October 31, 2024

A 2021 YouGov poll found that about one in five adults (or 21% of participants) keep the porch lights off and pretend not to be home when the trick-or-treaters come knocking — a number that radio station WBIW alleges has increased since, with the number more accurately being reported as 25% percent in 2023.

- goodhousekeeping.com (September 3, 2024)

October 30, 2024

According to the most recent data, U.S. viewers aged 15 years and older spent on average almost three hours watching TV per day in 2023. Adults aged 65 and above spent the most time watching television at over four hours, whilst 15 to 19-year-olds watched TV for less than two hours each day.

- statista.com (Julia Stoll, July 4, 2024)

October 29, 2024

Taking candy from strangers one night a year isn't a new or uniquely American tradition. It once was known as "guising" in Scotland and Ireland. Young people dressed up in costumes and went door-to-door looking for food or money in exchange for performing songs, poems or other "tricks." Today, the tradition has morphed into children getting dressed up and asking for candy. Hardly anyone sings for their mini Snickers these days — but a simple "thank you" will go a long way.

- goodhousekeeping.com (September 3, 2024)

October 28, 2024

Electric blankets vary as to how hot they become and will usually include changeable heat settings to allow you to select different temperatures. The lowest heat generally starts around 65 degrees Fahrenheit, rising up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Not only do electric blankets heat the whole of the bed as opposed to just one area, but the heat will continue until the blanket is switched off. A hot water bottle instantly loses heat as soon as you’ve poured the water into the bottle.

- sleepypeople.com

October 27, 2024

Only 32% of the US population reads books for pleasure. The average American reads only 12 books per year. 42% of college graduates never read another book after college. Reading for just six minutes can reduce stress levels by 68%.

- abtaba.com (Above & Beyond ABA Therapy, February 21, 2024)

October 26, 2024

You now know why leaves change color, but do you know why they fall off trees? As their exposure to light decreases in the fall, they start to produce a hormone that boosts the growth of a cell between the stem and the leaf. As that happens, the leaf is basically forced to fall off the stem. Even if this didn't happen, leaves would fall off the trees int he winter as they would freeze and die.

- redbookmag.com (October 6, 2020)

October 25, 2024

On average, people are spending 3.1 hours streaming media per day (over 20 hours per week). 79% experience lagging or buffering from their internet connection while streaming. People are spending an average of $552 on streaming services a year. 44% report having their streaming subscription costs increase over the last year.

- Forbes.com (Samantha Allen, June 13, 2024)

October 24, 2024

The average shower length is 8.2 minutes, and the average water usage is 17.2 gallons

- bathwraps.com

October 23, 2024

Fall leaf colors are caused by certain pigments in the leaves, and different kinds of trees produce different pigments. When you notice leaves that are purple and red, that's caused by the "anthocyanins" pigment, which is only produced in the fall when sugars are trapped in the leaves. Lots of dry weather and sunlight will lead to more sugars in the leaves, meaning the leaves will be brighter red. Freezing, meanwhile, stops the process of making red pigments.

- redbookmag.com (October 6, 2020)

October 22, 2024

Ear candle makers and supporters claim that the lit candle creates enough warmth to generate suction. This suction pulls impurities and wax out of the ear canal. However, these claims do not make much sense, and there is currently no research or evidence to show that ear candles do what people claim they do. Although many people dislike earwax, it is actually a self-cleansing, lubricating, and antibacterial substance for the ear canal. People without enough earwax often have dry, itchy ears. Earwax naturally works its way out of the ear canal during motions such as chewing or swallowing. Once on the outside of the ear canal, earwax dries up and flakes away.

- medicalnewstoday.com (November 14, 2018)

October 21, 2024

After fall was known as "harvest," it eventually can to be called "autumn"—so how did "fall" became the dominant term? In the early 1600s, people started moving into cities, and use of the term "harvest" lessened. They started saying "fall of the leaf" to refer to the third season of the year, because the leaves would fall from the trees. Over time, "fall of the leaf" was shortened to "fall," and it stuck.

- redbookmag.com (October 6, 2020)

October 20, 2024

A mining engineer named Oliver Bowles in 1939 figured there are about 240,000 miles of stone walls in New England. That’s twice as long as the U.S. coastline – including Alaska and Hawaii. The densest concentration of New England stone walls goes along the Connecticut coast to Portland, Maine, and then inland about 100 miles.

- newenglandhistoricalsociety.com

October 19, 2024

It depends on breed, lifestyle and coat. Once every three months is a good baseline, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). It also depends on your dog's hair length. According to BeChewy, medium- and long-coat dogs should bathe every four to six weeks and short-coat dogs should bathe somewhere between every one to three months.

- USA Today, Clare Mulroy (September 27, 2024)

October 18, 2024

From the early 3100 B.C. to the 3rd Century B.C., the great Egyptians invented curtains and used them throughout their entire rule. The very first curtains were made of animal hides and hung in doorways with hooks. However, through the years the Egyptians spun textiles from flax and linen at first, followed by wool, silk, and cotton. These were very valuable because these materials were more flexible but still provided a similar layer of warmth as that from the hides.

- quickfitblindsandcurtains.com.au (April 26, 2023)

October 17, 2024

Gannett, the largest US newspaper owner, reduced its holdings from 613 papers in 2020 to 487 in 2022. In 2021, the average circulation of weekday newspapers was 24.3 million, down from 63.2 million in 1990.

