I always thought Kahlil Gibran was Persian. Today I learned he was Lebanese. No matter. I've always been in love with him.
‘All our words are but crumbs that fall down from the feast of the mind.’
Happy New Year!
December 31: Blogs
Technorati's Top 100 Blogs have an average age of 33.8 months. From Darren's ProBlogger article here.
December 30: Boleyn
Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, was the mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I, born in September 1533.
December 29: Mold
‘Mold will grow and multiply under the right conditions, needing only sufficient moisture (e.g., in the form of very high humidity, condensation, or water from a leaking pipe, etc.), and organic material (e.g., ceiling tile, drywall, paper, or natural fiber carpet padding).’
December 28: Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky Estates is set to open in Ontario's Niagara wine region. Bottles are already on LCBO shelves.
December 27: Jumping
Base-jumping refers to leaping from buildings, antennae, spans (bridges) or earth (cliffs). Norway, with its fjords and cliffs, remains the sport's spiritual home.
December 26: Bible
Gideon's International gives away a Bible every second. The Bible is available in 2,426 languages, covering 95% of the world's population.
December 25: Campus
Many schools hold the notion that the roommate of a student who dies (the story often specifies suicide as the cause) will receive straight As for that term. The tale is so widespread that it served as the premise for MTV Films' 1998 release Dead Man on Campus.
December 24: Lavalife
Lavalife dating service sees a 20 per cent spike in traffic as new clients look for a new relationship during what they call ‘the December 26 phenomenon.’ It's the only time of year they see such a change; the rest of the year, traffic is consistent.
December 23: Microdermabrasion
Microdermabrasion is best used as an anti-aging technique on mature skin; it is not as beneficial to younger skin.
December 22: Piranha
Piranha fish are known for their sharp teeth and an aggressive appetite for meat. If you keep one as a pet, you will likely feed it goldfish.
December 21: Tryptophan
Evidence shows that tryptophan, a chemical in turkey, can cause drowsiness, but turkey contains the same amount of tryptophan, gram per gram, as chicken and ground beef.
December 20: Stiff
15 per cent of Canadian working stiffs report that their jobs are ‘extremely boring.’
December 19: Falsies
Invention: Padded Bra
Inventor: D.J. Kennedy, G.B.
Year: 1929
How Invented: Learning that in the 1928 Oslo, Norway, Olympics, Sweden's foremost female athlete, Lois Lung, had lost the women's 400-meter hurdle when her knee had hit one breast on the last barrier and brought her writhing to the cinder path in pain, Kennedy conceived of a protective or padded brassiere.
Source here.
Inventor: D.J. Kennedy, G.B.
Year: 1929
How Invented: Learning that in the 1928 Oslo, Norway, Olympics, Sweden's foremost female athlete, Lois Lung, had lost the women's 400-meter hurdle when her knee had hit one breast on the last barrier and brought her writhing to the cinder path in pain, Kennedy conceived of a protective or padded brassiere.
Source here.
December 18: Head
Before the arrival of turkey, the traditional Christmas meal was a pig's head and mustard.
December 17: Angora
South Korean scientists have used a modified gene to create angora cats that glow in the dark.
December 15: 41%
Respondents who said children were ‘very important’ for a successful marriage: 65% in 1990; 41% in 2007. - Pew Research Center
December 14: Jersey
The state Senate has approved legislation that would make New Jersey the first state to abolish the death penalty since 1976.
December 13: Nanotechnology
‘Some nanotechnology products are applied directly to the skin, such as cosmetics and sunscreens. Titanium dioxide is commonly used as the white pigment in sunscreen. When it is ground into nanoparticles it can still block harmful ultraviolet radiation, but it allows visible light to pass straight through, which means modern sunscreens can appear completely transparent, while offering the same protection as the old white stuff.’
December 12: Anger
Women who show unexplained anger at work are thought to lack control, according to a report in Psychological Science.
December 11: Feist
Canadian musician Leslie Feist used to perform under the stage name Bitch Lap Lap; she now performs as simply Feist.
