Your Daily Posterous Spaces Update

	September 28th, 2012 10 Words for Things You Didn't Know Had Names Posted 1 day ago by mental_floss to Holy Kaw! You know aglet and grawlix and tittle and punt, but did you know any of these ten words? 1. You know how it smells after it rains? That clean, greenish smell when rain lands on dry ground? That’s petrichor, from the Greek petra (stone) and ichor (the blood of Greek gods and goddesses). The term was coined by two Australian researchers in 1964. 2. Originally, a zarf was a metal chalice keep the heat from your coffee from burning your fingers. The name for the fancy cupholder has morphed into the modern-day cardboard sleeve that comes wrapped around your hot coffee. 3. Chanking: Chewed-up food that’s been spit out. (Try to avoid giving us reason to use this one, OK?) 4. Scroop is the rustling, swooshy sound ballgowns make. More specifically, it’s the sound produced by the movement of silk. See the rest at mental_floss. All the top stories from mental_floss. 12 Cat-Related Patents That Are Really Quite Bizarre Posted 1 day ago by mental_floss to Holy Kaw! To visit Google’s patent website is to lose yourself in a black hole of totally weird wannabe inventions—a surprising number of which are for your feline friends. From toys meant to encourage exercise to systems that deliver live birds for food, here are 12 really weird cat patents. 1. “Method of Exercising a Cat” If you watch My Cat From Hell (and you obviously do), you know that host Jackson Galaxy’s first step in kitty exorcism is almost always increasing exercise—and America’s inventors are on it. Patents for all kinds of strange, exercise-inspired toy patents exist, including number 5443036, “Method of Exercising a Cat.” Kevin T. Amiss and Martin H. Abbott propose a ray or glue gun-looking device that beams a laser onto an opaque surface. Give it to the human, who must move the light “in an irregular way fascinating to cats, and to any other animal with a chase instinct.” (Nothing you can’t do with a flashlight.) 2. “Cat Exercise Wheel” Elmer Paul Venson and Leona June Wilson, on the other hand, take the hamster wheel one step further with patent number D484284, “Cat Exercise Wheel.” Sure, it will get out your cat’s excess energy, but expect her to be insulted that you’re asking her to act like a rodent she wants to eat. 3. “Bird Predation Deterrent Shield” Many cat-related patents aim to keep the creatures from eating birds—and no wonder, since felines take out an estimated 500 million songbirds every year. In patent number 5755186, “Bird predation deterrent shield for a cat,” Susan B. Mandeville suggests a flexible bib that hangs from the cat’s neck nearly down to its feet. According to the patent, “Use of a shield according to the present invention has been shown to drastically reduce the number of birds killed by a cat when worn by the cat while outdoors.” (We can only assume Susan tested this on her own very disgruntled kitty.) 4. “Collar for a Cat for Warning a Bird of the Presence of the Cat” Similarly, in patent number 5952925, “Collar for a cat for warning a bird of the presence of the cat,” Gordon P. Secker suggests popping a collar equipped with speakers on felines to ruin their stalking skills and warn birds off. See the rest at mental_floss. All the top stories from mental_floss. 徘徊 Posted 1 day ago by Koichi Mitsui to s a s u r a u 4 ヨコハマ。 The social media missing link in MBA programs [infographic] Posted 1 day ago by Kate Rinsema to Holy Kaw! 1 Seeing how much businesses have been using social media, it shouldn’t be surprising that MBA programs are also using a variety of platforms for tasks like recruiting, community building and alumni relations. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth took a closer look at the numbers to identify the why, what and how, which can be seen in this infographic from TheBestColleges.org. Via TheBestColleges.org. Getting down to business with infographics. A visual guide to introverts [comic] Posted 1 day ago by Kate Rinsema to Holy Kaw! 2 A comic about introverts? What could be more natural? If you’ve been having trouble identifying the introverts in your life, check out this short field guide from Grant Snider of Incidental Comics. Via Incidental Comics. Quiet little comics. Take your plan beyond numbers and into action Posted 1 day ago by SmartBrief to Holy Kaw! 1 Most people think of planning as an annual exercise, and many see planning as developing financial plans and budgets. But planning isn’t just about numbers; the real test is the ability of the organization to actually execute it and drive measurable results. Done well, a plan aligns, unites and mobilizes. A successful plan is a living document that allows you to outline clear milestones and goals so you and your organization know what success looks like. It becomes that living document by asking and answering three fundamental questions. Full story at SmartBrief Social Media. More SmartBrief stories. Photo credit: Fotolia Sent by Posterous. Change your email settings or unfollow. Other questions? We'd love to help.