Pet Discrimination

 80% of Singaporeans live in Housing and Development Board apartments which are sold/leased to qualified citizens for 99 years. It seems to be a good housing plan but there are of course rules and one of those rules is no cats are allowed in the buildings though dogs are okay. The rules claim that cats were difficult to contain, they shed, defecate and urinate in public areas and they're noisy. Of course the cat lovers kept their kitties anyway even in the face of being fined but now the government is listening to reason and will be lifting the ban later this year, so the cat lovers can come out of the closet. The following pictures are of one of the contraband kitties named Mooncake. 

Don't Look!

 If you happen to be one of those people who lean to the hypochondriac side it probably isn't a good idea to Google your symptoms as things can go terribly wrong. A group of people on Reddit decided to put together a list of the words to avoid. One example was an accident when instead of typing in "moth larva" "mouth larva" was searched bringing up a parasite who live in the mouths of their hosts causing an infection known as oral myiasis. The next is a French surname, Fournier, which is also an acute necrotic infection of the genitals...think gangrene. There are several others listed but at the cost of your sanity it is recommended that you don't go there. 

Variations

 When is enough enough? Is it corporate greed or do consumers actually want hundreds of choices for every item on their shopping lists? A couple examples of this never ending variety is Oreo cookies three new flavors, Black & White (nothing could compare to the New York City treat), Gluten Free Golden Oreos and Oreo Peanut Butter Cakesters. It isn't just cookies overloading the shelves either, Kraft has introduced Kraft NotMac & Cheese, a plant based alternative to their signature Mac& Cheese where the cheese was iffy to begin with. Oh well, someone must love a huge selection where it takes at least twice the time to find the item you are looking for. 

You're Outta Here

 In case any one is wondering what words made the banished list for 2024 there is a list out from Lake Superior State University of the overused, worn out their welcome words. These words are sent in by people who agree they should be banned. Last year GOAT topped the list this year the #1 slot goes to Hack. 

• Hack
• Impact
• At the end of the day
• Rizz
• Slay
• Iconic
• Cringe-worthy
• Obsessed
• Side hustle
• Wait for it
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

When Nice Wasn't Nice

 From the Latin word nescius the word nice originally meant, ignorant or foolish. When it was assimilated into the English language it had the same meaning until around the 14th century when it started to signify something agreeable or pleasant. By the 18th century the transformation was pretty much complete and now nice is nice. Next up on our word list is shampoo which seems like something a person would balk at having applied to their hair until you know the meaning. Shampoo is from the Hindi root word champna, which to go back another step derives from the Sanskrit word, capayati translating to the meaning "pounds" or "kneads" suggesting a massaging motion. Today shampoo is both a verb and a noun putting itself in a special class of words called conversions that can be either a denominal verb or a deverbal noun. Clear as mud? 

One Down?

 Considering Nostradamus made his predictions 450 years ago he has been eerily accurate, predicting the rise of Adolf Hitler, the assassination of JFK and the Covid pandemic to name a few. His predictions for 2024 started with the earthquake in Japan which unfortunately already happened. He has also predicted King Charles being replaced and he seems to have a good track record with royals as he predicted Queen Elizabeth's death in 2022 and even her age at that time. He then wrote, "Red adversary will become pale with fear, putting the great ocean in dread." Which experts believe to mean trouble with China at sea. Last but certainly not least is the death of Pope Francis who is only 88 and his replacement by a Roman. I'm hoping all he gets right for 2024 is the earthquake as there is already plenty of other things to deal with. 

Here We Go Again

 January is Be Kind to Food Servers Month, though every month people should be kind to food servers or simply stay home. 

1/1 Ellis Island Day

1/2 National Buffet Day 

1/3 Festival of Sleep Day 

1/4 Trivia Day 

1/5 National Bird Day 

1/6 National Bean Day 

1/7 National Tempura Day 

1/8 Argyle Day 

1/9 National Static Electricity Day 

1/10 House Plant Appreciation Day 

1/11 National Milk Day 

1/12 National Pharmacist Day 

1/13 Rubber Ducky Day 

1/14 World Logic Day 

1/15 National Hat Day 

1/16 National Nothing Day 

1/17 National Rye Whiskey Day 

1/18 Thesaurus Day 

1/19 Popcorn Day 

1/20 National Cheese Lovers Day 

1/21 National Hugging Day 

1/22 National Polka Dot Day 

1/23 National Pie Day (not pi) 

1/24 Belly Laugh Day 

1/25 National Irish Coffee Day 

1/26 Clashing Clothes Day 

1/27 Fruitcake Toss Day 

1/28 National Kazoo Day 

1/29 National Puzzle Day 

1/30 Croissant Day 

1/31 Street Children Day 

Enjoy your new year!