December 10: Slovenia
It is possible to go on a unique 5km underground mountain bike ride in the Julian Alps of Slovenia.
December 9: Ratio
Researchers at the University of Aarhus, in Denmark, have studied the influence of stress on women in relation to male and female babies conceived. Results suggest that acute stress to a woman at the time of conception shifts the sex ratio towards girls. A more recent study at Aarhus suggests that the same is true of chronic stress.
December 8: Telefilm
Telefilm's role is to foster the production of films, television programs and cultural products that reflect Canadian society, with its linguistic duality and cultural diversity, and to encourage their dissemination at home and abroad.
December 7: M&Ms
At SAS, the ritual of handing out free M&Ms every Wednesday began accidentally, when an assistant collecting supplies accepted a big bag of the chocolate sweets as a substitute from a local grocer who had run short of change.
December 6: Antioxidants
Martin Schaefer of the University of Freiburg set out to see whether creatures can sense antioxidants. His findings confirm birds can both see antioxidant foods and have a preference for it.
December 5: Coben
Harlan Coben sells about 2.7 million books each year. He says it always takes him nine months to write a book (like childbirth).
December 4: Adopt
‘According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there are more than 500,000 children in foster care in the United States. Approximately 114,000 of those children will not be able to return to their parents and are waiting for families to adopt them.’
8,664 children previously featured on AdoptUsKids.org now live with permanent families.
8,664 children previously featured on AdoptUsKids.org now live with permanent families.
December 3: Oh
Sandra Oh's acting career began in the early 1990s when she beat out hundreds of other actresses for the coveted title role in the CBC movie The Diary of Evelyn Lau.
December 2: 10,000
‘Where in the free world can one see 10,000 children dancing in synchronisation, dressed as eggs? Such weirdness makes North Korea, a basket-case state, a must for a certain sort of backpacker. Tourist visas have been available for years; there is even a Lonely Planet chapter on the country. Some 2,000 Westerners will visit in 2007 – a tiny number, but about four times the total in 2002.’
December 1: Cord
Since the first successful transplantation of umbilical cord blood in 1987, cord blood has become an important source of haematopoietic stem cells for the treatment of blood and genetic disorders.
November 30: Laser
Some laser printers may damage your lungs in a manner similar to secondhand smoke. Almost a third of laser printers in a recent study released high concentrations of ultra-tiny particles that could infiltrate and damage lungs. - Environmental Science & Technology
November 29: Agriculture
Agriculture is thought to have begun around 8000 B.C., in the semi-arid mountains of Mesopotamia.
November 28: Waititi
Director Taika Waititi’s debut feature Eagle vs Shark is a deadpan comedy tracking the romance between self-aggrandizing computer store geek Jarrod and sweet, socially-challenged fast food clerk Lily.
November 27: AIDS
The Clinton Foundation is to be credited with negotiating with international companies that make generic antiretroviral treatments to provide these drugs at $139 per year per person (a drop from $500 per year).
November 26: Poles
Estimated number of stripper poles sold in the U.S. last year for home or gym use: 59,000
November 25: Redeem!
Estimated amount that Americans lose every year by not redeeming gift cards: $8,000,000,000
November 24: Plain
‘Even though we know the virtues of plain language, many still believe that using million-dollar words makes them appear smarter. In a study by Daniel Oppenheimer of Stanford University, in which readers were asked to judge the intelligence of writers, the results overwhelming show that the loss of readability and fluency due to needless complexity leads to negative evaluations of the writer, especially of their intelligence.’
November 23: Task-based
In task-based language learning, tasks are central to the learning activity. It is based on the belief that students may learn more effectively when their minds are focused on the task, rather than on the language they are using.
November 22: Bicentenary
On March 25, 1801, the British Parliament passed An Act for the Abolition of the Slave Trade. 26 years later, passage of the Slavery Abolition Act abolished slavery throughout the British Empire.
