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Wow...just realized, until last night, it had been nearly 7 years I had been on here. Sorry to anyone who still remembers me. Life happened and I completely forgot about this amazing place until last night. Recently survived a major hurricane. Which was historic. I live in the mountains of North Carolina and we got wrecked. Thankfully our home survived, but we took a hit financially. We were without power for two weeks, internet a month, and water for a month. Then there was three wild fires 13 miles away from our home. Anyways, my family is safe and I am going to try and get on here again and be more active.

That's interesting, you don't often see this kind of word in english; more so in other languages. In a way you could say the word is adscititious to the language in and of itself

Happy New Year!

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/atom-eve-ff090d Invincible Presents: Atom Eve is currently free on Epic Games Store. https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/kardboard-kings-0962f8 Kardboard Kings is currently free on Epic Games Store. https://freebies.indiegala.com/tomato-jones-2 Tomato Jones 2 is currently free on IndieGala.

Fall Anime 2024 AniChart | MAL Chart | AniDB Chart Finally narrowed down my listing somewhat after taking a more in-depth look into PVs, source material, the people behind the series, etc. This season is truly the season of sequels. Oh my. Sequels: Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest Season 3 Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War - The Conflict Blue Exorcist: Beyond the Snow Saga Dragon Ball Daima Gundam: Requiem for Vengeance Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? V KamiErabi GOD.app Season 2 Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 3 Rurouni Kenshin: Kyoto Disturbance Seirei Gensouki: Spirit Chronicles Season 2 Shangri-La Frontier Season 2 Sword Art Online Alternative: Gun Gale Online II The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse Season 2 Continuing: Fairy Tail: 100 Years Quest New Series Potentially Watching: Dandadan Orb: On the Movements of the Earth The Do-Over Damsel Conquers The Dragon Emperor Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror Some of the returning shows I'm a little iffy on because past seasons were kind of on the fence as to whether I should continue them or drop, but I guess I'm willing to give them a shot again. This includes Arifureta, KamiErabi, Shangri-La, and Gun Gale Online. Seirei Gensouki is listed under sequels but I've yet to watch the first season despite it being on my list since it originally aired. So perhaps I'll try to make some time to watch that soon and then we'll see if it's something I want to continue with or not. Seven Deadly Sins I'm multiple seasons behind on now and it remains to be seen if I'll continue watching it after the point where the original story ends and the new cast of characters take over. That may end up being my stopping point, but we'll see how I feel about things at that point and I'll try giving the new cast a shot... It's just history showcases that changes like this rarely turn out good. And while ReZero Season 2 was a huge let down after the first seasons highs... I'm going into season 3 hopeful that it may improve things. It's suspected to be at least 3 cours long so we'll see. Meanwhile I've yet to watch Season 4 of DanMachi so I've got some catching up to do on that front as well. It's clear to me that there is no way I'm going to be able to watch all of these during the season so plenty will end up on my backlog... but it is what it is.

What's the Word: ADSCITITIOUS pronunciation: [ad-sih-TISH-əs] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. Forming an addition or supplement; not integral or intrinsic. Examples: "When the dense fog stranded hundreds of travelers, the resort struggled to feed the adscititious crowd." "The Sunday papers used to come with more than a half-dozen adscititious magazines and promotional flyers." About Adscititious “Adscititious” is based on the Latin “adscitus,” meaning “admitted.” Did you Know? The word “adscititious” has a two-part definition: “forming an addition or supplement” and also “not integral.” While both parts make up the definition, they can be at odds with each other — something that is not integral can be seen as unneeded. However, supplements are usually helpful additions, and sometimes even necessary. Consider the nutritional supplement folic acid. This might fit both sides of the definition of adscititious; it’s not integral to most adult diets, but it’s extremely important to supplement as a prenatal vitamin.

The last episode of season one of HoriMiya. It was such a a sweet episode. The whole series was wonderful, but I love how it came to a beautiful ending of Izumi proposing to Kyoko. It was in a tasteful innocent way, and not some cheesy over the top way.

Just sitting here watching snow and playing Pokemon Violet.

Huniepop is free on both steam and gog today, for its 10th anniversary: https://store.steampowered.com/app/339800/HuniePop/ https://www.gog.com/en/game/huniepop

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! What's the Word: EPHEMERA pronunciation: [ih-FEM-ər-ə] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 14th century Meaning: 1. Things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time. 2. Items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity. Examples: "Realizing many of his belongings were basically ephemera, Greg donated them to charity before he moved." "When Sara is at the fair, she’d rather eat decadent foods than win ephemera on the midway." About Ephemera “Ephemera” is taken directly from the Latin, where it was borrowed from the ancient Greek “ἐφήμερᾰ” (“ephḗmera”), meaning “short lived” or “living for a day.” Did you Know? In the world of collectibles, “ephemera” refers to a broad category of items that were never intended to last a long time or have any particular value. This category includes things such as old periodicals, receipts, tickets, and product packaging, as well as outdated maps and documents that are now obsolete. All of these items were intended to exist for a very short period of time, but to modern collectors, ephemera from years ago provides a clear picture of life in the past.

Merry Christmas!

Kondo shared more info about the Trails in the Sky Remake. Saying the voice cast for Sky Remake is still undecided. So remains to be seen if we'll get the same cast from the recent games or brand new casting. Also confirmed that the game will feature new details that debuted in later entries of the series post-Sky that'll help cohesion and worldbuilding. So it's not a 1 for 1 remake. They're going to be adding stuff to make it better fit with later entries by including various additional details. Physical editions of Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter in the West were confirmed. Limited Run Games will handle the collector’s launch with a standard release made available via Amazon.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/the-lord-of-the-rings-return-to-moria-f01344 The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria is currently free on Epic Games Store.

https://www.gog.com/en/game/the_whispered_world_special_edition The Whispered World: Special Edition is currently free on GOG.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/bus-simulator-21 Bus Simulator 21 Next Stop is currently free on Epic Games Store. https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/lego-star-wars-the-skywalker-saga Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is currently free on Epic Games Store.

Batman Arkham Asylum and Sonic x Shadow Generations. I'm not a gamer so these are officicially my first ever games I've spent money on.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/beholder-8c3b4c Beholder is currently free on Epic Games Store. https://freebies.indiegala.com/jumping-knight Jumping Knight is currently free on IndieGala. https://store.steampowered.com/app/552990/World_of_Warships/ https://store.steampowered.com/app/3254520/World_of_Warships__7th_Anniversary_Gift/ World of Warships — 7th Anniversary Gift DLC is currently free on Steam. The base game is free to play.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/220/HalfLife_2/ Half-Life 2 currently free on Steam.

https://www.gog.com/en/game/diggles_the_myth_of_fenris#Diggles-The-Myth-of-Fenris Diggles: The Myth of Fenris is currently free on GOG.

https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/castlevania-anniversary-collection-a61f94 Castlevania Anniversary Collection is currently free on Epic Games Store. https://store.epicgames.com/en-US/p/snakebird-complete-e6f0ae Snakebird Complete is currently free on Epic Games Store. https://freebies.indiegala.com/wheres-my-helmet Where's My Helmet? is currently free on IndieGala.

Will continue the season 02 ongoing breakdown of skipped, altered, and original content for the new anime below. Season 02 Episode 01 : Chapters 58-60, few pages of 62. Episode 02 : Chapters 60 (three pages), 61-63, a page of 64. Episode 03 : Chapters 64-66. Episode 04 : Chapters 67-69, half a page of 70. Episode 05 : Chapters 70-71. Episode 06 : Chapters 72-73. Episode 07 : Chapters 74-75, a few pages of 76. Episode 08 : Chapters 76-78. Episode 09 : Chapters 79-80, 81 (all but 2 pages). Episode 10 : 25th Anniversary's Extra Chapter, Chapter 81 (2 pages). Episode 11 : Chapters 82-84. Episode 12 : Chapters 85-87.

https://store.steampowered.com/app/585690/Minimalism/ Minimalism is currently free on Steam.

