A MacGuffin is an object, event, or person that the characters
in a story value greatly. Almost the whole plot revolves around
it, even though the thing itself isn’t actually important to the
unfolding story. The most common type of MacGuffin is a person,
place, or thing, such as money or an object of value.
Think of the falcon in
the Maltese Falcon movie. The black falcon statuette, called the
“Maltese Falcon” is the MacGuffin in the movie and the plot
revolves around ownership and finding it. The Rabbit's Foot in
Mission: Impossible III is a modern MacGuffin.
Scenario editor Angus
MacPhail established the term MacGuffin for the unknown plot
objective which you did not need to choose until the story
planning was complete. Some say it comes from the word guff,
which is defined as meaning nonsense and MacPhail added Mac from
his name to the front of it. Alfred Hitchcock adopted and used
the word to the end of his career.
Apr 21, 2017
3D Printed Shoes
Adidas announced it is partnering with a 3D printing company
to mass-produce a line of shoes with 3D printed mid-sole
cushions. It plans to make 5,000 pairs by the end of the 2017,
and up to 100,000 pairs during 2018. Adidas plans a single
design to test the tech, but wants to eventually customize each
shoe to fit the unique contours of a person’s foot.
Incidentally, Nike, Under Armour, and New Balance also have their own 3D printed shoe projects.
Incidentally, Nike, Under Armour, and New Balance also have their own 3D printed shoe projects.
Uninsured vs. Insured
Did a comparison on the number of US uninsured
vs. insured between 2007 (before Affordable Care Act) and 2016.
Medicare and Medicaid added 18.7 million more people than the
uninsured reduction.
In addition, this does not count the number of insured, whose premiums are being subsidized by the Affordable Care Act.
As the chart shows, Uninsured dropped by 18.4 million people. However, the number of people covered by Medicaid and Medicare increased by 37.1 million during the same period. Medicaid, alone added 5.7 million more people than were dropped from the uninsured rolls. At the same time, Medicare added an additional 13 million people.
Bottom line, the pea shuffle of uninsured numbers looks like all is well, except the rest of us are paying more for Medicaid, more for Medicare, more for subsidies to cover insurance for the poor - and more for increases in the cost of our own health insurance.
In addition, this does not count the number of insured, whose premiums are being subsidized by the Affordable Care Act.
As the chart shows, Uninsured dropped by 18.4 million people. However, the number of people covered by Medicaid and Medicare increased by 37.1 million during the same period. Medicaid, alone added 5.7 million more people than were dropped from the uninsured rolls. At the same time, Medicare added an additional 13 million people.
Bottom line, the pea shuffle of uninsured numbers looks like all is well, except the rest of us are paying more for Medicaid, more for Medicare, more for subsidies to cover insurance for the poor - and more for increases in the cost of our own health insurance.
Eliminate Nasty Paint Smells
Add one tablespoon of imitation vanilla
extract per quart of freshly-opened paint and mix thoroughly
until well-incorporated. Your family will appreciate the fresh
smell.
Russia and US Border
The news media usually fails to mention that Russia and the US
share a border. There is no wall and not much traffic of
refugees trying to pass illegally.
The Russia / United States maritime boundary follows the June 1, 1990 USA/USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, but it has yet to be approved by the Russian parliament. The United States Senate gave its consent to ratification on September 16, 1991.
Two islands, Little Diomede, US and Big Diomede, Russia lie between Russia and the United States. The islands are only 35 km away from both Chukotka, Russia and Alaska, US. Because the international Date Line runs between them, the time difference between them is about 21 hours.
Incidentally, Russia's Eastern border is with China.
The Russia / United States maritime boundary follows the June 1, 1990 USA/USSR Maritime Boundary Agreement, but it has yet to be approved by the Russian parliament. The United States Senate gave its consent to ratification on September 16, 1991.
Two islands, Little Diomede, US and Big Diomede, Russia lie between Russia and the United States. The islands are only 35 km away from both Chukotka, Russia and Alaska, US. Because the international Date Line runs between them, the time difference between them is about 21 hours.
Incidentally, Russia's Eastern border is with China.
