Did you know a church tax is imposed on members
of many religious congregations in Austria, Denmark, Finland,
Germany, Iceland, Italy, Sweden, some parts of Switzerland and
several other countries? The Roman Catholic Church, Church of
Denmark, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Finnish
Orthodox Church, Protestant, Church of Iceland, Jewish Communities,
Baptist, Buddhist, Hindu, etc. are all included in the tax
collection from their respective members.
The tax was introduced by Hitler in Austria. Oxymoronically, after
World War II, the tax was retained in order to keep the Church
independent of political powers. Typically the tax is usually
between .5% and 2.5%. Some countries even pay the salaries and
retirement benefits of clergy, as well as upkeep for the buildings
and grounds.
Recently many members have been going to their city halls to opt out
of religious groups, which has significant ramifications for
declining taxes.
Dec 1, 2013
Nov 23, 2013
Happy Friday
Gratitude is the least of the virtues, but ingratitude is the worst
of vices.
No ingratitude next week as we get to celebrate a holiday of gratitude followed by another . . . Happy Friday!
No ingratitude next week as we get to celebrate a holiday of gratitude followed by another . . . Happy Friday!
Black Friday
* * * OOH, Black Friday is fast
approaching. You can beat the rush by clicking on this AMAZON
link to my books and shop from home and pick up some sweet
smiles for family and friends.
Thanksgiving Terms
There was not always a choice of dark
meat or white meat after carving the turkey. These terms have
nothing to do with the color of the meat as they were euphemisms for
the leg and breast of turkey and other fowl. In the Victorian times,
the words “leg” and “breast” were considered fowl, so they awkwardly
decided to call the leg “white meat” and the breast “black meat.”
Did you know Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the US. or that Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving? He was persuaded by Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Did you know Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the US. or that Abraham Lincoln issued a 'Thanksgiving Proclamation' on third October 1863 and officially set aside the last Thursday of November as the national day for Thanksgiving? He was persuaded by Sarah Josepha Hale, an American magazine editor to declare Thanksgiving a national holiday. She is also the author of the popular nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb".
Wordology, Turkey
In the 16th century, when North American
turkeys were first introduced to Europe, there was another bird that
was popularly imported throughout Europe, called a guinea fowl. This
guinea fowl was imported from Madagascar via the Ottoman Empire. The
merchant importers were known as “turkey merchants”. The guinea fowl
themselves eventually were popularly referred to as “turkey fowl”,
similar to how other product imported through the Ottoman Empire
acquired their names, such as “turkey corn”, “turkey wheat”, etc.
The North American turkey was first introduced to Spain in the very early 16th century and later introduced to all of Europe. The North American turkey was thought by many to be a species of the type of guinea fowl that was imported from the Ottoman Empire and also were called a “turkey fowl” in English and later shortened to just turkey.
The North American turkey was first introduced to Spain in the very early 16th century and later introduced to all of Europe. The North American turkey was thought by many to be a species of the type of guinea fowl that was imported from the Ottoman Empire and also were called a “turkey fowl” in English and later shortened to just turkey.
Turkey Pickings
A group of turkeys is technically called a
“rafter”, though they are often incorrectly referred to as a
“gobble” or a “flock”.
Due to the reputation of turkeys being thought of as stupid, the term turkey began being used as a slang, derogatory term meaning dumb or idiot in the early 20th century. Of course, domestic turkeys are stupid, but wild turkeys are not.
The phrase “Turkey Shoot” comes from the mid-20th century practice of tying turkeys behind logs, with only their heads exposed, and then holding a marksmanship competition, trying to shoot the turkey’s head off.
Due to the white meat being the most popular part of a turkey, turkeys have been bred to have huge breasts. Because of this, modern domesticated turkeys are no longer typically able to mate, due to the breasts getting in the way of a male mounting the female. Most hatcheries use artificial insemination to fertilize the eggs of the domestic turkey.
