Interesting Facts & Statistics

[Shelter]

I like this thread so much. Thank you all for these important and unimportant things in and around our lives.

 

[haiducii]

Hey, Shelter, here's another thing you should know

Tractors are a common sight in Germany, but does it have the most tractors in the EU? :thinking:

 

[waistingmytime]

6 foods that stain teeth plus 6 that will clean and whiten them
From Mother Nature Network​

When you think of stained teeth, you may be quick to blame coffee. But there are other foods and beverages that could be tingeing your pearly whites. Below, we run through a few of them. But remember, prevention is simple: Drinking water or brushing your teeth after you eat can cut down on stains.

Berries

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Blueberries have amazing health benefits, but they (along with other berries) can stain teeth whether eaten whole or consumed as juice.
While they're antioxidant powerhouses that provide great health benefits for your body, berries aren't always kind to your teeth. They're full of chromogens, and the rich color of blueberries, cranberries, raspberries and blackberries can cause staining, whether they're eaten whole, drunk as juice or processed as jelly and jam, according to Colgate.

Tea

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Tea has more teeth-staining power than coffee.
The most consumed drink on the planet is even more likely than coffee to cause that yellow shade on your teeth. Tea, especially black tea, contains tannins, which are plant-based compounds that make it easier for stains to stick to teeth, according to WebMD. Green or herbal teas have fewer tannins, so they may help limit stains, but they won't eliminate them.

Red wine

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Red wine contains tannins and chromogens, plus it's acidic. That trifecta is a surefire recipe for yellow teeth.
Like tea, red wine also contains tannins. But unlike tea, red wine is an acidic drink with intensely pigmented molecules called chromogens, which is notorious for tooth discoloration because those pigments stick to the enamel on your teeth, according to the American Dental Association (ADA).

Acidity helps to stain teeth because the acid makes tooth enamel softer and rougher, so it's easier for stains to set in. But don't think you're off the hook with white wine. It may lack red wine's intense pigment, but it's even more acidic than red, which means it can still cause stains, according to Bozart Family Dentistry in North Carolina.

Think of it this way: If a food or drink will stain your clothes or your tablecloth, it'll stain your teeth, too.

Balsamic vinegar

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Balsamic vinegar's natural dark color can stain teeth, but brushing after eating it will cut down on discoloration.
The dark natural color of this tasty salad topper can discolor your teeth if it's not brushed away soon after eating. But there's an easy remedy here. Just make sure your salad also contains lettuce, which will help clear the vinegar off your teeth as you crunch your greens, Colgate says.

Soda

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Like red wine, dark-colored sodas contain chromogens. And all soda is acidic, which means even light-colored sodas can erode enamel and stain teeth.

One tip: If you can't kick your soda habit, consider using a straw. Sucking liquid up through a straw means it bypasses your teeth and instead goes onto the roof of your mouth and your tongue, WebMD says.

Curry and tomato sauce

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If a delicious dark curry like this one is on your dinner table, consider brushing your teeth after the meal to get rid of the stain-causing pigments.
The deep pigments in curries, tomato sauce and even soy sauce can yellow teeth. Plus, tomatoes are acidic. Lighter-colored sauces, such as cream sauce, are a better choice as far as white teeth are concerned (though they may not be a better option diet-wise).



Foods that help whiten teeth
Some foods can neutralize the acid in soda or wine and even clean your chompers as you eat.

Milk and hard cheese

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Cheese neutralizes the acids in your mouth, and the calcium prevents tooth enamel from eroding.
These dairy delights benefit your teeth in two main ways, according to WebMD. They encourage saliva production, which neutralizes acid in your mouth, washes away stray food particles and helps prevent staining. Also, the calcium and other nutrients protect enamel from eroding.

Apples

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Crunchy foods like apples can help scrub off any leftover food particles that may contribute to staining.
Apples contain a substance called malic acid, which is responsible for the tart flavor. It increases saliva production, while the fruit's crunchy texture scrubs off leftover food particles that may cause stains on your teeth, according to Arizona Family Dental.

