"We do not remember days, we remember moments."
I always remember and cherish every moment of every Happy
Friday!
Mar 28, 2014
Why Grass
Approximately 80% of all homes in the United
States have grass lawns. Lawns are a $40 billion per year industry
and 3 billion man-hours are spent mowing lawns. A variety of factors
caused grass lawns to become more popular.
The Industrial Revolution resulted in the first lawn mower, originally developed by Edwin Budding in 1830. Doing away with scythes and back-breaking labor meant that trimmed grass lawns were more accessible to the average person.
Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed Central Park in New York, also designed suburbs where each house had its own little lawn. This further popularized the idea that houses should have grass lawns.
About that time, the games of golf, lawn bowling, and other sports were becoming popular in North America. As people worked less hours and had more time to themselves, there was time to play golf, or to tend a lush, green lawn.
Next to grass at a major league baseball field is a strip of dirt located in front of the home run fence. This dirt trail is known as the warning track. Outfielders use the warning track as a warning that they are nearing the fence when chasing a fly ball.
The Industrial Revolution resulted in the first lawn mower, originally developed by Edwin Budding in 1830. Doing away with scythes and back-breaking labor meant that trimmed grass lawns were more accessible to the average person.
Frederick Law Olmstead, who designed Central Park in New York, also designed suburbs where each house had its own little lawn. This further popularized the idea that houses should have grass lawns.
About that time, the games of golf, lawn bowling, and other sports were becoming popular in North America. As people worked less hours and had more time to themselves, there was time to play golf, or to tend a lush, green lawn.
Next to grass at a major league baseball field is a strip of dirt located in front of the home run fence. This dirt trail is known as the warning track. Outfielders use the warning track as a warning that they are nearing the fence when chasing a fly ball.
Wordology, Perfect Storm
It is actually a
cliché
and will not go away as most
clichés
usually do. One would naturally think a perfect storm is
about weather, but it is seldom used to discuss weather. In fact, it
was used for a few hundred years before a Texas weather bureau first
used in 1936: "The weather bureau describes the disturbance as ‘the
perfect storm’ of its type. Seven factors were involved in the chain
of circumstances that led to the flood."
A meteorologist with the National Weather Service said "I haven't used it once after 30 years in the Weather Service and am proud to say I've never used 'Storm of the Century,' either." Major weeknight network newscasts (NBC, ABC, CBS) used it a total of 32 times in the past year; USA Today used it 22 times, and the New York Times used it 57 times, all discussing non-weather related items.
Current usage describes a perfect storm as a confluence of circumstances that tend to exaggerate a situation, such as:
May was another perfect-storm month for the NBA.
A strong showing by Tiger Woods was a perfect storm of scoring conditions.
Budget cuts led to a perfect storm of unintended consequences.
The confluence of the Internet, TiVo, cable TV, and DVDs, means we are looking at a perfect storm.
The economic disaster was caused by a perfect storm of real-estate headaches.
About the recently fired Catholic bishop - ‘Bishop Bling’ was a perfect storm.
At the end of the day, I guess a perfect storm is better than using 'at the end of the day'.
A meteorologist with the National Weather Service said "I haven't used it once after 30 years in the Weather Service and am proud to say I've never used 'Storm of the Century,' either." Major weeknight network newscasts (NBC, ABC, CBS) used it a total of 32 times in the past year; USA Today used it 22 times, and the New York Times used it 57 times, all discussing non-weather related items.
Current usage describes a perfect storm as a confluence of circumstances that tend to exaggerate a situation, such as:
May was another perfect-storm month for the NBA.
A strong showing by Tiger Woods was a perfect storm of scoring conditions.
Budget cuts led to a perfect storm of unintended consequences.
The confluence of the Internet, TiVo, cable TV, and DVDs, means we are looking at a perfect storm.
The economic disaster was caused by a perfect storm of real-estate headaches.
About the recently fired Catholic bishop - ‘Bishop Bling’ was a perfect storm.
At the end of the day, I guess a perfect storm is better than using 'at the end of the day'.
Sunglasses Facts
If you get a really good pair of
sunglasses it will certainly be to your benefit. Ophthalmologists
have explained that if you get a cheap pair that does not protect
you from UVA and UVB, you might as well not wear sunglasses.
Normally if you are looking toward a bright light, your eyes will
squint to protect you, but if you are wearing sunglasses, your eyes
will open further to allow in more light. One researcher used a
meter to test random sunglasses that he bought from vendors in New
York and found that some of them did not live up to the protection
claims on the glasses. Caveat Emptor.
More Salt Facts
Salt is a terrific flavor enhancer, helping
to reduce bitterness and acidity, and bringing out other flavors in
the food.
Adding salt to bread dough controls the action of the yeast and improves the flavor. Bread made without salt will have a coarser texture and a blander flavor than bread made with salt.
Try sprinkling salt on citrus fruit, melons, tomatoes, and even in wine to enhance flavor.