Due to the reputation of turkeys being thought of as stupid, the term turkey began being used as a slang, derogatory term meaning dumb or idiot in the early 20th century. Of course, domestic turkeys are stupid, but wild turkeys are not.
The phrase “Turkey Shoot” comes from the mid-20th century practice of tying turkeys behind logs, with only their heads exposed, and then holding a marksmanship competition, trying to shoot the turkey’s head off.
Due to the white meat being the most popular part of a turkey, turkeys have been bred to have huge breasts. Because of this, modern domesticated turkeys are no longer typically able to mate, due to the breasts getting in the way of a male mounting the female. Most hatcheries use artificial insemination to fertilize the eggs of the domestic turkey.
Pilgrims and Thanksgiving
Pilgrims did not celebrate the
first Thanksgiving in America. In fact, the particular Pilgrim event
that is often cited as the first Thanksgiving was not even the
Pilgrim’s first Thanksgiving. They had several before at various
times and none were celebrated annually. The days were merely a
particular time when people had something significant to thank God
for, so would set aside a day to do so.
Around the time the Pilgrims came to America in 1620, it was common in England and many parts of Europe to frequently set aside days for giving thanks to God. In the New World, where life was harsh in the beginning, there were numerous opportunities to hold such days of thanks, such as any time a particularly good crop would come in, when drought would end, when a particularly harsh winter was survived, when a group repelled an attack by Native Americans, when a supply ship arrived safely from Europe, etc. Seems like they had many reasons to party.
These celebrations remained fairly common up until the time when Thanksgiving became a national holiday. Most of these celebrations bore little resemblance to what we think of as Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims celebrations bore little resemblance to what is depicted now.
No one knows for sure who actually celebrated the first actual Thanksgiving in America. The most popular examples often referenced as the actual “firsts” include:
Around the time the Pilgrims came to America in 1620, it was common in England and many parts of Europe to frequently set aside days for giving thanks to God. In the New World, where life was harsh in the beginning, there were numerous opportunities to hold such days of thanks, such as any time a particularly good crop would come in, when drought would end, when a particularly harsh winter was survived, when a group repelled an attack by Native Americans, when a supply ship arrived safely from Europe, etc. Seems like they had many reasons to party.
These celebrations remained fairly common up until the time when Thanksgiving became a national holiday. Most of these celebrations bore little resemblance to what we think of as Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims celebrations bore little resemblance to what is depicted now.
No one knows for sure who actually celebrated the first actual Thanksgiving in America. The most popular examples often referenced as the actual “firsts” include:
- The day of thanksgiving celebrated in September 1565 by a
group of Spaniards lead by Spanish explorer Pedro Menéndez de
Avilé, in Saint Augustine, Florida. Pedro invited the Timucua
tribe to dine with them on that Thanksgiving.
- The group led by Spanish explorer Juan de Onate in 1598 in San
Elizario, Texas held a Thanksgiving festival after successfully
crossing 350 miles of Mexican desert.
- The thirty-eight settlers who landed on James River by
Jamestown in December 1619. Their charter required that the day
of landing be set aside as a day of thanksgiving both on that
first date and every year after.
- The Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving that took place sometime between September and October of 1621.
Thanksgiving Traditions Origin
The Pilgrim Thanksgiving
that happened in the fall of 1621 is the most popular reference to
the first Thanksgiving in the US. This is largely because of Sarah
Josepha Hale, author of the nursery rhyme “Mary Had a Little Lamb”
and one of the most influential women in American history.
She was particularly enamored with the Pilgrim event she had read about in a passage by William Bradford in 'Of Plymouth Plantation' as well as the particular Thanksgiving tradition which was somewhat common in New England at the time. She tirelessly campaigned for over 20 years to have Thanksgiving become a national holiday with a set date.
