Dinosaurs were large lumbering creatures that roamed the earth millions of years before modern man existed. While most of the dinos were big, the question is often asked, "How smart were they? Did their brain power match the rest of their body size?" The answer is probably not.
One of the earliest dinosaurs ever discovered and classified was the Stegosaurus in 1877. This great creature possessed an unusually small brain, literally the size of a walnut. It was so small, in fact, that paleontologists once speculated that it must have had a supplementary brain in its butt. It doesn't help researchers either, that dinosaurs went extinct about 65 million years ago, wiped out by famine and freezing temperatures. It's fun to think that if these animals had only been smarter some of them, anyway, might have found a way to survive.
Without any dinosaurs around today, how do scientists actually measure their intelligence? It's not as if an IQ test can be administered to them. Naturalists have, thankfully, developed an indirect method of evaluating the intelligence of extinct animals (it works on living ones, too). "The Encephalization Quotient, or EQ, measures the size of a creature's brain against the size of the rest of its body, and compares this ratio to that of other species of roughly the same size."
Part of what makes humans so smart is the enormous size of your brain compared to body size. The average human's EQ is an impressive 5. If you're thinking that sounds low, let's take a look at some other animals by comparison on the EQ scale: "wildebeests weigh in at .68, African elephants at .63, and opossums at .39. As you might expect, monkeys have higher EQs: 1.5 for a red colobus, 2.5 for a capuchin. Dolphins are the only animals on the planet with EQs even close to those of humans; the bottlenose comes in at 3.6." As you might expect, the EQ of dinosaurs is spread across the lower end of the spectrum. Triceratops come in at a scant .11. Even with this low score, they might be considered the "valedictorians" of the dino class! The Brachiosaurus doesn't even come close to hitting the .1 mark. "However, some of the swift, two-legged, feathered dinosaurs of the Mesozoic Era posted relatively high EQ scores—not quite as smart as modern wildebeests, but not that much dumber, either."
You might be wondering if the carnivorous dinosaurs were any smarter. As a general rule, a creature only has to be smart enough to prosper in its given ecosystem and avoid being eaten. What this means is that the plant-eating sauropods were so "massively dumb" that the predators who ate them had to be only marginally smarter. In fact, most of the relative increase in the brain size of these carnivores can be attributed to their need for better smell, vision and muscular coordination, their tools for the hunt. if you really think about it, the sauropods had to be only a smidgeon smarter than the massive ferns they dined on.
​If some of the dinosaurs had actually survived, it is hypothesized that the Troondon, a human-sized dino with the intelligence level of an opossum, might have eventually evolved a human-size brain, as well. But only if it had survived for another several million years. The dinosaurs portrayed in movies like Jurassic Park who could turn doorknobs and hunted in packs are a complete fantasy.  In reality, they might have been as smart as chicken...only a lot more dangerous! They would not, however, have been smart enough to learn to do tricks. Their EQ level was WAY below that of a dog or cat. It's safe to say, then, that dinosaurs wouldn't have made very good pets.
If you consider yourself to be an advocate of good environmental stewardship, you won't want want to miss tomorrow's blog. Please plan on stopping by. Until then, I wish you
                                                                          PEACE.

​Strauss, Bob. "How Smart Were Dinosaurs?" ThoughtCo, Aug. 13, 2018, thoughtco.com/how-smart-were-dinosaurs-1091933.

