Catabasis

 Catabasis (noun)-a descent or downward journey, especially into the underworld or into a dangerous or dark situation.

A song from 1950 that I like

 Copenhagen (1950)-song by Teresa Brewer.

This street in Montreal is named after a person who died from scurvy

 Rougemont Avenue in the Mercier borough of Montreal is named after Philippe Rougemont,an explorer and sailor who accompanied Jacques Cartier on his second voyage to Canada in 1535.

        Rougemont holds a tragic but notable place in Canadian history.Rougemont was the very first European or white person to die and be buried on Canadian soil after succumbing to scurvy in 1536 at only around the age of 20.

Spanish proverb

 God helps the early riser.-Spanish proverb

Quote from Warren Buffett

 It's an easy game,if you can control your emotions.-Warren Buffett

Quote from Arthur Schopenhauer

 You have to think like the minority and speak like the majority.-Arthur Schopenhauer 

Quote from Patrice Lumumba

 Empire hates one kind of leader above all:The one who teaches his people they are not poor;they are robbed.-Patrice Lumumba 

Quote from Jack Dempsey

 A champion is someone who gets up when he can't.-Jack Dempsey

Quote from Alan Turing

 Science is a differential equation.Religion is a boundary condition.-Alan Turing

Quote from Tom Petty

 Do something you really like,and hopefully it pays the rent.As far as I'm concerned, that's success.-Tom Petty 

This man very sadly died because of two fighting cats

 In August 2024,a 52 year-old  father of two named Christian Reeves tragically died in Rugby,Warwickshire due to fighting cats,though he was not trying to separate them.

         While riding his bicycle early in the morning on his way to work,two cats fighting in the street unexpectedly ran directly into his path.

            The fighting cats became entangled in his bicycle wheel,causing him to crash heavily onto the ground.

          Because he was not wearing a helmet,he sustained a severe brain injury.Despite undergoing surgery to relieve brain pressure,he passed a few days later on August 5,2024.Following his accident,his family publicly pleaded with cyclists to always wear a helmet.

      A very unfortunate, unusual way to die none the same.Many of us never know how we are going to die.

The only metal

 Q.What is the only metal that floats on water?

Answer.Mercury

Headlines

 Headlines seem to be dropped on us like a plague from heaven these days.

No rabbits sometimes

 Some politicians have no rabbits to pull out of a hat;all the rabbits are dead.

A song from 1989 that I love

 Get Up(Before The Night Is Over)(1989)-song by Technotronic.

Quote from Simon Raven

 Since life is short and the world is wide,the sooner you start exploring it, the better.-Simon Raven 

African proverb

He who has been bitten by a snake fears an earthworm.-African proverb 

Another song from Technotronic that I love

 Move This-song by Technotronic.

A song from Technotronic that I love

 Pump Up The Jam -song by Technotronic.

The legendary Eddie Van Halen

 American musician and songwriter Eddie Van Halen was born in 1955 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

          He sadly died of a stroke on October 6,2020 in Santa Monica, California at the age of only 65.

        Van Halen struggled with alcoholism and drug addiction throughout his colorful life.

A song from Dean Martin that I like

 Tonda Wanda Boy-song by Dean Martin.

Extractor fan

 An extractor fan is also called an exhaust fan,range hood ,or ventilator.

Another song from Andy Gibb that I like

 Flowing Rivers -song by Andy Gibb.

A song from Andy Gibb that I like

 Time Is Time-song by Andy Gibb.

A song from 2025 that I like

 Blanket Skies(2025)-song by Sarah McDougall.

A song from 2008 that I like

 Antique Bull(2008)-song by Brendan Canning.

Professional politicians

 Professional politicians know the wiring of the government.

An old song from Danny Kaye from a film that I like

 The Five Pennies-song by Danny Kaye.

An old novelty song from Danny Kaye that I love

 Tongue Twisters -song by Danny Kaye.

