AUTHOR R. ANN SIRACUSA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . It isn't the destination that matters -- It's the journey that counts!
Contact me!
  • HOME
  • BLOG
  • BOOKS
    • All For A Dead Man's Leg
    • All For A Fist Full Of Ashes
    • Destruction Of The Great Wall
    • All For Spilled Blood
    • First Date
    • Halloween In The Catacombs
    • All In The Game
    • Family Secrets: A Vengeance of Tears
  • ABOUT ME
    • Resume
  • PHOTO ALBUMS
  • RESOURCES
  • MY ORGANIZATONS
  • BLOGS ABOUT ANN
  • Blog

POLAR  BEARS

2/18/2022

1 Comment

 
Picture
THE MOSTEST TO SAY THE LEASTEST
Polar bears are BIG. ​Urusus Maritimus, as it is called in scientific palaver, is a hypercarnivorous bear whose natural habitat is primarily within the Artic Circle, encompassing the Arctic Ocean, its surrounding seas and surrounding land masses.

◄ Image Source: animalfactguide.com/polar-bear/

Picture
The Polar Bear is the largest extant bear species, as well as the largest living land carnivore. Only the Kodiak bear nears this size.

The average boar (adult male) weighs around 770 to 1,540 lb and reaches 7’10” to 9’10” in total length. Their are about 2’8” to 5’ in length. Adult females (sows) are about half that size but still big enough to do some major damage, particularly if you threaten her babies. They are very good mothers.

                I
mage Source: researchgate.net/World-distribution-polar-bear ►

Picture
Picture
     Guide      Polar Bear    Brown Grisly     American Black Bear              Polar Bear measures 9'10 "
     Source of Images: zooologist.com/how-tall-is-a-polar-bear/ 
▲                                                            ▲        
The Ursus maritimus, or Marine Bear, evolved to survive nicely in a narrow ecological niche, which today means big bears, the need for lots of food and, now, shrinking habitat, making it an endangered species in this era of climate change. There are an estimated 21,000 to 33,000 polar bears left in the wild.

The Ursus maritimus, or Marine Bear, evolved to survive nicely in a narrow ecological niche, which today means big bears, the need for lots of food and, now, shrinking habitat, making it an endangered species in this era of climate change. There are an estimated 21,000 to 33,000 polar bears left in the wild.

Polar bears are born on land, but spend much of their life on sea ice. Their big bodies have adapted to cold temperatures and moving across snow, ice, and open water, and for hunting seals, their main source of food. Seals live at the edge of sea ice. When there is little sea ice, and no seals; the polar bears can live off body fat (for a while). Because of their dependence on the sea ice and seals, polar bears are classified as marine mammals.

Researchers believe the bear family, Ursidae, split off from the run-of-the-mill carnivore about 38 million years ago. A sister to the brown bear, recent research establishes the divergence of polar and brown bears at about 400,000 years ago. However, there is evidence that the species have mated intermittently for all that time. The oldest known polar bear fossil is a 130,000 to 110,000-year-old jaw bone found in 2004. More recent fossils demonstrate that the polar bears molars changed, between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, significantly from those of the brown bear.

ADAPTATION TO HABITAT
The Polar Bear leads a solitary life. The animal’s preferred habitat is where annual sea ice covers the ocean over the continental shelf and the Arctic inter-island archipelagos. These areas, known as the "Arctic ring of life", have high biological productivity in comparison to the deep waters of the high Arctic. The bears sometimes range as far south as James Bay in Canada, but tend to stay along the periphery of the ice packs where the seals live.
Within that habitat, fresh water is limited. Thus, polar bears have evolved with the ability to produce water through the metabolism of fats found in seal blubber.
Their legs are stocky and the ears and tail are small. However, the feet are very large to distribute load when walking on snow or thin ice and to provide propulsion when swimming.
Picture
Picture
Polar bear jumping on fast ice in Spitsbergen Island,                   In the water                                             
Svalbard Archipelago, Norway                                                         
Image Source: animalia.bio/polar-bear  
▲​
​Image Source: en.wikipedia.org/Polar_bear  ▲
Claws are deeply scooped on the underside to assist in digging in the ice of the natural habitat. Research of injury patterns in polar bear forelimbs found injuries to the right forelimb to be more frequent than those to the left, suggesting, perhaps, right-handedness. They have 42 teeth adapted to a carnivorous diet with large, sharp canines, and a blue tongue.
​

Blue? Sounds strange. It’s because they have black skin. Also they regulate their heat balance by panting like a dog. The tongue is so blue because it is well supplied with blood.
Picture
Polar bears are insulated by up to four inches of adipose tissue (fat), hide and fur, keeping body temperature at a steady 98.6° F. Polar bear fur consists of a layer of dense underfur and an outer layer of guard hairs which appear white to tan or yellowish but are actually clear and hallow. Their skin is black.      Polar bear insulation -     Image Source: researchgate.net/Polar-bears-fur

Actually, polar bears are not white, as they often appear. Thanks to evolution. the bear’s guard hair has some rather novel features. Firstly, each hair is hollow, like a straw. When the sun shines on a polar bear’s fur, light gets trapped in the hollow section of each individual hair. With nowhere else to go, the trapped light bounces around inside the hairs and the energy produced creates a reaction called luminescence. This even helps the black skin to absorb the heat.

