Socks and Sox

The Red Sox and White Sox baseball teams have the “Sox” spelled that way, because they were named during the time when there was a movement to simplify the spelling of many English words. Socks became sox, but tradition won and the spelling of sox did not catch on as part of the language.

Four Most Crowded Islands

Santa Cruz del Islote, located off the Caribbean coast of Colombia, is one of the most densely populated islands on Earth. The 2.4-acre island, home to about 1,200 people or population density of 103,917 people per sq km, was first settled in the late 19th century as temporary housing for fishermen and coconut plantation workers. It sits on a shallow reef and has since grown in landmass to accommodate a growing population. Residents expand the island by adding to the shoreline, using coral, shells, rocks and other fillers to provide a foundation for another home. The only unoccupied space on Islote is a public square about half the size of a tennis court.

Ap Lei Chau or Aberdeen Island, an island of Hong Kong, was a fishing village before the First Opium War. It shelters Aberdeen Harbor, providing excellent protection for fishing boats during a typhoon. The population was 86,782 as of 2007, and its area is 1.30 square kilometers, giving it a population density of 66,755 people per sq km.

Male in the Maldives is one of the most low-lying islands in the world and locals say this is one of the most idyllic places to live. The capital of the Republic of Maldives covers an area of 1.77 square kilometers and is home to about 100,000 people, or 47,415 per sq km. It serves as the political, economic and cultural center of Maldives.

Manhattan island has 2012 population of 1,619,090 that live on a land area of 22.96 square miles (59.5 sq km). This makes 69,464 residents per square mile, or 26,924 per sq km, more dense than any other American city.

Iodized Salt is Good

The "iodized" emblazoned on the vast majority of salt sold in the US might go by largely unnoticed, but it turns out that it may have had such a profound effect on public health that it raised the national IQ.

Iodine deficiency is the number one cause of preventable mental retardation, and a new paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) shows that after iodized salt was introduced in 1924, the most deficient quarter of the US population saw its IQs rise by a full 15 points, or one standard deviation. Averaged over the entire country, that equates to a 3.5 point bump per person — the equivalent of a whole decade’s worth of IQ growth according to the Flynn effect, which holds that IQ tends to increase over time. While salt has virtually extinguished iodine deficiency in the US, it remains a problem in much of the developing world, where some 30 percent of citizens do not have access to it.

Chemotherapy and Hair Loss

Chemotherapy, sometimes referred to as chemo is the use of medicines or drugs to treat cancer. There are more than 100 chemo drugs. Chemo may be used to: Keep the cancer from spreading, slow the cancer’s growth, kill cancer cells that may have spread to other parts of the body, relieve symptoms such as pain or blockages caused by cancer and, in some cases, cure cancer. Different types of chemotherapy work in different ways and have different side effects. It can be administered as a pill, liquid, shot, IV, or rubbed on the skin.

Most cells in the human body divide using a process called mitosis. When a cell reaches the end of its lifespan, it gets destroyed in a pre-programmed process called apoptosis.

There are over 200 many types of cancer. All types are a result of unregulated cell growth. Cells that divide more rapidly than apoptosis can regulate is simply too much mitosis. The result is excessive tissue, known as tumors. Tumors can be localized or spread through the lymphatic system or blood stream.

Many chemotherapy drugs are administered in combinations and work by interrupting mitosis and most cannot differentiate between abnormal cancer cells and normal healthy cells. Because of this, any cells that multiply rapidly can also be affected by chemotherapy.

Fast growing cells are found in hair follicles, lining of the mouth, stomach, and bone marrow. Since these fast growing sites are also affected by chemo, the result can be hair loss, decrease in production of white blood cells, and inflammation of the digestive tract, etc. Luckily, healthy cells, like hair follicles and the others usually repair themselves, so hair loss temporary. Radiation can cause some of the same symptoms, but that story is for another day.

Wordology, Jail and Prison

These two words do not mean the same thing. In the US, jails are run by county sheriff’s office and prisons are run by the state. In Canada, jails are run by the provincial government and prisons are run by the federal government.

Battery Facts

A major site compared 40 batteries using fast drain and slow drain technology. Its findings mimicked other findings from a number of other tests. 

The resulting data yielded some interesting results. First, highest price is not highest value, and second, zinc batteries, although usually the cheapest are poor value as they drain faster than alkaline and lithium batteries. Brand name has no relation to quality, but are usually higher priced.

Bottom line is that buying the cheapest non-brand-name alkaline battery is almost always the best value. Lithium batteries last the longest, but are almost always not the cheapest. In the tests, Ikea alkaline batteries blew away the competition for best value.

Think about how often you change batteries for every day use items, such as TV remote, computer mouse, clock, smoke detectors, flashlights, etc., it is usually once every year or two, or even longer.

