Finland is already cited as the happiest country in the world, which is probably why the world was eager to jump onto the idea that the nation was considering making its citizens even happier by implementing a four-day work week. It turns out that it was only a panel discussion and not a policy change at all, but is a four-day work week a good idea?
The Irwin family of Australia remains one of the most beloved families of the world despite the loss of Steve Irwin in 2006. Now the family is helping to save animals who've been harmed in the Australian wildfires, treating the animals at the Queensland Zoo where his daughter, Bindi, says that they are safe.
When you consider the drinks of today against those banned during Prohibition, you have to wonder what people of the 1920s might have thought of today's drinks. Maybe they wouldn't have supported bootlegging if they'd known what kinds of wild concoctions we'd come up with. Bacon? In cocktails?
As a poet, I can confirm that I am a deeply flawed individual with plenty of bad habits. We tend to think of poets as these enlightened beings who know the secrets of life but in reality, they are just as human as the rest of us.
If you're a frog lover, you have to check out this group of dumpy tree frogs on Instagram. Their owners run their "Dumb Thicc Dumpy Tree Frogs" page and it's full of such sweet frog goodness! Every little thing you love to watch frogs do? Yeah, they are doing it and more.
These frogs are adorable as they pile up, pose next to food, hide under a toadstool and more. My favorite is the one where the little green frog looks like he's bending his elbow to offer some sage advice. It's pretty meme-worthy.
The Fox Corporation is losing Seth MacFarlane, the creator of Family Guy and American Dad. MacFarlane has been offered a $200 million contract to work for NBCUniversal and he's accepted. The contract is for five years and he will be creating both cable-based and streaming programs for the company.
A lot of bucket lists are written with enormous goals in mind that often include traveling far away, but some of the best items are often in your own backyard. Have you made a staycation bucket list yet? If so, what's on your Seattle Bucket List for 2020?
When it comes to date night, do you like to have a party for two and play games that are just for two players? We love to do this, but we find that games for only two players are harder to find. We'll often play Life or Battleship at our favorite beer and pizza place, but we'd love some other great two-player ideas.
Instead of sharing all of the woes of the world today, let's share a few ways we can make the world better. I'd like to start by saying you can phonebank for Elizabeth Warren (or any candidate you support; she is obviously mine), if you would like to help generate some support no matter where you live.
You can also ask that the government help support efforts in Australia. I'm sure that's breaking your heart. It's certainly breaking mine.
If you've been waiting for this year's "All the Years Live" release, the wait is over! You can see "Let It Grow" from the July 8, 1990 performance at the Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh now. Click here to watch!
Hardcore fans know that this was not an original standalone song, but the second part to "Weather Report Suite" in its original form. "Let It Grow" worked better as its own unique song so that's what the Dead went with instead.
It's a new year, which means Goodreads is all about setting up your big reading challenge. And if you're me, according to Goodreads, you're already 3 books behind, since I set over 100 books as my annual goal! No worries, though; I rate every comic book, homeschooling book and book I read for fun, which means I usually get well over 200 books read.
In the seventh grade, I got my first planner from my junior high school. We were meant to write our assignments in it, and I was hooked. What a fantastic way to remember what you needed to do! I loved to customize my planner, making special boxes for after-school activities, adding quotes and stickers and generally just staying on top of my life and being creative at the same time.
If you're into getting a bit more hygge in your life, you might be trying out a bunch of Scandinavian desserts. They aren't necessary to experience hygge, of course, but it doesn't hurt to try them out.
From cinnamon rolls to fresh baked bread, ebleskivers to bread porridge, there's really something for everyone and all of it sounds so homey and delicious to me. I'm not sure I trust my own hand at doing any of these treats justice and may simply try to find them on my own at various bakeries instead!
Every day I'm just humbled by the beauty and wonder of nature. Today I learned that rattlesnakes actually have a built-in hydration system, which makes sense when you think about how little water they often have to work with. It turns out that their scales are designed to catch water so they can sip it off and remain hydrated! The same goes for sleet and snow.
Cats are such strong creatures. They don't want you to know when they hurt, choosing to hide when they're in pain rather than depend on you (as we do them; mine know when I'm in pain and act like furry heating pads). One of ours has been battling a heart condition for months now and he's never appeared more regal to us.
"Listen my children and you shall hear about the midnight ride of Paul Revere..." who hasn't learned this story in middle school? Paul Revere is hailed as an American hero who warned the American colonists that the British were coming during the Revolutionary War, but he really didn't do as much as Israel Bissell, who rode for DAYS, or Sybil Ludington, the 16-year-old girl who reportedly rode for double the length that Revere did to spread the news.
There is little interest among U.S. utilities in constructing new nuclear power reactors. It is often mentioned as a possible energy source in planning but is seldom chosen as a top choice. Far more often, natural gas, solar or wind are chosen as the most viable and desirable options.
Ambient office = 56 nanosieverts per hour
Ambient outside = 94 nanosieverts per hour
Soil exposed to rain water = 94 nanosieverts per hour
Depleted uranium (DU) is a radioactive by-product from the production of nuclear energy. Most uranium in the crust of the earth is isotope U-238 which is mildly radioactive. About three quarters of one percent of natural uranium is U-235 which is highly radioactive. In order to fuel conventional nuclear power reactors, uranium ore is refined to increase the percent of U-235 to from three to five percent.