Email functionality should be fixed now. Sorry about that!

Fact of the Day - WHITE ON LABOR DAY IS A NO-NO Did you know... After the Civil War, the wives of the super-rich came up with a number of fashion laws to separate the old money crowd from those with vulgar new money. Wearing white in the summer makes sense. Desert dwellers have known for thousands of years that white clothing seems to keep you a little bit cooler than other colors. But wearing white only during the summer? While no one is completely sure when or why this fashion rule came into effect, the best guess is that it had something to do with snobbery in the late 1800s and early 1900s. After the Civil War, the wives of the super-rich ruled high society with an iron fist. As more and more people became millionaires, though, it was difficult to differentiate between respectable old money families and those who only had vulgar new money. By the 1880s, to tell who was acceptable and who was not, the women who were already “in” felt it necessary to create dozens of fashion rules that everyone in the know had to follow. That way, if a woman showed up at the opera in a dress that cost more than most Americans made in a whole year, but it had the wrong sleeve length, other women would know not to give her the time of day. Not wearing white outside the summer months was reportedly another one of these silly rules. White was for weddings and resort wear, not dinner parties in the fall. Of course, it could get extremely hot in September, and wearing white might make sense. But if you wanted to be appropriately attired you just did not do it. Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, and society eventually adopted it as the natural endpoint for summer fashion. Not everyone followed this rule. Even some socialites continued to buck the trend—most famously Coco Chanel, who regularly wore white year-round. Though the rule was originally enforced by only a few hundred women, over the decades it trickled down to everyone else. By the 1950s, women’s magazines made it clear to middle class America: White clothing was dug out on Memorial Day and went back into storage after Labor Day. These days the fashion world is much more relaxed about what colors to wear and when, but every year you will still hear people say that white after Labor Day is unacceptable, all thanks to some snobby millionaires who decided that was a fashion no-no more than 100 years ago. Source: Why Can’t You Wear White After Labor Day?

What's the Word: APPETENCY pronunciation: [APP-ə-dən-see] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, early 17th century Meaning: 1. A longing or desire. 2. A natural tendency or affinity. Examples: "Ice cream topped with pickles was the strangest appetency that she had during her pregnancy." "My grandfather passed along his appetency for woodworking and carving." About Appetency The Latin verb "appetere," meaning "to seek after," is the root of both "appetency" and "appetite." In addition to the definition of "hunger," "appetency" also means "a natural inclination for something." If you have an appetency for cooking, you might want to consider culinary school. Did you Know? One usage of "appetency" ("a longing or desire") is as a synonym for "appetite," but it has a stronger implication of craving attached to it. If you use "appetency" instead of "appetite," there might be an emotional hunger associated with your desire.

What's the Word: GERMANE pronunciation: [jer-MAIN] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. Relevant to a subject under consideration. Examples: "Discussing the author’s childhood was germane to the lecture on his influences. " "You can find germane sources listed in the appendix to the book. " About Germane Germane, previously spelled "germain," was synonymous with the adjective "german" (lowercase) in Middle English. Both words come from the Latin word "germanus," meaning "genuine," or "of the same parents." Did you Know? The modern definition of "germane" — relevant to a given subject — first appears in Shakespeare's "Hamlet": "The phrase would bee more Germaine to the matter: If we could carry Cannon by our sides." Prior to about 1600, the adjective "germaine/german" was applied to people having the same parents. Following Shakespeare's usage, it became more loosely applied to anything connected.

What's the Word: APHORISM pronunciation: [AF-ər-iz-əm] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, early 16th century Meaning: 1. A pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, “If it ain't broke, don't fix it.” 2. A concise statement of a scientific principle, typically by an ancient classical author. Examples: "My dad's favorite way to impart life wisdom is through aphorism." "'Actions speak louder than words' is a good aphorism to employ in your friendships." About Aphorism "Aphorism" entered English in the early 16th century from the French "aphorisme," which came from the Latin "aphorismus," and the original Greek "aphorismos," which meant "definition." It was likely coined by Hippocrates. Did you Know? Sometimes the ancient root of a word matches up perfectly to the modern definition. "Aphorism" comes from the Greek word "aphorismós," which directly translates to "definition," but the usage was closer to "brief statements and general reflections of facts." Many credit the Greek physician Hippocrates for the invention of this word in his writing, "Aphorisms of Hippocrates." Today, you can keep in mind one of the most well-known aphorisms: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away."

What's the Word: OPULENCE pronunciation: [AHP-yəl-ens] Part of speech: noun Origin: Middle French, 16th century Meaning: 1. Great wealth or luxuriousness. Examples: "The opulence of Marcia’s home was most apparent in the kitchen, with its marble countertops, hardwood floors and cabinetry, and eight-burner Italian gas range." "As we walked the gardens of the castle, we found the opulence of the interior extended to the lush landscaping." About Opulence “Opulence” came into English from an identical word in Middle French, meaning “great wealth.” The French word “opulence” was based on the Latin “opulentia,” meaning “riches” or “splendor.” Did you Know? The richest person in history was believed to be Mansa Musa (1280-1337 CE), king of Timbuktu in present-day Mali. Since Musa oversaw the world’s largest resources of gold, he enjoyed such extravagant opulence that he once threw the currency of neighboring Egypt into crisis through his own personal spending. Musa’s personal wealth and levels of opulence are impossible to measure by today’s standards. Julius Caesar, another historical figure of great wealth, is estimated to have had a fortune equivalent to about $4 trillion.

What's the Word: MANCHET pronunciation: [MAN-chət] Part of speech: noun Origin: Late Middle English, 16th century Meaning: 1. (Historical) A loaf of the finest kind of wheaten bread. Examples: "Marianne used a recipe from an old English cookbook to make the manchet loaf." "This bakery is the only one in town that specializes in manchet." About Manchet This word stems from Middle English, possibly from the obsolete “maine,” meaning “flour of the finest quality,” plus the obsolete “cheat,” a kind of wheaten bread. Did you Know? In the third season of “The Great British Bake Off,” Sussex native Cathryn Dresser made Lady Arundel’s manchets and served them with an inner layer of jam and cream. While the basic manchet recipe calls for flour, salt, yeast, and hot water, the Lady Arundel version specifically calls for wheat grown and ground in Sussex, England. It is considered a higher-quality take on the recipe because it includes eggs, milk, and butter, giving the bread a richer flavor and texture.

What's the Word: PHLEGMATIC pronunciation: [fleg-MAD-ik] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Greek, 14th century Meaning: 1. Having an unemotional and stolidly calm disposition. Examples: "Patrick’s phlegmatic temperament means he doesn’t anger easily." "Some people mask their emotions with a phlegmatic exterior." About Phlegmatic This word originates from the Old French “fleumatique,” which derives from the Greek “phlegmatikos,” meaning “inflammation.” Did you Know? The phrase “stiff upper lip” is British, but the phlegmatic philosophy is actually rooted in ancient Greece. The Spartans developed a strict culture of discipline that sparked inspiration for the English public school system.

