For Logophiles, Number Three!

Here is the next installment from: Word Lover’s Dictionary: Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words, by Josefa Heifetz.

cacidrosis [ka-ki-drō‘ sis], noun;

smelly sweat.

Source: Word Lover’s Dictionary: Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words, by Josefa Heifetz; and http://www.dictionary.com.

It’s Element-ary, Number Thirty-Six!

This month we move on to the next of the transition elements: tantalum. Tantalum comes from Africa (the Republic of Congo) and is used to store, charge, and even out the current in most every miniature electronic device. Tantalum is corrosion-resistant and is one of only two metals that can be used for replacement body parts. Cool!

tantalum – discovered in 1802 A.D.

Symbol: Ta
Atomic number: 73
Atomic weight: 180.95
Density: 16.65 g/cm³
Melting point: 3,017°C (5,463°F)
Boiling point: 5,458°C (9,856°F)
Color: blue-gray
Standard state: solid at 25°C (77°F)
Classification: metallic

Source: The Complete Periodic Table: Elements with Style, by Adrian Dingle and Dan Green.

Fun Fact Friday, Number 292!

Today’s real facts (courtesy of http://www.snapple.com) are about sunlight.  Did you know that . . .

• Mexican jumping beans jump to get out of sunlight? (Real Fact #360)
• heat, not sunlight, ripens tomatoes? (Real Fact #370)

Source: http://www.snapple.com/real-facts

Rainbow Warriors!

Every June, the Oklahoma Visual Arts Coalition (OVAC) hosts a studio art tour in Tulsa. As described on their website, “the artists featured on the Tour open their studios to the public for a weekend, giving art lovers a chance to get a behind the scenes look at local artists’ workspaces.” Here’s a piece I acquired from last year’s tour (2021). The artist: Bill Rabbit, the title: Rainbow Warriors, the medium, acrylic. This particular stop on the tour was about a 40-45 minute drive northeast of Tulsa (in Pryor, Oklahoma), but it was well worth the trip. Traci Rabbit’s studio was amazing as was the art.

Know Before You Go, Number Two!

Here is the next installment from the reference book: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, by Terri Morrison and Wayne A, Conway. This source was named “one of the best business ‘how-to’ books of 2006” [by Library Journal]. In addition to notes about each country (background, culture, history, type of government, language, business practices, protocols, etc.), there is also a section entitled “know before you go.” So whether you are traveling for business or for pleasure, a book like this could certainly come in handy. Periodically, I will be posting the “know before you go” on a variety of countries that I have not yet had the opportunity to visit (and perhaps some that I have, ex post facto, so that others may learn what I did not know prior to going).

I do hope to someday get to Japan . . . here is what you need to “know before you go.”

• The greatest difficulty is getting around.
  • Most of the signs are only in Japanese.
  • Not all of the buildings have street numbers.
  • The city layout is chaotic and confusing.
  • Using public transportation is difficult due to impatient crowds.
  • Without a guide, you could easily feel or get overwhelmed.
• Japan is a tectonically active location.
  • Has experienced many devastating earthquakes.
  • Has many active volcanoes.
    • Visitors may be viewed with suspicion following natural disasters (foreigners are often blamed for causing disruption [e.g., looting] after earthquakes.
• Weather emergencies — typhoons and tsunamis.
• North Americans tend to be larger than Japanese (taller and wider). Some Japanese accomodations may be difficult to use (showers, train seats, etc.). May have difficulty finding clothes in your size.
• Terrorist attacks.
• Open prejudice against foreigners.
• Taxi drivers are notoriously erratic and can be hazardous to passengers as well as pedestrians.
• If you plan to stay and are considering purchasing a car, there are many other costs associated with vehicle ownership.
  • Insurance.
  • Renting a registered parking space.
  • Expensive repairs (to pass the required inspections).

Source: Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands, by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conway, Japan, p. 280-281.

Being of Good Humor!

I have always tended to be a bit extroverted, which is certainly validated by my jovial personality. Check out some synonyms for “jovial” below.

jovial

\ joh-vee-uhl \, adjective;

1. endowed with or characterized by a hearty, joyous humor or a spirit of good-fellowship.
2. (initial capital letter) of or relating to the god Jove, or Jupiter.

Other words you may consider using (depending on your context/usage, of course):

• blithe
• buoyant
• convivial

Source: The Highly Selective Thesaurus for the Extraordinarily Literate by Eugene Ehrlich. Definitions courtesy of http://www.dictionary.com

Folded Feline!

Here is an origami design for your standard cat. Happy folding!

Source: https://youtu.be/Fln9pX_BYSo

Alexander Jackson Davis!

Born on this date in 1803, Alexander Davis was an architect known primarily for his Gothic Revival style. He started as an architectural illustrator in the 1820s and was convinced later to try his hand at the actual design of buildings. Pictured here is a photo of Lyndhurst, a home he designed in Tarrytown, New York in 1838. Davis did very little building in the last thirty years of his life (during and post Civil War) and actually closed his business in 1878.

Two Cats of Kilkenny!

Here is a fun limerick!

There once were two cats of Kilkenny,
Each thought there was one cat too many;
So they fought and they fit,
And they scratched and they bit,
Till instead of two cats there weren’t any.

Source: A Bundle of Birdbrains…Lots of Limericks (selected by Myra Cohn Livingston)

Fun Fact Friday, Number 291!

The category for today’s trivial imponderable is “sports.”  Do you know . . .how many consecutive strikes a bowler must throw to have a perfect game?

A perfect game in bowling requires twelve (12) strikes.

Source: Sorry, Wrong Answer: Trivia Questions That Even Know-It-Alls Get Wrong, by Dr. Rod L. Evans.