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Shoot the Breeze
The Color of Carrots: Carrots were originally purple. Today’s orange carrots are the result of selective breeding. Originally, carrots found in nature were primarily purple, along with varieties in white, yellow, and red. The orange carrot as we know it was developed in the 17th century in the Netherlands. Dutch growers cultivated orange carrots as a tribute to William of Orange, who led the struggle for Dutch independence. The orange variety then became popular and spread worldwide.
Penguins’ Solar Navigation: Penguins, the charming birds of the Antarctic, have an intriguing method of navigation: they use the sun. Despite having no significant landmarks in their icy, oceanic habitat, they can travel long distances and find their way back to their colonies. Scientists believe that penguins navigate by gauging the position of the sun, similar to a natural GPS system. This skill is essential for their survival, as it helps them locate food sources and return to their breeding sites.
I Couldn’t Hear You! The water boatman, a minuscule insect, holds the title for the loudest animal on Earth relative to its size. These tiny creatures can produce a sound of up to 99.2 decibels, about the volume of a loud orchestra, by rubbing their genitalia against their abdomens. This incredible sound production, mainly used to attract mates, is astonishing considering their size.
Cat’s Secret Language: Cats have developed a unique way of communicating exclusively with humans: meowing. In the wild, cats rarely meow; instead, they use this sound primarily to communicate with humans. Kittens meow to get the attention of their mothers, but adult cats seem to reserve this form of vocalization for interacting with people. This behavior suggests a sophisticated understanding in cats of human responses to vocal cues, highlighting the special bond between humans and their feline companions.
Words Are Power: William Shakespeare, the iconic playwright, significantly enriched the English language by inventing over 1,700 words. Many of these words are commonly used today, like ‘bedazzled’, ‘fashionable’, and ‘lonely’. Shakespeare had an extraordinary talent for turning verbs into nouns, nouns into verbs, and connecting words in new ways. He also came up with entirely new phrases and expressions. This linguistic creativity not only made his plays captivating but also had a lasting impact on the English language, demonstrating the power of literary influence on language evolution.
Curiosities
- When was the first time humans landed on the moon?
- What is the name of the scientific theory that explains the formation and evolution of the universe?
- Where is the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) located?
- What was the first video game console ever commercially released?
- Who painted the famous Mona Lisa?
Back in Time
Birthday – Founder of Utah and patriarch of the Mormon church Brigham Young (1801-1877) was born in Whittingham, Vermont. Called the “American Moses,” he led thousands of religious followers across the wilderness to settle over 300 towns in the West, including Salt Lake City, Utah.
June 6, 1944 – D-Day, the largest amphibious landing in history, began in the early morning hours as Allied forces landed in Normandy on the northern coast of France.
June 13, 1971 – The New York Times began publishing the Pentagon Papers, a collection of top secret documents exposing U.S. strategy in the Vietnam War.
June 15, 1215 – King John set his seal to Magna Carta, the first charter of British liberties, guaranteeing basic rights that have since become the foundation of modern democracies around the world.
June 28, 1919 – The signing of the Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I.
June 30, 1971 – The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was enacted, granting the right to vote in all federal, state and local elections to American citizens 18 years or older. The U.S. thus gained an additional 11 million voters. The minimum voting age in most states had been 21.
Bible Verses
“He made Him who knew no sin to be sin in our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”
~2 Corinthians 5:21
Celestial Watch
June 6 – New Moon – The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 12:39 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
June 20 – June Solstice – The June solstice occurs at 20:46 UTC. The North Pole of the earth will be tilted toward the Sun, which will have reached its northernmost position in the sky and will be directly over the Tropic of Cancer at 23.44 degrees north latitude. This is the first day of summer (summer solstice) in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of winter (winter solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere.
June 22 – Full Moon – The Moon will be located on the opposite side of the Earth as the Sun and its face will be will be fully illuminated. This phase occurs at 01:09 UTC. This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Strawberry Moon because it signaled the time of year to gather ripening fruit. It also coincides with the peak of the strawberry harvesting season. This moon has also been known as the Rose Moon and the Honey Moon.
July 5 – New Moon –The Moon will located on the same side of the Earth as the Sun and will not be visible in the night sky. This phase occurs at 22:59 UTC. This is the best time of the month to observe faint objects such as galaxies and star clusters because there is no moonlight to interfere.
Famous Sayings
- “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln
- “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty.” – Winston Churchill
Kicks & Giggles
- What has a thumb and four fingers but is not alive? (Answer: a glove)
- My wife asked me if I had seen the dog bowl lately. I said I didn’t know he could.
- Did you hear about the nurse who didn’t want to become a doctor? She didn’t have the patients.
- What do you call a wizard who’s good with ceramics? Harry Pottery.
Breezy Living
Healthy Eating Habits for Energy: Your diet plays a vital role in your energy levels and productivity. Focus on a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. Avoid heavy, processed foods that can lead to sluggishness.
Meal prepping can save time during busy workdays and ensure you have healthy options readily available. Staying hydrated is equally important for maintaining energy and focus throughout the day.
Breezy Book Club
“Honest thinking, for instance, almost always includes the likelihood of personal sacrifice and usually includes the frightening prospect of direct confrontation.”
Virtuous Minds – by Philip E. Dow
Philip E. Dow’s book Virtuous Minds discusses seven virtues that are essential for a person seeking intellectual development. Below is a quick summary of three of them. The seven are Intellectual Courage, Carefulness, Tenacity, Fair-mindedness, Curiosity, Honesty, and Humility.
Intellectual Courage
Intellectual courage is defined as those who earnestly want to know the truth and so consistently take risks in the pursuit of truth. They are willing to reconsider their own beliefs, even if this scares them. But once they have done so and come to a belief about what is true, they are willing to stick to their guns, even if the majority mocks or threatens them. (Intellectual cowardice is the corresponding vice.)
Intellectual Carefulness
Intellectually careful people are those who earnestly want to know the truth and so consistently make sure not to rush to hasty conclusions based on limited evidence. They are patient and diligent in their thinking, careful that they do not overlook important details. (Intellectual hastiness is the corresponding vice.)
Intellectual Tenacity
Those who are intellectually tenacious earnestly want to know the truth, so they are consistently unwilling to give up when they find an assignment difficult or boring. Instead, they are determined to fight through the difficulty in order to gain a deeper understanding of the material. (Intellectual laziness is the corresponding vice.)
Learn More about “Virtuous Minds“ by reading our article HERE: Virtuous Minds – The Breezy Book Club
Curiosity answers: (1) July 20, 1969 (2) The Big Bang theory (3) Washington D.C.
(4) The Magnavox Odyssey – 1972 (5) Leonardo da Vinci