As a kid, did you ever play telephone? You know the game....where one person whispers something into the the ear of the next person. That person then repeats what he heard into the year of the next person, and so on down the line until the last person repeats what he heard. It's never anything like what the originator of the "gossip" said. In fact, it's usually so distorted that it's unrecognizable. Well, Dharma's lesson today was a variation on that theme.
I had prepared a nice little breakfast, as usual, and was just sitting down for my first cup of tea this morning when Dharma arrived. After we chatted, ate, and drank our tea Dharma began my lesson with these words, "Tadpole, a frog's silence is often misinterpreted but is never misquoted." I immediately thought about the telephone game; what is whispered becomes misquoted as it's passed down from person to person in the chain. It's all done in fun. Dharma reminded me, though, that as adults our words are often misquoted maliciously; to hurt hurt us or make us look silly. Sometimes it can can be better to simply say nothing. The trick is knowing when to speak up and when to remain silent.
My question to Dharma was this, "Sir, if we don't speak up, won't our silence be misconstrued as either ignorance or that we simply don't care?" "Yes, Irwin, that's a risk we take but there are times when being silent is our best option." And with that statement, Dharma gave me a few examples of when it is better to be silent.
1,  When the other person(s) misunderstands you and you have no duty to speak. 
"Why waste words when the other side is not making the effort to understand what you have to say? Silence can never be misquoted. Let them learn through experience and you will save your peace of mind."
2.  When two parties are arguing and it doesn't concern you. 
"Don’t get involved. If you intervene you may come under fire. It may be tempting to speak to speak up but maintaining stoic silence on your part is best."
3.  When you have no idea what you're talking about.
"Empty vessels make more noise. It is best not to say anything if you have nothing meaningful to say. Your words will carry more value when you speak only to make a sensible point."
4.  When you need someone else to get the credit.
"You reflect quiet confidence in your abilities when you smile and let your boss or team take the credit for your work. The goodwill thus created will ensure your success in the long run."
5.  When you are bragging instead of sharing.
"It’s best to be humble and let others appreciate you than to toot your own horn. Quietly focus on your work and let your hard work speak for you; confident humility and humble confidence.” 
6.  When your comments are more about you than about others.
"Listening more is a great art of conversation. Check yourself when you are not including others or letting them express themselves as they will get bored of your narcissism and you will soon find yourself isolated."
​7.  When you want someone else to grow.
"Some people will criticize you just to provoke you into an argument. Don’t allow them the pleasure.Take the high road and show restraint. They are coming from a point of weakness themselves and would love to see you react negatively. Being silent makes you more powerful."
8.  When the other party in the negotiations starts debating with themselves.
"Silence is the best reply in a negotiation. Many people feel uncomfortable in conversation gaps and may start revealing more than they should. You often learn lots when you remain quiet.
9.  When you want to avoid angry outbursts.
"Don’t be like the matchstick that flares up on slightest friction. It causes destruction and then fizzles out for good. Move away to a quieter place. Drink some cold water if possible. Take deep breaths and calm your mind. Anger clouds your understanding. If you were wrong, there is room for rational brainstorming. If it’s righteous anger, silence is the best way to let the other person know they did wrong. Emotional self-control saves you from damaging your relationships."
10. When you want to listen to your inner voice. (Which you should do often!)
"When you listen to your inner voice, you can problem-solve most effectively. According to many experts, when you listen to  that inner voice in stillness, it can increase creativity and lower stress." And finally,
11. When you receive negative feedback from your superiors at work.
"Accept it quietly, assess it, learn from it, improve and grow. Silence and Smile are two tools of successful people (frog's too). A smile can solve many problems and silence is the way to avoid many problems...and it will never be misquoted!
Holding your tongue and have many benefits. But it is also important to speak your mind when it is important. Learning when silence will be most beneficial is a valuable tool. And one that can keep us out of trouble, more often than not. Dharma's lessons are always spot on and are lessons that anyone can benefit  from.
How smart were dinosaurs? I invite you back here tomorrow for a look into this fascinating subject. I hope you'll join me. Until then,
                                                                       PEACE.                                       

​https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/these-are-the-times-when-you-should-not-say-anything.html

Black History Week began way back in 1926 by a fellow named Carter G. Woodson, a historian, along with the Association of Negro Life and History. It was celebrated the second week of February. The current event grew out of  Black History Week and now, every president since Gerald Ford in 1976 has celebrated the month of February as Black History Month. Since I'm kind of a science geek, and to pay tribute to Black History Month I thought we'd look at a few famous Black inventors and the contributions they've made to the world.
1. Madame C.J. Walker (1867-1919) - She became the first female African-American to become a millionaire by inventing a line of cosmetic and hair care products aimed at black consumers in the first decades of the 20th century. She also pioneered the use of female traveling, sales agents who covered the United States and the Caribbean, going door-to-door selling her products. Additionally, Ms. Walker was also an early champion of employee development and business offering training and other opportunities to her employees. C. J. Walker was also a philanthropist.
2.  George Washington Carver (1861-1943) -  Mr. Carver became one of the leading agronomists of his time. (How's that for a 50-cent word?) He was a pioneer in finding uses for peanuts, soybeans, and sweet potatoes. He was born into slavery but still managed to attend school where he was the first African-American to obtain his undergraduate degree from Iowa State University. After receiving his master's degree he went to work for Alabama's Tuskegee Institute where he made his greatest contributions to science, developing more than 300 uses for the peanut alone, including soap, skin lotion, and paint.
​3.  Charles Drew (1904-1950) - Charles Drew was a doctor and medical researcher whose pioneering research into blood helped save thousands of lives during World War II. He worked as a researcher at Columbia University (New York City) in the 1930s where he invented a means of separating plasma from whole blood, allowing it to be stored for up to a week, far longer than had been possible up until that time. Drew also discovered that plasma could be transfused between persons regardless of blood type and helped the British government establish their first national blood bank. Drew worked briefly with the American Red Cross during World War II but resigned to protest the organization's insistence on segregating blood from white and black donors. 
4.  Thomas L. Jennings (1791-1856) - Mr. Jennings holds the honor of being the first African-American to hold a patent. A tailor by trade in New York City, Jennings applied for and received a patent in 1821 for a cleaning technique he'd pioneered called "dry scouring." It was a precursor to today's dry cleaning. His invention made Jennings a wealthy man and he used his earnings to support early abolition and civil rights organizations.
5.  George Edward Alcorn, Jr. (1940- living) - Mr. Alcorn is a physicist whose work in the aerospace industry helped revolutionize astrophysics and semiconductor manufacturing. He is credited with 20 inventions, eight of which he received patents for. Perhaps his best-known innovation is for an x-ray spectrometer used to analyze distant galaxies and other deep-space phenomena, which he patented in 1984. Alcorn's research into plasma etching, for which he received a patent in 1989, is still used in the production of computer chips, also known as semiconductors. 
These scientists and inventors have given much to the world. But they aren't the only ones. If you want to know more about the significant contributions of African- Americans, check with your local library or simply visit your favorite search engine. You'll find more than you can imagine!
Please join me tomorrow for another life lesson from my wise friend and teacher, The Dharma Frog. Until then, I wish you 
​                                                                     PEACE.