Adding a little salt balances the flavor of sweets like cakes, cookies, and candies.
Boiling eggs in salted water makes them easier to peel.
Adding a pinch of salt (preferably non-iodized) to cream or egg whites before they are whipped increases their volume and serves as a stabilizer.
Salt is a mineral, so it can be stored indefinitely without going stale. It won't taste any fresher if you grind it with a salt mill.
Salt has been used for millennia as a preservative for meats, fish, cheese, and other foods. It works by absorbing moisture from the cells of bacteria and mold through osmosis, which kills them or leaves them unable to reproduce.
Salting slices of eggplants helps draw out the bitter juices.
Adding salt to bread dough controls the action of the yeast and improves the flavor. Bread made without salt will have a coarser texture and a blander flavor than bread made with salt.
Try sprinkling salt on citrus fruit, melons, tomatoes, and even in wine to enhance flavor.
Adding a little salt balances the flavor of sweets like cakes, cookies, and candies.
Boiling eggs in salted water makes them easier to peel.
Adding a pinch of salt (preferably non-iodized) to cream or egg whites before they are whipped increases their volume and serves as a stabilizer.
Salt is a mineral, so it can be stored indefinitely without going stale. It won't taste any fresher if you grind it with a salt mill.
Salt has been used for millennia as a preservative for meats, fish, cheese, and other foods. It works by absorbing moisture from the cells of bacteria and mold through osmosis, which kills them or leaves them unable to reproduce.
Salting slices of eggplants helps draw out the bitter juices.
April Fool Prank
On April 1, 1974, Oliver Bickar climbed
into Mt. Edgecumbe, a volcano that had been dormant for around 9,000
years, and made it look like it was coming back to life. After four
years of planning, Bickar doused 100 tires in cooking oil and lit
them on fire inside Mt. Edgecumbe. He also spray painted "April
Fool" in 50 foot letters around the rim.
Five Microwave Facts
A common myth surrounding microwaves
is that you can not put metal in them. The walls of the microwave
are metal. You put metal in when you cook things like hot-pockets in
those sleeves they come with (lined with aluminum, which heats up
and browns the crust via convection). Some even come with a metal
rack for double deck cooking.
A microwave oven’s radiation does not cause cancer, because it is not ionizing radiation. Even mice that spent their whole lives exposed to low levels of microwaves at the same frequency as a microwave oven, showed no adverse effects from the microwaves.
Devices like your wireless router, GPS satellites, Bluetooth devices, and smart phones also likely operate using the same band as your microwave oven. This is also why when you run your microwave, you may notice those wireless devices stop working well when you get too close to the running microwave. Some fractions of the microwaves from the magnetron are escaping and interfering with the signal your devices are using. The amount is too miniscule to be noticed or felt if you stand in front.
There is nothing special about the material the window of your microwave is made of. It is typically just plastic or glass. What stops the microwaves from cooking you is the metal mesh that is on the inside of the plastic or glass. The holes in the mesh are smaller than the wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation your microwave is producing. The microwaves bounce off and back into your microwave oven to heat the food.
Many microwavable foods have a recommendation that you let the food sit for a few minutes before eating it. This is because sometimes the food is very thick and the microwaves may not have managed to penetrate deeply and so the center may not be warm, but is surrounded by a very hot outer layer. By waiting a few minutes, it allows the hot part to warm the center and the overall temperature of the food evens out. This is also why when you click “defrost” on your microwave you hear it periodically kicking on and off. It heats the frozen object for a short period and then lets the heated part warm the inner part by convection.
A microwave oven’s radiation does not cause cancer, because it is not ionizing radiation. Even mice that spent their whole lives exposed to low levels of microwaves at the same frequency as a microwave oven, showed no adverse effects from the microwaves.
Devices like your wireless router, GPS satellites, Bluetooth devices, and smart phones also likely operate using the same band as your microwave oven. This is also why when you run your microwave, you may notice those wireless devices stop working well when you get too close to the running microwave. Some fractions of the microwaves from the magnetron are escaping and interfering with the signal your devices are using. The amount is too miniscule to be noticed or felt if you stand in front.
There is nothing special about the material the window of your microwave is made of. It is typically just plastic or glass. What stops the microwaves from cooking you is the metal mesh that is on the inside of the plastic or glass. The holes in the mesh are smaller than the wavelengths of the electromagnetic radiation your microwave is producing. The microwaves bounce off and back into your microwave oven to heat the food.
Many microwavable foods have a recommendation that you let the food sit for a few minutes before eating it. This is because sometimes the food is very thick and the microwaves may not have managed to penetrate deeply and so the center may not be warm, but is surrounded by a very hot outer layer. By waiting a few minutes, it allows the hot part to warm the center and the overall temperature of the food evens out. This is also why when you click “defrost” on your microwave you hear it periodically kicking on and off. It heats the frozen object for a short period and then lets the heated part warm the inner part by convection.