Pineapple

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Bromelain, an enzyme found naturally in pineapple, is used in many teeth-whitening products.
Think of pineapple as a natural teeth-whitener. Many teeth-whitening products contain an ingredient called bromelain, which is an enzyme found naturally in pineapple. It has many health benefits, including stain-fighting power.

Broccoli

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Broccoli's high iron content prevents tooth enamel from decay, making your teeth look whiter.
Like apples, broccoli is high in fiber and can clean teeth as you eat — if you eat it raw, according to Arizona Family Dental. This cruciferous vegetable is also high in iron, which protects tooth enamel from decay.

Cauliflower, another cruciferous vegetable, requires a lot of chewing and increases saliva production, removes plaque and keeps teeth looking whiter.

Celery

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Crunchy, fibrous veggies like celery and carrots clean your teeth while you eat.
Sensing a pattern here? Celery is another crunchy and fibrous veggie that cleans your teeth while you munch. Plus, celery is especially beneficial for healthy gums, Arizona Family Dental says, which means whiter, healthier teeth in the long run. You'll get the same benefits from eating raw carrots.

Strawberries

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Like apples, strawberries contain malic acid, which is good for saliva production and teeth-whitening.
True, earlier we said berries are responsible for staining teeth. But strawberries are an exception. Like apples, they contain malic acid and are highly fibrous, says Arizona Family Dental, so they clean your teeth as you nibble.

AARP recommends using them as a natural teeth whitener. They suggest mashing up strawberries, rubbing them over your teeth, letting them sit for five minutes and then rinsing and brushing as usual.

 

[RazzmaTazz]

Top Selling Beer in the U.S. by State

 

[RazzmaTazz]

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[RazzmaTazz]

The Toilet Paper Roll

 

[RazzmaTazz]

This means that I'm basically fucked!

 

[Shelter]

This means that I'm basically fucked!

:rofl::rofl::rofl: But don't be unhappy - you have something which is worth much more than anything else: HUMOR!
:thumbs up::thumbs up::thumbs uppp

 

[dargelos]

The base of the Empire State Building was contstructed using Nori bricks, the strongest bricks in the world, still manafactured in Accrington, Northern England. They are also used on many other kinds of building too, particularly power stations and chemical works, where protection from high temperatures and hazardous substances is a matter of life and death.



The name, as you might of guessed, comes from the word iron spelled backwards, because these bricks are as strong as iron.
Which shows that this country can still do at least one thing right, if nothing else we can still make good bricks.

 

[larrywar]

Did you know that our fingernails grow almost twice as fast as our
toenails ?
I wonder if the cause of this is our wearing shoes ?

 

[RazzmaTazz]

 

[RazzmaTazz]

 

[RazzmaTazz]

 

[trencherman]

And all along I assumed it was an offspring of a Montagnard
mother and a Jewish father.

 

[Stonecold]

I know from personal experience that cats have healing power.

 

[trencherman]

Gee, if only their dander is equally therapeutic to everyone.

 

[Stonecold]

