National Flitch Day is an informal holiday dedicated to an ancient English custom that dates back to the 14th century. A flitch is a measurement of bacon, now known as a slab.
In England, married couples were awarded a flitch of bacon if they did not repent on their marriage for a year and a day. A couple would come to monks and stand a mock trial to prove that they had been loving and faithful to one another for one year and did not wish they were single again. If they succeeded, they were awarded a flitch of bacon.
This tradition was brought to America by English settlers, but did not survive.
Flitch trials are still held in Great Dunmow, England once every leap year. They are organized by the Dunmow Flitch Trials Committee. The jury that reaches a verdict consists of six maidens and six bachelors, even though there is no longer an actual trial. Great Dunmow is believed to be the only location to have preserved the flitch of bacon custom.
Jul 15, 2016
Helium
We usually think of helium as that stuff that goes in balloons, but it is much more. It is formed by the slow and steady radioactive decay of terrestrial rock and is the second most abundant element in the Universe, but very rare on Earth. Helium is used for keeping satellite instruments cool and to clean out rocket engines. It was also used to cool the liquid oxygen and hydrogen that powered the Apollo space vehicles.
Helium is used as a cooling medium for the Large Hadron Collider and the superconducting magnets in medical MRI scanners. It is often used to fill party balloons, weather balloons, and airships because of its low density. Helium-neon gas lasers are used to scan barcodes at supermarket checkouts.
A mixture of 80% helium and 20% oxygen is used by deep-sea divers and others working under pressurized conditions.
It also makes for fun differences with our vocal cords. When you inhale helium, you are changing the type of gas molecules in your vocal tract and increasing the speed of the sound of your voice and changing the timbre. Your voice sounds higher pitched. In contrast, heavier gases like xenon and sulfur hexafluoride slow the speed of sound and lower your resonant frequencies.
Helium is used as a cooling medium for the Large Hadron Collider and the superconducting magnets in medical MRI scanners. It is often used to fill party balloons, weather balloons, and airships because of its low density. Helium-neon gas lasers are used to scan barcodes at supermarket checkouts.
A mixture of 80% helium and 20% oxygen is used by deep-sea divers and others working under pressurized conditions.
It also makes for fun differences with our vocal cords. When you inhale helium, you are changing the type of gas molecules in your vocal tract and increasing the speed of the sound of your voice and changing the timbre. Your voice sounds higher pitched. In contrast, heavier gases like xenon and sulfur hexafluoride slow the speed of sound and lower your resonant frequencies.
PC Mouse Trick
If you use a mouse with a scroll button, press it toward the
right when you are on a page that is too wide to fit on a
screen. Now you can scroll left and right without using the
scroll bar on the bottom of the screen. Left click and it
turns off. Also, you can hold the shift key and use the scroll
wheel. Works great with large pictures and articles that are
too wide to fit on one screen.
TVs and Nits
Many new TVs come with a nit rating, such as the new Samsung HDR (High Dynamic Range) TV, which has 1,000 nits. Computer LCD screens emit up to around 300 nits. The term nit is believed to come from the Latin word nitere, to shine.
A nit is defined as a unit of light intensity and one nit is equal to one candela per square meter. A candela is the amount of light produced by one candle. Bottom line for TV watching, more nits equals brighter brights and darker blacks.
A nit is defined as a unit of light intensity and one nit is equal to one candela per square meter. A candela is the amount of light produced by one candle. Bottom line for TV watching, more nits equals brighter brights and darker blacks.
X-rays
X-rays were discovered during 1895. The first use of X-rays under clinical conditions was by John Hall-Edwards in Birmingham, England on 11 January 1896.
Up until 2010, five billion medical imaging studies have been conducted worldwide. Radiation exposure from medical imaging in 2006 made up about 50% of total ionizing radiation exposure in the United States.
X-rays both cause and kill cancer. The use of X-rays as a treatment is known as radiation therapy and is largely used for the management of cancer. It requires higher radiation doses than those received for imaging alone. X-rays beams are used for treating skin cancers using lower energy X-ray beams while higher energy beams are used for treating cancers within the body such as brain, lung, prostate, and breast.
A Computed Tomography (CT scan) and computerized axial tomography (CAT scan) make use of computer-processed combinations of many X-ray images taken from different angles to produce cross-sectional (tomographic) images of specific areas of a scanned person or object, allowing a user to see inside without cutting.
Diagnostic X-rays, primarily from CT scans due to the large dose used increase the risk of developmental problems and cancer in those exposed. X-rays are classified as a carcinogen by both the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US government. The radiation doses received from CT scans are 100 to 1,000 times higher than conventional X-rays. Cancers in the United States caused by CT scans performed in the past have been estimated to be as high as two percent.
According to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, between the 1980s and 2006, the use of CT scans increased six hundred percent. A study by a New York hospital found that nearly a third of its patients who underwent multiple scans received the equivalent of five thousand chest X-rays. Bottom line, if your doc or dentist cannot convince you that you really need the X-ray do not get it. Consider the X-ray factor of your future health vs. their wallet.