Through her highly circulated editorials, she was largely responsible for much of why we view the Pilgrim’s 1621 Thanksgiving how we do and was also largely responsible for many of the traditions we now tend to attribute to that Thanksgiving, even though there are actually only two brief passages that record what happened during the Thanksgiving celebration in 1621.
Things like the tradition of eating turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving were all popularized by her while it is unlikely that the Pilgrims ate any of those things.
She was particularly enamored with the Pilgrim event she had read about in a passage by William Bradford in 'Of Plymouth Plantation' as well as the particular Thanksgiving tradition which was somewhat common in New England at the time. She tirelessly campaigned for over 20 years to have Thanksgiving become a national holiday with a set date.
Through her highly circulated editorials, she was largely responsible for much of why we view the Pilgrim’s 1621 Thanksgiving how we do and was also largely responsible for many of the traditions we now tend to attribute to that Thanksgiving, even though there are actually only two brief passages that record what happened during the Thanksgiving celebration in 1621.
Things like the tradition of eating turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving were all popularized by her while it is unlikely that the Pilgrims ate any of those things.
Seventeen Beer Facts
Much beer is guzzled during
the holidays so here are a few beer facts that can be used to
impress the relatives.
After he won the Nobel Prize, Niels Bohr was given a perpetual supply of beer piped into his house. (He lived next to a brewery).
The Code of Hammurabi decreed that bartenders who watered down beer would be executed.
At the Annual Wife Carrying World Championships (in Finland), the first prize is the wife's weight in beer.
The builders of the Great Pyramid of Giza were paid with a daily ration of beer.
The top five states for beer consumption per capita: 1. North Dakota, 2. New Hampshire, 3. Montana, 4. South Dakota, 5. Wisconsin.
Germany is home to a beer pipeline. Taps in Veltsin-Arena are connected by a 5km (3 mile) tube of beer.
Thomas Jefferson wrote parts of the Declaration of Independence in a Philadelphia tavern.
George Washington insisted his continental army be permitted a quart of beer as part of their daily rations.
At spas in Europe, you can literally bathe in beer as a physical and mental therapeutic treatment.
In the 1990s, the Beer Lovers Party ran candidates in Belarus and Russia.
J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame invented Quidditch in a pub.
Beer helped Joseph Priestly discover oxygen. He noticed gases rising from the big vats of beer at a brewery and asked to do some experiments.
A Buddhist temple in the Thai countryside was built with over a million recycled beer bottles.
The moon has a crater named Beer.
Beer soup was a common breakfast in medieval Europe.
At the start of Bavarian Beer Week in Germany, an open-air beer fountain dispenses free beer to the public.
In the 1980s, a beer-drinking goat was elected mayor of Lajitas, TX.
After he won the Nobel Prize, Niels Bohr was given a perpetual supply of beer piped into his house. (He lived next to a brewery).
The Code of Hammurabi decreed that bartenders who watered down beer would be executed.
At the Annual Wife Carrying World Championships (in Finland), the first prize is the wife's weight in beer.
The builders of the Great Pyramid of Giza were paid with a daily ration of beer.
The top five states for beer consumption per capita: 1. North Dakota, 2. New Hampshire, 3. Montana, 4. South Dakota, 5. Wisconsin.
Germany is home to a beer pipeline. Taps in Veltsin-Arena are connected by a 5km (3 mile) tube of beer.
Thomas Jefferson wrote parts of the Declaration of Independence in a Philadelphia tavern.
George Washington insisted his continental army be permitted a quart of beer as part of their daily rations.
At spas in Europe, you can literally bathe in beer as a physical and mental therapeutic treatment.
In the 1990s, the Beer Lovers Party ran candidates in Belarus and Russia.
J.K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame invented Quidditch in a pub.
Beer helped Joseph Priestly discover oxygen. He noticed gases rising from the big vats of beer at a brewery and asked to do some experiments.
A Buddhist temple in the Thai countryside was built with over a million recycled beer bottles.
The moon has a crater named Beer.