Fact of the Day - CACTUS Did you know..... There are nearly 2,000 known species of cacti, all of which are native to the Americas alone — except for one. That would be Rhipsalis baccifera, also known as the spaghetti cactus or the mistletoe cactus, which grows wild in India, Sri Lanka, and Africa as well as parts of the Americas. Even stranger than the idea of a single cactus species thousands of miles away from its prickly relatives is the fact that scientists aren’t exactly sure how R. baccifera ended up in the Eastern Hemisphere to begin with. The epiphytes (also called air plants) are remarkably resilient, able to survive without soil by drawing moisture from the air, and the many theories attempting to explain their broad distribution fit their strange nature. One explanation is that birds snacked on the white berries containing R. baccifera’s seeds somewhere in South America before flying all the way to Africa, where they passed those seeds and essentially planted the cactus on the other side of the world. Problem is, scientists don’t know of any berry-snacking birds that could have actually made that journey. Another theory suggests that sailors used the cactus, with its fetching long green branches, to decorate their living quarters while journeying across the Atlantic from Brazil, then left them behind upon arriving in Africa. Yet another theory posits that the plant could have existed way back when Africa and the Americas were part of one supercontinent called Gondwana — which then broke up around 184 million years ago, leaving a little cactus on both sides. However, it’s unlikely the plant existed all those years ago. The truth is, we’ll probably just have to embrace the mystery of it all. Prickly pears are a common ingredient in Mexican cuisine. Known as the prickly pear in English, these species of Opuntia cactus are more commonly called nopales in Spanish. Rich in antioxidants and fiber, the cactus paddles — with needles removed, of course — are a key ingredient in a number of Mexican dishes. Nopales con huevos, or scrambled eggs with nopales, are a favorite, as are salads and tacos featuring them; sometimes nopales are simply eaten as a side vegetable. With a taste that’s been described as a cross between green beans and asparagus (pears and watermelons have also been mentioned as points of reference), they’re enjoyed for their versatility and nutritional value alike. They can even be added to margaritas. Source: There’s only one species of cactus found wild outside the Americas.

Fact of the Day - BROWNIE POINTS Did you know..... In a Los Angeles Times column published on March 15, 1951, writer Marvin Miles observed a peculiar phrase spreading throughout his circle of friends and the social scene at large. While standing in an elevator, he overheard the man next to him lamenting “lost brownie points.” Later, in a bar, a friend of Miles's who had stayed out too late said he would never “catch up” on his brownie points. Miles was perplexed. “What esoteric cult was this that immersed men in pixie mathematics?” he wrote. It was, his colleagues explained, a way of keeping “score” with their spouses, of tallying the goodwill they had accrued with the “little woman.” Over the decades, the phrase brownie points has become synonymous with currying favor, often with authority figures such as teachers or employers. So where exactly did the term come from, and what happens when you “earn” them? On the Origins of Brownie Points The most pervasive explanation is that the phrase originated with the Brownies, a subsect of the Girl Scouts who were encouraged to perform good deeds in their communities. The Brownies were often too young to be official Girl Scouts and were sometimes the siblings of older members. Originally called “Rosebuds” in the UK, they were renamed Brownies when the first troops were being organized in 1916. Sir Robert Baden-Powell, who had formed the Boy Scouts and was asked to name this new Girl Scout division, dubbed them Brownies after the magical creatures of Scottish folklore that materialized to selflessly help with household chores. But the Brownies aren’t the only potential source of brownie points. In the 1930s, kids who signed up to deliver magazines like The Saturday Evening Post and Ladies’ Home Journal from Curtis Publishing were eligible for vouchers labeled “greenies” and “brownies” that they could redeem for merchandise. They were not explicitly called “brownie points,” but it’s not hard to imagine kids applying a points system to the brownies they earned. The term could also have been the result of wartime rationing in the 1940s, where red and brown ration points could be redeemed for meats. Brownie Points Gets Popular The phrase didn’t really seem to pick up steam until Miles’s column was published. In this context, the married men speaking to Miles believed brownie points could be collected by husbands who remembered birthdays and anniversaries, stopped to pick up the dry cleaning, mailed letters, and didn’t spend long nights in pubs speaking to newspaper columnists. The goal, these husbands explained, was never to get ahead; they merely wanted to be considered somewhat respectable in the eyes of their wives. Later, possibly as a result of its usage in print, grade school students took the phrase to mean an unnecessary devotion to teachers in order to win them over. At a family and faculty meeting at Leon High in Tallahassee, Florida, in 1956, earning brownie points was said to be a serious problem. The practice, also called “apple polishing,” prompted other students in class to shame their peers for being friendly to teachers. As a result, some were “reluctant to be civil” for fear they would be harassed for sucking up. In the decades since that time, the idiom has become attached to any act where goodwill can be expected in return, particularly if it’s from someone in a position to reward the act with good grades or a promotion. As for Miles: The columnist declared his understanding of brownie points came only after a long night of investigation. Arriving home late, he said, rendered him “pointless.” Source: Where Did the Term ‘Brownie Points’ Come From?

What's the Word: POTHER pronunciation: [PAH-thər] Part of speech: noun Origin: Unknown, late 16th century Meaning: 1. A commotion or fuss. Examples: "Andrew does his grocery shopping when the stores open to avoid the pother of rush-hour shoppers." "Despite the different ages of the campers, it was a relaxing week with no pother to speak of." About Pother The etymological origin of “pother” is unclear. It may be related to the Dutch “peuteren” (meaning “to rummage” or “poke”), but it also bears resemblance to the English “potter” (meaning “to prod”) or “pudder” (meaning “to make a fuss”). Did you Know? While “pother” is a close synonym for “bother” (“worry, effort, or difficulty"), it actually entered English a few centuries earlier. It’s related to a couple of other early English words — “potter” (meaning “to prod”) and “pudder” (meaning “to fuss”) — but like “pother,” these have mostly fallen out of use in modern English. What a pother, indeed.