​Bellis, Mary. "10 Important Black Inventors in U.S. History." ThoughtCo, Jan. 25, 2019, thoughtco.com/black-inventors-through-the-years-4145354.

This morning, I'm going to write on a subject that is near and dear to my heart...and my stomach. Today's blog is about insects. It isn't because insects are cute, interesting, AND yummy. And while those things are all true, I'm writing about insects, today, because they are facing rapid decline. And whether you like bugs or you don't, insects are an important part of the ecosystem and are the main dinner ingredient for frogs.
A recent study has shown that "insect populations are declining precipitously worldwide due to pesticide use and other factors, with a potentially 'catastrophic' effect on the planet."  WOW! This is serious business! The article went to further to say that as many as 40% of the insect species could become extinct within the next few decades. Insect biomass is declining by a staggering 2.5% a year, a rate that indicates widespread extinctions within a century, the report found. And in case you were wondering, insect biomass is the number of individual insects (about 10 quintillions). Insects probably have more biomass than any other animals. In addition to the 40% at risk of dying out, a third of species are endangered -- numbers that could cause the collapse of the planet's ecosystems with a devastating impact on life on Earth.
Okay, so those of you who aren't bug fans, you might ask, "Irwin, with 10 quintillion bugs on earth what difference would it make it be lost a bunch of them?" Here's why. A report co-authored by scientists from the universities of Sydney and Queensland, along with the China Academy of Agricultural Sciences looked at dozens of existing reports on insect decline published over the past three decades and examined the reasons behind the falling numbers to produce the alarming global picture. The study stressed the importance of insect life on interconnected ecosystems and the food chain. Bugs make up around 70% of all animal species. Insects have been at "the structural and functional base of many of the world's ecosystems since their rise ... almost 400 million years ago."
The key causes of bug decline are habitat loss and the increased use of fertilizers and pesticides. There is a 'bottom-up' effect of insect loss that is very serious. Scientists agree that the ecosystem has to be in balance, and that means starting with the bottom. IF it becomes out of whack, then all lives can be negatively impacted. You see, small critters rule the world! One study last year found that flying insect populations in German nature preserves declined by 75% over the 27-year study. This shows that insects are declining even in areas that are not inhabited by humans! 
Species higher up on the food chain that rely on bugs will also suffer the consequences. The pollination of crops and plants will also suffer harm. In just the USA, "ecosystem services provided by wild insects have been estimated at $57 billion annually. Some 80% of wild plants use insects for pollination while 60% of birds rely on insects as a food source, according to the study. Sands said an immediate danger of the insect decline was the loss of insectivorous birds and the risk of larger birds turning from eating insects to eating each other." YIKES! In Australia, birds who are running out of insect food are already turning on each other. This will, scientists warn, become a global phenomenon. And birds are the only ones who'll suffer. With the rapid decline in insect biomass, insect-eating frogs and lizards will be in serious jeopardy, too. Frogs are already declining quickly with over 200 species disappearing from earth since the 1970s.
Rapid and immediate action is needed to help save insects. "Because insects constitute the world's most abundant and (species-diverse) animal group and provide critical services within ecosystems, such events cannot be ignored and should prompt decisive action to avert a catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems," say the scientists from the Sydney and Queensland study. They suggest overhauling existing agricultural methods, "in particular a serious reduction in pesticide usage and its substitution with more sustainable, ecologically-based practices." That's a solution that we can all live with. Literally.
The conclusion is clear, I think, to everyone. Or should be. Unless humans change the way they produce food, insects will go down the path of extinction. And then where will we be?
I hope you'll join me back here tomorrow. February is Black History Month and to celebrate, I'll be taking a look at a few important Black inventors and their contributions to the world. Until then, I wish you                  PEACE.
PS. Please think about it, the next time you want to kill a bug.  It could be my lunch your squashing. I'm just saying....