International Space Station Facts
The International Space Station if reduced
to two dimensions is roughly the size of a soccer pitch, at
about 73 meters (239 feet) in length and 109 meters (356 feet)
in width. It orbits the Earth at an altitude of 330 to 435 km
(205 to 270 miles).
Incidentally, In 2001, Pizza Hut paid the Russian space agency $1 million to send a pizza to the ISS, Including a Pizza Hut logo on a Soyuz rocket and a video of a cosmonaut Yuri Usachov giving a thumbs up after eating some of the pizza. The space pizza, per the BBC, “spending a long time in space has the effect of deadening the taste buds, so extra salt and spices were added to the pizza and salami had to be used as pepperoni lacked the necessary shelf life, growing moldy.”
Incidentally, In 2001, Pizza Hut paid the Russian space agency $1 million to send a pizza to the ISS, Including a Pizza Hut logo on a Soyuz rocket and a video of a cosmonaut Yuri Usachov giving a thumbs up after eating some of the pizza. The space pizza, per the BBC, “spending a long time in space has the effect of deadening the taste buds, so extra salt and spices were added to the pizza and salami had to be used as pepperoni lacked the necessary shelf life, growing moldy.”
WiFi vs. Plugged In Speeds
Each Wi-Fi standard is rated according to its
maximum theoretical network bandwidth. The newest, 802.11ac
offers up to 1 Gbps (1,000 Mbps). However, the performance of
Wi-Fi networks practically never approach these theoretical
maximums, usually performing at about half of peak speed. If you
compare 300 Mbps WiFi to wired Fast Ethernet at 100 Mbps, the
Ethernet connection most often outperforms in real world usage.
Wi-Fi networks have a range that is limited by the transmission power, antenna type, the location, physical obstacles, such as walls, number of other devices sharing the signal, and the environment. A typical indoor wireless router might have a solid range of about 32 meters (105 ft). Distance from the source also degrades performance. The fastest theoretical WiFi 802.11 ac is maximum speed of 866.7 Mb/s.
Plugged in (Ethernet) offers advantages, such as faster speeds, lower latency, and no wireless interference problems. A wired Ethernet connection can theoretically offer up to 10 Gb/s.
Bottom line, when it comes to speed necessary for streaming movies and TV WiFi may be more convenient, but is much slower and may cause delays and hesitations. Also, when looking at your speed, consider 10Mbs as the absolute minimum for streaming - and more is better.
Incidentally, no matter how fast your WiFi is within your house, it does not increase the speed of the connection between your house and the Internet.
Wi-Fi networks have a range that is limited by the transmission power, antenna type, the location, physical obstacles, such as walls, number of other devices sharing the signal, and the environment. A typical indoor wireless router might have a solid range of about 32 meters (105 ft). Distance from the source also degrades performance. The fastest theoretical WiFi 802.11 ac is maximum speed of 866.7 Mb/s.
Plugged in (Ethernet) offers advantages, such as faster speeds, lower latency, and no wireless interference problems. A wired Ethernet connection can theoretically offer up to 10 Gb/s.
Bottom line, when it comes to speed necessary for streaming movies and TV WiFi may be more convenient, but is much slower and may cause delays and hesitations. Also, when looking at your speed, consider 10Mbs as the absolute minimum for streaming - and more is better.
Incidentally, no matter how fast your WiFi is within your house, it does not increase the speed of the connection between your house and the Internet.
Apr 14, 2017
Happy Friday
A smile is like a push-up bra for your
face.
I always get a lift when I smile, especially on a Happy Friday and even more on a Happy Good Friday!
I always get a lift when I smile, especially on a Happy Friday and even more on a Happy Good Friday!
Happy Easter
Easter is celebrated on April 16 2017. Put on your Easter bonnet
and read some of the traditions around the world.
The Ukrainian Easter tradition of Pysanka Eggs is a special craft. These highly-decorated eggs have been made during Holy Week for generations. While people once made eggs to ensure fertility and avoid fires and nasty spirits, today they take to the art form for the aesthetic allure.
After designing a pattern on an uncooked or empty egg, it is then dipped in a colored dye. Between the dyeing stages, the craftsman draws patterns on the egg with wax, so as to seal the color currently on the egg and create the intricate patterns you see on the final product.