So, polar bears aren’t actually white. Their color is determined by the lighting and climate of their surroundings; they can appear: yellow, gray, orange, and even green. Green occurs when the hairs get algae inside them.

Picture
​Let’s not forget their great pair of sniffers. Wikipedia claims “They can smell a seal’s breathing hole, or aglu, up to one mile away. Once located, a polar bear will wait patiently by the hole and attack the seal’s head when it comes up for air.”

On the left are some characteristic postures you may recognize from photos: 

1.At rest
2.Assessing a situation;
3.When feeding

◄ Image credit: Волков Владислав Петрович - сделано мной, CC0
Image Source: commons.wikimedia.org/w/13907826
                                                                                                                                                         
Image Credit: AWeith /Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0
                                                                                                                                                         
▼ Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/51515270

Picture
When food is plentiful, the bear will just eat the seal fat, leaving the carcass for other animals. However, when food is scarce, polar bears will eat just about anything; walruses, short-legged reindeer, birds, bird eggs, kelp, and beached whales.

REPRODUCTION
Polar Bears are active year-round, although they have a vestigial hibernation induction trigger in their blood. Pregnant females do enter a dormant stage after mating in the spring. They spend the summer eating a lot and building a den in a snow drift. As winter approaches the female goes into her den and assumes the dormant state until she gives birth. Litters are usually two cubs who stay with their mother for two years to learn how to survive. Another source indicates that cubs nurse for 2 ½ years. Seems a little inconsistent, but whatever.

Picture
Picture
▲ Source of Image: animalia.bio/polar-bear  ▲​
Picture
Picture
                  Image Source: worldwildlife.org/polar-bear ▲                                                 Image Credit: US Fish and Wildlife  ▲​ 
                                                                                                                                                              Image Source: en. wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear# 
In the springtime, April and May, the polar bears congregate in the best hunting areas and the courting begins. This is when males fight for mating rights. Polar bears have a polygynous mating system. Partners stay together for an entire week, mating repeatedly. After mating, the fertilized egg remains in a suspended state until August or September. Based on what I read, the male takes off and is out of the story.
​

Polar bears are not territorial, so mating season is the only time males fight with each other. Otherwise they can comingle peacefully, although this doesn’t happen often.
Picture
​During the summer, the pregnant female eats a lot (she may gain over 400 pounds or double her body weight). During these four months she finds a suitable place for a den and begins preparing it. When the hunting season is over and the ice flows are at minimum, she builds a den with a narrow entrance and one to three chambers within. Most of them are in snow drifts but some are actually underground in permafrost, located a few kilometers from the coast. The female enters her dormant state and her heart beat lowers, but her body temperature does not drop as it would in true hibernation.             Image Source: en.wikipedia.org//Polar_bear  ▲​ 

Between November and February, cubs are born blind, covered with a light down fur, and weighing less than two pounds. They remain in the den until around April, then the mother digs a way out. They remain in the area of the den for a week or two, then head off toward the coast for hunting, since Mom has been fasting for months.                                                                                                                                                                      
Cubs stay with the mother for two and a half years. Then she chases them away or simply leaves, and they are on their own.

LIFE CYCLE
Females breed at between four and five years. Males are six years old before they are able to breed. Reproductive success and the maternal weight of females peaked in their teens. In the wild, these animals live on average twenty-five years.

Not a lot is known about “old age” of Polar bears. They appear affected by infectious diseases and parasites than most terrestrial mammals, and they have no predators, except an occasional whale while swimming. They generally avoid going in the water of a pod of whales is detected.

The major belief is that if they are not killed by hunters, the most likely lose the ability to find food and die of starvation and old age. But over hunting has been a problem for years, and finally the countries in the range area took measures in the mid-to-late 20th century to control hunting.

According to the World Wildlife Fund, the polar bear is important as an indicator of Arctic ecosystem health. Polar bears are studied to gain understanding of what is happening throughout the Arctic, because at-risk polar bears are often a sign of something wrong with the Arctic 
marine ecosystem.

JUST SAYIN!

FACT SHEET
KINGDOM - Animalia
PHYLUM - Chordata
SUBPHYLUM - Vertebrata
CLASS - Mammalia
ORDER - Carnivora
SUBORDER - Caniformia
FAMILY - Ursidae
GENUS - Ursus
SPECIES - Ursus maritimus

Scientific Name - Ursus maritimus (Sea Bears)
Name – male = boar,  female = sow;  baby = cub
Population – 21,000 to 33,000 worldwide
Life span - 25-30 yrs
Top speed - 40 km/h
On land, gait is lumbering. Average speed 3 ½ mph. Sprinting can reach 25 mph.
In water, they are buoyant and swim in dog-paddle fashion using forepaws. Swim at about 6 mph but can reach 40 mph. They can swim for days.

