Dec 27, 2013
Difficult to Read
When looking up a particularly complex
topic on Wikipedia, you might try replacing the “en” (for English)
with “simple” in a Wikipedia URL. You will then get information
written using simple English words and grammar that should make the
most complex topics easy to understand.
Bye Bye Light Bulbs
As we say goodbye to 2013, we also say
goodbye to more incandescent light bulb types. On Jan. 1, 2014, the
most popular incandescent light bulbs, 40W and 60W will be no more.
They join the already gone 75W and 100W incandescent bulbs as their
domestic manufacture and import has been legislated away as part of
the final phase-out stage of the Energy Independence and Security
Act of 2007.
An estimated 30 percent of informed consumers will be raiding the aisles of local stores, grabbing all of the 40W and 60W bulbs that they can get their hands on to delay the inevitable - and save big bucks in the process. Maybe by the time their final stash is gone the newer bulb prices will have come down from the stratosphere.
Another icon of the late 19th and early 20th centuries likely to become extinct soon is the landline telephone. This will not need to be legislated out, new technology has rendered them mostly unnecessary, even though the new technology has yet to achieve the clarity and dependability of the landline instruments. The number of home landlines in the US is dropping at a rate of 700,000 per month and currently just five percent of people depend solely on copper phone lines.
An estimated 30 percent of informed consumers will be raiding the aisles of local stores, grabbing all of the 40W and 60W bulbs that they can get their hands on to delay the inevitable - and save big bucks in the process. Maybe by the time their final stash is gone the newer bulb prices will have come down from the stratosphere.
Another icon of the late 19th and early 20th centuries likely to become extinct soon is the landline telephone. This will not need to be legislated out, new technology has rendered them mostly unnecessary, even though the new technology has yet to achieve the clarity and dependability of the landline instruments. The number of home landlines in the US is dropping at a rate of 700,000 per month and currently just five percent of people depend solely on copper phone lines.
New Incandescent Light Bulbs
Fear not the demise of all
of our incandescent bulbs, here is a place that makes (almost) the
same old incandescent light bulbs many know and love. The bulbs are
still available after the new law, because the company changed the
way the bulbs are made. The new law says that incandescent bulbs for
"rough" use are still allowed, so this company complied with the new
spec and makes these bulbs for sale at reasonable prices. The web
site is here http://www.newcandescent.com/
Dec 20, 2013
Merry Christmas
I wish each of
you, and families, and friends a very Merry Christmas. I
try to embrace the following words all year, but for those who
only save them for the holidays - eat, drink, be merry, think
pleasant thoughts, and enjoy!
Happy Friday
A wise man makes his own decisions, ignorant men follow public
opinion.
You would be wise to follow my decision to have a Happy Friday . . . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
You would be wise to follow my decision to have a Happy Friday . . . Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Advent Calendar
The origins of this Christmas
tradition come from the German Lutherans, as early as the beginning
of the 19th century. The calendar started off simple, a written way
to count down the days until Christmas. Eventually, lighting 24
candles became popular.
Very early in the 20th century, Gerhard Lang was credited with printing the first Advent calendar. Several years later, he decided to add little doors that would open to reveal the date or a scripture. It wasn't’t until after WWII that the calendars began to be filled with candies and treats for the days before Christmas.
Very early in the 20th century, Gerhard Lang was credited with printing the first Advent calendar. Several years later, he decided to add little doors that would open to reveal the date or a scripture. It wasn't’t until after WWII that the calendars began to be filled with candies and treats for the days before Christmas.
Wordology, Nativity
For many people, the word Nativity is
only used this time of year as the birth of Christ and other
religious connotations for Christmas. Lately the original definition
is being used more often in statistical charting. According to a few
online dictionaries, nativity means:
1. Birth, especially the place, conditions, or circumstances of being born.
2. Nativity
a. The birth of Jesus.
b. A representation, such as a painting, of Jesus just after birth.
c. Christmas.
Notice that 'Nativity' as capitalized has a religious connotation, while 'nativity' as non-capitalized is the number one definition. Many population and other economic charts use nativity in conjunction with ethnicity. It is a distinction, for instance 'Hispanic' as natural born or foreign born, when showing statistical differences.
Bottom line, before you wonder, there is no conspiracy theory, there is no anti-religious effort put forth. Statisticians are using the word in its original definition to more specifically segment populations by origin of birth.
1. Birth, especially the place, conditions, or circumstances of being born.
2. Nativity
a. The birth of Jesus.
b. A representation, such as a painting, of Jesus just after birth.
c. Christmas.
Notice that 'Nativity' as capitalized has a religious connotation, while 'nativity' as non-capitalized is the number one definition. Many population and other economic charts use nativity in conjunction with ethnicity. It is a distinction, for instance 'Hispanic' as natural born or foreign born, when showing statistical differences.
Bottom line, before you wonder, there is no conspiracy theory, there is no anti-religious effort put forth. Statisticians are using the word in its original definition to more specifically segment populations by origin of birth.
Christmas Wise Men
According to the bible - 1. Three in
number (the number isn't mentioned at all).
