time, as time when no phones are being checked, when the distractions of the world are put aside.”
-neil gaiman, english author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre, and screenplays
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*World Read Aloud Day is celebrated on the first Wednesday in February. This is a day dedicated not just to reading, but to the art and practice of reading aloud. Stories were passed down from generation to generation even before writing was invented. Oral forms of storytelling were the earliest way of preserving human knowledge, insight, and creativity. This day helps us bring this tradition back to reading while promoting literacy.
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art credit: ‘gnome’ by rien poortvliet, illustrator
Feb6
anything can happen.
The marathon at the 1904 St. Louis Games is one of the most unusual events in Olympic history, in no small part because it was initially won by an athlete who rode in a car for most of the race. It was American Fred Lorz, who led the field of 32 runners right out of the gate. At the 9-mile mark, however, Lorz began suffering from terrible cramping, as the combination of sweltering heat and dirt being kicked up from the unpaved route made it difficult to breathe. It was then that Lorz opted to hitch a ride with a passing vehicle, which he rode in for 11 miles before hopping out to complete the race on foot in just under three hours
Just as President Theodore Roosevelt’s daughter Alice was set to award Lorz his medal, a spectator accused him of cheating. Lorz admitted to riding in a car, claimed it was just a joke, and stated that he didn’t actually plan to accept the trophy.
With Lorz disqualified, American Thomas Hicks emerged as the new winner, though he too ran an unconventional race. At various points throughout the marathon, Hicks was helped by his trainers, who fed the athlete a combination of poisonous strychnine, egg whites, and brandy in hopes of stimulating his body. The result was that Hicks began to hallucinate around the 20-mile mark, and he was eventually carried over the finish line by trainers with a time of 3:28:53 — still taking home the gold.
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“at every olympic games, anything can happen that nobody can predict, so i did my best to win.”
*-lin dan
*lin dan is a chinese former professional badminton player. he is a two-time olympic champion, five-time world champion, as well as a six-time all england champion, and considered to the world’s greatest badminton player.
where and when will the next olympics be held?
Paris, France, from 26 July to 11 August 2024.
Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, from 6 to 22 February 2026.
Los Angeles, USA, from 14 to 30 July 2028.
Brisbane, Australia, in 2032.
i can’t wait for all the crazy backstories, anything can happen.
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source credit: history facts, art and culture
Feb5
so, sue me.
looks like blue cross finally settled their class action lawsuit
for $14 billion, 991 million dollars, and some change
when reading through my letter of settlement
i see they used class action lawsuit math to arrive at my payment
my $3 thousand and some dollars spent on what they considered ‘relevant purchases’
(plus all of my dollars spent with them that were considered ‘irrelevant’ )
are worth an award of exactly 5 cents.
which they noted, ‘of course is less than $10 dollars’
will be donated to free clinics of michigan (a good cause)
so perhaps the donation on my behalf
will help to purchase exactly 1/2 of 1 bandaid for someone.
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“i alone, could never have produced this book. i say this mainly in case there are lawsuits.”
-dave barry
Feb4
the scream workout.
this is not me, but it demonstrates both my love of movie popcorn
and a very mild version of my reaction when watching a scary movie.
Watching a scary movie can burn as many calories as exercise. We’re all familiar with the feelings that come with watching a fright flick — the sense of dread that engulfs us as a character enters a foreboding place, ominous music building, etc. According to a 2012 study commissioned by the video subscription service Lovefilm, these heart-pounding moments can do more than cause a good scare, however. Of the 10 movies tested, half caused participants to burn at least 133 calories, more than the amount used up by a 140-pound adult on a brisk 30-minute walk.
Granted, this limited study was hardly robust enough to earn a write-up in a peer-reviewed journal. Yet the science behind the results is essentially valid, thanks to human hard-wiring that traces to when our primitive ancestors had good reason to fear the monsters lurking in the night. When exposed to a harrowing situation, our sympathetic nervous system triggers the “flight or fight” response, which sends adrenaline into the bloodstream, diverts blood and oxygen to muscles, and kicks heart activity into a higher gear. Add in the outwardly physical reactions often prompted by the scariest scenes, such as jumping back in your seat or instinctively reaching for a companion, and it’s easy to see how sitting through The Shining (184 calories) or Jaws (161 calories) delivers results akin to sweating through a workout. (or my own natural startle response style, with me shrieking my lungs out, reflex-hitting the person next to me, throwing whatever i’m holding into the air, and hiding my entire face /body under anything i can find, which has to burn at least a good 900+ calories)
There are other benefits to putting ourselves through this sort of simulated danger, including the release of endorphins and dopamine, which allows us to feel relaxed and fulfilled after “surviving” the events witnessed on screen. Of course, not everyone is a fan of the frightening imagery in The Exorcist (158 calories) or Alien (152 calories), and researchers caution that stress can outweigh the gains for people who are genuinely repulsed by these movies. If health is your goal and the sight of blood makes you queasy, you’re better off rising from the couch and getting your legs moving instead of watching someone else flee the clutches of a zombie.
while i do love movies and i was hopeful that this
would finally be an exercise routine that i could really get behind,
i’m doubtful this one will work for me
as i can’t survive a regular regimen of terrifying movies,
or even one.
—
“based on how i react when toast pops out of the toaster,
i will never look cool walking away from an explosion.”
-word porn
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source credit: interestingfacts
Feb3
learned.
“i have learned that to be with those i like is enough.”
-walt whitman
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art credit: olga soldo
Feb2
accuracy, schmaccuracy.
it’s ground hog day once again, and poor phil. the famous groundhog
will get pulled out of a deep winter’s sleep.
many will gather to see what phil will predict.
will spring be just around the corner, or delayed for another few weeks?
how accurate are his predications, really?
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At Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, weather-predicting groundhog Phil may see his shadow, which means he’ll call for six more weeks of winter-like conditions. Don’t get too bummed, though—Phil’s recent track record isn’t that great on the national level.
The tradition started in 1887, and since then, the groundhog chosen to represent Phil has seen his shadow 101 times.
The National Climatic Data Center tallied Phil’s predictions since 1988. They then compared the average national temperatures in February and March for each year with those months’ 20th century averages to see how well Phil performed. It’s important to keep in mind the difference between weather and climate here. It is also important to remember that this is a magical groundhog we’re talking about.
Phil has predicted 100% correctly in only five of the 26 years the National Climatic Data Center analyzed. Other than once, he only nailed the years in which he forecasted an early spring. Considering the contiguous United States just experienced its 2oth+ consecutive year with an above-average annual temperature, Phil may be wise to play the numbers and always predict an early spring.
Then again, perhaps we expect too much from a marmot with no access to nationwide climate data.
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“well, the way we perceive accuracy and what accuracy is statistically
are really two different things.”
-nate silver
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source credit: nick greene, mental floss
Feb1
best way.
“the best way to get along with people is not to expect them to be like you.”
-joyce meyer
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art credit- L Józef Wilkoń – Leopanter
I didn't have my glasses on.... 