What’s your sign? Today I found out that I have always been a Libra, and not a Scorpio. Horoscopes are generally called a pseudoscience. But controversy aside - The Zodiac signs were created over 3,000 years ago. The earth’s tilt has changed since then so the constellations appear in completely different positions in the sky.
The Kowloon Walled City. At its height, 35,000 inhabitants lived in what is the most densely populated living arrangement that human beings have ever experienced in history, with about 1.3 human beings per square meter of a surveyor's map. That's over 115 times as dense as habitation in present-day New York City. That's about 29 times as dense as Manila, the world's most densely populated city at the time of this writing. The Kowloon Walled City itself was demolished in 1993. “And know that even seeing this image at this scale is still the barest cross-section, the most fleeting glimpse, of its subjects now lost to time and the lives illustrated therein”. Here is the most detailed panoramic illustration of this remarkable city showing a cross section of what it may have looked like when fully inhabited:
99 second-hand smartphones are walked through the city in a handcart to generate a virtual traffic jam in Google Maps. Through this activity, it is possible to turn a green street red which has an impact in the physical world by navigating cars on another route to avoid being stuck in traffic. http://simonweckert.com/googlemapshac...
In 1984, at the peak of his popularity, Michael Jackson filmed an ad for Pepsi that goes horribly wrong when some stray pyrotechnics set his hair on fire. This took place at the exact midpoint of his life - he was alive for 9,281.5 days and died 9,281.5 days later. Here are all of Jackson's grunts in a video:
Include lots of pictures in your “About Me” page. Colored visuals (illustrations, photos, infographics, etc) increase your visitors willingness to read your story by 80%. 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual, and visuals are processed 60,000 times faster than text. People remember 10% of what they hear, 20% of what they read, and 80% of what they see. Images are more memorable than text.
Pau1 from Deplatformable Newsletter…
Popeye In the comics, Popeye originally derived his great strength from rubbing the head of Bernice the Whiffle Hen, until June 26, 1931, when spinach was first referenced as the source of Popeye's power. Popeye's likely last name would be Segar, based on the name of his creator, Elzie Crisler Segar. Popeye is known as Iron Arm in Italy, Karl Alfred in Sweden and Skipper Skraek or "Terror of the Sea" in Denmark. Segar's strip was quite different from the cartoons that followed. The stories were more complex, with many characters that never appeared in the cartoons. Spinach usage was rare and Bluto made only one appearance.
Quote (Popeye): ”I yam what I yam”!
Quan Hongchan and Chen Yuxi are widely regarded as the most formidable divers among the competitors in the Paris Olympic Games, with experts deeming them almost unbeatable. They have claimed victory in the last three world championships, and Chen is the reigning gold medalist from the Tokyo Games, where she contributed to China’s sixth consecutive gold in this event.
Quan's diving prowess is so extraordinary that it defies description, prompting the creation of new terms to capture her skill. The Mandarin phrase “shui hua xiao shi shu,” meaning "water splash disappearance technique," describes how Quan enters the water with such precision that only the slightest ripples are visible.
Alaska's tidal shoreline measures approximately over 46,600 miles, which is longer than the other 49 states coastlines combined!
At 8:15 p.m. on November 8, 2016, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a surprising speech on live TV. He said that starting at midnight, the 500- and 1,000-rupee bills would no longer be accepted as money. This meant that more than 86% of the country’s cash would suddenly become useless. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-37974423
This coming October, 2024, Malaysia is set to unveil a new internet "kill switch" law, according to Law Minister Azalina Othman Said. The proposed legislation is designed to enhance digital security by giving authorities the ability to block online content, though the details are still vague. Mr. Said highlighted the necessity for social media and messaging platforms to assume greater responsibility for combating online crimes.
Electric Vehicles still too soon? Such a big financial investment is needed to electrify the car industry that from July to September, Ford lost $60,000 for every EV it sold. Tesla, Rivian, and other EV companies are selling directly to consumers, cutting the dealer profits out.
Michael Phelps has more gold medals in the Olympics than any other person - 18 golds, two bronze, and two silver. The world renowned swimmer considered becoming a professional golfer after retiring from swimming. He holds the world record for the longest televised putt at 159 feet:
According to US Government research, once your car reaches 50 MPH, every 5 miles per hour you drive over that speed will cost you an extra 24 cents per gallon of gas, on average.
