Old Farmers Almanac

Is it okay to use baby wipes for cleaning a computer keyboard? They seem to work. –R. M., Juneau, Alaska Answer: Well, your office supply store would probably recommend that you buy their specially designed computer keyboard cleaning fluid, no doubt, but for quick touch-ups we can’t see how the baby wipes would hurt. Take time to first unplug the keyboard and the computer itself. You don’t want to get drips down between the keys, obviously, but as long as you don’t squeeze the moisture out, it should be fine. An occasional vacuuming does wonders for keyboards, or some...

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Is sneezing considered good luck or bad luck? –G. H. Hutchinson, Kansas Answer: Surely, you weren’t expecting a simple answer! The fact is, sneezing can be either good luck or bad, depending on the culture or the circumstances. The folklore of the sneeze is nearly inexhaustible, but the weight of the evidence leans toward the sneeze as an ominous sign. In folklore, sneezes are associated with some spirit, either good or bad, trying to enter or leave the body. Saying “God bless you” or “Geshundheit” is an attempt to ward off any evil by way of a spoken charm,...

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Last time I went sailing, I got a rash that I was told was prickly heat. Is there really such a thing?  –P. K., Scituate, Massachusetts Answer: Prickly heat is also known as heat rash. It can be caused simply by sweating and lack of air circulation in clothing or, alternately, it can be a reaction to warm dampness, as you may have experienced while sailing. Humidity worsens prickly heat by increasing both the warmth and the moisture. If you were on salt water, chances are that any length of time spent sitting around in salt-soaked clothing may have...

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