​https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/11/health/insect-decline-study-intl/index.html

I hope you survived Valentine's Day. Personally, I ate too many chocolate-covered bugs and I woke up this morning with an upset tummy. But enough about my over-indulgences.  
If you're anything like me, you have more projects for the weekend than you have weekend. There are, of course, the things I need to do but I always have a long list of things I want to do, as well. This weekend is no different. I have a new book I want to read, I want to go for a long leisurely swim and, as always, I want to spend time with family and friends. But this weekend there is something else I want to, as well. Sunday is Random Acts of Kindness Day is this Sunday. Someone once said, "Love is kindness made visible." So it makes sense that this special day should come on the heels of Valentine's Day. Yesterday, we showed our love to family, friends, our special someone, and to ourselves. Now, it's time to show the rest of the world the the love we have.
Random Acts of Kindness Day was started in 1995. it is a nonprofit organization that is headquartered in Denver, Colorado. It has grown in popularity with each year and has become a favorite way for people, organizations, and groups to help spread kindness in a world can can seem increasingly cold and uncaring. Research has shown that being kind to others isn't just good for the recipient of the kindness, but it also makes the doer of the kindness not only feel terrific, but actually can regulate the chemical balance of your heart and lower your blood pressure. Altruism has a profound effect on the brain, as well, and makes us happier and more satisfied with our life. 
We tend to think of these random acts of kindness as being toward others, but they can also include kindness towards our planet. I have no doubt that you can think of many ways to be kind to others this weekend, but I found a few suggestions on the randomactsofkindness.org website that I want to share with you. They blew me away!
1.  Run/Walk a 5K for a cause. This activity is good for you and the money raised helps a worthy cause.
2.  If you're a teacher, have a coloring contest. Ask students to draw examples of random acts of kindness or illustrate what kindness means to them.
3.  Wheel out your neighbor's trash bin.  Not only are those bulky to handle they can be hard to push, especially for an older person. Wheel out the bin for your neighbor when they've forgotten it's trash day.
​4.  Use e-tickets for your concerts and airline tickets. This may not seem like much but it helps the environment. If you have a smartphone, you should be able to access your tickets online and thus save a tree by not using paper to print them out.
5.  Find out something new about a coworker. When you see someone almost every day, it can be easy to get caught in the motions of familiar conversation. Make an effort to learn something new about a coworker. 
6.  Buy raw local honey. The bees are in trouble and humans can help. Support your local beekeepers.
7.  Take a walk outside. Day or night, rain or shine, there's always something new to see and experience. Spending time outdoors improves your mood. So how is this an act of kindness? It kindness shown to yourself. And when you feel better, you tend to spread the joy.
8.  Start a fundraiser for a local school, group, or nonprofit. it's fun and helps generate much-needed funds to keep these organizations going. You can also set up a fundraiser to help a struggling individual or family in your neighborhood.
9.  Run errands in clusters. Save time. Save fuel. Lower the pollution.
10. Rather than stop at your favorite coffee shop, make your own beverage in the morning and use a reusable travel mug. Not only does it keep your coffee / tea hot for longer, you can save some money while you’re saving the planet. 
​11. Organize a clean-up party. We live in a beautiful world! Let’s work together to keep it that way.
12.  Foster a pet that's up for adoption. If you’re not prepared to make the leap of adopting a pet, give fostering a try! There are so many animals waiting to be placed, and your kindness can help a lot with their transition. 
There are countless other ways you can show kindness to people, plants, animals, and the environment. If you're looking for something cool to do this weekend, find a few ways you can make the world a little nicer. Got kids? It's never too early to teach them the value of kindness. Get them involved and let the whole family have fun together while making our planet a little nicer for everyone.
That does it for me this week. Whatever your plans are this weekend, please stay safe and have a little fun. I hope you'll plan to stop by again on Monday. Until then, I wish you
                                                                      PEACE.