November 21: Condom
Researchers at the German Institute for Condom Consultancy plan to launch a spray-on condom, suited to every size of penis. The condom spray can is expected to reach market in 2008 for a price of around EUR 20 and will offer around 20 applications.
November 20: Ikea Catalogue
With an estimated 175 million copies distributed in 2006, the IKEA catalogue is thought to have surpassed the Bible as the most published printed work in the world.
Thanks, Oliver!
Thanks, Oliver!
Bonus: Ringtone
About half a million Spaniards have downloaded a mobile phone ringtone featuring Spain's King Juan Carlos telling Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, ‘Por que no te callas?’ or ‘Why don't you shut up?’
November 19: Pop Tarts
From Today in History: Kellogg's Pop Tarts pastries were created on this day in 1965.
November 17: Dark
Astronomers do not know the nature of ‘dark matter’, mysterious material in the universe that exerts a gravitational pull, but does not emit nor absorb light.
November 16: Brands
Some brands that retailers cannot typically ship to Canada from the States: Red, Burton, Anon, Quicksilver, Roxy, Rossignol, Salomon, The North Face, Arbor, K2, Ride, Vans, Oakley, O'Neil.
November 15: Banan
In Eastern Africa you can buy banana beer, brewed from bananas. The word ‘banan’ is Arabic for finger.
November 14: Iqaluit
Up in the Canadian North, ‘Iqaluit’ translates as ‘place of many fish.’ Southerners often pronounce it ‘Iqualuit,’ which means ‘your dirty ass.’
November 13: $320 million
Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has purchased an Airbus A380, the world's biggest passenger plane, for private use.
November 12: Night Owls
‘A growing parliament of night owls is finally starting to hoot in protest. Citing genetic differences that force them to wake up late, these dawdlers are organizing worldwide to overthrow a workplace bias they say favours early birds.’
November 11: Mr. Toilet
Sim Jae-duck, South Korea's ‘Mr. Toilet’, has built a toilet-shaped home complete with the latest in lavatory luxury.
November 10: Oh dear...
A British man has been placed on the sex offenders' register after being caught trying to have sex with a bicycle. Telegraph story here.
November 9: Skinny-dip
The British Columbia Supreme Court confirmed the right of Canadians to skinny-dip at private parties - even if they're held in municipal pools governed by prudish politicians.
November 8: Cancer
The World Cancer Research Fund's most rigorous study so far on the links between food, physical activity and cancer, calls for attention to what you eat and drink. Individually (except for smoking), these risks are small, However, in total they add up to something significant.
November 6: Benetton
In the 1970s, Bennetton ‘built an international clothing brand on a novel business model: dyeing clothes at the last minute to respond to changes in fashion.’
November 5: Density
The population density in The Netherlands is 392 people per square kilometre, making it more dense than India or China.
November 4: Kibbutzim
‘Portion of Israel's 265 kibbutzim that are now at least partially privatized operations: 7/10’
November 3: Subsidies
‘Number of Manhattan residents who received federal farm subsidies between 2003 and 2005: 573’
November 2: Distribution
Newspapers published for distribution in the late afternoon (evening or PM papers) outnumber morning papers approximately three to one.
November 1: Argentine
The first five-star gay hotel in Latin America opened on October 31 in Buenos Aires.
October 30: Thermos
ABC's Grey's Anatomy has banned bottled water from the set and issued all cast and crew a thermos instead.
October 29: Antarctica
The Antarctic is the only place is the world governed by international treaty.
October 28: Japander
‘Japander: n., & v.t. 1. a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use. ~er (see synecure, prostitute) 2. to make an ass of oneself in Japanese media.’
October 27: Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower was the first US President to have power over all 50 US states.
October 25: Baileys
Baileys Irish Cream was launched on November 26, 1974 having cost $40,000 to bring to production. The Milk from 40,000 cows is used to supply the cream used in the production of Baileys in Ireland.
October 24: Marijuana
‘The National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that the rate of marijuana use in California has barely risen in the past few years, whereas production has hugely increased.’