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Fact of the Day - SUGAR RUSH Did you know... Sugar rushes might be a myth, according to scientists—but the science behind why sugar crashes happen is all too real. We’ve all heard of the so-called “sugar rush.” It’s a vision that prompts parents and even teachers to snatch candy away from kids, fearing they’ll soon be bouncing off the walls, wired and hyperactive. It’s a myth American culture has clung to for decades—and these days, it’s not just a kid thing. Adults are wary of sugar, too. Some of this fear is warranted—diabetes, the obesity epidemic—but the truth is, sugar doesn’t cause hyperactivity. Its impact on the body isn’t an up-and-down thing. The science is clear: There is no “sugar rush.” To find out how and why the myth started, we need to go back to well before the first World War—then pay a visit to the 1970s. America’s Complicated Relationship With Sugar According to cultural historian Samira Kawash, America has had a long, complex, love-hate relationship with sugar. In Candy: A Century of Panic and Pleasure, Kawash traces the turn from candy-as-treat to candy-as-food in the early 20th century. At that time, the dietary recommendations from scientists included a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, with sugar as essential for energy. Not everyone was on board: The temperance movement, for example, pushed the idea that sugar caused an intoxication similar to alcohol, making candy-eaters sluggish, loopy, and overstimulated. In 1907, the chief of the Philadelphia Bureau of Health estimated that the “appetite” for candy and alcohol were “one and the same,” Kawash writes. On the flip side, other scientists suggested that sugar from candy could stave off cravings for alcohol—a suggestion that candymakers then used in their advertisements. While the debate about sugar as an energy source raged in America, militaries around the world were also exploring sugar as energy for soldiers. In 1898, the Prussian war office became the first to commission a study on the sweet stuff—with promising results: “Sugar in small doses is well-adapted to help men to perform extraordinary muscular labor,” early researchers wrote. German military experiments introduced candy and chocolate cakes as fortification for the troops, and the U.S. military added sugary foods to soldiers’ diets soon after. When American soldiers returned from World War I, they craved sweets, which “propelled an enormous boom” in candy sales that has lasted to this day, Kawash wrote on her blog, The Candy Professor. American advertisers framed candy as a quick, easy source of energy for busy adults during their workday. As artificial sweeteners moved into kitchens in the 1950s, candymakers struggled to make their products appeal to women who were watching their waistlines. One industry group, Sugar Information Inc., produced a tiny “Memo to Dieters” pamphlet in 1954 designed to fit inside chocolate boxes. “Sugar before meals raises your blood sugar level and reduces your appetite,” it claimed. But by the 1970s, the sugar-positivity heyday had started to wane. The Origins of the Sugar Rush Myth The idea that sugar causes hyperactivity gained traction in the early 1970s, when more attention was being paid to how diet might affect behavior. One of the major figures studying the possible connection between diet and behavior was an allergist named Benjamin Feingold, who hypothesized that certain food additives, including dyes and artificial flavorings, might lead to hyperactivity. He formalized this into a popular—yet controversial—elimination diet program. Though certain sugary foods were banned from the program for containing dyes and flavorings, sugar itself was never formally prohibited. Still, thanks in part of the Feingold diet, sugar started to become the poster child for diet and hyperactivity. It wasn’t until the late 1980s that serious doubts about sugar’s connection to hyperactivity began to be raised by scientists. As FDA historian Suzanne White Junod wrote in 2003 [PDF], the 1988 Surgeon General’s Report on Nutrition and Health concluded that “alleged links between sugar consumption and hyperactivity/attention deficit disorders in children had not been scientifically supported.” Despite “mothers’ mantra of no sweets before dinner,” she noted, “more serious allegations of adverse pediatric consequences … have not withstood scientific scrutiny.” A 1994 paper found that aspartame—an artificial sweetener that had also been accused of inducing hyperactivity in children—had no effect on 15 children with ADHD, even though they had consumed 10 times more than the typical amount. A year later, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a meta-analysis of the effect of sugar on children’s behavior and cognition. It examined data from 23 studies that were conducted under controlled conditions: In every study, some children were given sugar, and others were given an artificial sweetener placebo like aspartame. Neither researchers nor children knew who received the real thing. The studies recruited neurotypical children, kids with ADHD, and a group who were “sensitive” to sugar, according to their parents. The analysis found that “sugar does not affect the behavior or cognitive performance of children.” (The authors did note that “a small effect of sugar or effects on subsets of children cannot be ruled out.”) “So far, all the well-controlled scientific studies examining the relationship between sugar and behavior in children have not been able to demonstrate it,” Mark Wolraich, an emeritus professor of pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center who has worked with children with ADHD for more than 30 years and the co-author of that 1995 paper, told Mental Floss in 2018. Yet the myth that consuming sugar causes hyperactivity hasn’t really gone away. One major reason is the placebo effect, which can have powerful results. The idea that you or your children might feel a sugar rush from too much candy isn’t unlike the boost you hope to feel from an energy drink or a meal replacement shake or bar (which can contain several teaspoons of sugar). The same is true for parents who claim that their kids seem hyperactive at a party. Peer pressure and excitement seem to be to blame—not sugar. “The strong belief of parents [in sugar’s effects on children’s behavior] may be due to expectancy and common association,” Wolraich wrote in the JAMA paper. It works the other way, too: Some parents say they’ve noticed a difference in their kids’ behavior once they take out most sugars from their diets. This strategy, like the Feingold diet, continues to attract interest and followers because believing it works has an impact on whether it actually works or not. Which isn’t to say there are absolutely no links between sugar consumption and poor health outcomes. A 2006 paper found that drinking a lot of sugary soft drinks was associated with mental health issues, including hyperactivity, but the study’s design relied on self-reported questionnaires that were filled out by more than 5000 10th-graders in Oslo, Norway. The authors also noted that caffeine is common in colas, which might have a confounding effect. In another study, conducted by University of Vermont professor of economics Sara Solnick and Harvard health policy professor David Hemenway, the researchers investigated the so-called “Twinkie defense,” in which sugar is said to contribute to an “altered state of mind.” (The phrase Twinkie defense comes from the 1979 trial of Dan White for killing San Francisco city district supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. His lawyers argued that White had “diminished capacity and was unable to premeditate his crime,” as evidenced in part by his sudden adoption of a junk-food diet in the months before the murders. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.) In their survey of nearly 1900 Boston public high schoolers, Solnick and Hemenway found “a significant and strong association between soft drinks and violence.” Adolescents who drank more than five cans of soft drinks per week—nearly 30 percent of the group—were significantly more likely to have carried a weapon. But Solnick told Mental Floss the study isn’t evidence of a “sugar rush.” “Even if sugar did cause aggression—which we did not prove—we have no way of knowing whether the effect is immediate (and perhaps short-lived) as the phrase ‘sugar rush’ implies, or whether it’s a longer-term process,” she said. Sugar could, for example, increase irritability, which might sometimes flare up into aggression—but not as an immediate reaction to consuming sugar. Harvard researchers are looking into the long-term effects of sugar using data from Project Viva, a large observational study of pregnant women, mothers, and their children. A 2018 paper in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine studied more than 1200 mother-child pairs from Project Viva, assessing mothers’ self-reported diets during pregnancy as well as their children’s health during early childhood. “Sugar consumption, especially from [sugar-sweetened beverages], during pregnancy and childhood, and maternal diet soda consumption may adversely impact child cognition,” the authors concluded, though they noted that other factors could explain the association. “This study design can look at relationships, but it cannot determine cause and effect,” said Wolraich, who was not involved in the study. “It is equally possible that parents of children with lower cognition are likely to cause a greater consumption of sugar or diet drinks, or that there is a third factor that influences cognition and consumption.” The Science of the Sugar Crash Though the evidence against the sugar rush is strong, a “sugar crash” is real—but typically it only affects people with diabetes. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, low blood sugar—or hypoglycemia—is a serious medical condition. When a lot of sugar enters the bloodstream, it can spike the blood sugar level, causing fluctuation, instability, and eventually a crash (a.k.a. reactive hypoglycemia). If a diabetic’s blood sugar levels are too low, a number of symptoms—including shakiness, fatigue, weakness, and more—can follow. Severe hypoglycemia can lead to seizures and even coma. For most of us, though, it’s rare. Endocrinologist Dr. Natasa Janicic-Kahric told The Washington Post in 2013 that “about 5 percent of Americans experience sugar crash.” You’re more likely to experience it if you do a tough workout on an empty stomach. “If one exercises vigorously and doesn’t have sufficient intake to supplement their use of calories, they can get lightheaded,” Wolraich said. “But in most cases, the body is good at regulating a person’s needs." So what you’re attributing to sugar—the highs and the lows—is probably all in your head. Source: That Sugar Rush Is All in Your Head—But Here’s Why It Happens

Fact of the Day - SOAP OPERAS Did you know... Though soap operas often get a bad rap, they represent an important part of entertainment history. Smithsonian has described them as “[shaping] American culture” over the past 70 years, and they have certainly had their glory days, especially in the 1980s. Now, we use the term soap operas to describe overly dramatic, long-running television shows. But the genre actually predates television altogether. They began as serialized dramas for radio in the 1930s, targeted mainly at homemakers whose husbands would be at work and whose children would be in school during the day, so they had free afternoons to themselves. Advertisements were par for the course on these radio dramas, and there’s one thing that every homemaker was supposed to need during this era: soap Constant advertisements for soap, detergent, and other everyday products during these daytime dramas led to the tongue-in-cheek nickname soap operas. However, companies found the medium so fruitful that they not only advertised within popular shows but later actually produced their own as well. Proctor & Gamble, for example, sponsored radio serials like Ma Perkins (1933) and Guiding Light (1952), which had been hits for the medium, as well as TV shows like As the World Turns (1956). Robert E. Short, former production executive at Proctor & Gamble, described the early days of the soap opera experiment: “Most of the shows were sponsored by just one brand. There were no other advertisers. The shows were created for the company to advertise the company’s products, and they were very successful. Procter & Gamble was the biggest programmer in the field. General Foods and General Mills also had programs of their own. The shows grew out of the creative departments of the advertising agencies. Some of the directors and producers were agency staff people, and they just created a production staff.” Thanks to the efforts of pioneers like Irna Phillips, scriptwriter and radio actor behind hits like These Are My Children (1949) and Another World (1964), soap operas made their way from the radio to daytime television. These shows offered women a chance to enter the television industry as performers, which—with notable exceptions like Lucille Ball in I Love Lucy—was a field dominated by men at that time. They also brought the allegedly feminine realm of domestic drama to the fore, with lurid tales featuring affairs, secret children, death, and family squabbling of all kinds. The “opera” part of the phrase soap opera refers to these over-the-top plot lines, channeling the similar melodrama of traditional theatre-based operas. The word opera, however, doesn’t originate from any reference to drama at all. Instead, it comes from the Italian word opera, meaning any type of work or composition—serious or not. Daytime soap operas remain on the air, though usually without all the soap advertisements. Millions of people, and not just homemakers, still tune into the four that have been running for decades now—General Hospital (which debuted in 1963), Days of Our Lives (1965), The Bold and the Beautiful (1987), and The Young and the Restless (1973)—for their daily dose of cliffhangers and theatrics, making them a reliable staple in the television world. Source: Why Is It Called a “Soap Opera”?