Writer's Worth
The top famous authors are worth much more
than we might expect. J.K. Rowling went from rags to riches and was
worth over 1 billion dollars in 2011. Other wealthy authors include
Danielle Steel ($610 million), Stephen King ($400 million), Tom
Clancy ($300 million), James Patterson ($250 million), John Grisham
($200 million), Barbara Taylor Bradford ($200 million), Nora Roberts
($150 million), Stephenie Meyer ($125 million), and Dan Brown ($100
million). That is something to write home about.
Happy Rhino Sounds
I know you have all wondered what a baby
rhino sounds like when it is having fun. Well, today is your lucky
day. Enjoy. LINK
Mar 21, 2014
Happy Friday
"It is chiefly through books that we enjoy the intercourse with superior minds."
It is chiefly through friendship that I enjoy intercourse with a Happy Friday!
It is chiefly through friendship that I enjoy intercourse with a Happy Friday!
Ah, Spring! Lake Superior State University in Michigan is
home to the annual tradition of burning a snowman to signal the beginning of
Spring. This year, it will need a really big fire.
LSSU is also the place where you can obtain a license to
hunt unicorns. LINK
There is a limit of one per month and you can find all the regulations HERE.
This university is also home to the annual banished words
list. The word with most nominations for 2014 is "selfie".
Ten Squirrel Facts
Spring is here and the squirrels are here. Did you know squirrels can leap 10 times their body length? They can turn their ankles 180 degrees to face any direction when climbing. They have good eyesight, and they can learn from copying other animals and humans.
Fifty Six cases of bubonic plague (it is now treatable with antibiotics) and seven deaths were recorded in the US between 2000 and 2009, and squirrels harboring the infected fleas were among the main culprits.
Squirrels are clever, and can learn to navigate numerous obstacles to find the most efficient route to food.
They will find a dead rattlesnake, chew its skin, and then lick themselves. This leaves the squirrels smelling like snakes, and scientists believes this tricks animals into thinking that the squirrels’ burrows are actually home to snakes.
Squirrels store nuts and acorns for winter, because they do not hibernate. Also, because they bury their acorns, squirrels are partially responsible for oak trees in much of the US.
Hungry squirrels have been observed scoring a maple tree’s bark with their teeth, letting the sap leak, and returning to lick it later when it’s dried up.
Squirrels’ tunnels can exceed 9 meters (30 ft) in length.
Fifty Six cases of bubonic plague (it is now treatable with antibiotics) and seven deaths were recorded in the US between 2000 and 2009, and squirrels harboring the infected fleas were among the main culprits.
Squirrels are clever, and can learn to navigate numerous obstacles to find the most efficient route to food.
They will find a dead rattlesnake, chew its skin, and then lick themselves. This leaves the squirrels smelling like snakes, and scientists believes this tricks animals into thinking that the squirrels’ burrows are actually home to snakes.
Squirrels store nuts and acorns for winter, because they do not hibernate. Also, because they bury their acorns, squirrels are partially responsible for oak trees in much of the US.
Hungry squirrels have been observed scoring a maple tree’s bark with their teeth, letting the sap leak, and returning to lick it later when it’s dried up.
Squirrels’ tunnels can exceed 9 meters (30 ft) in length.
What's in a Name, Whipping Boy
This term is still used, but did you know there really were whipping boys? Whipping boys were created, because of the divine right of kings, which stated that kings were appointed by God, and implied that no one but the king was worthy of punishing the king’s son. Tutors to young princes found it difficult to enforce rules or learning.
A whipping boy was a young boy who was assigned to a young prince and was punished when the prince misbehaved or fell behind in his schooling. The idea was that seeing a friend being whipped or beaten for something that he had done wrong would be likely to ensure that the prince would not make the same mistake again. Whipping boys were established in the English court during monarchies of the 15th century and 16th centuries.
A whipping boy was a young boy who was assigned to a young prince and was punished when the prince misbehaved or fell behind in his schooling. The idea was that seeing a friend being whipped or beaten for something that he had done wrong would be likely to ensure that the prince would not make the same mistake again. Whipping boys were established in the English court during monarchies of the 15th century and 16th centuries.
Dull and Boring
The town of Boring, Ore. has become official partners with the Scotland town of Dull. The two towns joined forces in 2013 in an attempt to increase tourism. Oregonians declared a new state holiday called "Boring and Dull Day" to celebrate the occasion, while Scotland invited a bagpipe player to play some tunes.
Eye Floaters
Eye floaters are little oddly shaped objects that appear in your vision, often when a person looks at bright light such as a blue sky. Their shapes vary greatly, but will often appear as spots, cobwebs, or randomly shaped stringy objects. These are not optical illusions, but rather something your eyes actually perceive. There are a few different things that can cause this, but in most cases these eye floaters are caused by pieces of the gel-like vitreous breaking off from the back portion of your eye and then floating about in your eyeball.