Up until 2010, five billion medical imaging studies have been conducted worldwide. Radiation exposure from medical imaging in 2006 made up about 50% of total ionizing radiation exposure in the United States.
X-rays both cause and kill cancer. The use of X-rays as a treatment is known as radiation therapy and is largely used for the management of cancer. It requires higher radiation doses than those received for imaging alone. X-rays beams are used for treating skin cancers using lower energy X-ray beams while higher energy beams are used for treating cancers within the body such as brain, lung, prostate, and breast.
A Computed Tomography (CT scan) and computerized axial tomography (CAT scan) make use of computer-processed combinations of many X-ray images taken from different angles to produce cross-sectional (tomographic) images of specific areas of a scanned person or object, allowing a user to see inside without cutting.
Diagnostic X-rays, primarily from CT scans due to the large dose used increase the risk of developmental problems and cancer in those exposed. X-rays are classified as a carcinogen by both the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer and the US government. The radiation doses received from CT scans are 100 to 1,000 times higher than conventional X-rays. Cancers in the United States caused by CT scans performed in the past have been estimated to be as high as two percent.
According to the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, between the 1980s and 2006, the use of CT scans increased six hundred percent. A study by a New York hospital found that nearly a third of its patients who underwent multiple scans received the equivalent of five thousand chest X-rays. Bottom line, if your doc or dentist cannot convince you that you really need the X-ray do not get it. Consider the X-ray factor of your future health vs. their wallet.
Adage, Axiom, Epigram, and Idiom
An adage is a traditional saying or proverb that states a piece of wisdom or a general truth. An adage is usually something that has been repeated for so long that it is a cliche, such as 'less is more'.
An axiom is a statement or principle that is accepted as being true, self-evidently true, or proven true by virtue of experience. An axiom can be the foundation for further study or knowledge. Axiom and adage are interchangeable and are usually sayings that have been repeated, often over many generations. Mathematicians make heavy use of axioms and maxims. An Aphorism can be a short Axiom.
An epigram is a short, witty, saying or remark expressed with brevity and sometimes paradoxically. An epigram is usually an original saying or remark, such as 'I can resist everything but temptation'. Many famous quotes are epigrams.
An idiom is a word or phrase whose meaning cannot be understood outside its cultural context. These expressions are usually figurative, such as 'cut to the chase', 'rule of thumb', etc. Idioms generally convey a casual tone and are known culturally, so other cultures may not understand the phrase or meaning. Many adages, axioms, and epigrams can also be considered idioms if not universally known.
An axiom is a statement or principle that is accepted as being true, self-evidently true, or proven true by virtue of experience. An axiom can be the foundation for further study or knowledge. Axiom and adage are interchangeable and are usually sayings that have been repeated, often over many generations. Mathematicians make heavy use of axioms and maxims. An Aphorism can be a short Axiom.
An epigram is a short, witty, saying or remark expressed with brevity and sometimes paradoxically. An epigram is usually an original saying or remark, such as 'I can resist everything but temptation'. Many famous quotes are epigrams.
An idiom is a word or phrase whose meaning cannot be understood outside its cultural context. These expressions are usually figurative, such as 'cut to the chase', 'rule of thumb', etc. Idioms generally convey a casual tone and are known culturally, so other cultures may not understand the phrase or meaning. Many adages, axioms, and epigrams can also be considered idioms if not universally known.
Heineken Bricks
During 1962, Alfred Heineken created a beer bottle that also could function as a brick to build houses in impoverished countries.
Medicine and Humor
The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine says, "A highly significant increase in survival was due to the psychological variables of block three [quality of life and sense of humor] (p < .001) essentially accounted for by sense of humor (p < .005). Those who scored above the median in sense of humor increased their odds for survival by on average 31%. Conclusions: Sense of humor appeared to mediate better coping and, therefore, protected against detrimental effects of disease-related stressors upon survival."
This finding is in line with the notions that stress weakens the immune system and humor can reduce stress.
Researchers are using the idea that stress reduces blood flow and laughter increases blood flow. A preliminary study by Michael Miller, M.D., and others (all from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore) used violent and comedic movie scenes with twenty patients. In 2005 Miller reported that "average blood flow increased twenty two percent during laughter, and decreased 35 percent during mental stress." He said we still need to exercise regularly, but 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system.
Bottom line, laughter can improve your health.
This finding is in line with the notions that stress weakens the immune system and humor can reduce stress.
Researchers are using the idea that stress reduces blood flow and laughter increases blood flow. A preliminary study by Michael Miller, M.D., and others (all from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore) used violent and comedic movie scenes with twenty patients. In 2005 Miller reported that "average blood flow increased twenty two percent during laughter, and decreased 35 percent during mental stress." He said we still need to exercise regularly, but 15 minutes of laughter on a daily basis is probably good for the vascular system.
Bottom line, laughter can improve your health.
Jul 8, 2016
Happy Friday
Happiness creates more confidence than
does knowledge.
I am confident that today will be a Happy Friday!
I am confident that today will be a Happy Friday!
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