What's the Word: APOLLONIAN pronunciation: [ap-ə-LOH-nee-ən] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Greek, 17th century Meaning: 1. (Greek mythology) Relating to the god Apollo. 2. Relating to the rational, ordered, and self-disciplined aspects of human nature. Examples: "Our roommate Brad had Apollonian tendencies toward keeping our house well ordered and harmonious." "Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau was known for his Apollonian slogan, “Reason over passion.”" About Apollonian “Apollonian” refers to the ancient Greek god Apollo, the god of the sun who was associated with reason and logic. Did you Know? “Apollonian” is often paired with its opposite, “Dionysian,” to describe a binary between rational, well-ordered impulses and more chaotic, emotional impulses. While “Apollonian” is named for Apollo, the ancient Greek solar god known for reason and logic, “Dionysian” refers to the ancient Greek god Dionysus, the god of wine and celebration, who is associated with instinctual passions and heightened emotions. In his book “The Birth of Tragedy,” philosopher Friedrich Nietzche argued that drama — especially in its classic form of Greek tragedy — is created out of a merger between the two opposite instincts, pairing reason with irrationality, order with chaos, and logic with passion.

Fact of the Day - IS THAT MY VOICE? Did you now.... The first known recording of a human voice (a 10-second clip of someone singing the French folk song “Au Clair de la Lune”) was captured on April 9, 1860, using a device called a phonautograph. Until that point, people remained blissfully unaware of what their voices sounded like to other people. Fast forward from phonautographs to smartphones, and we can now obsess over how our recorded voice just sounds off. Yet audio recordings are more reflective of your real speaking voice than the voice you hear in your head. Let’s get into why there’s a difference between the two sounds and why many of us cringe when we hear what our voice sounds like to others. It All Starts With the Ossicles The smallest bones in the human body, the ossicles, transmit sound to the inner ear. The cochlea, a kind of spiral-shaped organ, then transforms this vibration into electrical impulses using 25,000 auditory nerves that send a signal through the auditory nerve to the brain. This entire process is known as auditory transduction, and it all occurs within just a few milliseconds. The ear achieves transduction through two means: bone conduction (movement of ossicles) and air conduction (movement of air outside the ear). When a person speaks, the ear uses both those methods to make sense of the sound. But because your mouth is close to your ear, the ossicles vibrate more, distorting your voice to a lower pitch inside your head and giving you a “false sense of bass,” according to the BBC. Audio recordings, on the other hand, directly convert sound waves into digital data, so they capture your voice exactly as it sounds to others. This explains why your voice is usually a slightly higher pitch than what you’re used to hearing in your head. Why You Might Not Like Your “Real” Voice This difference in sound often makes people dislike their recorded voice, and studies suggest that auditory “ick” has a psychological component as well. Because voices are central to self-identity, hearing the higher, thinner sound (less full and rich due to the lack of aforementioned “bass”) compared to your internal perception of your voice can be exceptionally jarring. However, a series of studies have found we’re particularly biased in assessing the quality of our recorded voice. A 2005 study, for example, asked patients to rate their voice quality before asking clinicians to rate those same voices. Overwhelmingly, the patients rated their own voices more negatively compared to the clinicians. And in another study in 2013, participants were asked to rate the attractiveness of an array of different voices, with their own voice secretly included in the mix. People rated their voices significantly higher in quality when they were unaware the voice was their own. You Have Many Kinds of Voices Throughout life, your voice changes. The most dramatic example of this is during puberty; as the larynx grows and moves down lower in the neck, vocal cords lengthen and thicken, and as a result, your voice deepens. However, this process continues as we age, as vocal cords become thinner and cartilage becomes less flexible. This makes women’s voices slightly lower and men’s voices slightly higher. Your voice can also change depending who you’re talking to, a concept known as “speech accommodation.” For example, a 2017 study concluded that conversations where perceptions of social status are present, such as a manager speaking with a potential hire, can affect the pitch of someone’s person’s voice, and some experts even say people have a unique voice for every single relationship in their life, whether it’s their boss, their mother, or their best friend. Another concept known as “phonetic convergence” explains how people who spend a lot of time together begin to sound alike. Even armed with the knowledge that your voice is a mutable rainbow of textures and tones, hearing it on a recording may still give you pause. Thankfully, some evidence suggests you can get used to your true voice through sheer exposure. Once you get over the shock of your thinner, higher voice, you may slowly learn to love it — or at least tolerate it. Source: Why Your Voice Sounds Different to You Than to Others

Fact of the Day - THE FLU Did you know.... Like clockwork, flu viruses seem to strike more people in winter than in any other season—and there are several reasons for that. The current flu season is shaping up to be a doozy: According to the Washington Post, the hospitalization rate is three times higher for flu than for COVID-19 as of January 2025. But why does the flu even have a season? Influenza viruses travel the globe. In the temperate regions of the world, the flu tends to strike hardest in the autumn and winter. The conventional wisdom used to be that the influenza viruses either went into a dormant state or persisted at very low levels during the summer months before flaring up again. Scientists have since figured out that, instead of simply lying low during their “off season,” the viruses also go globe-trotting, and get transmitted throughout populations all over the world. In 2007, researchers from Pennsylvania State University and the National Institutes of Health found that the influenza A virus uses its summer travels to meet exotic viruses in tropical areas (which experience year-round flu virus activity), swap genetic information with them, and then roll back into town with enough genetic differences to fool our immune systems. Scientists are still working out what exactly triggers the reintroduced viruses to infect people during the fall and winter. Weather and climate influence influenza. Influenza viruses do very well in cold winter temperatures and the dry air that goes with them. They can survive longer in dry air than moist air, and hold out longer on exposed surfaces (counters, doorknobs, keyboards, etc.) when they're cold. For humans, dry air means dehydrated mucus and drier nostrils and airways, which could make it easier for the viruses to make themselves at home once they're passed to us. A study on guinea pigs at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine showed that the transmission of influenza is enhanced in cold (41°F), dry (20 percent humidity) conditions and declines as temperature and humidity rise (at 86°F or 80 percent humidity, it wasn't transmitted at all). Human behavior spreads the virus. Fall and winter bring a new school year and cooler outside temperatures, and more people spend more time indoors in close contact with each other, giving the viruses an easy route for transmission between hosts. Even in tropical regions that don't have a winter and where flu occurs throughout the year, illness tends to spike during the rainy season when people spend time together indoors. Human physiology leaves us susceptible. Thanks to all that time indoors and the short winter days, our bodies’ Vitamin D decreases in the winter. This decrease, or any number of other seasonal tweaks to our immune systems, could leave us more susceptible to the virus for a few months out of the year and act as a “seasonal stimulus” for flu infection. Source: Why Is the Flu Seasonal?

What's the Word: VENTURESOME pronunciation: [VEN-cher-səm] Part of speech: adjective Origin: English, 17th century Meaning: 1. Willing to take risks or embark on difficult or unusual courses of action. Examples: "Our venturesome hiking guide insisted on taking us over the steep hills, rather than around them." "Gregory was the kind of venturesome eater who visited new restaurants and asked them to prepare their most surprising dishes." About Venturesome “Venturesome” is an adjective formed within English out of the existing noun and verb “venture,” meaning “a risky journey or undertaking.” Did you Know? The modern practice of bungee jumping appeared for the first time on April Fools’ Day, 1979, in Bristol, U.K. On that day, two venturesome members of Oxford University’s Dangerous Sports Club — clad in tuxedos and top hats — jumped off of the Clifton Suspension Bridge secured to elastic cables. They were inspired by the tradition of land diving from the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu, in which venturesome young men prove their bravery by jumping from tall towers with tree vines tied to their ankles. After the Oxfordian jumpers were arrested and released, the Dangerous Sports Club made a second bungee jump off of San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, this time including the first female bungee jumper. After they made the third bungee jump on television, the phenomenon of venturesome people jumping from great heights attached to elastics took on its own traditions.

