The government is about to begin year-long experiments that may literally change time, at least the time on your microwave or coffee pot. It may begin as early as this month.
The time service department at the U.S. Naval Observatory, one of two official timekeeping agencies in the federal government, and the group that oversees the U.S. power grid is proposing an experiment which would allow more frequency variation in electricity than it does now. The purpose is to find ways to make the grid more cost effective.
Some clocks keep time based on the rate of the electrical current that powers them. If the current varies, clocks run fast or slow. Power companies monitor and correct the frequency to keep it constant.
Obviously, computers, TVs with cable, and other devices that are not plugged or get the time signal from another source in will not be affected.
The North American Electric Reliability Corp. which runs the nation's interlocking web of transmission lines and power plants says East Coast clocks may run as much as 20 minutes fast over a year, with other parts of the country having less of an effect. It is also possible that the effects will be negligible. The good news is that it is set to happen before the election, so if your fuses start popping, you can correct it in the voting booth. As Kermit says, "Time's fun when you are having flies."
Jul 5, 2011
Beverly Hills Bacon
In an exclusive upscale Beverly Hills hotel bar called simply
£10. Here is the table setting. Notice the center of the table with the bacon in the glass along with the other bar munchies. A bit of class in the glass.
Burning Calories
On average, 42% of an adult man’s body mass is made up of skeletal muscle. For women, that number drops to 36% on average. Contrary to popular myth, skeletal muscles consume about 6 calories per pound per day, not 50. So, if you weigh approximately 180 pounds and are a man, your skeletal muscles will burn around 454 calories per day when you just sit around all day.
Fat cells will burn about 2 calories per pound per day. How much of your body mass is made up of fat cells varies greatly from person to person, but you can use a body fat test to get that number and then calculate how many calories your fat cells burn per day. Average male is 18% - 25%, female is 25% - 31%. Wow, another 64 burned calories for sitting around.
Bone cells burn about 1 calorie per pound. If you are a man, on average about 15% of your body mass is made up of bone (another 27 calories for just sitting around). For women, that number is around 12%. Sit back, relax, burn some calories.
Fat cells will burn about 2 calories per pound per day. How much of your body mass is made up of fat cells varies greatly from person to person, but you can use a body fat test to get that number and then calculate how many calories your fat cells burn per day. Average male is 18% - 25%, female is 25% - 31%. Wow, another 64 burned calories for sitting around.
Bone cells burn about 1 calorie per pound. If you are a man, on average about 15% of your body mass is made up of bone (another 27 calories for just sitting around). For women, that number is around 12%. Sit back, relax, burn some calories.
Jul 1, 2011
Happy Friday
Deep doubts, deep wisdom; small doubts, little wisdom.
No doubts, wisdom says I am going to have a Happy Friday!
No doubts, wisdom says I am going to have a Happy Friday!
IRS
It happened on this day in 1862. It started with the the high cost of the the US at war with itself. To help pay for the Civil War, Congress established the Bureau of Internal Revenue. President Abraham Lincoln signed the bill into law, for the feds to collect a three percent tax on incomes ranging from $600 to $10,000, and five percent on incomes over $10,000. It was passed as a temporary law.
The Bureau became the Internal Revenue Service in 1913 when the 16th amendment was added to the Constitution permitting the Government to collect a tax on income. How ironic that a few days before we celebrate our independence, they took away our independence from taxes.
The Bureau became the Internal Revenue Service in 1913 when the 16th amendment was added to the Constitution permitting the Government to collect a tax on income. How ironic that a few days before we celebrate our independence, they took away our independence from taxes.
Three Flag Facts for the Fourth of July
The historic photo and film footage of the American flag being raised at Iwo Jima actually shows the second flag erected on the Japanese island. The U.S. had suffered more than 4,500 casualties during its 1,000 yard advance to capture Mt. Suribachi. Lt. Col. Chandler Johnson ordered a patrol up the mountain and handed Lt. George Schrier a 54” x 26” flag, saying “If you get to the top, put it up.” Schrier’s 40-man patrol snaked its way up to the mountain’s summit and propped up Old Glory with an abandoned piece of drain pipe and some rocks.