The vitreous humor, or often just “vitreous”, is a clear gel that fills the gap between your retina and lens, helping maintain the round shape of your eye in the process. This gel is about 99% water and 1% mostly consisting mostly of a network of hyaluronic acid and collagen. Hyaluronic acid ends up retaining water molecules. Over time though, this network breaks down which results in the hyaluronic acid releasing its trapped water molecules. When this happens, it forms a watery core in your vitreous body.
As you age, pieces of the still gel-like collagen/hyaluronic acid network will break off and float around in this watery center. When light passes through this area, it creates a shadow on your retina. This shadow is actually what you are seeing when you see the eye floaters.
Children and teenagers almost never experience these types of eye floaters as there must first be some deterioration of the gel-like substance in their eye for these floaters to appear. However, they do still sometimes experience a certain type of eye floater that often appears more like a crystallized web across their vision. These floaters aren't found in the vitreous humor like the other floaters. Instead, they are found in the Premacular Bursa area, right on top of the retina. These floaters are microscopic in size and only appear as big as they do because of their proximity to the retina.
The vitreous humor, or often just “vitreous”, is a clear gel that fills the gap between your retina and lens, helping maintain the round shape of your eye in the process. This gel is about 99% water and 1% mostly consisting mostly of a network of hyaluronic acid and collagen. Hyaluronic acid ends up retaining water molecules. Over time though, this network breaks down which results in the hyaluronic acid releasing its trapped water molecules. When this happens, it forms a watery core in your vitreous body.
As you age, pieces of the still gel-like collagen/hyaluronic acid network will break off and float around in this watery center. When light passes through this area, it creates a shadow on your retina. This shadow is actually what you are seeing when you see the eye floaters.
Children and teenagers almost never experience these types of eye floaters as there must first be some deterioration of the gel-like substance in their eye for these floaters to appear. However, they do still sometimes experience a certain type of eye floater that often appears more like a crystallized web across their vision. These floaters aren't found in the vitreous humor like the other floaters. Instead, they are found in the Premacular Bursa area, right on top of the retina. These floaters are microscopic in size and only appear as big as they do because of their proximity to the retina.
Banana Food Hack
Take two to four ripe bananas,
peel them and let them sit in the freezer for an hour, then slice
them up toss into a blender. You will get a smooth and tasty treat
that is good for you. If you feel the need to punch up the taste,
add two tablespoons of peanut butter or chocolate chips.
Wordology, Lb
Did you ever wonder why we use the Lb abbreviation for pound? Lb is an abbreviation of the Latin word libra. The primary meaning of libra was balance or scales (as in the astrological sign), but it also stood for the ancient Roman unit of measure libra pondo, meaning “a pound by weight.” The word “pound” in English from the pondo part of the libra pondo but the abbreviation comes from the libra. The libra is also why the symbol for the British pound is £, an L with a line through it. The Italian lira also used that symbol (with two lines through it), the word “lira” itself being a shortened version of libra.
“Ounce” is related to the Latin uncia, the name for both the Roman ounce and inch units of measurement. The word came into English from Anglo-Norman French, where it was unce or ounce, but the abbreviation was borrowed from Medieval Italian, where the word was onza. These days the Italian word is oncia, and the area once covered by the Roman Empire has long since switched to the metric system.
“Ounce” is related to the Latin uncia, the name for both the Roman ounce and inch units of measurement. The word came into English from Anglo-Norman French, where it was unce or ounce, but the abbreviation was borrowed from Medieval Italian, where the word was onza. These days the Italian word is oncia, and the area once covered by the Roman Empire has long since switched to the metric system.
Mar 14, 2014
Happy Friday
Don't make 'good morning' just a wish for someone, make it a
positive statement.
Try this - Good morning, have a Happy Friday!
Try this - Good morning, have a Happy Friday!
Pi Approximation Day
Pi Day was
invented by physicist Larry Shaw and the first Pi Day celebration
was held at the San Francisco Exploratorium in 1988. In 2009 the
US Congress officially recognized March 14 as Pi Day in the United
States. Traditional Pi Day activities include eating pizza,
fruit pies, pancakes, and other circular food.
Foiling Garden Pests
Early spring planting tip - cut up
small strips of used aluminum foil and mix in with garden soil to
keep away aphids and other garden pests.
Salt and Grilling
Spring means time to clean the
barbecue and get ready to grill. Salting meat after it is cooked
helps the flavor, but salt draws moisture out of the surface of
the meat. If salt is left on the surface of meat for a significant
period of time, it will dehydrate the meat. Usually, this is not a
good idea before cooking meat.
However, if the meat is going to be cooked quickly (like a grilled steak) and if the salt is added just before cooking, then the salt will neither help nor hurt the meat. This is because it is too short a period of time for the salt to dehydrate the surface of the meat.
However, if the meat is going to be cooked quickly (like a grilled steak) and if the salt is added just before cooking, then the salt will neither help nor hurt the meat. This is because it is too short a period of time for the salt to dehydrate the surface of the meat.