Fact of the Day - STILLSON WRENCH Did you know... Indoor plumbing led to this innovative tool. While there are endless varieties of tools, the wrench is particularly versatile. Need an adjustable wrench for tightening nuts? You might want a Crescent wrench. Want something that can tackle industrial projects like automobiles? You can grab a monkey wrench. Want to put together an IKEA bookshelf? An Allen wrench works. If you have a plumbing issue, however, you’re likely to turn to the wrench that can sink its literal teeth into pipes. That’s a pipe wrench, also known as a Stillson wrench. And while all tools have pushed manufacturing forward, the Stillson stands out as one of the most important developments to ever grace a toolbox. The Origin of the Stillson Wrench Daniel Stillson had a way with machines. The Durham, New Hampshire, native was a mechanic on a U.S. Naval steamship, the R.B. Forbes, for the Union during the Civil War. Afterward, a Union engineer and colonel named Levi Greene invited him to come work for him at J.J. Walworth and Co., a steam heating business in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was at Walworth that Stillson would make his mark on tool history. According to a 2019 Boston Globe article, in the late 1800s, cities were making a push to install and maintain water systems for indoor plumbing and heating. Some, like Boston, had to replace older wooden pipes with materials that were more sensible for the reliable transportation of water. As this transition to metal occurred, it was obvious that not all existing tools were up to the challenge. The biggest problem for monkey wrenches and other types of clamping tools was that their jaws were usually smooth. That worked for fasteners like nuts, since one flat surface could sit flush with another, but it didn’t work well for pipes. Their round surface meant flat wrenches could—and often would—slip off or damage the pipe. Stillson certainly wasn’t the first engineer to observe the problem, but he was the first to take real action. His first solution was a kind of tong that could better grip the pipe but still proved less than ideal. Using wood, he carved out a prototype wrench that had a slightly uneven, serrated surface. Because the “teeth” ran opposite one another, they had a fierce grip that was able to keep a secure hold on round, slippery metal pipes. When Stillson showed his idea to Greene, the company agreed to have a steel version made. Greene wanted to see if it was as strong as Stillson claimed and encouraged him to attack a pipe until either the metal broke or the wrench did. After he successfully tore into a 1.25-inch pipe, Greene was convinced. Stillson’s wrench worked. Though they likely could have claimed Stillson’s invention as their own owing to his employee status, Walworth encouraged him to patent it under his own name. The company would then license it from Stillson so it could be manufactured and distributed to consumers. Stillson went ahead and filed a patent application for the wrench in 1869, which was granted in April 1872. “I, Daniel Stillson of Charlestown, in the county of Middlesex and state of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful improvement in pipe wrenches,” he wrote. “My invention is an improvement upon the pipe wrench as patented by me … and has for its object the production of a wrench which shall be equally effective in its operation upon a pipe, whether such pipe be perfectly cylindrical or circular, or of a somewhat flattened or ellipsoidal shape in cross-section; and my invention consists in the employment of two springs affixed to opposite sides of the shank of the fixed jaw, and so arranged as to operate in conjunction with the pivoted frame in controlling the action of the movable jaw, as will be hereinafter described.” A Wrenching Victory Plumbers, mechanics, and even locomotive workers grabbed the wrench, which was, like the monkey wrench, adjustable and could therefore replace cumbersome wrench sets. Walworth even displayed Stillson in advertising, crediting him as the inventor of the wrench—a somewhat unusual marketing approach. A print spot from 1928 showcases a Stillson said to be 37 years old and still working. “That is the kind of lasting strength you can count on getting in any wrench of any size that carries Dan Stillson’s own trademark—STILLSON—forged in a diamond on the top jaw,” the ad read. Though the patent would ultimately expire, Stillson benefited greatly from Walworth’s lack of greed. At the time of his death in 1899, Stillson had made an estimated $100,000 from the wrench, or well over $3 million today. And although anyone is free to make a Stillson-style wrench and name it anything they like, Stillson’s influence is such that people often refer to it using his surname. Source: Why Do We Call It a “Stillson Wrench”?

What's the Word: PERSEVERATE pronunciation: [pər-SEV-ə-reyt] Part of speech: verb Origin: English, 20th century Meaning: 1. Repeat or prolong an action, thought, or utterance after the stimulus that prompted it has ceased. Examples: "Though Cassie has been out of birdseed for two months, the birds outside her window perseverate in hanging around her feeder." "Even though baseball season is over, I perseverate in reading MLB news ahead of next season’s spring training." About Perseverate “Perseverate” was a verb created out of the existing English noun “perseveration,” which was based on the Latin “persevērāre,” meaning “to abide by” or “to continue steadfastly.” Did you Know? When does someone “perseverate” rather than simply “persevere”? The words are very similar and share a common Latin root, but “persevere” is a more general verb that describes the action of persisting at a task in spite of obstacles. The term “perseverate” was developed by psychologists in the early 20th century to describe circumstances in which a patient continued to respond to a stimulus even when the stimulus was removed. “Perseverate” means to persist in an action even though the reason for doing so no longer exists. For example, a person may perseverate in getting their hair trimmed at a specific salon even though the hairdresser they like has long since moved out of state.

What's the Word: INFRACANINOPHILE pronunciation: [in-fra-ka-NI-no-file] Part of speech: noun Origin: American English, 20th century Meaning: 1. A person who loves or admires underdogs. Examples: "Irma’s such an infracaninophile that she changes her favorite baseball team every year to whoever’s lowest in the standings." "The infracaninophile in me always wants to see the end of the game to find out if the underdog turns it around." About Infracaninophile “Infracaninophile” combines the Latin prefix “infrā-,” meaning “underneath,” with “canin,” referring to the Latin “canīnus,” meaning “dog.” Together these create a Latin improvisation of the U.S. slang term “underdog” (coined in the late 19th century), meaning “the competitor at a disadvantage or expected to lose.” The suffix “-phile” comes from Greek, meaning “dear” or “beloved.” Thus, “infracaninophile” is one for whom the underdog is dear or beloved. Did you Know? “Infracaninophile” was coined in the first half of the 20th century by American humorist, journalist, poet, novelist, and essayist Christopher Morley. In a preface to Arthur Conan Doyle’s “The Complete Sherlock Holmes,” Morley wrote of Holmes that “he was always also the infracaninophile — the helper of the underdog.” Morley likely knew the word “underdog” was a recent American invention; he saw the humor of rephrasing a modern slang word in ancient-sounding Latin.

