Hello!
I just wanted to let you know that my blog is taking a break. Due to many exciting events going on in my life, I need to focus on those first and return to this when I can. More SnapFax to come soon!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Fact #676
Real Fact #676: At 5 feet, the whooping crane is the tallest bird in North America.
The sight of birds flying across the sky has inspired generations. Poets have immortalized the sight of birds in flight in their poems. Artists have painted or sculpted the sight itself as best they can, trying to capture the awe of the moment. For many everyday folk, the sound of the bird calls and the sight of the flock overhead causes pause...and maybe prayers that the birds don't...well...drop surprises onto the people below. For me, they planted a desire to fly with them in my heart when I was a little kid. When birds fly towards a sunset, the scene is especially majestic. Here are some examples:
You may notice that none of these pictures include a whooping crane (which look like this):
This may be because this big, beautiful bird is an endangered species. Here are more facts about the whooping crane (thank you to Wikipedia for this information):
-Its scientific name is Grus americana.
-They can live 22-24 years in the wild.
-Their wingspan stretches up to 7 1/2 feet wide.
-They have very loud calls that can carry several miles.
-Remaining populations tend to be in the southeast United States although maps point to some birds residing in the Great Lakes area for breeding.
-The bird nearly went extinct in the 1940's because of habitat loss; even with conservation efforts it is still the rarest bird in North America.
-These cranes are omnivores, eating corn and grains along with frogs, insects, fish, and rodents, depending on their environment. They tend towards meat more than grains in most cases.
-The birds have territories and they defend them using their loud calls.
Yes, they do stand up to 5 feet tall and are the tallest bird on this continent. Personally, I cannot imagine meeting a bird that's head reaches my shoulders. Still, I hope these birds are around for years to come.
I leave you today with a joke involving the whooping crane:
A hiker was lost in the woods and had not eaten for days. On the brink of starvation, he spotted a Bald Eagle, caught it, killed it, and began cooking it. Suddenly a park ranger appeared and arrested the hiker on the spot for killing an endangered animal. In court, the hiker explains to the judge that he had no other alternative or he would have died.
"All right, I will let you go this time," the judge warns, "but I'd better not catch you in here again."
"Yes, Your Honor," the hiker replies.
"I have to ask one question," the judges continues, curious, "just what did it taste like?"
"Well, Your Honor," the hiker responds, "It tasted like a cross between a whooping crane and a spotted owl."
The sight of birds flying across the sky has inspired generations. Poets have immortalized the sight of birds in flight in their poems. Artists have painted or sculpted the sight itself as best they can, trying to capture the awe of the moment. For many everyday folk, the sound of the bird calls and the sight of the flock overhead causes pause...and maybe prayers that the birds don't...well...drop surprises onto the people below. For me, they planted a desire to fly with them in my heart when I was a little kid. When birds fly towards a sunset, the scene is especially majestic. Here are some examples:
You may notice that none of these pictures include a whooping crane (which look like this):
This may be because this big, beautiful bird is an endangered species. Here are more facts about the whooping crane (thank you to Wikipedia for this information):
-Its scientific name is Grus americana.
-They can live 22-24 years in the wild.
-Their wingspan stretches up to 7 1/2 feet wide.
-They have very loud calls that can carry several miles.
-Remaining populations tend to be in the southeast United States although maps point to some birds residing in the Great Lakes area for breeding.
-The bird nearly went extinct in the 1940's because of habitat loss; even with conservation efforts it is still the rarest bird in North America.
-These cranes are omnivores, eating corn and grains along with frogs, insects, fish, and rodents, depending on their environment. They tend towards meat more than grains in most cases.
-The birds have territories and they defend them using their loud calls.
Yes, they do stand up to 5 feet tall and are the tallest bird on this continent. Personally, I cannot imagine meeting a bird that's head reaches my shoulders. Still, I hope these birds are around for years to come.
I leave you today with a joke involving the whooping crane:
A hiker was lost in the woods and had not eaten for days. On the brink of starvation, he spotted a Bald Eagle, caught it, killed it, and began cooking it. Suddenly a park ranger appeared and arrested the hiker on the spot for killing an endangered animal. In court, the hiker explains to the judge that he had no other alternative or he would have died.
"All right, I will let you go this time," the judge warns, "but I'd better not catch you in here again."
"Yes, Your Honor," the hiker replies.
"I have to ask one question," the judges continues, curious, "just what did it taste like?"
"Well, Your Honor," the hiker responds, "It tasted like a cross between a whooping crane and a spotted owl."
Monday, April 29, 2013
Fact #341
Real Fact #341: Of the 92 counties in Indiana, only 5 observe daylight savings time.