2. Kings (they were “wise” men) – this probably comes from Psalm 71:11 (72:11 in protestant bibles): “And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.”
3. Traveling on camels. Matthew 2:1–2 says: “When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of King Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.” It says a little later that they offered Him gifts of “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” – but that is about as specific as it gets. Now we are all wiser for knowing this.
2. Kings (they were “wise” men) – this probably comes from Psalm 71:11 (72:11 in protestant bibles): “And all kings of the earth shall adore him: all nations shall serve him.”
3. Traveling on camels. Matthew 2:1–2 says: “When Jesus therefore was born in Bethlehem of Judah, in the days of King Herod, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.” It says a little later that they offered Him gifts of “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” – but that is about as specific as it gets. Now we are all wiser for knowing this.
Christmas Tradition, Caga tio
One of the more unusual
bearers of Christmas presents, with a unique delivery method, is the
Caga tió (pooping uncle or, pooping tree trunk). It is found in the
Catalonia region and consists of a hollow log.
Beginning at the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the family “feeds” the tio and covers him with a warm blanket each night. Then, at Christmas, the family gathers together, sings songs, puts the tio partly into the fire and beats it with sticks, until it excretes presents of candy, nuts or figs. When the tio is finished pooping, it signals this by dropping salted herring, a head of garlic, an onion, or by “urinating”, then the entire log is burned.
Beginning at the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the family “feeds” the tio and covers him with a warm blanket each night. Then, at Christmas, the family gathers together, sings songs, puts the tio partly into the fire and beats it with sticks, until it excretes presents of candy, nuts or figs. When the tio is finished pooping, it signals this by dropping salted herring, a head of garlic, an onion, or by “urinating”, then the entire log is burned.
Holidays and Weight Gain
Postprandial weight gain is
especially troublesome during the holidays. In the immediate short
term any food and drink that you put into your body will make you
exactly that much heavier. Eat a pound of chocolate and you add one
pound to your mass, until your body starts to excrete the food or
use it for energy.
That gain begins to decrease almost as soon as it begins. The time it takes for food to pass through the digestive tract varies widely. Overall, the journey of a meal takes between 20 and 56 hours. Once it is metabolized and excreted, only excess calories converted to fat remain. If you ate a very salty meal, you tend to retain water, and a greater proportion of the weight temporarily remains. How much remains long term depends on the energy content of the food consumed as excess calories are converted into fat to be used for energy in the future.
In a recent study, a team of Israeli scientists tested different diets on almost 200 obese adults. One group consumed a greater proportion of their calories at breakfast and lost significantly more weight, on average, than the others in the study.
The bottom line is, the net weight gain associated with any one meal will be very small. However, a prolonged series of excess eating can accumulate to have a significant, long-term effect. A few overindulgent meals for the holidays are not a problem, the problem is the three overindulgent meals a day over a long period of time. Just as it takes time to reduce weight, it takes time to gain lasting weight, so enjoy the Holidays.
That gain begins to decrease almost as soon as it begins. The time it takes for food to pass through the digestive tract varies widely. Overall, the journey of a meal takes between 20 and 56 hours. Once it is metabolized and excreted, only excess calories converted to fat remain. If you ate a very salty meal, you tend to retain water, and a greater proportion of the weight temporarily remains. How much remains long term depends on the energy content of the food consumed as excess calories are converted into fat to be used for energy in the future.
In a recent study, a team of Israeli scientists tested different diets on almost 200 obese adults. One group consumed a greater proportion of their calories at breakfast and lost significantly more weight, on average, than the others in the study.
The bottom line is, the net weight gain associated with any one meal will be very small. However, a prolonged series of excess eating can accumulate to have a significant, long-term effect. A few overindulgent meals for the holidays are not a problem, the problem is the three overindulgent meals a day over a long period of time. Just as it takes time to reduce weight, it takes time to gain lasting weight, so enjoy the Holidays.
Gingerbread House
The Gingerbread house was first noted in
the Grimm’s Fairy Tale, Hansel and Gretel, and followed in a German
opera by the same title. After the show was first produced only days
before Christmas, it became a holiday tradition in German Opera
houses to build miniature replicas of the gingerbread house from the
story. The tradition then spread to bakeries and, eventually, to
homes.
Blood Vessels
Forgive me for bringing this up at this time
of year, but I found it interesting. Every pound of fat gained
causes your body to make 7 new miles of blood vessels. Knowing this,
it’s easy to see why obesity and heart disease often go together.
Most of the new blood vessels are tiny capillaries, but also include
small veins and arteries. This means if you are “only” 10 pounds
overweight your heart has to pump blood through an extra 70 miles of
blood vessels.
The good news is that this also works in reverse. If you lose a pound of fat, your body will break down and reabsorb the no longer needed blood vessels. This is encouraging to dieters, as one pound does not seem like a lot to lose, but even that little bit of difference will result in a large benefit for your heart.
The good news is that this also works in reverse. If you lose a pound of fat, your body will break down and reabsorb the no longer needed blood vessels. This is encouraging to dieters, as one pound does not seem like a lot to lose, but even that little bit of difference will result in a large benefit for your heart.
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