Fact of the Day - HALLOWEEN COSTUMES Did you know... The origins of these classic costumes are probably not what you would expect. What would a witch costume be without a pointy hat? Why do pirates wear so many accessories that would be impractical on the Seven Seas? And how did it come to be that throwing on a bedsheet was all you needed for a ghost costume? The outfits we wear for Halloween have a story to tell—one often far removed from the historical reality they’re said to represent. And if you find yourself looking for a conversation topic with a person dressed as Batman, maybe they’d like to hear how a Renaissance polymath inspired the look. With that in mind, here are the stories behind five of the most popular adult Halloween costumes as predicted by the National Retail Federation. (We’ve skipped over cats, as that costume is fairly self-explanatory.) Witch It’s often said that the standard witch outfit emerged from medieval women called alewives who brewed and sold beer (or ale, as much as that distinction still exists). The story goes that the women selling beer needed the tall hat to help them stand out in a crowd. That’s almost certainly fiction. In her book Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a Changing World, 1300-1600, Judith M. Bennett writes that alewives were often depicted in a negative light, with at least one late poem (circa 1517) describing a fictional alewife doing all sorts of wicked things, including dealing with a witch. And while it doesn’t explicitly identify the alewife as a witch, the implication is likely there. But by 1517, the alewife was in the process of disappearing (at least in England), with Bennett noting that brewing was largely a man’s game by 1600. That’s problematic for two reasons: The first is that, in England, the peak witchcraft trial period was around 1563-1712; it largely occurred throughout continental Europe around the same time. Secondly, during the peak witchcraft trial period, artistic depictions of witches tended to show them as either naked or looking like everybody else in the community. The classic witch outfit doesn’t emerge until the 18th century at the very earliest, when alewives are mostly out of the picture. While it’s possible individual alewives might have been accused of witchcraft, it’s unlikely they created the archetype for witches in general. As for where the outfit does come from—there is no clear answer. One popular explanation is antisemitism, which traces the witches’ hat to the headpiece Jewish people were forced to wear in several countries. People have also proposed that the hat represents a Quaker hat, a capotain (most famous as the “Pilgrim hat”), or even a reference to the goddess Diana. But it’s very possible there’s no deeper meaning to the outfit and it harkens back to those earlier depictions of witches when they wore everyday clothing. There are many 17th century paintings of women in black robes and tall hats with no suggestion of witchcraft. This leads some authors to suggest that in the 17th and 18th centuries, the modern witch’s outfit was a perfectly standard outfit for people to wear. As the outfit started to become a bit out-of-date, the imagery turned into a parody of rural and folksy elderly women and, from there, witches. Vampire Vampires are suave, handsome, and look great in a tux. Unless that vampire is the original Dracula. In Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula is described as “a tall old man, clean shaven save for a long white moustache, and clad in black from head to foot, without a single speck of colour about him anywhere” (elsewhere in the story, a de-aged Dracula is described as having a black moustache and pointed beard, but “His face was not a good face”). According to Smithsonian Magazine, the tuxedo element emerged in the 1924 stage production of the story. Because of the requirements of a visual medium, Dracula’s powers of seduction had to be made visibly evident—hence, a good-looking guy wearing a fancy outfit. This production also gave us the now-iconic large collar on the cape (with the cape itself also being credited to the stage production). According to writer David J. Skal, “Originally, the collar had a distinct theatrical function: to hide the actor’s head when he stood with his back to the house, thus allowing him to slip out of the cape and down a wall panel or trapdoor, effectively disappearing before the audience’s eyes. Though the trick collar had no subsequent purpose in film adaptations, it has become a signature feature of vampire costuming for all time.” Batman Batman co-creator Bob Kane has listed many influences for the character over the years. Zorro is apparent, but Kane also said one of his most important influences was The Bat Whispers, a 1930 film that tells the story of a thief who dresses as a giant bat (ish) to rob his victims (because the movie ends with an entreaty to not reveal the twist ending, this is a spoiler-free summary). A final influence was a Leonardo da Vinci drawing called the “Ornithopter” that, Kane felt, would make the person wearing it look like a giant bat. Except beyond a vaguely bat-inspired framework, Kane’s creation had little in common with the modern superhero. Kane’s was flashier, wearing a Robin-esque mask and a red suit with more explicitly bat-like wings à la the ornithopter. The modern Batman design is more readily attributable to the under-appreciated Bill Finger. According to Kane, “One day I called Bill and said, ‘I have a new character called the Bat-Man and I’ve made some crude, elementary sketches I’d like you to look at.’ He came over and I showed him the drawings. At the time, I only had a small domino mask, like the one Robin later wore, on Batman’s face. Bill said, ‘Why not make him look more like a bat and put a hood on him, and take the eyeballs out and just put slits for eyes to make him look more mysterious?’ At this point, the Bat-Man wore a red union suit; the wings, trunks, and mask were black. I thought that red and black would be a good combination. Bill said that the costume was too bright: ‘Color it dark gray to make it look more ominous.’ The cape looked like two stiff bat wings attached to his arms. As Bill and I talked, we realized that these wings would get cumbersome when Bat-Man was in action, and changed them into a cape, scalloped to look like bat wings when he was fighting or swinging down on a rope. Also, he didn’t have any gloves on, and we added them so that he wouldn’t leave fingerprints.” While there were many other influences—it’s now widely acknowledged the first story and some of the early artwork were reworkings of other media—and some changes over the years (the Batman logo on his chest especially has changed dramatically depending on the editors and artists), Finger’s character design helped forge one of the most memorable and popular superheroes of all time. Pirate Compare the following images: This one barely seems like a pirate. Beyond the hat, the many guns, and the smoke, there’s simply not that much that would be out of place in the 21st century. The second picture, however, is much more piratical. There’s a headscarf, a sash, wide pants, even an earring if you zoom in far enough. They’re both artistic depictions of Blackbeard, but the first one is from the 18th century—less than two decades after his death (though it is not necessarily a perfect depiction)—while the one on the right is from the early 20th century. Why the change? It’s generally credited to one man: Howard Pyle. Pyle was an illustrator in the late 19th/early 20th century, a time that saw Golden Age pirates pop up in comic operas and stories like Treasure Island and Peter Pan. This naturally made Pyle want to illustrate pirates as well, but he didn’t go to the archives for his research. Part of his philosophy was that his illustrations had to stand alone, as he famously noted, “Don’t make it necessary to ask questions about your picture. It’s utterly impossible for you to go to all the newsstands and explain your pictures.” To keep with that philosophy, Pyle looked elsewhere for his pirates. According to Anne M. Loechle’s Ye Intruders Beware: Fantastical Pirates in the Golden Age of Illustration, Spain was exotic to 19th-century Americans, and even to much of Europe. The country was a popular destination for artists and travel writers. Those people gave accounts that border on indistinguishable from modern depictions of pirates, with sashes, wide pants, and handkerchiefs around the head. Pyle may have been naturally drawn to the exoticness of Spain while coming up with his designs for pirate outfits. But there might be something more. Pyle was working at a time when tensions between Spain and the United States were increasing, and the pirate can in many ways be contrasted with the era’s stereotypically white Navy man, with Loechle writing “The unexplored, maritime terrain [the pirate] shares with this U.S. sailor highlights their even greater difference: the Navy seaman is a white man; the pirate is racially ambiguous. With his headscarf, wide sash, short pants, and swarthy complexion, he looks nothing like the Anglo-Saxon cowboy or sailor. Instead, American illustrators chose to emulate contemporaneous Spanish gypsies and Spanish genre subjects. The pirate gained popularity despite, or more likely because of, the indeterminate nature of his national and racial identity.” Pyle wasn’t just an illustrator. He also taught other artists, and many of his students went on to create famed pirate images based on his example, forever turning 19th-century Spaniards into the default American image of the pirate. Ghost The origin of the classic bedsheet ghost is traditionally traced to Renaissance-era burial practices. People were buried in a shroud or a winding sheet, often instead of a coffin. This sheet then migrated to the stage. In the early 16th century, beyond some flour to whiten the face, there was little to distinguish ghost characters from non-ghost characters on stage. This began to change by the late 16th century. A visual language emerged, with white sheets coming to represent ghosts (though not necessarily just for dramatic purposes: According to Performing the Unstageable: Success, Imagination, Failure by Karen Quigley, when ghosts show up in Shakespeare’s Richard III, the actors playing the ghosts had other roles and didn’t have time to switch full outfits. A sheet over the other costume likely proved a quick fix). And while modern audiences look at the bedsheet ghost as a source of humor and the epitome of the low-effort Halloween costume, in centuries past its ancestor was serious. Deadly serious. There are many accounts of ghost impersonators from the 16th to 19th centuries where it ends badly for either the hoaxer or the victim, whether that’s the hoaxer being beaten to within an inch of their lives or the hoaxed being robbed. One particularly notable example is from 1704, when thief Arthur Chambers is said to have been staying at a house he was planning to rob. The story goes that he then pretended his brother died and got permission to have the coffin brought to the house on its way to the burial. Chambers then wrapped himself in a winding sheet, dusted his face with flour, and hid himself in the coffin. According to one 18th century account he “[arose] from his mansion of death . . . and going downstairs into the kitchen with his winding sheet about him, set himself down in a chair, opposite to the maid, which frighting her out of her wits, she fell a screaming out, and crying ‘a Spirit, a Spirit, a Spirit.’” Chambers made off with 600 pounds’ worth of goods. So how did such a harrowing visage become a punchline? According to Owen Davies in The Haunted: A Social History of Ghosts, in the 1920s and ‘30s, comedians took note of these hoaxes and incorporated them into their bits. This meant in films like Laurel and Hardy’s Habeas Corpus or Buster Keaton’s Neighbors, people somehow got covered by a sheet and were mistaken for ghosts—and while the characters in the film were terrified, the people in the audience were laughing. Davies writes, “As a consequence the slapstick ghost robbed the white sheet of its power to scare. Many millions today believe that the spirits of the dead walk the earth, but surely few people, if confronted with a white sheet on a dark night, would seriously cry ‘Ghost!’ Laurel and Hardy helped put paid to that.” Source: The Surprising History Behind 5 Popular Halloween Costumes

