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| Diana as Personification of the Night (Anton Raphael Mengs, c. 1765) |
From Friday through Sunday, each moonrise is slated to be spectacular. It's not just a one-night stand. Diana will be fully present with Earthlings during three consecutive days.
Come Monday, she's back to the daily grind. After all, there are babies to be born, souls to be ushered, and arrows to be slung.
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/rare-august-blue-moon-illuminate-182300404.html
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| (Fair Use) |
If you’re prone to impulse buying, don’t shop whenever the urge strikes. Assign one day of the week for such forays, and stick to that schedule. If your assigned day is Thursday, but on Monday a shiny bauble catches your eye, wait it out. Chances are, the shine might begin to fade over time.
Can’t stand to wait until Thursday? Then at least wait until Tuesday. There’s that old saying: What a difference a day can make!
Resources
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/08/11/why-you-should-pick-a-day-of-the-week-or-month-to-shop.html
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| (by Pieter Brueghel the Younger) |
It’s not just a matter of “How’s the weather, over and out,” but more a matter of forging a genuine bond. This could be momentary, or perhaps a bridge toward friendship.
Speech trainer John Bowe explains that these brief encounters have their dos and don’ts. In order to even begin, one must not assume rejection. Chances are that others are somewhat eager to make connections also.
Then there are the cues along the way. If a person is already engaged in conversation, wait your turn before intrusively breaking in. If someone seems “distant or lost in thought,” asking for preliminary permission can sound something like this: “Would you mind if I ask you for directions?” If that person seems receptive, be sure to follow through with a formulated request, such as, “Do you know of a good restaurant near here?”
With any luck, you might find yourself heading for lunch together. So here are a few more tips: Avoid hot-button topics, do not monopolize the conversation, do not ask overly personal questions, and do not fiddle with your phone.
Resources
Copyright August 20, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved |
| (Photo by Famartin) |
The parent company of Ritz Crackers, Mondelez, is reportedly trying to do just that. Union members are therefore on strike, not to “secure huge gains,” but to simply retain what they have.
This doesn’t seem too much to ask, especially for those who also keep us well stocked with Oreos.
Resources
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/nabisco-workers-on-strike_n_611c099fe4b0e5b5d8e3c600
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| (Public Domain) |
As the Dixie Fire currently consumes houses, businesses and wildlife in California, another lone cub has been battling for survival. This emaciated bear is being monitored by firefighters in order to determine whether it is truly an orphan. If so, it will soon be cared for by a “wildlife rescue team.”
Resources
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bear-cub-orphaned-dixie-fire-california/
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| (Fair Use) |
But what about those of us whose utterances are far less musical? Don’t we too deserve a crack at fame?
There’s a KFC in Greensborough, Australia that has begun to remedy this discrepancy. It features a drive-through recording of a former employee’s “introductory words.” This was discovered by the speaker himself when entering the lane 14 years later.
Resources
https://news.yahoo.com/former-kfc-employee-makes-wild-181519905.html
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| Mammoth Model from the Royal BC Museum (Photo by Thomas Quine) |
Chemical signatures within the tusk are making this micro version of a GPS possible. Annual layers reveal different atomic structures, which are then compared with those from the teeth of rodents across Alaska. By matching tusk layers with these teeth, scientists can determine which part of Alaska the mammoth was in from year to year.
This particular beast was well traveled. After leaving his original herd at about age 15, he would sometimes go hundreds of miles within a few months. Chances are he was searching for that ideal spot, which he never seems to have found.
Nitrogen traces within his final tusk layer hint that he died of starvation at age 28. More fortunate mammoths have lived well into their 80s.
Resources
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/mammoth-tusk-1.6139008
Copyright August 15, 2021 by Linda Van Slyke All Rights Reserved