Heart Attack and Stroke
In a 20-year study that ended in 2009, neurologist Adnan Qureshi of the University of Minnesota Stroke Institute found that cat owners seemed much less likely to die of heart attack and stroke than people who had never known the love of a cat. Non-cat owners were 40 percent more likely to die of a heart attack and 30 percent more likely to die of another cardiovascular disease, including stroke, than people from cat families. People who owned dogs but no cats didn't enjoy the same benefit -- the research showed the heart attack discrepancy only in previous and current cat owners.
Stress
A stressful day can be turned around when you come home to the happy face-rubbing of your feline friend. She might even sit still for a few minutes while you stroke her back, and she could perhaps deign to swipe at the toy you dangle over her head. All these actions help the stress melt away by reducing the cortisol, or stress hormone, levels in your brain, notes natural health doctor and Dr. Oz contributor Mao Shing Ni.
Blood Pressure
As a cat owner, you're less likely to be worried about high blood pressure, according to a study by Australia's Baker Medical Research Institute. The research shows pet owners tend to have lower blood pressure than people who don't have pets -- even when the pet parents ate a more unhealthy diet.
Other Benefits
Cats do more than give you company -- they can also keep the doctor away. Cat parents tend to visit the doctor less frequently than non-owners. Whether it's the stronger immune system that develops from laughing at your kitty or a physiological increase in secretory immunoglobulin A -- part of your immune system -- that occurs when you pet your cat, you're likely to avoid common cold more often than non-owners. People with chronic diseases or painful conditions such as fibromyalgia often find purpose in their kitties: a reason to get out of bed and a motivation to be productive. Petting and playing with your cat can distract
Once considered fringe science, the intriguing bond between pets and people is now receiving front-and-center attention from no less than the National Institutes of Health, the government's lead agency for medical research. The NIH just formed a public/private partnership with MARS, the world's largest maker of pet food, to fund and encourage research on the timeless bond.
"Pets are so ubiquitous they get overlooked, so we don't even think of researching them," said scientist James Griffin, deputy branch chief at NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

 

[waistingmytime]

Flying insects have declined by 75 percent in 27 years, surprised researchers say
Saw this article on Mother Nature Network dated October 19, 2017



Insects may be in trouble, if a study published in the journal PLOS One is any indication.

Conducted over the course of 27 years, a German research team set up a series of malaise traps — tents that catch and funnel flying insects into bottles of alcohol — across 63 nature protection areas. Typically, such traps are used for general education purposes, but as the years went on, the team noticed they were collecting fewer and fewer insects. So much so that between 1989 and 2016, the total weight, or biomass, of the insects collected fell by 77 percent during the months between May and October.

The insects in the study included butterflies, bees and and moths, and the insects were collected from a range of habitats around Germany. The study notes that the findings are especially alarming since those habitats are in "protected areas that are meant to preserve ecosystem functions and biodiversity."

Causes for the decline are vague at best. Habitat loss, climate change and agricultural practices that include pesticides, are all likely contributors, but the study does not go into detail about drought events, lack of sunshine or the fact that many of the habitats are surrounded by agricultural fields in the findings.

Such a steep decline is cause for concern. Insects are a vital part of our food web, from being a source of food for birds to being pollinators for our crops. As insects decline, so do their ecosystems, and that has a ripple effect that reaches every organism on the planet.

That being said, as the Atlantic points out in its report on the study, if insects in Germany have disappeared as much as they have, why hasn't there been similar declines in flowers, birds, reptiles and the like?

"Some species could switch food sources, but we don't really know what's going on. We do know that we see declines in even common species, like blackbirds, starlings and sparrows," Hans de Kroon, who analyzed the study's data, explained to the Atlantic.
But it's also possible, as de Kroon noted, that the environments are just adapting the best they can to the population loss. But armed with this knowledge, we can work to improve the situation..

"We don't want people to get depressed," de Kroon said. "Ecosystems are very resilient. They're still functioning quite well despite this loss. Let's make use of that resilience. We can't wait till we know exactly what's leading to these losses. We have to act."​

 

[haiducii]

Tuesday

Tuesday might be the best time to send email. According to a 2013 census by GetResponse, people send over 17% of all emails on Tuesday, making it the most popular day of the week to send.

Tuesday’s emails have an overall open rate of about 18%, the highest open rate compared to the other weekdays. Interestingly, Saturday has the highest open rate overall, at 18.3%. But we need to take into account Saturday’s low volume of email. This makes Tuesday the winner for most emails opened, compared to any other day of the week.

Have to go...I'm in a hurry. If I don't leave right now, I'm going to be late in answering your email.

 

[RazzmaTazz]