​https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas

Happy Valentine's Day! We are all deserving of love. We might mistakenly believe that if we are single, we are not in a relationship and, therefore, think that Valentine's Day isn't for us. In reality, we are all in loving relationships, or should be. We must love ourselves first if we are ever going to love one someone else. That makes the relationship we have with ourselves, number one. Therefore, it's a relationship that needs care and nurturing as much, if not more, than any of our other ones. Whether or not you are in a relationship with someone else, Valentine's Day is definitely a celebration for everyone to enjoy. So if you're single today,  please treat yourself to something special; a nice meal, some good chocolate, a bottle of your favorite wine, or maybe a leisurely soak in a bubble bath. And even if you're part of a couple, remember to give yourself a little gift as well. Often, the gifts we give ourselves are the most meaningful.
​Now that I have that off my chest, I did promise to bring you a fun blog today. And I hope I won't disappoint. To that end, I have collected a few fun facts about Valentine's Day that you can share with family and friends. Let's get started, shall we?
1.  Valentine's Day started with the Romans. There are two popular theories. The first, according to History.com, is that the day derives from Lupercalia, a raucous Roman festival on February 15th. Since this is a family blog, I'll just leave it at that. The second theory is that while the Roman Emperor Claudius II was trying to bolster his army, he forbade young men to marry because apparently, single men make better soldiers. In the spirit of love, St. Valentine defied the ban and performed secret marriages. For his disobedience, Valentine was executed on February 14th.
2.  Passing out Valentines is a 600-year-old tradition. Each year, kids in classrooms across America hand out Valentine's Day cards to their classmates. According to History.com, the oldest record of a valentine was a poem Charles Duke of Orleans wrote to his wife when he was imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1415.
3.  Esther Howlands was the first manufacturer of Valentine's Day cards. She became known as the "Mother of the American Valentine" for the artistry and sentiment of her designs. Howland commercialized them, American valentines were less romantic and more comic. Her inspiration came from the thoughtful and sweet greeting cards that were circulating in England and she decided to sell similar designs in the U.S. They took off: During the 1850s she earned $100,000 annually, which is about $3 million today.
4.  Wearing your heart on your sleeve is more than just a schmaltzy phrase. In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a pot of all the local singles to see who their Valentine would be. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, they would wear the name pinned to their sleeve for one week so that everyone would know their supposed true feelings.
5. Those candy hearts that children love to give and receive started off as medical lozenges. In 1847, Boston pharmacist Oliver Chase invented the machine that simplified the lozenge production process, resulting in the first candy-making machine. After identifying an opportunity to revolutionize the candy business, Chase shifted his focus to candy production with Necco wafers.
6.  The heart wasn't always a romantic symbol. The heart was once widely believed to be humans' center of memory, where feelings of love were recorded. However, we have French and Italian artists from the 14th century to thank for the symbol that we know and love today, as they were the first ones to start using this motif in their work.
7.  The chocolate box has been around for more than 140 years. In addition to creating arguably the richest, creamiest, and sweetest chocolate on the market, Richard Cadbury also introduced the first box of Valentine's Day chocolates in 1868. And there's a favorite candy in each box. can you guess what it is?  If your answer is caramel, you're right! According to the National Confectioners Association, caramels are the most popular flavor in chocolate boxes, followed by chocolate-covered nuts, chocolate-filled, cream-filled, and coconut.
8.  Who says you can't be your own Valentine? In 2015, 18% of women sent themselves flowers. You see, the frog is right!
9.  Whether you send or hand-carry a bouquet to your special someone, be sure the flowers are tied with lace. The word “lace” comes from the Latin laques, meaning “to snare or net,” as in to catch a person’s heart.
10.  And don't forget your pet! On Valentine's Day, don't forget that your pet gives you unconditional love each and every day. Don't they deserve a little something in return? Americans are expected to spend a near-record high of $751 million on Valentine's Day gifts for their pets this year, an average of $5.50 per person. That's compared with $593 million last year.
So there you have it. Irwin's Top Ten fun facts about Valentine's Day. Please enjoy your day, whatever plans your plans include. Love is in the air and that's a feeling that we desperately need more of. Throw caution to the wind and celebrate this Valentine's Day like never before. Wish everyone you meet a little love today. Give it and receive it. 

