Do you have a favourite number? Number 7 has been crowned as the world's most favourite number. It consistently comes out on top. Simple things like the number of days of the week, the 7 colours of the rainbow and the 7 notes on a musical scale. Oh, and there are 7 continents. The human brain naturally gravitates toward odd, prime and unique numbers. I can remember the 7/7/77 moment - people sent off mail to get the lucky stamped date/time.
Recently reporters have noted that Trump is frequently citing 22 as the number of something - the US destroyed 22 Iranian ships, he proved 22 Nobel-winning economists wrong, and he met with 22 medical specialists (for his latest checkup.) He complained that a hypothetical trip to Asia would require 22 hours of flying, and that the capital had 22 fountains, that 22 people were shot in Chicago one weekend. He's known for repeating numbers. Previously he referenced the number 92 quite a bit, and before that 10,000. This time there seems to be so many repetitions of the number that the press has reported on it. Especially since most of the time the numbers are incorrect.
To get to what it is about, some have tied this to the 22nd Amendment that doesn't let him run for President again. And he keeps repeating he wants to run for President again.
What about this idea? I suggest we look up number 22 in numerology. It is referenced as a master number in numerology, symbolizing potential achievement, and a strong connection between the spiritual and physical realms. It is the Master Builder. "It embodies a blend of intuition (from the number 2) and practicality (from the number 4), allowing individuals to manifest their visions effectively. Those influenced by this number are often seen as leaders with strong organizational skills, ambition, and a desire to make a lasting impact."
Both sources seem notably strange so let's vote on this.
So would we go with the Numerology association or go with the 22nd Amendment obstacle for the president? We can probably bet on this somewhere now.
This image originated with a baked-on pattern on the parchment paper and was turned into an X and Os grid.
Summer is the time when time speeds up. Where did the summer go? That will be a question we ask all too soon. Expressions like the Summer flies by. No one says that about the winter, unless they are in a southern climate snow birding it.
Research says that childhood summers feel long because the brain is packed with "firsts" and highly memorable moments. There is an expression for the sense that time feels like it flies by "in the moment" because a person is immersed in exciting activities. This is known as the Holiday Paradox.
Psychological and cognitive research use the terms memory density and dopamine-driven arousal. Warmer weather increases heart rate, metabolism and levels of neurotransmitter dopamine. Higher levels of dopamine are linked to how the brain measures intervals. So being energized and in a positive mood, the internal clock "ticks" faster.
The lack of bright morning light in the winter naturally slows down biological clocks, causing people to feel sluggish and more focused on internal states, making the days drag on.
There's also the case that summer is arriving earlier, lasting longer and transitioning more rapidly due to climate shifts. With the transitional periods shorter, the summer experience seems to go faster.
So the scientific conclusion is that summer makes us happier - sunshine and warmer weather. Now let's get packed for summer camp and Vacation Bible School.
I definitely would be willing to go to a week of Vacation Bible School packed with fun crafts and ice cream. Especially ice cream.
In Germany, men celebrate Men's Day by "ditching their families and taking hikes, bike rides, or pulling wagons filled with beer and traditional foods." I bet 98 out of 100 German men are pulling beer on Father's Day rather than hiking.
The most expensive Father's Day gift on record was a $78 million submarine given by a Russian billionaire to his father in 2013. Compare that to Mark Zuckerberg who celebrated a Father's Day in the past by taking his parents and family on a luxurious Mediterranean cruise on his own $300 million superyacht.
The Guinness Record that always pops up first for Father's Day is the most children by one father and then the oldest verified father. Most children was supposedly in the 1700s with 87 children (all those twins and triplets), and the oldest father was in 1992 with an Australian who fathered his ninth child at the age of 92.
It is a surprise to me that no one has the Guinness Record for the most Father's Day jokes - also known as Dad Jokes. Dad jokes are considered "notoriously cheesy" so they win out over Mom jokes. They are characterized as harmless, family-friendly wordplay or purposefully bad puns designed to get a groan. There are so many of these jokes.
I am sure there are 13,000 Dad jokes and that would overcome the current record of 12,582 jokes in 24 hours. Here are a few listed:
Why don't scientists trust atoms? Because they make up everything!
It is just one word that I saw as a headline - Condocalypse. It is about the catastrophe in the condo market. What does alypse mean? It is slang for apocalypse. So far, the dictionary has three words ending in calypse:
apocalypse - end of the world, cataclysmic disaster, or total destruction of human civilization (and don't forget postapocalypse, as though it is possible)
metalocalypse - this is a satirical, hyper-violent adult animated series
carpocalypse - an overwhelming, chaotic, or disastrous situation involving automobiles
So we could continue this approach and put any word in front of alypse and have it be a catastrophe scenario.
Current politics is the prime candidate, don't you think? This seemed easy for Google's AI mode to come up with examples:
Trumpocalypse: The ultimate, definitive term for a chaotic political era.
Tariffocalypse: An economic meltdown triggered by sudden global trade wars.
Tweetocalypse: A massive political crisis sparked by late-night social media posts.
Cabinetocalypse: The rapid, non-stop firing and replacing of top government officials.
Rallyocalypse: An endless, overwhelming cycle of stadium-sized campaign events.
FakeNewocalypse: The total collapse of public trust in mainstream media institutions.
Let's look at something lighter, here are some terms in golf:
Bogeycalypse: A sudden string of bad holes that completely destroys a great round.
Shankocalypse: A contagious moment where you—or your entire group—cannot stop hitting sideways.
Threeputtcalypse: The agony of reaching the green in two shots, only to take four more to hole out.
Sandocalypse: Getting trapped in a deep bunker and taking multiple attempts just to explode out.
Watercalypse: Watching your favourite, brand-new golf balls repeatedly vanish into a lake.
Roughtastrophe: Getting stuck in thick, shin-high grass where finding the ball is nearly impossible.
Greenocalypse: A pin placement so brutally steep that every missed putt rolls completely off the green.
Weathercalypse: A sudden downpour paired with 40-mile-per-hour winds that ruins the back nine.
thought the Robin Hood story was myth and legend. Today I find out that Robin Hood's Major Oak Tree has died. It was around 1,200 years old and considered one of Britain's biggest oak trees. They think cause of death was compacted soil caused by millions of visitors over the years and climate change - there were five very hot and droughty summers.
Isn't that interesting to see all the poles holding up the limbs. It looks like it lived in a stationary walker.
And what about Robin Hood? It is considered to be a blend of fact and fiction, with no single historical person match. The name Robin Hood, or Robehod was a generic alias for criminals in the 13th and 14th centuries.
There are chronicles and accounts of Robin's life in the Sloane manuscripts in the British Museum - well, there are multiple accounts of such a person.
I don't see anything relating to archeological relics or evidence besides the romanticized stories. Particularly the account of his death. So if the account of his death is factual, wouldn't they be able to find some remains in his resting place. "A mound in Kirkless Park, within a bow-shot of the house, can still be seen and is said to be his last resting place."
In comparison, the last remains of Little John have a designated resting place and head stone. "Little John's grave can be seen in Hathersage churchyard in Derbyshire." It has been there since the early 1600s. The grave was opened in 1784 and a large thigh bone was discovered and removed. Back then, these were souvenirs. There was also a bow and cap taken into the church's possession, and while no longer at the church, the bow is still occasionally put on display. The cap is long gone.
This week I went to the gardens that will be showcased in the Grimsby Garden Club Garden Tour on July 4th. My role was to take pictures of the gardens. I've taken pictures of this garden a number of times - a Romantic traditional country garden with its white picket fence covered in roses and clematis.