A tidbit I just came across, for #FolkloreFriday

In parts of Transylvania it used to be a habit to chew pine resin (as if it was chewing gum). People did it for fun, or to clean their teeth, or to gather saliva for spinning thread.

Apparently, young men gifted pre-chewed resin to the girls they fancied. If the girl accepted the gift, it meant she liked the guy.

In case you needed gift ideas for #ValentinesDay... 😄

#folklore #Transylvania

Longtime readers will know I have a thing for "hidden" infrastructure, the stuff we rely on without most of us knowing we rely on it.

Here's a story about how the nerve centre of the Canadian internet, in a couple of buildings in Toronto, is up for sale, and the American companies that might buy it:

https://thelogic.co/news/real-estate-trust-hangs-for-sale-sign-on-nerve-centre-of-canadian-internet/

Did you stop at the tree?
The one in the park
that you rush passed? past? pass?
Did you stop at the tree?
The one with a minute world
that you unexpectedly underestimated?
Did you stop?
to recognize that there’s a universe
here in earth? here on Earth?

#Moss #Mosstodon #Mushrooms #CityParks #SanFrancisco

I’m a frickin genius.

Context: my kid is mildly allergic to citric acid and citric fruit. Brings out eczema. And citric acid is in SO many things. And it’s painful checking ingredients lists for it.

This morning I wondered: can my phone OCR the ingredients list and check it?

My first thought was to make a little web app. But there doesn’t seem to be a OCR in web browsers yet.

But I KNOW my phone can get text from images.

Then…

Apple Shortcuts!!!

CHECK THIS OUT!!!