​"The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller

https://www.womansday.com/relationships/a4702/10-fun-valentines-day-facts-103385/
​https://www.1800flowers.com/blog/flower-facts/valentines-day-fun-facts-2017/

After a couple of cold and rainy days, spring has returned to the Great Swamp. As we approach the spring equinox, the days are becoming longer and I find myself getting up earlier than I have since last fall. This is a good thing, especially this morning because it's Wednesday and that means Dharma Frog will be here for my weekly life lesson. I found myself puttering around the kitchen while humming some little ditty I heard on a TV commercial when Dharma landed on my lily pad with a great big thud. We exchanged our usual pleasantries and sat down to enjoy our meal."Tadpole," Dharma said quietly, "I'm very concerned about the humans. I read about so much hatred and division that it makes me feel a little ill; hopeless, really. I just don't know what is going on with people these days. In this season of love, I have to ask myself, where is the kindness? Where is the empathy? And I worry that this human divisiveness might spread into the animal kingdom. My boy, a frog  can only understand others if he feels them in himself. Learn this lesson, Irwin, and learn it well for it might be up to us to start an empathy revolution to save the world."
Dharma went on to explain that it is uncomfortable for most of us to witness another's suffering. It can make us turn away from their distress in order to preserve our own sense of well-being. But, according to Dharma, this is the wrong approach. To prove his point, he quoted Helen Riess, a noted psychiatrist and researcher, "The ability to connect empathically with others—to feel with them, to care about their well-being, and to act with compassion—is critical to our lives, helping us to get along, work more effectively, and thrive as a society." Dharma suggests that this empathy revolution could begin in the healthcare industry. Medical professions who are confronted with pain and suffering on a daily basis tend to lose their sense of compassion. But Dharma believes that medical professionals, as well as the rest of the human race, can learn to practice empathy. Not only does empathy improve the quality of healthcare, but it also improves all human interactions, as well. “All parties are equally enriched when we perceive and respond to each other with empathy and compassion,” writes Dr. Riess. “After all, it’s the human bond that adds the music to the words in life.”
many humans confuse empathy with sympathy. But the two are completely different. With empathy, we feel along with the other person; a kind of shared experience. A sense of understanding what they are experiencing. But with sympathy, we only feel sorry for them. "Empathy," Dr. Riess writes, "Involves an ability to perceive others’ feelings (and to recognize our own emotions), to imagine why someone might be feeling a certain way, and to have concern for their welfare. Once empathy is activated, compassionate action is the most logical response." Dharma couldn't agree more, and notes, "A human's sophisticated neurological system allows them to observe others hurting and gives them just enough of a taste of the pain to consider helping them out."
Research suggests that while empathy is a built-in biological response to suffering, both humans and frogs alike need to work on it if we want to use it in more situations and start an empathy revolution. Dharma wants each of us to imagine a world where empathy is "infused into everyday life." Can you even imagine how different the world would look? Instead of looking out for only ourselves and our loved ones, we might actually think about the far-reaching implications of our actions and thoughts. How do our words and deeds impact someone we don't even know?  Even young children can read facial expressions and have a desire to help those they see in need. yet adult humans often lose this sense and choose, instead, to turn away. Adults are at risk of becoming selfish. 
Empathy isn't only needed when someone is suffering, it can help when it comes to dealing with those that are different from us, when we make a mistake and need self-empathy and, it can even be used with our governments. Dharma cautions that we must not use our ability to "get inside someone's head" and then use that to manipulate them rather than to show caring and compassion. That being said, the use of empathy in our everyday lives cannot be oversold. "By understanding how it works and can be augmented in ourselves and our children, we have one of the key tools to cultural transformation, Dr. Riess believes.
Dharma concluded my lesson today with this nugget of froggy wisdom, "Irwin, if this ol' world has any hope of surviving, we must all work together to start an empathy revolution. Everything from people to critters to the environment, even the survival of the planet is going to rely on kindness and compassion for the other. And it can't just be human for human or animal for animal. Every part of our planet is interconnected with every other part to form a delicate web of survival for each part, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant that part may seem." Wise words, indeed, from my mentor and teacher.
Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and to show my love for you, dear reader, I have prepared what I hope will be a fun blog to help brighten up your day.
Until we meet again, I wish you 
                                                                       PEACE.

greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_the_world_needs_an_empathy_revolution