Beer soup was a common breakfast in medieval Europe.
At the start of Bavarian Beer Week in Germany, an open-air beer fountain dispenses free beer to the public.
In the 1980s, a beer-drinking goat was elected mayor of Lajitas, TX.
Nov 15, 2013
Difference between Turtle, Terrapin, and Tortoise
All three
animals come under the class of reptiles, in the taxonomic order of
Testudines or Chelonia. They all have the major characteristics of
reptiles as they are cold-blooded, have scales, breathe air, and lay
eggs on land.
The distinction between them comes mainly from what living habitat they are adapted for, though the terminology differs slightly in certain countries. In Australia, other than marine sea turtles, they are all called tortoises. In the United States, the term ‘turtles’ is given to chelonians that live in or near water.
In general there are a few commonly accepted distinctions between turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Turtles may be completely aquatic, like sea turtles, which rarely come up onto land, except to lay eggs. Other types of turtles are semi-aquatic and live by fresh water ponds or lakes. They tend to swim, but also spend a lot of time on land, basking in the sun and occasionally burrowing in the mud. Turtles have adapted to an aquatic life and are streamlined for swimming with webbed feet, or in the case of sea turtles, long flippers. Turtle are omnivores. Depending on the type of turtle, they may eat jelly-fish, small invertebrates, sea sponges, and other sea-vegetation. In the case of fresh water turtles, they may eat plants, insects, and small fish.
Tortoises are almost exclusively land-dwelling, usually with stubby feet, and are not good swimmers. They occasionally enter water to clean themselves off or drink water, but can easily drown in the deep or in strong currents. Their bodies are adapted to living on land and have high domed shells and column shaped feet much like elephants. They also sometimes have sharp claws for digging . Tortoises are mostly herbivorous and primarily eat low-lying shrubs, cacti, grasses, weeds, fruit, and other vegetation.
The term terrapins is sometimes used for turtles that are semi-aquatic and live near brackish waters or swampy regions. They are sort of like a mix between a turtle and tortoise, as they spend most of their time divided between water and land. They are also usually small and have a hard-shell that is shaped somewhere between a turtle’s streamlined one and a tortoise’s rounded dome shaped one.
The distinction between them comes mainly from what living habitat they are adapted for, though the terminology differs slightly in certain countries. In Australia, other than marine sea turtles, they are all called tortoises. In the United States, the term ‘turtles’ is given to chelonians that live in or near water.
In general there are a few commonly accepted distinctions between turtles, tortoises, and terrapins. Turtles may be completely aquatic, like sea turtles, which rarely come up onto land, except to lay eggs. Other types of turtles are semi-aquatic and live by fresh water ponds or lakes. They tend to swim, but also spend a lot of time on land, basking in the sun and occasionally burrowing in the mud. Turtles have adapted to an aquatic life and are streamlined for swimming with webbed feet, or in the case of sea turtles, long flippers. Turtle are omnivores. Depending on the type of turtle, they may eat jelly-fish, small invertebrates, sea sponges, and other sea-vegetation. In the case of fresh water turtles, they may eat plants, insects, and small fish.
Tortoises are almost exclusively land-dwelling, usually with stubby feet, and are not good swimmers. They occasionally enter water to clean themselves off or drink water, but can easily drown in the deep or in strong currents. Their bodies are adapted to living on land and have high domed shells and column shaped feet much like elephants. They also sometimes have sharp claws for digging . Tortoises are mostly herbivorous and primarily eat low-lying shrubs, cacti, grasses, weeds, fruit, and other vegetation.
The term terrapins is sometimes used for turtles that are semi-aquatic and live near brackish waters or swampy regions. They are sort of like a mix between a turtle and tortoise, as they spend most of their time divided between water and land. They are also usually small and have a hard-shell that is shaped somewhere between a turtle’s streamlined one and a tortoise’s rounded dome shaped one.