Sensing a historic moment, the colonel sent an assistant to fetch a larger (96″ x 54″) flag that had flown on one of the ships bombed at Pearl Harbor. Johnson handed it to Pfc. Rene Gagnon and ordered him to replace the original, smaller flag, “So every son of a bitch on this whole cruddy island can see it.” Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of the second flag being raised.
2 - The flag patch on the right sleeves of some U.S. military uniforms may appear to be backwards, as do the decals on the right side of U.S. aircraft and other vehicles. There’s a perfectly legitimate reason for this, of course: flag protocol dictates that the Stars and Stripes should always be displayed as if the flag was flying in a breeze. This practice dates back to the earliest days of the U.S. Army, when one soldier was designated as the “standard bearer.” As the standard bearer marched forward into battle, the flag would naturally unfurl behind him, away from the staff. The canton, or the area with the stars, should always be depicted facing forward.
3 - The Parade of Nations, now a traditional part of the Olympic opening ceremonies, was first added to the program at the 1908 Games in London. As the teams passed the Royal Box, each nation’s flag-bearer was expected to dip his nation’s banner to King Edward VII. Ralph Rose, who was carrying the U.S. flag, refused to do so. As a proud Irish-American, Rose had no particular affection for the British anyway, but when questioned about keeping his nation’s flag vertical, his reply was simple: ”This flag dips for no earthly king.” The U.S. flag bearers at the 1912, 1924 and 1932 Games weren’t so staunch in their patriotism, and lowered Old Glory when passing the head of state, even though the “no dip” rule was part of the official Flag Code adopted in 1923. The United States was the only nation to not dip its flag while passing Adolf Hitler in the stands during the Parade of Nations at the 1936 Games in Berlin, and the tradition has remained steadfast since then.
Sensing a historic moment, the colonel sent an assistant to fetch a larger (96″ x 54″) flag that had flown on one of the ships bombed at Pearl Harbor. Johnson handed it to Pfc. Rene Gagnon and ordered him to replace the original, smaller flag, “So every son of a bitch on this whole cruddy island can see it.” Associated Press photographer Joe Rosenthal snapped the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of the second flag being raised.
2 - The flag patch on the right sleeves of some U.S. military uniforms may appear to be backwards, as do the decals on the right side of U.S. aircraft and other vehicles. There’s a perfectly legitimate reason for this, of course: flag protocol dictates that the Stars and Stripes should always be displayed as if the flag was flying in a breeze. This practice dates back to the earliest days of the U.S. Army, when one soldier was designated as the “standard bearer.” As the standard bearer marched forward into battle, the flag would naturally unfurl behind him, away from the staff. The canton, or the area with the stars, should always be depicted facing forward.
3 - The Parade of Nations, now a traditional part of the Olympic opening ceremonies, was first added to the program at the 1908 Games in London. As the teams passed the Royal Box, each nation’s flag-bearer was expected to dip his nation’s banner to King Edward VII. Ralph Rose, who was carrying the U.S. flag, refused to do so. As a proud Irish-American, Rose had no particular affection for the British anyway, but when questioned about keeping his nation’s flag vertical, his reply was simple: ”This flag dips for no earthly king.” The U.S. flag bearers at the 1912, 1924 and 1932 Games weren’t so staunch in their patriotism, and lowered Old Glory when passing the head of state, even though the “no dip” rule was part of the official Flag Code adopted in 1923. The United States was the only nation to not dip its flag while passing Adolf Hitler in the stands during the Parade of Nations at the 1936 Games in Berlin, and the tradition has remained steadfast since then.
Six Grades of Beef
This might be handy for holiday grillers. Let's start with the Angus beef. Angus is not a quality grade. In fact Angus cattle are the most commonly used cattle in the US. Contrary to the advertising hype, buying Angus means that you are buying the most common type of beef available. It is like advertising, 'Made from real cows'. "Certified Angus Beef' is another designation that comes from the American Angus Association and is not a USDA designation.
It must be proven to have 51% Angus origin in order for a cow or bull to be called Angus. So the bottom line is that meat coming from an animal that is at least 51% the most common in the US can be called Angus. Wow, that is worth the price increase. Caveat Emptor and happy grilling.
It must be proven to have 51% Angus origin in order for a cow or bull to be called Angus. So the bottom line is that meat coming from an animal that is at least 51% the most common in the US can be called Angus. Wow, that is worth the price increase. Caveat Emptor and happy grilling.