Okay...really?
I quickly hit the internet on this one. I have heard of single counties in a state not observing DST, and if I remember correctly Arizona does not follow it at all. But Indiana?
I realize I went against the grain of everything I was taught in college, but I went to Wikipedia for an answer.
According to the Wikipedia website, all counties of Indiana started observing DST in 2006.
That ought to make things a little easier for the residents. Personally I would be quite confused if I lived there and had to deal with a constant time change. How would getting to school or work play out if you lived in one county and your work/school was in another? You would be changing time zones twice a day...I would imagine your circadian rhythm would get knocked out of whack.
Snapple, I can't fully call you out on this one. After all, when my brother and cousins collected these caps in the 1990's and early 2000's that fact was probably true. Today, however, the fact is outdated. So Snapple...perhaps you should update this factoid.
If anyone lives in Indiana or knows the time cycle there well, I welcome your input.
As for DST itself...
Personally, as someone who has lived on the northern edge of the 48 contiguous states most of my life, I see a huge difference in daylight. Even here in Denver where I am a little bit closer to the equator, the days suddenly seem much longer when DST kicks in. The sun comes up earlier, prompting me to get up and get going with the day, and it stays out later, making my day seem longer. As someone with a sensitive circadian rhythm I love the long days. When the sun goes down, my system seems to wind down quickly. So I get sleepy at 6pm in December! Maybe I should buy one of those "happy lights" that helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder (something else I have noticed can bug my system, but I digress). When the sun goes down, I could sit under the light for a bit to recharge myself...
Okay...really?
I quickly hit the internet on this one. I have heard of single counties in a state not observing DST, and if I remember correctly Arizona does not follow it at all. But Indiana?
I realize I went against the grain of everything I was taught in college, but I went to Wikipedia for an answer.
According to the Wikipedia website, all counties of Indiana started observing DST in 2006.
That ought to make things a little easier for the residents. Personally I would be quite confused if I lived there and had to deal with a constant time change. How would getting to school or work play out if you lived in one county and your work/school was in another? You would be changing time zones twice a day...I would imagine your circadian rhythm would get knocked out of whack.
Snapple, I can't fully call you out on this one. After all, when my brother and cousins collected these caps in the 1990's and early 2000's that fact was probably true. Today, however, the fact is outdated. So Snapple...perhaps you should update this factoid.
If anyone lives in Indiana or knows the time cycle there well, I welcome your input.
As for DST itself...
Personally, as someone who has lived on the northern edge of the 48 contiguous states most of my life, I see a huge difference in daylight. Even here in Denver where I am a little bit closer to the equator, the days suddenly seem much longer when DST kicks in. The sun comes up earlier, prompting me to get up and get going with the day, and it stays out later, making my day seem longer. As someone with a sensitive circadian rhythm I love the long days. When the sun goes down, my system seems to wind down quickly. So I get sleepy at 6pm in December! Maybe I should buy one of those "happy lights" that helps with Seasonal Affective Disorder (something else I have noticed can bug my system, but I digress). When the sun goes down, I could sit under the light for a bit to recharge myself...
Friday, April 26, 2013
Fact #69
Fact #69: There is no word in the English Language that rhymes with month.
Okay, to be honest, the first time I read this I thought it said "mouth." I mentioned this to my fiance and he said, "what about south?"I should have looked closer when I read it the first time...
Something like this requires a little research. I would not like to say "it's true" when there was a word sitting right there in front of me. So I have checked out some websites that may give me a clue to what may be out there...
According to rhymezone.com, there is no word that rhymes.
On rhymer.com, they give a couple of suggestions, although I would hardly consider the following words rhymers with "month:"
-billionth
-millionth
-seventh
-trillionth
-zillionth
In fact, they are considered "end rhymes" instead of "pure rhymes."
Wikirhymer.com claims there are no pure rhyming words.
As with rhymer.com, writeexpress.com also only gives end rhymes instead of true rhymes.
And several other websites say the same thing.
One site, Flocabulary.com, takes it the next step further. They provide a list of other words without rhyming partners...
-orange
-silver
-purple
-month
-ninth
-pint
-wolf
-opus
-dangerous
-marathon
-discombobulate
Okay, to be honest, the first time I read this I thought it said "mouth." I mentioned this to my fiance and he said, "what about south?"I should have looked closer when I read it the first time...
Something like this requires a little research. I would not like to say "it's true" when there was a word sitting right there in front of me. So I have checked out some websites that may give me a clue to what may be out there...
According to rhymezone.com, there is no word that rhymes.
