What I Learned This Week - 7/25/14

1.  In 2004, EU Commissioner Günther Verheugen initiated a policy requiring smartphone manufacturers use a standard micro-usb adapter for charging to minimize electronic waste in the environment. It finally became standard in 2011…except for Apple and their lightning port – because they “think different”.
2. According to a coworker, the word “FAT” is actually the word, “EAT” with a bite taken out of it.
3. The lacrosse world championships were held in Denver the last two weeks and it has seen less coverage than most prep school reports. Sad. Probably because the US lost in the finals.
4. Denver International Airport has the second fastest free public Wi-Fi in the U.S. by an extremely small margin. 
5. My home now has routine conversations about shirts that make boobs look good. Surprisingly I'm not part of these conversations.
6. According to my oldest, it is possible to drive a go-cart fast enough that, "your boobs can't take any more."
7. A "Furry Barnacle" is the phrase used when you wake up to a cat or dog on your face.
8. Best comment from my oldest this week, "I don't want to say it's hot in my room but two Hobbits just walked in and threw a ring in it."
9. Weird Al Yankovic studied architecture in college.
10. According to a coworker, if Mondays were shoes, they'd be Crocs.
11. “Flappy Bird” is now available on the Apple IIe. No, really.
12. Approximately 1% of the world's population is drunk at any given moment.
13. There's a little voice in your head reading this right now and it may or may not be in my voice.
14. Under extremely high pressure, peanut butter can be turned into diamonds.
15. When on public transportation stating, “only dogs and bees smell fear” is not a good conversation starter. However, it will vacant adjacent seats and give you more leg room.
16. Nothing screams Walmart like standing in line behind a ZZ-Top-bearded-man wearing a suit jacket, short-shorts and stiletto heels.
17. My daughters informed me that due to the news last week, “Thor” is now a Disney Princess.
18. 511 days until Star Wars Episode VII is in theaters.
19. Even retired Ironman World Champion triathlete Chrissie Wellington is not immune to bike thieves.
20. Best use of “irony” to date – you finally get the superpower to become Spiderman and realize your biggest enemy is a newspaper. 
21. My younger self expected pogs to be a form of currency by now.
22. I sculptor in New York created a tree the bears 40 kinds of fruits (varieties of peaches, plums, apricots, nectarines, cherries, and even almonds). 
23. Since 1997, millions of Lego pieces wash ashore in Cornwall, England. Each a remnant of a Tokio Express container ship the sank off the coast. One container aboard contained over 4.8 million Lego pieces – many pieces were from a pirate themed set.
24. For my flyfishing friends, the Mayfly hatch (specifically the Hexagenia bilineata) on the upper Mississippi near LaCrosse WI was so thick it showed up on weather radar.