WED 3/14 WHATEVER
From Omaha World Herald (12/6/17): "Which are smartest: dogs, cats, or raccoons? Cat people & dog people have long sparred over which species possesses the best brains . . . While measuring intelligence is an incredibly difficult affair Suzana Herculiano-Houzel, a Vanderbilt University neuroscientist & her colleagues believe their method of quantifying neurons in an animal's brain, especially in the cerebral cortex, is the most accurate tool for judging its capacity for complex thought. So which animal comes out ahead in the Great Neuron Census? Brace yourselves, Team Cat. 'Dogs have about twice as many neurons as cats . . . But one of the more surprising insights from the research has nothing to do with cats, dogs or people. It's about raccoons . . . Within the raccoon's cat-sized brain lurks a dog-like number of neurons. So many, in fact, that if you were to look only at neuron count & brain size, you might mistake the raccoon for a small primate . . . " COMMENT: Sammy's squirrel-chasing routine never varies. He barks furiously at the side of our door to the deck. Once we open the door, he tears furiously down steps, down the steep slope of our back yard, uttering guttural growls, making such a racket that by the time he gets to the end of our backyard, any squirrel that was on the ground or perched on the fence has safely scurried into the tree tops or onto power lines. If he was really that brainy, wouldn't he have figured out by now that silently stalking these vermin might bring him success?From Norfolk Daily News (1/4): "Crohn's patient actually had ketchup packet in her intestine. A woman believed she was suffering from Crohn's disease for six years until doctors performed surgery & discovered a ketchup packet in the lining of her intestine . . . The doctors removed the plastic ketchup wrappers & the symptoms dissipated almost immediately. She's remained in good condition since the surgery . . . " COMMENT: Even the "raw water" * diet doesn't recommend consuming condiment packets. *
* SEE previous blog entry dated 3/12 . . . I think.
OWH (1/13): "Consumer Electronic Show: Whether they catch or flop, show's products can be entertaining . . . Modius, a headband to help you lose weight. Pack on a few lbs during this cold snap? Modius has built a headset that stimulates your vestibular nerve, which runs behind your ear & into your brain. You use Modius by attaching a pad to your skin, which has a wire that runs to the headband. The electric current, Modius says, stimulates the part of the brain that controls your appetite.It's meant to be an extra boost to supplement your weight-loss plan. Brain-zapping technology is still somewhat unproven, but several companies claim it can help everything from concentration to pain relief; $500, expected in FEB." COMMENT: This should like a worthy investment. No more pills & nose spray to control cluster headaches. ["Hand me my Modius, Lois, & let's head to the Valentino's Grand Italian Buffet!"]
From Minneapolis Star Tribune (1/21): "Just let it out: Stifling sneezes can end badly. Tempted to stifle a loud or untimely sneeze? Let it out instead, doctors in England warned based on the unusual case of a man who ruptured the back of his throat when he tried to suppress a sneeze . . . " COMMENT: On the other hand, I'm familiar with a case that involved someone who sneezed violently & threw out his back. What are you gonna do?
Criminal Minds
OWH (2/2): "New edition of Monopoly encourages player to cheat . . . Without the banker, cheating would be almost inevitable. But what if cheating was the whole point of the game? That's the case in a new edition of Monopoly, which Hasbro will release in the fall . . . " COMMENT: This sounds like a game right up the alley of the DNC.Wide, Wonderful, Wacky World of Celebrities
OWH (1/2): "Guitar legend Clapton says he's losing his hearing. Rock legend Eric Clapton is losing his hearing. The 'Layla' singer, 72, revealed TUE that he's suffering from tinnitus, a ringing in the ear that's commonly caused by noise-induced hearing loss . . . " COMMENTS: Let this be a lesson to those of you [us] who keep the volume turned up to rock concert settings while driving in our cars. ASIDE: Eric Clapton is my all-time favorite rock guitarist, * practically tied with Joe Walsh, whom I've seen in concert in an Iowa cornfield. [That may be a story for another time.]* "Layla & other assorted love songs" . . . best rock album of all time.
OWH (1/7): "Jerry Van Dyke achieved stardom with role on 'Coach' . . . The actor died FRI in AR. He was 86." COMMENT: I still remember his guest-star appearances on the Dick Van Dyke show, one of my Top 5 TV Comedies of all times.
There Is No Place Like Chicago
OWH (2/14): "Chicago's Hancock building will go by new name. Chicago's 100-story John Hancock Center along Michigan Ave. is getting a new name. One of the skyscraper's owners told the Chicago Tribune that for now the bldg will be known as 875 N. Michigan Ave . . . The bldg is the 4th-tallest in Chicago & is known for its X-shaped black braces." COMMENT: And then there's the tallest skyscraper in Chicago, the Willis Tower, better known to Lois & me as the Sears Tower. We've been to the top of both. Our preference was the Sears Tower, which was at least 10 stories taller than the Hancock Bldg. The super-speedy elevator to the observation floor actually made your ears pop. The view at 110 stories, especially at night, was awesome.Mental Health MON . . . WED edition
NDN (2/12): "Woman says airline told her to flush pet hamster in toilet . . . A FL woman said an airline told her to flush her hamster down an airport toilet because the emotional support rodent wasn't allowed to fly with her." COMMENT: It's not that I'm unsympathetic, but she, along with fellow airline patrons, should be thankful that she wasn't accompanied by an unauthorized emotional support muskrat. ** Get it? What would happen if you tried to flush a larger rodent down an airline toilet? Get it?
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