Jan 10, 2014
Wordology, Roughshod
The expression "to run or to ride
roughshod" over somebody or something, means to tyrannize or treat
harshly. During the 17th century, a "rough-shod" horse had its shoes
attached with protruding nail heads to get a better grip on slippery
roads.
Ten Different Types of Laughter
Laughter is a social
structure, something that connects humans with one another in a
profound way. People are about thirty percent more likely to laugh
in a social setting that warrants it than when alone with humorous
media. In other words, you are more likely to laugh with friends
while watching a comedy together than when you are watching the same
show by yourself. About 90 percent of our laughter is related to
jokes or humor.
Belly Laughter - Belly laughter is considered the most honest type of laughter and it the type where the whole body shakes and you gasp for air. Men are more likely to grunt or snort at something they find funny, while women let loose with giggles and chuckles.
Canned Laughter - Canned laughter is another term for "laugh track." It is real laughter taken completely out of one context and placed in another, such as from a real studio audience to a filmed movie. Canned laughter over a soundtrack to programming increases the chance of an audience finding humor in the material.
Contagious Laughter - Imagine you are out for dinner with a group of friends and someone tells a joke and gets one person laughing, which gets a second person laughing, and so on. Contagious laughter raises the possibility that humans have laugh detectors. People are made to respond with laughter on hearing laughter itself, much like the mystery of spreading a yawn. If it spreads too far, it is called mass hysteria.
Cruel Laughter - Cruel laughter has been around for a long time. In the late Middle Ages, for instance, there's record of residents buying a condemned criminal from a different town just so they could enjoy quartering him themselves. Slapstick comedy often induces cruel laughter.
Etiquette Laughter - People rely on laughter to get along with others, so whether we are with a boss or friends, we tend to laugh at things they say or do, to be polite. Laughter could have developed in our ancestors before full speech, so the sound is merely a way to communicate and show agreement.
Nervous Laughter - During times of anxiety, we often laugh in a subconscious attempt to calm down. However, nervous laughter usually just heightens the awkwardness of the situation.
Pigeon Laughter - Pigeon laughter, which is often practiced in laughter therapy or laughter yoga, involves laughing without opening your mouth. By keeping your lips sealed, the laughter produces a humming sound, much like the noises a pigeon makes.
Silent Laughter - Silent laughter can have real benefits, because it involves the same type of deep breathing that comes with belly laughter. One woman who worked as a clown in a children's hospital explained that teaching sick children the art of silent laughter enabled them to go back to sleep after waking up from a bad dream. This type of laughter is also practiced in laughter yoga and laughter therapy, where it is often called joker's laughter.
Stress-relieving Laughter - Stress is an important reasons to find something humorous and laughter is a sure cure for stress. Stress builds tension in the human body, and that tension has to go somewhere. Stress-relieving laughter can take many forms, but it is usually found in an outburst, much like belly laughing.
Snorting Laughter - About twenty five percent of women and thirty three percent of men laugh through the nose. This is the kind where you might blow milk out your nose when surprised with a humorous situation. A person might either blow air out or suck it in through the nose when laughing. A well told joke often induces me to experience a few different types of laughter in one bout.
Belly Laughter - Belly laughter is considered the most honest type of laughter and it the type where the whole body shakes and you gasp for air. Men are more likely to grunt or snort at something they find funny, while women let loose with giggles and chuckles.
Canned Laughter - Canned laughter is another term for "laugh track." It is real laughter taken completely out of one context and placed in another, such as from a real studio audience to a filmed movie. Canned laughter over a soundtrack to programming increases the chance of an audience finding humor in the material.
Contagious Laughter - Imagine you are out for dinner with a group of friends and someone tells a joke and gets one person laughing, which gets a second person laughing, and so on. Contagious laughter raises the possibility that humans have laugh detectors. People are made to respond with laughter on hearing laughter itself, much like the mystery of spreading a yawn. If it spreads too far, it is called mass hysteria.
