Borax is a powdery white substance, also known as sodium borate, sodium tetraborate, or disodium tetraborate.  It’s widely used as a household cleaner and a booster for laundry detergent.  It’s a combination of boron, sodium, and oxygen.   Borax is often found in dry lake beds in places like California’s Death Valley, where the water evaporated and left behind deposits of minerals.  Boric acid is made from the same chemical compound as borax and even looks like it.  But while borax is commonly used in cleaning, boric acid is mainly used as a pesticide.  Boric acid kills insects by targeting their stomachs and nervous systems.  Both borax and boric acid in loose powder form can be harmful if swallowed, particularly for children.  They can also irritate your skin.  https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/borax-sodium-tetraborate     

-ology

word-forming element indicating "branch of knowledge, science," now the usual form of -logy.  Originally used c. 1800 in nonce formations (commonsensology, etc.), it gained legitimacy by influence of the proper formation in geology, mythology, etc., where the -o- is a stem vowel in the previous element.  https://www.etymonline.com/word/-ology    

One of the world’s tiniest snails has been named after the Spanish painter Pablo Picasso for its defined, swirled shell that evokes early 20th-century Cubism.  In a paper published in April 2025 in the scientific journal ZooKeys, an international group of nine researchers classified 46 novel species of land snail typically found in Southeast Asia that belong to the greater mollusk family known as Hypselostomatidae (also referred to as “microsnails”).  The newly named snail belongs to the Anauchen microsnail subspecies, which are defined by their shells’ prominent last “whorl” and generally “spirally striated” form.  Serbian biologist Vukašin Gojšina, the paper’s lead author, specifically cited in an interview “the presence of a strong keel on the last whorl which makes it look angled,” reminding them of the Cubist style.  He also said that naming a species after a well-known figure can help make it more visible and ensure its protection.  https://hyperallergic.com/1042143/meet-the-microsnail-named-after-picasso/  Thank you, reader.    

In 1993, Vanna White sued Samsung Electronics over an advertisement featuring a robot turning letters on a game show, alleging a violation of her personality rights.  The lower court's decision in Samsung's favor was reversed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit,  which denied a rehearing, but Judge Alex Kozinski issued a dissent.  The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari.  A jury awarded White $403,000 in damages.  Parody song "Vanna, Pick Me a Letter" (a riff on Wayne Carson's "The Letter") was released by David Kolin (aka Dr. Dave) in 1987.  The second track of "Weird Al" Yankovic's 1988 album, Even Worse, features the song "Stuck in a Closet with Vanna White".  The 2001 Nelly single "Ride wit Me", mentions White with the lyrics "I'm getting pages out of New Jersey from Courtney B.  Telling me bout a party up in NYC.  And can I make it?  Damn right, I be on the next flight, paying cash, first class, sitting next to Vanna White . . .  "  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanna_White   

The term pundit was used in the second half of the 19th century to denote native Indian surveyors used by the British to secretly explore regions north of British India.  The Pundit was the code-name for one of the first native explorers, Nain Singh, who was originally a schoolteacher (or pundit).  His accomplishments were so remarkable that the whole group of around twenty native explorers became known as the Pundits.  Two of the most famous pundits included the cousins Nain Singh and Kishen Singh (code-named A.K.)   One of the greatest projects of 19th century geography was the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India.  The British also wanted geographical information on the lands further north.  This was not just out of scientific curiosity:  the Russians were attempting to expand their empire into Central Asia, and the British feared that they might have set their eyes on gaining the riches of India, which was at that time a British colony.  Thus, the Russians and the British both tried to extend their influence in Asia.  Knowledge of geography of the region was of utmost importance in this Great Game.  The use of pundits by the British during the Great Game is fictionalized in the 1901 novel Kim by Rudyard Kipling.   Pundit (explorer) - Wikipedia  Thank you, reader! 

Announcing the 2025-2026 Season Sunday, October 19, 2025 3:00 P.M. Simon Johnson, organist (from Westminster Cathedral, London) Sunday, November 23, 2025 3:00 PM Toledo Diocesan Choir Music for Choir and Organ Michael Gartz, organist Paul Monachino, conductor.   This concert is presented in memory of Joseph Lawton by his family Sunday, December 7, 2025 4:00 P.M. Toledo Symphony Orchestra Messiah - George Frideric Handel Alain Trudel, conductor   Tickets required (419) 246-8000           www.artstoledo.com  Sunday, December 14, 2025 3:00 P.M. Christmas Carol Sing The Cathedral Choir Paul Monachino, director Sunday, February 15, 2026 3:00 PM NOVA Ensemble (choir) Kevin S. Foster, conductor Friday, April 17, 2026 7:30 PM Toledo Symphony Orchestra Symphonie Concertante - Jongen Alain Trudel, conductor Todd Wilson, organist Tickets required (419) 246-8000 www.artstoledo.com     

Find list of NOBEL PRIZE winners 2025 at https://www.nobelprize.org/all-nobel-prizes-2025/    

October 9, 2025