Third Degree

To get the third degree means to be thoroughly questioned. The third degree of something has been regarded as the upper limit, or extreme since before the the time of Shakespeare when he wrote, “For he’s in the thirde degree of drinke, he’s drown’d.” He was referring to a very drunk man. It is a natural progression when referring to the most extreme type of questioning, it would be referred to as the third degree. It has come to also mean inflicting of pain, physical or mental, to extract confessions or statements.

In Masonic Lodges there is also the rituals involved before reaching the third, or highest level, which includes intense questioning.

Aluminum Foil Tip

Check each end of the foil or plastic wrap box and you will find tabs. Press in the tabs and they hold the roll in place while you pull out the foil.

Smiling Reduces Stress

Results of an interesting study to find out if smiling, even forced smiling can reduce stress. The Study is published in the journal Psychological Science.

Researchers used chopsticks to manipulate the facial muscles of their 169 participants into a neutral expression, a standard smile, or a Duchenne smile. A Duchenne smile engages the muscles around the mouth, raises the cheeks, and includes eyes.

In addition to the chopstick placement, some were explicitly instructed to smile. Then, they were subjected to a series of stress-inducing, multitasking activities, which they struggled to perform while continuing to hold the chopsticks in their mouths. The subjects' heart rates and self-reported stress levels were monitored throughout.

The participants who were instructed to smile recovered from the stressful activities with lower heart rates than participants who held neutral expressions. Those with Duchenne smiles were the most relaxed of all, with the most positive affect. Those with forced smiles held only by the chopsticks also reported more positive feelings than those who didn't smile.

When a situation has you feeling stressed or flustered, even the most forced smiles can genuinely decrease your stress and make you happier.

Olympic Award Facts

For this year’s London Games, the gold medals are roughly 93% silver, 6% copper and 1% gold. The silver medals are 92% silver and 8% copper. The bronze medals are 97% copper, 2.5% zinc and 0.5% tin.

Gold medals made from solid gold were introduced at the 1904 St. Louis Games, and four years later in London, the medals began to be awarded to the top three placing athletes in the gold-silver-bronze order we’re familiar with today. The 1912 Stockholm Games were the last time solid gold medals were awarded.

These days, the IOC charter only requires that the first place medals be silver gilt, containing “silver of at least 925-1000 grade and gilded with at least 6g of pure gold.” The second place silver medals must contain silver of a similar grade. Beyond that, the specific composition of the medals, and their design, is largely left to the host city’s organizing committee.

When the first modern Olympic games organized by the International Olympic Committee were held in 1896 in Athens, winners got a silver medal and an olive branch, and runners-up received a bronze medal and a laurel branch.

Ancient Greek competitors were given an olive branch from a wild olive tree that grew at Olympia along with some money upon returning home.

Happy Friday

Reading is the best medicine for a sick man, the best music for a sad man, the best counsel for a desperate man, the best comfort for one afflicted.

I am not sick, sad, desperate, or afflicted, because I am having a Happy Friday!

Free Museum Maps

Visitors at the Smithsonian Institution can use a smartphone to find their way through 17 museums, the National Zoo in Washington and locations in northern Virginia and New York City.

The interior maps totaling 2.7 million square feet can be accessed by visitors with Google Maps for Android. They include maps of the National Air and Space Museum, National Museum of American History and National Museum of Natural History, which draw millions of visitors.

Maps also have been completed for the National Portrait Gallery and six other art museums.

What's in a Name, Nanker Phledge

Mick Jagger and the Rollin' Stones were paid 30 guineas (about 30 Pounds or about $50) and played to a crowd of a bit more than  100 people. The pseudonym Nanker Phelge was used between 1963 and 1965 for several Rolling Stones group compositions.

Multicolor Penlight

In November 2012, Tomy will release a multicolored penlight that can be used for long exposure light painting on an iPhone or iPad.

Here is a LINK to see it in action. The subtitles are included below.

"Nowadays, penlight art is often used at wedding ceremonies and school festivals, but it requires an SLR and photography skills. We wanted to make penlight art easier, so people of all ages can enjoy it. What we've done is, we've created a simplified version of penlight art as an iPhone app."

"This penlight offers up to 27 colors at the touch of a button. It also provides straight lines, dotted lines, and gradation, so you can do a lot of things with it. This application really makes you want to get creative."

"You can also turn a series of photos into a video, like a flip book, and you can upload to Twitter and Facebook directly from the Album mode. So, you can share your photographic creations with everyone."

The multicolored penlight will be available for approximately $30 and the iPhone app can be downloaded for free. Beware, the site can be addicting because it has so much advanced, cool, fun, and useless technology.
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Double Bacon Corn Dog

This year the Iowa State Fair has a new treat. The Campbell’s Concessions’ Double Bacon Corn Dog makes its debut.

The recipe - Wrap a hot dog in bacon, deep-fry it, dip it in 'bacon-bit-enriched' batter and deep fry it again. Mmmm!

Five Almost Famous Characters

Arthur Conan Doyle made notes that indicated he considered the name “Sherringford” for Detective Holmes.

Holmes’ assistant was originally going to be called “Ormond Sacker.” Arthur Conan Doyle decided the name was a bit too bizarre and changed it to John H. Watson.

Before “Nancy Drew” was decided upon, names kicked around included Stella Strong, Diana Drew, Diana Dare, Nan Nelson, Helen Hale, and Nan Drew.

Small Sam, Little Larry, and Puny Pete were all in the running before Charles Dickens settled on “Tiny Tim” for the sickly lad in A Christmas Carol.

Little Orphan Annie was Little Orphan Otto, until Harold Gray’s publisher at the newspaper syndicate suggested his character looked more female than male and told him to make it so.

Equiso

This is one of the newest devices for your TV and is awesome. Details can be found on kickstarter.

The Smart TV is an HDMI dongle (left bottom of pic) that plugs into your television and essentially turns it into an Android tablet. You have access to apps, the web, and any video content you can stream and store on the device. it lets you play free YouTube movies and any other movies from the web. You can check your email, including replying, etc.

It includes a portable keyboard and the remote shoots a beam that makes it act like you are scrolling with your fingers. It is coming out soon and the price is slated to be only $69. I love technology and this is soon to be in my living room.

Cheesburger in a Can

Swiss people have come up with the product of the year. It's an import that is giving restaurants a run for their money. They are actually made in Germany and available on eBay. 

The ad says Cheeseburger In A Can is a tasty treat when you are on the run. The can has an expiration date of one year. This does not beat the Japanese, who have come out with a powdered mini cheeseburger in a bag. Neither will be on my menu anytime soon.

Scratch Remedies

Most folks under 30 have never heard of using the relatively painless Mercurochrome in lieu of that nasty stinging Iodine. It stained your flesh pinkish-red. The FDA put limitations on the sale of Mercurochrome in 1998 and stated that it was no longer considered 'Generally Recognized As Safe' over-the-counter product. The main active ingredient in Mercurochrome is mercury.

Speaking of Iodine, it burned like fire when applied to an open wound, because it had an alcohol base. Many doctors today use a water-based iodine as an antiseptic, as it has one of the broadest germ-killing spectrums. This old school remedy is rarely found in home first aid kits anymore. Alas, change comes too late for some of us.

List of Lists

It is finally here, more information that you never knew or cared about. However, every now and then you need a list to prove a point. Here it is from Wikipedia LINK.

Or you can wait a few weeks and get more interesting information from my upcoming 49th book 'Amazing Facts and Bite Sized Brain Food'.