October 23: Ontario
56% of Ontario's workforce has a post-secondary education, the highest rate of any industrialized nation.
October 21: Retail
India's retail industry has sales of $300 million, which will swell to $560 billion by 2012, according to HSBC.
October 17: Not Spending
‘Chinese households are hardly the most eager shoppers. Consumer spending has fallen from 47% of GDP in the early 1990s to only 36% in 2006, the lowest proportion in any large economy.’
October 15: 130
Time Inc. is one of the largest content companies in the world, with a portfolio of approximately 130 titles.
October 14: Iwo Jima
The Battle of Iwo Jima was fought between the United States and Japan in February and March 1945, during the Pacific Campaign of World War II.
October 13: Humanistic
‘Unconditional Positive Regard’ is one of the Humanistic Theories of Carl Rogers (1902-1987).
October 12: Relations
‘It is clear that employee-employer relations are at one of the lowest points in history.’ Wayne Hochwarter, FSU College of Business in a recent study
October 11: Family Day
Ontario has declared a new annual Family Day holiday the third Monday of each February.
October 9: Titanic
Despite the myth of ‘women and children first’, the survival rate for First Class men on the Titanic was higher than for Third Class children.
Before the Titanic, the SS Atlantic was the worst ocean liner disaster in history (April 1, 1873).
Before the Titanic, the SS Atlantic was the worst ocean liner disaster in history (April 1, 1873).
October 8: 1930
The Commonwealth Games are an athletic contest held every four years between 71 provinces and former colonies of the British Empire. The very first competition was held in Hamilton, Ontario in 1930.
October 7: Helmets
Halifax is home to mandatory bike helmet laws. It was apparent immediately. Cool is so overrated, anyway!
October 6: Controversial
Nova Scotia legislated Sunday shopping only one year ago (and it's still quite controversial).
October 5: Steel
Condominiums on Ontario are considered commercial buildings and must have steel bathtubs installed.
October 4: Fish'n'chips
Locals email me that the BEST fish'n'chips in Halifax is Warf Wraps in Eastern Passage (‘across the bridge and quite a way’s out of the way’).
October 3: Anxious
Studies report that normal children today are more anxious than child psychiatric patients in the 1950s.
October 2: Buffalo
Early America was so thick with buffalo that explorers said the land seemed draped with ‘one black robe.’ By 1900, fewer than a hundred buffalo remained.
October 1: Series
The Museum of Modern Art has reinstalled its permanent collection of photographs with an emphasis on series.
September 30: Depression
In 1890, Vincent van Gogh painted On the Threshold of Eternity, seen by some as symbolizing the despair and hopelessness felt in depression.
September 29: Heels
As far back as 1000 BC, women have been wearing high heels to convey social status and sex appeal.
September 28: Control
In June 2007, Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhilips refused to hand over majority control of their operations in the Orinoco Belt to the Venezuelan government.
September 26: Whitening
The practise of skin-whitening can be found everywhere but is particularly common in India, Asia, Africa and the United States.
Interesting article here.
Interesting article here.
September 25: Bag
The familiar green plastic garbage bag (made from polyethylene) was invented by Harry Wasylyk in 1950.
September 24: Fidelity
‘Women initiate 66 percent of divorces between partners over 40.’ Love is noble, love is hard and women cheat just as readily as men.
September 23: Bernays
Edward L. Bernays, Father of Modern Public Relations, was the nephew of Sigmund Freud.
September 22: Costs
‘The rising demand for corn as a source of ethanol-blended fuel is largely to blame for increasing food costs around the world.’
September 21: Sundance
‘In 1981, Robert Redford gathered a group of his friends and colleagues in the mountains of Utah to create an environment designed to foster independence, discovery, and new voices in American film.’ Sundance was born.
September 20: Tea
PR Week has called The Boston Tea Party ‘the greatest and best-known publicity stunt of all time.’