Ultra Thin Circuits
Ultra thin film-like organic
transistor integrated circuits are being developed by a research
group led by Professor Takao Someya and Associate Professor
Tsuyoshi Sekitani of the University of Tokyo, who run an
Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology program sponsored by
the Japan Science and Technology Agency, in collaboration with
Siegfried Bauer's group at the Johannes Kepler University Linz,
Austria.
The circuits are extremely lightweight, flexible, durable and thin, and conform to any surface. They are just 2 microns thick, just 1/5 that of kitchen wrap, and weighing only 3g/m^2, are 30 times lighter than office paper. They also feature a bend radius of 5 microns, meaning they can be scrunched up into a ball, without breaking. Due to these properties the researchers have dubbed them "imperceptible electronics", which can be placed on any surface and even worn without restricting the users movement.
The integrated circuits are manufactured on rolls of one micron thick plastic film, making them easily scalable and cheap to produce. And if the circuit is placed on a rubber surface it becomes stretchable, able to withstand up to 233% tensile strain, while retaining full functionality.
"This is a very convenient way of making electronics stretchable because you can fabricate high performance devices in a flat state and then just transfer them over to a stretchable substrate and create something that is very compliant and stretchable just by a simple pick and place process."
In the future, the group would like to expand the capabilities of these circuits and open a wide range of new applications, from health monitoring systems, wearable medical instruments, and even robotic skins.
The circuits are extremely lightweight, flexible, durable and thin, and conform to any surface. They are just 2 microns thick, just 1/5 that of kitchen wrap, and weighing only 3g/m^2, are 30 times lighter than office paper. They also feature a bend radius of 5 microns, meaning they can be scrunched up into a ball, without breaking. Due to these properties the researchers have dubbed them "imperceptible electronics", which can be placed on any surface and even worn without restricting the users movement.
The integrated circuits are manufactured on rolls of one micron thick plastic film, making them easily scalable and cheap to produce. And if the circuit is placed on a rubber surface it becomes stretchable, able to withstand up to 233% tensile strain, while retaining full functionality.
"This is a very convenient way of making electronics stretchable because you can fabricate high performance devices in a flat state and then just transfer them over to a stretchable substrate and create something that is very compliant and stretchable just by a simple pick and place process."
In the future, the group would like to expand the capabilities of these circuits and open a wide range of new applications, from health monitoring systems, wearable medical instruments, and even robotic skins.
Two Interesting Microwave Facts
Microwaves convert
Vitamin B12 to an inactive form, which means about 30-40% of the
Vitamin B12 in microwaved foods is not usable by mammals. On the
other hand, spinach loses about 77% of its folate when cooked in a
normal stove, but retains nearly all of it when cooked in a
microwave. In the same way, steamed vegetables, as a rule, tend to
retain more of their nutrients in a microwave than when cooked in
a traditional oven.
Eleven More Uses for Butter
Butter has many more uses
than just for sandwiches and sauteing.
- If you have anything sticky on your hands, like glue, tar, or paint, rub with butter, then wash with soap and water.
- Gum in hair comes off easier if rubbed with butter.
- Tree sap on a car comes off easier if rubbed with butter before washing.
- Cutting things like marshmallows, pies, toffee, dates is easier if you slice the knife through butter first so it does not stick.
- Butter works like oil to shine shoes, baseball gloves, etc. Just put some on a cotton swab and rub in.
- Large pills can go down a bit easier if rubbed with a bit of butter before swallowing.
- Butter works like expensive skin oils to soften cuticles and nails and to soften dry skin. it can also be used in a pinch to replace shaving lotion.
- Rubbing butter on hard cheese helps keep down mold if you rub it on the cut edge before wrapping.
- Dingy dusty holiday candles can be brought back to life by rubbing with butter. It cleans and brings back the shine.
- Difficult to remove rings slide off easy if you apply butter first.
- After handling and cleaning fish, rub some butter on your hands before washing with soap and water to remove the smell. (Butter is not good to rub on burns, use an ice cube instead.)
Differences Between Hay and Straw
Hay is a crop that
is grown specifically for the purpose of creating a nutrient-rich
food for livestock. Straw is a byproduct of different crops. Straw
is more often used for bedding, a compost pile, fuel for burning,
etc.
When farmers plant a hay field, the field is harvested before the grains go to seed. This keeps valuable nutrients in the stalks and makes for a much more well-rounded diet for horses and other forms of livestock. Straw, on the other hand, is a byproduct of other types of grain crops. When crops like wheat, barley, and oats are harvested for their seed, the stalks are left behind. These stalks, which have been drained of most of their nutrients during the process of seed production, are harvested and baled to create straw.
There are different types of hay, and have different nutritional values and usages. Alfalfa, red clover, timothy, bermudagrass and tall fescue are all types of hay grown as feed crops for animals from horses to rabbits. The nutrient value of the hay is also dependent on when it’s harvested. Early maturity harvests will contain more of their nutrients than hay that is harvested closer to seed production. For horses, the type of horse and dietary needs will mean a difference in the type, quantity, and quality of hay that is used.
