My Daily Smile

Life is short - begin every day with a smile!

Why we Americans celebrate Independence Day

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July 4 is a very special day here in the United States of America…

By itself, July 4 would be just another date on the calendar. Just another hot, sticky summer day with folks doing whatever they do on any other hot, sticky summer day.

But July 4 is special because it’s the day we Americans celebrate our nation’s independence from an oppressive king and the freedoms we all enjoy today because of it.

[Read more…]

Fun with Math: 17 horses, a pony and a will.

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Here’s a fun math puzzle that my dad taught me when I was a little boy…

Farmer Brown had seventeen horses on his small farm.

In his will he instructed that upon his death the horses should be distributed to his sons as follows: [Read more…]

Yooperlites: Rocks that naturally glow in the dark!

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Have you ever heard of Yooperlites?

Well, no one else had either prior to one dark night in May 2017.

That’s the night a local rock collector named Erik Rintamaki saw the very first (to be discovered) Yooperlite rock lying among all the other rocks on a rocky Lake Superior beach in upper Michigan.

This particular rock stood out from all the rest because it was literally glowing in the dark under the glare of his ultraviolet flashlight.

[Read more…]

Check out the world’s smallest inhabited island

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The world’s smallest inhabited island is located in New York State, but it’s just a very short distance from the Canadian border.

This tiny island is basically just a rock sticking up out the St. Lawrence River between New York and Ontario.

According to Wikipedia (and multiple other sources), this tiny 3,300 square foot island has just enough room for a small cottage, one tree and a pair of deck chairs!

[Read more…]

Do cows really ‘moo’ with a regional accent?

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According to this report, cows “moo” with an accent that’s distinct to the geographic region in which they live.

Well, truth be told, I’m not really sure how I feel about that.

I grew up around cows and I live in an area that has LOTS of cows in nearby pasture fields.

I’ve heard these creatures moo throughout my entire life. I must say that all “mooing” sounds about the same to me.  [Read more…]