5/6/25 - Ruler Test, Sexy, and Real ID
- bribriny
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Tuesday 5/6/25
Celebrate:
Childhood Depression Awareness Day
International No Diet Day
Mom's Equal Pay Day
National Beverage Day
National Concert Day
National Crepe Suzette Day
National Nurses Day
National Teacher Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
No Homework Day
Poem on Your Pillow Day
World Asthma Day
--
Yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, which translates to "Fifth of May."
70% of Americans planned to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and most planned to do it by eating Mexican food . . . drinking margaritas . . . or sipping on Mexican beer.
20% say they celebrated Mexican culture . . . 14% say they'll "have a house party" . . . 8% will read up on Mexican history . . . and 8% say they'll go clubbing or bar hopping.
Do you know what it celebrates?
In a new poll,
39% of Americans say it's "Mexican Independence Day" (September 16th)
26% say it a celebration of Mexican-American culture
13% say it's just a fun excuse to drink
13% admit they have no clue what it's all about.
Just 10% of people know the correct answer: Cinco de Mayo actually commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla, which took place on May 5th, 1862 . . . 163 years ago.
Not all that notable except for the fact that it was a major morale boost and helped gain an alliance with the Americans to eventually force the French to withdraw.
--
AskReddit, "What's something that's sexy now that wasn't 20 years ago in 2005?"
Interesting that there's a lot of body positivity
Eyebrows that aren't pencil thin.
Lack of a tan . . . "It used to be almost everyone went to tanning salons, and NOT being tan somehow lowered your attractiveness."
Lack of tattoos . . . in addition to HAVING tattoos.
Bald guys with beards . . . "Used to scream midlife crisis. Now it's a whole aesthetic."
Muscular women.
Long hair on dudes.
Smaller-chested women
Bigger-chested men specifically, "dad bods."
50-year-olds . . . "20 years ago, when people turned 50, they looked like they should be on 'Golden Girls'. Today 50 looks like 30."
Sweat pants with elastic around the ankles. And calf-length socks.
An 800 credit score.
Critical thinking skills. And emotional maturity.
Being vegan, or at least being as healthy as you can be.
Being a non-smoker.
Having zero posts on social media.
Going to therapy.
Hand-crank windows in cars. (I don't understand this one at all)
Nerdy things . . . "Dungeons & Dragons, Magic, Warhammer, anime, comics, and just being super into fantasy."
See the thread here
--
The TSA says that if you don't have a Real ID by Wednesday, you better get to the airport at least THREE HOURS EARLY, because you'll be subject to delays and additional screening. And even then, you might not be cleared to fly.
A "Real ID" driver's license has a star in the top right corner, and it shows that you've verified your identity with additional documents.
Starting Wednesday, a regular old driver's license will no longer be enough to board a flight. If you don't have a Real ID, you'll need a U.S. passport . . . Global Entry or NEXUS . . . a permanent resident card . . . a border crossing card . . . a foreign government-issued passport . . . or a Veteran Health ID Card.
If you don't have one of those, get to the airport as early as you can . . . and bring as many other IDs with your photo as you can find. And if you aren't flying until this summer, arrange to get a Real ID ASAP.
--
Scientists have discovered that having decent reaction times is a key indicator that our brain is still working . . . especially as we get older. And you can even test your brain health and reaction times from the comfort of your own home.
It's called the "ruler-drop test." Here's what you have to do:
1. Sit in a chair, with your arm on a table so that your wrist is hanging over the edge. Turn your wrist so your thumb and pointer finger are facing up.
2. Have your helper pinch the very top of the ruler, where the numbers finish. The zero should be dangling directly above your thumb.
3. Without warning, tell your friend to drop the ruler.
4. With just your thumb and pointer finger, try to catch the ruler as fast as possible. Write down the measurement on your ruler where your fingers landed.
How many centimeters was it? You can do it a few times and figure out your average reaction time.
If you catch the ruler at a distance less than 7.5 centimeters, it is excellent.
If you catch it between 7.5 and 15.9 centimeters, that's above average.
If you catch it between 15.9 and 20.4 centimeters, that's average.
Between 20.4 and 28 is below average, and anything over 28 is poor.
Not only will the results of this test show you how well your brain is functioning, but it can also be a window into your overall risk of death.
One study found there's a strong relationship between reaction times and risk of death from coronary heart disease . . . stroke . . . and respiratory disease.
Here's a video of it in action!
--
Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - After "Top Gun" came out, the number of men joining the Navy to become Naval pilots went up 500%.
–
Comments