My Daily Smile

Life is short - begin every day with a smile!

Video: A short (and hopefully interesting) history of AM/FM radio

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As a youngster I became fascinated with what was then a very simple hand-held AM “transistor radio”. That tiny radio didn’t even have an FM band, but it was magic to this young boy nonetheless.

Most radios back then were AM only and the few cars that even had radios in them were AM only as well.

When I was somewhere around 11 or 12 years old I removed an AM radio from a junked car and kept it on a table beside my bed. I would lay awake at night listening to WLS Radio out of Chicago, marveling at how I could listen to a radio station that was roughly 600 miles away from my home in Virginia.  [Read more…]

Did you know lobster was once considered a “poor man’s food”?

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Do you crave lobster but consider it a rare treat due to its high cost?

Well, you were obviously born in the wrong century!

According to History.com and other reputable sources, when the Europeans first came to the new world lobsters were so plentiful (and therefore cheap) they were routinely fed to prisoners, apprentices, slaves and children.

The rich and powerful actually shunned lobster because it had a reputation for being “food for the poor”.

[Read more…]

How to withdraw cash with your debit card without paying ATM fees

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Like most folks these days you probably have a debit card that you can use to withdraw cash from your checking account via an ATM.

If so, you probably know all about the sky-high ATM fees that you have to pay when using an ATM that doesn’t belong to your own bank.

But did you know there’s an easy way to use your debit card to withdraw modest amounts of cash from your bank account in most any city or town in America without having to pay any ATM fees at all?  [Read more…]

Video: Cute little pigs doing funny things

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Image credit: Pexels

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If you didn’t grow up in a rural area you might not be aware of just how intelligent pigs are, but those of us who did know it quite well.

These creatures are best known for being the source of bacon and ham, but they are actually amazing animals with rather impressive problem solving skills. And at times they can be just downright funny.  [Read more…]

Time-lapse video of North America at night (from aboard the ISS)

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A while back I shared this spectacular time-lapse video of our planet Earth at night.

The photos used to create that video were taken from the International Space Station as it made its orbit around the globe.

Today’s video is also a time-lapse view of Earth at night, but this one showcases the nighttime beauty of North America.  [Read more…]