Quality Grades:
- Prime grade - is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle. It has abundant marbling and is generally sold in restaurants and hotels. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for dry-heat cooking (i.e., roasting, broiling, and grilling).
- Choice grade - is high quality, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks from the loin and rib will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful and like Prime, suited to dry-heat cooking. . . .
- Select grade - is very uniform in quality and normally leaner than the higher grades. It is fairly tender, but, because it has less marbling, it may lack some of the juiciness and flavor of the higher grades.
- Commercial, Utility, and Cutter - These are store grade, with cutter used for hot dogs, filler, etc.
Bacon Potato Pie
Now McDonald's Japan is serving bacon potato pie, made with mashed potatoes mixed with bacon and deep fried. Why not serve that here?
Jun 28, 2011
An Internet Minute
You probably have heard the expression, 'A New York Minute' meaning fast. Here is an 'Internet Minute'. Forgive me because this is a bit long, but thought it might be interesting to show what happens on the internet, every minute of every day. You may not understand all of the terms, but a look at the numbers shows an astounding amount of activity every minute.
According to Shanghai Web Designers, on average, this is what transpires every sixty seconds on the Web.
- Search engine Google answers more that 694,445 queries
- 6,600+ pictures are uploaded to Flickr
- 600 videos, equal to 25 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube
- 695,000 status updates, 79,364 wall posts and 510,040 comments are published on Facebook
- 70 new domains are registered (web sites)
- More than 168 million emails are sent
- 320 new accounts and 98,000 tweets are generated on Twitter
- Thirteen thousand iPhone applications are downloaded
- 20,000 new posts are published on Tumblr
- FireFox web browser is downloaded more than 1,700 times
- 100 accounts are created on LinkedIn
- 40 new questions are asked on YahooAnswers.com
- 100+ questions are asked on Answers.com
- 1 new article is published on Associated Content
- 1 new definition is added on UrbanDictionary.com
- 1,200+ new ads are created on Craigslist
- 370,000+ minutes of voice calls done by Skype (phone alternative) users
Yep, all this activity every minute of every day and some of the content is actually useful and interesting. Now, aren't you glad you only have to deal with my Friday Thoughts summary from all that activity.
According to Shanghai Web Designers, on average, this is what transpires every sixty seconds on the Web.
- Search engine Google answers more that 694,445 queries
- 6,600+ pictures are uploaded to Flickr
- 600 videos, equal to 25 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube
- 695,000 status updates, 79,364 wall posts and 510,040 comments are published on Facebook
- 70 new domains are registered (web sites)
- More than 168 million emails are sent
- 320 new accounts and 98,000 tweets are generated on Twitter
- Thirteen thousand iPhone applications are downloaded
- 20,000 new posts are published on Tumblr
- FireFox web browser is downloaded more than 1,700 times
- 100 accounts are created on LinkedIn
- 40 new questions are asked on YahooAnswers.com
- 100+ questions are asked on Answers.com
- 1 new article is published on Associated Content
- 1 new definition is added on UrbanDictionary.com
- 1,200+ new ads are created on Craigslist
- 370,000+ minutes of voice calls done by Skype (phone alternative) users
Yep, all this activity every minute of every day and some of the content is actually useful and interesting. Now, aren't you glad you only have to deal with my Friday Thoughts summary from all that activity.
Best Hot Dogs
Hot dogs are a staple for summer holidays and July fourth is no different. There is a web site that has posted what it says are the 20 best hot dogs. LINK Interesting to note that all 20 were packaged dogs. All but a few were beef dogs and most had the casing which produced a crunch when bitten into. Winner was Hebrew National Reduced Fat Beef Franks and the runner up was Nathan's Kosher Premium Beef Franks. Not surprising, Oscar Mayer had seven contenders in the running.
Personally, I find meat market hand made dogs to be ultimately more tasty and flavorful. Also, a bit of pork thrown in adds to the flavor and diversity of taste. The person that thought of adding turkey to hot dogs is just as bad as the person that first added non meat fillers to hot dogs. Blasphemy!
Personally, I find meat market hand made dogs to be ultimately more tasty and flavorful. Also, a bit of pork thrown in adds to the flavor and diversity of taste. The person that thought of adding turkey to hot dogs is just as bad as the person that first added non meat fillers to hot dogs. Blasphemy!
