Wednesday, June 21st, 2006
Daily Archive
Categories:
Holidays,
Now You Know
Posted on Wednesday, 21 June 2006 16:50 by pfitz
At 8:26 am Eastern Daylight Time this morning, we hit the summer solstice. This is the longest day of the year for everyone in the Northern Hemisphere and the day when the sun reaches its northernmost point (about 23.5° north) over the Tropic of Cancer. The sun is only directly overhead if you’re at the Tropic of Cancer. (And in between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn is the region known as “The Tropics.” Go figure!)
Oh, and the earth is not any closer to the sun today than it is at any other time. Its orbit is nearly circular, not elliptical, despite the cool-looking pictures you may have seen.
Curious, though, that Americans herald this day as the BEGINNING of Summer. Most of the rest of the world seems to think differently. Visit The Straight Dope for more info. I like how they point out that, in the Northern Hemisphere, May 7 – August 7 is the 3-month period of maximum daylight, while June 4 – September 3 is the period of maximum temperature. Looks like much of Europe views Summer as starting in early May.
Anyway, the part that I like about Summer Solstice: the days will now begin to get shorter for the next 6 months!
Categories:
Personality/Psychology
Posted on Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:56 by pfitz
Sure, there’s probably a limited list of cities included as possibilities, but it’s interesting to see the results, which are based on what you like or require in a city.
American Cities That Best Fit You:
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| 60% Austin
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| 60% Seattle
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| 55% Denver
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| 55% Portland
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| 50% Las Vegas
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Categories:
Personality/Psychology
Posted on Wednesday, 21 June 2006 14:33 by pfitz
You Are 92% Gentleman
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No doubt about it, you are a total gentleman.
You please the pickiest ladies, and you make everyone in a room feel comfortable.
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For the ladies, there’s another version: Are You a Lady?
Current music: 
Aria 3: Metamorphosis
Categories:
News&Current Events,
Now You Know
Posted on Wednesday, 21 June 2006 11:41 by pfitz
Yes, that’s right! Releasing gas saves lives! But not human lives. HERRING lives! Flatulent fish being hunted by killer whales!
According to a study recently presented at the Acoustical Society of America meeting in Rhode Island (there’s a joke here somewhere), Norwegian killer whales slap their tails underwater to disorient and kill the herring that they eat. Apparently some of the herring escape by “releasing gas” and then swimming away under cover of the bubbles!
The full story is at Discovery Channel News. Give it a read to find out more about how these whales hunt the delectable (yet gassy) herring and how they even use a similar tactic to CATCH their prey.
Current music: 
A Day Without Rain, by Enya
Na
