Random Bidtits (2/27/2023)

Another round of random facts today:

• Per the Wikipedia article (page?), Japan used “Fu-Go balloon bombs” on the United States in WWII.  Fu-Go (“Code ‘Fu’ [Weapon]”) was an incendiary balloon weapon deployed by Japan against the United States during World War II.  A hydrogen balloon measuring 33 feet in diameter, it carried a payload of four 11-pound incendiary devices plus one 33-pound anti-personnel bomb, or alternatively one 26-pound incendiary bomb, and was intended to start large forest fires in the Pacific Northwest.  Between November 1944 and April 1945, the Imperial Japanese Army launched about 9,300 balloons from sites on Honshu, of which about 300 were found or observed in the U.S. and Canada, with some in Mexico.  The balloons were carried by high altitude and high speed currents over the Pacific Ocean, now known as the jet stream, and used a sophisticated ballast system to control altitude.  The bombs were ineffective as fire starters due to damp conditions, causing only minor damage and six deaths in a single civilian incident in Oregon in May 1945. The Fu-Go balloon was the first weapon system with intercontinental range, with its attacks being the longest ranged in the history of warfare at the time.  Here’s a map of where they were dropped in the contiguous states:

• You all know about manta rays: incredibly majestic creatures that can reach 30 feet across.  Check out this 15 minutes YouTube video titled “The extraordinary brains of manta rays | Robert Rubin | TEDxSonomaCounty”.  Fascinating facts!  Here’s another 1 minute video titled “Drone Captures Huge White Manta Ray”.
• Interested in music?  Check out this 8 minute YouTube video titled “Music’s power over your brain, explained | Michael Spitzer”.
• Per the article titled “Emojis count as financial advice and have legal consequences, judge rules” from Trading View, well, the titled spoiled it.  This is probably a good thing given all the miscreants and snicklefritzes who have joined the market since Sleepy Joe started handing out free money.

That’s it for today.  Have a good one!