Yahoo! Answers

There are many things we do to attract someone we like, such as eye contact and smiling, but sometimes it isn’t enough to get someone to notice you. Our Family & Relationships category is full of our community asking how to get someone to like them.

It’s important to always be yourself, but sometimes we use props, such as dogs. C’mon,  it’s hard not to get someone to comment on your cute animal and want to pet them.  It’s an instant ice breaker and an easy way to get a conversation started with someone you find attractive.  Some people even use magic tricks or wear something outlandish that’s bound to have someone ask them a question or story behind whatever it is there wearing.

Every now and then you need to be bold!

So what have you done to catch someone’s eye? Were you successful? Leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading,

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

**Secret Revealed**

Sailors have it easy these days — an inexpensive GPS will tell you how fast your ship is traveling. Heck, even your smartphone can do it if you have the right app. That’s how I clocked the car ferry on Lake Michigan at 35 mph (56 km/h) last summer.

Photo by hans s on Flickr under Creative Commons License

However, a blackberry could not measure your speed 450 years ago. That required a “chip log” (aka “ship log” or “log”). This was a spool of rope attached to a small piece of wood. The sailors would place the wood in the water where it would drag in the water, unspooling the knotted rope. One sailor counted the knots passing over the haul and another would use a 30 second sandglass to measure the time. They had a table to look up the speed (“knots”) based on the number of knots that passed by.

Although the method has changed significantly, the units are still called “knots.” To put that in a way that might have more meaning, one nautical mile translates to 1.151 miles or 1.852 km.

Chad Upton is the editor-in-chief of Broken Secrets and an official Yahoo Answers contributor.

Sources: wikipedia (knots, chip log)

Thanks for reading,

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Hey Guys,

Last week, I wrote about how cats seem to know to use their litter boxes. I figured it’s only right to give equal time to dogs.

Of course, dogs don’t use litter boxes (at least none that I know of), but they do have their own instinctual habits. Think about whenever a dog lays down. Ever notice what the pooch does before settling in? Most of the time, the dog will turn around several times before sitting down with a big sigh. What’s going on here?

Before I began researching, I assumed the dog’s instinct to turn around was a kind of defense mechanism against predators. After all, dogs used to live out in the wild, fighting for survival against much more dangerous creatures. It would make sense that dogs wanted to take one last 360 degree look around to make sure there weren’t any enemies lurking about.

How wrong I was. According to ThePuppyPlace.org, the act is a way for dogs to find the coolest part of the ground. “Dogs are often found digging into cool soil to escape hot weather; by digging and then turning several times they can direct their bodies into the curled posture that will best take advantage of the depression’s coolness.” They’re not worried about predators, they just want to be comfy.

Dogs may seem crazy, but everything they do, they do for a reason (even sniffing each other’s backsides).

Thanks for reading,

Mike

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Part of the fun on Yahoo! Answers is having your questions answered, but sometimes our community forgets to pick a best answer.  That’s OK! We are launching a new email to remind our community that after you’ve asked your question, and it has received at least one answer, you’ll be sent the following “Choose a Best Answer” email 24 hours later:

Whatever criteria you use to choose a best answer is up to you!  But it’s important to choose a Best Answer so the question doesn’t end up in limbo. It’s also a great way to thank the user for helping or giving you the information you needed.  Go ahead, choose a best answer and award someone 10 points!

Thanks for reading,

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Hey Guys,

Growing up, my family always had cats. And I remember, even as a kid, being amazed at how the cats always knew that they were supposed to go to the bathroom in the litter box. How the heck do they know?

This apparent talent is due in large to cat DNA. Thousands of years ago, cats out in the wild made it a habit to bury their waste so it wouldn’t be detected by predators. Thankfully, for those who adopt felines, that instinct is still around today.

Similarly, when a cat is in the wild, it will never urinate near where it sleeps. The cat’s urine gives off a strong odor that can be easily picked up by its enemies. If you find that your house cat is no longer using the litter box like it used to, it could be because the litter box has absorbed some of the odors and the cat no longer thinks its a safe place to go.

The Humane Society lists some tips on how to make sure your litter box remains up to your cat’s standards. After all, as the Humane Society points out, the last thing you want your cat to do is “think outside the box.”

Thanks for reading,

Mike

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!