Sep 1, 2009
Did You Know?
Spider silk is very light weight. 25,000 miles – the circumference of Earth – of a single fiber would weigh about 16 ounces.
Aug 28, 2009
Boston Butt
Don’t be too grossed out when you hear this name; it doesn’t mean “butt” as in “rear end” - the cut actually comes from the front shoulder of the pig.
During colonial days New England butchers tended to take less prized cuts of pork like these and pack them into barrels for storage and transport. The barrels the pork went into were called butts. This particular shoulder cut became known around the country as a New England specialty, and hence it became the “Boston butt.” Interesting that this name is not used in Boston. A hogshead is 64.8 US gallons and butt it equal to two US hogsheads or 126 US gallons.
During colonial days New England butchers tended to take less prized cuts of pork like these and pack them into barrels for storage and transport. The barrels the pork went into were called butts. This particular shoulder cut became known around the country as a New England specialty, and hence it became the “Boston butt.” Interesting that this name is not used in Boston. A hogshead is 64.8 US gallons and butt it equal to two US hogsheads or 126 US gallons.
Aug 27, 2009
Nanodiamonds
These little gems deliver insulin for wound healing. Bacterial infection is a major health threat to patients with severe burns and other kinds of serious wounds such as traumatic bone fractures. Recent studies have identified another use for insulin as a weapon for fighting infection and healing wounds. These can also be used for chemotherapy and other local drug deliveries.
Using tiny nanodiamonds, researchers have demonstrated a method for delivering and releasing insulin to a specific location over a period of time. The nanodiamond-insulin clusters hold promise for wound-healing applications and could be integrated into gels, ointments, bandages or suture materials.
A wound site skin pH levels can reach very basic levels during the repair and healing process and researchers found that the insulin bound to nanodiamonds is released when it encounters basic pH levels.
A substantial amount of insulin can be loaded onto the nanodiamonds, which have a high surface area and can accelerate the healing process and decrease the incidence of infection. The results of the study were published in July by the journal Biomaterials.
Barbie
Diamonds may be a girls best friend, but the company that manufactures the greatest number of women's dresses each year is Mattel, maker of Barbie.
Benjamin Wright
Wright died this week in 1842 - He was an American engineer who directed the construction of the Erie Canal that links the waters of Lake Erie in the west to the Hudson River in the east. It was completed in 1825
Wright made the Erie Canal project a school of engineering. Until mid-century, almost every civil engineer in the U.S. had trained with, or been trained by someone who had worked under Wright. Because he trained so many engineers on that project, Wright has been called the "father of American civil engineering." He was also the first Chief Engineer of the Erie Railroad.
Top Jokes from BBC
These were submitted in a contest for the best joke Aug 23, 2009.
Hedgehogs - why can't they just share the hedge?
I was watching the London Marathon and saw one runner dressed as a chicken and another runner dressed as an egg. I thought, 'This could be interesting'.
I had my boobs measured and bought a new bra. Now I call them Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes because they're up where they belong.
I'm sure wherever my dad is; he's looking down on us. He's not dead, just very condescending.
Going to Starbucks for coffee is like going to prison for sex. You know you're going to get it, but it's going to be rough.
To the people who have iPhones: you just bought one, you didn't invent it!
And considered the worst -
I'm not doing any Michael Jackson jokes, because they always involve puns about his songs. And that's bad."
I phoned the swine flu hotline and all I got was crackling.
Michael Jackson only invented the moonwalk so he could sneak up on children.
Hedgehogs - why can't they just share the hedge?
I was watching the London Marathon and saw one runner dressed as a chicken and another runner dressed as an egg. I thought, 'This could be interesting'.
I had my boobs measured and bought a new bra. Now I call them Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes because they're up where they belong.
I'm sure wherever my dad is; he's looking down on us. He's not dead, just very condescending.
Going to Starbucks for coffee is like going to prison for sex. You know you're going to get it, but it's going to be rough.
To the people who have iPhones: you just bought one, you didn't invent it!
And considered the worst -
I'm not doing any Michael Jackson jokes, because they always involve puns about his songs. And that's bad."
I phoned the swine flu hotline and all I got was crackling.
Michael Jackson only invented the moonwalk so he could sneak up on children.