Weight – male – 770 to 1,540 pounds; female  400 to 800 pounds
Height – 7’10” to 9’10”
length – 6 to 9 feet
Teeth – 42 razor sharp teeth: with jagged back teeth and canines larger than grizzly teeth, they pack quite the bite
Paws - 30 cm wide paws: the size of a dinner plate! a natural snowshoe that helps the bear trek across treacherous ice and deep snow,

Eyelids - 3 eyelids: the third helps protect the bear's eyes from the elements.
Eye Sight – as acute as that of a human, bettert at long distance.
Hearing – as acute as that of a human.
Sense of Smell – Extremely well-developed sense of smell allows them to detect seals a mile away and buried under 3 feet of snow.

Insulation - 4 inches of fat: Under the bear's skin to keep it warm
Skin – Black; absorbs the heat
Fur – A layer of dense underfur and an outer layer of guard hairs which appear white to tan or yellowish but are actually clear and hallow.
Tongue - Blue

No. Offspring – 2 cubs; become independent at between 2 and 3 years.

Environmental Status – Vulnerable
Habitats - Arctic Ocean, sea ice, and adjacent coastal areas
Continents - North America, Europe, Asia
Countries - Canada, Norway, Russia, United States
Regions - Yukon, Greenland,  Yakutiya, Alaska, Newfoundland, Labrador, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Québec
 

Oceans - Arctic Ocean
Group Name - sloth, sleuth
Lifestyle - Terrestrial, Altricial, Natatorial, Nomadic, Apex predator, Burrowing, Aquatic

Diet and Nutrition - Carnivore, Scavenger
Most of what polar bears eat is the blubber and skids of ringed seals. they often leave the rest of the carcass, which becomes an important food source for other animals. they also eat birds, fish, berries, reindeer and sometimes walrus. carcasses of walruses, seals and even whales can provide a regular source of food for polar bears. they sometimes break into underground seal dens to hunt the pups inside them.

Mating Behavior – Polygynous
​
Mating Season – April and May
□
SOURCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/polar-bears.htm
https://www.worldwildlife.org/species/polar-bear
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/canada/manitoba/churchill
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/facts/polar-bear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churchill,_manitoba
https://animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/polar-bear/
https://animalia.bio/polar-bear
http://zooologist.com/how-tall-is-a-polar-bear/
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Polar-bears-fur-24_fig4_317219975
https://www.businessinsider.com/what-color-is-polar-bear-fur-2017-12

https://www.nathab.com/polar-bear-tours/tundra-lodge-adventure/?sclkid=3a91703132ce194b83ba11ee326a0ce6&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Polar%20Bears&utm_term=polar%20bears%20canada%20churchill&utm_content=Churchill&utm_content=po

https://travel.quarkexpeditions.com/arctic/svalbard/?creative=&keyword=svalbard%20polar%20bear&matchtype=p&network=o&device=c&utm_medium=ppc&utm_source=bing&utm_campaign=ak-spitsbergen-priority&utm_term=svalbard%20polar%20bear&utm_content=search&msclkid=fa
​

https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/Donation2?df_id=14264&14264.donation=form1&s_src=AWE1800OQ18710A01688RX&msclkid=72137b9c1e721909d5191a431d6b60dd&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Wildlife%20Save%20-%20Species&utm_term=how%20to%20save%20pol

https://www.nathab.com/polar-bear-tours/classic-polar-bear-expedition/?utm_content=churchill%20canada&utm_source=Bing_Yahoo&utm_medium=cpc&msclkid=9f06fbaa79ee1ca6007b9a757a22bee6&utm_campaign=Search%20-%20Polar%20Bears%20-%20Churchill&utm_term=churchill%2

https://idairco.com/are-polar-bears-turning-green/#:~:text=Polar%20bears%20have%2C%20although%20we%20cannot%20see%20it,blue%20because%20it%20is%20well%20supplied%20with%20blood.

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/World-distribution-of-the-polar-bear-Ursus-maritimus-In-this-overlay-of-the-Arctic_fig1_31579076
□




1 Comment

IT’S NEVER WHAT YOU THINK: Saint Valentine’s Day Trivia Quiz

2/11/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
When you’ve celebrated an event all your life, there is a tendency to believe you know everything about its origins and traditions. Take Valentine’s Day, for instance. I remember cutting out little red hearts from construction paper seventy-five years ago, then it was more complicated cupid forms. That alone should make me an expert, but life and traditions are never that simple.
​
TAKE THE VALENTINE’S DAY TRIVIA QUIZ

1. VALENTINE’S DAY ORIGINATED FROM:

a. The death of Saint Valentine, Bishop of Interamna (now Terni, Italy).
b. The birth of Saint Valentine of Rome.
c. The Roman fertility festival of Lupercalia
d. The fifth century AD when Pope Gelasius I created a religious day honoring Saint
   Valentine.