Cruel Laughter - Cruel laughter has been around for a long time. In the late Middle Ages, for instance, there's record of residents buying a condemned criminal from a different town just so they could enjoy quartering him themselves. Slapstick comedy often induces cruel laughter.
Etiquette Laughter - People rely on laughter to get along with others, so whether we are with a boss or friends, we tend to laugh at things they say or do, to be polite. Laughter could have developed in our ancestors before full speech, so the sound is merely a way to communicate and show agreement.
Nervous Laughter - During times of anxiety, we often laugh in a subconscious attempt to calm down. However, nervous laughter usually just heightens the awkwardness of the situation.
Pigeon Laughter - Pigeon laughter, which is often practiced in laughter therapy or laughter yoga, involves laughing without opening your mouth. By keeping your lips sealed, the laughter produces a humming sound, much like the noises a pigeon makes.
Silent Laughter - Silent laughter can have real benefits, because it involves the same type of deep breathing that comes with belly laughter. One woman who worked as a clown in a children's hospital explained that teaching sick children the art of silent laughter enabled them to go back to sleep after waking up from a bad dream. This type of laughter is also practiced in laughter yoga and laughter therapy, where it is often called joker's laughter.
Stress-relieving Laughter - Stress is an important reasons to find something humorous and laughter is a sure cure for stress. Stress builds tension in the human body, and that tension has to go somewhere. Stress-relieving laughter can take many forms, but it is usually found in an outburst, much like belly laughing.
Snorting Laughter - About twenty five percent of women and thirty three percent of men laugh through the nose. This is the kind where you might blow milk out your nose when surprised with a humorous situation. A person might either blow air out or suck it in through the nose when laughing. A well told joke often induces me to experience a few different types of laughter in one bout.
Larry, Moe, and Curly
When it comes to laughter, these
three were in the front of the pack. Their antics have spanned
generations of slapstick aficionados. For the Three Stooges fans in
the bunch, just received the following. My niece, Kalyn turned me on
to this Kickstarter to produce a history of the Three Stooges. LINK
Also the fans home page http://www.threestooges.com
Also the fans home page http://www.threestooges.com
The truth About Egg Yolk Color
Americans eggs tend to have
bright yellow yolks, because of what they feed feed the hens. Egg
yolk color is almost entirely influenced by its diet. If you feed
yellow corn it shows and if you feed birds white corn, the egg yolks
are more white. In South America, hens that peck at red annatto
seeds lay eggs with yolks ranging from pink to orange to deep
reddish.
The yellow color in egg yolks, as well yellowish chicken skin and fat, comes from pigments found in plants.
In most parts of the world, diners prefer their yolks with a bit more color so commercial feeds often contain lutein as an additive, although yellow maize, soybeans, carrots, and alfafa powder will also add the color.
Many egg eaters assume that darker yolks are a sign of higher nutritional value. That is not true. Although chicken feed does influence the nutritional value of birds and their eggs, researchers say yolk color does not tell you anything about nutritional value. When it comes to taste, slap a few eggs next to a huge hunk of bacon and the taste becomes awesome, regardless of yolk color.
The yellow color in egg yolks, as well yellowish chicken skin and fat, comes from pigments found in plants.
In most parts of the world, diners prefer their yolks with a bit more color so commercial feeds often contain lutein as an additive, although yellow maize, soybeans, carrots, and alfafa powder will also add the color.
Many egg eaters assume that darker yolks are a sign of higher nutritional value. That is not true. Although chicken feed does influence the nutritional value of birds and their eggs, researchers say yolk color does not tell you anything about nutritional value. When it comes to taste, slap a few eggs next to a huge hunk of bacon and the taste becomes awesome, regardless of yolk color.
Jan 5, 2014
Happy Friday
"If you do something well and you enjoy it, what more can you bloody
well ask?" Peter O'Toole
I am very good at, and always bloody well enjoy having a Happy Friday!
I am very good at, and always bloody well enjoy having a Happy Friday!
