Triskaidekaphobia (from Greek tris meaning "3," kai meaning "and," and deka meaning "10") is fear of the number 13.
It is a superstition and related to a specific fear of Friday the 13th, called friggatriskaidekaphobia. That is the truth!
PS - See October post about Friday.
Nov 12, 2009
More Superstitions About Thirteen
The Turks have virtually removed 13 from their vocabulary.
Another superstition is that if 13 people sit down to dinner together, all will die within the year.
Beware naming your children with 13 letters in their name, they may be cursed, for example, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson.
Why are there are 13 witches in a coven?
In a 'Baker's Dozen' the extra loaf was baked as a special bribe for the devil not to spoil the batch of loaves.
Another superstition is that if 13 people sit down to dinner together, all will die within the year.
Beware naming your children with 13 letters in their name, they may be cursed, for example, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson.
Why are there are 13 witches in a coven?
In a 'Baker's Dozen' the extra loaf was baked as a special bribe for the devil not to spoil the batch of loaves.
Al Gore
The self-proclaimed, and debunked 'inventor of the internet' now wants his organization, the Alliance for Climate Protection, to support creating a .eco domain to promote environmental causes.
The idea comes from Dot Eco LLC, which claims they will donate some of the cash from registration fees of .eco web addresses to green initiatives. Dot Eco plans to file an application for the .eco top-level domain later this year with ICANN, the non-profit organization that coordinates website names.
Problem is, they have not yet been able to define what the criteria is for distributing the web addresses. Even with his Nobel, he can't seem to define 'eco' anything.
The idea comes from Dot Eco LLC, which claims they will donate some of the cash from registration fees of .eco web addresses to green initiatives. Dot Eco plans to file an application for the .eco top-level domain later this year with ICANN, the non-profit organization that coordinates website names.
Problem is, they have not yet been able to define what the criteria is for distributing the web addresses. Even with his Nobel, he can't seem to define 'eco' anything.
ECO Myths
Here are some eco myths to think about.
Myth: The Earth is warmer than it was 100 years ago.
Truth: At most it’s risen by 0.3 Celsius, less than 0.003 degrees annually.
Myth: Global Warming must be happening, it’s warmer here in Small Town.
Truth: It is global averages that matter (see above)
Myth: Carbon dioxide levels and average global temperatures are at a record high
Truth: No, they are among the lowest determined over the last few million years.
Myth: Rising carbon dioxide levels are directly linked to rising global temperatures.
Truth: Not necessarily, there is a 400-4000 year timelag
Myth: Receding ice sheets prove anthropogenic (man made) Global Warming is happening
Truth: Some ice is melting, other areas are actually growing
Myth: Carbon dioxide is the most potent greenhouse gas
Truth: No, that would be water vapor of which there is an abundance in the atmosphere, then there is methane, and nitrogen trifluoride used in the manufacture of flat screen TVs.
Myth: If we accept it as real, we can do something about it.
Truth: We cannot even control local weather, what makes us think carbon sequestration and seeding the oceans, etc. will allow us to affect the climate. These come from a science web site.
Myth: The Earth is warmer than it was 100 years ago.
Truth: At most it’s risen by 0.3 Celsius, less than 0.003 degrees annually.
Myth: Global Warming must be happening, it’s warmer here in Small Town.
Truth: It is global averages that matter (see above)
Myth: Carbon dioxide levels and average global temperatures are at a record high
Truth: No, they are among the lowest determined over the last few million years.
Myth: Rising carbon dioxide levels are directly linked to rising global temperatures.
Truth: Not necessarily, there is a 400-4000 year timelag
Myth: Receding ice sheets prove anthropogenic (man made) Global Warming is happening
Truth: Some ice is melting, other areas are actually growing
Myth: Carbon dioxide is the most potent greenhouse gas
Truth: No, that would be water vapor of which there is an abundance in the atmosphere, then there is methane, and nitrogen trifluoride used in the manufacture of flat screen TVs.
