What's In a Name?

For the most part the meanings of names don't usually mean much unless the name bearer subscribes to the meaning and creates their own destiny by applying that meaning to their life,but for the sake of argument what about animal names? Do they reflect their meaning by the way their name is used? An interesting (but sad) case to ponder is a sea turtle named Omsin (the name means "piggy bank") who lived in a wishing pond in Thailand where people would throw coins in for good luck. The 25 year old turtle started showing signs of ill health and when given a CT scan it revealed a giant mass of coins in her abdomen. More than a dozen surgeons worked on Omsin for 7 hours to remove 915 coins weighing 11 pounds. Omsin is on the mend now and will be relocated to a conservation center in a few weeks and hopefully there won't be a replacement for her in her former pond.

Pretty In Pink?

From what I've been reading about the Easter issue Peeps Oreos anyone who is interested in ingesting the disgusting concoction should at least like the color pink. Personally I don't care for Oreos regardless of flavors added,the cookie part is dry and the filling is overly sweet,but that apparently is just me as Oreos are America's favorite cookie. The seasonal Peeps cookie contain red #3 dye which gives them their bright pink color but it also leaves a persons tongue pink and one person who tried to brush their teeth to get rid of the pink was surprised to find the coloring dyed their toothbrush,but wait there's more! It also makes pink poop,how pink you wonder? Pink enough that it has been known to stain a few toilet bowls. The Oreo people in response to these claims stated that they had no problem if only a few cookies were consumed. Is it just me or is that an extremely unlikely thing for a company to say if they want people to gorge on their product?

It Gets Worse

No sooner than the ink was dry on yesterday's post when lo and behold another electronic device "pops up".  This one should be filed under just because you can make something doesn't mean you should. I am talking about the i.Con condom ring that is due out in 2017. It gathers pertinent facts from the wearer when they are engaged in sexual intercourse then offers a report card of sorts which can be shared if the wearer wants the information made public. It measures speed,average thrust velocity,duration,skin temperature,girth,calories burned,frequency of sessions and lastly the only thing that really makes any sense,is it can supposedly detect sexually transmitted diseases. It will sell for $75,has a one year warranty and lasts up to eight hours on a one hour charge. I'm tempted to say what will they think of next but I'm unwilling to tempt karma.

Cheesy Shoes

Half of the time I can't help but wonder "does the world really need this gadget?" Seriously some of the ideas are nothing short of absurd,for instance the "Pie Top" sneakers that connect your order to the nearest Pizza Hut with the press of a button located on the tongue of the shoe. I understand that the 69 pairs were made as an advertising gimmick for March Madness (basketball) what I don't understand is why? Anyone who wants a pizza can simply call on a cell phone and if you are a regular customer at any of the chain pizza stores it is likely you could even have an app for that purpose so why make shoes that not only will probably never be worn because of their collectible potential but are also a waste of materials that could be used to make footwear for the less fortunate,and don't even get me started on the wasted fossil fuels used in their manufacturing.

Speed Trap?

I'm having a little trouble figuring this one out as it seems like topless women would increase traffic accidents if they were placed along highways holding speed limit signs but apparently it is working quite the opposite in  areas in Russia known to have higher than average rate of accidents due to speeding (over 30,000 per year). Male drivers make up the largest portion of the speeders and have slowed considerably to "read" the signs held by the women. One of the women said she was happy to do the work and felt like her work was saving lives. One of the male drivers commented that he'd like to see more of this and thought it would teach other drivers to look at the signs also.

Library To the Rescue

Unless you live in a cave you've probably heard parents complaining that their children need to be taught basic life skills in school. I'm not sure how they expect the teachers to work something the parents should be teaching at home into an already crowded schedule,but a lot of them do. That's where a library in North Bend,Oregon stepped up to the plate by offering a once weekly class in "Adulting 101". I think I know where things ran amok with the millennials, the parents were so busy trying to keep the kids busy and out of trouble they forgot about teaching them the basics. I imagine libraries have other things they could be doing with the time devoted to the Adulting class but they always seem to be there to pick up the ball when it comes to helping people learn.

March 18: Financial Know-how - How to balance a checkbook, set a budget, file your own taxes, and build credit

April 22: Getting a Job - How to write a resume and cover letter, and how to interview

May 20: News and the like - How to find and understand real news on the Internet

June 17: Moving out? - How to live with roommates, find an apartment, and talk to your landlord

July 22: Odds and ends - How to check and refill your oil, use a breaker box, reset an outlet, clean an oven, and anything else you want to know how to do!

Color Therapy

March is National Color Therapy Month and with any luck it will warm up enough to bring some much needed spring color into our lives.
3/1 World Compliment Day
3/2 NEA's Read Across America Day
3/3 World Wildlife Day
3/4 Courageous Follower Day
3/5 Namesake Day
3/6 Day of the Dude
3/7 Unique Names Day
3/8 International Women's Day
3/9 Panic Day
3/10 World Sleep Day
3/11 Dream 2017 Day
3/12 Check Your Batteries Day (they should be fully charged after two days of sleep!)
3/13 Smart & Sexy Day
3/14 International Ask a Question Day
3/15 Buzzards Day
3/16 Black Press Day
3/17 National Irish Coffee Day
3/18 Corn Dog Day
3/19 National Poultry Day
3/20 Snowman Burning Day
3/21 Memory Day
3/22 As Young as You Feel Day
3/23 National Tamale Day
3/24 Red Nose Day
3/25 Be Mad Day
3/26 Spinach Day
3/27 Mule Day
3/28 Weed Appreciation Day
3/29 National Mom & Pop Business Owner's Day
3/30 Pencil Day
3/31 National "She's Funny That Way" Day