Every time a new tadpole or froglet shows up at little Quigley's school, my brother comes home and proudly announces he has a new friend. It's effortless for most children to make friends. Yet, as we age, we lose some and that natural ability and making new friends becomes increasingly more difficult with each passing year. As we age, we get more cynical and the shell around our hearts becomes a little thicker. But science has proven that making new friends is actually some of the best anti-aging medicine available to us today. Having friends, old and new, is good for us physically and emotionally. And, I think, most of us agree that we are often closer to our friends than we are to our own family.
"A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future and accepts you just the way you are now." I wish I'd written those anonymous but beautiful words. For they express the truest sentiment about what it means to be a friend. Today is National Make A Friend Day and in honor of this most worthy occasion, I thought it might be a good reminder for all of us to look at the Top Six reasons why it's good to make new friends.
6.  A new friend won't remember your past. With a new friend, you start off with a clean slate. And while any friend should be tolerant of your past, they weren't around for the horrible breakup with your ex or that dreadful haircut that made you look like a Russian gymnast. With a new friend, you both start off on a fresh new journey.
5.  They might introduce you to their friends. When you make one new friend, you usually acquire a few others. This broadens your circle of acquaintances. Just as your circle of friends will broaden theirs.
4. You might discover a new hobby. New friends always bring along their interests. Through your new friend, you may discover that you love bird watching, or gardening, or hiking. You only need to be open to giving them a try!
3.  New friends force you out of your comfort zone. Some people really hate meeting new people, so making new friends is a great way to force yourself out of your comfort zone and try something new. Humans are social creatures, and even if you’re an introvert, there’s a group of new, perfect friends somewhere out there for you, too!
2.  A New friend can offer you a fresh perspective. Maybe you just moved, started a new job or are experiencing a significant change in your life or circumstances. A new friend can provide a fresh perspective as you journey down a new path.
And finally, the best reason for making a new friend. 
1.  A new friend might turn out to be your best friend. When you make friends with someone new, you never know how close of a friend he or she may become. If you close yourself off to new friendships, you may miss out. Always remember that every best friend started out as a new friend.
Friends are wonderful. Cherish those you already have, but there's always room for new ones. Use today to strike up a conversation with your new co-worker, new neighbor, or the person in line behind you at the coffee shop. You never know where that brief encounter may lead! And who among us can't use a new friend? Marcel Proust, the French novelist once said about friends, "Let us be grateful for those that make us happy; they are the charming gardeners you make our souls blossom."
Please stop back by tomorrow when my old and dear friend, The Dharma Frog will be here for my weekly lesson on how to live a better life. His wise words can be transformative whether you're a frog or a human.  So please plan to stop back by. Until then, I wish you
                                                                    PEACE.

https://www.bolde.com/10-reasons-make-new-friends-new-year/
​https://www.boundless.org/blog/3-benefits-of-making-new-friends/

Did you have a good weekend? I sure did. Little brother Quigley and I tried our flippers at kite flying. And while we didn't break any records for having the biggest kite or the fastest kite, we had a wonderful time together. And isn't that what weekends are all about...spending quality time with those we love. But Monday has once again rolled around and it's time to get back to business which is, for me, writing a blog that I hope will inform and entertain you.
Today's subject is science. But before you start rolling your eyes, please note that I'm not going to write so much about the actual subject as I am about a few special scientists. Women have made huge contributions to science but, really, how many lady scientists can you name? If you're like most, you remember Madam Curie and that's about it. But so many women have made considerable contributions to this field that I can't possibly discuss them all here. I will try to list some that you may know, but probably from other industries. And I'll tell you about a few very early scientists that have gotten lost in time.
1.  Hypatia was born somewhere between 350 and 370 and died 415 AD. She was a Hellenistic Neoplatonist philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, then part of the Eastern Roman Empire. She was a prominent thinker of the Neoplatonic school in Alexandria, where she taught philosophy and astronomy.
2.  Mary or Maria the Jewess, also known as Mary the Prophetess, is an early alchemist who is known from the works of the Gnostic Christian writer Zosimos of Panopolis. On the basis of Zosimos's comments, she lived between the first and third centuries. She is credited with the invention of several kinds of chemical apparatus and is considered to be the first true alchemist of the Western world.
3.  Mary Anning (1799 - 1847) Mary was an English fossil collector, dealer, and paleontologist who became known around the world for important finds she made in Jurassic marine fossil beds in the cliffs along the English Channel at Lyme Regis in the county of Dorset in Southwest England. 
4.  Ada Lovelace (1815-1852) Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace was an English mathematician and writer, chiefly known for her work on Charles Babbage's proposed mechanical general-purpose computer, the Analytical Engine. 
5.  Beatrix Potter (1866- 1943) Helen Beatrix Potter was an English writer, illustrator, natural scientist, and conservationist best known for her children's books featuring animals, such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Born into an upper-class household, Potter was educated by governesses and grew up isolated from other children.
6.  Janaki Ammal (1897-1984) She was an Indian botanist who conducted scientific research in cytogenetics and phytogeography. Her most notable work involves those on sugarcane and the eggplant. She has collected various valuable plants of medicinal and economic value from the rain forests of Kerala. 
7.  Clara Barton (1821 - 1912) Clara Barton is famous for her work during the Civil War. She is also credited with founding the American Red Cross. A self-taught nurse, she is credited with spearheading the civilian medical response to the carnage of the Civil War, directing much of the nursing care and regularly leading drives for supplies.
8.  Elizabeth Arden (1884 - 1966) Ms. Arden is most known as the original queen of the cosmetic industry and her Elizabeth Arden line of make-up and skin care is still available today. But what you might not know about her is that at the beginning of her career, she formulated the products that she then manufactured and sold. Her most famous product, the miracle Eight Hour Cream was originally formulated to help one of her prize horses that had been badly burned in a fire. The cream is credited with saving the horse and worked such wonders on him that it was packaged and sold as a skin balm for humans. Eight Hour Cream is still Arden's best-selling product.
9.  Hedy Lamarr (1914 - 2000) This extraordinarily beautiful woman was a Hollywood screen siren in the 1940s. What you might not know about Hedy Lamarr is that she was also an inventor. And not just any inventor! She developed many items, some successful and some not. Ms. Lamarr is credit as being the person responsible for the development of WiFi. Her patent for frequency-hopping technology in 1941 became the precursor for today's secure WiFi, GPS, and Bluetooth. 
​10.  Margaret  Roberts Thatcher (1925 - 2013) The famous "Iron Lady" of the British Parliament for a little over 11 years. As a young woman, Margaret studied at Oxford University and graduated with a degree in science, specializing in X-ray crystallography. After leaving the university, Ms. Roberts worked as a research chemist for BX Plastics in Essex, England.
11,  Shirley Ann Jackson (1946 - ) Ms. Jackson is an American physicist who is also the eighteenth president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She is the first African-American woman to have earned her doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Way to go, Shirley!
These women aren't just notable for their contributions to science, which are exemplary, but they are also known as being some of the best role models for today's young girls.
It's all about Girl Power!
I learned a lot of really neat stuff today. I hope you did, too. Please join me back here again tomorrow for a look at friendship on National Make A Friend Day. Until then, I wish you
                                                                       PEACE.
​PS. If you want to know more about women in science, check the links below.

