Happy Birthday to Me!

Today I'm turning 24 years old, so I'm sort of taking the day off.

Objects in Looking Glass are Larger than they Appear

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome (a.k.a. micropsia) is a disorder that causes the sufferer to perceive objects as smaller than they really are. These perceptions are sometimes called Lilliputian hallucinations after the little people in Gulliver's Travels.

Alice in Wonderland Syndrome may be caused by migraines, epilepsy, psychoactive drugs, or schizophrenia. The condition affects the brain, not the eyes or any other sense organ. In fact, an object that looks smaller to a person suffering from the syndrome feels smaller, too, even with eyes closed.

The Ultimate Eccentric

Arguably the older generation's Paris Hilton was the eccentric and intriguing Howard Hughes. This aviating record-setter, engineer, film producer and director, and businessman from Texas was one of the wealthiest people in the world. And of course, he had a dark side. Hughes suffered from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (he obsessed about such things as cleanliness, all things Texan, and finagling out of taxes), and he was addicted to codeine, valium, and a few other prescription drugs. The drug abuse left Hughes 's so ravaged that he was a scant 90 lbs. when he died from kidney failure at 70 years old.

Sawing Logs

Men really do snore more than women. Men tend to gain fat around their faces and necks, constricting the airway a bit and causing the structures in there to flap in the breeze. Women are more likely to deposit that fat on their hips and bellies. Furthermore, women tend to have a wider airway anyway.

Smoking and drinking can make people snore more. Also pregnance can swell the lining around the nose and throat, which would cause a woman to snore.

"war began in my dining room and ended in my parlor"

Consider the case of one Wilmer McLean. Wilmer was a simple grocer when the first shots of the American Civil War were fired in his back yard. The First Battle of Bull Run ensued. As you can imagine, Wilmer was uncomfortable, to say the least, with cannonballs taking out his dining room fireplace, so he moved to Appomattox Court House.

Fast forward to 1865, and we get the Battle of Appomattox Court House. The Civil War followed Wilmer McLean right into his parlor, where General Robert E. Lee surrendered to General Ullyses S. Grant.

In fact, when the surrender document was signed, the Union soldiers started pocketing all of Wilmer's belongings as souvenirs. George Custer got the table upon which the surrender was signed. Wilmer protested this theivery of course, but the soldiers merely gave him cash as they walked out his door.

Hear Me Roar...

Why do classic lion tamers carry a chair around with them in the ring?

Lions' brains work so that they can really only focus their attention on one thing at a time. If a lion starts getting a little too interested in a tamer, the tamer will put a chair between himself and the lion, legs pointed out toward the lion's face. The legs of the chair present to the lion four points of interest. This move confuses the lion a little bit as he is faced with the choice of which leg to focus on, and more importantly, it diverts the lion's attention away from the tamer.

Daylight Saving Time

Daylight Saving Time (not Daylight Savings Time, officially) is when our clocks are shifted one hour later for the summer months in order to have more sunlight in the summer evening hours. The time springs forward one hour in the Spring and falls back into place in the Fall. This hour difference in the summer and winter allows for similar dawn hours for the whole year. Studies show that the practice saves an average of 1% annual energy. Other studies have shown that Daylight Saving Time reduces traffic accidents because the streets are better lit for longer into the evening.

Daylight Saving Time is practiced variably around the world. In the U.S., Daylight Saving Time starts at 2:00 a.m. on the second Sunday in March and ends at 2:00 a.m. on the first Sunday in November. The entire European Union changes at 1:00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. Areas near the equator do not observe Daylight Saving Time because the daylight hours don't shift as much or even at all during the year. Some nations and a couple of U.S. states choose not to practice Daylight Saving Time. While some people enjoy the extra evening light, others think it unwise to toy with time.