ANSWER
The origins of Saint Valentine's day are rooted in the ancient Romans and their fertility festival of Lupercalia on the Ides of February (15th), dedicated to Faunus, the Roman god of agriculture. It was a sensuous affair where young women put their names in a big pot and young men simply drew out a name. According to a 2008 article by Glenn Church, "The man did not need to ask for a date, plan a dinner setting or a movie. Just draw a name and off to fornicate."

Picture
In the fifth century Pope Gelasius I outlawed the pagan festival and superimposed a religious day honoring Saint Valentine. The Pope’s action toned down the festivities but, according to scholar Noel Lenski, University of Colorado, “It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on. That didn’t stop it from being a day of fertility and love.”
Image Source: unsettlingthings.com/history-of-valentines-day/

2. WHO WAS ST. VALENTINE’S DAY NAMED AFTER?
a. Saint Valentine, bishop of Interamna (now Terni, Italy) – Executed February 14, between
​    430 and 440 AD
b. Saint Valentine, priest in Rome – Executed February 14, approximately 270 AD
c. Saint Valentine, a martyr in the Roman province of Africa. Executed February 14, Year
    Unknown


ANSWER
Actually, no one knows for sure, but historians agree there was nothing romantic in any of the histories of the three possible early-Christian martyrs (Saints) named Valentine. 

According to the Catholic Encyclopedia there were thirty saints named Valentine. “At least three different Saint Valentines, all of them martyrs, are mentioned in the early martyrologies under the date of 14 February.”
The only thing known for sure about any of them ‒ and there could be errors in the Church’s early recordkeeping as well ‒ was that they were all martyred on February 14 of different years.
Picture
Picture
                           St.  Valentine of Terni                                                        St. Valentine of Rome 
           Image Source: guernseydonkey.com/the-death-of-a-saint
                       Image Source: albionfourthrome.blogspot.com/valentine                                      
​The most accepted of the three as the real “Saint Valentine” possibilities is the Roman priest, and his legend is based on disputable writings from many years later and word of mouth.

According to the legend, under the rule of Claudius the Cruel, Rome was involved in many unpopular and bloody campaigns. The emperor had to maintain a strong army, but was having a difficult time getting soldiers to join his military leagues. Claudius believed that Roman men were unwilling to join the army because of their strong attachment to their wives and families.”
​
The Emperor took care of this little problem by banning all marriages and engagements in Rome (or perhaps it was only those in the military). Valentine, reacting to the injustice of the decree, continued to perform marriages. When the news got back to the Emperor, Claudius ordered that Valentine be put to death. “Valentine was arrested and dragged before the Prefect of Rome, who condemned him to be beaten to death with clubs and to have his head cut off. The sentence was carried out on February 14, on or about the year 270.” history.com/day-in-history/st-valentine.
There are a number of variations to the legend.

The first mention of St. Valentine’s Day as a romantic holiday appeared in the writings of Geoffrey Chaucer in 1382. With the Medieval period came a new focus on illicit but chaste courtly love, 

3. WHERE DOES THE STYLIZED SHAPE OF THE VALENTINE HEART COME FROM?
a.  It is shaped like a human heart.
b.  Heart shape originated as the symbol of Dionysus, Greek god of grapes, wine, and
​    debauchery, and champion of sexual orgies.
c. It is the shape of Silphium, a well-known, but now extinct, herb widely used in the
    Mediterranean area for spicing food and widely used as an abortive agent for women.

d. The idea is from the 1250 French romance, The Romance of the Pear, written by Thibaut.
e. It is the shape of female body parts: buttocks, heart shaped baby bump, and (Oh, my!)
    the full frontal whoo-hah
​.
ANSWER
Chronologically speaking, the first theory is the heart shape originated as the symbol of Dionysus, Greek god of grapes, wine, and debauchery, and champion of sexual orgies. The god and the Cult of Dionysus are depicted among Mycenaean artifacts the end of the Bronze Age (1600-1100 BC).
​
By the seventh century BC, the city-state of Cyrene (in today’s Lybia), was known to trade in the rare, and now extinct, plant silphium. Silphium, a well-known herb widely use in the Mediterranean area for spicing food, grew only along the Libyan coast where the climate is now considerably drier. It was also widely used as an abortive agent for women. And guess what! Its seeds were shaped like hearts. The shape and plants were even commemorated on Cyrene coins.
Picture
Picture
Image Source: edenbrothers.com/?msclkid                     Image Source: bellabeat.com/uncategorized
The Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BC) wrote that the human heart was the center of all human emotions. It is certainly one of the major body parts which sends visceral signals regarding our feelings and moods. If you've ever been in love, or heartbroken, you know you definitely feel it in your heart. That could support the connection between the heart and passion, bnut they don’t look much alike.
Picture
Picture

