AKA

 Companies don't always get their brand name right on the first try,for instance Nike started out as Blue Ribbon Sports which was the name used in the US to sell Japanese brand Onitsuka Tiger (now named Asics) then in 1971 they decided to start making their own shoes. Before they agreed on a name they had the now famous swoosh design,Phil Knight wanted to use Dimension Six,other suggestions were Peregrine and Bengal but their only employee at the time mentioned he had read that successful brand names were often short and used exotic letters like Z,X or K and suggested Nike after the winged goddess of victory and the name stuck much to Knight's chagrin. The ironic part is the name Nike roughly means the same thing as the original name,Blue Ribbon Sports. 

Fall Addiction

 Are any of you part of the Pumpkin Spice Lattes/Treats crowd? There is an actual reason for your cravings that start as fall approaches. A psychologist revealed the causes for the pumpkin spice mania,any limited edition product will tempt people to indulge with the rational that if they don't they will miss out,then there is the social influence of everybody else doing it and not wanting to be different,lastly the nostalgic feel it induces causing a person to reflect back on the seasons which is also a mood booster. To sum up the findings,if it feels good do it! 

Best Friend Tats

 Finally an idea for tattoos that doesn't end in regret. A pet supply company,BarkBox, is offering $150 to 100 people willing to get a tattoo of their canine companions. Unlike many options for body art how could a person go wrong? It's not likely you will fall out of love with you dog and even though their lives are considerably shorter there will always be a tribute to them to give their owners comfort when needed. Plus for the bonus round BarkBox is going to give gift certificates to the winners who submit photos of their best friends and a brief explanation of why you want them forever on you bod,entries must be in by September 2.  

Drinking On the Job

 Who knew the benefits of working for some of the big tech companies include perks like free adult beverages? At Instagram's new building in New York City the surroundings are like an Instagram feed complete with all the backgrounds a person would like to feature in their selfies. With several snack bars and areas for relaxing it appears to have been designed more like a posh motel than an office,not to mention the free bar called the Thirsty Flamingo where employees can get their own beer,wine and alcohol. It all sounds a little unbelievable and it seems like the bar would be a liability issue but who am I to spoil the party? 

Cold Dog

 Imagine if you will being at a ball game or another event and instead of hearing hot dog,get your hot dog,you hear cold dog,get you ice cold cold dog. First it seems like people either like hot dogs or they don't though I'm okay with hot hot dogs I do not like cold hot dogs,the texture is wrong and any appeal they have when they are heated is lost. With that in mind I'm not sure what possessed Oscar Meyer to decide that making hot dog flavored ice cream and putting it on a stick would be a good idea,but again I'm only speaking from my personal preferences. Would you put mustard on a cold dog? I'm just not sure where they are going with this though you can rest assured I will not be test driving a cold dog anytime soon. 

Silly Love Songs

 The animal kingdom continues to offer up surprises even in recent times when things are growing more difficult for animals to survive. Researchers have recorded Blue Whales singing their complicated songs and a friend sent me a you-tube recording of crickets that sounded like angels singing,then I read about the Mexican/Brazilian Free Tail Bat's love songs. They are difficult for humans to hear but they have unique syllables they use to form phrases to attract females and warn other males away. They also studied baby bats and found them to babble much like human babies and repeat syllables until they get them right. Makes a person wonder what else we're missing in the world around us.  

Fun Thoughts

 Today's offering is some quotes by various people on various things,enjoy.

"People who  think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do." Isaac Asimov 

"Those who can laugh without cause have either found the true meaning of happiness or have gone stark raving mad." Norm Papernick 

"Sometimes I lie awake at night,and I ask,'Where have I gone wrong?' Then a voice says to me,'This is going to take more than one night'." Charles Schultz 

"Santa Claus has the right idea-visit people only once a year." Victor Borge 

"Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was 'shut up'." Joe Namath 

 

Cleaning Up

 I don't remember last time I posted shower thoughts so it must be time! 

Watching a graduation is like sitting through a movie that is entirely end credits. 

The object of golf is to play the least amount of golf. 

The Olympics is the only time you hear 'Great execution by North Korea'and it seems okay. 

There should be a reality show where flat earthers have to find the edge of the world. 

If humans could fly we would consider it exercise and never do it. 

Holiday Hoax

 Does anyone ever wonder how some of the weird holidays I include at the first of every month got started? The bottom line is anyone can start a holiday though even the well informed don't always know how that works. Today is National Cuban Sandwich Day (among other holidays for this day),it was started as a hoax by a Florida reporter in 2016 who was fascinated by the food holidays and wanted to see if he could create one. He sent out a fake press release to food writers and restaurants plus he created a Facebook page for National Cuban Sandwich Day. The news spread quickly but his editor stepped in and told him to make a statement that he had made the holiday up which he did,but it was already too late,the National Cuban Sandwich Day had been born! 

Florida Goes South

 Not to worry,Florida is still in the same place it just loaned some quirkiness to Australia. Students in different areas of Australia are identifying as various animals. The schools are allowing the behavior as long as it doesn't disrupt classes. An extremely gifted girl began acting like a cat and being non-verbal the school says students were exhibiting a range of mental health issues from anxiety to identity misplacement. At another Australian school four students were identifying as either foxes or cats,walking on all fours and cutting holes in their uniforms to allow for their tales.  The schools remain supportive of all students but they suspect the changes came from an online group,Furry Fandom.  

Monuments

 Today Iran doesn't bring to mind the many historical landmarks found there though most people are aware it is a trouble spot in the middle east and some folks even know it was formerly known as Persia. What Iran doesn't want people to know about their country is their unusual necropolis,Khalid Nabi with its tombs shaped like male and female genitalia. Little is known about the site largely because it remains a national embarrassment so scholars are not encouraged to explore the origin of the cemetery. This 'pretend it doesn't exist' attitude has led to a lot of vandalizing leaving only around 200 of the 600 original markers.