Footle and Grok

Let’s learn some more words.

I’m still working with a word list created in 2013, and I find it interesting that these are ideal 2020 words (which is not necessarily a good thing.) Here are five words to use:

• rambunctious: noisy and lacking in restraint or discipline
• quixotic: not sensible about practical matters
• quell: suppress or crush completely
• pique: a sudden outburst of anger
• paradigm: a standard or typical example

The tricky word on this list is pique. Lots of people say they are having one, but they spell it peek or peak. It’s so common that Grammar Girl wrote about it. You can peek at something, and you can climb a peak, but if you are angry, you are having a pique.

I’d rather not have a pique because people can’t use these three words correctly, so educate yourself. Remember, words have meaning, and using the wrong word ruins constructive communication, something we all desperately need.

They’re fuzzy, they’re green, and they move.

But they’re nothing but moss balls. These cute, tribble-like objects are found on glaciers in Alaska, Iceland, Svalbard, and South America. Scientists call them glacier mice. (check out the picture on the NPR article. They are seriously cute.)

The curious thing about glacier mice is that they move, and they move in unison. All the balls might move to the west, and then they will move to the south. There is a wonderful Shortwave episode where they talk to scientists who put GPS receivers in the balls and studied their movement.

The movement is confirmed, but the reason behind the action is still a mystery. I think the bigger question is, why are they so cute!

Happy Father’s Day to all the guys out there who make a difference in someone’s life. This day is for you, so celebrate big!!!

Happy Summer Solstice.

And happy birthday to my hubby.

The summer solstice is not a day (unlike my hubby’s birthday); it is a moment. The solstice for 2020 is at 2:44 p.m. PDT. I invite you to set your alarm and go outside at that time. Don’t look at the sun, but enjoy nature at the moment of the solstice.

Then at 2:45, relish in the fact that the days are getting shorter and Christmas is just around the corner. Or, just enjoy today and wish my hubby a happy birthday.

Dinosaurs evolve.

When I was a kid, dinosaurs were heavy, cold-blooded, scaly creatures that dragged their tales across the ground and lived in swampy areas because their bones couldn’t support their weight. I loved those dinosaurs.

Today, dinosaurs were light-weight, warm-blooded, feathered animals that carried their tails up and were descendants of birds. I love those dinosaurs too.

One fact never changed.

Dinosaurs lived on land.

If they swam in the water or flew in the sky, they were reptiles. If you go to the Scholastic website, they are firm on this. Even I was firm on this fact. Dinosaurs lived on land.

However, that might not be entirely accurate.

New research on the spinosaurus, a giant (bigger than a T-rex), sail-backed predator, shows that it might have lived in the water in the same way that alligators do today. That’s right, a dinosaur lived in the water. I love this dinosaur, too.

I learned about this new research from a Short Wave episode. The paleontologist who made this discovery is the luckiest guy around.

One of the things I love about science, and dinosaurs, in particular, is how the evidence improves our knowledge. As techniques and fossil collections improve, we will learn more about these amazing creatures and, in the process, learn more about ourselves.

I look forward to the next great discovery.

I earn a point in my summer library reading challenge if I review a book.

I’ve read a lot of great books lately, but it was hard to pick one to review. I finally settled on one that I had mixed feeling about. The Ends of the World: Volcanic Apocalypses, Lethal Oceans, and Our Quest to Understand Earth’s Past Mass Extinctions by Peter Brannen discusses the five mass extinctions of our past and the possibility of a sixth one.

I love learning about mass extinctions. The End Permian (252 million years ago) is my favorite, but after listening (with Audible) to this book, I’m also a fan of the Devonian (375 million years ago.) The reason I had mixed feelings is that the first time I listened to this book, I was disappointed that he didn’t just say, “this extinction was caused by X, and this extinction was caused by Y.” I assumed, from my other reading, that mass extensions were understood.

I then listened to it again, because I love the topic and there aren’t that many books on the subject. This time I understood that mass extinctions are complicated, and there is still much to learn. Peter explores all the possible answers, even some that sound a little crazy. I appreciated his coverage of the science hand waving.

If you would like to learn about Earth’s deep past and the animals that inhabited it, I recommend this book. If you are curious about what the future might look like, I recommend this book. Peter did a good job explaining everything that we don’t know.

Today is Eat All Your Veggies Day.

For fun, I created a game. The rules are simple. Below is a list of unusual vegetables, one for each letter of the alphabet. You earn a point for each one you’ve ever tried. You get two points if you’ve eaten it in the last week. Let me know your score in the comments.

There is a vegetable for everyone, so eat all your veggies today.

26 Odd Vegetables

• Arrowroot
• Belgian Endive
• Cassava (Yuca Root)
• Daikon
• Edamame
• Fiddleheads
• Ginger Root
• Horseradish
• Indian Pea
• Jicama
• Kohlrabi
• Leeks
• Mustard Greens
• Nori
• Okra
• Parsnip
• Radicchio
• Salsify
• Tomatillo
• Ullucus
• Velvet Bean
• Watercress
• Xigua (bonus point if you know what this is)
• Yam Root
• Zucchini

I got 13!!! Way more than I expected.

I have a love/hate relationship with mason jars.

I like mason jars and find them very useful. However, I hate storing mason jars and feel that they take over my kitchen at times.

I’m always looking for ways to use mason jars. All of my baking supplies are in mason jars (I made labels so I can tell salt from sugar.) I store cotton balls in them in the bathroom. And as you saw a couple weeks ago, I turned one of them into my summer memory jar.

When I was looking for ways to decorate my memory jar, I stumbled across an article from Shutterfly. I use Shutterfly to make all my digital photo albums and other photo gifts, but I didn’t know they also did craft articles.

If you need ideas for a craft event, mason jars make a great starting point. Everyone has some, and you don’t need fancy craft supplies to turn it into something lovely. It’s perfect for both in-person and online sessions.

I love most of these ideas and will try them from time to time. Check out the article and see if you agree. It will be a great way to reduce the number of jars taking up space on my shelves. Plus, some of them would make nice gifts, and that has a double advantage.

It’s time for five more cool words.

None of today’s words were new to me, but I don’t use them too often, and I definitely should. These are some useful words.

• x-axis – the horizontal axis in a plane coordinate system
• wonky – turned or twisted toward one side
• wanton – a lewd or immoral person
• vermillion – of a vivid red to reddish-orange color
• vague – lacking clarity or distinctness

However, one of these words I use often, and I have a story to go with it.

Wonky is an adjective that informally means crooked, off-center, shaky, or faulty. I once worked for a boss who was so bad, I now refer to him as He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

One Friday, my coworker and I were trying to print out paychecks, and the printer was acting up. I told He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named that the printer was “wonky.” He told me to stop making up words. Seriously!!!

I never want to interact with this person ever again, but if I did, I’d send him this list of five words and tell him to buy a dictionary.

Many thanks to my library for encouraging people to learn new words and use them. The world needs fewer bosses like He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

Happy Flag Day.

One of my favorite patriotic musical performances is by the Voices of Liberty. They perform several times a day in EPCOT at Walt Disney World (when it is open). These talented men and women wear various period clothing and entertain guests before they go see The American Adventure, hosted by Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain.

Since Walt Disney World is closed, the Voices of Liberty recorded a wonderful version of “America the Beautiful” from their homes. It is fantastic. However, since this is Flag Day, I also found a video of them singing “You’re a Grand Old Flag” in the park. Check out both performances and sing along. I love America’s music, and I love listening to the Voices of Liberty. I hope you enjoy it too.