Highest Paid CEOs, 2008
Interesting that none of them, other than the first one, are from Wall Street or Banks. The first one includes 700 million dollars from his stock received at the IPO of his company, so it is not really pay. Most are from the energy sector. Hmmm!
| Name | Company | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen Schwarzman | Blackstone Group | $702,440,573 |
| Lawrence Ellison | Oracle Corp. | $556,976,600 |
| Ray Irani | Occidental Petroleum Corp. | $222,639,705 |
| John Hess | Hess Corp. | $159,566,940 |
| Michael Watford | Ultra Petroleum Corp. | $116,929,392 |
| Aubrey McClendon | Chesapeake Energy Corp. | $114,286,867 |
| Bob Simpson | XTO Energy Inc. | $103,485,972 |
| Mark Papa | EOG Resources, Inc. | $90,471,784 |
| Eugene Isenberg | Nabors Industries Ltd. | $79,333,079 |
| Michael Jeffries | Abercrombie & Fitch Co. | $71,795,744 |
Today in Science
This site has lifted a number of quotes from various books of mine and added them to its web site. I suppose I should be honored that someone lifted quotes from me, that I lifted. Sample - "No sense being pessimistic, it probably wouldn't work anyway." from 'Greatest Jokes of the Century Book 2'.
I didn't find any of my personal quotes though. Guess I haven't been dead long enough for that. At least they give me attribution.
I didn't find any of my personal quotes though. Guess I haven't been dead long enough for that. At least they give me attribution.
School Books on Your Phone
US and Canadian college students can pack textbooks into their pockets instead of spine-bending backpacks. A northern California supplier of electronic textbooks on Tuesday released free software that makes digitized forms of college textbooks available on Apple's iPhone or iPod devices.
Instead of lugging old-fashioned ink and paper books to classes, students can use iPhones or iPod Touch devices to access textbooks online for reference during classes.
The company (Courtsmart) began offering eTextbooks in 2007 and as of Tuesday had reportedly sold copies to students in more than 5,900 schools and works with a dozen major textbook publishers to stay current with electronic versions mandated by professors for classes. It claims its prices are typically about half that of print versions. Wow, half price with no publishing costs. They probably make more than the authors.
Instead of lugging old-fashioned ink and paper books to classes, students can use iPhones or iPod Touch devices to access textbooks online for reference during classes.
The company (Courtsmart) began offering eTextbooks in 2007 and as of Tuesday had reportedly sold copies to students in more than 5,900 schools and works with a dozen major textbook publishers to stay current with electronic versions mandated by professors for classes. It claims its prices are typically about half that of print versions. Wow, half price with no publishing costs. They probably make more than the authors.
History Lesson
“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.” Cicero, 55 BC
Burger Franchise
It is not what you think. Packaging up urgent care services like a Burger King and selling franchises across the country is the new American dream.
Maryland physician, Dr. Scott Burger and his partners have run an urgent-care center, named Doctors Express, for three years. Now, Burger wants to blanket the US with Doctors Express franchises. He and his partners hope to open 3,000 such centers around the country during the coming years.
His first franchisees will open their doors in Temple, TX, (of course Texas) with about two dozen more locations set for future launches in Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia.
The model will have a physician on duty during all of its hours of operation. Doctors Express locations will also have digital X-ray equipment, a lab, and a pharmacy on location. In addition to providing urgent treatment, the centers will also conduct drug screenings, do pre-employment physicals, and provide vaccinations. Want fries with that xray?
Maryland physician, Dr. Scott Burger and his partners have run an urgent-care center, named Doctors Express, for three years. Now, Burger wants to blanket the US with Doctors Express franchises. He and his partners hope to open 3,000 such centers around the country during the coming years.
His first franchisees will open their doors in Temple, TX, (of course Texas) with about two dozen more locations set for future launches in Georgia, New Jersey, South Carolina, North Carolina, Colorado and Virginia.
The model will have a physician on duty during all of its hours of operation. Doctors Express locations will also have digital X-ray equipment, a lab, and a pharmacy on location. In addition to providing urgent treatment, the centers will also conduct drug screenings, do pre-employment physicals, and provide vaccinations. Want fries with that xray?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)