Straw can be made from a variety of grain crops, and regardless of where it comes from, its purposes are generally the same. Some farmers will leave the stalks behind after harvesting seeds, tilling them back into the soil and returning what nutrients are left. Straw is often used as bedding for large animals, but it also has non-farming uses. Straw is a highly valuable renewable energy source, and burning straw can be used to generate power. Many power plants in the UK fuel thousands of homes by burning straw. A single power plant in East Anglia burns about 210,000 tons of straw a year, and that provides enough energy to run about 80,000 homes.
A bale of straw can also be used for composting into gardens or in place of dirt. Recent attempts at bringing a bit of home-grown vegetables and country living to the city have yielded some surprising results. A bale of straw can be used as a planting medium for garden vegetables. A wet bale of straw will decay from the inside out, providing a fertile bed for crops from potatoes to herbs.
When farmers plant a hay field, the field is harvested before the grains go to seed. This keeps valuable nutrients in the stalks and makes for a much more well-rounded diet for horses and other forms of livestock. Straw, on the other hand, is a byproduct of other types of grain crops. When crops like wheat, barley, and oats are harvested for their seed, the stalks are left behind. These stalks, which have been drained of most of their nutrients during the process of seed production, are harvested and baled to create straw.
There are different types of hay, and have different nutritional values and usages. Alfalfa, red clover, timothy, bermudagrass and tall fescue are all types of hay grown as feed crops for animals from horses to rabbits. The nutrient value of the hay is also dependent on when it’s harvested. Early maturity harvests will contain more of their nutrients than hay that is harvested closer to seed production. For horses, the type of horse and dietary needs will mean a difference in the type, quantity, and quality of hay that is used.
Straw can be made from a variety of grain crops, and regardless of where it comes from, its purposes are generally the same. Some farmers will leave the stalks behind after harvesting seeds, tilling them back into the soil and returning what nutrients are left. Straw is often used as bedding for large animals, but it also has non-farming uses. Straw is a highly valuable renewable energy source, and burning straw can be used to generate power. Many power plants in the UK fuel thousands of homes by burning straw. A single power plant in East Anglia burns about 210,000 tons of straw a year, and that provides enough energy to run about 80,000 homes.
A bale of straw can also be used for composting into gardens or in place of dirt. Recent attempts at bringing a bit of home-grown vegetables and country living to the city have yielded some surprising results. A bale of straw can be used as a planting medium for garden vegetables. A wet bale of straw will decay from the inside out, providing a fertile bed for crops from potatoes to herbs.
Special Olympics and Paralympics
This week, the
Paralympics are being held in Sochi, Russia. following the
tradition of following the respective Olympic Games. The Summer
Games of 1988 held in Seoul was the first time the term
"Paralympic" came into official use. Many confuse Paralympics with
Special Olympics.
Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Both focus on sport for athletes with disabilities and both are run by international non-profit organizations. Special Olympics and Paralympics differ in three main areas: disability categories of the athletes, criteria and philosophy of athletes participation, and organizational structure.
Special Olympics welcomes all athletes, 8 and older, with intellectual disabilities of all ability levels, to train and compete in 30 Olympic-type sports. To be eligible, athletes must have an intellectual disability; a cognitive delay, or a development disability. They may also have a physical disability. Paralympics welcomes athletes from six main disability categories: amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, visually impaired, spinal injuries, and Les Autres (includes conditions that do not fall into the other categories).
Special Olympics believes deeply in the power of sports to help all who participate to fulfill their potential and does not exclude any athlete based upon qualifying scores, but divisions the athletes based on scores for fair competition against others of like ability. Special Olympics believes athletes’ excellence is personal achievement and reaching one's maximum potential. To participate in the Paralympic Games, athletes must fulfill certain criteria and meet certain qualifying standards in order to be eligible. These criteria and standards are sports-specific.
Paralympics focuses on highest qualified based on performance. Special Olympics focuses on all ability levels and is committed to inclusion, acceptance, and dignity for all.
Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee. Both focus on sport for athletes with disabilities and both are run by international non-profit organizations. Special Olympics and Paralympics differ in three main areas: disability categories of the athletes, criteria and philosophy of athletes participation, and organizational structure.
Special Olympics welcomes all athletes, 8 and older, with intellectual disabilities of all ability levels, to train and compete in 30 Olympic-type sports. To be eligible, athletes must have an intellectual disability; a cognitive delay, or a development disability. They may also have a physical disability. Paralympics welcomes athletes from six main disability categories: amputee, cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, visually impaired, spinal injuries, and Les Autres (includes conditions that do not fall into the other categories).
Special Olympics believes deeply in the power of sports to help all who participate to fulfill their potential and does not exclude any athlete based upon qualifying scores, but divisions the athletes based on scores for fair competition against others of like ability. Special Olympics believes athletes’ excellence is personal achievement and reaching one's maximum potential. To participate in the Paralympic Games, athletes must fulfill certain criteria and meet certain qualifying standards in order to be eligible. These criteria and standards are sports-specific.