A song from Rosemary Clooney that I like

 It's A Most Unusual Days-song by Rosemary Clooney.

A song from Jo Stafford that I like

 It's A Lovely Day Today-song by Jo Stafford.

A song from 1958 that I like

 Jimmy,My Darling(1958)-song by Barbara Evans.

An old relatively unknown song that I like

 The Good Old Days-song by Barbara Evans.

Another obscure old song that I like

 Flashlight of Love-song by Barbara Evans.

An obscure old song that I like

 Beatnik Daddy-song by Barbara Evans.

An obscure song from 1961 that I love

 Charlie Wasn't There(1961)-song by Barbara Evans.

An exceptional spider

 While most spiders live only 1 to 3 years,the six-eyed sand spider can live up to 15 years and survive for nearly a year without food or water,making it one of the most resilient desert predators on Earth.

Urchin

 Urchinly-primary adjective form of the noun urchin.

The Giant Red Sea Urchin

 The Giant Red Sea Urchin is one of the largest sea urchins in the world growing up to 18cm (7 inches) across and living for more than 100 years in the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Cucumber sandwiches once a luxury food

 Cucumber sandwiches were once considered a luxury food for the wealthy.In Victorian England,cucumbers were costly to grow year-round in heated hothouses,which turned the simple cucumber sandwich into a status symbol served at elegant tea parties to showcase wealth and social standing.

A fish that has survived without males

 For over 1,00,000 years,the Amazon Molly has survived without males.This all-female fish reproduces by cloning itself,defying scientific predictions that it should have gone extinct long ago due to a lack of genetic diversity.

Working age population

 La population en age de travailler-Working age population in French.

Working age people

 Les personnes  en age de travailler-Working age people in French.

Bell peppers help you poop

 Bell peppers help you poop.They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber as well as a lot of seeds,which help add bulk to your stool,soften it,and keep waste moving smoothly through your digestive tract.

To soothe a cough

 Black pepper stirred into honey soothes a cough far better than syrup.

Tip to support faster wound healing

 Sprinkling turmeric on a wound may help clean it and support faster healing.

It helps to sleep deeply

 A tiny pinch of nutmeg powder at night helps many people sleep deeply.

The only nut

 Total fuel: Pistachios are the only nut on Earth that contains all 9 essential amino acids.

The benefits of eating cinnamon

 Cinnamon actively fights the mouth bacteria that is responsible for bad breath.

Darling street in Montreal

 Darling street in Hochelaga,Montreal is named after William Darling,a Scottish-born merchant, hardware wholesaler and capitalist who lived in the city in the 19th century.

         William Darling was born in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1819,and immigrated to Montreal in 1849.

       He founded his own firm, William Darling and Company,which built up a massive wholesale trade in iron goods,hardware and fancy goods imported from Europe.

              The street was officially named in 1887 after Darling opened the roadway on land he owned.

Emotional bandwidth

 Emotional bandwidth -The mental capacity to handle emotions or problems.

A song from T.I that I like

 Live Your Life(featuring Rihanna)-song by T.I.

              This song samples the 2003 Eurodance sensation song "Dragostea din tei" by the Moldovan trio O-Zone.

Davenport

 Davenport (noun)-A large sofa,often one that converts into a bed.

Back to the salt mines

 Back to the salt mines-Returning to boring or hard work.

A fearsome predator

 The Goliath Tigerfish is a fierce predator known for its ability to eat crocodiles.Found in Africa's Congo River,it has 32 razor-sharp teeth, similar in size and shape to a great white shark's.

A song from 2023 that I like

 More Bounce(2023)-song by KOLA.

A song that I love in the month of June

 Hot Hot Hot -song by Arrow.

A great song about Scotland from 1977 that I absolutely love

 Mull of  Kintyre (1977)-song by Paul McCartney and The Wings.

OCN

 In the film industry,OCN stands for Original Camera Negative.

Another benefit of eating bell peppers

 Eating bell peppers can help lower and regulate blood pressure.

