Must Be A 'Culture' Thing

     

Tucson Weather Today


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I have noticed that many Americans when eating out in Chinese, Japanese (and other oriental) restaurants clumsily use the provided chopsticks instead of the much easier and more practical forks and spoons they have grown up using.

Some even seem to feel compelled to use the chopsticks at home after ordering Chinese takeout.

Why is that?

According to Wikipedia, the first chopsticks were probably used for cooking, stirring the fire, serving or seizing bits of food, and not as eating utensils. Chopsticks began to be used as eating utensils during the Han Dynasty. Chopsticks were considered more lacquerware friendly than other sharp eating utensils. It was not until the Ming Dynasty that chopsticks came into normal use for both serving and eating.

I read recently that an interesting fact from a 2003 study found that regular use of chopsticks by the elderly may slightly increase the risk of osteoarthritis in the hand, a condition in which cartilage is worn out, leading to pain and swelling in the hand joints. There have also been concerns regarding the use of certain disposable chopsticks made from dark wood bleached white that may pose a health risk, causing coughing or leading to asthma.

Although I will soon reach the age of 74, I have never used chopsticks. Not once. Give me the good ol' knife, fork, and spoon.

I have never eaten Sushi, either... and don't intend to.

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My Anti-Virus Security Software (Norton 360) sends me Tips and Security Information updates each month. Below is one of them. It revealed one of those things I should have known... but didn't.

Hidden URLs

Beware of blindly clicking on shortened URLs. You'll see them everywhere on Twitter, but you never know where you're going to go since the URL ("Uniform Resource Locator," the Web address) hides the full location. Clicking on such a link could direct you to your intended site, or one that installs all sorts of malware on your computer.

URL shorteners can be quite useful. Just be aware of their potential pitfalls and make sure you have real-time protection against spyware and viruses.

Bottom line: Sites that attract a significant number of visitors are going to lure in a criminal element, too. If you take security precautions ahead of time, such as using antivirus and anti-spyware protection, you can defend yourself against these dangers and surf with confidence.

I have clicked on shortened URLs in the past, especially when they arrived from someone I know and/or trust. But I will not be doing so anymore.

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EVENTS IN HISTORY

On this day, April 17th in 1970, with the world anxiously watching, Apollo 13, a U.S. lunar spacecraft that suffered a severe malfunction on its journey to the moon, safely returned to Earth.

Video and details HERE

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WORD FOR TODAY

cultural
adjective
-  of or relating to artistic or social pursuits or events considered to be valuable or enlightened
-  of or relating to a culture or civilization
-  obtained by specialized breeding

The term "culture" in American anthropology had two meanings: (1) the evolved human capacity to classify and represent experiences with symbols, and to act imaginatively and creatively; and (2) the distinct ways that people living in different parts of the world classified and represented their experiences, and acted creatively.

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS


Jennifer Anne Garner
(born April 17, 1972)

Jennifer Garner is an American actress. She gained recognition on television for her performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the thriller drama series Alias, which aired on ABC for five seasons from 2001 to 2006. For her work on the series, Garner won a Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award. While working on Alias, she gained minor roles in hit movies such as Pearl Harbor (2001), with her current husband Ben Affleck, and Catch Me if You Can (2002). Since then, Garner has appeared in supporting as well as lead roles on the big screen in projects including Daredevil (2003), 13 Going on 30 (2004), Elektra (2005), a spin-off of Daredevil, and Juno (2007).

William Holden
(April 17, 1918 - November 12, 1981)

 

 

William Holden was an American actor. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1953 for his role in Stalag 17, and a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor for his role in the 1973 television film The Blue Knight. He starred in some of the most popular and critically acclaimed films of all time, including such blockbusters as Sunset Boulevard, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Bunch, The Towering Inferno, and Network.

Patricia Rooney Mara
(born April 17, 1985)

 

 Rooney Mara is an American film and television actress who made her acting debut in 2005 and has gone on to star in films including A Nightmare on Elm Street, the remake of the 1984 horror film, and The Social Network. She rose to prominence starring as Lisbeth Salander, the title character in the American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. In 2013, she starred in the film Side Effects and will appear in the sci-fi romance film Her.

Harry Truman Reasoner

(April 17, 1923 - August 6, 1991)

 

Harry Reasoner was an American journalist for ABC and CBS News, known for his inventive use of language as a television commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program.

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You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.
--Ray Bradbury