September 19: Food
‘Percentage change in the average amount of food a person will consume when eating with one other person: +35’
‘Percentage change with four or seven others, respectively: +75, +96’
‘Percentage change with four or seven others, respectively: +75, +96’
Bonus: Play
Landscape Structures creates innovative playground equipment for children. Lovely designs like this one.
September 18: 112
Today, ‘world’s oldest man turns 112 in Japan and says he’d like to live forever.’
September 17: Google
Google is often compared to Microsoft, ‘but its evolution is actually closer to that of the banking industry. Just as financial institutions grew to become repositories of people’s money, and thus guardians of private information about their finances, Google is now turning into a custodian of a far wider and more intimate range of information about individuals.’
September 16: Church
‘Built in 1871 in Toronto, Berkeley Church did religious duties for nearly a century (it was a Wesleyan Methodist stronghold) before being converted into a film production studio. It is now a charming special event spot, where lofty ceilings overlook original stained glass windows and hardwood floors.’
September 6-15: TIFF
In what turned out to be the only exception this year: 10 days of Blog on Hiatus while I attended the Toronto International Film Festival. It was an all-consuming affair... I'm disappointed it didn't work out, but it seems it wasn't meant to. Here's to trying it again next year.
September 5: Tears
Although most land mammals have a lacrimation system to keep their eyes wet, Humans are the only animal generally accepted to cry emotional tears.
September 3: V&R
Viktor & Rolf, an Amsterdam-based fashion house, produces women's shoes designed by Dutch designer Fredie Stevens.
September 2: Ratatouille
‘The word Ratatouille comes from ‘touiller,’ which means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present-day Nice.’ Originally a poor farmer's dish made of fresh summer vegetables, Ratatouille Nicoise did not contain eggplant; today's version does.
August 31: Cirque
Among Montreal business-school graduates, according to HEC Montréal, a job at Cirque du Soleil is more coveted than one at any other big-name employer in the city.
August 30: Cursing
‘Steven Pinker, whose most recent book is The Stuff of Thought, believes that cursing is a primordial part of our brains.’
August 29: Saggy Pants
‘Atlanta's city council is debating a measure that would ban saggy pants that show underwear.’
August 28: Dames
‘Brooke Astor and Leona Helmsley, grandes dames of New York, died on August 13th and 20th respectively, aged 105 and 87 ... Both gave millions of dollars away. And their similarities ended there.’
August 27: Centaurs
‘In Greek mythology, the Centaurs (Greek: Κένταυροι) are a race of creatures composed of part human and part horse.’
August 26: Redheads
‘True redheads will be extinct by 2100, since carriers of the carrot-top gene are less and less likely to pair up in an age of global intermingling (a child usually needs a copy from each parent to get the red result).’
August 25: Unitards
The very funny Unitards are performing the second Wednesday of every month at Revival for Sketch Comedy Wednesdays.
August 24: Delusional
Delusional disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis denoting a mental illness that involves holding one or more non-bizarre delusions in the absence of any other significant signs or symptoms.
August 23: Herbal
India, with its long tradition of herbal medicine, is spending $40 million on what is known as the Golden Triangle Partnership, to assess the country’s herbs scientifically.
August 22: Chicago
I learned a lot reading these Two Chicago Stories. If you can, take five minutes to read them. Amazing!
August 21: Prada
LG has launched a Prada cell phone. (Back in January, actually - see how current I am?) They call it ‘a real breakthrough in the industry.’
August 20: D.H. Lawrence
This just in: ‘Manuscripts, letters and legal documents belonging to writer D.H. Lawrence have been donated to Nottingham University in England and will be put on public display for the first time.’
August 19: Decibels
‘The Royal National Institute for Deaf People regards 80 decibels as the level at which hearing is threatened - 20 less than a pneumatic drill. Some MP3 players can reach 105 decibels.’ Smoking doubles the risk of noise-induced hearing loss.
August 18: Heder
American actor Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) spent two years as a Mormon missionary in Japan, where he learned to speak Japanese fluently (as showcased in Blades of Glory).