Capsicum peppers are natural diuretics

 Capsicum peppers(both mild bell peppers and spicy chili peppers)act as natural diuretics.

The only U.S. president to have ever received a patent

 Abraham Lincoln is the only U.S. president to have ever received a patent.In 1849,he was granted a patent No.6,469 for a device designed to lift boats over shoals and other obstacles in shallow waterways,making him the only president who was also a patented inventor.

Technophilia

 Technophilia -Love of technology.

Preying on mice stuck on glue traps

 Rats will eat mice that are stuck on glue traps.Rodents are opportunistic foragers,and a distressed,trapped mouse becomes an easy food source.

The cruelty of glue traps

 A glue trap doesn't kill the mouse.It holds it there for hours, sometimes until it dies of dehydration,exhaustion or suffocation when its  face presses into the glue.Animals stuck on them tear off their own skin and fur trying to escape.The RSPCA and the Humane Society both call them one of the cruelest traps sold.

About glue traps

 Glue traps work well on mice but not rats.

Origin of chainsaws

 Chainsaws were originally invented to help doctors widen the pelvis during child birth.

Phronemophilia

 Phronemophilia-love of thinking deeply and intellectually.

The creation of high heels

 High heels were created for males to lock their boots into horse stirrups.

Cash

 Cash is Freedom.

Digital is control.

Compacting the soil

 It is easier for soil to get compacted in wet weather.

The blind

 Les non-voyants-polite term for blind or visually impaired people in French.

Squirrels do not like them

 Squirrels do not like the taste of nasturtiums because they are peppery.

Visually impaired

 Les malvoyants-word for the visually impaired in French.

Fish fight

 When two fish fight they just lock lips with each other.Neither fish is trying to bite or inflict fatal wounds .Instead,they are testing their patience.The first fish that gets tired,loses its grip,and loosens its lips ,loses the fight and retreats.

Watermelon can be grilled or roasted

 Watermelon can be grilled or roasted,causing some of its water to evaporate and its natural sugars to caramelize.The result is a surprisingly firm, steak -like texture.Grilled watermelon has become especially popular in the United States,where it is often served at summer barbecues and featured in modern restaurant cuisine.

How the hagfish protects itself

 The Hagfish can produce astonishing amounts of slime in seconds when threatened.A single hagfish can release mucus and protein threads that rapidly  expand in sea water into large amounts of slime,helping clog a predator's gills and giving the hagfish a chance to escape.

Chronophilia

 Chronophilia -Fascination with certain periods of time.

Harmoniophilia

 Harmoniophilia -Love of harmony and violence.

Gnosiophilia

 Gnosiophilia -Love of knowledge and learning.

A song from Jerry Doucette that I love

 She's My Girlfriend -song from Jerry Doucette.

The Jewish population in Canada

 There are approximately 4,00,000 Jews in Canada in 2025,accounting for about 1% of Canada's total population.Canada's Jewish population is the fourth largest Jewish population in the world after Israel,the United States and France.

Effective remedy for calming a burning mouth after eating hot peppers

 Yogurt is one of the most effective remedies for calming a burning mouth after eating very hot peppers.

         My own experience confirmed this today.I swallowed a. Scotch bonnet pepper imported from the Dominican Republic whole and thought it was going to be mild.But within 30 seconds of chewing it,my tongue started burning and it felt my mouth was on fire.I expelled so much mucus from my nose it was unimaginable.Instinctively to counteract the burning sensation in my mouth I drank a glass of water.But it did not work and my mouth kept burning.Then I instinctively reached for a tub of yogurt in my fridge and scarfed up half a bowl of yogurt.At first there was no positive effect but within five minutes of consuming a lot of yogurt the burning sensation in my mouth gradually subsided.

             I heaved a big sigh of relief.Thank heavens for yogurt.

The world's largest forests

 The world's largest forests are mostly evergreen needleleaf forests.The boreal forest stretches across Canada,Alaska, Scandinavia and Russia forming one of Earth's largest ecosystems.