A is for Alcohol
Now that the holidays festivities
have subsided, I offer a bit of solace to the imbibers in the crowd.
A recent study from the Research Society on Alcoholism shows that
regular drinkers are less likely to die prematurely than people who
have never indulged in alcohol. It concludes that abstaining from
alcohol altogether can lead to a shorter life than consistent,
moderate drinking.
The controlled study followed 1,824 individuals between ages 55 and 65 over a 20-year period and accounted for variables including socioeconomic status to level of physical activity. It found that mortality rates were highest for those who had never had a sip, lower for heavy drinkers, and lowest for moderate drinkers who enjoyed one to three drinks per day.
Results showed 69 percent of nondrinkers and 60 percent of heavy drinkers died prematurely, while only 41 percent of the moderate drinkers died prematurely. Even with the other heavy drinking mortality factors, such as risks for cirrhosis and cancer, accidents, and poor judgment associated with heavy drinking; those who imbibe are less likely to die prematurely than nondrinkers.
A possible explanation offered is that alcohol can be a social lubricant and strong social networks are essential for maintaining mental and physical health. Also, nondrinkers demonstrate greater signs of depression than drinkers. Another recent study found that moderate alcohol consumption boosts your immune system. In addition, there is potential heart health and circulation benefits of moderate drinking, especially red wine.
The difference between moderate and chronic is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. They define moderate as no more than four drinks on a single day and no more than 14 in a week for men. For women, it is defined as no more than three drinks on a single day and no more than seven in a week.
The controlled study followed 1,824 individuals between ages 55 and 65 over a 20-year period and accounted for variables including socioeconomic status to level of physical activity. It found that mortality rates were highest for those who had never had a sip, lower for heavy drinkers, and lowest for moderate drinkers who enjoyed one to three drinks per day.
Results showed 69 percent of nondrinkers and 60 percent of heavy drinkers died prematurely, while only 41 percent of the moderate drinkers died prematurely. Even with the other heavy drinking mortality factors, such as risks for cirrhosis and cancer, accidents, and poor judgment associated with heavy drinking; those who imbibe are less likely to die prematurely than nondrinkers.
A possible explanation offered is that alcohol can be a social lubricant and strong social networks are essential for maintaining mental and physical health. Also, nondrinkers demonstrate greater signs of depression than drinkers. Another recent study found that moderate alcohol consumption boosts your immune system. In addition, there is potential heart health and circulation benefits of moderate drinking, especially red wine.
The difference between moderate and chronic is defined by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. They define moderate as no more than four drinks on a single day and no more than 14 in a week for men. For women, it is defined as no more than three drinks on a single day and no more than seven in a week.
C is for Cabo Wabo
Sammy Hagar, lead singer for Van Halen
made more money from Cabo Wabo than all record, concert, song
royalties, and products combined.
He is the founder of the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand along with Cabo Wabo night clubs and restaurants. In 2007, Hagar sold an eighty percent share of the tequila brand for $80 million and sold the rest a three years later. Now he started a new venture with "Sammy's Beach Bar Rum".
Hagar claims he came up with the name after watching a man walk unsteadily along a local beach In Cabo San Lucas after a heavy night's partying. He used Cabo and shortened "wobble" to "wabo" and said the man was doing the "Cabo wabo."
He is the founder of the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand along with Cabo Wabo night clubs and restaurants. In 2007, Hagar sold an eighty percent share of the tequila brand for $80 million and sold the rest a three years later. Now he started a new venture with "Sammy's Beach Bar Rum".
Hagar claims he came up with the name after watching a man walk unsteadily along a local beach In Cabo San Lucas after a heavy night's partying. He used Cabo and shortened "wobble" to "wabo" and said the man was doing the "Cabo wabo."
Jan 1, 2014
F is for Fried Chicken
This has been around for a while,
but still makes me laugh, so I felt compelled to share. It is time
to start the new year with a good hearty laugh.