Paralympics focuses on highest qualified based on performance. Special Olympics focuses on all ability levels and is committed to inclusion, acceptance, and dignity for all.
Mar 7, 2014
Happy Friday
There are two kinds of people in the world. Those that go to bed and
their brains stop working and those who get up in the morning and
their brains stop working.
I go to bed to sleep and wake up to begin celebrating a Happy Friday!
I go to bed to sleep and wake up to begin celebrating a Happy Friday!
Daylight saving Time
Daylight saving time is often
incorrectly referred to as “Daylight savings time.” It is difficult
to imagine why some still follow this political tradition of messing
with our clocks in the vain attempt to change Mother Nature.
Nonetheless, this Sunday, March 9, 2014 is the day in the US most
move our clocks forward one hour (and also to change the batteries
on smoke detectors), while some are not required to change their
clocks.
United States Congress established the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that stated DST would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. The US Congress extended DST to a period of ten months in 1974, and back to eight months in 1975. The DST schedule period lasted for about seven months from 1987 to 2006. The current schedule began in 2007 and follows the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which extended the period by about one month where DST starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Interesting that the vast majority, well over one hundred countries, do not change clocks for DST or any other reason. Those that do observe it have different days, ranging from Mar 9 to April 6, and September in New Zealand, Antarctica, and Namibia. Some of Australia changes on October 5, with other parts of Australia not changing their clocks.
Pro - According to a 2004 Japan Productivity Centre (sic) for Socio-Economic Development report titled, 'Summer Time as a Means to Lifestyle Structural Reform', "lighter evenings could, in the long-term, reduce bag theft by up to 10 percent."
Con - The California Energy Commission published a report, 'The Effect of Early Daylight Saving Time on California Electricity Consumption: A Statistical Analysis'. According to the report, the extension of daylight saving time in March 2007 had little or no effect on energy consumption in California.
No studies have been conducted to prove the heated rhetoric caused by DST discussions that could possibly increase global warming by .1658%
United States Congress established the Uniform Time Act of 1966 that stated DST would begin on the last Sunday of April and end on the last Sunday of October. The US Congress extended DST to a period of ten months in 1974, and back to eight months in 1975. The DST schedule period lasted for about seven months from 1987 to 2006. The current schedule began in 2007 and follows the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which extended the period by about one month where DST starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.
Interesting that the vast majority, well over one hundred countries, do not change clocks for DST or any other reason. Those that do observe it have different days, ranging from Mar 9 to April 6, and September in New Zealand, Antarctica, and Namibia. Some of Australia changes on October 5, with other parts of Australia not changing their clocks.
Pro - According to a 2004 Japan Productivity Centre (sic) for Socio-Economic Development report titled, 'Summer Time as a Means to Lifestyle Structural Reform', "lighter evenings could, in the long-term, reduce bag theft by up to 10 percent."
Con - The California Energy Commission published a report, 'The Effect of Early Daylight Saving Time on California Electricity Consumption: A Statistical Analysis'. According to the report, the extension of daylight saving time in March 2007 had little or no effect on energy consumption in California.
No studies have been conducted to prove the heated rhetoric caused by DST discussions that could possibly increase global warming by .1658%
Wise words indeed!
Wordology, Lunatic
Next week, we change the balance from
more moon and less sun to more sun and less moon. Lunatic literally
means ‘moon-sick’ in Old English - or ‘affected with periodic
insanity, dependent on the changes of the moon’. It stems from the
Old French ‘lunatique’. Maybe more sun is why we feel better in
the spring.
Sliced Bread
Speaking of time, sliced bread was introduced
in 1928 by Otto Frederick Rohwedder. Before then, bread was sold in
whole loaves as bakers didn't believe sliced bread could stay fresh.
Betty White was born in 1922 and that makes her older than sliced
bread.
Also, 1922 was the last year of the Ottoman Empire, when it was taken over by the Turkish government. It was also 14 years after the last time the Chicago Cubs won a World Series, in 1908. The record still stands at 105 years.
Also, 1922 was the last year of the Ottoman Empire, when it was taken over by the Turkish government. It was also 14 years after the last time the Chicago Cubs won a World Series, in 1908. The record still stands at 105 years.
Sound Mirrors
Mirrors can actually reflect sound as well as
light. Mirrors that reflect sound waves are known as “acoustic
mirrors,” and were used in Britain during World War I to detect
certain sound waves coming from enemy aircraft from 8 to 15 miles
away. This was before the development of radar.
Several were built around the coast of Britain, and are still standing today on both the north and south shores of England. They are also called listening stones.
Concrete acoustic mirrors were built on the south and northeast coasts of England between about 1916 and the 1930s. The ‘listening ears’ were intended to provide early warning of incoming enemy aircraft.