Eleven Benefits of Chocolate
As we approach the holidays,
let me make it easier for you to indulge on a traditional holiday
treat. A recently completed European study of chocolate eating among
teens showed those who regularly consumed chocolate have less total
and abdominal body fat than those who do not. The findings are based
on data from 1,458 youths ages 12 to 17, who were part of the
Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence study, which
examines lifestyle habits among youths in nine countries in Europe.
The study did not differentiate between dark or light chocolate.
Although most studies claim dark chocolate is better for you, there is no need to rule out light chocolate.
Benefits of eating chocolate show:
A 20% reduced risk of stroke,
Lower blood pressure,
Lower risk of heart attack,
Helps keep you feeling fuller longer,
Increases insulin sensitivity (reducing risk of diabetes),
Dark chocolate flavonoids are good for your skin,
Theobromine in chocolate reduces activity of the vagus nerve to ease coughing,
Increases a positive mood and reduces stress,
Cocoa has blood thinning properties,
Improves vision.
White chocolate is really not chocolate, because it does not contain cocoa solids. It is a chocolate derivative and usually consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and salt.
Although most studies claim dark chocolate is better for you, there is no need to rule out light chocolate.
Benefits of eating chocolate show:
A 20% reduced risk of stroke,
Lower blood pressure,
Lower risk of heart attack,
Helps keep you feeling fuller longer,
Increases insulin sensitivity (reducing risk of diabetes),
Dark chocolate flavonoids are good for your skin,
Theobromine in chocolate reduces activity of the vagus nerve to ease coughing,
Increases a positive mood and reduces stress,
Cocoa has blood thinning properties,
Improves vision.
White chocolate is really not chocolate, because it does not contain cocoa solids. It is a chocolate derivative and usually consists of cocoa butter, sugar, milk solids, and salt.
Baked Eggs
Baked eggs are better because they are less
sulfurous smelling and the texture of the finished eggs is creamier.
Try baking them at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. You might enjoy the
difference.
Even More Inventions from Women
Patsy Sherman's role in the invention of Scotchgard™ was a "happy
mistake". As a research chemist with 3M in 1953, a lab mishap with
fluorochemicals lead her to a new discovery. An assistant
accidentally dropped a bottle of synthetic latex that Sherman had
made, it splashed onto the assistant's white canvas tennis shoes.
The substance did not change the look of the shoes it couldn't be
washed away by any solvents, and it repelled water, oil and other
liquids.
In 1813, Tabitha Babbitt created the circular saw. It was circular so that the teeth would continue cutting, unlike the straight saws that only cut on the pull and not the push motion. Her other building innovations, like machine-cut nails instead of individually hand-crafted nails. As a Massachusetts Shaker community member, she helped create tool innovations for furniture making. She lived a simple Shaker life and never applied for patents.
The inventor of "Liquid Paper" or "White-Out" was Betty Nesmith Graham. Graham got an idea she had seen done by sign painters, which was to add another layer of paint to cover-up mistakes. She used a kitchen blender to mix-up her first batch of substance to cover-up over mistakes made on paper at work. After much experimenting and then being fired for spending so much time distributing her product as a trial, she received a patent in 1958.
In 1813, Tabitha Babbitt created the circular saw. It was circular so that the teeth would continue cutting, unlike the straight saws that only cut on the pull and not the push motion. Her other building innovations, like machine-cut nails instead of individually hand-crafted nails. As a Massachusetts Shaker community member, she helped create tool innovations for furniture making. She lived a simple Shaker life and never applied for patents.
The inventor of "Liquid Paper" or "White-Out" was Betty Nesmith Graham. Graham got an idea she had seen done by sign painters, which was to add another layer of paint to cover-up mistakes. She used a kitchen blender to mix-up her first batch of substance to cover-up over mistakes made on paper at work. After much experimenting and then being fired for spending so much time distributing her product as a trial, she received a patent in 1958.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)