3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts 

THE FACTS 

* In Thailand, texters use 555 the way we use LOL. The number 5 is pronounced “ha” – which makes 555 “hahaha.”

* When an actor is in character, his brain patterns change. A study by Canada’s McMaster University had actors connected to brain-scanning equipment answer questions as themselves and as the characters they were currently playing. The results showed a significant difference depending on who was answering the question.

* A pangram is a sentence that uses every letter of the alphabet. It’s commonly used to test equipment and to develop skills in handwriting, calligraphy, and typing. The most famous pangram: “The quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog.” Another one: “The five boxing wizards jump quickly.” And another one: “Pack my box with five dozen liquor jugs.”

THE NUMBERS 

* 2,107 – the number of antisemitic incidents in the United States last year, according to the Anti-Defamation League. This was not only a 12% increase from the year before, but the highest number since the ADL began tracking the incidents in 1979.

* 96% – the amount of value (compared to gold) that the US dollar has lost since the Federal Reserve took over the US banking system in 1913.

* 6.55 trillion – the number of dollars spent by the government from October 2019 to September 30 of this year. Only half of that was offset by revenue, leaving us with a deficit of $3.13 trillion.

THE THOUGHTS 

* “Reading can teach you the best of what others already know. Reflection can teach you the best of what only you can know.” – James Clear

* “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.” – Socrates

* “The end result of long and difficult practice is the appearance of natural ease.” – Michael Masterson