Our teacher asked what is my favorite animal and I said, "Fried chicken". She told me I am not funny, but she could not have been right because everyone else laughed. My parents told me to always tell the truth. I did. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher is probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do too, especially chicken. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened and he laughed too. Then he told me not to do it again.
The next day in class, my teacher asked me what is my favorite live animal. I told her it is chicken. She asked me why, so I told her it is because you can make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal's office. He laughed and told me not to do it again. I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher does not like it when I am.
Today, my teacher asked me to tell her what famous person I admired most. I told her, "Colonel Sanders". Guess where I am now?
Our teacher asked what is my favorite animal and I said, "Fried chicken". She told me I am not funny, but she could not have been right because everyone else laughed. My parents told me to always tell the truth. I did. Fried chicken is my favorite animal. I told my dad what happened, and he said my teacher is probably a member of PETA. He said they love animals very much. I do too, especially chicken. Anyway, my teacher sent me to the principal's office. I told him what happened and he laughed too. Then he told me not to do it again.
The next day in class, my teacher asked me what is my favorite live animal. I told her it is chicken. She asked me why, so I told her it is because you can make them into fried chicken. She sent me back to the principal's office. He laughed and told me not to do it again. I don't understand. My parents taught me to be honest, but my teacher does not like it when I am.
Today, my teacher asked me to tell her what famous person I admired most. I told her, "Colonel Sanders". Guess where I am now?
Laughter is the Best Medicine
Proverbs 17:22, "a merrie
heart doth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the
bones," has transformed into the popular saying, "Laughter is the
best medicine."
More About Laughter
Here is more good news to smile about
this year. A recent study found that groups that either watched or
participated in comedy felt less pain than their peers, who watched
a documentary. People who laughed more had an even higher pain
threshold than those who only had a few giggles. Chuckling with
others also increased laughter's positive impact. People are 30
times more likely to laugh in a group than alone.
Laughing triggers endorphins, neurotransmitters produced by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which spark a feeling of comfort similar to what occurs when someone takes an opiate. Love, excitement, spicy foods, orgasms, exercise, and pain all cause the brain to produce endorphins, which also provide an analgesic effect.
Laughing triggers endorphins, neurotransmitters produced by the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which spark a feeling of comfort similar to what occurs when someone takes an opiate. Love, excitement, spicy foods, orgasms, exercise, and pain all cause the brain to produce endorphins, which also provide an analgesic effect.
Clowns and Laughter
Being a clown is a noble profession.
Clowns have proven to improve lung function in patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. Genuine laughter for a whole day
could burn 2,000 calories and lower the blood sugar in people with
diabetics, a review published in the British Medical Journal found.
Laughter also enhanced fertility, Thirty six percent of would-be mothers who were entertained by a clown after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer became pregnant compared with 20 percent in the control group. OK, women, no jokes please.
Laughter also enhanced fertility, Thirty six percent of would-be mothers who were entertained by a clown after in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer became pregnant compared with 20 percent in the control group. OK, women, no jokes please.
Greatest Clown in History
Britain's Joseph Grimaldi has
been known as the "greatest clown in history". Joseph Grimaldi (18
December 1778 – 31 May 1837), is the most celebrated of English
clowns. Grimaldi's performances made the 'Joey Clown' character the
central character in British harlequinades. He was born in Clare
Market, London, the son of an Italian, Signor Joseph 'Iron Legs'
Grimaldi, ballet-master at the Drury Lane and Rebecca Brooker, a
dancer in the theatre's corps de ballet.
His father died when he was nine, and plunged the family into debt. When less than two years old, he was introduced to the stage at Drury Lane; at the age of three, he began to appear at the Sadler's Wells theatre. As a young man, he fell in love and married the daughter of the principal proprietor of Sadler's Wells. Maria Grimaldi died in childbirth 18 months after their marriage. He found solace in performance, and eventually married again, to Mary Bristow. After he passed away, his burial site and the area around it was later named Joseph Grimaldi Park.
Charles Dickens was invited to edit and improve a clumsily written life of Grimaldi, which had been based on the clown's own notes. The 'Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi' sold well for Dickens.