On rhymer.com, they give a couple of suggestions, although I would hardly consider the following words rhymers with "month:"
-billionth
-millionth
-seventh
-trillionth
-zillionth
In fact, they are considered "end rhymes" instead of "pure rhymes."
Wikirhymer.com claims there are no pure rhyming words.
As with rhymer.com, writeexpress.com also only gives end rhymes instead of true rhymes.
And several other websites say the same thing.
One site, Flocabulary.com, takes it the next step further. They provide a list of other words without rhyming partners...
-orange
-silver
-purple
-month
-ninth
-pint
-wolf
-opus
-dangerous
-marathon
-discombobulate
Personally, I think they can take silver off the list...doesn't sliver work?
I can picture a large, dusty dictionary sitting on a shelf, covered in dust. Within the pages, these words are coming together for Rhyme-Anon, where words without rhymes can commiserate on how they always get left out of poetry. Orange always provides juice and fruit for the group while Pint brings glasses. Ninth is always...ninth to arrive, and Wolf chases Opus around, thinking he's a penguin. Discombobulate always arrives in pieces, complaining how no one can ever get his spelling right. Marathon always talks forever, explaining how difficult it is for her to make friends with the other words in the dictionary. I don't know who the leader is...maybe you can pick.
As for "month," I cannot think of any word that rhymes with it. My brain is no dictionary, and I (like most people) occasionally struggle for that perfect word when writing or talking. But as far as I can discover, no word rhymes with "month." If you happen to find one, let me know.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Fact #50
Fact #50: Mosquitoes have 47 teeth.
Well, how else do they do their dirty work?
Looking at that big needle nose of theirs you would not expect to find teeth. After all, the nose looks like it could poke through your skin no problem, just like a sewing needle does when you accidentally nick yourself.
It is true that these insects do not have teeth for chewing purposes like we do. They are more along the lines of cutting tools to help the proboscis (the mouth of the insect, technically) get through skin to the blood stream. So this fact I guess is half true...the mosquito has tools to cut with that might be considered teeth, but they do not chew. Thank you WikiAnswers for this information.
I hate mosquitoes. If you live or have lived in an area where these beasts breed, you know the terror. At sunrise and sunset you can't go outside without soaking yourself in bug repellents, donning yourself in long sleeves, long pants, gloves, and army boots, and carrying a citronella candle.
Think I'm kidding? Ask people who have lived or visited Central America where you have to sleep in mosquito netting.
West Nile doesn't help anything either. There is something about me that mosquitoes love, so whenever I am in mosquito territory I end up covered in these nasty, itching red welts that can be up to a full centimeter across. I am surprised I have not caught anything from these buggers yet. When visiting lakes, ponds, or places where these beasts hang out, I make sure I am well protected. And I thank the Lord when there are lots of birds, bats, and spiders. Call it creepy, but these wonderful creatures devour the insect that tries to devour me.
As a closing thought, here is a Far Side comic, taken from Google Images:
Well, how else do they do their dirty work?
Looking at that big needle nose of theirs you would not expect to find teeth. After all, the nose looks like it could poke through your skin no problem, just like a sewing needle does when you accidentally nick yourself.
It is true that these insects do not have teeth for chewing purposes like we do. They are more along the lines of cutting tools to help the proboscis (the mouth of the insect, technically) get through skin to the blood stream. So this fact I guess is half true...the mosquito has tools to cut with that might be considered teeth, but they do not chew. Thank you WikiAnswers for this information.
I hate mosquitoes. If you live or have lived in an area where these beasts breed, you know the terror. At sunrise and sunset you can't go outside without soaking yourself in bug repellents, donning yourself in long sleeves, long pants, gloves, and army boots, and carrying a citronella candle.
Think I'm kidding? Ask people who have lived or visited Central America where you have to sleep in mosquito netting.
West Nile doesn't help anything either. There is something about me that mosquitoes love, so whenever I am in mosquito territory I end up covered in these nasty, itching red welts that can be up to a full centimeter across. I am surprised I have not caught anything from these buggers yet. When visiting lakes, ponds, or places where these beasts hang out, I make sure I am well protected. And I thank the Lord when there are lots of birds, bats, and spiders. Call it creepy, but these wonderful creatures devour the insect that tries to devour me.
As a closing thought, here is a Far Side comic, taken from Google Images:
Welcome to SnapFax!
Hello and welcome to my blog!
You may be wondering what the heck "SnapFax" could mean. After all we live in an age where everyone wants stuff in a snap (snap your fingers here). Instant gratification seems to be the name of the game these days. Also, many people send documents, resumes, and all kinds of stuff via a fax machine daily (overhead in an office: "Yesterday I got my tie stuck in the fax machine. Next thing I knew I was in Los Angeles."). So could my blog be about the rat race and how to survive it?