​Image Source: heartattackfaq.com/what-is-heart-attack
The first verifiable association of the heart shape as a symbol of romantic love occurred in 1250 in a French romance (Le Roman de la Poire) by Thibaut. The illustration in this book is earliest known depiction of the human heart in a metaphorical context signifying romantic love.
​

Our last theory or the heart shape origin is the replication of certain female body parts. The Catholic Encyclopedia makes no reference to this matter, and all above are theories advanced by “experts”, but archeological research seems to fall on the side of #e... lady parts.                               
Image Source: demicblog.com/shape-of-butt          Image Source: refinery29.com/heart-shaped-uterus

4. WHAT COLOR ROSES IS BEST TO SEND YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER ON
    VALENTINE’S DAY?
    a.  Red            b. Dark Crimson     c. Lavender         d. Yellow                                                          
    e. White
​          f.  Coral/Peach        g. Orange            h. 
Blue                i. Pink 
ANSWER
The days of picking up a gift at random are gone, Romeo. That’s one of the problems with the internet. There’s too much information out there. Today’s modern woman is probably going to know – or find out – the meaning of each color of the flowers you might give her. While you are fairly safe, there are a few thorns. Read the meanings carefully before deciding what message you want to send.

Red – Symbolizes love and desire; the best because the color means love.
Dark crimson or Black – Symbolizes mourning.
Lavender – Symbolizes love at first sight. 
Yellow – Symbolizes joy, friendship, the promise of a new beginning.
Blue 
– Symbolizes an unattainable dream.
White – Symbolizes purity, innocence, reverence, a new beginning, a fresh start.
Coral or Peach – Symbolizers friendship, modesty, sympathy.
Pink – Symbolizes grace, happiness, gentleness.
Orange 
– Symbolizes desire and enthusiasm.

Remember, any other color than red symbolizes the florist was our of red roses.


4. WHAT IS THE BEST NUMBER OF ROSES TO SEND YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER ON
    VALENTINE’S DAY?

     a. One                      b. Three                        c. Five
     d. Six                              e. Ten                            f. Twelve
     g. Fifteen                       h. Twenty                           i. Twenty-four

You’re getting close but not off the hook yet. If roses are your choice, you need to pay attention to what that the number means as well. Again the best answer depends on where you are in your relationship.

A single rose – Signifies a great compliment; it represents ‘love at first sight’ and is often given to the ladies during the first date. It shows a definite romantic interest.

Three roses – Expresses contentment from being with the other person. This bouquet is often reserved for couples with some mileage behind their backs.

Five roses
– Being given five roses is the moment most women dream about. They symbolize true love. So, if you are on the receiving end of this gift, pinch yourself, it is really happening.

Six roses – Shows the person on the giving end that you want to take the relationship to the next level. This bouquet confesses unrevealed tinges of love and passion.

Ten roses
– Symbolizes two lovers meant for each other; a perfect love.

Twelve roses – A dozen roses symbolizes wholeness; the desire of the gift-giver to spend their whole life with their beloved. It’s equivalent to a marriage proposal.

Fifteen roses – Symbolizes a feeling of regret such as one might harbor following an argument with their special someone.

Twenty roses – Signifies that your love it sincere.

Two dozen ‒ The mind-disarming message of eternal and unconditional love – a genuine gesture of appreciation for the other person. (It also may mean you are rich, considering the price of roses these days.)


5. WHO ORIGINATED THE MODERN DAY VALENTINE’S DAY GREETING CARD?
a. Charles, Duke of Orleans (1415)
b. Hallmark cards 1916
c. Esther Howland, American Business Woman (1840s)
d. King Henry V
e. American Greeting Cards
 
ANSWER
Charles, Duke of Orleans is credited for writing the first Valentine while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London following his capture at the Battle of Agincourt (1415). The note still exists.


Not long after, King Henry V supposedly hired a writer named John Lydgate to compose a valentine note to Catherine of Valois.

References indicater written Valentines were popular in the middle ages, although there were, in those days, few others than some nobles and clerics who could read or write. It makes one wonder what “popular” means to the author of that reference.

By the 1800s, however, written and illustrated valentines abounded, but for sure they were all hand-made.  
Tah Dah!
Picture
Esther Allen Howland, born in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1828, was the artist and businesswoman responsible for popular-izing Valentine's Day greeting card in America by being the first entrepreneur to mass produce them (thanks, perhaps, to her father Southworth Howland who operated S.A. Howland & Sons,the largest book and stationery store in Worcester, Massachusetts.
​

Esther Howland, Image Source: stampingmadly.com/who-is-esther-howland

Shortly after graduating from Mount Holyoke College in 1847, she received a handmade Valentine’s Day card from a colleague of her father’s. The nineteen-year-old was intrigued. She was convinced she could make a much nicer card, and proceeded to make a dozen samples for salesmen to include in her father’s inventory for that period of the year.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Image Source: victoriana.com/VictorianValentine/

They were very popular. Howland was hoping for at least $200 worth of orders. Instead the orders amounted to $5,000 worth of business. Not bad for the 1850s. She started her first assembly line in Howland family home, but soon had to move to a larger place… and the American Valentine’s greeting card was on its way into the history books.

