There are some other uses of the word 'mask', which arise by extension. That means using 'mask' as a metaphor. In film a mask is a screen which cuts out part of the image. In social theory, a mask is the behaviour a person takes on in his role or job. Thus policemen, head teachers, army commanders, prime ministers act as they are expected to act (most of the time). The inference is that behind the mask is the 'real' person. Their role is a mask. As a verb, 'to mask' means to cover or hide.
Holiday
A holiday is a regularly reoccurring festive day. Usually, but not always, the festive day is observed every year. The word "holiday" is derived from the words "holy" and "day." In British English, the word "holiday" is used to refer to a Vacation as well as a public holiday.
"In the order of the Wheel of the Year:"
Catholics also celebrate saint's days.
Spokane, Washington
Spokane (Pronounced: ) is a city in the U.S. state of Washington. Spokane is in the eastern half of the state, about 20 miles (30 km) from Idaho. Spokane is 92 miles (148 km) south of Canada.
Spokane is the second largest city in Washington, while Seattle is the largest. Spokane's nickname is the "Lilac City" because of how many of those flowers grow in the area.
The population of the city in 2019 was 222,081 and the population of the metro area of Spokane is 573,493.
Spokane was founded in 1871 when a sawmill was built on the Spokane Falls. In 1889 a fire burned down the downtown area of Spokane. In 1892 the railroad came to Spokane, and this made it easier for people to get into and out of the city.
In 1974 Spokane hosted the World's Fair. This brought a lot of people and business into Spokane.
The Spokane River flows through the city. In downtown Spokane, there is a large waterfall called the Spokane Falls. The first buildings in Spokane were built near the falls.
The Spokane River has many dams that make energy for the people of Spokane.
In the Summer, Spokane is hot and dry. Spokane has cold and snowy Winters. Spring and Fall are very short.
Temperatures over or less than do not usually happen in Spokane. However, the hottest temperature in Spokane was , and the coldest was .
M16 rifle
The M16 is an assault rifle used by the United States since the Vietnam War in 1963, based on the AR-15. Since 1975, the M16 has been used by many different countries. First designed by Eugene Stoner in the United States of America, it is currently the standard infantry rifle used by the United States Military Forces. The rifle is being used by over 80 nations.
The M16 uses the 5.56mm NATO (.223) caliber cartridge, with a muzzle velocity (the speed of bullet leaving the rifle) of over 900 meters per second (over 3,000 feet per second), and has a maximum effective range of 550 meters, with a rate of fire (how fast the gun shoots) of approximately 800 rounds per minute. The M16A1 can shoot semi automatic and fully automatic fire. The M16A2 can shoot semi automatic and three-round-burst fire. The M4A1 Carbine retains full automatic and semi automatic fire. The M16 normally holds 30 cartridges in its magazine, but there are variants of the magazine that hold only 20 or 10 cartridges.
There is also an M16 variant for the Canadian Army called "Diemaco C-7". The "Diemaco C-7" rifles have maple leaves on the left side.
Foreskin
The foreskin, or prepuce, is a fold of skin that covers the glans penis when the penis is uncircumcised. Most male mammals either have a foreskin that covers the glans penis or a sheath in which the whole penis can retract.
The outside of the foreskin is like normal skin but the inside of the foreskin is a membrane like the inside of an eyelid or mouth. The foreskin is attached to the penis by the frenulum, but it can move. It is very stretchy. On the penis, the most sensitive areas to fine-touch are located on the foreskin. The foreskin can be pierced or slit for fashion reasons.
The foreskin contains Meissner’s corpuscles, which are nerve endings involved in fine-touch sensitivity. They are most numerous in the “ridged band”, the junction of the inner and outer foreskin layers, and least numerous in the smooth inner layer of foreskin. Compared to other hairless skin areas on the body, the Meissner's index was highest in the finger tip (0.96) and lowest in the foreskin (0.28). The foreskin is the least sensitive hairless tissue of the body. A study also found that “the number of these nerve endings decreases significantly after the teenage to young adult years when sexual activity begins. This makes it very difficult to propose any sexual function for Meissner’s corpuscles. A more feasible hypothesis is to regard them as a juvenile phenomenon, perhaps serving to protect the penis until the onset of puberty reveals its sexual function.”
Studies in sexual sensation concluded that the glans, not the foreskin, is involved in sexual sensation, particularly the corona and frenular (the area under the frenulum) areas. Thus, speculation and outdated opinion pieces claiming special properties of the foreskin, such as in penile function and masturbation, should be viewed with skepticism.
Perhaps sensitivity of the foreskin to fine touch might have served as an “early warning system” in our naked upright forebears from the intrusion of biting insects and parasites while protecting the glans.
The foreskin can keep the glans penis comfortable, moist, and protect it.
In modern times, there is controversy regarding whether the foreskin is a vital or vestigial structure. In 1949, British physician Douglas Gairdner noted that the foreskin plays an important protective role in newborns. He wrote, “It is often stated that the prepuce is a vestigial structure devoid of function... However, it seems to be no accident that during the years when the child is incontinent the glans is completely clothed by the prepuce, for, deprived of this protection, the glans becomes susceptible to injury from contact with sodden clothes or napkin.” During the physical act of sex, the foreskin reduces friction, which can reduce the need for additional sources of lubrication. "Some medical researchers, however, claim circumcised men enjoy sex just fine and that, in view of recent research on HIV transmission, the foreskin causes more trouble than it’s worth." The area of the outer forskin measures between 7–100 cm2, and the inner foreskin measures between 18–68 cm2, which is a wide range. Regarding vestigial structures, Charles Darwin wrote, “An organ, when rendered useless, may well be variable, for its variations cannot be checked by natural selection.” In the March 2017 publication of the Global Health Journal: Science and Practice, Morris and Krieger wrote, "The variability in foreskin size is consistent with the foreskin being a vestigial structure." It has been found that larger foreskins place uncircumcised men at an increased risk for HIV infection most likely due to the larger surface area of inner foreskin and the high concentration of .
Moses and Bailey (1998), say that "it has not been demonstrated that [the foreskin] is associated with increased male sexual pleasure."
"Circumcision" is when the foreskin is cut off. The removal of the foreskin can protect against certain medical conditions and infections. It is done to satisfy medical, religious,and aesthetic views.
Restoring the foreskin would involve expanding the skin to make something similar to the foreskin, but connective tissues cut during circumcision cannot be brought back. Some companies are testing regeneration of a pure foreskin, but as of April 2021, there is nothing new in that field.
Sid Vicious