Internet Wading - Delayed Miscellany

This collection of miscellany has been months in the making. I started it for March, added to it for April, and again for May, and again for June. Mainly, I kept forgetting about it. As time passed, I needed to check to make sure the links were still working, and that kept delaying things. I very nearly gave up.

The thing is, I run across all sorts of things on the Internet that I’d like to share. While I sometimes now share such things on the AmeriNZ Facebook Page, mostly I don’t. That’s a shame because there are a lot of good things about the Internet, like, for example, it can teach us all kinds of things, if we want it to, and it can be a tremendous resource. Other times, it’s just fun or interesting. And then other times…

In “I shower once a week. Here’s why you should too”, Donnachadh McCarthy tells us, “The daily bath or shower… is terrible for the environment and our bank balances.” He goes on:

“It is clear my daily shower habit resulted from falsely imposed cultural norms, rather than any legitimate health benefits. We do need to wash our hands frequently, for obvious hygiene reasons. But our skin has its own natural cleansing mechanism and it is generally only our armpits, feet and privates that produce any odours if unwashed.”

“So let’s ignore the advertising bullies and revert to the traditional weekly shower or bath, plus a daily sink-wash. Apart from anything else, think how much time we’ll save.”

A commenter added: “I have found life without washing hair is so much more pleasant. For showering, only as needed, determined by smell and/or feel. An minimum that is 1/week at max it is about 4 times a week, but even then soap is only used in the armpits.” Um, “determined by smell and/or feel”?!

Speaking of health, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre issued new nutritional dietary guidelines suggesting that people eat no more than two servings of meat per week. It seems the trend these days.

And for health things people obsess about, “An Engineered Protein Can Kill Cancer Cells in the Bloodstream”. And something helpful for the times in which we live: “How to change someone’s mind, according to science”.

Now, here’s some of that edumacation: “48 Hours of Joseph Campbell Lectures Free Online: The Power of Myth & Storytelling”. Originally posted August 31st, 2015, this is one of those things I stumbled across. The study of myth and storytelling is behind some of the great stories that millions enjoy, like Star Wars, for example.

“Metallic Ink Shines in Ancient Herculaneum Scrolls”. This could be huge.

And, let’s not forget about really important things: “Trash for Cash: An Oral History of Garbage Pail Kids”. I was too old for what they mocked, but the humour appealed to me. A lot.

But wait—there’s MORE free stuff! “The New York Public Library Just Unleashed 180,000 Free Images. We Can’t Stop Looking at Them”. As Mother Jones warns, “Say goodbye to your afternoon.”

And speaking of visual things, 3D printing is growing rapidly, and this sort of thing will become more popular: “Now You Can Have New York In The Palm Of Your Hand”.

And while we’re wasting using time looking at old photos (or random Intgernet sites…), it’s good to know that “Scientists May Have Just Figured Out Why Time Moves Forward, Not Backwards”.

Not everything can be serious, so maybe a look at “The 100 Jokes That Shaped Modern Comedy”. They say, “From the Marx Brothers to The Simpsons, Richard Pryor to Amy Schumer: 100 bits, sketches, and one-liners that changed humor forever.” Even I thought many were funny.

Speaking of funny (because I think I’m secretly still 13…): “If the 2016 Presidential Candidates Had Beards”. Mind you, I also have a beard, so that could be it.

Or, maybe “Ancient Greek sculptures dressed up in hipster clothing”. Just because.

“Here are 35 colorized photos that will completely change how you see history”. I’ve seen several of these before, but I’m always fascinated by them because they do tend to make the past seem more real than black and white images—no matter how beautifully done—can do. At least sometimes.

And speaking of photos, “Why people never smiled in old photos”:



That’s it for this month—well, these months, actually. Maybe I’ll remember to do this again next month—or eventually.