Hallmark didn’t start mass producing Valentine’s Day cards until 1916.


JUST SAYIN
​
Sources
http://www.keytoumbria.com/Terni/St_Valentine.html
https://www.wrhistoricalsociety.com/a-history-of-st-valentines-day
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/heart-shaped-uterus
https://www.al.com/living/2018/02/who_was_st_valentine_why_is_he.html
https://www.unsettlingthings.com/the-unsettling-history-of-valentines-day/
https://stampingmadly.com/2013/02/14/who-is-esther-howland-and-why-should-you-care/
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/st-valentine-beheaded
http://albionfourthrome.blogspot.com/2011/02/st-valentine-of-rome.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esther_Howland
https://guernseydonkey.com/the-death-of-a-saint-and-the-start-of-a-romantic-tradition-the-martyrdom-of-st-valentine/

https://www.biblestudy.org/basicart/what-is-true-origin-of-valentines-day.html#:~:text=It%20is%20unclear%20the%20origin%20of%20the%20familiar,like%20the%20heart%20shape%20used%20in%20modern%20times.

https://www.heartattackfaq.com/what-is-a-heart-attack?&msclkid=a96974b7bf4718e435b216b6e1c8718b&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=UNB_DTC_DSE_Awareness_General_BMM_5.23.2020&utm_term=%2Bheart%20%2Bhealth&utm_content=Heart%20Attack%20%26%20Health
Roses
https://www.lolaflora.com/blog/trend/
https://www.womansday.com/relationships/dating-marriage/g744/flower-meanings/
https://www.almanac.com/content/flower-meanings-language-flowers
https://www.odealarose.com/blog/what-is-the-most-romantic-flower/
https://www.goldflorist.com/pages/rose-color-meanings/Yellow-Rose-Meaning.html
https://www.goldflorist.com/pages/White-Rose-Meaning.html
http://www.homegrown.org/profiles/blogs/do-black-roses-actually-exist-in-nature

https://www.reference.com/world-view/meaning-black-rose-dfdacf5fc81d034a
roseforlove.com/the-meanings-of-black-roses-ezp-38

https://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/aboutflowers/flower-meanings
heart shape

https://hometech101360.wordpress.com/2016/06/11/say-it-with-single-rose-learn-its-meaning-too/
ck-https://steemit.com/blog/@sraj/rare-blarose-only-found-in-turkey

http://voices.yahoo.com/origins-valentines-day-heart-symbol-849689.html
http://www.kingdombaptist.org/the-origin-of-valentines-day-and-the-heart-symbol/
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/recycled/2007/02/the_shape_of_my_heart.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valentine%27s_Day
https://bellabeat.com/uncategorized/opening-your-heart-to-change-never-goes-out-of-fashion/
https://www.thehairpin.com/2012/02/possible-origins-of-the-heart-shape/
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/recycled/2007/02/the_shape_of_my_heart.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1586252/posts
https://www.romancefromtheheart.com/articles/general/history-of-heart-shape.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galen
http://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Dionysos.html
http://scribol.com/anthropology-and-history/history/the-changing-symbolism-of-the-heart-shape-through-the-ages/
https://www.quora.com/Where-did-the-heart-symbol-(%E2%99%A5)-originate
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium

http://www.history.com/news/ask-history/what-is-the-origin-of-the-heart-symbol
www.iep.utm.edu/galen/

https://www.edenbrothers.com/?msclkid=4b452ac61fd311e4d61548c206c7a67a&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Seeds&utm_term=seeds%20for%20planting&utm_content=General

0 Comments

STORMY WEATHER: Impact Of Weather On Mood

2/4/2022

0 Comments

 
I sit here typing in 70° weather with sunshine pouring in my windows, and it is hard to believe that winter can produce a glum mood. But February weather, in many parts of the US and the world, is less than warm and sunny today. From the map you can guess I live in Southern California or Southern Texas.
Picture
Image Source: weather.com/maps/currentusweather
AND I QUOTE
“Researchers in Germany sought to find out whether day-to-day weather affects people's moods, but branched out beyond just sunny and cloudy and looked at temperature, wind, sunlight, rain and snow, air pressure, and how long the days were.” Study Sheds Light on Whether the Sun, Wind, Rain Sway Our Emotions By Kelley Colihan
 
Most people don’t need scientific reports or the latest news article to know how the weather affects moods. All we have to do is pay attention to what is going on around us … and inside us. But as human beings, we often make assumptions about the “obvious” which turn out to be incorrect or at least skewed. So it doesn’t hurt to check on the latest research to confirm or challenge what we’ve personally observed in our lifetimes.