My advice - if you need long stable battery life (such as for a good camera), pay more and buy lithium. If you want the best value and do not mind changing batteries a bit more often, buy the cheapest alkaline you can find.

What Color is Crude

Crude oil is not always black as is often depicted in movies. Petroleum is another name for crude oil, which is unprocessed oil. The outputs of processing crude oil are called petrochemicals. The color varies greatly from clear to black, and and in viscosity, from water to almost solid, based on the concentration of hydrocarbon molecules and other compounds in the mixture. For instance, Pennsylvania grade crude oil is typically greenish in color.

Gas Facts

Gas is one derivative of crude oil. Heat from one gallon of gas is enough to power a 1,500-watt space heater on full blast for 24-hours. If it were possible for humans to digest gasoline, a gallon would contain about 31,000 food calories. That is about equivalent to the energy in about 110 McDonald's hamburgers.

Happy Friday

Today I am thankful for all the wonderful things in my life: my family, my friends, my work, and enjoying a Happy Friday!

Pills and Pencils

Pills go back thousands of years. They were often squished up bits of plant matter. During the early 1800s, attempts to produce pills with specific chemicals had many problems. Coatings would often fail to dissolve, and the moisture required in pill production could often deactivate ingredients.

In 1843, English artist William Brockedon was facing similar problems with graphite pencils. To get around this, he invented a machine which was able to press graphite powder into a solid lump and produce high-quality drawing tools.

A drug manufacturer saw that the device had potential for other uses, and Brockedon’s invention was soon being used to create the very first powder-based tablets. This technology was adapted to mass manufacturing for medicines. Since then there have been many other ways of produce pills, but the original is still in use.

Typewriter

Typewriters were the ancestors to today’s keyboards, and they are indeed relics. The first typewriters were massive contraptions that operated slowly and frequently malfunctioned, but they were nonetheless one of the single most important innovations in history. The first typewriter was built by Italian inventor Pellegrino Turri, who designed and built the device for his blind friend.

Google Timer

If you type in "set timer for x minutes" using the quote marks and replacing x with the number of minutes, Google will create a timer for you and begin counting down.

Gluten Myth and Facts

We read about way too many headlines and diets about gluten these days. It appears to be the latest fad ingredient to pick on. It is serious for some, but less than one percent of the population may have Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder. Some people have been found to be allergic to wheat only, but not gluten.

Gluten is a naturally occurring protein composite found primarily in wheat, but may also be found in rye, barley, and some types of oats. The US FDA considers foods containing less than or equal to 20 ppm to be gluten-free, but there is no regulation or law in the US for labeling foods as 'gluten-free'. There still is no general agreement on the analytical method used to measure gluten in ingredients and food products.

Gluten may be added as a stabilizing agent or thickener in products such as ice-cream and ketchup. It is also found in  ingredients of many over-the-counter and prescription medications and vitamins. Items such as lipstick, lip balms, lip gloss, soy sauce, barbecue sauce, salad dressings, gravy, canned soups, ground spices to prevent clumping, instant powdered drinks, and imitation and pasteurized cheeses, as well as glue used on envelopes may also contain gluten.

Many types of alcoholic beverages are considered gluten-free, provided no gluten colorings or other additives have been added. Distillation removes proteins, including gluten in bourbon or corn whiskey. Spirits made without any grain such as gin, vodka, scotch, rye, brandy, wine, mead, cider, sherry, port, rum, tequila, vermouth, and some beers generally do not contain gluten.

Gluten consists of gliadin and glutenin. Gliadin is one of the proteins that forms gluten. Doctors test for anti-gliadin antibodies if celiac disease or gluten hypersensitivity is suspected. Gliadin triggers immune response in celiac disease. Glutenin is the other protein of gluten. It is responsible for the strength and elasticity of dough.

Several grains and starch sources are considered acceptable for a gluten-free diet, such as corn, potatoes, rice, some oats, tapioca, quinoa, sorghum, taro, chia seed, and yam. Flours, such as bean, soybean, almond, gram derived from chickpeas, and buckwheat are used as alternatives to wheat flour.

Most humans naturally digest gluten. The human mouth contains symbiotic bacteria colonies that help break down gluten. Gluten allergies and sensitivities are different. Celiac disease sufferers are allergic. Others may have similar symptoms, such as bloating, flatulence, irritable bowel syndrome, and abdominal pain, but these same symptoms may also be caused by any number of other dietary items.

Another Use for Basil

You already know that fresh basil is delicious is many of your favorite recipes, but did you also know it's great for repelling bugs naturally? Snip a few fresh leaves and hang them in doorways or put on top of an outdoor table to repel mosquitoes and flies.