- redline.digital (June 26, 2024)

October 16, 2024

Along with the hunter's supermoon, a rare astronomical event is making an appearance this month. A rare comet, visible only once every 80,000 years, will appear in the night sky through Oct. 26. This week offers the best views of Comet C/2023A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (pronounced Choo-cheen-shahn).

- statesman.com (USA Today) (October 26, 2024)

October 15, 2024

The monocle, however, did not become an established article of gentlemen's apparel until the nineteenth century. The template for rimless eyeglasses dates back to around 1814 when an Austrian inventor marketed a rimless monocle. At the time, eyeglasses were not considered an acceptable fashion statement and carried connotations of one being elderly or a member of the clergy (only clergymen tended to be literate enough to require reading glasses) and therefore there was a desire to make eyewear as inconspicuous as possible.

- monoclemadness.co.uk (April 22, 2018)

October 14, 2024

There’s no solid evidence that turkey was on the menu in late 1621, when the Pilgrim settlers of Plymouth Colony sat down with indigenous Wampanoag people for what we now recognize as the first Thanksgiving celebration. While “fowl” may have been served, that may well have referred to seasonal waterfowl like duck or geese, rather than turkey.

- history.com (November 20, 2023)

October 13, 2024

Flannel is a soft woven fabric, that comes in different weights. Traditionally, flannel was made from either carded wool or worsted yarn only. Nowadays though, you can find flannel that is made from wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is valued for its softness, warmth, and affordability. This is why it is commonly used to make many items such as shirts, sleepwear, blankets, and of course, sheets.

- gozatowels.com (September 25, 2019)

October 12, 2024

Jaws’s massive great white doesn’t fully appear in a shot until 1 hour and 21 minutes into the two-hour film. The reason it isn’t shown is because the mechanical shark that was built rarely worked during filming, so Spielberg had to create inventive ways (like Quint’s yellow barrels) to shoot around the non-functional shark.

- mentalfloss.com (June 29, 2023)

October 11, 2024

The redesign took the ‌Mac Pro‌ in an entirely new direction, spearheaded by a polished aluminum cylinder that became unofficially dubbed the ""trashcan."" Apple made a rare admission of the product's failure during a meeting with reporters in April 2017, explaining in detail why the device didn't succeed in the way it had hoped. In 2019, Apple's full mea culpa came in the form of yet another ‌Mac Pro‌ redesign, which took the machine back to a highly modular tower form factor.

- MacRumors.com (December 19, 2022)

October 10, 2024

Experts say the Northern Lights, or Aurora Borealis, are more visible right now due to the sun being at what astronomers call the “maximum” of its 11-year solar cycle. What this means is that roughly every 11 years, at the peak of this cycle, the sun’s magnetic poles flip, and the sun transitions from sluggish to active and stormy. On Earth, that’d be like if the North and South Poles swapped places every decade.

- BBC News (October 11, 2024)

October 09, 2024

Most of the moving that Americans do takes place during early adulthood. Between the ages of 18 and 45, the average American will move five or six times. Once you reach the age of 45, you’re likely to only move two or three more times.

- nasdaq.com (December 29, 2023)

October 08, 2024

Sunburst Honeylocust
Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis ‘Suncole’
The variety ‘Inermis’ means thornless. This cultivar is also known as the Sunburst® Thornless Honeylocust as it does not grow thorns like the species does. This tree is very popular for its bright chartreuse-yellow foliage, unique only to the Sunburst® Honeylocust. The foliage brings bright color as well as fine texture to a landscape, making the Sunburst® a valuable landscaping tree.

- Kuenzi Turf & Nursery

October 07, 2024

"Scientists have determined that the V-shaped formation that geese use when migrating serves two important purposes: First, it conserves their energy. Each bird flies slightly above the bird in front of them, resulting in a reduction of wind resistance. The second benefit to the V formation is that it is easy to keep track of every bird in the group. Flying in formation may assist with the communication and coordination within the group. Fighter pilots often use this formation for the same reason."

- Library of Congress (November 19, 2019)

October 06, 2024

The Shetland Sheepdog, also known as the Sheltie, is an extremely intelligent, quick, and obedient herder from Scotland's remote and rugged Shetland Islands. Shelties bear a strong family resemblance to their bigger cousin, the Collie.

- The American Kennel Club

October 05, 2024

An estate sale is a method of selling all (or nearly all) of the contents of a home. Estate sales typically occur after a death or other event that causes the inhabitants to quickly move away from the home. Estate sales usually take place over several days and are open to the general public.

- truelegacyhomes.com (April 13, 2020)

October 04, 2024

White wines generally have less alcohol and fewer calories than reds.

- napavalley.com (April 23, 2024)

October 03, 2024

Sherlock Holmes takes the cake as the most-filmed fictional human character of all time. He has been in more than 226 movies. Who is the most-filmed non-human fictional character of all time? Dracula has been in more than 239 films and holds this title.

- canterburyclassicsbooks.com (May 18, 2017)

October 02, 2024

Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago, mostly in the area that is now Ireland, the United Kingdom and northern France, celebrated their new year on November 1. This day marked the end of summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death. Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the night of October 31 they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

- History.com (November 18, 2009)

October 01, 2024

As of Oct. 1, dockworkers at major East and Gulf Coast ports have officially gone on strike. According to Costco’s CEO, Ron Vachris, they are well-prepared for the consequences of a port strike. Vachris said while the strike ""could be disruptive,"" the company has taken proactive steps such as pre-shipping goods, clearing ports ahead of time, and exploring alternative shipping routes.

- Alex Andonovska, aol.com (October 1, 2024)