Stephen Collins Foster
July 4 is important to U.S. history and on July 4, 1826, in addition to being the 50th Anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it was also the date both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died. It was also the birth date of Stephen Collins Foster.
Foster has been often cited as the father of American music and was the pre-eminent songwriter of the 19th century in the United States. He published his first song when he was only 18. His songs remain popular to this day, with such favorites as "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," "Old Folks at Home" (known as "Swanee River"), "My Old Kentucky Home," and "Beautiful Dreamer." Foster was born and lived in what is now Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville). Doo Dah, Doo Dah!
Foster has been often cited as the father of American music and was the pre-eminent songwriter of the 19th century in the United States. He published his first song when he was only 18. His songs remain popular to this day, with such favorites as "Oh! Susanna," "Camptown Races," "Old Folks at Home" (known as "Swanee River"), "My Old Kentucky Home," and "Beautiful Dreamer." Foster was born and lived in what is now Pittsburgh (Lawrenceville). Doo Dah, Doo Dah!
Duct Tape and Warts
A study was conducted by a military pediatric clinic in Cincinnati hospital a few years ago and the results showed that duct tape was more effective than cryotherapy (freezing) warts.
A total of 51 patients (age range, 3-22 years) completed the study. Patients were randomized using computer-generated codes to receive either cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen applied to each wart for 10 seconds every 2-3 weeks) for a maximum of 6 treatments or duct tape occlusion (applied directly to the wart) for a maximum of 2 months. Patients had their warts measured at baseline and with return visits.
Of the 51 patients completing the study, 26 (51%) were treated with duct tape, and 25 (49%) were treated with cryotherapy. Twenty-two patients (85%) in the duct tape arm vs 15 patients (60%) enrolled in the cryotherapy arm had complete resolution of their warts. The majority of warts that responded to either therapy did so within the first month of treatment. The results showed that duct tape therapy was significantly more effective than cryotherapy for treatment of the common wart. Hopefully the warts were on parts of the body that were able to be covered. Am sure some enterprising soul will come out with flesh colored duct tape and charge twice as much, because it is 'medical'.
A total of 51 patients (age range, 3-22 years) completed the study. Patients were randomized using computer-generated codes to receive either cryotherapy (liquid nitrogen applied to each wart for 10 seconds every 2-3 weeks) for a maximum of 6 treatments or duct tape occlusion (applied directly to the wart) for a maximum of 2 months. Patients had their warts measured at baseline and with return visits.
Of the 51 patients completing the study, 26 (51%) were treated with duct tape, and 25 (49%) were treated with cryotherapy. Twenty-two patients (85%) in the duct tape arm vs 15 patients (60%) enrolled in the cryotherapy arm had complete resolution of their warts. The majority of warts that responded to either therapy did so within the first month of treatment. The results showed that duct tape therapy was significantly more effective than cryotherapy for treatment of the common wart. Hopefully the warts were on parts of the body that were able to be covered. Am sure some enterprising soul will come out with flesh colored duct tape and charge twice as much, because it is 'medical'.
Jun 24, 2011
Happy Friday
May you always have Love to Share, Health to Spare, and Friends who Care.
With love, health, and friends I always have a Happy Friday!
With love, health, and friends I always have a Happy Friday!
Cola Facts
Coke makes so many different beverages that if you drank one per day, it would take you over 9 years to try them all. Coca-Cola has more than 3,500 beverages (and 500 brands), spanning from sodas to energy drinks to soy-based drinks and water. It sells more than 1000 kinds of juice drinks, including: Simply, Minute Maid, Fruitopia, Hi-C, Fuze and Odwalla
Pepsi vs, Coke - Although Coca-Cola revenue was 38% less than PepsiCo's last year, Coke generated more in soft drink revenue -- around $28 billion vs. $12 billion
Pepsi owns non-drink brands like Frito-Lays and Quaker Oats.
There are 33 non-alcoholic brands that generate over $1 billion in revenue. Coca-Cola owns 15 of them
Pepsi vs, Coke - Although Coca-Cola revenue was 38% less than PepsiCo's last year, Coke generated more in soft drink revenue -- around $28 billion vs. $12 billion
Pepsi owns non-drink brands like Frito-Lays and Quaker Oats.
There are 33 non-alcoholic brands that generate over $1 billion in revenue. Coca-Cola owns 15 of them
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