Archive for July, 2018
Fireworks that do not go Fourth deserve a resounding fizgig
My word for today is “fizgig”, a type of firework that makes a loud hiss. I consider this an onomatopoeic word, given the “fiz” characterizes the sound.
Residents of Saint Paul, where I grew up, must be fizzing their mayor today after he canceled the city’s fireworks this year due to budget concerns. Boo, hiss!
More commonly, fireworks are frowned upon due to safety concerns. For example, a Florida television station broadcast a warning yesterday that Independence Day revelers should be careful not to “be a statistic” by shooting off fireworks. I don’t get this. Isn’t being a statistic a good thing?
An enterprising fireworks vendor turned the statistics around in a very creative way by touting a long-term trend toward fewer injuries per pound of pyrotechnics—citing a decrease of more than 50% since 1994. I find this fellows numerical and sentimental arguments in favor of fireworks very compelling: Check it out here.
“It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more.”
– John Adams, July 3, 1776
Are you seeing red sorting out how much sunscreen to apply and at what strength?
As pointed out in this weekend’s Wall Street Journal, this is the burning question for those of us in the northern hemisphere as we enjoy our brightest days of the year. According to The Numbers columnist Jo Craven McGinty, the answers are:
- At least 2 milligrams per square centimeter—about one-fifth the depth of a piece of paper. Although this seems very thin, most people only put on about half that amount, so you’d best apply your sunscreen twice.
- Go for at least an SPF of 50. However, do not sweat it if all you have on hand is SPF 30, or the level 50 costs more than you care to pay—the difference is minor as you can see in the graph I made by fitting the FDA data WSJ
provided to a curve (using Design-Expert® software).
It seems to me it would be best to stay out of the sun as much as possible, and, when you do, cover up, but seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider, such as a dermatologist. Be careful out there!
PS. McGinty detailed a study that found a significant advantage to increasing SPF from 50 to 100. It being done via a randomized split on 199 snow skiers bodes well. However, the research was sponsored by a sunscreen maker. An independent, contrary view of 100 SPF pros and cons is laid out here.