Not even close.
This blog is actually about a drink and its bottle caps.
Confused?
Ever heard of Snapple?
If you haven't, get your backside to the nearest grocery store and visit the juices, teas, and chilled drinks immediately.
If you have, you are probably familiar with the little "Real Facts" that come on the underside of the cap of the bottle. There are thousands of them, all of which make you think. "SnapFax" is short for "Snapple Facts."
So why am I writing about something that is tossed in the trash every day? Two reasons.
First, a little back story. When I was a kid, I spent the humid summer days of Seattle at my grandparents' house with my younger brother and two cousins. They loved Snapple. Grandma bought it regularly and we collected the caps as we drank, trying to see how many little randoms pieces of info we could collect. I never got into it; to be honest I did not enjoy the taste of Snapple that much unless it was a specific flavor. My brother and cousins loved it. This leads to the second part of the "why" question.
In a recent job I was asked to write text ads for an online coupon company. One of the merchants offering deals was Snapple. Seeing that topic up on the screen in front of me took me back to those faded summers of playing in the backyard and drinking Snapple. The word SNAPPLE brought back the happier memories of frisbees, soccer, volleyball, and monkey bars. To research the deals I would be writing for, I visited the Snapple website to find the complete list of those silly Real Facts. After contacting my brother to ask him why he and our cousins never checked the website, the idea for this blog quickly formed in my mind. So here I am, ready to bring my writings to the world wide web.
Every day (or as often as I can) I will bring one Fact to the blog and write about it. Each Fact will bring with it my personal thoughts (and if you're lucky, a little side research) and musings. If I find a Fact that - shock and horror - is false, I will explain why. Trust me, I know that will happen. I also will not be going in numerical order. I will pick a random Fact number from the Snapple site each time, so you can't go online and predict which one I will write about next :). If I miss a day, have no fear. I will be back soon. One quick disclaimer: Snapple does not endorse this blog or anything I say...these are simply my musings on the idea of the Real Facts. With that, I will close this first entry, and begin with Day 1 of SnapFax!
Enjoy!
You may be wondering what the heck "SnapFax" could mean. After all we live in an age where everyone wants stuff in a snap (snap your fingers here). Instant gratification seems to be the name of the game these days. Also, many people send documents, resumes, and all kinds of stuff via a fax machine daily (overhead in an office: "Yesterday I got my tie stuck in the fax machine. Next thing I knew I was in Los Angeles."). So could my blog be about the rat race and how to survive it?
Not even close.
This blog is actually about a drink and its bottle caps.
Confused?
Ever heard of Snapple?
If you haven't, get your backside to the nearest grocery store and visit the juices, teas, and chilled drinks immediately.
If you have, you are probably familiar with the little "Real Facts" that come on the underside of the cap of the bottle. There are thousands of them, all of which make you think. "SnapFax" is short for "Snapple Facts."
So why am I writing about something that is tossed in the trash every day? Two reasons.
First, a little back story. When I was a kid, I spent the humid summer days of Seattle at my grandparents' house with my younger brother and two cousins. They loved Snapple. Grandma bought it regularly and we collected the caps as we drank, trying to see how many little randoms pieces of info we could collect. I never got into it; to be honest I did not enjoy the taste of Snapple that much unless it was a specific flavor. My brother and cousins loved it. This leads to the second part of the "why" question.
In a recent job I was asked to write text ads for an online coupon company. One of the merchants offering deals was Snapple. Seeing that topic up on the screen in front of me took me back to those faded summers of playing in the backyard and drinking Snapple. The word SNAPPLE brought back the happier memories of frisbees, soccer, volleyball, and monkey bars. To research the deals I would be writing for, I visited the Snapple website to find the complete list of those silly Real Facts. After contacting my brother to ask him why he and our cousins never checked the website, the idea for this blog quickly formed in my mind. So here I am, ready to bring my writings to the world wide web.
Every day (or as often as I can) I will bring one Fact to the blog and write about it. Each Fact will bring with it my personal thoughts (and if you're lucky, a little side research) and musings. If I find a Fact that - shock and horror - is false, I will explain why. Trust me, I know that will happen. I also will not be going in numerical order. I will pick a random Fact number from the Snapple site each time, so you can't go online and predict which one I will write about next :). If I miss a day, have no fear. I will be back soon. One quick disclaimer: Snapple does not endorse this blog or anything I say...these are simply my musings on the idea of the Real Facts. With that, I will close this first entry, and begin with Day 1 of SnapFax!
Enjoy!
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