Myth: If we accept it as real, we can do something about it.
Truth: We cannot even control local weather, what makes us think carbon sequestration and seeding the oceans, etc. will allow us to affect the climate. These come from a science web site.
Piano Stairs
Here is a novel way to get people to take the stairs, replace them with piano keys. Looks like great fun. LINK
Human Egg
Here is a picture of a human egg and of sperm trying to invade it. This is an actual photograph of the sperm trying to neutralize the outer yellow protective layer so they can get in. Amazing picture.
Speaking of Cells
Robert Hooke (1635 - 1702) was an English physicist. He was the first to coin the word “cell” to describe the basic unit of life (he thought that plant cells, when magnified through a microscope, looked like “cellula,” the living quarters of monks).
Instant Rice
Also known as minute rice, is rice that has been precooked and dehydrated so that it cooks rapidly. Regular rice requires approximately 20 minutes to cook while instant rice usually needs between five and 10 minutes, or 90 seconds in a microwave. Because it has already been cooked, all that is necessary to prepare instant rice is to re-hydrate it with hot water.
Instant rice is made by using several methods. The most common is similar to home cooking. Rice is blanched in hot water, steamed, and rinsed. It is then placed in large ovens for dehydration until the moisture content reaches approximately twelve percent or less. The basic principle involves increasing moisture of the milled white rice by using steam or water to form cracks or holes in the kernels.
The fast cooking properties happen at recooking. Water quickly penetrates into the cracked grain.
Instant rice is made by using several methods. The most common is similar to home cooking. Rice is blanched in hot water, steamed, and rinsed. It is then placed in large ovens for dehydration until the moisture content reaches approximately twelve percent or less. The basic principle involves increasing moisture of the milled white rice by using steam or water to form cracks or holes in the kernels.
The fast cooking properties happen at recooking. Water quickly penetrates into the cracked grain.
Kellogg's Cocoa Krispies
The nation's largest cereal maker, is being called to task by critics who object to the swine flu-conscious claim now bannered in bold lettering on the front of Cocoa Krispies cereal boxes: "Now helps support your child's IMMUNITY." What a load of rice that is, unless it means the chocolate covering, which is good to cure most everything.
Dagwood and Bacon
A friend of mine, John Chapman sent me this from Monday's paper. Seems even Dagwood likes bacon. Of course the clock is not as sophisticated as the one I mentioned last year that actually cooks a slice of bacon, so you wake up to the wonderful aroma.
PS - Chapman is the author of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Hell." Hilarious book available on Amazon.
PS - Chapman is the author of "Men are from Mars, Women are from Hell." Hilarious book available on Amazon.
Limerick
There was a Young Person of Bantry,
Who frequently slept in the pantry;
When disturbed by the mice,
She appeased them with rice
That judicious Young Person of Bantry.
Who frequently slept in the pantry;
When disturbed by the mice,
She appeased them with rice
That judicious Young Person of Bantry.
Health Insurance Myths
On the Fortune 500 list of top industries, health insurance companies ranked 35th in profitability in 2008; their overall profit margin was 2.2 percent. They lagged far behind such industries as pharmaceuticals, profit margin 19.3 percent, railroads (12.6 percent), and mining (11.5 percent). Among health insurers, the best performer last year was HealthSpring, which showed a profit of 5.4 percent. “That’s a less profitable margin,’’ AP noted, “than was achieved by the makers of Tupperware, Clorox bleach, and Molson and Coors beers.’’
For the most recent quarter of 2009, health-insurance plans earned profits of only 3.3 percent, ranking them 86th on the expanded Yahoo! Finance list of US industries. Makers of software applications, by contrast, are pulling in profits of nearly 22 percent.
For the most recent quarter of 2009, health-insurance plans earned profits of only 3.3 percent, ranking them 86th on the expanded Yahoo! Finance list of US industries. Makers of software applications, by contrast, are pulling in profits of nearly 22 percent.
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