Friday 11/18/22
Celebrate:
Apple Cider Day
International STAND UP to Bullying Day
Married to a Scorpio Support Day
Mickey Mouse Day
National Princess Day
National Vichyssoise Day
Occult Day
Push-Button Phone Day
William Tell Day
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Here's a rundown of some facts about being afraid of the dark . . .
1. It's a common fear. According to a study from June, at least 8% of American adults are afraid of the dark. And it's even more common among children.
2. We're predisposed to developing a fear of the dark. We're more likely to be afraid of things that would have been dangerous to our prehistoric ancestors . . . things like heights, spiders, snakes, and the dark.
3. It may stem from a fear of the unknown. Things that make us feel uneasy are commonly things that are outside of our control. And when it comes to the dark, we don't know what's there, so it's scary.
4. It could also be a result of life events. Some people may be afraid of the dark due to a negative experience they had at night. Something like a robbery or attack that they now associate with nighttime and the dark.
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A tech startup in Pittsburgh called Shift Robotics is trending thanks to their new Battery-Powered shoes that make you walk up to 250% faster.
They're called Shift Moonwalkers and kind of look like roller skates. But they're designed to let you walk like normal.
Basically, you're walking AND rolling at the same time, which sounds tough. But they use A.I. to adapt to the way you walk, so you don't trip or fall.
You can't drift in them. So they're not like skates or those "Heely" shoes with wheels that kids wear. The wheels stay locked unless you're walking. So you can go up and down stairs in them. And there's a feature to limit your top speed when you're walking downhill.
The downsides are they strap to your shoes, so they're kind of bulky. (And ugly.) And the price tag will be around $1,400.
They're available for pre-order on Kickstarter for a little less than that right now and ship in March.
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A baby website called My1stYears.com took 400 of the most popular baby names in the U.S., and had a linguistics expert whittle it down to the top 50 for boys and girls. But they didn't rank them yet.
To do that, they used data from a study in 2018 that looked at which types of sounds we find the most beautiful or pleasing.
According to the results, the most beautiful name for a boy is "Matthew" . . . and for girls, it's "Sophia."
The top ten for boys are: Matthew . . . Julian . . . William . . . Isaiah . . . Leo . . . Levi . . . Joseph . . . Theo . . . Isaac . . . and Samuel.
The top ten for girls are: Sophia . . . Zoe . . . Everly . . . Sophie . . . Riley . . . Ivy . . . Paisley . . . Willow . . . Ellie . . . and Emily.
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A woman in Raleigh, North Carolina called 911 the other day, because she ordered food from a barbecue joint . . . and her pork had a slight pink tinge to it.
The place is called Clyde Cooper's. They've won a bunch of awards and have been around since 1938. So they know what they're doing.
She'd complained and claimed her pork was undercooked. But the owner said it was perfect, and that's what pork looks like after it's smoked. She didn't believe them, left the store, called 911, and turned it into a big thing.
She claims she called because they wouldn't give her a refund, or exchange it for chicken instead. But they say that's nonsense. They DID offer to replace it, but she refused. They even tossed in a free piece of chicken.
Cops showed up and told her there was nothing they could do, but she could SUE them if she wanted to. She ended up leaving a one-star review on Google, but deleted it later. She says she's still considering a lawsuit though.
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Somewhere Tuesday, a new baby became the 8 billionth person on Earth, according to U.N. estimates, and by the time that child is 18, there might be another 1.7 billion people in total. Those are big numbers, and although population growth is slowing overall, it is booming in countries like Nigeria, Congo, Egypt and India, which will overtake China as the most populous nation in 2023.
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The Senate advanced a bill that would protect same-sex marriages even if the Supreme Court someday rules that states can ban them again.
Twelve Republicans joined Democrats to prevent a filibuster of the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require states that outlaw same-sex marriages to recognize the unions performed in states where they are allowed.
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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - The longest marriage ever was just under 91 years. It was a couple in England, and they were married from 1925 until the husband died in 2016
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