On a highway in Colorado is a mile marker sign that says 419.99. Why? Because the sign that used to say 420 kept getting stolen.
Taylor Swift has broken Elvis Presley's long-held record for most weeks spent No 1 on the Billboard album chart as a solo artist, setting a new record of 68 weeks.
Most weed trimmer line is made from nylon. Nylon gets tougher after it's hydrated. Put it in hot tap water for a half hour before use. And it won’t break as easily.
On February 14, 2018, Anthony Borges, 15, was shot in his Parkland Florida high school. Anthony barricaded a door to a classroom to protect other students, saving as many as 20 lives. He was the last of the injured to leave the hospital.
Google is the most visited website in the world. It’s domain name “Google.com” expired in Oct. 2014. An ex-Google employee named Sanmay Ved bought it. Google quickly saw their mistake and reversed the purchase, after paying him double the amount of $6,006.13 which spells out Google if you squint real hard. Sanmay donated the 12 grand to charity.
Look up the adjective biweekly in the dictionary and you will see it defined as "occurring every two weeks" AND as "occurring twice a week." Similarly, the adjective bimonthly is defined as "occurring every two months" AND as "occurring twice a month." Best to use "twice a week," or “every other month” if you are writing about that frequency to avoid ambiguity.
What’s the difference between Marketing and Advertising? Allan Dib wrote a popular book titled "The 1 - Page Marketing Plan".
He wrote: “Here’s the simplest, most jargon-free, definition of marketing you’re ever likely to come across:
If the circus is coming to town and you paint a sign saying “Circus Coming to the Showground Saturday,” that’s advertising.
If you put the sign on the back of an elephant and walk it into town, that’s promotion.
If the elephant walks through the mayor’s flower bed and the local newspaper writes a story about it, that’s publicity.
And if you get the mayor to laugh about it, that’s public relations.
If the town’s citizens go to the circus, you show them the many entertainment booths, explain how much fun they’ll have spending money at the booths, answer their questions and ultimately, they spend a lot at the circus, that’s sales.
And if you planned the whole thing, that’s marketing.”
50 years ago the town of Marottichal, India, was rife with alcoholism and illicit gambling. One day a fellow named Unnikrishnan moved back to town and opened a teashop. And he began teaching customers to play chess as a healthier way to pass the time. Today 4,000 of the 6,000 population are playing chess, almost daily. “Not only did the archaic game eliminate alcoholism and supersede clandestine card games, but it has engrained itself into Marottichal’s identity, and it continues to protect the town’s residents from modern pitfalls”. Why chess? “Chess improves concentration, builds character and creates community,” he said. “We don’t watch television here; we play chess and talk to each other.” Even the children play chess.
E-Commerce: vs Brick and Mortar: There were 12M+ active online stores in the US at the start of 2024..
Before Covid hit, there were around 4M stores. By comparison, there are just over 1 million physical retail establishments in the U.S. Around 70% of American consumers shop online regularly.
Chuck Norris has a diary. It's called the Guinness Book of World Records.
OK, not true, but Ashrita Furman, from New York, has set more than 700 official Guinness Records since 1979 and currently holds more than 200 standing records – including the official record for the most records held at the same time by an individual. https://www.ashrita.com/
Scorpio -my new sign? Scorpio has always been my moon sign and I’ve identified with my Sagittarius sun sign. Traveler, adventurer, philosophy and spiritual wonderer, being a Sagittarius fits me. But, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf. So I’ll embrace Scorpio!! But first, I’ll go read up on it. By the way, I think this must be astrology’s best kept secret.
I've always been the classic Sagittarius - but now I'm enjoying rebelling in my Scorpio-ness!
Scorpio -my new sign? Scorpio has always been my moon sign and I’ve identified with my Sagittarius sun sign. Traveler, adventurer, philosophy and spiritual wonderer, being a Sagittarius fits me. But, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf. So I’ll embrace Scorpio!! But first, I’ll go read up on it. By the way, I think this must be astrology’s best kept secret.