They did work, but the development of faster aircraft made them less useful, as an incoming aircraft would be within sight by the time it had been located. Also, increasing ambient noise made the mirrors more difficult to use successfully, and then radar rendered acoustic detection redundant.
There is also an example of one that is a parabolic sound mirror carved into boulders to dramatically magnify the sound of a nearby stream for listeners. It is inspired by satellite dishes, the seating in choir lofts where curved walls reflect sound, and the antique hand-held sound magnifiers used in the days before hearing aids.
Several were built around the coast of Britain, and are still standing today on both the north and south shores of England. They are also called listening stones.
Concrete acoustic mirrors were built on the south and northeast coasts of England between about 1916 and the 1930s. The ‘listening ears’ were intended to provide early warning of incoming enemy aircraft.
They did work, but the development of faster aircraft made them less useful, as an incoming aircraft would be within sight by the time it had been located. Also, increasing ambient noise made the mirrors more difficult to use successfully, and then radar rendered acoustic detection redundant.
There is also an example of one that is a parabolic sound mirror carved into boulders to dramatically magnify the sound of a nearby stream for listeners. It is inspired by satellite dishes, the seating in choir lofts where curved walls reflect sound, and the antique hand-held sound magnifiers used in the days before hearing aids.
Dial 311
The 311 number has been used for years, but many
are not aware of it. It was used in the distant past as a number
dialed in TV shows and some movies in the same way as the now used
555 prefix.
This number is available in most US and Canadian cities for a wide range of non-emergency services, such as graffiti, high weeds, litter, and garbage cart replacement, aggressive or dead animals, non-working street lights, noise complaints, potholes, etc. Most large cities have made this available and the list of cities continues to grow. When in doubt, try dialing 311 before calling 911 and they can help. Handy to use when you do not know the phone number for non-emergency police or city services.
This number is available in most US and Canadian cities for a wide range of non-emergency services, such as graffiti, high weeds, litter, and garbage cart replacement, aggressive or dead animals, non-working street lights, noise complaints, potholes, etc. Most large cities have made this available and the list of cities continues to grow. When in doubt, try dialing 311 before calling 911 and they can help. Handy to use when you do not know the phone number for non-emergency police or city services.
Old Spice
The first Old Spice® product, called
Early American Old Spice for women, was introduced in 1937, closely
followed by Old Spice for men in 1938. The Old Spice products were
manufactured by the Shulton Company that was founded in 1934 by
William Lightfoot Schultz.
Early American Old Spice was developed around a colonial theme. When Old Spice was introduced, Schultz was interested in maintaining a colonial framework for those products and chose a nautical theme for Old Spice. Thus, colonial sailing ships were used as a trademark. Through continuous use and advertising, the various ships have become a valuable trademark identifying the Old Spice product for men.
The original ships used on the packaging were the Grand Turk and the Friendship. Other ships used on Old Spice packaging include the Wesley, Salem, Birmingham and Hamilton.
Procter & Gamble purchased the Old Spice fragrances, skin care, antiperspirant, and deodorant products from the Shulton Company in June 1990.
Early American Old Spice was developed around a colonial theme. When Old Spice was introduced, Schultz was interested in maintaining a colonial framework for those products and chose a nautical theme for Old Spice. Thus, colonial sailing ships were used as a trademark. Through continuous use and advertising, the various ships have become a valuable trademark identifying the Old Spice product for men.
The original ships used on the packaging were the Grand Turk and the Friendship. Other ships used on Old Spice packaging include the Wesley, Salem, Birmingham and Hamilton.
Procter & Gamble purchased the Old Spice fragrances, skin care, antiperspirant, and deodorant products from the Shulton Company in June 1990.
Origins of Gin and Tonic
British soldiers fighting in the
Indies had a serious problem with Malaria. The British also had a
tonic water that contained quinine, which was effective at fighting
malaria. The tonic water tasted terrible, so the British soldiers
mixed gin with it to make it palatable. Upon returning home after
the war, they continued to drink the mix and it became quite
popular.
Incidentally, Malaria comes from the Italian, meaning 'bad air' as it was originally thought to be caused by dirty air.
Tonic water still contains some quinine, but much less than the original, and now usually has artificial sweeteners to moderate the bitter taste. Interesting to note the sensitivity of quinine to UV makes it appear fluorescent in direct sunlight and glows blue under black lights.
Incidentally, Malaria comes from the Italian, meaning 'bad air' as it was originally thought to be caused by dirty air.
Tonic water still contains some quinine, but much less than the original, and now usually has artificial sweeteners to moderate the bitter taste. Interesting to note the sensitivity of quinine to UV makes it appear fluorescent in direct sunlight and glows blue under black lights.
Minced Oath
No, it is not a spicy oath. 'Bye George, by
George we’ll miss ya!' The minced oath, “by George” where one
letter - ‘g’ word is substituted for another ‘g’ word. In this case,
the second George is substituted for God, because some people did
not believe in God. The use of George came into use around the turn
of the 20th century and usually meant great or OK, as in ‘everything
is George’.
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