August 17: Déficit
Mexican actor Gael García Bernal is making his directorial debut, Déficit, at this year's Toronto International Film Festival.
August 16: Radar
Advertising agency DDB Canada has launched a unique social media arm. Radar DDB is ‘a hybrid resource that reinvents the agency model by combining the skill sets of a news-gathering organization, a Hollywood publicity agent, an ad agency, a guerrilla event company and a digital programming expert.’
August 15: Fish
Most fish spend time in an energy-saving state that can be called ‘rest’. Being ‘asleep’ means different things to different fish. Some fish are motionless in the water during the night. Others don't appear to sleep at all (they rest against rocks, bracing themselves with their fins). Some freshwater fish swim up under a log or river bank for shelter during the day. Fish can't close their eyes; none of them have eyelids.
August 14: Mayer
American singer-songwriter and guitarist John Mayer is not only an avid collector of watches, he also has an extensive collection of sneakers, estimated (in 2006) at over 200 pairs.
August 13: Assholes
Assholes have devastating cumulative effects on our commitment to our bosses, peers and organizations, partly because nasty interactions have a far bigger impact on our moods than positive interactions - five times the punch, according to recent research.
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. Robert I. Sutton, PhD.
The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't. Robert I. Sutton, PhD.
August 12: Needles
Twin-needle stitching is the way to go with knit fabrics. Go ahead, look at your t-shirt edges and hems: double-seamed! Why? Greater elasticity. ‘If the fabric stretches, the seams must stretch, too, so that the stitching won't pop as you bend and move in the garment.’
August 11: Ikea
Product developers (not designers) pick Ikea product names according to an established system. Among the criteria: names have to be non-offensive in 50 different languages and names have to be Swedish.
August 10: Salt
‘In ancient times, salt was a precious commodity that could drastically affect entire nations. So much so that early Roman soldiers were partly paid in special salt rations called ‘Salarium Argentum’ – salt money in Latin.’ Forerunner of the English word ‘salary.’
August 9: Churchill
‘A riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.’
I did not know that these were Winston Churchill's words about Russia in 1939. Now I know.
I did not know that these were Winston Churchill's words about Russia in 1939. Now I know.
August 8: Ashtrays
The City of Montreal is targeting littering smokers by handing out pocket ashtrays. Video here.
August 7: Nail-biters
It's official. The world's first treatment centre for nail-biters is set to open in the Netherlands.
August 6: Regret
A study in the Journal of Consumer Research finds that ‘regret over indulgence and gluttony diminishes with time, but regret over missing out - doing the responsible thing and deferring gratification - only increases ... This conclusion contradicts the traditional assumption that short-term thinking leads to long-term regret ... it suggests that longer-term thinking is worst in the long term - that it will minimize your guilt in the here-and-now, but over the long haul will lead to chronic, throbbing remorse.’
August 5: Stadium
91,000 seats. 36 kilometres of steel wrapping. Land surface of 258,000 square metres. Beijing's Olympic National Stadium is touted as the world's largest enclosed space.
August 4: McQueen
1960s icon of pop culture and King of Cool Steve McQueen rose from a troubled youth spent in reform schools to being the world's most popular actor and one of the top film stars of all time.
August 3: Volta
Submerged beneath Ghana's Lake Volta is the world's largest underwater forest of tropical hardwood. The enormous man-made African lake is home to a vast amount of mahogany and ebony trees that may be worth up to $2 billion.
August 2: Liz
Liz Claiborne’s fashion company was the first business founded by a woman to reach the Fortune 500.
August 1: Españolos
Spain is now paying 2500 euros per new child to raise its birth rate. ¡Hola, Españolos!
Hello, New Blog
Are you curious? I am.
So I had this idea, and in the space of about one second, Blogger generated a new home for it. I'll keep this family of blogs at Three, the Magic Number.
I'll start posting soon.
So I had this idea, and in the space of about one second, Blogger generated a new home for it. I'll keep this family of blogs at Three, the Magic Number.
I'll start posting soon.
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