Mushrooms that I consumed in May 2026

 In May 2026 I bought and consumed a 227g particleboard box of PEETERS Mushrooms (white mushrooms).

-From Peeters Mushroom Farm

-Product of Canada.

-8267 Middle Line Road,Charing Cross, Ontario.

        These mushrooms were excellent.

Ceasefire

 A ceasefire appears to be on a razor's edge sometimes.

Demand

 Demand outstrips supply sometimes.

Relevant question for human beings today

 How do we hold on to the things that make us uniquely human when we outsource so much of our thinking to machines?

Green mambas

 Green mambas are highly arboreal snakes that spend most of their lives in trees,moving through branches with remarkable speed and agility and only occasionally coming to the ground.

Tigers are very sneaky

 Tigers are very sneaky animals.They will imitate the calls of other animals so they can attract them as prey.

What happens when you hold poop in

 Holding poop in forces toxins to be reabsorbed back into your bloodstream.

The output of poop

 The average person produces 25,000 pounds of poop in a lifetime.Enough to fill a small truck.

Healthy poop

 Healthy poop sinks,but if it floats excess gas might be the problem.

African proverb

 Money in the hands of an undisciplined person is a weapon of self-destruction.-African proverb

Hindi proverb

 If you live on the river, befriend the crocodile.-Hindi proverb 

Great quote from Warren Buffett

 Money without free time has no value,and free time without money makes no sense.-Warren Buffett

The problem with teabags

 The problem with teabags is that they release billions of microplastics and are bad for the environment.

Benefits of eating mushrooms

 Mushrooms are considered a moderate to good source of dietary fiber.Mushrooms are packed with both soluble and insoluble fibres.

     .. Mushroom consumption does increase the weight and bulk of stools.Clinical research shows that adding mushrooms to your diet significantly raises fecal weight and promotes laxation.

Freshly cut trees

 A freshly cut trees isn't instantly dead,many of its living cells can survive for days,or even weeks,using stored water and nutrients even after the tree has been cut down.

A great book published in 2026

 I Am Not A Robot:My Year Using AI to Do (Almost Everything (2026)-book by Joanna Stern.

A python after eating

 A python can become dramatically wider after swallowing large prey,with its body stretching enough to create a massive bulge that remains visible for days or even weeks while the meal is digested.

Large fish schools

 The largest fish schools on Earth are often formed by sardines and herring, with a single school sometimes containing more fish than the human population of many countries.

Pancreatic cancer

 More than 6000 Canadians die from pancreatic cancer each year, according to 2025 statistics.

Mushrooms that I consumed in May 2026

 In May 2026 I bought and consumed a 227 g plastic box of CHAMPAG-Elite-Fresh Whole white mushrooms.-Vercheres, Quebec.

-Product of Canada.

    These mushrooms were excellent.

A song from Tyler Hesken that I love

 Before I Knew You-song from Tyler Hesken.

A song from Chris Stapleton that I like

 Tennessee Whiskey -song by Chris Stapleton.

Great quote from Mark Twain

 When the rich rob the poor,it's called business.When the poor fight back,it's called violence.-Mark Twain

Quote from John Lennon

 We live in a world where we have to hide to make love,while violence is practiced in broad daylight.-John Lennon

Leasing agent

 Un agent de location-Leasing agent in French.

Portuguese proverb

 The belly does not accept bail.-Portuguese proverb 

Another song from Pitbull that I like

 Shake Senora -song by Pitbull featuring T-Pain,Sean Paul.

A song from Pitbull that I like

 3 to Tango -song by Pitbull.

In combat

 In combat high ground is almost always an advantage.

The Central African Republic

 The Central African Republic is one of the poorest countries in the world in 2025 and also one of the countries with the highest birth rates in the world.The rate of neonatal deaths is also one of the highest in the world in the Central African Republic.Quite unfortunate.