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Why we embrace the ritual of Valentine’s Day: Q&A with a Yale sociologist

By Guest PostFebruary 14, 2015Culture, Scienceandre simha, andrew gaudet, christianity, chronotherapies, circadian oscillator clock, digital shipping platform, epilepsy, global container carriers, laura fonken, middle managers, rajesh krishnamurthy, reiterstellung, role of firearms, romantic, rome, sleep wake schedules, sociologist, teen death, thanksgiving, tradeLens blockchain, valentines day

Whether you’re a die-hard romantic or a callous cynic, there’s no escaping the millions of couples cozying up this Feb. 14 to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The origins of our only holiday devoted to love are somewhat murky. It is thought to have its beginnings in the Roman festival of Lupercalia, which was celebrated in mid-February. The fertility ritual included animal sacrifice, nude men, women flogged with animal hides, and a matchmaking lottery akin to a 1970s key party. (more…)

Geothermal Energy Keeps Turkeys Comfortable and Saves Farmers’ Money; Prototype Designed by MU Engineer

By Guest PostJanuary 3, 2013Environmentair, air quality, americans, ammonia contamination, amphibians, carbon dioxide, commercial livestock operation, cook, deep drilling, doghouse, fossil fuel, geothermal energy system, geothermal unit, greenhouse gas, habitat, humidity, migratory birds, oxygen, performance data, prototype facility, thanksgiving, turkey farms, turkeys, turkeys toasty, university of missouri, wildlife, yun sheng xu

COLUMBIA, Mo. — While Americans prepare to cook millions of turkeys for Thanksgiving, a geothermal energy system developed by a University of Missouri engineer will be keeping live turkeys toasty during the chilly autumn weather. In a prototype facility, designed by a University of Missouri engineer, environmentally and economically friendly geothermal energy is keeping turkeys comfortable during both cold and hot weather. The system is designed to reduce utility costs while improving the air quality for the birds.

“This is our first prototype of a geothermal system in a commercial livestock operation,” said Yun-Sheng Xu, associate research professor in civil and environmental engineering. “Our first set of performance data suggests that farmers could cut their heating costs in half at current propane prices. Currently, two units are installed at the test farm. Other farmers could begin installing units on their turkey farms as soon as next year, for use by next winter.” (more…)

A Tale of Turkey Tail: The Part of the Bird Best Left Uneaten

By Guest PostNovember 14, 2012Healthamericans, bird, eating turkey, fat turkey, harvard university, health problem, michigan, native hawaiians, nutritious, obese, oil, overweight, pacific island territories, pacific islanders, samoan, sela panapasa, tail, thanksgiving, tongan adults, turkey tail, university, world trade organization

ANN ARBOR — While most Americans look forward to eating turkey on Thanksgiving, Pacific Islanders in the U.S. and on the islands are most likely to eat a part of the bird few other Americans are familiar with: its tail.

“Turkey tail is marketed selectively to Pacific Island communities throughout the U.S. and in Pacific Island territories, as well as independent nations,” said University of Michigan researcher Sela Panapasa. “Actually it’s not the tail but a gland that attaches the tail to the turkey’s body. It’s filled with oil that the turkey uses to preen its feathers.” (more…)

Yahoo! Shine Reveals Findings of “Alcohol and America” Survey in Time for St. Patrick’s Day

By Guest PostMarch 16, 2011Culture, Technologyalcohol and america, alcoholic beverages, americans, christmas, digital media company, drinking habits, most popular drink, new year eve, spectrum, st patricks day, tequila, thanksgiving, women lifestyle websites, Yahoo, yahoo shine

SUNNYVALE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, Yahoo! Shine (https://shine.yahoo.com), one of the world’s leading women’s lifestyle websites, has released the results of its “Alcohol and America” survey. The survey asked 2,000 Americans in-depth questions about drinking habits, favorite kinds of drinks/alcohol, and overall views of drinking, as well as differences between men and women’s drinking habits. The results found that on average adults consume seven alcoholic beverages per week, and while most adults are responsible about their drinking, one in three has experienced negative effects of drinking. (more…)

Free Shipping Day Punctuates Heaviest Week of U.S. Online Spending in History as Four Individual Days Eclipse $900 Million

By Guest PostDecember 19, 2010Technologyapple ipads, computer hardware, Comscore, free shipping day, friday, gian fulgoni, green monday, holiday season, retail e-commerce spending, thanksgiving

*Cyber Monday, Which Remains Only Billion Dollar Day on Record , Likely to Become Heaviest Spending Day of the Year for First Time*

RESTON, VA, December 19, 2010 – comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today reported holiday season retail e-commerce spending for the first 47 days of the November – December 2010 holiday season. For the holiday season-to-date, $27.46 billion has been spent online, marking a 12-percent increase versus the corresponding days last year. The most recent week (week ending Dec. 17) reached $5.15 billion in spending, an increase of 14 percent versus the corresponding week last year, with four individual days surpassing $900 million, led by Green Monday (Monday, December 13) with $954 million and Free Shipping Day (Friday, December 17) with $942 million. Free Shipping Day achieved a 61-percent increase versus the corresponding shopping day last year, highlighting the appeal and success of the promotion in which more than 1,500 merchants offered free shipping. (more…)

Microsoft Offerings Help Overcome Holiday Overload

By Guest PostNovember 24, 2010Technologyben rudolph, bing, black friday, brooke burke, Facebook, happy holidays, lisa gurry, Microsoft, oprah winfrey, thanksgiving, windows

*With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, Microsoft has been partnering with celebrities to promote Bing as a cure for holiday overload. The company is also showcasing new PCs as gift ideas and partnering with Southwest Airlines to offer travelers a free holiday photo with Santa.*

REDMOND, Wash. – Nov. 24, 2010 – As Black Friday looms, Microsoft is trying to help consumers survive the holiday crunch through high-tech gift ideas, a stress-free shopping experience, and even a chance to meet St. Nick himself.

The day after Thanksgiving has long marked the start of the holiday shopping season, and Black Friday has become the busiest shopping day of the year. Microsoft has been busy trying to get out the word that Bing can help shoppers “cut through the clutter this holiday season,” said Lisa Gurry, director of marketing. (more…)

Tightwads and Spendthrifts: A Black Friday Tradition

By Guest PostNovember 22, 2010Culture, Economyblack friday, characteristics, holiday shopping season, obama chia pet, pain, professor, psychological pain, scott rick, spending decisions, spendthrift, spendthrift-tightwad scale, thanksgiving, tightwad

ANN ARBOR, Mich.— Every year about this time, on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that traditionally begins the holiday shopping season, early-morning consumers stand in long lines eager to purchase some sought after prize. From the outside, it looks as if these holiday shoppers can’t wait to plunk down their cash, but Ross School marketing professor Scott Rick says consumers often behave differently than they would ideally like to behave.

“Some consumers chronically spend more than they would like, and some consumers chronically spend less than they would like,” he said. “Where an individual falls within the range of desiring to spend more or less largely determines whether he or she is a tightwad or a spendthrift, characteristics that determine quite a bit about a person’s spending habits.” (more…)

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