BITS & PIECES OF A MISPLACED LIFE: THIS & THAT

PAINTING BY RUSSELL CONNOR. from MASTERS IN PIECES

"What Irishman ever took seriously what he put down on a piece of government paper?
                                           P.J. Kavanagh
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GERMANY & CHINESE CHECKERS

Contrary to its name, however, Chinese checkers has nothing to do with China — it’s a variation of a game called Halma (meaning “jump” in Greek). Halma features a square board, and a star-shaped version was invented in Germany around 1880. Originally called Stern-Halma, the star-shaped game was published by the German game and puzzle company Ravensburger in 1892. 

The game arrived in America in the late 1920s under the name Hop Ching checkers, and, later, Chinese star checkers. It was advertised as “a game from the Orient for all ages,” but this backstory was invented entirely for marketing, to give the product an air of mysticism..."

HISTORY FACTS (June 2, 2024)
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/FMfcgzQVwndFmSrJWpZTvwngFRSZtrhS
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HAPTIC TECHNOLOGY


"In electronics, “haptic technology” is also called “kinesthetic communication” or “3D touch,” and its goal is to give users more feedback when a task is accomplished — for example, when a button on a glass screen is tapped, a haptic buzz gives an acknowledgment. For many, the first introduction to haptic technology was through gaming controls, which introduced haptic features to make players feel more deeply invested in the games. However, the technology also has lifesaving applications in aviation, where haptic signals delivered through controls can be used to warn pilots of potential dangers, and automotive design, where haptic alerts encourage drivers to monitor lane departure." 

https://www.wordgenius.com/words/haptic?utm_source=daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=1765100155
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STOP SIGNS

"There’s a reason stop signs in the U.S. are generally red and octagonal, yield signs are triangular, and so on. Mix that up, and you create a version of the Stroop effect. The viewer could take a second or two longer to process a green stop sign—and sometimes that second or two can make more than 100 feet of difference."

T. CAMPBELL 
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THE OLDEST BREWERY IN THE WORLD

On 14 February 2021, Egyptian and American archaeologists discovered what could be the oldest brewery in the world dating from around 3100 BCE at the reign of King Narmer. Dr. Matthew Adams, one of the leaders of the mission, stated that it was used to make beer for royal rituals.[19][
                                                Wikipedia

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SANTA'S REINDEER

Best known for his Wizard of Oz series, L. Frank Baum wrote The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus in 1902. In it he gave Santa’s reindeer new names that never quite stuck: Flossie, Glossie, Racer, Pacer, Fearless, Peerless, Ready, Steady, Feckless, and Speckless.

ONE GOOD FACT website

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HEAT & THE HUMAN BODY

“The human body has evolved to shed heat in two main ways. Blood vessels swell, carrying heat to the skin so it can radiate away and sweat erupts onto the skin, cooling it by evaporation. When those mechanisms fall, we die. It sounds straightforward; it’s actually a complex, cascading collapse.”

Elizabeth Royte. “Too Hot To Live” in National Geographic
(July 2021)
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GRATITUDE

This short verse
Is blessed
Simply by having
Your eyes 
Passing over it.

It cannot express
In simple terms
Its eternal gratitude.

Louis Phillips