His father died when he was nine, and plunged the family into debt. When less than two years old, he was introduced to the stage at Drury Lane; at the age of three, he began to appear at the Sadler's Wells theatre. As a young man, he fell in love and married the daughter of the principal proprietor of Sadler's Wells. Maria Grimaldi died in childbirth 18 months after their marriage. He found solace in performance, and eventually married again, to Mary Bristow. After he passed away, his burial site and the area around it was later named Joseph Grimaldi Park.
Charles Dickens was invited to edit and improve a clumsily written life of Grimaldi, which had been based on the clown's own notes. The 'Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi' sold well for Dickens.
Wordology, Duchenne Smile
While conducting research on the
physiology of facial expressions in the mid-19th century,
Guillaume-Benjamin-Amand Duchenne (de Boulogne) identified two
distinct types of smiles. The eponymous Duchenne smile involves
contraction of both the zygomatic major muscle, which raises the
corners of the mouth and the orbicularis oculi muscle, which raises
the cheeks and forms crow's feet around the eyes.
A non-Duchenne, or politician smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle. Research with adults initially indicated that joy was indexed by generic smiling, involving just the raising of the lip corners by the zygomatic major. More recent research suggests that smiling in which the muscle around the eye contracts, raising the cheeks high (Duchenne smiling), is uniquely associated with positive emotion.
There are also two types of laughter, Duchenne and non-Duchenne. Duchenne laughter is the type of natural chuckle that people experience when they see or hear something funny, which is often contagious. This giggling involves the contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle and adds more pain relief than non-Duchenne laughter, which is emotionless and context-driven. Duchenne laughter might be so effective because it involves muscle activity much like exercise, which releases endorphins. The capacity to sustain laughter for periods of several minutes at a time may exaggerate the opioid effects.
A non-Duchenne, or politician smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle. Research with adults initially indicated that joy was indexed by generic smiling, involving just the raising of the lip corners by the zygomatic major. More recent research suggests that smiling in which the muscle around the eye contracts, raising the cheeks high (Duchenne smiling), is uniquely associated with positive emotion.
There are also two types of laughter, Duchenne and non-Duchenne. Duchenne laughter is the type of natural chuckle that people experience when they see or hear something funny, which is often contagious. This giggling involves the contractions of the orbicularis oculi muscle and adds more pain relief than non-Duchenne laughter, which is emotionless and context-driven. Duchenne laughter might be so effective because it involves muscle activity much like exercise, which releases endorphins. The capacity to sustain laughter for periods of several minutes at a time may exaggerate the opioid effects.
Last Regrets
While derping around the net seeking some more
happy thoughts to begin the new year, I came across the following.
It brings into focus that way too many people fail to cultivate
relationships and be happy until it is too late. This is not meant
to be morose, but rather as a heads up to celebrate, have fun, and
laugh so you do not have these regrets.
A nurse, Bronnie Ware, on her blog, inspirationandchai relates some things shared by her patients, who were within the last few weeks and months of their life. The most common five regrets her patients related were:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret of all.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard. Mostly men said this, but also women. They regretted missing so much time with family.
3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings. They regretted not saying how they really felt, just to keep peace with others.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. After family, they most regretted letting friendships lapse by not taking the time to stay in touch.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Too many people forget that happiness is a choice and they waste time on old comfortable habits. They longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
A nurse, Bronnie Ware, on her blog, inspirationandchai relates some things shared by her patients, who were within the last few weeks and months of their life. The most common five regrets her patients related were:
1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. This was the most common regret of all.
2. I wish I didn't work so hard. Mostly men said this, but also women. They regretted missing so much time with family.
3. I wish I had the courage to express my feelings. They regretted not saying how they really felt, just to keep peace with others.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. After family, they most regretted letting friendships lapse by not taking the time to stay in touch.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier. Too many people forget that happiness is a choice and they waste time on old comfortable habits. They longed to laugh properly and have silliness in their life again.
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