9/25/25 - Punctuation, Habit, and Crazy Baby Name

Thursday 9/25/25

Celebrate:

"If You See Something, Say Something" Awareness Day

Binge Day

Math Storytelling Day

National Comic Book Day

National Cooking Day

National Crab Meat Newburg Day

National Food Service Employees Day

National Lobster Day

National One-Hit Wonder Day

National Open the Magic Day

National Psychotherapy Day

National Quesadilla Day

National Research Administrator Day

National Tune-Up Day

Remember Me Thursday

World Dream Day

World Maritime Day

World Pharmacist Day

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Yesterday was National Punctuation Day!!!!!!

In a recent poll, most Americans say they "very often" use periods (72%) and capital letters (64%) in their writing.  Less than 10% of people say they rarely use periods or capitals.

Here's the rest of the breakdown:

3.  Commas . . . 55% of people "very often" use them.  10% rarely do.

4.  Contractions . . . 49% "very often" use them.  16% rarely do.

5.  Question marks . . . 39% "very often" use them.  21% rarely do.

6.  Quotation marks . . . 27% "very often" use them.  32% rarely do.

7.  Exclamation points . . . 25% "very often" use them.  37% rarely do.  

8.  Parentheses . . . 19% "very often" use them.  39% rarely do.

9.  Hyphens . . . 16% "very often" use them.  48% rarely do.

10.  Dashes . . . 15% "very often" use them.  50% rarely do.

11.  Colons . . . 13% "very often" use them.  54% rarely do.

12.  Semicolons . . . 11% "very often" use them.  57% rarely do.

71% of Americans claim to be "good" writers, including 24% who say they are "very good."  18% say they're "not very good."  5% say they're "not at all good."

The #1 type of writing Americans do is:  Text messages.  Emails is second, followed by work documents . . . journal entries . . . non-fiction essays . . . poetry or songs . . . and fiction, including short stories and novels.

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Are tattoos good? There is one perk. It's harder for AI to replicate.

Many social media users have noticed that AI tends to stumble when it comes to body art. Tattoos often come out smudged, too generic, or completely mismatched from the real thing.

One commenter said “BRB getting more tattoos." Another added, “I’ve also noticed those AI things never seem to get heavily pierced people’s facial piercings right.”

Others saw it as a form of protection they hadn’t considered. “I’m getting very serious about a face tattoo,” one viewer joked. Someone else chimed in: “I’m covered in so many moles, freckles, and birthmarks on top of my tattoos. AI will never accurately guess all of them.”

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Cancel culture might....be canceled.

51% of respondents say it's gone too far.

13% think it's just right

6% say it's not gone far enough

44% think the government is the biggest threat to free speech

and 33% think both liberals and conservatives are more likely to be negatively affected

with 16% saying Liberals and 22% thinking Conservatives.

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You wake up, brush your teeth, make coffee, check your phone, drive to work. How much of that morning routine did you actually think about? According to new research, the answer might surprise you: almost none of it.

Many things you do, you do on autopilot. Almost nine out of every ten daily actions happen automatically, without conscious thought.

The results show that 88% of daily behaviors were “habitually executed,” meaning people performed them with minimal conscious oversight. Meanwhile, 65% of behaviors were “habitually instigated,” triggered automatically by environmental cues rather than deliberate decision-making.

Habit!

Rather than viewing habits as obstacles to overcome, the study suggests we should harness the brain’s natural tendency toward automation. For positive changes like exercise or healthy eating, the goal becomes creating the right environmental cues and contexts to trigger desired behaviors automatically.

The research team recommends that behavior change programs “incorporate strategies to encourage habit formation for new, wanted behaviors, while seeking to disrupt unwanted habits that may undermine change.”

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Today's weird baby name story.

A woman said her 29-year-old brother and his 27-year-old wife are expecting their first child together, and have been trying to come up with a name for some time.

Inspiration struck the dad-to-be when he was "smoking meat in his backyard", and he's now stuck on naming his child Brisket.

"At first, we all thought he was joking. But nope. He doubled down. Said it's 'strong, masculine, and unforgettable'. My sister-in-law looked kind of uncomfortable but didn't say much. My mum nearly choked on her iced tea."

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One in three Americans is embracing “repeat traveling,” preferring to return to the same vacation destination year after year.

The survey, conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Apple Vacations, found that repeat travelers are emotionally invested in their destinations and need to feel deep connections with the local community. In fact, 65% of repeat visitors report feeling like “locals” in their favorite vacation spots.

Thirty-five percent of beachgoers and 20% of theme park families identify as repeat travelers, while those going on road trips (26%) are more likely to seek out new destinations.

One of the reasons is travelers know exactly what awaits them.

Familiarity and comfort top the list at 52%, but scenery (40%), traditions with friends or family (40%) and even the food scene (40%) also play major roles.

For others, affordability (39%) and ease of planning (35%) make familiar spots especially appealing, showing how both emotional and practical factors shape travel habits.

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Here are three dating tips from a poet in Ancient Rome that still apply today:  You have to make an effort, because they won't just show up at your door.  You probably won't find the right person while you're DRUNK.  And don't look like a slob.  He literally told men to pluck their nose hair.

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Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - The United States is one of the few countries that drinks milk cold.  Most other countries use a different method of pasteurization that keeps milk good even when it's not refrigerated, and they like drinking it at room temperature.

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