1. Helmenstine, Anne Marie, Ph.D. "Pictures of Women in Chemistry." ThoughtCo, Jan. 13, 2017, thoughtco.com/pictures-of-women-in-chemistry-4123086.
2.  https://google.com/search/lady scientists

It is still February and that means it's still winter. It may be cold and blustery where you live but today is, believe it or not, National Kite Flying Day. I have always associated flying a kite with early spring when the winds of (seasonal) change begin to blow. But, alas, no one asked for my opinion on the subject, so here we have it. This is the designated day we celebrate kite flying.
On this auspicious occasion, I offer you a few of the most interesting facts I could find about kite flying. So even if you're unable to "go fly a kite" today you can still be part of the celebration.
1. It is believed that the first kite was flown some 3,000 years ago and was, most likely, made from leaves.
2.  For centuries, kites have been used in wars and battles, for signaling, lifting observers, target practice, as barrage kites, and for dropping letters and newspapers.
3.  Kite flying was banned in China during the Cultural Revolution. If caught, your kite was destroyed and you could be sentenced to three years in jail! The Chinese name for a kite is Fen Zheng, which means "wind harp." The name is derived from early Chinese kites which were used to carry wind (musical) instruments.
4.  The airplane is actually a development of the kite.
5.  Kite flying is one of the fastest growing sports in the world with over 50 million kites being sold in the US every year. 
6.  It is a common misconception that you need wind to fly a kite. You don't!
7.  The smallest kite which actually flies is only 5 mm tall (.19 inches). The largest kite in the world is called the Megabite. it measures 55 x 22 meters (180.45 ft x 72.18 feet). The longest kite in the world measures 103 meters or 3394 feet. 
​8.  The fastest recorded speed of a kite is 193 km/h or 120 mph!
9.  The longest kite fly lasted 180 hours. And the highest a kite has flown is 3801 meters (12,471 feet). 
10. The record for the largest number of kites flown on a single line, a record still held today, belongs to a Japanese kite maker. And speaking of Japan, kite flying was banned there in 1760 because too many people preferred flying a kite to going to work. Well, duh! That is true nearly everywhere, I bet. Some Japanese kites weigh as much as 2 tons. Can you even imagine the kind of string you'd need to fly one of those???
That does it for me for this week. If you're looking for something fun to do this weekend, you might consider flying a kite. These fun facts have inspired me to try building a kite with my little brother Quigley. He loves our brotherly projects and the weather is supposed to be awesome over the next few days. Whatever your plans are this weekend, have a little fun and please stay safe! Until Monday, I wish you all
                                                                      PEACE.

​www.thefactsite.com/2009/06/facts-about-kites.html