In addition, our observations are constrained and biased by our life style, where we live and travel, and who we know. They don’t tell us how people feel in different locations, weather conditions, or life circumstances.

THE STUDY SHOWS….
The fact that there are at least a zillion studies about weather and how it affects people, should be enough to prove there is both interest and variation in weather impacts. This plethora of research often results in conflicting results, but the Journal of Psychological Science found these inconsistencies may be due to two important factors: the season and how much time is spent outside.

The inconsistencies didn’t put me back to square one, but forced me to comb through a lot of articles and studies on weather and mood to filter out those things which are “generally” accepted by most researchers.

WEATHER AFFECTS MOOD, HEALTH, SOCIAL WELL BEING
These are the common general “truths” or, at least, the consistent beliefs I found in most of the references I used and is the level playing field, so to speak.

● Weather does affect mood, health, and social well being; the strength and nature of that relationship varies from person to person;

● The impact of weather on you may depend on your personality type;
● Weather does not have to impact your mood;
● Even though the day-to-day weather can affect your mood, it doesn't define who you are as a person.
● If you're in a good mood, chances are, bad weather won't bring you down too much.
● Mood disorders can be susceptible to seasonal influences, with a typical worsening in the winter months.
● Sleep is affected by the weather. If it is cold, people are more likely to sleep more lightly and if it’s too hot, sometimes they can’t sleep at all.
 
“DAY-IN, DAY-OUT”
Song written and performed by David Bowie, Album “Never Let Me Down” - 1987
​

The study data implies to me a difference in the impacts between the day-in day-out climate of a location and/or extended periods of extreme weather conditions, and shorter periods of weather, like a rainy day or a foggy week.
 
“STORMY WEATHER”
Song by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Ted Koehler; first performed by Ethel Waters at The Cotton Club, Harlem 1933
Picture
Picture
Image Source: https://www.pxfuel.com/en/free-photo-qicpk          Image Source: wallpaperhi.com/Umbrella/rain_selective
Here are some of the common thoughts and findings about the effects of cold, inclement, rainy, or gloomy weather on moods.

● Wintertime can bring you down;
● Cold temperatures can lead to physical lethargy;
● Cold temperatures can cause physical pain related to other influences such as arthritis;
● Temperature can affect mood as a result of energy usage. In the winter our bodies have to work harder to maintain body temperature and our immune systems have to work harder to keep us healthy;

● Extreme rain brings out the worst in people;
● Rain can cause you to eat more;
● A lack of sunlight can make you sad;
● Rain makes everything more difficult and can affect your lifestyle in ways not conducive to a good mood.
● Drops in barometric pressure when wet weather is on its way, can cause a headache and achy and stiff feelings in general;
● Rain causes us to stay inside and socialize less. Socializing is actually one of the most powerful antidepressants of all, as are sunlight and exercise.

In other words, winter weather, cold temperatures, rainy and gloomy skies tend to put people in a less positive mood. They’re downers.

“I’M WALKIN’ ON SUNSHINE”
Song written by Kimberley Rew for Katrina and the Waves' 1983
​
Picture
Picture
Image Source: bing.com/images/opening+arms+to+sunshine&form                  Image Source: thebrightsideoflife.org.uk/happy-childhood/ 
 Studies find warmer, more temperate weather/climates as affecting our moods in a positive manner.

● Higher temperatures can bring a depressed person up;

● Warm climates have a lower death rate;
● Pleasant weather (higher temperature or barometric pressure) is related to higher mood, better memory, and ‘‘broadened’’ cognitive style during the spring as time spent outside increased;
● Being outside can improve your memory, and boost creativity;
● Fresh air and sunshine may help relieve depression;
● When the sun comes out, you may alter your behavior without even realizing it. Studies suggest, for instance, that on sunny days people help each other more and leave more generous tips when eating at restaurants;
● A 50-minute nature walk improves mood and memory – even photos of green space improve mood.

If I am interpreting these findings correctly, the experts are saying when people experience warmer and more comfortable weather which lets them go outdoors and be active, mood improves and spirits rise.


“COME RAIN OR COME SHINE”
Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer; written for the musical St. Louis Woman, - 1946

Rain or shine, extreme weather conditions affect mood. Conditions which interfere with a person’s life and keep them from doing what they need or want to do, can become irritating and/or sources of anxiety or fright if the conditions are likely to have severe consequences.
  Lightning storm                           Tornado                          Heavy snow /extreme cold                 High Wind
photostockeditor.com/thunderstorm-lightning      misistemasolar.com/tornados/     shorenewsnetwork.com/cean-county-police-blotter/    wusfnews.wusf.usf.edu/winds          
       Overcast Skies                           Extreme Heat                          Heavy Rain                             Dark Nights
spartagroup.ca/wp-content/clouds         pl.dreamstime.com/suchej-gliniane      quotesgram.com/pouring-rain/        allposters.com/-sp/Sliver-of-the-Moon
Surprisingly, Strong wind has more of a negative effect on mood in spring and summer than in fall and winter. Also, when days become shorter, some people's moods mirror that, while others actually felt more positive feelings.