Passion Plays - Villagers take part in an Easter Passion Play re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday at Gantang Village near Magelang, in the province of Central Java.
One of the longest running traditions of Easter is the Passion Play. Because a lot of people in medieval times could not read, plays were a great way to educate the masses about the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. There are passion plays held all over the world, but one of the most famous is the Oberammergau Passion Play. Its roots began during the black plague, when the residents of Oberammergau were on high alert to keep the disease out. A farmer coming home from a nearby village brought the plague back with him, which killed one-fifth of the town. With the disease ravaging the town, the elders declared that the church would hold a passion play every 10 years in exchange for God’s blessing and protection. The play has been performed every 10 years since 1633, with only a ban in 1770, World War I, and World War II stopping three shows.
Don't forget to decorate your Osterbaum - Easter tree with colorful decorated eggs.
The Ukrainian Easter tradition of Pysanka Eggs is a special craft. These highly-decorated eggs have been made during Holy Week for generations. While people once made eggs to ensure fertility and avoid fires and nasty spirits, today they take to the art form for the aesthetic allure.
After designing a pattern on an uncooked or empty egg, it is then dipped in a colored dye. Between the dyeing stages, the craftsman draws patterns on the egg with wax, so as to seal the color currently on the egg and create the intricate patterns you see on the final product.
Passion Plays - Villagers take part in an Easter Passion Play re-enacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Good Friday at Gantang Village near Magelang, in the province of Central Java.
One of the longest running traditions of Easter is the Passion Play. Because a lot of people in medieval times could not read, plays were a great way to educate the masses about the story of Jesus’ death and resurrection. There are passion plays held all over the world, but one of the most famous is the Oberammergau Passion Play. Its roots began during the black plague, when the residents of Oberammergau were on high alert to keep the disease out. A farmer coming home from a nearby village brought the plague back with him, which killed one-fifth of the town. With the disease ravaging the town, the elders declared that the church would hold a passion play every 10 years in exchange for God’s blessing and protection. The play has been performed every 10 years since 1633, with only a ban in 1770, World War I, and World War II stopping three shows.
Don't forget to decorate your Osterbaum - Easter tree with colorful decorated eggs.
Spring Cleaning with Beer
Wash wooden furniture
to get the winter grime off, then pour a bit of flat beer onto a
microfiber or soft cloth and rub it onto the surface of your
favorite outdoor wood furniture. It works like a traditional
furniture polish product, removing the dullness of years of wear
and tear and instilling a shining, rich color. Works indoors.
also.
Block My Name
If you do not want someone to
know you are calling them. Just type *67 or #31# before the
ten-digit mobile number of the person you are calling. Some
providers will provide a confirmation beep or tone after you
dial *67, so wait for the regular dial tone to return before
dialing the 10-digit number you wish to call. Some countries
have different codes, such as 141 in the United Kingdom or 1831
in Australia.
Drive C
Early PCs did not come with internal storage
devices due to the expense. Instead, they generally had some
form of a floppy disk reader, such as those used to read 5 1/4″
floppy disks, initially labeled as “A” in MS-DOS and certain
other operating systems.
Some systems came with two such floppy disk drives necessitating the need for a “B”. When the 3.5″ floppy disk was commonly added, using both “A” and “B” for floppy drives was firmly entrenched.
When hard disk drives became standard in most PCs during the 1980s, since the first two letters were already commonly used for these floppy drives, they logically labeled the third storage device “C”, even though it now tended to be the main storage for the computer.
Even though no longer used, the drive designation remains, with A and B not used. Now you can easily change, remove or add drive letters for both physical and logical drives.
Some systems came with two such floppy disk drives necessitating the need for a “B”. When the 3.5″ floppy disk was commonly added, using both “A” and “B” for floppy drives was firmly entrenched.
When hard disk drives became standard in most PCs during the 1980s, since the first two letters were already commonly used for these floppy drives, they logically labeled the third storage device “C”, even though it now tended to be the main storage for the computer.
Even though no longer used, the drive designation remains, with A and B not used. Now you can easily change, remove or add drive letters for both physical and logical drives.
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