What's the Word: BELGARD pronunciation: [BEL-gard] Part of speech: noun Origin: Italian, 16th century Meaning: 1. A loving, amorous, or affectionate glance. Examples: "Beneath the moonlight, Captain Von Trapp cast a belgard at Maria." "My grandmother stole a belgard at my grandfather when he wasn’t looking." About Belgard “Belgard” entered English from the Italian “bel guardo,” meaning “lovely look.” Did you Know? “Belgard” is a somewhat uncommon word, but its basis — the Italian “bel guardo” — is seen in place and family names in France and the Americas. There are 11 communities in France called “Bellegarde,” as well as one in Saskatchewan, Canada, and the surname “Bellegarde” is very common in Haiti and across Canada. There are now more people named “Bellegarde” in both Haiti and Canada than remain in France.

What's the Word: ACME pronunciation: [AK-mee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Greek, 16th century Meaning: 1. The point at which someone or something is best, perfect, or most successful. Examples: "The magazine critic claimed the Rolling Stones reached their creative acme in the 1970s." "Many Houston Astros fans think pitcher Justin Verlander is at the acme of a long and successful career." About Acme “Acme” is borrowed directly from the Greek “ἀκμή,” meaning “the highest point” or “the culminating point.” Did you Know? In classic Looney Tunes cartoons, “Acme” was the brand name for almost every product, from anvils to mouse traps. This satirized the trend of mid-century companies using the name “Acme” as a marketing tactic to advertise high-quality goods. In many cases, the name and the quality of the product fail to match up — as Wile E. Coyote often learned. Looney Tunes played up for laughs the disappointment of buying an “acme” product, only to discover its quality was abysmal, if not dangerously explosive.

What's the Word: STELLATE pronunciation: [STEL-leyt] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 16th century Meaning: 1. Arranged in a radiating pattern like that of a star. Examples: "My daughter arranged glow-in-the-dark stickers in a stellate pattern on the wall of her bedroom." "The musician's dressing room had a stellate symbol scrawled on the door in marker." About Stellate “Stellate” is based on the Latin “stellātus,” meaning “starry.” This is based on the Latin “stēlla,” meaning “star.” Did you Know? In early use, “stellate” referred specifically to stars in the sky. In modern use, “stellate” is primarily used to describe things with a shape similar to a star: a central core with beams, points, or rays radiating outward. In this form, “stellate” has broad applications in medical language, where it is used to describe cells, groups of cells, veins, and other anatomy with a central core and extending points.

Funny enough, the new chapter is titled RPG. An inhabitant tries to warn the crew of the local dangers, but of course Luffy and Zoro smell adventure instead and go towards the danger. They do find Chopper as they broke the horizon/went through the looking glass, but no sign of the others yet. Then the Giant who may or may not be this world's equivalent of Baba Yaga walks in and sets just about everything on fire due to how mad she is at seeing her toys, pets, and whatnot get wrecked. And the Straw Hats understandably run away.

Fact of the Day - EGG CREAMS Did you know... Foods tend to get their names from their appearance or ingredients, though not all are so clear-cut. Take, for instance, the egg cream, a beverage that has delighted the taste buds of New Yorkers (and other diner patrons) since the 1890s. If you’ve never sipped on the cool, fizzy drink known for its chocolate flavor and foamy top, you should know: There are no eggs or cream in a traditional egg cream drink. According to culinary lore, the first egg cream was the accidental invention of Louis Auster, a late-19th- and early-20th-century candy shop owner in New York’s Lower East Side. Auster’s sweet treat arrived in the 1890s, at a time when soda fountains had started selling fancier drinks, and it was a hit — the enterprising inventor reportedly sold upwards of 3,000 egg creams per day by the 1920s and ’30s. However, Auster kept his recipe well guarded; the confectioner refused to sell his formula, and eventually took his recipe to the grave. The origins of the drink’s name have also been lost to time. Some believe the name “egg cream” came from Auster’s use of “Grade A” cream, which could have sounded like “egg cream” with a New York accent. Another possible explanation points to the Yiddish phrase “echt keem,” meaning “pure sweetness.” Regardless of the misleading name, egg creams are once again gaining popularity in New York, though you don’t have to be a city dweller to get your hands on the cool refreshment. Egg creams can be easily made at home with just three ingredients: milk, seltzer, and chocolate syrup. Chocolate syrup was once marketed as a health tonic. Centuries before it became a dessert, chocolate was employed medicinally. In Mesoamerica, where chocolate originated, cacao was used among Indigenous communities to treat indigestion, fatigue, and even some dental problems. Europeans of the 17th century also consumed chocolate for health purposes, hoping to cure a variety of ailments. By the late 1800s, pharmaceutical publications widely advertised chocolate powders and syrups, promoting them as healthful aids that also masked the bitter flavors of other medications. Brands like Hershey’s began marketing their syrups and chocolates to everyday consumers as health tonics that were wholesome and nutritious — even “more sustaining than meat.” Eventually, however, regulations against dubious health claims and patent medicines, combined with equipment improvements and declining sugar prices, set the stage for chocolate to be considered more treat than tonic, even as some health claims for it have endured. Source: Egg creams contain neither eggs nor cream.

Fact of the Day - WON BUT LOST Did you know... Winning both the popular vote and getting the most electoral college votes wasn’t enough for Andrew Jackson to win the 1824 election. In 1824, Andrew Jackson found himself in a confusing situation: He won both the popular vote and got the most votes in the electoral college, but lost the election anyway. That year, there were four main contenders for president, all from the Democratic-Republican party: Secretary of State John Quincy Adams, Secretary of the Treasury William Harris Crawford, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and Tennessee Senator Andrew Jackson. At the time, a candidate needed 131 electoral college votes to win the presidency. After all the ballots were counted, Jackson had received 99 votes to John Quincy Adams’s 84. The remaining votes were split between Crawford and Clay—41 and 37 respectively. Though Jackson clearly received the most votes—both popular and electoral—he didn’t reach that magic 131 number. Because no one did, the election was kicked to the House of Representatives. According to the 12th Amendment, which refined the process of voting for the president and vice president, the House could only consider the top three candidates, which meant Clay was out. And that’s when things got interesting. Clay didn’t particularly care for John Quincy Adams, but we know the two of them met privately before the House voted. It’s since been alleged that the pair made what is now known as a “Corrupt Bargain”—Clay promised to work behind the scenes to get the House vote to go Adams’s way, and in return, Adams guaranteed Clay the Secretary of State position. Both men denied making such a deal, but the proof may have been in the pudding. Clay began actively campaigning for Adams, working hard to turn his votes into votes for the latter. In the end, Adams carried 13 states, Jackson took seven, and Crawford four. As the results were announced, there was so much booing, hissing, and general uproar from the public galleries in the House that the Speaker of the House—Henry Clay—had them all thrown out. Jackson eventually had his revenge, though. In the 1828 election, he handily defeated the incumbent John Quincy Adams, and served two terms to Adams’s one. Source: The Time Andrew Jackson Won the Vote But Lost the Presidency