People are affected differently, and the human body can acclimate itself to fairly extreme differences – just look at the variety of climates in the world we inhabit. I believe how individuals are affected by weather depends a lot on what they have become used to. I went to New Zealand in the early spring. I was freezing the whole time, but I would see local people out running at five in the morning in shorts and sleeveless tops.
 
“ALL ABOUT CHEMISTRY”
The third and final album by rock band Semisonic; Song written by Dan Wilson – 2001
Picture
While the whole issue of the mood-weather relationship is undoubtedly complicated, on a simplistic level we’re looking at appetite, exercise, exposure to light and particularly sunlight, outdoor time, and sleep. All these factors impact several types of non-clinical, common depression: When life just gets you down.

In this case, much of the discussion centers around biochemistry. Sun shining on bare skin is necessary for the human body to produce Vitamin D, which plays a role in the production of the biochemical serotonin. (Some references called it a hormone.) This biochemical has several critical functions within the human body which we don’t need to go into.
After those functions are taken care of, the remainder is synthesized in “serotonergic neurons” which regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. Thus, it’s often considered a contributor to feelings of well being and happiness. In addition, the substance impacts cognitive functions including memory and learning. The more or less sunlight, the more the mood elevation rises or decreases.
​

Some of the most powerful depression fighters are socializing with others, plenty of restful sleep, eating right, exercise, sunlight, and outdoor activity ... which are some of the advantages of living in a moderate climate which allows outdoor activity and sunlight … and where weather conditions don’t inhibit these natural “antidepressants” as much as heavy weather.

“SAD”
Song by Bo Burnham from the album “Overexposed” (Maroon 5 song) 2018

Picture
​I haven’t been talking about clinical forms of depression which not related at all to weather, location, length of days, and so on. That’s a different discussion. However, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is very real and should be mentioned.

SAD is a depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern wherein a person’s major depressive episodes are connected to a specific season. While we most commonly think of SAD affecting only people in the fall or winter months, a minority of people also experience SAD during the spring and summer months.

For some, SAD can make living in colder or stormier climates a challenge. It's thought those who suffer from SAD may be particularly affected by the lack of light during the darker winter months -- studies have found when SAD sufferers are exposed to light (particularly sunlight during the morning hours), they tend to feel better.

SAD is a relatively uncommon condition, but even those who don't suffer from it may experience drops in mood levels and well-being during the winter months or in colder climates. But we also might be overestimating how much the cold weather affects our mood: Some research has found incidences of "wintertime blues" are widely exaggerated, and most people are not affected much by seasonal mood changes.
​
CONCLUSION
In my humble opinion, based on what I’ve read, most people’s moods are affected by weather but not for very long. If a person eats properly, exercises, and gets enough sleep and sunshine, he probably won’t be affected at all, or at least for only a short time.


Sources
https://psychcentral.com/blog/can-weather-affect-your-mood/
http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20081016/how-the-weather-affects-our-moods
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=11150018
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/14/climate-health_n_4568505.html
https://www.bustle.com/articles/113278-6-scientific-ways-weather-affects-your-mood-so-you-can-adapt-your-mind-and-body-through
https://www.elitedaily.com/p/how-the-weather-affects-your-mood-your-personality-according-to-a-new-study-6745419
http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/15843/1/Effects-of-Weather-on-Human-Emotions.html
http://highlysensitiveperson.net/weather-affects-mood/
https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/03/31/weather-affects-mood.aspx
http://sunlightinstitute.org/beware-the-anti-depressant-drugs-use-sunshine-instead/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3779905/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2908269/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serotonin
http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx
http://www.ulifeline.org/articles/433-benefits-of-exercise
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2651091/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/depression-pictures/different-types-of-depression.aspx
http://www.scienceoflight.org/depression_sad/
http://www.sciencefocus.com/qa/can-changes-atmospheric-pressure-affect-our-mood
http://www.catalogs.com/info/health/barometric-pressure-affect-mood.html
 
New Sources 2022
https://weather.com/maps/currentusweather
 
 


0 Comments

    Author R. Ann Siracusa

    Novelist, retired architect and urban planner, world traveler, quilter, owl collector, devoted wife-mother-grandmother, great-grandmother, and, according to some, wild-assed liberal.

    Archives

    February 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    May 2016
    November 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    April 2013

    Categories

    All
    Africa
    Baboons
    Bagpipes
    Halloween
    Mopane-Mopani Worms
    Saint Patrick
    Samhain
    Shamrock
    Snakes
    Travel
    Veterans Day

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.